Month: August 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NO SURPRISE Wins J/111 Great Lakes Championship
(Harbor Springs, MI)- Hosted by Little Traverse YC in Harbor Springs, MI, the 61st annual Ugotta Regatta was blessed with simply spectacular sailing conditions for all three days of the regatta. No matter what the weather prognosticators foreordain for the day, the fabled “sea breeze” almost always develops just after noon time and builds into the 10 to 15 kts range IF there is any semblance of sun. Well, there was plenty of sun all three days. And, each day the fabled sea breeze “engine” kicked into high gear and drew whatever gradient breeze from the southwest or northwest into the bay into the 265 to 300-degree range. The sailors weren’t complaining, that’s for sure!
The regatta is popular for J/sailors since it included the J/70, J/120, and J/111 one-design classes (celebrating their  Great Lakes Championship). In addition, strong participation of J/Teams in ORC & PHRF handicap racing. 

The fourteen-boat J/70 class was a fight to the very end by the two Lake Minnetonka teams from Wayzata, MN. In the end, it was Dick Kalow’s SUPERIOR 1 team over Bryce Kalow’s SUPERIOR 2 for the top of the podium. Taking third was Chicagoan John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA, followed by Texan Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE in 4th and Laura Sigmond’s Chicago crew on NORBOY in  5th place. 
With seven boats, the J/120s had very close one-design racing. The winner was determined by a tie-breaker with both teams posting 1-2 finishes. By winning the Sunday finale, Ken Brown’s J-HAWKER won the class over Mike & Bob Kirkman’s HOT TICKET. Third went to John Harvey’s SLEEPING TIGER with two 3rds. 

The huge turnout of J/111s for their Great Lakes Championship of a dozen boats produced very tight competition. It all came down to the final race. Winning was Scott Sellers’s NO SURPRISE, with Blane Shea’s STRIKING BACK taking the silver medal. Third place was determined by a tie-breaker between Ed Kriese’s WILDCAT and George Golder’s TERRIER. Winning that countback to take the bronze medal was Kriese’s WILDCAT. 
In the ORC C Division of eight boats, Matt Schaedler’s J/122 BLITZKRIEG took the bronze medal, while Matt Songer’s J/122 EVVAI ended up in 5th place. 
The eleven-boat PHRF C Division saw the J/88s dominate the top five. Second was Andy Graff’s EXILE, followed by Lindsey Duda’s SIN DUDA in 3rd, Dan Floberg’s MISTY in 4th, and Justin Acker’s McQUEEN in 5th place. SAILING PHOTO CREDITS- Gretchen Dorian. For more Little Traverse YC Ugotta Regatta sailing information 

Long-time J/Boats Fan & Leader of a Top J/Boats Dealer
(Harbor Springs, MI)- Irish Boat Shop announced this week that company President Michael Esposito will be retiring at the end of 2023. Esposito joined the staff of Irish Boat Shop in 1994 and has served as President since 2007. Esposito has sailing in his blood. According to a news release issued by Irish Boat Shop (see full release below), he was born in Westerly, Rhode Island. His early sailing experiences, such as serving as a Sailing Instructor at the University of Rhode Island, quickly grew into major involvements in competitive sailing.  
These sailing experiences included being part of the team of AMERICA II with John Kolius, the New York Yacht Club’s entry in the 1986 America’s Cup competition. His early years in Rhode Island included prominent events such as the Midget Ocean Racing Conference (MORC) Nationals, Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC), Block Island Race Week, the Newport-Bermuda Race, and the Onion Patch series. 
Given that sailing experience and the fact that he has been a part of nearly 30 Ugotta Regattas in Harbor Springs, this newspaper asked Esposito to reflect on the big sailing weekend here in Harbor Springs. 
HARBOR: You will have been at Irish Boat Shop for almost 30 Regattas. What, if anything, has changed over those years? What has stayed the same? 
ESPO: The level of competition has increased, not so much that today’s sailors are better, but the introduction of One-Design classes into the event has naturally raised the bar and brought top-level competition from literally around the world. The Little Traverse Yacht Club, the City Marina, and Irish have worked hard to streamline the running of this event; LTYC on the water, and IBS and the City Marina with land-side support. The same, it’s still a bunch of people going out to race sailboats and coming back to celebrate and tell stories together. 
HARBOR: You came to Irish Boat Shop, and Dave Irish, with your strong sailing background. How important was that background to the career you made at Irish Boat Shop? 
