JAMIN J/22 JAMAIC REGATTA PREVIEW

 

Interview with Spencer May by Sail-world.com

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- If you're a J/22 sailor, it's hard to imagine a better regatta than the Jamin' J/22 International Regatta, which is set to unfurl on the waters of Jamaica's beautiful Montego Bay and the nearby vicinity on December 12, 2020. The event, which is being hosted by the Montego Bay Yacht Club, typically supplies boats, sails and equipment, allowing visiting participants to focus on winning races rather than organizing their kit. To facilitate this, local J/22 sailors participate in "qualifiers" that allow the strongest teams to represent Jamaica. The rest of the fleet is then loaned to the visitors in a lottery system.

While the still-raging pandemic has impacted the Montego Bay Yacht Club's ability to host a full invitational event, including the usual home-stay accommodations and parties, participating sailors can still look forward to plenty of on-the-water competition. In honoring the "international" component of Jamin, local teams will each represent a foreign fleet for the day of racing. Jamaica will be represented by the recent Nationals champion Renegade, which will be skippered by the veteran Jamin competitor Richard Hamilton.

Once on island, participating sailors can look forward to great racing. Provided that the weather Gods cooperate, the event is planning on running four races. 


David Schmidt from SAIL-WORLD.com checked in with Spencer May, Jamin Chair and Vice Commodore of the Montego Bay Yacht Club, to learn more about this classic warm-water One-Design regatta.

SW: Can you tell us about the regatta's culture?

Spencer: Jamin' has a longstanding culture of inclusion and hospitality. Offering North American and the rest of the world sailors an opportunity to sail and enjoy pristine conditions (warm prevailing trade winds and the clear, warm water of the Caribbean Sea) in early December, with the U.S. and Canada are usually battling snowstorms.

During the event's infancy, the late Tony Hart (the original "host") would take visiting sailors on excursions to some special places around the island. Good Hope in the interior and Sea Grapes Villa in Discovery Bay were both incredible day trips for the visiting teams. Home-stays were common and visitors would usually extend their trip to explore Jamaica on either end of the three-day regatta.

Jamin' has a culture of fun-loving friends gathering to compete and create memories, with laughter and smiles galore (and plenty of cold drinks!).

SW: Can you tell us how the 2020 edition of the regatta will be different than previous years?

Spencer: 2020 will be unlike anything we have seen before. The event has been closed to foreign teams, as travel restrictions and Jamaica's regulations have been a constantly moving target.

We did not want prospective visitors to have to cancel flights or accommodations due to all the factors currently out of our control.

We also will not be hosting the usual themed parties that have been such a standard as there are currently Government restrictions on the number of individuals allowed to gather.


SW: Given the pandemic, how many boats are you expecting to attract this year? Also, where will they hail from?

Spencer: We are hoping for eight boats on the starting line. This number represents just over three-quarters of the local fleet with a couple of the teams traveling to the Montego Bay Yacht Club from Kingston's Royal Jamaica Yacht Club.

SW: What kind of competition levels are you expecting this year?

Spencer: With our Nationals behind us, we have a very good idea of the level of competition...HIGH!

The first and third places finished within three points of one another. Renegade took the win with 12 points and Ayahso and Tsunami scoring 15 points each over the two-day, six-race weekend.

We are expecting some tight competition from this year's Jamin' Regatta as many of the same teams will be represented (though they will all be flying different colors as we are representing different countries).

We will be missing the international teams and their ability to mix it up with the fleet, but rest-assured racing will be competitive. The plan for the final race of the series is to do a reverse start. The boat with the fewest point going into the last race will need to cross the start line last and the team with the most points will have a bit of a head start. Call it the handicap race for this series, as we are not doing any throw-out races.


SW: Do you have your eye on any pre-racing favorites in both classes? What about any dark horses?

Spencer: Using our 705-pounds limit on the boats keeps everyone honest and if the wind is light for any races that will give the three-person teams an advantage over the teams that sail just below the limit.

In the absence of last year's 30th-anniversary race winner, Mike Farrington, it will once again give local heroes a chance to shine!

SW: Does the event still plan to hold post-racing festivities/parties, given the pandemic? If so, can you tell us what we're missing out on?

Spencer: We are not going to be hosting the traditional booze-soaked parties as alcohol doesn't make it easy to follow local Covid protocols... So, we will have to party double-time in 2021.

In the '90s there was a tradition of a boating "Parade of Lights" in the past and it was revamped last year for the first time in recent history. Open to motorboats, cruisers, and catamarans, all clad with festive lights and blasting holiday tunes, this event is perfect for respecting Covid protocols.

On a quiet evening (just after sunset) we will leave the club and do a few laps around the harbor, gleefully singing and drinking on our own boats with friends and family, celebrating together and apart! J/22s are traditionally towed behind one of the larger motorboats.

