Youth Sailing Team in Cleveland Raise Record Funds!

 

* "We had #MOREKIDSONSAILBOATS on board, again, on our J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP to raise awareness for kids in sailing and money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society," remarked Brett Langolf, owner of the boat.

"The all kids crew raised over $27,000 for LLS and were the overall Top Fundraiser Crew! This crew also won the Leukemia Regatta Junior Volunteer of the Year Award, were inducted in the LCR Hall of Fame, won 2nd & 3rd as Individual Overall Fundraisers, and were the bulk of the funding for their home club, Sandusky Sailing Club to win the overall Yacht Club challenge for the Leukemia Cup Regatta! 

This group of kids were leaders on and off the water, displaying elements of critical thinking, problem solving, and communicating to come together for a great cause. 

They aren't done.... they are already scanning the calendar for the next Leukemia Cup Regatta. Any J-Boat owners out their interesting is hosting this group?"  Thanks for contribution from J/34 KNEE DEEP owner Brett Langolf.  Learn more about how to get in involved here:Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Lady J’s Loving 15th “Ms. Race”

(Atlantic Highlands, NJ)- Each August the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club in Atlantic Highlands N.J. host an annual charity event titled the "Ms. Race". The Ms. Race is the only "Women's Event" in the entire Sandy Hook/ Raritan Bay region and took place on August 17th. It raises money for the New Jersey based organization "180 Turning Lives Around", which assists victims and families affected by sexual and domestic abuse and violence.

For 2019, it was the 15th running of the Ms. Race and it featured a podium sweep by women J/Crews. The race is a PHRF event and features a Pursuit start to encourage participation by less experienced sailors and first timers.

As for the weather and sailing conditions, it turned out to be a great day with moderate breezes and close racing.

In the end, all positions were claimed by women J/Crews sailing various vintages from the J/Boats design team. First place went to Kim Sinatra on her J/29 SMOKIN J. Second place went to her mother- Ann Myer- on the J/105 MAGIC and claiming the bronze medal was Karen Harris on the J/120 CYGNI. Both Kim and Ann sail out of the Raritan Yacht Club in Perth Amboy New Jersey. For Ann, it was bitter sweet as she was last year’s winner!

Since it's inception in 2004, the Ms. Race has raised over $150,000 for the “180” organization and has been recognized for it's efforts. It continues to grow in stature every year for women of the region who race. In addition, the winner is also recognized as the NJYRA Women's Champion for the year. For 2019, it was dominated by the women's J/crews. Thanks for contribution from Bill Sabanski, AHYC Ms. Race PRO. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Pink Boat Regattas Raise 1/2 Million Dollars!

(Seattle, WA)- Kurt Hoehne, an active sailor and writer of the popular blog- SAILISH.com- in the Pacific Northwest offered some thoughts on their popular charity sailing event held each summer- the “Pink Boat Regattas”.

Said Kurt, “The Pink Boat Regattas have proven an effective and extremely fun fundraiser for sailors to help fight breast cancer. The final tallies aren’t in for this year’s three Pacific Northwest events (Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma), but Jennifer Mathis of the Pink Boat Regatta reports that more than a half million dollars have been raised over seven years, and that Tacoma exceeded their goal of $20,000.

Jan Anderson was on hand in Seattle and Tacoma to catch some of the action– e – costumes and smiles. If you want to plenty more pink, check her Seattle and Tacoma galleries!!”  To learn more about the Pink Boat Regattas and Sailish.com, read more here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Raise Big $$ For Annapolis Leukemia Cup

(Annapolis, MD)- An enormously successful 26th Annual Leukemia Cup was held on Saturday, June 2nd, 2018, to support the Leukemia Foundation, hosted jointly by Annapolis YC and Eastport YC.  As a leukemia survivor, Annapolis’ own famous and legendary sailor, Gary Jobson, was a proud host for the event that raised thousands of dollars to support research and support for the Leukemia Foundation.

Dozens of J/Sailors participated in the event, sailing in a combination of one-design classes and PHRF handicap classes.  Focused on having fun and raising funds for a worthy cause, J/classes included J/30s, J/35s, J/80s, J/105s and PHRF classes.

