J/Newsletter- July 24th, 2024

ByStuart Johnstone

Welcome to this week’s edition of the J/Newsletter, your go-to source for the latest and greatest in global sailing events for J/Sailors. As summer peaks, the world of sailing is abuzz with thrilling regattas, intense races, and inspiring stories from sailors around the globe. In this issue, we bring you highlights from recent events and a preview of what’s on the horizon.

The biennial Volvo CORK Week, hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, saw stunning weather and fierce competition. Alongside races in Cork Harbour, the event featured the challenging Fastnet Rock Offshore Race. 

The 100th edition of the Bayview Mackinac Race, organized by the Bayview Yacht Club, saw a record 332 boats compete on the “Shore Course.” Starting in Southern Lake Huron, the 204 nautical mile course presented a mix of benign weather and challenging winds, making for an unforgettable race.

The Helga Cup, the largest women-only regatta in the world, once again showcased the diversity and talent of women sailors from Europe, the USA, and Australia. Hosted by Norddeutscher Regatta Verein on the beautiful Alster Lake, the seventh edition saw sixty-three teams compete in the J/70 class under varied wind conditions.

The 14th running of the New York Yacht Club Race Week featured excellent sailing, superb onshore hospitality, and top-notch race management. J/Teams performed admirably, adding to the excitement of this biennial event.

The 126th Larchmont Race Week has lived up to its storied reputation, offering a perfect blend of competitive racing and vibrant shoreside activities. From the Commodore’s Welcome Party to the after-race celebrations, this event continues to be a highlight of the summer sailing calendar– over 450+ lobsters served!

The 2024 Pacific Cup saw sixty-four teams embark on a 2,070.0 nm journey from San Francisco to Kaneohe, Hawaii. Despite a slow start due to low coastal winds, the race picked up with classic conditions, making for an exhilarating competition across the Pacific.

The 2024 Round Ireland Race treated sailors to stunning coastal views and challenging conditions. Starting at Wicklow Head, the 704-mile course around Ireland tested the endurance and skill of all participants, with J/Teams securing impressive finishes.

The HOOK Race, hosted by Racine Yacht Club, is an 189.0nm race on Lake Michigan. J/Teams excelled in this challenging event, navigating the treacherous Death’s Door passage and securing victories in multiple divisions.

For the first time, a French crew dominated the J/22 German National Championship. Held over three days, the event saw Reiner & Felix Brockerhoff’s FRA 1444 clinch the title with an impressive series of performances on the Baltic Sea.

Upcoming Events
The Real Club Nautico de Palma will host the Regatta Copa Del Rey MAPFRE on the beautiful Bay of Palma. Featuring 28 J/70s, this event serves as a key preparation for the J/70 World Championship in October 2024.

The trio of yacht clubs in Marblehead will host the Sailing World Marblehead Regatta, including the J/70 New England Championship and the J/105 one-design class, promising three days of exciting racing in Massachusetts Bay.

Fraglia Vela Malcesine will host the third event of the Italian J/70 Cup on Lake Garda. With 39 boats from 13 nations, this regatta promises intense competition and stunning scenery in the Italian Alps.

Cowes Week, hosted by Cowes Combined Clubs, is set to be a highlight of the summer sailing season. With hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors, this event offers a week of thrilling races and lively parties on the Solent.

J/Community
In an educational interview, Shawn Dougherty shares survival tips after falling overboard from a J/125 during the Chicago Mackinac Race.

Finally, Madeline Gill Baldridge from SAILING WORLD magazine discusses effective asymmetric spinnaker trimming with experienced J/70 and J/105 sailors.

The NEW J/40… Offshore Speed, Comfort and Ease of Sailing

(Newport, RI)- J/Boats and J/Composites are pleased to announce the New J/40; an offshore-capable, high performance cruising yacht capable of double-digit speeds with exceptional comfort, both in port and at sea. From the same team that launched the award-winning J/112E, J/122 and J/45, comes an exciting new 40-footer that boldly pushes the envelope on performance, versatility of use, and cruising comfort.

“The New J/40 has the sail power and stability to sail well in both light and windy conditions,” said designer Al Johnstone of J/Boats. “This boat will excel in both coastal and offshore rallies  and races, and more importantly pass the family cruising test.”

Didier LeMoal, President of J/Composites added: “The J/40 is the essence of our expertise. This expertise is what allows us to bring to market, model after model, a new generation of J’s that provide owners with the best of both the racing and cruising worlds.”  Learn more about the NEW J/40 performance cruiser here:

J/Domination @  Volvo CORK Week

(Cork, Ireland)- The biennial event known as Volvo CORK Week was hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club and was blessed with beautiful weather for most of the week! In addition to the racing in and around Cork Harbour, the event also featured the Fastnet Rock Offshore Race. Here is what’s happened off the picturesque harbor of Cork, Ireland. 

Fastnet Rock Offshore Race
The Offshore race for the Beaufort Cup came to a magnificent finish off Roches Point. The 150.0nm race around the Fastnet Rock was won by the Irish Defence Forces racing J/109 ARTFUL DODJER, claiming Line Honours as well as the race win after IRC time correction.

“The lead in the race changed many times,” commented Simon Coveney who was at the helm of ARTFUL DODJER as the team sailed through the finish line. “It is a complex race and coastline and the breeze was moving around a lot. The team was delighted to be the first to round the Fastnet during the night. It is always a memorable moment, no matter how many times you have done it. This was a team effort but special thanks should go to Brian Mathews, who put the whole team together.” 

Continued Coveney, “What is special this year about the Beaufort Cup is that we have three teams from the US, as well as a team from the UK, racing against two teams from the Irish Defence Forces and two teams from the RNLI. The idea was that The Beaufort Cup would be an international event for people working in uniform in different parts of the world who would get together and make friendships. All the sailors have come to Cork and enjoy themselves, the atmosphere at the Royal Cork YC is fantastic.”

CORK Race Week
Overall, J/teams faired very well in the round-the-cans races at race week. Here’s how it all went down by division.

IRC 0 Division
This ten-boat fleet saw a pair of J/122s sail fast to finish in the top four. Taking the bronze medal was the Jones Family on JELLY BABY with 34 pts net. Just two points back was Lance Allen’s JAVELIN with 36 pts net. 

