Great J/Team Performance @ Rolex Fastnet Race!

J/133 Wins IRC 2, J/122E 2nd in Doublehanded, J/122E Wins IRC 2B, J/109 Wins IRC 3B!
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- There is no question that well-sailed, all-around J/designs, even those over ten years old, can win major events like the RORC’s ROLEX Fastnet Race.  In a tour’de’force, the French J/133 PINTIA, the Dutch J/122E AJETO! and the Irish J/109 JEDI quite handily won their respective IRC divisions in this years incredibly challenging 605nm race.

The Royal Ocean Racing’s biennial flagship event this year attracted another record-sized fleet of 362 boats, six more than 2015. It continues to be the world’s largest offshore yacht race, and also the most popular – when registration opened, the IRC fleet’s maximum limit of 340 boats was reached in just 4 minutes and 24 seconds!

As ever, the course took the giant fleet west down the English Channel, either side of the prohibited ‘traffic separation scheme’ zone between Land’s End and the Scilly Isles, across the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock, four miles off southwest Ireland, back south leaving Bishop Rock and the Scilly Isles to port and then, on past the Lizard, to the finish off Plymouth– in total 605nm..

Equally impressive as the size of the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet was its diversity, ranging from many of the world’s top offshore racing teams, either privately owned or sponsored, down to smaller amateur family and friends entries and to sailing schools featuring individuals for many of whom the Rolex Fastnet Race would rank as their “Mount Everest” (the world’s tallest mountain at 29,000+ feet) of their offshore racing careers.

The traditional Sunday staggered start on the Solent, taking place the day after Cowes Week, was spectacular.  The giant fleet setting off by class, starting with the multihulls at 1100 and finishing 1hr 40 minutes later with the biggest monohulls. They were accompanied west down the Solent by the substantial spectator fleet before squeezing through the bottleneck at Hurst Castle Narrows and out into the English Channel headed west to the first turning point at Land’s End.

This year’s race was a “classic” weather-wise.  The race started off with a prolonged beat all the way to the Fastnet Rock, followed by a run back to Bishop Rock and a reach to the finish. Conditions for the frontrunners were moderate, albeit somewhat awkward with a front lying across the southern UK, creating a small pause in the wind before filling in from the northwest.

The medium-small sized boats got their money’s worth with a hard beat into winds approaching 30 knots en route to the Fastnet Rock. These same conditions made for a blistering sleigh ride back from the Rock for the larger boats.  J/Boats excelled in the all-around conditions.

In IRC Two Class, Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine’s J/133 PINTIA won the first prize following their arrival at the finish line at 0533 hours. Incredibly, they placed 4th overall in IRC for 340+ boats!!  They were, by far, the highest finishing standard production boat in the entire race!

“We had some good results already in IRC Two this year,” said Fournier. “But, the Rolex Fastnet Race is the peak of the season. We have had an internal battle with our friends on Lisa, including Commodore of the RORC Michael Boyd, since the beginning of the season.”

Due to the tidal state at the time, PINTIA went to the west of the all-important traffic separation scheme off the Scilly Isles. Fournier said he enjoyed rounding the Fastnet Rock, even though it was at night.

“You are pleased when you round that because it is an amazing place. You wouldn’t want to spend your holidays there, but it is a legendary place and we are now part of the legend!”

RORC Commodore Michael Boyd acknowledged that PINTIA had stolen a march on them at Portland Bill.  “We failed to get to there in time. PINTIA went in and we probably should have followed her and they just managed to get through the gap. We went outside and lost quite a few miles, but we gained them back at Lyme Bay when an awful lot of boats went inside and we were surprised to see some of our competitors at anchor there. We were further offshore, in the wind. That kept us up with the IRC One boats.”

The boats in IRC 2 Class saw 25 knots on the nose, some of the strongest conditions crossing the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock, requiring the crew to live on the rail. Boyd described the Fastnet Rock, off his native Ireland, as “extraordinary, absolutely magical.”

The IRC Two Handed prize was just missed by “the Flying Dutchmen” on the J/122e AJETO!- sailed by Dutch Two-Handed Champions, Robin Verhoef and John van der Starre. The Netherlands boat had been leading the IRC Two-Handed class until Night & Day finally overhauled them yesterday, leaving them second.  They also placed 4th overall in the entire IRC 2 division and were the winners of IRC 2B Division!

The Dutch duo, racing their new J/122E, which they have optimized for two-handed racing, had an up and down race.

"We sailed well, but we had some bad luck with a wind hole at the Lizard,” said Verhoef. “We were not close enough to the shore and not far enough from the shore to get away from there. There was a big wind hole and we had to anchor twice for about 30 minutes letting out 120m of line!”

This episode dropped them to 13th by the time they reached Land’s End, however they recovered this lost ground by going up the favorable east side of the Land’s End traffic separation scheme and then sailing into the favorable right hand shift in the Celtic Sea.

