J/44 GOLD DIGGER Wins Miami Grand Prix

STARK RAVING MAD 3rd IRC Overall

(Miami Beach, FL- Mar 4-7)-  There was an interesting mix of IRC entries at Miami Grand Prix with the TP52 DECISION (Stephen Murray, New Orleans) and the J/105 GUMPTION (Kevin Grainger, New York) at opposite ends of the spectrum.  Meanwhile, in between were the two Jim's, Jim Bishop on the J/44 GOLD DIGGER and Jim Madden and his crew aboard STARK RAVING MAD who were eager to see how the J/125 performs in IRC.

“We always assumed this boat would have a poor IRC rating, but have discovered there are a few minor changes that can be made to get credits under the system,” said North Sails president Gary Weisman, tactician on STARK RAVING MAD. “So we are testing the waters and seeing how well the boat can compete under IRC.”  In retrospect, Weisman now wishes STARK RAVING MAD had entered IRC 2 class at Key West 2010 instead of PHRF 1, which it won in convincing fashion – finishing first in eight of 10 races. “This will be an  interesting regatta because there is such a wide spread in boat sizes and speed from the top to the bottom end of the fleet that it’s hard to gauge how things will turn out,” he said.

After ten races, sailed in mostly N-NW winds ranging from 10-15 knots, it was clear the outcome of the series. Jim Bishop completed a wire-to-wire win in IRC class with a first and a second in Sunday’s two races. The Rhode Island skipper steered his 20-year-old J/44 to victory in five races and finished no worse than second in totaling 19 points.  Jim Madden's J/125 STARK RAVING MAD was in second most of the series but just lost out the last day to finish third overall-- a remarkable achievement considering that it's a "pre-IRC" designed boat.

“It’s absolutely fabulous,” an ecstatic Bishop said of the victory. “We had an excellent crew and great preparation, and were fortunate to get the type of conditions that favor this boat. We need a breeze and it blew pretty strong for this entire regatta.”

“GOLD DIGGER is very capably sailed and does well in the moderate breeze,” Madden said. “We’d like to see winds that are either 18 knots or more so we can plane or less than 10 knots so our lighter displacement will be an advantage. This moderate breeze is challenging for us.”  STARK RAVING MAD normally sails PHRF and Madden’s team is using this regatta as a test for how the J/125 can perform under IRC. “It’s been a competitive class, evidenced by the fact only four points separate the second through sixth place boats,” he said. “While there is a wide range of designs here, the speed differences aren’t as great as you might think. We’ve seen a lot of other boats within our quadrant of the race course.”

Organizers with Premiere Racing had no trouble completing the 10-race series as winds rarely dropped below 10 knots and often reached the upper teens. Principal race officer Dave Brennan and team set terrific courses and it was notable that there was not a single protest. “South Beach once again delivered the conditions it’s known for, the competition in all three classes was tremendous and the race committee work was flawless as usual,” event director Peter Craig said following the awards ceremony at Miami Beach Marina. “Combine all those factors and that explains why there are so many smiling faces around here.”  For more Miami Grand Prix regatta information and sailing results

St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

Successful J/95 Caribbean Racing Debut

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten- March 7)- There can be few events in the world that match St. Maarten Heineken Regatta’s unique cocktail of fun and serious racing. Under the leadership of Robbie Ferron – St. Maarten Yacht Club commodore – who set up the regatta 30 years ago, this Caribbean classic continues to go from strength to strength and, if the positive buzz on the street is anything to go by, next year’s event is going to reach record levels.

With some of the world’s most talented sailors including the likes of many J/24 and J sailing veterans like America’s Cup legends Peter Isler, Peter Holmberg, round the world PUMA sailor Kenny Read and Olympic/America’s Cup skipper Andy Beadsworth, among the many high profile sailors competing here this week, it’s not surprising this event is fast becoming a Mecca for seriously fun winter racing.

The final race of the three-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta may have lacked one special Caribbean ingredient – sun – but there was certainly no shortage of action for the 240-boat fleet in the extremely lively northerly breeze which allowed the big raunchy yachts the opportunity to really strut their stuff on the 27nm race from Marigot Bay back to Sint Maarten Yacht Club.

In what was arguably one of the most competitive fleets at the regatta, Spinnaker 5 class saw two J's vying for class honors, the J/120 EL OCASO and the J/122 LOST HORIZON.  The first day of racing was an auspicious one for Jim Dobbs J/122 LOST HORIZON.  Starting off with a 1-3 on the water, Jim later find out the first turned into an OCS.  Nevertheless, Jim and the LOST HORIZON crew dominated the rest of the regatta with three straight firsts over the next two days to get third overall.  Rick Wesslund's veteran Key West Race Week winning J/120 EL OCASO sailed a remarkably consistent series, with a 2-2-3-2-3 record, to finish second overall, just two points out of first.

Two J's sailed very well in Spinnaker 6 class to finish third and fourth respectively.  David Cullen's J/109 POCKET ROCKET finished third and the new J/95 SHAMROCK VII saw its Caribbean racing debut with Tom Mullen and crew sailing to a very respectable fourth overall in this large class-- not bad for a shoal-draft cruising and day sailing boat that draws only 3.5 feet!

Bob Armstrong's red-hot J/100 BAD GIRL that has been winning a number of the Caribbean events over the past few years managed to finish third in this year's St. Maarten regatta in Spinnaker 7 class.  Rumor had it the gang on BAD GIRL were really enjoying the festivities and reggae bands in apres-racing during the evenings.

After a relaxing afternoon prize-giving on Sunday at St. Maarten Yacht Club, competitors and guests were treated to an exuberant evening dancing the night away on the beach in the presence of International Reggae superstar Maxi Priest and his band who played classic hits of the last three decades, concluding yet another successful St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.  For more St Maarten sailing and regatta information.

J/24 Copa de Mexico Regatta

Brazilians Winning After Two Days

(Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)- The fifty-three J/24 competitors are enjoying a very special treat sailing off Puerto Vallarta in Bahia de Banderas.  So, far the weather has held true to form with the midday westerly thermal winds 5-15 knots from 220-240 degrees giving way to the afternoon thermal breezes from 300-320 degrees.  The shifty, streaky winds make for challenging conditions and are keeping the tacticians on each team anxious to avoid significant mistakes going around the race track.

The current leaders include J/24 class veterans fighting it out for the podium separated by only three points after four races and two days of sailing.  It will be interesting to see if the top three can maintain the consistency they've managed to achieve so far with three more days of sailing left.  So far,  Maurizio Santa Cruz from Brazil, the current J/24 World Champion, is in first place sailing BRUSCHETTA to a 13-4-1-1 record.  After a slow start the first day, Maurizio and team were red hot the second day, getting two firsts in very tough sailing conditions.  Javier Arribas Leigh from Peru is second overall sailing PRIMERO to a consistent 1-8-4-8 tally.  Just one point back is Chris Snow, the current J/24 NA Champion, sailing "S" to a 10-1-5-6 record.  Chris and Javier were both in the top three going up the final leg of race four, leading the series until the wind got very shifty with puffs coming off the beach and down from the mountain ridges off Puerto La Cruz.  The top ten shows the diversity of international talent in the world's largest one-design keelboat class; Brazilians are 1st, 6th; Peruvians 2nd; Americans 3rd, 7th, 10th; Mexicans 4th, 9th; Puerto Ricans 5th; and Germans 8th.  

The sailing has been fun and challenging so far, but what a social event! Peter Wiegandt and Kenneth Porter have done a spectacular job for everyone to enjoy.  The Mexican Ministry of Tourism, the President of Mexico- Felipe Calderon (a sailor himself sailing on the lake of Valle de Bravo) and the Mexican Navy (with Optimist youth training programs at every facility) are all supporting sailing, the Regata Copa Mexico and the J/24 Class in particular.  And, the line-up of sponsors is extraordinary: MICROSOFT Office, Nyssen, Dos Equis XX Brewery, Nextel, Icon Vallarta, DELL Computers, Comex, Grey Goose, Coca Cola, Marival and Banamex.  The Marival Suites Hotel, an all-inclusive resort, has every amenity, activity, food and drink one could ever wish for in a beach-front complex- four pools, horseback riding, hiking in the mountains, sailing, surfing, paddling, shuffleboard, bocce ball pits, tennis, 18-hole golf course, world-class spa (mud baths, whirlpools), the list is endless.  Throw on top of that a spectacular sunset dinner on the beach and a Mayan-inspired evening show at the romantic and gorgeous Bahia Las Caletas on the luscious, mountainous south shore of Bahia de Banderas and you have a recipe for a fabulous event (read more about it below in an excerpt from SAIL's Kimball Livingston's blog).  For more Regatta Copa Mexico sailing information.

J/95 Owners Profile- Gerry & Trudie Ficks

* Gerry and Trudie Ficks are moving into their SEVENTH J/Boat.  This photo shows Trudie Ficks checking out Rod Johnstone's J/95 no. 2 outside Gordon Pass in Naples, Florida yesterday. Onboard also were Tom McFadden and Craig Crossley of CrossCurrent Marine, our J/Boat Southeast dealer. Trudie has previously sailed on hull #1 and used the sail on #2 to finalized specifications on their own hull #11 to be completed this May -- just in time for a summer vacation with friends on Buzzards Bay prior to the boat going south to the Ficks home port in the Florida Keys. The Ficks have owned, cruised, raced J's from the littlest J/22 all the way up to the J/44 and think the new shoal draft J/95 is their perfect and (lucky!) seventh J to sail and race.

