J/Newsletter- March 31st, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

Perhaps the most exciting news this week comes from opposite ends of the Atlantic Ocean. First, the RORC in the United Kingdom is hosting their 2021 season Spring Opener offshore race using the wildly popular Royal Yacht Squadron line (a simple transit to an offshore buoy) as the start off the Cowes, Isle of Wight waterfront. Across the "big pond" to sunny Florida, the second of the perennial Helly Hansen Sailing World NOOD Regattas is taking place in St Petersburg, FL this coming weekend. The event should be lots of fun for offshore boats as well as the J/24 and J/70 one-design classes. 

Down in the Caribbean, the St Thomas Yacht Club pulled off three near-perfect days of sailing for the three-dozen boats that showed up for their STIR Regatta. And, the SAIL 22 J/70 Tuning Regatta completed its second installment with amazing sailing on Biscayne Bay, thanks to hosts Shake-A-Leg and RC/PRO work performed by SAIL 22 and the MarkSetBot robotic marks!

In the J/Community section, there's an entertaining video perspective by Sailing Anarchy's Scot Tempesta regards the on-going popularity and passion owners have for their J/111s.
 

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J/9 Daysailer Update

(Newport, RI)- Hull #1 is out of the mold! Sitting on a shop cradle, the hull is stunning, seemingly already gliding effortlessly through the water. Shown here in the prototype shop at CCF Composites, hull #1 is being utilized for constructing and verifying patterns for key interior components such as the main cabin berths and shelves, forward v-berth, and additional bulkheads. The main bulkhead, mast step and keel floors are fitted, and once patterns are finished it will move into the assembly area.


Meanwhile, the J/9 deck mold is completed and the first deck is underway. The deck is shown below with just the skin coat applied. To this will be added structural fiberglass skins on either side of Corecell foam to produce an extremely strong but lightweight structure. 

The J/9 structural and laminate engineering is being designed by Steve Koopman of SDK Structures, a leading engineering firm with extensive background in high-performance sailing.


Above, a new fiberglass drilling jig is fit over the deck plug. They will position hardware on the deck plug and take the boat for a “virtual sail” to finalize hardware locations. We are excited to get the first boat in the water soon as Spring has sprung here in New England. We expect the first boat to be launched and sailing in the first week of May. Be sure to contact your J/Boats Dealer NOW to make arrangements for a demonstration sail in the near future.  For more J/9 Daysailer sailboat information
 

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RORC Spring Season Opener Preview

(Cowes, Isle of White, England)- The "stay at home" rule in the UK ends on the 29th of March allowing the Royal Ocean Racing Club to organize a Spring Series of racing in April and early May. With some government restrictions still in place, three races are planned to offer crews the chance for some early season training and race practice. The series is open to IRC rated boats, including an IRC Two-Handed Class.
 
The first race of the RORC Spring Series is scheduled to start this coming Easter Weekend on Saturday 3rd April from the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes. One long race is planned of approximately 6-8 hours duration. Needless to say, many J/Sailors are "chomping on their bits" to get their horses racing down the track! Everyone is praying the wind Gods delivery spectacular Easter weekend weather on the often-capricious Solent!


One of those J/Teams competing is Mike O’Donnell’s J/121 DARKWOOD. This will be the first RORC race of the year in preparation for their Rolex Fastnet Campaign. “Like everyone else, we are desperate to get back on the water and this series is a very pragmatic solution to the current restrictions,” commented O'Donnell. “It is a safe way to get almost fully-crewed boats back racing. For us, this is an absolute no-brainer.”

Joining O'Donnell's J/121 DARKWOOD in the enormous twenty-nine boat IRC Offshore Class is Simon Bamford's J/111 KESTREL, Andy Theobald's J/122 R&W, and a quartet of unrelentless J/109s that are so familiar to many Solent racers, such as Mike Yates' JAGO, Kevin Armstrong's JAZZY JELLYFISH, Rob Cotterill's MOJO RISIN', and David McGough's JUST SO. That will be one tough division to compete against just with the J/crews listed here! 

IRC Two-Handed entries include a duet of J/109s- Yates' JAGO and the McGough's JUST SO. For more information about the Royal Ocean Racing Club
 

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St Petersburg NOOD Regatta Preview

(St Petersburg, FL)- The Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta is excited to be heading back to St Petersburg! Perhaps a different calendar weekend, but that's OK as long as it means the sailors are thrilled to be back in St Petersburg and back to one of our favorite clubs- St. Petersburg Yacht Club. The leadership at SPYC are determined to roll out the red carpet for all and hope there is always fun to be had on race day! Three days of racing are planned from April 2nd to 4th on Tampa Bay.

Even though no after sailing socials this year, the entire St Pete NOOD team will treat you to coffee and pastries on the main dock each morning and meet you right back there after racing with a cold beer!! Muchas cervezas, por favor!! Thanks to the beer sponsor Anchor Brewing, there will be coolers overflowing with "coldies" waiting on the docks when you return! Sounds awesome, a great break and antidote to the "pandemic blues" from the past year!

