Annapolis YC Double-Handed Distance Race Announcement

 

(Annapolis, MD)- With thirty-eight entries confirmed in three classes, the Annapolis YC’s Double-Handed Distance on October 3rd & 4th is the largest double-handed overnight race of the 2020 USA season. Its popularity after last year’s debut is impressive, having doubled in size in only its second year.

Driving this popularity are the favorable early Fall sailing conditions on the Chesapeake and an accessible yet challenging format: an overnight race of 24 hours duration held on course options that vary from 95 to 100 miles in length.

The J/105 Class will have mandatory mixed-gender crews, while the other two classes will be raced using ORC ratings determined for boats varying in size and design diversity from a 21-foot Mini-Transat to Jim Demerest’s J/46 SODALIS III.

Each ORC entry has an ORC Double-Handed certificate, introduced this year to give not only more accurate ratings due to the smaller crew weight aboard, but the option of having a different sail inventory that is more suitable for shorthanded sailing as well. 

This versatility along with four scoring model options will give Annapolis YC PRO Dick Neville the opportunity to better tailor the race to the course and weather conditions for fair and transparent scoring. For more AYC Double-handed Distance Race sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/42 Jaywalker Still Cruisin' After 20 Years!

 

* Here, we get yet another gorgeous photo of Bill and Judy Stellin's J/42 JAYWALKER sailing on the beautiful azure waters of northern Lake Michigan off Harbor Springs, a very special place in the northeastern part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  

Commented Bill, "if you think cruising J/Boats can’t go fast, here is our JAYWALKER, J/42 hull #6, doing 6.3 knots in 7.9 knots of true wind. Notice how glassy the water is. Amazing! Great boat still, we love it!"

J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster for sale!

 

J/99 Hull #007 is a well-outfitted capable and versatile J/99. Profurl roller furling jib and Code 0. Great B&G Instruments, Fusion Stereo and Speakers, North 3Di Main, 3Di med/hvy jib, 3Di light/med. jib, AirX A2 Asym, Code 0 NPL on roller furler, all safety gear. Factory options include: Upgraded interior cushions, 110v Shore Power, 12V DC refrigeration, Additional 100 Amp battery, 2 burner propane stove, Pop Up morning cleats. Instruments include: 3 Triton Mast mounted displays, 2 bulkhead mounted multi-displays, V60 VHF Radio, Nav Station mounted Chart Plotter, Triton, speed, depth, wind, GPS sensors. The blue stripes are a wrap and can be easily removed.  Learn more about this beautifully equipped J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster here.Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Sailing the Bay in an Entirely Other Way on my J/105

It seems like many of us are finding silver linings here and there as our lives wrestle with the dangers of the pandemic. One of these for me has been exploring the challenges of a whole new type of sailing: double-handed distance racing.

Since the announcement of the new Olympic event slated for the 2024 Games, the notion of trying this adventurous type of racing has been seeping into the sailing community. In fact, my husband Bruce has been angling for us to campaign together since last winter, even enrolling us in a Safety at Sea Seminar and applying for a J/88 charter as part of the special double-handed class that was meant to compete in this summer’s Chicago-Mac as a qualifier for the World’s in October offshore Malta.

To be honest, I’ve been quite the realist about undertaking this kind of challenge. You can’t just throw around that “O” word lightly, as anyone who’s dabbled in campaigning will attest. Not to mention that Bruce and I can be described well as fully programmed inshore buoy racers who enjoy the creature comforts of evening après-racing as much as being on familiar waters with our full crackerjack crew while duking it out with friendly competition. Let’s say we hammer down and learn the skills of short-handed sailing and sophisticated navigation, and even convert our aged bodies into athletic machines that can operate efficiently in the middle of the night while sleep-deprived, then we’d be facing off with medal-obsessed competitors who actually built a life around this kind of sailing and have track records of round-the-world, transoceanic racing that was their starting point in the quest for 2024 glory.

