J/90 Wins GYA Challenge Cup

(Gulfport, MS)- The J/90 HOT TODDY recently won Class A of the 2019  GYA Challenge Cup hosted by the Gulfport Yacht Club In MS. Class A included 2 well raced and well-funded M32’s (War Canoe and Rougaroo) which are the perennial winners of Gulf Coast sailboat racing.

As the winner of Class A, HOT TODDY helped Pontchartrain Yacht Club to third place in the team competition and won several class A boat of the day trophies, the Overall Class A trophy, and the prestigious Buddy Friedricks perpetual trophy for the winner of Class A. This will be on display at the Pontchartrain Yacht Club for one year.

Said John Guy, crew on HOT TODDY, “we had to sail really hard and well to correct out and defeat both of these well-sailed M32’s. The weather was really great for the three days of racing, that included one long distance race and six windward-leeward races.” Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Regatta al Sol Race Preview

(Isla Mujeres, Mexico)- Gulf Coast sailors will be celebrating the 30th sailing of the Regata al Sol from Pensacola, Florida to Isla Mujeres, Mexico. This biennial premier offshore race is sponsored by Southern Yacht Club, Pensacola Yacht Club, and the Club de Yates Isla de Mujeres. The start of the race will be May 9th (cruising class) and May 10th (racing class) 2018. The course angle of 177 deg. will take racers from Pensacola Bay 620nm across the Gulf of Mexico to Isla Mujeres, Mexico just off the Yucatan coast from Cancun. This race offers all the excitement of an offshore race as well as the challenge of navigating the Gulf loop current.

Eighteen boats are participating in this 30th anniversary race and there are two fast 40+ foot J/teams in the PHRF Racing Class. Patrick Waring’s brand new J/121 HOT PURSUIT has gone through their shakedown/ training program and cannot wait to unleash their beast on the mostly reaching race track.  Giving them a solid run-for-the-money will be Ralph Junius’ proven offshore cruiser-racer, the J/122 MADAM J.

Based on current forecasts, it should be an interesting 4-5 day race for these offshore thoroughbreds.  After starting in the lightish airs of Pensacola Bay, the boats should encounter most easterly tradewinds (from 80 to 120 deg) of 7-15 kts for the next 4-7 days offshore all the way down the track, around the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and down to the southeast to the finish line off Isla Mujeres.  Follow the Regata al Sol Race on Facebook here   For more Regatta al Sol Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Dominate GYA Women’s PHRF Regatta

(New Orleans, LA)- Every year, the Southern YC on Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, LA hosts the Gulf Yachting Association’s annual Women’s PHRF Regatta.  The event always gets a spirited turnout of women’s teams from across the region sailing in everything from J/22s up to J/35s.  The J/women crews seem to make it a habit of sailing more determined and happy-go-lucky than other teams and collect more than their fair share of silverware along the way.  The regatta is really more about the “joy of sailing” and the camaraderie of the women being able to share their passion with old friends and newfound friends.

This year’s event was a pretty light air affair.  Like super-flat waters and less than 10 kts of wind all weekend.

In the end, it was Clerc Cooper’s J/30 Zephyr V2.0 from Southern YC that posted a 1-1 for 2 pts to win PHRF Spinnaker class.  Louise Bienvenu’s J/22 LOLA followed them from New Orleans YC with a 3-3 for 6 pts to take 3rd place.  Then, Debby Grimm’s J/30 HOT CHOCOLATE from Southern YC posted a 4-4 for 8 pts to take 4th place.

In Non-Spinnaker A class, Nancy Claypool’s J/35 FOOTLOOSE TOO from Southern YC posted a 3-3 for 6 pts to secure 3rd position.

Finally, Anne Robinson’s J/30 TOY BOX from New Orleans YC scored a 3-1 for 4 pts to take the silver in Non-Spinnaker B class.

Local photographer/ videographer Curtis Christianson put together a highlights video of the event.  The theme song is called “This woman’s on fire!”  Yup, maybe corny, but a suitable and fun music/ sailing video to enjoy. Watch it here.   Sailing photo & video credits- Curtis Christianson Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Sarasota J/95's Gathering Silverware!

(Sarasota, FL)-J/95 (hull no. 15) owned by Paul Eckel has won both the Bird Key Yacht Club and Sarasota Yacht Club first in class and first overall trophies. Continuing a string of victories, "Encore" sailed by Doug Fisher and Paul Eckel took home the Sarasota Bay Cup by finishing first in class and first overall racing in the Mote Marine Laboratory Regatta in April.

Last week the J/95 Encore finished first in class and first overall to take the Sarasota Yacht Club 2017 Invitational and is now inscribed on the perpetual trophies in both clubs. Thanks for this contribution from J/95 owner Al Agachinsky from Sarasota, FL. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Fest Southwest Announces “Legends” Sailing Event

(Seabrook, TX)- J/Fest Southwest organizers in conjunction with Lakewood Yacht Club and J/Boats Southwest announce a new celebrity racing event featuring past World and North American champion sailors.