In the five-boat J/30 class, it was Tristan & Sheila Keen’s INFECTION SMILE taking class honors.  Topping the four-boat J/35 class was Bruce Artman’s T-BONE.  Leading home the six-boat J/80 fleet was Ken Mangano’s MANGO.  The eleven-boat J/105 class, the biggest contributors class-wise, saw John White’s USA 113 take the honors.  In PHRF N Class, Steve Grimm’s PANDORA was 3rd. And, in CRCA-ORR division, it was Dan Leonard’s pretty J/100 FLASHPOINT winning class.  For more Annapolis Leukemia Cup sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Race for Prostate Cancer Awareness!

Come'on Man, Help Fellow Sailors!
(Chicago, IL)- It’s the thing guys don’t talk about but, 1-in-9 men will get prostate cancer and 1-in-40 will die from it! Most men don’t even know what the prostate does. This is not just a sailboat race, but a race for you! Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for men in America behind lung cancer!

Richie Stearns, the Chicago/ Midwest J/Boats dealer commented on his personal experience:

“Two years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I would have thought there were only one or two options for treatment when you are diagnosed. Well, it turns out there are all kinds of options available and no one seems to know which is best. It ends up being a very personal decision, on which treatment is right for you. I went to University of Chicago on the recommendation of a fellow sailor.

I am doing this race to raise funds so the University of Chicago can better explain the options available to you if it happens to you or a loved one. In addition, after the treatment or surgery there is very little information on what to expect and what to do to get back to normal. I have struggled with what to do post-surgery and have done all kinds of research on my own. It is disheartening when much of the information is old, and not just old, but plainly wrong. I hope we can raise funds so more men can understand options available to them and what they can or have to do to live a normal life.

This sailing event will raise money so you will be able to get the knowledge you will need if it happens to you. Cancer is not something that always happens to someone else.

Please give so we can help everyone make knowledgeable decisions that will affect their future.”

Please donate here on University of Chicago/ Medicine & Biological Sciences site- https://bit.ly/2IYe2xs

Richie is racing the J/88 HOLY SMOKES in the 22nd running of the Solo Chicago Mackinac Challenge that starts on June 22, 2018.  It is a 289nm non-stop race across Lake Michigan, from Chicago to Mackinac Island.  It usually takes between 55 and 80 hours of racing for the twenty-seven boats currently registered.  If you wish to contact Rich Stearns about the race or his experience- cell# 847-404-2209 or email- rich@stearnsboating.com   Learn more about Richie’s Prostate Cancer Race challenge here
For more Single-handed Chicago to Mackinac Island race information, sponsored by the Great Lakes Singlehanded Society. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Hot Sailors + Hot Bands + Cold Waters = The Big Sail

(San Francisco, CA)- The weekend of Thanksgiving in America has become what is known as “Rivalry Week” in American college football.  Over time, many events have been created that augment the gathering together of the “tribes” that support each university, whether competing schools have fun in tug-of-wars, go-kart racing, battle of the bands, chili cook-offs, or bocce ball.  All in the name of fun and, for the most part, engaging in a friendly reparte’ with the opposing team and alumni.

In California, the San Francisco Bay region enjoys two of the more prestigious universities in the world- University of California- Berkeley (a.k.a. “Cal”) and Stanford University.  Alumni from both schools, many of whom are members of St Francis YC, decided it would be fun to have an informal, off-beat, regatta at StFYC prior to “the game”.  In recent years, it has been a fun event sailed on StFYC’s J/22’s literally right off the clubs extended waterfront decks. This year, the club hosted the 14th edition of the “Big Sail” with Paul Heineken as chief on-water commentator.

The shoreside entertainment has sometimes eclipsed the hot and heavy action on the water.  As it turns out, this year that was the case.  The “battle of the bands” and the “battle of the cheerleaders” all drew a lot more attention than the “drift-a-thon” that was occurring just off the waterfront.  Watch the entertaining video here- The Pac-12 TV Network showed up for the event and produced a nice highlight of all the hot and heavy action- particularly on shore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8H7O_hXZE

Nevertheless, the sailing still took place.  The two schools fielded teams in all four categories- Varsity, Young Alumni, Masters Alumni, and Grandmasters Alumni.  Due to the insanely light conditions on a perfectly sunny day, a most unusual scenario for sunny, windy San Francisco Bay, each division was only able to sail one race.  After winning three of the four divisions, Stanford was declared the 2017 winner of the Big Sail with a 3-1 record.  For more Big Sail event and sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Sails Up 4 Cancer #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday #SailsUp4Cancer
(Mystic, CT)- #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaborative efforts. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season.

