Russia J/70 Winter Series Announcement

(Moscow, Russia)- The 2021 J/70 National Sailing League in Russia has announced their NSL Winter Series has started in Sevastopol, Crimea and will run for five total events from mid-January to the end of March. The fleet of twelve matched one-design J/70s are available to teams from across Russia, from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, and Moscow down to Sochi on the Black Sea. 


There was real winter weather at the 1st Stage in Sevastopol. Everything including the kitchen sink was thrown at the fleet by the weather Gods...light airs, squalls, planing mode, drifting mode, sunny skies, snow, sleet.  No matter what hit the fleet, the sailors were undeterred. Air temperatures ranging from 28 F to 45 F didn't seem to affect any of the sailors who were determined to get on the water, having missed sailing so much because of covid pandemic canceled events. 

Enjoy some of these very cool photos taken over the course of three days of competition.



The next stages will all be sailed in Sevastopol, easily the "warmest" southern port on the Black Sea for the Russian sailing teams. Here is the remaining schedule:

• Stage 2-January 29-31
• Stage 3-February 12-14
• Stage 4-February 26-28
• Final - March 12-14

 ⠀Follow Russian J/70 Sailing League on Facebook here   For more Russian J/70 Sailing League informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

European J/70 Sailing League Updates

 

(Hamburg, Germany)- The 2021 pandemic versions of the thirteen-plus J/70 sailing leagues across Europe are coming up with a variety of clever programs to ensure there is racing, lockdowns or not. Perhaps the most clever and aggressive plan comes from the Norwegians.

Starting their fifth season of racing J/70s on their idyllic settings of fjords and villages by the sea, the league plans to have both "open" and "lockdown" scenarios as part of their strategy for the 2021 season. 

Viggo Holm, leader of Sandefjord Sailing Association explained, "we in Sandefjord Sailing Association are excited to once again host and manage the first sailing league event for Norway's best sailors! We promise a good atmosphere, and here in Norway's sunny county we are betting on the weather providing us good winds and lots of sun. With beautiful Seilerholmen as an arena, we will offer sailors food and drink between battles and a place to relax. Sailing in Norway needs a real sailing party now after the corona, and we will achieve that!"


From May 29-30 the opening event will be held with 15 teams in each of the two divisions. Åsgårdstrand Seilforening are still defending champions from the 2019 season, since the 2020 season was wiped out by the covid-19 pandemic. 

During this year's sailing league season, there will also be a fight for places in the Sailing Champions League. After the end of the season, the four best in the elite series will have the opportunity to try their hand internationally, sailing the emerald waters off Porto Cervo, Italy at YC Costa Smeralda.

A novelty for this year is that any event, if the corona situation requires it, can be held as a mixed doublehanded regatta, instead of the boats being fully manned by four sailors.

"That we have made the opening to be able to sail mixed doublehanded in the league rounds, means that it must be a very impossible corona situation for the sailing league not to be able to be completed this year," says Magnus Hedemark from SailLogic, the firm responsible for the implementation of the sailing league.


Anniversary party in Larvik
After Sandefjord, the journey continues to Larvik, where the teams will meet again for the competition from June 19-20. The city of Larvik is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year, and the sailing league competition will be part of the celebration. 

Bjarte Løchen, who is the regatta manager in Larvik Sailing Association, commented that, "we aim to use the same sailing arena in Larvik's inner harbor. But, we will take into account extra space on land due to infection control regulations, and therefore plan to lay the sailing base on Sanden Pier in front of Kulturhuset Bølgen. We hope for a lot of life and fun and extra attention around the event."

Exciting finale in the west
The big finale will take place on September 11-12, and for the first time the sailing league will visit Florø. Florø Sailing Association has been in the league from the very beginning and is in the elite series. The team has sailed there for three of four seasons.  Follow Norwegian J/70 Sailing League on Facebook here.   For more J/70 Sailing League information

German J/70 Sailing League Schedule Update

 

(Hamburg, Germany)- The season schedule for the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga and the German Junior Sailing League is in place. Six regatta weekends are planned for the 1st Sailing Bundesliga, five for the 2nd Sailing Bundesliga and four for the juniors.

