Year: 2024

(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.

(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!

(Macatawa Bay, MI)- The Macatawa Bay Yacht Club on Lake Michigan hosted the 2024 J/88 North American Championship for a fleet of eleven very competitive teams. The four-day regatta took place from September 25th to 29th on Macatawa Bay. 
After the nine-race one-toss race series over the four days of sailing, it was apparent there was a “new sheriff in town”; a new champion emerged from the clouds of battle on Lake Michigan. Starting with an impressive 1-1-6-1 to lead the regatta after the first day, there was no turning back for Lindsey Duda’s SIN DUDA team, finishing the regatta with just 19 pts net! Behind them, it was a real battle for the balance of the podium and the top five for four other teams. Taking the silver medal was Ben Marden’s BANTER with 26 pts net. The bronze went to Dave Tufts’s GAUCHO with 31 pts net. Then, rounding out the top five was Dave Dennison’s PIRANHA with 33 pts net and Andy Graff’s EXILE with 38 pts net, finishing 4th and 5th, respectively. 
CORINTHIANS DivisionWinning Corinthians was Dennison’s PIRANHA, followed by Graff’s EXILE in second, and John Leahey’s DUTCH in third place.  For more J/88 North American Championship sailing information

(Key West, FL)- The SAILING INC. company in Cleveland, OH is once again hosting their popular and fun-loving Southernmost Regatta @ Key West this coming winter from January 20th to 25th, 2025 in Key West, FL. Based out of the Galleon Resort’s awesome Tiki Bar on the waterfront, you cannot imagine a more fun, laid-back place to host and run a regatta in the only Caribbean-like setting in the USA!

Invited is the J/111 Class for its 2025 J/111 North American Championship. Already, eight teams are entered including multiple J/111 North American Champion Peter Wagner’s SKELETON KEY. 
Also invited is the J/70 Class and any J/Teams wishing to sail an ORC handicap division! So far, a half-dozen J/70s have entered! And, in the ORC Division entered are the J/45 SPACEMAN SPIFF and the J/122 DIRE WOLF! For Southernmost Regatta registration information   For more Southernmost Regatta sailing information.

(Macatawa Bay, MI)-  The Macatawa Bay Yacht Club on Lake Michigan will be hosting the 2024 J/88 North American Championship for a fleet of eleven very competitive teams. The four-day regatta is taking place from September 25th to 29th on Macatawa Bay. 

Several perennial class leaders are participating including Lindsey Duda’s SIN DUDA, Ben Marden’s BANTER, John Leahey’s DUTCH, Andy  Graff’s EXILE, and Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION. All of those teams have won major J/88 events from Chicago to Long Island Sound and past J/88 North Americans! For more J/88 North American Championship sailing information

(San Francisco, CA)- One of the best sailboat racing venues in the world, iconic San Francisco Bay, is ready to turn it on for the 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club, September 11-15, 2024. 

