J/Newsletter- August 10th, 2022
August 10th, 2022 
The Sun Never Sets on J’s Sailing Worldwide
August in the northern hemisphere, usually the hottest month of the year. August Down Under? Usually the coldest month of the year? LOL.. seriously? Our friends in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, New Zealand, and Australia are still sailing year-round in shorts and shades most days. Remember, there is a J/24 fleet in Puerto Williams, Chile- the southernmost city in the world. Hmmmm. Why are we living in the northern hemisphere? Makes no sense, really.
If you can work virtually over the Internet, you can be anywhere. Imagine this… a tent on an iceberg, solar panels, satellite connection, and a J/9 daysailer with Torqeedo electric motor on a floating lift? Perfect for daysailing. Environmentally “green” for sure. Not entirely out of the question. Plenty of fish to eat, and plenty of fresh water from the melting iceberg! Sorry to digress… we must be suffering from heat stroke here in Newport, Rhode Island… the hottest six weeks on record ever… temps in the 90s most days. Frying eggs on sidewalks for breakfast….
In the United Kingdom, suffering yet more heat strokes this week, they concluded the famous Cowes Week Regatta for the armada of 800+ boats. The one-design classes of J/70s and J/109s and the IRC divisions with J/112E, J/122, J/133, J/97, J/99, J/92, J/105s, and others all had an amazing time… thanks to the Cowes Combined Clubs hosting the events. And, as usual, thanks to the Royal Yacht Squadron providing the base for many parties and the iconical “Squadron starting line” on the Solent with dozens of perfectly polished bronze starting cannons (arguably, one of the world’s toughest starting lines with 4-5 kts current ebbing/flooding one way or another). Over in the Mediterranean, the Real Club Nautico de Palma hosted yet another virtually “postcard perfect” Copa Del Rey MAPFRE Regatta. Honestly, what is not to love about this regatta? The King of Spain loves it, himself an avid sailor! Historical seaport. Clockwork-like sea breezes. Sun and moderate temps. Famous photogenic church. Cool downtown cafes, bars, and restaurants are open all night. With such distractions, it’s hard to believe the sailors make it out to the race course every day. To that point, the J/70 and Women’s J/80 classes had fabulous sailing, as did the BMW ORC fleet with a great performance by a J/99.
Back to our friends Down Under… the J/99s down there just “keep on ticking like the Energizer bunny” (a USA battery brand- the pink bunny)… the occasion was the 384.0nm Sydney to Gold Coast Race on the southeastern coastline of Australia. The report from the owner of DISKO TROOPER is both entertaining and educational as a navigator/ strategist.
Over in America, several awesome regional events are on most sailors’ offshore calendars. In New England were two. Up in Maine, we got a report from the Camden Classics Cup from Camden, Maine, with J/46s sailing as a fleet on west Penobscot Bay. Just south, the Buzzards Bay Regatta hosted by New Bedford Yacht Club took place for PHRF racers that included a J/111, J/109, and J/105. Finally, sailors on Lake Erie love to look forward to their epic regatta in the Put-in-Bay Islands archipelago… the infamous week-long party at the Bayweek Regatta. The ILYA (Inter-Lake Yachting Association) hosted a veritable J/Navy that included J/111s, J/109, J/36, and one-design classes for J/29s and J/105s. Nobody went home without a hangover… just sayin!
There are some great stories in the J/Community section. Check them out:
– the J/92 KNOCKOUT story from TRAVERSE magazine- about Libby Tomlinson’s all-women crew in Grand Traverse Bay, MI
– Lauren Matison’s story for CONDE NAST TRAVELER- is about rekindling her love for sailing and re-learning on a J/70 in Annapolis
– Wally Cross on J/120 PROOF’s race-winning preparation methodology for the two Mackinac Island Races (Bayview & Chicago)
– the J/111 odyssey in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean…
Safe Harbor Race Weekend Preview
(Newport, RI)- The second edition of Safe Harbor Race Weekend welcomes a 25% jump in registrants for the 2022 event on August 12-14 in Newport, RI. Sixty-two teams in boats ranging from 30 to 116 feet in length will be split into two divisions: Division 1 with racing on Narragansett Bay for ORC, PHRF (A, B & C), Performance Cruising (A & B); and Division 2 with racing on Rhode Island Sound for Superyacht classes (A & B).
