Grow Sailing in a Socially Responsible Way?
(Charleston, SC)- Why not? Try model sailboat racing! National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee Bob Johnstone is transitioning again. From Sunfish to 470 to J/24 to J/44 to MJM Yachts and now to one-design, radio-controlled sailboat racing. Here, Bob provides some good news from James Island in Charleston, SC and an interesting point of view to consider:

"Located on the Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community campus is the Bishop Gadsden Yacht Club, which may be one of few yacht clubs still conducting races in America. Radio-controlled sailing just happens to be the perfect option in these trying times, particularly if you are in a gated residential community with a pond (yes, we do have security).

Following current Covid-19 coronavirus guidelines, skippers can keep their social 6 ft. distance seated in “soccer-mom” chairs. There’s no bumping one another aboard, since there is no crew. And, there’s a ready group of lifetime boaters and sailboat racers among those emerging 77 million aging Baby Boomers. BGYC could be setting a national trend.

Our 11-boat turnout last weekend was the local pond record, and there will be three more to come next week. NOTE- please do not be alarmed, we are living in a gated community with a security guard!! Excitement is building as our fleet of Dragon Flite 95s are blossoming in all colors like a spring Charleston garden!

Along with my wife Mary, our BG cottage dining room table is the DF-95 kit assembly area. We’re up to a fleet of 10 of these mini Volvo 70 look-a-likes to compete with several Lasers and Nirvanas. Speak about a one-design program!

With $425, a race-ready DF-95 kit and tuning guide (radiosailing.net) arrives by FedEx within the week. Just add 8-AA batteries, controller neck strap, and sail numbers. Takes a day to assemble.

Radio-controlled sailboats could dramatically grow the sport of sailing… anywhere there’s a pond or pool. Not just in nice large harbors or lakes. A superb teaching tool for young kids, without having to invest significant funds to buy and maintain fleets of junior boats.

Think of an elementary school that supports the S.T.E.A.M. curriculum! Skills of assembling the DF-95 or smaller DF-65 kits, tying knots, learning the physics of sailing, the complexity of electronic controls, learning how to sail without having instructors on the boat, or yelling with megaphones, and learning a lifetime sport of yacht racing.

With the smaller DF-65, it’s been done in swimming pools with big fans at one end. It is a natural outlet to motivate video game fanatics (e.g. see Virtual Regatta above). And, it’s a sport that can involve parents participating with their kids in the same events. You know there’s nothing more motivating to a kid than beating the old folks on the race course!

Sailing on these small ponds with winds coming from every direction really teaches racing tactics. It must be how Buddy Melges got so good, being on Lake Zenda with winds going everywhere.

And, in terms of helping a kid deal with life: racing sailboats teaches decisiveness/ judgement; taking action without knowing all the facts; training the mind to assign probabilities to a number of possible outcomes; like the Harvard Business School Decision Tree.

Bishop Gadsden is one of two radio-controlled sailing fleets still conducting regattas in the Charleston area. Gordon MacDonald, past-Commodore of the Noroton Yacht Club, captains a fleet of 10 radio-control Lasers out of Wild Dunes. Lynn Comfort just picked one up. They race on a pond at Sewee Preserve, east of Charleston.

A major center of radio-controlled model yacht racing has been Grove Pond at James Island’s County Park; which is currently shutdown (understandably). The Charleston Model Yacht Club has about 40 members. Their active schedule included Monday and Wednesday mornings and Sunday afternoon with three RC classes: DF-95s, Soling 1Ms, and larger EC-12s (a model 12 meter).

At our Bishop Gadsden pond (protected from the outside world), we are racing twice per week 5 to 6 races per day; it is all very relaxed and informal. Better than sitting in front of the TV set listening to the sobering news about how us seniors may be the most afflicted in a pandemic. Serious port-starboard collisions usually involve a gentlemanly solution of a voluntary 360 turn, but minor bumping and mark rounding pile-ups cause more laughter than screams of “protest”. It’s a race by race event. All fun. Everyone has his or her day. No cumulative scoring. No serious betting (yet) among spectators, like Aussie 18 skiffs on Sydney Harbor.

It takes being immersed in each new phase of sailing to fully understand what its potential might be for the sport.  And, amazingly, I am seeing the massive possibility here. But for now, it is just good to have good news to counterbalance the coronavirus onslaught elsewhere in our sport and on radio/ TV. Sail on!"

Britain's Ward Tops J/70 Bacardi Invitational

Loe's DIME Crowned Corinthians Winner
(Miami, FL)- A stellar fleet is assembled for the 2020 edition of the J/70 Bacardi Invitational in Miami, Florida.  Hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club and Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, the fleet of forty-three J/70 teams from ten nations (USA, Argentina, Italy, Thailand, Brazil, Great Britain, Chile, Germany, Canada, and Mexico) were treated to four-straight days of nearly perfect champagne sailing conditions. Solid breezes, sunny skies, a few clouds, warm waters (72 F) and warm weather (75 F) meant that "shorts, shirts, & shades" were the order of the day every day!


After starting off the first day with a 2-2-1 tally, the EAT SLEEP J REPEAT team from the United Kingdom (skipper Paul Ward, Ruairidh Scott, Ben Saxton, and Mario Trinidade) basically led the regatta from wire-to-wire over the eight-race series. As the current J/70 World Champions, they finally showed "good form" after getting a few kinds worked out of their system from earlier regattas in Florida where they were having difficulty staying in the top ten. After a fourth race debacle that saw them score their drop race, an 18th place, the team roared back to win yet another race and finish with 23 pts net.


Notably, the regatta was witness to a meteoric rise for a previously unknown team at the top of the J/70 class leaderboard. Having taken a surprising third place at the J/70 Midwinters two weeks ago, Ryan McKillen's SURGE Team of John Wallace, Sam Loughborough, and Mark Mendelblatt managed to repeat their most excellent performance in the previous event. The SURGE Team were able to sail quite consistently and posted six races in the top five to take the silver with just 28 pts net.


Taking the final bronze step on the podium was Bruce Golison's crew of MIDLIFE CRISIS (Steve Hunt, Jeff Reynolds, and Erik Shampain) from southern California. After their first race "down the mine shaft" finish of 26th, they won the next race and were able to post five finishes in the top five to finish just two points back with 30 pts net.

