The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
Ever so slowly, the sailing world is starting to heat-up again in both hemispheres. This weekend, the USA J/24 Midwinter Championship is taking place on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida! Thirty-plus teams are thrilled they have the opportunity to hop back aboard their stallions and ride them across the aquamarine waters of the Bay. Similarly, 3,000 miles across the continental USA, the Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay will be hosting 180 single and doublehanded boats in their popular Corinthian Race.This past week saw the epic conclusion to the increasingly popular SORC Islands in the Stream Series. The final event was the Miami to Eleuthera Race, a 443.0nm jaunt across the Gulf Stream, through the Bahamas, and down to the southern tip of Eleuthera. Wow, did they ever enjoy an epic beach party with a bonfire of the vanities, to boot!
Then, we get a report of the latest sailing from the San Francisco J/105 Fleet. They held a doublehanded race called the Valentine's Day Invitational. A fun around-the-cans event, with start and finish just off Golden Gate Yacht Club!
J/24 Midwinter Championship Preview
(Miami, FL)- This coming weekend, sailing from February 26th to 28th, the USA J/24 class has organized their J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, Florida, with the Shake-A-Leg Foundation being their host at their amazing facility on the Miami waterfront. J/24 sailors from across the country are certainly excited about heading down to one of their favorite "watering holes" in all of Florida- Coconut Grove and its super chill downtown collection of restaurants and bars (abiding by pandemic guidelines, of course). The sailors can't wait to chuck the boat in, pop open a few "tinnies", lather up in sunscreen, put on the shades, and take a cruise around the lovely aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay with friends.
Nearly thirty J/24 teams are registered and the depth of talent is remarkable. Sailing the regatta are several past National, North American, and World Champions; such as the John Mollicone & Mike Marshall duo on AMERICAN GARAGE, Robby Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM, the Long Island Sound brother duo of Al & Dave Constants on BLITZ, the scary smart crew on HONEYBADGER (Travis Odenbach, Patrick Wilson, Chris Stocke, and Monica Morgan), Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE with Luke Lawrence on cockpit/ tactics, the famous Aidan Glackin on MENTAL FLOSS, Mark Pincus steering SCOUTS HONOR, Kirk Reynolds driving TYRUS, and Marcus Rogers on WIND MONKEY with Carter and Molly White providing traffic directions. No "spring chickens" amongst those boats, a lot of bragging rights in the J/24 class amongst them! For more J/24 Midwinters event and registration information, click here to go to Yachtscoring.com and sign up!
SSS Corinthians Race Preview
(San Francisco, CA)- The Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay is back at it again. After hosting their eponymous Three Bridge Fiasco (won overall by a J/70, if you recall), they will now be hosting one of their more revered races of the year- the Corinthians Race. Answering that siren's call are 180 intrepid souls who are gleefully looking forward to more wind on SF Bay! It will be the first event of the season that includes the huge doublehanded contingent on the Bay.Starting and finishing off Golden Gate Yacht Club, the 15.5nm course rounds Blackaller Buoy to starboard, Southampton Shoal red bell to port, Little Harding green buoy to port, Blossom Rock green bell to starboard, then to GGYC finish on the waterfront. Basically, the course is criss-crossing the Bay in a circumnavigation of all the tourist sites!
So far, the weather forecast is for a sunny day starting out with a light 5-8 kts NNW breeze, swinging into the classic westerly seabreeze by noon, and increasing to 8-15 kts by late afternoon! Sounds amazing!
Looking forward to that challenge are a raft of shorthanded J/Crews. In PHRF C class are the doublehanded J/105s; including Adam Spiegel's JAM SESSION, Eric Patterson's KESTREL, Tom Struttmann's ARRIVED, Bruce Stone's ARBITRAGE, Phil Laby's GODOT, Charles James' ROXANNE, and Chris Kim's VUJA STAR-- wow, quite the all-star cast from the local SF J/105 fleet!
Sailing in PHRF 5 Class for singlehanded J/70s is John Brigden's COOL STORY BRO. He'll be taking on the PHRF 6 Class doublehanded J/70s that include David Fried's SON OF A SON, Scott Sellers 1FA, Pete Cameron's KANGAROO JOCKEY, Justin Foox's FLOTEK, and Tom Thayer's RAMPAGE.
The thirteen-boat PHRF H Doublehanded Spin class looks pretty formidable. Rated at the top is Nesrin Basoz's J/111 SWITF NESS. He'll be challenging a gaggle of tough J/120 honchos, like Timo Bruck's TWIST, Barry Lewis' CHANCE, Tracy Rogers' HOKULANI, and Jeff Phillips ALCHERA. Wishing they were sailing in a different class is Ted Rogers' pretty J/100 GRACE!