“Safe Harbor Race Weekend is a chance for sailors to enjoy three unforgettable days of shoreside events, revelries, and racing excitement at Safe Harbor locations in Newport, Portsmouth, and Jamestown,” said Safe Harbor President Rives Potts (Westbrook, CT). “First and foremost, it’s about the competition,” he said, adding that there is something for everyone to enjoy, including multiple windward-leeward courses on two days for ORC and PHRF; a single navigator’s course on each of two days for Performance Cruising classes; and an ‘Around Prudence Island Race’ for those classes to enjoy (weather permitting) on one day.
The ten-boat PHRF B division features four talented J/Teams; Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0, Joe Brito’s J/121 INCOGNITO, Dan Heun’s J/122 MOXIEE, and Jim Phyfe’s J/44 DIGGER. How talented are these four boats? Well, they’ve all won or podiumed in multiple regattas throughout the northeast offshore circuit in the past ten years! Notably, all those teams are so well sailed, that the bookmakers in Las Vegas would likely put even odds on all four boats.
For the eight-boat PHRF C division, their hands will be full contending with a predominantly J/Boats class- five of them! Sailing are two race-winning J/109s- Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING and Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE… both odds-on favorites to win the class. Taking them on will be Chris Tate’s J/105 BLITZ, Kevin Dakan’s J/110 MEMORY, and EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT. For more Safe Harbor Regatta sailing information
Fabulous Sailing @ Cowes Week
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- Cowes Week is one of the United Kingdom’s longest-running and most successful sporting events and is a key highlight of the British sporting summer. It has been held in early August every year since 1826, except during the two World Wars. For the 196th edition, 800+ boats were treated to gorgeous sailing for seven days on the capricious Solent waters. J/Boats owners and crew continued their strong performances across the board.
IRC 1 Division
The fourteen-boat IRC 1 Division saw Frenchman Gilles Fournier’s J/133 PINTIA take the silver medal after winning the last three day’s races in a row! Their colleagues on the J/122E MOANA, Frans & Michelle Van Cappelle, sailed a consistent regatta to finish just 2 pts off the podium, having to settle for 5th in a tie-breaker!
IRC 2 Division
The nineteen-boat IRC 2 Division saw David Franks’ J/112E LEON have a spirited battle against Adam Gosling’s YES, scoring just 1sts and 2nds, but that wasn’t sufficient enough for them to top the leaderboard, missing the win by a mere 3 pts and taking home the silver medal.
IRC 4 Division
A trio of J/92s was racing in the eight-boat IRC 4 Division. However, it was Bob Baker’s J/97 JAYWALKER that won four races to top the leaderboard with just 9 pts net. Past class winners, David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO, sailed a solid series with three 2nds and a 1st in their scoreline to take the silver medal. Jack Banks’ J/92 NIGHTJAR sailed a consistent series to take 4th place, including a victory by the all-women crew on Tuesday- Ladies Day!
J/109 Class
The nine-boat J/109 Class saw the top Dutch team on JOULE, led by Arjen van Leeuwen & Silvy Leijh, continue their early season success and post a scoreline of all firsts (5) and seconds (2) to win comfortably. John Smart’s JUKEBOX had all podium finishes as well, but was no match for the Flying Dutchmen! The JUKEBOX boys took the silver with 12 pts net. Rounding out the podium was the trio of Clementi/ Sheldon/ Walker on BROWN TEAL. Past class winners filled out the top five- Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN’ in 4th and Rob Cotterill’s MOJO RISIN in 5th place.
