Mollicone Two-Peats J/24 North Americans!

(Newport, RI- John Mollicone's team sailing HELLY HANSEN outlasted 45 other teams to become the J/24 Sea Bags North American Champion. With Tim Healy (tactics), Collin Leon (mast), Geoff Becker (trim) and Gordon Borges (bow), team HELLY HANSEN totaled 50 points in the 10-race series to narrowly edge out a hard-charging Matias Seguel of Chile on SEMI-PRO by two points. Nicolas Cubria of Argentina sailed ELVIS to third place with 62 points.  The event was hosted by Sail Newport and J/24 Fleet 50.

“We did a really good job grinding back,” commented Mollicone about their last race on the final day. “We found ourselves in a lot of tough spots but were able to slowly chip away and pass boats.” He gave the credit to his team’s boat handling, crew work and tactics, saying “Everyone stayed really calm and cool, even if we were deep.” One such occasion was when they were OCS in a race, but still made the top 10. He added, “Today, things weren’t looking good for a while, but we just kept our composure. A lot of that is all of us sailing together a lot.” Mollicone won the 2012 North American Championship last November with the same crew.

It didn't start out that easy for this fast crew, most of whom had just won the J/24 World Championship two weeks earlier in Howth, Ireland.  Leader after day one was Peter Bream’s Team TARHEEL, taking a 3-1 to start the regatta with just 4 pts. The Florida-based team topped competitors from Japan, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Canada and the USA. At that point, HELLY HANSEN was two points back with 6 pts, and Matias Seguel on SEMI-PRO was third with 8 points. The fleet was treated to a spectacular opening day with sunshine, warm temperatures and winds Southwest 12-15 with a 1.5 foot swell. Kris Werner of New York got the event started with a win for his team on STICKS, with Mollicone and Bream rounding out the top three in race one. Bream took the bullet in race two, with Seguel in second and 2011 North American champion Travis Odenbach on HONEY BADGER in third.

On day two, the fleet had another beautiful day with winds ranging from 6-8 knots early on, increasing to 12 kts by the last race.  Mollicone and team made their big move, utilizing his hometown "local knowledge" advantage to leap into first place with just 12 net points after five races (including one throw-out). At this point, HELLY HANSEN led Chile’s Matias Seguel on SEMI-PRO by 6 points. Day 1 leader Peter Bream on Team TARHEEL dropped to third with 21 points. Mollicone sailed to victory in the day’s first race, trailed by Will Welles on COUGAR and Steven Kirkpatrick on BUCKSHOT. Argentina’s Sergio Pendola triumphed in the next contest on CACIQUE, with Michael Marshall’s PIPE DREAM in second and Seguel in third. The racing closed out with another Argentinian in front as Nicolas Cubria’s ELVIS took the bullet. Chile’s Robert Vernon racing GRINGA followed in second, and Pendola in third.

On the third day of racing on Saturday, the competitors were again greeted by superb conditions as temperatures remained in the low 70s with winds 10-12 knots and gusts to 14. Three races were held, bringing the total to eight overall.  Mollicone’s team continued their consistent performance to take an 11-point advantage into the final day of competition.  The reigning North American champion tallied a line of 2,4,1,5,7,8,(9),5 for 32 overall points.  Nicolas Cubria’s ELVIS amassed 43 points for second place, and Matias Seguel's SEMI-PRO was in third with 47 points.  International teams dominated the day. Argentina’s Sergio Pendola on CACIQUE snagged another victory in Saturday’s opening contest. Sumio Shimoyama’s SOKOKUMARU of Japan placed second, and Chile’s Raul del Castillo on LA BANCA third. Local Will Welles’ COUGAR captured a win in the next battle, with two Argentina teams behind him— Cubria and Guillermo de Martis’ TWIN. Shimoyama ended the day successfully, with Castillo in second and Travis Odenbach's HONEY BADGER in third.

The final day dawned cool and overcast with light winds around 6-8 knots, which dropped during the first race to about 4 knots by the time teams crossed the finish line. Conditions turned around by the next start as the clouds dissipated, the sun returned and the breeze increased to 8-10 kts. For the first time during the event, the course was moved inside to Narragansett Bay on Sunday. “It was really tricky with lots of outgoing current,” Mollicone explained. “The breeze was unstable so it was really difficult sailing. In the last beat of the last race, we went from mid-20s to what we thought for a while was top three. That’s how shifty it was!”  Local Will Welles on COUGAR won his second race of the regatta in Sunday’s initial battle. Seguel’s SEMI-PRO took second, and another local— Bob Kinsman on DOGFISH third. In the final race of the championship, Taylor Neff’s BUBBLES, from Lake Minnetonka, MN, claimed the top spot, followed by Canadian Michael Howarth’s MISTER H and Seguel.  Mollicone praised the conditions during the four-day event, especially the three days on the outside course. “That’s what Newport is known for— waves, solid breeze, southerly direction.”   For more J/24 North Americans sailing information

Canadian J/Sailors Doing It Again!

(Newport, RI)- Yes, Canadian J/24 sailors are doing it again!  Well, if John Whynacht's crew on the J/24 STICKY FINGERS from Halifax, Nova Scotia surprised everyone the week before by winning the J/24 Downeast Regatta in Portland, Maine (see photo here), then Terry McLaughlin's come-from-behind victory celebration may have surprised no one after they rattled off five bullets in a row to again win the New York YC Invitational Cup this past week. 

Interestingly, the skipper/tactician combination on John Hele's Swan 42 DARING are both veteran J/24 sailors (McLaughlin skippered while Hele was tactician) and, in fact, McLaughlin is a current J/105 owner sailing quite actively in Toronto and on Lake Ontario this summer.  McLaughlin's J/105 won their first offshore event this year, the 76 nm overnight race called the Susan Hood Trophy Race held on Memorial Day/ bank holiday weekend and hosted by Port Credit YC.  McLaughlin and co-owner Rod Wilmer on the J/105 MANDATE from Royal Canadian YC in Toronto won their division with a finishing time of 0:12:35:29 over 30 minutes ahead of the next J/105-- making them this year's Susan Hood Trophy Race Cup Overall Winners!  Good practice for the New York YC Invitational Cup Regatta, eh?  Gotta stay cool for 76nm straight at 98% of target boatspeed!