With events from southern Germany to Berlin to Schleswig-Holstein, sailors will be challenged again in 2021 in a wide variety of sailing conditions. In addition to the Chiemsee, there is also sailing on Lake Constance, on the Wannsee, on the Kiel Fjord and on the Baltic Sea in Warnemünde. 

“The year 2020 has shown that sailing is also possible in pandemic times with the appropriate safety measures. We are therefore starting the 2021 season with a clean hygiene concept, flexibility and great optimism,” says Ole Studnitz, Chairman of the German Sailing League.

The teams are already preparing; with online racing and race analysis. Plus, the sailors are now getting fit for the start of training on the water. 


Markus Ostermair, team manager of the Chiemsee Yacht Club, wants to get started right from the start. “Of course, we want to attack and position ourselves for the season at our home game.” All eyes should also be on last year's champions; Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, runner-up ONEKiel, and third place Seglerhaus am Wannsee club.

The season schedule for the 1st and 2nd sailing Bundesliga:

• Apr 30- May 2- ACT I- Prien (Chiemsee)
• May 14-16- ACT II- Überlingen (Lake Constance)
• Jul 16-18- ACT III- Kiel-Schilksee (Baltic Sea)
• Aug 6-8- ACT IV- Berlin (Wannsee, only 1st sailing Bundesliga)
• Sep 17-19- ACT V- Warnemünde (Baltic Sea)
• Oct 21-23- DSBL FINALE- Berlin (Wannsee)
• Jul 6 to Nov 7- DSL CUP- Berlin (Wannsee)

The dates of the German Junior Sailing League:

• Jun 4-6- ACT I- Constance (Lake Constance- Konstanzer Yacht Club))
• Jul 23-25- ACT II- Kiel (Baltic Sea- Kieler Yacht-Club)
• Aug 27-29- ACT III- Essen (Baldeneysee- Essener Turn-und Fechtclub)
• Oct 8-10- FINALE- Berlin (Tegeler See- Joersfelder Segel-Club)

Follow the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga on Facebook here   For more Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga information

ARTTUBE RUS-1 WINS TENZOR CUP BY PROYACHTING J/70 CHAMPION SERIES

 

(Sochi, Russia)- For the 2020 sailing season, PROYachting partnered with TENZOR Consulting Group to launch a new series that gathered together the best Russian sailing teams in the J/70 class. The regatta was run along the lines of the notable sailing leagues in Russia and across Europe. The event was composed of matched J/70 one-designs with new sails, professional refereeing, convenient locations, and of course the best sailors in all of Russia dueling for top honors. The series started in Moscow at the Royal Yacht Club, thereafter to the Konakovo River Club, then to Pirogovo, and then the finale in the famous Black Sea resort of Sochi.


After five races, winning the finale in Sochi was the DC Team, followed by Team ARMORED in second and Valeriya Kovalenko's familiar ARTTUBE RUS-1 Team in third. 

As a result, the ARTTUBE RUS-1 team of Ms. Kovalenko and crew of Sergey Avdonin, Igor Lisovenko, and Denis Rozhkov were declared the overall winners for the TENZOR CUP by PROYachting series! The team performed great at all four stages and deservedly took the overall championship. Congratulations! 


For the balance of the podium, taking the Silver was the DC Team skippered by the ever-competitive Denis Cherevatenko. And, taking the bronze was Team BARS skippered by yet another top Russian woman- Karen Stepanyan.  For more J/70 one-design class sailing information.  For more Russian J/70 Class sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

Norddeutscher Regatta Verein Blitzkriegs German J/70 DSL Cup!

 

(Hamburg, Germany)- Just one week after winning the championship of sailing clubs, the North German Regatta Club (NRV) also won the German Sailing League Cup DSL Cup in its home waters on the gorgeous Alster Lake in downtown Hamburg. 