J/Crews across the spectrum are participating, many for their first regatta in well over a year.  In the North Sails Doublehanded Division are two J/112E's; Chris Zibailo's DOPODOMANI and Harvey Ford & Tom Mistele's SILVER SURFER.  Joining them will be Tarry Grimsdale & Bill Wingrove's J/35 ROCKET!

In the Cruising World Rally Race will be yet another J/35- Jose Suarez Hoyos' NO WAY JOSE- as well as David Mendelblatt's J/24 FAT LADY. 

Hoping to make their mark in PHRF 2 Division will be a trio of J/Teams; including two J/105s (Mitcham Stephen's BREEZIN BAYOU and George Cussins' FIRE & ICE) and Bob Wetmore's J/29 FAMILY CIRCUS. Sailing in PHRF 3 Division is Herb Maguire's J/22 HOLY MOLY!! 

On Circle C are two J/One-Design classes. Notable teams in the seven-boat J/70 class are Steve Knoop's AMERICAN FLYER from Chicago Yacht Club, Alex Meleny's TRUCKIN' from Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, Chris Schoendorf's TAZ from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and four crews from host St Petersburg YC (Jody Abrams' BSTF, Matt Braun's ELE, Tim Snyder's MORE THRILLS, and Preston Weaver's HELLY HANSEN JR CREW).

The J/24s should have an interesting battle with four bows pointing across the line as it could be reduced to multiple match races to determine the winner. Participating in that free-for-all is Mike Beattie's DAZE OFF, Andy Garrett's IRISH, Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE, and Katie Nelson's YELLOW TAIL (girl power!). 
Sailing photo credits- Paul Todd/ Outside Images. For more Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta sailing information
 

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Variety Adds Spice to Ida Lewis Distance Race in August!

Something for Everyone Offshore and in the Bay!

(Newport, RI)– The 17th edition of the annual Ida Lewis Distance Race, scheduled for August 19th to 21st, literally offers something for every type of big-boat sailor. Not only are there classes for ORC, PHRF (including Cruising Spinnaker) and Double-Handed (Mixed Gender and Open) but also there are Youth and Collegiate challenges. As well, entrants have a choice of racing in either the traditional OFFSHORE distance race, starting on Friday (August 20) and requiring overnight sailing, or the shorter IN BAY distance race, starting and finishing Saturday (August 20). The latter is a holdover from Covid-19 adaptations made last year to accommodate sailors during uncertain times.

“Last year’s inaugural IN BAY distance race was a big hit,” said Event Chair Pat Kennedy, “because it allowed a lot of people to sail who otherwise – due to Covid restrictions – wouldn’t have been able to. On top of that it was not just another buoy race on Narragansett Bay; it was an exciting short distance day race of 33 miles, starting off Fort Adams and heading north around Conanicut and Prudence Islands. That said, the OFFSHORE distance race with its overnight component and long track record is what has made the Ida Lewis Distance Race one of the most iconic events on the East Coast.”


The OFFSHORE distance race starts off historic Fort Adams and finishes in front of the lighthouse that serves as the clubhouse for Ida Lewis Yacht Club, the event’s host. Based on wind and sea conditions, the overnight course is chosen by the Ida Lewis Race Committee just prior to the start and it can be anywhere from 112 to 169 nautical miles. The courses are aptly named for the scenic waypoints and offshore buoys (marks of the course): “Buzzards Bay”, “Point Judith”, “Block Island” and “Montauk”.

“We have been racing the Ida Lewis Distance Race OFFSHORE event since 2013,” said EC Helme (Newport, R.I.), skipper of the J/92 SPIRIT that has twice taken a second in its PHRF class. “Our typical program is really just day racing since the boat is pretty sparse, but the OFFSHORE race is perfect for a smaller boat. It’s a reasonable distance; never too far from a good bailout point; and usually there are boats that are similar enough to us to make it directly competitive. It’s a chance to push ourselves a bit and figure out currents, winds and tactics we don’t normally get to deal with.”


One of the first teams to sign up this year for the OFFSHORE race was Bill Kneller’s (Newport, R.I.) J/109 VENTO SOLARE, which placed third in class last year in the IN BAY race, finishing the course in just over five hours.

“On the first leg from the start off Rose Island to R2 off Brenton Reef it was a spinnaker run,” said Kneller. “Our strategy was simple - sail our own race away from other boats, do transitions methodically with ample time to execute, and constantly change trim to optimize for the ever-changing conditions. The strategy paid off to reach the podium.” 

Youth and Collegiate Challenge
Youth and Collegiate challenges have been popular components of the Ida Lewis Distance Race, encouraging a healthy future for the sport of sailing. With special trophies for each, the challenges are applied to both OFFSHORE and IN BAY racing.

Youth entries must consist of a minimum of two adults (one designated as Captain), and more than 40% of the crew must have reached their 14th birthday but not their 18th birthday prior to August 20, 2021.

Collegiate entries also must consist of a minimum of two adults (one designated as Captain), and more than 40% of the crew shall not reach their 26th birthday prior to August 20, 2021.

Compete for LOTS of Trophies!
Trophies for the Ida Lewis Distance Race OFFSHORE race will be given in ORC, PHRF (Aloha and Coronet divisions), ORC Double-handed and PHRF Cruising Spinnaker classes. Trophies for the IN BAY race will be given in PHRF (Aloha and Coronet divisions), PHRF Double-Handed and PHRF Cruising Spinnaker classes.

