Happy New Year, the best for you in 22! Now we are off across the midnight blue, wondering if omicron will make us blue. Hmmm… hope that’s not true. Amazing to find us humans going through, the modern version of black plague II. Things can only get better from here, don’t you think so, too?
Just five days into the New Year, we’re back to pandemic restrictions version 2. Not surprisingly, that’s not going to stop many enterprising sailors from participating in an activity and sport they are so passionate about. Evidence abounds everywhere that a “more normal” sailing schedule continues to grow all over the world. There are signs that enough people have either gotten sick (and lived) or got vaxed that we may all soon be experiencing a benign form of “herd immunity”, strange as that may appear to some.
As a result, a number of events are gearing up for ever-increasing numbers across the board. For example, kicking off the first event of the year is the Storm Trysail Club’s SORC Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race this week. Soon, that will be followed up by The Southernmost Regatta, the latest incarnation of Key West Race Week. And, the J/70s will be sailing their first regatta of 2022 down on Tampa Bay off Davis Island Yacht Club. For many, that’s all great news!
While most everyone was experiencing the holidays and Happy New Year’s celebrations with family and friends, a few were having insane amounts of fun on-the-water. First, was the J/22 Jammin’ Jamaica- Carnival Edition regatta down in Montego Bay, Jamaica. If you can’t have fun there, you won’t anyplace else! It was a raucous good time for J/22 sailors at this famous early December regatta. Next, the J/70s had their first Bacardi Winter Series event off Miami, FL sailing on Biscayne Bay in simply beautiful conditions. Finally, that little “Boxing Day” offshore race, known simply as “the Hobart”, saw an astonishing performance by a duo aboard a J/99- a true David vs. Goliath performance. Read more about it all below!
SAIL Best Boat Winner- J/9 Daysailer
(Boston, MA)- “There are plenty of boats out there that can be used for daysailing. It could be argued, though, that a true “daysailer” is not just a boat that can be used for this kind of sailing, but a boat that takes care of its crew— including guests who might not be as thrilled with sailing rail down as their host— in much the same way a bluewater boat takes care of its crew on passage.
With this in mind, it would be hard to think of a better daysailer than the J/9. The latest design from J/Boats’ Al Johnstone, the J/9 not only offers the same great performance sailors have long come to expect from the famed builder, it’s also great at standing up to a hatful of wind. How do we know? From experience. The day of our test sail was a spirited one to say the least, with winds in the low 20s gusting to 25 knots and more. The J/9, though, couldn’t have been happier. Al expressly designed the boat to handle as well under main alone as under main and jib, and while this works it terms of convenience, it also provides a great way of de-powering the rig. When tacking back and forth off Fort Adams under full sail started to feel a little too much like work, we simple rolled up the headsail and kept on going, pretty as you please— gossiping to our heart’s content without a care in the world. The boat’s expansive cockpit, easy-to-board open transom aft and comfy cockpit benches with equally comfy, practical wraparound cushions meant there was plenty of room to stretch out in as we did so. Electrical auxiliary power only served to make this sporty little sloop that much more pleasant for anyone looking to enjoy an after-noon on the water— no matter what the weather.” Thanks for this award from the SAIL Best Boat Awards selection team. For more J/9 daysailer sailboat information
J/One-Design Events in 2022- Start Planning Now!
(Newport, RI)- Having a hard time imagining what events to sail in 2022? Can’t wait to catch up with friends across the J/Sailing Community? Well, how about this “ultimate bucket list” of one-design events taking place around the world? After spending too much money on junk during the pandemic and accumulating a few zillion flight miles, why not look down this list and see if you may be the first person in the world to ever sail in every major J/One-Design regatta in one year- just 26 of them. Easy? Perhaps not. Since there are a few overlapping events and trade-offs to be made. But, certainly worth a try… no question teams will be desperately needing crews as this crazy pandemic weaves its own “crazy Ivan” course across the world’s oceans.
