J/105 J-OK WINS YACHTING CUP OVERALL

 

(San Diego, CA)- The 2021 Yachting Cup, one of San Diego Yacht Club’s most popular signature regattas, was a little smaller in size this year, but it certainly matched the on-the-water spirit of Yachting Cup’s past. While normally hosting nearly 100 boats, the 2021 regatta hosted forty-eight teams, all eager to race and itching for good competition. J/Crews sailed quite well in conditions that varied from postcard-perfect Saturday to a stormy Sunday.  

Day 1- Gorgeous "Shorts & Shades" Sailing

On Saturday, the conditions on both the “far” and “near” ocean courses were shifty at about 225 degrees, seeing sporadic puffs from 5 to 11 knots. The day started with a short postponement while the breeze filled in. 

The conditions were described as perfect for Ed Sanford’s J/111 CREATIVE that finished first in the PHRF-C class at the end of the day. “The conditions were perfect for our 111, especially when it hit around 8-10 knots. However, we did have to steer through the waves, and it was challenging going upwind on port tack,” commented Sanford.


The third race for the PHRF classes finished with a 6-mile race home. “The first and third race for us were pretty much flawless. Coming down the channel in the last race was challenging, but perfect once we got past Ballast Point. The kite was pulling like you couldn’t believe and we just started gaining distance boats in front of us,” said Sanford. 

In the J/105 one-design class, Stewart Cannon’s J-OK stood first with a 2-1-1 tally. Cannon has owned his J/105 J-OK for over 20 years. His crew has been sailing together for some time and they all rely on a full team effort for success. “We really enjoyed ourselves out there,” stated Cannon, while his team chimed in. Crew Ryan Lorence added, “We spent all day going the way we thought it was going to go, and it went the opposite, but luckily we were able to get through. We had to switch gears and change some jibs, but we had a pretty good day.”

Post-racing, competitors were invited to take "to-go" cocktails back to their boats and enjoy live music by Stylus Overhaul. 

Day 2- Tempestuous Finale

It wasn’t exactly a day of smooth sailing on day two. With misty weather and large, choppy ocean swells, teams used to sailing in champagne San Diego were in for a bit of a challenge, especially compared to the previous day's conditions. It seemed while most boats were up to it, a handful were not able to look past the waves and towards success on the horizon by the final race.

Overall 2021 Yachting Cup winner, J-OK, was one of the boats that embraced the ocean and saw the regatta the whole way through. The crew attributes their success this weekend to working together as a team.

“We put together a good team and we have a good boat,” said J-OK Crew Jim Dorsey. “It’s one hundred percent teamwork. It was very tough steering conditions today, and Stewart (Cannon) did an excellent job. Between Jim and Stewart, they really worked it,” added Julie Mitchell, the J-OK Tactician.

Rounding out the J/105 leaderboard was George Scheel's SUN PUFFIN in second, Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK! in third, Donica & Scott Ryder's SANITY in fourth, and Rich Bergmann's ZUNI BEAR in fifth position.


In the PHRF C division, John Laun’s J/120 CAPER did not give up against Ed Sanford’s J/111 CREATIVE in any of the day's races, earning three bullets and putting them ahead by one point.

“It was a fun day with challenging conditions. The boat was set up well for it, and we had more breeze, so it was a little quicker. Our boat really likes 15 knots or more,” started Laun. “The first race stood out the most and set the tone for the day. It showed us that our set up was right. In between the first and second race, we switched jibs to match the wind,” he finished.

Behind the J/120 and J/111 sweeping the top spots in PHRF C division was Chuck Nichols' J/120 CC RIDER in fifth place. 

In the ORC Division scoring, Sanford's J/111 CREATIVE won quite handily, posting five bullets on their way to a runaway victory. 

The PHRF B division saw a few big J's participating. Taking second was Rudy Hasl's J/145 PALAEMON, followed by Ernie Pennell's J/145 MORE MADNESS in fifth and Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID in sixth place. 

PRO Summer Greene explains Sunday's sailing, “we were averaging about 15 knots the whole day, but the sea state was really bad and made it hard on all the teams. There were a lot of kite catastrophes and messy mark roundings. We were still able to get in three races. About a third of the boats dropped out before the last race, but the lead boats were still there, their boat handling was a bit better, and we thought it was important to get that last race in for them.”

Due to State and County protocols, there was no formal award ceremony. After the racing, awards were announced, and competitors were invited to pick them up at their convenience. 

"Congratulations to all of our first-place finishers. San Diego Yacht Club is proud this year to be able to host our premier regatta of the season: Yachting Cup. A special thanks goes out to the Race Committee for all their hard work, especially on rough days like today. It feels good, during these crazy times, to be back on the water sailing and being able to participate in something that feels fairly normal. We hope everyone will be return for the 2022 Yachting Cup so we can continue to grow this event into something bigger and better,” concluded Chair Patrick Murray.  Sailing photo credits- Mark Albertazzi  For more Yachting Cup sailing information

CHALLENGING NEWPORT 2 ENSENADA RACE

Mother Nature Throws Everything including Kitchen Sink @ Racers!