J/24 Sailor Katie Burns- SA Interview

*  Katie Burns ("KB24")- J/24 bow goddess. We had to include this heartwarming story about a U.S. Army veteran discovering what it's like sailing J/24s.  Katie Burns, a.k.a. "KB24" on Sailing Anarchy provided SA updates on her recent escapades.  Katie had this to say, "With the advent of some of the most advanced yacht racing in the world during the 33rd America’s Cup, I decided to start my 2010 sailing year quite a few steps back from the huge multihull monsters. If you guys remember, I had quite the ride in 2009. From sailing with Quantum Racing in the 2009 Audi MedCup to gaining a lot of sportboat experience on Pete Hunter’s Wairere, and the many other exciting opportunities I had (including working with Sailing Anarchy during the Melges 24 Worlds in Annapolis), I came out of 2009 with some definitive objectives. There were definitely a few times when I found that I was in over my head, but I persisted to pitch myself into every opportunity without abandon because I just have too much pride to do it any other way. The truth is that I discovered a newfound competitive edge in sailing last year, but I was struggling to keep up with it. And since I have a severe problem with not being really good at the things I like to do, I decided to start 2010 by retraining in technical knowledge. Here’s how: J/24 one-design racing.

I knowwwwwwww. I know. Believe me, I know. Everyone proclaims to hate J/24 sailing, but listen to what I have to say. See, I raced on Paul Van Ravenswaay’s MILLENNIUM FALCON (#5350) from Annapolis in the J24 Midwinters at Davis Island Yacht Club and also in the St. Pete NOODs the following weekend. We pretty much raced that J/24 for 9 days straight, and it was excellent training. Yes, I got really bruised. Yes, I was really freaking cold. Yes, I’m pretty sure my organs began to liquefy. But it’s all good. I had an opportunity to race in a competitive one-design fleet, so I took it. And let me tell you about the competition:

The J/24 fleet in Tampa and St. Pete was laden with some of the top guys in the class and even the industry, which proved to be tough racing. As a relative newcomer to the class, I didn’t have as much to offer as guys like Charlie Enright, Tim Healy, Will Welles, Tony Parker, Chris Snow, or Chuck Allen, but they were all nonetheless encouraging and the fleet as a whole created a great environment for one-design sailing. I also have to mention Brian and Kat Malone for acting as both hosts and competitors, and I would like to congratulate Charlie Enright and crew for winning the 2010 J/24 Midwinters. In the end, it was the perfect event for honing skills, opening my season, challenging the crew, and getting out of the snow-covered North.

After getting used to the boat and the crew (Paul Van Ravenswaay, Mike Zinkgraf, Eric Haneberg, Jarrett Hering – a great group from Annapolis), I really started to learn more and get a little more aggressive in my role. I wanted to contribute to the team, but I also was completely out of my sportboat comfort zone. See, the J/24 has this thing called a “cabin-top” to crawl over during tacks, and that alone was a pretty big feat. I honestly think I’ve low-crawled through Army infiltration courses that had more clearance than the J/24.  Once or twice, I actually had to be pulled across by my crew, which was a pretty big blow to my ego. I even think at one point I screamed like a little girl when I found myself caught on leeward with no chance of pulling myself to the other side. That was hilarious. But, I can adapt and overcome what I have to, so what I once said about TP-52 sailing also applies to the J/24; “A boat is a boat, and I can do at least that much.” I figured it out.

Here is another way to learn something on the water:  While rounding the top mark, get hit really hard on your port side by the bow of a leeward J/24. It’ll put a nice chunk of a hole in your hull, and you’ll have to figure something out about your boat, and quick! This happened to us at the NOOD regatta, and we had to retire from the race to address the puncture wound. Thankfully the hole was nicely above the waterline, so Eric made some quick work with the duct tape, and we were able to compete in the last 2 races of the day. We hauled the boat out afterwards, and Mike did an overnight fiberglass job to get us back out on the water.  Honestly, we probably should have all left our fenders on, especially those last 2 days. There was a lot of bumper-boat action out there. J/24 sailors are a scrappy bunch, eh? At times, I came out of a race feeling like we had been in a bar fight. It was aggressive, and I liked it that way. (By the way, no hard feelings to the boat that hit us, considering they actually sailed very well otherwise. We all know that accidents happen, and we all know that it’s a part of the learning process. Adapt and overcome, you know!?  Oh, and props to Tim Healy sailing his J/24 for the overall win of the St. Pete NOOD regatta.

So, now I am exhausted, dehydrated, and bruised, but I’m also a lot more proficient and I had a lot of fun. A racer CANNOT move to upper levels of sailing without learning the basics first. Just don't do it. I had to learn how to shoot a rifle before I could learn how to shoot a grenade launcher, and I wore an expert marksman badge in both at one point. It’s not different in sailing. J/24 racing is a great way to sharpen skills. Next step: BOR 90 … ??? Haha, just kidding.   Much love,  Katie Burns

J/80 Lacre Memorial Trophy

ECC VIVIENDAS Still Leading

(Santander, Spain)- With twenty nine  boats entered in this series, it has been difficult for any one boat to sail consistently well and maintain a leading position overall.  Witness the fact that some new players are in the top five and the three series leaders are only separated by six points.  This past weekend, Inigo Jauregui's GOLD SAILING was an example of this new blood, getting two second places for the weekend to jump into fifth overall.  Pichu Torcida's ECC VIVIENDAS is still leading overall followed by Tony Piris' YATES & COSAS and Jaime Piris' FONESTAR.

The J/80s probably enjoyed the best afternoon of racing so far this year. The cold weather in Santander finally gave way to much more Mediterranean balmy conditions and the sailors enjoyed a fantastic weekend of two windward-leeward course in Santander Bay.  The courses were fun since they setup the leeward mark close to Isla de Mouro and a windward mark off the Mataleñas beaches.  Northwest winds blew great intensity and there were some good-sized waves, too.

ECC VIVIENDAS dominated both races with two firsts.  With their two victories, the crew consisting of Pichu Torcida, Alex Muscat, Abelardo Quevedo and Juan González is placed just in front of YATES & COSAS sailed by Santi López-Vázquez.  While Y&C was leading going into the weekend, a fifth and fourth dropped Tony Piris four points back in the overall standings.  With two weekends still to go, it is still a  championship. In third position is FONESTAR, sailed by Jaime Piris, which could only get a ninth and third to stay on the podium overall.  They are followed by Paul Santurde's SPACIO 10 in fourth overall with GOLD SAILING in fifth overall.   Photo credits: chapifoto.com  For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

J/80 Winter Trophy Club de Mar

(Palma Mallorca, Spain- Feb 20)- On Saturday February 20, Club de Mar in Palma de Mallorca ran the final three races of the Winter Trophy.  Sailing well in their first regatta of the 2010 sailing season was the overall winner was the wildly graphic J/80 PORTCALL COMPOSITES.  With no meltemis to worry about and seasonably warm conditions, the island "nation" of Palma blessed the J/80 fleet with near perfect conditions for sailing in the famous bay.  Capturing the essence of sailing in these idyllic waters off the eastern coast of Spain was the remarkable photographer, Jesus Renedo. Credits- http://www.sailingstock.com   For more Spanish J/80 sailing information.

J/80 Castro Ricardo III Trophy

(La Coruna, Spain- Feb. 22)- The second part of the Castro Ricardo III Trophy was held this past weekend at the Real Club Náutico de La Coruña.  The J80s sailed two races with little sea and gusty winds ranging from 7 to 22 knots, causing continuous changes in the leading pack. Proof of this was victory in the first race of IN ITINERIES skippered by Miguel Fernandez.  What was remarkable was that Fernandez, who was over the line early and circled back very late, caught back up to the leading pack at the end of the first run.  He ultimately won the race ahead of the MIUDO sailed by Carlos Pampín in second and ZEIK raced by the Zapata brothers in third. The second race was very close and was a constant battle between the crew of IN ITINERIES, MARINA CORUNA and MELTIME; nevertheless they finished in that order with IN ITINERIES winning.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing information.

J/22 Fun- Cayman Islands Commodore's Cup

(Cayman Islands- Jan. 16-17)- The government of the Cayman Islands must be doing a few things right.  Hard to imagine how this island nation (comprised mostly of service industries like international banks and offshore trusts) were compelled to honor their heritage as a nation by having school children learn the sport of sailing.  And, as part of that initiative work with local sailors to create a fabulous sailing center accessible by all.  Amongst the fleet at the CISC National Sailing Centre are a raft of dinghies and a fleet of J/22s sailing in those gorgeous crystal clear waters. 

This years edition of the Commodore's Cup was a closely fought affair.  In the end, despite having four firsts in seven races, the COMPASS team sailed by Mr. Farrington barely squeaked by with a win over Hanson's FORTIS.  FORTIS sailed a remarkably consistent series to finish tied for first with COMPASS with eleven points.  But, after a drop race FORTIS lost the tie-breaker on who-beat-who more times.  Third on the podium was Johnson racing YAHOO!, accumulating seventeen points after six races.

Of note, there will be a J/22 Invitational International Regatta with 12 J/22s starting on the outer course Saturday 13th March. It’s going to be busy out there on North Sound!   For more Cayman Island J/22 Sailing information.

