J/105 J-OK WINS YACHTING CUP OVERALL

 

(San Diego, CA)- The 2021 Yachting Cup, one of San Diego Yacht Club’s most popular signature regattas, was a little smaller in size this year, but it certainly matched the on-the-water spirit of Yachting Cup’s past. While normally hosting nearly 100 boats, the 2021 regatta hosted forty-eight teams, all eager to race and itching for good competition. J/Crews sailed quite well in conditions that varied from postcard-perfect Saturday to a stormy Sunday.  

Day 1- Gorgeous "Shorts & Shades" Sailing

On Saturday, the conditions on both the “far” and “near” ocean courses were shifty at about 225 degrees, seeing sporadic puffs from 5 to 11 knots. The day started with a short postponement while the breeze filled in. 

The conditions were described as perfect for Ed Sanford’s J/111 CREATIVE that finished first in the PHRF-C class at the end of the day. “The conditions were perfect for our 111, especially when it hit around 8-10 knots. However, we did have to steer through the waves, and it was challenging going upwind on port tack,” commented Sanford.


The third race for the PHRF classes finished with a 6-mile race home. “The first and third race for us were pretty much flawless. Coming down the channel in the last race was challenging, but perfect once we got past Ballast Point. The kite was pulling like you couldn’t believe and we just started gaining distance boats in front of us,” said Sanford. 

In the J/105 one-design class, Stewart Cannon’s J-OK stood first with a 2-1-1 tally. Cannon has owned his J/105 J-OK for over 20 years. His crew has been sailing together for some time and they all rely on a full team effort for success. “We really enjoyed ourselves out there,” stated Cannon, while his team chimed in. Crew Ryan Lorence added, “We spent all day going the way we thought it was going to go, and it went the opposite, but luckily we were able to get through. We had to switch gears and change some jibs, but we had a pretty good day.”

Post-racing, competitors were invited to take "to-go" cocktails back to their boats and enjoy live music by Stylus Overhaul. 

Day 2- Tempestuous Finale

It wasn’t exactly a day of smooth sailing on day two. With misty weather and large, choppy ocean swells, teams used to sailing in champagne San Diego were in for a bit of a challenge, especially compared to the previous day's conditions. It seemed while most boats were up to it, a handful were not able to look past the waves and towards success on the horizon by the final race.

Overall 2021 Yachting Cup winner, J-OK, was one of the boats that embraced the ocean and saw the regatta the whole way through. The crew attributes their success this weekend to working together as a team.

“We put together a good team and we have a good boat,” said J-OK Crew Jim Dorsey. “It’s one hundred percent teamwork. It was very tough steering conditions today, and Stewart (Cannon) did an excellent job. Between Jim and Stewart, they really worked it,” added Julie Mitchell, the J-OK Tactician.

Rounding out the J/105 leaderboard was George Scheel's SUN PUFFIN in second, Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK! in third, Donica & Scott Ryder's SANITY in fourth, and Rich Bergmann's ZUNI BEAR in fifth position.


In the PHRF C division, John Laun’s J/120 CAPER did not give up against Ed Sanford’s J/111 CREATIVE in any of the day's races, earning three bullets and putting them ahead by one point.

“It was a fun day with challenging conditions. The boat was set up well for it, and we had more breeze, so it was a little quicker. Our boat really likes 15 knots or more,” started Laun. “The first race stood out the most and set the tone for the day. It showed us that our set up was right. In between the first and second race, we switched jibs to match the wind,” he finished.

Behind the J/120 and J/111 sweeping the top spots in PHRF C division was Chuck Nichols' J/120 CC RIDER in fifth place. 

In the ORC Division scoring, Sanford's J/111 CREATIVE won quite handily, posting five bullets on their way to a runaway victory. 

The PHRF B division saw a few big J's participating. Taking second was Rudy Hasl's J/145 PALAEMON, followed by Ernie Pennell's J/145 MORE MADNESS in fifth and Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID in sixth place. 

PRO Summer Greene explains Sunday's sailing, “we were averaging about 15 knots the whole day, but the sea state was really bad and made it hard on all the teams. There were a lot of kite catastrophes and messy mark roundings. We were still able to get in three races. About a third of the boats dropped out before the last race, but the lead boats were still there, their boat handling was a bit better, and we thought it was important to get that last race in for them.”

Due to State and County protocols, there was no formal award ceremony. After the racing, awards were announced, and competitors were invited to pick them up at their convenience. 

"Congratulations to all of our first-place finishers. San Diego Yacht Club is proud this year to be able to host our premier regatta of the season: Yachting Cup. A special thanks goes out to the Race Committee for all their hard work, especially on rough days like today. It feels good, during these crazy times, to be back on the water sailing and being able to participate in something that feels fairly normal. We hope everyone will be return for the 2022 Yachting Cup so we can continue to grow this event into something bigger and better,” concluded Chair Patrick Murray.  Sailing photo credits- Mark Albertazzi  For more Yachting Cup sailing information

CHALLENGING NEWPORT 2 ENSENADA RACE

Mother Nature Throws Everything including Kitchen Sink @ Racers!

(Newport Beach, CA)– One hundred three boats started the traditional 125.0nm race to Ensenada; while nineteen did the 14.0nm sprint course to Dana Point, CA; and forty-one chose the course around the Coronado Islands with a finish after 92.0nm in San Diego, CA.

