This past week, the waves of Lake Michigan were alive with action as 130 keelboat teams competed in the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta series at the Chicago Yacht Club. After two days of blissful sailing, an incoming storm on the final day showed nature’s unpredictable fury, causing the CYC RC/PRO team to cancel the day’s races. But, this was just the beginning of an adventurous summer week for sailors around the globe.
As the echoes of the Chicago Regatta faded, the festivities of the 169th NYYC Annual Regatta commenced in Newport, the charming seaside resort known as “the city by the sea.” The excitement bubbled under the enormous party tent, with sailors eagerly preparing for the ORC and PHRF handicap divisions, where J/Boats teams made a significant showing, forming 28% of the fleet.
Simultaneously, across the ocean, a local Danish team won the 138.0nm Around Funen Island Race in the Baltic Sea. Against fierce local competitors, a J/112E showcased its legendary performance and brought honor to the home team in an event hosted by Kerteminde Sejlkklub.
Back in the US, the second weekend following Memorial Day marked the 67.8nm Mills Cup Trophy Race. Known as the premier sailing race of the Lake Erie islands, the event drew legions of J/Sailors from the Detroit and Toledo region, all eager to navigate the challenging courses starting near the Toledo Harbor Light and ending off of South Bass Island.
Further along the east coast, the Cedar Point One-Design Regatta opened the season for offshore one-design keelboat sailors on Long Island Sound. The weekend was abuzz with activity as J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s prepared to race in the one-design class, hosted by the Cedar Point Yacht Club.
Meanwhile, the Susan Hood Trophy Race saw nearly 80 boats at the start line in a dramatic race that tested everyone’s mettle and sanity all the way to the Niagara mark. Despite challenging wind conditions, sailors arrived at the finish line with smiles on their faces, eagerly asking, “Where do I sign up for next year?”
Over in Austria, the Austrian Sailing League kicked off its ninth year with a surprising victory from the Segelclub Mattsee (SCM) at the Yacht Club Velden, proving their sailing prowess in the J/70 class.
Finally, the women’s sailing community saw an exciting competition at the 6th edition J/70 HELGA CUP in Hamburg, Germany. As the world’s largest women’s sailing regatta, the event welcomed over 250 women on fifty-eight teams from eleven nations, all looking forward to competing on the beautiful Alster Lake in the heart of the city.
Beautiful Chicago Sailing World Regatta
J/111 SHAMROCK Crowned Overall Champion!
(Chicago, IL)- The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta series returned to Chicago Yacht Club with 130 keelboat teams competing in 13 separate fleets. It was an action-packed weekend of sailboat racing on Lake Michigan for one-design classes of J/70, J/88, J/105, J/109, and PHRF handicap racing for the North Sails Rally. The first two days produced gorgeous sailing of the benign variety from the east to southeast quadrants over the first two days. On the Sunday finale, the forecasted northerlies of 15 to 30 kts and massive waves associated with an enormous frontal system ultimately materialized, with the CYC RC/PRO team wisely flying the “AP/A” flags to cancel the day’s racing. Here is how the regatta unfolded over the two days.
Day 1 While Daniel Floberg was at work on a glorious summer Friday in Chicago, he turned the family J/88 MISTY to his friend Will, who started in high gear on opening day by not just winning the first race of the morning— by a Lake Michigan mile— but then winning the next one and finishing fourth in the third to close the day with a 1-point lead in the seven-boat class.
For the first day of this early-season Chicago summer classic, three races were scored across all four race circles, and with winds on the tamer side, conditions were ideal for race teams new and old to reacclimate with their boats and their positions after the long offseason.
For Tod Patton, the professional sailmaker and skipper of the J/122E BLONDIE, today was an opportunity to better understand a boat that is new to the team.
“This is the first buoy race regatta we’ve done since we’ve gotten the boat,” Patton says, “and given that we’re happy with our results today— the crew work was great and that certainly helped.” With a trio of second-place finishes in the six-boat PHRF division, Patton’s BLONDIE padded themselves a 3-point lead.
Jeffrey Davis’ team on the J/111 SHAMROCK also put a pair of wins on the scoreboard to lead their division.
In the J/109 fleet, George Miz’s team on SMEE AGAIN got off to a rocky start with a fifth in the first race after seemingly getting caught out on the morning’s first big wind shift. But, with that result behind them, they rallied with a 1-2 for the next races and closed the day tied at the top with Peter Priede and his team on FULL TILT, winners of the final race of the day.
For Mark Fruin and his teammates on the J/105 NYCTOSAUR, today on Lake Michigan was a banner day and an even better start to their season. After winning the first-race wire-to-wire they finished second to Josh and Laura Lutton’s KINSHIP in the next. Their win in the third race, Fruin says, was all on account of a full-speed start. From there, however, he doesn’t remember much. He was doing his job concentrating on driving and letting the crew do the rest of the good work, including his tactician, Bob Berstein, a local champion with plenty of experience on Lake Michigan. “It was all about the right side today and Bob put us in some great places,” commented Fruin.
For Saturday’s coming races, Fruin says the plan is to stick with what’s been working: “We’ll just listen to Bob, put ourselves in clear air, and sail fast.”
On the regatta’s one-design circle, which features the J/70, it was Rich Witzel’s team on the J/70 ROWDY that went undefeated to build a 9-point lead over Dick Kalow’s crew on SUPERIOR 1.
Day 2 Davis’ J/111 SHAMROCK went on a winning streak, posting three straight bullets for the day, and as a result, sat 5 points atop its J/111 one-design division.
In the J/109 division, Team NORTHSTAR won two of three races to move into the overall lead by a single point over George Miz’s SMEE AGAIN.
In the PHRF 1 fleet, Tod Patten’s J/112E BLONDIE posted three wins to put them solidly at the top of the standings with one more race day remaining.
