GREAT LAKES COLLEGE KEELBOAT RACING ANNOUNCEMENT!

(Chicago, IL)- The 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta will be held September 24th to 26th in Chicago, IL. This annual fall regatta provides an opportunity for collegiate sailors to experience offshore keelboat racing with past participating teams coming from college sailing programs in the Midwest and beyond.

Chicago T10 and J/105 fleet members provide the sailboats and are on-board during racing as a safety precaution. The collegiate sailors drive, crew the boat, and manage strategy and tactics. Chicago-area yacht clubs provide facilities, and the fleets provide financial support, participant gifts and awards.

The regatta consists of windward/leeward buoy races on Lake Michigan offshore of Chicago. Teams arrive on Friday and have the opportunity to practice on their assigned boats that afternoon. Race committee attempts as many races as possible all-day Saturday and on Sunday morning. Award ceremonies are Sunday during lunch and teams have the afternoon for travel back to campus.

Past participating college teams have included; Michigan, Michigan State, Miami of Ohio, Hope College, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Grand Valley State, Toledo, Northwestern, St. Mary’s College of Md., Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Ohio State, South Florida, Miami, Baldwin Wallace, Indiana University, Marquette, Cleveland State University, United States Naval Academy, University of South Carolina, Notre Dame, Illinois-Chicago and more.

Past participating Chicago J/105 one-design fleet owners have included; THE ASYLUM, SEALARK, VYTIS, FLYING PIG, GANGBUSTERS, KINSHIP, and more....hopefully many more this year! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Teams Eclipse Tri-State Fly-By Race!

(Chicago, IL)- The annual Tri-State regatta fell victim to the coronavirus in 2020, like many other events on the 2020 sailing calendar. Instead of the traditional Friday night 60+ mile race to St Joseph, Michigan, followed by a 30+ mile race to Michigan City, Indiana on Sunday, and finishing on Labor Day back in Chicago, the race was run in a single night! 

The renamed “Tri-State Fly-By”, hopefully the first and last of its kind, was a watered-down version of the original race- a 78.0 nm "triangle" around southern Lake Michigan. Starting in Chicago, the race took the fleet eastward across the lake to an Orange Tetrahedron set off New Buffalo Michigan, then to a Red Flashing Gong off of Burns Harbor, Indiana, and then back to the South side of Chicago.

At the 7:00 PM start, the weather was perfect, high 70’s on the lake, lake water in the 70’s with a west wind at 12 MPH. With a course of 100 degrees it was a spinnaker run to the first mark. The course was setting up to be perfect J/Boat conditions. Run, reach, and beat, may the best all-round boats win.

The nearly full moon came up and the wind continued to build. On our J/99 RAMBLER, by jibing on a few shifts, we were able to move into the lead in our section. The well-sailed J/35 FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER sailing right with us and a C&C 115 and a Swan 46 close behind. The wind continued to pick up, anticipating the next leg was looking like a beat, we changed to our #3 jib as we saw 18 kts of TWS on the instruments. The beautiful night and the run maybe lulled people into not changing headsails, because there were reports of some miserable crews. Maybe it was because they didn’t have J/Boats that made them miserable, who knows? 


However, on the J/99 with our #3 jib, it was just a pleasant beat for the next 30+ miles winds ranging from 15 to 20 knots TWS. With 3 to 4-foot short chop, if you didn’t have foul weather gear on the rail, you got a bit wet, but for the conditions it was a dry beat. At the turning mark in Michigan the boats could fetch the finish line on port tack. That changed and it turned into a beat. The real fun for the night was the 10 to 15-degree wind oscillations and the fact that as you sailed to shore on starboard tack the wind lightened up every time. Basically, if the wind dropped to 14 knots, tack out for 30 minutes, get a 15-degree shift, and tack back in. As the sun came up behind us, the fleet made it to the Gong buoy off Burns Harbor, Indiana. The wind had come up and our un-calibrated instruments showed 20 knots TWS. What a ride on our J/99 RAMBLER, a fetch to the finish averaging 8 knots boat speed.

In fact, the race was a J/Boats dominated race, a great test of boats and crews. In any section that had a J/Boat entered, a J/Boat won! 

PHRF 1 Class was won by the J/111 MOMENTUS owned by Kevin Saedi and Raman Yousefi.  PHRF 2 Class had the J/99 RAMBLER, owned by Ben Wilson (his first race in the boat), comfortably take the class win. PHRF 3 Class had J's take 1st and 2nd- Judith & Ross McLean's J/105 ESPRIT d'ECOSSE and Andy Graff's J/88 EXILE, respectively. 

The PHRF Doublehanded Class was a top five class sweep by J/Crews! Winning was John Kalanik's J/111 PURA VIDA, followed by four J/105s! Second was Mike Sheppard's FLYING PIG, third Mark Gannon's GANGBUSTERS, fourth Ralph Krauss' YUKON, and fifth Mike Hettel’s GLOBAL NOMADS. Seventh was Ron Otto's J/110 TAKEDOWN-2. 

Finally, if that wasn't enough global domination over southern Lake Michigan, two singlehanded J/105 sailors swept the top of the podium in the PHRF Singlehanded Class! Winning was Brian Crabb's SEA-U and second was David Pierce's CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC! 

That was the story on a class-by-class basis.  Amazing performances and congratulations to all J/sailors for their sailing.  

However, perhaps even more stunning were the overall results.  Again, it was a J/Boats sweep of the top five! First overall was the J/111 PURA VIDA, 2nd the J/99 RAMBLER, 3rd the J/111 MOMENTUS, 4th the J/105 ESPRIT d'ECOSSE, 5th the J/105 FLYING PIG, and 9th the J/88 EXILE! Old, new and in between- - - total J/Boats domination, a rare performance in this day and age of knowledgeable, competitive sailors across most offshore fleets.  For more Tri-State Fly-By Race sailing information.

J/Fest Chicago Celebrates Sailing Again!