GMT Composites Boat of the Year Series
For 2021, the Ida Lewis Distance Race IN BAY race has been included as a qualifying event in the Narragansett Bay Yachting Association’s Boat of the Year series. The trophy for the series – the Narragansett Bay Boat of the Year Trophy sponsored by GMT Composites – is awarded in the Fall to the owner of the boat on Narragansett Bay that has achieved the best overall performance for the season.

For questions, please contact Ida Lewis Distance Race Chairman- Pat Kennedy- email"distancerace@ilyc.org".  For more sailing information on the Ida Lewis Distance Race
 

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J/80 World Championship Update

(Copenhagen, Denmark)- The KDY (Royal Danish Yacht Club) are hosting the 2021 J/80 World Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark. They have already postponed the event once due to covid-19 pandemic issues in Europe. it is now expected to be hosted in July.

"Hygge" (enjoying life's simple pleasures) isn’t everything, but...

As National Geographic so aptly explains it, “Denmark's capital has become the urban overlord of doing things the right way. They call it the happiest city in the world. So, what's the secret? Image-wise, everything in recent years seems to have gone the city's way. The omnipresence of the Danish concept hygge has helped paint it as a place of candlelit good times...”

It certainly has, and it is. But "hygge" isn’t everything. We’d like to add 1) a positive outlook and 2) sailing of course!


Staying positive and moving ahead in our preparations
As many events have been moved into the month of September – lately even the Kiel Week we still believe that the J/80 World Championship in July will be OK. Who knows this may even be the racing season opening event! How is that for at title? We are certainly working hard in order to have all our ducks (and docks) in a row for when you get here. We are confident the J/80 Worlds will be the start of the international racing season here.

There is very strong interest in the regatta as it's an "Open" event. The entries are coming in as well are international requests for rental boats, and in the upcoming weeks you will read more about accommodation and travel arrangements as well as boat rental opportunities and you may even find out why the Spaniards cannot win the trophy – again!

If you have questions, please contact us at email- j80worlds@kdy.dk.  For more J/80 World Championship sailing information
 

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J/Gear April 20% Off Special!

Awesome Under Armour Performance Polo shirt!

(Newport, RI)- Here is an excellent opportunity for the whole crew to get Under Armour Polo shirts at a special price. Under Armour have been a leader in the performance arena for some time now and their gear is perfect for a marine application. This polo boasts rugged construction and features a distinctive comfortable fit.

The fabric is 95% polyester, 5% elastane, it is a smooth, soft anti-pill fabric, has an anti-odor technology to prevent the growth of odor causing bacteria, and offers 30+ UPF protection from the sun’s harmful rays!
Order your beautiful, comfy Under Armour Performance Polo here
 

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Sailing Calendar

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.
 

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Perfect St. Thomas International Regatta!

(St. Thomas, USVI)– With perfect conditions of 15 to 20 knots of breeze out of the east, keen competition and professionally set racecourses, the weather Gods delivered in spades for the 2021 St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR).

After six round-the-islands races over three days, Marco Teixidor's J/111 CACHONDO posted a pair of podium finishes to ultimately take fourth in class. While missing the podium by just four points, it was big smiles pasted across their faces at the conclusion of the racing on Sunday...what's not to love about Caribbean racing in classic tradewinds, sun, and perfect "shorts & shades" weather!


Following 15 sprint-style windward-leeward races also in a trio of days, St. Thomas, USVI’s Chris Rosenberg led the One-Design IC24 Class. Not surprisingly, it was experienced J/24 sailors that knew how to make these modded-J/24s go fast in the often-shifty conditions along the shoreline. Top USA team was a person familiar to most sailors in the J/70 and J/24 classes- David Franzel of Boston, MA; he skippered MAGIC BUS to earn the bronze on the podium. 

The 14-boat IC24 Class proved the most competitive with it being nearly anyone’s win going into the last day of racing. In the end, Rosenberg, who served as tactician, with St. Thomas’ two-time Olympic sailor Cy Thompson on the helm, and experienced St. Thomas sailor Addison Caproni on the bow, won the class on BILL T.


“The first day for us was a learning curve, then on day two and three we honed in on what was working,” says Rosenberg. “It takes two sails to win, and Addison trimmed the jib perfectly. Cy was spot on with every start within a half a boat length of the line. It takes three to win and that’s what we worked hard to accomplish.”


“Congratulations to the participants of this year’s St. Thomas International Regatta and kudos to the St. Thomas Yacht Club for executing a successful and safe event,” says Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte. “The St. Thomas International Regatta was the only major regatta in the Caribbean that wasn’t canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a testament to the insightful leadership and smart policies enacted by the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands to ensure we can offer fun events and engaging experiences while keeping our residents and visitors safe. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the amazing marine schedule of events being rolled out throughout the remainder of the year.”  For more St Thomas International Regatta sailing information
 

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SAIL 22 J/70 Tuning Regatta- A Great Learning Experience

(Coconut Grove, FL)- Over the course of our "pandemic winter" of 2020/2021, there have been several imaginative events that were created for sailors that enabled them to go sailing in a safe, healthy way and adhere to any known pandemic "safe behavior" guidelines.

