DISKO TROOPER Crowned Australian J/99 Champions!

ByStuart Johnstone

J/99 Australia sailing off start line in Sydney

(Sydney Harbour, Australia)- The J/99 has again proved its versatility with an extremely successful Australian National Championship held last weekend March 4th to 5th, 2023. The Championship was a six-race program, fully-crewed, windward-leeward series and held as part of the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC).

Others have thought the J/99 was categorized solely as a doublehanded Sydney to Hobart winner and offshore racer. There is no doubt the J/99 does this type of racing extremely well with proven results from around the World. However, the National Championship has now highlighted the J/99 is equally adept “around the cans” in close competitive racing, with 5-6 crew on board.  The format for the Nationals was to keep it simple with a “box rule” for sails (1 main, 2 jibs, 2 kites) and ORC Club certificates to capture the small differences in the sail area.

Six J/99s with a diverse mix of owners entered this year’s inaugural regatta.  Of course, we know Jules Hall from DISKO TROOPER and Shane Connelly from RUM REBELLION who have cleaned up in Blue Water Double Handed racing over the past two years.  We also have newcomers Ian Smith from JUPITER and Chris O’Neill from BLUE PLANET who have started their offshore campaigns with great results. Also, Gerry Morecombe from ECHO and the syndicate with SIENA purchased their J/99s for inshore harbor racing and social fun.

The overarching feedback is that all skippers and crew had enormous fun and enjoyed the camaraderie of this growing class.  They all pushed outside their comfort zones and usual race program for this W/L close racing format.  A huge “Thank You” to MHYC for hosting such a fantastic and well-run event.

The winner’s podium was DISKO TROOPER first, JUPITER second, and RUM REBELLION in third place. 

Australian J/99s sailing downwind off Sydney

From Jules Hall – DISKO TROOPER
“What a fun regatta! Saturday was a tough day! Light winds, strong tide, bumpy water. There were lots of holes in the breeze, and we were very good at finding them! Jupiter was clearly in close contact with Huey, maintaining pressure and speed to post the most consistent results of the day, notably first at the top mark in every race.

Sunday was a classic building Sydney Harbour Nor’ Easter. Race one started in 13kts. By race 3 we were seeing 20-knot gusts. The race committee kept the fleet on its toes, laying a short line which created some good pre-start excitement! 

Entering the second day on level points with Jupiter, after punishment in race 2, team Disko had some work to do. We agreed to a plan for the day, had a quick reminder on how to sail fully crewed, then got down to business. 

In race 1 we got away cleanly and had a solid race. In race 2 the individual recall flag was hoisted. With no drops we weren’t risking it was us, so gybed around, re-crossed the line, splitting with the fleet on our preferred port tack. It worked and we were a nose in front by the top mark. There were big gains to be had downwind with boat handling and gust management and we finished in front. It wasn’t Disko Trooper that was over at the start after all! Race 3 and we got a little buried at the start. But speed and height were our friends. We bounced off the shore, played the shifts, and squeaked around the top mark just in front. Closing the race with the win secured the national championships for Disko Trooper. Turns out fully crewed sailing can be quite fun!!

What a fabulous event! A big thank you to Ian Smith (Jupiter) for all the effort in making it happen. Extremely well sailed to all the crews. And thank you to Middle Harbour Yacht Club for hosting an excellent regatta.”

J/99s in Australia sailing under spinnaker

From Gerry Morecombe – ECHO
“The feedback this Monday morning from our boatload of retirees (with an average age heading towards 70) is that they are enjoying the “lay day” today!

Saturday was the first spinnaker race EVER for Echo, thankfully the light breeze concealed our spinnaker handling sins but not in the finish times, which averaged just about 9 minutes behind the very skillful Disko Trooper.

Sunday what a beauty! A new day with a breeze that we all love and enjoy. 3 great races for Echo and its creaking-bodied crew, a few adjustments in duties to account for creaking limbs but we had so much fun!

The average finish time behind the very skillful Disko Trooper was just 2.6 minutes and this included us blowing the spinnaker on the last gybe of the first downhill leg of race 6. The second downhill leg was with our trusty whisker pole only. 😊

Well done for your foresight in insisting on the ORC club certificates for the series, it helps us see the differences in the sail plans and also highlights peoples’ sailing skills.

Echo’s next outing beyond the genteel twilight sailing at Greenwich Flying Squadron, we will be sailing in the Port Stephens race week – hope some J/99’s will join us.

Owning a J/99 is much “more fun than a grey nomad’s all singing and dancing caravan”! LOL! We are looking forward to sailing with the J99 fleet again soon!”

More J/99s sailing off Sydney under spinnakers

From Chris O’Neill – BLUE PLANET
“Many thanks for providing the initiative for the inaugural J/99 National Championships. The regatta was a tremendous success on and off the water. We had a good mix of testing conditions. 

Saturday’s racing was dominated by the light shifty breeze, with current being a large tactical consideration. Sunday presented a classic building Sydney Nor’ Easter. As can be expected across such a range of conditions, the cream rose to the top and the podium faithfully reflected the current rankings in the fleet. 

While many owners purchased their J/99 for short-handed offshore racing, this weekend proved that they are also nimble and a delight on tight inshore W/L courses. Despite a mix of crew experience and expertise, the racing was consistently challenging and exciting, and every boat found something to be proud of. 

I hope that the success of this regatta provides the basis for forming a structured Class Association that will act to promote the class moving forward, and I look forward to the continued strength of the class.”

It’s a phenomenal success to hold an Australian J/99 National Championship in less than three years since the first J/99 arrived in Australia. J/Boats have launched more than 140 J/99’s worldwide during this time, and Australia is the first country to hold a National Championships – something we are very proud of. As pointed out (with a grin) by Ian Box, Special Event Chair of MHYC during prize giving, “this year’s winners are technically World Champions!”

There are more J/99’s on the way to Australia so keep posted for more news.  

J/99 Australian Championship (from Jupiter Globe) posted some videos of preparation for the J/99 Nationals as well as some insights of the first two days here:

Sailing photo credits to Margaret Fraser-Martin   For more J/99 offshore shorthanded speedster sailing information