J/Newsletter- October 21st, 2015

J/105 Masters Regatta Preview
(San Diego, CA)- The International Masters Regatta was established in 1975 by St. Francis YC member, Don Trask. For years, the world’s greatest master sailors such as Elvstrom, Buchan, Burnham, Tillman, Trask, Irish, Harken, North, Holland, Hinman and Dickson had competed in this prestigious international sailing event on San Francisco Bay. After a three-year hiatus, the San Diego YC ushered in a new era for the event and hosted for the first time in 2012.

From October 23rd to 25th, the SDYC will again host the Masters for the third consecutive year in a fleet of matched J/105s supplied by the generosity of their local fleet.  A dozen legendary master sailors from around the world will sail buoy races inside the beautiful bay alongside San Diegoʼs gorgeous waterfront.

Regatta Chairman Jeff Brown will have the help of Joanne O’Dea (Regatta Coordinator), Jeff Johnson (Regatta Manager) and a small army of SDYC’s famous volunteers (50+) to roll out the red carpet and look after the needs of the famous participants.  Helping to support that effort are sponsors JK3 YACHTS, McCarthy Holthus and TESLA Motors (sprint laps around the parking lot, perhaps?).  Everyone is invited to join the teams, sponsors and club members at the amazing 5th annual Taste of Point Loma at SDYC! It takes place on Thursday, October 22, starting at 5pm.

Joining regatta founder Don Trask from St Francis YC will be a host of top West Coast sailors who’ve made their mark in a wide variety of classes from Stars to Farr 40s and the “Congo Cup” to the Transpac Race.  Don’s fellow StFYC members joining the event are John Kilroy of SAMBA PA TI fame (past winner of the Masters) and Jon Andron (most recently a top Masters Team Racing champion).

The SoCal gang is well represented with long-time regatta supporter Malin Burnham (Star World Champion) and friends from San Diego YC, including Chuck Nichols and Sandy Purdon. In that mix of talent is Newport Harbor YC member Dennis Durgan- himself a famous offshore and match-racing champion.

The East Coast contingent will see the return of the “Cuban Comet”. Returning from Miami, Florida for a second shot at the title is Defending Masters Champion Augie Diaz from Biscayne Bay YC.  Other Easterners accompanying him to the Left Coast include Collegiate Sailor of the Year and America’s Cup veteran Gary Jobson from Storm Trysail Club, Maxi-sailor Jeff Neuberth from New York YC, and offshore champion John Rumsey from South Carolina YC.

The lone foreigner tossed into the frying pan of such amazing talent happens to be the lovable character known simply as “Fish”.  For those in America’s Cup circles over the past half-century, you’d recognize Bob Fisher from the United Kingdom as the leader of the British media contingent poking fun at every sacred cow imaginable in the yachting world. Forewarned is forearmed, Fish claims he can “see” this year after some surgery- that may be a liability! He mentioned in passing he can see “skirts” from at least 500 yards away!

While the skippers are all exceptional in their talents and how they have contributed to the sport of sailing, what is perhaps most frightening from a competitive standpoint is to see the formidable teams they have assembled to do battle on the placid waters of San Diego Harbor!  At last count, those crew members include several World Champions, Olympic Medalists, North American Champions, College All-Americans and Collegiate Sailors of the Year, match race champions (Congressional Cup, etc) and silverware from the marquee West coast offshore events such as the Transpac Race, Ensenada Race, Rolex Big Boat Series and Cabo San Lucas Race.  Should make for interesting conversations at the leeward gate!
For more J/105 International Masters Regatta sailing information

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J/70 Fall Brawl Preview
(Eastport, MD- If it’s fall, it must be time for da’brawl!  What started out as a fun way to bridge summer sailing with the winter sailing events in Florida, the now annual J/70 Fall Brawl hosted by Eastport YC has become a “must do” regatta as boats and teams slowly head south, escaping the first snow flurries of winter this past weekend in New England!

The Eastporters love hosting the event and regatta participants always seem to rave about how good a time they had in Annapolis, post all the boat show madness.  Come rain or shine, chilly or warm, windy or not (most times there’s a damn good breeze), the regatta has continued to grow and gain its passionate fans.

At last count, over thirty boats have registered to sail over the October 24th to 25th weekend on the sparkling waters of northern Chesapeake Bay, surrounded by masses of trees bursting into a profusion of colors- reds, yellows, oranges- one of the most magical times of year, in fact, to be sailing on the Bay as the leaves reach peak foliage.

Blinded by the scintillating light of nature’s colorful magnificence will be a group of J/70 sailors that span the spectrum of time and experience.  Teams are traveling from as far away as Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and across the Northeast (CT, RI, MA, ME, NJ, NY, PA).  The local talent is hot and they continue to do well at the national level, such as Peter McChesney, Todd Hiller’s LEADING EDGE, Al Terhune’s DAZZLER (a J/22 World Champion), Geoff Becker’s PAPA WHEELIE (current Lightning World Champion), Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD (a general champion of everything), Jon Pollak’s MONKEY BUSINESS, and Taz Coffey’s DANGER MOUSE.

The Annapolis contingent knows their hometown turf is not an easy one to defend.  The vagaries of wind, current and general randomness can often confound even the cleverest hometown heroes.  They’re facing a formidable bunch from all points of the compass.  Foremost amongst them may be Marty McKenna’s RARITY leading the Youngstown YC group that includes Tim Finkle’s JUNIOR.  Then, John Brim’s RIMETTE (the wily fox from Fisher’s Island YC), Alex Meleney’s TRUCKIN from Vineyard Haven YC and Bodo von der Wense’s TURBO DUCK from Chester River YC round out eastern contenders.  From the Midwest is an increasingly formidable team from the M24/ M32 wars of the past- Trey Sheehan’s HOOLIGAN/ FLAT STANLEY RACING from Put-in-Bay YC in Ohio.