One of those events in Florida has been Ed and Becky Furry's SAIL 22 J/70 Tuning Regatta. The first event took place on Tampa Bay hosted at Davis Island Yacht Club and the second just took place off Coconut Grove (south Miami) with host Shake-A-Leg providing launch/ docking facilities. The dozen J/70 teams that participated enjoyed two days of very nice spring sailing on the gorgeous aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay. The goal for the event was "training" and not focused on "winning". As such, there was constant on-the-water coaching and discussions amongst teams regards boat-speed, boat-handling, and sail trim/ rig tune setups. 

In the end, several notable teams participated that offered their expertise to others, as well as picking up a few pointers themselves! Those teams included Pam Rose's ROSEBUD with Willem Van Waay aboard (3x J/70 World Champion crew), Laura Grondin's DARK ENERGY with Taylor Canfield providing guidance (multiple Match Race World Champion), Brian Keane's SAVASANA, and Buddy Cribb's VICTORY with Greiner Hobbs directing traffic (a multiple College All-American).

On the leaderboard, it was David Janetti's VERY ODD topping out the dozen crews, perhaps learning fastest from all the training/ speed lessons. Second was Chicagoan John Heaton' EMPEIRIA and third was Pam Rose's ROSEBUD. Kudos to class newcomer Doug Newhouse on YONDER and Lauran Grondin's DARK ENERGY for each dialing themselves in well-enough to win some races against very talented teams. Thanks to the Furry's SAIL 22 for organizing such a productive, helpful event (http://www.sail22.com). 
For more SAIL 22 J/70 Tuning Regatta sailing information
 

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J/Community

What friends, alumni, and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide

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J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world here.  

Good Value 2002 J/105 Sailboat for Sale

Less Demands + Fun = Best Sailing Value A fun and forgiving performance boat that is easy to sail, J/105 offers low maintenance with a simple layout, has great performance, a large cockpit, predictable handling characteristics and makes no pretenses of being a distance cruiser or live-aboard. There is less to maintain as all the extra Cabinetry and weight of things you won't use aren't there. So instead of varnishing toe-rails and troubleshooting systems you'll be enjoying a sail with friends. With less demands placed on you and your crew J/105 is more fun to own.  For more J/105 Bear Spirit used sailboat information

J/111 Sailing Anarchy Retrospective

In his ongoing series of exploring why certain race boats generate a strong passion by a broad spectrum of sailors to either sail them or own them, Sailing Anarchy's Scot Tempesta hopped aboard a J/111 in San Diego, CA to offer up his point of view on this evergreen offshore racer.  Enjoy the video- more about the J/111 here.
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J/Newsletter- March 17th, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

With spring-time peeking around the corner in the northern hemisphere, and sailors are getting accustomed to living and playing within the pandemic guidelines in various regions, more and more events are braving the elements to get a real 2021 sailing season underway. In the coming weeks, one hopes the European "third wave" is quelled quickly so that schedules for a number of one-design and offshore classes can get underway soon.

Over in the Americas, the season is starting off slowly but surely. Down south, the J/105 Midwinters was just sailed on Galveston Bay, hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club for a very eager group of sailors. Likewise, a fleet of twenty-two J/70 sailors took to the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay to sail the Bacardi Invitational, hosted by Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and Shake-A-Leg Foundation in Miami, FL. Out west, the first J/105 fleet in the world hosted their inaugural "Pi" Race on San Francisco Bay for doublehanded sailors.

Not to be outdone, the nascent efforts of the J/80 one-design class in India continues to grow year-by-year. This past week saw their first "offshore" race of about 80.0nm in the Bay of Bengal in south India. The event was called the UNIFI CAPITAL J/80 Offshore Race based in Chennai, India. 

Finally, in the J/Community section below, learn about the Storm Trysail Club Offshore Symposium that was hosted virtually in November 2020 with leaders in all aspects of seamanship, racing, military, expeditions, and so forth... it has numerous lessons about leadership and safety offshore that's well-worthwhile to watch- it includes a 70-minute YouTube video.
 

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J/22 Midwinter Championship Preview

(New Orleans, LA)- From March 18th to 21st, the gorgeous new Southern Yacht Club will be hosting the J/22 Midwinter Championship on the challenging, choppy waters of Lake Ponchartrain. The thirty teams from across the country should be blessed with spring-like windy conditions with breezes forecast to start in the northwesterly quadrant and slowly, persistently shift right all weekend. 


The entry list has many class leaders participating; all eager to get on the water and enjoy the fresh air on the water, the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face.  Some of the notable teams with Midwinter, North American, and World titles in various classes include Benz Faget's FATS, Tommy Meric's CARNIVAL TIME, Dwight LeBlanc's WILD TCHOUPITOULAS, Travis Odenbach's HONEYBADGER, Glenn Darden's BABY DOLL, Mark Foster's PRESSURE DROP, Chip Carpenter's WIZARD, and Casey Lambert's BLACKBURN MARINE RACING.


