Awesome Family Sailing on J/35c

(Rochester, NY)- The summer of 2020 was challenging for sailors on Lake Ontario. The Canada/ USA boarder closure prevented cross-lake travel. Many friends were left stranded on their side of the lake.

The area’s Regional Sailing Association (RSA) is Lake Yacht Racing Association that holds an annual regatta. Clubs from Canada and the USA make up the LYRA. Due to Covid restrictions, the usual regatta was cancelled. LYRA organizers instead created a handful of one race events all held on August 1st, both in the US and Canada.

LYRA organized a race from Rochester to Pultneyville and return, approximately 38.0nm. Eighteen boats from Rochester Yacht Club and Genesee Yacht Club participated in the race. BLUE KNIGHT, a 1992 J/35c from Sodus Bay Yacht Club also competed.

BLUE KNIGHT was built for Peter Pape of the Rochester Yacht Club. In 1994, Peter met Hank Stuart and the two began a lifelong friendship centered on racing BLUE KNIGHT on Lake Ontario. They also traveled with their team to events outside of the US, including Antigua Race Week in 1995.

The pinnacle of their efforts was Lake Ontario Boat of the Year honor in 2002, which offered them a chance to represent US Sailing Area E at the 2003 US Sailing Offshore National Championships (the Lloyd Phoenix Trophy) at the US Naval Academy. They won! The first and only time so far that Area E has won the national title.

The team was mixed, four men and four women. Hank Stuart (skipper), Mary Stuart, Mark Sertl, Annemarie Cook, Michael and Kristin Carbone, Michele Villani and Peter Pape. US Naval Academy Midshipman Evan Scott completed the crew.

The following summer 2004, BLUE KNIGHT was again named Lake Ontario Boat of the Year. In the years since she has continued to have a fun and successful cruising/racing career on Lake Ontario.

While not having raced as much in the past three or four years, the team dusted off their sunglasses and made their way to Rochester for the LYRA race on August 1, 2020.

The race started in a light southeasterly breeze, which persistently clocked to the right. By afternoon the northeast thermal had filled in and the fleet was hard on the wind for the leg to Pultneyville.

Once around the turning mark it was a reach, then run back to the bar at Rochester YC. BLUE KNIGHT had not lost her stride, she won her class and was best in fleet. The crew during COVID times was small, including Hank Stuart (skipper, now owner), Annemarie Cook, Michael and Kristin Carbone, their daughter Makyala, and Peter Pape.

The J/35c is an easily-sailed cruiser-racer. Both Hank and Peter commented on the balance between comfortable shorthanded sailing and a hull design that is easy to feel and make necessary adjustments for maximum efficiency while racing.

For most of the 2020 summer, Hank sailed BLUE KNIGHT singlehanded. But, don’t think that means he did not fly the spinnaker, because he did! 

Thanks for this story from Hank Stuart. Hank is a member at Sodus Bay Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club, St Francis Yacht Club, Bayview Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, Oswego Yacht Club and is Commodore of the Rochester Corinthian Yacht Club. When not sailing he provides race management services to sailors around the world. He is an International Race Officer. J/Boats sailors would have seen Hank most recently as PRO for the J/70 World Championship.

We wish BLUE KNIGHT continued success on the race course and fair winds wherever she goes cruising with family and friends.  For more J/35c sailboat information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Edgartown Regatta Announcement

(Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA)- The Edgartown Yacht Club’s Big Boat Racing Committee is excited to get started with the 2020 sailing season. The team has been working exceptionally hard over the past nine months to enhance Edgartown Race Weekend for this year, and future years, and is excited to welcome sailors to Martha’s Vineyard this summer.


While Edgartown YC unfortunately had to cancel the buoy racing segment of Edgartown Race Weekend, we will still be hosting the signature event - ‘Round-the-Island (“RTI”) Race on August 1, in addition to the shorter ‘Round-the-Sound Race the same day.


Despite the current situation, registration numbers are robust, drawing teams from all over the East Coast who see ‘RTI as the kick-off to the 2020 racing season. Remember, this is a 60.0nm race that rivals any in the world; such as Round Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom, Round Jamestown in Narragansett Bay, Round Hong Kong in China, or Sweden's Gotland Runt race midsummer. 


The entire team is looking forward to good racing this summer. Sailing Photo Credits- Stephen Cloutier. Learn more about the Edgartown Regatta here. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/111 New England PHRF Champion @ Buzzards Bay

(South Dartmouth, MA)- The Beverly Yacht Club and New Bedford Yacht Club hosted their annual Buzzards Bay Regatta this past weekend with 13 fleets of boats on 7 circles, over 200 boats and 1,000+ sailors!

Winning the seven-boat J/80 Class was Dan Cooney’s AMERICAN PRAYER with six bullets in their seven-race scoreline.  However, behind them it was a real battle all weekend-long between Peter d’Anjou’s LE TIGRE and Jim Shachoy’s PEARLY BAKER.  That fight for the silver came down to the final race, with LE TIGRE holding on to a 3rd place, while Shachoy’s crew finished 4th; LE TIGRE taking the silver by 1.5 pts.

Winning the PHRF New England Racing A division was Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0, counting an impressive record of five 1sts for a total of 5 pts net.  Two J/109s finished 4th and 5th, respectively, Cory Eaves’ FREEDOM and Dan Boyd’s WILD THING.

