J/Navy @ San Diego NOOD(San Diego, CA)- The next Sperry Topsider NOOD event is taking place in southernmost California- San Diego. Playing host to a large number of classes are San Diego YC, Mission Bay YC and Coronado YC. From March 16th to 18th, the gloves are off for a full-on competition for "SoCal Global Supremacy", especially amongst the J/105s as this fleet heats up for the J/105 North Americans in San Diego later in 2012.
Of the forty-one J's sailing in this years edition of the San Diego NOOD Regatta (about 33% of the fleet), six are J/24s, six are J/80s, seventeen are J/105s, five are J/109s and seven are J/120s. Here is how the fleets breakdown in terms of contenders (never an accurate measure, of course, but at least a guideline).
Within the J/24s, expect to see Susan Taylor from California YC near the top of the leaderboard. In the J/80s, class leader Kurt Johnson on AVET also from Cal YC is expected to be hanging in the top three. In the J/109s, Tom Brott on ELEKTRA is an obvious favorite, but Daylen Terrens" GREAT BALLS OF FIRE and John Shulze's LINSTAR and Gene Pitkin's GERONIMO have had their fair share of brilliance in competition.
The two big J-classes, the 105s and 120s will all boil down to which crews are "bringing it" on the weekend in question-- namely, can they get it together now to get it done by Sunday!? In the J/120s, Tom & Terri Manok's POLE DANCER, perennial champion Chuck Nichol's CC RIDER, Peter Zarcades' MELTEMI, John Snook's JIM, Gary Winton's SHENANIGANS and Mike Hatch's J-ALMIGHTY can all win. Might as well toss in Steve Harris' TAMAJAME for good measure as these boats are all so close it's just about as easy to guess as who'll be the winner of the next Powerball Lottery!
The J/105s will be a tough road to win for any team. Many top contenders over the past few seasons are sailing with good teams and don't expect many of them to be "gentle" when it comes to shrewd tactics and positioning on the race course. If the J/120s are tough to predict, the J/105s are even more difficult. Certain to be amongst the contenders will be Tom Hurlburt's BLOWBOAT, John Howell's BLINK, Gary Mozer's CURRENT OBSESSION 2, Rick Goebel's SANITY, John Demourkas' ROCK'N & GROOV'N, Dennis & Sharon Case's WINGS and Rich Bergmann's ZUNI BEAR. When the smokes clears on the 105 battlefield at the end of the weekend, it will become clearer which teams have begun to step up their game for the big event in San Diego this fall. For more Sperry Topsider San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information
Innovative Warsash Spring Series Starts(Hamble, So'ton, England)- The 29th Warsash Spring Series gets underway this Sunday 18th March. Again the Spring Series and Spring Championship will follow the popular tried and tested formula but the race management team at Warsash Sailing Club has also taken on board feedback from competitors with a view to improving the event still further.
New for the 2012 Spring Series will be a J-Sprit class for J/105, J/100, J/97, J/95 and J/92 designs, racing together under IRC ratings. Spring Series Chairman Peter Bateson commented: “We feel this addition will benefit those boats with very similar sailing characteristics and competitors can enjoy courses designed for them, rather than sharing with conventionally rigged boats.”
The Spring Championship weekends, with racing on Saturday and Sunday, are being held on 21st/22nd and 28th/29th April. The Championship is being held on the final two weekends with multiple races for IRC1, IRC2, J/109s and J/80s, amongst others. There is also a separate class for trialists for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup, currently with 10 entries in Black Group IRC 2 Class, including David Aisher's J/109 YEOMAN OF WIGHT.
Many class trophy winners of 2011 are returning to the fray to defend their titles – including JAHMALI (J/109) and AQUA-J (J/80). David and Kirsty Apthorp have been keen contenders in the J/109 division for several years but for 2012 their J-DREAM is a J/111 which will enjoy keen competition with J/111 sisterships ICARUS sailed by Charles Rolls and Andrew Christie, JEEZ LOUISE skippered by James Arnell and SHMOKIN JOE sailed by Duncan Mcdonald. It looks like the Black Group IRC 1 Class will have some pretty extraordinary competition in addition to the 111s. Factor in two J/122s, Ken Lowes' GHOST and Ivan Trotman's JOLOU and two J/133s, Neil Martin's JAMMY DODGER and Dave Ballantyne's JINGS! and you have nearly half of IRC 1 being J/Boat owners vying for the podium. The J/109 class has a very strong showing of fourteen boats and amongst them are some familiar names returning to the Spring Series for a shot at some silverware. Sure to be in the contention include Mike & Sarah Wallis' JAHMALI, David & Mary McGough's JUST SO, Richard & Valerie Griffith's OUTRAJEOUS, Paul Griffith's JAGERBOMB and David Mcleman's OFFBEAT.
