SAIL 22 J/70 TUNING REGATTA- A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE

(Coconut Grove, FL)- Over the course of our "pandemic winter" of 2020/2021, there have been several imaginative events that were created for sailors that enabled them to go sailing in a safe, healthy way and adhere to any known pandemic "safe behavior" guidelines.

One of those events in Florida has been Ed and Becky Furry's SAIL 22 J/70 Tuning Regatta. The first event took place on Tampa Bay hosted at Davis Island Yacht Club and the second just took place off Coconut Grove (south Miami) with host Shake-A-Leg providing launch/ docking facilities. The dozen J/70 teams that participated enjoyed two days of very nice spring sailing on the gorgeous aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay. The goal for the event was "training" and not focused on "winning". As such, there was constant on-the-water coaching and discussions amongst teams regards boat-speed, boat-handling, and sail trim/ rig tune setups. 

In the end, several notable teams participated that offered their expertise to others, as well as picking up a few pointers themselves! Those teams included Pam Rose's ROSEBUD with Willem Van Waay aboard (3x J/70 World Champion crew), Laura Grondin's DARK ENERGY with Taylor Canfield providing guidance (multiple Match Race World Champion), Brian Keane's SAVASANA, and Buddy Cribb's VICTORY with Greiner Hobbs directing traffic (a multiple College All-American).

On the leaderboard, it was David Janetti's VERY ODD topping out the dozen crews, perhaps learning fastest from all the training/ speed lessons. Second was Chicagoan John Heaton' EMPEIRIA and third was Pam Rose's ROSEBUD. Kudos to class newcomer Doug Newhouse on YONDER and Lauran Grondin's DARK ENERGY for each dialing themselves in well-enough to win some races against very talented teams. Thanks to the Furry's SAIL 22 for organizing such a productive, helpful event (http://www.sail22.com). 
For more SAIL 22 J/70 Tuning Regatta sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

HONEYBADGER CROWNED J/70 BACARDI CHAMPION

(Miami, FL)- This past weekend, the Bacardi Invitational for the J/70 class took place on Miami's Biscayne Bay, hosted by the Shake-A-Leg Foundation, with race management conducted by the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.


The twenty-two boat J/70 fleet was simply blessed with classic, amazing Biscayne Bay sailing conditions all three days of the event. Starting off with two days of planing conditions in northerly winds, the smiles painted onto everyone's faces was palpable...pure joy as teams loved the good breeze, sunny weather, and turquoise waters of the Bay!

An incredible nine races were run by the Biscayne Bay YC Race Committee and PRO team, helping out that process was the quick mark reset capabilities of the tres-cool MARK-SET-BOT buoys of the windward marks and gates!


In the end, the most remarkable performance came from the well-known cast of characters from upstate New York; winning with style and grace was Travis Odenbach's HONEYBADGER team that consisted of Andy Horton, Geoff Becker, and Danny Lawless. They eclipsed a truly star-studded fleet that was deeply laden in talent, leaving multiple World, European, North American Champions in their wake. On their way to the top of the podium, they collected an outstanding record of four 1sts, two 2nds, and two 4ths to count only top five finishes for 16 pts net. 


For the third straight time, it was Ryan McKillen's SURGE crew of Jeff Reynolds, Lucas Calabrese, and Sam Loughborough that took the silver. They put up a good fight but could not match the sheer consistency of the HONEYBADGER gangsters.  Like their colleagues, they also posted all top five finishes, including two race wins, to end with 22 pts net. 


Rounding out the podium was World Champion Joel Ronning's team on CATAPULT that consisted of Jud Smith (another J/70 World champ), Kris Stoke, and Patrick Wilson. Winning two races and taking three 2nds, they were virtually tied for the lead with just two races to go in the series.  However, a lighter air, shiftier day for the finale proved to be their undoing, posting an uncharacteristic 9-8 to close out the regatta and dropping to the bronze step on the podium. Rounding out the top five were John Brim's RIMETTE in fourth place and Vernon Robert's Chilean crew on MORENITA.

Winning the Corinthians Division was Zach Segal's USA 1154 with crew of Ashton Hamerlin, Enrique Quintero, and Blake Cabasa. Second was the Brazilian crew on CLOUD NINE with Toribio Tedin as skipper and team of Emilio Miguel, and Javier & Enrique Dillon. Sailing photo credits- Bacardi / Mattias Cappizano.  For more Bacardi J/70 Invitational Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 BACARDI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW

(Miami, FL)- This coming weekend, the Bacardi Invitational for the J/70 class takes place on Miami's Biscayne Bay, hosted by the Shake-A-Leg Foundation, with race management conducted by the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.

The twenty-four boat J/70 fleet has multiple teams with impressive pedigrees in this highly competitive class. Past J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning on CATAPULT has to be a front runner with back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2018, although he dropped to 4th last year. 

In 2020 and 2019, Ryan McKillen and his team on SURGE had to settle for second place and will hope to improve upon that this year. Their target is firmly in sight, with a win at the recent Bacardi Winter Series 2, with new crew on board in the form of Olympian Lucas Calabrese, who may be the component to secure an upgrade. 

Always sitting high up the leader board is Brian Keane and his SAVASANA team. He previously placed 7th and 3rd as well as securing top five finishes at the J/70 Worlds. 

Pamela Rose and her team on ROSEBUD have been steadily advancing up the leader board, rounding out Bacardi Winter Series 2 in 3rd place, and clearly have the skill to stake their claim on the podium. 