“The Irish Sea was like lake sailing– wind shift-tack, wind shift-tack,” said van der Starre. “Then at the TSS we were up with the leaders in the group again.” They rounded the Fastnet Rock shortly before dawn, under the full moon. After the prolonged upwind conditions, there was tangible relief as they turned downwind. “That was one big smile. Then at the Scillies we saw for the first time we were leading our class again.”

However, soon after they got stuck in another wind hole forcing them to back down, virtually perpendicular to the course, and then sail south in order to extricate themselves. It was this huge problem that allowed Night & Day to move ahead of them in the IRC Two Handed class! How frustrating for one of Europe’s top two-handed duos!  A win firmly in their grasp, not once, but twice, only to lose it again!  It seems they had a similar fate two Fastnet Races ago on their J/111, sitting stranded in no wind within 200 meters of the finish line, in no wind, anchored against the current flowing out of Plymouth Harbour, talking to the finish line officials- for 7+ hours!!  Yet, they did not go crazy, and still got second despite the fact they were winning by a country furlong on their approach to the final few meters at the Plymouth pier!

The J/122 JUNIQUE RAYMARINE SAILING TEAM sailed by yet another top Dutch crew- Chris Revelman & Pascal Bakker- took 8th in IRC Two-handed Division and 7th in IRC 2 Division overall and 4th in IRC 2B Division!  They were followed by Nick Martin’s ever-present J/105 DIABLO-J in 11th and Wim van Slooten’s J/109 FIRESTORM in 12th.

In the IRC 2A Class, the J/122 LORELEI from France, skippered by Marie & Alain Chatherineau, took 4th place.  Meanwhile, just 45 minutes corrected behind them in 5th place was their J/122 sistership- Andy Theobald’s R&W. Yet another J/122E took 9th place- Chris Daniel’s JUNO.

Then, in IRC 3B class J/crews were 9 of the top 12 teams! First was the Irish J/109 JEDI skippered by Kenneth Rumball.  Third was yet another J/109, Peter Dunlop & Vicky Cox’s MOJITO, and 5th place was Nick Martin’s J/105 DIABLO-J!   YB Tracking video  For more Rolex Fastnet Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fastnet Race Preview

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Solent laid on ‘classic’ conditions for the start of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 47th Rolex Fastnet Race. In brilliant sunshine and with brisk westerly winds gusting up to 20 knots, the giant fleet tacked up the western Solent before compressing through the usual bottleneck at Hurst Narrows. A record-sized fleet of 368 boats started the race, 12 more than two years ago, confirming the Rolex Fastnet Race’s position as the world’s largest offshore yacht race.

By mid-afternoon, competitors in IRC Two were favoring the inshore route, closest to St Alban’s Head at 1620 were class favourite Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine’s J/133 PINTIA.

The inshore-offshore spread was the great debate amongst the smarter tacticians, strategists, navigators in the fleet.  For example, Joan Vila, MAPFRE’s legendary navigator from Buenos Aires, Argentina, confirmed the forecast: “Once we leave the Solent, the wind will blow at around 20 knots. From there, it will drop until tomorrow morning, with the probability of encountering areas of very light wind. As we get closer to Plymouth, the wind will build again.”

One of the growing classes in many RORC offshore events is the Doublehanded Class.  In fact, some of the boats are so well sailed that they have proven then can win both the doublehanded and open full crew divisions overall!

Thanks to our modern day lifestyles, a frequent problem facing race boat owners is finding willing and available crew. One solution is to sail with less people, an ultimate expression of this being two-handed racing. Therefore, it is no surprise that the IRC Two Handed class in has swelled, with 60 boats entered.

This was also helped by the outcome of the 2013 race, famously won for the first time ever by a two-handed crew - Pascal and Alexis Loison, a French father & son team on a 35-footer.

Dutch two-handed offshore champions, Robin Verhoef and John van der Starre, are entered on the J/122E AJETO! The last three Rolex Fastnet Races they campaigned a J/111, finishing seventh in the 54 boat Two Handed class last time. They acquired their new boat to be optimized for shorthanded racing, with a heavier, deeper keel and less sail area. “To make it easier to sail shorthanded,” explains van der Starre. “And we can adjust the mast while racing, which will be an advantage.”

So why do they race doublehanded? “Why? Because we are both a little bit crazy probably! Robin and I really like sailing shorthanded and it is always a hassle with a big team,” van der Starre explains.

As to how they divide up the labor, generally if one is sleeping, the other goes into solo mode, calling the other on deck for maneuvers. When both are up, they typically play to each other’s strengths: “Tactics is more my part,” says van der Starre. “Robin is little stronger, so he does the heavy stuff, getting jibs up and down and gennakers, etc.”

On board they don’t run a watch system and they do rely on the autopilot. “The first 20 minutes you (the human) is better, but after that the pilot beats you every time,” says van der Starre!

