Warrior Sailing Triumphs at Charleston

(Charleston, SC)- Warrior Sailing had twenty-one U.S. military veterans sailing at Charleston Race Week; some on larger keelboats and almost half of them sailing on College of Charleston’s fleet of one-design J/22s.  

Warrior Sailing takes graduates from basic level sail-training through certification, and directly supports “beyond camp experiences” for the veterans. One of the most impactful events of the year is Charleston Race Week.

Twenty-one graduates from the sail-training program were selected from a pool of applications to attend the 5th consecutive year of participation in the event. The group traveled in style with new gear from Zhik, and the support is always felt from the sailing community at the largest keelboat regatta in the country.

Eight Warrior Sailors, five coaches, and three College of Charleston collegiate sailors were onboard the J/22’s. A highly competitive inshore fleet of 9 boats took to the water each day with most of the Warrior’s flying spinnakers for the first time during the training session on Wednesday. The intention is always based on instruction and gaining valuable experience onboard, but earning some hardware is also a bonus.

Warrior Sailing J/22’s took 1st (Sammy Hodges), 3rd (Corey Hall), and 4th (Jacob Raymond) in the J/22 one-design class.  Congratulations to everyone and a very special thanks to the coaches and leadership at College of Charleston for their time and effort to teach Warriors what it means to race inshore and compete in this large regatta.

MAKE A DONATION AND CHANGE A LIFE

A special “Thank You” to the Charleston Race Week Foundation for their support. Portions of each registration for Charleston Race Week goes to supporting worthy causes participating in the Charleston area.  Warrior Sailing was selected to receive a grant to support making this an expense-free experience for the participants.  “Thank You” to Randy Draftz and the CRW Foundation for your continued support!

We are so grateful for everyone who turned up to party with a purpose at the “Container Bar” during Charleston Race Week. Thanks to a great turnout, Warrior Sailing raised over $4,600 to support veterans participation in future training camps and events.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all sailors for your generous support. As a donor to our organization, you’re a part of what makes Warrior Sailing so special; you’re a part of our community. YOU make everything we do possible.

Italian J/24 Team Sailing Puerto Vallarta

YCBG Sailing Team Launches Training for 2014 North Americans
(Bergamo, Italy)- The year 2014 promises to be an epic one for J/24 championship racing in Mexico.  Sailing in the spectacular waters of Bahia de Banderas off Puerto Vallarta, the Mexican J/24 class will be hosting the famous “La Copa Mexico” (a week-long extravaganza of over-the-top parties and some sailing and sun-tanning mixed in for good measure) as well as the North Americans- held March 15th to 22nd.  The YCBG (YC Bergamo) Italian team give us an update on their planning and progress to date, as described by YCBG President John Fields.

"Our crew will be formed by the helmsman Fabrizio Eusebio, Mr. Fasoli, Parimbelli Marzio, Puntel Daniela and me (John). If you want, you can follow us on our website.

In 2012, La Copa Mexico was hosted by the Mexican J/24 Class with support from the Mexican Navy.  Fifty-five teams from ten countries participated along with notable J/24 champions like Mauricio Santacruz from Brazil; Tim Healy, Mike Ingham and Chris Snow from the USA; Ken Porter, Javier Velasquez Robinson, Jorge Castillo Martinez, and Peter Wiegandt from Mexico; Vernon Robert from Chile; Jan-Marc Ulrich from Germany; Jan Isley from Monaco; and Victor Maldonado Anso from France.  Sailing in that same regatta was our YCBG Sailing Team (formed by the helmsman Marzio Parimbelli, Paul Luisetti, Fabrizio Eusebio, Fausto Gandolfi and myself- John Fields).  After very careful preparation, attention to detail and training we were determined to improve on our 35th place in the 2010 event.  In fact, we ended up sailing much better, taking a splendid 13th overall, first all amateur crew!

It was a great honor for the YCBG Sailing Team to have represented the Italian J/24 sailors and our fleet.  The event began with a surprise at the time of taking over our assigned boat- “Que Si”. But, since the boat assigned (by drawing from a hat) to Mauricio Santa Cruz was his former BRUSCHETTA (now called DIGGER), we were given the option to use QUE SI or DIGGER.  Naturally, we chose DIGGER since we knew it was a great boat!

The next day, after the skipper briefing, we had a practice race in 18-20 kts and we were very competitive, sailing in the top ten and not finishing the race since we were superstitious like many other sailors— bad luck to finish a practice race!

