J Boats Leadership Award

At the annual J/44 awards party held at New York Yacht Club last month, Jim Bishop of New York, NY was presented the 2008 J Boats Leadership Award by Jeff Johnstone, president of J Boats.

“Behind every successful one-design there's a person that's the glue, the visionary, the life of the party,” said Johnstone. “Since 1989, Jim Bishop has been that person for the J/44 Class.”

Under Bishop’s presidency, the J/44 class achieved an unprecedented one-design start for the 1994 Bermuda Race and has continued the streak of continuous class starts through 2008. In the mid 90's, the J/44 class introduced an innovative sail-rotation program where the fleet buys class sails in bulk and rotates them between boats for the inshore buoy events, in order to reduce overall ownership costs and provide for very competitive racing.

“It’s been a real team effort,” said Bishop while accepting the award. “We have a great group of owners who are fully committed to the class. It doesn’t seem like a lot of work when you’re having as much fun as we do.”

The J/44 Class turns 20 in 2009.

Testimonial - Buying a New J/105

Chris & Carolyn Groobey have been racing their J/105 JAVA in the very competitive Annapolis fleet on Chesapeake Bay for over 10 years. Last summer, after reviewing all of their potential boat options, the Groobeys decided to trade in hull #58 for a new J/105. Sailing writer Carol Cronin recently spoke with Chris to get his take on the new boat and the continuing success and appeal of the J/105 class.

JB: What was the original inspiration for buying your first J/105?
Chris: I owned a Tripp 26 with a co-owner. We each got married and wanted a one design race boat that was dual purpose. Over the years the J/105 has turned into more of a full-on racing program for us, and now we travel with the boat to Key West and Block Island Race Week.

JB: What is it about the class and boat that you like most?
Chris: We’ve made friends around the country as a result of this boat. That’s why we chose to stay with the J/105 when it was time for a new boat. We looked at the Melges 32, but it was too pro heavy. We appreciate the sail limitations and limitations on pros in the J/105 class and really like that we don’t have to travel, as we have one design racing every weekend. For our season-ending regatta this weekend in Annapolis we have 22 boats signed up. The fleet’s still very strong, which is really amazing. Best of all, there’s a great bunch of people in the fleet and we all like each other.

JB: Why buy a new J/105?
Chris: It’s our old boat with a new car smell. Our old boat was built in 1993, and it was time to move to a new boat anyway. J/Boats started talking about a new boat from a new builder, and they asked current owners for ideas about what options should be standard, etc. I was involved from the beginning, and we were certainly aware of US Watercraft’s reputation and confident we were going to get a great boat. So even though we’d never seen one, we were confident enough to make the commitment. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the high build quality.

JB: How long have you had it, and how much have you sailed it?
Chris: The boat was delivered in early September. We’ve been racing every weekend since then except the Annapolis Boat Show, where the boat was on display. The switch from the wheel to tiller has created a little bit of a learning curve, as I haven’t steered with a tiller for 10 years!

JB: Tell us a little about your team/crew.
Chris: The core crew is Carolyn and me and friends we’ve sailed with for years. Peter Scott and I have raced together for fifteen years. Linda Ambrose, another great friend, is a regular. In our local Fleet 3 we have a head count rule in addition to weight rule that allows for four men and two women. That’s an attractive family friendly rule that other fleets are considering. We’ve never sailed with pros.

JB: What was your best finish in the old boat?
Chris: Our goal at Key West was always the top ten, and we made it once. Usually we finish in the low teens. In recent years we’ve been sailing less since our lives have been crazy, and other programs have become more serious so they’ve passed us by. Goals with the new boat are similar: top five for local high point. We hope to sail Key West next year, and finish in the top third. One nice thing about the new boat is that it’s raised our excitement level again.

JB: Anything you’d like to add?
Chris: Please put in a good word for US Watercraft, and especially Ken Comerford of Northpoint Yacht Sales, the J dealer in Annapolis. Everyone was extraordinarily helpful in getting our boat up to speed, and it was a great buying experience.

J/105 website

J/80 One-Design Racing in China

Eight teams from eight countries participated last week in the first International J/80 Invitational Regatta in Xiamen, China hosted by J Boats Asia and J World Xiamen. This marked the first ever J/80 one-design event in the Pacific Rim.