Rounding out the top five were J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning and his talented crew on CATAPULT (Patrick Wilson, Chris Stocke, and Paul Brotherinton), winning the final race and also posting five top five finishes to take fourth place with 35 pts net. Fifth place went to Oivind Lorentzen's NINE from New York with crew of David Shreiner, Lucas Calabrese, and Ian Coleman.

In the eight-boat Corinthians Division, it was Seattle, Washington's Mallory & Andrew Loe and crew of Cardwell Potts and Brian Shores aboard DIME that won the division, even winning the fourth race overall! Second was The Brazilian team on THREE MUSKETEERS (Alberto & Andre Guarischi, and Mario & Pedro Tinoco), then third went to Zach Segal's USA 1154 team (Enrique Quintero, Ashton Hammerlin, and Alex Sachs). For more J/70 Bacardi Invitational sailing information

Pierini Leads J/70 Bacardi Winter Series I

(Miami, FL)- The first of three events in the 2019/ 2020 Bacardi J/70 Winter Series took place this past weekend on Biscayne Bay. Hosting the series was the Shake-A-Leg Foundation sailing program located next to the completely refurbished Monty Trainer's Bar and Restaurant in Coconut Grove, FL. Seventeen team sailed the first event in somewhat challenging weather conditions; just three races were completed over the two days of competition, a rare scenario for the usually predictable sea breezes on Biscayne Bay.

Winning the first regatta was Geoff Pierini's "49" team from Perth Amboy, New Jersey with a 3-2-1 tally for 6 pts. Second was past World Champion Joel Ronning on his famous CATAPULT, his Wayzata Yacht Club (Minnesota) team posted a 1-5-2 record for 8 pts. Then, rounding out the podium was Trey Sheehan's HOOLIGAN: FLAT STANLEY RACING from Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, Ohio. The balance of the top five included Henry Brauer's RASCAL crew from Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts in fourth place and Bruno Pasquinelli's Fort Worth Boat Club (Texas) team on STAMPEDE in fifth place.

Winning the Corinthians Division was Joey Kolisch's LIL team from Coral Reef Yacht Club (Miami, Florida), second place went to Jon Ewing's RUNNING WILD crew from Coral Reef YC, and third place was Marcus Wunderlich's STRATOS team from Jersey City, NJ and Edgewater Yacht Club.

The second of the three events in the J/70 Bacardi Winter Series takes place on January 25th to 26th in Coconut Grove, Florida.  For more Bacardi J/70 Winter Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

JENNIFER Tops J/70 Corinthian Nationals

(Harbor Springs, MI)- Thirty-six amateur crews sailed the 2019 J/70 Corinthian National Championship in Harbor Springs, MI from August 8th to 11th. Regatta host Little Traverse Yacht Club did an amazing job of running the event, managing eight races over the three-day event.

It was an impressive, talented group for a “corinthian” event, with teams attending from fourteen states from across America, Canada and Brazil. In the end, it was JENNIFER (Chris Kostanecki, Matt Sessions, Carlos Robles, & Scott Kozinchik) from San Francisco, CA that won the event in the final race. Here is how it all went down over the three days of racing.

Day One- Postcard Perfect?
Under sunny skies, temperatures in the 70s and winds in the mid-teens, Scott Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS excelled in the epic conditions with a pair of firsts and a fourth for 6 points in three races. Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER tallied a 3-3-4 for 10 points and second place. Two teams— Jake Christy’s PALE HORSE and Peter Vessella’s SISTERSHIP— were tied at 14 points for the next two positions.

Local Fleet Captain Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS kicked off the event with a win, as Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD and Kostanecki’s JENNIFER followed. Peter Bowe’s TEA DANCE SNAKE from Maryland racked up the next bullet, ahead of Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP and Kostanecki again in third. Sellers secured the day one lead in the final contest, notching his second victory. Christy’s PALE HORSE and Vessella’s SISTERSHIP completed the top trio.

Representatives from North Sails (Jackson Benvenutti) and Quantum Sails (Travis Odenbach) were on the water for Thursday’s practice race and Friday’s competition. Both nights also featured “Hear from the Pros” sessions at LTYC, including video education and question-and-answer opportunities.

Day Two- More Storybook Conditions!
All teams again reveled in glorious conditions on Little Traverse Bay. Winds between 12-14 knots, puffy white clouds and temperatures in the 70s greeted racers on the middle day of the Championship. Kostanecki’s JENNIFER moved to the top of the leaderboard, rebounding from a sixth in Saturday’s opening contest (eventually discarded) with a 1-2 to hold a three-point advantage after six races. Friday’s frontrunner, Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS, ended the day successfully, but two lower finishes in the earlier competitions dropped him to second place with 16 points. Peter Vessella’s SISTERSHIP was five points in arrears of Sellers for third place.

Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD got off on the right foot in race four, topping Vessella’s SISTERSHIP and Dave Dennison’s PIRANHA. Kostanecki’s JENNIFER triumphed in the next battle, as Tod Sackett’s FM and Bowe’s TEA DANCE SNAKE got in on the action too. Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS then got their third bullet of the regatta, shadowed by Kostanecki and Bowe.  Jackson Benvenutti of North Sails was again on the water to offer helpful advice to the Corinthian sailors.

Day Three- Wash, Rinse, Repeat!
Kostanecki’s JENNIFER handled the closing race of the J/70 Corinthian US National Championship like true experts. They went into Sunday’s final pair of races with a three-point advantage over Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS. But Sellers nailed another bullet (his fourth of the regatta) in race seven to take the lead. Back came Kostanecki, with crew Matt Sessions, Carlos Robles and Scott Kozinchik, to win the eighth and final contest and become the 2019 J/70 Corinthian National Champions. Sellers placed eighth in that race for the runner-up position, ultimately five points behind the winner. A pair of threes on Sunday shot Christy’s PALE HORSE into the bronze spot with 37 points.

This event was California-based Kostanecki’s first in Harbor Springs. “Fresh water, windy, and the waves were bigger and steeper than San Francisco,” commented Kostanecki. “It was the Pure Michigan experience with world-class sailing and social activities.” Kostanecki admitted that, “We thought we nearly threw it away in the last day. Thank you to my team who worked hard in some difficult moments.”