Regattas by Class: J/22 Worlds- July 3-8, 2022- Point YC- Durban, South Africa J/22 Europeans- June 3-6- North Sea Regatta- Scheveningen, The Netherlands J/22 North Americans- Sept 13-17- Tawas Bay YC- Tawas Bay, MI J/22 Midwinters- Mar 17–20- Lakewood Yacht Club- Seabrook, TX
J/24 Worlds- Jul 14-22- Corpus Christi YC- Corpus Christi, TX J/24 Europeans- Aug 29- Sep 3- Howth YC- Howth, Ireland J/24 North Americans- Aug 17-21- CORK- Kingston, ONT, Canada J/24 South Americans- TBD J/24 Midwinters- Feb. 25-27- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FL J/24 US Nationals- May 23-28- Dallas Corinthian YC- Oak Point, TX
J/70 Worlds- Oct 14-22- YC Monaco- Monte Carlo, Monaco J/70 Europeans- Sep 10-17- YC Hyeres- Hyeres, France J/70 North Americans- Sep 18-24- Port Credit YC- Toronto, ONT, Canada J/70 South Americans- Dec 3-9- Veleiros do Sul Yacht Club- Porto Alegre, Brazil J/70 Midwinters-Feb 3-6- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FL
J/80 Worlds- Oct. 1-8- Sail Newport- Newport, RI J/80 Europeans- Jul 2-9- Centre Nautique de Saint-Cast- Saint-Cast, France J/80 North Americans- Sep. 23-25- Sail Newport- Newport, RI
J/88 North Americans- Sep. 22-25- Chicago YC- Chicago, IL
J/105 North Americans- Sep. 29- Oct. 3- St. Francis YC- San Francisco, CA J/105 Midwinters- Mar. 11-13- Ft Worth Boat Club- Ft. Worth, TX
J/109 North Americans- Oct. 11-15- Pequot YC- Southport, CT J/109 East Coast Championship- Jul 12-16- New York YC- Newport, RI
J/111 Worlds- none scheduled J/111 North Americans- Sep 28-Oct 1- Lakeside Yacht Club- Cleveland, OH
J/46 Camden Classics- Jul 28–30- Camden YC- Camden, ME- contact Tom Babbit- [email protected]
J/30 North Americans- Sep 22-25- Eastport YC- Annapolis, MD J/30 East Coasts- May 13-15- Annapolis YC- Annapolis, MD
J/44 North Americans- Sep 24-25/ Oct 1-2- American YC- Rye, NY J/44 Spring Champs- Apr 23-24/ Apr 30-May 1- American YC- Rye, NY
Regattas by Date: Feb 3-6- J/70 Midwinters- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FL Feb 25-27- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Island YC- Tampa, FL
Mar 11-13- J/105 Midwinter Championship- Ft Worth Boat Club- Ft. Worth, TX Mar 17–20- J/22 Midwinters- Lakewood Yacht Club- Seabrook, TX
Apr 23-24- J/44 Spring Champs- American YC- Rye, NY Apr 30- May 1- J/44 Spring Champs- American YC- Rye, NY
May 13-15- J/30 East Coasts- Annapolis YC- Annapolis, MD May 23-28- J/24 US Nationals- Dallas Corinthian YC- Oak Point, TX
Jun 3-6- J/22 Europeans- North Sea Regatta- Scheveningen, The Netherlands
Jul 2-9- J/80 Europeans- Centre Nautique de Saint-Cast- Saint-Cast, France Jul 3-8-J/22 Worlds- Point YC- Durban, South Africa Jul 12-16- J/109 East Coast Championship- New York YC- Newport, RI Jul 14-22- J/24 Worlds- Corpus Christi YC- Corpus Christi, TX Jul 28-30- J/46 Camden Classics- Camden YC- Camden, ME- contact Tom Babbit- [email protected]
Aug 17-21- J/24 North Americans- CORK- Kingston, ONT, Canada Aug 29- Sep 3- J/24 Europeans- Howth YC- Howth, Ireland
Sep 10-17- J/70 Europeans- YC Hyeres- Hyeres, France Sept 13-17- J/22 North Americans- Tawas Bay YC- Tawas Bay, MI Sep 18-24- J/70 North Americans- Port Credit YC- Toronto, ONT, Canada Sep 22-25- J/88 North Americans- Chicago YC- Chicago, IL Sep 22-25- J/30 North Americans- Eastport YC- Annapolis, MD Sep 23-25- J/80 North Americans- Sail Newport- Newport, RI Sep 24-25- J/44 North Americans- American YC- Rye, NY Sep 28-Oct 1- J/111 North Americans- Lakeside Yacht Club- Cleveland, OH Sep 29- Oct. 3- J/105 North Americans- St. Francis YC- San Francisco, CA
Oct 1-2- J/44 North Americans- American YC- Rye, NY Oct 1-8- J/80 Worlds- Sail Newport- Newport, RI Oct 11-15- J/109 North Americans- Pequot YC- Southport, CT Oct 14-22- J/70 Worlds- YC Monaco- Monte Carlo, Monaco
Dec 3-9- J/70 South Americans- Veleiros do Sul Yacht Club- Porto Alegre, Brazil
Good luck! You will have November off for a moment of reflection and relaxation. 🙂
Storm Trysail Key West Race Preview
(Fort Lauderdale, FL)- The third race in the SORC Islands in the Stream Series will be the Storm Trysail Club’s Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race, starting January 5th, 2022. The 160.0nm race has always been popular since it acts as a “feeder race” to the annual Key West Race Week taking place the following week in Key West. For 2022, those participants have the added bonus of staying around for another week of racing in America’s only Caribbean-style race week in the Florida Keys- this year’s The Southernmost Regatta powered by Sailing Inc from Cleveland, Ohio.
The Key West Race itself presents numerous challenges to the racers. It’s a simple enough race track. Start off Fort Lauderdale, FL, and head south, hitting the “right turn signal”, keeping major lights & buoys to starboard, finishing in Key West off the old US Naval Base harbor entrance. The principal turning points are Fowey Rocks Light, Molasses Reef Light, Alligator Reef Light, Sombrero Key Light, Big Pine Shoal buoy, and Key West Entrance Buoy.
The race has always been tactically challenging since the simple strategy is to avoid at all costs the swiftly flowing Gulf Stream with its 3-6 kts north-northeast current. Whether it’s the classic northeast sleigh ride under spinnakers all the way around the Keys to the west-northwest post-front reach and windward beat short-tacking into the reef, the tactics are very similar. No matter what, tacking / gybing towards the reefs always provides current relief, so the navigators are an integral part of the decision-making process for the entire race!
The race starts on Wednesday while a massive Low-pressure system is winging its way across the USA in the coming days. At this point, the winds look like light and variable westerlies at the start, backing slowly into the north, then swinging into the north-northeast and building into the 15-20 kts range by Thursday night/ Friday morning.
