Month: August 2024

(San Francisco, CA)- Last weekend, the St Francis Yacht Club hosted their annual summer classic- the Aldo Alessio & Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta for a combination of one-design and offshore classes. Sailing the three-day event were one-design fleets of J/88s and J/105s and an ORC and PHRF handicap offshore fleet. As usual, the fleet experienced foggy mornings and sunny “blowing dogs off chains” afternoons on their various tours of the famous San Francisco Bay. 
J/105 ClassNot surprisingly, the largest and most competitive fleet was the twenty-five-boat J/105 fleet. It turned into a seesaw battle for the top of the leaderboard between two of the top teams on the Bay. In the end, it was George Heath’s NIUHI that took the class honors with an impressive three bullets, two deuces performance for just 7 pts! Second was their arch nemesis, Tim Russell’s NE*NE with a 1-1-2-2-3 tally for 9 pts. Rounding out the podium was Ryan Simmons’s BLACKHAWK with a good 4-3-8-3-2 record for 20 pts. The balance of the top five was John Rivlin’s PEACHES and Bruce Stone/ Nicole Breault’s ARBITRAGE in 4th and 5th place, respectively. 
J/88 ClassThe half-dozen-boat J/88 fleet enjoyed spirited racing for the top five. However, the fleet was treated to a “schooling” in how to get around the race track fast and furious with few mistakes. Winning with four bullets and a deuce was Brice Dunwoodie’s RAVENETTE with 4 pts net. The balance of the podium was determined by a tiebreaker at 11 pts net each. Winning that countback was Tom Thayer & Robert Milligan’s SPEEDWELL with a 2-4-3-2-4 over Christos Karamanolis’s PELAGIA with a 3-2-4-3-3! Close racing! Just one point back was Mark Howe’s SPLIT WATER with a 5-5-1-4-2 for 12 pts net!
PHRF DivisionThe nine-boat fleet saw a clean sweep of the top four places on the leaderboard by J/Teams. Winning was Barry Lewis’s J/120 CHANCE, followed by David Halliwell’s J/120 PEREGRINE in second, and John Arens’s J/109 REVERIE in third place. Fourth was taken by Nesrin Bass’s J/111 SWIFT NESS. 
ORC DivisionThe top five of this ten-boat division saw four J/crew occupy the top spots separated by mere points. Second was Barry Lewis’s J/120 CHANCE with 11 pts net. Third was John Arens’s J/109 REVERIE with 12 pts. Fourth was David Halliwell’s J/120 PEREGRINE with 13 pts net!! Rounding out the top five was Nesrin Bass’s J/111 SWIFT NESS with 23 pts net. For more St Francis YC regattas sailing information

Welcome aboard to our latest newsletter, where we bring you thrilling stories and updates from some of the most exciting sailing events worldwide. This past week has been nothing short of spectacular, with fierce competitions, breathtaking scenery, and impressive victories.
In Chicago, the Verve Cup Inshore Regatta saw STAMPEDE dominate the J/70 fleet, where fifteen boats battled through ten intense races. Meanwhile, the team from St. Francis Yacht Club showed their prowess by winning the J/22 Cornerstone Cup in San Francisco, a unique team race event that invited elite teams from across the globe.
Across the Atlantic, the Danish J/70 Sailing League’s Act IV was a nail-biter until the last race, with Sejlklubben København emerging victorious in Lemvig. The competition was equally fierce in Finland, where the Alandsak Segelsalskapet topped the leaderboard in the third act of the Finnish J/70 League, overcoming the notorious shifty winds of Lake Näsijärvi.
In Norway, the NTNUI Sailing Team took the lead in the Norwegian J/70 Youth League, showcasing incredible skill in the idyllic waters off Oslo. Meanwhile, in the Swiss Alps, the Circle de la Voile d’Estavayer triumphed in the Swiss J/70 Sailing League on the stunning Davos Lake, with its challenging, shifty mountain winds. Over in Sweden, KSSS claimed the top spot in the Swedish J/70 Sailing League in Amal after a thrilling duel with GKSS.
Looking ahead, the Vineyard Race promises to be a highlight of the American sailing calendar over Labor Day weekend, with its challenging 238.0nm course testing the mettle of even the most seasoned sailors. In Europe, the Breskens Sailing Weekend will bring the summer season to a close with a highly anticipated regatta in the Netherlands, while the Red Fox Regatta in Michigan offers a fun-filled, family-friendly end to the Great Lakes sailing season.

