J/88 Brokerage Special!

 J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world.


J/88 #14 is probably one of the best examples of a racing J/88 currently on the market. With all the gear for either class one-design or IRC racing. This twice National Champion has been maintained to the highest standards, dry-sailed her entire life, with no expense spared on sails, electronics and on-going maintenance. Currently owned by the J/70 World Champion, this competitive boat is ready to race with a new owner!  For more J/88 #14 sailboat information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

New York Yacht Club Reboots Summer Sailing

(Newport, RI)- The key to a comeback is to look forward. With Rhode Island now in Phase III of its re-opening plan, the New York Yacht Club has turned its focus toward making the most of this truncated sailing season. The Annual Regatta, which will be run for the 166th time in 2020, is now scheduled for August 28th to 30th. Unique to this edition is the inclusion of a number of one-design keelboats, including J/70s.

Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex will take place September 23rd to 26th, allowing sailors to enjoy one of Rhode Island’s best-kept secrets, the fabulous early autumn sailing conditions. True race weeks are a rarity in today's time-crunched world and the Club is proud to keep that traditional alive with five days of activities and racing. Different course configurations and sailing areas, such as buoy racing and mid-distance courses, will make the week lively for competitors, while the Stadium Sailing will allow spectators to watch the racing from Fort Adams.

It may not be the sailing season you envisioned, but it can be one you won’t soon forget. Registration for both events is open now.  For more NYYC Annual Regatta sailing information   For more NYYC Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Round Catalina Double-Race Produces J/Silver

(Newport Beach, CA)- Thirty-six boats sailed in South Shore Yacht Club's annual 90.0 nm Round Catalina Island Doublehanded Race. The annual event starts & finishes off the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach and only allows two sailors aboard. Club officials stated this was a record turnout! Yachts ranging in size from 24 ft to 72 ft LOA entered this classic Southern California Handicap Race. 

The J/124 MARISOL skippered by NHYC member Tom Pollack & American Legion Yacht Club member Rick Hancock were the 2nd boat to finish, 3rd in class & 3rd overall in the PHRF Fleet. The race started in 7.0 knots of breeze building to 27 knots on the back side of Catalina near the island's east end where a local venturi effect from the 1000' tall sheer cliffs accelerates the normal 15 knot westerly breeze.

It was near here that Marisol caught up to larger boats and managed to exit the local windless parking lot in the lee of the island to find the westerly breeze on the other side.  22 miles later at the Balboa Pier, Marisol put her bow across the finish line just 1 second ahead of the Choate 48' Amante in a 15 knot westerly wind that refused to die down at 1:40 am local time.

"Our big yellow asymmetrical spinnaker attached to a retractable spinnaker pole that owner Seth Hall added a couple years ago has made Marisol a much better downwind ride than when she was built 16 years ago," added Skipper Tom Pollack. "All we did was keep it simple and not tack or gybe much, just letting the fast J/124 do the work! She rides on rails!"

The race started at 11:00 AM in a 7-8 knots building westerly breeze taking the fleet 15 miles north on a long port tack. As the breeze built to 20 knots, "We just kept sliding the genoa lead aft, sheeting tighter and pointing higher," said crew member Rick Hancock. "Hoping to use the smooth water in the harbor to change to a #3 jib."

Marisol purposefully navigated to enter the Long Beach Harbor entrance and exit the harbor at Los Angeles Angels Gate.  

"What you take for granted on a fully crewed race boat, does not happen on a sailboat with only 2 crew" said Pollack. "It's how you plan ahead & manage that challenge that allows you to finish the race safely. With the Olympics in 2024 in Paris featuring sailboat racing with mixed crews of 2 people, it should be interesting to watch the video feed," noted Tom Pollack.

Taking 1st place in PHRF B Class & 4th overall was J/109 BLUE CRUSH skippered by Bob Little and Dan Milefchik from Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.

J-109 FUZZY LOGIC skippered by Jeff Shew & Bill Durant from Long Beach Yacht Club took 2nd in PHRF B & 6th Overall.

So, if you find yourself in July of 2021 in Southern California and want to try something different, try SSYC's Crew of 2 race.   For complete results of the Round Catalina Double Race Results.

DF-95 sailing comes to Newport!

Here's what past J/24 World Champion and current Sail Newport Managing Director- Brad Read- had to say about his first evening of sailing/ racing his DF-95 model sailboat #88 (in Boston Bruins livery/ colors) off the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court pier:


"Very fun tonight! Thanks to Jim Boyd, Lynn Lynch and Beth Duggan of NYYC for allowing this to happen and setting the course at Harbour Court!  We are trying to get clearance from Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management for Tuesday next week at Sail Newport.  I look forward to more sailing at NYYC Harbour Court, Newport Shipyard, and Sail Newport. Great fleet, truly a cast of characters."

In response, fellow DF-95 sailor Amory Ross (the famous photographer in Newport) had this tongue-in-cheek perspective:

"For those not in attendance... Brad went 1-1-1-1. Glad he took a break from wet sanding his hull to appropriately thank the enablers! Lots of fun indeed, echo the appreciation! Can see the potential. We may need some bigger 'bumpas', but then again, rubbin’ is racin! Looking forward to the next somebody-please-sink-88-now gathering, soon!" Editor's note- #88 is Brad's boat, LOL!


