NYYC Annual Regatta Preview(Newport, RI)- This weekend, the New York YC will be hosting its Annual Regatta in Newport, RI with the support of SailNewport at Fort Adams. A strong fleet is registered in IRC and PHRF divisions as well as one-design classes like J/105s and in the ORR Navigators races. The IRC boats sail offshore on Rhode Island Sound on basic windward-leeward courses while the PHRF sailors enjoy the random course leg scenarios that are both a navigational and tactical challenge inside Narragansett Bay.
In the IRC fleet of forty-four boats, fully one-quarter of them are J/crews vying for overall class honors. A slew of J/109s include past North American Champion RUSH sailed by Bill Sweetser from Annapolis YC in the mix. Hoping to keep pace with them are Brooke Mastrorios URSA and Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY. Joining them in the hunt for silver include Sedge Ward’s J/111 BRAVO, Jamey Shachoy’s J/122 AUGUST WEST, Ray Rhinelander’s J/133 BELLA J from Newfoundland, Canada, Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE and three J/44s (Chris Lewis’ KENAI, Jim Bishop’s GOLD DIGGER & Lenny Sitar’s VAMP).
The J/105 one-design class has seen a phoenix-like resurrection for the event, with a half-dozen boats in attendance, including past North American Champion Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault sailing GOOD TRADE from San Francisco, CA. Joining them are Mark Lindquist’s STERLING from Beverly YC, Fred Darlington’s TONTO, and Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHERS from Fort Worth Boat Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
The eighteen boat PHRF Navigators division are a cross-section of hot teams on various J’s. Sure to be engaged in an epic duel will be two fast J/88s, Doug McKeige’s JAZZ from American YC and Jeff Johnstone’s ELECTRA from Ida Lewis YC. They will be up against a rogue’s gallery of good J teams like Bill Kneller’s J/109 VENTO SOLARE, Brian Kiley’s J/109 GAMBIT, three J/120s (Marcus Cholerton-Brown’s SUNSET CHILD, Bob Manchester’s VAMOOSE, & Steve Levy’s EAGLE), Vincent & Kristina’s J/33 COCONUT TELEGRAPH, and EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT.
In the ORR Navigators division, a random leg course each day, we find Howie Hodgson’s J/160 TRUE up against a cast of 45 to 60 footers across the cruising/racing spectrum of Swans and Hinckley’s. For more New York YC Annual Regatta sailing information
Landsail Tyres J-Cup Preview(Hamble, England)- Over 60 yachts are expected for The Landsail Tyres J-Cup in Partnership with B&G, exclusively for racing yachts of the J/Boats brand, and this year will incorporate a record four UK National Championships for the J/88, J/97, J/109 and J/111. Besides the four National Championships, an impressive fleet of J/70 Sportboats will be racing, as well as other J Boats racing under the IRC Rating system.
Three days of exciting and highly competitive racing will be complimented by lively shoreside entertainment at the newly constructed Royal Southern Yacht Club's Prince Philip Yacht Haven. The superb facility will be home to The Landsail Tyres J-Cup for the regatta, with well over 400 sailors enjoying the hospitality of the famous club on the River Hamble.
J/111 ClassMarco van Driel's Dutch team racing Sweeny will be racing with the top British J/111s including the current UK National Champion, Tony Mack's McFly. Last year's runner up, Martin Dent's JElvis is as strong as ever and Stuart Sawyer's Black Dog, the winner of a hotly contested Vice Admiral's Cup, is also in great form. Cornel Riklin's J/111 Jitterbug was second only on countback to Black Dog in this year's Vice Admiral's Cup and has been part of the J/111 fleet for several years.
"We are all very much looking forward to the J-Cup. As every year, we expect it to be a tough one-design test of how our crew and boat are shaping up against our J/111 competitors. This year it will be particularly important as we sail our National Championships during the J-Cup and the event is a key part of our preparation for the J/111 Worlds in August. We are looking forward to some great racing on the water and fun partying on shore during the J-Cup."
J/88 Class
The J/88 Class will be competing for their UK National Championship. Last year's winner of the inaugural event, Paul Ward's Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat is back to defend the title.
"We are expecting tough competition with at least four new boats in the fleet." commented Paul Ward. "The J/88 Class is growing and we have 10 boats in the Solent, all racing regularly. The boat is really fast downwind in a big breeze, we are lighting it up and breaking the speed limit with everyone at the back of the boat wearing big grins and loving the ride! The Key Yachting team do a great job looking after all of the J Boat owners and crew and the J-Cup is one of the biggest regattas in the Solent. We meet up with everyone, from the J/70s all the way through the fleets to the J/111s. With the new Yacht Haven at the Royal Southern, it will be a great venue and a great atmosphere on shore. I am looking forward to some sunshine and a few dark 'n stormies at the bar!"
J/109 Class
The J/109 fleet is also set to have a significant number of teams racing for their National Championship with eleven boats among the early entries, including Vice Admiral's Cup winner, Diamond Jem, skippered by Robert Stiles. Competing at The Landsail Tyres J-Cup in the J/109 Class, for the second time, will be Simon Perry's Jiraffe.
