Year: 2023

Sailing, a symphony of wind and waves, beckons adventurers and competitors to its ever-changing stage. Across the globe, regattas not only test skill and endurance but also celebrate the rich tradition and evolving innovation within the world of yachting. 
From the sleek and appealing J/45, a marvel of modern design aimed at the cruising market, to the competitive fervor at the Dutch J/70 Championship in the picturesque waters of Muiden, Netherlands, each event unfolds its tale. 
In Hamble, England, sailors brace against the chill of the Winter Series, embracing the true essence of a British winter at sea. Meanwhile, in the snowy embrace of Charlevoix, Michigan, the J/22 Cranberry Cup Regatta transforms the Round Lake Yacht Basin into a winter wonderland of competitive sailing. 
And further south, the Wirth M. Munroe Miami to Palm Beach Yacht Race, a revered fixture in the North American sailing calendar, challenges sailors to navigate the capricious Gulf Stream and early winter fronts, culminating in a much-anticipated seafood feast. 
These stories, from different corners of the world, share a common thread – a love for the thrill of sailing, the camaraderie among sailors, and the relentless pursuit of excellence on the water.

J/45 Yacht Test- Fast Cruiser With Plenty Of Appeal
Yachting Monthly’s Theo Stocker takes the latest yacht to be announced from J/Boats- the J/45- for an in-depth boat test. As Theo explained, “The J/45 is firmly aimed at the cruising market- though it should maintain the performance for which this marque is so highly regarded.”  Watch this well-researched boat test video of the J/45 on a nice bright sunny day, sailing in a northeasterly 8 to 14 kts breeze. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6ah9vPl6uw

ALMERE CENTRAAL Crowned Dutch J/70 Champion
(Muiden, Netherlands)- Over the past weekend, the Netherlands J/70 fleet held their 2023 Dutch J/70 National Championship in Muiden, Netherlands. The seventeen-boat fleet saw spirited competition in the seven races run over the weekend of sailing.
In the end, it was John den Engelsman’s team on ALMERE CENTRALE (Willem Jan Van Dort, and Nik Smit) that started fast out of the blocks on the first day of competition with three straight bullets to ultimately win the championship. After posting a 1-1-1, they finished the regatta with a 5-2-2-DNF, not sailing the last race to win with 12 pts net. Read more

Hamble Winter Series Report- Week 7
(Hamble, England)- Hamble River Sailing Club PRO Peter Bateson described the conditions on week seven of the Hamble Winter Series as “cool but not cold.” He must have been hiding inside on Wetwheels Hamble, as Ian Handley on Banter was experiencing a Sunday that was “By far the coldest, a true Hamble Winter series experience.” One thing is for sure, it was a bit grey and miserable in the drizzle.
Race officers Rupert Wolloshin and the aforementioned Peter Bateson fretted over where to send the boats. No change there! They decided on starting the four classes off in the direction where the wind was coming from at the time; and then rotated the courses to the right with each new leg. They had to guess exactly when the veer(s) would happen the forecast may have said between 1100 and 1200 but could it be believed? Well, the wind stayed roughly where it was for much of the first beat but veered steadily, by about 70 degrees, during the latter part of the leg. This affected IRC 4 the most as they started 20 minutes after the first boats. Read more

J/22 Cranberry Cup a Snowy Affair!
(Charlevoix, MI)- The Charlevoix Yacht Club is hosting the 36th Anniversary of Arena Sailing and the Cranberry Cup Regatta on the Round Lake Yacht Basin in Charlevoix, Michigan. This past weekend marked the conclusion of the series for both events. And, it was also the first snow of the season, while racing! Read more

Wirth M. Munroe Miami to Palm Beach Yacht Race Preview
  (Palm Beach, FL)- The annual Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race is among the oldest regattas in North America and one of four events in the Islands in the Stream regatta series. First sailed in 1957 and named for the renowned Miami naval architect, the Wirth M. Munroe pits skippers and their crews against the vagaries of the Gulf Stream and the early winter frontal systems along Florida’s southeastern coast. The race, sailed the first Friday in December, is affectionately known by participants as the “Race to the Buffet,” a nod to the sponsoring Sailfish Club of Florida’s legendary seafood dinner, reception, and awards ceremony offered to all skippers and their crews. Read more