During the Bacardi Cup there will be a special tribute to honor the life and legacy of James ‘Ding’ Schoonmaker who passed away on January 19, 2021. It was the special friendship between Ding, Tito Argamasilla Bacardi, and Frank Zagarino who in 1962 brought the Bacardi Cup to Miami from Cuba, thus saving this unique and special regatta.  For more Bacardi J/70 Invitational Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

JESUS LIZARD CROWNED J/24 MIDWINTER CHAMPION

 

(Miami, FL)- This past weekend from February 26th to 28th, the USA J/24 class held their J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, Florida, with the Shake-A-Leg Foundation as their host at their facility on the Miami waterfront. The twenty-nine J/24 teams from across the country were blessed with simply amazing weather for the entire three days of the regatta. In fact, the regatta PRO managed to run ten races, much to the delight of all sailors.

After a slow start on the first day, winning the event in convincing fashion was John Mollicone's JESUS LIZARD crew of Paul Abdullah, Mike Marshall, Nick Turney, and Dan Borrer. Here is how it all went down, thanks to reporting from class director Chris Howell.  

Day One- Friday- Gorgeous Start!    

The event kicked off with four races completed. Teams reveled in the pristine conditions on Biscayne Bay with winds at 8-10 knots, sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s. Carter White on WIND MONKEY (crew of Marcus Rogers, Chris Lombardo, Kelly Franklin-Colby, & Molly White) shot out to the early advantage with 1-2-1-4 finishes for 8 points. Mollicone's JESUS LIZARD stood in second place with 16 points with a 3-3-9-1 tally. Floridian Robby Brown’s ANGEL OF HARLEM (crew of Richard Shellow, Steve Lowery, Kevin Ratigan, & Beaujeaux Delapouyade) finished third with a 11-1-10-6 tally of 28 points. 

White’s WIND MONKEY earned their first bullet of the day in race one, ahead of James Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT and Mollicone’s JESUS LIZARD. Brown’s ANGEL OF HARLEM grabbed the next win, with White and Mollicone again cracking the top three. Trailing White’s second victory in race three were Nadia Daggett’s MUSTACHE RIDE and Val Shestopalov’s VICTORIA. Mollicone secured his silver position for the day with a victory in Friday’s final battle, followed by Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS and Freedman.

Day Two- Saturday- Perfect Weather, Again!

The teams again enjoyed ideal conditions on Biscayne Bay. With breeze between 10-15 knots, blue skies and above-average temperatures, four more races went in the books, bringing the total to eight (now including a discard). 

Able to drop a ninth from Friday, Mollicone’s JESUS LIZARD now counted only top three finishes for 17 net points and the lead, heading into the final two scheduled races Sunday. Day one leader WIND MONKEY continued solid scores, but dropped to second with 23 net points. Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER joined Mollicone in placing among the top three in all of Saturday’s races to move into third overall with 30 net points.

Gilberto Rivera’s URAYO team (Jaime Balzac, Pablo Mendez, Melvin Gonzalez, & Efrain Logo) from Puerto Rico rocked the day with three bullets. The first came in the opening race in a duel they won with Odenbach and Mollicone. Odenbach and Mollicone moved up to first and second in the next contest, with Kirk Reynold’s TYRUS in third. Rivera’s second victory came in race seven, again with Mollicone and Odenbach staying at the front of the fleet. Mirroring how the day began in the last match, Rivera, Odenbach and Mollicone comprised the top spots.

Day Three- Sunday- Yet Another Glam Day!

The final day saw two scheduled races take place in more of the same glam conditions of the previous two.  After taking 2nd in the first race, Mollicone's JESUS LIZARD crew sailed home to celebrate their good fortunes! Taking up that opportunity, Odenbach's HONEYBADGER won the last two races to seal the deal for the silver medal. The WIND MONKEY crew experienced a bit of misfortune on their last day, posting a DSQ and 17th to drop to fourth place. Sailing solidly was Rivera's Puerto Rican team on URAYO that posted a 3-4 to excitedly jump onto the bronze step on the podium...their best finish ever in the USA J/24 Midwinters! Rounding out the top five was Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM in fifth place. Sailing photo credits- Chris Howell/ JCA.  For more J/24 Midwinters sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

MARK PINCUS CHATS ABOUT J/24 MIDWINTERS

 

David Schmidt from Sail-World.com (https://www.sail-world.com/news/234871 ) newsletter recently had time to catch up with a stalwart of the J/24 class in Miami, Florida- Marc Pincus. Here is that interview.

"The J/24 might be venerable design, but the now 44-year-old design still draws some of sailing's best talents to its ranks. Better still, the boats are affordable, relatively easy to maintain, and transportable enough to be taken to destination venues or warm-weather locales during the cold months. One great example of this type of destination fun is this year's J/24 Midwinter Championship (February 26-28), which is being hosted by Shake-A-Leg Miami and which will be sailed on the waters of Florida's Biscayne Bay.

While J/24s may be portable-and their small crew numbers conducive to (relatively) easily creating coronavirus bubbles-the simple fact that the pandemic is still raging has forced many regattas to cancel. Fortunately for J/24 sailors, this year's Midwinters is still happening; better still, the event organizers are taking COVID precautions very seriously and have worked hard to create a safe event for all involved.

Which brings us back to the earlier point that, while now an older design, J/24s have long earned their well-deserved reputation for delivering great racing, and this year's Midwinters promises to be no exception.