Team Belgium captained by Barry Hayes and skippered by China’s Olympic Yngling skipper Song Xia Qun won the five race no-throw out series over Team Hong Kong, Team Singapore and Team USA. Other countries included Philippines, France, China, Taiwan, and Australia. Sailors enjoyed the use of brand new J/80s right off the production line of J Boats’ new Asian builder, Hudson Yacht Industries of Xiamen. Jeff Johnstone of J Boats was on hand to measure boats and run the sailors (most of whom were new to the J/80) through a pre-regatta speed clinic.

“We couldn’t be happier with the turnout and the high quality of the competition,” said Jeff Brown, president of J Boats Asia and the event chairman. “Xiamen is a beautiful sailing venue and the perfect location to launch a new J World sailing school (pictured to the right) and the J/80 Asian class. We look forward to welcoming new students when the school officially opens in 60 days and to hosting even bigger J/80 events in the future.” Results & Info

Chestress 2 Wins Middle Sea Race

Giancarlo Ghislanzoni and his J/133 team scored a victory in Class 3 and a second place Overall in the 2008 Rolex Middle Sea Race recently completed in Malta. This race around the Island of Sicily dealt ever changing conditions this year, including code 0 reaching, 3.5 knot head currents, light air running, 300nm beat upwind in a short chop with breeze and tons of thurderstorms... Giancarlo reports:

"We made it!... We raced every minute as if we were sailing around the cans, fighting for the overall podium and trying to defend from the rest of the class, who were recuperating under more favorable winds. In the end it is a result that we could only dream of. After the 4th overall at the 2006 Giraglia and first overall in the 2007 and 2008 Tre Golfi, the two other main off-shore regattas, our beloved J-133 and her blue asymmetrics are becoming quite known in the Med." results. Congratulations to the entire Chrestress crew for a great race and season!

Introducing Two New J/s for 2009!

The new J/95 (31.2') not only sails in as little as 3' of water, it will sail circles around other modern "pretty" retro-daysailors, all the while in complete comfort and control. Standard carbon mast, retracting centerboard, wheel steering, optional cockpit dodger, removable transom storage and many more unique features will set this new J/apart. It's a boat that solves the problem of draft for many waterfront home owners to extend immediate access to keelboat sailing and fun right from the backyard dock! We've posted some info here at the J/95 web site. For the most up to date information contact your J/dealer, or visit us at the Fall boatshows.

Across the Atlantic another new J/Boat is under development for debut at the 2008 Paris Boatshow. The J/97 (31.6') is the first J in over two decades under 32' to combine 6' headroom and family cruising accommodations in a high performance, easily driven hull. With the handling ease of an asymmetric spinnaker and non-overlapping headsails, the J/97 promises to be one of J Boats' most versatile designs yet under 35' to fit the needs of today's sailing families, both young and old alike. More info for the new J/97 is posted here and we'll have more to share at the boatshow as well.

With fuel prices through the roof and the unused family motor boat becoming more like a permanent extension of the dock, now is a great time to go J/sailing!

J/122 is RORC Yacht of the Year

Philippe Delaporte’s PEN AZEN was recently named the 2008 Yacht of the Year by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Delaporte was recognized for his ‘outstanding racing achievement… and in particular for his sportsmanlike approach, Corinthian spirit and the support he has shown his fellow competitors.’ What a great way to cap off a second straight winning season.

Delaporte, a multiple J owner who helped launch the J/80 class in France, sent the following email report:

“This year was very good for us. We just finished the RORC season and we are more than happy with the results. We won the season’s overall, our class and a total of 6 annual RORC trophies:
- Best Overall IRC
- Best IRC 1
- Best Overseas Yacht
- Best Series-produced Yacht
- Special trophies for events 3 and 4

We raced 9 regattas including 2 long distance races from Cowes to Madeira and back that are 1,480 miles each. Both of them with strong winds. On the way to Madeira we got 30 knots upwind with gusts up to 46 knots during 3 days. 5 boats only arrived and we win overall. We won our class 7 times and finished second the 2 others. In short a full success. Pen Azen has now sailed 11,000 miles and we are very happy with her.” RORC site

J/122 Repeats at Rolex Big Boat Series

Dave Kirby of Manhattan Beach, CA sailed his J/122 TKO to a second straight win at the Rolex Big Boat Series hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. Racing in IRC C division, TKO notched 5 bullets in 7 races, finishing 9 points clear of a custom Wylie 42, followed by a Sydney 38 and Tim Fuller’s J/122 RESOLUTE. The J/122 continues to demonstrate her racing versatility with impressive results in light air, heavy air, inshore and offshore venues.

