Edgartown Race Week- Calling all J/Teams!

 

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


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


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

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

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

J/42 Jaywalker Still Cruisin' After 20 Years!

 

* Here, we get yet another gorgeous photo of Bill and Judy Stellin's J/42 JAYWALKER sailing on the beautiful azure waters of northern Lake Michigan off Harbor Springs, a very special place in the northeastern part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  

Commented Bill, "if you think cruising J/Boats can’t go fast, here is our JAYWALKER, J/42 hull #6, doing 6.3 knots in 7.9 knots of true wind. Notice how glassy the water is. Amazing! Great boat still, we love it!"

When you're not skiing, go sailing!

"Loving ARROWHEAD, our J/42 hull #62. 

She has 35,000 miles on here. 8 Newport to Bermuda Races. 4 Marblehead to Halifax Races, and the 2015 Transatlantic race. A lot of miles under her bottom, great boat sailing offshore," commented owner Steve Berlack. 

Steve is the Men's Ski Team Coach at the famous Burke Mountain Academy in East Burke, Vermont. The Academy is famous for turning out some of America's top ski racers on the FIS Tour and Olympic Medallists. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Edgartown Race Weekend Update!

(Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA)- The Edgartown Yacht Club will be hosting the 82nd running of its signature ‘Round-the-Island (’RTI) race on Saturday, August 1st, 2020.

The Round Island, which began in 1938 and counts as one of America’s oldest distance races, tracks 56 nautical miles around Martha’s Vineyard.

“To ensure the health and safety of sailors and the entire Martha’s Vineyard community, we have been working diligently to comply with the State of Massachusetts guidelines regarding COVID-19,” said Race Co-Chair Alex Nugent.


“Because of the early-August scheduling of our event, we’ve had time to adapt our plans and prepare the competitors for what to expect. Despite necessary changes, registration numbers are robust, drawing teams from all over the East Coast who see Edgartown Race Weekend as the kick-off to the 2020 racing season.”

At this point in the planning, the Skippers’ Meeting and Awards will transpire digitally. Social events or gatherings at the clubhouse are currently on hold, and sailors are highly encouraged to stay on board their boats as much as possible. As of now, provisions have been made for free moorings for competitors.

Happily adapting to the pandemic guidelines are many J/Sailors. Answering the Siren's Song are sixteen J/Crews, ranging from J/29s to J/160!  All divisions have J's participating, such as IRC, ORRez, PHRF, and PHRF Doublehanded (which includes a J/121 and J/122E so far)!

If you haven't considered it, now's the time to hop on board, sign up, and go sailing with at least your immediate family or go doublehanded! It has to be one of the most fun, challenging (because of the currents), and most beautiful races in New England as you enjoy vistas of the island and its beaches. Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier.  For more information Edgartown YC Round Island Race sailing information

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.

Navigating through the restrictions

(Manhasset, NY)- Sailboat racing is about dealing with variables, and despite health guidelines now to limit the COVID-19 spread, event formats can safely navigate through the restrictions. This is occurring on New York’s Long Island Sound as 20 entrants signed up for an informal “pick-up” race on May 16 organized by Adam Loory. Here’s his report:

"To observe social distancing, all boats were doublehanded. There was no race committee, no trophies, and no party, but there was a lot of fun as sailors pushed their boats as best as possible considering that most boats are rigged for full-crewed racing.

While the weather was beautiful for sun-bathing, it was a little difficult for sailing. An all-too-common mid-summer weather pattern made sailing challenging. A light northerly was in a battle to the death with a southerly sea breeze. Neither won, but both made their scant presence known at times.

Third place finisher Richard du Moulin called the conditions, “About as ‘Long Island Sound’ as it could be, but at least it was fun racing in close proximity with friends, except PHANTOM, which missed all the fun and won by a mile!”

To sail without a race committee, the pursuit format was used. The slowest boat in the fleet started first and rest of the boats started later based on how much time they owed the slowest boat. This way, the finish order is the results.

With a scratch sheet having start times for a long, medium and short course (click here), I announce on the radio which course we are sailing, and everyone can then see their starting time. Given the conditions, the call was for the short, 9.25nm course.

The race started with 8-12 knots out of the N-NE, and then did exactly what the weather forecast called for – it died. Most of the fleet set off on a close reach heading straight at the one turning mark a little over four miles away, but soon the boats on the rhumbline got headed and then the wind died.

