MARBLEHEAD TO HALIFAX RACE 2021 ANNOUNCEMENT

 

(Marblehead, MA)- Skipper John “Drew” Plominski is hoping that lightning doesn’t strike twice. Plominski, whose boat was destroyed by lightning two years ago, was first in line to register for the 39th biennial Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean race to take place this coming summer.

"We’re thrilled to see Drew back for another try,” said Richard Hinterhoeller, Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron co-race director. Registration is now open for 2021, and we are expecting a robust fleet to compete."

Plominski’s 30-foot vessel, named Perseverance, was just about ready for the 2019 edition. Along with his wife and three friends, he planned to compete in the 363-mile biennial race to Nova Scotia in 2019.

The South Boston resident left his boat moored at the Columbia Yacht Club the night before the big race and was at his house, just a couple of blocks away, when he heard the loud noise that sounded like a boom and a crack, he said. 

“It was nuts,” Plominski remarked at the time, as he went down to inspect his boat.  “All the electronics were completely fried,” he said. As a result, it forced him to withdraw from the 2019 race.

His new boat is a J/40 named ARTEMISIA. He competed in the 2020 Beringer Cup race from Marblehead to Provincetown, MA. A good tune-up for the 363-mile race to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Marblehead-to-Halifax started in 1905 and has been held every other year, except during wartime. Called the “Grand Daddy of ocean races,” it's the premier New England coast sailing event.

The 2021 Notice of Race has been posted on the Marblehead to Halifax website at http://www.marbleheadtohalifax.com. According to BYC co-race director Karen Tenenbaum, “we think there is a lot of pent-up demand and sailors are anxious to get back on the water.”

The race is co-sponsored by the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron of Halifax. For more information, please contact Ed Bell at Boston YC- email: Edbell40@gmail.com   For more Marblehead to Halifax Race sailing information

Ted Hood Regatta A Resounding Success

(Marblehead, SC)- As befitting a regatta named after the multi-faceted Ted Hood – sailmaker, yacht designer, inventor, yacht builder, and America’s Cup-winning skipper, designer, sailmaker and builder – the Storm Trysail Club’s Ted Hood Regatta had a wide variety of courses, sizes and types of yachts. The forty-five participating boats included everything from a Rhodes 19 one-design fleet, to larger keelboat one-designs (J/105’s), inshore course ORRez big boat classes, PHRF racers, a Double-Handed ocean racing class and an ocean race!

The THR (as it’s affectionately known) ran a total of 8 inshore races over the course of three days (August 21-23); four races Friday, and two on both Saturday and Sunday, plus the ocean race on Friday night for the Double-Handed and Ocean Race entries.

While the pandemic did not dampen the enthusiasm for the race, the usual shore-side festivities were eliminated entirely, and other precautions were put into place.


“The Storm Trysail Club is historically focused on safety. Usually that means on-the-water safety training and race equipment requirements, but with COVID-19 we have been additionally focused on health and safety as it relates to the pandemic. Clarke and his team worked tirelessly to bring off this event safely and responsibly. And, I think it is fair to say that the sailing community around the North Shore are grateful for their efforts,” explained Storm Trysail Club Vice-Commodore Ed Cesare.

The usual Skipper’s Meeting before the regatta was held via Zoom, and a COVID-19 release form had to be completed every day by all racers, all race committee members, and every volunteer. Each boat was then required to sail by the committee boats and verbally confirm that the release forms were executed each day. Furthermore, those forms are to remain onboard the boat until October 15th.

Three days of around-the-buoy racing began Friday in perfect conditions. Winds 10-14 knots allowed all three racing circles to get in four very competitive races. Saturday’s winds were much lighter, and, after a postponement of 1.5 hours, conditions had improved to seven knots of breeze. Although it was shifty, the committees worked hard so that all three circles were able to get in two races.

Sunday saw an AP fired at 1200 hrs, but the seabreeze filled in an hour later. The fleet enjoyed 16 knots, providing a great end to the regatta with several boats battling right to the last finish line to win their classes.

For Friday night’s ocean racing portion of the regatta, the Race Committee was concerned with the very light winds that were forecast for Saturday morning. With course options ranging from 64nm to 127nm, the RC chose to send the Double-Handed class (which consisted of boats generally smaller/slower than their Fully-Crewed counterparts) on the shortest course, while the Fully Crewed group sailed the medium distance (90nm) course. 

In the Double-Handed group, the J/109 HAFA ADAI, was under the command of another local sailor, Eliot Shanabrook. (“Hafa Adai” is a greeting used in the Mariana Islands that is roughly the equivalent of “Aloha” in Hawaii.) This was Eliot’s first THR, and he raced in the Double-Handed division with his son Reid. Eliot describes how he and his son divvy up the load: “Reid makes 66% of the sail and boat-handling decisions and I make 66% of the tactical/navigation decisions. The last third of each generally features some ‘lively’ father/son discussions!” What would he say to others who might be considering entering the race for the first time as he did? “Do it! Whether it’s one-design, big boat day races, crewed or DH overnight races, there’s something for everyone.”


As the biggest fleet in the regatta, the J/105s saw a complete "whitewash" of the fleet. BROUHAHA, a J/105 skippered by Ric Dexter, had an almost perfect record marred by a “mere 2nd”. “There were several maneuvers that we were able to pull off in at least 1/2 of the eight races that put us in winnable positions and kept our lanes clear,” describes Rick. “Many tight tacks and jibes made a big difference overall. The crew was on their game the whole weekend. The lines and courses were square and well-managed. Short races were appropriate for the conditions and we got in lots of races. I cannot remember a regatta where we actually got 8 races in 3 days!”

Two handicap rules were utilized for the inshore racing; ORRez and PHRF, with ORRez divided into two classes. SCIROCCO, a J/33 captained by Ward Blodgett and Liz Smith, won Class 2 on a tie-breaker!

Event Chair Clarke Smith was well-pleased with the regatta. “COVID-19 really complicated our planning for the event. We had shifting guidance and a dynamic – to say the least – situation, but we were extremely happy with the turnout under the circumstances, and the regatta came off without a hitch. Putting on a regatta, even under normal circumstances, takes a substantial amount of time and resources, most of which happens behind the scenes. This year was especially challenging. I’d like to thank PRO Alan McKinnon, Jason Mahar – Chief Judge, Cutter Herlihy – Sponsor, and Race Committee Member, and Committee Members Joel White and Jamie Noyes. Also, Henry Brauer for the use of his RIBCraft, and Gifted of Larchmont for getting us the trophies while they endured the recent blackout down in Connecticut.”

“Also, regattas like this one would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Safewaters Underwriting Managers, Goslings Rum, East Regiment Beer Company, North Sails, Herlihy Electric, Sudbury Products, and Phil Smith Photography.  I’d also like to specially thank Marblehead Animal Hospital. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a veterinary clinic sponsoring a regatta, but they provided all the hand sanitizer for the participants and graciously offered their very sterile facility as a Protest Room.  Thankfully no protests were filed. I’m used to hearing a lot of barking in a protest hearing, but this would have been a little different!”  Formore Ted Hood Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas Update

(Newport, RI)- Each year Sailing World magazine presents North America’s largest sailing regatta series, the National Offshore One Design Regattas. This incredibly popular regatta is broadly enjoyed by J/Sailors from around America, Canada, and Mexico. The only regatta that went off without a hitch so far in 2020 was the Helly Hansen St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta in St Petersburg, FL in early February.