A number of J/Teams are looking forward to the race. Sailing in the seven-boat ORC 1 Division will be Chris Saxton’s J/125 VORTICES 2 from Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, Michigan. In the six-boat ORC 2 Division are a quartet of experienced offshore teams. Two teams are from the Houston/ Galveston Bay area: Albrecht Goethe’s J/46 HAMBURG II and Chris & Karen Lewis’ J/44 KENAI. Another Michigan boat from Bayview Yacht Club is John Harvey & Rick Titsworth’s J/120 SLEEPING TIGER- SOUTH. Joining them from St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida is the duo of Harvey Ford & Tom Mistele on their J/112E SILVER SURFER. For Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race scoring and results For more Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race sailing information
J/99 & J/121 Sweep KAZI Top Yachts- Sport Awards
(Tokyo, Japan)- Recently, Japan’s best sailing publication- KAZI- had an opportunity to run tests on well over a dozen new models from across the range of sailing, from cruising, to daysailers to sport yachts. In the end, the J/99 won KAZI’s Top Yachts- Sport Category, with its sistership J/121 taking second in the same category! A clean sweep for J/Boats latest offshore sailing yacht designs!
KAZI’s editor/ reviewer- Kazuhiro Nishimura- led a test team of four expert offshore sailors evaluating the strengths & weaknesses of every boat and assigning a points rating to well over a dozen features/ attributes for each boat. In the final analysis, the boats with the most points scored highest. J/99 and J/121 swept the podium… not bad! Here are Kazuhiro’s comments on the J/99:
“We are introducing this month the offshore racer/cruiser with a total length of 9.94m released by J/Boats in France in 2019. Immediately after the announcement in 2019, the J/99’s high reputation was heard in Japan. I was able to test drive the J/99 #99, which was the second boat in Japan.
Phantom Olympics Open Offshore Doubles Event For the Paris Olympics 2024, World Sailing had created an open sea doublehanded sailing event. Since World Sailing made the announcement, the major builders of sailboats worldwide aimed to be adopted in the new event. The basic criteria was the total length had to be 30 to 33 ft size with a strong orientation towards doublehanded offshore racing efficiency.
In order for any sailboat to be selected as an Olympic boat type, it was an important condition that the boat type is widely used all over the world.
Therefore, each builder had been competing to bring to the market their best high-performance model for doublehanded sailing. Important factors were boat design, structure, and price competitiveness at a high level. Eventually, at the expense of political bargaining between factions within World Sailing, the organization that governs the world’s sailing competition, the open-sea doublehanded event was not adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a new event for the Paris Olympics 2024. It’s gone, but those excellent 30-33 ft models continue to exist and grow in various parts of the world.
Among the models in the range, one of the models that was fiercely competing for the top spot until the end, is the J/99 introduced by J/Composites in France.
French-born J/Boat The first J/99 arrived in Japan at Lina Velasis (Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture), direct from France to Japan via the Suez Canal and across the Indian Ocean on a fast container ship.
Isn’t J/Boats a US builder? J/Boats is a sailboat design/ marketing company headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island. But, in fact, boats are built in France, as well as in the United States, and other licensees worldwide.
In France, the building of J/Boats- including J/99- is by a company called J/Composites located in Les Sables d’Olonne, in the newly renamed Vendee region.
Les Sables D’Olonne city and harbor is famous for the Vendee Globe Race- the legendary round-the-world singlehanded race that starts and finishes off Les Sables d’Olonne. In this sacred place for short-handed, open-sea, racing culture, the J/99 was born.
The designer of the J/99 is Alan Johnstone, the son of Rod Johnstone. Rod was the designer of the famous J/24 and co-founder of J/Boats with his brother- Bob Johnstone.
In designing the J/99, Alan exchanged ideas on the development program with Didier LeMoal, President of J/Composites in France. As a result, the J/99 is an all-round sailboat with a wide range of sailors being able to sail to high potential in any weather. A boat that is capable of adapting to any waters and most handicap racing rules that are popular worldwide (IRC, ORC, ORR, PHRF, etc).
It was decided to design a hull shape with high performance and great stability. In other words, the J/99 has a cockpit layout that can be used for both short-handed races and fully-crewed races, achieving all-round high performance. She is easy-going and easy-handling upwind, downwind, in light breeze, as well as strong winds and big seas.
Discerning design concept Let’s start with the J/99 hull structure. The hull of J/99 has a composite sandwich structure using vinylester resin, which has higher performance than polyester resin. The vacuum-bagging infusion system optimizes the amount of resin, while increasing the degree of pressure between the inner skin and the core material for a stronger laminate. A 15mm thick foam is used for core material in the deck, which has a small curvature and is close to a flat surface. This structure reduces the weight while ensuring sufficient hardness of the deck surface. On the other hand, since a strong compressive, twisting force is applied to the hull structure, which has many curved surfaces with a large curvature, a compression-resistant balsa is used for the core material to realize a hull that can maintain hardness even in rough seas. At the same time, it prevents delamination that tends to occur at the corners.” As a result, you get a very strong, lightweight, sea-worthy boat for offshore racing. Thanks for this contribution from KAZI’s Kazuhiro Nishimura. Sailing photo credits- Kazuhisa Matsumoto. For more J/99 sailboat information
J/46 Camden Classics Regatta 2022 Announcement
(Camden, ME)- Is the J/46 the best “one-design” class of all? Perhaps. The hulls are all the same and some have shoal keels and others deep keels. And, there is a wide range of stuff onboard, such as washer/dryers, A/C, heaters, generators, sliding drawer refrigerator mods, and so forth. But, who cares? Can any other class top this?
