BABY DOLL SCREAMS TO J/22 MIDWINTERS WIN

(New Orleans, LA)- For three-straight days, the thirty J/22s that made a giant leap-of-faith to head south and pray (hope!) that weather Gods would cooperate and permit them to enjoy the amazing Southern hospitality offered by the host Southern Yacht Club was ultimately fulfilled. The fleet was treated to a full-on, highly-competitive, nine race series. In the end, it was Glenn Darden's BABY DOLL that screamed to the front of the fleet on the first day of racing and was never severely tested for the duration of the regatta, earning the coveted 2021 J/22 Midwinter Championship crown. Here's how it all went down over those three days.


Day 1- Breezy, Choppy, Cool Day
Besides the sailors, perhaps the most excited person on the first day of racing was Southern Yacht Club's PRO and RC team. With such a solid forecast for breeze all three days, it made their job easy to layout the race course and manage the aggressive fleet. Conditions were breezy and bumpy on Lake Pontchartrain, testing some boats and equipment. Glenn Darden's BABY DOLL mastered the shifts, winning two of three races and placing second in the other for 4 points and the early advantage. Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER bounced back from being over early in race two and added a pair of top three finishes for second place overall (14 points). Casey Lambert’s BLACKBURN MARINE RACING stood three points back in third. Nine total races are planned through Sunday.

Eager teams were greeted with a grey sky, and winds consistently in the mid-teens. Odenbach opened the regatta with a bullet, trailed by Darden and Benz Faget’s FATS (the local hero and super star on Lake Ponchartrain). Darden earned his first victory in the next contest, ahead of Tommy Meric Jr.’s CARNIVAL TIME and Lambert. Following Darden in the day’s final match were Alexander Schwinn’s TILT and Odenbach in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.


Day 2- Classic, Shifty, Lake Racing
After four more races were completed on the second day, making a total of seven to count, only one point separated the leaders heading into the final two races Sunday. 

Day one leader Darden’s BABY DOLL opened Saturday with a pair of bullets but added a 5 and 13 (their discard) for 11 net points. Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER notched all top-three finishes on the day, and now dropping a 10 from Friday, bringing him within a single point of the lead. Lambert’s BLACKBURN MARINE RACING remains in third place with 27 net points. 

The teams enjoyed a brightening day on Lake Pontchartrain in winds averaging 7-10 knots with lighter chop. Darden picked up where he left off the prior day with back-to-back wins (first ahead of Lambert and Odenbach, then again topping Odenbach and Faget’s Fats in the second race). Odenbach took race six for his second victory of the series, followed by Boo Heausler’s REBOUND GIRL and Schwinn’s TILT. Mark Foster’s PRESSURE DROP led the fleet back to shore, as Odenbach placed second allowing him to close in on the overall Championship, and Faget came in third place.


Day 3- Spectacular Sunny Finale
The final day saw a sunny day, mostly breezy and lumpy conditions on Pontchartrain. The Southern YC RC and PRO team knocked out two more races to complete the planned nine-race series.

Darden, of Fort Worth, TX, with crew Marcus Eagan, Jackson Benvenutti, and Sarah Raymond won Sunday's opening race. Odenbach’s HONEYBADER, just one point off the pace at the start of the day, placed seventh. HONEYBADGER stormed back to win the final contest, however, BABY DOLL placed fourth and secured the Championship with 16 net points (Odenbach ended with 20 pts). Lambert’s BLACKBURN MARINE RACING put together a solid weekend for third place (40 points).

Darden’s crew members were all from the New Orleans area. “Marcus and Jackson are wizards of this lake,” said Darden. “(It was) very streaky and shifty all three days. We like the lump with the breeze. We got off the line well, which was probably our key.”

