Edlu Distance Race Preview

  

(Larchmont, NY)- The classic spring opener for offshore races has been Larchmont Yacht Club's annual Edlu Distance Race. For many sailors, it provides the incentive to clear off the cobwebs accumulated from over a year of not sailing, make sure the winches and blocks spin properly, the wheel/ rudder bearings didn't lock up, and sails actually go up and down. Having been starved of going down to sea and dreaming about it for over a year, there must be more than a few sailors that recall that yearning in John Masefield's famous poem- SEA FEVER:

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking....."

With one of the best turnouts in years, the sixty-boat fleet will be looking forward to one of two courses the Larchmont YC Race Committee can select: Course #1 – from the start around Eaton’s Neck Point Lighted Gong Buoy and return for about 32.0nm or Course #2 – from the start around Twenty-Six Foot Spot Lighted Bell Buoy mid-sound off Lloyd’s Neck and return for about 18.0nm. 

Looking forward to this offshore "sprint" are twenty-four J/Teams (40.0% of the fleet!). Sailing in the eleven-boat ORC Division is Steven Levy's J/121 EAGLE, John Greifzu's J/109 GROWTH SPURT, Bill Ingraham's J/124 TENEBRAE, and Len Sitar's big blue J/160 COUGAR. 

In the PHRF Doublehanded divisions is Josh Burack's J/105 PEREGRINA and Glenn Marck's J/109 WATERDOG.  In the 28-boat PHRF Spinnaker division are two J/111s (Ken Luczynski's USMMA team on BLACK DIAMOND and Bill & Jackie Baxter's FIREBALL), Cory Eaves' J/109 FREEDOM, Arthur Hanlon's J/112E DAUNTLESS, Chuck Taus' J/33 SIRIUS, Kurt Locher's J/42 ATALANTA, Neeko Helbich's USMMA team on the J/44 VAMP, Jason Viseltear's J/80 UPSETTER, and Jim Weil & EJ Haskell's J/92 VIXEN.  In PHRF Plus-One division is Ron Richman's J/133 ANTIDOTE and Richie Palmer's J/105 TOLO. PHRF Non-spinnaker class has Erick Blanc's J/112E REBELLE.

Finally, the J/88s are sailing as a one-design class with six teams ready to do battle for 32 miles straight! The usual suspects may be at the top of the leaderboard; such as Justin Scagnelli & Tim Price's ALBONDIGAS, Iris Vogel's DEVIATION, Larry Cutler & Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY, and Kevin Marks' VELOCITY.  For more Edlu Distance Race sailing information

RORC SPRING SERIES OFFSHORE RACE PREVIEW

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- After a year and a half of disruptions to offshore racing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Royal Ocean Racing Club is delighted to confirm an overnight race for Offshore and Two-Handed teams starting on May 1st.
 
The combined entry list for May 1st has a fleet of 48 yachts, including all the top Two-Handed boats from the inshore RORC Spring Series. For crewed entries, the RORC Spring Series will conclude this weekend. Michael O'Donnell’s J/121 DARKWOOD is just two points behind the leaders, currently holding down the bronze step on the podium. 
 
“Safety always comes first; it is just too early to run an overnight race for fully crewed teams. However, when the club offered to run an offshore race for Two-Handed teams, the response was an overwhelming!” commented RORC Racing Manager Chris Stone. “Details of the course for IRC Two-Handed will be determined by the weather, but our intention is to set an overnight race, taking the Two-Handed fleet out of the Solent. For crewed teams racing under IRC, the final race of the Spring Series will be inshore with a target time of 6-8 hours.”

Racing for their first time this spring are a few top offshore doublehanded teams that may prove to be the "dark horses" in the racing that has been dominated by the smaller 30-34 foot boats. They include Clive Miles & Will Ayliffe's J/122 JANGLE, Simon Harris & Dan Laws J/112E J'OUVERT, Deborah Blair & Tim Long's J/88 TIGRIS, and Mike Yates' J/109 JAGO. It would be a shocker to the UK two-handed offshore community if these yet untested teams sweep the podium! Stranger things have happened, time will tell.  