(Chicago, IL)- Following Chicago's pandemic guidelines, the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club was able to host Chicago's first one-design keelboat regatta for just J/Crews- the inaugural J/Fest Chicago! The event took place August 29th to 30th, sailing out of Montrose Harbor, with racing taking place on the gorgeous azure blue waters of Lake Michigan. Three one-design classes participated in the event- J/88s, J/105s, and J/111s.

In the largest class, the six-boat J/88 class saw a great battle unfold between one of Chicago's premiere offshore teams- Ben Marden's BANTER and a fast-learning Scandinavian crew- Jorgen Christiansen's NORSE. Winning the first race, Christiansen's team posted all podium finishes of 1-3-1-2-3 for a total of 10 pts to win the class. Uncharacteristically, Marden's team posted a 6th in the first race, but closed with three bullets and a deuce for 11 pts total to take the silver. Tim Wade's WINDSONG rounded out the podium in the bronze position, scoring a pair of deuces and a pair of threes for 15 pts total.

The J/105 one-design class had a closely fought battle for first, with the top two boats tied at 11 pts with identical records of 1-1-2-2-2-3!  In the end, by winning the last race, Josh Lutton's KINSHIP won the gold, while Mike Sheppard's crew on FLYING PIG slipped to 2nd. Rounding out the podium taking the bronze was Richie Stearns's GLIDER IV.

In the J/111 one-design class, it was a match race duel all weekend between the two boats. In the end, it was John Kalanik's PURA VIDA winning over their colleagues on MOMENTUS (Kevin Saedi & Raman Yousefi).

Thanks to regatta sponsors/ supporters such as MarkSetBot (the fully autonomous mark setting miracle), Stearns Boating, Evolution Sails, Skyway Yacht Works, and SAIL 22.com.  For more J/Fest Chicago sailing and registration information

Tri-State Fly-By Race Preview

(Chicago, IL)- In days past, the traditional Labor Day Weekend Tri-State Race (a 3-day event) would start in Chicago, head over to Michigan across the southern parts of Lake Michigan, stay overnight, then race down to Indiana, stay overnight and party-hardy again, the race home to Chicago. However, due to all kinds of multi-state guidelines on pandemic guidelines, the race is now simply a long-distance triangle race. Starting in Chicago, over to the St Joseph, MI harbor entrance buoy (a fly-by), down to Michigan City, IN harbor entrance buoy (another fly-by), then back to Chicago.  What is surprising is the strong interest in the race, especially by the double-handed and singlehanded entries.

In the PHRF Double class, four J/105s are participating; including Mike Sheppard's notorious FLYING PIG, Mark Gannon's GANGBUSTERS, Mike Hettel's GLOBAL NOMADS, and Ralph Krauss's YUKON. Joining them is John Kalanik's J/111 PURA VIDA and Ron Otto's J/110 TAKEDOWN 2. In the Singlehanded class are duel J/105s (David Pierce's CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC and Brian Crabb's SEA-U).

In PHRF SPIN 3 class is Andy Graff's race-winning J/88 EXILE along with Judith & Ross McLean's J/105 ESPRIT d'ECOSSE. Sailing PHRF SPIN 2 class is the J/99 RAMBLER along with Mitch Weisman's J/105 FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER. PHRF Spin 1 Cass features two J/111s (Boyd Jarrell's HEADROOM and Kevin Saedi & Raman Yousefi's MOMENTOUS) and Tom Papoutsis's J/133 RENEGADE.  For more Tri-State Fly-By Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fun & Games @ Verve Cup Regatta

(Chicago, IL)- The Chicago Yacht Club's annual Verve Cup One-Design Regatta took place last weekend off beautiful Belmont Harbor for an excellent turnout for J/24 and J/70 one-design classes.  With sailing taking place offshore on Lake Michigan, the sailors enjoyed the often-severe chop that develops over the course of the day, due largely to north & south bound powerboat traffic, leaving huge wakes that reverberate off the vertical concrete & steel seawalls miles out onto the race area.  Such conditions make it exciting for fast-planing sailboats like the J/70s.

In the end, the CYC Belmont RC team managed to punch out six races for both fleets, a no-throw-out series.  Winning the thirteen-boat J/70 fleet was John Heaton's AMERICAN FLYER, just eking out a win with a 2-1-4-2-1-6 tally for 16 pts. Finishing just one point back and nearly winning the regatta was first-time J/70 racer Rich Witzel on ROWDY (he owns a famous J/111 by the same name). Rich's team started off slowly, learned the ropes fast, and came on strong at the finish, accumulating a record of 3-5-1-1-5-2 for 17 pts.  Winning Corinthians and taking the bronze was Sarah Renz's team on BERTEAU GROUP, sailing to a 6-4-2-6-4-1 record for 23 pts total.  Rounding out the top five was Bob Willis's RIP RULLAH and Mike Schroff's ELECTRIC PICKLE in 4th and 5th, respectively.


The nine-boat J/24 class saw yet another "whitewash" of the fleet, with Ryan Lashaway's RUNNIN ON EMPTY posting five bullets to take the win by nearly 10 pts- finishing with 7 pts total. The battle for the remaining steps on the podium saw Andy Camarda's FULL MOON hold off Austin Graf's DON'T PANIC, beating them by two points.

Of note was the excellent performance by the J/24 Boat Grant Youth Sailing Team. This year's crew from Chicago YC has top woman helm Erica Trejo skippering the J/24 REGULATORS. She started off incredibly well on Saturday, posting triple 3rds! Sunday seemed to be more challenging as she could not maintain that ferocious pace, dropping a 4-5-7 into her scoreline to end up in a well-earned fourth place with 25 pts total.  For more Verve Cup Inshore Regatta sailing information and results.

J/Fest Chicago Announcement

(Chicago, IL)- Despite all odds against it happening, the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club is looking forward to host Chicago's first fully-autonomous one-design keelboat regatta- J/Fest Chicago!