In the newly formed J/Sprit Class, the mix of J/92s, J/97s and J/105s will make for some excellent racing by several successful teams over the past few seasons. Chief amongst them should be the leading J/92s, including Andy Howe's BLACKJACK and John Taylor and David Greenhalgh's J'RONIMO. Within the J/97s, Nick and Adam Munday's INDULJENCE and last year's champion Michael Holmes' JIKA-JIKA should be at the top of the pack. If there's good J/105 weather with a bit of reaching, look for Chris Jones' seasoned offshore campaigners on JOURNEYMAKER 5 to factor into the results depending on weather and course layouts.
The J/80 section continues to grow in popularity, with Stewart Hawthorn on J'AI DEUX AMOURS and Nick and Annie Haigh on SLIGHTLY STEAMY swapping from Black Group classes. The increase in numbers may perhaps be due to the J/80 World Championships being held in Dartmouth later in the summer. Also, some class veterans notably missing from last year's action are back on course, including Ian Atkins' BOATS.COM and Tony Hanlon on the Royal Air Force Sailing Team's SPITFIRE. For more Warsash Spring Series sailing results. Sailing Photo Credit- Tim Wright- photoaction.com
12th World Police Sailing Championships(Hong Kong, China)- Royal Hong Kong YC, Hebe Haven YC, Aberdeen Boat Club and the Hong Kong Police Sailing Club are co-hosting the World Police Sailing Championships on the emerald green waters of Hong Kong's southern side of the island- the Middle Island facility for RHKYC. The event will be sailed on the International J/80s from October 21st to 27th. All participants must be a serving, or honorably retired, Police or Law Enforcement officer (or civilian staff) in their respective countries.
Accommodation will be provided within the Hong Kong Police College Aberdeen Campus Officers’ Mess and comprises of 40 single rooms and 10 double suites. $37,000 HKD = $4,700 USD (about 7.75 exchange)- and for that you get a J/80 one-design sailboat with sails, food, breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodations for ONE WEEK for four people!! Wow. Thank Goodness our security forces know how to take care of our security needs, but more importantly ALSO know how to sail and have fun!
So far, it looks like over a dozen teams are committed to this event from around the world, including teams from Switzerland (2-3); Germany (2-3); Amsterdam, Netherlands; Dorset, England; Lancashire, England; Hong Kong; Macau; Qingdao; Shanghai; and Beijing. For more J/80 World Police Sailing Championships
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
With springtime in full-bloom in many parts of North America, a number of regattas were held in both the USA and Mexico that saw a huge draw for one-design J sailors. Perhaps the most prominent event was the biennial J/24 Copa Mexico Regatta held in the gorgeous Bahia de Banderas off Puerto Vallarta, also known as the "Mexican Riviera". WIth over fifty boats in attendance from a dozen+ nations with many J/24 World Champions present, it promised to be an epic event. East across the Mexico to Texas, the J/105s were enjoying their J/105 Midwinter Championship in Houston, Texas hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club. Across the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, the Bacardi Family was hosting yet another of their famous Bacardi Cup / Miami Sailing Weeks in truly epic sailing conditions, the J/80s relished the big breezes, big chop and tropical sun. Halfway around the globe, the Australians were celebrating the completion of an excellent J/24 Australian Nationals in Adelaide, South Australia in their version of near postcard-perfect conditions.Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific, staying warm while others are trying to stay warm up north. Check them out! More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page! Below are the summaries.