2021 Camden Classics Cup:
Nearly a quarter of all J/46s built participated
Over 100 tons of J/46s on the starting line (now that’s a thrill!)
J/46 skippers are deeply experienced with an average of 1.1 transatlantic passages and 3.2 offshore passages to/from Bermuda or the Caribbean
Racing is extremely close with overlapped mark roundings and razor-thin finish margins. First and second place finishes in 2019 were tied on points and were three seconds apart on total elapsed time after two days of racing. In 2021, first and second place were again tied on points and were separated by only 24 seconds total after two days. In this year’s J/46 One Design Solo Challenge, places 2,3 and 4 finished within four seconds of each other. (For results go to camdenclassicscup.com, select Race Info.)
Zero protests in three years
Unequalled camaraderie
What’s the secret sauce that makes this happen?
Camden Classics Cup by Lyman Morse (camdenclassicscup.com) provides an incredible venue with the scenic backdrop of Camden (where the mountains meet the sea) and Penobscot Bay, where the Classics Cup has never had a race cancelled due to lack of wind. First-class race management handled 95 boats in a dozen classes ranging from day sailors to 12-meters.
Most, if not all, J/46 competitors are berthed together at the town dock creating a “J/46 Village”.
Further opportunity to race J/46 One Design is the Camden Yacht Club Solo Challenge at the end of August. Singlehanding a J/46 is a real treat. In 2020, the race was held in 30 knots of breeze with some gusts to 40. Exhilarating and exhausting, that one. In 2021 it was positively sybaritic- 8 to 12 knots and sunny!
J/46 Class rules are simple and ensure that anyone cruising in the area can be competitive with no changes. Check out the entire J/46 rule book:
Effort to convert from cruising trim to racing trim: Zero.
Effort to convert from racing trim to cruising trim: Zero.
Canine crew OK (felines, too).
Biminis and grills not required, but prevalent.
Interested? The 2022 Classics Cup will take place July 28–30, 2022, headquartered at Lyman Morse’s spectacular new multi-million-dollar waterfront facility. The Camden Yacht Club Solo Challenge is scheduled for August 28, 2022.
For more J/46 regatta information, call Tom Babbitt at 207-632-1262 or email- [email protected]. The J/42s have started a similar one-design event at the Classic Cup. For more information contact Galen Todd at 207-542-3239 or [email protected]
J/70 Winter Series- Act II Preview
(Tampa, FL)- After a month-plus hiatus from the somewhat exasperating one race, three-day weekend for the 2021 J/70 Midwinters, a fleet of sixty-one J/70 teams are registered to sail Act II of the Davis Island Yacht Club’s J/70 Winter Series.
Racing will take place this coming weekend on the fabled Tampa Bay and there is no question the Davis Island YC PRO/ RC team will be chomping at the bit to get in as many races as possible over the two days to make up for past weather limitations. Don’t be surprised to experience “colors” and “reveille” at 8:00am sharp, and racing by 9:30am until sunset at 5:50pm!
Since the last event, several new teams and interesting crew combinations are joining the fleet to produce more uncertainty as to which crews will be at the top of the leaderboard. Some of those include Brian Keane’s SAVASANA (with Thomas Barrows on tactics), Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE, Darby Smith’s TEN (with Ty Baird on tactics), Dave Jannetti’s VERY ODD (with a fearsome two-some of Travis Odenbach & Victor Diaz Leon on trim/ tactics), Dave Kerr’s USA 1516 (with Lee Sackett & Geoff Becker giving guidance), Rich Witzel’s ROWDY (with same crew and can he repeat the recent Bacardi Regatta win?), Peter Barrett’s RESET (with Andy Bixby and Mike Marshall), Cate Muller-Terhune’s MURDER HORNET (with some Annapolis hotshots), Kevin Downey’s MR PITIFUL (with some Seattle Gold Medallists), Doug Rastello’s GOOD TO GO (with college stars Alex Curtiss & Malcolm Lamphere), and John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA (with Will Felder & Zeke Horowitz). Wowowow…some very talented teams in this bunch of boats, not forgetting the others mentioned in the earlier preview on this event. Should be entertaining. Pull up a chair, breakout the popcorn and tinnies, and watch the battle unfold off the porch at DIYC! For more DIYC J/70 Winter Series- Act II- sailing information and results
Sail the California Dreamin’ Match Race Series!
(San Francisco, CA)- The 2022 California Dreamin’ Series (CDS) consists of three Grade 3 match racing events: the San Diego Yacht Club Stop on January 29-30 in J/22 one-design sailboats, the St. Francis Yacht Club Stop on March 5-6 in J/22 one-design sailboats, and the Long Beach Yacht Club Stop on March 19-20 in Catalina 37 cruisers. Here’s the Notice of Race- Series.
Any skipper entered in at least one of the three events is automatically entered in the CDS. There is no entry fee for the CDS. Skippers may request invitations to one or more of the events. Skippers who request an invitation to all three stops shall be given first priority for an invitation at each stop.
The application period for all events opens on December 16, 2021. Skippers may request invitations to individual qualifying events online by clicking on the link here.