IRC 1 Division
This ten-boat fleet saw complete domination by the J/109s, surprise, surprise!! Winning with six 1sts in their scoreline was Barry Cunningham’s CHIMAERA with just 13 pts net after counting nine races! Taking the silver medal was John Maybury’s JOKER 2 with 17 pts net, winning the only other four races CHIMAERA did not win!! Then, taking fourth was Andy Williams’s CTRL-J with 36 pts net, followed by Peter Holden’s GOING TO RED in fifth place with 40 pts net. 

IRC Coastal Division
This fourteen-boat fleet was treated to a humiliating “whitewash” by Johnny Treanor’s J/112E VALEN-TINA. After five races  VALEN-TINA tossed a first place (!!) and counted four firsts for a mere 4 pts net! Cris Miles’s J/111 JEZEBEL sailed well, taking fifth place with 15 pts net.  For more CORK Week sailing information

Historic, Slow 100th Bayview Mackinac Race 

(Port Huron, MI)– A record 332 boats pointed their bows across the line in the 100th edition of the Bayview Mackinac Race, organized by the Bayview Yacht Club. This year, all competitors competed on one course, the so-called “Shore Course” was the original course used in the first race in 1925.

From its traditional start in Southern Lake Huron, the course covers 204 nautical miles, with the fleet heading north up Lake Huron along the Michigan shoreline before heading west, passing south of Bois Blanc Island, finishing west to east at the finish line between Round Island and Mackinac Island.

The weather forecast could not have been more benign compared to the earlier Chicago Mackinac Race punctuated by violent thunderstorms and gale-force winds. The forecasts were mixed, showing a combination of southeasterlies and offshore west/southwesters for the initial daylight hours heading north to Saginaw Bay and the Alpena point “left turn”. Most forecasts showed the wind veering to the west, then northwest by evening. Then, by dawn in the 4:00 to 6:00 AM timeframe, a dramatic shift to the northeast with 10-15 kts winds. For the most part, those forecasts were accurate.

There were dozens of J/Teams competing in this 100th anniversary Bayview Mackinac Race spread across multiple divisions. Here is a breakdown by division. 

Division  B- 22 boats
Dick Kalow’s J/125 MUSTANG took 4th, Jim Murray’s J/125 CALLISTO placed 5th, and Rob Ruhlman’s brand new J/45 SPACEMAN SPIFF took 7th place. 

Division C- 15 J/111s
Winning this class by over one hour was a Charlevoix Yacht Club team of PADAWAN 4 sailed by Chris Lamb. Taking second place for the second time in this year’s Mac races was Scott Sellers’s NOSURPRISE, while third went to Ed Kriese’s WILDCAT. Rounding out the top five were Mark Symonds’s PTERODACTYL and Brad Kimmel’s DIABLO, in fourth and fifth, respectively. 

Division D- 10 J/120s
Charlie Hess’s FUNTECH RACING won the class by a solid half-hour margin of victory. Jerry Bresser’s KAIROS took the silver medal, while John Harvey’s SLEEPING TIGER finished on the bronze medal step of the podium. Rounding out the top five was Mike & Bob Kirkman’s HOT TICKET in fourth and Mike Fozo & Robin Kendrick’s PROOF in fifth place.

Division G- 10 J/35s 
The usual suspects in the local Michigan J/35 class were yet again this year’s race leaders. However, to say that it was a battle to the finish would be a dramatic understatement. It was a bloody dogfight to the finish line, with just two minutes separating the top five boats! Winning was Mike Welch’s FALCON, followed by Dennis Meagher’s SNIPE in second, Kim & Linus Isabell’s REDLINE in third, Mike Gualdoni’s CENTURION in fourth, and Steven Briggs’s DEAN’S LIST in fifth. 

Division N- Doublehanded- 16 boats
Several top J/crews sailed in the doublehanded division. However, just one team made it into the top five- Scott Sorbie’s J/88 LEGACY taking 5th place. 

Follow the race Instagram page.  Follow the race Facebook page.  For more Bayview Mackinac Race sailing information

NRV Women’s Team Crowned Helga Cup 2024 Champions

(Hamburg, Germany)- The Helga Cup is the largest women-only regatta and yet, or perhaps because of that, it is a sailing event for “every woman”. Whether young or old, whether you are a cruising, leisure, or regatta sailor, and whether you have offshore or inshore experience – the regatta attracted women sailors from all over Europe, the USA, and Australia!

The regatta was sailed on the gorgeous Alster Lake is located right in the city center of Hamburg and attracts large numbers of spectators. Hardly any other place offers such a wonderful opportunity to present sailing in the middle of a big city. Hamburg’s latest landmark the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall and St. Michaels´ Church spire can be seen in the background.

Norddeutscher Regatta Verein again hosted the Helga Cup in J/70 one-design class sailboats. The J/70 is very popular with women sailors in Europe since it’s such an easy boat to sail and boat handling is easy with lightweight loads on the jib, main, and asymmetric spinnaker.

The seventh edition of the Helga Cup was once again a complete success in good wind conditions and exciting right up to the end. Sixty-three teams sailed in the J/70 class with 350 women sailors! In total, 84 races were sailed by women’s teams from nine nations (Germany, Finland, Canada, USA, Ukraine, Switzerland, France, Australia, Poland).

The participants were happy about the good sailing conditions with moderate wind conditions on the first two racing days and somewhat more challenging on the final day. The atmosphere was very good on the water as well as on land and characterized by perfect cooperation among the women.

The teams in class J/70 had exciting races right up to the last minute. The eventual winners from the “NRV Women’s Team” (Julia Kühn, Birte Berger, Luisa Krüger, Nina Erbach) mastered the qualification for the final quite confidently and took first place alone. In the final, the start was initially a bit bumpy for the NRV women when they had to sail back again after an early start. But they successfully worked their way back to the front of the field and crossed the finish line in fourth place. 

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy. A final with ten boats automatically creates more pressure, and the Alster can be tricky. It was very gusty at times. It was a nerve-racking final, and we are super happy about the victory – and in our home club too. It was a great three days of regatta,” said the team immediately after crossing the finish line.

The “Mammazentrum Foundation Team” (Juliane Zepp, Marion Rommel, Maren Hahlbrock, Lea Beele) from the Hamburg Sailing Club sailed to second place. The “Südseeperlen” (Lena Deike, Ida Bachschmidt, Ellen Bauer, Rosane Schnetz) from the Württemberg Yacht Club came third.

“We had good sailing conditions and were able to hold 101 races,” said NRV club manager Klaus Lahme, “I would like to thank the more than 60 volunteers, our race management, Tina Buch and Jens Hahlbrock with their teams, the umpire chief Svenja Hünsch and her team. They all did a great job!”