J/70 Class
As the biggest class in the regatta, the thirty-two boat J/70 class enjoyed tight, competitive racing up and down the waterfront, the fleet making picturesque starts immediately in front of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Winning the week-long series was Tim Ryan’s VAMOS. The balance of the podium included the foursome sailing DADS’N’LADS (Ole Bettum, Tim Simpson, Markus Bettum, and Hector Simpson). Third went to Andrew Barraclough’s JENGA 8. The rest of the top five included David McLeman’s OFFBEAT in 4th and Ray Mitchell’s ESCAPE in 5th place. Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth For more Cowes Week sailing information
Spectacular Regatta Copa del Rey
(Palma Mallorca, Spain)- A very special edition of the Copa del MAPFRE, the 40th-anniversary edition, took place from July 30th to August 6th on the Bay of Palma, off Palma Mallorca, Spain. Hosting the event and rolling out the red carpet for the 111 teams and 18 nations was the Real Club Náutico de Palma. The event featured four divisions for the BMW ORC fleet and one-design classes for the Herbalife J/70 fleet and the Mallorca Sotheby’s J/80 Women’s Cup. The Bay of Palma lived up to its billing as one of the best places in the world to sail, certainly one of the nicest on the Mediterranean, which is notoriously light and fickle. For seven straight days, the fleet enjoyed crystal clear blue skies, 80s F temps, and daily sea breezes in the 10 to 18 kts range.. quite literally “postcard perfect” sailing.
Sotheby’s J/80 Women’s Cup
In the Mallorca Sotheby’s J/80 Women’s Cup, the winner dominated the regatta from the midpoint onwards, much to the surprise of the very talented teams in the fleet. Starting with a red-hot 2-3-1-1, it looked like Natalia Vía-Dufresne’s DORSIA COVIRAN (skippered by Nuria Sánchez) was going to run away with the regatta win. Perhaps that evening of the third day, it got to their heads, and the crew enjoyed a little too much sangria. Whatever happened, the DORSIA COVIRAN girls squandered their lead, posting a 3-6-1-2-4 to end up settling for the silver medal with 23 pts total.
Conversely, starting slowly with a 1-2-3-5 in the first four races, Mariva Bover’s BALERIA- TEAM RCNP posted a blistering 1-1-2-3-1 to close the gap and vault onto the top of the leaderboard with 10 pts total. Finally, rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was Eva Gonzalez’s SOHO BOUTIQUE HOTELS- TROCADERO with 29 pts. The King of Spain enjoyed giving the women their trophies on the podium!
Herbalife J/70 Class
For the eight-boat Herbalife J/70 class, it was an up and down battle for the entire week for the top of the podium, with three teams trading places in virtually every race. In the end, it was Gustavo Martinez Doreste’s ALCAIDESA MARINA, with skipper German Eduardo Panei, that won class honors counting only podium finishes (two 1sts, five 2nds, two 3rds) for an 18 pts total. The other two protagonists ended up in a fierce battle for the final two steps and they ended up tied with 25 pts each! Early regatta leader, Luis Bugallo’s LES ROCHES- TRIP SST team (with skipper Pepequin Orbaneja), ended up winning the countback tiebreaker over Jorge Martinez Doreste’s BODEGA CAN MARLES’s team. The balance of the top five included Luis Albert Solana’s PATAKIN in fourth and Manuel de Tomas’ RESTOO in the fifth position.
In ORC 4 division, Otto & Gabriele Pohlmann’s J/99 MEERBLICK FUN team from Germany ascended to the top of the leaderboard halfway through the regatta and never relinquished their lead. In the Grand finale over the last three days, they posted an astonishing four bullets to win the regatta comfortably.
“We knew going into today we had the lead and just had to do better than fourth. We had a good start and then could control the upwind. We have a fantastic team all from the club here in Palma,” said Meerblick Fun’s Sam Francis Hume.
The awards ceremony of the 40th Copa del Rey MAPFRE was presided over by His Majesty Felipe VI, the King of Spain. Himself an avid sailor, Felipe presented the awards to the winners of the nine classes competing for this historical 40th edition. For more Regatta Copa Del Rey MAPFRE sailing information
DISKO TROOPER’s Tall Tales of the Sydney to Gold Coast Race
(Sydney, NSW, Australia)- Said J/99 DISKO TROOPER owner Jules Hall, “this year’s race was a thinker’s game!” He and his friend Jan Scholten won the Doublehanded Division in the 384.0nm Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast Race, building their sailing CV evermore after winning the ROLEX Sydney to Hobart Race back in December 2021. Here is Jule’s commentary on their win:
“After two years of covid-19 pandemic cancellations, it was very special to have the Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast race back in action, and the inaugural running of the two-handed division.
