CBYRA Top US Sailing’s Mallory Trophy

(Marion, MA)– The thirteen teams representing their Regional Sailing Associations were challenged by the fast-paced action with varying conditions on Buzzards Bay over four days at the 2019 U.S. Adult Sailing Championship for the Mallory Trophy, hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club. This year’s “Mallory” proved to be a US Sailing National Championship to remember. After 48 total races including six races in Sunday’s Stage 3 Final, the winning team was determined by a tie-breaker!

John Loe (Highland Beach, Md.) and his team representing the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association (CBYRA) and the Annapolis Yacht Club earned the win on Sunday in a closely contested final round. The winning crew includes Jake Doyle (Annapolis, Md.), Jamie Gilman (Galveston, Texas), and Robbie Deane (Essex, Md.).

Loe and Trey Sheehan (Chagrin Falls, Ohio), of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association (I-LYA), each finished Sunday’s Stage 3 Final Round with 23 points over six races to place them in a tie atop the leaderboard. Loe earned the tie-breaker edge over Sheehan with their three first place finishes on Sunday over Sheehan’s one first place finish.

Crewing for Sheehan and the I-LYA this week was Brad Boston (Point Edward, Ontario, CAN), Curtis Florence (Ohio), and Tyler Black (Newport, R.I.).

The top eight teams started the Final Round with a point representing their Qualifying Place (QP).

This Championship was sailed using league racing, a fast and competitive format, featuring two flights with teams frequently rotating boats between races. Each team raced an equal number of races against the other competitors. Races were approximately 15 minutes in duration and race management ensured quick rotations with on-the-water judging.

Stage 1 included two rounds of racing for all 13 teams over Thursday and Friday (Day 1 and 2). Each team completed eight races per round with boat rotations. A total of 26 races were conducted over the first two rounds. Stage 1 determined the top four teams advancing to Sunday’s final Stage 3.

On Saturday, the Stage 2 Repechage round featured the remaining nine teams battling it out over six races to determine the next four teams, 5-8, advancing to Stage 3.

Strong winds with blustery conditions dominated the race course for most of Friday and Saturday, as remnants of Hurricane Dorian pushed north through the Atlantic Ocean. Teams raced in 15 to 20 knots with gusts in the 20s for most of Friday and Saturday. The breeze dropped considerably Saturday afternoon for the final two races of Stage 2. The wind was blowing in the low to mid-teens on Thursday.

John Loe (Chesapeake Bay YRA) commented on their winning efforts: “We were racing for my grandfather this week who is not feeling well. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it here. That’s who we were racing for and that’s why we are here.”

Trey Sheehan (Inter-Lakes YA) reflected on their silver-winning performance: “It was fantastic sailing this week and we had a great time. Race committee did a great job and the Beverly Yacht Club threw one heck of a party.”

Peter Levesque (Narragansett Bay YRA) had this to say about their bronze medal winning experience: “We approached every race like a new challenge in the variable, shifting conditions. The fleet was very tight. You could drop five places at any one of the marks. It was very hard to go the other direction.”  For more US Adult Sailing Championship information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

US Sailing’s Mallory Trophy Preview

(Marion, MA) – Regional Sailing Associations (RSA) from around the United States will be well represented this week by a talented group of sailors competing for the historic 2019 U.S. Adult Sailing Championship, hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club.

Thirteen teams will be fleet racing for the Mallory Trophy in the J/80 over four days on Buzzards Bay. Competition for this legendary trophy gets underway on Thursday, September 5 and wraps up on Sunday, September 8, 2019.

Returning to defend the 2018 title is Michael Hanson (Deephaven, Minn.) of the Minnetonka Yacht Club and his team representing the Inland Lake Yachting Association and Area K. Hanson and his team dominated the regatta, hosted by the Wayzata Yacht Club (Minn.) and raced in the J/22, posting the low score of 53 points to win the coveted Mallory Trophy.

They won six races and finished outside of the top three only three times in 20 races for an incredibly low average score of 2.7. His 16-point margin of victory is the largest since a 21-point victory in 2011. Hanson and crew won the first four races and never looked back.

Returning to crew for Hanson from the 2018 team is Mark Swift (St. Paul, Minn.), along with newcomers Maclean Potts (Hopkins, Minn.) and Judson Koehn (Minnetonka, Minn.).

Hanson is not the only returning champion competing this week. Charles Quigley (Winthrop, Mass.) of the Boston Yacht Club won this title in 2002 and 17 years later, he hopes to capture a second Mallory Trophy.

Quigley and his team representing the Mass Bay Sailing Association and Area A includes David Bryan (Boston, Mass), who won with Quigley in 2002, Kay VanValkenberg (Boston, Mass.), and William Colehower (Marblehead, Mass.). Johns is representing the Southern Massachusetts Sailing Association, Area A, and is a member of the Beverly Yacht Club.

Another local standout sailor will be on hand to challenge Hanson and the rest of the fleet. The 2018 J/80 North American Champion, Chip Johns (Mattapoisett, Mass.), will be a major contender for this year’s Championship. Johns will be sailing with Alex Gryska (Marion, Mass.), William Godfrey (New York, N.Y.), and William Marvel (Marion, Mass.). Gryska and Marvel sailed with Johns as part of the winning J/80 North American Championship team.

