ZEPHYR Crowned J/30 Midwinter Champ

(New Orleans, Louisiana)- Team Zephyr v2.0, led by experienced J/30 sailor and co-owner Scott Tonguis, won the Midwinter Regatta held March 13-15 at the New Orleans Yacht Club. The five-race event, held in light and tricky conditions, was won by Tonguis, a New Orleans native, and crew on a tiebreaker with three bullets and a second and third place finish.

“It was very close between us and the second place boat and we often go back and forth with local teams which keeps it exciting and fun,” Tonguis said. “I’ve moved away from New Orleans and now live in Kentucky but I try to get down here as often as I can to race with friends that I don’t get to see all the time. After 25 years of racing sailboats, it’s more about the people. The regattas are just an excuse to get everyone together and have fun,” Tonguis explained.

Tonguis started sailing in high school in New Orleans and tagged along with his older sister when she went sailing on her friends’ boats. It was during these years that Scott met North Sails representative and local sailing legend Benz Faget. “I met Benz on the J/24 Texas circuit and also sailed with Chris Weintjes (another well-known local) on the Ranger 37 circuit,” explained Tonguis. “If you go sailing with really good sailors who know what they’re doing, you wind up learning a ton and gaining knowledge and experience you can’t get on your own.”

Tonguis’s first J/30, a family-owned boat named ZEPHYR, was lost in Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. “I hadn’t planned on replacing the boat but David Erwin, co-president of the J/30 class, put together a small consortium of people, including me, to own and race Zephyr v2.0. I agreed to be part of the team and come down as often as I can to race. Dave is more of a behind-the-scenes guy who does some racing and all of the organization,” Tonguis explained. “We usually race with 7 or 8 people and even though Dave can’t always race with us, he’s a huge fan of sailing and does whatever he can to support the class. He always tries to keep sailing relevant while we face challenges with other commitments and opportunities.”

“I’m very proud of Scott and the team on Zephyr v2.0 for their performance at the Midwinters with an all-amateur crew,” said Benz Faget. “It was a tight battle but Scott and crew pulled it out. They have been very good North Sails customers for many years and their teamwork and sail handling paid off earning them a well-deserved win,” Faget said.

Next up for Zephyr v2.0 is a PHRF handicapped regatta in Biloxi, MS, called the Challenge Cup, where the team will be one of four boats representing the New Orleans Yacht Club. The North team wishes the Zephyr v2.0 crew much luck at this event and throughout the rest of the season.  For more J/30 Midwinters sailing information

INFINITY Tops Texas J/105 Invitational

(Houston, Texas)- In spite of losing PRO Dwight Bengston at the last minute, J/105 Fleet 17's first annual Texas Invitational went off without a hitch under absolutely beautiful blue Texas skies in perfect winds and temperatures. A big thanks goes to John Barnett (Vici) and a host of Lakewood Yacht Club volunteers for quickly stepping up to the plate to make sure the 10-race schedule was executed to perfection.

Seven boats competed with both Fleet 17 and non-Fleet 17 owners on the helm. The 10 races were split into evens and odds. Fleet 17 owners helmed odd numbered races, and non-Fleet 17 owners helmed even number races. Big thanks to the Bermuda fleet for allowing Fleet 17 to copy their format. This is a super format that produces a fabulous opportunity for owners and crew to travel without having to drag their boats along.

Five races were sailed on Friday in light winds under clear skies with temperatures in the 70s. Three races went off under similar conditions on Saturday, and then the big Texas sea breezes filled in for some spectacular kite flying in 18-25 knots on Sunday. There was a bit of carnage but no actual protests.

For the local Fleet 17 owners, Bill Lakenmacher's RADIANCE took first with 12 points, Uzi Ozeri's INFINITY came in second with 15 and Brad Robbins' RUMPUS finished in third. The non-Fleet17-ers had Glen Darden (Dallas) on INFINITY in first, James Macdonald (Bermuda) on RADIANCE in second, and Mark Smith (Fort Worth) in third. The same boats took the top three places overall with Ozeri/Darden in first, Lakenmacher/MacDonald in second, and Robbins/Smith in third.

