Welcome to this week’s edition of the J/Newsletter! We have thrilling updates from across the globe, celebrating the best of what the world’s J/Boats sailors have to offer. The J/24 World Championship marked a historic milestone as the 45th anniversary of this iconic class took center stage in Seattle, WA, where HONEYBADGER emerged victorious after a week of fierce competition. In Hong Kong, the J/99 JUICE is proving to be unstoppable, while in Germany, the J/70 National Championship crowned Schonebeck as the new champion on the picturesque Lake Starnbergersee. Across Lake Ontario, the Canadian team LIFTED dominated the J/80 North Americans, showcasing the excellence of sailing north of the border. And, in Newport, RI the New York Yacht Club hosted the ORC World Championship, where several J/Teams collected silverware!
This week, we also take you to some of Europe’s most scenic lakes where events like the Interboot Trophy on Lake Constance and the Swiss J/70 Sailing Super League finale on the gorgeous Lake Geneva have captivated sailors and fans alike. Not to be outdone, the American Yacht Club’s Fall Regatta delivered thrilling races on Long Island Sound as the J/105s, J/70s, and J/44s competed in perfect conditions.
Looking ahead, exciting events such as the 2024 J/Fest Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta and the German J/24 Championship are on the horizon, promising more incredible sailing action. Finally, we’ll also share a touching story from J/22 sailors on Lake Dillon, Colorado showing how the camaraderie and passion for sailing can bring people together in remarkable ways.
Fall Boat Shows Calendar!
(Newport, RI)- Amazingly enough, the summer is coming to a close in the northern hemisphere. This summer seemed to simply fly by! Kids are back in school, family back to work. But, it’s also a time to dream about the future! Fall boat shows are about to begin in both Europe and the USA. Here are the highlights for you to consider in both places.
USA
Annapolis Sailboat Show- Annapolis. MD – October 10th to 14th, 2024This show will mark the USA debut of the extraordinary NEW J/40 performance cruising yacht. An exciting collaboration between J/Boats design team, J/Composites in France, and an inspired interior design influenced by French designer Isabelle Racoupeau. In addition, there will be the J/9 daysailer, and the J/45 offshore performance cruising yacht.
J/45 Video by Mike Coe- Experience the Performance & Luxury!In Annapolis, MD, Mike Coe and 410 Films take us on an informative tour of the J/45 luxury performance offshore cruising yacht. Enjoy and watch it here on YouTube.
For more Annapolis Sailboat Show information.
EUROPE
Valencia Boat Show- Valencia, Spain- October 23rd to 27th, 2024At this spectacular marina that was significantly updated for the America’s Cup back in the AC75 days will be the 2024 Valencia Boat Show. On display will be the J/99 offshore shorthanded speedster that has been the stuff of legend in its short history of sailing across the world’s oceans. Learn more about it at the show! For more Valencia Boat Show information
HONEYBADGER Crowned 45th Anniversary J/24 World Champion!
(Seattle, WA)- The Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle and the Port of Seattle’s Shilshole Bay Marina welcomed J/24 sailors from around the world to Washington State and the beautiful Puget Sound for the 2024 J/24 World Championship, presented by Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. The sailors celebrated the 45th anniversary of the J/24 class!
The Seattle J/24 Worlds attracted competitors from Europe, South America, North America, Australia, and Asia in addition to the United States and Canada.
The four days of racing saw 56 teams participate in nine tough races in the highly competitive fleet. In the end, it was Travis Odenbach’s team on HONEYBADGER (Monica Morgan, Dave Hughes, Jay Miles, & Jeff Sullivan) that was crowned the 2024 J/24 World Champions with 27 pts net. Here is how it all went down over the four days of racing.
Day 1Sailboat racing is a sport that often suffers at Mother Nature’s hand, and everyone knows it. For example, in 2022, the race organizers’ nightmare came true in Monaco when the J/70 World Championship regatta went four days without any wind before getting just enough on the final day for the minimum three races required. Everyone sitting and waiting those four days had already spent the time, money, and effort to be there. There were no refunds.
Yesterday in Seattle, after years of effort and hundreds of thousands of dollars invested, Mother Nature smiled and delivered spectacular conditions. Race officers and international judges successfully tested an innovative new GPS starting system using the Vakaros Atlas II devices, and self-propelled race course marks.
In the first race, Nobuyuki Imai and his team on SIESTA from Osaka, Japan prevailed over his countryman Kohei Ichikawa on GEKKO DIANA from Tokyo!
“Good crew work and good boat speed were the keys to our winning performance,” said Nobuyuki Imai while also saying that the 12-15 knot breeze was a favorite condition for them. “We were glad the race committee waited for the wind to fill in. The conditions were great for us.”
Not far behind, Kohei Ichikawa said, “We followed Jonathan McKee’s advice. We got a good start, sailed to the left for 5 minutes, and tacked.” Clearly, they were also fast in the breezy and lumpy conditions.These two teams from Japan are often pushing each other to be faster and faster. They finished first and second in the last Japan J/24 National Championship. Getting a two thousand-pound boat from Japan to Seattle is no small project. It turns out that these teams each keep boats in North America so they can more easily attend events on this continent – and show the Americans what fast is all about.