A number of women skippers will surely make their presence felt amongst the leaders, such as Jennifer Wulff’s JOINT CUSTODY, Holly Graf’s SPICE, Tricia Pletcher’s OCCAM’s RAZOR, Kristen Robinson’s ZOMBIE, and Cat Evans’ MOJITO.  Five women’s teams, nearly 20% of the fleet!  Amongst this group, they’ve already collected silverware as top finishers in both Corinthian and Open divisions at various major J/70 regattas.  The weather forecast looks promising, sunny and warm Saturday with southerlies and more of the same on Sunday AM, save for the prospect of a frontal passage late afternoon.  For more J/70 Fall Brawl sailing information

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J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide

There was a lot of J sailing activity across continental Europe this past week.  For starters, the J/70 European Championship for the Credit Suisse Trophy took place in the Mediterranean off the famous principality of Monaco.  A fleet of sixty boats was hosted by YC Monaco, their hosts warmly welcomed the sailors and they thoroughly enjoyed the fabulous hospitality of YC Monaco and their friends in Monte Carlo.

Off in the eastern Mediterranean, a coterie of J sailors (on J/111, J/122, J/133, J/109s) were participating in the challenging Rolex Middle Sea Race, a 606nm circumnavigation of Sicily and surrounding islands.  Not surprisingly, several members of the Royal Malta YC (host for the event) were significant factors in the overall results.

Also taking place in the Med were a series of J/24 regattas sailing around Italy’s rugged, picturesque coastlines; a bit north of the yachts rounding Sicily to the south!  Read the Italian J/24 regatta reports from the Italian J/24 National Championship Circuit (finale in Cervia) and the Winter Championships in Sardinia and Anzio-Nettuno.

Along the Bay of Biscay, that tempestuous body of water along the western coast of France, the Student Yachting World Cup took place in La Baule, France on a fleet of matched J/80s with universities attending from around the world- Japan, UK, France, Ireland, Switzerland, and Canada.

Finally, the J/70 SAILING Champions League report includes news from the national leagues in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.

Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below has many entertaining stories and news about J/Sailors as well as cruising blogs about those who continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific, staying warm while others are trying to stay warm up north.  Check them out!  More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page!  Below are the summaries.

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Regatta & Show Schedules:

Oct 23-24- J/105 Masters Regatta- San Diego, CA
Oct 24-25- J/70 Fall Brawl- Eastport, MD
Oct 30- Nov 1- Lipton Cup Challenge- San Diego, CA
Oct 31- Nov 1- J/22 East Coast Championship- Annapolis, MD
Nov 7-11- French J/80 Nationals- Saint Cast, France
Nov 26-30- J/24 South American Championship- Porto Alegre, Brazil
Nov 28- Dec 6- Peru J/24 National Championship- La Punta, Peru
Dec 4-6- J/22 Jamaica Jammin Regatta- Montego Bay, Jamaica

For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.

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Italians Dominate J/70 European Championship
Spanish J/70 Sailors Are Rising Stars
(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- It was an all-Mediterranean affair for the top five in this year’s J/70 European Championship for the Credit Suisse Trophy.  Sixty teams representing 11 nationalities enjoyed the four days of racing provided by YC Monaco’s RC team of John Coveney & Thierry Leret.  Plus, the extraordinary crew at YC Monaco not only rolled out the gilded red carpet for the J/70 sailors, but they warmly embraced them as an extended family in the Monegasque tradition of welcoming sailors from all nations.

The regattas started off with brisk easterly breezes in the 13 kts range with a steady swell rolling in with a cross-chop on top— typical of sailing in the tricky Hercules Bay conditions.  For the next four days, the sailors were challenged by such demanding conditions and it was clear those who were familiar with the venue excelled when the going got rough.  What surprised many J/70 teams were the rapid rise of the Spanish and Italian teams to the top of the standings.

With the J/70 Worlds as the ultimate training ground, the Italian NOTARO Team led by Luca Domenici proved their top ten performance at the Worlds in La Rochelle, France was no fluke.  The top sailor from Anzio, Italy started off the first race with a 20th, but simply scorched the fleet for a 5-2-5-1-3, posting all top five scores to win with 16 pts net.  Domenici attributes his winning performance to his crew of Piero Vigo, Lorenzo Del Rio and Davide Bortoletto.

Another Italian crew that was at the top of the Alcatel OneTouch J/70 Italian National Championship series was the runner-up- Franco Solerio’s L’ELAGAIN from San Remo.  His team of Daniele Cassinari, Simon Alltree and Luca Albarelli also sailed well at the J/70 Worlds and, again, improved every single race to close the Europeans with a bullet in the last race.  Their record of 10-8-6-3-2-1 was good for 20 pts net.

After starting out the regatta in first place after the first day of racing, Spain’s J/80 World Champion and Olympic Medallist, Hugo Rocha, managed to keep NEW TERRITORIES and crew (Alexey Semenov, Ruben Castells, Fran Palacios) in the hunt and secure the bronze with a consistent performance; posting a 3-1-8-2-17-11 for 25 pts net.

Rounding out the top five was another Spanish team in fourth, Gonzalo Araoejo’s SAILWAY with crew of Guilherme Almeida, Alberto Viejo and Joaquin “Hurricane” Cores).  Fifth was the top Monegasque crew on CARPE DIEM, skippered by Jacopo Carrain with crew of Enrico Fonda, Filippo La Mantia, and Andrea Felci.

The competition was unrelenting and unforgiving.  Multiple Black Flags, plenty of OCS’s, and massive “roller coaster” scorelines scuttled more than their fair share of champion teams.  No one won more than one race and few could even post consistent top ten finishes.

The Mexican J/70 World Champion, Julian Fernandez Neckelmann sailing with Bill Hardesty as tactician on FLOJITO Y COOPERANDO, for example, won the fourth race.  But, they could not overcome a BFD, DSQ and 18th and, subsequently, couldn’t crack the top 15 overall.

A similar scenario held true for the J/70 Midwinter and Bacardi Race Week champion, Carlo Alberini’s CALVI NETWORK.  While they sailed fast and counted a 2-1-2, they also had a BFD-13-19 to contend with; knocking them out of any possible contention for regatta honors.

Not once did the team leading the pack to the first mark win the race, with the downwind legs proving as tactically difficult as the upwind legs.  All the finishes on a reach saw some dramatic luffs with spinnakers flying, delighting spectators and getting the adrenaline pumping.

There was everything to play for among the top ten right up to the last race, as the slightest mistake on the start (e.g. an OCS) risked any hope of being on the podium. For example, the young, very talented French team of Quentin Delapierre and Matthieu Salomon (CHARIOT PLUS- VANNES UTILITAIRES) from EV Cataschool were J/80 European Champions.  Their performance during the regatta surprised many people. After a BFD in the first race, their results in the next four races equaled the ultimate regatta winner, posting a 3-5-4-3.  However, a discouraging 23rd in the last race (a counter) dropped them from an easy podium finish to 7th overall.  Watch out for CHARIOT PLUS- VANNES UTILITAIRES in the future, a young, smart, talented French crew!

Amongst the host YC Monaco J/70 fleet, Jacopo Carrain, the Monaco Class President and head of the 15-strong Monegasque fleet reached the objective of a respectable showing with a fine performance.  Carrain’s 5th place was a reflection of the YC Monaco’s commitment to creating the largest training and competition base for J/70s in Europe. Fellow YCM member Andrea Zaoli sailing EST finished 10th.  A great showing for the Principality’s sailors!

Leading the 18-strong German fleet was Moritz Bohnenberger’s TOURING JUNIOR crew that finished 9th overall.  Just off the pace, but winning the first race of the regatta, was colleague Max Rieger on LED ZEPPELIN who finished 12th.  Bo Teichmann’s OUTSIDER was third German team in 16th place.

For having an embryonic fleet, the Swedish contingent of exactly two boats had amazing results.  Oscar Lundqvist’s FANNY was in the top five after three races, but tanked in the last three to salvage an 8th overall.  However, Lundqvist’s FANNY crew was declared J/70 European Corinthian Champions!  Meanwhile, fellow Swede, Ingemar Sundstedt’s ROCAD RACING, sailed consistently in the top quarter of the fleet to take 13th overall.

Besides FANNY’s win in Corinthians, second place went to the Spanish team on MARNATURA skippered by Luis Bugallo Ariolla from Club Nautico de Vigo and third went to Moritz Bohnenberger’s TOURING JUNIOR from Germany’s Deutscher Touring YC.  Fourth was Beppe Zavanone’s PENSAVO PEGGIO from YC San Remo in Italy and fifth was the top UK boat- Anthony Esse’s BABY J from Royal Thames YC.

Thanks to the generosity of all the teams, the Championship raised 10,000 euros for the LENVAL Foundation that supports sick children, with a check being presented to its President, Arnaud Pouillart. The money will be used to buy pediatric equipment to detect bacterial and viral infections in A&E or after an operation. Another donation will finance the Christmas Show for the “Conte sur Moi at Le Patio” nursery that has 36 toddlers.

More than half of the J/70 European teams are leaving their boats at YC Monaco for the winter to take part in the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, with their sights set on victory at the Primo Cup– Trophée Credit Suisse!  For more J/70 European Championship sailing information   Enjoy these nicely produced sailing videos of the J/70 Europeans:

• Day 0- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4w8qU64B_g
• Day 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7veBHA-tClk
• Day 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqS0Zdkz7zI
• Day 3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIXORrDMiv4
• Day 4- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWNatoJOEBE
• Euro summary- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrfmzsCi5oM

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J/122 ARTIE Wins Rolex Middle Sea Race
(Gzira, Malta)- The Royal Malta YC is proud to be hosting the 36th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The race has attracted 100+ competitors from 22 countries from all over the world. The 606nm race starts and finishes in the spectacular surroundings of Malta's capital city, Valetta.  The weather forecasts of light to medium winds for most of the race have been true to form.  No records broken.  In fact, 88 ft canting-keelers (Rambler 88) were beating 70 ft record-breaking trimarans (e.g. Phaedo) through the Straits of Messina between the volcanic island of Sicily and the Italian mainland- the famous “boot”.

It was a drama-filled several days of sailing for the various J/teams in the event. Here were some of the reports.

On Monday 1600 hrs on the third day of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, a pulsating battle had emerged between six Maltese yachts close to the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily. The six yachts are all in sight of each other, vying to be the first Maltese yacht to finish the race and lift the Transport Malta Trophy. Last year's overall winner, the J/122 ARTIE, co-skippered by Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard, leads the pack of Maltese boats by a single mile and was the first Maltese boat to finish the race last year. The six Maltese yachts are only three miles apart after 250 miles of racing!

Tuesday at 1600 hours at Favignana Rock, the scenario was not much different.  In IRC Four, Sönke Stein and David Anastasi’s Maltese J/133 OIL TANKING JUNO was in a dead heat for the class lead and, potentially, overall lead.  In IRC Five at Favignana, Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard's Maltese J/122 ARTIE held a narrow lead of just 16 minutes on corrected time from Laurant Charmy's French J/111, SL ENERGIES GROUPE FASTWAVE.

Thursday 0800 hours at the finish line- there was high drama in the early hours of Thursday morning, with five Maltese boats all finishing the race in sight of each other at the Royal Malta Yacht Club. Lee Satariano & Christian Ripard's J/122 ARTIE, was the first Maltese yacht to cross the line with David Anastasi & Sönke Stein's J/133 OILTANKING JUNO completing the scene.

Lee Satariano & Christian Ripard's Maltese J/122 ARTIE corrected out to win IRC Five and placed fourth overall in a fleet of over 100 yachts. ARTIE was also the Maltese yacht with the best-corrected time in IRC and ORC, winning both of the Teddy Borg Trophies. After the race, the ARTIE crew were happy with their performance, despite not winning the race overall, as they have done on two previous occasions.

“Mentally that was a very tough race and at times very frustrating, overall I don't think there was anything more we could have done to achieve a better result. At many stages of the race, if we could have found more wind, we would have done, but there is an element of luck to that and this year, we were not so lucky but tactically we sailed pretty well and amongst the crew, we agree that we probably sailed the boat better this year than we have ever done. We set out to win our class and we are very happy that we have achieved that.”