SW: Can you tell us about any efforts that you and the other regatta organizers have made to try to lower the regatta's environmental footprint or otherwise green-up the regatta?

Spencer: We utilize one five-gallon bucket per boat for the entirety of the event to dish out the ice/food/drinks/welcome packets and t-shirts. These buckets are re-used year after year.

SW: Anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

Spencer: We have had a 30-plus years of historic events, creating lifelong friendships from all over the world, and it has been incredible to build those relationships and see some familiar faces over the decades.

Many of the members have connected with us on Facebook and Instagram. Anyone that is interested in seeing future event details should also follow along.  Follow Jamin J/22 Jamaica Regatta here on Facebook  Follow Jamin J/22 Jamaica Regatta on Instagram here

J/22 Jammin' Jamaica Regatta Announcement

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- If there was ever any good news in the sailing world in the past few months, this one has to be one of the best... all things considered.  The Montego Bay Yacht Club and the Jamaica J/22 fleet have been famous (or, perhaps infamous) for hosting one of the most entertaining and enjoyable regattas in the Caribbean circuit.  Started decades ago, the format is simple:

• apply to sail the regatta with full crew or two persons (balance of local crew)
• you get assigned a boat/ team 
• then you simply go sailing!  

Basically, the boat, sails, crew, and local host are provided (yes, they provide accommodations for you, too) and you also get to enjoy a simply amazing "theme party" on Saturday night way, way up high in the mountains where it is totally cool.


What is the catch? Nothing. Here is the hardest possible decision to make: "should I stay, or should I go?"  LOL. How can you not take up that offer? Your only cost is round-trip airline tickets to Montego Bay, Jamaica.  Doh! No question, your Montego Bay YC bar/cafe bill may be higher than that... the food and service is second to none in the Caribbean. 


Here is a message from Regatta Chairman Richard Hamilton:

"I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. This is definitely a crazy time to be alive. Jamaica has been stifled with Saharan Dust from across the Atlantic Ocean (crazy, huh?), Covid-19 is still a global threat, and there is civil unrest across the US that is creating tension and uncertainty elsewhere, even in Jamaica.

With all that said, we do have the J/22 Jamin' Jamaica Regatta to look forward to! 2020 promises to be a fantastic year and we look forward to welcoming some of our seasoned veterans and some new challengers!


Please see the NOR on our website. Our eyes are on the horizon and we will be Jamin' to the sweet tunes of this year's Carnival Edition in no time!

Mark these dates now- December 10th to 13th in Montego Bay, Jamaica! We would love to see you!"
For more J/22 Jammin Jamaica Regatta information

Jamin Jamaica J/22 Regatta Announcement

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- The Montego Bay YC is announcing that the Jamin Jamaica J/22 2020 regatta will be held from December 10th to 13th, with racing yet again taking place on the gorgeous aquamarine waters of Montego Bay! Come and truly get yer 'ya'ya's out after hibernating under lockdown for months!

For the Pirates who came, saw, and conquered the "Course of the Black Pearl", thank you for making it such a memorable event for the 30th Edition!


We had such a fantastic time! Sailors representing the first-ever JamAm Regattas, like Galen Freeman and Bruce Berner, to some first-time scallywags, all loved sailing in the tropical blue, warm sea around Montego Bay Harbor! It was a fabulous event on and off the water!

Please take a look at our highlight reel: Jamin 30th Edition Highlights

And check out some of the press:
- An interview with Richard Hamilton on the Jamin’ Jamaica J/22 Regatta
- 30th Annual JAMIN Regatta Ends On a High Note (Jamaica Observer)

If you would like to keep in touch, please fill out the form here.

We will be sending out the Jamin 2020 Registration ASAP! So, make sure all your friends that might want to join have filled out the form above so they will know when registration is live!

By the way, we had a poem-writing contest that may have been influenced by Jamaica's famous rum. The winning poem came from BLU DOG CALYPSO's Galen Freeman and Laura Johnson:

"Jamin J is wild ‘n’ fun
And we are here to drink the rum

Banged all up from ups ‘n’s downs
But on our faces you’ll see no frowns

Cus all the peeps are cool ‘n’ nice
And all the drinks are filled with ice

Yo ho ho for very few J's
Beautiful nights ‘n’ sunny days

Great Great Sailin ‘n’ dancing the night away
Lord help us, we’ll never stop Comin to the Jamin J"

Cheers and we look forward to seeing you in December!  For more Jamin Jamaica J/22 Regatta sailing information    Instagram    Facebook Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fun-lovin' J/22 Jammin’ Jamaica Regatta

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- When the final boat docked at the Montego Bay Yacht Club on Sunday, signaling the end of the 30th Annual Jamaica International Invitational (JAMIN) Regatta, it was Team ADJUSTED from the Cayman Islands that were declared the winners.



