Camaraderie + Perseverance Keys @ N2E Race

Anyone Seen The Amazing “Blue Flash”!?
(Ensenada, Mexico)- The 68th annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race saw over 200 boats hit the starting line on April 24 around noon in less than ideal conditions.

Hosted by the Newport Ocean Racing Association, the beloved N2E is an eclectic mix of serious sailors campaigning multi-million dollar yachts racing alongside recreational cruisers.  As a result, there’s no putting a damper on the attitude of competitors; camaraderie and the spirit of competition trumps lofty winds and rogue showers every time. Via the challenges of this race however, we learned it can be rewarding to get swept away with your family; it is OK to get off to a bad start, teenagers cure doldrums and look to the horizon for brighter days!

Speaking of young sailors, Scott Grealish credits his 16-year-old son for their J/88 BLUEFLASH winning the Gil Knudson Trophy for Best Corrected Time in PHRF D Class. In their first N2E and second ocean race ever, Grealish said his son, a champion dinghy racer, was the one on deck who pulled the J/88 out of the doldrums. Although Grealish lives in Oregon, he keeps BLUEFLASH in San Diego. He decided to race N2E because it was appropriate for his 29-foot boat and because of N2E’s rich history.

The J/120 Class had seven boats with many of the top boats from the SoCal region racing.  After some close, spirited sailing in drifty conditions at the beginning, the choice was going out or staying in along the shore.  Some tried both.  After much gnashing of teeth, it was Mike Hatch’s J-ALMIGHTY crew that persevered in the end with an elapsed time of 24:47:37, just 6 minutes faster than Rudolph Hasl’s HASL FREE.  Taking 3rd was John Laun’s CAPER another 12 minutes back, followed by Peter Bretschger’s ADIOS in 4th and Tom & Terri Manok’s POLE DANCER in 5th.

The seventeen boat PHRF A class had the hottest California offshore boats in the 40-60 foot range.  Top dog amongst the J teams was Viggo Torbensen’s J/125 TIMESHAVER in third place.  Sailing one of their best offshore races in awhile was Carolyn Parks’ magnificent bright red J/145 RADIO FLYER, just 9 minutes back from TIMESHAVER.  Taking 8th in class was Mark Surber’s J/125 DERIVATIVE.  Winning bragging rights amongst the J/160 fast cruiser-racers was John Lyon’s INNOCENT MERRIMENT over Paul Margis’ INDIGO.

Having a duel for nearly the entire race in the fourteen-boat PHRF B class were two fast-reaching J’s.  Crossing the line first and also taking handicap was John Raymont’s J/122 T.K.O. over Seth Hall’s J/124 MARISOL, earning 6th and 7th in class, respectively.

The ten-boat PHRF D class got “flashed” by Grealish’s numbingly fast J/88 BLUEFLASH. Jack Mayer’s J/109 ZEPHYR was the only 109 to persevere for the entire endurance contest and took a well-deserved third in class.  The lone J in the 15-boat PHRF E class was Juan Lois’ J/105 ROCINANTE, taking a hard-fought third overall in class.

Keith Magnussen from Ullman Sails Newport Beach sailed aboard Viggo Torbensen’s J/125 TIMESHAVER.  Here is K-Mags’ report on his experience:

“Every year hundreds of boats leave Newport Beach on a Friday afternoon in full view of thousands of people along the shoreline who admire and question what is actually going on.  Contrary to what most sailors think, not a lot of people really pay attention to, or know what sailboat racing is all about, much less what going on an adventure like this entails.  At Just Go And Sail, we strive to bring you the real story without the boring technical stuff.

2015 was a highly anticipated year for the N2E.  Entries are increasing and sailing is gaining popularity amongst the general public so organizers were gearing up for the "best" Ensenada ever.  Only problem was no one told the wind God's!

The chosen ride for this race is the J-125 Timeshaver.  Owner, Viggo Torbensen, stresses competitive racing but at the same time a good fun atmosphere.  Sailing programs vary from boat to boat so it is important to feel out each team and understand their respective vibe.  There is nothing worse than being on a boat for an extended period of time with people whom are not enjoyable to be around.  We are lucky to race on a boat that requires a sailor to be good yet remember the main goal is fun and adventure.

A week of build up makes everyone involved in the race excited about the prospect of sailing down the coast and into another country.  First timers and veterans alike are always thrilled upon crossing the San Diego border.  Most people admire the beauty of a sailboat going through the water and when the Pacific is littered with hundreds of boats, it can make for some spectacular scenery.   This year did not disappoint as you can tell by this picture snapped just after the first start.

People always want to know what we do on the boat, where we sleep, what we eat and do we stop at night (especially interesting question when asked about the Transpac).  Just Go And Sail tells the story of what the racing is like.  What we feel, what we do and how we handle certain situation.

First off all we do not stop racing at night and have a few beers and light up the B-B-Q.  We put that myth to bed once and for all.  We sleep in tiny little bunks and eat freeze-dried food.  Some of the larger boats have decent meals and larger sleeping quarters but the average race boat is like camping while you are moving.  It is a close encounter with your crewmates and can

Starting amongst a few hundred boats only gives you a few lanes of clear traffic as you try to maximize your speed in order to get away from the light southern California coastline.  2015 was a tough year to do that.  In fact, they were still only abeam of us when we passed Dana Point, which happened to be at four in the afternoon.  Yes, this was my slowest N2E at this point.