For those of you looking to start enjoying the festivities surrounding this year's regatta early, you'll want to get here before 4pm Friday, October 20th, to enjoy the two planned celebrity races on Clear Lake the afternoon before the J/Fest Southwest Regatta.

The celebrities include Jeff Johnstone, Scott Young, Farley Fontenot and Jay Lutz. They will be sailing J/24s loaned out by the J/24 Fleet. Each boat will have their celebrity name across the mainsail. There will be on the water judging and spectators can watch the action from the newly opened Barge 295, in the location of the old Turtle Club. Live commentary will include humor and historical tidbits for additional entertainment value- sailing’s version of “fake news”- up to you to determine what’s “real”- prizes later for those who are right!!

The 8th Annual J/Fest Southwest Regatta will be raced on Galveston Bay October 21-22, and this year's event marks 40 years of J/Boat history. With over 50 boats entered so far, 2017 will be a landmark regatta.

Don't miss the Oct. 14th registration Deadline. The entry is just $95 for all classes. Racers who register by 1700 hours on Oct. 14 will receive a free t-shirt and two wristbands to get you into the post-race dinner and party at Lakewood YC.

Please visit http://www.jfestsouthwest.com to register. Crew waivers and information about local accommodations are also available.

For regatta information or questions about the celebrity or cruising events, contact J/Fest Southwest Regatta Race Co-Chair Chris Lewis at email- jfswatlyc@outlook.com.

J/22 Midwinters Preview

(New Orleans, LA)- The spectacular Southern YC, located on the lovely waters of Lake Ponchartrain just east of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter, will be hosting the 2017 J/22 Midwinter Championship from March 23 to 26th.  Thirty-three boats are registered for the event, hailing from across America and at least nine states from across Middle America to the East Coast.  Many of the top dogs in the class will be on hand for another crack at being declared this year’s Midwinter Champion.

As usual, the posse from New York state are quite intimidating as they field crews that have won just about every major championship in the world of J/22s.  This year’s rag tag gang of pirates intent on looting any silverware not bolted down in New Orleans include Peter Doyle & Jack Huebschmann on ESCAPE, Jessica Oswalt sailing MUSKRAT LOVE, Travis Odenbach’s SEA BAGS SAILNG TEAM, Chris Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1, and Adam Masters’ TRAINWRECK.

The local boys & girls (themselves all likely descendant of real pirates like the Johnstone family’s relative- the notorious Frenchman Jean Lafitte) will be intent on preserving their civic pride and obligations to keep the Midwinter crown (and silver) in NOLA!  That contingent includes Zak Fanberg’s WILD TCHOUPITOULAS, Rick Heausler’s FAST COMPANY, Matt Jordan’s RACINE, Chip Carpenter’s WIZARD, Billy Marchaj’s WHISTLING IN THE WIND III, Chris Wientjes’ USA 754, Louise Bienvenu’s USA 320, Debbie Grimm’s CAYENNE, Tommy Meric’s USA 1024, and Dwight J Leblanc III’s WAVEMAKER (true Naw’leens royalty!).

Not to be outdone by their southern brothers, or northern haymakers, the “they make’em much bigger in Tejas” cast of cowboys will include notable rock stars like Terry Flynn’s TEJAS from League City, Mark Foster’s PRESSURE DROP from Corpus Christi YC, Keith Zars’ VOODOO BABY from San Antonio, Kevin Orff’s TRES LOCOS from League City, and two more Houstoner’s- Dov Kivlovitz and Anne Lee’s HELMS-A-LEE.

The enormous Annapolis fleet is noticeably absent, with just Zeke Horowitz’s UNCLE FLUFFY making the trip south from sunny Naptown.  And, the same is true for the Lake Minnetonka monster fleet in Minnesota; perhaps they got frozen into a ginormous snow drift. Nevertheless, it looks like four Mini-tonker’s are headed south to enjoy good’ole Southern hospitality, grits, shrimp, cajun and stuff and hopefully, not receiving beaded necklaces for showin’ inappropriate stuff on Bourbon Street!  That quartet includes Cris Cox’s HOT TUNA, Matt Thompson’s UNDERDOG, Mike Schmid’s EN FUEGO, and Kurt Taken-Holtze’s TURN DOWN FOR WHAT?!  No doubt, the 30+ crews will find a way to have a fun time downtown, if not on the water this coming weekend!  For more J/22 Midwinter Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Mardis Gras Race Week Blowout!

