J/Crews Lovin’ Bayfield Race Week!

(Bayfield, WI)- Bayfield Race Week is the centerpiece of the Lake Superior offshore racing season, hosted by the Apostle Islands Station of the Wayzata Yacht Club.  It is a week long festival of sailing on the south shore of Lake Superior, with racing taking place around the spectacular Apostle Islands. The event surrounds the 4th of July, and attracts boats and crews all points of the compass, including: Canada, Florida, Duluth, and the Twin Cities.

To say that it is also a “love fest” for J/sailors would be an understatement.  J/crews have been sailing the event for years and has become a fixture on their calendars once you’ve had the pleasure to experience the fun and camaraderie of the event!  It is truly one of the prettier corners of the sailing world you’ve ever seen, with plush green, pine-treed islands, magnificent tall bluffs, and incredibly clear deep blue waters- a color that could easily mistaken for the azure waters of the Caribbean.

This year, J/Teams won three divisions and took silver in two others- a rather dominating performance by one brand of sailboats!

The Mid-Distance PHRF A group of the big boats was swept by J/crews; these were races around a combination of government marks, islands and set marks- a lot like what you see in the Caribbean race weeks.  Winning was Keith Stauber’s J/35 PAPA GAUCHO II with a 2-4-7-3-2 record for 18 pts.  They also won the “Family Affair Award”.  Second was another J/35, Bob Vander Ploeg’s BOBSLED from Thunder Bay, Ontario with a 4-6-2-2-7 for 21 pts.  Third was David Resch’s J/120 FOREVER YOUNG with a 1-8-3-7-5 tally for 24 pts.  Then, Chris Wells’ J/41 IOR NORTHERN HARRIER from Thunder Bay, Ontario posted a 3-3-5-9-4 for 24 pts, losing the tie-breaker with the J/120 to take fourth place.

In the Mid-Distance PHRF B class, George Johns’ J/80 JAVALINA sailed consistently well with a 1-2-1-5-6 for 15 pts, just one point from first!  Also taking silver was Jim Vaudreuil’s J/109 ZIGZAG in the Buoy Racing PHRF B class, also just missing a class win by one point.

Winning the Jib and Main PHRF class was Edward Alspach’s J/36 RADIO FLYER- a bright, fire-engine red boat that looks great sailing on the lake!  They pretty much crushed their class with four bullets in their 5 races.  Similarly, winning the Sport Boat PHRF class was Erik Wilson’s J/70 FLY 2.0 from Fargo, ND- a long drive away!   Follow Bayfield Race Week on Facebook here   Watch the local Fox 21 News video of the event here   For more Bayfield Race Week scores and sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Thrilling Finale @ Verve Cup Offshore Regatta!

J/111 Podium Determined On Last Leg of Last Race!
(Chicago, IL)- It was Chicago’s version of “the Thrilla from Manila!”  Going around and around in the proverbial ring, a jab here, a roundhouse punch there, the top three boats in the J/111 class and the outcome on the podium was not determined until the final minutes of the seventh and final race of the regatta on Sunday!  In short, “who beat who” determined the finish positions, with the trio of Karl Brummel/ Steve Henderson/ Mike Mayer on KASHMIR winning the final race, followed by Brad Faber’s UTAH in 2nd and Rich Witzel’s ROWDY in third place!  Rounding out the top five were Mark & Colin Caliban’s NO QUARTER in 4th and John Kalanik’s NO QUARTER in 5th position.   Here is J/111 KASHMIR- Mike Meyer interview

As for the rest of the competitors in Chicago YC’s 25th annual Verve Cup Offshore Regatta, the racing was close, but not the anxiety-ridden thriller experienced by the J/111 class.

The J/109 class saw the overall Chicago to Mackinac Race winner add more silverware to their trophy room collection!  Winning with three 1sts and three 2nds in the 7 race series was Jim Mitchell & Bruce Danly’s TOA.  Six points back in second place was Peter Priede’s FULL TILT, also winning three races along the way but having to contend with three high-scoring finishes (5-4-6) that hurt their chances for a shot at the top.  Third as David Gustman’s NORTHSTAR, followed by Bob Evans’ GOAT RODEO in 4th (the J/109 Chicago-Mackinac Race winner), and in 5th place was Keith Ecklenberg’s BLACKFIN.