The event is planned to take place August 29th to 30th, sailing out of Montrose Harbor, with racing taking place on the gorgeous azure blue waters of Lake Michigan. One-design classes that are invited include J/24, J/70, J/88, J/105, J/109, and J/111.

Thanks to regatta sponsors/ supporters such as MarkSetBot (the fully autonomous mark setting miracle), Stearns Boating, Evolution Sails, Skyway Yacht Works, and SAIL 22.com.  For more J/Fest Chicago sailing and registration information
  Add to Flipboard Magazine.

The Hook Race 2020- Death’s Door Challenge

(Racine, WI)- The “HOOK”, run the same weekend as the Chicago-Mackinac race, is the Racine Yacht Club’s premier yacht race and 2020 marks its 37th year. It was born from an idea kicked around by Club members who thought a distance contest concurrent with the Chicago-Mackinac race might be able to gain some traction. A race from Racine through “Death’s Door” at the top of the Door County peninsula to a port in Green Bay could be a simpler, lower cost alternative to the ‘Mac and would require less gear. A shorter race, it would allow skippers and crews who couldn’t make the ‘Mac to take less time off and still do a distance race. It would also serve as a way for folks to get their boats north for some cruising while having a little racing on the way. It combines strong competition with the navigational challenge of Death’s Door.

The first HOOK, named by a member who saw a picture of the course and thought it looked like a “hook”, was sailed in 1984 with twelve boats racing from Racine, Wisconsin, to Menominee, Michigan, finishing off Menominee’s marina and the M&M Yacht Club. The finish line at M&M is between a trailer on the marina seawall and a buoy just offshore. Total distance is some 189.0nm.


The "Hook" also has a reputation for serving up somewhat challenging, nasty weather at times.  This was one of those years, with two fronts passing over the race track before the fleet could finish. The storms left a trail of broken parts, broken boats, bruised egos, and broken spirits. 

With a limit of 100 boats to participate, storms led to significant attrition: 4 withdrew, 5 did not start, and 29 did not finish. Before we get into how some of the J/Crews performed in the race, it's well-worth reading the first-hand account of surviving getting washed overboard.


Sarah Pederson, who was swept off the J/111 SHMOKIN’ JOE five miles northeast of the shipping channel in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, describes her hair-raising experience offshore:

"This wasn’t the first time I had participated in “The HOOK” race. The race itself began in 1983, I have participated in 23+ races, and it wasn’t any different than the others I participated in. As in other years, we can’t control the weather and this year wasn’t any different.

The forecast for the weekend was 15-20 knots of winds from the South/Southwest and thunderstorms. To a sailor, that is ideal conditions to “fly” up the lake to our finish.

My sailing experience began early on. Sailing was our “family sport”. Our father introduced all six of us at an early age. I personally have been active in the sport of sailing for 55 years as a racer, instructor, presenter, and supporter of the sport. With my husband, over the past 32 years we have owned and raced boats carrying on the tradition by teaching his two sons how to sail and race.

So, what happened? There were two thunderstorms that we were tracking throughout the day on Saturday, July 18th. The fleet had already sailed through one off Milwaukee. We experienced some of it north of Milwaukee, off Fox Point as we sailed along the northern edge of the storm. From reports, other boats were not as lucky and experienced the full storm causing boats to report dismasting’s.

As we continued our trek north toward Death’s Door Passage off Gills Rock in Door County, Wisconsin we continued to track storm #2. This storm appeared to be stronger and didn’t seem as though it was dissipating throughout the day. We tracked it as it traveled across Lake Winnebago and made its way toward Lake Michigan.


As the track came closer, and we could now see the lightning associated with this storm, as a crew, we began to prepare for the storm. Our preparation included reducing our sail area by taking down the mainsail and raising the smallest jib available. We insured that all crew members above (4 crew members) and below deck (4 crew members) were wearing US Coast Guard approved life jackets, a safety harness, 6-foot tether, along with a strobe light, whistle, and sailing knife.

When the storm started to affect the boat, the wind began to increase dramatically. Even though we had reduced sail area we could feel the effects of the increase. Eventually, the wind hit us with a gust of 50+ knots. There were some on the race that reported 60-70 knot gusts. At the time of the gust, there was a wind shift causing the boat to auto-tack and round up leaving the crew now on the low side of the boat.

When this happened a wall of water came rushing down the deck picking me, and another crew member, off the deck. Because we were all wearing a safety harness and six-foot tether, the “theory” is we would have stayed with the boat and would have been “retrieved” by pulling on our tether.

This happened to the other crew member, but not to me. My tether snap shackle at the chest snapped open, for whatever reason, sending me into Lake Michigan in the middle of a thunderstorm, 50+ knot winds, 5-foot waves, 56º water, and 60º air temperature.

As I popped up, I could see the boat that I was just swept off in the distance, still pinned down. Almost immediately, I lost sight of the boat due to the conditions which caused limited visibility.

My first thought was I was grateful the water wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be. I had heard all week the Lake Michigan temperature was unseasonably high (70º) for that time of the year. Unfortunately, as it was explained to me after the incident, the water had a “turnover” from the waves, change in wind direction, and storms which dropped its temperature.

Because I did not have any time frame for the events of the night, I do not know what order I had done any of these actions. I turned on my strobe and pulled out my whistle that was on a lanyard around my neck. I blew my whistle several times, but then realized using the air to blow was challenging. I would use the whistle sparingly. I kicked off my sea boots and crossed my arms across my life jacket and held on.

At one point during the time in the water, I did see two boats in the distance – the J/111 with their spotlight panning the water for me, and the US Coast Guard with their red illuminated side panels. At that point, I felt as though they were moving away from me.

I was wearing a full lifejacket, not an inflatable, and my choice for a full lifejacket was a conscious one. I have said that I feel as though, in my situation, the full lifejacket saved my life.

