J/Newsletter- October 12th, 2022
Reminder!
This weekend is the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, open from October 13th Thursday to the 16th Sunday! Come down and join us to talk shop, share a few sea stories, and learn more about the NEW J/45, J/112E, J/99, and J/9!
Plus, J/Boats Block Party- Friday evening- 6:00 PM- at J/Boats stand. Come on down and Rock the Casbah! Beer, wine, and munchies.
This past week saw amazing sailing taking place in a wide variety of locations throughout Europe and the USA.
For starters, the J/80 World Championship was hosted by SAIL Newport in Newport, Rhode Island for a fleet of forty-eight teams from ten nations. The regatta was blessed with plenty of wind (too much at times) primarily from the NNW to NNE sailing inside Narragansett Bay, with just one day offshore on Rhode Island Sound with a classic SSW hazy sea breeze. Americans dominated the event for the first time in recent memory.
Simultaneously, going westward down Long Island Sound, there was an amazing “college big boat” regatta for about 450+ college sailors. Together, the Storm Trysail Club and the Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont, NY hosted the STC Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta. Given that 95% of the boats racing were incredibly generous J/Boat owners, the regatta might as well be called the “College J/Fest”! There were one-design classes of J/105s, J/100s, and J/109s, plus PHRF racing for J/44s, J/112E, J/122s, J/133, J/42, J/99, J/92, and others.
European sailors saw several national J/70 sailing leagues completing their summer-long series for hundreds of sailing clubs across the continent. The growth of J/70 sailing leagues in Europe has been remarkable; now seventeen nations strong. Over 400 sailing clubs are participating with over 10,000+ sailors involved. Most sailing leagues have Open, Women’s, and Youth Divisions, some even have Masters divisions! The statistics are staggering: 17 nations with 108 events for Open, Women’s, and Youth averaging 45 races over 3 days = 4,860 races during the 5 months series. Needless to say, the SAILING Champions League founder- Oliver Schwall from Germany- is thrilled to see the continued growth and development of sailing at the grass-roots level in Europe!
First, the Women’s J/70 SAILING Champions League final took place on gorgeous Lake Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. The regatta was hosted by Cercle de la Voile de Vidy. The twenty-four women’s teams from ten nations had over 110 women participating in a somewhat lightish air series. Despite the weather, the competition was fierce and the top women’s teams showed extraordinary boat-handling skills, boat speed, and tactics… the winners, unsurprisingly, were both Olympic and World Champion sailors!
Next, the Swiss J/70 Sailing League final Act IV was sailed off Versoix, Switzerland. The Club Nautique de Versoix gave the dozen “premiere” teams an excellent weekend of racing on gorgeous Lake Geneva.
Just off to the northwest from the Swiss regattas, the German J/70 Sailing League held their Act V in Berlin with sailing taking place on Wansee Lake. The sailing was shifty and puffy for the eighteen teams vying for season honors.. just one more regatta to go with the finale in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Still further north from Berlin were the always active, hyper-kinetic Scandinavians! The Norwegian J/70 Sailing League held its finale in Grimstad, Norway to complete the four-event series. Hosting the eighteen teams was the Grimstad Sailing Association… it was tight racing for the overall honors between “the kids” and the “old southerners”!
Finally, over in the United Kingdom, the Hamble Winter Series started its three-month-long fall series that goes from October 1st to December 3rd. Sailing is a J/70 one-design class and IRC handicap classes with J/111s, J/109s, J/112E, J/99, J/92, and J80s.
Join Us @ Annapolis Boat Show (J/9, J/99, J/112E & J/45)!
(Annapolis, Maryland)- The 2022 edition of the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland will run from October 13th to 17th. J/Boats is excited to have one of its largest displays in years of our latest designs, with four boats on display.
All J/Sailors and J/Lovers are invited to join us on the J/Stand in Annapolis where we will be displaying the J/9 daysailer, the J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster, the J/112E performance cruiser/racer, and the magnificent, new J/45 offshore performance cruising yacht.
J/45
SAILING Magazine’s 2022 October issue “cover girl”, the new J/45 offshore performance cruising yacht, will make its American debut in Annapolis. This gorgeous sailing yacht has garnered accolades across Europe and America since its debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in Cannes, France.
The beautiful, spacious yacht interior by Isabelle Racoupeau- a famous Parisian architect & interior designer of villas, private jets & yachts- has impressed the most discerning buyers with its open, elegant interior with vista windows. And, the cockpit is both spacious and comfortable, whether for sunset cocktails & hors d’oeuvres at anchor or sailing offshore in blustery weather. Learn more about the J/45 offshore performance cruising yacht
J/112E
The “giant killer” of America’s and Europe’s offshore racing scene has the comfort of a living room? Indeed! Shocking, but true! It’s not a stripped-out racing machine.. unlike her European counterparts.
Nearly 80 boats strong, the J/112E continues to gain passionate believers in its ability to address the dual needs of a family cruiser and the ability to garner an extraordinary amount of silver; now two-times ORC World Champion, two-times IRC European Champion, and two-times ORC European Champion. And, in America the class winner of both the Chicago-Mackinac Race and Bayview Mackinac Race. Learn more about why this gorgeous sailboat is a family living room that wins silver! Learn more about the J/112E performance cruiser/ racer
J/99
When the J/99 was introduced, it was clear the European offshore doublehanded sailing elite were enthusiastic about its introduction. In short order, the J/99 eclipsed all of its French, German, Italian, and Danish offshore competitors in the doublehanded community in its debut in the famous French Duo Cat-Amania Regatta in Crouesty, France.