Yeah right. So, this was my impression and my prejudicial respect for the game, and I was dragging my feet all the way. Until a pandemic hit, and suddenly, Bruce was the only person I could go sailing with safely under the 'shelter in place' orders. Now, I am not saying I am fully on board with an Olympic effort, but at least I could sample the endeavor with some local racing on San Francisco Bay (assuming I could sleep in my own bed at night).

As it turns out, there is a deep roster of short-handed sailors who race in San Francisco Bay and into the Pacific Ocean. The Single-handed Sailing Society runs events for soloists and double-handed teams several times a year. As August approached and virtually every J/105 and match racing event on my calendar toppled to the realities of COVID-19, the SSS offered us a chance to feed our passion for racing while giving us a taste of the vogue mixed-crew, double-handed discipline. Its "Round the Rocks" race attracted 122 entries, 80% double-handed and the remaining folks their traditional single-handed clientele.  We finished third in a hotly contested eight-boat J/105 fleet that was led by Ryan Simmons in Blackhawk, followed by Pat Benedict in Advantage3.  This was followed by Richmond YC’s "Island Tour Regatta" with 80 entries, (9 single-handed and 71 double-handed – including 6 J/70s) – we skipped that one because it was PHRF.  Instead, we raced the following day in the double-handed, one-design 2020 Pandemonium Regatta, hosted by Corinthian Yacht Club, with 37 double-handed boats, including a solid eight-boat J/24 fleet, eight J/105s and four J/88s.  We finished 2nd in a terrific duel all the way around the course with Bill Woodward’s recently rebuilt Russian Roulette.

The amazing aspect is that’s a total of over 200 double-handed boats crossing the starting line in August!  The Single-handed Sailing Society is de-facto becoming the Double-handed Sailing Society.

When you're not skiing, go sailing!

"Loving ARROWHEAD, our J/42 hull #62. 

She has 35,000 miles on here. 8 Newport to Bermuda Races. 4 Marblehead to Halifax Races, and the 2015 Transatlantic race. A lot of miles under her bottom, great boat sailing offshore," commented owner Steve Berlack. 

Steve is the Men's Ski Team Coach at the famous Burke Mountain Academy in East Burke, Vermont. The Academy is famous for turning out some of America's top ski racers on the FIS Tour and Olympic Medallists. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Tri-State Fly-By Race Preview

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

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

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

J/125 Brokerage Special- HOT BOAT!

J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world.

1999 J/125 "Can't Touch This" is one of the best equipped J/125's in the world and has been continually upgraded. Her last two owners have maintained her in impeccable condition. This boat has won every major offshore event on the west coast, including the Rolex Big Boat Series three-times and the Transpac Race.

She has a brand new carbon rudder, new carbon sails, and updated Awlgrip silver-metallic paint job on the topsides. She has both a buoy-race inventory and an offshore inventory. The boat has gone thru a long list of upgrades as well as a serious "carbon diet". Carbon hand rails, carbon hatch boards, carbon steps, carbon padeyes with Spectra loops, a custom carbon step for offshore driving and Equiplight titanium shackles throughout. The boat has the new rudder design by Alan Johnstone along with all offshore safety gear. The boat is ready to go offshore today.

Hull & deck was built with TPI's patented SCRIMP vacuum resin infusion molding process. Hull has carbon fiber biaxial - unidirectional inner skin, biaxial Kevlar - E-glass hybrid outer skin and thermo-formed CoreCell linear structural foam core drilled for West System epoxy resin.

Deck has carbon - E glass - CoreCell - vinylester laminate with gelcoat finish. Hull & deck laminates meet ABS offshore yacht standards and is also CE Mark Certified for Europe. Truly an amazing offshore racing yacht for the most discerning performance sailor. These J/125s rarely come on to the brokerage market and this particular boat is in pristine "as new" condition.  Learn more about this fabulous J/125 here.

Pandemonium Regatta Preview

(Tiburon, CA)- Corinthian Yacht Club will host the Pandemonium Regatta, a one-day double-handed event for one-design boats on Sunday, August 30th, 2020.  There will be recognition for the overall winner as well as mixed-gender teams. Invited classes include J/24, J/70, J/88, and J/105's.