The RORC fleet is scheduled to start racing from the Squadron Line Cowes from 10:00 BST on Saturday 1st May.  For more RORC Spring Series sailing information. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

LANDSAIL TYRES J/CUP ANNOUNCEMENT

(Southampton, England)- Key Yachting is delighted to announce the launch of the 2021 Landsail Tyres J/Cup. This will be the first major regatta in England following the proposed final stage of the UK Government roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions.
 
"Landsail Tyres are thrilled to once more be supporting the J-Cup regatta," said Chris Saunders, Landsail UK Brand Manager. "This will be Landsail's seventh regatta and being the first one after Covid restrictions are expected to ease - it is going to be extra special. The J/Boats community always delivers exciting racing, and we can't wait to see who comes out on top this year!"


Hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, well over 50 teams are expected for the exclusive J/Boats regatta. Three one-design classes will be competing including the J/70 Class and J/109 Class. The J/111 Class has the added thrill of competing for the National Championship. A variety of J/Boats crewed by friends and family, as well as professional sailors, will be racing in organized IRC Classes.


The Landsail Tyres J/Cup invites all J/Boats owners and crew to take part in three days of exciting racing in The Solent with daily prize givings. The most coveted award at the Landsail Tyres J/Cup is the J/Cup itself, which will be awarded at the J/Cup 2021 Dinner.
 

“A big thank you to Landsail Tyres for their continued support of the J/Cup, this is going to be a lot of fun,” commented Key Yachting’s Wayne Palmer. “For over 20 years this has been the event that brings the J/Boats family together and that is especially important in the current climate. The Key Yachting team is just as passionate about the regatta as the hundreds of sailors that will be taking part. We are determined to make it a memorable event for everyone involved.”   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PwPictures.com  Event Reporter: Louay Habib

The 2021 Landsail Tyres J/Cup is open for entry. Online registration and race documents including the Notice of Race can be found at YachtScoring.  Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 BREEZIN' BAYOU SMOKES ST PETE NOOD

J/112E's Sweep Doublehanded Class

(St Petersburg, FL)- The Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta was sailed over a three-day weekend last week with simply spectacular sailing conditions on Tampa Bay. Wait a minute, is that a "typo"? Spectacular sailing conditions at St Pete? While having earned an unenviable reputation for having at least one day of any winter regatta spent working on suntans or hiding in the shade, this year's event more than made up for any past sins committed by the weather Godz in the past decade!  


Loving the conditions were not just the sailors, but the St Petersburg Yacht Cub Race Committee team. For three-straight days of racing it was almost a "set it and forget it" race course setup for all race circles. Overall, J/Crews had amazing performances across the board, from one-designs to handicap racing.

In the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race division, the J/112E's dusted off their class. Winning was Harvey Ford and Tom Mistele's SILVER SURFER, followed by Chris Zibailo's DOPODOMANI. Rounding out the podium was yet another J/team- Tarry Grimsdale and Bill Wingrove's J/35 ROCKET! A sweep to say the least! Yet another J/35- Jose Suarezhoyos' NO WAY JOSE took the bronze in their Cruising World Rally Race. 


The J/24s saw Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE never let off fire-walling the gas pedal as they cruised to a mere 10 pts total for the class win; e.g. 10 points in 10 races means all bullets. Doh! So much for eviscerating the locals.  Mike Beattie's DAZE OFF collected a meaningful number of deuces to collect.....drum roll please.... the silver! Kudos to Katie Nelson's YELLOW TAIL team as she collected mostly "treys" to take home the bronze medal. 


By contrast, the relative stratification of the top J/24s teams was not reflected in the J/70 class. After three days of racing, it was the final race on the final day that determined who beat whom.  In the end, it was Matt Braun's ELE that won both the Corinthian Division and the Open Division by one point over Alex Meleney's TRUCKIN. Third was Chris Schoendorf's TAZ just three points back. 


The big winner in the regatta was Stephen Mitcham's J/105 BREEZIN BAYOU, posting nearly all bullets to win their PHRF 2 Class by a big margin. Second was Bob Wetmore's J/29 FAMILY CIRCUS and taking fourth place was George Cussins' J/105 FIRE & ICE. In PHRF 3 Class, Herb Maguire's J/22 HOLY MOLY took fourth place. 