Watch two nice YouTube sailing videos here:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrSWPRlj4p0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jN0NIcdBt4

J/40 HERON REACH Sailing Blue Planet Odyssey!

(Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands)- If some of you recall, Virginia and Jerry from Bellingham, Washington did an extensive refit on their J/40, called HERON REACH, set sail from San Diego to the Marquesas Islands to join the “Blue Planet Odyssey”. They recently made it to the Marquesas, here’s a recent excerpt from their blog:

“On Sunday, March 29th at 6:15pm, we morphed from Pollywogs into Shellbacks! In other words, we crossed the equator into the South Pacific!  We celebrated with a toast of gratitude to Neptune.  Not  surprisingly, it doesn't look any different out there, but we have a powerful sense of the accomplishment for crossing this imaginary line!  Tonight we saw the  Southern Cross  for the first time, the smallest of the 88 named constellations. It points to the south celestial pole and feels like a different world. But the next day, it was back to squalls coming on the horizon.

We  have traveled 4,223 nautical miles since we left Bellingham, all on the largest body of water in the world.  The Pacific Ocean (North and South) cover more area than all of Earth's continents put together.  It is surrounded by the Ring of Fire, hundreds, if not thousands of both active and dormant volcanoes.  There are over 20,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, most of which are concentrated in the south or west where we are headed.  Some of the islands are associated with their neighboring continent, like Japan, in the east, the Aleutians in the north, or Vancouver Island and the Gulf and San Juan Islands in our own backyard.  Another type is the high volcanic island such as the Hawaiian Islands or the Marquesas.  Finally, there are the sandy coral  atolls like the majority of the islands of the South Pacific.  It is this type most in danger by the rising seas of climate change.  It is astounding to us, as we cross this vast ocean, to realize that we have raised the temperature of such a gargantuan mass and changed its acidity level with our high carbon uses!”   Read more about their adventures here.

J/112E Performance Cruiser Update

(Les Sables d’Olonne, France)- J/112E hull #1 is out of the mold and production is off and running at J Composites in Les Sables d’Olonne, France.   Hull #2 follows shortly as things gear up for a mid-summer product launch and busy fall boatshow schedule in Europe and North America. More progress photos and details to come!

J/112E is the newest addition to J/Boats’ “E” Series of versatile performance sailing yachts. The “E” is for elegance and evolution in performance cruising design.

This dual purpose design has a spacious two-cabin accommodation plan and a comfortable, ergonomic cockpit.  The all-new  J/112E is as well suited for the annual cruise as she is sprinting to Mackinac Island or short-handing through rough weather on long passages.

Her moderate displacement design with a high aspect, non-overlapping sailplan has proven to be a very efficient configuration.  It provides ample sail power in light winds (while most others are motoring), and offers easy to down-shift options when the wind builds. J’s are known for being able to sail well under mainsail alone, jib alone, and nearly any combination of mainsail and small jib. The J/112E is no exception. All one needs is a mainsail and 105% jib to enjoy easy, high performance sailing in winds from 5 to 25 knots.  For downwind fun or extensive offshore passages, one can deploy with minimal effort the asymmetric spinnaker from the retractable carbon sprit.  Learn more about this exciting new performance cruiser at the fall boat shows!   For more J/112E performance cruiser sailboat information

Les Voiles de St. Barth- Starting off Just Right

(Gustavia, St Barthelemy)- With winds whipping briskly at 15-20 knots, it was a lively show on the water for opening day of Les Voiles de St. Barth. After an equally lively opening party held on the Quay General de Gaulle the night before, 70 teams in 10 classes were raring to begin what they really came here for: hard core racing. The regatta organizers, knowing their audience, took no prisoners, sending the classes on a 23-mile course that started off Gustavia Harbor and led counter-clockwise and three quarters of the way around the eight-square-mile island of St. Barth before rounding a buoy off St. Jean and heading back in a clockwise direction.

“Today was typical St. Barth conditions--20 knots of wind, big waves and a lot of reaching legs, so it was a lot of fun being on a boat that could surf downwind in big waves,” said Gavin Brady, a tactician sailing in the regatta.

