JENIALE EUROSYSTEM TOPS J/70 CUP ACT I

 

(Marina de Nettuno, Italy)- The first event of the 2021 J/Cup Italy took place off Anzio and Nettuno, a pretty seaside town southwest of Rome. The regatta was hosted by Marina de Nettuno and Yacht Club Anzio-Nettuno for the fleet of three-dozen teams from across Italy. The teams were treated to strong breezes for the three-day event, so strong in fact, that the third and final day had to be canceled due to enormous seas breaking at the entrance to the marina.  

After a seven-race series, it was Massimo Rama's JENIALE EUROSYSTEM that took the class honors against some of the best-known European teams from the past four years. Rama commented, "we're so excited about this early season result, probably the result of the many winter training sessions in the waters of Genoa, which helped us greatly improve as a crew. It is precisely thanks to the excellent on-board synergies that we have managed to be consistent in the regatta this weekend and to achieve this important result that I really want to thank my crew for. The J/70 proved to be a fun boat once again and the fleet level is growing from stage to stage. At the next stage in Rimini, we hope to continue doing well!" 


Sailing in his home waters, Luca Domenici's NOTARO Team finished in second place. His team included tactician Diego Negri, a famous sailor in Italy as a champion in multiple classes. Domenici commented, "what a fantastic day in the waters of Anzio and Nettuno, where I was born and raised. And, how nice it is to win three such challenging races on a day where marine weather conditions left all the participants heavily challenged. Afterwards, the greatest emotion was celebrating these victories with my family; I'm thankful they were here supporting me during the regatta. It was an incredible day for our NOTARO Team, we can't wait to get back on the water for the next act of the J/70 Cup 2021."

The bronze medal went to the young ANIENE YOUNG crew of Luca Tubaro, also winner of the Corinthian category. In fact, rounding out the Corinthians Division behind Tubaro was Ludovico Fassitelli's JUNDA-SUMUS CAPITAL and Mauro Brescacin's LA FEME TERRIBLE. 


The next Italian J/70 Cup regatta is scheduled for the weekend from June 11 to June 13 in Rimini. The main sponsor of the J/70 Cup 2021 is Lincoln International. The official clothing partner Sail Racing, official sport nutrition partner Alphazer, official timekeeper Garmin, technical partners Armare, Savona Shipyard, Remigo, Quantum Sails and official supplier Girmi and Serena Wines.

Watch video by Zerogradinord for the J/70 Italian Class.  For more Italian J/70 Cup series sailing information

J/80 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE

(Copenhagen, Denmark)- The KDY (Royal Danish Yacht Club) are hosting the 2021 J/80 World Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark. They have already postponed the event once due to covid-19 pandemic issues in Europe. it is now expected to be hosted in July.

"Hygge" (enjoying life's simple pleasures) isn’t everything, but...

As National Geographic so aptly explains it, “Denmark's capital has become the urban overlord of doing things the right way. They call it the happiest city in the world. So, what's the secret? Image-wise, everything in recent years seems to have gone the city's way. The omnipresence of the Danish concept hygge has helped paint it as a place of candlelit good times...”

It certainly has, and it is. But "hygge" isn’t everything. We’d like to add 1) a positive outlook and 2) sailing of course!


Staying positive and moving ahead in our preparations
As many events have been moved into the month of September – lately even the Kiel Week we still believe that the J/80 World Championship in July will be OK. Who knows this may even be the racing season opening event! How is that for at title? We are certainly working hard in order to have all our ducks (and docks) in a row for when you get here. We are confident the J/80 Worlds will be the start of the international racing season here.

There is very strong interest in the regatta as it's an "Open" event. The entries are coming in as well are international requests for rental boats, and in the upcoming weeks you will read more about accommodation and travel arrangements as well as boat rental opportunities and you may even find out why the Spaniards cannot win the trophy – again!

If you have questions, please contact us at email- j80worlds@kdy.dk.  For more J/80 World Championship sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

PRIMO CUP- TROPHY CREDIT SUISSE PREVIEW

 

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Launched in 1985 at the instigation of HSH Prince Albert II, the Yacht Club de Monaco’s President, the Primo Cup has established itself as the big meeting that opens the season in the Mediterranean for Europe’s one-design elite. In the past, more than 450 sailors on 100 boats in six classes have descended on Monaco to celebrate this great classic.

Because of the infamous pandemic, the 2021 edition will see fairly radical, substantive changes to the event in order to comply with current guidelines for safety. 

