January Boat Show Time!
(Newport, RI)- For the next week the London Boat Show will be going full swing at the Excel Center in the Docklands area east of London! From January 8th to 17th, the new J/112E sport cruiser, new J/11S IRC double-hander, the amazing J/70 and the blistering hot J/88 will be on display on stand A220. The J/112E is looking spectacular wrapped in gunmetal grey with carbon wheel! In addition, there will be two fully-rigged 70’s in the entrance boulevard to the Excel Center. For further information, please contact Paul Heys @ Key Yachting- Mobile +44-(0)7802-264141 or email- info@j-uk.com. For more London Boat Show information.
Chicago Boat & RV Show
Make plans now to visit Chicago, enjoy the Magnificent Mile, explore world-class museums and check out the latest boats from the J/Design team’s drawing board! From Jan 14th to 18th, the Chicago Boat Show will be taking place at McCormick Place on the south side of Chicago’s beautiful lakefront. On display will be three exciting models- the new J/112E sport cruiser that was featured in the Narragansett Bay sailing videos, the Mac Race offshore killer- the J/88 family speedster, and the wildly popular J/70 class that is growing in popularity on Lake Michigan and across the Midwest. Please be sure to contact Rich Stearns @ Stearns Boating for further information- cell# 847-404-2209 or email- rich@stearnsboating.com For more Chicago Boat Show information.
Quantum J/70 Winter Series II Preview(Tampa, FL)- The second act of the Quantum J/70 Winter Series will be taking place from January 9th to 10th at Davis Island YC on Tampa Bay. The forecast for the weekend will provide challenging conditions to the record fifty-two entries from across the USA. Saturday is showing a weak front moving across the Florida peninsula with winds from the East, shifting Southeast into midday, then veering into the Southwest after the frontal ridge passes- winds are forecasted to be 8-17 knots. Then, on Sunday the fleet will be treated to the backside of the cold front with sunny skies, temps in the mid 60s, and Northwest winds of 8 to 15 kts!
Will the VINEYARD VINES team lead by John & Molly Baxter count on their lucky charms to keep them in the hunt, on pace and near the front of the pack?? Now that they are no longer J/70 “newbies”, having won the first event, they can be certain that many teams will be hoping to emulate their good fortune. Top crews in the Open Division that should be giving them a run-for-the-money include Tom Bowen’s REACH AROUND, Geoff Becker’s USA 25, Will Welles’ SCAMP, Doug Strebel’s BLACK RIVER RACING, Al Terhune’s DAZZLER and Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT. In the 21 boat Corinthian’s Division, it will certainly be another donnybrook between Mark Foster’s crew on NO-PRO, the winners back in December, and Rob Britts’ HOT MESS, the 2015 Corinthian Champion. Look for other teams to up their game and contend for division honors like Brian Elliott’s B-SQUARED, Noel Clinard’s LOONATICTU and Chuck Millican’s Bermuda team on ELUSIVE. For more Quantum J/70 Winter Series II sailing information
Ft Lauderdale to Key West Race Preview(Fort Lauderdale, FL)- Starting on Wednesday, January 13th, around noon, a fleet of forty-three boats will be experiencing one of the most famous short offshore races- the Storm Trysail Club’s and Lauderdale YC’s Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race. It’s the classic “feeder” race for the famous Key West Race Week. The race could not be simpler, start just off the Lauderdale Sea buoy and head south down around Key Biscayne, keep the right-turn signal blinker on, and continue to veer around to the southwest, then west, avoiding the chain of keel-hugging reefs to starboard and the speed-robbing 5 knot Gulf Stream to your left. The weather can be capricious, but so far, this year’s weather patterns promises ENE on Wednesday and swinging to ESE by late Thursday- a “Nantucket Sleigh Ride” could be in the making!