(Newport Beach, CA)– One hundred three boats started the traditional 125.0nm race to Ensenada; while nineteen did the 14.0nm sprint course to Dana Point, CA; and forty-one chose the course around the Coronado Islands with a finish after 92.0nm in San Diego, CA.

Here is the report from on-board the J/145 KATARA:

"KATARA and sistership J/145 PALAEMON have competed head-to-head numerous times along the California coast and are always well-matched. The two sisters were scheduled to participate in the 2021 N2E Ensenada course when PALAEMON owner Rudy Hasl contacted KATARA owner Roger Gatewood, letting him know that if we switched to the Newport to San Diego course two other J/145s, ANDIAMO 2 and MORE MADNESS, would join us. The chance to race four of these powerhouses against each other head-to-head was a no-brainer! Sign us up, was our response!  

The race started in a pleasant 8-10kt southerly breeze with all four 145s on their light-medium genoas. KATARA took the inside slot and spent the first several hours exchanging leads with PALAEMON, a mile or so further out. As the breeze slowly shifted right KATARA deployed her Tweener sail. While it didn’t buy much, KATARA started ever so slowly edging out with maybe a 0.1kt edge at times. As the breeze continued to decay and slowly shift right KATARA peeled to the A1 and PALAEMON to the A2. 

The breeze continued to decay as the sun set and the 145s approached North Coronado island, a mark of the course. As we approached the rock, KATARA’s navigator noticed that AIS indicated that, after nearly 80.0nm of racing, all four J/145s were inside of a 1.0nm ring of one another! WOW! This was close racing offshore!

The breeze fell off to near 'triple-naughts' (0.00 kts) as the four big J’s struggled to find a path around the rock. KATARA and PALAEMON found small zephyrs of air and slowly escaped to the East side of the rock. The final 12.0nm was a constant battle of KATARA sneaking out a half mile before losing her air and having PALAEMON close the gap again and approach from the rear. Ultimately, KATARA held her lead, finishing just over 8 minutes ahead of their friends on PALAEMON. ANDIAMO 2 and MORE MADNESS were less fortunate with the rock and it’s difficult breeze, finishing some 3 hours later. 

The following evening, PALAEMON's owner/ skipper Rudy Hasl, a San Diego Yacht Club member, hosted what was likely the largest gathering of J/145 sailors ever, organizing a dinner with over 50 guests between the four crews! Much, much fun was had by all....kudo's to Rudy and crew for organizing the group and the shindig at the club! THANK YOU!"

Apparently, KATARA and PALAEMON plan to compete again in the SoCal 300 and hope the other two sisterships join them!


As for the rest of the Newport to Ensenada event, here's how those races went for other J/Teams.  

For the Newport 2 Ensenada course, Viggo Torbensen's J/125 TIME SHAVER took the silver in PHRF A class with Scott Torrance's J/124 FORGIVENESS taking fifth place.  In PHRF B Class, Dave Gorney's J/105 NO COMPROMISE took the bronze. Then, in PHRF C Class, Chuck Bowes' J/29 RHUMB RUNNER placed fourth. 

For the Newport to San Diego race, while the quartet of J/145s were dueling each other, it was Tom Barker's J/65 GOOD CALL that took the silver in PHRF A class. Notably, GOOD CALL lost to an all-carbon Swan 65, mostly stripped out, with all brand-new carbon sails while GOOD CALL enjoyed their on-board 100-bottle wine cooler, five stateroom HVAC system, satellite-connected broadband Wi-Fi, and four stainless-steel slide-out drawers (refrigerator/ freezer) full of food, caviar, champagne, and other yummy things. The off-watch on GOOD CALL is just as popular, perhaps more for some, than sitting on deck on a full-moon night with the moon light dancing across the undulating Pacific swells...hmmmm, tough choice! 


In the PHRF B class, Tom Pollack's J/124 MARISOL took the silver with Mike McCarthy's J/88 BLUE FLASH finishing in fourth place. 

Finally, in the Newport to Dana Point "wind-sprint", it was Charles Brewer's J/124 HEARTBEAT 4 winning, followed by Tom Garrett's youth team on the J/70 SLOOP JOHN B in fourth, and Matt Campbell's J/120 ADIOS in fifth place. 

On social media, follow all the action on these links:
Facebook- Facebook.com/newporttoensenada
Instagram- Instagram.com/newport_to_ensenada
Twitter- Twitter.com/newsfromnosa
For more Newport 2 Ensenada Race sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/111 SAILING ANARCHY RETROSPECTIVE

In his ongoing series of exploring why certain race boats generate a strong passion by a broad spectrum of sailors to either sail them or own them, Sailing Anarchy's Scot Tempesta hopped aboard a J/111 in San Diego, CA to offer up his point of view on this evergreen offshore racer.  Enjoy the video- more about the J/111 here. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

GORGEOUS SAN DIEGO NOOD REGATTA

(San Diego, CA)- The first of the famous HELLY HANSEN Sailing World NOOD Regatta series took place last weekend in San Diego, CA. The San Diego Yacht Club was blessed with classic SoCal sailing conditions from March 19th to 21st for the J/24 and J/105 one-design fleets and the North Sails Doublehanded Offshore Race on Saturday.