Rounding out the top five were Filter’s WILD CHILD in fourth and Vessella’s SISTERSHIP in fifth place. For more J/70 Corinthian National Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 Corinthian National Championship Preview

(Harbor Springs, MI)- Thirty-nine amateur crews will be sailing the 2019 J/70 Corinthian National Championship in Harbor Springs, MI from August 8th to 11th.  Hosting the regatta will be Little Traverse Yacht Club, fresh off another fun and successful Ugotta Regatta they ran three weeks earlier.

The line-up of teams is pretty impressive for a “corinthian” event, with teams attending from fourteen states from across America- from “sea to shining sea”- from California to Massachusetts and from Minnesota to Florida/ Texas. In addition, there are teams from Canada and Brazil. Sure to be “in the hunt” at the top of the leaderboard should be crews like AMERICAN FLYER (Steve Knoop, Patrick Rice, Richard Martin, & Annie Baumann), AQUAHOLIKS (Martin & Jorgen Johnsson, August & Lindsay Hernandez), B-SQUARED (Bryan & Daniel Cameron, Phil Peterson, & Steve Thomas), BERTEAU GROUP (Sarah & Mark Renz, Matt Clark, & Will Holz), CATAPULT (an all-women’s team comprised of Nicolle Hendrickson, Mary Foster, Wendy Helberg, & Deb Hazelett), JENNIFER (Chris Kostanecki, Matt Sessions, Carlos Robles, & Scott Kozinchik) SISTERSHIP (Peter Vessella, Tracy & Christy Usher, & Mike Bishop), TEA DANCE SNAKE (Peter Bowe, Mike McNamara, Todd Jenner, & Matt Alisch), TRES BURRITOS (the Sellers family- Scott, Hannah, & Merritt, Owen Beckley, & Holt Condon), USA 241 (Dr. Al Poindexter, Blake Caskey, Kevin Orff, & Doug Strebel), and finally WILD CHILD (Henry Filter, Alex Stout, Will Wagner, & Jen Sturmer).  For more J/70 Corinthian National Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 Midwinter Championship Preview

(Fort Worth, TX)- In Texas, that quintessential American state known for doing everything “bigger”, it is not surprising the Fort Worth Boat Club in Fort Worth, TX is hosting a “huuuugge” fleet of J/105s for the 2019 J/105 Midwinter Championship on their little lake.  Thirteen boats are looking forward to three days of racing from March 7th to 10th on the beautiful Eagle Mountain Lake on the northwest side of the Fort Worth/ Dallas metroplex.

The lake is quite tricky to sail, even for the locals.  On the west side of the lake, it is quite hilly, so any winds from the south to west to northwest quadrants have certain characteristics, like “always head for the shore” (whatever tack is closest).  However, once the winds are in the north or go into the easterly side, it can get easier and more predictable since there is just miles of prairie grass to watch as puffs roll across the prairies down to the lake.

For many of the teams participating, it will be a true “Texas two-step” dance for the leading teams from Fort Worth as well as Houston.  Those crews are familiar to many J/Sailors, such as Matt Arno’s BLUE FLASH, Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO, Rick Shaffer’s DOUBLE DARE, Glenn Darden’s HOSS, and Mark Masur’s familiar, long-traveling team, on their USA 852 TWO FEATHERS. Knowing many of the protagonists, it will be truly an “anything goes” outcome for this event.  Surely, as a past J/105 North American Champion, Glenn Darden’s HOSS team should be likely favorites for the betting parlours in Vegas.  For more J/105 Midwinter Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

“The Russians Are Coming!”

Not Subs, But J/70s @ Tampa Winter Series!
(Tampa, FL)- Forty-seven J/70 teams traveled to Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida for the first weekend of the 2018-2019 J/70 Winter Series. Conditions on Saturday were sunny and warm with winds at 6-8 knots, allowing three races.

The passage of a cold front on Sunday brought rain and storms through Tampa Bay, keeping teams ashore.  By 12:45pm the weather conditions had not improved enough to warrant a lifting of the harbor postponement, so the “AP over A” code flags were flown, signaling the end of the day and the regatta for the weekend.

Igor Rytov's Russian BOGATYRS earned the overall victory with scores of 7-2-4 for 13 points. Greiner Hobbs' DARK HORSE placed second with 16 points, and Doug Strebel's BLACK RIVER RACING followed in third with 18 points.

The 14-boat Corinthian division was topped by Bob Willis' RIP RULLAH, who notched a bullet in race 2. Taking second was Rob Britts' HOT MESS with an all-girl crew (a past DIYC Winter Series Champion from the home club) and taking the bronze was Mike Kirkman's HOT TICKET from Grosse Pointe YC in Detroit, MI.

Each Friday of the Series, SAIL22 leads the Porch Series including a North Sails debrief. This weekend featured several races in which 33 boats were able to learn from on-water coaches, before heading in for a North Sails forum at the DIYC clubhouse.

Racing continues at Davis Island Yacht Club on January 4-6 and February 8-10.

2018-19 J/70 Winter Series
Dec 8-9: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=5916
Jan 5-6: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=5917
Feb 9-10: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=5918

For more Davis Island YC J/70 Winter Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AIRFORCE Three-Peats J/105 Bermuda Challenge Cup

(Hamilton, Bermuda)- Every November, for three days, the Bacardi Keelboat Regatta is held in Bermuda. Racing is held primarily for one-design boats such as Etchells, J/105s, and International One Designs. The J/105 fleet is an invitational-only event, as they race with a combined Bermuda and International crew to compete for three awards- Bermuda and International Divisions and the Overall AXA XL International Challenge Cup series.

This year’s event ran from Thursday November 15 to Saturday, November 17 with a fabulous opening reception held at Bacardi World Headquarters in Hamilton on Wednesday November 14, 2018. Bacardi was once again the title sponsor with Bermuda Tourism Authority as a supporting sponsor.

A spokesperson from Bacardi stated: “Bacardi has always been a strong supporter of sports and in particular sailing, both in Bermuda and internationally, and is very pleased to once again support this event.  The international flavor of sailing competition and the natural camaraderie that goes with it resonates with Bacardi’s values. We wish all the competitors three days of great sailing in the pristine waters of Bermuda.”

