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(English Harbour, Antigua)- The Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) has awarded for the second year running the CSA Traveler’s Trophy to Antigua-based Pamala Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID. Although the racing season was cut short due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, Team LIQUID had already earned a class win in CSA 1 at Grenada Sailing Week, second in CSA 2 in the RORC Caribbean 600, and second in CSA 3 at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
CSA President Alison Sly-Adams called Pamala to give her the good news. Of the news, Pamala said, "I am so happy to win this for the second year. Skipper Jules White and I, and the rest of the crew, came together so well at the start of the season. We were confident, without being complacent, this year and we felt the team dynamics had fallen into place well. We had high hopes for the series for the season, so we are delighted to hear that we have won. I am already looking forward to the 2021 season and seeing if we can make it a hat-trick! Thank you so much for the good news right now."
Baldwin joins a long list of famous winners of the trophy including many famous Caribbean sailors and those based in the region for the season such as Jamie Dobbs, John Foster, Hugh Bailey, Bernie Evan-Wong, Dougie Myers, Tom Hill, Scott Ledbetter, Andrew Birk, Jaime Torres, and Sandy Mair, the creator of the trophy.
The CSA Traveler’s Trophy has been awarded for more than 20 years as a way of awarding excellence in yacht racing performance as well as effort in terms of travelling to away regattas.
To qualify for the Trophy, a boat must participate in a minimum of three regattas of which at least one must be in an away region and at least one a major event. Boats accumulate points over the season so that by season's end an overall winner - "Caribbean Best Boat" - will emerge. Final totals are assessed at Antigua Sailing Week, with the winner being announced and the trophy is awarded at the Antigua Sailing Week final awards presentation if the winner is in Antigua. Today would have been the prize-giving of Antigua Sailing Week 2020 and, therefore, in line with tradition, the CSA decided to announce the winner.
For more J/122 offshore sailboat information.
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A perspective by Darrell Nicholson, Practical Sailor
Let’s take away all the boats. Not the ships engaged in essential commerce, not the barges hauling goods, not the net boats catching fish. Keep those. And the Navy, of course, keep that. But all the rest can go.
Now, imagine as we look out over the waterfront, we see no skiffs on the bay, no dinghies along the shore, no sloops or schooners on a sunset sail. This arrangement, if it persists, could have dire consequences—at least if you believe French philosopher Michel Foucault:
“In civilizations without boats, dreams dry up, espionage takes the place of adventure and the police take the place of pirates.”
Some, like Pompey the Great (as quoted by Plutarch), put sailing above even life itself. “To sail is necessary; to live is not.”
As for me, always pining for another long passage on the Pacific, I can easily see the value of sending all willing sailors out to a seaborne isolation. Perhaps a future pandemic strategy?
As summer fast approaches and COVID-19 persists as a threat, coastal communities, sailing clubs, schools, and camps around the country are asking the same question: Must our boating activities be curtailed, and if they are to continue, what measures are necessary to ensure public health?
The situation is changing, but at the time of this writing, the boat ramps around our homeport in Sarasota, Florida were opening up again. All state municipalities have banned gatherings of boaters on sandbars and on-the-water events that might draw a crowd—although some impromptu two-boat “regattas” will likely spring up (as they tend to do whenever another sail appears on the horizon).
The concern about even solo outings is that the boat and boater don’t exist in a bubble. A simple afternoon on the water can involve a great deal of bustling about. Whether in commerce (buying fuel, hardware, etc.) or in congregation (socializing on the dock), contact with others is almost inevitable. In most regards, however, sailing not only complies with the requirements of safe distancing – it embraces it.
Not that we’re a bunch of hermits, but the fact remains that a great number of sailors took up sailing precisely because it took us away from land and all its problems. (Okay, maybe some of us are seagoing hermits—or at least we inspire hermits.)
As for me, I’m in no rush to get on the water. There will be time for that. The lull in waterfront activity has allowed me to catch up on some long-delayed work projects with my younger son Jake. At present we’re on a brightwork binge, with hatch boards and tillers lined up in the garage (doors wide open, and well-ventilated with fans, of course) awaiting another coat.
For the time being we’re buoyed by another quote to carry me through these days. Something Kenneth Graham said in his famous children's book- The Wind in the Willows. "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.
If you are a sailor in search of a project, you’ll find many on the Practical Sailor website. A good start is to plug “DIY” into the search box. If you already have a specific project in mind, just enter in the relevant key words. Doing a Google search and including the phrase Practical Sailor also works (searching Practical Sailor varnish, for example, yields a number of hits).
And if you’re still looking for something to do, I’m sure we can come up with something. Feel free to reach out at practicalsailor@belvoir.com if you’re stumped."
