J/Newsletter- March 8th, 2023
Sailing is a sport that has traditionally been dominated by men, but that’s starting to change. More and more women are taking to the seas, proving they’re just as capable of handling a J/Boat as their male counterparts. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s important to acknowledge the progress that has been made in making sailing more inclusive and to highlight the vital role that women play in the sport.
In this week’s news, we reflect on the history of J/Boats and the support from company co-founders and brothers Bob and Rod Johnstone. Their passion for sailing and innovative designs have revolutionized the sailing industry, and their commitment to equity and balance in the sport of sailing is unwavering.
Pip Hare, a renowned woman sailor from Great Britain and advocate for gender equality in sailing, also joins in on this celebration. In a video commentary, she highlights the importance of including women in sailing and creating an environment of equal opportunity for all. Pip’s passion for sailing and advocacy for gender equality has inspired many, and her efforts continue to make a difference in the sailing community.
To further support the inclusion of women in sailing, Yachting World and J/U.K. have collaborated with Pip Hare to produce a video series called “How to Sail Doublehanded.” The series is designed to help sailors of all levels learn the skills needed to sail doublehanded, allowing them to enjoy the experience of cruising and ocean voyaging without the complications of the extra crew. This series is just one of the many ways in which J/Boats is promoting equity and balance in sailing.
The J/70 Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse was hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco, bringing together a fleet of fifty-one J/70 class sailboats from eight nations. The regatta marked the conclusion of the 10th Monaco J/70 Winter Sportsboat Series and showcased the incredible talent and skill of the sailors. The event was a testament to the strength and diversity of the J/Boats community, with several all-women J/70 teams and many mixed teams with at least one or more women as crew or skippers.
The Heineken St. Maarten Regatta was another opportunity for sailors to come together and celebrate the joy of sailing. With a fleet of nearly 100 boats sailing in the gorgeous aquamarine waters of the Caribbean in sunny, warm, 10-15 kt easterly trade winds, the regatta was all about “Serious Fun.” The event highlighted the camaraderie and passion that exists within the sailing community, including the participation of a talented young teenage girl that skippered a J/70 in the toughest division in the regatta.
The Bacardi J/70 Invitational Regatta is taking place in Miami, Florida, on the sparkly emerald-blue waters of Biscayne Bay. Thirty-four J/70s are enjoying beautiful sailing and very tight racing.
The Spanish J/70 fleet is also growing stronger year by year. The recent conclusion of the Villalia J/70 Winter Series in Vigo, Spain on the Atlantic coast and the Barcelona J/70 Winter Series in Barcelona, Spain on the Mediterranean is showing how strong their fleet is getting. Many teams are focused on preparation for the upcoming 2024 J/70 World Championship in Palma Mallorca, Spain.
In San Francisco, California, the California Dreamin’ Match Race Series completed Act II. Hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in their fleet of matched J/22 one-design sailboats, the series showcased the incredible talent of the sailors. The host club’s top women sailor and match-racer, Nicole Breault, easily won the series, demonstrating the competitive spirit and skill of her all-women’s team.
Upcoming Events: Looking ahead, there are many exciting events on the horizon for J/Boats enthusiasts. J/Boats Australia recently announced that J/24s, J/70s, and J/99s will compete in three of the thirteen divisions in the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta. The event, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club, is scheduled to be held on March 4th and 5th, 2023. This is a great opportunity for sailors to watch the J/Boats in action and experience the thrill of competitive one-design sailing.
The Yacht Club de Monaco is also hosting a new regatta called the Women Leading Sailing Trophy Regatta in collaboration with the Fédération Monégasque de Voile and the Fédération Française de Voile. This event is part of the Principality of Monaco’s “Capital of Advanced Yachting” initiative and is scheduled for March 25th and 26th, 2023. The Women Leading Sailing Trophy Regatta is a 100% women’s J/70 regatta that celebrates the importance of women in sailing and promotes gender equality in the sport.
In Texas, the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook is hosting the 2023 J/105 Midwinter Championship for a fleet of eight boats from across Texas, also known as the “Texas Winter Shootout”. The racing will take place from March 9th to 12th on Galveston Bay.
The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, the Beverly Yacht Club, and the Blue Water Sailing Club have also announced that registration is open for their 645 nm. biennial Marion Bermuda Race, scheduled to start on June 16, 2023. A new division for a Performance Class and ORR Performance Curve scoring will appeal to many J/Boats owners of racer-cruisers from the J/35 to J/160. This race promises to be a thrilling event for sailors who enjoy long-distance racing and the adventure of open-water sailing.
Overall, these upcoming events provide an excellent opportunity for J/Boats enthusiasts to experience the excitement and camaraderie of competitive sailing. The events celebrate the accomplishments of women in sailing and promote the importance of gender equality in the sport.
J/Boats & Pip Hare Celebrating International Women’s Day
(Newport, RI)- As long-time advocates of equal opportunity for all in the amazing sport of sailing, J/Boats celebrates the participation of women in sailing all over the world on International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2023.
The history of J/Boats support for women’s sailing dates back to its co-founder’s activity in sailing as married couples. Both Bob J. and Rod J. sailed often with their wives in all kinds of boats from dinghies to keelboats since the late 1950s.
