J/111 World Championship Preview(Cowes, England)- The inaugural J/111 World Championship will take place from August 19th to 24th, hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron on Cowes, Isle of Wight. It’s a famous venue, and the RYS is renowned for being a leader in the yachting world, pre-dating the infamous “100 Guinea Cup” that later became emblematic of the first “America’s Cup.” For years, the RYS has hosted many European and World Championships, but it’s perhaps best recognized amongst world sailors for its prominent position at Cowes Race Week for being the southern end of the starting line; “the castle”, as its known fondly by many, that forms a magnificent backdrop to the parade of sails that cross the start and finish line for many events held on the Solent.
For the first 111 Worlds, the fleet will be treated to a wide variety of courses and challenging scenarios. In addition to windward-leeward courses in the Eastern and Western reaches of the Solent, the fleet will also have a long, random-leg day race; the latter resembling what many have already experienced while sailing Cowes Week. The winner will have proven to be a versatile and fast team for having to navigate such a breadth of tactical and strategic scenarios!Thirteen boats have registered for the right to be crowned the first 111 World Champion, with four countries represented- the United Kingdom, France, The Netherlands and Belgium. The home teams will be quite formidable, many having sailed in Solent waters for years and a host of them having just competed for nearly a fortnight during AAM Cowes Week and the J/111 Europeans. The current EuroCup winner, Cornel Riklin’s JITTERBUG should continue to be on form, however, several of the local teams are beefing up their crews and expect to be smarter and faster for the upcoming week; including Tony Mack’s McFLY, Chris Jones & Louise Makin’s JOURNEYMAKER II, Stu Sawyer’s BLACK DOG, Duncan McDonald’s SHMOKIN JOE, Andrew Christie’s ICARUS, Martin Dent’s J-ELVIS, David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM and James Arnell’s JEEZ LOUISE.
The team from France has proven to be one of the top J/111 teams in events throughout Europe. Led by Didier Le Moal from J/Composites France (the builder of the J/111), J-LANCE IX should be a strong contender as many of their crew have sailed in past Solent events. The same can be said for the Netherlands contingent of SWEENY and XCENTRIC RIPPER. Both boats have experienced Solent veterans; especially Robin Verhoef & John van der Starre’s “RIPPER” crew. SWEENY’s duo, Hans Zwijnenburg & Kees van Vliet, have proven they know the waters well, having just come off a top five finish in the J/111 EuroCup. Finally, S. De Liederkerke’s team on DJINN are also past RORC Offshore racing veterans and have well over a dozen years sailing in and out of the Solent. Do not be surprised to see a number of these non-UK teams in the top five! For more J/111 World Championship sailing information
Russian J/70 Sailing League Starts!(Konakovo, Volga River, Russia)- The first eight J/70s have been delivered (of a ten boat fleet) to the famous Volga River. They will be based at a four-stars Konakovo River Club (a hotel-conference center) situated on the shores of the Upper Volga (http://bit.ly/1vIMT8N) northwest of Moscow. The Konakovo River Club was selected by the Russian Sailing Federation as a growth point for sailing in Russia.
Much like their counterparts in Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands, all events are supported by their national sailing federations as a way to grow sailing participation for all citizens and communities, the Russian Sailing Federation will start the Russia's National Sailing League in late September 2014! At least ten clubs are invited to participate in this inaugural event and the hope is to grow it across the country from the Baltic Sea to the west, to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea to the south and maybe even the Bering Sea to the east, and all principal sailing lakes in between!! Please note, the J/70 Fleet will be available for charters, regattas and other activities like sailing seminars and coaching!
For more information about the Russian J/70 Sailing League, please contact Grigory Aksenov- mob: +7-909-157 6924 or email- aksenov.grigory@gmail.com.
Ida Lewis Distance Race PreviewInnovative Course + Youth & College Challenges!
(Newport, RI)- A “virtual mark” adds an intriguing new twist to the 10th Annual Ida Lewis Distance Race (ILDR), which starts this Friday (August 15). Starting at 12:30 p.m. off Fort Adams in Newport, R.I., the popular overnighter takes its fleet of PHRF, IRC, One-Design, Doublehanded and Multihull boats on one of four courses – between 104nm and 177nm – that trace the New England coastline.
“This is the first time that we have used the concept of a ‘virtual mark’ at the Ida Lewis Distance Race,” said ILDR Race Chairman Simon Davidson, adding that the mark is similar to a traditional mark, as defined in the rules of sailing, except rather than being a physical object, it’s a position defined by latitude and longitude coordinates.
“Originally, this concept was born out of necessity, due to the Coast Guard’s removal of various traditional marks that we’ve used in the past. However, making this change actually enhances the race committee's ability to set an optimal distance course. If this experience proves successful, we expect to see it used for a lot of other events.”
This year, the mark will be located at longitude 41:06.00 north and latitude 071:23.34 west.
“This seems to be an emerging trend,” said Ed Cesare (Norwalk, Conn.). “I know the RORC uses virtual marks and have been doing so for some time. Certainly the technology is there, so if it works for the race course, then let’s do it.” The concept was also used extensively in the last Volvo Ocean Race to also create “safety zones” for pack ice or Roaring Forties depressions encircling the Antarctic.
Cesare has been racing in the Ida Lewis Distance Race since its inception in 2004. “I competed in this event on a variety of different boats, and what I love about it is that the organizers are constantly trying to modify the format to make it better for a variety of different teams. It also starts and finishes in Newport, making it a fun weekend for all members of the family.”
To that point, the Ida Lewis Distance Race welcomes the next generation of sailors to try offshore racing on for size with its Youth and Collegiate Challenges. To qualify for the Youth Challenge, more than 40% of the crew must have reached their 14th birthday but not turned 20 before August 15. To qualify for the Collegiate Challenge, more than 40% of the crew must not have reached the age of 26 before August 15. For both challenges, teams are encouraged to register under the burgee of a college sailing program or a US SAILING yacht club or community sailing program.
Quite a line-up of thirteen J/Teams are participating in the event (30.0% of 53 keelboats), including the new J/88 family speedster. Indeed, the J/88 is being sailed by Rick Flieg with a youth crew on TEAM McMICHAELS YOUTH CHALLENGE in the PHRF Class of fifteen boats. They are joined by the ODYSSEY YOUTH CHALLENGE, Fred Van Liew’s J/111 from New York YC; SECONDHAND LIONS YOUTH CHALLENGE, Bob Kits van Heyningen’s J/120; Bob Manchester’s J/120 VAMOOSE, Chris Saxton’s J/145 VORTICES from Bayview YC in Detroit, Michigan; and Paul Grimes’ J/35 BREAKAWAY from Conanicut YC.
In IRC Class, the J/122 ORION, fresh from their successful performance in the Bermuda Race, will be led by Paul Milo and crew from Leesburg, VA and other Chesapeake Bay sailors.
The PHRF Double-handed Class will have Mike Piper’s J/111 EAGLES DARE from Eastern YC in Marblehead, MA sailing against three fast Class 40s. During the Bermuda Race, Mike also sailed double-handed against some of these teams and managed to beat some of them boat-for-boat!