With a 21-point lead over the second-placed Württemberg Yacht Club and the Flensburger Segel-Club in third place, the North German club achieved a clear victory. Their performance on such a shifty, puffy lake was nothing short of astonishing...obviously, local knowledge plays a huge role on the lake! Winning nine of 12 races outright, their worst finish was a single third place! Yes, one might call that performance a virtual white-out!


“We are really happy! Last week the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga championship and this week the DSL Cup - it couldn't be more beautiful,” said Tobias Schadewaldt, helmsman from NRV, happy about the top performance of his team. He attributes the success to the common spirit on board, “we concentrate on the positive things and on the parameters that we can influence. This constructive attitude, which we all share on board, carried us to victory."


In addition to the trophy, the regatta was also about staying up in the league and advancing to the 2nd sailing league for many teams. For the Westphalian Yacht Club Delecke and the Sailing Club Ville as the second division at risk of relegation, it was about staying up, which they secure with sixth and ninth places for the coming season. The Salzgitter Sailing Club and the Regatta-Segler-Neuruppin move up to the second sailing league for the first time with places seven and eight.  Sailing Photo credits- DSBL / Lars Wehrmann   Watch this German J/70 DSL Cup highlights video- sweet!  For more Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga sailing information

EFG Swiss Sailing League Women’s Cup Fun!

 

(Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland)- Congratulations to Horgen Yacht Club Women's team! Winners of the EFG Swiss Sailing League Women's Cup sailed in Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland on the northern part of spectacular Lago Maggiore.


The Horgen YC teams was comprised of Mara Bezel, Alexa Bezel, Viviane Mouron, Diana Otth, Milena and Leonie Matthys. Finishing second was the Bielersee Yacht Club team with Lea Tschudi, Ester Oggenfuss, Dominique Müller, Barbara Brugger and Florence Schibler. Just one point back, taking the bronze on the podium was the beautiful Zürcher Segel Club with Amrei Keller, Theresa Lagler, Zoé Staub and Franziska Glüer.


Congratulations to all 3 teams on the podium. The teams of Club Nautique de Versoix, Segelclub Cham and Club de Voile de Lausanne have positioned themselves very well.

Swiss Sailing League Association is looking forward to the 2021 edition of the Women's Cup, which will take place from August 20 to 22, 2021 in Davos.  Learn more about the Swiss J/70 Sailing League hereAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

AKHMAT Crowned Russia J/70 National Champions

 

(Pirogovo, Russia)- An eighteen-boat J/70 fleet from across Russia gathered together at the amazing Pirogovo Yacht Club on the Klyazma River immediately north of Moscow for an excellent four-day weekend of racing. With nearly perfect fall weather, the regatta PYC PRO managed to run fifteen races for the happy sailors.


The first day dawned sunny, warm with a 5-10 knots breeze flowing down the river that ultimately built to 1- to 17 kts of breeze. For the next two days, the weather hardly changed, with the same conditions blessing everyone with great racing conditions on flat water.


In the end, it was the AKHMAT TEAM that won with a very strong 48 pts in the fifteen races, for an amazing 3.7 average in 13 races counted.  A very familiar team took the silver, Valeriya Kovalenko's ARTTUBE RUS1 with a nearly similar scoreline for 52 pts. In fact, she just beat by one point a newcomer to the Russian J/70 circuit, the ELF TEAM.  Sailing Photo Credits- Valeria Isaenko   For more Russian J/70 Championship sailing information

Enjoy SAILING Champions League J/70 Video

 

(Porto Cervo, Italy)- Twenty-seven teams from thirteen nations sailed in the finale for the AUDI SAILING Champions League in Port Cervo, Sardinia. The host, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, and their race committee and media production teams provided the 300+ sailors the red carpet treatment. And the Weather Gods blessed everyone with epic sailing conditions all four days of the competition. Their media team produced a pretty cool video summary of the event.  Enjoy this J/70 SAILING Champions League sailing highlights video!