“I think that the fact that so many Maltese boats finished so close together shows that we are very competitive people. The level of sailing amongst the Maltese teams has definitely gone up, we have all improved, because the standard starts somewhere, someone takes that on, and so we drive each other to new levels. Maltese sailors are also taking part in more racing internationally, this race is getting bigger, and the Maltese sailors are taking it more seriously.”

The Royal Malta YC has been buzzing all day, with crews arriving back in Malta, rubbing shoulders with fellow sailors, describing the story of their own Rolex Middle Sea Race. About half of the fleet has now finished the race with many more yachts expected to arrive today and tomorrow.

In IRC Five, the J/122 ARTIE was the winner. Taking third in a terrific performance was Laurant Charmy's French J/111 SL ENERGIES GROUPE FASTWAVE from the South of France.   Sailing photo credits- Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo   For more Rolex Middle Sea Race sailing information.

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Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Crowned Student Yachting World Cup Champions
(La Baule - Le Pouliguen)- The Student Yachting World Cup (SYWoC) is an event organized every year in France by students for students. Created in 1979 under the name of Course de l'Europe, the cup was just meant for participants from Western Europe. But, as time went by, more and more Eastern European countries joined the cup. That's why the Course de l'Europe changed its name to become the SYWoC.

The regatta lasts one whole week in France and counts about 150 competitors, representing 15 countries from all around the world. During this week, the atmosphere is both sporting and multicultural. The first night, every team participates in the crews' dinner by bringing some dishes or some beverage representing their country. This way, the students have an opportunity to meet and discover other culture before the cup begins. Each night, students can also meet at the dinner room and have some nice time with the participants.

The 35th SYWoC took place from October 13th to 20th.  This year, four UK University teams were entered and every boat had a Royal Southern Academy member onboard as skipper or crew. The Oxford University team was skippered by 19 year-old Lulu Wallis; Cambridge was sailed by Damien Arnol (25), and 21 year-old Annabel Vose is heading up the Southampton University team. Annabel is a 420 World and European Champion and successfully skippered a women's match racing team to win the University World Championship last summer. Academy members Jamie Diamond & Tom Harrison joined her. The University of Strathclyde's team captain is 22 year-old Peter Cameron.

The regatta is a test of patience, perseverance and conditioning.  Up to three races per day can be sailed and by the time the crews are into the fifth day of racing, the sheer mental and physical exercise can be exhausting to some crews.

A perfect example is what happened one-day before the last race.  The name of the final winner was still unknown, even though the Swiss team was the favorite of the competition. Yet, the ranking was could still change because the teams were so close on points.  Although the morning fog delayed the first race, the sun was present on the second part of the day and the wind was stronger than Saturday, around 15 knots with highs of twenty knots. Despite the strong wind, the program was the same as yesterday, with three inshore races and one coastal race.

The 12th race took place just before midday and saw Canada make a very good start. After the first buoy, they were far ahead of the other boats, followed by Switzerland and Southampton, the defender team. Far behind came the other crews led by Ireland, who managed to catch up on Southampton at the half of the race. Unfortunately for Ireland, they faced a problem with their spinnaker that cost them one place. This leading quartet led the remainder of the race, and Switzerland managed to overtake Canada just before the finish line. Southampton and Ireland finished third and fourth, far ahead of Cambridge, fifth at the finish.

The wind began increased up to twenty knots at the beginning of the second race. Despite a promising start for Cambridge, Ireland and Southampton took the lead of the race but were very close to each other, followed by Switzerland. Ireland lost two places but was still in competition for the win of this round. Canada had a good race, but suffered from a spinnaker problem and later was DSQ’d anyhow for an OCS. At the end of the race, the battle raged between Switzerland and Southampton, the latter finally managed to win the round.

The third race was the last inshore one for the day. Once again, Switzerland, Southampton and Ireland immediately took control, but were very close to each other. However, Southampton managed to widen the gap with the Swiss boat for most of the race.  But, in a surprisingly smart strategic move, the Swiss caught them by the finish! Taking third was Japan, scoring their best result of the series!

The last race was the only coastal race of the day. Southampton was unbeatable from the start, followed by Ireland. Sadly for Oxford, their great start and 3rd at the first mark didn’t hold, dropping to 8th by the finish.

On the last day, the outcome was still in doubt even though the Swiss team from Lausanne was in a good position to win the title. The English team from Southampton could still catch them, especially since two inshore races were planned.

Due to much stronger winds than the previous few days, the crews were permitted to use the small spinnaker only.

The first race of the day produced a surprising outcome.  Having learned from earlier mistakes tactically and with regards to boatspeed, the Canadian team essentially started first and ran away from the fleet, posting one of the most emphatic wins of the entire regatta!  Finishing a distant second in the windy, full-on planing race was the Southampton team (hoping to defend their title) and in third were the Swiss.  Another surprise was the 4th place finish by the Japanese Kobe university team!

The University of Southampton won the last race with the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne behind them. Third were the Irish University College of Dublin crew, who can be proud of their performance this year.

At the closing ceremony the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique team were crowned World Student Champions with 27 pts. The trophy of the City of Le Pouliguen was given to University of Southampton for finishing 2nd overall just 3 pts back with 30 pts total.  Third was University College of Dublin with 45 pts, they also won the AGPM Trophy rewarding the crew who had the Best Performances on the Coastal Races.  Fourth was University of Cambridge from the United Kingdom with 59 pts.  Fifth was the Canadian Dalhousie University team sitting on 73 pts.  For more Student Yachting World Cup sailing information

The Student Yachting World Cup team in La Baule produced well-edited sailing videos, enjoy them here:

• Day 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDTOZJ-VCWY
• Day 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ0n9ykH46U
• Day 3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDQE86uLUQ0
• Day 4- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v84K41GoNtg
• Day 5- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HoitSQkuqQ
• Day 6- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtJn36nLTY4
• Day 7- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02hVrVh_JEc

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J/70 Sailing League Report
(Hamburg, Germany)- Who is the best sailing club in Europe?  That was determined this year when the most successful sailing clubs raced against each other all season within their own countries, then attended the SAILING Champions League, hosted by YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo, Italy on the brand new fleet of matched J/70s.