Rounding out the top five were Foster's Corpus Christi, TX team on PRESSURE DROP in fourth place and Schwin's Fort Worth Boat Club team on TILT taking fifth. Sailing photo credits- Chris Howell/ J-22 Class. For more J/22 Midwinter Championship registration & sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

DEJA VOODOO ECLIPSES J/105 MIDWINTERS

(Seabrook, TX)- The J/105 Midwinter Championship returned to the calendar this year as twelve teams competed at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX from March 11-14. Over the three-day regatta, the fleet enjoyed truly amazing Texas-style hospitality and pretty amazing sailing conditions- warm, breezy, and moderately choppy waters on Galveston Bay.


After the first day it was abundantly clear that one team must've consumed several spinach cans of Popeye's "whupass", flexed their muscles, and completely smoked the fleet. Starting first and never looking back. the DEJA VOODOO team left everyone in their wake as they peeled off all bullets on the first day. The second and third day of racing never saw them take their foot off the gas, keeping it "firewalled" and reeling off a bunch more bullets.  In the end, Bill Zartler's team on DEJA VOODOO may have been surprised at their own incredible record, counting all bullets after tossing a 2nd place in the eight race/ one-drop series...just 7 pts net!  


The Vice-champion of the last J/105 North American Championship in Marblehead, MA- FINAL FINAL- was put into the unenviable position of playing chase the entire regatta. Accumulating five deuces and the only bullet not taken by DEJA VOODOO, Ken Horne's team on FINAL FINAL sailed to a clear second place with 14 pts net.

Completing the podium in the bronze position was Uzi Ozeri's BONBON, they closed with a 3-5 on the last day for all top ten finishes and 32 pts net.

Rounding out the top five was John Barnett's PESTO with 35 pts net in fourth position and Mark Smith's EAU LA LA took 5th with 36 pts net.  For more J/105 Midwinter Championship regatta sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/22 MIDWINTER CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

(New Orleans, LA)- From March 18th to 21st, the gorgeous new Southern Yacht Club will be hosting the J/22 Midwinter Championship on the challenging, choppy waters of Lake Ponchartrain. The thirty teams from across the country should be blessed with spring-like windy conditions with breezes forecast to start in the northwesterly quadrant and slowly, persistently shift right all weekend. 


The entry list has many class leaders participating; all eager to get on the water and enjoy the fresh air on the water, the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face.  Some of the notable teams with Midwinter, North American, and World titles in various classes include Benz Faget's FATS, Tommy Meric's CARNIVAL TIME, Dwight LeBlanc's WILD TCHOUPITOULAS, Travis Odenbach's HONEYBADGER, Glenn Darden's BABY DOLL, Mark Foster's PRESSURE DROP, Chip Carpenter's WIZARD, and Casey Lambert's BLACKBURN MARINE RACING.


The Southern YC welcomes all teams with open arms and will surely provide their famous red-carpet treatment for their guests. The regatta promises to be epic given the depth of talent, the often-challenging choppy waters of Lake Ponchartrain, and the very shifty puffy winds shifting from NW to NE over the three days.  For more J/22 Midwinter Championship registration & 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.

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!

J/22 Midwinters Update- Come One, Come All!

 

Experience the Best Cajun, Gumbo & Creole Food Anywhere!

(New Orleans, LA)- Wondering what to do in March? Wanna have an incredibly fun time just sailing on the water? Why not beg, borrow, or steal a J/22 that floats, clean off the cobwebs, and start driving south to that famous home of the Mardi Gras Festival this past week- Naw'leens! A gastronomic delight, a visual feast of historic homes with wrought iron balconies, and the infamous "French Quarter", you cannot possibly go wrong experiencing everything that New Orleans has to offer. 

From March 18th to 21st, the gorgeous new Southern Yacht Club will be hosting the J/22 Midwinter Championship on the challenging, choppy waters of Lake Ponchartrain. So far, there are twenty-one entries and more joining in the fun all the time.