STAMPEDE Stomps @ Verve Cup Inshore Regatta!
(Chicago, IL)- Chicago Yacht Club’s Verve Cup Inshore Regatta took place last week off Chicago. The weather was good enough for the hotly-contested fifteen-boat J/70 fleet that the Chicago YC RC/PRO team managed to run ten races of the windward-leeward variety. The sailors were a bit tired, but also happy to have an opportunity to get in so much sailing.
In the end, it was a hot Texas crew from Fort Worth Boat Club in Ft. Worth, TX that completed all ten races with finishes in the top five! No stranger to J/70 class racing, it was Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE team that won three races en route to scoring 25 pts for a well-deserved win.
Second place went to a young Chicago area crew on HESTIA, scoring 30 pts and also winning three races. Then, rounding out the podium and taking the bronze medal was John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA scoring 38 pts.
The balance of the top five included Laura Sigmund’s NORBOY and Martin Johnsson’s AQUAHOLIKS, finishing 4th and 5th, respectively. For more Verve Cup Inshore regatta sailing information.

St Francis YC Prevails @ J/22 Cornerstone Cup Team Race!
(San Francisco, CA)- As a relatively new event, the St. Francis Yacht Club created the Cornerstone Cup to be sailed as a team race regatta on their fleet of matched J/22 one-design sailboats. By special invitation only, three teams competed from St. Francis YC, New York YC, and Royal Thames YC from London, England. 
After three days of hard-fought team races right on the waterfront in front of the huge balconies at StFYC, it was the host club that won this year’s Cornerstone Cup! Sailing for StFYC were Shawn Bennett, Joe McCoy, McKenzie Wilson, Sam White, Molly Carpet, Jeff Holder, Helen Lord, and Rosalind Meade. Rounding out the podium was New York YC in second, and Royal Thames YC in third. For more J/22 Cornerstone Cup Team Race sailing information

Sejlklubben København Wins Danish J/70 Sailing League- Act IV   
(Lemvig, Denmark)- It has been close racing this year in the Danish J/70 Sailing League and rarely have the regattas been decided until the very end. The fact that the level is high, the sailing tight, and the points close as well, helps to keep the excitement until the end. That is exactly what happened for the fourth event at Lemvig Sejlklub in Lemvig, Denmark. Nothing was decided until the last race!
All the teams have sailed in very different conditions this year, starting from Aarhus Bay to Helsingør, to Marina Minde, and recently in Lemvig. The weather has ranged from the stormy side to flat waters and light airs. Nevertheless, that didn’t change who was fighting at the top.
The event winner in Lemvig was Sejlklubben København, who we hadn’t seen on the podium in a long time. They sailed very well, battling with one of the top clubs- Thurø Sejlklub- to take the win. They had a remarkable scoreline of ALL podium scores- two 1sts, seven 2nds, and three 3rds- for a total of 25 pts. 
Taking the silver with nearly the same performance was Thurø Sejlklub, finishing with 27 pts! Then, rounding out the podium was the Hellerup Sejlklub OY-STARS with 30 points.
Danish J/70 Sailing League SeriesCurrently leading the series is Team Faaborg Sejlklub with 19 pts. Breathing down their neck just one point back is Taarbæk Sejlklub with 20 pts. And, yet just one more point back in third is Hellerup Sejlklub with 21 pts! The four events so far have been in Aarhus, Helsingborg, Marina Minde, and Lemvig. For Danish J/70 Sailing League scoring   Follow the Danish J/70 Sailing League on Facebook here   For more Danish J/70 Sailing League sailing information

Alandsak Segelsalskapet Top Finnish J/70 League- Act III  

(Tammerfors, Finland)- Finnish sailors know the Näsijärvi is not an easy water to sail on with its changing, shifty winds. After fifteen races sailed off Tampere, the sailors knew they had left everything on the water to determine the outcome of which sailing club would continue to expand their lead in the Finnish J/70 Sailing League. 
In the end, it was the Alandsak Segelsalskapet team that managed to hold off all contenders to win the event with 26 pts. Pretenders to the throne, the Esbo Segelforening team nearly pulled off a win at the end but settled for second place with 28 pts. Then, the most amazing performance must certainly be credited to their colleagues on the Esbo Segelforening Youth Team, scoring an amazing 33 pts in their bid to step onto the podium in the bronze medal position!
The best six teams advance to the finals from Tampere, which will be sailing in Åland on the weekend of September 6th to 8th. Follow the Finnish J/70 Sailing League here on Facebook

NTNUI Sailing Team Leads Norwegian J/70 Youth League!