What is “League Sailing” and what is the new format all about?  At the SAILING Champions League in Porto Cervo, we asked some sailors and club representatives from across Europe for their opinion on this exciting form of sailing.  Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of YC Costa Smeralda, and many others had some interesting perspectives.  Watch their commentary here.

In addition to hearing sailor’s perspectives on the SAILING Champions League, you might also enjoy the 2015 Highlights from across Europe. You can watch that here.

DENMARK
The Danish Sailing League concluded with Skovshoved Sejlklub as the overall winner after the final event in Copenhagen (25th to 27th September). Silver went to the defending champions from Hellerup Sejlklub, while Aarhus Sejlklub finished third.

The fleet sailed in front of the famous Little Mermaid in Copenhagen Harbour. The summery weather lured spectators from far and wide to watch the weekend’s thrilling racing. Among the spectators was a small delegation from Hadsund, as some of the first arrived Sunday morning with folding chairs and took their front-row seats to follow the fortunes of their local club throughout the day. Together with all the other spectators, they were able to experience the league sailing more closely than ever. Most of Sunday’s racing saw the races finish just a few metres from the quayside and brought cheering and hollering every bit as passionate as you’d witness at a football match.

The Danish Sailing League starts again in May 2016.  Here’s their Facebook sailing league page- https://www.facebook.com/sejlsportsligaen.  And, more Sejlsportlgaen sailing information can be found here- http://sejlsportsligaen.dk/

What the sailing league organizers have done better than any other sailing event in the world is to produce a combination of compelling “real-time” graphics showing how each team is doing mark-by-mark each race.  Even better yet, the giant jumbotron LED screens also show “live” standings for the entire fleet! Thanks to SAP SAILING SPORT, you can now enjoy the type of “live” leaderboards you see at a NASCAR or Formula One race. You get the complete picture of all the action on the water- it’s fascinating and it’s constantly changing, much to the delight (or anxiety) of those watching the race on the waterfront.  Here are some good examples of Sejlsportsligaen YouTube sailing videos that incorporate that real-time information:

• Skive- Day 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_6yrCjhBdA
• Skive- Day 3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP1vkyPjzOs
• Horsens- Day 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB9XltYMeEw
• Horsens- Day 3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31dLgnEKdUs
• Kobenhavn- Day 4- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7NrL6v8AMY
• Kobenhavn- Highlights- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tekSPoxfujU
• Faaborg- Day 3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31dLgnEKdUs
• Sejlsportsligaen Overview- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44MtMZgxDMQ

SWITZERLAND
With ideal wind and weather conditions, the best sailing clubs in Switzerland enjoyed a thrilling finale to their first season on Lake Constance (2nd to 4th October 2015).  The new Swiss Champion is the Regattaclub Oberhofen.  Taking second overall and also qualifying automatically for the SAILING Champions League 2016 is the Regattaclub Bodensee.

With a victory in the last of 14 races, the Regattaclub Bodensee (St. Gallen) won the second and final regatta of the Swiss Sailing League from the Société Nautique Rolloise (Rolle) and the Regattaclub Oberhofen (Thunersee). With this final victory, the Regattaclub Bodensee also secured a starting place for the 2016 SAILING Champions League together with the Regattaclub Oberhofen, which won the first Swiss Sailing League event.

The Swiss Champion, the Regattaclub Oberhofen, already took part in the 2015 SAILING Champions League event in Porto Cervo and finished in ninth place.

The regatta at Lake Constance was also the qualifier for the 2016 Swiss Sailing Super League (1st League) and the 2016 Swiss Sailing Challenge League (2nd League).

For 2016, the Swiss Sailing League is planning five events all over Switzerland for the 1st League and three events including one qualifier for 2017 for the 2nd League.  Sailing Photo Credits- Claudia Somm and Peter Kupferschmied   For more Swiss sailing league information and results

THE NETHERLANDS
Watersportvereniging Uitdam won the first event of the Dutch Sailing League, the “Eredivisie Zeilen” that was sailed from the 2nd to 4th October in Almere near Amsterdam.  As a result, they also claimed the Overall Champion title. Helmsman Wietze Zetzema said: “It was awesome to win here. The whole event was the best possible advertisement for the sport of sailing.”

Throughout the regatta, Watersportvereniging Uitdam had been sitting in 4th place overall, but on the last day they climbed to the top after winning four of their last five races.

This event was the only one to take place in 2015 and served as a test event for the coming year. In 2016, five regatta weekends are planned. Enthusiastic spectators lined the waterfront in Almere.  All the ingredients were there (happy sailors, great spectators, good organization) to suggest that the Dutch Sailing League is set to become one of the premier regattas in the country’s sailing calendar for 2016.

Organizer Simon Keijzer was delighted with this debut event: “The Dutch Sailing League is now a fact. We had a great weekend, everyone is enthusiastic. Next year, we will fill the league with more happy clubs and sailors!”

The crew of the Scheveningen YC Team provided a report on their experiences during the Eredivisie Sailing Test Event:

“We were fifth place during the test event of the Eredivisie Zeilen!  Fantastic.  It was fun!  And, we have a lot to learn!

Sailing seems to be something we do for our fun.  Right?  But, that concept was not going through my head when the alarm clock goes off at 0600 hrs! With black circles around my eyes I crawl to the coffee machine for a cup of the elixir of life. Then, dress up and screech to Almere in my trusty car (brakes need fixing)!

Upon arrival at the competition grounds by the Weerwater, next to the Municipal Theatre of Almere, it is clear that while it is all about a test event, it is well organized. There is a large team of people ready to manage the event, several umpires and race committee that are driving six RIBs!

Immediately in the first race, we know that this weekend is going to be rough for us, no gifts from anyone! We round the top mark in second; the pole is out, we're going to pop the chute! Then, bam, straight into the water goes our spinnaker- that’s called ‘shrimping’! Damn. Four teams sail by us as if nothing has happened. The only other boat near us wants to be sure that we really cannot get away and park it all over us. The tone is set; no one is giving an inch to anyone!