At this time, the following Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas are scheduled to be held, two have been rescheduled. 

• Chicago NOOD- Chicago, IL- June 12-14
• Marblehead NOOD- Marblehead, MA- July 23-26
• Annapolis NOOD- Annapolis, MD- August 28-30 
• San Diego NOOD- San Diego, CA- September 4-6

For more Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

GOOD TRADE Crowned J/105 N.A. Champion

(Marblehead, MA)- The 2019 J/105 North American Championship was sailed from September 5th to 8th off Marblehead, MA on the open waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Hosting the event was Corinthian Yacht Club, along with title sponsor “The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board”. After eight races run on three of the four days of racing (one day lost due to Hurricane Dorian passing by offshore), it was Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE (with crew of Halsey Richartz- trim, Bill Higgins- bow, John Sahagian- mast, and Stu Johnstone- tactician) winning their second J/105 North American title. Here is how they managed to repeat their N.A. title.

Day One- Gorgeous fall weather
Eighteen teams from across the USA and Canada enjoyed spectacular early fall sailing conditions, with winds starting clear, cool from the Northeast, and saw winds shifting into the Southeast by late afternoon. The Corinthian YC PRO managed the conditions well, getting off three races in a breeze that persistently shifted right all day, as forecasted.

Leading the regatta after the first day was Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE from San Francisco, CA with a 2-2-1 record for 5 pts, in a no-throw out up to 12 race series. Second was Ken Horne’s FINAL FINAL crew from Houston, TX with a 3-1-6 tally for 10 pts. Third was hometown local hero Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN with a 6-4-3 scoreline for 13 pts. Rounding out the top five were Tim Russell’s NE*NE crew from San Francisco, CA with a 8-3-4 scoreline for 15 pts and Terry Michaelson’s Canadian team on THE USUAL SUSPECTS with a 1-8-8 score for 17 pts.

Day Two- Blustery Nor’easter, Massive Waves
Friday morning dawned with grey scudding clouds, ENE winds in the 9 to 17 kts range, and massive cross-chop and ground swells from the ESE pushing up to 9 foot heights.  The conditions were quite difficult for the helmsmen to steer, as on port tack the bows slammed into massive headwalls of water, while on starboard tack, the boats were being rocked sideways by the massive, often breaking seas, like palm trees waving in a full gale. Three more races were run, testing the crews and, in particular, the skippers.

Still leading by a greater margin of points was GOOD TRADE, after posting a 4-1-2 for the day to, they were repeat daily winners on points. Not far off the pace was the FINAL FINAL team with a tally of 2-2-5 to maintain their second spot and a good chance for the top of the podium on the final day. Jumping up into the third spot was Tim Russell’s NE*NE after posting two bullets and a 6th for the day.

Day Four- Light, Shifty NNW’er, Flat Water
Saturday’s racing was canceled on Friday afternoon due to the Hurricane Dorian forecasts showing even larger waves in the 10-18 foot range and gale force winds of 20-35 kts just offshore.

Sunday morning dawned with a spectacular fall day with bright blue skies, puffy white cotton ball clouds flying by overhead, and nice cool weather. The breeze forecast was less than rosy, as it was clear the rapidly receding Hurricane Dorian off to the ENE was not going to have sufficient power to maintain a strong NNW breeze of 8-13 kts. With a one-hour earlier starting time, the CYC PRO managed to run two races in a rapidly dying breeze. In fact, it was hard to set the course as the winds were fluctuating through a 40-degree arc and with 4 to 8 kts of breeze by the time the first race started.

With an amazing RC boat end start for the first race of the day, Horne’s FINAL FINAL crew started off in first and were never to be challenged again, simply sailing away from the fleet and winning by at least 500 yards over the 2nd place boat. Talk about throwing down the gauntlet, their performance had the GOOD TRADE team scrambling to stay in contention for the regatta. With yet another less than stellar start, the GOOD TRADE crew had to double-tack to clear the starting line in last place and work extra hard to stay in touch with the top third of the fleet by the first weather mark. Three legs later, and a bit of good fortune thrown in for good measure, the GOOD TRADE team pulled off a 5th place finish to now lead the regatta by only 2 pts. The Texans had the SF Bay Champions quaking in their boots, as the San Franciscans could visibly see how fast the Texans were in the light stuff.

The tension was electric going into the last race. Yet again, the two regatta leaders eyed each other like rabid dogs; circling with guns drawn and knives in their teeth, ready to do battle for the final match. After starting next to one another, literally, the FINAL FINAL team sped out from under GOOD TRADE, forcing them to tack off first. However, by the top mark, it was GOOD TRADE rounding 4th with FINAL FINAL in 5th. The ensuing downwind tactical duel was quite dramatic, as various race leaders like NE*NE, Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN from Marblehead, and Terry Michaelson’s THE USUAL SUSPECTS from Toronto all ended up in a massive clump at the leeward gate. Meanwhile, GOOD TRADE masterfully pulled off a quick double-gybe in less than 200 yards to round the leeward gate in first, headed to the favored left side of the course upwind. Meanwhile, FINAL FINAL rounded 6th after the melee at the bottom marks. In the end, GOOD TRADE sailed a good, conservative final beat and downwind run to secure the race win by 400 yards and take the 2019 J/105 North American Championship title with just 18 pts total.


Despite their final race travails, Horne’s FINAL FINAL team avoided the “down the mine shaft” score and held on to 6th to take the silver with 26 pts. Meanwhile, the drama continued to build behind them on the leaderboard. Leaping onto the podium in the bronze position was Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN team, by virtue of taking 2nd in the final race for a total of 29 pts. The biggest fall from grace was Russell’s NE*NE team, posting a 15th in the finale to drop down to fourth position with 41 pts. Rounding out the top five was Michaelson’s THE USUAL SUSPECTS with 54 pts.

Sailing videos:
Day 1- Thursday Sailing   Day 2- Friday Sailing   Day 3- Saturday Clubhouse J/105 Panel (Matt Arno, Nicole Breault, Stu Johnstone)  Follow J/105 Class Facebook page  For complete J/105 North American Championship results  For more J/105 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 North American Championship Update

(Marblehead, MA)- The 2019 J/105 North American Championship started on September 5th off Marblehead, MA on the open waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Hosting the event is Corinthian Yacht Club, along with title sponsor “The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board”.

The eighteen teams from across the USA and Canada enjoyed spectacular early fall sailing conditions, with winds starting clear, cool from the Northeast, and saw winds shifting into the Southeast by late afternoon. The Corinthian YC PRO managed the conditions well, getting off three races in a breeze that persistently shifted right all day, as forecasted.

