J/99 Debuts @ Toronto Boat Show

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- Visit the Toronto International Boat Show, North America’s largest indoor boat show and is the preeminent selling venue for Canada’s recreational boating industry! The show is celebrating 62 years and runs from January 17th to 26th at the Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place, in downtown Toronto.

Making her 2020 Canadian boat show debut will be the exciting J/99 offshore speedster! You can find her at Stand B2 & B3. Presenting the J/99 will be Pat Sturgeon Yachts from Mississauga, ON. For more J/99 visitation information, please contact Pat Sturgeon at phone- 905-278-5100 or email- pats@patsturgeonyachts.com.   For more Toronto Boat Show information and tickets Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fun J/Fest Great Lakes Regatta

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- The Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto, Ontario hosted their first J/Fest Great Lakes on their magnificent setting on an island offshore of the majestic city of Toronto.  The event featured one-design fleets for J/27s, J/80s, J/105s and a PHRF fleet that included J/88s, J/35s, and J/109. Thirty-three boats participated in the event, an excellent turnout for the inaugural event at RCYC.

In the five-boat J/27 class, winning was Bruce Scott’s WARPED PERCEPTION.  Second was Chris Johnston’s AFTERNOON DELIGHT, and third was Madeleine Beese’s MESSING ABOUT.  Rounding out the top five were Rich O’Hare’s TAKE 5 and Christian Greenfield’s MISS TRIXIE, in 4th and 5th, respectively.

There were three women owner/ skippers in the nine-boat J/80 class. It just so happens the women triumphed! Winning was Trudy Murphy’s FEISTY and in third was Chrissy Thompson’s PUFFIN. Sandwiched in between were two guys- Dave Doyle & Mark McLean’s INNOCENT BYSTANDER.

Surprise, surprise, guess who won the sixteen-boat J/105 class? MANDATE? No, couldn’t be!? Well, after posting six straight bullets, who else would it be? Yet again, the 3x J/105 North American Champions, Terry McLaughlin & Rod Wilmer on MANDATE walked off with the J/105 title at J/Fest with just 12 pts total- an astonishing, eye-popping, draw-dropping, low score compared to the rest of the fleet. As the Queen was once rumored to have remarked after the yacht AMERICA won the 100 Guinea Cup after rounding the famous Isle of Wight in 1851, “who was second”? The answer was purported to be, “Your Majesty, there was no second!”  And so it goes for the J/105 class in North America, the “Mc/Wilmer” duo is pretty unstoppable, with MANDATE usually seen at the top of the leaderboard.  Second was, in fact, Peter Hall’s JAMAICA ME CRAZY and third was Frank McLaughlin’s STARCROSS.

The J/PHRF class was won by Paul-Angus Bark’s J/105 CRIME SCENE. Second was Tim Sweet’s J/88 PUFFIN and third was yet another woman boat owner on the podium- Denys Jones’ J/109 CARPE VENTUS.  For more J/Fest Great Lakes Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Fest Great Lakes Regatta Preview

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- The Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto, Ontario is hosting their first J/Fest Great Lakes on their magnificent setting on an island offshore of the majestic city of Toronto.  The event will feature one-design fleets for J/27s, J/80s, J/105s and a PHRF fleet that includes J/88s, J/35s, and J/109. Thirty-three boats are participating in the event, an excellent turnout for the inaugural event at RCYC.

The five-boat J/27 class includes Chris Johnston’s AFTERNOON DELIGHT, Madeleine Beese’s MESSING ABOUT, Christian Greenfield’s MISS TRIXIE, Rich O’Hare’s TAKE 5, and Bruce Scott’s WARPED PERCEPTION.

The nine-boat J/80 class includes three women owner/ skippers, including Trudy Murphy’s FEISTY, Janet Geisberger’s HAPPY J, and Chrissy Thompson’s PUFFIN. They will up against “the boys”, six of them, that include Owen Schneider’s ENIGMA, Gary Stephenson’s FLYER, Martin Rutter’s FREE RADICAL, Dave Doyle & Mark McLean’s INNOCENT BYSTANDER, Richard Bruneau’s JUBILATION, and Chris Hobb’s LIFTED.

Starting over a half-dozen years ago, several members of the Royal Canadian YC wanted to come up with a “family-friendly” day sailor and offshore racing keelboat that was also easy to maintain. They focused on picking up “gently used” J/105s and the fruit of their continuing efforts has materialized in a class of sixteen boats for the event.  Perhaps even more amazing is that the local J/105 fleet includes two past multiple J/105 North American Champions- Jim Rathbun’s HEY JUDE and Terry McLaughlin & Rod Wilmer’s MANDATE. Other top contenders include Mike Mountford’s LIVE EDGE, Peter Hall’s JAMAICA ME CRAZY, Mike Chapman’s SENTIENT, Ian Farquharson’s SONIC BOOM, and Frank McLaughlin’s STARCROSS.

The J/PHRF class includes Tim Sweet’s J/88 PUFFIN, two J/105s (Paul-Angus Bark’s CRIME SCENE and Andrew Koolman’s LOYALIST), and Denys Jones’ J/109 CARPE VENTUS.  For more J/Fest Great Lakes Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Susan Hood Trophy Race Preview

(Port Credit, Ontario)- Since 1955, fully crewed yachts have been taking on the challenge of a spring offshore race- the 75.0nm Susan Hood Trophy Race on Lake Ontario. The 2019 edition of the Susan Hood Trophy Race is presented by driveHG.ca. Hosting the race is Port Credit Yacht Club and is scheduled to run on Friday, May 31, 2019 at Port Credit YC. Everyone is looking forward to decent winds that are forecast for this year’s race, due to the insane tornadic weather systems that have been crossing the American Midwest.