In addition to Bacardi’s sponsorship, the J/105’s were competing for the AXA XL International Challenge Cup, a sponsorship supported by one of Bermuda’s largest re-insurance companies (their Managing Director is an active J/105 sailor in the local fleet).

The J/105 fleet fielded its usual strong contingent of competitors with international helmsmen and crew hailing from the US and the UK, paired with an equal compliment of local Bermuda sailors onboard each boat. Most have participated in the event several times over the years, annually yielding one of the strongest gatherings of amateur sailors in Bermuda.

The AIRFORCE Team were the local favorites, having won it twice before.  But, the racing again proved to be very tight. There were seven J/105s competing this year in a Bermuda Series where the Bermuda skipper drives, alternating races with the international skipper for the International Series, and combined results for the AXA XL Overall Trophy.

The first day of racing produced a gorgeous sunny day of 10-20 kts with four races counting, two for the Bermudian skippers and two for the International skippers. The second day was blown-out, with winds topping 40+ kts. Fortunately, the huge North Atlantic storm passed quickly, producing another day of 10-20 kts of breeze that permitted four more races to determine the winner of the AXA XL J/105 International Challenge Cup.

As anticipated, it was the team of Bermudian Peter Bromby and Peter Snelling on AIRFORCE that ultimately won the regatta.  However, it was a rocky road to the top of the leaderboard for the AIRFORCE crew.  After four races on day one, they were sitting in third place.  Then, on the closing day they had to contend with a DSQ in Race 6 that nearly torpedoed their chances for their three-peat win.

Leading after the first day of racing with a 1-2-3-2 were the duo of Bermudian Trevor Boyce and American Stew Neff sailing YABSTA.  While sailing fast and smart on the first day helped their performance, that was not to be repeated on the closing day. The YABSTA crew could not find good pace the last four races, closing with a 6-3-4-6 to miss the win by just 2 pts and settle for the silver.

American Mike Riley and Bermudian Ed Faries on BACK IN BLACK also experienced a roller-coaster scoreline.  Closing with a 1-2-1 tally on the last day to rocket up the leaderboard from mid-fleet, taking the tie-breaker at 28 pts each over MAYHEM (American Jason Owen and Bermudian Jon Corless). Rounding out the top five was the PASSION Team (Bermudian James MacDonald and Texan Bill Lakenmacher).

For the Bermuda Division, winning was Peter Bromby, followed by Jon Corless in second and James MacDonald in third.

In the International Division, winning was Mike Riley, with Stew Neff second and Bill Lakenmacher in third position.  For all scoring of the J/105 AXA XL International Challenge Cup   Follow the Bacardi Bermuda Keelboat Regatta on Facebook here  For more Royal Bermuda YC Bacardi Keelboat Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

40th J/24 World Championship Update

(Riva del Garda, Italy)- Lake Garda lived up to its “bucket list” reputation on the opening day of the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. Eighty-nine teams from 14 countries (Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden and United States) descended on the picturesque lake for the 40th edition of the Championship.

Day 1- Monday
With sunny skies and breeze at 10-15 knots, American Will Welles’ Kaster got out of the gate with the early advantage, posting 2,5,2 for nine points in the three races. Hungarian Tomai Bala’zs’ J.Bond 037 started the day strong with 1,2, but a 13 in race three left him with 16 points for second place. Travis Odenbach’s Honeybadger of the USA rests in third place with 29 points.

Bala’zs opened the regatta with a victory, ahead of Welles and Italian Ignazio Bonanno’s La Superba. Keith Whittemore’s Furio, USA, took the next battle, as Bala’zs dropped to second and Duncan McCarthy’s Madeleine of Great Britain put another nation on the leaderboard. The final contest saw McCarthy, Welles and Whittemore comprise the top three.

Day 2- Tuesday
The leaderboard tightened up Tuesday at the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. Lake Garda again produced fantastic conditions as the 89 teams recorded two more races, bringing the total to five, including now one discard. American Will Welles’ Kaster maintained the top spot with 18 net points, but Hungarian Tomai Bala’zs’ J.Bond 037 is just two points back in second place with 20, and Nobuyuki Imai’s Siesta of Japan launched up to third with 21 points. Both Welles and Bala’zs stumbled in the day’s final race, but benefited from the throw-out.

2016 World Champion Daniel Frost’s JJOne of Germany ruled the day, winning the first contest, and placing second in the next. Following Frost in Tuesday’s opener were two Americans: Keith Whittemore’s Furio and Travis Odenbach’s Honeybadger. Imai’s Siesta also had a solid day, leading the fleet home in race five, ahead of Frost and fellow Japanese sailor Tomomi Hatakeyama’s Gekko.

Day 3- Wednesday
Lake Garda delivered more of the same champagne conditions on the middle day of the J/24 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy. American Will Welles’ Kaster showed the same consistency, posting two second place finishes in Wednesday’s pair of races. Welles now boasts a seven-point advantage over Nobuyuki Imai’s Siesta of Japan, who won the opening contest but added a seven in the next. Daniel Frost’s JJOne of Germany continued his ascent up the rankings with a 4,3 to move into third at 36 points, with Keith Whittemore’s Furio of the USA looking over his shoulder one notch back.

Imai’s Siesta stayed hot, winning the opening match Wednesday in the familiar 10-16 knot lake winds. Welles and Whittemore followed. Whittemore’s Furio earned his first bullet of the series in race seven, with Welles repeating in second and Frost third.  For more J/24 World Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Families Prepare for J/22 Worlds

(Youngstown, NY)- Doyle family reunions are often held at major J/22 class events. There have been times, such as last year’s North American Championship, when there have been four different Doyle entries with brothers Chris, Kevin and Peter leading the way. Jake Doyle has joined the fray, competing against his father (Kevin) and uncles.

On those occasions, winning the series is secondary to capturing the competition among family.

“We like to refer to it as the regatta within the regatta. Being the top Doyle is more important than where you finish in the overall standings,” Kevin Doyle said. “There is nothing worse than being the bottom Doyle.”

Three of the Doyle’s – Chris, Kevin and Jake – are entered in the 2018 J/22 World Championships, being held September 9 through 14 on the Chesapeake Bay and hosted by Annapolis Yacht Club in Annapolis, MD.