J/Fest San Diego Preview

(San Diego, CA)- The San Diego J/Fest boasts a long history of being one of the most fun and well attended regattas in Southern California.  And, it's exclusively for J/Boat owners! The regatta is open to one-design classes as well as a J/PHRF fleet!

Hosted by San Diego YC the J/Teams will enjoy three day of competitive, fun buoy racing from September 27th to 29th.  Friday is the fun, casual race around set marks and government marks, followed by two days of course racing on Saturday and Sunday.  Inside the bay will be the smaller boats (like J/22, J/70 and J/80) and offshore will be the larger boats (the J/105s, J/109s and J/120s).

While the sailing is always nice in sunny San Diego, J/Fest is perhaps most renown for its onshore festivities.  Saturday evening is the traditional J/Fest Party, basically a giant cook-out on the lawn with live music and lots of awesome swag and giveaways from the sponsors.  The fun factor is a key element of the event, a reason why over fifty boats have attended every year.

The J/105s have yet another great turnout with most of the top local teams sailing, including Chuck Driscoll's BLOW BOAT, Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK!, Rick Goebel's SANITY, Dennis & Sharon Case's WINGS, Rich Bergmann's ZUNI BEAR, Jon Dekker's AIR BOSS and Gary Mozer's CURRENT OBSESSION 2 fro Los Angeles.

The J/120s have traditionally offered very tight competition with a modest-sized fleet.  Again, a number of local favorites are sailing and should be factors at the front of the fleet.  Familiar faces like John Laun's CAPER, John Snook's JIM, Chuck Nichols' CC RIDER, Gary Winton's SHENANIGANS and Mike Hatch's J/ALMIGHTY have all had their fair share of great performances in J/Fest.

The J/109 class will see past local and regional champions sailing again, including Gene Pitkin's GERONIMO, Rex Butler's JD, John Shulze's LINSTAR and Daylen Tercen's GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!

The J/70s will debut as a class and their six boat fleet should present a lot of fun racing on San Diego Bay.  Having been traveling to the last three major J/70 events on the West Coast, Dan Gribble's GO-RILLA, Eric Kownacki/ Tom Jenkins' DFZ, Karl Pomeroy's ZERO TO 60 and Craig Tallman's JAYA may have a leg-up on the fleet. Nevertheless, 70 sailors have proven they're climbing the learning curve fast in this simple boat, so expect to see good competition from Hugh Bennet on CHEETAH CUB and Sean O'Keefe on DECOLORES 3.  For more J/Fest sailing information, please be sure to contact Joanne O'Dea at joanne@jk3yachts.com.  Or, go to the San Diego YC website.

J/36 JAZZ Sailing in Greece!

(Mykonos, Greece)- Rod Johnstone's original J/36 JAZZ has now found a new home after traveling around the world for over 34 years!  JAZZ is now living in the Mediterranean in the lovely crystalline blue waters off Greece.  Her latest owner, Norman Curnow, is proud to have her and he reports that she continues to collect lots and lots of silverware!  Here is Curnow's heart-warming report from Greece:

"If I recall, Rod J's own J/36 from 1980, won the Block Island Race Week and a few other races, as well BVI Week and other events in the Caribbean.

JAZZ then went through a name change to "Cassiopeia Beta" and was registered in 1981 by her new owner in the United Kingdom-- Jon Adamsthwait, a former J/24 owner in the UK.

Later, she was purchased by my brother in the UK in 1986.  She was sailed back to New York via the Caribbean (taking the old trade-wind routes south from England past the Canary Islands off Portugal). She covered most of the Caribbean Islands, including Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Since that time, she's done the trans-Atlantic crossing twice.  She got caught in Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and sadly got badly holed-- 5 holes in hull and she was dismasted at the second spreader.  I took her over from my brother, lifted and repaired her, renamed her to the original name JAZZ and sailed back to the UK!

I then raced across "The Channel", doing the RORC Channel Race and winning double-handed.  Also won the Plymouth Offshore Race; won the Plymouth Inshore Series; and won the Around Scilley Isles Race!

In all, the reconditioned J/36 JAZZ has won 55 trophies, from 2005-2013, in Plymouth Yardstick and IRC events.  I've sailed her to the Mediterranean twice single-handed!  And, for now, I'm in Greece enjoying every moment with her!

I often wonder if the old JAZZ is one of the best-scoring, most trophy-winning J/Boats ever in the Johnstone family of boats? She's had just three owners in 34 years of sailing, won 60+ trophies overall, and sailed well over 100,000nm offshore!  Amazing boat.  We hope to have many, many more happy days sailing our J/36 JAZZ!  Cheers to all, Norman Curnow."  Great story!  Love to hear how some of the old warhorses never die and just "keep on ticking"!

Rolex Big Boat Series Preview

(San Francisco, CA)- The 49th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series will take center stage on San Francisco Bay as the first sailing event succeeding the 34th America’s Cup, and spectators will once again have front row seats to watch some thrilling racing action. Running from September 26-29, the event is hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club and this year serves as the HPR National Championship, the J/120 North American Championship and the IRC West Coast Championship, as well as marks the debut of the J/70 one-design class.

“This year’s Rolex Big Boat Series is shaping up to be the sport boat regatta of the year,” said St. Francis Yacht Club Commodore Jim Cascino, who has owned and raced a J/120 at prior Rolex Big Boat Series events but will skipper his new J/70 EOS this time.  “You could say that much of the ‘big’ in Big Boat Series for 2013 is about big fun and big speed coming in small (boat) packages.”

Regatta Chair Norman Davant pointed out that sailboat racing as a whole there has seen a migration from one-off designs in the 50-60 foot range to smaller one-design boats and light displacement production boats.  For almost five decades, the Rolex Big Boat Series has embraced new developments in the sport while continually working to expand the diversity of its fleets.

“There is still plenty of ‘big’ in the Rolex Big Boat Series, even though several smaller classes have been invited this year,” said Davant, explaining that the minimum boat length at the Rolex Big Boat Series traditionally has been 30 feet, but with the America’s Cup racing filling up the bay with so much activity in August and September, lots of sailors with smaller boats have been feeling “squeezed out.”  “There’s only so much racing runway out there,” said Davant, “and we felt it was the right time to allow these fleets to join our event and do what they love: race in San Francisco. We’ve developed new courses based on computer-generated models to provide the sport boat fleets challenging racing that will also give spectators fantastic viewing.”