The YC Monaco decided to adapt by maintaining this regatta with a reduced format which allows local crews to sail in compliance with current health measures. Only two classes, both of which are very active in the Principality, will be competing from Friday 5th March with the first warning signal at 12 noon for the J/70s. As every year, thanks to the support of long-time partner SLAM, the first three boats in each class of the Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse will receive garments from the Italian supplier’s technical range.
 
In the interests of fair-play for the many international teams who usually descend on Monaco for the winter season, the results of the Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse, which would normally also be the last act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, will not count towards the final ranking for 2021. Only results from Act 1 in January (14-17) and Act 2 in February (4-7) will count.

With an eye towards the 2022 J/70 World Championship hosted by YC Monaco, there are many highly experienced crews that are training in the local waters. 

One of the top Italian teams is Claudia Rossi's PETITE TERRIBLE- ADRIA FERRIES, current J/70 European Champions. They face tough competition from local sailors such as YCM’s Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-spot), Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda-Banca del Sempione). Loic Pompee's SAILING RACING TEAM, and Roberto Stefano's PICCINNA. As always with YCM regattas, young sailors from the YCM Club’s Sports Section also have an opportunity to pit their wits against the best on J/70s.  For more YC Monaco Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse sailing information

Inaugural ORC Doublehanded European Championship Announcement

(Sounio, Greece)– The Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) and the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) are pleased to announce entry is now open for the inaugural ORC Doublehanded European Championship to be held from July 2nd to 10th, 2021. The event is being held concurrently with the AEGEAN 600, a non-stop 600-mile full-crew race tour of the Aegean Sea that also starts and ends in Sounio.

The ORC DH Europeans is a new event in the portfolio of annual ORC World and European championships, one that harnesses the growing enthusiasm for Doublehanded sailing following the proposal by World Sailing for this to be included as a mixed gender two-person offshore keelboat event in the Olympic program for the 2024 Games in Paris.


The regatta will be based at the Olympic Marina, gateway to the Aegean Sea, 70 km southeast from central Athens and just north of Cape Sounion. The format consists of a short Coastal Race and a Long Offshore Race worth 1.0 and 1.5 points, respectively, with registrations and inspections starting on Friday, July 2nd and concluding on Sunday, July 4th before the Coastal Race start on Monday, July 5th. The intended length of this race is 10-12 hours on a course set in the Saronikos Gulf and the Cyclades islands.    
    
After a recovery day on Tuesday, racing will resume on Wednesday, July 7th with the Long Offshore Race of 60-72 hours duration in the same course area in the Aegean. Awards will be given in a Closing Ceremony held on Saturday, July 10th.

Entries are open to all boats with a valid ORCi DH certificate with a GPH rating from 500 to 700 seconds per mile. Class divisions will be determined at the closing date for entries on June 4th, with no more than three classes defined with expected GPH ranges of 80-120 s/mi per class.

All entries are expected to have their boats and crew suitably prepared for Doublehanded racing and are expected to have experience in participation in offshore racing of extended duration. Trophies will be awarded to the top three winners in each class, and additional prizes may be awarded to the top three male/female and mixed gender crews in each class.    
    
“The Aegean Sea is considered the cradle of western civilization,” said Ioannis Maragkoudakis, Commodore of HORC. “And it’s due to these deep roots of life on the sea that we have a rich maritime heritage, in general, and a robust sailboat racing culture, in particular. Xenios Zeus, the ancient Greek god of hospitality, promises to provide to all participating crews exceptional hospitality and exciting racing!”


Watch promo video of "In the Sea of Myths & Legends" here

“We are very excited that our friends at HORC have organized this important new ORC championship,” said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC. “There is a long history of competitive offshore racing in Greece, and the Aegean Sea is both beautiful and challenging, so we encourage all offshore sailors to considering joining us in Sounio for this significant new event that for some may be on a pathway to the Olympics.”
For more ORC Doublehanded European Championship sailing information

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J/70 European Championship Update!

(Skovshoved, Copenhagen, Denmark)- The Royal Danish Yacht Club is looking forward to hosting the J/70 European Championship in 2021 from June 4th to 12th, 2021. Please note the updated dates!

The event will take place at Rungsted Harbour approximately 15 km north of downtown Copenhagen. This harbour is one of three stations that Royal Danish YC manages. 