Not to be left out of the story, the rivals from Rochester placed 3rd and 4th, with Mike Ingham leading Travis Odenbach. Mike Goldfarb and his WAR CANOE team placed fifth.
It was a day when Principal Race Officer- Mark Foster (himself a J/24 North American Champion from Corpus Christi)- patience paid off with the wind starting as a light southerly and then fading to nothing before filling back in from the north at 10 knots and higher. Racing got underway just after 1400 hrs local time. A handful of spectator boats also waited patiently for the wind to arrive and were rewarded with a great race to watch.
Day 2In the movie “Caddyshack”, Judge Smails asks Ty Webb, Chevy Chase’s golf pro character with a zen vibe, “What did you shoot today?” Ty answers, “Oh Judge, I don’t keep score”. The Judge then asked, “Well, how do you measure yourself with other golfers?” Ty replied, “by my height.” LOL!
After the way the fleet got jumbled up during the first race today, there were some J/24 sailors wishing for another way of measuring, too! Yesterday, the pecking order was established, and it fell neatly in line with most expectations. The super-polished and experienced teams were all in a row on top.
Then came the first race today in a slowly filling northerly of 3 to 7 knots. It was a difficult test for sure, but the first weather mark rounding was a goat rodeo of epic proportions that created a few winners and a bunch of big losers.
When the scores were logged, several of the top teams would have loved a new measuring system and height would be preferred over finishing places. The first-place finisher from race 1 put up an 11th. Second place from race 1 came in with a 28th, and 5th place filled in their scorecard with a 27th. Mike Ingham came away the cleanest and now led the regatta after three races with a 3-9-2.
Sailboat racing is a cerebral sport and getting behind your expectations for your performance can be debilitating. Everyone knows what it feels like to have a bad race, and such a situation can lead to unfortunate decisions. Who doesn’t have that one boat in their mind that they just cannot imagine losing? And, when that boat crosses ahead, clear thinking can simply go out the window.
Scott, Shelby, and Ryan Milne have more opportunities to experience these emotions because they are all sailing in this event on different boats! Scott is on TREMENDOUS SLOUCH (71), Shelby on HAIR OF THE DOG (54), and Ryan on JESTER (70). In Milne family folklore, we understand there is a reverse contest called the “Last Place Milne”. Imagine the household drudgery assigned to that award recipient!
Scott Milne and his TREMENDOUS SLOUCH team were only 11 points behind in 9th place after winning the second race today. When asked what he felt about winning the race, Scott said without hesitation, “We finally beat Ryan!” Ryan Milne and his Under 25 team had a top 10 finish in the first race today – finishing 7th in the race everyone else suffered through. Unfortunately, a 49th in the second race today weighs heavily on his total.
When asked how they thought son Ryan was doing, parents Shelby and Scott said, “Working with Ryan to get his J/24 Worlds program up and running has been one of the most fun sailing experiences we have ever had.” After a great comment like that, it is hard to know which Milne to root for!
Fortunately, this regatta allows competitors to drop their worst finish once 5 races have been sailed. This creates an inverse scoring dynamic on the results page because it benefits those with the worst scores. In the Milne family contest, Shelby’s worst score is a 19th, Scott’s is a 33rd, and Ryan’s is a 49th. Once these are thrown out, Scott jumps ahead counting 15 points, Shelby is in second with 18 points, and Ryan is in third with 29 points. These scores are quite close considering the regatta is just getting started and 7 more races will be sailed before the last day on Saturday.
Day 3Sailboat racing is a game of skill, but also a game of luck. It takes skill to make a boat go fast for an entire race. It takes skill to pick the best side of the racecourse. But sometimes the “best side” fades away, or the boats ahead conspire to make sure no clear lane will ever be available.
Other times, the lucky times, a wind shift materializes at just the right moment. Or, the other boats leave your lane wide open. The statistically minded will tell you that random luck is equally distributed– that everyone gets the same number of lucky breaks.
After Travis Odenbach (bow 28) won races 4 and 5 back-to-back today he was asked how it happened. Travis commented, “We got really lucky”! He further explained that they were deep at the start of both races, got pushed to the side of the course they didn’t want, and then got “lucky” breaks that jumped them back up to the lead. The only way to explain back-to-back first-place finishes that are supposed to be lucky is to accept that some people can make their luck. Sure, luck was involved, but as Travis further said, “We have a great team that never gives up.” After six races, Travis and his Honeybadger team from Rochester Yacht Club were in first place with 19 points.
Not far behind and also from Rochester, was Mike Ingham’s team with 23 points (bow 43). While the rivals from Rochester fight it out for first and second, four teams are vying for 3rd place. The two Japanese teams that were first and second after day 1, SIESTA and GEKKO DIANA have 42 and 38 points respectively, and Mike Goldfarb’s WAR CANOE team from CYC Seattle (bow 48) has 39 pts and Paul Abdullah’s TEAM TARHEEL have 43 pts. These four teams are essentially tied in pursuit of one remaining podium spot– unless, of course, luck runs short in Rochester!