RORC Caribbean 600 Race

Glimcher's J/122 CATAPULTs Home

(Antigua- Feb. 23)- The 2010 version of this new bluewater classic really was an enormous navigational and tactical challenge.  The majority of the fleet entered into the "black hole" stage of the race when they all arrived at the easternmost turning "mark"- Guadeloupe Island.  Seemingly, the weather Gods played a nasty trick on the fleet, shutting down the smaller boats leaving them bouncing around in swells with little wind while the big boats simply blasted off under fast reaching conditions to the finish line.  After spending long periods with little rest and virtually no wind, the sailors began to feel the effects, leading to substantial numbers of boats retiring.

The long leg south from the northern turning mark off the coast of St. Maarten to the island of Les Saintes off the southern tip of Guadeloupe was an upwind surprise for the fleet, with the breeze from the south, turning southwest early on Wednesday morning.  This was quite a different story from the start where clear blue skies, fresh breeze and aquamarine seas greeted the sailors-- the sailors were treated to some superb champagne sailing conditions that typify these waters at this time of year.  The first boats crossed the starting line for the 605 mile race on February 22nd to start an adventure that would take them around fourteen Caribbean islands, in what is regarded as probably the finest sailor's play ground.  By the morning of the second day, the wind direction had changed to southerly and windless spots were appearing all over the race course. And, that was all she wrote for a vast majority of the fleet.

Les Saintes proved to be the nemesis for many boats that were caught in the wind shadow from the high mountains of Guadeloupe, the bigger boats managed to get through but the breeze was really beginning to tail off and the smaller boats became trapped. Marc Glimcher's J/122 CATAPULT had been sailing a very intelligent race and were leading overall on handicap when the breeze died out.  Despite such challenges, kudos to Marc and team on CATAPULT for persevering until nearly the fourth day, still leading and having rounded Les Saintes/ Guadeloupe headed towards Antigua, English Harbour, before making the difficult decision to simply pack it in and turn on the "iron genny".  From the track of CATAPULT above, you can see they were seventh boat-for-boat with 50-65 footers around them!  Better luck next time!   For more RORC 600 sailing and regatta information.

J/24 "Regatta Copa de Mexico"

(Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)- The Mexican J/24 Class is hosting a remarkable event that may go down as one of the main fixtures on the spring sailing circuit in years to come.  In what is traditionally an event that marks the start of the MEXORC (Mexican Ocean Racing Circuit) with the San Diego-Puerto Vallarta Race, the J/24 class was invited to spice things up a bit and participate en'masse.  The response has been overwhelming.  Fifty-three J/24s registered from nine countries, including USA, Mexico, Brazil, Monaco, Germany, El Salvador, Italy, Puerto Rico, Peru.  Talk about some "time travelers", would do Dr. No proud to see this assemblage of talent.

Amongst the J/24 class notables participating are Chris Snow, the current J/24 NA Champion racing "S" and Maurizio Santa Cruz from Brazil- the current J/24 World Champion- who will be sailing TRES VELAS, heading up the Brazilian contingent that also includes Claudio Ruschel.  Furthermore, current J/105 North American Champion Bruce Stone will be sailing HOT TUB with tactician Stu Johnstone- himself a former J/24 World Champion tactician. Not to be outdone by other Latino-Americano firepower, the Mexican J/24 class has seven of their top ten sailors from their 2009 Nationals making an appearance, including three of the top five- Peter Colliard on KAWABUNGA, Mario Velasquez on VENDETTA and Luis Alvarez sailing TA'LENTO.    For more J/24 Mexico sailing regatta information.

Australian J/122 Dominates IRC1

JACKPOT Cleans House In Sydney Offshore Series

(Sydney, Australia- Feb. 22)- It seems to be a recurring theme Down Under.  Anytime a group of experienced amateur yachtsmen get together and race a J off the famous Sydney Harbour Heads, "magical" things seem to happen.  And, this year's winner's circle throughout the summer offshore series off Sydney included the J/35 SOUNDTRACK, the J/109 MAJIKAL and the J/122 JACKPOT.

Ray and Sandra Entwistle’s J/122 JACKPOT won the 2009/10 Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Short Ocean Pointscore Series on IRC.  The SOPS is an 11 race series which runs from October to February, and is a combination of both windward / leeward courses and short passage races, held on the waters offshore from Sydney. JACKPOT has also collected a 1st in the Gascoigne Cup, 1st in the David Burke Memorial Trophy and a 3rd in the Morna Cup, held throughout the series.

JACKPOT finished 3 points ahead of her nearest rival Ed Salter in his famous AFR Midnight Rambler, completing the series on 17 points.  JACKPOT's worst result was a 5th, which they were able to drop.  Other than that, JACKPOT finished in the top 3 places for all other races.  The top class fleet is a mixture of yachts in the 38-60 foot range with everything from a Swan 60, TP52’s, Cookson 12’s, new Beneteau 40’s, 47.7’s, 44.7’s, Sydney 38s and others.  The season comprised of a variety of wind, sea and weather conditions but JACKPOT and her crew remained consistent throughout.

Ray had this to say about sailing the J/122- "We have a fairly small sail wardrobe from Ian Short Sails which has proved to be incredibly effective, consisting of a carbon main, #1 light carbon jib, #1 Medium Heavy carbon jib, #4 Kevlar jib.  The kites we fly are asymmetric, being a 140 sq.m reacher and 155 sq.m runner.  The J/122 is designed to carry non-overlapping jibs so tacking is quick and easy, and the kites fly from a fully retractable carbon sprit making the hoists, drops and gybes simple and efficient.

The J/122 is a joy to sail, she doesn’t slam in rough conditions, her hull shape allows her to ride up the waves and surf back down, in the light winds she simply glides along. In one race gusting over 30 knots and waves peaking at 15 feet we hit a speed of 18.6 knots and averaged 14.4 knots on a leg from Botany Bay to Sydney Heads.

As a result of the resin infused construction, the J’s are light but extremely strong, so you don’t have the excessive sheet loading you get with some other brands.  This also means you don’t need to have a crew of rugby players on board – in fact 40-50% of Jackpots crew are women.  The J/122 really epitomizes what sailing should be about.  We can race her hard and win a prominent and competitive series, but then load her up with food and water and head up the coast cruising.  She truly is a dual-purpose yacht.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our crew Ian, Hedgey, Emmy, Cassandra, Kate, Caroline, Darren and James for making this series not only a ‘winner’, but also a lot of fun.  Our congratulations and respects to all our competitors for their sportsmanship throughout this highly competitive series."  Good on ya mates!  We hope you get a few more enthusiastic J sailors Down Under to play with soon!

J/122 Winning RORC Caribbean 600 Race

Glimcher's J/122 CATAPULTs To The Front

(Antigua- Feb. 23)- This latest bluewater classic is both a navigational and tactical challenge.  First, imagine that you are in blue waters sailing up and down an island chain in the Caribbean that spans about 250 miles.  Start and finish a race of about 600 miles from none other than the infamous and renowned English Harbour on Antigua.  Wake up one morning with a mild hangover realizing that for a few days you will experience extraordinary sunrises, sunsets, spectacular cloud formations, gorgeous island backdrops and have to sail in t-shirts and shorts heading first NW downwind towards St. Maarten, round a few marks then head back upwind through the middle of the chain up and around Guadeloupe, leaving it to port and head back downwind to the finish off Antigua.  Yes, life doesn't suck if this is all you had to work for this past week.

Near the head of the pack in this cool and very challenging ocean race is Marc Glimcher's J/122 CATAPULT, leading IRC 1 and potential for a podium finish Overall.  Marc and his crew are all from the East Coast of the United States and compete in many regattas; often in a fleet of J/122s. Marc and his crew are having a great race and are currently amongst the leaders in the RORC Caribbean 600 overall on IRC handicap. Currently, they are making a critical rounding Wednesday evening of Guadeloupe in light, shifty, very spotty winds.  If they escape, it's likely they can be one of the winners on the podium.

CATAPULT crewman, Brock Callen took a few minutes to talk about the ride: "It's freezing cold back home in Massachusetts right now and I am wondering why my sailing buddies at home aren't doing this race? The sailing conditions are just gorgeous. Last night as we were on deck, just in t-shirts, a Humpback whale came right up to the boat. Watching the sun go down with the spinnaker up and surf under the hull is a great experience.  We have a good spirit on board and we all have specific jobs, especially on maneuvers. At Barbuda we gybe peeled from the 3A to the 2A and it was a smooth operation. It paid off, as we passed several boats shortly after the rounding. Things have been going really well and the skipper and the crew are enjoying this race, so much.  The next leg looks like it will be a beat, possibly all the way to Guadeloupe and the wind may go lighter. We will be trying not to get too frustrated and concentrate on sailing the boat to the best of our ability."

The majority of the fleet are entering another stage in this tactical race. At the moment light headwinds are forecast for the boats on the leg to Guadeloupe. After spending a long period with little rest, the sailors will begin to feel the effects. It is often easier to concentrate when the boat is flying along. In light airs, tiredness can become a big problem.

You can track the yachts and read the messages that are coming in by accessing the Tracker Page or the Boat Blogs page on the official RORC Caribbean 600 web site.

