J/70 Crushes Hot Rum Class 4

J/105 Flies To Class 3 Win
(San Diego, CA)- The last major San Diego YC racing event came to a close on the first day of December with the final of three races in the Hot Rum Series. The fleet of 130 boats in 6 classes enjoyed gorgeous sunny, warm "winter" sailing conditions on the 11.9 nm  pursuit race course located off the majestic Point Loma.

Race 1 was simple enough with nice sun and a great wind, and the usual inquisitions and opinions over ratings.  The conditions favored the smaller sport boats and the early finish line looked a little like a J/105 regatta. But you know what they say about the Hot Rum, one "nice day", one "light day".

And so, the fleet experienced "the light day" for Race 2.  Sunny, yes, but very light winds.  There was enough breeze (6+ knots) to whisk everyone out to the half-way mark in the Roads, but the wind evaporated from there. The larger boats, that have 50+ feet of mast and sail up in the air, managed to make enough breeze to ghost to the finish.  A last little puff of wind just before the 1600 deadline brought the front of the other five fleets to the finish, but in total, only 57 of the registered 130 boats finished.  Several boats received ratings adjustments that reduced their handicaps (estimated their speed faster) at the start of Race 2, and after a protest hearing, those boats were given redress (RDG) of a time credit for that race and their ratings were returned to those posted for Race 1. The redress did not change any of the results.

And the last part of the saying about the weather for the Hot Rum says "one stormy day".  But despite the low clouds and rain through the night, a really nice day popped out of the clouds around 10 am.  At noon, fluffy white clouds with 10+ knots of wind got the race going in perfect Hot Rum conditions.

In the "big boat" Class 1, the J/125s were having a tough time against the 60-70 footers with their sky-scraping masts.  On the second race, the big rigs had their day, all finishing at the lead of the class and overall.  Amongst the J/125s, the top boat was essentially determined on a three-way tie-breaker!  Jim Madden's STARK RAVING MAD had a 25-11-5 for 41 pts to be top dog amongst the 125s.  Second was Viggo Torbenson's TIMESHAVER with a 12-15-14 also for 41 pts!  Third was Tim Fuller's RESOLUTE with a 15-13-13 for 42 pts.

Class 2 was made up of J/109s, J/120s and J/124s.  Leading the J's home was John Laun's J/120 CAPER, getting 2nd in class with a 1-9-2 for 12 pts, nearly taking the entire event had they sailed a slightly better second race!  Second J/120 was Mike Hatch's J-ALMIGHTY with a 12-7-4 for 23 pts and third J/120 was Chuck Nichols' famous CC RIDER with a 5-11-11 for 27 pts.  Amongst the J/124s, Seth Hall's MARISOL was the leader with a 21-15-9 for 45 pts, beating classmate Tom Barker sailing his boat, GOOD CALL.  Top J/109 was Rex Butler's JD followed by the Pikin/ Carter/ Bush trio on GERONIMO and third 109 home was Daylen Teren's GREAT BALLS OF FIRE.

As usual, the J/105 fleet gave everyone enormous headaches in Class 3.  Taking both the Class and J/105 honors was Sharon and Dennis Case sailing WINGS to a 4-3-1 scoreline for just 8 pts.  Second 105 home was Dave Vieregg's TRIPLE PLAY with a 2-5-4 tally for 11 pts.  Third was the Dagostino/ Fisher duo on VIGGEN with a 3-9-3 for 15 pts.

Making their mark in Class 4 were four J/70s-- three of which were sailed by sailmaker teams on boats provided by Jeff Brown's JK3 Yachts.  After the dust had cleared, the top dog amongst the 70s was Bruce Cooper sailing J/70 ULLMAN to a record of 1-2-3 for 6 pts, winning the 70s, winning Class 4 and getting 20th overall!  Pretty good show for their first time out in the Hot Rum.  Second 70 was J/70 QUANTUM with a 3-10-12 for 25 pts and third was Hugh Bennett sailing J/70 #31 to a 14-10-7 for 31 pts.

