Salon Nautique/ Paris Boat Show - J/112E!
This Gorgeous “Living Room” Can Surf To 18+ kts??
(Paris, France)- On display at the Salon Nautique/ Paris Boat Show from December 2nd to 10th is the fabulous new 36 footer from the J/Design team- the J/112E Sport Cruiser. The show takes place at the Parc de Exposition at Port de Versailles, Paris and the 112E will be on display at Pavilion 1/ Stand
1-G-355.The J/112E was presented with SAIL Magazine’s Best Boat Award in the “Best Performance Boat Over 30 ft” category in 2017. And, she was also presented with the SAILING WORLD Boat of the Year Award for "Best Crossover" cruiser-racer. She is the latest addition to the J/Boats “E” Series of versatile performance sailing yachts. And, her racing record in 2017 was impressive, including an emphatic win of IRC 1 Class at the famous Hamble Winter Series over outright IRC rule-bending machines, not bad for a well-outfitted sport cruiser like you see in the photo here!
A welcome 36 feet in length, she features a spacious two-cabin accommodation plan and a comfortable, ergonomic cockpit. The J/112E is as well suited for the annual family cruise as she is racing in the local club regatta or short-handing through rough weather. Take the opportunity to view this gorgeous sailing yacht in Paris! For more Salon Nautique/ Paris Boat Show information Read more about SAIL magazine’s J/112E review in the Best Boats 2017 article here. Read more about the J/112E Sport Cruiser here
Happy Holidays! Order 2018 J/Calendar Today!(Newport, RI)- A sailing calendar is a great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew. We have created another beautiful calendar for J sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world. Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places.
The 2018 sailing calendar features the most popular as well as latest creations from the J/Design team sailing in many of the worlds most popular sailing areas- Cowes, Newport, San Francisco Bay, Russia, France, Italy, Monaco and French Polynesia in the Pacific! See the 2018 J/Calendar photo gallery and order here
Quantum J/70 Winter Series Regattas Preview(Tampa, FL)- The 2017/ 2018 edition of the fourth Quantum J/70 Winter Series continues to be a popular choice for J/70 sailors from across America, Canada, and even the Caribbean! The “sailingest yacht club in the south”, the Davis Island YC, is again proud to host the enormous contingent of J/sailors descending upon them for racing the weekend of December 9th to 10th. The maximum number of entries permitted has been reached, with fifty-six entries ready to do battle on Tampa Bay, with fifteen Corinthian crews.
There is no question the “snow birds” heading south must be excited about Tampa Bay’s forecast- sunny, warm, low 60s F, northerly at 10-15 kts on Saturday and more sun with lighter northerly winds of 7-12 kts on Sunday!
The Corinthians division continues to have excellent competition. Returning are two past champions- Robb Britts’ HOT MESS from the host DIYC and Andrew & Melissa Fisher’s BUTTON FLY from American YC in Rye, NY. Some of the top crews challenging this formidable duo include Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP from Chicago, IL (2nd in Corinthians at J/70 North Americans); Mallory & Andrew Loe’s DIME from Seattle YC in Seattle, WA; Bob Willis’ RIP RULLAH from Chicago, IL; and Al Poindexter’s USA 241 from Lakewood YC in Seabrook, TX.
With the 2018 edition of the J/70 World Championship taking place in Marblehead, MA, there is no question there are a number of teams that will be using this year’s winter J/70 circuit to dial in their boat-handling, boatspeed, and tactics with their teams. The Open division will have a number of top crews that should be near the top of the leaderboard for the series. Amongst those crews should be Darby Smith’s AFRICA from DIYC in Tampa, FL; Doug Strebel’s BLACK RIVER RACING from Lakewood YC in Seabrook, TX; past J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning sailing CATAPULT from Wayzata YC in Excelsior, MN; John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA from Chicago YC; class newcomer Kevin Downey on MR. PITIFUL from Seattle YC; Oivind Lorentzen’s NINE from Greenwich, CT; Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE from San Diego, CA; Peter Cunningham’s POWERPLAY from the Cayman Islands; John Brim’s RIMETTE from Fishers Island YC in New York; Brian Keane’s SAVASANA from Beverly, MA; Will Welles’ SCAMP from Newport, RI; and Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE from Fort Worth, TX.SAIL22 J/70 “Porch Series” with North U
SAIL22 and North U are combining forces to get you up to speed and at the front of the fleet. The “Porch Series” will occur on each Friday of the J/70 Winter Series, starting Friday, December 8th.
