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(Mackinac Island, MI)- Call it what you may, but sailing offshore brings great camaraderie to small crews and big crews. In this year's version of a pandemic-driven reduction to family and smaller crews, it only brought people even closer together.
We got a wonderful report from our friends in Cleveland, Ohio- Brett Langolf who generally races his lovingly restored J/34 IOR classic Half-Ton racer on Lake Erie. This year, he had the privilege of sailing with a bunch of local friends on a J/35 called MAJOR DETAIL. Here is Brett's report:
"Why this year's Bayview-Mac?
Because you never stop racing.
Even if it’s less than 3 miles to go.
Even after almost 240 miles upwind, the lead J/35 is still extending.
Even if we've thrown everything at them, you can and have exhausted all options.
Even when sending the entire crew to sleep on the rail over the last 12 hours didn’t work.
Even if the Class President already sent an email congratulating the other boat on winning the Port Huron to Mackinac Race (watching the tracker live on-line).
So, you pause and decide to all have a beer as the sun rose and the finish line was in sight, “because good things happen when we drink beer!!”
You all raise Canadian beers, even though you had to stay out of Canadian waters, the whole race for fear of deportation. You all "cheers" for what you are about to achieve.
Cheers to second place in the Port Huron to Mackinac.
Cheers you didn’t break anything.
Cheers to old friends and new on the crew.
Cheers that all tested negative for COVID-19.
Cheers to our weekend boat escape.
Cheers for the families we are about to see.
You cheers to an amazing skipper that created this opportunity.
Cheers because….wait! What?? This dog fight of a J/35 battle just gave itself an insanely bizarre turn-of-events. The lead boat has tucked themselves into shore, to leeward of Mackinac Island, and potentially impacted by an on-the-nose current.
Check Yellow Brick Race Tracker. They are going 1.1 kts and we are going 7.1 kts! We can only see them through binoculars and all of a sudden, we like what we see.
“Mortimer, we are back in business!”
“Legs Out. Traveler Up. Keep us in the breeze. Grab me a water. Don’t screw this up,” we all said at once.
One last thing to throw at us. Over the line first? Maybe.
We pulled it off, the mano-a-mano J/35 battle was over. We pulled it off against an amazing crew!
Wait, this is an ORR Race. How much time do we owe them? Crap, almost 6 minutes? OK we got it.
Well, cheers to us, we pulled it off.
First in Class E, First in the J/35 Fleet and Yacht Club Challenge Winner. MAJOR DETAIL was on the virtual podium, the real awards happen once America figures out this COVID mess.
J/Boat sweep- J/35, J/35, J/109....but we need to update one minor detail, it was MAJOR DETAIL in 1st!
Grab your wallet and your masks boys, "Pink Pony" here we come." Editors note- the Pink Pony Cafe & Restaurant is the de facto race HQ for all sailors after completing any Mackinac Race. Thanks for contribution from Brett Langolf.
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(Boston, MA)- It’s exceedingly rare for a self-published book by a new author to break into the top 20 on the Amazon “Most Sold” list. Christopher Rosow’s first book, "False Assurances", not only ascended to #6 on that list for the week ending May 17, it simultaneously hit #1 with a bullet on Apple Books…an occurrence only slightly more likely than seeing a mermaid. Today, it's #1 Amazon Kindle Best Seller, #1 Apple Books Best Seller, #1 Wall Street Journal Fiction Best Seller, #6 Amazon Combined Print/ E-Book Best Seller-- an amazing achievement.
In July 2017, a J/111 competing in the Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race is boarded by terrorists intent on smuggling weapons into the U.S. After escaping from his captors, the owner is rescued and subsequently calls the FBI Boston field office to report that his boat’s been hijacked. The call appears to be a hoax, and the local agents have already been assigned to a visit by the President that evening. Because Bureau procedures require a response to all threats, the task of investigating the call is given to an unlikely hero, FBI Information Management Specialist Ben Porter. With no training in field work, will Ben be able to uncover the deadly plot and prevent it from being carried out?
