Annapolis Sailboat Show Time!
See the J/70, J/88, J/95 & J/112E
(Annapolis, MD)- J/Boats is looking forward to seeing members of the J/Tribe at the Annapolis Sailboat Show from October 6th to 10th. The J/112E will be making its Annapolis show debut and she will be joining the J/88 family speedster and the world’s fastest growing sportsboat class- the International J/70.
The Famous J/70 Sportsboat- Now 1,111 Boats Strong!! The J/70 is J/Boats’ first ramp-launchable keelboat- designed to fulfill the growing need for an easy-to-own, high-performance one-design, that is exciting to sail, stable enough sailboat for the family, and built to last. Learn more about the wildly popular J/70 here.
The J/88 family speedster has achieved extraordinary performances offshore since launch, including winning her class in the Chicago to Mackinac Race, the Queens Cup Race, the Waukegan Race, the Tri-State Race and the Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race. Learn more about this “pocket rocket” and why she is both fun to sail one-design racing, but an absolute scream to sail fast in offshore planing conditions in just the 8-10 kts wind! Learn more about the J/88 family speedster here.What’s not to LOVE about the new J/112E Sport Cruiser?! The J/112E is a SAIL Magazine Best Boats Nominee for 2017- learn more about her nomination here. The J/112E is also a Cruising World and Sailing World “Boat of the Year” Nominee for 2017- learn more about her nominations here.
Plus, she is also nominated for European Yacht of the Year 2017, the J/112E is the newest addition to the J/Boats “E” Series of versatile performance sailing yachts. A welcome 36 feet in length, she features a spacious two-cabin accommodation plan and a comfortable, ergonomic cockpit. The J/112E is as well suited for the annual family cruise as she is racing in the local club regatta or short-handing through rough weather. Please visit us in Annapolis to view this gorgeous cruising yacht for the entire family!
The first shoal-draft, performance daysailor, from the J/Design team- the J/95 centerboarder- continues to enjoy tremendous popularity in popular cruising and sailing grounds that have less than 6 ft of water- like the Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Chesapeake and many lakes in the Midwest. See why so many love her large, wide open cockpit, perfect for daysailing with friends and why her twin-rudders and large wheel make her so easy to handle in tight spaces. Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing. For more Annapolis Boat Show information
J/World Race Weeks in San Diego!(San Diego, CA) - J/World Sailing School’s famous Racing Weeks will be running in San Diego this Fall and Winter- from October 24-28 and December 5-9. J/World has been teaching and refining this course for 35 years now. Their staff, curriculum, and their approach make them the undisputed industry leader when it comes to performance sailing. They cover everything from boat-handling and sail trim to strategy and tactics. Spend a week with them on their fleet of matched J/80 one-design performance sailboats, and they will send you home smarter, stronger, and faster. That's absolutely guaranteed!! Learn more here about J/World’s sailing courses
Quantum Sails NSW J/24 State Championship Announcement!(Melbourne, Australia)- With just a month to go, entries have started flowing in for what just could be the largest gathering of J/24s in Australia for some years – the Quantum Sails NSW J24 State Championships to be held from 5th to 6th November 2016.
The first entry came from the ever keen Ron Thomson from Melbourne— that’s correct, the Victorians have drawn first blood. Simon Grain, another Sandringham Yacht Club stalwart, will also be making the journey to Cronulla with possible others (Mr. J24 himself Hugo Ottaway?). Defending the high ground of the Cronulla Sailing Club will be the forever young David Mckay (Yachtsman of the Year 1970-71, who continues to celebrate his Moth World Championship win 1969/70), Barry Ryan (a strong contender with his local crew) and Clinton Hood with his strong and loyal crew who have been sailing to success in many club races.
As always, more competition will be heading to Cronulla from the rest of NSW: Arthur Crothers, John Crawford, Terry Wise and also reports of Sean Kirkjian gathering teams and making the journey south, as well as the always-present Marc Van Dinther from Botany Bay Sailing Club, bringing his gun crew and practicing constantly.
This Championship will be a fantastic event, held within the forever-friendly Cronulla Sailing Club that prides itself on being run by volunteers and not by employees. Those volunteers are led by Fiona Campbell and David Mclachlan, who can remember the last time a NSW State Championships was held in Cronulla.
If you own a J/24 and are interested in dusting it off and getting involved, there’s still time. Contact the NSW J/24 Committee to find out just what you need to do. The J/24 Class continues to resurface not only in Cronulla but NSW and beyond. What other keelboat Class offers competitive racing at a bargain price? Enjoying the close one-design racing and also the after-race action of the BBQ, refreshments and hospitality the club is renowned for! For more Quantum Sails NSW J/24 States sailing information
7th Annual J/Fest Southwest Announcement!(Seabrook, TX)- Come join us for Halloween Weekend- October 29 - 30, 2016! The regatta is open to all J/Boat owners, their crew, and their family and friends! The sailors will participate in top-notch racing on the water and enjoy a superb shoreside environment with food and entertainment!