On the second day of sailing, it was another great day for setting records. Another serving of clear skies and classic trade winds made it a very good day for promoting racing in the Caribbean, and Les Voiles de St. Barth organizers capitalized on the stellar conditions with a decision to “go big” on the regatta’s second day of racing.

Making good on an earlier promise to give the largest, fastest boats a new marquee race designed for flat-out speed, the race committee sent the Maxi 1, Maxi 2 and Multihull classes on a 42 nm course that started off Gustavia and looped around St. Barth before continuing across the Canal de Saint Barthelemy to round the island of Tintamarre (off the eastern end of St Martin) to port and return its players to a finish near where they had started.

During Lay Day at Les Voiles de St. Barth, the teams racing were invited to compete in a caviar treasure hunt in the waters off Eden Rock along St Jean Beach. The goal was for participants to find the most tins of Roman Kaviroff caviar. Taking the win in the competition was Greg Slyngstad’s J/125 HAMACHI team, finding three tins!

Talking about their performance on the second day of sailing, Slyngstad said, “We had a great day. It was just enough wind for us to plane downwind and once we could get up on the step on our boat, a J/125 goes downwind really well. We went well upwind, mixing it up between several boats but then downwind we were able to separate and get some distance from those guys.

We rounded the last mark in second and then we got by one of the big swans going downwind and then it was right before the finish line that Phaedo (the 70 ft trimaran) came whipping by.  We raced against two Melges 32 in St Martin (Dingo and Lazy Dog) and won.  However, if it gets lighter we are going to struggle, but if it gets windier we should do well.

We had a great start and we got out in front on the leeward side and had a clear lane and many of the boats in our class were mixing it up in bad air while we were able to get some distance, which was the biggest gain. We were able to turn the corner eventually and put up the spinnaker and we gained a lot of distance there.”

At the middle stage of the regatta, HAMACHI is holding onto 2nd overall with a 3-2 scoreline in CSA Spinnaker 1 class.  In CSA Spinnaker 2 class, Rick Wesslund’s J/122 EL OCASO also has a 3-2 scoreline and is just 2 pts out of first place overall.  Finally, in CSA Spinnaker 3 class, the J/109 POCKET ROCKET from Ireland skippered by David Cullen is holding onto 5th place with a 6-5 tally.  For more Voiles de St Barth sailing information

J/88 Sailing Perspectives- by Don Finkle

(Youngstown, New York)- “Why the J88?  Now that we have a couple of seasons of sailing and selling the 29 foot J88 we can answer this question with confidence.  An acknowledged perk of our business is the ability to sail the newest designs as they come out, not just once or twice, but over a season or more.  We have been able to do this for over 40 years, and the boats we like the most are the ones we hold onto the longest.  This will be our fourth year with the J70 and the third with the J88, which will tell you what we think of these boats.  There is much you can figure out by reading specs and studying equipment lists, such as the standard carbon fiber rig and retractable sprit, diesel saildrive, full race deck layout, a real marine head, etc.  What you can’t really tell is how the boat sails and handles, that is where we can fill in the blanks.

J/Boats has made themselves the preeminent performance boat company by focusing on what the majority of racers want.  Because they are racing sailors themselves and spend a great deal of time on the water and at regattas they know their customers.  They are not after the Grand Prix market, that is too small and there is very limited staying power there.  J/Boats are designed to be fast and agile enough to be fun and competitive with the vast majority of the boats out there but not tweaky and skittish or demanding of excellent crew to keep the mast pointed up and the keel pointed down.  The J88 is a perfect example of that, a fast boat that is fun to sail, easy to handle, and not over the top powered up.  Don’t get the idea that it is not quick enough however, for unless you are looking for the ultimate in speed you won’t be disappointed.  The 88 is well balanced on the helm, goes where you point it, is surprisingly close-winded and stable.  The various sail tests out there (one included below) will emphasize that the 88 is nimble yet has a bigger boat feel.  That is comforting when you are day-sailing, taking out friends and family, training new crew, or when the weather gets nasty.