Finally, in the PHRF Cruising Spinnaker class, five other J/Teams are sailing; including Brooke Mastrorio’s J/109 URSA, Brendan Kelley’s J/133 EXILE, Chris Oliver’s J/40 COVENANT, Bob Anderson’s J/46 ARIEL and EC Helme’s J/92s SPIRIT.
Video and Photo Contests
The Ripple Effect Short Video Contest has been introduced to attract and engage the youth sailors (between 14 and 20 years of age) competing in the Ida Lewis Distance Race. The contest was originally developed by Joe Cooper and Manuka SEM for the Atlantic Cup this past May. Participants (working either individually or as a team) are asked to answer the question “What do you like most about offshore/ overnight sailing?” through a video essay or documentary no longer than five minutes in length.
The Ida Lewis Distance Race Photo Challenge invites all sailors competing in this summer’s event to submit photos to the event Facebook Page (with hashtag #ILDR) that capture their experience at the race. Prizes for both contests will be announced at a later date. To download contest guidelines and registration form, visit http://bit.ly/1oIOWFb For more Ida Lewis Distance Race sailing information.
ONE Regatta Preview(Marblehead, MA)- The PHRF New England's are changing; expect a new and different event in Marblehead this year! The new event is called the Offshore New England Championships or ONE Regatta and is being organized and promoted by Mass Bay Sailing Association.
The ONE Regatta will take place on the same traditional weekend as the New England's August 22-24 and will be run and managed on the water by the Boston, Corinthian and Eastern Yacht Clubs. This year's on-shore host is the Boston Yacht Club.
Here are a few ways the event will be different than in the past:
- Multiple Rating Divisions are being offered (IRC, ORR, HPR & PHRF)
- Multiple One-Designs are invited (currently J/105, J/109, J/70, J/111)
- A focus on sailing like boats with like boats whenever feasible for the best racing experience possible.
- 2 Days of navigational around the buoys courses for main & jib classes and shorthanded classes.
- New social format with focus on dinner, dancing, entertainment and more on Saturday evening and casual parties every other night.
- Plus, win a FREE B&G ZEUSS-2 display worth over $1,500 USD!
Fourteen J/105s have registered to date; chief amongst them is CIRCE’s CUP! Now’s your chance to see if you can take on Ric Dexter’s crew on CIRCE’s CUP and top the podium with a chance at the Zeuss-2 display! Giving them a run-for-the-money will be past 105 Class champion Ken Colburn sailing the famous GHOST and others like Fred deNapoli on ALLEGRO SEMPLICITA, Mark & Jolene Masur on TWO FEATHERS from Dallas, TX and Steve Hollis on SCIROCCO.
Nine J/70s have entered to date with a solid turnout of local and visiting teams looking for more practice before the upcoming J/70 Worlds in Newport, RI. Amongst those top teams are Henry Brauer’s SCAMP, Dave Franzel’s SPRING, Stein Skaane’s SHRED, and Holly Fabyan’s ASTERIA.
In PHRF Class are four J/109s and two J/111s registered so far. The 111s include Ed Kaye’s PRAVDA 2 and Mike Williamson’s BRIGADOON. The 109s have Chris Zibailo’s SUPERSTITION, Dan Boyd & Mitch Wiest’s WILDTHING, Gary Weisberg’s HEAT WAVE and John Doub’s RESOLVE. Also in the hunt will be Ward Blodgett’s J/33 SCIROCCO. For more ONE Regatta sailing information
Chester Race Week Preview(Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada)- Perhaps one of the best “social/ party” race weeks that anyone can imagine has to be the annual Chester Race Week hosted in one of the prettiest bays in all of Nova Scotia, just a hop, skip and a jump south of Halifax. The event has grown bigger and more popular than ever and this year features 14 classes for both one-design and PHRF handicap racing fleet. No question, the regatta is an enormous attraction for the legions of J sailors in eastern Canada and, in particular, Nova Scotia. Hosting the regatta from August 13th to 16th is Chester YC.
Starting with the one-designs, an excellent fleet of nine J/24s will be competing for class honors, including top teams like JUVENILE DELINQUENTS (Ted Murphy), BARELY LEGAL (Jono Reid), STICKY FINGERS (John Whynacht) and LIGHTNING McQUEEN (Ian Dawson). Has anyone ever asked J/24 sailors how they come up with such off-the-wall boat names?!?
In the past, J/29s have had their own one-design division, but this year are lumped into Bravo PHRF Class 99-120. Four J/29s will be up against a J/70 and J/80— good luck figuring out who-beats-who in this one! The 29s include FAVOURITE CHILD (Carlisle & Eric Norwood), PAINKILLER (Paul Dexter), PARADIGM SHIFT (Don Williams), and SILVER WOMAN (Andrew Childs). Egging them on will be the J/70 RE-DEMP-TION sailed by Bill Adams and the J/80 GOAT WHISPERER skippered by Dale Robertson.
In Bravo PHRF Class 121+ we find two J/30s taking on lots of other cruiser-type 30s. One is FLUX, sailed by Jordan MacNeil and other is Jesleine Baker’s JUST ADD WATER.
A flock of J’s are sailing in the random-leg PHRF offshore course in classes Distance A1, A2 and A3. In the A1 class you may be “better off dead than red”, so to speak. Of fourteen boats, eleven are J/Teams! Four J/120s are in the mix, including ADIOS (Dwayne Smithers), BLACK PEARL (Ross Leighton), BRILLIANCE (Rick Calder) and GRAND CRU (Mike Kennedy). Three J/88s will be looking to stretch their legs on some fast reaches, including DOG PARTY (Terry McKenna), PLAYMATE (Jim Snair) and CRAZY EIGHTS (Dave Connolly). These two groups will have to contend Peter Bethune’s J/100 BABE, Sean McDermott’s J/105 McMAC, Paul Rafuse’s J/109 WISC and Colin Mann’s J/92 POOHSTICKS.The A2 class has a cast of characters and classics as well, including three J/35s- Thane MacDonald’s J-HAWK, Gary Sullivan’s SUMROO and Peter Traves’ CRACKERJACK! Paul Conrod’s J/42 CATANEA will be hoping for a lot of jib-reaching against that three-some of gangsters!
Finally, the A3 class has Sam Lamey’s J/27 INCORRIGIBLE and Chris MacDonald’s SCOTCH MIST IV from Lunenberg hoping to over-power their bigger competition in the division. For more Chester Race Week sailing information
J/Fest Southwest Announcement(Seabrook, Texas)- J/Fest Southwest Committee Chairman Al Goethe has announced that Lakewood Yacht Club (LYC) will be hosting its 5th Annual J/Fest Southwest Regatta on November 1st and 2nd. “We wanted to get a ‘save the date’ message out to racers now so that racers will be sure to plan on participating in this superb event,” Goethe explained. The regatta is open to the public and all races will be held on Galveston Bay.
J/Fest regattas have been held for at least 30 years in Annapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, New Orleans and Seattle. The focus of the J/Fest is to give J/Boat racers a chance to compete in one-design races. “Our J/Fest Southwest will be another great opportunity for Lakewood to promote and support a national caliber event,” added Goethe.