For most of the fleet, the wind died away for nearly an hour just as the boats were reaching the turning mark at Matinecock Point. The fleet struggled to change sails, jibe and tack multiple times to eke out some forward progress; some jibed to the north and others worked their way south.

For a while, each looked good, until they weren’t..."

Enjoying a nice sunny day on the water was the J/88 ONE TOO MANY, the new J/99 THIN MAN, and others like the gorgeous J/42 ATALANTA. Thanks for contribution from Scuttlebutt. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

The view from the J/42 Jaywalker- our pandemic world

(Harbor Springs, MI)- Bill & Judy Stellin's perspectives on living our current "pandemic" world.

Commented Bill, "I especially enjoyed the latest Newsletter. The virus pandemic has upset our lives in untold ways. The Newsletter gave me a chance to think peacefully. We still own JAYWALKER, J/42 hull# 6, and love every moment spent on it.

Some Perspectives for the J/Community
For several years this Newsletter had a small section devoted to J/Boat cruisers. It was discontinued recently, so I sent the editor- Stu Johnstone- a letter thanking him for including us. He asked for some thoughts and perspectives about couple cruising.

It’s easy to talk about, because 48 years of sailing, our two Atlantic crossings, and 8 years in the Mediterranean, was an adventure many just dream about and is almost too spectacular to describe.

First off, JAYWALKER our 1996 J/42, is safe, fast, easily handled under all conditions (by just the two of us), comfortable in big winds and seas on passage, as well as at anchor, and lastly drop-dead gorgeous. Where ever we were in Europe, passerby’s would want to come aboard to see her up close.

Secondly, we have very understanding children who gave us encouragement to make a dream come true. Fortunately, we had four years of sailing the boat before we retired at age 65 in 2000. This gave us the opportunity to really understand the boat through a combination of racing and Lake Michigan cruising. There is no substitute for time on the water in all kinds of conditions and racing hones skills faster than anything I know of.

I am lucky Judy loves all aspects of sailing, as I do. It’s a lifestyle. As such, we live on the boat 3-4 days each week during our short Michigan season.

One unexpected result of big-time cruising is the realization lots of people want to hear about it. I put together a PowerPoint show years ago which we’ve presented to countless groups. Colleges, library’s, senior centers, civic clubs, yacht clubs, Power Squadron’s. It’s been a great deal of fun for us, because we get to share and relive what was, unquestionably, one of the best periods of our lives.

I encourage all to sail, sail ,sail! It’s one of the best ways to clear your minds, relieve stress, be competitive and just plain have fun. Judy has a t-shirt which sums it all up: "Keep Calm and Sail On"!

Our best wishes to the entire J/Boat family and sailing friends!  Cheers, Bill & Judy Stellin- Grand Rapids, MI"

St Maarten Heineken Regatta Preview

(Simpson Bay, Saint Maarten)- Over 100 yachts from thirty-five countries will compete in the 40th Heineken St Maarten Regatta. A key event on the Caribbean race schedule, the regatta attracts some of the world’s elite sailors and crews, with fast and furious racing in monohulls, maxis and multihulls.

Crystal clear waters and east-northeast trade winds give the pristine conditions for spectacular racing just off the coast of St. Maarten. And with Heineken as title sponsor, the racing days blend seamlessly into four nights of exceptional parties. The event is a bucket list must-do! The "Serious Fun" goes for four days from March 4th to the 8th.

The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is famous for both its parties and racing. Over four nights, some of the world’s top artists take to the stage and ensure that each day of racing starts as well as it ends with the festivities continuing long into the night.

Looking forward to enjoying all the Serious Fun are a several J/Crews from the USA, Canada, Caribbean, and Europe.  In the CSA 4 Racing class are four J/crews. Having just won Grenada Sailing Week, Pamala Baldwin’s LIQUID (including her international crew of Julian White, Matt Kasorzycki, and Sil Grijpma) from Jolly Harbour, Antigua will be looking forward to another run at the top of the podium with her talented team.  Joining them in class are Peter Lewis' debut of his new J/121 WHISTLER from St. James, Barbados. Additional teams include Sam Talbot's J/111 SPIKE from Centerport, NY and the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club, and Andrew Guhl's Charleston, SC team on the J/120 JAGUAR.