The Southern YC welcomes all teams with open arms and will surely provide their famous red-carpet treatment for their guests. The regatta promises to be epic given the depth of talent, the often-challenging choppy waters of Lake Ponchartrain, and the very shifty puffy winds shifting from NW to NE over the three days.  For more J/22 Midwinter Championship registration & sailing information
 

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San Diego NOOD Regatta Preview

(San Diego, CA)- The first of the famous HELLY HANSEN Sailing World NOOD Regatta series will be taking place in San Diego, CA this coming weekend. San Diego Yacht Club will play host for the event from March 19th to 21st for one-design fleets of J/24s and J/105s and an offshore North Sails Doublehanded Race.

The J/24 class features teams like Brian Dolan's CALAMITY from Tucson, Arizona (the long-distance traveler award!); Christian Seidel's CYGNET 2, Bill Ramacciotti's GREENBACK BOOGIE, Ryan Jurkowski's IRIE, and Dave Wethereit's SUPERDRY.


The always highly-competitive fleet of eight J/105s will see a number of the class stalwarts participating for their first time in over twelve months! Those teams include Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK!, Stew Cannon's J-OK, Scott McDaniel's OFF THE PORCH and Bill Quealy's J RABBIT SLIM. 

Looking forward to the challenge of sailing large boats doublehanded offshore is Stephen Driscoll's J/105 JUICED and Rudy Hasl's J/145 PALAEMON. Should be fun to watch these teams wrestle their boats around the track off Point Loma. Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information
 

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NHYC Cabo Race Preview

(Newport Beach, CA)- On Friday midday, a fleet of eighteen offshore racers will be pointing their bows across the starting line set by the host Newport Harbor Yacht Club and will soon be headed 800.0nm south from Newport Beach, CA down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It is a famous race, a famous challenge, and anything can happen. Often the most significant decisions are which teams have chosen between hugging the Mexican coastline or heading offshore to steadier winds...it's often a roll of the dice. 

Looking forward to that challenge are two thoroughbreds in the J/Design stable. Racing in ORR Class C are Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID and Roger Gatewood's J/145 KATARA.  Both are well-prepared, well-sailed boats with strong tactical/ strategic navigational teams on board. Furthermore, both boats have demonstrated the ability to win more than their fair share of silverware as well! With solid breezes forecast from the north, the fleet should have a reasonably quick sleighride down to the famous ocean resort of Cabo San Lucas!  For more Cabo Race sailing information
 

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San Diego Yacht Club's Yachting Cup is a Go!

(San Diego, CA)- After a full year of limited racing, postponed regattas, and socially distanced sailing, it seems like the world of competitive racing is finally getting back on course. In October 2020, San Diego Yacht Club hosted a postponed edition of the Yachting Cup, one of their most popular signature regattas. Thirty-seven boats came out as restrictions on boating eased - an event that typically hosts over 100 boats. A mere six months later, and the Yachting Cup is working to get back on course as well, returning to the weekend at the beginning of May where it’s been held in years past- May 1-2, 2021. 

While the event might not be ramped up to its typical pre-Covid model, it is clear what the main attraction of the Yachting Cup really is: the sailing. SDYC Waterfront Director Jeff Johnson says it best, “The success of the event has been and will be being able to get out on the water. It’s an event for all of those that are looking to sail, and that’s why we do it - for the competitors. It’s not about the food and free drinks or fancy awards. It’s just to sail. And that’s what we’re doing.”

The 2021 Yachting Cup begins at 1200 on Saturday, May 1 and will be held on two ocean courses on the Coronado Roads. Competitors will be divided into one design fleets or Handicap Divisions (PHRF, ORR, ORR-ez). 

Always one of Yachting Cup first entrants is SDYC Staff Commodore John Laun’s J/120 CAPER, who hasn’t missed a Yachting Cup in 20 years before last October’s regatta. Similar to many competitors, this will be his first opportunity back on the water. “This will be CAPER's first regatta in 16 months!! I’m excited to reunite with the crew. We’ve been together for over 10 years, some as long as 20. My crew is full of great friends and skilled sailors,” explained Laun.

Another J/120 skipper ready to get back out on the water after an injury last fall is SDYC Staff Commodore Chuck Nichols, sailing on CC RIDER. “I’ve raced in almost every Yachting Cup since the early eighties. The best racers in Southern California show up for the Yachting Cup. Everyone knows they will participate in good competition with good Race Committee work,” he started. “Between major regattas, we try to sail races that are similar to the types of courses we are going to see in the near future. Continuity of crew is critical to our success. They all know their jobs well and we work hard to get them out for every race on our calendar. Our crew is a fun-loving bunch who really enjoy joking around, but they also know when to hang up the hijinks and get down to racing.”

Back for another year to chair the event is Patrick Murray. “As we’ve endured an extremely long year dreaming of the things that we love to do, it’s time to get back at it and get back out racing. We’re excited to be hosting an event that will be building on the 2020 Yachting Cup as we work our way closer to a new normal,” he started.

“As with the 2020 edition, we’ll be focusing on the water and high-level racing on both courses. We expect to have extremely tight one design racing in the J/105 one-design fleet while we’ll have the bigger boats going head-to-head on the far course. One thing is for sure, you can count on all the teams bringing their A-games as the competition is always tight! We’ve had an active weather pattern here this spring, and that’s a good sign that we’ll get really nice sailing condition. We’re looking forward to having a great regatta! See you on the water," finished Murray.