J/Crews led a near sweep of the PHRF NE Racing B Division.  Winning was Mark Lindquist’s J/105 STERLING with 6 pts in five races.  Second was Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST with 8 pts, fourth was Mary Schmitt’s J/105 HARDTACK with 14.5 pts, and fifth position went to Massachusetts Maritimes J/105 BOUNTY with 18 pts.

In the PHRF New England Championship- Cruising Division- Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA took the silver with a consistent scoreline of 2-4-2-3-3 for 10 pts net.  For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

HIJINKS J/88 Great Lakes Champion

FM J/70 Lake Ontario Top Dog!
(Youngstown, NY)- The Youngstown YC hosted yet another awesome CanAm Challenge Regatta on western Lake Ontario this past weekend.  The fun and games included an “impromptu” (but, fiercely fought) street hockey game along the waterfront parking lot between Canadian and American sailing teams; bragging rights for North American supremacy again go to the Canadians with a 2-1 victory!

Perhaps the consolation prize goes to the Americans for winning the principal J/one-design classes- the J/70s and J/88s.

After eleven races, it was quite apparent who was going to become the 2018 J/88 Great Lakes Champion.  By winning the first three races and closing the last day with a 1-1-2, Laura Weyler’s HIJINKS had a seemingly unassailable control over their 88 colleagues in terms of tactics and speed.  Their record was six 1sts and four 2nds for just 14 pts net!  A distant second, like in the next county, was Tim Finkle’s SEAWEED, winning the fight for the silver in a nail-biting, anxiety-ridden final race over Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION.  The women skippers are sailing fast in the 88’s, as Cindy Goodin’s QUIXY took 4th and Tim Sweet’s Canadian crew on GIVE’R was fifth.

Also sailing an amazing eleven races over three days was the largest class in the event, the dozen-boat J/70 class.  Tod Sackett’s FM crew sailed the most consistently, posting all podium finishes as his counters to win with 19 pts.  The balance of the podium was determined by a tie-breaker at 24 pts each, with Travis Odenbach’s USA 40 winning the countback over Kevin Morgan’s WILD CARD.

As anticipated, the duel in the J/22 class of a half-dozen boats would come down to Vic Snyder’s MO’MONEY and Mark Sertl’s MONEY FOR NOTHING, the outcome poetically determined by tie-breaker on 8 pts each!  Snyder’s crew got the win based on the most 1sts.  Third was Trevor Collins’ ALTERNATIVE GIRLFRIEND team from Canada.

In the world of PHRF handicap racing, the PHRF 1 Spinnaker saw the two J/35s finish next to each other; 3rd was CRIME SCENE (Paul Angus Bark) and 4th LOYALIST (Andrew Koolman).  In PHRF 2 Spinnaker, the J/80 LIFTED (Ed Berkhout) was 2nd and the J/24 SQUIRMY (Alex O’Brien) was 3rd. In PHRF 1- Non-spinnaker, Doug Clarke’s J/35C won the class, with Jocelyn Sikorski’s J/34 SOUND WAVE in third.  Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes 2017. For more J/88 Great Lakes and CanAm Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/88 Great Lakes & CanAm Regatta Preview

(Youngstown, NY)- The Youngstown YC will be again hosting one of the most enjoyable regattas in western Lake Ontario. The fun and games include an “impromptu” (but, very serious) hockey game along the waterfront parking lot between Canadian and American sailing teams; bragging rights for North American supremacy in this department has flipped back and forth over time. Nevertheless, the sailing offshore just east of the famous Niagara Falls is every bit as intense and, perhaps even more fun on the water!

The event features the J/88 Great Lakes Championship as well as one-design classes for J/22s, J/70s, and a fleet of PHRF handicap racing sailboats.

The seven boat J/88 Great Lakes includes an unprecedented three woman skippers leading top teams that could easily sweep the leaderboard, which is how good their performances have been in the past. In no particular order, those woman skippers include Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, Laura Weyler’s HIJINKS, and Cindy Goodin’s QUIXY.

With a half-dozen boats in the J/22 class, the racing will be tight, but watch for the leaderboard to include Mark Sertl’s MONEY FOR NOTHING and Vic Snyder’s MO’MONEY.

The largest fleet in the event is the dozen boats sailing the J/70 class. For sure the leading crews include the famous Travis Odenbach leading his USA 40 crew as well as Tod Sackett’s FM. There will be four Canadians taking on the Americans, hoping to bring on an upset of epic proportions; such as Rick Veale’s EL JEFE, Rich Jones’ MAVERICK, and Mark Wolff’s JAM.

In the world of PHRF handicap racing, the PHRF Spinnaker division includes two of those potent PHRF weapons- the J/35s CRIME SCENE (Paul Angus Bark) and LOYALIST (Andrew Koolman). They will be joined by the J/124 FUTURES (John Reinhold), the J/80 LIFTED (Ed Berkhout), and the J/24 SQUIRMY (Alex O’Brien). In addition, the PHRF Non-Spinnaker division includes the J/35C ROGUE WAVE (Doug Clarke) and the J/34 SOUND WAVE (Fred White). For more J/88 Great Lakes and CanAm Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Blakely Rock Benefit Race Report

(Seattle, WA)- The race is dedicated to the loving memory of Carol Pearl.  Carol was a Sloop Tavern YC member for 39 years.  She was a two-term past Commodore, a very active board member, the club historian, champion, mentor, friend and she was involved in organizing the Blakely Rock Benefit Race for as long as anyone can remember.

