In an effervescent surge of nautical camaraderie, a multitude of sailing events recently took place across the globe, showcasing the mastery of the crews and the beauty of the sport. Every event brims with its unique challenges and exhilarating victories, drawing both seasoned sailors and enthusiastic newcomers alike.
On the eve of Mother’s Day, San Francisco Bay was graced with the sails of eight boats participating in the J/105 Women Skipper Invitational. The St. Francis Yacht Club played host to this exceptional event where women skippers, invited by boat owners, took the helm. This second edition saw the teams either crewed by regular team members, with the owner or owner’s representative taking on other responsibilities or constituted entirely of women, echoing the importance of gender equality in the world of sailing.
Meanwhile, the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s De Guingand Bowl Race last weekend saw eighty-seven boats traversing the infamous Solent and around the Isle of Wight and the English Channel. The late spring sunshine and high pressure whipped up a fascinating cocktail of weather conditions, adding a layer of complexity to the race. J/Boats, ranging from J/99s to J/121, fared exceptionally well, securing a host of awards.
Simultaneously, on the other side of the Atlantic, the Seattle Yacht Club was immersed in the annual Tri-Island Race Series. The series, commencing in April and concluding in June, comprises three varying races around the scenic Puget Sound. This year, J/Teams in J/80s up to J/125 and J/160s have shown their dominance, currently securing a string of podium positions.
In the Pacific Northwest, the sailing season kick-started with the eagerly anticipated “race to the party”, formally known as the “Race to the Straits”. Hosted by the Sloop Tavern Yacht Club, this 30.0nm race sees sailors dashing from Shilshole Bay in Seattle up to Port Townsend, Washington. The race primarily featured single and double-handed divisions, and many J/Boats managed to secure awards for their impressive performances.
Simultaneously, Berlin saw the commencement of the German Sailing League’s eleventh season on Lake Wannsee, where eighteen clubs each in the first and second leagues relished the fantastic weekend of sailing with favorable breezes.
Meanwhile, the Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland, in collaboration with its title sponsor, Schooner Creek Boat Works, hosted the 47th edition of the Pacific NW Offshore Yacht Race. This 193.0nm race challenged the competitors’ sailing skills, navigation ability, tactical prowess, and endurance, with J/Teams seizing five of the top six spots in the PHRF 1 Class.
In Italy, the Adriatic Sea off Rimini witnessed the fervor of the Italian J/70 Cup – Act II. The Yacht Club Rimini played host to forty-two teams as they competed over nine exhilarating races. In parallel, the Swedish J/70 Sailing League commenced in Saltsjöbaden, Sweden. The event offered perfect conditions and efficiently completed fifteen rounds of racing without a hitch for the dozen teams that were participating.
UPCOMING EVENTS Below, there are previews for several significant regattas coming up this week. Those events include the following:
The RORC Vice Admiral’s Cup will feature fifty boats racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club, sailing off Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. The three-day event features one-design classes for J/111s and J/109s.
The J/24 USA Nationals is taking place on Lake George, New York for the first time ever. Hosting the event is the gorgeous Lake George Club, famous for hosting the wildly popular J/24 “Changing of the Colors Regatta” sailed every fall.
The RORC is also hosting the North Sea Race. Co-hosted by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, the race has attracted 73 boats for the start on Friday, May 19th. The North Sea Race is a 180.0nm race across the North Sea to the famous sailing city of the Hague and the Yacht Club Scheveningen. The majority of the entries come from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with over 350 sailors taking part that include crew from Belgium, Germany, Israel, and the USA. Sailing are J/99s, J/105s, J/109s, J/111s, J/112E, J/121, and J/122s.
The Edlu Distance Race has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Two courses are featured to accommodate a broad base of sailors, one is the spinnaker course of 32.0nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton’s Neck and back. The other is the non-spinnaker course of approximately 20.0nm. Sailing the race are numerous J/Teams, including J/29, J/92s, J/99s, J/100s, J/105s, J/109s, J/111s, J/122s, J/133, and J/160.
40th Anniversary J/Fest Northwest- Puget Sound Announcement!
(Seattle, WA)- Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle is taking on the entire production for the first time in the 40-year history of the regatta, backed up by the erstwhile Bob Ross, event founder. As a former owner of Seattle Sailing Club, Ross is still spreading the good word about J/Boats at SailNorthwest brokerage. The regatta takes place from June 10th to 11th, 2023.
After a few “shall not be named” years off, the J/Boat community is already hoisting lots of sails on CYC Center Sound Wednesday Evening races practicing for the big weekend.
There’s many an experienced eye on the Race Committee boat looking at the field and plotting/ planning the course challenges for J/Fest on June 10-11, 2023. Classes include J/105, J/80, J/109, and maybe more than one start for the J/24 class, one of the largest in the US. After J/FEST, Corinthian YC looks forward to hosting J/24 World Championship in September 2024!! For more J/Fest NW regatta NOR and sailing information
Love Moms @ J/105 Women Skippers Regatta
(San Francisco, CA)- On “Mothers’ Day Eve” on Saturday, May 13th, eight boats of J/105 Fleet 1 on San Francisco Bay rallied for the second running of the J/105 Women Skipper Invitational, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. The teams were led by women skippers who had been invited by boat owners to take the helm. While some were crewed by the regular team, with the owner or owner-rep taking another job on board, two teams were comprised of all women, expanding the impact of women in sailing in another impressive way.