"We bought the J/109 for a combination of one design racing and family cruising in the Solent. It's been a perfect boat to introduce my teenaged children to yacht racing. We did the J-Cup last year, but it was literally our first sail on the boat, so we're hoping our subsequent experience at the winter and spring series will result in an improved result. But most of all, we're hoping for some good one design racing at the J-Cup."
J/97 ClassThe J/97 National Championship provides the opportunity for J/97 owners to gather from all over the UK. Andy Howes' Blackjack II will be defending their championship win from last year.
"The J-Cup has always been the must-do event of the year for us." commented Andy. "It is also our J/97 Nationals and gives us a rare chance to do some one design racing. Often this will be the only event we race against some teams who are coming from further afield, so a nice chance to renew some old friendships, and of course rivalries. The social is always great and an important part of the event. We always aim to race hard and party hard. Obviously we know the race area well so that's a plus and while it's great to go on a road trip it gives us more time not having to deliver the boat. (particularly after the Saturday night party!"
J/70 ClassWith a significant number of teams from the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Royal Thames, a bumper fleet of over 20 J/70 Sportboats is expected for The Landsail Tyres J-Cup. It is an integral part of the UK J/70 calendar.
Team Spinnaker Wealth Management is a new J/70 team, skippered by Nigel Evans who is also the social secretary for the J/70 UK Fleet. "I'm driving the boat for the first time, so it's a steep learning curve, but one design racing is always the most fun in my opinion, and we enjoy very close racing where you have to be on top of your game, all the time. As social secretary, we will be making sure the class have as much fun off the water as on it, and continue to build the friendships that already exist, as well as introduce the new owners to the other competitors, and share racing tips on how to progress in the fleet as quickly as possible. It is always a well organized event and this year it returns to the Southern, the 'home club' of the event, but we usually follow the event to any destination."
J/70 Waterjet Precision Cutting is skippered by Steve Northmore with a team from Plymouth: "We really enjoy meeting up with lots of J/70 teams and it is also great to have other J Boats at the regatta, as we have raced a variety of J Boats and it is nice to meet up with old friends. Our crew is made up of two guys I have sailed a lot with over many years; Keith Davis and Nigel Gray and we get on very well, both on the boat and ashore. Our fourth member is new, he is our tactician James Ellis, a very good young dinghy sailor and respected RYA coach, also from Plymouth originally. The social side of the J-Cup is great, especially as there is something different each night." Sailing Photo credit- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com. For more Landsail Tyres J/Cup sailing information
Annapolis 2 Bermuda Race Preview(Annapolis, MD)- 2016 will be the 20th running of the biannual Annapolis-Bermuda Ocean Race and we are working hard to make it the best race ever. We are proud to announce the Race has a new sponsor club in Bermuda, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, located in the heart of the Island's center.
The Annapolis-Bermuda Ocean Race provides a unique combination of inshore and offshore racing through its route down the Chesapeake Bay, across the Gulfstream, and onto Bermuda. It enables many sailors to fulfill a lifelong ambition: a blue water passage to a coral island with white sandy beaches and legendary hospitality.
The Race covers 753 miles, making it the longest ocean race on the east coast of the U.S.
A number of PHRF and class divisions ensure a competitive experience for both seasoned racers and more casual cruisers. A major objective of the Race is to promote the art of navigation for more sailors. A2B provides these challenges within a framework designed for safe offshore sailing.
The fleet is limited to 50 entries, which allows the committee and host clubs to be responsive to the needs of each entrant--a major objective of the race organizers.
The Eastport Yacht Club hosts pre-race social events leading up to the race start, while the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club provides participants with a wonderful venue upon their arrival in Bermuda. The Club provides dockage, a restaurant and bar, showers and laundry and is conveniently situation across from the harbor from downtown Hamilton.
Sailing in the ORR Division will be the J/46 MEDLEY skippered by Mike Boylan from Georgetown Racing Fleet in Blue Bell, PA. In the PHRF Spinnaker racing division of eleven boats will be Lynn McClaskey’s J/110 CIMARRON from Crofton, MD; the J/111 BAD CAT skippered by James Whited from St Leonard, MD; and the J/42 SCHEMATIC sailed by Robert Fox from Arlington, VA. For more Annapolis to Bermuda Race sailing information
Annapolis YC Annual Regatta Preview(Annapolis, MD)- The first long summer weekend in June on the Chesapeake Bay will be the setting for the Annapolis YC’s Annual Regatta, hosted for their enormous one-design fleets of J/22s, J/70s, J/80s, J/30s, J/105s and PHRF sailors.
The eight-boat J/22 fleet has a number of ringers in their midst, include Chris Junge’s CORNER OF SANITY & MADNESS from Eastport YC up against Jeff Todd’s HOT TODDY from AYC.
The J/30s will be graced by the presence of Rob & Beth Lundahl’s RAG DOLL from Frederick MD; Bruce Irvin’s SHAMROCK from Davidsonville, MD; and Tristan Keen’s INFECTIOUS SMILE from Annapolis.
With seven teams, the J/70s have quite a bit of depth in their fleet, with Peter McChesney’s LUCKY having to contend with other local heroes like Todd Hiller’s LEADING EDGE, Peter Firey’s PHOENIX and Will Keyworth’s PAPA WHEELIE.