Many sailing teams from across the northwest participated in the event, many of them being J/Boats owners. In the PHRF Class 5, Mike Poole’s J/80 JOLLY GREEN took second place, while Leo Morales’ J/27 WIZARD took the bronze. Even better yet, Ulf George Gwildis’ J/30 IMPULSIVE landed the fourth position and Dennis Clark’s J/27 “63” was fifth.

In Class 7, Pat Denny’s J/29 HERE & NOW, a long-time winner in her class in the Pacific NW, took the silver.  Class 8 was dominated by the J/105s.  Winning was Tom Kerr’s CORVO, followed by Chuck Stephens’ PANIC in second and Jim Geros’ LAST TANGO and Jon Aitcheson’s MOOSE UNKNOWN tied for 5th place.

Class 9 saw Natalie Pryde’s J/92S take fourth place. Then, in Class 11, it was Don & George Leighton’s J/35 TAHLEQUAH that took 2nd and Kirk & Nill Fraser’s J/109 ECLIPSE took fourth.

In the wildly disparate Class 12, Ken Jones’ J/120 WITH GRACE took 2nd, while Andy Mack’s J/122 GRACE placed third. Finally, in Class 13, Shawn Dougherty’s J/125 HAMACHI won her class over many of the Pacific Northwest’s best offshore teams.  For more Blakely Rock Benefit Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

USA Wins CanAm Challenge!

(Youngstown, NY)- In addition to the J/88 North American’s, the CanAm Challenge Regatta hosted the J/70 Lake Ontario Championship as well as one-design classes for J/22s and PHRF handicap racing boats.  An overall perpetual prize was awarded to the USA that topped rival Canada based on the high-point scoring system!  Note, that included street hockey madness!!

Winner of the J/70 Lake Ontario Championship after eleven races scored was John Newell’s JUNIOR with 24 pts total, counting mostly top three finishes.  Taking second with mostly top five finishes was Tod Sackett’s FM, they were also Corinthians Division winners.  Then, third place went to Paul Cannon’s MAXIMON and also securing 2nd in Corinthians!  Rounding out the top five was Scott Weakley’s Canadian crew on REX, followed by Justin Hyas & Ben Zahradnik’s REVEILLE in 5th place.  Third Corinthians was Rick Pfarr’s LITTLE RASCAL.

The ten-boat J/22 class saw Alfonso Bringas’ crew on NORTH SAILS win by a comfortable margin of six points. Second was famous local sailor, Cory Sertl’s LUCH with 26 pts.  Just two points back in third was Vic Snyder’s infamous MO’MONEY with 28 pts.  Tied on points with them, but settling for 4th place was John Huebschmann’s ESCAPE.  Fifth place was none other than a relaxed J/22 NA’s winner, Chris Doyle on the JUGE 4 1!!

In the PHRF handicap racing world, the six boat PHRF 1 Spin class saw a clean sweep by four J/Teams!!  Yes, the odds were stacked against that outcome, but they did it!!  Winning was the Canadian crew on Andrew Koolman’s J/35 LOYALIST.  Second was yet another J/35- Paul-Angus Bark’s CRIME SCENE.  Third place went to Ed Berkhout’s J/105 ALI KAT and 4th position to John Reinhold’s J/124 FUTURES!!

In the PHRF 1 Non Spin class, Doug Clarke’s J/35C ROGUE WAVE took 2nd place. And, in PHRF 2 Spin it was Rick Sherk’s J/24 BAD HABITS winning class!!  For more CanAm Challenge Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Brilliant, Epic, CYC Round Island Race!

(Jamestown, RI)- Imagine the scenario.  For about a week, a tropical disturbance lovingly called “Hermione” (after the famous heroine in the Harry Potter series of books/ movies), slowly meandered its way from the western Sahara in Africa, across the Caribbean, wandered around the Gulf of Mexico, then strolled towards the northeastern USA shoreline (the most populous and wealthiest 400nm stretch of real estate on the planet), often acting like a drunken sailor- truly meandering and walking in circles without a definitive mission in mind, other than to annoy sailors in New England!  The forecast kept changing for days and with Monster Storm Sandy as a recent nightmare to forget (which shut down New York City), many people were experiencing anxiety attacks (e.g. they were freakin’ out!). For the Labor Day weekend in New England, the forecasts ranged from a full-blown hurricane to nothing other than a mild tropical disturbance blowing 15-30 kts. In the end, little “Hermione” ended up being a 22-day weather event for most in the northeast with a somewhat benign impact, other than lots of rain.

Waking up Sunday morning, no one could believe what they saw!  Blessed with NE winds of 15-25 kts, clear, sunny, with torn-cotton clouds racing across the skies, the fleet of 65 intrepid adventurers (out of the original 96 boats registered!) congregated in front of Conanicut YC, looking forward to a counter-clockwise blast around Narragansett Bay- easily one of the most popular races run all year long in New England.

The start was off the CYC starting line, just south of the Newport Bridge.  The first mark to windward was a starboard-tack favored beat of 5.1nm. Then, the fleet turned left at Can #3 going to Can #5 at the northern tip of Conanicut Island (about 1.8nm), then a super-fast 9.5nm planing reach from Can #5 to Beavertail Bell off the southern tip of the island, then a 4.0nm beat against a ripping 1.5-2.0 kts current, clawing around the Dumplings Bell for a last left turn to the finish, a fetch on starboard of 1.25nm.  No matter how you looked at it, it was going to be a hugely favored big-boat race for the overall finishes!