Learn more about the J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster
J/9
It’s not often that an introduction of a fun, comfortable, easy-to-handle, daysailer gets J/Sailors passionate about their next sunset sail or harbor cruise! Well… that’s pretty much what happened when the new J/9 daysailer was introduced.
Imagine for a moment your favorite “living room couch” with a sailboat underneath it! Elegant, sublime, easy-to-sail, supremely comfortable. Why wouldn’t you want to enjoy sailing every day with loved ones, family, and friends on the divine J/9! Learn more about the J/9 daysailer
Sailing photo credits- Onne van der Wal/ Billy Black For more Annapolis Sailboat Show information and tickets
LE TIGRE Slashes Fleet @ J/80 World Championship
(Newport, Rhode Island)- This past week, the 2022 J/80 World Championship was sailed from October 4th to 8th in Newport, RI for a talented fleet of forty-eight boats from ten nations (USA, India, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Sweden, & Ireland). Hosting the event was the experienced Race Committee/ PRO team (led by Tom Duggan) from SAIL Newport.
The regatta was heavily influenced by the remnants of the devastating Hurricane Ian that had morphed into a monster gale offshore of southern New England. For days it meandered around and, ultimately, moved further offshore as a powerful high-pressure system moved southeast to push it northeast. As a result, the first day of sailing on Tuesday was canceled due to 25 to 35 kts NNE winds on Narragansett Bay.. it was blowing even harder offshore in Rhode Island Sound. The next two days- Wednesday and Thursday- produced slowing dying northerlies swinging more northwest as the old hurricane moved offshore, with racing taking place north of Gould Island inside Narragansett Bay in racing Area C. Finally, the weather changed on Friday, enabling the fleet to sail race Area A offshore on Rhode Island Sound in classic south to southwest winds in the 6 to 12 kts range. For the finale on Saturday, the wind again swung back into the NNW as a cold front rolled through overnight, dropping the temperatures 30 F degrees into the high 40s at dawn!! Not surprisingly, the light NNW winds of 6-10 kts dropped off quickly on a gorgeous sunny day. Racing back up the Bay on Area C, the winds died off after the 10th and final race.
After winning the “pre-Worlds”, a.k.a. the J/80 North American Championship the previous week, it was readily apparent that Glenn Darden’s “all-star” crew on LE TIGRE (Willem van Waay, Victor Diaz de Leon, and Rod “Caracas” Favela, and Marcus Eagan) was going to be the odds-on favorites to win the 2022 J/80 Worlds. By the end of the first day of racing in mostly “planing-mode” conditions on Wednesday, it was clear Darden’s team was up to the task, posting a stunning 2-1-1 against the World’s best J/80 teams. They never looked back over the next three days of racing, accumulating four 1sts and three 2nds in their record to win the regatta quite handily with just 20 pts net.
The one world championship-caliber team that could match Darden’s LE TIGRE team was the Spanish/ Swedish crew on Per Roman’s GP BULLHOUND (Luis Bugallo Arriola, Alfredo Gonzalez, Gustavio Martinez Doreste, and Jose Miguel Segura). Like LE TIGRE, they also sailed the J/80 North Americans the previous week and took the silver. So, the stakes were high for Roman’s crew on the first day of the Worlds. Would they match or overcome LE TIGRE’s super-star team? Or, not? By winning the first race, they threw down the proverbial gauntlet and put all competitors on notice they would be a significant factor at the top of the leaderboard. By the end of the first day, they posted a 1-4-2 to be just 4 pts behind the LE TIGRE team… an easy striking distance to pressure them into possible mistakes. However, after the second day of racing, it was Roman’s GP BULLHOUND team that blinked first, committing a foul and getting DSQ’d in race 4. Then, they picked up a 6-6 tally to drop still further behind LE TIGRE. In the end, Roman’s GP BULLHOUND team was the only other boat to count only top 10 finishes to take the silver with 37 pts net.
LE TIGRE TEAM (L-R)- Willem van Waay, skipper- Glenn Darden, “Puerto Azul” (Victor Diaz de Leon), “Caracas” (Rod Favela), Marcus Eagan.
Behind the two leaders, it was a battle royale for the final step on the podium between four boats- Pat O’Neill’s Irish team on LEAD MINE, Will Crump’s R80, Jesse Thompson’s TUBBY, and Spaniard Jose Azqueta’s BIOBIZZ BIZKAIA. After the first six races, Azqueta’s BIOBIZZ BIZKAIA team was comfortably in third place after a remarkable string of races (3-3-6-3-28-2) with a shot at the lead (accounting for the 28th discard). However, their last four races were unforgettably bad, losing their “mojo” and posting an 11-8-DSQ-6 to fall off a cliff and “down the mineshaft” to end up 6th overall! A sad story, to say the least for such a talented team.
Meanwhile, the other three contenders faired better. In the end, it was the “luck-of-the-Irish” and some good tactical decisions that enabled O’Neill’s Irish team on LEAD MINE (Ryan Glynn, Shane Hughes, and David Kelly) to earn the bronze with 60 pts net! The balance of the top five included Crump’s R80 team in fourth (Zeke Horowitz, Tom Klok, Marie Klok Crump) with 63 pts and Thompson’s TUBBY team (Evan Petley-Jones, Carter White, and Molly White) in fifth position with 69 pts.