Richard Witzel’s ROWDY, with tactician Carlos Robles calling the shots, remained the top J/70 with top-5 consistency in what is a fleet stacked with pro talent. ROWDY entered the final day of racing with a 14-point lead over Fernando Perez Ontiveros’s BLACK MAMBA, from Mexico. Bob Willis’ RIP RULLAH was the top Corinthian, currently sitting seventh overall in the 24-boat fleet. William Howard and his junior sailing teammates on the GROM SQUAD were the top junior team.
Day 3 Inside Chicago Harbor, the northerly wind blowing through the protected mooring field was deceiving. Conditions appeared benign enough to send some sailors out for the final day. But, out beyond the breakwater, whitecaps frothed and the weather stations reported the truth: it was gnarly out on Lake Michigan, just too much for safe racing. Ahead of the official 0900 morning signals, organizers made the preemptive call and hoisted “AP over A” on the yardarm; so, racing was abandoned and the previous day’s preliminary results were, therefore, the final results.
From among the winners of 17 individual classes and 162 teams, one overall winner was later selected to represent the Chicago regatta at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Caribbean Championship in October.
Jeff Davis, skipper and owner of the J/111 SHAMROCK, emerged as the challenger, and while his team delivered the boat back to its homeport of Cleveland, Ohio, the veteran skipper shared his thoughts on the weekend’s races and the developing dynamics of his winning crew of Bob Knestrick, Danny Corrigan, Samantha Foulston, Stu Johnstone, Michael Lis, and Travis Odenbach. SHAMROCK won five of six races. Here was our interview with the winner.
SW: Sometimes, winning a three-boat fleet can be just as difficult as a larger fleet, especially when everyone’s at the same level as it was for the J/111s this weekend in Chicago.
JD: Yes, we’ve raced against each other in the past, so they’re fairly well-matched boats. The J/111 class is fairly strict, so we’re very competitive, all of us. I think this weekend was a function of the fact that we tend to be light-air sailors and inland lake sailors, and so for us, we thrive in these kinds of conditions.
SW: Flat-water, light-air, shifty conditions are your strength then?
JD: They really are. The boat is really set up for light air. I think the crew, we’ve all been sailing together probably for about 15 years. And since our base is in Cleveland, Ohio, for us, it’s a light-air lake. So, these conditions really fit our boat, our rig, our tune, and ourselves. We set up the boat for a light breeze. But as most sailors know, you gotta pick the shifts. And there’s a little bit of luck involved.
In the first and second races, we did a good job of really picking the right shifts and the right side of the course to be on and we had good starts. In the third race, we wound up second and it was really a function of us being on the wrong side of the course. And it’s really hard to come back from that. You know, when your competitor keeps picking the right shifts, you just never catch up.
SW: Having only two boats to beat, how did that change the tactical approach to the weekend?
JD: We tended to stay pretty close together, in part because we’re using this for North Americans, which will be here at the Chicago Yacht Club later in the year. So, we wanted to see what kind of conditions we would have and what kind of conditions that we would be competing in, and what the setup of our boat was going to be like compared to others. There was a little bit of match racing going on and a little bit of that in terms of our tactics.
SW: Speaking of tactics, you had a new crew calling the shots this weekend.
JD: We did. We’ve been sailing for about 15 years with Wally Cross who was unable to sail this regatta, so we had a new sail trimmer/ strategist. Travis did a great job. He built on what we have been working on with Wally at Quantum Sails, and Travis just expanded the base for us. He brought in some new ideas, but he amplified some of the things that we normally do… like listening to Stu J. call the tactics and wind as we go around the course… Stu’s a brilliant tactician… unparalleled by anyone else in my experience. Stu J. is like our “wind whisperer”… from God’s lips to his ears.. amazing!
SW: What were some of Travis’ ideas that made a difference over the weekend?
JD: We’ve spent a lot of time tweaking the rig. Travis was more inclined to just set the rig to the standards that we have developed and not make as many changes. His focus was a little bit more on strategy, especially at the start.
SW: Did you notice the change from the first day of racing into the second?
JD: I think each day and each race we got better and the chemistry developed more. We did have one day of practice which helped us a lot. Then, what you gradually see is we’ve developed a language. After you’ve been sailing with somebody like Wally Cross and the same team for 15 years, you get accustomed to the communication style everybody has.
Travis was new and he had to try to adapt to our communication style and we had to adapt to his. It made a huge difference once we started getting on the same language, especially in the starts, and the comfort in the corners. The corners are where you’re usually gonna mess up. And, because we all spoke the same language and we got more comfortable with each other, it just got smoother and the crew work got better.
SW: You’ve got a big event coming up later this summer.
JD: We do have the J/111 North Americans coming back here to Chicago and it’s something that we’ve been working on for most of the year. Last year, we had a very disappointing North Americans for us. It was based in Cleveland. But, we were over early in the first two races, and the fleet is so tight and so competitive. We wound up fourth. But, this year, we’re looking forward to coming back and we’ve got something to prove!
J/70 Class In the 24-boat fleet, it was a bit of a shocker for most teams to witness a stunning string of four bullets in the first four races for a local “homeboy”- Rich Witzel. Rich and his ROWDY team blitzkrieg the fleet with smart sailing and good speed and closed out the regatta with a 4-3 to win with just 11 pts. Behind them, it was another story. Three boats dueled for the balance of the podium until the final race. By just two points, Fernando Perez Ontiveros and his Mexican BLACK MAMBA team from Valle de Bravo grabbed the silver medal with 26 pts. Taking the bronze medal was Jim Prendergast’s USA 167 with 28 pts. Rounding out the top five was Bryce Kaloow’s SUPERIOR 2 from Minneapolis, MN in fourth place, and taking fifth place was another local “homeboy”- John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA.
J/88 Class The seven-boat fleet experienced extremely tight racing for all seven races. It was not until the last race that the final standings were determined. Ending up tied at 19 pts each were Andy Graff’s EXILE and John & Jordan Leahey’s DUTCH. EXILE won the tiebreaker “countback” by winning their last two races to take the title over DUTCH. Similarly, by only one point, Dan Floberg’s MISTY took the bronze over Grace & Mike Gillian’s JULIA! Rounding out the top five was Alex Abell’s PAJAMA PARTY.
