Climactic Antigua Sailing Week!

J/39 Sir LORD JIM Crowned “Big Banana”!
(English Harbour, Antigua) – The penultimate day of racing at the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week was held in near perfect conditions off the south coast of Antigua. The Caribbean surf and sea state had moderated in comparison to the start of the regatta, but the strength of the competition was undiminished. Apart from the Club Class, all classes have now completed six races or more, kicking in the discard rule which has caused yet another shuffle in the overall standings. The intensity of the racing at Antigua Sailing Week is confirmed by a single fact; in CSA 7, Sir Bobby Velasquez’s L’Esperance and Byerley & Sir Robbie Ferron’s J/39 LORD JIM/ MICRON 99, both from St. Maarten, will settle the duel on the regattas finale.

Cary Lee Byerley, co-skipper of the J/39 LORD JIM/ MICRON 99 reported: “It was a long sail out to Standfast, where Bobby (Velasquez) and Carlo (Falcone) got away from us. We caught back up on the reach and looked like we were back in the game for the first part of the downwind leg, but it was not to be as Bobby got the win and we got second. So now, our trusty knights have to battle it out in the final race. Sir Bobby has 8 points, while Sir Robbie has 9.5. Wish us luck; we need it if we are going to beat Bobby as his boat is very fast.”

After a great day on the water, there was plenty going on for teams once ashore. During a lively daily prize-giving held at the historic Nelson’s Dockyard, a press conference was taking place for visiting international and local media at the beautifully restored 1783 Clarence House, just across the water. Callaloo Cay announced they are donning a prestigious new brand name – the Waldorf Astoria– for their next chapter as a premier luxury destination.

Later in the evening at Clarence House, competitors and some of the legendary Antigua Sailing Week veteran sailors were invited to celebrate the next 50 years of Antigua Sailing Week at a very special function sponsored by Callaloo Cay – The Lord Nelson Cocktail & Party.

The finale for the 50th Antigua Sailing Week produced absolutely classic trade wind conditions, serving up one last helping of awesome yacht racing. There were some shocking results.  In CSA 7, Ferron & Byerley’s J/39 Micron 99 Lord Jim needed to make up a 1.5 point deficit to Sir Bobbie Velasquez’s L’Esperance to win CSA 7. Effectively, Micron 99 Lord Jim had to win the last race and hope L’Esperance was third or lower – and their dreams came true!! Micron 99 Lord Jim won the last race by just two seconds with L’Esperance third by just 24 seconds!!  Wow, what a cliff-hanger to the very, very end of the regatta!

Winning the “Big Banana Trophy” for Best Caribbean Yacht and the “Grant Thornton Trophy” for Best Boat Overall in CSA 7-9 was Cary Byerley and Sir Robbie Ferron’s J/39 Micron 99 Lord Jim from St. Maarten. The team had to overcome a 1.5 point deficit in the last race to their long-term rivals, Sir Bobby Velasquez and his St. Maarten team racing L’Esperance. They went on to achieve victory by just two seconds!

“Two seconds and half a point; shockingly dramatic,” commented Sir Robbie Ferron. “I could never believe it would be that close. In all my years, I have never won a regatta like that and I doubt if anyone else has. For the last three years, I have been racing against Bobbie in many regattas and we have always just missed out. I have great respect for him so we have a great respect for one another. Reflecting on how Antigua Sailing Week had evolved, this regatta has done the right things for the competitors, and it is getting the appropriate response. Sailors are enjoying the experience and that is why it has such a great turnout and I believe that the momentum will continue beyond the 50th regatta.”

In CSA 4 Racing Class, local knowledge was playing itself out amongst the many top crews in the hotly contested class.  Many top boats accustomed to garnering top three podium finishes in prior Caribbean regattas were noticeably absent; such was “the locals factor”.  Nevertheless, Doug Ayres’ charted the famous J/122 EL OCASO and his Team Skylark sailed a very consistent series to pull off a 4th place.  Next best J/crew were the UK/Australian crew on the J/133 JINGS with David Ballantyne, finishing 9th in class.

Similarly, in CSA 6 Racing class, the top J/crews could only muster a 5th (Peter Lewis’ J/105 WHISTLER from Barbados) and a 6th (David Cullen’s J/109 POCKET ROCKET from St Barths).

And then, the final party was played out by the amazing Antiguan band, Asher Otto & Itchy Feet.  In the end, 152 teams from 28 nations sailed the 50th Antigua Sailing Week from around the world.  Fourteen European countries were represented, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Russia and Switzerland.  At least ten Caribbean island nations participated, including Antigua, Saint Maarten, St Barths, Puerto Rico, St Thomas USVI, Tortola BVI, Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique, and Jamaica.  And, from the “America’s”, there were teams from Canada, USA, Mexico and Argentina.   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com
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Antigua Sailing Week Beach Party Break Report

(English Harbour, Antigua) – With full blown trade winds piping up to 20 knots in the gusts, the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week got off to a lively start for English Harbour Rum Race Day 1. The majority of the CSA Racing division was racing off Shirley Heights; spectators lined the lookout high above the race course and there was plenty of high-octane action to enjoy. Boats and sailors from 33 different countries have come to Antigua Sailing Week and today’s amazing weather conditions are one of the big attractions; solid breeze delivering boat speed fast enough to surf in warm blue Caribbean surf.

Blasting through the swell, today’s closest victory was in CSA 8. After CSA time correction, Tanner Jones’ J/30, Caribbean Alliance Insurance was the winner by just 21 seconds and all three podium places were filled by Antiguan boats.

Antigua Yacht Club was the venue for the English Harbour Rum daily prize giving with plenty of Antigua Sailing Week’s favourite rum to savor. After a full-on day of racing in paradise, over 1,000 sailors packed the Antigua Yacht Club lawn for the daily prize giving. Live music was provided by 1761° and they don’t play to empty dance floors, so the party lasted well into the night.

Day Two- Trades Pumping at Antigua Sailing Week
The second day of racing at the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week was blessed with awesome conditions, easterly trade winds pumping solid breeze over the cliffs and through the bays on the stunning south coast of Antigua. Add bright sunshine and the infamous Antiguan sea state and you have a sweet and spicy cocktail to savor. The majority of the 150-strong fleet got a double helping of racing in paradise today with two races, testing the boat handling and mettle of the competitors.