One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. This November 28th, join the movement and give.  Your contribution to SailsUp 4 Cancer will fund research, prevention & care.

SailsUp 4 Cancer is extremely proud of its Spinnaker Fund.  This Fund has been specifically tailored to individuals and families who are suffering financial hardship as a result of the loss of income due to their struggles with cancer. SailsUp realizes that the last thing a cancer patient needs is additional stress.
      
“The SU4C board has saved my life in more ways than one. I can’t say thank you enough. You are true angels and your generosity has made life a little less stressful and that means so much.” Sincerely forever, B.D.

“There are not enough words to express my thanks for the Spinnaker Fund Grant I received from you. I put it toward paying my mortgage.”  Warmly, B.F

“I am writing on behalf of my father, L.P., who unfortunately is suffering from metastatic liver cancer. Your organization brightened his day when he received your letter containing the generous spinnaker fund grant that your organization provided. Your contribution clearly will help with the cost and more importantly, brightened his day knowing that others are helping him though this difficult time.”  Sincerely, K.W.

"SailsUp 4 Cancer is a wonderful local charity that assists people dealing with a cancer diagnosis. They have assisted many of my customers at The Pink Mermaid that are dealing with cancer & lymphedema. The group is devoted to their cause and I wish them blessings of every type! When you see their many events advertised you should attend! The concerts are soooo much fun and such a worthy cause!!"  ~ C.R.
Please make any donation here and learn more about SailsUp 4 Cancer. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/24 Tiller & Kites Program Launched In Arizona!

(Lake Pleasant, Arizona)- a new sailing program as described by Juan Mari.

“Based on our commitment to be your direct access to sailing solutions and with the goal of providing the highest level of customer support, MAURI PRO SAILING is pleased to announce that it has selected Tiller and Kites as it representative and On-The-Water technical support for Lake Pleasant and other areas in Arizona.

Tiller & Kites will be operating under the umbrella of Mauri Pro Sailing as ‘Mauri Pro Sailing– Arizona’ while remaining as an independent International Yacht Training accredited sailing school and a sailboat services, repair and reconditioning facility for the Phoenix area.

This new partnership will allow us to provide Arizona sailors with a more personalized service and technical support, as well as a physical location where to go and discuss about how to improve your deck layout, better tune your rig, or simply talk all about sailboats; in addition to picking up all your www.mauriprosailing.com purchases if needed.

Victor Felice, Juan Mauri and all the Mauri Pro Sailing team are excited to start this road together and to provide unique consumer experience, both online and directly at your boat.”

About Mauri Pro Sailing: it is an international group of companies dedicated to provide sailing technical support and to supply sailboat parts and sailing clothing to sailors around the world. With offices in 5 different countries and an infrastructure for global logistics, Mauri Pro Sailing drives on, becoming the global and sailor’s sailing store.  For more Tiller & Kites Program sailing information

For more information, please contact Victor Felice/ Tiller and Kites at email-victor@tillerankites.com or website- http://www.tillerandkites.com.  Also, you can contact Juan Mauri/ Mauri Pro Sailing at email- juan@mauriprosailing.com or website-  http://www.mauriprosailing.com Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Awesome Storm Trysail College Big Boat Regatta!

(Larchmont, NY)– Over 360 college students from the United States, as well as international teams from Canada and France, participated in the 2017 Storm Trysail Foundation’s Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (IOR).

Conditions for the regatta varied between 8-10 knots of breeze on Saturday to a slightly more rugged 18-20 knots with higher gusts on Sunday. Sunday’s more-challenging conditions led to two crew overboard situations. In the first instance, the Grand Valley State crew on the J/109 MORNING GLORY– under the guidance of long-time Storm Trysail Club member and boat owner Carl Olsson - initiated a successful recovery maneuver while sailing downwind. In the second instance, one of the two safety boats swiftly picked up the crew person who had fallen off of the J/105 ELMO. Both were recovered quickly and unharmed.

