GREG FISHER JOINS SAILING INC. / EVOLUTION SAILS

 

Another long-time J/Sailor and has gone full circle in the sailing world. First having sailed Lightnings and working for Bill Shore at Shore Sails. Later, helping develop J/24 sails for Shore Sails, Greg Fisher notably took over College of Charleston's sailing program and turned it into a college sailing powerhouse. Now, he's back to sailmaking again!

Universally liked in the sport, Greg Fisher helps people enjoy sailing, and now will be taking his talents to the Sailing Inc. / Evolution Sails team (Sailing Inc is a J/Boats dealer in Ohio). Here’s their announcement:

Sailing Inc., a trusted provider of premium sailing and marine products, services and support, welcomes Greg Fisher as the Evolution Sails Loft Manager for the Sailing Inc. Charleston (SC) location.

Fisher, a Collegiate All-American, has won 25 National, North American or World Championships in 7 different one design classes and is an acclaimed expert in the sailing community for over 40 years. Fisher will head up our Sailing Inc. / Evolution Sails team in Charleston (SC) while working closely with locations in Cleveland (OH), Sandusky (OH), and St. Petersburg (FL).

Fisher will lead the administrative and business development functions of Sailing Inc. and Evolution Sails in Charleston, and help support the further development of the research, design and production of the Evolution Sails product lines. His extensive knowledge as a sailor, sailmaker and coach will grow Sailing Inc.’s capacity to provide expert level service and professional support across the United States.

Fisher will focus on building a stronger relationship between the sailor and the sailmaker, leveraging Evolution Sails championship-caliber sail design and production teams to deliver high-performance, long-lasting cruising and racing sails built by one of the world’s most innovative sailmakers.

“I am enthused to return to my sailing career ‘roots’ with my new position at Sailing Inc. / Evolution Sails,” said Fisher. “Sailmaking is where I started almost 45 years ago! To be able to pursue this new chapter with such a talented and passionate team at Sailing Inc., who share a strong customer focus is exciting.”

Fisher continues, “I’ve sailed with new sails from Evolution and am impressed with the high-performance design and superb quality of construction. I look forward to helping sell and promote this exceptional brand right here in Charleston and across the US. I am fired up to join the Sailing Inc. / Evolution Sails team effort to support all of Charleston’s sailing community!”

Fisher has been active in the sailing industry for over 40 years, starting with his own brand, Fisher Sails, in the late 1980s, and using that early success as a springboard to an accomplished 20-year career with North Sails One-Design.

Fisher spent 8 years as the Director of Sailing at the College of Charleston, where his teams collected Four Fowle Trophies for the “Best all-around sailing team in the Country”. He also presided over 39 All-Americans and Honorable Mentions and 10 Academic All-Americans.

He has long been supportive in the development of One-Design sailing within the United States and served on the Board of US Sailing and was chair of the One Design Class Council. Fisher was the former Chief Operating Officer of Olympic Sailing for US Sailing.

“We are, of course, very excited to have Greg joining the team,” said Rob Ruhlman (owner of the J/111 and J/88 SPACEMAN SPIFF). “Having literally grown up with Greg on and off the race course, I know his competitive spirit, work ethic, and knowledge of the industry. That experience combined with Sailing Inc/ Evolution Sails commitment to excellence will be a great benefit to the sailing community.”

Please reach out to Greg and welcome him to our team! Contact Greg here- email: greg.fisher@thesailinginc.com / cell: (410) 212-4916.Add to Flipboard Magazine.

The Kids are Taking Over

 

* The Kids are Taking Over! More on the J/34 sailing the Leukemia Society Race in Sandusky, OH.

Brett and Katie Langolf believe that sailing promotes teamwork and helps build relationships. Their crew has raised more than $20,000 so far for the regatta’s beneficiary, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Bexley residents Brett and Katie Langolf grew up sailing, went on sailing dates in college and when their daughters were born, Katie said, “we made it a priority to spend our weekends with them on boats, since they were in diapers.”

A few years later — but not too many years later — the Langolf’s have their girls, Hadley, 12, and Charlotte, 10, competing in a regatta on Saturday, part of an all-kids crew of 12 that will face off against adult crews.