Watch J/105 video in fast trim.

Sailing photo credits- Paul Todd/ OUTSIDE IMAGES.com.  For more Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

EDGARTOWN RACE WEEKEND UPDATE!

(Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA)- As the weather starts getting a little warmer here in the Northeast, the Edgartown Race Weekend team is getting excited for this summer’s regatta. 

So far, there are thirteen J/Boats registered to date for the Round Island Race- from J/160, J/122s, J/121s, J/120s, J/111s, and J/109s, to name a few. That's not enough! Double-check your schedules as you simply cannot beat the famous Round Island Race, truly one of the more spectacular races on the summer yachting calendar!

Edgartown Race Weekend is one of the nation’s oldest distance races, occurring every summer on and offshore the island of Martha’s Vineyard. A staple on the East Coast racing calendar, the highly-competitive and exceptionally fun race weekend includes both buoy racing and ‘Round-the-Island segments and attracts boats and teams of all sizes and calibers from around the U.S. and internationally.

With nearly 50 boats already registered for this year’s Race Weekend, we would like to encourage teams to reserve moorings and housing accommodations, as availabilities are quickly filling up. All logistical information can be found on the Edgartown Race Weekend homepage.

For more information, refer to the EYC website or contact Margaret Passafiume at (508) 627-4364 x18 or email at raceadministrator@edgartownyc.org.  Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier.  For more Edgartown Race Weekend registration and sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/BOATS ARMADA FOR ROLEX FASTNET RACE

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- Forty-Seven J Boats teams have entered the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, the largest number of entries by a single boat brand by far in the world’s largest offshore race! A record entry of over 500 yachts is expected to start the race in Cowes, on 8th August 2021. 

Notably the first entry was a J/Boat! Eva Herman’s J/122 JULIET ROMEO. She is clearly excited to get out on her boat and have "a star to steer her by". 

For the last four decades, J/Boats have featured in every edition of the race. For the 49th edition, 12 different designs of the J/Boats range will be racing. #jboats #jcomposites #RolexFastnetRace #rorc #sailboat #sailing    Learn more about the Rolex Fastnet Race here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Hamble Winter Series Week IV Report

 

(Hamble, England)- The Hamble River Sailing Club worked with local and national authorities in the United Kingdom to ensure that sailing events could take place on the Southampton Water and the infamous Solent while adhering to the covid-19 pandemic guidelines.  As a result, they were able to start up their annual Hamble Winter Series, albeit with a bit of a delay. Here is the latest report from Trevor Pountain and thanks to Paul Wyeth for sailing photos.

"This week should have seen the culmination of the Hamble One-Design Championships, with racing on both Saturday and Sunday. However, the Weather Gods, or Storm Barbara as they were called last week, had other ideas. It was clear for several days in advance, that Saturday would be a complete non-starter. So, competitors were given an early cancellation on Friday lunchtime. With a well-known and respected online weather predictor giving 17-23 knots average, but gusts of 28-33 knots for the Sunday, the Race Team gave another early cancellation on the Saturday to prevent teams travelling and boats being launched.


The Forecast was not bad enough to trouble the IRC Classes, so Peter Bateson took the fleet to the vicinity of "Hamblewinterseries.com buoy" for a probable start area. The wind was moving between WSW and W, but was otherwise as expected. By 1000 hours it had gone south and dropped to 2-4 knots. There was much head scratching on the committee boat, and the competitors who had braved thunder and hail stones on the way to the start area, began to frantically adjust their rig settings and look for lighter headsails. With Windycator v2 showing 25 knots from the SW everywhere but the Bramble plateau the PRO decided to wait.

After half an hour, the wind was still light and from the south, so Peter Bateson decide it was better for the fleet to do something rather than sit around waiting. New courses were quickly designed to deal with the southerly starting breeze, but with the later legs ready for the expected southwesterly. 

IRC 1 Class and IRC 2 Class got away at 1110 hrs and 1120 hrs, still in shifty, very light airs from the south. IRC 3 Class departed at 1130 hrs, with a building breeze of 10 knots. 