Ten teams remain unbeaten, but the devil is in the details and a close-up look at the results reveals incredibly tight racing throughout the fleet.

Robbie Ferron, co-skipper of Micron 99 Lord Jim has been coming to Antigua Sailing Week since 1982: “For me Antigua Sailing Week has become really special again. It has always been a great event and it is capturing the essence of what Caribbean regattas should be all about. A lot of great communication with participants has highlighted the need for sailors to socialize after racing. These daily prize giving’s are great for that and we are thoroughly enjoying the regatta.”

Ashore, there was no shortage of entertainment. Today’s race sponsor, Fever-Tree was generous in its support, serving delicious cocktails and after the Prize Giving, DJ Alan got the party started before a live set from Rico & Muzik 4 Play Band entertained the crowded party well into the evening.

Day Three- Hotting Up On D’Island
The third day was once again blessed with glorious conditions. Squally pewter skies cleared shortly after the first warning gun and the breeze slowly woke up as the skies cleared, touching 17 knots at times. Ten teams went out to the race course unbeaten, but only three returned with their perfect score intact after some intense racing; hotter than jerk chicken!

The big boat CSA classes were treated to long windward leeward courses off the spectacular cliffs on the south coast of Antigua. The bareboats and smaller CSA classes raced in more sheltered conditions off Rendezvous Beach with short sharp legs testing boat handling skills and boat-on-boat tactics. Two races were held for the majority of the 150 yachts racing.

The closest race today was Race 4 in CSA 4.  Now lying second in the class is Douglas Ayres’ American J/122 Team Skylark/ EL OCASO.

In CSA 7, just half a point behind their long-time rivals, also from St. Maarten, is Byerley & Ferron’s J/39 MICRON 99 LORD JIM.

In CSA 8, the class lead has changed hands every day; now sitting in third place is Tanner Jones’ J/30 CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE.

Wednesday night is the big entertainment night at Antigua. Internationally-acclaimed reggae artiste, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, the youngest son of Bob Marley, is set to headline the eighth edition of “Reggae in the Park,” live in Nelson’s Dockyard. Over 4,000 party-goers are expecting a phenomenal performance from the Grammy award-winning artist when he takes the stage.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 3rd May is Lay Day Beach Party. The ultimate Caribbean beach party kicks off at Pigeon Point Beach at noon. The grills fire up from mid-day with top entertainment from DJs, live music and some crazy beach games.

152 teams from 28 nations are racing at Antigua Sailing Week from around the world.  Fourteen European countries are well-represented, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Russia and Switzerland.  At least ten Caribbean island nations are on the starting line, including Antigua, Saint Maarten, St Barths, Puerto Rico, St Thomas USVI, Tortola BVI, Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique, and Jamaica.  And, from the “America’s”, there are teams from Canada, USA, Mexico and Argentina.   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com   For more Antigua Sailing Week information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Epic Fleet for Antigua Sailing Week

(English Harbour, Antigua) – A staggering number of sailors from around the world are descending on the Caribbean island of Antigua to celebrate the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week. Over 150 teams racing on a huge variety of yachts will make this year’s event the biggest for many years. After the Guadeloupe to Antigua Race on Friday, April 28 and Saturday’s Peters & May Round Antigua Race, Antigua Sailing Week will begin on Sunday April 30.

About 1,500 competitors from 32 countries will enjoy five days of world-class racing, preceded by the Guadeloupe to Antigua Race and the Peters & May Round Antigua Race. Thousands more will join in the party celebrations, with seven beach days and party nights, including internationally acclaimed Damian Marley heading an all-star line-up for “Reggae in the Park” in the historic Nelson’s Dockyard.

For five days crews are challenged with a variety of coastal race courses (54 choices in all!) that encourage tacking duels around the buoys – all in the picture-perfect setting of the deep blue Caribbean Sea off Antigua’s south coast with the ever-present trade winds. The idyllic racing is enhanced by sailors retiring to Antigua Yacht Club for passionate post-race analysis and daily prize-givings that carry on into the evening.

152 teams from 28 nations are racing at Antigua Sailing Week from around the world.  Fourteen European countries are well-represented, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Russia and Switzerland.  At least ten Caribbean island nations will be on the starting line, including Antigua, Saint Maarten, St Barths, Puerto Rico, St Thomas USVI, Tortola BVI, Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique, and Jamaica.  And, from the “America’s”, there are teams from Canada, USA, Mexico and Argentina.

J/Teams have a United Nations flavor to them, with ten J’s (about 11% of the 94 CSA Class keelboats) hailing from Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean!

In the fourteen-boat CSA 4 Class, the on-going battle between the fleet-leading J/122s will continue- a drama-filled experience for both Pamala Baldwin’s LIQUID from Jolly Harbour YC in St Johns, Antigua and for Bob Hiller’s crew on EL OCASO from Lake Geneva YC in the American Midwest.  In their last encounter, Baldwin’s LIQUID team got the upper hand on EL OCASO, taking 2nd in Les Voiles de St Barths with EL OCASO 3rd.  Their biggest threat comes from a “new kid on the block”, an insanely experienced team on David Ballantyne’s J/133 JINGS/ JINGAROOS, a crew that hails from Cowes, England and have a lot of RORC offshore racing and Solent around-the-cans experience.  Fighting to stay in the hunt will be two J/120s, Ben Jelic’s JAGUAR from St Maarten and Tom Hawker’s SUNSET from Royal Victoria YC in British Columbia, Canada.

The ten-boat CSA 6 Class has two J/109s sailing that had flashes of brilliance at Les Voiles de St Barths.  Both boats are from St Barths, Sophie Olivaud’s ALBACOR IV and David Cullen’s POCKET ROCKET.  They will be up against a hot local J/105 from Barbados YC, Peter Lewis’ WHISTLER.

The J/39 MICRON 99 OSSENFEFFER, sailed by Robbie Ferron from St Maarten YC, will be taking on the eight-boat CSA 7 fleet.  And, a famous Antiguan team lead by Tanner Jones from Jolly Harbour YC will be racing their equally famous J/30 BLUE PETER/ CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE against a dozen boats in CSA 8 class.

Interestingly, many sailors making a long journey to the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week will be from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The ten Australian crew racing the J/133, JINGS/ JINGAROOS have notched up 22 Sydney Hobart Yacht Races between them!!