The most prestigious regatta on the West Coast has attracted 71 boats and nearly 700 sailors to the docks of St. Francis Yacht Club, to hear what classes will race for Rolexes and perpetual trophies on Wednesday night, and to start preparing for the first race on Thursday, September 12. With a strong turnout in J/88 and J/105 one-design classes and ORC divisions, organizers are thrilled to welcome members and guests to be a part of the action on the water and shoreside. 
“Having been involved in this epic West Coast regatta for some four decades, it is my honor and privilege as Commodore to welcome our members and guests to the 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series,” said Chris Perkins, 2024 Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club and a past winner of the event. “I wish the best of luck to our competitors who are here to compete in one of the world’s most spectacular racing venues. Sail fast and enjoy our outstanding hospitality.”
“Sailing smart the first couple of days is key, but Saturday and Sunday are really where the championship will be won,” commented Ryan Simmons from the J/105 BLACKHAWK.
Rolex Big Boat Series’ extensive history of champions is a tribute to the depth of talent that graces the event and this year, a solid fleet stacked with talented and tough competition is expected. 
“We have thirty J/105s starting again this year, which is great to see, and the ORC fleet is diverse and deep in talent with past winners returning to defend their titles,” says Felix Weidling, Race Director of St. Francis Yacht Club. “We always have our competitors’ best interests in mind and after taking in sailors’ feedback from last year, we continue to improve this important event which is a cornerstone of West Coast sailboat racing.”
Perennial Rolex Big Boat winner in the J/105 class, Ryan Simmons, and his well-seasoned team on BLACKHAWK are eager to see how the competition will play out in the competitive San Francisco-based J/105 fleet. BLACKHAWK took first in class in 2019, 2021, and 2023, and second in 2022. Simmons does not take for granted that his luck will bear out for another win, although he and his crew are talented enough—and hopeful. 
“We’re lucky, we have low turnover on our team—we’ve been sailing together a long time and it’s a big difference,” says Simmons. “Our competitive edge this year will be consistency. In the first two days of the regatta, you can’t lock in the win, but you can take yourself out of contention, so sailing smart the first couple of days is key, but Saturday and Sunday are really where the championship will be won.”
Hot to prevail against BLACKHAWK is NE*NE, owned and skippered by Tim Russell who has played bridesmaid many times, often finishing in the top three. He’s currently leading the local J/105 fleet in the class championship series, making him a serious podium contender. 
“A first place on NE*NE is eluding me!” says Russell. “You have to take chances and I usually approach every regatta being super conservative. On my starts, I’m trying to win one end or the other and let our boat speed take care of itself and minimize mistakes, but in Big Boat, you have to gamble.”
“Some of the best, most reliable, and most fun sailing conditions in the world are this time of year at this venue, the race management is second to none, and the social side is always spectacular,” explained Peter Wagner, owner/ skipper of the J/111 SKELETON KEY.
Peter Wagner won last year’s ORC-C division on SKELETON KEY, the J/111 he’s owned since 2015. Winner of the J/111 North Americans for two years in a row and St. Francis Yacht Club’s Sailor of the Year in 2023, Wagner is a tough act to follow. He’s been racing the Rolex Big Boat Series for almost 25 years and is looking forward to the solid competition, great conditions, and fun social gatherings.
“It’s always one of the highlights of our season and certainly the highlight of racing on San Francisco Bay,” says Wagner. “In this particular event, we’ve raced in various one-design classes as well as ORR and now ORC and we’re excited about the momentum around ORC. I think it will be a competitive event. Some of the best, most reliable, and most fun sailing conditions in the world are this time of year at this venue, the race management is second to none and the social side is always spectacular. There is always a great group of sailors that convenes around RBBS.”
Other boats returning to defend their 2023 titles include the J/88 PELAGIA owned and skippered by Christos Karamanolis and the J/109 REVERIE owned and skippered by John Arens.
“I’m excited to lead the Rolex Big Boat Series in its 60th anniversary year,” says Susan Ruhne, who chairs the regatta and is the 2024 Rear Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club. “The event is such an important part of the StFYC’s history and a favorite for so many sailors and spectators to experience. There is nothing like watching 70-plus boats on three race courses duke it out on San Francisco Bay, including the classic downwind run from the Golden Gate Bridge back to the club. I am also very proud that we continue to maintain Rolex Big Boat Series’ status as a Clean Regatta, a foundation of the event.”  Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ UltimateSailing.com. For more ROLEX Big Boat Series sailing information and results.

J/Teams Sweep Top Five- ORC C Division!

(San Francisco, CA)- One of the best sailboat racing venues in the world, the iconic San Francisco Bay, lived up to its reputation for the 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club, September 11th to 15th, 2024. 
The regatta attracted 71 boats and nearly 700 sailors to St. Francis Yacht Club. There was a strong turnout in the J/88 and J/105 one-design classes. And, a good turnout of J/Teams in the ORC divisions.
Breeze-on conditions brought out the best skills and tactics for podium winners.
Right on cue, San Francisco Bay rolled out the most demanding conditions for sailors at the 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club. A steady 15-20 knots during the first race on Thursday continued to build through Sunday for pure thrills and some spills for the boats competing. Challenging windward-leeward courses allowed for ample tacking duels from the eastern end of the Bay to outside the Golden Gate Bridge, with plenty of opportunities to upset the leaderboard during the downwind to the finish line in front of spectators at St. Francis Yacht Club. Sailors got what they came for world-class racing in a world-class venue. As noted by Chris Perkins, the 2024 Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club and eight-time winner— this is what the Rolex Big Boat Series is all about.
“We’re extremely excited about how this week’s went. The weather was tremendous, and we’ve had three great days with a very windy fourth and final day. I am glad they only had one race today!” he said. “Long courses and strong winds are what the event is all about and the clubhouse has been full of spectators watching the racing. It’s been a fantastic regatta and a success on many levels. One of the special things about the past 60 years of this event is that it’s attracted some famous yachts from all over the world.”
J/105 ClassIn the 30-strong J/105 class, considered by many to be the most competitive in America, Ryan Simmons and his long-standing crew on BLACKHAWK took home a Rolex Submariner timepiece to go with his sixth RBBS win and his fourth as skipper. 11-points behind was second place NE*NE, helmed by Tim Russell. Rolf Kaiser and Justin Oberbauer, owners of DONKEY JACK, took third.
“While there wasn’t really a defining moment, we did have really good starts and for the most part going the right direction which really worked for us,” said Simmons. “Conditions were exactly what you would expect for Big Boat Series— high teens to low twenties with ebb chop. While we may have won by a good margin, it has not taken away from the incredible competition in this fleet. On Thursday, we had an amazing photo finish with Randy Hecht and his team on NIUHI and a memorable gybing duel with Tim Russell on NE*NE on Friday. Racing was very tight and very fun. We’ve had a great regatta.”
J/88 ClassIn the J/88 class, Mark Howe’s SPLIT WATER took first, a solid five points ahead of Tom Thayer and Robert Milligan’s SPEEDWELL. The third went to Brice Dunwoodie’s RAVENETTE.
“The combination of shorter windward/leewards in the morning and the Bay tours in the afternoon requires every aspect of tactics, boat handling, sail handling, and, most importantly, endurance,” said Howe. “Crisis management has been key; no boat has been without incident, but keeping a cool head and staying focused is important to overcoming challenges. I’m very proud of my crew; they’ve worked hard with heartfelt enthusiasm and stayed flexible and focused even when things went sideways.”
He and his crew were dually awarded the Pacific Yacht Club Association’s Jesse L. Carr Perpetual Captain and Crew Trophy, which rewards not just the skipper, but the crew as well, for excellence on the water.
ORC A DivisionIn this fleet of nine boats, Peter Wagner’s team on the J/111 SKELETON KEY finished third, just one point away from taking the silver medal. Andrew Picel’s J/125 ARSENAL finished in 5th place and Nesrin Basoz’s J/111 SWIFT NESS took 6th place.
ORC C Division- J/Teams Sweep Top 5!In this eleven-boat fleet, Zach Berkowitz’s J/100 FEATHER won by a robust 13.5-point delta over BACHANNAL, a J/133 owned by Ron Epstein. Barry Lewis racing his J/120 CHANCE finished in third.
“I’m pleased with our result,” said Berkowitz. “I have put a fair amount of work into the boat this year. We cut the rudder off by four inches, we bought a new jib, put more rake in the mast, and added some weight to the boat. It all paid off and the boat is going fast.”
Berkowitz added, “The new MarkSet Bots that the event is using are fantastic. They are spot on, the starting line is great, there are no postponements— it’s revolutionizing race management!”
The balance of the top five included David Halliwill’s J/120 PEREGRINE and John Arens’s J/109 REVERIE in 4th and 5th, respectively. Camille Moussette’s J/99 LATENCY ended up in 7th place. For more ROLEX Big Boat Series sailing information