PHRF 13 Class is Doublehanded Powered Winches boats, which includes Richard Leute's J/44 ACEY DEUCY.
PHRF I Class Doublehanded Spin has thirteen boats and just one J/Crew- Tim Roche's J/92 ZAFF. Then PHRF K Doublehanded Spin of 11 boats also has a sole J/30 sailing- Jenny Thompson's FRICTION LOSS.
The seventeen-boats PHRF L Class Doublehanded Non-Spin is also seeing a solo performance by Brian Richards' J/109 LA VIAJERA.
The eleven-boat PHRF N Class Singlehanded Spin has Ralph Morganstem's J/30 GEODESIC up against another classic J, Chad Peddy's J/24 IRISH BLESSING.
Finally, the fourteen-boat PHRF P Class Singlehanded Non-Spin includes yet another solo performance by John Kalucki's J/109 LINDO. Fair winds and God Speed to all, hoping for a gorgeous day of sailing on the Bay! For more SSS Corinthian Race sailing information
February Special- Marmot Jacket!
(Newport, RI)- The J/Thermo Jacket is by Marmot and is a stuffed lightweight, highly compressible and enviably warm Primaloft ® Black insulation — a synthetic insulation made with 60 percent recycled fibers that boasts warmth without bulk and a soft feel — the outer is from a durable nylon ripstop fabric. Elastic hem and cuffs keep the jacket in place and Angel-Wing Movement™ allows you to move without the jacket riding up. Zippered pockets offer a warm place for your hands to rest. Wear under a shell or on its own. Perfect for packing and stylish for cool weather. Click here to enjoy a 20% discount on this gorgeous Marmot jacketSailing Calendar
Feb 26- Mar 1- J/24 Midwinter Championship- Miami, FLMar 4-7- J/70 Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse- Monte Carlo, Monaco
Mar 5-7- J/111 Key West Winter Series- Key West, FL
Mar 5-6- Islands Race- San Diego, CA
Mar 10-13- J/70 Bacardi Cup- Miami, FL
Mar 11-14- J/105 Midwinters- Seabrook, TX
Mar 18-21- J/22 Midwinter Championship- New Orleans, LA
Mar 19-21- San Diego NOOD Regatta- San Diego, CA
Mar 19- NHYC Cabo Race- Newport Beach, CA
Mar 25-28- SAIL 22 J/70 Invitational- Coconut Grove, FL
Mar 26-28- St. Thomas International Regatta- St. Thomas, USVI
Mar 29- Apr 4- BVI Spring Regatta- Road Town, Tortola, BVI
Apr 2-4- St Petersburg NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
Apr 8-11- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
Apr 30- May 2- Annapolis NOOD Regatta- Annapolis, MD
Apr 30- May 2- J/111 North American Championship- Annapolis, MD
May 9-15- J/70 North American Championship- Annapolis, MD
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/Teams Sweep SORC Islands in Stream Series!
J/44, J/109, & J/121 Go 1-2-3!
(Miami, FL)- The final event for the SORC's Islands in the Stream Series took place last weekend- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. The course took competitors through the heart of the Bahamas and led them to a tropical oasis- Eleuthera Island on the eastern banks.
The 443.0nm race started February 17, 2021 in moderate winds with great expectations the "Weather Gods" would prove right and provide a fresh breeze nearly all the way down the course. The Eleuthera race started off of South Beach, Miami, crossed the Gulf Stream, left Great Isaac (67.5nm), Great Stirrup (75.5nm) and Eleuthera (82.0nm) to starboard, rounded the southern tip of Eleuthera (130.0nm), past the southern tip (18.0nm), and up to the finish near Powell Point (70.0nm). Thereafter, drop sails and head into the gorgeous Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina.
At the start of the final race, the overall outcome could not have been predicted by anyone. The top five contenders for the series were quite close on points between a TP 52, a 40 ft custom, and three J/Teams (J/44, J/109, and J/121).
In the end, tremendous perseverance paid off for all three J's. Winning was Chris and Karen Lewis' J/44 KENAI, followed by Andy Wescoat's J/109 HARMS's WAY in second, and Bill Wiggins' J/121 WINGS in third position.
Here is the report from Chris & Karen Lewis (pictured above with crew) from their perspective on the gorgeous J/44 KENAI:
"We were thrilled to win the SORC 2020-21 Islands in the Stream Series with a 1-1-2 score line. The races were varied with light conditions for Races 2 and 3 and then a real blow for most of the Eleuthera Race that challenged all yachts.