The J/105 class of ten boats also witnessed another “walk-away”, this one in the form of Gyt Petkus’s crew on VYTIS finally getting their “mojo” and collecting three bullets and three deuces on their way to a huge class win.  Second was past winner, Jon Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM, third was Clark Pellet’s SEALARK (another past winner), fourth Mike Sheppard’s FLYING PIG and fifth Robert Amos’ SOUTHBOUND.

The J/88 teams were lumped into the ORR 2 Division of eleven boats.  After eight races on their circle, Andy Graff’s EXILE placed 4th and Tim Wade’s WINDSONG took 5th. Rick Stage’s J/35 ALPHA PUPPY finished just behind the J/88s in 6th position.  For more Verve Cup Offshore sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Great J/Team Performance @ Rolex Fastnet Race!

J/133 Wins IRC 2, J/122E 2nd in Doublehanded, J/122E Wins IRC 2B, J/109 Wins IRC 3B!
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- There is no question that well-sailed, all-around J/designs, even those over ten years old, can win major events like the RORC’s ROLEX Fastnet Race.  In a tour’de’force, the French J/133 PINTIA, the Dutch J/122E AJETO! and the Irish J/109 JEDI quite handily won their respective IRC divisions in this years incredibly challenging 605nm race.

The Royal Ocean Racing’s biennial flagship event this year attracted another record-sized fleet of 362 boats, six more than 2015. It continues to be the world’s largest offshore yacht race, and also the most popular – when registration opened, the IRC fleet’s maximum limit of 340 boats was reached in just 4 minutes and 24 seconds!

As ever, the course took the giant fleet west down the English Channel, either side of the prohibited ‘traffic separation scheme’ zone between Land’s End and the Scilly Isles, across the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock, four miles off southwest Ireland, back south leaving Bishop Rock and the Scilly Isles to port and then, on past the Lizard, to the finish off Plymouth– in total 605nm..

Equally impressive as the size of the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet was its diversity, ranging from many of the world’s top offshore racing teams, either privately owned or sponsored, down to smaller amateur family and friends entries and to sailing schools featuring individuals for many of whom the Rolex Fastnet Race would rank as their “Mount Everest” (the world’s tallest mountain at 29,000+ feet) of their offshore racing careers.

The traditional Sunday staggered start on the Solent, taking place the day after Cowes Week, was spectacular.  The giant fleet setting off by class, starting with the multihulls at 1100 and finishing 1hr 40 minutes later with the biggest monohulls. They were accompanied west down the Solent by the substantial spectator fleet before squeezing through the bottleneck at Hurst Castle Narrows and out into the English Channel headed west to the first turning point at Land’s End.

This year’s race was a “classic” weather-wise.  The race started off with a prolonged beat all the way to the Fastnet Rock, followed by a run back to Bishop Rock and a reach to the finish. Conditions for the frontrunners were moderate, albeit somewhat awkward with a front lying across the southern UK, creating a small pause in the wind before filling in from the northwest.

The medium-small sized boats got their money’s worth with a hard beat into winds approaching 30 knots en route to the Fastnet Rock. These same conditions made for a blistering sleigh ride back from the Rock for the larger boats.  J/Boats excelled in the all-around conditions.

In IRC Two Class, Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine’s J/133 PINTIA won the first prize following their arrival at the finish line at 0533 hours. Incredibly, they placed 4th overall in IRC for 340+ boats!!  They were, by far, the highest finishing standard production boat in the entire race!

“We had some good results already in IRC Two this year,” said Fournier. “But, the Rolex Fastnet Race is the peak of the season. We have had an internal battle with our friends on Lisa, including Commodore of the RORC Michael Boyd, since the beginning of the season.”

Due to the tidal state at the time, PINTIA went to the west of the all-important traffic separation scheme off the Scilly Isles. Fournier said he enjoyed rounding the Fastnet Rock, even though it was at night.

“You are pleased when you round that because it is an amazing place. You wouldn’t want to spend your holidays there, but it is a legendary place and we are now part of the legend!”

