J/70 CARPE DIEM Honored @ Yacht Club Monaco

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- At the Yacht Club de Monaco’s traditional Winter Cocktail, when Club President HSH Prince Albert II welcomes new members, the YC Monaco Awards– Trophée Credit Suisse 2015 were held to pay tribute to the Club’s top sailors.

The J/70 Monaco Class President Jacopo Carrain, instigator of the J/70 class’s first European Championship held at YC Monaco in October 2015, dominated the J/70 Monaco Championship and the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series 2014-2015.  In addition, Carrain also was noted for his excellent performance at the J/70 World Championship in La Rochelle, France- top Monegasque team at 14th overall sailing CARPE DIEM MON-458.  In addition, Carrain’s team was also 6th overall in the J/70 Europeans and was, again, top Monegasque team.

Instigated by the Russian sailor Valentin Zavadnikov in 2013, the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series offers a high level program of monthly training regattas for one-designs throughout the winter for experienced teams wanting to train for the upcoming season’s big meetings.  The next event takes place from January 15th to 17th- Act III of the J/70 Monaco Winter Series

Lessons That Can Make You Sail Better

(San Diego, CA)- North Sails’ Chris Snow had done plenty of crewing on the J/70, but the 2015 North Americans was his first time on the helm. Here are some of the things he learned that will help in almost any boat…

• Have clear consistent marks on your jib sheets. You must have marks on the deck and clear marks on the sheets as reference points to duplicate fast trim setting on both tacks.

• Do not steer the boat— rather steer as little as possible. Any small boat slows when the tiller is moved. I purposely held the tiller extension on my thigh upwind to minimize movement. Do your best to steer with crew weight-this applies to any boat.

• The spinnaker trimmer steers the boat downwind. Be sure the spinnaker trimmer is constantly talking about pressure in the sheet downwind and telling you when to come up and down to optimize your angle downwind. She/he can feel that 100% better than you, the helmsman, can.

• Have a tuning matrix and follow it!!! Check your sailmakers tuning guide for rig tensions at different wind speeds. Make a chart of turns needed on your boat to get from one to the other. Follow it and set the rig back to base each time you return to the dock. This eliminates variables and second-guessing and lets you concentrate on the race.

• Sail the boat at a constant angle of heel upwind. Very important to keep the boat at a constant angle of heel upwind. Use the head stay against the horizon as a guide. If you cannot hold the boat on a constant angle of heel the boat is either underpowered or overpowered. Decide which and adjust.

• As helmsman downwind, help the crew with what is happening with the shifts downwind. It is hard for the crew to know whether or not you are getting lifted or headed downwind (upwind it is easy) helmsman should keep an eye on the compass downwind and communicate to the crew what he/she is seeing.

• On the J/70 learn to sail wing—&-wing easily. Practice how much you need to turn the boat downwind to go to wing-&-wing and what conditions it works in (flat water, moderate winds). This is a tool that can come in very handy if you have it available but it takes some practice so as not to be too disruptive.

• Trust your Velociteck! This little wonder tells you how far from the line you are. Get good “pings” on both ends (be sure the line is set first) and trust it. I found it very helpful to have one of the crew calling time and another calling distance to the line converted to boat lengths (the unit displays in meters). You can use it to help you know when to accelerate for the line.

• Sail the boat like a dinghy. All smaller one designs benefit from being sailed like an even smaller boat. Use your crew weight always to steer, move forward and aft depending on wind and sea state. Get good at roll-tacking and roll-jibing in lighter air. Heel the boat to leeward to round the leeward mark- - all boats will benefit from this. Thanks for the contribution from Chris Snow @ North Sails and Scuttlebutt Sailing News.

Chicago Boat Show Time!

(Chicago, IL)- Make plans now to visit Chicago, enjoy the Magnificent Mile, explore world-class museums and check out the latest boats from the J/Design team’s drawing board!  From Jan 14th to 18th, the Chicago Boat Show will be taking place at McCormick Place on the south side of Chicago’s beautiful lakefront. On display will be three exciting models- the new J/112E sport cruiser that was featured in the Narragansett Bay sailing videos, the Mac Race offshore killer- the J/88 family speedster, and the wildly popular J/70 class that is growing in popularity on Lake Michigan and across the Midwest.  Please be sure to contact Rich Stearns @ Stearns Boating for further information- cell# 847-404-2209 or email- rich@stearnsboating.com  For more Chicago Boat Show information.