A dedicated spectator-friendly race track has been set up for the J/70s. “It will be fast, exciting, racing along essentially the same track as the America’s Cup race courses, with the starts and finishes in front of the club and major viewing areas,” said Davant, adding that the regatta’s two other popular courses have undergone a complete overhaul, featuring a mark just outside the Golden Gate Bridge and another starting area off of Alcatraz Island.

Recognized as one of the premier West Coast regattas, the Rolex Big Boat attracts professional and corinthian sailors from around the world. With 75 boats currently registered, over 100 boats are expected to compete in the 2013 event. The four-day regatta includes daily prize givings for all classes, and six coveted awards--accompanied by Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner timepieces for skippers--are given for best performances in specific classes.

Sailing in the IRC/ HPR Big Boat division are four J/125s and a J/120.  The J/125s have enjoyed very close, one-design type of racing against one another.  Peter Kruegers' DOUBLE TROUBLE has "three-peated" the regatta, so it will be interesting to see if they're on pace to repeat again!  Chasing them hard will be Richard Ferris's AUGUST ICE from Lake Tahoe, CA; Greg Slyngstad's HAMACHI from Seattle, WA and Tim Fuller's RESOLUTE from San Diego, CA.  The lone J/120 sailing is David Halliwill's PEREGRINE from New York, NY.

The eight J/70s have a diverse fleet with teams from across California.  In addition to Commodore Cascino's EOS, the San Francisco Bay contingent includes Chris Kostanecki (JENNIFER), Frank Slootman (LITTLE HAND), Mark Howe (RED), Mark Nelson (SUGOI) and Chris Andersen (THE PERFECT WIFE).

As they have for over twenty years, the J/105 class has shown up "en masse" for the RBBS with twenty-two boats sailing for yet another Rolex Submariner watch.  Many familiar faces as well as some new ones continue to pace the fleet.  Scooter Simmons's BLACKHAWK, Bruce Stone's ARBITRAGE, Shannon Ryan/ Rolf Kaiser/ Steve Kleha's DONKEY JACK, Phil Laby's GODOT, Adam Spiegel's JAM SESSION, Jeff Litfin's MOJO have all been amongst the class leaders over the years.  Which team will pull it all together this year?  No matter what happens, they will have great one-design racing short-tacking the city-front or working the downwind angles for current advantage.

The J/120 North Americans are being held as part of this year's RBBS.  A solid six boat fleet is sailing, all of whom have either won or placed on the podium over the years in this regatta.  It's not unusual to see all six boats finish within seconds of each other after 8-12 nm of racing around the Bay.  Just about every boat sports "local knowledge" experts, so it's hard to escape since most everyone knows the "SF Bay playbook".  In any event, the six players are Barry Lewis (CHANCE), John Wimer (DESDEMONA), Dick Swanson (GRACE DANCES), Steve Madeira (MISTER MAGOO), Timo Bruck (TWIST) and the "Chicago Trio" - Woodworth, Sickler and Polcyn sailing PAKA'A.

The fleet should be treated to exceptional San Francisco Bay sea-breeze weather for all four days-- 70s during the day, sunny, windy (15-20 kts) and with plenty of tactical opportunities based on wind shifts and current "cones".  For more Rolex Big Boat Series sailing information

J's Shine In Star & Bar Regatta

(Seattle, WA)- One of the all-time late summer sailing classics in the greater Puget Sound region that surrounds America's "Emerald City", Seattle, Washington is the "Star & Bar Regatta" hosted by Seattle YC.  The weather is often sunny, crystal clear, with gorgeous breezes and amazingly breathtaking vistas to the snow-capped mountain ridges off in the distance.

This year's regatta again featured great racing by Seattle YC's PRO and mark boat volunteers. With J/Teams participating in three PHRF classes and a one-design J/105 class there was the possibility that J sailors would be more than their fair share of silverware.  And, so it was.  In PHRF Class I, the J/145 JEDI skippered by  John Tenneson from Seattle YC took 2nd in her class.  In PHRF Class II, the J/109s were dueling it out and in the end some familiar names were at the top of the class.  Stuart Burnell's TANTIVY from CYC Seattle took 3rd in class while his colleague Jerry Woodfield on SHADA took 4th.  In PHRF Class IV, a well-sailed, fast J/29 appropriately called SLICK was piloted around the course in smart fashion by the Mayfield & Nelson duo from CYC Tacoma-- counting ALL first places!  Fourth in their class was the famous J/80 CRAZY IVAN sailed by Bryan Rhodes also from CYC Tacoma.

The J/105s enjoyed some great one-design class racing with the top three teams, all hailing from CYC Seattle, having a very tight battle for the podium positions.  In the end, it was DELIRIUM sailed by Jerry Diercks that amassed a consistent scoreline of 2-2-1-2-1-DNF for 8 pts net to take the gold.  Second was JUBILEE helmed by Erik Kristen that scored 3-1-2-3-3-1 for 10 pts net.  Consistent top finishes in the last three races brought Lorenzo Migliorini's ALLEGRO VIVACE into third position with a tally of 4-3-4-1-2-2 for 12 pts net.  Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes.com.   For more Star & Bar Regatta sailing information

Southwest Winter Circuit- Texas-style!

(Houston, TX)- The Texans are getting ready for their Winter Series! Most every club has their annual Turkey Day regatta. New Year's Day brings the "Red Eye" and the "Revognah" Regattas and then the January/February racing kicks in!  So don't shrink wrap your boat!  Bring your boat down to Seabrook, race the fall and winter, and then head east for Key West Race Week, Miami Race Week, and Charleston Race Week.