ESPO: It was important to Dave Irish, and really what else mattered? Irish Boat Shop was for many years a sailboat yard, which has changed over the years as people and boats have changed. But, being the sailboat experts in Northern Michigan is still something that makes us special. Nothing highlights this fact better than our team’s ability to keep 80-year-old wooden NMs sailing and actively racing on Little Traverse Bay year after year. 
HARBOR: Reflecting on the late Dave Irish, what do you recall about the man, the sailor, the citizen that he was, and how did he influence the way you moved forward in your turn at the helm of IBS? 
ESPO: Big question. I had the pleasure of working almost every day with Dave for about 27 years before he “gybed away”; and I learned a lot. Dave wasn’t perfect, but he was honest, trustworthy, worked on a handshake, was direct, he was a teacher and Mentor. Dave truly cared about the people that work at The Boat Shop. I don’t know how many times we would talk through some situation, with me hoping he would tell me what to do, or tell me the right decision. But, that’s not how it worked. I would leave knowing that if I did my homework, my decision would be the best possible. Mostly, he was an accomplished and passionate sailboat racer that gave back to the sport and the community 10 times over. 
HARBOR: Irish Boat Shop, along with the Little Traverse Yacht Club, has always been kind of the center of the Regatta – the Friday night welcoming party and custom regatta t-shirts are part of the long tradition. Was that a legacy of Dave’s? He was a sailor at heart and obviously raced in many regattas and Mac races. How important is it to continue that tradition? How have you embraced the Regatta on the part of Irish Boat Shop over the years as President? 
ESPO: Dave’s legacy includes many things, but I think the Friday night party and custom regatta t-shirts are just something we do because people seem to enjoy them. Although both predate me, I do believe they are an important part of the Irish identity and hope they will continue in future years. I have embraced the regattas, as it’s something we do very well. I’ve done my best to make them safe, fun, and memorable for those sailing as well as the community. Over the years we have fine-tuned the “dance” that is regatta, there are a lot of moving parts that week and my goal was for the event to go off seamlessly for the participants while having a positive impact on the community. 
HARBOR: What is it about sailing, about seeing those spinnakers and full sails on the Bay, that makes it special to you? 
ESPO: What LTYC does each year is impressive. Our job at Irish is to provide any support they might need to make it all work. Of course, it’s a beautiful sight and sometimes I wish I was out there sailing (do you know I have never sailed in the regatta?). But, at least while working at Irish Boat Shop, my responsibilities were on land. You know, Dave hired me so he could go sailing; that was pretty much my job description: “Run the place, so I can go sailing”! 
Irish Boat Shop release:Mike Esposito is set to retire as President of Irish Boat Shop at the end of 2023. Esposito joined the staff of Irish Boat Shop in 1994 and has served as President since 2007. 
“It was a privilege to have worked with Dave Irish daily and then be given the opportunity to serve and lead Irish Boat Shop for these many years,” said Esposito. “It’s also been an absolute blast. I believe Irish Boat Shop has made a difference in the lives of its employees, and the communities we work in, and in protecting the waters of Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes basin. There is no better place to work, play and raise a family,” said Esposito. “I’ll miss coming to the Boat Shop every day to engage with our team and customers after almost 30 years, and I’m proud that Irish Boat Shop is prepared for another 60+ years of helping people have fun with their boats.” 
Esposito’s leadership of Irish Boat Shop was a key element of growth for the company. During his time as President, marina facilities in both Harbor Springs and Charlevoix were modernized and improved for customers, employees, and the communities in which the company operates. 
Under Esposito’s leadership, a new Irish Boat Shop sales and service facility was started in Traverse City, Michigan. Esposito was hired by the late Dave Irish, who started Irish Boat Shop in 1961. 
After serving as Vice President & General Manager, Esposito was chosen by Irish and the Irish Boat Shop Board of Directors to become President and succeed Irish in the role. 
“Michael has done a wonderful job of carrying on with the goals and values of my father, Dave Irish,” said Irish Boat Shop Board Chair Susan Irish Stewart. “My dad wanted the Boat Shop to care for boats so people can have fun boating. Michael has made this his principal focus in leading the company so the Boat Shop can continue this mission into the future.”
Esposito was born in Westerly, Rhode Island. His early sailing experiences, such as serving as a Sailing Instructor at the University of Rhode Island, quickly grew into major involvements in competitive sailing. These sailing experiences included being part of the team of ‘America II,” the New York Yacht Club’s entry in the 1986 America’s Cup competition. 
His early years in Rhode Island included prominent events such as the Midget Ocean Racing Conference (MORC) Nationals, Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC), Block Island Race Week, the Newport-Bermuda Race, and the Onion Patch series. 