Dana Point for me is iconic.  Living here for so long and understanding the history of this little port made me really appreciate and respect my surroundings.  It was almost sad watching it slowly fade from the horizon as the wind gently filled in.  Discussions about quitting were constant until we came together and decided to push through.  Freddy was not too pleased and decided he needed a nap at that point.  Sounded like a good idea to me but I was in it now.

What is it like sailing in this type of breeze?  It is extremely excruciating and taxing.  You need to really focus and shift gears with the slightest wind shift or velocity change.  It takes commitment and I know the good boats are committed.

Sunset came and we had still not breached the Mexican border.  When we did the wind finally came up a bit.  At this stage, we were headsail reaching with the genoa staysail.  Good combination since it was too tight for the Code 0.  When the wind finally shifted, we were just past the southern Coronado Island.  We put up a reaching spinnaker and were now doing ten plus knots right at Ensenada.  Now it is a drag race.

What did we do for the last five hours?   Sailed hard, made sail changes and packed sails.  I had the guys taking bearings of the boats around us and we figured we were in good company.

Morning comes and now is the chance to see what is really going on.  The Santa Cruz 52 Relentless and Javelin (Farr 49) were right there with us.  Being around boats that owe you a lot of time is usually a good thing right?  We will take it as a good omen at this point.  The fun part about this is that my good friends are on Relentless and we get to cross just in front making some fun gestures.

We pushed to the finish line making a few more spinnaker changes.  Finishing this one was great.  Only thing that ruined it was getting in and finding our good friends on Horizon had beaten us and won overall.  Just kidding.  Erik Shampain is a close friend and it is always a rivalry that keeps us motivated.  Great job to the team!

Ensenada is a great place to visit.  From fantastic restaurants to the wine country tours, there is something for everyone.  I highly recommend the taco place next to the legendary Hussong's Cantina.  Everything is good.  Take your time and adventure around, you will not regret it.

My time was spent winding down from not sleeping and enjoying a good meal.  Hearing the stories around town is an interesting experience.  Everyone comes away with a life changing moment or a harrowing tale.  Keep in mind I am talking to the bulk of racers who look forward to this race and spend time in the town.  There are the boats that turn and burn, the professionals who vacate immediately but the core of the racers stay to extend their experience.  The big boats might get the spotlight but the other guys make the race!”   Sailing photo credits- Rockskipper Photography   For more Newport to Ensenada Race sailing information

L’ELAGAIN Leads J/70 ALCATEL OneTouch Series

(San Remo, Italy)- The kick-off stage for the J/70 Italian Open National Championship featured thirty high performance J/70s from 3 different countries. Despite some spring weather tantrums over the weekend, the Alcatel OneTouch J/70 Italian Nationals Series turned out to be a tremendous success, all made possible by the great organization of the local YC San Remo and partner Gill.  The fleet enjoyed all types of wind conditions, including the last three races with solid breeze where the J/70 offered a great show of power, easy handling, stability & fun.

It was Alessio Marinelli on UJI UJI along with tactician Sandro Iseri who won the second stage of the Italian circuit in San Remo.  Tied with equal points in second place was Franco Solerio's L’ELEGAIN with Daniele Cassinari calling tactics. Monaco's duo of Guido Miani and Massimo Benussi on ANGE TRANPARENT finished out the podium in third.

Saturday's opening day brought very light wind that made races very tactical and produced some tough match-ups. There was a tightly fought duel between Solerio and Marinelli, the latter winning both races by a whisker. Similarly, on the first and second race, ANGE TRANPARENT and Luca Domenici's NOTARO Team took third and fourth, respectively.

On the second day, more favorable winds opened the door for a highly-competitive final day of action.  Taking advantage of the great sailing conditions was the reigning Italian and European J/70 champion Carlo Alberini's CALVI NETWORK, with Branko Brcin calling tactics.  They won two of the last three heats, while Solerio's L’ELEGAIN took his first win in the penultimate race.

In the end, consistency paid off and team L’ELEGAIN has taken the lead in the overall series after the second stage of the J/70 Alcatel OneTouch Italian Trophy.  Nevertheless, the level of high performance racing embodied by top J/70 teams such as CALVI NETWORK and Swedish Ingemar Sunsted's ROCAD RACING promises a very intense battle in the class with three more rather interesting stages to follow- - - everyone still has a chance to win!

The competition has been very tight in every race.  In fact, about 60% of the whole fleet are finishing races within 60 seconds of the lead boats!  Such compact, close racing makes for fun sailing and puts a premium on good boat-handling and steady, not-so-risky strategies.

Keeping it close for everyone with both class support and ensuring all boats conform to J/70 International Class rules has been Paolo Boido’s team at J/Boats Italy.  In particular, they’re making sure all boats are measured at minimum weights and people adhere strictly to the “hiking rules” (e.g. no, no touchy touchy those ankles!).  As a result, the J/70 is one of the few classes in Italy (as well as Europe) that have very strong Corinthian owner/drivers that are competing at the top of the class.