Backgrounder Acknowledging the lack of women J/105 owner-drivers, Fleet 1 conceived of the regatta to celebrate the talented women who already sail in the class as crew and to attract others interested in getting a taste of the largest one-design racing on the Bay. More specifically, the event provides an opportunity for women sailors to take the lead, smashing any real, perceived, or accidental barriers to the notion that women can be owner-drivers in this popular, competitive class.
Around North America other J/105 fleets have created similar regattas that invite women into the competitive spotlight:
Toronto has an all-women J/105 championship
Charleston just ran an all-women regatta
Annapolis has a majority-women crew quota for its J/105 women-skippered event
Seattle, Cleveland, and Houston have showcased J/105 participation attached to women-specific multi-class regattas.
To fan the flame of this veritable grass-roots women sailors’ movement, the J/105 Class leadership has earmarked funding for trophies for fleets that undertake a project to make a lasting impact on the women sailors in their local racing communities.
The Regatta Under a beautiful blue sky and with ghostly whisps of fog flowing from the Golden Gate, Principal Race Officer Peggy Lidster, with her all-women Race Committee and PRO team and the skilled mark set teams, ran four races to complete a series full of spirited competition and camaraderie.
Led by World Champion Match Racer Nicole Breault, Team ARBITRAGE took wins in Races 1 and 3 but still had their hands full in securing the overall win.
Team NIUHI, an all-women team skippered by Maggie Bacon, played the currents strategically well and managed speedy downwind lanes with expert spinnaker handling until one bad drop at the leeward mark earned them unwanted points to leave them in 3rd place overall.
BLACKHAWK’s exceptional team led by co-owner Kristin Simmons took firsts in Races 2 and 4 to secure second overall, only two points behind ARBITRAGE.
After racing on Saturday, Nicole Breault, both Regatta Chair and current J/105 Class Vice President, raised the new perpetual trophy for the SF Bay J/105 Women Skipper Invitational. As the winner, she showed it off as a new symbol of blending diversity into the skipper ranks, and then also as the winner of the regatta as skipper of J/105 ARBITRAGE. Commenting on her win with a wry smile, “I expect all of you to race again next year and try to take it from me!”
Pictured L-R: Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer, Karen Loutzenheiser, Olivia Corzine, Sophia Corzine, Nicole Breault, Wendy Corzine, and Colin Duffy.
For SF Bay J/105 Women Skippers Invitational regatta sailing results MANY THANKS to Chris Ray- sailing photo credits.
J/121 DARKWOOD Leads J/Fleet Home in RORC De Guingand Bowl Race
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- A total of eighty-seven boats competed in the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s De Guingand Bowl Race last weekend, with racing taking place in and out of the infamous Solent and the swift currents around the Isle of Wight and the English Channel. Late spring sunshine and high pressure provided a complex mix of weather in a fascinating race for 437 crew racing across the open ocean.
RORC Racing Manager Steve Cole commented; “It was tricky to set a course for a huge fleet of highly diverse boats in a light air forecast. We aimed to get them all finished on Sunday morning as the wind was due to shut down. A few boats finished in very light winds but with favorable tides. We had very few retirements with the top ten overall under IRC racing in four different classes. The majority of teams have commented that they had a fair race which is always our objective when setting a course.”
J/Teams sailed well and a number of them hopped onto the podiums in various divisions to be awarded their well-deserved silverware. In IRC Overall, third was Rob Cotterill’s J/109 MOJO RISIN’ racing with a full crew in IRC Three. Rob’s crew are all Corinthian with a bunch of friends who started racing together at the London Business School SC who contribute towards the costs, mixed with a younger group of talented sailors who race for free.
“It was a great race considering the light weather conditions,” commented Cotterill. “It was one of those swings and roundabouts races where you can get away in the breeze and then get caught when the wind goes light, we had a good battle with JAGO and Jetpack on the water. Often a lead would stretch and then disappear, it was really nip and tuck. The leg from St Catherine’s to Peveril Ledge was a key win for us; We stayed inshore, while a lot of boats footed off. At about The Needles, we got a big header which was great for us but pushed our competition behind us. At Peveril Ledge we went right in to get out of the tide in very light airs.”
First J/Boat home was Michael O’Donnell’s J/121 DARKWOOD from Ireland, taking the silver in the highly-competitive IRC 1 Division. Just off the pace behind them was Derek Shakespeare’s J/122 BULLDOG in fifth place and Paul Griffiths’ J/111 JAGERBOMB in sixth place… both boats just 15 minutes in arrears of DARKWOOD on handicap corrected time. It was close racing and the final results came down to the wire in the final few miles of the race.
While garnering a third IRC Overall, Cotteril’s London Business School buddies on MOJO RISIN’ also took the silver in IRC 3 Division, leading home a group of J/109s. Just 12 minutes back on corrected time, earning 4th place, was Mike Yates’ J/109 JAGO. Yates’ J/109 JAGO raced doublehanded with Mike Stannard and was third in the IRC Doublehanded Division. Chris Burleigh’s J/109 JYBE TALKIN’ ended up sixth in IRC 3.