NEW J/Gear Special- 20% off Marmot Jacket!
(Newport, RI)- The “J” Thermo Jacket is by Marmot and is a stuffed lightweight, highly compressible, and enviably warm Primaloft ® Black insulation (a synthetic insulation made with 60 percent recycled fibers that boasts warmth without bulk and a soft feel). The outer shell is from a durable nylon ripstop fabric. Elastic hem and cuffs keep the jacket in place and Angel-Wing Movement™ allows you to move without the jacket riding up. Zippered pockets offer a warm place for your hands to rest. Wear under a shell or on its own. Perfect for packing and stylish for cool weather. Go to the J/Gear website now and order your customized J/Gear today!
Sailing Calendar
2022 Jan 6- Storm Trysail Key West Race- Fort Lauderdale, FL Jan 17-22- Key West Winter Series- Key West, FL Jan 22-30- BOOT Dusseldorf Boat Show (J/99, J/112E, J/45)- Dusseldorf, Germany Jan 28-30- J/70 Bacardi Invitational- Miami, FL Feb 16-20- Miami Boat Show- Miami, FL Feb 23- SORC Eleuthera Race- Miami, FL Feb 26-28- J/24 Midwinters- Davis Island/ Tampa, FL Mar 9-12- J/70 Bacardi Invitational- Miami, FL For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/99 DISKO TROOPER- CONTENDER SAILCLOTH Wins Sydney Hobart Race- ORC Overall!
The DISKO Sweeps Doublehanded ORC, IRC, & PHS Divisions
(Hobart, Tasmania)- Eighty-eight boats started this year’s 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Just half the fleet finished the grueling 628.0nm race track that, notoriously, has to cross the infamous, rough Bass Straits between the southeastern tip of Australia and Tasman Island off the northern tip of Tasmania. In the end, it was easily one of the toughest Sydney Hobart’s since 2014, according to a few grizzled Hobart Race veterans.
The Australian MET Office was as accurate as one can be given the capricious, fast-moving fronts that often sweep over the north-south race track. The one forecast every sailor dreaded most was the “classic” setup of a Low spinning off the Roaring Forties to the south with wind against current, offering up the mind-boggling 10-15 ft breaking seas with “no backs” as 25-45 kts “southerly busters” whip up the swiftly moving East Australian Current (e.g., the “Finding Nemo Freeway” as it’s called) flowing up to 3+ kts south down Australia’s eastern coastline. While not moving as fast as the Gulf Stream off the US eastern coastline (up to 6.0+ kts), the principal issue is massive amounts of “upwelling” as the deep ocean current running in 13,000+ ft of water all of a sudden hits the massive 2 mile high “wall” that forms the shelf called the Bass Strait (just 200 ft deep). To make matters worse, it basically forms a 2-mile high “banked turn” forcing the southwesterly flowing water to “turn left” and flow south-southeast down the Tasmanian coastline. See this feature on Australia’s IMOS (Integrated Marine Observing System).
To make a long story short, after the start, the daily attrition rate kept soaring and kept the scorers busy as a particularly tough first day and night at sea was more test than many could endure (both boats and humans).
Ultimately, the count came to 33 fully-crewed teams completing the course with 27 retiring in their fleet of 60 boats (45% attrition rate). Meanwhile, the Two-Handed Division, with 14 starters, had seven that failed to finish (50% attrition rate). Within 24 hours, the two J/99s sailing in the Two-Handed Division were racing against half their fleet. Retiring due to the challenges conditions were such high profile, much-vaunted competitors like the Sun Fast 3300 HIP-NAUTIC, the Sun Fast 3600 MAVERICK, and the Sun Fast 3200 HELLS BELLS (all suffering race-ending damage).
Sweeping overall corrected time honors among the Doublehanders was Jules Hall and Jan “Clogs” Scholten on the J/99 DISKO TROOPER- CONTENDER SAILCLOTH to gather the top prizes in Doublehanded IRC, ORC, and PHS Divisions. Remarkably, the J/99 DISKO TROOPER also won ORC Overall for the fleet (fully-crewed + doublehanders) by over 3 HOURS on corrected handicap time- a bonafide “David vs Goliath” story! That’s a feat that may be unequalled for some time to come! More on their amazing story and how they did it in a moment.
In the meantime, the second J/99- RUM REBELLION- had only been launched a few weeks before the event. As a result, the team of Shane Connelly and Graeme Dunlop had minimal time to prepare and practice. It’s this performance that gives the Rum Rebellion duo the great satisfaction of being at the finish line.
Speaking with Shane after the race he commented, “full credit to Jules and Clogs for their tenacity and courage to stay out at sea on the first night. The conditions out there with the strong winds over current were appalling, which was evidenced by the majority of retirements from yachts which stayed east.”
RUM REBELLION opted to head inshore to conserve themselves and the boat. But, with dogged determination and great team effort, they managed to get back to 3rd place by Iron Pot lighthouse on the final approach to Hobart! A remarkable come-back by any measure!
Their final test was the last 40.0nm leg into Hobart when the breeze completely died during the night (it’s famous for this), taking 15 hours to finish this leg (a rip-roaring, eye-watering, cheeks-flapping 2.66 kts average!). Unfortunately, they tore their large kite early on, so they were disadvantaged for the light air sections of the race. Plus, the boats behind sailed in significantly greater pressure, so they closed their huge gap quickly (dropping them from a sure-fire 3rd place in Doublehanded to 6th).