Here is the report from on-board the J/145 KATARA:

"KATARA and sistership J/145 PALAEMON have competed head-to-head numerous times along the California coast and are always well-matched. The two sisters were scheduled to participate in the 2021 N2E Ensenada course when PALAEMON owner Rudy Hasl contacted KATARA owner Roger Gatewood, letting him know that if we switched to the Newport to San Diego course two other J/145s, ANDIAMO 2 and MORE MADNESS, would join us. The chance to race four of these powerhouses against each other head-to-head was a no-brainer! Sign us up, was our response!  

The race started in a pleasant 8-10kt southerly breeze with all four 145s on their light-medium genoas. KATARA took the inside slot and spent the first several hours exchanging leads with PALAEMON, a mile or so further out. As the breeze slowly shifted right KATARA deployed her Tweener sail. While it didn’t buy much, KATARA started ever so slowly edging out with maybe a 0.1kt edge at times. As the breeze continued to decay and slowly shift right KATARA peeled to the A1 and PALAEMON to the A2. 

The breeze continued to decay as the sun set and the 145s approached North Coronado island, a mark of the course. As we approached the rock, KATARA’s navigator noticed that AIS indicated that, after nearly 80.0nm of racing, all four J/145s were inside of a 1.0nm ring of one another! WOW! This was close racing offshore!

The breeze fell off to near 'triple-naughts' (0.00 kts) as the four big J’s struggled to find a path around the rock. KATARA and PALAEMON found small zephyrs of air and slowly escaped to the East side of the rock. The final 12.0nm was a constant battle of KATARA sneaking out a half mile before losing her air and having PALAEMON close the gap again and approach from the rear. Ultimately, KATARA held her lead, finishing just over 8 minutes ahead of their friends on PALAEMON. ANDIAMO 2 and MORE MADNESS were less fortunate with the rock and it’s difficult breeze, finishing some 3 hours later. 

The following evening, PALAEMON's owner/ skipper Rudy Hasl, a San Diego Yacht Club member, hosted what was likely the largest gathering of J/145 sailors ever, organizing a dinner with over 50 guests between the four crews! Much, much fun was had by all....kudo's to Rudy and crew for organizing the group and the shindig at the club! THANK YOU!"

Apparently, KATARA and PALAEMON plan to compete again in the SoCal 300 and hope the other two sisterships join them!


As for the rest of the Newport to Ensenada event, here's how those races went for other J/Teams.  

For the Newport 2 Ensenada course, Viggo Torbensen's J/125 TIME SHAVER took the silver in PHRF A class with Scott Torrance's J/124 FORGIVENESS taking fifth place.  In PHRF B Class, Dave Gorney's J/105 NO COMPROMISE took the bronze. Then, in PHRF C Class, Chuck Bowes' J/29 RHUMB RUNNER placed fourth. 

For the Newport to San Diego race, while the quartet of J/145s were dueling each other, it was Tom Barker's J/65 GOOD CALL that took the silver in PHRF A class. Notably, GOOD CALL lost to an all-carbon Swan 65, mostly stripped out, with all brand-new carbon sails while GOOD CALL enjoyed their on-board 100-bottle wine cooler, five stateroom HVAC system, satellite-connected broadband Wi-Fi, and four stainless-steel slide-out drawers (refrigerator/ freezer) full of food, caviar, champagne, and other yummy things. The off-watch on GOOD CALL is just as popular, perhaps more for some, than sitting on deck on a full-moon night with the moon light dancing across the undulating Pacific swells...hmmmm, tough choice! 


In the PHRF B class, Tom Pollack's J/124 MARISOL took the silver with Mike McCarthy's J/88 BLUE FLASH finishing in fourth place. 

Finally, in the Newport to Dana Point "wind-sprint", it was Charles Brewer's J/124 HEARTBEAT 4 winning, followed by Tom Garrett's youth team on the J/70 SLOOP JOHN B in fourth, and Matt Campbell's J/120 ADIOS in fifth place. 

On social media, follow all the action on these links:
Facebook- Facebook.com/newporttoensenada
Instagram- Instagram.com/newport_to_ensenada
Twitter- Twitter.com/newsfromnosa
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NEWPORT 2 ENSENADA RACE PREVIEW

(Newport Beach, CA)– Nearly 170 boats will cross the start line of the 73rd Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race, April 23rd off the Balboa Pier. Perhaps the cleverest element of the event is the race organizers- NOSA- have offered three courses to the intrepid adventurers that cannot wait to get out on the open, unrestricted, Pacific Ocean! Talk about "horses for courses", more than two dozen J/Teams are entered in all three ocean "sprints".  The classic race goes from Newport Beach/ Balboa Pier start line to Ensenada, Mexico and that start line has 120 boats doing the 125.0nm passage.  Twenty boats will take the day-race course down to Dana Point (about 25.0nm) and forty boats will take the mid-range course around the Coronado Islands and finish off Point Loma in San Diego.  

A big "thanks" to everyone for good behavior and helping to reduce COVID restrictions. And, an even bigger "thanks" to the Mexican Navy offering landing assistance so that sailors will be able to safely disembark and enjoy Ensenada.

Answering that "siren song" to go offshore seems innate and is a common bond for many sailors. In a 1962 America's Cup dinner given by the Australian Ambassador at the Vanderbilt family's former estate- The Breakers- then USA President John F. Kennedy made some prophetic remarks about that passion on September 14th, 1962. Listen to it here. He explained:

"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And, it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins, the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."