During the award ceremony, Christoph Holstein, State Councilor of the Department of the Interior and Sport, praised the good cooperation and solidarity among the participating sailors and emphasized how important this is for today’s society.

Helga Cup patron Kristina Vogel, former German track cyclist and two-time Olympic champion, highlighted the great atmosphere among the participating women and the aspect of how naturally women of very different sailing levels sail together on the regatta course at the Helga Cup. She is already looking forward to taking over the patronage of the Helga Cup next year.

The eighth edition of the Helga Cup will take place from June 12th to 15th, 2025 on Hamburg’s Alster Lake. 

The Helga Cup 2024 was supported by: Hamburg Active City, Eberhardt Wienholt Foundation, Heinz Kettler Foundation, REWE, Fleischgroßmarkt Hamburg, Unser Norden Foundation, Salzbrenner Würstchen, Torqeedo, Akquinet, Peter Frisch GmbH, Von der Linden, Pantaenius. SAP Sailing results for Helga Cup   Sailing photo credits- Sven Jurgensen  For more J/70 Helga Cup sailing information

Heavenly New York YC Race Week

(Newport, RI)- Hosted by the New York Yacht Club, this biennial race week held its 14th running with good sailing, unparalleled onshore hospitality, and the great race management provided by the Club’s all-volunteer race committee. In general, J/Teams faired quite well. 

ORC D Division
J/Crews swept the podium in this fleet. Winning with three bullets and four deuces in their eight races was Robin Team’s J/122 TEAMWORK. Then, the balance of the podium was determined on a tiebreaker at 21 pts each. Winning that countback was Tom Sutton’s  J/122 LEADING EDGE, followed by Al Minella’s J/112E THE ROCC. 

PHRF 2 Division
Three J/Teams were sailing this fleet racing inside Narragansett Bay. The top crew was Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO finishing in 4th position. 

J/109 New Englands
Crowned as New England Champions in this half-dozen boat class was John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, counting three 1sts and four 2nds in their nine-race series. Second went to John Nash’s MISTRAL with 21 pts, while Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING took the bronze medal with 27 pts.  For more New York YC Race Week sailing information

Ten Days of Sailing, Parties, & Fun @ Larchmont Race Week

(Larchmont, New York)- For a major regatta to retain its vitality for 126 years, it must be offering something special. Larchmont Yacht Club’s annual Race Week does just that, yet that special factor has evolved over the past century.

No longer are we awed by the grand schooners and sloops of the early 1900s. Nor are we out there for seven days of big boat and one-design sailing and eight days for juniors. People’s schedules have become more packed.

The special things that made this 126th Larchmont Race Week a success have been evolving over the past decade as this heritage event has continued. However, Race Week is primarily about sailboat racing, and this year had something for everyone from July 13 to 21.

Anyone who has raced Larchmont Race Week in the past recognizes that a big part of the regatta is the shoreside activities for which Larchmont YC is known. This year didn’t disappoint.

From 250 people at Friday night’s Commodore’s Welcome Party and to over 450 lobsters served the first Saturday night to a huge after-racing party following the Execution Rocks Race, Saturday’s Mount Gay Rum Night, and Sunday’s Awards ceremony, the number of sailors and members on the front lawn of the Club proved that Larchmont Race Week still offers “something special.”

“We worked all year to come up with innovations to deliver ten days of regatta fun,” noted event co-chair and LYC Rear Commodore Andrew Weiss. “Working with the neighboring clubs, moving the Execution Rocks Race to the second Friday, and having high-profile after-sailing events made a difference.”

J/105 Class
Winning this class was a perennial Long Island Sound Champion in the class, Paul Beaudin’s LOULOU. Second went to Ines Purcell’s PEREGRINA, while third was seized by Frank Luksic’s SHAKEN NOT STIRRED.

J/88 Class
Winning the J/88s was Bill Purdy’s WHIRLWIND, followed by Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS in second and Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION YCC in third place. 

PHRF 1 Division
No question this fleet was dominated by one of the best sailed J/111s in the country. As usual, Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL showed their transom to the fleet every day, posting a trio of bullets to win with just 3 pts. 

PHRF 2 Division
This eight-boat fleet saw Albrecht Goethe’s pretty J/46 HAMBURG II start fast with two bullets, but skip a beat in their third race to post a 4th and drop into 2nd place! Taking the third step on the podium was Todd Aven’s J/99 THIN MAN counting all thirds!

PHRF 3 Division
Winning this fleet was JC Zucconi & Jim Townsend’s J/92 EASY RED, winning with three bullets! Then, Jason Viseltear’s J/80 UPSETTER grabbed the bronze medal with a 2-3-3 tally for 8 pts. They were followed by John Stathopoulos’s J/24 AMERICAN ROBIN in fourth place counting triple 4ths!

Thanks for this contribution from Buttons Padin. For more Larchmont Race Week sailing information

Classic Conditions Welcome Pacific Cup  Race

(San Francisco, CA)- With staggered starts on July 15, 17, and 18, 64 teams entered the biennial 2070 nm race from San Francisco, California to Kaneohe, Hawaii. Here’s an update on July 22, 2024.

Day one of the 2024 Pacific Cup was off to a slow start due to a lull in the coastal winds, leaving first competitors to start with virtually no wind for the first 24 hours. This group included four divisions and 32 boats: Double Handed 1 (7 boats), Double Handed 2 (9 boats), PHRF 1 (9 boats) and PHRF 2 (7 boats).

The second day of starts saw 26 more boats on their way to Hawaii. These were the faster PHRF divisions: PHRF 3 (10 boats), PHRF 4 (9 boats), as well as the ORR 1 (5 boats). This group had clear skies with 10-15 knots of wind from the usual westerly direction – right through the gate.

For the third and final day of starts, the wind showed up in its usual San Francisco fashion in the high teens to low 20-knot range. The only class to start this day would be the ORR 2 division, consisting of six boats. By this point, the usual coastal flow of northwesterly wind filled back in, giving this last round of starts a quick exit out the gate and offshore.

Overall the fleet was steadily making their way to Kaneohe in now near-classic wind conditions. All three starting groups have caught up to one another for the most part, and remain fairly tightly grouped. Boats frequently reported sightings of one another, and as ‘The Fugitive’ put it, boats are often “within burrito-throwing distance.”