Safety precautions are in place to ensure a healthy event such as socially distancing and wearing face coverings. SDYC is strictly following the protocols set forth by the County and the State. Due to continuing restrictions on gatherings, there will be no post-race socials on Saturday or Sunday evening. This year’s Yachting Cup will continue to feature a Skipper’s Meeting via Zoom. Awards will be announced at the Post Race Debrief after racing on Sunday, May 2. Awards will be available for individual pick-up or delivery. 
Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more SDYC Yachting Cup regatta and sailing information
 

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Block Island Race Week Update

(Block Island, RI)- With just under 100 days left until Race Week, 150 teams have already joined Block Island Race Week presented by Margaritaville (seventy are J/Boats = 47%)! This is the highest number of early registrations in over a decade for the biennial Storm Trysail Club event. “We cannot underestimate the motivation for sailors and their families to return to doing what they love together,” says Event Chair Ray Redniss. “With increased vaccine rollouts and lower case numbers, we are cautiously optimistic that our 2021 event will be a great success.”

Still, the race organizers are managing expectations that 2021 won’t be exactly like past Race Weeks. The logistics of hosting a large regatta on an island demands months of preparation and - as one of the first major events to be held among so much uncertainty - a variety of necessary measures to keep sailors, volunteers and local families safe and healthy will be implemented. What those policies look like is still being determined.


“We meet each week as a team and are in constant contact with local businesses, a variety of experts, and our vendors,” says Redniss. “We know our sailors come for the fun, camaraderie, and competition, and our goal is still to deliver all that at the highest level, albeit safely.”

Regards J/Teams participation, so far here are the amazing numbers:

• ORC 2- five J/121s and two J/122s
• J/44 class- seven boats
• J/88 class- five boats
• J/109 class- thirteen boats
• J/105 class- sixteen boats
• PHRF 1- six J/111s and two J/122s (J/111s will get one-design start)
• PHRF 2- a J/99, J/33, J/35
• PHRF 3- a J/24, two J/29s, two J/80s
• PHRF Cruise 1 Spin- a J/120, J/95
• PHRF Cruise 2 Spin- a J/120, J/125, J/133
• PHRF Cruise 3 Spin- a J/29

Racers planning to attend should have already started to make their housing, docking, and ferry arrangements, as we have been notified there are only a few reservations still available. Do not wait to plan ahead for your week away! Come one, come all, and join in on the fun! It promises to be an EPIC Block Island Race Week!  Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier. For more Block Island Race Week sailing information
 

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J/70 European Championship Postponed

(Copenhagen, Denmark)– The Royal Danish Yacht Club (KDY) Organizing Committee and the International J/70 Class Association met to review the Danish governments pandemic restrictions and decided to move the Championship to late August this year. Registration/inspections will start on August 27th, 2021 and the prize-giving ceremony will conclude the Championship on September 4th, 2021.

The event was scheduled in June at the Royal Danish Yacht Club. Please see the revised Notice of Race that will be posted in the coming days. It's the hope of the KDY Organizing Committee to be able to host a great and “normal” regatta with activity at the harbor, socializing and great racing later this year
For more J/70 European Championship regatta information
 

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J/Gear March 20% Off Special!

(Newport, RI)- The Marmot zip top model #9276 has a 20.0% discount for March! The simple lines and full-on function of the J Stretch Fleece 1/2 Zip makes layering on and off the water a practical solution. The warm polyester stretch fleece with a comfortable flat-locked seam construction allows liberal movement. Marmot quality and durability throughout. It's perfect partner for all seasons. In black, marine blue, or red.   Order your beautiful Marmot 1/2 zip top here
 

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Sailing Calendar

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.
 

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HONEYBADGER Crowned J/70 Bacardi Champion

(Miami, FL)- This past weekend, the Bacardi Invitational for the J/70 class took place on Miami's Biscayne Bay, hosted by the Shake-A-Leg Foundation, with race management conducted by the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.


The twenty-two boat J/70 fleet was simply blessed with classic, amazing Biscayne Bay sailing conditions all three days of the event. Starting off with two days of planing conditions in northerly winds, the smiles painted onto everyone's faces was palpable...pure joy as teams loved the good breeze, sunny weather, and turquoise waters of the Bay!

An incredible nine races were run by the Biscayne Bay YC Race Committee and PRO team, helping out that process was the quick mark reset capabilities of the tres-cool MARK-SET-BOT buoys of the windward marks and gates!


In the end, the most remarkable performance came from the well-known cast of characters from upstate New York; winning with style and grace was Travis Odenbach's HONEYBADGER team that consisted of Andy Horton, Geoff Becker, and Danny Lawless. They eclipsed a truly star-studded fleet that was deeply laden in talent, leaving multiple World, European, North American Champions in their wake. On their way to the top of the podium, they collected an outstanding record of four 1sts, two 2nds, and two 4ths to count only top five finishes for 16 pts net. 