Recently, when one person about to sail the race was asked "why sail the N2E", he commented:

"There’s a misconception about yacht racing, boat racing, in that some think it’s stuffy, blue-blazer-boring kind of stuff. But, in reality it's not. Sailing is a fun passion-based hobby, in which everyone has a story about overcoming adversity. Sailing is really about solving problems; things break as boats do and you figure it out. Perhaps the best part? It's sitting with a crew member at the helm in the middle of the night, 30 miles offshore, freezing, talking about life, watching the moon; man taking on machine and nature, the whole thing is magical.”


Sailing the classic N2E course are John Staff's J/111 OBSIDIAN, Scott Torrance's J/124 FORGIVENESS, Dave Gorney's J/105 NO COMPROMISE, Chuck Bowes' J/29 RHUMB RUNNER, and Brian Kerr's J/92 DOUBLE DOWN.

Taking the fast-track out and around the Coronado Islands to San Diego is the largest collection of J/145s ever- four of them- including Robert Pace's ANDIAMO 2, Roger Gatewood's KATARA, Ernie Pennell's MORE MADDNESS, and Rudy Hasl's PALAEMON. Joining them will be Tom Pollack's J/124 MARISOL, Dean Stanec's J/130 NIGHT'S WATCH, Derek Gaertner's J/27 PROJECT 53, Fed Hayem's J/46 MISTER J, and Mike McCarthy's J/88 BLUE FLASH. On a PHRF overall handicap basis, that will be one remarkably competitive division!


Another tough collection of J/Crews are sailing the Newport to Dana Point race. Talk about a wind-sprint! Taking a "swing for the fences" in this race are Joaquin Cobelo's J/109 MARIAH, Matt Campbell's J/120 ADIOS, Charles Brewer's J/124 HEARTBEAT 4, Jock McGraw's J/22 TEKEELA, Tom Garrett's youth team on the J/70 SLOOP JOHN B, and the duo of Richard Bennett & David Matthews on the J/92 FIREWATER. 

As pandemic restrictions have been lifted, options for social activities have increased. The annual Yachtsmen’s Luncheon and pre-race dinner at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, albeit without the infamous crowds, are being held. Plans for Sunday’s trophy ceremonies at the festive Hotel Coral and Marina are still being determined, pending the number of revelers, and in coordination with the host city’s guidelines. In light of Ensenada’s restrictions on large gatherings, Sunday afternoon’s awards ceremony, always joyful and celebratory, may be conducted in shifts.  For more Newport 2 Ensenada Race sailing information

On social media, follow all the action on these links:
Facebook.com/newporttoensenada
Instagram.com/newport_to_ensenada
Twitter.com/newsfromnosa
 Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AWESOME 25TH ANNIVERSARY CHARLESTON RACE WEEK!

(Charleston, SC)- Expectations were high for this year's celebration of the 25th anniversary of Charleston Race Week. Hosted at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, the dozens of volunteers from the Charleston Offshore Racing Association (CORA) delivered in spades after more than a year off. With the added bonus of having the weather Godz cooperate for once, most all fleets were able to fulfill their full schedule of races, with most one-design fleets experiencing ten races after three days of sailing!


The sailors experienced mostly sunny days with southerly winds; with winds varying from southeast to southwest, depending on the degree of cloud cover, and breezes ranging in velocities from 6 to 16 kts. As usual, the mostly ebbing currents of up to 3.5 knots played havoc with laylines both upwind and downwind for many sailors...many boats "doing donuts" after hitting one of the robotic MarkSetBots being used as marks. 

A total of 188 boats in 16 classes were finally able to celebrate the 25th anniversary race week in Charleston, SC. Not surprisingly, passionate J/Sailors across the country couldn't wait for this rendezvous with destiny! Of the 188 boats registered, 103 of them were J/Boats sailors (a stunning 55.0% of the fleet)!  


The regatta featured five one-design J/Classes, including J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/88s, and J/105s.  In addition, there were two “Pursuit-style” sailing divisions for both PHRF and ORC handicap rated boats that included a J/30, J/35, J/109s, J/111s, J/120s, J/121s and a J/122. 

Starting with the biggest fleet in the regatta, the J/70s near runaway winner was Bruno Pasquinelli's STAMPEDE. With the red bull billowing broadly on their big white chute, there were most often seen at the front of the fleet, posting seven podium finishes to win with just 24 pts net; quite a feat in this hotly contested fleet! Joel Ronning's CATAPULT returned to their regatta-winning form and gave the Stampeders a good run-for-the-money, but were not able to close the gap fast enough on the last day, taking the silver with 40 pts net. Rounding out the podium was Mike Goldfarb's WAR CANOE, winning two races on their way to earning the bronze with 43 pts net.  The balance of the top five include John Heaton's Chicago team on EMPEIRIA in fourth and Dave Jannetti's VERY ODD in fifth. 

The J/70 Corinthians Division was won by Henry Filter's Napolitan crew on WILD CHILD, followed by Alex Meleny's TRUCKIN in second, and Mike Sabinash's SABOTAGE in third position. 