To kick off the fun regatta weekend, a dock talk by Chuck Allen and Ed Furry will begin at 12:00 PM to discuss boat setup and tuning, followed by on-the-water coaching with North U at 1:00 PM. Practice races will run by J/WORLD from 2:00 until 4:00 PM, with a debrief immediately after sailing with North U and J/World.
To make it more interesting and exciting, Ed Furry from SAIL22 will emcee play-by-play action from the Porch at Davis Island YC, a drone will be shooting live footage online so sailors can join in the fun from home. In addition, the racing will feature the new MarkSETBot, the GPS moving mark that can be set from a mobile phone app to keep the races going! For more Quantum J/70 Winter Series sailing information
Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Regatta Preview(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- This coming weekend, the famous Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Regatta is taking place, hosted by the incredibly gracious members of Montego Bay YC. You cannot beat the setting- warm weather, trade winds of 15-20 kts, sunny, and the nicest people you can imagine, sailing on a one-design fleet of J/22s.
A special feature of this year’s event is that North Sails’ Mike Marshall, the 2016 J/22 World Champion, will be providing a weekend-long J/22 North U “go-fast” clinic and on-the-water coaching for everyone!
The format is designed to encourage foreign sailors (to Jamaica) to visit as duets or entire crews of 3-4 people. Of the fifteen-odd boats on the island, three are reserved for Kingston teams and three reserved for Mo’Bay teams- that selection is based on qualifiers. Those boats are Peter Harper’s ZIPPER, Richard Hamilton’s RENEGADE, and Mike Morse’s AYAHSO from Mo’Bay. Hailing from Kingston are Cooke’s
GERONIMO and Gibson’s TSUNAMI.As for the rest of the boats, the infamous “honest john boat draw” took place. Video footage will show that an honest draw was made of this year’s visitors and available boats using completely random toilet paper squares. Impartial by-standers were dragged from the massive crowds at Mo’Bay YC to pull the toilet paper squares and match boats with a skipper. Thanks to Charlotte and Luna Marr for their unbiased assistance (pictured here)! Cute, eh??
Ten boats will be on the starting line this year for more fun in the Jamaican sun; three teams from Cayman Islands, one from Canada, and one from the USA. For more Jammin J/22 Jamaica Regatta sailing information
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
The natives in southern California were delighted this year’s San Diego YC Hot Rum Series took place over three weekends with near postcard-perfect sailing conditions. The usual suspects in J/105s, J/120s, and J/125s and others in the J/stable sailed well. However, it was the J/70s that put in a remarkable performance, leading the way for everyone else. Over on the opposite side of America, down in southeast Florida, the famous, beautiful Sailfish Club in Palm Beach, Florida hosted their 61st Annual Wirth M. Munroe Race from Miami to Palm Beach, a 60nm dash up the Straits of Florida with a massive 4.5+ kt boost northward from the Gulf Stream.Over in Europe, the J/24s continue to conclude their 2017 seasons with their fall and winter series events taking place around the isthmus, this time it was Marina di Carrara, with racing taking place off the famous “marble Carrara mountains!”
Finally, we get an update on the continuous adventures of a modern day Tom Sawyer, a.k.a. Tom Babbitt from Portland, Maine. He first cruised his J/42 BRAVO for years in Maine, across the Atlantic to Europe, and also the Caribbean. In recent years, Tom and his wife Jane “upscaled” their ride for a gorgeous J/46 cruising boat also named BRAVO. Needless to say, if anyone needs advice on long-distance cruising, Tom is your man! They will be in the Caribbean this winter- based out of Antigua.
Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below has many entertaining stories and news about J/Sailors as well as cruising blogs about those who continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific, staying warm while others are trying to stay warm up north. Check them out! More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook pag Below are the summaries.