Thanks for this contribution from ScuttlebuttSailing.com. For more than 35 years, Practical Sailor has been taking the guesswork out of boat and gear buying with bold, independent boat tests, and product-test reports for serious sailors and boaters. Learn more at https://www.practical-sailor.com Flip
(Charlevoix, MI)- A J/32 owner from the northern part of Michigan had this to offer to fellow J/Sailors....
"Being in Michigan, our marinas are currently closed. At this point we will probably be lucky to launch at Irish Charlevoix by mid June.
We still love the 32, your best design yet. She has a pampered life these days as we generally only sail her for three months and then she spends her time in heated storage.
Our cruising is now confined to northern Lake Michigan, but it is good that a couple of near 80 year-olds can still do some shoreline cruising and visit our favorite ports. With an electric winch for the main halyard and the 110 jib you helped us select, the boat is very manageable. All the best, Tom and Gretchen"
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* Brett and Katie Langolf, with their two daughters, are on a mission to get more kids on sailboats. Most often, they can be found sailing their beloved J/34 IOR classic- called KNEE DEEP- on Lake Erie.
This sailing highlights video shares their 2019 season from San Diego to Annapolis to Mackinac Island and many ports in between. Enjoy!
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* J/Boats U.K. sailor Leo Mason contributed this cool panoramic view of Brighton Beach...normally bustling with thousands of beachgoers.
Said Leo, "Hi all! Here's one from me in Brighton of our deserted beaches in our new upside-down World!
Stay safe all, Leo"
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* J/34C cruiser owner Jim Bennet from Camden, Maine offers some of his perspectives sailing his beloved J/34C ASTREA to fellow J/Sailors around our Blue Planet Earth....
"Her name is ASTRAEA (after Nathaniel Bowditch’s first command). I have owned her for eight years. She is a wonderful boat and is kept in very fine condition. And yes, she does better than 8 knots on a broad reach whenever we see 15 kts or more of breeze on Penobscot Bay, which we do often enough.
To come back on your love of Maine, my family ties to Maine date back to pre-Civil War times. I moved to Camden from Bath in 2017 to be closer to Penobscot Bay. My partner and I live in Camden.
We had a marvelous cruise on ASTRAEA this past summer (2019) during which we stopped at Islesford. Both of us had been there before, but this was the first time I was able to stay for two days and explore the island. The museum there is a treasure. We were on our way back from Nova Scotia.
I had raced ASTRAEA in the Marblehead to Halifax race and we had taken ten days to get back to Maine, stopping in our favorite places along the way. All told, I had 65 days underway this past season.
The 34C is a marvelous boat to use as a couple for coastal cruising.
To have such excellent sailing qualities along with the comfort in a boat of this size is truly an extraordinary achievement.
Among many excellent features, the keel design and underbody design of this boat is outstanding. I speak from experience as a lifelong sailor and from having practiced as a Naval Architect for 25 years working on high-performance craft for the U.S. Navy. She handles well in a seaway, stands up to a breeze (never even think about reefing under 20 kts) and she puts the Sabre's and Beneteau's in our wake every time. Many times I have taken her across the line ahead of Sabre 42’s and even J/42’s on occasion. She is perfectly balanced when properly trimmed on every point of sail. I frequently single hand with a spinnaker even in 18-20kts. For example, we sailed her to first place overall in GMORA cruising division in 2017!
And, she is comfortable and easy to handle. She is just the right size for my partner, who can be intimidated by the loads on big headsails. Her responsiveness on and off the wind makes her a joy to steer. Anchor handling, docking, and every aspect of the boat is easy for my partner, which makes it immensely enjoyable for me.
You lads did a fine job with her design and construction. Many experienced sailors continue to admire her. Several are standing in line if I ever decide to sell her! That is a further acknowledgement to the excellence of her makers! Thank you! Best, Jim"
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An interesting in-depth discussion of the J/99
(Southampton, United Kingdom)- The famous British yachting journalist Louay Habib from Cowes, England had a "Facebook Live" interview with both Jeff Johnstone (President of J/Boats) and J/UK's Sales Director Hannah Passells.
Enjoy the nearly one-hour discussion between the three panelists on the state of offshore racing; why the J/99 is a perfect doublehanded offshore training platform for the upcoming Mixed Double Offshore event at the 2024 Olympics in France; and why J/99 makes a wonderful weekend getaway cruiser and day sailor for couples and small families.
Watch the interview recording here on YouTube.
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Following the thoughts and perspectives last week from the two J/Boats founders- Bob & Rod Johnstone, a few friends encouraged the "next generation" to describe their "home sheltering" experiences in the past few weeks.Your J/News publisher/ editor- Stu Johnstone- has had one prominent theme while working at home for the past few weeks- "CATS"! LOL. My wife- Julia- and I live in a quaint "craftsman's cottage" in Newport that is shared with three complete characters (cats), each unique in their quirks and personalities. Living here is a bit like living on a boat, you're supposed to stay at anchor, stay on the boat, and occasionally you can row to shore to get supplies.