Lakewood Yacht Club is one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the region with quick access to Galveston Bay! And, the J/Fest Southwest Race Committee is working overtime to make the 7th Annual J/Fest the BEST YET! For more J/Fest Southwest registration & sailing information
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
The last week of September closed out with amazing sailing in a number of famous venues around the world. For starters, the ALCATEL J/70 World Championship was hosted by St Francis YC and the 69 teams had epic sailing conditions all week long in classic San Francisco Bay breezes- 15-25 kts plus for 4 of the 5 days racing! Simultaneously, over on the east coast, the J/88 North American Championship was hosted by American YC in Rye, New York, with eight teams battling for class honors on western Long Island Sound. Also, taking place in the same location was the American YC Fall Series- sailed off Rye, NY and hosted by AYC on Long Island Sound for one-design fleets of J/70s, J/88s, J/105s, J/44s, plus PHRF fleets with J/111s, J/109s, J97s, and J/92s. Then, just north in New Hampshire, the annual J/Jamboree for J/80s was sailed on Lake Winnipesaukee and hosted by the Lake Winnipesaukee Yacht Club. On the mid-Atlantic coast, the Annapolis YC Fall Series for J/22s, J/70s, and J/80s were sailed on the Chesapeake Bay; it was also the J/22 East Coast Championship.Up north in the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia, the J/70 Canadian Championship was held on the beautiful waters off Halifax and hosted by the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron.
Hopping across the big pond to Europe, we find two national finales taking place in the SAILING Champions League. The Netherlands J/70 Sailing League finale was sailed in Almere, The Netherlands for 18 clubs. And, the Swiss J/70 Sailing League finale held was sailed on Lake Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland for 18 clubs. Meanwhile, close by along the North Sea, the J/80 Benelux Quantum Winter Series training program began for the 2016/ 2017 season hosted by The Frostbite Cup Organization. South of these regattas, the Spanish J/80 Copa de Espana- emblematic of their National Championship- was sailed off Barcelona, Spain on lovely, warm Mediterranean waters.
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:
Oct 12-15- US Adult Sailing Championship (J22)- San Diego, CAOct 15-16- Cleveland (216) Regatta- Cleveland, OHOct 20-23- J/70 Corinthian Nationals- Annapolis, MD
Oct 20-23- J/105 North American Championship- Larchmont, NY
Oct 21-23- J/105 Masters Regatta- San Diego, CA
Oct 28-30- J/105 Lipton Cup- San Diego, CA
Oct 28-30- J/Fest Southwest Regatta- Seabrook, TX
Oct 29-Nov 1- French J/80 Nationals- Pornichet, France
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
CATAPULT Wins Epic ALCATEL J/70 Worlds!
(San Francisco, CA)- The regatta promised San Francisco Bay’s classic weather conditions and provided it in spades! Five straight, exhausting days of sailing in conditions that ranged from sunny, sublime waters with winds in the 8 to 15 kts range to foggy, chilly and nuking- the proverbial “blowing dogs off chains” pounding upwind in washing machine chop and flying downwind with bow wakes arcing over the entire boat!
“It’s been a tough series for us— we expected that— but, it’s been tougher than we thought,” said Simon Ling, skipper of the Corinthian Team RAF Benevolent Fund SPITFIRE (GBR 123). “Everyone warned us that it was going to be cold and windy, and it has certainly delivered. We like those conditions, but sailing a keelboat in the chop— we haven’t had a lot of experience with that, so that’s all been part of the learning curve this week. It’s been a fantastic event and we are loving it.” Ling’s comments were echoed time and again all week long by most of his compatriots on the race track.Sixty-eight boats from 15 different countries sailed the 2016 ALCATEL J/70 World Championships, which was hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California. The Bay’s outrageous sailing conditions, made the twelve-race regatta a real test of skills- featuring some light-air action along with 15-25 kts winds and monstrous chop due to the afternoon ebb-tide cycles on the infamous Berkeley Circle sailing area.
After twelve races, Joel Ronning and his CATAPULT crew, that included San Francisco local John Kostecki, the only sailor to have won the America's Cup, an Olympic medal and the Volvo Ocean Race, took first place (49 points), followed by Julian Fernandez Neckelmann's FLOJITO Y COOPERANDO team (66 points), that included World Champion tactician Bill Hardesty, and Jud Smith's AFRICA team (76 points), that included tactician Victor Diaz DeLeon, which largely hails from the Marblehead, Massachusetts area.Following on last week’s first three day’s reports, here is what transpired for the penultimate day and the finale.
Day FourBy the fourth day of sailing, the regatta had become something of an endurance contest for everyone. Yes, sailors are a hearty type, but even hearty bodies get tired, especially when exposed to world-class competition that requires A-game performances for several days in a row. Such was the game in this high-octane event. Stir in an even stronger ebb-tide cycle and the Berkeley Circle racing area quickly became a sea of white caps on top of enormous chop that sapped boatspeed and tested everyone’s stamina.
The day began innocently enough, with bluebird skies, 4-6 knots of breeze, and a flood tide that kept the racecourse smooth for the run to Berkeley Circle. Then, the air filled to 8-10 knots. Two knots of flood tide escorted the fleet back downhill after rounding the weather mark in 10-15 knots. These conditions suited Brian Keane and his Savasana (USA 96) crew, who took the day’s first bullet. “We got a good start; we got off the line cleanly. We headed to the left side of the course, and we got into the good wind and current,” said Keane, adding, “I like these conditions!”
Unfortunately, for Savasana and other teams that prefer the cerebral stuff, Mother Nature had other plans, as the breeze continued building and the tide clocked from flood to ebb. Small white caps appeared that grew into deeper troughs and prouder peaks as the tide powered up and the breeze built to 15-18 knots. The Race Committee started Race 9 cleanly, and—come the leeward gate—Douglas Strebel’s Black River Racing (USA 51) was in the lead, followed by Heather Gregg’s Corinthian MUSE (USA 95) and Matías Seguel’s Allegro (CHI 74). Strebel successfully staved off advances from the pack to take the bullet, followed by Joel Ronning’s Catapult (USA 187) and then MUSE.Conditions got serious in Race 10, as the ebbing tide and breeze produced the week’s biggest seas thus far. Outbound water swept enough boats over the line early to warrant a general recall, which in turn inspired the race committee to fly the U flag, meaning that anyone OCS would be disqualified. Unfortunately, for Claudia Rossi’s Petite Terrible (ITA 853), who began the day in first, the Race Committee announced her over early; Rossi and company sailed a brilliant race and crossed the line in first place, only to realize their starting-line mistake. Instead, the bullet went to Jud Smith’s Africa (USA 179), followed by Ling’s Team RAF Benevolent Fund Spitfire and Ricardo Brockmann’s Vincitore (MEX 401).
Just yesterday, Smith reported that he preferred light-air sailing after taking a bullet in Race 7. “I changed my mind!” said an ebullient Smith. “We had a good start, the breeze was a bit more predictable this afternoon, and we have good speed. We’re good upwind and we’re good in the breeze.”
After four days and ten races, Ronning’s Catapult was topping the leaderboard, followed by Julian Fernandez Neckelmann’s Flojito Y Cooperando (MEX 384) and Carlo Alberini’s Calvi Network (ITL 456).
Day FiveThroughout the five-day, 12-race regatta, San Francisco Bay tested the heavy-air skills of the skippers and teams, so it was a bit of an anomaly when the wind was light on the final day of racing at this world-class event. A flood tide and 5 knots of breeze allowed for a spinnaker ride from St. Francis Yacht Club to the Berkeley Circle. There, racers were greeted a short postponement as the race committee waited for the breeze to gather.
Fortunately, the wait was contained to a half-hour, giving racers time to sort out their light-air modes and get their heads into the final two races. Prior to the sound of the day’s first warning signal, Catapult was topping the leaderboard, followed by Flojito Y Cooperando and Calvi Network. However, a light-air pop quiz would ultimately see a leaderboard change as Jud Smith and his Africa teammates and Calvi Network charged hard on the day the mattered most.
Once reliable pressure filled in, the race committee (RC) launched the fleet on a 1.6-nautical-mile beat in 6-8 knots of breeze. Africa slowly began sliding ahead and to weather of her competition, allowing Smith to enjoy a private windward-mark rounding as the pursuing fleet battled for clear air.
Smith held his lead for the entire race, strutting into the leeward gate rounding and the final run to the finishing line in a wing-on-wing configuration that was replicated by the other contenders. Brian Keane’s Savasana (USA 96) and Neckelmann’s Flojito Y Cooperando followed Africa across the finishing line. “I consider us [to be] more of a light-air team,” said Smith, who clearly liked Race 11. “The guys did a great job getting us off the line, and we [went] the right way.” As for his the trick to amassing his enviable lead, Smith explained, “we didn’t have to fight, we could go our own way.”Smith’s hometown of Marblehead, Massachusetts may have properly trained him for light-air fights, but it was the two best San Francisco hometown tacticians— Paul Cayard, sailing aboard Alberini’s Calvi Network, and John Kostecki, sailing aboard Ronning’s Catapult (USA 187)— who were able to capitalize on the heavier airs and ebbing tides that kicked in every afternoon.
While the Sailing Instructions included a 1430 hours deadline for the regatta’s last warning signal, the RC successfully delivered a full-ticket series to the competitors who had gathered from 15 nations. An ebbing tide, building chop, and a breeze that had built to the mid-teens defined Race 12, which began under friendly P Flag starting-line conditions. Alberini’s Calvi Network owned Race 12, promptly getting their bow into clear air and giving the rest of the fleet a fine view of their transom all the way to the finishing line.