Battle For J/27 Midwinters Supremacy!
(New Orleans, LA)- Over the March 2nd to 5th weekend, the “northernmost Caribbean yacht club in the world”- New Orleans Yacht Club- hosted the Mardis Gras Race Week, presented by Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company.  The NOYC RC/PRO crew managed to run NINE races for the J/27 Midwinter Championship as well as give the PHRF A & B Classes some awesome racing on Lake Ponchartrain, with five races counted.

The story of the day for the J/27 Midwinters was the virtual match race that took place all weekend between the top two teams.  In the end, after posting five 1sts and three 2nds, Patrick Ryan’s DEMITASSE from Southern YC walked off with class honors, being named the 2017 J/27 Midwinter Galactic Champion of the Milky Way!  Hoping to prevent a “light years out” scenario was Merlin Wilson’s ALEGRE also from SYC.  However, after leading the regatta with an astounding 2-1-1-1 after four races, they somehow, miraculously, lost their edge and could not hold back a five straight bullet comeback by their lovingly erstwhile buddies on DEMITASSE. Behind the regatta leaders, it must have been fun to watch from the bleacher seats for Canada’s Maddy Beese from Oakville Yacht Squadron in Ontario.  Maddy ultimately took the bronze.

Meanwhile, it was the PHRF handicap world for offshore keelboats saw a LOT of drama taking place on the great lake north of New Orleans’ infamous Bourbon Street.  Winning class was Burton Benrud’s J/111 ZYDECO from Southern YC with a 3-2-1-1-2 record for 6 pts. They had their hands full taking on well-sailed crews on a Swan 42, B32, three Melges 32’s and Salona 380.  For more Mardis Gras Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Healy Crowned J/70 Midwinter Champion

Andrew & Melissa Fisher- Corinthian Champions!
(St Petersburg, FL)- The fourth J/70 Midwinter Championship was held in St Petersburg, FL, hosted by the fabulous race management crew at St Petersburg YC that included PRO Todd Fedyszyn and experienced sailors and famous mark boat drivers like “Tommie”.  The SPYC team had their hands full having to deal with the twin evils of an aggressively starting J/70 fleet coupled with adverse currents and a highly variable weather pattern.  Despite the challenges, the SPYC crew worked hard to get off a six races series in what can only be described as classic Tampa Bay winter sailing weather- random and variable! In other words, the weatherman could have used a Mandelbrot set or Rorschach inkblot test and done a better job!

Despite the considerable odds stacked against them, the fifty-two J/70 teams (44% Corinthian) soldiered forth with great expectations onto Tampa Bay for the first day of racing on Friday.  Sadly, despite many erstwhile attempts to get races off, characterized by none other than several general recalls, the racing had to be cancelled for the day due to lack of wind by midday.  Consider the fact that first gun was at 1000 hrs and you get the picture.  With the forecasted northerly dying by midday, and a very weak gradient flow across the region, there was a “less than zero” chance of racing that afternoon.

Given that Friday was a non-starter, the crew at SPYC knew they had to double-down to get the ball rolling.  Saturday’s racing presented its challenges.  The first race was an OK race, given that 30-45 degree shifts from 0 to 7 kts with massive streaks moving onto the sides of the course was considered fair.  The second race was described by quite a few crews as a “non-race”- how else do you describe having the first two boats finish in the dying Norwester when the other 99% of the fleet dropped chutes and finished the last half of their race beating into the initial zephyrs of a southeast breeze to get to the downwind finish line?  Nevertheless, that’s sailing.  It is what it was.  Recognizing the “two race fiasco” that marked the beginning of Saturday, the SPYC crew played the ultimate royal flush hand, waiting for quite some time to let the SW sea breeze to develop and get in one last race before sunset.  That third race was a five-lap affair sailing in 6-12 kts with the entire fleet bathed in the hues of a glowing orange and red sunset at the finish line.  A beyond belief beautiful finish to end the day.

Taking advantage of the “Long Island Sound” conditions in the first two races Saturday was John Brim’s crew on RIMETTE.  They reveled in the light and fluky conditions, posting a 1-1, then scoring a 9th to lead the fleet by a considerable margin at the end of the day with just 11 points.  They enjoyed a healthy advantage over Will Welles’ SCAMP in second with a 2-14-7 for 23 pts and Tim Healy’s NEW ENGLAND ROPES in third with a 16-4-4 for 24 pts. At the end of the day, leading the 20-boat Corinthians Midwinter Championship was James Prendergast’s USA167.

Brim notched his first of two bullets as racing began in about 6 knots of breeze. Welles and Joshua Goldman’s BUILDING A followed Brim in race one, and Prendergast and Bryan Cameron’s B-SQUARED in race two (when winds were about 5 knots but shifty). The most consistent conditions occurred during Saturday’s final contest when Ignazio Perez’s ZAQUERO took the top spot, ahead of the reigning Midwinter team of Darden/Hillard of HOSS and John & Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES.

