WEATHER MODELS 201 - WHICH WEATHER MODEL IS BEST?

 

So many models - so little time! Marine Weather University announces an upcoming course in these ubiquitous forecasting tools. Taught by renowned sailing meteorologist Chris Bedford along with 2x America's Cup winning navigator, Peter Isler, this class will explore these powerful forecast guides. Students will learn:

* How to determine which model(s) to use for a specific application
* What high resolution models are available in your location 
* The differences in the various models
* Professional techniques to avoid being overwhelmed with too much data and too many choices
* Where to find models in graphic and GRIB form
* Best practices for the display, interpretation and use of various weather models
* Individual models strengths and weaknesses

Weather Models 201 will feature two lectures - first offered as live webinars May 18 & 20 @ 5:00pm Pacific time. All course content and the lectures will be posted online for 24/7 on demand access. Attendance to the live webinars is not required.  Sign up here to register for the event at Isler Academy

AYC SPRING SERIES CLOSES WITH DOZEN RACES

 

(Rye, New York)- The second half of the 2021 American Yacht Club Spring Regatta held on April 30 – May 2 had over 50 boats entered in the One Design, PHRF, and ORC classes to compete off Rye, NY on Long Island Sound. The AYC Race Committee was able to complete races for the Short Course ORC and J/44 classes, and one distance race for the Coastal Racing course, which included PHRF, Doublehanded, and Mixed Doublehanded classes.

The weekend began with a gale warning holding teams shoreside Friday. The wind subsided Saturday afternoon to a more manageable 15-18 knots across the Long Island Sound allowing just enough time for three races. Sunday started off light and shifty with the rain looming over the New York City skyline, before giving way to sunshine and a little more pressure for three more races rounding out the series.

Continuing where they had started on the first weekend of racing, Bill Ketcham's MAXINE sailed a very consistent series to win the J/44 one-design class with 17 pts after eleven races, counting all podium finishes. Frequently giving them a run-for-the-money was Don & Dick Rave's RESOLUTE, finishing just three points back to take the silver. Rounding out the podium was Tom Blackwell's BREAKAWAY with a total of 29 pts.


Winning the J/105 one-design class was Paul Beaudin's LOU LOU, winning seven races enroute to a somewhat dominating win in the highly competitive class with 18 pts total. Second was Dave Willis' SOLUTION, counting nine podium finishes for a total of 25 pts. Taking the bronze in his first known podium finish in the J/105 class was Greth Lester's ECHO, showing flashes of brilliance, like winning the first race, but getting "unglued" and inconsistent in other races to fall behind the leaders. 

The J/88 one-design class was a tale of two weekends and two protagonists "flip-flopping" their roles in the fleet. On the first weekend, it seemed Iris Vogel's DEVIATION team could do no wrong and was winning by a good margin in the light to moderate conditions and flat water. Then, the second weekend saw a dramatic change in wind/ wave conditions which proved to be the undoing of the DEVIATION crew, but also much to the liking of the dynamic duo of Lawrence Cutler & Andrew Weiss on ONE TOO MANY. After closing with four straight bullets, the ONE TOO MANY boys finished tied with DEVIATION, winning the tie-breaker on countback. Watching the battle unfold from the bleacher seats on both weekends was another fun-loving duo on ALBONDIGAS, Justin Scagnelli & Tim Price, taking home the bronze for their second successive major event of the season. 

The J/70 one-design class saw Jean Marc Papin's PEN SEGAL take the class win with nearly all bullets, followed by Ben Hunt's NO NAME in second, with Gibbons Sinclair's HALF MINE II taking the bronze. 

In the Coastal PHRF Division, it was Steven Levy's J/121 EAGLE that won class with consistent sailing. Just two points back, Robert Schwartz's J/109 NORDLYS took the bronze. In the Coastal ORC Mixed Doublehanded, it was Todd Aven & Barbara Karpinska's J/99 THIN MAN that took the silver!

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

SPRING SPRANG ON LONG ISLAND SOUND

(Rye, New York)- The first weekend of the 2021 American Yacht Club Spring Regatta on April 24-25 had over 50 boats entered in the One Design, PHRF, and ORC classes to compete in Rye, NY.

Racing began with a light, variable wind on day one, but the breeze built significantly as the day progressed. The Race Committee was able to complete four races for the Short Course ORC and J/44 classes, and one distance race for the Coastal Racing course, which included PHRF, Doublehanded, and Mixed Doublehanded classes.