Here is the humorous, full-on, report from the self-appointed Newport DF-95 Fleet Scribe- "Mahky Mahconi" (in theory, a famous Boston-based descendent of Radio Pioneer Guglielmo Marconi- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi).

"The Newport Radio Control DF-95 Fleet’s first eva evening race series was held at the friendly confines of Harbour Court on Thursday July 17th and it looked wicked fun! 

This reporter was quite impressed with the impressive handiwork in boatbuilding by our intrepid sailors.  For those who still are either in process of rigging or paralyzed with fear even looking at the unopened box with their yacht inside, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that is the dyslexia-inducing fun of ripping around Newport Harbor with some really fun folks!

Mahky’s Musings- Night 1:

Body English works!  Clay looks like he is ballroom dancing in all his maneuvers.  Seems fast! Wait till you see those hips in action. He did say T-boning the orange balls was slow...something about "I can't see" or missing his bi-focals.
   
Art has commissioned an artist to paint “Temptation” on the side of his beloved craft.  Fleet Scribe thinks that is a great idea because maybe then he will have the “temptation” to actually start with all the other yachts.

   
Paul had a full-on cheering / coaching section! Alisa, Justin and Mitchell provided ample advice and council.  They brought in Super Coach 'Lior' in for tuning and strategic advice. Some of the quotable coaching: “Turn Left!! No Dad, your other left!” 
   
Dan Hughes got his thousand steps in for the day on his health app by feverishly pacing up and down the pier.
   
Brad started the evening off by pouring a bit of beer on the bow as a sort of christening of his boat.  Then he complained that his jib wasn’t easing out properly. Should have used a better beer maybe?
   
Maxi’s #93 and Amo’s #11 were out early training and definitely had the best tuning early which many people copied over the course of the night. Amo was overheard saying he was going to bring his yacht to Nantucket to race Amo Sr. in his Cat boat.  Standby for more details and the Vegas line on that match race.
   
Nick Bailey, the only pre-existing DF-95 owner brought his boat down from Marble Dead.  They survived the Lynn Way and the Revere Pahkway and also showed great speed through the evening. 
   
Mike Toppa and Tom Kirk are still rigging up their boats, but came down to heckle (observe). TK brings a Cape Cawd in the summah perspective to the fleet and maybe could host an away event in Wild Hahba.
   
Stu J came down early, helped set up the course, sailed around for a bit, but had to leave prior to the racing..."bidnez reasons" he claims. The question remains is why…  What is he hiding? Could it be that he is adding a “J/Sprit” and furling Code Zero? Your intrepid reporter will be inquiring.
  
The only casualty of the afternoon was Henry’s boat that had a servo malfunction.  After much investigation, sabotage was ruled out. (Seriously, if anyone can help Henry determine his cause of his servo issue, please call him).

Oh, and there was racing! After an extended warm up, the fleet got together for 4 races. Conditions mirrored the famed Chahles Rivah in Boston and that seemed to help Paul (Harvard) and Brad (Boston U.) who subscribe to the Hunter S. Thompson theory that "when the going gets weird, the weird “turn pro”. 

Windy, Dead Calm, Shifty and Fun according to all sailors (and a significant number of spectators). Everyone had their ups and downs in the results and crawled up the steep learning curve of RC Racing.

When asked about his good results for the night, #88 skipper Brad was quoted: “This RC Sailing seems to play well to my specific combination of OCD, ADD and Dyslexia. Plus, it's kinda like sailing in the Charles, it is far better to be lucky than good."

Fleet trash-talking continued after racing with the “Sink 88” mantra that was started by Amo. That has led Brad to go to the hobby shop and integrate a BB gun with a special servo trigger to fire salt pellets at Amo. This may just be that war of attrition that we were all hoping for as spectators…. 

Thanks to Janet Garnier - she was our attentive score keeper and is compiling the results for the fleet.

Thanks to Lynn/Beth and Jim Boyd at NYYC for allowing this rabble to be on the pier at Harbour Court for the first night of racing!

Thanks to Bob J, Stu J and Kendra for organizing the purchase of the boats and the first night of Racing!

Thanks to Clay for teaching the sailors the DF-95 Jitterbug. It is a sight to behold!

Sincerely, Mahky Mahconi…  Fleet Scribe."

2020 J/105 North Americans to be Sailed in 2021

(Annapolis, MD)- The J/105 Class Association, Annapolis Yacht Club and J/105 Fleet #3 have determined, because of the varying levels of infection and disruption across the world, that this year’s J/105 North American Championship scheduled for October 29-November 1 will be raced October 28-31, 2021. The Organizing Authority has been closely monitoring the worldwide developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. They understand the commitment of time and money required to participate in a Continental Championship, as well as the enormous resources that our hosts dedicate to such events.

Cedric Lewis, owner of MIRAGE and Event Co-Chair, said, “We were hopeful when we sent out the Notice of Race that COVID-19 would be a distant memory by the time the event took place at the end of October, but unfortunately, that may not be the case. We have complete confidence in AYC's ability to conduct Championship-caliber racing in a safe manner, but the other aspects of the event, including social events and post-race gathering on the dock, would not be possible. The Organizing Committee recommended postponing the event until we can hold a true Championship and offer sponsors the visibility that is expected when supporting an event. On behalf of my Co-Chair, Andrew Kennedy (owner of BAT IV) and Fleet Captain Bill Carruth (owner of PEREGRINE), we look forward to hosting our fellow competitors in 2021.”

Previously scheduled North American Championships will shift back one year as follows: San Francisco Yacht Club (San Francisco, CA) in 2022, American Yacht Club (Rye, NY) in 2023 and Edgewater Yacht Club (Cleveland, OH) in 2024.

In the meantime, the Class wishes all J/105 sailors and their families the best in these difficult times. We look forward to resuming sailing as soon as we can. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Sweep of Doublehanded PSSA Race

(Marina del Rey, CA)- The Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association held their annual 27.0nm "David Wall Race" from Marina del Rey to Malibu sea buoy and return this past weekend. The PSSA was sympathetic to the numerous requests for "doublehanders" to participate in their offshore season. The response was nothing short of dramatic, with the Doublehanded class garnering 13 entries versus the 11-boat Singlehanded class.

Here is the report from Dan Murphy on the J/105 CUCHULAINN:
"On Saturday, Rob Dekker and I did the 27-mile PSSA race to Malibu and back. The wind was predicted to be 6 kts, peaking at 10 kts, by mid-afternoon. So, I tuned the rig for that wind expecting we would not do very well at the outset and might be in OK shape for a longer race.


Indeed, the wind from the start until we had Malibu in sight was the predicted 6-8 knots.  And, we had a hard time keeping up with the smaller J/Boats with their big genoas. But, then the wind started building, and once we turned around at Malibu Pier, it built rapidly until we had a 16-18 knot winds that powered up the spinnaker and had us surfing at 8-10 knots for the short 10-mile trip back to Marina Del Rey. We made up a lot of ground on those smaller boats and ended up fifth in our doublehanded class and third out of the boats competing for the series. The entire race took us just 4 hours 45 minutes. We love sailing the J/105, particularly in moderate to big breeze!"

Winning the Doublehanded Class was Curt Johnson & Paul Burnett's J/80 AVET. Taking the silver was Brian Kerr & Grant Bartee's J/92 DOUBLE DOWN and rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was Caesar Berger & Ron Agustsson's J/29 ZULU.  The balance of the top five was Lenny Gordon & John Thomas' J/92 SUNSHINE and fifth was the J/105 CHUCHULAINN. Also participating were two bigger J's; Jack Rose & Ken Robinson sailed the J/120 PRIVATEER to 8th place and Bruce Keller & Neil Fletcher sailed their J/130 BEAUTY to 9th place! A great show of force by all doublehanded J/Sailors, taking 7 of the top 10 is real proof of the ease-of-handling and boat speed of J/Designs in a wide variety of conditions.  Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Dominate Bayview Mackinac Race

(Port Huron, MI)- The 2020 edition of the Bayview Mackinac Race will go down in the history books as one of the tougher races on record. It was no "walk-in-the-park" as the fleet endured many hours of beating upwind to get to Mackinac Island, despite the incredibly beautiful sailing conditions at the start on Saturday, June 11th.

Due to Canadian maritime restrictions over the covid-19 pandemic, this year's course was simple- "go north and finish!" The only obstacles were having to leave Thunder Bay Island and Bois Blanc Island to port before crossing the virtual GPS finish line between the famous lighthouse and Mackinac Island.

Despite the challenging weather conditions Saturday night and Sunday, most of the twenty J/Teams completed the entire race track. In the only two divisions that had J/Teams entered, it was a clean sweep for them in both.


In eleven-boat Class D Racing division, Bob Cristoph's J/121 LOKI took both line honors and the corrected time win by nearly 20 minutes over Scott Sellers' J/111 NO SURPRISE. Third was John Harvey's J/120 SLEEPING TIGER, fourth Tim & John McGuire's J/112E ELEVATION, and fifth Don Hudak's J/111 CAPERS.

In the twelve-boat Class E Racing division, it was yet another J/sweep. Two J/35's took the top of the podium. Winning was Bill Vogan's MAJOR DETAIL, followed by Ed & John Bayer's FALCON. Third was Chris Mallet's J/109 SYNCHRONICITY, and fourth place went to Sam Powers' J/105 GRYPHON.

This year, the race featured a "Shore Course- Sport Boat" division. The sole J/team was Scott Sorbie's J/88 LEGACY, garnering some silverware in their first outing of the year to take the bronze in Class L Racing division..


The report from the Polk Wager on the J/111 NO SURPRISE team gives you some good "color commentary" on how it all went down getting beaten-up going to Mackinac:

"Another Mackinac Race in the books aboard the NO SURPRISE, and another spectacular adventure with friends and family. It was a difficult and physically uncomfortable race this year, with strong upwind breeze and challenging sea states leading to a very wet boat, long hours on the rail, and essentially no sleep for anyone. After we spent much of the race from the outside looking in, Scott found the shift we were waiting for at 9:00 PM on Sunday night to allow us to take second place in our class (and very nearly first).