After a full week of hotly contested racing, Ronning’s CATAPULT (USA 187) claimed the title of World Champions. “We feel like we sailed quite well,” said Kostecki. “We put a lot of preparation in, and we feel it paid off.” Fernandez-Neckelmann’s FLOJITO took the silver followed by Smith’s AFRICA in third. Rounding out the top five was Carlo Alberini’s CALVI NETWORK, with World Champion and Volvo Race Champion Paul Cayard as tactician, placing fourth, and Claudia Rossi’s PETITE TERRIBLE team from Italy taking fifth. Notably, Claudia also won the Helen Johnstone Memorial Trophy for the top woman skipper at the World Championship.In the hotly contested Corinthian class, which awards its own trophy and championship title, Shawn Bennett, StFYC/SFYC (USA 32), took top honors, followed by Simon Ling’s Team RAF Benevolent Fund Spitfire (GBR 123) in second, Pat Toole’s Three Big Dogs (USA 58) from Santa Barbara YC in third, Heather Gregg’s MUSE from New York YC in fourth and Jim Cunningham’s LIFTED in fifth position.
Finally it should be noted, the Masters Award went to Peter Cunningham, the 70-year old skipper of POWERPLAY RACING, a long-time J-sailor, having raced J/24s and a J/29 by the same name for years and now races J/22s locally at the Cayman Islands Sailing Club in the Cayman Islands.While the ink was still drying on 2016’s final results, news broke at Thursday night’s Italian-themed party, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, that the 2017 Alcatel J/70 World Championships will be held in Porto Cervo, Italy at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda from September 12-16. “The location is amazing,” said Mauro Melandri, who works with the J/70 class in Italy. “The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is at the beginning of a natural fjord and the waters are a gorgeous, deep, azure blue- it’s breathtakingly beautiful. We invite all J/70 sailors from around the world to join us for this premiere event!” Sailing photo credits- Chris Ray- http://www.crayvip.com/ Sharon Green-Ultimate Sailing- http://www.ultimatesailing.com For more information about ALCATEL For more ALCATEL J/70 World Championship sailing information.
WINGS Flies @ J/88 North Americans(Rye, NY)- American YC hosted the inaugural J/88 North American Championship on Western Long Island Sound from September 30th to October 2nd. The forecast was daunting for the weekend, with breezes offering 20-30 kts from the northeast on Friday/ Saturday and lighter easterlies on Sunday in the 8-15 kts range. The choppy, breezy start to the regatta kept the sailor’s hands full with trimming sails fast upwind and making sure to keep the boat under the spinnaker downwind while in full-on planing mode. Taking advantage of the challenging weather and winning the eight-race event was Mike Bruno’s WINGS.
During the first day of the regatta, it was clear the battle from the start was going to be between Bruno’s WINGS and Doug Newhouse’s YONDER. After Friday, YONDER was leading with a 1-3-1 record to WINGS’ 2-1-3. The second day saw enormous fluctuations in everyone’s scorelines, including the initial leaders. By the end of Saturday, John Pearson’s RED SKY was making a bid to leap up the standings with a 2-1-8, but not enough to crack the top three. Meanwhile, Bruno’s WINGS crew managed a 1-5-2 to eke out a small lead over Newhouse’s YONDER that had a steady 3-3-4. On the final day, the fleet continued its roller-coaster, “snakes & ladders” scoreline. For example, Kevin Marks’ VELOCITY posted a 1-9-1, which ultimately enabled them to crack the top three. But, it was Bruno’s WINGS team that nailed it, knocking out an unassailable scoreline of 2-1-3 to assure their grip on the first J/88 North American Championship.
Ironically, the standings nearly inverted from the previous weekend’s scores, essentially the “Pre-NA’s” during the American YC Fall Series. RED SKY, Ken & Drew Hall’s NEVERMORE, and Doug McKeige’s JAZZ were 1-2-3. The NA’s finished with WINGS first, YONDER second, VELOCITY third, JAZZ fourth and RED SKY fifth! Remarkably, it is amazing to see that all top five boats had at least two top three finishes in their 8-race scoreline! That is a healthy sign for any one-design fleet! Distribution of top three scores is indicative of highly competitive, talented teams that are sailing at an equitable level of performance.For more J/88 North American Championship sailing information
BRIBON MOVISTAR J/80 Copa de Espana Star!(Barcelona, Spain)- Over the past weekend, the famous Spanish J/80 fleet held their national championship, known as the Copa de Espana in Barcelona, Spain. The fleet enjoyed a great turnout and had nine races over the course of the three-day event hosted by YC Barcelona. Winning the event was Marc de Antonio’s BRIBON MOVISTAR.
Continuing their on-going battle for Spanish J/80 fleet domination all season long were the two protagonists, BRIBON MOVISTAR and Jose Maria Van der Ploeg’s NAUTICA WATCHES (a past J/80 World Champion and Olympic medalist). No matter what NAUTICA WATCHES did, they could not overcome the momentum established all season-long by de Antonio’s BRIBON MOVISTAR. Both boats traded taking 1st and 2nds all regatta-long. However, the big break to establish a larger lead for BRIBON MOVISTAR took place in the 7th race when NAUTICA WATCHES posted a 5th place. Thereafter, the two leaders each won one of the two last races, BRIBON MOVISTAR winning the match race over NAUTICA WATCHES.