“We are coming to Antigua to redeem the most coveted item on our collective sailing bucket list – Antigua Sailing Week!” explains ‘Aussie Jings’ Headsail Trimmer, Jasmine Hogg. “It is everyone’s first time here and I had no problem in persuading the motley crew to make the trip for my big birthday. We are all absolutely thrilled to be taking part.”

With Antigua Sailing Week celebrating 50 years, it is also of great importance to be looking forward, as well as remembering the past, hence this year’s mantra: Old Traditions, New Ways. Sailing is now a part of the school curriculum in Antigua & Barbuda and many young Antiguan sailors will be participating this year, racing with their heroes, but also learning how to win by themselves.   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com  For more Antigua Sailing Week information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

St Maarten Heineken Regatta Preview

(Phillipsburg, St Maarten)- The first of the signature Caribbean winter regattas will be taking place from March 2nd to 5th off the port of Phillipsburg, St Maarten in the Dutch Antilles.  Over 100 yachts will be competing in the CSA rating classes; J/Teams are experiencing a significant uptick in participation in four CSA classes.  It is not altogether surprising that attendance is up across the board as the regatta organizers have done an amazing job to ensure that on-water sailing is a challenge for all and, just as importantly, the onshore social festivities are simply off-the-charts!  Many of the Caribbean’s top musicians are featured in evening concerts sponsored by HEINEKEN.

You have to look no further than the line-up of top J/Teams in CSA 2 Racing class to find the crème-de-la-crème in the Caribbean circuit.  With two J/122s, J/120s and a top J/111, the racing will be fast & furious amongst these alpha dogs on the random course circuits offshore.  Coming back to hopefully defend a class win in previous years is the J/122 EL OCASO, this time skippered by Bob Hillier and friends from the USA.  Their stablemate, the J/122 LIQUID will feature her owner/skipper Pamala Baldwin from Antigua YC.  Amongst the J/120s, local Ben Jelic will be guiding JAGUAR around the track in hopes of maintaining pace with the J/122s.  Performance Yacht Racing UK has chartered the J/120 SUNSET with a mixed team from the United Kingdom.  Finally, the potential giant-killer in the class is one of the smaller boats, Sam Talbot’s J/111 SPIKE- a team with J/111 Worlds experience and a team that has learned how to sail their boat much faster.

While the competition amongst the J/crews in CSA 2 Racing class will be ferocious, it looks like Robbie Ferron’s beautifully restored J/39 MICRON will have CSA 4 Racing class all to themselves to fight for J/Boat honors!

Like their colleagues in CSA 2 Racing, the CSA 5 Racing Class looks to be loaded with talent.  Six J/crews will be charging the starting line and mark roundings hard to maintain a fine edge over their friendly foes.  At the top of the class are two J/109s from the island of St Barths, including David Cullen’s POCKET ROCKET and Sophie Olivaud’s ALBACOR IV.  Chasing them hard will be three J/105s, all sailed by top-notch crews from the Americas and the Caribbean.  It’s a formidable cast in the 105s alone; all of them have won something in either J/105 one-design class racing or offshore!  That ensemble includes VUJA DE (Remoc Van Dortmondt from Curacao), WHISTLER (Peter Lewis from Georgetown, Barbados), and SOLSTICE (Jordan Mindich from Long Island Sound, New York).  The real sleeper in this class will be Rob Butler’s J/88 TOUCH2PLAY RACING from Ontario, Canada (they are a top 3 team on the J/88 national one-design racing circuit).

Finally, in CSA 6 Racing Class, one of the Caribbean’s most famous 30-footers has to be the Antiguan crew on the J/30 BLUE PETER/ CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE- she will be skippered Shari & Tanner.  Over time, this J/30 has won or placed in her class over a dozen times in events like Antigua Sailing Week and Heineken St Maarten!  For more Heineken St Maarten Regatta information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Great Sailing @ Cleveland Race Week!

J/Teams Sweep Three PHRF Divisions
(Cleveland, OH)- Like they did the weekend before, the Edgewater YC rolled out the red carpet and did a fantastic job of hosting the “Offshore CRW” this past weekend.  The regatta was blessed with four good days of racing with winds ranging from 4 to 20 kts from a variety of directions.  The format was made fun for everyone, mixing up “random leg” offshore buoy racing with finish lines on the inner harbor just outside the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Brown’s football stadium along Cleveland’s picturesque waterfront.  The weekend finished with two days of windward-leeward course, providing each team a chance to demonstrate their knowledge and diversity sailing both offshore and around-the-cans races.

The regatta started off on Thursday with spectacular weather.  After racing, the Edgewater YC hosted their infamous “Ragin' Cajun party,” where they served up spicy, spicy gumbo with Tito's Vodka and Regatta Ginger Beer- a helluva concoction known as an “American Mule” (a.k.a.- it does give you a kick in the proverbial booty!).  On that note, everyone seemed to enjoy the camaraderie and no matter how many American Mules were served, it was pretty clear that a number of J/crews were going to knock it out of the park out on the water!

Exhibit number one- the J/111s swept the podium in PHRC C Class!  Rob Ruhlman’s J/111 SPACEMAN SPIFF was 1st, followed by Don Hudak’s CAPERS in 2nd and Jeff Davis & Bob Knestrick’s SHAMROCK in 3rd.  Fourth was the beautifully restored J/39 BLACK SEAL sailed by Seth & Kevin Young.  Tim Yanda’s J/120 VIVA LA VIDA was 6th in class.

J/Teams nearly pulled off the same scenario in PHRF D class.  Winning was Paul Matthews’ J/35 WHITEHAWK with Mark Saffell’s J/36 PAINKILLER in 3rd place.

PHRF E Class saw David Koski’s J/109 USA 77 win class counting just straight bullets in six races!  Second was the duo of Doug Moose & Jim Sminchak racing the brand new J/88 SPACEMAN SPIFF.  Chris Mallett’s J/109 SYNCHRONICITY took 5th place, while Charles & Andrew Drumm’s J/100 D2 took 6th position.