Bob Johnstone Bob J. met his wife Mary on a dock at Hay Harbor Club on Fisher’s Island in the summer of 1953. Subsequently, they married and sailed often with their growing family, cruising in Maine for 10+ years straight. As their kids grew into their teenage years, sons Stu and Drake sailed 470s while Mom & Dad sailed 470s, too. Sometimes, Mary steered the trapeze boat with Bob J. on the wire (no “tea-bagging, please, OK honey?)! Imagine that! LOL!
With everyone growing older, the move to keelboats was inevitable. As a family, the first keelboat was a Rainbow called “C-Bird”, the crew of Bob & Mary, and the “cookie monsters” (Stu, Drake, Helen, and Peter). Then Solings with Bob, Mary, and Stu. That didn’t last long, since the “fat guys” killed us once it was a hiking breeze.
Later, with kids now in college, Rod J. designed and built an innovative 24-footer in his garage that became the J/24 (above- Rod J and Mary sailing RAGTIME above off Stonington). Soon, brothers Bob and Rod co-founded J/Boats to market the J/24. After the remarkable, early success of the J/24, which included a LOT of women sailors as crew and skippers at the time, it was back to proactively including more women in sailing in 1985.
Daughter Helen “aka Wheels” loved sailing J/24s with her girlfriends (above) and was quite successful in the famous J/24 Fleet #50 in Newport, RI- famous for producing over a dozen-plus J/24 World Champions (Ken Read, Brad Read, Jens Hookanson, Tim Healey, John Mollicone, etc, etc). The occasion that rocked the world of women’s sailing was the creation of the inaugural IYRU Women’s World Keelboat Championship in 1985. Hosted by Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island, 35 women’s teams from a dozen nations sailed the first women’s keelboat worlds in a fleet of J/24s! Since that time, many more women’s worlds were sailed in J/24s and J/22s.
Rod Johnstone Rod J. met his wife Lucia while sailing at various events at the Wadawanuck Club in Stonington, CT. Incredibly, the two of them followed a somewhat similar path as Bob and Mary J., sharing a passion and love for sailing with each other and their families, as well as an extended network of friends around the world.
Rod and Lucia also sailed dinghies, starting in the 470s like Bob and Mary. They also sailed the International 505 dinghy class, a very powerful, very fast, planing, trapeze boat. Lucia was fast and nimble on the wire. But, after a few years of “living in a wet suit on a wire”, she decided it was not exactly her “cup of tea”. She volunteered to stay ashore or watch from a powerboat while Rod sailed with his son Jeff. Recognizing this meant leaving the family behind, Rod ultimately decided to create a boat that could include sailing with the whole family, too. Yes, that decision presciently led to creating that homemade 24-foot garage rocketship that became the J/24 (seen above on launching day). Rod loved the planing speeds of the 505, so his new creation was an attempt to mimic that thrill in a small keelboat that could plane, too.
In short, it can be said the J/24 was the “big brother” to the 505, but with a 935 lb. lead keel, and bunks inside to go daysailing and cruising in comfort! Hahaha… yes, I can hear you all laughing now. But, true story! Lucia loved the idea so much she apparently said, “I’m commissioning her, she’s mine!”
In the first year of J/24 production, Bob J and Rod J sailed their J/24s at Block Island Race Week and both stayed on board, sleeping on them every night for a week with the full crew! Rod and Lucia and the two boys- Jeff and Al. Bob with son Stu J., David Curtis (yup, that guy who won multiple Worlds in Lightnings, Etchells, J/24s), and Major Hall (Sunfish World Champion). Famously, those two J/24s went 1-2 in their very tough MORC class at the time.
Rod and Lucia often cruised their J/24s and all subsequent J’s from Stonington to Maine and back. Lucia loves sailing in the peace and quiet offshore and often enjoys steering the boats. She still does today, having been sailing their new J/9 daysailer a lot!
J/Composites & J/Boats Europe Ironically, the creation of J/Composites in France as the European partner/builder of J/Boats also had its founding because of the inclusion of a women’s keelboat division in the first IYRU World Championship sailed in La Rochelle, France in 1994. J/Boats Europe founder- Stu Johnstone- partnered with the IYRU to supply a dozen J/24s (from Italy) for the Men’s division and a dozen J/22s (from South Africa) for the Women’s division.
Appreciating such visionary initiatives, a top French sailor and boat builder- Didier Le Moal- approached Stu J. about becoming a partner for J/Boats in Europe during the 1994 IYRU Worlds. The rest, as they say, is history. Didier became the long-time partner for J/Boats in Europe and he, too, also supported multiple initiatives in France and the rest of Europe to support women’s sailing ever since.
As Didier commented, “women love to sail J’s because they are easy to sail. They’re not intimidating and they are a lot of fun to sail in any weather, whether it’s light and flat, or big winds and waves. Women appreciate and enjoy the “feel” of the helm on a good sailing boat, too!”
Segue to today, and you see J/22s, J/24s, and J/80s being sailed in Women’s World Match Race Championships around the world. And, with the advent of J/70 sailing leagues taking the world by storm, the level of equity and inclusivity for women, in particular, has skyrocketed into the stratosphere!