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Mar 15-18- J/22 Invitational- Cayman Islands Sailing Club- http://www.sailing.ky/html/events.htmlMar 16-18- San Diego NOOD Regatta- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood_regatta.jsp
Mar 18-Apr 29- Warsash Spring Series- Warsash, England- http://www.warsashspringseries.org.uk
Apr 12-15- StrictlySail Pacific (J/111)- Oakland, CA- http://www.strictlysailpacific.com/
Apr 19-22- Newport Beach Boatshow (J/111)- Newport Beach, CA- http://newportinwaterboatshow.com
Apr 19-22- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC- http://www.charlestonraceweek.com/
Apr 22-27- Bermuda Race Week- Bermuda- http://www.biirw.bm/
May 4-6- Annapolis NOOD Regatta- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood_regatta.jsp
May 4-6- J/22 East Coasts- Annapolis YC, Annapolis, MD- http://www.sailingworld.com/nood_regatta.jsp
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
BRUSCHETTA Two-Peats J/24 Copa Mexico(Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)- The second edition of the J/24 Copa Mexico Olympic Edition was yet another resounding success. With fifty J/24s competing from over a dozen countries, the sailing was both competitive and a lot of fun for all those participating. In fact, with the support of Mexico's Presidente Felipe Calderon helping to award special trophies and roll-out the "red carpet", the province of Riviera Nayarit, NEXTEL, DELL, MICROSOFT and others, it would be hard not to have fun in this extravaganza sailed on Bahia de Banderas on Mexico's "Riviera".
To say competition was strong would be an understatement. With three multiple J/24 World Champions and North American Champions present, the top three boats would surely be no "push-overs" in the realm of international one-design competition. As anticipated, the top five was made up of World Champions, NA Champions and Mexican Champions-- ouch, that racing must've been hot, hot, hot! Winning his second Copa Mexico in a row was none other than 2010 J/24 World Champion Mauricio Santa Cruz from Brazil on his famous NEXTEL BRUSCHETTA. Second was the previous year's 2009 J/24 World Champion Tim Healey from Newport, Rhode Island on 11TH HOUR RACING/ SAILORS FOR THE SEA. Third was a J/24 North American and National Champion, Chris Snow from San Diego, California on his familiar blue boat BOGUS. Fourth was past J/24 World Champion Mike Ingham from Rochester, New York on BLUE DEMON. And, fifth was Mexican Champion Ken Porter on COMEX. Incredibly, everyone in the top five won at least one race out of the total of ten races, including Robert Vernon on JOYITA from Chile.
The opening day of racing began to establish a pecking order very quickly for the top of the podium. After just two races, Mauricio's NEXTEL BRUSCHETTA had two 1sts and Tim Healey's 11TH HOUR RACING/ SAILORS FOR THE SEA had two 2nds! It was a decent day of sailing marked by several large shifts, one even forcing an abandonment and restart of the second race of the day.The next day saw very little wind between 6 and 8 knots, causing both courses to be shortened, with Tim Healey winning the first race and Robert Vernon from Chile winning the other-- proof the South American teams are getting stronger every year!
The third day of racing started with 8 knots of breeze, it went up to 12 and in the second race it went back down to 4 knots, so the course had to be shortened again. Some boats did not finish due to the wind conditions. This time, there were two new race winners- Kenneth Porter (MEX) on board COMEX and Mike Ingham (USA) on board BLUE DEMON.
On the fourth day, the fleet was blessed with fabulous, picture-perfect sailing conditions. The fleet started late due to wind changes, but ended up winds of 16 knots with gusts of 18 and 20 kts. Winners on this day were Mauricio's NEXTEL BRUSCHETTA and Tim Healey's 11TH HOUR RACING, losing the first to an SCP (scoring penalty).In the end, Mauricio's crew did not have to sail the last race on the fifth and final day, enabling Chris Snow and team on BOGUS to grab their first race win of the regatta. Congratulations to Mauricio's NEXTEL BRUSCHETTA team on a job well done, same to Tim Healy, Chris Snow, Mike Ingham and Ken Porter to round out the top five, respectively. Sailing photo credits- Jen Edney For more J/24 Copa Mexico Regatta sailing information
LE TIGRE Wins Epic Bacardi Cup(Miami, FL)- The Bacardi Miami Sailing Week could not have wished for better, more extraordinary "postcard"-type sailing conditions-- some even called it "epic". In fact, in some respects for the International Star fleet with multiple Gold Star World Champions present, it may be been "too perfect". With a massive High weather system slowly moving offshore to the North and a large Low depression Southeast, the regatta organizers had a remarkable string of six-plus days of strong winds from the easterly quadrants (NE to SE) blowing from 8 to 30 knots. For the Stars, Tuesday and Wednesday were cancelled due to 20-30 knot winds-- perfect J/80 sailing weather, of course! By Thursday the winds had abated enough so the J/80s could enjoy three straight days of simply picture-perfect sailing. In the end, Glenn Darden's team on LE TIGRE simply "ate everyone's lunch", sailing to dominant win in the J/80 class.