Their boat, the “Knee Deep,” will take on about 25 others in the Sandusky Islands Race & Leukemia Cup Regatta, a 25-mile race that starts and ends in Sandusky and loops around Kelley’s Island.

“I’d call this an experiment,” said Jim Keane, the principal race officer, about the kids taking on the adults. “But I expect them to do reasonably well.”

The idea came out of an initiative that the Langolf’s started in the spring, a nonprofit called More Kids on Sailboats. Unlike other sailing programs for children, theirs is focused on the benefits of co-ed and multi-generational crews.

“I’ve raced countless times with my dad, starting when I was 9,” said Katie, who, like Brett, grew up in Michigan and attended Michigan State University.

“When you put boats together and you have crew members who are 9 and 20 and 40 and 70, you see the older generations mentoring the younger generations, and the younger generations teaching the older generations about communication.”

Hadley Langolf said she enjoys the teamwork of being on a crew.

“Everyone has an individual role, but you have to work as a team to make the boat go fast,” she said.

Not long after forming their nonprofit, Brett said he came up with the idea of entering an all-kids crew in a regatta. The Langolf’s are members of the Sandusky Sailing Club, one of the host clubs for the Leukemia Cup Regatta series, so that was a natural fit.

He set about to find a crew of experienced youth sailors, and one of his first calls was to Keane. The Huron resident has four grandchildren who sail, and one — Molly Keane, 12 — is a leukemia survivor.


Molly will join her sister, Kellie Keane, 14 and cousins Jack Vanderhorst, 16, and Annika Vanderhorst, 15, on the boat Saturday.

Molly was diagnosed five years ago, Jim Keane said, “and it was touch-and-go for about two years. Everybody is extremely hopeful that she’s past it all now.”

The Langolf girls and other crew members have been fundraising and as of Friday afternoon had raised $21,950, far exceeding their goal of $15,000. The money benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Brett marvels at how well the crew has come together, considering some had never met before July 31, their first practice. They have been coached by a Cleveland-area professional sailor, Nick Turney, though, and Jack Vanderhorst (the boat’s skipper) is a highly accomplished junior sailor.

Hadley Langolf said she is, “very confident in the boat; I think we can go really fast.”

She said her first goal is to raise “a ton of money” for the cause, but added, “If you can’t tell, I want to win the race, too. I have high hopes for the race.”

Hearing this, Brett chuckled. “They’re a feisty bunch.”  For more on the Langolf family story on the Dispatch.

J/34 Taken Over by Youth Team!

*J/34 KNEE DEEP has been taken over completely by "the kids"! As seen here sailing off Cleveland, OH on the choppy waters of Lake Erie, "the kids" earned their keep by raising the most amount of money for their local Cleveland Leukemia Cup this year. Congratulations to all of the local youth sailors that partook in the event and, especially, to Brett Langolf's youth team winning on the classic J/34 IOR design called KNEE DEEP!

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.

More Fun Sailing on Lake Erie!

Here’s a report from the fun-loving sailing family- the Langolf’s from Cleveland, Ohio:

“Fresh off a 3rd Place finish in the Bayview Mackinac Race, the Langolf family crew got our J/34 IOR boat called KNEE DEEP off the trailer and back in the water. Now, it was time to coordinate our next adventures.

We put the mast back up, dialed in the rig to our settings and coordinated with the crew to see how we could tackle the end of summer. In a five-week span, we were full-on weekend warriors. We took 4 kids (and 3 wives!) on their first overnight race (drifter!) aboard KNEE DEEP (taking 3rd). We cleaned up the boat by sunrise and fired up the diesel for a Sunday Funday Race in the Bay, victory again!

The next weekend was a wild ride in six-foot waves and #3 jib to a top-five finish at the annual Labor Day pursuit race; the 20 mile delivery home was even more fun.

