J/Newsletter- July 3rd, 2024

The Sun Never Sets on J’s Sailing Around the World

Welcome to this week’s edition of J/Newsletter, your premier source for the latest sailing events and regattas from around the globe for J/Lovers. As the summer heats up, so does the competition on the water. In this issue, we bring you highlights from recent events and a preview of what’s to come in the world of sailing.

The Kiel Week Regatta 2024 concluded on Sunday, June 30th, after thrilling and varied races. Sailors faced everything from gentle breezes to stormy gusts under predominantly clear, blue skies. The nine-day event provided warm, summery conditions on the Baltic Sea, often reminiscent of the Caribbean, making it a memorable experience for all participants and spectators.

The 85th Queen’s Cup Race took place last weekend on Lake Michigan, featuring an overnight challenge from Milwaukee, WI to South Haven, MI. Organized by Milwaukee’s South Shore Yacht Club and the South Haven Yacht Club, the event was a hit with the J/Teams on Lake Michigan. The race was marked by excellent pre- and post-race festivities, ensuring a fantastic experience for all involved. 

Upcoming Events

La Rochelle Nautique is set to host the J/80 World Championship, an event that promises to be extraordinary. Following the merger of the Société des Régates Rochelaises and the École de Voile Rochelaise, La Rochelle Nautique draws on the combined expertise and history of these two venerable sailing institutions. The French J/80 Class, together with La Rochelle Nautique, has planned a top-tier competition and a well-organized event, thanks to the support of local governmental bodies. Sailors and fans alike can look forward to an exceptional championship.

Celebrate the LOVE of Sailing- the J/9 Daysailer!

(Newport, RI)- “With the J/9, we set out to reimagine how to make sailing easier, more relaxing and more inclusive,” said Jeff Johnstone of J/Boats. “This is a boat you can sail by yourself in just minutes, or bring along the whole gang with plenty of room to spare. Escaping to the water and enjoying shared family adventure has never been more important, and the J/9 is the perfect solution.”

The July 4th Independence Holiday weekend in America is all about celebrating family, freedom, and the joy to celebrate such experiences with family and friends around the world.

“We sailed the J/9 on a cracking fall day on Chesapeake Bay in an ideal 10 to 12 knots, and man, it did not disappoint. As advertised, the layout is simplicity personified: one hand on the tiller, the other on the mainsheet. There’s no traveler, the boom is controlled by an ingenious bridle setup. There’s a clear view of the B&G plotter on the coachroof, the solid Sparcraft vang aids in boom control, and lazy jacks for the main keeps everything manageable. And, the J/9 sails like a witch, notching just shy of 7 knots hard on the breeze, and topping that number cracked off on a reach. The joy of sailing, eh? Here’s your ticket.”  Excerpted from Boat Reviews article by Herb McCormick, Cruising World Magazine

Learn more about the J/9 performance daysailer here:

Spectacular Kieler Woche Regatta!

 (Kiel, Germany)- The Kiel Week Regatta 2024 came to an end on Sunday (30 June) after extremely varied sailing races between light winds and stormy gusts. The skies were crystal clear blue for most of the nine days of predominantly warm summery, sometimes Caribbean conditions. 

“That was the new Kiel Week weather,” beamed Dirk Ramhorst after two decades on the Kieler Woche team, ten of them as head of the organization. The Principal Race Officer Fabian Bach agreed, “If the level of service on the courses and shore is and remains first-class, the athletes from home and abroad will honor this with their entries.”

The combination of the popular sailing regatta of world renown with Northern Europe’s largest summer festival is what makes Kiel Week so unique. Blessed with breeze and good weather both the J/24 and J/70 fleets sailed ten races! 

