J/160 Cruising Caribbean Update..

* “Our J/160 AVATAR is back again at Proper Yachts in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, having just arrived from New England after another perfect delivery trip south.  Love our J/160! My goodness, what an offshore cruising machine!

Behind the photo of her at anchor, you can see how well the U.S.V.I. is recovering from the hurricanes that devastated the islands over the last three years.

Support the U.S. Virgin Islands & British Virgin Islands! Come spend some time in the islands and enjoy some of the best sailing in the world!! Not to mention you might get to see a great J/Boat, big and blue right next to you! Say ‘Hello’ if you are in the neighborhood!”  Happy Holidays from Alan & Julie Fougere - owners of the J/160 AVATAR. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Nassau Cup Report- from KENAI

(Nassau, Bahamas)- “Coral Reef YC, Nassau YC and Storm Trysail Club hosted the Nassau Cup Ocean Race from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas being the first Islands in the Stream Series event for the 2018-19 season. After free rum drinks and a regatta briefing at Coral Reef YC in Miami, we noticed interestingly that the fleet had consolidated entries in the last 10 days across IRC, ORC and PHRF to one 13-boat ORC fleet split between ORC1 and ORC2. This left a cruiser and then Argo the MOD70 trying for the course record.

Despite some races offering different handicap options, overall standings in the Islands in the Stream Series will be determined by ORC scoring. ORC 1 included three TP52’s with Denali, Fox and Spookie, with Fox being a well-sailed west coast boat that is campaigning SORC. STC member Steve Benjamin sailing Spookie was the scratch boat and STC member Chris Lewis was on his J/44 KENAI. A canting keel Shock 40 and a modified Farr 40 comprised the balance of the ORC 1 Class. ORC 2 Class included a range of boats from an Aerodyne 38 with STC member HL DeVore navigating to a Catalina 425 SD sailed by Russell Dunn, a former racing yacht owner.

The outlook during the week was for a 70-mile beat across the Gulf Stream into a blasting Northeaster.  But, as race day came, the cold front was delayed and the fleet got off to a spinnaker start in a warm SE breeze. As predicted the wind dropped when yachts crossed the Gulf Stream making tactics interesting; 4.5 knots of boat speed and 3 knots of current! Boats that gybed early gambling not to benefit from a later port gybe header benefited with a better VMC to Great Isaac Lighthouse and the earliest pick up of the cool NW breeze that filled in across the course. Meanwhile, the scratch boats worked to maintain their lead through the stormy thermal cloud-induced wind variations.

Rounding Great Isaac Lighthouse and setting course to the Great Stirrup Cay, the NW breeze built from 8 to 22 knots over the balance of the race, veering to the NNE and providing fast reaching conditions during the night. Racing on the edge of control with shallow reefs to leeward the mid-fleet boats caught the TP52’s. KENAI’s navigator was surprised to be able to pick them up on AIS during the graveyard shift. The frontal passage was slow enough to frustrate Spookie, et al., as they gybed downwind hunting for angle and breeze.

On KENAI, we set the A3, Code Zero, A5 and finally the big A2 as we rounded Great Stirrup Cay. At one point an electronics short in our NEMA 2000 network took the boat dark and made for an exciting time steering by traditional compass binnacle until the offending backup GPS antenna was disconnected! You don’t realize how dependent upon digital data at night you are until you lose it all!

As the sun came up, we were treated to an 18-24 knot port tack broad reach into the finish in building seas. KENAI hit 16 knots and left a broad flattened sea behind as her 23,000 pounds tried to defy the laws of physics for a displacement yacht. As we charged into Nassau Harbor, past the breakwater with our big red spinnaker, the focus was on dowsing the kite as we crossed the finish with very little sea room ahead of us (e.g. the beach)!

The overall results reflected the impact of the slow moving front. Our J/44 KENAI corrected to win in ORC 1 Class. And, Brad Stowers’ J/92 HILLBILLY was third in ORC 2 Class.

Nassau YC provided great hospitality, as they have forever and day over the course of this event! For those that missed it, we had a great J/22 Match Race Championship on Saturday at the Nassau Yacht Club. Congratulations to the team from the J/92 HILLBILLY- the J/22 Match Race winners! Photos can be found here. Thanks again to Robert Dunkley for some great shots!