This Championship will be sailed using league racing, a fast and competitive format, featuring two flights with teams rotating every two races. Each team will race an equal number of races against the others. Races are approximately 15 minutes in duration. The host club ensures quick rotations and on-the-water judging, in addition to an improved viewing experience for spectators.

“We will be tested in conditions that we don’t regularly sail in,” said Hanson. “The J/80 is a new platform for us, with very few of them around the Twin Cities area. We managed to find one to practice on over the past few weeks, so we will be coming into the event as prepared as possible.

“One thing we like about the event format is the small courses and the fast-paced nature of the racing. It is a format I’m used to from both college sailing and match racing, so we look forward to bringing the smackdown on our competitors when things get tight.”

To drive more participation in the event and to improve diversity overall for the Championship there are several requirements per boat. Sailors under 30 make up 25% of the team and female sailors make up at least 25% of the team. A bonus is provided if a female is a helm.

The Mallory Trophy, a magnificent sterling silver tureen trophy, has a long and colorful history that dates to the Battle of the Nile in 1798. Racing for the Mallory Trophy was first held in 1952 as the U.S. Men’s Sailing Championship and transitioned to an open event in 1993.

Since then, it has become a more open and inclusive regatta, allowing female skippers and all-female crews. In reflection, the regatta was renamed the U.S. Adult Sailing Championship in 2013.

“It’s great to see so much enthusiasm here at the Beverly Yacht Club in anticipation of hosting this historic regatta,” said Jack Gierhart, CEO of US Sailing and Commodore of the Beverly Yacht Club.

“The Beverly Yacht Club has a longstanding tradition of hosting major national and international regattas, including many US Sailing National Championships and Olympic Trials, and the club will add to its legacy by hosting its second U.S. Adult Sailing Championships this week on Buzzards Bay. I know the club is excited to welcome these talented sailors to this spectacular sailing venue.”

US Sailing medals will be awarded to the top three teams. The first place team will be presented the Clifford D. Mallory Trophy. The Staton J.Peele, Jr.Trophy voted upon by the sailors may be awarded for sportsmanship.  For more US Adult Sailing Championship information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

LOKI Locks Up J/109 North Americans!

(South Dartmouth, MA)- It was an interesting summer for the J/109 fleet in the northeastern seaboard. Some teams slowly surged to the forefront of the fleet, while others faded to black. Consistency is hard to come by in this fleet. In particular, since it is a season that starts for many teams with the American YC Spring Series in May and works its way through several major regattas during the summer- like Cedar Point YC One-Design Series, New York YC Annual Regatta, Block Island Race Week, and so forth.

The 2019 J/109 North American Championship was hosted by New Bedford YC with sailing taking place on Buzzards Bay. The eleven-boat fleet had four good days of racing, with eleven races completed for the passionate and aggressive fleet.

David Rosow’s crew on LOKI had spent the entire summer fine-tuning their teamwork, strategy, and tactics to win the 2019 J/109 North Americans by the largest winning margin in recent history. Starting out the first day with a 3-1-4 to lead the fleet, they never looked back and managed to post only top four finishes in the eleven races. Dominating? Perhaps an understatement. Five 1st, four 2nds, a 3rd and 4th for just 20 pts total.

A distant second was Bengt Johnasson’s ZIG ZAG with 40 pts, third was Jon Rechtschaffer’s EMOTICON with 45 pts, fourth was Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING 52 pts, and fifth was John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT was 55 pts.  For more J/109 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fun-Loving Buzzards Bay Race Week

(New Bedford, MA)- The 47th annual Buzzards Bay Regatta was jointly-held by New Bedford YC and Beverly YC for both PHRF handicap racers and one-design classes, including J/80s. The sailors on Buzzards Bay ultimately enjoyed reliable summertime breezes, permitting up to eight races to be held for some classes.

Winning the J/80 class was Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER with a scoreline that only included top four finishes; it was Cooney’s best BBR regatta ever. Second was Jack Gierhart’s AEGIR with all top six finishes. Then, third on the podium went to Jason Viseltear’s UPSETTER from New York’s Huguenot YC.

Counting all bullets in PHRF Racing 1 Class was Mark Verville’s J/120 ISURUS from the host club Beverly YC. Taking the bronze was Mark Nannini’s J/120 SALACIA, while Corey Eaves’ J/109 FREEDOM took fourth.

In the PHRF 2 Racing division, again it was Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST that led the J/Crews on the podium, taking the silver medal.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Buzzards Bay Race Week Preview

(New Bedford, MA)- The 47th annual Buzzards Bay Regatta will be held both at the New Bedford Yacht Club and at Beverly Yacht Club and will be the largest BBR ever. It will feature fourteen handicap and one-design classes racing on seven circles. The sailing on Buzzards Bay features the most reliable summertime breeze anywhere on the East Coast, and this combined with warm water, warm air and warm shoreside hospitality make BBR a not to be missed event.