Corinthian Division
Winning the Corinthians was Ryan Walsh’s PEARLY BAKER team (Paul Adam, Sean McLaughlin, and Matt Wordell), followed by the Spanish youth sailors led by Nicolar Viar on the FHIMASA YOUTH team (Pedro Maria Basterra Moyua, Alba Ortega Merino, Manolo Rey-Baltar, and Tomas Trueba) in second, and Winnie Berteloot’s Belgium crew on REGION DE BRUXELLES- CAPITALE 1 (Esteban de pas y Fuente, Timothee Deplasse, Celestin Goubau, and Jacques Lemaire) in third place.
Top Women’s Division
The top women’s skipper and also the top all-women’s team was Olatz Munoz’s Spanish team from Palma Mallorca on the famous DECOEXSA (Patrizia Alza, Gabriela Crus, Carlota Gala, Eva Gonzalez, and Marta Lizarraga). The second lady helmswoman was Shannon Lockwood’s SHENANIGANS team (Bobby Lacker, Bill Lockwood, and Ian Moriarty). THANK YOU for AMAZING photos from Tim Wilkes- http://www.timwilkes.com. J/80 World Championship race results. For more J/80 World Championship sailing information
Royal Danish YC (KDY) Crowned Women’s J/70 SAILING Champions!
(Lausanne, Switzerland)- The Cercle de la Voile de Vidy in Switzerland hosted the 2022 Women’s J/70 SAILING Champions League regatta from October 7th to 9th on one of the most spectacular mountain lakes in the Swiss Alps- Lake Lausanne.
Twenty-four teams participated in the event from ten nations across Europe, with at least 110 ladies participating from Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Norway, Finland, and France. It was a remarkable testimony to the growth and strength of the J/70 one-design class across Europe to see such a diversity of women’s teams.
Despite the tremendous enthusiasm and beaming smiles, sadly the weather Godz did not cooperate. For three days, the women’s teams spent a fair amount of time waiting ashore for the winds to materialize on the lake. In the end, it was challenging for the CVV RC/ PRO team to get in six complete races in three rotations for the 24 teams. The teams sailed the familiar sailing league format of 15-minute races, rotating into the fleet of eight J/70s every race.
The racing was incredibly tight for the top women’s J/70 sailing club teams throughout Europe. It was self-evident the most experienced and most practiced teams held an edge in all aspects of their racing, with the Danish and German teams predominating at the top of the leaderboard. Winning was the Royal Danish Yacht Club (KDY) led by skipper Lotte Meldgaard Petersen and her crew of Anne Sofie Munk-Hansen, Tina Schmidt-Gramkov, and Helle Orum-Ryhding. Their race tally of 3-3-1-2-2 for 13 pts total was just enough to edge out their opponents for the overall title- 2022 Women’s SAILING Champions for all of Europe!
The balance of the podium was determined by a tiebreaker between two famous sailing clubs in Europe, tied at 14 pts each. Despite their roller-coaster scoreline of 6-1-1-1-1-4, the blitzkrieg of bullets enabled the Hamburger Segel-Club from Hamburg, Germany to take the silver medal. It was clear their extensive time racing on the Alster Lake in downtown Hamburg paid off sailing the light, flat, shifty wind conditions. The HSC team consisted of skipper Silke Basedow, Juliane Zepp, Maren Hahlbrock, and Lea Witt. Notably, Silke Basedown was also the 2022 winner of the Helga Cup in Germany, emblematic of the J/70 Women’s German National Champion.
Getting the short end of that countback for the silver was another Danish team, Team SALT from the Aarhus Sejklub (ASK). Posting a steady 2-3-5-2-1-1 enabled them to take the bronze, led by Line Just-Emsvang and crew of Louise Halberg, Sofie Slotsgaard, and Christina Andersen. Notably, Team SALT was also the winner of the 2022 WOW Sailing Championship in Sundby (Copenhagen), Denmark.
Rounding out the top five was the Yacht Club Arbon from Arbon, Switzerland in fourth place (Livia Naef, Nathalie Winiger, Danielle Rast, Tessa Egli, and Dominika Vadurova) and another German team in fifth place- Munich Yacht Club with a team of Isabella Knaus, Valerie Knaus, Clara Borlinghaus, and Carina Wehr.
The Swiss Sailing League was the organizer of the Women’s SAILING Champions League this year. The sailors found a magnificent setting at the Club de Voile de Vidy in Lausanne and received a lot of active support from the club’s numerous volunteers and volunteers from Switzerland and abroad.
This top event in women’s sailing was made possible by the sponsors EFG Private Banking, Streuli Pharma, the City of Lausanne, and the Fond du Sport Vaudois. One highlight was certainly the live streaming, which was realized by Wacker-TV. A team of over twenty made a professional live broadcast possible, to the delight of all the teams involved and those interested in sailing. The commentators Christian Sprecher (German) and Nathalie Birt (English) did a brilliant job. Even if you are not familiar with the sailing format or racing, it is fascinating to learn a lot about it. Many topics related to sailing in Switzerland were also highlighted to help more people access and understand it in a well-founded way.
The next Women’s SAILING Champions League will take place from 15-17. Sept 23 in Copenhagen
Sailing photo credits- Patrick Thöni/ Sebastien Aubord
Link to live streaming on YouTube (including archived recording):
Saturday: https://youtu.be/oUwHjHXU0YM
Sunday: https://youtu.be/NAB0P5ZtGVU
Link to the J/70 Women’s SAILING Champions League results.
The photos will be available on Flickr. Follow J/70 Swiss League on Instagram Follow J/70 Swiss League on Facebook
J/70 Swiss Sailing League home page For more Women’s J/70 SAILING Champions League information
Segler Vereinigung Kreuzlingen Crowned Swiss J/70 Sailing League Champions!