J/24 Class
Twenty-five J/24 teams participated from Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. In the end, it was Fritz Meyer’s HUNGRIGER WOLF team (Mortiz Book, Thorsen Paech, Jonas Lyssewski, and Jannik Duehren) that won with 23 pts net. Second was Stefan Karsunke’s SCHWERE JUNGS crew (Christian Carstens, Malte Gibbe Luise Boehlich, and Tim Habekots) with 36 pts net. Then, rounding out the podium to complete a German sweep of the podium was Manfred Konig’s VITESSE team (Tina Luelfing, Nils Glockow, Jom Harms, and Marcel Rhode) with 45 pts net.

J/70 Class
The J/70 class fielded a stunning entry of forty-eight teams from across Europe! It was a record turnout for any J/one-design fleet in the history of Kieler Woche! It was a very closely fought regatta for the top of the leaderboard. Winning was Kim Christensen’s Danish crew (Gustav Schwenneden, Jonas Warrer, and Mathias Lehm Sletten) on DEN 1343 with 28 pts net. The second went to Frederik Hvalso’s Danish crew (Mads Larsen, Kristian Kvid Sorensen, and Morten Sogaard) on DEN 1410 with 30 pts net. Then, rounding out the podium was Kai-Uwe Hollweg’s German crew (Alex Heiken, Jork Homeyer, and Magnus Simon) on GER 1165 with 33 pts net.  Kieler Woche entries and results  For more Kieler Woche sailing information

J/122 ELBOW ROOM Crushes Queen’s Cup Race

UPCOMING EVENTS

J/80 World Championship Preview

(La Rochelle, France)- Building on the merger between the two clubs that were the Société des Régates Rochelaises and the École de Voile Rochelaise, La Rochelle Nautique capitalizes on the know-how, the skills, the history of these two sailing institutions supporting sailing in La Rochelle. The entire La Rochelle Nautique team is committed to making the J/80 World Championship an exceptional event, with the support of its institutional partners: the city, the department, and the region.

The French J/80 Class is organizing the J/80 World Championship in La Rochelle. In addition to a high-level competition, the J/80 class has prepared with the La Rochelle Nautique Club a very beautiful organization for the pleasure of the participants.

Music Festival
For your information, the City of La Rochelle is also organizing a major music festival with internationally renowned artists- check it all out here:. 

Seventy-one teams from seven nations are competing; including Belgium (5), China (1), Spain (16), France (46), Hong Kong (1), India (1), and The Netherlands (3).

Not surprisingly, the Ladbrokes Betting Parlour is placing all bets on the French or Spanish teams occupying the podium. Both nations have most of their champion teams participating, e.g. those that have won National, European, and World Championship events. 

For the Spanish, the top teams include Luis Martin Cabiedes’s NOTICIQ, Jose Azqueta’s BIOBIZZ, Javier Padron Torrent’s EUROFRITS & AVIKO, and Jose Maria “Pichu” Torcida Seghers’s FREDO LA ESTRELLA DEL NORTE. 

For the French, their top crews include Sylvain Pellissier’s INTUITIVE SAILS, Luc Nadal’s GAN’JA, Ludovic Gilet’s NUMERO J, Simon Moriceau’s SAILNG FRA29, Christine Briand’s YACHT CONCEPT, Maxime Roussaux’s J’RAFON, Patrick Bot’s SIRIUS, and Pierre Laouenan’s TELESTO. 

For any information regards the French J/80 Class, please don’t hesitate to contact the class President- Ludovic Gilet- at [email protected]

For more 2024 J/80 World Championship sailing information 

J/Cotton Polo- July 20% Off Special

(Newport, RI)- Well-made with comfortable cotton, still a favorite among cruisers and racers alike. This J/Polo pique is soft, but rugged and comes in extra-large sizes for a diverse crew. Specify your J logo which is embroidered.

Material:
–  6.8 oz/yd / 230 gms, luxurious 100% Peruvian Pima cotton

Features:
–  Dura-Pearl™ buttons
– Rib-knit cuffs and collar

Perfect crew shirt when customized with your yacht name and sail number.

Choose your appropriate J/Class logo. Customize with your yacht detail as an option.  Order your J/Peruvian Pima Cotton Polo here: