Sailing With Family, Kids & Friends- The KNEE DEEP crew

More often than not, we get some incredibly amusing and heartfelt stories, photos, and videos from various members of the J/World from all points of the compass, near and far.

One of the more amusing friends & family teams in that universe happens to sail a classic J/34 IOR design from the 1980s.  A beautiful boat with sharp bow and long pointy IOR-type transom- reminiscent of her famous sistership- the incredibly successful SORC-winning J/41.

In this case, it is a crew from Lake Erie that is sailing the J/34 IOR boat called KNEE DEEP.

For readers of the J/Newsletter, they are a familiar group- a bunch of fun-loving sailors on Lake Erie that enjoys campaigning their light-air flyer on a lake that can appreciate such sailing qualities.

Here is the latest “home-brew” video from KNEE DEEP’s owners- Brett & Katie Langolf.  As he says, “a friendly pro videographer shot a segment on our family and life on the J. Please use it wherever you need it- social, newsletter, etc!  We hope you and the entire J/community enjoy what we do.  We hope everyone has as much fun as we do on our beloved J/34- she’s awesome!

Have a great weekend and stay warm!  Colder than a witch’s ‘you-know-what’ here in the bloody Midwest! Like hell has frozen over! Anyone need crew in Florida anytime soon!??”

Youtube sailing video Link:
https://youtu.be/iYBQfgNACMA

Instagram File:
https://instagram.com/p/BeteSArnTH-/ Add to Flipboard Magazine.

HELLY HANSEN St Pete NOOD Regatta Preview

(St Petersburg, FL)- The Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta Series— the largest national sailboat racing circuit in the United States— returns to St. Petersburg, FL, for the first stop of its 30th anniversary season from February 16th to 18th, 2018. The event is organized by Sailing World and hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club.

Every year, hundreds of sailors compete for top marks in one of more than 10 classes and a chance at the Overall Winner title, which earns the winning team a berth at the Helly Hansen Caribbean NOOD Championship Regatta, hosted by Sunsail in the British Virgin Islands Oct. 21st to 26th, 2018. The events have proven to be quite popular with J/Sailors across the country, often the majority of the NOOD competitors sailing in some J/One-design class.  For the St Pete NOOD event, there will be one-design starts for J/70s, J/88s, and J/111s.  And, there will be a number of J/teams in the PHRF handicap classes and the North Sails Rally.

As the largest division in the event, the thirty-eight boat J/70 class will see a significant number of crews moving their boats down from Davis Island (having just completed their Quantum J/70 Winter Series last weekend) to be launched at the St Petersburg YC Sailing Center.  Contenders for the top of the leaderboard may include crews like Travis Odenbach’s Rochester YC team (he usually sails the famous J/24 HoneyBadger); Jud Smith’s AFRICA from Marblehead, MA; Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE from San Diego, CA; Pam Rose’s ROSEBUD crew from Chicago, IL; Will Welles’ SCAMP from Newport, RI; and Nancy Glover’s talented team from Marblehead, MA.

In the Corinthians J/70 division, there will be some hot hands on the tillers.  The famous Mendelblatt sailing family from St Petersburg will see young David trying his hand at J/70 sailing.  Mark Hillman’s crew from Annapolis, MD will be hopping from his fast J/24 program onto J/70s. And, two quite talented U.S. J/70 Youth Championship crews will be vying for the one qualifying slot for the Youth Champs later in November 2018.  Those crews are the HELLY HANSEN Junior Crew from St Petersburg YC, skippered by Heather Kerns, and the MUSTO YOUTH TEAM hailing from the MudRatz Sailing Team in Stonington, CT.

A half-dozen J/88s will be ready to hit the starting in Tampa Bay, with PRO Todd Fedyszyn (the StPYC Sailing Director) promising that he will keep the offshore teams busy given the promising conditions for the weekend. Returning from their recent J/88 Midwinters held at StPYC earlier in January will be the top three boats- Mike Bruno’s WINGS from New York, Andy Graff’s EXILE from Chicago, and Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION from New York. Joining them will be Al Minella’s ALBONDIGAS from Milwaukee, WI; Tod Patton’s BLONDIE 2 from Northbrook, IL; and Scott & Jim Sorbie’s LEGACY from Grand Traverse YC in Michigan.

The J/111s also have a half-dozen boats sailing their second regatta of the year after competing at J/Fest St Pete for their Midwinter Championship.  However, this time, all the crews are desperately praying for more winds!  After racing in about 4.5 kts average wind speed for three days in late January, anything will be better!  Will Jeff Davis’ SHAMROCK crew continue their lucky streak?  Can Peter Wagner’s championship winning SKELETON KEY crew finish every race within the time limit?  Can Rob Ruhlman’s SPACEMAN SPIFF fire a moonshot and take it all?  Is Jim Connelly’s SLUSH FUND team up to the task of duplicating their light air feats on Chesapeake Bay?  Finally, no question Brad Faber’s UTAH and Doug Curtiss’ WICKED 2.0 teams are doubling down in anticipation of better outcomes this weekend!

In the world of handicap racing, the majority of teams in PHRF 2 are J’s.  Four J/105s are participating, including Jody Abrams’ ARIEL, George Cussins’ FIRE & ICE, David Arata’s J-HAWK, and Charles Clack’s RAPTOR.  Keeping them honest will be a crafty crew aboard the J/42 SHAZAAM, skippered by Roger Gatewood.

PHRF 3 Class has a classic light air flyer to contend with, the masthead J/29 called SEMPER FI sailed by Ray Manix from St Petersburg Sailing Association.  At the other end of the spectrum will be the little J/22 MOJO skippered by Bob Touton from Davis Island YC.

For the one-day North Sails Rally- Cruiser Division, Jose Suarez-Hoyos from Davis Island YC will be having fun with family and friends on the J/35 NO WAY JOSE!!  For more Helly Hansen St Petersburg NOOD Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Islands Race Preview

(San Diego, CA)- Back for its ninth year, San Diego Yacht Club will host the 130nm Islands Race on February 16-17, 2018. The Islands Race is one of SDYC’s signature offshore races, and the first of the 2018 racing calendar for most boats. Following the Islands Race will be the Puerto Vallarta Race in March, the SoCal 300 in May, and the Rum Runner Race in October.

The Islands Race brings San Diego Yacht Club and Newport Harbor Yacht Club together when the race starts in Long Beach Harbor. From there, competitors will head west off the Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands before finishing in Point Loma. This scenic course showcases Southern California’s gratifying sea breezes and profound ocean swells.

A number of J/Crews are ready to attack the course on their start Friday evening.  Every crew are veterans of the southern California offshore experience, including Viggo Torbensen’s J/125 TIMESHAVER from Dana Point YC; Tom Barker’s J/65 GOOD CALL from Cortez Racing Association; Ed Sanford’s J/105 CREATIVE from SDYC; Seth Hall’s J/124 MARISOL; and Paul Stemler’s J/44 PATRIOT from Newport Harbor YC.

San Diego YC Staff Commodore Wayne Terry, a co-chair of the event, commented, “the 9th annual Islands Race is co-sponsored by the San Diego and Newport Harbor Yacht Clubs. The race is often used as a tune-up for SDYC’s semi-annual running of the Puerto Vallarta Race, which is scheduled to commence on March 2nd. Over the years, the Islands Race has experienced weather conditions ranging from mild to extreme, while usually fun and always challenging. As always, refreshments will be on the front deck of SDYC awaiting the sailor’s arrival at the prize giving ceremony.”

SDYC will host the award ceremony on the clubhouse main deck on Saturday, February 17 with food and drinks for competitors beginning at 3pm, or later, depending on when the majority of boats complete the race. Sailing photo credits- Bronny Daniels/ JoySailing.com  Friends, family, and the sailing community can follow the race by tuning in to the YB Tracking website. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

“Can One” Evening Racing Announcement

(Western Long Island Sound)- The “Can One Evening Race Association” is happy to offer a J/105 one-design start this season in their Thursday night series.

“Can One” is the largest weeknight racing fleet on Western Long Island Sound, with over 50 boats registered for the past three years. The 19-race series goes from early May to early September.

The fleet starts in the middle of the Sound at Can “1”, which is 0.8 miles NE of Execution Rocks- a central congregation point for boats from New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and Rye; some even come from as far away as City Island.

