J/Newsletter- May 21st, 2025
This past week saw a spring surge of sailing action across the globe. From the shifty inland breezes of Lake Minnetonka, MN to the open-water challenges of the Aegean Sea and the North Atlantic’s notorious tidal gates in the English Channel, J/Teams and offshore adventurers were racing into the heart of the 2025 sailing season.
This past week delivered a flurry of regattas and championships that showcased the depth, passion, and versatility of J/Sailors within the global sailing community. Whether it was hometown heroes like CATAPULT conquering the J/70 U.S. Nationals, or international contenders braving offshore gauntlets from Oregon to Victoria, BC, and from Cowes, England to France, every race had its flavor, drama, and dose of adrenaline. Here’s a look at the highlights, triumphs, and previews from another busy week on the sailing calendar.
CATAPULT Crowned J/70 US National Champions!
(Wayzata, MN)— This year’s J/70 US National Championship was hosted by Wayzata Yacht Club, with sailing for the thirty-three teams taking place on the infamously shifty, streaky, challenging Lake Minnetonka. Ultimately, it was not surprising to see several “home boys” who are masters of their local lake take home most of the silverware in the various divisions. The fleet raced four heavy air races on Saturday and one final race on Sunday before the breeze shut off.
After five races in a full range of breeze, Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT team won the 2025 J/70 U.S. National Championship on his home waters in Wayzata, Minnesota.
Ronning, sailing in a One-Pro configuration with longtime teammate Victor Diaz de Leon, David Onan, and Jessica Haverstock, secured the title with a race win on the final day, capping off a weekend that showcased the best of inland lake sailing.
“I love this lake on days like today,” said Ronning. “It was shifty, challenging, and a lot of fun. It’s really special to have this championship here on our home waters with so many local friends and fleet members.”
The regatta drew teams from all over the USA and Bermuda to Lake Minnetonka, including a strong mix of local and visiting crews, with a focus on Corinthian and Mixed+ participation.
Behind Ronning’s CATAPULT team that compiled a 4-2-4-1-1 tally for 8 pts net, the balance of the podium included another top local- Dick Kalow’s SUPPER CLUB team (Jonny Goldsberry, Sam Loughborough, & Carlos Robles)- taking the silver medal with a 3-5-1-7-2 record for 11 pts net. Then, James Golden’s DERECHO team from Annapolis, MD (Keenan Hillsinger, Brooks Daley, & Austin Powers) snagged the bronze medal with a 1-3-6-4-5 scoreline for 13 pts net.
Winning the Corinthians Division was Alec Cutler’s HEDGEHOG crew from Bermuda (Brad Rodi, Ryan Cox, & Charles Pucciarello) with a record of 8-6-2-3-3 for 14 pts net.
Winning the Mixed-Plus Division was Cate Muller-Terhune’s CASTING COUCH team from Annapolis, MD (Allan Terhune, Jeff Hayden, & Katja Sertl) with a 2-1-5-9-10 tally for 17 pts net.
J/70 US Nationals sailing results here
https://wyc.org/regatta/TAbtxZc5UX/results
Sailing photo credits- Hannah Lee Noll
https://gallery.hannahleenoll.com/j70-nats-2025/
For more J/70 U.S. Nationals sailing information
https://wyc.org/regatta/TAbtxZc5UX
Royal Madras YC Wins UNIFI CAPITAL J/80 Offshore Regatta
(Chennai, India)- The fourth edition of the Unifi Capital Offshore Regatta was held between 12th and 16th May 2025 in the Bay of Bengal, India. The event was held under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India (YAI), the national sailing body. It was organized by the Royal Madras Yacht Club, the India J/80 Class Association, the Royal Madras Yacht Club, and the Royal Mysore Sailing Club. The title sponsor was UNIFI CAPITAL- a specialized portfolio management company.
The teams were divided into the Main fleet (five teams) and the Green Fleet (four teams). The Main fleet races were from Chennai (India) to Mahabalipuram (Sri Lanka) and back covering a total distance of 100 kms. The Green fleet races were from Chennai to Ennore and back covering a total distance of 40 kms.
The first three days were the J/80 ranking event with nine races with a discard. The Main fleet ranking event was won by a comfortable margin by Team RMYC Ennore Centre.
The Main fleet Offshore races were held on 15th May. All the teams hoisted their spinnakers at the start. The first three boats had a neck-and-neck competition. Later the CRPF team took a lead of about 100 meters over the RMYC EC team which they maintained until the finish in Sri Lanka.