J/105 Class Similar to their 88 colleagues, the J/105s also had to settle the score on a tiebreak and countback scenario. It was Mark Fruin’s NYCTOSAUR tied on 14 pts with Josh & Laura Lutton’s KINSHIIP, both boat’s first-ever battle for the lead in the hard-fought, hotly-competitive Chicago J/105 fleet. Both boats won two races in the six-race series, so the tie was broken on 2nds, with the nod going to the NYCTOSAURs! The third step on the podium went to a 20+ year Chicago J/105 class veteran- Jon Weglarz’s THE ASYLUM.
J/111 ClassWhile Jeff Davis’ SHAMROCK ran away with class honors after posting five 1sts in six races, it became a close battle for the balance of the podium between Tom Dickson’s WARLOCK and Kevin Saedi & Raman Yousefi’s MOMENTUS. That outcome was determined by the last two races when WARLOCK took two 2nds to MOMENTUS’s two 3rds. WARLOCK earned the silver with MOMENTUS settling for the bronze.
J/109 Class The eight-boat J/109 class saw a three-way battle emerge for class honors over their six races. With all three boats having somewhat roller-coaster scorelines, it was “clear as mud” which teams would emerge victorious in the end. Ultimately, it was Team Northstar on NORTHSTAR that won the series with a 1-6-3-1-3-1 for 15 pts. Just one point back was the quartet on SMEE AGAIN (Miz/ Dreher/ Hatfield/ Neenan) with a 5-1-2-3-2-3 tally for 16 pts. And, just one point in arrears of them was Bob Evans’ GOAT RODEO with a 2-2-6-2-1-4 scoreline for 17 pts! Close, fun racing was had by all!
PHRF Spinnaker ClassIn the fleet of a half-dozen boats, not many were likely anticipating a complete blowout of the fleet for class honors. But, that is exactly what took place as Tod Patton’s J/112E BLONDIE, sailing its inaugural regatta in Chicago waters, won with three 1sts and three 2nds for a 9 pts total.
ORC 1 & 2 Classes The ORC offshore divisions sailed a government marks race course offshore, with a total of 17 boats participating. Starting in a light southwester, the wind backed into the southeast in the 6 to 9 kts range, and the fleet enjoyed a nice long day of taking a tour up and down the picturesque Chicago waterfront and skyline. In ORC 1, taking 3rd was Jens Papoutsis’ J/133 RENEGADE, followed in 4th by Arne Fliflet’s J/120 MAZAL TOV. Taking 4th in ORC 2 was Mike Hettel’s J/105 GLOBAL NOMADS. Sailing Photo Credits: Walter Cooper/Sailing World. Sailing World photo gallery here. For more Chicago Sailing World Regatta Series sailing information
J/Teams “Win, Place, or Show” Every Class @ New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta
(Newport, RI)- The second week of June has traditionally marked the start of the summer sailing season for the New York Yacht Club. The 169th NYYC Annual Regatta took place over the June 9th to 11th weekend on the waters of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. Hundreds of sailors enjoyed the enormous party tent (marquee) and the seaside resort of Newport, RI- “the city by the sea”- for some fun and frolic.
By far the two largest fleets participating are the four ORC and four PHRF handicap divisions consisting of 85 offshore keelboats. There was significant participation by J/Boats teams, with twenty-four J’s racing (28% of the fleet!).
ORC C Division In the ten-boat fleet, it was a battle amongst several very well-sailed boats. In the end, Ken Comerford’s J/121 DARK STORM was able to garner a hard-earned bronze medal, while Bob Manchester’s J/133 VAMOOSE was able to secure 5th place. Second through 5th places were only separated by a mere 2 points… in fact, the final race determined the outcome of the entire top five!
ORC E Division This ten-boat class was treated to a good’ole fashioned “butt-whipping” by the only J/team in the competition. Sailing their first major regatta of the season, they’d already sailed smaller ones in the spring, was Al Minella’s new J/112E THE ROCC. Sailing with a talented crew that is focused on next year’s 2024 ORC World Championship in Newport, RI, THE ROCC crew posted a stunning record of three 1sts and a 3rd for 6 pts total, easily eclipsing their class.
PHRF 2 Division With 17 boats, the PHRF 2 fleet was the largest in the entire regatta. It was tight racing amongst the top five boats, all loaded with local talent that knew the intricacies of sailing Narragansett Bay. However, in the end, standing tall and winning was none other than a local hero from Bristol, RI- Joe Brito and his merry-makers on his J/121 INCOGNITO. Other J/Teams that fared well include Kevin Kelley’s J/122 SUMMER GRACE in 5th, Abhijeet Lee’s J/111 VARUNA in 6th, and Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0 in 7th place.
PHRF 3 Division At 16 boats, the PHRF 3 was the second-largest fleet for the regatta. Winning was Jeff Johnstone’s J/99 UPBEAT, followed by John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT in 3rd, Doug Stryker’s J/105 MAYHEM in 5th, Chris Tate’s J/105 BLITZ in 7th, Dawson & Ben Hodges’ J/100 GRIMACE in 9th, and Bill Kneller’s J/019 VENTO SOLARE in 10th place! Not a bad showing by J/Crews, 6 of the top 10!
PHRF 4 Division Finally, in the nine-boat PHRF 4 fleet, it was Jack McGuire’s trusty old warhorse, the masthead J/29 DIRTY HARRY that won a race on their way to garnering a bronze medal for their weekend efforts! Sailing photo credits- Daniel Forster/ NYYC. For more New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta sailing information
J/112E JOY Wins Around Funen Race
(Kerteminde, Denmark)- Adding to the laurels of the newly legendary J/112E offshore cruiser/racer was a local Danish team sailing the 138.0nm Around Funen Island Race in the Baltic Sea, an event hosted every first weekend in June by Kerteminde Sejlkklub.