Day two began with a wet and chilly morning, but the rain tapered off just in time for the start of the first race. The day proved to be somewhat more challenging for everyone, with 50-degree wind shifts combined with dramatic changes in wind velocity and direction.

All the races were conducted by Principal Race Officers John (“Tinker”) Myles on the East Course, and Commodore Nicholas Everett on the South Course, along with their respective Race Committee teams.

Amongst the five-boat J/44 class, it was past New York Yacht Club Commodore Bill Ketcham's familiar navy-blue MAXINE that leads the series by just one point with finishes of 3-1-4-1-1-3 for 9 pts. Just behind them is Don & Dick Rave's RESOLUTE with a 1-3-2-2-2-4 tally for 10 pts. Lying third is Tom Blackwell's BREAKAWAY with a 2-4-1-4-3-1 record for 14 pts. 

The PHRF Coastal Division saw a near clean sweep of the top ten by J/Crews. Sweeping the podium were Cory Eaves' J/109 FREEDOM in first, Bob Schwartz's J/109 NORDLYS in second, and Steve Levy's J/121 EAGLE in third!  Finishing fifth was Jim Weil & EJ Haskell's J/92 VIXEN, and seventh was Jason Viseltear's J/80 UPSETTER.

The J/88 one-design class saw Iris Vogel's DEVIATION press the pedal-to-the-metal and firewall it all the way around the race track, winning the first three races on Saturday and completing the weekend on Sunday with a 2-3-1 for 6 pts net! Behind her it was a full-on duel between Larry Cutler & Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY and Justin Scagnelli & Tim Price's ALBONDIGAS. Just one point separates the two after six races. 

The always-competitive J/105 class of seven boats saw tight racing amongst the top three boats. Currently leading by two points is Paul Beaudin's LOU LOU, followed by David Willis' SOLUTION in second, and just two points further back is Gareth Lester's ECHO. 

In the J/70 one-design class, it's Jean Marc Papin's PEN SEGAL leading after winning five races, with Ben Hunt's NO NAME in second with 10 pts and Gibbons Sinclair's HALF MINE II in third place. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

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.

J/121 SILVERS @ RORC SPRINGS SERIES 2

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club continues its Offshore Spring Series on the Solent this past weekend. The races are designed to provide around 5 to 7 hours of racing around government marks in and out and around the Solent. Blessed with more solid spring sailing conditions, several of the J/Teams that are participating are beginning to find their strides as they work out nearly a year's worth of "rust" from not being on the race track. 

This past weekend, it was Mike O'Donnell's J/121 DARKWOOD that took 2nd IRC Overall in the fleet of twenty-five-boat IRC Class. Other J's in the top ten included Andy Theobald's J/122 R&W in 8th, Rob Cotterill's J/109 MOJO RISIN' in 9th, and David Ward's J/92 JACKDAW in 10th.  For more RORC Offshore Spring Series sailing information 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.

CHARLESTON RACE WEEK PREVIEW- A RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY!

(Charleston, SC)- Starting two weeks later than its traditional schedule the weekend before Easter/ Bank Holiday, the amazingly popular Charleston Race Week will be taking place this weekend from April 8th to 11th at the historically famous venue (Fort Sumter is where the American Civil War started) for a long three-day weekend of sailing on six courses spread around the huge harbor.

The Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina serves as host for the event and the CORA organization provides all logistical and professional race management for the 500+ sailors.  While the on-water racing is fun, fast & furious, it’s the après’ sailing social activities on the beach ashore with loads of rum, beer, southern food, and live music that keeps sailors coming back for more fun-loving memories in the Deep South....NOT this year, sadly enough, due to the pandemic protocols. 

While the party atmosphere that has always been synonymous with Charleston Race Week is not possible in 2021, the focus this year will be on the race course for one of the largest, most popular regattas in North America.

A total of 188 boats in 16 classes are entered following a one-year layoff caused by the pandemic, and finally able to celebrate its 25th anniversary in Charleston, SC.

“When you boil it all down, great racing is the main reason why Charleston Race Week has become such an iconic event,” observes event director Randy Draftz. “After all that has happened over the past year-plus, I think sailors just want to go racing again.

“We have been thrilled by the response from the national sailing community to the return of this great regatta and will be introducing several new features designed to enhance the racing experience.”

While COVID-19 continues to pose a threat throughout the world, social gatherings remain risky with state and local government officials advising against such activity. As a result, there will be no post-race events this year, but Charleston Race Week management is confident social-distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing will allow for a successful and safe three days of racing.

Not surprisingly, passionate J/Sailors across the country have been anticipating this rendezvous with destiny for well over a year! Of the 188 boats registered, 103 of them are J/Boats sailors (a stunning 55.0% of the fleet)!  
 
The regatta features five one-design J/Classes, including J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/88s, and J/105s.  In addition, there are two “Pursuit-style” sailing divisions for both PHRF and ORC handicap rated boats that includes 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 will have their hands full negotiating the shoals and currents and wildly shifting breezes on 3/4 mile windward legs (max!).  Despite the challenges, for most J/70 sailors, it is like a big college regatta, but on keelboats. Looking forward to that experience are many top J/70 teams loaded with talent, including Joel Ronning's CATAPULT, John Heaton's EMPEIRIA, Maggie McKillen's MAGATRON, Cate Muller-Terhune's MURDER HORNET, Mike Illbruck's PINTA (with John Kostecki as tactician), Peter Duncan's RELATIVE OBSCURITY, Brian Keane's SAVASANA, Chuck Thompson's SOAK RACING from the United Kingdom, Bruno Pasquinelli's STAMPEDE, Ryan McKillen's SURGE, and Buddy Cribb's VICTORY. 

Another large class is the J/24s, which has attracted 21 entries – double the number that attended Charleston Race Week 2019! They will race on Circle 4 along with the J/22 class, which consists almost entirely of junior teams. Notable J/24s teams include Jim Thurlow's FORTITUDE, Taylor Borges' BLIND SQUIRREL, Mike Palazzo's JO MAMMA, Eric Trejo's junior team on the KELLY HOLMES-MOON BOAT GRANT, Chris Jackson's LUCIFER's HAMMER, Aidan Glackin's MENTAL FLOSS, Kirk Reynolds' TYRUS, and Chris Stone's VELOCIDAD. 

The two other J/One-design classes sailing on Circle 3 are the 88s and 105s.  The eleven-boat J/88 class promises to be a very closely-fought amongst a number of the class leaders. Look for these teams to be near the top of the leaderboard over the course of the regatta; Justin Scagnelli's ALBONDIGAS, Iris Vogel's DEVIATION, John & Jordan Leahey's DUTCH, Andy Graff's EXILE, Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY, Rob Ruhlman's SPACEMAN SPIFF, and Tim Wade's WINDSONG. So competitive these teams are that any one of them can have a strong, consistent event and leap to the top of the podium. 

The nine-boat J/105 class is also the largest turnout the class has seen in nearly a decade. The Ladbroke's Betting Parlour on the High Street in Liverpool would have a hard time handicapping this group, as there is a broad cross-section of teams in the mix. Nevertheless, watch for these crews to feature on the leaderboard; Ken Horne's FINAL FINAL (2nd in the 2019 J/105 NA's in Marblehead, MA), Joe Highsmith's DEAD ON ARRIVAL, Betsy Pilcher's JOYRIDE, Pete Boland's LONDON CALLING, the trio on RUCKUS (Matt Self/ Russ Smith/ Pat Chisum- e.g. "local home boys"), Bill McKenzie's RUM FRONT, and the "foreigners" from Lake Erie- the Schaedler/ Taylor duo on WHISTLER (yup, same famous boat from the Caribbean)!

As has been the case for many editions of Charleston Race Week, there will be pursuit racing and ORC racing out on the Atlantic Ocean. In the ORC B class of a half-dozen boats are four J/Teams; two J/121s (Bob Christoph's LOKI and Bill Wiggins/ Ashley Maltempo's WINGS), Robin Team's J/122 TEAMWORK (they hardly need any introduction, do they?), and John Keenan's J/120 ILLYRIA. 

In the Pursuit Spinnaker A Class of eleven boats is Bob Musor's J/130 SCEPTRE, two J/120s (Bill Hanckel's EMOCEAN and Richard Moore's KEELFORCE), Willy Schwenzfeier's J/35 ARROW, John Wrangle's J/105 PALADIN, an Ed Goss' J/36 SOUL. With six J/Crews on the starting line, perhaps there's a chance for a J/sweep? Time will tell. Finally, in Pursuit Spinnaker B Class is Mark Swatta's J/30 LAS BRISAS and Warrior Sailing's J/95 WARRIOR 95 as the lone wolves carrying the J/flag in that fleet. 

To help all participants get back up to speed quickly, Charleston Race Week will be providing TracTrac devices that deliver live tracking using the latest technology. TracTrac is an innovative analytical tool that records each boat’s performance and displays various metrics online in real time.

This marks the first time Charleston Race Week has implemented live tracking on all five courses. The TracTrac device will be included in your registration packet along with an instruction sheet.

In addition to live tracking, Charleston Race Week will also introduce on-course observers to provide expert commentary and analysis. These seasoned professionals will offer interesting insights and observations about various aspects of racing.

Also, Quantum Sail Design Group will have its team of professionals on-site to deliver daily weather briefings, discuss tactics and strategy or answers any other questions sailors might have. Sailing photo credits- Priscilla Parker. For more Charleston Race Week sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

RORC SPRING SEASON OPENER PREVIEW

(Cowes, Isle of White, England)- The "stay at home" rule in the UK ends on the 29th of March allowing the Royal Ocean Racing Club to organize a Spring Series of racing in April and early May. With some government restrictions still in place, three races are planned to offer crews the chance for some early season training and race practice. The series is open to IRC rated boats, including an IRC Two-Handed Class.
 
The first race of the RORC Spring Series is scheduled to start this coming Easter Weekend on Saturday 3rd April from the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes. One long race is planned of approximately 6-8 hours duration. Needless to say, many J/Sailors are "chomping on their bits" to get their horses racing down the track! Everyone is praying the wind Gods delivery spectacular Easter weekend weather on the often-capricious Solent!


One of those J/Teams competing is Mike O’Donnell’s J/121 DARKWOOD. This will be the first RORC race of the year in preparation for their Rolex Fastnet Campaign. “Like everyone else, we are desperate to get back on the water and this series is a very pragmatic solution to the current restrictions,” commented O'Donnell. “It is a safe way to get almost fully-crewed boats back racing. For us, this is an absolute no-brainer.”

Joining O'Donnell's J/121 DARKWOOD in the enormous twenty-nine boat IRC Offshore Class is Simon Bamford's J/111 KESTREL, Andy Theobald's J/122 R&W, and a quartet of unrelentless J/109s that are so familiar to many Solent racers, such as Mike Yates' JAGO, Kevin Armstrong's JAZZY JELLYFISH, Rob Cotterill's MOJO RISIN', and David McGough's JUST SO. That will be one tough division to compete against just with the J/crews listed here! 

IRC Two-Handed entries include a duet of J/109s- Yates' JAGO and the McGough's JUST SO. For more information about the Royal Ocean Racing ClubAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEK UPDATE

(Block Island, RI)- With just under 100 days left until Race Week, 150 teams have already joined Block Island Race Week presented by Margaritaville (seventy are J/Boats = 47%)! This is the highest number of early registrations in over a decade for the biennial Storm Trysail Club event. “We cannot underestimate the motivation for sailors and their families to return to doing what they love together,” says Event Chair Ray Redniss. “With increased vaccine rollouts and lower case numbers, we are cautiously optimistic that our 2021 event will be a great success.”

Still, the race organizers are managing expectations that 2021 won’t be exactly like past Race Weeks. The logistics of hosting a large regatta on an island demands months of preparation and - as one of the first major events to be held among so much uncertainty - a variety of necessary measures to keep sailors, volunteers and local families safe and healthy will be implemented. What those policies look like is still being determined.


“We meet each week as a team and are in constant contact with local businesses, a variety of experts, and our vendors,” says Redniss. “We know our sailors come for the fun, camaraderie, and competition, and our goal is still to deliver all that at the highest level, albeit safely.”

Regards J/Teams participation, so far here are the amazing numbers:

• ORC 2- five J/121s and two J/122s
• J/44 class- seven boats
• J/88 class- five boats
• J/109 class- thirteen boats
• J/105 class- sixteen boats
• PHRF 1- six J/111s and two J/122s (J/111s will get one-design start)
• PHRF 2- a J/99, J/33, J/35
• PHRF 3- a J/24, two J/29s, two J/80s
• PHRF Cruise 1 Spin- a J/120, J/95
• PHRF Cruise 2 Spin- a J/120, J/125, J/133
• PHRF Cruise 3 Spin- a J/29

Racers planning to attend should have already started to make their housing, docking, and ferry arrangements, as we have been notified there are only a few reservations still available. Do not wait to plan ahead for your week away! Come one, come all, and join in on the fun! It promises to be an EPIC Block Island Race Week!  Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier. For more Block Island Race Week sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/121 WINGS SORC Report

 

We had a chance to catch up with Bill Wiggins and Ashley Maltempo, co- owners of J/121 WINGS. They sailed the SORC Islands in the Stream Series this past winter and ended up finishing third place overall!

