J/Newsletter- April 21st, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

Happy Earth Day! It's hard to believe that human beings feel compelled to celebrate saving our blue-marble colored life-raft called Earth. Nearly 8.0 billion strong so far and climbing rapidly, is it possible that humans have no clue that too many people in the raft can sink it?

Paradoxically, the Covid-19 pandemic has indeed proven that human activity is a bad thing for Mother Earth... pictures abound of "unseen" cities (anyone seen the Taj Mahal?), gorgeous vistas, mountain ranges, clear blue oceans, streams, even a near-swimmable labyrinth of canals in Venice, Italy! Shocking? Perhaps. But, it's 100% clear evidence that human-induced pollution and activity of all sorts is having a material effect on our environment. 

Let us all hope the past year's eye-opening perspectives provide "lessons-learned" in some form or another as it relates to the environment. Sailors may be one of the most attuned as a group to the environmental issues we face. 

The fate of our oceans was remarkably well-explained by Californian Wesley Marx in his eponymous book- THE FRAIL OCEAN published in 1967- a half-century ago! An avid surfer, diver, boater, Wesley expressed his concern for our Seven Seas and mankind's misuse of its resources. Read it, highly recommended! You can find it on Amazon here. An excellent companion read regards environmental issues is also Rachel Carson's SILENT SPRING. 
 

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Newport 2 Ensenada Race Preview

(Newport Beach, CA)– Nearly 170 boats will cross the start line of the 73rd Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race, April 23rd off the Balboa Pier. Perhaps the cleverest element of the event is the race organizers- NOSA- have offered three courses to the intrepid adventurers that cannot wait to get out on the open, unrestricted, Pacific Ocean! Talk about "horses for courses", more than two dozen J/Teams are entered in all three ocean "sprints".  The classic race goes from Newport Beach/ Balboa Pier start line to Ensenada, Mexico and that start line has 120 boats doing the 125.0nm passage.  Twenty boats will take the day-race course down to Dana Point (about 25.0nm) and forty boats will take the mid-range course around the Coronado Islands and finish off Point Loma in San Diego.  

A big "thanks" to everyone for good behavior and helping to reduce COVID restrictions. And, an even bigger "thanks" to the Mexican Navy offering landing assistance so that sailors will be able to safely disembark and enjoy Ensenada.

Answering that "siren song" to go offshore seems innate and is a common bond for many sailors. In a 1962 America's Cup dinner given by the Australian Ambassador at the Vanderbilt family's former estate- The Breakers- then USA President John F. Kennedy made some prophetic remarks about that passion on September 14th, 1962. Listen to it here. He explained:

"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And, it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins, the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."



Recently, when one person about to sail the race was asked "why sail the N2E", he commented:

"There’s a misconception about yacht racing, boat racing, in that some think it’s stuffy, blue-blazer-boring kind of stuff. But, in reality it's not. Sailing is a fun passion-based hobby, in which everyone has a story about overcoming adversity. Sailing is really about solving problems; things break as boats do and you figure it out. Perhaps the best part? It's sitting with a crew member at the helm in the middle of the night, 30 miles offshore, freezing, talking about life, watching the moon; man taking on machine and nature, the whole thing is magical.”


Sailing the classic N2E course are John Staff's J/111 OBSIDIAN, Scott Torrance's J/124 FORGIVENESS, Dave Gorney's J/105 NO COMPROMISE, Chuck Bowes' J/29 RHUMB RUNNER, and Brian Kerr's J/92 DOUBLE DOWN.

Taking the fast-track out and around the Coronado Islands to San Diego is the largest collection of J/145s ever- four of them- including Robert Pace's ANDIAMO 2, Roger Gatewood's KATARA, Ernie Pennell's MORE MADDNESS, and Rudy Hasl's PALAEMON. Joining them will be Tom Pollack's J/124 MARISOL, Dean Stanec's J/130 NIGHT'S WATCH, Derek Gaertner's J/27 PROJECT 53, Fed Hayem's J/46 MISTER J, and Mike McCarthy's J/88 BLUE FLASH. On a PHRF overall handicap basis, that will be one remarkably competitive division!


Another tough collection of J/Crews are sailing the Newport to Dana Point race. Talk about a wind-sprint! Taking a "swing for the fences" in this race are Joaquin Cobelo's J/109 MARIAH, Matt Campbell's J/120 ADIOS, Charles Brewer's J/124 HEARTBEAT 4, Jock McGraw's J/22 TEKEELA, Tom Garrett's youth team on the J/70 SLOOP JOHN B, and the duo of Richard Bennett & David Matthews on the J/92 FIREWATER. 

As pandemic restrictions have been lifted, options for social activities have increased. The annual Yachtsmen’s Luncheon and pre-race dinner at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, albeit without the infamous crowds, are being held. Plans for Sunday’s trophy ceremonies at the festive Hotel Coral and Marina are still being determined, pending the number of revelers, and in coordination with the host city’s guidelines. In light of Ensenada’s restrictions on large gatherings, Sunday afternoon’s awards ceremony, always joyful and celebratory, may be conducted in shifts.  For more Newport 2 Ensenada Race sailing information

On social media, follow all the action on these links:
Facebook.com/newporttoensenada
Instagram.com/newport_to_ensenada
Twitter.com/newsfromnosa
 

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Great Start to Chesapeake Sailing Season

(Annapolis, MD)— The Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta returns to Annapolis, April 30 to May 2, for its 33rd edition, with more than 160 teams expected to race in boats ranging from 20 to 40 feet. The annual spring regatta, which is considered the premiere local sailing event of the year, also serves as the unofficial kickoff for the robust and thriving Annapolis sailing scene.
 
“What I’m hearing is that a lot of sailors have been using the downtime of the pandemic to work on and improve their boats while also going to school with webinars all winter long. They’re keen to apply all that learning to the race course for real,” says Dave Reed from SAILING WORLD, which co-hosts the event with Annapolis Yacht Club and other area yacht clubs. “After a year of so many regatta cancellations, sailors are ready to get back to racing in a big way. The Annapolis NOOD has always been an amazing event, and this year will be no different.”

The Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta series is the largest national sailing circuit, with Annapolis serving as the third event of five, along with regattas in St. Petersburg, Florida, San Diego, Chicago, and Marblehead, Massachusetts. At each regatta, one team is selected as the overall winner, earning a berth at the championship in the British Virgin Islands in late October.


With such national prestige and a reputation for its professional race management, the Annapolis NOOD continues to be a major draw for competitors from all points of Chesapeake Bay and afar. This will be especially true in late April as competitors registered in two of the regatta’s largest classes will be using the event to train for major class championships later in the year. 

The J/70 class, for example, will host its North American Championship in early May in Annapolis and its World Championship in California in August, so organizers expect a high number of professional sailing teams will be in attendance, training and studying the venue’s challenging winds and tides. In addition, the J/111 class (36-foot/seven crew) will host its North American Championship at the NOOD.
 
“We’re especially excited this year,” says competitor Bill Carruth, who races with his wife, Linsley, in the J/105 class. The J/105s will have its North American Championship in Annapolis in October. Their NOOD fleet could have as many as 30 of these 35-footers. “It is a blast to have so many J/105s on the starting line,” Carruth says. “These are good sailors and they know the rules, so we tend to be aggressive, which makes it’s entertaining and exciting.”
 