Sailing against a very tough fleet of local competitors, Remi Provost’s J/112E JOY won the race in ORC Overall against boats like X41, IMX 40, XP 44’s, X35, J/111, and custom carbon boats. It took Provost’s team 19 hrs, 55 mins. to complete the race for an average speed of 6.9 kts! Provost’s team included Draw Provost, Thomas Lund Hansen, Casper Handrup, Thomas Lenskov, John Nielsen, Soren Dalsgaard Rasmussen, Lars Jorgensen, and Mette Knudsen.
Their stablemate, Malthe Lorin Rasmussen’s J/111 finished in 5th place ORC Overall. Their crew consisted of Erik Lorin Rasmussen, Ian Milling, Thomas Christianson, Otto Lee Grand, and Come On Oestergaard. For more Around Funen Race sailing information
J/Crews Sweep Mills Trophy Race
(Toledo, OH)- The 67.8nm Mills Cup Trophy Race is sponsored by the Toledo Yacht Club and Storm Trysail Club. The event is known as “THE” premier sailing race of the Lake Erie islands. Dating back to 1907, the original purpose of the event was to test the navigational skills of the Lake Erie sailors. Since then, the race has been held every year and has grown in popularity as most sailors in the region consider it THE pre-eminent “race to the party” at Put-in-Bay! The Put-in-Bay Yacht Club has become the social focal point for the event.
The Mills Trophy Race is held each year on the second weekend following Memorial Day. Three courses are offered, depending on class and boat rating, all begin near the Toledo Harbor Light and end at a finish line off of South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay). You can see what the courses look like on this chart.
For the legions of J/Sailors in the greater Detroit and Toledo region (Lake St. Claire and western Lake Erie), this regatta is one of the “must-do” events on every summer sailing calendar. Judging by the results, it would be safe to say that J/Sailors garnered more than their fair share of silverware, in fact gathering truckloads of silverware!
ORC A Division The dozen-boat ORC fleet saw Tim McGuire’s crew on the J/112E ELEVATION take the silver medal. Commented Tim on their success with the J/112E, “I LOVE this boat, anywhere we’ve sailed our J/112E, we somehow managed to get on the podium!”
PHRF A Division The seven-boat “big boat” class had Chris Saxton’s J/125 VORTICES from Bayview Yacht Club take the silver medal against a fleet of hot, turbo’d up offshore racers.
PHRF B Division The eight-boat class saw a complete sweep of the top five, and then some! Winning was John Harvey’s J/120 SLEEPING TIGER, followed by Matt Schaedler’s J/122 BLITZKRIEG in second, and Tim McGuire’s J/112E ELEVATION in third. Rounding out the top five was Ken Brown’s J/120 J-HAWKER in fourth and Tim Yanda’s J/120 VIVA LA VIDA in fifth position.
PHRF C Division This seven-boat class also saw another sweep of the top spots by J/crews. Winning was Brad D’Arcangelo’s J/109 CONSIG, followed by Mark DenUyl’s J/105 GOOD LOOKIN in second and Kashmir Racing’s J/105 KASHMIR taking the third step on the podium. Other crews included Kevin Lemonds’ J/109 JANINE in 5th and Chris Mallett’s J/109 SYNCHRONICITY in sixth.
PHRF E Division Matt Kern’s J/33 DISCOVER won her eight-boat class by a comfortable margin.
PHRF F Division In this nine-boat class, Anita Bersie-Chabalowski’s J/92 FAMILY TRUCKSTER finished fourth, followed by Chip Schaffner’s J/105 FALL LINE in fifth, and Jerry Porter’s J/105 RELENTLESS in sixth.
PHRF G Division Winning the six-boat class was the only J/Boats entry- the Atkinson/ Taylor duo on the J/30 WILDCAT! Follow the Mills Trophy Race on Facebook here For more Mills Trophy Race sailing information
Great Racing @ Cedar Point One-Design Regatta
(Cedar Point, CT)- The first weekend in June has traditionally been the first major one-design regatta for most offshore keelboat sailors on Long Island Sound. Hosted by the Cedar Point Yacht Club, this year’s event featured one-design classes for J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s.
J/109 Class For the fourteen-boat J/109 class, this regatta was an important “training & tuning” event before their upcoming J/109 North American Championship being held in cooperation with Storm Trysail Club’s biennial Block Island Race Week in the third week of June. In the end, five boats were engaged in a six-race battle for class supremacy and no one was giving an inch to each other. In the end, it was Adrian Begley’s MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN and David Rosow’s LOKI that ended up tied at 12 pts each for the lead! On countback, the MAD DOGGERS won with LOKI settling for the silver. Third only two points back was Bent & Marie Johansson’s ZIG ZAG, followed by John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT in fourth, and Bud Rogers’ BIG BOAT in fifth position.
J/105 Class There was a “new, but old Sheriff” back in town again after being absent from the class for a few years. To no one’s surprise, Damian Emery (remember his old ECLIPSE?) picked up a used boat and called it WARLOCK. It seemed they had a “lock” on first place, after running the table for four straight bullets! While Paul Beaudin’s LOU LOU team won the first two races, they simply could not hold back the “old Sheriff Emery” and settle for the silver medal. Rounding out the podium in third place was Gardner Horan’s CUSH.
J/88 Class In a somewhat similar fashion to Emery’s blitzkrieg of the 105s, Drew Hall’s NEVERMORE won the 88 class with five straight bullets and not having to sail the last race. Second with all deuces was Bill Purdy’s WHIRLWIND and rounding out the podium was Nicolas Delcourt’s OH JEE in third position. For more Cedar Point One-Design Regatta sailing information
Slow, Enchanting Susan Hood Trophy Race
(Port Credit, ONT, Canada)- The Susan Hood Trophy Race presented by driveHG, and hosted by Port Credit Yacht Club, usually known as the “Coolest Race” became the “Hottest Race” on the Lake with just under 80 boats at the start line and shirt sleeve weather for much of the ride.
