J/105 International Masters Regatta Preview(San Diego, CA)- Returning to the San Diego Bay on October 20-22, 2017 is the International Masters Regatta, hosted by San Diego Yacht Club for the sixth consecutive year. Twelve teams from all around the world will compete in this year’s regatta, which will be sailed in a round robin format.
Historically, the International Masters Regatta was first established in 1975 and took place in the San Francisco Bay until 2012 when SDYC began hosting the distinguished event. The name of the event originates from the rule that invited skippers must be over the age of 60 and crew members must be over the age of 45.
Competitors will race the three day regatta in equalized J/105 sailboats and teams will rotate boats after each race. Local J/105 owners generously lend their boats for both the Masters Regatta and the Challenge for the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup Regatta held October 27-29, 2017. To keep racing fair among the teams, the J/105 boats are rigged to a one-design standard. SDYC appreciates the generosity of these owners.
The 2017 event will feature some of the most accomplished skippers in the sport of sailing. Included below are just some of their many highlights over the years.
- Bill Campbell (SDYC): World Champion in the 420 Class in 1971, E-Scow National Champion in 1981, three time America’s Cup sailor in 1983, 1992, and 1995
- Bill Menninger (NHYC): Defending Champion- 2016 Masters Regatta winner and crew for 2016 Lipton Cup winning team, former Governor's Cup Winner from the mid-1970s, US Team Racing Championship Team Winner
- Jon Andron (St. Francis YC): has completed 15 Transpac races, is a former 505 North American Champion, sailed on Intrepid in the 1970 America’s Cup.
- Richard du Moulin (Larchmont YC): past winner of Block Island Race Week, the Vineyard and Block Island Races, lifetime goal is to sail 30 Bermuda races.
- David Irish (Little Traverse YC): three time past President of US Sailing, former Vice President of ISAF (now World Sailing), in 2013 was awarded the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy for outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing.
- Tad Lacey (SFYC): winner of the San Francisco Cup in 2013, class winner at the Rolex Big Boat Series (has raced the Rolex Big Boat Series for almost 40 years), SFYC Commodore in 2013.
- Jimmie Lowe (Nassau YC): 2016 Snipe Worlds Grandmaster Class Winner, currently the Director of Sailing at the Bahamas Sailing Association.
- Ted Moore (NYYC): won the 2017 NYYC Grandmaster’s Team Race, tied for first at the Nantucket Pro Am in IODS for the past two years.
- Dave Perry (Pequot YC): 1975 Intercollegiate Dinghy National Champion (Yale) and 2-time All-American in college, the 1983 & 1984 Congressional Cup winner, the 1978 Tasar North American Champion, the 1994, 1999 and 2003 Ideal 18 North American Champion.
- Doug Rastello (NHYC): participated in three America’s Cups, 1989 Prince of Wales trophy winner at the US Match Racing Championship, two-time winner of the Big Boat Series as crew.
- Dr. Laura Schlessinger (SBYC): has raced the Corona del Mar to Cabo Race (Class D winner and second boat to finish), Transpac, and Puerto Vallarta Races, only female skipper in the 2017 International Masters Regatta.
- Tom Webster (YC of Hilton Head): South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association Penguin and Y-Flyer Champion and a National Junior Champion, chairman in past NA Finn, NA Europe Class Regattas, and the 1998 MUMM 30 World Championship.
To kick-off the 2017 Masters Regatta, SDYC will once again host the popular Taste of Point Loma on Thursday, October 19 on the Sail Wash Lawn. Regatta competitors, guests, and SDYC members are invited to attend and sample dishes and beverages from over 30 restaurants in the Point Loma community.
The intended race area will consist of typical windward-leeward courses set on South San Diego Bay. Competitors are invited to practice on Thursday, October 19.
Following the practice day, the International Masters Regatta will consist of three days of competitive sailing with a dockside social on Friday night and a Saturday night banquet for competitors and guests upon the conclusion of racing. The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday after racing on the front deck.
Event Co-Chair Alli Bell extends a warm welcome to the 2017 competitors. “SDYC is excited to once again host the International Masters Regatta and we look forward to competitive racing and great fun on and off the water. This year, we are sailing in the South Bay, which is a new venue for this event, and we are eager to see how this raises the caliber of racing.”
The International Masters Regatta would like to thank its event sponsors: Helly Hansen and Cutwater Spirits. For more J/105 Masters Regatta sailing information
Caribbean Winter Regattas- Go For It & Help!!(Gustavia, St Barths)- Sadly, the islands in the Caribbean were recently devastated by the full force of one of the strongest series of hurricanes in history. The islanders and wider communities have rallied together and incredibly many businesses, marinas, bars and restaurants are already open! Such is the power of perseverance, love, and passion amongst sailors around the world.
The message is loud and clear; the Caribbean will be open and ready to welcome sailors for the 2018 racing and cruising season.
The 2018 season is going to be a very special year in the Caribbean, as we all come together to rebuild the livelihoods of the resilient locals who will open their hearts and share their wonderful islands with all those who visit and enjoy the love for the sea.
ST MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will celebrate its 38th anniversary and takes place from March 1 – 4, 2018. This Regatta is the largest warm water Regatta in the world and offers a great combination of challenging races and fantastic parties, keeping with the event’s motto “Serious Fun”!
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is open to all levels of sailors from professional teams to novice and first time on the water sailors.
The event kicks off with the GILL Commodores Cup on Thursday 1st March, with windward-leeward races starting and finishing between Philipsburg and Simpson Bay.
Friday 2nd March is a race around the Island of St. Maarten clockwise from Simpson Bay, passing Tintamarre in the north and finishing back in Philipsburg.
Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th, will see the racing fleet enjoying some windward leeward racing in the Anguilla Channel followed by a coastal race back to a grand finish in Simpson Bay. For more St Maarten Heineken Regatta sailing information
ST THOMAS INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) are pleased to announce that 2018 event, set for March 23 to 25, will take place as scheduled despite damage to the island from Hurricane’s Irma and Maria. Never in the 48-year history of STIR has a fall storm, even a major one, interrupted the running of the ‘Crown Jewel of Caribbean Yacht Racing’, and it will not in 2018. The host St. Thomas Yacht Club suffered some damage and the fleet took more than a few dents, but the venue for fantastic round the island races is still very much here. The resilience of regatta organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and club members as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands’ business community, hotel and tourism sectors is strong. Show your support and be part of our island’s recovery and future.
EL OCASO, Caribbean Yacht Racing’s swift-sailing J/122 is signed up and ready for a team who wants to charter her to a podium finish like last year.