That is how it goes for the rest of the day. Many ups and downs; catch a puff and sprint ahead, others sit in little wind watching others blow by! In addition, it happens that our lofty ambitions combined with our (lack of) skills, means we keep tangling the gennaker around the forestay. We ultimately worked it out.  But, windshifts of 20-30 degrees were normal, as were big puffs and waves up to 3 feet between the breakwaters of Scheveningen. The result is inadequate for us, a provisional 10th place overall after the first day on the water.  Ouch!

The second day is perfect in terms of outcomes.  We win twice during the first (and only) two races sailed. Unfortunately, there is almost no wind on the Weerwater; that creates frustration among the sailors but also the organizers.  It was difficult racing, get one puff you win.  It was that simple.  So, we were lucky.

Fortunately, the sun was shining and we could enjoy the nice weather (despite lack of wind) before it all becomes like living in an icebox with no windows during our six month long winter!

After these two first places, we rise in the rankings to seventh place; it will be an exciting final day!

For the third day, fog, mist and fog again! Mother Nature doesn’t know what to do! It is windy, but the visibility is not more than 50 meters.  Again, postponement, or so we thought, we cannot even see the postponement flag!

We sailed well in the first race- a second place.  But, that was despite fervent attempts at failure! After a fabulously bad rounding of the bottom mark, we were perfectly on track not to finish in front of the field. But then, our tactician spoils the day!  He tells us to tack! As we get closer to the top mark, we get an increasingly anxious feeling that we will round second again!  What can we possibly screw up now!? Well, the spinnaker goes up just fine.  During the downwind leg, we seem unable to screw-up again and grab a second place behind eventual overall winners WV Uitdam!!

With this result, we steam further into the top tier and fifth overall is in sight!

The next race we do a truly professional job of screwing-up everything!  The start, the race, everything!  We start at the RC boat and are OCS.  So, we re-round and take off in hot pursuit about a mile back from the fleet.  It was quite sobering, really.  Finishing last, so far back you can hardly see anyone’s numbers- on a course so short that you should!

In the penultimate race of the regatta, exactly the opposite happens- a dream start! Everyone's too early at the start but us! Long live an RC and PRO that does not believe in general recalls! With everyone else scrambling to return and restart after their OCS’s, we sail away blissfully to an easy win! Was that it?  No.

The RC take the decision to sail another race, there was plenty of wind so they decided to take advantage of the nice sailing conditions.  So, we have the opportunity finish 5th. Can we survive our own mistakes?  Well, our start demonstrated the theme of the day, because once something happens early in the game, it kills us.  For the last start we’re too early again. But, we somehow have created a “turbo mode” and we arrive second at the top mark; it proves that we are going well. On the second beat, we’re confident we can get to first place.  Somehow, we pass the team in front and hold first place to the finish on the final downwind leg. We’re 5th overall!  Bloody amazing.  A great outcome for a team just beginning to learn how to sail a J/70 faster.  Can’t wait for next year!”   Sailing photo credits- Remmelt Staal   Facebook sailing page for Eredivisie Zeilen   Netherlands Test Event sailing video Highlights.   For more Dutch Sailing League information and results.

GERMANY
Thrilling Finale for DSBL Division II in Uberlingen.  Showdown forming for Division I finals in Hamburg!

The fourth event for the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga’s (DSBL) Second League took place in Uberlingen, Germany from the 25th to 27th of September.  The excitement was immense because it was the final event for the DSBL Division II. The ranking was so tight, that every point was relevant – more than ever. At the end, the Bayerischer YC (BYC) won the weekend. The team with Philipp Hibler, Andreas Plettner, Poldi Lindner and Andreas Achterberg took the lead in Überlingen, followed by the Lindauer Segler-Club and the Lübecker Yacht-Club. The three clubs also took the podium places in the overall ranking and will move up into the “Premier DSBL League” for 2016.

“It was a tricky event. A bit of everything. The team is experienced and so we could adapt very well. That was probably our success. We look forward to be back in the 1st League,” commented the happy helmsman, Philipp Hibler from Bayerischer YC.

In the lower portion of the fleet, six clubs (ranked 13th to 18th) will have to go into the qualifier races (9th to 11th October) to continue for next year. These six clubs were the best out of 58 clubs at the Qualifier in Flensburg and will be part of the 2nd German Sailing League in 2016: Schaumburg-Lippischer Seglerverein, Duisburger Yacht-Club, Segel-Club Ville, Schlei-Segel-Club, Seglergemeinschaft Lohheider See and Seglervereinigung 1903 Berlin.

In the 1st German Sailing League (the so-called “Premiere League”), it was also a neck-and-neck race. At the end of the day, again a local hero demonstrated their ability to get in front of the fleet. The Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen (SMCÜ) with Steffen Hessberger, Alexander Gaiser, Christian Zittlau and Hendrik Schaal sailed remarkably well, performing consistently over the weekend to take the top of the podium.

“We are very happy to have won at home. Finally, Lake Constance provided great sailing conditions, plenty of wind and big, choppy waves! It was a great event”, said Steffen Hessberger, the jubilant helmsman from SMCU.

The Münchner YC finished second overall in Überlingen.  They were closely followed by the Berlin crew from the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee.

The Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club from Tutzing missed the moment and could not bring home the early victory for the overall Championship. They finished in eighth place and remain within reach for their competitors (an 11 pts lead only!). So, it will prove to be a thrilling finale from the 29th to 31st of October in Hamburg! Based on the outcomes in Uberlingen, it will be a big showdown and fight to the finish for the Champion’s title in the DSBL!   Sailing Photo Credits- Sven Jürgensen.  For more Deutsche Segel Bundesliga sailing information

A collection of 2015 Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga sailing videos:

• Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga- sailing video channel on YouTube
• 2015 Segel-Bundesliga Overview
• Uberlingen- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSO4pUkHmvw
• Kiel Sailing Playlist
• Kiel Highlights- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOUWNN9S_ms
• Warnemunde Sailing Playlist
• Warnemunde Highlights- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoIHd0u9jmg
• Travemunde Sailing Playlist
• Travemunde Highlights- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca5KM3gFPMU
• Berlin Sailing Playlist
• Berlin Highlights- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m_47s_5tfM

NORWAY
The Norwegian Sailing League, the “Norsk Seilsportsliga”, will start its first season in 2016. After two qualifying events in Western and Eastern Norway in September, 15 clubs are now officially qualified for the inaugural season in 2016. The regatta in Ålesund (western Norway) was won by Arendals Seilforening; the eastern event in Oslo was won by Åsgårdstrand Seilforening.