The next stage of the J/70 ALCATEL ONETOUCH ITALIAN TROPHY will be held once again in Sanremo on May 16-17 before moving towards Cervia (June 12-14) and Riva del Garda (September 12-19).

J/70 ALCATEL ONETOUCH ITALIAN TROPHY top five leaderboard is the following:

• 1. L’ELEGAIN- Franco Solerio (ITA)- 24 points
• 2. NOTARO Team- Luca Domenici (ITA)- 29 points
• 3. ROCAD RACING- Ingemar Sunstedt (SWE)- 40 points
• 4. ANGE TRANPARENT- Guido Miani (MON)- 40 points
• 5. UJI UJI- Alessio Marinelli (ITA)- 45 points

For more Italian J/70 sailing information

Come Sailing Lake Pleasant- Phoenix, AZ!

(Phoenix, AZ)- Victor Felice, owner of the J/24 MERMAID RESCUE that sails on Lake Pleasant in Phoenix, Arizona invites all J sailors to join them anytime they come through Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport.  Said Victor,

“This May, barring some unforeseen fierce write-in campaign, I will be the Rear Commodore of the Arizona Yacht Club. Chris Smith (J/80) fills that position now and he will become the new Commodore. At last count, I know of 1 J/22, 3 J/24’s, 1 J/27, 2 J/80’s and a J/105 on Lake Pleasant. We’re having a great time together with our little J sailing community!

This season we have had an interesting mix of speakers, most of whom you probably know – Stephanie Roble, Sharon Green, John Sangmeister (1987 America’s Cup; Tritium Racing), Jeanne Socrates (solo circumnavigator), Tom Ehman (Golden Gate Yacht Club), Peter Nichols (Author, A Voyage for Madmen; Sea Change; Evolution’s Captain, among others), Rod Favela (Vela Sailing Supply) and Keith Magnussen (Ullman Sails Newport Beach).  Tom Leweck, the founder of Sailing Scuttlebutt, is going to speak at our meeting next month. Previous speakers have included Annie Gardner, Anna Tunnicliffe, Andrew Campbell, and Peter Isler.

Here’s the info about meetings for any and all you J sailors. They are the second Tuesday of the month from June through November and then February through April and held in Tempe, which is a few minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. We are quite an adventurous bunch and you’all would truly enjoy the desert experience. We can even go sail on Lake Pleasant if your schedule allows.  Please drop us a line anytime!  Best, Victor.”  Victor's contacts are: ph- +1.480.577.4007/ www.mermaidrescue.us/ victor.felice@mermaidrescue.us

Palmavela Preview

(Palma Mallorca, Spain)- The Gaastra PalmaVela regatta will celebrate its twelfth edition with a multi-coloured fleet, consolidating its international status as the Mediterranean’s first big boat sailing event of the season.  117 boats from 16 different nationalities will be hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, where flags will be flown from Germany, Antigua, Spain, France, Holland, Hong Kong, England, Ireland, British Virgin Islands, Italy, Monaco, Portugal, Russian, Switzerland, Sweden and the United States.

The Gaastra PalmaVela Regatta was first held in 2004 as an ambitious project to “convert Palma into the Mediterranean capital of sailing”, explains Manuel Fraga. Eleven years later, the regatta has established itself as the principal kick-off event of the offshore keelboat season in the Mediterranean.

“The key word is adaptation”, adds Fraga, “There are a lot of regattas on the calendar, but in the last decade Gaastra PalmaVela has managed to continue filling the spectacular Bay of Palma de Mallorca with boats and sails in springtime”.

The racing programme of Gaastra PalmaVela 2015 will alternate coastal racing with windward/leeward races throughout the four days. J sailors will be participating in J/80 one-designs as well as in the ORC handicap classes.

A number of top Spanish and German teams are sailing as part of their preparations for the upcoming J/80 World Championship in Kiel, Germany.  Champion sailors like Marc de Antonio from Barcelona will be skippering BRIBON-MOVISTAR and his team will be up against fierce competitors like Javier Chacartegui Cirerol on HM HOTELS, Sebastian Allebrodt on MNEMONIC and World Champion Jose Marie van der Ploeg on NAUTICA WATCHES.  One Swedish team will be on the line- Tom Bscher’s OPERA SEASON- TEAM RCNP.  And, two German teams should be in the hunt as well- Dirk Euler’s LIMMAT EXPRESS and Inken Braunschmidt’s JOY TOY.

The large ORC Offshore Division will have to contend with Juan Carlos Sanchis’ J/92S CAFE DEL MAR from CNS Antonio.  For more Gaastra Palmavela sailing information

J Sailors Foiling St Barths- Caribbean!

(Gustavia, St Barthelemy)- While there were a number of J/Boats sailing in the Voiles de St Barth’s last weekend, a number of J sailors were also sailing aboard other boats and having a combination of ethereal as well as hair-raising experiences.

For starters, on the Gunboat 62 ELVIS was Steve Cucchiaro (J/105 North American champion strategist), Cam Lewis, Jack Slattery, Mark Laura, Brian Thomas and Dru Slattery- all avid J/Boats sailors over the years having fun cat racing in the Caribbean.

Similarly, long-time J/105 and J/70 owner Chris and Carolyn Groobey were sailing the Gunboat 55 TOCCATA in the same class with Stu & Julia Johnstone aboard.  Here’s a nice sailing video of her by ace Spanish photographer Jesus Renedo: https://vimeo.com/125166259.