Leading the regatta after the first day is Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE from San Francisco, CA with a 2-2-1 record for 5 pts, in a no-throw out up to 12 race series. Second is Ken Horne’s FINAL FINAL crew from Houston, TX with a 3-1-6 tally for 10 pts. Third is hometown local hero Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN with a 6-4-3 scoreline for 13 pts.  Rounding out the top five are Tim Russell’s NE*NE crew from San Francisco, CA with a 8-3-4 scoreline for 15 pts and Terry Michaelson’s Canadian team on THE USUAL SUSPECTS with a 1-8-8 score for 17 pts.

In the first race, Terry Michaelson’s THE USUAL SUSPECTS banged the left corner hard on the first leg to lead the race at the first mark, followed by Stone/Breault’s GOOD TRADE. Those two boats finished in that order, followed by Horne’s FINAL FINAL. In the second race, a similar scenario played out, with Stone/Breault’s GOOD TRADE leading around the first leeward gate, but with Horne’s FINAL FINAL splitting from the fleet all alone into the deep left corner and rounding the second weather mark in first, holding on for the lead at the finish; GOOD TRADE second again, and Russell’s NE*NE passing two boats on the final run to take third place.  In the final race, GOOD TRADE took off from the port end of the line, tacked and crossed the feet, and led around the first mark, the first boat to lead from wire-to-wire in the racing on Thursday. Second was Steven Goldberg’s AIR EXPRESS and third was Garrard’s MERLIN.

Good racing is expected on Friday prior to Hurricane Dorian upsetting things a wee bit on Saturday (possibly no racing). And, there should be great racing on Sunday post-hurricane Dorian.  For complete J/105 North American Championship results  For more J/105 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 North American Championship Preview

(Marblehead, MA)- The 2019 J/105 North American Championship will be sailed from September 5th to 8th off Marblehead, MA on the open waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Hosting the event is Corinthian Yacht Club, along with title sponsor “The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board”.

The nineteen J/105 teams that are entered will also be happy to hear that VRSports.TV is providing photo and video coverage of all four days of racing. The UK-based film and editing crew has covered nearly every one-design event in the world and their founder and executive director- Simon Butterworth- will be joining his team to cover the event.

Many of the top teams come from afar. There are two teams from San Francisco (Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE and Tim Russell’s NE*NE); three teams from Texas (Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO, Ken Horne’s FINAL FINAL, and Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHERS), one boat from Canada (Terry Michaelson’s THE USUAL SUSPECTS from Toronto), and the rest are from the northeastern seaboard of the USA. The top local boats include Mark Lindquist’s STERLING and Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN.  For complete J/105 North American Championship results  For more J/105 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Blustery Ted Hood Regatta

J/112E Dominates PHRF Class
(Marblehead, MA)- The Eastern Yacht Club hosted their annual Ted Hood Regatta in conjunction with their amazing local partners, the Corinthian YC and the Boston YC for a fleet of both one-design racers and offshore PHRF handicap sailors. The sailors enjoyed great camaraderie and fun ashore at Eastern YC. However, the weather was less than cooperative. Friday’s racing was light winds, followed by a beautiful day with very lumpy shifty northeast winds on Saturday. Then, the combination of a massive High over the Canadian Maritimes and a giant Low southeast of Cape Cod conspired to produce massive 8-10 foot waves and 15-30 kt winds on Sunday from the ENE, resulting in a complete cancellation of all sailing on Sunday.

The eight-boat J/70 class witnessed a blitzkrieg, appropriately enough, by a boat named SHRED; Stein Skaane’s crew scored four straight bullets. Second was Frank McNamara’s CHINOOK with a 2-3-2-2 for 9 pts, and third was Jim Raisides & Charlie Pendleton’s BAD HOMBRES’ with a symmetric 3-4-3-4 tally for 14 pts.

The seventeen-boat J/105 class saw a new force in the class show up at the top of the podium. Thoroughly dominating this tough class on their penultimate day was famous Houston sailor Bill Zartler, crushing the fleet with a 1-3-1 to take home the gold on his famous DEJA VOODOO from Lakewood YC. Just one point back was another famous J/105 sailor from Houston, Texas, Ken Horne’s FINAL FINAL. Then, as if the drum roll had not ended yet, Rolex Big Boat Series Champion Tim Russell and his famous crew on NE*NE (which includes Brent Draney J/105 champion tactician) took the bronze medal! That is a star-studded podium for the J/105 class!

In the ORR 1 Division, Fred deNapoli’s J/124 ALLEGRO MALVAGIO took third in class. They were followed by Gary Weisberg’s J/111 HEAT WAVE in fourth and Tom Mager’s J/122 GIGI in fifth place.

Chris Zibailo’s J/112E DOPODOMANI won the ORR 2 Division in dramatic fashion with three bullets in their scoreline!

Then, in ORR 3 Division, Ward Blodgett & Liz Smith’s J/33 SIROCCO sailed a solid series to nearly take the class win. They posted an exemplary 3-1-2-2 for 8 pts to take the silver.

In PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class, Sam Foster’s J/40 CAHOOTS from Marblehead, MA won their class!  For more Ted Hood Regatta sailing information

Ted Hood Regatta Preview

(Marblehead, MA)- The Eastern Yacht Club will be hosting the Ted Hood Regatta in conjunction with their amazing local partners, the Corinthian YC and the Boston YC for a fleet of both one-design racers and offshore PHRF handicap sailors.

The J/70 class has eight crews participating, including leading teams like Stein Skaane’s SHRED, Holly Fabyan’s ASTERIA, Graeme Carr’s JOYRIDIN, and Frank McNamara’s CHINOOK.

As the largest class in the regatta, the J/105 sailors are using the event as their “training session” for their upcoming J/105 North American Championship being sailed two weeks later in the same waters.  With seventeen teams in attendance, many of the top J/105 North American teams are in attendance.  It will be interesting to see how these teams perform over the three-day event; Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO from Houston, TX; Bruce Stone/ Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE from San Francisco, CA; Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU from Harlem YC in New York; Tim Russell’s NE*NE from San Francisco, CA; Mark Lindquist’s STERLING from Beverly, MA; and Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHERS from Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas.

In the ORR Division is Fred deNapoli’s J/124 ALLEGRO MALVAGIO, Chris Zibailo’s J/112E DOPODOMANI, Tom Mager’s J/122 GIG, Gary Weisberg’s J/111 HEAT WAVE, Ed Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA, and Liz Smith & Ward Blodgett’s J/33 SIROCCO.

In the PHRF Spinnaker class is Chris Lund’s J/133 JUMP from Rye, New Hampshire. In PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class is Sam Foster’s J/40 CAHOOTS from Marblehead, MA.  For more Ted Hood Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/24 Sea Bags Women's Sailing Team Win Marblehead NOOD

The J/24 SEA BAGS WOMEN”S Sailing Team won the J/24 Class at this year’s Helly Hansen Marblehead NOOD Regatta- a first for their team.  

Here is an account of their adventures and exploits in Marblehead from Hillary Noble (tactician) and Erica Beck Spencer (skipper and ring leader).