Germans Win SAILING Champions League- Again!

 

(Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)- Commodore Mike Illbruck of Yacht Club Costa Smeralda could not have been more pleased and excited about how his club handled the 2020 edition of the AUDI SAILING Champions League finale. As an active J/70 sailor himself racing PINTA, Mike was proud to see his team at YC Costa Smeralda provide the red-carpet treatment for the twenty-seven teams representing thirteen nations meeting in Porto Cervo for the final leg of the circuit. 

Sailing a fleet of a dozen matched J/70 one-design class sailboats from the YC Costa Smeralda, the teams were blessed with four straight days of epic, champagne sailing conditions- sunny, partly cloudy, 10 to 25 knots of mistral conditions with winds blowing from the northwest offshore, making for flat water conditions. The planned eighteen flights were completed for the four-day event, for a total of 72 races! 

The surprise winner for the event was yet another leading Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga team- the Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen Team that sail on the spectacular Lake Constance (bordered by Germany, Austria, and Italy). Here are the daily reports on how it all went down in this year's exciting, thrill-a-minute finale. 


Day One
Two flights were completed on day one for a total 8 races run. Currently tied for points and in the lead was the familiar German crew from Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, themselves German Sailing League champions more than once. The surprise team in the number two spot on the leaderboard was the Åländska Segelsällskape Team from Finland. Third place for the day was the Swiss team Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen.

Måns Lundberg, from Åländska Segelsällskapet commented, “racing in Costa Smeralda is always great for us! Our primary objective is to improve on our results that our Club has obtained in the past editions of this event.”

Stefan Seger, from the Regattaclub Oberhofen said, “in this first day the wind direction was very shifty, so it was hard for all of the teams that are participating. At any rate it’s always a pleasure to meet again here.”


Day Two
The second day of racing was intense for the twenty-seven teams! There were seventeen races run for a total of four flights completed...exhausting for the Race Committee, the Jury boats, and the race teams! The races got underway punctually at 10AM in south westerly winds at 20-22 knots and gusts at up to 30 knots. Racing was in the Golfo del Pevero and ended at 5PM. After seven hours on the water!

At the end of the day’s racing the Spanish team from the Club Náutico Arrecife was just one point ahead of the German team from the Segel- und Motorboot Club Überlingen, who raced up the standings to place second for the series. The Italian team from Aeronautica Militare also had a great day and rose to third place.

Ricardo Terrades, from the Club Náutico Arrecife had these words, “fundamentally, we want to sail fast and have fun. Our objective is to qualify for the final series, so we’ll try to do our best to hang on to the position we’re currently in. We hope that in the upcoming two days we’ll be sailing in similar conditions, our team loves windy weather!”


Day Three
The third day saw the weather Gods bless the sailors with yet another perfect combination of racing conditions with westerly, very shifty, very puffy winds that ranged from 18-22 knots. The action was intense again and a total of 21 races were run to complete five flights. 

Aeronautica Militare has continued to work its way up the scoreboard. After a first race where the team finished fourth, they won three races and placed second once. As a result, they are currently in the lead in the provisional results. Swiss teams from the Regattaclub Oberhofen and the Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen are in second and third place respectively after having placed consistently well today.  

Niccoló Bertola, from Aeronautica Militare, commented on their strong performance, “we really weren’t expecting to get such good results! Actually, we were a little worried because this year we never had the chance to sail using the National Sailing League format and we know that training is the most important thing in this kind of regatta. So, we’re really happy so far! Tomorrow the conditions should be a bit different with lighter air, but we’ll be ready.”  

After the racing there was a presentation in Piazza Azzurra of the survey on the quality of Sardinia’s waters that Oristano’s CNR is conducting with the support of the One Ocean Foundation. Immediately afterwards the scientific expedition that Ocean Scientific (partner of the OOF) is conducting in the Med was also presented.  