Barry Gold, Chairman of the event, said “In spite of some of early Saturday pea-soup fog and intermittent rain on Sunday, we had two days of fantastic racing, with steady and increasing breeze. With a few well-timed postponements and relocations, the race committee gave the teams five competitive and fun races. We want to thank The Corinthians, who started the Corinthians Intercollegiate Regatta in 1983 and ran it until 1999, for transferring their original four perpetual trophies to the Storm Trysail Foundation. These four beautiful trophies bring together the initial regatta with its later reincarnation by Storm Trysail, and begin new traditions for the competitors. The re-dedicated trophies were presented to class winners this year for the first time along with two perpetual trophies donated by Larchmont Yacht Club.”

Boston University took home the overall honors and the “Paul Hoffmann Trophy” in the hotly contested J/105 class on YOUNG AMERICAN with four bullets and a second place in the second largest class in the regatta. ECHO, crewed by Vanderbilt University (a first time entrant to the regatta), took home second place in the J/105 class by edging out Drexel University on FAIRHOPE with a tie-breaking first in the third race. Robert Alexander and Peter Becker received the “Ed du Moulin Trophy” awarded to the boat owner/syndicate of the overall winning team.

In the J/44 class– which by tradition is a generally an all-service academy class– was won by Maine Maritime Academy on GOLD DIGGER, closely followed by the US Coast Guard Academy sailing their own GLORY, just 1 point ahead of last year’s overall winner, the US Naval Academy on MAXINE.

The University of Rhode Island ran away with the J/109 Class with four 1sts in five races on EMOTICON. Taking second was MORNING GLORY sailed by Grand Valley State University and Tulane University on GROWTH SPURT rounded out the class podium.

There were three PHRF classes. In PHRF 2, the University of Michigan on the J/133 placed third.  Then, in PHRF 3 the J/88 WINGS with the University of South Florida aboard took second and Roger Williams University on the J/92 THIN MAN took third position.

Erica Vandeveer, Captain of the victorious Virginia Tech squad, is a Behavioral Psychology Major and sees the relevance of big-boat sailing, “communication is critical to being successful on the race course. We had some challenges but we were able to talk and work through them to win.”

Juliette Joffre, captain of the Club Voile EDHEC Business School team who came all the way from Lille, France declared, “this is a big, serious and very competitive regatta.”

Marianne Pierres, another member of the EDHEC crew, described how offshore racing is similar to business, “the starts were really exciting, and so was the broach! But you have to manage and keep calm; you have to understand roles and do your job.” Juliette continued “There is a lot of pressure to perform at your best, but I know that the team is much closer now because of this experience.” This was their first time at the IOR, and they had to win an international student regatta in France for the right to come to the IOR with an all-expenses paid trip through a partnership between the Storm Trysail Foundation and the EDHEC Sailing Cup.

Thanks to the high-quality list of sponsors, some private donations, and the generosity of participating boat owners, Storm Trysail Foundation and Larchmont Yacht Club were able to run the regatta at no cost for the college sailing teams! The sponsors include Rolex, North Sails, Gill North America, Safe Flight Instruments, Flintrock Construction, and Dimension-Polyant.  For more Storm Trysail College Big Boat Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/30 ZEPHYR Top Fund Raising Sailboat!

(New Orleans, LA)-  A J/30 sailing team from New Orleans, LA is doing good community things!  The New Orlean’s based J/30 Team ZEPHYR was awarded the top fund raising sailing program in the nation after raising $127,000!!

Check out their annual video kicked off by San Francisco Yacht Club’s Rhett Krawitt who is now “GONE WITH CANCER”.

Music “Hold On” by NBC’s The Voice and Zephyr sailor, Terry McDermott, with his band Lotus Crush. #J30 #OD48 #NOYC.org #GoSailing #LLS.

Watch this awesome sailing video of the J/30 ZEPHYR here:  https://www.youtube.com/embed/I8HAuFt6078

J/22 Warrior Sailing Program- need trailer!

