Barbados Sailing Week Preview

(Bridgetown, Barbados)- The beginning of the Caribbean winter sailing season is marked by the fun and games that are had by all on the wonderful island nation of Barbados.  The famous Barbados Sailing Week is hosted by the Barbados Cruising Club off their enormous harbor in Bridgetown.  There are two events in the event starting first with Barbados Sailing Week from the 17th to 20th of January and is closed with their epic finale- the Round Island Race on the 21st of January.

The event is quite popular with J/sailors on the island.  In the CSA Racing class, is Peter Lewis’ J/105 WHISTLER, sailing for the Barbados Yacht Club.  Then, the island is the last known fleet or regular J/24s, as others have switched over to the US Virgin Island’s version called the IC-24.  The J/24 Barbados fleet is quite active, includes a sailing school for kids, and actively encourages participation by sailors and non-sailors alike to join in on the fun.  For this event, four of their fleet of a dozen will be racing; such as Cyril Lecrenay’s infamous BUNGA BUNGA, Robbie Yearwood’s DIE HARD, Gus Reader’s GLORY DAZE, and Neil Burke’s IMPULSE.

At the close of the regatta, sailing the Round Island Race will be Peter Lewis’ J/105 WHISTLER in CSA Division and the Barbados J/24 Club youth team sailing UNDERCOVER YOUTH for handicap honors as well!
For more Barbados Sailing Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 Lake Ontario- Winning Attributes of a Successful Fleet

(Toronto, Ontario)- Winning Attributes of a Successful Fleet- contributed by Doug Bullock, J/105 Class President.

On Lake Ontario, we have a relatively short six-month sailing season from May to October. So to be a successful fleet, you have to have the right combination of boat, culture and schedule to attract and retain owners and crew.

J/105 Fleet 4 Lake Ontario has been a very successful fleet, and I thought I would share what I believe for us are the winning attributes of the J/105 as a boat, the culture of the Class, and our own approach to each season’s schedule.

Our schedule looks for a balance of our racing life with our other life that really helps owners get the crew out and committed for the summer. Our goal is to hold two regattas per month while ensuring that every other weekend and every long weekend are free. This creates a balance that owners, and especially crew, love because it allows them to enjoy other activities during our short summers. It is a winning formula we have used for years.

As for J/105 culture—it is one thing to get people out racing and another to ensure their total experience for the weekend is a good one. There are two essential ingredients of every weekend regatta, the racing and the social.

With the racing, the J/105 Class nailed it with the Corinthian approach to the Rules, and while our fleet is very competitive, it is the camaraderie between owners and crew that is Corinthian to the core. It is this culture of our Class that I believe is one of the true attractions that keeps our fleet alive and vibrant.

With the social, it is the “off the water” receptions, BBQs and dinners that help ensure a regatta is remembered as a good time. This is where the camaraderie of sharing knowledge and helping each other to do better reflects the true Corinthian culture of the J/105 Class. We always work at ensuring everyone attends with free dinner and drinks tickets, live bands and fun games, like Flip Cup, Bocce Ball, and Beer Pong.

Then there is having the right boat, and here the J/105 is nothing short of awesome. It was a revolutionary one-design when it came out in 1991 with its asymmetrical spinnaker on a bow sprit, huge cockpit, sleek low profile hull, and it is still one hot boat to race today 26 years later. It is easy to sail, yet challenging to master.

We have 21 boats in our fleet, and it is the largest one-design big keelboat on Lake Ontario. Most of the boats have been in the fleet over 15 years, and while the owners may change occasionally, the boats remain. It is just the right boat for us.

I am going into my eighth year of owning a J/105, and while I am never on the podium at our regattas, I never tire of participating in the racing. A great start, a well-executed duck or perfect mark rounding give me huge satisfaction. When everyone on my boat is having fun, we have completed the regatta to our best ability and at the end of the weekend everyone had a good time, then I am one happy skipper.

To continue the success of J/105 fleets everywhere, we need to support the one-design nature of the J/105 boat and ensure there is always a balance to all our fleet activities while embracing our Corinthian culture.