IRC 1 Class were near the third mark at West Knoll when the "proper" breeze returned (10-15 knots) from the SW. IRC 2 yachts were half way from the first mark (East Knoll) to the second, with spinnakers up, when the wind switched from very little from the S (coming from Cowes) to 15+ knots from the NW (direct from Southampton) and several boats had a minute or two bearing off in the direction of Portsmouth before they could drop their kites and get onto the beat, which the leg had become. IRC 3 started on a beat which turned into a fetch, but at least the second leg became another beat! The rest of the race was more-or-less beats and spinnaker runs, as intended!


Big wind shifts nearly always have a snakes and ladders effect on the positions, and so it was in IRC 2 Class. Simon Perry's J/019 JIRAFFE got caught up in the pin end melee, leaving Mike & Susie Yates J/109 JAGO in clear air mid-line, alongside Gavin Howe's J/88 TIGRIS and Rob Cotterill J/109 MOJO RISIN. 

In the end, it was the Yates' JAGO taking line honors and extending their lead for the series with a cumulative 2-1-1 tally for 4 pts and a near-unassailable lead on the fleet. However, "no one is counting their chickens before they hatch", so to speak.  Perry's JIRAFFE team got smoked and ended up taking a 6th place to drop off their "death match" with the JAGO team...now posting 11 pts.  Sailing the most consistently is Gavin Howe's J/88 TIGRIS, hanging onto third overall with the series with a 4th place, for a total of 11 pts. Yet another J/crew sits on fourth for the series, Mark Stevens' J/105 JACANA with a 4-2-7 tally for 13 pts. 

In IRC 3, the amazing Greenhalgh family continues to hang in there. Though they had a disappointing 6th place this past weekend, their series tally of 6-1-6 for 13 pts keeps them in the hunt at the top of the leaderboard. While currently sitting in third place, no one doubts they have the talent and the desire to jump to the top of the class. 

The Key Yachting Prosecco and Chocolates were enjoyed by all the winners, not just Susie Yates.

Next week is the mid series break, and when the fleet returns on November 8th for the real winter bit of the series.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth  For more Hamble Winter Series sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/112E Wins Class 2 @ U.K. IRC Nationals!

 

(Cowes, IOW, England)- Mid-September it may be, but conditions for the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 2020 IRC championships felt more like June last weekend, with shorts and T-shirts conditions and allowing a full schedule of racing to be laid on by PRO Stuart Childerley and his team. The event concluded Sunday with two windward-leeward races on the central-eastern Solent in more variable and generally lighter winds than on Friday or Saturday.

The hardest fought victory across the three classes was that of 2012 winner David Franks aboard his J/112E LEON. They had been handicapped with Franks only coming out of COVID-19 isolation on Friday; maths not working in their favor from the event’s mandatory crew number reduction rules (for social distancing), but mainly from being one of the lowest rated boats in IRC Two and having to find lanes and constantly fight their way up through the fleet. On the plus side the Leon crew had sailed together previously this year. 

Franks commented on the regatta, saying “it has been fabulous, a very good event, well organized. It was lovely to see so many boats out on the Solent.”

“Normally we do well in the light, despite the fact that we are the smallest boat,” continued LEON's Franks. “Today the wind’s velocity was going up and down and was all over the place in direction, so it was hard to know what was going on. It was very challenging, a lot of work.”

In the IRC 3 Division, the Royal Air Force Sailing Association team on their J/109 RED ARROW managed a few good races on the final day to finish 4th in class. Posting nearly all 5th's, Ross Bowdler's J/80 JUSTIFY ended up finishing fifth place, surprise-surprise! 