If you are concerned about helping out, please help in the Virgin Islands’ recovery efforts by donating to the non-profit VI Marine Build Fund (tinyurl.com/savethevi). All funds will be used for the cleanup of the current cruising grounds, growth of marine industry offerings and development of marine vocational programs. Register Now for Round the Rocks Race and STIR 2018
LES VOILE DE SAINT BARTHS RegattaThere is no question the Les Voiles de St. Barth Regatta will carry on in 2018!
Considered a high point of the tourist season on the island of Saint-Barthélemy, Les Voiles de St. Barth will take place as planned over April 8-14, 2018.
A little over two weeks ago, the Caribbean Islands were ravaged by one of the deadliest hurricanes of the century. While it took a hard hit, Saint-Barthélemy is already well on the road to recovery, revealing its courage and energy to rise up, much like the organizers of Les Voiles de St. Barth who have decided to maintain the regatta in 2018.
“We are working hard so that our island can welcome all of our guests, crews and spectators with the same level of hospitality and professionalism as usual,” announced François Tolède, who organizes Les Voiles along with Luc Poupon and a large group of volunteers. “We will produce this ninth edition of Les Voiles as a symbol of our reconstruction, with the same quality of service and the same degree of competition. We are going to concentrate our energy in organizing a regatta every bit as exceptional as in past years, with five days of competition, a day off, concerts every evening…the fundamentals will be there!”
Looking Toward the Future
There is one very clear common goal: to get the island ready for a limited 2018 tourist season. “We must remain confident,” said Bruno Magras, president of the Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy. “We are capable of getting the island back in shape and putting its best foot forward!”
French President Emmanuel Macron noted with great optimism when he visited the island just one week after the storm, “Saint Barth is an island that is still standing, that retains its strength and values, and is in the process of getting back on its feet.”
Every Boat Matters!
With boats ranging in size from 24 feet to 100+, Les Voiles de St. Barth is defined by the diversity of its fleet, and every boat, be it large or small, professional or amateur, is invited to participate to show its support for the regatta and for the island of Saint-Barthélemy.
There are already some boats that have registered for this ninth edition of Les Voiles. The organizers of Les Voiles are sending this message to crews around the world: ”Come next April, participate and discover our paradise re-found. Hurricane Irma tried to destroy us, but we have nerves of steel, and by rebuilding together, our island will be even more beautiful.” Here is a highlights reel from the last edition To register for Les Voiles de St. Barth:
J/Sailing News
The Sun Never Sets on J's Sailing Worldwide
While it may be fall in Europe, that does not slow down many J sailors across the continent and the United Kingdom. The second weekend of racing took place in the Hamble Winter Series for one-design fleets of J/70s, J/80s, J/88s, and J/109s. The event is hosted by the Hamble River Sailing Club, with the fleet sailing in the halo’d confines of the Southampton Water and the Solent. Across the continent, the J/24s sailed their fourth event in the Italian Winter Series, sailing the regatta off the pretty, quaint seaside town of Cervia on the western shoreline of the Adriatic Sea.Over in the Americas, the Canadians hosted their J/105 Canadian Championship at the Royal Canadian YC in Toronto, Ontario and sailed on Lake Ontario. Not too far south the 30th annual J-Jamboree took place on Lake Winnipesaukee hosted by the Winnipesaukee YC, the event also served as the J/80 East Coast Championship. Then, further south on western Long Island Sound, two regattas took place within sight of each other. To the east, the American YC hosted their annual HPR Regatta for J/70s and just to their west towards New York City, Larchmont YC hosted their incredibly popular “college big boat” regatta, a.k.a. Storm Trysail Club’s Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta- the boat owners acted as “chaperones”, sailing on board their boats in fleets of J/105s, J/88s, J/109s, J/44s and a few PHRF boats, too.
Finally, down in South America, the Chilean J/70 fleet hosted the last of their qualifying regattas for the J/70 South Americans in Algarrobo, Chile. Racing took place on giant Pacific Ocean swells on the Chilean coastline.
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 pag Below are the summaries.
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Oct 7-8- Storm Trysail Intercollegiate Big Boat- Larchmont, NYOct 9-15- J/70 North American Championship- Rye, NY
Oct 13-15- J/80 Crouesty Cup- Crouesty, France
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
TSUNAMI Wins Chilean J/70 Regatta Qualifier(Algarrobo, Chile)- On September 23rd and 24th weekend, the last qualifying regatta for the 2017 J/70 South American Championship took place at Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico. Eighteen Chilean teams participated in the racing, the fleet was treated to light to medium winds all weekend from the southwest.
In the relatively cold weather, the crews had to choose to go right and get slightly more breeze, or go left into the bay and get a more geographical wind shift that would help at the windward mark.
After just four windward-leeward races were sailed, the winners were the team on TSUNAMI, consisting of the Ducasse family- four brothers (Andrés, Ignacio, Coco, Rodrigo) and their father Andrés Ducasse. Andrés Jr and Cocó (Francisco) represented Chile in the last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the 470 class.
Taking second was WINDMADE, sailed by Juan Reid, his wife Francisca, Alvaro, Sebastián and Mati.
Third place went to Pablo Amunátegui and Rodrigo Guzman onboard BLACK JACK with Tomás Guzman Jr, Pipe and Pablo Herman. Both brothers are coming from the 49er and Lightning class.
In addition to the top three boats, the J/70 class in Chile will other sailors participating in the J/70 South Americans, like Per Von Appen (former J/24 sailor), Matías Seguel (former J/24 and Laser sailor), Alejandro Pérez (former Optimist and Lightning sailor), Rodrigo Zuazola (former J/24 and Lightning sailor), Felipe Robles (former Lightning sailor), and Vernon Robert (ex-J24 sailor).
All of these crews will be participating from the 26th to 30th of October for the second J/70 South American Championship. The twenty local boats that have qualified will welcome five teams from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay- for a total of twenty-five teams. Thirteen races are programmed for the J/70 South American in Algarrobo.
Windy Hamble Winter Series Regatta(Hamble, England)- The first day of the Hamble One Design Championships began with wind in the low 20s, and gusts of up to 30 knots. The Hamble River Sailing Club race committee team headed out to Jonathan Jansen, and after a short AP the wind began to ease to around 16 knots, and the race team delivered a full schedule of four windward-leeward races in short order. The conditions provided spectacular autumn racing for the sportsboat classes, with fast and thrilling downwind surfing conditions. By contrast, the second day produced light winds of about four knots, which slowly built allowing one race for competitors. However, after the first race of the day, the wind died and sadly did not rebuild.