In all, 11 classes will compete over three days, on race courses set on the waters south of Bay Bridge and immediately outside Annapolis Harbor and the U.S. Naval Academy, which will also field teams across a few classes. Regatta organizers have also added a new competition with the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race where two-person teams will one day-long endurance race on Saturday, May 1, starting and finishing at entrance of the Harbor.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Todd/ Outside Images   For more Annapolis NOOD Regatta sailing information
 

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Great Lakes College Keelboat Racing Announcement!

(Chicago, IL)- The 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta will be held September 24th to 26th in Chicago, IL. This annual fall regatta provides an opportunity for collegiate sailors to experience offshore keelboat racing with past participating teams coming from college sailing programs in the Midwest and beyond.

Chicago T10 and J/105 fleet members provide the sailboats and are on-board during racing as a safety precaution. The collegiate sailors drive, crew the boat, and manage strategy and tactics. Chicago-area yacht clubs provide facilities, and the fleets provide financial support, participant gifts and awards.

The regatta consists of windward/leeward buoy races on Lake Michigan offshore of Chicago. Teams arrive on Friday and have the opportunity to practice on their assigned boats that afternoon. Race committee attempts as many races as possible all-day Saturday and on Sunday morning. Award ceremonies are Sunday during lunch and teams have the afternoon for travel back to campus.

Past participating college teams have included; Michigan, Michigan State, Miami of Ohio, Hope College, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Grand Valley State, Toledo, Northwestern, St. Mary’s College of Md., Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Ohio State, South Florida, Miami, Baldwin Wallace, Indiana University, Marquette, Cleveland State University, United States Naval Academy, University of South Carolina, Notre Dame, Illinois-Chicago and more.

Past participating Chicago J/105 one-design fleet owners have included; THE ASYLUM, SEALARK, VYTIS, FLYING PIG, GANGBUSTERS, KINSHIP, and more....hopefully many more this year!
 

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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 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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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.  

Gorgeous J/109 For Sale

Hop aboard this J/109 and be welcomed into an incredibly spacious cockpit outfitted with a suite of brand-new B&G marine electronics. Included are a 12" touch screen Chart Plotter at your helm, and three displays forward at the top of the companionway. There's also an ICOM VHF radio mounted to the port side of the helm, ergonomically easy to reach controls for the newly rebuilt autopilot ram. She's also equipped with a binnacle compass, shore power at her stern, manual and electric bilge pumps, hot and cold transom shower, and a stern mounted swim ladder. Relax comfortably on her set of five, white ultra-leather cockpit cushions and listen to the impressive Kenwood 60-Watt sound system.

This J/109 is equipped with the removable transom dock box for extra storage. Should you wish to return to One Design racing- this is super-easy to take off her transom. To port is her propane locker and to starboard is an ample storage locker that is accessible from both a wide deck hatch and an access door at the rear of her head.

As you proceed forward along her side decks, you'll see that ALL her running rigging is new! Two-tone light grey decks compliment her flag-blue hull. There's a new dove grey helm cover, matching dodger and set of four winch covers. A solar powered vent fan in her forward hatch for constant fresh circulation of air as well as screens for all her hatches! Deck hatches were replaced with OEM in 2019.

In terms of sails, you won't find a better outfitted J/109 on the market! She has a new main, and jib built by North for the 2019/2020 season.

Learn more about this "Bristol-condition" J/109 sailboat for sale that is currently located in Maine and ready to go cruising at a moment's notice!

Save Our Seas (and lakes) with Robotic Marks?

USA pioneer MarkSetBot and their colleagues in Switzerland- WaterSportsMarks- were celebrating Earth Day along with many regatta organizers that hope to take advantage of such ground-breaking technology. 

There's no better day to make a commitment to running clean, sustainable regattas than to consider the use of robotic marks for at least the port end of the starting line and for the windward mark, the two most "changeable" marks on a race course.  

A true test of the MarkSetBot solution was at this year's Charleston Race Week. With winds hitting 19 kts and currents traversing the courses at 3.5 kts, it was probably the most severe test yet of the robotic mark's capabilities.  A huge "bonus" was that NO ONE could carry away the mark by hooking the ground tackle on their keels-- a common site in year's past sailing on Charleston Harbor. This resulted not only in reduced anxiety for nervous skippers, but also dramatically reduced logistical burdens on the PRO's regards having to cancel and restart races!


In partnership with SAILORS FOR THE SEA and 11th HOUR RACING, our MarkSetBot friends had this to say on improving good practices regards our environmental impact:

"We're committed to fostering sustainable practices on and off the water. Here are our favorite ways to make an impact at your next event. If you're looking for more ideas or to become a certified Clean Regatta, check out our friends at Sailors for the Sea (you can even earn Clean Regatta status by using our Bots!).

• Eliminate single-use items like plastic water bottles, straws, bags, and dinnerware.
• Host a beach, marina, or boatyard clean-up in conjunction with your regatta.
• Ensure proper waste bin placement and signage to educate participants on composting and recycling and divert food waste from landfills.
• Use paperless event management, including use of whiteboards, online regatta management systems, or email to share regatta information and results.
• Spread the word about your sustainability initiatives and why a Clean Regatta is important to you. Your work might inspire someone else to make an impact.             

Bonus Tip! Use MarkSetBot robotic buoys to set and adjust the course. Simple and efficient, robotic marks eliminate the need for seabed destructive anchors and fossil-fuel-burning power boats whose sole purposes are moving around marks. At the end of the race day, they can even be charged via solar power.

MarkSetBot has been recognized by Sailors for the Sea, World Sailing, and 11th Hour Racing as an impactful way to make your regatta more sustainable. Plus, robotic marks make on-the-course social distancing easier by drastically reducing the number of people needed to set the course. 

For MarkSetBot information.   For the Swiss Watersport Marks model informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Newsletter- April 14th, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

It was cause for celebration this past weekend as the Charleston Offshore Racing Association (CORA) managed to host their 25th Anniversary Charleston Race Week, much to the delight of several dozen J/Sailors from across the world. Blessed with amazing conditions, all classes and all courses sailed their full slate of races all three days of competition. Similarly in the United Kingdom, the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Offshore Spring Series had another gang-buster race up and down and around the Solent for a fleet of twenty-five IRC racers, with several J/Teams performing quite well.  

Then, in the J/Community section, it was more cause for celebration as an "island" J/70 sailor managed to take his MOD 70 trimaran around the Fastnet Race track in record time...an eye-opening performance. Enjoy. 
 

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J/9 Daysailer Update- Decked Out, Looking Good!

(Newport, RI)- J/9 #1 is decked and in final assembly at CCF Composites in Bristol, RI. She looks nearly ready to sail! The deck hardware is installed, most of the interior components are fitted, and the after-deck finish work is underway. Next week, the keel will be fitted and then the boat will head to International Marine for bottom paint followed by an early May launch.


We’re looking forward to hosting an active demo-sail schedule in Bristol and Newport from mid-May to mid-June and then the J/9 will be displayed and sailed (in the pursuit class) at Storm Trysail’s Block Island Race Week. Thereafter, demo-sails will be available out of Stonington, CT for July and August, and back in Newport for September.


