Saturday, June 29, 2019

Stratford Shoal Race Preview

Stratford Shoal Lighthouse (Riverside, CT)- The Riverside YC is hosting its 88th annual Stratford Shoal Race this coming weekend on Long Island Sound. It is one more easy-going offshore races of the summer on the Sound.

Attending the race is a number of enthusiastic J/Crews.  In PHRF 2 Division is Steve Chronert’s J/109 ZUMA.  In the PHRF 3 Doublehanded division is Jim Reichel’s J/105 SCAPEGOAT and Todd Aven’s famous J/92 THIN MAN.  In PHRF 4 Division is a plethora of J/Crews in the fleet; such as Eben Walker’s J/105 STRANGE BREW, the American YC’s Youth Sailing Team on their J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN, Ken & Drew Hall’s J/88 NEVERMORE, and Paul Kueffner’s J/36 ECLIPSE. Finally, sailing in PHRF Plus+One division is Arthur Hanlon’s J/112E DAUNTLESS.  For more Stratford Shoal Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Queens Cup Preview

Queens Cup race course (Milwaukee, WI)- The 81st challenge of one of the most storied yacht races on the Great Lakes this coming weekend- the Queen’s Cup. This year’s night race across Lake Michigan departs from Milwaukee, WI for St. Joseph, MI on June 28, 2019. Both Milwaukee’s South Shore Yacht Club and St. Joseph River Yacht Club will provide an experience worthy of this 81st Queen’s Cup Race.

South Shore YC has been hosting a race across Lake Michigan, starting in Milwaukee and finishing at some port in Michigan, since 1938.  The Cup itself, deeded to the Club by William Hull, dates back to 1847 and is older than the America's Cup. The Queen's Cup® Trophy is one of the oldest cups in world yachting still offered for competition every year. Its history dates back to an age when both British Victorian silver work and sailing yachts were without rival anywhere.

American shipyards of this era were turning out very fast sailing vessels called “clipper ships”. These craft were extreme designs built to out-perform the fast new breed of ships powered by steam. The American racing sloop Silvie was built during this era using this radical new technology.

On August 19, 1853, she won second place in a regatta scheduled by the Royal Yacht Squadron that was raced off Cowes, England.

Queens CupFirst prize- a cup valued at 100 guineas- was won by the English yacht Gaily, six minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Silvie. This outstanding performance led the squadron to award a special prize to her, a 50-guinea cup, now known as the Queen's Cup!

The cup was brought back to the New York Yacht Club, Silvia's home port, and went into obscurity until 1874, when a Mr. J.H. Godwin, of Kingsbridge, New York, gave the cup to his friend Kirkland C. Barker, commodore of the International Yacht Club of Detroit. The cup was to be offered as an international challenge called the Godwin Cup.

But, as it turned out there was only one challenge, Annie Cuthbert of Hamilton, Ontario. Barker's yacht Cora won the first race, with the Canadians winning the second but forfeiting the final race. This gave Barker his victory, but left very strained relations between the Detroit and Hamilton yachtsmen. The cup was never offered for competition again, probably due to the untimely death of Commodore Barker. He and two other crew members drowned while shifting ballast in Cora in preparation for the 1875 racing season.

Nothing more is known about the cup until about the turn of the century, when a young lad, while cleaning out a family storeroom, discovered an exquisite rosewood box holding the cup. The lad was Walter Hull, whose father was Charles Hull, son-in-law of Commodore Barker, to whom the cup had been given.

Walter Hull treasured the cup for the rest of his life and kept it in his possession until September 1, 1938. At that time his good friend William Lawrie (later Commodore of South Shore Yacht Club in 1944) persuaded him to deed it to South Shore Yacht Club, "for an annual race across Lake Michigan, always starting off South Shore Yacht Club, and ending at a point in Michigan, open to all yachts of a recognized yacht club on the Great Lakes."  The cup was crafted by the silversmith firm of Robert Garrard in 1847-1848.

This 90.0nm sprint across Lake Michigan has been fraught with numerous challenges over time.  From drifters, to gales, to waterspouts, to a Sunday “walk in the park” experience. Given that current weather has been nothing but normal, the weekends sprint across the lake could experience everything in one storm front!

Some of those teams braving the elements in the 2019 edition of the Queen’s Cup are the following PHRF Big Boat division teams; Justin Falconer’s J/111 LUCKY DUBIE, Bill Schanen’s J/145 MAIN STREET, Robert Klairmont’s J/133 SIROCCO 3, and Jim Richter’s J/44 CHEEP’N’DEEP.

In addition, there are six J/111s on the starting line: Richard Hobbs’ HOBGOBLIN, Jeff Schaeffer’s SHMOKIN JOE, Spencer Thomason’s JUST ONE MORE, Mark & Colin Caliban’s NO QUARTER, Brad Faber’s UTAH, and Kevin Saedi’s MOMENTOUS.

In the division below them will be Frank Giampoli’s J/120 JAHAZI, Ben Lumpkin’s J/112E MARY GAIL, Mitch Weisman’s J/35 THE FLYING SPHAGETTI MONSTER, and Doug Evans’ J/109 TIME OUT.

Two one-design divisions are racing.  A quintet of J/88s are sailing; including Tod Patton’s BLONDIE 2, Andrew Graff’s EXILE, Dan Floberg’s MISTY, John Leahey’s DUTCH, and Ben Marden’s BANTER. Then, a quartet of J/105s are participating; Don Brackey’s BIENFAIT, Vanessa Gates’ STRIKING, Mike Ludtke’s SMOKIN J, and Mark Stoll’s PEREGRINE.

Finally, there are two PHRF Shorthanded Teams racing; Tom Cairns’ J/105 BEDAZZLED and Ron Otto’s J/110 TAKEDOWN 2.  For more SSYC Queen’s Cup Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/24 Completes Race 2 Alaska- a 1st for J/24s!

J/24 McGuffin Brothers sailing Race 2 Alaska 
(Vancouver, BC)- With its lack of handicaps, lack of rules, and Wild West attitude, on the surface it would seem the Race to Alaska is a setup to disappoint just about everyone. If you’re focused only on the capital “W” win, it’s a forgone conclusion that bankrolled teams of sailors with better-than-Olympics credentials will grab the prize, grab the glory, and leave the everyone else in the dust.

To the surprise of no one close to the race and paying attention, that preconception is as true as it isn’t. While the only prizes were given out some five days prior, recognition of the valor and dedication of those who simply finish could be seen at the dock today as throngs of teams who came before were on hand to welcome finishers.