On Monday, after the official ceremony with the Governor of the State of Nayarit, we were off to the race and hoping to get as many as ten races in by Friday.  Some of the races were very demanding, with many recalls, black flags.  Some races had little wind and others had 20-25 kts of very gusty and shifty breezes.  It was very challenging with many combinations of waves, current and shifting winds, which led to many good and bad results.  We had a penalty in the second race (40 pts DFZ) but we didn’t lose heart and subsequently after five races were in the top fifteen!  Ultimately, we managed to finish 13th, thanks to much help from many friends like Chris Snow, Peter Saurer, Luis Vazquez Mota and Jorge Castillo Martinez.

For the 2014 Copa Mexico we hope the forecast is for excellent weather conditions (wind and warm weather) and great hospitality thanks to the Marina Riviera Nayarit located at Cruz de Huanacaxtle on the north side Bahia de Banderas.  As the regatta ‘chamber of commerce” message states- “Those who have had the opportunity to take part in the previous editions of Copa Mexico or the 2007 J/24 Worlds are well aware of the beauty of the place, excellent wind conditions and the excellent climate and the presence of the best J/24 sailors in the world. La Copa Mexico has become one of the most important sailing events in the world and we guarantee the 2014 edition will be a memorable one."  We hope so and will be working hard again to represent our Italian J/24 colleagues as best we can!”   For more Italian J/24 sailing information and news on YCBG Team development

Sailors, Middies and “What Does the Fox Say”?!

(Annapolis, MD)- So, who is it to say that talent can’t be developed from the most remarkably goofy and crazy places amongst our friends and families around the world?  OK, well not exactly AMERICAN IDOL, this crew at the US Naval Academy (along with help from their USNA Sailing Team) certainly have sufficient creative and innovative production capabilities to pull off one of the better take-offs from the wildly popular, remarkably viral, “music video” known worldwide as “What does the fox say”.  For your weekend amusement, you have to see the original and the US Naval Academy “derivative” music video— perhaps one of the best “take-offs” ever (other than an F-18 catapult off a US Navy nuclear aircraft carrier!!).   The original Finland production of “What Does the Fox Say”?  The US Naval Academy Un-Official Sailor Middies Production   (Editor’s Note- we do not know anyone in this video).

J/World's Tihansky Leads US Naval Academy Sailing

* Kid Leadership!?  Seven years ago, if you had told Jahn Tihansky, owner J/ World Annapolis, that he would be the head coach of the U.S Naval Academy (USNA) varsity offshore sailing team, he would have told you that you were nuts. With a sailing school to run, he wasn't exactly looking for work - certainly not the kind which would consume 60 or 70 hours per week in sailing season. But, opportunity knocked.

After much debate, as well as some prodding from Annapolis sailor Gary Jobson, (who's a "rainmaker," says Tihansky), who assured him that it was the opportunity of a lifetime, the business owner had to quickly find a way to make his school run without him and immerse himself into his new challenging post. Six years later, Coach T, as the midshipmen call him, is still surprised at his good fortune and how well the pieces have come together.

A native of Tampa, FL, Tihansky's family joined the Davis Island YC "because it had a pool." Curiosity and courage enough to hitch a ride on a Cal 27 at the age of 12 led him deep into the sport. "The crew figured out that I'd do anything on the boat from open beers to set the spinnaker, so they taught me to sail," he says, which opened the door to yacht deliveries and many years of interesting racing experiences such as the 1978 Key West to Cuba Race.

After having run his own Sobstad loft as a young man and a stint at Sobstad's corporate headquarters in Connecticut, Tihansky moved to Annapolis where he worked for Sobstad for four years before his opportunity to run J/World Annapolis and in 1993, to buy the sailing school.

It was his brainchild, the J/World big boat winter training program - during which students would train for and successfully compete in big regattas such as the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race and Key West Race Week - that fit the type of coaching experience USNA was seeking.

What makes the USNA offshore sailing team unique is that beyond winning sailboat races, participation on the team counts as professional leadership development. "Other sports just can't compare to a kid leading a team of seven to prepare a big boat to go to Bermuda or even down the Bay," says Tihansky, who says that coaches are on the boats as mentors, but the team runs the boat.

"It's a huge responsibility to learn to take care of an asset and take care of teammates. In the tough situations, that's when your character comes out - you're puking and cold. It's 2 a.m., and you're called on watch. The crew must perform. They have to drive, trim sails, navigate, and compete. We do sail to sail well." -- The Stern Scoop from APS Ltd, read on.