Despite the industry shortage of labor and raw materials, we’re happy to report that CCF Composites has pulled out the stops to get J/9 production up and running. Hull #2 (RCR Yachts) is in assembly and hull #3 (Sail California) is in the mold. The target is an initial production rate of a boat every two weeks by summer and then ramping up from there to handle the backlog of nearly 30 boats. For more J/9 daysailer information
 

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2022 J/24 World Championship in Corpus Christi!

(Corpus Christi, TX)- The International J/24 Class Association (IJCA) will hold its 2022 World Championship at Corpus Christi Yacht Club in Corpus Christi, Texas USA from July 14th to 22nd, 2022. Due to pandemic-related concerns, the scheduled host for the 2021 Worlds in Mendoza, Argentina will move to a later year. 

Brad Stokes, Regatta Chair, said, “Corpus Christi Yacht Club, host of the 1988, 1982 and 1979 J/24 North American Championships and recipient of the US Sailing St. Petersburg trophy for excellence in race management is pleased to welcome J/24 sailors to experience our favorable wind conditions and our southern hospitality.”

IJCA Chair Will Welles added, “We are very pleased that Corpus Christi will host the 2022 Worlds, and we are hoping that many teams will come and compete in this great sailing venue!”  Sailing photo credits- Priscilla Parker. For more J/24 Class sailing information

 

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Landsail Tyres J/CUP Announcement

(Southampton, England)- Key Yachting is delighted to announce the launch of the 2021 Landsail Tyres J/Cup. This will be the first major regatta in England following the proposed final stage of the UK Government roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions.
 
"Landsail Tyres are thrilled to once more be supporting the J-Cup regatta," said Chris Saunders, Landsail UK Brand Manager. "This will be Landsail's seventh regatta and being the first one after Covid restrictions are expected to ease - it is going to be extra special. The J/Boats community always delivers exciting racing, and we can't wait to see who comes out on top this year!"


Hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, well over 50 teams are expected for the exclusive J/Boats regatta. Three one-design classes will be competing including the J/70 Class and J/109 Class. The J/111 Class has the added thrill of competing for the National Championship. A variety of J/Boats crewed by friends and family, as well as professional sailors, will be racing in organized IRC Classes.


The Landsail Tyres J/Cup invites all J/Boats owners and crew to take part in three days of exciting racing in The Solent with daily prize givings. The most coveted award at the Landsail Tyres J/Cup is the J/Cup itself, which will be awarded at the J/Cup 2021 Dinner.
 

“A big thank you to Landsail Tyres for their continued support of the J/Cup, this is going to be a lot of fun,” commented Key Yachting’s Wayne Palmer. “For over 20 years this has been the event that brings the J/Boats family together and that is especially important in the current climate. The Key Yachting team is just as passionate about the regatta as the hundreds of sailors that will be taking part. We are determined to make it a memorable event for everyone involved.”   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PwPictures.com  Event Reporter: Louay Habib

The 2021 Landsail Tyres J/Cup is open for entry. Online registration and race documents including the Notice of Race can be found at YachtScoring. 

 

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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 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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Awesome 25th Anniversary Charleston Race Week!

(Charleston, SC)- Expectations were high for this year's celebration of the 25th anniversary of Charleston Race Week. Hosted at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, the dozens of volunteers from the Charleston Offshore Racing Association (CORA) delivered in spades after more than a year off. With the added bonus of having the weather Godz cooperate for once, most all fleets were able to fulfill their full schedule of races, with most one-design fleets experiencing ten races after three days of sailing!


The sailors experienced mostly sunny days with southerly winds; with winds varying from southeast to southwest, depending on the degree of cloud cover, and breezes ranging in velocities from 6 to 16 kts. As usual, the mostly ebbing currents of up to 3.5 knots played havoc with laylines both upwind and downwind for many sailors...many boats "doing donuts" after hitting one of the robotic MarkSetBots being used as marks. 

A total of 188 boats in 16 classes were finally able to celebrate the 25th anniversary race week in Charleston, SC. Not surprisingly, passionate J/Sailors across the country couldn't wait for this rendezvous with destiny! Of the 188 boats registered, 103 of them were J/Boats sailors (a stunning 55.0% of the fleet)!  


The regatta featured five one-design J/Classes, including J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/88s, and J/105s.  In addition, there were two “Pursuit-style” sailing divisions for both PHRF and ORC handicap rated boats that included a J/30, J/35, J/109s, J/111s, J/120s, J/121s and a J/122. 

Starting with the biggest fleet in the regatta, the J/70s near runaway winner was Bruno Pasquinelli's STAMPEDE. With the red bull billowing broadly on their big white chute, there were most often seen at the front of the fleet, posting seven podium finishes to win with just 24 pts net; quite a feat in this hotly contested fleet! Joel Ronning's CATAPULT returned to their regatta-winning form and gave the Stampeders a good run-for-the-money, but were not able to close the gap fast enough on the last day, taking the silver with 40 pts net. Rounding out the podium was Mike Goldfarb's WAR CANOE, winning two races on their way to earning the bronze with 43 pts net.  The balance of the top five include John Heaton's Chicago team on EMPEIRIA in fourth and Dave Jannetti's VERY ODD in fifth. 

The J/70 Corinthians Division was won by Henry Filter's Napolitan crew on WILD CHILD, followed by Alex Meleny's TRUCKIN in second, and Mike Sabinash's SABOTAGE in third position. 


The large 19-boat J/24 class saw a full-blown duel take place for class honors. In such a classic confrontation, it was the final race that determined the outcome for the two protagonists that are well-known amongst J/24 class veterans- Kirk Reynolds on TYRUS and Aidan Glackin on MENTAL FLOSS. After trading off bullets in the first six races, it became a war of attrition to see who would blink last. In the end, it was Reynolds' TYRUS crew that avoided the "send it down the mine shaft" race to win by two points. Glackin's MENTAL FLOSS crew sailed a stellar series, save for their 9th place in race 2 that slowed down their chances for the win. Watching the fireworks taking place all weekend-long from the bleacher seats was Denny Vaughn's HABANERO, themselves winning two races but suffering from inconsistency to settle for the bronze. Rounding out the top five were Chris Stone's VELOCIDAD and Jim Thurlow's FORTITUDE in fourth and fifth, respectively. 


The J/22s were subject to a good'ole butt-whippin' by Justin DaMore's YEM team, counting seven bullets in their scoreline to win with a mere nine points net. An easy second-place performance was earned by Fed Plasecki's CoC 7 team with 17 pts. net. The bronze went to Nathan Bowen's USA 8 team with 29 pts. net. 