The entry list has many class leaders participating; all eager to get on the water and enjoy the fresh air on the water, the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face.  Some of the notable teams include Tommy Meric Jr, Glenn Darden's BABY DOLL, Mark Foster's PRESSURE DROP, Chip Carpenter's WIZARD, Bill Draheim, and Casey Lambert's BLACKBURN MARINE RACING.


Don't see your name on the entry list? Time to dust-off that war horse, saddle it up, and ride it down to New Orleans. What's not to love about the best that Southern hospitality has to offer; the new club house rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina burnt down the original is simply out-of-this-world.  Come One, Come All, the Southern YC welcomes you with open arms and their famous red-carpet treatment for their guests. 
For more J/22 Midwinter Championship registration & sailing information

RAMROD TAKES J/111 KEY WEST WINTER SERIES I

 

(Key West, Florida)- The inaugural 2021 Key West Winter Series took place January 16-18 off Key West, Florida. Thanks to the efforts of Ryan and Rob Ruhlman and the entire team at SAILING INC (with J/Dealerships in Ohio and South Carolina) for pulling this together. 


The five-boat fleet were chomping on their bits and could not wait to get back down to Key West and do some sailing in the gorgeous aquamarine waters and mild 70's temperatures with plenty of sun! They were not disappointed, as Key West delivered on some great sailing in the race course area just 2.0 miles southwest of Key West Harbor. 

After a thrilling, fun-filled three days of racing offshore, the regatta PRO Mark Foster managed to run a tight series of races, completing eight races by Sunday afternoon. 


A well-known Chesapeake Bay sailor who has several offshore and World Championship titles to his name managed to win in his inaugural debut in the J/111 class. Rod Jabin's crew on RAMROD took the first J/111 Key West Winter Series event with the stunning record of three 1sts, four 2nds, and a 4th for total of 15 pts. While the RAMROD crew mastered their boat and the conditions, showing their transom to the fleet most of the time, behind them it was anything but clear which teams would make the podium. Sailing perhaps one of their best regattas in recent years was Andy and Sedge Ward's BRAVO posting five races in the top three and winning the last race to cement their hold on the silver. Finishing just four points behind them was another Chesapeake Bay team on Marty Roesch's VELOCITY, posting six races in the top three to take the bronze. 

The next regatta in Key West will be sailed on March 5th to 7th, 2021. 

Follow the J/111 class on Facebook here   For more information regards Key West Winter J/111 Series, presented by SAILING INC 

MAJIC CROWNED J/24 KINGS DAY REGATTA CHAMPION

 

(Jacksonville, FL)- The Florida Yacht Club and J/24 Fleet 55 hosted twenty-one very enthusiastic J/24 competitors to a wonderful weekend of competitive sailing at the 2020 Kings Day Regatta November 21-22, 2020.  

The racing Saturday and Sunday had a total of six races sailed on the St. Johns River south of Jacksonville in the traditional fall breezes of Northeast Florida. It was a see-saw battle for the podium all weekend long as each time was trying to "dial-in" not just speed-mode in the flat water, but also getting into sequence in the shifty breezes.

Starting off with a 1-5-1 on the first day, Greg Griffin's MAJIC played their local knowledge to the max, ending the day with a strong lead. The other day's winner was Robby Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM from Davis Island YC, gliding into second for the day. They were followed by Dan Borrer's JESUS LIZARD just one point behind.

The die was cast for the battle that would unfold on Sunday morning. The first race of the day saw all three teams struggling to even finish in a podium position as they covered and watched each other like hawks as they rounded the race track. However, it was Borrer's JESUS LIZARD that closed the regatta with an emphatic double-bullets to take the silver. Griffin's MAJIC hung in close and avoided disastrous races to take the win by a mere two points. Brown's ANGEL OF HARLEM crew was fast and consistent, but a Black Flag in the last race dispelled their chances for the overall win. Instead, the HARLEM crew had to settle for the bronze.