“I’ve wondered all week if we would actually be able to do a race on Sunday,” said Conanicut YC RC Chairman Alan Baines.  “However, everything turned out all right and the fleet started in a breezy northeasterly wind, heading up East Passage, and around the top of the island before flying downwind down the West Passage of Narragansett Bay. Rounding Beavertail Point, competitors experienced enormous swells, before beating back up the Bay to the finish off Conanicut Yacht Club.”

Overall, J/Teams did quite well.  For starters, it was an amazing performance by a number of J/Crews. The first two boats around Beavertail Bell (15nm into the race!) were the J/35C SUGAREE sailed by Jim Cornwall and Dennis Nixon’s J/29 LYNX! Fourth boat was Suzy Leech’s amazing team on her J/70 JUNKANOO!  Leech commented, “this was the most amazing Round Island Race ever!!  The weather was just unbelievably perfect! Sunny. Windy, gusting to 25 kts plus! Planing for 9 miles down the Bay’s western passage, wow! We even crashed twice (massively), with me swimming in a monster broach (Stu J fell on the tiller)! Loved my crew- Stu & Julia J and Joey B!”

In the end, the top J/crew overall on corrected time was the Sertl family from Jamestown- Katja, Mark and Cory sailing with J/22 World Champion Mike Marshall aboard their boat LUCY! They won the J/22 class and placed 6th overall!  Quite an accomplishment in a very “big boat” favored race.  Taking second in the J/22s was Neil McDermott’s KONA and third was Bill Porter’s CONUNDRUM.  As a result of their amazing performance, the Sertl Family were awarded the Robert MacLeod Rear Commodore Trophy (Day-sailer, Fastest corrected time)!

Second J/crew overall was Ms Leech’s team on her J/70 JUNKANOO- with Stu & Julia Johnstone on bow & superstar Joe Bardenheier on mainsheet/go fast.  After a somewhat slow start, their J/70 caught the leading J/22 at Dutch Harbor Island, then flew down to Beavertail Bell, rounded the mark in monster waves from the latent Hurricane Hermione, and fought their way home with the rest of the fleet against an ebb tide to the finish.  As just 7th boat to finish in the entire fleet of 65 boats, JUNKANOO won the J/70 one-design class and took 16th overall (just two crashes and 8 minutes corrected from the overall win!).  Second in the J/70 class was Gordon Fletcher’s GIJIMA from Wickford YC and third was Chris Murray’s LUCKY from Ida Lewis YC.

Winning PHRF B Division was Dennis Nixon’s J/29 LYNX from CYC with Jim Cornwall’s J/35C SUGAREE taking second place! Continuing the winning theme for J/teams was Mike Hill’s J/24 OBSTREPEROUS from Ida Lewis YC, winning PHRF E Division with Matt Coughlin’s J/24 RISKY BUSINESS in 2nd, Marc Holdwaway’s J/24 MUTINOUS DOGS in 4th, and Dan Borsutsky’s J/30 VOLADOR in 7th.

In PHRF F Division, Paul Grimes’ family crew on the J/35 BREAKAWAY was fourth place.  Then, in PHRF G Division, John Sahagian’s J/109 PICANTE took third overall.  Four J/crews sailed PHRF H Division, with Sean Doyle’s J/105 KESTREL taking 2nd, followed by Doug Newhouse’s J/88 YONDER in 4th, and EC Helme’s J/92 SPIRIT in 6th place.  Sailing photo credits- Cate Brown  For more Conanicut YC Round Island Race sailing information

J/Sailors Lovin’ Edgartown Round Island!

(Edgartown, MA)— Edgartown Yacht Club’s three-day Edgartown Race Weekend proved to be a solid test for the mix of friends-and-family teams who raced side-by-side with high-profile racers during two days of inshore ‘Round-the-Buoy Races that were followed by the ‘Round-the-Island Race.   Weather conditions ran the gamut from sunshine and a nine-12 knot southwesterly breeze on day one, to drenching rain and blustery conditions on day two, and, finally, light air for the start of the 57-mile race around Martha’s Vineyard.

As one sailor described the racing, “we really liked the event, we got a little bit of everything except for heavy air. Every wind angle and some areas with a lot of current and some areas with no current, so we always had a different strategy depending on where we were. We were able to do many sail changes which was great practice, along with sets and douses which is exactly what we need to work on. The wind shifts made us work quickly and we had to be spot on.  Since this was a long race for us, I really believe it was it was a great team bonding experience, which was awesome.  Edgartown Yacht Club welcomed us in with open arms, and we can't wait to do it next year!”

The event organizers expanded the awards for the ‘Round-the-Island Race to recognize the first through third-place finishers, on corrected time, amongst all J/Boats in all classes. With a strong turnout of sixteen boats, Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0, placed first among all J/Boats, followed by Eliot Shanabrook of Watertown, Mass., on the J/109 HAFA ADAI, and Stephen McManus of Annapolis, Md., on the J/120 ‎SAYKADOO.

In general, J/Teams sailed quite well in the classic Edgartown Round Island Race.  In Class 4 PHRF A, taking 2nd was the J/111 WICKED 2.0 (Douglas Curtiss from New Bedford YC), third the J/120 SAYKADOO (Stephen McManus of Annapolis Yacht Club), fifth the J/120 APRES (Stephen Beese) and ninth the J/120 KINDRED SPIRITS (Butch Joy).

