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 

Ted Hood Regatta A Resounding Success

(Marblehead, SC)- As befitting a regatta named after the multi-faceted Ted Hood – sailmaker, yacht designer, inventor, yacht builder, and America’s Cup-winning skipper, designer, sailmaker and builder – the Storm Trysail Club’s Ted Hood Regatta had a wide variety of courses, sizes and types of yachts. The forty-five participating boats included everything from a Rhodes 19 one-design fleet, to larger keelboat one-designs (J/105’s), inshore course ORRez big boat classes, PHRF racers, a Double-Handed ocean racing class and an ocean race!

The THR (as it’s affectionately known) ran a total of 8 inshore races over the course of three days (August 21-23); four races Friday, and two on both Saturday and Sunday, plus the ocean race on Friday night for the Double-Handed and Ocean Race entries.

While the pandemic did not dampen the enthusiasm for the race, the usual shore-side festivities were eliminated entirely, and other precautions were put into place.


“The Storm Trysail Club is historically focused on safety. Usually that means on-the-water safety training and race equipment requirements, but with COVID-19 we have been additionally focused on health and safety as it relates to the pandemic. Clarke and his team worked tirelessly to bring off this event safely and responsibly. And, I think it is fair to say that the sailing community around the North Shore are grateful for their efforts,” explained Storm Trysail Club Vice-Commodore Ed Cesare.

The usual Skipper’s Meeting before the regatta was held via Zoom, and a COVID-19 release form had to be completed every day by all racers, all race committee members, and every volunteer. Each boat was then required to sail by the committee boats and verbally confirm that the release forms were executed each day. Furthermore, those forms are to remain onboard the boat until October 15th.

Three days of around-the-buoy racing began Friday in perfect conditions. Winds 10-14 knots allowed all three racing circles to get in four very competitive races. Saturday’s winds were much lighter, and, after a postponement of 1.5 hours, conditions had improved to seven knots of breeze. Although it was shifty, the committees worked hard so that all three circles were able to get in two races.

Sunday saw an AP fired at 1200 hrs, but the seabreeze filled in an hour later. The fleet enjoyed 16 knots, providing a great end to the regatta with several boats battling right to the last finish line to win their classes.

For Friday night’s ocean racing portion of the regatta, the Race Committee was concerned with the very light winds that were forecast for Saturday morning. With course options ranging from 64nm to 127nm, the RC chose to send the Double-Handed class (which consisted of boats generally smaller/slower than their Fully-Crewed counterparts) on the shortest course, while the Fully Crewed group sailed the medium distance (90nm) course. 

In the Double-Handed group, the J/109 HAFA ADAI, was under the command of another local sailor, Eliot Shanabrook. (“Hafa Adai” is a greeting used in the Mariana Islands that is roughly the equivalent of “Aloha” in Hawaii.) This was Eliot’s first THR, and he raced in the Double-Handed division with his son Reid. Eliot describes how he and his son divvy up the load: “Reid makes 66% of the sail and boat-handling decisions and I make 66% of the tactical/navigation decisions. The last third of each generally features some ‘lively’ father/son discussions!” What would he say to others who might be considering entering the race for the first time as he did? “Do it! Whether it’s one-design, big boat day races, crewed or DH overnight races, there’s something for everyone.”


As the biggest fleet in the regatta, the J/105s saw a complete "whitewash" of the fleet. BROUHAHA, a J/105 skippered by Ric Dexter, had an almost perfect record marred by a “mere 2nd”. “There were several maneuvers that we were able to pull off in at least 1/2 of the eight races that put us in winnable positions and kept our lanes clear,” describes Rick. “Many tight tacks and jibes made a big difference overall. The crew was on their game the whole weekend. The lines and courses were square and well-managed. Short races were appropriate for the conditions and we got in lots of races. I cannot remember a regatta where we actually got 8 races in 3 days!”

Two handicap rules were utilized for the inshore racing; ORRez and PHRF, with ORRez divided into two classes. SCIROCCO, a J/33 captained by Ward Blodgett and Liz Smith, won Class 2 on a tie-breaker!

Event Chair Clarke Smith was well-pleased with the regatta. “COVID-19 really complicated our planning for the event. We had shifting guidance and a dynamic – to say the least – situation, but we were extremely happy with the turnout under the circumstances, and the regatta came off without a hitch. Putting on a regatta, even under normal circumstances, takes a substantial amount of time and resources, most of which happens behind the scenes. This year was especially challenging. I’d like to thank PRO Alan McKinnon, Jason Mahar – Chief Judge, Cutter Herlihy – Sponsor, and Race Committee Member, and Committee Members Joel White and Jamie Noyes. Also, Henry Brauer for the use of his RIBCraft, and Gifted of Larchmont for getting us the trophies while they endured the recent blackout down in Connecticut.”

“Also, regattas like this one would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Safewaters Underwriting Managers, Goslings Rum, East Regiment Beer Company, North Sails, Herlihy Electric, Sudbury Products, and Phil Smith Photography.  I’d also like to specially thank Marblehead Animal Hospital. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a veterinary clinic sponsoring a regatta, but they provided all the hand sanitizer for the participants and graciously offered their very sterile facility as a Protest Room.  Thankfully no protests were filed. I’m used to hearing a lot of barking in a protest hearing, but this would have been a little different!”  Formore Ted Hood Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Annapolis YC Doublehanded Distance Race Preview

(Annapolis, MD)- Racing sailboats across a long distance has inspired generations of sailors. The Annapolis Yacht Club announces a new 24-hour race for double-handed crews to start on Saturday, September 28, 2019 off the entrance to the Severn River. In response to the announcement by World Sailing, the international governing body of the sport, that the Olympic Games will host a mixed double-handed, long-distance competition beginning with the 2024 Paris Games, the Annapolis Yacht Club is among the first sailing organizations to create this new event.