Members of Team ADJUSTED (from left) Joe Palone, Mike Farrington and Karin McGarth took the first-place prize.

Five teams from the United States, two from Canada, two from the Cayman Islands arrived on the island on Thursday, along with four teams from Jamaica to assemble the largest fleet of J/22s ever on the island.

Taking second place was Michele Cimon and her team from Ottawa, Canada sailing JIM SCREECHIE and third was Drew Mutch's crew on JUST WING IT from Annapolis, MD (sailing for their first time in Mo'Bay). The Jamaican teams AYAHSO and TSUNAMI placed sixth and ninth, respectively.


At the end of the event, JAMIN organizing committee chairman- Richard Hamilton- thanked the volunteers for their tremendous support:

“This would not have been possible without a number of volunteers who believe in reviving the sport of sailing and boating in general in Jamaica. A number of owners, including myself, gave up our boats to visitors to the island who came with the intent of participating in the regatta. We also sought the support from Seaboard Marine and major lubricant distributor Lubit; combined they were very instrumental in getting two additional boats from Cayman. The turnout was absolutely tremendous, and we look forward to bigger and better events next year,” he said.

In addition to the daily races, participants were given a taste of Jamaican culture with an opening cocktail party hosted by CPJ at the Montego Bay Yacht Club on Thursday and a fete at the Hard Rock Café the following evening. On Saturday night ahead of the final races, participants were shuttled to pirate themed party hosted by Lynn and Brian Langford at their Great River home.


The Jamaica International Invitational is one of the oldest regattas in the Caribbean, which aims to highlight the island as a premier sailing destination in the world.

The regatta was held in conjunction with the Jamaica Olympic Association, the Jamaica Yachting Association, the Montego Bay Yacht Club and the 2019 committee of volunteers- Welcome to Montego Bay, Welcome to the Yacht Club and Welcome to Jamin 2019. The beginnings of the regatta was enabled by the generous heart of Tony Hart, he was instrumental in bringing the boats to Montego Bay in the 1980s. Finally, it's important to recognize the historical supporters of the regatta: 

• the longest standing repeat customer: Galen Freeman- who was in MoBay 30 years ago at the inaugural regatta. Galen is from Tennessee.
• the second longest sailor- Bruce Berner– who was in MoBay 28 years ago and still has the T shirt to prove it. Bruce is from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Follow the J/22 Jammin' Jamaica Regatta on Facebook here  For more J/22 Jammin' Jamaica Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

30th J/22 Jammin’ Jamaica Regatta Preview

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- It is a momentous weekend for the J/22 JAMMIN' JAMAICA Regatta, it is celebrating its 30th anniversary from the 6th to 8th of December.  First started by the local J/22 fleet, the Royal Montego Bay Yacht Club has been hosting the regatta from the very beginning. Similar to the J/105 Bermuda Invitational, the "locals" from Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, invite international sailing teams to participate and are given a boat for a nominal fee.  Bring your own sails, bring your own crew, and whatever is missing will be filled in by the local J/22 fleet. It has proven to be a popular event, particularly as it is held just three weeks prior to the December holidays.

A record thirteen boats are participating in this year's event with teams representing Canada, the USA, Jamaica, and Cayman Islands. The two Canadian teams are Michele Cimon's JIM SCREECHIE from Ottawa, ONT and Tracy Snow's NINA from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The four USA boats include famous J/22 Class President Galen Freeman racing CALYPSO from Nashville, Walter Caldwell's ZIPPER from Texas, Drew Mutch's FACEY WHITE HOT from Annapolis, and Bruce Berner's AWESOME from Indianapolis.

The Cayman Island contingent, though not large, is quite formidable in their talents. Led by homeboy Mike Farrington's ADJUSTED, they will be a force to contend with (Mike has gotten a 3rd in the J/22 Worlds). The other top crew is Bruce Johnson's YAHOO.

The hometown boys are well-represented with a few past winners in their midst. Leading them should be Richard Hamilton's RENEGADE, with Mike Morse's AYAHSO, PJ Gibson & Capt. Hernault's TSUNAMI, Jim Wilson's DEFENDER, and Steve Cooke's GERONIMO in hot pursuit for class honors.  For more J/22 JAMMIN' JAMAICA Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

30th Jammin J/22 Jamaica Regatta Announcement!

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- Montego Bay Yacht Club is proudly hosting the 30th edition of this yacht racing series, having been held every year since a year after Hurricane Gilbert all but destroyed the J/22 fleet.

Every year since 1989, through the generosity of local boat owners, visiting competitors are invited to come and race on the clear, aquamarine-blue waters of Montego Bay.