Christopher Rosow conceived this story while standing watch (perhaps not entirely diligently) on a J/111 during the 2017 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race. According to Chris, "I was supposed to be on-watch, making the boat go fast, but instead I was goofing around with the boat’s AIS system in the navigation station, thinking, “what if…?”! LOL!
After the manuscript was rejected by a succession of publishers, he made the decision to self-publish and also write a sequel to False Assurances called Threat Bias. In just over a fortnight, 40,000 copies of the first two books in the Ben Porter Series were purchased and both have garnered 5-star ratings on Amazon.
Lauded as “thoroughly riveting” by best-selling author James Patterson (a man who knows a bit about “couldn’t-put-it-down” novels), False Assurances and Threat Bias are available in e-book or print format on Amazon, in e-book format on Apple Books, or in print format from your favorite independent bookseller via Ingram. This reviewer is predicting that these will be the best thrillers you’ll read this summer…and that heads will roll at more than a few publishing houses when the film rights to the Ben Porter Series are purchased by a Hollywood studio.
A life-long sailor known to his many friends as "Treef", Chris Rosow currently chairs the junior sailing program at Pequot Yacht Club in Southport, CT. He and his wife Meghan and children Connor, Keilan and Maggie live in Southport with a chocolate Lab and a Havanese (“The Odd Couple of dogs,” he jokes) and what he describes as “way too many boats.” Chris' brother David owns and sails the extremely successful J/109 LOKI and, along with their Dad (David Sr), they have been long-time active sailing members of New York Yacht Club.
JAMES PATTERSON applauds "a thoroughly riveting two-novel debut that introduces a compelling new hero.”
In CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE, Sean Chaffin writes, “What sets the novels apart from other suspense thrillers? Protagonist Ben Porter, who works for the FBI, is the anti-James Bond. A bit overweight and short, he’s more George Costanza than Jack Ryan.”
Editor-in-chief of WINDCHECK magazine Chris Szepessy predicts “that these will be the best thrillers you’ll read this summer.” Buy on Amazon here. Buy on Apple Books here. Thanks to Chris for this contribution.
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(Annapolis, MD)– The J/111 Class Association and Annapolis Yacht Club have determined, because of the varying levels of infection and disruption across the world, that this year’s J/111 North American Championship scheduled for October 29 - November 1 will be raced as part of the Annapolis NOOD from April 30 - May 2, 2021. The Class will instead hold its East Coast Championship in Annapolis during the previously scheduled Halloween weekend 2020. The Organizing Authority has been closely monitoring the worldwide developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. They understand the commitment of time and money required to participate in a Continental Championship, as well as the enormous resources that our hosts dedicate to such events.Allan Terhune, Event Chair, said, “Last week, we had a great meeting with several J/111 owners. While Annapolis YC was ready and committed to hosting the event, the owners were in agreement that with the uncertainty of events, moving to the spring of 2021 will ensure that the J/111 Class and AYC will have an event that is worthy of being a North American Championship. I am very excited for the decision and look forward to the great sailing on schedule this fall and also in 2021 on the Chesapeake Bay.”In the meantime, the Class wishes all J/111 sailors and their families the best in these difficult times. We look forward to resuming sailing as soon as we can. Sailing photo credit- Lorens Morel
(Algarrobo, Chile)- We received a report from Juan Eduardo Reid- J/70 sailor and J/Boats Chile dealer- regards their scenario in Chile.
Juan commented, "there has been no sailing activity since March 2020. We are still sailing just in Virtual Regatta since April. Santander and Doyle Sails are hosting a VR circuit with the J/70 owners and crews every Tuesday. Is called "The Master League". There are weekly and monthly regattas. 2 fleets of 20 boats each week with final 40 participants results.
This, together with a WhatsApp for internal communication, has become a very important factor of keeping the class together and "active".
Patagonia Yacht Charter and Doyle Sails hoisted the Chilean qualifiers for the South American Virtual Regatta championship. In the local qualifiers, 90 boats took place.