Meanwhile, the cats rule the roost. We started off a few years ago with one Russian Siberian forest cat we named "Allie". As an alpha female, she tries to rule the others, but at a strapping 8 lbs, her efforts are often for naught. She does claim your editor as her protector (as seen here) and enjoys spending lots of time hugging my shoulder while I type away and write the J/Newsletter. Our second cat came about for one simple reason, "Allie" seemed lonely or bored at times. So, Julia decided to call back the cat breeder of Allie and find another cute Russian Siberian forest "kitten".While the story of meeting the breeder to pick-up "Allie" the first time would be described as "epic", the second adventure was even more adventurous. You might describe it as an "interstate buying trip." I had decided to buy a powerboat (yes, going over to the 'dark side' has its merits). But, without a tow-vehicle, I had to rent one! Thanks to Enterprise, I got a nice Ford F-150 quad-cab pickup with a hitch, drove from Newport to New Haven to pick up a brand new aluminum trailer, then drove through New York (via I-287/ Tappan Zee Bridge), through New Jersey (past Delaware Water Gap) onto I-80 in Pennsylvania to meet our "cat lady" halfway across Pennsylvania.
Much to our surprise, when we met her in a brew-pub parking lot just off the I-80 highway, she hops out of her car with a 7-month old "kitten" that was enormous- just your basic 17 lb. black panther hugging her shoulder. I nearly died of laughter... or, maybe it was shock! Nevertheless, "he" was a "lover" (as described by her breeder) and our new black kitty was promptly named "Hobie". Off we went to pick up the boat- a 30 ft Intrepid center console- in southern Long Island, with "Hobie" crawling all over inside the truck. Ultimately, we picked up the boat on Sunday 8:00am and drove back to Newport with the new "J/CREW" in tow (a bit larger than its predecessor- a 16 ft Boston Whaler!).As if having two cats was not enough, segue forward three more years and my wife is now working at the Kitty Corner Cat Clinic in Newport. While I was "away at sea" over Thanksgiving weekend/ first week of December (I was racing a TP 52 with my cousin Jimmy in Phuket, Thailand, sailing in the famous King's Cup Regatta); my wife decided to add a THIRD cat to our household. This one was no spring chicken. Like Hobie, she was an enormous cat- a 13-year-old female Maine Coon cat tipping the scales around 17 lbs, too. Yikes! Sadly, she was a 'rescue cat', left by a previous owner, and was very timid at first. Her name was "Impy", but I nicknamed her "Whimpers". With both of us at home all the time, she's slowly coming out of her 'shell' and feeling more comfortable, and less intimidated, with the other two cats- Allie and Hobie. Thank goodness. 
As for your J/News editor, I had two "Throwback Thursday" moments while writing on Thursday. My calendar program promptly notified me at 9:00am that Charleston Race Week was taking place this weekend- remember that event? It was a poignant moment for me, as the original plan was to sail with my "Meatballs" friends on their J/88 ALBONDIGAS. Bummer. It reminded me of all the other wonderful times sailing in Charleston Harbour, racing J/70s and J/111s in the past. With Doug Curtiss on his J/111 WICKED 2.0, Heather and Joey on their J/70 MUSE, and Brian Keane's J/70 SAVASANA. Fond memories all...wishing that we can enjoy Charleston again in the near future...The second throwback moment was a truly epic, adventurous trip to Chile that Julia and I took a year ago. Fourteen days. 12 hours flying from Boston to Miami to Santiago to Punta Arenas. A 30-hour trip by water on the Yagan Ferry down the Straits of Magellan, across the spectacular Beagle Channel (at least two-dozen glaciers spilling down to the seashore) to Puerto Williams, the truly "southernmost city" in the world.
Puerto Williams is part of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago; it’s known as a starting point for trips around Cape Horn. It’s also a gateway to trails around the jagged peaks of the nearby Dientes de Navarino. (https://goo.gl/maps/v6PVoJkBAnVK4j379).How far south is it? 55 deg south latitude...versus the next closest place to the north familiar to many sailors, the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island- 46 deg south- just 540 miles north!So far, that is the furthest south the J/Newsletter has ever been published- Puerto Williams! Coincidentally, there is a J/24 fleet there- part of the Chilean Navy's training program (the southernmost J/24 fleet on the planet)!
Thereafter, we did hike the trails up to Dientes de Navarino (they do look like "teeth"). From that height, you can see Cape Horn down south! Then, visited the famous Torres del Paine National Park north of Punta Arenas. Then, up to Puerto Montt and visiting Lago Llanquihue- famous for being surrounded by three volcanic snow-covered peaks- plus there is a J/80 fleet on the lake.