Everyone on these teams had better wear their lucky socks tomorrow. The weather forecast was turning from sunny skies and gentle north winds to a rainy and gusty southerly with blasts into the 20s! On the penultimate day, big things were bound to happen in the big breeze.
Day 4Somewhere behind the curtain that hides the master regatta control panel, there must’ve been a wild-haired maniac pulling levers and pushing buttons. That is the only logical explanation for the variety of conditions on hand for the 2024 J/24 Worlds!
There were crystal blue skies most of the week, but for the penultimate day, it was a nasty rain squall. There has been flat water and steady breeze, but also up-range conditions frisky enough to get some teams to switch to jibs. There have been steady even current across the course, but occasionally one-sided current advantages. Any competitor that came to Seattle looking for the full range of conditions– got that and more.
Regatta Chair for the event, Jon Anderson explained, “Our title sponsor, is a J/24 Sailor in our community- Kurt Dammeier, driver and owner of AMUSE BOUCHE. Kurt is the CEO and Founder of Beechers Handmade Cheese. Kurt has such a rich passion for the sport and our fleet and he and his company were so quick to step up to help us deliver our promise of hosting a world-class event. The generosity of Kurt and his entire team has been incredible! We could not have put on this great of an event without him.”
Kurt was essential because he wrote the most significant check. But, he did not stop there. Contestants have been enjoying his Beecher’s Handmade Cheese after racing in many forms ranging from macaroni and cheese to soups. Everyone also got a Beecher’s Handmade Cheese T-Shirt.
Kurt has also been organizing training sessions for boats in the fleet, and traveled to the 2024 J/24 National Championship in Lake Minnetonka, MN, last month where he finished on the podium in third place.
In addition to wind and money, a regatta can’t be great without strong competitors. In the 56-boat fleet at the 2024 Worlds, there is a full complement of podium finishers from past worlds, six teams of rising youth sailors, and four all-female teams. Four boats came from Japan and three from Italy– and Seattle sailors have made many trips to regattas in those countries.
On Friday, Travis Odenbach extended his first-place lead, but it was Ignazio Bonanno’s Italian LA SUPERBA team (Simone Scontrino, Francesco Picaro, and Alfredo Branciforte) from Marina Militare Italiana that won the day with a 3rd and a 1st! Clearly, they LOVED the big breeze! Their stunning performance raised LA SUPERB from 11th to 5th place, putting them in striking distance of 3rd place overall with only 6 more points than SIESTA from Japan.
Day 5When Seattle, a city famous for its coffee, rain, and salmon, puts on a show, you can bet your last shackle that it’s going to be a great experience, especially when world-class sailboat racing is involved. Such was the case for this year’s J/24 Worlds, which concluded on the waters of Puget Sound in about 10 knots of northerly breeze and under rippled clouds that were punctuated by pockets of blue and rays of sunshine.
After the day started with a postponement that allowed the northerly winds to gather, skipper Travis Odenbach and his HONEYBADGEF crew put on a master class by decisively earning the day’s only bullet and capturing the championship title.
“That’s a relief,” exclaimed a jubilant Odenbach moments after winning the regatta! “I’ve been trying to win the J/24 Worlds for 10 years!” While Odenbach has won the J/24 U.S. Nationals Championship and has previously finished second and third in the J/24 Worlds, this regatta represented a massive commitment to high-level racing in the world’s most popular keelboat.
“We made a plan in January,” he said, noting that they carefully stuck with it. “We’re from the Great Lakes, which is a little bit different because it isn’t tidal.” The solution, he said, was to enlist a top-notch crew, including tactician and former Olympian Dave Hughes. “I had a lot of good people who helped make this happen,” he said of his talented team.
Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER crew were joined on the winner’s podium by Mike Ingham’s USA 5443 and his crew (Marianne Schoke, Max Holzer, Quinn Schwender, & Justin Coplan), who finished in second place with 40 pts net. Then, skipper Kohei Ichikawa’s Japanese SIESTA team (Taiga Nakagawa, Kosuke Demichi, Yuji Nishihata, & Koki Miwa) took the bronze medal with 61 pts net. Additionally, Team SIESTA was declared the 2024 J/24 Corinthian Division winners, too!
Rounding out the top five were Kohei Ichikawa and his Japanese GEKKO DIANA team in fourth place with 65 pts net and Ignazio Bonanno’s LA SUPERBA Italian team in fifth place with 67 pts net.
CORINTHIAN DIVISIONAmongst Corinthians, behind Nobuyuki Imai’s SIESTA team, Jakob Lichtenberg’s HAIR OF THE DOG took the silver, while Daniel Borrer’s JESUS LIZARD took the bronze.
WOMEN’S DIVISIONIn the All-Female division, skipper Elisabeth Hudson’s TWO SHOTS (USA 2342) crew was the boat to beat with her team of Julia Brandt, Rhonda Amrhein-Moore, Stephanie Myers, and Rebekah Holmes. She was followed by Chloe Nunn’s British SUPER G team in second place with her crew of Jo Boxall, Ellie Harding, Josephine Coomber, Dani Middleton, and Kelly Greener. Rounding out the podium taking the bronze medal was Lee Ann Zaretsky’s LADY MINX with her crew of Yun Lin, Marcy Lake, Linda Bowen, and Kimberly Wentworth.
