J/109 North Americans Preview(Block Island, Rhode Island)- This year marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic East Coast sailing regatta organized by the Storm Trysail Club- Block Island Race Week. The regatta will take place from June 21st to 26th and will include multiple races per day, many shoreside activities, and a Round the Island Race. In addition, this year’s event includes several new initiatives, including new classes of boats that will be invited to race and an emphasis on youth and environmental awareness.
Over 170 entries are participating in this incredibly fun week of sailing and 75 of them (44%) are J/Teams from across the northeastern seaboard and points as far west as California. Both one-design J’s are represented (J/88s, J/105s, J/109s & J/44s) and J’s sailing in the various PHRF fleets. Additionally, the J/109s are hosting their North American Championship.
With twenty-five boats on the starting line, the J/109s are easily the marquee fleet for the event. Teams have come from as far as Nova Scotia, Canada and Annapolis YC on the Chesapeake Bay, hundreds of miles for the opportunity to sail against the best in the class. Two rivals are certain to have fun competing for top honors as both have been North American Champions in the past, Bill Sweetser’s RUSH from Annapolis YC and Rick Lyall’s STORM from Cedar Point YC. In addition, another past North American Champion, Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING from New Bedford YC in Buzzards Bay will also be amongst the leaders.
Over the years, the J/109 class has continued to maintain its popularity due to its “cruiser-racer” appeal. It can be just as much fun cruising her as racing her. This attraction has meant that many former J owners have hopped into the class in recent years and become very competitive in a short period of time. Amongst those teams that could be factors for class honors are teams that have placed in various regional events in recent years; including Bob Schwartz’s NORDLYS from Manhasset Bay YC, Bob Siegel’s PAX 3 from Stamford YC, Jim Vos’ SKOOT from New York YC, Jack Forehand’s STRATEGERY from Pequot YC, Don Fillipelli’s CAMINOS from Devon YC, Jon Rechtshaffer’s EMOTICON from Miniscengo YC, Adrian Begley’s MAD DOGS from Atlantic Highlands YC, and Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE from Coasters Harbor YC in Newport.
The de facto J/44 East Coast Championship always seems to be at Block Island STC and this year sees seven of these beautiful cruiser-racers entered to compete for class bragging rights. It is a tough fleet to do well in consistently. The J/44 OD’s have class sails that consist of a main, #2 genoa and one spinnaker; they are “drawn out of a hat” and that’s what you sail with for the week. Joining the East Coast teams will be Victor Hong’s crew from Chicago YC. They will be up against class leaders like Don & Dick Rave on RESOLUTE, Norm Schulman on CHARLIE V, class cheerleader Jim Bishop on GOLD DIGGER, Jeff Willis on CHALLENGE IV, Len Sitar on VAMP, and the US Coast Guard Offshore Sailing Team aboard GLORY with skipper Jack Neades.
The J/88s will be racing their first one-design event on the East Coast at Block Island. It should be tremendous fun for this group as each boat learns how to step-up their learning curves as the week progresses. Charleston Race Week winner Iris Vogel from Huguenot YC will be sailing her DEVIATION and will be up against a fleet of un-tested J/88 crews that include Rod Johnstone’s JAZZ from Stonington, CT; Doug Newhouse’s YONDER from Sail Newport; and David Betts’ INSTANT KARMA from Sag Harbor YC on Long Island.
At
seventeen boats, the J/105s have again showed up en-masse looking for a
great party and some good sailing. This entertaining class has some of
the closest competition going at BIRW and many of the top boats have
come from as far a California, Texas, Bermuda and Annapolis. Past Rolex
watch winners at BIRW include Bruce Stone’s ARBITRAGE from St Francis
YC in San Francisco, CA and Damian Emery’s ECLIPSE from Shoreham, New
York. Giving them a serious run-for-the-money will be Fred Darlington’s
TONTO from East Greenwich YC, Andrew Kennedy’s BAT IV from Annapolis
YC, Jim Macdonald’s DISTANT PASSION from Royal Bermuda YC, Paul
Beaudin’s LOULOU from Harlem YC, Steve Marenakos’ RECKLESS from Niantic
Bay YC, Don Santa’s SANTAS REIGN DEAR from Annapolis YC, Jordan
Mindich’s SHAKEDOWN from Huntington, NY and Mark & Jolene Masur’s
TWO FEATHERS from Forth Worth Boat Club in Ft Worth, TX. In the world of handicap racing there will be five J/122s vying for class honors with IRC 4 class, including past BIRW Rolex winner Mike Bruno on WINGS from American YC, John Pearson’s RED SKY from Setauket, NY, Paul Milo’s ORION from New York YC and Rupert & Jan Thouron’s DUNDER from Middlesex, VT.
In PHRF 1 Class, three J/111s are sailing in a diversified class that also includes a J/125. The J/111s are all coming off four days of racing in the J/111 World Championships recently completed in Newport, RI. Looking to build upon their experience and test it on the PHRF handicap fleet are Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO from Shelter Island YC, Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE from San Diego YC and Doug Curtiss’ WICKED 2.0 from New Bedford YC. Joining them is Brian Prinz’s J/125 SPECTRE from Branford YC.
In PHRF Cruising Spinnaker Class will be Greg Slamowitz’s J/111 MANITOU from Block Island YC. Then in PHRF 2 there will be two vintage 35 ft J’s participating, Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE from Lakewood YC in Houston, Texas and Tom Wacker’s J/105 TRADING PLACES from Old Cove YC.
In what may be the real shoot-out at the OK Corral may be PHRF 3 Class, notorious for having a slew of hotly contested J/29s in their midst. The 50th anniversary event of BIRW will be no exception. Four J/29s are registered including Steve Thurston’s MIGHTY PUFFIN from Barrington YC, Aleksandr Tichter’s AKULA from Douglaston YS, Matt Strand’s STOUT from Masons Island YC and, finally, last but not least (having won BIRW a few dozen times and with no room left on their forearms for Rolex watches) is the father/son team of John & Tony Esposito on the too-hot-to-trot HUSTLER from Mohegan Lake, NY. In the midst of that battle ground will be Vockert van Reeseman’s J/70 5 CENT from American YC, two J/80s (Don Suter’s HOKUS POKUS and John Storck’s RUMOR (a past BIRW winner)), and Richard Eytel’s J/95 THE GRIN from Metedeconk River YC. For more Storm Trysail club 50th Block Island Race Week sailing information
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