Day 4 Finale- Wash, Rinse, Repeat
It was yet another perfect day of racing for the finale. Racing started punctually at 10AM with more amazing mistral winds from the west from 12-15 knots. Three more flights were held bringing the event’s total to fourteen completed flights and 56 races. At the end of all of the flights the teams that finished in the top four positions qualified for the final series. Those teams were Aeronautica Militare (Italy), Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen (Germany), Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen (Germany) and Akhmat National Sailing Team (Russia).  

After a mixed bag of results in the previous days of racing, the German Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen Team stayed concentrated and had their best day. With two wins out of four races they were crowned champions of the SAILING Champions League 2020 for their first time. The Italian team from Aeronautica Militare finished second and taking the bronze on the podium was the Swiss team from Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen. 

Michael Zittlau, skipper of the Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen team, commented, “I still can’t believe that we have won the SAILING Champions League. It’s incredible, we’re from a small Club on Lake Constance in Germany and we came here thinking that we might manage to finish in the top ten at best. We were sailing against some top-level teams. In the final event we could barely keep up, but in the end, we won, and it feels fantastic!”

Michael Illbruck, Commodore of the YCCS, had these comments during the award ceremony held on the terrace at YCCS, “in four days we have seen all kinds of weather conditions, the teams sailed in gusts up to 30 knots. I have to say that it has been a real challenge for the twenty-seven teams that have participated! Events like these embody the fundamental values of sailing like sporting spirit, competitiveness, and a sense of belonging with one’s club. We hope to welcome many teams again next year here in Porto Cervo!”  For more SAILING Champions League regatta information

Audi SAILING Champions League Underway!

 

(Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)- The Audi SAILING Champions League Final is underway with twenty-seven teams representing thirteen nations meeting in Porto Cervo for the final leg of the circuit. The event, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, with the support of AUDI and the ONE OCEAN Foundation as main partner, is scheduled to run from Thursday through Sunday.
 
The event will take place in compliance with all Covid-19 prevention regulations and the protocol issued by the Italian Sailing Federation, ensuring maximum safety for the participating sailors and all staff involved.

Eighteen flights are planned over the course of the four-day event, for a total of 72 races, with the top four teams progressing to the finale. Each team will compete against each of the others as the crews alternate aboard the YCCS fleet of a dozen J/70 one-design class sailboats. The formula for the event was introduced in 2013 in Germany, taking its lead from the format used in soccer (football) tournaments. 

Favorites among the participating teams include the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein from Germany, the Royal Danish Yacht Club, and the Akhmat National Sailing Team from Russia. Also competing in the final is the Aeronautica Militare team, representing the Italian Air Force.
 
“At last we can welcome sailors from various parts of Europe to compete in the final of the AUDI SAILING Champions League. This will be the first international event we have organized since the pandemic began, and we cannot wait to get back on the water,” commented YC Costa Smeralda Commodore Michael Illbruck.
 
The event program also includes a focus on raising awareness on the issue of safeguarding the sea. On Saturday 17 October, in Piazza Azzurra, the ONE OCEAN Foundation will present a study regarding the quality of the waters off Sardinia's coasts. Having just left Monaco on board the maxi-catamaran formerly known as Club Med, the Oceano Scientific (OOF partner) scientific expedition will also present their project goals to collect scientific data on contaminants in the Mediterranean and raise awareness among local communities. For more SAILING Champions League regatta informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

Norddeutscher Regatta Verein Five-Peats German J/70 Sailing League Series

 

(Hamburg, Germany)- In an impressive display of consistency on the shifty, puffy waters of Alster Lake in downtown Hamburg, Germany, the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein Team "five-peated" the German J/70 Sailing League. Their helmsman, Tobias Schadewaldt, was also repeat winner from their 2018 winning team. 


After a sensational kick start at the beginning of the season and an exciting chase over the last few regattas, the ONE Kiel team secured the runner-up title in their first season as a first division club. Last year's champions from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee association took third place on the podium. 