Shane commented, “the strength of the J/99 is that it’s a great boat on all quarters. Some boats are good upwind, downwind, or reaching. But, the J/99 strength is how it sails on ALL points of sail in ALL conditions. For our budget, the J/99 offers really great design, rigging, and sail size – everything is just right. She’s an easy boat to sail, and easy-to-sail at 95% potential and hold it there, most importantly of all, to sail consistently fast! Just a great fun boat! Kudos to Alan Johnstone, the designer!”
How J/99 DISKO TROOPER Blitzkrieg’d the Fleet
Jules and Clogs were a good combo off the bat, winning the Two-Handed Division in November’s Flinders Islet Race, backed up with two-handed line and overall honours in the later Bird Island Race. Next, they were the second two-handed boat over the line in December’s tricky Cabbage Tree Island Race, which translated to third overall. They were among the favorites to win the Two-Handed Division in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, and they have not disappointed. The CYCA Media team spoke to them after they had cleaned up the boat and themselves.
How did you prepare for the race?
Jules: “We run a very structured program. We had a goal, and the goal was to win this race. We broke down the jobs. How we need to sail, how we need to navigate, how we needed to resource the boat. Then came the nutrition and psychology. We wanted to win the Sydney Hobart, so [it was about] what did we need to do to sail our best race?”
Clogs: “Jules had taken on the old ‘the buck stops with me’. At the end of the day, you collaborate. I refreshed my own memory and my own experience. I wisened up a lot on the use of Predict Wind to help on navigational decisions. We chose something similar, but simpler to Expedition for navigation, so I downloaded and practiced.”
Jules: “I have done a bit of navigation, but a long time ago. The interesting point, unique to each two-handed boat, is that some boats have navigation skills, some have boat building skills, some have steering skills etc. But at the same time, you have to be able to fix the boat, manage it and branch out from your comfort zone.”
Clogs: “Communications, preparations for that, with HF radio etc. is also important.”
What’s it like doing the race two-handed?
Clogs laughing: “Before we went, I thought ‘I don’t have a contract, I could still say ‘stuff this!’ But, I couldn’t do that to Jules.”
Jules: “I rang Clogs last August to see if he would consider it.”
Clogs: “For me it was ‘do I have the energy and time’. I did a 100-mile race two-handed with him and came home buggered. So, I said we had to do the Blue Water Pointscore to get ready, so we did. Cabbage Tree Island Race was good practice.”
Jules laughing: “No, it wasn’t, because we made mistakes. But, it was good, we could then prepare. It was perfect.”
Clogs: “We started more than a year ago and I’m still asking, what could I do that I didn’t do?”
Jules: “We got along OK, no problems between us. We stepped out to be the best we could. I feel we didn’t leave anything on the table. The results will speak for themselves. I found it rewarding. There are some exceptional sailors in this fleet. I feel honored to come out so well in this competition. I feel very fortunate.”
How do you feel at the end of the race?
Clogs: “I think I have a friendship here with Jules for life – and I trust him. I know can go down and sleep and trust him that I will be OK. A lot of money, investment, and safety was involved in preparing. I enjoyed the lead-up and making the boat ready. I enjoyed being forced to learn new things and I enjoyed the adventure. We had the unknown.”
Jules: “We ran a watch system. We learned we had to do that in the Cabbage Tree Island Race. We hadn’t had a watch system for that race. Having said that, we had to hand steer most of the way (628.0 nautical miles worth). I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but you are basically sailing singlehanded to Hobart. Seventy-five miles offshore in the pitch black, you are there on your own not being able to see, while your co-skipper is off watch. I would definitely do the race again with Clogs, yes. And, it’s definitely really special to be part of the inaugural event.” On Instagram, co-skipper Jules explained what he thought was their “race-winning” move seen in this photo here: “The magic port tack. Probably the race-winning moment. We knew the leftie was out there. We just had to get to it. Once we hooked in, we didn’t tack for 36 hours! (Ignore the GRIB data, it’s out of date)!”
Here is Crosbie Lorimer YouTube sailing interview of Jules and Cogs
What was it like to be planing offshore for over 50-mile stretches? Here’s Jule’s video of them hitting 16.9+ kts effortlessly and averaging over 12 kts as they slide down the big seas. In his words, “this was 50 miles east of Flinders Island, roaring downwind in 25 kts of breeze. The top dial is boat speed. Middle dial is wind speed. Bottom dial is TWA. We had one reef in the main, heavy spinnaker and #4 jib up. This was the best sailing of the whole race!”
Here is the Stern view during the same day as the J/99 Disko Trooper is whistling across the Bass Straits.
Instagram photos and videos of the J/99 DISKO TROOPER experience Learn more about the J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster here
ROWDY Wins J/70 Bacardi Winter Series- Act I
(Miami, FL)- Hosted by the Bacardi Event management team and Shake-A-Leg Miami’s beautiful facilities in Coconut Grove, Florida, the first of the three event Bacardi Winter Series took place on the December 18th weekend. There were teams from Germany, Italy, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and USA. Eighteen teams have registered for the event and enjoyed beautiful weather conditions on Biscayne Bay.