The RDYC has been a strong supporter of the growth of the Danish J/70 Sailing League and their efforts have led the way for well over eighteen sailing clubs to participate. As a result, the level of competitiveness for Danish sailors has improved considerably in the J/70 class. The KDY/ RDYC have been able to achieve strong success in the SAILING Champions League in the past few years (finishing in the top 10 every year out of 36 teams); an event that has been held at the YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy and St. Moritz Sailing Club in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

As in years past, the KDY/ RDYC are anticipating over 100 J/70 teams will be participating in the J/70 European Championships on the Baltic Sea in early June.  For more J/70 European Championship sailing and registration informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 MONACO WINTER SERIES ACT I PREVIEW

 

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- For the start of its eighth season, the Monaco J/70 Winter Series will have around 20 boats on the water this coming weekend. Due to the current pandemic health situation, the teams present at this first official meeting of the race season will mainly comprise local teams. Virtually all the teams will be focused on preparation for the 37th Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco from March 4th to 7th, 2021. 

Among the favorites for Act I of the winter series will be the leaders that started their winter season with the Christmas Regatta in December 2020. Winning that event was Ludovic Fassitelli's JUNDA- BANCA DEL SEMPIONE. Challengers should include teams like Stefano Roberti's PICCININA, Herve Maino's SOPWITH CAMEL, Jeremy Moutot's LOKOMOTIV, and the French team on Guillaume Charon's KISS & FLY.   For more YC Monaco J/70 Winter Series sailing information

J/70 Sailors Factor @ Yacht Club Monaco Awards

 

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- The traditional Winter Cocktail Party, which welcomes new members before the YCM Awards - Trophée Credit Suisse are presented, went ahead this year albeit remotely in compliance with the current health situation. 

Yacht Club de Monaco President, HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II, rewarded sailors who proudly fly the Principality’s colors and have made a mark on the world’s race areas. As J/Sailors recall, Prince Albert was a J/24 sailor for two decades in Monaco and actively supports the J/70 fleet today.

A regular on the J/70 regatta scene, Pierrik Devic received a special prize for his excellent results in the Laser Master. Having embarked on this physically tough Olympic class boat, he won the Euro Master Circuit 2020 in the Laser Radial Master category and clinched 4th place in his category at the Laser Master European Championship. 

The YCM Awards 2020 also recognizes members who have best defended the Club’s burgee during the past year. In the YC Monaco’s flagship J/70 class with 17 boats flying the burgee, Ludovico Fassitelli took the honours as he did last year. He finished 3rd in the 2019/2020 Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series at the end of 20 races, 1st in the Med Cup, 7th in the Malcesine J/70 Cup, 5th in the J/70 Italian Championship and winner in the Corinthian (amateur) category. 

The coveted "YCM Sailor of the Year" 2020 award went to Lord Irving Laidlaw (Highland Fling), nominated three years in a row since 2017, for the sum of his successes in the world’s most prestigious races. He talked of his passion and what motivates him, “I like new challenges, but above all I love getting a project to work and making it a success, which is not easy. It means finding the right boat, a good crew, organizing the training sessions. Everything must dovetail to perfection. What inspires me most is winning. I love competing but I prefer winning races even more”. 

Where did Lord Laidlaw first learn how to compete at a world-class level? He sailed J/24s for nearly two decades in the United Kingdom, Italy, and across Europe.

Lord Laidlaw is not only passionate about sailing, but he is also a committed philanthropist focused on young people through his Laidlaw Foundation. This revolves around three main principles: 

• fighting inequality and poverty through education
• inspiring young people to believe in their potential to be tomorrow’s leaders
• supporting young women to achieve top class business degrees and take their place in the business world. 

With the dawning of a new year, the YCM fully intends to maintain its course when it comes to innovative projects like the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (6-10 July 2021). This annual event transforms the Club into an incubator supporting R&D in the shipping sector, stimulating the creativity of tomorrow’s engineers and professionals to devise propulsion systems using only clean energy.  For more YC Monaco J/70 Winter Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 European Championship Announcement

(Skovshoved, Copenhagen, Denmark)- The Royal Danish Yacht Club is looking forward to hosting the J/70 European Championship from June 4th to 12th, 2021. 

The event will take place at Rungsted Harbour approximately 15 km north of downtown Copenhagen. This harbour is one of 3 stations that Royal Danish YC runs. 