J/Gear Holiday 20% Off Specials
(Newport, RI)- From November to December 15th, the J/Gear Store is offering multiple 20% off specials on all kinds of J/Gear; ranging from bags to hat, jackets to sweaters, and shells to vests. Check there often for gift ideas.
Remember- you can customize ALL J/Gear with your model, name, so forth!
Click here to order your Holiday J/Gear now!

Yachting Monthly’s Theo Stocker takes the latest yacht to be announced from J/Boats- the J/45- for an in-depth boat test. As Theo explained, “The J/45 is firmly aimed at the cruising market- though it should maintain the performance for which this marque is so highly regarded.”
Watch this well-researched boat test video of the J/45 on a nice bright sunny day, sailing in a northeasterly 8 to 14 kts breeze.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6ah9vPl6uw

(Rye, NY)- This year’s American Yacht Club Fall Series ended up being a one-weekend affair as a result of having to deal with the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia during the first weekend of sailing. The first weekend saw 23 to 35 kts easterly winds, driving rain, and massive 4-7 foot breaking waves rolling the length of Long Island Sound. Sunday dawned with similar conditions with slightly less winds in the 19 to 26 kts range with even larger seas, the result of powerful easterlies for the third straight day. After two days of “AP over A’s” on the first weekend, the fleet was eager to get sailing on the second weekend. However, everyone was experiencing a bit of a “deja vu” as Friday had yet another similar storm as the previous week moved up the northeastern shore dumping torrential rains on New York, powerful 25 to 40 kts winds again from the east/ northeast and such heavy flooding of highways that all trains operating in and around New York city were canceled! Can you imagine the chaos in downtown NYC? Saturday morning dawned with drizzle and heavily overcast, but by noon the weather had cleared up enough for the American YC Race Committee to run three races for all divisions. Sunday dawned clear, cool, and sunny with a gentle north/northeast breeze in the 6 to 9 kts range, enough for the AYC RC to run two more races for the fleet. 

J/44 ClassWinning the seven-boat J/44 one-design class was Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE with five straight bullets for a mere 4 pts after a discard race. June & Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5 counted three 2nds and two 3rds for 9 net pts to secure the silver medal. Then, rounding out the podium in third was Willets Meyer’s BEAGLE with three 3rds and two 2nds for 10 pts.  

J/109 East Coast ChampionshipHaving similar results as their colleagues in the 44 fleet, it was John Greizu’s GROWTH SPURT that walked off with the J/109 East Coast Championship title with four bullets and a 2nd for a total of 4 pts net. The balance of the podium was determined by tiebreaker at 9 pts each. Winning the countback to take the silver medal was Trevor Roach’s INCENDIARY with a 3-3-4-2-1 tally. On the short end of that stick was Bud Rogers’s BIG BOAT with a 2-2-2-3-3 record.  

J/105 ClassAs a pre-North Americans warm-up, the AYC Fall series J/105 fleet benefitted from several boats joining in to make a dozen-boat fleet. In the end, it was a local team winning the class, David Willis’s SOLUTION took home the title with a 2-5-2-1-1 scoreline for 6 pts net. Second was determined on a tiebreaker at 10 pts each. Taking the silver medal on countback was Dwight Greenhouse’s SKIPPERDEE with a 1-2-4-3-6 tally. Rounding out the top three in the bronze medal position was Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO with a 3-3-1-4-3 scoreline. The balance of the top five included Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s ARBITRADE in 4th and Damian Emery’s WARLOCK in 5th place. 

PHRF 1 DivisionThe eleven-boat PHRF 1 coastal racing fleet saw Andrew Berdon’s J/111 SUMMER STORM win, with Erik Asgeirsson & Tom Stokes’s J/45 ACADIA in third place. Finishing in fifth place was Ove Haxthausen’s J/133 RUMBA. 