It was an all J/gangsta’s affair in PHRF F class, made up of three J/29s, two J/34 IORs and one J/70!  Quite an eclectic mix of new and old designs from three different decades!  In the end, Brett Langolf’s J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP won class counting all 1sts in their six races that counted (one toss was permitted).  Second was yet another J/34 IOR boat, Dave Krotseng’s BONAFIDE.  Third was Cindy & Tom Einhouse’s J/29 OVATION, followed by John Zelli’s J/70 FREE ENERGY in fourth and Aarne Lillo’s J/29 AQUARIUS in fifth position.

Finally, in PHRF G class, Rich Galaska’s J/30 BREEZIN’ took third position, managing to win the first race of the regatta along the way!

In the J/105 class, Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE won convincingly, posting six bullets for a final tally of 6 pts.  Sailing fast, but not fast enough to catch FALL LINE, was Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED, settling for 2nd with 11 pts and Jim Uhlir’s TRIO finished third.   Sailing photo credits- Dave Mathias/ Reaching Leg Photo.   For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information

J/122 EL OCASO Crushes Antigua Sailing Week

J/11S SLEEPER Cruises CSA Racing 4
(English Harbour, Antigua)- Yet another wonderfully laid back, but hotly contested Antigua Sailing Week is in the record books.  An event noted for its eclectic atmosphere, amazing social calendar on-shore with fantastic musical acts and “partaaays”, and simply off-the-charts amazing sailing conditions just about every day.  Remember, the secret in the Caribbean for having the most breeze, the most consistently, is to sail as late in the season as possible- that’s when the heavy trade winds start to build in April/ May and when board sailors/ kite surfers migrate down to the Caribbean to their favorite “hot spots” for steady 15-25 kts days, every day!

One of those teams that enjoyed the 2016 weather was Jonty Layfield’s J/11S SLEEPER.  As they slowly wind-up their new-found toy to go faster and faster, they are proving to their colleagues that it can go just as fast with an equally eclectic crew!  Her is Layfield’s description of his Antigua Sailing Week crew this year:

“We are starting sailing week, first race today with a scratch crew of all sorts of people, all with little or no race experience. Most are mainly picked up from around the bars and local schools. We have 4 young Antiguan's, Shannoy, 8, Morrison, 14, Joshua 16 and Vincent just 16 (he is a learning the bow and is doing a great job), a Spanish lady, a French guy (who is cruising around the world), a Bulgarian who speaks very little English, a young girl called Emma, Mario (Antiguan local), who has just started sailing, Vic and me! Crazy? Perhaps. I think it will be an interesting week!”  As you will learn, shortly, the rest of the world was probably crazier by half!

Day 1
Hundreds of spectators watched the start of racing for Antigua Sailing Week from the Shirley Heights Breakfast Party and from the Half Moon Bay spectator boats, but none of them got as good a view as the curious whale that lined up in the pre-start area with the racing fleet. Warm air, 14 knots of breeze and a moderate sea state provided glorious conditions for the first day of racing sponsored by English Harbour 5 Year Old Rum. Three of the seven classes racing under the CSA Rule were just as hot as the weather, with seconds deciding the winners.

Jonty Layfield racing Antiguan J/11S SLEEPER corrected out to win Race 1 in CSA 4 by just 11 seconds from Jim Hightower’s Texan King 40, Hot Ticket.

In CSA 5, British yachts filled the podium for the first race of the day. Chris Body’s team racing the J/122 EL OCASO corrected out to win CSA 4 by just 36 seconds from Sir Richard Matthews’ Grand Soleil 43, Team Oystercatcher– Quokka.  EL OCASO won the second race of the day by a healthy margin. Pamala Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID from Antigua Yacht Club broke through the British dominance with a second in the last race by just 13 seconds from Team Oystercatcher– Quokka. EL OCASO’s perfect score had the team leading the class, with Baldwin’s LIQUID ending the day in third place.

“The highlight today was three minutes to the first start, a huge whale longer than the boat, pops up just ten feet from the boat. As we were heading for the start, we didn’t have a camera on deck but it must have been at least 50ft. You don’t see that in the Solent,” said Chris Body of EL OCASO. “It must have been an omen because we went on to win both races. We had to pull all the stops out today and I have to say it was a memorable day, especially as we were sailing with four family members.”

As the sun set on the first day of racing, Antiguan ‘swunk’ (Swing-Funk) band, The Sound Citizens, fired up their guitars, drums, organ, saxophone and anything else within reach. The band delivered a high energy stage show that lit the blue touch paper and the party went on into the evening. There will be a few sore bodies going out for the second day of racing for the 49th edition of Antigua Sailing Week.

Race Day 2
The CSA Racing division enjoyed spectacular windward leeward courses on the south coast of Antigua for the third day of Antigua Sailing Week. The rush to gain the upwind advantage from lifting pressure along the rocky shoreline caused some spectacular pin end punch-ups. Rock hopping upwind past the iconic Pillars of Hercules, the fleet enjoyed classic Antigua Sailing Week racing. The flurry of spinnakers returning to the start area was testing for the crews and the gusty conditions with occasional surfing waves was the key to gaining top placed finishes.

Chris Body’s J/122 EL OCASO was undefeated after three days of racing.

It was the big party night at Antigua Sailing Week and Jamaican roots reggae sensation Luciano was the headline act on the main stage in Nelson’s Dockyard. The Johnnie Walker Your World & Mine Concert also featured home-grown Antiguan talent: Soca Diva, Claudette Peters and R&B and Soca star Tian Winter with Cheeze Kake Factory and M&M Music.

Wednesday, 27 April was the famous Presidente Lay Day Beach Party. With no formal racing the next day, thousands of Antiguans, sailors and visitors partied long into the night.

Race Day 3
Antigua Sailing Week burst back into action after Presidente Lay Day with some terrific rock and roll action off the South Coast of Antigua. The trade winds were back with 16 knots from the southeast, piping up to full-on foam up in 20-knot gusts. Brilliant blue skies with warm Caribbean water and a two-meter swell; these are the conditions that any sailor wants to experience and over a 1,000 salt encrusted yachties were grinning from ear-to-ear after a wicked day of racing.

Chris Body’s J/122 EL OCASO lost their winning streak in CSA 5, placing fifth and third in today’s races. Clearly, the El Presidente Lay Day got to this crew, still suffering from post-rum depression! As a result, EL OCASO needed a top four finish on the last day to be sure of winning CSA 5.