I checked in with Mark Pincus, regatta chair for the 2021 J/24 Midwinters (and fleet captain for J/24 Fleet 10 in Miami, Florida), via email, to learn more about this competitive regatta.

SW: What kind of entry numbers are you seeing this year? Also, how do these stack up to previous editions of the regatta?

MP: We are about on track from other years at 23 entries...there are several entries I know are pending, so we should see 25-30 entries on the starting line.

For this COVID environment, we're very happy to be in the normal range! There is a cap of 35 boats, and we were hoping to have to make a wait list but that's probably not going to be necessary.

SW: Weather-wise, what kind conditions can sailors expect to encounter on Biscayne Bay in late February? Also, what are the best-case and worst-case weather scenarios?

MP: Our winter season is great sailing weather typically with balmy mid-70-degree Fahrenheit temps and nice breezes.

We normally see easterly winds from NE-SE and mid-teens in velocity. If a front is coming through, then anything is possible. It's very rare to have temperatures below the 50's but in February they can happen.

With the cold fronts it depends on how strong they are and if they make it all the way south past Miami. When the fronts stall it can leave us without much wind but hopefully the doldrums we have seen this season are past and the breeze will be on for this year's J/24 Midwinters.

SW: How important do you think local knowledge will be? Also, do you expect most visiting teams to arrive early and acclimatize to conditions?

MP: Biscayne Bay is not a hard place to sail and all but maybe one of the current entries has raced here more than once before. The tides are pretty easy to understand, and there are many options for getting current real time info on conditions.

Where we will be racing, a little south in Biscayne Bay, we are removed from the few local knowledge spots near shores.

And yes, I already know of several boats that are coming early to get some practice sailing done!

SW: If you could offer one piece of advice to visiting (and local) teams, what would it be?

MP: It's different this year: BE SAFE!

Respect all the preventatives put in place to keep both sailors and hosts safe and COVID-free. The last thing we want is to have any regatta become a spreader event.

Other than that, bring plenty of water and suntan lotion!

SW: In the ideal world, how many races do you and the other organizers hope to score? Also, how many races will you run per day?

MP: We have ten races are scheduled. Hopefully, with good breezes we can run four races each on Friday and Saturday so that only two are needed on the last day.

SW: What kinds of safe-play pandemic tactics are you expecting from the racers on the water? Also, what kind of shoreside Covid precautions will the event employ?

MP: Looking at our NOR (yachtscoring.com/event_documents/13200/2021%20J24%20MWs%20NOR%20.pdf) will give an idea of all the precautions we have put in place.

Starting with requiring all participants— whether they are racing, supporting, or race committee— to provide negative rapid Covid tests that are less than 72 hours old to be at the event.

We will have temperature takers stopping all persons entering the property and issuing color-coded wrist bands after being allowed entry.

We have suspended all social functions and will prohibit gathering at the venue. If the previous regatta we ran in December is a model, then we expect the sailors to be respectful of the world we are dealing with and not be ultra-aggressive, both on the water and in the jury room!

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

MP: The biggest environmental effort this year, other than the fact we are sailors who by description do not pollute the atmosphere and are usually very cognizant of keeping our waters clean, is the addition of MarkSetBot to the race course!

Although interest in these GPS battery-operated robotic race marks was already building, the onset of COVID hastened their acceptance in the sailboat racing world. They make staffing the Race Committee much less demanding, controlling the race circle super-fast and easy and require less motorized equipment on the racecourse.

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

MP: We look forward to seeing all of our J/24 friends here in beautiful Coconut Grove playing on our Biscayne Bay waters again in February! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/TEAMS SWEEP SORC ISLANDS IN STREAM SERIES!

 

J/44, J/109, & J/121 Go 1-2-3!

(Eleuthera, Bahamas)- The final event for the SORC's Islands in the Stream Series took place last weekend- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. The course took competitors through the heart of the Bahamas and led them to a tropical oasis- Eleuthera Island on the eastern banks.


The 443.0nm race started February 17, 2021 in moderate winds with great expectations the "Weather Gods" would prove right and provide a fresh breeze nearly all the way down the course. The Eleuthera race started off of South Beach, Miami, crossed the Gulf Stream, left Great Isaac (67.5nm), Great Stirrup (75.5nm) and Eleuthera (82.0nm) to starboard, rounded the southern tip of Eleuthera (130.0nm), past the southern tip (18.0nm), and up to the finish near Powell Point (70.0nm). Thereafter, drop sails and head into the gorgeous Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina. 


At the start of the final race, the overall outcome could not have been predicted by anyone. The top five contenders for the series were quite close on points between a TP 52, a 40 ft custom, and three J/Teams (J/44, J/109, and J/121).


In the end, tremendous perseverance paid off for all three J's. Winning was Chris and Karen Lewis' J/44 KENAI, followed by Andy Wescoat's J/109 HARMS's WAY in second, and Bill Wiggins' J/121 WINGS in third position. 


Here is the report from Chris & Karen Lewis (pictured above with crew) from their perspective on the gorgeous J/44 KENAI:

"We were thrilled to win the SORC 2020-21 Islands in the Stream Series with a 1-1-2 score line. The races were varied with light conditions for Races 2 and 3 and then a real blow for most of the Eleuthera Race that challenged all yachts. 

We won the series through sheer determination and, at times, some good decision making. For example, to get to Key West we tacked the 145% genoa 114 times and gybed the 0.5oz VMG kite 28 times. I guess that was good for the sailmakers! Although, I am amazed at how today's carbon sails stand up to offshore conditions if properly handled. 