“2019 will be the largest, longest and best regatta since the series started. We have a wait list of teams to sail the available boats and this year, with the help of Seaboard Marine, we are importing two more boats specifically for the event,” said Richard Hamilton, the Jammin J/22 Race Chairman. "Seaboard Marine have really made the shipping easy; particularly compared to 2009 when a boat sailed from Cayman Islands just for the weekend.”

Hamilton continues to explain, “the J/22 is an internationally recognized 22 ft keelboat and raced by a crew of 3 or 4 people. Each yacht is identical and the winners are determined through team work, boat-handling skills, understanding the rules of sailing, and an appreciation of the wind. There are approximately 2,000 J/22s around the world with active fleets in the Cayman Islands, USA, Italy, Germany, France, South Africa, Canada and the UK.  This year in Montego Bay, there will be 13 yachts on the start line, with teams from Cayman, USA, Canada and Kingston. And, maybe other countries, too!

Mike Farrington, former Jamin J/22 Champion and past Commodore of the Cayman Islands Sailing Club had this to say about the challenging sailing condition in Montego Bay; “In Cayman, we have to deal with a short chop and big breeze. Montego Bay has the shifting winds and flat water inside the bay, as well as the swells of the open ocean to play with too. These are perfect conditions for this type of boat.”

Previous prizewinner from Cayman- Tomeaka McTaggart- said of a previous year’s event, “having never visited Jamaica before, I was hugely impressed with the quality and enthusiasm of the J/22 fleet. It was a great weekend of racing and I thank the volunteers for organizing a great regatta."

Sailing is a growth sport in Jamaica, with training boats recently being introduced to both the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club and Montego Bay YC with a full time instructor available. Jamaica has great potential for more Olympic sailors; these new boats are the start of an exciting future in Jamaican sailing!

The regatta will be the culmination of an active year of J/22 sailing at the Montego Bay YC, with the fleet having maintained a healthy interest and encouraged new people to experience the sport. Jamin J/22 Jamaica 2019 promises to be another great finale to the racing calendar!


More news about sponsor SEABOARD MARINE
Seaboard Marine is a premier ocean transportation company providing direct, regular service between North America, the Caribbean Basin, Central, and South America. With a fleet of over twenty-five vessels, serving nearly forty ports, Seaboard Marine is a trade leader in the Western Hemisphere. They can ship your sailing yachts and motor yachts anywhere in the Caribbean and American basin. Learn more about Seaboard Marine here.  For more Jammin J/22 Jamaica Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Celebrates Aloha-style!

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- Business as usual! With no promotion and word of mouth only, all the boats were taken very early in 2017 by visiting teams who have been to Jamaica and done this regatta before. Proof this nearly 30 year-old event has great staying power, more than can be said for some of our older crowd.....

International representation came from CAYMAN ISLANDS again with three teams including defending Champion Bruce Johnson, Suvi with her Vikings and past Commodore Mike Farrington. Representing CANADA was second time competitor Michelle Cimon and from the USA, longtime Montego Bay YC friend Mike Weber.

The world-famous Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Regatta is hosted by the incredibly gracious members of Montego Bay YC.  You cannot beat the setting- warm weather, trade winds of 15-20 kts, sunny, and the nicest people you can imagine, sailing on a one-design fleet of J/22s.

This year saw the introduction of a chance to improve and learn. Mike Marshall, former J/22 World Champion and North Sails guru, came down to the friendly confines of Mo’Bay and coached for the weekend, enabling some transformations to occur on the race course! Amazing what a little coaching can do!!

Jamaica J/22 Jamin International Regatta
This annual regatta is an open invitation to the global sailing community to bring a crew to Jamaica, race someone else’s boat (with no rental fee), get home hosted (at no cost) and get the ultimate high on a great race track for a very modest entry fee. The perfect regatta for these tough economic times; something to look forward to during the dark winter months of our northern neighbors.

Race Days
100% of the eleven J/22s in Jamaica made it to the starting line; thanks to owners and racers from Kingston and Montego Bay, and Steven Cooke and PJ Gibson for their help preparing them and transporting them!

Day 1- Drifting Long Island Sound Style- What?
The imminent arrival of a strong northerly front presented the first challenge to the race committee in setting a course; given that the northeast trades blow all day every day, there is no consideration of any course outside of 060 to 090 degrees. Therefore, 260 degrees was a challenge, with breezes varying from 1 to 5 knots- not exactly the Caribbean-like “blowing dogs off chains” conditions with 18-25+ kt breezes. Great kudo’s to the Race Committee, as four successful races were run including a downwind start in race three (a.k.a. an insanely chaotic starting line).