For the third straight time, it was Ryan McKillen's SURGE crew of Jeff Reynolds, Lucas Calabrese, and Sam Loughborough that took the silver. They put up a good fight but could not match the sheer consistency of the HONEYBADGER gangsters.  Like their colleagues, they also posted all top five finishes, including two race wins, to end with 22 pts net. 


Rounding out the podium was World Champion Joel Ronning's team on CATAPULT that consisted of Jud Smith (another J/70 World champ), Kris Stoke, and Patrick Wilson. Winning two races and taking three 2nds, they were virtually tied for the lead with just two races to go in the series.  However, a lighter air, shiftier day for the finale proved to be their undoing, posting an uncharacteristic 9-8 to close out the regatta and dropping to the bronze step on the podium. Rounding out the top five were John Brim's RIMETTE in fourth place and Vernon Robert's Chilean crew on MORENITA.

Winning the Corinthians Division was Zach Segal's USA 1154 with crew of Ashton Hamerlin, Enrique Quintero, and Blake Cabasa. Second was the Brazilian crew on CLOUD NINE with Toribio Tedin as skipper and team of Emilio Miguel, and Javier & Enrique Dillon. Sailing photo credits- Bacardi / Mattias Cappizano.  For more Bacardi J/70 Invitational Regatta sailing information 
 

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DEJA VOODOO Eclipses J/105 Midwinters

(Seabrook, TX)- The J/105 Midwinter Championship returned to the calendar this year as twelve teams competed at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX from March 11-14. Over the three-day regatta, the fleet enjoyed truly amazing Texas-style hospitality and pretty amazing sailing conditions- warm, breezy, and moderately choppy waters on Galveston Bay.


After the first day it was abundantly clear that one team must've consumed several spinach cans of Popeye's "whupass", flexed their muscles, and completely smoked the fleet. Starting first and never looking back. the DEJA VOODOO team left everyone in their wake as they peeled off all bullets on the first day. The second and third day of racing never saw them take their foot off the gas, keeping it "firewalled" and reeling off a bunch more bullets.  In the end, Bill Zartler's team on DEJA VOODOO may have been surprised at their own incredible record, counting all bullets after tossing a 2nd place in the eight race/ one-drop series...just 7 pts net!  


The Vice-champion of the last J/105 North American Championship in Marblehead, MA- FINAL FINAL- was put into the unenviable position of playing chase the entire regatta. Accumulating five deuces and the only bullet not taken by DEJA VOODOO, Ken Horne's team on FINAL FINAL sailed to a clear second place with 14 pts net.

Completing the podium in the bronze position was Uzi Ozeri's BONBON, they closed with a 3-5 on the last day for all top ten finishes and 32 pts net.

Rounding out the top five was John Barnett's PESTO with 35 pts net in fourth position and Mark Smith's EAU LA LA took 5th with 36 pts net.  For more J/105 Midwinter Championship regatta sailing information
 

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Successful UNIFI CAPITAL J/80 Offshore Regatta!

(Chennai, India)- The Unifi Capital Offshore Regatta, was held from the 11th to 14th March 2021 with a race between Chennai and Puducherry which are 160 kms apart in the Bay of Bengal in South India. Four J/80 class sail boats competed with teams- INWTC from Indian Navy, EMESA from Indian Army, VCS from Royal Madras Yacht Club and PSA from Pondycherry Sailing Association.

The event was the first offshore Regatta in India complying with OSR Cat 3 requirements and was organized by Royal Madras Yacht Club under the authority of the Yachting Association of India, the apex sailing body. The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy provided support and logistics for a safe event. World renowned sailors consented to participate in the event to get the press and media interested. Commander Abhilash Tomy, the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world in a sailboat and Lt. Cdr Vartika Joshi, the naval officer who captained the all-women team which circumnavigated the globe.

Event organizer Capt. Vivek Shanbhag said that for the first-time satellite trackers were used for continuous coverage. The website was given wide publicity for tracking the race in real-time on smart phones and laptops.


The first leg had VCS leading from the beginning. Over the next 8 hours as the sun was setting, VCS was about 500 meters ahead of INWTC and about 3 kms behind were EMESA leading by a km over PSA. The race was a close reach with calm seas and 10 knots SW winds. Being a new moon, the sky was bright with a million stars and boats had to keep watch over the many fishing boats dotting the seas. In the last 2 kms the winds dropped to 4 knots and VCS was trying to spot the race committee vessel at the finish line among the numerous fishing boats with similar lights. Meantime INWTC hoisted their kite and narrowed the margin and got a slim lead over VCS. By the time VCS hoisted their kite, the winds dropped further, and the boats moved in slow motion with INWTC finishing 3 minutes ahead. Similarly, PSA bringing the rear managed to pip EMESA by a minute at the finish line. After 14 hours racing the finish was an absolute thriller!  

After a good, long nights sleep, the next day saw the fleet prepare to sail the return leg to Chennai. The second leg had a wind change and was 10 knots from NE with the boats sailing a long beat to windward. VCS tacked and headed deep into the sea, with the other three teams hugging the coast. INWTC managed a comfortable lead of about 90 minutes over the next 10 hours and the next three boats finished within 4 minutes of each other! VCS, which was lagging behind by a huge margin of 5 kms, managed to continuously trim their sails and finished second. The last boat took about 16 hours. It was yet another nail-biting finish, an event rarely heard of in offshore racing.