(Newport, RI)- According to Ben Poucher, “Warrior Sailing has been plugging away with 55 new sailors from our basic level camps and 2 advanced level camps completed this summer.  We have also had some great success this year competing in the J/22 and Sonar divisions throughout the country with our competitive team.

We were hosted last weekend by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco for some big breeze training in their J/22s to prepare for the J/22 Worlds this August in Kingston, Ontario.  We are going to train out of College of Charleston August 2-5 in J/22s as our final preparation for the big week from August 19-25th in Canada.

However, we need a J/22 Trailer.  We were donated a J/22 for our own use, but it didn't come with a trailer.  We are looking to have one donated or one for purchase prior to the J/22 worlds in August.  We would need the trailer to be in or around Charleston on the 15th of August!?! Is there any J/22 sailor out there who could help us??

In the meantime, we are looking to expand the program to not only compete in the J/22 open competitions, but also looking to get into some slightly bigger boats for our team.  We have expanded our team and would like to get into a donated J/80, J/105, J/109, or J/111.  I am seeking out potential donations to Warrior Sailing and strategically place these boats in location throughout the US for our team to attend and compete in various classes.  We would also be developing and building adaptive equipment for these boats as we progress.”  If any J/Sailors can help, please contact Ben Poucher - Ben@warriorsailing.org/ ph 269-598-7119

FIGAWI Fun & Frolic to Nantucket!

(Nantucket, MA)- The 45th Annual Figawi Race Weekend is one of the top sailing events that takes place on the northeast coast over the bank holiday Memorial day weekend and ranks as one of the largest “pursuit-style” races in the world.  The Figawi Race Weekend kicks off the Cape Cod and Nantucket summer season. Sailors from several states crewed the massive fleet of 220+ sailboats, with over 3,000 sailors and visitors enjoying the sailing and fabulous festivities all weekend long.

After the famous Kickoff Party at Hyannis Yacht Club on Friday evening, the competitors gathered early Saturday morning to head out to the start line. The first boat officially began at 10 am off the Hyannis Port Jetty after the parade of sailboats that took place at 0800 hrs sharp!

Depending on the various conditions, the theory of the Pursuit Race format is that all competitors should reach the Nantucket MO(A) Buoy at around the same time. They finish at the entrance of Nantucket Harbor and parade into Nantucket Boat Basin, bowing and waving to the wildly cheering throngs that have gathered together on the beach at Brant Point Light.

As Stan Grossfeld at the Boston Globe commented, “the Figawi is a salty summer tradition that will always sail onwards.  For local sailors, Figawi is sacred, like Opening Day at Fenway Park. Sailboats trimmed oh-so-tightly seem to float across the water, kicking up a cool, salty spray.

The race’s name has a salty origin. ‘From what I’ve been told,’ said one sailor with a laugh, ‘Figawi is a reference to [someone with a] Bostonian accent... coming out here in the fog and landing in Nantucket and going, ‘Where the [expletive] are we?!’

At times, the sailboats were bunched close enough for the participants to share a sandwich.

‘It was very close,’ said one crew from Duxbury. ‘It was not a day to enjoy a lot of cocktails when you were out on the water. I understand there was a boat that lost a mast. There was a collision right behind us. It gets hairy every once in a while.  But, it’s a blast, and it is a LOT of fun! Especially the partaaays!!’

This year, the headlines went to a couple of fun-loving landlubbers named Gronk and Edelman, who didn’t even race but partied in the Figawi tent. They weren’t alone. After the race, all across the Nantucket Boat Basin, blenders purred and beers popped in a symphony of celebration. On Saturday night, there was a blood-red sunset; by Sunday morning, there were bloodshot eyes, but there was still plenty of laughter.

What’s the best part of the weekend? ‘The friendship, the people,’ said another salty-dog. ‘I mean, come on. I always say, how many summers do we have left?’” And so it goes.

Reveling in the fun and madness were several J/crews that have enjoyed all that Figawi has to offer; especially in the nice breezy passage they had this year.  In PHRF B Division, Ira Perry’s crew on the J/29 SEEFEST took second in class while Kirk Brown’s J/40 JAZZ finished fourth.  Another J/40 took class honors in PHRF E Division, Bill Jones’ SMITTEN.  Then, in PHRF M Division, Brad Butman’s J/28 SHADOWFAX took home the bronze.