The class took the opportunity to ask for a voluntary donation for purchasing boxes of food for some employees at our home yacht club: Cofradía Nautica del Pacifico in Algarrobo.
We got very good support from the 90 participants, and collect $1,400 USD. And, the J/70 class did the same and supported the campaign with the same amount. So, with the $2,800 USD in funds, the J/70 Class in Chile and the Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico members support (they also complement each box with extra food), they have been delivering 18 boxes of food every month since May. Three months of 18 boxes each were delivered and we expect to support with 2 more months.
Independent marine workers are having a hard time since March 2020 and actually there were having very low marine activities since November 2019, after the violence and social strikes we faced in Chile since October 18th, 2019. So, this help is very important for them and the J/70 Chilean Class is happy to somehow contribute.
This is all that I can comment from this side of the world. I hope we can sail again during September or October. We still have 2,000 new coronavirus cases and 100 dead every day here in Chile. It is getting better, but still not enough to get to normal life."
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(Torbay, England)- After an unexpected start to this year’s sailing season and many discussions on how best to proceed with Torbay Royal Regatta 2020, we are pleased to announce that the event will still be taking place over the weekend August 22nd – 23rd, albeit with a number of necessary changes brought about by COVID-19 restrictions and associated guidance.
The Torbay Royal Regatta will proceed on its intended dates of August 22nd & 23rd, hosting races for IRC, Cruisers and Sports boats only. Although the event will not incorporate the IRC South West Championship as originally planned, sailors can expect two days of top-class racing on the renowned sailing waters of Torbay. Entries are open and a revised Notice of Race has been published, both can be found on the event website detailed below.
The running of two separate events will enable the club to provide competitive sailing opportunities for all classes whilst keeping the competitors and volunteers health and safety as a top priority. All racing and race management will be conducted following HM Government and RYA Guidance relating to the COVID-19 pandemic that are applicable at the time of each event. For more Royal Torbay regatta sailing information
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(Santa Barbara, CA)- In the face of every obstacle known to man, the Santa Barbara YC hosted their 14th annual Fiesta Cup Regatta off the beautiful harbor of Santa Barbara, California from July 18th to 19th. The fleet was greeted by nice sailing conditions and a total of seven races were held for the one-design J/70 and J/111 classes.
The eight-boat J/70 class was fiercely contested by the two protagonists, and well-known, racing teams in Santa Barbara. Past J/24 North American Champion Pat Toole and his team on 3 BIG DOGS had their hands full taking on Scott Deardorff/ Jon Ziskind/ Gus Duncan's CAKE. Over the course of seven races, these two teams won all seven races and accounted for six 2nds! In the end, it was Toole's 3 BIG DOGS that took the regatta by two points over the CAKE team. Third was the MONKEY HOUSE gang, led by Paul Castleberg and Lauren Amery. Fourth was Thomas Tunberg's NAMASTE and fifth John McCaffery's MAGIC CARPET RIDE.
The J/111 Class was a three-way duel between very experienced offshore teams. The surprise winner was not what the Ladbroke's Betting Parlour in London was betting on- Bernie Girod's ROCK & ROLL. Instead, it was Mike Drammer & Shaun Hughes' TITANIUM that rode their fast horse to the head of the class with a 1-3-1-1 tally for 6 pts total. Incredibly, the next two spots were determined on a tie-breaker at 9 pts each! With a 2-1-3-3 tally, it was Kenny Kieding's ARGO 3 that took the silver over Bernie Girod's ROCK & ROLL that had a 3-2-2-2. For more Fiesta Cup Regatta sailing information
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(Kiel, Germany)- As the hosts for the first 2020 Germany J/70 Segel-Bundesliga that took place this past weekend in Kiel, from July 17 to 19, the three Kiel clubs (Baltic Sailing Club, Kiel Sailing Association and TSV Schilksee) did not expect that one of their hometown teams would end up eclipsing the fleet of eighteen teams.
After sixteen races for each team over three days, it was Team ONE Kiel's young team led by skipper Magnus Simon that dominated the first weekend of sailing.