The RDYC has been a strong support of the growth of the Danish J/70 Sailing League and their efforts have led the way for well over eighteen sailing clubs in their small nation to participate and elevate the level of competitiveness for Danish sailors on a world-class level. The KDY/ RDYC have been able to achieve tremendous success in the SAILING Champions League in the past few years; an event that has been held at the YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy for the past few years.

As in years past, the KDY/ RDYC are anticipating up to 100 J/70 teams will be participating in the J/70 European Championships on the Baltic Sea.  For more J/70 European Championship sailing and registration information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/80 Worlds Announcement!

 

(Copenhagen, Denmark)- The Royal Danish Yacht Club is looking forward to hosting the J/80 World Championship in 2021 from July 3rd to 9th, 2021. J/80 sailing is a very fundamental part of the Club.

The event will take place at Rungsted Harbour approximately 15 km north of downtown Copenhagen. This harbour is one of 3 stations that RDYC runs and it is the station where the club have its J/80 fleet. So, J/80 sailing in this part of the Öresund is huge.

The event will be run as a "sustainability regatta"; meaning among other activities, that we will work hard to minimize paper and try to make as much run electronically off solar and wind power.

And, when you are not on the water, there will be a lot of social activities near the harbour. Copenhagen is fantastic in July – just to mention Tivoli, Canal Touring, Elsinore Castle, Nyhavn and Bakken. And, for those not sailing, Copenhagen shopping is world famous. Please come join us and rejoice in sailing again on the gorgeous Baltic Sea! This regatta is an "open" event, so please come one, come all! Danish hospitality is world-famous!  Register your team here on Manage2Sail.com  For more 2021 J/80 World Championship sailing information

German J/70 League Finale Preview

 

(Hamburg, Germany)- Who will be the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga Champion for 2020 in the season-ending showdown on the Alster Lake in Hamburg, Germany, hosted by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein?  Eighteen teams will be vying for the coveted title in the matched fleet of a dozen J/70s on the fun, but tricky wind conditions in the downtown lake.  

Looking to defend their current league leading position will be the Hamburg hosts- NDRV. The newcomers on the ONE Kiel Team are in second place, followed by the Hemelingen Water Sports Club in third.


For the first time in eight years, the NDRV at the top of the leaderboard have not yet won a regatta all season. But, thanks to their consistently good placements, they are close to their fifth championship title in eight years of participating in the German Sailing League. 


Perhaps most impressive is the rapid ascent of the newcomers from the ONE Kiel Team. They have already celebrated two regatta wins this season and are only in second place because of one outlier (e.g. a "down the mine shaft performance"); with a 15th place finish in the third regatta. Like their NDRV colleagues, the overall title is within reach - an exciting season finale seems guaranteed between these two protagonists!

On Friday and Saturday, the races will be broadcast live on Facebook, YouTube and Sportdeutschland.TV from 12:00 p.m. Central European time.  Sailing Photo credits: DSBL / Lars Wehrmann  For more Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga sailing regatta information

J/70 Med Cup Announcement!

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- The Italian, French and Monegasque J/70 Classes are thrilled to announce the J/70 Med Cup, in its second season, will start in October in Sanremo, Italy. With thirty-seven entries to date, the six-event series will have podium awards for each leg, plus an overall series podium for the best 4 results.

Notably, the 2022 J/70 Europeans and J/70 Worlds will be hold in Hyères and in Monaco, so racing the J/70 Med Cup is a fantastic way to get to know these locations.

A bonus for all J/70 owners is that logistics are greatly simplified for the participants. J/70s can be left in Sanremo and in Monaco if teams are racing for the full Monaco Winter Series. The driving distance from Sanremo to Hyères is of about 200 km, mostly on highway, from Sanremo to Monaco about 50 km and about 150 from Monaco to Hyères.

Here is the J/70 Med Cup schedule for 2020 and 2021: 

• Oct 23-25- Yacht Club Sanremo (Sanremo - Italy)
• Nov 6-8- COYCH (Hyères - France)
• Nov 13-15- Yacht Club Sanremo (Sanremo - Italy)
• Dec 10-13- Yacht Club de Monaco (Monaco)
• Feb 4-7- Yacht Club de Monaco (Monaco)
• May 13-16- I.Y.C.H. (Hyères - France)

For any other information, feel free to contact the J/70 Med Cup organizer- email- info@j70medcup.org
Follow the J/70 Med Cup on Facebook hereAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

RORC Summer Series- Part II Preview

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The second of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Summer Series will be taking place this weekend for pandemic "escapees"! Just kidding, of course. But, for those who have been lucky enough to get out on the water, the feeling of freedom and happiness is inescapable! 