Regatta Club Oberhofen Win SSSL Act IV
(Versoiz, Switzerland)- The Swiss Sailing Super League concluded its season this past week after the four events season that started in Lucerne, then went to Kreuzlingen, Neuchatel, and the final in Versoix. Hosting the finale for the dozen teams was the Club Nautique de Versoix with sailing taking place on Lake Geneva. In the end, the CNV RC/ PRO team led by Jean Charles van Campenhoudt managed to run forty-two races over the three-day weekend!
Winning the weekend was Regatta Club Oberhofen, with skipper Stefan Seger and crew of Karin Nordstrom, Silvan Zuppiger, and Till Seger. Second, went to the host team, the Club Nautique de Versoix with skipper Romain Defferrard and a team of Benjamin Delaloye, Benjamin Senften, and Romuald Hausser. Rounding out the podium was the Segler Vereinigung Kreuzlingen with skipper Tom Rüegge and crew of Martin Hagen, Pablo Rüegge, and Michael Herrmann.
As a result of the weekend, the 2022 Swiss J/70 Sailing League Champions was declared- the Segler Vereinigung Kreuzlingen (SVK)! Second place for the season then goes to Thunersee Yachtclub (TYC) and third went to the Swiss 2021 champion, the Regattaclub Bodensee. Sailing photo credits- Gwidon Libera For complete J/70 Swiss Sailing League results For more J/70 Swiss Sailing League information.
Memorable College Big Boat Regatta! J/Teams Sweep All Divisions!
Wisconsin Badgers Dominate J/109s, College of Charleston Women’s Team Wins on J/112E!
(Larchmont, NY)- After the 2020 Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta was canceled due to COVID, hopes were high for 2021 but were dashed when the racing was called off due to strong wind and waves. Fortunately, 2022’s rendition of the co-hosted event between Storm Trysail Club and Larchmont Yacht Club ran in absolutely perfect conditions, allowing the race committee to get off seven windward-leeward races over two days.
Over 260 college sailors came from all over the country to compete in one of the world’s largest intercollegiate big-boat regattas on yachts ranging from 29 to 44 feet. 28 colleges were represented amongst 34 entries divided into five divisions- with five schools fielding multiple teams. The goal of the event is to expose college sailors to keelboat racing- a rare opportunity for most teams who only sail dinghies like 420s and FJs.
Storm Trysail Club’s Ann Myer, the Event Co-Chair, was pleased. She commented, “we enjoyed absolutely perfect conditions, sunny skies, 10-15 knots with a few higher gusts, and with some challenging shifts in the northwest winds to keep things interesting.“
J/109 Class
The Wisconsin Badgers, fresh off their victory a few weeks ago in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (GLIOR), came out on top with straight bullets, taking home the Paul Hoffman Trophy for Best Overall Performance onboard the J/109 TBD. The team generally has little big boat experience, mostly sailing dinghies in their home lake, but used the Friday practice session to tune themselves up. Team Captain Nicole Giuliana, a junior, thanked Safety Officer and STC Member Ed “Buttons” Padin for the coaching on the Friday practice day. Safety Officers are not allowed to coach during the regatta.
“We had an amazing practice session with him,” explained Co-captain Jack Schweda. “We practiced a lot of jibes, 30 or 35, and we knew the corners were going to be critical. We tried different sets and douses too.”
Badger teammate Nicole continued, “we learned we had to stay in our box, focus on our roles, and dial in the communication front to back. This is such a great event for building confidence, networking with other sailors, and making lots of great sailing connections. We really want to thank boat owner Julie O’Dowd for providing her boat and really prepping it for us.”
Behind the winning Badger team, it was the US Naval Academy team on VENTO SOLARE that took the silver with mostly second-place finishes behind the dominant Badgers. Third went to the University of Rhode Island on FREEDOM.
J/105 Class
Coleman Peppered, Captain of the USCGA crew who won the J/105 Class onboard GRAY MATTER, said “trusting each other, communication and endurance were the keys. We kept reminding ourselves to stay calm, drink water and pass around the Sour Patch Kids! We worked on defining everyone’s roles, communicating early, and having solid trust in each other, and that enabled us to overcome mistakes. As officers when we graduate, this racing experience translates really well to being on the ocean, under pressure, fighting exhaustion in high-intensity situations, it’s very relevant.”
The balance of the podium was comprised of the University of Toledo onboard BREAKTHROUGH in second and Webb Institute on INEVITABLE in the third position.
PHRF Large Division
Communication and each crew member focusing on their job was a common theme among the winning crews. Madelyn Ploch, helmsperson for the winning Naval Academy entry on the J/122 BLUE YONDER and who was aboard the 2016 Young American Newport Bermuda winner High Noon noted, “I’ve seen some good and bad leadership from boats I’ve sailed on. But, communications is really the difference maker.”
The balance of the podium was determined by a tiebreaker at 17 pts between the US Merchant Marine Academy’s J/44 COMET and the University of Rhode Island’s J/133 RHIANNON. On the countback, it was the USMMA that took the silver over the URI Rams.
PHRF Medium Division
The College of Charleston Cougars have a well-developed co-ed inshore and offshore racing team but decided to field their first all-women’s offshore team, and this was also the first time the IOR has ever hosted an all-women’s team. Ann Myer, rode along as Safety Officer, on the J/112E REVIVER. Said Ann, “because there weren’t any boys aboard, they called the boat the “no-fly zone”! LOL! The girls really rocked it!”
C of C Captain Caroline Williams, explained they have a fair amount of big-boat experience. “We sail three times a week on a Melges 30 and a J/36, and we’ve done the Navy 44 events and the Catalina 37 Harbor Cup in LA. But, this was our first time competing together as this group.”