The first leg to Eleuthera was a tight reach in moderate conditions across the Florida Straights (e.g., the fast-flowing Gulf Stream) allowing for a Code Zero to be flown off KENAI's 2.0m sprit.  We sagged below the rhumb-line with the Stream on our stern quarter. By reefing the main and reducing drag in the puffs, the boat was noticeably faster. Then, we changed to a Heavy #1 sheeted to the rail and we were able to foot up to Little Isaac over the last 20 nm with less north set current. 

From there, we were on the wind with a 200nm starboard-biased beat changing down to a #3 jib and finally the #4 jib! In both cases we had a reefed main. The seas got to be 6 to 8 ft and confused going out into the Atlantic Ocean past the northern tip of Eleuthera (Ed. note- the ocean floor goes from 10,000 ft to 50 ft. in less than 4.0nm, creating the "washing machine effect" on the eastern shore). 

We moved the #4 jib sheeting to the outboard track and saw boat speeds of up to 8.7 knots. Great for the race, but not appreciated by the off-watch crew as KENAI launched off and through the seas. Finally, we turned to a fetch down to the southern tip of the island and set the A4 spinnaker for the finish line. We knew it was tight with the TP52 on rating, but the old girl hit 13 knots with 25 knot gusts on the VMG run to the finish. We corrected out by 22 minutes in the race, with the RC selecting the ORC Predominantly Upwind Rating. 


It's truly amazing that a 23,500 lb. 30-year-old design with 175 sq. m kites and an overlapping genoa has been able to be competitive with a variety of race boats in SORC under a wide range of conditions during the series. The key is knowing your boat and staying near 100% of your speed throughout the race. We do a lot of sail changes. We were also fortunate the J/121 WINGS never got to fly downwind for very long!"


The red-carpet treatment laid down by the Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina was enthusiastically welcomed by all teams. It is truly a little paradise in the middle of the ocean. Their staff did go above and beyond to make sure the sailor's needs were all met, and then some! That included a fantastic bonfire after the awards ceremonies and dinner to celebrate the end of the event (no worries, the wind was blowing hard offshore!)!

The resort looks west over Exuma Sound, which provides good access to the Marina. The channel into the marina is straightforward East/ West, and well lit. A summer dredging project removed the few remaining high spots and left a 12-foot controlling depth, as well as adding jetties extending from the shore.

Follow the SORC Sailing on Facebook here  For more SORC Islands in the Stream series sailing information     For the SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race results and informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/24 MIDWINTER CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

 

(Miami, FL)- This coming weekend, sailing from February 26th to 28th, the USA J/24 class has organized their J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, Florida, with the Shake-A-Leg Foundation being their host at their amazing facility on the Miami waterfront. J/24 sailors from across the country are certainly excited about heading down to one of their favorite "watering holes" in all of Florida- Coconut Grove and its super chill downtown collection of restaurants and bars (abiding by pandemic guidelines, of course). The sailors can't wait to chuck the boat in, pop open a few "tinnies", lather up in sunscreen, put on the shades, and take a cruise around the lovely aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay with friends.


Nearly thirty J/24 teams are registered and the depth of talent is remarkable. Sailing the regatta are several past National, North American, and World Champions; such as the John Mollicone & Mike Marshall duo on AMERICAN GARAGE, Robby Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM, the Long Island Sound brother duo of Al & Dave Constants on BLITZ, the scary smart crew on HONEYBADGER (Travis Odenbach, Patrick Wilson, Chris Stocke, and Monica Morgan), Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE with Luke Lawrence on cockpit/ tactics, the famous Aidan Glackin on MENTAL FLOSS, Mark Pincus steering SCOUTS HONOR, Kirk Reynolds driving TYRUS, and Marcus Rogers on WIND MONKEY with Carter and Molly White providing traffic directions. No "spring chickens" amongst those boats, a lot of bragging rights in the J/24 class amongst them!  For more J/24 Midwinters event and registration information, click here to go to Yachtscoring.com and sign up!

SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race Preview

(Miami, FL)- The final event for the SORC's Islands in the Stream Series takes place this weekend- the Miami to Eleuthera Race. The course takes competitors through the heart of the Bahamas and leads them to a tropical oasis in a part of the Bahamas that is not as well traveled as the typical destinations. Less traveled does not mean uncharted, and it is certainly within reach for SORC competitors.


The 295-mile race starts on February 17, 2021. The Eleuthera race will start off of South Beach, Miami, proceeding across the Gulf Stream, leaving Great Isaac, Great Stirrup and Eleuthera to starboard, rounding the southern tip of Eleuthera, and proceeding up the west side of the island to the finish near Powell Point. The Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina is on the west side of the island of Eleuthera, at the finish line. 


Several enthusiastic J/Teams are participating in the race and some are vying for overall fleet honors.  In the ORC 1 Division is Chris Lewis's KENIA from Austin, TX; Andy Wescoat's J/109 HARM'S WAY from Spring, TX; and Bill Wiggins's J/121 WINGS from Johns Island, SC. 

As competitors discovered after the inaugural Eleuthera Race in 2020, the Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina is the perfect spot to wrap up the SORC Islands in the Stream Series. General Manager Chris Morris and his staff at the resort are as excited to have you there as the SORC is to send you there. They go above and beyond to make sure that no need goes unmet.  It truly is the perfect spot to wrap up the series.