The first warning signal is scheduled 09:20 BST on Saturday, 15th August off the famous Royal Yacht Squadron starting line.  An iconic starting line as any in the world.

“With a very changeable weather forecast, the RORC Race Committee will be waiting for as long as possible to determine the course,” commented RORC Deputy Racing Manager, Tim Thubron. “It is likely that the fleet will be starting to the west from the Squadron Line and racing in the area of Poole Bay with the potential of sending the fleet south into the English Channel. The RORC will be keeping all competitors informed of any decision on the course for the race.”

A number of J/Teams are looking forward to a weekend on the water.  In the IRC 1 Class, we find Mike O’Donnell's J/121 DARKWOOD with his team of multiple XOD Captain's Cup winners onboard.

Then, in the IRC 2 Class, Chris Daniel's J/122E JUNO, the RORC 2019 Performance 50 Champion, will be facing an eclectic mix of boats.

Sam Cooper's J/88 TIGRIS will have his hands full sailing against thirteen-boats in IRC 3 Class, the largest in the event. His colleagues include two J/109s- Chris Burleigh's JYBE TALKIN' and Joppe Schepers & Jasper Heilkens' JOMALIJA.

In the six-boat IRC 4 Class is Jerry Freeman's well-known J/105 JULIETTE.

Finally, in the IRC 2H Doublehanded class is the Scheppers/ Heikens J/109 JOMALIJA and Freeman's J/105 JULIETTE. Both scoring in two different classes.

In summary: permitted crew can be up to a maximum of 6 people from any household or two-thirds of a boat’s IRC crew number, whichever is the least. Competitors are also reminded of the United Kingdom government guidance on social distancing and other Covid-19 measures. For more RORC Summer Series information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Cool 360 Panoramas of J/99 and J/112E Online!

(Les Sables d'Olonne, France)- Dreaming of sailing fast and having your cake (& comfort) too? Experience a very cool "virtual boat show" of the J/99 and the J/112E online. After February's amazing Boot Dusseldorf Boat Show (remember when?), our J/Composites team in Les Sables d'Olonne worked with a French 3D image team to produce a very cool exploration of both the J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster and the beautiful J/112E offshore cruiser-racer (a World Champion in IRC/ ORC). 

The J/99's performance and capabilities have been widely recognized by the world's yachting press as a truly fun, fast, evolutionary boat from the J/Design and J/Composites build teams. Recent awards include the SAIL's Best Boats- Performance Award, SAILING WORLD's Boat of the Year- Best Crossover Boat, and the British Yachting Awards - Performance Yacht award.


To explore the J/99 deck and interior, click on this link here.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
No question the J/112E is fast. How fast? While designed principally for "sport cruising," in just a few seasons, the J/112E has managed to the win several prestigious international events including the 2018 IRC European Championship and the 2018 IRC/ORC World Championship. She has a unique, perhaps unequalled performance and comfort level unattainable by others; in the automotive world, a Mercedes AMG/ BMW M/ Tesla wrapped by the comfort of five-star Hotel George V in Paris....why not? You deserve it.


To explore the J/112E deck and interior, please click on this link here:
Add to Flipboard Magazine.

German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga Starts in Kiel

(Kiel, Germany)- The first day of the 2020 Germany J/70 Segel-Bundesliga is taking place this weekend in Kiel, from July 17 to 19. Three Kiel clubs are organizing the season opener in Kiel-Schilksee: The Baltic Sailing Club, the Kiel Sailing Association and TSV Schilksee.

The original start for the sailing league was supposed to be on the Chiemsee. The move to Kiel and sailing on the Baltic Sea was a popular choice and welcomed by virtually all the sailing clubs.

“After a long wait, everyone is happy that sailing events in Kiel can start again. The athletes are already in the starting blocks to duel again on the water,” said Mr. Lukosch, the Segel-Bundesliga Manager of Operations.


On the first day of sailing, the northern German clubs dominated the eighteen teams in attendance. Under bright sunshine, the light winds and coronavirus regulations could not spoil the joy of everyone involved.

The boats were on the water from 11:00 AM until early evening. After 18 high-energy races, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein was ahead with 10 points, followed by the Hemelingen Water Sports Club and the ONE Kiel Team.