The waves were measuring 5 feet at the time of the storm and I needed to float like a cork, to bob up and down. As the waves would crash over me, I would rotate my body so that I would take the wave from my back. I learned this early, when I had taken a few mouthfuls of water in my mouth and nose. I didn’t think that would be a good thing for an extended period. When I would rise onto the top of a wave, I would attempt to extend my strobe higher in the air for better visibility.

I chose to wear a regular lifejacket at night for the warmth and comfort factor. I have often said that I don’t think I would want to go overboard at night in an inflatable to reduce the chance for mechanical failure. I do wear an inflatable; I was wearing one during the day.

I realized to survive this; I would need to regulate my breathing. There was a lot of self-talk happening while in the water, the first thing I said to myself was “You know what to do, this doesn’t have to be the end.”

I will say that the self-talk throughout the hour being in the water wasn’t always so positive, but for the most part I had the skills to hang in there. I felt as though my ability to swim – what I have been calling water awareness- was a big part of being able to tread water for about an hour. I knew I had the skills to do this…

I had no idea how long I was in the water until the J/111 that I was sailing on heard my whistle and then saw my strobe. Luckily, the storm had started to move out making visibility greater. This assisted greatly in their ability to find me. The US Coast Guard was right behind them. As I understand, the Coast Guard search pattern is in a square, narrowing in on the last known location. They did their job to perfection.

Once aboard the J/111, I was transferred to the US Coast Guard vessel in a basket with the potential of hypothermia. With Emergency Medical Services waiting for me at the station, I was transferred and then taken to Door County Medical with a diagnosis of mild hypothermia. I didn’t have any other reported injuries, so my treatment consisted of a warming blanket and a bag of warm saline.

This story is about a lot of very skilled, experienced, and prepared sailors who handled an emergency with precision. It is about being prepared. Prepared for a storm, all equipment was accounted for before we even left the dock the morning before with the skipper/owner checking to make sure all crew had all the required safety equipment.

It is about knowing what to do in the water as well as on the boat. This story is about wearing a lifejacket. It doesn’t make any different what you choose to wear. I wouldn’t be alive without it.

This story is about how lucky I was to have the US Coast Guard so close to provide the needed support.

WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET, ATTACH A WHISTLE TO IT, IF OUT AT NIGHT, HAVE A STROBE OR SOME OTHER DEVICE THAT WILL BE USED AS A VISUAL. ALL WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE!"


As for the racing the event, virtually all over boats participating lived through a similar experience as Sarah while she was aboard. It was rough going and typical of Midwestern fronts that can unexpectedly intensify as they begin to pass over the lake.  In the J/111 Class, NO SURPRISE won followed by Kevin Saedi & Raman Yousefi's MOMENTUS.

In PHRF 2 Class, J/Crews fared well in the tempestuous conditions. Taking the silver was Bob Klairmont's J/160 SIROCCO, followed by Bob Christoph's J/121 LOKI taking the bronze, and Mike Stewart's J/122 LADY K grabbing fourth position.

The seven-boat J/109 class had tight racing despite the tough weather. Winning was the Douglas/ Maybach duo on COURAGEOUS, followed by Doug Evans' TIME OUT in second and the quartet of Miz/ Dreher/ Hatfield/ Neenan in third.

Winning the eleven-boat PHRF 4 class was Andy Graff's EXILE, followed by Mitch Weisman's J/35 FLYING SPHAGETTI MONSTER in fourth place, Mike Hettel's J/105 GLOBAL NOMADS in 6th, and Dale Brown's J/105 BLACK DIAMOND in 7th.

Winning the eleven-boat PHRF 5 class was Mark Wessel's J/92 RUNAWAY.

Finally, proving again that various J/Designs are tough offshore boats, winning the PHRF Doublehanded division was Ron Otto's J/110 TAKEDOWN 2! Congratulations to all for surviving and, indeed, excelling offshore when Mother Nature throws you a massive curveball!   Thanks for this contribution from Scuttlebutt Sailing Newsletter   For more Racine YC The Hook Race sailing information

Great Sailing @ Chicago YC Verve Cup

(Chicago, IL)- One of the largest course-racing regattas in North America, the Verve Cup is an annual world-class sailing event attracting many national and international competitors. Both the 3-day Offshore Regatta and, later, the 2-day Inshore Regatta host well over 100 yachts off the beautiful Chicago lakefront and skyline.

For this year's edition of the Verve Cup Offshore Regatta, it featured three J/One-design fleets (J/88, J/105, & J/109) along with ORR and PHRF Handicap fleets.  Overall, J/Crews had strong performances in all classes, with just about every one of them enjoying an eight-race series!


For starters, the J/88 class turned-out in strength, with six boats ponying up to the line. Starting very fast out of the gates with four-straight bullets was Ben Marden's BANTER. After taking a breather overnight, they closed the deal with another day of blistering pace, posting a 3-1-1-2 to simply dominate their class with a total of 11 pts. Finally finding their form late in the regatta was John & Jordan Leahey's DUTCH, posting five 2nds and winning the last race for a total of 18 pts to take the silver. Similarly, it took Andy Graff's crew on EXILE to find their way around the track without getting in trouble on the first day. Then, they showed some of their old form on the final day, closing with at least a 1st and 2nd in their scores to secure the bronze with 27 pts. 

In a very similar fashion, the six-boat J/105 class also saw a runaway winner in their class. Breaking out their can of Popeye's spinach was Jon Weglarz's THE ASYLUM. The inmates were on fire! Starting out graciously with a 3rd, they scorched the race track with five 1sts and a 2nd, closing again graciously with a 3rd in the last race for a total of 13 pts. Getting schooled were two teams that are accustomed to being at the top of the leaderboard, Clark Pellet's SEALARK and Mike Sheppard's FLYING PIG. In the end, both teams had good races, taking 1sts, 2nds, 3rds, but not enough to overcome the inmates dominating performance. SEALARK took the silver while FLYING PIG took the bronze.