It’s anyone’s game in the J/80 class of seven boats as many of the top crews are pretty evenly matched. Watch for Alex Kraus’ COOL J battle it out with Bert Carp’s USA 11, Dave Andril’s VAYU and Jim Praley’s GROMIT.
At an even dozen boats, the J/105s are the largest fleet in the regatta with many of the Annapolis fleet superstars in attendance. Watch out for blazing performances from Andy Kennedy’s BAT IV, Don Santa’s SANTAS REIGN DEAR, Carl & Scott Gitchell’s TENACIOUS, John Kircher’s CHESSIA and Jack Biddle’s most-famous RUM PUPPY.
Sailing PHRF A1 will be Stephen McManus’ J/120 SAYKADOO from AYC and in PHRF A2 will be Bill Walczak’s J/88 HORNET. In the PHRF Doublehanded Division are two J/100s, David Powell’s LA FORTUNA from AYC and Dan Leonard’s FLASHPOINT from Eastport YC. PHRF Cruising Spinnaker division will have Karl von Schwarz’s J/30 HURON from AYC gunning for the podium. For more Annapolis YC Annual Regatta sailing information
WetTech Rigging Cronulla J/24 Short Course Regatta Preview(Cronulla, Australia)- As this is going to press, the competitors at the WetTech Rigging Cronulla J/24 Short Course Regatta will be either lowering boats into the water, cleaning out all the accumulated junk from a summer of club racing, or simply catching up with old friends and acquaintances made in previous years.
The Cronulla J/24 Fleet has seen a surge in interest and over the past 3 years has resurrected a regatta to support the J/24 Class and to promote participation in sailing for all who wish to be involved.
Twelve boats have entered with an expected final number on the start line tomorrow of some 15, possibly more, J/24 one design boats.
The Cronulla Fleet is lead by the forever young, David McKay with his race boat Stockcar plus his personnel fleet of 2 other J24’s. Hot on his heels will be Barry Ryan with Pinot, Clinton Hood in Vertigo and Steve O'rourke in CiniO’bryne, last years scratch winner with Steve Quigley on the tiller.Visiting boats include Hugo Ottaway with Bruschetta IV from Victoria, John Crawford, NSW Class President with Innamincka and David West on Ace both from Sydney Harbour, all getting some insider knowledge on the Cronulla venue host of the November NSW Championships and the Australian Titles in January 2017.
The racing is sure to be close with a windward/leeward course of no more than 800 metres. Conducted in the waters of Bate Bay or the confines of the Port Hacking Estuary should strong winds come into play.
The Regatta is proudly supported by Wet Tech Rigging, Macquart Marine, Quantum Sails, Cronulla Marina, Afloat Magazine, Spot a Yacht Photography and AUSSEA Sailing School.
All results will be posted on the Cronulla Sailing Club website at www.cronullasc.com and the Cronulla Sailing Club J24 Facebook page. Standby for a full race report next week.
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
The Mediterranean summer is in full swing and the first major events are taking place on the beautiful island of Sardinia. YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo hosted the J/70s for the third act of their ALCATEL J/70 CUP, emblematic of their summer series-long Italian National Championship. The J/80s were also quite active in northwestern Europe, with the Netherlands J/80 Spring Championship taking place in Almere. Then, over in Le Havre, France, the J/80s were participating in the Normandy Cup.In the Americas, there was a fun-loving offshore race on Lake Michigan called the Goose Island Race hosted by Chicago YC; a number of J/88s cleaned house and one-design fleets of J/111s, J/109s and J/105s also enjoyed the event. At the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay, the Hampton YC in Hampton, Virginia hosted their increasingly popular Southern Bay Race Week for fleets of and PHRF boats. Up the East coast, the Cedar Point YC in Westport, CT hosted their very popular Cedar Point One-Design Regatta for J/70s, J/88s, J/105s and J/109s. Finally, out west five yacht clubs participated in the California Offshore Race Week that took place over a ten-day period. The event concluded with the SoCal 300 Race from Santa Barbara down to San Diego, CA- a J/88, J/111 and J/125 participated in the overall event with good results.
