J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
Enjoying the continuing long twilight nights of midsummer in Scandinavia is a large fleet of hot offshore racing machines sailing the 2019 ORC Europeans on the Baltic Sea, sailing off Oxelsund, Sweden. Currently winning the ORC C fleet of forty-one boats is the J/112E MATILDA 4. We hope she continues her winning ways! Southwest a few hundred miles, yet another enormous fleet of yachts is sailing in the famous LENDY Cowes Week on the “river” known as “the Solent”. The J/70 Mini-Series (part of the U.K. Grand Slam Series) just completed and marked a first for the J/70 class in the United Kingdom; a top woman skipper won the event in the thirty-three-boat fleet! Watch out, the J/70 World Championship in Torbay in a few weeks time could see two women on top of the standings- Claudia Rossi’s PETITE TERRIBLE and Tilly’s SORCHA J!Speaking of world championships, the Chicago YC hosted the J/111 Pre-Worlds for a fleet of seventeen boats on Lake Michigan. The event was held in conjunction with their popular Verve Offshore Cup for one-design fleets of J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s. Just north of them, also sailing on Lake Michigan’s eastern shore, the USA J/70 Corinthian Nationals was sailed in Harbor Springs, MI, with the Little Traverse YC hosting a fleet of thirty-six amateur teams. Also on the Great Lakes, off to the east, the J/24 Great Lakes was hosted by Oswego YC on the eastern shores of Lake Erie, land of the gorgeous New York vineyards! The fifteen-boat fleet enjoyed great sailing and even better wine! Yet another event was hosted the prior weekend on Lake Michigan- J/22s had a fun time competing in the Slammer Cup in Tawas Bay, MI, an annual competition between the Tawas Bay Yacht Club (Tawas, MI) and Huron Yacht Club (Caseville, MI) and this year was sailed on Tawas Bay. Finally, on the northeastern seaboard of America, the 2019 J/Fest New England Regatta hosted the East Coast Championships for J/80s and J/109s, plus a J/PHRF fleet that included the new J/99, a J/121, J/110, and J/92S. The regatta was hosted by Sail Newport at their amazing Fort Adams facility on Newport Harbor.
Fantastic J/70 Fall Package Special!(Newport, RI)- There is no hotter class in the new millennium than the J/70. With 1,500 boats sailing in 25+ countries, the worldwide growth of J/Boats’ first ramp-launchable keelboat has been remarkable.
The owner-run J/70 Class is thriving with events for all ages and levels, youth and women’s championships, and includes upcoming World Championships in Torbay, England (2019), Marina del Rey, CA (2020), Monte Carlo, Monaco (2021), and Newport, Rhode Island (2022).
More than just a world-class one-design, the J/70 is FUN to sail, easy-to-own, and easy-to-trailer for that next family adventure. And now, it’s never been easier to get started! From today until October 15, 2019, J/Boats is offering a special North American J/70 sail-away package.
J/70 Fall Package Special:
- 2020 Model J/70 with standard equipment
- Selden carbon mast and boom
- Harken Snubbair low-profile winches
- Cross-sheet jib cleats and vang cheek blocks
- Galvanized, single-axle, float off/lift off trailer
- One-Design Class Sails – mainsail, 100% jib and A2 class spinnaker with class sail tags.
- Companionway spinnaker bag.
- Safety Gear – anchor, chain & rode, bucket, bilge pump, first aid kit, two fenders, two dock lines.
Annapolis Double-handed Offshore Race Announcement
An Olympic Games Offshore Sail-Training Event
(Annapolis, MD)— Racing sailboats across a long distance has inspired generations of sailors. The Annapolis Yacht Club announces a new 24-hour race for double-handed crews to start on Saturday, September 28, 2019 off the entrance to the Severn River. In response to the announcement by World Sailing, the international governing body of the sport, that the Olympic Games will host a mixed double-handed, long-distance competition beginning with the 2024 Paris Games, the Annapolis Yacht Club is among the first sailing organizations to create this new event.
The race course will be spread throughout the Chesapeake Bay with a finish line off the yacht club’s dock on Spa Creek. The race is scheduled to last 24 hours, the first boat to the finish line will receive the top prize. The race will be an endurance contest for the crews as they race throughout the night hours. Keeping the boat sailing fast, monitoring weather forecasts, careful navigation, precision boat handling, and physical stamina are a few of the attributes the crews will need to excel in this challenging contest.
The vision for the Olympic Games in 2024 is to feature a race of around 500 miles in a boat of about 30-32 feet in overall length. World Sailing is committed to gender equity in the sport and is encouraged by the tremendous interest throughout the world to compete for an Olympic medal. Currently, there are 10 medals awarded in sailing. All classes feature double-handed or single- handed dinghies racing on short in-shore courses that last 20-30 minutes. The new Olympic event will be unique in the Games, the boats will be provided to competitors. Early comments by World Sailing suggest that 18-20 countries will qualify for the medal race in 2024. Los Angeles 2028 also intends on hosting a long-distance double-handed race off the Southern California coast during the Olympics.
With GPS-based tracking and easy communications with the competitors, the double-handed long-distance race will attract worldwide interest in all time zones 24 hours per day. Racing enthusiasts will be able to follow the Annapolis Yacht Club competitors throughout the race on the internet.
