MOSS SF Leads J/70 Norway League!

(Larvik, Norway)- For the third event in the Norwegian J/70 Sailing League, there was much at stake for both Moss SF and KNS sailing clubs. Both had 1st and 2nd place overall for the series, respectively, to defend and to make sure they maintained their leads heading into the crucial finale in Moss, Norway over the September 7th to 9th weekend.

For this past weekend’s regatta, Moss SF managed to sail into a second place, thus securing their place in final event to be a contender. At this stage in the overall series, the Moss Sf team will have to sail incredibly badly in their home waters if they are to avoid taking the 2017 gold! They have a 9-point lead over Åsgårdstrand SF.

The KNS team did not have one of their better performances in the regatta series. The team sailed into a 13th place in Larvik and, thus, bring so many points into the final that it is in no way given that they fit into the finale in Moss.

As for the Larvik event itself, it was Arendal SF that dominated completely by winning 8 of the 11 flights!  Taking second was Åsgårdstrand SF with 13 pts and third was KNS with 17 pts.   Follow the J/70 Norwegian Sailing League on Facebook here   For more Norwegian J/70 Sailing League information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

NEW J/121 Offshore Speedster Launched!

(Newport, RI) - The first J/121 named “Incognito” was launched at Stanley’s Boat Yard in Barrington, Rhode Island on Monday 8/21/17 at 9:45am.  Within 15 minutes the Southern Spars carbon deck- stepped mast was installed, shrouds pinned and the next few hours the rigging systems were assembled.  By late afternoon, the design and build team, several suppliers and the new owner and friends, were rewarded with a beautiful first sail on Narragansett Bay.

The J/121 took off with the very first puff once the new carbon North Sails were raised, and even with twice the normal number of crew on-board the boat responded nicely.  There is a light touch on the wheel, combined with a big boat feeling of substantial stability and control.  Everyone is raving about the uniquely open, secure and comfortable cockpit design on this boat.  There are versatile trimming and driving positions and clear/wide paths for crossing the boat during all maneuvers.  The twin wheel system with floor-mounted traveler provides open access to the back of the boat and great visibility of headsails from the helm both while sitting and standing.  With 13 crew on this maiden voyage one might expect to feel a bit over crowded but that was not the case at all.  The J/121 cockpit might just be the most comfortable of any 40 footer and is combined with the best layout for sail handling by just a few at the same time.

This exciting first sail and introduction to the J/121 did hint at her speed potential both upwind and down.  After sailing close hauled for a few miles tacking back and forth and tweaking shroud turnbuckles, 3D jib leads and in-haulers, the team was excited to turn the corner and try out the large A2+ asymmetric spinnaker.  The spinnaker filled and the boat accelerated quickly and confidently jumping above 10 knots of boatspeed with ease.  Stay tuned for more news, photos and details as sea-trials continue.  For more J/121 Offshore Speedster sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Lake Erie J/24 Districts to BOOYAH!

(Sandusky, OH)- The J/24 Districts took place on Lake Erie two weekends ago.  We got a quick report from Brett Langolf, crewing for his J/24 friends while not sailing his famous light-air flyer- the J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP! Said Brett,

“Our J/24 fleet came out strong- young and old alike- for the 2017 District 12 championships at Sandusky Sailing Club in Sandusky, Ohio.

We had a great mix of sailors across many generations, and that brought very tough competition to Sandusky Bay. BOOYAH! US 3689 came out on top to win the regatta without winning a single race!!  Our team consisted of owners Louie Palmer and Bill Semans, along with John Stauffer and me as crew (Brett Langolf).  We had a blast on the old J/24!!”
Add to Flipboard Magazine. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/109 JUNKYARD DOG report- August

(San Francisco, CA)- J/109 owner Jim Goldberg has been having a fun time racing in a number of California offshore events this summer.  Here’s the latest:

“After an extremely long wait for a weather window to get our boat back after the California Offshore Race Week, then some unexpected repairs once home, we finally have her out racing again.  We have another video of our J/109 JUNKYARD DOG racing in the San Francisco Drake’s Bay race.

Drake’s Bay is a 31-mile race from San Francisco, out the Golden Gate into the Pacific Ocean and north to Drake’s Bay.  We anchor out overnight with the fleet, and then race back the next morning.  Usually, this allows the boats to raft up and socialize with the other boats and crew that we usually only see in passing.  This year we had 35-knot winds through the night so many of us chose to not raft up!!  A few boats had some anchoring issues and ended up aground in the middle of the night.  I can't help but wonder if this is expected when a group of racers tries their anchoring skills out!