The second race was on a single starboard tack. This time the RMYC EC team opened up a slender lead over the CRPF team. The competition was intense and the distance between the boats varied between 10 meters and 20 meters over the next four hours! RMYC EC won the race and the event.
Capt. Vivek Shanbhag, Honorary Secretary, RMYC said, “Tamil Nadu, with a coastline of over 1,000 km and many ports and harbors, has a huge potential for promoting offshore sailing. It is heartening to see the increased interest in offshore sailing over the years with people of all ages wanting to take up the sport. The youngest helm was Master Ragav R, 14 years and Master Samarpit, 14 years as crew. Col. Gautam Das (retired) at 77 years old was the oldest crew.
The results were as follows:
1st Place: Team RMYC EC with Abhimanyu Panwar (Helm), Vivek Shanbhag, Dheer Singhi, Arvind S, Renu J
2nd Place: Team CRPF with Chinna Reddy (Helm)
3rd Place: Team Indian Coast Guard with Pravyn Prabhakar (Helm)
J/Teams Crush Edlu Distance Race
(Larchmont, NY)- Last weekend, Larchmont Yacht Club held its EDLU Distance Race, the first of the major offshore races that take place on Long Island Sound all summer long.
The Edlu Race first sailed in 1954, has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race held on Memorial Day Weekend and Block Island Race Week. Followed by a classic party, “the Edlu” is one of the “must-do” events on western Long Island Sound.
The spinnaker course is 32.0 nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton’s Neck and back. The non-spinnaker course is approximately 20.0 nm. The race has always been popular with offshore racing J/Teams as it’s a good “shakedown cruise” for any offshore racing team.
PHRF 3 Division- Big Boats
This small division of four boats saw Lennie Sitar’s gorgeous flag blue J/160 COUGAR take the silver medal, while the J/125 GOOD NEWS, skippered by Macrae Sykes, took home the bronze medal.
PHRF 2 Division
Of the fourteen boats sailing in this hotly contested division, TEN (71.0%) were J/Teams. In the end, it was a near sweep of the podium. Winning was Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL, followed by Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE in third place. Fourth went to Ron Richman’s J/133 ANTIDOTE.
PHRF 1 Division
The J/teams in this fleet led a podium sweep! The top two steps were occupied by J/105; winning was David Owen’s TEMPEST II followed by Randy Bourne’s STRANGE BREW. Taking the bronze medal on the podium was Adam Zakka & Jonathan Krumeich’s J/99 WIZARD.
PHRF Doublehanded
This popular division saw three J/99s finish in the top five. Todd Aven & Gerard Girstl’s THIN MAN garnered the bronze medal, while Mike Kohler’s EVENTYR and Doug McKeige’s SAVE THE SOUND took fourth and fifth places, respectively. Notably, it was very tight racing amongst the three J/99s, with just 56 seconds separating them after 32.0 miles of tough racing!
J/88 Class
The J/88 class had a nice turnout of five boats. Winning was Nicolas Delcourt’s OH JEE by a 3-minute margin. Taking second was Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS, and third place went to Ken & Drew Hall’s NEVERMORE.
For complete EDLU Race sailing results
https://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_detail/50014/1
For more EDLU Distance Race sailing information
http://www.larchmontyc.org
J/Crews Dominate Top 10 @ Pacific NW Offshore Race
(Portland, OR)- Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland, along with the race’s long-time title sponsor, Schooner Creek Boat Works, and Portland Yacht Club, completed their 49th edition of the Pacific NW Offshore International Yacht Race last weekend.
The race is always a challenge to sailor’s skills, navigation ability, tactical skills, and offshore endurance. The 193.0nm race from the mouth of the Columbia River up the Washington coast and down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, BC, proved yet again to be a test of the competitiveness of the sailors.
Heeding the “call to action” was a cadre of hard-core offshore J/sailors, several of whom have won their divisions and overall over time. In the end, they all faired well, taking four of the top 10 spots in the ORC Overall Division. Taking the silver medal was Jim Calnon’s J/120 PATHFINDER, followed by Robert Hodson’s J/120 JUGO in fourth, Kent Picknell’s J/109 APEX in seventh, and Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA in tenth place.
For more CYC of Portland Pacific NW Offshore Race sailing information and tracking
https://www.cycportland.org/pnwo-home
Royal Southern YC May Regatta Celebrates FUN!