As a result, the cumulative results of the two legs saw INWTC win with two bullets, followed by VCS with two 2nds, and a tie for third place between PSA and EMESA!
 

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ARBITRAGE Circles Fleet in J/105 "Pi" Doublehanded Race

(San Francisco, CA)- J/105 Fleet #1 continues to have fun organizing their own one-design doublehanded racing on San Francisco Bay. With races easily started and finished just off Golden Gate Yacht Club, and with a few hundred navigational buoys to choose from on Bay charts, it's easy to tailor a race course to the forecasted breezes and tides for the day. Here's Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault's report from aboard ARBITRAGE on the inaugural "Pi" Doublehanded Race held on 3.14.21 (get it? LOL). 

"The wind was uncharacteristically from the south, around 8-10 kt, so the PRO set us on a reaching course from the Golden Gate YC's X Buoy against the 2-3 kt flood tide out to Pt. Bonita buoy and back.


We had an ultra-cautious start (not our usual, of course). We were a bit late at the start, as we decided to hoist the big asym spinnaker before the gun and allowed a generous amount of space so as to not risk being over-early.  

Most of the other boats started ahead of us and then jib-reached up along the shore to avoid the flood and what appeared to be lighter air.

By contrast, we felt the extra sail area would allow us to plow ahead on the rhumb line, and that proved to be the winning formula against the adverse current. We were in much more breeze and we were well-ahead by the time the others hoisted their spinnakers.  

We then nearly stopped dead when passing the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and running into both its wind shadow and a 4-5 knot flood...reducing our VMG to around 1.5 kt! We persisted and poked through to some relief.  


We were then knocked toward the north shore of the entrance channel, but did not mind that as we expected early ebb, which proved to be true.  As we got closer to the lee shore (on the north side of the channel), we were headed some more and dropped the kite, but then lifted back up to the mark and benefited from the ebb.  

After passing Pt. Bonita, we were still way ahead of the fleet. However, we couldn't locate the mark! We suspect it had been pulled for maintenance!! Oops!  

We called our competitors on the radio and asked if any of them could find the mark.  We then suggested they should round our spot (GPS coordinates) and race to the finish.  Everyone agreed, and we then turned for a pleasant close-reach and then a beat home to the finish.  It was notable that two of the teams, RUSSIAN ROULETTE and AKULA, had young crew on board. Nicole had baked some fruit pies and awarded them to the second and third place finishers, AKULA and AQUAVIT."  Sailing photo credits- Don Weineke.
 

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J/Community

What friends, alumni, and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide

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J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world here.  



Beautiful customized 1990 J/44 Available for Sale. Southern Cross has an extensive inventory and has been meticulously maintained, spending most of her time sailing summers on Long Island Sound and fully winterized for the long winter seasons in New York.   Learn more about this custom J/44 McMichaels Yacht Brokerage listing here


* Learn about the Storm Trysail Club Offshore Sailing Leadership Symposium
The Storm Trysail Club Released its Offshore Sailing Leadership Symposium Report Detailed Report, including a 70 Minute Video Recap of November 2020 Event. Read the report here- https://stormtrysail.org/reports/osls2020/

Last November, the Storm Trysail Club Seamanship Committee virtually gathered 90 accomplished leaders from within - and outside - the sailing world for its Offshore Sailing Leadership Symposium. World-class sailors, military officers, mountaineers, Merchant Marine officers, public health experts, and business executives worked together to better understand and promote a culture of safety and leadership in offshore sailing and to recommend improvements to Safety at Sea training and education. Their collective achievements include America’s Cup campaigns, summiting Mount Everest, commanding a US Navy nuclear submarine, solo and crewed circumnavigations, and combating Ebola and Covid-19.

“Until recently, the concept of ‘Leadership’ has been largely ignored while the use of safety-related equipment and specific maneuvers - such as recovering crew overboard - have been emphasized. Yet, Leadership is the glue that holds it all together,“ explained Event Chair Rich du Moulin.  “Good leadership minimizes the chance of a dangerous situation, and when something does go wrong offshore, good leadership maximizes the chance for a satisfactory outcome.  This comprehensive analysis includes observations and recommendations for leadership that have terrific applicability to handling challenges in business and other non-sailing situations.”

Principal findings coming out of the seminar include:

• The Skipper/Owner is Ultimately Accountable
• The Implications of Leading with High Character
• Insights on Selecting and Training the Team
• Critical Processes for Planning and Preparation
• Methods of Ensuring Clear Roles and Responsibilities
• The Effects of Ego on Teamwork
• Positive Impacts of Open Communication
• Error Chain Recognition and Maintaining Situational Awareness
• Benefits of Adjusting Goals and Plans as Conditions Require
• The Importance of Remaining Calm in an Emergency
• How Maintaining Optimism is Key to Positive Results
• Never Giving Up!

The 52-page report (https://stormtrysail.org/reports/osls2020/) includes links to reference material, as well as a number of personal sea stories that bring to life actual crises, and the attendant learnings.  Particular attention is paid to recommendations on how best to develop leadership qualities in young sailors and identifying leaders among crews. 
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