Finally, Stu’s brother Peter J. was sailing the brand new Gunboat G4 TIMBALERO III (40 footer) and learned their limits of sailing a performance cruising foiling catamaran on the final day of Les Voiles de St Barth- check out the sailing video here: https://vimeo.com/125378004

Yachting Cup Preview

(San Diego, California)- For sailors, springtime in San Diego can only mean one thing. While the rest of the country enjoys warmer weather and blossoming wildlife, the sailing community is training and strategizing for Yachting Cup, the premiere spring regatta of the San Diego Yacht Club.  2015 marks the 43rd running of the Yachting Cup Regatta, SDYC’s signature event. Again, this year is the expanded two and a half day format that combines both random leg racing with windward leeward buoy courses that will truly test the competitors.

The regatta kicks off on Friday, May 1st with a single ‘Beer Can style’ race in San Diego Bay to be held at 4:00 in the afternoon. For those who missed the Friday race, a throwout is allowed for the regatta, keeping them in the running. Following the race are the first day of parties at SDYC with the exclusive ‘Skippers/Tacticians VIP Party’ held in the Frost Room while the open invite ‘Crew Party’ will be held on the front deck of the club. Free food and complimentary drinks will be featured at the parties so they are sure to be a big hit!

Saturday and Sunday will once again feature windward/leeward courses held in multiple venues in the ocean off the coast of San Diego. With steady breeze and open water, good boat speed and steady crew work will be what wins the event. Eight races are scheduled for the weekend, combined with after race parties at SDYC each day, skippers and crew are guaranteed to get plenty of excitement. There will be a trophy ceremony following racing on Sunday with class awards and the overall winner of the regatta crowned.

Part of the success of Yachting Cup could be attributed to its ideal placement on the calendar the weekend after the Newport to Ensenada Race. SDYC capitalized on that opportunity by offering registered Yachting Cup competitors free mooring at SDYC starting the weekend prior and going all the way through the regatta. This means boats traveling back north from Mexico can take a pit stop in San Diego, enjoy the racing and hospitality, free slip space on the docks all week and then continue on north.

Seventy-two of the sport’s most enthusiastic sailors have already signed up to compete in the signature regatta.  The 2014 Yachting Cup Champion Rick Goebel is registered and ready to defend his championship title in the J/105 class. However, he is faced with a long list of past champions ready to take back the title, including 2013 champion Tim Fuller on the J/125 RESOLUTE and 2012 champion John Laun sailing in the J/120 class.

Not surprisingly, the J/70s have the largest fleet at the regatta with a million boats sailing.  For many teams, it’s a continuing quest to prepare for this summer’s J/70 North Americans being hosted by San Diego YC.  Some of those top sailing teams include Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS, Justin Kromelow’s LOOSE LUCY, Karl Pomeroy’s ZERO TO 60, Vince Brun’s BLISS, Tom Garrett’s SLOOP JOHN B, Eric Kownacki / Tom Jenkins’ DFZ, Beverly Burr’s VIVACE, and Dave Vieregg’s SOGGY DOLLAR.

Enjoying one of their best turnouts in a blue moon is the popular offshore cruiser-racer- the J/120s.  Most of the top Southern California teams will be pushing the starting line hard, such as Chuck Nichols’ CC RIDER, Rudolph Hasl’s HASL FREE, Gary Winton’s SHENANIGANS, Tom & Teri Manok’s POLE DANCER, Peter Bretschger’s ADIOS, Peter Zarcades’ MELTEMI, Ernie Pennell’s MADMEN, John Snook’s JIM, Mike Hatch’s J-ALMIGHTY, and Eric Axford’s CAPER.

Never to shy away from a good battle are the veterans in the J/105 class in SoCal.  Familiar leaders in the class will be at it again with familiar names like Tom Hurlburt’s BLOWBOAT, Dag Fish’s VIGGEN, Dennis Case’s WINGS, Rick Goebel’s SANITY, Steve & Lucy Howell’s BLINK!, and Jon Dekker’s AIRBOSS.

For one of their best collection of teams seen in recent events, the J/109s from across SoCal have gathered together for some fun in Sunny Diego.  With a number of them fielding updated crews and sails, it’s going to be hard to handicap this crowd.  So, it’s your pick from the following crews- Alice Leahey’s GRACE O’MALLEY, Tom Brott’s ELECTRA, Gene Pitkin’s GERONIMO, Daylen Teren’s GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, and John Schulz’s LINSTAR.

The longest-distance traveling crew from San Diego YC might be Curt Johnson’s team aboard the J/80 AVET.  They will be up against several J/World J/80s with a few skippers in the “yet to be revealed, but they are good” category.

Finally, in the world of offshore random leg PHRF handicap racing, the classic J/35 RIVAL skippered by David Boatner will have to contend with an on-going rivalry between two very fast, very well-prepared J/125s- TIMESHAVER skippered by Viggo Torbensen and RESOLUTE helmed by Tim Fuller.

In addition to top-notch competition, the Yachting Cup also prides itself in promoting environmental responsibility by registering with Sailors for the Sea as a Clean Regatta.