Karl-Otto Book and his team from Åsgårdstrand Seilforening were delighted to win their qualifying races. “The goal was to qualify Åsgårdstrand,” said Book, “so it was a pure bonus that we won. It was a very tight fight and fun sailing. Now we are looking forward to next year and the start of the Norwegian Sailing League.”

Oslo showed its absolute best side on Friday with brilliant sunshine and a nice breeze across the race course. Saturday the conditions were somewhat more volatile, but the race committee completed enough races to give the 15 teams a total of six flights during the two days.

Nesodden Seilforening led after the first day, but was overtaken after losing on an equal points tiebreak with Åsgårdstrand Seilforening who had a win over Nesodden Seilforening. The really big battle came in the middle of the fleet, with a number of evenly-ranked teams looking to stay up in the top division. Tønsberg Seilforening qualified as the last boat, while Oslo Seilforening, which was just a point behind, could not make it. Jostein Aker (14 yrs old) from Tønsberg Seilforening was the event’s youngest helmsman and managed to qualify his club for next year’s elite division. Seilforening won all six races! “It was really fun to sail in such tight races, and particularly enjoyable to win all the starts,” said Aker who wants to sail for Tønsberg SF next year. He sails actively in several classes and finishes high up every leaderboard.

Espen Guttormsen, secretary general of the Norwegian Sailing Federation who owns the league, hopes the Norwegian Sailing League will be the start of a new series that will be as attractive as similar series in other sports. The hope is also that the Sailing League will inspire more organizations to host local events in the same format. “This format enables us to recruit young sailors locally without requiring them to invest in boats. Here, sailors only come with a bag and get to enjoy some really fun sailing,” said Guttormsen.  Facebook Seilsportsliga sailing page- https://www.facebook.com/seilsportsliga/   For more Seilsportsliga sailing information

The 15 clubs that qualified for the 2016 Norwegian Sailing League are:

• –Ålesund Seilforening
• Arendals Seilforening
• Åsgårdstrand Seilforening
• Askøy Seilforening
• Brevik Seilforening
• Florø Seilforening
• Fredrikstad Seilforening
• Kongelig Norsk Seilforening
• Larvik Seilforening
• Nesodden Seilforening
• Ran Seilforening
• Soon Seilforening
• Stavanger Seilforening
• Tønsberg Seilforening
• Trondhjems Seilforening

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Sardinian J/24 Circuit- Stage III
(Cagliari, Italy)- After the long summer break, sailing resumed for the Sardinian J/24 fleet.  After steady sailing, VIGNE SURRAU from CN Arzachena and their skipper Henry Strazzera have taken the lead in the provisional rankings by posting a 3-2 in the long races.

Following them in Stage III of the Sardinian Circuit is LNI CARLISLE owned and skippered by David Gorgerino with members of the Carloforte Sailing Team on board; they’re three points back with a 4-4.

Holding on to the third position with an 8-1 score is DODICIPUNTOUNO helmed by Gianluca Manca.  Rounding out the top five are LIBYSSONIS with skipper Daniel Bigozzi and in fourth is DOLPHINS led by Giuseppe Taras.

"After waiting for a long time the wind, the J/24 fleet had to settle for a breeze of 5-6 knots to kick off the first race and the rest of the day did not go beyond the 7-8 kts.  If you got behind early, the possibility of recovery for those who had a bad start was very difficult.  In the end, the Committee chose to give up on the third race.  It was a little bit of disappointment, but it was the right choice,” said Henry Strazzera.  The fleet was sailing on the sea off the beach of Poetto, near the marina called Marina Piccola.   The J/24s will be back at sea for their Regional Championship on 14-15 November.   Sailing photo credits- http://www.sailingsardinia.it  For more Italian J/24 class sailing information

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LA SUPERBA Commands J/24 Winter Championship
(Anzio-Nettuno, Italy)- The 40th Winter Championship of Anzio-Nettuno taking place on the waters of the Golfo de Anzio has an excellent turnout of 27 boats from around the region.  After a pair of victories, it is LA SUPERBA leading with skipper Ignazio Bonanno and crew of Simone, Alfredo Branciforte, Francesco Picaro and Vincenzo Picaro.

In second with (surprise-surprise) two seconds, are their long-term protagonists, the Grupo Sportivo Penitentiary Police team that is skippered by Fabio Delicate with crew of Marco Vincenti, Joseph Incatasciato, Roberto Ballanti and Francesco Maglioccola.  Lying in third with a 6-4 is PELE NEGRO skippered by Paul Cecamore.

"The regatta opened with light winds around 5 knots. As we expected, the regatta was immediately characterized by the battle with our friends on the Penitentiary Police boat and ourselves.  Thanks to a wind shift and increased pressure on the left, they rounded the first mark in first followed by us,” explained Bonanno. “About a half-leg later, however, we took the lead and won the race.  Then, in the second race we were first around all the buoys and we were in command until the end."

"Two races with two second places. That’s not bad! The races were held with a southerly that was shifty and streaky,” added tactician Marco Vincenti on the Penitentiary Police team. “Choppy waves and different shifts of 8-10 knots meant the crew had to work hard and make the right choices to do well.  The best part of the weekend was that it did not rain and we had nice warm temperatures- almost like summer.”  For more Italian J/24 Winter Series sailing information

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Diamante Wins Italian J/24 National Circuit
(Cervia, Italy)- With three victories over four races, Pietro Diamante and his team on JAMAICA (Joseph Garofalo, Fabrizio Ginesi and Gabriele Zoppi) won the sixth and final stage of the J/24 National Championship and also took home the Trophy Francesco Ciccolo Perpetual Challenge.

In second place, was J-OC owner/skipper Fabio Apollonio Trieste, Fleet Captain of the Lago di Garda J/24 fleet. Third was KERMESSE sailed by Marco Maccaferri from CN Cervia Amici della Vela.