After earning a BA degree in Economics from the University of Rhode Island, Esposito was hired by J/World  in Newport, RI as a sailing instructor and taught racing in J/24 sailboats, a popular sailboat produced by worldwide sailboat producer J/Boats. Irish Boat Shop is a J/Boat dealer to this day. 
During his time with J/World, Esposito qualified for racing in the Mallory Cup, J/24 North American Championships, and J/24 World Championships. In fact, “Espo” sailed US Sailing’s Mallory Cup with brothers Stu and Drake Johnstone, sailing J/24s at Chicago Yacht Club on Lake Michigan. It was a great regatta for them, taking second place in the men’s national offshore championship- the Mallory Cup- was a memorable adventure for Mike. 
After some deferred travel, Esposito and his wife, Deborah Esposito plan to keep Harbor Springs their home. 
“It’s great to be a part of a long line of distinguished retirees from Irish Boat Shop,” said Esposito. “It is something we take pride in, caring for our employees while they work here, and helping to set them up for success in a well-deserved retirement. I’m happy to have spent my career in the marine industry and, specifically, with Irish Boat Shop.” 
Irish Boat Shop operates full-service marinas with service, repair, restoration, dockage, and storage in Harbor Springs and Charlevoix, Michigan. The company operates a sales, service, and storage facility in Traverse City, Michigan. The company is a dealer of premium brand boats including Boston Whaler, Nautique, Chaparral, Premium Pontoons, J/Boats, RS Sailing, and Zodiac. The company is a major broker of previously owned boats on the Great Lakes. Irish Boat Shop is a Great Lakes Service Center for Hinckley Yachts. Irish Boat Shop is an American Marine Industry Certified “Clean Marina.” 

(Santa Barbara,    CA)- The end of July in Southern California offshore circles marks the traditional start for the 90.0nm sprint down the SoCal coastline from Santa Barbara to King’s Harbor on Point Vicente/ Palos Verdes off Los Angeles. The race is hosted by Santa Barbara Yacht Club and Kings Harbor Yacht Club. This particular year was yet another astonishing example of how climate change is affecting our environment. While wildfires are burning all over Canada and California, the hot dry air sweeping inland is also affecting offshore winds. 
As a result, winds died overnight and longer into the morning than anticipated. So, boats that projected 10-12 hours actually took 18-20 hours! Over 30 of the 85 entered boats retired due to the lack of wind. Here is how it all went down in the various divisions. 
ULDB B DivisionThe J/125 JAVELIN sailed by Dan Murphy beat the J/125 ARGO 4, sailed by the duo of Kenny Kieding & John Vincent, by 2 minutes to win the class. JAVELIN also placed 5th in ORR and Overall.
ULDB C DivisionThis fleet was the domain of the J/111s. Second was Doug & Jack Jorgensen’s PICOSA, followed by John Staff’s black OBSIDIAN in 3rd, Brian Ganz’s ZOOM in 4th, and Derek Heeb’s GURLI in 6th place. So, the simple math follows- 90.0nm and 23.9 hours of sailing = 3.77 kts average! Just rippin’ up that race track, hahaha. The J/125s were only 2 hours faster on elapsed time, just say’in.  
PHRF A DivisionIn the eight-boat fleet, it was Mark Stratton’s J/122 CHEEKY that took the bronze medal. 
PHRF B DivisionIn the nine-boat fleet, it was David Gorney’s J/105 NO COMPROMISE that took home the silver medal, while Jack Mayer’s J/109 ZEPHYR missed “the chocolates” by a mere 3 minutes corrected time to settle for 4th place!
PHRF C DivisionThe nine-boat group saw Tom Bollay’s J/105 ARMIDA take the silver, while David Bew’s J/100 KANANI took 4th and Robert Kraak’s J/105 SOPHIA finished 5th. j
PHRF D DivisionThe ten-boat class saw Dave Newland’s J/92 DREAMLINE take 2nd and their sistership DOUBLE DOWN sailed by Brian Kerr took 5th place. 
ORC DivisionSeveral boats that had ORC certificates were scored as a fleet overall. J/Teams faired quite well under the ORC handicap calculations, perhaps a bit more fair than the SoCal PHRF numbers!  
Five J/crews finished in the top 10 in ORC Overall. Seconds went to the J/92 DREAMLINE, third to J/92 DOUBLE DOWN, fifth to J/125 JAVELIN, eighth to J/111 OBSIDIAN, and tenth to the J/122 CHEEKY. That is truly an interesting distribution of a variety of designs!  Sailing photo credits- Lisa Bronitt Photography   For more Santa Barbara to Kings Harbor Race sailing information