The action in CSA 4 was red hot, with just four points separating the top four teams. Jim Hightower’s Texan King 40, Hot Ticket found it tough going against the lighter displacement yachts in the class today, resulting in two fourth places. In fourth place for the class is Jonty Layfield’s Antiguan J11s SLEEPER, which was top boat of the class for the day with a win and a second. SLEEPER was just four points off the lead after that performance

Race Day 4
Classic trade wind conditions prevailed for the final day of Antigua Sailing Week, serving up one last helping of awesome yacht racing. 15 knots from the southeast with a significant sea state delivered challenging conditions for the yachts. Going into the last day, the winners of many of the 11 classes were still in the balance, and for those teams that had already guaranteed class victory; there were other prizes to win. Nineteen teams were competing for the Royal Southern Yacht Club Inter-Yacht Club Challenge and there were many other awards still to be decided, including the big one – the winner of the Lord Nelson Trophy.

Winning CSA 5 was the J/122 EL OCASO, a former Lord Nelson Trophy winner at Antigua Sailing Week that was chartered to Chris Body who raced with his wife Caroline and their two daughters, plus friends from the UK.

“It has been a fantastic time. Caroline and I came to Antigua 25 years ago and we decided it was time to come back with our daughters and experience Antigua Sailing Week for the first time, and it has been absolutely marvelous. The morale of the crew has been a big part of that. We thought towards the end of the week that we might have a chance of the overall win, but to win our class is what we came here to do. All credit to Sir Richard Matthews and his crew on Team Oystercatcher – Quokka as we had to sail really hard to get the class win and the results don’t show how hard that was,” said Chris Body.

Jonty Layfield’s J/11S SLEEPER had easily the best record in their class for the last five races, but it was not enough to overcome their twin 6th place finishes in races 4 & 5 to win class. Instead, they still finished “in the chocolates” and took a hard-earned 3rd place in CSA Racing 4 class against a rogue’s gallery of full-on racing boats like a King 40, Ker 37, Melges 32, Stimson 42 and Pogo 50.

In CSA Racing 7 class, it was an excellent showing by Remco van Dortmondt’s J/35 SUNBELT REALTY- DASH to win their last race and take third overall in class!  Classmate MICRON 99- OSSENFEFFER, a J/39 sailed by famous local Robbie Ferron, was a class leader until they had to retire for the last three races.  Despite their “no show” in those races, they still managed a 6th overall. Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com.   For more Antigua Sailing Week sailing information

Antigua Sailing Week Preview

(English Harbour, Antigua)- Antigua Sailing Week started in 1968 when a group of friends got together to hold a regatta.  A number of the friends were hoteliers and part of their objective in creating the regatta was to extend the winter season by getting people to stay in Antigua a little longer – or to come specifically to participate in the event that would in turn extend the end of the current season.

Therefore, in 1968, the Antigua Hotel Association sponsored the very first Antigua Sailing Week that was held from the 8th through the 15th of June with participating boats from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.  Festivities included a three-day ‘Lord Nelson Regatta’ with sailing yachts of up to 135-feet in length, power boat races, deep-sea fishing and Sunfish sailing contests.  There was also a two-day race among Antigua’s workboat fishermen whose boats had been freshly painted in bold Caribbean colors specifically for the event.

The Antiguan Government and Antigua Sailing Week Committee went to great lengths to welcome visitors and ensure they had a good time.  For those not on the water but looking for a way to be part of the action, there were beach and verandah parties from which the events could be observed.  Then, there was the truly infamous final awards party taking place in Nelson’s Dockyard with the Lord Nelson Costume Ball held on Saturday, June 15, 1968.

The inaugural Antigua Sailing Week was such a huge success that it was repeated for the following 47 years. The dates eventually changed and it became tradition for Antigua Sailing Week to officially begin on the last Sunday in April every year.

Recognized as one of the best sailing locations in the world, Antigua is bracing itself for an influx of sailors and yachts from at least 22 two different countries. The largest number of yachts by country will be Great Britain joined by crews from Antigua, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, St. Maarten, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad and the United States of America. Over 1,000 sailors will be making the journey to the mecca of Caribbean sailing for a week of superb racing and fantastic parties.

A full week of racing starts on Sunday, April 24 and concludes Friday, April 29. Racing takes place around laid marks and point-to-point courses in the world famous sailing grounds off the south coast of Antigua. Daily prize givings are held at the Presidente Beer Garden at Antigua Yacht Club, which provide great opportunities for sailors to meet other teams. The Final Awards Presentation and after party is held in the historic surroundings of Nelson’s Dockyard. Wednesday, 27 April is the Presidente Lay Day Beach Party with fun and games on Pigeon Beach.

The regatta has always attracted the big entries, and this year’s current list includes 28 competing yachts at 50 feet and over. The entry list is bristling with proven winners including 2016 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta winner EL OCASO, the J/122 sailed by Rick Wesslund’s team from Miami.  For Antigua, EL OCASO will be sailed by a hot crew from the United Kingdom- Chris Body’s team from Royal Southern YC on the Hamble.  Joining them in CSA Racing 5 division will be another J/122- Pamala Baldwin’s LIQUID from Jolly Harbour YC.  In addition, two other U.K. crews will be on the starting line; David Ballantyne’s J/133 JINGS! from the Royal Ocean Racing Club on the Isle of Wight and Andy Middleton’s J/120 PERFORMANCE YACHT RACING “SUNSET” from Cowes, I.O.W.

CSA Racing 6 division has a trio of J/Teams up against a dozen other contenders, Jonty Layfield’s new J/11S from Antigua YC, Robbie Ferron’s J/39 MICRON 99 OSSENFEFFER from St Maarten YC, and Joe Da Ponte’s J/44 ZAFU 444 from Vancouver Rowing Club in West Vancouver, BC.

A classic J/35 is sailing in CSA Racing 7 class, Remco van Dortmondt’s SUNBELT REALTY DASH from Willemstad, Curacao and in CSA Racing 8 will be the famous J/30 BLUE PETER sailed by Tanner Jones from Jolly Harbour YC on Antigua.  Sailing photo credit- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com.  For more Antigua Sailing Week information

J/122 EL OCASO Dominates Heineken Regatta!