Not to repeat a broken record, but the J/109 class of five boats saw a similar scenario as the 88s and 105s. The blistering pace set by Peter Priede's FULL TILT on the first day left many a wide-eyed, slack-jawed competitor mumbling off into the haze of sunset wondering what just hit them. FULL TILT wiped the slate clean in the first four races on the first day- all bullets. However, perhaps celebrating a bit too much Saturday evening, they woke up the next day (perhaps hungover) with a less than stellar 4th place in the initial race. After shocking themselves back to their senses, they managed to close with a 2-3-2 for a total of 15 pts.  The battle for the rest of the podium was very real, with the fight going down to the wire, the ultimate outcome for the podium determined by the final race on Sunday.  Taking the silver was the 2019 Chicago-Mackinac Race winner, Robert Evans' GOAT RODEO, finally finding their mojo on the final day, closing the regatta with two bullets with 21 pts total. Just one point back was the quartet of Miz/ Dreher/ Hatfield/ Neenan on SMEE AGAIN to take the bronze.

In the ten-boat ORR Class, the two J/111s finished neck-and-neck near the top of the leaderboard. Taking third was Rich Witzel's ROWDY with 24 pts, followed by Kevin Saedi and Raman Yousefi's MOMENTUS in fourth place.

Soundly beating everyone in the Saturday ten-boat ORR Distance Race class was Tom Papoutsis' J/133 RENEGADE, sailing away with class honors with a comfortable handicap lead.

Finally, the Saturday PHRF Distance Race class of eight-boats saw Frank Giampoli's J/120 JAHAZI take the silver while Rick Reed's J/35 OB LA DI! powered home into 4th place. Overall, a great outing for J/Crews across the Midwest!  For more Chicago YC Verve Cup Offshore Regatta sailing information

Chicago YC Verve Cup Preview

(Chicago, IL)- One of the largest course-racing regattas in North America, the Verve Cup is an annual world-class sailing event attracting many national and international competitors. Both the 3-day Offshore Regatta and, later, the 2-day Inshore Regatta host well over 100 yachts to our beautiful Chicago lakefront and skyline

For the Verve Offshore Regatta, participating yachts range in size from 25 to 80 feet. Competitors participate in daily multiple windward-leeward races. Boats sail either in a rating handicap section, so boats of different size and character may compete against each other, or in a One-Design section. Typically, there are 18 racing sections dispersed among three racing circles. Brag flags and prizes are awarded to the top finishers in each section and one offshore boat, the winner in what is determined by formula to be the most competitive section, “The Elite Fleet,” is awarded the perpetual Verve Cup Trophy. The Verve Cup Trophy dates back to 1893 and is the Chicago Yacht Club’s oldest trophy.

For this year's regatta, of course, none of the famous (or rather infamous) social activities are taking place onshore. Instead, due to the "pandemic guidelines", the Skipper's Meeting will be handled online, all notices posted online, and everyone practicing the stuff we are supposed to as part of the pandemic protocols.  No "high-fiving" after winning races, that's for sure.

Nevertheless, the sailors in Chicago, like virtually anyplace else, are clearly suffering "cottage fever" and cannot wait to get back out on the race track.  An excellent turn-out of J/sailors will be participating in this weekend's regatta. 

For starters, the J/88 class has turned-out in strength, with seven boats ponying up to the line. Familiar faces should be in the top of the leaderboard mix, such as Andy Graff's EXILE, Ben Marden's BANTER, and John & Jordan Leahey's DUTCH. 

The six-boat J/105 class also has many of its class leaders ready to do battle offshore, such as Jon Weglarz's THE ASYLUM, Clark Pellet's SEALARK, and Mike Sheppard's FLYING PIG. 

Similarly, the five-boat J/109 class sees Peter Priede's FULL TILT, Bob Evan's GOAT RODEO, Jack Tolliver's VANDA III, and the trio of Miz/ Dreher/ Hatfield guiding SMEE AGAIN to the front of the class. 

In the ten-boat ORR Class, two J/111's are taking on all-comers; Kevin Saedi and Raman Yousefi's MOMENTUS and Rick Witzel's ROWDY. 

In the Saturday ORR Distance Race class, we find Boyd Jarrell's J/111 HEAD ROOM and Tom Papoutsis' J/133 RENEGADE also taking on their ten-boat fleet. 

Finally, the Saturday PHRF Distance Race class of seven-boats will see Frank Giampoli's J/120 JAHAZI and Rick Reed's J/35 OB LA DI! hoping to take home the silver.  For more Chicago YC Verve Cup Offshore Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Leveling Community Through Sailing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago Yacht Club Weather Challenge

(Chicago, IL)- In the wake of a successful weather Zoom presentation, Chicago Yacht Club members Matt Gallagher and Winn Soldani teamed up with CYC’s On-the-Water Director Skip Dieball and hatched a plan to create a weather forecasting contest.

“After Matt and Winn set up the simple website, invitations to participate were sent to club members and friends around the country, and through social media,” noted Dieball. “Inquiries from all over the world came in.”

The concept is simple – submit your predicted forecast for tomorrow’s weather and get scored based on its accuracy. High/Low Temps, Wind Speed/Direction, and Precipitation. The closer you are, the lower your score.

All sailors fancy themselves weather experts, and as Gallagher, Soldani, and other weather experts provide support and education via the contest’s site and a private Facebook group, this is a chance for people to prove themselves while waiting to get back on the water.

The current contest is free of charge and open to all. This week’s forecast is for Chicago, IL; next week is Providence, RI; and the week of June 1 is Miami, FL. New forecasters can join any time, and champions will be crowned for all three cities individually along with an overall champion. Suitable swag and bragging rights will be awarded to the winner. Thanks for contribution from Scuttlebutt.   For more info and to enter. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas Update

(Newport, RI)- Each year Sailing World magazine presents North America’s largest sailing regatta series, the National Offshore One Design Regattas. This incredibly popular regatta is broadly enjoyed by J/Sailors from around America, Canada, and Mexico. The only regatta that went off without a hitch so far in 2020 was the Helly Hansen St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta in St Petersburg, FL in early February.