A special shout-out to our three rookies: Trip Wagner, Hannah Sellers, and Hadley Camp (seen above). These three spent countless hours on the rail being pelted by waves, eagerly made sandwiches for the team as the boat pounded upwind in the Straits, pumped the boat out with buckets as needed, and even completed a classic midnight water-crashing-spray-everywhere jib change pretty much unassisted. And they did it all with enthusiasm and energy; it was great to be there at the start of what I am sure will be many future Mac race adventures for them."


Here's another report from J/35 DEAN's LIST owner- Dean Fitzpatrick- the J/35 class President and cheerleader:

"Congratulations to Ed Bayer and his crew in winning their division in the Bayview Mac Race! They had a very tight race with Bill Vogan's MAJOR DETAIL. These two boats were never more than two miles apart for the whole race.

That is proof positive of the strength and speed of one of the finest sailboats ever designed by Rod Johnstone- it goes like a train upwind! First and second place by J/35s, triumphing over a J/109, J/105, and a gaggle of Beneteau 36.7s!

Anyone looking to get the biggest bang for their buck only needs to see the results of this race. J/35's walk the walk. Great job by all, you guys once again are putting the sunshine on the J/35, and showcasing the J/35 renaissance to the whole sailing world!"   For more Bayview Mackinac Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fiesta Cup Regatta Preview

(Santa Barbara, CA)- The Santa Barbara Yacht Club is pleased to host the 14th annual Fiesta Cup in gorgeous Santa Barbara, California from July 18th to 19th, 2020.  One-designs invited to participate include the J/111 and J/70 classes. Due to Covid-19 restrictions in California, this year's event will only be open to Santa Barbara YC and Santa Barbara Sailing Club boats.

The sailing will take place in the Santa Barbara Channel. The scenery is unparalleled, since the 50-mile channel is bordered by the Channel Islands National Park to the southwest and the "American Riviera" and San Pablo Mountain range to the northeast. In July, the venue typically provides a sea breeze of 12-18 knots from the WNW, but has a variety of wind conditions and average temperatures of 77 degrees.

Looking forward to a weekend on the water is a large contingent of J/Sailors. As the largest class in the regatta, the eight-boat J/70 fleet will enjoy great sailing and competition. The usual suspects will be present, including Scott Deardorff's CAKE, Tom Tunberg's NAMASTE, Pat Toole's 3 BIG DOGS, and Paul Castleberg's MONKEY HOUSE.

The J/111 Class will be a three-way duel between very experienced offshore teams, such as Bernie Girod's ROCK & ROLL, Kenny Kieding's ARGO 3, and Mike Drammer & Shaun Hughes' TITANIUM.  For more Fiesta Cup Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga Starts in Kiel

(Kiel, Germany)- The first day of the 2020 Germany J/70 Segel-Bundesliga is taking place this weekend in Kiel, from July 17 to 19. Three Kiel clubs are organizing the season opener in Kiel-Schilksee: The Baltic Sailing Club, the Kiel Sailing Association and TSV Schilksee.

The original start for the sailing league was supposed to be on the Chiemsee. The move to Kiel and sailing on the Baltic Sea was a popular choice and welcomed by virtually all the sailing clubs.

“After a long wait, everyone is happy that sailing events in Kiel can start again. The athletes are already in the starting blocks to duel again on the water,” said Mr. Lukosch, the Segel-Bundesliga Manager of Operations.


On the first day of sailing, the northern German clubs dominated the eighteen teams in attendance. Under bright sunshine, the light winds and coronavirus regulations could not spoil the joy of everyone involved.

The boats were on the water from 11:00 AM until early evening. After 18 high-energy races, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein was ahead with 10 points, followed by the Hemelingen Water Sports Club and the ONE Kiel Team.

Thirty-six more races are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. Racing starts at 10:00 AM. The races will be broadcast live between 12 noon and 4:00 PM (European time).   Sailing Photo credits: DSBL / Lars Wehrmann  For more German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga sailing information

Leveling Community Through Sailing

The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center (Milwaukee, WI) is a private, not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 agency located just north of downtown in the heart of Veterans Park at McKinley Marina. MCSC’s mission is to promote sailing and make Lake Michigan available to everyone in the Milwaukee community through quality programming. Amongst the teaching platforms is the famous J/24 sailboat.

Facilities like this are the gateway for introducing people to the sport, and WDJT-TV, a CBS-affiliated television station in Milwaukee, recognized the center’s leader in its weekly segment, Natalie’s Everyday Heroes:

The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center works hard to make sure sailing is accessible for everyone. The center is unique in that you don’t have to have a lot of skills, or a lot of money, to get out in a boat. Holly Church is the director at the center, and she’s this week’s everyday hero.

Church understands learning something new can be intimidating for anyone. “They’re all scared, in the beginning, because none of them really know what to expect or what’s going to happen,” she said of new students.

But every year, kids and adults alike come to the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center to do just that. “Basically, what we do is we teach people how to sail and then they get free access to our equipment to sail on all summer long,” Church said.