J/100 Owners- Paul & Susan Herer Interview

Susan and Paul Herer from Chicago, IL, proud owners of J/100 #6, J100 WHAAT'S UP? have been sailing their J/100 quite actively the past few years on Lake Michigan. Here's what they had to say:  "This photo was taken during the Belmont Yacht Club There & Back 50 nm Race off the Chicago lakefront. In 2009, it was a double-handed race from Belmont Harbor to the Gross Point Outer Shoal light to the 68th Street Crib and back around the Wilson Avenue Crib to Belmont Harbor. The winds were 15 to 25 kts West and Southwest with gusts up to 40kts and the seas were 3-4 ft.  Like a true J Boat, it performed well, even when using our small asymmetric reaching chute downwind in these conditions.  We took 1st place and line honors and set the record for fastest time for this race over the 5 year period that this race has been held. We plan to do four double-handed races in 2010 on Lake Michigan.

We love our J/100 that we purchased from Rich Stearns about five years ago.  This back to basics performance daysailor and racer can sharpen your skill level.  The J/100 is easily sailed solo or short-handed for day sailing and port to port racing, or with a crew of five for racing around the buoys or port to port.

The J/100 receives many compliments at the dock and on the water due to its’sleek, simple, and modern design and its’ ability to sail beautifully in light, moderate or heavy air conditions while keeping everyone dry!  Let’s step aboard.

This J/100 is hull # 6 and has a ten horsepowered Volvo Penta engine with saildrive and a two-bladed fourteen inch Gori folding prop. Maneuverability under motor is absolutely the best, both in forward and reverse; the boat never pulls to either direction.  All lines lead aft to the spacious cockpit. The 105% jib is easily rolled out or up on a Harken furling system.  The mainsail is easy to hoist or take down on Harken sailslides on a carbon fiber mast which is supported by rod rigging. The best part?  The mainsail can be flaked by one person! On our boat, the mainsail has a single, continuous line reefing system, an 8:1 mainsheet system and a 4:1 fine tune.  This enables anyone to control the mainsail even under heavy air conditions.

The tiller, autohelm controls, Sailtech hydraulic backstay lever, Harken windward sheeting traveler, primary winches, engine controls, and cockpit waterproof VHF remote mic are all within the easy reach of the helm.  And, our Raymarine ST4000 Plus autohelm is hooked into the belowdeck rudder post assembly and does not need to be disconnected in light air conditions.  It's wonderful to have this degree of control within reach of our finger tips!

Under sail, heading upwind in Lake Michigan’s stiff, choppy waters with short frequency waves, the plumb bow, fine entry and powerful rig push the J/100 thru the water gracefully while keeping you dry.  J/Boats  large spade rudder and fin bulb keel offer great stability and tracking.  For reaching, hull # 6 uses a 1.5 oz Mylar reaching sail on a Harken furler with continuous line and a 2A running asymmetrical spinnaker tacked to a bow turning block on a padeye in front of the headstay and bow pulpit.  This chute is easy to launch from a bag at the rail. Gybing both these sails is easily done by one person, and there is no spinnaker pole or sprit to deploy.  An ATN snuffer works well for solo or short-handed sailing and racing.

This J/100 has a bow pulpit and lifelines which do not detract from the sleek appearance and add a good measure of safety whether sitting in the cockpit or on the rail.  The Thurston dodger is easy to fold down for racing and is wonderful in inclement weather or for sun protection. The raised sea hood that accommodates four Tacktic instrument displays over the companionway is a good option because they are visible to anyone in the cockpit. And the cockpit lockers offer good storage.

Down below, the interior might be considered spartan, but it is bright, uncluttered, and clean with some attractive teak framework and lighting fixtures in the head and cabin.  There is ample storage for necessary items in the lockers under the cabin settees and under the v-berth. The shelves in the cabin, as well as the toiletry cabinet in the head are very nice finishing touches....

The J/100 was the next generation for J/Boats and a departure from the sprit boat. The concept of basic, simple, performance sailing should be embraced by the sailing community."

J/125 Owner Dr. Laura SA Interview

Dr. Laura- the renowned radio talkshow psychologist, has entered her J/125 on the Cabo San Lucas Race and offered some good thoughts for those people (women in particular) as to why she enjoys racing offshore on her J's.  Sailing Anarchy's Editor, Scot Tempesta, had this interview with her recently:  "We like Dr. Laura. No, not her politics, nor her radio show, but the woman? She's a delight who we have spent some quality time with and gotten to know fairly well. So when we heard she was racing her J/125 on the 600 mile Newport to Cabo race, we had to ask her why. She explains...

Six or seven years ago when I bought my first sailboat (J/80 THE DOC) I had no intentions to race.  I just wanted the wind in my face and the quiet swoosh of a sailboat's wake soothing my ears.  I got dragged into racing by being told, "If you want to really learn to sail well - racing is the way to do it."  And that was correct.  It took two years for my heart to not race in total fear steering the starts with boats going every which way and me not even having a great sense of where the start line was.  From that to steering in frequent 6-8 foot swells and gusts to 30 knots two weeks ago...and I only rounded up twice in several hours!  I was so excited and proud of myself - as the first time I was in those conditions I relinquished the helm and cried all the way to Ventura Harbor - totally terrified.

I enjoy a challenge.  I never considered myself an "inshore racer" - those are just the races that can be squeezed in on an afternoon or weekend and then back to the Yacht Club for wine and home for a shower.  I saw the movie, "Bucket List" and decided (having just turned 63) that I didn't want to have anything on mine.  And the imagery of sailing the open sea with the stars above and critters below seems thrilling.  When I mentioned Transpac to my crew and sailing buddies they all told me..."Yeah, on a bigger boat!"  Well, I don't have a bigger boat - so I went to a smaller race: Cabo.

As far as changes on the boat: we had to fulfill all the requirements so we have satellite radio/phone, water maker, etc. but I drew the line at the freeze dried dinner - tried it and my stomach threw up a protest flaq!  I guess it is good I love hard-boiled eggs and peanut butter and jelly...

My crew:  Kevin Miller, Kit Forbes Will (Remember the Disney movie 'Morning Light'? ...that Kit Will!), Paul Wolthausen, Sam Solhaug, Eric Bohman and me.

I am very excited about this...I am the only ocean racing newbie on the boat...I am sure I will have some rude awakenings...but I bet when we arrive in CABO I'll be ready to do it again.

The main point is to have an adventure. I'll let you all know how it went! Jump in the J/Boat Anarchy forum to comment.

Fast San Diego - Puerto Vallarta Race

(San Diego, CA/ PV, Mexico)- This past weekend saw the San Diego Yacht Club’s Puerto Vallarta Race fleet head south, clear the Baja peninsula and cross the Sea of Cortez to a finish line at Punta Mita, just west of Puerto Vallarta.  In the past, winners of this fabled 600 nautical mile race include Jim Madden's J/125 STARK RAVING MAD, hailing from San Diego YC (this year's winner of PHRF A in Key West Race Week).

It was a very fast, record breaking race this year. Many boats reported speeds in excess of 20+ knots sustained power reaching under asym sails.  For those who made early decisions to break out west after Division 1 boats had passed Ensenada proved to be a strong move as other boats caught one of the few flat points of the race near the shore.

Amongst the J's participating, the J/145 BAD PAK (2009 Transpac Winner) sailed well to garner a 3rd in Division III and 8th overall.  Just off the pace by virtue of running into one of the flatter spots near shore was Stephen and Cyndy Everett's J/160 SALACIA, getting 5th in Division III and 10th overall.  Steve and Cyndy just picked up SALACIA and were using the PV Race to bring along an Aussie and American crew, then continue on their delivery across the Pacific to Sydney, Australia! There was a nice interview after the race with Jeff Brown, principal of JK3 Yachting, who sailed aboard SALACIA- see it on YouTube.com.  Photo credit: Bob Bentancourt    For more Puerto Vallarta race info.

Strong J Fleet @ St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

A Real GREEN Eco-Friendly Event, Too!

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)- This coming weekend will be the 30th Anniversary of this renowned event, a favorite for Europeans, South Americans and even a few Norte Americanos.  Billed as the only "Serious Fun" event in the Caribbean circuit, it has also committed to the Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta program as it strives to achieve Bronze level certification- the Regatta Organization tries to reduce our impact on our oceans and coastal waters and operate as environmentally friendly as possible. The use of reusable bow numbers, paperless registration, biodegradable products in the office and with the help of sponsors creates environmental awareness to all of those involved with the biggest sailing event in the Caribbean.  Giving new meaning to the infamous description "have a Greenie", the title sponsor Heineken has ordered biodegradable cups that will be used at the parties during the event. And with the success of last year, the bracelets will be sold in order to raise money to protect the natural environment of both the French and Dutch marine parks on the island.

After the racing is done, the partying can begin!  Every night from the 4th up to the 7th of March fantastic parties will take place at different booming locations on St. Maarten. Heineken will make sure that the beer is cold and the music is superb. Make sure you don’t miss out the best four party nights of the year!

Amongst the J/Community participating in this year's event includes the first J/95 in the Caribbean, Tom Mullen's SHAMROCK VIII.  Also in attendance will be renowned race winner BAD GIRL, Bob Armstrong's fire-engine red J/100 (pictured above in the regatta summary); Jonathan Berwin's J/160 BIG BEAR; Rick Wesslund's Key West Race Week winning J/120 EL OCASO (pictured here at KWRW); Dortmondt van Remco's warhorse, the J/35 SUNBELT REALTY; and Jorge Gorbea's J/105 UMAKUA.  Good luck to all and hope to report good news next week!  For more Heineken Regatta and Sailing Info.