The family then packed up the gear and headed east the following weekend to race with our friends on the J/105 FALL LINE. Winning the overall Cleveland Cup on Saturday, we also helped the FALL LINE team win the J/105 Boat of the Year on Lake Erie. We had a convincing J/105 class win around the buoys on Sunday. Better yet, the race was in the books before kick-off for the Cleveland Browns NFL football game!

The next weekend, the regatta was canceled due to weather. However, that didn't stop us! We loaded five kids on our boat and took two other families sailing for the day.


J/Boat September ended at the J/24 District Championships. Our family chaired the regatta and we jumped aboard BOOYAH! to take a second-place finish. We had two great days of racing in Sandusky Bay (host for the 2022 J/24 North Americans). Amusingly enough, most of our KNEE DEEP crew were dispersed among the top 5 boats!

Now, it’s time for a couple of October sails to the famous Cedar Point Amusement Park; over a half-dozen of the world’s largest and fastest roller-coasters are on the island. Let's hope the kid's lifejackets fit over their Halloween costumes.”  Thanks for this contribution from father Brett Langolf.

J/70s & J/105s Battle @ Cleveland 216 Regatta

(Cleveland, OH)- The Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, OH hosted their annual Cleveland 216 Regatta for one-design fleets of J/70s and J/105s. For the J/70s, it was an excellent opportunity to get used to the rough and tumble Lake Erie sailing conditions as practice for their upcoming J/70 North American Championship being sailed at the same venue the following week.

For Brian Keane’s SAVASANA team, it was their first time back in their J/70 after sailing Charleston Race Week in late spring. Despite their summer off from the battles at the top of the class, it was clear the SAVASANA team was back at the top of their game with Thomas Barrows (College Sailor of the Year) calling tactics. In the end, their record of 3-1-1-2 for 7 pts total was an impressive performance as a lead-up to the upcoming J/70 North American Championship. Second was the Chilean Ducasse family team on their boat- the DUCASSE SAILING TEAM. Led by Andres Ducasse, they sailed a consistent series with a 7-5-2-6 for 20 pts total. Third was Andy Deak’s TOOTLES with an 8-10-3-4 for 25 pts. Rounding out the top five were Fernando Gutierrez’s Mexican team on WOODSTOCK in fourth and Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER in fifth place.

Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE won the J/105 class with an impressive tally of three 1sts and two 2nds and, with a discard race, finished with a mere 5 pts net after four races. Second was Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED with a 1-1-3-2-3 for a 7 pts net score. Third went to the Uhlir Brothers’ TRIO with a 3-3-4-3-2 tally for 11 pts net.  For more Cleveland 216 Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Postcard-Perfect Opener for J/70 North Americans

(Cleveland, OH)- The Edgewater Yacht Club is hosting the 2019 edition of the J/70 North American Championship for the world’s largest and most popular sportboat class from September 24th to 29th. The thirty-five teams are now sailing on the challenging waters of Lake Erie, famous for its severe chop and rapidly changing winds along their city waterfront.
The fleet was greeted with postcard-perfect conditions on the first day of competition. A south breeze from 12-16 knots and gusts in the 20s meant perfect planing opportunities. Adding in sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s, everyone relished the three races to kick off the Championship.

Oivind Lorentzen’s team on NINE (with crew of Lucas Calabrese, Ian Coleman and Will Felder) rocked all three contests to take the early advantage with 6 points, after posting a 1-2-3. John and Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES (with crew of Allan Terhune and Ben Lamb) started with a seventh and added two bullets for 9 points and second place. 2016 J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning on CATAPULT (with crew of Victor Diaz De Leon, Christopher Stocke, and Patrick Wilson) is only one point behind the Baxters in third with scores of 5-3-2.


The second day dawned with grey, leaden skies that ultimately cleared for a spectacular sunny day of racing.  As the front and skies cleared, a strong northwest breeze filled in blowing 15-20 kts, with gusts in the high 20s.  What made the day an epic experience were the monster waves (e.g. giant chop) that made for some hair-raising, double-digit planing speeds on the downwind runs.

Following a redress hearing, Lorentzen’s NINE kept a slight grip on their lead with 8.3 points (2.3-3 on the day). It looked as though Ronning’s CATAPULT had moved into first. However, they now hold second place with 9 points. The Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES fell to third place with two fifths for 12 pts total.