That said, with what appears to be fairly even wind appearing now across most of the race course, the competitors may have the ability to pick from a wider variety of courses: go to the rhumb line, or strategically pick some other position and heading for the time being.

J/Teams that you can follow on the YB Tracker app are:
– Matt Arno’s J/105 BLUE FLASH from Fort Worth Boat Club in Fort Worth, TX
– James Isbester’s J/105 ENERGY from Berkeley Yacht Club in Berkely, CA
– John Murkowski’s J/122E JOY RIDE from Seattle Yacht Club in Seattle, WA
– Ross Wilkinson & Kevin Werner’s J/112E JUBILANT from South Beach YC in San Francisco, CA
– Chad Stanwick’s J/35 THE BOSS from Corinthian Yacht Club in Bremerton, WA
– Jim Nichol’s J/125 VELVET HAMMER from Richmond Yacht Club in San Francisco, CA

Sailing photo credits- Irina Potekhina

Follow Pacific Cup Race on Facebook here   Follow the Pacific Cup Race on YB Tracker here   For more Pacific Cup Race sailing information

J/Teams Silver in Round Ireland Race

(Wicklow, Ireland)- The 2024 Round Ireland Race fleet was in for a treat as they passed some of the world’s most beautiful coastline leaving Ireland and its islands to starboard. They started by rounding the stunning Wicklow Head as they set off on the 704 miles of Irish coastal waters on Saturday, June 18th. However, the honeymoon-like adventure was short-lived, as usual in this famously tough race.

IRC 1 Division
In this five-boat fleet, it was yet again Mike O’Donnell’s Irish team on the J/121 DARKWOOD that took the silver medal in 5 days 18 hours 43 mins corrected time. 

IRC 2 Division
In a bid to reclaim their title from their 2022 efforts in this eight-boat fleet was Laurent Charmy’s J/111 SL ENERGIES GROUPE FASTWAVE from France. They came very close to a repeat victory but instead settled for the silver medal in a time of 5 days 17 hours 35 mins corrected. Not far off their pace was Chris &  Patanne Power Smith’s J/122 AURELIA finishing just over one hour behind to take the bronze medal!

IRC 4 Division
This eight-boat fleet saw a solid performance by the classic J/109 INDIAN, sailed by Simon Knowles. After 5 days 12 hours 15 mins corrected time, they garnered bronze medal honors in their division! For more RORC Round Ireland Race sailing information

J/Teams Garner Lots of Silver @ The HOOK Race  

(Racine, WI)- Hosted by Racine Yacht Club in Racine, Wisconsin, the HOOK Race is an 189.0nm race on Lake Michigan held each year in July. This challenging event starts outside the harbor in Racine, Wisconsin, “hooking” through Death’s Door (Porte Des Morts passage), a narrow and often treacherous passageway between Washington Island and Wisconsin’s Door County Peninsula, continuing across Green Bay, and ending in Menominee, Michigan. J/Teams ended up winning three divisions in this challenging race! Here’s how it all went down. 

PHRF 3 Division
This seven-boat fleet was yet another Haggerty family member earning more offshore miles, following in their grandfather’s footsteps of the famous 53-footer BAY BEA (Mr. Haggerty was co-founder of Texas Instruments in Austin, Texas). Hugh Haggerty’s J/35 NOBLE BUFFALO took fourth in class just 7 minutes off from stepping on the podium in the bronze medal position!

PHRF 4 Division
It was a clean sweep of this six-boat fleet by J/Teams. Winning was Shawn Casey’s J/110 MARICA, followed by Peter Schwarzbach’s J/105 PHANTOM in second, and Peter Thompson’s J/110 MOOVIN in the bronze medal position!

PHRF 5 Division
This five-boat fleet saw Matt Fulkerson’s J/30 CONUNDRUM from Muskegon Yacht Club take class honors by over three hours on handicap time!

PHRF Doublehanded
This fleet saw yet another J/110 prove her mettle. This time, it was Ron Otto’s TAKEDOWN 2 from Kenosha Yacht Club that won by over seven hours of corrected time!  For more The HOOK Race sailing information and results

French Dominate J/22 German Nationals

(Travemunde, Germany)- For the first time in memory, the J/22 German National Championship held in Travemunde, Germany was dominated by a top French crew! Sailing eight races over three days on the southern part of the Baltic Sea, it was Reiner & Felix Brockerhoff’s FRA 1444, with a crew of Christoph  DeClerque that took the J/22 German title with a stunning record of seven 1sts and one 2nd, dropping the second in the one discard series to score just 7 pts net!

Behind their dominating performance, it was quite the battle for the balance of the podium. In the end, winning the official title of German J/22 National Champion was Wolf Jeschonnek’s GER 1513, with a crew of Frank Sturm and  Steffen Dulsen. Their team started strongly with a 1-2-2-2 in the first four races to hang on for their coveted German J/22 title. Taking third in the regatta and 2nd in the German Nationals was Thorsten Spotter’s GER 1449 with a crew of Florian Buchs and  Hannes Ranke. Taking the bronze medal in the German Nationals was Holger Schmitt’s GER 1390 with a team of Anna Lisa Schorn and Thomas Hanf. 

For more Travemunde Week J/22 German Open sailing information
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Regatta Copa Del Rey Mapfre Preview

(Palma Mallorca, Spain)- The Real Club Nautico de Palma will be hosting their famous Regatta Copa Del Rey MAPFRE regatta starting this coming weekend. The regatta will be sailed on the gorgeous Bay of Palma which is surrounded by a beautiful mountain range off to the east and north. As a result, the Bay of Palma enjoys nearly perfect sailing conditions starting around noon each day with a clockwork-like sea breeze that fills in around  12 to 18 kts from the southwest. 

J/70 Class
Twenty-eight J/70s are participating as part of their training and tune-up programs for the upcoming J/70 World Championship in Palma Mallorca in October 2024. The leading teams include a cross-section of top crews from around the world. They include Martin Dent’s JELVIS from Great Britain, Krystyn Gills’s KANGURU from Australia, Haroldo Solberg’s OCEANPACT from Brazil, Alejandro Perez Ontiveros’s ALGARETE from Mexico, Ignacio Perez Morett’s ZAGUERO from Mexico, John Heaton’s EMPEIRIA from the USA, Luis Albert Solana’s PATAKIN from Spain, and Michel Glaus’s WATCH from Switzerland. 