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:
Jun 9-11- J/111 United Kingdom Nationals- Hamble, EnglandJun 9-11- J/Cup United Kingdom- Hamble, England
Jun 10-12- New York YC Annual Regatta- Newport, RI
Jun 10th- Annapolis to Bermuda Race- Annapolis, MD
Jun 10-12- Danish J/70 Sailing League- Juelsminde, Denmark
Jun 10-12- Netherlands J/70 Sailing League- Groningen, Netherlands
Jun 10- RORC Morgan Cup Race- Cowes, England
Jun 11-12- Annapolis YC Annual Regatta- Annapolis, MD
Jun 11- Farallones Race- Belvedere, CA
Jun 16-19- J/111 North American Championship- Chicago, IL
Jun 17-19- Chicago NOOD Regatta- Chicago, IL
Jun 17-19- Cleveland Race Week- Cleveland, OH
Jun 17-19- Dallas Race Week- Dallas, TX
Jun 17- Newport Bermuda Race- Newport, RI
Jun 25-Jul 1- J/80 World Championship- Sotogrande, Spain
Jul 16-16- J/111 European Championship- Hamble, England
Aug 1-4- J/111 World Championship- Cowes, England
J/70 Events:
Jul 22-24- J/70 Great Lakes Championship– Youngstown, NY
Jul 22-24- J/70 Pacific Coast Championship- San Francisco, CA
Sep 15-18- J/70 Rolex Big Boat Series/ Pre-Worlds- San Francisco, CA
Sep 24-Oct 1- J/70 World Championship- San Francisco, CA
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
L’ELAGAIN Victorious In Porto Cervo J/70s(Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)- With eight races held over three days, the third leg of the Alcatel J/70 Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, concluded with the victory of Franco Solerio's L’ELAGAIN. The reigning Italian Champion clinched the top spot with just 2 points to spare over Alberto Rossi's ENFANT TERRIBLE in second place. PENSAVO PEGGIO BH, owned by Filippo Pacinotti and Giuseppe Zavanone, made a strong comeback to take third place.
The final race day was characterized by light and shifty Sirocco breezes, however the YCCS Race Committee, led by PRO Peter "Luigi" Reggio, managed to fit in two windward-leewards. With four teams closely ranked heading into the last day of competition, the battle raged on right down to the final metres of Race Eight where a bullet assured first place overall for Solerio, who also maintains the lead in the overall circuit classification. Alberto Rossi's ENFANT TERRIBLE was forced to settle for second place after three days of heated duels for the title, while a 3-6 scoreline for PENSAVO PEGGIO BH brought them up to third place today.The only female helm in the Italian J/70 class, Claudia Rossi with her PETITE TERRIBLE- ADRIA FERRIES, finished in fourth place overall. Fifth place went to MAGIE DAS Sailing Team owned by Alessandro Zampori, the highest-ranked among the Corinthian competitors.
"We're delighted to have hosted such an exciting event the first time the Italian J/70 have visited our waters. The teams were very competitive and it was great to see several ladies sailing. We look forward to seeing many of you at the J/70 Worlds here in Porto Cervo in September 2017,” commented YC Costa Smeralda Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo during the prize giving at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
The Italian J/70 circuit continues with two events on Lake Garda: Malcesine (23-24 July) and Riva del Garda (9-11 September). For more Alcatel J/70 Cup Italy sailing information
J/88 Wins Goose Island Colors RegattaKASHMIR Takes J/111 Class
(Chicago, IL)- The annual regatta that marks the start of the offshore sailing season in Chicago on Lake Michigan is Columbia YC’s Goose Island Colors Regatta. There was an enormous turnout of J/crews supporting the event and, for the J/111s especially, marked the first major event where crews could get their game on in time for the upcoming J/111 North American Championship hosted by Chicago YC in a fortnight.
What has also become abundantly clear in the past few months of sailing on Lake Michigan is that the mighty little J/88 is simply cleaning up in offshore events from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois, to South Haven, Michigan. In the Colors Regatta Offshore 2 division, the J/88 RAMBLER sailed by Ben Wilson took first place followed by Boyd Jarrell’s J/88 SLOT MACHINE in fourth place. In the Offshore 1 division, Frank Giampoli’s J/120 JAHAZI took third in class filled with 40 to 75 footers!
In the world of one-designs, it was one of Chicago’s top J/111 teams that took home class honors and bragging rights leading into the J/111 NA’s coming up in mid-June- the triumphant trio of Karl Brummel, Steve Henderson and Mike Mayer drove KASHMIR to a convincing victory with four 1sts in just five races! Second was long-distance traveler Bennet Greenwald and crew from San Diego YC on PERSEVERANCE with all top three finishes for just 11 pts total. Tied at 21 pts each were Rich Witzel’s ROWDY and Bill Smith’s WOOTON, with the nod going to Witzel’s crew for third overall. Taking fifth was the fast-learning crew on Kevin Saedi’s MOMENTUS, a past J/109 Great Lakes Championship team.
Taking home class honors in the J/109 class was Peter Priede’s FULL TILT with three bullets in five races. Second was Jim Murray’s CALLISTO and third was Jack Toliver’s VANDA III.
The inmates were definitely running THE ASYLUM, with Jon Weglarz leading the charge in the J/105 fleet with an insanely low score of 6 pts; a result of winning four races and having to tolerate a 2nd in the second race of the first day. Nevertheless, behind their blindingly bright performance it was a horse-race for the balance of the podium. A trio of boats were at it hammer and tong all weekend, with Ken Ganch’s GONZO just squeaking out a second place by one point over the next two boats. Then, third was determined by a tie-breaker with both boats sitting on 15 pts each; Mike Sheppard’s FLYING PIG taking the bronze over Clark Pellet’s SEALARK. Fifth place went to Judith & Ross McLean’s ESPRIT D’ECOSSE. For more Goose Island Colors Regatta sailing information
VITEL SAILING Tops J/80 Normandy Cup(Le Havre, France)- With favorable winds and diversified sailing areas (harbor, estuary, coastline) that allow a wide navigational/ tactical challenge, Le Havre Bay offers exceptional conditions for the student of sailing. Looking forward to those learning experiences were an enthusiastic fleet of J/80 teams, many of whom had their sights set on training for the upcoming J/80 World Championship in Sotogrande, Spain in a few weeks time. After their three-day weekend regatta, it was Damien Michelier’s crew on VITEL SAILING Team that took the overall prize for the J/80 class.