A near-dozen J/88s showed up for some of that famous southern hospitality and no one left disappointed. Great sailing, great food, spirited competition across the board. Such was the evenness of the racing that every single boat on the podium had a double-digit race to get discarded, a first to be sure for this class. Sitting in third place after the first day, brothers John & Jordan Leahey's DUTCH from Chicago, IL decided they were ONLY going one-way on day two- "go left young man" was the local advice they heeded in spades. For four straight races, they would start at the port end of the line, check-in with the tour guides at Fort Sumter, stamp their ticket for being the ONLY boat in the left corner, then proceed to the windward mark to rejoin the fleet. A winning formula it was for that day! They were rewarded with three bullets in four races to leap to the front of the fleet at the end of the "moving day" (the second to last day of the regatta). The final day dawned gray and served up the most bizarre wind conditions of the regatta. Not doing themselves any favors, the DUTCH team posted their second-worst race of the regatta with a 9th place. That left the final race to determine who amongst the top three teams would win the regatta. In the end, the DUTCH'ers traded in their "left turn signal" for a "right turn signal" in the finale...and rolled the dice. In short, that strategy worked again..."when in doubt, hit a corner", if not left, then why not right?! LOL. DUTCH won the final race to take class honors by 4 pts. Second went to their arch-nemesis in the hotly-contested J/88 Chicago Fleet- Andy Graff's EXILE. Just three points back, after torpedoing their chances at a class win with a DFL in race 9, was Justin Scagnelli and Tim Price's ALBONDIGAS from the Long Island Sound J/88 fleet. The balance of the top five included Brian O'Malley's BLUE in fourth and Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY in fifth.  


Not surprisingly, the J/105 fleet was treated to a complete "white-washing" by Ken Horne's Houston, TX team on FINAL FINAL. Proving themselves in the 2019 J/105 North American Championship in Marblehead, MA with a second place, Horne's crew continues to post strong performances in the class. After nine bullets in nine races, they elected to not sail the last race and went home. The Schaedler/ Taylor duo on WHISTLER posted eight podium finishes in their final tally to take home the silver. Third was Joe Highsmith's DEAD ON ARRIVAL with 35 pts net. The rest of the top five were Joe Pitcavage's SPECTACLE in fourth and Bill McKenzie's RUM FRONT in fifth place. 


The ORC B Offshore division was treated to a podium sweep by three top J/Teams. Winning for the millionth-time was Robin Team's J/122 TEAMWORK with 6 pts net. They were challenged hard by two J/121s. Bob Christoph's LOKI traded bullets with TEAMWORK in a few races, but that was not enough to overcome TEAMWORK's consistency. Both teams tossed 3rds (!) but LOKI had to count one more third to settle for second place. Third was Bill Wiggin's & Ashley Maltempo's WINGS. 


In PHRF A Pursuit Spin division, J/Teams took six of the top eight places. Richard Moore's J/120 KEELFORCE took the silver with Bob Musor's J/130 SCEPTRE earning the bronze. Fourth was John Keenan's J/120 ILLYRIA, sixth Willy Schwenzfeier's J/35 ARROW, seventh Ed Goss' J/36 SOUL, an eighth Bill Hanckel's J/120 EMOCEAN. 


The PHRF B Pursuit Spin division, the Warrior Sailing Team took third place with their J/95 WARRIOR 95, while Mark Swatta's J/30 LAS BRISAS finished fifth. 

Thanks to Quantum Sail Design Group for its team of professionals that did on-site daily weather briefings, discuss tactics and strategy provided on-the-water "live" commentary on all racing circles. For more Charleston Race Week sailing information
 

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J/121 Silvers @ RORC Springs Series 2

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club continues its Offshore Spring Series on the Solent this past weekend. The races are designed to provide around 5 to 7 hours of racing around government marks in and out and around the Solent. Blessed with more solid spring sailing conditions, several of the J/Teams that are participating are beginning to find their strides as they work out nearly a year's worth of "rust" from not being on the race track. 

This past weekend, it was Mike O'Donnell's J/121 DARKWOOD that took 2nd IRC Overall in the fleet of twenty-five-boat IRC Class. Other J's in the top ten included Andy Theobald's J/122 R&W in 8th, Rob Cotterill's J/109 MOJO RISIN' in 9th, and David Ward's J/92 JACKDAW in 10th.  For more RORC Offshore Spring Series sailing information
 

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J/Community

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

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

J/122 Offshore Cruising Racing Sailboat For Sale

Currently in Marblehead, MA, this well-maintained J/122 is in excellent condition and has current upgrades to its full-race North Sails inventory and and a full complement of electronic equipment. She is ready to do Bermuda Race or Halifax Race. "Turn-key" full race or full cruise!  She is the one head, twin aft cabins layout. Lots more to see. Please contact  J/Dealer Hill & Lowden for more details. For more information and contact click link here. 

Fastnet Race Course Record Set by J/70 Sailor & J/22 CAY supporter!?

In the "you won't believe what J/Sailors are doing when not sailing their J's" department, J/70 sailor Peter Cunningham and J/22 Youth sailing program supporter from the Caymans Islands Sailing Club has been exploring a few adventurous, if not extreme, elements on his "bucket list". Recently, his POWERPLAY Team tackled the Fastnet Race course record in his MOD 70 trimaran (a wee-bit different VMG than his J/70!). Here is their report.


Led by Peter Cunningham and skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, the MOD 70 POWERPLAY completed the original Fastnet Course of 595 nautical miles in a new record of 25 hrs 4 mins 18 secs.

“It was kind of ambitious, but the conditions were right, and the team was ready to go,” commented Peter. “The POWERPLAY crew was fantastic. Miles (Seddon) did a brilliant job navigating, we had two wonderful drivers in Ned Collier Wakefield, who set up the boat and runs the program, and the fastest sailor on Earth- Paul Larsen- who drove in some incredibly bad conditions.”

Shortly after midday on Monday 05 April, in a bitterly cold strong northerly wind, POWERPLAY started their Fastnet record attempt crossing the Squadron Line off Cowes, Isle of Wight. 


POWERPLAY made short work of racing to Lands' End and powered across the Celtic Sea at speeds in excess of 30 knots. POWERPLAY rounded the famous Fastnet Lighthouse and raced through the night. On Tuesday 06 April, at 13:42 and 19 seconds BST, POWERPLAY reached the Plymouth Breakwater, where the team celebrated their amazing run of 25 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds.

“We didn’t leave much out there, we were pushing really hard and everything aligned,” commented Skipper Wakefield. “I am not going to lie, it was pretty full-on, especially in April with an arctic northerly with snow around. With the apparent wind we saw 50 knots over the deck, and we hit a top speed of just under 40 knots. The lads did a brilliant job, changing sails about every half an hour. It was rough, physical and very cold. As a crew, we have done cumulatively over 50 Fastnet Races, we love the course, and to do it faster than it has been done before is really cool.”


PowerPlay Crew for Fastnet Course Record: Peter Cunningham, Ned Collier Wakefield, Tom Dawson, John Hamilton, Paul Larsen, Jack Trigger, Miles Seddon, Martin Watts.   More about Team POWERPLAY
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J/Newsletter- April 7th, 2021

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

It has been a somewhat busy time Down Under for the past few weeks as both the J/24 and J/70 classes are well into the middle of their sailing seasons.  The Australian J/70 Nationals were recently sailed in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron with racing taking place on Phillip Bay. Sailing in the same waters, the J/24 Victoria State Championship also took place hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club for a strong fleet of fifteen boats. Then, on Good Friday a J/111 sailed an incredibly nasty, rough race of 308.0nm from Brisbane to Gladstone along Australia's Sunshine Coast.

Over in South America, the Argentina J/70 Class has been racing on Mar de la Plata with events being run by YC Argentino, Mar de la Plata YC, and YC Olivos. An average of a dozen boats have been racing offshore of Buenos Aires. Earlier, the J/24 Campeonato del Centro Republica took place on the gorgeous Lago San Roque in foothills of the majestic Andes Mountain range. The regatta had a strong turnout of J/24s. 