Loving those sailing conditions for years are entire generations of J/Boat sailors from across the range of sailing experience. Buzzards Bay can be very deceptive. Wake up to morning fog, calm, but a gently building breeze on a sunny day by 11am. By the time the races start late morning, the breeze from the WSW can easily be in the 8-12 kts range.  And, if there is an ebb tide in the building 15-25 kts WSW breezes, it can make for some of the most difficult “washing machine” chop/waves to sail in the world- a bit like the infamous Solent off Cowes, England- but it is an entire Bay that looks like that. Scary movies. Upwind sailing sucks for skippers since it seems you are only steering into constant vertical 4 ft walls of water.  However, downwind is a scream since the disorderly massive chop permits skilled drivers to simply dive from trough-to-trough-to-trough on an all-out plane for miles!

Loving those conditions is the local J/80 class. Top local crews include Peter D’Anjou’s LE TRIGRE, Greg Packard’s PLAN B, Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER, Jason Viseltear’s UPSETTER, Bill Snyder’s THE PARTY TREE, and Jack Gierhart’s AEGIR.

In the PHRF 1 Racing class are two J/122s (Jamey Shachoy’s AUGUST WEST & Jim Maseiro’s URSUS MARITIMUS), two J/120s (Mark Nannini’s SALACIA & Mark Verville’s ISURUS), and Corey Eaves’ J/109 FREEDOM.

Three J/105s are sailing in PHRF 2 Racing class, including Mary Schmitt’s HARDTACK, Mass Maritime’s BOUNTY, and Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF. Joining them is Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST- a previous winner of the division. For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information

Marion to Bermuda Race Preview

(Marion, MA)- The Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, are hosting the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. This will mark the 22nd running of the Race of the biennial event.

The 2017 race was a wonderful experience for all who participated. The fact that the America’s Cup competition coincided with the fleet’s arrival added to the excitement. However, even without the Cup, Bermuda is just a wonderful place to visit. The Dinghy Club is a welcoming facility. Their hospitality is legendary.

Back in 1977 when the first race was run, all navigation was celestial. Over the years, with the advent of GPS, the sextant has been put aside for the ease and accuracy of GPS.

The Marion Bermuda Race is now the only ocean race in North America that offers a celestial class for those skippers that want the challenge. To help stimulate participation in using celestial, in 2015 we increased the time adjustment from 2% to 3% over electronically navigated yachts.

Also, to encourage younger sailors to participate in an offshore race, the Race added a Youth Trophy to the 2015 event, with the goal of increasing the number of younger sailors in our sport. This is another first in offshore racing. If you can accommodate a minimum of four young sailors between the age of 16 and 23, you can qualify for this new trophy and give some young sailors and opportunity of a lifetime!

This year’s Founder’s Division has 39 entries.  Amongst those teams are the J/122 AUGUST WEST, skippered by Jamey Shachoy from Marion, MA and the J/46 MOJO sailed by Eric & Robert Grubman from Milford, CT.  For more Marion to Bermuda Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

CAVITICA Wins J/80 North American Championship

(Marion, MA)- The Beverly YC and the local J/80 Buzzards Bay fleet hosted twenty-five teams for their 2018 J/80 North American Championship held on Buzzards Bay.  The fleet was challenged by a wide variety of wind and weather conditions over the three-day event that ran from Saturday to Sunday. In particular, Saturday and Sunday the fleet enjoyed ENE winds in the 15-25 kts range, making for fun, fast planing-mode rides downwind in most races.

In the end, thirteen races were held over the three days, making for exhausted, but happy crews dizzy from having 4+ races of double windward-leeward courses per day.  It was hometown hero Chip Johns and his crew on CAVITICA that was crowned 2018 J/80 North American Champion, winning by a convincing margin of 11 pts with five bullets.  Taking the silver was the duo of Kevin Hayes & Jeff Kirchhoff sailing MORE GOSTOSA and rounding out the podium in the bronze position was John White’s USA 1162 from Annapolis, MD.  The balance of the top five included J/80 class veteran Gary Panariello on COURAGEOUS from San Francisco Bay, California in 4th and Maine’s Ken Colburn on GHOST in 5th position. For more J/80 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/80 North American Championship Preview

(Marion, MA)- Twenty-five intrepid adventurers in the J/80 class are soldiering forth to the wild and woolly waters of Buzzards Bay, a place infamous for massively choppy waters and epic “blowing dogs off chains” breezes well into the 18-25 kts range.  Participating teams in the 2018 J/80 North Americans cannot wait to test their boats in the strong southwesterlies that are the prevailing condition on most sunny days at this time of year.

As host for the event, the Beverly YC and their local J/80 Buzzards Bay fleet are looking forward to welcoming crews from as far away as California and Washington.  The three major fleets are well-represented, Buzzards Bay (MA), Lake Winnipesaukee (NH), and Annapolis (MD). The courageous visitors from afar include Bryan Rhodes’ CRAZY IVAN from Corinthian YC in Seattle, WA and Gary Panariello’s COURAGEOUS from Sausalito YC in Sausalito, CA.