RORC Commodore Michael Boyd acknowledged that PINTIA had stolen a march on them at Portland Bill.  “We failed to get to there in time. PINTIA went in and we probably should have followed her and they just managed to get through the gap. We went outside and lost quite a few miles, but we gained them back at Lyme Bay when an awful lot of boats went inside and we were surprised to see some of our competitors at anchor there. We were further offshore, in the wind. That kept us up with the IRC One boats.”

The boats in IRC 2 Class saw 25 knots on the nose, some of the strongest conditions crossing the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock, requiring the crew to live on the rail. Boyd described the Fastnet Rock, off his native Ireland, as “extraordinary, absolutely magical.”

The IRC Two Handed prize was just missed by “the Flying Dutchmen” on the J/122e AJETO!- sailed by Dutch Two-Handed Champions, Robin Verhoef and John van der Starre. The Netherlands boat had been leading the IRC Two-Handed class until Night & Day finally overhauled them yesterday, leaving them second.  They also placed 4th overall in the entire IRC 2 division and were the winners of IRC 2B Division!

The Dutch duo, racing their new J/122E, which they have optimized for two-handed racing, had an up and down race.

"We sailed well, but we had some bad luck with a wind hole at the Lizard,” said Verhoef. “We were not close enough to the shore and not far enough from the shore to get away from there. There was a big wind hole and we had to anchor twice for about 30 minutes letting out 120m of line!”

This episode dropped them to 13th by the time they reached Land’s End, however they recovered this lost ground by going up the favorable east side of the Land’s End traffic separation scheme and then sailing into the favorable right hand shift in the Celtic Sea.

“The Irish Sea was like lake sailing– wind shift-tack, wind shift-tack,” said van der Starre. “Then at the TSS we were up with the leaders in the group again.” They rounded the Fastnet Rock shortly before dawn, under the full moon. After the prolonged upwind conditions, there was tangible relief as they turned downwind. “That was one big smile. Then at the Scillies we saw for the first time we were leading our class again.”

However, soon after they got stuck in another wind hole forcing them to back down, virtually perpendicular to the course, and then sail south in order to extricate themselves. It was this huge problem that allowed Night & Day to move ahead of them in the IRC Two Handed class! How frustrating for one of Europe’s top two-handed duos!  A win firmly in their grasp, not once, but twice, only to lose it again!  It seems they had a similar fate two Fastnet Races ago on their J/111, sitting stranded in no wind within 200 meters of the finish line, in no wind, anchored against the current flowing out of Plymouth Harbour, talking to the finish line officials- for 7+ hours!!  Yet, they did not go crazy, and still got second despite the fact they were winning by a country furlong on their approach to the final few meters at the Plymouth pier!

The J/122 JUNIQUE RAYMARINE SAILING TEAM sailed by yet another top Dutch crew- Chris Revelman & Pascal Bakker- took 8th in IRC Two-handed Division and 7th in IRC 2 Division overall and 4th in IRC 2B Division!  They were followed by Nick Martin’s ever-present J/105 DIABLO-J in 11th and Wim van Slooten’s J/109 FIRESTORM in 12th.

In the IRC 2A Class, the J/122 LORELEI from France, skippered by Marie & Alain Chatherineau, took 4th place.  Meanwhile, just 45 minutes corrected behind them in 5th place was their J/122 sistership- Andy Theobald’s R&W. Yet another J/122E took 9th place- Chris Daniel’s JUNO.

Then, in IRC 3B class J/crews were 9 of the top 12 teams! First was the Irish J/109 JEDI skippered by Kenneth Rumball.  Third was yet another J/109, Peter Dunlop & Vicky Cox’s MOJITO, and 5th place was Nick Martin’s J/105 DIABLO-J!   YB Tracking video  For more Rolex Fastnet Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/111 World Championship Preview

(San Francisco, CA)- Every team’s journey to a starting line is a tale of organization, crew alignment, vessel preparation and practice. Add in international travel, and the complexity snowballs. Then, weave in the pressures and prestige of a World Championship— in this case the 2017 J/111 World Championships (August 23-27, 2017), hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California— and the situation compounds. The emphasis on organization and practice is a constant, but the logistics escalate the farther afield you venture.