She has been working with the sailing center for the last 25 years, but her love for sailing started long before that. “I learned how to sail here when I was 18,” she remembers, and has been a cheerleader, innovator, and advocate for the organization ever since.

“She’s very instrumental in coming up with a lot of the different programming down here,” said Don Ellingsen, member and former board president.

Church is proud that the City of Milwaukee had the foresight to keep the lake accessible for everyone. “Most places privatize the lake,” she said. “And Milwaukee has kept it public and I think that’s amazing.”

Ellingsen, who’s been a member since 1981, said Church’s leadership has made a big difference in the quality of the programs they offer. “She’s really re-energized the club, in that she’s really brought kind of a new spirit to the club,” he said.

US Sailing agrees. Church was recently named Outstanding Organizational Leader. She’s humble about the national recognition.

“The sailing center is one of the country’s premier sailing facilities,” she said. “And we were lucky. It doesn’t just take one person, though.”

But Ellingsen stresses that she helps create an environment that keeps people coming back. And that’s what Church wants—for people to set sail and enjoy all that Lake Michigan has to offer. “I think it gives people a chance to just get off shore for a little bit. Leave everything on shore, just regroup, especially in these days,” Church said.

But the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center’s work isn’t only done on the water. It also goes into middle schools around the city to teach a S.T.E.M program using sailing. “We learn things like angles and weight distribution and how displacement works,” she said.

She calls it an equalizer, and said it doesn’t matter who you are, or where you’re from, anyone can learn. “Sailing is a leveling platform. It doesn’t matter to kids, when you get into a boat, if you’ve never been in a boat it’s a leveling platform,” Church said. Thanks for contribution from Scuttlebutt Sailing (http://sailingscuttlebutt.com). Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Net Brokerage Special- J/109 Netherlands!

* J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world.


In Europe, the J/109s are legendary as the ultimate cruiser-racer.  In the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the boats have enjoyed such tremendous popularity that in major offshore events or race weeks they create one-design classes.  There is not a major trophy event offshore in the RORC and in Europe that does not have a J/109 winning team emblazoned on the silverware. 

Here is another example of a well-maintained J/109 lying in the Netherlands that is "ready to race" or cruise for family and friend’s enjoyment. Learn more about this Netherland-based J/109 here

Promoting Shorthanded Racing on Chesapeake Bay

(Annapolis, MD)- The inaugural Annapolis Yacht Club Double-Handed Distance Race, held in September 2019, will be building on the experience for the 2020 edition to be held October 3rd and 4th, 2020 on the Chesapeake Bay.

Last year, 17 entries in two classes exceeded expectations of organizers, with Hall of Fame sailor Randy Smyth and teammate Christina Persson winning the mixed crew J/105 one-design class.

Already committed are R.J. Cooper and Courtney Cumberland, siblings who both competed collegiately at the University of Florida, who will be racing aboard a borrowed J/105 for the second straight year.

“We like the double-handed distance racing for several reasons. First and foremost is the versatility it requires – helming, trimming, eating, navigating, thinking strategically, tactics, sail changes. There are a lot of different skills that are required,” Cooper said.

“I like that you are always busy with meaningful work. There is always something to do. We like the distance aspect as well and the endurance necessary. For sure the racing is challenging – physically, mentally, and emotionally,” Cooper added.

Because of the pandemic, Annapolis Yacht Club has implemented numerous safety measures for its events with the goal of protecting its members, staff, and guests. Double-handed racing is an ideal pursuit during these times, as the risk is greatly reduced.

Event chair Kathy Parks said the inaugural AYC Double-Handed Distance Race was enlightening on numerous levels with competitor feedback leading to some subtle changes. While the initial idea was to have the race last for approximately 24 hours with a noon start on the Severn River and a finish in front of Annapolis Yacht Club around the same time the next day, Mother Nature had other ideas.

Conditions resulted in predominantly windward racing with the fleet beating down the Chesapeake Bay to Hooper’s Island Light then beating on the return trip as well. Along the way, the wind dropped out and the 17 boats were becalmed for almost five hours.

Race committee officials were forced to finish the fleet off Poplar Island, resulting in the ORC class sailing approximately 97 nautical miles and the J/105 class covering about 82. The original course set forth in the Sailing Instructions was 119 nautical miles.

“We created a race that featured several mandatory turning marks. Because the wind shifted 180 degrees, many of those marks essentially became irrelevant,” Parks said. “This year, we’ll have wider legs and we won’t send the fleet all the way to Hooper’s Island. No matter what course conditions, the race will include elements of beating, reaching, and running.”

Principal Race Officer Dick Neville will develop four potential courses that will be included in the Sailing Instructions. Neville will announce which course will be sailed the morning of the race based on the latest weather forecast and wind direction.

“Competitors are looking for longer legs that are more windward-leeward oriented so there are passing lanes,” Neville said. “They are a very competitive group and would like to do some reaching. Longer legs will allow them to play more tactics with the competition.”

Neville intends to keep the course closer to Annapolis in case it needs to be shortened. That way, the fleet finishes closer to home no matter what.