With the City of Seabrook again being the primary sponsor of the event, the overall theme of the J/Fest Southwest Regatta is to provide a venue that is all-inclusive to J/Boat owners, their family and friends. While the racers are on the water, their spouses and family can enjoy a myriad of activities and tourist attractions in and around the Bay Area Houston arena.
One design fleets slated for the J/Fest Southwest Regatta include J/22, J/24, J/70, J/80, J/105, and the J/109. It will be a circuit stop for the J/24, J/70, J/80, J/105 and J/109 classes. Race tracking will be available to the one-design classes and can be observed live on large screen TV’s in the clubhouse.
For more information, please contact Scott Spurlin at scott@Jboatssouthwest.com or Al Goethe at lyc@lakewoodyachtclub.com For more J/Fest Southwest sailing information
Italian J/80 Nationals Announcement(Loano, Italy)- Blue Project and Yacht Club Marina di Loano are organizing the Italian J/80 National Championship from the 25th to 28th September 2014 in Loano along the Ligurian Sea.
Yacht Club Marina di Loano and Blue Project Sailing (www.blueprojectsailing.com) invite you to Marina di Loano (Savona) in Italy to compete in the 2014 Italian J/80 Championship Regatta! That means the sailing public from Europe, Russia, Asia, India are all invited!
Here are the details of this fun event:
- Blue Project (www.blueprojectsailing.com) owns a fleet of nine International J/80s in excellent condition, identical in the level of maintenance, sets of sails and equipment;
- Boats are rentable with full crew or it’s possible to buy an individual position, in that case the YCML, in compliance with the Class Rules, will complete the crews by providing a qualified Skipper;
- The day before the races there will be a practice race and Sailing Clinic lead by an internationally renowned sailor;
- Alessandro Pezzoli, who has experience in three America's Cup and four Olympic Games will hold meteorological & forecasting classes;
- Fabio Barrasso, Race Officer of the Italian Sailing Federation, will direct regatta operations on the water and hold lectures of the ISAF Racing Rules;
- The YCML will take care of the organization of the event and provide for the participants its professional staff to clean the boats, assistance on the water and boat maintenance; meeting rooms for lectures, briefing and de-briefing, with blackboard, visualization and analysis of videos and photographs; changing rooms, toilets and showers. Finally, HELLY HANSEN will provide sailing gear for those who do not have state-of-the-art sailing clothes.
- If all the above sounds good enough, the entry and charter fees are reasonable. Enter your own boat, it’s just € 250.00.
- For charter boats, the € 2,000.00 fee includes: boat from Wednesday 24th September to 28th September ’14; a new set of sails provided by Blue Project and North Sails, participation in the Sailing Clinic, participation in the lessons of Meteorology and Racing Rules of Sailing, registration fee, professional staff to launch, fit out and clean boats, assistance at sea and boat maintenance.
- If you can’t organize an entire crew, just show up and sail with us! The Individual price of € 500.00 gets you on a crew with all the benefits as outlined above, plus the YCML will complete crews by providing a skipper in compliance with the J/80 Class Rules.
Hotel & Accommodations:The ultra-modern facilities at YCML can accommodate participants in their 9 luxury Suites (rooms upon availability). Room rate vary depending on season. To the participants in the event, YCML offers a discount of 25% on the rate of the period: Suite mountain side = € 300.00 per night, Suite seaside = € 367.50 per night; Breakfast Buffet in the Main Lobby or room service is included.
For a standard hotel, there is the four-star Hotel Garden Lido located just outside the main entrance of the Marina di Loano, on the waterfront of the village. They have Special rates: € 72.00 for a single room; € 95.00 for a twin or double room (subject to availability) and also a Packed Lunch for € 15.00 per person.
Finally, all participants can access YCML (same rights / duties of YCML Members) with use of the Main Lobby, access to the Solarium with swimming pool, access to the Beach (depending on the season/weather) and to the Technogym Fitness Room; and, finally, Beauty treatments at the YCML Care Suite is on the same terms and rates reserved for members!
For any questions, please contact Ivana Quattrini- ph# +39-335-8093904 or email- ufficiostampa@blueprojectsailing.com. For more Italian J/80 Nationals sailing information
http://www.blueprojectsailing.com
International Yacht Club Challenge Preview(New York, NY)- Nineteen teams of amateur club sailors from 14 nations will come together August 15-17 to compete in the Sixth Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge, organized by the NY Harbor Sailing Foundation. The races will take place on J/24 boats borrowed from the Manhattan Yacht Club, one of the largest community sailing organizations in the country with more than 900 members and will take place at North Cove, the mega yacht marina in Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan.
The three-day spectacular will feature a daily series of hour-long races in New York Harbor. All of the races will begin and end at Manhattan Yacht Club’s floating clubhouse located in the harbor, near Ellis Island.
“This is a great opportunity to bring together so many sailors from around the world to promote international goodwill through friendly competition,” says Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh, who also serves as Executive Director of the New York Harbor Sailing Foundation. “What better place to have a regatta than in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty overlooking the Manhattan skyline. New York harbor is a great place to sail and we are looking forward to having a memorable weekend of races.”
The NY Harbor Sailing Foundation was founded in 1994 and organizes sailing programs in the harbor such as Operation Optimist, a junior sailing program for kids.
Founded in 1987, Manhattan Yacht Club has reintroduced recreational sailing to the harbor after a 60-year absence. With two clubhouses and a fleet of more than 30 club-owned boats, the club brings together both amateurs and professionals alike to share in the joy of sailing through lessons and friendly competition.
North Cove is located in front of the World Financial Center in Battery Park City. The marina is the epicenter of recreational sailing in the harbor. The Patron of North Cove is Dennis Conner who is best known for winning the America’s Cup and was voted last year as America’s Greatest Sailor. He has worked since 2005 with Manhattan Yacht Club’s Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh to help revitalize the Lower Manhattan waterfront after the devastation of 9/11.
The 19 teams from 14 nations include:
• Manhattan Yacht Club (United States) – 2 Teams
• Club Universitario de Buenos Aires (Argentina) – 2 Teams
• Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (Germany)
• Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (Australia) – 2 Teams
• Nissan Marina Tokai (Japan)
• Howth Yacht Club (Ireland) – 2 Teams
• Fenerbahce Sailing Club “Team Goblin” (Turkey)
• Royal Cork Yacht Club (Ireland)
• Societe Nautique de la Baie de Saint-Malo (France)
• Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (Norway)
• Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (Bermuda)
• Royal Danish Yacht Club (Denmark)
• Cercle de la Voile de la Société Nautique de Genève (Switzerland)
• Shanghai Boat and Yacht Club (China)
• Royal Cape Yacht Club (South Africa)
For more International Yacht Challenge sailing information
Penobscot Bay Rendezvous Preview(Rockland, Maine)- What a party! The Penobscot Bay Rendezvous is on the map as one of New England's best regattas. Last year 55 sail and powerboats gathered for the four-night three-day event co-hosted by Wayfarer Marine and Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding. Momentum has been behind this event from the beginning and we expect this year to draw even more boats to this all out fun regatta. Remember, it was recognized by Yachting Magazine as one of the World's Best events!