The winning team on MAJIC consisted of skipper Greg Griffin and crew of Will Newton, Skip Allcorn, Mike Reddaway, and Emma Newton. The silver medal crew on JESUS LIZARD was Dan Borrer driving, with team of Kelly Holleran, Steve Lopez, Barbara Gold, and Max Lopez. The bronze medal winners on ANGEL OF HARLEM were Robby Brown on the helm, with crew of Beau Delapouyade, Richard Shellow, Steve Lowery, and Kevin Ratigan. For Kings Day Regatta sailing results and information  For J/24 Fleet 55 information
  For more J/24 one-design class information

BANGOR PACKET Cruises J/24 Midwinters

(Melbourne, Florida)- Since 1978, when twenty-one boats participated in the first J/24 Midwinters in Key West, Florida, the fleet has always seen remarkably talented fleets sailing their annual event in Florida. For this year's 42nd annual regatta, Eau Gallie Yacht Club in Indian Harbour Beach, FL hosted the thirty-three boats that participated from across the USA with a particularly strong contingent participating from the Pacific Northwest, specifically Seattle, Washington.

After sailing eight races with one discard, the most remarkable performance came from the famous septuagenarian Tony Parker on BANGOR PACKET XXX (Tony has owned many J/24s over the past forty years!). For those J/24 class historians, Tony has sailed the J/24 since 1978, starting in Portland, Maine and has continually sailed in the class ever since. Here is how it all went down over the three-day event.


Day 1- Gorgeous Start
The regatta started off on Friday in a beautiful breeze averaging 13 knots, sunny skies, and cool temperatures; the fleet was treated to three races. Reigning World Champion Keith Whittemore’s FURIO got out of the gate strong, posting a 4-1-1 for 6 points and the early advantage. Whittemore was leading Parker's BANGOR PACKET that had posted an equally impressive 2-3-4 with 9 points. Two teams were tied at 10 points for the next two positions: past World Champion Mike Ingham’s NAUTALYTICS and Kirk Reynolds’ TYRUS (a past J/24 North American Champion).


Day 2- Another Perfect Day
The second day of the Midwinters delivered yet another extraordinary day of racing. The EGYC PRO managed to conduct three hotly contested races with winds averaging 15 kts, gusting to the low 20s, under a postcard perfect azure blue skies.
  
Ingham’s NAUTALYTICS shot up the leaderboard after posting a sensational all-podium finishes day of a 2-2-3 and now lead the fleet with 11 pts net after six races. Dropping a sixth from the first day, Ingham retained four seconds and a third for his regatta-leading scoreline. Parker’s BANGOR PACKET held on to second place with 13 points. Reynolds’ TYRUS was clinging to the third position at 15 points, just one ahead of both Whittemore’s FURIO and John Mollicone’s BUCKAROO/ NEW ENGLAND ROPES from Newport, Rhode Island.


Day 3- Cliff-hanging Finale
A victory by Parker’s BANGOR PACKET in the final race, coupled with a U-Flag penalty for regatta leader NAUTALYTICS, gave Parker with crew Will Bomar, Emmet Todd, Zeke Horowitz and James Niblock the 2020 J/24 Midwinters title. BANGOR PACKET recorded only top-four scores throughout the three-day event, and finished with 18 net points, one better than Mollicone’s BUCKAROO/ NEW ENGLAND ROPES. Mollicone started slowly out of the gate on Friday, but then notched five finishes in the top three (including a pair of bullets) to nearly capture the Championship. Ingham claimed the third position overall with 20 points, and Whittemore’s FURIO was just another point behind in fourth.