According to Bruce Stone, who will be competing with his J/105 Arbitrage, “Our objective in working with Corinthian Yacht Club is to offer chances to build experience with a training partner, and if we have great turn-out, we’ll go for longer lengths a month from now. In this iteration, there will be a long course of around 25 miles for J/105s and J/88s, a medium course for Express 27s and J/70s, and a shorter course for smaller boats like Knar’s, Cal 20’s, J/22s and J/24s. 

The start will be off of the west end of Angel Island and a route going just north of the Richmond Bridge, then a challenging beat to Pt. Bonita, outside the Golden Gate Bridge, and an exciting spinnaker run to the finish at Corinthian YC in Raccoon Straits.”  For more CYC Pandemonium Regatta sailing and registration informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

(Newport, RI)– A total of 65 boats started the 2020 Ida Lewis Distance Race on Saturday, August 15 in a building northeasterly that dished out 20-22 knots of breeze (and a few knock-down gusts) throughout most of the day and into the evening and overnight.

By the time racing had finished for two offshore classes (IRC and PHRF Doublehanded) and three inshore classes (PHRF Aloha, PHRF Coronet and PHRF Cruising Spinnaker), 16 boats had retired. However, plenty of teams were left to beam about their accomplishments, each one crossing the finish line in Newport Harbor, near where they started, and receiving – no matter what the hour – a congratulatory bottle of Zardetto Prosecco delivered to them on the water by Ida Lewis Yacht Club volunteers.

“The conditions were incredible,” said Ron O’Hanley, skipper of the custom canting-keeler Privateer. “On races like this, you just have to make sure nothing goes wrong. You have to make sure your tacks and jibes and spinnaker take-downs go right.” 

O’Hanley said he found the inshore course to be different than any other that has been typically held in the Bay and feels it allowed a lot of people to sail who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to, especially those who had to sail with fewer crew in order to stay with those in their social bubbles.


“Everyone’s idea of distance racing is different. For our crew, we’re used to 100-mile races, but for others ten miles is as much as they’ve done. I give the Ida Lewis Yacht Club and its Race Committee so much credit for adding formats to ensure COVID safety and draw more participants into distance racing. I recognize that it’s complicated for the Race Committee to run so many different courses, but Ida Lewis has always sought ways to make distance racing more inclusive, and 2020 was yet another high-water mark.”

The 17-boat Doublehanded Class, which sailed the 153 nm “Block Island Course”, saw a J/105 taking second, only three minutes behind Ken Read's Alchemist on PHRF corrected time. Sailing a 29-year-old design against the latest modern offshore boats promoted by big French, subsidized, companies, the J/105 proved it is still a very powerful, fast, steady, offshore boat for shorthanded sailing.  The duo on the J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN was 28-year-old Serena Vilage and teammate Peter Becker, entered by American YC's Young American Sailing Association in Rye, NY. Notably, this J/105 team also took the silver for the PHRF Doublehanded Mixed Crew division.

In the inshore PHRF Spin Aloha class, Bill Kneller's J/109 VENTO SOLARE managed to take the bronze on the podium in the blustery conditions. A fellow J/109, Bill Sutton's LEADING EDGE placed fifth.

In the PHRF Spin Coronet Class, Bob Manchester's J/133 VAMOOSE sailed fast to take fourth place, just 45 seconds shy of taking the bronze!  Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier. For more Ida Lewis YC Distance Race information

RORC Two-Handed Race to Cherbourg Announcement

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- Due to the fact that the RORC had to cancel the entire RORC Offshore Season Point Series due to the restrictions imposed by "pandemic rules", they have adopted some innovative and creating thinking to go sailing!

The RORC has announced that instead of the usual season ending Cherbourg Race, the RORC has confirmed the intention to run a two-handed race to Cherbourg! This race which will start on Friday, 4th September, is in line with current government regulation and has added significance in that the City of Cherbourg will host the finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race for the 2021 and 2023 editions.

RORC Racing Manager Chris Stone has been delighted with the number of teams who are participating in the summer series.

“We were pleased to have 133 boats in ‘Race the Wight’, the first race of our Summer Series and interest in the rest of the series is very strong. We decided to start the two-handed race to Cherbourg on the Friday to give the opportunity for those two-handed teams who are involved in the summer series to participate in the last race of the series which is scheduled for Sunday 6th September.”