Sometimes it’s about standing on the podium, most of the time it’s about standing with yourself and the satisfaction you’ve done something extraordinary— whether or not people applaud.

The two teams bookending today’s Ketchikan finish line embody the second kind of accomplishment and seemingly represent a time-lapsed view of Canadian lives well-sailed.
J/24 sailing in Johnstone Straits
The “Teen Beat” sleeper cell sensation of Team McGuffin Brothers Racing completed the course and earned the honor of being the collectively youngest team to ever finish this thing. If only to revel in the incredible, in a way they probably won’t, we’d like to point out that the new bar for youngest team boasts an average age of 19.25 years!!

If Team Pitoraq’s victory was rooted in a lifetime culmination, Team MBR’s landed solidly in the “Are you kidding me?” envy of a teenage rite of passage, with everyone greeting them on the dock in Ketchikan wishing they’d had the parents and the courage to have done this in their day.

The cherub-cheeked, “aw shucks” everything of the three actual and one honorary brothers won the day and the hearts of fellow racers and Ketchikan fans who came down to welcome them.

To a person, the onlookers were in awe of a life path, so well started, and largely yet to come.

“This trip is something that the rest of us built towards, this is their baseline— imagine what else they’ll do.”

The crowd was as impressed as it was filled with questions, and the brothers deferential answers were those of the humble, their sparse words offered in the rare brand of taciturn that lies between shy and polite. They hit the dock with uniformly bare feet and matching grey sweaters with MBR patches hand sewn on the breast.

How did you pick your uniforms?
“Well, I like Stanfields, and Callum likes Stanfields so we thought they would be pretty good.”

How was the boat?
“Pretty good.” They had leaks from the forward hatch, main hatch, lazarette hatch, the toe rail, and the mast boot. “Pretty much everything leaked.” The only time they begrudgingly conceded things might have been less than ideal were the times when they woke up for watch in the 1am darkness and waded through the damp clothes they had drying below. “There was a big wave, we had our hatch open, and we got pretty wet I broke the leeboard and ended up in Duncan’s bunk, but other than that, it was pretty good.”

What did you eat?
“Baked beans, chia pudding, and canned sprats.” Sprats, for the un-indoctrinated are the tins of fish that they would crack open and share for lunch, dinner and sometimes breakfast.

Three times a day and for eight days straight; unabashed, unresentful and recounted with a smile. The tins were the gift of their grandfather in Ottawa who bought them and sent them; apparently making the rounds and clearing the shelves of Ottawa’s strategic reserve of tinned fish to send his boys north. The fact that they were eating canned fish bought in Canada’s inland capital 3,000 kilometers east, then sent to the heart of it’s seafood industry was an irony that only occurred to them after the question was posed.
J/24 sailing in Johnstone Straits
They had food; they ate it gratefully, and had enough leftover that they were planning to eat it for their return trip south. Sprats north, sprats south, and on the way back they were going to meet up with their grandfather, Granddad Sprats himself. There’d be plenty for him, too.

What did you miss?
“None of us drink coffee or beer, so we’re set on those.” They settled on hamburgers, and after climbing the dock to the racer party they set into a four identical plates of burgers and fries, appreciatively consumed at a politely moderate pace.

What do they do for fun?
“Well, we mostly just sail.” They replied to the question of whether or not it felt weird to be done, with the unintentional punch line, “Well, we still have to go all the way back…”

They were planning on shore leave of no more than a day. They needed to get back, so were going to limit their wild and crazy to picking up their outboard, restocking some fresh food, and that’s exactly it.

Duncan was hoping to make it back in time for his last day of school, the rest were going to get ready for their canoe trip down the Mackenzie River.

For the teams that came before, and likely those to come, the finish line is at least a reprieve and at most an ending. For Team MBR it was the beginning of a “no-parents summer” that starts with R2AK and culminates in a canoe trip to the Arctic Circle.

The trip to K-town wasn’t a hardship, it was fun; not the vice fueled Spring Break binge of excess of their peers to the south.  It was the adventure version of a jigsaw puzzle and a cup-of-tea type enjoyable.

So, it was the trip back that couldn’t start soon enough. They had their granddad’s sprats, the last thing they needed was to hang around on shore and stress. Or, consume beer in order to cope with a hardship that for them doesn’t even exist. They are the very definition of “Pretty good.”

Whether you are more or less than their average of 19 years, imagine where you would be after eight days and 700 miles of non-stop sailing?

Would you gloat in self-satisfaction? Would you crave the indulgences of civilization, movies, girls, or at the very least a temporary antidote to the banal inconveniences that brought you here: a dry bed, a hot shower, a plated meal, ice cream—anything other than the steady state diet of less sleep and more canned fish?

Would you offer a tinge of anything less that the honest and holistic optimism of “Pretty good?”

For the McGuffins, and to the envy of everyone, their answer was true. They were pretty good, and their smiles were only rivaled by those on the adults at the dock who had found in them the role models for youth they were too late to follow.

They had just sailed to Alaska, alone and unassisted as young as 16, and with as little as 6 months sailing experience. They weren’t self-impressed or particularly jubilant, and it didn’t seem to dawn on them to be as proud as everyone else was.

They were “pretty good,” but better than just about everybody.

McGuffin Brothers Racing finished 13th at a very convenient 7:21 PM on June 14. And have the new record for Youngest Team at a combined age of 19.25 years old. They beat out the 2018 J/88 Team Blue Flash; remarkably, their combined ages were 19.5 years old!

It’s blowing strong out of the north in Johnstone Strait, making it very difficult for teams to get to the Queen Charlotte’s and beyond. However, those teams already there are seeing some light winds mixed with some real southerlies moving them quickly to their goal.  Follow TEAM MBR’s exploits on Instagram here  and on their Team MBR Facebook page here  Here is Team MBR’s website  For more R2AK sailing information and tracking information

J/70 Nordic Championship Preview

J/70s at Hanko, Norway (Hanko, Norway)- The J/70 Nordic Championship and J/70 Norwegian Championship will be held at Hanko, Norway from June 27th to 29th, hosted by the Hanko Yacht Club. The thirty-six entries are composed of 21 Norwegian and 15 foreign teams from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

The top hometown teams include Egil Ronaes’ LUCKY JACK, Halvor Friisk’s SINNATAGG Sailing Team, Kristoffer Spone’s HELLY HANSEN II, Madeleine Osteby’s TEAM SUMMIT TO SAIL, and Marie Lothe’s NOR 1. The top Swedish team is Anders Rosenberg’s DYNAMANT and the top Danish team is Bjerne Sorensen’s FRYNSKE BANK.