(Oslo, Norway)- Recently, the Norwegian J/70 Youth League had their first regatta off Oslo, Norway for a fleet of fifteen sailing club teams from all points of the compass in Norway. The weekend weather was spectacular, sunny, with good winds, and great competition! A total of twelve races were sailed, and then the top five teams had one finale to determine the champion and the podium. 
Winning the regatta was the NTNUI Seiling Youth team, winning by a convincing margin. The silver medal went to the Åsgårdstrand Seilforening Club Youth Team and the bronze was well-deserved for the Bundefjorden Seilforening Club Youth team. For more Norwegian J/70 Youth League sailing information

Circle de la Voile d’Estavayer Win Swiss J/70 Sailing League- Davos!

(Davos, Switzerland)- The Swiss J/70 Sailing League series recently took place on the gorgeous Davos Lake off the picturesque mountain town of Davos, Switzerland. Davos is the highest town in Europe (about 10,000 ft), famed for the diversity of sports, leisure, and cultural offers, its rejuvenating climate, the HC Davos, the Spengler Cup, the Kirchner Museum, the World Economic Forum, and the celebrated freestyle scene on Jakobshorn.
There was fun, challenging racing for the eighteen teams from across Switzerland. The southerly breezes made for very shifty winds on the mountain lake!
Winning was the Circle de la Voile d’Estavayer team with 27 pts. The CVE club was led by skipper Thomas Studer with a crew of David Giovannini, Manuel Chablis, and Vincent Denervaud. Second place went the Segler-Vereinigung Thalwil team with 34 pts. The SVT club was led by Ben Tresky with a crew of Mara Bezel, Fiona Mudespacher, and Giulia Corbelli. Rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was Segelclub Oberer Zurichsee from Zurich with 35 pts. They were led by skipper Daniel Reitemeier with a crew of Jana Hess, Roger Landoit, and Sandro Custer.  
Follow the Swiss J/70 Sailing League on Facebook  For more Swiss J/70 Sailing League information

GKSS Leads Swedish J/70 Sailing League- Amal

(Amal, Sweden)- The third regatta for the Swedish J/70 Sailing League was conducted in Amal, Sweden with Åmålsvikens Sailingällskap as the organizing club. The weekend regatta enjoyed beautiful sailing conditions on the Vänern, just outside the great harbor in Amal.
During the weekend, the competition became a duel between Åmålsvikens Sailingällskap and GKSS (Gothenburg’s Royal Sailing Society). Before the grand finale race, GKSS was leading with a point over Åmålsviken.
The finale was quite dramatic. Both teams were trading the lead and both knew in the double-points race that the first boat to finish of the two would win the competition. 
Before the last downwind leg, it was Åmålsviken that led by a mere four seconds over GKSS. On the downwind leg, the two teams made a split across the race course. GKSS got better gusts on the right side of the course that allowed them to sail past Åmålsviken and win by a mere boat length!
“We had very good crew work all weekend, both when it was light winds and strong winds. Even when we ended up behind, we have been able to catch up and didn’t have any real problems,” said Marcus Westerlind, skipper of the GKSS team.
There were variable and tricky winds at the Vänern all weekend.
“The conditions in Åmål were about as you could expect. It was shifty and had a lot of changes in wind strength and direction. It was important to be on your toes at all times. You can never take anything for granted in those conditions,” Marcus continued. “You feel incredibly well taken care of here in Åmål. The officials do everything they can to make you enjoy yourself as a sailor. It is such a great setup here!”
The top five results in Åmål were GKSS (Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club) first, SSÅV (Segelsällskapet Åmålsviken) in second, Hjuviks Båtklubb in third, Halmstads Segelsällskap in fourth, and Ekerö Båtklubb in fifth place.
Swedish J/70 Sailing League Series OverallIn the overall standings in Allsvenskan 2024, it is KSSS (Royal Swedish Yacht Club) and Halmstad Sailing Club at the top of the leaderboard. Third place is GKSS, fourth is Stenungsunds Sail Club, and fifth is Ekoln Sailing Club.
The final competition will take place from September 6th to 8th in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. For more Swedish J/70 Sailing League sailing information