Finally, in IRC 4 Division, Tim Tolcher’s J/92 RAGING BULL 3 took fourth place.
The RORC De Guingand Bowl Race is part of the 2023 RORC Season’s Points Championship, the world’s largest offshore racing series. Race six of the series is the North Sea Race. The offshore race from Harwich, UK to Scheveningen, Netherlands will start on Friday 19 May. For more RORC De Guingand Bowl Race sailing information
J/Teams Warming up in Tri-Island Race Series
(Seattle, WA)- As they have done for decades, the Seattle Yacht Club hosts their annual Tri-Island Race Series that starts in April and ends in June. The series consists of three races of varying lengths: 1. Protection Island Race, 2. Vashon Island Race, and 3. Blake Island Race. The event is quite popular for Northwest offshore sailors as it’s the first major event every spring and it takes the fleet out on very scenic race tracks around Puget Sound. For J/Sailors, it’s a particularly fun event and, for the most part, they tend to garner their fair share of silverware…sometimes a lot! This year appears to be no exception, as after the first two races a variety of J/Teams from J/80s up to J/125 and J/160s are having fun, currently sitting in podium positions before the last race.
PROTECTION ISLAND RACE The first race of the series saw the fleet sail on three separate courses. The PHRF Cruiser-racer division sailed a 26.2nm course, the ORC Long Course was 80.0nm, and the PHRF Short course was 35.1nm.
The highlight of this race was how rapidly the J/111 fleet is improving in Seattle. The J/105s and J/109s are known quantities and after decades of one-design racing, their techniques to maintain high average boat speeds in all conditions are legendary by now. As has happened in Chicago, where the J/111 fleet on Lake Michigan has become famous for always finishing in the top ten overall in any of the long-distance races, the Seattle J/111s are beginning to establish a similar presence.
In the ORC Long Course of 80.0nm, taking third overall was Jay Renehan & Chris Lanziger’s J/111 HOOLIGAN… and that was against the top TP52s and custom big boats (e.g. the Mckee’s and Buchan’s) on Puget Sound! Sixth overall went to Tolga Cezik’s J/111 LODOS.
In the PHRF Long Course of 80.0nm, taking second overall was Mark Liffring & Chris Johnson’s J/120 WITH GRACE, with David Miller’s J/99 ONE LIFE taking fifth overall.
On a class basis, Jason Andrews’ J/125 HAMACHI got the silver in ORC 1 Class. The J/111s HOOLIGAN and LODOS went 2-3 in ORC 2 Class, with Ron Holbrook’s J/133 CONSTELLATION ending up in 6th place. Mark Liffring & Chris Johnson’s J/120 WITH GRACE took the silver in PHRF 3 Class, with David Miller’s J/99 ONE LIFE in 4th position. Then, Ryan Porter’s J/80 JOLLY GREEN was third in PHRF 7 Class. Also, taking third place was William Daniel’s J/100 TOURIST in PHRF 8 Class.
VASHON ISLAND RACE With two races now counting, the leaderboards in the various divisions are beginning to define those teams that are consistently performing well.
Incredibly, the ORC 1 Class sees a three-way tie on 6 pts. for second place after two races! Jason Andrews J/125 HAMACHI has a 2-4 for 6 pts. The last race means everything is to play for in this hot division of mostly custom boats and TP 52s.
Unsurprisingly in the ORC 2 Class, the J/111s are making their presence felt as they learn to make their boats go faster and faster. Sitting in second place is Jay Renehan & Chris Lanzinger’s J/111 HOOLIGAN with a 2-3 for 5 pts. Just behind in third place is Tolga Cezik’s J/111 LODOS with a 3-5 for 8 pts.
Sailing the daylights out of their 20+-year-old J/120 in PHRF 3 Class is Mark Liffring & Chris Johnson’s J/120 WITH GRACE. They are now sitting in second place with a 2-2 for 4 pts. Another offshore veteran, David Schutte’s J/109 SPY HOP, is sitting in fourth with a 5-4 for 9 pts.
In the PHRF Short Course Overall and in PHRF 6 Class, shocker of shockers.. the J/105s are leading with a clean sweep! LOL! The J/105 class in the Pacific Northwest are pretty much a bunch of mercenaries on a mission… not unlike their “brothers & sisters” in other parts of the world. The top four teams are John Aitchison’s MOOSE UNKNOWN and Al Hughes & Shauna Walgren’s CREATIVE tied for first on 4 pts each, followed by Sara Billey & Paul Viola’s PEER GYNT in third with 8 pts, and Chris Phoenix’s JADED in fourth with 10 pts.
Sailing a solid series so far in PHRF 7 Class is Ryan Porter’s J/80 JOLLY GREEN with 3-2 for 5 pts., that puts them in second place! Then, hanging on to third place for now in PHRF 8 Class is William Daniel’s J/100 TOURIST with a 3-3 for 6 pts. For more Seattle Yacht Club Tri-Island Race Series sailing information
Mühlenberger Segel-Club Tops German J/70 Sailing League- Act I Berlin
(Berlin, Germany)- Last weekend, the eleventh season of the German Sailing League started on Lake Wannsee in Berlin, hosted by the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee. Eighteen sailing clubs each in the first and second leagues enjoyed a gorgeous weekend of sailing with plenty of nice breezes.