Day 2- Ginormously Huge Swells
A concerned call from the Montego Bay YC Dockmaster regarding the early, absolutely enormous swell that was sweeping into the bay from the northwest, and well ahead of the front, forced the committee to decide to cancel the day’s racing.  With the huge swell breaking on the reefs surround the race course, no wind and heavy rain expected, it was unfortunately for the best- in retrospect, a very wise and prudent move!

Hawaiian Party-  It was a night to remember!
Saturday evening has become the famous regatta tradition at Bryan and Lyn’s beautiful house at Great River Private.  There is always a “theme party” for it and everyone goes out of their way to dress appropriately for the occasion.  This year, it was a funky full-on “Pacific meets the Caribbean session”, with a rocking DJ and awesome decoration. As usual, the bar was flowing and the food was amazing. There was a delicious smorgasbord of food donated by Mo’Bay members and the visitors enjoyed every delicious bite. The highlight of the evening was “Bobbette”, the personal guest of Commodore Nigel, who also featured at prize-giving the next day.  For more Jammin J/22 Jamaica Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Regatta Preview

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- This coming weekend, the famous Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Regatta is taking place, hosted by the incredibly gracious members of Montego Bay YC.  You cannot beat the setting- warm weather, trade winds of 15-20 kts, sunny, and the nicest people you can imagine, sailing on a one-design fleet of J/22s.

A special feature of this year’s event is that North Sails’ Mike Marshall, the 2016 J/22 World Champion, will be providing a weekend-long J/22 North U “go-fast” clinic and on-the-water coaching for everyone!

The format is designed to encourage foreign sailors (to Jamaica) to visit as duets or entire crews of 3-4 people.  Of the fifteen-odd boats on the island, three are reserved for Kingston teams and three reserved for Mo’Bay teams- that selection is based on qualifiers.  Those boats are Peter Harper’s ZIPPER, Richard Hamilton’s RENEGADE, and Mike Morse’s AYAHSO from Mo’Bay.  Hailing from Kingston are Cooke’s GERONIMO and Gibson’s TSUNAMI.

As for the rest of the boats, the infamous “honest john boat draw” took place.  Video footage will show that an honest draw was made of this year’s visitors and available boats using completely random toilet paper squares.  Impartial by-standers were dragged from the massive crowds at Mo’Bay YC to pull the toilet paper squares and match boats with a skipper.  Thanks to Charlotte and Luna Marr for their unbiased assistance (pictured here)! Cute, eh??

Ten boats will be on the starting line this year for more fun in the Jamaican sun; three teams from Cayman Islands, one from Canada, and one from the USA.  For more Jammin J/22 Jamaica Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Nationals

(Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica)- The Caribbean J/22 fleet continues to have fun on their somewhat antique classic J/22s that have survived the test of time and too many hurricanes to mention.  The largest fleets reside in the Cayman Islands and on Jamaica.

In recent years, those two fleets get together and invite sailors from all over the world to come down and sail the gorgeous aquamarine blue waters of the Caribbean off Montego Bay, Jamaica- a great place to sail on the northern side of the island, a place famous for dozens of fabulous resorts.  The event is called the Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Regatta and is hosted by the very welcoming Montego Bay YC.  You cannot beat the setting- warm weather, trade winds of 15-20 kts, sunny, and the nicest people you can imagine, sailing in a one-design fleet of J/22s.

The format is designed to encourage foreign sailors (to Jamaica) to visit as duets or entire crews of 3-4 people.  Of the fifteen-odd boats on the island, three are reserved for Kingston teams and three reserved for Mo’Bay teams- that selection is based on qualifiers.

The first qualifier was held in Kingston on the eastern end of the island.  The harbor is notorious for producing steady 20-30 kt winds daily from the east and sailing in flat water, literally!  The conditions are idyllic for anyone that loves the big breeze, gorgeous Caribbean weather, and beautiful views of 7,000 ft tall mountain peaks covered in a verdant green forest- mostly coffee!  Like its counterparts in San Francisco Bay or Lago di Garda in Italy, the combination of big mountains and long valleys literally “suck” the wind off the water and produce amazingly consistent breezes.  In the case of Kingston, it beats them all- with sunny days, 80 F, no fog, clear as a bell, and winds that can hit 25-35 kts steady, gusting higher.

As you can imagine, growing up in those conditions, Kingston sailors are a bit jaded when it comes to breeze.  They have been known to wait until 2pm or so at the Kingston YC situated at the head of the harbor in perfectly flat water for the wind to build to gear-busting conditions.  Then, after being fortified with a few Red Stripes or chasers of Appleton Estate Reserve rum, off they go, hoist the main, hoist the chute and take off in a screaming plane to the far side of the harbor about 4 miles away downwind!  There are a few videos documenting all this craziness.