John Brim’s RIMETTE took a bullet for the day’s first race, bringing them to fourth overall at 13 points. Following one point back is Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS.

Ronning, who won the day’s final contest, said, “the Worlds’ swells were very vertical while the swells here are wide and further apart, which led to an amazing downwind sleigh ride. You felt like you were on a cliff floating above the wave sometimes looking 7 feet down. It was a cool experience.”


ROSEBUD’s Pamela Rose said she is excited to be one of two women skippers at the Championship, “very exciting, very similar conditions from the Worlds’ experience in 2018. It was exhilarating racing; we clocked 20 kts going downwind!!”

Martin Johnsson’s AQUAHOLIKS crew of Jorgen Johnsson, Lindsay Hernandez and August Hernandez continued to maintain their advantage in the Corinthian division.

Racing continues through Saturday. Photos are available on the International J/70 Class Facebook page.  Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes   For more J/70 North American sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 North American Championship Preview

(Cleveland, OH)- The Edgewater Yacht Club will be hosting the 2019 edition of the J/70 North American Championship for the world’s largest and most popular sportboat class from September 24th to 29th. The racing will be taking place on the challenging waters of Lake Erie, famous for its severe chop and rapidly changing winds along their city waterfront.  In the background is the famous Rock & Roll Museum that is located, literally, on the waterfront.

Forty-four teams are participating from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. As one might expect, there are many strong teams participating as they begin to look forward to the 2020 J/70 World Championship in Long Beach, California.  Some of those crews from the USA include Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA, Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT, Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER, Tim Finkle’s JUNIOR, Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS, Gary Warner’s MOAB, Oivind Lorentzen’s NINE, John Brim’s RIMETTE, Pam Rose’s ROSEBUD (with Taylor Canfield as main/ tactician), Brian Keane’s SAVASANA, and John & Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES. The top non-USA teams include the Mexicans (Fernando Gutierrez’s WOODSTOCK & the Perez family’s ZAQUERO), the Brazilians (Harold Solberg’s VIKING and Pedro Camargo’s MANCHA NEGRA), the Chileans (Victor Lobos’ MEMPHIS and the Ducasse family’s DUCASSE Sailing Team), and the Canadians (Scott Weakley’s REX from Toronto).  For more J/70 North American sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 wins Cleveland Cup

(Cleveland, OH)- Edgewater Yacht Club hosted their final offshore race of the Cleveland Sailing Association season- The Cleveland Cup. The J/105 FALL LINE, skippered by Chip Schaffner, took an early lead and extended against the rest of the J/105 Fleet and PHRF overall to take home the trophy for four-peat!

The win also secured the 2019 Boat of the Year Award for Schaffner’s FALL LINE. Counting towards their overall series win and BOTY Award was winning both the Funday Pursuit Race and the Green Islands Race. Thanks for this contribution from our cheerleader for #MoreKidsOnSailboats- Brett Langolf from the J/34 KNEE DEEP. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/34 KNEE DEEP Wins Huron Race?

Fog and 17 knots of wind and building....at the same time. Welcome to Lake Huron in July!

Big air from the North led to wall waves all night on the 76.0nm course on Lake Huron. The KNEE DEEP crew and the J/34 IOR design was doing it's usual best- “Upwind Beast Mode”- taking the lead halfway into the course and held on for a 35 mile downwind leg to win by 2 seconds!! Thanks J/Boats for all the fun! Your devoted fans- Brett Langolf and family.

Watch the J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP’s highlights video here
https://youtu.be/Vc-YqeGd1Z4 Add to Flipboard Magazine.

FUN Cleveland Race Week

PROOF Wins J/120 North Americans
(Cleveland, OH)- Seventy-two teams competed on Lake Erie from June 14-16 in Cleveland Race Week’s One Design Weekend, part of the largest sailing regatta on Lake Erie and one of the largest on the Great Lakes hosted by Edgewater Yacht Club. Racing began on Friday for several classes, with the remainder beginning on Saturday. This year, the regatta included the J/120 National Championship.