The RORC Summer Series consists of three additional races on Saturday 15th August, Saturday 22nd August and Sunday 6th September.  For more information about the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the race program. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Ida Lewis Distance Race Preview

(Newport, RI)– The Ida Lewis Distance Race scheduled for Saturday, August 15, has a record-breaking 74 entries, indicating how much sailors are itching to compete and embrace any and all event modifications that the pandemic has necessitated. The race, in its 16th year, is hosted by Ida Lewis Yacht Club and starts off Fort Adams at 11 am. Because of CDC guidelines, the skippers’ meeting – typically held at the Club – will be held on the water at 10:15 a.m. (broadcast on VHF Channel 79A).

“It definitely will not be your normal Ida Lewis Distance Race,” said Event Chair Pat Kennedy. “We have been taking it week-by-week, but we started early on with tailoring the event to family and friends (those who can sail together safely) and keeping our plans flexible.”

To that end, the race starts on a Saturday rather than its traditional start on Friday, and 44 boats in the PHRF Aloha class (for smaller boats with PHRF ratings of 55 and higher), Coronet class (for larger boats with PHRF ratings of 54 and lower) and Cruising Spinnaker class will sail a never-before-offered inshore course that tracks 33 nautical miles around Conanicut, Prudence and Patience Islands. “Those teams will not need to sail overnight, which makes it easier for those forced to sail with a smaller crew,” said Kennedy.

The balance of the fleet– an IRC class with 10 boats and a PHRF Doublehanded class with 20 boat – will each sail one of the race’s four traditional overnight offshore courses. The round-trip courses, ranging in length from 112 to 169 nautical miles, are decided by the Race Committee just prior to the race to best fit the weather conditions expected. With turning marks at Castle Hill, Brenton Reef, Block Island, Montauk Point, Martha’s Vineyard and Buzzards Tower, they incorporate some of New England’s most celebrated cruising grounds.

In the IRC Class of ten boats, three J/Teams will be competing for handicap honors, including Steven Levy's J/121 EAGLE, Dan Heuen's J/122 MOXIEE, and Bob Manchester's J/133 VAMOOSE.

The Doublehanded sailors, comprising the largest class this year with twenty boats, and the largest class of its kind in the history of the race, has two J/Crews sailing, including Tom O’Connell’s J/99 FINALE and the American YC's mixed double youth crew on the J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN.

A half-dozen J's will be sailing inside the Bay on the very popular round-the-islands format, a very scenic tour of the Bay! The nineteen-boat PHRF Spinnaker Aloha class has many accomplished teams enrolled, including EC Helme’s J/92 SPIRIT, Bill Kneller’s J/109 VENTO SOLARE, Sam Sylvester's J/29 MEDDLER, and the US Merchant Marine Academy's J/44 VAMP.

The sole J/Team in the eighteen-boat PHRF Spinnaker Coronet division will be Mark Nannini's J/120 SALACIA.

This is the 16th running of the Ida Lewis Distance Race, which is for boats 28 feet or longer and is certified as a “Clean Regatta” by the Sailors for the Sea organization. It begins off Fort Adams and ends just inside Newport Harbor where Ida Lewis volunteers can site the finish line from their clubhouse on Lime Rock before greeting each team on the water with a congratulatory bottle of Prosecco.  For more Ida Lewis YC Distance Race information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/99 JAZZ Flies Offshore- Bermuda to Stonington

* Experience and understand what it's like to sail offshore.  The J/99 JAZZ was sailed by Rodney Johnstone and Clay Burkhalter from Stonington, CT to Bermuda (635.0nm as the 'crow flies') to help "rescue" a friends 65 ft sailboat. After 48 hours, they sailed the return voyage back to Stonington in slightly breezier, rougher conditions.  Clay narrates the 10-minute video accompanied by the classic Grateful Dead "Franklin's Tower" song (Las Vegas 1992) playing as the background soundtrack.  Enjoy!