We are honored to announce that LifeFlight of Maine is our beneficiary. All proceeds from the event will go to the essential medical service. One that is especially relevant to yachtsmen.
What does LifeFlight of Maine do?
When someone in Maine finds themselves in a life-threatening situation, be it illness or injury, a call for medical help is made. For the most serious of calls, people in Maine rely on LifeFlight to provide advanced care and rapid transport to specialty care such as burn, trauma, cardiac or transplant centers. Often, LifeFlight is literally a second chance at life.
Now with a worthy cause, the fourth annual Penobscot Bay Rendezvous, August 14-17th will once again be Maine's most exciting sail and powerboat regatta of the season. Super yachts, to classics to performance racers, passage-making power cruisers, Picnic Boats and lobster yachts are invited to enter. The Penobscot Bay Rendezvous is a celebration of boating and boatbuilding. Featuring daily races for sailboats and a panoramic setting for powerboats, the participants will be hosted each night at a different exclusive venue. Delicious locally sourced menus, dancing and fireworks are all a part of the ticket.
Central to the growth and have been a core of passionate J sailors who enjoy living and/or cruising in New England and, particularly, Down East Maine from Portland to Eastport. Two of them are sailing single-handed- Ron Hart’s J/109 TRUE NORTH from Camden, Maine and Scott Miller’s J/122 RESOLUTE (the same person and boat that won the Bermuda One-Two in 2013).
In the SPIN Division 1 is Tom Gill’s J/100 SEA SMOKE from Boston, MA, Doug Coleman & Chris Holm’s J/46 SKITTERYGUSSET from Wayzata, Ben Blake’s J/160 ATLANTIC and Mark Scheffer’s J/40 LEGACY from Vineyard Haven.
Sailing SPIN Division 2 is Jesse Henry’s J/80 CHAISE LOUNGE, Patti Spaulding’s J/24 HAVOC and Larry Turner’s J/29 RENEGADE. Gorgeous weather is anticipated for the weekend and it’s particularly nice when you have the backdrop of the hills surrounding Penobscot Bay during sunsets.
For more Penobscot Bay Rendezvous sailing information
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
Like the classic cars event at Goodwood, the eponymous sailing event in the United Kingdom (Cowes Week) does not often disappoint. Thousands of sailors gathered together in what is the UK’s version of “Woodstock”- it saw fleets of J/70s, J/80s, J/109s, J/111s and IRC Handicap classes for J/100s, J/120s, J/97s and so forth. The last day of racing had 15-25 kt winds on a sunny Solent; it was a classic conclusion to one of the nicer AAM Cowes Weeks ever. Over in Palma Mallorca, Spain, the J/80s sailed their Copa del Rey in similar conditions. Then, the RORC had the start of its famous Round Britain & Ireland Race postponed (wisely) until later on Sunday as the fleet departed on their counter-clockwise “massive round island” race with a J/109, J/111, and J/122 vying for IRC honors in an 1,800nm race. A tough one, for sure, no matter what boat you sail.On the American side of the equation, Chicago YC held its classic late summer regatta, the Verve Cup, for one-design classes of J/105s, J/109s, J/111s and offshore teams such as a J/120, J/35 and others. Over in Buzzards Bay, we got a report on the J/88 debut in that event. Then we saw a J/24 team doing well in the “Race to the Pub” event and, even better yet, the J/27s enjoying another most excellent J/27 North Americans hosted in Oakville, Ontario!
In the community section is the Australian J/24 “Winter” report, the J/36 JAZZ sailing singlehanded offshore, women supporting WOW programs and other women leading the V.I.P. Nantucket I.O.D. Invite-Only One-Design Regatta.
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:
Aug 14-17- Chester Race Week- Chester, Nova ScotiaAug 14-17- Penobscot Bay Rendezvous- Rockland, Maine
Aug 19-24- J/111 World Championship- Royal Yacht Squadron- Cowes, England
Aug 21-24- J/35 North Americans- Muskegon, MI
Aug 22-24- J/24 USA Nationals- Beverly YC- Marion, MA
Aug 22-24- ONE Regatta- Marblehead, MA
Aug 23-24- Verve Cup Inshore Regatta- Chicago, IL
Aug 28-31- Pornic J/80 Cup- Pornic, France
Sep 8-13- J/70 World Championship- New York YC- Newport, RI
Sep 11-15- 50th Rolex Big Boat Series- San Francisco, CA
Sep 11-14- J/30 North Americans- Riverside, CT
Sep 19-26- J/24 World Championship- Newport, RI
Sep 20-21- J/70 West Coast Championship- Newport Beach, CA
Sep 24-27- J/70 Europeans- Riva del Garda, Italy
Sep 25-28- J/105 North American Championship- Toronto, ONT
Sep 26-28- J/Fest San Diego- San Diego, CA
Sep 28- Oct 5- J/80 World Championship- Annapolis, MD
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
Sparkling Cowes Week For J/Sailors!(Cowes, England)- This past Saturday saw the conclusion of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2014. The overall prize-giving on Saturday evening was attended by some 300 people and regatta organizers, Cowes Week Limited, reflected on a Week of mixed weather conditions. Champagne sailing conditions started the Week with sunshine and great breeze but this was followed by much lighter conditions resulting in disappointing abandonments for some on Thursday and for all classes on Friday. For those that raced on the final Saturday though, there was a welcome return of good breeze and sun providing some fantastic conditions for the last day of racing, with the added spectacle of Black Group starting on the Royal Yacht Squadron line for the first time in as long as anyone can remember.
The final day of racing delivered sparkling conditions with plenty of sun and wind, including gusts of 25 knots that gave exhilarating and energetic racing under predominately cloudless skies. The lively weather wrapped up a great week of racing that featured plenty of sun and a mix of winds that tested crews in different conditions.
Amongst the J/111s, a thirteen-boat fleet continued to sail for the duration of the week after their EuroCup at the outset. Taking the top of the class was relative class newcomer PLAN J, closing out the series with a 2.5-5-5.5-1.5-4 for 18.5 pts. Second was Tony Mack’s McFLY with a 10-1-2.5-6.5-1 for 21 pts. Third was Cornel Riklin’s JEEZ LOUISE with a 9-3.5-2.5-5.5-2 for 22.5 pts.
Jon Powell’s BETTY took the overall victory in the J/80 class with four race wins and one second place, while Colin Simonds’ DOOLALLI IV took second overall with 13 points. With the top two boats dominating the racing, Douglas Struth’s DSP was third overall, with 26 points. In the Royal J/80s class, it was ROYAL 2 winning quite handily with just 6 pts net followed by ROYAL 3 at 12 pts net and ROYAL 5 at 14 pts net.