“My primary goal going into Worlds is to beat my father and uncle,” said Jake, an Annapolis Yacht Club member for the past six years. “It will be very tough to do. They both have great teams and a lot more experience.”

Chris Doyle captured the 2015 J/22 World Championship held in Travemunde, Germany and was runner-up the following year in Kingston, Canada. Kevin Doyle, who has sailed with longtime friend Victor Snyder for more than two decades, has posted a couple Top 10 finishes.

This will be the third J/22 World Championship for Jake Doyle, but his first as a boat owner. Jake will be skippering USA 789 with fellow Annapolis residents Van Walke (bow) and Nick Moreau (middle) as crew.

Jake Doyle made his world championship debut in 2008 as helmsman aboard a boat owned by his older brother Ben. A decade later, Jake bought that same J/22 after Ben pointed out it was for sale by an owner in Canada.

Jake took delivery in early 2017 and posted a pair of impressive results that year – placing third at the Annapolis stop of the National Offshore One-Design series and sixth at the North American Championship in his hometown of Buffalo.

All the Doyle’s cut their teeth as racers in Youngstown, New York, located at the bottom of the Niagara River where it flows into Lake Ontario. Jake Doyle learned to sail in a Nutshell before transitioning into the Club 420. He was introduced to big boat racing aboard his grandfather’s C&C 29 and crewed on a J/22 skippered by his father in the Wednesday Night Series out of Youngstown Yacht Club.

Kevin Doyle sailed collegiately at the University of Rhode Island while his son was part of the offshore program at New York Maritime. “We’re a sailing family going back to my great-grandfather,” Jake said.

When Kevin started steering Vic Snyder’s boat, he brought Jake aboard as bowman. He remained part of the crew until departing for college then switched to sailing with his brother.

“I’ve always enjoyed sailing in this class. It’s a fun group of people to compete against, and the J/22 is a great boat to jump into and have fun while enjoying good racing,” Jake said.

Based off recent record, Chris Doyle and his crew aboard The Jug 4.1 are favored in the family competition at the 2018 J/22 World Championship, which is being presented by Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis. Chris is blessed with a top-notch crew consisting of former Old Dominion University All-American Adam Burns as trimmer and tactician and Will Harris as bowman.

“I would say that Chris’s program has been the strongest,” Kevin Doyle admitted. “If I were to choose a single word as to why that is the case I would say dedication. Chris is on his third boat, all of which were new, and invests in sails.”

While the Doyle family will be competing against each other, the Deane family will be racing together. Russ Deane will be reuniting with his sons Rusty and Robbie for the 2018 J/22 World Championship and returning to the city they called home for three decades.

“We lived in Annapolis for a long time and I taught my kids how to sail behind our house on Weems Creek,” Russ said.

The Deane family raced a Cal 25 named Valhalla on the Chesapeake Bay with Russ later owning a J/22, J/24 and Merit 25 named Chardonnay that did quite well in the old MORC class.

Rusty and Robbie developed into outstanding sailors, becoming All-Americans at Boston University. Robbie is the longtime operator of the Baltimore Sailing Center after previously serving as Director of Sailing at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Rusty, who once crewed for Terry Hutchinson in the J/24 World Championship held off Wales, lives in the Cleveland area and recently took over as head of The Foundry Sailing and Rowing Center on Lake Erie.

“Both of my boys are on the water every day and are outstanding sailors,” Russ said.

Back in 1994, Russ had his sons aboard as crew for the last J/22 World Championship held off Annapolis. They could not pass up the opportunity to have a reunion 24 years later in their former hometown, knowing it would be a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane.

“I stopped racing sailboats because it wasn’t the same experience without my sons being involved,” Russ said. “That is why I am so excited about doing Worlds. We’re going to be back together again for the first time since the Leukemia Cup at Cleveland Yacht Club about 12 years ago. We’re all really looking forward to this.”

Russ is now 74-years-old and readily admits he does not get around on a small boat as well as he once did but should have no trouble handling the middle. Rob, 46, will steer while Rusty, 43, will work the bow aboard the entry appropriately named Deaneaphobia. They are sailing a boat being chartered from Annapolis Yacht Club which makes its J/22s available to members and are confident about being competitive.

“My wife and I just got back from Europe and I’m starting my exercise tomorrow,” said Russ, who now lives in Panama City, Florida. “It’s fairly strenuous activity on these boats.” Thanks for contribution from Annapolis YC and Scuttlebutt. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

VW De Twee Provincien Wins @ Aalsmeer

WV Almere Centraal Leads Dutch J/70 Sailing League Series
(Aalsmeer, Netherlands)- On the Westeinderplassen in Aalsmeer, the third act of the Eredivisie Sailing (the Dutch J/70 National Sailing League) took place over a gorgeous summer weekend of sailing on the lake for the fifteen teams from across the Netherlands. Mother nature did not make it easy for them; a variable wind forced the Race Committee to change the course in almost every race to make a fair race possible. And, that is how it went for the rest of the weekend.  Light and variable in the morning and hoping the afternoon seabreeze would kick in faster.

Leading after the first day with three straight bullets was WV Almere Centraal. Willem Jan van Dort, skipper of WV Almere Centraal explains, "These are difficult conditions today, with many unexpected wind shifts on the track. We realize that you could literally win or lose a race in the last few meters before the finish, because of the many williwaws on the track. We made reasonable good starts, but were not always the best. Then, it is a nice battle to continue to sail forward in the field. But, good defense is also important, because today the difference is made on a tactical level. Tomorrow will not be different, as they again predict light weather, so it will be exciting again!"

Day two was set to start on time at 0900 hours, however sailing was postponed due to a lack of wind.  By midday, the breeze filled in and the race committee managed to run twelve more races on Saturday, bringing the total number of races to twenty-one.

It was an exciting day on the water. For a long time WV Almere Centraal seemed to hold their lead firmly in their hands, but in the last race they finished last and eventually fell to second place on the leaderboard. Jachtclub Scheveningen managed to pass the reigning champion with a few victories and a second place.

Tom Kerkhof from Jachtclub Scheveningen explains their position enthusiastically, "We are happy to be in first place. We had a good start today with two first places. Then, we suddenly finished last, which shows that you should never think you are too confident. Fortunately, we were able to finish with a 2nd place in the last race and, thus, take the lead in the rankings. We look forward to tomorrow!"