Click photo or link here to watch video:
https://youtu.be/ZzOdJmZKqLo

Impeccable race-winning horse for offshore campaigning!

J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world.


A J/122 is a superlative boat, a true race-winning horse that also allows you to cruise as a family. Carbon mast, carbon boom and a huge inventory of NORTH SAILS sails in very good condition. Version 3 with double cabins and a bathroom. Consult us the complete list of equipment. Nautamarine- we are the exclusive distributors for Spain of the J/Boats.  Learn more about this J/122 here.

J/Sweep of Doublehanded PSSA Race

(Marina del Rey, CA)- The Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association held their annual 27.0nm "David Wall Race" from Marina del Rey to Malibu sea buoy and return this past weekend. The PSSA was sympathetic to the numerous requests for "doublehanders" to participate in their offshore season. The response was nothing short of dramatic, with the Doublehanded class garnering 13 entries versus the 11-boat Singlehanded class.

Here is the report from Dan Murphy on the J/105 CUCHULAINN:
"On Saturday, Rob Dekker and I did the 27-mile PSSA race to Malibu and back. The wind was predicted to be 6 kts, peaking at 10 kts, by mid-afternoon. So, I tuned the rig for that wind expecting we would not do very well at the outset and might be in OK shape for a longer race.


Indeed, the wind from the start until we had Malibu in sight was the predicted 6-8 knots.  And, we had a hard time keeping up with the smaller J/Boats with their big genoas. But, then the wind started building, and once we turned around at Malibu Pier, it built rapidly until we had a 16-18 knot winds that powered up the spinnaker and had us surfing at 8-10 knots for the short 10-mile trip back to Marina Del Rey. We made up a lot of ground on those smaller boats and ended up fifth in our doublehanded class and third out of the boats competing for the series. The entire race took us just 4 hours 45 minutes. We love sailing the J/105, particularly in moderate to big breeze!"

Winning the Doublehanded Class was Curt Johnson & Paul Burnett's J/80 AVET. Taking the silver was Brian Kerr & Grant Bartee's J/92 DOUBLE DOWN and rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was Caesar Berger & Ron Agustsson's J/29 ZULU.  The balance of the top five was Lenny Gordon & John Thomas' J/92 SUNSHINE and fifth was the J/105 CHUCHULAINN. Also participating were two bigger J's; Jack Rose & Ken Robinson sailed the J/120 PRIVATEER to 8th place and Bruce Keller & Neil Fletcher sailed their J/130 BEAUTY to 9th place! A great show of force by all doublehanded J/Sailors, taking 7 of the top 10 is real proof of the ease-of-handling and boat speed of J/Designs in a wide variety of conditions.  Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Leveling Community Through Sailing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

J/Net Brokerage Special- J/109 Netherlands!

* J/Net Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world.


In Europe, the J/109s are legendary as the ultimate cruiser-racer.  In the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the boats have enjoyed such tremendous popularity that in major offshore events or race weeks they create one-design classes.  There is not a major trophy event offshore in the RORC and in Europe that does not have a J/109 winning team emblazoned on the silverware. 

Here is another example of a well-maintained J/109 lying in the Netherlands that is "ready to race" or cruise for family and friend’s enjoyment. Learn more about this Netherland-based J/109 here

Promoting Shorthanded Racing on Chesapeake Bay

(Annapolis, MD)- The inaugural Annapolis Yacht Club Double-Handed Distance Race, held in September 2019, will be building on the experience for the 2020 edition to be held October 3rd and 4th, 2020 on the Chesapeake Bay.

Last year, 17 entries in two classes exceeded expectations of organizers, with Hall of Fame sailor Randy Smyth and teammate Christina Persson winning the mixed crew J/105 one-design class.

Already committed are R.J. Cooper and Courtney Cumberland, siblings who both competed collegiately at the University of Florida, who will be racing aboard a borrowed J/105 for the second straight year.

“We like the double-handed distance racing for several reasons. First and foremost is the versatility it requires – helming, trimming, eating, navigating, thinking strategically, tactics, sail changes. There are a lot of different skills that are required,” Cooper said.