The HOOD Regatta (Houston Offshore One-Design) will be sailing from September 20-22, hosted by Houston YC.  The HOOD has six J one-design classes (22, 24, 70, 80, 105, 109) there will be plenty of fun on the water and even more on shore.  For those boats who stick around, you can later sail in the Galveston Bay Cruising Associations amazing "Performance Cup Regatta"- apparently, last years tent party was AWE-some!  After the Performance Cup race, 115 miles down the coast will be the 26th running of Lakewood YC's Harvest Moon Regatta on October 17th- an annual epic sail of 250 boats or more from Galveston Bay to Port Aransas along the coast!  A week later, take a trip to Cow Town and the Fort Worth Boat Club for their annual '"Ole Man of the Sea Regatta"- sailed from October 25th to 27th!  More One-Design and PHRF racing with fantastic hospitality on shore!

Finally finish up at J/Fest Southwest from November 2nd to 3rd.  The fourth year for this event will be bigger and better!  With 34 boats already signed up the regatta should hit north of 70 entries!  J one-design classes include 22s, 24s, 70s, 80s 105s, and 109s.  Guest of honor includes Rod Johnstone sailing the J/88 "IT'S A THRILL" In J/PHRF Class! We encourage all J/Boat owners to come out and socialize with your "Birds of a Feather" J/Boat owners!  For additional information on the Southwest winter sailing circuit, please contact Scott Spurlin at J/Boats Southwest at "scott@jboatssouthwest.com".

J/70 North Americans Preview

A Modern Day "Woodstock of Sailing" Happening!
(Annapolis, MD)- With the extraordinary 2013 Key West J/70 Midwinters and the mind-blowing Charleston Race Week behind them, the J/70 class has since been expanding their influence quite rapidly around the world.  More to the point, recent J/70 European events taking place like the fabulous J/70 EuroCup on Lake Garda, the J/70 UK Nationals in Cowes, the J/70 Primo Cup in Monaco and the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga on Hamburg's Alster Lake (with many of Germany's top Olympic & World Champion sailors participating), means that J/70s are destined to become THE one-design sportboat of the current millennium. Attractive to both young and old, men and women, and easy-to-sail fast by all kinds of sailors it's not hard to imagine 100+ boat J/70 sailing events across the world on all five continents in the coming years.

As host of the first HC/MAX J/70 North American Championships, the Annapolis YC J/70 N.A. Co-Chairs, Kathy Parks and Will Keyworth, knew they would have their hands full to meet the extraordinary demand for participation.  Their hopes and expectations were confirmed when the 90-boat limit for registration was met in LESS than 48 hours!  There has never been a one-design keelboat event in the world that has ever seen such a remarkably fast "sell-out", with a waiting list of over a dozen teams!

The J/70 N.A.'s has quickly taken on the feeling of the "Woodstock of Sailing".  Many formidable teams have registered from a cross-section of America, as well as international teams too. There is participation from Bermuda, Mexico and every major region in the USA.  Starting with New England there are over a half-dozen teams that have proven their capabilities in various regattas, including Kerry Klingler from Norwalk, CT; Dave Franzel from Boston, MA (Corinthians winner at Key West); Mike Sudofsky from Marion, MA; Brian Keane also from Buzzards Bay (sailing with Stu McNay); Tim Healy sailing HELLY HANSEN from Newport, RI (Key West Champion & current J/24 World Champion); Brandon Flack from Stonington, CT sailing with Geoff Ewenson; Heather Gregg-Earl sailing MUSE from Boston, MA (Corinthians winner at Charleston Race Week); and designers Rod & Al Johnstone from Stonington, CT.

Sailing from Rochester, NY will be the Corbishley family (Corbo, Killian & Donna) and attending from Rye, NY along Long Island Sound is Peter Duncan sailing with Juddie Smith (past Etchells 22 World Champion).

The local Annapolis contingent will be making good use of their local knowledge of the fickle winds and currents of Chesapeake Bay.  Top locals include Henry Filter sailing with Moose McClintock; Cole Allsopp; Peter McChesney; Mark Hillman and Eric Reinke sailing from Bethesda (Mark's company HILLMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT is primary sponsor of this year's event); and John Aras.  Just south, an awesome team has jointed together from Charlotte, NC that includes John Killeen and John Lovell (Olympic Silver medallist in Tornados).

The Florida crews have the recent Great Lakes Championship winner participating, Martie Kullman from St Petersburg, FL.  Joining them will be Peter Vessella from Miami, FL sailing with Phil Trinter and John McCausland (past Star World Champion).

The Great Lakes crowd also has an impressive field sailing, including Joe Colling from Bath, OH (and J/70 Class President); Rich Nesbett from Rocky River, OH sailing with Nick Turney; John Heaton from Wilmette, IL; Joel Ronning from Minneapolis, MN sailing with Willem van Waay and local Annapolis star Chris Larson; Jim Sminchak,  Doug Moose and crew from Cleveland, OH (they won the SAIL Magazine trip to Key West, winning on the J/111 KONTIKI V in 2010); and Bob Hughes from Ada, MI sailing with Morgan Reeser and Brian Janney (former Farr 40 Champion).

The Texans always think big and do things big in that big state.  Tops amongst their teams attending will be Bruno Pasquinelli from Dallas, TX and the trio of Doug Strebel, Jay Lutz and son Jody Lutz also from Dallas, TX.

West Coast participants making the 3,000 mile trans-continental trip include several past World and North American Champions in other one-design classes.  Having won several J/70 events so far on both coasts is Bennet Greenwald from San Diego, CA.  Joining him are Dave Ullman from Newport Beach, CA (multiple 470 and Melges 24 World Champion); Jim Cunningham from Tiburon, CA; and John Brigden from Menlo Park, CA sailing with Chris Snow (past J/24 North American and Mexico champion).

International teams attending include Chuck Millican and Steve Cucchiaro from Hamilton, Bermuda and Hector Guzman from Valle de Bravo, Mexico (a past J/24 Mexican champion and J/145 offshore winner).

Finally, there will be awards for the top Women's teams.  All of them are capable of top ten performances overall, including Heather Gregg-Earl from Boston, MA; Kathy Parks from Annapolis, MD; Jen Wulff from Annapolis, MD; Suzy Leech from Jamestown, RI and Catherine Evans from Annapolis, MD.