The always competitive J/105 class saw close racing all weekend-long. Winning in the end was Stew Cannon's J-OK with a very consistent 2-1-2-3-2 tally for 10 pts. Hot on their heels all weekend was George Scheel's SUN PUFFIN with a 1-4-5-2-1 scoreline for 13 pts. Rounding out the podium was Donica & Scott Ryder's SANITY with a 4-3-1-4-3 record for 15 pts.  The balance of the top five included Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK! in fourth place and Scott McDaniel's OFF THE PORCH placed 5th. 

Bill Ramacciotti and Mike Davies J/24 GREENBACK BOOGIE leapfrogged into first place Sunday thanks to two first-place finishes and one second. “We had super-close racing all weekend among our fleet,” said Ramacciotti. “It was so much fun to see us finishing these races within seconds of each other.”


Four of the five J/24s are local to San Diego, and Ramacciotti and Davies have a concerted effort underway to build the class. “We’re not big budget programs and our goal is to keep it accessible and get more people out sailing,” said Ramacciotti. “We are all weekend warriors so to speak with different years of experience and these boats provide the vehicle to help us all continue learning."

They also agreed that the winning strategy today was picking sides. “Calling the line and committing to one side or another was crucial, Ramacciotti said, “but when you sail in San Diego with shifty winds, it really comes down to boatspeed and crew work."

While the GREENBACK BOOGIE crew ended up with four bullets and four deuces for 12 pts to take the J/24 class win, Christian Seidel's CYGNET 2 was certainly in the hunt until the 7th race. At that point, Seidel's crew plunged down the mine shaft, garnering two 4th's to sink their chances of the class win. As a result, the CYGNET 2 team had to settle for the silver with 18 pts. Completing the podium was Brian Dolan's CALAMITY sailed a consistent series with all top four finishes to finish in fourth with 23 pts. 
Sailing photo credits- Mark Albertazzi  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

SAN DIEGO YACHT CLUB'S YACHTING CUP IS A GO!

(San Diego, CA)- After a full year of limited racing, postponed regattas, and socially distanced sailing, it seems like the world of competitive racing is finally getting back on course. In October 2020, San Diego Yacht Club hosted a postponed edition of the Yachting Cup, one of their most popular signature regattas. Thirty-seven boats came out as restrictions on boating eased - an event that typically hosts over 100 boats. A mere six months later, and the Yachting Cup is working to get back on course as well, returning to the weekend at the beginning of May where it’s been held in years past- May 1-2, 2021. 

While the event might not be ramped up to its typical pre-Covid model, it is clear what the main attraction of the Yachting Cup really is: the sailing. SDYC Waterfront Director Jeff Johnson says it best, “The success of the event has been and will be being able to get out on the water. It’s an event for all of those that are looking to sail, and that’s why we do it - for the competitors. It’s not about the food and free drinks or fancy awards. It’s just to sail. And that’s what we’re doing.”

The 2021 Yachting Cup begins at 1200 on Saturday, May 1 and will be held on two ocean courses on the Coronado Roads. Competitors will be divided into one design fleets or Handicap Divisions (PHRF, ORR, ORR-ez). 

Always one of Yachting Cup first entrants is SDYC Staff Commodore John Laun’s J/120 CAPER, who hasn’t missed a Yachting Cup in 20 years before last October’s regatta. Similar to many competitors, this will be his first opportunity back on the water. “This will be CAPER's first regatta in 16 months!! I’m excited to reunite with the crew. We’ve been together for over 10 years, some as long as 20. My crew is full of great friends and skilled sailors,” explained Laun.

Another J/120 skipper ready to get back out on the water after an injury last fall is SDYC Staff Commodore Chuck Nichols, sailing on CC RIDER. “I’ve raced in almost every Yachting Cup since the early eighties. The best racers in Southern California show up for the Yachting Cup. Everyone knows they will participate in good competition with good Race Committee work,” he started. “Between major regattas, we try to sail races that are similar to the types of courses we are going to see in the near future. Continuity of crew is critical to our success. They all know their jobs well and we work hard to get them out for every race on our calendar. Our crew is a fun-loving bunch who really enjoy joking around, but they also know when to hang up the hijinks and get down to racing.”

Back for another year to chair the event is Patrick Murray. “As we’ve endured an extremely long year dreaming of the things that we love to do, it’s time to get back at it and get back out racing. We’re excited to be hosting an event that will be building on the 2020 Yachting Cup as we work our way closer to a new normal,” he started.

“As with the 2020 edition, we’ll be focusing on the water and high-level racing on both courses. We expect to have extremely tight one design racing in the J/105 one-design fleet while we’ll have the bigger boats going head-to-head on the far course. One thing is for sure, you can count on all the teams bringing their A-games as the competition is always tight! We’ve had an active weather pattern here this spring, and that’s a good sign that we’ll get really nice sailing condition. We’re looking forward to having a great regatta! See you on the water," finished Murray.