For more J/70 Nordic Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Round The Island Race Preview

J/120 rounding island (Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- If it's the first weekend in July, it must be time for the world-famous “Round The Island Race” in the United Kingdom, hosted by the Island Sailing Club in Cowes, Isle of Wight. The challenging 60.0nm race that goes around the Isle of Wight is by far the most popular race on any sailor’s social calendar all year long in the U.K.; particularly for those that love to get thrashed and challenged by the intricacies of the Solent.

As has been the case for over a decade, over a thousand boats will begin starting at 0630 hrs. First off is the IRC Zero class, followed by over two-dozen more classes sailing across the glorious Royal Yacht Squadron line in the summer morning soft orange light. It should be absolutely gorgeous for the thousands of sailors aboard all the teams making their annual, epic adventure around the Isle of Wight.

Taking on the challenge will be a veritable J/Navy sailing across the spectrum of classes.  In the world of IRC handicap classes, here are some of the notable teams to watch.

J/97 sailing off CowesNearly 40% of the 26 entries in IRC 1 A Class are J/teams.  Some of those include five J/122s (BLACK DOG- George Willis & Stuart Sawyer, JOLLY JELLYFISH- Simon Newton, R&W- Andy Theobald, JAHMALI- Mike & Sarah Wallis, & JANGLE- Clive Miles), three J/111s (JITTERBUG- Cornell Riklin, JOURNEYMAKER II- Chris Jones And Louise Makin, & KESTREL- Simon Bamford). Hoping to beat them all across the line in style will be Fergus Angel’s J/121 ROCK LOBSTER.

With 31 boats in the IRC 1 C Class are three J/112E’s- Bruce Huber’s XANABOO, Chaz Ivill’s DAVANTI TYRES, and Jim Chalmers’ KNIGHT BUILD LTD. They will be joined by Stu Lawrence’s J/120 SCREAM.

The 21 boat IRC 2 A Class has three J/109s (JUBILEE- Christopher Preston, JUKEBOX- Chris Copeland, & RED ARROW- Alan Beckheling) and one J/99- James & John Owen’s JET.

Nearly 60% of the 33 boat IRC 2 B Class are J/crews.  There are five J/105s; including FLAWLESS J’s Andy Uren, JAB JAB’s Richard Chart, and JIN TONIC’s Andrew Roberts. They will have to contend with a huge contingent of fifteen J/109s that include such top teams as David Richards’ JUMPING JELLYFISH and Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN.
sunrise start
The twenty-one entries in IRC 2 Class include two offshore-focused J/105s- Jim Wicks’ DIABLO-J and Gillian Ross’ GENE JENIE. The sixteen entries in IRC 2 D Class include the J/92 JABBERWOCK (Ralph Mason), J/97 JAYWALKER (Robert & Jon Baker), and the J/110 SHADES OF BLUE (Ed Holton).

As one of the largest classes in the race, the 38 entries in IRC 3 A Class include seven J/92s, such as J’RONIMO (David Greenhalgh), JACKDAW (Rob Salter), NIGHTJAR (Jack Banks), and SAMURAI-J (Alan Macleod & Andy Knowles).  They will be joined by one J/97- Rachel, Robert and David Hunt JUMBLESAIL II.

Rounding out the IRC handicap entries is the J/30 COLLENN sailed by Allan Hill in the forty-four boat IRC 3 C Class.

The one-design classes include J/70s, J/80s, and J/88s.  The largest one-design class is the sixteen boats entered in the J/70 class, including top crews such as Terry O’Neill’s AQUA-J, Andrew Barraclough’s JENGA 8, and Jack Davies YETI.

The five entries in the J/80 class include Richard Tricker’s FIDUCIAL from France, Phil Lightbody’s JEDI, and Simon Cameron’s JUNO.

The top J/88s in their class include Richard Cooper’s JONGLEUR, Tim Tolcher’s RAGING BULL, Dirk Van Beek’s SABRIEL JR, and Sam Cooper’s TIGRIS.  For more Round Island Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Friday, June 28, 2019

Fun & Games @ J/22 Lipton Cup

J/22 sailing on San Francisco Bay
(San Francisco, CA)- As part of the three-day Lipton Cup Regatta, teams from ten yacht clubs competed for the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy on Saturday, June 15. Conditions for the StFYC J/22s were perfect in the Keller Cove race area, with winds in the 12-15 kt range, and moderate chop.
J/22s sailing Lipton Cup
The competition got closer and closer with each race, and after the 6th and final race of the day, Richmond Yacht Club won with 11 points, Inverness Yacht Club was second with 13 points, and San Francisco Yacht Club was third with 14 points.

The teams competing in the regatta included- St. Francis Yacht Club, Berkeley Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, Encinal Yacht Club, South Beach Yacht Club, and Tahoe Yacht Club.  For more J/22 Lipton Cup sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 European Championship Preview

J/70s sailing off Italy
(Malcesine, Italy)- Malcesine is gearing up to host the event of the year as more than 130 boats from around the world have arrived to participate in the J/70 European Championship. For the occasion, Fraglia Vela Malcesine and the J/70 Italian Class have made impressive strides in terms of organization and logistics to provide accommodation to crews from twenty-three countries (Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, and USA).

The Opening Ceremony was on Monday afternoon following the practice race. As for the Championship schedule, there is a possibility for sailing 14 races on the gorgeous waters of Lake Garda, starting June 25th, Tuesday.

The Principal Race Officer of the event is Giancarlo Crevatin. Along with David Bartol, they will both oversee fleets in the two race flights (the fleet was seeded and split into four groups, with each group rotating to sail against each other).

The Italian fleet is the most numerous, with roughly 40 boats and a concentration of high-level teams including reigning champion Alberto Rossi’s ENFANT TERRIBLE. Other major players from the final stages of Italian circuit will be participating; such as, Alessandro Zampori’s DAS SAILING TEAM, Carlo Alberini’s CALVI NETWORK, Claudia Rossi’s PETITE TERRIBLE, and Gianfranco Noè’s WHITE HAWK (he’s aiming for the Corinthian championship).