Monaco J/70 Winter Sportboat Series Overview

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Kicking off the 2018 J/70 regatta circuit in Europe will be the incredibly popular YC Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series.  Attracting three dozen crews from across Europe (Monaco, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria) the event always promises top-level competition for all participants.

Act IV of this series takes place from January 19th to 20th.  Will Russia’s top woman keelboat sailor maintain her extraordinary advantage?  Valeriya Kovalenko’s crew on ARTTUBE from Moscow has an almost unassailable advantage to become the first “two-peat” winner of the event.  Nevertheless, stranger things have happened in the capricious waters of the Bay of Hercules off the picturesque waterfront in front of what may be the world’s most famous casino in Monte Carlo.   J/70 YC Monaco Winter Series highlights video

Primo Cup- Trophy Credit Suisse Update
Since 1985, top European one-design sailors are to be found in Monaco at the beginning of February to compete in this first event on the Mediterranean circuit. The J/70 sailors that have been competing in YC Monaco’s Sportsboat Winter Series will have a distinct advantage, since they have been training in those waters since December 2017!

The Primo Cup- Trophy Credit Suisse takes place from February 8th to 11th.  With 800 sailors from 15 nationalities taking part, the event is unusual in that top European teams are competing on the same race area as enthusiastic amateurs. By far the largest class in the last few years has been the International J/70 Class.  Meteoric in its ascendancy to the top of the world’s sportboat classes, the YC Monaco’s embrace of the J/70 class has created a strong following not only amongst the cognoscenti of Monaco’s top sailors, but an enthusiastic group of participants from across Europe and, indeed, from across the world.  For example, participants in the J/70 class at the Primo Cup include a team from Brazil that the 4-times J/24 World Champion- Mauricio Santa Cruz from Rio de Janeiro.    YC Monaco Primo Cup sailing video Teaser   For more YC Monaco Sportsboat series J/70 sailing information. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Fest St Pete Preview

(St Petersburg, FL)- The inaugural J/Fest St Pete 2018 will be sailed on Tampa Bay from January 19th to 21st and is being hosted by the historic and famous St Petersburg YC in St Petersburg, Florida.  Three fleets are participating, J/70s, J/88s, and J/111s.  For the J/88s, it represents their 2018 Midwinter Championship.

Without a Key West Race Week, it was readily apparent the active J/111 owners were looking for another outlet to escape the crazy winter weather in the north and enjoy a nice sunny, warm break in sunny southern Florida.  An excellent contingent of a half-dozen boats is participating from across the Northeast, the Midwest, and California- all are championship-caliber crews.

The current J/111 World Champion, Peter Wagner and his crew on SKELETON KEY from St Francis YC in San Francisco, CA will be hoping to continue their good performances in this highly competitive fleet.  Past J/111 Midwinter Champion and Key West Race Week winner, Rob Ruhlman and his team on SPACEMAN SPIFF from Lakeside YC in Cleveland, OH are anticipating they will be in the hunt and giving Wagner’s crew a run-for-the-money.  Chesapeake Bay Champion, Chicago NOOD Champion and perennial contender in the North Americans, Marty Roesch on VELOCITY, is hoping his Annapolis YC crew will enjoy the Tampa Bay conditions, a body of water quite similar to their home base- the Chesapeake Bay.  Other well-sailed Midwest teams include Jeff Davis’ SHAMROCK from the Cleveland Yachting Club in Ohio and Brad Faber’s UTAH from Macatawa Bay YC in Michigan.  From New England is Doug Curtiss’ crew on the famous WICKED 2.0, a boat as famous for its cool paint job as for being the New England Champion, Block Island Race Week Champion, Buzzards Bay Regatta Champion and Martha’s Vineyard Round Island winner.  The 111’s should enjoy very tight racing all weekend.