UNDER 25 DIVISIONAmongst the Under-25 division, Sam Hopper’s SALTINE (USA 62) topped this division, followed by Ryan Milne’s JESTER (USA 5470) team, and Yuki Sekine’s GYOSYU (JPN 5273).
“It’s been awesome,” said Jon Anderson, who served as regatta chair and raced aboard Lichtenberg’s Hair of the Dog. “We picked this time of year specifically because it tends to have a better breeze than the rest of the summer, so it’s right on the hybrid of the seasons. Seattle isn’t known for a predictable Miami- or Texas-type breeze where the wind comes from the same direction and the same speed every single day, so it puts your tactical and strategic skills to the test.”
All sailors reported that the 56-boat fleet showcased the best that competitive one-design keelboat racing offers.“That theme of, ‘we get to race against Tiger Woods’ is kind of a big theme this week, because the best in the world was out there,” said Ron Rosenberg, a multi-time world champion sailor who served as tactician aboard Kurt Dammeier’s AMUSE BOUCHE (USA 3379), noting that the fleet saw winds ranging from 5 to 20 knots over the regatta’s nine races. “It was a strategic regatta, even more than a boatspeed regatta, which made it challenging for many teams. I think everyone appreciated that challenge.”
While Seattle delivered great on-the-water conditions, all competitors also reported a fantastic onshore scene, which was the result of a lot of hard work from a dedicated cadre of volunteers and sponsors.
“The race committee has been top-notch, and every day there’s been snacks and things going on in the tent and a few beers if you want them,” Ingham said. “They put on a great show.”
Part of this great synergy between the racing and the onshore scene was made possible by title sponsor Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, as the company’s founder— Kurt Beecher Dammeier — is a dedicated J/24 sailor.
“The competition is fantastic, 56 boats, and there’s probably 35 of them that could win a race at any time,” Dammeier said. This is reflected in the results: While Odenbach and Honeybadger took three bullets, the other wins were scattered across the fleet, with no other team taking more than one bullet.
“I think it’s been perfect for this regatta to have a prominent, local sponsor— that’s not a bank— to be here to represent,” Dammeier continued. “I hope that this can be the model going forward, with every new World seeking something endemic to their place as a lead sponsor,” he said, noting that this helps infuse the regatta with a sense of place.
—–Sailworld J/24 Worlds story: by David Schmidt
Few things are more inspiring than seeing someone accomplish something that they had to fight long and hard to achieve, and that required a massive amount of commitment. I was lucky enough to witness such an event on Saturday afternoon when Travis Odenbach and his HONEYBADGER crew crossed the finishing line in first place in the final race of the J/24 Worlds. This bullet was one of three that Odenbach and crew earned during five hard-fought days of racing on Puget Sound, and it cinched their efforts to win the title.
For Odenbach, this World Championship win was the culmination of a decade’s worth of solid campaigning that included multiple bridesmaid (and third place) finishes at various J/24 Worlds, plus a U.S. North American championship title.
The whoops and victory cries carried nicely across the water, and our spectator crew aboard Keith Whittemore’s comfortably appointed Hinckley powerboat (it even had an espresso machine, which I greatly appreciated) couldn’t help but join in their smiles and celebrations. Not only was this a great win to witness, but Whittemore – who is a two-time J/24 world champion skipper – personally sold Odenbach his winning J/24 following a North American championship regatta with the comment, “You’ll win the J/24 Worlds in Seattle on this boat”.
Whittemore wasn’t wrong, and the jubilation aboard HONEYBADGER was proof positive that the time, resources, and commitment needed to accomplish great things are worth it once the final finish guns fall silent.
For Seattle, a city I called home for more than a decade, this regatta was also a huge success. And, all competitors with whom I spoke talked about the challenging mix of conditions that they experienced over five full days and nine races. Even Saturday’s postponement and single race worked out, as a 10-knot northerly provided a great final challenge for this talent-laden fleet. J/24 Worlds highlight video. For more J/24 World Championship sailing information
J/99 JUICE Crushing It In Hong Kong
(Hong Kong, China)- JUICE, the only J/99 currently in Hong Kong, continued her winning ways with victory in the IRC 2 category of the Aberdeen Boat Club opening regatta last weekend. Comprising of three races over two days JUICE faced stiff competition from the fleet of seven boats.
Saturday ChallengesSaturday dawned light and somewhat westerly forcing a reverse course into Lamma Island for the first windward leeward. This provided unusual and close racing with JUICE and ZESSt finishing 45 seconds apart after an hour and twenty minutes, having taken differing sides of the track. Thereafter, a thunderstorm and lightning show over Hong Kong Island created a change of wind direction through the southerly quadrant and then back again to an easterly direction where the wind finally settled. After a lengthy delay, the course was relaid, and a more familiar route was taken. As the breeze had come up JUICE had changed to a J2 jib, which proved very costly as the wind faded in the start sequence. Given that now there was a 3-lap race, the team had to change back to the J1 jib on the first run and cope with a stuck kite halyard on the drop. ZESST was gone and INTRIGUE as well, leaving JUICE in 3rd and work to do on Sunday.