But, what if the crew is (mostly) from Australia, the regatta is in San Francisco, and the boat is one that no one on the team has sailed? For skipper Rod Warren (AUS) and his crew, the rhumbline to the 2017 J/111 Worlds hasn’t been simple. While Warren has owned and raced his J/111 JOUST (AUS 1110) for the last four years in Melbourne, Australia, bringing her to the USA was a bridge too far. With transpacific vessel shipping off the table, he said “the hardest thing was finding a charter boat and a good owner.” When these efforts came up shy, Warren got creative.

One of Warren’s Aussie mates, Phil Simpfendorfer, was shopping for a J/111 and found one in the Bay Area (Rob Theis’s former Aeolus). Phone calls and discussions ensued, and— to cut a long, dead-downwind leg short— Simpfendorfer generously offered Warren and crew (including Bay Area locals Chris Watts and Jennifer Canestra) a crack at the World Championship title using his boat before she gets shipped back to Australia.

“It's a lucky break and an incredibly generous friend,” said Warren, who is now busily preparing for San Francisco conditions. “We love the wind and are used to big seas. Recently, we’ve been sailing in heavier winds, perfecting some new techniques. Time will tell if they work.”

The St. Francis YC is no stranger to hosting international teams for World Championship events, or to welcoming sailors to San Francisco Bay’s gorgeous natural amphitheater. “My event co-chair Susan Ruhne and I are looking forward to welcoming competitors and their families to the Club,” said Gerard Sheridan, co-chair of the 2017 J/111 Worlds. “We love sharing the St. Francis YC experience with visitors, many who will be here for the first time.”

In addition, for some sailors first experiencing St. Francis YC and the Bay through this regatta, this will be the first time the J/111 Class (established 2012) will host an international championship on the West Coast, as their previous two World Championships were in the United Kingdom (2014 and 2016) and Newport, Rhode Island (2015).

“With our typical August conditions here on the Bay, a fleet of local and visiting J/111s will be a sight to behold, planing downwind in the afternoon breeze,” said Sheridan.

Of the ten teams currently registered, four are from the Bay Area while the other six, including Warren’s JOUST crew, are from elsewhere. “Local knowledge is almost always a factor at most racing venues,” said Sheridan. “However, I find most good visiting teams to the Bay quickly get the big picture of our current patterns, tidal cycles, and rules of thumb that locals are happy to share.”

Sheridan suggested that visiting teams consider arriving a week early and competing in the Aldo Alessio and Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta (August 19-21).  He also advised that St. Francis YC’s world-famous Rolex Big Boat Series (September 14-17) unfurls a few weeks later and could be a consideration for teams that mastered the Bay during the J/111 Worlds.

No matter your plotted rhumbline to this World Championship, you can bet your last shackle that St. Francis YC’s seasoned Race Committee will deliver world-class racecourse management and the Club’s shoreside volunteers and staff will ensure welcoming après-sailing activities.  For more J/111 World Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

German NRV Team Win SAILING Champions League- Act 1!

(St Petersburg, Russia)- A thrilling climax saw the regatta come down to the final race to decide Act 1 of the SAILING Champions League. The Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) from Hamburg won the decisive race in St. Petersburg.

The NRV managed to handle the difficult conditions best with shifty, weak winds on the Neva River in the city center of St. Petersburg. On Sunday, the north Germans won four out of three qualifying races and managed to keep up their performance from the previous days.

“We were of course hoping to reach the podium. During the qualifying races we became more and more relaxed and stayed confident even in these difficult currents,” said helmsman Johannes Polgar.

With this victory during the SAILING Champions League in St. Petersburg, Johannes Polgar proved that he is still fully motivated to work on his 2020 Olympic campaign.

Frederikshavn Sejlklub from Denmark finished second ahead of the hosts, Saint Petersburg YC.

The Frederikshavn Sejlklub (FS) from Denmark lost their overnight lead to the NRV. Helmsman Kris Houmann commented, “In the decisive race unfortunately the NRV overtook us and due to the wind shifts, we could not control them anymore. We are still very happy with second place and are looking forward to come to St. Petersburg again.”

The last race of the event was extremely thrilling as the hosts from Saint Petersburg YC (SPBYC) sealed the final podium spot.

“It was an incredible race. After our terrible start, I never thought we would win this race. A huge thanks to my wonderful team,” commented a relieved Anna Basalkina, skipper of the SPYC team. The Russian Olympic sailor from 2000 in Sydney surely deserved to reach third place overall and her place on the podium after such a herculean recovery!