(Hamble, England)- Last weekend, the Royal Southern Yacht Club hosted its popular springtime event- the May Regatta. Traditionally, the regatta has marked the beginning of the summer season of sailing on the Solent. On cue, the RSYC host team rolled out the proverbial red carpet on their expansive decks, served up great food, and, of course, copious amounts of assorted beer and drinks for the hungry and thirsty sailors. The regatta has become a “de facto J/Fest” and has huge appeal for J/sailors who love sailing on the capricious Solent.
IRC 1 Division
The eleven-boat fleet featured an armada of J/Crews. In the end, those teams occupied six of the top seven slots. The silver and bronze steps on the podium were determined by a tiebreaker at six points each. On countback, Tony Mack’s J/111 McFLY with a 1-5-1-4 tally took the silver, while Jim Chalmers’s J/112E HAPPY DAIZE took the bronze with a 4-2-3-1 scoreline.
The balance of the top seven was filled with J/111s. Fourth was Louise Makin’s JOURNEYMAKER II, fifth was Paul Wollmann’s FREQUENT FLYER, sixth was Cornel Riklin’s JITTERBUG, and seventh went to Paul Griffiths’s JAGERBOMB.
IRC 2 Division
This dozen-boat fleet saw J/Teams sweep the top two spots. Winning was Kevin Taylor’s JUMP 2 IT with a 1-1-4-2 for 4 pts net, while Rosie Barry’s J/109 JENIE took the silver medal with a 5-6-1-1 record for 7 pts net.
J/70 Class
With nineteen boats participating, the racing was bound to be a bruising, bare-knuckled brawl. However, that was not to be the case for the runaway class winner. Taking all the marbles was Alastair Hall’s CALYPSO with a remarkably consistent record of 2-6-1-1-1-2-2 for 9 pts net. A distant second place 13 pts back was Graham Clapp’s JEEPSTER with a 5-2-5-6-5-1-4 scoreline for 22 pts net. Then, rounding out the podium on the bronze medal step was Martin Dent’s JELVIS team with a 7-1-4-9-8-6-1 tally for 27 pts net.
The balance of the top five included Alex Hughes’s SARDONYX and Doug Struth’s DSP in fourth and fifth, respectively.
For more Royal Southern YC May Regatta sailing information
https://scm.royal-southern.co.uk/event/summer-series-2025-may-regatta
J/105 NE*NE Blitzes Elite Keel Regatta
(Belvedere, CA)- The San Francisco YC hosted its annual springtime favorite event- the Elite Keel Regatta- for a huge fleet of twenty-six J/105s.
After five smoking-hot races over the two-day weekend of sailing on the always windy San Francisco Bay, it was Tim Russell’s super hot and quick NE*NE team that rolled to a fairly easy win with a consistent 3-2-4-1-1 tally for 11 pts. Not too far off NE*NE’s hot pace was Ryan Simmons’s BLACKHAWK team with a 6-1-1-5-3 record for 16 pts. Then, it was quite a leap of points to the bronze medal winner- Rolf Kaiser & Justin Oberbauer’s DONKEY JACK- with an 11-6-11-4-4 for 36 pts total.
The balance of the top five was William Woodruff’s ROULETTE in fourth with 42 points, followed by Eric Raff’s J-TRIPPER just one point back with 43 pts in fifth place.
For more San Francisco YC Elite Keel Regatta sailing information
http://www.sfyc.org
J/Teams Silver @ RORC De Guingand Bowl Race
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s De Guingand Bowl Race marks the fifth race in the 2025 RORC Season’s Points Championship— the world’s largest offshore racing series. It also serves as Round One of the IRC Two-Handed National Championship and the second race in the exciting new RORC Cowes Offshore Racing Series. Over seventy-five boats are expected to be racing in the approximate 110.0 nm race.
The De Guingand Bowl Race starts and finishes in the Solent off the co-host’s famous Royal Yacht Squadron starting line in front of the Cowes waterfront. As a result, this gives the RORC race team full flexibility to design a course that is both tactically challenging and strategically demanding for the given weather forecast for the weekend. With no fixed route, the course is set the day before the start, allowing it to respond directly to the forecast and deliver the most dynamic racing possible.
IRC 2 Division
This eight-boat fleet saw a titanic battle for the top of the podium. In the end, it was Frans van Cappelle’s J/122E MOANA from the Netherlands that ended up with the silver medal, just 57 seconds corrected time from taking the gold medal!