In the racing PHRF Spinnaker 1 division, the J’s took three of the top five.  Jimmy Masiero’s J/122 URSUS MARITIMUS placed third, with David Follett’s J/120 GLORY in fourth and Jon Lacks’ J/105 VIVA fifth.  In PHRF Spinnaker 2 division, it was a clean sweep of the top five by the J/105s, with the trio of Joyce & Reservitz & Wagner sailing DARK’N’STORMY (appropriately named for Figawi, eh??) onto the top of the podium, followed by Art Cox’s LYRIC in second, Chris Lund’s WHOMPER in third, Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF in fourth and Nick Aswad’s CLIO in fifth.  For more FIGAWI Race sailing information

J/30 ZEPHYR Top Leukemia Fund Raiser!

(New Orleans, LA)- The J/30 ZEPHYR team, lead by her owner/skipper Mike Erwin, participated in the recent Leukemia Lymphoma Society fundraiser held at Southern YC.  Amazingly, the family and friends team were able to become recognized as the single largest fund-raiser for LLS this year to date- a total of $127,000 was committed by their donors!  Here is a photo of Emily Faschan and Mitchell Erwin at the Southern YC and on their J/30 on Lake Ponchartrain.  Watch this YouTube sailing video for some entertainment- the Erwin’s certainly like to have fun and make sure their crew enjoy sailing as much as they do!  Watch their fun-loving sailing video of their escapades over the weekend here

JBoats Founders Honored at Mystic Seaport Museum!

(Mystic Seaport, CT)- Bob and Rod Johnstone to be honored by the Mystic Seaport Museum this October 22nd!  Mystic Seaport will present its 2016 America and the Sea Award to Bob and Rod Johnstone – J/Boats. Given annually by the Museum, the prestigious award recognizes individuals or organizations whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character.

The Johnstone’s will receive the award Saturday, October 22, at a gala dinner held in their honor at Mystic Seaport. The gala will be the first and only dinner held in the Collins Family Gallery of the new Thompson Exhibition Building prior to its ongoing use to display exhibits. The America and the Sea Award Gala is the single largest fundraising event for the Museum. Proceeds from the event benefit the mission of the Museum to inspire an enduring connection to America’s maritime heritage.

“Over the past 39 years, the Johnstone family and their company have influenced American yachting and sport of sailing in incomparable ways. They have established a record of accomplishment that few will ever challenge, and they have instilled in countless Americans a passion for enjoying time on the water with family and good friends aboard good boats,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “For these reasons and many more, Mystic Seaport is proud to bestow its America and the Sea Award to Bob and Rod Johnstone – J/Boats.”

To purchase tickets or a table, or to inquire about corporate sponsorship or dockage for the event, please contact- advancement@mysticseaport.org or call 860.572.5365.  More information on Mystic Museum website here.

Warrior J/22 Sailing Project Update!

(Kings Point, NY)-  Warrior Sailing Project at the US Merchant Marine Academy Sailing Foundation provided an update from Sailing Director- Ben Poucher (Ben@warriorsailing.org/ 269-598-7119):

“We have graduated another 56 participants from our basic level camps and held our first Advanced Camp this month in Charleston onboard J/22's.  WSP partnered with the College of Charleston Sailing program to host our camps and even do some additional staff training for adaptive sailing in the future.  The J/22 is the perfect boat for our needs at the advanced training level.  We have built some custom drop in equipment for the J/22 in another partnership with a company in Charleston- High & Dry Boatworks (see photo below).

The Warrior Sailing Team is comprised of graduates from the training camps that are ambitious to race at a competitive level.  The WS Team will be competing in able-bodied and disabled-body events through the spring/summer 2016. The first in a series of inshore training regattas for 2016 is Charleston Race Week.  The team’s season will continue with monthly regatta or training events and will culminate this August in Kingston, Ontario for J/22 WORLDS!

Please help us support our Warrior Sailing Project team; here is a link to our funding campaign to support them- https://us.sponsorise.me/en/project-warriorsailing   For more USMMA Warrior Sailing Project foundation information.