The “brides maid”, to some degree, was Javier de la Gandara’s OKOFEN, grabbing whatever scraps were left on the table from the two giants battling at the top of the leaderboard. In the end, they grabbed the bronze on the podium. While starting off a bit slow, Gandara’s OKOFEN nearly averaged the scores of the top two boats during the middle of the series, with scores of 2-3-4-3-1. However, after winning the ninth race, their elation quickly dissolved into despair as their 6-5 in the last two races eliminated any mathematical possibility of cracking the top two. In the end, the teams had great sailing over the three-day weekend. For more Spanish J/80 sailing information
Regattaclub Bodensee Swiss Sailing League Champion(Zurich, Switzerland)- The 2016 Swiss J/70 National Sailing League Champion was won by the Regattaclub Bodensee, from St Gallen, after a hotly contested season. The St. Gallen crew from RCB included Massimo Soriano, Lea Rüegg, Stephan Zurfluh and Jonathan Rutishauser. Taking second was the Société Nautique de Genève. With a fantastic second half of the season, Société Nautoise Rolloise secured third place on the podium.
Over five regattas, the twelve best Swiss sailing clubs fought to be on the podium all season long. The first round in April in Locarno (Act 1) went to the Regattaclub Bodensee (RCB) from Lake Constance, which laid the foundation for their championship title. In May in Neuchâtel (Act 2), the Geneva team won and opened the head-to-head race between Lake Constance and Lake Geneva. In Act 3 at the Société Nautique de Genève, the Regattaclub Bodensee once again defeated their rival from Lake Geneva. In Act 5, RCB continued to expand their lead with a 1st place, with the Genevan’s taking fourth place. In the finale, Geneva had to win with RCB more than four places behind them, an unlikely outcome given the performance of RCB over the course of the season. In short, that is what happened, but with RCB clinching the Swiss J/70 Sailing League Championship by taking 4th while their colleagues from Geneva placed 6th. 
Simultaneously, the duel for third place was epic. Société Nautique Rolloise (SNR) and Regattaclub Oberhofen (RCO) were fighting each other all weekend knowing the final place on the podium was of huge significance for each club- e.g. “bragging rights” for the upcoming 2017 season. The RCO team had to beat the team from SNR Rolloise- with skipper Olivier de Cocatrix. In the end, SNR won the coveted bronze by taking 2nd in the final regatta and winning the tie-breaker over RCO. Rounding out the top five for the Swiss J/70 Sailing League was RCO in 4th and Yachtclub Bielersee in fifth place. More sailing photos here on Flickr For more Swiss J/70 Sailing League information
WV Almere Central Dominates Netherlands Sailing League Series(Almere, The Netherlands)- On the penultimate day of the season, WV Almere Central grabbed the league title with a solid performance in the finale held in Almere, The Netherlands. The sailors of the Koninklijke WSV Sneek and YC Scheveningen finished second and third in the club competition for water sports clubs in The Netherlands.
In the Netherlands Sailing League, there were five regattas that took place in the following sites: Monnickendam, Giesbeek, Aalsmeer, Veere and Almere. After an amazing second to last day of the series in Almere, it was clear the WV Almere Central’s victory was assured. Eventually, the team finished with a lead of no less than 34 points. Team Captain John den Engelsman commented on their win, "We've had five beautiful regattas. All the different weather conditions have been challenging for us at all the most absolutely beautiful locations in the Netherlands. On the water, there was a tremendous struggle throughout the year. We are happy to have been able to achieve our victory against many excellent teams from across the Netherlands.”
Despite finishing second overall, there was no disappointment for the KWSV Sneek team. Crewmember Maarten Jamin said, "We have had a fantastic season with KWSV Sneek. The goal was to finish in the top three. We accomplished that! For this weekend, there was no question that WV Almere Central actually sailed out of sight from everyone! This weekend, we focused on second place. We have managed to fight one another and take the silver. We are very happy. We see many opportunities to improve our team. Expectations and ambitions for the future are high!”For the sailors from YC Scheveningen, taking 3rd place meant they achieved their predetermined objectives. Spokesman and sailor Tom Kerkhof said, "We have achieved our objectives. We are very happy with this epic season. I think it's a very good achievement that we finished third in a field of the 18 best clubs in the Netherlands. We are very happy now and look forward to next year."
Behind the top three Netherlands J/70 Sailing League winners- WVAM, KWSV Sneek, YCS- it was Roermond ZV Maas en Roer that placed fourth and in fifth was VWDTP. For more Netherlands J/70 Sailing League information
J/Fun-tastico @ Windy AYC Fall Series(Rye, NY)- The American YC hosted their annual Fall Series over the past two weekends off Rye, New York. Western Long Island Sound delivered its typical broad range of facilities over the four day series, with sunny, mild, shifty conditions in the first weekend, with grey skies and breezy weather for the second. One-design fleets of J/44s, J/109s, J/88s, J/105s, and J/70s had great fun, with PHRF handicap fleets also enjoying the competition.
The J/44’s had a fantastic turnout with eight boats on the starting line both weekends. Jeff Willis’ CHALLENGE IV sailed a magnificent series and counted all top three finishes to win their class in a convincing fashion with just 21 pts net in eleven races. Taking second was Don & Rick Rave’s RESOLUTE with 24 pts and in third was Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE with 25 pts. Behind the top three were Len Sitar’s VAMP in 4th and Jack Neades US Coast Guard Academy team on GLORY taking 5th.
