J/99 JAZZ Flies Offshore- Bermuda to Stonington

* Experience and understand what it's like to sail offshore.  The J/99 JAZZ was sailed by Rodney Johnstone and Clay Burkhalter from Stonington, CT to Bermuda (635.0nm as the 'crow flies') to help "rescue" a friends 65 ft sailboat. After 48 hours, they sailed the return voyage back to Stonington in slightly breezier, rougher conditions.  Clay narrates the 10-minute video accompanied by the classic Grateful Dead "Franklin's Tower" song (Las Vegas 1992) playing as the background soundtrack.  Enjoy!


Click photo or link here to watch video:
https://youtu.be/ZzOdJmZKqLo

Epic Finale @ Rolex Big Boat Series

(San Francisco, CA)- Seventy-nine teams gathered on San Francisco Bay to sail the 55th edition of the St. Francis Yacht Club’s annual Rolex Big Boat Series from September 11th to 15th. The regatta format is unique in that it offers enormous challenges to the most experienced skippers, tacticians, and crews. Their is a premium on getting good starts, divining the swift moving currents, and executing perfectly on teamwork to get into and out of the corners of the random leg race courses; the StFYC PRO has over forty-three courses to choose from depending on breeze direction and strength and factoring in the current that can often hit 5.0 kts in some places in the Bay! This year, the contingent of J/Teams virtually took over the Rolex Big Boat Series, with five boats sailing ORR Division and fleets of J/70s (14), J/88s (6), and J/105s (23) sailing one-design courses in the morning (windward-leewards), and the random leg course in the afternoon to finish off the fable finish line off the StFYC Race Deck! That was a total of forty-eight J/Teams, about 61.0% of the total fleet!

The 2019 edition posed a few new challenges for the sailors this year as the first two days were warm and light, while the second half of the regatta on Saturday and Sunday provided classic SF Bay conditions- the famously epic, “fresh to frightening”, “blowing dogs off chains”, 18 to 30 kts of cold Pacific Ocean breezes from the west underneath the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. Here are the daily reports on what went down over the four days and some of the carnage some unfortunate J/teams endures in the big breeze.


Day 1- Dawn Glass-out to Afternoon Cruise Around
If nature abhors a vacuum, sailors have detested windless conditions since the days of ancient mariners. Historically, there is little reason to sing the lack-of-wind blues, given the Bay’s notorious reputation for delivering breeze-on racing. Unfortunately, for these same sailors, Thursday delivered one of the Bay’s rare, windless mornings forcing the StFYC’s Race Committee to make the difficult decision to downshift from the day’s two planned races to a single afternoon race, allowing the slowly building sea breeze to develop and overcome the unseasonably warm onshore temperatures enshrouding the city.  

“The forecast is uncharacteristically light this week because of the nice weather,” said Graham Biehl, the StFYC’s Race Director, who explained that, typically speaking, high temperatures in the city equate to light airs on the Bay. “So, we have plans to run shorter races. It’s the reason that we have so many courses to choose from,” he said, adding that he and his team have 43 racecourse permutations available. “We don’t like to shorten courses— this is tricky for the racers,  So, we choose courses that are on the shorter side.”

While the AP flag flew for several (atypical) hours from the RC boat, all competitors and organizers understood that the pain was ephemeral.

“Compared to a lot of other places that lose days to too little wind, too much wind or lightning storms, we have it really good on the Bay,” said Susan Ruhne, Regatta Chair for the 55th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series. “But I always tell people that days like this are a really good test of a crew’s ability to shift into action when the wind fills in. Good boats are able to just go into race mode so that when the wind fills in, it’s game on.”

That is exactly what happened at approximately 1400 hours, local time, when the call was made to send the eight fleets out for a single race, which started in light airs developed into great racing late afternoon.

Once the sea breeze finally arrived, the Race Committee selected courses that were heavy on tactical challenges but relatively shy on miles. This smart move ensured great racing on an afternoon when the ebbing tide opposed the westerly breeze, making for sluggish upwind and downwind legs.

“We always say that, while we can’t control the weather, we can deliver world-class race course management,” said Ruhne. “Today was a great example of this. We didn’t like skipping the day’s first race, but it was worth it to ensure fair and even racing across the Bay.”

Winning the first J/70 race was Peter Cameron’s KANGAROO JOCKEY, followed by Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER and John Brigden/ Chris Snow’s COOL STORY BRO.  In the J/88s, Jim Hopps’ WHITE SHADOW started off strongly with a bullet, with David Britt’s SPLIT WATER and Steven Gordon’s INCONCEIVABLE rounding out the top three.  In the heated J/105 battles, it was Tim Russell’s super J/105 NE*NE winning the light airs race over Ryan Simmon’s BLACKHAWK and Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s ARBITRAGE (the recent winners of the J/105 North Americans). In ORR C Class, David Halliwill’s J/120 PEREGRINE took the win, followed by fellow J/120 CHANCE (Barry Lewis) taking the deuce.


Day 2- More Chesapeake Bay-like weather- hot and flat!
Generally speaking, Fridays that fall on the 13th don’t enjoy a strong reputation for events unfurling smoothly, and when it coincides with hot, onshore temperatures in San Francisco, the situation on the Bay can become light, patchy, or even downright breathless. Such was the case today for the crews on Friday morning. The morning dawned bright, blue and warm, with barely a cat’s paw aggravating the Bay. While this certainly wasn’t the lucky start that many competitors were hoping for at a regatta that does not drop races, the day’s silver lining was a weather forecast that promised breeze by mid-afternoon. The AP flag remained hoisted with sailors idling ashore until 1400 hours when enough sea breeze arrived to allow the race committee to score a single race.

“The high temperatures ashore make it difficult to run races,” said Graham Biehl, StFYC’s Race Director, noting that today played out much like the first day of racing at this high-level event, with a single—albeit high-quality—race scored in all eight fleets. “But, the good news is that Saturday and Sunday look to be typical San Francisco Bay conditions.”

Competition was plenty stiff in ORR-B. “It’s a competitive fleet and the boats are exciting, with sport boats and sport-boat-like boats, so it attracts some great talent,” said Rich Jepsen, who is serving as vice president of US Sailing and as tactician aboard Dick Swanson’s J/111 BAD DOG (USA 103). “We’re an amateur crew, so we’ll be happy to stay in contact with the best boats, such as another J/111 that we spar with- SWIFT NESS.”

In ORR C Class, the J/120s continued to perform well, with Lewis’ CHANCE and Halliwill’s PEREGRINE scoring a 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

The J/105 class was witnessing a strong leader emerging in the form of Ryan Simmon’s BLACKHAWK, adding a 1st to their tally to lead with just 3 pts. However, behind them it was evolving into a dogfight between three boats- Russell’s NE*NE, ARBITRAGE, and Jeff Litfin’s MOJO.