The AYC event will feature two divisions: one for mixed gender crews in J/105s and a second division open to male or female teams in boats of 25 to 42 feet using the Offshore Rating Council (ORC) handicap rule to score the different size boats. For J/Sailors, that means a range of boats from J/80s to J/121s and J/122s!
Among the early entrants is two-time Olympic medalist and winning America’s Cup sailor, Randy Smyth, and champion offshore sailor from Annapolis, Dee Smith. Both sailors say they were attracted to compete in this race because it is a new concept with so many unknowns. Sailors will be tested in boats not usually sailed double-handed around long-distance courses compared with the more usual windward- leeward courses. In addition, Smyth is looking forward racing with his friend, Christina Parrson.
Safety is a high priority for race organizers and competitors. Among the requirements for entry, the sailors will take a Safety at Sea course, wear a flotation device throughout the race, be able to communicate with race officials during the race, operate tracking equipment, and carry appropriate safety gear.
Sailing has been in the Olympic Games since the modern Games were started in 1896. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) asked all sports federations, including World Sailing, to review each medal event. The IOC’s goal is to encourage innovation in sports. In 2024, World Sailing will include a kite board division and will achieve gender equity in the number of competitors and the number of medals presented. The International 470 Class and the Nacra 17 class will also feature mixed gender crews and the kite boards will have a mixed gender format in addition to the long-distance double-handed race.
Please also note- the US Sailing Team is looking for double-handed offshore events to help them decide which team(s) to send to the Double-Handed World Championships in Malta in October 2020 (same time as the famous Rolex Middle Sea Race). Annapolis YC plans to make this a yearly or twice-yearly event to help build double-handed racing in the US, up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. For more Annapolis Double-handed Offshore Race sailing information
Tilly's Triumph @ J/70 Grand Slam Series
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- 26-year-old Tilly Harrison's SORCHA J won the J/70 Mini-Series at Cowes Week in a thirty-three boat fleet. Tilly's father Peter owns the Maxi 72 SORCHA, and they often race together, but not on this occasion. Tilly lives in Putney with her two dogs and loves to sail in her spare time. Aptly on Ladies' Day at Cowes Week, Tilly scored her first J/70 race victory, and went on to win the Grand Slam J/70 Event.
“I am really happy,” smiled Tilly Harrison. “I have been racing with my Dad in the class for about two years and I wanted to get into something smaller so I could learn more. We have a family house in Fishbourne (Isle of Wight), so it was a no-brainer to get racing whenever I come to visit. Racing in a J/70 made me pick up things quickly, and I would definitely recommend the class to anyone! Such fun! This regatta was great, with 32 boats on the water, and a good atmosphere ashore. I had no idea we would win the regatta even after we won the first race today; the last two races were really competitive. When we got ashore, I had no idea that we had won overall, so it came as a nice surprise.”
Paul Ward's EAT SLEEP J REPEAT was always in the running, and finished the regatta with two bullets to finish second for the mini-series. New to the UK scene was Victor Migraine's TEAM OHLALA. Victor shared the helm with 420 World Champion Vita Heathcote from Lymington, England. OHLALA had a star-studded crew, including top Figaro3 sailor and Fastnet champion Alexis Loison, and 2018 Tour de Voile champion Valentin Sipan (yes, they were dealing with a “loaded deck”, so to speak!). Jack Davies’ YETI, from Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) was the top youth team for the Grand Slam Event.
The next event in the 2019 J/70 UK Class Grand Slam Series is non-discardable. An impressive fleet is expected for the J/70 UK National Championship, 23-26 August, hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club. Thirty-six teams have confirmed their participation. As an open event, top teams from abroad will be competing including past and present world and continental champions: Joel Ronning's CATAPULT (USA), Alberto Rossi's ENFANT TERRIBLE (ITA), Jose Maria Torcida's NOTICIA (ESP), Claudia Rossi's PETITE TERRIBLE (ITA), and Peter Duncan's RELATIVE OBSCURITY (USA). For more Lendy Cowes Week sailing information
JENNIFER Tops J/70 Corinthian Nationals
(Harbor Springs, MI)- Thirty-six amateur crews sailed the 2019 J/70 Corinthian National Championship in Harbor Springs, MI from August 8th to 11th. Regatta host Little Traverse Yacht Club did an amazing job of running the event, managing eight races over the three-day event.
It was an impressive, talented group for a “corinthian” event, with teams attending from fourteen states from across America, Canada and Brazil. In the end, it was JENNIFER (Chris Kostanecki, Matt Sessions, Carlos Robles, & Scott Kozinchik) from San Francisco, CA that won the event in the final race. Here is how it all went down over the three days of racing.
Day One- Postcard Perfect?
Under sunny skies, temperatures in the 70s and winds in the mid-teens, Scott Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS excelled in the epic conditions with a pair of firsts and a fourth for 6 points in three races. Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER tallied a 3-3-4 for 10 points and second place. Two teams— Jake Christy’s PALE HORSE and Peter Vessella’s SISTERSHIP— were tied at 14 points for the next two positions.
Local Fleet Captain Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS kicked off the event with a win, as Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD and Kostanecki’s JENNIFER followed. Peter Bowe’s TEA DANCE SNAKE from Maryland racked up the next bullet, ahead of Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP and Kostanecki again in third. Sellers secured the day one lead in the final contest, notching his second victory. Christy’s PALE HORSE and Vessella’s SISTERSHIP completed the top trio.