After a near postponement at the start due to a storm cell in the area, all divisions started on time in good air. Then, as predicted by Ron Bianchi the local weather expert, and like most LOOR events, the fickle wind conditions tested everyone’s mettle and sanity all the way to the Niagara mark. Conditions stabilized for the run down to Burlington and in the early morning hours, the winds really settled in. That made for a splendid fetch to the finish line at PCYC.
This year’s Susan Hood Trophy Race provided racers with a bit of everything added to the challenge of a Lake Ontario race, albeit without the biting flys. Stories were told at the dock after the race around the boats of sleepless skippers and crew. They were all with smiling faces and a “where do I sign up for next year” attitude. No question, several J/Sailors were delighted by the outcome of the race.
In the PHRF Solo division, Ard Van Leeuwen’s J/112e HIGH TEA ended up second in class, followed by Evan Dinsmore’s J/99 SELKIES in third place!
Winning PHRF A division of eleven boats was Graham Toms’ J/120 THE CAT CAME BACK. Just off the pace was Bruce Pierce’s J/122 HOOLIGAN II, finishing seventh. Then, in the PHRF C division, Robert DeWitte’s J/100 PERSPECTIVE took fourth place just minutes from getting second place! For more LOOR Susan Hood Trophy Race sailing information
Segelclub Mattsee Tops Austrian J/70 League
(Vedlen am Woerthersee, Austria)- The Yacht Club Velden hosted the opening regatta for the ninth year of the Austrian Sailing League. Having adopted the J/70 as the nationwide sailing league platform, the level of sailing by Austrian sailors has increased significantly.
With the Segelclub Mattsee (SCM), the champion of the 2020 season, there was a deserved, albeit surprising, winner. Salzburg had a new skipper in the form of Leopold Fricke. Fricke brings with him experience with sailing J/70s in the German Bundesliga. This expertise was reflected in their strong performance, the SCM team finally secured victory in Velden with a two-point lead over the Union Yachtclub Attersee (UYCAs).
“We aimed for the top three, and it’s all the more gratifying that we’re in first place. Since the boys trained well and a lot, I felt welcome right from the start,” says Leopold Fricke from the winning team SCM.
The surprise of the weekend was provided by the Bregenz Sailing Club, both for the competition and for itself. The newcomers sailed a consistent series and won five races. A third place at the start provided a lot of self-confidence, the Bregenz SC team also secured the Austrian championship title in the J/70 class two weeks ago!
Skipper Klaus Diem from the Bregenz SC is naturally satisfied: “We are super happy about the re-entry. The format is great, the event is cool. It confirms the decision of our club to be back after 2018. Although we sail with J/70s in the club and have a certain amount of experience, we didn’t expect third place.”
All in all, the ninth season of the Austrian Sailing League promises exciting and tough competition. It continues from June 30th to July 2nd at the Attersee. The UYCAs home team, second here in Velden and last year in the overall rankings, definitely want to get back on the podium in front of their home crowd.
“We showed that the great results last year were no coincidence. You can count on us,” Martin Lux looks ahead with a fighting spirit. For more Austrian J/70 Sailing League information
Basedow Crowned @ Women’s J/70 HELGA Cup
(Hamburg, Germany)- The Hamburg Segelclub yet again welcomed women sailors from all over the world for the 6th edition J/70 HELGA CUP, sailing on the gorgeous and picturesque Alster Lake in the middle of Hamburg, Germany. For the 2023 edition, fifty-eight from eleven nations (Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, France, Estonia, Monaco) looked forward to sailing on matched J/70 one-design class sailboats over a three-day weekend.
In the end, Silke Basedow (above) was declared winner of the 2023 Helga Cup, the largest women’s regatta in the world, for the fourth time in a row with her team. Her team included Juliane Zepp, Maren Hohlbrock, and Marion Rommel, all members of Hamburger Segel-Club. The likable Hamburg native prevailed after a total of 81 races and received the winner’s trophy on Sunday afternoon from the hands of Kristina Vogel and Hamburg State Councilor Christoph Holstein.
Skipper Silke Basedow was overjoyed after winning the Helga Cup again, commenting “We are very happy that we have won again, now for the fourth time! And, at the same time, it was very close and I think that Team “Goldelsen” (2nd place) would have deserved it as well. We had a very exciting race. And, from that point of view, we are totally happy that it worked out. For us as a team, it was a good conclusion. Next year, I would like to support more on land and then I will no longer sail as a helmswoman. It was a great event, once again a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to participating in the Helga Cup again in my new role!”
Basedow has been appointed to the new “Helga Cup Board“ and will take care of the further development and strategic orientation of the Helga Cup. She will be working together with Nadine Löschke (43, Hamburg), Claudia Langenhan (48, Hamburg), Julia Kühn (25, Hamburg), and Dr. Anja Kamradt (58, Berlin).
The team “Goldelsen” with skipper Carla Gerlach from Berliner Yacht Club finished in second place and third place went to the women from the VSaW (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) with skipper Frederike Westphalen at the helm.
The sixth edition of the Helga Cup was once again a complete success. 58 crews from eleven nations delivered exciting races on Alster Lake in optimal sailing conditions for three days.
“We had Caribbean sailing conditions, sun, and wind, it doesn`t get any better than that,“ commented NRV club manager Klaus Lahme. “I would like to sincerely thank all the volunteer helpers, our race stewards Tina Buch and Jens Hahlbrock with their teams, and the Umpire Chief Manuel Hünsch and his team. Everyone did a fantastic job!“
During the official opening on Saturday evening, Senator of the Interior Andy Grote once again emphasized the special importance of the world’s largest women’s regatta for the City of Hamburg and the Active City movement.