Junkyard Dog saw both ends of the spectrum, 2nd place Saturday and, well, not so good Sunday.  Enjoy the video, it was a fun, but challenging set of races!”   Watch the J/109 JUNKYARD DOG sailing video here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Surfin Safari Preview

How to Have a Hurrican Harvey Party??
(Corpus Christi, TX)- Every year, when it is about as hot as it can possibly get at the southernmost sailing point of Texas (e.g. next to the Mexican border), the Corpus Christi YC hosts its famous “Surfin Safari” Regatta on the famous Corpus Christi Bay.

However, the latest weather updates indicate it may be truly a “blowing dogs off chains” event as there is now a hurricane warning in the Gulf of Mexico.  It indicates that “Hurricane Harvey” will hit the Texas coast with 80-125 mph winds with massive flooding everywhere! Oh dear.  For sure, the regatta will get postponed.

For those of you that have not had the pleasure of sailing in Corpus, just remember one thing- it blows like hell, hot, dry. The key is just drink lots of water.  While the natives of the city are used to the heat, and don’t be surprised to see people wearing long-sleeved shirts, blue jeans, and black sombreros on their heads, for any northerners it will be a study of contrasts, even for northern Texans!!

When we say it does “blow dogs off chains”, we know it can be the equivalent of, or more, of San Francisco’s famous gear-busters in July/ August.  Do remember, in Corpus if it’s blowing 25-35 kts it’s 100 F “hot air”- in other words, it’s a “softer” breeze (air molecules are spaced farther apart, like your mind would be in such heat) than a 22-30 kts 55 deg on SF Bay.  Nevertheless, the enormous chop will cool you off to some degree as you blast upwind and downwind.

There are three J/fleets that form the backbone of the Corpus Christi regatta, the J/22s, J/24s (5th stop of their Texas Tour), and the J/105s.  In the J/22 class, there are crews from Houston, Austin, Kemah, Fort Worth, and, of course, Corpus.  Notably, two of the teams are women owner/ skippers- Nataleigh Perez’s FORGET ME NOT from Fort Worth Boat Club and Linda McDavitt’s BONFIRE from Austin YC.

The J/24s are counting all the races they can in their Texas circuit.  Amongst the notable teams are Stu Juengst’s VANG GO, John Parker’s CHUPACABRA, Chris Holmes’ BAD MOON, Natalie Harden’s famous GIGGLES, Jim Freedman’s MISS CONDUCT and Mark Smith’s AFTER MIDNIGHT.

The J/105 trio includes Josh Richline’s VELOCE, Duncan Samo’s 5th LANDING, and John Bell’s KINDERSPEL 2- all from Corpus Christi YC. All of these J/sailors are looking forward to yet another Corpus “blow-out”!!  For more Surfin Safari Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

King Harbor J/70 Regatta Preview

(King Harbor, CA)- Like their colleagues in Chicago, the J/70s have completely taken over the King Harbor Regatta at the end of the summer sailing season.  As part of their “SoCal J/70 Circuit”, the fleet has nice participation from across the region.  The weather forecast looks typical for this time of year, cool upper 60s in the mornings followed by general heating in the Los Angeles Basin into the mid-upper 80s F.  That produces a fairly reliable seabreeze along the waterfront that should produce good racing for the King Harbor YC PRO to knockout up to 4 races per day.

Looking forward to the regatta will be crews like Craig Tallman’s JAYA, Steve Wyman’s NUNUHUNU, Curt Johnson’s AVET 2.01, Robert Garrett’s youth crew on SLOOP JOHN B, and Jim Murrell’s HUCKLEBERRY from the host KHYC.  For more Kings Harbor J/70 Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Ted Hood Regatta Preview

(Marblehead, MA)- In honor of one of Marblehead’s more famous yachting personalities and marine leaders, the Boston YC on Marblehead Harbor’s northern shore is hosting the Storm Trysail Ted Hood Regatta for J/70s and J/105s.  The weekend promises good weather for Marblehead- breeze!!

The J/70 class has an incredibly competitive event, perhaps the last major J/70 event on the East Coast prior to some teams taking off to sail the AUDI J/70 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy, and hosted by YC Costa Smeralda. Amongst the twenty teams are crews like Jud Smith’s AFRICA; Duncan Swain’s CLOWN CAR (winner of the Marblehead NOOD Corinthians division); Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS from Alamitos Bay, CA; Henry Brauer’s RASCAL (2nd in the NOOD Corinthians in Marblehead); Tom Bowen’s REACH AROUND from Annapolis; Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY from Rye, NY (winner of the last ALCATEL J/70 Italian Cup on Lake Garda, Italy); Brian Keane’s SAVASANA (winner of the 2017 Corinthian J/70 Nationals) from Beverly YC; Will Welle’s SCAMP from Newport, RI; Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE from Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas; and Tyler Doyle’s USA 245 from Boston YC.