The J/70s had a similar format to the J/111s, with double-races starting on Saturday at the beginning of the week (the “Short Series”) and then the regular Cowes Week participants counting afternoon races until the end. The Short Series was won by Wouter Kollmann’s PLAJ from the Netherlands followed by Simon Ling’s SPITFIRE/ RAF BENEVOLENT FUND and Ian Wilson’s WILSON COVERS. For the regular series, things flip-flopped a bit with Ling’s SPITFIRE gang winning followed by PLAJ and JUGADOR in third (the kids!).
The J/109s had a fantastic turnout of 23 boats. In the end, it was Tor McLaren’s INSPARA that showed her booty to the fleet most of the time, accumulating a 1-7-5-2-1 for just 16 pts. A new face in the crowd, Neil McGrigor’a BOO, grabbed second overall with just 23.5 pts while Arjen van Leeuwen’s JOULE team from the Netherlands was third with 26 pts. Fourth and fifth, respectively, were David McLeman’s OFFBEAT and Jamie Sheldon’s JUMUNU. Other top teams from past events were a bit off the pace, presumably the post-race entertainment at the Pimms or Guinness tents had a bit of an impact on crew work or global synapses!In the IRC handicap world, it was no surprise the two J/97s dominated their IRC 5 Class; in fact, it was a J/Boats sweep! Chaz Ivill’s ETB TYRES/ JUST LIKE THAT took the class win with a reasonable record of four 1sts and two 2nds for 6 pts. Second was Nick & Adam Munday’s INDULJENCE (also winners of the Commodores Challenge Trophy!). Third was the Libby & David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO.
In IRC 1 Class, a combination of two duos of J/122s and J/133s posted some good performances. In their nineteen-boat fleet, Herman Bergshaven’s J/133 MADJUS took 9th while Sergey Senchenko’s Russian team on the J/122 JOLOU placed tenth.
Finally, in Cruiser A handicap world, the twin J/100s had a fabulous week. Julian James’ THUNDER SQUALL took second (with a 1-1-2-2-2) and Ole Bettum’s ALAMARA B II took third (3-3-3-4-3); they were up against a 30-boat class that had 30 to 48 footers!
The Aberdeen Asset Management Under 25 Trophy was even more competitive this year with crews from across 20 different boats racing for the award with their entry fee covered by title sponsor, Aberdeen Asset Management. The crew of JUGADOR in the J/70 class fought off competition from across many classes, with JUGADOR skipper, Jack Davies, also taking the Young Skipper’s Trophy! Congratulations to Jack and crew for “doubling-down” and sending it! Third was the J/80 SEAFIRE.
For more AAM Cowes Week sailing information
NOTICIA Wins J/80 Copa del Rey(Palma Mallorca, Spain)– The 33rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE finished in Palma de Mallorca this past weekend on a high note. The bay of Palma reaffirmed its reputation with good wind conditions throughout the week, and only added a little bit more excitement on the final day with an irregular wind that reduced the sailing schedule to a single race. The winners were decided in the last race of the championship.
The J/80 champion of the 33rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE is “Noticia”. Skipper “Pichu” Torcida was presented the trophy by The King of Spain, H.R.M. King Felipe- who presided at the official prize giving ceremony for all fleets on Palma.
José María “Pichu” Torcida’s NOTICIA won in an overwhelming way in the Herbalife J/80 Class. Torcida, a double J/80 World Champion in the class (2007 and 2010), led the fleet from the third day of racing, and completed the regatta with a difference of 20 points over his nearest rival. NOTICIA won six out of the 12 races sailed and scored just 22 pts total.
Carlos Martinez’s MOVISTAR (another J/80 World Champion) finished in second place, winning just two races and getting black flagged in race #3. They barely hung on to second place with a 4-4-9 in the last three races to score 42 pts total. They were followed by Javier Padrón’s HERBALIFE that closed with a 3-2 for a total of 46 pts. As a result, they won the tie-breaker over Marc De Antonio’s BRIBON-MOVISTAR also on 46 pts. Fifth was current J/80 World Champion Hugo Rocha (a Portuguese sailor) sailing with an international team that includes Russian owner Alexey Semenov; they were just four points back and their closing 3-5-1-11 was close enough for them to have scored a 2nd or 3rd in the regatta (you could hear them say, “if it were not for that last race!!!”). For more J/80 Copa del Rey sailing information
ROCKING HORSE Rocks Verve CupKASHMIR Smokes 111s, NORTHSTAR Overwhelms 109s
(Chicago, IL)- This year’s Verve Cup, which featured a three-day offshore course race from Friday through Sunday and a one-day distance race on Saturday, included 12 racing sections.
Sailing conditions were ideal throughout the weekend. On the final day of sailing on Sunday, temperatures were in the upper 70s with winds out of the ENE at 7-11 knots. Both circles completed a total of nine races throughout the weekend, with Circle A completing three races and Circle B completing two today.
“A lot of the sailors have said that this is the best weather we’ve had for a regatta in quite a while,” said Verve Cup Chairman Martin Sandoval. “The Race Committee did a great job on the water cycling through the sequences to get racers started. They worked very efficiently on the water.”
CYC Member Sandy Curtiss, skipper of ROCKING HORSE, won the J/105 section with his crew, which included his two sons, Alex and Will. “Sailing in the race today with my two sons was pretty special,” Curtiss said. “I haven’t sailed with them in quite a while, so it felt good to have them as part of the crew.”
“We had fun. We did our job,” said ROCKING HORSE crew-member Ted Towey. “I’d emphasize how much fun we had. We all get along extremely well, so it was good humor and hard work out on the water this weekend.”
Curtiss went on to say that, “We had great starts (until they ganged up on us the last day) and excellent boat speed. The wind was shifty and 7-20 kts E/NE. Some confused chop.”
ROCKING HORSES’s Verve victory also secured the 2014 J/105 Fleet 5 Goose Island Championship. More congratulations are in order for Sandy and crew!
What is remarkable was to see the turn-around of the ROCKING HORSE crew, posting all top five finishes in nine total races and winning three races on their way to the class win. Their record of 3-3-1-4-3-1-1-4-5 for 25 pts total enabled them to take the class by four pts. Behind them were a J/105 class “who’s who” of past champions in the Great Lakes. Second was Clark Pellett on SEALARK with a 1-6-3-2-2-2-4-5-4 for 29 pts. Past winner HERE’S JOHNNY, John Moore, posted an equally impressive 6-1-6-1-5-5-3-1-3 for 31 pts. Jon Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM took fourth while Steve Knoop’s BELLA took fifth.Perhaps the “flip-flop” fleet award must go to the J/109s. After a “momentous” Chicago-Mackinac Race, the J/109 fleet must’ve been taking a breather. This time it was Dave Gustman’s NORTHSTAR that took class honors by a Chicago-country-mile (e.g. more than most). Their record of five 1sts (including the last three races) simply dusted their fleet. Second was Doug Evans’ TIME OUT with 24 pts and in third was Peter Priede’s FULL TILT.