In the seven-boat IRC Division are Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN II and John McLeod’s J/133 HOT WATER. In the PHRF Singlehanded class are Kim Piller’s J/109 LIVE WIRE and Ard Van Leeuwen’s J/112E HIGH TEA. In the PHRF Racing class are eleven J/teams, including Robert DeWitte’s J/100 PERSPECTIVE, two J/105s (Peter Wolniak’s ANOTHER HAZARD & Geoff Clarke’s CASUAL ELEGANCE), Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY, two J/120s (Matt Emerson’s RED LEAF & Graham Toms’ THE CAT CAME BACK), Mike Pietz’s J/35 SHORTHANDED, two J/88s (Ed Berkhout’s ALL CAT & Tim Sweet’s GIVE’R), and Andrew Sharp’s J/92 SWITCH.  For more Susan Hood Trophy sailing information- Entries/ results here   Regatta site here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

McLaughlin Eclipses Canadian J/105 Nationals

(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)- The 2018 Canadian J/105 Nationals were hosted by Royal Canadian YC for a fleet of seventeen boats on Lake Ontario.  The RCYC RC crew managed to produce five races for the fleet over the two-day weekend.

Not surprisingly, ace Canadian sailor Terry McLaughlin (an America’s Cup skipper for Canada, 2x J/105 North American Champion, and Olympic Medallist) managed to post five bullets to be crowned the 2018 J/105 Canadian Champion.  Fellow J/105 North American Champion, James Rathbun, guided his famous HEY JUDE to an easy second place with a tally of 2-2-3-4-2 for 13 pts total. Rounding out the podium in third place was Frank McLaughlin’s STARCROSS with a tally of 3-7-4-3-3 for 20 pts total.  The balance of the top five included THE USUAL SUSPECTS in 4th and Peter Hall’s JAMAICA ME CRAZY in 5th position.  For more Canadian J/105 National Championships sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Helping move young sailors forward- 40+ years?

(Newport, RI)- Finn Hadlock was just 24 years old when he led his young team from Maine to compete in the 2017 J/24 World Championship in Toronto, Canada. There were many steps between when he first bought the boat to fulfilling this goal, and has provided this report in hopes that other young adults looking to start their own team can learn from his two-year odyssey.

There were many factors that initially led to buying a J/24. The first was that there was a local fleet in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Although not a very large fleet, at anywhere from 9 to 13 boats, the local “knucklehead” fleet seemed perfect. The second draw was the high level of racing at a regional level.

The J/24 class is still one of, if not the most, competitive one-design classes in the New England area. With over 5,100 boats built, the J/24 has a long history of being a great one-design keelboat. Lastly, J/24s are a great value. I went through about every forum and listings page I could find and there were a lot of great boats in the $4,000 to $10,000 range.

My first big break was buying a $5,000 boat from a guy named Joe. Throughout this search process, I knew I needed a boat that was race ready, had a good trailer, and a measurement certificate. You will see the term “Race Ready” on many boat listings. I think the easiest way to validate this is to simply research how much racing the boat has done.

The boat I bought, BOREAS, had a good track record and documentation from Waterline Systems of a bottom and keel job. In addition, she had relatively new winches, a Tacktick compass, carbon pole, and a very decent set of sails. These all would have made retrofitting a slightly less expensive boat more expensive.

After I bought the boat there were many things I would have liked to upgrade, but financially just buying the boat was a big stretch at the time. I was just starting to figure out all the expenses involved – joining the local fleet, registering the boat, get a mooring, having a dinghy slip, etc. Things were adding up in a hurry.

With bills mounting, this was when I decided to end my housing lease and live on my J/24. This sounds crazy, and it was, but after exhausting every resource I had in the area, I ended up on a mooring for free. I then joined a local yacht club as suggested by a longtime friend Vince. It was a great deal because I could join and have my small inflatable tied up for $500. Most importantly, the club had a shower.

Living on a J/24 is a lot like camping. There isn’t space for anything and it’s relatively damp. I had a small assortment of cooking essentials, a boom tent, and a well-stocked cooler. In order to save hauling everything to and from the boat, I bought plastic drawers for the back of my car to hold my clothes.

To be competitive for local fleet racing I would pack everything in two plastic bins and put them into the dinghy to reduce weight. For those three months, I had the best commute to work anyone could ask for. Although it felt a little tight at times, I would highly suggest it.

A huge resource was my dad, Parker, who owned and raced J/24s back in the 1980s. Although a lot has changed on the boat, having someone who could feel the boat and know the roles of the team helped immensely. The other set of eyes helping was a GoPro mounted on the stern.

That summer I filmed every race and then watched it the following night to note how we could get better. I would freeze the video, look at my heel, sail trim, and look up the tensioning from my log and compare it to the tuning guide to see what we needed to change.

Speed is king in the J/24 class, and most of the major controls are controlled by the skipper when going up wind. Reading, watching videos, and getting help from people who know the boat helped us improve every time we went out on the water. I became addicted to the process of becoming faster.

At our first regatta, we expected some challenges…but nothing quite like your jib trimmer getting kidney stones the first morning. We saw every end of the fleet at the Downeast Regatta but came out knowing we could compete. We also got to meet Molly and Carter White. Molly told me about the youth team (under 25) bid for the 2017 Toronto World Championship.

Like many other one design classes, in order to go the J/24 Worlds you have to qualify through different events or be accepted based on previous results, and two of these spots were reserved for youth teams. The goal of making it to Toronto for Worlds was set into motion after we had a successful event at the Changing of the Colors Regatta.

We ended up in third place in a relatively competitive fleet, but more importantly, we had shown ourselves we could improve. The new sails we got from Quantum’s Travis Odenbach certainly helped. We finished the year with a strong last race at the East Coast Championship and sent in our resume to the USA J/24 Class Association for the youth team bid at Worlds. Throughout these events, we got to meet some great people and even developed some fun rivalries with other boats.

I was ecstatic when I found out we were selected as the youth team for Worlds, but I also recognized we had a long way to go before we’d be ready. The backbone of our team was two Yarmouth High School students – Griffin (17) trimming the spinnaker and Anna (18) on the bow – though we had no twing or jib trimmer locked in. To add another challenge to the mix, I was relocated to Houston, Texas, for work.

Luckily, I had the opportunity to sail with Carter White’s team in Houston for a weekend regatta. Having only skippered the boat up to that point, I had not been able to focus on the other positions on the boat. Carter is extremely good at simplifying the systems on the boat. I had been following the tuning guide and feeling my way through each individual situation. Coming out of that event, I realized in order to continue to get better, I needed to be more systematic in my approach.