In most sports, two teams compete against each other and only one can win. In sailing regattas, only one of many teams can win. Winning in sailing is the goal but it’s rare, especially when we are racing against ten, twenty, and even up to eighty teams at a time. At most big events we find ourselves competing against full time professional sailors.

The Helly Hansen National Offshore One-Design (NOOD) Regatta at Marblehead Race Week presented us with a different outlook. None of the five teams racing in our J/24 class had professional sailors on board. Going into the event we wondered if we could win the whole thing.

The NOOD Regattas are held across the country every year and the Boston Yacht Club hosted the Regatta at Marblehead July 25-28. Our small fleet of J/24s joined 12 other fleets and some 170 teams for intense racing in ocean waters off Marblehead. Three of five J/24s were all-women teams, which is unheard of in most fleets in the country.

Our starting area had four fleets: the Vipers, the J/80s, the Comets and us. The Vipers, a high-performance dinghy went first each race, so we were able to watch to try to see which side of the course was favored. We then would watch the J/80s get off the line, followed by our fleet of J/24s and then Comets. The race committee did a fantastic job spacing out the racing so that we were not on top of each other and got off eight solid races.

Wind conditions varied throughout the three days and a current up to 1.5-knots ripped across the course every single race, varying in strength and direction. We watched the lobster buoys to learn as much as we could to use the current to our advantage. Many fleets had trouble crossing the line.

On Sunday, three fleets in a row had the left-most boat hit the pin, and most struggled to cross the line on starboard. At the beginning of the day, the current ran right to left, making layline calls relevant. The key to a successful beat was short tacking the port layline. As the current flooded, speed and time off the line became critical. The starts were the most crucial part of the race, as the fleet was tiny and the competition was tight, getting ahead early made it easier on the crew moral.

On days one and three when the wind was lighter, we found it paid off more to be in pressure than on the lifted tack. When it paid off, gains were made by managing the fleet, and sailing on a header to match the other boats. Trying to stay on the tack pointed directly at the mark (or jibe) also benefited us. Downwind laylines were just as crucial as upwind. Not jibing too early helped defeat the light air and strong current pushing us away from the gate since the course was quite skewed. Coming in with speed and rounding the mark that had most pressure while still sending us in the correct direction kept us ahead and clear of any potential traffic. Even if the port end of the line was favored, it paid to come in further up the line on starboard with speed in order to maintain momentum.

By using the current to our advantage and thinking two steps ahead, we were able to establish and maintain our lead. Regular communication throughout the race, and keeping an eye on the compass, whether we were lifted or headed, made a huge difference. We won day one with a second and two bullets. We won day two with a second and two bullets. Day three was our worst day of sailing, but going in with a big lead allowed us to maintain our lead on our competitors and win the regatta.

Our core team has learned a ton sailing together as often as we have. We are more patient and better communicators. It’s easier to set up for success when you know what is possible and what we can and cannot do in close racing quarters. Although it was a very small fleet of boats, the racing was unbelievably close all three days. Appreciation and respect for each other was unflappable during and after every race.

The 2019 Marblehead NOOD Regatta ended for us at the Boston Yacht Club for the awards ceremony, where all J/24 teams were recognized. When we walked forward to receive our first-place trophies, Josh Toso from Shifty gave us the biggest high fives making the moment even more special!

Dramatic Finales @ Marblehead NOOD Regatta

(Marblehead, MA)- The 2019 Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design Regatta at Marblehead Race Week took place this past week in Marblehead, MA, July 25 to 28. Boston Yacht Club hosted more than 150 teams across 14 fleets. J/One-Design classes included J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, and J/105s. Here are the daily reports on what took place amongst the J/crews.

Day One
Light winds and shifting currents had teams battling for top honors and a chance to earn a trip to the British Virgin Islands in late October for the NOOD Caribbean Championship sponsored by Sunsail.

Erica Beck Spencer helmed her boat SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM to a pair of bullets to lead the J/24 fleet after the first day of racing. “Jess Harris and I put the team together after the 2014 Worlds in Newport, RI, where we were frustrated to only see two all-female teams competing,” says Beck Spencer (Portland, ME). “It’s been such a great journey for us, and being sponsored by Seabags makes it all possible.”

Four crew members aboard the SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM are from Maine. They are in their fifth season sailing together and aim to peak at the J/24 World Championships in Miami later this year.

“There was a moment today when we realized how much we’ve learned,” says tactician Hilary Noble (Newport, RI). “We take something away from each race, which is why we love the sport and love sailing with each other.”

Bill Zartler (Houston, TX) and his crew lead the J/105 fleet with a pair of wins of their own. With a veteran team, it’s easy to come out swinging on the first day of an important event. “Our team has been sailing together on and off for 15 years in a bunch of different boats,” says Zartler. “We’re all good friends who’ve been sailing together for a long time.”

Zartler and crew are preparing for the J/105 North Americans in Marblehead in September. Sailing in the NOOD will prepare them for the unique winds and challenging current this sailing area is known for.

“Today we had light air, but it was pretty steady,” Zartler says. “There was current, but it wasn’t as bad as Annapolis [Maryland], where you get it in a bunch of different directions. The wind went right all day, but it still paid to be on the left side of the competition, so we were kind of scratching our heads about that one.”

Zartler has been sailing in the NOOD Regatta series since the early 1990s, and competed in the Annapolis NOOD in early May. “It’s great competition out here,” says Zartler. “The first three boats are just a couple of points apart so it’s going to be tight racing. Hopefully we get a little more breeze out there tomorrow.”

Day Two
Three additional fleets joined the racing to bring the total number of fleets competing to 13. With stronger winds and a rolling sea-state, competitors had to work harder to earn top finishes.

Joel Ronning (Excelsior, MN) leads the J/70 fleet on CATAPULT. This particular J/70 fleet includes three past world champions, including Peter Duncan, Jud Smith, and Ronning. “There’s a lot of good sailors out here,” says Ronning. “It isn’t the biggest fleet, but the quality of racing is outstanding. These boats are so dynamic, and our team is getting to the point where things happen automatically.”

Ronning is supported by a veteran crew that continues to strive for excellence. The CATAPULT team is using this weekend’s NOOD Regatta to train for the J/70 World Championship in Torquay, UK, in late August. “We’ve boiled down our communication onboard to the point where everyone knows what the guy next to them is thinking,” says Ronning. “Since we’ve been sailing with each other for so long, the vibe onboard is great. There’s a lot of good banter, that’s for sure.”

In today’s more challenging conditions, Ronning kept his sails powered up to get through the steep chop. Once he got his boat moving fast, he was able to focus on positioning his boat on the crowded racecourse. “Whenever we were in doubt,” says Ronning, “we put the bow down and just went faster.”

In the J/80 fleet, Sam Cushing (Newport, RI) leads Brian Gibbs (Rowley, MA) by 2 points. “This is our second year sailing together,” says Cushing. “Our whole crew sailed at the University of Rhode Island together, and after graduation we decided to partner on a boat.”