The ten-boat J/109 class saw many of their top crews collecting silverware. Adding a bit more to their “pickle dish” collection was David Rosow’s LOKI, having an amazing rebound after an opening 7th place; posting basically all top three finishes for a 17 pts net score over ten races for a 1.7 pts average! Yikes! The battle for second place was epic, with a tie-breaker determining the podium. Jonathan Rechtshaffer’s EMOTICON won that fight on count-back over Bill Rogers’ BIG BOAT. The balance of the top five was Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY in 4th and Bengt & Marie Johansson’s ZIG ZAG in 5th.The J/88s had a total of eight boats sailing over the two weekend series. While many used the first weekend for practice for their upcoming J/88 North Americans, others could only participate in part of the series. The first part of the regatta was light airs; the second part had significantly stronger winds. In the end, the combined scores of the two series saw Doug Newhouse’s YONDER win the series by a scant one point margin over Mike Bruno’s WINGS. Yet, another one point back was John Pearson’s RED SKY with 38 pts. Fourth place was determined by a tie-breaker! Kevin Marks’ VELOCITY won that decision over Doug McKeige’s JAZZ at 48 pts each!
The largest class in the regatta happened to be the J/70 class! A first for the regatta! With eighteen boats, the fleet enjoyed spirited racing on western Long Island Sound; it was planing mode conditions for most of Saturday and a mix of modes on Sunday as the breezes shifted further around the compass. Winning the talented fleet with a surprising five bullets in a row was Oivind Lorentzen III’s NINE with just 20 pts net. Second was Bill Walker & Allan Stern’s VICTURA with 33 pts net. Trevor Roach’s SEMI-CHARMED took the final place on the podium with 42 pts net. Rounding out the top five was Scott Bursor’s SLINKY with 44 pts and fifth place was Marshall Saffer’s LET IT RIP with 46 pts.
The seventeen boat J/105 Class, saw an epic performance by Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE. Scoring six 1sts, three 2nds and one 3rd place finish, St. Francis Yacht Club members Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault crushed the locals on their own turf in the two weekend American Yacht Club Fall Series, not only winning the J/105 fleet in their East Coast boat “Good Trade”, but also earning the trophy for best overall performance in a one-design class. They were assisted by bowman Bill Higgins and trimmer Philipp Berner, both regulars on their SF Bay based J/105 “Arbitrage”. Also, crewing were two different cadets each weekend from Mass Maritime Academy. Behind them, Damian Emery’s ECLIPSE took second with Harald Edegran & Jeremy Henderson’s CONUNDRUM in third, Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU in fourth, and George & Alex Wilbanks’ REVELATION in fifth. Notably, the all youth crew from American YC, the YOUNG AMERICAN JR BIG BOAT TEAM took 6th place, closing out with a strong 3rd place in the last race.
Stone and Breault are lending their boat to Mass Maritime for the Storm Trysail Foundation’s Intercollegiate Regatta next weekend at Larchmont YC, then their team returns to Larchmont for the Manhasset Bay Fall Series and the J/105 North Americans, where 45 boats are already registered.
The PHRF 1 Division was eclipsed by David & MaryEllen Tortorello’s J/111 PARTNERSHIP, taking five 1sts, two 2nds, and three 3rds on their way to a 15 pt win in their class, posting just 18 pts net. A distant 6th place was Marcus Cholerton-Brown’s J/120 SUNSET CHILD with 62 pts.
In PHRF 2 Division, it was Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER that lived up to her name to take second place overall. Behind them by just one point in 3rd place was John Krediet’s J/97 PARTICIPANT II. Taking 6th place was Aleksandr Tichter’s J/29 AKULA and 7th place was Trace Dittenhofer’s J/92S. For more American YC Fall Series sailing information
REX Wrecks the J/70 Canadians!(Halifax, Nova Scotia)- The beautiful bay offshore of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron was the scene of a wrecking crew, a.k.a. “REX”, that displayed fearsome, raptor-like behavior on their way to a dominating performance at the 2016 J/70 Canadian Championship. REX’s skipper, Scott Weakley, was ecstatic with their outstanding regatta, taking five 1sts in the seven races they actually sailed. In fact, they won by so much they did not have to sail the last two races of the nine-race regatta!
The seven boat fleet enjoyed classic Nova Scotia early fall conditions, with 60s F temps, easterly breezes in the 10-20 kts range and plenty of on-water action managed by the famous PRO- Andreas Josenhans- a member of the 1992 Americas Cup winner "America3". He was also a member of the World Soling champions in 1977 and 1980.