Representatives from North Sails (Jackson Benvenutti) and Quantum Sails (Travis Odenbach) were on the water for Thursday’s practice race and Friday’s competition. Both nights also featured “Hear from the Pros” sessions at LTYC, including video education and question-and-answer opportunities.
Day Two- More Storybook Conditions!
All teams again reveled in glorious conditions on Little Traverse Bay. Winds between 12-14 knots, puffy white clouds and temperatures in the 70s greeted racers on the middle day of the Championship. Kostanecki’s JENNIFER moved to the top of the leaderboard, rebounding from a sixth in Saturday’s opening contest (eventually discarded) with a 1-2 to hold a three-point advantage after six races. Friday’s frontrunner, Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS, ended the day successfully, but two lower finishes in the earlier competitions dropped him to second place with 16 points. Peter Vessella’s SISTERSHIP was five points in arrears of Sellers for third place.
Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD got off on the right foot in race four, topping Vessella’s SISTERSHIP and Dave Dennison’s PIRANHA. Kostanecki’s JENNIFER triumphed in the next battle, as Tod Sackett’s FM and Bowe’s TEA DANCE SNAKE got in on the action too. Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS then got their third bullet of the regatta, shadowed by Kostanecki and Bowe. Jackson Benvenutti of North Sails was again on the water to offer helpful advice to the Corinthian sailors.
Day Three- Wash, Rinse, Repeat!
Kostanecki’s JENNIFER handled the closing race of the J/70 Corinthian US National Championship like true experts. They went into Sunday’s final pair of races with a three-point advantage over Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS. But Sellers nailed another bullet (his fourth of the regatta) in race seven to take the lead. Back came Kostanecki, with crew Matt Sessions, Carlos Robles and Scott Kozinchik, to win the eighth and final contest and become the 2019 J/70 Corinthian National Champions. Sellers placed eighth in that race for the runner-up position, ultimately five points behind the winner. A pair of threes on Sunday shot Christy’s PALE HORSE into the bronze spot with 37 points.
This event was California-based Kostanecki’s first in Harbor Springs. “Fresh water, windy, and the waves were bigger and steeper than San Francisco,” commented Kostanecki. “It was the Pure Michigan experience with world-class sailing and social activities.” Kostanecki admitted that, “We thought we nearly threw it away in the last day. Thank you to my team who worked hard in some difficult moments.”
Rounding out the top five were Filter’s WILD CHILD in fourth and Vessella’s SISTERSHIP in fifth place. For more J/70 Corinthian National Championship sailing information
Beautiful J/Fest New England Regatta
(Newport, RI)- The 2019 edition of the J/Fest New England Regatta, hosted by Sail Newport at the fabulous Fort Adams facility, had great racing for a fleet that included a J/PHRF fleet as well as the 2019 East Coast Championships for both the J/80 and J/109 classes.
The eight-boat J/80 fleet had a number of very strong teams representing each of the major fleets on the East Coast, including North American and Key West Champions. In the end, it was quite clear which team outclassed the fleet; winning with straight bullets in five races and crowned as 2019 J/80 East Coast Champions was Will & Marie Crump and Thomas Klok’s R80 from Annapolis YC in Annapolis, MD. A distant second place went to Conor Hayes’ MORE GOSTOSA with 11 pts, and rounding out the podium in the bronze position was Jason Viseltear’s UPSETTER with 17 pts.
The seven-boat J/109 class was also loaded with past North American, East Coast, and New England Champions. However, it was not one of the dominant New England teams that won. Instead, it was a cast of characters from Houston, TX that spoiled the party, with Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE winning with all podium finishes (three 1sts, two 2nds, one 3rd) for just 10 pts. While LEADING EDGE set the pace, it was a full-blown battle for second place between Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING and Brooke Mastrorio’s URSA. The outcome literally came down to the last race. Holding on to 2nd place going into the last day, Mastrorio’s team just had to maintain their consistent performance to stay on the podium. However, her team nearly blew it on the first race on Sunday, posting an uncharacteristic 7th place. Regrouping after that shocking outcome, Brooke got her team motivated and posted a deuce to take the silver. Had she posted a 1st, she would have won the regatta; nevertheless, she still got on the podium with a bronze medal.
Winning the J/PHRF class of seven-boats was Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO with an unassailable record of four bullets and a deuce for 6 pts total! Second was the new J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster- AGENT 99 skippered by Jeff Johnstone with an impressive tally of one 1st, two 2nds, and two 3rds for 11 pts. Just behind the two leaders, it was Kevin Dakan’s J/110 MEMORY that fortunately survived an unfortunate dismasting to take the bronze. For J/Fest New England overall results. For more J/Fest New England sailing information
SPACEMAN SPIFF Wins J/111 Pre-WorldsJ/88s, J/105s, J/109s Battle @ Verve Offshore Cup
(Chicago, IL)- As one of the largest offshore regattas in the Great Lakes, the Chicago Yacht Club’s Verve Cup Offshore has developed into a world-class regatta attracting many national and international competitors. This year, that level jumped up a few notches as the Verve Cup also served as the J/111 Pre-Worlds regatta; the J/111 World Championship will be taking place starting August 18th the following weekend off the beautiful Chicago lakefront and skyline.
Last weekend, the Chicago YC hosted the 28th annual Verve Cup Offshore Regatta in a dizzying array of weather conditions over the three-day event. On Friday, a post-frontal, shifty, breeze from the northwest started at 15 kts, then quickly diminished and swung to the north-northeast by late afternoon in the 5-8 kts range. Saturday saw a light east-southeast wind slowly build after a one-hour on-shore postponement into the 4 to 8 kts range, with wild 40-degree swings across the race track. Then, Sunday dawned with the possibility of another frontal system with enormous embedded thunderstorms. Fortunately, the front moved south, not southeast, and only the western suburbs of Chicago got pounded by lightning, hail, and tropical-like heavy rains. Out on the lake, the wind started in the SSE quadrant in the 4-7 kts range, then swung strongly SSW to 240 deg and increased in pressure to 8-12 kts, before oscillating from 230 back to 190 for the last two races of the regatta.
J/111 Pre-Worlds Drama
For the extremely competitive seventeen-boat J/111 class, the wildly oscillating breezes produced a roller-coaster scoreline for the entire fleet; with not even the top three boats scoring all top five finishes. Starting fast out-of-the-blocks on Friday was Rob Ruhlman’s family team on SPACEMAN SPIFF, leading after the first day with an amazing 4-1-1-2 tally with a huge 10 point lead over Jeff Davis’ SHAMROCK that had a 3-5-9-1 scorecard for 18 pts. Sitting in third was Peter Wagner’s J/111 World Champion crew on SKELETON KEY with a 1-8-5-6 for 20 pts.
The second day for the J/111s saw a few seismic shifts in the scores, but little change for the top three. SHAMROCK posted a 3-3 (tied for the best record of the day with KASHMIR’s 1-5) to close the gap significantly with SPACEMAN SPIFF that posted an 8-4, the spread was now only 4 pts!
The dramatic finale on Sunday had more than its fair share of anxious moments for the top three boats. In the seventh and penultimate race, SKELETON KEY nailed down a 2nd, SPACEMAN SPIFF a 4th, and SHAMROCK 6th. With their lead back up to a 6 pts advantage, the SPIFFER’s could breath a little easier. But, the sailing conditions were so unpredictable that just about anything could go wrong. Well, that is just about what happened. The final race was set for a 230 deg wind, but just before the start, it swung left to 190 deg- a 40 deg. change of course! Nailing the start was SHAMROCK, rounding the weather mark 1st with SKELETON KEY in 4th and SPIFF back in 9th. At that moment, SHAMROCK was winning both the race and the regatta. However, it was never a dull moment on that first run. The wind swung back slowly to 220 deg and the tail-enders that had either sailed low or gybed made big gains, namely SPIFF and SKELETON KEY. The ensuing windward leg saw even more lead changes. While the lead group of SHAMROCK, SKELETON KEY, and KASHMIR stayed left, a breakaway pack behind them of four boats took off from the leeward gate on port, hitting the right corner hard. That move paid off huge, as the wind swung further right to the 230+ range with more breeze, and that group took 1-2-3 (UTAH, VELOCITY, & ROWDY). Meanwhile, SHAMROCK dropped back to 6th, SPIFF jumped up to 7th, and SKELETON KEY secured a 4th. As a result, Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF team won the J/111 Pre-Worlds and also the overall trophy for the regatta- The Verve Offshore Cup Trophy! Second was SKELETON KEY and third SHAMROCK.
J/109 Class Chutes & Ladders
The eight-boat J/109 class saw similar dramas to the J/111s play out on the final day. Leading going into the last race was Jim Murray’s CALLISTO with a 3 point margin over David Gustman’s NORTHSTAR. In the last race, there was a lot of shuffling in the standings due to similar huge shifts and changes in wind pressure. Winning the final race to take the J/109 title was Gustman’s NORTHSTAR; meanwhile, Murray’s CALLISTO team had their worst race of the regatta, posting a 7th to drop into second place.
Perhaps the most unfortunate victim of the changing winds of fortune was Doug Evans’ TIME OUT. After four races on the first day, TIME OUT posted a mind-numbing, eye-bleeding 2-1-1-1 scoreline to torch the J/109 fleet for a 6-point lead. Perhaps living up to their namesake, the crew perhaps did have a “time out” and could never recover their swagger or “mojo” for the next two days. As they say, they had moments of sheer brilliance interspersed with moments of stark terror, the latter winning out in the end. They closed their last four races with a painful 7-2-7-8 scorecard to drop into third place.
J/88 Class Lots Of Drama
The seven-boat J/88 class had a somewhat acrimonious regatta. It was very close racing amongst the top four boats with just a few points separating them after seven races on Saturday. Those teams were Tim Wade’s WINDSONG, John & Jordan Leahey’s DUTCH, Andy & Sarah Graff’s EXILE, and Ben Marden’s BANTER.
After much protest room drama, it was Tim Wade’s WINDSONG that won the regatta with three 1sts, five 2nds, and a DNC in the ninth and last race for 21 pts total (they had already won on points by winning race 8). Second was the Leahey’s DUTCH team with 28 pts and third went to Todd Patton’s BLONDIE 2 with 32 pts.
J/105 Class Whitewash
While their colleagues in the J/111 and J/88 classes had plenty of drama to worry about, the six-boat J/105 class was suffering from a good-old-fashioned butt-whipping by none other than one of the long-standing veterans of the class- Clark Pellett’s SEALARK. It was quite apparent after winning the first two races, SEALARK’s wily veterans onboard were not going to be dissuaded, nor distracted, in their mission and their march to the victory stand. In the end, SEALARK hammered home six bullets and a 2-3 to win with just 11 pts. Gyt Petkus’ VYTIS veterans made a run at them, winning races 3 & 4, but could not maintain the furious pace and pressure they were subjected to by the SEALARK gang. Nevertheless, they had a rather impressive scoreline of two 1sts, four 2nds, two 3rds for 16 pts total to take the silver. Rounding out the podium with the bronze was Jon Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM, closing out the regatta with soul-satisfying double-deuces on the last day.