Cushing and crew have since undertaken a full restoration of their hull, which was the third boat built when production began in 1992. “It’s been quite the process putting the boat together, but we just completed most of the major repairs and now we have new sails, which has helped a lot.”

Day Three
The final day reached a dramatic conclusion across multiple fleets. With lighter winds and a strong cross-course current, the opportunity for both gains and losses presented trying circumstances for hundreds of one-design sailboat racers.

The J/70 fleet saw a stacked leaderboard, with three past world-champions in contention on the final day. After three final races, Peter Duncan emerged victorious with his team on RELATIVE OBSCURITY. “There were four or five boats that could have won this event,” says Duncan, “so we were really happy to come out on top.”

After suffering a bad result early in the regatta, Duncan and team put together an outstanding score sheet for the final two days of the event, never finishing out of the top three. “It’s awesome coming here to Marblehead,” Duncan says. “Having the NOOD as part of Marblehead Race Week is a great thing. The hospitality here is always superb, and the racing is top-notch, especially when there’s wind.”

Duncan has been sailing with crew Willem Van Waay for the last couple of seasons, but this year, he added heavy-hitters, Will Felder and Bill Hardesty to the lineup. “This was a really important regatta for us leading to the J/70 Worlds in September,” says Duncan. “There isn’t much on the J/70 schedule in August, so our goal was to get out and compete against some stiff competition. With the talent in this fleet, we were obviously able to achieve that.”

Rounding out the podium was Ronning’s CATAPULT in second and John & Molly Baxter’s VINEYARD VINES in third.

One of the most dramatic storylines of the day came out of the J/105 fleet, where Bruce Stone (San Francisco, CA) and Bill Zartler (Houston, TX) were tied going into the final race. Stone and his wife, Nicole Breault, are both match-racing veterans. However, they opted to start clean and sail fast in order to beat their competition, a strategy that ultimately paid off. Zartler ended up in foul trouble with another boat, resulting in him being disqualified from the day’s second race.

Stone’s win at the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta at Marblehead Race Week is part of a larger rivalry between the two boats. Stone edged out Zartler at the J/105 North Americans in Harbor Springs, MI, last year, so Zartler will be looking for revenge at the North Americans in September in Marblehead. “The boys from Texas always sail well,” says Stone. “We were happy to come away with the championship this time, but we know we haven’t seen the last of those guys.”

Behind Stone’s GOOD TRADE in first, was Ken Horne’s FINAL FINAL, sneaking into the silver after Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO crew had to count a 16th in the last race.

In the J/24s, Beck Spencer’s SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM took the win for the all-women’s team. Second was Martin Gallagher’s SHIFTY took the silver, while John Wells’ SHELDON J took the bronze.

Things changed around a bit in the J/80 class. Winning was Sam Cushing’s THE PARTY TREE, followed by Brian Gibbs’ BLIND FITH just one point back. Rounding out the podium in the bronze position was Jason Viseltear’s UPSETTER.  For more Helly Hansen Marblehead NOOD Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Marblehead NOOD Regatta Preview

(Marblehead, MA)- The 2019 Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design Regatta at Marblehead Race Week returns to Marblehead, MA, July 25 to 28. Boston Yacht Club will host more than 150 teams across 14 fleets. J/One-Design classes include J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, and J/105s.

Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, Jud Smith (Swampscott, MA), won the 2018 Marblehead NOOD and the 2018 J/70 World Championship in the same venue. “It’s a new year,” says Smith, “And, a lot of good boats are registered. We have three past J/70 World Champions in the fleet, including myself, Peter Duncan, and Joel Ronning, so the top end of the fleet is going to be stacked.”

Training and preparation were vital to Smith’s past success, and this season he plans to share his knowledge as a coach and mentor. Smith notes the importance of working out the kinks throughout the season so teams can peak at the right time.

“The best method I’ve seen is to do a regatta every month or so, with intensive training in between,” shared Smith. “With the wind and currents in Marblehead, the NOOD will serve as a perfect training platform for the World Championships in Torquay [England] later this season. Marblehead is one of the top ocean venues in the country, and with the NOOD Regatta coming here each year, it keeps the area at the forefront of one-design racing. It’s the biggest regatta of the season for many of us in New England, so everyone gets really excited to go out and compete.”

Joining these world-class competitors in the 25-boat J/70 fleet are Dan Goldberg’s BAZINGA, Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER, Bill Lynn & Ed Keller’s KEY PLAYER, Sam Altreuter’s LEADFOOT, Henry Brauer’s RASCAL, Brian Keane’s SAVASANA, David Franzel’s SPRING, John & Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES, and Nancy Glover’s WINTERWIND.

The J/80s will have good racing with top crews like Peter d’Anjou’s LE TRIGRE, Sam Cushing’s THE PARTY TREE, Jason Viseltear’s UPSETTER, Brian Gibbs’ BLIND FAITH, and Fred Baker’s BLUE SKIES.

On a roll in the J/105 class is Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE. Having had much practice in their hometown J/105 Fleet #1 in San Francisco Bay. Fifteen J/105s are expecting to learn more about the tricky Marblehead offshore sailing conditions, as it is also the site for the 2019 J/105 North American Championship in September. Hoping to give GOOD TRADE a run-for-the-money are teams like Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO from Houston, TX; Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE from San Diego, CA; Mark Lindquist’s STERLING from Buzzards Bay, MA; and Mark Masur’s globe-trotting TWO FEATHERS from Fort Worth, TX.

The Marblehead NOOD, hosted by Boston YC, with race committee support from Eastern and Corinthian yacht clubs, will produce the final entrant for the Caribbean Championship sponsored by Sunsail in the British Virgin Islands on October 27 to November 1, 2019.  For more Helly Hansen Marblehead NOOD Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/122 Wins Marblehead to Halifax Race

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

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

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

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

Inviting J/Sailors to Marblehead-Halifax Race

(Marblehead, MA)- Plans are moving ahead, and registrations are already building for the 38th biennial Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race on Sunday July 7. The 363.0nm international ocean race will leave Marblehead on July 7 headed for Halifax, Nova Scotia.

“With sixty boats signed up, we have a strong early enrollment and expect to have 80 boats on the starting line," said Vice Commodore David Bows, of the Boston Yacht Club, who is Co-Chairman of the event.

To date fourteen J/Boats (already 25% of the fleet) have signed up to compete and more are expected. “We have always had a strong showing from the J/Boat fleet,” says Tom Mager, Rear Commodore of Boston YC. Mager has entered his J/122 GIGI in this year’s race. It will be his first Halifax Race.

First sailed in 1905, the Marblehead to Halifax Race is the premier ocean race in the northeast. It is co-sponsored by the Boston Yacht Club and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. Sailors from the United States and Canada will converge on Marblehead over the Fourth of July for a round of social events highlighting the summer racing season.

Race Directors Anne Coulombe and Richard Hinterhoeller plan to configure the starting line so that spectators can view the start of the race from such vantage points as Castle Rock and Crocker Park.  “It worked well in recent years, so we’re hoping the weather will cooperate and we can do it again this year”, they said.  For more Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 Sailor Jud Smith Honored as Rolex Yachtsman of Year

(Newport, RI)- Congratulations to Jud Smith! He was named 2018 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year!