Twenty-one teams from all over Europe were trying to qualify for the finale of the SAILING Champions League in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. The races in St. Petersburg on the one-designs J/70’s were extremely short and close to the audience on-shore.

The SAILING Champions League will continue in September in Switzerland. Act 2 of the SAILING Champions League will take place from September 1st to 3rd in St. Moritz. Then, the second group of the best international sail clubs will fight to qualify for the final of the SAILING Champions League in Porto Cervo, Italy.

In Porto Cervo, the best teams from Act 1 and Act 2 will fight for the title “Best European Sail Club” and for the beautiful silver bowl by Robbe and Berking.

As a technology partner of the SAILING Champions League, SAP is providing professional livestream coverage with expert commentary along with live results of the events.  SAP SAILING Champions League results are here

The primary regatta sponsor is GAZPROM- a global energy company. Being a socially responsible company, GAZPROM is supporting Russian sports at all levels. As a general partner of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club since 2013, GAZPROM devotes much attention towards the development of sailing in the Northern Capital and Russia at large. Supporting different local and international events, the St. Petersburg YC and GAZPROM aim at establishing St. Petersburg among the top sailing cities of Europe.

From 2017, the St. Petersburg YC and GAZPROM, together with its subsidiary NordStream Company, became partners of the National Sailing Leagues of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany as well as of Act 1 of the European SAILING Champions League in St. Petersburg in August.   Sailing video teaser- by GAZPROM for the SAILING Champions League   For more SAILING Champions League sailing information here Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AUDI J/70 Worlds Update

(Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)- Every year sailors from all over the world check out Porto Cervo’s ideal sailing conditions characterized by prevailing northwesterly breezes which make it an outstanding place to sail in crystal clear, emerald-colored sea.  The Italian J/70 Class is going full steam ahead to make sure to provide J/70 sailors with the best possible experience on and off the water for what is going to be a great event: a mix of very competitive racing, steady breeze, emerald water, warm weather and the worlds’ best after sail parties where you'll feast on fantastic Italian food and wine.

Now, there is just one month to go for the first start of the most awaited one-design keelboat event of 2017, the Audi J/70 World Championship, thta will be hosted in the facilities of YC Costa Smeralda from September 12th to 16th.

Registrations, which had to be closed more than two months before the start of the event, reached the record the record of one hundred and seventy-five participants representing twenty-four nations: numbers that make the Audi J/70 World Championship one of the most populous events ever with one-design keelboats.

Among the entries, the Americans aboard CATAPULT will arrive in Italy to defend the title won last year: the owner and helmsman Joel Ronning will be assisted in tactical choices by John Kostecki.

In the large group of American boats, SAVASANA is also to be kept in the spotlight: owner Brian Keane, eighth in the San Francisco World Championship of 2016 and winner of the 2017 USA Corinthian J/70 Nationals, will be entrusted with Stu McNay’s tactical calls- McNay is a 470 sailor for the US Olympic team and won the M24 World title in 2016.

Then, the three crews on the podium at the recent J/70 European Championship will also be in attendance- 1st- Claudia Rossi’s PETITE TERRIBLE (now a two-times continental champion), assisted on tactics by Olympian athlete Michele Paoletti; 2nd- Josè Maria Torcida’s Spanish crew on NOTICIA and 3rd- Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY from America. The American entry came to Italy for the last event of the ALCATEL J/70 CUP season and promptly won the event!  They aspire to do the same in the World Championship.

The Italian fleet will be the most represented with thirty-seven boats, followed closely by the German teams, with thirty-one crews in the entry list.

Among the Italians, in addition to the already mentioned PETITE TERRIBLE, there will also be the winners of the 2017 ALCATEL J/70 CUP circuit on board Carlo Alberini’s CALVI NETWORK, as well as the champions of the 2015 and 2016 editions of the same circuit, with L’ELAGAIN skippered by Franco Solerio.

The battle will also be tough in the Corinthian category, reserved for non-professionals: eighty crews will be in play to find out who will succeed Shawn Bennett, winner of the 2016 Corinthians.  Among the favorites, there is also an Italian boat, WHITE HAWK skippered by Gianfranco Noè- they won Corinthians in every event of the 2017 season for the ALCATEL J/70 CUP.