Thirty-six more races are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. Racing starts at 10:00 AM. The races will be broadcast live between 12 noon and 4:00 PM (European time).   Sailing Photo credits: DSBL / Lars Wehrmann  For more German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga sailing information

QUARTER 2 ELEVEN Tops J/70 Bodensee Battle Regatta

 
(Kreuzlingen, Switzerland)- There is this little lake in Switzerland that is known as the "Bodensee", it sits between three of Europe's more influential Alpine nations- Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. While maybe little compared to the remarkable Great Lakes in the USA (where 84% of North America's fresh water is contained and 21% of the world's supply); the Bodensee's impact on their region is giant over the course of time. As one of Europe's largest freshwater lakes, it has been at the crossroads of civilizations and trading routes since time immemorial. For one, it is the headwaters of the famous Rhine River that flows through Germany north to the North Sea. 

Sailors have always enjoyed the big beautiful blue lake, fed by run-offs from the snow-capped peaks and glaciers of the European Alps that surround it. From a sailing perspective, the Bodensee is co-managed by all of its yacht clubs/ sailing clubs that dot its shores- a sailing association that has over 100 clubs and over 15,000 member boats. Ironically, not even Lake Michigan in the USA can boast that density of sailing clubs and participants around its 1,000+ nm. of shoreline. 

When the initial Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga was created five years ago, a critical decision was made by all of the Bodensee member sailing clubs. For the first time ever in three centuries of sailing on the lake, the member clubs agreed to standardize on one boat for inter-club competition; that was the International J/70.  As a result, the camaraderie and fun experienced by all sailors on the Bodensee has simply grown dramatically. With a fun, easy-to-sail, boat that can be sailed by all; young & old 8 to 80s, beginners and Olympians; the J/70 class has taken off on the Bodensee.  A boat you can daysail anywhere across the lake with family and friends, as well as enjoy great competition locally. 

After a few weeks of "pandemic life", it was not surprising that "cottage fever" was driving just about everyone crazy. The mounting desire to "escape" from the four-walls of lock-down at home was going to manifest itself in some way, for the good. 

In the case of the J/70 class on the Bodensee, that celebration for "escapees" was the J/70 Bodensee Battle Regatta hosted by the Kreuzlingen Sailing Club. A big, excited fleet of thirty-seven boats could not wait to get out on the water, onto the starting line, and simply enjoy some hearty competition while appreciating the spectacular vistas offered by the surrounding Alpine mountains.

Fast out of the gate on the first day was Nick Zeltner's crew on QUARTER 2 ELEVEN, posting a mind-numbing 1-1-1-4 record to lead the fleet by a significant amount. However, Zeltner and crew could not maintain their frenetic pace on the final day. After their blazing start, they closed the regatta with a 5-12-13 to finish with 24 pts net. Congratulations to Nick Zeltner and his crew of Nilo Scharer, Till Seger, and Cedric Schenk.

The balance of the top five turned out to be a war of attrition for four teams, two Swiss and two German. It was nearly a four-way tie for the balance of the podium, with three boats in fact all tied at 33 pts each. Winning the battle on count-back to take the silver was Lorzen Kauschke's RHUBARBE team of Maren Kauschke, Laurent Forrer, and Emanuel Muller. The bronze medal went to Lorenz Muller's ATTAQUE team of Chantal Suri, Jann Schupbach, and Alissia Muller.  The top German team on SHERRY LADY, skippered by Henrik Schaal with crew of Aaron Scherr, Timo Dahn, and Sven Herberger, had to settle for fourth place.  Taking fifth place was another German team, Dennis Mehlig's JAI with crew of Kevin Mehlig, Yannick Hafner, and Lukas Ammon. The top Austrian team was Diem Klaus' ROUND 2 in 16th place.   Add to Flipboard Magazine.

International J/70 Class Announcements

(Newport, RI)- Given that major regattas like European, North American, and World Championships take an enormous amount of planning and logistical coordination between the regatta organizers/ hosts and the hundreds of people sailing or involved in the events, it is not surprising that events scheduled even mid-summer are getting postponed later in the year or simply moved back an entire year.

J/70 Worlds
The International J/70 Class Association has been closely monitoring the worldwide developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 2, the International J/70 Executive Committee met specifically in regard to the upcoming World Championship to be held July 25-August 1 (in Los Angeles, USA). The Executive Committee understands the huge commitment of time and money it takes to participate in a major Championship, as well as the enormous resources that our host clubs and their volunteers and sponsors dedicate to such events.