Safety precautions are in place to ensure a healthy event such as socially distancing and wearing face coverings. SDYC is strictly following the protocols set forth by the County and the State. Due to continuing restrictions on gatherings, there will be no post-race socials on Saturday or Sunday evening. This year’s Yachting Cup will continue to feature a Skipper’s Meeting via Zoom. Awards will be announced at the Post Race Debrief after racing on Sunday, May 2. Awards will be available for individual pick-up or delivery. 
Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more SDYC Yachting Cup regatta and sailing information

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SAN DIEGO NOOD REGATTA PREVIEW

(San Diego, CA)- The first of the famous HELLY HANSEN Sailing World NOOD Regatta series will be taking place in San Diego, CA this coming weekend. San Diego Yacht Club will play host for the event from March 19th to 21st for one-design fleets of J/24s and J/105s and an offshore North Sails Doublehanded Race.

The J/24 class features teams like Brian Dolan's CALAMITY from Tucson, Arizona (the long-distance traveler award!); Christian Seidel's CYGNET 2, Bill Ramacciotti's GREENBACK BOOGIE, Ryan Jurkowski's IRIE, and Dave Wethereit's SUPERDRY.


The always highly-competitive fleet of eight J/105s will see a number of the class stalwarts participating for their first time in over twelve months! Those teams include Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK!, Stew Cannon's J-OK, Scott McDaniel's OFF THE PORCH and Bill Quealy's J RABBIT SLIM. 

Looking forward to the challenge of sailing large boats doublehanded offshore is Stephen Driscoll's J/105 JUICED and Rudy Hasl's J/145 PALAEMON. Should be fun to watch these teams wrestle their boats around the track off Point Loma. Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/111 FLIES AROUND ISLANDS RACE

(San Diego, CA)- A full year ago in Spring 2020, Newport Harbor Yacht Club and San Diego Yacht Club hosted the Islands Race with a just a hint of the Covid-19 influence over our lives, one of the last “normal” regattas before the pandemic took over. A few weeks later as the 2020 Puerto Vallarta Race sailed down to Mexico, the US fully embraced the initial Covid-19 lockdown and sailing hasn’t been the same since. But with patience and planning, this year’s Islands Race brought 32 teams to compete in the 142-mile coastal race from Long Beach, around Catalina and San Clemente to San Diego. And for those on the racecourse at night, the offshore racing experience and competition were back in all its glory.

Many teams have not had the chance to compete in this way in over a year, so the Islands Race served as its own competition and also training and preparation for teams set to compete in the 600+ mile race to Cabo in March, and the 2225nm Transpac Race in July. Fifteen of the Islands Race teams will sail the Cabo Race, and 20 will sail in Transpac this year.

Other than a half moon rising late in the night, the conditions were perfect. Conditions were nearly ideal for racing with a WNW breeze most of the day and evening. These conditions sent the fleet surfing quickly past the backsides of both Catalina Island and San Clemente Island. All boats were around the southwestern corner of San Clemente (Mark 3) by midnight. The sea state was also nice with mostly 6’ running swells and the occasional ‘growler’ in the night (a breaking wave astern that ‘roars’ ominously, especially loud when you can’t see them). From the turn at Mark 3, it is 71 miles to the finish, and it is a race with the sun. As soon as the sun rises, the wind across the 15-20 or so miles of ocean next to the coast tend to evaporate. Boats not finished by 6 am tend to struggle until the thermal breezes restart to fill that void around noon.


Every year, it is a challenge to coordinate the course around San Clemente Island with permissions from the US Military. You might not know it, but there are dozens of charted exclusion zones which the military deploy like a playbook in order to run specific training exercises all around S. Sometimes they are “on,” sometimes they are “off.” With the help of Range Schedulers, we wait until two weeks prior to the race to see if the exclusion zones are going to require a 3-mile, 10 mile or 20+ mile zone. This year was ten miles. For a wide-open ocean, it sure seems crowded sometimes!

The most notable performance by a J/Team was Doug Jorgensen's J/111 PICOSA. Enjoying the fast surfing and planing conditions at times, the flew around the track in 17 hr 37 min to correct out to 2nd place in ORR 4 Division. Then, in ORR 3 Division, Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID took fifth place. Sailing Photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOYSailing.com.  For more Islands Race sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

SAN DIEGO STARTS NOOD 2021 SERIES!

 

(Newport, RI)- For nearly three decades, the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta national series kicked off in St. Petersburg, FL, in February, but a shift in the 2021 calendar will put Southern California sailing front and center with the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta San Diego, March 19 to 21.

With experienced race management teams at co-hosts San Diego Yacht Club and Coronado Yacht Club, competitive sailors in the region can expect top-quality races on San Diego Bay for the regatta’s smaller boats, as well as the deeper waters off Coronado for larger keelboats. As the first major regatta of the SoCal spring sailing season, the annual event will be a draw for local and visiting teams keen to freshen their skills from the long offseason of 2020.
 
For Helly Hansen, the regatta series’ seven-year title sponsor, the San Diego stop is a welcome beginning to the new sailing year. While the usual after-racing social events will not be held, organizers are keen to provide the best possible experience on the water.
 