In the J/70 Class, there was a dramatic final flourish. Doug Struth's DSP gained the upper hand in the very last race to finish top J/70 for the regatta. Graham Clapp's JEEPSTER was second, but only on countback from Marshall King's THE JANITOR third. Patrick Liardet's COSMIC scored a bullet to claim fourth on countback, ahead of David McLeman's OFFBEAT.
In the J/80 Class, Mike Lewis' JESTER reeled off three straight bullets to stamp his authority on the class. However, Louise Makin's RYOKO MEKA and Nigel Skudder's HARLEY QUINN took a race win each and ended the regatta tied on points. RYOKO MEKA was second after countback.
For the second round of the Hamble Winter Series, sponsored by The Bugle Hamble, there were class wins for Gavin Howe's TIGRIS in the J/88 Class and Annie & Andy Howe's J/97 BLACKJACK II in IRC Three. Matt Harris General Manager of The Bugle, Hamble, was on hand to congratulate the winners with complimentary wine and dinner invitations to the gastro-pub located on the River Hamble. "The Bugle is only 100 metres away from the Hamble River Sailing Club, and many of the members are regular customers, so by supporting the Hamble Winter Series, we are giving a little back to our community."In IRC Spinlock Autumn Championship, currently lying in first place with a 6-1-2 record is Paul & Marie-Claude Heys’ J/112E Grand Prix DAVANTI TYRES. A little further down the ladder is Simon Bamford’s J/111 KESTREL with a DNF-4-5 for a total of 18 pts; they are in a three-way tie for 5th place!
In the IRC 2 division, a number of J/109s are registered, but only started racing on October 8th. While they are all sitting in the top six, it was Simon Perry’s JIRAFFE that won on Sunday, followed by another sistership- Tom Chatterton’s RED ARROW in 5th place.
The three 30-foot J’s sailing in IRC 3 Class are leading a clean sweep in their division. Sitting on top is Annie & Andy Howe’s J/97 BLACKJACK II with a 1-3-1 for 5 pts. Second is Robin Stevenson’s J/92S UPSTART with a 3-2-2 tally for 7 pts. And, sitting in third is David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO with a 2-1-6 record 9 pts. Finally, in the J/88 class, Avia Willment’s GBR 2688R is leading with a 3-1-2 scoreline for 6 pts. Tied at 8 pts each are Kirsty & David Apthorp’s J-DREAM and Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS.
Racing organized by the Hamble River Sailing Club continues 7-8 October, with another double helping of exciting racing in the Solent. The Hamble One-Design Championship, supported by Grapefruit Graphics, and The Bugle PH, Hamble, will consist of fast thrilling sportboats racing over two days. Thirty teams have already entered, with room for more! The Second round of the Hamble Winter Series will take place on Sunday October 8th. Hamble Winter Series follow on Facebook page Sailing photo credits- Hamo Thornycroft For more Spinlock Hamble Winter Series sailing information
Awesome Storm Trysail College Big Boat Regatta!(Larchmont, NY)– Over 360 college students from the United States, as well as international teams from Canada and France, participated in the 2017 Storm Trysail Foundation’s Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (IOR).
Conditions for the regatta varied between 8-10 knots of breeze on Saturday to a slightly more rugged 18-20 knots with higher gusts on Sunday. Sunday’s more-challenging conditions led to two crew overboard situations. In the first instance, the Grand Valley State crew on the J/109 MORNING GLORY– under the guidance of long-time Storm Trysail Club member and boat owner Carl Olsson - initiated a successful recovery maneuver while sailing downwind. In the second instance, one of the two safety boats swiftly picked up the crew person who had fallen off of the J/105 ELMO. Both were recovered quickly and unharmed.
Barry Gold, Chairman of the event, said “In spite of some of early Saturday pea-soup fog and intermittent rain on Sunday, we had two days of fantastic racing, with steady and increasing breeze. With a few well-timed postponements and relocations, the race committee gave the teams five competitive and fun races. We want to thank The Corinthians, who started the Corinthians Intercollegiate Regatta in 1983 and ran it until 1999, for transferring their original four perpetual trophies to the Storm Trysail Foundation. These four beautiful trophies bring together the initial regatta with its later reincarnation by Storm Trysail, and begin new traditions for the competitors. The re-dedicated trophies were presented to class winners this year for the first time along with two perpetual trophies donated by Larchmont Yacht Club.”
Boston University took home the overall honors and the “Paul Hoffmann Trophy” in the hotly contested J/105 class on YOUNG AMERICAN with four bullets and a second place in the second largest class in the regatta. ECHO, crewed by Vanderbilt University (a first time entrant to the regatta), took home second place in the J/105 class by edging out Drexel University on FAIRHOPE with a tie-breaking first in the third race. Robert Alexander and Peter Becker received the “Ed du Moulin Trophy” awarded to the boat owner/syndicate of the overall winning team.In the J/44 class– which by tradition is a generally an all-service academy class– was won by Maine Maritime Academy on GOLD DIGGER, closely followed by the US Coast Guard Academy sailing their own GLORY, just 1 point ahead of last year’s overall winner, the US Naval Academy on MAXINE.
The University of Rhode Island ran away with the J/109 Class with four 1sts in five races on EMOTICON. Taking second was MORNING GLORY sailed by Grand Valley State University and Tulane University on GROWTH SPURT rounded out the class podium.
There were three PHRF classes. In PHRF 2, the University of Michigan on the J/133 placed third. Then, in PHRF 3 the J/88 WINGS with the University of South Florida aboard took second and Roger Williams University on the J/92 THIN MAN took third position.
Erica Vandeveer, Captain of the victorious Virginia Tech squad, is a Behavioral Psychology Major and sees the relevance of big-boat sailing, “communication is critical to being successful on the race course. We had some challenges but we were able to talk and work through them to win.”
Juliette Joffre, captain of the Club Voile EDHEC Business School team who came all the way from Lille, France declared, “this is a big, serious and very competitive regatta.”