On Friday, the first day of competition, the fleet was raced near the beaches of Le Havre and Sainte Adresse. Patrick Maurin, the J/80 PRO warned his flock of sailors at the morning briefing, "We are considering three races today. We will offer you courses about 50 minutes, on W4 windward-leewards, which means, more maneuvers, more work. Clearly, you'll get your money’s worth today!” And, indeed, the J/80 sailors enjoyed their long day on the water with some excellent racing.
The first race was started at 1140 hrs in 7 knots of north-northeast breeze, a little chilly, but the racing quickly warmed up the sailors. Ecole Navale went first to the leeward mark followed closely by Paprec. At 1230 hrs, the first boat crossed the finish line- Frédéric Hauteville’s ECOLE NAVALE, followed by VITEL SAILING Team in 2nd and HOPE PAPREC in third. The favorites were quick to set the tone!
A second race was started immediately, shortly before 1300 hrs. At the transition of leeward gate, ECOLE NAVALE was leading and ended up maintaining their position to win the race.
As promised, the PRO Patrick Maurin launched a third race at 1400 hrs. Less than an hour later, ECOLE NAVALE again won the race with VITEL SAILING in 2nd and HOPE PAPREC in 3rd.
As there was enough time to get in a fourth race, the PRO again fired off the start just after 1515 hrs. This time it was Sébastien Petithuguenin’s PAPREC RECYCLAGE that won the race followed by LOCAPONTON ECOLE NAVALE in 2nd and SMART GRID ENERGY in 3rd.After this first day of racing, the J/80 sailors were understandably exhausted, but elated they got in four great races on the first day of the regatta!
Saturday’s racing saw four more races take place. In a repeat of the first day, the two PAPREC crew were dueling for the top of the podium. After the first day, they were tied at 10 pts each. However, it was Damian Michelier’s VITEL SAILING team that prevailed and took the overall lead after eight races. ECOLE NAVALE dropped into 2nd place and the two PAPREC’s were just behind them.
As Sunday morning dawned with a beautiful sunny day forecast, the mist over Le Havre Bay slowly cleared and the fleet, again, was treated to yet another gorgeous day of sailing. Michelier commented, “it’s no secret this last day would be tense. The races are just 50 minutes at most, the start fast and it’s easy to make mistakes. We must stay focused to the very end if we want to retain the overall lead in this hotly contested fleet!” Indeed, that is what happened as the J/80 PRO managed to get one more good race in before he sent the fleet home to enjoy the awards ceremony. In the end, VITEL SAILING won, followed by ECOLE NAVALE in 2nd and HOPE PAPREC in 3rd. Michelier (Vitel Sailing Team) was obviously happy with the outcome, “we are obviously delighted! Also, delighted with the way things unfolded. The Committee did a great job by starting the races quickly without waiting, in spite of the variable weather conditions. As for us, we were consistent and managed to get out of bad situations, that is what allowed us to win the Normandy Cup! Thank you to the PRO Maurin for such an outstanding regatta!” Sailing photo credits- Jean-Marie Liot For more J/80 Normandy Cup sailing information
Southern Bay Race Week Report(Hampton, VA)- True to form, the Hampton YC did not disappoint the enormous fleet of J/70s, J/24s, and J/PHRF teams during their very special start of summer event- the Southern Bay Race Week. A number of fleets were near the exhilarating exhaustion point, having completed eleven races over the weekend! Note to regatta PRO’s, tired sailors are a good thing, that means you’ve done your job good and no one can complain!
Winning the J/70s was Clarke McKinney’s ANTAGONIST, counting all top three races in their eleven race series to win with just 17 pts. Taking second was Ron Thompson’s FOR SALE with a nearly identical record of top three places to take second place just one point back. Close, those two were, eh?? Third was Mike Karn’s INCONCEIVABLE with 34 pts, a bit off the pace of the top two, however, having one helluva battle with the next two boats. Fourth was Matt Braun’s E.L.E. with just 36 pts, and only two more points in arrears in fifth place was Jon Deutsch’s NO QUARTER with 38 pts total.
While their J/70 counterparts had stories within stories in their fleet, the J/24s saw a complete fleet domination by Ron Medlin’s BASH, counting only 1sts and 2nds to win with 12 pts total in 11 races! Holy White-Wash, Batman! Surviving the whiplash was Mike Veraldi’s QUICKY in second with 19 pts and Alan Bomar’s ROUNDABOUT (YES!) in third with 26 pts.
In the PHRF Handicap world, it was Craig Wright’s J/109 AFTERTHOUGHT that took second in PHRF A1 class. In PHRF A2 division, Phil Briggs’ J/36 FEATHER sailed a consistent series to collect the bronze. They were followed by Don DeLoatch’s J/105 SPECIAL K in sixth and Will Roberts’ J/36 REMEDY in seventh.