J/Teams Sweep 18 Hours de Arcachon

(Arcachon, France)- One of the most popular events to sail all summer long on the Baie de Arcachon on the west coast of France is the much anticipated “18 Hours de Arcachon”.  The concept for the event is simple; everyone starts together off the beautiful beach and goes around a fixed course for 18 hours straight.  The most laps and the most “handicap laps” (based on your rating) are computed and the winners get their weight in champagne and the proceeds of the event all go to various local charities.  The tradition, of course, is to use up all that champagne before you leave the fun-loving awards ceremony on the beach at the Cercle d'Arcachon!

This year, the YC de Arcachon enjoyed a turn-out of 100 boats for their famous “around the buoys” version of the famous Lemans 24 Hours race.  The sailing conditions were absolutely perfect- wind, sun, lots of smiles all around and some great battles on the water.  In the end, the local J sailors swept the top three divisions!

In the big boat fleet, Division 3, the J/122 LORELEI sailed by Alain Catherineau sailed off with all the honors, sailing 13.06 laps and 109.44 nm distance based on handicap calcs!  They also won overall!  Not far behind them in class was the J/109 POULICO helmed by Francois Lamaignere, covering 12.18 laps and sailing a distance of 107.52 nm on handicap, good for 3rd in class and 5th overall!  Taking 6th in class was Christophe Rochereau’s J/92 SAPAJOU with 11.39 laps and a handicap distance of 104.87 nm.

Winning Division 2 was the J/80 J’EAU skippered by Olivier Soule, covering an amazing 11.10 laps and showing a handicap distance of 107.97 nm.

Finally, winning Division 1 was the J/22 MARLOTTE V sailed by Philippe de Galzain, sailing 9.01 laps and covering a handicap distance of 96.37 nm.  Congratulations to all the winners of their divisions and to the overall winners- LORELEI!  For more sailing information and photos, see in from the local newspaper- "La dépeche du Bassin”- here.

Morse Tops J/22 Robert Mallasch Memorial Regatta

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- Mike Morse and his merry team of professional cyclists and instructors managed to pip the rest of the fleet to be the Champion boat in the first Robert Mallasch Memorial J/22 series.  Mallasch’s widow, Norma, not one for sailing, graced us with her presence for the prize giving; it was great to see her.

It was a very fitting win for AYAHSO, as not only had Mike organized the race, the prizes (donated by John McConnell before his recent passing- - rest his soul), but also he did it on Bob Mallasch’s old boat that he had steadfastly crewed on up until Bob’s death this time last year.  A fitting tribute Mike, well done from all of us!

The racing was held over two weekends with three races per day (because Bob didn’t like to have more than that)!  The series was well supported, with two teams from Kingston driving the 120 miles each way to make the fleet up to a respectful 7 boats.

The racing was just how Bob would have liked, quiet on the first weekend and blowing dogs off chains on the second.  In fact, the winds were powerful enough on the second day to allow moments of upwind brilliance for some teams to be outstripped by “shrimping”, “diving”, “anchoring” and throwing the race all in one move.  Well done J/22 TSUNAMI, the only instance this writer is aware of when having put the mast in the water and lost some crew overboard, one of the said crew was then run over by the sideways moving hull and popped up between the keel and the rudder with a vaguely anxious look!

Bob is missed for his enthusiasm and for the creating the glue that FORCED all of the skippers to come and sail an event, even if they thought they might have an excuse.  He would always call every Thursday before a weekend and remind everyone of a pending event and have a quick chat about any hilarious exploit that came to mind.  He was a true sportsman, always loving, generous and rule abiding.  If only there were more like him!

A huge “Thank you” to the Race Committee Bryan and Lyn Langford for their rules, their interpretation of the rules and, most importantly, for Bob's Beer and the many fond memories. And, a tremendous “thanks” to all the competitors-  Zipper (Peter Harper), Nina (Stephen Dear), Tsunami (Scott Clarke), Awesome (Steven Cooke), Defender (Nigel Knows- our Commodore), Ayahso (Michael Morse) and Renegade (Richard Hamilton)!!  Thanks as well for this contribution from Richard, skipper of the raucous Renegade team!  For more Robert Mallasch Memorial J/22 Series information