Having just finished their J/111 North Americans, the class was not only well-practiced after the NOOD and the Chicago-Mackinac Race (again having dominated the fleet overall), but it was clear there were a few “axes to grind” for the Verve Cup finale in this class. Having licked their wounds in the preceding events, it was a command performance by the “three musketeers” on KASHMIR (skippered by Karl Brummel) that took the event with four 1sts and three 2nds in nine races for 17 pts total. Second was Chesapeake Bay Champion Martie Roesch on VELOCITY from Annapolis YC, showing he and his team had learned a thing or two about sailing in Chicago. Third was Len Siegal’s LUCKY DUBIE, the crew being happy that Lenny had survived a bike accident and could still sail fast, in fact, winning two races he was so fast!! Fourth was Steve Dabrowski’s NIGHTHAWK and fifth was Rich Witzel’s ROWDY.
In the ORR Distance Races, the J/Crew did well. Frank Giampoli’s J/120 JAHAZI took the class win in ORR 1 Class. In the ORR Distance Race 2, the J/88 RAMBLER skippered by Benjamin Wilson took third.
Finally in the ORR 3 Class which race around the buoys, it was the Bayers /Welch/ Busker gang aboard the J/35 FALCON from Detroit that won class honors with a “runaway”- six 1sts and three 2nds to win by a Detroit Minute (which is farther than a Chicago country furlong!). Larry Schell’s J/35 TOUCH OF GREY from Chicago, normally accustomed to winning by enormous margins, may have punted their first regatta in quite some time. Perhaps the Detroit guys got into their heads (ya know, Redwings vs Hawks, Pistons vs Bulls, Tigers vs White Sox, that kinda stuff!). For more Verve Cup Offshore sailing information
Round Britain & Ireland Race Update(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- Organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is undoubtedly living up to its reputation as one of the toughest yacht races in the world. While other ocean races are longer, racing 1,800 miles around a coastline notorious for highly changeable weather and wicked tides and currents, puts the race amongst the most difficult to complete, let alone win. In fact, conditions were so tough at the start, the RORC wisely delayed the start 24 hours to avoid the remnants of a “depression”/ hurricane that was sweeping across the British Isles.
After the start on Sunday, the Volvo 65s have whistled around the top of the island and the famous “Muckle Flugga” island lighthouse. The rest of the fleet are now struggling to actually get around it as they head north in the North Sea.
The only bad news so far is that the J/109 RUAG WHITE KNIGHT had reported a separated shoulder amongst its crew, but everyone was doing OK. At this stage, amongst the J/Teams, first is the J/122 RELENTLESS ON JELLYFISH, sailed by Chris Radford and James George followed by the J/111 BRITISH SOLDIER, the UK’s Army Sailing Association team, skippered by led by Phil Caswell and in third is Rob Hammond and the UK’s Royal Armoured Corps Yacht Club sailing the J/109 RUAG WHITE KNIGHT 7.
Follow the three J/Teams with YellowBrick tracking. For more RORC Round Britain & Ireland Race sailing information
WARPED PERCEPTION Tops J/27 North Americans(Oakville, Ontario, Canada)- The Oakville Yacht Squadron hosted 15 boats for this year's J27 North Americans. The event was the 3rd consecutive year that the OYS has hosted the event and this year also marked the 30th anniversary of the boat's introduction and domination of the 1984 MORC Internationals as commemorated in this year's t-Shirt.
Absent from this year's event were the 2012 (“Northern Seitz”) & 2013 (“SuperG”) Champions so it was certain that a new champion would be crowned. To do so they would need to master the notoriously fickle & light winds that can be common at the Western End of Lake Ontario during the dog days of summer. And dog days they were...hot, sunny and winds never exceeding 6 knots for the duration of the event; conditions that would favour the local boats with the most experience in both light air and fleet racing (OYS has 8 boats locally).
Due to an exemplary race committee, 3 races were run on Day 1 resulting in "Messing About" in sole possession of 1st place with "Curved Air" 2nd tied with "Warped Perception" 3rd both 1 point adrift of the leader.
Day 2 - not much different but definitely moving day with threats from Newcomer "Tenacious" (ne "Mind Bleach") racing in their first regatta and making her presence known by taking one of 2 bullets she would eventually score. Also making a charge "Seamma" with two 2nds in the two races that day. In the end however it was "Warped Perception" with a 1, 3 combination on the day leapfrogging into 1st, bumping both "Messing About" and "Curved Air" to 2nd and 3rd respectively.Day 3 saw a bit more air; enough to get in 4 races. Strongest boat on the day was "Curved Air" trying to close the 2 point gap to "Messing About" in 2nd and "Warped Perception" a further 4 points ahead in first. In the end 3 points was all that could be erased and "Warped Perception" held on to 1st with "Curved Air" 2nd and "Messing About" 3rd. As a testament to the ferocity of competition, the last two races saw the top three boats finish 1, 2, 3 within a boat length of one another. Full results can be found here.
For more J/27 North Americans sailing information
J/88 Buzzards Bay Report(Marion, MA)- The J/88 #35 “Yonder” sailed her debut race at this year’s Buzzard’s Bay Regatta, competing in a tight fleet of J105’s, 109’s and a 120 in PHRF 2. Owner Doug Newhouse (Newport, RI) was competing in his first-ever regatta and dealt with a mix of conditions, assisted by crew from Quantum Newport.
Friday saw the fleet touring the Bay in a 30+ nm distance race where local knowledge came in handy. Saturday brought rain and breeze in the 10-16 kt range, giving the J/105’s just enough breeze to beat the 88 upwind despite a rating difference of 9 seconds/mile. Team Yonder was quickly getting the boat dialed-in though, with an 8-6-4 going into Sunday.
The light air on the final day worked well for the 88, and she was able to climb the ranks with a 4-3 finish in conditions under 10 kts, leaving her in 5th for the event. Yonder is looking forward to more racing and may join the six other 88’s on nearby Long Island Sound for a late season regatta at American YC!
J/24 BANDIT Wins “Race To Pub”!(Roanoke, VA)- Patty Cliborne came out of retirement on Aug. 2 to sail the Blackwater Yacht Racing Association “Race to the Pub” with her son, Glenn, on the J/24 BANDIT. The Cliborne boat prevailed in what was a close battle with the crew of BOOGIE BOARD for most of the race.
The race was sailed from Lakestone on Bull Run, around marker BU5, back to the Blackwater River and to the finish at Crazy Horse Marina. A post-race party and awards presentation was hosted by the Mexico Viejo staff for the combined crews, which totaled more than 35.
This year’s Race to the Pub was sailed in a very light breeze, but the fleet completed the 4-mile course in two to three hours.Third place also was hotly contested between Warren Theis’ Gotcha and Don Shelton’s Liberty. The two boats sailed less than 20 feet apart for the last half mile. In the end, Gotcha crossed first, but the hull brushed the finish mark resulting in a penalty, making Liberty the winner of the coveted six-pack of beer!