Joining the UK IRC Nationals fleet on Saturday and Sunday were the twenty-two entries for the IRC Two-Handed Nationals.  After a four-race series, Mike Yates' J/109 JAGO sailed a consistent 2-5-6-2 series to end up tied for second place on 9 pts total, but losing the tiebreaker on countback to settle for the bronze.  After a disastrous second race, Bruce Huber's J/112E XANABOO posted a 4-10-2-4.5 tally to secure fifth place, a great performance for their first outing of the year! Other J's in the top 10 included Stephen Roberts' J/105 JIN TONIC in 7th and David Greenhalgh's J/92 J'RONIMO in 9th place.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth   For more UK IRC Nationals sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

RORC IRC Nationals Update

 

(Cowes, IOW, England)- The central Solent delivered on the opening day of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s IRC National Championship. The westerly wind started off light, but built to a solid 18 knots, the September sun even putting in an appearance, as the three-class fleet progressed through two windward-leeward races and one round the cans.

Despite it being so late in the year, for many competitors this is their first event of 2020 thanks to the hiatus caused by the pandemic. For some this meant blowing the cobwebs away after a year away from sailing. The challenge has further increased as to improve social distancing on board, crews are only permitted to sail with 80% of their usual number.

In IRC 2 Class, Michael O'Donnell's J/121 DARKWOOD took the final round the cans race. At the end of play (and subject to a protest), DARKWOOD leads on countback from David Franks’ J/112E LEON.


Franks only came out of isolation today and will race LEON tomorrow. Today his tactician Graham Sunderland helmed. The IRC Nationals is their second outing of the year but as a team Franks and Sunderland have continued to race their beloved Etchells this summer. Unfortunately, the maths of the crew reduction has not worked in their favour and they are sailing with six rather than nine. Nonetheless, they are enjoying it and are coming to terms with their new roles.

As to the conditions, the Winning Tides co-author Graham Sunderland stated, “it was tough. It was never really up the middle and you weren’t certain if it was right or left. The left was high risk and the right was stable but average. It was a difficult race track.”

Racing resumes Saturday, when another three races are scheduled for the IRC Nationals in what the forecast indicates will be similar conditions to today. The event will also double in size with the start of the IRC Two-Handed National Championship which will run alongside for the remainder of the event.  For more UK IRC Nationals sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

Landsail Tyres J-Cup UK Update

(Cowes, England)- Fifty J/Boats have entered the Landsail Tyres J-Cup and the sizable fleet had a thrilling start to the three-day regatta with a fresh south-westerly breeze gusting over 25 knots. The RORC Race Team, led by PRO Stuart Childerley, completed one race for all classes before the tide changed, stirring up an already agitated Solent. Class winners on the opening day were Gavin Howe’s J/88 Tigris, David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’Ronimo, Tony & Sally Mack’s J/111 McFly, Simon Perry’s J/109 Jiraffe and Paul Ward’s J/70 Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat.


In IRC One, three former J-Cup winners filled the podium for the first race of the regatta. Gavin Howe’s J/88 Tigris won by just 22 seconds on corrected time from David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J/88 J-Dream. Chaz Ivill’s J/112E Davanti Tyres was third.

“I am delighted with the team’s performance today,” commented Gavin Howe. “The race was very competitive. In the conditions we decided not to hoist are spinnaker on the downwind leg and J-Dream decided to go for it and passed us. However, Tigris fought back to win, which was delightful.”

In IRC Two, David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’Ronimo reveled in the conditions to take line honours and the race win after time correction by nearly three minutes. Nick Munday’s J/97 Induljence was second and Becky Walford’s J/92 Brenda’s J was third.

Volvo Ocean Race sailor Libby Greenhalgh is navigator and tactician for her father driving J’Ronimo. “We went for an early reef on J’Ronimo and sailed the course that suited our boat rather than following the fleet,” she commented. “Our overall strategy was to minimize tacks and race in flat water, rather than use the tide.”


In the J/111 Class, Tony & Sally Mack’s McFly opened their defense of the J/111 UK National Championship with a solid performance taking the race win. Chris Jones’ Journeymaker II was second and Tim Tolcher’s Raging Bull 2 was third.

In the J/109 Class, also their UK National Championship, Simon Perry’s Jiraffe was today’s race winner. Mike & Susie Yates’ Jago was second and David Richards’ Jumping Jellyfish was third.

Paul Ward’s Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat won a high-speed encounter in the J/70 Class. Nick Phillips racing RTYC Charter boat Chaotic, only racing in a J/70 for the second time, was runner up. Tim Collins racing EV Experts was third.