The Executive Committee has determined that, because of the varying levels of infection and disruption across the world and the reality that any return to normal sailing activity will also vary across the world, it is impossible to assure every Class member will have a fair chance to prepare for the commitment of a World Championship during 2020. Therefore, the Executive Committee, working with the Organizing Authority, has postponed the J/70 World Championship to be hosted by California Yacht Club to August 7-15, 2021. There will be no 2020 J/70 World Championship.


J/70 Europeans
The J/70 I.J.C.A. Executive Committee, working with the Organizing Authority of the 2020 European Championship to be held in Copenhagen Denmark, has also determined to postpone the J/70 European Championship hosted by the Royal Danish Yacht Club to June 4-12, 2021 next year.

With respect to other major J/70 Class events that remain on the schedule for 2020, the Executive Committee remains in constant discussions with these Organizing Authorities and expects to make decisions no less than 75 days prior to the scheduled date for those events.

We hope this approach will help clarify the way the Class is addressing this evolving situation and allow our Class members to plan accordingly. The Executive Committee plans to meet regularly in the coming months and will provide regular updates as needed. In the meantime, the Class wishes all J/70 sailors and their families the best in these difficult times. We look forward to resuming sailing as soon as we can.

Learn more about the International J/70 one-design class here. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/99 Arrives in the Swiss Alps!

(Lucerne, Switzerland)- In these difficult times, there are still glimmers of hope of what the future may portend for some sailors around the world. 

Our friends in Switzerland were happy to see a brand-new J/99 arrive from J/Composites in Les Sables d'Olonne, France. It was the last boat shipped before they suspended building operations in France due to the pandemic. The J/99 took an amazing, long winding, 1,000-kilometer tour over and around the French and Swiss Alps to get to Switzerland.


The report from J/Boats dealer Damian Weiss and his team at Dyna Sportsboats AG was that the boat arrived in excellent condition and was immediately unloaded inside their large boat house. The team is excited to get the boat commissioned and in the water by June for some events that are still on this summer's sailing schedule!  Learn more about the J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster here. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Keeping Sailing & Boating Safe in Days of Social Distancing

(Dublin, Ireland)- Over in the land of lucky leprechauns, our friends in Ireland are always thinking of clever ways around any obstacles that may be thwarting their efforts to enjoy life and sailing.  Recently, the editors at Afloat.ie published some insights in an article titled- "Keeping Sailing & Boating Safe in Days of Social Distancing."

"It's nice to be out there with the wind and the waves and as one letter writer to the Irish Times mentioned when he spotted boats sailing on Dublin Bay this week - 'what a way to isolate!' 

We think the same here at Afloat, but even sailing isn't free of social distancing guidelines and as we have seen, unfortunately, largely because of shoreside issues, the bulk of sailing events around the world have now been cancelled. It is important to recognize the significant impact that the current Coronavirus / COVID-19 crisis is having on sailing clubs across Ireland.

Right now, there are other priorities of the most serious nature, but it's worth mentioning- for sailing's sake- that this Coronavirus is wrecking the 2020 sailing fixture list and much more besides.

It's important for the club network that we salvage as much as we can.

Other sports, such as golf, are finding ways of keeping play going.

We have plenty of unpopulated open water (for example look at our live webcam of Dublin Bay). We have plenty of boats and with today's Spring Equinox (the earliest in 124 years) hundreds of boaters itching to go afloat.

While areas within clubhouses may not be available due to the need for social distancing, the sport remains open and accessible. The lift in of the country's biggest fleet of yachts on Dublin Bay is on track for April. Marinas are open. Club membership plus supporting the cluster of Irish marine services around the coast has never been more important. 

Yacht Club members and sailors and boaters, in general, can still go afloat and enjoy their sailing while staying within the guidelines issued by the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland and Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.

So, as organizers prepare to launch the season, is there a way to support them in order to go afloat safely without abandoning the ship, as it were? 

Can there be any activity that rigorously upholds the social distancing guidelines, keeps everyone safe and avoids groups of people in prolonged contact? There has to be more to our fantastic sport than an eSailing National Championships?

Already, North Sails sailmaker Prof O'Connell is reporting a number of clients are changing the way they plan to go sailing: "there's some interest from yacht owners in re-tasking their race boats into family day-sailers to get the family out on the water, conversion of bolt rope race mainsails into luff slid cruising sails, the addition of furler/furling headsails for family cruising."