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten) – For the last day of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Caribbean sunshine and 12 knots of warm south-easterly breeze, greeted the 193 teams taking part in the 36th edition of the regatta. Just one nerve-jangling race was scheduled with all competitors enjoying spectacular conditions on the leeward coast of St. Maarten. With no discard, every class was hanging in the balance and Super Sunday produced some of the closest racing in the long history of the regatta.

The headliner performance of the event was none other than past Caribbean Winter Circuit Champion, Rick Wesslund’s J/122 EL OCASO.  The Florida based team came storming back to win the last race and take the class.  Their fellow J/122 team on LIQUID skippered by Pamala Baldwin from Antigua took 8th in class.  Behind them was the J/120 PAULISTA skippered by Phillipe Champion in 9th position. Another J/120 SUNSET CHILD was 10th and yet another J/120 custom called JAGUAR took 11th.

Another close regatta took place in the CSA 4 class.  Jonathan Lipuscek’s Puerto Rican team on the J/105 DARK STAR narrowly missed winning class, taking second by one second overall.  Third was Jordan Mindich’s crew from Long Island Sound on the J/105 SOLSTICE.  Amazingly, with one race left the J/105s were 1st and 2nd with SOLSTICE in 1st with a 2-3-2 and DARK STAR in second with a 1-4-4.  It was the last race that torpedoed the chances for SOLSTICE to win class, posting an uncharacteristic 6th place to drop into 3rd on the podium. Taking 7th in class was Remco van Dortmondt’s Curacao team on the J/35 SUNBELT REALTY DASH.

Then, in CSA 5 class five, an excellent performance was turned in by Sir Robbie Ferron racing the J/39 TEAM BUDGET MARINE MICRON 99.  His team fought hard to take the class title and in the end settled for the silver in class with an amazing 2-1-2-3 record.

The J/30 BLUE PETER sailed by Peter and Shari Tanner from Antigua had a beautiful series with a 5-1-3-3 to take third in CSA 6 class.  Finally, in the CSA 2 Class, Henry van Melle’s Netherlands crew on the J/46 JENT took a fifth in class.   For more Heineken St Maarten Regatta sailing information

Sailing the Barcolana- a Cultural Experience!

(Trieste, Italy)- The 47th edition of the Barcolana is basically a mass celebration of the end of the sailing season on the Adriatic.  It’s hard to describe it as a race since the highlight of the Barcolana is always the mass start with around 1,700 boats starting on the same line to begin the 13 nm course. For any sailing enthusiasts and for those who do not want to miss a unique show in the world, this crazy event takes place in Trieste, every year, on the second Sunday of October.  The event is more sailing festival than a regatta, it’s a magical mixture of pro’s and amateurs, cruisers and racers, and every imaginable thing that floats that can justify putting up something that looks like a sail.  Near bathtubs have “sailed” the event, taking hours to complete the 13nm race, only to cross the line to wild cheerleading and singing from the massive throngs of people gathered along the waterfront (it is a party, after all, and 1,700 boats means well over 5,000 people enjoying the celebration).

This year, the course was closer to the shore and the finishing line was just off Piazza Unità d'Italia, which forms a spectacular backdrop to finish the “bay tour”.  The starting line was just off the seafront in Barcola and the first buoy was closer than before, making the first stretch shorter. The offset mark of the second buoy was repositioned, and the third buoy was placed close to Miramare Castle, thus modifying the position of the third stretch and reducing its length.

In short, the “regatta” (if you could call it that) was run as parallel as possible to the seafront giving spectators the opportunity to watch the race from both the seafront in Barcola and the Karst plateau, as if they were sitting on the stands of a natural stadium. Spectators were also be able to enjoy the event from other places on land, from the Miramare Castle to Piazza Unità d'Italia or the San Giusto Castle, as well as along the Napoleonica walking path or Strada del Friuli.

The weekend started with the typical fall “Bora”.  It blew a full gale for over 24 hours on the eve of the Barcolana; gusts reached over 60 kts!  In fact, it was blowing so hard that all racing and events on Saturday in the open plazas were cancelled due to “flying objects” (chairs, tables, tents, skirts, etc).  Nevertheless, by delaying the start until 12:30pm on Sunday, the Barcolana set off without too many collisions and less than 10 protests (that are never filed anyways).  The fleet took off on a slow reach to start and as they got offshore, the winds increased enough for hundreds of spinnakers to be deployed and create a magnificent parade to the offshore mark with Trieste’s striking city and mountain range forming a spectacular backdrop.

Overall, despite the complete insanity of the starting line, e.g. you try to cross it without getting hit from five directions, many J/teams sailed quite well.  Starting with Class 1, the J/120 J-ONE MILLIGOR sailed by Lorenzo Simeoni took 18th in class of 250+ boats.  Then, the J/44 LULI owned by Riccardo Pujatti and skippered by Mirella Francheschini took 23rd.  In Class 2, the J/39 CHARLIE VICTOR owned by Matteo Ranza and skippered by Nicoletta Santi took 15th. In the enormous Class 3, the J/109 SAGOLA owned by Fedrigo Perisutti and skippered by Massimo Minozzi was 3rd in class followed by the J/105 NEMBO SPEED sailed by Piero Fornasaro de Manzini that took 6th place.

With such a massive start and a lot of boats over 35 feet, the small boats tend to suffer a bit- lots of wind shadows by big clunkers that are just fast enough to roll you can be a painful experience.  Nevertheless, in Class 5, the J/92 JOLE sailed by Mariolina Murianni placed 10th. Then, in Class 6, the J/80 ANTIGRAFFIO sailed by Renzo Bezzan took 5th place!

Finally, the J/24s were dueling fiercely for wind (gasping for it, in fact) and for class honors in Class 7.  The top J/24 was ANONIMA sailed by Tullio Ranni in 27th. Classmate BRIGANTE TIBURZI sailed by Francesco Feri was 2nd J/24 and 30th in class.  The third J/24 was SKIZZO sailed by Dario Radin, taking 33rd place.  The 4th J/24 was MR WILLY skippered by Flavio Vassallo in 35th place.  Then, the 5th J/24 was LAMU sailed by Paolo Ciacchi and Marina Planet landing in the 48th spot. Apparently, they all had a fantastic time, survived to tell the story and had a whale of a celebration back on land after the finish.  What a great way to end the season!  Perhaps Newport should do the same after the boat show, start between Rose Island and Conanicut YC dock and go north around Halfway Rock and back to the finish between Fort Adams and the green can off Goat Island!  Then celebrate at Candy Store/ Clarke Cooke House- the new, new “Candy Store Cup”!!  To see some Facebook posts of the Barcolana Regatta
For more Barcolana Regatta sailing information

Gorgeous Sailing @ Antigua!