With a good forecast for warm weather, sunny days and generally good winds mostly from the southerly quadrants, the 90 boat fleet should enjoy some awesome racing!  For more J/70 North Americans sailing information

Puerto Sherry Spanish J/80 Championship Update

(Puerto Sherry, Spain)- The Spanish J/80 fleet are currently holding their Puerto Sherry Spanish Championship and many of the top Spanish J/80 teams are participating from the provinces of Andalusia, Murcia, Cantabria, Catalonia, Canary Islands, Galicia and the Basque Country.  Many of the teams had spend several days prior to the regatta in Puerto de Santa María training for several days.

The competitive level of the fleet is undoubtedly one of the highest that can be found in the Iberian peninsula.  There are two World Champions participating, including Hugo Rocha on NEW TERRITORIES (the 2013 winner in Marseilles) and Jose Maria "Pichu" Torcida sailing AILA (the 2010 winner in Newport).  Also participating will be the 2010 European Champion, Carlos Martinez on-board ZHIK/ NOVASAIL and the 2012 Spanish Champion, Alex Diaz sailing OXITAL.

In addition, several top teams continue to develop in Spain that are challenging "the old guard".  Amongst them are Juan Luis Paex on HERBALIFE, Martinez Dioni on DIAUTO and a few other local that know the race course well, one marked by strong currents, complex tides and very shifty winds.

Alejandro Diaz, sailing OXITAL, commented that: "We have been looking forward to this event, but we know that this is going to be more difficult than ever. The level of the Spanish fleet continues to grow, just look at the results that have been made in the past World Championships where three Spanish have had a chance of winning! After race training today, it's clear that all of Spain's sailing regions have several teams that can win this regatta!  The knowledge of local waters and its race course will be a factor to take into account for anyone who wins this event!"

In addition to the competition for the overall Spanish J/80 Champion, there will also be a title for crowning the top women crew participating in the event.  More news soon!   Sailing photo credits- Luis Fernández   For more Spanish J/80 Championship sailing information

Scott Crowned First J/70 EuroCup Champion

(Riva del Garda, Italy)- Warm fall weather and a gracious, friendly host in the form of Fraglia della Vela welcomed the J/70 one-design class to Riva del Garda for their first edition of the J/70 EuroCup.  As expected the Northern part of Lago di Garda offered perfectly epic sailing conditions.  The J/70 Fleet sailed in the early afternoon with constant steady breeze from 12-23 kts from the south- the famous "Ora" wind.  The last day of racing had an early morning start with a solid northerly breeze up to 25 kts, the classic "Peler" mountain winds that blow down the mountain valleys onto the lake at night.

Seven nations (Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russian, Netherlands, Monaco) participated in the event that saw the competition dominated by the British team led by Ruairidh Scott and crew (Ben Field, Charlie Cumbley and Matt Curthoys).  Scott's team were already UK J/70 National Champion and winner of the Cowes Week J/70 class. Fred Bouvier of France and British sailor Joe Woods fought hard for second place all regatta long, often trading places in the standings.  In the end, Bouvier captured second with Joe Woods' team on RED taking third.  Perfect boat-handling and good speed were enough for the young German Team skipper Mehlig Kevin to defend fourth place.  Pietro Saccomanni (Diporto Velico Veneziano) along with Salvatore Eulisse, Alberto Grippo and Giulia Sent are the first of the Italian teams in fifth place.

Fraglia della Vela provided perfect organization on the water. At the end of sailing each day a tasty, delicious pasta party and local wines were offered to all exhausted and very hungry competitors. At the very generous Awards Ceremony there were the classic trophies for great performances, but thanks to the generous sponsorship of Hannspree Italia, enormous HD flat-screen LED TV's were provided to the top three finishing teams and Alcatel cell phones and tablets were also provided to the top finishers!  Furthermore, J/Boats Italy delivered to Fraglia della Vela a J/70 half-model as the "Challenge Trophy" to be awarded each year to the winner of next J/70 EuroCup regattas.

The report from Fred Bouvier, second place finisher in the regatta, provides some nice insights.  "After a lot of excitement and a busy week (our crew was set-up 4 days before the event and the boat was brand new and finished twos day before) we arrived in Riva", said Bouvier.  "We launched the boat on Tuesday and trained for a few hours in the afternoon (it was the first time we sailed together and I was the only with any experience in the J 70!)."

"We were very impressed about the beauty of the city, the gorgeous lake and the mountainous environment around us", commented Bouvier. "We clearly understood after two days that the North guys couldn't be beat and that we would fight for the 2nd or 3rd place. Before the last days we were standing 1 points behind Joe Woods' RED and we knew that we had to be good to beat them.  Unfortunately we were not that good but still had a bit of luck.  At the finish in the final race RED was stuck just two boat lengths from the finish line in a dying breeze from the north, when all of a sudden a puff from the other direction came in and 90% of the fleet, including us, just passed across their bow!"

"The event was perfectly organized," continues Bouvier, "the welcome was wonderful and the race committee is highly professional in the way they managed the typical Garda conditions. As the lake is 300m deep, they used fixed mooring for buoys and committee, for this reason the leg lengths are unchanged for all types of championships. Because of this fact, the race committee could tell us that the first J/70 in its fastest race was a bit faster than the best Melges 24 on the same course!!  Incredible!!"

Similarly, Paolo Boido from J/Boats Italy commented, "The J/70 has been able to demonstrate a great show of Speed + Power + Stability + Easy Handling in the solid breeze of Garda-- going very fast downwind with speed on the Velocitek showing up to 20 knots (note-- that's an average GPS speed)!!  Plus, the J/70 was comfortable and dry upwind, beating easily at close true-wind angles in the irregular big chop typical of the Lake".  Sailing photo credits- David Turrini- www.recordiamo.net.    For more J/70 EuroCup sailing information

Lawyer's Cup J/80 Regatta Announcement

(Loano, Italy)- In Italy, the sailing season does not end in September.  In fact, it's fondly referred to as "the Velvet season" and for Italian lawyers, that means time to sail in the famous Lawyer's Cup in J/80s off the gorgeous harbor of Loano.  The combination of interesting people + J/80 one-design sailing + spectacular Italian (Ligurian) Riviera =  an unforgettable holiday in Italy with champagne sailing!  The regatta takes place from September 27th to 29th off Loano, Italy.

Marina di Loano's unparalleled facilities sit right in the middle of the Italian Riviera, bordered on the west by San Remo and the east by Varazze.  Nestled between a spectacular seascape and the lush countryside, Loano and the surrounding territory are blessed with mild winters making it possible to go boating virtually year-round.