In the USA, there was great enthusiasm for the Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta for J/24s, J/70s, and J/105s and offshore boats that included doublehanded J/112E's dominating their fleet! The J/24 Easter Regatta in Columbia, North Carolina was recently hosted by Columbia Sailing Club for a happy fleet of a dozen-plus boats. 

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Charleston Race Week Preview- A Rendezvous with Destiny!

(Charleston, SC)- Starting two weeks later than its traditional schedule the weekend before Easter/ Bank Holiday, the amazingly popular Charleston Race Week will be taking place this weekend from April 8th to 11th at the historically famous venue (Fort Sumter is where the American Civil War started) for a long three-day weekend of sailing on six courses spread around the huge harbor.

The Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina serves as host for the event and the CORA organization provides all logistical and professional race management for the 500+ sailors.  While the on-water racing is fun, fast & furious, it’s the après’ sailing social activities on the beach ashore with loads of rum, beer, southern food, and live music that keeps sailors coming back for more fun-loving memories in the Deep South....NOT this year, sadly enough, due to the pandemic protocols. 

While the party atmosphere that has always been synonymous with Charleston Race Week is not possible in 2021, the focus this year will be on the race course for one of the largest, most popular regattas in North America.

A total of 188 boats in 16 classes are entered following a one-year layoff caused by the pandemic, and finally able to celebrate its 25th anniversary in Charleston, SC.

“When you boil it all down, great racing is the main reason why Charleston Race Week has become such an iconic event,” observes event director Randy Draftz. “After all that has happened over the past year-plus, I think sailors just want to go racing again.

“We have been thrilled by the response from the national sailing community to the return of this great regatta and will be introducing several new features designed to enhance the racing experience.”

While COVID-19 continues to pose a threat throughout the world, social gatherings remain risky with state and local government officials advising against such activity. As a result, there will be no post-race events this year, but Charleston Race Week management is confident social-distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing will allow for a successful and safe three days of racing.

Not surprisingly, passionate J/Sailors across the country have been anticipating this rendezvous with destiny for well over a year! Of the 188 boats registered, 103 of them are J/Boats sailors (a stunning 55.0% of the fleet)!  
 
The regatta features five one-design J/Classes, including J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/88s, and J/105s.  In addition, there are two “Pursuit-style” sailing divisions for both PHRF and ORC handicap rated boats that includes a J/30, J/35, J/109s, J/111s, J/120s, J/121s and a J/122. 

Starting with the biggest fleet in the regatta, the J/70s will have their hands full negotiating the shoals and currents and wildly shifting breezes on 3/4 mile windward legs (max!).  Despite the challenges, for most J/70 sailors, it is like a big college regatta, but on keelboats. Looking forward to that experience are many top J/70 teams loaded with talent, including Joel Ronning's CATAPULT, John Heaton's EMPEIRIA, Maggie McKillen's MAGATRON, Cate Muller-Terhune's MURDER HORNET, Mike Illbruck's PINTA (with John Kostecki as tactician), Peter Duncan's RELATIVE OBSCURITY, Brian Keane's SAVASANA, Chuck Thompson's SOAK RACING from the United Kingdom, Bruno Pasquinelli's STAMPEDE, Ryan McKillen's SURGE, and Buddy Cribb's VICTORY. 

Another large class is the J/24s, which has attracted 21 entries – double the number that attended Charleston Race Week 2019! They will race on Circle 4 along with the J/22 class, which consists almost entirely of junior teams. Notable J/24s teams include Jim Thurlow's FORTITUDE, Taylor Borges' BLIND SQUIRREL, Mike Palazzo's JO MAMMA, Eric Trejo's junior team on the KELLY HOLMES-MOON BOAT GRANT, Chris Jackson's LUCIFER's HAMMER, Aidan Glackin's MENTAL FLOSS, Kirk Reynolds' TYRUS, and Chris Stone's VELOCIDAD. 

The two other J/One-design classes sailing on Circle 3 are the 88s and 105s.  The eleven-boat J/88 class promises to be a very closely-fought amongst a number of the class leaders. Look for these teams to be near the top of the leaderboard over the course of the regatta; Justin Scagnelli's ALBONDIGAS, Iris Vogel's DEVIATION, John & Jordan Leahey's DUTCH, Andy Graff's EXILE, Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY, Rob Ruhlman's SPACEMAN SPIFF, and Tim Wade's WINDSONG. So competitive these teams are that any one of them can have a strong, consistent event and leap to the top of the podium. 

The nine-boat J/105 class is also the largest turnout the class has seen in nearly a decade. The Ladbroke's Betting Parlour on the High Street in Liverpool would have a hard time handicapping this group, as there is a broad cross-section of teams in the mix. Nevertheless, watch for these crews to feature on the leaderboard; Ken Horne's FINAL FINAL (2nd in the 2019 J/105 NA's in Marblehead, MA), Joe Highsmith's DEAD ON ARRIVAL, Betsy Pilcher's JOYRIDE, Pete Boland's LONDON CALLING, the trio on RUCKUS (Matt Self/ Russ Smith/ Pat Chisum- e.g. "local home boys"), Bill McKenzie's RUM FRONT, and the "foreigners" from Lake Erie- the Schaedler/ Taylor duo on WHISTLER (yup, same famous boat from the Caribbean)!

As has been the case for many editions of Charleston Race Week, there will be pursuit racing and ORC racing out on the Atlantic Ocean. In the ORC B class of a half-dozen boats are four J/Teams; two J/121s (Bob Christoph's LOKI and Bill Wiggins/ Ashley Maltempo's WINGS), Robin Team's J/122 TEAMWORK (they hardly need any introduction, do they?), and John Keenan's J/120 ILLYRIA. 

In the Pursuit Spinnaker A Class of eleven boats is Bob Musor's J/130 SCEPTRE, two J/120s (Bill Hanckel's EMOCEAN and Richard Moore's KEELFORCE), Willy Schwenzfeier's J/35 ARROW, John Wrangle's J/105 PALADIN, an Ed Goss' J/36 SOUL. With six J/Crews on the starting line, perhaps there's a chance for a J/sweep? Time will tell. Finally, in Pursuit Spinnaker B Class is Mark Swatta's J/30 LAS BRISAS and Warrior Sailing's J/95 WARRIOR 95 as the lone wolves carrying the J/flag in that fleet. 

To help all participants get back up to speed quickly, Charleston Race Week will be providing TracTrac devices that deliver live tracking using the latest technology. TracTrac is an innovative analytical tool that records each boat’s performance and displays various metrics online in real time.

This marks the first time Charleston Race Week has implemented live tracking on all five courses. The TracTrac device will be included in your registration packet along with an instruction sheet.

In addition to live tracking, Charleston Race Week will also introduce on-course observers to provide expert commentary and analysis. These seasoned professionals will offer interesting insights and observations about various aspects of racing.

Also, Quantum Sail Design Group will have its team of professionals on-site to deliver daily weather briefings, discuss tactics and strategy or answers any other questions sailors might have. Sailing photo credits- Priscilla Parker.  For more Charleston Race Week sailing information
 

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Announcing the Spanish J/80 Sailing Series!