The resort looks out to the west over Exuma Sound, which provides good access to the Marina. The channel into the marina is straightforward East/West, and well lit. A summer dredging project removed the few remaining high spots and leaves a 12-foot controlling depth, as well as adding jetties extending from the shore.  Follow the SORC Sailing on Facebook here   For more SORC Islands in the Stream series sailing information   For the SORC Miami to Eleuthera Race results and informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/24 MIDWINTERS UPDATE

 

(Miami, FL)- Following in the same footsteps as their J/70 friends and colleagues, the USA J/24 class has organized their J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, Florida, with the Shake-A-Leg Foundation being their host at their amazing facility on the Miami waterfront.  

Responding enthusiastically has been J/24 sailors from across the country. Clearly, there is an enormous pent-up demand to get back out on the water and enjoy the camaraderie of seeing long lost friends from living the pandemic life.

So far, thirty J/24 teams are registered on YachtScoring to participate in what may be the first regatta for nearly all the teams since the March "lockdown" last year. The depth and talent of the fleet is remarkable, with many boats getting their covers dusted off, boats polished, bottoms sanded, and shaking out the mice family living in the sail bags! Sailing the regatta are several past National, North American, and World Champions; such as the John Mollicone & Mike Marshall duo on AMERICAN GARAGE, Robby Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM, the Long Island Sound brother duo of Al & Dave Constants on BLITZ, the scary smart crew on HONEYBADGER (Travis Odenbach, Patrick Wilson, Chris Stocke, and Monica Morgan), Eammon Delisser's MAIN SQUEEZE with Luke Lawrence on cockpit/ tactics, the famous Aidan Glackin on MENTAL FLOSS, Mark Pincus steering SCOUTS HONOR, Kirk Reynolds driving TYRUS, and Marcus Rogers on WIND MONKEY with Carter and Molly White providing traffic directions. Should be fun!

If YOU are not on a J/24 sailing in this regatta, you better be asking yourself, "why not"!? Go for it, it's an easy drive down I-95 to Miami! Just chuck the boat in, pop open a few "tinnies", lather-up with sunscreen, put on the shades, and take a cruise around the lovely aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay with friends! Sign me up!  For more J/24 Midwinters event and registration information, click here to go to Yachtscoring.com and sign up! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

MCKILLEN FAMILY WINS J/70 BACARDI WINTER SERIES II!

 

Girl Power! Women Skippers 2-3!

(Miami, FL)- It's a story right out of a fairy tale. Man and woman meet three years ago, get married, learn to sail, buy J/70s, and each steer their own boats to victory! Who knew that would ever happen!? Certainly not Ryan and Maggie McKillen, the couple that went 1-2, respectively, in last weekend's J/70 Bacardi Winter Series on Biscayne Bay. While Ryan's crew on SURGE certainly had a head start on Maggie's team on MAGATRON in terms of experience and podium finishes, no one expected her to be at the top of the leaderboard when the smoke cleared on the race track!

Hosted principally by the Bacardi Event management team and Shake-A-Leg Miami's beautiful facilities in Coconut Grove (Miami), Florida, the second of the three event Bacardi Winter Series took place this past weekend from January 22nd to 24th, 2021.  

While the first regatta in mid-December featured just one race, this past weekend tripled that number. While an improvement over the first event, the three beautiful races on Saturday were welcomed by all competitors. Who's complaining? No one. Just the fact that you can be on Biscayne Bay, enjoying warm temperatures, sailing/ floating on azure blue waters, being around friends was just a victory in itself! The J/70 fleet is a fun-loving, social group of sailors, despite the amazingly talented collection of World Champion sailors on hand.  


By any one-design class standards, the deeply talented fleet counted well over two-dozen World Champions in various classes amongst them. Fast out of the blocks in the first race was Ryan McKillen's SURGE. With Olympic Silver Medallist Lucas Calabrese calling tactics, their solid start and conservative strategy kept them in the hunt, playing the left-hand side of the course to a well-earned win. Second in that race was Pamela Rose's ROSEBUD with Bill Hardesty calling tactics. Third was David Janetti's VERY ODD with Travis Odenbach giving random advice. 

The second race saw more of the same in terms of course strategy, the left predominating as the breeze curved over Key Biscayne Island on the left-hand side of the course. Winning that race was class newcomer Doug Newhouse. No stranger to sailing fast and smart in various J's, like his recent J/88 YONDER, Doug and tactician Jeremy Wilmot got dialed in and never looked back. Second was Maggie McKillen's MAGATRON with Brian Kamilar calling the shots and third was World Champion Joel Ronning's CATAPULT with Morgan Reeser providing traffic directions. 

The third race was a shocker for many veteran J/70 teams. Two women skippers got podium finishes, propelling both of them onto the podium overall. Bounced out of the starboard end start by her husband Ryan on SURGE, Maggie's MAGATRON bailed right to clear and after a few minutes, flipped back onto starboard and carried more pressure and a right shift to lead by a country mile at the first weather mark. In the end, she won the race comfortably, her first race win ever. Third in that race was Pamela Rose's ROSEBUD, sandwiched in between was John Brim's RIMETTE with Zeke Horowitz calling the shots.