 

Upcoming Events

 

The Vineyard Race Preview 2024 

(Stamford, CT)- Hosted by Stamford Yacht Club, Labor Day weekend’s Vineyard Race is a classic American yachting event. The 238.0nm course stretches from Shippan Point to the Buzzards Bay Light tower at the entrance to Buzzard’s Bay, and then a return to the finish in Stamford Harbor.
Begun in 1932, it has attracted the finest sailors and fastest boats. Those who are successful nearly always credit local knowledge of these tricky waters, particularly at the notorious “The Race” and “Plum Gut”, and a good deal of luck. 
The Vineyard Race was described in Yachting Magazine as the following; “The greatest distance races of the world have several things in common – a challenging course, competitive fleets, and an interesting array of famous yachts. By those standards, the Stamford Yacht Club’s Vineyard Race rates close to the top. Like a miniature Fastnet, the Vineyard has a combination of coastal cruising, where currents play a big role, a stretch of ocean sailing, and a mark to round – the Buzzards Bay tower – before returning.”
The race has proven popular with J/sailors over time, with many returning yearly as part of their end-of-summer sailing ritual to complete their summer sailing season. The teams have a choice to sail the classic 238.0nm race or the shorter “Seaflower Reef” race which is all inside Long Island Sound. 
VINEYARD RACE
ORC 9 DivisionThis huge 26-boat fleet has a wide range of J/crews. Those teams include Trevor Roach’s J/121 TOUCH OF GREY, two J/133s (Steven Brownlie’s ASSARAIN IV & One Haxthausen’s RUMBA), Lennie Sitar’s J/160 COUGAR, June & Amanda Kendrick’s J/44 PALANTIR 5, Albrecht Goethe’s J/46 HAMBURG II, and NEKA Sailings J/105 SLEEPER. 
PHRF 7 DoublehandedSailing this fleet are Peter Becker & Adrien Blanc’s J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN and Todd Aven & Basia Karpinska’s J/99 THIN MAN. 
PHRF 8 DivisionThis huge 34-boat fleet is loaded with leading J/teams, nineteen to be exact! Some of the leading teams may be Bill Baxter’s J/111 FIREBALL, David Rosow’s J/122 LOKI, and John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT. All three boats have won various offshore races and events on Long Island Sound. With a possible 110.nm windward beat out of Long Island Sound to Buzzards Bay Tower in light 6 to 10 kt winds from the easterly quadrant, don’t be surprised to see these three boats in the top five overall!
SEAFLOWER REEF RACE
PHRF 4 DivisionRacing in this half-dozen boat fleet is Chris Ercole’s J/109 SWEET CAROLINE and Bill Lewis’s J/e7 CALIENTE. For more Vineyard Race sailing information 

Breskens Sailing Weekend Preview

(Breskens, Netherlands)- This coming weekend, the Jachthaven Breskens will be hosting the very popular end-of-summer sailing season regatta- the Breskens Sailing Weekend. It’s a popular event for a few J/Boats teams in the Netherlands and Benelux.
ORC 1 DivisionSailing in this dozen-boat fleet are Rutger Krijger’s J/112E JACK RABBIT and Frans van Cappelle’s J/122E MOANA.
ORC 2 DivisionRacing in this thirteen-boat are a trio of J/crews. Those teams include Arjen van Leeuwin’s J/109 JOULE, Richard Verkleij’s J/99 BOLD & GRACIOUS from Germany, and Jan Scholze’s J/99 WARP 5 from the Netherlands.
ORC 3 DivisionThis eleven-boat fleet has two J/crews. Those teams are Rene van Quekelberghe’s J/97 JAI HO and Dimitri Vanvyve’s J/105 JUGGERNAUT. For more Breskens Sailing Weekend information

