Friday, July 15, 2016

New York YC Race Week Preview

J/88 sailing upwind (Newport, RI)- The second-half of the New York Yacht Club Race Week is focused on one-design classes and IRC/ ORC offshore handicap classes.  The primary one-design events are the J/105s participating in the second part of their New England Series as well as the J/88s doing the same after their Long Island Sound series (AYC Spring Series and Cedar Pt One-design Regatta).

While the NYYC Race Week features sailing for “Classics” in the first part along with a fleet of Gunboat catamarans, the second part is intensely focused on a combination of “round-the-buoys” and “random-leg” racing.  In the IRC 3 Class, we find an amazing mixture of J/crews on designs that range from 1983 to 2010- J/35s to J/44s to J/111s!  It will be an interesting, eclectic regatta based on weather conditions.  Starting from the most recent lines off the J/design team, we find Sedgwick Ward’s J/111 BRAVO up against two J/44s (Jim Bishop’s GOLD DIGGER & Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE) and the NYYC Annual Regatta Round Jamestown Island Overall Winner- Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE from Houston, TX!  Also, in the ORC Club Spinnaker handicap world is Tom Wacker’s J/105 TRADING PLACES.

From a one-design perspective, the J/105s are fielding a strong fleet, with past J/105 North American Champion and Rolex Big Boat Series Champion Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE potentially leading the fleet. However, they will be heavily contested at every start and every corner of the race course by Mark Lindquist’s STERLING, Fred Darlington’s TONTO, Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHERS from Fort Worth Boat Club, and Jonah Israelit’s PIECES OF EIGHT.

Similarly, the J/88s will see spirited competition from an incredibly talented suite of sailors.  In no particular order, since they are all potential teams that could occupy the podium, are Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, Jeff Johnstone’s ELECTRA, Doug McKeige’s JAZZ, Mike Bruno’s WINGS, and Doug Newhouse’s YONDER! Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ UltimateSailing.com.  For more New York YC Race Week sailing information.