Day 3- Classic, Epic, Fresh to Frightening Winds… Finally!
After two days of light-air racing, Mother Nature finally flipped the fun switch on day three, giving the big-air fanatics a huge dose of the classic Bay breeze. After starting in a beautiful morning breeze from the west of 10-12 kts, by the time the Race Committee’s finishing gun fell silent, gusts of 25+ knots were reported by the Golden Gate Bridge.

“The breeze came back!” said Graham Biehl, StFYC’s Race Director, the relief from the last two days of AP flags and wind holds visible on his now-happy face. “Thankfully the forecast materialized and we got in two races in a row.”

While breeze-on conditions are especially helpful to the heavily ballasted Classics class and the larger ORR-A and ORR-B boats, the same relief visible on Biehl’s face was evident on the expressions of J/70, J/88 and J/105 sailors, all of whom were more than happy to abandon their cerebral, light-air skills for the kind of heart-pounding, adrenaline-filled downhill rides that draw these One Design teams to this regatta, year-on-year.

“The Rolex Big Boat Series is a World Championship qualifier for the 2020 J/70 Worlds, and it’s good to see a big fleet,” said Biehl. The winning Open and Corinthian J/70 teams will both receive berths to the 2020 J/70 Worlds (July 27-August 2, 2020), which is being hosted by the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey, California. “We haven’t seen much J/70 action on the Bay since the 2016 Worlds, which we hosted at StFYC, so it’s good to see them lining up again.”

Christy Usher, co-owner and co-skipper of CHRISTINE ROBIN, explained that while some J/70 teams competing have already qualified for the 2020 Worlds, their prize berths transfer to the next fastest finisher if an already-qualified team wins top honors in either the Corinthian or Open divisions. “No mercy is being shown out there,” said Usher, adding that every J/70 team entered the regatta to win, plain and simple. “Everybody wants to go to next year’s Worlds because it’s local—there’s no hassle of traveling to Europe or the East Coast, so these berths are first and foremost in everyone’s minds.”

Scott Sellers, one of three owners of 1FA (USA 534), which is one of five Corinthian entries amongst the 14-strong J/70 fleet, re-emphasized what makes late-summer sailing on the Bay so special. “Tight competition and screaming spinnaker runs all over the Bay are the most memorable parts of Big Boat Series,” said Sellers. Harrison Turner, another one of 1FA’s co-owners, agrees. “This venue is one of the most unique in the world that always delivers high quality racing,” said Turner. “It takes a lot of local knowledge to sail the Big Boat Series…it really places a premium on doing your homework and drawing on previous BBS experiences.”

John Brigden’s COOL STORY BRO beat Usher’s CHRISTINE ROBIN and Kostanecki’s JENNIFER across the line for the day’s first race. Brigden had a repeat performance during the day’s second race, besting Cameron’s KANGAROO JOCKEY, followed by CHRISTINE ROBIN. After a total of four races, COOL STORY BRO tops the J/70 class leaderboard, followed by CHRISTINE ROBIN and 1FA.

While the J/88 class isn’t wrestling for berths to their Worlds, they are competing for top bragging rights in their second running as a One-Design class at the West Coast’s most competitive regatta.

“We definitely feel the pressure, every other team has been working hard to come get us,” said Gary Panariello, skipper of COURAGEOUS and the 2018 winner of a Rolex timepiece and the Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy.

Still, experiencing pressure and having fun are by no means mutually exclusive entities.

“The best part of racing at the Rolex Big Boat Series is the wildly varying conditions,” said Panariello. “Breeze on and more on, water flowing in every direction, heavy metal (ships) moving down through the middle of the race course and lots and lots of boats trying hard to get to the same spot.” And then there’s the matter of managing sight lines and real-time tactics while negotiating a six-strong fleet of identical boats. “Driving the boat downwind in big breeze is super exciting,” continued Panariello. “The big challenge driving is that it's hard to see anything other than the big kite! You need to have great faith that the crew is keeping all eyes out of the boat.”

Sadly, faith didn’t keep Gordon’s INCONCEIVABLE mast vertical during the day’s second race, as the fleet got pounded by heavy conditions on the inside of the Golden Gate Bridge. After losing her rig over the side, INCONCEIVABLE had to retire from the race and the regatta. But, looking outside of the lifelines helped COURAGEOUS out-sail Britt’s SPLIT WATER and Jeremy Moncada’s JUNO to take the day’s first bullet. Then, the leaders flip-flopped in the second race, with SPLIT WATER claiming top honors, followed by COURAGEOUS and Jim Hopp’s WHITE SHADOW. At day’s end, WHITE SHADOW and SPLIT WATER were tied on points, with COURAGEOUS 2 pts back.

Meanwhile, amongst the 23-strong J/105 class– the regatta’s largest One Design class and racing for StFYC’s Commodore’s Cup perpetual trophy and accompanying Rolex timepiece– competition was as stiff as ever. This began with the day’s first starting line sparring in the Treasure Island starting area, and it continued through two races to culminate in a series of fast, close, downwind finishes off of the StFYC’s Race Deck.

“It was really interesting and variable out there today,” said Ryan Simmons, skipper of BLACKHAW, who reported seeing a puff of 30 knots when they were just to the east of the Golden Gate Bridge. “By the second leg of the second race we were seeing winds in the mid-20s, with bigger puffs. Driving was very intense and was all about turning down in the puffs downwind.”

BLACKHAWK’s crew proved they are equally adept at winning in a breeze as they are in the light stuff by taking the bullet in the day’s first race. BLACKHAWK was joined across the finish by Ian Charles’ MAVERICK and Phillip Laby’s GODOT, in 2nd & 3rd, respectively. In the second race, Russell’s NE*NE earned the win, followed by BLACKHAWK and Rolf Kaiser’s DONKEY JACK. After four races, Blackhawk led the chase in the J/105 class, followed by NE*NE and Littfin’s MOJO.

Sadly for the crews of Laby’s GODOT and William Woodruff and Sergey Lubarsky’s RUSSIAN ROULETTE, the gusty conditions during the second race proved stronger than their rigs, which succumbed to classic West Coast air loading. Thankfully, no injuries were reported at press time, however, there’s no question that this mishap will sadly prove detrimental to both teams’ hopes of seeing their names etched onto the Commodore’s Cup.


Day 4- More Epic, Breeze-on Weather for the “Bay Tour”!
Cool onshore temperatures, ebbing fog, flooding waters and a gathering sea breeze greeted the sailors on the final day. That is usually a recipe for a massive breeze to build by early afternoon. The day’s course selection allowed all teams to strut their big-air skills while enjoying a stadium-style finish in front of cheering fans ashore on StFYC’s Race Deck.

ORR B Class sailors raced for The City of San Francisco Trophy, which consists of one of the golden spades used during the 1933 groundbreaking ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge. After a total of five races, Zachery Anderson and his J/125 VELVET HAMMER took the silver while Reuben Rocci’s J/111 SWIFT NESS just missed a podium finish by 3 pts in the epic final race, taking fourth place in the end.