As a result of at least one good day of racing on gorgeous Biscayne Bay, it was the McKillen family (pictured at right) dueling for the top of the podium! Ryan's SURGE team of Lucas Calabrese, John Wallace, and Sam Loughborough took the win by just one point! Yes, over his wife Maggie! The Ladbroke's betting parlours in England were having a field day betting on these horses.  While Ryan's team had some pedigree based on previous events, the MAGATRON team was probably a 1,000:1 bet. Nice payoff. 

The SURGE team won with a 1-5-4 tally for 10 pts. One point back was MAGATRON with an 8-2-1 record. Third was Pam Rose's ROSEBUD with crew (pictured below) of Bill Hardesty, Alec Anderson, and Chris Watters, posting 2-9-3 finishes for 14 pts. 

Rounding out the top five was Joel Ronning's CATAPULT team (Patrick Wilson, Chris Stocke, Morgan Reeser, Erik Shampain) in fourth, with Doug Newhouse's YONDER team (Ted Hackney, Jeremy Wilmot, Tomas Dietrich) in fifth position. 


In the Corinthians Division, winning was the Brazilian team on CLOUD NINE, skippered by Toribio Tedin. His crew included Emilio Miguel, Javier Carbi, and Enrique Dillon. Second was USA 1154 skippered by Zachary Segal, with crew of Enrique Quintero, Ashton Hamerlin, and Blake Cabasa. Rounding out the podium was Kelly McGlynn's BEARNARCHY with crew of Luke Adams, Jim Barry, and Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick.  For more Bacardi Winter Series II sailing information

EIGHT BELLS: DING SCHOONMAKER

(Naples, FL)- Bob Johnstone provided us some perspective on Ding's recent passing down in Naples, Florida:

"Ding and I raced against each other as teenagers in Lightnings on Little Narragansett Bay back in the 50s. Ding in Watch Hill and me in Stonington. Twenty-two years later in 1973, when Ding was NAYRU’s Director of Junior Sailing, he was able to persuade a fairly reactionary NAYRU Board of Directors to approve placing the “United States” label on an unproven invitational youth regatta to be called- U.S. Youth Championship! His friend (me!) was proposing the first regatta take place out in the boonies of the Midwest - Wilmette, IL.  That wasn’t an easy process to get "approval".

Back then, NAYRU (North American Yacht Racing Union) was mostly an Eastern establishment. Ding thus played a major role in the birth of that first United States Youth Championship at the Sheridan Shore YC in Lasers and 470s, bringing youth under 19 years of age together from all over the country. For this and his many other contributions, the sport and about 5,000 Youth Champs alumni owe Ding a huge debt of gratitude. Mary’s and my prayers go out to his wife Treecie and Ding’s many sailing friends worldwide."

How influential was the nascent US Youth Champs? Over the past 47+ years, it has helped create multiple World, North American, National, and European Champions, along with a number of Olympic Medallists. You may notice a number of America's leading sailors in this list:

Ed Adams, Tom Barrows, Steve Benjamin, JB Braun, Carl Buchan, Bruce & Glenn Burton, Andy Campbell, Amanda Clark, Peter Commette, Augie Diaz, Mark Foster, Neal Fowler, Kelly Gough, Bill Hardesty, Stan Honey, Peter Isler, Stu, Drake & Peter Johnstone, Brian Keane, Gary Knapp, Mark Laura, Pete Levesque, Tom Lihan, Andy & John Lovell, Chris Maas, Jonathan & Charlie McKee, Stu McNay, Pete Melvin, Andy Menkart, Stew & Terry Neff, Bruce Nelson, Dave Perry, Nat Philbrick, Chris Raab, Buzz Reynolds, Nevin Sayre, Russ Silvestri, Bob & Tom Whitehurst, Scott Young. An impressive list of sailors (if I missed anyone, please don't shoot the messenger). 

Yet another long-time friend of both J/Boats and Ding- Gary Jobson- wrote a nice tribute to him that appeared in Scuttlebutt Sailing News:

"One of America’s sailing heroes, James “Ding” Schoonmaker II, 87, passed away January 19 in Naples, Florida. His wife, Treecie, noted he had been feeling well until just two days ago, ultimately succumbing to lung cancer.

Ding, as his friends referred to him, was a Star Class World Champion and served as a Vice President of World Sailing, the international governing body of the sport.

He was a long-time steward of the sport of sailing and a generous supporter of the US Sailing Foundation, the National Sailing Hall of Fame, the United States Olympic Sailing Team, and the US Sailing Training Center in Miami, Florida.

At the 1975 Star World Championship, President Gerald Ford was invited by Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley to welcome the 73 crews and guests to the Windy City. Said President Ford to the gathering, “One skipper and crew in particular has caught my eye, and I would like them to stand up and take a bow– the skipper of Star 5607, Ding Schoonmaker and his very talented and capable crew – Jerry Ford!”

Everyone got a good laugh, and Ding and Jerry Ford (the sailor) must have been inspired because they went on to win the 1975 Star World Championship.

Two years later, Ding returned to the Star Worlds with a new crew who wanted to get acquainted with the class, and learn from the master. The 47-year-old crew was named, Buddy Melges! Buddy must have learned a lot from Ding, because he went on to win the Star Worlds in 1978 and 1979.

Born June 10, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, his name comes from his Grandfather, of the same name, who was a Medal of Honor recipient in the Civil War. Ding’s first race was in 1944 at the age of eleven off Watch Hill, RI. He spent his summers in Watch Hill and winters in Florida over the past 87 years.