The homeboys from Beverly YC are hoping to take home the crown for proud display on the fireplace mantelpiece.  Those crews include Chip Johns’ CAVITICA, Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER, Jack Gierhart’s AEGIR.  The always-strong Chesapeake Bay J/80 fleet are fielding solid contenders, too, such as John White’s USA 1162, Alex Kraus’ COOL J, Bert Carp’s ELEVEN, and Dan Shanahan’s LAWYERS GUNS & MONEY.  The Lake Winnipesaukee contingent includes Casey Nickerson’s ARGO III, Jason Blais’ BLONDIE, Les Beckwith’s FKA, and Kevin Hayes/ Jeff Kirchoff’s MORE GOSTOSA.  The “lone sharks” hoping to steal the championship include Ken Colburn’s GHOST (a previous winner and also NYYC Invitational Cup winner) from Boothbay Harbor YC and Peter D’Anjou’s LE TIGRE from PWYC.  For more J/80 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/80 North American Championship Preview

(Marion, MA)- Twenty-five intrepid adventurers in the J/80 class are soldiering forth to the wild and woolly waters of Buzzards Bay, a place infamous for massively choppy waters and epic “blowing dogs off chains” breezes well into the 18-25 kts range.  Participating teams in the 2018 J/80 North Americans cannot wait to test their boats in the strong southwesterlies that are the prevailing condition on most sunny days at this time of year.

As host for the event, the Beverly YC and their local J/80 Buzzards Bay fleet are looking forward to welcoming crews from as far away as California and Washington.  The three major fleets are well-represented, Buzzards Bay (MA), Lake Winnipesaukee (NH), and Annapolis (MD). The courageous visitors from afar include Bryan Rhodes’ CRAZY IVAN from Corinthian YC in Seattle, WA and Gary Panariello’s COURAGEOUS from Sausalito YC in Sausalito, CA.

The homeboys from Beverly YC are hoping to take home the crown for proud display on the fireplace mantelpiece.  Those crews include Chip Johns’ CAVITICA, Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER, Jack Gierhart’s AEGIR.  The always-strong Chesapeake Bay J/80 fleet are fielding solid contenders, too, such as John White’s USA 1162, Alex Kraus’ COOL J, Bert Carp’s ELEVEN, and Dan Shanahan’s LAWYERS GUNS & MONEY.  The Lake Winnipesaukee contingent includes Casey Nickerson’s ARGO III, Jason Blais’ BLONDIE, Les Beckwith’s FKA, and Kevin Hayes/ Jeff Kirchoff’s MORE GOSTOSA.  The “lone sharks” hoping to steal the championship include Ken Colburn’s GHOST (a previous winner and also NYYC Invitational Cup winner) from Boothbay Harbor YC and Peter D’Anjou’s LE TIGRE from PWYC.  For more J/80 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/111 New England PHRF Champion @ Buzzards Bay

(South Dartmouth, MA)- The Beverly Yacht Club and New Bedford Yacht Club hosted their annual Buzzards Bay Regatta this past weekend with 13 fleets of boats on 7 circles, over 200 boats and 1,000+ sailors!

Winning the seven-boat J/80 Class was Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER with six bullets in their seven-race scoreline.  However, behind them it was a real battle all weekend-long between Peter d’Anjou’s LE TIGRE and Jim Shachoy’s PEARLY BAKER.  That fight for the silver came down to the final race, with LE TIGRE holding on to a 3rd place, while Shachoy’s crew finished 4th; LE TIGRE taking the silver by 1.5 pts.

Winning the PHRF New England Racing A division was Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0, counting an impressive record of five 1sts for a total of 5 pts net.  Two J/109s finished 4th and 5th, respectively, Cory Eaves’ FREEDOM and Dan Boyd’s WILD THING.

J/Crews led a near sweep of the PHRF NE Racing B Division.  Winning was Mark Lindquist’s J/105 STERLING with 6 pts in five races.  Second was Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST with 8 pts, fourth was Mary Schmitt’s J/105 HARDTACK with 14.5 pts, and fifth position went to Massachusetts Maritimes J/105 BOUNTY with 18 pts.

In the PHRF New England Championship- Cruising Division- Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA took the silver with a consistent scoreline of 2-4-2-3-3 for 10 pts net.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Buzzards Bay Regatta Preview

(South Dartmouth, MA)- On behalf of the Beverly Yacht Club and New Bedford Yacht Club, the Regatta Chair welcomes all sailors to a new era of the Buzzards Bay Regatta! After 45 years of alternating locations annually, the organizers have decided to stage an event that spans the entire Bay- from the Cape Cod Canal to Buzzards Tower!

2018 will feature spectacular racing out of both Beverly Yacht Club and New Bedford Yacht Club, with 13 fleets of boats on 7 circles, and racers that span from 20-ton cruising boats to foiling kiteboards!!  The regatta expects over 200 boats (boards) and 1,000+ sailors! Off the water, there will be tent festivities at both venues, with live music, food delights, and full-tilt regatta bars!

The J/80 Class includes Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER, Peter d’Anjou’s LE TIGRE, and Jim Shachoy’s PEARLY BAKER.