The race started on Saturday 30th July in glorious winter sunshine on Sydney Harbour, but NO wind!! It took nearly two hours to get out past the Sydney Heads, and eight hours to get to Barrenjoey Headland, just 20nm north! Very exasperating!
That evening the pressure gently filled in from the NW. Having positioned ourselves beautifully on the inside of the fleet we were a little ambitious in getting the Code 0 up. Only to lose ground to leeward in heading pressure. Whoops! Being further offshore we lost the left-hand pull of the land and found ourselves increasingly headed. Our inside advantage is firmly gone!
Sunday morning we were bashing to windward in 17 kts of breeze five miles offshore from Port Stephens. Approaching Seal Rocks we took the hit to get back in close, weaving our way through the rocks to round Sugarloaf Point nice and close. We made a few gains there.
North of Sugarloaf the breeze increased to the mid 20’s. We peeled down to the #4. A slow, wet job. We lost a bit there but thought we had the right set up for the night only for the wind to ease and the #2 to go back up a few hours later. We did that peel quicker helped by flatter water!
Tacking Point was a decisive moment of the race. Beating up the shoreline to the south of Port Macquarie we discovered a hyper-local land breeze. Only extending 200m offshore it was pulling the wind 20 degrees left and a couple of knots stronger. We managed to hook into that. The boats around us got just a little too far offshore and found themselves 20 degrees lower on the making port tack.
The next day was the day of the tack. So much so that we made an Instagram reel about it (@disko_trooper). Philosopher, Sydney 36, was hot on our tails. In and out of the bays, they were always there. Never more than a mile astern! Bouncing along the shore to stay out of the south-flowing East Australia Current, both crews were wishing they had a couple more crew to share the load.
The breeze shut down at Coffs Harbour. We managed to get ourselves three miles in front of Philosopher, sneaking off the coast. Only to lose two of those miles on the way back in, nervously covering them. Error. The next day the southerly flow started to build. The code 0 became the A sail which became the S sail. And then we poled back and pointed for Cape Byron in 15.0 kts of southerly breeze and sunshine. Back on the shore, we waved to the tourists at the famous cape. The whales were everywhere, flapping their fins so we knew to miss them, occasionally breaching for show time. What a display!
We hit Cook Island off Point Danger just as it was getting dark. Philosopher was now dead abeam. We lined up for the inside route to gain a couple of boat lengths. Then the breeze lifted us. So we snuck around the outside. From there it was a drag race to the finish. We made a final play for the lead as we approached the line, heading to the shore to try and pick up a bit of left-hand land breeze now it was nighttime. It wasn’t quite enough and Philosopher crossed the line 4 minutes in front.
What a match race!
We ended up winning the IRC Two-handed Division by 1 hr, 43 min corrected time! Our DISKO TROOPER also won the combined fleet IRC Division 4 (which includes fully-crewed boats)!
Huge congratulations to all the boats that made the race. The weather was tricky and the coastal navigation is far more involved than the ROLEX Sydney to Hobart race (easy by comparison). For the two-handers that meant juggling the demands of weather, navigation, sailing, and rest. Not easy. But we all learned a lot.
Thanks to Noakes Group for their sponsorship of the race and the teams at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Southport Yacht Club for the excellent race and onshore management. For more J/99 shorthanded offshore speedster sailing information
J/111s Sweep Bayweek Regatta
(Put-in-bay, Ohio)- Perhaps the most popular race week on all of Lake Erie, the Bayweek Regatta at Put-in-bay, Ohio, has been popular with both offshore and one-design classes for decades. Situated amongst a small archipelago of pretty little islands in western Lake Erie, the Inter-Lake Yachting Association team works hard to ensure the racing offshore is fun and that onshore festivities are even more entertaining! Since the early days of the J/24s, J/Teams love sailing the regatta.