(Rye, NY)- There is still time to register for the American Yacht Club Fall Regatta classic on Long Island Sound! You don’t want to miss one of the last big regattas of the 2024 sailing season in the northeastern seaboard!!

The AYC Fall Regatta is offering two racing formats:- Windward/Leeward Racing for the ORC and One-Design Classes- Coastal Racing for the PHRF Classes (including Doublehanded & Non-Spinnaker) and the ORC Classes.
As part of the AYC Fall Regatta, they will be hosting the J/109 East Coast Championships!Live music and the classic free food & drinks will be waiting for you when you step off the water! Plenty of story-telling and catching up for all on the picturesque American YC lawn with a view of the famous New York City skyscrapers in the distance off to the west.  Time to get busy and get your team ready for the AYC Fall Regatta- register here! 

(Dublin, Ireland)- The 2nd edition of the J/Cup Ireland took place last weekend at the Royal Irish Yacht Club. The regatta included two days of racing, daily prize-givings, and shore-side entertainment for all owners and crews. The event featured one-design classes for J/109s, J/24s, and J/80s, plus an IRC Division for handicap racing. 
J/109 ClassThe thirteen-boat fleet saw a battle royale develop amongst several of the class veterans for the top of the podium.  Emerging from the clouds of war to win by a single point was John Maybury’s JOKER 2 with a 3-1-4-BFD-2-4 for 14 pts net. Garnering the silver medal was Barry Cunningham’s CHIMEARA with a 5-6-7-2-1-1 tally for 15 pts net. Rounding out the podium was Rick & Tim Goodbody’s WHITE MISCHIEF with a 4-5-1-3-4-7 record for 17 pts net!
J/24 ClassThe eight-boat J/24 class was treated to a surprising, and shocking, complete “schooling” by Mikey Carroll’s KINSAILOR team! Posting four bullets and a deuce for their six-race scoreline for 6 pts net! Taking the silver medal was the quartet of Conor Haughton, Jonny Flood, Charles Heather, and Garrett Kinnane on their J/24 JUPITER with a 3-2.5-2-2-4-1 tally for 10.5 pts net. Rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was David Bailey’s HARD ON PORT with a 5-2.5-4-3-3-3 scoreline for 15.5 pts net. 
J/80 ClassThe J/80 class enjoyed good participation by loyal J/80 sailors. Winning by a convincing margin was Pat O’Neill’s MOJO with a blistering record of 3-1-1-DSQ-1-1 for 7 pts net! Taking the silver was Austin Kenny’s RAM JAM with a 1-5-3-1-4-3 for 12 pts net. Then, taking the bronze medal was Owen Laverty’s RED CLOUD with a 2-3-5-4-3-2 tally for 14 pts net!
IRC DivisionEight boats enjoyed good IRC handicap racing around government marks. In the end, it was a surprising, shocking, clean sweep of the first five races by John & Suzie Murphy’s J/109 OUTRAGEOUS with a five-race score of 5 pts net! The balance of the podium ended up being a tough battle between four teams. In the end, it was Mike & Rick Evans’s J/99 SNAPSHOT that posted a 6-3-2-2-DNF-1 tally for 14 pts net to take the silver medal. Winning the bronze medal was Peter Dunlop’s J/122 MOJITO with a 3-5-6-4-2-2 scoreline for 16 pts net.  For more Northern Trust J/Cup Ireland regatta sailing information

(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