If you're interested, matched one-design J/80s are available for charter and there are great local accommodations!  Please be sure to contact the Mediterranean Amateur Racing Club for more Lawyers Cup J/80 sailing information.   For more Marina di Loana information

Exciting New J's Debut At Grand Pavois Boat Show

J/70 One-Design, J/88 Family Speedster & J/122 New Edition
(La Rochelle, France)- Next week, the Grand Pavois Boat Show will be taking place in La Rochelle, France from the 25th to 30th of September.   There will be three exciting new models to be introduced to the French sailing market.

For starters, there will be a J/70 on display including one that will be available for sea-trials for all six days of the show!  Learn more about the amazing story of how J/70s are growing in France and throughout Europe.  On hand to discuss their experience in the first J/70 EuroCup recently held on gorgeous Lake Garda in Italy will be J/Composites Fred Bouvier.  In less than 20 months, J/70s are now pushing nearly 500 units worldwide!

Having just been introduced in America at the Newport Boat Show and the Southampton Boat Show in England, the J/88 family speedster will see its first debut on the European continent at the Grand Pavois show!  As the next-generation 29 footer in the J/Boats stable, the J/88 has proven to be an awesome performer, capable of 6.8 to 7.2 kts upwind speed and demonstrating similar fast downwind, planing capabilities as its sisterships- the J/70 and J/111. She sports a comfortable, practical weekending interior and shares the amazingly comfortable cockpit design of the 111, but with finger-tip steering control on a tiller-steered boat.

The evolution of the highly successful J/122 offshore cruiser-racer takes a dramatic turn in 2014 with several innovations that will appeal to family and friends alike to enhance the J/122's extraordinary "livability".  With a striking new profile, sleek new cabin-top windows, two large port-lights in the hull and a fresh new contemporary interior with Le Corbusier "flair & styling", new J/122 owners will enjoy new levels of both grace and performance unmet by any other sailboat in the 40 footer category!

Also on hand will be the trend-setting IRC cruiser-racer, the J/97. Having set new standards for sailing performance, innovative interior style and ease-of-handling, learn more about J/97's magic combination of speed, comfort and trophy-winning capabilities!   For more Grand Pavois Sailboat Show information

J/42 Circumnavigates Sailing Planet Earth- an epic family journey

(Annapolis, MD)- Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our "blue planet Earth" in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR.  Said Jim, "The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now.  We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands.

After a farewell 'Painkiller' at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles).

Read more about their adventures in their  well-documented blog here:  http://www.svceolmor.com/SVCeolMor/Welcome.html

J/22 Alster Cup Report from Hamburg, Germany.

(Hamburg, Germany)- As reported by Ingo Huter on her J/22 GER 1364- "On Saturday at 8:00 AM the day started with an hour of driving to Hamburg with our J/22 being towed behind us.  After we arrived, we managed to rig and launch the boat in time to still enjoy being served breakfast at the Hamburg Segel-Club!  Thank goodness, we now had enough coffee and energy to go sailing all day.  It was great to see eleven boats attending, with ten from the local sailing clubs.


The weather for the regatta was very changeable, from sun to rain to clouds to no wind, then it all changes again!  Sailing on Alster Lake is a special experience. The wind is gusty and unpredictable for me. On the water much was going on. Junior Folkboats were sailing and we had migratory birds flying all around us, including our car! Also, sailing near to us was the Deutsche Segel Bundesliga match race regatta where some of our friends from other sailing club were sailing J/70s.

We had many exciting, close races where the fleet would all finish in less than a minute! At the end of three races we were satisfied with third place. After sailing we enjoyed the buffet and the beautiful view of the lake.

On Sunday, winds were actually forecast to be up to 22 kts!  Once again we good 3-5 m/sec winds and we managed to have two beautiful races.  Overall, we finished in third place. Congratulations to the first two boats, which had much more consistent performances!  Despite the narrowness of the HSC site on land, we could all haul our boats on the club's crane and park nearby.

The effort we made paid off again and we had a strenuous workout indeed! But, it was also a nice way to spend a weekend sailing with friends.  We hope to see you all at the next J/22 regatta soon!"

Menzner Smokes 103rd FordeWoche

(Glucksburg, Germany)- They said it cannot happen.  But, it did happen.  A huge fleet of J/80s sailing in FordWoche regatta in Glucksburg?  German J/80 sailing teams across the country answered the call to get together and have some fun at the famous Flensburger Segel-Club in Glucksburg, Germany.  Twenty-three J/80 teams participated from Germany and Denmark!  And what fun they had.

Martin Menzner may have had the most fun of all, despite a hiccup in one race. Menzner's GER 614 was crowned champion, winning easily with four firsts in their scoreline, not having to even sail the last race!  Starting slowly, but rapidly learning the ropes on the race course was Soren Hadeler, scoring a 3-7-1-2-3-5-1-2 for 17 net pts to take the silver.  Standing third on the podium was Sven Vagt, sailing a solid, consistent series with a 2-3-3-4-2-4-3-1 for 18 pts net, just missing a shot at the silver!  Fourth was Bjorn Beilken and fifth was Hauke Kruss.  Honors for top Danish team goes to Fleming Jernaess in eighth.
For more J/80 Flensburger Fordewoche sailing information

J/24 North Americans Preview

(Newport, RI)- Forty-one J/24s are entered from six countries across North and South America to compete in the upcoming J/24 North American Championships hosted by SAIL NEWPORT in Newport, RI from September 19th to 22nd.  Renown for their pro-active race management, the J/24 sailors should be treated to superior racing by SAIL NEWPORT's Race Committee team on either Narragansett Bay or outside on Rhode Island Sound, depending on wind and weather conditions.  For America's Cup history buffs, the J/24 NA's are being sailed at about the same time as past Newport-based America's Cup had been sailed for several decades; with promise of cooler weather conditions and generally reliable sea-breezes from the south/southwest.

The largest number of teams hail from the USA, however, eight Canadian teams are sailing and a very competitive group of seven teams are participating from the South American countries of Chile, Peru and Argentina.  What's readily apparent is that many of the J/24 sailors are looking at this year's event as a "warm-up" for the 2014 J/24 Worlds also being sailed in Newport and hosted by SAIL NEWPORT in late September 2014.