It’s always a great pleasure to be in Nassau and have such gracious hosts. SORC is seriously fun and has great sailing conditions. Why anyone who could sail south, and make these events, and doesn’t do it, beats us!! Why not plan on this next year?”  Thanks for contribution from Chris and Karen Lewis, owners of J/44 KENAI.  Follow the SORC Islands In The Stream Series on Facebook   For more SORC Islands in the Stream Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

2019 J/80 U.K. National Champs Announcement

(Lymington, England)- Lymington, the home town of the biggest and most active J/80 fleet in the UK, will once again host the United Kingdom’s J/80 National Championship. Twenty J/80s are based there!

The Royal Lymington Yacht Club, which hosted the extremely successful 2016 and 2018 Championships, is the natural choice for the 2019 J/80 Nationals venue that will be sailed on the western end of the Solent.

Demonstrating their proficiency and enthusiasm, the club has already appointed a Race Officer for the event and set about assembling a world-class team.

The regatta will take place from Saturday, August 24th to Monday, August 26th, taking advantage of the bank holiday weekend in the U.K.  For more J/80 U.K. National Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

CHARISMA Tops J/70 Monaco Winter Series- Act II

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- With sea and air temperatures of 18°C (65.0 F) it was like spring for the thirty-two J/70 contestants in Act II of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series.

Four races were completed under blue skies on a flat sea with 12 knots of wind for the J/70s on the first day. A forecast of Force 8/9 in the Mediterranean for Sunday meant there was no racing on the last day, with everyone happy to see the prize-giving brought forward.

Finns, Danes, Russians, Brazilians, English, Germans and, of course, Italians descended on the Principality to take advantage of the mild Mediterranean winter conditions to train and compete on the race area that will host the J/70 Worlds in 2021, organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco.

It was an international field, but an all-Monegasque podium. It was an intense battle between Nico Poons’ CHARISMA, Roberto Stefani’s PICCININA and Ludovico Fassitelli’s JUNDA (winner of Act 1 in November). Despite winning two races with ease, Ludovico Fassitelli was 3rd just behind Roberto Stefani, making his return to the class with a new team and tactics by France’s no.1 Laser sailor Jean-Baptiste Bernaz.

But, the most consistent was Nico Poons, fresh from his triumph on the 2018 RC44 World Series circuit, whose bold tactics on the start lines placed CHARISMA in the best position in the race area to take the first step on the podium.

In the all-amateur Corinthian J/70 class, it was Swiss sailor Bruno Zeltner’s QUARTER2ELEVEN, a regular at the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, who pipped Monegasque Cesare Gabasio’s TINN J70 to the post by one point to win it.

Third place in the Corinthian J/70 category went to Claudio Canaccini, leading a team of youngsters from the Yacht Club Italiano, who was racing on one of the YC Monaco Sports Section’s J/70s loaned to them by the YCM. It is all part of the Monaco club’s policy to boost exchanges between clubs twinned with the YCM through its Youth Offshore Academy.

The next events in the five Act series are:

• Jan 17-20- Act III
• Feb 7-10- Act IV- PRIMO Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse XXXV
• Mar 14-17- Act V Finale

For more J/70 Monaco Winter Series sailing information
Add to Flipboard Magazine.

“The Russians Are Coming!”

Not Subs, But J/70s @ Tampa Winter Series!
(Tampa, FL)- Forty-seven J/70 teams traveled to Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida for the first weekend of the 2018-2019 J/70 Winter Series. Conditions on Saturday were sunny and warm with winds at 6-8 knots, allowing three races.

The passage of a cold front on Sunday brought rain and storms through Tampa Bay, keeping teams ashore.  By 12:45pm the weather conditions had not improved enough to warrant a lifting of the harbor postponement, so the “AP over A” code flags were flown, signaling the end of the day and the regatta for the weekend.

Igor Rytov's Russian BOGATYRS earned the overall victory with scores of 7-2-4 for 13 points. Greiner Hobbs' DARK HORSE placed second with 16 points, and Doug Strebel's BLACK RIVER RACING followed in third with 18 points.

The 14-boat Corinthian division was topped by Bob Willis' RIP RULLAH, who notched a bullet in race 2. Taking second was Rob Britts' HOT MESS with an all-girl crew (a past DIYC Winter Series Champion from the home club) and taking the bronze was Mike Kirkman's HOT TICKET from Grosse Pointe YC in Detroit, MI.