ORR Division
Not surprisingly, Rick Stage’s J/35 ALPHA PUPPY sailed a very solid series in the nine-boat ORR 3 Division, winning three races along the way, to take the silver. After a rather slow start, they had the best record in the fleet in the last four races with a 2-1-1-3, not enough to get the job done to get the gold, but darn close! For more Verve Cup Offshore sailing information
HONEYBADGER Dominates J/24 Great Lakes Championship(Oswego, NY)- The Oswego YC in upstate New York hosted the 2019 J/24 Great Lakes Championship for a star-studded fleet of fifteen-boats on the eastern reaches of Lake Erie- famous for its delicious vineyards near the shorelines southwest of Niagara Falls.
After a weekend of sailing, it was Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER from Rochester YC that decimated the fleet with a blitzkrieg of five bullets in a row and taking a DNC in the sixth and final race to win with just 5 pts net.
For the balance of the podium, it was a three-way OK Corral shoot-out with Morley Flynn’s SEAWEED, Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS from Lloyd Harbor YC, and Ted Bartlewski’s DRIVERS WANTED from Port Credit YC in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. All virtually tied going into the last race, it was Flynn’s SEAWEED winning the last race to secure the silver. Glackin’s crew suffered the ignominy of dropping from an easy second place to third after finishing 4th in the last race. For more J/24 Great Lakes Championship sailing information
EVIL DR. PORK CHOP Slams Slammer Cup
(Tawas Bay, MI)- The Slammer Cup is an annual competition between the Tawas Bay Yacht Club (Tawas, MI) and Huron Yacht Club (Caseville, MI) and this year was sailed on Tawas Bay.
The fleet sailed PHRF and it was a combined JAM and Spinnaker fleet. Spinnaker boats were penalized 12 seconds a mile. Courses were modified Olympic and two races were sailed. Both races for the Spinnaker Division were won by the J/22 EVIL DR. PORK CHOP sailed by Chris & Matt Princing, and Grant Hilger. Overall, EVIL DR. PORK CHOP also won and taking second place was another J/22, the Scott family’s SQUEALER (sailed by Mike, Tim, & Matt Scott).
The fleet was made up of a variety of boats including Beneteau 36.7, Beneteau First 38, Olson 40, C&C 35, Tartan 34, N/M 36, C&C 38, Jeanneau 43DS and bunches of Catalinas and other popular brands of the lakes. Anyone got any questions? Contact Matt Princing!
J/112E Leading ORC Europeans
(Oxelsund, Sweden)- The 2019 ORC European Championship is currently under way with sailing taking place off Oxelsund, Sweden on the Baltic Sea. Racing in the ORC C Class of forty-one boats (by far the largest in the regatta) is the J/112E MATILDA 4, owned by Kodutarve Ou from Estonia and skippered by Joachim Aschenbrenner.
As of Thursday, after two around-the-cans races and the 58.8nm Distance Race, MATILDA 4 is currently leading the ORC C fleet with a scoreline of 1-1-5 for 7 pts. There are two more days of windward-leeward course racing left for the fleet. The fleet has been blessed with good sailing weather so far, with plenty of breeze on the first day (puffy, shifty, 17-22 kt winds) and steady southwest 10-15 kt winds for the distance race. The reigning ORC World Class C Champion Italia 9.98- SUGAR- and the reigning ORC European Class C Champion Arcona 340- KATARIINA II- are being crushed by the J/112E MATILDA 4.
Follow the ORC European Championship on Facebook here For more 2019 ORC European Championship sailing information
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Aug 14-16- Surfin’ Safari Regatta- Corpus Christi, TX
Aug 15-18- SAILING Champions League- St. Moritz, Switzerland
Aug 17-24- AUDI Hamilton Race Week- Hamilton Island, Australia
Aug 17- Ida Lewis Distance Race- Newport, RI
Aug 20-24- J/109 North American Championship- South Dartmouth, MA
Aug 20-23- J/111 World Championship- Chicago, IL
Aug 21-25- J/24 USA Nationals- Rochester, NY
Aug 23-25- Irish J/24 Nationals- Lough Erne, Ireland
Aug 23-25- Ted Hood Regatta- Marblehead, MA
Aug 23-25- Verve Inshore Cup- Chicago, IL
Aug 24-26- J/80 U.K. Nationals- Lymington, England
Aug 30- Sep 6- J/70 World Championship- Torquay, Devon, England
Aug 30- The Vineyard Race- Stamford, CT
Sep 4-8- J/105 North American Championship- Marblehead, MA
Sep 12-15- Rolex Big Boat Series- San Francisco, CA
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/111 World Championship Preview
(Chicago, IL)- A world-class event in a world-class city. The J/111 Class and the Chicago Yacht Club are hosting the 2019 J/111 World Championship off Chicago’s spectacular waterfront.
This year’s event includes twenty-three entries, such as the 2018 J/111 North American Champion and 2017 J/111 World Champion Peter Wagner on SKELETON KEY, sailors from Europe (Switzerland) and Australia, as well as several Chicago-area boats competing on home turf.