Perhaps the big story of the regatta was the awesome domination of PHRF B1 class by Ben Weeks & Michele Cochran’s J/29 RUMBLE, winning class with straight bullets for counters! Third was Ryan McCrillis’ J/80 HAKA.
In the meantime, the wished for clean sweep of PHRF B2 by J/30s did not come to pass. Nevertheless, two of them posted strong performances; Rusty Burshell’s COOL CHANGE took the silver while fellow J/30 owner Ben Ritger’s BLEW-J took fourth.
Last, it was Vernon Eberwine’s J/36 SEA STAR that also had a near clean sweep of her PHRF Non-Spin class, winning by just one point after a toss race. Great performances overall by J/teams in all divisions in Hampton! For more Southern Bay Race Week sailing information
SoCal 300 Race & CORW Report(Santa Barbara, CA)- The 2016 California Offshore Race Week featured the combined forces of five yacht clubs along the California coast to produce a fortnight-long schedule of offshore racing.
The race brought together the Spinnaker Cup, the Coastal Cup and the SoCal 300 from May 27th to June 5th- from San Francisco to Monterrey to Santa Barbara to San Diego. In between races, the boats had enough layover time in each port to make modifications to their boats for the next legs, participate in beer can races, return to work or just meet up with friends and family.
Beginning on May 27, 58 boats competed in the 88nm Spinnaker Cup from San Francisco to Monterey. This was followed on May 30 by 27 boats participating in the 200nm Coastal Cup from Monterey to Santa Barbara. The finale on June 3 was the SoCal 300 taking 27 teams along the 254nm course from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
The fleet experienced increasingly lighter winds coming down the coast, which foreshadowed expectations going into the SoCal 300. Forecasts were predicting a massive high pressure system to stall on the coast and push the much sought after Pacific trade winds even further out to sea.
The race started in about 2-4 knots of wind that stayed light until boats were able to clear the Santa Cruz Channel where there was slightly more pressure, but nothing too significant.
One crew member on a Santa Cruz 52 described the race as, “it was a brutal, challenging race because the wind never got going. The fog was extremely dense, with maybe only 100 feet of visibility. The toughest part was getting out of the Santa Cruz Channel. Because of these factors, it took us an extra 12 hours to complete the race this year compared to last year.”
A skipper on a Santa Cruz 50 was trapped in the lee between the two Santa Cruz Islands. “We made the decision to put our anchor down at one point because we weren’t certain where the currents would take us. We didn’t want to hit a rocky point and be forced to turn the engine on. So we dropped anchor next to a Cal 40, which looked like a complete ghost ship in the distance because of the fog.”
Seventeen teams competed in all three events that comprised the inaugural California Offshore Race Week. In the SoCal 300 race, Viggo Torbensen’s’ crew from Dana Point YC prevailed in the difficult conditions to take second in PHRF D Class and, as a result, 5th in PHRF D class overall for the CORW.
With a 2-2-5 record, it was Scott Grealish’s J/88 BLUE FLASH from Portland, Oregon and the Willamette SC that took the silver in the overall CORW series for PHRF D Class. Sailing photo credit- Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing.com. For more SoCal 300 Race sailing information
Cedar Point One-Design- A Class Act!(Westport, CT)- A few years ago, many people may have asked where Cedar Point was, notwithstanding the fact they could have “googled” themselves where it was in the first place! Doh! Such are the trials and tribulations of promoting regattas and getting people to begin to appreciate what your event has to offer to each sailor! Nevertheless, the Cedar Point YC in Westport, CT has prevailed and with their incredibly generous hospitality, has managed to attract an enormous following in recent years to their Cedar Point One-Design Regatta. Who knew, eh? Can you imagine that over the June 4th to 5th weekend that over 80 boats and at least 500+ sailors had a scream chasing each other around the course? Yup! You bet, CPYC knows how to host a fun regatta. The most secretive regatta on the late spring/ early summer calendar. Just don’t go next year, you may have too much fun! :0
No question, the J/Tribe was there in full force. One-design fleets of J/70s, J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s forming about 9/10ths the participants in the event. Great sailing, fun people, and much to be learned from fellow one-design sailors— with Ken Read’s NORTH SAILS Team providing some interesting insights on the proceedings for tactics, strategy, sail trim, sail shape and other sailing speed stuff.
In the seventeen boat J/70 fleet, the largest at the regatta, it was Allan Stern & Bill Walker’s VICTURA that took the class championship by the narrowest of margins. Just one point back was Andrew & Melissa Fisher’s BUTTON FLY from Greenwich, CT taking second overall, as well as the winning the Corinthians Division. Third was Scott & Alex Furnary’s ANY COLOUR with 12 pts. Fourth was Trevor Roach’s SEMI-CHARMED and also taking 2nd in Corinthians. Fifth overall and third Corinthians was Carrie & Ed Austin’s CHINOOK.The J/88s continued to see a massive game of “chutes & ladders” amongst the top boats. A general theme has emerged over the past year, no question that Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION and Mike Bruno’s WINGS are considered to be class leaders and have traded off winning major events over the past year. However, “new kids on the block” are beginning to figure it all out and are also beginning to show flashes of brilliance. So it goes in a new one-design class as each team learns how to go faster and faster. This time, it was Vogel’s DEVIATION crew that just squeaked out a victory by one point over Bruno’s WINGS crew. Third was Ken & Drew Hall’s NEVERMORE with 12 pts. The “fly in the ointment crew” may be the gangsters on Doug Newhouse’s YONDER team, having posted a 2-1-4 but suffering a DSQ in race four to take them out of the picture overall. Otherwise, the YONDER team was tied on points for the lead going into the last race with DEVIATION and just one point ahead of WINGS! That is incredibly close, tactical racing! Just behind that pack was Kevin Marks’ VELOCITY crew.