On the first day of sailing, the all-American fleet of nine J/80s were led by Glenn's LE TIGRE team from Forth Worth, TX with five points after winning the second and third races of the day. Gary Kamins (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) on FIRED UP was second with eight points on finishes of 2-4-2, followed by Rick Schaffer (Ft. Worth, Texas) with 13 points on finishes of 4-6-3. Fourth overall was Henry Brauer (Marblehead, Mass.) on RASCAL after finishes of 6-3-5 earned 14 points. Nizar Abuzeni (St. Paul, Minn.), won the opening race of the day which he followed with finishes of 7-8. Abuzeni was fifth overall with 16 points. On this day, the fleet was treated to 18 to 25 knot winds and wild and woolly planing runs, making the weather legs the time to recuperate for the crew in preparation for the next 12-16 knot "planing mode" run.
By the second day winds had moderated to "only" 14-20 knots, ensuring the crew's supply of "vitamin A" (a.k.a. Advil or Aleve) would be put to good use again to alleviate sore muscles, backs and arms! Glenn and the LE TIGRE crew continued to lead the standings after winning back-to-back races which he sandwiched between finishes of second and third. It was a tough four-race day that started early at 1030 hours! Darden had only nine points to the 19 of Gary's FIRED UP team who finished 4-6-3-4. Rick Schaffer (Ft. Worth, Texas) placed 3-7-9-1 and was tied on 24 points with Henry Brauer's RASCAL team who posted finishes of 8-3-2-5.Brian Keane moved up a spot to round out the top-five with 25 points. 'Today we had less breeze but conditions were challenging with lots of wind shifts,' said Glenn Darden. 'I would say that this was the biggest challenge to overcome. Luckily our tactician did a great job in searching for the breeze. We also had good starts and these are the secrets of the day. For tomorrow (Saturday) the strategy is to keep the momentum with my team. We've been sailing together for three years and hopefully this will get us on top tomorrow night."
Three final races were sailed by the J/80 fleet to complete their series debut. Glenn's "Tigers" led the standings all the way to the win, which he wrapped up without needing to sail the 10th and final race. Darden won the first two races of the day, and discarded the 10 points from not sailing the final race to net 14 points for the series. Henry Brauer's RASCAL team made the biggest move of the regatta, moving up from fourth overall to second with 30 points after finishing with a strong 3-2-1 on the final day. Gary Kamins FIRED UP crew with 4-5-5 ended the series with 33 points, followed by Rick Schaffer with 41 and Nizar Abueni with 44.
“Sometimes it looks easier than what it is,” said Darden. “Today we had much lighter wind and wind shifts that made it challenging. We had to work for our wins, but we are very pleased for the victory. I'm also very pleased to be in Bacardi Sailing Week, and, looking forward to next year, I most certainly will recommend it to other competitors and sincerely hope participation will be up next year. I look forward to the event ceremony and dinner, Bacardi style!” For more Bacardi Sailing Week sailing information
PACEMAKER Wins J/24 Australian Nationals(Adelaide, South Australia)- In a nail biting finish that went down to the last race finish positions, Dave Suda and his crew of Herschel, Luke, Sam and Rachel sailing PACEMAKER won a well deserved 2012 National Championship by one point from Ben Lamb sailing Alyn Stevenson’s FUN 2 with last years Nationals winner Sean Kirkjian sailing SAILPAC.
In PHS the winner was local sailor Jamie Goode from fellow SA sailor and national Measurer Peter Stevens and Dave Suda. As customary the the PHS placings can’t be won by OD place getters so third on PHS goes to Melbourne sailor and previous Nationals winner (10 years ago) Hugo Ottaway.
The racing was keen and extremely competitive for the fifteen boats that showed up to establish the top J/24 teams in Australia. The Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia did a fabulous job running the event. In glorious sunshine and shirts and short weather with a calm 8 knots building to a 15 knot sea breeze the fleet enjoyed superb sailing conditions. Four races were sailed on the first day and another four are planned for the second day with two on Monday.