Class 5 had several of the J/Classics sailing.  Getting third overall was Mark Clements' J/24 BRIGADOON with a 4-3-6 record for 13 pts.  Finishing behind them was the J/22 GOOD ONE! sailed by Shala Lawrence and the J/24 IRIE sailed by Jeremy Miller.

Many thanks to Mount Gay Rum and San Diego Yacht Club and the Race Committee for their support of this hallmark event.  Mark you calendars now for next year's Hot Rum (Nov. 9, 23, Dec. 7)!  Sailing photo credits- Bob Betancourt and Bronny Daniels/ JOY Sailing.   For more San Diego YC Hot Rum sailing information

Epic J/80 Worlds Photos- 45% Off!

Outside Images Offers 45% Off Coupon
(Valencia, Spain)- From one of the more renowned yachting photographers in the world, Paul Todd and crew at Outside Images are offering a great deal to J/80 sailors worldwide, as well as any sailor that loves gorgeous photography!

The J/80 Worlds in Newport was an extraordinary event in 2010. The weather was unexpectedly epic with nearly seven straight days of "fresh to frightening" sailing conditions both off Brenton Reef and inside Narragansett Bay.  From wild planing shots, to boats leaping off ginormous waves in the Atlantic Ocean, the images are timeless and enjoyable for all.

At check-out, just enter the coupon code- J80-WorldsXmas - to get a 45% discount coupon for digital downloads- you can print them for personal use.  Please visit Outside Images J/80 photo gallery.

J/122 Sailing Fast- Wins Hamble Series!

J/111 J-DREAM & J/109 JAGERBOMB Take OD's
(Hamble, England)- Despite the combined efforts of a pessimistic forecast and ABP, who helpfully removed nearly all the racing marks in the Solent last week, boats racing in the final day of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series managed to squeeze in a race before the wind shut off completely.

Early morning saw 7-9 knots at the Bramble Bank and thick ice on decks. A short postponement accompanied a temporary lull in the breeze, but the race team was able to get all classes away in a 5-7 knot North-Westerly breeze and spring tide.  The flood tide meant that many classes were line shy in the light airs. After the start crews needed to keep their eyes out of the boat to locate areas of breeze - and to identify the large shifts, especially up the right hand side of the course.

Using inflatable marks instead of the missing racing marks, the race team set a series of windward-leeward courses, but were forced to shorten at the first leeward mark as the wind threatened to disappear completely. Nonetheless, some extremely close racing could be witnessed, even if it was in nerve-jangling slow motion. All in all, it was a beautiful day on the water, even if there was a lack of wind.

IRC 0 saw a closely fought series throughout the Winter Series and Dr Ivan Trotman's crew aboard their J/122 JOULOU hung on to their lead despite tallying a 5-4 in the last two races.  Their wonderful performance was attributed to good, solid sailing and avoiding enormous mistakes, something that plagued many of their competitors.  In the end, the JOLOU gang finished with just 13 pts total for the series, sufficient to win by four points!

Nick & Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE started out the series very strong, leading the event until the last three races.  At that point, the INDULJENCE team was having a tough go of it, collecting a 4-6-4 at the end to finish second overall in the competitive IRC 3 Class by just five points.  Their J class peers were two J/92s, neither of whom managed to sail the entire series.  However, when the J/92s were sailing, it was clear that David & John Taylor's J-RONIMO and Andy Howe's BLACKJACK were able to fire off top five finishes and give the leaders a run for the money.

Tony Mack's McFLY won the last race in the J/111 class, but it was David and Kirsty Apthorp's J-DREAM that took the top spot overall with just 13 pts.  Cornel Riklin's JITTERBUG from France sailed an excellent series to finish second overall with 15 pts-- they will be a tough team to beat come spring-time when the French host their famous SPI OUEST France Regatta in April!  In the end, Tony's McFLY sailed incredibly well whenever they showed up on the race track and took third in class.  For having sailed just 6 of 10 races, Tony and the gang averaged just 1.5 pts per race- three 1sts and three 2nds.