In the huge 60-boat IRC 1 class, two very well-sailed J/133s will be competing for class honors, David Ballantyne’s JINGS and Angus Bates’ ASSARAIN IV.

The enormous 65-boat IRC 2 class has two J/111s (Paul Griffiths’ JAGERBOMB and Sebastien de Liedekerke’s DJINN), six J/122E’s (Chris Daniel’s JUNO, David Richard’s JOLLY JELLYFISH, Andy Theobald’s R&W, Robin Verhoef & John van der Starre’s AJETO, & Chris Revelman & Pascal Bakke’s JUNIQUE RAYMARINE), Gilles Fournier & Corinne Migraine’s J/133 PINTIA (leading class in the RORC Offshore Series), Alain Catherineau’s J/122 LORELEI, and four J/120s (Simon Ruffles’ JAMEERAH, Joost van der Wal’s J-QUATTRO, Elin Haf Davies & Chris Frost’s NUNATAK, & Chris Schram’s MAVERICK).

The IRC 3 Class is composed mostly of J/109s, including top boats like Alain Bornet’s J/109 JAI ALAI
and Chris Preston’s J/109 JUBILEE.  Hoping to spoil that party is Jonty Layfield’s J/11S SLEEPER 11.  YB Tracking video  For more Rolex Fastnet Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/112E Tops Class @ SPI Ouest France!

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The 38th edition of the SPI Ouest-France- Destination Morbihan regatta is one of the most important sailing events in Europe and it is the first major regatta of the year after a long, cold winter.  How major is it??  Well, just 409 boats, with more than 2,500 sailors, that were all looking forward to shaking-out the cobwebs, dial-up the adrenalin, and figure out “who’s on first” after a winter of repairs, preparation, new bottom paint, new sails, new electronics and, often, new crew!  A lot is at stake as well for many of the leading builders in Europe as it is the first time they get to test out their newest (or revamped) models against many of the best sailors in France, if not Europe.

Twelve nations were represented in this year’s event along with over a dozen classes that included big fleets of J/70s, J/80s, and handicap classes for both IRC and OSH rules. As usual, the Societe Nautique de La Trinite sur Mer did a fabulous job hosting the event off their gorgeous, quaint little seaport along the Bay of Quiberon.  They were lucky to be blessed with reasonably good winds and weather over the four-day weekend regatta.  The fleet was treated to westerlies on Friday of 10-15 kts; then on Saturday it was a somewhat grey day with breezes of 10-15 kts from the N-NW and quite shifty; Easter Sunday saw the Easter Bunny deliver a suitably sunny day for Easter Egg hunts for the children while the sailors enjoyed a rather light N-NW shifty wind with big holes; and, finally, on Monday the regatta was blessed with more N-NW winds in the 10-15 kts range.

In the end, the most notable and impressive victory was the spectacular IRC 2 Class win by Didier Le Moal’s J/112E J-LANCE 12 from Societe Regate Rochelaises. Their record of 3-1-1-2-1-15-5 for 13 pts net was a decisive 10+ point victory over Dream Pearls- a JPK 10.80 factory team. Ironically, J-LANCE 12’s win may have been even greater had they not missed the penultimate race and score a DNC (their discard race)- somehow their navigator missed the flags at the rear of the RC finish boat indicating there would be one more race on Sunday!

According to Le Moal, “The J/112E has shown impressive upwind capability (being able to overtake higher rated boats in the class above them in real-time). Downwind, the asymmetric spinnaker has confirmed its benefits in a mix of coastal and around-the-cans races.”

There were several other good performances by J/crews in IRC classes. In IRC 1 Class, 5th was J/133 GICQUEL ASSOCIATES with E Gicquel skippering, just two points from fourth place. Then, in IRC 3 (with 31 boats), 5th place was J/97 MISPICKEL VI skippered by Benoit Fagart from Societe Regate Rochelaises, notably beating Rolex Fastnet Race winner FOGGY DEW, the JPK 10.10 sailed by Noel Racine.

Finally, there was an impressive performance by a newly launched, un-tuned, un-optimized J/11S in the massive IRC Double Class of 35 boats- the largest offshore keelboat section in the entire regatta!  Taking 3rd was the J/11S JATAKA with the team of Nicholas Troussel & E Kerscaven from CVF with an 11-4-2-2 record!  They were up against a rogue’s gallery of the top French offshore short-handed teams, many of them “factory teams” on JPK 10.10s (5), JPK 10.80s (3), Sun Fast 3200s (7), and A35s (3).  According to D Le Moal, “she finished in IRC Doublehanded class with a not yet optimized rating and just a few days of training for the crew. The overall performance was fantastic, she showed the ability to overtook all the fleet as soon as the wind was over 5 knots!”

In the French version of PHRF in America, the OSH 1 Class of 25 boats saw a solid performance by J/crews, with 6 boats finishing in the top 15 places!   Second was the J/111 J4F sailed by P Vidon from SR Douarnenez; 5th was the J/120 HEY JUDE skippered by P Girardin from CN Pornic; 7th was the J/92 LUXIOR ASSURANCES ET IMMOBILIER with M Le Formal from SR Brest; 11th was the J/120 LADY JANE with P Tostivint from CN Pornic; 14th was the J/122 JOLLY JOKER with L Marchais from SN Trinite sur Mer; and 15th was the J/105 J-SQUARED skippered by V Jomier from SN Trinite sur Mer!  Congratulations to all!

As has been the case for over the past dozen years at SPI Ouest, the 67 J/80s had great sailing, great competition, and a surprising outcome!  “The Spanish are back!”  And, in a big way.  Taking the top two spots were two of Spain’s top sailors and past J/80 World Champions.  Winning with just 57 pts net was Ignacio Jauregui’s GOLD SAILING, counting just top 8 finishes in this incredibly competitive fleet. Fellow countryman, Jose Maria van der Ploeg (also an Olympic Medallist for Spain), sailed VSA COMUNICACION fast enough to take the silver just 2 pts back, counting an astonishing SIX 4th places (plus, never winning a race) in his 11 races counted scoreline!

Rounding out the bronze medal position on the podium for the J/80 class was top French sailor Eric Brezellec on COURRIER JUNIOR with 62 pts net. The balance of the top five included Simon Moriceau’s ARMEN HABITAT in 4th place and Luc Nadal’s familiar GAN’JA in 5th place. Top woman skipper for the event was Ms C Vitel sailing with her crackerjack crew on VITEL SAILING TEAM- she was 7th overall- a fabulous performance for her! It is clear the Spanish and the French are “dialing up” their activities and focused on the J/80 World Championship that will soon be taking place at Royal Southampton YC on the Solent in the United Kingdom.

The J/70s had their largest fleet so far at this year’s SPI Ouest.  With twenty-one boats on the line, there is no question the class is beginning to gain momentum in France.  Many top J/80, J/22, J/24 sailors, plus refugees from Surprise and 5.70 Classes in France are recognizing the J/70 is a fun, easy-to-sail class that can be easily trailered anywhere due to its simple ramp-launch-ability!  To say that French sailors are a quick study of the class is an understatement- after all, they have some of the most extreme offshore boats imaginable in the entire world- pioneering stuff no one else even dares to try (like globe-girdling IMOCA 60 and Mini 6.50 foilers).  The J/70 has become the “world’s proving ground” for many of those top French sailors training for their other offshore programs- Vendee, Volvo, Mini-TransAt, and so forth- the J/70 forces extreme attention to detail on the simplest boat, focusing on a sailor’s ability to read wind, waves, and their competitors for optimum performance.  As a reflection of that effort to learn from the world’s best sailors, winning the SPI Ouest J/70 class was Luc Sambron’s HEMON-CAMUS team.  They sailed a very consistent series, winning just 2 races but placing in the top 6 in every race to win by a scant one-point margin!  Just one point back was top UK J/70 team SOAK RACING, skippered by Ian Williams.  Although they won 4 races, they could not match the consistency of Sambron’s team.  Third was Oscar Lundqvist’s Swedish crew on TBA with 50 pts net, winning two of the last three races to race up the leaderboard.  Fourth was Herve Leduc’s French crew on JIBE SET with 54 pts net, demonstrating their fast learning curve by winning the first race and never finishing out of the top 8!  Finally, 5th place was evidence the Spanish are beginning to focus their efforts on the world of J/70s- G Alfredo’s LANZAROTE EUROPEAN SPORTS DESTINAT crew from the infamous Canary Islands (home of many great heavy air sailors) demonstrated flashes of brilliance and speed- taking 2nd in the first race and winning two races!   Sailing photo credits- Thomas Brégardis and Marc Ollivier.   For more SPI OUEST-France sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Sweep Epic Round Island Race

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- Nervous anticipation was building a couple of days before the race, with a forecast of 20 to 30 kts of breeze from the west, the fleet of 1,000+ sailboats that range from twin-keel 21 foot “mudders” to state-of-the-art 100 footers and insanely fast MOD 70 trimarans all knew they were going to have their hands full round the back (southern side) of the infamous Isle of Wight.  The race track is simple- start at dawn (or thereabouts), head west out past the famous Needles Lighthouse, turn left around St Catherine’s Point, sail eastward to Bembridge Ledge, left around the Forts and back west up the Solent to the finish- a quick’n’easy 60nm race for most of the J/Tribe.

