Saturday, May 21, 2011

J/111 One-Design Summer

J/111 one-design sailboat- the ultimate day-sailing, racing, weekender
Join Us In Great Lakes or Northeast!
(Newport, RI)- With sufficient J/111's delivered for fleet racing, J/111 One-Design activity will commence in several significant events coming up on the 2011 summer sailing calendar.  For starters, J/111 Fleet #1 has been awarded to the Chicago fleet.  And, they will be sailing their first one-design event June 4-5 out of Columbia YC.  A J/111 start in Columbia YC's "Colors Regatta" for the six boats sailing on Lake Michigan will be an exciting milestone for the 111 class.  A 111 one-design "launch party" will be held at Richie Stearns home Friday evening, June 3rd.

Additional Fleet #1 activities on Lake Michigan include eight boats racing as a class in the famous Chicago YC Chicago-Mackinac Race, a 289 nm blast north up Lake Michigan to Mackinac Island- famous for horses, fudge, bikes and the "Pink Pony".  After the Mac Race, the J/111 Fleet will gather in Harbor Springs, MI for the "Ugotta Regatta", with a one-design start in one of the most beautiful bodies of water to sail on the planet.

In the Northeast, a trio of J/111s will be participating in the New York YC Annual Regatta June 10-12 in Newport, RI sailing in Rhode Island Sound southwest of Castle Hill Light.  Then, six or more J/111s will sail one-design as a sub-class in PHRF at the Rolex Storm Try Block Island Race Week from June 19-24.  A week's worth of fleet racing on the J/111 will be a lot of fun.  Everyone will have steep learning curves as matched boats learn how to tweak sails and rigs to go faster.  Recognizing its speed potential off-the-wind, many of the teams can't wait to sail the J/111 in the famous Around Block Island Race, about 29 nm around the navigation buoys ringing the island.  For more J/111 one-design sailboat informationSailing photo credit- Billy Black