The Bodensee-Yacht-Club Überlingen prevailed in the 2nd sailing league and, in addition to regatta victory, also won the season overall, ahead of the Mühlenberger Segel-Club in second and the Joersfelder Segel-Club in third. 


The thirty-six clubs of the 1st and 2nd sailing Bundesliga competed in the final showdown on Hamburg's Alster Lake over three days. With a four points lead ahead of their rival ONE Kiel, the NRV started the regatta as championship leader after the previous four regattas and secured the championship trophy and the title on the final day in excellent wind conditions.


For NRV helmsman Tobias Schadewaldt, this title was a great relief, as he describes shortly after the decisive race, “after the first two days of the regatta, I frankly thought that the title would not work this year. But, thank God I was totally wrong with that! It was very exciting for us until the end! Most recently, the pressure to have to sail well was particularly great! Luckily, we managed that. Before this year's finale, I remembered the final two years ago in Hamburg, which we had won. Our team gave me a lot of strength personally and now I am relieved that it turned out so successfully for us."  German J/70 Sailing League YouTube highlights.  Sailing Photo credits: DSBL / Lars Wehrmann   For more Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga sailing regatta informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

ZID ART Team Wins Russian J/70 Sailing League- Act IV

 

(Sevastopol, Crimea)- Traditionally, Russia's National Sailing League competitions in their swiftly growing fleet of J/70s (now 36 in three locations!) consist of six stages, including the Grand Finale generally held in Sochi, Russia on the Black Sea. However, like just about everyone else around the world, the 2020 season was heavily affected by the pandemic.  The regatta schedule was adjusted to the same number of events but compressed into just three months and just two locations- Sevastopol, Crimea and Abrau-Durso, Russia. Both are southern locations on the Black Sea and, generally, have comfortable weather and sailing conditions, even in the late fall season. Here is the report from Act IV held in Sevastopol. 


Day 1- Light and shifty
Fifteen teams from different regions of Russia are participating on the spectacular waters of Sevastopol Bay; including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Tuapse, Grozny and, of course, Sevastopol.

The first day of racing did not begin until noon, as the wind in the water area was constantly shifting and oscillating in pressure. However, the race committee still managed to start ten races during the afternoon.

“We waited for the wind until half past twelve,” said Chief Judge Anna Deyanova. "By the end of the day, the wind increased in gusts to 12 knots. In the morning, a west wind was blowing, but in the evening, it shifted into the east."

From the first races, the Moscow ZID art Sailing team took the lead. The ZID ART Sailing Team skippered by Zoran Paunovic scored only 11 points in six races, winning three of them.

“We were worried, because this is not really our weather,” said Zoran Paunovic. "We have a very well-coordinated team, we have been working together for a long time, and today we just waited for our moment."

“Master of the Sail-ASIA” was just three points behind, which had only five races. The crew of Sergei Musikhin celebrated only one victory for the day.

“At this stage, there are just three very competitive teams racing,” says Sergei Musikhin. "We are just adapting to this situation. The shifty wind only adds to the difficulty!"

Another contender for the medals was Kirill Frolov's Bronenosec crew from St. Petersburg. The team from the northern capital managed to score 16 points in six races, including three victories.

The closest pursuer of the virtual medalists was Moscow's X-FIT. At this stage, Boris Kucherenko is at the helm of the team. The team is separated from the third position by only 6 points. The top five is rounded out by the Academy of Sailing of the Yacht Club of St. Petersburg. The crew, led by skipper Anna Basalkina, scored 27 points in seven starts.


Day 2
Contrary to all forecasts, the wind died by noon, but then filled back in with a gentle sea breeze. The racing committee managed to get 12 more starts, so the regatta had 22 races completed.

“The day was very productive, we used all the time allotted for the races," said Chief Judge Deyanova. "A distinctive feature of today was the parade of Russian Navy ships. We have never seen such a number of huge ships crossing our fleet! The people on the beach were also happy to see the show."