The Yachting Cup would like to thank its sponsors El Jimador, Spinlock, Harken, Downwind Marine and Sailing Supply, North Sails, Mount Gay, Anchor Glove Co., Jackson Design & Remodeling, First National Bullion, Ballast Point, SD Boatworks, Bronny Daniels/ Joysailing and Cynthia Sinclair Photography. For more Yachting Cup sailing information

Southern Straits Sailing Madness Reigns Supreme!

(Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)- Hosted by the West Vancouver YC, the Southern Straits Race continues to gain momentum.  Southern Straits has earned its reputation as being one of the Pacific Northwest’s premiere sailing events. 2015 marked the 47th consecutive start of this WVYC flagship event, and what a weekend of racing it was!

With 4 all new course options, this year saw 92 boats on the line with over 750 sailors on the water. The Medium Course turned out to be the most popular with 46 boats racing to Sister Islets and back.

We haven’t had a downwind start for years and the visual spectacle of nearly 100 boats setting off under spinnaker was quite something. A spectacular blood red moon lunar eclipse and good wind at the Finish Line at Pt. Atkinson made for an incredibly memorable event for all.

In the Long Course race of 138nm, John McPhail’s J/160 JAM from Gig Harbor YC managed a 5th in Division I class behind all the ULDBs.  In the Medium Course race of 98nm, the J/120 TIME BANDIT sailed by Bob Brunius missed first place by a mere 13 minutes, having to settle for 3rd place in Division 4 class. On the same course in Division 4, the J/109 DIVA sailed by Jim Prentice from Royal Vancouver YC took fifth place and Ron MacKenzie’s J/37 FUTURE PRIMITIVE placed 13th.  Also sailing the same course was Mardy Grossman’s J/30 DESPERADO, cruising into a well-earned 3rd in Division 5 Class.

The new sponsor ePACT had plenty to say about their experience being associated with the Southern Straits event:

“Over Easter weekend we sat on the sidelines in awe, as we watched 92 boats take off from Dundarave Pier. The ePACT team is new to the sailing world, and we can honestly say that we were blown away by it all. From the infectious energy leading up to the race start, to the tight knit sailing community and the addicting SPOT tracker, the Southern Straits was an incredible event from start to finish.”

To bring you a recap of the race, we sat down again with Sonia Telford, Race Chair.

What were a few of the race highlights for you?
It has been a few years since we’ve had a downwind start, and the spectacle of 92 boats heading out of English Bay on their Southern Straits adventure under spinnaker was quite a sight. Eric Holden and his Open 60 “O Canada” was such a thrill to see. In addition, we had dolphins on both the start and finish line, and when you top that with good winds and a spectacular red moon lunar eclipse; I think we had it all!

How many boats and participants did you have out on the water?
This year we had 92 boats with roughly 750 sailors. We also had an amazing group of 92 volunteers who helped to pull of this fantastic weekend of sailing – we couldn’t have done it without you!

What was included in your safety/emergency plans?
Each boat must satisfy strict safety requirements in order to qualify to race. New for this year we introduced pre-race safety inspections to ensure that the participants had the necessary safety equipment on board. With 18 first time Skippers racing this year, this was more important than ever before.  In addition, each boat carried a SPOT Transponder which not only allows friends and family to watch the race from home, but also allows the Race Committee to monitor the fleet throughout the duration of the race. This was the first year that we implemented ePACT for our Crew Lists and having the information about who was on which boat in a secure, easy to use database was a great addition!

With so many moving pieces for the event, how did you keep safety top of mind for everyone?
Like any extreme sport, safety has to be top of mind and sailboat racing is no different. Leading up to Southern Straits, West Vancouver Yacht Club hosted 3 Tech Talk evenings with each one focusing on a different safety topic: Boat & Crew Preparation, Rig Maintenance, Man Overboard Recovery & Weather. In addition to pre & post safety checks for participants, each boat is required to “check in” with Race Committee at various points throughout the race. Not only does this confirm the boat location, it gives Race Committee the opportunity for on-site weather checks from each boat so that conditions can be monitored.

How was ePACT used during the race?
Traditionally for an overnight race, Crew Lists are submitted to Race Committee on a piece of paper prior to the race. Last minute crew changes or rushed handwriting have the potential to make the Crew List inaccurate and this has always been a concern.

This year, we made the switch to ePACT and not only was the information up to date, easy to read and secure, it lead to an interesting discussion throughout the sailing community about how critical this information is. For example, we had a competitor add 2 crew members to their boat the morning of the race start. Rather than scribbling out the names and contact information and stapling it to the original document, the Skipper was able to log in and make the changes quickly, while having peace of mind that the correct information was available in the case of an emergency.

I knew ePACT had been a great addition when several Skipper’s retained their boat account and are using ePACT for Swiftsure, Van Isle 360 and other overnight races!

Can you give us a sneak peek into next year’s events?
Well, I can tell you that Easter is early next year with Good Friday falling on March 25, 2016. This will definitely affect the number of daylight hours available which is a factor in an overnight race. The Organizing Committee is already at work planning the 2016 event, so you will just have to wait and see what we have in store!