PHRF 2 DivisionThe ten-boat PHRF 2 coastal racing fleet saw a clean sweep by J/Teams. Winning was Kevin Marks’s J/99 VELOCITY 2, followed by Todd Aven’s J/99 THIN MAN in second, and Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE in third place. 
PHRF 3 DivisionThe half-dozen boat PHRF 3 division also saw a few good performances by J/crews. Taking the silver was JC Zucconi & Jim Townsend’s J/92 EASY RED. They were followed in third place by Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER. 
PHRF 4 White Sails DivisionAs has been the case all season long, starting in the spring, the burgeoning and resurgent fleet of J/100s are having a fun time sailing their beautiful dayailers around the race track. Leading a sweep of the podium by J/100s was William Hennes’s LIBERTY, followed by Drew Fung & Pat Jakobson’s FREEDOM in second and Clemmie Everett’s RESOLUTE in third place. For more American Yacht Club Fall Series sailing information
 

(Rye, New York)- The 33erd annual American Yacht Club Fall Regatta, virtually a J/Fest regatta for passionate J/Sailors, will be taking place for the next two weekends in succession. Of the 73 offshore keelboat teams sailing the regatta, 47 J/teams will be representing 64.0% of the fleet.
The American YC team will be hosting ORC/ PHRF Handicap fleets as well as one-design classes for J/44s, J/109s, J/88s, and J/105s. Racing will be taking place in Western Long Island Sound just south of Rye, New York. 
Looming over the first weekend of sailing is a large tropical storm “Ophelia” bearing very strong east to northeast breezes for Saturday and residual effects of plenty of overcast skies, torrential rains, and blustery winds on Sunday.
J/44 ClassSeven J/44s are sailing as a large offshore one-design class with many class veterans hoping that a summer-long campaign may pay off in big dividends for the summer finale. Some of those teams include Commodore Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE, Don & Dick Rave’s RESOUTE, Tom Blackwell’s BREAKWAY, Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE, and June & Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5. 
J/109 East Coast ChampionshipFive J/109s will be vying for East Coast Championship honors. To say that anyone could handicap this group would be defying gravity, after all, just about every team has won major events over the years. The two weekends of sailing for this fleet will become a true “cage match” between these five boats that include Bud Rogers’s BIG BOAT, John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, Trever Roach’s INCENDIARY, Adrian Begley’s MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN, and Bob Schwartz’s NORDLYS. 
J/105 ClassWith the impending J/105 North American Championship taking place at American YC after the conclusion of the AYC Fall Series, it’s not surprising that many top teams will be treating the AYC Fall Series as a great final “practice session” before the J/105 NA’s. 
Given their past performances in the class, some of the following teams will be a factor on the leaderboard; Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s ARBITRADE, Bill Zeitler’s DEJA VOODOO, Max Kalehoff’s LAURA BEA, Paul Beaudin’s LOU LOU, and Damian Emery’s WARLOCK. 
J/88 East Coast ChampionshipVying for class honors in the J/88s will be Andrew Weiss and Lawrence Cutler’s ONE TOO MANY, Bill Purdy’s WHIRLWIND, and Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS. 
PHRF Coastal Racing DivisionThis wildly popular twenty-nine boat division features thirteen J/Teams! Here is the breakdown of the fleet.
The eleven-boat PHRF 1 Division features the gorgeous J/45 ACADIA sailed by Erik Asgeirsson & Tom Stokes, two J/133s (Ron Richman’s ANTIDOTE and Ove Haxthausen’s RUMBA), and the J/111 SUMMER STORM sailed by Andrew Berdon. 
The ten-boat PHRF 2 division features three J/99s (Todd Aven’s THIN MAN, Ray Warner’s UPBEAT, and Kevin Marks’s VELOCITY 2) and Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE. 
The half-dozen boats sailing PHRF 3 division include Steve Landy & Derek Soohoo’s J/100 SANGUINE, Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER, and twin J/92s (JC ZUcconi & James Townsend’s EASY RED and EJ Haskell & Jim Weil’s VIXEN). 
Sailing in the seven-boat PHRF 4 Non-spin division  are four J/100s sailing as one-designs, including the trio on BLUEFIN (Tom Boyle, Bob Clyatt, & Doug McKeige), the duo on FREEDOM (Drew Fung & Pat Jakobson), William Hennes’s LIBERTY, and Clemmie Everett’s RESOLUTE.  For more American YC Fall Series sailing information