WOW (Women On Water) Series Around Europe, there are now twelve nations (Germany, Sweden, Finland, Monaco, Norway, Denmark, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, & Switzerland) hosting WOW (Women On Water) sailing league events on J/70 class sailboats for thousands of women sailors every summer.
In fact, Yacht Club de Monaco has also announced the inaugural “Women Leading Sailing Trophy” that will take place from March 25-26, 2023. Sailing is in J/70s. See the announcement below.
Pip Hare Celebrates Women in Sailing Experiencing this phenomenon herself is a famous British woman offshore sailor and pioneer- Pip Hare. She has been collaborating with J/U.K. and Yachting World to produce a “how to sail doublehanded” video series (see more below).
Here is Pip Hare’s commentary on #womensailing on International Women’s Day- March 8th, 2023. “On this International Women’s Day, I want to celebrate what embracing equity and balance brings to a team.”
Watch her video here on Facebook.
How to Sail Doublehanded: Pip Hare
(Hamble, England)- Doublehanded sailing is gaining in popularity across many disciplines – from the recent boom in doublehanded racing, both inshore and offshore, to boats designed for couples to cruise two-up. We now regularly see crews of two managing all sizes of boats, and sailing them with the same efficiency and expectations as full crews.
Sailing doublehanded allows you to enjoy the experience of cruising and ocean voyaging without the complications of the extra crew. It can be tiring, and sometimes tricky, but you can make it so much easier if your yacht is set up carefully in advance and you understand the techniques that will ease the burden on two people.
With this in mind, Yachting World and singlehanded ocean racer Pip Hare have launched a new series that covers some of the key maneuvers with a crew of two.
Demonstrating each maneuver sailing doublehanded on a J/99, Pip talks through how to minimize risk, prepare for success, and shares expert tips for advancing your technique.
She will look at spinnaker skills, as well as handling Code 0s, upwind sailing, and reefing techniques. There’s also a video to demonstrate each technique.
Yachting World and Pip Hare Doublehanded Sailing Skills series.
Doublehanded Series on YouTube:
Playlist- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Ch3lKZPY6LtcHdbFej_AbiFXGw60Zg2
Guide to spinnaker hoists- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upRuKfvLSQw
Guide to inside gybes- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_b0Acvr6Io
Guide to outside gybes- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0rKQRC4U_I
Guide to dropping an asymmetric spinnaker- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btIEnPfiVpM
Learn more about Pip Hare’s yachting experience here.
ALICE Crowned J/70 Primo Cup Champion!
JUNDA wins the Overall J/70 Winter Series!
(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- One of the great Mediterranean classics, since its launch in 1985 by HSH Prince Albert II, President of the Yacht Club de Monaco, the Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse has hosted the creme-de-la-creme of European one-design racing.
This year again, over 300 sailors chose to kick off their season in Monaco, with fifty-one J/70 teams competing in the regatta from eight nations (Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Great Britain, France, Germany, and the USA). Remarkably, the Swiss outnumbered all other participating nations with eighteen teams, more than the host YC Monaco’s fourteen teams!
Day Two- Saturday After having to postpone the first day of racing on Friday, four races were completed in a lovely breeze on the second day. There are days when all conditions are met from start to finish, with a flat azure-blue sea, a steady 8-10 knot southwesterly, and an unchanging race course.
In the J/70 class, with many competing for the fourth and final Act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, it was impossible to ignore talents such as those on G-SPOT. With a brilliant track record at the event, YC Monaco’s Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio, G-SPOT’s owner/ skipper, led with a masterful hand, his crew working in perfect harmony to take the lead in the provisional ranking. Sitting nine points back and tied for 2nd were two top Italian teams- Federico Leproux’s ALICE and Allesandro Mollia’s VIVA.
In the J/70 Corinthian category, the Swiss on RHUBARB-3NUITS.COM skippered by Lorenz Kausche topped the leaderboard ahead of Damian Michelier’s French team on SAGE ENGINEERS and the Swiss team on Nick Zeltner’s QUARTER2ELEVEN.
Day Three- Sunday There was an unexpected twist that took place at the top of the J/70 leaderboard after the fleet arrived back at the docks at YC Monaco. The fleet was treated to idyllic sailing conditions with a steady 8 knots, more than enough for teams to get the maximum potential from their boats.
Local YCM heroes on G-SPOT appeared all but unbeatable in the first four races, before conceding final victory to the Italians on ALICE. Their record tells the “tale of the tape”. Starting with an 11-3-1-2 record, a fifth race UFD Black Flag and a 2nd place in the final race forced the G-SPOT team to count their first race 11th, not exactly what they had planned for.
“The level of competition was very high, with strong performances from our YC Monaco teams. But, the top Italian and Swiss teams are also getting extremely competitive,” noted the G-SPOT helmsman.
Leproux’s ALICE team sailed a strong steady series, posting a 3-18-3-1-3-3 tally for 13 pts net to take the 2023 title as J/70 Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse Champion. Molla’s VIVA completed the podium, taking the bronze with a 4-9-10-3-4-5 tally for 25 pts net.
The balance of the top five included the top Swiss team, Stefan Seger’s AILOA with 37 pts net to take fourth place. They scored two podium finishes of 1-2 to show a few moments of brilliance. However, their other races were mid-fleet double-digit counters. The top Swedish team, Jimmy Hellberg’s ELVIS, took the fifth spot with 39 pts net.