“At Helly Hansen we make gear for professionals to feel and stay alive, and that’s also true for all the sailors of the NOOD Regattas,” says Helly Hansen Watersports Marketing Manager, Jenny Daudlin. “While 2020 was a challenging year, Helly has continued to bring along innovative new styles. There were some cool pieces in 2020 that people didn’t get to see, so we’re looking forward to reconnecting with the sailors in different ways and providing them the best gear possible to enjoy their time on the water safely.”
 
One trend that emerged through 2020 was the popularity of day-race formats that require fewer crew members. This movement is also fueled by the expectation of a two-person offshore discipline being added to the 2024 Games. In response to this rising demand for shorthanded races, NOOD Regatta organizers, in partnership with North Sails, added the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race on Saturday, March 20. This daytime challenge will send competitors racing a variety of boats on one long course spanning San Diego Bay and offshore near Point Loma.


Rudy Hasl, of San Diego, is one of the early registrants for the North Sails Doublehanded Race and says he’s looking forward to skippering his J/145 around the course— with the sole assistance of his long-time bowman, Anthony Garcia.
 
“I’m really glad they’ve added this race to the regatta,” Hasl says. “Doing the typical windward/leeward buoy races all day can be tough on the crew and the sails. So, I like this format, as it offers plenty of excitement for me.”
 
Hasl, 78 years young, raced doublehanded extensively when he lived in the Pacific Northwest. Now a full time SoCal resident, he says San Diego is just as challenging a venue to race, especially a boat the size of his J/145 PALAEMON.  
 
“We’re going to try our best to play it safely and carefully,” Hasl says, noting that he and Garcia will be using specialized sails that are easier for two people to handle. “This is the first time we’ll have doublehanded this particular boat. Anthony is a super bowman because he has his way of checking the lines are run correctly. The boat is set up in a way that I can tail halyards from the back while steering.”
 
Their biggest challenge, he says, may be keeping the boat’s massive spinnaker sail from ever touching the water. “We’ve sailed with it and I have a sense of what’s involved in the process and think we can control the beast,” Hasl says. “The key with doublehanded racing is just doing things slowly and deliberately.”

Joining them in the Doublehanded class is Steve Driscoll's J/105 JUICED!

So far, the two one-design classes are showing good participation. The J/24s have five boats entered and the J/105s are up to a dozen already! Sign up now and join in on the fun!  For more San Diego NOOD Regatta sailing information and registrationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

ISLANDS RACE PREVIEW

 

(San Diego, CA)- San Diego Yacht Club and Newport Harbor Yacht Club's Islands Race is making its way to the starting line on March 5th, 2021. Returning to the sea for its 11th edition running, this signature event is expecting over thirty boats to race from Long Beach, California, around offshore landmarks Santa Catalina Island and San Clemente Islands, and then to finish off Point Loma in San Diego. 

For many, the Islands Race kicks off the start of the 2021 Offshore Racing Calendar and doubles as a shakedown for the Newport Harbor Yacht Club Cabo Race or, on alternate years, San Diego Yacht Club's Puerto Vallarta Race. 

With the race only involving one night at sea, it works as the perfect opportunity to gain offshore experience.  Answering that call are a number of adventurous west coast J/Teams. In the seven-boat ORR-EZ class are two J/111s (Ed Sanford's CREATIVE and Doug Jorgensen's PICOSA) and Paul Stemler's J/44 PATRIOT. Then, in the five-boat ORR 3 Class is Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID.  Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ Joysailing.com.  For more Islands Race sailing information

RECOGNIZING SPORTSMANSHIP IN 2020

(San Diego, CA)- While the sailing calendar for Cortez Racing Association (San Diego, CA) was hampered for much of 2020 due to strict government regulations for recreational boating, when racing did begin, the organization recognized four teams that put others before themselves. One of them was an amazing rescue of another boat offshore by a J/35 team.

Don Fulton and the crew of the J/35 BLUE LUNATIC, on September 12, during the “Dennis Conner Around the Coronado Isle Race”, came to the aid of a sinking power boat. Don and his crew assisted the sinking vessel by contacting the Coast Guard and, at the request of the CG, standing by to continue rendering assistance until the CG could arrive, as they were many miles off the coast. Even though stopping to help this boat meant the end of their long anticipated first race after months of quarantine, the Blue Lunatic was happy to help. Congratulations and kudos from all of the J/Family around the world for such a generous and heroic act of seamanship to help other boaters in peril offshore!

HOT J/CREWS @ HOT RUM SERIES II

 

(San Diego, CA)- J/Boats continue to perform well in the competitive Hot Rum Series in San Diego, hosted by San Diego Yacht Club.  

Two J/145s are near the top of the overall results from the first two races. PALAEMON (Rudy Hasl) is 3rd and MORE MADNESS (Ernie Pennell) is 4th out of 124 boats registered. 

The competition within Class I is also very strong, with MORE MADNESS taking 1st place with 6 points and PALAEMON taking 2d with 8 points. The J/145s have been very competitive against famous offshore racing competitors such as Pyewacket, Stark Raving Mad, Blue Blazes, Staghound, Fast Exit, Volpe, Pendragon, and Compadres.

The J/120 CC RIDER (Chuck Nichols) has taken two bullets in Class 2 against some stiff competition. Also, very competitive is the J/125 NEREID (Standish Fleming) and a trio of J/105s- ZUNI BEAR (Vieregg/ Bermann), J-OK (Jim Dorsey), and SWEET KAREN (Jeff Brown).