Being more systematic applied off the water too. When I asked someone to sail with me, I feel it is important to be upfront about my expectations. I’d provide lunch on the water (most likely PB&Js) and sleeping arrangements. I also like to take everyone out for a team dinner on one of the first nights of the event. Most importantly, I would send my team our schedule and two or three goals for the event.

After arriving to the Sail Newport Regatta with my lifting bar forgotten back in Texas, we became more systematic in our rigging and de-rigging of the boat. Creating a set place for everything to go, including tools, reduces stress and helps speed up the packing process. We’re definitely still working on this organization, but it is significantly better compared to when we were in Newport.

Everything started coming together quickly at the Downeast Regatta, a week before Worlds. Our team was topped off with two very experienced J/24 sailors named Matt (23) and Emmet (22). Matt was brought on board through our mutual connection, Molly White. Emmet was an old family friend and foe from racing in Portsmouth. This experience helped us immensely. We finished the regatta in 3rd place, and were one of the fastest boats all weekend.

Finally, we made it to Worlds. The 12 hour drive there was a lot like a long drive to an interview for a job you don’t know you’re qualified for. We certainly did not feel qualified after opening the regatta with 50th place. But, much like the last two years, we learned from our mistakes and relied on the process that got us there. We ended up 28th overall and winning the U-25 Turner Trophy.

I am very grateful for all the help we had to get our program up and running. I know that through the Boat Grant Program, youth bids for Worlds, and a great community of sailors, the J/24 class will continue to help move young sailors forward.

If you have any questions about the BOREAS team, please feel free to contact me-  WFinnHadlock@gmail.com.

You can continue to follow our racing on Instagram: Boreas_USA2736 or at http://www.facebook.com/BoreasUSA2736

Also, if you’re interested in applying for the boat grant, go here: http://J/24usa.com/boat-grant-program/

J/105 Lake Ontario- Winning Attributes of a Successful Fleet

(Toronto, Ontario)- Winning Attributes of a Successful Fleet- contributed by Doug Bullock, J/105 Class President.

On Lake Ontario, we have a relatively short six-month sailing season from May to October. So to be a successful fleet, you have to have the right combination of boat, culture and schedule to attract and retain owners and crew.

J/105 Fleet 4 Lake Ontario has been a very successful fleet, and I thought I would share what I believe for us are the winning attributes of the J/105 as a boat, the culture of the Class, and our own approach to each season’s schedule.

Our schedule looks for a balance of our racing life with our other life that really helps owners get the crew out and committed for the summer. Our goal is to hold two regattas per month while ensuring that every other weekend and every long weekend are free. This creates a balance that owners, and especially crew, love because it allows them to enjoy other activities during our short summers. It is a winning formula we have used for years.

As for J/105 culture—it is one thing to get people out racing and another to ensure their total experience for the weekend is a good one. There are two essential ingredients of every weekend regatta, the racing and the social.

With the racing, the J/105 Class nailed it with the Corinthian approach to the Rules, and while our fleet is very competitive, it is the camaraderie between owners and crew that is Corinthian to the core. It is this culture of our Class that I believe is one of the true attractions that keeps our fleet alive and vibrant.

With the social, it is the “off the water” receptions, BBQs and dinners that help ensure a regatta is remembered as a good time. This is where the camaraderie of sharing knowledge and helping each other to do better reflects the true Corinthian culture of the J/105 Class. We always work at ensuring everyone attends with free dinner and drinks tickets, live bands and fun games, like Flip Cup, Bocce Ball, and Beer Pong.

Then there is having the right boat, and here the J/105 is nothing short of awesome. It was a revolutionary one-design when it came out in 1991 with its asymmetrical spinnaker on a bow sprit, huge cockpit, sleek low profile hull, and it is still one hot boat to race today 26 years later. It is easy to sail, yet challenging to master.

We have 21 boats in our fleet, and it is the largest one-design big keelboat on Lake Ontario. Most of the boats have been in the fleet over 15 years, and while the owners may change occasionally, the boats remain. It is just the right boat for us.

I am going into my eighth year of owning a J/105, and while I am never on the podium at our regattas, I never tire of participating in the racing. A great start, a well-executed duck or perfect mark rounding give me huge satisfaction. When everyone on my boat is having fun, we have completed the regatta to our best ability and at the end of the weekend everyone had a good time, then I am one happy skipper.

To continue the success of J/105 fleets everywhere, we need to support the one-design nature of the J/105 boat and ensure there is always a balance to all our fleet activities while embracing our Corinthian culture.

Racing to Success- Canadian J/24 Sailor Rossi Milev

(Port Credit, Ontario)- Canadian J/24 sailor Rossi Milev recently won his first J/24 World Championship at Port Credit (Toronto), Ontario this past summer.  His success was a story of how much time and perseverance it took to win in the J/24 class.

Milev sailed his first J/24 Worlds in 2000 in Newport. He didn’t win, but really enjoyed the class and the boat, so like a lot of J/24 sailors, he kept coming back for more.

Seventeen years later, he finally sailed to victory at his home yacht club in Port Credit, Ontario. He set his sights on the Worlds, which happened in September of this year. Boats began to collect in the parking lot days before the event with sailors who were eager to get their boats measured in and race-ready.

Port Credit Yacht Club was so “on-point” for the World Championship, they were able to get all 63 boats registered and measured one day ahead of time. From a racer’s perspective, this speedy inspection was ideal, as sailors wanted to start focusing on racing and put in some practice time.

Given the conditions that happened this year, and keeping in mind that weather is unpredictable, Rossi worked hard to get this regatta to his home yacht club, as he knew they would do a great job running a World Championship for the J/24 Class. Once they won the bid for hosting the event, Rossi set his sights on taking home the trophy.

Before the first race came to an end, the fleet knew this was going to be a very tough regatta. Rossi’s team Clear Air came across the finish line not quite where they expected.

“Looking at our results from the first race, local knowledge did not pay off. The fog was thick. Halfway through the beat we had committed to the left, which was normal, but it didn’t pay off at all.” Team Clear Air was disappointed, but before the second race they put their heads together and shared a prediction. “Everybody can have a 46th place. This is the World’s. It’s going to come down the last leg of the last race.”