The CSA 5 Racing class has a fleet of 35 footers that will push each other hard and such tight racing keeps the scores very close.  The two J/105s include SOLSTICE (Jordan Mindich from Long Island, New York) and JENK (Remco van Dortmondt from Curacao). Joining them this year will be Tristan Marmousez's J/109 SANG NEUF from Saint Lucia, Martinique; Roland Wagner's J/35 PEGASUS from Hergiswill, Switzerland; and Garth Steyn's J/70 FRANNY from the hometown of Simpson Bay, Phillipsburg, St Maarten.

Finally, the CSA 6 Cruising class has two quite competitive J/Crews; Tanner Jones' famous J/30 BLUE PETER / ABSOLUTE PROPERTIES from Jolly Harbour, Antigua and Ryan Schenck's J/42 SHAZAAM from Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida.  For more St Maarten Heineken Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/42 Rendezvous 2020 Announcement!

In 2019, the J/46 One Design Class totaled 9 boats on the starting line of the Camden Classic Cup. It was a wonderful showing and fun time on the water. However, a J/42 fleet could be larger! Who wouldn’t want to cruise in one of the world’s greatest cruising destinations (Camden, Maine on Penobscot Bay), participate in the spectacular Camden Classics Cup Regatta, and hang out with bunch of enthusiastic J/42 owners? Remember - July is wonderful in Maine.


Make your plans now to cruise the coast and enjoy two fun days of racing with fellow J/42 skippers and crews. Mark your calendars now- July 23rd, 24th and 25th in Camden, Maine!

In addition to the Camden Classic Cup events, the J/42 fleet will have an Owners Forum “meet and greet” and a post regatta skipper’s race debrief.

The one-design rules, taking into account that J/42 owners are mostly cruisers first, racers second, will be as follows:

• #3 jibs only, no overlapping sails, spinnakers or drifters – keep it simple
• Suitable anchor and chain in the bow
• water tanks and fuel at cruising levels
• dodgers and Biminis up
• autopilots, electric assisted winches permitted
• outboards and grills on the stern rail are encouraged
• single handed, doubled handed, or a whole gaggle of crew- whatever works for you!
• One-design ratings: shoal drafts rate 96 and deep keels rate 88
• no other rating penalties or adjustments

Learn more here: https://www.camdenclassicscup.com/ Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Eights Bells- Dr. Scott Piper- owner of J/160 PIPEDREAM IX

(Miami, FL)- A friend of Dr. Piper's- Tom Byrne- had this to say regards his recent passing:

"It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of William “Scott” Piper III, M.D. of Miami Florida on Monday, December 2, 2019.

Scott Piper was a world class sailor, with five circumnavigations to his name, with a detailed memory of the hundreds of people and places he had encountered in his life time.

Scott was the 2008 recipient of the Cruising Club of America's "Blue Water Medal" and was planning his next Atlantic crossing with his wife Mary on his beloved J/160 “PIPEDREAM IX” at the time of his passing.

Scott included 100's of “friends” in his adventures and inspired sailors and non-sailors alike to push themselves to live their lives to the fullest. We will miss Scott. Our best wishes and condolences to Mary and the rest of the Piper family." Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/122 Wins Marblehead to Halifax Race

(Halifax, Nova Scotia)- The Boston Yacht Club and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron hosted the 38th Biennial Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race this past week. The race started on Sunday July 7th 2019 off Marblehead, Massachusetts, and finished in about 58 to 62 hours for most yachts in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The big winner was in the ORR 2 division. Tom Mager’s J/122 GIGI won in grand style, eclipsing her fleet on corrected time by over an hour! The ORR 4 division saw Eliot Merrill’s J/42 FINESSE take 4th while Fred Allardyce’s J/40 MISTY placed sixth.

The PHRF 1 Racing division saw a near sweep by J/Teams; Stu McCrea’s J/120 DEVIATION took the silver, while Keith Amirault’s J/130 DRAGONFLY also managed a podium finish by taking the bronze. The US Merchant Marine Academy’s Ken Luczynski steered the J/111 BLACK DIAMOND YCC to a sixth in class.

The PHRF 2 Racing division also had good performances for members of the J/Tribe, with Eliot Shanabrook’s J/109 HAFA ADAI taking the silver and Paul Conrod’s J/42 CASTANEA placing sixth.  Marblehead to Halifax Race results  For more Marblehead to Halifax Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Teams Dominate in Annapolis to Newport Race

(Newport, RI)- Picture-perfect conditions greeted the Friday fleet of starters for the 2019 Annapolis-to-Newport Race, which got underway at 11:00am on the Chesapeake Bay. North-northeasterly winds ranging from 8 to 12 knots enabled the 23 boats in five classes to enjoy a downwind start and many miles of port tack beam reaching SSE out of the Chesapeake Bay to the first, and only, turning mark offshore of the Bay entrance.