Given the weather forecast actually showed a real breeze and a real front moving across the Florida peninsula on Sunday morning at around 0400 hrs, the decision was made to start racing one hour earlier than the already early 1000 hrs start time.  Not one team complained.  The “dry front” rolled across on schedule at 0400 hrs, shockingly enough, and as crews headed out to the race course in a chilly 55 F morning, they were greeted by a spectacular sailing breeze in the 12-17 kts range.

Tim Healy’s NEW ENGLAND ROPES posted a 2-1 in the final two races to secure the Quantum J/70 Midwinter Championship. Able to drop a 16th from race one, the team of Healy, Nathan Housberg (bow), Alden Reid (trim) and Marcus Eagan (tactics) kept scores of 4-4-7-2-1 for 18 net points and the victory.  Will Welles’ SCAMP finished a mere point behind Healy in second place, and John Brim’s RIMETTE took third with 28 points.

“This is the first time we’ve sailed together, so we were learning the whole time just how to work together and how to get our trim and tune right,” summarized Healy. “Slowly, we started to get everything down. We had some light breeze, but today was a little breezier with some chop. We were getting used to the settings so we could power through the chop.”

Three more races took place Sunday in breeze between 8 to 17 kts under clear, chilly skies. The day’s race winners were the Darden/Hillard team on HOSS, Ignacio Perez’s ZAQUERO (from Mexico) and Healy.

“Today was beautiful,” Healy said reminiscing on their final day’s performance. “We got up early, got out early and took advantage of the breeze. The Race Committee did a great job.”  Of interest for your Tampa Bay WetNotes, they went left virtually every time on the first windward leg in every race and started left, too!  It’s a Tampa Bay secret in dying northerlies- - - maybe, maybe not.

Of the seven women skippers competing, the largest yet in any major J/70 regatta, three finished in the top 15 overall.  Nearly winning the last race was Darby Smith’s AFRICA, posting a 2nd to take 6th overall with a 19-6-6-6-53-2 record for 39 pts net (inc toss race).  Second woman skipper was class newcomer Pam Rose, she sailed ROSEBUD to 8th place with top USA Match Racer Taylor Canfield calling tactics; she had a 11-7-8-17-11-9 scoreline for 46 pts net.  Third woman skipper was 14 yr old Madelyn Ploch on USA 88, sailing with her father Mark Ploch, taking 14th overall with a 21-18-10-22-8-3 tally for 60 pts net.  Notably, without throw-outs in the event, all three women would have finished in the top 11 overall- Pam’s ROSEBUD tied for 5th, Madelyn’s USA 88 in 10th and Darby’s AFRICA in 11th!

The regatta was held with J/70 Class Rule C.3 modified so that the entire crew was limited to no more than one member who is classified as ISAF Group 3. The 52-boat fleet was comprised of 20 all-Corinthian teams (44% of the fleet), won by Andrew & Melissa Fisher’s BUTTON FLY from Long Island Sound, followed by Charles Bayer’s LIL’GRIZZLY in 2nd, Bryan Cameron’s B-SQUARED in 3rd, David Mendelblatt’s USA 39 in 4th and the SPYC JUNIOR SAILING TEAM’s Blaire McCarthy in 5th place (they were also the top youth team).  For more J/70 Midwinters sailing information. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Mardis Gras Week Preview

J/27 Midwinters Team Overview
(New Orleans, LA)- From March 2nd to 5th, the “northernmost Caribbean yacht club in the world”- New Orleans Yacht Club- will host the Mardis Gras Race Week, presented by Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company.  A range of one-design classes and PHRF handicap classes are participating over the weekend on the insanely shifty and choppy Lake Ponchartrain.  The event also counts as the J/27 Midwinter Championship.

A half-dozen boats are participating in the J/27 Midwinters, with teams representing both the USA and Canada.  The top crews from Southern YC include Clark Thompson and Stephan Burnick’s OBLIDIOBLIDA, Merlin Wilson’s ALEGRE and Aaron & Wilson LaGraize’s POCKET ROCKET.  The Canadian contingent fleeing south from Arctic weather conditions north of the border is led by Maddy Beese’s CAN 99 from the Oakville Yacht Squadron on Lake Ontario.

In the other one-design classes, it looks to be Chip Carpenter’s WIZARD from Southern YC is topping the J/22 division and Mark Yancey’s RC AND THE MOON PIES will be battling Troy Cruthirds’ JUS MAGIC for J/24 class honors.

In the PHRF handicap world for offshore keelboats, Benrud Burton’s J/111 ZYDECO will have their hands full taking on well-sailed crews on a Swan 42, B32 and Salona 380.  For more Mardis Gras Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/122 Stars in Conch Republic Cup!