“We had pretty good starts, and some not so good ones. When we had bad ones we flipped on port and made the best of it. It was the perfect opportunity to crack off the sails and get the boat going as fast as we could. We would take some sterns, and even duck, which wasn’t necessarily bad. Boat speed was so important.”

All the teams found their own challenges during 8 light air races, including current. Rossi stated; “The current here was going east to west, it wasn’t really normal. We usually see [that] more in windier weather.” This unexpected adverse current became an obstacle when coming in on the starboard lay line and at mark roundings.

“Winning the J/24 Worlds is as hard as winning the Worlds in any other class. It may actually be harder, because the boats are all even. There are a lot of great sailors in the class who had deep results. Up until the last race it was still not determined who would win.”

Rossi’s team sailed the 2016 North Americans (minus 1 crew member) as well as many local races, so they knew each other; they just hadn’t been sailing the J/24 together leading up to the Worlds. Rossi only sailed one J/24 event a couple weeks before the Worlds at his home club, with a different team. “Everyone has families, work, growing businesses. We all kind of parted ways for a while.”

For the Worlds, he said, “Each day our communication got better.” He was very confident in his crew. Although they hadn’t been sailing much together, they were able to pick up where they left off. By the end of the week, they were right where they wanted to be. Rossi was also very familiar with his boat, which had won a previous J/24 Worlds. He claims she has unbelievable speed, especially in light air.

Rossi worked with Will Welles when he won the 2014 J/24 Worlds, and he says he learned a lot from his experiences sailing with and against Will about technique and boat setup during their tuning sessions. “I keep my rig just a bit looser than what the tuning guide says. I can feel the boat better, and I feel quicker and have more options and can settle into the groove.” He uses the tuning guide as a tool. He knows he is in a “safe” range, then goes by feel. He has a great feel for the boat and knows when changes need to be made for overall boat speed improvement. Rossi had trained on Lake Ontario in light air ahead of the Pan Am Games a few years ago. He said that contributed to his loose rig setting at this years’ Worlds; in the same conditions, he felt very confident in his settings.

“The steps I would move to on the rig were in increments, at a half-turn rate. Small adjustments are key in lighter air, and I never go the next full step unless the wind picks up more significantly. I have a great feel for the boat and helm, and can tell when changes need to be made.”

We asked Rossi what he thought about moving the mast butt. “I did move it a couple of times when I was training with Will and Tony Parker in the days prior to racing. I found a sweet spot that I liked and the boat felt great. I ended up leaving it there for the whole regatta, as it was the right balance between my sails, foils, and helm.” As for moving the mast butt, he says, “just gives you a piece of mind.”

We asked Rossi what his number one tip would be to all J/24 sailors. He replied;

“Always look at your leeward shrouds. You want to see them dangle a bit. That’s how I decide how much I need to come on or off the rig.”

Rossi is focusing on work again, but he’d like to sail with other teams in 2018. He already has his sights set on the 2019 Worlds in Miami, and the upcoming winter circuit is of interest to him spending time sailing with good friends.

“Miami will be awesome. It will be another hard Worlds to win again. The stronger more prominent current, bigger breeze, and waves will have more effect on overall performance. It will be very different from this year.”

We asked Rossi what he likes about the J/24 Class and what keeps him coming back for more. He was humble as he replied;

“I like the J/24 Class because it is affordable and the sailors are very good. We wouldn’t have as many youth and women’s teams out there if it was expensive like a lot of other more high-performance classes. The J/24 is a great boat to learn from and race, and the events are a lot of fun. There is a reason why nothing has replaced it. How many young people have learned how to sail on a J/24? A lot of them. Because it is fun. It’s a good Class to be a part of.”  Thanks to North Sails and Scuttlebutt for this contribution. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

MANDATE Three-Peats J/105 Canadians!

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- Continuing their extraordinary run in the J/105 class is the dynamic Canadian duo on MANDATE from the Royal Canadian YC- Terry McLaughlin and Rod Wilmer. They added yet a few more pickle dishes to their already over-stuffed trophy shelves by winning the 2017 J/105 Canadian Championship for the third time in as many years.  The McLaughlin/Wilmer crew are already two-time J/105 North American Champions.

Host for this year’s regatta was the world-famous Royal Canadian YC, also home to the largest J/105 fleet on Lake Ontario.  Sixteen boats were treated to three-days of good racing, with seven races completed by the close of racing on Sunday.

The MANDATE crew did not win the regatta very easily. In fact they started off slowly in the first race with a 6th place, then had a streak of 1sts and 2nds, before closing on a low note with a 7th place.  Their total score of 22 pts was just enough to take the championship.

Fighting the MANDATE crew the entire regatta was yet another J/105 North American Champion, Jim Rathbun’s fun—loving crew on HEY JUDE.  Other than a bad third race, their crew posted all top three finishes to take the silver just one point back with 23 pts total.

Sailing their best regatta in awhile was Frank McLaughlin’s STARCROSS, taking third place another three points in arrears.  Then, one point behind them in fourth place was Mike Chapman’s SENTIENT and in fifth place was Kevin Pask’s FULL TILT.  For more J/105 Canadian Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Milev Crowned J/24 World Champion!

SEA BAGS Women’s Sailing Team Top Women’s!
(Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)- For those who place in the bottom third in the first race of a World Championship, look to Rossi Milev’s CLEAR AIR for inspiration. The local team overcame double-digit finishes in the first three of eight races to become the 2017 victors at the driveHG.ca J/24 World Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and hosted by the incredibly friendly and gracious members of Port Credit YC.

Going into Saturday’s final day of competition, Milev trailed Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET by 5 points. Nailing a second-place in the only light-air contest earned CLEAR AIR the title with 47 net points. Parker ended just one point back, settling for the silver position after a very consistent week of sailing. Ariko Murohashi’s LULL of Japan claimed the bronze spot with 62 points.

Milev was an integral player in his club— Port Credit YC— earning hosting duties for this Championship. “It hasn’t sunk it,” beamed Milev. “The first race went against us, but I said ‘don’t give up, it’s a long regatta.’ We just plugged away.”