By Weakley’s dominating REX team, it was a fight for the last two places on the podium. Winning three of the last four races was Stu McCrea’s CAN 550, taking second overall with 32 pts. Losing that battle was Graeme Carr’s JOYRIDIN’ with a good, steady scoreline for a total of 34 pts to take third place. Rounding out the top five was Peter Midgeley’s GOOD TOGO with 37 pts in 4th and Rich Jones’ MAVERICK in 5th with 37 pts. For more J/70 Canadian National Championship sailing information
Annapolis Fall Series FunHOT TODDY Wins J/22 East Coast Championship
(Annapolis, MD)- An annual classic during the fall in Chesapeake Bay happens to be the Annapolis YC Fall Series on the Chesapeake Bay. This year, the event also co-hosted the J/22 East Coast Championships. The first weekend of the multi-weekend event featured J/22s, J/70s, and J/80s. There was great racing on Saturday, with three races for each class. However, Sunday dawned with grey skies and just about a “glass-out” across all northern Chesapeake Bay. In the end, just three races counted for all three classes.
Winning the J/22 East Coast Championship was Jeff Todd’s HOT TODDY, posting a 2-1-2 for 5 pts over the ten-boat fleet. Taking second was JR Maxwell’s SCOOBY with a 1-3-3 with 7 pts. Third was Jonathan Sauer’s EKAS with a 4-2-4 for 10 pts. Rounding out the top five was Chris Junge’s CORNER OF SANITY & MADNESS with 11 pts and fifth was Trevor Perkins’ SLOW SHOW with 15 pts.
Schooling the J/70 class was the dynamic duo of Jenn & Ray Wulff on JOINT CUSTODY, winning all three races and winning their class by a total eclipse! However, the fight for second place was nothing but a complete gunfight at the OK Corral. Three boats just about ended up in a three-way tie. Grasping the brass ring was Peter Firey’s PHOENIX with a 3-4-3 for 10 pts. Behind them, winning the tie-breaker on 11 pts was Todd Jenner’s TEA DANCE SNAKE with a 7-2-2 over Robin Team’s newest TEAMWORK with a 2-3-6. Fifth overall was David Schoene’s UNO MAS with an incredibly consistent (not kidding!) series- a 5-5-5 tally for 15 pts!The J/80 class showed up in full force with ten boats enjoying some fun tight racing for the top of the leaderboard. Just eking out victory was Warren Richter’s LET’S GO with a 3-2-1 for 6 pts. David Andril’s VAYU finished second with a 4-1-2 with 7 pts. John White’s BASKET OF DEPLORABLES won the first race, but could not sustain that initial momentum, closing with a 3-4 for 8 pts total for third place. Rounding out the top five was Vince Kalish’s WHITE LIGHTNIN with 14 pts and in fifth position was Alex Kraus’ COOL J with 16 pts. For more Annapolis YC Fall Series sailing information
J-Jamboree OktoberFest Celebration!
(Lake Winnipesaukee, NH)- This year’s J-Jamboree was held on Lake Winnipesaukee from September 23rd - 25th. The event once again delivered great racing and memories for all participants. Nine teams from Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire participated. On Friday, teams registered and attended a great welcoming party at the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Sailing Center. Racers enjoyed J-Jamboree chili, enjoyed a few beverages and chitchatted about sailing around the world- the taller the tales, the more beverages were consumed!
Racing began on Saturday morning. The day brought classic New England fall weather. Participants enjoyed sunny weather with temperatures in the 60s. The wind quickly filled in to 12–18 knots with gusts around 20 knots. The Race Committee fired off 6 races. With great planing conditions, boats rocked up and down the race course. At the end of Saturday, FKA (Les Beckwith) and More Gostosa (Connor Hayes) were tied for first place with 14 points. Argo III (Jason Blais/Casey Nickerson) close behind with 19 points. Saturday evening the J-Jamboree party was held at the Lake Winnipesaukee Yacht Club. Participants enjoyed the Texas Traveling Barbeque with lots of food, drinks on hand, and smiles on every face. 
Sunday morning dawned cool and blustery with winds 15-20 knots with gusts over 25 knots. The RC fired off 4 more races. Strong winds made for exciting and challenging conditions for all the racers. In the end, the Saturday standings remained. With a great day on the water and in exciting conditions, Les Beckwith’s boat FKA brought home 1st place. Close behind was Connor Hayes’ More Gostosa in 2nd with Jason Balis & Casey Nickerson in Argo III rounding out the top three places. The awards ceremony was held in the yard at Fay’s Boat Yard. All the teams received awards, including bags from Quantum Sails and bottles of rum! Big “Thank you” to the following: all the teams, particularly those who traveled, all the volunteers (we could not do this without you), Lake Winnipesauke Sailing Association, Lake Winnipesauke Yacht Club, Fay’s Boat Yard, White Mountain Fiberglass, Quantum Sails and the North American J/80 class. For more J-Jamboree sailing information
J/80 Benelux Winter Series Training Report(Naarden, Netherlands)- The J/80s in the Benelux fleet (Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands) have started their annual Winter Series training program this fall. Here is a quick summary of the first J/80 training session from the inspiring leadership of Jacco Huijgen from Quantum Sails Netherlands.
Commented Huijgen, “the event is organized by the Frostbite Cup Organization. There were seventeen J/80s registered for the 2nd edition of this Winter Series- it can already be called a great success!