In the PHRF A Division, the nine-boat fleet was treated to a complete sweep of the podium by a trio of J/111s. Winning was Rob Ruhlman’s famous SPACEMAN SPIFF with a 3-3-1-1 tally for 8 pts. Second went to Don Hudak’s CAPERS with a 2-1-4-3 for 10 pts. Taking the third step after a tie-breaker was Hugh Scott Seaholm’s PAPA’S TOY with a 1-10-2-2 for 15 pts. Losing the countback to take 4th place was Brad D’Arcangelo’s J/109 CONSIG with a 4-4-3-4 record for 15 pts.
Continuing their tour of the Great Lakes, Jeff Progelhof’s beautifully restored J/36 SENOR MOMENT took the silver in the six-boat PHRF B Division with a 2-2-3-2 tally for 9 pts.
Anita Chabalowski’s J/92 FAMILY TRUCKSTER was the top woman owner in the regatta and also took the silver in PHRF C Division with a 3-1-2-2 scoreline for 8 pts.
Then, in the PHRF JAM A Division, Steven Theiss’ J/29 TURTLE STAMPEDE took the bronze medal in the all-white sails fleet.
In the one-design world, it was Chip Schaffner’s FALL LINE eclipsing the J/105 Class with a 2-2-2-1 score for 7 pts. Second went to Robert Mock’s UNBRIDLED with a 3-4-1-3 for 11 pts and third place was Ron Carson’s DARK’N’STORMY with a 1-5-5-2 tally for 13 pts. Losing the tiebreaker at 13 pts on the countback was Paul Hickman’s KASHMIR.
The J/29s on Lake Erie have been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance, with seven boats registered for the regatta as a one-design class! “Schooling” the fleet was Jack McGuire’s DIRTY HARRY, winning with all bullets! Second went to Alex Miller’s PAGAN with 10 pts and rounding out the podium was Cliff Ruckstuhl’s RED DOG with 13 pts. For more ILYA Bayweek Regatta sailing information and scoring
J/Teams Sweep Buzzards Bay Regatta
(Dartmouth, MA)- As everyone was hoping for, the 49th Annual Buzzards Bay Regatta was blessed with nice weather and good breezes over the three-day weekend from August 5th to 7th. Hosted by New Bedford Yacht Club, the sailors enjoyed good race management on the water and wonderful “apres-sail” events ashore every day.
PHRF 1 Division
This division was treated to a sweep of the podium by three very hot J/Teams. Returning to defend their title was Doug Curtiss’ J/111 WICKED 2.0, one of the best offshore teams sailing on Buzzards Bay. However, their efforts were squandered when an altercation on the water forced them to take a DSQ. Despite a 1st and four 2nds, they missed winning the regatta by two points and had to settle for the silver medal this year! Winning the regatta was Mark Verville’s J/120 ISURUS team from Beverly Yacht Club. Mark’s team started the regatta in second place with a 2-2 tally, but rallied like champions and won the last three races to take the gold medal! Not far off the mark, winning two races and counting three 3rds, Ted Herlihy’s J/109 North American Champion team could not overcome the consistency of the top two boats, taking the bronze medal.
PHRF 2 Division
For those who’ve sailed throughout New England over time, there is a very familiar J/29 that has sailed most of the major regattas, like Edgartown, Nantucket, Buzzards Bay, New York YC, Block Island, FIGAWI, etc. As they’ve done before, Ira Perry’s J/29 SEEFEST more often than not ends up on the podium. However, this year may be the first major event where they simply eclipsed the fleet with six bullets in six races! Needless to say, they ran off with the gold medal! Sailing photo credits- Fran Grenon/ Spectrum Photo For more Buzzards Bay Regatta sailing information
J/46 Camden Classics Report
(Camden, Maine)- As he has for years, Tom Babbitt organized the first fleet of J/46s at the Camden Classics Cup and provided us a report of how it all went down in west Penobscott Bay. Commenting on this year’s regatta,
“Held every year as part of the Camden Classics Cup ninety-boat regatta, the underpinnings of the event are that any J/46 cruising the spectacular waters of Penobscot Bay can arrive in cruising trim on Thursday, race competitively on Friday and Saturday, and resume cruising on Sunday without reconfiguring the boat! The regatta requirements are kept simple: dodgers, anchor, and chain on the bow, main, and #3 blade jib only. Plus, other “extras” like autopilots and electric winches are allowed and a “Be Nice” mantra makes this a fun event for all!