In the past, some boats have even come from the Long Island harbors of Glen Cove and Manhasset Bay.

In 2017, seven J/105s participated in a huge division of boats rating between 87-96 PHRF. This year there will be a J/105 one-design start and the hope is to attract even more J/105’s.

“Can One” is open to all sailors from all across the spectrum of the compass rose- young/old, slow/fast, beginners/ experts, and not just yacht club members.

Thursday night racing is popular for many reasons, which include a limited time commitment, less intense courses, a chance to train new crew, capped off by watching the sun go down over the New York City skyline!

For more information, please contact J/105 owner Josh Burack who is a member of the Can One Board of Directors at email- jhburack@gmail.com. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Nikiforov Wins J/80 Cyprus Championship- Act I

(Limassol, Cyprus)- Club SailFirst is a unique organization located in the easternmost parts of the Mediterranean.  It is a club that has a fleet of ten J/80 one-design class sailboats.  Since 2012, they have been organizing many regattas on that fleet of J/80s, both for yacht clubs across Europe as well as corporate sponsors wishing for fun outings for their employees.

This year they have organized a fun winter/spring series called the “J/80 Cyprus Championship”.  It has been a very successful gathering of international crews flying down to the island to participate in each event.

SailFirst’s club and program are located in a particularly attractive part of the Mediterranean.  Their sailing area sits further east of Malta and enjoys abundant sunshine and warm waters- key ingredients for sailors currently sitting under grey cold skies across Europe!

The J/80 Cyprus Championship is an annual series of four regattas hosted by SailFirst Sailing Club at St Raphael Marina in Limassol, Cyprus. Participation is open for both experienced sailors and novices, as well as for existing crews or individuals.

The four events are January 20th to 21st, February 17th to 18th, March 24th to 25th, and a Championship Finale with dates t.b.d. in April.

For each weekend regatta, a minimum of three races is planned.  The racing includes three windward-leeward courses up to 3.0nm each, plus a “coastal fun race” of 10-15nm (weather permitting) to give the fleet a broader experience for sailing.

The costs are simple enough.  In fact, it’s incredibly compelling for anyone wishing a “fun-in-the-sun” break.  For a single crew, it’s 70 EUR per regatta. For a skipper, it’s 150 EUR per regatta (e.g. wishes to be the “captain”).  And, for an entire “crew” (4-5 crew total, skipper and all) it’s 350 EUR.  For everyone, that includes one training day, the J/80 charter, organization & racing fee, refereeing on the water, and boat maintenance.

In other words, fly in, go sailing, leave!  That is an AMAZING deal to sail in some of the most spectacular waters of the Mediterranean.

So, how are things progressing so far for Stage I that recently took place from January 20th to 21st?  After six races, it was a “dead heat” for the top of the leaderboard.

Starting out fast with three straight bullets was Andrey Klochko’s crew from Ukraine.  However, they closed with a 2-3-2 for 7 pts net.  How can you possibly lose with such a great record?? Well, flip-flop that tally completely! In a simply astonishing turnabout of events, it was Evgeniy Nikiforov’s crew from Russia that started out with a 3-2-2, but closed with three bullets to win a tie-breaker on 7 pts net each!  Ohhh, what heartbreak for Klochko’s crew, yet champagne celebrations for Nikiforov’s team.

Ironically, a very similar scenario played out for the balance of the podium.  Who was going to get the Bronze?  That, too, was determined by a tie-breaker at 16 pts each.  Leading at first was Dmitry Narozhenko’s Russian crew with a 2-3-4-3.  But, a closing tally of a 5-4 meant they fell into a tie-breaker with Turovskiy’s team.  They had started off slowly with a 4-5-3-4, and then closed with a 2-3 to secure a surprising tie with Narozhenko’s team.  In the end, it was Turovskiy’s team winning that tie-break on countback for 16 pts net each.  Rounding out the top five was Alexander Balanyuk’s Ukrainian crew with 27 pts net.