Ding started out in the Star Class as a crew for Olympian Jack Price in 1946. He remarked during an interview for the National Maritime Historical Society in 2019, “I immediately fell in love with the boat. From the beginning I liked the class organization, the accomplished sailors who raced the boat, and the challenge to win.”

At the age of 19, he placed second in the Olympic Trials in the Star Class and was named the team’s alternate in Helsinki. He earned that honor again in 1964 at the Games in Tokyo. Along the way, Ding won World, North American, South American, Western Hemisphere, and European Championships in the Star Class. In 1962, following the Cuban revolution, he worked with Tito Bacardi and Frank Zagarino to move the Bacardi Cup Star Class Regatta to Biscayne Bay off Miami, where it is still raced today.

In 1971, he raced with another Star World Champion, Joe Duplin, as his crew at an Olympic Classes regatta in Kiel, Germany. Ding noted, “It blew very hard the entire week. Thanks to Joe, we won every race.”

Ding was named US Yachtsman of the Year in 1971 for that accomplishment and a long list of other victories that year. In addition to racing a Star at a high level, he also raced Thistles, Flying Dutchman, Herreshoff 12 1/2s, X Dinghies, Finns, Lasers, and Soling’s (he placed third in the first World Championship in 1969).

In 1968, he was asked to join a committee working on class measurement and development issues for the International Yacht Racing Union (now World Sailing). Ding learned the value of service and how it translated into improving his beloved sport. He was a Board member on the US Yacht Racing Union (now US Sailing) and would serve on several international committees. He was elected to serve on the Board of IRYU for 14 years (1986-1994 and 1998-2004).

Ding observed that sailing has changed a lot over his lifetime. “One of the best changes is modern technology, but one of the worst is the high costs associated with Grand Prix racing. Unfortunately, the Olympics has become an arms race for some of the affluent nations.”

He added, “Talent and ability win medals. Sailing is a sport you can compete in for many years.” Looking toward the future he suggested, “I would like to see the sport like it was 25 years ago. Promote the fleet, club, recreational sailing, and racing. We need to keep grass roots (sailing) and club racing active. Also, we need to encourage young sailors to remain in the sport.”

For his distinguished career, he was awarded the Nathanael Greene Herreshoff Award, US Sailing’s highest honor, in 1988 and the Beppe Croce Award, World Sailing’s highest honor in 2011. In 2018 he was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame and in 2019 he was presented the Distinguished Service Award by the National Maritime Historical Society.

Notable among all of his philanthropic work was creating the US Sailing Center in Miami in 1987, establishing the World Youth Sailing Trust to help aspiring sailors in emerging countries and creating the US Sailing Foundation in 1990.

Ding Schoonmaker has been an important counselor to the leaders of the sport both in the United States, and throughout the world for decades. He will be missed, while his lifelong work will serve as enduring legacy for sailors in the USA and around the world." Again, thanks to Gary Jobson from Annapolis, Maryland for this tribute. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 BACARDI WINTER SERIES II PREVIEW

 

Miami, FL- Hosted principally by the Bacardi Event management team and Shake-A-Leg Miami's beautiful facilities in Coconut Grove (Miami), Florida, the second of the three event Bacardi Winter Series will be taking place this weekend from January 22nd to 24th, 2021.  

The forecast continues to improve for the weekend for the twenty J/70 teams that are entered from around the world. There are teams from Germany, Brazil, Cayman Islands, and USA. 

The first regatta in mid-December was nearly washed out due to no wind...a single, very marginal, race was held for the highly competitive fleet.  No question, everyone is looking forward to the classic breezes from the southeast that Biscayne Bay is famous for this coming weekend.  

By J/70 standards, the small fleet is deeply laden with talent across the board, counting well over two-dozen World Champions in various classes amongst them. Some teams that may be at the top of the leaderboard include Joel Ronning's CATAPULT (with Erik Shampain & Morgan Reeser on speed/tactics), Germany's Mike Illbruck on PINTA (including famous tactician John Kostecki), Peter Cunningham's POWERPLAY from the Cayman Islands, John Brim's RIMETTE (with Zeke Horowitz on tactics), Pam Rose's ROSEBUD (with Bill Hardesty on tactics), Steve Benjamin's SAINT (with 2 World Champion tacticians aboard- Al Terhune & Chris Larson), Ryan McKillen's SURGE (with Lucas Calabrese & John Wallace on speed/ tactics), Dave Janetti's VERY ODD (with Travis Odenbach on tactics), Buddy Cribb's VICTORY (with Greiner Hobbs & Malcolm Lamphere on speed/tactics), and Doug Newhouse's YONDER (with Jeremy Wilmot & Tomas Dietrich on speed/ tactics). That is a breath-taking collection of smart, fast sailors on those teams.  For more Bacardi Winter Series II sailing information

BACARDI J/70 WINTER SERIES PREVIEW

 

(Miami, FL)- While the Midwest and northeastern regions of the USA are caught in the grips of multiple Lows (depressions) bringing lots of nasty weather; like northeast winds, rain, sleet, snow, ice, slush, and just ugliness, the J/70 class will be hosting its first major event since the March 2020 coronavirus lockdowns shutdown every imaginable regatta in America, and the rest of the world, for that matter.

Hosted between Shake-a-Leg-Miami, Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and the USSC, the first race weekend for the Bacardi Invitational Winter Series will be December 11-13, 2020 with the next face-off on January 22-24, 2021. Then, the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta will complete its final event from March 10-13, 2021.