Ten fleets competed over the weekend on four racecourses. Conditions were ideal on Friday, with 12-16 kts out of the northwest, sunshine, and 1-2’ waves. Saturday brought 8-12 kts from the southwest, with flat water and a bit of rain for the competitors to deal with. Sunday dawned extremely foggy and glassy; the regatta was placed on a 1-hour delay onshore before racing was entirely abandoned for the day and the regatta concluded.

The J/120 National Championship kicked off on Friday, with what could only be described as champagne sailing conditions. The first race began promptly at 12:00pm.  There were seven boats on the line; the hometown VIVA LA VIDA, Buffalo Yacht Club’s SLEDGE HAMMER, PROOF from Grosse Pointe, and Bayview Yacht Club’s FUNTECH RACING, HOT TICKET, J-HAWKER, and SLEEPING TIGER.

Three races were completed in strong conditions with the slowly dying breeze, each with a different winner. PROOF came out of the day strong with 6 points, followed closely by HOT TICKET with 7 points. Racing on Saturday was more challenging, with 4 races completed in shifty conditions. PROOF solidified their lead with a consistent 2- 2-2-1, placing a six-point gap between them and HOT TICKET in second. Racing in the middle of the fleet got intense, with only 10 points separating 2nd and 5th place at the end of the regatta. FUNTECH RACING placed third with 24 points, HOT TICKET finished second with 19 points, and PROOF became the 2019 J/120 National Champions with 13 points.

Nine boats sailed in the J/70 class. Winning was Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA with 14 pts, followed by Tod Sackett’s FM with 18. Rounding out the podium in third place was Dave Kerr’s JILLY BABY.

Marcus Rogers’ WIND MONKEY certainly had the wind at their back all weekend, posting four bullets to win the J/24 class by a landslide.  Second with nearly as good a record was Ryan Lashaway’s RUNNING ON EMPTY with three 2nds.  Third was Mark Sprenger & Ramon Eckert’s ORANGE WHIPE.

The half-dozen J/105 class also had a winner scoring all aces, with Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE running the table to take the win.  Second was Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED and third went to Ron Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY.

Following racing each day, competitors were greeted with live music, great food, and cocktails provided by sponsors Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Pusser’s Rum, and Regatta Craft Mixers. The Race Committee did an outstanding job on all four courses and in all weather conditions. Following two days off, Cleveland Race Week starts up again with the Junior Day on Wednesday, and Women’s, Doublehanded and RC Boat Racing Wednesday evening. Offshore Racing will begin on Thursday evening and continue through the weekend.  Follow Cleveland Race Week on Facebook here  For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Cleveland Race Week Preview

(Cleveland, OH)- The Edgewater Yacht Club will be hosting their week-long event known as the Cleveland Race Week. Unique amongst most major yacht clubs in America, it features three types of offshore and one-design sailing in one week of fun! Those events are the PHRF Offshore Regatta for big boats, the One-Design Regatta for all kinds of one-design classes, and then a PHRF Women’s/ Doublehanded Regatta.  As a pioneer in sailing, the Edgewater YC continues to innovate and attract a broad spectrum of sailors to their events, from kids to women, novices to experts, sailors from all across the spectrum.

Offshore Regatta
For the offshore regatta, there is an enormous twenty-six boat PHRF Spinnaker handicap class that has numerous J/Teams participating. Featured in that group are two J/111s- Don Hudak’s CAPERS and Hugh Scott Seaholm’s PAPA’s TOY. Joining them is Tim Yanda’s J/120 VIVA LA VIDA. In the PHRF Non-Spinnaker division will be Doug Wahl’s classic J/offshore design- the J/30 RUBBER SOUL.

Also sailing the offshore event is the J/105 Class. A number of the top J/105 teams on Lake Erie will be sailing, including the famous Uhlir Brother’s TRIO, Ron Carson’s DARK N STORMY, Tom & Cindy Einhouse’s OVATION, Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED, and Eric Sutherland’s ROLLICK.

One-Design Regatta
The one-design portion of the regatta includes fleets of J/24s, J/70s, J/105s, and the J/120 North American Championship.