Red Fox Regatta Preview 

(Charlevoix, MI)- Treasured by sailors and their families, the two-day Red Fox Regatta hosted by Charlevoix Yacht Club begins on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend with a race down the length of Lake Charlevoix to Boyne City. That evening, sailors enjoy a club-hosted party at the Veterans Pavilion on the waterfront, with family-friendly activities including the Rain Gutter Regatta.
Sunday features a race back to the top of Lake Charlevoix, culminating in an afternoon Awards Ceremony at the Charlevoix Yacht Club. It’s a fun-filled event that attracts sailors from all around the Great Lakes, marking the grand finale of the summer racing season. It’s quite a popular event for J/sailors.
J/22 ClassSailing in this five-boat fleet are Robert Grove’s PALEFACE LITE, Robert Camp’s SKADOOSH, Chris Shadek’s WINDY CITY, Tom Barnes’s RECKLESS, and Robert Molter’s TACTFUL.  
PHRF 4 DivisionSailing in this half-dozen-boat fleet is Rob Lovell & Libby Tomlinson’s J/92 KNOCKOUOT and Ben Poucher’s J/95 WARRIOR SAILING. 
PHRF 5 DivisionRacing in this half-dozen-boat fleet is Keith & Karen Attlee’s J/120 ROCKET SCIENCE. 
PHRF 6 DivisionThere will be two J/111s dueling for class honors in this half-dozen-boat fleet. Looking to repeat their win from last year is George Golder’s TERRIER. And, hoping to duplicate their huge Bayview Mackinac Race win will be Chris Lamb’s PADAWAN 4. Notably, TERRIER also won the J/111 division in the Chicago Mackinac Race this summer! For more Red Fox Regatta sailing information

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J/111 PRAVDA Smokes ORC Division
(Newport, RI) – The 19th Ida Lewis Distance Race hosted forty-five teams, including both world-class and recreational racers. The competition’s 24-hour format saw seven classes leave Newport Harbor at 11:00 AM Friday, August 16, and return on Saturday to a finish line sighted from host Ida Lewis Yacht Club where volunteers were on watch to record times and meet each team on the water with a congratulatory bottle of prosecco!!
“With the forecast for light air, we chose a course of 135.0nm for all three ORC classes and a shorter 120.0nm for the four PHRF classes,” said Will Museler, a member of the race team. “Most of the other established distance races in the country have the same set course, from start to finish, each year. Depending on the wind, you can be gone for a day or three days, you never know. Here you know!”
ORC DivisionBy all accounts, the sailors were pleased with the courses, which for ORC took the competitors out to Buzzards Bay Tower, then west past Block Island to a mark off Montauk, back to Buzzards Bay, and home again.
ORC 3 DivisionEdward Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA from Marblehead, MA finished in 1d 1h 39m 20s to win ORC 3 Division and also take the silver medal for ORC Overall, only missing winning ORC Overall by a mere 5 minutes!
PHRF DivisionPHRF’s shorter course sent the teams first to the south side of Block Island, then east to Cox Ledge, Buzzards Bay Tower, and back to Newport.
PHRF Bagheera DivisionJeff Johnstone’s J/99 AGENT 99 (Newport, R.I.) won this division quite easily and just missed the podium for PHRF Overall by a mere 26 seconds! Johnstone’s AGENT 99 pulled off a daringly strategic downwind start, launching a spinnaker well before it crossed the pin end of the line. The boat rode low on a puff to separate from the fleet and then capitalized on a right shift that eventually enabled the team to get a mile ahead of the fleet within the first hour of racing.
“That start set us up mentally for the next six hours,” said AGENT 99 crew Tom Kirk. “In sailing, anything you do well motivates you; the key is not to let the bad things slow you down.”
Just finishing “out of the chocolates” was EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT, settling for 5th place. 
PHRF Coronet DivisionThis ten-boat division saw three J/crews predominate in the top four spots. David Rosow’s J/122 LOKI is on a roll this summer, taking the silver medal and 3rd PHRF Overall. John Pearson’s J/111 RED SKY 4 took the bronze medal and 6th PHRF Overall. Then, Jim Phyfe’s J/44 DIGGER took 4th place and 9th PHRF Overall!
Youth Challenge DivisionWinning the Arent H. Kits van Heyningen Trophy for the Youth Challenge was James Phyfe’s J/44 DIGGER (Cranston, R.I.), which finished fourth in Coronet. Digger had a total of eight youths and two adults on board, and they were up against three other Youth Challenge entries. NOTE- Youth Challenge entrants must have more than 40% of the team reaching their 14th birthday, but not their 20th birthday before August 16.
Ida Lewis Distance Race Gold Sponsor was Contender Sailcloth. Silver Sponsors were Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard and Hogan Associates/Christie’s International Real Estate. Bronze Sponsors were Gold’s Wine and Spirits, Langan Design Partners, Newport Construction Services, Inc., and North Sails. Contributing Sponsors were Toni Mills Graphic Design, Mac Designs, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, and Stella Artois. Sailing photo credits- BLOCK ISLAND STEVE/ Stephen Cloutier. Follow Ida Lewis Distance Race on Facebook  For more Ida Lewis Distance Race sailing information