The hugest offshore big boat fleet was the J/105 class, not surprisingly. The sixteen-boat class saw great racing amongst the class leaders on Long Island Sound. In the end, it was Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU narrowly winning class with a 6-4-2-2 for 14 pts. Second was Dave Willis’ SOLUTION with a 5-2-8-1 scoreline for 16 pts. Third was a totally new crew in the top three in J/105 sailing (a sign for the future??), Za & Libby Jelliffe’s ARETE with basic 8-6-1-3 tally for 18 pts (get it?, they are learning fast). Fourth were class veterans George & Alex Wilbanks’ REVELATION with 20 pts and in fifth was Randy Bourne’s STRANGE BREW.
Twelve J/109s congregated for their East Coast Championship. What many sailors may not appreciate is that J/109 sailing can be incredibly tight, competitive sailing. Yes. It is a cruising boat. Well, it does have an aft head with a huge shower. But, it has a nav table, a massive stereo setup (for those who “man-up”), and a huge “play-pen” in the bow for those who can appreciate such things. Before we forget why J/109 owners love their boats, we should remember that it is a cruising-racing sailboat that has won many offshore events in IRC/ ORC/ ABC/ PHRF and lots of other alphabet rating rules. Remember CCA and IOR? Forgetting all that for a second, on a one-design basis it was David Rosow’s crew on LOKI that took the championship with a solid 2-2-1-6-1 scoreline for 6 pts net. Amazing. It may be the first time that Bill Sweetser’s J/109 global domination team on RUSH had to settle for second with the most incredible scoreline of 1-1-5-1-7 for 8 pts net. Hoping to be in the chocolates was Carl Olsson’s crew on MORNING GLORY, posting an insanely consistent 3-4-3-4-3 for 13 pts net. Missing out being a bridesmaid again was Adrian Begley’s MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN, happy settle for fourth. Fifth was Jonathan Rechtshaffer’s EMOTICON. For more Cedar Point One-Design Regatta sailing information
Beckman Triumphs @ Almere J/80 Regatta
(Almere, The Netherlands)- Enjoying an unexpectedly great weekend of sailing were the J/80s in the Netherlands for their Spring Championship. In the end, it was the JSB TEAM with skipper Rebecca Beckman that won the Open Benelux J/80 championship.
The two-day event had eight races run for the entire fleet on the Iljsemeer massive lake that is renowned for those who sail huge dinghy championships on its incredibly choppy waters (e.g. square waves that are induced by its incredibly shallow waters).
While the wind forecasters for windguru and windfinder showed unstable and light wind predictions, it was clear they were ALL wrong! Saturday was steady 10-15 knots and Sunday was 15-20 knots from the northeast. Ideal conditions!!
The JSB J/80 Team was able to sail a higher and faster than any other and, therefore, were virtually invulnerable to any of the other teams! In the end, it was Jorrit Beekman’s team that walked off with the regatta win with four bullets in their last four races to win with just 8 pts net.
Taking second was Peter Paul de Vries crew on LED2LEASE with 12 pts net, winning two races and taking two 2nds to just hang onto the silver. Just off the pace was Nick Elsink’s J’ZUSTER with 13 pts net, only one point back and having to account for the fact that four 2nds in eight races was not good enough to win! Fourth was Berend Holsboer’s JEEEH and fifth was Roel & Torsten’s JOYRIDE.
Delta Ditch Blast!(Richmond, CA)- The J/70s sailed as a class in this year’s crazy Delta Ditch Run, that annual classic that starts off Richmond YC in the upper San Francisco Bay and finishes in Stockton, CA, 60nm east up the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The top J/70s managed to cover the race course in just over 10 1/2 hours! That’s quick considering that is about a 5.7 kt average SOG against a 1.5 to 2.0 kt current!
Leading the J/70s was Tom Jenkin’s DFZ, second was Brant Adornato’s HELLCAT, third was Justin Fox’s FLOTEK and fourth was Chris Andersen’s PERFECT WIFE. For more Delta Ditch Race sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
-----------
* J/70 AUSTRALIA- A View From Down Under- Andrew Kings, a J/70 Owner from Australia had this to say about his recent J/70 sailing experience-
“Greetings, from the bottom of the world. I am a very proud owner of J/70 hull 399. It provides me with a lot of pleasure. That said, I am not a typical J/70 owner, nor did I buy her for the typical reasons someone buys a one-design sport boat. I am 62, retired, and live in a small seaside village on Bass Strait. The yacht club has an eclectic fleet of 6 to 8 keelboats. Our sailing season is only 4 to 5 months and the boats are on swing moorings during the season and then removed. Generally, I sail alone, or with a guest, who is new to the boat. So, I was looking for a day sailor that was easy to handle alone, but, spirited enough to provide lots of fun. The added advantage of being trailerable and without an inboard engine also made the annual launch, removal, and servicing, simpler, and significantly cheaper. Not to mention a high boom for aged knees!