The daily prize givings were held at the RORC Clubhouse. Dividing the fleet for social distancing, the J Boat family enjoyed complimentary pasta and a bottle beer and applauded today’s prize winners. Racing continues tomorrow, Friday 4th September, with lighter winds forecast for the Landsail Tyres J-Cup.

Key Yachting and the Royal Ocean Racing Club have been hard at work to maintain safety of all involved, both ashore and afloat. The sailing instructions include details of COVID-19 procedures. There is also a no spinnaker/gennaker wind limit designed to work with reduced crew numbers. All Competitors are welcome at the RORC Cowes clubhouse during the event.

The most coveted award at the Landsail Tyres J-Cup is the J-Cup itself, which will be awarded at the Prize Giving Dinner on Saturday 5th September.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth  For more J/Cup UK Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Vineyard Race Preview

(Stamford, CT)- Hosted by Stamford YC, Labor Day weekend's Vineyard Race is a classic American yachting event. This 238-mile course stretches from Shippan Point through the swirling currents of Plum Gut past Block Island, and on to the light tower at the entrance to Buzzard's Bay. Once reached, sailors return by leaving Block Island to starboard en route to the finish in Stamford Harbor.

Begun in 1932, it has attracted the finest sailors and fastest boats for nearly 80 years, and its intricacies and challenges bring them back time after time. Those who are successful nearly always credit local knowledge of these tricky waters and a good deal of luck.

The Vineyard Race was described in Yachting Magazine as, "The greatest distance races of the world have several things in common - a challenging course, competitive fleets and an interesting array of famous yachts. By those standards, the Stamford Yacht Club's Vineyard Race rates close to the top. Like a miniature Fastnet, the Vineyard has a combination of coastal cruising, where currents play a big role, a stretch of ocean sailing, and a mark to round- the Buzzards Bay tower- before returning."  There are several dozen J/Crews participating in this year's race. And, they are scattered amongst the three race tracks.


VINEYARD RACE (longest distance)
Racing in PHRF 7 Double Class is David Rosow's J/109 LOKI and the Young American AYC team on their J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN. Sailing in PHRF 8 Double Class is Sara & Josh Reisberg's J/120 ABILYN. ORC Class 10 includes John Greifzu's J/109 GROWTH SPURT. The twelve-boat PHRF 11 Class is loaded with well-sailed J/Teams; including Arthur Hanlon's J/112E DAUNTLES, a trio of J/120s (Brian Spears's MADISON, Mark Nannini's SALACIA, & Charles Murphy's TRUANT), and a trio of J/109s (Don Dwyer's GUARDIAN J, Dan Nash's MISTRAL, & Cao Deambrosio & Chris Nicholls's RHIANNON III). The nine-boat PHRF 12 Class has a trio of J/111s racing (Bill & Jackie Baxter's FIREBALL, John Donovan's LIBERTAS YCC, & Pito Chickering's THE ROOST) and a duo of J/122s sailing (Dan Heun's MOXIEE & Kevin Kelley's SUMMER GRACE). Finally, in ORC 13 Class are two very fast-reaching boats, Steve Levy's J/121 EAGLE and Len Sitar's J/160 COUGAR.


SEAFLOWER REEF RACE (medium distance)
Participating in PHRF 4 Double Class is Robert Pogue's J/92 NEVER SETTLE.  Then, in the eight-boat PHRF 5 Class are a number of J/Teams, including Justin Scagnelli & Tim Price's J/88 ALBONDIGAS, a duo of J/105s (Frank Conway’s RAPTOR & David Spence's SYNERGY), and Todd Aven's hot J/99 THIN MAN!

CORNFIELD POINT RACE (shortest distance)
Sailing in the PHRF 1 Class is James Weil's J/92 VIXEN. They will be competing for overall handicap honors with Blaine Davis's J/30 BOUREE in PHRF 2 Class.  For more Vineyard Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Cup U.K. Regatta Announcement

(Cowes, England)- The 2020 Landsail Tyres J-Cup has attracted nearly 40 teams so far, for the 21st birthday of the regatta exclusive to the J/Boats family. Organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, by invitation of Key Yachting, eight races are scheduled in The Solent over three days (September 3rd to 5th, 2020). The 2020 Landsail Tyres J-Cup is a celebration of racing designed for all J/Boats, no matter the level of experience or ability.