ORC Division
Sailing the ORC 2 Division will be Kemal Darcan’s J/111 AKPA CHEMICALS team from Istanbul, Turkey. Then, sailing ORC 3 Division will be Armada Espanola’s J/99 REGULUS from Spain.  For more Regatta Copa Del Rey MAPFRE sailing information

Sailing World Marblehead Regatta Preview

(Marblehead, MA)- The trio of yacht clubs in Marblehead (Eastern Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, & Boston Yacht Club) will again be hosting the highlight of their summer sailing season- the Sailing World Marblehead Regatta. The event is hosting the J/70 New England Championship and also the J/105 one-design class for three days of racing in Massachusetts Bay. 

J/70 New Englands
Several teams in the fourteen-boat fleet with significant class experience should be factors at the top of the leaderboard, including Brian Keane’s SAVASANA, David Franzel’s SPRING, Peter Barrett’s RESET, Al Minella’s LEVE 5, and Tyler Doyle’s CLOWN CAR.

J/105 Class
Several veteran J/105 teams will be vying for class honors, including Charlie  Garrard’s MERLIN, Steve Hollis’s SIROCCO, Ken Bowden’s KNOTLESS, and Rick Dexter’s BROUHAHA.  For more Sailing World Marblehead Regatta sailing information.

Italian J/70 Cup- Malcesine Preview

(Malcesine, Italy)- The Fraglia Vela Malcesine will be hosting the third event of the Italian J/70 Cup on the gorgeous Lake Garda in northeastern Italy in the foothills of the Italian Alps. The FVM has scheduled to sail up to nine races over the three-day regatta. 

They will be hosting the thirty-nine boat fleet from thirteen nations (Australia, Barbuda, China, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, Romania, Switzerland, Sweden, USA). 

Leading teams include Australia’s Tim Ryan on VAMOS, Great Britain’s Jonathan Calascione on CALYPSO, Germany’s Michel Grau on PAINT IT BLACK, Hungary’s Zoltan Torok on FANTOM, Ireland’s Harry Twomey on WILDCARD, several from the Italian contingent (Sofia Giondi’s WANDERLUST, Gianfranco Noe’s WHITE HAWK, Luca Domenici’s NOTARO TEAM, Mauro Roversi’s JCURVE, Sweden’s Jonas Kjellberg’s INTERMEZZO, and two America teams (Keith Whittemore’s FURIO from Seattle and Rich Witzel’s ROWDY from Chicago). For more Italian J/70 Cup- Malcesine sailing information

RORC Baltic Sea Race Preview

(Helsinki, Finland)- The 2024 Roschier Baltic Sea Race starts from Helsinki, Finland on Saturday 27th of July. Organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club with the Offshore Racing Alliance, the second edition of the 635-mile race has attracted boats from all over Scandinavia, Europe, and the United States of America. Sailors from at least 20 different countries will be racing in the world’s latest ‘600-mile’ offshore race.
Entries have increased by over 40% since the inaugural race, with a significant number of high-profile race boats taking up the challenge. Corinthian entries and double-handed warriors have also increased nearly two-fold. The overall winner, decided by the best time after IRC time correction, will lift the Baltic Sea Race Trophy. 
IRC 1 Division
The 14-strong entry list in IRC One comes from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, and Sweden. Three J/Teams are competing, including Fredrik Rydin’s J/121 JOLENE, and two J/112E’s (Taavet Henrikus’s  NOLA (EST) and Nolanola Oy’s NOLA X (EST)). 
IRC 2 Division
In this fifteen-boat division, entered are the J/109 IRIE and the J/99 VITESSE. Read more about them below in the IRC Two-handed section. 
IRC Doublehanded Division
Seven teams racing in the Roschier Baltic Sea Race will be taking on the 635-mile challenge doublehanded, including class runner-up in 2022, J/109 IRIE (FIN), co-skippered Julius Haartti & Sanna Moliis is back. In the last race, after four and a half days of racing, IRIE finished less than four minutes after the winner!
The largest and highest IRC rating in the double-handed class is Fredrik Rydin’s J/121 JOLENE (SWE), racing with Johan Tuvstedt. This will be the duo’s first race, but the Swedish sailors have previous form winning the short-handed class in the 2021 Gotland Runt and taking class line honours in 2023.
One of the newest boat designs in the race will be competing in IRC Two-Handed. Philip Schröderheim’s J/99 VITESSE (SWE) is racing with Madeleine Lithvall. 
The 2024 Roschier Baltic Sea Race is set to be a memorable regatta with a warm welcome for all competing teams in Helsinki. The Roschier Baltic Sea Race is supported by the City of Helsinki, the Nyländska Jaktklubben, the Finnish Ocean Racing Association, the Helsingfors Segelklubb, FINIRC, and the Xtra Stærk Ocean Racing Society. For more information about the Roschier Baltic Sea Race: 

Cowes Week Preview

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- For the first week of August, the Cowes Combined Clubs    will be hosting their annual highlight of the summer sailing season on the Solent- the infamous Cowes Race Week off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yet again, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors will grace the quaint seaside town with raucous parties and challenging sailing on the capricious waters of the famously-fast-flowing Solent Water. Again, dozens of J/Teams will flock south from the glass offices in London and other parts of the United Kingdom and look forward to engaging their passion for sailing for a full seven days on the water! Here is how that all breaks down by division. 

IRC 2 Division
This eighteen-boat division includes Ellie Wollman’s J/111 FREQUENT FLYER, Mike O’Donnel’s Irish crew on his J/121 DARKWOOD (fresh off a silver medal-winning performance in the Round Ireland Race), and a trio of J/122s (Team BULLDOG, Nick Southward & John Scott’s RAGING BULL 4, & the Jones Family team from Ireland on JELLY BABY).

IRC 3 Division
The lone J entry in this fifteen-boat fleet is David Franks’s J/112E LEON. 

IRC 4 Division- the J/Boats Division
All nine entries in this fleet are J/Teams! The are two J/99s (Jim & John Owen’s JET & Alain Waha  & Matt Waite’s FURTHER WEST), three J/92s (David & Libby Greenhalgh’s J’RONIMO, Libby Finch, Jack & Joe Banks, & Penny Jeffcoate’s NIGHTJAR, & Simon & Sally Shillaker’s JAMBO), Bob Baker’s J/97 JAYWALER, and three J/105s (Richard Newsom’s JAVELIN, Ian McMillan’s ONLY JUST AN EEJIT, and Natalie Jobling & Tom Hayhoe’s  MOSTLY HARMLESS). 

Performance Cruise A Division
The sole J/Team in this fleet is Malcolm Le May’s J/124 ECLIPSE. 