The boats begin arriving on August 18th. Equipment and sail inspection will begin that evening, and will continue along with crew weighing August 19. There will be a practice race on August 19. Competition kicks off with the First Warning at 1100 hrs on Tuesday, August 20 and runs through Friday, August 23.
Mike Mayer, a Chicago YC member since 1987 and partner in the J/111 KASHMIR, has been involved for over a year helping to organize the J/111 Worlds in Chicago. Mike commented, “we have been lucky enough to sail in many of the world’s most iconic places; our lakefront with its beautiful skyline is right up there with the best. Hosting the J/111 Worlds is a big deal. Very few classes of boats over 24 feet qualify as International Classes. Having the J/111 World Championship at Chicago YC gives us the chance to show off our excellent race management and spectacular venue. It will be great to show it off to other members of our class.”
Based on the recent Verve Cup Regatta, the J/111 Worlds may become the sailing version of the “Thrilla from Manila”, the heavy weight championship of the world. There is no question the top teams are stacked with talent. In addition to Wagner’s SKELETON KEY, and the local hotshots on KASHMIR, the other top American crews include Rich Witzel’s ROWDY, Jeff Davis’ SHAMROCK, recent Verve Cup winner Rob Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF, Marty Roesch’s VELOCITY, and Brad Faber’s UTAH.
The “wild cards” are those teams that are coming into the World’s “fresh” on Lake Michigan (e.g. did not sail the Verve Cup) and are proven leading contenders; such as the Australians from Melbourne (Rod Warren’s JOUST team- 2nd in the San Francisco Worlds); Ian Hill’s SITELLA from Chesapeake Bay; Andrew & Sedge Ward’s BRAVO from Shelter Island, NY; Tim Clayson’s UNPLUGGED from Michigan; Jorg Sigg’s LALLEKONIG from Zurich, Switzerland; John Yonover’s EVONNE.COM/3 from Chicago; and Jim Connelly’s SLUSH FUND from Annapolis, MD. For J/111 Worlds scoring information. For more J/111 World Championship sailing information
J/70 SAILING Champions League Finale Preview
(St. Moritz, Switzerland)- Twenty-four yacht club teams are set to fight for the title “Best Sailing Club of the Year“ and the prestigious silver trophy in the SAILING Champions League Final 2019, due to take place in St. Moritz on 15 to 18 August. After a long summer of qualification battles, it’s crunch time. We’ve witnessed champagne sailing in Palma de Mallorca and in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, and tricky conditions and very light winds in St. Petersburg, Russia as the teams fought tough battles in the matched fleets of one-design J/70 class sailboats- the world’s most popular sportboat.
From the overall 20 nations represented in SAILING Champions League 2019, only ten nations made it into the final: Australia, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland. The Australian team from Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron enters the competition for the first time. Also, among the finalists is the German team from Bodensee-Yacht-Club Überlingen that won their ticket as the winner of this year’s Youth SAILING Champions League at Kiel Week in late June.
VIP guests, partners and journalists have the opportunity to take part in a Sailing Experience or a motorboat ride on Lake St. Moritz and to meet the sailors personally at “meet and greets”.
The SAILING Champions League is supported by a number of key partners: Juvia, KRAFTWERK, DEDON, Badrutt’s Palace, Breitling, St. Moritz Tourism, Graubünden, DKSH, SAP and Marinepool.
Livestream and results by SAP SAILING
The final two days of racing on Saturday and Sunday will be live broadcasted by SAP SAILING from 12:00 hrs (GMT) on, with expert commentators providing blow-by-blow analysis of the racing, aided by the detail provided by SAP Sailing Analytics. The SAP Sailing Analytics provide 24/7 additional statistics and data for sailors, fans, spectators and media like GPS tracking, real- time analysis, live leaderboard combined with 2D visualization. You can find all results on sapsailing.com. Sailing Photo credits: SCL/Sailing Energy. For more J/70 SAILING Champions League information
AUDI Hamilton Race Week Preview
(Hamilton Island, Australia)- Hamilton Island Race Week is one of Australia’s favorite yachting events and will be taking place from August 17th to 24th. Competitors, family and friends come together to enjoy the convivial atmosphere and unique camaraderie of the event’s on-water and off-water carnival. Every August, spectators and “yachties” from around the globe congregate at Hamilton Island for Australia’s largest offshore keelboat regatta.
Perfectly situated on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, amongst Queensland's seventy-four Whitsunday Islands, Hamilton Island offers an experience like no other: glorious weather, azure waters, brilliant beaches, awe-inspiring coral reefs, fascinating flora and fauna, fine food and wines, and activities almost too numerous to mention.
Hamilton Island Yacht Club is the home of the regatta during this exciting week- perfect spots for watching the races, and coming together with other race-goers. The week includes a diverse calendar of onshore events, including lunches and dinners presented by celebrity chefs, fashion shows, golfing competitions and wine tastings.
On the sailing side of things, the IRC Class of twenty-five boats includes James Crowley’s J/122 JAVELIN, Chris Morgan’s J/130 RAGTIME, and Mark Nicholson’s J/121 JAVELIN.