A huge thank you to Sonia and the West Vancouver Yacht Club for having us as a part of the Southern Straits! To learn more about this great event, check out our Play of the Month and video interview with Sonia, or our blog, Introducing the Southern Straits Sailing Race! We’re already looking forward to the 2016 event.   Southern Straits Facebook page    For more Southern Straits Race sailing information

The Ultimate Red Hat Sailing Party!

(Barbados)- Or, what you need to know to have lots of fun and great sailing in the Mt Gay Rum Barbados Series.  Hats off to the local J/24 fleet on the island.  They know how to do it and get people aboard as crew.

Since its relaunch five years ago the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series has developed into an event that offers golden opportunities for teams looking for top class but seriously fun racing.  There can be few sailing venues to beat Barbados... host to the ultimate Mount Gay Rum Red Hat Crew Party.

Barbados, the home of Mount Gay Rum, and affectionately dubbed as the seafarers' Mecca, continues to attract those who enjoy a fun element along with great sailing. The Mount Gay series, which incorporates three days of coastal racing, the headline event —the Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race — and a final 300-mile ocean race to Antigua to tie up with the Superyacht Challenge, is organized by Barbados Cruising Club in association with Barbados Tourism Marketing and Mount Gay. Next year the event, which runs from 16 to 24 January 2016, celebrates its 80th anniversary, which means there'll be even more of an excuse for a week of hot sailing and rum-fuelled partying.

By the nature of its date, which always falls in mid-January, this annual regatta marks the opening of each Caribbean race season. It not only serves as a warm-up for teams competing on the Caribbean circuit, but also acts as the perfect post-Christmas winter escape for crews from the Northern Hemisphere.

The Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race, which traditionally takes place on a public holiday (21 January) to celebrate Errol Barrow Day (birthday of the first Prime Minister of Barbados and 'father' of independence... and also keen member of the Barbados Cruising Club), is one of the key attractions of the annual series. While big boat racing teams from around the world are beginning to recognize the event as a strong component of the Caribbean race circuit there are also more and more charter and blue water cruising yachts taking part. Overseas competitors, who made up a large part of the 49-strong fleet in 2015, represented 11 countries including a strong contingent from the UK, plus teams from Canada, New Zealand, the USA, Lithuania, Slovakia, France, Poland, Germany, Argentina, plus of course many neighboring islands.

Event manager Alene Krimholtz commented, “We are delighted that this event has re-established itself not only as a major island attraction, but also as a key regatta on the Caribbean circuit. One of the main incentives, other than the warm Caribbean waters, miles of gold sandy beaches and generally constant 12-18kt east to east-north-east trade winds... is the opportunity to break records in the 60-mile Round Barbados Race. We hope the 2016 event, which celebrates 80 years for the series, will encourage even more teams to join the fun.”

The impressive standard of sailing in the local J/24 fleet will hopefully attract bigger numbers in the future, particularly with the opportunity for visitors to charter local boats. Although most of the eight-race, closely fought J/24 Coastal Series takes place in the beautiful setting of Carlisle Bay on windward-leeward courses, for the first time in 2015 the J/24s were granted fleet status in the Round Barbados Race.

Robert Povey, overall winning skipper of the J/24 Coastal Series sailing Hawkeye, commented, “I think Barbados as a sailing venue is one of, if not the, most incredible places to go sailing in the world. I am hoping that next year we'll be able to encourage more international J/24 teams to participate, particularly from the USA and of course Europe.”

Peter Gilkes, yachting consultant to Barbados Tourism Marketing, who has been involved in the organization of the event for many years, believes the future looks bright, “Our event has grown with each passing year and this has not gone unnoticed by those who are charged with making key decisions within the tourism arena. As the event continues to grow our product can only get better with each passing year."   For more Mt Gay Rum Barbados Series sailing information

Annapolis NOOD Preview

(Annapolis, Maryland)- The upcoming Helly Hansen Annapolis NOOD regatta hosted by Annapolis YC in Annapolis, MD is seeing an excellent turnout, with strong growth over last year’s event.  Of the fleet of 206 boats registered, there are 159 J’s (77% of the fleet) sailing in nine one-design classes (J/22, J/24, J/70, J/80, J/30, J/35, J/105, J/109 and J/111.  In short, the Annapolis NOOD has become a de facto J/Fest for the Chesapeake Bay and very class has talented teams in their mix.

The fleet will have to deal with a less than thrilling forecast for the three days of sailing.  While Friday may have some sprinkles and 6-10 kt easterlies with the passing of a weak Low, Saturday morning at least looks promising with nice breezes out of the northeast starting in the 10-20 kts range and diminishing and veering as the day goes on- a fairly typical scenario.  Sunday looks like a roll of the dice, with winds starting northwest but shifting east, then back west in the 4-7 kts range.  Perhaps a few offerings to old man Neptune may be in store each day to improve those odds!

Starting off with the J/22s, the 21-boat class has teams from New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Rhode Island and New Jersey.  Leading teams include Mike Marshall’s BAD NEWS, Jeff Todd’s HOT TODDY, top woman sailor Sandy Adzick skippering HOT TICKET, Brad Julian on JULIAN ASSOCIATES, Terry Flynn (recent Midwinters Champion) on RUG BURN from Houston, and Chris Doyle’s THE JUG 4 1 from Youngstown.

The venerable J/24 class has seven boats sailing with Ron Medlin’s BASH, Pat Fitzgerald’s RUSH HOUR, Pete Kassal’s SPACEMAN SPIFF and Mark Rivera’s THE J-TEAM.