Marianne Pierres, another member of the EDHEC crew, described how offshore racing is similar to business, “the starts were really exciting, and so was the broach! But you have to manage and keep calm; you have to understand roles and do your job.” Juliette continued “There is a lot of pressure to perform at your best, but I know that the team is much closer now because of this experience.” This was their first time at the IOR, and they had to win an international student regatta in France for the right to come to the IOR with an all-expenses paid trip through a partnership between the Storm Trysail Foundation and the EDHEC Sailing Cup.Thanks to the high-quality list of sponsors, some private donations, and the generosity of participating boat owners, Storm Trysail Foundation and Larchmont Yacht Club were able to run the regatta at no cost for the college sailing teams! The sponsors include Rolex, North Sails, Gill North America, Safe Flight Instruments, Flintrock Construction, and Dimension-Polyant. For more Storm Trysail College Big Boat Regatta sailing information
MANDATE Three-Peats J/105 Canadians!(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- Continuing their extraordinary run in the J/105 class is the dynamic Canadian duo on MANDATE from the Royal Canadian YC- Terry McLaughlin and Rod Wilmer. They added yet a few more pickle dishes to their already over-stuffed trophy shelves by winning the 2017 J/105 Canadian Championship for the third time in as many years. The McLaughlin/Wilmer crew are already two-time J/105 North American Champions.
Host for this year’s regatta was the world-famous Royal Canadian YC, also home to the largest J/105 fleet on Lake Ontario. Sixteen boats were treated to three-days of good racing, with seven races completed by the close of racing on Sunday.
The MANDATE crew did not win the regatta very easily. In fact they started off slowly in the first race with a 6th place, then had a streak of 1sts and 2nds, before closing on a low note with a 7th place. Their total score of 22 pts was just enough to take the championship.
Fighting the MANDATE crew the entire regatta was yet another J/105 North American Champion, Jim Rathbun’s fun—loving crew on HEY JUDE. Other than a bad third race, their crew posted all top three finishes to take the silver just one point back with 23 pts total.
Sailing their best regatta in awhile was Frank McLaughlin’s STARCROSS, taking third place another three points in arrears. Then, one point behind them in fourth place was Mike Chapman’s SENTIENT and in fifth place was Kevin Pask’s FULL TILT. For more J/105 Canadian Championship sailing information
J/70 RIMETTE Tops HPR Regatta(Rye, New York)- The American Yacht Club hosted its annual HPR Regatta (formerly known as the High Performance One-Design Regatta) on western Long Island Sound off Rye, New York. Twenty-one J/70 teams participated in the event as it provided them an excellent opportunity to become familiar with the often-tricky wind and current conditions before they sailed in the upcoming J/70 North American Championship.
Winning his first event on the Sound was John Brim’s RIMETTE from Fisher’s Island, New York. Sailing with John was tactician Taylor Canfield, one of the world’s top match racers. Their very consistent scoreline of all top five finishes enabled them to finish with just 15 pts in eight races. Just four points back was Oivind Lorentzen’s NINE with a total of 19 pts. Then, rounding out the podium was Heather Gregg and Joe Bardenheier’s MUSE from Newport/Boston with a total of 27 pts, they were also the winning Corinthians Division team. Fourth was Jack Franco’s FLOJITO3 JT crew from Austin, Texas with 31 pts, and fifth place was a local American YC crew- Andrew & Melissa Fisher’s BUTTON FLY with 36 pts- they were also second Corinthians Division team. Third in Corinthians was Trevor Roach’s SEMI-CHARMED. For more AYC HPR Regatta sailing information
J/24 JAMAICA Leads Italian Winter Series(Cervia, Italy)- After five races run by the well-organized by Circolo Nautico Brenzone, the Italian J/24 Class President- Pietro Diamanti- won the fourth regatta in the J/24 Winter Series sailing on ITA 212 JAMAICA. His crew included Paolo Governato, Antonio Lupo, Edoardo Ghirlanda and Nicola Bocci.
As a result, the top teams for the series in the provisional standings have a familiar team in the lead- Ignacio Bonanno’s ITA 416 LA SUPERBA and his crew from the Italian Naval Base in Naples. Second is Diamanti’s JAMAICA and this is AVOLTORE sailed by owner Massimo Mariotti and skippered by Francesco Cruciani.
After the next stage in Cervia (www.circolonauticocervia.it), the J/24 fleet will move to Lecco for the sixth and final stages of the National Circuit, the Interlaghi a seasonal classic organized by Società Canottieri Lecco (canottierilecco @ canottieri. lc.it) on Saturday 28 and Sunday, 29 October. For more Italian J/24 winter series sailing information
MANGO Mashes 30th J-Jamboree(Gilford, NH)- The annual J-Jamboree celebrated its 30th Anniversary this fall, the event also served as the J/80 East Coast Championship. The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association, the Winnipesaukee Yacht Club, J/80 Fleet 1, and Fay's Boat Yard held the on Lake Winnipesaukee, with sailing taking place out of Sanders Bay.
A highly talented fleet of fourteen teams participated in this year’s regatta. In the end, it was the Annapolis crew on MANGO, led by their fearless leader Ken Mangano, that won the regatta and earned the title of J/80 East Coast Champion!
Taking second was Guy Nickerson’s PRESSURE, just one point back. Rounding out the podium was Peter D’Anjou’s LE TIGRE. The balance of the top five included the Hayes/ Kirchhoff duo on MORE GOSTOSA and Les Beckwith’s FKA, fourth and fifth, respectively. For more J-Jamboree and J/80 East Coasts sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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* Perspectives on sailing the J/70 Worlds- by Willem van Waay and Victor Diaz De Leon- team members that sailed on Peter Duncan’s winning boat- RELATIVE OBSCURITY. Thanks to Jud Smith and Doyle Sailmakers for the stories.
Willem’s report:“I recently had breakfast with my good friend, Fabian. He owns a J70 at Coronado Yacht Club and is very excited about his boat, racing one design, and improving his skills on the race course. The weekend before we had a local San Diego J70 Regatta called J Fest. Fabian was a little frustrated with his results in the 13-boat fleet. He only sailed Saturday and the conditions were quite challenging- shifty, light, and a little sea swell- plus he was sailing one man short. As a big, beautiful plate of Huevos Rancheros landed in front of me Fabian asked, "How do you do it? How have you been top 2 at all 4 J70 Worlds? How do I get better? What does it take? How do I get a steady team? What should I do? Help me please."
I said, "Fabian: you tell me what your budget is, what your goals are, and what kind of time you can dedicate to this. I'll do my very best to get you where you want to be." Fabian is by no means alone in his quest to improve his results, take down some of his friends in the class, have a team with great chemistry, enjoy himself, etc. One thing I like about Fabian is that he’s never shy about asking questions about how he can improve. It’s ok to ask questions, and when you want the best answer go the person you think is the most qualified to answer it. It's often like in middle school where the prettiest, most popular girls don't have a date to the dance. It's not because they don't want one, but more because all the boys were afraid to ask. The worst thing that can happen is they could say no. One of the biggest lessons in life that I've learned is that it never hurts to ask.