J/30 Midwinters- New Orleans Mardi Gras!

Ken Buhler's JALAPENO Wins

(New Orleans- Feb. 20-21)- Hosted by the amazingly charming and low-key New Orleans Yacht Club, this year's J/30 Mid-Winters regatta was held in the balmy 65 degree temperatures and persistent 10 knot plus breezes.  The venue was Mardi Gras Regatta in New Orleans. It was great to shake off the icicles with some hot racing. As always, starts and mark roundings are critical in One Design J/30 racing.  The fleet speed was very close with multiple leaders and three individual first place finishers; BLACK MAGIC, ZEPHYR V2 and JALAPENO.  As a result, with multiple boats winning with a certain amount of braggin rights, it all culminated in great story telling at the bar. JALAPENO was lucky enough to hold off the hard pressing fleet to win the J/30 Midwinters for the third time since 2004. The crew gave credit to their newest crew member, Henrietta, for calling tactics. Second went to  the tough team aboard ZEPHYR V2.0 and third just off the pace was GRITZ II not having won one race.

The Gulf Coast will hold NA 2013 and the Midwinters again next year.  New Orleans is a great venue for J/Boat sailing all year long.  Come on down and join us next time!  Here's a YouTube video of our NOYC "Welcoming Crew".   For J/30 Midwinters regatta and sailing info.

J/80’s Are Back on Long Island Sound!

(NY/ CT)- J/80’s are one of the most exciting one-design boats to sail, but, previously, if you wanted to race one-design on the Long Island Sound, you either had to sail dinghies or buy a larger boat like the J/105.  There always were a few J/80’s around, but split in two different groups: the one-design travel boats and the local PHRF racing boats.  Among the travelers, some of the best crews in the country, if not the world, call the Long Island Sound their home. The more prominent boats are Kerry Klingler’s LIFTED and John Storck, Jr.’s RUMOR who probably both don’t need any further introduction to the readers of this newsletter. On the other hand, there have always been various J/80s scattered about in clubs like AYC, LYC and Centerport that mainly sailed PHRF in club races. But, until this year, the local boats did not come together as a fleet.

This February, representatives from nine boats got together at Larchmont Yacht Club to meet each other, organize and reaffirm that western Long Island Sound was ripe for J/80 one-design events.  Five more boats joined Fleet 17 since the word got out bringing the total count of boats in the area up to 14 and at least two more are expected to join soon. The newly invigorated fleet agreed on three local races for this year to complement the full 2010 USA Tour schedule.  These events are:
May 22-23    Lloyd Harbor YC Spring Race for the Case (of Rum)- Lloyd Neck, NY
Jun 6-7         Cedar Point YC One Design Regatta- East Norwalk, CT
Sep 25-26    American YC Fall Series (1st weekend only)- Rye, NY

In addition, the fleet is planning to launch an annual J/80 Long Island Sound Cup – “J/80 LIS Cup” – which will be scored similar to the J/80 2010 USA Tour with a combination of qualifying local races. For more information on the fleet and how to get involved, please contact J/80 Fleet#17 rep Ansgar Chorhummel (ansgar@kiaora.us) of  or go here-  J/80 Fleet #17 website.

J/22 Euro-League 2010

The J/22 class in Europe, led by class leaders from The Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy have announced their J/22 2010 Euro-League circuit.  This year's Euro-League will include the following events:
May 13-16      J/22 Open French Championship (Ecole Navale Lanvéoc, FRA)
Jun 26-Jul 4    J/22 World Championship (Scheveningen, NED)
Jul 30-Aug     Travemünder Woche (Travemünde, GER)
Oct 15-17       J/22 Dutch Open Nationals (Braassemermeer, NED)
For more J/22 Euro-League Sailing information.

J/109 East Coast Circuit

(East Coast, America)- In addition to Bill Sweetser's offering up the gorgeous trophy now hanging at Annapolis YC, US J/109 Class President Rick Lyall has outlined a proposed schedule of J/109 events for the 2010 season.  The key one-design events are:
- J109 Mid Atlantic Championship at the Annapolis NOOD (Part I- East Coast Series)
- American YC Spring Series
- Breakwater Yacht Club Sprit Fest
- Block Island Race Week
- J109 North American Championship at NYYC Race Week
- J109 East Coast Championship- Larchmont NOOD (Part II- East Coast Series)
- American YC Fall Series
- Storm Trysail Club Intercollegiate Regatta

I have also included a number of events where J109s are likely to sail under IRC, hopefully in the IRC 35 Class.  These include:
- Larchmont YC Edlu Distance Race
- Roosevelt Cup
- Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race
- NYYC Annual Regatta
- NYYC Race Week 2nd half: IRC National Championship
- Vineyard Race
- Long Island Sound IRC Championship
  For more information on the J/109 East Coast Circuit.

J/95 Sailing Swiss Lakes

J/Lane, the J Dealer based in Strasse, Switzerland has its J/95 just about ready to roll on the gorgeous Swiss lakes, starting with the HallwillerSee (Lake Hallwiller).  Peter Bangerter is quite excited about the enthusiasm they're seeing for the revolutionary shoal-draft J/95.  The fact that it can be towed on European Community roadways ensures  that J/95 will have broad appeal to those who wish to explore not just remote reaches of their own lakes and shorelines but to take it far afield to the Med, the Atlantic or to the Adriatic Sea-- it will be interesting to see how far European J/95 sailors push the limits of its capabilities- the ultimate in sailing freedom.  Take it anywhere you wish to sail in complete comfort and with remarkable performance.

J/105 Narragansett Bay Championship Tour

(Newport, RI)- Fleet 14 (southern New England) is pleased to announce the J-105 Narragansett Bay Championship Tour consisting of three closely-spaced regattas that typically draw competitors from Marblehead to Annapolis:

July 10-11    Coastal Living Sail Newport- Newport, RI
July 17-19    Rolex NYYC Race Week- Newport, RI
August 7-8    West Passage Regatta- Wickford, RI

To make it easy for out-of-towners, Brewer Wickford Cove Marina, adjacent to Wickford Yacht Club, will haul, power wash and store visiting boats during the Tour at deeply discounted rates.

During the West Passage Regatta, Sampson Rigging will award the top boats their choice of its newest hi-tech sheets and halyards, West Marine will spice up the Saturday night dinner with some exciting product giveaways, and Waterlines, the Portsmouth RI builder of the J-105, will award the overall Tour winner the J-105 Narragansett Bay Championship half-model perpetual trophy along with gift certificates for spare parts.

Along with these generous product contributions, North Sails will provide mark set boats during the West Passage Regatta as well as offering on-the-water coaching for all comers on Friday, August 6, followed by a debrief and welcome party at Wickford Yacht Club.

For further information, contact Nelson Weiderman (Nelson@weiderman.com) of J/105 Fleet 14. And for more J/105 Class information.

J/122 Northeast Circuit

(Newport, RI)- The J/122 Class is pleased to announce its 2010 J/122 Northeast Circuit.  J/122 WINGS co-owner, Mike Bruno, said "We encourage all J/122 owners to join us in a wonderful series of J/122 one-design class events this summer that includes the highlight, the J/122 North Americans held in conjunction with the Rolex New York Yacht Club Race Week."  Here are the events all J/122s are invited to:

April 24-25   American Yacht Club Spring Series-  Rye, NY
May 1-2        American Yacht Club Spring Series-  Rye, NY
May 28         Storm Trysail Block Island Race- Stamford, CT
June 11-13    NYYC Spring Regatta- Newport, RI
July 16-19     J/122 North Americans at Rolex NYYC Race Week- Newport, RI
Sept 11-12    Larchmont SW NOOD Regatta- Larchmont, NY
Sept 25-26    American Yacht Club Fall Series- Rye, NY
Oct 2-3         American Yacht Club Fall Series- Rye, NY

For J/122 Class information- please contact info@jboats.com

Sailing World NOOD- St. Petersburg

Tim Healy's J/24 Wins St. Pete Overall

(Feb. 12-14- St. Petersburg, FL)- This year's SW NOOD St. Pete was an excellent kickoff to the nine-stop 2010 NOOD Regatta series, with ninety six keelboats boats contesting six quality races—which is pretty good considering the light-air conditions that have challenged this regatta venue over the past several years.  Of the ninety six keelboats attending, the largest sailing fleet were the J/24s with twenty-three racing around the track, followed by the fifteen J/80s participating in the second stop of the J/80 USA Tour and four happy-go-luck J/22s enjoying all the festivities.  In short, with forty-two J's sailing, they constituted 44.0% of the SW NOOD fleet-- nearly a J/Fest Southeast!

As the final day of racing progressed on Tampa Bay on Sunday, the towering smoke stacks on the eastern shore hinted at what was to come: the morning's horizontal streaming plumes slowly giving way to vertical trails. Luckily, the 0930 warning signals at the Sperry Top-Sider St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta's three circles allowed the race committee to squeeze in two more races before it all went kaput.  And in the dying northeasterly that defined the day's sunny but cold conditions there were all sorts of puffs, lulls, shifts, and holes and to avoid. There was no predictably to the breeze whatsoever. Even a few competitors that came out on top in the day's races admitted that conditions were of the mind-bending sort.