Crew Gayle Gray (mast), Mark Goodyear (trim), Jon Messenger (tactics) and Jeremy Edwards (bow) were up to the challenge in the persistently light air affair. Milev continued, “We had great speed all around, and could hold the lane. We sailed the rig a little bit lighter than what the tuning guide says. You never know when your time will come. You try to figure out what’s going on, but it wasn’t easy!”

The Jaeger Women’s Trophy- emblematic of the top women’s team at the J/24 Worlds- was awarded to Erica Beck Spencer’s Sea Bags Women's Sailing Team.  And, the Turner Trophy- emblematic of the top Under-25 team was awarded to Finn Hadlock, skippering BOREAS.

Sixty-three teams from Argentina, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and the USA competed in the 2017 J/24 Worlds in Canada and it was tough sailing in the predominantly light-air conditions on Lake Ontario, taking place right off Toronto’s picturesque and magnificent city waterfront.  Here is how it all unfurled over the four days of competition.

DAY 1- Light & shifty
Fickle breeze was the theme of the opening day and the sailors endured winds around 6 knots to complete two races. Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET and James Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT were tied at 9 pts each, with Parker holding that tie-breaker by way of a 7-2 on Tuesday (Freedman earned a 4-5) for the early advantage. David Klatt’s JADED and Mark Laura’s BABA LOUIE sat tied at 21 pts each for third and fourth place, respectively.

A big wind shift in the opening contest doomed teams to the left, but benefited Klatt’s JADED and two Japanese teams (Nobuyuki Imai’s SIESTA and Einosuke Morita’s WAILEA) who comprised the top three. Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS took line honors in the second race, ahead of Parker’s BANGOR PACKET and Blair Dinsdale’s JOURNEY.

DAY 2- Moderate breeze & sunshine!
To the delight of sailors, Mother Nature provided more consistent breeze and sunshine on the second day of racing. As the conditions improved, so did the lead for Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET, who notched a 5-8 on Wednesday to bring him to 22 overall points after four races. Scott Milne’s TREMENDOUS SLOUCH moved into second place with 48 points, and James Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT slipped to third with 51 pts. Look for a shake-up in the standings when five or more races have been completed, as the discard kicks in.

The competitors appreciated Wednesday’s 8-10 knots as another two contests went in the books. Evan Petley-Jones’ LIFTED won race three, trailed by Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT and Ariko Murohashi’s LULL. Local Rossi Milev’s CLEAR AIR took the next victory, with Petley-Jones and David Klatt’s JADED completing the top three.

DAY 3- More light airs!
If good things come to those who wait, then Evan Petley-Jones’ LIFTED is the perfect example on day three. The teams waited a multiple hour, on-water postponement, hoping for enough breeze to get a start off.  Finally, around 3:30 p.m., light winds allowed two more races to be completed, which brought into effect the discard.

Petley-Jones’ LIFTED tallied a 7-1 on Thursday to leap into first place overall, able to drop a 39 from race 1. Parker’s BANGOR PACKET fell to second place with 32 points. John Mollicone’s HELLY HANSEN launched up to the third spot with 33 net points after tossing a 52 from Tuesday. Six races are now finalized.

The competitors started race 5 in about 5 knots, when Nobuyuki Imai’s SIESTA collected the win. Mollicone and Ted Bartlewski’s DRIVERS WANTED followed. Looking at Petley-Jones cross the finish line first in the next meeting were David Klatt’s JADED and Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER when winds increased slightly.

DAY 4- Even more light airs!
Light winds continued out on Lake Ontario, as just one race was accomplished on day four. Parker’s BANGOR PACKET returned to the top of the leaderboard, placing eighth today, leaving him with 40 net points heading into the final day of competition on Saturday. A fourth by Milev’s CLEAR AIR moved him into second overall, five points off Parker’s pace. Evan Petley-Jones’ LIFTED scored a 28th in Friday’s lone battle, dropping him to third place with 49 points.

Parker, from Washington D.C., has remained in the top two each day of the Championship. He is the most seasoned racer on the course, sailing 1978 J/24 hull #58, a testimony to the J/24’s quality and ruggedness, and the skill and consistency of the crew at this event. Parker is a five-time winner of the J/24 US East Coast Championship (which he has sailed 38 times).

Friday’s race winner was Ted Bartlewski’s DRIVERS WANTED, shadowed by Laura’s BABA LOUIE and Carter White’s YOU REGATTA.

DAY 5- Light Finale!
For the finale on Saturday, all Parker’s BANGOR PACKET crew had to do was finish within six places of Milev’s CLEAR AIR to assure them his first J/24 World Championship title.  Alternatively, Parker’s crew could match-race Milev’s team into the bottom of the fleet, knowing Milev had a 46th for a toss race and BANGOR PACKET only had a 15th for a toss race.  In either case, the formula appeared to be straight-forward in terms of execution.  Nevertheless, in the end, CLEAR AIR lived up to its namesake, escaping and getting clear air to sail off around the track and score a 2nd to BANGOR PACKET’s 9th, thus winning by just 1 pt.

Rounding out the top five were Evan Petley-Jones LIFTED taking the tie-breaker over Carter White’s YOU REGATTA at 68 pts each.  For more J/24 World Championship sailing information

J/24 World Championship Preview

(Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)- The Port Credit YC of Mississauga, Canada, will be hosting the 2017 driveHG.ca J/24 World Championship. The J/24 is an international One-Design keelboat class and the most popular racing keelboat in the world with over 5,480 boats built and being sailed in 165 fleets and 110 countries.

Over 400 yachtsmen and women on sixty-nine boats will be participating in this year’s Worlds representing ten countries- Argentina, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and the USA.

The opening day of the 2017 Worlds at Port Credit YC will feature 3-time J/24 North American Champion and World Champion Will Welles of North Sails, speaking at 5 pm about performance racing, along with fellow J/24 World Champion Tim Healy, the North Sails One-Design President.

The host country is showing a bit of resurgence in J/24 activity, with twenty teams participating in this year’s event on Lake Ontario.  Top crews include Canadian Champion Rossi Milev steering CLEAR AIR, as a member of PCYC, clearly the hometown favorite.  Joining is Evan Petley-Jones’ LIFTED from Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in Halifax, and Katie Coleman Nicoll’s QUICK NICK also from PCYC.