"We didn't expect that things would go so well for us," says Sören Brandt from Team ONE Kiel. “We approached race after race with a clear head and confidently positioned ourselves tactically. It worked really well, better than we expected!"
Following them on the podium was the Segel-und Motorboat Club Uberlingen, just beating long-time rivals Wassersport-Verein Hemeligen by just one point. Rounding out the top five was a past DSBL champion in fourth place- Norddeutscher Regatta Verein- and in fifth place was Wurttembergischer YC in fifth position.
In the second division, the Bodensee-Yacht-Club Überlingen led by helmsman Konstantin Steidle took the lead. The Hamburg Sailing Club and the Mühlenberger Sailing Club took second and third place.
The start of the Sailing Bundesliga season was the first sailing event since the Covid-19 pandemic broke in Kiel in March 2020 and is seen as a pioneer for further sailing events in the 2020 season.
Anke Lukosch, Project Leader of the Sailing Bundesliga, is satisfied with the first weekend of sailing; “our hygiene concept was approved by the athletes and they implemented in an exemplary manner. I am particularly pleased that, despite the corona regulations, top-class sport could be seen and the league feeling could be fully lived again."
All sailors are now preparing for the next DSBL regatta taking place from August 28th to 30th in Berlin, sailing on the Wannsee. Sailing Photo credits: DSBL / Lars Wehrmann For more German J/70 Segel-Bundesliga sailing information
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(Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA)- The Edgartown Yacht Club is hosting the 82nd running of its signature ‘Round-the-Island (’RTI) race on Saturday, August 1st, 2020. The Round Island, which began in 1938 and counts as one of America’s oldest distance races, it tracks 56.0 nautical miles around Martha’s Vineyard.
“To ensure the health and safety of sailors and the entire Martha’s Vineyard community, we have been working diligently to comply with the State of Massachusetts guidelines regarding COVID-19,” said Race Co-Chair Alex Nugent.
“Because of the early-August scheduling of our event, we’ve had time to adapt our plans and prepare the competitors for what to expect. Despite necessary changes, registration numbers are robust, drawing teams from all over the East Coast who see Edgartown Race Weekend as the kick-off to the 2020 racing season.”
Happily adapting to the pandemic guidelines are many J/Sailors. Answering the Siren's Song are sixteen J/Crews, ranging from J/29s to J/46! All divisions have J's participating, such as IRC, ORRez, PHRF, and PHRF Doublehanded!
In the ginormous 31-boat PHRF Spinnaker division, a mini-armada of J/Crews from across New England are looking forward tackle the course. Perhaps their most formidable foe may be Senator (MA) John F. Kerry's Alden 44 LARK sailing for Nantucket Yacht Club...never know how those political guys manipulate the PHRF system! Leading the charge for J/teams will likely be Dick Egan's J/46 WINGS (a multiple Round Island Race winner), along with skipper Ken Luczynski's J/44 VAMP sailing for the US Merchant Marine Academy. Giving them a serious run for the money on both line honors and handicap honors is multiple Round Island Race winner- Doug Curtiss' J/111 WICKED 2.0. With that kind of formidable competition, the three J/109s hope the winds/ tides work in their favor (Ted Herlihy's GUT FEELING, Eliot Shanabrook's HAFA ADAI, & Ed Dailey's RAPTOR). The two very experienced J/105s have also won their fair share of silver in Cape Cod racing circles- the trio on the J/105 DARK'N'STORMY (Joyce, Reservitz, & Wagner) and Ed Lobo's WATERWOLF. Then, another famous team on the J/29 SEEFEST, skippered by Ira Perry means everyone in front of them should be nervous...as they have won their class in the past multiple times. To say the least, a very talented, competitive fleet.