“I like that you are always busy with meaningful work. There is always something to do. We like the distance aspect as well and the endurance necessary. For sure the racing is challenging – physically, mentally, and emotionally,” Cooper added.

Because of the pandemic, Annapolis Yacht Club has implemented numerous safety measures for its events with the goal of protecting its members, staff, and guests. Double-handed racing is an ideal pursuit during these times, as the risk is greatly reduced.

Event chair Kathy Parks said the inaugural AYC Double-Handed Distance Race was enlightening on numerous levels with competitor feedback leading to some subtle changes. While the initial idea was to have the race last for approximately 24 hours with a noon start on the Severn River and a finish in front of Annapolis Yacht Club around the same time the next day, Mother Nature had other ideas.

Conditions resulted in predominantly windward racing with the fleet beating down the Chesapeake Bay to Hooper’s Island Light then beating on the return trip as well. Along the way, the wind dropped out and the 17 boats were becalmed for almost five hours.

Race committee officials were forced to finish the fleet off Poplar Island, resulting in the ORC class sailing approximately 97 nautical miles and the J/105 class covering about 82. The original course set forth in the Sailing Instructions was 119 nautical miles.

“We created a race that featured several mandatory turning marks. Because the wind shifted 180 degrees, many of those marks essentially became irrelevant,” Parks said. “This year, we’ll have wider legs and we won’t send the fleet all the way to Hooper’s Island. No matter what course conditions, the race will include elements of beating, reaching, and running.”

Principal Race Officer Dick Neville will develop four potential courses that will be included in the Sailing Instructions. Neville will announce which course will be sailed the morning of the race based on the latest weather forecast and wind direction.

“Competitors are looking for longer legs that are more windward-leeward oriented so there are passing lanes,” Neville said. “They are a very competitive group and would like to do some reaching. Longer legs will allow them to play more tactics with the competition.”

Neville intends to keep the course closer to Annapolis in case it needs to be shortened. That way, the fleet finishes closer to home no matter what.

Organizers have prepared a safety checklist that makes it easier for participants to comply with the requirements of an overnight race.

This year, communication with competitors will be conducted through multiple channels. AYC will send alerts via email and text messages in addition to the standard radio announcement.

All registered boats will carry YB Trackers that allow family, friends, and supporters to follow along during the race. That proved a popular feature in 2019 with 1,254 virtual viewers from eight different countries watching an average of 20 minutes of action.

Big Boat double-handed racing has seen a surge of popularity since it was announced as a discipline for the 2024 Olympics being held in Paris, France. Many major offshore races, including the 2021 Annapolis-to-Newport Race, have added a double-handed class because of the increased participation.

Many of the competitors entered in the AYC Double-Handed Race are Olympic hopefuls, including the aforementioned brother-sister duo of Cooper and Cumberland.

“I think this new discipline is growing because it is fun and in the Olympics. Having the event in the Olympics gives it some curb appeal and draws better sailors into the field,” Cooper said. “Most people that compete in these events won’t actually go to the Olympics, but the quality of Olympic-class events is always quite high.”  For more Annapolis YC Doublehanded Distance Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

How World Sailing & World Sport Needs to Adjust

(English Harbour, Antigua)- We know Pamala Baldwin through her sailing exploits, as the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) had awarded the Antigua-based skipper and her J/122 LIQUID team the CSA Traveler’s Trophy for the second year running.

Although the 2020 racing season was cut short due to the worldwide COVID-19 disease, Team LIQUID had already earned a class win in CSA 1 at Grenada Sailing Week, second in CSA 2 in the RORC Caribbean 600, and second in CSA 3 at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

However, it is her professional side which she shares in this update on how the coronavirus pandemic was impacting her region and the world:

"My business is recruiting for hospitality, super yachts, and professional race (sailing) crews. For hours every day, I speak with medical research professionals, hotel chain owners, private jet companies, regatta organizers, and economists.

Here’s the collective opinion of the disease’s impact; they all agree the pandemic is here to stay for years as no vaccine will work because COVID-19 keeps morphing. A nightmare!

Last week was a good example. As soon as outsiders arrived in Antigua, we went from zero cases to 69 (all from America)!!