Day One- Shifty, Breezy, Sunny, Stormy! The first day turned out to be an unpredictable day of racing. The winter solstice and full moon challenged some teams’ aspirations as the current in Biscayne Bay played an unpredictable rhythm and shifted the race track positions. In the end, three races and three different winners on the opening day. However, it was consistency that saw Rich Witzel’s ROWDY dominate the end of day leader board.
A keen race 1 start in the J/70 fleet forced the Race Committee to a general recall. With the race underway on the second attempt, most teams opted for the favored left-hand size of the course, heading upwind in a 9-10 knot breeze with choppy sea. Downwind it was all about reading the puffs, with significant gains to be made. Peter Cunningham’s (CAY) POWERPLAY (with an all-star crew of Chris Rast, Willem van Waay, & Tony Rey) was out front from early on, claiming virtually every puff to hold their lead and take the opening win.
The race 2 win went to Witzel’s ROWDY (Carlos Robles, Mark Gauthier, & Jud Smith), with Daniel Goldberg’s BAZINGA (Lucas Calabrese, Tomas Hornos, & Kristen Berry) close behind.
Rain clouds started to overlay the track by race 3, delivering some big breeze for the first downwind which converted to boat speed and few gybes for teams. A weather change heading to the finish saw the different rain systems forcing the breeze to fade and a new team optimized to claim the race 3 win, with Victor Cribb’s VICTORY (Greiner Hobbs, John Wallace, & Orin Star) in control at the finish. They were chased hard by Ed Lebens’ REGGAE SHARK RACING, who wrapped up the first day in 6th overall.
“It’s great to be back racing in this warm weather,” said Carlos Robles, crew on the leading boat ROWDY. “Great conditions today, starting off with 14-16 knots from the east, and slowly as the day went by the wind started dropping to 10-12 and even less by the last race and it shifted right. For us we had a good day on ROWDY, with top three in all three races. But, it was not an easy day out there, not straightforward”.
Peter Cunningham, skipper of POWERPLAY, who ended the opening day in second overall, commented, “I got a J/70 about five years ago and it has really been a huge amount of fun. Sailing down here in Florida is very, very competitive sailing, I mean really competitive sailing. We had three boats today that must have finished within 5 seconds of each other. We have a great crew and basically all I do is I do what I am told! They tell me what to do and I steer. The team started in the 1980s in San Francisco on a J/29. The ‘power’ means that we want to be competitive, and we are very competitive, but the ‘play’ means we want to have fun’, on the water and off the water and enjoy it. This regatta, you see people having a really, really good time and that makes it a fantastic event.”
Day Two- Gorgeous, Moderate Day on the Bay A gorgeous morning greeted teams on Biscayne Bay, Miami for day 2. However, it was an altogether different race track compared to Saturday, with a light breeze coming in from the south-south east and most of the chop dissipated.
The tight racing which headlined on Saturday eased, as teams focused on negotiating the tricky light breeze and current. A central strategy for success, the impact of the current escalated through the lower half of the downwind legs, playing a major influence on lay lines and gybing angles. Goldberg’s BAZINGA delivered a change of form to day 1, easily winning race 4 over the seventeen-boat J/70 fleet.
As the day unfolded, the sun came out, the breeze increased and there was a change of guard on the track featuring the young team on PROJECT NUMBER 49, who put in a powerful performance to win races 5 and 6 and close the event in 7th overall.
“It was a little bit different from yesterday, the breeze came from the south which is a little interesting for Miami,” said Max Lopez crew on PROJECT NUMBER 49. “We had a bad first race and we won the last two. The trick was getting off the line and getting on the long tack. We had some pretty aggressive left shifts come in and we are able to start really pointing the boat towards the mark up the course. That’s really what happened for us, that was the key. Then it was more just staying ahead, staying between the competition and the mark, and keeping the boat going as fast as possible. Really nice to finish on Sunday with a 1,1 in Miami sailing”..
None of the overall top three from Saturday managed to repeat their front of fleet finishes, but their overnight points advantage and consistent form today saw them hold tight to the same top three podium places. Witzel’s ROWDY closed with a 5-2-12 to add to his first day’s record to claim overall victory.
“What can I say, Bacardi, Miami – the perfect way to spend the week before Christmas,” said a super happy Richard Witzel. “It’s my first time sailing the Bacardi Winter Series and I must say it is one of my favourite events that I have ever done. The venue is spectacular, the hospitality is spectacular, the sailing conditions were amazing. We had a good variety. Yesterday was really windy and today a lot of ups and downs with the velocity, a lot of shifts, very challenging sailing conditions. But that’s what makes it fun.”
The balance of the podium was Cunningham’s POWERPLAY take the silver, with Cribb’s VICTORY grabbing the bronze. Rounding out the top five were Lebens’ REGGAE SHARK RACING (Ian Barrows, Conner Harding, & Malcolm Lamphere) taking fourth and Goldberg’s BAZINGA finishing fifth.
Teams will renew their race track battles at Bacardi Winter Series Event 2 in Miami from January 28th-30th 2022, ahead of the series finale at the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta, March 9th-12th, 2022. For more Bacardi Winter Series sailing information
Texan Caldwell Triumphs @ J/22 Jamin Jamaica- Carnival Edition
(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- As is customary in Jamaica around early December, we had some INCREDIBLE weather for the 2021 Jammin Jamaica- Carnival Edition, sailed on the Montego Bay Yacht Club’s fleet of one-design J/22 sailboats. Great wind, bright sunshine, and crystal-clear waters! A couple of boats even saw a pod of dolphins during the windward leg of our Day 2 racing.
