(Newport, RI)- The Etchells 22 Worlds saw top one-design J/Teams and sailors aboard all of top five boats and most of top fifteen!
As reported by Bob Johnstone (President of MJM Yachts and J/Boats
co-founder), “We came in after the start of the 2nd and final race of
the Etchells 22 Worlds in Newport this past Saturday. It turns out the
winners did the same thing. We caught up with them off the famous Castle
Hill Light. Bill Hardesty and crew Taylor Canfield, Marcus Eagan,
Stephanie Roble were aboard their boat LINE HONORS. Bill’s wife, Mandi
Markee, hopped aboard after the race and steered them in. Of note, the
Hardesty’s are proud J/70 owners that they race at home in San Diego,
California and Marcus Eagan was a member of the 2013 J/22 World
Championship crew, also sailed here in Newport! Taylor Canfield has
years of J/24-IC24 experience in the US Virgin Islands and Steph Roble
has raced J/22s, J/24s, J/70s and J/80s extensively in the past dozen
years.”While the winning Etchells 22 World Champion was loaded with J/sailor talent, the rest of the top fifteen in the fleet was, too.
J/24 World Champ, Chris Larson, was in the runner-up boat as tactician for Ante Razmilovic’s SWEDISH BLUE team from Hong Kong.
Marvin Beckmann finished third on THE MARTIAN and has sailed J/22s and J/24s extensively out of Houston, Texas.
Fourth place Senet and Clay Bischoff on KGB from Coral Reef YC in their youth were often found sailing local J/24s on Biscayne Bay.
Eighth place Phil Lotz sailing ARETHUSA from Newport, RI has experienced racing J/105s in the northeast over time.
Ninth place Shannon Bush’s LA TORMENTA and Curt Oetking from Texas Corinthian YC in Texas both have extensive J/22 and J/24 sailing in their local Texas circuits.
Tenth place, Jim Cunningham and his LIFTED crew of Jeff Madrigali, Mark Ivey and Bryn Bachman between them have sailed extensively on a range of J/22s, J/24s, J/70s and J/105s.
Eleventh place Scott Kaufman’s AMERICAN JANE 11 had Justin Law aboard, recently sailing J/70s in Key West and the winter J/70 circuit.
Twelfth place Jeff Siegal on APPRECIATION had an all-star cast of J/24 and J/70 champions, including Tim Healy, Willem Van Waay and Sarah Callahan.
Fourteenth place Peter Duncan on RAGING ROOSTER has sailed J/24s and, recently, J/70s quite extensively, as have his crew Tom Blackwell and Jud Smith (himself an Etchells 22 World Champion).
Fifteenth place Gary Gilbert on ANNIE had Mark Mendelblatt on board- not only a Tufts Jumbo All-American but also has extensive experience on J/22s and J/24s since college days in Boston.
In other words, having cut their teeth and honed their skills as one-design sailors in the larger fleets of J/22s, J/24s and J/70s, virtually all of these top racers have been able to translate that experience into other one-design classes and succeed. However, there has yet to be a top sailor from another one-design keelboat class that has “reversed” that process and quickly succeeded at the top level in any J/Class. In fact, other known top sailors that have “grown-up” in other leading sportboat/ keelboat classes have yet to crack the top ten in any major J/class event in their first year. Get a “J” one-design, learn faster, and better!
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