Please contact Club SAILFIRST President Anatolios Spyrlidis for more information- email- info@sailfirst.com or Phone +35-799-494241.   For more SAILFIRST J/80 Cyprus Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/111 Northern Europe Circuit Announcement

2018 World Championship in Breskens, The Netherlands!
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The J/111 Northern European Class has a full program of events for 2018. The sleek, speedy, one-design 36 footer is the ultimate one-design flexible race boat. The Northern European circuit offers friendly, yet highly competitive, one-design racing over eight months. The showcase event will be the J/111 World Championship, to be held at WV Breskens, Netherlands from 22-26 August 2018.

Cornel Riklin's J/111 Jitterbug at full throttle (www.ricktomlinson.com).

“A fleet J/111’s planing across the Solent at 20kts is an awesome sight and one that we saw frequently at the 2016 World Championships in Cowes. We are looking forward to the same excitement for our 2018 season with the Worlds back in Europe again. While it is spectacular for spectators, it is much more fun when you are on board and you do tend to see J/111 crews smiling a lot,” commented J/111 Class Association President, Chris Jones.

Martin Dent's J/111 Jelvis in action at the RORC Vice Admiral's Cup (www.ricktomlinson.com).

The early part of the 2018 season will see the J/111s racing as part of the new Performance 40 Class, mixing it up with yachts of similar size and speed racing under IRC. J/111s will be out in force racing at the RORC Easter Challenge, Warsash Spring Series, and the Royal Southern YC May Regatta. The Van Uden Reco Stellendam Regatta in Stellendam, The Netherlands, will also feature J/111s in action.

Tight racing at the top mark (www.ricktomlinson.com).

In May, The first J/111 NE Class events will be the RORC Vice Admiral's Cup, followed by the J/111 UK National Championship, as part of the J-Cup, hosted by the Island SC. The Royal Southern YC's June and July Regattas will also be J/111 NE Class events.

Tony Mack's J/111 McFly (www.ricktomlinson.com).

In August, the J/111 NE Class has a mouth-watering program of events; Lendy Cowes Week will host the inaugural J/111 Euro Cup, followed by the J/111 Pre-Worlds, and the sixth edition of the J/111 World Championship, staged in Breskens, Netherlands. The schedule is outlined below:

• May 18-20        RORC Vice Admirals Cup- J/111 NE Class event
• May 25-27        J-CUP/ Island Sailing Club- J/111 UK Nationals
• June 23-24      Royal Southern June Regatta- J/111 NE Class event
• August 4-7       Lendy Cowes Week- J111 EURO Cup
• August 18-19    WV Breskens, Netherlands- J/111 Pre-Worlds
• August 22-26    WV Breskens, Netherlands- J/111 Worlds

For more J/111 Class sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Italian J/70 Class Update

2019 J/70 Europeans on Lake Garda!
(Milan, Italy)- Breaking news! The J/70 Italian Class has been selected as the organizer of the 2019 J/70 European Championship that will take place from July 6th to 13th, 2019, in Malcesine, on Lago di Garda.

After the organization of the Audi J/70 World Championship, with 162 boats on the starting line, Italy will host another great event, with hopefully 100+ boats.

Lake Garda always attracts crews from all over Europe and is a perfect location for sailing, given the almost constant presence of the mountain “adiabatic” and thermal breezes; from the North in the morning and from the South in the afternoon.

The event will also be a perfect preparation for the J/70 Worlds that will take place in Torquay, England at the beginning of September 2019.

In anticipation of those two events, the Italian J/70 sailing season for 2018 is gearing up for a busy summer.  There are four events for the famous ALCATEL J/70 CUP.  Last year, the circuit hosted over 100 crews and it is anticipated they will exceed this figure again in 2018.  The four events are the following:

• 6-8 April            ALCATEL J/70 Cup- San Remo
• 11-13 May         ALCATEL J/70 Cup- Porto Ercole
• 12-15 July         ALCATEL J/70 Cup- Malcesine- ALPEN Cup
• 7-9 September   ALCATEL J/70 Cup- Trieste

For further information on the events, please contact Italian J/70 Class- Silvia Gallegati at email- info@j70.it  or on their website- http://www.j70.it/ Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/121 SAIL Magazine's March 2018 Cover Girl!