For Saturday's racing, the ZID ART Sailing team broke away from their rivals by a crushing number of points - 21 pts total. Zoran Paunovich's team never finished below third place in seven races.

Nevertheless, a new slate of teams was able to adapt to the variable conditions on Sevastopol Bay, some gained significantly, while the previous day's leaders tumbled down the ladder. 

The St. Petersburg team, led by Anna Basalkina, gathered strength. Having started the second racing day with a victory, the “Academy of Sailing of the Yacht Club of St. Petersburg” confidently finished the day in second place overall.  

“It cannot be said that the sea conditions are strong, as the wind often came from the shore, so it was not easy,” said Anna Basalkina. "At this stage, we have an updated line-up for our team. The races are very tight, it's tough sailing! ZID art gives no mercy to anyone, but everything will be decided for us in the last races."

Two teams are fighting for the third step on the podium; Akhmat and Calipso sailing teams. The national team of the Chechen Republic, the AKHMAT Sailing Club, had a new crew under the leadership of Christian Chech. They got accustomed to the sailing conditions and rallied fast, climbing five places after fourteen races! They are racing neck-in-neck with the team from Tuapse; Maxim Taranov's CALIPSO crew, they also adapted to the conditions, taking first three times!


Day 3
On the final day of racing, the Crimean wind again was unstable in the first half of the day. The sailors had to wait for more than an hour for the wind to become steady enough to resume the races. Again, the race committee managed to get 8 more good races in to complete the regatta; 30 races in three days, and each team had 18 races to count!

“In the morning, the wind was blowing along the bay, its direction was completely incomprehensible,” said Chief Judge Deyanova. "In the afternoon we got a great wind from a completely opposite direction, which gave us tight starts and interesting finishes. Thanks to Sevastopol for these great conditions!"

Sunday's races helped some teams catch up with their rivals and rectify the situation for the past two racing days.

After a hard start, the 2019 League champion AKHMAT Sailing Club was still able to climb several positions. The new crew from the Chechen Republic, skippered by Christian Cech, did not quite reach the podium, just eight points shy, but enough to take fourth place. 

The Sailing Academy of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club managed to garner the bronze medal. Anna Basalkina's crew, replenished with new members, was able to climb onto the podium with steady sailing.


“We are glad to have the bronze medal, because we were still fighting for second position,” said Anna Basalkina. "We had serious shortcomings; it was hard to fight through them. This weekend did not go as I expected. We will arrive at the next stronger, for sure!  I hope it will be easier for us."

This event was hard for the CALIPSO team from Tuapse, which tried to adapt to the difficult waters of Sevastopol Bay on Friday. Then, on Saturday, their team gathered strength and earned six victories in two racing days. As a result, the elated and relieved CALIPSO team took home the silver medal.

“In the last race, we had to finish no lower than fifth place," said Maxim Taranov. "Starting the last downwind leg, we were sixth, everywhere we went, we got into difficulties. On the last run, the smart ones went to the right, the other ones to the left, and we stayed in the middle. We chose our path, and it turned out to be the correct one! We arrived first to the weather mark, then finished first, and dashed Anna Basalkina's hopes for second place. Thankfully, Lady Fortune smiled on us!"

There was no equal in Sevastopol to the ZID ART Sailing team. From the very first day, the Moscow team began to break away from their rivals. By the end of the third racing day, the gap between first and second place was 20 points. With seven victories to their credit, Zoran Paunovic's crew won the gold in the Upper Division for the first time.

“This is my first win in the Premier League. Of course, I am very happy," said Paunovich. "Standing on the stage, I recalled our victory here last year in the Sevastopol International Cup. By comparison, I don't know when it was more difficult, then or now. This time I was more worried, as we are a heavy team, and the forecast did not promise a strong wind. As a result, we have shown that it's not in vain that we have been sailing with such a line-up. The crew understands each other perfectly."