At this time, the following Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas are scheduled to be held, two have been rescheduled. 

• Chicago NOOD- Chicago, IL- June 12-14
• Marblehead NOOD- Marblehead, MA- July 23-26
• Annapolis NOOD- Annapolis, MD- August 28-30 
• San Diego NOOD- San Diego, CA- September 4-6

For more Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Seeking Sailors for Mixed Double-handed Offshore– Newport Bermuda Race

(Newport, RI)- The Young American Sailing Academy (YASA) is seeking interested sailors to join the YASA sailing team and participate in a mixed double-handed offshore program.

The first step of this program is sailing the 2020 Newport Bermuda Race as mixed double-handed entries. Do you have the passion and the skills to be part of a winning team, sailing mixed double-handed offshore for three to four demanding days? If this is your calling, please apply with YASA.

Newport Bermuda Race
YASA will have two mixed double-handed entries in the 2020 Newport Bermuda Race. At 640 nm the Newport Bermuda Race is the only race of distance and duration to be relevant to the upcoming World Championships and the 2024 Olympic event, which is planned to be a 3-4-day duration. The Newport Bermuda Race is an ideal training event for those seeking the near-term goal of qualifying for the World Sailing Championships to be sailed October 2020.

Using the boats immediately available, YASA is upgrading its two J/105s for double-handed offshore sailing. The boats are being equipped and configured with high quality instruments/auto pilots and offshore sail configurations. J/105s have successfully sailed transatlantic and transpacific races, and given their size and setup are considered appropriate equipment for mixed offshore training.

If the demand is sufficient from skilled and qualified sailors, YASA will work to provide additional boats for mixed duos.

Selection Process
Interested skippers are asked to submit their sailing resumes and their expression of interest. The YASA selection committee will select a short list from the submissions from which interviews will be conducted leading to the selection of the final skippers. Second tier and backup crews will be selected at the same time. Interested sailors may apply either as individuals or as a pre-formed team.

The Application Information
The selection committee anticipates starting to review applications February 25 with the intention of making selections by March 15. Contact Peter Becker below.

YASA has been a youth centric program from its inception and consistent with that bias we encourage interest from youthful participants (< 25), however all candidates regardless of age will be considered.

Some of the qualities and characteristics that are desirable in a skipper candidate are the following:

• “Skipper” frame of mind and team attitude
• Having a gas-pedal – i.e. the ability to do all things to make a boat go fast in all conditions
• Prior experience with offshore endurance sailing, preferably short-handed
• Tireless, flexible, curious and tenacious
• Focused and with a willingness to commit to an intense campaign
• Knowledge in weather and weather routing

YASA Framework & Support
Projects such as this are dependent on funding, YASA as a 501(c) (3) provides the tax advantaged framework for charitable donations and commercial support to help meet the funding requirements. YASA will enhance its social media campaign promoting the project, its sponsors and highlighting the sailors.

As previously mentioned, YASA is providing the boats and is working hard to deliver the associated equipment and upgrades. There is and will be plenty of work and preparation required which YASA will support in every way possible.

Team/ Skipper Commitments
Each skipper should be committed to providing the following:

• Commitment to working and training hard to become an elite short-handed sailor
• Achieving and maintaining a high level of physical conditioning
• Commitment to fundraising in support of the project budget (approx. $8,500/crew member)
• Providing personal safety equipment, offshore gear and associated supplies
• Having the time, energy, passion and excitement about mixed offshore sailing

Provisional Budget
The provisional budget for each of the two boats for the Newport Bermuda Race campaign is approximately $17,000. This budget includes the entry and operational expenses as well as the necessary safety equipment and ORR rating. It does not include capital upgrades, which include B&G H5000 Hercules instruments and pilot and offshore sail inventory.

Conclusion
This is the moment to find and create American’s talent in the short-handed offshore discipline. In four years, there is an Olympic medal up for the taking, let’s set a course toward that goal and enjoy the journey.

Contact- Peter Becker- phone- 917-715-1471 or email- Peter.Becker@yasailing.org or website- https://www.yasailing.org/ Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Young Girl Gets Free J/24 for Season!

(Chicago, IL)- The U.S. J/24 Class Association Awarded their Fourth Annual Boat Grant to Erica Trejo from Chicago!

The US J/24 Class Association has awarded the fourth annual Kelly Holmes-Moon J/24 Boat Grant to Erica Trejo from Chicago, IL. The Program is named in honor of Kelly Holmes-Moon, a long-time supporter of the J/24 Class Association who served as U.S. Class President and as the Copyright Holder’s Representative.

For the 2020 season, the boat will see weekly action at Wilmette Harbor with J/24 Fleet 100. The Boat Grant team plans to participate in a number of events including the Midwinter Championship in Melbourne, FL, Cleveland Race Week in Cleveland, OH, the Great Lakes Championship in Chicago, IL, and working to attend the District 15 Championship in Madison, WI. Mark Soya, with the help of other Class members, will mentor the young team, as well as the other individuals who applied for the Program.

Erica has been sailing and racing her whole life, but has only a few years of J/24 experience. She has already seen how much fun the Class is and how competitive it is too. In the past two years, she has been pleasantly surprised at how many boats were in attendance at each regatta. She loves how everyone is so welcoming, and she is excited to be a part of the J/24 family. She looks forward to learning more about the boats while on this year’s journey and the challenge of racing against so many good sailors in the Class. Her team will consist of a mix of younger J/24 sailors and seasoned veterans, which will surely help them grow over the next year. She said, “I am incredibly excited to receive the boat grant this year! I am excited for this year’s journey. Come say ‘Hi’ if you see us. I would like to thank the US J/24 Class and the Boat Grant Committee for making this possible and for helping me achieve this great honor.”