The big question for the weekend was whether the defending champions- Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV)- with skipper Leon Passlack would be able to build on the successes of last year. In 2022, in addition to the championship title, the NRV also won the SAILING Champions League and the DSL Cup and achieved the coveted triple of the league sailors for the first time.
It was striking that pure-family crews were represented in both leagues. Andreas, Suzanne, Rob Dean, and Luke Willim started for the first division Schlei-Segel-Club. Then, in the second division, Maike, Maren, Morten, and Aron Roos sailed for the Wuppertal Sailing Association.
From the very first race, the Mühlenberger Segel-Club (MSC) first-league team was in good shape. Veteran Magnus Simon at the tiller and his team, consisting of Till Krüger, Benjamin Ahlers, and Matteo Wolgast, always steered cleanly and almost flawlessly at the front of the field to win their first regatta in awhile.
Second place went to the Munich Yacht Club (MYC), ahead of the defending champions that ended up on the third step of the podium- the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV).
In the 2nd league, the Berlin clubs showed they know Lake Wannsee and its somewhat shifty, difficult conditions well. The Joersfelder SC team won, second was Klub am Rupenhorn (KAR), and third place went to the Itzehoe sailing association (SVI).
The second DSBL sailing event of the 2023 season will take place from July 28th to 30th as part of Travemünde Week in Travemunde, Germany on the southern shores of the Baltic Sea. For more Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga sailing information
J/Crews Podium in Oregon Offshore Race
(Portland, OR)- Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland, along with its title sponsor Schooner Creek Boat Works, were proud to present the 47th edition of the Pacific NW Offshore Yacht Race. The race is a huge challenge of offshore sailing skills, navigation ability, tactical skills, and offshore endurance. At 193.0nm long, the race goes from the mouth of the Columbia River up the Washington coast and down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, BC. The race continues to be a great way to qualify for the Pacific Cup and the Vic-Maui international yacht race.
In the PHRF A division of seven boats, the J/Crews sailed remarkably well. Jim Calnon’s J/120 PATHFINDER took the silver medal, followed by Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA with the bronze, Tom Kefer’s J/42 VELOCITY in 4th, David Shepherson’s J/120 MARGARET II in 5th, and Robert Hodson’s J/120 JUGO in 6th place. The next event for most of these boats will be the famous Swiftsure International Yacht Race hosted by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in British Columbia. For more Corinthian YC of Portland Oregon Offshore Race sailing information
NOTARO Wins Italian J/70 Cup- Act II Rimini
(Rimini- Adriatic Sea, Italy)- Luca Domenici’s NOTARO Team is the winner of the second stage of the Italian J/70 Cup 2023. In Rimini, where J/70 Italian Class and Yacht Club Rimini joined forces for the third consecutive year, Domenici’s NOTARO team took the lead at the end of the penultimate race and held on to their delicate lead in the very light breeze of the last race to stand atop the podium. Domenici’s team included Diego Negri, Lorenzo Bressani, and Michele Mennuti.
“It was a wonderful weekend. We achieved our well-deserved success in the face of very complicated weather and a competitive fleet. We always stayed in phase with the breeze, despite the changing conditions. It’s a performance that makes us happy, for which I thank my crew and which I dedicate to my family! Even from a distance, my family has always been supportive and have followed us step by step”, commented Domenici during the award ceremony.
Following the NOTARO team on the podium was Vasco Serpa’s FAKE NEWS/ SAIL CASAIS from Portugal with a team of Diogo Machado Pinto, and Paulo Manso. After the first five races, they were leading the fleet quite comfortably with three bullets on their scorecard. However, their next two races killed their chances for the win by posting two 12ths! The bronze medal went to the Corinthians winner, too, Tommaso de Bellis Vitti’s FIVE FOR FIGHTING 4.0. Rounding out the top five was Mauro Roversi’s J-CURVE in 4th and Luis Albert’s Spanish team on PATAKIN in 5th place.
Looking at the Corinthian ranking, Bellis Vitti’s FIVE FOR FIGHTING 4.0 team (Andrea Airo, Giovanna Micol, & Raffaello Perrini) was on the top step of the podium. They were followed by Sofia Giondi’s WANDERLUST team (with Italian Olympian Filippo Baldassari as tactician, Luca Tubaro, & Matteo Morellina), and Gianfranco Noè’s WHITE HAWK team (Matija Succi, Giuliano Chiandussi, Barbara Bomben, & Giovanni Gallego), in second and third, respectively.
The J/70 Cup is now stopping for a couple of months to make way for the first edition of the J/70 Corinthian World Cup, scheduled in Riva del Garda from the 1st to the 4th of June. The next appointment with the circuit reserved for J/70 class specialists is set for mid-July in Malcesine.