The J/105 New England Championship will include Mary Schmitt’s HARDTACK, Mark Lindquist’s STERLING, Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF, and the trio on DARK’N’STORMY (Andrew Reservitz, Eric Wagner, & Ned Joyce).

The PHRF New England Racing division will have five J/teams, like two J/109s (Cory Eaves’ FREEDOM and Dan Boyd’s WILD THING), the J/121 INCOGNITO (Joe Brito), Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0, and Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST.

Two J/crews will be having a good, relaxing time sailing in the PHRF New England Championship- Cruising Division- Sarah Lamothe’s J/30 NO QUARTER GIVEN and Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

The J/80 Regatta “Triple Play” Announcement!

Three Regattas, Three Cool Sailing Venues!
(Marion, MA)- Here is a personal invitation from Deb Gayle, the Co-Chair of the J/80 North American Championship and the Rear Commodore of Beverly Yacht Club.

“We are hosting this year's J/80 North Americans at the Beverly Yacht Club (BYC) in Marion, Massachusetts from September 7th to 9th.  We are located in Buzzard's Bay, famous for its big breeze and competitive racing fleets.

On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to personally extend an invitation to J/Sailors to participate in this Championship event.  We have a very seasoned race committee and promise exceptional racing and sailing.  Beverly YC is extremely welcoming and the membership is looking forward to once again hosting the J/80 fleet.  In addition to great racing and wonderful camaraderie, we are offering housing to those coming from a distance (first come- first served).

I would also like to let you know about the J/80 “Triple Play,” a terrific opportunity for racing, with three great J/80 regattas being held all two weeks apart from one another:

1. Aug 24-26- J/80 East Coast Championship- Boothbay, ME
2. Sep 7-9- J/80 North American Championship- Marion, MA
3. Sep 21-22- J-Jamboree Regatta- Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

These events present an awesome opportunity for spectacular J/80 sailing and competition within a reasonable drive of each other.  Boats competing in the East Coast Championships in Boothbay can drive directly to Marion, MA.  We will store your boats and give you an opportunity to race during the intervening two weeks prior to the North American Championships.  Then, you can head up to Lake Winnipesaukee for the J-Jamboree for fall sailing on the most scenic mountain lake in New Hampshire!

We look forward to hosting you at the J/80 North American Championship.”  Register here today.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Deb Gayle at email - DLGayle@msn.com.   For more J/80 class information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/80 North Americans Announcement

(Marion, MA)- For all ‘ye J/80 sailors across America, Mexico, and Canada, be sure to mark your dance calendar now and get organized for the 2018 edition of the J/80 North American Championship.  The regatta is being held from September 7th to 9th, 2018 and it is being hosted by the Beverly YC in Marion, MA. Sailing will take place on the famous Buzzards Bay, notorious for lots of current, enormous choppy waves and 15-25 kts of west to southwest sea breezes every day!  A perfect venue for the fast, easy, robust J/80 to have a romp around the buoys!  Register NOW - click here!  For more J/80 North American Championship sailing information.

1st annual J/80 West Coast Championship
The J/80 class continues to steadily grow in the Pacific Northwest region.  In fact, the class is now large enough to warrant creating the first ever 2018 West Coast Championship.  The regatta will take place from April 21st to 22nd, 2018 and the host will be the friendly members of Corinthian YC Seattle in Seattle, WA.  Racing will take place on the always-challenging Puget Sound where you can expect just about any weather condition imaginable in late spring!  Register NOW and get more J/80 West Coast Championship sailing information here.

If you have any questions whatsoever about either event in terms of possible charter boats, accommodation, traveling information, local contacts, then do not hesitate to contact the J/80 North American Class President Ramzi Bannura- email- rbannura@yahoo.com Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Challenging Buzzards Bay Regatta

GOOD TRADE Smokes J/105!
(New Bedford, MA)- The 45th edition of the late summer classic known as the Buzzards Bay Regatta was an exciting event for the J/105 class as well as the big boat PHRF classes.

Perhaps Nicole Breault’s J/105 GOOD TRADE put up the most stunning performance of the regatta.  Virtually leading at every single mark in every race, she posted ten 1sts and had to toss out a 1st for 9 pts net!  Ouch!  That is a spanking of the J/105 fleet.  Second with nearly all 2nds and 3rds, was Mark Lindquist’s STERLING.  Then, taking third place was Matt & Lisa Schmitt’s HARDTACK.

In the PHRF Spinnaker division, 7 of 10 boats are all J/crews!!  Winning the PHRF 1 Class was Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0, followed by Mark Verville’s J/120 ISURUS in second, Ted Herlihy’s J/109 GUT FEELING in 3rd, Cory Eaves’ J/109 FREEDOM in 4th and Dan Boyd’s J/109 WILD THING in 5th place.

PHRF 2 class saw Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST continue their great performances offshore, taking the silver in their class.  They were followed by Tom Sutton’s long-distance traveling J/35 LEADING EDGE- winner of last year’s New York YC Annual Regatta.