Sunday Island TourIslands races are long and, in light breeze, there are plenty of restarts in the wind shadows. Good job as JUICE ran into some plastic and lost a lot of time on the first beat. Going hard into Beaufort Island and finding a familiar breeze line brought JUICE back into the race only to lose ground again rounding Fury Rocks. JUICE stayed very high on the run and squeezed around Po Toi island to find ZESST trapped in a wind hole on the other side of the channel. Meanwhile, veteran yacht GAMBIT was hard on our tail. The three boats finished 40 seconds apart after three and a half hours of racing giving GAMBIT the Islands Race win and JUICE the regatta win!
Schonebeck Crowned German J/70 National Champion!
(Tutzing, Germany)- The German J/70 National Championship took place from October 3rd to 6th at the Deutscher Touring Yacht Club (DTYC). Twenty-six top-class boats from Germany, China, Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland enjoy eight races on the gorgeous Lake Starnbergersee.
The opening gambit for the three-day event by Mats Schonebeck’s team would prove prophetic, opening with a 2-1-2 for a comfortable lead at the end of day one. Thereafter, they counted only podium finishes in their results to finish with 12 pts net and a stunning 13 pts margin of victory. Schonebeck’s crew included Moritz Giebelmann, Henrik Peters, and Bjame Stegelmann.
The silver medal was awarded to the Swiss team of Urs Oldani from Lake Zurich. His crew of Gilles Burst, Paco Weiss, and Adrian Iten had a rough start the first day with an 8-17-4 tally to finish mid-fleet. However, over the next two days, they went on a tear with a 2-2-5-3-1 tally to finish with 25 pts net!
Rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was Max Adami’s crew of Jannis Summchen, Ferdinand Gerz, and Leanderr Baumann. They also had a rough outing on the first day with a 5-18-3. But, thereafter the team settled down to post a 3-3-2-11-9 for 36 pts net. For German J/70 Nationals sailing results For more Germany J/70 Nationals sailing information.
Canadian LIFTED Dominates J/80 North Americans
(Toronto, ONT, Canada)- It’s been eight years since the J/80 North American Championship came to Toronto, and again the National Yacht Club did not disappoint. Thirty teams competed in perfect warm Fall conditions on Lake Ontario from October 1st to. 6th. Tight racing and dynamic shifty winds ensured no one could relax, and every game plan was subject to continuous rewrite.
The National YC Race Committee got right down to business, and after three races on day one, LIFTED (Chris Hobbs, Samantha Webster, Kris Werner, Tyler Woodworth) topped the leaderboard, while Cristian Bieder’s CHIMICHURRI, returning NAs champion Conor Hayes’s MORE GOSTOSA, and Graham Philpott’s BLACK DOG completed the top 5 on the leaderboard.
The day two forecast was for a light or dying breeze. That’s exactly what happened partway through the second race. Eight boats completed the race as a thermal flipped the breeze 180 degrees, stranding the rest of the fleet and causing all to score TLE. LIFTED survived and delivered three bullets to consolidate her pole position!
Sunday brought a bigger SW breeze and choppy conditions, with LIFTED fending off the competition to convincingly win the regatta overall. Second place was Graham Philpott’S BLACK DOG (with a crew of Ben Crosby, Emmet Todd, & Tom Wells), with third place to fellow Winnipesaukee stalwart Conor Hayes’s MORE GOSTOSA (with a crew of Joe Diller, Dan Jolda, & Catherine McLaughlin).
CORINTHIANS DIVISIONThe Corinthian (fully amateur) honors went to Philpott’s Team BLACK DOG, with Hayes’s MORE GOSTOSA in second, and Thomas Kopp’s KOPP OUT) and team (Elizabeth Fisher, Ralph Fisher, and CJ Ruffing)from Grosse Point, MI in third.
Huge credit to all racers for making this a true North American Championship and a banner event. Boats traveled from Lake Winnipesaukee, Massachusetts, Annapolis, Newport, and, most especially, Seattle (Julian Croxall’s RECKLESS). Amazing commitment by teams to the Class – congratulations to all racers!
Fleet 20 is the fastest-growing J/80 fleet, now with 33 boats across five individual fleets: Toronto, Oakville, Port Dover, Ottawa/Nepean, Kingston, and Rochester. Canada also will host the 2026 J/80 World Championship in the Olympic sailing venue of Kingston, Ontario. For more J/80 North American Championship scores and sailing information.
Winkelhausen Eclipses Interboot Trophy- a.k.a. J/70 Battle of Lake Constance
(Friedrichshafen, Germany)- Ten teams from the nations that surround the gorgeous Lake Constance in central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, & Austria) enjoyed an amazing eleven races run by the Wurtemburger Yacht Club’s expert RC/ PRO team.