ORR C Class saw the two J/120’s land on the podium, but not the in the way Lewis’ CHANCE team wanted to end the regatta. Going into the last race, CHANCE was leading the class by one point. However, they had their hands full taking on a well-sailed Swan 42 and their colleagues on the J/120 PEREGRINE. In the end, a disappointing final race 4th place ensured CHANCE of the silver, but no Rolex Submariner watch to add to their collection (they have won their class before!). Taking third was Halliwill’s PEREGRINE.

StFYC’s Commodore’s Cup is awarded to the regatta’s largest One-Design fleet, an honor that once again falls to the 23-strong J/105 class. Simmons’ BLACKHAWK crew showcased their big-fleet-management skills to win this proud trophy and accompanying Rolex timepiece; they were joined on the J/105 class podium by Russell’s NE*NE and Charles’ MAVERICK, in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

While these four classes competed for perpetual trophies and timepieces, the racing was just as tough in other classes. For example, the J/70 class saw 14 boats on the starting lines, making it the regatta’s second-largest One Design class. Bridgen’s COOL STORY BRO demonstrated regatta-winning strategy and skills to take home the top prize in this popular class. They were joined on the podium by the 1FA team (Scott Sellers, Harrison Turner and Geoff McDonald) and Tracy and Christy Usher’s CHRISTINE ROBIN.

Additionally, the top Corinthian and Open J/70 teams at this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series also competed for berths at the 2020 J/70 Worlds (July 27-August 2, 2020), which is being hosted by the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey, California. 1FA and Cool Story Bro. emerged as the Corinthian and Open winners; however, because 1FA already earned their Corinthian berth, this slot will go to the Usher’s CHRISTINE ROBIN.

The J/88 made its Rolex Big Boat Series debut in 2018, and the newly-launched class returned this year with even more polished skills and tactics, not to mention racecourse strategies honed during last year’s regatta. Ultimately, David Britt’s SPLIT WATER took first-place honors, followed by Panariello’s COURAGEOUS and Hopp’s WHITE SHADOW, who took home second and third place finishes.

While all racers care about their results, they also care about sailing on clean, plastic-free water, and StFYC took some significant steps to make their signature regatta a significantly more sustainable event. “I was proud that the StFYC received Sailors for the Sea’s Platinum-level status for this year,” said Ruhne. “Seeing refillable water-bottles and the West Marine-sponsored water bottle stations was great. We significantly reduced the amount of single-use plastic waste at this regatta, which is a win-win situation for everybody involved.” Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing.  For more Rolex Big Boat Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

US J/70 Youth Championship Announcement!

Win a FREE J/70 for your Sailing Club!
(Newport, RI)- The first annual U.S. J/70 Youth Championship will take place concurrent with the J/FEST New England Regatta from August 11th to 13th, 2017.  The event will be hosted by the famous crew at SAIL NEWPORT, Newport, Rhode Island and hosted at their extraordinary facility at Fort Adams State Park.

The goal of this event is to help develop and build leading-edge junior keelboat sailing programs across America.  The winning club of this event will get ”free” usage of a fully equipped International J/70 one-design class sailboat, with sails and trailer, provided ”free of charge” by J/Boats, to the winning club and its membership for twelve months.

The U.S. J/70 Youth Championship (USJCA) is open to ten  Youth Teams representing US Sailing recognized Sailing Clubs or Organizations.  Sailing clubs may enter more than one youth team per event, but may only qualify one team for the USJCA championship in Newport, RI.

The 10 Youth Teams will compete on ten brand new J/70 Class sailboats with class sails (main, jib, spinnaker) that comply with J/70 Class rules.  The boats will be identically rigged and tuned at “base settings” that are recommended by the sailmaker.  Sailing photo credits- Phil Pape Photography.

In order to qualify for the ten slots, youth teams must qualify for entry by being the top scoring Youth Team in the J/70 Class at one of the following Regattas:

• Feb 24-26    J/70 Midwinters St. Petersburg
• Mar 09-11    Bacardi Miami Sailing Week
• Mar 17-19    Helly Hansen San Diego NOOD
• Apr 20-23    Sperry Charleston Race Week
• May 05-07    Helly Hansen Annapolis NOOD 
• Jun 09-11    Helly Hansen Chicago NOOD
• Jun 16-18    J/70 Great Lakes at Cleveland Race Week
• Jul 07-09     The Newport Regatta
• Jul 08-09     St. Francis YC Sportboat Regatta
• Jul 27-30     Helly Hansen Marblehead NOOD

Here is the USJYC Notice of Race.  For more U.S. J/70 Youth Championship information, please contact J/Boats at “info@jboats.com” or refer to the USJCA website.

What are the ingredients for one-design class success?

(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)-  Terry McLaughlin shares commentary on why the J/105 has been fun to sail for him, his family and friends.  Terry has earned his place at the pinnacle of Canadian sailing: Olympic medalist, Pan American Medalist, World Champion, Canada’s Cup winner, America’s Cup skipper, and so on. When Terry goes racing today, you’ll find him in the J/105 class. Why? Read on:

J/105: This North American Championship had one of the highest attendances in many years. What keeps a 25-year-old boat like the J/105 relevant in 2016?

TM: I often comment that the J/105 is a great and comfortable boat to sail. Unlike a lot of boats, I find it very nice to race on whether you are at the back of the boat, in the middle or up front. I like the fact that you can go down below and comfortably sit or lie down when waiting for races to start. It is not a modern foiling multihull, but speeds between boats are similar and that provides close racing.

J/105: The breeze was on for all seven races. In those circumstances, what is the most important factor during the start? Upwind? Downwind?

TM: In the NAs this year, we had good breeze and big waves on the first day and then quite strong, gusty winds with less waves on the weekend. On Friday, there was little wind, and we didn’t quite complete the one race that was started. In the breeze and current, having a good idea of exactly where the starting line is was key. It was important to have a bowman who was good at getting transits on land and being able to use those transits in the large fleet. We also put a lot of emphasis on getting good pings with our Velocitek ProStart. This always gave us a good idea of how far back from the line we were. Upwind in the breeze, it was important to have the headstay as straight as possible, and when necessary move the jibs leads back enough so that we didn’t lose the mainsail. Downwind in the puffy conditions, it was important to move the crew weight fore and aft depending on whether the puff was on or not, and always have someone with a hand on the vang, especially coming out of a gybe. As we learned in race six, it is also important not to allow both spinnaker sheets to wrap themselves around the same winch in a heavy air gybe!!

J/105: You also won the North Americans in Toronto two years ago, which was more of a light air regatta. What are the ideal conditions for a J/105?