Each Friday of the Series, SAIL22 leads the Porch Series including a North Sails debrief. This weekend featured several races in which 33 boats were able to learn from on-water coaches, before heading in for a North Sails forum at the DIYC clubhouse.

Racing continues at Davis Island Yacht Club on January 4-6 and February 8-10.

2018-19 J/70 Winter Series
Dec 8-9: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=5916
Jan 5-6: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=5917
Feb 9-10: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=5918

For more Davis Island YC J/70 Winter Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Russians Win Asian J/80 Champs!

(Xiamen, China)- The local sailing club in Xiamen, China hosted the 2018 edition of the Asian J/80 Championship for a fleet of twenty-six boats from across the greater Asian region representing eight nations; including Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Russia, India, USA, Canada, and China.

This was the first time the J/80 Class was properly enforcing the rules in the Asian market. There were four days of measurement before the event, weighing boats, measuring sails, weighing crew and completing a proper safety check. During the measurement days, teams also got some nice practice time.

The weather in the days leading up to the event was perfect shorts and t-shirt weather. However, thereafter it was a bit cooler on race days.

Day 1
It was awesome racing on day one, with two races sailed in a steady 18-22 knots of wind. Hull 10 came out to race on this day, starting with two bullets. This Chinese team was comprised of junior professional Chinese national sailors; their skipper was the Chinese National 470 Champion. The 2nd to 5th place boats were not so consistent, giving the Chinese Youth team a nice lead in the standings to start the series.

Day 2
With an earlier start and a few knots less wind then the day before, the race committee was able to complete four races. There was no dominant winner of the day, with four different boats getting first place.  As a result, that outcome narrowed the overall points for the first four boats (Russian team, Chinese National team, Australian Team, and Xiamen University Team).

Day 3
Following the trend of the first two days, the fleet was again blessed with good breeze, but just a few knots less than the day before. This time, it was the Russian’s turn. The Russian team from the Seventh Fleet YC (members of the Russian Navy in Vladivostok, eastern Russia) brought their “A” game and pulled off three 1sts and a 4th!

Day 4
The last day of racing needed only one race to complete the series. The boats went out to the starting line with very little wind. Consequently, the RC hoisted the “AP” flag for about thirty minutes to wait for a gentle breeze to build along the shore.  Soon, the fleet started with a light northerly breeze with the current helping everyone to windward and against them down wind. In this area of Xiamen Bay, you can see 1-2 knots of current sailing in the open waters off the harbor. Unfortunately, the breeze shut off for a bit when the boats all reached Mark one.  So, the race became a bit of a restart. But, when the breeze came back, it lasted for the complete race, which was a windward-leeward twice around.

The organizers supplied two judge boats for this event with two International Judges and Jim Johnstone as the third Judge and in charge of the technical measuring process. With on the water judging, the sailors were all able to enjoy the nights off in Xiamen, with a great opening ceremony and plenty of nightlife to be had in the city!

The final results saw the team from eastern Russia- the TEAM EVOLUTION TIGER- win the regatta with four bullets in their scoreline of eleven races for a 26 pts net total.  Second was the XIAMEN UNIVERSITY TEAM with 30 pts net and rounding out the podium with the bronze was the SEAMO RACE TEAM from Australia with 44 pts net.

Overall, the J/80 teams were very pleased with the venue and the class is already in the planning stages for the next Asian Championships to be held in Qingdao next September 2019. The Chinese J/80 Class Association is holding the event in venues where they can see continued growth in the local J/80 fleets. The goal is a simple one- get more boats to participate than last year. The 2019 target is a lofty one-> 40+ boats in Qingdao, site of the Chinese Sailing Olympics in 2008! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/44 Wins Palm Beach “Race to the Buffet”!

KENAI Leads SORC Islands In the Stream Series
(Palm Beach, FL)- Elapsed time records fell in the Sailfish Club of Florida’s 62nd annual Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race to Palm Beach, the second event of the 2018-19 SORC Islands in the Stream Series- the fabled Miami to Palm Beach “Race to the Buffet” wrapped up with one of the best feasts in sailing. Twenty-eight teams raced in near-perfect conditions on a new two-course format that started on December 7 in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“We are delighted that this year’s race was a success at every level and encouraged that the excitement around our event reflects the growing momentum in the South Florida racing scene,” said Wirth Munroe Event Chair, Tom Bowler of the Sailfish Club.

