(Newport, RI)- The annual summer gala for the Sail Newport organization in Newport, RI took place this past week. Featured at the docks in front of the huge “marquee” tent and the Sail Newport building was the new J/7 daysailer, resplendent in “dress ship” style. Next year, a new fleet of J/7s will become the new training boat for the Sail Newport keelboat programs!.  Read more here.

(Newport, RI)- Mark your calendars now! It’s that time of year to catch up with friends and discuss the current line-up of J/Boats at the Newport International Boat Show. The event runs from Thursday, September 11, to Sunday, September 14. 

On display will be the daysailer sisterships- the J/7 and the J/9. In addition, the HOT new offshore cruiser-racers will be on display- the NEW J/36 with twin-wheels and the J/40.  Read more here.

Sweep Top 5 PHRF 9 and Top 2 in PHRF 10 Divisions!
(New York, NY)- “Our ACADIA had a successful start to distance racing last week! I sailed the 209-mile Around Long Island Race with my cousins and some longtime friends,” commented Erik Asgeirsson, owner/ skipper of the J/45 ACADIA.

“We got 2nd in our competitive division and were 5th overall out of a 50-plus fleet of boats. It was a few races in one, and we did well in each leg. We led our division beating to windward out of New York Harbor and have some great pictures with the Statue of Liberty. We then had an exciting code zero and spinnaker run to Montauk in a 20-knot-plus southerly. We achieved a new top speed of over 16 knots! 

A well-sailed J/121 HARIBU passed us on the way to Montauk. They had an A3 spinnaker, which they deployed a couple of hours before we set our A4 spinnaker.  Read more here.

(Hood River, OR)- The Columbia River Gorge is a wind seeker’s paradise. The river marks the boundary between Oregon and Washington. Windsports of all kinds gather here during the summer for thrilling high-wind rides. With launch sites like Doug’s Beach or Swell City, you might think it’s a Pacific beach, but it’s where coastal rain meets desert sun. The desert heats to 90+ degrees, creating predictable thermal westerly winds funneled up the Gorge. Windshifts occur, and wind can slant NW, W, or SW. Here’s Janet Laffitte’s story of wild sailing on their J/70 in 20 to 35 kts conditions!

“For one weekend in the summer, the boarders share the river with intrepid J/70 and Moore 24 sailors who seek the same thrills- short upwind legs flowing with the river and long wild planing downwind sleigh rides against the river’s current. Run by the small but mighty, tight but friendly Hood River Yacht Club, the Hood River One-Design Regatta (HR1D) draws sailors from as far south as San Francisco and north up to Seattle. The Gorge is home base for many professional and Olympic-class sailors. They are also HRYC members who are more than happy to share local knowledge or donate their time to boost the junior sailing program. Let’s be clear- regardless of sailing level, the local sailors are not wallflowers. Race night is game on, even in the 25-30 kts wind range, which the locals call a  normal race day. Forget the J/70 class rule wind limit because they would never go out otherwise!!. Read more here.

(Hellerup, Denmark)- The Hellerup S ejlklub hosted the twenty-one sailing clubs from across Denmark for the third event of the Danish J/760 Sailing League in Hellerup, Denmark. 

After a tightly fought battle, the Roskilde SC team pulled off the regatta win. They were followed by the Kalovig Badelaug team in second place and the Sonderborg Yacht Club in third place. The balance of the top five saw the Royal Danish YC teams (Kongelig Dansk Sejlklub) take fourth place, with Sejlklubben Neptune Vejle take fifth place. Read more here.

(Jungfrusund (Ekerö BK), Sweden)- The third event in the Swedish J/70 Sailing League series took place in Ekero, Sweden, for the eighteen teams competing for the title of Best Sailing Club in Sweden. Each team sailed fifteen races over the two-day weekend that was blessed with great sailing weather! Both Saturday and Sunday offered fresh gusty winds. All the crews coped with this well, but the unpredictable wind shifts meant there were constant, quick reversals in the races and in the results list!

After fifteen preliminary rounds, fifteen races per crew, Åmålsviken was in the lead ahead of Strängnäs, Stenungsund, GKSS, Halmstad, and Ekerö. These six clubs then qualified to participate in the grand finale race. Here, Halmstad was best, but closely followed by Stenungsund and Strängnäs. This meant that Stenungsund and Strängnäs ended up on the same final points of 5 each. The final victory was then awarded to the Stenungsund team (Jonas Berntsson, Clara Svensdotter, Herman Andersson, and Doris Lagergren), due to the better result in the final race. Rounding out the podium was determined by another tiebreaker at 6 pts each. Winning that countback was Halmstads Segelsallskap team over Segelsallskapet Amalsviken team. Read more here.

(Newport, RI)- The 20th anniversary of the Ida Lewis Distance Race delivered an unforgettable offshore challenge for 35 teams that took to the starting line Friday morning (August 15) in blustery east northeasterly winds. With a demanding downwind start in 12-15 knots, crews had to precisely time their spinnaker hoists – a thrilling sight just outside of Newport Harbor – as they launched into the 24-hour endurance race.

“Hosted by the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, this year’s edition stayed true to its reputation, serving up the full spectrum of offshore sailing: strong breezes, tidal currents, and sometimes frustrating stretches of light to no wind at all,†said Event Chair Anselm Richards. “The racecourse tested both seamanship and strategy, keeping crews and tacticians on their game from start to finish.â€

The fleet featured two ORC, one Doublehanded, and three PHRF (Aloha, Bagheera, Coronet) classes. From seasoned veterans to ambitious newcomers, all teams faced the demanding conditions that have made this race a classic on the northeast sailing calendar.

All was not easy, however, on the track to victory that sent the fleet from Narragansett Bay to Rhode Island Sound and as far as Block Island Sound. Stretches of little to no wind pushed wits and determination to the edge, extending the 24-hour race to between 25 and 27 hours for some and giving 10 boats reason to retire before finishing. Read more here.

(San Francisco, CA)- The USA Women’s Match Racing Championship was hosted last weekend by the eponymous St. Francis Yacht Club. This match race regatta was sailed in the club’s matched J/22 one-design sailboat, with ten all-women’s teams participating. The format includes a series of Qualifying Round Robins, Semi-Finals, and a Finals Series.

Posting sharp tactics and blistering boatspeed for all three days of the event, Nicole Breault’s team from the host St. Francis YC (Molly Vandemoer, McKenzie Wilson, and Hailey Thompson) virtually ran the table, losing only twice in races for the entire weekend!. Read more here.

(Achensee, Austria)- The Nautic Club Austria celebrated its first victory at the final stop of the Austrian Sailing League on Lake Achensee. The Styrian team prevailed ahead of the Union Yachtclub Wörthersee and the home team, SCTWV Achensee. It was the third and penultimate event before the final on Lake Mattsee in September. The 18 best Austrian sailing clubs will be competing for the championship title in six identical J/70 sailboats.

On the first two days of the regatta, the wind didn’t arrive until late afternoon. However, at the end of the race, Lake Achensee showed off its best side: a steady northerly wind of around 15 knots set in by midday, allowing a total of 18 races to be sailed until the final whistle.

“Our goal is to compete in the Sailing Champions League long-term. We train with our J/70 class boats in Punat, we have reliable sponsors, and we sail with a well-coordinated team in fixed positions, which brings stability. Lake Achensee also suits us,” said NCA team captain Mischa Strobl, explaining their success. Read more here.