The largest, and arguably most talented, contingent comes from the USA, with thirty-four teams lining up on the starting line.  In that line-up are several past J/24 World Champions, European Champions and North American Champions.  An impressive group, to say the least.  Heading up that group are John Mollicone’s Newport team on HELLY HANSEN, with fellow World Champion Tim Healy on board.  Fellow Newport colleague Will Welles will be racing his familiar BOGUS.  Then, yet another J/24 World Champion, Mike Ingham’s crew from Rochester Canoe Club in New York will be racing USA 5443.  J/22 World Champion Mike Marshall will be racing with his Newport-based crew on PIPE DREAM.  Tony Parker’s famous BANGOR PACKET should be in the hunt with his talented crew, so will be Scott Milne’s TREMENDOUS SLOUCH for Seattle, WA, Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS from Lloyd Harbor YC, Al Constants’ BLITZ from Long Island Sound, Todd Fedyszyn’s SPOONY TACTICS from St Petersburg, FL, Erica Beck Spencer’s SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM from Portland, ME, Carter White’s YOU REGATTA from Portland, ME, and Mark Laura’s BABA LOUIE from Seattle, WA.

The top South American crews include the entire trio from Argentina- Sergio Pendola’s CACIQUE, Matias Pereira’s CARRERA and Nick Cubria’s ELVIS- all from Buenos Aires and Club Nautico Olivos- all Argentinian or South American Champions.  Joining them is Mexico’s National Champion- Ken Porter on MONSTER FISH from Club Nautico Valle de Bravo.  In addition, are two Peruvian Champions- Luis Olcese’s SCARAMOUSH and Javier Arribas’ WAYRA.

From Europe are a number of competitive women's teams, including Ann Taylor’s ROCKELY WATERSPORTS from Parkstone YC in England, Ann-Kathrin Frank’s Hamburg, Germany crew sailing JUELSSAND and Lizzy McDowell’s’ Howth YC team from Dublin, Ireland sailing SCANDAL.

Finally, a substantial Asian contingent is looking forward to sailing on Lake Ontario’s “sweet water”.  Four Japanese teams are on hand, including Nobuyuki Imai’s SIESTA and Tokuma Takesue’s GEKKO.  Plus, Gyeongwon Jo’s crew from Korea will be sailing KOR 7777 SUMMER SANTA!  Follow J/24 Worlds on Facebook here  For more drive.hg J/24 World Championship sailing information a data-flip-widget="flipit" href="https://flipboard.com">Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/FEST Great Lakes Fun!

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- The inaugural Lake Ontario J/FEST regatta was held July 21st to 23rd at Ashbridges Bay YC, just west of downtown Toronto, sailing on the beautiful Lake Ontario. The regatta was host to one-design fleets of J/105s, J/27s, J/80s and PHRF offshore handicap racing.

With seventeen boats, the J/105 fleet was always going to be competitive.  Winning was the current J/105 North American Champion, Terry McLaughlin & Rod Wilmer’s MANDATE.  Taking 2nd was yet another J/105 NA’s winner, Jim Rathbun’s HEY JUDE.  Third was Gavin Disney’s USUAL SUSPECTS.  Rounding out the top five were Peter Hall’s JAMAICA ME CRAZY in 4th and Mike Mountford’s LIVE EDGE took 5th.

The J/27s had tight racing amongst the top five crews.  In the end, Andrew Riem’s CURVED AIR won by just 3 pts over Andre Beese’s MESSING ABOUT.  Settling for third was Bob Kelly’s LINE DRIVE with 12 pts.  Fourth was Phil Jager’s FIVE J and fifth was Christian Greenfield’s MISS TRIXIE.

In the J/35s, it was Paul-Angus Bark’s CRIME SCENE that took the class title, followed by Paul Cavanaugh’s TOP GUN in 2nd, and Geoff Roulet’s JEANNIE in 3rd.

Finally, the J/80s were won by Hugh Mcgugan’s BREAKAWAY J, followed by Trudy Murphy’s FEISTY in 2nd and Gary Stephenson’s FLYER in third place.  For more J/Fest Great Lakes sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Cruz Lake Ontario 300

(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- The eighty-six boat fleet sailing the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by drive.HG started on Saturday July 15th, 2017 with little expectations to finish the race in record time.  In fact, for the 300nm race, it was quite the opposite scenario that was being entertained by the intrepid adventurers on the flooded body of water known as Lake Ontario.

Despite every possible obstacle thrown at them, like a few fronts, no wind, lots of wind and what not, the J/crews prevailed from east to west on their 300nm transit of Lake Ontario. In the end, it was Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN II that placed 2nd in IRC 2 Class.  Then, Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY was 2nd in PHRF 1 Class and Sean Matthews’ J/33 WEE BEASTIE III placed 4th in PHRF 3 class!  For more Lake Ontario 300 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/FEST Great Lakes Preview

(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- The first Lake Ontario J/FEST regatta will be held July 21st to 23rd at Ashbridges Bay YC, just west of downtown Toronto, sailing on the beautiful, but way, way too full Lake Ontario!  That has been the big story of the year for sailors on the lake.  As of July 11, almost all of the ABYC docks were above water. The water level is likely to go down by another couple of inches by the regatta weekend and the club was hard at work getting ready to accommodate all competing boats. Most classes will be rafting and a small number of slips will be available for larger boats.

Geoff Moore of North Sails will conduct on-water and on-shore workshops on Friday afternoon and evening. Practice starts on the water and sessions on rules and protest hearings are also planned.

JAUNTY J, a J/88 family speedster, will be on display on Friday July 21 from about 11am to 7pm.  Check out the electric motor, available as standard from J/Boats, enjoy a demo sail, and see what makes this 29 footer such a fun speedster for the whole family!

The inaugural Lake Ontario J/FEST Regatta is off to a great start with forty boats registered and strong fleets of J/105s, J/27s, and J/80s.  Plus, J/33, J/35, J/109, and J/120 crews will be racing in the PHRF division.