The J/88’s are looking forward to compete for the title of “Midwinter Champion” on the choppy waters of the bay.  Two past Key West Race Week and J/88 Midwinter Champions will be in attendance, J/88 Class President Iris Vogel and her crew on DEVIATION from Huguenot YC in New York and Mike Bruno’s WINGS team from American YC in Rye, New York.  Top Chicago boat EXILE, sailed by Andy Graff from Chicago Corinthian YC in Chicago, Illinois, will be getting another taste of high-level competition.  And, Al Minella’s ALBONDIGAS crew from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is anticipating improving their performance after lessons learned at the 88 NA’s in Youngstown, New York last summer.

Finally, the J/70s have a half-dozen boats that will promise a wide-open race-track and plenty of opportunities to have passing lanes upwind and downwind.  As a result, it makes for a dangerous race course, no matter who is leading the race.  Watch out for one of Italy’s top international sailors sailing the event as a warm-up for the J/70 Midwinters and Bacardi Cup J/70 Regatta later in March- Vincenzo Onorato’s MASCALZONE LATINO team are a formidable bunch, having won World Championships in Farr 40s, M32s, the Rolex Middle Sea Race and recognized as YC Monaco’s Yachtsman of the Year in 2016.
For more J/Fest St Pete sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/32 COURAGE- the passage was cool!

(Sakonnet River, Rhode Island, United States of America)-  Bob Kowalski- proud owner of the J/32 COURAGE provided us a quick synopsis of his “courageous” passage down to the islands (Caribbean) in the fall of 2017.  Here is Bob’s commentary:

“So, I soloed COURAGE, my lovely J/32, from Sakonnet Point (the east side of Aquidneck Island/ Newport, RI) to Brewers Bay, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands through two storms; yeah, two of them!

One was real fun, and I did over 200 miles in a day going 10+ knots for a good amount of time until a lower started to fray. Amazing boat, yup, she’s ‘just a cruiser’, says your Uncle Rod. Not! She flies!

The other storm, not so fun!  Heaved-to for over 24 hours.  I call it “the magic storm”.  With every wave, a thousand bucks disappeared off the deck!!  OMFG, it was crazy.  Never seen ‘nuthin like it!

But, I’m thinking that I am feeling pretty good about myself, almost beating my chest. Pulled into Nanny Cay to do the repairs next to a J/35 called SUNDAY.  Very nice Dutch couple.  They have sailed around the world on SUNDAY; done two Atlantic crossings and their boat survived Hurricane Irma. But, she looks PERFECT!  I’m humbled. Can learn a lot from this Dutch couple on their J/35, so cool!

Oh, BTW, I did the trip- 1,500+ nautical miles- in 10 days. I’m wondering, do I get a “throw-out” for the 24 hours when I heaved-to?  Can I subtract that and call it 9 days for my passage?  Haha!

Thought you guys would like to hear about it.  Amazing boat!  Awesome cruiser!  Thank you Al and Rod, keep up the great work!” Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/70 Monaco 2K Team Race Report

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Nine teams went to Monaco for 2K Tour grand finale. The 2K Tour comprises seven events in England, Italy, Sweden, Germany and The Netherlands. Targeted at young sailors aged 20-25 from major yacht clubs, this is a team race two-against-two format with races every 15 minutes and no spinnakers allowed. It’s not about speed, but mastering tactics and techniques that requires total concentration by competitors who must avoid coming last at all costs in each round robin.

This is the second time the Yacht Club de Monaco has hosted the season’s final event, making its facilities and J/70 fleet available to participants. This year the Principality was represented by François Brenac and Pierrik Devic.

The racing took place from the 15th to 17th of December 2017. Eighteen mixed teams representing nine yacht clubs made the trip to the YC Monaco.

A steady 15-knot southwesterly kept up the pressure and pace with a total of 44 races completed over the weekend. With fewer than 20 minutes for each two-on-two match race, consistency was key. Every 4th place is synonymous with defeat as it’s impossible to recover in the rankings. With sailors ready to pounce, it was clear this was going to be a closely fought battle.