The 2023 J/70 Cup is supported by Lincoln International, Alphazer, Garmin, Armare Ropes, Serena Wines, Vela Mania, Zhik, UtilGraph, IPA, and the OneOcean Foundation. For more Italian J/70 Cup series sailing information
Hjuvik SC Leads Swedish J/70 Sailing League
(Saltsjobaden, Sweden)- The whole weekend of May 12-14 in Saltsjöbaden, KSSS (Royal Swedish Yacht Club) offered perfect conditions with brilliant sunshine and changing shifty winds. Everything flowed perfectly and the planned 15 rounds of racing were completed without any stress.
At the end of the 15 qualifying races, Strängnäs Sailing Club succeeded best and they led before the finale with a four points lead ahead of the Åmålsviken and Hjuvik sailing club teams.
In the finale of four races for the top four teams, there are double points for each race. So, that dynamic can make teams a little more nervous as the standings can change rapidly from race to race! Hjuvik match-raced Strängnäs at the start and that led to Strängnäs getting a false start. They had to turn back and then failed to get back on top. Hjuvik came second in the final sailing and thus took the overall victory. Second overall was Strängnäs and third was Åmålsviken. The next Swedish J/70 Sailing League competition takes place on June 2-4 in Långedrag at GKSS. For more Swedish J/70 Sailing League sailing information
J/Crews Lead Race to the Straits
(Seattle, WA)- As one of the first major events of the sailing season in the Pacific Northwest, many J/Sailors look forward to the spring ritual often referred to as “the race to the party”. Hosted by the very laid-back Sloop Tavern Yacht Club, the event is called the “Race to the Straits”, a 30.0nm dash from Shilshole Bay in Seattle up to Port Townsend, WA. It is principally a “short-handed” event, featuring both Single and Double-handed divisions.
The full course length is 30.710 nautical miles each day. Saturday’s race is from Shilshole Bay to Point Hudson keeping “Foulweather Bluff Lighted Bell Buoy 2” to starboard. Sunday’s race is the return leg from Point Hudson to Shilshole Bay keeping the Foulweather Bluff Buoy to port. This year’s weekend saw predominantly light airs on both days, with a lot of DNFs/RETs on Sunday for most of the fleet.
In the PHRF 7 division of doublehanded J/80s, winning was Gerry Gilbert’s VELOCE, followed by Ryan Porter’s JOLLY GREEN in second, and Lek Dimarcut’s UNDERDOG in third place.
In the PHRF 10 division of doublehanded J/105s, winning was Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE, followed by Al Hughes’ CREATIVE in second and Adrien Felon’s DOUBLE TROUBLE in third position.
In the PHRF 11 division of various doublehanded J/Crews, winning was Ken Machtley & Stephanie Arnold’s J/99 DASH. The balance of the podium was one massive tie between many boats that either took DNFs or RETs due to lack of wind.
The PHRF 13 division saw Jim Hinz’s J/120 HINZITE take the silver medal.
Unsurprisingly, excelling in the light airs were the J/111s in PHRF 14 division. The 111s led a sweep of the class, with Christina Wolfe’s RAKU winning, followed by Jay Renehan’s HOOLIGAN in second, and Steve Kirsch’s FLASH in third place. Fourth went to Andy Mack’s J/122 GRACE. For more Sloop Tavern Yacht Club “Race to the Straits” sailing information
UPCOMING EVENTS
Vice Admiral’s Cup Preview
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The 2023 RORC Vice Admiral’s Cup will feature fifty boats racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The J/111 and J/109 Classes will race under one-design rules. Three days of action are scheduled with multiple races per day on windward leeward courses and tight round-the-cans racing. Weather forecasts are predicting superb conditions for Saturday and Sunday for the regatta.
Over 300 sailors are expected for the RORC Vice Admiral’s Cup with Corinthian sailors rubbing shoulders with top professionals. The Vice Admiral’s Cup has always featured a full social program. The RORC Cowes Clubhouse will be regatta central for fun-filled evening entertainment, especially the Prize Giving, held at the RORC Clubhouse on Sunday 21 May.
J/111 Class Seven one-design J/111s will be in action, the World Sailing international class keelboats enjoy close racing with seconds deciding the race winners. Tony & Sally Mack’s McFly has been the top J/111 at the last three editions Vice Admiral’s Cup and McFly will be looking to make it four in a row. Stiff competition as always will come from Louise Makin & Chris Jones’ JourneyMaker II, which has been runner-up or on the podium for the last four editions. Cornel Riklen’s Jitterbug has made the podium for the last two editions. Bermudian Paul Wollmann is new to the J/111 Class racing Frequent Flyer.
J/109 Class The J/109 Class features in both inshore and offshore RORC races and close racing is expected for the 35ft keelboat. In the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, 16 J/109 competed under IRC and also for their own J/109 RORC Trophy. David Richard’s Jumping Jellyfish will be going for a hat-trick of victories having won class at the last two editions of the Vice Admiral’s Cup. Mike Yates’ JAGO has been on the podium in the last two editions, and Chris Burleigh’s Jybe Talkin’ was runner-up in 2021. John Smart’s Jukebox is the reigning Class Three IRC National Champion. Rob Cotterill’s Mojo Risin’ was in fine form at last weekend’s 120nm offshore De Guingand Bowl Race; Mojo Risin’ was third overall under IRC. For more RORC Vice Admiral’s Cup sailing information
J/24 USA Nationals Preview
(Diamond Point, NY)- Since 1977 when the first J/24 was launched, there was tremendous growth for the class in the northeast. By 1981, the Lake George Club sailing members famously started their own J/24 fleet and soon created one of the most iconic J/24 regattas ever- the “Changing of the Colors Regatta” sailed every fall.