The Kelly Holmes-Moon J/24 Boat Grant Program encourages talented young sailors to gain first-hand experience racing within the J/24 Class of one-design sailboats at virtually no cost. Dave Eggleton donated the boat, USA 423, to the program, providing the Scholarship Boat recipients with the experience to escalate their level of competitiveness and inspire them to accomplish great things in the sailing world. The team is in need of contributions to help fund their campaign. To find out how you can help, e-mail director@j24class.org. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/88 Selected for Mixed Offshore USA World Team Worlds Qualifier

(Chicago, IL)- The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac® presented by Wintrust (CYCRTM) is excited to announce the event has been selected by US Sailing as the Double-Handed Worlds Qualifier in preparation for the 2024 Olympics. The boat selected for the US qualifier is the J/88, and the CYCRTM plans to host a special division for the Mixed Offshore Double-handed discipline, for both a one-design fleet as well as a rated ORC fleet in J/88s, in the 112th running of the race this summer.

"This is an exciting time for the USA and a great opportunity to race an Olympic class offshore boat," says Jay Kehoe, Sailing Director at the Chicago Yacht Club. "Non-mixed double-handed teams will also be able to participate, but will have to adhere to the sail rules and safety equipment, and are not eligible for the 2020 Offshore World Championships."

There will be six (6) boats available for charter and a partial inventory of safety equipment, thanks to the generosity of the local J/88 fleet. Teams chartering or bringing their own J/88 are also encouraged to participate. However, there will be restricted sail choices and specialized safety equipment that will apply to all competitors in the class.

The Team USA entry to the 2020 Offshore World Championships will be selected from one of the eligible teams competing in the Mixed Two Person division of the CYCRTM.

The 112th CYCRTM will take place July 17th and 18th, 2020. The inspection, measurement and equalization process for all boats, sails and the complete list of required safety equipment will be specified in the Notice of Race of the Chicago-Mackinac Mixed Two Person division, which will be issued later this month. Please email regattamanager@chicagoyachtclub.org if you are interested in applying for a charter boat, or if you have any other questions on this process. To learn more about the Mixed Offshore, please visit US Sailing’s website that details all of the qualifiers for the World Team.  Learn more about the U.S. Sailing Olympics 2024 Doublehanded Mixed Offshore Program here.

About the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac®: "America’s Offshore Challenge™
The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac® presented by Wintrust is one of the world’s largest annual offshore races, drawing top-notch sailing talent from around America and the world.  Known as ‘The Mac’ to everyone in the region, the ultimate test of Great Lakes navigation starts each July just off Chicago’s Navy Pier. Passing through some of the most beautiful coastal waters in the world on the 333-statute mile (289nm) race route, the fleet faces the storms, reefs, calms and competition that truly make it "America’s Offshore Challenge."

From Friday’s Cruising and Saturday’s Racing starting cannons to the finish line just on the other side of the iconic Mackinac Bridge, fans can follow every racer via the live Race Tracker, while keeping tabs on their favorites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  For more Chicago to Mackinac Race sailing information

About the J/88 Offshore Speedster
Introduced in 2013, the J/88 is 29’ mid-size family speedster with stability, style and sailing comfort. Design highlights include a high-aspect, non-overlapping sail plan (no genoas) with a carbon fiber, double-spreader mast - deck stepped for easy rigging, tuning and keeping the main cabin dry.  With more than 100+ boats worldwide and a growing fleet on Lake Michigan, the design has been extremely successful for inshore racing, family day sailing, as well as offshore shorthanded sailing.  For more J/88 offshore speedster sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

U.S. Naval Academy Wins Great Lakes Intercollegiate Regatta

(Chicago, IL)– The 2019 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta was hosted by the Chicago Corinthian YC in Chicago, IL for a fleet of twenty-two college teams from across the Midwest. The fleet was treated to solid breezes for the two-day weekend regatta. The fleet was split into J/105s and T-10s.

On Saturday, the racing started off in 20-25 kts breezes from the southwest with a very shifty wind off the towering Chicago lakefront. On Sunday, the fleet endured another round of challenging conditions. With the wind out of the west, the breeze started in the 20-25 kts range, but by midday was gusting into the 35 kts range. As a result, only one race was sailed on Sunday.


For the racing on Saturday, the CCYC PRO did not fly flag “K” (which indicates spinnakers not allowed) and instead left that decision up to crews and boat owners. That decision worked well, as competitors collaborated with boat owners and learned about making decisions around how to sail their boats better and safely in strong breezes.

“It was not only an exciting heavy breeze day on the water, but a big learning experience for all who many have never sailed in truly difficult offshore conditions,” said Regatta Co-Chairman Nick Zomer.

In the J/105 fleet, three teams dominated the leaderboard on the first day. Leading the way as the US Naval Academy Team with a 1-3-1-3-1 tally for just 9 pts total. Sailing very consistently with all podium finishes was the University of Michigan “Big Blue” Team with a 2-2-3-1-3 record for 11 pts.  However, they were tied on points with the University of Notre Dame “Fighting Irish” Team. The Fighting Irish rallied the troops and posted a 4-1-2-2-2 tally for 11 pts; that meant they were behind on the countback tie-breaker.


With just one race sailed on Sunday, due to the near-gale weather conditions, the final standings were going to be determined by the final race. In the end, the USNA Midshipmen were unstoppable, posting yet another bullet to take the regatta win. By virtue of their second place, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame took the silver, while the Big Blue team of Michigan took home the bronze with their 3rd place finish.  Follow the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta on Facebook Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/111 World Champion-> SPACEMAN SPIFF!

(Chicago, IL)- Twenty-three J/111s competed from August 20-23 at Chicago Yacht Club for the 2019 J/111 World Championship that included teams from the USA, Australia and Switzerland. It was an event that was marked by incredibly challenging weather conditions for the duration of the event. In fact, the first day of the regatta was canceled due to a massive line of thunderstorms and squalls rolling across the plains of the Midwest, dumping tropical rains, squally winds in the thirties, interspersed with moments of complete calm. Thereafter, the fleet was treated to a range of breezes that started with SW to W winds of 6 to 19 knots on Wednesday, shifting to the NE to E quadrants for the next two days, producing nearly perfect, sunny, sailing conditions in shifty, streaky winds of 8 to 19 knots.