“We had records broken, spectacular weather, a diverse fleet across a broad spectrum that included veterans and newcomers alike, and the wonderful post-race camaraderie that has made the Wirth Munroe Race such a special event.”

In last Friday’s second event of the 2018-2019 Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC), Chris and Karen Lewis’s Texas-based J/44 KENAI won the race Palm Beach.

Their first overall finish in ORC scoring paired with their 4th overall finish in last month’s first event of the SORC, the Miami-Nassau Race, puts them in first place Overall in the standings for the SORC Islands in the Stream Series.

With 12 to 15 kts easterly breezes, race managers opted for ORC’s Triple Number Coastal/ Long Distance scoring model for medium wind conditions, resulting in close finishing scores for the leaders in the fleet. After six-plus hours of sailing the 60-mile course, KENAI’s victory was only 5 min 27 sec on corrected time over another Texan team, Andy Wescoat’s J/109 HARM’S WAY (who are lying in 4th overall in the series, just one point away from third).

Taking 5th place in ORC was the J/92 HILLBILLY sailed by Bradley Stowers.  Combined with their 3rd in the Nassau Cup Race, they are now sitting in the third spot on the overall leaderboard.

The next race, the classic Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race starts Thursday, January 17, 2019 south of Port Everglades. Another Conch Grinder Race and party at the First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery (formerly Kelly’s Caribbean) are on the agenda for the weekend.

The SORC Islands in the Stream Series consists of these five events:

• Nov 15 – Nassau Cup Ocean Race
• Dec 7 – Wirth M. Munroe Invitational Race
• Jan 17 – Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race
• Jan 27 – Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race
• Mar 13 – Miami to Havana Race

Follow the SORC Islands In The Stream Series on Facebook   For more SORC Islands in the Stream Series sailing information
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J/121 Wins “Performance Yacht” @ British Yachting Awards!

(London, England)- For the first time this year, Sailing Today teamed up with presenting partner MUSTO and sister magazine Yachts & Yachting to bring you the British Yachting Awards, truly a celebration of every aspect of the sailing world – from Caribbean cruising to high tech racing.

In the Performance Yacht Category, there were over a dozen boats under consideration.  The sailing public voted in the United Kingdom and winning the Performance Yacht Category was the J/121 offshore speedster!  Here is what Y&Y/ Sailing Today had to say about the J/121.

“J/Boats reckons its J/121 is the best short-handed racer the company has built.  The 40-footer is designed to be sailed by five or fewer crew, which J reckon- and we agree- makes life a whole lot easier for racing skippers fed-up with rounding up 8 or 10 bodies every time they want to compete.

She looks the part too, boasting low, sleek lines and an easy to use cockpit with everything at hand- features that clearly proved popular with voters.

There is an 840-liter water ballast system built-in to compensate for extra crew bodies lined-up along the rail, and the low drag hull offers straight-line speed with high form stability.

There’s a standard suite of five sails plus the usual J/Boats retractable jib, and thanks to a comfortable fit-out down below, the J/121 is an ocean-capable racer that also functions beautifully as an adventurous daysailer, weekender, or fast cruiser. Sailing photo credit- Rick Tomlinson.  Learn more about the British Yachting Awards 2018 here.   Learn more about the J/121 Offshore Speedster here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/99 World Debut @ Paris Show

(Paris, France)- The much anticipated introduction of the extraordinary J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster will be taking place at the famous “Salon Nautique”- a.k.a. the Paris International Boat Show- this coming week from December 8th to 16th at the Port de Versailles on the south side of Paris. The J/99 will be on display in Hall 1/ Stand 1 G62.  For more Salon Nautique Paris boat show information   Learn more about the J/99 Offshore Speedster here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/99 World Debut @ Paris Show

(Paris, France)- The much anticipated introduction of the extraordinary J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster will be taking place at the famous “Salon Nautique”- a.k.a. the Paris International Boat Show- this coming week from December 8th to 16th at the Port de Versailles on the south side of Paris. The J/99 will be on display in Hall 1/ Stand 1 G62.  For more Salon Nautique Paris boat show information   Learn more about the J/99 Offshore Speedster here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/122 Dominates Perth Offshore

(Perth, Western Australia)- More “Thunder from Down Under!” Ian Clyne’s J/122 JOSS recently won the 140.0nm 2018 West Coaster Ocean Race off Perth, Western Australia.  Here is the report from Tony Bewsher, crewing aboard the J/122 JOSS.