Jamin was poised to be back to “normal” this year with lots of international teams showing interest. But, due to COVID scares, we had a few last-minute dropouts. More importantly, they have all opted to come in 2022, so keep an eye out for that NOR around Spring 2022. In the end, there were seven boats on the line: one foreign team (Houston, Texas), two from Kingston’s Royal Jamaica Yacht Club, and four from the Montego Bay Yacht Club (MBYC).
The local class rules require 705 lbs as the class minimum weight limit and that extra 100 lbs goes a long way in the 18+knots of breeze experienced on Mo’Bay.
The competition throughout the weekend was competitive and corinthian, only a couple of protest flags were seen, and no official protests were lodged as the penalties were settled on the water.
Thursday, after the boats were launched, teams got some much-needed practice time. Then, everyone looked forward to the lovely welcome cocktail hosted by the MBYC.
Day 1- A Gorgeous Opening Day There was lots of excitement in the air on Friday morning as the J/22 teams met for the official skippers briefing. The three-day series was forecasted to be an eight-race series, with one toss out, so the best 7 scores would be tallied.
As the racers got onto the race track in Mo’Bay, they saw good winds. Everyone was getting into the groove and figuring out their rhythm.
Fast out of the blocks on the first day was Steven “Cookie” Cook’s GERONIMO with a blistering 1-1-2 scoreline. Close behind him was that “foreigner” Texan team- Walter Caldwell from Galveston Bay Cruising Association.
While there was nothing official on the agenda for Friday Evening, the teams did a “link-up and drink-up” with a dozen souls on board the J/22 DEFENDER to observe an incredible sunset (floatin’ a wee-bit low on that waterline, eh?).
Day 2- Breezy, FUN Day Much to the delight of all sailors, the second day was full of strong winds and wonderful course selections by Race Office, Robin DeLisser.
In the end, Caldwell’s Texan crew on DEFENDER lived up to her name and capitalized with three top-place finishes (all bullets) garnering a shocking score of 3 on the day. Cooke’s GERONIMO crew took second with 8 points, followed by Mike Morse’s AYAHSO.
The evening’s festivities were a “soca-style” Carnival Party. And, much like on the water, the Texans brought the ruckus!! Below is them in costume with Jamin Chair and MBYC Vice Commodore, Spencer May.
Day 3- Flukey Shifty Finale Unlike the first two days, the finale was quite a doozie. Flukey winds in the first race accounted for a fascinating race course, with some boats heading out to sea seeking stronger winds, while others hugged the coastline, hoping for a more direct line between marks.
In the end, Race 1 boiled down to Geronimo, Renegade, and Defender coming in 1, 2, 3. This meant the last race would be vital to the outcome of the series and in true Jamaica fashion, we made it lots of fun.
The final race was a traditional upwind/downwind course with 3 separate upwind marks, all varying distances from the start and slightly different angles to the breeze. Ultimately, it was Walter Caldwell’s Texan team on DEFENDER that was crowned 2021 Jammin’ Jamaica- Carnival Edition overall Champion. They were followed by Steven Cooke’s GERONIMO team in second, with Morse’s AYAHOS team taking home the bronze medal.
Trophies- made by local potter David Pinto (https://www.pintopottery.com/) Sailing photo credits- Nick Peloquin and Spencer May
For more Jammin’ Jamaica J/22 Regatta sailing information
J/Community
What friends, alumni, and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
Sailboats for Sale! J/Boats Brokerage Specials! Check out our exciting new site for lovingly-owned J/Boats from around the world here.
2001 J/105 #417 Sailboat for Sale
This lightly used J/105 raced one-design from 2001-2008 (Winner of 2003 Marblehead NOOD) and has been lightly used since.
She comes equipped with Ullman Sails (Newport Beach), including a day jib, racing jib, main, & 3 spinnakers.
She’s stored at Crocker’s Boatyard in Manchester, MA, who has also maintained the boat since 2001.
Highlights:
New Awlgrip topcoat in 2014 in Michigan “blue” team colors. Keel/rudder “race fairing” by Waterlines. Garmin GPS 182C. B&G Hydra 2000 Racing Instruments. For more information on “Go Blue” J/105 sailboat for sale
Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS) holds steady through a turbulent 2021
(New York, New York)- Now more than ever, young people need opportunities for hands-on learning, outdoor activities, and academic and emotional support. Which is why HRCS added four partner schools to our Sail Academy programs this fall! The pandemic is heightening isolation for many New Yorkers, especially those with disabilities. HRCS is proud of its successful pilot year of adaptive sailing, providing access to the water for youth and adults with disabilities.
Through a significantly expanded internship program, HRCS is giving more students than ever meaningful work experience and needed income.
HRCS served a record number of members and increased the participation of veterans and City Sail campers. Our sails remained full thanks to our talented volunteers and generous supporters.
WNBC joined Sail Academy’s Fall Expedition for this great feature on HRCS’s transformative youth development program. Hear from students and staff on the program’s impact: teaching New York City public school students STEM and leadership skills while breaking the traditional barriers that limit access to sailing and the waterfront.
https://vimeo.com/647357800
IF you have it in your heart to support youth sailing, especially those with disabilities, please consider contributing to HRCS’s wonderful program. For more Hudson River Community Sailing program information.