(English Harbour, Antigua)- The final day of the 48th edition of Antigua Sailing Week was blessed with amazing conditions, 20 knots of trade winds, pumping down the rugged south coast of Antigua, kicking up a sea state in brilliant tropical sunshine. It was the exclamation point on yet another legendary week of partying and racing in the fabulous sailing conditions around Antigua.

“We’re absolutely delighted with how the racing went this week. The on-the-water race management was excellent and the competitors were very happy. We were challenged by light southerly winds all week and had to come up with an additional 15 courses right before the start of racing to ensure that we had some windward-leeward legs and not all reaching. We scrambled a little but the courses worked very well and the feedback from the sailors has been excellent!” commented Kathy Lammers, Chairman, Regatta Organising Committee.

Taking home silverware in CSA 3 Racing was Nigel Passmore’s J/133 APOLLO VII with a modified scoreline after a somewhat specious rating protest by a competitor.  Instead of winning, Nigel’s team took third overall in the regatta after the re-scoring.  5th was Jonathan Bamberger’s J/145c SPITFIRE from Canada.

CSA 5 Racing saw Martin Kennedy’s J/120 SUNSET CHILD sail better and better as the week went on and ended up in sixth overall.

CSA 6 Racing was extremely tight for the top five places.  After a slow start, David Cullen’s J/109 POCKET ROCKET from Ireland sailed well to take third overall and add even more silverware to the trophy room.  Starting out strong, but fading a bit was Robbie Ferron’s J/39 OSSENFEFFER from Roadtown, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, finishing 5th in class.

Then, in CSA 8 Racing it was the perennial Antiguan contender for class honors, Tanner Jones’ J/30 BLUE PETER that took 5th in class on a steady diet of 4th place finishes.  Sailing Photo Credits- Paul Wyeth- http://www.pwpictures.com  For more Antigua Race Week sailing information & results

Antigua Sailing Week Update

 (English Harbour, Antigua)- The grand dame of all Caribbean sailing regattas is taking place this week off the gorgeous English Harbour on Antigua.  So far, the diminutive, but fun-loving fleet of 50 boats is enjoying fabulous sailing conditions, with steady tradewinds in the 10-20 kts from the easterly quadrants.

At this stage, in CSA 3 Racing we find that lying 2nd is Nigel Passmore’s J/133 APOLLO VII with a 1-3 and is tied for first with three boats.  5th is Jonathan Bamberger’s J/145c SPITFIRE from Canada.  CSA 5 Racing shows that Martin Kennedy’s J/120 SUNSET CHILD is currently in 9th and hoping for more wind!

Over on CSA 6 Racing is Robbie Ferron’s J/39 OSSENFEFFER from Roadtown, Tortola, British Virgin Islands in 3rd and in 6th is David Cullen’s J/109 POCKET ROCKET with his Irish team.  Then, in CSA 8 Racing is the perennial Antiguan contender for class honors, Tanner Jones’ J/30 BLUE PETER sitting on 5th place.  In the same class, the St Thomas, US Virgin Island crew aboard the J/95 SHAMROCK VII, skippered by Matt Dana, are lying 10th.

Watch this space next week to see how these J/Teams survived Antigua Sailing week and all those amazing reggae bands!  For more Antigua Race Week sailing information & results

J’s Lovin’ Heineken St Maarten Regatta

J/125 Crushes, EL OCASO Pre-dominates!
(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)- A record entry of 81 yachts entered the Gill Commodore's Cup, the prelude to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. 30 knots of wind with breaking waves, provided testing conditions for the fleet. The starting area on the south side of St. Maarten provided some relief from the ocean swell but the big breeze from the east cascaded over the hill tops forming bullets of pressure causing several boats to spin-out. Today's best performers were the teams that kept their yachts under control in difficult conditions.

In this “warm-up” regatta, many of the J/Teams attending had a fun time working out the “rust” of winter and collecting some silverware along the way.  In CSA 2 Class, Greg Slyngstad’s fantastic crew from Seattle, Washington and San Francisco, California sailed the J/125 rocketship called HAMACHI to an easy class win with two bullets.  In CSA 4 Class, fellow J owner Rick Wesslund also sailed “lights out” on the fleet, posting double bullets to take CSA 4 on his highly photogenic J/122 EL OCASO.  Not far behind in third was John Thouron’s J/122 DUNDER with a 2-3, losing the tie-breaker for 2nd.  And, in third was Global Yacht Racing’s J/120 SUNSET CHILD.  CSA 7 Class saw the resurrection of the famous J/39, now named BUDGET MARINE ARUBA, and sailed by Robbie Ferron from St Maarten to a 2nd in class.  Finally, CSA 8 saw Bryan Coon’s J/105 SOLSTICE take class honors followed by David Cullen’s J/109 POCKET ROCKET from St Barths.

Afte the racing it was time for a new “sensation”.  For years the Heineken Regatta has pulled out all the stops when it comes to on the water racing, and on shore parties, which is what has made the event the success that it is.  For the 35th anniversary edition, things were a little different.  This year the Sint Maarten Yacht Club and Heineken hosted the largest party St. Maarten has ever seen, the Thursday night “Green Sensation Party”!!  Port de Plaisance hosted the party to kick off the regatta festivities— for some it was a night to remember (or forget completely!).

The evening was packed with local DJ talents as well as international mixing artists that delivered electronic music of pop, disco, rock and the hottest beats that only Heineken can deliver.  DJ Nachum, Heineken Caribbean DJ champion, teamed up with Soggy Dollar Bar DJ Bossman, to bring everyone a nonstop party vibe. But it didn’t stop there, making an appearance from New York City's hottest nightclubs, DJ Riz and Chris Moody layered on top of all that a new energy that could only be described as “Green Sensational, Mon”!!

