Southwest J/70 Circuit Announcement

(Corpus Christi, TX)- The 2018 Southwest J/70 Circuit is still in its formative stages, but so far here are two events that are to die for since they are on two of the more incredible places to sail in Texas- Corpus Christi and Austin.

Surfin Safari Regatta
Corpus Christi YC invites all J/70s to come join them to celebrate spring and the start of the 2018 sailing season at the 2018 Surfin Safari Regatta sponsored by Republic Distributing. Of note, this is also one of the MOST popular events in the J/24 Texas Circuit.

Why? Simple.  There will be beer, rum, nuking winds and good times had by all (or most).  Please note- this is not a statement of fact, but one of hope; the only thing they can actually promise is the beer and rum. Plus, the CCYC pool will be heated by then so you don’t have to miss the traditional CCYC after race pool party!  But, trust them, it blows like hell in Corpus Christi Bay and the sailing is amazing- shorts, shades, blowing hot at 20-25 kts every day. If there was ever a “perfect” venue for a J/70, this place is it! For any questions, please direct them to Josh Richline- CCYC Race Chair - jrichline@richline.cc.

Southwest Circuit Stop #1- Austin
The first Southwest Circuit Stop in Austin is coming up! Lake Travis is beautiful and ready for J/70 racing.  Beautiful fresh water racing and the same format as last year.  Lots of races!  For those that did not attend, your organizing committee- Bruce McDonald- requested that many races be held.  Everyone in attendance loved the format!  J/Boats Southwest is buying a keg from the local brewpub “Shiner Beer” for Saturday night refreshments!  Plus, as the home of the University of Texas, Austin’s nightlife, restaurants, bars and entertainment is truly world-class (maybe beyond world-class, like in a class of its own!   Be sure to sign up now! Go here and get'er done!

For more Southwestern J/70 sailing information, please be sure to contact Scott Spurlin- cell- 512-423-2179 or email- Scott@JBoatsSouthwest.com Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 Corinthian National Championship Announcement!

(Fort Worth, Texas)- The Fort Worth Boat Club is proud and excited to be hosting the 2018 J/70 Corinthian National Championship from April 26th to 29th, 2018 on Eagle Mountain Lake west/northwest of the “Big D” (e.g. west of the Dallas Cowboys gazillion-dollar stadium in Arlington, TX).  And, they want YOU to be there!

At Fort Worth BC, they are working hard to make this a world-class event. If there were ever a more gracious, accommodating, sailing-loving club, they would be hard to beat. 

Texas is serious about J/70 racing! And, they are expecting that EVERY J/70 owned in their great state converge on Eagle Mountain Lake at the end of April!! If you are not planning to be there, they’ll be “hookin’ horns” with you soon!

For those “not in the know”, Eagle Mountain Lake is an excellent place to sail.  A big, wide-open lake, it offers challenging sailing conditions not just for the locals, but also to anyone that loves and appreciates lake sailing at its best!  Trust us, locals have NO advantages sailing on their own lake; even though the club has such famous, recognizable sailing names in America such as the Darden family (Glenn & Toby), O.L. Pitts (some lovable America’s Cup guy that sailed J/24s on the lake), the Bass Brothers (J/22 owners), Kelly Gough (an old All-American sailor), and many other infamous “folk heroes” in the annals of Texas J/24 history over the past 40+ years (most of whom probably should probably remain nameless- other than some guys like John Kolius and Farley Fontenot, of course).

So, a number of them are all learning how to sail J/70’s.  Well, that’s a great thing for Texas sailing.  And, a not so good thing for the R.O.W. (rest of the world).  So, take ‘yer chances here, and register today for the J/70 Corinthian Nationals here.

If you have any questions, please contact J/70 Fleet 10 Captain- Jim Mitchell- email- jcm530@gmail.com
For more Fort Worth Boat Club sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Surfin Safari Preview

How to Have a Hurrican Harvey Party??
(Corpus Christi, TX)- Every year, when it is about as hot as it can possibly get at the southernmost sailing point of Texas (e.g. next to the Mexican border), the Corpus Christi YC hosts its famous “Surfin Safari” Regatta on the famous Corpus Christi Bay.

However, the latest weather updates indicate it may be truly a “blowing dogs off chains” event as there is now a hurricane warning in the Gulf of Mexico.  It indicates that “Hurricane Harvey” will hit the Texas coast with 80-125 mph winds with massive flooding everywhere! Oh dear.  For sure, the regatta will get postponed.

For those of you that have not had the pleasure of sailing in Corpus, just remember one thing- it blows like hell, hot, dry. The key is just drink lots of water.  While the natives of the city are used to the heat, and don’t be surprised to see people wearing long-sleeved shirts, blue jeans, and black sombreros on their heads, for any northerners it will be a study of contrasts, even for northern Texans!!

When we say it does “blow dogs off chains”, we know it can be the equivalent of, or more, of San Francisco’s famous gear-busters in July/ August.  Do remember, in Corpus if it’s blowing 25-35 kts it’s 100 F “hot air”- in other words, it’s a “softer” breeze (air molecules are spaced farther apart, like your mind would be in such heat) than a 22-30 kts 55 deg on SF Bay.  Nevertheless, the enormous chop will cool you off to some degree as you blast upwind and downwind.

There are three J/fleets that form the backbone of the Corpus Christi regatta, the J/22s, J/24s (5th stop of their Texas Tour), and the J/105s.  In the J/22 class, there are crews from Houston, Austin, Kemah, Fort Worth, and, of course, Corpus.  Notably, two of the teams are women owner/ skippers- Nataleigh Perez’s FORGET ME NOT from Fort Worth Boat Club and Linda McDavitt’s BONFIRE from Austin YC.

The J/24s are counting all the races they can in their Texas circuit.  Amongst the notable teams are Stu Juengst’s VANG GO, John Parker’s CHUPACABRA, Chris Holmes’ BAD MOON, Natalie Harden’s famous GIGGLES, Jim Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT and Mark Smith’s AFTER MIDNIGHT.

The J/105 trio includes Josh Richline’s VELOCE, Duncan Samo’s 5th LANDING, and John Bell’s KINDERSPEL 2- all from Corpus Christi YC. All of these J/sailors are looking forward to yet another Corpus “blow-out”!!  For more Surfin Safari Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.