(Barcelona, Spain)- The Spanish J/80 class is considered one of the best in the world; after all, amongst their teams they account for nearly a dozen J/80 World Championships (forget the fact they are several Olympic sailing Medallists amongst them). Building on that strength (a somewhat scary thought for the rest of the world), the Spanish class of more than 145 teams and 1,000+ sailors has created a new summer sailing series that will enable them to pursue their great passion for sailing in all of the most beautiful, iconic sailing venues throughout Spain. 

The Spanish J/80 fleet hopes to get sailors of all ages, women's teams, youth teams and masters together. Clearly, they are a class that adapts to the times and promotes values as important as equality and sustainability amongst their ranks of sailors.

J/80 Spain Sailing Series
The 2021 J80 Spain Sailing Series calendar is made up of two major national events; the Spanish Cup to be held in June at the Real Club Marítimo del Abra and the Spanish J/80 Championship to be held in the waters of Cádiz, specifically at the Real Club Náutico La Linea in September.

In addition to these two national qualifying races in the ranking, one regatta per fleet will be added; Canary, Andalusian, Balearic, Basque, Cantabrian and Galician regattas, such as the Prince of Asturias Trophy and the Princess Alexia Trophy. All these regattas will be the scoring events to make the national ranking. The top ten best of the year will come out of this ranking with their direct pass to the Super Final, the J/80 Sailing Finals!

The Spanish J/80 Super Finals
The top ten teams by ranking at the end of the circuit will go to the Super Final. It will be a competition of champions that will be held for the first time in the month of October. The chosen venue has been the amazing natural amphitheater of Santander, and the host Real Club Maritimo de Santander will undoubtedly offer an extraordinary nautical show!  For more Spanish J/80 Sailing Series regatta 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 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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VAMOS Crowned J/70 Australian Champions!

(Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)- This past fortnight, the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron on the southern isthmus of Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne hosted the 2021 Australian J/70 National Championship. Plenty of fun and games and great sailing was had by all that were more than happy to get sailing on the water again. 

For those "not in-the-know", Australia and their counterparts in the Antipodes "down under" (New Zealand) were one of the first few nation-states in the world to battle the pandemic aggressively (with incredible contact-tracing processes) to enable their countries to be the first to live a new "near-normal" lifestyle.

Here is the report from a three-time dinghy World Champion and top woman sailor- Nickie Douglass- a.k.a. "Sailor Girl". 

"With two strong days of racing down in the 2021 J/70 Australian Championship, the weather served up testing conditions for the racing crews and Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron race management team on the third and final day.

In what could be deemed the most challenging, yet exciting race of the series, race seven was a battle from start to finish. With the course set at 160 degrees, and the south-easter blowing directly from the club with the outgoing current, the shifts, which came in waves of pressure, were significant.


Reg Lord, defending National Champion and his team on JUNO were first to identify a left-hand shift during the start sequence, and popped at the pin cleanly as the gun went. Current regatta leader, Tim Ryan and his crew on VAMOS were just off their hip, and second-placed CELESTIAL were to windward of them, but opted to tack onto port shortly after starting, as did Karyn Gojnich and her team on THE JACKAL.

The next pressure line came from the right, and CELESTIAL and THE JACKAL looked to be making the most of the pivoting course. The local teams of JUMPIN' JACK FLASH, and the all-female team on SPIKE, and the only NSW Corinthians, MAYBE J were able to slip up the middle of the course while those on the left were left flailing in easing pressure.

The rounding at the first mark of the course, and the second gates were the same, with CELESTIAL leading from JUMPIN' JACK FLASH, SPIKE, MAYBE J, and THE JACKAL


On the second circuit rounding the cans, a pod of dolphins joined in with the racing, making for a happy distraction for crews while trying to connect the dots with the fickle pressure.

CELESTIAL skipper Sam Haynes and his crew of David Chapman, Johnny Warren and Locky Pryor continued to lead around the final mark, but it was the local heroes on JUMPIN' JACK FLASH who stole the gun on the line thanks to the final puff coming more from the west to push them over the line.

Laura Harding and her all-female youth team on SPIKE from Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron rounded out the podium finishing in their best place of the regatta so far.

The results also meant that Tim Ryan on VAMOS and his crew who had been sailing a near perfect regatta, would have to sail in the final race 8 to secure their win over the closing team of Celestial.


After a lengthy delay under AP, the breeze finally settled once again at 165 degrees, and the J/70 fleet for the first time of the regatta saw a change in the course, from a two-lap windward leeward to a three-lapper.

VAMOS triggered at exactly the right time at the pin to lead off the line, with the second-placed team of CELESTIAL right on their hip. VAMOS had their eyes on the prize and kept themselves in between CELESTIAL and the next mark, and the local team JOUST 70, skippered by Rod Warren slipped through to take the lead around the first and second marks of the course.

CELESTIAL opted to split from VAMOS, and took the left-hand turn at the bottom gate, while JOUST 70 ahead of them, then VAMOS at the same time as CELESTIAL, and then the youth all-female team on SPIKE all opted for the right-hand turn.

The next phase of the breeze came from the left, forcing CELESTIAL back to fourth, dashing their hopes of a chance to take the title.

The commanding VAMOS team of Rob Greenhalgh, Charlie Gundy and Jess Grimes, led by skipper Tim Ryan took the lead up the second beat and were not challenged for the remaining two laps. They crossed the finish line to take their sixth race win of the series, and the overall championship with a race to spare.

Rod Warren's JOUST 70 with Aaron Cole, Tim Smith and Ollie Vanderslot took second place, with Laura Harding and the all-female youth team on SPIKE backing up their race 7 performance with another third place.


With the Championship and runner-up positions already decided, VAMOS and CELESTIAL opted to head back to the beach for the final race of the series to allow the teams on JUNO skippered by Reg Lord, and THE JACKAL, skippered by Karyn Gojnich to battle it out for the final podium position.

JUNO opted to cover THE JACKAL in the pre-start forcing them to the right hand side with an early port tack duck off the line.

With the easing breeze, and the outgoing current, the top mark was a mess, with multiple crews doing turns for nipping the first mark of the course.

JUNO took command of the race, and took the win, securing third place in the overall Championship for the defending champion Reg Lord, and his crew of Tom Grimes, Murray Jones and James Hodgson.

Local team JO JO ZIP skippered by Ian Cooper with Neil Taylor, John Lindholm, Dean Taylor and Callum Burns had the best race of their series finishing in second.

Michael Nash, Peter Nash, John Watson, Garth Davies and Maria Nash on MAYBE J finished third to secure the Corinthian Division for 2021.

Laura Harding, Ella Grimshaw, Daisy Laing, Hannah Danks and Harriette Singh finished in sixth, to not only take the boat of the day bragging rights, but the Youth Division for 2021.

Karyn Gojnich, Sara Ladd, Ewa Lindelof and Kyle Dodds on SPIKE finished in fourth place to secure fourth overall in the championship and the Female Division for 2021.