“It was one of the tightest regattas we have ever sailed,” said Parker. “The regatta was won on the final leeward leg. It was fun and challenging, and any of the top six boats could have won. We had a terrific team with Zeke, James, Will and Emmet. They performed brilliantly.”  For more J/24 Midwinter Championship sailing information

Team VINEYARD VINES Crowned J/70 Midwinter Champions

(Miami, Florida)- The 2020 J/70 Midwinter Championship will go down in the history books as an epic, thrilling regatta punctuated by big winds, big waves, big competition, and an outrageous, amazing final race to determine the entire top five teams on the leaderboard. From the beginning, most of the 225-plus sailors on the fifty-four boats from eight nations (USA, Argentina, United Kingdom, Turkey, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Denmark) expected the Midwinters to be an incredibly competitive event. With multiple World Champions represented on the various leading teams (J/22, J/24, J/70, J/80, Lightnings, Stars, Lasers, Etchells 22, etc) there was going to be a high-level of performance unlike anything seen since the recent J/70 Worlds in Torquay, England. 

The Coral Reef YC PRO Mark Foster (himself a J/22 North American Champion from Corpus Christi, Texas) was blessed with nearly postcard-perfect, epic sailing conditions all weekend-long. The regatta started off in 15 to 25 kt Northwest, shifty breezes on Friday. The forecasted "blowing dogs off chains" nuclear wind conditions for Saturday ultimately materialized, with mostly North to Northeast winds averaging 22 kts, gusting to 30 knots in squalls. Sunday dawned with a gorgeous sunrise over Biscayne Bay and the fleet was blessed with "champagne" sailing conditions for the final day; sunny and 75 degrees, with winds in the Northeast to East at 10-20 knots.

Winning the regatta on the final day and in the final race was John & Molly Baxter's Team VINEYARD VINES from Riverside Yacht Club in Connecticut. Their crew included Allan Terhune and Ben Lamb.  Taking the honors in the Corinthians Division was the Turkish team from Istanbul- Team EKER KAYMAK skippered by Ahmet Eker, with crew of Burak Zengin, Bilge Kerem Ozkan and Yasar Doga Aribas. Here is how it all went down over the three challenging, fun-filled days.


Day 1- Friday Frontal Follies
A significant weather front was forecasted to pass over the racing area on Biscayne Bay Friday with forecasts for thunderstorms, squalls, and lightning. At the 0900 hours skipper's meeting, the PRO Foster wisely postponed until the frontal system passed by. Following the onshore postponement, the winds shifted, and teams were able to complete two exciting races starting at 1330 hours. Fast off the line and sailing away to nearly insurmountable leads in both races was past J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning; he and his CATAPULT crew of Victor Diaz De Leon, Christopher Stocke and Patrick Wilson seemed untouchable. Ignacio Perez’s ZAQUERO from Valle de Bravo, Mexico also excelled in the windy, shifty conditions, posting a 3-4 for 7 points. Then, two teams are tied at 9 points for the third position; John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA and John & Molly Baxter’s Team VINEYARD VINES


Day 2- Stormy Squally Saturday
Truly epic "blowing dogs off chains" conditions on Biscayne Bay presented a challenging three races on Saturday, testing both crews and equipment. With gusts hitting 30 knots, several teams reported hitting speeds of 19 to 21 knots on their speedo's downwind, sending walls of salt water bursting into the air and clouds of spray flying over the boats.

Standing out in the crowd was the Perez family team on ZAQUERO- skipper Ignacio, with Santiago and Juan Perez and their friend Moritz Spitzauer. In the big breeze with near three-foot, boat-stopping square waves, the team from Mexico eclipsed the large fleet with stunning scores of 1-2-1 to finish the day with 7 net points in five total races (discarding a fourth from Friday). Ronning’s CATAPULT dropped to second overall with 11 net points, following scores of 4-7-5. Pamela Rose’s ROSEBUD moved up to third with 18 net points. Pedro Camargo’s MANCHA NEGRA from Brazil led the Corinthians Division.

Perez racked up his first bullet of the day in race three, trailed by Ryan McKillen’s SURGE and Rose's ROSEBUD. Coincidentally, the same group comprised the top spots in fourth race, but in this order: McKillen, Perez, Rose! In the final battle, Perez returned to first, ahead of Heaton’s EMPEIRIA and the Baxter’s Team VINEYARD VINES.