Organizers have prepared a safety checklist that makes it easier for participants to comply with the requirements of an overnight race.

This year, communication with competitors will be conducted through multiple channels. AYC will send alerts via email and text messages in addition to the standard radio announcement.

All registered boats will carry YB Trackers that allow family, friends, and supporters to follow along during the race. That proved a popular feature in 2019 with 1,254 virtual viewers from eight different countries watching an average of 20 minutes of action.

Big Boat double-handed racing has seen a surge of popularity since it was announced as a discipline for the 2024 Olympics being held in Paris, France. Many major offshore races, including the 2021 Annapolis-to-Newport Race, have added a double-handed class because of the increased participation.

Many of the competitors entered in the AYC Double-Handed Race are Olympic hopefuls, including the aforementioned brother-sister duo of Cooper and Cumberland.

“I think this new discipline is growing because it is fun and in the Olympics. Having the event in the Olympics gives it some curb appeal and draws better sailors into the field,” Cooper said. “Most people that compete in these events won’t actually go to the Olympics, but the quality of Olympic-class events is always quite high.”  For more Annapolis YC Doublehanded Distance Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

How World Sailing & World Sport Needs to Adjust

(English Harbour, Antigua)- We know Pamala Baldwin through her sailing exploits, as the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) had awarded the Antigua-based skipper and her J/122 LIQUID team the CSA Traveler’s Trophy for the second year running.

Although the 2020 racing season was cut short due to the worldwide COVID-19 disease, Team LIQUID had already earned a class win in CSA 1 at Grenada Sailing Week, second in CSA 2 in the RORC Caribbean 600, and second in CSA 3 at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

However, it is her professional side which she shares in this update on how the coronavirus pandemic was impacting her region and the world:

"My business is recruiting for hospitality, super yachts, and professional race (sailing) crews. For hours every day, I speak with medical research professionals, hotel chain owners, private jet companies, regatta organizers, and economists.

Here’s the collective opinion of the disease’s impact; they all agree the pandemic is here to stay for years as no vaccine will work because COVID-19 keeps morphing. A nightmare!

Last week was a good example. As soon as outsiders arrived in Antigua, we went from zero cases to 69 (all from America)!!

It seems the only way to assure safety, and to move forward with sailing and racing, is to organize for all arrivals to be pre-tested BEFORE they travel. Nothing else will work. This is a huge undertaking, to be coordinated with airlines and the World Health Organization, and the ports which yachts are entering. Seems implausible, but most likely true.

So, something radical has to be in place. If arrivals enter our countries and are tested positive, they’ll not be able to enjoy anything, they’ll be quarantined, so the only solution is preemptive- a pre-flight or pre-passage test and quarantine until take-off."  Thanks for contribution from Scuttlebutt Sailing (http://sailingscuttlebutt.com).

Edgartown Race Weekend Update!

(Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA)- The Edgartown Yacht Club will be hosting the 82nd running of its signature ‘Round-the-Island (’RTI) race on Saturday, August 1st, 2020.

The Round Island, which began in 1938 and counts as one of America’s oldest distance races, tracks 56 nautical miles around Martha’s Vineyard.

“To ensure the health and safety of sailors and the entire Martha’s Vineyard community, we have been working diligently to comply with the State of Massachusetts guidelines regarding COVID-19,” said Race Co-Chair Alex Nugent.


“Because of the early-August scheduling of our event, we’ve had time to adapt our plans and prepare the competitors for what to expect. Despite necessary changes, registration numbers are robust, drawing teams from all over the East Coast who see Edgartown Race Weekend as the kick-off to the 2020 racing season.”

At this point in the planning, the Skippers’ Meeting and Awards will transpire digitally. Social events or gatherings at the clubhouse are currently on hold, and sailors are highly encouraged to stay on board their boats as much as possible. As of now, provisions have been made for free moorings for competitors.

Happily adapting to the pandemic guidelines are many J/Sailors. Answering the Siren's Song are sixteen J/Crews, ranging from J/29s to J/160!  All divisions have J's participating, such as IRC, ORRez, PHRF, and PHRF Doublehanded (which includes a J/121 and J/122E so far)!

If you haven't considered it, now's the time to hop on board, sign up, and go sailing with at least your immediate family or go doublehanded! It has to be one of the most fun, challenging (because of the currents), and most beautiful races in New England as you enjoy vistas of the island and its beaches. Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier.  For more information Edgartown YC Round Island Race sailing information

Bayview Mackinac Race Preview

(Port Huron, MI)- Another year, another very different experience for Mackinac Race veterans.  While the Chicago-Mackinac Race was canceled, due to pandemic scenarios, the 2020 edition of the Belle's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race will be taking place this coming weekend, starting on Saturday, June 11th just offshore from Port Huron. Unlike in past years, where the bigger faster boats would sail the "Cove Island" race, an island just a few miles off the Canadian shoreline and deep into Canadian waters, the entire fleet will simply sail straight up the lake to Mackinac Island.

Due to Canadian restrictions related to the pandemic, no yacht may cross the Canadian "border" in the middle of the lake, having to stay off to the west of that imaginary line. And, the mandatory "trackers" placed on each boat will indicate if there was any violation of crossing international boundaries- an automatic DSQ. 