J/88 Sailing Program on Lake Norman, NC

(Lake Norman, NC)- John Killeen reports that, “since last Spring we have been in the process of developing a sailing school and working very closely with the Peninsula Yacht Club on Lake Norman to grow sailing at their club.  As you know we delivered J/88 hull# 64 to Brian O’Malay who is a member there and because we have that boat available at the club we've been able to sell another J/88.  So, our expectations for 2016 are high!

Last Friday we did a sailing demo at the Peninsula YC for a private investment firm where they pitch investment products to their clients and do fun outdoor activities. We took three groups out on the water and provided sailing instruction to everyone- it was a home run!  We also made a short video and took dozens of pictures for the clients.  Of course, we used the J/88 as our sailing platform and everyone was all smiles!   Click on the link here to see the Google sailing video.   More J/88 sailing photos can be found here on Flickr.com

Learn more about their sailing program on Lake Norman- please contact John Killeen at jkilleen@carolina.rr.com or ph# 704-236-8303

Ft Lauderdale to Key West Race Preview

(Fort Lauderdale, FL)- Starting on Wednesday, January 13th, around noon, a fleet of forty-three boats will be experiencing one of the most famous short offshore races- the Storm Trysail Club’s and Lauderdale YC’s Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race.  It’s the classic “feeder” race for the famous Key West Race Week.  The race could not be simpler, start just off the Lauderdale Sea buoy and head south down around Key Biscayne, keep the right-turn signal blinker on, and continue to veer around to the southwest, then west, avoiding the chain of keel-hugging reefs to starboard and the speed-robbing 5 knot Gulf Stream to your left.  The weather can be capricious, but so far, this year’s weather patterns promises ENE on Wednesday and swinging to ESE by late Thursday- a “Nantucket Sleigh Ride” could be in the making!

Several J/Teams are chomping on their bits to pop their Code Zero’s and A3’s to fly down the island chain.  In the IRC Class, Paul Milo’s J/122 ORION from Leesburg, VA will be up against some fast 50-footers.  In PHRF A, two J/111s will be battling a J/125 for class honors.  The 111’s include Gary Weisberg’s HEAT WAVE from Gloucester, MA and Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE from San Diego, CA.  The J/125 is a past Miami-Nassau class winner and a local offshore veteran with lots of silverware to show for their efforts- Frank Atkinson’s RAISIN’ CANE from Coconut Grove SC in Miami, FL.

In PHRF B division, two J/120s are participating- Frank Kern’s notoriously fun-loving crew on CARINTHIA from Bayview YC in Grosse Pointe, MI and Marcus Cholerton-Brown’s SUNSET CHILD from New York.  In PHRF C class, two J/88s cannot wait pop their kites and surf to Key West- Frank Kups sailing SPACEMAN SPIFF from Lakeside YC in Cleveland, OH and MI2 from J/World Annapolis in Annapolis, MD.  As the lowest rating boats in their class, they will be giving time to the classic J/40 SOLSTICE sailed by Jim Bordeaux from Yorktown, VA.  Sailing photo credits- Cate Brown & Allen Clark/ Photoboat.com.  For more Key West Race sailing information

A Happy J/120 NUNATAK Completes Transatlantic Adventure

(Port Louis, Grenada)- Chris Frost and Elin Haf Davies' J/120 NUNATAK crossed the finish line of the RORC Transatlantic Race 2015, just before midnight on 17th December 2015. NUNATAK was the only monohull to complete the race with just two crew, taking 19 days on a route of 3,800 miles.

Chris and Elin had always set out to finish the race for the closing party, which they have accomplished!! The RORC Transatlantic closing party took place at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina on Friday 18th December.

Chris Frost is a highly experienced sailor, winning one World and two European Championships in his Swan, and owns the Hamble Boat Centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, UK. Elin Haf Davies, from Bala North Wales, only started yacht racing in 2011, but this was Elin's fourth oceanic crossing, albeit not always in a sailing boat!

Elin has previously rowed across the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean and sailed across the Pacific, from China to San Francisco. Elin has also played premiership rugby for London Wasps and won 13 rugby caps for Wales A Team!  For the 2012 London Olympic Games, Elin carried the Olympic Torch through Bangor, North Wales. Her love of sailing came through a meeting with the RORC Admiral, Andrew McIrvine, at one of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's crew parties. He decided to make Elin part of his crew for the Rolex Fastnet Race, which set the wheels in motion for Elin, who is now a member of the RORC.  The two-handed team received a huge welcome at Camper and Nicholsons Port Louis Marina.  For more RORC TransAtlantic Race sailing information

Key West Highlight- J/88 Oceanvolt Racing O.D.!