Several J/Teams are chomping on their bits to pop their Code Zero’s and A3’s to fly down the island chain. In the IRC Class, Paul Milo’s J/122 ORION from Leesburg, VA will be up against some fast 50-footers. In PHRF A, two J/111s will be battling a J/125 for class honors. The 111’s include Gary Weisberg’s HEAT WAVE from Gloucester, MA and Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE from San Diego, CA. The J/125 is a past Miami-Nassau class winner and a local offshore veteran with lots of silverware to show for their efforts- Frank Atkinson’s RAISIN’ CANE from Coconut Grove SC in Miami, FL. In PHRF B division, two J/120s are participating- Frank Kern’s notoriously fun-loving crew on CARINTHIA from Bayview YC in Grosse Pointe, MI and Marcus Cholerton-Brown’s SUNSET CHILD from New York. In PHRF C class, two J/88s cannot wait pop their kites and surf to Key West- Frank Kups sailing SPACEMAN SPIFF from Lakeside YC in Cleveland, OH and MI2 from J/World Annapolis in Annapolis, MD. As the lowest rating boats in their class, they will be giving time to the classic J/40 SOLSTICE sailed by Jim Bordeaux from Yorktown, VA. Sailing photo credits- Cate Brown & Allen Clark/ Photoboat.com. For more Key West Race sailing information
Key West Highlight- J/88 Oceanvolt Racing O.D.!(Key West, FL)- The 2016 Quantum Key West Race Week is shaping up to be one of the largest in recent years. Under the new stewardship of Storm Trysail Club and Regatta Chairman Bill Canfield, the event has 140 boats registered with 78 J/Teams (56% of the fleet!) spread across three one-design classes (J/70, J/88, J/111) and three handicap classes (IRC & ORR).
Racing is taking place from January 18th to 22nd in the gorgeous aquamarine waters of the Florida Keys. One of the highlights for the week will be the inaugural J/88 Midwinter Championship with eight boats participating on the Division 3 course area. Featured amongst that enthusiastic fleet will be the Key West debut of the new J/88 Oceanvolt model. Called BLONDIE 2, she will be sailed by Tod Patton and Jeff Johnstone. They will be facing a rogue’s gallery of top teams from Canada, San Francisco, New York and Ohio.
The other significant one-design class debut will be the nine J/111s sailing their first J/111 Midwinter Championship on the Division I course area. More news on all J/Teams and classes in next week’s Key West preview.
If you wish to view and/or take a “demo sail” on the new J/88 Oceanvolt in Key West (or for the Miami Boat Show), please contact J/Boats at Ph- +1-401-846-8410 or email- info@jboats.com. It’s a perfect venue to learn about some of the most exciting sailboat developments in recent years- “solar sailing” and “hydro-regeneration”! Plenty of sun, wind and water in Key West to learn about the joy of “silent running”. For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information
Sweet '16 & No Calendar!?(Newport, RI)- You can still get one now! Time to schedule your J regattas for the rest of the year! Order yours today and use it for the rest of the year!
For 2016, we have created another beautiful calendar for J sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world. Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places.
The 2016 sailing calendar features J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/88, J/105s, J/111s and a J/42 sailing in many of the worlds most popular sailing areas- Cowes (the Solent), Newport (Narragansett Bay & Rhode Island Sound), San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Les Sables d’Olonne, Biscayne Bay, Lake Michigan, Kiel, Santander and Travemunde! See the gorgeous J/Calendar sailing photo gallery here. Order your 2016 J/Calendar today, click here!
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
“Happy Sweet ’16”! Time to get busy again! The sailing and cruising calendar is beginning to fill up and it seems many sailors are going into panic mode hoping to get themselves organized for the New Year! Perhaps it was too many family and friend’s celebrations over the two-week holiday! Nevertheless, while a bit slow on regattas, there were several occasions for celebrations. One most excellent event was recently held at YC Monaco where HRH Prince Albert was bestowing awards for notable sailing achievements. And, another was news that a Columbian family from Cartagena was enjoying time on their J/88 in the Rosario Islands in the Caribbean. And, yet another team was celebrating their amazing summer of sailing on their J/30 in the Gulf of Mexico!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.
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Jan 9-10- Quantum J/70 Winter Series II- Tampa, FLJan 13- Lauderdale- Key West Race- Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jan 18-22- Quantum Key West Race Week- Key West, FL
Feb 6-7- Quantum J/70 Winter Series III- Tampa, FL
Feb 25-28- J/70 Midwinter Championship- St. Petersburg, FL
Mar 10-13- J/70 Miami Sailing Week- Coconut Grove, FL
Apr 16-19- Charleston Race Week– Charleston, SC
Sailboat Shows:
Jan 8-17- London Boat Show (112E, 88, 70)- London, England
Jan 8-17- Toronto Boat Show (70)- Toronto, Ontario
Jan 14-18- Chicago Boat Show (112E, 88, 70)- Chicago, IL
Jan 23-31- Boot Dusseldorf (70, 112E, 122E)- Dusseldorf, Germany
Jan 21-24- San Diego Sun Road Boat Show- San Diego, CA
Jan 15-18- San Francisco Boat Show- San Francisco, CA
Jan 29- Feb 6- Seattle Boat Show- Seattle, WA
Feb 11-15- Miami Boat Show (112E, 122E, 70)- Miami, FL
Feb 13-21- Boston Boat Show (88)- Boston, MA
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
A Happy J/120 NUNATAK Completes Transatlantic Adventure(Port Louis, Grenada)- Chris Frost and Elin Haf Davies' J/120 NUNATAK crossed the finish line of the RORC Transatlantic Race 2015, just before midnight on 17th December 2015. NUNATAK was the only monohull to complete the race with just two crew, taking 19 days on a route of 3,800 miles.