In the end, it was quite the “schooling” the fleet received at the hands of the host WYC’s champion team led by Christoph Winkelhausen. Counting only bullets after 2 drop races, his crew of. Yannick Hafner, Carlo Schnetz, and. Elias Benz enjoyed a wild celebration with their astonishing performance! They led a sweep of the podium by three WYC teams.
Another WYC team led by Jochen Frik took the silver medal. They went on a tear in races 3 to 5 posting all bullets. His team included Klaus Diesch, Tom Stemmer, and Max Rieger. Rounding out the podium was yet another WYC crew led by Pia Speckle. Their crew included Justin Venger, and Dennis & Kevin Mehlig.
For more J/70 Interboot Trophy/ Battle of Lake Constance sailing information & results.
J/Teams Garner Silverware @ ORC World Championship
(Newport, RI)- The 2024 ORC World Championship for offshore racing sailboats was hosted for a week by the New York Yacht Club in Newport, RI. The regatta format is unique, as it opens up on the first day with a 200+ mile long-distance race, followed by three days of windward-leeward buoy racing. Then, closing with a short offshore race and a set of more W/L buoy races on the final day.
In the end, J/Teams faired well against the mostly professional crews on competing teams.
ORC A Division/ CorinthiansWinning the Corinthians division was Bob Manchester/s J/133 VAMOOSE. Then, a sistership took the silver medal- Steve Brownlie’s J/133 ASSARAIN IV. Finally, taking fourth place was Trevor Roach’s J/121 TOUCH OF GRAY.
ORC B Division/ CorinthiansIn the ORC B Overall division, Bill and Jackie Baxter’s J/111 FIREBALL started slowly, but closed the regatta with the best record for the last five races- 2-2-3-2-1 for finishing the regatta in third place! Just behind them in fifth place was a solid performance by Al Minella’s J/112E THE ROCC.
Winning the ORC B Corinthians was the NEKA Sailing team on the J/105 custom SLEEPER. For more ORC World Championship sailing information
Great Sailing for the 2024 American YC Fall Regatta
(Rye, NY)- The American Yacht Club’s annual Fall Regatta marks the close of the summer offshore sailing season on Long Island Sound. It’s always a well-attended event and it attracts dozens of J/Boats owners up and down the Sound for racing in one-design classes of J/44s, J/105s, J/70s, and a half-dozen PHRF handicap classes. The fleet was treated to great sailing and good breezes for the two-weekend event, enabling racing all four days and the one-design classes to have nine races!
J/44 ClassThe five-boat fleet was yet again treated to a “schooling” by former New York YC Commodore Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE. After a “slow start” of a 2-4-2, Ketcham’s team peeled off six straight bullets to win by a country furlong with just 10 pts net!
Learning quick and good students of the sport of racing sailboats has been the women duo of June & Amanda Kendrick’s PALANTIR 5. This year they started well with a 1-2-3, then ripped off straight deuces to take the silver medal with 15 pts net. Rounding out the podium on the bronze medal step was Willets Meyer’s BEAGLE with 25 pts net.
J/105 ClassGetting back to his old form after sailing J/105s for 30+ years was Damian Emery’s WARLOCK. Emery’s WARLOCK team dominated the J/105 fleet with five 1sts and four 2nds en route to solid performance for 11 pts net. Not to be outdone, veteran J/105 skipper Paul Beaudin and his LOULOU team also counted all podium scores to take the silver medal with 13 pts Net. Then, the balance of the podium was David Owen’s ECHO with 30 pts net.
J/70 ClassJean Marc Papin/s PEN SEGAL simply wiped the slate clean with straight bullets for all seven races in this fleet. Caelan McMichael’s USA 1725 took second with 15 pts net, while Lucas Swain’s USA 1747 took the bronze medal.
Coastal PHRF 1 DivisionLoving the conditions and courses for their four days of sailing was Len Sitar’s beautiful blue J/160 COUGAR. They posted a blistering scoreline of 1-1-1-3 for 6 pts total to handily win their fleet.
Coastal PHRF 2 DivisionIt was a clean sweep for J/crews in this fleet. Winning was Ron Richman’s J/133 ANTIDOTE with a 2-2-2-1 tally for 7 pts. Second was last year’s division winner, Erik Asgeirsson’s J/45 ACADIA with a 3-3-1-5 scorecard for 12 pts. Then, taking the bronze medal was Bill Klein’s J/120 SPECK with a 4-4-3-2 record for 13 pts.
Coastal PHRF 3 DivisionThe top five was dominated by J/crews. Taking the silver was Steve Landry & Derek Soohoo’s J/100 SANGUINE. Third was Todd Aven’s J/99 THIN MAN, fourth went to Ray Warner’s J/99 AGENT 99, and fifth was Robert Schwarz’s J/109 NORDLYS.
Coastal PHRF 4 DivisionThe top two podium steps were determined by a tiebreaker at 7 pts each. Winning the countback was Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER, followed by JC Zucconi & Jim Townsend’s J/92 EASY RED.