As we use a performance handicap system in our club, I am not bound by one design rules so I have replaced the winches with Harken 15 ST self tailers (which fitted the mounting step perfectly) which help considerably with tacking. Handling multiple sails and the tiller without hitting a fellow sailor or the channel markers we use as buoys can be challenging at times! I originally fitted a top down furler to the asymmetric, however, it was problematic so if the winds are reasonable (10-15 knots) I put the tiller on the clutch run forward and hoist the kite alone. Dropping it single handed is always entertaining, especially for my competitors, and I don’t have any time to repack it if we have two downwind legs, but, it is all good fun.
For your amusement I have attached a short video of Hull 399 ‘Soixante Dix’ taken by one of my competitors on a very benign day. Sure I’ll never stand on a podium, or one design fleet race, but for me the J/70 is a perfect boat and is proof that the formula is successful across many spectrums. Well done!” For a guy who is 62 years old— go figure!!!
* A Race Anchored in History- a family goes yachting on their J/133 to Mackinac. Every July, more than 350 boats line up at the shores of Chicago’s Lake Michigan as they embark on the Race to Mackinac Island, Michigan: the longest fresh water race in the world at 333 miles long, and one of the oldest, as well. What started in 1898 with just five boats has now garnered the attention of sailors worldwide, from Maine and California, to Hong Kong and Australia.Winnetka residents Tom and Beth Ann Papoutsis are included in that cohort and have been since 2006 when they bought the 43-foot Renegade, a J/133 named when Tom coined himself the “renegade of the family.” While Beth Ann didn’t grow up sailing, she had hopes that the race would be a creative and adventurous way for the family to spend time together. “I had always admired this great tradition here in Chicago, and we all love the lake,” she says. “We thought it would be a wonderful experience for our family to sail together, and the Mac race has become a highlight of our summer.”
Their five children—Joey, Catherine, Paul, Andrew, and Mia are at varying stages of life and career paths, which means that the crew looks a little different each year. Still, some aspects remain consistent, including their crew chief Larry Kwiat, a long-time friend and the Race Fleet Chairman at Columbia Yacht Club with decades of sailing experience. “When you have your family and crew in the middle of the lake with gale force winds and waves battering your small boat, someone who has completed 42 Mac races is a great asset,” notes Tom.
Their oldest son Joey has also established some strong sea legs over the years—this year will be his 11th Mac race, having started his participation in the tradition at just 14 years old. Don’t let those teenage capabilities fool you, though—Tom is quick to point out that the race is anything but breezy.“It can go from being a nice, romantic sail while watching the sunset, to being an ultra extreme sport in a flash—the weather on Lake Michigan can change so quickly,” he says, describing the foredeck position, which Joey carries out, to be one of the most demanding roles on the boat. “It’s those guys who are beating into ten foot waves in the pitch black of night with water washing over them.”
It takes a strong crew to handle those elements accordingly, while also navigating the best course to take. “The three things that determine the race are how hard you race, the course you take, and how lucky you are,” says Tom. “It’s a 333-mile race, but sometimes the finishes are like photo finishes—everything you do before then can make the difference between winning and losing.”
It’s a race that requires a crew with a strong dynamic, as well. The race takes anywhere from two to three days without breaks, a plan that results in sleeping rotations every four hours and nonstop hustle. “Our most successful year was in 2010, and we won our section that year,” Tom notes. It’s a win he credits largely to the team they put together that year, which consisted of three father and son pairs, including himself and Joey. “It’s when you have everybody in sync that you really see your best results.” Beth Ann agrees. “It’s very key to have a crew that works well together,” she says. “We’ve had some rock star sailors who have joined us, but if the chemistry isn’t right or if the crew becomes polarized, then we don’t seem to do as well.”
It’s one of the biggest incentives for Tom and Beth Ann to encourage the entire family to go through the experience. “I really value our children participating in this tradition because it’s such a great lesson in teamwork,” says Beth Ann. “When you have 10 to 12 people together, in a relatively small space, racing a sailboat through precarious conditions, you better learn quickly how to get along, respect each other, support each other and have each other’s backs. Those are fine lessons that Tom and I both want to instill
in our children.” Thanks for the contribution from by Nicole Schnitzler.* Surf’s Up Sailing J/80’s in Hawaii! Kaneohe Yacht Club's J/80 fleet is preparing for the start of their Summer Circuit 2016. From left to right are Alohalani, Crusader, Mojito, and Papio.
Races start June 11th and run until the 26th in beautiful Kaneohe Bay. If you are interested in participating in the fleet as crew, please contact Bob Stephenson at email- bob.stephenson@navy.mil.
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.
|