The J/24s have nine boats participating; including two women’s teams- Cathleen Graf’s GRAFIX and Natalie Dugan’s OHIO STATE BUCKEYES.

The nine-boat J/70 class has several top teams, such as Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA from Long Island Sound, Tod Sackett’s FM, and Mark Wolff’s JAM.

The J/105s will have the same six boats that participated in the Offshore Regatta.

Finally, the event marks the 2019 edition of that classic offshore racer, the J/120 North American Championship. Participating will be most of the top teams from across the Great Lakes (ranging from Lake Ontario to Lake Michigan), including such legends as Charlie Hess’ FUNTECH RACING, Mike & Bob Kirkman’s HOT TICKET, Ken Brown’s J-HAWKER, Tom Lewin’s SLEDGE HAMMER, Tim Yanda’s VIVA LA VIDA, Mike Fozo & Robin Kendrick’s PROOF, and John Harvey’s SLEEPING TIGER.

PHRF Women’s Division
The third component of the event is the Women’s and Doublehanded Divisions.  Sailing in the Women’s Division are two J/105’s- Harriet Uhlir, Mindy Sminchak, Laura Schaefer are sailing TRIO from Edgewater YC and Cindy Einhouse’s OVATION for Edgewater YC. Then, in the Doublehanded Division will be Tim Vining’s J/22 FERDAAA.  For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

#MoreKidsOnSailboats- watch this cute sailing video

(Cleveland, OH)- Speaking of kids, the J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP, sailed by a family in Cleveland, OH, is up to their usual fun and games sailing on Lake Erie. And, the kids are important participants on their family sailing team!  Enjoy their latest “pre-season” video from owner Brett Langolf Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/120 Nationals Announcement!

(Cleveland, OH)- Edgewater Yacht Club is pleased to announce the 2019 J/120 Nationals will be held in conjunction with the popular Cleveland Race Week. The Great Lakes J/120 Fleet looks forward to sailing on Lake Erie from June 14th to 16th, 2019. This is a great opportunity for J/120 owners on eastern Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake St. Clair to meet in the middle and enjoy the late Spring sailing that is part of the legendary Cleveland Race Week.

For those needing a tune-up and a great kick-off to the season, head to Bayview Yacht Club for the Bayview One-Design Weekend, and then travel to Toledo Yacht Club for the ever-popular Mills Race and then head to Cleveland for the J/120 Nationals.

As host of the J/120 Nationals, Edgewater YC will provide convenient dockage for all J/120 teams and great racing on the open waters of Lake Erie.  The Notice of Race is posted here.  For more J/120 Nationals information and Cleveland Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Glam + Foggy Cleveland 216 Regatta!

Sun’s out, then Lights out for J/22, J/70, J/105 Fleets
(Cleveland, OH)- The fourth annual Cleveland (216) Regatta welcomed three J/22's, seven J/70's, and six J/105's this past weekend at Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, Ohio. Three races were completed in shifty breeze on Saturday with 8-12 knots out of the Southwest, flat water and sunshine peeking through. On Sunday, unusual Cleveland fog prevailed and even with some breeze, the EYC PRO was unable to get any racing in due to visibility! Following racing, the teams met on the drysail area for the Quantum/ Sailing Inc. "SAIL-gate" where the Cleveland Browns football team pulled off an overtime win for the first time on a Sunday in two years!

In the J/70 class, from Rochester, NY, Kevin Morgan on WILD CARD took first place over two Edgewater boats. Tod Sackett's team on FM came in second place and in third John Zelli's FREE ENERGY.

The J/105 fleet shook things up this year with Jim Uhlir's TRIO taking home first place, Rob Mock's UNBRIDLED in second and Chip Schaffner's FALL LINE in third.

Adam Gilbertson on DEUCE took first place in the J/22 fleet, followed by Tim Meaney's MEANIAC in second and Jim Latham's RAMBLE ON in third, all out of Edgewater Yacht Club.

Many thanks to the sponsors: Quantum Sails Cleveland, Sailing Inc, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Pusser's Rum, Yuengling beer, Regatta Ginger Beer, Pope's, Caruso's Coffee, Distillata, West Marine and APS.