The course is simple enough, go due north up the Michigan shore to the "virtual finish line" at Mackinac Island, leaving Thunder Bay Island and Bois Blanc Island to port. The finish is a virtual GPS finish line. A boat finishes when its position transponder, in its assigned location on the stern, crosses the finish line from the course side. Once you finish, "touch and go" docking is available on Mackinac Island, but that's it.

While many have questioned the wisdom of running the race in these crazy, uncertain times, the Bayview YC and race organizers have worked hard on the "terms and conditions" of competing, ensuring that all boats observe the guidelines for "social distancing" (where possible), wearing masks at all times, not sharing water bottles, and so forth. Nevertheless, that scenario alone will be a challenge for the crews during watch changeovers, changing sails, packing sails, and so forth. An experiment in social interaction, to be sure.

Despite the challenges, there are twenty J/Teams participating, making up nearly one-third of the fleet! Clearly, the passionate J/sailors cannot wait to get back on the water...escapees from months of "lock-down mode" in the State of Michigan. 

In Division 2 will be a slew of very fast 36 to 41 foot J's. Leading that charge will be Bob Christoph’s J/121 LOKI and the Matt Schaedler's J/122 BLITZKRIEG. Chasing them hard will be a quartet of J/120s (Mike & Bob Kirkman's HOT TICKET, Steve Polk's KAIROS, Mike Fozo & Robin Kendrick's PROOF, & John Harvey & Rick Titsworth's SLEEPING TIGER), a quartet of J/111s (Jim Cooper's FREEDOM, Don Hudak's CAPERS, Scott Seller's NO SURPRISE, & Carl Hanssen's VARIANCE), and Tim & Cathy McGuire's J/112E ELEVATION.

Division 3 is comprised of the 35-footers division, mostly all J's. The twin J/109s should be setting the pace in this group with Bill Hamilton's PHOENIX and Chris Mallet's SYNCHRONICITY. They will be challenged by a trio of J/105s (Cynthia & Jim Best's PHANTOM, Mark Symonds' PTERODACTYL, & Sam Power's GRYPHON) and a trio of J/35s (Jim Watts' GRIFFIN, Ed & John Bayer's FALCON, & Bill Vogan's MAJOR DETAIL).

This year, the race has featured a "Shore Course- Sport Boat" division. The sole J/team is Scott Sorbie's J/88 LEGACY.

Follow the race by going to the tracker web site here.  For more Belle's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Eight Bells- Scott Self- J/22 Sailor Extraordinaire

* Scott Self, 70, passed away due to glioblastoma on June 30 in in Rockwall, TX. He was diagnosed May 19, 2020.


Scott Self was born to Dr. Stanley Allen and Gloria Rust Self in Victoria, Texas. In 1963 the family moved to Fort Worth, Texas where he graduated from Paschal High School in 1968. During those years in Fort Worth, Scott learned to sail a Sunfish sailboat and worked on the family’s cattle ranch near Saginaw, Texas.

Scott graduated from Texas Christian University in 1972 with an honors degree in Economics, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. TCU is also where he met his wife, Jan, whom he married on June 9, 1973 in her parents’ backyard—-a 50’ magnolia tree as their altar.

Their honeymoon was spent sailing and racing Dick Williamson’s Swan 44 Stuart Little from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England, then home to the states via La Rochelle, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Morocco, Canary Islands, and the Bahamas.

Upon their return, Scott worked for Merrill Lynch as a stock broker in Dallas. Four years later in 1977, he bought a company that produced Micro Brush, renamed it ProSoap, and moved the company to Rockwall.

He and Jan moved to Chandlers Landing and Scott was able to pursue his love of sailboat racing on Lake Ray Hubbard—-the best sailing lake in Texas due to its shape and orientation to the prevailing southerly breezes. He and Jan were immediately active in the community.

Scott founded Dallas Race Week, a regatta now in its 38th year. In 1985, Scott was the founding Chairman of Rockwall United Way. In 1986, he chaired the Rockwall YMCA Board and in 1987, he served as Commodore for Chandlers Landing Yacht Club. In 1988, he was chairman of the Rockwall Noon Rotary Board. And in 1989 he was Chairman of the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce Board. He loved to serve the community.

In 1990, Scott began his political career and was elected to his first office in Rockwall as County Treasurer in which he served seven years. In 1999, he was elected to Rockwall City Council, and in 2000, he was elected Mayor of Rockwall.

From 2003 until 2006, he served as Rockwall County Commissioner. His proudest accomplishments in these roles were doubling the size of Harry Myers Park and increasing the biking trails, starting the process of Hometown 2000, and keeping taxes in Rockwall the lowest in the Metroplex.

Scott never stopped serving his community. In 2001 at age 51, Scott began a five-year career as a volunteer firefighter for the Rockwall Fire Department and served as the President of the Rockwall Firefighters Association in 2005. He spent eight years as a Board Member of Rockwall County Helping Hands and recently served on the board of Women In Need, as well as serving in numerous other volunteer organizations.