Newcomers to the circuit, the Monegasques led by Pierrik Devic and Francois Brenac held their own, making life difficult for the top teams. Every maneuver was a match-racing demo as competitors strived to exploit leeward positions to push opponents offside and maintain their boat’s priority position to the finish. This year’s finale went down to the wire with the British crew from the Royal Thames Yacht Club nipping the Nautico di Roma team to win the 2K Tour Grand Finale.  For more 2K Tour Grand Finale sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Charter The World’s Coolest J/122?

Why Not! WIN Silverware for the Trophy Room!
(English Harbour, Antigua)- Caribbean Yacht Racing was founded on the idea to make racing in the Caribbean on a truly race-ready yacht a reality and a really, really fun time.

The goal is to make your experience not only fun, but to offer you a proven yacht to truly compete in some of the best yacht racing venues in the world!

Caribbean Yacht Racing offers the world-famous, race-ready, J/122 EL OCASO for J/Boats’ aficionados.

EL OCASO is one of the most consistent podium-finishing racing yachts on the Caribbean Sailing circuit and is a past winner of the Caribbean 600, Antigua Sailing Week, St. Thomas, BVI Regatta, and Heineken-St Maarten Regattas.

Why? Because Caribbean racing has random-leg courses that requires a boat that can race successfully on every point of sail- upwind, downwind, reaching from light to medium to heavy airs.  No wonder smart sailors in the Caribbean have chosen versatile boats like the J/122 to excel, have fun, and get their fair share of silverware!

CYR is a boutique charter business and caters to teams that want to experience a Caribbean regatta, but also want to race in a very competitive class and have a yacht that is truly race-ready.  The KEY-> have FUN and WIN some SILVER ‘mon!

EL OCASO is setup to race and offers charter customers the absolute best chance to be successful from the moment they leave the dock. Charters are available for 2018 and the CYR team can assist with everything from travel logistics to lodging & food.  Visit the website: http://www.caribbeanyachtracing.com or email Bob Hillier- bob@caribbeanyachtracing.com Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/90 HOT TODDY Wins F.O.R.C.

(Pensacola, FL)- The 43rd West Florida Ocean Racing Circuit, held at Pensacola Yacht Club (PYC), provided a good variety of wind conditions for the three-day series. This factor was appreciated by both local and out-of-town competitors who were all too weary of this year's active hurricane season—including Hurricane Nate, whose Oct. 8 landfall near Biloxi, MS, also caused damage to PYC's marina.

Fortunately, PYC's dockmaster, Greg Spitzer, had matters well in hand before WFORC began. A widely distributed email reassured everyone that necessary repairs were made, and along with the club's bulkhead space, three-ton hoist, and newly widened boat ramp, the regatta would start as scheduled.

PYC also offered visiting competitors' boats and trailers storage for up to one week prior to and after the regatta without any storage charge.

Last year, 30 boats competed, including five that participated concurrently in the first WFORC Ocean Race.

For 2017, the fleet totaled 14, including three who did just the Ocean Race. It is opined that the recent storms had impacted many along the Gulf Coast who normally participate in this highly competitive event.

PYC's fleet captain, John D. (Dave) Oerting, had established the Ocean Race in his desire to be all-inclusive and offer something for everyone. "It provides an option for those who aren't equipped for three days of racing; for those who don't perform well in W-L buoy races, and for those who harken back to the earlier WFORC days when the series actually included offshore racing," Oerting explained.

Clinton Edwards (Gulfport), the Gulf Yachting Association's Race Management Committee chair, was Principal Race Officer (PRO) for Friday's three races. PRO for Saturday's distance Ocean Race and the final two races on Sunday was PYC's Richard Brent.

With six races completed, competitors were allowed to drop one race score.

Class awards for first place were presented after Day 1 and Day 2. On Sunday, class awards were awarded for first, second, and third overall. However, a familiar name was called to accept the coveted Dr. Lindsay Riddle Trophy for the most competitive PHRF class. John Guy of Saint Andrews Bay YC, skippering his J/90 HOT TODDY, accepted the perpetual trophy for a record seven times!! And, for the first time, he also won the Commodore Ronald F. Richards Memorial Trophy for overall winner, Spinnaker Class A, corrected time.