The organizers have been hard at work to maintain safety of all involved, both ashore and afloat. All Competitors will be welcome at the RORC Cowes clubhouse during the event with daily social events, which will be restricted in number. The complimentary berthing at Cowes Yacht Haven is proving very popular.

The 2020 Landsail Tyres J-Cup will feature one-design racing for at least three classes and IRC Racing Classes for mixed fleets. There will be both windward leeward courses and round the cans racing.


Seven different J/Boat designs are set to race with results decided by IRC time correction. This allows fair racing for J/Boats not racing in one-design classes. Nine teams are currently entered under IRC, including the 2018 J-Cup winner J/112E Davanti Tyres, skippered by Chaz Ivill.


Eleven J/70 teams from all over the UK have entered, including Paul Ward’s reigning J/70 Open World Champion; Eat, Sleep, J Repeat. Last year’s Cowes Week winner, Jolt steered by Tilly Harrison and Charles Thompson’s Primo Cup winner Brutus, will also be in action.


Eight J/109s have entered including proven winners and all of last year’s podium. John Smart’s Jukebox is defending J/109 National Champion and will face stiff competition from last year’s runner up, Simon Perry’s Jiraffe. Third last year was the 2017 J/109 National Champion, David Richards’ Jumping Jellyfish.


The J/111 Class will be out in force with nine teams entered including last year’s winner and J/111 National Champion Tony Mack’s McFly. The 2018 J/111 National Champion will also be racing, Chris Jones and Louise Makin's Journeymaker II.

The most coveted award at the Landsail Tyres J-Cup is the J-Cup itself, which will be awarded at the Prize Giving Dinner on Saturday 5th September.   For more J/Cup U.K. sailing and registration informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

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.

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.

Challenging Round Isle of Wight Race!

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- A race around the Isle of Wight on Saturday 1st August marked the return to competitive racing at the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

133 boats took part with J/70 POWERPLAY sailor (and former J/29 owner) Peter Cunningham from the Cayman Islands taking overall line honors over the fleet in his MOD 70 POWERPLAY. “I have been in quarantine for 14 days, so that was a release!” smiled Peter. “That is the first time I have raced around the island. The sun was shining, a beautiful day, a great boat, top crew and a fun race. This was a fantastic way to come out of quarantine. We plan to do more RORC racing during August and September.”

The race of approximately 50.0nm started from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line with a course anti-clockwise around the Isle of Wight (e.g. starting west towards the famous "Needles Lighthouse"). Approaching high tide, the island shore was favored by much of the fleet due to tidal conditions. After beating to the Needles, the fleet turned downwind into adverse current. Staying close to the island shore worked for many successful teams. As the breeze clocked a little to the south, there was little in the way of wind shadow to the east of the island. The fleet entered the Eastern Solent, where a fresh breeze made for a fast beat to the finish.

Thirty-two J/Crews entered in the race, looking forward to their picturesque circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight. Sailing in the thirteen-boat IRC 1 Class was Mike O’Donnell’s J/121 DARKWOOD; they won last year’s RORC Channel Race and was competing with a crew of five. In the end, their circumnavigation took them 6 hr 38 min, good enough for 4th place in their first outing of the year in the insanely competitive "Fast 40" class in IRC One. 

The twenty-four boat IRC 2 Class was a hodgepodge of old and new designs. In the end, Simon Bamford's J/111 KESTREL took 4th place while Stu Lawrence's J/120 SCREAM 2 settled for 7th position. 

The enormous forty-three-boat IRC 3 division saw the J/112E's lead the rest of their J/Team colleagues’ home.  Taking the silver was James Chalmers' HAPPY DAIZE followed by Bruce Huber's XANABOO on the bronze step of the podium.

In summary: permitted crew could 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 were also reminded of the government guidance on social distancing and other Covid-19 pandemic measures.  For more RORC Round Wight Sailing 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.