The final race in the series will be on December 5. The conditions for the 2d race were very different from the windy in-bay first race. With many boats struggling to get off the starting line and dealing with light shifty winds for the beginning and at the end of the race. Fortunately, the offshore portion of the race saw steady winds in the 10-15 kt range and some fog.  For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series information

J/CREWS SWEEP CLASSES IN HOT RUM SERIES I

 

J/105s Eclipse Top Seven Overall!

(San Diego, CA)- The first weekend of San Diego Yacht Club's famous Hot Rum Series took place last weekend for a remarkably large fleet of boats, with 114 boats registered for the event. All across the board in a number of divisions, J/Teams had remarkable outcomes, with many dominating the podium.

Rudy Hasl, skipper and owner of the J/145 PALAEMON, had this to say, "it was an amazing day for the J/Family in San Diego. J/Boats finished 1st, 2d, and 3rd place in Division I of the first race of the Hot Rum Series in San Diego. We were thrilled!"

In fact, Rudy's J/145 PALAEMON won their Division I in the spectacular sailing conditions, with winds ranging from 12 to 25 knots inside of San Diego Bay! Flat water, with reaching, running and beating home to the finish. Taking second was Standish Fleming's J/125 NEREID and third went to another J/145- Ernie Pennell's MORE MADNESS. 

In Division 2, it was perennial winner Chuck Nichols' J/120 CC RIDER taking the honors, with Ed Sanford's J/111 CREATIVE finishing in 5th place. 

The so-called "J/105 class" sailing in Division 4 saw them leading a sweep of the top seven! Winning was Jim Dorsey's J-OK, followed by Jeff Brown's SWEET KAREN in second, and George Scheel's SUN PUFFIN in third to round out the podium. In addition, Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK! took 4th, the duo of Vieregg/ Bermann was 5th, and Bill Quealy's J-RABBIT SLIM was 6th. Next in 7th place was Chuck Bowers' J/29 RHUMB RUNNER. That was quite a tour'de'force for J/sailors in a fleet of 21 boats.

In the overall results, the J/105s nearly swept the top five spots. Winning the J/105 fleet parade was Dorsey's J-OK, with Brown's SWEET KAREN in 3rd, Scheel's SUN PUFFIN in 5th, the Howell's BLINK in 6th place, and the Vieregg/ Bermann duo's ZUNI BEAR in 7th position.  Sailing photo credit- Mark Albertazzi   For more SDYC Hot Rum Series sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

Hot Rum Series Preview

 

(San Diego, CA)- The San Diego Yacht Club's incredibly popular Hot Rum Series will be starting on time again on November 7th, 2020. With nearly 100 entries, it proves the event is as popular as ever for Southern Californians, despite living in pandemic times. It's one of the most popular "pursuit style" races in America, where slowest boat starts first hours ahead of the biggest and fastest boats, whoever crosses the line first wins! Starting and finishing just off the western end of Shelter Island, the fleet heads out en-masse through the Point Loma passage to two buoys offshore and return to the same start line to finish the race just off Shelter Island.

Since it is consistently one of the world's largest PHRF "pursuit races", the little boats know they almost always have no chance of winning overall and simply enjoy the parade of beautiful large sailing yachts gliding past them in all their glory. The smallest, slowest boats (J/22s & J/24s) start well over an hour before the biggest boats- the J/145s and J/160s, for example.

In this year's edition, there will be two J/145s- Rudy Hasl's PALAEMON and Ernie Pennell's MORE MADNESS. In addition, participating will be three J/105s- George Scheel's SUN PUFFIN, Steve & Lucy Howell's BLINK, and Richard Collins' LUCKY DUCK. Joining them will be Seth Hall's J/124 MARISOL, Ed Sanford's J/111 CREATIVE, Chuck Nichols J/120 CC RIDER, Chuck Bowers's J/29 RHUMB RUNNER, and two J/30s (Tim Lynch's RUFFIAN & Bob Noe's MAD HATTER). Good luck to all on this upcoming event.  For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series sailing information

J/125 Back to the Future Review by Sailing Anarchy

 

* WATCH THIS J/125 SAILING ANARCHY "BACK TO THE FUTURE" REVIEW BY SCOT TEMPESTA.

The 41-foot J/125 is as close to high performance big-boat sailing one can find in a boat that’s manageable (yes, even with spinnaker) by two or three people. J/125 is like a street-legal Indy 500 car that’s easier to drive than the family sedan. Joy in ownership (and investment) is a function of time spent sailing. Time sailing depends on how easy it is to be off “on the spur of the moment” inspired by a beautiful day without having to organize 8-10 crew.  Thanks to Jason Andrews for the J/125 at sea footage
Watch the Sailing Anarchy J/125 review hereAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas Update

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

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

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

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

Silverware for J/Crews @ Puerto Vallarta Race

 (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)- Traditionally, the 1,020.0nm race from San Diego, CA to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico has been blessed with at least 4-5 days of amazing downwind sleigh-rides offshore of the famous Baja Peninsula, with breezes often in the 15-20 kts range from the northerly quadrants. Not surprisingly, with the advent of various forms of climate change, the "new normal" was anything but a downwind sleigh-ride blasting around the end of the Baja Peninsula with a long, fast, port gybe into the finish line into the Bahia de Banderas.  In fact, it was one of the lighter races on record.