We won the series through sheer determination and, at times, some good decision making. For example, to get to Key West we tacked the 145% genoa 114 times and gybed the 0.5oz VMG kite 28 times. I guess that was good for the sailmakers! Although, I am amazed at how today's carbon sails stand up to offshore conditions if properly handled.
The first leg to Eleuthera was a tight reach in moderate conditions across the Florida Straights (e.g., the fast-flowing Gulf Stream) allowing for a Code Zero to be flown off KENAI's 2.0m sprit. We sagged below the rhumb-line with the Stream on our stern quarter. By reefing the main and reducing drag in the puffs, the boat was noticeably faster. Then, we changed to a Heavy #1 sheeted to the rail and we were able to foot up to Little Isaac over the last 20 nm with less north set current.
From there, we were on the wind with a 200nm starboard-biased beat changing down to a #3 jib and finally the #4 jib! In both cases we had a reefed main. The seas got to be 6 to 8 ft and confused going out into the Atlantic Ocean past the northern tip of Eleuthera (Ed. note- the ocean floor goes from 10,000 ft to 50 ft. in less than 4.0nm, creating the "washing machine effect" on the eastern shore).
We moved the #4 jib sheeting to the outboard track and saw boat speeds of up to 8.7 knots. Great for the race, but not appreciated by the off-watch crew as KENAI launched off and through the seas. Finally, we turned to a fetch down to the southern tip of the island and set the A4 spinnaker for the finish line. We knew it was tight with the TP52 on rating, but the old girl hit 13 knots with 25 knot gusts on the VMG run to the finish. We corrected out by 22 minutes in the race, with the RC selecting the ORC Predominantly Upwind Rating.
It's truly amazing that a 23,500 lb. 30-year-old design with 175 sq. m kites and an overlapping genoa has been able to be competitive with a variety of race boats in SORC under a wide range of conditions during the series. The key is knowing your boat and staying near 100% of your speed throughout the race. We do a lot of sail changes. We were also fortunate the J/121 WINGS never got to fly downwind for very long!"
The red-carpet treatment laid down by the Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina was enthusiastically welcomed by all teams. It is truly a little paradise in the middle of the ocean. Their staff did go above and beyond to make sure the sailor's needs were all met, and then some! That included a fantastic bonfire
after the awards ceremonies and dinner to celebrate the end of the event (no worries, the wind was blowing hard offshore!)!The resort looks west over Exuma Sound, which provides good access to the Marina. The channel into the marina is straightforward East/ West, and well lit. A summer dredging project removed the few remaining high spots and left a 12-foot controlling depth, as well as adding jetties extending from the shore.
Follow the SORC Sailing on Facebook here For more SORC Islands in the Stream series sailing information For the SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race results and information
ARBITRAGE Triumphs @ J/105 Valentine's Rally
(San Francisco, CA)- As part of their on-going San Francisco J/105 Doublehanded Winter Series, the fleet got together for their first-ever J/105 Valentine's Rally on Sunday, February 14th. San Francisco Bay served up its usual challenges to the sailors, having to make decisions between wind and current on literally every leg of the course. Here's the report from Bruce Stone from aboard ARBITRAGE:"With the typically modest mid-winter breeze out of the northeast, and our starting area in front of Golden Gate YC, the RC announced a course to the East with port roundings. So, we re-ran our spin gear to account for that, but just ten minutes before the warning we had a shift to the WSW! So, the RC announced a last-minute call for the new course to Blackaller- just before the Golden Gate Bridge! OMG! So, us and the other crews scrambled to re-run the spin gear for the starboard rounding that would take everyone out into the flood tide!
Given the adverse current, teams were challenged right from the start to exploit the relief along the shore and were ping-ponging off the breakwater in front of the St. Francis; normally quite easy with a full crew but a workout for double-handers!
ARBITRAGE had a great start and, after making some gains toward the shore, decided to stretch out on port tack for the better wind just 100 yards out; it was the typical arbitrage of wind and tide...hence the name of Bruce's boat.
ARBITRAGE won that battle and rounded clear ahead, setting the kite and reaching out to the favorable flood in the light breeze. A long downwind to channel mark 4, passing Alcatraz to port, created passing opportunities for the trailing boats. Some went low toward Treasure Island, staying in the dying flood, while ARBITRAGE and JAM SESSION looked for better wind toward the north and took a gamble in cutting behind Alcatraz. That approach backfired, as they were both swept up in the reverse eddy of the famous cone!
After apparently losing its lead, ARBITRAGE jibed back into fresh air and extricated themselves from the ebb in a clean spinnaker reach to the downwind mark, converging with the other boats that had stayed away from Alcatraz.