J/70 Corinthians Division In the Corinthian category, the Seger’s Swiss AILOA crew snatched the top step of the podium ahead of the British team on BRUTUS (Craig Burlton) and the Swiss on Rhubarbe-3Nuits.com (Lorenz Kausche).
YC Monaco Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse Highlights video.
10th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series: JUNDA wins! Launched in 2013, this series of monthly regattas from November to March is the ideal opportunity for international teams to prepare for the upcoming season.
The overall winner of this 10th anniversary season after twenty-four races was Ludovico Fassitelli’s JUNDA, followed by Samuel Poons’ CHARISMA V taking the silver and Stefano Roberti’s PICCININA taking the bronze, all three are members of YC Monaco.
Winning the Corinthians Division for the winter series was David Biedermann’s RHUBARBE with 68 pts. Just two points back to take the silver was Nick Zeltner’s QUARTER2ELEVEN, with Damian Michelier’s SAGE ENGINEERS rounding out the Corinthians podium on the bronze medal step. Sailing photo credits- Carlo Borlenghi/ YC Monaco. For more YC Monaco J/70 Primo Cup- Trophee Credits Suisse sailing information
Heineken St Maarten Regatta More “Serious FUN”!
(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten)- After several days of preparation, the first race day at the 43rd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta saw the competitors streaming out through the lifting bridge into the open waters of Simpson Bay. With two separate course areas set, the fleet split left or right to rendezvous within their classes for their starts off of Cole Bay and Simpson Bay.
The fleet of J/Boats participating in the regatta had their fair share of successes on the race track. After the first two days of racing in the gorgeous weather that produced moderate 10-15 kt easterlies, sky blue skies dotted by torn-cotton clouds whisking by, and deep blue turquoise waters accentuated by white caps, several of the J/Teams were at the top of the leaderboard.
Doing as she has done for several years, Pamala Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID, with a mostly island youth team from Antigua, was leading CSA 5 division. The J/120 JAGUAR sailed by Marcos Weinstein was in the top three in CSA 6 division. And, in the very tough CSA 7 division, Jean-Francois Terrien’s J/109 SANG NEUF and the two J/105s (Jordan Mindich’s SOLSTICE and Remco van Dortmondt’s JENK) were all vying for the lead at the top of the podium.
Saturday: Round Island The majority of the fleet converged off Simpson Bay, following PRO Mark Townsend’s decision to move the famous Round the Island race to Saturday, to take advantage of the increasing wind forecast over the weekend. Spectators gathered on the beaches along the south coast of the island to watch the racing, which was easily visible from the top of Fort Louis above Marigot, the capital of French Saint Martin. With a forecast of 12-20 knots, the winds proved quite variable, with some telling shifts to test the fleets on the long windward beat up the northern side of the island as they passed Marigot Bay.
The team on the J/122 LIQUID maintained a quietly efficient boat, ensuring their highly focused team was concentrating purely on the job at hand. And, it certainly paid off. Despite nearly losing their foredeck Ryan Tonge overboard at one point, the team thought they had done well in their first three races.
“We debriefed on board between races, looking at the mistakes which we thought had cost us the lead,” said skipper Jules Mitchell. “It was only when we got to the dock we realized we had got three bullets.”
Owner Pamala Baldwin was beaming with delight and reckons her youth team on her J/122 LIQUID to be “the best yet” under the tutorship of newly appointed skipper Jules Mitchell, who leads the team of 17-25-year-old Antiguan talents.
“Jules is the most switched-on skipper I’ve ever had,” says Pamala. “He uses his head and has good risk management.”
This latter skill is critically important with the team made up of young, up-and-coming sailors hand-picked from the Sailing Academy in Antigua. Having learned to sail first in dinghies and then on a Cork 1720, Jules says the opportunity to race at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is critical for their development.
“The J/122 is the perfect platform to springboard onto the international race circuit and bigger boats,” says Jules.
Pamala has spent the last seven years actively assisting talented and ambitious young sailors to get a foothold not only into racing but into working in the industry or becoming pro sailors. Many of the team are also high achievers in other sports; Jamie Robinson JR is a basketball player and Ryan Tonge is part of the volleyball team for Antigua. He is also a farmer and shepherd to his herd of 23 goats. The irony of having a goat herder on board is not lost on Pamala, who also laughs about the history behind LIQUID.
“When I bought this J/122 it was previously known as LOST HORIZON, a race-winning boat owned by Jamie Dobson, and famous for its geriatric crew. Now, it’s known for all the talented youth on board,” she says.
Today’s fast and furious course racing certainly paid off for Jules and his crew. “We’re young so we can move a lot quicker than some of those old dogs,” he says. “The race stops when everyone gets tired; so we’re going to be quicker on all those hoists and drops today.”
For the other fleets, it was pretty much a Veuve Clicquot champagne sailing day. Youth girl helm Jordan Pieterse on the J/70 IGY RACING (Franny) Team said despite facing tough competition in CSA 7, she was pleased with their performance overall.