The large 19-boat J/24 class saw a full-blown duel take place for class honors. In such a classic confrontation, it was the final race that determined the outcome for the two protagonists that are well-known amongst J/24 class veterans- Kirk Reynolds on TYRUS and Aidan Glackin on MENTAL FLOSS. After trading off bullets in the first six races, it became a war of attrition to see who would blink last. In the end, it was Reynolds' TYRUS crew that avoided the "send it down the mine shaft" race to win by two points. Glackin's MENTAL FLOSS crew sailed a stellar series, save for their 9th place in race 2 that slowed down their chances for the win. Watching the fireworks taking place all weekend-long from the bleacher seats was Denny Vaughn's HABANERO, themselves winning two races but suffering from inconsistency to settle for the bronze. Rounding out the top five were Chris Stone's VELOCIDAD and Jim Thurlow's FORTITUDE in fourth and fifth, respectively. 


The J/22s were subject to a good'ole butt-whippin' by Justin DaMore's YEM team, counting seven bullets in their scoreline to win with a mere nine points net. An easy second-place performance was earned by Fed Plasecki's CoC 7 team with 17 pts. net. The bronze went to Nathan Bowen's USA 8 team with 29 pts. net. 


A near-dozen J/88s showed up for some of that famous southern hospitality and no one left disappointed. Great sailing, great food, spirited competition across the board. Such was the evenness of the racing that every single boat on the podium had a double-digit race to get discarded, a first to be sure for this class. Sitting in third place after the first day, brothers John & Jordan Leahey's DUTCH from Chicago, IL decided they were ONLY going one-way on day two- "go left young man" was the local advice they heeded in spades. For four straight races, they would start at the port end of the line, check-in with the tour guides at Fort Sumter, stamp their ticket for being the ONLY boat in the left corner, then proceed to the windward mark to rejoin the fleet. A winning formula it was for that day! They were rewarded with three bullets in four races to leap to the front of the fleet at the end of the "moving day" (the second to last day of the regatta). The final day dawned gray and served up the most bizarre wind conditions of the regatta. Not doing themselves any favors, the DUTCH team posted their second-worst race of the regatta with a 9th place. That left the final race to determine who amongst the top three teams would win the regatta. In the end, the DUTCH'ers traded in their "left turn signal" for a "right turn signal" in the finale...and rolled the dice. In short, that strategy worked again..."when in doubt, hit a corner", if not left, then why not right?! LOL. DUTCH won the final race to take class honors by 4 pts. Second went to their arch-nemesis in the hotly-contested J/88 Chicago Fleet- Andy Graff's EXILE. Just three points back, after torpedoing their chances at a class win with a DFL in race 9, was Justin Scagnelli and Tim Price's ALBONDIGAS from the Long Island Sound J/88 fleet. The balance of the top five included Brian O'Malley's BLUE in fourth and Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY in fifth.  


Not surprisingly, the J/105 fleet was treated to a complete "white-washing" by Ken Horne's Houston, TX team on FINAL FINAL. Proving themselves in the 2019 J/105 North American Championship in Marblehead, MA with a second place, Horne's crew continues to post strong performances in the class. After nine bullets in nine races, they elected to not sail the last race and went home. The Schaedler/ Taylor duo on WHISTLER posted eight podium finishes in their final tally to take home the silver. Third was Joe Highsmith's DEAD ON ARRIVAL with 35 pts net. The rest of the top five were Joe Pitcavage's SPECTACLE in fourth and Bill McKenzie's RUM FRONT in fifth place. 


The ORC B Offshore division was treated to a podium sweep by three top J/Teams. Winning for the millionth-time was Robin Team's J/122 TEAMWORK with 6 pts net. They were challenged hard by two J/121s. Bob Christoph's LOKI traded bullets with TEAMWORK in a few races, but that was not enough to overcome TEAMWORK's consistency. Both teams tossed 3rds (!) but LOKI had to count one more third to settle for second place. Third was Bill Wiggin's & Ashley Maltempo's WINGS. 


In PHRF A Pursuit Spin division, J/Teams took six of the top eight places. Richard Moore's J/120 KEELFORCE took the silver with Bob Musor's J/130 SCEPTRE earning the bronze. Fourth was John Keenan's J/120 ILLYRIA, sixth Willy Schwenzfeier's J/35 ARROW, seventh Ed Goss' J/36 SOUL, an eighth Bill Hanckel's J/120 EMOCEAN. 


The PHRF B Pursuit Spin division, the Warrior Sailing Team took third place with their J/95 WARRIOR 95, while Mark Swatta's J/30 LAS BRISAS finished fifth. 

Thanks to Quantum Sail Design Group for its team of professionals that did on-site daily weather briefings, discuss tactics and strategy provided on-the-water "live" commentary on all racing circles. For more Charleston Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Bristol-maintained J/120 sailboat for sale

A Bristol-maintained J/120 with Beautiful Wood Interior For Sale!
The appropriately-named BLUE CHIP is now available for sale....one of the very few J120's in the U.S. that has the full cherry wood interior. This treatment (initially a $30,000 factory option) provides an aura of elegance that is simply not available in most performance yachts. 

In addition to adding many new features, the owner has completely refitted the boat back to Bristol condition including replacing most of the rod rigging, repainting all spars and topsides, new Awlgrip deck surfaces, replacing all running rigging, adding a reverse-cycle heating and air conditioning system, a stereo system throughout, a strong track luff system for the main, a custom-built stack pack (Quantum Sails), a fully battened main sail, a helm bimini, and much more. 

To our knowledge, there is no comparable J/120 in the U.S.A.  Please contact Scott Spurlin- email- Scott@JBoatsSouthwest.com or cell# 512-423-2179.   For more BLUE CHIP J/120 brokerage informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

GORGEOUS SAN DIEGO NOOD REGATTA

(San Diego, CA)- The first of the famous HELLY HANSEN Sailing World NOOD Regatta series took place last weekend in San Diego, CA. The San Diego Yacht Club was blessed with classic SoCal sailing conditions from March 19th to 21st for the J/24 and J/105 one-design fleets and the North Sails Doublehanded Offshore Race on Saturday.


The always competitive J/105 class saw close racing all weekend-long. Winning in the end was Stew Cannon's J-OK with a very consistent 2-1-2-3-2 tally for 10 pts. Hot on their heels all weekend was George Scheel's SUN PUFFIN with a 1-4-5-2-1 scoreline for 13 pts. Rounding out the podium was Donica & Scott Ryder's SANITY with a 4-3-1-4-3 record for 15 pts.  The balance of the top five included Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK! in fourth place and Scott McDaniel's OFF THE PORCH placed 5th. 

Bill Ramacciotti and Mike Davies J/24 GREENBACK BOOGIE leapfrogged into first place Sunday thanks to two first-place finishes and one second. “We had super-close racing all weekend among our fleet,” said Ramacciotti. “It was so much fun to see us finishing these races within seconds of each other.”


Four of the five J/24s are local to San Diego, and Ramacciotti and Davies have a concerted effort underway to build the class. “We’re not big budget programs and our goal is to keep it accessible and get more people out sailing,” said Ramacciotti. “We are all weekend warriors so to speak with different years of experience and these boats provide the vehicle to help us all continue learning."

They also agreed that the winning strategy today was picking sides. “Calling the line and committing to one side or another was crucial, Ramacciotti said, “but when you sail in San Diego with shifty winds, it really comes down to boatspeed and crew work."

While the GREENBACK BOOGIE crew ended up with four bullets and four deuces for 12 pts to take the J/24 class win, Christian Seidel's CYGNET 2 was certainly in the hunt until the 7th race. At that point, Seidel's crew plunged down the mine shaft, garnering two 4th's to sink their chances of the class win. As a result, the CYGNET 2 team had to settle for the silver with 18 pts. Completing the podium was Brian Dolan's CALAMITY sailed a consistent series with all top four finishes to finish in fourth with 23 pts. 
Sailing photo credits- Mark Albertazzi  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

SAN DIEGO YACHT CLUB'S YACHTING CUP IS A GO!

(San Diego, CA)- After a full year of limited racing, postponed regattas, and socially distanced sailing, it seems like the world of competitive racing is finally getting back on course. In October 2020, San Diego Yacht Club hosted a postponed edition of the Yachting Cup, one of their most popular signature regattas. Thirty-seven boats came out as restrictions on boating eased - an event that typically hosts over 100 boats. A mere six months later, and the Yachting Cup is working to get back on course as well, returning to the weekend at the beginning of May where it’s been held in years past- May 1-2, 2021. 

While the event might not be ramped up to its typical pre-Covid model, it is clear what the main attraction of the Yachting Cup really is: the sailing. SDYC Waterfront Director Jeff Johnson says it best, “The success of the event has been and will be being able to get out on the water. It’s an event for all of those that are looking to sail, and that’s why we do it - for the competitors. It’s not about the food and free drinks or fancy awards. It’s just to sail. And that’s what we’re doing.”

The 2021 Yachting Cup begins at 1200 on Saturday, May 1 and will be held on two ocean courses on the Coronado Roads. Competitors will be divided into one design fleets or Handicap Divisions (PHRF, ORR, ORR-ez). 

Always one of Yachting Cup first entrants is SDYC Staff Commodore John Laun’s J/120 CAPER, who hasn’t missed a Yachting Cup in 20 years before last October’s regatta. Similar to many competitors, this will be his first opportunity back on the water. “This will be CAPER's first regatta in 16 months!! I’m excited to reunite with the crew. We’ve been together for over 10 years, some as long as 20. My crew is full of great friends and skilled sailors,” explained Laun.

Another J/120 skipper ready to get back out on the water after an injury last fall is SDYC Staff Commodore Chuck Nichols, sailing on CC RIDER. “I’ve raced in almost every Yachting Cup since the early eighties. The best racers in Southern California show up for the Yachting Cup. Everyone knows they will participate in good competition with good Race Committee work,” he started. “Between major regattas, we try to sail races that are similar to the types of courses we are going to see in the near future. Continuity of crew is critical to our success. They all know their jobs well and we work hard to get them out for every race on our calendar. Our crew is a fun-loving bunch who really enjoy joking around, but they also know when to hang up the hijinks and get down to racing.”

Back for another year to chair the event is Patrick Murray. “As we’ve endured an extremely long year dreaming of the things that we love to do, it’s time to get back at it and get back out racing. We’re excited to be hosting an event that will be building on the 2020 Yachting Cup as we work our way closer to a new normal,” he started.

“As with the 2020 edition, we’ll be focusing on the water and high-level racing on both courses. We expect to have extremely tight one design racing in the J/105 one-design fleet while we’ll have the bigger boats going head-to-head on the far course. One thing is for sure, you can count on all the teams bringing their A-games as the competition is always tight! We’ve had an active weather pattern here this spring, and that’s a good sign that we’ll get really nice sailing condition. We’re looking forward to having a great regatta! See you on the water," finished Murray.