For the members and sailors of YCCS, it will be a September to remember!  Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, they are also hosting the ROLEX Maxi 72 Worlds, many with top J/70 sailors/ tacticians on board!

The YCCS 50th Anniversary Regatta will be held between these two events, on 10th September, and will be open to all yachts of over 20 feet with an ORC or IRC measurement certificate. Given the large numbers of J/70s, the fleet will have a separate start and real-time scoring. This will be a unique opportunity for racing and cruising boats to take part in the celebrations to mark a significant anniversary in Italian and international yachting.

The month concludes with the third edition of the AUDI SAILING Champions League (22nd to 24th September) sailing on the YCCS fleet of a dozen J/70s.  It is the finale for teams from top yacht clubs around Europe having qualified through their individual national leagues. Winning in 2016 was the team representing the Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club and more than 30 teams will fight it out in a series of flights on board the YCCS J/70 fleet.

With the sporting events taken care of, the YC Costa Smeralda's activities then move to Milan where the One Ocean Forum will take place on 3rd and 4th October. The event is supported by UNESCO and the SDA Bocconi Sustainability Lab. Advocated by Princess Zahra Aga Khan, President of the YCCS Board of Directors, this will be the first Italian forum addressing the theme of sustainability relating to marine and coastal environments. The initiative, which will become a recurring appointment, and will be the highlight of the activities to celebrate the YC Costa Smeralda's 50th anniversary.  For more YC Costa Smeralda club information  For more AUDI J/70 World Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Santa Barbara YC Crowned U.S. J/70 Youth Champions!

SBYC Wins FREE Use of a J/70 for 12 months!
(Newport, RI)- The inaugural U.S. J/70 Youth Championship had its fair share of drama after two days of sailing.  Tight racing.  Teams pushing the envelope tactically all weekend long.  Close-quarters racing producing dramatic turn-arounds at each corner of the course. As each race unfolded, yet another wind shift and puff pushed another group of boats past leaders in front of them.  To say the least, it was about as atypical weather conditions anyone could imagine from a “locals” point of view in Newport.

Ultimately, winning and demonstrating good tactical decision-making capability, extraordinary boat-handling, and a steady boat-speed advantage through-out the regatta was the Santa Barbara YC Youth Team- skippered by Lucas Pierce with an excellent crew of Ryan Eastwood, Chris Kayda, Payne Donaldson, and Kris Ozolins.  It was a remarkable performance, especially considering the wildly fluctuating and variable wind conditions every team had to contend with over the three-day regatta.

The sailing conditions delivered by the weather Gods surely contributed to the drama and anxiety experienced by the various teams.  On Friday, it was a cruise ship floating around the bay off Newport that kept winds fluctuating from the SSE to SSW direction.  Then, on Saturday, after a long weather delay/ postponement, an ornery passage of a weather front ultimately produced a heavy gray mist and a good breeze from the south to finish a second round of nine races by early evening.  Sunday’s finale was no different, fog, then sun, then good breeze, then a thermal breeze shutdown by a front with high-level northwesterly breezes!

All things considered, the regatta format permitted good teams to rise to the top given enough opportunities to get there!  In the Sunday morning “repechage” round that consisted of four races on Sunday morning, the top three teams were Annapolis YC, Little Traverse YC and Coral Reef YC.  They joined the double-round-robin leaders- Santa Barbara YC, Sail Newport and Severn Sailing Association.

The finale started just after noon time. Winning the first race was Sail Newport’s team led by Brendan Read.  Then, in the second race, Annapolis YC (skippered by Porter Kavle) won by a large margin.  Then, in the third race, Sail Newport Youth Team won again.  There was no question the Santa Barbara YC crew were feeling the heat, especially from the local youth team from Sail Newport.

In the fourth race, the wind went crazy, going light and mixing cat’s-paws with small streaks and shifting at least 50 degrees.  Two boats shot into a leg and half lead, in second was Santa Barbara, having seen the first streak and shot right to grab it and take off around the windward mark.  Sail Newport went left and missed it, bobbing in the powerboat chop. The race was ultimately canceled due to the time limit, much to everyone’s delight!  As a result, with no visible wind in sight and less than forty minutes to the regatta time limit, PRO Dooley wisely decided it was time to call it a day and fired off three guns to mark the end of racing.

