Wednesday, June 2, 2010

J-Cup England Preview

J/Cup sailing in Hamble, England

Sun Blessed Js Set Sail!

(Hamble, England- 3-6 June)- Over 500 competitors sailing 74 J's commence racing this weekend for the J/Cup 2010 in England.  The regatta is being hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, and the J/109 UK National Championship takes place as part of the event. Eight races are scheduled between Thursday 3rd and Saturday 5th June and in addition to the 28 boat J/109 UK National Championship fleet, a full range of Js are packed in to five other classes.

Recent form in the J/109 fleet would suggest that things will be very close throughout this Class. The current UK National Champions are Kirsty and David Apthorp in J-DREAM, but at the last two J/109 one-design events it has been VELVET ELVIS, raced by Adam Wright and Martin Miller at the top of the podium. Also, Commodore’s Cup triallist David Aisher’s YEOMAN IX should be fast.

Eighteen J/80s are racing at the J-Cup, and racing here will be hot for sure; John Cooper and his team in OI! will be on the money, having won the Spring Series and Spring Championships, but Simon Ling and his crew on SPITFIRE will be out to make every race count.

The J/105s also race one-design and they are going to love this weather, although this class in particular comes alive in the bigger breeze. Andy Dennis and his team on ORIJIN have travelled all the way from Cornwall to come and give the Solent fleet a bit more competition.

The J/92s are twelve strong and have their own start at the J-Cup for the first time this year. Bill Howard, Class Captain and owner of WIZARD has created an extraordinary spurt of interest and competition in this 30 foot planing J. He has been well supported in this by Andy Howe and Annie Kelly of BLACKJACK. Paul Chapman’s JAVA won the recent spring series here and there are also plenty of travelers with much J/92 experience under their belts. Richard Sparrow is a past J/92 Nat Champ in WHO'S TO NO and the Tyler brothers have shown recent winning form in their local waters sailing NEILSON REDEYE.

IRC 1 is where the J/122s and J/133s will be fighting it out. Ian Matthews and his team on the J/122 JINJA were looking good in training but newbie to the J/122 fleet Neil Kipling has had a stunning start to the season in JOOPSTER. Rob Larke will be at the helm of David Hunt’s J/122 JACOB'S LADDER, he also recently won the J/80 UK National Championship as Tactician on Boats.com.

In IRC2, the J/97s and the J/95 will be at it hammer and tongs. Current holder of the J-Cup, Colin Wall will be racing the lifting centerboard J/95 J-FEVER; he won the event last year in his J/97. Grant and Brigitte Gordon will be out to win in their new J/97 FEVER JR.  Brighton Boy Graham Allen has had more time in his J/97 JENERAL LEE than most in this Class and he should be near the front of the pack.   For more information, please contact Becci Eplett at Key Yachting +44-2380-455669 or email- becci@keyyachting.com   Photo credits- Tim Wright