After hundreds of sailors lazily woke up on Friday morning feeling a bit “green flushed”, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta got underway with 188 yachts entered for the three-day extravaganza. The huge fleet was a magnificent sight and very likely to be the biggest gathering of racing yachts in the Caribbean this season. Sailors from all over the world that came for fun-in-the-sun, competitive racing were not disappointed. Strong trade winds, gusting up to 25 knots, with brilliant sunshine served up spectacular conditions. Close to 2,000 sailors enjoyed a long first day of amazing yachting in the crystal-clear aquamarine waters off Simpson Bay. The vast majority of the fleet sailed a 30 mile course around St. Maarten and as an appealing change, the fleet raced counter-clockwise starting upwind from Simpson Bay.

The second day of sailing produced more thrilling action for the international fleet of yachts. All classes had at least two races. In comparison to the last two days, a breeze of about 20 knots was in more people's comfort zone, but the racing was no less spectacular with close racing right through the fleet. Most of the northern hemisphere was gripped by freezing temperatures, but not the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta with an air temperature of 75 F. degrees and a water temperature to match! It was shades, t-shirt and shorts weather even with blue water across the deck.

The last day was as good as it ever gets in the Caribbean with even more big breeze, plentiful sunshine and dolphin and flying fish flashing across the wave-tops, frolicking with the fleet.  The raw ingredients of fantastic sailing conditions and intense competition gave the regatta organizers the opportunity to lay on a tremendous spectacle – needless to say, it was an unqualified success for all!

For the Heineken St Maarten Regatta, it was clear the Slyngstad’s J/125 HAMACHI crew were on a mission after sweeping the GILL Commodore’s Cup.  After five races, HAMACHI swept the fleet with five bullets!  Needless to say, they crushed the fleet of sportboats in their class that included several Puerto Rican Melges 32s.

Greg Slyngstad commented, “HAMACHI goes really well in big breeze and we love big breeze, it is what we are used to in San Francisco. All of us have had a great time, we loved it. We have been sailing together for years, the weather was perfect for us and we have been tuning up the boat for two years and when the wind blows hard we know we can do well. Today’s my birthday, so it was a great present to go up on stage and take the trophy!!”

HAMACHI’s tactician, Jonathan McKee, said “HAMACHI is not a one man show, all of the crew are great sailors and we are all from the same area, so we are a California/ Seattle team that have come a long way to compete here and it is great to get such a good result. The courses here are great, windward-leeward, point to point and round the island. That is the stuff we love and the format is a big part of why we are here.”

In the CSA 4 Class, it was clear there was going to be a strong fight for class honors between Wesslund’s Miami team on the J/122 EL OCASO and a local Guadeloupe A40.  After a disastrous first race in which EL OCASO sailed to an unheard of “out-of-the-money” 8th place, Wesslund’s crew settled down and basically won their class with a 1-1-2-3 for the last four races- not good enough to win but at leastthey could take pride in a strong performance.  Their 2nd place finish will certainly help their bid to win the 2015 Caribbean Offshore Series.

Like they did in the GILL Commodore’s Cup, Ferron’s J/39 BUDGET MARINE ARUBA sailed fast and smart to take a 3-2-2-2 series scoreline to grab the silver on the podium.

CSA 8 Class saw Sophie Olivaud’s J/109 ALBACOR IV crew from St Barths sail a superb series, posting a 5-4-3-3 record to take 2nd overall in class!  Her best finish to date in “the Heineken”!  Fourth was yet another top J/109 from St Barths, David Cullen’s POCKET ROCKET, taking a scoreline of 4-3-5-5 into 4th place.  Just behind them in 5th place was a perennial Caribbean sailing ace, the Tanner & Shari crew from Antigua sailing their fabled aqua-blue J/30 called BLUE PETER.  Sadly, despite having posted three bullets (yes, 1-1-1), the BLUE PETER crew had to take a DNF in race 1 and could not throw it out— otherwise, it looks like they could’ve swept CSA 8 class!  In turn, they were followed in 6th place by Bryan Coon’s J/105 SOLSTICE; after winning the first race perhaps all that celebration went to their heads!   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright   For more Heineken St Maarten sailing information

Cleveland Race Week Report

(Cleveland, OH)- Cleveland Race Week concluded its 10-day event with 69 boats competing in the PHRF Offshore Series, hosted by Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, OH. The Race Week is the largest sailing regatta on Lake Erie and one of the most prominent on the Great Lakes. The annual event, now in its 34th year provided 10 days of racing, live music, parties and special events for over 1,500 national and international men, women and junior sailors.

The “Big Boat” portion of the regatta (June 19-22) began Thursday night with beautiful breeze on Lake Erie, and continued Friday night with lighter air. Friday featured a finish line at the William G. Mather steamship in the heart of downtown Cleveland’s harbor. Both Saturday and Sunday’s races took place under sunny skies and winds that started on the low end each day but built in the afternoon.

In the PHRF A Division, the two J/111’s (Ryan Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF and Don Hudak’s new CAPERS), finished 3rd and 4th, respectively.  In PHRF B Division, Seth Young’s J/39 BLACK SEAL took top honors with Tim Yanda’s J/120 VIVA LA VIDA in 5th.

In the PHRF C Level 72 Division, Paul Matthews’s J/35 WHITEHAWK took 3rd.  And, in PHRF D Jay Hawkins new J/88 TY-LEE took class honors with Mark Saffell’s J/36 PAINKILLER in 3rd, and Peter Kuhn’s J/33 WINDLASSIE in 4th.

In the J/105 one-design class it was Jim Sminchak’s IT in first, followed by Bob Mock’s UNBRIDLED in second and Jim Uhlir’s TRIO in third.

In the PHRF G class, the J/29s sailed well with Cindy Einhouse’s OVATION taking third and Aarne Lillo’s AQUARIUS in fourth.

Then, in PHRF H class, it was the two J/30s (Rich Galaska’s BREEZIN and Dale & Maggie Gormley’s SAND DOLLAR) taking 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

The JAM Women’s “double-handed” offshore sailing divisions saw tremendous growth in participation.  The rules are simply that at least one crew member is a woman.  The fact that 12 of the 29 teams are J/Teams (41.0% of the women’s fleet) is not surprising.  Fun, easy to sail boats are essential to women having fun sailing boats whether it’s cruising, day-sailing or racing.  There are three divisions based on level of experience. The JAM-A fleet saw the J/34 BONAFIDE (Dave Krotseng) win class.  For more Cleveland Race Week Offshore sailing information