Caroline is from Bayville LI and works at the Sterling Harbor Foundation in Oyster Bay, so had some local knowledge to boot, and Capt. Juliana Corso works on the vintage 12-meter Gleam in Newport. Both are enthusiastic about continuing their big-boat passions. Caroline said, “this will always be part of my life.”
And Julianna, the captain of the entire co-ed C of C Offshore squad, is considering a potential career as a sailing professional. She said, “being on this team has taught me that understanding and connecting with each individual on the team makes a huge difference in the performance; it just runs smoother.”
Taking third place behind the girls was the Massachusetts Maritime Academy on the J/124 TENEBRAE.
PHRF Small Division
Nadia Reynolds, skipper of the Ohio State winning crew on the J/100 GALATRONA agreed, “communication was the key and the crew really knew their roles. Teamwork and communication are what I will take away from these experiences when I graduate.”
In yet another class sweep, the US Naval Academy’s J/42 ATALANTA took second place, while the University of Vermont’s J/88 ONE TOO MANY took third.
Jim Holland, co-chair from Larchmont Yacht Club, “I would like to thank the rest of the committee for all the hard work that went into making this event possible and the owners who donate their boats. This regatta is about providing a unique opportunity for these young sailors and seeing all their smiles in the tent made all the effort worth it. We want this to be a lifelong sport and are very happy to give them the opportunity to start this process. I hope to see them on the starting line of many more events in the future.”
STC Commodore Ed Cesare stated, “Congratulations to all are well deserved, it was a superb effort by all the volunteers. This is a very complex undertaking and the IOR is now the STC event that has the highest number of volunteers – surpassing even our Block Island Race Weeks. And special thanks to LYC for the use of their beautiful facility. Of course, this event would not be possible without our sponsors, especially ShopRite of Carteret who has been the title sponsor for several years now.”
The Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta is further supported by ShopRite of Carteret, JPW Consulting, Carlsberg, Helly Hansen, Gowrie Group, McMichaels Yachts Sales, UK Sailmakers Northeast, Dimension-Polyant, and Gifted of Larchmont. For more Intercollegiate Regatta sailing results For more Sailing and Awards photo credits- Steve Cloutier
Grimstad Team Wins Epic J/70 Norwegian Sailing League Finale
(Grimstad, Norway)- The stage was set for the 2022 Norwegian Sailing League finale in Grimstad, Norway. Would it be the first-ever league win for a student team or a home win for the southerners in Grimstad?
After the first three rounds in the series, the battle for victory was most likely going to be between the BI Sailing Team (Business Institute of Norway) and the Grimstad Sailing Association from southern Norway. Only one point separated the two teams before the final and decisive round, which would take place on Groosefjorden outside Grimstad. It was the southerners’ home ground.
“When so many good sailors come, it is difficult to say how much it helps us that we know the fjord well. But, hopefully, we have some tricks that can give us an advantage. Groosefjorden is one of Norway’s best sailing race tracks. So, I think many will enjoy it here,” said skipper for the Grimstad team, August Austefjord.
Grimstad Sailing Association selected its six best sailors who hoped to sail for victory in the elite series. And they were well-prepared.
“In the preparations for the final, we talked and visualized a lot. In both situations, what we are good at and what we have tried to develop in the areas where we have some room for improvement. Now, in this last week we have also brought down some boats that we train with and test out what we have reflected on since we sailed in Stavanger,” said Austefjord.
August continued, “being in the position we are in now is incredibly fun and means a lot. We have been involved almost since the start of the sailing league, and we have built our expertise stone by stone. We have put in a lot of effort, both on the water and in the pre- and post-work in each regatta. The goal in recent seasons has been to qualify for the Sailing Champions League. We were very close to doing it last year and we felt we were actually good enough to qualify. This year we have weeded out several small errors and increased our competitive level. As there are quite a few of us sailors who have had a go at sailing in recent years, there are quite a few sailors in the association who have a relationship with the sailing league. We feel that the good results that have started to come are a result of how good we have been at spreading the expertise further in the association. That’s why qualifying for the Sailing Champions League will be a team victory for the entire association!”
However, the Grimstad team would have a fight on their doorstep, because there were many teams and many good sailors who can easily make it difficult to assert themselves in each flight. And the team that wants to have an extra look at the home team are the students from BI Business School. After all, they go into the last round with a narrow lead.
“I think the most important thing for us is to be able to keep our close position, to keep a cool head, and avoid unnecessary mistakes. The level in the sailing league has become so high that small mistakes are often severely punished, and it is difficult to catch up again. Naturally, the focus will be to beat the Grimstad team. But, even if Grimstad fields an incredibly strong team, as usual, we should not forget that there are also six or seven other teams who can all win the last series round. So, we just have to do our best,” said Jon Alexander Hvam, skipper of the BI students’ team.
BI Athletics has fielded the same team in all three previous series rounds. The team has also been through a qualification round in the Sailing Champions League and then the final itself earlier this year.
“Our greatest strength probably lies in the routines that we have built up through regular training and matching against other teams both here in Norway and abroad. In recent years, we’ve had a collaboration with the Oslo Sailing Association, which has given us the opportunity to use their two J/70s for both training and regattas. Here we have been able to test different techniques, and we feel we now have the technique and cooperation required to perform in the elite series.”
Perfect for a student’s budget
The team’s efforts in the sailing league have been noticed among fellow students, and Jon Alexander says that interest in regatta sailing is now growing after a few slow years.