Organizer Sven Jürgensen was also satisfied after three exhausting days of racing, “I am super happy and I am glad that we will continue to develop the Helga Cup in the future with a women’s team in the leadership. Six years of the Helga Cup have been a wonderful time and I am looking forward to supporting the team as an organizer for the Helga Cup 2024. We took another big step in 2023 by welcoming new women’s crews to their first regatta!“
The seventh edition of the Helga Cup will take place next year from June 6 to 9, 2024 on the Alster Lake, hosted yet again by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. Musical sailing highlights video
Sailing photo credits and gallery- Sven Jurgensen For more Helga Cup Regatta sailing information
YouTube.com sailing videos: Race day 1 (German & English)- 4 hours Race day 2 (German & English)- 4 hours
UPCOMING REGATTAS
Block Island Race Week Preview
(Block Island, RI)- Is it time for a block party? Yes! Indeed it’s that time of year on the New England sailing calendar. Of the 172 keelboat sailing teams participating for the week, 92 are J/Boats teams- over half the regatta! Unbridled passion for sailing… that is J/Boats sailors around the world!
The initial long-term forecast certainly looks promising. But, as everyone knows, things can change quickly when you’re on an island in the cool Atlantic Oceans waters offshore (e.g. fog!). And, for the always thrilling, amazingly picturesque, “Round Island Race”, the sailors will certainly pray for a “big breeze”…as has happened on several occasions in the past.
From June 19th to 23rd, it should be great racing for the large fleet of J/Crews, especially for the one-design classes of J/80s, J/88s, J/105s, J/109s, and J/44s.
J/44 Class The J/44 one-design class, having been established in 1990 by Capt. Nicholas Brown (former Commodore of New York YC) and Bob Johnstone as co-owners of IONA, are still strong after 33 years. Sailing this year are former NYYC Commodore Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE, Willets Meyer’s BEAGLE, Chris Lewis’s KENAI from Austin, TX, Bill Mooney’s KATANA, the US Merchant Marine’s KINGS POINT COMET, and the ladies- June & Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5.
J/109 North Americans Thirteen J/109s will be pointing their bows across the line to vie for 2023 J/109 North American Championship honors during Block Island Race Week! Many of the usual suspects and veterans will be in attendance, including Bud Rogers’ BIG BOAT, John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE, Bob Schwartz’s NORDLYS, and Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE.
J/88 East Coasts The five J/88s will be competing for their East Coast Championship over the five days of racing. Leading the charge may be Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, one of the top women’s helms in the entire regatta! Giving her a run for the money will be Dave Tufts’ GAUCHO, Ken & Drew Hall’s NEVERMORE, Nicolas Delcourt’s OH HEE, Dave Dennison’s PIRANHA, and Bill Purdy’s WHIRLWIND.
J/105 East Coasts With 25 teams registered, by far the largest fleet/class at Block Island will, again, be the J/105 class. With the J/105 North American Championship taking place in October 2023 at American Yacht Club, there’s no question most of the teams are using Block Island as a strong test of their team and as excellent training for boat handling, boat speed, and tactics. Watch for these teams to be at the top of the leaderboard: Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s ARBITRAGE-TRIFECTA, Gardner Horan’s CUSH, Bill Zartler’s DEJA VOODOO, John & Marisa Koten’s GRAY MATTER, Max Kalehoff’s LAURA BEA, Paul Beaudin’s LOU LOU, Kevin Fitzgerald’s RUM PUPPY, Dave Willis’ SOLUTI)ON, and Damian Emery’s WARLOCK.
J/80 Class For the first time in years, the J/80 class is fielding a one-design fleet of five boats. Several good teams are sailing, such as Brian Gibbs’ BLIND FAITH, Don Suter’s HOKUS POKUS, JR Maxwell’s SCAMP, the partiers on THE PARTY TREE from Newport, and Steve Parks’ VORPAL.
PHRF 1 Division Only one J/Team is sailing in the seven-boat PHRF 1 Division, Robert Littleto’s J/121 SHE’S NO LADY from Hyannis Yacht Club will be up against a pair of Farr 40s and a pair of Melges 32s… strange class!
PHRF 2 Division Sailing the nine-boat PHRF 2 division are four J/crews- Bill & Jackie Baxter’s J/111 FIREBALL, Abhijeet Lee’s J/111 VARUNA, Keith Amirault’s J/130 DRAGONFLY, and George Harrington’s J/112E #BIGSANDWICH.
PHRF 4 Division Traditionally a division that has been dominated by J/29s over the years, the nine-boat division will again have to contend with two J/29s- Jack McGuire’s DIRTY HARRY and Steve Thurston’s MIGHTY PUFFIN. Sadly, the fleet will be missing the antics of a guy named “Espo”! In addition, Robert Pogue’s J/92 NEVER SETTLE will be hoping to unseat the J/29s domination.
ORC 2 Division In the ORC 2 class, we find Ken Comerford’s J/121 DARK STORM and Matt Stokes’ J/133 BLUE JAY II taking on a fleet of four old decaying Swan 42s.
ORC 3 Division In the ORC 3 division, we find two J/111s (Andrew & Sedgwick Ward’s BRAVO and Ed Kaye’s PRAVDA), Al Minella’s J/112E THE ROCC, and Robin Teams incredibly successful J/122 TEAMWORK.
PERFORMANCE CRUISING DIVISIONS The format that has grown most spectacularly since the last race week is the one-race-per-day PHRF fleet using a combination of government marks and orange race marks. Starting later and finishing earlier than the “windward-leeward” 3 race per day course racers, this laid-back division embodies the spirit of Block Island- that Jimmy Buffet vibe of “Margaritaville”!
PHRF PC1 Division This huge 14-boat division is laden with talented teams, ten of which are J/Boats! There are three J/111s (Dave Wilson’s OBSIDIAN, John Pearson’s RED SKY, & Dave Curtiss’ WICKED 2.0), three J/122s (Don Dwyer’s BLUE YONDER, Constantine Baris’ DIRE WOLD, & Dan Heun’s MOXIEE), Erik Asgeirsson’s J/45 ACADIA, Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO, Brian Prinz’s J/125 SPECTRE, and Steve Brownie’s J/133 ASSARAIN IV. Wow! An impressive line-up of “top shelf” J/teams!