On day one, the team on FUN 2 sailed by Ben Lamb and Arthur Crothers had a bonanza day, starting out "slowly" with a 6th, then finishing with a flourish of three 1sts for a total of 9 points. Sean Kirkjian on SAILPAC also from NSW was lying second with a 2-6-2-4 and Adam Evans on SDM from Victoria was in third with a steady 3-4-4-3.
Dave Suda in his new-ish Italian boat PACEMAKER cleared out in the first race to win by nearly half a leg and must have been feeling pretty good, but by the end of the day with two OCS calls was back down the results. Hugo Ottaway on BRUSCHETTA VI was also having an average series so far and dropped one of his crew over the side in the last race to add a less than perfect touch. However, the Italian boats seem to have good speed as shown by both Dave and Ben. Back in the pack, chomping on the heels of the winners, was a very close group of very good sailors. The racing is extremely tight and one small mistake takes you to the back of the pack very quickly.
By the second day, racing had gotten a lot tighter, with the fleet now counting 7 of 8 races (including a drop race). At this point, Dave Suda on PACEMAKER went on a tear with two 1sts and four 2nds to get back on track and was now tied on points with Ben Lamb on FUN 2 with 10 pts apiece. Third was Adam's SDM with 17 pts, fourth was Sean's SAILPAC with 18 pts and fifth was Steve Girdis' CONVICTS REVENGE with 27 pts.
It was pretty the regatta was going right down to the wire on the last day of racing between the two teams tied on points for the lead- PACEMAKER and FUN 2. In the end, FUN 2's 5-1 was no match for PACEMAKER's consistent 2-3, giving the match to Dave Suda's team by one point! There was also a helluva match for third on the podium, with the nod going to Sean's SAILPAC team with Adam's SDM team getting fourth. Rounding out the top five was Steve's CONVICTS REVENGE. For more J/24 Australian Nationals sailing information
SOLARIS Dazzles J/105 Midwinters(Seabrook, TX) - Local Bill Zartler raced SOLARIS to a dominant victory at the J/105 Midwinter Championship in Seabrook, TX. Finishing with just 10 points over seven races, the team won five of the races, and scored a second and third in the others. SOLARIS won Sunday's only race, as a storm forced an end to the regatta in the late morning. The top four overall were comprised of local sailors, with Bill Lakenmacher on RADIANCE in the runner-up position (21 points), Uzi Ozeri on INFINITY in third (29 points) and Alan Bates on ZIPPITY in fourth (34 points). Following Zartler, Bates's ZIPPITY came in second in Sunday's race, trailed by Lakenmacher's RADIANCE.
Twelve teams competed in the annual event, held for the first time at the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX. Competitors enjoyed favorable breeze throughout the championship and multiple social opportunities on shore for the fleet to interact.
After the first day of racing, three local teams were at the top of the leaderboard-- Bill Zartler on SOLARIS and Bill Lakenmacher on RADIANCE were tied at three points each after flip-flopping the first and second place finishes in the day's two races. Uzi Ozeri on INFINITY took two third-place tallies and stood at third place overall. The winds on Galveston Bay blew a consistent 16 knots, with gusts well into the 20s. The 12 teams battled through choppy waves and swells of six feet.
By the conclusion of sailing on the second day of the events, it was self-evident the "Z-Team" on SOLARIS were serious about putting on a dominant performance. Four races were completed on Saturday, bringing the series total to six. Zartler's team scored three firsts plus a third-place finish to end the day with just nine points total. The locals continued to dominate the top spots, as Bill Lakenmacher on RADIANCE stood in second place overall with 18 points and Uzi Ozeri on INFINITY was is in third place with 23 points. Other than Zartler's SOLARIS, the day's other race winner was Paul Beaudin racing AVICI. The New York-based team came on strong all day, also tallying a second, fourth and sixth. Conditions on Galveston Bay were ideal for the J/105 with winds at 16-20 knots.
The J/105 Class would like to thank the Lakewood Yacht Club for hosting, and Dwight Bengtson and his Race Committee for their excellent race management. For more J/105 Midwinters regatta sailing information
A Mexican Sailing Extravaganza(Riviera Nayarit, Mexico)- For two-time Copa Mexico regatta participant, Chris Snow from North Sails San Diego, this past week of sailing provided him and his team a lot of fun memories, great racing and some great lessons on J/24 racing in general. Here's an account of Chris's epic journey into parts unknown "south of the border":
"On my way home now from the 2012 Copa De Mexico regatta held this last week on Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. What week it was both on and off the water!