TM: The J/105 is more of a challenge in the light air, as it is somewhat of an underpowered boat. The first thing we did when we bought Mandate is to switch over from wheel to tiller steering. I think there is much more feel in the light air with a tiller. When the breeze is on, the boats come alive. The good thing is that, as the fleet proved in Larchmont, most crews can handle the boat in 20-30 knots of wind.

J/105: Many Classes seem to struggle with attracting youth and women sailors. What can the J/105 Class do to better appeal to those demographics?

TM: We might not be the best example of a coed crew. Perhaps it is the name of our boat that keeps us usually as a male crew. There are quite a few women in the fleet in Toronto, including two woman skippers. The Class crew weight limit promotes lighter crew members on boats when the crew includes some big guys. Lighter can often mean female or youth, both of which are good for the Class. In Toronto, it is the most competitive one-design fleet, so that does attract younger sailors.

J/105: Do you prefer to have a throw-out race when a certain amount of races has been completed? Why or why not?

TM: It is my belief that in a lengthy series like the NA’s where 11 races were scheduled, having a throw-out after six or seven races have been completed makes sense. It is one thing to reward consistency, but having your regatta score ruined by one breakdown, OCS or just an off race can leave a bad taste in one’s mouth.

J/105: The J/105 Class has detailed Rules limiting sail tag purchases and professional sailors. Did that play a role in why you got involved with the Class? Do these Rules sustain the Class or are they restricting it?

TM: I think the sail restriction and Category 1 rules are good for the Class. They both assist in controlling the cost of campaigning a J/105. I am not sure that my boat partner Rod Wilmer and I would have bought into the Class if we thought it was going to be any sort of an arms race to be competitive!  We Canadians have to make every dollar work without losing our shirts, you know?  If Stu J just bought more Dubarry boots for his lovely wife Julia, we could afford more sails (or beer)!”

Make Your Office Merry & Bright With Ultimate Sailing!

Choose from prints of the world's top regattas or select a digital download and use a D.I.Y. print and frame.  You'll be a star this holiday season, with images from Sharon Green and Ultimate Sailing- another famous Canadian sailor!

J/Sailors get 30% OFF prints and digital downloads.  Please use coupon code- PHOTO30 - at checkout.

Recent regattas that feature Sharon's extraordinary shots of J/Boats include:

•  J/70 Worlds- San Francisco, CA- click here
•  Rolex Big Boat Series (J70, J88, J105, J111, J120, J125)- San Francisco, CA- click here
•  New York YC Annual Regatta (J105, J109, J44)- Newport, RI- click here
•  Key West Race Week (J70, J80, J88, J111, J122)- Key West, FL- click here

J/Sport Cruisers Oceanvolt Option For 2017

(Newport, RI)- The Oceanvolt innovative, fully integrated SEA (Silent Electric Autonomy) system is currently offered on the USA built J/88.  And, starting this fall (2017 model year), it will also be offered on the J/95, J/97E, J/112E and J/122E.

Imagine sailing on a beautiful day knowing that, even if the wind dies and you’re forced to turn on the motor, peace and tranquility are not lost. Every minute sailing, the battery pack is being charged, allowing you to later silently power back to the harbor. “There is no quicker way to break the magic and silence of a beautiful day for sailors than having to turn on the diesel engine,” says Jeff Johnstone, President of J/Boats.

Oceanvolt electric motor systems are standard on more than 45 boat models, both monohull & multihull, represented by 30 different boat manufacturers worldwide. The systems are highly reliable, silent, maintenance free & create energy while sailing, even with folding propellers. The batteries of the propulsion system can be charged using the hydro-generation feature on the motors, solar power, shore power or a small DC generator. The generation feature creates hardly any drag, only 0-0.5 knots depending on the speed.

The Oceanvolt refit attachment flange has been designed for easy installations to fit directly onto existing sail drive beds of Yanmar and Volvo motors, so it is possible to install it into your existing J/Boats model as well. In addition to sail drive motors (up to 45hp), Oceanvolt also offers shaft drive models that are compatible to motors up to 25hp. Because the systems are 48V they are safe and can be installed without any special certification.

Contact salesusa@oceanvolt.com for more details about refitting. Learn more about the J/88 Oceanvolt model here- http://oceanvolt.com/jboats-j88. And, contact J/Boats to get more information about the different electric motor packages on the new J/Boats.

Women’s Keelboat Worlds Sailing J/70s!

(Rye, New York)- The International Women’s Keelboat Championship (IWKC) returns! The revitalized US Sailing Championship, with a new and exciting approach, is aimed at maximizing opportunities for women sailors to participate in high caliber regattas against top international sailors.

The American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y. will host the new IWKC in J/70's from August 14th to 20th, 2016. With the goal of attracting more international teams, the championship will rotate each year to venues within, and outside the U.S.

More than ever, this championship will offer women keelboat and offshore sailors high quality racing on the international stage. Twenty-four teams will be selected through an application process. Half the teams selected will represent North American countries and half will represent countries from around the world.

To ensure a fast and competitive racing format, additional changes have been made to speed up the action. The format consists of fleet racing with a “team racing” twist, featuring two flights of six boats each with teams rotating after every two races. Each team will race an equal number of races against the others. Races will be approximately 15 minutes in duration. Host clubs will ensure quick rotations and on-the-water judging, in addition to an improved viewing experience for spectators.

The International Women’s Keelboat Championship was inaugurated in 1985 through the efforts of the US Sailing Women’s Championship Committee--- for years the women sailed J/24s. The event became one of the premier women’s sailing event in the USA and worldwide. The Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, RI was host for the event and hosted the championship until 2001, before it moved around the country to different venues.

The trophy is named for Bengt Julin, an international judge and strong supporter of women’s sailing. Julin presented the very first trophy to Betsy Alison and retired the original to her after she had won it three times consecutively. Alison had an unbroken winning streak competing against teams from a dozen or more nations from 1991 through 1997. In 2007, Sally Barkow matched Alison by winning the championship for the third time. An impressive list of former champions includes Cory Sertl, Anna Tunnicliffe, Jody Starck, and J.J. Fetter. Sertl won the most recent International Women’s Keelboat Championship in 2011 at the Rochester Yacht Club (NY); last sailed in J/22's.  Please contact Jake Fish at US Sailing for more information- jakefish@ussailing.org   For more Women’s Worlds sailing information.

NEW 2016 J/Sailing Calendar!

(Newport, RI)- HOT off the press! For 2016, we have created another beautiful calendar for J sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world.  Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places.

The 2016 sailing calendar features J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/88, J/105s, J/111s and a J/42 sailing in many of the worlds most popular sailing areas- Cowes (the Solent), Newport (Narragansett Bay & Rhode Island Sound), San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Les Sables d’Olonne, Biscayne Bay, Lake Michigan, Kiel, Santander and Travemunde!  A sailing calendar is a great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew- see the photo gallery here.

Order your 2016 J/Calendar here today!