Russian (18!), British (9!), German (11!), and Spanish (11!) fleets are bringing a stunning number of teams to Lake Garda, among them the well-known Russian woman skipper- Lera Kovalenko- and her ARTTUBE RUS1 Team, Spanish multiple J/80 World Champion- Josè Maria “Pichu” Torcida skippering NOTICIA, and Spanish skipper- Luis Bugallo- racing MARNATURA. The British will be well-represented by several champions; such as Jeremy Thorp’s PHAN, Martin Dent’s JELVIS, Doug Struth’s DSP, Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT, and Patrick Liardet’s COSMIC.

Finally, the lone American attending is Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT with tactician Victor Diaz de Leon; both are J/70 World Champions.

Vittorio Di Mauro, President of the J/70 Italian Class, said, “Following the success of the Porto Cervo World Championship in 2017, this is yet another record-breaking event for a number of participants and countries represented, and at the elite level of competition. It highlights the organizational capacity of our Association, as well as the competitiveness of our members at the international level; owners who have brought the continental title to Italy for the last five consecutive years. Once again, a unique blend of sailing champions and crew of enthusiasts will have the opportunity to race against the best.”  Follow the J/70 Europeans on Facebook here  For more J/70 European Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

FUN Cleveland Race Week

J/70 sailing off Cleveland
PROOF Wins J/120 North Americans
(Cleveland, OH)- Seventy-two teams competed on Lake Erie from June 14-16 in Cleveland Race Week’s One Design Weekend, part of the largest sailing regatta on Lake Erie and one of the largest on the Great Lakes hosted by Edgewater Yacht Club. Racing began on Friday for several classes, with the remainder beginning on Saturday. This year, the regatta included the J/120 National Championship.

Ten fleets competed over the weekend on four racecourses. Conditions were ideal on Friday, with 12-16 kts out of the northwest, sunshine, and 1-2’ waves. Saturday brought 8-12 kts from the southwest, with flat water and a bit of rain for the competitors to deal with. Sunday dawned extremely foggy and glassy; the regatta was placed on a 1-hour delay onshore before racing was entirely abandoned for the day and the regatta concluded.

The J/120 National Championship kicked off on Friday, with what could only be described as champagne sailing conditions. The first race began promptly at 12:00pm.  There were seven boats on the line; the hometown VIVA LA VIDA, Buffalo Yacht Club’s SLEDGE HAMMER, PROOF from Grosse Pointe, and Bayview Yacht Club’s FUNTECH RACING, HOT TICKET, J-HAWKER, and SLEEPING TIGER.
J/120 National Champs
Three races were completed in strong conditions with the slowly dying breeze, each with a different winner. PROOF came out of the day strong with 6 points, followed closely by HOT TICKET with 7 points. Racing on Saturday was more challenging, with 4 races completed in shifty conditions. PROOF solidified their lead with a consistent 2- 2-2-1, placing a six-point gap between them and HOT TICKET in second. Racing in the middle of the fleet got intense, with only 10 points separating 2nd and 5th place at the end of the regatta. FUNTECH RACING placed third with 24 points, HOT TICKET finished second with 19 points, and PROOF became the 2019 J/120 National Champions with 13 points.
J/70 winners
Nine boats sailed in the J/70 class. Winning was Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA with 14 pts, followed by Tod Sackett’s FM with 18. Rounding out the podium in third place was Dave Kerr’s JILLY BABY.

Marcus Rogers’ WIND MONKEY certainly had the wind at their back all weekend, posting four bullets to win the J/24 class by a landslide.  Second with nearly as good a record was Ryan Lashaway’s RUNNING ON EMPTY with three 2nds.  Third was Mark Sprenger & Ramon Eckert’s ORANGE WHIPE.
J/105 winners
The half-dozen J/105 class also had a winner scoring all aces, with Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE running the table to take the win.  Second was Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED and third went to Ron Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY.

Following racing each day, competitors were greeted with live music, great food, and cocktails provided by sponsors Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Pusser’s Rum, and Regatta Craft Mixers. The Race Committee did an outstanding job on all four courses and in all weather conditions. Following two days off, Cleveland Race Week starts up again with the Junior Day on Wednesday, and Women’s, Doublehanded and RC Boat Racing Wednesday evening. Offshore Racing will begin on Thursday evening and continue through the weekend.  Follow Cleveland Race Week on Facebook here  For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Fast Marion to Bermuda Race

J/46 sailing Marion to Bermuda race (Marion, MA)- The 22nd running of the Marion to Bermuda Race will certainly go down in the records books as one of the fastest races ever, with most boats finishing in around 58 hours elapsed time- making for about an 11.3 kts average for the 40 to 45 footers across the race track. A favorable Gulf Stream meander certainly helped boost the fleet’s COG/ SOG speeds and angles!

Hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, the fleet of boats took off on Friday June 14th at 12 noon in a solid breeze that never let up for a majority of the race.

This year’s Founder’s Division had thirty-nine entries. Taking fifth place in the Founders B Division was the J/46 MOJO sailed by Eric & Robert Grubman from Milford, CT.  Then, finishing seventh in the same division was the J/122 AUGUST WEST, skippered by Jamey Shachoy from Marion, MA.  For more Marion to Bermuda Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Australia J/122 Offshore Success

J/122 Joss sailing off Perth, Australia
(Perth, Western Australia)- The J/122 JOSS has been well-sailed and well-loved by her owner Ian Clyne since her launch in late 2012. She has cruised more than half way around Australia, departing from Sydney to Port Moresby (1,930nm), then across to Darwin (1,100nm), then onwards to her home in Perth WA (2,300nm)- a total distance of 5,330nm (about the width of the Pacific Ocean)!

Since arriving in Perth, Ian and crew have been going from strength-to-strength each racing season. This 2018/2019 Ocean Racing West Australia (ORWA) season truly reflects the teamwork and talent of the crew and the performance and capability of the J/122.  JOSS competed in the Ocean Racing season from September through to April, with races varying from 300nm+ Bluewater races, Offshore and Inshore races, finishing 1st or 2nd throughout the season.

The ORWA season incorporates some of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious races including the 170nm Bunbury and return race that was first raced in 1948. Being the oldest offshore race in Western Australia it will always have a special place in history. Also, the 336nm Fremantle to Albany race that was first raced in 1968 and is unique in that it takes competitors through both the Indian and Southern Oceans.
J/122 Australian winners
Ian commented, “It has been a brilliant team effort from everyone who sailed on JOSS in 2018/19. We sailed in 15 Ocean Races winning 7 Div 1 IRC, 6 Div 1 YAH (local performance handicap) with podium finishes in several other races against a very competitive and modern racing fleet. A sincere thank you to ORWA, FSC, RFBYC, RPYC, SoPYC, Hillarys YC, as the Organising Authorities for their respective Offshore Races, and to Race Control & the many volunteers.”