Anthony F. Hall from the Lake George Mirror newspaper offered the “locals” point of view in this recent article…
“The Lake George Club will host the races May 17-21. This will be the first time hosting the J/24 Nationals for the club, which has been home to the class since 1981 and a base for one-design racing since the 1930s.
In fact, according to event organizer Alfie Merchant, a Queensbury resident and skipper of the J/24 “Crackerjack,” this will be the first national, sanctioned sailing championship ever to be held on Lake George!
According to Merchant, registration has been capped at 50 boats – 40 from yacht clubs as far away as Seattle and California and ten from Lake George itself.
With each boat sailed by a crew of five, and with most sailors accompanied by partners and families as well as by race judges and officials, the event is expected to draw 350 to 500 people to Lake George at a time of year when overnight and week-long visitors are historically few.
According to Merchant, sailors who arrive in Lake George on Wednesday, May 17, will be invited to participate in the season’s inaugural weekly Wednesday night races, which are open to sailboats of all classes. National Championship J-24 racing begins on Friday, May 19, and will continue through Sunday, May 21. On Saturday night, the skippers, crews, officials, and their guests will assemble for a formal banquet, to be followed by fireworks. Results will be announced and awards will be presented on Sunday.
Merchant said the Warren County Tourism Department and its online and print vehicles for promoting tourism – VisitLakeGeorge.com and “Visit the Lake George Area in New York’s Adirondacks” – will be the event’s lead sponsors.
Some of the most accomplished J/24 sailors in the world will travel to Lake George to compete in the 2023 USA National Championship, said Merchant. Many of those who compete in the National Championships will register to race in the World Championships, which are held every year in a different major global city.
“The J/24 is a very competitive class, attracting not only dedicated amateurs, but people working in the sailing industry,” said Merchant. “We’ll also see professional sailors, with sponsorships and paid crews.”
Many of the sailors will be familiar with Lake George, having competed in Fleet 24’s annual “Changing of the Colors Regatta,” which will take place this year from September 30-October 1.
“They come more for the beauty of the lake than for the wind, which, to put it politely, can be inconsistent,” said Merchant. “Those who have never sailed Lake George before are likely to want to vacation here in the future!”
Of the 43 boats participating, here are some of the top teams that should be featured at the top of the leaderboard:
Mike Marshall’s AMERICAN GARAGE from Newport, RI
Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER from Rochester, NY
Carter & Molly White’s YOU REGATTA from Portland, ME
Eric Spencer’s SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM from Portland, ME
Aidan Glackin’s MENTAL FLOSS from Huntington, NY
Jasper Van Vliet’s EVIL OCTOPUS from Richmond, CA
Will Fastiggi’s FAWN LIEBOWITZ from Burlington, VT
Al Constants’ BLITZ from Locust Valley, NY
Tony Parker’s BANGOR PACKET from Annapolis, MD
For more J/24 USA National Championship sailing information
RORC North Sea Race Preview
(Scheveningen, The Netherlands)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 2023 North Sea Race, hosted by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, has attracted 73 boats for the start on Friday, May 19th. The North Sea Race is preceded by the 120.0nm Vuurschepen Race to Harwich, which started from Scheveningen on Tuesday, May 16th.
The 180.0nm race across the North Sea meanders around the Galloper wind farm before heading north to Smith’s Knoll Buoy and across to the famous sailing city of the Hague and the Yacht Club Scheveningen. The majority of the entries come from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with over 350 sailors taking part that include crew from Belgium, Germany, Israel, and the USA.
Sailing in the IRC 1 Division are Frans Van Cappelle’s J/122E MOANA and Sylvain Duprey’s J/111 DJINN. In the IRC 2 Division are Paul Manuel’s J/99 JONGEHEER, Ubbo Neisingh’s J/112E NARWAL, John van der Starre & Robin Verhoef’s J/112E AJETO, and Simon Ruffles’ J/120 JAMEERAH. The IRC 3 division features a trio of J/109s (Arnout Jorritsma’s MAJIC, Win van Slooten & Jochem Nonhebel’s FIRESTORM, & Martijn Graafmans’ EAU J), two J/105s (Michel Visser’s JALLA JALLA & Dr. Michael Ritz’s PANTHER), Chris Schram’s J/110 LITTLE MAV, and S. Tientot’s J/35 FEVER.
Sailing the ORC 1 Division will be Frederic de Visser’s J/121 SPITFIRE and Gert Roukema’s J/122 FAIR DINKUM. Also scoring in this division are the J/122E MOANA, and the J/112E NARWAL. In the ORC 2 Division will be the J/35 FEVER, J/99 JONGEHEER, J/109 MAJIC, Arjen van Leeuwne’s J/109 JOULE, J/109 EAU J, J/105 PANTHER, and Jan Scholtes’ J/99 WARP 5.