Black Friday Weekend Special!
VSport would like to THANK all our J/Gear customers. With the HOLIDAY season upon us, now is a good time to provide that special crew or Captain with a gift they will appreciate. For a limited time only, please use the Gift Code Below to receive a 15% discount on all J/Gear orders placed now until Nov. 30, 2015!  Visit the J/Gear Store here and apply this discount coupon code- JB20156que.  Discount subject to the following exceptions- J/Boat print and J/Boat half-model.

Innovative “New” Quantum Key West Race Week

Storm Trysail Club proposes harbor fleet, distance racing, ORC ratings
(Key West, Florida)- The Storm Trysail Club has promised to maintain all the elements that have made Quantum Key West Race Week such a popular event while introducing innovations designed to increase participation.

With the release of the official Notice of Race, organizers with the Storm Trysail Club have proposed several new elements for Quantum Key West Race Week 2016. A harbor course area for smaller sailboats, distance racing for Performance Cruising designs and replacing PHRF with the International ORC rating system are among the creative ideas found in the new NOR.
 
John Fisher, regatta chairman for Quantum Key West Race Week, said the changes were made in response to feedback from both the United States and international sailboat racing community. Storm Trysail Club conducted a survey of past and potential participants seeking comments on what could be done to improve the event.

“We believe the sailing constituency that revolves around Key West was looking for something different,” Fisher said. “Many, many elements of the regatta are tried and true, but there are other things that needed to be tweaked. We are listening to the sailors that care about Key West Race Week and are attempting to address their desires and needs.”

Cost has become a concern for some of the amateur programs that were a staple of Key West Race Week at its peak when more than 300 boats were competing on an annual basis. Participation at the annual midwinter regatta took a hit during the worldwide economic downturn, as many of the mom and pop programs just could not afford to spend seven days in the Conch Republic.

“One of the things we’ve heard repeatedly involves the expense of the regatta. Key West is a very popular tourist destination and therefore the cost of meals and lodging can be considerable,” Fisher said.

To address that issue, Storm Trysail is offering the great racing experience of the event condensed into a three-day regatta format for those classes that choose to do so. Fisher said racing would be held Wednesday through Friday for those classes so participants are included in the final awards ceremony.

“Housing and feeding a crew for four or five days as opposed to eight or nine reduces the expense to a level that is more palatable for a segment of boat owners,” Fisher said. “We’re hoping that holding a regatta within a regatta will bring back a segment of skippers who stopped doing Key West because of the cost.”

Acknowledging the declining interest in PHRF racing at Key West has prompted Storm Trysail to make alterations aimed to attract those types of boats anew. One idea is to provide distance racing for Performance Cruising designs, whose skippers would prefer to sail one long race that traverses the keys as opposed to multiple buoy starts. This should be appealing to more casual racers who may not be participating with a complete crew or simply prefer navigation-style courses.

Dick Neville, race committee chairman for Quantum Key West, pointed out that 42 boats competed in last year’s Fort Lauderdale-to-Key West Race, but only four of them entered Quantum Key West 2015.

“We need to give those boat owners a reason to enter our regatta and I think one distance race each day could do that,” Neville said. “My experience is that those Performance Cruising boats would prefer that type of format. We could give them a different course each day and finish them near the harbor so they get back to the dock faster.”

In fact, it is the intention of organizers to eliminate PHRF racing altogether – a strategy that has prompted them to look for solutions offered by the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), an international organization sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation and supported by users in 40 countries around the world. Having evolved from IOR and IMS roots, the organization currently administers two systems – ORC International (ORCi) and ORC Club, both of which are being proposed for use at Quantum Key West Race Week.

Neville noted that nearly 10,000 ORCi and ORC Club certificates will be issued in 2015, and the hope is that adopting the system for Quantum Key West will encourage more foreign owners to register. ORCi is the system used for full-measured boats participating at the highest levels of competition while the ORC Club is intended more for club-based programs.

“We had to face the reality that PHRF boats have been disappearing from the regatta and the logical solution is to offer a different rating system that is more popular worldwide,” said Neville, pointing out that ORC provides three different ratings for windward-leeward courses based on whether the wind is light, medium or heavy. “One of our goals is to attract more overseas boats to Key West, and we are encouraging owners who may have raced PHRF in the past to obtain an ORC Club certificate.”

Bill Canfield has come aboard as on-site event manager and will be moving to Key West to provide a permanent presence. Herb Reese, a longtime Key West Race Week volunteer, will arrive in the Conch Republic several months before the regatta to help prepare Truman Annex and other shore-side support services.

“We have put together a committee comprised of people with vast experience running regattas,” Fisher said. “We’ve had boots on the ground in Key West already to meet with city leaders and look into the various logistical challenges. We are doing our best to build relationships and develop the organizational infrastructure well in advance of the regatta.”

Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum Sail Design Group, said the title sponsor was pleased with the innovative ideas proposed by the Storm Trysail Club leadership to keep Key West Race Week on the cutting edge.  “Storm Trysail Club has reached out to the sailing community for input on how to improve and grow Quantum Key West Race Week and is taking steps to satisfy the needs and desires of the sailors,” Reynolds said. “We’re pleased to see the proposed innovations designed to spark more interest and we’re looking forward to a great event.”   Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing.  For more Quantum Key West Sailing information

Transpac Race Update

(Los Angeles, CA)- On Saturday, July 11th, the Transpacific Yacht Club hosted the “Aloha Send-Off Party” in the band shell next to Gladstone’s Restaurant. Then, on July 13th the first of the three starts takes place.  First off to Honolulu on the classic 2,225nm race will be Division 7 with four J teams sailing- Yasuhide Kobayashi’s J/120 JULIAN from Zushi Marina YC in Japan; Ed Sanford’s J/105 CREATIVE from San Diego YC; the Jorgensen Brothers’ J/133 PICANTE from Los Angeles YC and Paul Stemier’s J/44 PATRIOT from Newport Harbor YC.  On the same start in Division 8 will Robert Pace’s J/46 ANDIAMO from Coronado Racing Association.

Three days later, Division 4 takes off on July 16th with three J/125s vying for offshore bragging rights with these rocketships.  The trio includes Greg Slyngstad’s HAMACHI, Tim Fuller’s RESOLUTE and Viggo Torbenson’s TIMESHAVER.

Thursday update:  The Horses are on the Track! Under clear skies and in a light westerly breeze that is promising to build through the evening, the first 22 entries in Divisions 7 and 8 have started their 2225-mile race today in the 48th edition of the LA-Honolulu Transpac. The Transpacific YC organizes this biennial ocean-racing classic.

The fleet starting today was a broad mix of designs; from the 1907 sail-training schooner, Martha sailed by a crew of 11 to the modern J designs like the J/sprit boats (J/105, J/120 & J/133). All must clear the West End of Catalina Island before heading over the horizon en route to a finish line at Diamond Head on the island of Oahu.