The morning came and the forecast was true, holding steady at 27kts, still windy but it all seemed manageable for most crews. Getting out toward the Bramble Banks in the western approaches to the Solent, things were starting to hot up a bit, wind against tide made for square-walled 5 to 8 foot waves with boats pounding themselves to pieces in the tough conditions.  After passing the dangerous Needles Lighthouse, the fleet took off on a fast reach, most under jibs and reefed mains.  However, the big tactical consideration was when to pop the kite approaching the first turning point downwind at St Catherine’s Point.  Some did, most did not.  Those who did pop kites, took off like a rifle-shot in 25-30 kts breezes, hauling the mail down the backside of the Isle of Wight, with many crews experiencing some of the most amazing planing rides in their lifetimes on a brilliant, sunny day!  After rounding the Forts/ Bembridge Ledge at the eastern end of the Solent, it was a beat against the tide up the beaches off the Ryde Sands in flat water to the finish line off the Royal Yacht Squadron.

For many J/Teams, it was one of the most memorable Round Island Races ever.  Big breeze, big waves, uphill, downhill, and long, planing sleigh-rides made for simply spectacular conditions.  In such scenarios, the J’s excelled, sweeping several divisions in the process.  For starters, the IRC Division 1A saw a complete domination by J’s, with J/111s sweeping the podium, only to be joined by two J/133s to complete the top five!  Winning was JELVIS (Martin Dent), followed by JITTERBUG (Cornell Riklin), JOURNEYMAKER II (Chris Jones & Louise Makin), the J/133 ASSARAIN IV (Angus Bates) and the J/133 BLACKJACK (Eric Gicquel from France).  JELVIS completed the course in 6:12:26, surely to be a record to stand for a long time for a 36 ft cruiser-racer!

Similarly, the J/11S SYNERJ (Ian Wilson) won her class in IRC Division 1B by over 5 minutes. Her sistership, the J/11S SLEEPER (Jonty Layfield) placed sixth in IRC Division 1C.

With such conditions lending themselves to planing hull designs, it was amazing to see the J/35 KNIGHT BUILD LTD take 2nd in IRC Division 2A ahead of a raft of J/109s hot on their heels.  The J/109s took fourth (DIAMOND JEM- Robert Stiles) and fifth (BOO- Neil Mcgrigor).

Perhaps the most remarkable performance by any class/ brand of boats were the J/105s and J/109s in IRC Division 2B.  Of the top 31 boats, 24 were J/crews.  Plus, it was nearly a clean sweep of the top ten- J’s were the top six teams and nine of the top ten!  Winning in such heavy weather conditions were the J/105s, taking the first four positions- JELLY BABY (Bill Newton), JIN TONIC (Roberts/Edgerley), NEILSON REDEYE (Neilson Holidays/ Peter Tyler), JESTER (David Cowell).  Fifth was the J/109 BOTEZ COAT IV (Yves Dervieux).

Perhaps the stunner of the entire race was the performance of the J/95 in IRC Division 2D.  The J/95 is a shoal-draft, twin-rudder, wheel-driven boat, focused on basic day-sailing in coastal waters.  So!?  One might ask.  Well, JUST IS (Graham Chase) smoked all kinds of daysailers and coastal cruisers to take tenth in her class.  Ahead of her was the J/92 JABBERWOCK (Ralph Mason) in 3rd, the J/97s ALAMARA B III (Ole Bettum) in 5th, BLACKJACK II (Andy Howe) in 6th and MAB AVEL (Herve Devand/ St Malo, France) in 8th.  Behind them were the J/97 JET in 11th and the J/92S WIZARD in 12th.

A somewhat similar scenario played out in IRC Division 3A.  Three J/92s occupied the top of the class, with J’RONIMO (Libby Greenhalgh) in 3rd, WILDEBEEST V (Craig Latimer) in 4th and JACKDAW (Rob Salter) in 6th.

In the world of one-designs, the J/80s had a scream.  Winning their dozen boat division was Chris Body’s MOCKINGJAY, with Chris & Hannah Neve’s NO REGRETS 2nd, Amber Brown’s SEAFIRE 3rd, Andrew Hurst’s FIDUCIAL 4th and Robert “Wally” Walters’ WILD WALLY 5th.

For the overall “J/Boats Trophy”, the top three boats were Martin Dent’s J/111 JELVIS, Bill Newton’s J/105 JELLY BABY and Roberts/Edgerley’s J/105 JIN TONIC.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth   For more JP Morgan Round the Island Race

Antigua Sailing Week Update

(English Harbour, Antigua)- There were near perfect conditions for the two stand-alone long distance races prior to Antigua Sailing Week. Following the Guadeloupe to Antigua Race, a record fleet of 42 yachts took part in the Round Antigua Race and it turned out to be a race that one young up-and-coming Antiguan sailor will never forget.

15-20 knots from the southeast produced a fast race, threatening the monohull race record that has stood for six years. The fantastic weather is forecast to remain for the entire regatta, providing thrilling racing for teams from all over the world. With warm trade winds, deep blue ocean and a festival atmosphere ashore, Antigua Sailing Week is the place to be.