“The beauty of the sailing league is that we get a unique opportunity to compete against the country’s best sailing club teams at a price that fits a student’s budget. That, in combination with fun social activities, makes the sailing league a perfect concept for students!! We love it!!”
City of Grimstad Goes Big on J/70 Sailing League
It should not go unnoticed in the city of Grimstad that the Norwegian Sailing League’s last event of the year will take place there. And, it helps the enthusiasm that the city’s own team can win the elite series overall.
In the last week before the sailing league finals will take place in Grimstad, a fully-rigged J/70 will be showcased in the center of the city! In addition, the city’s local press will be invited to go for test sails, so that they can get a feel for what sailing the J/70 is all about. Grimstad Sailing Association is mobilizing for the whole town to welcome the league sailors with open arms and not least to cheer on the home team, who they hope will run away with the victory in the elite series!
The Grimstad Sailing Association six sailors are August Austefjord, Girgios Nikotsis, Lars Nicolay Løvdal, Andre Jørgen Ugland, Thomas Gjesteland and Vidar Ljungstrøm. They will fight against BI Athletics’ highly successful team: Jon Alexander Hvam, Anette Heldal, Even Eide Onstad, and Vegard Sandnes Larsen.
That was the preamble and the setting for this epic battle between experienced veterans and “the kids”.
Riveting, Anxious Finale!
What happened next was surprising for almost everyone that was involved in the season-long series.
In short, the challenging weather conditions prevented the RC/PRO team from running the full slate of races. Just ten races were run for each team between the three flights. Winning the Grimstad event was the Asgardstrand Seilforening with 15 pts. Then, the protagonists- Grimstad Seilforening- ended up in a tie at 18 pts each with the Oslofjorden Seilklubb. Winning that countback was the Grimstad team, along with winning the 2022 J/70 Norwegian Sailing League Championship!
The BI Athletics Sailing team sailed a solid series, but a slow start prevented them from being contenders at the end, finishing fourth in Grimstad and settling for second in the overall series.
In the end, Grimstad’s record was Oslo 1st, Bergen 6th, Stavanger 1st, and Grimstad 2nd for 10 pts total. The BI Athletics “kids” record was the most consistent with Oslo 2nd, Bergen 2nd, Stavanger 3rd, and Grimstad 4th for 11 pts. Rounding out the series podium was Stavanger Seilforening with Oslo 3rd, Bergen 4th, Stavanger 6th, and Grimstad 5th for 18 pts. The SAP results leaderboard For more J/70 Norwegian Sailing League information
Gorgeous Hamble Winter Series Opening Weekend
(Hamble, England)- This past weekend, the Hamble Sailing Club started their famous Hamble Winter Series with sailing taking place on the Southampton Water and the infamous Solent. The series runs on Saturdays and Sundays from October 1st to December 3rd, 2022.
The weekend opener was gorgeous with just enough wind to satisfy the eager sailors. With the forecast for Sunday looking a bit light (no wind!), the HSC PRO Ian Bullock decided to get four races of the weekend’s six, completed on Saturday. This would turn out to be a very smart move.
The always competitive J/70 class saw Paul Ward’s J/70 World Championship-winning crew on EAT SLEEP J REPEAT spoil the party with three bullets and a second! The chasing pack was made up of Jonathan Calascione’s CALYPSO, Tim/Ole Simpson/Bettum’S DADS’N’LADS, and Jack Davies’ YETI.
Sunday dawned and the weather was very wet with, as forecast, no wind. Undeterred, the Race Teams for both the One Designs and the IRC fleet, were put to sea as there was a chance of a bit of breeze early on. Peter Bateson, the HSC PRO of the IRC Course reported, “it’s a grey drizzly start” when the CV Wetwheels set up 0.2 NM to the SE of Hill Head. “The breeze,” he said, “was 3-5 knots fluctuating around NNW.”
Both fleets managed to get underway and Ian Bullock got the 5th and 6th races completed with the J/70 fleets. Once again Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT scored a bullet in race 5 and this meant they could have a leisurely 5th to discard in the final race and still win the final Grand Slam of the season! They were 8 points ahead of CALYPSO and 14 points clear of DADS’N’LADS.
On the IRC course, getting around the race track and finishing one race became a bit of an issue. The 3-5 knots of breeze “died to nothing as the sun came out” bemoaned Peter Bateson. The faster boats managed alright, but “as the wind died the final ten boats were unable to overcome the moderate tide and ran out of time.” They were awarded points for “Time Limit Expired” which is much better than staying at home when it is raining.
The J/109 fest that is IRC Class 2 continued in the one and only race. Mike and Susie Yates’s J/109 JAGO came home three and a half minutes ahead of Chris Burleigh’s J/109 GYBE TALKIN. Rob Cotterill’s J/109 MOJO RISIN was an agonizing four seconds back on the water.
In IRC Class 3, Ross Bowdler’s J/80 JUSTIFY pushed David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO into second.
Back in the HRSC Clubhouse there was a party atmosphere, as Yannick Hugo, from The Bugle, gave away vouchers for gin and wine to the boats who ended on the podium and one or two of those who didn’t!
Louay Habib, that well-known yachting scribe, who has been to a party or two, commented “Great atmosphere at the club! Well done to all!!”
Next week the Force 4 Chandlery from Port Hamble will be the day sponsor for the Hamble IRC Autumn Championship. Let’s hope for a little more breeze and some sunshine. Follow the Hamble Winter Series on Facebook here. For more Hamble Winter Series sailing information
Wild, Shifty J/70 German Sailing League Act V in Berlin!