For the J/24s, one smart move by Tim Healy netted his team the overall win in St. Pete and a trip to the Caribbean later in the year for SW NOOD Championships.  Healy, a sailmaker with Quantum Sails, Rhode Island, went into the last race with a slim lead over Argentinean champion Joaquin Doval sailing U2 for YCA (Yate Club Argentina in Buenos Aires), and approached it with a pretty simple plan: beat Doval and keep his nose clean in the process. That later element would later be critical.  "We didn't want to be over early or hit anyone," says Healy. "We just wanted to be conservative."

Healy, with crew John Mollicone, Steve Lopez, Dan Rabin, and Gordon Borges, got a decent jump on Doval's U2 squad on the first beat, but their focus on the Argentineans almost cost them the regatta. "We sailed ourselves pretty deep into the fleet, and we gave them the opportunity to put a lot of boats between us," says Healy. "We should have sailed our own race and just stayed in phase with the shifts."

At the ensuing leeward mark rounding, some heads-up logic saved their bacon. Approaching the mark on starboard, and with inside rights on a multiple-boat pile-up, they quickly realized that taking advantage of their right-of-way wasn't going to do them any good. "We would have stuck it in there and either hit the mark or other boats," says Healy. Instead, they sailed around the entire pack and got in on the tail end of the pinwheel. "It definitely got pretty bad."

He estimates they rounded 20th (while Doval was top-five), but they worked the right side of the race course hard on the following beat, where they were banking on better pressure. They passed enough boats to make it nearly impossible for Doval to put enough points between them, and Healy's eighth to Doval's fourth gave the New Englanders a 1-point win and a trip to the Caribbean in November to the Sperry Top-Sider Caribbean NOOD Championship.  Finishing just behind these two were another Argentinean Champion Nicolas Cubria racing JESUS LIZZARD for Real Club Nautico, winning the last race but not nearly enough points to knock the other two off the podium.

For the J/80 class, J/80 champion Kerry Klingler won this important tune-up regatta for the October J/80 Worlds in Newport. After establishing primal supremacy over the fleet, starting off with two bullets, Kerry and crew onboard LIFTED rattled off three thirds and a last race first to win the regatta by a healthy margin of six points.  Two fellow Long Island Sounders also sailed solid series to further establish the primacy of their light air, shifty wind sailing skills.  In second was John DiMatteo racing CHRISTE and just off the pace in third overall was John Storck and family sailing RUMOR. 

The J/22s apparently had some fun despite the low turnout.  Everyone won races and in the end they nearly all finished tied!  How's that for some healthy racing!  Nevertheless, it was a tie-breaker for first place with Jackson Pentith sailing DELERIUM winning the regatta by having more first places.  In second on the short end of that stick was Jim Chorostecki racing THREE'S COMPANY.  Finishing third was Daniel Kresge on board JABBERWOCKY.  Photo Credits:  Tim Wilkes   For more Sailing World NOOD Regatta and sailing information.

J/22 Grows and Grows in Germany

Hardy Kleinefeld has this to report about J/22 class development in Germany: "The Boot 2010 Sailboat Show has once again confirmed that the J22 continues to grow nicely as a class in Germany.  The two week boot show saw great interest in the J/22 class. The German J/22 Class Association was well prepared and had plenty of KV-members willing to accommodate the crowds that came by in their high-traffic location in Hall 17. The attention has been great and the J/22 class in Germany continues to grow. Since 2005, the number of members has almost doubled. And if the ice has melted, the class will start racing in March, probably around 40 boats on the Braassemermeer for the first event.  By the way, after Europe's 2010 "Ice Age", we will have a winter training session under the leadership of former J/22 World, European and Masters Champion, Dutchman Jeroen den Boer.  For more German J/22 Class Sailing information.

Challenge J/80 La Trinité France

(La Trinite sur Mer, France- Feb 6-7)- Like their J/80 classmates in Spain, the J/80 French teams are starting their late winter/ early spring racing and training programs for the 2010 summer season and many of the teams are looking at gearing up for the J/80 Worlds in Newport, RI in October. 

Thirteen teams participated in the second weekend of the Challenge J80 Trinitaine, racing in very tough weather conditions.  On Saturday in light, shifty six to twelve knot NW winds off La Trinite, marked by lots of current, the teams spent a lot of time training on their maneuvers; with starts, mark roundings and leeward gate roundings.  On Sunday, under bright spring sunshine and fifteen knot NE winds, the Race Committee sent the teams around a one nautical mile windward-leeward course.  At the end of the day, it was COYOTE that won the day with a 4-1-1 record.  J'BOULET was second with a 5-2-2 tally and third lay JALUCYNE with a 4-3-3 series score.  For more J/80 French Class sailing information.

J/80s Spain Report

(Feb. 17th)- The Spanish J/80 teams press on regardless of wind, weather, European Ice Age and anything else that may be thrown in front of them.  This past weekend was no exception.  Of note were the training sessions conducted by past J/80 World and European Champions, highlighted by the participation of Murciano Carlos Martinez (3rd in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain and 3rd in the 2008 Worlds at Kiel, Germany), the Spaniard Jose Maria Torcida (2007 World Champion in La Trinité, France and 6th in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain).

RCNB Winter Trophy 

(Barcelona, Spain)- This past weekend, Real Club Nautico Barcelona conducted six races in excellent wind conditions- shifty fifteen knot winds from the southwest.  The RC PRO setup a nice 3.5 nautical mile windward leeward course.  Jordi Negroni won two of the three races Saturday while FORTY FIVE, skippered by Richard Terrades, continued to dominate the rest of the races. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

Castro Ricardo III Trophy

(La Coruna, Spain)- This past weekend saw the start of the Castro Ricardo III Trophy for the J/80 class, hosted by Real Club Náutico de La Coruña.  The fleet was greeted by two solid days of racing with widely varying conditions.  On Saturday, it blew hard from the NE at 20-25 knots and two fun, fast races were sailed.  Ultimately, it was a dogfight between MELTEMIA skippered by Fernando Lago, MARINA CORUNA skippered by Paul Chavert and IN ITINERIES skippered by Miguel Fernandez.  Miguel Fernandez sailed well on the final downwind leg of the last race to win.  On Sunday, it started light from the south at 6-7 knots, but later built to a gusty 20-23 knot winds, testing the crews again in large choppy seas and shifty breezes.  Overall the J/80s are led by MELTEMI followed by IN INITNERIES and MARINA CORUNA.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

J/80 RCN Clinic a Success

(La Coruna, Spain- Feb. 8th)- There was a lot of intense activity at Real Club Náutico de La Coruña during the past weekend with the celebration of "CLINICA CORUNNA J/80."  RCNLC hosted this training for the local J/80 fleet.  Renowned J/80 sailors were invited to conduct the clinic, including Murciano Carlos Martinez (3rd in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain and 3rd in the 2008 Worlds at Kiel, Germany), the Spaniard Jose Maria Torcida (2007 World Champion in La Trinité, France and 6th in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain) and Peru Bilbaino Mugica. At 1030 hours the J80s began with a lecture-panel led by Carlos Martinez, on the set-up and speed for J/80s. When finished, the crews got aboard their J/80s for a very constructive on-the-water training session.  Each of the guest coaches sailed on the boats with their owners and crew, focusing on boat-handling and boat speed. Upon returning to the club from these on-the-water sessions, everyone analyzed training videos of the day, examined the pictures, always striving to improve tuning, speed and maneuvering.  The day ended with a dinner where sailors and guests continued their discussions of the tips and trick learned from the days' training session. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

J/80 Lacre Memorial Trophy

(Santander, Spain)- This past weekend, Toño Piris-Santi Lopez-Vazquez onboard YATES & THINGS continued their winning ways in the J/80 Santander fleet, they continue to lead the Lacre Memorial Trophy series.  Not to be outdone, Pichu Torcida-Alex Muscat sailing ECC VIVIENDAS got the win in the second race of the day was the best boat of the day and is second overall.  True to the determination of the Santander sailors, the freezing cold did not deter the twenty five crews from going to the starting line.  The teams were greeted by a moderate southwest breeze blowing 8-10 knots, which permitted the RC to conduct two races.  After some spirited racing that saw boats play both sides of the course and shifts influenced by the renowned "Moors" section of grassy beach off Santander (see J/Sailing Calendar photo), the teams are looking forward to more racing next weekend.  Lying third after the dust settled is FONESTART sailed by Jaime Piris, fourth is SPACIO 10 raced by Paul Santurde and fifth is BANCAJA sailed by Javier López-Vázquez and Alvaro Mazarrasa.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

J/80s and J/World Annapolis Partner with USSTAG/GEL Sailing Program

* J/80s at J/World Annapolis were used for a USSTAG/ GEL program with US Olympian Graham Biehl.  Donna Berry from GEL had this to say about the program-  "I wanted to share the following sailing story with you involving the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, sailing experiential learning company Group Experiential Learning, J World Annapolis and Olympian Graham Biehl.