At the lively prize-giving hosted by the Yacht Club Scheveningen on Sunday, May 21st, competitors can win several prestigious trophies including the Goeree Challenge Cup for IRC Overall. The Royal Ocean Racing Club has organized races in the North Sea since 1931.
The RORC North Sea Race is part of the 2023 RORC Season’s Points Championship, the world’s largest offshore racing series. The ten-month series comprises 15 testing offshore races. Over 600 international teams are expected to compete this year. Every race had its famous prize for the overall winner after IRC time correction with more coveted trophies for class honors. For more North Sea Race sailing information
Edlu Distance Race Preview
(Larchmont, NY)- First sailed in 1954, the Edlu Distance Race has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Followed by a classic party hosted by the spectacular Larchmont Yacht Club, it is one of the “must-do” offshore events on western Long Island Sound.
Two courses are featured to accommodate a broad base of sailors, one is the spinnaker course of 32.0nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton’s Neck and back. The other is the non-spinnaker course of approximately 20.0nm.
Furthermore, featured in the 2023 edition is the Plus+One Division for shorthanded boats with a valid PHRF certificate, sailing with spinnakers. A boat’s crew limit is one more person than the 10s digit of the boat’s overall length (in feet). Under this formula, boats from 20 to 29.9 feet sail with a crew of three, boats from 30 to 39.9 feet sail with four, etc.
Most of the fleet is comprised of J/Teams from all over western Long Island Sound. In the ten-boat PHRF Doublehanded Division are two J/100s- Jon Yoder & Bill Gassman’s BLACKCOMB and Andrew Weingarten’s PHANTOM. Joining them are Josh Burack’s J/105 PEREGRINA, John Krediet’s J/97 PARTICIPANT II, and Kevin Marks’ J/99 VELOCITY 2.
Sailing in the ten-boat PHRF Spin I division are two J/92s- JC Zucconi & James Townsend’s EASY RED and EJ Haskell &* Jim Weil’s VIXEN. Also sailing with them is Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER.
The nine-boat PHRF Spin II division is mostly J’s, including three J/109s (Cory Eaves’ FREEDOM, Charles Taus’ RUSHMORE, & Glenn Marck’s WATERDOG), two J/88s (Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION & Nicolas Delcourt’s OH JEE), and Kurt Locher’s J/42 ATALANTA.
Racing in the thirteen-boat PHRF Spin III Division are two J/111s (Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL & Abhijeet Lee’s VARUNA), two J/112Es (William Komaroff’s TEXAS ROSE and Justin Scagnelli’s THE ROCC), William Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE, and the US Merchant Marine Academy’s J/44 KINGS POINT COMET.
Finally, in the ORC Division of ten boats are Mike Levy’s J/121 EAGLE and Len Sitar’s J/160 COUGAR. For more Edlu Distance Race scoring and sailing information For more Larchmont Yacht Club regatta and party information
New Rhody Regatta to Benefit RI Community Food Bank- Announcement!
(Newport, RI)– The inaugural Rhody Regatta, hosted by the International Yacht and Athletic Club (IYAC), takes place Saturday, June 3rd on Narragansett Bay. The event consists of one race, approximately 18 miles in length, around Conanicut Island, and is designed to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
“This is a great idea,” said Newport’s Clay Deutsch. “Not only because it supports such a worthy cause, but also because it fills a void in that first weekend of June left by the discontinued Leukemia Cup. For many, it will be a shakedown for the summer sailing season.”
Sailors will compete in the inaugural Rhody Regatta’s Race Around Conanicut Island to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank on June 3.
The RI Community Food Bank acquires and distributes food through its 140 member agencies, including food pantries, meal sites, and shelters. It serves more than 63,000 Rhode Islanders each month, a number that reflects a 20% increase over pre-Covid years.
“The Rhody Regatta fundraiser comes at a critical time of increased need for food assistance in our community,” said RI Community Food Bank CEO Andrew Schiff, citing a Rhode Island Life Index study that shows 31% of households in Rhode Island are food insecure and unable to afford adequate food.
After signing up on yachtscoring.com, skippers or their dedicated team liaisons are encouraged to set up a fundraising page on a special site managed by the RI Food Bank. Simple step-by-step instructions make it easy to create a team portal that can then be shared with the team’s network. Online donations must be made through this portal and cannot be made through yachtscoring.
“We hope that our racing community will embrace this effort as it has done for similar efforts to help others in the past,” said IYAC Commodore Bill Titus. “Those of us fortunate enough to have access, through whatever means, to this sport and Narragansett Bay have so much,” he said. “It’s always good to be mindful of that and give back to our community when an opportunity like this arises.”
The IYAC serves as a favorite sailors’ bar in the heart of Newport and also is an official US SAILING affiliated club, with registered members. It’s especially known for running world-class regattas for everything from sport boats to Maxi yachts.
The Rhody Regatta is open to all Cruising/Racing Yachts with or without a 2023 PHRF of Narragansett Bay Handicap. The Fleet will be divided into handicap and one-design classes according to rating and other factors at the discretion of the IYAC Race Management. Prizes will be awarded to the top finisher in each class, the Best Overall finisher, and the team raising the most funds for the RI Community Food Bank.