Safety precautions are in place to ensure a healthy event such as socially distancing and wearing face coverings. SDYC is strictly following the protocols set forth by the County and the State. Due to continuing restrictions on gatherings, there will be no post-race socials on Saturday or Sunday evening. This year’s Yachting Cup will continue to feature a Skipper’s Meeting via Zoom. Awards will be announced at the Post Race Debrief after racing on Sunday, May 2. Awards will be available for individual pick-up or delivery. 
Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more SDYC Yachting Cup regatta and sailing information

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SAN DIEGO NOOD REGATTA PREVIEW

(San Diego, CA)- The first of the famous HELLY HANSEN Sailing World NOOD Regatta series will be taking place in San Diego, CA this coming weekend. San Diego Yacht Club will play host for the event from March 19th to 21st for one-design fleets of J/24s and J/105s and an offshore North Sails Doublehanded Race.

The J/24 class features teams like Brian Dolan's CALAMITY from Tucson, Arizona (the long-distance traveler award!); Christian Seidel's CYGNET 2, Bill Ramacciotti's GREENBACK BOOGIE, Ryan Jurkowski's IRIE, and Dave Wethereit's SUPERDRY.


The always highly-competitive fleet of eight J/105s will see a number of the class stalwarts participating for their first time in over twelve months! Those teams include Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK!, Stew Cannon's J-OK, Scott McDaniel's OFF THE PORCH and Bill Quealy's J RABBIT SLIM. 

Looking forward to the challenge of sailing large boats doublehanded offshore is Stephen Driscoll's J/105 JUICED and Rudy Hasl's J/145 PALAEMON. Should be fun to watch these teams wrestle their boats around the track off Point Loma. Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

SAN DIEGO STARTS NOOD 2021 SERIES!

 

(Newport, RI)- For nearly three decades, the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta national series kicked off in St. Petersburg, FL, in February, but a shift in the 2021 calendar will put Southern California sailing front and center with the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta San Diego, March 19 to 21.

With experienced race management teams at co-hosts San Diego Yacht Club and Coronado Yacht Club, competitive sailors in the region can expect top-quality races on San Diego Bay for the regatta’s smaller boats, as well as the deeper waters off Coronado for larger keelboats. As the first major regatta of the SoCal spring sailing season, the annual event will be a draw for local and visiting teams keen to freshen their skills from the long offseason of 2020.
 
For Helly Hansen, the regatta series’ seven-year title sponsor, the San Diego stop is a welcome beginning to the new sailing year. While the usual after-racing social events will not be held, organizers are keen to provide the best possible experience on the water.
 
“At Helly Hansen we make gear for professionals to feel and stay alive, and that’s also true for all the sailors of the NOOD Regattas,” says Helly Hansen Watersports Marketing Manager, Jenny Daudlin. “While 2020 was a challenging year, Helly has continued to bring along innovative new styles. There were some cool pieces in 2020 that people didn’t get to see, so we’re looking forward to reconnecting with the sailors in different ways and providing them the best gear possible to enjoy their time on the water safely.”
 
One trend that emerged through 2020 was the popularity of day-race formats that require fewer crew members. This movement is also fueled by the expectation of a two-person offshore discipline being added to the 2024 Games. In response to this rising demand for shorthanded races, NOOD Regatta organizers, in partnership with North Sails, added the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race on Saturday, March 20. This daytime challenge will send competitors racing a variety of boats on one long course spanning San Diego Bay and offshore near Point Loma.


Rudy Hasl, of San Diego, is one of the early registrants for the North Sails Doublehanded Race and says he’s looking forward to skippering his J/145 around the course— with the sole assistance of his long-time bowman, Anthony Garcia.
 
“I’m really glad they’ve added this race to the regatta,” Hasl says. “Doing the typical windward/leeward buoy races all day can be tough on the crew and the sails. So, I like this format, as it offers plenty of excitement for me.”
 
Hasl, 78 years young, raced doublehanded extensively when he lived in the Pacific Northwest. Now a full time SoCal resident, he says San Diego is just as challenging a venue to race, especially a boat the size of his J/145 PALAEMON.  
 
“We’re going to try our best to play it safely and carefully,” Hasl says, noting that he and Garcia will be using specialized sails that are easier for two people to handle. “This is the first time we’ll have doublehanded this particular boat. Anthony is a super bowman because he has his way of checking the lines are run correctly. The boat is set up in a way that I can tail halyards from the back while steering.”
 
Their biggest challenge, he says, may be keeping the boat’s massive spinnaker sail from ever touching the water. “We’ve sailed with it and I have a sense of what’s involved in the process and think we can control the beast,” Hasl says. “The key with doublehanded racing is just doing things slowly and deliberately.”

Joining them in the Doublehanded class is Steve Driscoll's J/105 JUICED!

So far, the two one-design classes are showing good participation. The J/24s have five boats entered and the J/105s are up to a dozen already! Sign up now and join in on the fun!  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information and registrationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

FUN & FROLIC FOR SSS CORINTHIAN RACE

 

(San Francisco, CA)- Last weekend, the Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay held one of their more revered races of the year- the Corinthians Race.  Answering that siren's call were 180 intrepid souls that are gleefully showed up in the early morning to take their stab at winning their respective classes. 

Starting and finishing off Golden Gate Yacht Club, the 15.5nm course rounds Blackaller Buoy to starboard, Southampton Shoal red bell to port, Little Harding green buoy to port, Blossom Rock green bell to starboard, then to GGYC finish on the waterfront. Basically, the course is criss-crossing the Bay in a circumnavigation of all the tourist sites! 