Four races were completed (one Saturday and three Sunday) in the waters off Cervia by a dozen brave crews, regardless of adverse weather and sea conditions.

"This time, due to work commitments, I had a different crew,” commented Diamante, President of the Italian J/24 Class.  “On Saturday, we had a moment of concern when, because of the light wind, we were able to sail only one race.  Nevertheless, during the evening, friends of mine in Cervia consoled us with an excellent dinner of fried fish and piadina. On Sunday, a light but steady wind allowed us to complete three perfect races. On behalf of the other teams, I would say that, thanks to the organization, hospitality and beautiful weather over the two days, we are all doing great!”

"Despite the little wind we managed to bring it home with four good races," added the Captain of the Romagna J/24 fleet, Guido Gains. “A special thanks to the organizers and RC/PRO, as always, to organize everything perfection both on land and at sea!”

The Italian J/24 National Circuit includes the Trofeo Nettuno in March, the Pasquavela in Porto Santo Stefano, the Trofeo Navale Academia in April, the Trofeo Nacional in Cala Galera in June, the Trofeo Menchelli in October, and the Trofeo Francesco Ciccolo in late October.  For more Italian J/24 class sailing information

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J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* Russian J/70 making waves with a “classic” Trabant? Yes, the most famous of all Russian automobiles is still running strong.  The Edsel Ford of the Communist Party era has now become a lovable classic that are restored far, far beyond their usable expiration date.  Here’s one in eastern Russia towing a J/70 as part of the J/70s “eastern tour” within Russia.  Check out the movie, an original Trabant with a mini-4 cylinder engine is still capable of moving it around the boat yard!  In Germany, it would be the same as having the original VW Volkswagen Bug doing the same thing!  Wonders will never cease.  The juxtaposition of the world's leading sportsboat and the Russian “everyman” car is too amusing for words.  Watch this YouTube sailing video here- proof the Trabant lives!

* J/80 SailFirst Training program video- Ten perfectly-matched J/80s are available for regattas and training in the Mediterranean for corporate, group or club charters.
https://youtu.be/xVzKc4JNNro

After hosting several J/80 regattas and being official partner for the ISAF World Youth Championship in 2013, SAIL FIRST are open to hosting sailing events of any difficulty level and for any range of sailing experience (beginners to ISAF Group 3 Match Racers). Apart from sailing, the SAIL FIRST team offer complete “turn-key” first-class concierge services, providing you logistics help, coordination and reservations for accommodations, opening and closing ceremonies and entertainment for sailors and their families.

Cyprus offers variety of magnificent places to visit and it's hospitality is world-renowned. More than 320 days of sun and wind are available for sailing, making Cyprus a perfect sailing spot all year round.

If you wish to get more information about SAIL FIRST Sailing Club, please contact Anastasia Marinskaya at phone- +357 99168818, e-mail- anastasia@sailfirst.com, or website- http://www.sailfirst.com
 

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J/Cruisers
J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent "blogs" written by their prolific publishers.  Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You'll love it.

* The J/40 HERON REACH sailed by Virginia and Jerry is participating in the Blue Planet Odyssey project and have recently joined them in the Marquesas Islands in the Eastern Pacific.  Learn more about their adventures and experiences here- http://heronreachodyssey.blogspot.com/
* J/160 SALACIA has been sailing in Australia in the Whitsunday Islands.  Guess who decided to throw themselves across their bow as they cruised comfortably to their next destination?  A giant whale!  Look at this amazing photo!

* Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR.  Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now.  We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about their adventures in their  well-documented blog here:  http://www.svceolmor.com/SVCeolMor/Welcome.html

* J/160 AVATAR headed for the Caribbean, again!  We LOVE these updates from our cruising J sailors that continue to criss-cross the Seven Seas. This one comes from Alan Fougere, sailing his beloved J/160 AVATAR.   Alan sent us an email update commenting on their passage south this winter, "In mid-December AVATAR completed her sixth transit to her winter Caribbean home, Grand Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (seen above)  from her home port in Quissett (Falmouth), MA.  A crew of three, Captain Alan (e.g. me), Crew Pablo Brissett and Mark Conroy, covered the 1,500 nm trip in in her best time to date- 7 Days 5 Hours, averaging 8.7 kts, that's about 208 nm per day!  Amazing passage it was!  Rainbow at right far offshore was some of the amazing phenomenon we experienced on this fast offshore passage.

AVATAR will participate in the BVI Sailing Festival/Regatta again in 2013, where last year she won the Nanny Key Cup Cruising Class race around the Island of Virgin Gorda.  Here are some photos for you to share with the J/Community at-large.  Enjoy!"
Best, Alan Fougere/ AVATAR

* Bill & Judy Stellin recently had an interview about cruising on their J/42 in the Wall St Journal called "Retiring on the Open Sea".  The Wall St Journal asked Bill to reply to dozens of questions that flooded into the WSJ's Editor desks. Here's the update:

Retiring on the Sea: Answering Readers' Questions
Advice about selecting a boat, ocean crossings, itineraries and safety

The article in our WSJ Online December retirement report about eight years spent sailing the Mediterranean— "Retiring to the Open Sea"— prompted many questions and comments from readers.  We asked William Stellin, who wrote the story, to answer some of the most common queries.

WSJ- "What kind and make of boat did you use? Looking back, would you have picked a different boat?"

Bill- "In 1995-96, J/Boats of Newport, RI, came out with a new cruiser/racer model, the J/42. We bought hull No. 6 of this popular 42-foot sailboat and named it JAYWALKER. This was our fourth boat since beginning sailing in 1975.

Although long-distance cruising wasn't what we had in mind when we purchased JAYWALKER, it soon became apparent it had the ability to carry us easily and safely anywhere we wanted to go. Because the boat is light, it sails well in light winds, which means very little motoring is necessary.

People often ask (and argue) about what boat is best for cruising. Any boat that is strong, safe, fast, comfortable and easily handled by two people should fit the bill. One thing for sure, fast is fun—and important when trying to avoid bad weather."

READ MORE ABOUT BILL'S INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY AND THOUGHTS ON WSJ ONLINE HERE

* 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/

* 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).

-  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.