Day 3- Simply Splendid Sunday
Biscayne Bay delivered its third consecutive day of epic conditions, as winds averaged 10-20 knots with blue skies. Three more races were completed for a total of eight, as Team VINEYARD VINES won two of three races on Sunday. Day two leader ZAQUERO suffered a BFD in race seven, and was overtaken by Ronning’s CATAPULT and McKillen’s SURGE, that finished second and third overall, respectively. In the end, the Baxter’s tallied 27 net points, two better than Ronning. McKillen finished third with 37 net points.

In the 12-boat Corinthian division, Team EKER KAYMAK of Turkey claimed victory. Zachary Segal’s USA 1154 and Andrew Fisher’s BUTTON FLY followed in second and third, respectively.

Team VINEYARD VINES is based out of Long Island Sound, and they have recently excelled in heavier air, including placing fourth at the breezy 2019 North American Championship in Cleveland, OH (the last J/70 event they had raced). Reflecting on the final day’s strategy, which they started in fourth place, skipper John Baxter said, “There were a lot of teams that were in the top group. Our strategy was to sail clean, get off the line and go straight. Although we weren’t winning right off the line, we chipped away. We were really quick downwind, and then at times we were fast upwind. We were able to hold lanes, which we couldn't do before, and now we’ve figured it out.”   Sailing photo credits- Chris Howell/ Tim Wilkes


Team Vineyard Vines/ Baxter interview- winners


Zaquero/ Perez family interview- #23

Sailing video of epic sailing conditions on Biscayne Bay

For more J/70 Midwinter Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Love St Petersburg NOOD Regatta

(St Petersburg, FL)– The season opener for the Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design Regatta Series (a.k.a. NOODS) — the largest national sailboat racing circuit in the United States- was blessed with nice weather conditions, albeit on the light to medium side of the equation on Tampa Bay this year. The St. Petersburg NOOD regatta, organized by Sailing World and hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club, has developed into the one of the largest regattas in Florida, and its 32nd edition saw 185 boats and more than 1,000 professional and amateur sailors converging onto Tampa Bay and the bustling downtown area for racing and fun on the Valentine’s Day weekend on the Bay.

The one-design classes of J/24s, J/70s, and J/88s, saw spirited competition, for the most part. Here is what took place day-by-day on the various race courses.


Day 1- Light and Fickle
Iris Vogel, of New Rochelle, NY, skipper of the J/88 DEVIATION, won her recent J/88 Midwinter Championship and, Friday, on the waters off St. Petersburg, Vogel and her teammates continued their winning streak with a win in the only race of the day. Light winds proved challenging for the race committees and the regatta’s 193 teams racing in 13 different classes.

Vogel came away with the race win, but it wasn’t easy. “We were deep at the first weather mark, but just focused downwind going from puff-to-puff,” Vogel said. “The team did an excellent job coming back to win the race.”

Four of the six J/88s hail from New York and use the St. Petersburg NOOD for winter training. Vogel says the level of competition in the class is very high as a result. “We are an active travel fleet; not to mention every team is well sailed and it’s anyone’s win at each regatta,” Vogel said. “The racing is that close.”


Day 2- Moderate and streaky
David Jannetti, skipper of the J/70 VERY ODD, moved into the top spot on the J/70 leaderboard, which Jannetti credits entirely to his professional crew of Scott Nixon, Patrick Wilson and Danny Lawless.

“These guys really know what they are doing, and I am learning a ton from them,” Jannetti said, of Miami. The St. Petersburg NOOD is Jannetti’s fourth regatta after returning from an eight-year absence from the sport. “I’m sitting in the back [of the boat focused on keeping the yarns upfront flying evenly, and they are changing gears constantly,” Jannetti said. “They’re keeping everything tuned perfectly, working the body weight on the boat and helping me minimize mistakes.”

He credited Nixon for saving the day’s last race after a poor start. “With great tactics and the right windshifts, we still managed to round the top mark in first. I initially thought ‘Oh, where is that throwout,’ but he turned it around.”