Guy was understandably a little overwhelmed. He told the crowd that he considers Pensacola his second home and vacations here every year in anticipation of WFORC. He graciously thanked long-time Pensacola sailors Hunter Riddle (son of the late Dr. Riddle) and Rick Zern for having "taught me how to sail."

But, the real kudos went to his crew. "This sport, he said, "runs on people and money. The better people you have, the better you can do."

2017 WFORC overall winning crew. From left: Dan Peckham, Jupiter, FL; Rives Allen, Mandeville, LA; PYC's Vice Commodore Linda Brent; skipper John Guy, Thomasville, GA/Panama City, FL; Billy Ross, Mandeville, LA; James "Pee Wee" Chason, Pensacola, FL; John Tribaldos, Panama City, FL; and Alex Johnson, Panama City, FL.  Photo by Julie B. Connerley Add to Flipboard Magazine.

VOLVO Wins J/70 Chile Nationals

(Algarrobo, Chile)- In the third week of December, the Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico hosted the 2017 J/70 Chilean Nationals off Algarrobo, Chile.  The fleet of fourteen boats was blessed with great conditions all weekend, with sunny skies and 8-12 kts on the first day and a much windier, sunny day on Sunday with 14-20 kts.  An enormous swell was hitting the coastline, a result of a huge storm offshore in the Pacific Ocean, making for fantastic long surfs on the first day, with high double-digit planing conditions on the second.  A total of six races were completed for the championship.

In the end, it was a former J/24 South American Champion, Matias Seguel on VOLVO, that was crowned as the 2017 Chilean J/70 National Champion.  After winning five races, it was clear they had mastered the J/70 quickly and won with just 7 pts total.

Meanwhile, it was a tight series for the next three teams and a real battle for the next two spots on the podium.  Winning that battle was Andres Ducasse skippering TSUNAMI, compiling a 4-4-3-2-3-5 tally for 21 pts to take the silver.  Just one point back taking the bronze was Pablo Amunategui’s KENMORE with a 5-3-6-3-2-3 record for 22 pts total.  Rounding out the top five were Juan Eduardo Reid’s WINDMADE sailing J/70 #1 (yes, that’s true!) into 4th position with 28 pts, followed by Carlos Vergara’s SENSEI in 5th place with 37 pts.  For more Chile J/70 Class sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

CACIQUE Dominates PIMMS Cup

(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- In mid-December, the Club Nautico Olivos just north of Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted the COPA PIMMS on the Rio de la Plata for the J/24 class.  The weather was not the best as only three races could be held over the two-day event for the nine-boat J/24 fleet.

Club Nautico Olivos hosts the Pimms Cup as their traditional closing of the racing season. They provide a very, very relaxed atmosphere after Saturday's racing. The sailors have a great time, there is lots of camaraderie, music, good food and abundant drink based on the classic English liquor with soda, strawberries, and mint.  The “bartender” is famous for this concoction, and many sailors got the complete recipe from Ken Johnson! Finally, in a simple ceremony, after the regattas on Sunday, the CNO organizes a very nice award ceremony to end the 2017 regatta season.

The winner of the 2017 COPA PIMMS was Santiago Doval’s crew on CACIQUE with the unassailable record of three bullets for 3 pts total! However, behind him the standings were about as clear as the muddy waters of the Rio Plata! And, it was a seesaw battle until the very end.  Winning the fight was Nicolas Cubria’s RINA ALAGUA with a consistent 4-3-3 tally for 10 pts.  Only one point back was Andres Guerra’s CARRERA with a 2-5-4 record for 11 pts.  Rounding out the top five was Rodrigo Benedetto’s HAIK-THOMSON REUTERS with 13 pts to take 4th place and lying in 5th position was Gonzalo Nandin’s NOCTURNO with 17 pts.  For more Argentina J/24 Class sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.