Stone and Breault executed a Mexican drop just past the mark with the jib preset for the upwind leg and were able to round tightly and head right toward the finish at Golden Gate YC. However, our competitors were a little less fortunate, as the other teams dropped too early and struggled to round the mark in the light winds and early ebb tide.
Everyone headed toward the city front as the flood had ended and ebb was established there. But, once again, wind pressure trumped tide and it was better to stay in the deeper water. Tom Struttmann and Joerg Esdorn on ARRIVED went too far, ran out of wind and retired!"
In the end, the J/105 Valentine's Rally was won by Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault in ARBITRAGE, followed by Justin Oberbauer in STRANGELOVE, Adam Spiegel in JAM SESSION and Bill Woodruff in RUSSIAN ROULETTE.
Next up for the J/105 doublehanders is the Singlehanded Sailing Society's Corinthian Regatta on February 27, with 150 boats competing, 7 of which are J/105s - see www.jibeset.net - and then the Pi Regatta on March 14th.
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Paying it Forward to Youth Sailing- the J/105 WHISTLER story
Recently, SAILING Inc in Cleveland, OH had a chance to catch up with some of their good friends, The Taylor Boys from North Cape Yacht Club in La Salle, MI. Father Bill and sons Will and Ethan have been sailing mainstays on Western Lake Erie for years, and recently purchased the J/105 WHISTLER. Here is their fun interview with the Taylors.
SAILING: Describe a little of your sailing background.
I’ve had no formal sail training and youth sailing was limited to the SportYak and Katyak of Boy Scout Camp and the family summer vacations to Northern Michigan. I’ve been a power boater since my early teens. I was introduced to keelboats around 2000 on a Pearson 30 by a lifelong friend, where I moved from rail meat to the pit.
My two sons and youth sailing formally introduced my family to competitive sailing where they excelled in the Thistle. Today, our sailing is their sailing. I’m easily the worst sailor on our boat!
We overpaid for a ragged-out boat (Thistle) and Will and Ethan began a complete refit, chiseling-out stanchions, thwart, cap, 45s all replaced by them. Senior members of the Thistle fleet, like Doug Labor, motivated and encouraged their sailing and skill development. The Thistle played a huge roll in their early development and they're still active in the Thistle fleet today.
Meanwhile, their passion for the sport grew exponentially and invitations to crew on various keel boats began flowing in. We made the family decision to purchase our first keel boat in 2014, J/24 #4240 named “Juice Box Hero”. The J/24 was an excellent learning platform for our young teenagers to earn the trust of the western basin fleets. Juice Box, sailed with an exclusively junior crew, in various ILYA (Inland Lake Yachting Association) Regattas and helped inspire the creation of the PCYC (Port Credit Yacht Club) J/24 fleet. My passion for the sport took off helping youth sailors find opportunities to sail quality equipment and seriously compete at adult levels. The support and encouragement we received from fellow club members was invaluable.
My sailing background is directly tied to youth sailing, working on refits and restorations. The passion has been passed down from generation to generation. Those junior sailors have now grown up to be collegiate or former colligate sailors. They live, eat and breath sailing. They run our J/105 WHISTLER program!
SAILING: What kind of sailing do you do?
While we attempt to run a competitive race program, the 105 is used for everything. A sunset cruise or swim on a hot afternoon is a great way to spend the day. We race Wednesday night series, weekend local regattas and intend to jump into one-design and travel this year as well. If you asked Will, it’s PHRF, OD and ORC. If you asked Ethan, we race but I love a sunset cruise.
SAILING: What were you looking for in your next boat?
We wanted a larger race platform that was more accommodating for offshore, night and/or heavier conditions. We found ourselves in longer/larger regattas and had a great experience with the J/24. The bigger J/105 was an obvious choice. My sons researched listings, travelled to inspect, arranged surveys, purchase and transportation. WHISTLER is their program. I take pictures, pay some bills and most of the time they let me tag along (hahaha!). They launch, step, tune, paint, epoxy and repair.
SAILING: Why did you choose this boat and what do you like most about it?
We sail as often as possible and sailing with a younger crew, it's sometimes difficult to sail once or twice during the week and every weekend. The 105s asymmetrical configuration is friendlier to short-handed sailing than a symmetrical boat. The deck layout and system configurations on all J/Boats are well thought out. The boys have sailed J/24s, 29s, 30s, 70s, 88s, 92s, the 105, 109 and J/122- a lot of experience on J's! The J/105 shares some of its classic DNA with the 109 and even 122. They commonly sail on a very strong 122 program called BLITZKRIEG. In addition to shorthanded sailing, the asym configuration is a good platform for training and preparation for larger national regattas aboard the larger J/Boats while also allowing them a platform for more common doublehanded competitions.