In the J/109s, Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX beat Paul Griffith's JAGERBOMB to take the day prize, but JAGERBOMB ended up taking the overall series by three points. Their nemesis all series long was Owain's team on JYNANN TONNYX, ultimately finishing second with 17 pts.  Finishing comfortably in third was David McLeman's OFFBEAT with 22 pts.  

Event Sailing Photographer Paul Wyeth took some brilliant photos of the entire Garmin Hamble Winter Series and many evocative images can be found on his website.   For more Hamble Winter Series sailing information

2013 J/Calendar- Perfect Sailing Gift!

For People Who Love Sailing- Enjoy 24x365!
(Newport, RI)- For 2013 we've 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 2013 sailing calendar features photos (pictured here) of a dramatic J/111 powering upwind off Newport; a fleet of J/24s off sunny Tampa; surrealistic scenes of J/80s off Santander, Spain and flying downwind off Marseilles, France; a fleet of J/120s rocking downwind under spinnakers on San Francisco Bay; J/70s flying along under spinnakers; J/22s starting in the Rocky Mountains; and a J/97, J/109 and J/122 sailing in sunny Solent conditions.  A great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew!    Order your 2013 J/Calendar today, click here

SALON NAUTIQUE PARIS- Dec 8-16

J/70, J/97 and J/111 on Display
(Paris, France)- One of the world's more spectacular sailboat shows starts this weekend.  J/Composites will be displaying the J/70, the J/97 and the "International J/111" at Stand J-62 Hall-1. Furthermore, J/Composites is hosting cocktails & hors'd'oeurves for J/111 owners and potential customers to review the 2013 European J/111 Circuit- please contact "Fred" at "info@jeurope.com".  Paris Show information.

Sailing J/80 Offshore Hawaii- Molokai Channel!

* Paradise could be sailing a J/80 offshore in Hawaii. This has to be one of the more enjoyable experiences one can have sailing anywhere on any boat.  Imagine blowing down the north shore of the Molokai Channel in 18-25 knot winds in clear blue water, whales jumping everywhere, dolphins playing in your wake and white breakers crashing down across your deck in 75 degree weather!  Here's a YouTube video of the J/80 CRUSADER sailing in the Molokai-- a nice video shot by Mike VanWoerkem-- they called this video "Crash avoided"! For good reason, check it out.  These guys are buddies of Bob Stephenson, US Navy SPAWAR Hawaii, who sails J/80s with his family, too-- his son starred in the last J/80 video off Hawaii!    Watch this Hawaiian J/80 sailing video here.

Chris Corlett- A Tribute

(Alameda, CA)- Rest in peace, dear friend Chris Corlett. Chris was a long-time J/Sailor and J/Dealer with Don Trask in J/Boats West for 15+ years and, recently, was working with Jeff Brown at JK3 Yachts in their Alameda, California location. Chris died in his sleep on November 23, 2012 in Alameda, CA.

The San Francisco sailing community has lost one of the best all-around sailors that have ever sailed the Bay. Chris was a kind and giving individual who loved his kids, sailing, and having fun on sailboats. His laugh was contagious and he was one of the most honest and forthright professional in the yachting industry.

Chris had an incredible sailing career that included multiple Big Boat Series wins in addition to great achievements on "Scarlett O'Hara" at SORC, Clipper Cup, and Admirals Cup amongst many others.

From the J/Community perspective, Chris was instrumental in developing several fleets in Northern California including the J/35 and J/105, the latter continuing to be one of the strongest one-design fleets ever in the history of San Francisco Bay sailing.

We at J/Boats and the larger J/Sailing community are sad to see him go.  Best wishes and condolences from all of us to the Corlett family and friends.

J/Boats @ South American Boat Shows

Peruvian Boat Show- Nov 29-Dec 2
Spring skiing!! How is this for an idea.  Since it's already after the peak winter season in the Andes, you can travel down to South America right now, get in some awesome spring skiing in Peru/ Chile/ Argentina and take a peek at the J/111 in Peru. 