Chris and Elin had always set out to finish the race for the closing party, which they have accomplished!! The RORC Transatlantic closing party took place at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina on Friday 18th December.
Chris Frost is a highly experienced sailor, winning one World and two European Championships in his Swan, and owns the Hamble Boat Centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, UK. Elin Haf Davies, from Bala North Wales, only started yacht racing in 2011, but this was Elin's fourth oceanic crossing, albeit not always in a sailing boat!Elin has previously rowed across the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean and sailed across the Pacific, from China to San Francisco. Elin has also played premiership rugby for London Wasps and won 13 rugby caps for Wales A Team! For the 2012 London Olympic Games, Elin carried the Olympic Torch through Bangor, North Wales. Her love of sailing came through a meeting with the RORC Admiral, Andrew McIrvine, at one of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's crew parties. He decided to make Elin part of his crew for the Rolex Fastnet Race, which set the wheels in motion for Elin, who is now a member of the RORC. The two-handed team received a huge welcome at Camper and Nicholsons Port Louis Marina. For more RORC TransAtlantic Race sailing information
Lessons That Can Make You Sail Better(San Diego, CA)- North Sails’ Chris Snow had done plenty of crewing on the J/70, but the 2015 North Americans was his first time on the helm. Here are some of the things he learned that will help in almost any boat…
• Have clear consistent marks on your jib sheets. You must have marks on the deck and clear marks on the sheets as reference points to duplicate fast trim setting on both tacks.
• Do not steer the boat— rather steer as little as possible. Any small boat slows when the tiller is moved. I purposely held the tiller extension on my thigh upwind to minimize movement. Do your best to steer with crew weight-this applies to any boat.
• The spinnaker trimmer steers the boat downwind. Be sure the spinnaker trimmer is constantly talking about pressure in the sheet downwind and telling you when to come up and down to optimize your angle downwind. She/he can feel that 100% better than you, the helmsman, can.
• Have a tuning matrix and follow it!!! Check your sailmakers tuning guide for rig tensions at different wind speeds. Make a chart of turns needed on your boat to get from one to the other. Follow it and set the rig back to base each time you return to the dock. This eliminates variables and second-guessing and lets you concentrate on the race.
• Sail the boat at a constant angle of heel upwind. Very important to keep the boat at a constant angle of heel upwind. Use the head stay against the horizon as a guide. If you cannot hold the boat on a constant angle of heel the boat is either underpowered or overpowered. Decide which and adjust.
• As helmsman downwind, help the crew with what is happening with the shifts downwind. It is hard for the crew to know whether or not you are getting lifted or headed downwind (upwind it is easy) helmsman should keep an eye on the compass downwind and communicate to the crew what he/she is seeing.
• On the J/70 learn to sail wing—&-wing easily. Practice how much you need to turn the boat downwind to go to wing-&-wing and what conditions it works in (flat water, moderate winds). This is a tool that can come in very handy if you have it available but it takes some practice so as not to be too disruptive.
• Trust your Velociteck! This little wonder tells you how far from the line you are. Get good “pings” on both ends (be sure the line is set first) and trust it. I found it very helpful to have one of the crew calling time and another calling distance to the line converted to boat lengths (the unit displays in meters). You can use it to help you know when to accelerate for the line.
• Sail the boat like a dinghy. All smaller one designs benefit from being sailed like an even smaller boat. Use your crew weight always to steer, move forward and aft depending on wind and sea state. Get good at roll-tacking and roll-jibing in lighter air. Heel the boat to leeward to round the leeward mark- - all boats will benefit from this. Thanks for the contribution from Chris Snow @ North Sails and Scuttlebutt Sailing News.