1st Overall, Vamos (l-r) Charlie Gundy, Rob Greenhalgh, Jess Grimes, Tim Ryan, Matt McCarthy, Vice Commodore BYS 


Ladies Division winner Karyn Gojnich with Matt McCarthy, Vice Commodore BYS


Corinthian Division Winner, Michael Nash with Matt McCarthy, Vice Commodore BYS

Sailing photo and story credits- Nic Douglass / www.AdventuresofaSailorGirl.com / http://www.nicdouglass.org

 

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Argentine J/70 Class Report

(Olivos, Argentina)- Nothing, not even the pandemic, was going to slow down or diminish the enthusiasm the Argentinean J/70 fleet had for getting themselves organized and out on the water sailing in their favorite "watering holes".  Traditionally, the fleet starts their season off the famous city of Buenos Aires, on the muddy waters of Mar de la Plata. Between Yacht Club Argentino's amazing sailing facility on the city waterfront, to Mar de La Plata Yacht Club, and to Yacht Club Olivos cozy location on a harbor north of the city, the J/70 class enjoys world-class racing and Race Committee management. 


Despite the challenges of coping with strong river currents, the fleet PRO- Mario Laitan- managed to run a number of good races for both the traditional PIMMS CUP TROPHY regatta and the J/70 ANNIVERSARY Championship.


The PIMMS CUP Trophy regatta was organized by YC Olivos for a twelve-boat fleet.  After a good weekend of racing, it was Alejandro Yrigoyen's BUTANTE that took the gold, followed by José Arrondo's BBTO in second, and Francisco Campero's AMIGO VII in third position. 

The Mar de La Plata YC hosted the ANNIVERSARY Championship for a fleet of a half-dozen boats. For two days the fleet was blessed with sunny weather and nice northerly winds of 8 to 16 knots. After a six-race series, it was BACHAJO that ultimately won the regatta by winning three of the 6 races. Their team was comprised of Juan Diego “Chiqui” Figueroa, Ignacio Giamonna, Leslie Jenkins and Julián Lobelos.


Second place went to SI QUERIDA skippered by Francisco van Avermaete, with crew of Rafael de Martis, Gerónimo Galvan and Carlos Lacchini.

Rounding out the podium was MERCENARIO skippered by top woman skipper Martina Silva with her crew Trinidad (her sister), Gabriel Marino, Nacho Portis and Tobias Cédola. Sailing photo credits- Romano Cuenca photography.  Follow the Argentina J/70 Class on Facebook page here  For more Argentina J/70 Class sailing information

 

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J/111 Brisbane to Gladstone Race Report

(Brisbane, Australia)- The past Easter Weekend, the J/111 BLACK DOG sailed the Brisbane to Gladstone Race in near gale sailing conditions. Here is their report from owner/skipper Rodger Vinton.   

"The 73rd Brisbane to Gladstone (B2G) yacht race started on Good Friday 2 April at midday. The course is 308.0nm long and starts in Brisbane (Queensland) in Moreton Bay, going to a turning mark off Redcliffe pier; before heading across the bay to Moreton Island then exiting the bay through the NW shipping channel. The course then runs past the Sunshine Coast, keeping Fraser Island to port, leaving Lady Elliot Island to port and then going across what is affectionately known as “the paddock” to Gladstone. The last 15.0nm is a trip up the shipping channel to finish off at the Gladstone Yacht Club.

There are many divisions in this race, including Vintage through to Modern yachts, competing in cruising and/or racing divisions. The boats range from 10.3 to the 30.48 metres Black Jack (100 ft Maxi). There were 37 boats that started the 2021 race, including the J/111 Black Dog with 7 crew skippered by Rodger Vinton.

The forecast was for southeasterly winds of 25-30 knots for the start and then building as the day went on with expected gusts of up to 35 knots and large confused seas off Breaksea at the northern tip of Fraser Island.  We started with full main and 3.5 jib and ended up a few minutes late for the start re-running reef lines.

Just after the start we put up the A3 kite but it was too shy, so we changed down to the 3.5 jib and then we were off passing the fleet. The upside of a slow start was that we did get to see most of the other boats.

Once in the shipping channel we were able to hoist the A3 kite again and in the bigger gusts we hit 20 knots boat speed. At NW4 beacon we were going to drop the kite but a gust of 30+knots hit and we broached. It took a while to get the kite back onboard and then up went the 3.5 jib again. 

At dusk we put the first reef in and sailed at about 150 AWA running down the large quartering swells. Dark rain clouds would come through and the wind speed would increase, occasionally hitting 40 knots. After Breaksea we jibed onto port to our next mark Lady Elliot Island and then after we reached Lady Elliot Island the wind dropped slightly with top gusts of only 25 knots. We put the A3 up again. This lasted about half an hour before the wind speed built and the A3 was reduced to tapes. 

We carried on under reefed main and the 3.5 jib until the finish. The top boat speed we recorded was 24 knots under reefed main and 3.5 jib as we surfed down big seas and we also saw a top wind speed of 41 knots. During the night we were smashed by a big wave and it hit one of the crew with such force that her PFD auto inflated with a bang and set the strobe light off. The look of shock on her face was priceless and we then had to use one of the spare PFDs for the rest of the race. Now we know what happens to an auto PFD and why you need to carry spares.

Our experience with our first B2G race in 2018 was that in heavy weather no one eats much, so we took a lot of finger-food that could be eaten on the rail. We ate things like salad rolls, BBQ sausages, home-made pies, fruit, biscuits, lollies, trail mix, chocolate, and Doc’s rice pudding. Seasickness impacted a few crew, but was managed with the appropriate meds. All of our crew finished the race in one piece and our mascot toy dog SALTY survived, too – just a bit wet. Other boats and crew were not so lucky – there were 11 DNF’s including most of the favorites for line honours and IRC, with a couple of crew injuries including one needing to be air-lifted off in a medical evacuation.

We crossed the line in 6th place after 32 hours and 12 mins, we won the line honors trophy for a yacht under 37 feet and came 2nd in Division Two on both IRC and PHRF. A great result for our J/111!

The boat went very well, with all three people on helm enjoying the challenge of the ride. The only boat damage sustained was one A3 kite and the broken toilet lid. If only we’d not been a few minutes late for the start. Oh well, next time!"

 

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J/105 BREEZIN' BAYOU Smokes St Pete NOOD

J/112E's Sweep Doublehanded Class

(St Petersburg, FL)- The Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta was sailed over a three-day weekend last week with simply spectacular sailing conditions on Tampa Bay. Wait a minute, is that a "typo"? Spectacular sailing conditions at St Pete? While having earned an unenviable reputation for having at least one day of any winter regatta spent working on suntans or hiding in the shade, this year's event more than made up for any past sins committed by the weather Godz in the past decade!  


Loving the conditions were not just the sailors, but the St Petersburg Yacht Cub Race Committee team. For three-straight days of racing it was almost a "set it and forget it" race course setup for all race circles. Overall, J/Crews had amazing performances across the board, from one-designs to handicap racing.

In the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race division, the J/112E's dusted off their class. Winning was Harvey Ford and Tom Mistele's SILVER SURFER, followed by Chris Zibailo's DOPODOMANI. Rounding out the podium was yet another J/team- Tarry Grimsdale and Bill Wingrove's J/35 ROCKET! A sweep to say the least! Yet another J/35- Jose Suarezhoyos' NO WAY JOSE took the bronze in their Cruising World Rally Race. 