With seventeen boats, the J/105 fleet on the lake has turned out in force with most of the top teams from the Toronto region looking forward to a fun weekend of racing and the gracious hospitality of ABYC!  Amongst the top boats are two past J/105 North American Champions; Jim Rathbun’s HEY JUDE and Terry McLaughlin & Rod Wilmer’s MANDATE!  Giving them a good run-for-the-money will be Mike Mountford’s LIVE EDGE, Mike Champman’s SENTIENT, Ian Farquharson’s SONIC BOOM, and Allan Megarry’s STARCROSS.

The J/27s have enjoyed a bit of resurgence on the western end of the lake, seven boats have registered to compete for class honors.  Familiar faces in the top teams include Andrew Riem’s CURVED AIR (a past J/27 NA Champion), Robert Kelly’s LINE DRIVE, Andre Beese’s MESSING ABOUT and Christian Greenfield’s MISS TRIXIE.

Similarly, the six J/80s will enjoy some nice racing, led by their class cheerleader Lawrence Alexander on the mighty JIGGERS!  Chasing them will be Dave Doyle’s INNOCENT BYSTANDER, Owen Schneider’s ENIGMA, and Trudy Murphy’s FEISTY!

In the PHRF class will be a mix of teams from J/24s up to the J/120s.  Those teams include Bob Eckersley’s winning J/109 BLUE STREAK, Murray Gainer’s champion J/109 LIVELY, the two J/120s that are fast offshore (Matt Emerson’s RED LEAF and Graham Toms’ THE CAT CAME BACK), Sean Matthews’ famous J/33 WEE BEASTIE, and four smoking-hot classic masthead J/35s (Paul Cavanaugh’s TOP GUN, Geoff Roulet’s JEANNIE, Chris Cumming’s BATTLEWAGON, & Paul-Angus Bark’s CRIME SCENE).  For more J/Fest Great Lakes sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

driveHG.com Lake Ontario 300 Race Preview

(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- The first gun for the eighty-six boat fleet sailing the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by drive.HG is the morning of Saturday July 15th, 2017. At 300nm, it has been one of the longest Great Lakes races and is certainly the longest one sailed on Lake Ontario- it’s basically a start at the western end of the lake, head to the eastern end and back.

With lake levels super high this year, the challenge will be getting to and from the docks for many of the boats at Port Credit YC in Port Credit, Ontario.  A number of J/Crews are up for the challenge.  In the ten boat PHRF Doublehanded class is Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY, a past winner of the race.  In the IRC class of six boats is Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN III; they are taking on some of the hottest big offshore boats on Lake Ontario.  In the twelve boat PHRF Solo class, we find Geoffrey Roulet’s J/35 JEANNIE that he will be racing singlehanded.  Finally, in the thirty-one boat PHRF Class, are Geoff Clarke’s J/105 CASUAL ELEGANCE and Sean Matthew’s J/33 WEE BEASTIE III.  For more Lake Ontario 300 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/92 Crowned Susan Hood Race Winner!

J/Teams Dominate Four Divisions
(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- Congratulations to all the racers who made it out of their own clubs to compete in the “Coolest Race on the Lake”, The Susan Hood Trophy Race. This year provided many obstacles around Lake Ontario just to get boats in the water and sailing (due to abnormally high water levels, but 91 yachts were on the start line Friday, June 3rd to take on the 78 mile overnight challenge.

At the start of the race, winds were looking solid and a tight reach to Burlington was anticipated. Somewhere between the first and the eight starts the winds died and moved west with the lead boats pulling away, creating the largest gap between fleets ever experienced in this race!! With the wind vanishing from the west end of the lake for over half the competitors, a special congratulations goes to all those who had the perseverance to endure and finish the race. In total, 28 yachts withdrew from this year’s Susan Hood Trophy Race!! A record for the race!! Bummer.

Nevertheless, a special congratulation goes to this year’s Susan Hood Trophy Race Champions!  SWITCH, a J/92 skippered by Andrew Sharp from Olcott Yacht Club, finishing with a corrected time of 0:16:19:46.  SWITCH competed in FS-FC 4 and finished with many boats from Division 3, almost a full hour ahead of the next division 4 finisher, which is great sailing.  It is worth noting that according to our records, SWITCH has become the first boat from an American Yacht Club to win the Susan Hood trophy! The SWITCH crew included Doug Folsetter, Zoe Folsetter, Louis Johnson, Maureen Johnson and Ethan Sharp.

Overall, J/teams performed incredibly well.  In the IRC 1 class, Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN II was second, just 5 minutes off from winning on corrected time!  In the PHRF Singlehanded class, Kim Piller’s J/109 LIVE WIRE won overall.  In the PHRF Doublehanded class, Leszek Siek’s J/35 JAEGER also won class by over 45 minutes!  In the PHRF FS-FC 1 class, J/crews were five of the top 7 boats, including Matt Emerson’s J/120 RED LEAF in 2nd, Graham Toms J/120 THE CAT CAME BACK in 3rd, Mike Pietz’s J/35 SHORTHANDED in 4th, Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY in 5th and Paul Cavanaugh’s J/35 TOP GUN in 7th placed.  In PHRF FS-FC 2 class, Denys Jones’ J/109 CARPE VENTUS was 6th place.

Behind Sharp’s J/92 SWITCH in PHRF FS-FC 4 class, it was a complete sweep by J/teams of the top 6!  In second was Geoff Clarke’s J/105 CASUAL ELEGANCE, 3rd was Ed Berkhout’s J/105 ALI-KAT, 4th was Tom Accardo’s SOTTOVENTO, 5th was Sean Matthews J/33 WEE BEASTIE III, and 6th was Peter Wolniak’s J/105 ANOTHER HAZARD. IN PHRF FS-FC 5 class, Wendy Northcotte’s J/30 NORTHCAUGHT placed 4th.  For more Susan Hood Trophy Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Susan Hood Trophy Race Preview

(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- The 2017 Susan Hood Trophy Race presented by driveHG.ca is run by the Port Credit Yacht Club and is scheduled to run on Friday, June 2, 2017 at PCYC. Since 1955, fully crewed yachts have been taking the challenge of a spring offshore race.  It is a great event to shake down your boat and crew and start the 2017 season.  Why race the Susan Hood Trophy Race? Here is why it has proven so popular:
- Excellent warm up race for the LO300
- Experience the weather challenges offered in spring
- Convenient overnight racing will not tie up the weekend
- Great pre-race and post- race camaraderie

Taking the challenge are a fleet of ninety-five boats, including eighteen J/crews (nearly 20% of the fleet)!  Leading the charge should be Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN II from Toronto, Ontario, sailing in the eight-boat IRC Class against some of the most competitive big boats on Lake Ontario.