Continuing to set attendance records is the extraordinarily popular J/70.  With 59 boats scheduled to be on the starting line, there will be little room for error amongst the fleet leaders as it appears that it will be just one starting line for this hyperkinetic group of sailors.  Many of the top teams from the Midwinters, Bacardi Miami Sailing Week and the recent Charleston Race Week will be in attendance.  The mighty AFRICA will have Will Stocke from Martha’s Vineyard racing her this time (she got 3rd in Charleston); Mauricio Santa Cruz’s BRUSCHETTA from Rio de Janeiro YC in Brazil (5x J/24 World Champion); Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT for Wayzata YC Minnesota; Allan Terhune’s DAZZLER from Annapolis YC; Julian Fernandez Neckelmann’s FLOJITO Y COOPERANDO from Valle de Bravo, Mexico (recent Charleston winner with Etchells 22 World Champion Bill Hardesty on tactics); current World Champion Tim Healy sailing HELLY HANSEN from Newport, RI; Jen & Ray Wulff sailing JOINT CUSTODY from Annapolis; Cole Allsopp skippering MOXIE from Annapolis; Dan & Gannon Troutman aboard PIED PIPER from Fishing Bay YC; Will Welles on RASCAL from Newport, RI; Peter Vessella skippering RUNNING WILD from St Francis YC in San Francisco; John Aras’ hot local team on SCHOOL’S OUT; Peter McChesney driving SUM TING WONG from Annapolis; Alex Meleny cruisin’ on TRUCKIN’ from Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Henry Filter on WILD CHILD from Eastport; and finally he who needs no introduction- Terry Hutchinson sailing USA 419 (recent ROLEX Yachtsman of the Year sailing with his daughter and Taylor Canfield- World Match Racing Champion).

Top Corinthians J/70 teams are likely to include MUSE led by Joe Bardenheier from Boston, MA; Bryan Cameron & Brian Elliott on B-SQUARED from Sayville YC; Holly Graf skippering SPICE from Eastport YC; and Brandon Flack & family electrifying the world on TORQEEDO from Stonington, CT.

With one of their strongest turnouts in recent months, the 25 boat J/80 fleet will have spirited racing with many class leaders showing up on the starting line, some of whom also sailed Charleston Race Week two weeks ago.  Some of those fun-loving sailors are Nizar Abuzeni’s ARROW from St Croix Sailing Club in the US Virgin Islands; Bill Blank’s BLIND SQUIRREL from Eastport; Gary Panariello’s COURAGEOUS from New York; Bert Carp’s ELEVEN from Annapolis; Ken Mangano’s MANGO and Mike Hobson’s MELTEMI from Eastport; Bill & Shannon Lockwood’s SHENANIGANS from Keyport YC in New Jersey; and David Andril’s VAYU from Annapolis.

Moving on to the “big boat” world, we see the classic J/30 cruiser-racer continues to enjoy a resurgence.  The ten-boat fleet has a number of passionate enthusiasts that sees some beautifully re-conditioned boats sporting new paint jobs, gloss varnished interiors and fast new sails.  Teams that have participated and sailed well in past NOODs include George Watson’s AVITA, Bob Rutsch & Mike Costello’s BEPOP, Pam Morris’ BUMP, Ron Anderson’s INSATIABLE and Rob Lundahl’s RAG DOLL.

Like their 30-foot colleagues, the popular 35-36 foot category has all four major J designs sailing- J/35, J/105, J/109 and J/111.  The eight-boat J/35 fleet continues to attract their loyal following as well.  Famous boats include AUNT JEAN with the duo of Jim Sagerholm and Jerry Christofel leading the charge.  Sure to give them fits will be Maury Neibur’s BUMP IN THE NIGHT, Peter Schiedt’s MAGGIE, Charles Kohlerman’s MEDICINE MAN and the MASCI & McGONIGLE duet on WINDEPENDENT.

With 18 boats, the J/105 fleet continues its long-term love affair with Chesapeake Bay sailors.  Familiar names that have led the Annapolis fleet over time include Andrew Kennedy’s BAT IV, Collin Jones’ CHESSIE, Jim Konigsberg’s INIGO, Don Santa’s SANTAS REIGN DEAR, Chuck Lawrence’s FROYA, and Carl & Scott Gitchell’s TENACIOUS.  Talented visiting teams include Jim Macdonald’s DISTANT PASSION from the Royal Bermuda YC in Bermuda and Josh Richline’s VELOCE from Corpus Christi YC in Texas.

The modest but highly talented J/109 fleet includes North American Champion Bill Sweetser sailing the famous RUSH with an Annapolis YC team.  Their chief battle will likely be with Bob Schwartz’s NORDLYS visiting from Manhasset Bay YC from Long Island, New York and Francis Albert’s RESOLUTE.