The top US teams include Mike Ingham from Rochester, NY; Peter Bream on Team TARHEEL from Florida; John Mollicone on HELLY HANSEN from Newport, RI; Taylor Neff on BUBBLES from Lake Minnetonka, MN; Pat Toole on THREE BIG DOGS from Santa Barbara, CA; and Travis Odenbach sailing HONEY BADGER from Rochester, NY, amongst many other good teams.  Some of these teams have been sailing quite a lot lately, including recent J/24 World's participants Ingham, Odenbach and Mollicone (the cockpit/ tactician for Tim Healy's recent J/24 Worlds win in Howth, Ireland).

Eight Canadian teams from the Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia provinces include Greg Blunden on ADRENALIN RUSH; John Whynacht on STICKY FINGERS; Mike Howarth on MISTER H and Rossi Milev on CLEAR AIR.  Some of these teams are well-practiced having just competed in the Chester Race Week regatta in Nova Scotia.

The South American contingent all have tremendous experience at the top of the J/24 class, including a few with world-class experience.  The top Argentinean crews are Mario Cubria on ELVIS, Sergio Pendola and Guillermo de Martis on TWIN.  The Chilean teams include Matias Seguel sailing GURU and Robert Vernon on GRINGA.  And, the Peruvean teams include Lucas Peschiera on TIAMAT and Javier Arribas on WAYRA.

The lone ranger from Japan is Sumio Shimoyama sailing aboard SOKOKUMARU. Sumio is no stranger to top flight J/24 competition, having been a top Japanese J/24 team for years and is always a factor in the J/24 Worlds in recent years.   Sailing photo credits- Carter White   For more J/24 North Americans sailing information

J/70 San Diego Winter Series

(San Diego, CA)- Announcing the 2013/14 J/70 San Diego Winter Series sponsored by JK3 Nautical Enterprises, sailed out of San Diego Yacht Club!  The series will include one-design weekends taking place the middle of each month from September 2013 to March 2014, plus the famous Hot Rum Series at the end of 2013 and the San Diego NOOD in March 2014!  The goal is to have "lots of fun", keeping it on the "easy-going" side with a combination of buoy and random courses to mix it all up.

For the "out-of-towners", the SDYC Dockmaster, Joe Ravitch, will be helping with the details on storing boats (with masts up!) over the course of the 2013- 2014 J/70 San Diego Winter Series.  For $185 per month, the Dockmaster will move the boats to the hoist ready for you to launch each time-- plus for each regatta that your boat enters, you will be credited back an amount toward the monthly fee! The storage will be available from Nov 1- April 1.

For more details about this upcoming series, please be sure to contact Joanne O'Dea (joanne@jk3yachts.com) or Jeff Brown (jeff@jk3yachts.com) at JK3 Yachts at ph# 619-224-6200.

J/125 TIMESHAVER Wins Charity Regatta

(Dana Point, CA)- As an annual event in the harbor, the Richard Henry Dana Charity Regatta’s mission is to bring together the business, civic and social leaders of the community with its boating members in order to raise money to benefit the community in South Orange County. The prestigious event delivered on its promise once again-- to be the sailing, powerboat and social event of the year. Since its inception, the Dana Charity Regatta has raised over $600,000 dollars for local charities through corporate donations, sponsorships and individual contributions. This year's beneficiary was be The Ocean Institute.

The regatta had a great mix of PHRF boats as well as J/24 and J/80 one-design classes racing for the "Audi Cup".  The J/24 class was won by JADED, skippered by Deke Klatt. The first prize in the Audi Cup was a new Ullman spinnaker, not a bad reward for two good days on the water!  Second place was Chris Snow sailing BOGUS followed by TAKE FIVE sailed by Susan Taylor & Werner Horn. The J/80 class was won by local Steve Wyman in his new HUNU, followed closely by Curt Johnson On AVET and Bob Hayward sailing BLUE JAY.

In the PHRF classes,  Viggo Torbensen's J/125 TIMESHAVER and Tom & Teri Manok's J/120 POLE DANCER offered three-peat Transpac winner, the Santa Cruz 50 HORIZON some serious competition. In Saturday's three windward/leeward courses, TIMESHAVER sailed an almost perfect 1-1-2 in 6-9 knots of breeze. At the conclusion of Sunday's random leg race  it was time to send the perpetual trophy back to the engraver to have TIMESHAVER added to the list of accomplished sailing teams in this prestigious regatta.  Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOYSAILING.com   For more Richard Henry Dana Charity Regatta sailing information

J/Boats Sailboat Show Updates!

Seattle, Detroit, Germany, San Francisco, Annapolis Netherlands, Long Beach Soon!
(Newport, RI)- In addition to the two major shows opening this weekend- (1) the Southampton Boat show in southern England (displaying the J/70, J/88, J/97, J/111 and J/122 Special Edition with on-site test sails for the J/70, J/80 & J/109) and (2) the Newport Sailboat Show in Rhode Island (displaying the J/70, J/97, J/111 with J/80 & J/95 at Discover Sailing), be sure to mark on your calendars upcoming sailboat shows taking place in Seattle, Washington; Detroit, Michigan; Hong Kong and Friedrichshafen/ Lake Constance in Germany.  More information on each below.