J/Crews nearly swept Class 5 PHRF B. Winning was the J/109 HAFA ADAI (Eliot Shanabrook of Marblehead Yacht Club), third was the J/109 RAPTOR (Ed Dailey from Beverly Yacht Club), fourth was the J/105 DARK’N’STORMY (sailed by the trio of Joyce/ Reservitz/ Wagner), fifth was the J/105 PRIMA (Chris Raymond) and sixth was Matt Schmitt’s J/105 HARDTACK.

J/Teams swept the top two spots in Class 6 PHRF C.  Winning was the J/29 SEEFEST (Ira Perry from New Bedford YC) and second was Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA from Beverly YC.

Finally, in the Class 7 PHRF White Sails class, it was Kent Nicholas’ J/42 PANASWA from Red Brook Harbor YC in fourth place and Wesley McMichael’s J/44 BALLYHOO from Beverly YC in fifth place.  For more Edgartown Race Weekend sailing information

Edgartown Round Island Race- J/Boats Fleet Trophies!

(Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard)- This past week, Clare Harrington, Charlie Hodge and Hal Findlay- the Edgartown Race Week Chairs- announced that, “We are delighted at the robust J/Boat participation in the Edgartown 'Round-the-Island Race for 2016.  As a result, we will recognize and honor these yachts by presenting trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place on corrected time amongst all the J/Boats in all classes.  We hope that this will encourage and entice even more of the owners of J/Boats to participate in this classic circumnavigation of Martha's Vineyard race, now and in the future!”  Like many of the world’s epic “round island races”, the blast around Martha’s Vineyard Island ranks amongst one of the most challenging anywhere and is about the same distance as the famous JP Morgan Round Island Race of the Isle of Wight- the origin of the infamous 100 Guinea Cup that was won by the yacht America skippered by Charlie Barr and a crew of mostly professionals from Scandinavia (historical footnote- that was the basis for the America’s Cup as we know it today!).

Why not sail America’s version of that famous race around beautiful Martha’s Vineyard?  The challenges are every bit as crazy as you round various points, bluffs, tidal races and gorgeous beaches resplendent with dozens of gorgeous Hollywood A-list celebrities hanging out in teenie-weenie-bikinis!

No question, one of the ten best weekends of the year, especially if you live in New England, is upon us.  Often, we’ve dreamt of these days while shoveling mounds of snow or paying the heating bill.  For sailors, especially, who look to combine competition with great camaraderie, there is no better way to spend one of these precious weekends than competing in Edgartown Yacht Club’s Edgartown Race Weekend, which offers the option of racing ‘Round-the-Buoys (Thursday and Friday, July 28-29) or ‘Round-the-Island (Saturday, July 30), or both.

First held in 1938, Edgartown Yacht Club’s ’Round the Island Race was inspired by a similar, albeit shorter, race around the Isle of Wight in England.  With staggered starts by class (IRC, ORC, PHRF-NE Classic, One-Design, Multihull and Double-Handed) the fleet leaves Edgartown Harbor on a 54.7 mile course that takes it over Nantucket Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and Vineyard Sound, sailing past seven lighthouses while circumnavigating, clockwise, the 100 square mile island of Martha’s Vineyard.

For Massachusetts resident Steve Dahill, who races his J/35C RIVA out of both Beverly Yacht Club (Marion) and Constitution Yacht Club (Boston) and has been participating in the ’Round-the-Island Race for six years, there are numerous reasons to make room for this event on his summer calendar:

“There is the beauty of racing around all the sights of Martha’s Vineyard from the gentle slopes and beaches of Wasque, to the cliffs at Squibnocket, to the iconic rounding at Devils Bridge and Aquinnah.  Then, there’s great competition from boats we don't always see in our local club - from Nantucket, to Boston and the North Shore, from Newport and beyond - a real nice mix and we've met new friends. It also doesn't get more competitive or compelling, racing that far in one day is a marathon for most of us club racers and for many it is a goal that we think about and plan for all year. It’s also an opportunity to race against the best. Seeing George David’s Rambler rush by (in 2014) or the TP52s squeaking upwind with their pro teams- it’s right out of SAIL or Sailing World magazines. Can the average golfer tee off with Jason Day? No, but at the Round-the-Island Race you can be neck-and-neck with the best local and pro teams.”

Edgartown Yacht Club’s Edgartown Race Weekend starts with the two-day Round-the-Buoy Races, which are entry free and open to boats racing with a PHRF, ORC, IRC or CRF rating. The Friday night “Jump-Up” sponsored by Mount Gay is held at Edgartown Yacht Club and follows the ’Round-the-Buoy awards presentations for winners of each day as well as overall for both days.  Saturday’s Round Island Race is open to IRC, ORC, PHRF-NE (including spinnaker and non-spinnaker divisions), classic, one-design, multihull and double-handed boats. The Round Island awards ceremony is on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. at Edgartown Yacht Club.

In the PHRF Round Buoy series, we find Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0 from New Bedford YC up against Stephen McManus’s J/120 SAYKADOO from Annapolis YC.  Then, in the Round Island Race, there’s a “yuge” fleet racing for class honors in the twenty-two boat PHRF Racing Class, including the above mentioned teams plus Jim Maseiro’s J/122 URSUS MARITIMUS, Dick Egan’s gorgeous J/46 WINGS, Butch Joy’s J/120 KINDRED SPIRITS, Stephen Besse’s J/120 APRES, Ed Dailey’s J/109 RAPTOR, Eliot Shanabrook’s J/109 HAFA ADAI, Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST, and Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA.  Sailing twenty-boat PHRF Non-Spinnaker will be Wesley McMichael’s J/44 BALLYHOO and Kent Nicholas’ J/42 PANASEA.  For more Round-the-Island Race sailing information

J/Crews Winners In Swiftsure Race!