The Copa de Mexico is a two and half week long sailing extravaganza that combines three events. First is the finish of the 1200 mile long San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race. Second is the event J/24 event which I participated in which is a World Championship style event sailed over 5 days (10 races) on Banderas Bay. The third event is MEXORC which is a big boat event also over 5 days that combines closed course racing and medium distance races around the bay.
The venue, Banderas Bay, is the largest bay in the world and combines stunning mountain backdrops with warm water and good wind. The event is staged from the new Marina Rivera Nayarit in a small village on the north side of the bay called La Cruz. All crews are housed at the Marival Resort a short bus ride away in Nuevo Vallarta which is large development of resorts with good security and all the amenities.
The event is heavily subsidized by the state of Nayarit, the Mexican federal government and the Mexican Tourism board. This helps to make it quite affordable for more crews, and creates a whole fleet of ambassadors for Mexico and the region. 52 J/24s participated in this edition with crews coming from the U.S., Sweden, Monaco, Italy, Chile, Germany, France, Brazil, and of course Mexico. Charter boats are provided for all out of country sailors.
I was fortunate to have a great crew (pictured here) who sailed with me for the week. We had a great time, made some great new friends and renewed friendships with many others. For the week I had doing bow, George Witter from Santa Barbara, CA. George normally sails with recent NA Champions THREE BIG DOGS. Doing the mast, calling the wind and providing Spanish translation was Dave Reed from Newport, Rhode Island. Dave is the editor of Sailing World and will hopefully be doing a feature story on the event. Doing tactics and lightening the mood onboard was Chuck “El Chucko” Allen. Rich Bowen trimmed sails and helped a lot with boat speed.Sailing conditions for the regatta were varied from a full day of 18 plus knots on the practice day to races sailed in 5-6 knots-- Sunny skies and warm temps were the rule each day. Some of us put on spray tops but only very briefly.
With a large fleet, the starting line was quite long placing a real premium on starting at the correct end. With fairly shifty conditions it was important to be in phase right away with clear air, if you could do this big gains could be made if not it was very difficult to break out of the pack.
On board our boat our strategy was to be conservative, get good starts and let our speed work to our advantage over the long time. My rusty starting skills were a challenge in the beginning of the regatta but got better as the event went on. Also we unfortunately were OCS on the “Z Flag” start which cost us a few extra unneeded points. In the end we were pleased to finish a solid third and look forward to the Spring and Summer season coming up.
Here are some thing I learned over the week that might help you in your J/24 Sailing:
- Always set the rig up for conditions at the start, don’t worry about the rest of the race speed off the line is essential
- When starting allow plenty of time coming back on port to find a hole. Keep going on port until you find one. Starting with a boat directly to leeward is practically impossible
- If in doubt set the boat up for the lulls
- In choppy conditions always sail the boat flat-- even if it feels slow-- The boat does not sideslip when flat.
- Downwind in choppy rolling seas spread crew weight as far as you can side to side. This helps a lot of stabilize the boat.
- If port tack jibe is favored and you are towards the front of the fleet be careful about jibing under all the starboard boats approaching the weather mark-- Better to go a short distance and jibe in clear air.