The 88 has become one of our all-time favorites because we can have so much fun with it.  It is a perfect size for those who don’t need to go cruising for any length of time.  The inboard engine, furling jib, marine head, real electrical system and seats in the forward cockpit make for convenience.  The retractable sprit and asymmetrical kits mean easier sailing with less demand for crew experience.  The deck and cockpit layout allow for comfortable places to sit.  The lack of midship toerails makes for much more comfortable hiking, as does the increased spacing between upper and lower lifelines.  The low deckhouse and small headsail overlap improve forward visibility upwind. We can be underway very quickly and putting the boat away after sailing is also simple.  This means more time having fun and less time for chores.  On the flip side all of the sail controls are there as standard equipment so you can have lots of fun fine-trimming to your heart’s content.

Yes, we love the J88 and make no apologies for that.  A good, solid, all-around performer designed by people who know what matters and built to last.  So please tell us what more one can ask for?

At least 6 J/88s racing out of Youngstown this summer:  We have one of, if not the, biggest local fleet in North America.  On any given race night, we could have six J/88’s on the starting line.  Whether we have our own start or not, there will be great one-design racing between the boats on Lake Ontario.  We found out last year that there were a lot of boats in our PHRF range that made for good competitive racing.  We were given a PHRF-LO rating of 87, but raced it at 81 because of the six second “protect the fleet” penalty.  That rating didn’t seem to hurt too much and still had good competition with the other Beneteau 36.7’s racing with a 78 rating, the J/109 at 80, Beneteau 10R at 92, NM Custom 30 at 93.  The J/88 is tough to beat if sailed to its potential.  We don’t know what the rating will be this year, but we are fine with any number between 81 and 87, knowing that we can be competitive in that range.

J/Fest San Francisco Preview

(San Francisco, CA)- The 2015 J/Fest regatta hosted by St Francis YC has an excellent turnout of fifty boats for their upcoming regatta that will be sailed from April 18 to 19th on San Francisco Bay.  Five one-design J classes are sailing, including J/24s, J/70s, J/105s, J/111s and J/120s.

The enormously popular J/105 class continues to gain new adherents to their fleet after nearly 20 years of sailing on San Francisco Bay. With the 2015 J/105 North American Championships being hosted by StFYC later in September, it is not a coincidence that the top-flight competition has attracted the best teams from across California (north and south).  Multiple fleet champions include Scooter & son Ryan Simmons on BLACKHAWK; Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault-Stone on ARBITRAGE; Jeff Litfin’s MOJO; the trio of Shannon Ryan/ Rolf Kaiser/ Ken Turnbull on DONKEY JACK; and Adam Spiegel on JAM SESSION.

The half-dozen J/111s will include all the top local teams that have enjoyed close one-design racing over the past year.  Depending on conditions, the outcome is less than deterministic amongst this closely-matched fleet.  Needless to say, the betting parlor over/under on the six teams would easily be the hardest group to lay odds on— Dorian McKelvy’s MADMEN, Rich Swanson’s BAD DOG, Nesrin Basoz/ Reuben Rocci’s SWIFT NESS, Roland Vandermeer’s BIG BLAST, Gorkem Ozcelebi’s DOUGLE DIGIT, and Rob Thies’ AEOLUS.

The J/120 fleet has their usual cast of characters participating and, as has been the case in the past, the entire top three is all dependent on “karma”.  OK, this may be a California thing, but it has to be true since seemingly any one team can win at any time.  Look to any one of these teams to be in the hunt- Tom Grennan/ Shane Palmer’s KOOKABURRA; Barry Lewis’ CHANCE; David Halliwill/ Mike O’Callaghan’s PEREGRINE; Steve Madeira’s MR MAGOO and Timo Bruck’s TWIST.

As one might expect, the J/24s continue to have fun on San Francisco Bay after 30+ years of thrashing around in the craziest conditions anyone can imagine.  Perhaps the most famous locals are Val Lulevich’s SHUT UP & DRIVE as well as Jasper Van Vliet’s EVIL OCTOPUS, Darren Cumming’s DOWNTOWN UPROAR and Mike Whitfield’s TMC RACING.