The J/80's have their own up & down race track. Note, periodically will be controlled by the Yachting Association of compliance with the class rules.Daily rates are available from the Frostbite Cup Organization. And, Marina Naarden, has a fantastic offer for the J/80 sailors. You can dock/store your J/80 for the whole winter at the marina, from now until the end of March / early April for only 250 EUR!!
Doubt us still? The Frostbite Cup organization will help you with the logistics and we have a great crew pool to fill any crew shortages!! Feel free to contact us at (Frans Driessen) if you have questions at The Frostbite Cup Organization.
Do you have a J/80 and you want to join? Registration can still be made through the R&ZV Naarden website.
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
-----------
* This past week, a legendary sailor from Seattle, Washington celebrated his birthday in the company of many friends "down island" in the most amazing style. Not wanting to hold back on having fun, Bob Brunius, owner of the famous J/120 BANDIT that is seen sailing in just about every offshore race on Puget Sound and events in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, decided to charter a boat in the Caribbean and celebrate with a bit of bubbly and with delightful companions as seen here! Next time, Bob, let us know when you are going! :)
* A passionate, long-time J/24 sailor, Kelly Wayne Holmes-Moon, 53, died Wednesday September 28, 2016 at his home in Denton, TX.Kelly had a true joy for riding bulls and broncs as a member of the Texas Rodeo Association eventually earning his PRCA card in 1989. While in Wise County, Kelly served the community as a member of the Wise County Sherriff’s Posse and the Greenwood/Slidell Volunteer Fire Department.
Kelly became a dynamic competitor and leader in the Texas sailing community when he began racing a J/24 sailboat in the J/24 Texas Circuit, first as crew in 1998, then on to owning his pride and joy, BAD MOON #267. He raced in and supported the circuit until the week prior to his death. Kelly also served as the J/24 District 14 Governor and lead organizer and promoter of the J/24 Texas Circuit.
Due to his leadership and passion for the J/24 class, Kelly was honored to be selected and serve as the J/24 U.S. Class President from 2011 to 2012 and in 2013 was designated the Copyright Holder’s Representative by Rod Johnstone, the maker of the J/24, a title he held at the time of his death. He has also served many years as the Captain of Fleet 5 and Governor at Large of the J/24 Class.
Kelly had a passion for teaching kids that began with his coaching of the LD Bell High School Rodeo Team (NTHSA) from 1987 to 1996. He served as an avid volunteer sailing coach for the University of North Texas sailing team and the Aqua Monkey’s youth program at the Dallas Corinthian Yacht Club.
Kelly was born February 5, 1963 in Perryton, Texas to Beth Montgomery and Harold Wayne Holmes. He was adopted as an adult by Jimmy Wayne Moon.
Kelly graduated from L.D. Bell High School in 1982 where he was a member of the gymnastics and rodeo teams. After graduation, he joined the US Navy where he proudly served as an Interior Communications Technician (IC3) aboard the USS Haddo submarine from 1982 to 1985 based out of San Diego, then serving in the Naval Reserve until 1989.Kelly went on to obtain an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Cooke County Junior College in 1993.
After the Navy, Kelly worked for Brinks Security then General Dynamics until 1991 when he founded the Rocking KM Rodeo Company operating out of Greenwood with his brother, Monty Moon. The Rocking KM contracted rodeos and rough stock for the North Texas High School Rodeo Assoc. and TRA events until 1997.
Kelly became the founder/owner of BoatSpeed Marine Services in 1998 specializing in racing sailboat repairs and optimized racing rudders/bottoms/keels until the time of his death.
Kelly also worked as a corrections officer in Bridgeport, and served as a Police Officer for the cities of Trophy Club and Rhome. He later joined Peterbilt as an assemblyman for the past 14 years where he made many lasting and supportive friendships.
Kelly was a lucky man who loved and served others, who never met a stranger and was known mostly by his profound Christian faith who worshipped a great and powerful God.
Kelly is survived by his wife Tonja Holmes-Moon, his parents Beth and Jimmy Moon, his father Harold Holmes, his remarkable children Christopher Holmes (wife Johanna) of Aledo; Ashleigh Holmes of Granbury, Robbie Rae Holmes of Lake Worth, and Rebekah Holmes of Carrollton. Also survived by his grandchildren who brought him such joy Aleczander, Derick (preceded in death), Hailey, Tyler, Autumn, Aniya, and Tommy.
Other survivors include his brother &best friend Monty Moon and his wife Jennifer of Paradise, his brother Scott Holmes his wife April of Bastrop, his Aunt Robbie Smith of Cottondale, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and “special sisters and brothers”.
Kelly was preceded in death by his grandson Derick, his grandparents Colonel& Sue Montgomery, of Greenwood; Roy & Vergie Binion, of Booker, TX. Pallbearers are David Meek, Darrin Ditmer, Drake Ditmer, Charles Smith, Troy Riedel, Chris Rousseau, David Hayslip, and Terry Moon.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to www.texascattledogrescue.com or www.lonestarlabs.org
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.
|