(Victoria, BC, Canada)- Smooth seas and decent winds made for nearly ideal conditions as the 73rd annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race wrapped up Sunday last weekend. The prestigious event, a qualifier for the annual Vic-Maui International race in July, featured 206 boats racing through five courses.

“Swiftsure was great this year-- remarkably enough. We had good winds at the start, though they became light on and off. When there was wind, it wasn’t rough seas, though, so you could really get the boat going,” said Swiftsure Chairman Vern Burkhardt. “There weren’t any records set, but the sailors came back with smiles on their faces.”

In the marquee race, the Swiftsure Lightship Classic, a 138-nautical mile (256 kilometer) course — the oldest and most prestigious annual race in the Pacific Northwest, it was anything but a “cake-walk” for the top boats. Nevertheless, it was a veteran offshore racing crew that won the ORC Division- the J/109 MOUNTAIN skippered by Reed Bernhard and his fun-loving crew from the awesomely laid-back Sloop Tavern YC.

In the new Hein Bank Race of 118.1nm, essentially a “big boat race”, it was Tom Huseby’s J/145 DOUBLE TAKE from Seattle YC that took fifth in class followed by Bill Fox’s Gig Harbor YC team on the J/160 JAM in sixth place.

The 101.9nm Cape Flattery Race was a good event for the leading J/crews across the spectrum of performance.  On an overall classification in the 60-boat division, the top team was John Murkowski’s Seattle YC crew on the new J/122E JOY RIDE, taking home the bronze against several ultra-hot crews from across the Pacific Northwest.  Just fourteen minutes behind them on corrected time was Greg Slyngstad’s J/125 giant-slayer, HAMACHI, from Corinthian YC Seattle in fourth position.  Taking sixth was Ron Holbrook’s J/133 CONSTELLATION from Corinthian YC Tacoma.

On a class basis, the J/Teams smoked in PHRF L2 Division, sweeping the top three positions and took home 9 of the top 11 places!!  Winning was Jim Prentice’s J/109 DIVA, followed in second by Tom Sitar’s J/109 SERENDIPITY- notable for the fact it was Canadian crews taking the top two places.  In third was Bob Brunius’ J/120 TIME BANDIT, fourth another J/120- Kirk Palmer’s LIGHTSCOUT, and sixth was Duncan Stamper’s J/35 MOONLIGHT MILE.  To round out the top eleven, Mark Hansen’s J/109 MOJO was 9th, George Leighton’s J/35 TAHLEQUAH was 10th and Mike Picco’s J/120 WILD BLUE was 11th.

Like their PHRF L2 colleagues, the J/105s in PHRF L3 took seven of the top ten overall!  Second was Jim Geros’ LAST TANGO, third was Doug Schenk’s FREE BOWL OF SOUP, fourth was Scott Shaw-Mac’s NATURAL HIGH, fifth was Ed Wilder’s AVALANCHE, seventh was Chuck Stephens’ PANIC, eighth was Doug Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT and in tenth was Ulf Gerog Gwildis’ J/30 IMPULSIVE!  Quite an impressive showing!

Having an equally strong performance in the 78.7nm Juan de Fuca Race were several other notable performances from J/crews.  Taking second in class was Peter McComb’s J/109 TIPPY, just 7 minutes off the pace to win the entire race overall!  Third in class was Adrian King-Harris’ crew on the J/33 “J” only 11 minutes further back on handicap pace.  Finally, taking a respectable 10th place in the large class was Walt Meagher’s J/35 SUNSHINE GIRL.  In the Juan de Fuca HC Division, John Simpkin’s J/32 BLUE JAY managed an 8th in class while John Tulip’s J/35c IRENE II sailed home in 12th.

In the Inshore Flying Sails division, Tom Kerr’s famously fast J/33 CORVO took fourth in class over the 8nm course, starting at 0940 hours and finishing by 1230 hours, just in time for a massive champagne celebration brunch on the lawn at Royal Victoria YC!   Sailing photo credits- Art Box Events   Follow the Swiftsure Race social activities here   For more Swiftsure Race sailing information

The Swiftsure Race Preview

(Victoria, BC, Canada)- It’s a testament to an event, the Swiftsure International Yacht Race, and a sport, sailboat racing, that has been changing in ways that have allowed more people to become involved in recent years and stay interested.  Swiftsure began in 1930. Since then, it has been halted only by major world calamities, the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Second World War. So, this year will be the 73rd running of Swiftsure.

Its most prestigious event, the Swiftsure Lightship Classic, is 138.2nm (256 km) from Clover Point out to the Swiftsure Banks near the entrance of Juan de Fuca Strait. It’s named for the former lightship, a floating lighthouse, the US Coast Guard once anchored at the entrance of the strait as a navigation aid.  The Swiftsure Lightship Classic offers some of the best, worst and trickiest conditions all in one race in one fairly wide stretch of ocean, all to be undertaken in two full days.

The Juan de Fuca Strait is bordered by the Olympic Mountains to the south and Vancouver Island to the north. And these land formations create a geographic funnel to channel wind and squeeze the air mass into a tighter space. So, the wind coming in from the Pacific will speed up as it moves farther into the strait.  This speeding wind makes for an especially tricky turn, often in the dark, as returning boats swing past a narrow neck near Race Rocks, off Metchosin, BC to head north into the finish in Victoria Harbour.