There were two J/Teams sailing in what had become a "drift-fest" for the first half of the race. Breezes built a bit more for the latter half of the race, but nothing like what the fleet had seen in past years.


To get a better feel of what was happening during the race, be sure to read the KATARA team's very good PV Race blog each day.  Here is their link:  https://pvrace.com/news/article/j_145_katara_race_blog

In the end, despite the challenging conditions, both boats ended up in the silverware in their respective classes. In the ORR 3 Class, Mark Surber's southern California team on the J/125 SNOOPY took 2nd in class and 13th overall. Then, in the ORR 5 Class, Roger Gatewood's Florida-based crew on the J/145 KATARA also managed to take a 2nd in class and 12th overall; beating their J/125 stablemate overall by just 30 minutes ORR handicap time after six-plus days of racing!  Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.com.  For more Puerto Vallarta Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/145s Dominate Cabrillo Offshore Series

(San Diego, CA)- Sponsored by Southwestern Yacht Club in San Diego, CA, a fleet of two-dozen offshore racing thoroughbreds enjoyed a three-weekend series of long offshore day races called the Cabrillo Ocean Series.  The racing included both PHRF and ORR handicap divisions.


In the end, the J/145 PALAEMON sailed by Rudy and Philip Hasl (above) won both the ORR and PHRF Divisions. The Hasl team on PALAEMON narrowly edged out another J/145- Robert Pace's ANDIAMO 2. In fact, PALAEMON took their victory due to their 1st place finish in the final PHRF race on Saturday, March 7th.  In the ORR Division, PALAEMON came out ahead of the custom Nelson-Marek 50 Blue Blazes and the custom Davidson 52 Pendragon.Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Puerto Vallarta Race Update

(Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)- There are two J/Teams sailing the 1,200nm San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race this past week in what has become a "drift-fest" for the first half of the race, but building breezes towards the latter half. Mark Surber's J/125 SNOOPY has been doing well, as well as Roger Gatewood's J/145 KATARA.

KATARA's team has been keeping up a very good PV Race blog each day.  Here is their link.

To give you an idea of what life is like on an offshore 46-foot racing boat, here are a few excerpts below for you to enjoy:

*******
Friday, March 6, 2020, 1530
Position:  32 19N 117 9W
Speed:  8.5-9 kts
Distance to go: 986.1 nm
Weather: Sunny & Almost chilly - just gorgeous
Winds: 8-11 kts
Sail Package: Full Main, A1 reaching spinnaker.

And we're off! The start today at 1200 PST was light and uneventful. We fetched the edge of the harbor and before we knew it, we were cracking off just a few degrees and hoisting the new Tweener Code 0. Trent and Daniel muscled it up and Louis did the hoist. We picked up speed there, but it was only an hour before we were seeing the afternoon shift, we expected and were calling for the A1 reaching spinnaker.

Roger appeared to have a great time on the helm for the start and first few hours of the trip (It's his Birthday, btw, for those that done know!).

Trent is driving right now with Roger and Louis trimming the kite. We've already got several of the Green watch (JA, Neil, Daniel, Ron) below for their first rest session so they're ready to take over at 1800 PST this evening.

Very very light sea conditions with the breeze fairly light as well. Our current target for the rest of the afternoon is to try and lift off the coast to ensure we don't get stuck in the dead air region near shore overnight We anticipate a gybe sometime in the middle of the night to play back in towards the coast to play with the sea breeze tomorrow afternoon as that builds.

The boat is clean and dry and everyone is in great spirits so far. Less than 1,000nm to go!

*******
Saturday, March 7, 2020, 1845
Position:  29 1N 116 10.7W
Speed:  5-7 kts
Distance to go: 783.62 nm
Weather: Partly cloudy and chilly
Winds: Variable 280-310 @ 5-9 kts
Sail Package: Full Main, A1 reaching spinnaker, Spinnaker Staysail.

What a gorgeous day on the water for KATARA. While it was mostly cloudy most of the day, and even a bit chilly, we had an awesome day. The weather gave us slightly more pressure than we were anticipating, and we hope we've capitalized on that to get us south as quickly as we can.

All helmsmen and deck teams seem to be having a great time. I've seen wide grins from Louis and Trent specifically. Another big hit with the crew is the bean bag chair we brought alone for the spinnaker trimmers. Instead of avoiding spin trim duty due to standing or cricking your neck it looks to be one of the more popular postings. We've got a bunch of sails stacked on deck as well which have made for a pretty enjoyable sun bed for those off watch.

We've done some minor housekeeping and line management to make sure we stay on top of everything and we've gotten most of the crew several long uninterrupted sleep sessions.

All indications point to Roger having a great time. The report I got was that his birthday at sea was a great one.