It’s not every day that one gets to meet an Olympic sailor, let alone race with one.  On February 4, 2010 in Naples, Fla., AlphaGraphics, the title sponsor of the US Sailing Team, took its sponsorship to the next level with a pioneering event that intertwined world-class sailing with corporate relationship building.   AlphaGraphics brought its top franchisees out to sail and race with US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) team member Graham Biehl, a 2008 Olympian and 2012 Olympic hopeful, in an event organized by fellow sponsor, Group Experiential Learning (GEL), the country’s premier provider of experiential outdoor and sailboat-based leadership development, team building and corporate entertainment programs.  Ninety-five percent of the participants had never sailed, let alone raced, prior to the afternoon on the home waters of the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club, but tight racing ensued, facilitated by a highly experienced coaching team from J World Annapolis, a sailing school partner which powers many GEL programs.   Participants were divided into four teams on J80s, with each team guest-coached by Biehl during one round of the four races which comprised the regatta.

“Our role as a title sponsor of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics has really evolved into a greater and greater relationship year-after-year,” said Kevin Cushing, CEO of AlphaGraphics.  “Our event was a great example of how the members of the team are more engaged with our franchisees and our franchisees are engaged with them.  Graham Biehl was present on every boat giving us tips and having a blast with our franchisees.  It was a once-in-a-life experience.”  

Added Dan Cooney, Commercial Director for US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, "We were thrilled to have our team-building partner GEL lead our title sponsor AlphaGraphics and their top franchisees through the paces on the water, culminating in some competitive but friendly racing.  It serves to deepen and add value to these relationships."

The day’s outcome?  Sixteen key franchisees and AlphaGraphics employees experienced an unprecedented opportunity to compete with and against a young Olympic athlete, and got a glimpse into the teamwork required to battle wind, currents and competitors in the intense world of sailboat racing.  Several teams won individual races and the regatta did award trophies, but as Kevin Cushing pointed out, the victories are truly measured in the smiles of the participants and the deepened relationships between AlphaGraphics and its vital franchisees.

J/35: Pimped Super-fast Family Cruising Classic

Dan Moll- from Puerto Rico took an old J/35, now renamed CAVALLINO, and "pimped" their ride into the ultimate cruising, sailing "crib".  Here's Dan's story:

"Someone told me once that I’ll be doing fine if I get a foot of boat for every year of my age.  At 34, my second life for some years now had been as a race-car driver.  But with a four-year-old, racing was just taking time away from my new family.  As a kid, I sailed Lasers at the Club Náutico de San Juan and spent many summers sailing the Virgin Islands on my best friend’s sailboat.  I grew to love the ocean and the adventure of discovering the thousands of destinations on land and under water that Puerto Rico and the Virgins offered.  It was the lifestyle I wanted for my children one day, so it was logical to go back to sailing.   They say every time two sailboats heading in the same direction see each other on the water, a silent race is on.  It’s true.  I wanted a cheap super-fast cruiser.  What is it?  How about retro-fitting an aged race boat to cruise?

This red hot rod of a boat caught my eye on December 2004, standing on the yard at Puerto del Rey, in Fajardo, PR.  The 1984 J/35 “Ventajero” was a local legend.  Previous winner of the ‘Round Puerto Rico Race and the St. Thomas Rolex, it was full of great stories.  After a quick visit and some research on the internet, I was very interested.  Over two-hundred boats on the water, five active one-design fleets, and an American Sailboat Hall of Fame Inductee.  In other words, a “Certified Classic”. If my dream car would have been a Ferrari, at least here I got my fast red toy for a fraction of the cost.

I called my friend, professional sailor and rigger Jorge Hernandez to please come and see it and give me a dead honest opinion whether to purchase the boat or keep looking.  Jorge came and after a close inspection, I still remember his advice:  “It’s on its way to becoming a cadaver, but the basics are healthy and we can save it.  It’s an awesome boat.  You’ll sail faster than most 40-footers today.”  He was in, and so was I.  So here I was, $27,000 later, with my beat-up-racer-to-become-superfast-cruiser.  I was lucky to have a multi-talented construction employee, Albert, who lived nearby the yard.  We took the thing apart and called it "Monster Garage J" for some time.  Jorge supervised.  I also called J/Boats, to see if by any chance, I was able to get a copy of an owner’s manual for the restoration of my almost twenty-year old boat.  I talked briefly with a very nice lady on the phone and got a quick reply: “Just mail us a check for $20.  I’ll be mailing you right away.”  She even offered Rod Johnstone’s phone number mentioning he’d be glad to offer any advise if I needed.  I was very impressed.  That’s how a world-class family business provides customer services, and I had just bought an old boat!  I received my owner’s manual copy in two days.

I won’t go into detail, but after three months, the project wasn’t worth $1,000.  Outside, all deck hardware was out.  Inside, everything went out, with the exception of bulkheads, engine, diesel tank and the only two small cabinets.  That’s when the news came, my wife was pregnant!  Make that a family cruiser, baby included, with a wife who had never sailed.   Call it either brave or stubborn.

I was kept excited by many who I met in the marina, asking if I was the one who purchased Ventajero.  Eyes lit up with awesome racing stories…many.  I’m an architect, with 15 years in the construction business.  That means probably too much creativity for the assignment and no fear of destruction and reconstruction.  Jorge, a perfectionist.  We discussed the project.  The basic requirement for the ideal boat given the situation:  safety first, and it had to sail singlehanded.

Fifteen months later, with new everything and then some, “CAVALLINO” went in the water.  It looked beautiful, shiny red hull with brand new white non-skid and all new Harken hardware, running and standing rigging.   With tiller steering, it felt like a big Laser.  It sailed beautifully, although a bit “sporty” for the family.  By that, I mean a wet cockpit, and a bit too much heel.  The boat also felt light against 3’ chop.  You usually see these boats crewed with 8-10 guys, 6 of them on the rail, and now I know why.

The J/35 sure is beamy, at 11.8’.  I also needed more fresh water.  Ta-da! Two custom fiberglass tanks behind settees.  I met a local artisan, Ismael, who promised to deliver.  He built both tanks shaped and bonded against the hull.  We measured and they made about 95 gallons each!  We installed them with Rule bilge pumps inside each of them and placed switches at the cockpit.  Water ballast transfer happened at 3.5 minutes for a full tank.  The heel correction is good for about 3-4 degrees, and the boat feels a lot more planted as it slices upwind. 

It was time to make the cruiser look like it inside.  I worked with local shop Sand, Sea and Air interiors to design the interior upholstery.  Sunbrella textile was child friendly, and a top 1” layer of memory foam provided extra comfort.  We got an award from the Marine Fabricators Association for “Ourstanding Achievement” in 2008.  Custom teak cabinets were installed for storage above tanks and many more projects followed.  With plenty of water, extra-large batteries, new AC/DC panel, inverter, diesel generator, A/C, microwave, electric cooktop, fresh water electric head, auto pilot and GPS, now we have a fully equipped cruiser.  The kids’ biggest smile was when they saw the 22-in. LCD, where we hookup our Apple TV.  I had gone from “Monster Garage” to “Pimp my J”.

On the cockpit, custom molded fiberglass backrests deflect water and keep the seating dry.  A table was fabricated and it doubles as a center insert turning the seats into a big lounge pad, with cushions also by SSA.  The last projects were to move the primary winches back and make them electric.  The main halyard was routed back and I can raise the mainsail from the helm with the electric winch.  Also, I added a hatch for the bow locker.  J35s have huge bow lockers, but only accessible from the v-berth.  The space was good for anchor locker and also for the gennaker bag.  A Forte Carbon bowsprit was installed on deck and rigged to extend and retract from the cockpit.

I’ve had the best time pimpin’ my J and sailing CAVALLINO, our pimped super-fast family cruising classic.  Hope you enjoy our recent YouTube movie, “Sailing Culebra 2010”.  In contrast to very tough economic times, we had some great moments to start the new decade.

See Sailing Culebra on J/35 CAVALLINO on YouTube.

J/109 East Coast Series

Bill Sweetser, owner of the J/109 RUSH, has a challenge for you!  "The RUSH team will proudly display the prestigious J/109 East Coast Regatta Series trophy at the Annapolis Yacht Club until someone takes it away."  All you have to do is compete in this year’s J/109 Mid-Atlantic Championships at the Sailing World Annapolis NOOD, and the Sailing World Larchmont NOOD, and achieve the best average points. Each year the Class Association defines the Series events.

The SW Annapolis NOOD is on April 30-May 2 and the SW Larchmont NOOD is September 11-12.  The Larchmont NOOD’s will be the awards ceremony. The Class Association will ship it to the yacht club you designate where it will remain on display until another team wins it. The "keeper trophy" is a beautiful 16 inch silver tray engraved with the year and names of the Series regattas.  For more J/109 sailing and regatta information.

Sailing World NOOD- St. Petersburg

J/80 2nd Stop of USA Tour

(St. Petersburg, FL- Feb 12-14)- The Sperry Top-Sider St. Petersburg NOOD is pleased to host the second stop of the J/80 World Championship Tour.  Premiere Racing's Nautica Key West Race Week, the first stop of the tour, saw nineteen J/80s on the starting line and the St. Pete NOOD is sure to see a strong showing as well with fifteen boats already registered. The J/80 tour will be heading up the East Coast throughout the spring and summer including a stop at the Annapolis NOOD and concluding with the J/80 World Championship hosted by SailNewport in Newport, RI during October of this year.  Look for class leaders like John Storck on RUMOR; Kerry Klingler on LIFTED; Al MInella on RELENTLESS; and Henry Brauer on RASCAL to be contenders for the podium-- all of them had flashes of brilliance at  Key West Race Week.