The race course will be spread throughout the Chesapeake Bay with a finish line off the yacht club’s dock on Spa Creek. The race is scheduled to last 24 hours, the first boat to the finish line will receive the top prize. The race will be an endurance contest for the crews as they race throughout the night hours. Keeping the boat sailing fast, monitoring weather forecasts, careful navigation, precision boat handling, and physical stamina are a few of the attributes the crews will need to excel in this challenging contest.

The vision for the Olympic Games in 2024 is to feature a race of around 500 miles in a boat of about 30-32 feet in overall length. World Sailing is committed to gender equity in the sport and is encouraged by the tremendous interest throughout the world to compete for an Olympic medal. Early comments by World Sailing suggest that 18-20 countries will qualify for the medal race in 2024. Los Angeles 2028 also intends on hosting a long-distance double-handed race off the Southern California coast during the Olympics.


With GPS-based tracking and easy communications with the competitors, the double-handed long-distance race will attract worldwide interest in all time zones 24 hours per day. Racing enthusiasts will be able to follow the Annapolis Yacht Club competitors throughout the race on the internet.

The AYC event will feature two divisions: one for mixed gender crews in J/105s and a second division open to male or female teams in boats of 25 to 42 feet using the Offshore Rating Council handicap rule to score the different size boats.

The seven-boat J/105 fleet has several famous offshore sailors participating. Among the early entrants is Randy Smyth, a two-time Olympic medalist and winning America’s Cup sailor. He will be paired with his friend Christina Parrson on-board MIRAGE. In addition, Patrick Gavin-Brynes & Evelyn Hull will be sailing AMERICAN OCEAN RACING PROJECT/ BREAKAWAY.

In the ten-boat ORC Division, there are two J/Duos racing; John Loe & Matt Schubert’s J/33 HORNET and Roger Lant & Mike Welin’s J/35 ABIENTOT. You can follow all the sailors on the event website!  For more AYC Doublehanded Distance Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Blustery Ted Hood Regatta

J/112E Dominates PHRF Class
(Marblehead, MA)- The Eastern Yacht Club hosted their annual Ted Hood Regatta in conjunction with their amazing local partners, the Corinthian YC and the Boston YC for a fleet of both one-design racers and offshore PHRF handicap sailors. The sailors enjoyed great camaraderie and fun ashore at Eastern YC. However, the weather was less than cooperative. Friday’s racing was light winds, followed by a beautiful day with very lumpy shifty northeast winds on Saturday. Then, the combination of a massive High over the Canadian Maritimes and a giant Low southeast of Cape Cod conspired to produce massive 8-10 foot waves and 15-30 kt winds on Sunday from the ENE, resulting in a complete cancellation of all sailing on Sunday.

The eight-boat J/70 class witnessed a blitzkrieg, appropriately enough, by a boat named SHRED; Stein Skaane’s crew scored four straight bullets. Second was Frank McNamara’s CHINOOK with a 2-3-2-2 for 9 pts, and third was Jim Raisides & Charlie Pendleton’s BAD HOMBRES’ with a symmetric 3-4-3-4 tally for 14 pts.

The seventeen-boat J/105 class saw a new force in the class show up at the top of the podium. Thoroughly dominating this tough class on their penultimate day was famous Houston sailor Bill Zartler, crushing the fleet with a 1-3-1 to take home the gold on his famous DEJA VOODOO from Lakewood YC. Just one point back was another famous J/105 sailor from Houston, Texas, Ken Horne’s FINAL FINAL. Then, as if the drum roll had not ended yet, Rolex Big Boat Series Champion Tim Russell and his famous crew on NE*NE (which includes Brent Draney J/105 champion tactician) took the bronze medal! That is a star-studded podium for the J/105 class!

In the ORR 1 Division, Fred deNapoli’s J/124 ALLEGRO MALVAGIO took third in class. They were followed by Gary Weisberg’s J/111 HEAT WAVE in fourth and Tom Mager’s J/122 GIGI in fifth place.

Chris Zibailo’s J/112E DOPODOMANI won the ORR 2 Division in dramatic fashion with three bullets in their scoreline!

Then, in ORR 3 Division, Ward Blodgett & Liz Smith’s J/33 SIROCCO sailed a solid series to nearly take the class win. They posted an exemplary 3-1-2-2 for 8 pts to take the silver.

In PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class, Sam Foster’s J/40 CAHOOTS from Marblehead, MA won their class!  For more Ted Hood Regatta sailing information

Ted Hood Regatta Preview

(Marblehead, MA)- The Eastern Yacht Club will be hosting the Ted Hood Regatta in conjunction with their amazing local partners, the Corinthian YC and the Boston YC for a fleet of both one-design racers and offshore PHRF handicap sailors.

The J/70 class has eight crews participating, including leading teams like Stein Skaane’s SHRED, Holly Fabyan’s ASTERIA, Graeme Carr’s JOYRIDIN, and Frank McNamara’s CHINOOK.

As the largest class in the regatta, the J/105 sailors are using the event as their “training session” for their upcoming J/105 North American Championship being sailed two weeks later in the same waters.  With seventeen teams in attendance, many of the top J/105 North American teams are in attendance.  It will be interesting to see how these teams perform over the three-day event; Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO from Houston, TX; Bruce Stone/ Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE from San Francisco, CA; Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU from Harlem YC in New York; Tim Russell’s NE*NE from San Francisco, CA; Mark Lindquist’s STERLING from Beverly, MA; and Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHERS from Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas.

In the ORR Division is Fred deNapoli’s J/124 ALLEGRO MALVAGIO, Chris Zibailo’s J/112E DOPODOMANI, Tom Mager’s J/122 GIG, Gary Weisberg’s J/111 HEAT WAVE, Ed Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA, and Liz Smith & Ward Blodgett’s J/33 SIROCCO.

In the PHRF Spinnaker class is Chris Lund’s J/133 JUMP from Rye, New Hampshire. In PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class is Sam Foster’s J/40 CAHOOTS from Marblehead, MA.  For more Ted Hood Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Whidbey Island Race Week Preview

(Oak Harbor, WA)- The kids are now adults. And, the adults are still acting like kids. And, after nearly four decades, Whidbey Island Race Week remains the stalwart among true race weeks. This year’s event has attracted a fleet of sixty-one boats, twenty-eight of them are J/Crews- 46% of the regatta! There are one-design classes for J/80s and J/105s, with the rest sailing in various PHRF handicap classes.

The J/105 class has, perhaps, its largest turnout ever. Eleven teams are making the trek north to enjoy some fun in the sun, lots of socializing, and perhaps a few round-the-cans races! If they have not gone delirious at the evening parties, these teams should be contenders in the leaderboard; Tom Kerr’s CORVO 105, Jerry Diercks’ DELIRIUM, Chris Phoenix’s JADED, John Aitchison’s MOOSE UNKNOWN, and Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE.

Similarly, the J/80 class of eight crews also have one of their largest turnouts ever.  Watch for these crews to stay somewhere near the forefront of the leaderboard, David Schutte’s TAJ MAHAL, Ryan Porter’s JOLLY GREEN, Bryan Rhodes’ CRAZY IVAN, and Morris Lowitz’s UPROAR.

In the PHRF handicap racing world, the J’s are well represented across the board. In PHRF 1 is Bruce Chan’s J/111 65 RED ROSES II. In PHRF 2 are three J/109s (Mike Campbell’s LAPA, Stu Burnell’s TANTIVY, & Tolga Cezik’s LODOS), Brian White’s J/35 GRACE E, and Dave & Vernice Cohen’s J/90 EYE EYE. Then, in PHRF 3 class is Stephanie Arnold’s J/33 DASH (yet another woman owner ready to dust the class).  For more Whidbey Island Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fast & Furious Edlu Distance Race

(Larchmont, NY)- Larchmont Yacht Club kicked off it summer offshore sailing season this past weekend with their famous “sprint”- the Edlu Race. First sailed in 1956, it has long been a classic tune-up race for the Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Following the race is their classic party, it is one of the “must-do” events on western Long Island Sound. In some respects, one could say it is the “race to the party” for most teams!

The event has two courses for different types of sailors.  The Spinnaker course is 32.0nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton's Neck and back. The Non-Spinnaker course is approximately 20.0nm.

In the nine-boat IRC Class Len Sitar’s J/44 VAMP from Storm Trysail Club took fourth place.

The top six of the PHRF Spinnaker 1 division was packed with J/teams.  Second was Bill & Jackie Baxter’s J/111 FIREBALL, fourth was John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT, fifth was Cory Eaves’ J/109 FREEDOM, and sixth was William Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE.

Winning the PHRF Spinnaker II division was “the kids” racing the J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN 324.  Third was the J/100 TEXAS ROSE sailed by William Komaroff.  Fifth and sixth were two J/88s; Paul Strauch’s ANDIAMO and Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION YCC.

In the PHRF Spinnaker III 3 Division, Paul Zinger’s J/30 ZINGER snagged the bronze medal.

The eight-boat PHRF Doublehanded Division was a J/Tour’de’force’ on the podium.  Winning was Abhijeet Lee’s J/111 VARUNA, followed in third place by Jon Yoder & Bill Gassman’s J/100 BLACKCOMB.

The six-boat PHRF Plus-One Spinnaker I Division was won by Ron Richman’s J/133 ANTIDOTE, followed by Sarah & Josh Reisberg’s J/120 ABILYN in second.  Rounding out the top five were Arthur Hanlon’s J/112E DAUNTLESS in fourth and Steven Levy’s J/121 EAGLE in fifth position.

The half-dozen boats sailing in PHRF Plus-One Spinnaker II Division saw Todd Aven’s famous J/92 THIN MAN take the silver, followed by Tim Mount’s J/97E VESPER elevating the bronze medal around their necks.

The Edlu Short Course Racing Non-spinnaker division was the short, fast race.  In that sprint, Charles A. Taus’ J/33 SIRIUS took the bronze, followed Kurt Locher’s J/42 ATALANTA in fourth place.  Sailing photo credits- Howie McMichael  For more Larchmont YC Edlu Distance Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

American YC Spring Series Preview

(Rye, NY)- Spring sailing in the northeast of America is always a fickle thing; just ask those Solent sailors in the U.K. that are on the receiving end of the goofy weather patterns experienced over North America that happen to make their way across the North Atlantic in due course and slam into Scotland, Ireland, and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Remarkably, the forecast for the first of two weekend’s of sailing in American Yacht Club’s annual Spring Series Regatta looks reasonably good for two solid days of sailing.

There are a total of seventy-five entries overall in the event in One-Design and PHRF fleets. Six boats are racing IRC (obviously, not popular in the USA). Eighteen boats are racing PHRF; not exactly a ringing endorsement of YRA Long Island Sound PHRF is it?

What is remarkable, is that fifty-six participants in the AYC Spring Series are J/Crews- 75% of the fleet are racing one-design! Those classes include One-Design classes for J/70s, J/80s, J/88s, J/105s, J/109s, and J/44s.

Starting with the “big boat” J/44 One-Design Class, we find New York Yacht Club Commodore Bill Ketcham racing MAXINE with his family crew.  They are hoping to lead some old familiar names, as well as new ones, in what could be called the “Gold Digger Division” (in honor of the late Jim Bishop whom pioneered the development of the J/44 class). Chasing Bill will be none other than Len Sitar’s VAMP, Don & Dick Rave’s RESOLUTE, and class newcomers like Bill Mooney’s KATANA, June & Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5, and Tom Blackwell’s BREAKAWAY.