(Kiel, Germany)- Kieler Yacht Club hosted the 2023 ORC World Championship on the Baltic Sea. With well over 100 boats entered, all eyes were focused on by far the most hotly contested division in the entire regatta- the 67 boats sailing in ORC C Division. 

After the first two days of racing the J/112e teams were sweeping the top three spots on the podium and were 5 of the top eight teams! A remarkable opening “gambit” for this cross-section of near-pro teams to advance club racers from Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Denmark, and Latvia. Thereafter, greater fame and fortune was not blessed on some of them, while others escaped and mitigated difficult tactical decisions and prevailed to finish with four J/112e’s in the top eight places overall!

Always in contention, not surprisingly, was Juss Ojala’s MATILDA 4 from Tallinn, Estonia. As a previous ORC European and two-time ORC World Champion, Ojala’s team was up against the best top pro offshore teams anyone could muster in Europe. In the end, MATILDA 4 sailed well to take the silver medal. One of the early top 3 teams was Max Habeck’s German team on AQUAPLAY, faltering towards the end of the regatta to finish in 6th place. Two other J/112Es finished just behind them, Lithuanian Karolis Janulionis’s KETURI VEJAI in 7th, and Estonian Harles Liiv’s SHADOW (a cool-looking all-black boat) settling for 8th. For more ORC World Championship sailing information

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The penultimate RORC Offshore Points Series race- the 120.0nm Channel Race- will be taking place this coming weekend. Coming off a very lightly attended Cowes Weeks, this RORC race may be the most lightly attended event in a long time. However, those boats that are vying for the offshore point series lead are all participating for valuable series points. The Royal Ocean Racing Club, in coordination with the Royal Yacht Squadron, will be starting the race off the famous “Squadron line” off Cowes, Isle of Wight on Friday evening. The 120.0nm race around the English Channel is often just a large offshore triangle, starting and stopping off the Cowes line. Nevertheless, the RORC Race Committee has the option to configure any set of offshore buoys for the race to address potential weather and current conditions. Here are the J/Teams participating in the race. 
IRC 1 Division- 6 entriesGilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine’s J/133 PINTIADerek Shakespeare’s J/122 BULLDOG 
IRC 3 Division- 9 entriesThree J/109s- Mike & Susie Yates’s JAGO, Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN, David McGough’s JUST SO.Jean-Lin Flip’s French team on J/99 YALLA.  
IRC Doublehanded Division- 11 entriesTwo J/109s- David McGough’s JUST SO and the Yates’s JAGO. For more RORC Channel Race sailing information