A popular strategy was to come off the starting line on port jibe and make a beeline to the deep water of the shipping channel since the current was about to begin flowing out the bay from an unusually high tide.

Off the boats that went southeast in search of the expected current advantage, LADY GREY– a J/110 skippered by Herrington Harbour Sailing Association member Joe Laun– showed strong form and speed in leading the entire fleet down the Bay.

Annapolis resident Ken Comerford skippered the J/111 MONEYPENNY and had his two sons– Kyle and Willy– as part of the crew. Kyle Comerford recently completed an outstanding career as skipper of the SUNY-Maritime offshore sailing team while younger brother Willy competes at the College of Charleston.
“As you get older, I think you do anything you can to spend time with your kids,” said Ken Comerford. “I do very much appreciate every opportunity I get to go sailing with my sons.”

There is quite a rivalry between the Comerford brothers, and it will no doubt manifest itself at some point during the long trip between Annapolis and Newport. Kyle is serving as navigator while Willy has agreed to handle the foredeck out of necessity.

“They both have their own strengths and skills,” Ken Comerford said. “Willy has really impressed me with his ability on the bow. Kyle will be doing the navi-guessing the whole way, making sure we’re pushing the boat as fast as we can and living up to our polars.”

Comerford, a veteran ocean racer with many miles under his belt, expected a fairly straightforward passage. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big tactical race. I think it’s going to be a drag race with a lot of reaching,” he said. “Every time we run our models the wind seems to go farther and farther aft, which would be good for this boat.”

In short, it was a simple race.  After starting in the Northeast breeze which sent the fleet flying down the Bay on port tack, a Low pressure system moved by to the south and offshore, so the wind swung quite rapidly from 50 degrees to 120 degrees.  As Comerford mentioned, they just tacked at the first turning mark and fetched Newport on starboard the whole way.  The only mistake the J/111 MONEYPENNY made was to go “over” to windward (leaving Block Island to port) on their way in to Newport from offshore. Most of the fleet went to leeward (leaving B.I. to starboard and benefitted from an enormous current boost over the northern bar near the 1-BI Green bell buoy.

In ORC 1B Division, the J/44 GLORY sailed by the US Coast Guard Academy took 2nd, while the Comerford family took third on their J/111 MONEYPENNY.

In ORC 2 Division, the J/110 LADY GREY maintained her good pace and in the end, her skipper Joe Laun was quite happy to take the bronze.

In PHRF Racing 1 Class, the J/120s gave everyone and themselves a serious run-for-the-money.  Winning was Rick Hanson’s NO SURRENDER from North East River Yacht Club. Jim Praley’s SHINNECOCK, a past winner in class and overall, took third, while Richard Born’s WINDBORN was fourth and James Chen’s CHAOTIC FLUX was fifth.

In PHRF Racing 2 Class, it was Albert Bossar’s J/42 ALLEGIANT that won from the Herrington Harbour Sailing Association, while Lynn McClaskey’s J/110 CIMARRON placed fifth, just 11 seconds from 4th place!

Finally, in the PHRF Doublehanded Class, Mike Greene’s J/35 LOBLOLLY placed third.  For more Annapolis to Newport sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/121 Wins Oregon Offshore Race!

J/105s Enjoy Bruising Class Battle to the Finish!
(Astoria, OR)- The 43rd Annual Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race, sponsored by Schooner Creek Boatworks, started on Thursday, May 9th, 2019 after a postponement that was waiting for the 5.5 kts ebb tide and current to begin to flow out of the Columbia River and over the infamous Columbia River Bar just offshore- a place notorious for massive standing waves and flipping over even the hardiest US Coast Guard Patrol boats! The timing was smart, since the weather was somewhat benign and all boats made it across the bar without any issues, just some of the usual cascades of water over the deck!

The 193-mile race started at 9:25am at Buoy 2 off the Columbia River entrance off Astoria, Oregon and finished at the entrance to Victoria, British Columbia harbor in Canada.  After the start, everyone took off on starboard, heading offshore, apparently following the information gained at the skippers meeting. Wind was a light northeaster, blowing offshore at the start. As the race progressed it appeared the predicted northwest shift would hit the fleet overnight, then the teams would have to contend with light winds in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and avoiding adverse currents; the big decision being when to go for one shore over the other- USA to the south or Canada to the north while heading for the Victoria, BC harbor finish line.