Jannetti is looking forward to accelerating the learning curve in tomorrow’s final day of racing, but he is fully aware of the depth of talent at the top of the class. “The other boats will remind you very quickly if you make a mistake,” he said. “My goal is to keep it light, keep it fun and go home with a smile on my face.”


Two junior teams sponsored by Helly Hansen are battling hard in the J/70 fleet. The all-female team, skippered by 17-year-old Heather Kerns, of Apollo Beach, Fla., is made up of high school-aged sailors and say they are “having a blast doing the event with ‘girl power.’” Together for almost four years, they finished third overall in the 2019 J/70 U.S. Youth National Championship, held at the NOOD’s host club, St. Petersburg YC.

Kerns and her team concluded today’s racing on a high note, finishing fourth, which she attributes to them sailing a well-rounded race. “We got a good start and stayed focused on boatspeed and good communication,” Kerns said. “The wind had picked back up and since we are a light team we really focused on de-powering. Everything just came together. It’s fun to show the guys that an all-girls team is competitive; and it’s great to have Helly Hansen supporting us.”


Day 3- Awesome Finale
First-time St. Petersburg NOOD skipper, David Jannetti in the J/70 class, won top honors. With a 1-5 scoreline Sunday, Jannetti and his teammates on VERY ODD, cemented their lead. While they finished fifth in the final race, Jannetti said it was the result of a strategic decision to ensure no surprises from Dave Kerr’s second-place USA 1516. “We were keeping tabs on them and doing a loose cover,” said Jannetti. “While that was our worst finish, it was still the right thing to do.”

Jannetti, of Miami Beach, Fla., said he is already planning his return. “St. Pete is such a fun and vibrant city. We enjoyed great sailing all weekend; and it has been a great way to warm up for next weekend’s J/70 Midwinter Championship.”

Rounding out the podium behind Jannetti and Kerr was the well-traveled Travis Odenbach on his notorious HONEYBADGER. The rest of the top five included Matt Braun's E.L.E. in fourth and Mike Schroff's ELECTRIC PICKLE in fifth place.

Michael Quaid, of Williston, Vt., skipper of the J/24 ICE CUBE is a longtime NOOD competitor, and while his team finished third in 2019, this was his year. “To win feels great,” said Quaid, praising his longtime crew and its light-air sailing skills. “We scored four firsts when it was light, but when the breeze came up like in Saturday’s first race, it was our worst finish [fourth place]. The mid-range conditions today were my favorite; it made for a lot closer racing. It was very tactical and exciting.”

Finishing in second place in the J/24s was Nate Vilardebo's SABOTAGE while third place went LUCIFERS HAMMER. The balance of the top five included Jon Stewart's BREEZE in fourth and Rick Jarchow's TEAM EXIT STRATEGY in fifth position.

Iris Vogel and her team on DEVIATION finished on top of the six-boat J/88 fleet with five first-place and two fifth-place finishes. She said the key to her team’s success was not to panic, especially after a few bad starts. “This fleet is so competitive,” said Vogel, of New Rochelle, NY. “There are no favors in this fleet; all the racing is very close and every little move counts. What saved us was good crew work, making the right calls and keeping our head out of the boat. The conditions were constantly changing all weekend.”


The balance of the J/88 podium saw Andy Graff's Chicago-based crew on EXILE take the silver, with William Purdy's WHIRLWIND taking the bronze. The rest of the top five included Lawrence Cutler & Andrew Weiss' ONE TOO MANY in fourth and Dave Tufts' GAUCHO in fifth.

In the PHRF handicap classes, the J/Crews nearly swept all the top spots. In PHRF 1 Division, the J/111s did sweep the podium in quite a convincing fashion against their eclectic fleet of a dozen boats. Winning yet again in successive weekends was SPACEMAN SPIFF skippered by Jim Sminchak. The silver went to Ian Hill's SITELLA and third to Doug Curtiss' beautiful black and green WICKED 2.0.