“A very competitive fleet took part in the West Coaster 140nm overnight race on the weekend of the 24/25 November, including our J/122 JOSS.

The course was westerly from Fremantle, around Cape Vlamingh (the western end of Rottnest Island), then a 65.0nm northwards leg to a virtual mark set just of the historic coastal fishing town of Lancelin, and finally back south to the finish in Fremantle.

The race started in 8-10 knots SSW winds with the fleet jostling for position on the 1.0nm upwind beat to the first mark. JOSS rounded in 3rd position behind “Dirty Deeds” & “Weapon of Choice”, then the fleet sailed off on a broad reach out to the Western Windmills Fairway mark off the SE corner of Rottnest Island followed by an upwind beat in a dropping breeze along the south side of the island to Cape Vlamingh (the most westerly tip of the island and extremely exposed to the full forces of the Indian Ocean).

As the fleet approached Cape Vlamingh, the winds almost dropped out completely, making the rounding a slow frustrating affair. With an ever-growing cloud line slowly building on the horizon, the fleet edged westwards in our search for stronger more consistent breeze.

Big Sails help win big races, and as the clouds built overhead, the wind grew sufficiently for everyone to hoist their biggest spinnakers.

JOSS hoisted our big “Bright Green” A1.5 Spinnaker for this 65.0nm downwind run. The wind built steadily throughout the afternoon to 15-18 knots. We found ourselves dueling all the way to the Lancelin mark with “Obsession” (Mat1180) and “Weapon of Choice” (FB35). We even managed to pass these higher IRC rated boats midway along the track, only to have them battle back to lead us by a few hundred metres around the virtual top mark off Lancelin at approx. 2100 hrs Saturday night.

With a stunning full moon lighting up the ocean, we sailed for Fremantle in a more moderate breeze, maintaining contact with the 4 faster & lighter Div 1 yachts ahead of us. At sunrise we witnessed a beautiful Western Australian dawn with JOSS leading the fleet in both IRC & YAH, and eventually crossing the finish line at Fremantle at 0700 hrs Sunday morning in a time of 21:35:37.

Our winning margin on IRC was an impressive 27 minutes to the second placed boat “Obsession”, and 45 minutes to the 3rd placed boat “Alfresco”.

It was 22 hours of perfect sailing conditions for JOSS with fluctuating winds between 8-18 knots and moving from an early light southerly on Saturday morning, swinging west and building until sunset throughout Saturday, then moderating over night to finish in an easterly land breeze.

The 140nm “WestCoaster” was a much more enjoyable sail compared to the recent similar distance overnight race, the “3 Ports Race” being knocked down 3 times during the night by 60-70 knot winds!!!

In sailing, winning is often a combination of great sailing by the boat & crew, and an equal measure of the “sea gods smiling on you”. There were many smiles over this weekend.

“Joss” has started the 2018/19 ORWA Offshore Season in strong form with 2 wins in Div 1 IRC, a 2nd, & a 5th, and 3 wins in Div 1 YAH & a 5th place.

With the lowest rating in the Div 1 Fleet in Western Australia, JOSS is proving how competitive J/Boats are against a very competitive fleet of top teams here in the West.” Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Hot Rum Series III Finale

(San Diego, CA)- The third and final race of the San Diego YC Hot Rum Series took place this past weekend off San Diego’s beautiful harbor and Point Loma peninsula.  In the end, the results were a mixed bag of outcomes for various J/crews.

The one shining beacon of performance, not surprisingly, was the large turnout of J/105s and J/70s that were all lumped into PHRF Class 4.  J/Class honors flipped back and forth over the two weekends and, in the end, it was Dennis Case’s J/105 J-OK that took the silver, just barely losing overall honors in the last race. Third was Steve Wyman’s J/70 NUNUHUNU, fourth Erostino Dagfish’s J/105 VIGGEN and fifth Dave Vieregg’s J/70 SOGGY DOLLAR.  A commendable performance to all, four of the top five in class!  For more SDYC Hot Rum Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J's Battle @ Hamble Winter Series Finale

(Hamble, England)- After last week's brief return of “the Beast from the East”, the forecast for Week 8 of the HYS Hamble Winter Series 2018, was for 12-30 knots WSW, with low water in the Solent at 12.30 pm. "Quite interesting conditions!" as PRO Kathy Smalley put it. Or, as one competitor was heard to mumble, "A witch from the West!"