The PHRF Non-Spinnaker class had Ken van Colen’s J/30 MOODY BLUE taking a third in class.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Buzzards Bay Regatta Preview

(New Bedford, MA)- The 45th edition of the late summer classic known as the Buzzards Bay Regatta is on track to be an exciting event, drawing boats from local, traditional classes as well as from some of the most popular sportboats currently on the racing circuit.

This year’s regatta includes kiteboards (like all 5 variations- foilers, too) as well as a huge J/70 class for its Corinthian Nationals and also great participation by J/owners in various handicap classes.

There is a J/05 one-design class with five boats;  it is likely that Nicole Breault's crew on GOOD TRADE may lead the fleet home to the victory stand! 

In the PHRF Spinnaker division, 7 of 10 boats are all J/crews!!  They include three J/109s- Corey Eaves’ FREEDOM, Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING and Dan Boyd’s WILD THING.  Plus, they will be up against past regatta winners like Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0; Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST; and NYYC Annual Regatta winner- Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE from Houston, TX.

Finally, in PHRF Non-Spinnaker is Jamey Shachoy’s pretty J/122 AUGUST WEST and Ken van Colen’s hot blue J/30 MOODY BLUE!  Then, in PHRF Cruising division is another J/122, Jimmy Masiero’s URSUS MARITIMUS from Sterling, MA.   For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Brilliant Buzzards Bay Regatta!

PIPE DREAM Wins J/24 NE’s & PEARLY BAKER Wins J/80 Tie-breaker
(Marion, MA)- The 44th Buzzards Bay Regatta, presented by Mozzone Lumber featuring Marvin Windows and Doors, was held from August 5th to 7th at the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, Massachusetts.  The BYC Principal Race Officers for the event were as follows- Spyder Fortier on the PHRF Course and Charlie Cooper on the One-Design Keelboat course.  The PRO’s were blessed with absolutely classic Buzzards Bay sailing conditions, for the most part, sunny, windy and choppy; permitting them to run up to ten races for some classes over the three-day weekend!

The 2016 BBR served as the J/24 Northeast Regional Championship, with Mike Marshall’s team from Jamestown, RI sailing PIPE DREAM into a scant one point lead over Carter White’s SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM from Portland YC.  Taking third behind the dueling leaders was Matt & Kevin Coughlin sailing RISKY BUSINESS from East Greenwich YC.  The rest of the top five included Chris Stone’s VELOCIDAD from Atlantic Highlands YC in 4th place and Lee Buress’ crew sailing ON THE BEACH in 5th position.

The J/80s also had some great racing with the top five determined by two tie-breaks!  The top two boats ended up on 19 pts each with the tie-break going in favor of Jamey Shachoy’s PEARLY BAKER from Beverly YC and Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER getting the short end of that stick!  Yet another tie-break determined the bronze; with Peter d’Anjou’s LE TIGRE taking that split on 27 pts each over Nick Kotsatos’ WARRIOR from Beverly YC.  Fifth place all alone was Scott Miller’s NEXT ADVENTURE.

PHRF Race I division had five J/crew participating.  Top dog amongst them was Mark Verville’s J/120 ISURUS from host Beverly YC, winning class by a country furlong, counting three 1sts and two 2nds for a mere 7 pts net.  Second J/team and 6th in class was Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0.  Third J/crew was Ted Herlihy’s J/109 GUT FEELING.

PHRF Race II division had six J’s racing in a class of ten boats.  Winning was Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE, the same crew that also won the New York YC Round Island Race during the NYYC Annual Regatta in mid-June!  Good sailors those Texans are from Lakewood YC on Galveston Bay!  Matt Schmitt’s J/105 HARD TACK from Buzzards YC was third in class.  Eric Wagner’s J/105 DARK’N’STORMY was fifth.

In the PHRF Cruise division, it was Richard Fontaine’s J/44 SPIRIT taking third place.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information

J/Teams Crush Buzzards Bay/ PHRF New Englands

(Dartmouth, MA)- The 43rd Buzzards Bay Regatta, was held August 7-9, 2015 at the New Bedford Yacht Club in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. As anticipated, Buzzards Bay delivered yet again on good conditions for the three-day weekend regatta.  Fair weather and plenty of breeze provided favorable conditions for top J teams to just about sweep all the top positions in the PHRF New England Championship, held in conjunction with the Buzzards Bay Regatta.

An extraordinary 16 of the 25 entrants for the PHRF New England Championship were J/Teams (64.0% of the fleet)!  In PHRF Race 1 class, Mark Verville’s J/120 ISURUS won, followed by Doug Curtiss’s J/111 WICKED 2.0 (a past BBR winner) in 2nd position, followed by another J/111, Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO in 4th place. Jim Shachoy’s J/122 AUGUST WEST, the recent winner of the New York YC IRC East Coast Championship, took 6th overall.

In PHRF 2, Richard Fontaine’s J/105 GOOD TRADE from Mass Maritime led a sweep of the class.  Cory Eaves’ J/109 FREEDOM took 2nd in class, followed by local hotshot Ted Herlihy’s J/109 NA Championship winning GUT FEELING in 3rd.  Fourth was Ed Joyce’s J/105 DARK’N’STORMY and 5th was Doug Newhouse’s new J/88 YONDER from Sail Newport.