In the PHRF Doublehanded fleet of fourteen-boats, there will certainly be a great battle brewing amongst experienced duos on the trio of J/Doublehanders. Leading the charge around the course should be David Southwell's J/121 ALCHEMY, with Stephen Besse's J/120 APRES, and Mike Hersey's J/35 RESILIENCE giving them a good run-for-the-money. For more information Edgartown YC Round Island Race sailing information
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(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club has over 100 entries for "Race the Wight", scheduled to start on Saturday, 1st August. All entry fees will be donated to the NHS Trust and the Scaramouche Sailing Trust. Race the Wight will be the first of a four-race RORC mini-series during August and September.
“As a charity, we rely on donations and grants. Every pound we receive goes towards getting more students from different backgrounds sailing,” commented Jon Holt, Scaramouche Sailing Trust. “Our next big goal is to be on the start line of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2021. We are grateful for the ongoing support from RORC and proud to be named as one of the charities for the race.” The Greig City Academy will have upwards of a dozen students on different boats for the race.
IRC Classes for the 60.0 nm race around the Isle of Wight are still to be confirmed. However, early entries indicate a fleet full of champions with any number of potential victors.
Thirty-two J/Crews are entered in the race, looking forward to their picturesque circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight. Sailing in the thirteen-boat IRC 1 Class is Mike O’Donnell’s J/121 DARKWOOD; they won last year’s RORC Channel Race and will be competing with a crew of five.
“With water ballast and a sail configuration designed for short-handed sailing, we are actually sailing with our optimum crew, even with the restrictions,” commented Michael O’Donnell. “The race around the Isle of Wight, starting at the Royal Yacht Squadron, is possibly the most iconic in the world - we just can’t wait to get out there.”
In the twenty-three boat IRC 2 Class are a duo of J/122s and quartet of J/111s. The J/111 teams include Chris Jones' JOURNEYMAKER II, Simon Banford's KESTREL, Tim Tolcher's RAGING BULL, and Simon Grier-Jones' SNOW LEOPARD. The 122's sailing are Clive Miles' JANGLE and Andy Theobald's R&W.
The enormous forty-three boat IRC 3 Class includes some of the top J/Crews that race on the Solent. Two J/112E's are racing- Jim Chalmers' HAPPY DAIZE and Bruce Huber's XANABOO. Joining them are two J/88s- Alistair Ray's JUMUNU 5 and Gavin Howe & Sam Cooper's TIGRIS. Joining them is Jim Owen's J/99 JET. Then, eight J/109s are racing, that include notables like Simon Perry's JIRAFFE, Rob Cotterill's MOJO RISIN, Mike Yates JAGO, and Chris Burleigh's JYBE TALKIN. As the lowest rated boat, Tom Hayhoe and Natalie Jobling will be racing J/105 MOSTLY HARMLESS Two-Handed and both work for the NHS Trust.
Another enormous forty-three boat IRC 4 Class has Dave McGough's J/109 JUST SO, four J/105s (Mark Stevens JACANA, Bill Newton's JELLY BABY, Steve Roberts' JIN TONIC, and Jerry Freeman's JULIETTE). Joining them are Rachel Woods and Robert Hunt's J/97 JUMBLESAIL 2, Jack Banks' J/92 NIGHTJAR, Robert Salter's J/92 JACKDAW and two J/80s (Keith Willis' DARK & STORMY 2 and Ross Bowder's JUSTIFY).
Notably, the largest class is the IRC Doublehanded Class with forty-four boats! Those teams include Jones' J/111 JOURNEYMAKER II, Miles' J/122 JANGLE, Frans van Cappelle's J/122E MOANA, Howes' J/88 TIGRIS, Joppe Scheppers & Jasper Heikens' J/109 JOMALIJA, Yates' J/109 JAGO, Hayhoe & Jobling's J/105 MOSTLY HARMLESS, Roberts' J/105 JIN TONIC, Freeman's J/105 JULIETTE, and Woods & Hunt's J/97 JUMBLESAIL 2.
In summary: permitted crew can be up to a maximum of 6 people from any household or two-thirds of a boat’s IRC crew number, whichever is the least. Competitors are also reminded of the government guidance on social distancing and other Covid-19 pandemic measures. For more RORC sailing information, including online entry.
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