J/24s will also be participating with a twenty-two boat strong showing, one of the largest classes at the SW NOOD event.  Many of the J/24 Midwinters participants racing this past weekend at Davis Island Yacht Club will be racing in St. Petersburg, too.  In addition, the J/22s will have a fleet racing, too, with mostly local sailors and a team from Toronto, Canada looking forward to sunny Florida sailing.  For regatta and sailing news go here.

Sea Scouts at St. Peter NOOD

The St. Pete NOOD is pleased to welcome members of the Sea Scouts who will be racing two boats in the J/22 class and one boat in the J/24 class. All participating Sea Scouts are members of Ship 185, based out of Apollo Beach, FL. Don St. Amour has been an adult skipper for Ship185 for about 6 years. Sailing World is happy to have The Sea Scouts, a non-profit youth organization, participating in the event. Jabberwocky, a J/22 sailed by 3 young adults ranging in age from 14 to 20, will be skippered by Ryan Kresge, the Ship's Bos'n. Don will be skippering J/24 Black Magic. Don hopes to increase the number of Sea Scout boats racing in the St. Pete NOOD for 2011.

Sea Scouting is a part of the Boy Scouts of America, and is a co-educational program offered to young adults between the ages of 14 and 21. Sea Scouting is organized to promote citizenship, improve boating skills, increase knowledge through instruction, promote water safety, enhance outdoor, social, and service experiences, and expand knowledge of our maritime heritage.   For more SeaScout information.

RSYC Doyle Sails Frostbite Series

Crews Scrape the Ice for Second Weekend

(Southampton, England- Feb 6-7)- The series name was apt as crews scraped ice from the decks of their boats in preparation for the second day of racing in the Royal Southampton Yacht Club’s Doyle Sails ‘Frostbite Series’. The clear skies and -4ºC slowed the build up of the wind, resulting in the AP being raised at 1000. Eventually the WNW breeze steadied at about 7 knots which allowed class 1 to start at 1140. Everyone was happy to be moving again and warming up.

In Class 1 IRC, David and Kirsty Apthorp's J/109 J-DREAM is hanging onto third spot overall for the series, just one point out of second place.    After starting the first weekend with two seconds, the fifth place this past weekend dropped them to third overall.  Also competing is IvanTrotman's J/105 JOLENE, enjoying the challenging conditions on the Hamble River/ Solent.

The J/92 fleet were close at the start but soon split into two groups choosing different routes to the first mark.  Andy Howe's BLACK JACK edged into the lead with Mike Cooper's JAVA LITE and the trio of Andrew, Matt & Pete aboard JAMMIN in hot pursuit. The slower class 1 boats were soon overtaken by the J92’s which were enjoying the lighter wind conditions. Racing remained tight all round the course with shouts for water at the mark roundings. Andy Howe kept BLACK JACK in the lead to take line honours and the class win. Close behind were JAVA LITE and JAMMIN who crossed the line together allowing JAMMIN to take second on handicap. After an hours racing only 40 seconds covered the first three boats.  In the series lead after two weekends is JAVA LITE followed by BLACK JACK and Mike Garvey's J-ARROW.

For more RSYC Frostbite Sailing series info.   Photo credits- Hamo Thornycraft Marine.

J/24 Midwinter Championship

Enright Wins Nail-biter In Last Race

(Tampa, FL- Feb 6-10)-  The Davis Island Yacht Club offers a great escape from the February temperatures, a famous laid-back social atmosphere, and an an inviting venue for the 2010 Midwinters regatta. Februrary in Tampa Bay typically includes some excellent weather for sailing and an excellent way to spend your winter vacation.

Thirty three boats were on the line and amongst them include class notables such as veteran J/24 sailor Tony Parker of Annapolis, MD on BANGOR PACKET, Kirk Reynolds of Skaneateles, NY on OLD CROW, class stalwart Mark Pincus from Miami, FL on SCOUTS HONOR, strong contenders such as Charlie Enright, Peter Bream, Will Welles (fresh from J/80 Midwinters) and from Buenos Aires, Argentina, champion sailor Nicolas Cubria racing JESUS LIZARD.

By the fourth day of the regatta, Charlie Enright from Bristol YC (RI) kept the team of John Mollicone/ Tim Healy from getting in front of them in the last race to win the regatta by two points, they finished first and second respectively.  Just behind them in 3rd, 4th and 5th places, respectively, were Will Welles, Peter Bream and Tony Parker, each having won at least one race each.   For more J/24 Midwinters regatta and sailing information.

J/80 Spain Winter Series Update

The J/80 fleets in Bilbao, Santander and Palma Mallorca, Spain continue strong racing with some series leaders emerging.  Come rain, snow, cold or violent squalls, nothing seems to deter this group of sailors from having great sailing on the water and camaraderie in the local harborside pubs after sailing.

Winter Trophy 2010

(Bilbao, Spain- Feb 6-7)-  Winter Trophy 2010 and has a clear candidate for title: Peru Mugica and his crew of PAKEA BIZKAIA. A first and a second on the third weekend helped Peru Mugica consolidate his lead with eight points, five less than the AS DE GUIA VIII's skipper Joseph Azqueta, who finished third and fourth.  In third place overall is FREUS's  Cristian Jauregui with seventeen points.

On a cold rainy day with little wind, the race committee postponed for two hours.  Then, they got two races off, the first one being light winds and strong currents making for challenging tactical decisions and the second marked by a powerful squall shifting the winds into the north.    In the first race, Zubiaga Ramon sailing MANDOVI led the race from start to finish after a difficult start.  MANDOVI chose to duck a bunch of transoms on port to get to the favored side and simply sailed away with the race.   Behind them, Peru Mugica staged a great comeback to finish second by the end of the race. The second race was considerably closer and much windier for the fleet.  The leaders all went to the right side of the course, playing the shifts.  In the end, victory belonged to Peru's PAKEA BIZKAIA followed by Cristian's FREUS and Joseph's AS DE GUIA VIII' in third place.

After the racing a dinner was held at SALTILLO's.  After the cold and rain, the warm atmosphere and great food and drink made for some amusing stories and celebration-- a lot of potato's were eaten!  More Spanish sailing news here.

J/30 Class Growing Stronger

Bill Kneller and Dave Erwin, J/30 Class Co-Presidents have been doing a magnificent job re-connecting many J/30 sailors from across the country.  The resurgent interest in the class is heartwarming to see and, more importantly, they're having a helluva lot of fun!  Like the J/24 Australia story below regards "revamp that old boat", the J/30 Class has similar initiatives.  Read more about what Dave Erwin did to take a J/30 wrecked by Hurricane Katrina and resurrected it as the great "as new" looking J/30 called TOY BOX.  Furthermore, another great story on Tim Lawton resurrecting another J/30 called CHAOS.  Read more about these J/30 Class building efforts.

J/24 Åustralian Sailors Growing Fleets

J/24 Australian sailors are growing their fleets and having a lot of fun.   Recently, Simon Grain, from Melbourne, sailing MAKE MY J, had some thoughtful hints on "Get out and revamp your old boat, it's worth it!".  As Simon explains, "One of the huge benefits of sailing a windward leeward course is, it evens out the boats. At the 2006 Melbourne World Championships, many of the top performers were boats with a minimum age of 15 years. None was more noticeable than Mike Ingham who shipped a 20 year old J out from America, whilst not in the top 3, his top 5 finish was excellent. He then went on to come second at the 2007 Worlds in Mexico in the same boat. At the 2009 J Worlds in Sardinia last year, the majority of the fleet were boats 10 years+, just with new rigs and fast as ever. Since then in Melbourne we have seen older J’s revamped and now competing at the front of the fleet. Ron Thompson’s AUS 1324 “Kicking Bottom” ( 20+ years old) has won several races at the beginning of the season, and Micheal Lewenhagen has just put AUS 1687 “Excite your Senses”, back in the water after a major rebuild. In addition, 3 boats have new rigs and 2 have upgraded 2nd hand rigs. The end result of all of this effort, is improved performance across the fleet.

This was driven home when the J fleet sailed in the Audi Victoria Week at Geelong. Out of the 4 races that weekend the J’s got line honours in 3 and a 2nd in the 4th. A fantastic effort out of 50+ boats all of whom were bigger. In past years the S80 design yachts would have sailed past the J’s, this year, none of the 10 S80’s beat a J24 for line honours!  In South Australia several owners have revamped old J’s. Some of these boats were past Australian champions, were cheap to buy, cheap to clean up and revamp and are now sailing at the front of the national fleet again.  J24’s in Australia, can be brought up to race speed with a minimum of effort and experience. With the racing opportunities now offered, the excuse that your boat is no longer competitive no longer holds water. There are around 200 J24’s in Australia and most can be revamped into a competitive boat.  Over the next few months I will be listing hints on how to get old J’s fast, by reducing weight and getting rid of the huge amounts of junk found down stairs.

So, to all the owners of J’s not currently being used because of a notion that they’re no longer competitive, get out there and fix them up and see how quick they still can be.  Just maybe, your boat may have been one that started a legend…. and …. one that could start another. A revamped active fleet maintains the investment we all have in our boats, increases the enjoyment and interest in the class. So get the spanners out, find the screw driver and start taking off all that old crap.  Read more about sailing J/24s in Australia/ Tasmania: