(Charleston, SC)- The J/111 VELOCITY sailed by Wayne Jackson and crew from the Chesapeake Bay will be racing their new 111 for its first test during Charleston Race Week sailing in PHRF B class. Please stop buy and say hello to the boys and take a look at the boat- they'll be on Dock C in Slip # 1 right next to the bulkhead at Patriot’s Point. They'll be having a small "greet and meet" on Saturday evening after the races.
For the rest of the 89 J's sailing (the largest brand represented at 1/3 of the entire fleet of 270), they will be divided into one-design and handicap PHRF fleets. PHRF A class has two J/130s sailing, including Noel Sterrett's SOLARUS from Hanahan, SC and David Hackney's SUGAR MAGNOLIA from Folly Beach, SC. Also racing with them will be Doug Curtiss' J/124 WICKED from Branford, CT just up from Florida after sailing at Key West Race Week.
PHRF
B is shaping up to be one of the most competitive offshore PHRF classes
with 5 of the 7 entries being 36-41 foot J's- J/111, J/120s, J/122s.
The J/111 VELOCITY will have to work hard to stay in the hunt against
this tough group of hombres. The two J/120s, local fleet champion John
Keenan's ILLYRIA from Mt Pleasant, SC and Rick Moore's MOOSE DOWN from
Summerville, SC know the local waters well and given the right
conditions will be surely be in the hunt. The two J/122s will be
amongst the leaders as well, both strong sailing programs with great
teams aboard. Doug Shaffer's GAMBLER from Kemah, TX is a past J/122
North American Champion and Robin Team's TEAMWORK has won the Ft
Lauderdale-Key West Race and also a top three finisher at Key West Race
Week.PHRF C class includes the J/35 ARROW sailed by Willy Schwenzfeier from Charleston, SC, the J/109 HOODOO sailed by Rick Campeau from Summerville, SC and three J/105s- Joe Pitcavage's BIG BOOTY, Joe Highsmith's DEAD ON ARRIVAL from Blufton, SC, and Bill Bremer's HIGH VISIBILITY from Savannah, GA. Like their bigger sisters in PHRF B, this class will also see some very competitive sailing amongst the largely 35-foot class of boats.
PHRF
D promises to be a donnybrook between the fast 30 foot J's. The three
J/29s, including Jim Mackevich's FOR SAIL from Edison, NJ, the infamous
Esposito brothers (John and Tony) from Mohegan Lake, NY learning to sail
HUSTLER all over again after mothballing it (was going too fast, we
heard, and was in danger of disintegrating from harmonic vibrations at
the speed of light) and arch-nemesis Steve Thurston from Bristol, RI on
the MIGHTY PUFFIN--- this will be an interesting group to watch, all
well-sailed boats and all masthead/outboard 29s, the fastest version of
them ever made. Giving these 29s a run for the money will surely be Mr
GILL North American himself, David Pritchard on AMIGOS racing his J/92
from Buford, GA-- a very fast team that gets lots of practice up on Lake
Lanier (when there's water in it!).
In
the J one-design world there are seventy-two boats competing from J/22s
to J/24s to J/80s a big jump up from last year's event, particularly
for the J/24s and J/80s. The seventeen J/22s are led by past World
Champion Greg Fisher now living in Mt Pleasant, SC and coaching College
of Charleston sailing team, Chris Doyle from Youngstown, NY (recent
Midwinter Champion) and champion woman sailor Cory Sertl from Rochester,
NY practicing for the upcoming Rolex Women's Worlds held later this
year in Rochester. The twenty-seven J/24s are led by very strong local
teams from Charleston and class champions like Mike Ingham from
Rochester, NY.The new course for the J/22 and J/24 classes is laid out close to downtown Charleston’s waterfront. Organizers expect it to provide exciting viewing from the Battery and Waterfront parks for locals and tourists alike, who “should be able to see and hear tons of racing action, almost as if they were on the boats,” said James Island High School sailing coach Ryan Hamm.
The
largest contingent of J one-designs are the J/80s. Twenty-eight J/80s
will be led by top teams like Al Terhune from Annapolis, MD, Bruno
Pasquinelli from Dallas, TX, Tom Klok from Copenhagen, Denmark (see here
flying downwind at 20 knots off Newport, RI in the 2010 Worlds), Mike
Sudofsky from Marion, MA, Chris Bulger from Brookline, MA and past World
Champion Kerry Klingler from Larchmont, NY. Amongst the luminaries in
the class will be Don Trask from Mooresville, NC, renowned for starting
the Laser and J/24 franchise on the West Coast of America; and Kristen
Robinson from Annapolis, MD, the current J/80 class Treasurer and Chris
Johnson also from Annapolis, the current J/80 Class President.Sailing Photo Credits:
Paul Todd/ Outside Images New Zealand
Tim Wilkes/ Tim Wilkes Photography
For more Charleston Race Week sailing information.