Performance Cruise B Division
The two J/Crews in this fifteen-boat fleet are Henry Kemp’s J/109 WHITE KNIGHT and Andy Hunt’s J/120 ASSARAIN III. 

J/109 Class
The nine entries in this fleet will enjoy spirited racing, as they always do. Several class leaders are participating, including John Smart’s JUKEBOX, Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN, and Rob Cotterill’s MOJO RISIN. 

J/70 Class
With thirty entries, the J/70 class is the largest international class sailing at Cowes Week. Several of the leading teams will be participating from England, including Marshall King & Doug Struth’s DSP, Martin Dent’s JENGA 8, David McCleman’s OFFBEAT, and Nick Griffith’s SPENCER.  Follow Cowes Week on Facebook here
For more Cowes Week sailing information

J/Community
What J/Sailors, family, and friends are doing around  the world

J/125  Sailor Rescued Under Moonless Sky
Chicago Mackinac Racer offers survival tips
(Chicago, IL)- Here is a fascinating and very educational interview of Shawn Dougherty’s (see above) rescue after falling overboard from the J/125 CALLISTO during the middle of a large thunderstorm cell during the Chicago Mackinac Race.  Enjoy this interview by Phoebe Wall Howard.

Shawn Dougherty told himself to keep calm or he would likely die.

The 56-year-old from Seattle struggled at times not to swallow water as Lake Michigan waves crashed over his body while bobbing in darkness broken by lightning strikes on Saturday, July 13.

“If you start panicking, you lose your critical thinking skills,” he told Shifting Gears. “You first check if you’re injured or bleeding. Then you cinch up your foul weather gear around your wrists and ankles so the water inside has a chance to warm up. People can start hyperventilating and inhaling water as waves are hitting you in the face. It’s the middle of the night and you can’t see anything.”

At that moment, Dougherty thought of being a father and a husband and tried to recall the statistics for night rescues. Was it 40% or 60% survival? Then he realized that focusing on the probability of death was unhelpful.

“I thought, ‘I’m not going down this way,’” he said.

Surrounded by no one and desperately needing rescue, Dougherty deployed several safety devices from his belt pack to signal the U.S. Coast Guard and race boats to his location, including his MOB 1 (man overboard) beacon and a powerful ACR Firefly strobe light, both of which he held above his head for optimal transmission.

Everything needed to be done so rescuers would be able to find him at night.

This is a story that illustrates the dangerous reality of competitive sailing, and the heroism of men and women who fight like hell to harness the wind and get to the finish line first, but drop everything when a life is at risk. Every sailor knows they could be next.

Dougherty explained what led up to the man overboard alert, details of the rescue, and advice for his fellow racers — many of whom will sail the 100th Bayview Mackinac Race that starts in Port Huron on Saturday, July 20, 2024.

“The water was never calm. You don’t want to swim around and exert energy,” Dougherty said. “I turned in one direction and saw lightning drop all over the water, and I saw no boats.”

Sailors on the Pacific Ocean don’t frequently see the kinds of thunderstorms that hammer the Great Lakes, he said.

Looking back on the epic rescue, racers said, things could have gone badly and led to a fourth death since 2011 during the race from Chicago to Mackinac Island.

Dougherty, who works in international business, is a veteran offshore racer on the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the South China Sea.

But the Chicago to Mackinac and Port Huron to Mackinac races are different.

The violent weather systems on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, he said, are unique and need to be respected.

How a man ends up alone in the water
The crew of Callisto, a J/125 owned and skippered by Jim Murray of Lake Bluff, Illinois, knew storms were coming an hour before they arrived. He called for all hands on deck.

Everybody put on their personal floatation device, and harness and clipped into tethers. Sailors also wore belt packs with a whistle, a personal GPS locator beacon, a knife, and a strobe light.

The crew doused their big spinnaker sail to slow things down. They also reefed the main sail, which reduces the sail area so it captures less wind. 

This tactic is commonly used to maintain control in unpredictable high winds. 

Earlier, the wind had been so strong that it snapped the masts of three enormous boats. 

“We had rain. We had lightning. We had 30 knots of breeze,” said Murray, who grew up in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, and sailed Lake St. Clair. “We popped out on the other side, the rain stopped and the wind shifted back to the southwest.”

They monitored the weather with radar technology using Starlink. They saw rain ahead but no active thunderstorms. What they didn’t realize is that they were sailing into a “pocket where you had a collapsing (storm) cell nearby,” Murray said.

Callisto mistakenly thought everything was calm.

‘In a nanosecond’
“After waiting 10 to 15 minutes, we shook the reef and resumed racing,” he said.

“We were sailing along, I’d say 10 minutes after putting the kite back up,” Murray said. “We just noticed the breeze was getting squirrely. That set off alarm bells. There was something still out there, and it was still unsettled.”

At that moment, the skipper called for the crew to pull down the spinnaker for a second time. Dougherty and three other crew members wrestled the sail down, Dougherty unclipped his tether to move around a crew member into the cockpit when a 38-knot wind blast slammed into the 41-foot race boat.

“The boat heeled over,” Murray said. “Shawn was in the water in a nanosecond.”

The boat was going 15 knots. Dougherty goes over the rail into the water. The skipper yells “Man overboard” while another crew member punches the man overboard button.

As Dougherty goes overboard, a crewmate lunging to reach the sailor in distress lets go of the giant spinnaker sail. It blows out of the boat and into the water. That has the benefit of stopping the boat, but it also wraps around the rudder that steers the vessel.

They can see Dougherty in the water with his strobe light.

‘Like a cake deflating’
Racers on Callisto pull out their knives to slice at the kite, cutting away the giant sail in hopes that it will untangle from the boat. Steering was impossible. 

“We’re all sawing away. We had to get the lines out of the water before we could start the engine,” Murray said.

They could see on their instrumentation that Dougherty was taking all the proper actions, so he was OK. He didn’t hit his head on the way into the water, as can happen He was wearing an inflatable lifejacket often used for ocean racing.

The whole scene was unpredictable.

“When a thunderstorm dies at night, it’s like a cake deflating,” Murray said. “It sprays air out at the base. So it’s a sudden massive gust of breeze with rapid wind shifts. The wind had no business coming out of the east. It came out from a collapsing cell. You could see lightning all over the place. It wasn’t blowing 40 knots anymore, it was blowing 20. But it was still a very confused sea state.”