In the 104-boat Hamilton Island handicap class, two J/teams are participating; Stephen Everett’s J/160 SALACIA and Grant & Karen Ballantyne’s J/109 VAMOS. For more AUDI Hamilton Island Race Week sailing information
Ida Lewis Distance Race Preview(Newport, RI)– Thirty-five teams will set off on Ida Lewis Yacht Club’s 15th annual Ida Lewis Distance Race this Friday, August 16, starting at 12:30 off Fort Adams State Park. A late-summer sailing tradition loved by grand prix racers and cruising sailors alike, the overnight competition is for IRC, PHRF (racing and cruising) and Double-Handed boats of 28 feet or longer. Each division sails one of four round-trip courses pre-determined by the Race Committee to best fit the weather conditions; ranging in length from 112 to 169 nautical miles, the courses include turning marks at Castle Hill, Brenton Reef, Block Island, Montauk Point, Martha’s Vineyard and Buzzards Tower.
This year marks the first time that trophies will be given for best overall corrected and best overall elapsed times in the Coronet Division as well as the newly created PHRF Spinnaker Aloha Division (for smaller boats with PHRF ratings of 55 and higher).
Among those in the six-boat Aloha Division are BREAKAWAY, a J/35 skippered by Paul Grimes of Portsmouth, R.I., who finished third in PHRF B class last year and perennial favorite VENTO SOLARE, a 35-foot J/109 skippered by Bill Kneller of Newport, R.I. who finished fourth. Grimes, with six crew aboard, will be dual-scored in the Collegiate Team competition; four of his crew are from four different colleges.“Splitting PHRF into Coronet and Aloha divisions is fantastic,” said Grimes. “It’s just what the race needed, and it allows the Race Committee to customize courses to get everyone in by the morning.”
The option for courses, named for the iconic sailing grounds they cover, are the “Montauk” (longest), “Block Island”, “Point Judith”, and “Buzzards Bay Tower” (shortest).
In the PHRF Doublehanded Division is Jonathan Burt’s J/130 LOLA from Quisset YC in Hingham, MA. Joining the VENTO SOLARE and BREAKAWAY crews in PHRF Spinnaker Aloha division will be EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT. In the PHRF Spinnaker Coronet division (under PHRF 54) are Mark Nannini’s J/120 SALACIA and Mike Levy’s J/121 EAGLE from Indian Harbor YC. For more Ida Lewis Distance Race saiilng information
J/109 North American Championship Preview
(South Dartmouth, MA)- The 2019 J/109 North American Championship will be hosted by the New Bedford Yacht Club in Buzzards Bay. The eleven-boat fleet features many of the top teams from the past few years in the J/109 class. The regatta will be taking place from August 20th to the 24th and the teams will be challenged by the incredibly difficult and choppy waters of Buzzards Bay, especially when ebb tides of 2.0+ kts to the southwest meet powerful seabreezes of 15-25 kts roaring in from the southwest (typical Cowes/ Solent conditions? yes).
The leading crews should include Jonathan Rechtschaffer’s EMOTICON, Cory Eaves’ FREEDOM, John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING, Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE, David Rosow’s LOKI, Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY, and Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE. That is a large group of contenders and pretenders to the throne of being crowned 2019 J/109 N.A. Champion; nevertheless, all crews have proven they are podium protagonists! For more J/109 North American Championship sailing information
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* Sailing the J/99 JET at J/CUP United Kingdom- a perspective from crew Phil Tait. Here is Phil’s account of sailing onboard the latest offshore speedster in the stable of fast offshore designs.
“I was very lucky this year to be invited by the kind people at Key Yachting to sail on the new J/99 at the J/Cup in the Solent. We were mainly going to be up against J-Lance 12 owned by Didier (the Managing Director of the builders J/Composites) and his crack team that included the Spar Maker. J-Lance 12 has several regattas under her keel and is optimized for windward/leeward courses, so this obviously wasn't go to be easy as we were an amateur crew that had never sailed together or even set foot on the J/99!! We were lucky to have Jeff Johnstone, the President of J/Boats, on board as our helm.
I quickly discovered the J/99 could be set up for whatever sort of sailing you like. The roomy cockpit is laid out so two people can reach everything, but we found it worked equally well for four as well.
The J/99 can be rigged with a symmetrical spinnaker like J-Lance 12, or with an asymmetrical, flown from a fixed bowsprit. There is also a twin rudder option, which would suit long offshore reaching legs, which I remember well while doing JOG races across The Channel. Down below, she has full standing headroom, a proper galley, forward facing chart table with navigators seat, and matching twin aft cabins. Pilot berths for offshore racing are an option, as is water ballast, if you to go ocean racing single or double-handed. At her mooring, the J/99 is as “pretty as a penny”, thanks to Al Johnstone's lovely design and we had good loads of people saying as much in the marina.
On to the racing.. As I mentioned before, we had never met before stepping on JET. So, nine races in three days were going to be a challenge against such good opposition. The day before racing, we checked the rig was straight and, as we felt the cap shrouds and forestay were a bit tight, we loosened them off a couple of turns. I would definitely add a load cell to the forestay, as with our cascade backstay, it is difficult the repeat the settings up wind. We also carefully marked the halyards at the mast and clutches and also the tack line.
On the first day of racing, we inevitability were still getting to know each other and the boat, but still managed to stay within a couple of boat lengths with J-Lance 12 most of the day. This just goes to show what a sweet hull shape the J/99 has, and how easy it is to sail.
After the first day racing, I offered a bottle of champagne to the crew if we could beat the French (J-Lance 12) on day 2.