For more information, go to https://iyacnewport.com/ or email cpatrickk@yahoo.com. Link for Fund Raising: https://rifoodbank.org/rhody-regatta/ Race Documents: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eid=16020
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What J/Sailors family, and friends are doing around the world
SAIL Newport Hosting 2023 Women’s Sailing Conference!
(Newport, RI)- The 2023 Women’s Sailing Conference will be in Newport, Rhode Island – a venue steeped in nautical tradition and history. Long before Newport became a travel destination, it was one of the busiest seaports in the colonial era. It boasts a deep, protected, and picturesque harbor. As a colonial seaport, Newport was bustling with more ship traffic than either New York or Boston. It was the capital of the state and the fifth-largest city in the Colonies.
Today, Newport has one of the oldest working waterfronts in the USA. The waterfront has been attracting sailors for more than 375 years. For over 200 of those years, it has looked quite the same as it does today. It is a true sailing Mecca.
Sail Newport’s Marine Education and Recreation Center, where the conference will be held, has a spectacular view from the covered decks. Located on the water in Fort Adams State Park, Conference participants will enjoy vistas of Newport Harbor, Brenton Cove, and downtown Newport from this unique location, not to mention safe protected waters to sail on!
The National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) presents the 2023 National Women’s Sailing Conference- Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 8 am – 5 pm at Sail Newport. Then, there will be a Fundraising Raffle Brunch on Sunday, June 4 at The Elks Lodge on Bellevue Avenue. In-person tickets must be purchased in advance for the conference and the brunch.
Join us for a full day of classroom, dockside, and on-the-water workshops taught by experienced female instructors and Captains from across the nation. Fine-tune your sail trim skills, get your hands-on marine electrical components, practice navigation using paper and electronic charts, learn when and how to execute a distress call or maneuver to retrieve a crew overboard, or participate in a sewing DIY workshop. We will also be offering the popular Take the Helm track – an introduction to sailing for women.
There is something for every sailor or want-to-be sailors!
If you can’t make it to Rhode Island, join us virtually. You’ll have access to a half-day of online programming including a panel discussion, topics for beginners to advanced sailors, racers, do-it-yourselfers, and ocean sustainability advocates.
A highlight of the event is the announcement of the recipient and the presentation of the 2023 Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award, which is co-sponsored by NWSA and BoatUS.
The Fundraising Brunch on Sunday is open to everyone! Bring a friend and donate to win one of our wonderful raffle items. Your important financial contributions to this event help support the continuation of our AdventureSail program and youth scholarships.
Featured Speakers Programming includes a full day of classroom and on-the-water workshops taught by experienced female instructors from across the nation. Fine-tune sail trim, learn hands-on diesel maintenance, practice navigation using paper or electronic charts, try proven techniques for women to rescue overboard crew, and more. For more National Women’s Sailing conference information
About J/Boats Started in 1977, J/Boats continues to lead the world in designing fun-to-sail, easy-to-handle, performance sailboats that can be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of sailors. The International J/24 has become the most popular recreational offshore keelboat in the world with over 5,500 J/24s cruising the waves. The J/70 one-design speedster has become the world’s fastest-growing sportsboat ever!
Today, there are 15,000+ J/Boats, ranging from the International J/22 to the J/65 and ranging in style from one-designs to racers, cruisers to daysailers and, of course, the ubiquitous J sprit boats- J/Boats’ innovation in 1992 for easy-to-use asymmetric spinnakers and retractable carbon bowsprits.
J/Boats has the best track record in sailing for innovation and designs as evidenced by: 20 Boat-of-the-Year Awards; the SAIL Award for Industry Leadership; two American Sailboat Hall of Fame Designs; and five World Sailing International One-Design keelboat classes (J/22, J/24, J/70, J/80 and J/111).
Counting crew, every year there are over 100,000 friends to meet sailing J’s, populating the most beautiful sailing harbors and sailing the waters of 35+ countries around the world. Sailing is all about friends. Come join us and expand your social network everywhere! For more information on J/Boats.
MAVERICK MARKETER- Bob Johnstone’s New Book
Enjoy reading this page-turning business memoir and love story from this National Sailing Hall of Fame yachtsman, wrapped up in a narrative about problem-solving when following one’s dreams to create the leading performance brands in boating,… J/Boats and MJM Yachts.
Overview: In “Maverick Marketer,” Johnstone considers the course of his life, from taking the helm of a sailboat in a race at age 2, through college days at Princeton, to creating the leading performance brand in sailing, then doing same with powerboats. Regaling readers with sailing stories and how award-winning boats were created, Johnstone seeks to ignite a creative spark in others, urging them to follow their passion and chart their course to victory. Part memoir, part love story, part marketing case study, “Maverick Marketer” is an entrepreneurial success story brimming with lessons on innovation, business development, and problem-solving. Rebecca White, an award-winning Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Tampa, said, “I’d recommend Bob Johnstone’s book for every college student today.”
You can order the book here (as PDF, printed book, e-book):
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com
Bookstore.org
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