(Key West, FL)- This year’s version of the Conch Republic Cup regatta, hosted by the Key West Community Sailing Center and the Club Nautico Internacional Hemingway, was a bit of an anti-climactic event and might have been termed “the three leg fiasco”.  The weather Godz simply would not cooperate for the fleet of 20+ boats.  In fact, the weather was extreme, with light airs predominating for the first leg across the Gulf Stream from the start at Key West, FL to Varadero, Cuba along the northeastern shoreline of the island.  Then, the next leg westward down the Cuban coastline from Varadero to Havana was blown out due to a massive cold front sweeping across the Gulf Stream.  The in-port race in Havana was also canceled, this time due to no wind.  So, the regatta organizers decided to do a mash-up of trophies and honors using the final leg from Havana back across the Stream to Key West!!

Despite the somewhat catastrophic weather forecast, JD Hill’s beautiful navy blue J/122 SECOND STAR from Dallas, Texas, fresh off a Quantum Key West Race Week class win, elected to start the regatta.  As a result, those Texas storm troopers took off on Sunday afternoon after Race Week hangover and headed out across the Gulf Stream in the Key West to Varadero Race for the Michele Geslin Memorial Cup.  In the end, Hill’s SECOND STAR crushed the 8-boat PHRF fleet to win the trophy, celebrating their good fortune with loads of delicious Cuban mojito’s and plenty of awesome Cuban cigars.  However, by the next day, it was clear Mother Nature was not cooperating for the rest of the week, so the Texas crew elected to head home early.  Sailing photo credits- Alan Clark/ Photoboat.com.  For more Conch Republic Cup sailing information

Classic J/44 Loving Gulf Stream Series!

(Miami, FL)- Chris & Karen Lewis, proud owners of the J/44 KENAI from Houston, Texas, are having fun sailing their gorgeous navy-blue yacht on the Gulf of Mexico, in the Northeast and the Gulf Stream Series.  Chris commented on their recent experiences this past year:

“In 2016, the J/44 KENAI won 1st in IRC class and the Rolex Cup in the Around Conanicut Island Race, 1st in the NYYC Annual Regatta IRC 3 Class, 3rd in NBR ORR class, 2nd in the Onion Patch series to High Noon, first in IRC Overall in the Stamford Vineyard Race winning the Vineyard Lightship Trophy,  then 1st in the SORC Nassau Cup and now 1st in the Key West Feeder Race in ORC. Pretty good for a 25 yr old J/44!! Only slightly modified with a 1.5m sprit, all A-kites and a deeper, skinnier rudder.”

Competing in their second SORC event, the 2017 Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race, the Lewis' J/44 KENAI took first place in ORC and won the best performance award of any boat entered that was 25+ years old.   Crewed by a mix of Texas and East Coast sailors, KENAI completed the 161 nm course in 16 hours 56 minutes and corrected 27 minutes ahead of the second placed boat.  Here is more of Chris’ perspective on the Key West Race:

“The opposite watch captain to me on board was Lenny Sitar, owner of J/44 VAMP, and Commodore of Storm Try-Sail Club who are organizing Quantum Key West Race Week.  With another J-44 owner, H.L. DeVore navigating, there was a huge breadth of J/44 experience onboard.

The winds were 20 to 30 knots out of the east making for a course record run of 10 hours 18 minutes for Wizard, a 74 ft mini-maxi.

KENAI saw speeds of 17 knots, and at one point, before our Code Zero sail split in two during a gust, we were catching 56 and 57-foot boats ahead of us.

Running down the reef that was a lee shore, it looked like everything was fine until we were hit by a 30-knot squall in front of the beam with the A4 spinnaker up. Suddenly, we were charging at the reef at night with a big kite to dowse!!  Thankfully, we survived that drama to tell the story!"

KENAI is now leading the SORC Islands In The Stream series that concludes in March with a race from Miami to Havana.

J/Crews Sweep Harvest Moon Regatta

(Seabrook, TX)- Perhaps one of the most beautiful experiences any offshore sailor can have is to take off from Galveston Bay on an afternoon start, sail out into the Gulf of Mexico and turn left down the shoreline to Port Aransas about 50 nm down the coastline.  In most years, it’s a gentle cruise down the coast under spinnaker with a massive “fall harvest moon” slowly emerging over the ESE horizon, seemingly ready to engulf the entire Earth in its glow.  For those who have sailed this race over the years, it is a mind-bending experience to see the Moon refracting so that it looks like it is the Second Coming of Christ- or some other out-of-body scenario.  Blood orange, giant, and melting across the horizon on the Gulf of Mexico, it’s no wonder that so many people keep coming back for more!

This year, a good weather forecast meant that teams turned out “en’masse” to enjoy the gorgeous overnight sail.  In ORC Spinnaker classes, it was remarkable that both “A” and “B” classes saw total “clean sweeps” by J/Crews!