PHRF J/100 ClassThe J/100s on western Long Island Sound have been enjoying a renaissance in this beautiful 33-foot “eye candy” of a daysailer. Winning again was the trio of Tom Boyle, Bob Clyatt, & Doug McKiege ono BLUEFIN. Second went to William Hennes’s LIBERTY and third was the duo of Drew Fung & Pat Jakobson’s FREEDOM. For more American YC Fall Regatta results and sailing information.
Halmstad Sailing Society Wins Swedish J/70 Sailing League Series
(Örnsköldsvik, Sweden)- The fourth and final competition in Allsvenskan Sailing was sailed over the weekend in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden for eighteen teams from across Sweden. The winds were light and in the mornings it was pale on both Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which meant that only 10 rounds were completed, against the normal 15.
Before the weekend, it was KSSS who led the overall result for the Allsvenskan with Halmstads Segelsällskap in second place, one point behind.
The light winds in Örnsköldsvik were mastered by OXSS (Oxelösund’s Sailing Society), with Erik Lindén at the helm.
It was all the more exciting between Halmstad’s Sailing Society and KSSS (Royal Swedish Yacht Club) in the fight for overall victory for the season series. Before the last race in the preliminary round, Halmstad was fourth and KSSS eighth, which meant that Halmstad had overtaken KSSS in the season series! But, the two teams met in the last and decisive race before the final. The conditions were that if KSSS won the race and Halmstad came sixth, then KSSS would pass Halmstad again.
The race turned out to be a real nail-biter. Just before the starting shot, there was a strong wind shift where KSSS swung over to port and got a perfect start, while Halmstad was then unable to stretch over the lee buoy with a bad start as a result. After the first cross, KSSS was first and Halmstad sixth, and it was an exciting situation for Halmstad.
“We didn’t have time to think too much about it. We knew we had to stay close to KSSS and focused on that,” said Christoffer Hellekant, helmsman on Halmstad’s team.
Halmstad managed to sail up the race standings at the same time that Sotefjorden won the race, which meant that Halmstad was clear as the overall winner in the Allsvenskan season series even before the final race.
“It’s very fun. We have had a very consistent season and reached the final in all sub-competitions. That meant that we were able to take home the victory in the Allsvenskan,” explained Hellekant.
“There are more than us who sail here in Örnsköldsvik who have sailed in Halmstad’s team. And, we have improved our maneuvers, speed, and good tactical decisions in all different constellations,” continues Hellekant.
In the finale, GKSS – Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club sailed well and won the race, with Oxelösund finishing second. This meant that Oxelösund’s SS won the competition in Örnsköldsvik ahead of GKSS and Ekoln’s sailing club – ESK.
In the end, the overall Allsvenskan J/70 Sailing League in Sweden was won by Halmstad Sailing Society. Second went to KSSS Royal Swedish YC, and third to GKSS Royal Gothenburg Sailing Club. For more Swedish J/70 Sailing League results and information
Club Nautique de Versoix Top Swiss J/70 Sailing Super League Finale
(Geneva, Switzerland)- The Société Nautique de Genève hosted the Swiss J/70 Sailing Super League finale the past weekend on the picturesque Lake Geneva for the top fourteen sailing club teams across Switzerland. Over the three-day weekend, the fleet enjoyed a total of eleven races in the often challenging Swiss mountain lake conditions.
In the end, it was the team from Club Nautique de Versoix that was crowned the 2024 SWiss J/70 Sailing Super League champions! The team was comprised of V. Casas, R. Hauser, B. Delaloye, and R. Defferrard. Second went to the Regattaclub Bodensee Team comprised of M. Soriano, T. Rtuishauser, R. Ott, and S. Zurfluh. Rounding out the podium with the bronze was Regattaclub Oberrhofen with the team of S. Seger, F. Geissbuhlerr, B. Zeltner, and C. Schhenk. For more Swiss J/70 Sailing Super League sailing information.
Potts Crowned USA Match Race J/22 Champion
(San Francisco, CA)- The 2024 US Match Racing Championship was hosted by the St. Francis YC in San Francisco Bay, California, from the 4th–6th October. Ten teams competed in J/22 class keelboats for the Prince of Wales Bowl, each having earned their place through a series of qualifying events held earlier in the year.
After a round-robin qualifier, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, it was Pearson Potts’s team of Chase Quinn, Tim Siemers, and Robert Savoie that was crowned 2024 USA Prince of Wales Match Racing Champion. They battled local World Women Match Racing Champion Nicole Breault from the host St. Francis YC for the title. After the first two races, the two teams had split winning races. Then, in the finale, Potts’s crew demonstrated flawless crew work and strong tactics to take the finale and win with a 2-1 record. Nicole Breault’s team includes Molly Carapiet, Sam Reynolds, and Will Paulsen. For more USA Match Race J/22 Championship sailing information.
AIOLIA Wins Greece ORC Doublehanded Nationals!
(Athens, Greece)- This past week, the J/11s AIOLIA sailed the weekend-long Greece ORC Doublehanded National Championship and won their DH 1 Division and the ORC Doublehanded Overall. Sailing was owner/skipper Spiros Papantoniou and teammate Ermioni Oikoonomopoulou. Their boat is a modified J/111 with twin rudders, only three were ever made.