While the 12 boat registration suffered some last-minute attrition due to Covid, accidents, and last-minute scheduling conflicts, the competition was both friendly and intense.
The wind for Friday’s race was steady, then squirrelly, then spotty, making for an exhausting 4-hour battle, with many lead changes culminating in a time-limit expiration with boats moving and very close to finishing. Never before have the wind gods failed at this regatta!
This set the stage for a winner-take-all race on Saturday in a steady 18 to 20 knots from the WNW on as beautiful a day as one could desire!
Justice was served this day as Jay Nolan and his crew on AKAI, tied for first and losing the tiebreaker in two previous J/46 regattas, won this year’s event cleanly and decisively for well-earned gold! Battling for silver and bronze were Jim Bennett’s FINISTERRE and Tom Babbitt’s BRAVO. The two boats traded tacks, leads, and overlaps continuously for two hours, finally finishing (overlapped) with BRAVO slightly ahead when it counted most! Wow, amazing sailing, amazing racing!”
J/Community
What J/sailors, friends, and family are doing worldwide each week
Meet the All-Women’s Team Sailing J/92 KNOCKOUT
(Traverse City, MI)- For years, Libby Tomlinson has been sailing her J/92 KNOCKOUT in Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan with an all-women team. Recently, Emily Hopcian at TRAVERSE Magazine got to know Libby and her crew and wrote a most excellent article about them. Here is the introduction.
“On a Wednesday evening in early June, there’s a slight buzz in the air at the Grand Traverse Yacht Club. Dinghies hum their way through the water out to vacant vessels, and as the various crews (around 40, in total) gather on their sailboats and get ready to race, they breathe life into the warm summer air.
From a dinghy named CHASE HER, chit-chat and laughter float on the breeze as a group of women motors out to their sailboat, a J/92 with a sleek, navy blue exterior and a white deck. One by one, the women climb aboard the boat and their chatter swiftly slides into a finely choreographed symphony of motions and sounds. Together, the women remove the mainsail from its cover. The wind tousles the sail as it is unfurled and hoisted up the mast toward the slightly cloudy sky. The winches click, click, click as the crew wraps and pulls ropes around them, finding just the right amount of tension with the breeze. Electronic GPS and wind instruments are turned on, meeting the action of the evening with a series of beeps.
As the women continue with race preparations, Libby Tomlinson, the crew’s captain, navigates the sailboat through the yacht club mooring field and out toward the race course in Grand Traverse Bay. Near the starting area, the boat weaves in and out of a fleet of white sailboats, which are mostly crewed by men. KNOCKOUT, the J/92 these women are sailing, is the only sailboat crewed completely by women….”
Read the rest of the 7-page article here from TRAVERSE magazine (a 7.2 MB PDF file)
Rekindling a Love of Adventure in the Sailing Capital of America
(Annapolis, MD)- During a crash course in sailing a J/70 class sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay, one writer throws caution to the wind and rekindles her faith in new adventures. Here is Lauren Matison’s awesome article from CONDE NAST TRAVELER magazine…
“I’m in the sailing capital of America on a 22-foot J/70 called the “Danger Mouse” when I learn that helming a boat going 11 knots will blow you right out of your comfort zone.
“Everyone ready to jibe?”, I manage to squeak.
“Ready!” says the newbie crew, before moving across the boat. I stand up and do the tiller tango: glide sideways, duck under the boom, steer towards the next mark on the horizon, and don’t hit the deck. At one point, the sail catches a puff of wind, and some salty words like “Holy Helly Hansen!” fly out as I steady the tiller, which I surprisingly love operating.
As the J/70 surfs downwind, the bright red spinnaker sail with its fearsome cartoon mouse cuts a striking figure against the blue ombré sky. The estuary around us pulses with nautical enthusiasts: an older couple out for a day sail, a fleet of toy-sized 420s practicing race starts, sightseers on the Schooner Woodwind, a man and his dog in an inflatable dinghy. It’s just a regular Wednesday afternoon in Annapolis, Maryland.