Winning PHRF 2 Division, it was Stephen Mitcham's J/105 BREEZIN BAYOU that set the pace all weekend to take class honors. Third on the podium went to yet another J/105, George Cussins' FIRE & ICE.

The PHRF 3 Division was bracing for yet another onslaught of the dueling J/29s to lay waste to the fleet. While it may have been a touch light airs for that outcome to happen, Ray Mannix's team on the J/29 SEMPER FI continued their annual tradition of collecting silverware in the St Pete NOOD Regatta...for perhaps the 20th time! This time it was silver....losing the regatta as a result of a last race DSQ! Ouch!! Fellow partners in crime, Robert Whetmore's J/29 FAMILY CIRCUS managed a fifth place in this year's edition.

Finally, in Saturday's North Sails Rally- Cruiser Racer Division- it was Jose Suarez-Hoyos' team on the J/35 NO WAY JOSE that managed to sail home after the one long day race with a bronze medal to add to their trophy cave.  Sailing Photo Credits- Paul Todd/Outside Images  For more St Petersburg NOOD Regatta Sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

SPACEMAN SPIFF Takes J/111 Midwinters in Thrilling Finale!

(St. Petersburg, FL)– Current J/111 World Champion Rob Ruhlman on SPACEMAN SPIFF narrowly took victory at the J/111 Midwinter Championship, a part of J/Fest hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida. Conditions on Tampa Bay ranged from 6-8 knots on Friday and Sunday, with Saturday having the best breeze at 10-12 knots.


After eight races in three days, the Cleveland, OH-based SPACEMAN SPIFF team, including Karl Felger, Doug Moose, Debbie Probst, Ryan Ruhlman, Abby Ruhlman, Jim Sminchak and Mark Wiss, tied on points with Ian Hill’s SITELLA at 12 pts each. Both crews racked up the exact same scoreline (three 1sts, three 2nds, one 3rd), but Ruhlman placed one better than Hill in the final race to claim the title.


Rounding out the podium in the bronze position was Andrew and Sedgewick Ward's BRAVO from Shelter Island, New York. The BRAVO team certainly had their moments of boat-speed and flashy brilliance during the three days event, taking six podium finishes and even winning two races!  For more J/111 Midwinters & J/FEST St Petersburg Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Fest St. Petersburg Regatta Preview

(St Petersburg, FL)- The third weekend of January marks the occasion for the annual J/Fest St Petersburg Regatta, hosted by the St Petersburg YC in Florida. Sailing will take place from January 23rd to 26th, with teams of J/88s and J/111s racing on Tampa Bay.

The regatta represents the 2020 J/88 Midwinter Championship, with crews participating from the Midwest and the Northeast. Many top crews in the class will be looking forward to a break from the frigid temperatures up North. No one would be surprised if Andy & Sarah Graff’s EXILE team is already on the road headed south from Chicago, IL to escape the sub-zero temperatures in the upper Midwest! From the northeast, watch for these teams to be near the top of the leaderboard; Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION from New Rochelle, NY; Dave Tufts’ GAUCHO from Rochester, NY; Lawrence Cutler & Andrew Weiss's ONE TOO MANY from Storm Trysail Club, and William Purdy's WHIRLWIND from City Island Yacht Club in New York.

Similarly, the J/111s will be hosting their Midwinter Championship at J/Fest St Pete. A quartet of very competitive crews will be in attendance. Top dog with current bragging rights should be the 2019 J/111 World Champion- Rob Ruhlman and family aboard their famous SPACEMAN SPIFF. In addition, Andrew & Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO from Shelter Island, NY, Doug Curtiss's WICKED 2.0 from New Bedford YC, and Ian Hill’s SITELLA from Hampton, VA will be mixing it up with the Cleveland gang for class honors. For more J/FEST St Petersburg Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.