(Newport, RI)-  The 2024 Ida Lewis Distance Race has attracted nearly 50 entrants for the revered 24-hour race on August 16 in Newport, RI. From south of Pell Bridge in Narragansett Bay’s East Passage, the fleet heads off to some of the most storied cruising grounds in the Northeast, including Rhode Island Sound, Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, Long Island Sound, and the waters south of western Long Island before returning to a finish off host Ida Lewis Yacht Club.

“It’s a fun distance race that has been enjoyed by veterans and newcomers alike for 18 editions,” said Event Chair Anselm Richards. “Fine-tuning over the last few years has all but guaranteed that every boat will finish in 24 hours, so that makes the time on the water just right: not too long, not too short.”
Richards added that the Ida Lewis Race Course Development Team has plotted a choice of several courses between 100 and 235 nautical miles; before the start, it will determine which class will sail what course, based on weather and handicap ranges for each class.
Teams sail either in ORC (classes 1, 2, and 3) or PHRF (classes Aloha, Coronet, Bagheera, and Double handed) for top-three and overall trophies as well as special trophies for Collegiate and Youth Challenges. The event also is a qualifier for the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy and Double-Handed Ocean Racing Trophy.
Returning this year is perennial favorite Spirit, a J/92 skippered by EC Helme (Newport, RI). “Last year’s race was pretty interesting for us,” said Helme, who finished second in Bagheera class and will sail in that class again. “Being the smallest and lightest boat combined with those steady, strong conditions made it a real test for Spirit and crew, but it made crossing the finish line that much sweeter.
“Being pushed a little physically and mentally is one of the reasons why we keep coming back. The Bay races generally don’t offer that, and the Ida Lewis Distance Race is just the right distance to make it an honest challenge while being ‘reasonable’ on a 30-foot boat.”  For more Ida Lewis Distance Race sailing information

(Marina del Rey, CA)- The Women on the Water/ Woman at the Helm Regatta (WOW/WAH) was a community effort, with multiple clubs- like California YC- in the marina helping out to make the event a success. Twenty-five women’s teams entered, with a strong contingent of J/crews. After a five-race, two-day series, several women J/Crews prevailed.

PHRF A DivisionIn this seven-boat division, Melody Simnegar’s J/111 J-BOSS too the bronze medal after posting a 3-1-2-4-4 tally for 14 pts. 
PHRF B DivisionIt was bullets all the way all day for Talin Babikian’s J/80 AVET in their five-boat division!
WOW DivisionThis ten-boat division saw Susan Taylor’s J/24 TAKE FIVE finish in 4th place, while Lisa Bronitt’s J/105 CUCHULAINN took fifth place. For more WOW Regatta SoCal sailing information. 