The 52 nautical-mile, Round Antigua Race was held on Saturday 23rd April and attracted 42 yachts; nearly twice as many as the 2015 race. Race Officer Stuart Childerley, officiating at his first race for Antigua Sailing Week, got the fleet off to a flying start from Fort Charlotte outside English Harbour. “We had beautiful conditions for the race with 14 knots, just south of east and every start was very competitive. The breeze built up throughout the day and there were reports of up to 20 knots of wind later during the race,” commented Childerley.

In CSA 2, Chris Body’s J/122 EL OCASO team comprised of an all United Kingdom team was second over Pamala Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID crew that was an all-Antiguan race team!

The Round Antigua Race Prize Giving was preceded by a cultural parade starting from Antigua Yacht Club to Nelson’s Dockyard including Iron-Band percussion, stilt walkers and local drummers to get the party started. It was followed by the Antigua Sailing Week Welcome Party with the Hon. Asot Michael, Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment and Energy of Antigua and Barbuda and the former Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Denzil Douglas.

Historic Nelson’s Dockyard was buzzing and crews were ready to be entertained by “DJ Nez” and live music from sensational Antiguan cover band “1761.” Racing at Antigua Sailing Week started Sunday 24th April with as many as nine races scheduled for the Week and concludes on Friday 29th April.  Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com.  For more Antigua Sailing Week information

Antigua Sailing Week Preview

(English Harbour, Antigua)- Antigua Sailing Week started in 1968 when a group of friends got together to hold a regatta.  A number of the friends were hoteliers and part of their objective in creating the regatta was to extend the winter season by getting people to stay in Antigua a little longer – or to come specifically to participate in the event that would in turn extend the end of the current season.

Therefore, in 1968, the Antigua Hotel Association sponsored the very first Antigua Sailing Week that was held from the 8th through the 15th of June with participating boats from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.  Festivities included a three-day ‘Lord Nelson Regatta’ with sailing yachts of up to 135-feet in length, power boat races, deep-sea fishing and Sunfish sailing contests.  There was also a two-day race among Antigua’s workboat fishermen whose boats had been freshly painted in bold Caribbean colors specifically for the event.

The Antiguan Government and Antigua Sailing Week Committee went to great lengths to welcome visitors and ensure they had a good time.  For those not on the water but looking for a way to be part of the action, there were beach and verandah parties from which the events could be observed.  Then, there was the truly infamous final awards party taking place in Nelson’s Dockyard with the Lord Nelson Costume Ball held on Saturday, June 15, 1968.

The inaugural Antigua Sailing Week was such a huge success that it was repeated for the following 47 years. The dates eventually changed and it became tradition for Antigua Sailing Week to officially begin on the last Sunday in April every year.

Recognized as one of the best sailing locations in the world, Antigua is bracing itself for an influx of sailors and yachts from at least 22 two different countries. The largest number of yachts by country will be Great Britain joined by crews from Antigua, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, St. Maarten, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad and the United States of America. Over 1,000 sailors will be making the journey to the mecca of Caribbean sailing for a week of superb racing and fantastic parties.

A full week of racing starts on Sunday, April 24 and concludes Friday, April 29. Racing takes place around laid marks and point-to-point courses in the world famous sailing grounds off the south coast of Antigua. Daily prize givings are held at the Presidente Beer Garden at Antigua Yacht Club, which provide great opportunities for sailors to meet other teams. The Final Awards Presentation and after party is held in the historic surroundings of Nelson’s Dockyard. Wednesday, 27 April is the Presidente Lay Day Beach Party with fun and games on Pigeon Beach.

The regatta has always attracted the big entries, and this year’s current list includes 28 competing yachts at 50 feet and over. The entry list is bristling with proven winners including 2016 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta winner EL OCASO, the J/122 sailed by Rick Wesslund’s team from Miami.  For Antigua, EL OCASO will be sailed by a hot crew from the United Kingdom- Chris Body’s team from Royal Southern YC on the Hamble.  Joining them in CSA Racing 5 division will be another J/122- Pamala Baldwin’s LIQUID from Jolly Harbour YC.  In addition, two other U.K. crews will be on the starting line; David Ballantyne’s J/133 JINGS! from the Royal Ocean Racing Club on the Isle of Wight and Andy Middleton’s J/120 PERFORMANCE YACHT RACING “SUNSET” from Cowes, I.O.W.

CSA Racing 6 division has a trio of J/Teams up against a dozen other contenders, Jonty Layfield’s new J/11S from Antigua YC, Robbie Ferron’s J/39 MICRON 99 OSSENFEFFER from St Maarten YC, and Joe Da Ponte’s J/44 ZAFU 444 from Vancouver Rowing Club in West Vancouver, BC.