- At downwind gates-- If they are evenly favored go to one the one that will have less downwind traffic"
For more Mexican J/24 sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* 2012 J/105 San Diego Yacht Club Volunteers Party! October 2012 will be a banner month for the J/105 in San Diego! SDYC will be hosting the J/105 SoCal Championships and the J/105 North American Championships, followed by the 2012 International Masters’ Regatta and, finally, the Lipton Cup Trophy-- all in J/105s. If you have the talent and the desire to put it to work and help make the J/105 class proud, we want YOU on-board for the J/105 2012 Committee! Please help and volunteer a wee-bit of your time-- contact us and learn how you can help! You can contact- Joanne O’Dea/ J/Concierge at email- joanne@jk3yachts.com or phone- 619-347-9407
* El Presidente de Mexico LOVES Sailing! Yes, it's true. President Felipe Calderon is a big supporter of sailing in Mexico. Felipe sailed J/24s for years in Valle de Bravo just west of Mexico City-- an absolutely spectacular lake high up in the mountains. Through El Presidente, Mexican sailing has blossomed and Felipe has supported the Mexican Navy sail-training programs- mostly on existing J/24s around Mexico, including Opti's and Laser's for local, public kids and adults. They're all public access sailing programs! More on other such public/ private sailing program partnerships in Mexico next week!The J Cruising Community
J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers. Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel's big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand. Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/
* Prolific writers, Bill and Judy Stellin, sailed their J/42 JAYWALKER around the Mediterranean and Europe and back across the Atlantic for nearly three years. Their blogs/journals can be found at- http://blog.mailasail.com/jaywalker. The earlier journals have been compiled into two self published books which can be found at: http://www.blurb.com. Search for "SEATREK: A Passion for Sailing" by Bill Stellin or William Stellin." UPDATE- Just a short note to update from Bill- "Our cruise began in May of 2000 and ended in May of 2008, some 8 years later. I have just finished and published my third and final book covering the last three or so years including our double handed crossing in 16 days and one winter in the Caribbean. Like the others, "Sea Trek- A Passion for sailing- Book III," can be found at www.blurb.com. Thanks, Bill and Judy"
* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between. Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins?? Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).
- SALACIA, the J/160 owned by Stephen and Cyndy Everett has an on-going blog describing some of their more amusing experiences (http://www.salacia1.blogspot.com).
- Bill and Susan Grun on the J/160 AVANTE are also sailing in the Pacific archipelago, read more about their great adventures on their blog (http://web.me.com/susangrun). Read about their latest adventures as they've gotten to New Zealand- "Avante Cruises the Pacific".
- Eric and Jenn on the J/160 MANDALAY also sailed the Pacific archipelago, read more on their blog at http://www.sailmandalay.com. Eric and Jenn are J/World alumni took MANDALAY up and down the West Coast (Mexico, CA)
, then to the South Pacific and New Zealand. MANDALAY is back in San Francisco now, and in the J/World fleet--she is available for skippered charters, private instruction, and corporate/executive groups.* The J/109 GAIA (seen right in the Java Sea) was sailed by Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay around the world. In February 2011, their cruising adventures came to an abrupt, sad ending. As a tribute to them and their cruising friends worldwide, we hope their chronicles on their GAIA website remains a tribute to their warm-hearted spirits- read more about why many loved them dearly and will remain touched by their loving spirit forever- http://www.gaiaworldtour.net/
Featured Boats
Famous J/133 CHESTRESS-2 For SaleMediterranean Winner in Italy & France
CHESTRESS-2 is a 2005 J/133 with only one owner that has sailed her with passion and with extraordinary success in the Mediterranean. She has been professionally, impeccably maintained by her captain for six loving years. And, it shows. CHESTRESS-2 is in mint condition, with no defects or damage, she is ready for cruising, club racing or serious offshore campaigning anywhere in the world-- Phuket, Auckland, Sydney, Newport, Cowes, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Stockholm, Sardinia, Cabo, Cape Town, Punta or Ilhabela.
The sail and equipment lists are extensive. She's a 2 cabin/ 2 head arrangement- a gorgeous interior with extraordinary "fit and finish". Her racing inventory of sails is primarily NORTH SAILS 3DL. Her cruising sails include Elvstrom-Sobstad gennakers and snuffers. The equipment list includes: Autohelm B&G ACP1 complete with: display unit FFD, Acp2 processor, feed-back sensor, linear hydraulic Ram; Raymarine C80 chartplotter; VHF Raymarine with DSC + external repeater; stereo hi-fi 2 speaker internal and 2 external (new 2011); 2 extra hi load batteries with energy management system; Hi power inverter for ac 220v; Extra engine filter for water/dirt separation; anchor support with roller; Lewmar electric anchor raise winch; Delta 12kg anchor + 50m chain (+ extra racing anchor 10kg); Self-inflating emergency life-raft certified for 8 people; Additional water tank (200+160 lt); Hi capacity american frigor; electric WC in aft toilet; Sunbrella mainsail shade; Original Sprayhood Sunbrella; original external cushions in cockpit and aftseat; External hot/cold shower; Cockpit table; Outboard engine wooden support and more!Please contact Enrico Malingri. For more J/133 Chestress-2 sailing information