But, the Swiftsure event also offers racers choices of other starts and courses. There’s the 101.9nm Cape Flattery Race, the Juan de Fuca Race at 78.7nm, and added last year was the Hein Bank Race, 118.1nm.  There is even the Swiftsure Inshore Classic, a short trip designed to get sailors into Cadboro Bay in time for supper.

Charlotte Gann, Swiftsure spokeswoman, sailor and member of a family that has had an entrant in Swiftsure every year since it began, agreed. Gann said sailors vary in their competitive levels, their skills and their boats. To make sure everybody can have a good race, it’s important to offer courses to suit. It also helps keep the event fresh, giving entrants a chance to switch from year to year.  She said the race had a high point for entrants in 1981 when it reached 441 boats, but steadily declined afterwards. A low point was reached in 2011 when 152 boats entered.

However, those numbers are rebounding, with 199 last year, and Gann said registration is on track to top 200 this year.  She also credits what she calls a modern “culture of safety” bred by Swiftsure chairman Vern Burkhardt since he took over in 2012.  People now feel confident when they enter. They can push hard on themselves and their craft, but the best safety and rescue measures are built in.  “A cornerstone of Swiftsure is our safety culture,” Gann said. “It’s very high.”  Agencies including the Canadian Coast Guard, the US Coast Guard, US Homeland Security, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy will be standing by for the race.

HMCS Whitehorse will fire the starting guns for the various races. It will then motor off to take a position on Swiftsure Bank standing in for the original lightship (thanks for contribution from Richard Watts- Times Colonist in Victoria, BC)

How & Where to Watch Swiftsure Race starts?
Go to Clover Point on Dallas Road about 8 AM. The race starts at 0900 hrs, Saturday, May 28. There's a pancake breakfast, blessing of the fleet by Songhees & Esquimalt elders, live commentary and RCAF Search & Rescue demonstration.  Then, follow the fleet in real-time on the Swiftsure Race Tracker.

Swiftsure Yacht Race Announces Own Brand of Beer!
The Swiftsure Race is thrilled to announce our own brand of beer! That's right! “Spinnakers SWIFTSURE Session Ale” has been custom brewed for the Swiftsure Race by our uber cool sponsor, Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub. We're not sure, but we think we may be the only race in the history of yacht racing to have a beer named after them. Now, how cool is that!? Look for the label in the Swiftsure Tent and check the website here.

Dozens of J/Teams Participating!
There are 34 J/Teams entered (17% of the fleet) in this year’s Swiftsure events, by far the largest sailboat brand participating (and, maybe the largest numbers of J entries ever!).  The only team sailing the original race- the Swiftsure Lightship Classic- is Reed Bernhard’s J/109 MOUNTAIN from Sloop Tavern YC.  Sailing in the Hein Bank Race under ORC handicap rule are the two big J’s- John McPhail’s J/160 JAM and Tom Huseby’s J/145 DOUBLE TAKE.

The largest contingent of J’s are sailing the Cape Flattery Race, with 20 boats participating in three classes.  In Class L1, the biggest, fastest rides are Tom Kelly’s J/122 ANAM CARA, fresh off their fight up the coast in the Oregon Offshore Race (report below), John Murkowski’s pretty new J/122E JOY RIDE, Greg Slyngstad’s lightning-quick J/125 HAMACHI and Ron Holbrook’s J/133 CONSTELLATION.  Class L2 is loaded with good boats that include J120s, J/109s and J/35s (in fact, there are seven J/35s across three races!).  Bob Brunius’ J/120 TIME BANDIT will look to repeat their good performance in the Oregon Offshore and will have to contend with two J/120 colleagues- Kirk Palmer’s LIGHT SCOUT and Mike Picco’s WILD BLUE.  The two J/109s are Mark Hansen’s MOJO and Tom Sitar’s SERENDIPITY.  The four J/35s are Jim Prentice’s DIVA, Don Leighton’s TAHLEQUAH, Jaso Vannice’s ALTAIR, and John Vassallo’s MOONLIGHT MILE.  Several leading J/105s are packed into the L3 Class, including recent Oregon Offshore winners, FREE BOWL OF SOUP skippered by Doug Schenk.  Doing battle with them will be Jim Geros’ LAST TANGO, Chuck Stephen’s PANIC, Doug Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT, and Ed Wilder’s AVALANCHE.  Don’t be surprised if two well-prepared J/30s give them a run-for-the-money, like Scott Shaw-Mac’s NATURAL HIGH or Ulf Georg Gwildis’ IMPULSIVE.

Nine J/crews are participating in the Juan de Fuca Race across three divisions.  The cruising J’s are in H1 class, John Simpkin’s J/32 BLUE JAY and John Tulip’s J/35c IRENE II.  At the top of L1 Class is Peter McComb’s J/109 TIPPY.  They will chased hard by a number of good crews, including Walt Meagher’s J/35 SUNSHINE GIRL, two J/33s- Adrian King-Harris’ “J” and MC Marciniak’s PRESTO, Alan Ip’s J/29 GODZILLA and two J/30s- Geoff Wolf’s CONRAD J and Theo Singellis’ TAKU.