(Chicago, IL)-Beginning Thursday, August 10 – 13, 2023, the Chicago Yacht Club will host the 31st annual Verve Cup Offshore Regatta. This event will feature three days of offshore buoy racing and a separate Saturday distance race.  
Annually, this event hosts over 100 yachts ranging in size from 25 to 70 feet and carries crews from 4 to 20 racers. During this regatta, the Chicago Yacht Club looks forward to welcoming more than 2,000 racers, family members, and friends to its award-winning lakefront Monroe Station Clubhouse. 
For the 3-day regatta, boats will sail either in a handicap section or a one-design section. Brag flags and prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in each section. The winner in what is determined by formula to be the most competitive section- “The Elite Fleet”- will be awarded the perpetual Verve Cup Trophy. The Verve Cup trophy dates back to 1893 and is the Chicago Yacht Club’s oldest trophy. 
The event is the last large offshore regatta of the season on Lake Michigan. As a result, it’s always well-attended by a large fleet of J/teams. Participating this year are J/88, J/105, and J/109 one-design classes. In addition, J/122s and J/133s are sailing in the ORC and PHRF offshore fleets.
J/88 ClassThe eight-boat class features most of the top Lake Michigan teams. Fresh off their podium performances in the Chicago to Mackinac Race Doublehanded Division and the Harbor Springs Ugotta Regatta is Andy Graff’s EXILE. Joining them will be Ben Marden’s BANTER, Dan Floberg’s MISTY, John & Jordan Leahey’s DUTCH, and Tim Wade’s WINDSONG. 
J/105 ClassWill we see a repeat of the Sailing World Regatta back in June where two new faces rose to the top of the leaderboard over long-time class veterans? The eight-boat fleet will have Mark Fruin’s NYCTODAUR and Josh & Laura Lutton’s KINSHIP back in the action. Class veterans like Jon Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM, Clark Pellett’s SEALARK, and Gyt Petkus’s VYTIS will be hoping to regain their past form and rise to the top of the class. 
J/109 ClassThe eight-boat class features all of the J/109s that featured in the top 15 overall in the Chicago to Mackinac Race! Leading that charge may be Jim Caesar’s LIQUID LOUNGE II, with the quarter on SMEE AGAIN (Miz/ Dreher/ Hatfield/ Neenan) hoping to better them around the cans. Other teams that should factor on the leaderboard include Peter Priede’s FULL TILT, Robert Evans’s GOAT RODEO, and Jeremy Alexis’s NORTHSTAR.  
Offshore ORC/ PHRFSailing in these classes on the offshore buoy and government marks courses are Doug Evans’s J/122 ELBOW ROOM, Len Siegal’s J/122e LUCKY DUBIE, and Tom Papoutsis’s J/133 RENEGADE. For more Chicago YC Verve Cup sailing information

(Youngstown, NY)- J/Sailors gathered together in Youngstown, New York for the 2023 edition of the Can-Am Challenge and enjoyed an immensely light air regatta.. two races to be exact.  Nevertheless, there was plenty of camaraderie to be had ashore, thanks to the MOLSON ALE sponsorship for a few keggers of beer. 
The host- Youngstown Yacht Club- did everything possible to accommodate the sailors and to provide them with a pleasant experience, no matter what the weather Godz dished out for the weekend. 
The ten-boat J/70 class was won by Tim Finkle’s JUNIOR, with Justin Hays & Ben Zahradnik’s REVEILLE in second place and Greg Berti’s LIBERTI in third position. 
Doug Clarke’s MONEYPENNY won the J/111 one-design division on a triple tie-breaker at 4 pts each over Roeland Polet’s FOREIGN EXCHANGE. Third was Rick Lohr’s NIGHT OWL. 
The dozen-boat strong PHRF Divison saw Andrew Sharp’s J/92 SWITCH win on a tie-breaker over Mike Mincher’s J/35 POLE DANCER. For more CAN-AM Challenge Regatta sailing information

(Chicago, IL)- The 2023 edition of the J/111 North American Championship will be hosted by Chicago Yacht Club in Chicago, IL. The eight teams will be based at the Monroe St. Station, with racing taking place about 4.0nm due east offshore on Lake Michigan. 
Returning to defend their title will be Peter Wagner’s SKELETON KEY team from San Francisco, CA. He will again be teamed up with Seadon Wijsen as his tactician. Last year’s runner-up, Andrew & Sedge Ward’s BRAVO- is hoping to overcome SKELETON KEY’s top team. Joining them as tactician is multiple World Champion Bill Hardesty from San Diego and another fellow San Diegan- River Paquin, a promising young, very talented sailor. Also finishing in the top five at last year’s J/111 North Americans in Cleveland, OH were Jeff Davis’s SHAMROCK team and Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL crew from Long Island Sound. Both SHAMROCK and FIREBALL are hoping to improve on their performances over last year. For more J/111 North American Championship sailing information