Sep 11-16- Seattle Boats Afloat Show- J/70, J/80 & J/105
Also taking place this weekend with an initial J/70 debut is the Seattle Boats Afloat Show that is running from September 11th to 16th on Lake Union right in the heart of downtown Seattle-- the "emerald city" of America.  There will be a J/105 and J/70 on display plus there will be "free" sailing lessons and "free" boat rides on two J/105s and a J/80 courtesy of the Seattle Sailing Club!  Awesome program for anyone evenly remotely inclined to learn more about sailing and how much fun it can be with family and friends!  Be sure to contact Sailboats Northwest- Bob Ross email.   For more Seattle Boats Afloat Show sailboat information

Sep 19-22- Lake St Clair Boating Festival- J/70
The J/70 will be making it's debut at the Boating & Outdoor Festival at Metropark on Lake St. Clair from September 19th to 22nd.  Learn more about what makes this fast little speedster the world's fastest-growing one-design sportboat class in the last four decades!  With over 18 fleets formed in America alone and over 500 boats sold worldwide on 5 continents, the J/70 is well on its way to becoming the first ISAF Class EVER to get "International" status less than 20 months after launching!  No other boat in the history of yachting even comes close!  Please be sure to contact your local Great Lakes J dealers for more information.  Or, to make arrangement for test sails on beautiful Lake St Clair on the J/70, please be sure to contact Sarah at Port Sanilac Marina- ph# 810-622-9651 or via email.  For more J/70 Detroit boat show sailboat information

Sep 21-29- Interboot- Lake Constance, Germany- J/70
Over the past several months, the J/70 was scrutinized by some of the best sailors in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, seeking to find that perfect balance between a "trailer-sailer boat" and a keelboat that could satisfy the needs of families on the famous Lake Constance, a gorgeous lake situated in the heart of the European sailing market.  Fifteen sailing and yacht clubs have selected the J/70 as “the new class for Lake Constance”!

From 21st to 29th of September, the J/70 will be on display and available for test sailing at the Interboot show in Friedrichshafen.  You can find more Interboot boat show information here

At the end of the show, the incredibly popular Deutsche Segel Bundesliga will have the fourth stage of their J/70 regatta circuit, sailing in a fleet race format from 27th to 29th of September.  The event has eighteen yacht clubs from around Germany sending their best sailors to compete for honors in the summer long series.  Host for this regatta on the Bodensee will be Württembergischer Yacht-Club.

For J/70 test sail schedule, please be sure to contact J/Dealer Peter Bangerter from Mittelmannswerft- email- peter.bangerter@jboats.ch  or website.

Sep 26-29- Auckland Boat Show- J/111
For the first time in New Zealand yachting history, a J/Boat will be on display at the Auckland Boat Show from the 26th September to the 30th September.  Remarkably, even the J/24 was never show in the New Zealand marketplace.  Taking that honor will be the International J/111 one-design cruiser-racer.  And, Australian J/Dealer "YachtSpot" will be working with their New Zealand partners, Craig at "Blackdown Yachting" based in Auckland.  For Auckland Boat Show information.  For an appointment, please contact Craig (info@blackdownyachting.com) or Ray Entwistle at YachtSpot- Ph +61-2-9449-4976 or email.

Oct 3-6- Marina Village Boat Fest- J/70 & J/111
The fleets for both the J/70 and the J/111 are developing quite nicely on San Francisco Bay.  Learn more about both boats from Bay area sailing experts Norm Davant and Pat Nolan, leaders of the J/Tribe at Sail California.  Also on display will be used J/105s and a J/124 for sale.  The Marina Village Boat Fest is the best northern California show in the fall, it's held at the Marina Village Yacht Harbor in Alameda, CA.  For an appointment or more information, please contact Teri Moore at Sail California- email or ph# (510) 333-7434.  More Boat Fest sailboat show information.

Oct 10-14- Annapolis Sailboat Show- J/70, J/88, J/111
The largest sailboat show on the East Coast of America is the Annapolis show.  Always a favorite gathering spot for sailors, Annapolis features great restaurants and bars, fascinating places to explore and experience.  Sailors from all over the world flock to this event to see the latest gear, hardware and innovative new sailboats.  Debuting this year will be the new J/88 family speedster! This little rocketship will be sure to please a whole new fleet of enthusiasts.  Alongside her will be the fabulously popular J/70 one-design sportboat and the fun-to-sail International J/111 one-design speedster.  For more Annapolis Sailboat show information.  For an appointment, please contact your local J/Dealer or J/Boats.

Oct 11-13- Mandurah Boat Show- J/122
Billed as Western Australia's biggest boating lifestyle event, the Mandurah Boat Show will feature the debut of the J/122 cruiser-racer, one of the world's most successful 40 ft offshore sailboats ever built. Easily sailed by family and friends (a recent yacht club youth program won a major offshore race in America- the famous Vineyard Race), discover why the J/122 can be a perfect all-around combination for both cruising, daysailing and offshore handicap racing.  The Mandurah Boat Show is about 40nm south of Perth, near Freemantle.  For an appointment, please contact YachtSpot's Western Australia partner, "VicSail Yachts" who are based in Freemantle (info@vicsailwa.com), or contact Ray Entwistle at YachtSpot- Ph +61-2-9449-4976 or email- info@yachtspot.com.au

12th October- Try-Sail Day in The Netherlands- 2x J/70 & J/97
For the past several years, the J/Dealer in The Netherlands- J/Benelux- have hosted a "try-sailing a J day" where they bring in a number of J/Boats models for sailors to try out.  It has proven to be a fun day for many Benelux J sailors to bring out friends and new crew to help grow their local fleets.  This year, on October 12th, Waterland Yacht Charter in Monnickendam, Netherlands will be hosting anyone who wishes to try out the two J/70 speedsters at the docks or the fast, highly successful J/97 cruiser-racer.  For more information, please be sure to contact Angelique Verhoef at J/Benelux- +31 (0)78 6305505 or email.

Oct 24-27- Strictly Sail Long Beach- J/70
If you love sailing in Los Angeles, you can't afford to miss this four-day sailing event that takes place from October 24th to 27th.  It's Southern California's best place to see and buy J/Boats, J/Gear and J/Accessories! The event is held at Shoreline Village in Rainbow Harbor.  Featured on display will be the J/70 speedster along with a used J/145 and J/133 for sale!  For more Strictly Sail show information, check out- http://www.strictlysaillongbeach.com.   For more J/Boats sailboat show information, please contact Lianne Houde at JK3 Yachts- email.

Nov 29- Dec 1- Hong Kong International Boat Show- J/70
There is no question that one of the more spectacular shows and venues around the world is the Hong Kong Boat Show held in the beautiful Club Marina Cove located in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, China.  This event will mark the debut of the J/70 one-design speedster, the fastest growing sportboat in the world.  Be sure to swing by and have a chat with Joey Liao from J/Boats Hong Kong about plans for class development in China.  The show opens with great pomp & circumstance on November 29th and ends on December 31st.  For an appointment or more Hong Kong boat show information, please be sure to contact Joey Liao at J/Boats Hong Kong.