(Boston, MA)- On the cover of the March 2018 issue of SAIL magazine is the exciting, new J/121 offshore speedster!  There is also an in-depth boat review on the J/121 by the SAIL magazine editors.  Look for it on your newsstands now.  Here is what Adam Cort from SAIL had to say about the J/121:

“Every boat design strives for something new. But, a new kind of racing? In fact, that’s exactly what designer Alan Johnstone and the rest of the folks at J/Boats set out to do with their new J/121 one-design. In the process, they also just happened to create a boat that is both drop-dead gorgeous and sails like a witch— two reasons why it won SAIL magazine’s 2018 Best Boats award in the 30 to 40ft Performance category.”

Read the rest of Adam’s lengthy review on the SAIL magazine website here under “Boat Reviews” section.
https://www.sailmagazine.com/boats/boat-review-j-121

To learn more today about the exciting J/121 and the upcoming 2018 Open Course Racing Circuit, please take a look here. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Eight Bells: Warren Miller- a great J/Boats sailor

(Newport Beach, CA)- Eight Bells: Warren Miller- a great J/Boats sailor in Southern California.

Warren Miller, the iconic and beloved filmmaker who introduced generations to the thrills and freedom of skiing and outdoor adventures (e.g. sailing), passed away at the age of 93 on Wednesday evening, January 24th. He died peacefully of natural causes at his home on Orcas Island, WA.

Miller earned global acclaim and a passionate, multi-generational following for his annual ski feature films, which kicked off the ski season for more than 60 years, showing in hundreds of cities across the U.S. and around the world. Packed with adventure and exotic travel, Miller’s distinct, droll narration and humorous hijinks on the slopes highlighted his films.

Beyond his ski films, there are legions of sailing enthusiasts that knew Miller for how his films captured their sport. A sailor himself, Miller was active in the P-Cat, J/24 and Tornado with his son Kurt. Their highlight was finishing third in the 1981 J/24 Worlds in Sydney, Australia.

“Nothing got my dad more excited than having our boat well prepared, sailing out to the start line, and the excitement of racing around the buoys with friends,” remarked Kurt.

Miller used his template of blending action, adventure, youth, light hearted moments and his engaging dialogue to entertain yacht club audiences and millions of television viewers. In all, there were over 20 sailing films including “Hot Yachts, Cold Water”, “High Performance Sailing” and “Gold Medal Sailors”.

Many iconic manufactures used the Warren Miller films to launch their brands including Windsurfer, J/24, Hobie 33, and Laser. Overall, Miller produced more than 500 films that primarily covered outdoor pursuits. As an artist, cartoonist, and author, he wrote some 1,200 columns and 11 books.

In retirement, he turned to destination motor boating in his 70s and 80s, exploring the Northwest and Alaska from his home on Orcas Island. During his 80s and 90s, Miller’s philanthropic efforts provided entrepreneurial training to thousands of youth nationwide, emphasizing hard work, ingenuity, and creativity.

Perhaps one of his most cited quotes provides some insight as to how Miller packed so much into one lifetime: “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do.”

Miller is survived by his wife Laurie; by his sons Scott (Melissa) and Kurt (Ali); by his daughter, Chris (David Lucero); and by his stepson, Colin Kaufmann; three granddaughters (Valeska, Kasimira, and Jenna) and two grandsons (Alexander and Ryan).  A detailed look at Warren’s incredible life is available here: Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Promoting Offshore Sailing for Women

(Larchmont, New York)- The Storm Trysail Club, which is working on an initiative to encourage more women sailors to experience sailing offshore, has produced WOMEN OFFSHORE, a new video in which ten highly experienced women sailors share helpful ways to get more women on the water. Here is a 3-minute trailer of WOMEN OFFSHORE.

WOMEN OFFSHORE is being offered to yacht clubs and sailing organizations wishing to present this important video to their memberships. Free downloads of WOMEN OFFSHORE can be requested by contacting Storm Trysail Club member Charles “Butch” Ulmer- email-  butch@uksailmakers.com.

WOMEN OFFSHORE is the latest addition to the Storm Trysail Video Library. In addition to this new program, this collection offers a range of videos covering specific safety-at-sea best practices. By making these informative videos available, Storm Trysail seeks to encourage more women to safely participate in offshore sailing. Add to Flipboard Magazine.