“We got a pretty good start right by the committee boat, and kept up well,” she says. “I was pretty happy. It was quite an adrenaline rush. It happens every time. We had a little trouble on one of the gybes, but we sorted it out quickly.”
IGY Racing/Franny owner and local advocate for youth development in the industry, Garth Steyn, handed over the reins to young talent Jordan Pieterse to drive for the team throughout the entire Regatta.
As for the results, Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID took 2nd in CSA 5. Mindich’s J/105 SOLSTICE took 2nd in CSA 7 followed by van Dortmondt’s J/105 JENK in 3rd place, and Terrien’s J/109 SANG NEUF in 4th.
Sunday Finale It was another sunny Sunday in St. Maarten for the final day’s racing. With slightly lighter winds forecasted, PRO Mark Townsend set two courses for most of the fleet. Tension was high, with many boats counting on getting good results on the water today to seal their podium places. Vying to ensure they were in the best position to be ahead of their main competition, all the fleets got off cleanly on their starts.
The course took the CSA racing fleets upwind to Pelican Rock then turning onto a long and glorious downwind leg to a turning mark just beyond the airport. The course then took them back upwind, to a turning mark windward of the committee boat giving a final short downwind to the finish.
In the end, Baldwin’s J/122 LIQUID easily won CSA 5 Division. The CSA 7 Division was fraught with the controversy dealing with an obscenely low-rated (many allege incorrectly) 25-footer from Martinique that could seemingly do no wrong. They finished out-of-sight, out-of-mind, in every race about 15-20 minutes behind the fleet, but kept winning on handicap time. Nevertheless, without the pesky little boat, the three J/Teams that were having excellent boat-for-boat competition would have swept the podium going 1-2-3! As it was, Terrien’s J/109 SANG NEUF sailed one of their best regattas ever to take the silver to jubilant cheers from the crowd (they were a friendly bunch of French sailors!). Just one point back taking the bronze medal was Mindich’s J/105 SOLSTICE and finishing fourth was van Dortmondt’s J/105 JENK!
Then, with the #SeriousFun sailing part of the Regatta completed, it was time for the party to begin as Grammy award-winning artist “Koffee” took to the stage, and the sailors, families, friends, and hundreds of locals from the welcoming and friendly island of St. Maarten, came to party the night away.
Mark your calendars now! The 44th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will be hosted from February 29 until March 3, 2024, and many of the competitors have already confirmed they will be back! Sailing photo credits- Loren Morels. For more Heineken St. Maarten Regatta sailing information
Bacardi J/70 Invitational Regatta- day one report
(Miami, Florida)-A stunning fleet of thirty-four J/70s were out on Biscayne Bay as the J/70 Bacardi Invitational Regatta kicked off.
Racing doesn’t get better than this, with the perfect Miami weather delivering 12-15 knots of breeze, challenging shifts, and pressure, with the early cloud cover giving way to sunshine. After racing, it was time to soak up the atmosphere shoreside accompanied by Bacardi’s renowned hospitality.
The opening race of the J/70 series got underway in a 10 knots breeze from the east and a choppy sea. John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA was always going to be the ones to beat and have honed their skills together over the past three years. They came out on top at the two preceding Bacardi Winter Series events and reinforced their reputation with a surprisingly consistent 1-2-2 tally to lead overall.
“My job is to not look around and to just sail the boat as fast as I can,” John Heaton. “It is typical with our team, the guys have set up the boat well, so I can drive it a lot of times without a lot of interference or suggestions which allows them to look around a lot more which is I think a strength of our team. We got off the line reasonably well, we tried to play shifts. The one lesson perhaps is we were patient with the shifts and waited for the pressure and not just the shifts. We sailed through a couple of light shifts, to wait to get into pressure along with a shift.”
Race wins were also in store for Bruce Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS and Bob Hughes’ HEARTBREAKER.
It was not such a good day for the defending champions, British sailor Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT. Ward’s team followed up their second place in race 1 with a UFD penalty in race 2, before upgrading to a third in race 3. With just one discard coming into play after race 6, they leave themselves no room for mistakes across the rest of the series.
However, their day was better than fellow Englishman Charlie Thompson’s BRUTUS III team, who came into the regatta with high expectations. The BRUTUS III team may have ended any hope of even a top-ten finish by scoring two OCS start-line penalties to end day 1 in 28th out of the thirty-four boat fleet!
The overall depth of the competition is making for fierce, close racing where even the slightest boat-handling errors or misjudgments on upwind or downwind laylines are causing havoc for the top boats. Watch for these teams to climb farther up the leaderboard in the next two days: Bob Hughes’ HEARTBREAKER, Martin Dent’s JELVIS, Sean O’Brien’s McFLY, Golison’s MIDLIFE CRISIS, Peter Cunningham’s POWERPLAY, John Brim’s RIMETTE, Rich Witzel’s ROWDY, and Brian Keane’s SAVASANA. For more J/70 Bacardi Invitational sailing information
Spanish J/70 Fleet Growing Stronger!
(Barcelona, Spain)- Currently in Spain, two competitive fleets of J/70s sail in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The pioneer fleet, based in Vigo, has about 18 teams, among which there are 4 Portuguese. And Barcelona is the headquarters of the second fleet that has a total of 20 boats of which 9 teams come from other European countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Netherlands, and Andorra. During the autumn and winter months, while the rest of Europe freezes, Spain is a real pleasure to sail. In most cases, the sun is present, as well as the wind, and the conditions are excellent for sailing.