It would be hard to pick a star of the race; nominees are Patty Cliborne, who came back to racing after over 15 years (she is a rock star to many!); and Hunter Becerra, just 9 years old, who co-skippered his first race on the J/24 BOOGIE BOARD with Mike Maloney and Hunter’s parents, Courtenay and Maurice Becerra. Thanks for the contribution by Pete Phillip
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* Empowering Women Sailing- WOW! Carolyn Russell is the rare leader in the sailing community who sees just as much, if not more, value in creating space for others to thrive on the water as she does in developing her own skills as a sailor. Carolyn spearheads the Women On Water (WOW) program at American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y. where she looks to create opportunities for women sailors of all levels to deepen their knowledge of sailing, whether for recreational purposes or with the objective of competing successfully in various regattas. The club as a whole, but especially the contingency of women sailors, has benefitted enormously from Carolyn’s leadership that promotes inclusivity of sailors of all levels and values learning collaboratively above everything else.“For me, and the WOW Committee, it’s all about getting more women on the water sailing,” said Carolyn. “Having all women clinics and an all women crew out on Friday nights, allows women to engage in the sport, play an active role on a boat and meet other women who love to sail. Since founding our program, I have spoken to other clubs about their own women’s sailing programs. It’s exciting to see WOW take off at other clubs.”
Carolyn saw a commonality between the goals of the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship and the sailing philosophy of American Yacht Club and pursued the opportunity to host this US Sailing Championship at AYC. As chairwoman of this prestigious event, held at AYC on June 15-21, 2014, Carolyn had a clear vision for the experience that the girls would have during their week at AYC and in partnership with US Sailing successfully energized a large contingent of coaches, race committee members and other club volunteers to utilize their individual talents and knowledge to contribute to this success of this event. Under Carolyn’s leadership, 82 young women sailors had an unforgettable opportunity to learn, grow and compete with the support of American Yacht Club.
Carolyn is currently one of two woman trustees of American Yacht Club. In addition to her efforts on behalf of women sailors at her own club, she has been instrumental in starting the Women’s Invitational Team Race at AYC in 2012, and in June this year she led the effort for this event for the third year in a row, bringing as many as eight teams of women to AYC from clubs around the U.S. Carolyn is also the head coach of the Women’s Sailing Team at Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Conn., where she empowers high school girls to be the best athletes they can be. Coach Russell is an intuitive teacher who can connect off the water theories to on the water experiences to deepen the girls’ understanding of the sport.
Her own sailing resume is also impressive. Carolyn sails regularly on the J/44 MAXINE, serving as the unstoppable bow woman in races all around Long Island Sound. She has completed numerous Newport to Bermuda races and countless Block Island Race Weeks. She also never misses the opportunity to compete locally in smaller boats, having won the LIS Women’s Championship (Queen’s Cup) in 2010 and the Area B Women’s Championships (2008), both held in the Ideal 18. Carolyn has taken her talents and great attitude to the national level, having competed twice in the U.S. Women’s Championship (Adams Cup, now known as U.S. Adult Championships), finishing second in 2011.
Carolyn is also a well-loved and loyal friend, a devoted mother to two amazing kids (Parker, 11 and Lane, 9) and has been happily married to Christopher Russell for 15 years. Not surprisingly, you can usually find the family together on the water.
“Women juggle a lot to be on the water, especially for those of us that have a day job, a family and other commitments off the water,” mentioned Carolyn. “I am very lucky as my husband and kids love the water and to sail – it’s a true family event and now that the kids are in their own programs they are helpful when we sail as a family.”
* J/24 Sailors a bit too far “Down Under”!? Well, it is the middle of winter down there for them- but here’s the latest update from this beyond fun-loving group of J/24 sailors from Simon Grain and crew:“Well, Doug has been at it again, under a number of alias' and with a few ring-ins he has stitched together another one of his famous dissertations on the state of the “J/Nation” at Sandy. Great reading that will keep you warm and fuzzy through our chilly winter. Guys, there's a headline about the pool party, there's pictures of girls, pictures of boats (don't get the two confused) and one about the big apple. Sorry girls...no pics of blokes in this one, although there is...a small ladder!
Summer sounds like a long way away in the middle of winter, but we have just over 50 days till the summer season starts up - less than 2 months! Read on fellow J lovers .... Cheers Simon”
A small excerpt is no doubt required:
“Heaven Knows No Joy as a Woman Who Has Just Won The Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta”- By Pink Boa (see photo above).
“Hyperactive! Hyperactive again! Have won The Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta! Winning 5 from 6 races they simply blasted the RMYS assembled fleet and held the trophy aloft. The facts are that they have won it three times before on PHD and twice on AMS. This most recent victory they won AMS 2nd Division but on corrected time actually beat all the Div 1 boats. (Reporter’s note; I just loved writing all of that!)
The crew of Amanda Aylward, Mary McCauley, Robyn Coombs, Kirsty Harris and Joelle Roderick, although somewhat pulled together at the last moment, “jelled like white on rice.. and got it on like Donkey Kong” to quote proud boat owner and trimmer Robyn Coombs.
“We really enjoyed every single second out there and every single second in the bar. I really couldn’t have hope for us all getting along and working so well together... I mean, we only met Mary on the morning of the event!!!! It is true, bitches be crazy!!!” Er, OK... if you say so happy pants!
Either way, a huge result and once again J/24s leave what are supposed to be superior craft, in their wake. Go The Women!! I am singing “Hyper, Hyper, Hyper” to the tune of “Quando, Quando, Quando” (an Italian pop song from 1962... Robyn knows all the words... see reference above re ‘old’) Read on and download the whole “HIT THE MARK” episode here.
J/36 JAZZ Single-handed from Mediterranean to the United Kingdom! Now this is one famous boat. Originally owned by J/Boats co-founder Rodney Johnstone, the J/36 JAZZ has sailed all around the world.In recent years, she has spent her time between the Med and the UK. Her current owner, Norman Curnow, loves doing the 2,900nm voyage single-handed voyage. His wife does not seem to mind as she goes via British Airways.
As he describes, “if I can do it single-handed, then any one can Crete and back single-handed 5,800 nm. All the same gear that was on boat in 1980- including the new Shore Sails— made by Bill Shore, right?” (Editors note- this famous loft was sold to North Sails and included Ken Read and Dan Neri, amongst others, in the transition a few moons ago).
J/Sailors Leading the Charge off Nantucket. It’s all about “Competition, Contribution, Camaraderie!” It’s the quintessential New England summer scene: a fleet of classic yachts parade past a picturesque lighthouse en route to the race course, their American ensigns streaming in the stiff breeze.On August 14th and 15th, a handsome pack of IOD sloops will slice through the waters of Nantucket Sound, in the capable hands of accomplished skippers and crew, each under the sage direction of a world-famous tactician.
This is the 10th installment of the IOD Celebrity Invitational, a unique regatta that pairs 14 visiting and local teams with 14 of America’s top sailing talent as tacticians. The two-day event is a signature feature of Nantucket Race Week, a weeklong celebration of sailing for all ages that benefits Nantucket Community Sailing (NCS), the non-profit that promotes the island’s maritime tradition by making sailing accessible and affordable to all.
The Nantucket International One Design Fleet Association provides its fleet of 15 identically matched fiberglass sloops, and many local sailors to stage the racing. One boat is reserved as a spare.
