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.

Howarth Tops J/24 Canadian Championship

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)- Thirteen teams took on the 2018 J/24 Canadian Championship held August 18-20 in Kingston, Ont. Michael Howarth’s crew started hot, winning three of the first five races, and held off a late charge by David Ogden to take the title. Ogden’s team won the final four races but still finished five points back in the 9-race series. Peter Dixon finished one point further back in third overall.

Rounding out the top five were Jean Levac in fourth with 38 pts and Edmond Rees in fifth with 42 pts.  For more Canadian J/24 Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

40th J/24 Canadian Nationals Preview

(Kingston, ONT, Canada)- The 2018 Canadian J/24 Nationals are being held in conjunction with CORK/ Sail Kingston Regatta in that famously windy (mostly) location at the far eastern end of Lake Ontario.  Since 1979, the J/24s have been sailing on Lake Ontario and across all parts of Canada for over 40 years, this year marking the 40th time Canadians have sailed their National Championship in J/24s!  The lake is a perfect venue for the event, as the classic seabreezes start out light in the mornings from the SSW, then slowly build from 6-10 kts into the 12-18 kts range by late afternoon.

The thirteen boats sailing in this year’s event has a dozen Canadian teams and one American (a woman skipper- Kira Munger from Fair Haven, New York sailing USA 423).  The Montreal crews include Stephan Blais CAN 3366, Fred Deom CAN 4019, & Brian Morris CAN 3782.    The Ottawa fleet (the Canadian capitol) sailors include Jean Levac CAN 5254 and Richard Tanguay CAN 2594. The Toronto crews include Dave Ogden’s CAN 5235 and Ed Rees’ CAN 3729.  For more Canadian J/24 Nationals 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.

Newport Trio Trump J/22 World Championship!

(Kingston, ONT, Canada)- The world-famous CORK International Sailing Week was host to the 2015 J/22 World Championship, held in Kingston, Ontario.  Forty-six teams participating from Canada (15 boat), the Cayman Islands (three teams) and the USA (28 crews) sailed an amazing four-day series, with Mike Marshall’s crew of Luke Lawrence and Todd Hiller from Newport, RI winning the regatta in the thrilling finale.

After three days and nine races, the ultimate outcome for the regatta came down to the final few races.  On Wednesday, it was another day of champagne sailing conditions on Lake Ontario with sustained winds of 12-15 knots for the three races. Brad Julian won the first two meetings, followed by Travis Odenbach and Jeff Todd in race seven, and by Chris Gaffney and Doyle in race eight. Behind Marshall in race nine were Terry Flynn and Jeff Todd.

By way of a victory in Wednesday’s third race, Mike Marshall’s team was tied at 30 points for the overall lead with the New York-based team of Chris Doyle, Will Harris and Adam Burns. Jeff Todd was still in the hunt in third place with 35 points. Marshall had been discarding a 10, but with a 16th in race 8, the team needed to rebound to keep pace with Doyle who took a four-point advantage into Wednesday’s final battle.  As a result, Marshall held the overall lead with the tie-breaker being the three bullets. Reigning World Champion Doyle maintained a consistent tally by counting all top five finishes.

At dawn on the final day, the after effects of an overnight storm left breeze in the mid-20s, so the Race Committee postponed on shore. But, it didn’t take long for the winds to subside to the upper teens, so the flag came down allowing for the showdown between Marshall and Doyle.  It was a “do-or-die” scenario for the two leaders; it took every leg of the final race to determine the winner.  With a second place finish in Thursday’s only race, Marshall’s team was declared the 2016 J/22 World Champions.  Brad Julian won the race, while Doyle placed sixth in the race but second overall with 36 net points. Jeff Todd took third with 43 points.

“We went into Thursday with the idea that it’s really three teams (Todd was 5 points behind Marshall and Doyle), so it changes the whole dynamic. If it’s two people, you can do a little bit more match racing,” explained Marshall. “We just wanted to sail the best possible race we could, and we executed our plan exactly as we wanted to. We got the first cross, and from there we were able to control the race.”  Rounding out the top five were Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER in 4th place and Brad Julian’s crew in 5th position.

Over the 10-race series, only two races were sailed under 15 knots, and 9 knots was the lightest. “Kingston as a venue is just spectacular,” praised Marshall. “This week was totally different than what Kingston is normally, which is about going left. This week, it was all about going right.” Marshall thanked the Race Committee and PRO David Sprague for their efficient execution, saying, “They changed marks when they needed to, dealt with two shoals on either side and set the right length courses. They were cranking out the races without much downtime.”   For more J/22 World Championship sailing information

J/22 Worlds Update

(Kingston, ONT, Canada)- The world-famous CORK International Sailing Week is playing host to the 2015 J/22 World Championship, held in Kingston, Ontario and being sailed on the eastern end of Lake Ontario until the end of the week.  Forty-six teams participating from Canada (15 boat), the Cayman Islands (three teams) and the USA (28 crews).

Day One report
Chris Doyle of New York showed why he’s the reigning J/22 World Champion on the opening day of the regatta. Three races were completed in gorgeous Lake Ontario conditions. Doyle, sailing with Will Harris and Adam Burns, finished Monday with 10 points, after scoring a 4,4,2. Mike Marshall won the opening contest, then added a 5,10 for 16 points and second place. Brad Julian recovered from a 19 to earn two bullets for 21 points and third overall.

After an on-water postponement as the seabreeze settled in, the winds began at 6-8 knots but built to 8-12, as Marshall, Marvin Beckmann and Terry Flynn made up the top three in the opening battle. Race two saw the highest breeze at 12-17 with gusts in the low 20s. Behind Julian were Jeff Todd and Zeke Horowitz. The winds dropped to 13-15 in the day’s final duel, won again by Julian, as Doyle and Travis Odenbach took the next two spots.

Among the regatta entrants are the recipients of the first ever US J/22 Class Association scholarship boat, led by skipper Patrick Shanahan of Brown University. Also racing is the Warrior Sailing Program, which introduces active military and veterans with disabilities to sailing. Ed Norton is helming USA1367

Day Two report
The day before the Worlds started, Mike Marshall led a panel discussion focused on techniques for heavy breeze and waves. Tuesday, he and his crew of Todd Hiller and Luke Lawrence put those practices to good use in winds that began in the mid-teens and quickly built to a steady 19 knots with gusts into the 20s and 2-4 foot waves. Recording a 2,1,3, the Newport-based helmsman now posts a net score of 12 points in six races, able to discard a 10th from race three. Chris Doyle dropped to second place with 18 net points, and Jeff Todd moved up to third with 22.

Travis Odenbach opened the day with the race win, as Marshall placed second and Terry Flynn third. Flynn again followed Marshall in the middle contest, as Chris Gaffney made the top three. Flynn continued his solid day with a bullet in Tuesday’s final race, ahead of Zeke Horowitz and Marshall.

The 41 teams will enjoy dinner at Fort Henry in Kingston this evening, and racing continues through Thursday.  For more J/22 World Championship sailing information

J/22 Worlds Preview

(Kingston, ONT, Canada)- The world-famous CORK International Sailing Week will also be playing host to the 2015 J/22 World Championship, held in Kingston, Ontario and sailed on the eastern end of Lake Ontario from August 19th to 25th, 2016.  The regatta is renown for its steady weather conditions in late summer, the natural geography forms a perfect “cone” at the end of the lake, generating stable sea breezes in the 12-18 kts range from the southwest.  There are forty-six teams participating from Canada (15 boat), the Cayman Islands (three teams) and the USA (28 crews).

The field of competitors is full of past North American, World and National Champions from all three countries.  The Canadian contingent hopes to have some local sailors at the top of the leaderboard, such as Trevor Collins, Jim Gillis, Ron Harris, Breck McFarlane, Stephen Jones and Bernard Le Duc.  The Cayman Islands group will have the Cayman Island Sailing Club Commodore, Mike Farrington, leading the pack; he’s placed 3rd in the J/22 South African Worlds and has won the J/22 Jammin’ Jamaica event several times.

The Americans have a posse of gunslingers in their midst, including Mark Stuhlmiller, JR Maxwell, Kevin Doyle, Brad Julian, Marvin Beckmann, Jeff Todd, Terry Flynn (recent World Champion), Travis Odenbach, Chris Princing, Mike Marshall (recent Charleston Race Week J/22 winner), Zeke Horowitz, and Chris Doyle.  Rumor has it that Al Terhune’s DAZZLER (another recent World Champion) will be participating as well.  For more J/22 World Championship sailing information