J/70 World Champion Jud Smith (Gloucester, Mass.) was selected as Rolex Yachtsman of the Year for his sailing performances in 2018.  He follows another J/70 World Champion receiving the award in 2017- Peter Duncan.

The selection follows the announcement in January of the three men who were shortlisted for these prestigious awards and recognized as sailing’s top performers of the year by US Sailing.

The slate of finalists, nominated by members of US Sailing and determined by US Sailing, was presented to a panel of 28 accomplished sailing media professionals and past winners of the awards, who analyzed the merits of each finalist and individually voted to determine the ultimate winners using a weighted point system (1st place vote – 5 points; 2nd place vote – 3 points; 3rd place vote – 1 point).

For the first time ever, it was an all J/Boats slate for the final trio: Jud Smith tallied 116 points, including 20 first place votes. Placing second was 2018 J/22 World Champion, Zeke Horowitz (Annapolis, Md.), with 86 points and seven first place votes. Will Welles (Portsmouth, R.I.), 2018 J/24 World Champion, finished third with 50 points and one first place vote.

Smith will be honored on February 28 at the Rolex YoY Awards Ceremony hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, where he will be celebrated by family and friends, teammates and crew, past winners, 2018 finalists, sailing dignitaries, and representatives from US Sailing and Rolex.

He will also be presented with specially engraved Rolex timepieces and designed picture frames of the winners commemorating their outstanding 2018 accomplishments.

At the age of 62, Jud Smith (Gloucester, Mass.), becomes the oldest winner of this esteemed award. He was 61 at the time of his team’s win at the 2018 J/70 World Championship. Smith is now a two-time winner of the award, earning his first Yachtsman of the Year award in 2006.

“I do consider my age as my biggest challenge,” said Smith. “However, I just have to work on my fitness and health much more than in years’ past. Instead of worrying if I’m good enough to be competitive, I worry if I am fit enough to be competitive. I now spend much more time in the gym, since that’s my limiting factor. Mentally, the game is less daunting than when I was younger.”

Smith continued his assessment of where he is in his competitive sailing career and how it remains, more than ever, a team sport to him. “To be competitive at the top level requires sailing with the best young sailors in the world. There a lot of 25 to 50-year-old talented sailors that make it possible for my generation to continue to compete. It’s a pleasure to be able to race with such a talented and committed group of young sailors. If it wasn’t for them, we’d be playing shuffleboard.”

The win at J/70 Worlds in 2018 was his second consecutive win at this highly competitive regatta. In 2017, Smith won the J/70 Worlds as crew for Peter Duncan, who went on to win Yachtsman of the Year honors in 2017.

“I had the opportunity to campaign in 2017 with Peter Duncan, along with Willem van Waay and Victor Diaz for the J/70 Worlds in Porto Cervo (Italy). It was not only a privilege, but a daily clinic with such a talented team, and it served as an ideal vantage point to know how to prepare my own team and boat for the 2018 Worlds at my home club.”

The 2018 J/70 Worlds, once again, featured a deep fleet, including 91 teams from 18 countries. On the final day of the event, the wind failed to deliver sufficient breeze and the standings were deemed official. The top three teams in the final standings were separated by only three points through 11 races.

Consistency truly paid off for Smith and his crew aboard AFRICA. They didn’t win any races, but they placed in the top 10 in five races and top five in two. Smith edged Bruno Pasquinelli by one point and Jack Franco by three. Duncan, last year’s winning skipper, placed fourth overall.

“We have the utmost respect for all of the other teams,” said Smith. “Anybody could have won this regatta, and we respected that. I would like to thank my team. We have worked really hard, training for this event all year long, and we have been together through thick and thin. It was a real privilege to race with such a talented group of sailors in a World Championship at my home club for an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Smith posted podium results at other top J/70 events in 2018, including first place out of 57 boats at the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta in Marblehead, MA; second place out of 47 boats at the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta in Miami, FL; and third place out of 27 boats at the Newport Regatta in Newport, RI.

Sailing has always played an important role Smith’s life. He grew up in Marblehead, Mass. and started sailing with his father, David Smith, at a young age. David was also an accomplished racing sailor. He won an Olympic Gold Medal at the Rome 1960 Games in the 5.5 meter event as crew.

“Sailing was such a big part of my life growing up at Pleon Junior Yacht Club during the summers and frostbiting Interclub dinghies in the winters,” added Smith. “I met my wife, Cindy, frostbiting in Marblehead. She’s a very good sailor herself and serves as our J/70 fleet secretary.”

“We continue to race the J/70 together in Marblehead every chance we get. Massachusetts Bay and Salem Sound is still my favorite place to sail, where no two days are the same. There’s always a new wrinkle to work out, which makes it challenging.”

Previous J/Sailors that have won the award since the 1977 introduction of the J/24 include, Dave Curtis, Ken Read, Ed Adams, Betsy Gelenitis (Allison), Bonnie Shore, Susan Dierdorff Taylor, John Kostecki, Lynne Jewell, Allison Jolly, Larry Klein, Jim Brady, Kevin Mahaney, Cam Lewis, Ed Baird, Dave Ullman, Augie Diaz, Hannah Swett, Sally Barkow, Kevin Burnham, Bill Hardesty, Brian Porter, Terry Hutchinson, Stephanie Roble, and Annie Haeger.  Not bad company to keep for Mr Smith!! Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes.com/ Alan Clark- photoboat.com Add to Flipboard Magazine.

2019 Marblehead to Halifax Race Registration Open!

(Marblehead, MA) - Registration is now open for the 38th biennial Marblehead to Halifax Ocean race July 7, 2019.

“We are looking forward to an elite fleet of racers again this year,” says David Bows, Rear Commodore of the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead and co-chairman of the race. “This is truly one of the great racing events of the summer.”  Michael Simms of the RNSYS is the co-chair.

The organizing committee is considering the addition of an ORRez division. Co-Race Directors Anne Coulombe of BYC and Richard Hinterhoeller of the RNSYS have already received two requests for an ORRez division. “We get the sense that this could be quite popular”, said Richard. “Anyone interested in having this division, should contact race@marbleheadtohalifax.com and let us know”. Hinterhoeller says the sooner they can establish this interest, the better they can integrate it into the event.

The 363-nautical mile Marblehead to Halifax is one of the oldest races on the eastern seaboard. It began 1905 and has continued every other year except during war time. It is co-sponsored by the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in Halifax, NS. Major support comes from the Steele Auto Group of Nova Scotia.

“Marblehead is the idyllic place for the start of this race,” Bows declares. “There will be a round of parties and social events throughout the weekend before starting the race.”