As anticipated, leading the fleet out offshore the first night was David Raney’s RAGE; a huge, skinny like a rail, ULDB 70 footer.  However, the pleasant surprise was that second boat overall was Scott Campbell's beautiful new J/121 RIVA and his merry bandits from Portland, Oregon; chasing RAGE hard all night and all day long on Friday keeping them in sight most of the time (giving away 30+ feet of waterline, too)!

The fleet enjoyed decent winds for most of the race and the hot angles were very much enjoyed by the J/121 RIVA. After rounding Cape Flattery at the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, RIVA and all other J/Teams sailed down to at least Clallam Bay on the USA side before making the “escape” across the Juan de Fuca Straits to the Canadian side to the north to play that shoreline into the finish at Victoria.

After waiting a few hours for other boats to finish, Campbell’s J/121 RIVA crew were ecstatic to find out they had won the Oregon Offshore, both PHRF A1 Class and PHRF Overall! Their corrected time for the race was 40 hrs 9 min 31 secs, enough to win by over an hour on the second place team (a 4.825 kts average). Third in PHRF A1 Class was the J/42 VELOCITY skippered by Thomas Keffer.

The Portland J/105 Fleet had a one-design start, producing a three-way battle between Dough Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT, Dennis Sibilla’s ESCAPE ARTIST, and of course, the trio on FREE BOWL OF SOUP (Doug Schenk, Eric Hopper, Matt Davis- their 6th time)! After the smoke and fog cleared on the race track, it was Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT that snagged PHRF A2/ J/105 Class honors, knocking off a three-time winner of the race- the “Soupers”- by over 2 hours. As a result, third was Sibilla’s ESCAPE ARTIST, just eight minutes behind the Soupers; indeed, it was a battle for the silver between those two boats to the very end.  ABSTRACT’s “big move” was to continue way offshore on starboard tack until late midday on Friday over 20 hours after the start. The initial leaders- the Souper’s and Escaper’s- both tacked away at 6pm on Thursday and both dueled going up the shore, tacking on shifts headed to Cape Flattery, the first major turning point. 33 hours into the race, ABSTRACT rounded Cape Flattery at 7pm, just before sunset, with neither of their competitors in sight, and they continued on their merry way to the class win.  Meanwhile, it was a complete “dust-up” behind them.  It was not until 10pm did the Escaper’s lead the Souper’s around Cape Flattery. In the ensuing gybing duel to the finish with their A2 spinnakers flying all night, it took the Souper’s until 7:30am on Saturday morning to pass the Escaper’s, leading their exhausted friends into the finish line.  Replay the entire race here to see how all the boats got around the race track.
For more Oregon Offshore Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fast & Furious Edlu Distance Race

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edlu Distance Race Preview

(Larchmont, NY)- This coming weekend marks the start of the summer offshore racing program for Larchmont Yacht Club.  The Edlu Race, first sailed in 1956, has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Followed by a classic party, it is one the “must-do” events on western Long Island Sound.

The Spinnaker course is 32.0nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton's Neck and back. The Non-Spinnaker course is approximately 20.0nm.

The start times are set for slower boats to start first and enable everyone to get back to Larchmont YC in time for the “Sailors Welcome” with lots of camaraderie, hot dogs, chili, beer, dark‘n’stormies and live music!

In the nine-boat IRC Class is Steven Levy’s J/121 EAGLE from Indian Harbor YC and Len Sitar’s J/44 VAMP from Storm Trysail Club.

The eight-boat PHRF Doublehanded Division includes Jon Yoder & Bill Gassman’s J/100 BLACKCOMB from Larchmont YC, Josh Burack’s J/105 PEREGRINA from Huguenot YC, Abhijeet Lee’s J/111 VARUNA from New York YC, and Mike Greene’s J/35 LOBLOLLY from Cedar Point YC.

At thirty-two boats, the PHRF Spinnaker Division is shaping up to be a battle by fourteen J/crews!  Participants include William Komaroff’s J/100 TEXAS ROSE, two J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN teams, Carl Olsson’s J/109 MORNING GLORY, Bill & Julie Baxter’s J/111 FIREBALL, Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE, Paul Zinger’s J/30 ZINGER, and Iris Vogel’s J/88 DEVIATION.