PHRF PC2 Division As another huge 15-boat division, half of them will be battling J/Teams! Three J/99s will be sailing (Jeff Johnstone’s UPBEAT, Kenn Fischburg’s WILD CHILD, & Steve Wadsworth’s TRIPLE WHISKEY) and three J/120s will be on the start line (Rick Hanson’s NO SURRENDER, Bill Klein’s SPOCK, & Chuck Murphy’s TRUANT).
PHRF PC3 Division Another large division of 14 boats will be sailing the PHRF pursuit race format, the slowest boat starts first, and all others chase them down based on their start times. In this fleet are two J/105s (Mudratz Youth Sailing on MAD BLUE & TJ Buckley & Paul von Maffei on SNOWBIRD), and Richard Eytel’s J/95 THE GRIN.
PHRF PC4 Non-Spin This 11-boat division is all white sails and in the pursuit race format, too. Sailing is Andrew Genser’s J/112E MACCABI and Peter Hilgendorff’s J/29 MEDDLER. For more Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week sailing information.
J/CUP UK Preview
(Hamble, England)- By invitation of Key Yachting, over fifty J/Boats are expected for the J/Cup UK, hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club. This will be the 24th edition of the J/Boats family gathering with exciting racing and fun ashore. The J/Cup will feature one-design racing for three classes and IRC Racing Classes for mixed fleets. Crews of family and friends will be rubbing shoulders with top professional sailors. At least ten different examples of the J/Boats range will be racing. The J/70, J/99, J/109, and J/111 will race as one-design classes following their Class Rules. The three-day regatta will feature both windward-leeward and round-the-cans racing.
Ashore, the Royal Southern Yacht Club is a superb venue for the regatta. Especially the modern marina, spacious main dining room, expansive al fresco Quarter Deck and Marquee. The purpose-built Clubhouse on the banks of the Hamble River will be regatta-central for après-sailing, including the final prize-giving dinner.
The largest J/Boat entered for the regatta is Mike Wallis’ highly successful J/122 JAHMALI. They will be competing on IRC handicap against the J/112E VALENTINA.
Several J/99s will be racing, including Vernon Bradley’s BLACK JACK and Kevin Taylor’s JUMP 2 IT. They will be joined by JACKPOT, JALAPENO, and JANX SPIRIT.
At least five J/92 and J/92S will be in action, including Robin Stevenson’s UPSTART from the Sussex YC. The top competition will come from David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO, second in class for the past two years, and Jack Banks’ NIGHTJAR.
A fleet of seven J/111s are sailing, including Tony & Sally Mack’s McFLY was one of the first teams to enter. Chris Jones & Louise Makin’s JOURNEYMAKER II have fond memories of many J/Cups and will be hoping to go one better than second last year. Paul Griffith’s JAGERBOMB was third in 2020 and will be competing, along with Cornel Riklin’s Royal Lymington YC team, racing JITTERBUG.
The J/109 Class will be out in force this year with eight teams. 2019 J/109 National Champion, John Smart’s JUKEBOX will be racing, as will several proven winners including Mike & Susie Yates’ JAGO, Anthony & William Tahourdin’s JEDI, David Richards’ JUMPING JELLYFISH, and Christopher Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN’. Joining them will be JENIE, JUNO, and JUST SO.
Over fifteen J/70s are expected to be competing including past World Champion, Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT, which will be going for a hat trick of wins for the J/Cup. The UK National Corinthian Champion, Charles Thompson’s BRUTUS II is racing and has been in fine form this season, as has Martin Dent’s JELVIS. Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth- PWPictures.com For more J/Cup UK sailing information
Edgartown Race Week Preview
(Edgartown, MA)- Edgartown Race Weekend starts June 15th with 17 teams sailing their first day of ‘Round-the-Sound (’RTS) races. All but six of those teams will move on to Saturday’s ‘Round-the-Island (’RTI) Race, where 51 teams are entered, and are certain to benefit from the lively ‘RTS tune-up.
New last year, the ’RTS races (one scheduled for each day) are scored separately from the ’RTI with separate prizes given. They comprise coastal sprints of between 11 and 19 nautical miles around various government buoys within Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds, while the ‘RTI, in its 86th year, is a 55-nautical-mile circumnavigation of the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Starting just outside Edgartown Harbor on Saturday morning at 8 a.m., it is one of America’s oldest distance races and a marquee event for its host Edgartown Yacht Club.
Teams competing hail from across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire, and from as far away as Maryland, Florida, California, and the British Virgin Islands. There are two classes for ‘RTS: PHRF Spinnaker and PHRF Non-Spinnaker. There are seven for ‘RTI: Spinnaker A, B, C, and D, Non-Spinnaker, Double-Handed Spinnaker, and Multihull.
Spectators will be able to view the ‘RTI action from the island’s coastal vantage points as the fleet sails clockwise around the island, first between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket along the east beach of Chappaquiddick, and then in the open Atlantic Ocean around midday with views of the south coast of the Vineyard. In the afternoon, it will round the gorgeous cliffs of Gay Head before sailing up Vineyard Sound to the finish near the mouth of Edgartown Harbor (if not shortened due to weather conditions).
Competitors will enjoy magnificent views of cliffs, headlands, towns, and open water as they play the tidal currents, manage wind effects, and pass within sight of seven lighthouses: Cape Poge, Gay Head, Tarpaulin Cove, Nobska, West Chop, East Chop, and Edgartown.