PUNTO J Wins J/24 Italian Open Championship

(Anzio, Italy)- Over the past weekend, the town of Anzio (south of Rome on the Mediterranean coastline) turned into a festival of sailing: one hundred and twenty sailors, sailing enthusiasts and many, many curious passers-by enjoyed the summer-like weather.

The competition was strong and the excellent turnout of twenty-two J/24s made for a lot of fun and many lead changes!  After seven races, it was clear that Ignazio Bonanno on PUNTO J sailing for Centro Velico Marina Militare won in a convincing fashion with a 2-1-2-1-2-5-4 scoreline for just 12 pts.  Second was Fabio Delicati on DJKE from Sezione Velica Anzio (the local sailing club) with a 4-3-4-ocs-4-1-2 for 18 pts.  Fabio was a contender for the regatta lead until their unfortunate OCS in Race 4.  In third on the podium was Francesco Cruciani steering AVOLTORE from Vela Club Tarkna sailing to a 1-4-5-3-1-11 for 19 points.  Francesco  basically lost any chance of wining the regatta or getting second by bombing their last race. Instead, they just won out on a tie-breaker to get third, beating Pietro Diamanti racing JAMAICA that sailed to a 7-8-3-2-3-3-1 scoreline also for 19 pts.  Fifth was Paolo Rinaldi on AMERICAN PASSAGE with 35 pts.

During the Awards ceremony the "Prize Cruciani" went to the crew that got the best finish in four events that constituted the Italian J/24 Circuit (Spring Trophy Argentario, Pasquavela, National Championship and Italian Cup)- the winner was Francesco Crucianin on AVOLTORE

The Race Committee, composed of Riccardo Maurizi, Luciano Crocetta, Stefano and Paola Rizzo Piozzi, managed to run seven races in three days despite the wind never exceeded 7 knots! "The presence of a large turnout of J/24 teams for the Italian Cup and the meticulous checks by the J/24 class measurer, Cesare Cislaghi, contributed to the prestige of the event," said Paul D'Aloisio.  Furthermore, sailed Paul, "Anzio has now become one of Italy's most important spots for racing in one design and collaboration between the J/24 Class and the Italian Navy League in Tiber, Remo and Rome means many more J/24 sailors can join in the fun!  Next season we expect thirty boats! This is a great signal and shows how important this class is still alive in Italy and that does not matter the age of things but the ability to make them be alive."  We could not have said it any better than that, in Italian, Spanish, English, Russian, Chinese or French!    For more J/24 Italy Cup sailing information.

  

Sailors/ servicemen salute Toe-In-The-Water Charity

The charity uses sailing to aid the rehabilitation of injured servicemen so its presence at the Cowes Race Week regatta, provided the perfect platform in which to promote its valuable work.  A total of 13 inter-servicemen competed at the regatta, including 10 crew aboard two J/80s – Big Toe and Little Toe, from the UKSA.  Because Toe in the Water is an extension of rehabilitation, the sailors who are competing here this week are under a strict regime, which means after they return on shore from racing they have to be taken straight to the trauma physiotherapist to complete their daily treatment.

To find out how Toe in the Water benefits injured servicemen and women, we spoke to 23-year old Private Chris Herbert. Herbert was originally from Barnsley and served in the First Battalion Yorkshire Regiment but when he was 19 years old he lost his leg while serving in Iraq.

When he joined Toe in the Water as a patient during Aberdeen Asset Cowes Week in 2008, he’d never been on a boat before. Three years on, he is now a full time able-bodied volunteer, with a Yachtmaster certificate under his belt. “Sailing, through Toe in the Water, gave me back my life. When I lost my leg, I was young, angry and didn’t know where my life was taking me. I was psychologically lost and physically weak. I joined Toe in the Water and I was put on the winch to improve my core stability. I was also part of a team again, which was very important to me. Sailing helped me in every aspect of my recovery and I am now competitive racing sailor.”

Herbert is heading off to Portsmouth University in September and aims to combine his studies with sailing, and learn about the business/marketing side of the industry. Before then however, he’ll be taking part in the Rolex Fastnet Race,

Toe in the Water also had a big presence on shore with all sorts of exciting social events taking place throughout the week. One of the biggest, and most popular was the Wednesday night "Indian Curry Night" where The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment did the cooking, and Gurkha pipers and drummers entertained the crowds. br />