The eleven-boat PHRF Plus-One Spinnaker Division includes Eric Bicknese’s J/105 BIG EZ, Arthur Hanlon’s J/112E DAUNTLESS, Sara & Josh Reisberg’s J/120 ABILYN, Todd Aven’s J/92 THIN MAN, and Tim Mount’s J/97E VESPER.

Finally, in the Edlu Short Course PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class will be Kurt Locher’s J/42 ATALANTA from host Larchmont YC.  For more Larchmont YC Edlu Distance Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Oregon Offshore Race Announcement!

(Portland, OR)- The 43rd Annual Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race, sponsored by Schooner Creek Boatworks, is scheduled to start on May 9th, 2019.  This 193-mile race starts at Buoy 2 off the Columbia River entrance and finishes at the entrance to Victoria, BC harbor.

So far, there are twenty participants and Corinthian YC Portland is expecting a few more sign-ups. The entrants so far are the usual who’s who of the Portland sailing community, with some very welcome participants coming from out of the area.  A top local boat includes Scott Campbell’s beautiful new RIVA, a state of the art J/121, crewed by the usual group of local rock stars.

In addition to other local regulars, there is Phillip Wampold’s J/92 ZAFF RACING, the J/40 VELOCITY skippered by Thomas Keffer, and the Portland J/105 Fleet has a one-design start with three entrants (ABSTRACT, Dennis Sibilla’s ESCAPE ARTIST, and of course FREE BOWL OF SOUP (their 6th time!)!

This year, in conjunction with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, the event is featuring the First Annual Cascadia Cup, which will award a trophy to the competitor with the lowest combined time in the Oregon Offshore and qualifying races of the Swiftsure event.

The Oregon Offshore skippers meeting and raffle will be held at the Rogue Brew Pub in Astoria, Oregon on May 8th starting at 6 pm.  The race will start in the morning of May 9th just off Astoria at the opening of the Columbia River. This will be another great race in the long history of the Oregon Offshore. For more Oregon Offshore Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Fun @ Ugotta Regatta

(Harbor Springs, MI)- As they have done in the past, the Little Traverse YC’s famous “Ugotta Regatta” lived up to its “fun in the sun” promise, giving the sailors all they could have wished for and more over the three day weekend.  Sailed on the pristine Caribbean-blue Little Traverse Bay on the upper northwest part of the Michigan peninsula, the event hosted a big fleet of J/70s, a one-design fleet of J/111s, and a host of larger J’s sailing in the ORR and PHRF offshore classes.

The twenty-one boat J/70 fleet was unusual in that over 95% of the sailors were Corinthian boats.  In fact, Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP won both the regatta overall and the Corinthians Division, winning with just 15 pts in 8 races sailed!  Second was Jake Christy’s PALE HORSE, also taking second in Corinthians, and closing out the podium was the first pro-team, Bill McKinley’s DENALI 0.5.  The balance of the top five saw Scott Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS in fourth (3rd in Corinthians) and Polk Wagner’s ESCAPE in 5th position.

Winning the J/111s was the triumphant trio on KASHMIR (Karl Brummel, Steve Henderson, Mike Mayer) with four 1sts and a 2nd for just 6 pts total.  Second was Brad Faber’s UTAH mirroring KASHMIR’s finishes for 9 pts total.  Taking the bronze was Carl Hanssen’s VARIANCE with 16 pts.

It was nearly a clean sweep in the nine-boat ORR C fleet for J/crews.  Winning was Matt Songer’s J/122 EVVAI with two bullets, followed by Bob Mampe’s J/122 GOTTA WANTA with a 2-4. Sitting in fourth with 7 pts was Geoff Briede & Jeff Clark’s J/120 SCOUT.

The eleven-boat PHRF B fleet was tough sledding for some of the J/Teams.  The third spot on the podium was determined by a tie-breaker at 8 pts each between two J/88s- Richie Stearns’ HOKEY SMOKE and Andy Graff’s EXILE, with the Smokers winning that countback.  For more LTYC Ugotta Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Ugotta Regatta Preview

(Harbor Springs, MI)- The most popular sailing event to attend on an annual basis has to be Little Traverse YC’s famous “Ugotta Regatta” that is sailed on the pristine Caribbean-blue Little Traverse Bay on the upper northwest part of the Michigan peninsula. The regatta is host to a J/70 fleet (popular with the local youth sailors) as well as fleets of offshore boats sailing ORR and PHRF that have been refugees and survivors from the two equally famous Mackinac Races that took place in the previous three weeks (Bayview and Chicago). The regatta takes place from July 27th to 29th and features a combination of round-the-cans as well as random-leg courses for the fleets. Not surprisingly, the most popular one is the “Round the Bay Race”.