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Dec 9-10- Jammin Jamaica J/22 Regatta- Montego Bay, JamaicaDec 8-10- Quantum J/70 Winter Series- Tampa, FL
Jan 5-7- Quantum J/70 Winter Series- Tampa, FL
Jan 19-21- J/Fest St Pete- St Petersburg, FL
Feb 9-11- Quantum J/70 Winter Series- Tampa, FL
Feb 15-18- St Pete NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
Feb 17-18- SCYA Midwinter Regatta- Long Beach, CA
Feb 19- RORC Caribbean 600 Race- English Harbour, Antigua
Feb 23-25- J/70 Midwinters- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 1-4- Heineken St Maarten Regatta- Simpson Bay, St Maarten
Mar 7-11- Bacardi Cup J/70 Invitational- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 16-18- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego, CA
Mar 22-25- St Thomas International Regatta- Red Hook Bay, St Thomas, USVI
Mar 29- Apr 1- Easter Regatta- Columbia, SC
Apr 12-15- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
Apr 8-14- Voiles de Saint Barth Regatta- Gustavia, St Barth
Apr 26-29- J/70 Corinthian Nationals- Ft Worth, TX
Apr 28- May 4- Antigua Sailing Week- English Harbour, Antigua
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/70s Sweep SDYC Hot Rum Series Class!(San Diego, CA)- Originated in 1957, the annual Sinnhoffer Hot Rum Series completed its three race schedule (Nov. 4, 18, Dec. 2) under sunny skies and light to moderate winds in San Diego, CA. With a pursuit start and an 11.9 nm random leg course for the 140 teams, the course setup again favored the big boats powering through the fleet of smaller boats that had started in much lighter winds.
The J/125s had a rough go of it this year in PHRF 1 class. In the end, they ended up separated by three points, with Viggo Torbensen’s TIMESHAVER edging out Mark Surber’s DERIVATIVE, taking 7th and 8th in class, respectively. Both boats had solid finishes, mostly top ten, but not enough to overcome the big tall rigs of the TP52’s and larger boats.PHRF Class 2 was shaping up to be quite a pitched battle between two J/120s and the famous America’s Cup helmsman- Dennis Conner on his appropriately named MENACE. Going into the last race, the J/120s were 1st and 3rd but could not hold on to those positions. In a light air reaching drag race, the J/120s were a little out-classed. John Laun’s CAPER finished on the podium in 3rd place while his friend Chuck Nichols on CC RIDER settled for 4th place.
Usually the domain of the J/105 class, PHRF 3 Class saw a strong performance from Dagfish’s VIGGEN to take home the silver with all top five scores. Then, Scheel’s SUN PUFFIN took 7th, Rick Goebel’s SANITY posted a DNC-2-2 to crush the last two races but was only good enough for the 8th spot. Howell’s fun-loving holiday-trimmed BLINK took 9th and Sanford’s CREATIVE placed 11th.The big winners in PHRF Class 4 were the trio of J/70s. Winning on a tie-breaker at 10 pts each was Fabian Gomez-Ibarra’s VAGAZO, getting the short end of that stick was Wyman’s NUNUHUNU. Then, only one point back was Dave Vieregg’s SOGGY DOLLAR.
Finally, in PHRF 5 class, The Case’s sailed one of San Diego YC’s J/22s called ZO ZO to 4th place.
For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series sailing information
J/30 PAPARAZZI Two-Peats The “Buffet Race”(Palm Beach, FL)- Nicknamed “the buffet race,” the 61st Annual Wirth M. Munroe Race commenced December 1st for the 60nm course from Miami to Palm Beach. Aside from a short-lived rainstorm, the 22 teams enjoyed sunny conditions with breeze in the teens before arriving to rum drinks and the infamous seafood buffet at the Sailfish Club of Florida.
This year’s race was a bit more challenging than last year and that one was tough enough. The boats that did well sailed 11-12 miles offshore, first on a port tack, to go “Gulf Stream hunting”- finding the hot 88 F water flowing at 4.5+ kts north over the bottom!
Donald Lasky’s J/30 PAPARAZZI won PHRF B for the 2nd year in a row and was 2nd overall. PAPARAZZI is very well sailed and the crew were really tired when they reached the Sailfish Club- most of the crew are in their 60’s or 70’s! For more Wirth M. Munroe Race sailing information
J/24 FIVE FOR FIGHTING Wins Autumn Championship(Marina di Carrara, Italy)- The 2017 of the Autumn Championship for the Gulf of Poets J/24 Fleet took place over two weekends and was organized by the Club Nautica Marina di Carrara in collaboration with the Circolo della Vela Marina di Massa. The region is not necessarily famous for its amazing sailing conditions, since the rest of the world knows it for something decorating many upscale households and offices- their renowned “Carrara marble”! The mountainsides gleam white in the day and glow orange at sunset- an astonishing view!