A classic J/35 is sailing in CSA Racing 7 class, Remco van Dortmondt’s SUNBELT REALTY DASH from Willemstad, Curacao and in CSA Racing 8 will be the famous J/30 BLUE PETER sailed by Tanner Jones from Jolly Harbour YC on Antigua.  Sailing photo credit- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com.  For more Antigua Sailing Week information

J/Sailors Lovin’ Antigua Valentine’s Regatta

(Jolly Harbour, Antigua)- With fun dinghy racing for all the family, three days of competitive round the cans keel boat racing plus a new offshore race, the Jolly Harbour Valentine's Regatta was the place to be in Antigua for President’s Day weekend. The fun continued ashore for everybody, with top live acts and a vibrant party scene supported by Mount Gay Rum and Banks Beer. The Square at West Point Bar had a Happy Hour each evening that got the party started, and then some!  The live music came from top Antiguan bands- Spirited, Sound Citizens and Asha Otto & Itchy Feet.

The only problem, mon, is that people gotta work sometime!  That’s what befell the crew on the new J/11S SLEEPER sailed by Jonty Layfield.  “We have just spent two days doing the regatta, but we could not finish the last day as most of crew are working,” commented Layfield.  “On the first day we had a 4th, 3rd and 2nd.  We had crazy long fetching legs where the 40 footers just sailed away.  The last race we got a 2nd as it was short windward-leeward.  Then on Sunday we got 2 firsts and 2nd, all windward-leewards.  We love the boat, she sailed really well in a wide variety of conditions- lots of control with those two rudders!”

First day report
The first day of racing at the Jolly Harbour Valentine's Regatta was held in one Antigua's most beautiful locations. Five Island Harbour is renowned for its clear turquoise water and stunning coastline with rolling green hills and remote white sandy beaches. The sheltered location, just outside Jolly Harbour, produces flat water conditions but the wind oscillated sporadically during the day, with the wind speed pumping up from 15 to 20 knots. With the wind in the south, the higher hills of the west coast of Antigua produced unstable conditions and when the wind backed to the east, stability returned, as well as the wind speed whipping up to 20 knots. Three races were held for all four classes racing under the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) rating rule.

In the CSAS One class, it was Pamala Baldwin's J/122 LIQUID that scored two bullets and a second to lead after the first day's racing by three points. Jonty Layfield's J/11S SLEEPER was third overall.

“A fabulous day for everyone,” smiled Ms. Baldwin. “I think about the cold weather back home in New York and I just think we are all so lucky to be sailing in such a beautiful location with gorgeous weather. This is the first real regatta of the season for LIQUID, but we have been racing with Jolly Harbour Yacht Club for several months now. The team isn't always the same but we have been spending some time on the water and maybe that showed to day. Winning is always nice, but I just love to go sailing, whether it is cruising or racing. I hope we do well tomorrow, but we will enjoy it all the same.”

The CSA Two class saw some veterans move to the forefront of the fleet.  It was highly competitive racing on the first day and it produced a three-way tie for the lead that include Tanner & Shari Jones' J/30 CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE.

Second day report
It was a very, very blustery day on Jolly Harbour.  The second day of racing was held just outside Jolly Harbour Marina, unsettled weather with numerous squalls provided difficult conditions for race officer, Paul Miller and the competing yachts. With gusts of wind topping out at 25 knots, boat handling was at a premium today and those competitors that stayed under control reaped the rewards. Three races were held for all four classes racing under the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) rating rule

At the end of the day, it was Baldwin's J/122 LIQUID that remained at the top of the class but the day's best performer was Jonty & Vicky Layfield's J/11S SLEEPER, taking two wins and a second, lifting the team into second for the regatta.

In CSA Two, three very competitive races resulted in a change of leader for the regatta with Tanner & Shari Jones' J/30 CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE now leading.

Third day report
By the final day of the regatta, it appeared that most of the competitors realized there was not much they were going to change in the standings.  Why? Simply looking at the attendance of the disco/party/reggae marathon the evening before meant that few crews were going to be playing at the top of their game for the last day.  Indeed, that was the case, with Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID winning CSA One class with Layfield’s J/11S SLEEPER settling for third overall due to his A.W.O.L. crew (from sailing, that is!) having to go back to work and having to score three DNS’s for the day.  In CSA Two, the Tanner’s J/30 CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE just crushed it, scoring triple bullets to beat their fleet by a significant margin!  Thanks for contribution from Louay Habib.   Sailing photo credits-  Tim Wright/photoaction.com
For Jolly Harbour YC Valentine’s Regatta sailing information.

RORC Caribbean 600 Race Preview

(English Harbour, Antigua)- A record fleet with a record number of big boats were ready to take flight off English Harbour on Monday.  The weather models are predicting 14 knots of wind from the southeast at the start on Monday, freshening to 20 knots in the early hours of Tuesday morning with the wind in the east. By Wednesday morning the wind speed is due to increase and by Thursday weather models predict 25 knots of wind from the east. By the afternoon, the wind is forecast to move to the southeast and decrease.