Sailing in the nine-boat ORR C fleet are five J’s, including Jack & Jim Toliver’s J/109 VANDA III, Geoff Brieden & Jeff Clark’s J/120 SCOUT (recent Mac Race winner), Matt Songer’s J/122 EVVAI, Bob Mampe’s J/122 GOTTA WANTA, and Bob Klairmont’s J/133 SCIROCCO 3.

There are six J/crews sailing in the eleven-boat PHRF B fleet, including four J/88s (Andy Graff’s EXILE, Rich Stearns’ HOKEY SMOKE, Scott & Jim Sorbie’s LEGACY, & Ben Wilson’s RAMBLER). In addition, they will be up against the famous long-distance cruising couple and local hotshots- Bill & Judy Stellin- on their J/42 JAYWALKER and Gary & Susan Stewart’s J/32 ZONE.

By far the largest fleet in the regatta is the popular J/70 class, with twenty-one boats having made the trek from across the Midwest and farther; in fact, as far as Chicago, IL; Kansas City, KS; Atlanta, GA; and Larkspur, CA! Several boats should be near the top of the leaderboard, such as Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP from Chicago, IL; Bill McKinley’s DENALI 0.5 from Harbor Springs, MI; Scott Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS from Larkspur, CA; and Dick Lehmann’s WIND CZAR from Paradise Valley, AZ.

Finally, a very talented fleet of five J/111s is racing as a one-design class, including the Chicago-Mackinac Race class winner- local hero Dave Irish and his team on NO SURPRISE. In addition, attending are past J/111 Great Lakes Champions- KASHMIR (Karl Brummel, Steve Henderson, & Mike Mayer). For more LTYC Ugotta Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Bayview-Mackinac Race Preview

(Port Huron, MI)- One hundred ninety teams are confirmed for the 2018 Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race, scheduled for July 14.  With 93 years of tradition behind it, this unique distance race, with two courses (204 or 259 nm) that start on lower Lake Huron and finish at Mackinac Island, has a knack for bringing back regulars and reeling in newcomers, each year weaving new interesting stories into its tapestry of racing fun.  One of the largest brand contingents happens to be J/sailors from across the Great Lakes- thirty-three crews in total.

Division I- Cove Island Course
Not surprisingly, one entire class of thirteen-boats is comprised of all J/Teams- Class D that has only J/111s and J/120s.  The four J/111s are CAPERS (Don Hudak), FREEDOM (Jim Cooper), SHMOKIN JOE (Jeff Schaefer), and UNPLUGGED (Tim Clayson).  There are nine J/120s that will be battling for class honors as well; including Charlie Hess’ FUNTECH RACING, Mike & Bob Kirkman’s HOT TICKET, the trio on J-HAWKER (Dave Sandlin, Ken Brown, Mark Pikula), and Henry Mistele’s NIGHT MOVES.

Sailing in the eleven-boat Class E are seven J/Teams, including Matt Schaedler’s J/122 BLITZKRIEG, Jim Murray’s CALLISTO, Bill Hamilton’s J/109 PHOENIX, and four J/105s (Mark Denuyl’s GOOD LOOKIN, Mark Symonds’ PTERODACTYL, Matt Haglund’s RAMPAGE, & Jim Murphy’s WINDSHADOW).

The dozen-boat Class G is considered the “Level 35” class with ten J/35s headed to the starting line and their North American Championship two weeks later!  Those teams include Bill Wildner’s MR BILL’S WILD RIDE (of course!), Tim & Amie Ross’ BLACKHAWK, Ed & John Bayer’s FALCON, and Greg Whipple’s WHIPLASH.

The Class I Cruising fleet includes Gary Gonzalez’s J/42 DOS MAS and the J/35 DYNOMYTE skippered by Gary Warner.

Division II- Shore Course
Sailing in the fourteen-boat Class M fleet will be a previous class winner, the infamous J/34 IOR classic called KNEE DEEP and sailed by Brett & Katie Langolf from Deadman’s Flat YC.  For more Belles Beer Bayview Mackinac Race sailing information
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