To top it off Ian won the ORWA’s Skipper of the Year Award and Alex Babel on bow jointly won Male Crew of the Year.  Other JOSS nominees were ORWA Male Crewman- Rees Howell and ORWA Female Crew of the Year- Karen Koedyk.

On behalf of Yachtspot (J/Boats Australia) we wish to congratulate Ian and his crew for the fantastic racing season on their J/122 JOSS.  Their results included:

  • Siska Trophy Overall Bluewater Series 2nd IRC, 1st YAH
  • Offshore Series 1st IRC, 1st YAH
  • Weekender/Inshore Series 1st IRC , 2nd YAH
  • RFBYC “Farrawa Cup” Series, 2nd Overall IRC, 2nd IRC, 1st YAH
  • FSC’s “Success Cup” Series, 1st Overall IRC, 1st Overall YAH, 1st IRC, 1st YAH
  • FSC’s “Captain Stirling Cup” Series, 1st Overall IRC, 1st Overall YAH, 1st IRC, 1st YAH
Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Epic, Brutal RORC De Guingand Bowl Race

J/122 sailing off Cowes, England
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- With 40 knots of wind speed recorded during the 110.0nm race, the 2019 RORC De Guingand Bowl was undoubtedly a tough test for both the crews and competing yachts. Starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, a four-mile downwind leg to Browndown provided a breath-taking start. The fleet then returned through the Solent upwind with a building tide through Hurst Narrows. The beating continued all the way to East Shambles off Weymouth. After the long hard beat, the fleet turned east for a long sleigh ride back around the south side of the Isle of Wight, with a beat to finish at Mother Bank.

“The southwesterly pressure and the tidal flow meant that heading east was not going to be a good option,” commented RORC Racing Manager Chris Stone. “The lesser of the two evils was to send the fleet east for an hour or more, then send them west through Hurst Narrows, when the water was still fairly flat. As a 24-hour test, these conditions are great for preparing for the bigger races that the RORC organizes, the Rolex Fastnet Race being one of them.”

Because the race was so brutal, most divisions recorded nearly all DNF’s.  The sole J/Team to finish was Chris Miles’ J/97E HIGH JINKS in taking 5th place in IRC 4 Division and 4th place in the IRC Doublehanded Division- quite a remarkable feat in such harrowing weather.  Fifteen boats finished, forty-two did not, an extraordinarily high attrition rate for any race!  For RORC de Guingand Bowl Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Block Island Race Week Report

J/88 and J/105 sailing Block Island
(Block Island, RI)- Nearly two hundred boats are sailing the 2019 Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week. So far, the island weather Gods are up to their usual tricks.  The first day was simply spectacular and most fleets completed four races.  However, a huge frontal system was rolling offshore during Tuesday’s Around the Island Race, making for a thunderous, memorable, wet, windy, cold race.  Wet, indeed, like nearly 2.0” of rain in 2 hours, that is a lot of rain.

Day One- Glorious Sailing
Bill Sweetser sported a broad smile as he stood in the stern of his boat that is berthed at Champlin’s Marina.

Sweetser could not have scripted a better start to Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week, presented by Margaritaville. Monday’s wind conditions fell into the sweet spot of the Annapolis entry and the crew responded with a superb performance.

Sweetser steered RUSH to victory in all three races on the opening day of the regatta, taking early command of the J/109 class. Tactician Tom Babel made all the right calls while trimmers Brian Tyrrell (headsails), Mike Hobson (mainsail), and Bobby Brooks (offside) were on point.

“Sometimes you sail in conditions you feel very comfortable with and today certainly favored our boat and crew,” Sweetser said of the westerly winds that held relatively steady between 8 to 10 knots. “We just tend to do really well in light to moderate winds within the J/109 fleet. I know I drive better in those conditions.”

WINGS accomplished the same feat in the J/88 class with skipper Mike Bruno leading the Armonk, New York entry to straight bullets. Stuart Johnstone is calling tactics aboard WINGS, which is coming off a class victory at Sperry Charleston Race Week.

In the third one-design class, New York City residents John and Marisa Koten led GRAY MATTER to a solid score line of 3-3-2 to set the pace in J/105, which has attracted 16 entries. Sitting behind them just three points back are two pretty tough citizens; in second was Paul Beaudin’s LOU LOU and third is Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE.

There was equally tight racing in ORC 2 with TEAMWORK emerging as the leader after the opening day. Skipper Robin Team steered the J/122 to a 19-second victory over the J/121 INCOGNITO (Joe Brito) in Race 1 then finished second in Race 2. Race 3 for ORC 2 was tossed by organizers with Storm Trysail Club because the finish line mark dragged and caused confusion.

Tied atop the PHRF 1 class Ken Comerford’s J/111 MONEYPENNY from Annapolis, MD.  Sitting in fourth was another J/111, Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL.

DIRTY HARRY, a J/29 skippered by Jack McGuire, made a strong statement in PHRF 3 by posting a pair of bullets separated by a second. MIGHTY PUFFIN, another J/29 owned by Steve Thurston, is five points behind.

“We were just dialed in all day. We were able to get off the line clean in all three starts and had great boat speed, great crew work,” McGuire said.

Six of seven crew members aboard DIRTY HARRY, including the owner, are products of the East Greenwich (RI) Yacht Club junior program. They were all coached at the time by John Mollicone, who is calling tactics for his former pupils.

Monday’s Pursuit Course was 12.5 nautical miles in length and took the fleet toward the southwest end of the island. After rounding a government mark, it was a pleasant spinnaker run back to the start-finish line just south of the Great Salt Pond. Taking 2nd in PHRF Cruising 1 Spinnaker division was Brian Prinz’s J/125 SPECTRE.  Then, the J/97E PARTICIPANT skippered by John Krediet topped Performance Cruising 2 while Eric Bicknese’s J/105 BIG E.Z. took the bronze position.
J/109 sailing Block Island Race Week
Day 2- Big Tuesday- Around Island
There are many traditions associated with Block Island Race Week. Sailors know to expect certain things over the course of the five-day event, which is why so many keep coming back.