Sailing will be Alan Fougere’s magnificent J/160 AVATAR, Ross McCaig’s J/30 OFF PISTE, three J/109s (Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING, Bart Massucco’s LYRIC, & Ed Dailey’s RAPTOR), two J/105s (Joyce/ Reservitz/ Wagner’s DARK’N’STORMY & Bob Ryan’s RESTLESS), Phil Stathos’ J/110 AIRBENDER, Olwen Huxley’s J/35 RESILIENCE, Steve Dahill’s J/35C RIVA, two J/120s (Stephen Besse’s APRES & Bob Reifeiss’ MURMUR), Jim Coggeshall’s J/121 CEILIDH, and Greg Morse’s J/122 ORION.
Sponsors of Edgartown Race Weekend are Mount Gay Rum, North Sails, J Boats, Regatta Craft Mixers, and Team One Newport. For more information on Edgartown Race Weekend, go to www.rtirace.org or contact Margaret Passafiume, [email protected], (508) 627-4364 x18. Follow the regatta on Facebook and Instagram.
Cleveland Race Week Preview
(Cleveland, OH)- Cleveland Race Week (CRW) has been one of the largest sailing regattas on Lake Erie and one of the largest in the country. The annual event has been hosted by Edgewater Yacht Club for over 40 years and attracts dozens of boats from across the United States and Canada. Sailing this year are J/70 and J/105 classes. Sailors always seem to enjoy visiting that “pyramid” above- the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In the J/105 class of seven boats are several familiar teams, such as Stuart Butcher’s HIGHLANDER, Ron & Chris Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY, Ton & Cindy Einhouse’s OVATION, Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED, and Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE.
Sailing the seven-boat J/70 class are David Kerr’s USA 1516, Chris Kuhn’s KOKOMO, Ted & Chris Pinkerton’s SIDE HUSTLE, Tod Sackett’s USA 131, Brian & Jeff Williams’ AFTERBURNER, and Seth Young’s TOOTING SEAL. For more Cleveland Race Week sailing information
RORC Morgan Cup Race Preview
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- Starting on the 16th of June, over 90 boats are set for the Morgan Cup Race from Cowes, IOW to Dartmouth, Devon. The Morgan Cup is the tenth race of the RORC Season’s Points Championship, the largest racing series in the world of offshore racing.
The impressive RORC fleet will gather off Cowes IOW for the first start at 1800 on June 16th. Race fans will get a superb view of all three starts from Cowes Parade. Close to 500 sailors will be taking part from Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
IRC One- HOT Class! The Morgan Cup is the first event in the newly established Performance 40 offshore program, Twenty-six boats are entered in IRC One. High performers for the season racing to Dartmouth include Michael O’Donnell’s J/121 DARKWOOD (IRL), Derek Shakespeare’s J/122 BULLDOG (GBR), and Gilles Fournier & Corinne Migraine’s J/133 PINTIA (FRA). Joining them are Henry Ayres J/160 JEU D’ESPRIT and Clive Miles’ J/122E JANGLE.
IRC Three Division With at least 12 different designs racing in IRC Three, the class is the most diverse in the race. Rob Cotterill’s J/109 MOJO RISIN’ has a chance to move up to second in class for the season with a good Morgan Cup result. Joining them are Bill Stock’s J/109 JENGU, Mark Kendall & Tom Holloway’s J/99 JIRO, and Mary Sturgess’ J/105 JALDI.
IRC Doublehanded Division With twenty boats, it’s anything goes in this fleet that ranges from 32 to 43 footers. The J/Boats contingent includes the Kendall/Holloway duo on the J/99 JIRO, Mary Sturgess’ J/105 JALDI, and Clive Miles’ J/122E JANGLE.
A warm welcome awaits the RORC fleet at the Royal Dart Yacht Club. Founded in 1866, the Royal Dart Clubhouse is located in Kingswear on the banks of the River Dart. Competitors are welcome to the club bar and dining area with a riverside terrace. The overall winner after IRC time correction will be awarded The Morgan Cup at the Royal Thames Prizegiving Dinner. The sterling silver trophy dates back to 1929 and was donated to the Royal Thames Yacht Club by the JP Morgan family. The Morgan Cup Race first appeared in the RORC program in 1958. For more Royal Ocean Racing Club Morgan Cup sailing information
J/Community
What J/Sailors, friends, and family are doing around the world
Women in the 50th Rolex Fastnet Race
Before the last few editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race, we have featured some of the key women competing in that year’s event, demonstrating how female participation in offshore yacht racing is very much alive at every level. For example, what percentage of the fleet would you think are women? In 2021 it was nearly 13.0%.
Despite being the youngest woman featured here, aged 19, Tinka Visser from Groningen, Netherlands has accumulated considerable experience.
She comes from a sailing family and went through the usual Optimist and Laser classes before getting into keelboat racing in a big way from the age of 16.
She spent a year as part of Dutch round-the-world sailor Hans Bouscholte’s VO60 Boudragon campaign, culminating in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race.
She commented on her experience; “After school, the ball was rolling and I ended up on the Swan 65 King Legend and did races and some deliveries with that.”
Her network got even wider when during her gap year she spent time at Doyle Sails UK. This provided her the opportunity to race on the J/109 aboard which she is competing in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race.
“I have heard lots of stories about the Fastnet Race,” she says. “My parents did it a lot of times in the past so I have heard about the rough conditions. Two years ago at the start, there was a lot of wind and big waves, but after that it was alright – it was not comfortable. I expected it to be rougher.”
While on the VO60 they raced with 18, she is looking forward to a more intimate race with eight on Christopher Burleigh’s J/109 JYBE TALKIN. This again is a family affair with his son Matthew and daughter Kat also racing. “I met them through a friend at Cowes Week and sailed with them for two days. We stayed in touch and then I saw they were planning to do the Fastnet…”
Despite her tender age, she says that the secret is “to have the connections, to know people, then it is like a snowball effect. Part of it is your character – if you are open and you want to help and are open to feedback that is how you get along with people. It doesn’t matter whether you are a man or woman.”
Aside from her imminent Rolex Fastnet Race, Visser is currently studying Educational Science.
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