Continuing their migration north that will ultimately end up in Newport, Rhode Island for the J/111 World Championship are the migratory J/111 sailors.  Two of the top three teams from Charleston Race Week are participating- George Gamble’s MY SHARONA from Pensacola YC in Florida and local hotshots Marty Roesch on VELOCITY from Annapolis YC.  Several teams have undergone significant enhancements to their programs and could easily upset their duel, including Robert Stein’s KINETIC from Charleston, SC; Dave McCreight’s appropriately named DARK HORSE from Annapolis YC; Gary Weisberg’s HEAT WAVE from Marblehead, MA; and Tony Culotta’s CUORE DI LEONE from Baltimore, MD.   Follow your favorite teams at HELLY HANSEN Annapolis NOOD Regatta here

Wet, Wild, Windy J/Fest SFO!

(San Francisco, CA)- This year’s J/Fest regatta hosted by St Francis YC had an excellent turnout of fifty boats and the J/Tribe were treated to a wet & wild weekend of sailing in classic 15-25 kt breezes that are part of any Bay sailor’s weekend repertoire. Five one-design J classes were sailing- J/24s, J/70s, J/105s, J/111s and J/120s.

Starting with the “classics”, the eight-boat J/24 fleet was treated to a complete “schooling” of how to sail in the challenging conditions.  While they’ve sailed well in the past, it was Mike Whitfield’s crew on TMC RACING that simply went into “turbo mode” and despite attempts by Launch Control in Houston to throttle them back, managed to go ballistic and nail down four bullets to win by a commanding ten points.  Despite their dominance, the rest of the pack was in a “cat fight” for the top five.  Those scores were not settled until the last race when Paul van Ravenswaay’s crew from Severn Sailing Association (yup, of Annapolis fame) took their whacked-out FEERAL ROOSTER (not avian flu influenced) and took their Bay hosts to task to snag a 2nd in the last race to take second overall.  Third was locals Alex Schultink’s appropriately named FLY BY NIGHT from Berkeley YC.

Next on the totem pole were the J/70s.  As every quarter goes by, it’s clear that Bay area sailors are beginning to look towards not only the J/70 North Americans in San Diego in September 2015, but many are focused on the 2016 J/70 World Championship to be sailed in San Francisco Bay in 2016! Consequently, the names at the top of the leaderboard keep changing all the time as veteran Bay teams keep re-balancing and new teams jump into the fray to try their hand at insanely close one-design racing.  Fun times were had by all, that’s for sure.  A new face in the crowd topped the 70 class, Scott Seller’s 1FA sailed an amazing series to post just one win, but hammered home four 2nds to win by seven points in a very competitive class.  Just behind them, it was truly a fight at the OK Corral worthy of a John Wayne “western cowboy movie”.  The protagonists included Justin Kromelow’s LOOSE LUCY, Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER and Peter Cameron’s PRIME NUMBER.  After three races, LOOSE LUCY had the upper hand, but it was not clear-cut what was happening on the last day of racing.  On the last day, Kostanecki’s JENNIFER won a race, so did Cameron’s PRIME NUMBER.  In the end, LOOSE LUCY won a tie-break over JENNIFER to take 2nd and 3rd, respectively.  For the only boat to win two races, Pete Cameron’s crew must be asking “WTF” happened in races 2 & 3??  While winning the last race was an emphatic plus, it only enabled them to secure 4th for the regatta.  Fifth place was Bob Milligan’s RAMPAGE from Richmond YC.

The popular J/105 class continues to gain new adherents to their fleet after nearly 20 years of sailing on the Bay. Sailors have included the world’s best restaurant creators (Scooter Simmons on BLACKHAWK), to world famous venture capitalists (Jim Swartz), and software technologists (Larry Ellison of ORACLE fame).  Such diversity has enabled a universe of fun-loving sailors like Andy Grove (bowman on one J/105 and Chairman/CEO of INTEL) to experience what it’s like to take a wall of saltwater into their faces at 50F at 30 kts and live to recollect their experience with friends forever. This year’s J/Fest for the twenty-one boat J/105 fleet was typical.  After a disastrous first race, Phil Laby’s crew on GODOT found the “secret sauce” and ran away with the regatta- posting an 11-4-4-1-1 to win the tie-breaker on 21 pts with colleague Jeff Littfin on MOJO.  Not far off was Adam Spiegel’s JAM SESSION sitting on 27 pts in third.  Also starting slowly and climbing fast was Bruce Stone’s ARBITRAGE to take 4th and in 5th was Doug Bailey’s AKULA.

The J/111s are gaining a nice following on the Bay and the class is enjoying close racing.  Nevertheless, for the first time in awhile one crew stood out with an incredibly strong performance, Dorian McKelvy’s MADMEN!  Perhaps running the table with five straight 1st places helps!  With a strong win behind them, it was quite a battle for the balance of the podium. After posting a strong performance on the last day, Richard Swanson’s BAD DOG pulled off 2nd place over their colleagues Nesrin Basoz on SWIFT NESS from Richmond YC.

As one might expect, the J/120s are never predictable.  Crew, tacticians, skipper hangovers, and good Lord what not, it’s by far the most unpredictable of fleets.  One thing is for sure, they have fun!  This regatta, the protagonists were Barry Lewis’ CHANCE and David Halliwill’s PEREGRINE.  After trading 1st and 2nds, it was CHANCE that won the last race to gain the upper hand and win in the end.  Taking third was another top boat, Steve Madeira’s lovely deep green colored MR MAGOO.   Sailing photo credits- Erik Simonson/ H2oshots.com   For more J/Fest San Francisco sailing information