Scott’s sailing career was as illustrious. Scott crewed on the winning boat in the 1973 North American Men’s Sailing Championship, known as the Mallory Cup. That same year, he competed in the 420 World Championships held off the coast of Israel during the Israeli 1973 Yom Kippur war with Egypt.

A story Scott liked to tell was that his crew had become ill and Scott was facing dropping out, so the Israeli sailing committee kindly offered a substitute crew. The substitute showed up and Scott asked what he did for a living. The sub responded, “I’m a fighter pilot. They told me if I could get here in time, I could sail with you, so I put on the afterburners and here I am!” Scott and his new crew placed ninth out of 75 of the best world-class teams.

Further admirable finishes in his sailboat racing career include racing the aforementioned Stuart Little in the Fastnet Race of Great Britain, placing sixth in the 1994 J/22 World Championship in Holland, and again in 1996, as well as placing second in the 2004 J/22 US Nationals.

In 2005, Scott and his longtime sailing partner Nigel Brown won the double-handed division of the Transpac race from Los Angeles to Hawaii aboard their Hobie 33, Soap Opera. Later that same year, he and Nigel were the Overall Winners of the Harvest Moon Regatta, which they came back to win overall again in 2006 and in 2012.

These are the highlights but in brief, Scott placed in the top 10 in every major class of National Championships from Sunfish to 60 footers.

In addition to his racing career, he also sailed open oceans. At age 17, he single-handedly sailed a small boat named Sprinter from Galveston to Corpus Christi, without any sea charts. He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean twice, once heading east, and again heading west.

And in 2007, Scott became a United States Coast Guard 100 Ton Masters Captain. He captained three sailing yachts through the Panama Canal: Erik Oisted’s Angantyr, Bobby Pryor’s Poetry and most recently a 70-foot catamaran, Chamonix, in February 2020.

Scott has introduced thousands of people to the love of sailing aboard Seawolf, a 25’ x 40’ catamaran he custom built himself inside his company’s warehouse. Over the past 12 seasons, Scott has taken over 30,000 people sailing and performed over 700 weddings. He built “Sail With Scott” to be a unique attraction for the DFW metroplex.

Scott was also physically very active throughout his life. He ran 10 marathons, including the prestigious NYC Marathon in 1990, the original Athens, Greece Marathon, as well as four Dallas Marathons.

He was also an avid cyclist with his wife Jan and rode the AIDS 3-Day Ride from Houston to Dallas three times. He completed the HHH Century (100 miles) bike ride in Wichita Falls three times, twice with Jan on a tandem bike. In 2018, Scott, Jan and daughter Chandler hiked and summited Mount Kilimanjaro together.

For most workdays of the past 16 years, Scott looked forward to having lunch with one of his best friends, consultant and confidant: his son, Billy.

Scott is survived by his wife Jan of 47 years, his children Billy and Chandler, his daughter in law Katie, his granddaughters Elliott, Julia, Alexandra and Isla, and his soon to be son-in-law, Matthew Tinley. He is also survived by his older brother Fred, his wife Suellen and their children, and sister Becky Doody, her husband Jack and their children.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Scott’s honor to Women-In-Need (http://www.wintexas.org).

A Family Sailing Story- Brett & Katie Langolf

(Cleveland, OH)- Commenting on how their family has adapted to the new world order, Brett Langolf explained,

"When our race boat had a pack ‘n play crib lashed to the keel bolts we realized we approached things a little differently than other new parents.

The adventures of living, racing and being a family on our sailboats for the past decade have instilled themes and tactics that unknowingly prepared us for the unexpected- a quarantine.

We look forward to sharing stories of life on the water and relating them to the world's current status in the midst of a global pandemic."

Brett and Katie Langolf have created a non-profit organization called "More Kids On Sailboats". Their goal is to create more awareness for the next generation of sailors by offering them opportunities to be part of a sailboat crew and to build future leaders through sailing.  Here is a nice video promo they put together for their organization.

On social media over the internet, you can follow them here:
Website- http://www.morekidsonsailboats.org
YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/morekidsonsailboats
Instagram- @more_kids_on_sailboats

Finally, John Pierce- the US Sailing Youth Director- had a fun, introspective, and thoughtful interview on US Sailing's "Starboard Portal" using that infamous video conference tool- Zoom.  Enjoy watching this hour-long interview with the entire Langolf Family!   Watch the US Sailing Langolf Family interview here. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Beautiful J/32 Offshore Cruiser For Sale!

* J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world.


This week we are featuring a beautiful little fast cruiser that has proven amazingly popular with our J/Cruisers.  The J/32 was Alan Johnstone's first cruising design. It features a huge forward stateroom with a big V-berth and closets, plenty of storage. Then, aft to port is nav station and a large aft head with shower. To starboard aft is the L-shaped galley and a starboard quarterberth.

The J/32 is a great option if you are looking for a boat with pedigree sailing prowess that has comfortable overnight accommodations and can be easily sailed single-handed.

This boat has been well maintained and upgraded with all the right equipment. Highlights include blue Awlgrip, upgraded Raymarine instruments, radar/GPS, autopilot and recent canvas in like-new condition.   For more information on the J/32 cruiser, click here.