(Berlin, Germany)- The fifth event of the 2022 German Sailing League season took place on Lake Wannsee in Berlin, Germany from September 30th to October 2nd. The Berlin clubs coped best with the difficult conditions, while the previous leaders could not record any success at all.
After a slightly windy start on Friday with plenty of sun, the 18 participating teams had to cope with heavy rain and sudden gusts on Saturday. On Sunday, the wind freshened up again and demanded a high degree of concentration from the sailors in the crazily shifty conditions.
The team from the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee (VSaW) narrowly won, followed by their local rivals- the Seglervereinigung 1903 (SV03)- and the Berliner Yacht-Club (BYC).
“Even before the regatta, we suspected the Wannsee clubs would play to their home advantage,” said the Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga Manager Oliver Schwall. “But we didn’t expect such a clear result, with the Berlin clubs taking places 1 to 3 overall! It was a real home event, the Berlin training group is paying off in full.”
The Schlei Sailing Club (SSC), the Hemelingen Water Sports Association (WVH), the Itzehoe Sailing Association (SVI), and the Blankeneser Segel-Club (BSC) were also able to make up valuable points before the last day of the season this weekend.
“These clubs have once again relied on their proven helmsmen, who have often competed in the Bundesliga and are very familiar with the J/70,” says Oliver Schwall. “This weekend showed that sailing is an experiential sport.”
In contrast to the Berlin clubs, the leaders of the overall table for the 2022 season, the North German Regatta Club (NRV), the Sailing and Motorboat Club Überlingen (SMCÜ), and the Mühlenberger Sailing Club (MSC) all had a difficult weekend. Shockingly, it was a 9th place for NRV, a 16th for MSC, and last place for SMCU from Lake Constance.
“This regatta really shook up the table once again, so we’re looking forward to the final from October 13th to 15th in Friedrichshafen,” said Oliver Schwall. “Although NRV and SMCÜ still lead the table, the gaps have narrowed. The Württemberg Yacht Club is now third, while the MSC has dropped to eighth place.” For more J/70 Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga sailing information
UPCOMING EVENTS:
J/70 World Championship Preview
(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Ninety international teams from twenty-three nations (Australia, USA, France, Italy, Germany, Chile, Sweden, Monaco, Mexico, Uruguay, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Denmark, Great Britain, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Norway, Ireland, and Finland) will be descending on the Principality of Monaco for the 2022 J/70 World Championship, being organized for the first time by Yacht Club de Monaco. The event is being held from October 14th to 22nd, in partnership with the Monegasque Sailing Federation, FxPro, Xerjoff, and technical sports clothing brand Slam, which is supplying garments for all crew members on the podium, as it has been doing for the Primo Cup for over 30 years.
23 nations in the starting blocks
The qualifying process has ensured the quality of the fleet. Among the 90 crews and 400+ sailors roaming the docks are past J/70 World Champions, such as Luis Bugallo, Marshall King, Ian Wilson, Peter Duncan, Jud Smith, and Paul Ward. Alongside them are stars on the European scene set to put up a fight with the likes of Italian Luca Domenici, the Spanish J/80 World Champion José María Torcida Seghers, and British sailor Jonathan Calascione (recent J/70 European Champion).
On Home Turf
Nine Monaco teams complete the fleet, including favorites Ludovico Fassitelli’s JUNDA, bronze medallist at the J/70 European Championship in Corinthians, and Loïc Pompée’s SAILING RACING TEAM, 5th in the 2021 European Championship.
Notably, YC Monaco’s Vice-President and founder of Team Malizia- Pierre Casiraghi- will be sailing with Jean-Baptiste Bernaz, the current ILCA 7 World Champion. “It’s always an honor to host such prestigious regattas in Monaco. For me it’s a real pleasure, but also a challenge to compete with the best and represent my Club,” commented Casiraghi.
Pierrick Devic’s LEONTEQ, Stefano Roberti’s PICCININA, Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio’s G-SPOT, Ferdinando Matteo Scandolera’s IRRUENZA, and Cesare Gabasio’s TINN J70 will be flying the YCM flag high. Also participating is Anne Rodelato and her crew on PINK WAVE, Monaco’s only all-women team at the event. All are members of the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Monaco J/70 Class Association and earned their places in the Worlds at the qualifiers during the last Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series (2021/2022). No doubt they will be pulling out every stop to win at home. Note also that the boats will be sailing as one fleet with the Open (professionals), One Pro (only one professional aboard), and Corinthian (amateur) categories racing on the same course.