In the PHRF Singlehanded class of ten boats, Kim Piller’s J/109 LIVE WIRE from host Port Credit YC will be taking on a wide range of boats from an old C&C 27 up to a race-prepped First 40.  In the PHRF Doublehanded class, Leszek Siek’s J/35 JAEGER will be taking on eight teams that include a Figaro Solo up to a swing-keel Shock 40 and a Swan 47.

The monster 53-boat PHRF Racing class includes fourteen J/Teams.  Four J/105s are in the mix (Ed Berkhout’s ALI-KAT, Peter Wolniak’s ANOTHER HAZARD, Geoff Clarke’s CASUAL ELEGANCE & Tom Accardo’s SOTTOVENTO). Joining them are three J/109s (Denys Jones’ CARPE VENTUS, Bob Eckersley’s BLUE STREAK (a past race winner) & Murray Gainer’s LIVELY (another past race winner).  The two J/120s in class include Matt Emerson’s RED LEAF and Graham Toms’ THE CAT CAME BACK.  Two J/35s that have proven to be spoilers in the past include Mike Pietz’s SHORTHANDED and Paul Cavanaugh’s TOP GUN.  Finally, joining them are Wendy Northcotte’s J/30 NORTHCAUGHT, Sean Matthews’ J/33 WEE BEASTIE III, and Andrew Sharp’s J/92 SWITCH.   For more Susan Hood Trophy Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

driveHG.ca J/24 Worlds 2017 Announcement

(Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)- The International J/24 Class Association and the Port Credit Yacht Club of Mississauga, Canada, will be hosting the 2017 World Championship for J/24 class yachts from September 15th to 23rd, 2017. The J/24 is an international One-Design keelboat class and the most popular racing keelboat in the world with over 5,480 boats being sailed in 165 fleets and 110 countries.

The 2017 J/24 Worlds will be a week long event; competitors arrive for 3-1/2 days of official boat measuring and required safety checks.  Then, after a practice race, there will be five days of racing held on Lake Ontario’s western waterfront. Eighty-five teams, involving at least 400 top racing yachtsmen and yachtswomen, are expected to compete in the challenging ten-race series. Competitors will be provided with meals and entertainment at various events and times.   For J/24 Worlds registration information, please go to the website here.   For more drive.HG J/24 World Championship sailing information

Toronto Boat Show Time!

(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)- While it may be quite frigid in many parts of Canada, the action will be hot and heavy inside the ginormous EnerCare Centre Exhibition Place in Toronto, the site of the 2017 Toronto International Boat Show that is running from January 20th to 29th.

Head on down to the “SailFest” exhibition area where the famous J/70 is on display at booth# B10.  The J/70 class continues to grow fleets on Lake Ontario and many Canadian sailors are gearing up for the J/70 North American Championship that is taking place just south of them in Rye, New York at American Yacht Club from October 10th to 15th.

Be sure to contact J/Canadian dealer Pat Sturgeon at Pat Sturgeon Yachts in Toronto- office- 905-278-5100, mobile- 416-347-1328, email- pats@patsturgeonyachts.com, website here.  For more Toronto Boat Show information

COUGAR Fights For J/24 North American Crown

(Port Credit, Ontario, Canada)- You could not have scripted a more dramatic, anxiety-ridden finale to the 2016 driveHG.ca J/24 North American Championship at Port Credit Yacht Club in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.  After nine races, Will Welles’ COUGAR and Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER/ SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM were tied at 28 points, with Welles winning the tie-breaker and the Championship.  The hot local Canadian team, Rossi Milev’s CLEAR AIR, lived up to their billing, pushing the two leaders hard throughout the regatta but ultimately taking the final position on the podium to take the bronze with 49 points.

Day One- Gorgeous Opener
Welles’ COUGAR bookended two bullets on the opening day. Despite an 8th in Friday’s middle contest, Welles’ first-place tallies in races one and three gave him 10 points and the early advantage in the 46-boat fleet. Even Petley-Jones’ LIFTED stood three points back in second (8,2,3), and Odenbach was in third with 16 points (9,5,2).

Teams tolerated a brief on-water postponement in the morning, until the breeze filled at 6-8 knots. Following Welles in the first battle were local Milev’s CLEAR AIR and James Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT. Todd Fedyszn’s SPOONY TACTICS earned line honors in the next race, trailed by Petley-Jones and Milev. Welles secured the day’s overall lead by winning the last meeting, as Odenbach recorded his best finish thus far with Petley-Jones rounding out the top three.

Day Two- Thriller @ Sea
Saturday saw building winds and waves over the four races that provided exciting surfing finishes and changes to the leaderboard.

Winning a bullet in Race 6, Odenbach (20 points total) moved into first place with 1 point better than Welles’ (21 points).  Going into Sunday, there was a tie for third place between Petley-Jones LIFTED and Milev’s CLEAR AIR with 34 points.  At that point, the weather looked promising to finish the last three races in the series.

Day Three- The final battle
Race 8 started in shifty northwesterly winds building through 15 knots, with Welles taking the bullet to move into first overall. Race Committee PRO Pat Limburger, with one more race available, posted course number 5 with the fleet finishing in front of Port Credit Yacht Club. Race 9 saw Fedyszyn first, Odenbach in third and Welles in sixth— just enough to secure the overall victory. The Masters Trophy went to Chris Stone’s VELOCIDAD. Top female skipper was Natalie Harden’s GIGGLES and Top Female Crew was Erica Beck-Spencer’s SEA BAGS WOMENS SAILING TEAM from Portland, Maine. Top Junior was Michael Howarth’s MR. H.  Behind the top three teams, it was Petley-Jones’ LIFTED in fourth place and Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS in fifth place.  For more J/24 North American Championship sailing information