Here is the sailing video highlights of a Kingston Harbor hurricane speed record attempt (thanks to the J/22 GERONIMO)

And, here is one of their friends sailing and racing in the Cayman Islands.

This past weekend, sailing in decent, though not crazy, winds, the Jamaican J/22 Nationals were held.  The event served as the qualifier for the Kingston teams to sail the Jammin’ event, too.  Winning the event with straight firsts was Richard & Jackie Hamilton’s RENEGADE, an all Mo’Bay crew that included another J/22 owner- Mike Morse.  Taking second and third, respectively, were the top two Kingston boats, “Cookie’s” GERONIMO and Gibson’s TSUNAMI.

The following weekend, the Montego Bay YC held their qualifiers for local boats for the Jammin’ event.  According to Mike Morse, steering his own boat AYAHSO, “we just barely made qualification for Jammin this past weekend.  We were actually tied points with Richard (RENEGADE), but he took the tie-breaker.  So, we ended up third.  Thank goodness, three spots were available for local crews.  The weather has been peculiar recently, with lots of mini-fronts coming down the Caribbean from the east, so goodness knows what the weather will be in another week!”

Reflecting that perspective was Richard Hamilton on RENEGADE, “conditions were east to southeast at 1 to 4 knots!  Thankfully, there is very little current in Montego Bay; otherwise, we would have been going sideways out to sea!  Congratulations to Peter Harper on ZIPPER for winning our qualifier.”

More news next week in the Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica preview of who’s who and wot’s happenin’!  For more Montego Bay YC J/22 sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Johnson Tops Jamin Jamaica J/22 Regatta!

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- For the 2016 edition of the Jamin’ Jamaica J/22 Regatta, there was a lot of early interest from possible teams from Trinidad, Puerto Rico and the usual suspects from the USA, Canada, Cayman Islands and the rest of Europe.  The Montego Bay YC and J/22 Fleet ended up welcoming four visiting teams, three repeats from Cayman Islands and a new team from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

With the phenomenal support from the Cayman Islands J/22 fleet, there were mutterings about changing the regatta name from “Jamin” to “Cam-Jam”, or something similar.  A hearty “high five” to Mike Farrington, Bruce Johnson, Suvi Hayden, and their teams for making the effort and putting in a great showing– again!  It is 20 years since Mike did his first Jamin regatta and 22 years for Bruce!  Other big names from year’s gone by didn’t make it this year, but we hope they are going to return in 2017!

Jamaica J/22 Jamin International Regatta
This annual regatta is an open invitation to the global sailing community to bring a crew to Jamaica, race someone else’s boat (with no rental fee), get home hosted (at no cost), and get the ultimate high on a great race track for a very modest entry fee.  The perfect regatta for these tough economic times; something to look forward to during the dark winter months of our northern neighbors!

Race Days
With 82% of available boats in the country appearing on the line, thanks to owner’s Steven Cooke and PJ Gibson bringing their boats from Kingston, there were some exciting mark roundings and odd bits of damage despite the light to moderate conditions.

With the surprise disappearance of the mark set last year by the Commodore and his team in 110’ of water, the race courses all got a lot shorter than anticipated!  What was more of a challenge was the usual easterly breeze tending to shift further to the south, falling outside of the race committee’s defined marks.  As usual, the very tricky wind shifts were the critical element for the whole weekend.

Who won?! It may or not matter to some, thanks to the copious amounts of rum supplied by local sponsor Appleton Rum- Jamaica’s Best!  A total of seven races were sailed, all counters, no throw-outs.  It turned out those cavalier Cayman Islanders must’ve been doing some kind’a practicin’!  Good Lord, three of the top five this year?? What gives??.  In the end, Bruce Johnson from Cayman Island Sailing Club had one of his best years ever sailing the Jamin regatta.  He sailed DEFENDER to first place with just 20 pts total.  Second was the CALYPSO team led by Michele Cimon from Canada with 27 pts.  Rounding out the podium was Peter Harper’s ZIPPER from Mo’Bay just 2 pts back with 29 pts.  The balance of the top five was filled out by 2015 winner, Mike Farrington from Cayman on NINA with 31 pts and fellow Cayman Islander Suvi Hayden’s crew on AWESOME in 5th place with 32 pts.  Holy tightrope, Batman!  The top five was determined by just 5 points!  Fun, fun, fun racing for all.  But, the sailing paled in comparison to the social side of things.