In ORC Class A, 1st was Jim Liston’s J/120 AEOLUS from Houston YC, 2nd was Albrecht Goethe’s J/46 HAMBURG II from Lakewood YC, 3rd was JD Hill’s J/122 SECOND STAR from Lakewood YC and 6th was Andy Wescoat’s J/109 HARM’s WAY from Galveston Bay Cruising Association!

The scenario was the same for ORC Class B.  But, in this case, it was a sweep of the top five!  1st was John Barnett’s J/105 VICI from Lakewood YC, 2nd was Josh Richline’s J/105 VELOCE from Corpus Christi YC, 3rd was JB Bednar’s J/105 STINGER from Lakewood YC, 4th was John Bell’s J/105 KINDERSPIEL 2 from Corpus Christi YC, and 5th was Jeff Progelhof’s J/36 SENOR MOMENT for Houston YC! An amazing accomplishment for all J/Sailors across the board!  For more Harvest Moon Regatta sailing information

Corpus Christi Surfin’ Safari Announcement

(Corpus Christi, TX)- The 2016 Surfin' Safari is scheduled for June 11-12, 2016 at the Corpus Christi Yacht Club. The CCYC has hosted many national and world-class regattas over the years and is a fantastic sailing venue.

If you are looking for a regatta with strong breeze and some waves to surf, then you need to make the trip to Corpus Christi, Texas for this regatta. The wind down on the bay averages between 15-20 knots and on a good day can hit 30 kts and will be t-shirts, shorts and shades weather!

This year, Mount Gay Rum is one of the sponsors for the regatta. A limited amount of the famous red hats will be available to competitors, giving preference to early registrations!! Please join us for this fun regatta. Invited J classes include J/22s, J/24s, J/70s and J/80s!   Competitors may register here.

J/Fest Southwest 2016- Open for entries!

(Seabrook, TX)- Planning for the 7th annual J/Fest Southwest, hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook Texas, has begun.  J/Fest Southwest 2016 will be sailed on the waters of Galveston Bay the weekend of Oct 28-30th.  J/Fest Southwest is a celebration of all things related to J/ Boats and sailboat racing.  The October weather in South East Texas is simply wonderful with shirtsleeve temperatures and great wind conditions, especially if one of the early cold fronts blows through.  J/Fest Southwest features multiple Windward/Leeward race courses and is known for top quality race management and intense racing that attracts top competition both locally and from out of state.

We are looking forward to a large turnout of J/ Boats, including the J22, J24, J70, J80, J105, J109 & J/PHRF classes. Cranes and storage for out of town boats are available and there are numerous hotels located near the club.  In addition to a spectator boat for those who want to watch the on-the-water action, J/Fest Southwest 2016 will feature the “LC Roots Band” for Saturday night entertainment & dancing after we consume the traditional shrimp boil (“Frogmore Stew”) dinner.  The J/Fest Southwest website (http://www.jfestsouthwest.com/) is being updated with new information as it becomes available, including an updated hotel list for out of town skippers and their crews.  Seabrook is located half way between Houston and Galveston and there are numerous opportunities for family fun in the area so come on down!  Questions about J/Fest Southwest may be directed to: Dave Christensen/ J/Fest Southwest 2016 Chair/ Lakewood Yacht Club- email- dc1sail@comcast.net

Two Girls Great Circle Sailing Adventure!

(Charlevoix, MI)- Jessie and Katie on a Boat- The “Great Circle Adventurers”! Recently, we got a nice note from Jess about her most amazing adventure sailing thousands of miles with her BFF- Katie.

“Stuart! I am always serious about traveling.  I am very familiar with J's as I used to work at the Santa Barbara Sailing Center and took my ASA instruction courses on a J/24! I had a wonderful time in Santa Barbara and loved taking people out on the J/24 all the time!

By the way, I would be interested to hear of any opportunities to help crew or deliver on J/Boats. I currently have a lot going on, but will do what I can to squeeze in adventures whenever possible!

Thanks for reaching out and please come say ‘Hi’ if you make it to the Chicago or Miami boat show!!”

Note- Chicago Boat Show seminars- January 14th, 15th, 17th & 18th.  Miami Boat Show seminars- February 11th & 14th.

For J/Crews anywhere in the world interested in getting one or two incredibly experienced offshore woman sailors on board, please don’t hesitate to contact Jess @ jesszevalkink@gmail.com or Katie @ katieesmith9@gmail.com!  Learn more about their two+ years of travels and adventures here- http://katieandjessieonaboat.com/  It is an entertaining blog, to say the least, with many life lessons learned for just about anyone!