As a result, winning the regatta by ten points was the Santa Barbara YC Youth Team.  Second was the SAIL NEWPORT Youth Team comprised of Brendan Read, Andrew Sherrin, Kate Nota, and Ted Bjerregaard.  Third was Annapolis YC Youth Team comprised of Porter Kavle, Will Comerford, Benjamin Podlich, and Jake Viskers.  Rounding out the top five was Severn Sailing Association Youth Team in 4th and Coral Reef YC in 5th place.

At the awards ceremony, the Santa Barbara YC Youth Team (pictured here) was presented not just with their keeper trophies, but also the FREE J/70 their club gets to use for twelve months!  The SBYC Vice Commodore Scott Deardorff, himself a J/70 sailor, is looking forward to utilizing their FREE J/70 (complete with a brand new suit of North Sails and Triad Trailer) for club events, youth keelboat development and, perhaps, even women’s keelboat development!

Regatta Chairman- Stu Johnstone- remarked, “it was amazing to see the high-level of competitiveness by all nine teams.  Having sailed against some of them in past J/70 events, it was evident most could compete in the top ten in any major J/70 regatta, that is how much they had improved over the course of the year.  I also wanted to thank all the boat owners who donated their boats for the event- SAIL 22 (Ed & Becky Furry), Tim Healy, Henry Brauer, and Juan Reid from Chile- without them there would be no regatta!”

Regatta sponsors included North Sails (providing 6 brand new suits of sails), Harken (promoting their “Blockheads” project), MJM Yachts’ Bob Johnstone (who also donated the free J/70), Sail Newport (Brad Read and Vinnie Pattavina), and SAIL 22 (especially, the help of Sam House- as the regatta bosun).

Finally, kudos to the Regatta PRO Kevin Dooley, the Offshore Racing Coach from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy- amazing job for running 25 races in crazy weather conditions!  And, thanks to his supporting  cast on the Race Committee- Bill Canfield, Oakley Jones, Paul Hazlett, Bob Spagnolo, Richard Barker, Jack Fisher, and Macken Offspring!  Follow U.S. J/70 Youth Championships on Facebook here.   Sailing photo credits- Matthew Cohen   For more U.S. J/70 Youth Championship sailing information and results Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AUDI Hamilton Race Week Preview

(Hamilton Island, Australia)- AUDI Hamilton Island Race Week is one of Australia’s favourite yachting events and a firm fixture on the international sailing calendar. Competitors, family and friends come together to enjoy the convivial atmosphere and unique camaraderie of the event’s on-water and off-water carnival. Every August, spectators and yachties from around the globe sail to Hamilton Island for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week - Australia’s largest offshore keelboat regatta.

Perfectly situated on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, amongst Queensland's 74 Whitsunday Islands, Hamilton Island offers an experience like no other: glorious weather, azure waters, brilliant beaches, awe-inspiring coral reefs, fascinating flora and fauna, fine food and wines, and activities almost too numerous to mention.

This year, the regatta is taking place from the 19th to 26th of August.  Participating this year is a select group of top J/crews sailing their larger boats.  The biggest J/team as the event is the J/160 SALACIA, sailed by Stephen Everett and his wife, family and friends.  Stephen bought the boat in America, and sailed her across from California, then Mexico, then across the Pacific to Australia!  An epic cruise it was! Now the Everett’s are enjoying their boat in the gorgeous waters of the Whitsundays!

Then, a similar story holds true for the J/130 RAGTIME.  Chris & Bernadette Morgan acquired her in 2012 and brought her across the Pacific to Australia. Based at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, RAGTIME has been actively racing in Queensland events. RAGTIME’s major win so far was the 2014 Brisbane to Keppel Race!

Finally, the J/122 JAVELIN was recently purchased in May 2017 by skipper James Crowley.  Her first regatta success was the Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta, skippered by Sally Crowley, taking EHC Division 1 1st!  They are aiming for a full racing program in 2017/18 commencing with the Brisbane to Keppel Race and Hamilton Island Race Week.  For more AUDI Hamilton Island Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/121 Offshore Speedster Decked!

Launch Week of August 21st!
(Newport, RI)- The amazing new J/121 Offshore short-handed speedster is coming together, in more ways than one.  She is looking fast, sleek and powerful- an offshore reaching machine!