The J/24s saw Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE never let off fire-walling the gas pedal as they cruised to a mere 10 pts total for the class win; e.g. 10 points in 10 races means all bullets. Doh! So much for eviscerating the locals.  Mike Beattie's DAZE OFF collected a meaningful number of deuces to collect.....drum roll please.... the silver! Kudos to Katie Nelson's YELLOW TAIL team as she collected mostly "treys" to take home the bronze medal. 


By contrast, the relative stratification of the top J/24s teams was not reflected in the J/70 class. After three days of racing, it was the final race on the final day that determined who beat whom.  In the end, it was Matt Braun's ELE that won both the Corinthian Division and the Open Division by one point over Alex Meleney's TRUCKIN. Third was Chris Schoendorf's TAZ just three points back. 


The big winner in the regatta was Stephen Mitcham's J/105 BREEZIN BAYOU, posting nearly all bullets to win their PHRF 2 Class by a big margin. Second was Bob Wetmore's J/29 FAMILY CIRCUS and taking fourth place was George Cussins' J/105 FIRE & ICE. In PHRF 3 Class, Herb Maguire's J/22 HOLY MOLY took fourth place. 


Watch J/105 video in fast trim.

Sailing photo credits- Paul Todd/ OUTSIDE IMAGES.com.  For more Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta sailing information

 

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Cubria Wins J/24 Campeonato del Centro de la Republica

(Lago San Roque, Argentina)- As part of their traditional summer series way "down under", our friends in Argentina love to take their boats to the base of the spectacular snow-capped Andes Mountain range to a gorgeous lake in the foothills known as Lago San Roque. Google map the location. It will blow you away. A visual feast for land-locked sailors, an eye-opener for those accustomed to the wide-open seas. For the "locals", it's just another opportunity to have fun with family and friends, some of them owners of famous local vineyards you may know as the "malbec" varietal.

This year, the occasion was the ninth anniversary of the Campeonato Central hosted by the Club Nautico Cordoba in Villa Carlos Paz in the mountains. How popular is "mountain" sailing to Argentinean J/24 teams?! Well, an amazing twenty teams from across the country showed up for some fun in the sun in the mountains. 


This year the fleet was blessed. There were three days of mild winds from the northeast across the placid waters of Lago San Roque. Seven races were impeccably managed by Race Officer Leo Rivas. In the end, the winner of the event was Nico Cubria's RINA and his crew of Mario Cubria, Guille Aporszegui and Guillermo Bellinotto.

Taking the silver was Javier Moyano's GRAN CARAJO with crew of Hugo Camele, Adrian Berelejs, and Javier Macheu. Third was Ramiro Camilotta's PURA VIDA with team of Carlos Trigo, Pablo Fabre, and Martin Caruso. 

Taking fourth and the top women's team was Trixi Agusti's CARNBURY with team of Lucrecia Arrambide, Rocio Agusti, Candelani Berbenian, and Mariana Felix.  For more Campeonato el Centro de la Republica sailing information  For more Argentinean J/24 sailing information

 

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CHECKMATE Crowned J/24 Victoria State Champions

(Victoria, Australia)- Recently the Sandringham Yacht Club hosted their annual Victoria States J/24 Championship. The fleet was blessed with gorgeous sunny weather, winds ranging from 4 to 18 kts, the breeze starting northwest and shifting to the southwest on both days. Choppy seas made for difficult steering conditions upwind, with teams making the hard choice of which jib to use in the upper wind ranges- the 150% genoa or the 100% jib. The fleet was unusually over-eager and aggressive on the starting line, with lots of general recalls, restarts, U-flags and even several U-flag DSQs! 

After an eight-race series, it was Brendan Lee's CHECKMATE that consistently powered their way to victory, winning four races and counting only podium finishes to win by a significant margin. Taking the silver was Warren Campbell's J-FORCE, posting all top five finishes for a cumulative score of 22 pts.  The bronze went to Adam Keyes-Tilley's BAILE DE LUNA with 28 pts total. Rounding out the top five were Hugo Ottoway's BRUSCHETTA VI and Warren Slater's JAB in fourth and fifth, respectively.


Winning the PHS handicap division was Darren Cuttsy's JOYRIDE, followed by Richard Taylor's HAYWIRE in second and Chris Ravesi's PANAREA in third position. 

A big thank you to Sandringham YC Race Management and PRO Warren Campbell and the Committee for putting on a fabulous event. Plus, thanks to our contributors, Carina Tomietto, Craig Wiley, Adam Keyes-Tilley. More posts, video and info on the Victoria J/24 Facebook page.  For more Australia J/24 class sailing information

 

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THE Easter Regatta

(Columbia, SC)- Sailed in J/24s since 1987, THE Easter Regatta has been one of the world’s most popular and enduring J/24 events. It offers an excellent mix of shore side events and world-class competition. Whether you are an amateur team attending your first regatta or a professional team contending for the top prize, you will find something that impels you to return year after year!


The Columbia Sailing Club offers first-class facilities, such as the new Bath House at the beach and camping area! Their “never-leave-the-club” option offers free camping (first-come, first-served), meals every day, and parties galore! The beautiful peninsula and gorgeous beach provide an unparalleled camping experience. Most importantly, the down-home southern hospitality tied everything together. This is the tradition that J/24 competitors have come to know and love. 


The fourteen J/24s were thrilled to be sailing on Lake Murray. Three races were completed, and it was a battle to the wire. Winning by just one point was Chris Stone's VELOCIDAD over Charles Bumgardner USA 555. James Howard's CLASSIC completed the podium. Rounding out the top five was John Hirsch's DAZE OFF in fourth and Fred Wiedeke's CARAMELLA in fifth position.  For more J/24 Easter 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.  

2005 J/133 For Sale

The J/133 is the embodiment of the J/Boats ethos - setting a new standard for race-winning speed under multiple handicap systems, stability for shorthanded cruising, durability for rough offshore passages, an easy to manage sail plan and performance cruising comfort. 

The J/133's generous sail plan provides performance in both breeze and light airs, and with a low center of gravity, makes for short handed stability while eliminating the need for multiple sail changes across wind speed bands. 

Her generous cockpit and aft led lines deck layout transit readily from day sailing, to single handling to fully race crewed. 

J-HAWK features the coveted performance cruising triple cabin interior and was factory loaded with many upgrade packages including her deluxe satin finished cherry joinery, a well-equipped double sink galley with refrigeration, stove and microwave, and Ultra-Leather pearl upholstery. Comfortable sleeping for 6 combined with excellent storage systems in each cabin plus port and starboard seating in the main salon provides comfort space and luxury for anything from day trips to blue water passage making. A MUST SEE cruising sailboat to fulfill your dreams of sailing the Seven Seas! Learn more about this J/133 brokerage sailboat for sale here- https://jnet.jboats.com/listings/2005-J133-YCgd7FzU

Easter J/70 Coaching Weekend

Organized by NORTH SAILS' Marshall King, the J/70 UK Class Coaching Weekend featured multiple world champions Andrew "Dog” Palfrey and Elliot Willis putting the ten J/70 teams through their paces. Enjoy the photos from Louay Habib and a "big Thank You" to Ian Wilson for the RIB ride and banter! 


The UK J/70 class starts off their Grand Slam Series with the Warsash SC Spring Championships on the weekend of April 17th and 18th.  For more UK J/70 Class sailing information
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