While the event is still over a year away, there is no question a number of local J/70s are looking at this event as part of their long-term practice for the 2015 J/70 World Championship on San Francisco Bay.  Top local boats include John Brigden’s COOL STORY BRO, Justin Kromelow’s LOOSE LUCY, Chris Andersen’s PERFECT WIFE, Peter Cameron’s PRIME NUMBER and Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER.  Sailing photo credits- Pressure-drop.us.  For more J/Fest San Francisco sailing information

Charleston Race Week XX Preview

(Charleston, SC)- It seems unlikely that any of the competitors at the first edition of Charleston Race Week in 1996 would have expected that a small, local event started by a few friends would become one of the world’s most celebrated and influential regattas.  This year’s edition of Sperry Charleston Race Week caps off an incredible 20 years of change – change that has seen the regatta evolve from an old-school handicap yacht race to the most modern and vibrant regatta of its kind.

On April 17-19, Sperry Charleston Race Week takes the crown as the biggest keelboat regatta in the Americas with 286 boats registered. CRW is also the largest gathering of modern sportboats in the entire world, especially the gigantic eighty-four boat J/70 class.

To celebrate this 20th anniversary, the organizers have planned a few special offerings. Renowned America’s Cup veteran and TP52 Champion Ed Baird will be on hand as a guest expert to offer post race analysis each day on the Jumbotron at the Regatta Village. He’ll be assisted by the work of aerial videographer Keith Brash. Also on tap is Volvo Ocean Race veteran Brian Carlin of Team Vestas Wind, who will present his firsthand take on the grounding Vestas Wind suffered in the Indian Ocean earlier this year on Leg II of that race. In addition, America’s Cup commentator Tucker Thompson will be joined on stage by Andrew Campbell of Oracle Team USA to offer a presentation on the 35th America’s Cup.

Celebrating this milestone are 150 J’s sailing in this huge fleet (52% of the total).  In the one-design world, there will be 9 J/22s, 21 J/24s, 84 J/70s, 8 J/80s, 4 J/88s and 7 J/111s.  Amongst those fleets are a cross-section of every imaginable type of sailor, from weekend wizards to evening beer-can experts to world and Olympic champions.

As the largest one-design class ever assembled for CRW, the J/70s will be sailing in split fleets of 42 boats, with four flights rotating after every race to ensure fair and balanced competition.  Many of the top USA and international teams that sailed Key West Race Week, Quantum Winter Series and Bacardi Miami Sailing Week will be present, plus many new faces that are just getting their “mojo” going for the 2015 summer of sailing.  Some of the class veterans include Jud Smith (AFRICA), Mauricio Santa Cruz from Brazil (BRUSCHETTA), Joel Ronning (CATAPULT), John Heaton (EMPEIRIA), Julian Fernandez Neckelmann from Valle de Bravo, Mexico (FLOJITO Y COOPERANDO), Rob Britts (HOT MESS), Tim Molony (JOUST), Jim Cunningham (LIFTED), Kerry Klingler (MENACE), Cole Allsopp (MOXIE), Dan & Gannon Troutman (PIED PIPER), John Brim (RIMETTE), Tom Bowen (REACH AROUND), Andy Lovell (ROUGAROU), Brian Keane (SAVASANA), Will Welles (SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM), Dave Franzel (SPRING), Bruno Pasquinelli (STAMPEDE), Alex Meleny (TRUCKIN), Doug McLean/ David Ullman (ULLMAN SAILS), and Jack Franco on USA 3.

Thirty-three of the 84 teams are sailing in the Corinthians class, a healthy sign of strong amateur teams that compete at the highest levels.  Also, there will be a number of top women skippers competing for honors, including Catherine Evans on MOJITO from Annapolis, Amy Neill sailing NITEMARE from Chicago, Stephanie Sipos on USELESS from Edgewater YC in Ohio and Kristen Robinson on ZOMBIE from Annapolis YC.

The J/24s have a cross-section of veterans and new teams participating.  Tops amongst this group should be last year’s winner, Mike Marshall skippering PIPE DREAM from Jamestown, RI; Tony & Peter Parker sailing the famously-named series of boats called BANGOR PACKET from Annapolis YC; Aidan Glackin leading MENTAL FLOSS; and Chris Stone sailing VELOCIDAD from Atlantic Highlands YC.   Top locals include Mile Palazzo’s JO MAMMA, Scott McCormack’s GIGGITY and Tommy Smith’s PUFF DADDY.