(Chicago, IL)- One of the largest regattas in North America, Chicago Yacht Club’s Verve Cup is an annual world-class sailing event attracting many national and international sailors. Both the Offshore Regatta and the Inshore Regatta host well over 100 yachts to sail off the beautiful Chicago lakefront and skyline. The regatta features one-design fleets for J/88s, J/105s, and J/109s, plus PHRF/ ORC offshore handicap racing. 
J/88 ClassIt was a great turnout of ten teams for the class! The winner was a shocker for many Chicago J/88 veterans! Winning was Lindsey Duda’s SIN DUDA with an absolutely blistering record of five 1sts in their seven-race tally for a total of 10 pts. Not surprisingly, it was Andy Graff’s EXILE in second with 25 pts. Then, rounding out the podium was Ben Marden’s BANTER with 34 pts. Rounding out the top five was Dave Dennison’s PIRANHA in fourth and John & Jordan Leahey’s DUTCH in fifth place (a shocker for them as past J/88 North American Champions!).
J/105 ClassThe J/105s enjoyed a real battle for the top four spots on the leaderboard. After the seven-race series, it was Mark Fruin’s NYCTOSAUR that the battle with six podium finishes for 19 pts total. Second was a long-time Chicago veteran, Clark Pellet’s SEALARK with 24 pts. Third place went to Mike Sheppard’s FLYING PIG with 26 pts
J/109 ClassDominating the seven-boat fleet was the quartet on SMEE AGAIN (Mix/ Dreher/ Hatfield/ Neenan). Starting with a blistering 1-1 on the first day, they went on to win with 15 pts total in their seven races. Second was Peter Priede’s FULL TILT with 18 pts and third was Ray Douglas & Kristine Maybach’s COURAGEIOUS with 21 pts. 
ORC DivisionsKevin Saedi & Raman Yousefi’s J/111 MOMENTUS ended up taking the bronze medal in this class with 18 pts total.   For more Verve Cup Regatta sailing information 

 

(Marina del Rey, CA)- The Women on the Water/ Woman at the Helm Regatta (WOW/WAH) is a community effort, with multiple clubs- like California YC- in the marina helping out to make the event a success. Twenty-five women’s teams are entered, with a strong contingent of J/crews. 

Those teams include Kathryn Dynes’s J/22 MAJIC DRAGON, Susan Taylor’s J/24 TAKE FIVE, Talin Babikian’s J/80 AVET, Olivia Loveland’s J/100 KANANI, Lisa Bronitt’s J/105 CUCHULAINN, and Melody Simnegar’s J/111 J-BOSS! For more WOW Regatta SoCal sailing information. 

 (Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs    hosted their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the infamous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors flooded the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously fast-flowing currents of the  Solent Water. 

The racing was benign by Solent standards, with mostly warm “shirts & shades” weather, sunny skies, light to medium airs in general, and lots of socializing ashore. Here is how it all went down by division. 
IRC 2 DivisionThis eighteen-boat division saw the J/122s predominate. Winning was the Brian Jones Family team from Ireland on their J/122 JELLY BABY and taking second was Derek Shakespeare’s J/122 BULLDOG.  
IRC 3 DivisionThis fifteen-boat fleet saw David Franks’s J/112E LEON again battle a boat called YES. In the end, Adam Gosling’s professionally sailed YES team triumphed in their duel over Frank’s all-corinthian crew on LEON… happily earning their silver medal in this tough division. 
IRC 4 Division- the J/Boats DivisionAll nine entries in this fleet were J/Teams! Taking class honors was Matt Waite’s J/99 FURTHER WEST, followed by Richard Newsom’s J/105 JAVELIN in second place, and Libby Finch, Jack & Joe Banks, & Penny Jeffcoate’s J/92 NIGHTJAR taking the bronze medal. 
Performance Cruise B DivisionThis fifteen-boat fleet saw Andy Hunt’s J/120 ASSARAIN III take the silver medal. 
J/109 ClassThe nine entries in the fleet J/109 class saw very spirited competition. In the end, it was the Dutch on top! Winning was Arjen van Leeuwen & Silvy Leijh’s JOULE, followed by John Smart’s JUKEBOX in second, and Charlie & Rosie Berry’s JENIE in third place. 
J/70 ClassWith thirty entries, the J/70 class was the largest international class sailing at Cowes Week. The week consisted of the short series and the week-long series.
J/70 Short SeriesWinning was Martin Dent’s JELVIS. Second was Bill Edwards & Ian Dobson’s SARDONYX, followed by  Simon Patterson’s STANDFAST in third place. 
J/70 Long SeriesWinning was Patterson’s STANDFAST, followed by Bertie Fisher’s POWERHOUSE in second place, and the Edwards & Dobson team’s SARDONYX in third position.  
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