From October to February, the Barcelona Winter Series took place off the famous Mediterranean port city of Barcelona and the Villalia Winter Series was sailed in the gorgeous island archipelago off Vigo on the Atlantic Ocean.
A total of six events in both cities. In Barcelona, 36 races were sailed. In Vigo, they managed to sail 20 races. In addition to excellent organization and race management, the weather conditions are very varied, from gentle winds to strong winds of more than 20 knots. Undoubtedly, the winter series is an excellent test for teams to train, get the boats ready, and prepare for the most important championships of the season. Notably, virtually every boat has its heart set on sailing the 2024 J/70 World Championship in Palma Mallorca!
More excellent spring sailing is to come! The best is yet to come in Spain this spring. In the Mediterranean, the J/70 Mediterranean Spring Cup will be hosted between two venues: Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.
This will be a great opportunity to get acquainted with the regatta course where the 2024 J/70 World Championship will be held. This cup will consist of three events:
Mar 24-26- Real Club Nautico de Barcelona
Mar 31-Apr 2- Real Club Nautico de Palma (part of Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta
Apr 21-23- Real Club Nautico de Palma
After this new J/70 Mediterranean Spring Cup, other important regattas will continue to be sailed on the Mediterranean, such as:
May 5-7- PalmaVela- Palma Mallorca
May 19-21- Spanish Cup- Barcelona
May 26-28- Conde Godó Trophy- Barcelona
For the Spanish Atlantic J/70 fleet it does not stop either. Starting next week, the Villalia J/70 Spring Series will be held in Vigo on the following dates:
Mar 11-12- Vigo
Apr 15-16- Vigo
May 13-14- Galician J/70 Championship- Vigo
Jun 16-18- Spanish J/70 Championship- Vigo
Spain is a booming country for the J/70 class! Since the first fleet started in Vigo in 2015, the 2018 J/70 European Championship was held in the same city, and the J/70 class has not stopped growing season after season in Spain.
For years, Barcelona has become a HOT new spot for J/70 class activity. And, with the recent news that Palma de Mallorca will host the 2024 J/70 World Championship, more and more sailors are encouraged to sail in the complete calendar that exists. Excellent conditions, good wind, pleasant temperatures, good flight connections, many accommodation options with good prices, excellent food & drink, and clubs with extensive experience in the organization of international regattas! What more could you ask for to enjoy and sail at the highest level? For more Spanish J/70 Class sailing information
Epic Villalia J/70 Winter Series Finale!
(Vigo, Spain)- This past weekend the Villalia J/70 Winter Series ended in Galicia. The championship was composed of five events that began in November 2022 and February 2023 in a spectacular geographical setting such as the island of La Toja, a few kilometers from Vigo.
As in every event, two days of racing are scheduled (Saturday and Sunday). But, on this occasion, a total of seven races were completed, two of which were coastal races. Besides the usual windward-leeward races, the final race home takes you down past the gorgeous coastline of La Toja, around government marks to the finish at the opening of the harbor!
A coastal race every day to say goodbye to the day- credit: SailingShots by María Muiña
For this final regatta, everything was decided in the last race. Before the start, the “duel of the Jorge’s” had them tied at 14 points each- Jorge Pérez Canal’s ABRIL ROJO and Jorge M. Doreste’s LAGUARDIA & MOREIRA. By winning the finale, Canal’s ABRIL ROJO won the last event, followed by Doreste’s LAGUARDIA & MOREIRA in second, and MARNATURA 1 in third.
“LaGuardia & Moreira” Crowned Villalia J/70 Winter Series Champion Undoubtedly, the team led by Gonzalo Araújo was the most solid and the most consistent across the five-event series.
After 20 races sailed, “LaGuardia & Moreira” finished in first with 53 points, having achieved 4 final podiums (with 2 victories) of the 5 events. Taking second with 80 pts was “Abril Rojo”. Then, rounding out the podium with 88 pts was “Nacua-Sogacsa” sailed by Sancho Páramo and Pablo Iglesias. Sailing photo credits- SailingShots by María Muiña For more J/70 Vigo sailing information
CLINICAS W Wins Barcelona J/70 Winter Series Act V
TENAZ Crowned Overall Winter Series Champion
(Barcelona, Spain)- This past weekend the fifth and final event of the Barcelona J/70 Winter Series 2022-23 took place, hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona. With more than twenty entries and six nations represented, the sailors enjoyed forty-two races throughout the series in a wide variety of sailing conditions ranging from light and chilly to windy, wavy, and summer-like temps!
The last weekend of February was cold in Barcelona, but it did not impede the teams to take part in the hotly contested regatta. On Friday four races were sailed, and on Sunday two more, while on Saturday the fleet stayed in port due to no wind and an AP over A cancellation for the day.
In the end, Pablo Garriga’s TENAZ (above) won the series with Rayco Tabares on tactics, Rubén Castells on trim, and Luis Arrarte “Bam-Bam” on the bow. The Garriga team managed to increase their points difference with very good races throughout the championship.