Storms on the Pacific Ocean pop up like popcorn and die down, Murray said.

“It’s nothing like the line of thunderstorms that form on Lake Michigan. You’re seeing more and more these storms build up. Our 10 minutes of waiting maybe should have been half an hour. We had to get further away from the disturbed air,” he said. “When you see rain on the radar, are you really sure there isn’t a collapsing cell lurking? I don’t think you can be certain. Technology has given us the illusion you can really know what’s going on.”

This is why safety training is essential to survival, he said.

Racers respond to calls for help
Multiple Boats on the radio responded to the plea for help.

GPS technology showed that Madcap was closest.

“We’re sailing 10 knots, and we had to stop fast and safely. Not doing so can create another emergency,” said John Hoskins, 47, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, and owner of the Santa Cruz 52 that launched the rescue.

He had been sitting in his navigation station with an internet connection on the boat, following radar and warnings from the National Weather Service, tracking boats in the vicinity, and monitoring the marine radio. During storms, Hoskins or another crew sat in the navigation station to be on high alert to respond to any emergency. Nav duty is usually a boring job, Hoskins said, but not that night.

“I told our team, ‘We’re out of the race. We’re going to pick up a man overboard,’” Hoskins said. “The whole plan changed as soon as there was a man overboard. I didn’t care about the race. Our new mission was to get this guy. I had to be direct with the crew, ‘Shut it down. We’re done. Turn around.’ And they did. Incredibly well.”

Just before the rescue, Madcap was hit by a thunderstorm with big wind gusts, so they shortened their sails. It was about 11 p.m. central time. And then Hoskins hears the call for help from Callisto.

“We got the electronic emergency signals automatically coming from the man overboard,” Hoskins said. “I responded to Callisto and said, ‘We’ll turn around and head your way.’ It took maybe 3 to 5 minutes.”

Battling darkness and choppy water
Personal locator beacon signals carried by Dougherty alerted the instrument systems on surrounding boats. Madcap could see where he was drifting.

“It’s black. There’s a little bit of lightning. Winds are blowing 15 to 20 knots. It’s raining,” Hoskins said. “We’re changing sails. We could have someone go overboard. There was risk. We had to get the situation under control. We were motoring and we didn’t want to approach him too fast.”

The water was choppy, a confused sea state leftover by thunderstorms. It was 1- to 2- feet of chop. All navigation lights on Madcap are lit up, so Dougherty could see the rescuers who held a spotlight. And they could see him.

Mike Smith of Lake Forest, Illinois was driving the boat. Paul Hogue of San Diego was at the front of the boat with Matt Rubsam of Glenview, Illinois, and yelling to see if Dougherty was OK on approach. Marian Hoskins, who usually drives the boat, served as a conduit between the deck crew and navigator to make sure everyone was communicating as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“You have to position the boat so you don’t run him over, and that requires skill,” Hoskins said. “There is a danger of him going under the boat when you have wind and the boat drifts sideways … We got within 20 feet of him and threw the Life Sling in his direction, a floatable horseshoe with a 100-foot line.”

Mark Strube of San Diego, a 6-foot-5-inch professional sailor who played football at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan, pulled Dougherty onto the boat with the help of Marian Hoskins, co-owner of the boat and a cyclist whose physical strength is enhanced by workouts at the gym.

The whole rescue, from getting the call to pulling Dougherty aboard, took about 20 minutes, Hoskins said. It felt longer.

“Five years ago, I don’t know if it would be possible to do it so quickly,” he said. “It’s the training. It’s the classes required through U.S. Sailing. So many things can go wrong.”

Safety at sea classes, personal safety gear, and locator beacon technology requirements are essential to racing, Hoskins said.

23 hours below deck
Once Dougherty was safely on Madcap, the crew gave him dry clothes to put on and offered him food. He was fine. And he requested a transfer back to Callisto. Hoskins overruled the idea, knowing conditions remained volatile.

Both boats resumed racing.

Madcap crew members asked Dougherty not to help them in any way and he mostly remained below deck for the next 23 hours. Racing rules prevented him from touching anything as he wasn’t authorized to be aboard. Race rules are strict.

The rescue happened about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and they crossed the finish line around 10:30 p.m. the following night, Hoskins said.

“Shawn rested a lot at first,” Hoskins said. “He is a great guy and a pleasure to have on board.”

Madcap placed second in class, plus won a rescue medal awarded by U.S. Sailing. It was an emotional 333-statute-mile (289-nautical-mile) race with 247 boats.

After a jury of sailing judges ruled Callisto was eligible to compete, the boat that ended the race with one fewer crew member placed first in a separate class.

The Callisto crew reunited on Mackinac Island after the 2024 Chicago to Mackinac race ended. Tears flowed among sailors in the audience during the award ceremony, when they brought the man overboard on stage, Dougherty said.

“Everybody hugged and I think that’s what got to people, the significance of how it can be done correctly. It was kind of heavy,” he said. “It didn’t matter who it was, it could be any of us.”

Thoughts while waiting to be rescued
Falling over the boat’s lifelines into the lake, Dougherty somersaulted and landed on his back, he said.

Then he thought of his family, including a 20-year-old son studying construction management at the University of Washington and a 23-year-old son who had just graduated from the University of Edinburgh.

Dougherty had flown from Scotland to Chicago to race.

Just hours later, Shawn Dougherty of Seattle was thinking about whether he might not live to see his sons as he waited on Saturday, July 13, 2024, to be rescued. (Photo: Provided by Shawn Dougherty)
“I had little reflection time in the middle of the lake, thinking, ‘Am I doing too many things? Should I slow down a little bit?’” Dougherty said. “But I realized it was really just an isolated incident.”

A chilling effect
Lynn Kotwicki, 52, of Royal Oak, past commodore of the Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, said competitors on Lake Michigan followed the rescue. They had monitored closely the weather and watched boats get knocked by gusts.

“Our skipper said get up on deck and prepare,” said Kotwicki, who raced on the J/120 Hot Ticket. “We were at the ready to help if needed. While riding out the rest of the storm, it was oddly quiet because everyone was more introspective. This is real. It could happen to any of us.”

Heading into the next race, sailors are on high alert, she said.

“We’re double-checking our safety gear,” said Kotwicki, a business management consultant. “Each crew member is responsible for their gear, but we’re all in this together.”

She posted July l7 on Facebook a race tracker showing the “hole of disruption.”