There were two options to find a decent opening beat, move the Bramble Bank or head south of the bank to Goodall Roofing (4W) which is where the HRSC PRO took up station. The windward destination would be Prince Consort, followed by a "sheltered" broad reach to Norris to keep the first boats round the windward mark away from those still approaching it. A sort of health and safety spreader leg if you like.

There was a return to the “War of the Roses” in IRC 1 Class, when Chaz Ivill (Red) and Rob Bottomley (White), turned out for the final race showdown. It was the J/112E DAVANTI TYRES (Chaz Ivill and Paul Heys) who were cooking their hotpot with gas; taking their fourth win of the series and the overall title for IRC 1 Class. The J/112E DAVANTI TYRES closed with four 1sts and four 2nds to win by a convincing margin over the best 36 to 41 footer IRC teams in all of the Solent and southern Great Britain. Not surprisingly, this built upon the J/112E’s extraordinary 2018 season of sailing; winning the IRC Europeans overall and in class on the Solent and also winning the Offshore World Sailing Championship (IRC/ ORC) sailed off The Hague, The Netherlands.

The on-going battle between the J/109's continued between JIRAFFE (Simon Perry) and JAGO (Mike and Susie Yates). Perry commented that Yates was “quite good at match racing today!" This was probably because JAGO (second on the water) beat JIRAFFE (third on the water) and, unless JIRAFFE did something really quite silly, they had the series sewn up. Notably, JAGO had 14-year-old Cameron Yates on the mainsheet on Sunday, as he has been all series! A new record? His Dad Mike fell on the wheel during the race and bent it, but don't worry his wife Susie is getting him a new one for Christmas!  Rounding out the top five in class were two J88s; Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS in fourth and Kirsty & David Apthorp’s J-DREAM in fifth place.
  
In Class 3, the Greenhalgh family effort (Dad- David and daughter Libby) on their J/92 J’RONIMO leapfrogged into third position after the double toss races came into effect.  Thereafter, they won the final race in dramatic fashion and sealed their bid to take the bronze position on the podium!

Meanwhile, the J/88s saw a duel to the finish for class honors. Winning by one point was Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS over David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM. Taking the bronze was Dirk van Beek’s SABRIEL JR.

A number of competitors were impressed by two club stalwarts, Rupert Smalley and Peter Baines, who manned the pin end boat, Obsession, as it bounced up and down during the windy start sequence. Rupert had a slightly different point of view, “it was nice and flat until all those race boats started to thrash around." He also felt it would be better if crews did not "ping" the port pin mark until it had actually been laid!!

Back in the HRSC Clubhouse, Paul Heys of Key Yachting presented the day prizes. He managed to avoid one awkward moment by quickly passing the Champagne and chocolates for the IRC 1 class winner to Chaz Ivill.

The Series prizes were presented by Lee Pollock of Hamble Yacht Services. Simon Perry’ J/109 JIRAFFE won “Yacht of the Series”. He thanked the Race Team and volunteers. "It was a fantastic series,” said Perry. “We will definitely be back again next year." Thanks for contribution from Trevor Pountain.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth   For more Hamble Winter Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 Flies at Course de’Alliance Regatta

(Saint Maarten)- The Course de’Alliance Regatta is a port-to-port event that is raced between three magnificent islands in the Caribbean- St Maarten, St. Barth, and Anguilla- over a three day weekend.  For those that love sailing in the spectacular aquamarine waters of the Caribbean and enjoying the 15-25 kt trade winds, you cannot get much better than racing to those three amazing islands!

In the Racing Class, there was an epic battle between the J/105 SOLSTICE (skippered by Jordan and Shannon Mindich) and the M24s. In the end, SOLSTICE was 1st on the leg from St Maarten to St Barths, 4th place on the downwind leg from St Barths down to Anguilla, then 2nd on the beat/reach home to St Maarten. In the end, SOLSTICE took 2nd overall.

According to Jordan Mindich, “the conditions were spectacular, including a two hour tight spin reach up the north side of Saint Maarten. It was interesting racing, including a last minute capsize by Gill less than 100 yards from the finish - giving us 2nd overall! Loads of fun!!”

“This really is my favorite regatta. It is the season opener, and a great chance for the crews from the different islands to meet and socialize in beautiful locations. But, though the atmosphere is friendly, the competition is fierce, and it was great to see such tight racing amongst such good teams,” says Race Officer Paul Miller.