One of the most revered traditions is the 21.5nm Around the Island Race, which is associated with Block Island Race Week as much as drinking Mudslides at the Oar or dancing to live music at Yellow Kittens.

With a building breeze forecast, on-water chairman Dick Neville delivered the regatta’s signature competition earlier than expected. There was some noticeable anxiety among sailors on the docks when Neville announced over the radio that North Sails Day would feature the Around the Island Race.

That news prompted a thorough review of the forecast with navigators, tacticians and strategists now processing that information through the lens of a counterclockwise circumnavigation of Block Island; those discussions were no doubt held aboard all 122 boats competing. Doing a 20-nautical mile distance race that pretty much completes a circle is a vastly different undertaking than windward-leeward action around the buoys.

Organizers with Storm Trysail Club had initially pegged the distance race for Thursday, but Neville switched gears after reviewing updated forecasts that showed the wind getting lighter later in the week.

“We always want to do the Around the Island Race on the breeziest day of the week and the way the forecast shaped up that was today,” Neville said. “We knew it would be rainy, but fortunately there was very little thunder and lightning, while the squalls were manageable.”

Storm Trysail Club held a fourth windward-leeward race prior to sending the entire fleet of 13 classes around the island. Winning both races on Tuesday in the J/88 class was Mike Bruno’s WINGS. Stu Johnstone is calling tactics aboard WINGS, which has won all five races held over two days and has already built an eight-point lead in J/88 class.

“Our boat is incredibly well-prepared and we tend to be good in breezy conditions. We have a very strong, experienced crew so it’s really the whole package,” said Bruno, who is coming off a class victory at Charleston Race Week. “We still have two more days of racing to go, but we’re certainly happy with the way we have started.”

Robin Team and his J/122 TEAMWORK mates headed straight to The Oar for bowls of steaming hot clam chowder upon returning to the dock. Team then went home and “stood under a hot shower for about 30 minutes.”

Despite the discomfort of being soaked in rain water for so long, it was a rewarding day on the water for TEAMWORK, which placed second in the buoy racing then won the Around the Island Race to maintain the overall lead in ORC 2.

“It was a really tactical race that was very well-run by the Storm Trysail Club. We had a lot of fun out there today,” Team said. “It was equal amounts of upwind, downwind and reaching. Some conditions suited some boats in our class better than others, which made things fun and interesting.”

Tactician Jonathan Bartlett had set a goal of having TEAMWORK win the Around the Island Race in both the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta and Block Island Race Week, and it was mission accomplished on that count. The J/122 now leads by two points

GOOD TRADE is the defending champion in J/105 class, but got off to a slow start. GRAY MATTER, owned by John and Marisa Koten, led after Day 1. However, the husband-wife team of helmsman Bruce Stone and tactician Nicole Breault showed their chops on Tuesday with a runner-up result in the buoy race followed by victory in the Around the Island Race.

“We’re very happy we got the wheels going in tough conditions,” Stone said. “This is the toughest J/105 fleet we’ve faced at Block Island. There are a lot of good boats and sailors here.”

GOOD TRADE took the lead on the opening beat and held off the competition the rest of the way, crossing comfortably ahead of LOU LOU (Paul Beaudin) in the Around Island Race.

“One of key things we did in the race was called for a tack to starboard. We went a little farther right than any of the other boats and got into pressure, but stayed far enough left to get island relief from the adverse current,” Breault said. “Bruce really got into the groove driving and our speed was fantastic. We just punched out.”  For more STC Block Island Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Kiel Week Preview

J/70s sailing Kiel, Germany (Kiel, Germany)- Even in its 138th year, Kieler Woche still plays a virtuoso performance on the keyboard of festivity: Kieler Woche is the largest summer festival in Northern Europe.

From the 22nd to 30th of June, more than three million visitors from all over the world will be diving into the colorful and multi-facetted life of Kieler Woche.

Around 2,000 events in areas of culture, sailing, summer festival, entertainment, science, industry and sport come together to form a maritime symphony. Visitors are promised nine days of high spirits in the far North of Europe.

The sailing program is quite remarkable and it is all hosted and orchestrated by Kieler YC, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, and Verein Seglerhaus am Wansee. There are three J/One-Design classes that are participating- J/24s, J/70s, and J/80s.

In the twenty-eight-boat J/24 class are teams from the USA, Sweden, Germany, and Great Britain.  The leading teams may include Duncan McCarthy’s MADELEINE from the U.K., the Swedish team of Per-Hakan Persson on FRONT RUNNER, the American team of Keith Whittemore on FURIO (which includes Brian Thomas, Shelby Milne, Mark Rodgers & Willem van Waay), and the German teams of JJONE (Frithjof Schade), VITESSE (Manfred Konig), RUNNING MEN (Stephan Mais), HENK (Frank Schonfeldt), HUNGRIGER WOLF (Fabian Damm), UNITED 5 (Jan Kahler), and HANSA PROJEKT (Hauke Kruss).

The largest one-design sportboat class at Kieler Woche is the forty-two-boat J/70 class; that dramatic growth is a result of the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga that has standardized on the world’s most successful one-design sportboat class- the International J/70 Class. Teams that are attending come from Austria, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden. Some of the leading teams may include Claas Lehmann’s ONKEL HANNE and Henning Frenzel’s JOYCE, amongst others.

The J/80 Class has fifteen participants from Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The leading team will certainly be Germany’s Martin Menzner and his PIKE crew of Nils Beltermann, Lars Keilwitz, and Christian Drews.  For more Kiel Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

J/Crews Sweep Van Isle 360 Race!

J/120 sailing Van Isle 360 (Victoria/ Nanaimo, BC)- The biennial Van Isle 360 Race was an epic adventure and experience for nearly a dozen J/Teams that participated in the 2019 edition.  Comprised of nine individual legs that circumnavigate the outrageously picturesque Vancouver Island off the Pacific coastline of British Columbia, the race was full of drama as each leg completed and teams fought for good overall results.

The combination of the nine legs determined the class winners as well as the overall winner.  The legs were:
  1. Nanaimo to Comox- 36.9nm
  2. Comox to Campbell River- 27.6nm
  3. Deepwater Bay to Hardwicke Island- 24.2nm
  4. Hardwicke Island to Telegraph Cove- 41.0nm
  5. Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy- 28.7nm
  6. Port Hardy to Winter Harbour- 69.1nm
  7. Winter Harbour to Ucluelet- 138.1nm
  8. Ucluelet to Victoria Harbour- 98.2nm
  9. Victoria Harbour to Nanaimo- 59.9nm
That made for a total of at least 486.8nm down the rhumbline. The fleet experienced the standard extremes of weather- from complete glass outs, waiting for breeze, to 40 to 50 kt microbursts ripping down from the mountains peaks on Vancouver Island transited across the notorious Johnstone Straits.