According to Bill, "my faith in the boat went up significantly after the head banging we got in the heaviest weather race we had in the series- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. It was a tough race for everyone, and the fleet experienced upwards of 20-30 kts once onto the Bahamas Bank. The race was 90% upwind or fetching on starboard tack, then at top of Eleuthera Island, it became a long, brutal slog on port tack down the eastern side of island in huge, confused seas of 6 to 8-footers! The last fifteen miles were in flat water. Wow, what fun! With winds gusting to 25 kts, we flew the A2 asymmetric spinnaker, driving deep as possible and we maintained a steady 15-16 kts over the water! 

When fetching, the windward water ballast tanks were full, and we were using a double-head rig- the #3 jib with the storm jib inside as a genoa staysail. Depending on the breeze, we'd adjust the main for power, putting in a single slab reef and taking it off when we could. 

The first race of the series- the Nassau Race- was transformed into a big loop because of the Bahamas covid-19 restrictions. Basically, we were criss-crossing the Gulf Stream from Miami to the Bahamas Banks buoys and back.  We saw everything in that race. I think we used all of our sails in winds from 0 to 20 kts, all in 24 hours! 


The second race was fun and quick. The Palm Beach Race is simply a sprint and it took us just 12 hours to go from Miami north to Palm Beach, the Gulf Stream giving us a good kick north of several knots- quite the escalator that thing is!

We were excited about the classic Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race.  But, our hopes diminished as we realized we might be swatting flies the whole way down. Here's how bad it was for the 165.0nm race; we started at 11:00am on Thursday and finished at the crack of dawn on Saturday around 6:30am...it was a super light race, and we must've gybed at least 50-times.

The fourth and final race was important because you had to count it, it was a no throw-out race. In the end, the series was an amazing experience, and we learned a lot about the boat."


When pressed about some of their more memorable experiences in the series, Bill mentioned that their highest speed in any of the races was in the Eleuthera Race, topping out at 16.5 kts in flat water doing dead downwind. But he mentioned that their fastest speed to date was on their delivery from Charleston down to Miami to start the SORC Islands in the Stream Series. Using their Dacron delivery main and Dacron #3 jib, they were flying downwind on a broad reach in the Gulf Stream in a big northeast breeze- gusting up to 35 kts. Top speed? 25.9 knots! 

Bill spoke enthusiastically about his crew that included Greg Fisher (former College of Charleston Sailing Director) and Reed Baldridge. 

Next up for the J/121 WINGS crew is the Annapolis- Newport Race, then Block Island Race Week, and the Storm Trysail Club's Stamford-Vineyard Race.Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/TEAMS SWEEP SORC ISLANDS IN STREAM SERIES!

 

J/44, J/109, & J/121 Go 1-2-3!

(Eleuthera, Bahamas)- The final event for the SORC's Islands in the Stream Series took place last weekend- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. The course took competitors through the heart of the Bahamas and led them to a tropical oasis- Eleuthera Island on the eastern banks.


The 443.0nm race started February 17, 2021 in moderate winds with great expectations the "Weather Gods" would prove right and provide a fresh breeze nearly all the way down the course. The Eleuthera race started off of South Beach, Miami, crossed the Gulf Stream, left Great Isaac (67.5nm), Great Stirrup (75.5nm) and Eleuthera (82.0nm) to starboard, rounded the southern tip of Eleuthera (130.0nm), past the southern tip (18.0nm), and up to the finish near Powell Point (70.0nm). Thereafter, drop sails and head into the gorgeous Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina. 


At the start of the final race, the overall outcome could not have been predicted by anyone. The top five contenders for the series were quite close on points between a TP 52, a 40 ft custom, and three J/Teams (J/44, J/109, and J/121).


In the end, tremendous perseverance paid off for all three J's. Winning was Chris and Karen Lewis' J/44 KENAI, followed by Andy Wescoat's J/109 HARMS's WAY in second, and Bill Wiggins' J/121 WINGS in third position. 


Here is the report from Chris & Karen Lewis (pictured above with crew) from their perspective on the gorgeous J/44 KENAI:

"We were thrilled to win the SORC 2020-21 Islands in the Stream Series with a 1-1-2 score line. The races were varied with light conditions for Races 2 and 3 and then a real blow for most of the Eleuthera Race that challenged all yachts. 

We won the series through sheer determination and, at times, some good decision making. For example, to get to Key West we tacked the 145% genoa 114 times and gybed the 0.5oz VMG kite 28 times. I guess that was good for the sailmakers! Although, I am amazed at how today's carbon sails stand up to offshore conditions if properly handled. 

The first leg to Eleuthera was a tight reach in moderate conditions across the Florida Straights (e.g., the fast-flowing Gulf Stream) allowing for a Code Zero to be flown off KENAI's 2.0m sprit.  We sagged below the rhumb-line with the Stream on our stern quarter. By reefing the main and reducing drag in the puffs, the boat was noticeably faster. Then, we changed to a Heavy #1 sheeted to the rail and we were able to foot up to Little Isaac over the last 20 nm with less north set current. 

From there, we were on the wind with a 200nm starboard-biased beat changing down to a #3 jib and finally the #4 jib! In both cases we had a reefed main. The seas got to be 6 to 8 ft and confused going out into the Atlantic Ocean past the northern tip of Eleuthera (Ed. note- the ocean floor goes from 10,000 ft to 50 ft. in less than 4.0nm, creating the "washing machine effect" on the eastern shore). 

We moved the #4 jib sheeting to the outboard track and saw boat speeds of up to 8.7 knots. Great for the race, but not appreciated by the off-watch crew as KENAI launched off and through the seas. Finally, we turned to a fetch down to the southern tip of the island and set the A4 spinnaker for the finish line. We knew it was tight with the TP52 on rating, but the old girl hit 13 knots with 25 knot gusts on the VMG run to the finish. We corrected out by 22 minutes in the race, with the RC selecting the ORC Predominantly Upwind Rating. 


It's truly amazing that a 23,500 lb. 30-year-old design with 175 sq. m kites and an overlapping genoa has been able to be competitive with a variety of race boats in SORC under a wide range of conditions during the series. The key is knowing your boat and staying near 100% of your speed throughout the race. We do a lot of sail changes. We were also fortunate the J/121 WINGS never got to fly downwind for very long!"


The red-carpet treatment laid down by the Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina was enthusiastically welcomed by all teams. It is truly a little paradise in the middle of the ocean. Their staff did go above and beyond to make sure the sailor's needs were all met, and then some! That included a fantastic bonfire after the awards ceremonies and dinner to celebrate the end of the event (no worries, the wind was blowing hard offshore!)!

The resort looks west over Exuma Sound, which provides good access to the Marina. The channel into the marina is straightforward East/ West, and well lit. A summer dredging project removed the few remaining high spots and left a 12-foot controlling depth, as well as adding jetties extending from the shore.

Follow the SORC Sailing on Facebook here  For more SORC Islands in the Stream series sailing information     For the SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race results and 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.

SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race Preview

(Miami, FL)- The final event for the SORC's Islands in the Stream Series takes place this weekend- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. The course takes competitors through the heart of the Bahamas and leads them to a tropical oasis in a part of the Bahamas that is not as well traveled as the typical destinations. Less traveled does not mean uncharted, and it is certainly within reach for SORC competitors.


The 295-mile race starts on February 17, 2021. The Eleuthera race will start off of South Beach, Miami, proceeding across the Gulf Stream, leaving Great Isaac, Great Stirrup and Eleuthera to starboard, rounding the southern tip of Eleuthera, and proceeding up the west side of the island to the finish near Powell Point. The Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina is on the west side of the island of Eleuthera, at the finish line. 


Several enthusiastic J/Teams are participating in the race and some are vying for overall fleet honors.  In the ORC 1 Division is Chris Lewis's KENIA from Austin, TX; Andy Wescoat's J/109 HARM'S WAY from Spring, TX; and Bill Wiggins's J/121 WINGS from Johns Island, SC. 

As competitors discovered after the inaugural Eleuthera Race in 2020, the Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina is the perfect spot to wrap up the SORC Islands in the Stream Series. General Manager Chris Morris and his staff at the resort are as excited to have you there as the SORC is to send you there. They go above and beyond to make sure that no need goes unmet.  It truly is the perfect spot to wrap up the series.

The resort looks out to the west over Exuma Sound, which provides good access to the Marina. The channel into the marina is straightforward East/West, and well lit. A summer dredging project removed the few remaining high spots and leaves a 12-foot controlling depth, as well as adding jetties extending from the shore.  Follow the SORC Sailing on Facebook here   For more SORC Islands in the Stream series sailing information   For the SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race results and informationAdd 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.