The second day saw lots of wind and pouring rain all day, but by now, we were getting better. In the final race of the day we saw 30 knots of wind, but still felt safe flying our A3 spinnaker downwind. We touched 18 knots and the J/99 was rock steady with very little water on the deck. Our amateur crew threw in four gybes on the way to the finish, leaving the French some way behind- the champagne tasted so good after racing!! I wished we had a GoPro on board, as despite the awful weather, it was one of my best ever days in the Solent! We were all whooping like excited kids and the bow wave was actually landing in the water past our transom!
By day three, we had all the maneuvers sorted so much so that Jeff was amazed. I think we were at least as good sail-handling as our French counterparts, we just lacked a tiny bit of speed.
The J/99 is a joy to sail and we found you could get competitive pretty quickly. We all felt there was another 1/4 or 1/2 knot to be found. But, with more practice, calibrating the sails and rig settings, and particularly learning the VMG angles downwind, this could easily be obtained. On day three, we could sail pretty deep and even gull wing at 13 knots, but heading up 15 degrees would make the J/99 plane at 16 knots, and we never quite sure worked out which was quicker.
Thank you Jeff and Key Yachting for the chance to sail on this great little race boat that feels more like a 35 footer, already looking forward to J/Cup 2020!”
* Eight Bells- Mike BrunoAmerican Yacht Club Commodore Mike Bruno, 63, passed away suddenly early on the morning of August 13 at home in Armonk, NY. Great friend William Sandberg had this to say about Mike:
“Mike was a very lucky man and knew it. He had a beautiful wife (Meg) and three wonderful kids (Mike, Russell and Price) he adored and more friends and admirers than one could ever imagine.
He had a successful business career. After receiving his MBA from Columbia Business School in 1981, he joined Solomon Brothers where he rose to become Vice President of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group within the Finance Department. He joined Stonebridge Partners in 1987, becoming the Managing Partner in 1989.
He was an accomplished and avid J/Boats sailor. Mike had a series of J/Boats he named WINGS- a J/124, J/122, and most recently a J/88.
Ironically, 2019 may have been his most successful year— winning the J/88 class at J/Fest St Petersburg, winning Charleston Race Week and dominating Storm Trysail Block Island Week.
In addition to this year, he was a two-time winner of the J/122 North Americans, New York YC Race Week winner, and 2016 Key West Race Week J/88 class winner. Along with American Yacht Club, he was a member of New York Yacht Club and Storm Trysail Club.Most of all he was, perhaps, the most generous person I have ever known. Need a house in Florida to use an auction item to raise money for the US Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams? You got it. A spectator boat for viewing? Of course. Rooms for wounded vets to attend a regatta? Done. And, the list goes on.
As Commodore of American YC, he played host to the US Sailing Disabled Championships in 2008. When approached about hosting a disabled regatta in the future, not surprisingly Mike quickly made it happen. Thus, was born the Robbie Pierce One-Design Disabled Regatta, where Mike even served on the Race Committee.
Most recently, he served on the Board and twice chaired the annual fundraiser for Freedom Waters Foundation in Naples, FL, which enhances lives of individuals with special needs and veterans by providing therapeutic boating experiences.A memorial service will be held at American YC in Rye at 1400 hours, Friday, August 16. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mike’s name to:
Pediatric Cancer Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Attention: Rachel Flannery
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Office of Development
P.O. Box 27106
New York, NY 10087
Or online at http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/michaelsbrunojr
I will miss Mikey terribly, as will many others. You were a very special man, Mike Bruno. Sail fast.”
* National Sailing Hall of Fame- honors J/Boats builder Everett PearsonThe National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) announced ten people that will make up its 2019 class of inductees. The members of the class of 2019 join seventy-one previously recognized individuals as the NSHOF continues to fulfill its mission by drawing attention and recognition to Americans who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing. One of them includes the founder of Tillotson-Pearson Inc- Everett Pearson, the principal builder of J/Boats for thirty years- from 1977 to 2007.
“We are proud to recognize and celebrate these Inductees and their extraordinary contributions to the sport we love,” said Gus Carlson, President of the NSHOF. “Their accomplishments set them apart, and their stories will inspire sailors for generations to come. Their commitment to excellence embodies the spirit and substance of the National Sailing Hall of Fame.”
After sailors from all corners of the country nominated their choice for induction, a selection committee – made up of representatives from US Sailing, the sailing media, the sailing industry, community sailing, a maritime museum, a previous inductee, and the NSHOF Board– reviewed a wide range of nominations.Inductees are American citizens, 55 years of age or older, who have made significant impact on the growth and development of the sport in the U.S. in the categories of Sailing, Technical/Design and Contributor (coach, administrator, sailing media).
The 2019 class will be formally celebrated on Saturday, November 9, 2019, with an Induction Ceremony hosted at Seattle Yacht Club, Seattle, Wash. The Induction Weekend has also become notable as a reunion of sailing’s “Who’s Who” as previous inductees join the celebrations to welcome their peers into the Hall of Fame. For more information on the Inductees
* J/125s “still racing”! Here is a very amusing photo of two J/125s. Not on the water. But, inside a RO/RO carrier from Hawaii to California. It is SNOOPY versus VELVET HAMMER, going bow-to-bow at a constant 23 knots across the Pacific Ocean back home to California. Thanks for contribution from Zach Anderson- co-owner of Velvet Hammer!
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