“The racing was hot, and still the participants had energy left to enjoy the socials in St Barth and Anguilla. That’s why this event is so popular, the concept of racing to 2 other islands and then enjoy the finest of the Caribbean is golden. We thank the St Barth Yacht Club & Sailing School and the Anguilla Sailing Association for their assistance with the event, the cooperation is vital for the Regatta’s continuation and success,” commented Leonde Vermeulen, Event Manager at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, organizer of the event.

Organizers like to thank sponsors Moorings, Fiji Water and Mount Gay Rum for their contributions to the event. “Not only do our sponsors help to reduce costs, they add significant quality to the event. They are not only appreciated by the organizers, but by the participants as well. We are grateful for the ongoing support,” explained Vermeulen.  For more Course de’Alliance Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Pierini Tops Bacardi J/70 Winter Series I

(Miami, FL)- Biscayne Bay was open again for business as the inaugural three event Bacardi Invitational Winter Series kicked off December 1­-2 in Miami, FL. The event is an off-shoot of the perennial Bacardi Invitational Regatta now run in conjunction with the legendary Bacardi Cup every March.

Despite light winds allowing only three races on day one and no racing on day two, the J/70 Class was extremely tight in the top five positions, with a different crew winning each race. Day one was as predicted. As it progressed, the breeze lightened, so did the chop. The left side continued to be favored, making starts difficult since everyone wanted to go the same way.

Many teams from across the USA and Europe arrived early for the regatta and took advantage of the Miami weather to get in some practice. On day one, sailors awoke to an overcast sky, a westerly breeze of 8–11 knots, and moderate Biscayne Bay chop. The Key Biscayne Yacht Club Race Committee set up a windward--leeward course of two laps.

In race one, the entire J/70 class went left on the upwind, so a strong start was essential to being in the top of the fleet. Henry Brauer's RASCAL and Joel Ronning's CATAPULT led neck and neck at the first mark. The two boats battled closely throughout the race with CATAPULT victorious in the end. Trey Sheehan's Team HOOLIGAN sailed a near perfect second race, winning with a generous lead for such light conditions.

For most of the day, boats that got out in front, stayed in front. The day ended with Geoff Pierini winning the third race. His team kept their pace in the dying breeze and seemed to glide effortlessly around the race course. Pierini and his team were hyper-focused on maximizing their speed and making the smallest of gains on every little puff.

Pierini's J/70 team had three great starts that gave them the freedom to continue left as long as they wished and not be held out to the layline.

The breeze was relatively stable and pressure moved slowly down the course, so it was difficult to make major gains on the upwinds. Gains were sometimes made on the downwinds by teams taking a risk to jibe away from the fleet early. The majority of the J/70 fleet straight set on the downwinds and gybed only when they arrived near the layline.

The J/70 winner, Geoff Pierini, attributes much of his win to his crew, US Olympian Thomas Barrows, keeping them in the pressure on the downwinds. That helped them work the boat lower than their competitors, giving them the chance to gybe out when the opportunity presented itself. Timing was everything in the tight fleet.

Sunday's weather forecast proved over-­optimistic. Despite the patience of the Race Committee and the competitors, the day's racing was called just after noon. The breeze never filled.

The J/70 sailors headed back to shore by motor. Smiles abounded later in the afternoon as the sailors found themselves again with Bacardi cocktails in their hands and surrounded by the hospitality of the folks at Shake—A-­Leg, the regatta venue.

After the three races, the top of the leaderboard was quite tight.  Pierini led with 6 pts, followed by Ronning’s CATAPULT in second with 8 pts, Sheehan’s Team HOOLIGAN- FLAT STANLEY in third with 9 pts, Brauer’s RASCAL in fourth with 11 pts and Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE in fifth with 13 pts. The Top Corinthian J/70 Team was Joey Kolisch. Thanks to Kathleen Tocke for the contribution.

The series consists of three events, the next two are scheduled as follows:
Jan 19-20- Bacardi J/70 Winter Series II- Miami, FL
Mar 6-9- Bacardi J/70 Winter Series III- Miami, FL
For more Bacardi Winter Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Order Your Gorgeous 2019 J/Calendar Now!

(Newport, RI)- A sailing calendar is a great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew.

For 2019, we have created another beautiful calendar for J/Sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world.  Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places.