Edgewater YC’s PRO Joe Colling, with help from Sam Patterson, put together a phenomenal team for Race Committee! The fifth annual Cleveland (216) Regatta will be held September 20-21, 2019 leading into the J/70 North American Championship September 21st through the 29th, all being held at Edgewater Yacht Club. We hope to see you there!  For Cleveland 215 Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Lead Cleveland Race Week

J/111 SPACEMAN SPIFF Picket Fences PHRF B!
(Cleveland, OH)- The ever-popular Cleveland Race Week started off the weekend before with one-design classes of J/22s, J/70s, and J/105s.  Subsequently, midweek was the Women’s and Doublehanded Races.  Then, it closed with PHRF handicap classes and more J/105 one-design class racing.

Topping out PHRF B class was a legendary family crew that has supported sailing at every conceivable level one can imagine- from Opti’s to J/70s, to J/88s and J/111s, to anything else that floats!  Yes, in Cleveland that would be the Ruhlman family.  In what can only be described as a “family affair”, it was the Ruhlman family on their beloved J/111 SPACEMAN SPIFF that won class honors with straight bullets in six races!  On board were at least five (?) Ruhlman’s?  The team had at least the following crew members- Meagan Ruhlman-Cross, Michael Sheehan, Pat Sheehan, Rob Ruhlman, Abby Ruhlman, Tesse Ruhlman and Ryan Ruhlman.

The balance of the podium in PHRF B was Chris Mallet’s J/109 SYNCHRONICITY in 2nd, followed by another J/111- Don Hudak’s CAPERS.

Paul Matthew’s J/35 WHITEHAWK sailed fast and managed silver in PHRF C class, followed by Kevin Young’s J/39 BLACK SEAL in third place.

PHRF D was the battle of the pretty J/34 IOR boats.  Winning that shootout was Dave Krotseng’s BONAFIDE with a 3rd in class, followed by the familiar Cleveland crew of KNEE DEEP (Brett & Katie Langolf) just two points back in 4th position.

The fleet of seven J/105s enjoyed close racing over the weekend.  In fact, it was a strong performance on Bob Mock’s UNBRIDLED that kept them in the lead, winning two races and adding two deuces to take the class win.  Just two points in arrears was the Uhlir Brothers TRIO, the rounding out the podium with the bronze was Stephen Mitcham’s BREEZIN BAYOU.

On Wednesday, it was Women’s PHRF Racing Day.  The two J/105s sailed fast and both took podium honors. Winning was Lucinda Einhouse’s crew on OVATION and hoisting the bronze medal was Angela Mazzolini’s SLINGSHOT.

In addition, on the same day, it was Tim Vining’s J/22 DEUCE that won the Doublehanded JAM division (just jibs & mains).  For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Cleveland Race Week Off To Hot Start!

J/22s, J/70s, J/105s See Dominating Performances
(Cleveland, OH)- The highly-popular Cleveland Race Week started last weekend on the waters of Lake Erie, hosted by the Edgewater Yacht Club for just one-design classes- J/22s, J/70s, and J/105s.

The seven-boat J/22 class saw a near whitewash by Ryan Lashaway’s DEUCE team, posting a 1-2-1-1 tally for 5 pts.  No one else was even close.  It was really a battle for the balance of the podium.  In the end, it was Jason Goscha’s DOUBLE-J that took the silver with a consistent 4-3-4-2 for 13 pts.  Third was Anna Huebschmann’s ESCAPE with an equally consistent scoreline of 3-6-2-6 fro 17 pts.

The thirteen-boat J/70 fleet saw the dynamic duo of Lee Sackett & Dave Kerr simply eviscerate the fleet, starting off with five straight bullets, then backing off on the gas to take a deuce in their last race, closing with just 6 pts total!  Ouch.  Fellow family member Tod Sackett upheld the family honor by taking 2nd place with 21 pts total. Third was the “Jamaican Sailing Team- Sminchak/ Moose” on SPIFFIT with 23 pts.