It seems the only way to assure safety, and to move forward with sailing and racing, is to organize for all arrivals to be pre-tested BEFORE they travel. Nothing else will work. This is a huge undertaking, to be coordinated with airlines and the World Health Organization, and the ports which yachts are entering. Seems implausible, but most likely true.

So, something radical has to be in place. If arrivals enter our countries and are tested positive, they’ll not be able to enjoy anything, they’ll be quarantined, so the only solution is preemptive- a pre-flight or pre-passage test and quarantine until take-off."  Thanks for contribution from Scuttlebutt Sailing (http://sailingscuttlebutt.com).

The J/99 JAZZ Rescue Mission Epilogue

If you all recall from last week, we reported on the "rescue mission" that was undertaken by J/Boats co-founder Rodney Johnstone and his nephew Clay Burkhalter to sail to Bermuda from Stonington, CT with two friends of theirs. The goal was to deliver the owner of a beautiful 65-footer that lay on a mooring at St George's Bay in eastern Bermuda. Their mission was successful, and it was a fast "delivery" on the slippery J/99 offshore speedster!

Upon reaching Bermuda, the team enjoyed an evening of R&R. But less than 48 hours after arriving, the intrepid duo of Rodney and Clay set back out to sea to sail the J/99 JAZZ back to Stonington, CT! The return trip was not the "walk-in-the-park" they had on their way down to Bermuda. In fact, quite the opposite.  

They were both presented with many challenges, including the often capricious, unrelenting and punishing Gulf Stream. A "micro-Low" materialized that was not forecast at all, not surprisingly, over the massive northward moving "river" of the Gulf Stream. Such spontaneous "micro-climates" are not unknown and numerous sailing or motor vessels over time have succumbed to dreadful weather associated with such "micro-bombs".  Here is Rodney's account of their delivery back from Bermuda to Stonington, CT:

"For starters, it was a great adventure and magical experience both ways. Clay and I had two days of light weather coming home, then two days of wild wind and waves through the Gulf Stream as we headed north, which accounts for our big course change to the west late Monday. 


To make time, we motor-sailed most of the first 300 miles in benign Northeast winds under 10 knots. We then sailed with double-reefed main and 3.5 heavy weather jib the rest of the way in NE winds. We hit 30 knot winds and monster seas on the North side of Gulf Stream (see photo sequence above of their track). Huge, breaking waves everywhere. So, we took down the jib and sailed all night on a broad reach with double-reefed main only to stay away from the breaking seas with no "backs" (e.g. a wall). 

The J/99 is very well behaved in that stuff. Easy to steer, so the autopilot had no problem staying the course on a dark, rough Monday night. For a while, it looked like we would make landfall at Atlantic City, NJ. As soon as we got onto the continental shelf, the turbulent waves subsided and got regular, and the winds let up to 20-25 knots. We then hoisted the jib and sailed upwind towards Stonington under clear sky and steady East wind.... all the way back from Bermuda to Stonington on starboard tack with jib and double-reefed main at about 6.5 knots!

What a trip back! It took us exactly five days to go the 635.0nm (as the crow flies, more like 725.0nm of actual sailing). Very exciting, and proof that the J/99 is fit for short-handed ocean sailing. Nothing broke or failed! I hope I get to do this sort of sailing trip again!"  Thanks to Rodney J. for this report and being the intrepid adventurer that he is!

Sailing as a Family- A Perspective for Today's Brave New World

(Traverse City, MI)- Now is the perfect time to re-prioritize sailing with your family. Most of the summer camps are canceled and you're probably not running around to 10 different activities a week; but you are probably itching to get out of the house and spend some time with your family doing something you love. If ever there was a summer to prioritize time on the water or get your kids to love sailing as much as you, it's this one. Quantum's Jason Currie put together his tips for successful family sailing based on years on the water with his own family. Sailing with your family can be rewarding and create lasting memories. The key is to redefine your idea of the perfect sailing day to accommodate everyone on board. Like all things in parenting, sailing with your kids takes patience and effort, but the reward is always worth it.