Thereafter, it was a fun trip up to Isla Negra (remember last week's visit to Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's museum?). A trip to a spectacular vineyard northeast of Algarrobo, a day tour of eclectic Valparaiso. And then home. Next time, New Zealand's South Island!Best wishes to all. Stay safe & healthy. Cheers, Stu & Julia"
* J/24 JUNGLE owner- Guus van den Akker- Maastricht, The Netherlands
Like the Stellin's cruising their J/42 on the Mediterranean, Dutchman Guus van den Akker has a great story to tell about sailing and cruising his beloved J/24 JUNGLE on the Ionian Sea around the gorgeous island archipelago off Greece. In short, he was reliving the voyage of Odysseus and, according to Guus it was a "fantastic experience".
"Cruising with a J/24 is a very nice thing to do. I am so lucky to have sailed my J/24 JUNGLE in Greece, especially the Ionian Sea, which is west from the mainland.
When I saw JUNGLE for the first time, for sale on a trailer at Lefkes Marine, her lines immediately struck my sense of beauty. Hmmm, Nefertiti’s nose. Aha, the hips of Brigitte Bardot, the behind of Naomi Campbell... In total, she was swift, elegant, fine for cutting waves. Small enough to touch the water delicately. Finally, my dream came true to buy this boat and start sailing in the waters where Odysseus had been splashing around a few millennia earlier.
The 2016-plan was to sail down to Kalamata and meet some family in Pylos on my way back. Remembering last year's experience, I was aware that it's difficult to plan for any distances while sailing. The lack of wind can make anyone annoyed, and even if you have a nice, steady wind, you can lose it in five minutes... such is the fickleness of cruising in the Mediterranean! Any rock, island, mountain can change the wind's strength or direction. And, of course, the incessant burning rays of the sun on the Med. With some luck, the wind begins in the afternoon and holds on until after sunset. The only average is change. Panta Rhei it will be.
JUNGLE is equipped with two anchors and some lines. Because her draft is only four feet, it's easy to anchor very close to the shore. That gives a surplus of possibilities and keeps her close to other people and beaches. JUNGLE makes friends. Everybody seems to know it's a J/24!
The interior became messy, but well-organized. I slept almost three months in her broad belly without complaint. Good waking up, in waves of small fishing boats, or by bells of nearby goats....
Sailing my J/24 JUNGLE as a cruiser, and singlehanded, was a constant joy. Responsive, agile, light, smooth. Easy to handle on the water. Enough deck for walking around. I did put some elastic cord around the helm for self-steering. My favorite weather is light to moderate wind, that's good for me. I like to fiddle around a bit and JUNGLE is fast. My only problem is lack of weight on the windward rail, when the wind is increasing above Beaufort four!
I am a cautious sailor, and start early in the morning, when my next harbour is a bit further along.
On some days, I really made some good distance, especially when helped on windless days by "Mr. Tohatsu" (my 4 HP outboard). But, when this dear friend refused to serve, it was possible to tack JUNGLE into creeks and harbours and moor the J/24 to the quay.
Sailing with friends makes friends happy. They steered and enjoyed that a lot, they did not want to leave the tiller! Their good fortune joining me enabled them to enjoy the fantastic surroundings. Greece is such a nice area for sailing, hiking, lazy afternoons at a cafe... Actually, just being there put you in a good mood...a peace of mind found nowhere else.
The food is fresh, the geography is astonishing, the variety is extraordinary, the delicious wine lifts your spirit, people are polite, freedom is the rule.
Once, while laying at anchor near Lygia, a yawl with three elderly man motored straight towards JUNGLE, I was a bit worried at their intent. However, just a few meters away from her, the yawl encircled my tiny JUNGLE, and one of the guys shouted with passion “J/24, the love of my life!” After this human serenade, the yawl vanished towards the blue horizon.
My J/24 JUNGLE had lots of compliments, and from all these remarks, you notice that experienced sailors still keep her dear in their heart. It seems that one view of a "J" is the trigger for good memories!
At the end of my fantastic trip, JUNGLE joined some regattas and we won a few prizes for being one of the fastest under 35 feet. That illustrates the abilities of this small cruiser/racer and even augments the esprit'd'corps and pleasure of being a "J" owner. The versatility of the design ensures you of even more friends and acquaintances, both in sport and on an adventurous cruise!
We ended safe and sound in Nidri. Now, I am working again as an interior designer and builder in The Netherlands and dream of this experience, wishing and hoping that I can do it again. Time is elastic, too. Someday soon....
For more perspectives on my experiences, watch a few of my videos on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tQNeI82Mfg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HAsBLQ-cyU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__P58Hl6CeE
Greetings, Guus van den Akker"