Then, in PHRF 3, Key Dyett’s J/30 JEROBOAM took 2nd in class followed by Diana & Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE from Houston YC in 3rd.  Fifth place was taken by yet another J/30- Ken van Colen’s MODDY BLUE from New Bedford YC.

In PHRC Cruise class, Al Signorella’s J/100 SUNDANCE from New Bedford YC placed 2nd while Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA from Beverly YC took 4th in class.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information

Buzzards Bay Regatta Preview

(Dartmouth, MA)- The 43rd Buzzards Bay Regatta, will be held August 7-9, 2015 at the New Bedford Yacht Club in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. As they have for decades, the New Bedford YC will once again roll out the red carpet for legions of sailors from across the New England coastline to sail in all manner of boats, big and small, dinghies to offshore keelboats and everything in between.

What’s the attraction of Buzzards Bay to sailors for all those years?  Plain and simple.  Wind and waves.  And, plenty of it.  Buzzards Bay is the East Coast’s version of San Francisco Bay.  While Newport and Narragansett Bay are no second cousins to Buzzards in terms of generating great sea-breezes, there’s no question if it’s blowing 10-15 kts further West, it’s at least 15-20 kts or more in Buzzards. Hoping for fair winds and plenty of breeze will be the regatta’s PRO- Blair Tracy of NBYC. In addition to the one-design classes, NBYC and BBR are also hosting the PHRF New England Championship.

The J/80 fleet of Buzzards Bay is showing up en’masse with a total of eight crew participating from the host NBYC as well as from Beverly YC just down the Bay.  Watch out for Mike Sudofsky’s FOUR SPACIOUS GUYS building on their season-long campaign of sailing both J/70s and J/80s in major events around the globe.  They will be chased hard by teams like Peter d’Anjou’s LE TIGRE, Scott Miller’s NEXT ADVENTURE and Jim Tomlinson’s AEGIR.

An extraordinary 16 of the 25 entrants for the PHRF New England Championship are J/Teams (64.0% of the fleet)!  At the top of the heap handicap-wise is Jim Shachoy’s J/122 AUGUST WEST, the recent winner of the New York YC IRC East Coast Championship.  A duet of J/111s will be hounding the AUGUST WEST team; Doug Curtiss’s WICKED 2.0 (a past BBR winner) and Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO.  In turn, they will be chased by Mark Verville’s J/120 ISURUS and five J/109s, like local hotshot Ted Herlihy’s NA Champion GUT FEELING.  A classic J/41 will be in that mix, Davis Sanford’s BACCHAE from Beverly YC.  Another classic that loves Buzzards Bay conditions will be Diana & Tom Sutton’s J/35 LEADING EDGE from Houston YC.  The newest kid on the block challenging all comers will be Doug Newhouse’s J/88 YONDER from SAIL Newport.  Hot on their heels will be two J/105s- Richard Fontaine’s GOOD TRADE and Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF.  Finally, twin J/30s round out the class; watch out, they’re the sleepers in this crowd- the two Ken’s, Deyett on JEROBOAM and van Colen on MOODY BLUE never shy away from a fair fight in good breeze on the Bay!

In PHRC Cruz mode all weekend will be Al Signorella’s J/100 SUNDANCE from New Bedford YC and Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA from Beverly YC.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information

COUGAR Claws Way To J/24 Nationals Victory

(Marion, MA)- Will Welles, of Portsmouth, RI, led his COUGAR team to the J/24 US National Championship, hosted by Beverly Yacht Club in Massachusetts. With Alex Bishop, Luke Lawrence, Eric Lawrence and Nick Turney on board, Welles managed six first-place tallies in the 10 races for just 27 net points. He overcame a penalty in race eight, and ended with a scorecard of 1,11,4,6,1,1,1,[19/(30%)],1,1. Cougar finished 12 points ahead of second-place John Mollicone on HELLY HANSEN, while Michael Marshall’s PIPE DREAM took third overall  with 45 points.

Welles commended his last-minute crew, including Eric Lawrence who was trimming the genoa for the first time ever on a J/24. “It was remarkable that he stepped up to the plate,” said Welles. “It was a huge part of our success.” The other key, he explained, was working to get the mast butt positioned just right. “Early on in the regatta, we were a little late to push it forward. The mast we have is pretty bendy so we have to be aggressive with the mast butt.” After moving it forward quite a bit after Saturday’s first race, Cougar found that extra gear.

After the first day’s racing on Friday, a familiar name was at the top of the leaderboard. Mollicone’s HELLY HANSEN held a four-point lead over Welles’ COUGAR. Another four points back in third was Sumio Shimoyama of Japan with Mark Hillman on SOKOKUMARU. Mollicone is the current J/24 Midwinter Champion (he also won in 2013), crewed on the 2013 J/24 World Championship team, and won both the 2012 and 2013 J/24 North American Championships.