A quick brainstorm also came up with the following ideas: 

• Solo/ doublehanded keelboat races with white sails/reduced sail?
• Solo/ doublehanded dinghy races with white sails?
• Family/ household crewed races (e.g. can people living in the same household sail on the same boat?)
• Family/ household day cruising?
• Virtual marks/starts to avoid contact among race officials?

Wishful thinking? It may well be. But, getting out on the water is good for both our physical and mental health. We only need two boats to start an informal race or one boat for a day sail. 

So, at Afloat, we're keen to hear any ideas as to how sailing can keep going. But above all else, any suggestion first needs to ensure it is well within social and physical distancing guidelines.

Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Big Breeze for Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series Opening Weekend

(Warsash, England)- Brisk conditions of force 5-6 from the SSW greeted the hardy people who ventured out on Sunday 15 March for the start of the new season. Having reviewed the forecast, an early decision was taken to postpone the Combined Sportboat Class by an hour to allow the expected wind to moderate a little from the early morning predicted 20 gusting 30 knots, but still give everyone a chance for three races.

The conditions clearly suited Simon Cavy in the J/70 JUST4PLAY who took line honours in all three races, as well as winning them on IRC corrected time in the IRC Sportboat Class.


As it turned out, the wind stayed at 18-20 knots with regular gusts well into the mid-20s, which gave lots of opportunity for exciting downwind legs, but surprisingly few entertaining broaches.

Black Group enjoyed some long beats and runs or reached from the start near Goodall Roofing buoy. The windward mark for most classes was the newly named Team O Marine mark on the Ryde Middle bank, and from there the boats surfed down to Lee-on-the-Solent and back to the Ryde Middle a couple of times, before finishing just NE of the North Channel at Hamble Yacht Services buoy. Race Officer Peter Bateson noted that at 10-12 miles, the races were deliberately set a little shorter than usual, as seemed right for the blustery conditions in the first race of the season. Elapsed times ranged from 1.5 to just under 2 hours.


In IRC 2 Class, Chas Ivill's J/112E DAVANTI TYRES was the winner, baulked slightly by shipping on the last run across the North Channel, but holding her lead nevertheless. Gavin Howe's J/88 TIGRIS pulled off a fourth place in the demanding conditions.

As a precaution in view of the spread of Covid-19 virus, the daily prize-giving was postponed to avoid a gathering at Warsash Sailing Club. The prizes for the day's winners have been put aside for handing over later on.

The Series continues next Sunday 22nd March, so long as the RYA and government advice continues to be that it is sensible to do so; and the two Spring Championship weekends are on 18-19th and 25-26th April.

For more Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

NOTICIA Wins the Villalia J/70 Vigo Winter Series

MARNATURA Takes Final Act V
(Vigo, Spain)- The Real Club Náutico De Vigo hosted the five event Villalia J/70 Vigo Winter Series. The finale was an epic one, with the fleet treated to 15 to 25 knot winds from the south to southwest all weekend long, with the RCNV PRO managing to run just four races in the somewhat extreme wave conditions.

Winning the final weekend was Luis Bagallo Arriola's MARNATURA 1 team (Gerardo Prego, Alberto Basadre and Javier de la Gándara) from the host club by posting an impressive 4-1-1-1 in the wild waters offshore. Second was two-time J/80 World Champion Pichu Torcida from Real Club Maritimo de Santander, sailing his NOTICIA team to a 2-8-2-2 tally. Then, third was determined on a tie-breaker between Gonzalo Araujo's LAGUARDIA & MOREIRA and Luis Albert's PATAKIN, with Araujo's team winning the countback. 


As a result of the final weekend's results, it was Torcida's NOTICIA that was proclaimed the Villalia J/70 Vigo Winter Series Champion! The balance of the podium included Bugallo Arriola's MARNATURA 1 in second and Araujo's LAGUARDIA & MORERIRA in third. The rest of the hotly contested top five included Luiz Perez Canal's ABRIL VERDE in fourth place and Albert's PATAKIN in fifth place. Note that Rayco Tabares from the Canary Islands (himself a two-time J/80 World Champion) was crewing on ABRIL VERDE and Hugo Rocha (a Spanish Olympic Gold Medallist) was crewing on Albert's PATAKIN...not many "shrinking violets" in that fleet!  For more Villalia J/70 Vigo Winter Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.