The 138.0nm race started on Saturday morning and the 20-boat fleet all finished by Sunday afternoon. Spiros and Ermioni were extremely pleased with their performance, winning by over 48 minutes on ORC correct time!
Upcoming Events
“J/Fest” Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta Preview
(Larchmont, NY)- Initially established in the early 1970s by The Corinthians, this invitational regatta for college sailors is held annually out of Larchmont Yacht Club and brings together sailboat owners and young sailors for an opportunity to go head-to-head each fall.
This weekend, October 12th to 13th, the de-facto “J/Fest” Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (IOR) will take place at Larchmont Yacht Club, co-hosted by Storm Trysail Club. The event will see 42 schools from 19 U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces come together for a unique offshore sailing experience, designed to give collegiate sailors a new challenge beyond their typical dinghy racing.
This year’s regatta features 30 of 42 teams that are J/Boats owners- 71.0% of the fleet! J/Boat owners have been enthusiastic participants in this event as they support their alma maters from across the USA. It’s quite extraordinary to see J/Teams supported from California to Maine and Minnesota to Texas!
PHRF Large DivisionFive J/Teams are participating in this eight-boat division. Featured are two J/44s- US Naval Academy’s MAXINE and Univ. of Rhode Island’s PALANTIR 5. Joining them are Univ. Maryland’s J/124 TENEBRAE, Mass Maritime’s J/122 DIRE WOLF, and Clemson Univ.’s J/111 SUMMER STORM.
PHRF Medium DivisionThis eight-boat fleet will see two J/Teams on the starting line. One is Northeastern University’s J/112E REBELLE and the other is Michigan State’s J/42 ATALANTA.
PHRF Small DivisionThis half-dozen boat fleet is predominated by J/crews. Two J/100s are sailing- Rochester Univ.’s GALATRONA and Texas A&M’s. AVOCET. Joining them are Webb Institute’s J/105 SLEEPER, Univ. Vermont’s J/88 ONE TOO MANY, and Syracuse Univ.’s J/99 THIN MAN.
J/109 ClassFive teams are sailing this one-design class. They include Brown University’s NORDLYS, and Embry-Riddle College’s AVIATO, Queen’s Univ (Canada) QUICKSILVER, SUNY Maritime’s RESOLUTE, and Univ. Wisconsin’s TBD.
J/105 ClassThe largest fleet in the event, the twelve-boat fleet includes top teams like College of Charleston’s KESTREL, Princeton Univ.’s MAGIC, and South Carolina’s ECHO.
For more STC Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta sailing results For more STC Intercollegiate Regatta sailing information
German J/24 Championship Preview
(Berlin, Germany)- This weekend, the Berliner Yacht Club in Berlin, Germany will be hosting the 2024 German J/24 Championship on the gorgeous Lake Wansee southwest of the city in a spectacular park-like setting. Short fast races are on order and the winds can be very shifty and puffy.
Nineteen teams are participating from Germany, Netherlands, Austria, and Sweden. Some of the leading teams should be Frank Schonfeld, Fritz Meyer, Stefan Karsunke, Lynn Wolgast, and Per-Hakan Persson from Sweden. For more German J/24 Championship sailing information
Swiss J/70 HEIDI Cup Preview
(Spiez, Switzerland)- This coming weekend, the Yacht Club Spiez will be hosting the famous J/70 Heidi Cup for all-women’s teams on the spectacular Lake Thunersee in the middle of Switzerland. The incredibly picturesque town, famous for vineyards that border the lake and beautiful vistas of snow-capped Swiss Alps surrounding the lake, will play host to thirteen women’s teams from across Switzerland.
Virtually all of the top sailing clubs in Switzerland are supporting the 100+ women and their sailing teams, including Regattavlub Oberhofen, Cercle de la Voile d’Estavayer, Yachtclub Zug, Yachtclub Zurich, and Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen.
Up to s.ix races per day are planned and will be similar to the Swiss Sailing League format of short, quick, 15-20-minute races. For Swiss J/70 Heidi Cup results and entry list For Swiss J/70 Heidi Cup sailing information
Stratford Shoal Gearbuster Race Preview
(Greenwich, CT)- This coming weekend is the infamous “Gearbuster Race” run annually every fall by Indian Harbor YC. It’s a long day race around various government buoys in western Long Island Sound. It’s a popular event as the “grand finale” of fall sailing on the Sound. It is quite popular with J/sailors. There are 25 J/Teams sailing of the 51 boats total (50% of the fleet!). The teams are spread throughout the various PHRF divisions.
PHRF Doublehanded DivisionIn this fleet of half-dozen boats, virtually all of the participants are J/teamms. There are three J/120s (Sara & Josh Reisberg’s ABILYN, Richard Wests’s CHARLOTTE, & Christian Uecker’s HOUND DOG), plus Thomas Sa’s J/33 GUN DOG, and Stamford YC’s Junior Team on VALIANT.
PHRF A Division. (