The ten-boat J/109 class will see their usual suspects of class leaders on a national level participating in their first major regatta of the season. The real question will be “who’s showing up on first base” with a well-oiled machine? Likely, no one.  However, all will be focused on fine-tuning their teamwork and boatspeed for their J/109 North Americans later in the year. Notable leading teams should include Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY, Jon Rechtshaffer’s EMOTICON, John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, David Rosow’s LOKI, and Bob Schwartz’s NORDLYS. OK, well that is half the fleet! Well, that is often the case in the J/109 class; anyone can win given that magic combination of starts, speed, and crew work!

As the largest class in the regatta, the fourteen J/105s are certain to see great competition as the event will mark the first regatta on the road to the J/105 North American Championship to be held by Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA this coming September 2019. Watch for an eclectic selection of crews to be amongst the leaderboard; such as Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU, John Koten’s GRAY MATTER, Jeremy Henderson & Harald Edegran’s CONUNDRUM, the kids on the YOUNG AMERICAN, and Max Kalehoff’s LAURA BEA.

The seven-boat J/88 class will be HOT off the trails of the recent Charleston Race Week that took place two weeks ago in Charleston, SC.  There, Mike Bruno’s team on WINGS won a very closely fought battle over Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS, with Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION just off the pace in fourth.  Watch for the same trio to have another dust-up over the next two weekends on Long Island Sound.

The octet of J/70s will be enjoying fun, fast racing on their near-shore race course. Familiar names that will factor into the leaderboard will be Marshall Saffer’s LET IT RIP, Carrie & Ed Austin’s CHINOOK, Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA, Alex Meleney’s TRUCKIN, and the White Rhino Racing team on J-RHINO!

A half-dozen J/80s will be participating with various crews from the Hudson River Community Sailing program. The lone private boat will be Jason Viseltear’s UPSETTER from Huguenot YC.

In the world of PHRF handicap racing, there are three divisions.  In PHRF A Class, the Kings Point US Merchant Marine Academy is sailing the J/111 BLACK DIAMOND; Scott Devine is skippering the J/112E REVIVER, and Ron Richman will be helming the J/133 ANTIDOTE. Then, in the PHRF Cruising division, Charles Taus is sailing his J/33 SIRIUS. And, in the PHRF Plus-ONE Division is Steven Levy’s J/121 EAGLE from Indian Harbor Yacht Club.  For more American YC Spring Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Challenging Scatchet Head Race

(Seattle, WA)- The second race of the Center Sound Series is now on the books, a three-race series hosted by Corinthian YC of Seattle.  The start on Saturday was at 10:00 AM and the fleet had to contend with light airs and lots of current for the 26.0nm course. From the start, round Scatchet Head Lighted Gong Buoy (LL#16555) to port, and finish by leaving the start mark buoy to port. J/Crews faired well in the challenging race and augmented their series scores to remain in contention for the overall series in a number of classes.

PHRF 2 Class is comprised of five J/80s and a J/30 in the 11-boat class.  Currently leading in the top two spots are Phil Dean’s J/80 RUSH with a 1-1 for 2 pts and in second is John Sezer’s J/80 RECKLESS with a 3-2 for 5 pts.  Rounding out the top six are David Schutte’s J/80 TAJ MAHAL in 4th with a 2-8, Richard Demmler’s J/80 TASTES LIKE CHICKEN in 5th with a 7-3, and Derek Storms & Cindy Gosset’s J/30 OUTLAW is sitting in 6th with a 4-8.

Class 4 is the nine-boat J/105 class.  As usual, it is very close racing with three boats tied on 4 points each for the overall lead.  That trio is Chris Phoenix’s JADED with a 3-1, Bucky Rezabek’s RACERS FORMALLY KNOWN AS HERE & NOW with a 1-3, and Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE with a 2-2.  The balance of the top five has Tom Kerr’s CORVO in 4th with a 5-4 and Allen Hughes & Shauna Walgren’s CREATIVE with a 4-6 in 5th place.

In PHRF 6 class, Don Leighton’s J/35 beautifully refinished TAHLEQUAH is sitting in a comfortable 2nd place with a 2-2.  Meanwhile, Stephanie Arnold & Chuck Queen’s J/33 DASH is hanging on to 4th place in PHRF 5 Class with a 3-7.

Tolga Cezik’s J/109 LODOS is the top J in PHRF 7 class, sitting in a tie for 4th place with a 4-6.  Then, in PHRF 8 class, Andy Mack’s J/122 GRACE is sitting in a tie for 4th with a 3-6, while the Dougherty/ Andrews duo on their J/125 HAMACHI is just behind them with a 5-5. Finally, in PHRF 0 “big boat” class, we find Bill Fox sailing the gorgeous navy blue J/160 JAM into 5th place, giving them a 4-5 tally for the series and tied for 4th place.  Not bad for a “cruising/ racing” boat racing against a trio of TP52s, and a custom RP55!  For fabulous photos, check out Jan Anderson’s portfolio here  For more Corinthian YC Seattle Center Sound Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fast Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race

(Santa Barbara, CA)- The prognosis for this year’s Santa Barbara to King Harbor race, hosted by Santa Barbara YC & King Harbor YC, was full of gloom and doom.  NOAA’s weather forecasts were for no wind all day, holes everywhere, but maybe filling in from the south late in the day.  However, as usual, the NOAA models were somehow 100% wrong, again.  The race became a near textbook scenario, a slow build in the morning for sure, but by the time the big boats were rounding Anacapa Island 32nm downstream, the winds were in the northwest 17-19 kts range and by the time the fleet leaders made it across the 10nm dash to Point Dume on the Malibu shoreline, gusts were over 20 kts.  Most fleet leaders then gybed onto starboard tack and headed straight for King Harbor, playing the windshifts towards the end of 45nm section.

For the fastest J’s on the track, the twin J/125s in ULDB C Division, it was a duel to the finish.  Dr Laura Schlessinger’s WARRIOR led at the first turning mark- Anacapa Island- turned left and raced to Point Dume planing most of the way.  Then, gybed onto starboard off that point.  At that stage, Viggo Torbensen’s well-oiled offshore machine- TIMESHAVER- gybed on top of them a few hundred yards to windward, slowly dropped down over WARRIOR, then in front and continued to extend their lead by executing a few slick moves, faster sail changes, and led Dr Laura’s WARRIOR into the finish line. WARRIOR had changed to a Code Zero in the lighter going, but could not change back to the A2 asym fast enough.  As a result, TIMESHAVER crossed the line just 2min 12sec ahead of WARRIOR, taking 2nd and 3rd in class, respectively.  On a PHRF Overall basis, it was so close that TIMESHAVER took 2nd Overall while WARRIOR was 5th Overall.

In the ULDB D Class, Bernie Girod’s J/111 ROCK & ROLL was 2nd (slipping into 4th overall between the J/125s), Kenny Kieding & John Vincent’s J/111 ARGO 3 was third (14th overall), Seth Hall’s J/124 MARISOL was 4th, and Doug & Jack Jorgensen’s J/111 PICOSA was 5th.

The ULDB E Class saw Dan Murphy’s J/105 CUCHULAINN take 5th place, while Doug Stelck’s J/100 JIB & TONIC was 7th.

PHRF A Class had Scott Torrance’s J/124 FORGIVENESS hold on to 5th and Tom & Terri Manok’s POLE DANCER was sixth. PHRF B Class saw Jack Mayer’s J/109 ZEPHYR take 5th in class.  Finally, in PHRF C Class, Fred & Suzanne Cottrell’s J/33 TIGGER take 2nd, Chuck Spear’s J/105 TWELVE BAR BLUES was 5th place, and Tom Hinkle’s J/40 WHITE LIGHT was 6th.  For more Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Whidbey Island Race Week Preview

(Whidbey Island, WA)- An annual right of passage in the Pacific Northwest is to attend what many consider to be the “adult summer sailing camp” of the year- the infamous Whidbey Island Race Week.  It’s not hard to see why it’s so popular with sailors from the state of Washington and the province of British Columbia.  The entire week is predicated on having fun and the social calendar is heavily populated with all kinds of fun events.

That there are twenty-eight J’s racing of 68 boats registered (1/3 the fleet) is a testimonial to the broad popularity of the event. Sailing in PHRF 1 Racing are three J/109s (Ed Pinkham’s JEOPARDY, Tolga Cezik’s LODOS, & Stu Burnell’s TANTIVY), Chris Johnson’s J/120 WITH GRACE, three J/29s (Veli-Juhani Levaho’s AMELIE, Christie Nelson’s SLICK, and Pat Denny’s HERE & NOW), Rex DuPuis’ J/30 GADZOOKS, Jay Pyles’ J/33 DASH, and David & Vernice Cohen’s J/90 EYE & EYE.

The ten-boat J/105 Class includes Tom Kerr’s CORVO, Jerry Diercks’ DELIRIUM, Chris Phoenix’s JADED, Jim Geros’ LAST TANGO, Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE- in other words, the creme’d’la’creme of the Pacific Northwest J/105 fleet.

The J/80 class continues to expand.  This year there will be six boats, including Mike Poole’s JOLLY GREEN, David Schutte’s TAJ MAHAL, Mike Gridley’s CRAY IVAN, and Lek Dimarucot’s UNDERDOG.  Finally, in PHRF 9 Cruising enjoying the festivities will be Steve Kirsch’s J/35C WILDFLOWER.  For more Whidbey Island Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Enjoy Sunny Ted Hood Regatta

(Marblehead, MA)- How nice can sailing possibly be off Marblehead, MA in the summer time?   Sometimes amazing, as was the case this past weekend for the annual Ted Hood Regatta.  Fleets of J/70s, J/105s and PHRF handicap boats enjoyed three days of racing with winds below ten knots, with plenty of sun!

The event was hosted by the trio of famous Marblehead clubs- Boston YC, Eastern YC and Corinthian YC- with each club hosting a circle for the various fleets.

Following on his win in the J/70 Corinthian Nationals at Buzzards Bay Regatta, Brian Keane’s SAVASANA seems to be developing a lot of momentum going into the AUDI J/70 World Championship that starts in a fortnight at YC Costa Smeralda’s facility in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy.

With Stu McNay, USA Olympic 470 sailor and World Champion, as his tactician, Keane’s crew could seem to do no wrong, except for one nearly catastrophic 12th place in the 4th race.  They won five of the seven races to finish with 19 pts and the regatta win!

Hot on their tail all weekend long was Bruce Golison’s crew from California racing MIDLIFE CRISIS- sailing by far the most consistent series in the top five with all finishes in the top 4!  While never winning a race, Golison’s crew ended up with 21 pts for the silver.  Taking the bronze with 23 pts total was Peter Duncan’s high-powered RELATIVE OBSCURITY crew, coming off a 2nd in the J/70 Europeans in the United Kingdom and having won the finale of the ALCATEL J/70 Cup in Italy with all of Europe’s top J/70 sailors competing.  Rounding out the top five were Bruno Pasquinelli’s crew from the Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas in 4th place and Tom Bowen’s REACH AROUND team from Annapolis YC in 5th place.

In the J/70 Corinthians Division, it was Tyler Doyle’s USA 245 that took honors with 60 pts total, followed by Stein Skanne’s SHRED in 2nd with 62 pts and Frank McNamara’s CHINOOK in 3rd with 63 pts- close, eh??  Those results, literally, came down to the last race and the last leg of the regatta!

Meanwhile, in the J/105 one-design class, it looked like it was just about a “walk-in-the-park” for Nicole Breault & Bruce Stone’s GOOD TRADE.  The J/105 team from San Francisco, skippered by Nicole Breault, dominated the Marblehead fleet with a 1-3-5-2-1-1-1 scoreline for 14 points. Her team consisted of Dave Marshall at bow, Halsey Richartz at mast and tactics, Casey Williams at pit and jib trim, Jamie Ewing at main, and co-owner Bruce Stone at spin trim.

The top local team skipperedd by Fred deNapoli on ALLEGRO SEMPLICITA was 13 points behind with 27 points, followed by Matthew Pike and Dave Nelson's GOT QI with 35 points.

Nicole and Bruce are on a roll in the J/105 class, having won three regattas on SF Bay (St Francis YC Spring One Design, SF Bay J/Fest and SF Yacht Club Resin Regatta), plus Cedar Point One-Design, Storm Trysail Block Island Race Week, Buzzards Bay Regatta and now the Ted Hood Regatta- the latter two skippered by Nicole.

Nicole commented on their regatta, ”It was great to get back to Marblehead and its picturesque harbor and its strong racing heritage. I remember coming here to race in the USYRU Bemis championship in the 1980s and the 420 North Americans in the early 1990s.  So, it was fun to return in a big-boat and run into many friends from those years. The hospitality was terrific and we plan to be back in a few years for the J/105 North Americans!”

In the world of PHRF handicap racing, there were plenty of stories to tell and, like their one-design colleagues, many “shoulda-coulda-woulda’s” going around the race track.

In PHRF 1 Class, J/teams dominated the top five overall.  Gary Weisberg’s J/111 HEATWAVE took 2nd, Tom Mager’s J/122 GIGI was 3rd, Ed Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA was 4th, and Ben Chigier’s J/122 ESCAPE VELOCITY was 5th.

In PHRF Class 2, Dan Boyd & Mitch Wiest’s J/109 WILDTHING closed out their regatta with double bullets, wishing they had found that formula earlier in the series.  Nevertheless, they ended up 4th, only 5 points out of first place!  Tough fleet they were in!

PHRF 3 Class saw Ward Blodgett & Liz Smith’s J/33 SIROCCO earn their handicap-racing debut to take second place in class!

Then, in PHRF 4 Class, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the J/24 was none other than Dave Smith’s J/24 AIRODOODLE, dominating with six 1sts in seven races!  Wow, a fast J/24 is forever young!  Peter Pappas’ J/80 AIRPLAY completed J domination of the class, taking second with just 12 pts.  For more Ted Hood Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Record-setting Bayview Mac Race

J/Teams Excel Across Five Divisions!
(Port Huron, MI)- Racing for the 93rd Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race concluded when the last team of 191 to complete the race finished on Monday, July 24. The celebrations, however, continued through Tuesday for more than 5,000 sailors, their family members and friends gathered on the grounds of Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel for a prize giving and party that included live music and the awarding of special trophies as well as Larry Bell’s announcement of a two-year extension of title sponsorship for Bell’s Brewery.

After the start on Saturday, July 22, there were 123 teams competing on the 254 nautical-mile Cove Island course and 82 teams racing on the shorter 204 nm Shore Course. With rain and several storms to encounter, some boats retired, but for most, the race was extraordinarily fast and satisfying, even accounting for one record-breaking performance.

As one sailor noted, this was the fastest “Bayview Mac” they had ever logged, a Volvo 70 set a course record in 21 hours! "We were never off the breeze all the way to Cove Island. I can’t ever remember going upwind (for 140 miles) that long, or getting that wet. Saturday was torrential rain. After getting around Cove Island, it became a fun, fast downwind course. We ran into storms, but thankfully, you could see them coming. They really blasted us, so we took down the spinnaker. Then, the last 15 miles the wind died!”

First to finish in the J/fleet was the J/120 PROOF sailed by Mike Fozo & Robin Kendrick, completing the longer Cove Island course in just over 33 hours.  As a result, PROOF won Class C (all J/120s) quite handily.  Those crew members included Al McNally, Tom Vern, Sara Atkinson, Joshua Mankowski, Bill Miller, Steven Harthorn, Wally Cross, and Brad Restum. Taking 2nd place in class was Henry Mistele’s NIGHT MOVES, with crew of Nancy Kuspa, Steve Falcone, Tom Dawson, Jeff Mueller, Eric Petersen, Cynthia Ross, Kurt Hohn, John & Johnny Hughes, and Peter Siek.  Rounding out the podium in 3rd place was Geoff Brieden & Jeff Clark’s SCOUT with crew of Tom Enders, Brian Francis, Matt Malley, Stephen Beskange, Kevin Lewand, Jerry Bresser, Greg Engels, Brian Wagner.

In Class D was a battle of the 35+ footers in the J/stable, with the J/105s winning on handicap, followed by a gaggle of J/111s and J/109s.  The J/105 crews were tough, sweeping the top two spots and placing 3 of the top 4 in class!  Winning was Mark DenUyl’s GOOD LOOKIN’ with crew of Brennan Churchill, Brock & Bryson DenUyl, Kevin Irland, John Anter, and Ron Churchill.  Taking 2nd place was the Chicago to Mackinac Race winning crew- Mark Symonds’ PTERODACTYL, with crew of Robert Bailey, John Quinlan, Kevin Morin, Michael Morin, Thac Nguyen, and Duane Rose.  Fourth in class was the J/105 WIND SHADOW sailed by skipper Jim Murphy with crew of Daniel Burleson, Dan Gidcumb, Lauri Ellias, Mike Hendrie and Ruth Barrett. Finally, rounding out the top five was Don Hudak’s J/111 CAPERS, with crew of Chad Atzemis, Eric Jackett, George Miller, Todd Imbler, Al Buescher, and Brian Epp.

Class F saw Dick & Dan Synowiec’s J/33 SHENANIGAN take 6th place overall with crew of Chris McCardell, Rob & Ian Reimel, Jody Kjoller, and Brian Smith.

The Level 35 Class G had a record-setting eleven J/35s in the race.  Not surprisingly, the winner was Bill Wildner’s J/35 MR BILL’s WILD RIDE!  For this year’s race, Bill only had along a few crew, such as Colleen Wildner, Jim Kostoff, Tom Kopp, Mike Zanella, Kent Schwandt, John Jamieson, Rob Rabine, Tim Schley and Eric Westen- where do you put all those people on a J/35??  Taking third place was Ed & John Bayer’s J/35 FALCON (Ed became a Grand Ram- 50 years!).  The FALCON crew included Brian Beaudet, Max Merget, Mike Welch, Mary Allen, Fred Blackmer, Ron Rossio, William Blackmer, and Mark Allen.

Finally, in the Class I- Cruising division, Gary Gonzalez’s J/42 DOS MAS won their class with relative ease! Their crew included Ilja Vreeken, Eric Messerly, Mark Pytell, Bill Bishop, Geoff Vernon, Brett Dodds,
Henry & Charles Gonzalez, James Lieder, Lynn Pytell.

Sailing the shorter “Shore Course” that goes from the start and straight up the Michigan shoreline to Mackinac Island were two J/crews. In Class N, Don King’s classic J/30 CONUNDRUM took 4th place, with crew of Mark Elliot, Kevin Meiselbach, Tom Cadotte, Brian Hawkins, and Tyler Johnson.  For more Bayview Mackinac Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Cruz Lake Ontario 300

(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- The eighty-six boat fleet sailing the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by drive.HG started on Saturday July 15th, 2017 with little expectations to finish the race in record time.  In fact, for the 300nm race, it was quite the opposite scenario that was being entertained by the intrepid adventurers on the flooded body of water known as Lake Ontario.

Despite every possible obstacle thrown at them, like a few fronts, no wind, lots of wind and what not, the J/crews prevailed from east to west on their 300nm transit of Lake Ontario. In the end, it was Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN II that placed 2nd in IRC 2 Class.  Then, Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY was 2nd in PHRF 1 Class and Sean Matthews’ J/33 WEE BEASTIE III placed 4th in PHRF 3 class!  For more Lake Ontario 300 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/FEST Great Lakes Preview

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- The first Lake Ontario J/FEST regatta will be held July 21st to 23rd at Ashbridges Bay YC, just west of downtown Toronto, sailing on the beautiful, but way, way too full Lake Ontario!  That has been the big story of the year for sailors on the lake.  As of July 11, almost all of the ABYC docks were above water. The water level is likely to go down by another couple of inches by the regatta weekend and the club was hard at work getting ready to accommodate all competing boats. Most classes will be rafting and a small number of slips will be available for larger boats.

Geoff Moore of North Sails will conduct on-water and on-shore workshops on Friday afternoon and evening. Practice starts on the water and sessions on rules and protest hearings are also planned.

JAUNTY J, a J/88 family speedster, will be on display on Friday July 21 from about 11am to 7pm.  Check out the electric motor, available as standard from J/Boats, enjoy a demo sail, and see what makes this 29 footer such a fun speedster for the whole family!

The inaugural Lake Ontario J/FEST Regatta is off to a great start with forty boats registered and strong fleets of J/105s, J/27s, and J/80s.  Plus, J/33, J/35, J/109, and J/120 crews will be racing in the PHRF division.

With seventeen boats, the J/105 fleet on the lake has turned out in force with most of the top teams from the Toronto region looking forward to a fun weekend of racing and the gracious hospitality of ABYC!  Amongst the top boats are two past J/105 North American Champions; Jim Rathbun’s HEY JUDE and Terry McLaughlin & Rod Wilmer’s MANDATE!  Giving them a good run-for-the-money will be Mike Mountford’s LIVE EDGE, Mike Champman’s SENTIENT, Ian Farquharson’s SONIC BOOM, and Allan Megarry’s STARCROSS.

The J/27s have enjoyed a bit of resurgence on the western end of the lake, seven boats have registered to compete for class honors.  Familiar faces in the top teams include Andrew Riem’s CURVED AIR (a past J/27 NA Champion), Robert Kelly’s LINE DRIVE, Andre Beese’s MESSING ABOUT and Christian Greenfield’s MISS TRIXIE.

Similarly, the six J/80s will enjoy some nice racing, led by their class cheerleader Lawrence Alexander on the mighty JIGGERS!  Chasing them will be Dave Doyle’s INNOCENT BYSTANDER, Owen Schneider’s ENIGMA, and Trudy Murphy’s FEISTY!

In the PHRF class will be a mix of teams from J/24s up to the J/120s.  Those teams include Bob Eckersley’s winning J/109 BLUE STREAK, Murray Gainer’s champion J/109 LIVELY, the two J/120s that are fast offshore (Matt Emerson’s RED LEAF and Graham Toms’ THE CAT CAME BACK), Sean Matthews’ famous J/33 WEE BEASTIE, and four smoking-hot classic masthead J/35s (Paul Cavanaugh’s TOP GUN, Geoff Roulet’s JEANNIE, Chris Cumming’s BATTLEWAGON, & Paul-Angus Bark’s CRIME SCENE).  For more J/Fest Great Lakes sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge Preview

(Annapolis, MD)- When you can fry an egg on deck and your dog won’t even go outside, you know it’s time for Southern Maryland’s saltiest summer regatta: the Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge (SPLC)- a.k.a. “the Screwpile”.  This year it will be sailed over the July 14th to 16th weekend outside the mouth of the Patuxent River in Solomons Island, Maryland. As per usual, race headquarters will be at the Holiday Inn Select.

If you’re new to this scene, first thing you should know is this: it’s a lighthouse, not a bad word. Screwpile-style lighthouses, cottages on stilts that screwed into the mud, once marked shoals up and down the Bay but then didn’t work well for various reasons (ice floes). One is left (Thomas Point). So, the memorable regatta name has roots in Chesapeake history, and those who’ve competed in it over its 24-year history have been known jokingly as Screwpilers.