Powerful International Contingent
Besides the “locals”, there is quite a formidable array of talent that will be competing for top honors in the regatta. Here are some of the international teams that ALL have won regional, national, continental, or world events that could be factors at the top of the leaderboard:
- USA: Doug Rastello’s GOOD TO GO, Allan Terhune & Chris Larson’s SMOKESHOW, Andrew & Mallory Loe’s DIME, Brian Keane & Bill Hardesty’s SAVASANA, Ryan McKillen’s SURGE, Maggie McKillen’s MAGATRON, Laura Grondin & Taylor Canfield’s DARK ENERGY, Peter Duncan’s RELATIVE OBSCURITY (with Willem van Waay & Victor Diaz de Leon), Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER, and Rich Witzel’s ROWDY (with Jud Smith, Carlos Robles, & Tomas Dietrich)
- Great Britain: Graham Clapp’s JEEPSTER, Nick Phillips’ CHAOTIC, Martin Dent’s JELVIS, Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT, Jonathan Calascione & Ian Wilson’s CALYPSO, Charles Thompson’s BRUTUS II, and Doug Struth’s DSP PROPERTY
- Italy: Gianfranco Noe’s WHITE HAWK, Franco Solerio’s L’ELAGAIN, Luca Domenici’s NOTARO TEAM, Mauro Roversi’s J-CURVE, Ludovico Fassitelli’s JUNDA, Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio’s G-SPOT, and Alessandro Zampori’s DAS SAILING TEAM
- Spain: Luis Albert & Hugo Rocha’s PATAKIN, Jose Maria “Pichu” Torcida and Rayco Tabares’ NOTICIA, Luis Martinez Doreste’s MONJO, and Luis Bugallo’s MARNATURA
- Australia: Kevin & Glenda Nixon’s MAYBE J and Tim Ryan’s VAMOS
- France: Damian Michelier’s SAGE ENGINEERS, Elisabeth Vaillant’s TRISKELL, and Herve Leduc’s JIBE SET- PIERRE OCEANE
- Germany: Carsten Kemmling’s NESSIE
- Switzerland: Victor Casas’ CER APROTEC- VILLE DE GENEVE, Thomas Studer’s JERRY, Stefan Seger’s JURMO,
- Turkey: Ahmet Eker’s EKER KAYMAK
- Brazil: Renato Faria’s TO’NESSA
- Ireland: William & Harry Twomey’s WILDCARD
- Argentina: Fernando Gwozdz’s PRINCIPADO
- Sweden: Mikael Lindqvist’s HAPPY YACHTING
Good luck to all sailors. It will most certainly be an amazing regatta to experience and without a doubt the YC Monaco’s leaders and members have rolled out the proverbial red carpet, warmly welcoming all crews from around the world.
Watch the YC Monaco J/70 Worlds “introduction” video on YouTube
For more 2022 J/70 World Championship sailing information
J/109 North American Championship Preview
(Southport, CT)- Like so many other J/Boats one-design classes, the J/109s have endured the test of time and have seen the class continue to enjoy widespread popularity, particularly in hotbeds of class activity in places like Chicago and western Long Island Sound. Remarkably, the 2022 edition of the J/109 North American Championship will have one of its largest turnouts in decades, with eighteen teams ready to point their bows across the starting line and do battle for four days of racing.
Hosting the regatta is Pequot Yact Club in Southport, CT. The PYC RC/PRO team hopes to run the 12 scheduled races from October 12th to 15th.
The entry list looks formidable, as many past J/109 champions are fielding strong teams in their bid to be crowned the 2022 North American Champions. Some of those teams that should be factors on the leaderboard may be Jonathan Rechtschaffer’s EMOTICON, John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING, Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE, David Rosow’s LOKI, Ray Douglas’ MORNING GLORY- COURAGEOUS RACING, David & Maryellen Tortorello’s PARTNERSHIP 3, Jack Forehand’s STRATEGERY, Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE, and Bengt & Marie Johansson’s ZIG ZAG. That may seem like a lot of top boats, but the fact of the matter is that all of those teams have won events of various kinds racing their J/109s!! Heaven help us all, LOL…. good luck to all sailors and may the best team win! For more J/109 North American Championship sailing information
NEW J/Gear October Special- 20% off
(Newport, RI)- The J Soft Shell Vest introduces new performance features welcomed under diverse sailing conditions. The soft shell offers warmth from bonded layers of microfiber and spandex for ease of movement while protecting from windy, rainy, and chilly conditions.
- 1000 mm waterproof rating
- 96% polyester, 4% spandex bonded to 100% polyester micro-fleece
- Wind- and water-resistant
- Interior storm flap with chin guard
- Open hem with dropped back bottom.
The J Class logo is embroidered and you may customize it for the whole crew.
For more J Soft Shell Vest ordering information
Sailing Calendar
Boat shows 2022:
Oct 13-17- Annapolis Boat Show (J/99 & J/45)- Annapolis, MD
Dec 3-11- Salon Nautic- Paris, France
Boat shows 2023:
Jan 21-29- Boot Dusseldorf Boat Show- Dusseldorf, Germany
Regattas:
Oct 1-8- J/80 World Championship- Sail Newport- Newport, RI
Oct 7-9- Women’s J/70 SAILING Champions League- Lausanne, Switzerland
Oct 11-15- J/109 North American Championship- Pequot YC- Southport, CT
Oct 14-22- J/70 World Championship- YC Monaco- Monte Carlo, Monaco
Oct 22-23- J/Fest Southwest Regatta- Lakewood YC- Seabrook, TX
Oct 26-30- J/24 North Americans- Severn Sailing Association- Annapolis, MD
Oct 29-30- Fall Brawl- Eastport YC- Annapolis, MD
Dec 1-3- Jammin’ J/22 Jamaica Regatta- Montego Bay YC- Montego Bay, Jamaica
2023
Jan 16-20- The Southernmost Regatta- Sailing Inc- Key West, FL
CSA Caribbean Sailing Calendar
Jan 18-23- Barbados Sailing Week- http://www.barbadossailingweek.com/
Jan 29- Feb 3- Grenada Sailing Week- http://www.grenadasailingweek.com/
Feb 14-18- RORC Caribbean Series- http://caribbean600.rorc.org/
Feb 20-24- RORC Caribbean 600 Race- http://caribbean600.rorc.org/
Mar 2-5- Heineken St. Maarten Regatta- http://www.heinekenregatta.com/
Mar 24-26- St Thomas Regatta- http://stthomasinternationalregatta.com/
Mar 27- Apr 2- BVI Spring Regatta- http://www.bvispringregatta.org/
Apr 16-22- Voiles de St Barth Regatta- http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/
Apr 29- May 5- Antigua Sailing Week- http://www.sailingweek.com/