“The” Retro Party
Saturday evening’s social festivities took place at Bryan and Lyn Langford’s house at Great River Pirate.  It has become a famous tradition for Jamin J/22 Jamaica and this year’s “theme” was “funkadelic retro”.  The evening entertainment was punctuated by a full-on retro session with a rocking DJ and awesome decorations.  As usual, the bar was flowing and the food was simply amazing!  There was a delicious smorgasbord of food donated by Mo’Bay members and the visiting yachtsmen and yachtswomen enjoyed every bite. The highlight of the evening was “Bob-ette”, the personal guest of Commodore Nigel, who had provided “figurehead” services on the race course during the day. It was a night to remember!   Checkout the Jamin FB page of social festivities here.   Flickr photos of sailing on Mo’Bay.   From Krystian Dear- a rockin’ video drone of awesomeness of sailing Mo’Bay.

About Jamin
Jamin is a regatta of volunteers and amateurs getting together to do something they love- sailing on Mo’Bay!  The J/22’s are loaned for the use of visitors, home hosting is arranged for those that need, and the land-based entertainment is all sorted.  The regatta first started in 1989 as the Jam-Am Invitational when there were close ties with the US J/22 sailing fraternity.  The regatta was designed as an open invitation to the USA and designed with the emphasis on fun.

The regatta evolved into an international invitational open to entries from the entire planet.  Jamin’ is now held at the beginning of December every year for any sailors who are willing to come and risk the warm tropical trade winds, sun and the blue waters of the Caribbean- tough duty, we know.  The whole event revolves around having fun on and off the water.  The winner of the event by extension is a “J/22 Global Champion” and obviously a “Living Legend” as every year the entire world is invited to come and play!

Ha’yuuuge, ginormous “Thank You’s” to the following cast of characters and supporters that make this event happenin’ mon!
  
- Montego Bay Yacht Club, MBYC Management Committee, Taddy, Heather and Zeirain, MBYC Dockmaster, Dawson and assistant Anthony
- J/22 owners who allowed their boat to be sailed by others
- Bryan and Lynda Langford for the prize giving venue – Landfall!  This has become the best part of the weekend!
- Race committee volunteers Robin Delisser, Lyn Langford and Phil Slow and particularly Captain Slow for the use of his home- Diva.
- Carole Small for organization of names and food for prize giving
- All those who donated food and drink for the Retro – you know who you are!
- J/22 owner Frank May for lending his boat while he went back to the golf course, again…
- Frank May and Peter Harper – handmade prizes and plaques
- Ev Harrington for all her silly prizes!
- Sarah Hart for the updated logo
- Accommodations:
    - Inga Hjartar for home hosting
    - Jacqueline Hamilton for apartment lending
    - Sandals Resorts for apartment lending
- Ian Johnston photography on the water and Nigel Lord off the water
- Montego Bay Yacht Club Restaurant - Robbie Joseph’s Seahorse Grill
- PJ Stewart for the new perpetual trophy
- Suvi for the T-Shirt branding

Next race! Book your ride early for Jamin’ Jamaica J/22 Invitational Regatta- December 9th and 10th, 2017!!  Nothing beats it! One-design yacht racing in Jamaica– clean starts, protest free, fun racing in challenging conditions! Plus, did we mention that it’s sunny, 70s-80s, and windy on Mo’Bay??  Also, remember that Jamaica is the heartbeat and soul of the Caribbean (remember reggae superstars Bob Marley & the Wailers?).   For more Jamin Jamaica J/22 International Regatta sailing information

J/22 Montego Bay Invitational Announcement

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- In the winter of 2016, anyone who answers “Yes” to any one of the following statements is required to book now for the annual J/22 Jamin' Jamaica Invitational regatta December 2nd to 4th, 2016, hosted by the warm and gracious crew at Montego Bay YC on beautiful “Mo’Bay”.  The invitation is “open” to one and all J/Sailors from around the world- from J/22s to J/65s!!

Here is the deal that you simply cannot pass up:

1. race a J/22 with no boat rental charge and nominal entry fee (amazing!)
2. be home hosted by fabulous hosts (if you wish),
3. enjoy the sun and fun in Jamaica (mandatory!),
4. sail in 20 knot trade winds in the blue Caribbean sea all day (simply gorgeous!)

Does any of this sound in the slightest bit challenging?  No!!!  Book now to avoid disappointment!  It is on a “first-come, first-served” basis!

This year we hope our Cayman Island J/22 fleet comrades will bring their own boats to compete- so even more boats available for others! 

The focus on land-based fun for non-sailing visitors will continue, schedule available on request.  Please contact Richard Hamilton for more information- ph# 876-524-5040 or “jaminj22@mobayyachtclub.com”.   The J/22 Jamin’ Jamaica Notice of Race here.   Learn more about MoBay YC here

J/22 Jammin Jamaica Wild Wild West Show!

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- This annual regatta is an open invitation to the global sailing community to bring a crew to Jamaica, race someone else’s boat (with no rental fee), get home hosted (at no cost) and get the ultimate high on a great race track for a very modest entry fee. The perfect regatta for these tough economic times: something to look forward to during the dark winter months of our northern neighbors!