The 2019 sailing calendar features the most popular as well as latest creations from the J/Design team sailing in many of the worlds most popular sailing areas- St Petersburg (Russia), British Virgin Island, St Barths, Chicago, France, Italy, Chile, Ireland, Germany, and Spain.  See the gorgeous photo gallery and order your 2019 J/Calendar here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/99 World Debut @ Paris Show

(Paris, France)- The much anticipated introduction of the extraordinary J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster will be taking place at the famous “Salon Nautique”- a.k.a. the Paris International Boat Show- this coming week from December 8th to 16th at the Port de Versailles on the south side of Paris. The J/99 will be on display in Hall 1/ Stand 1 G62.  For more Salon Nautique Paris boat show information
Learn more about the J/99 Offshore Speedster here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Wirth Munroe Memorial Race Preview

(Palm Beach, FL)- The Wirth M. Munroe Memorial Yacht Race (a.k.a. the “Race to the Buffet”) is held on the first Friday in December. First sailed in 1957, the race begins the winter ocean racing circuit in South Florida. The course presents challenging conditions, as yachts must consider the vagaries of the Gulf Stream and the passing of the season’s first frontal systems.

In 1957, members of the Florida Station of the Cruising Club of America, led by Dick Bertram (famous as founder of Bertram Yachts), decided to sponsor a race from Miami to Palm Beach and to hold it in early December as racing yachts from the north had arrived by then in preparation for the Southern Ocean Racing Conference held in January and February.

In the 1960’s the Sailfish Club of Florida became a co-sponsor of the race and now hosts the well-known awards party following the finish- e.g. the “race to the buffet”- upon finishing the race, there is dockside cocktails and live music. Racers finish the evening with a world-class awards banquet at the Sailfish Club of Florida.

In 2016, the Club partnered with the Storm Trysail Club and decided to extend the course back to the Miami, FL. This year’s race will see the addition of a second course, from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach, catering to racer-cruisers, cruisers, and smaller racing yachts. The new course, called “The Sprint”, will be 40.0nm, and will complement the existing 60.0nm Miami to Palm Beach track, known as “The Classic”.

There are several J/Crews that have taken up the challenge for this year’s event, about 4x the number that had participated in the previous years. In the ORC Class are the J/109 HARM’s WAY (Andy Wescoat from Houston, TX), the J/92 HILLBILLY (Brad Stowers from Melbourne, FL), and the well-traveled J/44 KENAI (Chris Lewis from Seabrook, TX).  Then, in the PHRF Class will be the J/88 LOOSE CANNON (John Kearns from Jupiter, FL).

The forecast for ESE winds in the 10-20 kts range promises a fast race for all boats and both courses; a fast reach off into the Gulf Stream flowing north at 3-5 kts, then giant A2 spinnakers to fly north up the Stream to the Palm Beach finish line.  For more Wirth Munroe Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Big Battle @ Chilean J/24 Nationals

(Bio Bio, Chile)- The Chilean J/24 National Championship was sailed on the waters of the Bay of Concepción, based on Quiriquina Island. A beautiful location to host such an important regatta for the dozen J/24 teams that participated from across the world’s “longest” country (north and south).

A select group of famous South American J/24 sailors were invited to participate as crew aboard various boats. Chief amongst them was the famous Brazilian Mauricio Santa Cruz, multiple World and South American Champion. In addition, the Argentine Matias Pereira, multiple South American champion, Pan-American champion and multiple Argentine champion was crew.  And, finally Nicolas Cubria, former Argentine champion also sailed as crew. Each one of them sailed as crew with a top Chilean helmsman.

Positioning themselves comfortably in first place on the first day of racing was the Chilean Del Castillo and his crew (totally local); they won 3 of the 4 races!

In the first two days, the winds were mild. But, as the racing progressed and the wind increased, it was a classic trade-off in the J/24 class- top end genoa or go for the jib. A true test of offshore sailors, ironically enough!!

At the end of the last race, the teams of E. Fernandez and N. Cubría with the crew of Carlos del Solar and Mauricio Santa Cruz were tied in points.

As in the last regatta, Del Castillo won; he qualified as Chilean 2018 J/24 Champion. Second was Carlos del Solar with Mauricio Santa Cruz. Third was Patricio Rodriguez's team with Matias Pereira.  And, fourth was Raúl del Castillo.  For more Chilean J/24 class sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.