The J/22s have a nice turnout with strong support from the local Charleston fleet as well as visitors from the Ohio and Pennsylvania fleets.  The College of Charleston is fielding three teams led by skippers Allyson Plessner on CATCH 22, Jacob Raymond on LETS GET KNOTTY, and Chase Shaw on LOS TRES BIGOTES.

A high-quality group of J/80s are participating, including class leaders like Chris & Liz Chadwick’s CHURCH KEY, Gary Panariello’s COURAGEOUS, Ken Mangano’s MANGO and Ramzi Bannura’s STACKED.

In the J/111 class, the seven-boat fleet has a number of teams that are preparing for the upcoming J/111 World Championship in mid-June at Newport, RI.  Those teams include the top boats at the J/111 Midwinters in Key West, George Gamble’s MY SHARONA from Pensacola, FL; Rob Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF team from Cleveland OH; and Bill Smith’s WOOTON from Chicago, IL.  Other champion teams from the Midwest and the East Coast include Gary Weisberg’s HEAT WAVE from Gloucester, MA; Robert Stein’s KINETIC from Charleston, SC; Marty Roesch’s VELOCITY from Annapolis YC; and Doug Curtiss’ WICKED 2.0 from New Bedford YC.

Sailing as a one-design class for the first time at CRW are the J/88s.  Teams are having fun trailering their boats to events and taking advantage of the simple, single-point lift system to launch anywhere they wish using a “cherry picker” machine.  Like their J/111 colleagues, a number of the top teams from the first J/88 Midwinters at Key West Race Week are in attendance, including Rob and Sandy Butler’s TOUCH2PLAY RACING from Hamilton Harbor YC in Canada; Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION from Huguenot YC; Terry Mckenna’s DOG PARTY from Prince Edward Island in far east Canada; and Joe & Jeff Pawlowski’s EASY EIGHTS from Youngstown YC in New York.

In the world of handicap racing, there are two versions for sailors- the traditional around-the-buoys racing and the fun-loving pursuit racing format favored by so many daysailing and cruising sailors.

In the around the cans scenario, three PHRF classes are sailing offshore in the Atlantic Ocean on either side of the Charleston channel.  In the PHRF A class, there are six J teams sailing.  Two perennial contenders include the two J/122s, Robin Team’s TEAMWORK from North Carolina and Paul Milo’s frequent flyers on ORION from Leesburg, VA.  They are joined by two J/120s- John Keenan’s IILYRIA from Mt Pleasant, SC and Rick Moore’s MOOSE DOWN.

Sailing in PHRF B is the offshore classic, the J/35 ARROW sailed by Willy Schwenzfeier from Charleston, SC. In PHRF C class are three very well-sailed boats, including Dave Pritchard’s J/92 AMIGOS from Atlanta, GA; Robert Key’s J/27 AUDACIOUS from Columbia, SC; and Steve Thurston’s J/29 MIGHTY PUFFIN from Bristol, RI.

In the world of pursuit racing, we find the College of Charleston’s J/36 SOLE up against Bill Hanckel’s J/120 EMOCEAN in PHRF Spinnaker.  In PHRF Non-Spin is Mark Swatta’s J/30 LAS BRISAS from Mt Pleasant, SC.

In addition to the standard trophies, TORQEEDO is sponsoring the newly created Dynasty Division.  Torqeedo initiated this division for the inaugural J/70 World Championship in Rhode Island last year. The Dynasty Division is designed to further encourage families to compete in the J70 Fleet.  The division is open to all boats that have a family member on-board for the regatta.   For more Charleston Race Week sailing information

Amateur Sailors Score @ J/22 Midwinters

(Wayzata, Minnesota)- That is amazing! Is that really possible?  You bet.  Here’s the story from Holly Jo Anderson regarding how Team AQUAVIT from Wayzata YC in Wayzata, Minnesota overcame enormous odds (and snow and ice and broken stuff) to take third in this year’s J/22 Midwinters.  Here’s Holly Jo’s story:

“Interest in our amateur team started after we earned good results on the first day. The excitement around our performance built as this crew, consisting of a teacher, lawyer and marketing professional, scored a fifth and two first place finishes on the second day of the J/22 Midwinter Championship. What was the secret sauce for the success of this Wayzata Yacht Club (WYC) boat from J/22 Fleet #1 on Lake Minnetonka?