Jachtclub Scheveningen battled hard and took over the lead from WV Almere Centraal, sitting atop the leaderboard with 15 points total. Behind them, three teams were tied on 16 pts each- WV Almere Centraal, RR&ZV Maas & Roer (Roermond), and the women’s SHE SAILS team sailing for the International Yacht Club Amsterdam.

The last day was epic, battles all over the race course and it was never clear until the last flight and set of races when the winner was determined.  And, to keep everyone breathless with anticipation until the end, the winners and the balance of the top five were determined on tie-breakers!  Talk about an anxiety-ridden day!  Every tack, every gybe, every spinnaker set and takedown was crucial to extract every millimeter of advantage to get consistent scores.

Sunday started just like the previous two days: a weak variable wind that forced the 15 sailing teams to wait for the side. Race leader Alex Hoeve had already put everything in position to be able to sail immediately as soon as the wind allowed. Around 11:30 the first race could be started and it soon became clear that the wind attracted a lot and a sailing spectacle could be expected. Nine races were squeezed out on Sunday, where sailing team VWDTP managed to win three times in a row in their races. The Amsterdam ladies were on the same course, but left precious points in their last race and thus lost the highest step on the podium. Almere Central managed to keep up after a restless Saturday with varying results and eventually became overall third.

Skipper of the winning VWDTP team- Arthur Kluppel- said enthusiastically: "It feels fan-tas-tic to win this event! It has been a real reward for working. Friday we started too cautiously and at that moment were leaving points in the light weather. As a team, we then agreed to take more risks at the start and in the runway. From that moment on, we sailed no fewer than 6 first places! Laying down after a start is disastrous, you will no longer make up for that because of the high level of the sailing teams. In the results, you see that well back, the points are awfully close together. Until the last moment, it was the bottom pinching for us. The Amsterdam ladies could still pass us in the overall ranking if they had finished their last race just a bit better! "

The Groningers and Almere Centraal will sail the 2nd semi-final of the Sailing Champions League from 3 to 6 August against the best international teams from the comparable international competition. "We are curious how we can relate to this force field, we are going to see it! But winning this round of games in Aalsmeer on the way to the semi-finals gives a lot of confidence. We will train for another weekend and then do our utmost in Russia! "

Perhaps the most notable performance of the entire weekend was the women’s SHE SAILS team sailing for International Yacht Club Amsterdam.  The nailed four 1sts in a row and nearly pulled off the overall win, much to the delight of their wildly cheering fans!

“We were right there! But, it just did not turn out for us at the last minute! But, we finally succeeded in getting onto the podium! We had good boat handling and tactics this weekend and the team also managed to switch well and anticipate the circumstances. At the beginning of the weekend, our results were also somewhat variable, but we started to sail more consistently, with a few nice victories. Unfortunately, we did not cash in on the gold medal during the last race. We were in a huge fight with WV De Meeuwen on the water in the last race. If we had not had this battle, we might have ended up a place higher and won the regatta.  However, we are very happy with our 2nd place,” commented a happy and smiling Fettje Osinga.

The women’s SHE SAILS teams ended up tied on points at 21 pts each with VW De Twee Provincien, losing the tie-breaker on the countback based on most 1sts.  Third place went to the defending Dutch J/70 Sailing League champions- WV Almere Centraal with 22 points.  The balance of the top five was also determined on a tie-breaker on 23 pts each, with WV De Meeuwen (Leeuwarden) taking 4th and Jachtclub Scheveningen finishing 5th.

As a result of the Aalsmeer regatta, WV Almere Centraal continues to lead the overall standings after three events with a total of 56 pts (low point scoring, all races count).  Just one point back in 2nd is RR&ZV Maas & Roermond and sitting in 3rd is Jachtclub Scheveningen with 58 pts.  Never has one regatta and the overall standings been so close in the history of the Dutch J/70 Sailing League- it’s exciting, close racing as all the teams have raised their game to a much higher, and more consistent, level.   Watch the interview of the SHE SAILS Women’s team on Facebook here   Sailing photo credits- Jasper van Staveren
For more Dutch J/70 Sailing League information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

TINTO Crowned Australian J/24 Midwinter Champion

(Cronulla, Sydney, Australia)- The 2018 Australian J/24 Midwinter Championship had fourteen hot, talented crews ready to do battle to be crowned Midwinter Champion over the June 8th to 10th weekend.  The event was hosted by the Cronulla Sailing Club, racing in the waters of Bate Bay on Saturday and the Port Hacking Estuary on Sunday.

Saturday began in a light 4-8 knot breeze. Dave Mclachlan, the Cronulla SC PRO and his team on the start boat, got proceedings underway on time.

David West and his crew on ACE were using this regatta in their lead up to representing Australia at the J/24 World Championships in Lago di Garda, Italy later this year. They won the start and won the first race ahead of NSW J24 President, John Crawford, on INNAMINCKA in second, and Bryce Edwards driving WOOD DUCK in third.

Second race saw the forever-young David McKay in STAMPED URGENT rise to the top, with INNAMINCKA in second and again newcomer to the class, WOOD DUCK third.

The PRO kept things moving in a dying breeze and race three got underway. Stephen Wright’s TINTO took first.  West’s ACE was second, with McKay’s STAMPED URGENT again making an appearance in third.

The fourth, and what ended up being the final race, for the day saw TINTO again take first with WOOD DUCK in second and Janette Syme’s WILDFIRE arriving in third. Sails were then dropped, and each J/24 mounted there 3.5 hp engines of fury, for the motor back to Cronulla Sailing Club for an evening BBQ with the sun disappearing on the horizon.

Day 2 and someone ordered wind right?  With the southerly gear-buster (as forecast) hitting early Sunday morning, there was no question wind for racing was a non-issue.  A steady 20 knots, with 30-knot busters, made for some interesting times and some equipment failure.  Can anyone gybe without broaching?

Race 5 saw the girls from Sandringham YC, with Kirsty Harris driving HYPERACTIVE; win pole position followed by Mr Consistency TINTO and WOOD DUCK in third. Race 6 saw WOOD DUCK popping to the top, followed again by TINTO, with INNAMINCKA in third. Race 7 saw WOOD DUCK again hit first, TINTO in second and STAMPED URGENT in third. Cool! Cronulla Boats 1-2-3!!