I’m here to spend two days becoming a sailor in the Chesapeake Bay, where regattas have been held since 1910. I navigate around the maritime traffic and turn us towards the city’s outer green banks that beckon with big waterfront homes and slivers of sand. Kristen Berry of Gale Force Sailing talks about how to see gusts approaching and interpret wind by the fluttering telltale strings on the sails. We’re about to jibe again when a United States Naval Academy training boat appears on our port side, leaving waves and “Whoas!” in its wake.
I sense the hours are going by as I read the wind and alternate roles, completely dialed in and carefree like the osprey cruising alongside us. Mostly, I love holding that tiller and the empowering jolt that comes with it. I soon discover it’s also fun handling the main sheet, the line that controls the position of the sail; I can use it to get the boat to catch more wind and heel on its side, a wild off-kilter feeling.
In a fleeting moment, I realize that I haven’t thought about my usual anxieties—my daughter’s belly aches, climate change, the next freelance writing gig—since I left dry land. I learn that this is part of the whole experience: “There aren’t too many other activities that combine the physical and the cerebral the way that sailing does,” says Berry, who teaches first-year students at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, as well as underserved New York City kids through the Hudson Community Sailing school. “It’s something that you are fully present in; it’s hard to find that elsewhere these days.”
I begin to see sailing in a new light—as a transformative sport, a paean to adventure. I confide to my shipmates that I, ever the gung-ho helmsman, had barely made it on the trip. Earlier that morning, aboard the Amtrak train from New York to Annapolis, I was a nervous wreck, all bouncing knees and cracking knuckles. I was thinking about an incident years ago, on a sailboat in San Francisco, when I had a panic attack because a tangled line caused the boat to heel suddenly on its side. (If only I’d had lessons back then.) Suffice it to say, that close call left me terrified of capsizing and I hadn’t been on a sailboat since—not when we visited my in-laws in Florida and not when a local guide in Norway offered to take me on a sail around the Lofoten Islands.
But life works in mysterious ways. When my family moved from Brooklyn to a lake house in Connecticut 10 months ago, my six-year-old son couldn’t wait to explore the water, which happens to get the perfect amount of wind for learning to sail. With unpacked boxes still lining the hallway, I bought a beater Optimist dinghy on Craigslist for $200. Shortly after that, I booked a train ticket to Annapolis. I partially hoped to overcome the fears I might otherwise pass on to my two young kids; but also, as a burnt-out parent, I saw this experience as a great excuse for a solo kid-free escape—something I hadn’t had in four years.
In Annapolis, after long hours on the water, I wander around the city in my Helly Hansen jacket with that out-of-body bobbing sensation beginner sailors get back on land. I’m homesick for the sailboat, the adrenaline rush, the lapping of waves against the hull. I miss the ease of offline mode, gripping the tiller instead of my phone, concerned only with matters of the wind. I prefer the sailor version of me—free-spirited, clear-headed, energized by the pursuit of a new skill, however daunting—not the mercurial lapsed adventurer, drained from two years of raising kids and working through a pandemic without a real break.
I walk along the brick sidewalks and smile at fellow sunburnt sailors like we’ve been up to something together. A narrow lane next to the Iron Rooster, a popular brunch spot, leads to the colorful front doors on Pinkney Street and exquisite 18th-century buildings named Shiplap House and Hammond-Harwood House. Tucked away in Old Fox Books is Brown Mustache Coffee, where a Brooklynite-turned-Annapolitan barista makes a superb latte and talks up her new hometown. I tell her I wish I had more time to catch concerts at Rams Head Tavern and eat grilled scallops with fermented fish peppers at Preserve.
Beer and snacks at Forward Brewing a new brewery in Eastport Maryland
At the Museum of Historic Annapolis, I learn that this city was the nation’s first peace-time capital in 1783 and that, in January 1784, up the road at the Maryland State House, the U.S. Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally recognizing America’s sovereignty and ending the Revolutionary War. There are moving stories of prominent Black residents like John Maynard, whose home from 1847 still stands at 163 Duke of Gloucester St, and I want to linger over every exhibit covering the following 175 years of historical events— but I’m due back at the marina.