Two J/70s will be arriving shortly, so you could enjoy some late spring/ early summer sailing in the Pacific or some gorgeous lakes in Peru-- how about Lake Titicaca? World's highest sailable lake?  Maybe a future J/70 South Americans or J/70 Worlds site?  Easy to trailer and ramp launch, even from exotic Miami Beach! 

For those adventurers, please be sure to contact German Fuchs in Lima, Peru at gfuchs@topsa.com.pe or ph# 511- 989-146-428.

PRIVATEER 3rd In Chairman's Cup Race

(Muscat, Oman)- The RORC recognized 230nm Bank of Beirut Chairman’s Cup Race came to a dramatic conclusion on Tuesday, 27th November. A 40-knot rain squall ripped through The Strait of Hormuz, just as the bulk of the IRC Racing fleet approached the finish line. Under pewter skies with thunder and lightening lighting up the steep mountain province of Musandam, it was an electrifying finish to the race. After three nights at sea, all of the yachts competing in the Bank of Beirut Chairman’s Cup Race are all accounted for and the feisty finale was in stark contrast to the majority of the race, where calm seas and gentle breeze had provided sublime sailing conditions for the best part of three days as teams competed for a total of $50,000 USD in prize-money generously donated by The Bank of Beirut.

For the J/92 team sailing PRIVATEER, the radical change in conditions cost them at least $10,000 USD in prize-money!  There was heartache for the Two-handed J/92 team from the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club- Matt Britton and Joel Bryant. The team had been in contention throughout but was caught out by the brutal windstorm within sight of the finish. Short-handed, they struggled to reduce sail and were forced to bear-away and run with the wind.  After sailing away from the finish, PRIVATEER lost precious minutes and the delay cost second place by just 20 minutes, in a race lasting over three days. However, their smart action in difficult conditions was recognized by the award of the Seamanship Prize for the race.

As it has in previous races, the decisive part of the race was the approach and negotiation of The Strait of Hormuz. In the 19th century, it was the location of a British repeater station used to send messages from London to Karachi. It was not an easy posting for the operators and is thought to be the origin of the term “go round the bend” with a reference to the heat making British officers desperate to return to civilization, which meant a voyage around the bend in the Strait of Hormuz.

After their second night at sea, the IRC Racing division was past the halfway point in the race. The fleet had enjoyed fast conditions in the early start of the race. However, going into the first night the wind dropped to just zephyrs and sailors were looking for pressure on the water by moonlight. During the second day, a light easterly breeze filled providing fast reaching angles under spinnaker.  At this time, after time correction it was clear Matt Britton’s J/92 PRIVATEER was very much in contention for overall honors. The tactical decision facing the teams in the morning was whether to sail the extra miles into shore in search of sea breeze or to remain offshore and use the south easterly gradient, which was expected to build to ten knots during the day, especially as the funnel effect of The Strait of Hormuz starts to kick in.  Plus, the weather models predicted rain coming in from the northwest by midnight, which could bring much heavier wind in the squalls. No matter which "road was taken" offshore, the teams would be sailing past some spectacular scenery in the northern most province of Oman with its lagoons, mountains & fjords, not to mention that Musandam itself was a spectacular setting for the finish of The Bank of Beirut Chairman’s Cup.   For more Bank of Beirut Chairman’s Cup sailing information

J/Boats @ Australian Boat Shows

For those in the lands Down Under, the current boatshow calendar indicates the J/70 and the J/111 will be on display at the Pittwater Sail Expo and the J/70 will be shown at the Melbourne Show.

For you J enthusiasts hoping to catch a glimpse of the latest, fastest, most fun boats to come out of the J/Design Studio in some time, please be sure to contact Ray Entwistle at YachtSpot at info@yachtspot.com.au for more information.

• Feb 3-5- Melbourne Boat Show- Melbourne, Victoria
• Mar 16-17- Pittwater Sail Expo- Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club