The weather forecast looks favorable for this fleet to get out off the coast: for tonight through Wednesday the northwest wind is forecast to be 10-20 knots with 4-8-foot seas from 60 to 150 miles off the Southern California coast. The headings the crews take will then depend on their overall strategy: stay close to the rhumb line to minimize distance, or stray south, typically to get to more breeze.

But, the navigational challenge is complicated.  With the El Nino upon us this year, the patterns are not typical for the northern Pacific: warm surface waters on the coast have created many anomalies in the weather patterns, including the drought conditions experienced in California over the past year and more, and even the cold winters in the East.

Another effect of the warm water is to allow tropical cyclones to drift further north than usual, and some may affect those in the southerly routes of the Transpac course, explained forecaster Joe Sienkiewicz, Acting Director of the NOAA/NWS Ocean Prediction Center, in his weather briefing on Saturday.

While this sounds ominous, it may also be a blessing: the combination of the Lows to the south combined with a strong High to the north can compress the gradient into creating favorable conditions for fast rides to Hawaii. After all, Transpac records were broken in other El Nino years too: Merlin’s record set in 1977 and Alfa Romeo’s existing record set in the last El Nino in 2005.

All boats have GPS trackers provided by Yellowbrick, where the boat’s position, speed and heading will be continuously reported on the Yellowbrick website (with a 6 hour delay). The first official 0600 PDT position reports will need to be reported by 0700 PDT tomorrow, and about an hour later will be collated and ready for posting.

Starting July 14 there will also be the first of a daily race analysis video made by Seahorse Magazine USA editor Dobbs Davis, with the link viewable on the race website.

There will also be blogs sent from the boats posted on the race website with photos and stories available on the Transpac Facebook page. Photos from the starts, finishes and other official events from Sharon Green and her team at Ultimate Sailing will become available soon.  For more Transpac Race sailing information

Round Catalina Island Race Report

(Los Angeles, CA)- Every Memorial Day since 1981 sailors in southern California have competed in the Around Catalina Island Race.  Catalina Island, located about 22 miles from the coast, has been a long time destination for celebrities, tourists and adventure seekers who want to explore the somewhat rugged terrain.  The sailing community utilizes the island for its' secluded coves, world class diving, fishing, and as a mark on the race course.  Keith Magnussen from Ullman Sails Newport Beach provides the following report:

“Of the many races that circumnavigate Catalina Island in one way or another, the Around Catalina Race is one of my favorites.

Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and Dana Point Yacht Club share the hosting responsibilities making this joint venture even more popular.  This race starts inside the harbor, exits Angels Gate, around Catalina and finishes in Dana Point.

There are a few segments to this race and each year I try to improve on my decisions since experience plays a huge role in what we do.  We are gearing up for Transpac on the J-125 Timeshaver and this was the final race before we finish boat preparations and start in July.  First decision was how far west to go before committing to crossing the channel.  We made a few tacks up the breakwater to cover my long time nemesis on Horizon, Erik Shampain.  Once again, I did what I said I would not do.  We went another quarter mile and paid the price as we found ourselves in a huge header half way over.

Crossing to Catalina this time was beautiful.  Good weather and decent breeze saw us arrive at the West End of the island no later than 4pm.  Could this be a quick race?

Our approach to the island was less than desirable but we worked hard to make up the distance.  We switched from our light headsail and into the heavy number one headsail.  This was great practice for Transpac since this is the first five hours of that race!

Getting around the West End can be tricky.  The wind can get very light and San Clemente Island can have a huge effect on wind direction and velocity.  We found ourselves jib reaching for a few minutes.  We then set some other reaching sails and into the big 2A spinnaker.  More importantly, we were having a good time.  The backside of the island gives off a calmness and acts as a barrier to all that is busy on the mainland.

People always ask me what I like about sailing and my answer usually includes the J-125.  Wind was approaching 20 kts and we were finally getting into what I really liked, planning.  Not many boats can break free like the J-125 and it is an experience all to itself.  The feeling is sensational and you can tell by the smiles that we are truly experiencing something exceptional.

Part of what makes this race so inviting is the scenery.  You will usually find yourself sailing away from the East End of Catalina Island as the sun is setting.  This can really set the stage for a beautiful sunset.  In our case we were focused on the Horizon team which we were closing in on relatively quickly.

Horizon has a great team under the leadership of Erik and John Shampain and it was to no surprise that they waited until just after sunset to make their turn towards Dana Point.  We do the same and in the process lose our visual sight of them.  The clear night meant that Horizon's running lights blended into the busy Southern California coastline.

We thought we liked our position for the final push to the finish.  Unfortunately as we closed in on the 5 mile check in we realized this might not have been the way to go.  Around eleven pm we passed a boat so fast we thought it was a cruiser coming back from Catalina.  The mystery boat ended up being Horizon who was stuck in a hole.

Fast-forward an hour and they pass us as we get stuck in a hole about 200 yards from the finish line.  Passing lanes were open now and Flaca, another SC-50, took full advantage and passed both Horizon and us!

Frustration turned into words as we all crossed the finish line.  I think the Horizon guys were feeling more frustrated than us since they seemed to have a sure thing only to lose it in the final moments.

In the end, it was another fun race and a learning experience.  We are truly feeling confident about the 2015 Transpac and are looking forward to getting the boat on the step again.  Third in class for Around Catalina Island, not bad!”  Please watch their J/125 sailing video here.  For more J/125 Around Catalina Island race sailing information

Silvestri Dominates J/22 Match Race Qualifier

(San Francisco, CA)- Last weekend, the St. Francis YC hosted the first of two U.S. Match Racing Championship Qualifiers being held at the Club this year, with the second event on Sept 5-6, 2015.  Conditions were challenging with an ebb tide shifting to a flood, and winds from 13 to 23 kts from the westerly quadrants beneath Golden Gate Bridge.

The winner, Russ Silvestri, dominated the event with 13 wins and only one loss, earning a berth at this year's U.S. Match Racing Championship on October 10-12, 2015 at Oakcliff Sailing Center, Oyster Bay, NY.  In second place was Nicole Breault with 11 wins and three losses.  Both had been favored to be on top of the leaderboard, as they had earlier qualified to represent North America in the upcoming Nation’s Cup match-racing event in Vladivostok, Russia.  Up-and-coming college sailors Jack Thompson and Jack Barton tied for third, with Thompson winning on the tie-breaker.

This Qualifier was held using the Club’s fleet of identical J/22s and was the second of seven U.S. Sailing Match Race Qualifiers taking place across the country this summer. According to Regatta Chair Bruce Stone, who also heads the U.S. Match Racing Championships Committee for U.S. SAILING: “In a major change from the past, Qualifiers are now open to competitors from around the country regardless of their home area, and skippers can apply to race in more than one Qualifier – Oakcliff Sailing Center, St. Francis YC, San Diego YC, Bayshore YC (Detroit), Chicago Match Race Center, and Annapolis YC - in a variety of keelboats, April through September.  In previous years, qualifiers around the country were limited to people from that region. We have opened it up so people can venue shop, traveling to places that are interesting to them or play to their skills, i.e. windy or light conditions, or different types of boats used by the host club.”  There are still slots open for some of the remaining Qualifiers. Sailing photo credits- Chris Ray.  For more U.S. Match Racing Series sailing information.