Luis Martin Cabiedes’ NOTICIA managed to maintain its second-place position going into the final event. His crew consisted of Alberto Padrón on the tactics and jib trim, Pablo Santurde on the main, Jon Larrazabal on the spinnaker, and María Monràs on the bow.
While CLINICAS W closed the distance on points to the series leaders by winning the final event, it was not enough to break through onto the silver or gold step. As a result, the bronze medal-winning crew of CLINICAS W consisted of Guti del Castillo on the helm (replaced later by Javier Padrón), Nano Negrín on the tactics, Adolfo López on the bow, Ricardo Terrades on trim, and María Bertrand as bow alternate.
“Tenaz”, a solid champion of the Barcelona Winter Series 2022-23. From left to right: Rubén Castells, Rayco Tabares, Pablo Garriga and Luis Arrarte.
“Noticia”, took the second position in the winter series and the fifth series. From left to right: Ángel Blazquez (Bodegas Can Marlés), Edu Reguera, Jon Larrazabal, Luis Martín Cabiedes, María Monràs, Alberto Pabrón, and Pablo Garriga as Commodore of the RCNB.
“Clínicas W”, won the fifth event played in February and finished third in the general classification. From left to right: Javier Padrón, Nano Negrín, Pablo Garriga (Commodore of the RCNB), Ricardo Terrades, María Bertrand, and Adolfo López Quevedo.
Sailing photo credits- Óscar Torrades–Torveo For more Barcelona J/70 Winter Series sailing information and results
Breault Dominates J/22 California Dreamin Match Race II
(San Francisco, CA)- The 2023 California Dreamin Match Race Series takes place throughout three events. The first two are run in San Diego, CA, then in San Francisco, CA. In the San Diego Yacht Club hosted event, St. Francis Yacht Club’s star woman match racer- Nicole Breault- dominated the two-day regatta sailed in J/22s.
History repeated itself in the San Francisco edition this past weekend. Eight teams participated in the 56 race, double-round robin series, over two days. In the end, Nicole Breault’s team had a 13-1 record to win 93% of her races, her dominant performance leading to her overall win.
Taking second due to losing both of his races to Breault’s dominant team was Scott Decurtis, posting an 11-3 record for 79% wins.
Garnering the bronze on the podium was Sidney Gathrid with a 10-4 record for 71% wins. The top three in this regatta accounted for 34 wins in 56 races run over two days- 61% of the total! Sailing photo credits- Chris Ray For more J/22 California Dreamin Match Race results
UPCOMING REGATTAS
The Famous & Great Sydney Harbour Regatta
J/24, J/70, and J/99 one-design classes participating!
(Sydney Harbour, Australia)- J/Boats Australia is excited to announce that J/24s, J/70s, and J/99s will compete in three of the thirteen divisions in the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club, to be held from March 4th to 5th, 2023.
This is a true testament to J/Boats’ DNA of designing and building boats that bring sailors of all ages and skills to compete together for fun performance sailing with friends and family.
Australian J/99 Nationals First up, we have the inaugural Australian J/99 National Championship. With a strong and growing fleet, the Australian J/99s is the first in the world to hold a National Championship! The owners have all agreed to a simple box rule on sail, equipment, and crew numbers to make the event fair, simple and economical, where good sailing and not dollars will determine placegetters.
Six W/L races will decide the winner. 2021 Sydney Hobart winner Jules Hall on DISKO TROOPER and Shane Connelly’s RUM REBELLION are favorites. But, these two top boats will be hotly chased by recent additions to the fleet, including the consistently improving Ian Smith’s JUPITER (who has been pivotal in co-ordinating the J/99 event), Chris O’Neill’s BLUE PLANET, Gerry Morecombe’s ECHO, and the Sienna Syndicate. Three more local J/99’s just miss out as they arrive just after the event, so watch this space for a larger fleet next year! J/99 global sales now exceed 140 boats in 3 years on this proven and versatile 32-footer!
J/70 Class Fresh from competing in the J/70 States and Nationals in Sandringham Victoria, the Sydney-based J/70 fleet is getting together again for more exciting one-design racing.
Sam Haynes CELESTIAL is tipped as a favorite after his incredible results campaigning J/70’s in Europe and Australia last year. Also watch out for Karyn Gojnich JABIRU and class president Andrew Thompson’s JABBERWOCKY, Marco Poli’s NUVOLA, Stephen Brady’s Y-KNOT, and Michael Nash’s MAYBE-J.
J/24 Class The evergreen and somewhat indestructible J/24s will also be sailing one-design with six boats already entered at the time of writing. The J/24 class is now 43+ years old and still going strong with fun and competitive racing between their five fleets here in Australia (mostly all in the southeast).
Our J/Boat family of sailors “thank” the team at Middle Harbour Yacht Club for putting together one of the largest competitive keelboat regattas in Australia, now its 18th anniversary. Also, “thanks” to Nautilus Marine Insurance for their sponsorship of the event.