More than 75 volunteers from host club Southern Maryland Sailing Association (SMSA), the local community, and yacht clubs up and down the Bay contribute to making this annual event a success. SPINSHEET magazine has been an active sponsor for 21 years and will be on the water taking photos, tossing tee shirts to the party crowd for Friday night—SpinSheet night—running our popular tattoo booth, and taking lively party photos that surely you will frame and keep forever.

Newcomers to this regatta should know this: it’s relaxing and fun, so sailors come back. The race committee is filled with top-notch talent, so top competitors come back. Teams come in from as far north as Baltimore and as far south as Virginia Beach.

Dress code? The parties are very fancy. Just kidding. Wear something cool, as it’s always hot. Bad Hawaiian shirts tend to find their way to the Screwpile, so be yourself- there might even be a “Bad Hawaiian shirt contest”! Don’t be shy. Don’t bother shaving; no one else will. Make sure to bring some cash for food, as Mount Gay Rum sponsors this thing, and the rum flows. They sell some nice shirts at the party, too, so come wallet-ready.

As in the past few years, Friday and Sunday will be set up for buoy racing; Saturday will be for the distance race. Cruising class participants will only race Saturday and Sunday on their own course (but they’re welcome to come to SpinSheet night Friday at the party tent).

The event is a popular one for J/sailors on Chesapeake Bay.  Taking part in PHRF A1 Class are two J/111s; Jim Whited’s BAD CAT (a past regatta winner) and also Jim Connelly’s SLUSH FUND.

In PHRF A2 Class, Mark and Robin Witte’s J/105 RAKALL and Dave McCullough’s J/33 DELIRIUM are taking part.

Finally, in PHRF B class, Larry Ray’s J/70 JRAY, Neal McKinney’s J/80 HOMEGROWN, and Dan Shannon’s J/29 THE DOGHOUSE will be vying for class honors.  SPINSHEET Magazine is the official media sponsor- visit them here    For more Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

driveHG.com Lake Ontario 300 Race Preview

(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- The first gun for the eighty-six boat fleet sailing the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by drive.HG is the morning of Saturday July 15th, 2017. At 300nm, it has been one of the longest Great Lakes races and is certainly the longest one sailed on Lake Ontario- it’s basically a start at the western end of the lake, head to the eastern end and back.

With lake levels super high this year, the challenge will be getting to and from the docks for many of the boats at Port Credit YC in Port Credit, Ontario.  A number of J/Crews are up for the challenge.  In the ten boat PHRF Doublehanded class is Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY, a past winner of the race.  In the IRC class of six boats is Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN III; they are taking on some of the hottest big offshore boats on Lake Ontario.  In the twelve boat PHRF Solo class, we find Geoffrey Roulet’s J/35 JEANNIE that he will be racing singlehanded.  Finally, in the thirty-one boat PHRF Class, are Geoff Clarke’s J/105 CASUAL ELEGANCE and Sean Matthew’s J/33 WEE BEASTIE III.  For more Lake Ontario 300 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/92 Crowned Susan Hood Race Winner!

J/Teams Dominate Four Divisions
(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- Congratulations to all the racers who made it out of their own clubs to compete in the “Coolest Race on the Lake”, The Susan Hood Trophy Race. This year provided many obstacles around Lake Ontario just to get boats in the water and sailing (due to abnormally high water levels, but 91 yachts were on the start line Friday, June 3rd to take on the 78 mile overnight challenge.

At the start of the race, winds were looking solid and a tight reach to Burlington was anticipated. Somewhere between the first and the eight starts the winds died and moved west with the lead boats pulling away, creating the largest gap between fleets ever experienced in this race!! With the wind vanishing from the west end of the lake for over half the competitors, a special congratulations goes to all those who had the perseverance to endure and finish the race. In total, 28 yachts withdrew from this year’s Susan Hood Trophy Race!! A record for the race!! Bummer.

Nevertheless, a special congratulation goes to this year’s Susan Hood Trophy Race Champions!  SWITCH, a J/92 skippered by Andrew Sharp from Olcott Yacht Club, finishing with a corrected time of 0:16:19:46.  SWITCH competed in FS-FC 4 and finished with many boats from Division 3, almost a full hour ahead of the next division 4 finisher, which is great sailing.  It is worth noting that according to our records, SWITCH has become the first boat from an American Yacht Club to win the Susan Hood trophy! The SWITCH crew included Doug Folsetter, Zoe Folsetter, Louis Johnson, Maureen Johnson and Ethan Sharp.

Overall, J/teams performed incredibly well.  In the IRC 1 class, Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN II was second, just 5 minutes off from winning on corrected time!  In the PHRF Singlehanded class, Kim Piller’s J/109 LIVE WIRE won overall.  In the PHRF Doublehanded class, Leszek Siek’s J/35 JAEGER also won class by over 45 minutes!  In the PHRF FS-FC 1 class, J/crews were five of the top 7 boats, including Matt Emerson’s J/120 RED LEAF in 2nd, Graham Toms J/120 THE CAT CAME BACK in 3rd, Mike Pietz’s J/35 SHORTHANDED in 4th, Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY in 5th and Paul Cavanaugh’s J/35 TOP GUN in 7th placed.  In PHRF FS-FC 2 class, Denys Jones’ J/109 CARPE VENTUS was 6th place.

Behind Sharp’s J/92 SWITCH in PHRF FS-FC 4 class, it was a complete sweep by J/teams of the top 6!  In second was Geoff Clarke’s J/105 CASUAL ELEGANCE, 3rd was Ed Berkhout’s J/105 ALI-KAT, 4th was Tom Accardo’s SOTTOVENTO, 5th was Sean Matthews J/33 WEE BEASTIE III, and 6th was Peter Wolniak’s J/105 ANOTHER HAZARD. IN PHRF FS-FC 5 class, Wendy Northcotte’s J/30 NORTHCAUGHT placed 4th.  For more Susan Hood Trophy Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.