With a round dozen boats, the J/105s will also be facing remarkably strong competition in such a modest-sized fleet. Leading the charge may be Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE, with locals like Fed deNapoli’s ALLEGRO SEMPLICITA giving them local tactical knowledge indigestion. Others in the hunt should be Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHER from Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas, Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN from Boston YC, and Steven Goldberg’s AIR EXPRESS from Beverly, MA.  For more STC Ted Hood Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Calling All J/Boat Owners and Sailors!

Spend Your Winter Sailing in Puerto Vallarta!
(Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)- Vallarta Yacht Club in Nuevo Vallarta Mexico would like to welcome all J/Boats to come and race with us this winter in beautiful Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.

For those of you that have not sailed in Banderas Bay, the weather is perfect everyday and the wind comes up about Noon-time and blows 7 to 20 knots!

Club Membership entitles free use of the single point hoist and there is a large boat storage lot with rates of just $3.00 per day.  Slips are available but sell out each year. We have a wonderful facility with a great Restaurant, locker room, pool, small boats and many fun events.

We currently have and active fleet of J/70’s with about 9 boats and 5 J/80's. J/World Sailing is also here to improve your skills on J/80's.  We have one J/105 that seems to win many of the big boat races.

We have an active race schedule planned this year with weekly beer-can races. If you can't bring your boat, come on down and crew!

Some of the recent and future Regattas, J/70 Mexican National Championships, Vallarta Cup, WesMex Internacional Small boat Regatta (240 boats), Banderas Bay Regatta, Banderas Bay Blast, Regatta de la Revolucion, and Races after The Baja Ha-Ha. We also have an active Junior Program.  Plus, it is a San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race year, which means lots of fun on all kinds of boats for MEXORC- a series of races held in Banderas Bay after the race finishes!

Dan Kelsey from Dillon, Colorado explains, “I trailered my J/80 HARMATTAN from Lake Dillon Colorado to Puerto Vallarta last November and returned in April.  Planning to go back again this year stopping in Texas for J/Fest October 21-23! Shipping your boat can be arranged.”

Puerto Vallarta is one of the safest cities in North America with easy access via the busy Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport. Here is the link to Rentals and Documentation on safest cities.

To learn more about the VYC’s fabulous winter program, please don’t hesitate to contact- Daniel Kelsey (caitlincrew@me.com), or Daniel Green (dangreen39@gmail.com), or Wayne Zittel @ J/World (wayne@sailing-jworld.com).   For more Vallarta YC member and sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 Verve Cup Regatta Preview

(Chicago, IL)- While the Chicago YC’s Belmont Harbor station is hosting what is technically called the Verve Cup Inshore Regatta, they might as well re-label it the J/70 Verve Cup Regatta!  After all, by far the largest class by an order of magnitude is the Great Lakes J/70 fleet on the starting line- eighteen boats strong from across the Midwest!

The competition promises to be excellent, with a number of Chicago’s top names in offshore and one-design classes in the hunt.  Watch for some of these teams to be on the leaderboard, such as John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA, Steve Knoop’s AMERICAN FLYER, Mark & Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP, Preston Wake’s HOBGOBLIN 8, Amy Neill’s NITEMARE, Leif & Laura Sigmond’s NORBOY, Pam Rose’s ROSEBUD, Peter Wright’s TAIPAN/ SB and Richard Lehmann’s WIND CZAR!  For more Verve Cup J/70 Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Breskens Sailing Weekend Preview

(Breskens, The Netherlands)- The forecast for the upcoming Breskens Sailing Weekend looks good, especially for the fleet of J/sailors participating in the J/111 class. All in all, it will be a nice three-day weekend.  In fact, it looks a lot like a copy of last weekend.

The weekend starts with the passage of a Low pressure disturbance on Friday with solid southwesterlies, after which unstable air is fed on Saturday and the wind veers into the north.  But, then on Sunday, a High pressure is pushing in and backing the winds into the southwest again.

Sailing in this year’s regatta is a range of boats from the J/92 and 97’s in IRC 3 up to the J/111’s sailing one-design. Participating in the J/111 class are Peter Huysman’s J-HAWK, Norbert Burkert’s TOP JOB, Jorg Sigg’s LALLEKONIG, Sebastien de Liederkerke’s DJINN, and Hans Zwijnenburg’s SWEENY.

Two J/109s are racing in IRC 2, Andre de Kegel’s J-VENTURE and Andre Vincke’s JULIETTE.  One J/105 is sailing in the IRC Two-handed class, Tom de Jonghe’s DJ.  One J/80 is sailing in CR 5 class, Marc Fobert’s BAD JOKE.  Then,  four J’s are sailing in IRC 3 Class, including Bart Wauters’ J/92 JOLO, Richard Sparrow’s J/97 ONLY MAGIC, Rene van Quekelberghe’s J/97 JAI HO, and Dimitri Vanvyve’s J/105 JUGGERNAUT.  Follow Breskens Sailing Weekend on Facebook here   For more Breskens Sailing Weekend information Add to Flipboard Magazine.