I hope that what I share here will help Fabian and others like him have a better idea of what it really takes to be at the top. Unfortunately, there is no quick answer, no magic pill, no trick rig set up. Yacht racing is a very unique sport in that the list of variables is limitless. We don't just strap on some shoes and run the 100 yard dash. I used to race road bikes competitively and that's a sport with a lot of important elements for success: fitness, endurance, diet, weight, body type, lung capacity, managing lactic acid and pain, lack of fear, bike handling, tactics, terrain covered, length of race, drafting, and of course the bicycle. Yacht Racing has ten times the factors involved (fortunately, all the physical fitness aspects are relatively less important in our sport!) In order to be the very best, we need to think less about the big picture and focus almost obsessively on all the little things, understanding that each of them is important for success. If we focus on the top 10 most important things, we can maybe win our Club Championships, top 20 things we might be able to win Bacardi, top 30 variables we might be able to take down Charleston, North Americans, or the Europeans. If we check everything off of the list and have a little luck on our side we might have a chance going into the final race to win the World Championships with 160 + boats, 8,000 miles from home. It’s all the little things that add up to a successful campaign.
When I won the Worlds in 2015 with Flojito, it was because we put in the most time, did the most regattas, and simply worked really hard. In 2016 the pure determination and dedication of Joel Ronning and team Catapult crowned them champions. Better coaching, more time in the boat at the venue, and more extensive sail testing gave them the edge. This year our team, on Relative Obscurity, followed suit and did the hard work to put all the little pieces in place.
Victor and I showed up a couple extra days prior to practice to make the boat and rig as close to perfect as possible. The boat was marked beautifully throughout, all settings perfectly symmetrical, we’d gone over the rigging meticulously, any possible breakdown or malfunction had been considered, windage was scrutinized and discussed while any piece of hardware or line was rigged, no extra gear was allowed on board (Vic was so obsessed with weight he was getting a little on my nerves. "Victor- when you were like 5 I was trying to win a Farr 40 Worlds here and we were loading every tool in the trailer onto the boat for extra weight.. get to the top mark first in chop and 20 kts and we would figure it out from there.") Anyhow, my point is, from the bottom of the keel to the top of the mast, drag, weight, windage, strength, and reliability was discussed. We changed out some of the hardware at the base of the mast that we had seen break in the past- through-bolted on a heavier spin cleat and block…”We are in Italy and we don't have any of the right tools, this a massive pain and probably wouldn’t break but we are going to spend an extra 5 hrs to know we can trust it to hold up.” We figured out how to best clean the bottom of the boat during the regatta (it wasn't legal to dive the boat or tip it over using halyards or hanging on shrouds once it was splashed but Victor and I had a 45 min technique that was pretty exhausting and ridiculous, but we didn't care, we just wanted to go faster). We had a velocitek for each side of the starting line, installed Erik Shampain's wider hatch cover with stronger Velcro to keep the boat super dry down below, put together a break down kit, etc. The boat would only have the parts and tools we absolutely needed. This boat was ready for anything. In 2014, I thought we had Catapult perfect, in 2015-2016 I thought Flojito was tricked out even better, Relative Obscurity was top level/no excuses. What's next?
Fortunately, Jud had the exact same attitude with his sails. His attention to the details is impressive. He has done his homework over the last few decades; he's worked with some of the best guys in the business, and undoubtedly taught them some tricks of his own. Any class (Etchells, Star, J70, etc) that he has ever become passionate about has some beautiful Doyle sails that can only improve her results. Vic and Jud sailed together in the San Fran Worlds and they made some pretty big positive changes to the main for the breeze. Jud is a fantastic team player and always willing to share his ideas. A couple times, we shared coaches with other good teams in regattas leading up to the Worlds (2nd place Savasana with Stu McNay and no slouch Bruce Golison with Steve Hunt). Jud would just happily discuss with Steve and Stu how to better tune the rig, inhaul more efficiently, or best balance twist between the jib and main. Sometimes the rest of his team, sitting on the other side of the table, would just stare at each other thinking ‘WTF:)’. I'm sure I was just as guilty when explaining the wing on wing, or weight movement downwind when the coach asked me a question.
Boat speed makes everything easier out there; as the conditions become more challenging so does the possibility of an increased speed edge. Fortunately for us, Porto Cervo was very choppy with plenty of breeze. It was tough stuff. That being said we were also very prepared for the flat water and light breezes that we experience in Porto Cervo the other half of the time. Boat preparation, efficient sail testing, and time together as a team are the main keys to superior boat speed. Time, money, and the team's dedication to the cause are the limiting factors that simply determine how extensively we can work on getting that speed edge.
The best way to measure speed is with a very good paddle wheel and a good eye on the rail. We went with the B&G system- it has an excellent compass and it updates the speed more frequently. As the trimmer, I'm sitting in the very best spot to see the machine and the competition to weather. You need to be brutally honest about speed and height with those boats that the driver and trimmer can't see. After sailing with Bill Hardesty for three years, we developed a system that worked very well. We had a target number on each tack that was the responsibility of the driver and main trimmer to stay near. That being said, I could personally adjust that target to improve our tactical situation. Fortunately, if we were ever slower than another boat or even lacked height the solution was usually pretty simple. I would raise the target number- example 6.3 was our target but in this particular piece of water I would raise the number to 6.5. Victor and Peter would focus on going faster (usually putting the bow down and freeing up the main a touch). This new speed would turn into more lift and our almost dangerous situation would quickly improve. The more we can forecast shifts, puffs, and lulls from the rail the better the driver/main trimmer can anticipate their next move. Sometimes you’re going to be wrong with your call but you'll probably be right 80+% of the time. Never give up and force yourself to perform the same regardless of your position in the race.
Coach, training partners, and team dynamics are probably the most critical parts of the whole puzzle.
Our coach at the worlds was Tony Rey and he did a fantastic job. He was attentive, focused, great with the weather, took photos of other top boats, etc. He didn't try to change our set up or boat handling techniques but if he thought someone did something better we had a video of it. Our training partners were Peter Cunningham with teammates Lucas, John, and Ben- a team that Tony Rey and I had assembled. Young, hungry, strong guys determined to bring Peter to a new level and help us with our project. They trained with us 5 days prior to the event, also had Doyle sails, and seemed to be the closest to our equal in upwind straight line boat speed. Sometimes even faster- when we had a question- Lucas and team shared immediately. They even won a race in gold but unfortunately snapped their rudder prior to the first race on the final day. Our other training partner Glen Darden with Jonathon McKee did the same- add check pintles and gudgeons to that quickly growing list.