Time on the water is the perfect place for families to reconnect with each other. Sailing can be a great way to experience the great outdoors by sea, but proper planning is essential. To keep the kids, and even mom and dad, wanting to come back for more, we’ve put together some simple tips to make that special time together fun, enjoyable, and safe.

Check the weather
Keep an eye on the weather forecast. If you’ve lived in an area for quite some time, you will develop a sense for the weather. Weather forecasts become more accurate and reliable as the day gets closer, but always keep an eye on it, even after leaving the dock. Places like Annapolis, Maryland, for example, often experience summertime storm cells in the late afternoon which, may last only 15 to 30 minutes, but can be severe, and definitely enough to frighten the family away from the boat for good. There are some very good Doppler radar apps that are excellent for keeping an eye on things while on the water. Remember that while a 3 to 5-foot chop might seem like nothing to you, to a small child it could be scary and off-putting. Keep their perspective in mind.

Preparation
Have the boat cleaned, prepared, and ready to go. Shop ahead of time to stock up on extra food, drinks, and supplies. Make sure there is a first aid kit that contains band aids and any medication that might be handy for life’s little emergencies. Also, get as many tasks done beforehand as you can.  

Pack plenty
If you’re planning an overnighter, remember it’s just like camping but on the water, which means it can get cooler at night. Don’t hold back on sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. Always bring extra fleece and clothes. Remember the sunscreen and bug repellent, especially if it’s the middle of summer, and don’t forget a full propane tank to cook that fantastic breakfast!

What to bring for the kids
The age of the kids will determine what you should bring. Pack their favorite snacks and toys. Barbie, Matchbox cars, a deck of cards, UNO, coloring books and crayons, and even Silly Putty can make the day fun for your little sailors. If your children are under the age of 5, consider bringing an iPad or DVD player to curb that possible meltdown. Most of us would prefer to leave said devices on shore, but this may be just the thing to keep everything in check while you and your spouse enjoy the sunset with a cool beverage.

If the kids are older than 5, definitely disconnect and ditch the devices! Show them all the joys of being on the water. If you anchor, bring the fishing rod and dinghy and let them set off on their own. For a child this can be the experience which gives way to a feeling of great independence.

Show them the ropes
Your family is your crew, so give them meaningful jobs. Let them steer the boat, show them how to hoist the sails, and teach them how to anchor. Give a lesson on channel markers, navigation, and the correct way to pass another vessel. There’s a heap to learn onboard, and it can be fun for all.

Consider your attitude
We wear off on our kids in many ways, so it’s important to keep your attitude in check. If you have a can-do attitude, your kids will too. If you are fearful or negative, your kids will sense this and follow suit. Children observe and absorb everything, and they participate largely by taking cues from mom and Dad. This matters even more onboard, where you are together and in close quarters for most of the time.

Invest in a GoPro!
What better way to capture your family getaway than with a GoPro. The older kids will have a heap of fun putting together a montage of your weekend getaway and the experience they had, both onboard and in the water.

Safety
It goes without saying: when the family is together on the water, they must be safe. Lifejackets for the kids are mandatory. For toddlers, consider installing lifeline netting and lee cloths. If you are the only one who truly knows how to operate the engine, teach your spouse and older children the procedure on startup and running, because, if something happens to you, another member of the family must be able to take control. Click here for some quick safety tips and reminders.

Keep it fun
Above all, your time on the boat together is about having fun. If you’re new to it, start out with a short-day sail and gradually move into overnight trips. Don’t rush it. If your kids are young and are done sailing after just an hour, consider heading to anchorage to swim or back to the dock.

Most importantly, don’t think of a shorter sail as a failure. Even if you end up back at the dock earlier than planned, do some fun kid things around the marina. Fish, look for stones, swim if it’s hot, play in the dinghy, order pizza, the list is endless! Eat on board and then walk into town for ice cream. You still had a day on the water. You still had a day as a family. You still had fun outside. And most importantly, your kids will want to come back! Find the positives and celebrate your success. This is your redefined sailing day and what a wonderful day it can be.  Thanks for this contribution from Quantum Sail's Jason Currie. Add to Flipboard Magazine.