In total, ten races were run over the two weekends. A victory in the last race simply confirmed the crushing win the young crew on ITA 304 FIVE FOR FIGHTING put on the dozen-boat fleet. The team was led by owner/skipper Eugenia De Giacomo with crew of Nicola and Matilde Pitanti, Lorenzo Cusimano and Bruna Marco.The sailing was characterized by sun and perfect wind, about 10-15 knots from the northeast on Saturday. Then on Sunday, two more races in similar conditions to count five for the weekend. There were four different winners of the races, including FIVE FOR FIGHTING (race 6 and 10), Riccardo Pacini’s COCCOE, Roberta Banfo’s TALLY-HO (skippered by Luca Macchiarini), and Giuseppe Simonelli’s RAZOR BILL (skippered by Davide Sampiero).
At the end of racing on Sunday, F4F had five 1sts and three 2nds in their ten-race tally to win with 16 pts net- a huge margin over the second place team. That boat was Pacini’s COCCOE with 25 pts net. Third and fourth places were determined by a tie-breaker between Pietro Diamanti’s JAMAICA and Macchiarini’s TALLY-HO, with the former getting the benefit of count back to round out the podium. Fifth place went to Simonelli’s RAZOR BILL."They were beautiful regattas, very fun and very competitive,” commented Pietro Diamanti. "I am satisfied with this edition of the Autumn Championship and the victory of a crew made up of determined and very good youngsters like Five for Fighting, always ready to go down into the water and to commit to the maximum. Congratulations also to Riccardo Pacini, a great return with a super crew formed by my brother Giuseppe, Fabio Apollonio and Renzo Marini and Tommy Fusato." For more Italian J/24 Class sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* “The J/46 BRAVO has done it again,” says proud and happy owner Tom Babbit from Portland, Maine. “We now have three Maine to Caribbean passages under our belts, the first, nearly 30 years ago on our J/40 with 7 and 10 year old daughters as our only crew. As we’ve aged a bit, we have gone longer [46‘) and gradually transitioned crew from family to great and very experienced friends.
This year’s voyage was a nonstop (hopefully) from Camden to Antigua. The crew was Galen Todd (J/42 Tango) with whom I have several thousand passage, cruising, and racing miles, and Paul Rogers, (J/42 Canty) who has a transatlantic (on Canty) and ten years or so cruising Scandinavia and the Med - so far) plus a house full of trophies.
We delayed our Camden departure to Tuesday, Oct. 31 (Halloween), due to 60-knot winds on Monday in Camden. Our first afternoon and evening were “sporty” going to weather in 25 to 30 TWS with large seas and of course lobster pots to dodge while we had daylight. Things moderated for day two and then we entered the Gulf Stream, with 25 to 30 against the flow. 12 to 14 knots SOG was fun for a while, but the sea state was a bit of a challenge...especially when the tanker Alexia suggested we head up into the mountainous seas and pass astern! A firm negative response from Bravo to that suggestion saw us both agree to alter course hard to starboard and pass port-to-port, nary a mile between us.
After that, there was only one more sporty night well south of Bermuda (where we stopped for a few hours to top fuel off). After three days of motoring, the trades filled and we were off on moonlit nights arriving in 10.5 days at first light on 11 November. Except for two shredded jib sheets in the Gulf Stream, zero damage to BRAVO, and a happy landing in Paradise! What a great boat and crew!” Thanks for this contribution from Tom Babbitt.* At the 2017 Russian Sailor of the Year Awards in Moscow, Russia, Elena Otekina was awarded “Best Sailing Media” due to her amazing coverage of the 2017 J/70 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy and also for her coverage of numerous Russian J/70 Sailing League events during the course of the year. “Congratulations” to Elena for her contribution to growing and bringing awareness of the sport of sailing to the public, not just in Russia, but worldwide.
J/Cruisers
J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers. Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained
in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.* The J/40 HERON REACH sailed by Virginia and Jerry participated in the Blue Planet Odyssey project from 2014 to 2015 over a seventeen month period.
Read their very well-done blog documenting their experience. In the Pacific basin, they traveled almost 15,000 miles from Bellingham to Tahiti and all points between. Check out what the cannibals great grandchildren thought of their ancestors, what it was like to trade for black pearls, the problem with the Great Garbage Patch, and how many days did it take to get through it, and much more! Learn more about their adventures and experiences on HERON REACH here.
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* Jim & Heather Wilson completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR. Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now. We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So, we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about the Wilson's and their CEOL MOR adventures in their well-documented blog here.---------------
* The J/42 JARANA has sailed an epic voyage around the Pacific, the Atlantic, and now the Mediterranean. The crew consists of Bill and Kathy Cuffel, of Seattle, Washington. So far, their travels go way beyond Homer’s Odyssey! Their itinerary has included:
- 2009 - departed Seattle on a 3 year cruise of the South Pacific, sailing back from Hobart, Tasmania (Australia) in September 2012.