The fleet will be competing for trophies at every level including best-combined result with the Newport to Bermuda race. There will also be prizes for teams such as U.S. vs. Canada, double handed, all women crew, maritime academies, schooner ketch or yawl and over the hill gang.  For more Marblehead to Halifax Race registration and sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Marblehead to Halifax Race 2019 Announcement

(Marblehead, MA)- Plans are well underway for the biennial Marblehead-to-Halifax ocean race with less than a year to go.  The Race will begin on Sunday, July 7, 2019. The committee is working hard to attract another exceptional fleet like the one that set new records a year ago.

Anne Coulombe of the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead and Richard Hinterholler of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron will return as Race Directors. Rear Commodore David Bows of the BYC and Michael Simms of the RNSYS will co-chair next year’s event.

“At the moment there are no significant changes to the race format,” Coulombe says. “But it is always important to follow our communications for any changes that may impact the race.”

Steele Auto Group, the prominent Atlantic Canadian company, is the 2019 title sponsor for the Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race.  Steele Auto Group is based in Halifax and owns 29 dealerships in the region.  "We're thrilled to be a supporter of such a prestigious sailing event here in Halifax,” stated CEO Rob Steele, a member of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, co-sponsor of the MHOR with the Boston Yacht Club. 

The 363 nautical mile Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race began in 1905. It has been held every other year, except during war time. It caps a full weekend of Independence Day festivities in Marblehead which includes 4th of July fireworks, the Marblehead Arts Festival and the harbor illumination.

The MHOR website is active at http://www.marbleheadtohalifax.com. Or, you can contact the Race Director at email- race@marbleheadtohalifax.com or contact Ed Bell, BYC P.R. Chair at email- edbell40@gmail.com. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AFRICA Crowned J/70 World Champion!

(Marblehead, MA)- The 2018 edition of the J/70 World Championship, sponsored by WEST MARINE, was hosted by Eastern YC in Marblehead, MA for a fleet of ninety-one teams from around the world. It was the most unprecedented assemblage of world-class talent ever gathered together in a single one-design regatta in history- keelboat or dinghy. Teams traveled thousands of miles, from as far away as Australia, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, Monaco, Russia, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey. Plus, J/70 competed from all over South America including; Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay.

After an eleven-race series that was cut short by a no-wind finale on Saturday, it was local “home-boy” rock-star Juddie Smith that was crowned the 2018 J/70 World Champion with his incredibly capable crew on AFRICA- Lucas Calabrese (main/ tactician), Will Felder and Marc Gauthier. There’s was not an easy win by any stretch of the imagination, considering that they averaged 10.5 pts per race over 10 races counted, never won a race, had only four top 10 finishes in 11 races, and included a tally of 14-11-22-15-13-35 in their scoreline.  In fact, their win was determined by the outcome of the final race on Friday, when their 10th was enough to eke out a 1 pt victory over Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE crew (Max Skelley, Eric Doyle, & Nathan Wilmot) that took a 7th and just 3 pts above Jack Franco’s crew on 3 BALL JT (Bill Hardesty, Lior Lavie, & Al Terhune) that took an 8th!!

How deep and talented was the fleet? Well, Paul Goodison from the United Kingdom sailed as main/tactics on Vincenzo Onorato’s MASCALZONE LATINO team (Paul is an Olympic Gold Medallist in Lasers and 2x Moth World Champion) that included fellow top pro’s like Flavio Favini from Italy. After the first day, they had two 1sts and a 13th- just one point off the lead. However, from there on end, their “flash-in-the-pan”, near “runaway shopping trolley” went out of control, never garnering much above the mid-thirties and remaining the only boat in the fleet with two bullets!  Nevertheless, that merely earned them an 18th place… 

The same held true for many other deeply-talented teams in the incredibly competitive fleet. Consider the tale of the two famous Wilmot brothers from Australia- Nathan and Jeremy.  One finished second sailing on Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE, the other finished 16th sailing on the Troutman’s PIED PIPER.

Then again, other past J/World Champions and famous team-pairings faired not much better. Tim Healy and John Mollicone’s NEW ENGLAND ROPES USA 2 managed a 9th place (first J/70 Worlds 2014, 4x J/24 World Champs). Glenn Darden and Jonathan McKee’s HOSS were 14th (J/80 World Champ, J/105 NA Champ, and Olympic Gold Medallist). Peter Cunningham and Chris Rast’s POWERPLAY were 17th (Chris was multiple Farr 30 and M24 World Champs). Doug Clark and Geoff Becker’s POLAR were 19th (Geoff is Lighting World Champ).  Joel Ronning and John Kostecki’s CATAPULT settled for 20th (J/70 World Champions and J/24 World Champ). John Brim and Taylor Canfield’s RIMETTE were 22nd (Offshore Storm Trysail Club Champ, 3x Match Racing World Champ, 2x Congressional Cup Champ). And, the list goes on….

For the third year in a row, it was top Italian woman sailor Claudia Rossi on PETITE TERRIBLE that won the top Women’s Skipper Trophy for the Worlds- the Helen Johnstone Memorial Award.

The winners of the Corinthian Division were Luis Bagallo’s MARNATURA from Spain, with crew of Enrique Freire Faria, Gerardo Prego Menor, Alberto Basadre Lopez, and Jorge Lorenzo Roman.  Second was Jim Cunningham’s American crew on LIFTED (Mikee Anderson-Mittering, Jon Ziskind, and Dave Hochart), and third was Aldo Centaro’s PURA JODA from Punta del Este, Uruguay (Bruno Centaro, Marco Centaro, and Mauro Leite).

Some interesting facts on fleet depth for 91 boats total:

• How many boats had top 3 podium finishes? 21 total (23%), lowest finisher was 62nd
• How many boats had top 5 finishes?  30 total (33%), lowest finisher was 62nd
• How many boats had top 10 finishes? 41 total (45%), lowest finisher was 62nd

Sailing photo credits- Allen Clarke- PHOTOBOAT.COM and Sharon Green- UltimateSailing.com and Tim Wilkes- TimWilkes.com.  For more J/70 World Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

WEST MARINE J/70 World Championship Update

(Marblehead, MA)- The 2018 edition of the J/70 World Championship, sponsored by WEST MARINE, will be hosted by Eastern YC in Marblehead, MA for a fleet of ninety teams from around the world. It may represent the most unprecedented assemblage of world-class talent ever gathered together in a single one-design regatta in history- keelboat or dinghy. Teams will be travelling thousands of miles to compete at the 2018 J/70 World Championship from as far away as Australia, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, Monaco, Russia, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey. Furthermore, J/70 teams will be competing from all over South America including; Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay.

Day 1- Big, Fat Tuesday
The first day will be remembered for tough racing conditions. A cold and wet southeasterly wind brought true Atlantic conditions to the combat zone. The big factor was the sea state, with waves topping out at over three metres. Upwind J/70s were climbing, then launching off huge waves. The downwind rollercoaster ride was an adrenalin pumping rush, the opening day was extreme, and right on the edge for racing.

PRO Hank Stuart and his team kept a close eye on the weather, and just before the bad weather really closed, called a halt to racing after two heart-thumping races. As the fleet headed into a warm welcome at the Eastern Yacht Club, torrential rain engulfed the race area, and there were no complaints about not running a third race.