Our team- Relative Obscurity: Peter Duncan, Victor Diaz de Leon, Jud Smith, and myself.
We worked hard on our team dynamics; it's never super easy. Sometimes too much talent is a bad thing. It's a shame when that happens, but it's pretty common in all team sports. We were all very committed and focused, but every once in awhile we would have a little hiccup/blow up that would be distracting and detrimental to our results. We all wanted to win and constantly make gains on the race course; being all very experienced we often had our own ideas about how to best do that. Victor would often display his Latin passion and young confidence. His effort was never lacking, he wanted this as much or more than any of us, but there were times when the young stud just needed to listen to us old and older farts. In my often-shaking head during these situations, "Flojito y Cooperando"(relaxxxxx and cooperate in Spanish) was my mantra. Becoming a cohesive unit takes time, it doesn’t just fall into place on day 1. Just like a Navy Seal Team on a night mission we needed to stay focused, trust each other, have each other’s back, and only talk about what’s most important. Countless hours training together enable the Seals to perform this way: we needed our time together and training too. Instead of ever pushing a teammate down we needed to make the mission to pull him up. Now that’s the goal of course but typically after most regattas I’m apologizing to teammates for being such a hard ass; we can only do our best.
I would say that there were four regattas that were major steps to our success at worlds… this was our rehab institute, we all needed work. At each event we had breakthroughs that heavily influenced us and helped us grow into our final product at Porto Cervo. Bacardi, New England Champs, the Italian Nationals, and the Ted Hood Regatta in Marblehead.
Bacardi Miami:
Moose joined us here instead of Jud and it was my very first event ever with Peter Duncan. Moose had been the trimmer for Peter in the past but here he would move to bow and let me slide into his old spot. With more J24 worlds championship wins than Tom Brady has Super Bowl rings, Moose acted as an absolute true professional. Winning was our goal and no egos between us ever caused any friction. His wind calls were spot on great to have an awesome trimmer in the bow spot giving me the exact input I needed to make the boat go faster downwind. We came back on the final day to win the event. In the last race we got unlucky off the line, but after rounding the weather mark deep in the high 20s, we just powered through the fleet with good speed and great tactics in the building breeze to finish 7th or so and win Peter his biggest event ever in the J70. Peter gained confidence in his campaign and I gained a ton of confidence in Jud's sail package and Peter’s driving. To be at the top in Italy we needed to start winning- great to check that off my list.
New England Champs in Newport:
Victor had previous commitments so he couldn’t race with us this time. In a big fleet with a fair amount of talent, I would do the main sheet, tactics with Jud's help, and trim the kite downwind. Dirk Johnson, a young sailor from The College of Charleston and a Newport local, would be tossed into our hot fire. He tacked the jib, helped Jud where he could, and hung on tight. He listened, left any FJ and laser ego at the door and just did his very best to be a team player and improve himself on the boat. A great 5 day crash course on how to race a J70 with 3 pretty seasoned teachers. We trained a few days before the event with Glen Darden, Jonathon McKee, and team Hoss. We focused a great deal on the wing on wing- I knew the wind strength would be mostly 8-14 and I wanted to have that part of my play book with the boys pretty dialed in. I've worked hard over the years on this part of the J70 game and wanted to share it with Peter and Jud without Victor jumping around with different ideas. I knew that better mastering this element would not only greatly improve our chances here but also at the Worlds. Not just using it to gain right away, round a leeward mark easier, cut off some distance at the finish line or stay in a leeward puff longer. I wanted to experiment more with it- actually feel the shift and jibe the appropriate sail to take advantage of that shift. Nice to have a team with me that can handle the boat handling tasks I wanted to execute. We lead the event from race 2 and never looked back. On day two we sailed a couple entire runs in wing from top to bottom, making insane gains. On one run I remember the pressure being entirely 6-8 knots. Our position was pretty established in that race so I opted to race the entire leg in Wing. Not easy for 100 feet to a finish line in that breeze; we went for 1+ miles and never lost an inch. We won both races on the final breezy day and learned some upwind techniques in 20+ knots and chop. Lessons learned- better understanding of the wing on wing and Victor gained more confidence in his team. We were not a one-man band. We're not going to be Weird Al Yankovick... let's be Talking Heads or The Cure. Let's continue to improve as a team and have some time near the top cranking out hits.
The Italian Nationals:
With a stacked fleet of 50+ boats we sat in 6th or so after day 1. This wasn't working. These guys were better than us, we were all heads down and frustrated during the sail in. 5 hrs or so after racing that day we all took a couple big deep breaths and regrouped ourselves. We chatted with one another about how to better distribute roles and responsibilities because our current style wasn't going to cut it. This style would not win here and probably not get top 10 at worlds. Peter would have to trust Victor on the starting line and tight situations. Vic's instincts in those tight situations are excellent, and his communication of those instincts is pretty damn spot on. Victor has had some great results with relatively inexperienced drivers - here we had an awesome driver but the mojo wasn’t quite right yet. Peter’s main focus now would be to keep the boat at target speeds and simply do what he does best: drive the boat. Victor would trust Jud and me more with big picture tactics/strategy (Jud and I would agree on a game plan and try to speak always as one voice tactically. We shared wind and wave calls from the rail while doing our best- within the rules- to hike the boat flat). Victor could then spend more energy on trimming the main right and keeping the boat fast with Peter. Now we were finding a new gear. This new trust, and next level appreciation for one another on the boat, enabled us to finish off the regatta with a 1,1,4,1,1 and an unexpected win. A few of those firsts came by passing Claudia and Petite on the final runs usually in some type of wing battle. “We can do this. We will be a contender at the Worlds in 2 months! If we put our heads down, be willing to grind for every point, work together through thick and thin, and push each other to our limits we are going to be hard to beat.”
Ted Hood Regatta:
A small but stacked fleet, the perfect wake up call. We decided to train with Savasana and Midlife Crisis for two days. Both of these teams are excellent, very polished with changing gears, boat handling, and tactics. We were the heaviest team and it was mostly 4-7 kts but still we managed to lead by a point or two after two days of racing. Saturday night there was the big fight between Mayweather and McGregor. Peter's good friend had ordered the fight and wanted us all to join. Being on the east coast that meant being up well past 2am and drinking a few more cocktails than needed. Hung over, we lost the regatta in the final day, argued half the time, felt like s$&@ and ended up third, losing to both our training partners. Probably just what we needed- a good slap in the face. We can only win when we are at our very best. “Winning isn't easy, let's not get cocky! Let's not screw this up!”