“The IOD’s are not a new design, but perfect for Nantucket conditions. They are all very even in speed and provide a wonderful test of sailing ability,” says Tom Whidden, a veteran and longstanding supporter of the Celebrity Invitational. In the past he has brought his vast experience – including multiple America’s Cup campaigns – to Nantucket as a celebrity tactician. This year he serves as the IOD Celebrity Invitational’s Honorary Chair. “This will continue to be one of my favorite regattas.”
The roster of tacticians reads like a Who’s Who of sailing, representing America’s Cup Hall of Famers, World Champions in multiple classes, medaled Olympians, collegiate All-Americans, and more than a few sail makers. NOTE- Literally ALL have J/Boats experience at the local, regional, national, continental or world-levels on their C.V.! Here is the cast of characters frequenting downtown Nantucket this weekend:
Josh Adams (three time collegiate All-American), Jim Allsopp (Star World Champion), Peter
Bromby (four Olympic Star campaigns), Robbie Doyle (twice Sears Cup winner), Dave Franzel (Sonar World Champion), Phil Garland (twice winning navigator in Fastnet Races), John MacCausland (Star World Champion), Mark Reynolds (four Olympics, three medals), Dawn Riley (four America’s Cup campaigns, 1992 win), Jud Smith (Rolex Yachtsman of the Year), Mika Toppa (six America’s Cup campaigns, two wins), Dave Ullman (470, J/24 and Melges World Champion), Will Welles (J/24 National Champion), and Jon Wright (five America’s Cup campaigns, three wins).
“What’s really impressive to me is the commitment of the celebrities to come and, for many, to return multiple times for the honor of helping out NCS in its primary mission of teaching people to sail,” says event co-organizer Bill Druckemiller. “The number of America’s Cup, World Championships, Olympic medals is really astounding, and they give their time cheerfully.”
The philanthropic sentiment doesn’t seem to deter the competitive spirit. “The racing is close and there is a lot of it. Believe me, it isn’t easy. I have never won the regatta because the competition is really tough,” says Whidden.
An impressive line-up of skippers further validates the event’s “Celebrity” title. Entrants include Gary Jobson (America’s Cup-winning tactician), who will also serve as Honorary Chair of Nantucket Race Week 2014 and Heather Gregg-Earl (J/70 North American Champion in 2013). For more Nantucket Race Week
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.
* Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR. Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now. We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about their adventures in their well-documented blog here: http://www.svceolmor.com/SVCeolMor/Welcome.html
* J/160 AVATAR headed for the Caribbean, again! We LOVE these updates from our cruising J sailors that continue to criss-cross the Seven Seas. This one comes from Alan Fougere, sailing his beloved J/160 AVATAR. Alan sent us an email update commenting on their passage south this winter, "In mid-December AVATAR completed her sixth transit to her winter Caribbean home, Grand Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (seen above) from her home port in Quissett (Falmouth), MA. A crew of three, Captain Alan (e.g. me), Crew Pablo Brissett and Mark Conroy, covered the 1,500 nm trip in in her best time to date- 7 Days 5 Hours, averaging 8.7 kts, that's about 208 nm per day! Amazing passage it was! Rainbow at right far offshore was some of the amazing phenomenon we experienced on this fast offshore passage.AVATAR will participate in the BVI Sailing Festival/Regatta again in 2013, where last year she won the Nanny Key Cup Cruising Class race around the Island of Virgin Gorda. Here are some photos for you to share with the J/Community at-large. Enjoy!"
Best, Alan Fougere/ AVATAR
* Bill & Judy Stellin recently had an interview about cruising on their J/42 in the Wall St Journal called "Retiring on the Open Sea". The Wall St Journal asked Bill to reply to dozens of questions that flooded into the WSJ's Editor desks. Here's the update:Retiring on the Sea: Answering Readers' Questions
Advice about selecting a boat, ocean crossings, itineraries and safety
The article in our WSJ Online December retirement report about eight years spent sailing the Mediterranean— "Retiring to the Open Sea"— prompted many questions and comments from readers. We asked William Stellin, who wrote the story, to answer some of the most common queries.WSJ- "What kind and make of boat did you use? Looking back, would you have picked a different boat?"
Bill- "In 1995-96, J/Boats of Newport, RI, came out with a new cruiser/racer model, the J/42. We bought hull No. 6 of this popular 42-foot sailboat and named it JAYWALKER. This was our fourth boat since beginning sailing in 1975.
Although long-distance cruising wasn't what we had in mind when we purchased JAYWALKER, it soon became apparent it had the ability to carry us easily and safely anywhere we wanted to go. Because the boat is light, it sails well in light winds, which means very little motoring is necessary.
People often ask (and argue) about what boat is best for cruising. Any boat that is strong, safe, fast, comfortable and easily handled by two people should fit the bill. One thing for sure, fast is fun—and important when trying to avoid bad weather."
READ MORE ABOUT BILL'S INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY AND THOUGHTS ON WSJ ONLINE HERE
* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel's big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand. Their blog is here: http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/
* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news at http://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.
* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world's oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between. Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins?? Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).- Bill and Susan Grun on the J/160 AVANTE are also sailing in the Pacific archipelago, read more about their great adventures on their blog (http://web.me.com/susangrun). Read about their latest adventures as they've gotten to New Zealand- "Avante Cruises the Pacific".
- Eric and Jenn on the J/160 MANDALAY also sailed the Pacific archipelago, read more on their blog at http://www.sailmandalay.com. Eric and Jenn are J/World alumni took MANDALAY up and down the West Coast (Mexico, CA), then to the South Pacific and New Zealand. MANDALAY is back in San Francisco now, and in the J/World fleet--she is available for skippered charters, private instruction, and corporate/executive groups.
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Making their way around Muckle Flugga is a fleet of twenty yachts flying the flags of 11 nations: including China, France, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Ireland, Oman, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates and the USA.
Of interest to many J sailors will be the first outing for the brand new fleet of Volvo Ocean 65s that have been built especially for the Volvo Ocean Race which starts in October 2014. It is the first skirmish between five professional teams: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Alvimedica, Dongfeng Race Team, Team SCA and Team Campos. Top skippers and crew on a number of the boats have plenty of J/Boat one-design and offshore experience under their belts, including TEAM ALVEMEDICA (Charlie Enright), TEAM SCA (Libby Greenhalgh and Sally Barkow), ABU DHABI (Ian Walker), DONG FENG (Liu Ming and Jiru Yang), TEAM BRUNEL (Andrew Cape), and the Spanish- TEAM CAMPOS (Iker Martinez)! Sailing photo credits- Rick Tomlinson 
numbers’…he drives us crazy with his figures but the motto on the boat is ‘trust the numbers’.”
Racing was over by mid-afternoon with competitors returning to the clubhouse for a well-earned drink, followed by a sailing supper. Many then went on to the annual Towers Party where the aim is to raise money for charity; this year the recipient charity was the Saturday Club for Deaf Children.
* Olympic Gold Medallist Sarah Ayrton Sailing J/80 at Cowes Week! Well, it seems that sailing's profile is finally growing. According to Abigail Butcher of the Daily Telegraph, “As Cowes Week begins, we join double Olympic gold medallist Sarah Ayrton on board a J/80 one-design class sailboat off the Isle of Wight. 