Reigning J/70 Open World Champion, Peter Duncan (USA) racing Relative Obscurity, was second in both races to top the leaderboard. In second place, Claudia Rossi (ITA) racing Petite Terrible scored a 4-1, and lying third after Day One is Bruce Golison (USA) racing Midlife Crisis, after a 3-3 scoreline. Alberto Rossi (ITA) racing Enfant Terrible is fourth after two races, having scored a 5-5, and Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino, racing under the burgee of the Yacht Club de Monaco, scored a win and a 13th to finish the day in fifth.

In the Corinthian Class Jim Cunningham (USA) racing Lifted leads the fleet after two races. Ignacio Perez (MEX) racing Zaguero with all family members is second, and Lucas Authier (ARG) racing Manuto is third. Luis Bugallo (ESP) racing Marnatura scored the best result in Race One, but retired in Race Two after sustaining damage.

“It was a struggle today,” commented Jim Cunningham racing Lifted to top of the Corinthian Class. “Keeping in clear air was key, but to do that in the pack you have to anticipate much more about the boats around you. Staying on the edges, especially downwind was our game plan today, and it was a lot of fun, we hit 19 knots as a top speed, which is something you don't often experience. Mark roundings were a challenge, we came in on Port a couple of times, which was interesting to say the least!”

“It was a great day for us with two good results but the championship is really long so we have to be focused and strong until the end,” commented Claudia Rossi. “ I prefer big conditions, I feel strong, and I am not scared by the waves or high winds. I absolutely enjoy these conditions and I hope we get it every day!”

Bruce Golison from San Diego is one of the most experienced skippers at the championship, and is a past winner of the Etchells Worlds and J/24 North Americans.  “Well done to the race committee today, under pressure, Hank and his team did a stellar job. On the first day of the worlds you just want to have a couple of keeper races, and things worked out for us,” commented Bruce. “It is a pretty darn tough fleet, so we are very happy with the start to the regatta. I hate sailing in the rain, but this is a world championship - you cannot let that bother you. I have been around since the first J/24 Worlds in 1979, and this is the deepest fleet in terms of overall talent. A lot of the owners have all sailed against each other for years and years, and this is spectacular racing, in a great fleet, who are pretty cool on the race course. It's the best of the best in one design keelboats.”

Day 2- Spanish Flyboys Dominate
After the rollercoaster ride on the first day, a change in the conditions provided a tactical and strategic second day of action. It was a gorgeous sunny day, most welcomed by the salt-encrusted crews from the day before.

Two Spanish teams reveled in the Mediterranean conditions and were leading the Open and Corinthian Classes. The wind was oscillating 15 degrees either side of the course axis and the wind speed varied from 14-17 knots; it was definitely a day for keeping your head out of the boat, anticipating the changes in the conditions.

After being deep in the fleet in Race 3, Jose Maria Torcida (ESP) racing Noticia, clawed back through the fleet to finish 14th. The Spanish team followed that with a 2-1 in the last two races to take the lead for the championship.

“We are very happy! ” smiled Noticia skipper, Jose Maria Torcida. “Today we recovered from the back of the fleet in the first race to fight back up to fourteenth, basically we got the wrong side of the shift in that race. We got the tactics right in the second race, rounded the top mark in second and nearly won the race but Savasana made a good move on the downwind to pass us. In the last race we Port tacked the fleet and held on to take the win, which was fantastic, but we have only had five races.”

Judd Smith (USA) racing Africa, posted a 2-6-11 to move up to second place. Brian Keane (USA), runner up for the 2017 J/70 World Championship, scored a bullet in Race 4 but a 28th in the last race, pegged his team racing Savasana back to third. Bruno Pasquinelli (USA) racing Stampede on his birthday, was challenging for the overall lead going into the last race but 31st place put Stampede into fourth by the end of the day. Mascalzone Latino (MON) helmed by Matteo Savelli, is in fifth place after scoring a bullet in Race 3.

“We just want to have a chance when we go into the last day. Right now we are just looking to sail ourselves into a winning position with some good scores.” commented Judd Smith. “Obviously like the other 90 boats out there we want to have a good regatta, and do as well as you can, against a lot of great sailors.”

In the Corinthian Class, Luis Bugallo (ESP) racing Marnatura leads after scoring three good results today. It was a much better day for the team from Vigo, Spain. After sustaining damage on the first day and retiring, Marnatura now has a big lead in the Corinthian Class. Aldo Centanaro (URU) racing Pura Joda, was the top Corinthian team in the last race, moving the Uruguay team up to second. Lucas Authier (ARG) racing Manuto, remains in third for the Corinthian Class.

It was not a good day for the overnight leader and reigning world champion, Peter Duncan (USA) racing Relative Obscurity. “We set up to go left in the first two races, but it did not work out for us,” commented Duncan. “In the last race we went right and that didn't work either. Sometimes, that happens but we are only two days into the regatta and there is plenty more racing to come.

Day 3- Black Flag Thursday
There were thrills and spills on the third day with 15 teams falling foul of the Black Flag during the three races held. Flatter seas and a shifting nor-easterly provided yet another different day. Eight of the maximum 14 races have now been sailed, and challengers for the championship are now emerging.

It was a day of high and lows for Peter Duncan (USA) racing Relative Obscurity. The defending J/70 World Champion did the business in Race 6, scoring their first bullet of the regatta but was disqualified in Race 7 for being OCS with the Black Flag flying. Race 8, Duncan's team scored a fourth to finish the day at the top of the rankings, on countback from Jud Smith (USA).

“For the Black Flag it was close but we were highly visible as the first boat on the pin,” commented Victor Diaz de Leon, who is calling the starts on Relative Obscurity. “It was immature on my part, and maybe a lack of experience, I feel like I let my guys down, because I say when to pull the trigger. Peter and the team back me 100% but it was a low point. We had to watch for over an hour before we got into the next race, and we were hungry. In the last race, we had a mediocre start and battled back, and ended up having a great race. We are very happy that we are leading the regatta but we have the biggest drop of the top boats. As I see it the top six are all level, and who ever sails the best for now on, is going to be the winner.”

Jose Maria "Pichu" Torcida (ESP) was leading the regatta at the start of the day but a 7-43-31 drops the Spanish team to third. Bruno Pasquinelli (USA) racing Stampede is in fourth place just four points off the lead. Jack Franco racing 3 Ball JT scored a bullet today to move up to fifth. Brian Keane (USA) racing Savasana drops to sixth after a 18-17-26. Congratulations should also go to Gannon Troutman (USA) racing Pied Piper who won the last race of the day.

In the Corinthian Class Luis Bugallo (ESP) Marnatura has extended their lead with two solid results today, the young team from Vigo, Spain have now broken into the top ten for the entire fleet. Finishing the day in style, Aldo Centanaro (URU) racing Pura Joda, scored a fifth keeping the Uruguay team firmly in second place. Jim Cunningham (USA) racing Lifted had a consistent day, keeping out of trouble to move up to third.  For more J/70 World Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.