In the end, J/Teams led sweeps in the two largest big boat divisions. In the PHRF Division 1, winning was B. Chan and A. Smyth’s J/111 65 RED ROSES II with 19 pts and also taking 1st PHRF Overall (six classes). Tied going into the last race from Victoria to Nanaimo, it was Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA winning the final leg to take second in class over Bill Fox’s J/160 JAM that settled for third place.

Then, in PHRF Division 2 the final leg became a complete cliffhanger for the two leading J/109s. Indeed, they both ended up tied on 25 pts each. Winning on count-back was T. Sitar’s J/109 SERENDIPITY over Mark Hansen’s J/109 MOJO. Completing the podium with the bronze medal was C & J Wolfe’s J/120 SHEARWATER and taking fifth was Tolga Cezik’s J/109 LODOS.  For more Van Isle 360 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Windy New York YC Annual Regatta

J/99 sailing New York YC regatta
(Newport, RI)- With the exception of maybe a little more sun and a little less rain, Robin Team has a hard time imagining a better Father’s Day. The J/122 skipper from Lexington, N.C., spent Sunday sailing with his two sons in testing conditions and putting the finishing touches on a near flawless weekend of racing at the 165th edition of the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta including the Swan American Regatta.

“What better way to way to spend Father’s Day than racing offshore with your two sons and getting the opportunity to walk across the stage at the New York Yacht Club,” says Team. He didn’t add winning, but maybe he didn’t have to. That was merely the cherry on top.

J/122 TeamworkThe Teamwork crew, which also includes Team's brother, started the long weekend with a convincing win in IRC 4 in Friday’s Around-the-Island Race, and carried that winning feeling into two days of buoy racing in big breeze and cresting waves on Rhode Island Sound. Teamwork won three races yesterday and the first race today. With the overall title all but in the bag, Team and his crew were a little cautious in the final race in order to preserve their assets for Block Island Race Week, which starts a week from Monday.

“We were in a J3 [jib] all day long and we ended up running three different spinnakers based on the conditions,” says Team. “We just changed gears based on the wind intensity. All of that made it really, really fun. Toward the end of the regatta, we got a little bit conservative because we did have a lead and we didn’t want to break anything. So we ran a [smaller high-wind spinnaker] on one leg and ran a [reaching spinnaker] on the final leg to the finish.”

A fourth in that final race was the lone blemish on an otherwise perfect scorecard. But finishing that race overlapped with another competitor after 90 minutes of hard racing just emphasized how competitive it was in IRC 4, which made the overall victory that much sweeter.

“That was one of the beautiful things about this regatta,” says Team. “The rating band was really tight and you knew how you did at the end of the race instead of waiting for the corrected times to come out. It was fun to have two other J/122s there, they were really well-sailed boats, we love sailing against them. The J/111s and the J/44s were all great competition as well. We’ll be back.”

Behind TEAMWORK in the IRC 4 Class comprised of all J/Boats was New York YC Commodore Bill Ketcham’s J/44 MAXINE in second, followed by Andrew & Sedge Ward’s J/111 BRAVO in third place.  Rounding out the top five were two J/122s- Jack Gregg’s TARAHUMARA in 4th and Paul Milo’s ORION in 5th position.
J/109 sailing New York regatta
In the J/109 division, Bill Sweetser’s RUSH defeated a highly competitive fleet with a 3-1-1-2-2 record for 9 pts.  Taking the silver was Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY on a tie-breaker at 12 pts each over Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING.  The rest of the top five included Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE in 4th and Brian Kiley’s GAMBIT in 5th place.

John Thouron’s J/122 DUNDER from Burlington, VT won PHRF 2 Class of nine-boats.  Third was Bob Manchester’s J/120 VAMOOSE and fifth was Abhijeet Lee’s J/111 VARUNA.

PHRF 3 class was loaded with nine J/Teams.  In the end, Jeff Johnstone’s new J/99 AGENT 99 took second place with Mark Lindquist’s J/105 STERLING securing third.  The trio of Joyce/ Reservitz/ Wagner took 5th on their J/105.  Sixth was yet an other J/105, Don Santa’s SANTAS REIGN DEAR from Annapolis, MD and 7th was EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT.

PHRF 4 class saw J/crews take 3 of the top 5 spots.  Top boat was Steve Thurston’s J/29 MIGHTY PUFFIN i second.  Fourth was Jack McGuire’s J/29 DIRTY HARRY and fifth went to Daniel Stone’s J/80 HOT STREAK.

In IRC 3 Class racing offshore, Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO sailed well, improving every race in their first regatta of the year, closing on high note with a 2-1 on the last two races on Sunday.  Sailing photo credits- Bill Shea Photography.  For more New York YC Annual Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Botín Wins J/80 Campeonato de Espana

J/80 Spain- off Santander
(Santander, Spain)- The forty-three teams that were participating in the 2019 edition of the Campeonato de Espana were treated to simply spectacular sailing conditions in the beautiful bay off Santander, Spain.  Three sunny days, winds rising up to 15-25 kts on the last day, the spectacular backdrop of the snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains off to the southeast made for a spectacular weekend events.

Rising to the occasion to win the regatta in a dominating performance was one of Spain’s top Olympic sailors- the Cantabrian Diego Botín from the Real Club Maritimo de Santander. Botín and his crew on ONO M & G TRESSIS put their stamp of authority on the event by winning four of seven races for an 8 pts net score.
J/80s sailing off Santander, Spain
The pre-regatta favorite, the Cantabrian double J/80 World Champion- José María “Pichu” Torcida- took second place with his RCM Santander team on AILA with 23 pts net.  Just one point behind them on the final step of the podium was Jose Azqueta Arrue on BIOBIZZ with 24 pts net.

Among the Women’s Team, it was the President of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation- Julia Casanueva- skippering CENTRAL OPTICA that won the Women’s Trophy.  Meanwhile, winning the Under 25 Division was J/80 WORLDS 2019 GETXO skippered by the Basque Nicolás Viar.  Sailing Photo credits- Jesus Lastra
For more Spanish J/80 Sailing Championship Add to Flipboard Magazine.