Forming the Team
When Wayzata Yacht Club sailors were wrapping up the 2014 season and getting the boats out of the water before the lake froze, John Dyer and I (Holly Jo Anderson) discussed going to the J/22 Midwinters. John had competed at national and international Laser regattas. However, he had never gone to a national J/22 event as a skipper and was looking for the regatta experience. When Kevin Kenny heard about the potential plan, he asked if he could join the crew.

“In February we discussed the potential of going again,” explains Dyer. “Not having sailed since October, we were enthusiastic about sailing. Once we all decided to go, the plans started to come together.”

Choosing the Parts: Boat, Tow Vehicle and Sails
Anderson purchased J/22 #1048 in the spring of 2014. Dyer had been leasing J/22 #810 for the past couple of seasons. And, Kenny had just purchased J/22 #1311, which he had crewed on for numerous years.

“Holly’s J/22 and my boat were snowed-in at a cold storage barn on a farm,” explains Kenny. “Dyer’s leased boat was proven to be fast and was being stored in a heated facility where we could do maintenance on it. So we got permission from the boat owner to take J/22 #810.”
The other challenge was the tow vehicle. With limited option, the sailors decided to use Anderson’s Flex Fuel Ford Escape with a towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

“After doing some research, it was clear that my Ford Escape was right on the border of not having enough towing capacity to make the 1,000 plus mile trip,” details Anderson. “Ultimately, it worked fine. The only drawback was the need to stop every 1.5 to 2 hours to refuel.”

Lars Hansen, Mike Miller, Sue VanGrevenhof and several others from J/22 Fleet #1 shared some of their regatta trials and tribulations along with tips to avoid problems.  This information helped the team prepare for the event.

The sailors did quite a bit of maintenance on the boat over many weekends, including checking the trailer lights. Both the car and the trailer had faulty wiring that needed replacement. Additionally, the trailer needed new tires and a new spare.

Armed with a collection of sails, Dyer, Kenny and Anderson had to decide which sails to bring. We took a set of the best sails from two of the boats, including a new North Sails spinnaker and the recently purchased gently-used 2014 main from North Sails sailmaker Mike Marshall.

The Event
“The Jackson Yacht Club was extremely organized, which made registration and getting the boat in the water very easy,” explains Dyer. “Since we hadn’t raced in six months and had never sailed together on the same boat, we were looking forward to the practice race. Unfortunately, we missed the practice race. So we agreed to get started extra early to practice before the first race.”

“The Ross Barnett Reservoir had many similar shoreline and wind patterns to Lake Minnetonka, where our home yacht club is,” explains Kenny. “We gathered compass data, reviewed the weather information, looked for the breeze and discussed the direction we planned to go as a team. We also ran the line to get a good sense of the time and distance of the line as well as the favored end.”

Out of the 40 boats registered, 37 were on the line. This made the starts very competitive. Displaying bow number 37, the sailors on J/22 #810 found a hole and went for it in race one. Another boat came in to leeward just before the gun and went up hard. Boat 37 had to head up right at the start. While not confident that they weren’t over early, 37 had a clean air and speed off the line.

“We were right in the mix at the top of the fleet,” explains Dyer. “That gave us the confidence that we could be in the front with the pros. Thanks to Kevin’s extremely good spinnaker trimming and Holly’s ability to spot the breeze and call downwind tactics, we gained the lead. We were delighted when we crossed the line in first. Then we got a sixth, fourth and 15th finish in the next three races. We were pleased with the crew work and boat handling. It wasn’t until we got back to the club that we discovered we were OCS in the first race. While disappointing, it helped us focus on having fun during day two. Unfortunately, our marine radio wasn’t working properly and the spare was in the hotel room. We made sure that the back-up radio was charged that night.”