SAILING: What particular sailing features do you like?
The boat is an absolute blast in 20 knots. The confidence and stability the boat provides is fantastic. When Lake Erie gets choppy, WHISTLER loves it. The competitive nature of the boat’s design is evident when we pushed the boat hard. We seem to find an extra half knot, but you have to push the boat hard and have the boat in great condition and a good tune to get it. Last, the deck layout is friendlier to more mature sailors like myself. Trying to keep up with these youngsters is hard enough and I’m glad the deck and cockpit configuration doesn’t beat you up.
SAILING: What is the story behind your boat name?
The boat name WHISTLER comes from the previous owner who lives in Barbados. The boat bounced back and forth annually between Barbados and Newport. Rumor has it he was directly affiliated with the famous “Whistler” ski resort. He bought a new J/121 and we got a boat that had been raced by a knowledgeable owner.
SAILING: What do you most look forward to each season on the boat?
Every off-season is busy for us. We attempt to improve our boats every off-season. It affords us a season to work on the boat and a season to race, making spring launch an event with the testing new gear, rigging and sails. The Mills Race is the biggest regatta in our area so it’s the one we look forward to it each spring. This year we are going to attempt a regatta or two in the southeast.
SAILING: What is your proudest achievement on the boat?
Will and Ethan won their first doublehanded regatta. First in PHRF-A at O’Connell Fall Bay was a blast, but the proudest achievement was winning the Club Championship at North Cape Yacht Club. Members have mentoring my boys for years and the competition is strong. Earning a club championship with a young crew and a skipper that should be competing in the junior circuit … it’s pretty rewarding.
SAILING: What is your biggest goal for the boat? Do you have any upcoming plans for this season or next?
The goal is to get the boat into top-flight competition condition. We’re looking forward to the Mill’s Race, a Bayview Mackinac Race, Cleveland Race Week, and possibly Bayview One Design Regatta. I want to keep the WHISTLER crew busy; they get better every time they leave the dock. It’s a young crew and they dream. I’d like to see if we can make a couple of those come true, whether it’s Florida, Charleston, Cleveland, Chicago, or a J/105 North Americans. We probably have some travelling in our future!!
Editor's Note: WHISTLER won the PHRF Fleet at the 2021 Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race! Congrats team Taylor! For more news from Sailing Inc Cleveland, OH
"The J/24 might be venerable design, but the now 44-year-old design still draws some of sailing's best talents to its ranks. Better still, the boats are affordable, relatively easy to maintain, and transportable enough to be taken to destination venues or warm-weather locales during the cold months. One great example of this type of destination fun is this year's J/24 Midwinter Championship (February 26-28), which is being hosted by Shake-A-Leg Miami and which will be sailed on the waters of Florida's Biscayne Bay.
While J/24s may be portable-and their small crew numbers conducive to (relatively) easily creating coronavirus bubbles-the simple fact that the pandemic is still raging has forced many regattas to cancel. Fortunately for J/24 sailors, this year's Midwinters is still happening; better still, the event organizers are taking COVID precautions very seriously and have worked hard to create a safe event for all involved.
Which brings us back to the earlier point that, while now an older design, J/24s have long earned their well-deserved reputation for delivering great racing, and this year's Midwinters promises to be no exception.
I checked in with Mark Pincus, regatta chair for the 2021 J/24 Midwinters (and fleet captain for J/24 Fleet 10 in Miami, Florida), via email, to learn more about this competitive regatta.
SW: What kind of entry numbers are you seeing this year? Also, how do these stack up to previous editions of the regatta?
MP: We are about on track from other years at 23 entries...there are several entries I know are pending, so we should see 25-30 entries on the starting line.
For this COVID environment, we're very happy to be in the normal range! There is a cap of 35 boats, and we were hoping to have to make a wait list but that's probably not going to be necessary.
SW: Weather-wise, what kind conditions can sailors expect to encounter on Biscayne Bay in late February? Also, what are the best-case and worst-case weather scenarios?
MP: Our winter season is great sailing weather typically with balmy mid-70-degree Fahrenheit temps and nice breezes.
We normally see easterly winds from NE-SE and mid-teens in velocity. If a front is coming through, then anything is possible. It's very rare to have temperatures below the 50's but in February they can happen.
With the cold fronts it depends on how strong they are and if they make it all the way south past Miami. When the fronts stall it can leave us without much wind but hopefully the doldrums we have seen this season are past and the breeze will be on for this year's J/24 Midwinters.