On the heels of just hosting the 2008 J/105 North American Championship three weeks earlier, the J/105 fleet fielded another 30+ boat fleet and Phil Perkins aboard GOOD TIMIN’ took the title followed by Tim Russell's AQUAVIT (Belvedere, CA) and Scooter Simmons (Belvedere, CA) on BLACKHAWK. The SF Bay J/120 fleet also saw competitive one-design action with Barry Lewis (San Francisco) on CHANCE edging out Steve Madeira's MR. MAGOO for the victory.

At the closing ceremony it was announced that US-IRC selected St. Francis Yacht Club's Rolex Big Boat Series for 2009 IRC National Championship to be held September 11-14. Event website

New J/105 Champion Crowned

Scott Sellers and his crew on DONKEY JACK emerged victorious at the 2008 J/105 North American Championship held recently on San Francisco Bay. With 5 bullets, two 2nds, two 3rds, and a 7th, Sellers along with crewmembers Rolf Kaiser, Eric Ryan, Geoff McDonald, Cam Geer and Ted Conrads managed a 23 point victory over GOOD TIMIN (Dave Wilson/Chris Perkins) who finished 2nd. St. Francis Yacht Club played host for the highly competitive 36 boat fleet and managed 10 championship races over 4 memorable days. Even the I-flags and 2 mile beats couldn’t prevent the 15-20 boat simultaneous mark roundings seen in several of the races. San Francisco Bay delivered a glorious final day of racing with the starting line off the west face of Alcatraz and the fleet racing along the famous city front.

Rounding out the top five were Tim Russell on AQUAVIT followed by BLACKHAWK (Scooter Simmons) and RHYMENOCEROUS (John Horsch). For 2009, the North Americans moves east with the event scheduled for October 29-November 1 at the American Yacht Club in Rye, NY. Results

J/44 wins NORT honors

After finishing 2nd in class and 6th in fleet in the Stamford Vineyard Race last week, Lenny Sitar’s J-44 VAMP was named the overall winner of the 2008 Northern Ocean Racing Trophy presented by Stamford Yacht Club. VAMP is the first J Boat to win this prestigious trophy, based on a series of grueling races that has historically been dominated by larger boats with names like BLUE YANKEE, BRIGHT STAR, CARRERA, etc.

For 2008, the NOR Trophy was based on combined results under IRC in the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race, Newport-Bermuda Race, Around Long Island Race, Ida Lewis Distance Race and the Stamford Yacht Club’s Vineyard Race. VAMP won her class in the Block Island Race and Newport to Bermuda and was 2nd in class in each of the other events. With 20 years experience racing in the competitive J/44 class and the 2007 Long Island Sound Distance Racing trophy (Windigo Cup) under her belt, VAMP and her seasoned team were dialed in!

VAMP tactician A.J. Evans attributed their success to great crew chemistry as well as little things, like “no freeze dried meals….breakfast served all day!”

We’re pleased to congratulate the entire VAMP team of: Lenny Sitar, A. J. Evans, Skip Smith, Lynden Kibler, Tom Colucci, Doug Lanthier, Brian Purdy, Jason Braunstein, Neil McLaughlin, Nate Fast, Bill Sitar as well as Bjorn Johnson, Adolf Haffenreffer, Kit Will, Gary Martin, and Alex DeWitt for a job well done!

Fisher wins 2008 J/22 Worlds

Rochester, New York . . . . Greg Fisher of Annapolis, MD prevailed over 103 other J/22 teams from around the globe at the J/22 World Championship in Rochester, NY. Sailing with wife JoAnn, Jeff Eiber and Sarah Paisley, Fisher finished 17 points ahead of Anthony Kotoun of the Virgin Islands and 30 points ahead of Phil Wehrheim of Rochester, NY who finished third. Fisher was also the victor at last year’s J/22 North American Championship.

“It was such a thrill to be able to win a huge regatta with 104 boats and great sailors from other countries,” Fisher beamed. Multiple nations were represented at the championship, including the Netherlands, South Africa, France, the Virgin Islands, Canada and the United States.

Racing began on August 20 and concluded Sunday with variable breezes of 5 to 10 knots. The Rochester Yacht Club did a stellar job of getting 10 races completed over a five day period, and all this with 104 boats starting together on one line. Rounding out the top ten were: 1) Greg Fisher, 2) Anthony Kotoun, 3) Phil Wehrheim, 4) Chris Doyle, 5) Bill Hardesty, 6) Peter McChesney, 7) Jim Barnash, 8) Todd Hiller, 9) Rob Johnston and 10) Allan Terhune, Jr.

Visit www.myyc.org/j22worlds for complete results.