The two-plus dozen shorthanded J/Crews made the most of the light to medium, very challenging conditions on San Francisco Bay.  In PHRF C Doublehanded J/105s the winners were Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault's ARBITRAGE. Pushing them hard all race was the duo of Charles James & Panda Love's ROXANNE to take the silver. Rounding out the podium was Tom Struttmann & Joerg Esdorn's ARRIVED!  

In Class 6 J/70 Doublehanded, the fleet suffered a trouncing at the hands of the dynamic duo of Justin & Shar Foox on FLOTEK, winning by over a half hour on elapsed time.  Second was Peter Cameron & Ben Mercer's KANGAROO JOCKEY and third was Scott & Hannah Sellers' 1FA. 

The thirteen-boat PHRF H Doublehanded Spin class was a tough group. Taking five of the top seven were all J/duos.  Third was Ted Rogers & Tim Burks on the J/100 GRACE. They were followed by Barry Lewis & Scott Kozinchik's J/120 CHANCE in 4th, Nesrin Basoz & Reuben Rocci's J/111 SWIFT NESS in 5th, Tracy Rogers & Cris Sena's J/120 HOKULANI in 6th, and Timo Bruck & Elaine Scott's J/120 TWIST in 7th place. 

The seventeen-boat PHRF L Class Doublehanded Non-Spin saw Brian Richards & Ernie Baton's J/109 LA VIAJERA take fourth position.

Finally, the fourteen-boat PHRF P Class Singlehanded Non-Spin saw John Kalucki's J/109 LINDO take fourth place. Sailing photo credit- Will Keyworth.  For more SSS Corinthian Race sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

Edgartown Race Week- Calling all J/Teams!

 

(Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA)- Edgartown Race Weekend team is hard at work getting ready for ERW 2021 and is looking forward to seeing everyone on the water for our mid-summer’s top event. We are excited to see a number of early entries from the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. The team has been adding new sponsors and activities, as well as enhancing the logistical elements of ERW to make our event a more seamless event for visiting teams.


We would like to note that we encourage One-design classes to come in force! We can easily set up specific starting lines for one-design groups (5 or more boats). We're excited that out of 30 entries for the 2021 'Round-the-Island Race, there are 8 J/Crew already registered! Some of those teams include Andrew Clark's J/122 ZIG ZAG, Stephen Besse's J/120 APRES, Ed Dailey's J/109 RAPTOR, Mike Hersey's J/35 RESILIENCE, Ira Perry's J/29 SEEFEST, Rob Littleton's J/121 SHE's NO LADY, Doug Curtiss's J/111 WICKED 2.0, and Alan Fougere's J/160 AVATAR. That is a fun-loving, talented group of J/Teams so far!


We encourage sailors to register early to take advantage of free moorings for the first 50 entrants, as well as to lock in accommodations, as space fills up fast during Martha’s Vineyard summers. 

Please take note that we have separate events on Yacht Scoring for our buoy racing and Round-the-Island segments – make sure to register on both ERW sites!  Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier

Registration and regatta information can be found here.  For any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the EYC Race Administrator- Margaret Passafiume at raceadministrator@edgartownyc.org.

Freshwater 1997 J/120 For Sale

 

Owner wants an offer! Fresh Survey. Hull Wrap Removed! Storm Warning is a very well-kept J/120 that shows pride of ownership. She has a long, successful racing history. Originally sold new by RCR in 1997 and then sold to the current owners in 2015. Always sailed on freshwater Lake Erie. She has an original white gelcoat hull with blue double-boot stripe. She has a faired bottom and standing rigging is pulled every fall for winter land storage. She has a custom-made canvas cover with access door to cockpit.  Learn more about the J/120 Storm Warning here

Annapolis to Newport Race Announcement

(Annapolis, MD)- The Annapolis Yacht Club is pleased to announce the Notice of Race for the 2021 Annapolis to Newport Race has been posted and online entry is now open. This will be 38th biennial edition of the Race, which originated in 1947.  Starts will take place on Friday, June 4th and Saturday, June 5th.

In order to deal with the complications of Covid-19 we have made a few adjustments to the format:

Given current the current public health climate in Maryland and Rhode Island, we are unable to commit to the social components of the event at this time, including the pre-start All Hands Competitors’ Party at Annapolis Yacht Club, and the Hospitality Tent and Awards Party in Newport.  The resulting good news is that gives us the opportunity to significantly reduce the entry fee to a flat $700 per boat, if paid by March 15th.  By comparison, a 40’ boat paid a $1,400 entry fee in 2019.  The popular social events of the race are still on our radar and if the public health situation improves, we may be able to add some or all to the schedule. Social events will be charged on a per person basis, separately from the entry fee. 
    
Entry fees are fully refundable if the race is cancelled, or a boat withdraws before May 21st.
    
The registration process has been streamlined so that all entry requirements or paperwork can be completed online, by email or fax, so that only a quick, socially distanced visit to Annapolis Yacht Club to pick up the YB tracker will be required. 
    
Trophies will be awarded via a virtual Awards Presentation if we are unable to host an in-person event.
    
Our very popular seminar series on boat and crew preparation will be presented virtually via Zoom Webinar.  The first "What to Expect Seminar on Sails, Rigging and Electronics" is scheduled for Saturday, February 20th at 1000 EST. 
    
The official event site https://www.annapolisnewportrace.com/ will continue to be populated with information including event partners.  At this time, we’d like to thank Spinsheet, Helly Hansen and Team One Newport for joining us again and supporting the 2021 Annapolis to Newport Race.    