The Worlds:
The stage had been set and we were as ready as possible. Boat, sails, and team were all prepped and looking forward to being tested. Looked like it was going to be nasty- big wind with unrelenting chop. After days of training in that stuff our confidence rose. We needed to use our speed to our advantage, properly control the risk, enjoy ourselves, and try to stay loose. Most importantly, we needed to avoid drama, stay out of trouble on the start line, and just do what we do best. Bill Hardesty had a comment years ago that has always stuck with me: "Let's just keep it boring boys.” Another boring 4- that'll do... Oh a 5 that's ok… low risk 2nd- we'll keep it.
We ate in at the house a lot, quick and easy. We avoided alcohol and Claudia's Bday party at the YC, we got lots of sleep. We stuck to the same program and did the same boring thing day in and day out. Racing in one of the most epic places on the planet and I'm home with my team by 6 and just chilling- pretty lame but winning isn't. I wore the same clothes every day and washed them every night. I'm a superstitious guy and I wasn't going to race with some unlucky or untested undies. We stayed pretty loose, enjoyed our view of the water, dined on home cooked pasta with the freshest anchovies and Parmesan cheese we could find. We kept as much of our lives during those 5 days simple and clean, the basics done very well. We facetimed with our families, and when people got excited about our results we simply said, "It's far from over, 3 more races, anything can happen", etc. This was our job for the week, nothing else mattered. "Let's just get through another day."
The event was like a dream. We averaged less than 2 points per race including our drop. In all my years of racing, I've never been able to put a score line like that together; I’ve never even seen it. Not in a fleet of that caliber and size. This was our time-we peaked at the perfect moment- nothing was going to stop us. We had a few challenging moments but it seemed as though, just before we got into serious trouble (sitting in the mid 20s and approaching a lay line), the world would adjust for us. The winds would head us, force us to tack, and then lift us so that we could cross the fleet and lay the mark. Our team was silent on the rail thinking, ‘Holy crap!! What is going on out here?!?!’ A few days earlier my daughter Vela (“sail” in Italian) was learning to meditate with her amazing mother Stephanie. At 2 1/2 years old, in a lotus position on a little round cushion she said something like, "winds will push daddy right." Did this have something to do with our good fortune?
It was awesome sailing with this team. We came a long way and it was a fantastic voyage. Thanks Peter and team for involving me. It was great to make new friends and to accomplish a lofty goal that the four of us had set together just 6 months earlier. We believed in ourselves and never gave up. No one can ever take this away from us. Biggest one design, keelboat world championship attendance in history. This was our year! Our time! Champions!!
Winning the Worlds is one thing. But, the main point is that if you ask the right questions, if you enjoy what you’re doing, involve people you trust, and invest the time and energy, any team can quickly move up towards the top of the fleet. My objective here is not to overwhelm people with all that is involved to win a World Championship, but instead to encourage others that with desire anything is possible. Since the Worlds, I was asked by J/Boats and Jeff Brown to coach the entire fleet at the event Fabian was asking me about (J Fest in San Diego). Through the course of the weekend I watched teams quickly improve simply by having their questions answered and by making little changes to gain speed; sometimes that gain was 40+ boat lengths a race. It was fun to be involved and to watch the light bulbs flicking on! It’s not always just about having the most expensive program, it’s about being efficient with your time and your money. Sometimes a quick question, a little change, or a few hours working with the right coach can make all the difference. Spending money on something does not necessarily mean your project will be done right; find the best person for the task at hand and wait for him if he’s busy. He’s probably busy for a reason. Good luck friends, hope this helps.”
Victor’s report:
“The first time I sailed a J70 was at the 2013 Key West Race Week. I had recently met Willem Van Waay and he had asked me to join his team. He thought I was the right weight to complete his crew trimming main legs in. Once there, I quickly volunteered to dive the boat, bail between races, and do other chores. It seemed to me that those had my name all over it, since I was the youngest and most inexperienced by a long stretch! Going forward from that regatta, Willem took me under his wing and took me along with most of the programs he was involved with. I guess he saw my passion and enthusiasm for the sport. He introduced me to pro-sailing, always having my back and looking after me. He still does.
Willem and I sailed with Catapult for two years. We had so many great tacticians sail with us including: Jeremy Wilmot, Vasco Vascotto, Chris Rast, and Bill Hardesty for the longest stretch. I picked up tricks from all of them and observed what aspects of racing each guy valued. I learned the importance of boat speed from Billy. We spent most of our time speed testing with various set ups and techniques. Sailing with all these guys was like getting a college degree in sailing.
I decided to find my own team to try calling the shots and being in charge. I started sailing with Gannon Troutman and his dad on Piper. Gannon was very young and therefore a great listener and fast learner. Some of our highlights were placing second at Charleston Race Week with over eighty boats competing for two years in a row. The first we lost on a tie breaker to Catapult, which Willem and Hardesty were sailing on. I was hoping to kick their ass, but it was still rewarding to battle with the old mentors!
This was the first time I had sailed with a high clew jib in the J70 with the possibility of unlimited in-hauling. It was also the first high clew jib on the market. Jud and I sailed together in the J70 for the first time in the San Diego NA's. We decided to team up in order to have a chance at winning the event. We showed up about four days before the start of the regatta with the rest of our team: Will Felder and Marc Gauthier. We had plenty of work to do as we had never sailed together, the boat needed work, and we had different sail combinations to try.
I knew this was a great opportunity. I was sailing with Jud Smith as his tactician. This was my chance to learn from one of the best sail makers in the industry. We tried different sail set-ups before the regatta started. All built by him. To me, it was fascinating. We finally decided to sail with the M1 and the new, at the time, J6 jib. This was the first time I had sailed with a high clew jib in the J70 with the possibility of unlimited in-hauling. It was also the first high clew jib on the market. Boy did it work well! We thought we had a speed edge with this combo and we eventually proved to be right. It was a very good light air set up.
Double Bracket: Peter is one of those owners that are hard to come by. He is a very talented driver, comparable to a 'pro-driver,” and has the time and desire to put the hard hours in. During the event, Jud and I clicked and developed an enjoyable friendship, as well as a deep trust of each other's sailing. Well, I already trusted and admired the guy: but I was surprised that despite my young age, he fully trusted my tactics. He asked for my opinion in sail combos and rig tune. I guess for Jud, it was an opportunity he didn't yet have since he started sailing the J70s. To sail with a younger guy who pushed him to think outside the box and was deeply invested in getting the program to the top. We went on to win the event. It was my first big win as a tactician and what a great feeling it was!