St Maarten Heineken Regatta Preview

(Simpson Bay, St Maarten)- For 35 years, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has showcased the top boats and sailing in the Caribbean and has become equally famous for its world-class slate of parties and musical entertainment. Now recognized by sailors around the planet as one of the sailing world’s best regattas, each year the event lives up to its worthy motto: “Serious Fun”.

Year after year, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta orchestrates a balance between excellent sailing and international artists to give visitors and competitors a one of a kind experience.  This year is no different, and organizers have stepped it up a notch and booked none other than Tessanne Chin to perform on Saturday night as the headliner for the Caribbean Jam night on Kim Sha Beach.  She just recently performed at “Redemption Live: Bob Marley’s 70th Birthday” celebration, in Kingston Jamaica.

In addition to Tessanne, celebrated artists Kool & the Gang will close out the festivities, bringing a truly global flair to the event.  This renowned group has been performing for 35 years and has sold over 70 million albums worldwide.  Their smooth vibes and soul moving beats will certainly bring everyone to the beach on Sunday night, and keep them on their sandy toes until the very end.

On the sailing side of things, let’s not forget that some fantastic teams and beautiful boats will be plying the gorgeous aquamarine waters of Simpson Bay.  In addition to the “pre-regatta”, the GILL Cup, many of the J/Teams will be participating in various CSA Racing classes with spinnakers.

Perhaps the headliners could be the J/125 HAMACHI, sailed by Greg Slyngstad from Seattle, Washington along with a superstar crew that should help “bring home the bacon”.  Depending on class splits, they may have their hands full taking on two J/122s.  One is the renowned EL OCASO, sailed by Caribbean champion Rick Wesslund’s crew from Miami, Florida; they have won many of the “island” regattas, including overall champion at least twice in their J/120 by the same name.  The other J/122 is DUNDER sailed by John Thouron; this will be their major Caribbean event in the 122.

A pair of J/120s will again be participating, including SUNSET CHILD that is under charter and the JAGUAR sailed by Ben Jelic from Sint Maarten (Dutch side of the island).  They will likely have to contend with the J/39 BUDGET MARINE ARUBA skippered by Robbie Ferron, also from Sint Maarten.

In the 30-35 ft category, there will be a trio of well-sailed J’s, including the J/105 SOLSTICE helmed by Bryan Coon; the fire-engine red, infamous J/100 called BAD GIRL sailed by Robert Armstrong from Christiansted, St Croix, USVI; and the beautiful blue J/30 BLUE PETER skippered by the Tanner & Shari duo from Antigua and Barbuda.   For more St Maarten Heineken Regatta sailing information

Women J/24’s Steal the Show!

(Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)- The premier lady skippers race on Port Phillip Bay Melbourne Victoria is the Jennifer Goldsmith Memorial Trophy regatta – this year swept by J/24 teams!

In memory of Jennifer, a keen sailor, all the entry fees were donated to Melanoma skin cancer research.  In its 24th year, the JGMT attracts Melbourne’s best female sailors from all the major keelboat clubs in the bay.

This year the race began in very light, sunny 34 degree (93.3 degrees Fahrenheit) conditions, which quickly changed with the arrival of a southerly breeze reaching 12 knots, on what was a beautiful day for sailing.  Amongst a fleet of 30, the boat size ranged from 44 footers to the smallest, two J/24s.

Despite their disadvantage in size, the J’s had crew members who had competed at the highest level with both boats representing Australia in the J/24 Worlds in Sweden in 2011 and Bruschetta VI also in the Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge New York 2014. HYPERACTIVE, skippered by Kirsty Harris with her all female crew, and BRUSCHETTA VI, skippered by Paulina Matilla with her male crew, excelled in the light conditions.  By picking the wind shifts and changes in the freshening breeze, this resulted in both being in the top 10 boats over the finish line. HYPERACTIVE, who had an AMS rating, won the AMS division.  However, the overall award was won by BRUSCHETTA VI with HYPERACTIVE second.

Paulina Matilla was awarded the Jennifer Goldsmith Memorial perpetual trophy and a beautiful Tiffany & Co necklace. Paulina who lives and sails in Finland is currently working in Australia, explained during her acceptance that in Finland its -15 degrees with a maximum of 4 hours of light per day, a far cry from the sun drenched shores of Port Phillip Bay.

The J/24’s excelled against the competition, taking the major and divisional trophies. The class has a strong local fleet of 20 active boats with the current and past Australian Champions amongst it.  The J/24 has experienced a strong following in Australia and with results like these; it will only encourage more to take up J sailing!   For more Australian J/24 sailing information

J/70s- The Winner’s Edge: Interview with Carlo Alberini

(Key West, FL)- Allan Terhune, Quantum One Design Director and current J/22 World Champion, had a chance to catch up with the winner this year’s J/70 Midwinters- Carlo Alberini from Italy. Of note, it was a “first” in the J/70 class to have a European win in American waters and is an excellent indication that 70 sailors around the world are moving up the learning curve quite rapidly.  Allan’s interview and his commentary are below:

“Quantum Key West was the host of the J/70 Midwinter Championship, which provided the class with an awesome venue for a top-rate event. We were so fortunate this year to have some of the best weather I have ever experienced, as well as some top-notch racing in a variety of conditions.

The winner this year was Carlo Alberini and his team from Italy on the CALVI NETWORK. They are the reigning European Champs and I was able to catch up with Carlo to get some of his impressions on Key West and the J/70 class.

AT: Carlo, Congrats on your win! How long have you been racing the J70?
CA: Thanks for the compliments but the big credit goes to Branko and crew. We started sailing in March 2014.

AT: How did you approach training for this event?
CA: Our approach was to study the difference with the USA fleet; we especially concentrated on studying the different rig.

AT: What are the differences in racing fleets in the US from racing fleets in Europe?
CA:The level of the USA fleet is higher than Europeans because they started sailing two-three years ago.

AT: What was your daily plan once you left the dock?
CA: We start every day with zero tuning and before arriving on the race field, we sail with the other competitors, changing the tuning according the sea and wind conditions.

AT: The fleet sets up very close to the line, making starting difficult. How did you approach the starts?
CA: Branko (Brcin, Tactician) placed us in a perfect area of the start line every time and as you know, is not easy to stay there perfectly any time because the other competitors are very good. On average, we went where we wanted.

AT: With so many races in a regatta, it is difficult to be consistent. Did you make any decisions on regatta/race management to reduce risk for the entire event?
CA: For me, is more important to do a lot of good placing rather than win a single race; it is the final result that matters.