- The summer of 2014 they traveled north to Prince Rupert Island, crossed Hecate Strait to Haida Gwaii and had a glorious cruise down the west coast of Vancouver Island.
- 2015, after trucking the boat to Lake Ontario they traveled out the St Lawrence Seaway to the Canadian Maritime provinces and down the east coast of the USA, then out to the Bahamas.
- 2016 Winter they spent in the Bahamas, then crossing the Atlantic via Bermuda and the Azores to England and Europe.
- 2017 Winter they are in Lagos, Portugal, and in spring 2018 will be working their way into the western Med. Follow the Cuffel's and JARANA's adventures on their very well-documented blog here
* Bill and Judy Stellin, who sailed their J/42 JAYWALKER around the Mediterranean and Europe and back across the Atlantic for nearly three years produced a series of entertaining reading in their blogs/journals- they can be found here.The earlier journals have been compiled into two self-published books that can be found at: http://www.blurb.com. Search for "SEATREK: A Passion for Sailing" by Bill Stellin or William Stellin." And, they were featured in Wall St Journal about how to "retire and enjoy life with adventure". Fun reading for those predisposed to the "ultimate escape-- sailing"!
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* John and Mary Driver sailed their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising from June 2010 to July 2013. John and Mary finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal. Since then, they sailed from Portugal across the Mediterranean to Cyprus and explored the Turkish Coast. Read the latest news about SHAZAM's cruising adventures here.--------------
* Alan Fougere and family are back sailing their J/160 AVATAR. She will be in the Caribbean for winter 2017/ 2018, based at Proper Yachts in St John, US Virgin Islands.
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The “Via Serlas” is to St. Moritz what the “Rodeo Drive” is to Los Angeles. Just a bit more condensed. High-end art galleries round off the exclusive shopping opportunities in the town center. The Segantini Museum is internationally renown, and the St. Moritz Casino caters for entertainment late into the night. Those inclined to be sporty will be thrilled by the Olympic Bobsled Run St. Moritz–Celerina and the Cresta Run, two legendary bobsled and skeleton institutions. Other legendary Lake St. Moritz winter events include the “White Turf horse races” and the “Snow Polo World Cup”. They have long become the extravagant social highlights in St. Moritz’s remarkable calendar of events that so far counted five Alpine World Ski Championships. And now, a new one- the SAILING Champions League high in the Swiss Alps!
The best European sailing clubs will be demonstrating their skills at this exceptional sailing rendezvous in St. Moritz. The lake is only 600 metres wide, so fast-turning maneuvers with excellent tactics and perfect boat-handling are indispensable. As in many international sailing league events, the teams will be sailing International J/70 class sailboats. Over three days, sailing will take place at an altitude of 1,768 metres above sea level (about 5,700 ft or over 1.0 statue mile). Welcome to Europe’s highest altitude regatta in St. Moritz- simply “ON TOP OF THE WORLD!” For Americans, do note that Lake Dillon’s regattas in Colorado are a touch higher- at 9,017 feet above sea-level (2,802 metres), but not J/70s— yet!
With two victories out of the four events, it was CALVI NETWORK’s owner/skipper- Carlo Alberini- that affirmed they were one of the fastest boats in the fleet. His crew included Branko Brcin, Karlo Hmeljak and Sergio Blosi.
Weyler bought her J/88 about a year and a half ago, and was especially satisfied to win this Championship on her home turf. When asked who on her team she'd like to recognize, she said, "If I were Belichick, I'd have to say it's Brady. On our boat, that’s Adam. Adam was flawless, as well as the rest of the crew!" The J/88 Class was formed earlier this year, and Weyler thanked Iris Vogel, the first Class President, for "leading this Class into the future. It's going to be a growing Class. The level of competition will continually attract people to buy these boats." Here is how it all took place over the three-day championship.
Also in the J/70 class, the Helly Hansen Junior Crew— a team of five local youth sailors specially selected to compete in the regatta— finished 12th of 30 boats. Their crew consisted of Clark Uhl, Rachel Foster, Katharine Bowman, Kate O'Donnell and Garrett McKinnon.
The venue has become a very, very popular one for J/70s in the Great Lakes region. The family-oriented Harbor Springs J/70 fleet #25 has grown to eleven local boats, with several regular visiting fleet members from Chicago and Detroit that join in on all the fun! Not surprisingly, the J/70s were the largest and most competitive one-design fleet in the LTYC Regatta in July.