That kind of Caribbean weather should enable the trio of J sailors participating in this year’s event to demonstrate their all-around capabilities, from light to heavy and from broad-reaching to a long uphill slog.  Sailing in IRC Doublehanded is the Trans-Atlantic Race duo on the J/120 NUNATAK- Elin Haf Davies and Chris Frost.  This team is highly experienced and should have a good race in store for them.  One of their competitors will be the new J/11S SLEEPER sailed by Jonty Layfield.  In the larger boat IRC 1/ CSA 2 division will be David Ballantyne’s J/133 JINGS, another veteran offshore team with thousands of miles under their belts— they are a bit like a train rolling down the tracks, takes them a good bit of steam to get rolling but do not be surprised to see them on the podium at the end of the race!  For more RORC Caribbean 600 race sailing information

London Boat Show Time!

(London, England)- For the next week the London Boat Show will be going full swing at the Excel Center in the Docklands area east of London! From January 8th to 17th, the new J/112E sport cruiser, new J/11S IRC double-hander, the amazing J/70 and the blistering hot J/88 will be on display on stand A220.  The J/112E is looking spectacular wrapped in gunmetal grey with carbon wheel!  In addition, there will be two fully-rigged 70’s in the entrance boulevard to the Excel Center.  For further information, please contact Paul Heys @ Key Yachting- Mobile +44-(0)7802-264141 or email- info@j-uk.com.  For more London Boat Show information.

J/11S Yachting World Review

(Cowes, England)- Matt Sheahan, Chief Technical Editor for Yachting World, commented that “…J/Boats, in general, have long had a reputation for being good to sail short-handed, thanks largely to the simplicity of the asymmetric spinnaker…the new J/11S has been tweaked to make her an easier boat to sail short-handed and more competitive.  As a result, she has twin rudders connected to a single tiller, a slightly shorter rig, and a smaller jib than her sistership she is based on- the J/111…. the changes and tweaks have helped bring her IRC handicap down from 1.096 (J/111) to 1.050 (J/11S), a reduction that gets her under the upper rating limit for the famous Trans Quadra Race, a popular TransAtlantic Race for single and double-handed amateur sailors over 40.”   Watch Matt’s J11S short-handed speedster sailing review here on YouTube.    Read more about Matt Sheehan’s perspectives on the new J/11S short-handed speedster here in his Yachting World article (PDF file).

J/11S Yachting World Test

(Hamble, England)- Matt Sheahan, Yachting World Racing & Technical Editor, put the new J/11S through her paces on the Solent.  Shorthanded racing for amateur sailors is on the rise around the world.  Events in Europe and in the Americas continue to see strong growth in both single and double-handed racing, especially in the marquee offshore races like the Fastnet Race and the Bermuda Race.

Matt sails one of J/Boats' latest launches that has been aimed directly at the solo and shorthanded scene and discovers a boat that is very easy to get on with.   Watch more here - the Yachting World YouTube J/88 sailing video

SAILING Magazine Features J/105, J/11S & J/24

(Port Washington, Wisconsin)- In the September "New Boats " issue the J/105 was featured on the cover of the magazine.  Then, in the “New Boats 2016” article, the new J/11S launched in Les Sables d’Olonne, France for European IRC racing was given an overview.  Then, the famous, classic, world’s largest one-design keelboat class, the J/24, was featured on the “Boats & Gear” cover, as well as being featured in the Used Boat Notebook" on page 56.

Thanks to Sue Reynen and the Schanen Family at SAILING for these boat features.  You can visit their website (http://www.sailingmagazine.net) and follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SAILINGmag)!

J/11S- A New 36’ Double-handed, Offshore Racer

(La Rochelle, France)- Just launched in La Rochelle, France this week is a new 36’ (11 meter) double-handed, offshore J designed to compete in the double-handed IRC circuit in Europe. Built by J/Composites, the J/11S starts with the high performance hull of the J/111 and is then rating optimized for its length (from IRC 1.096 down to 1.050) with a shorter VCG-optimized sail plan, increased stability, a twin rudder/single tiller steering system, and simplified deck and interior plan.

While most designs in this genre are focused on offwind sailing in windy conditions (i.e. max beam carried to the transom), the J/11S provides a versatile performance platform that’s ideally suited for most of the popular double-handed races in Europe and North America, where wind and sea conditions vary widely, and where both upwind and downwind performance matters.

“J/Boat owners have had great success in short-handed offshore racing,” said J/Composites president and J/11S project leader Didier LeMoal. “Nearly all our models between 9 and 16 meters have thrived in very demanding events like the double-handed Fastnet, Round Britain and Middle Sea Races. We’re excited to launch a boat that’s even further optimized for short-handed racing.”

There will be the world show debut of the J/11S at Southampton Boat Show in September.  For more information, contact J/Boats at ph# 401-846-8410 or email- info@jboats.com.