Passing the Annapolis City Dock, I spy the legendary 58-foot ocean racing yacht “Maiden” in a temporary slip; the first all-female crew to sail around the world did so on this boat, but nobody’s home for an autograph. I meet Berry and our two other crew members to watch Annapolis Yacht Club’s Wednesday night race from a motor boat. We zip up the bay to get close to the action, slowing at one point to see three generations of a family tacking beautifully on a J/105. Berry pushes the throttle and I am thoroughly drenched from the spray, but too enthralled by the race to care.
What I’ve missed isn’t being out on the water; it’s being out in the world on my own again, connecting with different people in a new place, testing my limits, and nurturing a deep restlessness that’s as vital as a rudder. These past two years, I’d forgotten how many solo adventures right my ship. After the last few long trips trekking through Patagonia and Peru, I returned home with relaxed shoulders and renewed resilience.
“Just imagine that the only things you have to help you sail are the natural things around you.”
That afternoon, when the boat heeled and I was pumping my fists in the air instead of panicking, I felt that familiar dramatic shift when you allow yourself to be vulnerable, admit to ignorance, and are open to change. Learning to sail in America’s sailing capital is to be under its spell; I am caught up in the dream of a life spent floating between sea and sky. As we zoom across the bay to observe spinnakers launching, I’m surprised that this is the first time I’m learning a new sport in the place where its culture is so celebrated.
I’m thinking I’ll need to change into some dry clothes when I’m told we’re going to be following sailors to their favorite watering holes, starting with “level four” painkillers at Pusser’s and Boatyard Bar lagers with beer-battered fish tacos. Somewhere around glass three, or maybe four, my ears begin ringing with Berry’s kernels of sailing wisdom from earlier that day: “Human nature wants us to keep pulling.” “Ease out, slow down.” “Once you’re empowered to know what you should be doing, then experiment.” “When often in doubt, rarely in error.” At the time, he was responding to questions about sailing. But hours later, it hits more like solid life advice.
On our last night, the “Danger Mouse” group takes a water taxi across the harbor to Eastport’s new nano-brewery, Forward Brewing, to drink Kölsch-style pints of Annapolis Boat Yard and plunge crostini into a smoked catfish spread. Down the block at Davis’ Pub, we settle into a picnic table with glasses of Sancerre and crab dip pretzels, looking like a bunch of sloshed and satisfied sailors.
Riding home on the train, I know that my next solo getaway won’t be long from now. I also know that on the lake this summer, the thing I’ll be passing on to my kids is a sailor’s high.” Thanks for this contribution from CONDE-NAST TRAVELER.
J/120 PROOF Race-winning Preparation
(Grosse Pointe, MI)- This article by Wally Cross from Detroit, Michigan outlines the methodology that he and the J/120 PROOF team went through this year to achieve the unprecedented performance of winning the J/120 Class in both Chicago Mackinac and Bayview Mackinac Races, as well as winning the Chicago Mackinac Trophy for the Overall ORR fleet of 100+ boats! Here is the intro to Wally’s article:
“A 100% prepared sailing program does not exist – although Doug Devos’ Quantum Racing TP 52 above comes close [Ed. note- the Devos family, famous for founding Amway, were avid J/Boats owners for over 2 decades and have Terry Hutchinson- J/24 World Champion and current J/70 owner- as their tactician/ strategist]. Believing your boat and team are better prepared than your competitors allows you to enter the course with a high level of confidence.
The main ingredient for preparation perfection is not money, but a good system for the organization.
Sailing with a well-prepared boat and team allows you to sail without concern about being a step behind. A boat that is prepared is looked at in pieces, each is equally as important as the other. Read more about Wally’s approach to sailboat racing preparation here (a 520 KB PDF file).
J/111 On-going Odysseyian Exploration Experience
We get a quick note from Spyros Papantoniou regards his J/111 cruise in the eastern Mediterranean…
“Hello, J/World friends,
Yesterday, AIOLIA reached the easternmost Greek island of Kastellorizo. Simply a spectacular and beautiful island, a great harbor, and amazing cafes along the waterfront! If you ever experience the warmth and hospitality of the locals, you’ll never want to leave!
We are now heading to Turkey later on.. more news soon! Cheers, Spyros”