Thanks must go to the following supporters of the Russian National J/70 Sailing League:

• the Government of Sevastopol
• the Sailing Federation of Sevastopol
• Gazprom AG
• Nord Stream AG with the Nord Stream Race project
• the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping
• the federal network of X-FIT fitness clubs.
• communications: Down-the-line.com, Ocean TV, Yachting magazine.

Follow the Russian Sailing League on Facebook here.  For more Russian National J/70 Sailing League informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

Swiss J/70 Sailing League Act IV Challenge Finale

 

(Neuchatel, Switzerland)- From October 2nd to 4th, club teams from all over Switzerland participated in the Swiss Sailing League Challenger Finale. The teams made it exciting, with practically every race being won by a different team. The three-day event ended with strong winds from the west; making for an exciting, fast & furious final day of sailing. The Cercle de la Voile de Neuchatel was host for the event and provided excellent, professional race management all weekend-long. 

In the end, the Club Nautique de Pully (CNP) with Kilian Wagen (2020 Swiss Olympic 470 Champions), Louise and Anne-Sophie Thilo, Leo Totaz, and Romain Herzog sailed excellently and secured the undisputed victory in Act IV off Neuchatel. 


As a result, CNP was able to move up to second in the Challenge Series. Meanwhile, Club Nautique de Versoix (CNV) placed 2nd, thus securing overall victory in the Swiss Sailing Challenge League 2020. The team with helmsman Romain Defferrard, Victor Casas Benjamin Delaloye, Benoit Leuenberger, Romuald Hausser and Nelson Mettraux sailed consistently, tactically clever, and controlled every race. Surprising some teams was the Yacht Club Luzem (YCL); they competed confidently and doggedly for every meter on the last day to take third place. The outcome of Act IV and the overall series assured that Club Nautique de Pully, Club Nautique de Versoix, and Yacht Club Luzem will be elevated to the Swiss Super League series for 2021.

There are two more events to go to close out the 2020 Swiss Sailing League season:

• Oct 7-10- Swiss Super League Finale- Ascona, Lago Maggiore
• Oct 15-18- Swiss Sailing League Women's Cup- Ascona, Lago Maggiore

For more Swiss Sailing League regatta information

Esbo Segelförening Wins Finnish J/70 Sailing League 2020

 

(Mariehamn, Finland)- Of all the sailing leagues in Europe, perhaps it was the Scandinavian countries that were affected the most by the effects of the pandemic and the "social distancing" guidelines issued by their respective countries. With the most "open", and no doubt riskiest, policies, only Sweden managed to sail more than two events. In the case of Finland, their league managers could only pull off a single event before the rising and setting sun all but disappeared in regions of the Arctic Circle! Nevertheless, the dozen teams from across Finland enjoyed an exhausting twenty races over two days.


Fast out-of-the-blocks was Esbo Segelförening (ESF) winning five of their first nine races on the first day! They were never challenged after that opening gambit, handling winning the event despite averaging 4.5 pts in their last four races. As a result, ESF was declared champion of the Finnish Sailing League 2020. 

"We’re feeling great. We’ve been training for this for a couple of years on the J/70, and this year we managed to sail much more consistent races”, said ESF skipper Lucas Karlemo. His crew consisted of Victor Mesterton, Anton Eklund, and Emil Lindblom.


The silver medals were awarded to the regatta host Åländska Segelsällskapet (ÅSS 1), their team consisted of skipper Daniel Mattsson, Mathias Dahlman, Staffan Lindberg, and Jasper Karlsson. Amazingly, despite 15 podium finishes out of 20 races, they still could not close the gap on ESF!

Earning the bronze medal in a very tightly fought battle was Brändö Seglare (BS 2). It was not until the final race that skipper Ville Korhonen and his crew of Edi Bremer, Tusse Tallberg, and Jari Bremer overcame the strong challenge from the team sailing for Nylandska Jaktklubben; only beating them by one point!  Sailing Photo credits: Pepe Korteniemi / Suomen Purjehdusliiga 2020  For more Finnish J/70 Sailing League regatta informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.