Just this past week, after all systems had been installed for engine, power-train, steering, plumbing, electrical and the water-ballast distribution pumps and manifolds, the deck was fitted and installed!

Exciting times for the J/Design team and the team at CCF Composites in Bristol, RI!  Yet another “All-American” design, engineering, and build program is now coming to fruition and it is expected the J/121 will ultimately make its maiden voyage down Narragansett Bay to be in Newport for the boat show.
For more J/121 Offshore Short-handed Speedster sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/35 Cruising Alaska?

(Juneau, Alaska)-  For sure!  It can be an amazing experience sailing the wild and un-explored waters of the mountainous Alaskan coastline.  We recently got a great report on that experience from Krista Howell:

“Early August finds us back in our home port of Valdez, AK after our summer cruise. This is our second summer of cruising our J/35 and it has confirmed our decision that it is an excellent boat for us. When we started boat shopping, we wanted a boat that would be fun to sail, capable of working into a headwind and seaworthy enough for some ocean passages including safely crossing the Gulf of Alaska.

We bought our J/35 VENTURE in the Seattle, WA area. She had been used for local racing and day sailing. In the Seattle area we made a few changes that would allow us to move her up the inside passage to AK. A Monitor Wind Vane and anchoring gear were the first two additions. We mounted the primary anchor on the bow with 300 ft of chain that leads back to the windless that is mounted on the cabin top aft of the V-birth hatch so that chain drops down into a chain locker we built in front of the mast, to reduce the weight in the bow. A secondary anchor was added to a holder on the stern. A solar panel, inflatable dinghy, epirb and life raft were also added. A local sail loft changed our racing sails from foil to hank ons. Leaving Seattle, we were a bit worried about how we would actually like cruising a J/35. We had a wonderful first trip north.

In Valdez, we have continued to make more cruising modifications. We live aboard so additional storage down below was needed. We changed the settees in the main cabin by building in cupboards on both sides that matched the width of the shelf that was there. We also modified the storage under the quarter-berths and V-berth to create smaller compartments. A set of three shelves were also added to the corner of the port quarter-birth just aft of the galley for increased galley storage. We have an ice box but do not have any refrigeration. During the summer a cooler fits behind the ladder, between the quarter-births. In the winter, the cooler is moved to the cockpit and a wood box fits in that area. We have a small electronic heater that runs when we are in the harbor but we also have a small Dickinson woodstove that is mounted to the bulkhead at the end of the starboard settee. In this winter climate we fight condensation. The wood stove provides very dry heat and we have a stackrobber mounted on the stove pipe with a small fan that flows warm air into the V-birth. During the winter, we put up large canvas covers that help shed the significant amount of snow that Valdez receives each winter, but are also easy to take down for the wind storms that blow through the harbor each winter.

This summer, we stayed out in the Gulf of Alaska from Prince William Sound to the north end of Prince of Wales Island. From there we traveled down the inside passage as far south as Shearwater, BC. Heading north, we have stayed in the inside passage to visit many small towns, scenic anchorages and natural hot springs in SE Alaska including Glacier Bay National Park before leaving the shelter of the inside passage to cross the Gulf again on our way back to Valdez. We have found our J/35 VENTURE to be well-suited to this type of cruising. When we left Valdez May first, the Gulf of Alaska was filled with series of low pressures that sent gale after gale from the SE moving along the coast. There are a number of bays that we could slip into and wait for the next small weather window before heading south again. The advances in communication now make it easy to get update weather reports even in remote locations. The J/35 design allowed us to easily and safely handle the offshore conditions with two people. Even when sailing her conservatively, she easily glides through the water making good time in offshore conditions handling the large swell and waves that can build in the Gulf of AK. The inside passage is known for shifting and varying wind conditions. SV Venture is fun to sail in these conditions because she sails so well to windward. In the course of the typical day, we alternated between working to windward and downwind sailing as the winds funnel around the islands and through the channels that did required frequent sail changes. Several days we were able to fly the spinnaker for hours at a time. We were able to sail most of the trip with very little motoring.

Back home and preparing to return to work for the winter, we are already starting to plan next summers destinations. Add to Flipboard Magazine.