J/30 ZEPHYR- Summer 2015 Sailing video

(New Orleans, LA)- long-time J/30 sailor and boat owner, David Erwin, sent us a note over the holidays- “How’s the crew at J/Boats HQ?  We thought you might like a summary of life experiences aboard the J/30 ZEPHYR and our crew from New Orleans YC!  The music "On and On" is by Lotus Crush and is available digitally on iTunes and Amazon.com. Thanks to everyone who sailed with us in 2015. Here's one of our 'hot Mama's' sailing fast!!  #TeamZephyr #GoSailing!!”  Thanks Dave- an entertaining video!!   Watch the J/30 Team ZEPHYR YouTube video here.

INFINITY Tops Texas J/105 Invitational

(Houston, Texas)- In spite of losing PRO Dwight Bengston at the last minute, J/105 Fleet 17's first annual Texas Invitational went off without a hitch under absolutely beautiful blue Texas skies in perfect winds and temperatures. A big thanks goes to John Barnett (Vici) and a host of Lakewood Yacht Club volunteers for quickly stepping up to the plate to make sure the 10-race schedule was executed to perfection.

Seven boats competed with both Fleet 17 and non-Fleet 17 owners on the helm. The 10 races were split into evens and odds. Fleet 17 owners helmed odd numbered races, and non-Fleet 17 owners helmed even number races. Big thanks to the Bermuda fleet for allowing Fleet 17 to copy their format. This is a super format that produces a fabulous opportunity for owners and crew to travel without having to drag their boats along.

Five races were sailed on Friday in light winds under clear skies with temperatures in the 70s. Three races went off under similar conditions on Saturday, and then the big Texas sea breezes filled in for some spectacular kite flying in 18-25 knots on Sunday. There was a bit of carnage but no actual protests.

For the local Fleet 17 owners, Bill Lakenmacher's RADIANCE took first with 12 points, Uzi Ozeri's INFINITY came in second with 15 and Brad Robbins' RUMPUS finished in third. The non-Fleet17-ers had Glen Darden (Dallas) on INFINITY in first, James Macdonald (Bermuda) on RADIANCE in second, and Mark Smith (Fort Worth) in third. The same boats took the top three places overall with Ozeri/Darden in first, Lakenmacher/MacDonald in second, and Robbins/Smith in third.

Watch two nice YouTube sailing videos here:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrSWPRlj4p0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jN0NIcdBt4

Dazzling Quantum J/70 Winter Series Finale

 
(Tampa, Florida)- The weather forecast certainly looked promising, with 10-15 kts Northeast on Friday, veering East 6-10 kts Saturday, and veering further Southeast on Sunday at 5-9 kts.  However, as the J/70 sailors have all learned by now, such rosy forecasts, no matter how good, are no guarantees on Tampa Bay.

This past weekend marked the third and final “act” of the Quantum J/70 Winter Series, hosted by Davis Island YC.  The fleet of 47 boats was ready to chase Marty Kullman’s NEW WAVE, the leader after the two previous Quantum J/70 Winter Series events in December and January. 

The event turned into a flat water, light air regatta of three races.  Saturday’s conditions started in 10-12 knots from the Northeast in Race 1, but the race was sailed in 5-6 knots with righty puffs and 4-knot lulls.  Race 2 wind strength was variable with 4 to 8 knots of breeze.  On Sunday, during race 3, the fleet sailed in 4-6 knots from the Southeast in fluky conditions, but no particular bias to one side of the course.  The AP flag was flown after Sunday morning’s race, ultimately resulting in fleet motoring home after a two-hour wait for the wind to fill.

Learning a few lessons from his first major regatta of the year at the Key West J/70 Midwinters, Allan Terhune and company aboard the mighty DAZZLER blinded the fleet with two bullets and a 6th to win with 8 pts total.  Also benefitting from flashes of brilliance and practice at Key West was second place finisher Cole Allsopp and crew on MOXIE, sailing the most consistent scoreline with a 4-3-3 for 10 pts.  Perhaps in the same category of “practice made good in Key West”, Tim Molony’s crew on JOUST had some good races in the Midwinters, but lacked consistency.  In Tampa, he found the conditions to his liking and managed a 9-4-5 for 18 pts to round out the podium in third place.

The balance of the top five included local hotshot Rob Britts on HOT MESS, not only winning Corinthians Overall for the Quantum Winter Series, but also winning Corinthians in the Q-3 regatta.  Taking 2nd in Corinthians in Q-3 was Henry Brauer on SCAMP and his able-bodied crew from Marblehead, MA (which included Tufts Jumbo classmate Stewart Neff).  Third Corinthian was David Koski’s SOUL.

Despite a 7th place finish in Q-3, Marty Kullman’s NEW WAVE secured the overall win for the 2014-2015 Quantum J/70 Winter Series.