After Winning the NA's, Jud and I decided to sail the San Francisco Worlds together, holding the same key positions of him driving and me on tactics. In the meantime, Jud hooked me up with his long-time client, Peter Duncan, to be his tactician. Peter is one of those owners that are hard to come by. He is a very talented driver, comparable to a "pro driver,” and has the time and desire to put the hard hours in. We did a few events and had Jud's team as tuning partners. We did a week plus of two boat testing in Key West 2016. We kept refining shroud tuning ratios, jib lead positions, in-hauler amounts throughout the wind range, etc. We finished in second place behind Calvi Network and beat some of the top guys like Tim Healy, and the reigning world champion at the time, Julian Hernandez.
Jud and I made our way to San Francisco to get ready for the Worlds. We showed up a few days before big boat series, which was the tune up event. We again had a new team and hadn't done a lot of practice. Alec Anderson trimmed and Fin legend, Ed Wright, did the bow. We were off the pace compared to the top teams. It took a week of long days to get the heavy air set up dialed in. We added rake, tweaked main luff curve, completely changed shroud ratios, etc. We finally found another gear and led the first and second day of Worlds. Having Jud trim the main sheet upwind gave me the freedom to keep the jib in-hauler in my hands and off the cleat. I experimented with it and discovered how powerful this tool is. I played it constantly, depending on sea state and wind changes. Off: during puffs or in chop. On: in flat water and lighter air. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards for us to take that Worlds home. I called a gybe set in a race and lost a lot of boats. I still remember the moment: it was too high risk and cost us the chance of winning the event. It was a bitter sweet regatta for having a chance and losing it. But, it was very rewarding to sail amongst the best and be a contender. It gave me confidence in our approach and philosophy. I felt that if we put more time and a greater effort, we could take Porto Cervo home.
After Worlds, Peter Duncan and I teamed up again and did many regattas together. We even did Melges 24 Worlds and Nationals. Willem Van Waay joined our team in Bacardi cup. We passed boats every downwind. Willem’s downwind expertise helped us improve our technique and we became one of the fastest boats downwind. We won the event.
Jud joined our J70 team for The Europeans in Cowes. He was so cool to come in and do the bow. It was trial by fire, since it blew 25 plus in every race. It was the windiest event I have yet sailed. Jud's experience in sail design and sail making was so helpful in our campaign. We kept refining the heavy air technique in Cowes. We sailed most of the regatta using the winch to allow us to play the jib upwind. It proved to be very effective in terms of speed, but made tacking and sailing in close quarters very difficult.
Next up on the events were the Scarlino Italian Nationals and the New England's in Newport. We won both using the same set up used in Porto Cervo: The M2 mainsail and J6 jib.
Jud built the J7: a jib of the same radial design as the J6, but slightly fuller in certain areas of the sail. We tested it in Porto Cervo and it proved to be very fast throughout the range. For our final tune up event before Worlds, we did the Ted Hood regatta. We experimented with an older Main design version that I thought might be better in light air. But I was wrong. We were reminded that the M2 is so far the best main in all conditions that we have used. We took a third place. It was a good wake-up call that there are other strong teams and that we needed to keep working towards Worlds. What we did take away was that maybe a fuller jib would be better for light air. Jud built the J7: a jib of the same radial design as the J6, but slightly fuller in certain areas of the sail. We tested it in Porto Cervo and it proved to be very fast throughout the range. We decided to go with the J6 because of a windy forecast, and a flatter sail would probably be better.
In Porto Cervo, we had a great tuning session with our training partner Peter Cunningham, which was the fastest boat we lined up with in Porto Cervo. They won a day in gold fleet, but unfortunately had a break down the last day, which kept them out of two races. We were able to test some ideas I had of rake combinations with different tack shackle heights. We also developed a jib trim that was as fast as using the winch for heavy air. It is nice to have Jud around to monitor my ideas and experiments. He is very open-minded, but also has so much knowledge and experience. I have many ideas but little experience so it’s a good balance! He says one out of every ten ideas I have work out.
By the end of the tuning session, we never lost a line up against any team, including the former World Champs on Catapult. I knew then we had superior gear. By the end of the tuning session, we never lost a line up against any team, including the former World Champs on Catapult. I knew then we had superior gear. All the hard work we put into tweaking the sails, the set up, and technique paid off. This gave me confidence that if we had good low-density starts, we would probably win the event. So we focused on low risk starts and races, so our speed could take care of business. We sailed away from the fleet. What a great feeling, we won the Worlds!
I loved sailing with Peter, Willem, and Jud. They are all badass sailors and I learned from all of them. It is so special when you win something so big with your friends. After all, we are all buddies and enjoy hanging out with each other. Four buddies conquered the world for a week.
I am thankful that Willem, Jud, and Peter have taken me under their wing. Willem showed me work ethic and taught me how to sail keelboats. Jud taught me about sail trim and sail design. Peter showed me that I can do it. He trusted me to lead the best team one could ask for.”
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The regatta marked the first time a Hungarian crew was victorious in the continental championship! After ten races, winning the 2017 European Championship title was the young Robert Bakoczy and his local Lake Balaton crew on FGF SAILING TEAM (Domonkos Rozsnyay, Kristof Takacsy, Levente Takacsy, Maxim Szigeti). 
Following the J/24 Class legacy of awarding special prizes, here are some of those winners below:
* The environmental sustainability initiative promoted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in its 50th anniversary year in the form of the One Ocean Forum and presentation of the Charta Smeralda in Milan on 3rd and 4th October, has garnered the support of the SAILING Champions League (SCL) and the International Sailing League Association (ISLA).
The Sailing Champions League launched a new type of sail racing competition in 2013 utilizing the International J/70 one-design class that has revolutionized the sport of sailing. The League sees individual yacht clubs competing in national leagues within a dedicated circuit. The ISLA was created successively and encompasses each of the individual national leagues, most of which use the J/70 one-design class as their base sailboat for competition.
Nevertheless, the fleet of J/80s supplied by Royal Thames YC and the Royal Yacht Squadron were team raced this past weekend by four teams for the bi-annual “Cornerstone Cup”- an event between the Royal Thames YC, Royal Yacht Squadron, New York YC and St Francis YC. After 54 races, Team NYYC won not only the Cornerstone Cup, but also the Madcap Trophy, the Nichols Trophy and the Quissetta Trophy! New York YC Commodore Phil Lotz was providing the on-water cheering section and coaching for the happy team that was sailing a 2 vs 2 format- where “last loses” the race.