SW: How important do you think local knowledge will be? Also, do you expect most visiting teams to arrive early and acclimatize to conditions?
MP: Biscayne Bay is not a hard place to sail and all but maybe one of the current entries has raced here more than once before. The tides are pretty easy to understand, and there are many options for getting current real time info on conditions.
Where we will be racing, a little south in Biscayne Bay, we are removed from the few local knowledge spots near shores.
And yes, I already know of several boats that are coming early to get some practice sailing done!
SW: If you could offer one piece of advice to visiting (and local) teams, what would it be?
MP: It's different this year: BE SAFE!
Respect all the preventatives put in place to keep both sailors and hosts safe and COVID-free. The last thing we want is to have any regatta become a spreader event.
Other than that, bring plenty of water and suntan lotion!
SW: In the ideal world, how many races do you and the other organizers hope to score? Also, how many races will you run per day?
MP: We have ten races are scheduled. Hopefully, with good breezes we can run four races each on Friday and Saturday so that only two are needed on the last day.
SW: What kinds of safe-play pandemic tactics are you expecting from the racers on the water? Also, what kind of shoreside Covid precautions will the event employ?
MP: Looking at our NOR (yachtscoring.com/event_documents/13200/2021%20J24%20MWs%20NOR%20.pdf) will give an idea of all the precautions we have put in place.
Starting with requiring all participants— whether they are racing, supporting, or race committee— to provide negative rapid Covid tests that are less than 72 hours old to be at the event.
We will have temperature takers stopping all persons entering the property and issuing color-coded wrist bands after being allowed entry.
We have suspended all social functions and will prohibit gathering at the venue. If the previous regatta we ran in December is a model, then we expect the sailors to be respectful of the world we are dealing with and not be ultra-aggressive, both on the water and in the jury room!
SW: Can you tell us about any efforts that you and the other regatta organizers have made to try to lower the regatta's environmental footprint or otherwise green-up the regatta?
MP: The biggest environmental effort this year, other than the fact we are sailors who by description do not pollute the atmosphere and are usually very cognizant of keeping our waters clean, is the addition of MarkSetBot to the race course!
Although interest in these GPS battery-operated robotic race marks was already building, the onset of COVID hastened their acceptance in the sailboat racing world. They make staffing the Race Committee much less demanding, controlling the race circle super-fast and easy and require less motorized equipment on the racecourse.
SW: Anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?
MP: We look forward to seeing all of our J/24 friends here in beautiful Coconut Grove playing on our Biscayne Bay waters again in February! Add to Flipboard Magazine.
SAILING: Describe a little of your sailing background.
I’ve had no formal sail training and youth sailing was limited to the SportYak and Katyak of Boy Scout Camp and the family summer vacations to Northern Michigan. I’ve been a power boater since my early teens. I was introduced to keelboats around 2000 on a Pearson 30 by a lifelong friend, where I moved from rail meat to the pit.
My two sons and youth sailing formally introduced my family to competitive sailing where they excelled in the Thistle. Today, our sailing is their sailing. I’m easily the worst sailor on our boat!
We overpaid for a ragged-out boat (Thistle) and Will and Ethan began a complete refit, chiseling-out stanchions, thwart, cap, 45s all replaced by them. Senior members of the Thistle fleet, like Doug Labor, motivated and encouraged their sailing and skill development. The Thistle played a huge roll in their early development and they're still active in the Thistle fleet today.
Meanwhile, their passion for the sport grew exponentially and invitations to crew on various keel boats began flowing in. We made the family decision to purchase our first keel boat in 2014, J/24 #4240 named “Juice Box Hero”. The J/24 was an excellent learning platform for our young teenagers to earn the trust of the western basin fleets. Juice Box, sailed with an exclusively junior crew, in various ILYA (Inland Lake Yachting Association) Regattas and helped inspire the creation of the PCYC (Port Credit Yacht Club) J/24 fleet. My passion for the sport took off helping youth sailors find opportunities to sail quality equipment and seriously compete at adult levels. The support and encouragement we received from fellow club members was invaluable.
My sailing background is directly tied to youth sailing, working on refits and restorations. The passion has been passed down from generation to generation. Those junior sailors have now grown up to be collegiate or former colligate sailors. They live, eat and breath sailing. They run our J/105 WHISTLER program!
SAILING: What kind of sailing do you do?
While we attempt to run a competitive race program, the 105 is used for everything. A sunset cruise or swim on a hot afternoon is a great way to spend the day. We race Wednesday night series, weekend local regattas and intend to jump into one-design and travel this year as well. If you asked Will, it’s PHRF, OD and ORC. If you asked Ethan, we race but I love a sunset cruise.