The next 36 hours looks less promising. There is an area of high pressure that's being driven by a larger area of low pressure just outside it right on to our race course. As the breeze begins to clock right this evening and in to tomorrow morning we expect to see the velocity die off. We'll be approaching Cedros island sometime in the middle of tonight and will continue to analyze the latest weather files for options after that. Current thinking is that if, as the sun rises, it looks like it's going to be a clear day, we make for the beach and hope to capitalize on any land breeze that develops in the late afternoon. Other than that, I think it'll just be a matter of concentration for our deck teams to make sure we keep her moving along best we can in variable conditions.

In a dramatic divergence from previous races we've had a professional chef pre-prepare all of our meals for the trip and then vacuum seal them. Preparation entails nothing more than a pressure cooker with some water for about 15 minutes to heat them back up. Last night was Beef pot roast, tonight was grilled chicken, rice, and green peas with dinner rolls. Everything has been a huge hit with the team so far. I believe two pastas and a pork meal of some sort are on the remainder of the menu.

Wish us luck in dealing with this light air zone over the next 36-40 hours. We all hope you're having a great weekend so far - I know we all are

******
Sunday, March 8, 2020, 2000
Position: 27 35N 115 36W
Speed:  5-7 kts
Distance to go: 696.7 nm
Weather: Partly cloudy and chilly
Winds: Variable 345-005 @ 5-9 kts
Sail Package: Full Main, A1 reaching spinnaker, Spinnaker Staysail. Plugging in the Tweener on its tough luff for probably future deployment

Good morning shore friends!

While you were, hopefully, comfortably nestled in bed overnight the watch standers here on Katara were busy. The early evening hours saw pleasant breeze and good conditions as we played our target downwind numbers and tried to get as much south as we possibly good in an attempt to set ourselves up to deal with this area of high pressure currently descending on us. In the middle of the night JA's watch (Neil, Daniel, and Ron) executed a textbook gybe over to pot tack after we watched the wind shift NW to NNW. We are currently off a polar target plan and are now sailing a heading which should see us intercepting the coast by early afternoon in an attempt to capitalize on a potential land breeze this afternoon while there is near 0 wind further offshore due to this High that's sitting over us.

This is one of the driest races any of us can remember. I don't think we've taken a single wave anywhere on the boat. It's chillier than some of us imagined, and Foul Weather gear is still in use for the wind blocking properties

Last night's dinner was a hit: Grilled chicken, green peas, and rice. The daily breakfast burritos seem to be a crew favorite - we just finished feeding everyone a couple a piece. Sausage, egg, and cheese.

JA's watch just came off for some well-deserved rest (that 0200-0600 watch is a tough one) and Roger's team (Sam, Trent, and Louis) are now in charge of the boat for the next 4 hours. Roger is on the helm still looking to be having a great time.

We've sent Trent and Louis to the bow to prepare our Tweener sail for hoist with the anticipation that as this high progresses we will see breeze continue to shift to the right. We've also got a kelp watch set back up as we have seen several clusters come by. The boat is carrying a kelp stick and a flossing line and the first afternoon saw Sam trying to show some of the younger bow guys how they were used. A skill that apparently takes some finesse and practice. I'm sure they'll get it.

If you're the praying type send up a request to help us avoid the worst of the dead zones associated with this high through this afternoon and in to this evening.

******
Monday, March 9, 2020, 0800
Position: 26 4.4N 114 3.9W
Speed:  7.5-9kt
Distance to go: 568.8 nm
Weather: Partly cloudy and Chilly
Winds: WIND!!!! Glorious, GLORIOUS, WINNNND! Variable 060-080 @ 7-10kts
Sail Package: A1, wait no, Tweener?, Nope, that's not it either. Light Medium Genoa! Yes! That's the one!! Zoom Zoom

Wind. You glorious, GLORIOUS wind. All yesterday afternoon and much of the evening found Katara attempting to claw her way south in 0-2kts of breeze from what seemed like 600 different directions. At least several helmsmen (looking at you, Neil!) did involuntary 720s as the boat rolled around her keel with no control whatsoever.

Never to be outdone JA's overnight watch pushed like hell and managed to answer Roger's team's 3.5nm (in four hours...) with a terribly sad, but still more impressive, 7.4nm. Redoubling their efforts Roger and his watch of Sam, Trent, and Louis came back from behind with much strong numbers on the following watch.

After midnight things improved somewhat and we're now power reaching down the line near 8kts. The forecast is again bleak starting at or near 1100 and lasting again through much of the afternoon and evening.

I've offered exclusive access to the last box of Oreos for whatever team puts up the best standings today. Those have proven quite popular and here's hoping they're willing to fight for them. Peanuts are the only thing aboard which have been rationed and we've hidden the stash to keep Capt. Roger fed and happy for the remainder of the trip.

Just before sunset we picked up some kelp on the rudder and Dan and Neil deployed the Kelp stick with deft hands to clear our issues and streamline the water flow again.

It's still cold. Too cold for the Floridians' taste anyways.

Morning position report shows us first in class. While that's certainly helped morale, we've got a LOT of sailing left to do and we're keeping everyone focused on the prize. We should hit the halfway point mileage wise here later today.

The cabin is still dry and warm and the sea state, even with heel, makes rest cycles pretty pleasant.
For more Puerto Vallarta Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.