J/70 CARPE DIEM Honored @ Yacht Club Monaco(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- At the Yacht Club de Monaco’s traditional Winter Cocktail, when Club President HSH Prince Albert II welcomes new members, the YC Monaco Awards– Trophée Credit Suisse 2015 were held to pay tribute to the Club’s top sailors.
The J/70 Monaco Class President Jacopo Carrain, instigator of the J/70 class’s first European Championship held at YC Monaco in October 2015, dominated the J/70 Monaco Championship and the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series 2014-2015. In addition, Carrain also was noted for his excellent performance at the J/70 World Championship in La Rochelle, France- top Monegasque team at 14th overall sailing CARPE DIEM MON-458. In addition, Carrain’s team was also 6th overall in the J/70 Europeans and was, again, top Monegasque team.
Instigated by the Russian sailor Valentin Zavadnikov in 2013, the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series offers a high level program of monthly training regattas for one-designs throughout the winter for experienced teams wanting to train for the upcoming season’s big meetings. The next event takes place from January 15th to 17th- Act III of the J/70 Monaco Winter Series
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* J/88 Sailing Program on Lake Norman, NC- John Killeen reports that, “since last Spring we have been in the process of developing a sailing school and working very closely with the Peninsula Yacht Club on Lake Norman to grow sailing at their club. As you know we delivered J/88 hull# 64 to Brian O’Malay who is a member there and because we have that boat available at the club we've been able to sell another J/88. So, our expectations for 2016 are high!
Last Friday we did a sailing demo at the Peninsula YC for a private investment firm where they pitch investment products to their clients and do fun outdoor activities. We took three groups out on the water and provided sailing instruction to everyone- it was a home run! We also made a short video and took dozens of pictures for the clients. Of course, we used the J/88 as our sailing platform and everyone was all smiles! Click on the link here to see the Google sailing video. More J/88 sailing photos can be found here on Flickr.comLearn more about their sailing program on Lake Norman- please contact John Killeen at jkilleen@carolina.rr.com or ph# 704-236-8303
* Jessie and Katie on a Boat- The “Great Circle Adventurers”! Recently, we got a nice note from Jess about her most amazing adventure sailing thousands of miles with her BFF- Katie.“Stuart! I am always serious about traveling. I am very familiar with J's as I used to work at the Santa Barbara Sailing Center and took my ASA instruction courses on a J/24! I had a wonderful time in Santa Barbara and loved taking people out on the J/24 all the time!
By the way, I would be interested to hear of any opportunities to help crew or deliver on J/Boats. I currently have a lot going on, but will do what I can to squeeze in adventures whenever possible!Thanks for reaching out and please come say ‘Hi’ if you make it to the Chicago or Miami boat show!!”
Note- Chicago Boat Show seminars- January 14th, 15th, 17th & 18th. Miami Boat Show seminars- February 11th & 14th.
For J/Crews anywhere in the world interested in getting one or two incredibly experienced offshore woman sailors on board, please don’t hesitate to contact Jess @ jesszevalkink@gmail.com or Katie @ katieesmith9@gmail.com! Learn more about their two+ years of travels and adventures here- http://katieandjessieonaboat.com/ It is an entertaining blog, to say the least, with many life lessons learned for just about anyone!
* J/30 ZEPHYR- Summer 2015 Sailing Season review- long-time J/30 sailor and boat owner, David Erwin, sent us a note over the holidays- “How’s the crew at J/Boats HQ? We thought you might like a summary of life experiences aboard the J/30 ZEPHYR and our crew from New Orleans YC! The music "On and On" is by Lotus Crush and is available digitally on iTunes and Amazon.com. Thanks to everyone who sailed with us in 2015. Here's one of our 'hot Mama's' sailing fast!! #TeamZephyr #GoSailing!!” Thanks Dave- an entertaining video!! Watch the J/30 Team ZEPHYR YouTube video here.
* J/88 eye-candy- anchored off Columbia- South America! Yes, this is the first time ever that a J/88 has sailed from Cartagena to the Rosario Islands, 23 nm southwest along the Caribbean coastline from the magnificent mountain/beach resort of Cartagena.Learn more about the J/88 family speedster here:
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, for 2015/ 2016! 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 regards their various improvements and refit to the boat (see above). They will again be based at Proper Yachts in St John, US Virgin Islands.
* Bill & Judy Stellin were interviewed 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.
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