The next three J/70 events on the winter circuit are: (1) St Pete NOODS, (2) Miami Sailing Week in March, and (3) Charleston Race Week in April.   For more Quantum J/70 Winter Series sailing information

J/120 Over The Moon @ Harvest Moon!

(Galveston Bay, Texas)- Hosted by Lakewood YC in Houston, Texas, the 2014 Harvest Moon Regatta was another success.  The annual regatta is one of our favorites so check out Keith Magnussen's report from the race on board James Liston's J-120 Aeolus.

“The annual Harvest Moon Regatta (HMR) is my annual trek to the great big state of Texas.  In the past, this race has thrown some very challenging and interesting weather my way and this year was no exception.

If you are unfamiliar with the HMR then let's get you informed.  If you know about the HMR skip to the next paragraph.  The HMR is a 150-mile race from Galveston to Port Aransas Texas.  The coastline is littered with oil rigs, unlight platforms, oyster beds, shrimpers and a whole bunch of other stuff.  Galveston is a beach community close to Houston and Port Aransas is a spring break town close to Corpus Christie.

After meeting up with my fellow crew members at Houston Yacht Club we headed down to James Liston's J-120 Aeolus.  James has been a great customer and friend and I always enjoy sailing on his boat.  This year we were sporting a brand new Code-0, Carbon GPL Genoa and an AIRX Code 1A spinnaker.  We felt we had a pretty good arsenal to compliment the 3A, Max class running spinnaker and spinnaker staysail.  Mark Michelson from Dry-UV not only supplied some fantastic crew shirts he also supplied us with a weather routing synopsis.  Not sure it would benefit my good friends on the Viper 640, they were looking at a wet ride!
Viper 830

HMR starts of the Galveston pier and our class was due to start at 3pm.  We handily won the start as we jumped out to an early lead.  The Santa Cruz 50 quickly passed us on the tight jib reach that she is essentially made for.  We held off the J-122 for a bit as we traded off lanes looking for clear air.  We ended up with the low road and Rebecca (the other J-120) took the high.  Low road was not the way to go as we ended up fighting for clear air with the smaller boats we were all passing.  Our speed was great as we pushed 10kts of boat speed right on rhumb line.

The low road was truly not stellar as I "think" there was a bit more pressure above.  As we made the correction and neared the Freeport buoy, it became clear that we would be just behind the J-122 and J-120.  We really wanted to get the Code-0 up and we eventually did just that as the wind clocked to around 135 and gave us the angle we needed.  As soon as we got it up, we started to move on the boats above us.  Only downside was the wind did not cooperate and we had to switch to the jib top.

Unfortunately for us, we had some issues on our headsail changes and ended up losing a lot of time.  Won't go into details but having the right set up for the bowman to work at night is crucial to success on overnight races.  Eventually we had to switch to the number 3 as the wind went more forward and strengthened.

Back to the race!  I forgot to mention the beautiful sunset.  Sunsets on the water are exceptional.  The colors, anticipation of night sailing and promise for some adventure make this time of day very special.

We were plugging along in around 15kts of wind (I think, as our TWS was way off most of the time).  The wind was steady and some of the crew (no names) were getting a little seasick.  One in particular had an unfortunate incident and slipped down below hurting his shoulder and rendering him incapacitated.  Sort of dropping like flies, which put more pressure on the guys on deck.

Around 2am (I think) the fun really started.  In came two squalls for some excitement.  The first one was relatively tame with rain and wind in the 20's.  The second one... well that’s the one to talk about.  Full on downpour, rain going sideways, 30+kts of wind, visibility 5 yards, rain hurting your face means it is about time to reef the main.  Job well done on this one!

After the squalls passed the real breeze settled back in.  It must have been over 25 at times because we had to flog the main, which was reefed, and only had a #3 headsail up.  If you sail J-120's then you know how much breeze it takes to do this.

Morning arrived and we zeroed in on the Port Aransas turning buoy.  It always seems to blow hard here and this was no exception.  Big swells and big wind, fun times.  Plan was to turn the buoy, pop the 3A, shake the reef and have the best sailing of the race (for the last 2 miles).  It was pretty clear that no one in front of us was putting spinnakers up as we could hear the delta between rounding and finishing.  The 3A was a good call because the channel is really narrow and a tanker was coming out.  The 3A is a great sail in 25kts as it does not hide behind the main and allows us to maneuver relatively fast.  Our thoughts were that this is a chance to make some time back and have a bunch of fun!

Fun it was!  16kt top speed with an average of around 13 made this the best sailing of the race!  We finished the race, put the boat away, rented a golf cart (seems to be the cool thing to do) and checked the Texas waves for a surf session.  All in all it was another amazing experience and even though we did not finish where we like it was a learning and bonding experience.”   J/120 Harvest Moon sailing YouTube video
Harvest Moon Sailing Regatta on Facebook   For more Harvest Moon Regatta sailing information