In the end, the Ruhlman Family from Cleveland, OH, spearheaded by family patriarch and skipper Rob, ultimately were crowned 2019 J/111 World Champions on their famous SPACEMAN SPIFF. The SPIFFER’s team included Rob (Dad), son Ryan, daughter Abigail, daughter Maegan, and a cast of characters that included Marty Kullman, Doug Moose, Jim Sminchak, and Mark Wiss. Many of the Ruhlman family and friends crew have sailed together for decades. They won the Worlds in much the same fashion as they won the previous weekend’s Verve Offshore Cup Regatta. Starting out the first day of the regatta with two bullets, they also closed with a pair of bullets to win the Worlds. It was a great performance and one that was seemingly pre-ordained to see them rise to the top of the sailing world! Here is how that all came about over the three days of sailing.


Day Two- Gorgeous Opening Day
Following storms that rolled through Chicago on Tuesday, the fleet had to wait a bit longer still on Wednesday. Race one was abandoned due to lack of breeze and a severe shift. However, winds eventually amped up to 12-14 knots, allowing three races for the hungry teams. Despite a pair of bullets by the Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF, it was Andrew and Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO that ended the day at the front of the pack. The BRAVO crew from Shelter Island, NY only placed in the top three once, but their scoreline of 7-3-5 for 15 points put them one ahead of SPACEMAN SPIFF that added a 14 for 16 total. Peter Wagner’s SKELETON KEY snuck into third place with tallies of 6-8-4 for 18 points total.

SPACEMAN SPIFF earned the first victory of the Championship in the day’s opening, and lightest, affair. Jeffrey Davis’ SHAMROCK and Richard Witzel’s ROWDY followed. Swiss sailor Jorg Sigg’s LALLEKONIG outdid the fleet in the middle race, with Douglas Curtiss’ WICKED 2.0 and Ward’s BRAVO close behind. The Ruhlman family closed Wednesday the same way it started, trailed by Martin Roesch’s VELOCITY and Rod Warren’s Australian crew on JOUST.


Day Three- Rocking & Rolling Northeaster
The large choppy seas on Lake Michigan were heaving and breaking on Thursday, as was the leaderboard. Roesch’s VELOCITY shot up to the top position, posting a 1-4-6 on the day. Wagner’s SKELETON KEY maintained consistent scores in the top 10, inching them up to second place with 34 points, only one point behind Roesch. Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF dropped to third but was still in the hunt with 38 points. Day one leader Andrew and Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO suffered a 13th in the day’s final contest, leaving them in fourth place, one tick behind Ruhlman.

Roesch began the day victoriously, ahead of local boat MOMENTUS led by Kevin Saedi & Raman Yousefi and the Ward’s on BRAVO. Chicago Yacht Club’s Michael Mayer & Steve Henderson guided KASHMIR to success in the middle match, with Jorg Sigg’s LALLEKONIG and Witzel’s ROWDY next (LALLEKONIG was later DSQ’d for a windward/leeward infraction). Rod Warren’s JOUST prevailed in the final round, shadowed by Wagner’s SKELETON KEY and Sigg’s LALLEKONIG.


Day Four- Another Gorgeous Northeaster!
The Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF took control of their own destiny on Friday, nailing both race wins to earn the title of 2019 J/111 World Champion. Coming into the final day, the Cleveland, OH-based team was in third overall, but Ruhlman and his crew ended with 25 net points in the eight-race series. Five points behind in second place was day-three leader Roesch’s VELOCITY. Former World Champion Peter Wagner’s SKELETON KEY came in third with 34 points.

It was another wild day on Lake Michigan. PRO Becky Ashburn, summarized, “Winds were around 15 knots. Waves were three to four feet with a sideways swell, which made it really choppy.”

Under a champagne shower in the harbor, Ruhlman smiled, “I’m not sure this has sunk in yet! We have a great team, a great family. The competition was outstanding. I’m thrilled to be a part of the J/111 Class.”

Rounding out the top five was the Mayer/ Henderson duo on KASHMIR, the top local Chicago boat in fourth place and Witzel’s ROWDY in fifth as the second Chicago boat.


There was a special gathering on the docks on Friday morning at 9:00 AM, the final day of the regatta. The women crew that were sailing on several J/111s gathered together for a “women’s power” team photo. Represented were women from these boats: Momentus, Lucky Dubie, Varuna, Pura Vida, Spaceman Spiff (two World Champions!), Rowdy, and Skull Cracker. Follow the J/111 Class on Facebook page here
For J/111 World Championship results

Verve Cup Inshore One-Design Regatta Preview

(Chicago, IL)- The Chicago Yacht Club is coincidentally hosting the Verve Cup Inshore Regatta as the J/111 World Championship concludes this week. For the J/70 class, it acts as a J/70 World’s qualifier for the 2020 J/70 World Championship in Long Beach, CA. The J/24 class is also participating in the event.

Amongst the sweet sixteen teams participating will be Steve Knoop’s AMERICAN FLYER, Marti Johnsson’s AQUAHOLIKS, Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP, John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA, Oivind Lorentzen’s NINE, Amy Neill’s NITEMARE, Leif & Laura Sigmond’s NORBOY, John & Marisa Koten’s PLANET CLAIRE, and Bob Willis’s RIP RULLAH.

In the J/24s, anything goes in this class. Nevertheless, Erica Trejo from YC Argentina is taking on the locals. Those teams are Mark Soya’s 2XS, Eric Christenson’s BUBBLES, and Dan Walsh’s GOLDRUSH. For more Verve Cup Inshore Regatta sailing info Add to Flipboard Magazine.