This is where the PRO decided enough was enough and racing was concluded. However, the crowd on Bass and Flinders Point had enjoyed watching the colorful sails and inspecting the clean hull of VERTIGO “keel-flapping” away after one wild broach.  Such is life on J/24s.

Final results, congratulations to Stephen Wright and TINTO first on scratch and handicap. Second on scratch was Class newcomer Bryce Edwards in his dad’s J/24 WOOD DUCK; could be an interesting discussion leading into the States in November. Bryce also achieved 3rd on handicap. Second on handicap was J/24 Southern Sydney Fleet President, John Zagame driving JARGON with third overall going to the forever-young David McKay on STAMPED URGENT.

The Organizing Committee would like to thank all of the events sponsors- Infinity Rigging, Wet Tech Rigging, AUSSEA Sailing School, Cronulla Marina, SPOT-A-YACHT Photography, Sail Connect, Ocean Sports and Newton Real Estate.

Lastly, events like this are only as successful as the unpaid volunteers- “Thank you” to all who contributed on BBQs, driving support boats, dock duties, and just generally being there. This list of volunteers is too long to mention them all by name, however, special mention goes to Jared Macquart, supporting this event since its inception through his professional advice on boat set up, maintenance assistance including supply of tools to effect emergency repairs to INNAMINCKA on Friday afternoon. Cheers Jared and thanks for the ongoing support!  Sailing photo credits- SPOT-A-YACHT.com. For more Australian J/24 Midwinters sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Circolo Della Vela Bari Top AUDI SAILING Champions League Qualifier
(Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)- Teams from 22 clubs representing 13 nations were battling over four intense days of competition at Semifinal 1 of SAILING Champions League (SCL) in Porto Cervo for a ticket to the SAILING Champions League Final in St. Moritz coming up at the end of August.

The first 14 sailing clubs qualified in Sardinia for the final event in Switzerland. The Italian yacht club, Circolo Della Vela Bari, won the opening round organized by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of title sponsor AUDI, after a commanding performance in Sardinia. In the beginning of August, 16 other sailing clubs qualify at Semifinal 2 in St. Petersburg, Russia, to complete the list of 32 participants besides host club Segel-Club St. Moritz and SCL Champion Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Day One- Danish Women’s Team First Leader
Perfect weather conditions welcomed the sailors competing on the first day. The first of two semifinal legs got underway with a mild Mistral wind between 9 and 12 knots; ideal conditions for the YCCS fleet of J/70s. Heading the provisional classification was the all-women’s team from the Royal Danish Yacht Club followed by the Finns of AAS and Germany's SMCU.

Participating crews have travelled to Porto Cervo from every corner of Europe: Slovenia is represented for the first time by JK Aurora, while the largest contingent hails from Nordic and Central European countries.

Each flight consists of a full round of short windward-leeward races, with each leg approximately a third of a mile and teams alternating on board the J/70 fleet. Smooth organization allows crew changes to take place in just 3-4 minutes, allowing flights to depart in quick succession.

During the Welcome Cocktail on the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda terrace, YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo declared, "We are delighted to welcome the SAILING Champions League back to Porto Cervo, approximately 100 sailors from across Europe began racing today in excellent weather conditions with a formula that allows yacht clubs to compete in a fun way and on an equal footing. On behalf of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, I would like to thank our long-term partner AUDI for their support over the past 11 years. Fair winds to all the participants!"

Day Two- New Leaders Take Control
Competitors and the Race Committee had a long and productive day at sea. No less than five flights were concluded, with a total of 15 races run, shaking up the top of the leaderboard. The Austrians of Yacht Club Bregenz now sat in the lead with consistently good performances, followed just one point behind by Circolo Della Vela Bari on level points with the Germans of SMCU.

The day began at 9 a.m. with the usual briefing in Piazza Azzurra, and the first races started on time at 10 a.m. with northerly winds of about 10 knots, which lessened and rotated eastward throughout the day. After two stoppages for lack of breeze, in the late afternoon a southeasterly breeze picked up allowing two more flights to be completed.

"We had great conditions here and we managed to sail consistently well,” said Jodok Küng of Yacht Club Bregenz. "The racing is pretty tight, all the clubs are performing at a really high level, so we don't want to overrate our leading position. We want to qualify for the SAILING Champions League Final in St. Moritz. So, our plan for the next few days is not to think too much, to sail well and in the end we will get a result."

Simone Ferrarese, skipper of Circolo Della Vela Bari, commented, "Thanks to three bullets today we were able to recover from yesterday's OCS! We hope to continue like that over the coming days and end up with a good result. I'd like to thank my team mates who sailed really well, the wind was very shifty and the support on tactics by Valerio Galati, our mainsail trimmer and my crew in the 49er Olympic campaign, was fundamental to our success.”

The teams concluded the day with the social highlight of the competition, a team barbecue on the terrace of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Day Three- Italians Take Lead
The third day saw the team representing Circolo Della Vela Bari move to the top of the classification, followed by the Austrians of the Yacht Club Bregenz. Just four flights remained to be held in the final day of the event.

The wind filled in at around 11 a.m. and the first race got underway soon after, accompanied by an easterly wind of approximately 6 knots which progressively built up to 10 knots and moved to south-easterly. The races took place in quick succession and were broadcast in live streaming on the SAILING Champions League YouTube channel.

Once again, the race course was not easy to read, with shifty wind and unexpected holes in the breeze. In such a closely ranked fleet, it was important to make as few mistakes as possible. Many penalties- a 360° turn- were imposed by the umpires on the tightly-bunched fleet.

The team from Circolo Della Vela Bari posted four 1sts, one 2nd and one 5th to lead the provisional standings just one point ahead of yesterday's leaders, the Austrians of the Yacht Club Bregenz. The French team representing Club de Voile St. Aubin Elbeuf moved up to third place at the expense of the German team of Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen.

Simone Ferrarese, skipper of CVB, said, "It was an excellent day and the crew worked especially well, we expected more wind, but luckily we managed to perform well in today's conditions. We are all very close, tomorrow is the decisive day! The forecast gives more wind and we will see who makes it in the end."