(Key West, FL)- The 2016 Quantum Key West Race Week is shaping up to be one of the largest in recent years. Under the new stewardship of Storm Trysail Club and Regatta Chairman Bill Canfield, the event has 140 boats registered with 78 J/Teams (56% of the fleet!) spread across three one-design classes (J/70, J/88, J/111) and three handicap classes (IRC & ORR).

Racing is taking place from January 18th to 22nd in the gorgeous aquamarine waters of the Florida Keys.  One of the highlights for the week will be the inaugural J/88 Midwinter Championship with eight boats participating on the Division 3 course area. Featured amongst that enthusiastic fleet will be the Key West debut of the new J/88 Oceanvolt model.  Called BLONDIE 2, she will be sailed by Tod Patton and Jeff Johnstone.  They will be facing a rogue’s gallery of top teams from Canada, San Francisco, New York and Ohio.

The other significant one-design class debut will be the nine J/111s sailing their first J/111 Midwinter Championship on the Division I course area.  More news on all J/Teams and classes in next week’s Key West preview.

If you wish to view and/or take a “demo sail” on the new J/88 Oceanvolt in Key West (or for the Miami Boat Show), please contact J/Boats at Ph- +1-401-846-8410 or email- info@jboats.com.  It’s a perfect venue to learn about some of the most exciting sailboat developments in recent years- “solar sailing” and “hydro-regeneration”!  Plenty of sun, wind and water in Key West to learn about the joy of “silent running”.   For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Sweet '16 & No Calendar!?

(Newport, RI)- You can still get one now!  Time to schedule your J regattas for the rest of the year!  Order yours today and use it for the rest of the year!

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!   See the gorgeous J/Calendar sailing photo gallery here.    Order your 2016 J/Calendar today, click here!

London Boat Show Time!

(London, England)- For the next week the London Boat Show will be going full swing at the Excel Center in the Docklands area east of London! From January 8th to 17th, the new J/112E sport cruiser, new J/11S IRC double-hander, the amazing J/70 and the blistering hot J/88 will be on display on stand A220.  The J/112E is looking spectacular wrapped in gunmetal grey with carbon wheel!  In addition, there will be two fully-rigged 70’s in the entrance boulevard to the Excel Center.  For further information, please contact Paul Heys @ Key Yachting- Mobile +44-(0)7802-264141 or email- info@j-uk.com.  For more London Boat Show information.

Quantum J/70 Winter Series II Preview

(Tampa, FL)- The second act of the Quantum J/70 Winter Series will be taking place from January 9th to 10th at Davis Island YC on Tampa Bay.  The forecast for the weekend will provide challenging conditions to the record fifty-two entries from across the USA.  Saturday is showing a weak front moving across the Florida peninsula with winds from the East, shifting Southeast into midday, then veering into the Southwest after the frontal ridge passes- winds are forecasted to be 8-17 knots.  Then, on Sunday the fleet will be treated to the backside of the cold front with sunny skies, temps in the mid 60s, and Northwest winds of 8 to 15 kts!

Will the VINEYARD VINES team lead by John & Molly Baxter count on their lucky charms to keep them in the hunt, on pace and near the front of the pack?? Now that they are no longer J/70 “newbies”, having won the first event, they can be certain that many teams will be hoping to emulate their good fortune. Top crews in the Open Division that should be giving them a run-for-the-money include Tom Bowen’s REACH AROUND, Geoff Becker’s USA 25, Will Welles’ SCAMP, Doug Strebel’s BLACK RIVER RACING, Al Terhune’s DAZZLER and Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT.

In the 21 boat Corinthian’s Division, it will certainly be another donnybrook between Mark Foster’s crew on NO-PRO, the winners back in December, and Rob Britts’ HOT MESS, the 2015 Corinthian Champion. Look for other teams to up their game and contend for division honors like Brian Elliott’s B-SQUARED, Noel Clinard’s LOONATICTU and Chuck Millican’s Bermuda team on ELUSIVE.  For more Quantum J/70 Winter Series II sailing information