The seven-boat J/105 class had an insanely inconceivable three-way tie on 4 pts after just two races sailed!!  No one would ever believe this wackiness!  So, Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED scored a 3-1. Ron Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY posted a 1-3.  And, coincidentally, who got the two 2nds?? Doh! The Uhlir Brothers’ TRIO took the 2-2.  How crazy is that?  So, the countback/ tiebreak worked in Mock’s favor, winning over Carson in 2nd and the Uhlir’s in third!  For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/34 KNEE DEEP- Toledo Offshore report

(Toledo, OH)- J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP is at it again!  Will they ever slow down??  

Knee Deep continues to sail its way back home, via the Mills Trophy Race. After a fast start to the season in Detroit, racing the Detroit YC Memorial Day & Bayview One Design Regattas, Katie and Brett Langolf headed south to Lake Erie's North Cape Yacht Club, then to Toledo for the annual night race across Lake Erie.

You do not only round marks on this race, you factor shoals, islands and even a military shooting range into the course! But, regardless of the obstacle that night, it was upwind and more upwind - something the J/34 IOR loves a lot! They hammered out a 3rd in Class on the President's Trophy Course.

Next Up Cleveland Race Week Women's Race and then the CRW Offshore Regatta! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Cleveland Race Week Preview

(Cleveland, OH)- The highly-popular Cleveland Race Week starts this coming weekend on the waters of Lake Erie, hosted by the Edgewater Yacht Club for both one-design and offshore yachts.  The event has three components to satisfy the desires of all the passionate sailors in the region.  Starting June 15th to 17th is the One-Design program for twenty-four J/Teams on J/22s, J/70s, and J/105s.  Then, on June 20th- Wednesday- there will be Women’s & Doublehanded racing for one day.  After that is the Offshore Regatta from June 23rd to 24th, with seventeen J’s racing in yet more J/105 One-designs as was as a PHRF fleet that includes J/24s up to J/111s.

The six-boat J/22 class features Mike Meaney’s MEANIAC and Chris Princing’s EVIL DR. PORK CHOP/ AWARD & SPORTS Team.

The eleven-boat J/70 fleet has several well-known veteran traveling teams, including Trey Sheehan’s infamous HOOLIGAN: FLAT STANLEY RACING, Tod Sackett’s FM, Lee Sackett & Dave Kerr’s USA 364, and Ted Pinkerton’s LITTLE SIDE HUSTLE.

The seven-boat J/105 class has Ron Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY, Tom & Cindy Einhouse’s OVATION, Ron Hollingsworth’s SLINGSHOT, and the Uhlir Brother’s TRIO.

For the Women’s event, Katie Langolf’s J/34 IOR will be racing against Lucinda Einhouse’s J/105 OVATION for class honors.

The Offshore PHRF Spinnaker class will be gigantic, with twenty-eight boats on the starting line.  Amongst them will be fourteen J/Teams.  Those crews include the J/111’s (Rob Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF & Don Hudak’s CAPERS), Tim Yanda’s J/120 VIVA LA VIDA, Chris Mallets’ J/109 SYNCHRONICITY, Hugh Scott Seaholm’s J/88 PAPA’s TOY, two J/34s (Brett & Katie Langolf’s KNEE DEEP & Dave Krotseng’s BONAFIDE), Mark Saffell’s J/36 PAINKILLER, two J/105s (Uhlir Brothers’ TRIO & Ron Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY), Rich & Dolores Galaska’s BREEZIN, and Mike Vining’s J/24 REALLY BAD GIRLFRIEND.  For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Happy Spring Sailing Video!

(Cleveland, OH)- Brett Langolf, owner of the J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP has created another inspirational, entertaining sailing video for his family and friends that sail on their boat all summer.  Says Brett,

“Happy Spring! For us sailors in the North and Midwest, we have a crazy long wait until we get above 50 degrees (you know, for all the chemicals to work)!  Then, we go like hell for 6 months and sail all over the place! The prep is intense and all hands on deck. It's May..... 'tis the season to start sailing!”
Watch the May 18th edition of Brett’s “’tis the season” sailing video here Add to Flipboard Magazine.