Cédric Chateau, skipper of Club de Voile St. Aubin Elbeuf, commented, "We were able to manage the day well, avoiding big mistakes and especially those penalties that had initially brought our scores down. We are very close to our opponents and, generally, very pleased with the day."

Day Four- Finale, Italians Win!
Excellent starting skills and clear-headed tactical racing delivered victory for the crew representing Circolo Della Vela Bari (CVB), one of two Italian teams competing on the sparkling waters of the Costa Smeralda. Simone Ferrarese’s team went into the final day just in front of Austrian rivals Yacht Club Bregenz, with Club de Voile Saint-Aubin Elbeuf also in contention. However, neither the Austrians nor French could match the blinding consistency of the CVB crew, who won all three of their races on the final day to win the 22-team contest with a race to spare.

Ferrarese was delighted to win in such dominant fashion, commenting that, “We had an amazing day today. It’s great to come out with a race victory and it’s fantastic to win in Italian waters! We love Porto Cervo and we love this event. It was tough until the end, especially in our last race to keep our eyes on the French team from Club de Voile Saint-Aubin Elbeuf, who was our direct rival. Thanks to my crew, they did an amazing job!”

Although they may not have won in Porto Cervo, the Austrians were still very satisfied with second overall. Compared with the Mediterranean heat of Northern Sardinia, skipper Max Trippolt will perhaps enjoy the cooler climes of Switzerland in just under three months from now. “Sailing so many races in four days, the sun in Sardinia kills your brain, and keeping the concentration up is not easy at all! So, we’re very happy to have qualified for the SAILING Champions League Final. But the competition is going to be even harder in St. Moritz, when the best clubs from the semifinals come together. We’ll give our best and see what’s possible.”

Aside from winning the event, the other battle in the middle of the fleet was to secure one of the 14 places available for the final in St. Moritz. APCC Nantes sailed well in their final heat to take second place behind the winners from CVB, the French doing enough to secure qualification for Switzerland. Last of the qualifiers was Jachtclub Scheveningen from the Netherlands, with their Dutch compatriots WSV Giesbeek finishing just one place and three points behind, but meaning they just missed out on a ticket to St Moritz.

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) ran an exemplary regatta, proving why this venue continues to be one of the clearest choices for hosting world-class sailing contests. YCCS Commodore, Riccardo Bonadeo, commented, “the club became famous for hosting Maxi yachts but we also want to welcome the young sailors to compete at events like SAILING Champions League. We are happy that this new challenge for the club is achieving great results for sailing. We make every effort to create the same spirit of sport for young people in the smaller boats – because this is the future of our sport.”

The YCCS regatta was the first of two semifinals, with the second semifinal due to be hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Russia from August 3rd to 6th, just a few weeks before the 2018 Final which will be hosted for the first time by Segel-Club St. Moritz, high up in the Swiss Alps from August 30th to September 2nd.

Live broadcasting by SAP
Did you miss the races of SAILING Champions League? Just visit http://www.sapsailing.com and click through the SAP Sailing Analytics for replays of all races and different and interesting statistics about the action on water.

The qualified clubs for the Final in St. Moritz are:

1     Italy- Circolo Della Vela Bari- Bari, Italy
2     Austria- Yacht Club Bregenz- Bregenz, Austria
3     France- Club de Voile Saint-Aubin Elbeuf- Saint-Aubin Elbeuf, France
4     Switzerland- Regattaclub Bodensee- St. Gallen, Switzerland
5     Germany- Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen- Überlingen, Germany
6     Monaco- Yacht Club Monaco- Monte Carlo, Monaco
7     Switzerland- Regattaclub Oberhofen- Oberhofen, Switzerland
8     Denmark- Kongelig Dansk Yachtklub- Copenhagen, Denmark
9     Italy- Società Canottieri Garda Salò- Salò, Italy
10     Finland- Åländska Segelsällskapet- Åland Islands, Finland
11     Germany- Wassersportverein Hemelingen- Bremen, Germany
12     Sweden- Cape Crow Yacht Club- Gothenburg, Sweden
13     France- APCC Nantes- Nantes, France
14     Netherlands- Jachtclub Scheveningen- The Hague, Netherlands

Sailing photo credits- SCL/Lars Wehrmann   SAILING Champions League highlights video on Facebook   For more SAILING Champions League regatta information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 TSUNAMI Tops Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico

(Algarrobo, Chile)- The 2018 J/70 Worlds qualifier for the Chilean J/70 class took place this past weekend in Algarrobo.  The event was called the Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico and eighteen boats participated over the weekend.

The weather condition was different and stronger than expected and the teams enjoy the series of six races. Two were run on Saturday and four on Sunday.  The first race on Saturday was thrown out due to an improper mark change, so an extra race was added on Sunday.

Conditions on Saturday were quite rare, with west winds and fog blowing onshore!  In the first windward-leeward race, the fog made it impossible to see the leeward mark! So, combine the crazy weather conditions with the tough fleet and made it much more complex than usual.

During the two days, especially downwind, gybing onto port at the weather mark to get into the stronger sea breeze was the best strategy. So, all teams worked hard to perform their gybe-set maneuver to gain or maintain advantage on the boats around them.

In the end, the winner was determined by a tie-breaker.  Winning the countback on 12 pts was Andrés Ducasse’s TSUNAMI, while Juan Reid’s WINDMADE had to settle for 2nd place.  Taking the bronze was Pablo Amunátegui’s KENMORE with 17 pts, fourth was Vernon Robert’s MORENITA with 20 pts, and fifth was Carlos Vergara’s SENSEI with 25 pts.

This was the final regatta in the three event qualifying series for the 2018 J/70 Worlds in Marblehead, MA, USA.  Chile took 1 slot from the J/70 South American Champion and 2 more due to having 33 boats in the Chilean national fleet.  Therefore, the following three boats qualified and will be attending the J/70 Worlds this year in the USA- 1st TSUNAMI (Ducasse), 2nd VOLVO (Matias Seguel & Mark Jux), and 3rd WINDMADE (Reid).

The J/70 Fleet will be back to Algarrobo on May 19th to celebrate the Chilean Navy Week again in Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico. Add to Flipboard Magazine.