A very star-studded sixteen boat fleet of enthusiastic participants are very excited to get back out on the water on the gorgeous aquamarine Biscayne Bay, with sailing taking place off Miami, Florida. Many of the top American teams will be participating, all familiar faces to J/Sailors that have sailed the J/70 circuit.

Several World Champions are in attendance, including Joel Ronning's CATAPULT (Morgan Reeser and Erik Shampain on speed/ tactics), Germany's Mike Illbruck sailing PINTA (John Kostecki on tactics), Steve Benjamin's SAINT team has THREE World Champions on the team (himself, plus Chris Larson and Al Terhune), Dave Janetti's VERY ODD (Travis Odenbach and Kris Werner on speed/ tactics), and Ryan McKillen's SURGE (Lucas Calabrese on tactics). So much for teams with World Champions on board, just one-third of the fleet! LOFL!

In addition, there are several hot teams that are no "wallflowers", such as John Evans' AIRPLANE (Martie Kullman on tactics), Trey Sheehan's HOOLIGAN: FLAT STANLEY RACING (Curtis Florence and Brad Boston on speed/ tactics), Ryan Foley's JOHNNY UTAH (Nic Baird- College Sailor of Year- on tactics), John Brim's RIMETTE (Zeke Horowitz on tactics), Pam Rose's ROSEBUD (Tomas Dietrich on tactics), and Peter Vessella's RUNNING WILD (Tracy Usher on tactics). 

WOW!! On a percentage basis, this regatta likely has the "deepest bench" of College All-Americans, National, North American, and World Champions in a sixteen-boat fleet, ever! Chill the beer, fire up the popcorn machine, and pull up a chair...this will be an interesting regatta to follow! 

By the way, there are two Corinthians teams that have hot hands on the tiller and smart sailors in their line-ups that may surprise a lot of the top teams. The BEARNARCHY team from Philadelphia, PA has Kelly McGlynn driving with Luke Adams on speed/ tactics (College All-American and son of the famous Ed Adams). Then, Team LIL from the local Coral Reef Yacht Club have proven to be surprisingly fast and smart; after all, they know Biscayne Bay quite well. The LIL team includes skipper Joey Kolisch and tactician/trim Val Schestopalov; both excellent youth sailors and a product of the Optimist/ 420 wars as kids.  Follow the Bacardi J/70 Winter Series here for complete results

J/109 Wins Miami to Nassau Cup Race

 

(Miami, FL)- The 79th edition of the Nassau Cup Ocean Race, a 180 nm course from Miami to Nassau, leaving Great Isaac and Great Stirrup to starboard, is no longer possible due to current protocols in the Bahamas. Instead, an ocean race of approximately 178 nm was held starting in and returning to Miami.


Since 1934, some of the best offshore sailors in the world have battled for the prestigious Miami to Nassau Cup, including Ted Turner, Dennis Conner, Dick Bertram, and Ted Hood, aboard legendary boats like Running Tide, Windward Passage, Tenacious, and Boomerang.  Half a generation after World War II forced a short intermission, the race became part of the fabled Southern Ocean Racing Conference in the 1980s until the series’ dissolution in the 1980s.  Building on the race’s welcome rebirth in 2003, the new SORC, a group of race-veteran race managers, announced its management of the Nassau Cup Race in 2010. 
 
Starting in very light airs under Code Zeros, the fleet wandered their way across the Gulf Stream to the first mark, with the breeze steadily building all day. In the end, the J/109 HARM'S WAY sailed by Andy Westcoast won their ORC 3 class handily by over four hours corrected time.  Meanwhile, Ashley Maltempo & Bill Wiggins sailed the new J/121 WINGS to fourth place in ORC 2 Class, narrowly missing the podium by just minutes on corrected time.  For more Miami to Nassau Cup Race sailing information

CHANGES FOR SORC "ISLANDS IN THE STREAM SERIES"

(Miami, FL)- The SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Circuit) winter plan for the 2020-21 Islands in the Stream Series in south Florida and the Bahamas has evolved due to COVID-19 restrictions. The event has seen growing popularity amongst enthusiastic offshore sailors in the J/Family. Over the past few seasons, a J/121, J/122, J/109, J/92, J/105, J/30, J/44, J/111, J/120, and J/130 have participated in some or all of the series.  Please see updates below.

2020-21 Islands in the Stream Series

• November 12, 2020: (REVISED) The 79th edition of the Nassau Cup Ocean Race, a 180 nm course from Miami to Nassau, leaving Great Isaac and Great Stirrup to starboard, is no longer possible due to current protocols in the Bahamas. Instead, an ocean race of approximately 178 nm will be held starting in and returning to Miami.   www.nassaucuprace.org

• December 5, 2020: (REVISED) The Wirth M Munroe Palm Beach Race, known as the “Race to the Buffett” to Sailfish Club of Florida’s legendary party, feast and awards presentation, is now a course from Lauderdale to Palm Beach and back.  www.sailfishclub.com/munroe

• January 21, 2021: The series then heads south for some "island time" with the Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race. The tropics in January provide the perfect spot to unwind with the Conch Grinder Race, and to enjoy the treasures and pleasures of Key West before the awards party at First Flight Island Bar and Restaurant (formerly Kelly’s Caribbean).  www.keywestrace.org

• February 17, 2021: It all wraps up with another trip to the Bahamas with the 2nd annual Eleuthera Race, starting off South Beach, Miami and finishing at the Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina.  www.eleutherarace.org   For more SORC Island in the Stream Series sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.