Forty-five teams were competing in Marion, including entrants from various parts of the United States, along with several Canadian crews and even representatives from Japan, France and Australia. Welles got the regatta going with a win in race one, when winds were 6-8 knots. Mike Ingham’s NAUTALYTIC followed in second, and Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER in third. The breeze picked up a bit to 8-10 knots in the next contest, as Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS grabbed the victory. Natalie Penner’s GIGGLES and John Wilsey’s PANCETA DOBLE completed the top trio. In the day’s final battle, the Shimoyama/Hillman team placed first, ahead of Mollicone and Wilsey. Leading the six-boat Women’s Division was Penner on GIGGLES and her crew from Austin, Texas.

The second day of racing on Saturday enabled the race committee to run four races! At this point, Welles launched into first place. In pristine conditions, Welles began Saturday with a sixth-place finish, and then won the next three races. Tossing an 11 in race two, Welles now totaled 14 points, heading into the final day of competition. Marshall’s PIPE DREAM also notched a stellar day with a 3,2,3,3, and moved into second place overall with 22 points. Mollicone’s HELLY HANSEN was five points back in third place.

Winds around 16 knots greeted competitors on the sunny Saturday morning, when Ingham’s NAUTALYTIC acquired the day’s first win. Mollicone trailed in second, and Marshall in third. Welles grabbed his first of three consecutive bullets in the next bout, as Marshall and Ingham completed the upper three. Following Welles in the day’s third race, in winds ranging between 12-16 knots, was Thomas Barbeau’s NAVTECH.CA and Marshall. The familiar trio of Welles, Ingham and Marshall again led Saturday’s final battle. Continuing atop the six-boat Women’s Division was Penner’s GIGGLES.

Sunday dawned with another beautiful day in Marion. With winds between 12-14 knots, Mollicone earned the win in Sunday’s initial duel, as Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET and Marshall filled out the top spots. Welles put up another bullet in the next race, when winds stabilized at 10-12 knots. Ingham tracked in second and Parker in third. In the last battle of the Championship, Welles locked in the title with a first, with Pat Toole and Ingham behind.

Behind the top three overall (Welles, Mollicone and Marshall) were Ingham in fourth and Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER in fifth.  Winner of the Women’s Division was Penner’s GIGGLES gang from Austin, TX.  For more USA J/24 Nationals sailing information

J/24 US Nationals Preview

(Marion, MA)- From the 22nd to 24th of August, the Beverly YC on Buzzards Bay will again host the J/24 US Nationals.  The last time the US Nationals were held in the Northeast was in 2010 in Marblehead, MA where there were over 45 boats that competed.  This year’s 2014 version breaks that record with 46 teams vying for J/24 supremacy not just in the USA but also later in September for world supremacy!

A number of foreign teams are participating in the event, using it as a “Pre-Worlds” warm-up.  Such teams include Craig Rowes from Australia; five Canadian teams (Jean Levac- PURA VIDA, Ed Rees- A-SALT, Nicolas Mabboux- BAYGULL, Tom Barbeau- NAVTECH.CA, Stephan Blais- PREMATURE GREY); and Sumio Shimoyama- SOKOKUMARU from Tokyo, Japan.

Top American contenders include what many would consider “local knowledge”, if one considers his 30+ years sailing in the class- that is Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET.  For Tony it’s “old home” week, having sailed out of Portland, Maine for years before moving down to the Washington, DC area and sailing in the local Annapolis J/24 fleet.

Other top contenders are surely Pat Toole sailing 3 BIG DOGS from Santa Barbara YC in Santa Barbara, CA (a past North American Champion); Tom Barbeau’s NAVTECH.CA from Quebec, Canada; Mike Sudofsky’s BOB DYLAN from Buzzards Bay (a bit of local knowledge there!!); John Denman’s AIRDOODLE; Craig Correia’s QUEE QUEG; Pete Quandt’s SPRINTER; Chris Stone’s VELOCIDAD; Mike Ingham’s champion team on USA 5443; Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS; Travis Odenbach’s infamous HONEY BADGER from New York; Will Welles’ COUGAR from Newport, RI; Mike Marshall’s PIPE DREAM; John Mollicone’s Midwinter champion team on HELLY HANSEN; and Scott Milne’s TREMENDOUS SLOUCH from Seattle, Washington.

The 2014 J/24 Nationals will have a Women's Division and score boats helmed by a woman to recognize the importance of women to the J/24 Class.  BYC's Fleet 16 has 6 women owners out of our 16 active racers and have a long tradition of hosting and competing in women events. Women helmed boats will have two scores - one for their overall finish and one for the Women's division.  Boats may have a mixed gender crew, but the primary driver must be a woman.  Those women’s teams vying for top honors are Katie Morgan from Connecticut; three Massachusetts teams (Frederique Popitz sailing PAGRAMIN, Nana Buckley on PITA, Anne-Marie Fredericks skippering MISS AMERICA); Elaine Haher driving A GOOD HAIR DAY from New Jersey; Margaret Borden sailing HEFFAH (who recently won the Marblehead NOOD Regatta) from Newport, RI; and Natalie Penner riding cowgirl-style on GIGGLES from Texas.  For more J/24 US Nationals sailing information