Every J/22 in the country made the appearance this year, thanks to the tireless efforts of Rugie Misir and the Kingston owners Stephen Cooke and Stephen Facey.

The MoBay YC Commodore personally oversaw the setting of a new permanent mark in 110’ of water for the start committee, which was perfect. What was a challenge for all was the 40 degrees of oscillation in the wind all day Saturday. The shifts were the critical element for the whole weekend.

Commentary from our “Jamin Queen”- Lyn Langford:  “Saturday evening was a rootin-tootin time where the competition of the day was left on the water and the focus for the night was on frolic and fun! Bryan and Lyn Langford once again opened their home for the night and the ‘Wild, Wild, Wild West” came alive! There were ‘cowboys’ and ‘Indians’ all over rehashing the trials and tribulations of the day. There was a delicious smorgasbord of food donated by Mo Bay members and our visitors enjoyed each bite. The highlight of the evening was the country and western singer, Billy Joe, who got us all hoopin’ and a hollarin’ and dancin’ up a storm! Yee-haw! It was a night to remember!

Race 6 was a bit challenging for the ‘Vikings’ from Cayman on ‘JimScreechie’. On the first upwind leg, a gust took them over.... And I mean all the way over! We all watched in amazement- it was worryingly long for an upwind capsize! ‘Defender’, looking for an excuse as to why they were doing so badly overall, turned from her second place at the head of the fleet to the rescue. Fortunately no one was hurt, ‘JimScreechie’ righted herself and began sailing again just as ‘Defender’ got to her. All was well until the last downwind leg when she went over again! Not like the last time, thank goodness, but at this point, I believe spirits were a bit low. However, she came back with vengeance and sailed Race 3! That’s why we love Suvi and her Vikings ~ they never give up!

Tracy Snow and her Team Canada (to include our very own, Julia Magnuson-Ford) held their own during Sunday’s races despite the high breeze. Opting not to fly their spinnaker a few times was their course of action and while it didn’t get them in the front of the fleet, they sailed strong! It is always good to have Tracy with us, she always brings her ‘can-do’ attitude regardless of conditions (boat or weather).

All I can say is poor Renegade. In race #6, coming down the last leg, spinnaker flying full, when doing their last gybe into the finish line, the spinnaker seemed to get very twisted around the forestay and just continued to twist, and twist, and twist. She finished the race but couldn’t stop! Mike Hill from Team USA2 was at the helm and we watched her continue to cruise on down the coast. Race 7 had to start without Renegade as she was still in distress (or, was Richard Hamilton in more distress?). Fortunately, no one was any the worse for wear and tear.

At the prize giving beneath MoBay’s waterfront gazebo, each crew member on the first, second and third place boats received fabulous handmade Frank May trophies with a stained timber plaque and resin hulls. Each boat that participated in the regatta received hand painted art by yacht club members. And, everyone who had mucked up on the day received something silly from Ev Harrington, our other Queen of Jammin.

Jammin is a regatta of volunteers and amateurs getting together to do something they love. Boats are loaned for the use of visitors, home hosting is arranged for those that need and land based entertainment sorted. The regatta first started in 1989 as the Jam-Am Invitational when there were close ties with the US J/22 sailing fraternity. The regatta was designed as an open invitation to the USA and designed with the emphasis on fun. The regatta evolved into an international invitational open to entries from the entire planet. Jammin’ is now held at the beginning of December ever year for any sailors who are willing to come and enjoy the warm tropical trade winds, sun and the blue waters of the Caribbean. The whole event revolves around having fun on and off the water. The winner of the event by extension is a J/22 Global Champion and obviously a Living Legend as every year the entire world is invited to come and play!

Many, many heartfelt ‘Thank You’s’ to the following:

• Montego Bay Yacht Club, MBYC Management Committee, Taddy, Heather and Davia, MBYC Dockmaster, Dawson and assistant Anthony
• J/22 owners who allowed their boat to be sailed by others
• Bryan and Lynda Langford for the party venue– Landfall! This has become the best part of the weekend!
• Race committee volunteers Robin Delisser, Lyn Langford and Phil Slow
• Carole Small for organization of names and food for prize giving
• All those who donated food and drink for the Wild West Party
• J/22 owner Frank May for lending his boat while he went back to the golf course again...
• Frank May – handmade prizes and mark management
• Evelyn Harrington for all her silly prizes!
• Sarah Hart for the updated logo
• Krystian Dear and Sarah Misir for the gorgeous YouTube video
• Bunny Rose photography, Ian Johnston photography and Hank Brown
• Montego Bay Yacht Club Restaurant- Robbie Joseph’s Seahorse Grill"

For more J/22 Jammin Jamaica sailing information