Act II
Both Callisto and Madcap plan to race this weekend from Port Huron to Mackinac on a single course that spans 204 nautical miles with the most sailboats registered in history, at 334, according to the Bayview Yacht Club.

In the few days between annual races, Hoskins has been checking on the three auto body shops he owns in Illinois and Wisconsin that specialize in collision work.

And Shawn Dougherty? He is finished with the Great Lakes this year. But he does plan to get out on the water this weekend in Seattle.

“You’ve got to get back on that pony, right?” he said. “It’s all good. The guys on Callisto did everything textbook perfect. And, everyone was cheering for Madcap. We all became friends.” Thanks for this contribution from Phoebe Wall Howard

The Building Blocks of Asymmetric Spin Trim

There’s more to asymmetric-spinnaker trimming than simply easing to the curl.
(Newport, RI)- A writer for SAILING WORLD magazine- Madeline Gill Baldridge- got together with knowledgeable sailors of asymmetric spinnaker boats like the J/70 and J/105. Here is a good “primer” on how to sail better downwind with asymmetric spinnakers. 

Great asymmetric trim boils down to three elements: ­constant sheet-load communication, consistent boatspeed, and stable heel angle.

As a sailor who floats among many different classes, I tend to seek out transferable performance patterns. More valuable to me than the ability to memorize a tuning matrix is the understanding of how to interpret the location and prominence of overbend wrinkles in a mainsail, the amount of tension or dangle in the leeward shrouds, or the frequency of stall or flow over the leech telltales. Utilizing the sail plan’s power and balance cues that will present themselves on any boat is the key to reducing the learning curve in a new fleet and outperforming the tuning guide in an established class.

Once we turn downwind, however, the underlying indicators of net VMG gains are trickier to recognize and isolate, especially in sportboats with asymmetric spinnakers where we are trying to decide when exactly the transitions occur between the fully planing, lazy planing, low displacement, or occasional wing-on-wing modes. So how do we get down the course successfully in the absence of a mode-crossover bible? Rig tune and sail trim are substantially less nuanced downwind than they are upwind, so a balance of sheet load, helm load, boatspeed, and heel angle can hold the answer.

Feel Your Sheet Load
The most basic goal of asymmetric-spinnaker trim is to ease the sheet enough to maximize projection to windward of the main, without sacrificing too much pressure in the sheet. A good visual indication that we are achieving maximum projection is a small amount of curl flicking into the luff every few seconds. This does not, however, indicate that we have adequate power in the sail, which is why the trimmer’s job of communicating the sheet load is critical.

If the sheet load is notably soft, then our angle is too low and we need to transition to a faster mode. The turn-up should be induced by shifting crew weight to leeward and forward while trimming the main accordingly. The biggest risk here is sailing extra distance for negligible speed gains in a dying breeze. Be sure that the conversation includes information about the big-picture breeze on the course as well as localized puffs and lulls so that the trimmer can recalibrate their target sheet load periodically.

On the other hand, if the sheet load is consistently heavy, even with accurate luff curl, then our angle is too high and we must shift the crew weight to windward and aft, ease the sails out, and/or use the rudder to turn the boat down. A moderately loaded sheet and happily curling luff are good indications that we are starting to home in on the correct mode. If the turn-down is not enough to alleviate the excess sheet load, then we know that it’s time to unfurl the jib, transition to a lazy plane or full plane mode, and start focusing more on helm load.

Balance the Helm Load
In light air, when the helm load is quite light, the goal is to avoid leading any turns with the rudder because it will be slow and draggy. Once the conditions have us fully powered or overpowered, the rudder becomes quite important, and awareness of helm load will help keep us in control. While deploying the jib will add sail area and increase boatspeed, the more important feature becomes its ability to balance out some of the helm load. As the breeze and boatspeed continue to trend up and waves start to come over the bow, crew weight must shift aft to keep the rudder deep in the water and maintain grip through turns. Too much helm load or too sharp of a turn could cause the rudder to cavitate and the boat to wipe out. A heavily loaded helm will require eased sails to free up enough to turn down smoothly. As the driver and trimmer can calibrate and coordinate loads in the helm and sheet, the boat will gravitate toward its proper mode.

Strive for Consistent Boatspeed
In the simplest terms, the proper mode is indicated by a barely sustainable boatspeed. If speed is too easy to maintain, you are sailing too high. If speed drops off quickly or continuously, you are sailing too low. The goal is to sail as close as possible to the “cliff” without falling. Catching speed dips early and settling back into the groove quickly will minimize VMG losses, whereas letting the boat truly decelerate will cause a big swing aft in the apparent wind and force an exaggerated turn-up to build speed again. Once the trimmer is reporting good sheet load, the driver has a manageable helm load, and boatspeed is consistent, then a stable heel angle is the last indication that our mode is correct. 

Lock In Heel Angle
In underpowered conditions, some leeward heel is good. As the power decreases in the main first, the spinnaker will lure the boat down, but the leeward heel will counteract it without having to induce drag via rudder angle. As the breeze comes up slightly and spotty puffs come through the course, we can utilize heel angle to force the bow down in the puffs and up in the lulls, while maintaining consistent boatspeed is still the primary focus.

In fully powered and overpowered conditions, we shift the target to maintaining as flat a boat as possible. To achieve this, the team should settle into hiking positions that are sustainable for an entire downwind leg. Stable crew weight and heel angle will allow the trimmer and driver to lock in on the correct mode. Quick turns with the tiller down to drive off excess heel and up to reload the windward rail are rewarded in the fully planing mode. 

The major exception to constant boatspeed and heel angle is in the presence of a surfable sea state. When the waves are generally perpendicular to our angle, we can pump the sheets to induce the surf, then hike and drive the boat down as we accelerate. This is an active mode and requires accurate driving to maintain the surf for as long as possible without crashing the bow into the wave in front. The decrease in speed and rebuild after coming off a wave should be short and efficient to maintain net gains. When the waves are more broadside, they will tend to roll the boat. Aggressively squashing crew weight to windward to counteract the leeward heel and to back to leeward to counteract the windward heel can prevent the helm from sharply loading and unloading while helping the boat surge down the course.

Learning to find the proper boatspeed and heel-angle grooves while balancing the appropriate sheet and helm loads is a crucial step in finding optimal downwind sportboat modes. They provide the necessary road map to locating mode crossovers from one boat to the next, one team to the next, one venue to the next, and one condition to the next.

Sailing photo credits- Walter Cooper.  Thanks for the contribution from SAILING WORLD’s Madeline Gill Baldridge