SAILING: What were you looking for in your next boat?
We wanted a larger race platform that was more accommodating for offshore, night and/or heavier conditions. We found ourselves in longer/larger regattas and had a great experience with the J/24. The bigger J/105 was an obvious choice. My sons researched listings, travelled to inspect, arranged surveys, purchase and transportation. WHISTLER is their program. I take pictures, pay some bills and most of the time they let me tag along (hahaha!). They launch, step, tune, paint, epoxy and repair.
SAILING: Why did you choose this boat and what do you like most about it?
We sail as often as possible and sailing with a younger crew, it's sometimes difficult to sail once or twice during the week and every weekend. The 105s asymmetrical configuration is friendlier to short-handed sailing than a symmetrical boat. The deck layout and system configurations on all J/Boats are well thought out. The boys have sailed J/24s, 29s, 30s, 70s, 88s, 92s, the 105, 109 and J/122- a lot of experience on J's! The J/105 shares some of its classic DNA with the 109 and even 122. They commonly sail on a very strong 122 program called BLITZKRIEG. In addition to shorthanded sailing, the asym configuration is a good platform for training and preparation for larger national regattas aboard the larger J/Boats while also allowing them a platform for more common doublehanded competitions.
SAILING: What particular sailing features do you like?
The boat is an absolute blast in 20 knots. The confidence and stability the boat provides is fantastic. When Lake Erie gets choppy, WHISTLER loves it. The competitive nature of the boat’s design is evident when we pushed the boat hard. We seem to find an extra half knot, but you have to push the boat hard and have the boat in great condition and a good tune to get it. Last, the deck layout is friendlier to more mature sailors like myself. Trying to keep up with these youngsters is hard enough and I’m glad the deck and cockpit configuration doesn’t beat you up.
SAILING: What is the story behind your boat name?
The boat name WHISTLER comes from the previous owner who lives in Barbados. The boat bounced back and forth annually between Barbados and Newport. Rumor has it he was directly affiliated with the famous “Whistler” ski resort. He bought a new J/121 and we got a boat that had been raced by a knowledgeable owner.
SAILING: What do you most look forward to each season on the boat?
Every off-season is busy for us. We attempt to improve our boats every off-season. It affords us a season to work on the boat and a season to race, making spring launch an event with the testing new gear, rigging and sails. The Mills Race is the biggest regatta in our area so it’s the one we look forward to it each spring. This year we are going to attempt a regatta or two in the southeast.
SAILING: What is your proudest achievement on the boat?
Will and Ethan won their first doublehanded regatta. First in PHRF-A at O’Connell Fall Bay was a blast, but the proudest achievement was winning the Club Championship at North Cape Yacht Club. Members have mentoring my boys for years and the competition is strong. Earning a club championship with a young crew and a skipper that should be competing in the junior circuit … it’s pretty rewarding.
SAILING: What is your biggest goal for the boat? Do you have any upcoming plans for this season or next?
The goal is to get the boat into top-flight competition condition. We’re looking forward to the Mill’s Race, a Bayview Mackinac Race, Cleveland Race Week, and possibly Bayview One Design Regatta. I want to keep the WHISTLER crew busy; they get better every time they leave the dock. It’s a young crew and they dream. I’d like to see if we can make a couple of those come true, whether it’s Florida, Charleston, Cleveland, Chicago, or a J/105 North Americans. We probably have some travelling in our future!!
Editor's Note: WHISTLER won the PHRF Fleet at the 2021 Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race! Congrats team Taylor! For more news from Sailing Inc Cleveland, OH
Mark Pincus Chats About J/24 Midwinters
David Schmidt from Sail-World.com (https://www.sail-world.com/news/234871 ) newsletter recently had time to catch up with a stalwart of the J/24 class in Miami, Florida- Marc Pincus. Here is that interview."The J/24 might be venerable design, but the now 44-year-old design still draws some of sailing's best talents to its ranks. Better still, the boats are affordable, relatively easy to maintain, and transportable enough to be taken to destination venues or warm-weather locales during the cold months. One great example of this type of destination fun is this year's J/24 Midwinter Championship (February 26-28), which is being hosted by Shake-A-Leg Miami and which will be sailed on the waters of Florida's Biscayne Bay.
While J/24s may be portable-and their small crew numbers conducive to (relatively) easily creating coronavirus bubbles-the simple fact that the pandemic is still raging has forced many regattas to cancel. Fortunately for J/24 sailors, this year's Midwinters is still happening; better still, the event organizers are taking COVID precautions very seriously and have worked hard to create a safe event for all involved.
Which brings us back to the earlier point that, while now an older design, J/24s have long earned their well-deserved reputation for delivering great racing, and this year's Midwinters promises to be no exception.
I checked in with Mark Pincus, regatta chair for the 2021 J/24 Midwinters (and fleet captain for J/24 Fleet 10 in Miami, Florida), via email, to learn more about this competitive regatta.
SW: What kind of entry numbers are you seeing this year? Also, how do these stack up to previous editions of the regatta?
MP: We are about on track from other years at 23 entries...there are several entries I know are pending, so we should see 25-30 entries on the starting line.
For this COVID environment, we're very happy to be in the normal range! There is a cap of 35 boats, and we were hoping to have to make a wait list but that's probably not going to be necessary.
SW: Weather-wise, what kind conditions can sailors expect to encounter on Biscayne Bay in late February? Also, what are the best-case and worst-case weather scenarios?
MP: Our winter season is great sailing weather typically with balmy mid-70-degree Fahrenheit temps and nice breezes.
We normally see easterly winds from NE-SE and mid-teens in velocity. If a front is coming through, then anything is possible. It's very rare to have temperatures below the 50's but in February they can happen.
With the cold fronts it depends on how strong they are and if they make it all the way south past Miami. When the fronts stall it can leave us without much wind but hopefully the doldrums we have seen this season are past and the breeze will be on for this year's J/24 Midwinters.
SW: How important do you think local knowledge will be? Also, do you expect most visiting teams to arrive early and acclimatize to conditions?
MP: Biscayne Bay is not a hard place to sail and all but maybe one of the current entries has raced here more than once before. The tides are pretty easy to understand, and there are many options for getting current real time info on conditions.
Where we will be racing, a little south in Biscayne Bay, we are removed from the few local knowledge spots near shores.
And yes, I already know of several boats that are coming early to get some practice sailing done!
SW: If you could offer one piece of advice to visiting (and local) teams, what would it be?
MP: It's different this year: BE SAFE!
Respect all the preventatives put in place to keep both sailors and hosts safe and COVID-free. The last thing we want is to have any regatta become a spreader event.
Other than that, bring plenty of water and suntan lotion!
SW: In the ideal world, how many races do you and the other organizers hope to score? Also, how many races will you run per day?
MP: We have ten races are scheduled. Hopefully, with good breezes we can run four races each on Friday and Saturday so that only two are needed on the last day.
SW: What kinds of safe-play pandemic tactics are you expecting from the racers on the water? Also, what kind of shoreside Covid precautions will the event employ?
MP: Looking at our NOR (yachtscoring.com/event_documents/13200/2021%20J24%20MWs%20NOR%20.pdf) will give an idea of all the precautions we have put in place.
Starting with requiring all participants— whether they are racing, supporting, or race committee— to provide negative rapid Covid tests that are less than 72 hours old to be at the event.
We will have temperature takers stopping all persons entering the property and issuing color-coded wrist bands after being allowed entry.
We have suspended all social functions and will prohibit gathering at the venue. If the previous regatta we ran in December is a model, then we expect the sailors to be respectful of the world we are dealing with and not be ultra-aggressive, both on the water and in the jury room!
SW: Can you tell us about any efforts that you and the other regatta organizers have made to try to lower the regatta's environmental footprint or otherwise green-up the regatta?
MP: The biggest environmental effort this year, other than the fact we are sailors who by description do not pollute the atmosphere and are usually very cognizant of keeping our waters clean, is the addition of MarkSetBot to the race course!
Although interest in these GPS battery-operated robotic race marks was already building, the onset of COVID hastened their acceptance in the sailboat racing world. They make staffing the Race Committee much less demanding, controlling the race circle super-fast and easy and require less motorized equipment on the racecourse.
SW: Anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?
MP: We look forward to seeing all of our J/24 friends here in beautiful Coconut Grove playing on our Biscayne Bay waters again in February! Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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As a result of at least one good day of racing on gorgeous Biscayne Bay, it was the McKillen family (pictured at right) dueling for the top of the podium! Ryan's SURGE team of Lucas Calabrese, John Wallace, and Sam Loughborough took the win by just one point! Yes, over his wife Maggie! The Ladbroke's betting parlours in England were having a field day betting on these horses. While Ryan's team had some pedigree based on previous events, the MAGATRON team was probably a 1,000:1 bet. Nice payoff. 
The author of 30 books on all aspects of the sport, they include eight covering The Whitbread/Volvo Round the World Race and 1986 Book of the Sea award winning tome – Greatest Race: Official Story of the Whitbread Round the World Race, 1985-86 – and seven on the America’s Cup.