The race committee, food and entertainment for the 2015 J/22 Midwinters were exceptional. The facilities are top-notch and everyone was extremely friendly. It exceeded the expectations of what a regatta experience is like for the sailors from Minnesota.

“Downwind, we steered the boat with our weight to maximize speed,” explains Anderson. “Because we hadn’t sailed as a team before, the jibe sets weren’t as smooth as they should be. The new twing didn’t get pulled on during the jibe so the pole skied. In addition, we were using old e-scow jib sheets, and the catch knots didn’t hold, blowing both sheets out of their blocks. We had to grab them and put them back through the blocks. But, we recovered very quickly and picked off a few boats in the process.”

Based on weather forecasts, compass readings and wind pattern observations, the crew on 37 made a decision to go right middle in the fifth race on day two. After the start, boat 37 discovered that most of the fleet went left. While knowing that it is best to stay with the fleet, the sailors had committed to the right and continued. This tactical decision, Dyer’s exceptional helming and boat handling resulted in a fifth place finish for race number five. Kenny continued to document compass readings during and before each race. This data along with the team’s ability to spot and stay in the breeze resulted in two bullets in races six and seven. On the last leg of the seventh race, boat 37 was very close to Tejas, helmed by Quantum sailmaker Terry Flynn. The two boats got into a jibing duel. The finish was so close that the race committee had to confirm that bow 37 won the race.

“On day three the starts got even more competitive,” Kenny recalls. “John’s driving and reaction time is extremely good. His skills at the helm combined with our information about the boats around us helped us avoid being hooked to get clean starts in the last two races. Additionally, John’s mark rounding were very tight. During one of them, Holly had to pick up her feet so she didn’t hit the mark.”

After the last race, the crew headed to the line to wait for their turn at the crane. Just after the boat got put on the trailer, the awards ceremony announcement was given. Not knowing where they finished, crew 37 discussed if they should continue to get the boat ready for the long 1,000 plus mile drive home or go to the ceremony. Anderson encouraged them to head in. Dyer and Kenny looked at the results on the board and were extremely surprised to discover we had improved to a third-place result. It was an exceptional regatta experience for this amateur team from WYC in Minnesota.

“I want to thank Lars Hansen, J/22 #865, for mentoring me and many other sailors in J/22 Fleet #1. His willingness to share his knowledge definitely advanced my sailing skills. And, Bruce Martinson’s training improved my downwind racing under spinnaker,” notes Dyer. “Having exceptional talent on this level and offering tips and guidance has helped J/22 Fleet #1 grow and gain competitive strength.”

“The event photographs by Christopher Howell and Facebook posts were very good. This kept everyone in J/22 Fleet #1 and WYC informed of our progress. They were cheering us on. We were getting comments on Facebook, texts and calls from our fellow Lake Minnetonka sailors. And the ride home got broken up with several congratulatory calls,” continues Dyer. “We sincerely thank Jackson Yacht Club, Fleet #63 and all the race officers, judges, members, event organizers, volunteers and participants for making this an event to remember.”

Pacific NW J/Boats Rendezvous!

(Seattle, WA)- Save the date- Saturday, June 20th! Sail Northwest is excited to follow our first ever J/Boats Rendezvous for the Pacific Northwest this past spring 2014 at the Brownsville Marina with the now second running of what we hope will be annual event - the PNW J Boats Rendezvous.

J/Boats has touched the lives of nearly every sailor in America and it's time to celebrate those designs and those experiences that continue to shape the racing and cruising world.  Since its' inauspicious beginnings in the garage of Rod Johnstone back in 1975, J/Boats has continued to produce high-end performance oriented racer/cruisers that perform well on the race course and are designed and built with such quality they are able to cruise the world's oceans or provide your family with a safe a comfortable platform to cruise or daysail on the bay.

It's these boats and these achievements we will be celebrating in Port Orchard on June 20th, 2015.   Bring your cruising boat, bring your daysailor, bring your race boat! You don't need a J/Boat to attend, but if you have one, we want to see it in Port Orchard!

For more information, please contact Bob Ross or Ben Braden at Sail Northwest- ph# 206-286-1004 or email- bob@sailnorthwest.com.