AT: Downwind – how do you decide when to plane and when to sail low?
CA: The edge is around 15th knots.

AT: What weight are you sailing at?
CA: We were too heavy right now (350kg). In fact, we are more heavy than last year by 20 kilos! It’s important for us to reduce it to around 325kgs or less.

AT: What did you think of Key West?
CA: It was a great venue, with great competition; we cannot wait to sail again in Miami for Bacardi Race Week.”

In addition to this interview with Carlo, Allan has some additional commentary:

“One of the highlights of the week was the panel discussion on Tuesday Night ( please see YouTube video here http://youtu.be/gHvJKO55oF0 ). One of the strongest aspects about the J/70 class is that everyone is willing to share and help each other out and grow the sport. There were also many opportunities to learn from class experts as well as great coaches, like Ed Adams and Ed Baird, who shared their knowledge throughout the week.

I was fortunate to sail with Bob Hughes on HEARTBREAKER for the week. Looking back, here are a few things that I took away from the event:

- We started out the week with light to moderate air. This put a premium on weight placement in the boat and sail trim. As the breeze went up and down it was critical to adjust the sheets to keep the boat tracking through the chop and to keep the boat at the proper heel angle to stay powered up. If you got too flat, the boat would stall; if you were too heeled, you would slide. It took a lot of effort to keep it constant, but if you did, there were high rewards.

- Windy upwind: It felt much faster to sit with the weight a little bit aft to get the bow up over the waves.

- Downwind the last day, there were big gains to be made in the big breeze if you had space to let the boat rip. If you got caught in traffic and didn’t have the ability to steer where you wanted and keep the boat on a plane, you would lose out to the boats that had their own water.

Lastly, it was easy to see some boats had good days and some bad; the key to long events is being able to stay even and always keep working for points. The boats that were good at treating the event like the marathon that KWRW is, did the best.”

Speed + One-Design Excitement @ Key West

(Key West, Florida)- High-speed foiling catamarans, 72-foot Maxi yachts, and large classes of exciting sportboats are heading to the Florida Keys. Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 will once again showcase the full spectrum of sailboat racing amid the beautiful setting of aqua-colored waters and warm sunshine from January 18 to 23, 2015.

Many of the world’s best sailors will come to the Conch Republic for the 28th edition of Key West Race Week. For the fourth consecutive year, Quantum Sail Design Group will serve as title sponsor of the iconic event, which is organized by Premiere Racing.

“One important thing Key West has done for Quantum: It’s brought us closer to our clients,” said Farley Fontenot, a managing partner for Quantum Sails. “We are a company that wants to help sailors achieve their goals. A week in Key West gives our professionals a great opportunity to get out on the docks and interact directly with clients and do whatever possible to help them improve their boat’s performance.”

One-design racing continues to increase in popularity worldwide and there will be several strong classes at Key West. For the third straight year, the J/70 will be the largest class in Key West with a whopping forty-seven boats entered so far. Jud Smith (Africa- Marblehead, MA), Mauricio Santa Cruz (Bruschetta- Brazil) and Carlo Alberini (Calvi Network- Italy) are among many well-known skippers that will be competing this year.

In addition, Premiere Racing is thrilled to have a pair of J/Boat classes making one-design debuts at Race Week. To date, the J/111 has attracted seven boats while the J/88 has six on the scratch sheet.

Cleveland skipper Rob Ruhlman steered his J/111 SPACEMAN SPIFF to victory in PHRF 1 last year and is looking forward to one-design racing against other J/111s.

“I think it’s absolutely outstanding that we have a one-design start and we are very excited about the caliber of competition,” Ruhlman said. “It’s really a great class because the boats are so evenly matched.”

This will be the 13th Key West for Ruhlman, who is President/CEO of Preformed Line Products. Ruhlman started coming to the Conch Republic in 1994 with a Tripp 26 and has also raced a Mumm 36, Farr 40 and 1D35 in the regatta.

“It’s January and I get the heck out of Cleveland!” Ruhlman said when asked what he loves most about Key West. “Seriously, the whole event is just fantastic. I think the format has greatly improved over the years. Not much has changed on the water- - the race management is still top-notch. However, some of the off-water tweaks the organizers have made over the years have been for the better. There is a sense of camaraderie at Key West that you don’t find at other big events.”

Chelsea Clock is providing their classic “Shipstrike Clocks” for the “Boat of the Day” trophies!  Event Sponsors include Title Sponsor Quantum Sails and Day Sponsors Lewmar (Official Marine Hardware), and Mount Gay® Rum (Official Rum). The Supporting Sponsors are B&G (Official Marine Electronics), Marlow Ropes (Official Rope), and Gaastra (Official Clothing and Footwear). Key West Race Week is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council. Sapporo USA is the Official Beer and Regatta Ginger Beer is the Official Ginger Beer.  For more 2015 Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Whether Ur Naughty or Nice, It's Not Too Late!!

Get The Perfect Gift For Your Favorite Sailors!
(Newport, RI)- HOT Off the Press!  Order your J/Calendar 2015 now!  There’s still enough time to fill stockings or toss some gifts under the tree for your favorite sailors!

For 2015, we have created another beautiful calendar for J sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world.  Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places.

The 2015 sailing calendar features photos of J/70s flying off Monte Carlo & Lake Garda; J/24s dueling off Sweden, Newport & Seattle; surrealistic J/80s off Santander, Spain; J/120s gliding off San Diego; J/111s serenely sailing on the Solent; J/22s sailing off the Netherlands; and other gorgeous images of J/105s and J/122.  A great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew (see gallery here). Order your 2015 J/Calendar today here!

J/70 Key West Photo- Top Twenty Finalist- Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award 2014!

(Barcelona, Spain)-Thanks to all J/Sailors worldwide for your support! This competition is open to professional photographers from all over the world. Its goal is to pay tribute to their work, to provide them with a promotional platform and to help promote the sport of sailing to a wider audience.  No less than 120 racing photographers from all over the world submitted photographs of their choice for the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award 2014.

The votes are now closed and the top 20 pictures– chosen by the public– are presented in this gallery, including Sharon Green’s (Ultimate Sailing.com) photo of the J/70’s starting in storm conditions off Key West in January 2014. See this photo here.

Two prizes will be awarded on December 11, in Barcelona, during the World Yacht Racing Forum:

1. The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image (main prize)- selected by an international, independent jury consisting of Carlo Croce (ISAF President, ITA), Ken Read (North Sails Group President, USA), Karin Bäcklund (Volvo Ocean Race Commercial Director / Volvo Cars Sponsorship Director, SWE), Antonio Palma (Partner and CEO of Mirabaud, SUI) and Abner Kingman (Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award winner 2013, USA),
2. The Prize of the Public- with the winner selected by delegates attending the World Yacht Racing Forum from the top twenty photos.

Learn more about the Mirabaud Yacht Racing image award here.