J/99 Australian Championship (from Jupiter Globe) posted some videos of preparation for the J/99 Nationals as well as some insights of the first two days here:
Intro- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWVqkcFGFbA
Day 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXpB37X8NVg
Day 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMCnnFeX2Hc
Women Leading Sailing J/70 Regatta Announcement
(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- As part of the Principality of Monaco “Capital of Advanced Yachting” initiative, the Yacht Club de Monaco, in collaboration with the Fédération Monégasque de Voile and the Fédération Française de Voile, is organizing a new 100% women’s J/70 regatta on March 25-26, 2023- the first “Women Leading Sailing Trophy” regatta to be held at the magnificent facilities of the YC Monaco with great sailing on the famously picturesque Hercules Bay.
Registration is limited to the first 20 women’s teams, which will be composed of a maximum of 5 female sailors per team.
Women sailors from Europe and the rest of the world are invited to meet in Monaco to enjoy this thrilling and fun all-women’s event that will be sailed on J/70s. There are J/70s available for charter, simply inquire with the YC Monaco Sailing Director. For more Women Leading Sailing Trophy Regatta sailing information
J/105 Midwinter Championship Preview
(Seabrook, TX)- The Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas is hosting the 2023 J/105 Midwinter Championship for a fleet of eight boats from across Texas, e.g. the “Texas Winter Shootout”! The racing will take place from March 9th to 12th on Galveston Bay.
Several leading teams from the state are participating, including Matt Arno’s BLUE FLASH, George Francisco’s PESTO, Scott Spurlin’s YOLO, and Chris Chandler/ Doug McKiege’s ROCKY. For more J/105 Midwinters sailing information
Marion Bermuda Race Just Around The Corner
Plus, upcoming Safety At Sea Seminars
(Marion, MA)— Registration is open for the biennial Marion Bermuda Race, scheduled to start on June 16, 2023! For skippers interested in taking on the 645-nautical mile challenge, now is the time to register to ensure adequate time for preparation for this Category 1 offshore race. The Marion Bermuda Race is co-hosted by the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, the Beverly Yacht Club, and the Blue Water Sailing Club.
The 2023 race will follow the race’s historical course, starting in Buzzards Bay off of Marion, Massachusetts, and finishing off St. David’s Head, Bermuda. While the race starts on June 16th, there will be several preparation events, including yacht club presentations, and the “New” Northeast Offshore Race Symposium being held at Bentley University, Waltham, MA on March 25th, 2023.
There are two significant changes to the 2023 race for J/Boats sailors— a Performance Class and ORR Performance Curve Scoring.
“The line between cruising and racing boats over the last several years has become blurred, making it difficult to easily identify a boat as a strictly racing or cruising boat,” explains Marion Bermuda Race Chairman Neil Redburn. “The race has created a new class called the Performance Class for boats with an ORR rating of 1.000 and above. There is also more leeway in this class for modern enhancements, such as water ballast, retractable and canting keels that are becoming more commonplace in today’s performance cruising boats.”
Using ORR Performance Curve Scoring aims to level the playing field across the classes. ORR uses its proprietary VPP to provide a series of ratings explicitly designed for the Marion Bermuda Race by replicating the historical conditions of the initial beat out of the Bay, reach, and run seen during a typical race. These different ratings define a performance curve for each boat in seconds per mile versus wind conditions. “With these adjustments, the boat with the highest average wins the race because, relative to their rating, they sailed the course the fastest among their competitors,” explains Redburn.
For the first time, in 2023, the three odd-year ocean races in the northeastern United States are jointly sponsoring an event called the Northeast Ocean Race Symposium. The Marion Bermuda Race, as lead organizer, has joined with the Marblehead Halifax Race and the Bermuda 1-2 Race, to offer this unique event on March 25th, 2023, at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
The Northeast Ocean Race Symposium is open to all race participants and the public — participants are welcome whether they are sailing any of the sponsoring races in 2023 or waiting for a future year. The event will include speakers, panels, and opportunities for questions and answers to hopefully ease your path, not only to the starting line but to the finish as well. Topics currently on the docket include:
Crew Selection, Care, and Management
Communications Options for Offshore Racers
Rigging Systems Maintenance & Repair
Captains’ Forum – Panel Discussion
Newport Bermuda Race Accident – Investigation & Recommendations
Breakout Sessions: Marion Bermuda Race and Marblehead Halifax Race
Survival Navigation
Steering System Maintenance and Repairs
Heavy Weather Management
In addition, on April 22 and 23, 2023, the Marion Bermuda Race and Cruising Club of America partnered for a one-day Hands-On Safety at Sea training course leading to a US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea Certificate. If you are doing the 2023 Marion Bermuda Race, and your certificate is pre-2017, you have to renew by taking the US Sailing Update SAS modules 11-15 and a one-day Hands-On course. It is the last SAS course before the race, and spots are limited to 50 per day, so don’t wait to register.
Sailing photo credits- Fran Grenon/Spectrum Photography/Marion Bermuda Race For Marion Bermuda Race sailing and registration information.
Ladies J/Gear March Special- 20% off
(Newport, RI)- The J/Ladies Skipper Polo is a performance pique that is durable and comfortable. Perfect for the whole crew of Ladies….especially the skipper!
Material:
100% polyester pique
Moisture wicking, antimicrobial protection performance
SPF 50+ UV protection
Features:
matching flat-knit collar
heat seal label
Customize with the Boat Name and Sail Number. Select your specified J Class Logo. For more ordering information