STC Block Island Race week Preview

Block Island Race Week (Block Island, RI)- One of the highlights of summer sailing in northeast America is Storm Trysail Club’s bi-annual bacchanalian sailing festival known as Block Island Race Week. Sailing from June 23rd to 29th, thousands of sailors migrate to the beautiful island five miles offshore of Rhode Island.  It’s a bit of a pilgrimage for many sailors, some are veterans of more than two dozen BIRW’s; it’s a time to reconnect with old friends, a time to relax and socialize with hundreds of other sailors, enjoy the camaraderie of a shared love for the water, for sailing and for celebrations.

The fleet of 125 boats has 57 J/Teams sailing, by far the dominant brand at the event with nearly half the fleet- 46.0% of the total. There are one-design fleets of J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s, plus teams sailing in ORC and PHRF handicap fleets.

There are a half-dozen J/88s with a number of top crews that should be in the hunt, such as Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS, Laura Weyler’s HIJINKS, and Mike Bruno’s WINGS.

J/105 Good Trade sailing Block IslandAs the largest class in the event, the sixteen-boat J/105 Class has many top Eastern teams ready to do battle leading up to their J/105 North Americans later in the summer off Marblehead, MA. Bruce Stone, together with his wife Nicole Breault, co-own J/105 GOOD TRADE and will be seeking to defend their title as best in fleet and best overall performance at Block Island Race Week. The J/105s will be one of the most competitive fleets at Block Island, with top amateur teams like JINX (Bob Taylor is a past J/105 NA champion) and DEJA VOODOO (Bill Zartler from Texas has been J/105 Midwinters Champion). Then, top pro sailors that own and skipper their boats will certainly be near the top of the leaderboard; such as LOU LOU (sailmaker Paul Beaudin), SOLUTION (David Willis), and RAVEN (David Barron); the latter two own boat yards and their boats are super well-prepped.

J/109s have eight teams participating, such at Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE, Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY, Robert Schwartz’s NORDLYS, and Bill Sweetser’s RUSH.  These four boats, in particular, have all won major J/109 championships in one way or another.

The thirteen-boat PHRF 1 Class has seven J/crews; including five J/111s (Andrew & Sedge Ward’s BRAVO, Greg Slamowitz’s MANITOU, USMMA’s BLACK DIAMOND, Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL, & Ken Comerford’s MONEYPENNY), Dan Heun’s J/122 MOXIEE, and Skip Young’s J/133 DRAGONFLY.

Racing in the eleven-boat PHRF 2 Class will be the new J/99 AGENT 99 skippered by Rod and Jeff Johnstone from Stonington, CT.

Not surprisingly, the fourteen-boat PHRF 3 Class will again see the famous battles from yesteryear between a number of very-well sailed J/29s. The protagonist? You guessed it.  The infamous HUSTLER sailed by John Esposito. The other three J/29s are Jack McGuire’s DIRTY HARRY, Steve Thurston’s MIGHTY PUFFIN, and John Cooper’s COOL BREEZE. Hoping to give them a challenge will be Sam Cushing’s J/80 THE PARTY TREE and John & Corinne Foster’s J/92 SALTIRE.

Six J/Teams are sailing in ORC 2 Class.  Those teams include four J/121s (Don Nicholson’s APOLLO, Greg & Sarah Manning’s SARAH, Joe Brito’s INCOGNITO, & Peter Lewis’ WHISTLER) and two J/122s (Paul Milo’s ORION and the Team family (Robin, Alston Colman) on TEAMWORK.

In the nine-boat Performance Cruising 1 Class are two J/120s (Charles Murphy’s TRUANT and Karen Harris’ CYGNI) and Brian Prinz’s J/125 SPECTRE. In the nine-boat Performance Cruising 2 Class are Richard Eytel’s J/95 THE GRIN and John Krediet’s J/97 PARTICIPANT II. While four J/29s will be doing battle in PHRF 3, two J/29s will be dueling in Performance Cruising 3 Class (Peter Hilgendorff’s MEDDLER and William Maher’s RIFT. Finally, in the PHRF Plus 1 Class, Eric Bicknese’s J/105 BIG E.Z. will be taking on a host of other short-handed teams.  For more STC Block Island Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Saturday, June 22, 2019

J/70 Youth SAILING Champions League Preview

Youth J/70 Sailing Champions League
(Kiel, Germany)- The Youth SAILING Champions League (YSCL) is set to take place over three days of intense competition from 22 to 24 June. Twenty-one clubs from nine nations, including Australia celebrating its first SAILING Champions League appearance, will be coming to the event that takes place during Kiel Week, the world’s largest sailing event that attracts every kind of sailor, from weekend warriors to Olympic Champions. The clubs taking part in the under-22 regatta are from Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland.

This is Australia’s first participation in the SAILING Champions League, and Jack Littlechild, the helmsman from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, said, “as the first Australian team to compete in a SAILING Champions League event, we are extremely excited for the racing in Kiel and thankful for this amazing opportunity. We are also very proud to be representing our country and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. We hope that through this event we can help build the National Sailing League at home as it is a great opportunity for all the sailing clubs in Australia and New Zealand to compete against each other in a really fun format of racing.”

Last year’s winner, Bodensee Yacht Club Überlingen (Germany), are back to defend their title. The 2018 YSCL event was also the first time for the four-boat final format to determine the winner. Konstantin Steidle, helmsman from Überlingen, was keen to repeat the club’s winning ways, “since March we have been training several weekends and we have also sailed the German Youth League in Starnberg with almost the same team composition. Of course, we hope to win the Youth SAILING Champions League again, although we know that our national and international competitors will send strong and well trained teams.”

Live Broadcasting & Results by SAP
The regatta will have two slots in the live broadcast of Kiel Week on Saturday, 22 June, from 13:00hrs to 15:00hrs (CEST) and on Monday, 24 June, from 12:00hrs (CEST). The live broadcast is available on sailing-championsleague.com.

The SAP Sailing Analytics provide 24/7 additional statistics and data for sailors, fans, spectators and media like GPS tracking, real-time analysis, live leaderboard combined with 2D visualization. You find all results on sapsailing.com!  Sailing photo credits- Lars Wehrmann   Youth J/70 2018 SAILING Championship highlights   For more Youth J/70 SAILING Champions League information Add to Flipboard Magazine.