In 2021, we will be offering starts for boats rated under the ORC and PHRF rules, including an ORC Double Handed division and a Classic Yacht division rated under PHRF.

Some good things remain the same:

• As in the past several races, there will be two starts, with the slower ORC and PHRF boats and the Double Handed division starting on Friday, June 4th and the faster boats on Saturday, June 5th.
• All boats will sail the offshore course, leaving the Chesapeake and rounding Chesapeake Light Tower.
• We will provide a truck to transport your gear to and from Newport.
• Arrangements have been made for discounted dockage at Newport Yachting Center.

For more Annapolis to Newport Race sailing information

J/CREWS PREVAIL IN NORTHERN CENTURY RACE

 

(Anacortes, WA)- In the "it's never too late to report" department, the Anacortes Yacht Club hosted the Northern Century Race in the beginning of the fall. It is a 100.0 nm offshore triangle that delivers the toughest race you’ll ever love. The course extends through and around (skipper’s choice) the San Juan Islands, and each year competitors are met with a unique set of challenges and some of the most beautiful conditions the Salish Sea has to offer.

Though a 50-mile option exists (for the sane people), the Northern Century 100 course starts to the north in Fidalgo Bay off Anacortes and heads further north to Point Roberts, then south any way you choose to Hein Bank, followed by a return finish at Anacortes.


The race starts on Friday evening, and night-time spinnaker runs are the norm on the way up to the first mark of the course. Due to the time of year, meteor showers and phosphorescence that light up the night add to the excitement of the race.

Bruce's Briefs from Sailish.com had this sobering forecast to offer the sailors this year:

"We said summer had arrived last week and this weekend it will arrive with some very, very warm temps especially on Sunday. Today’s satellite pic shows just how spectacularly clear conditions are over the Salish Sea.


That’s both the good news and the bad news as the Surface Analysis Charts show our Pacific high weakening and tending to flatten while a thermal trough of low-pressure expands along the coast running from San Francisco inland to southern BC. This will convert our current onshore flow to an offshore flow on Saturday which will bring some downslope winds and compressional heating to the area, hence the high temps. The weather charts also show the distinct lack of any kind of pressure gradient over the area. This will make for, once again, a very challenging Northern Century Race.

The real challenge for this race is that in this transition period from onshore to offshore flow, the Race course is right in the convergence zone where the flow coming down the Strait of Juan de Fuca (SOJ) meets the flow coming down the Strait of Georgia (SOG). As the flow coming down the SOJ weakens, the flow coming down the SOG will build slightly turning the southerly/southwesterly flow over the San Juan Islands to a north/northwesterly flow. The big question is always, when will this happen? The models are not in agreement which is not surprising considering the lack of a pressure gradient.

The keys for the race are getting out of the starting area, getting through the lee of Guemes Island, and getting up Lummi Island. From there to the Point Roberts Buoy there will probably be more wind slightly to the east of the rhumb line. The wind will be light and from the south/southwest with it generally going very light after around 0200hrs. You would really like to be around the Pt Roberts mark before 0200 and then be sure to take your time at the shorten course mark.

One model does have a northerly of 5-8 kts filling down the SOG and down San Juan Island just before dawn. That combined with the big ebb of the day could get you to Hein Bank in time to catch the flood to the finish. If you’re a big boat with a tall rig and really wanted to roll the dice, you could try sailing down the inside of San Juan Island and gamble that you could make it out of Cattle Pass before about 0900 Saturday morning and the start of the big flood of the day. The big boats could finish by mid-afternoon Saturday.

For the once this year, expect the lighter air to be in the SOJ while the central Sound will have a delightful northerly of 10-15 knots on Saturday before it becomes light on Sunday. This will be a great weekend to be on the water just be sure to have plenty of sunblock and be sure to reapply throughout the day."

That was a pretty accurate forecast by the famous "Bruce the weatherman"! It was a light airs race, with beautiful vistas, and lots of flying code zeros to keep things moving. 

In the three divisions that had thirteen J/Crews participating, each had a podium finish by a top J/Boats team. In the Full Crew 100 Division, taking second was Jim Hinz's J/120 HINZITE. The balance of the top eleven included Dougherty & Andrew's J/125 HAMACHI in 4th, Cathy Van Antwerp's J/111 VALKYRIE in 7th, Phil Dean's J/80 RUSH in 8th, Bob Brunius' J/120 TIME BANDIT in 9th, Jason Vannice's J/35 ALTAIR in 10th, and Tolga Cezik's J/109 LODOS in 11th. An amazing performance by these teams in very challenging conditions. 

Similarly, in the Doublehanded 100 Division, J/Crews took 5 of the top 10! Taking the silver was Vincent Townrow's J/105 KINETIC. They were followed by Christina & Justin Wolfe's J/111 RAKU in 4th, Emre Selzer's J/80 RECKLESS in 5th, Mike Powell's J/33 KEET in 9th, and Karl Halfkinger's J/35 SHEARWATER in 10th. 

Finally, in the Full Crew 50 Division, taking 3rd was Walt Meagher's J/35 SUNSHINE GIRL. All in all, kudos to all crews for their perseverance and concentration to get the job done!

Also, in the recent Scuttlebutt Sailing Newsletter, there was a great article by a participant in the race that gives you a front row seat perspective on the amazing beauty and the trials and tribulations of sailing this tough race.  Read more here on Scuttlebutt.  Sailing photo credits- Sean Trew