Finally, happy to just spend a weekend sailing are those sailing in the Inshore Flying Sails division, two J/35s- Ed Pinkham’s JEOPARDY and Bob McClinton’s INTREPID and Tom Kerr’s famously fast J/33 CORVO!    Follow the Swiftsure Race social activities here on Facebook   For more Swiftsure Race sailing information

Race 2 Straits Preview

(Seattle, WA)- Rock stars of the Puget Sound offshore short-handed sailing world are congregating for the infamous Sloop Tavern YC annual Race to the Straits Regatta.  It is a weekend-long affair that starts on Saturday and heads north.  Finishers are treated to a massive celebration (party!) at the finish line that often goes well into the wee hours of the evening (morning!) for some.  Then, as everyone doubles-down on their coffee and their brain cells, they then head back down south from whence they came!  It is surely a recipe for a lot of fun, many memories, and, hopefully, not too many twists, disasters, and inappropriate takedowns!

Thirty-six J/Teams are entered! That’s 27% of the 134 entries!  And, they will all be looking forward to the weather forecast that promises a mix of conditions both days- so far the forecast shows upwind against the current on Saturday and downwind against the current on Sunday!

A massive J/105 fleet is partaking in the racing and festivities.  With a one-design start for nine teams, it will be an epic battle to work up the shore to get out of the current!  Many of the top boats will be in the fight, including DELIRIUM (Paul Henderson/ Ramona Barber), JADED (Bianco/ Barron), LAAST TANGO (Jim Geros), DULCINEA (Matthew-Gardner Brown) and JUBILEE (Kathryn Meyer).  In fact, three of the teams are also participating in the “Jack & Jill” division for mixed teams.

The big boat division will be tough, as it will include several top offshore boats in the Seattle fleet.  Hoping to claim at least line honors will be the J/125 HAMACHI (Fritz Lanzinger), but they will have a number of experienced teams thirsting for that first day “uphill” tactical nightmare, like the two J/122s- JOYRIDE (John Murkowski) and GRACE (Andy & Jaime Mack); the J/44 ASYLUM (Kyle Caldwell); and the two J/109s- TANTIVY (Stu Burnell) and MOUNTAIN (Reed Bernhard).

In the classic cruiser group are two J/35c’s- WILDFLOWER (Tom Mitchell) and SHADOWFAX (David Jade); the J/36 MONKEYBONES (Shawn Dougherty); the J/37c MERRY MAKER (Bill?); the J/35 SOLUTION (Tyson Varosyan); and the J/33 CORVO (Tom Kerr & Serhad).

Finally, in the small cruiser racer group is likely to be three J/80s- UNDERDOG (Lek Dimarucott), TAJ MAHAL (David Schutte), & JOLLY GREEN (Mike Poole); three J/29s- PLAN R (Paul Hanson), RUBY (Jessica Aguilar), & HERE & NOW (Patrick Denney); four J/30s- IMPULSIVE (Ulf & George Gwildis), CONRAD J (Adrien Felon), SLINGSHOT (Cameron Gaskill), & TAKU (Theo Singelis); two J/27s- WIZARD (Leo Morales) & NUMBER LXIII (Dennis?); and a lone J/24- FLYER (Scott Galbraith).   For more Sloop Tavern YC Race To The Straits sailing information

J/Teams Cruise Southern Straits Race

(Vancouver, BC, Canada)- “The 48th Annual Southern Straits Race, hosted by the West Vancouver Yacht Club, was basically a “cruise” up and down the Straits.  While the winds were definitely on the lighter side, the fleet had a spectacular spinnaker start for the 2nd year running, with “HMCS Orioles” magnificent sail drawing an audible gasp from the crowd gathered on the shore as the breeze filled in,” commented Sonia Telford, the 2016 Southern Straits Race Chair.

She goes on to say that, “The rain held off until the last few hours of the race as the wind filled in to bring the last racers across the Finish Line. Competitors remarked that they saw more sea life on the course (dolphins, sea lions, killer whales and a massive grey whale) then they have ever seen before.

A total of 83 boats competed on the four courses offered, with the last 3 competitors sailing on the Medium and Long Course right until the final minutes of the race.

Thank you to the WVYC Staff and 108 Volunteers that have put their heart and soul into this amazing weekend of sailing!”

The 138nm race takes place in the Southern Strait of Georgia Race over the Easter weekend. There are three turning marks, the race starts at the Point Grey Bell buoy, the first mark is Entrance Island, the second is a lighted buoy 1.5 miles south of Pt. Roberts, third mark is White Islets, and the finish is at Passage Island. It has become a popular race for the Pacific Northwest offshore sailing fraternity.

John McPhail’s mighty blue J/160 JAM from Gig Harbor YC took home the silver in Division 2, rounding the track in 44:01:51.  Just behind them in their first major offshore race ever was Bron Miller’s brand new J/122E JOY RIDE from Seattle YC; finishing the race in 45:42:33 and taking third place.

In Division 4, sailing the 98.1nm Medium distance race, was Bob Brunius’ J/120 TIME BANDIT, easily eclipsing their class with an elapsed time of 36:44:40 and winning on corrected time by 87 minutes!  As was told to HM Queen of England after the Americans won the 100 Guinea Cup, “there was no second, Your Highness!”

Mimicking their 120 colleagues were the J/109s in Division 5 on the same Medium Distance track.  Winning class was Jim Prentice’s J/109 DIVA with a course time of 37:18:09, winning by an hour corrected time.  In fourth place was Mark Hansen’s MOGO and in fifth place was Tom Sitar’s SERENDIPITY.

The sole J/crew on the Short Course of 66.4nm was John Tulip’s J/35C IRENE II, taking sixth in Division 8.  For more Southern Straits Race sailing information