IRC 3 Division
Sailing was a real challenge in this diverse, huge, 28-boat fleet. After the iconic start off the Royal Yacht Squadron line off Cowes and for the first 10 hours of the race, both Simon Harris & Charles Linard’s J/112E J’OUVERT and Alain Waha’s J/99 FURTHER WEST were easily amongst the leaders of the division in the lightish 4 to 8 kts of breeze. However, a huge frontal system from a North Sea depression rolled through, swinging the breeze around to the southwest into the 20+ kts range. Suddenly, many of the ugly “wedges of cheese” took off in a cloud of spray planing towards the finish line in France. Despite the dramatic change in weather, Alain Waha and Matt Waite’s J/99 FURTHER WEST took fifth place in this hotly-contested division, just 8 minutes corrected time off the lead!
IRC 4 Division
This 23-boat fleet featured seven J/Teams. In a similar fashion to the outcome of their colleagues in the IRC 3 division, several J/Teams were amongst the leaders for a significant portion of the race. In the end, Mark Kendall’s J/99 JIRO and Rob Cotterill’s J/109 MOJO RISIN finished fifth and sixth place, respectively.
For more RORC De Guingand Bowl Race sailing information
https://www.rorc.org/2024-race-programme
J/11s AEOLIA Gathers More Silver in Greece!
(Athens, Greece)- Our friend Spyros Papantoniou, owner of the J/11S AEOLIA in Greece, provided us with another quick report on their adventures sailing the historical waters of the Aegean Sea. Here is his commentary:
“We participated in the Greek Offshore Series. We ended up 1st in class again!! We were thrilled by the outcome and my crew was overjoyed by our amazing performance… it was not an easy win for us. We all had to work hard for the class to win,” commented Spyros.
Helly Hansen Detroit Regatta Preview
(Bayview, MI)- The Bayview Yacht Club will be hosting its annual Bayview One-Design Regatta on the shallow waters of Lake Huron. Featured is a fleet of J/111s and the J/35s sailing their Great Lakes Championship.
J/35 Great Lakes Championship
With a fleet of eleven boats, the J/35s will be certain to have spirited competition over the three days of the regatta. Several veteran teams will be present, including Tim & Amie Ross’s BLACKHAWK, Steve Brigg’s DEANS LIST, Mike Welch’s FALCON, Clarke Perry’s HONOR ROLL, Bill Wildner’s MR BILL’S WILD RIDE, and Bob Gordenker’s TIME MACHINE.
J/111 Class
The seven-boat fleet has several top J/111 teams from around the Midwest, including Kevin & Seth Young’s BLACK SWEAL, Brad Kimmel & Steve Young’s DIABLO, Mark Symonds’s PTERODACTYL, and George Kriese’s WILDCAT.
For the regatta scores and announcements, please click here
https://yachtscoring.com/event_scratch_sheet/16897
For more Bayview YC Helly Hansen Detroit Regatta sailing information
https://www.sailingworld.com/regatta-series-detroit/
Block Island Race Preview
(Larchmont, New York)- The 78th edition of the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race is set to begin this Friday, May 23, at 1200 EDT off Stamford, Connecticut. This year’s start time has been moved up two hours from prior editions to take advantage of increased daylight and potentially fairer conditions in Long Island Sound.
Most of the fleet will tackle the traditional 186-nautical-mile course from Stamford, down the Sound, around Block Island, and back. The big challenge and big decision will always be which way to go in and out of Long Island Sound; via either the narrow Plum Gut or the wide-open maelstrom known as “The Race”. With rainy weather in the forecast, competitors are preparing for sporty conditions—foul-weather gear is anticipated to get its fair share of usage.
For a “non-Bermuda Race” year, Storm Trysail is very pleased with the strong fleet size. Over the past ten years, the number of entries for both Bermuda- and non-Bermuda Race years has grown, and this year will see a banner fleet of ORC and PHRF boats racing. The race is widely considered by northeastern offshore racers as one of the pre-eminent events to kick off their summer of offshore sailing with a bang on Memorial Day Holiday weekend. It has always been very popular with veteran offshore J/Teams.
ORC Doublehanded Division
This year also features a strong double-handed division, with 11 entries, including four J/99s. As the double-handed aspect of the sport has grown in popularity, so have the races. Watch for Todd Aven & Todd Duffee’s J/99 THIN MAN versus Doug McKeige’s right-out-of-the-box J/99 SAVE THE SOUND sailing with veteran doublehanded champion Rich du Moulin aboard.
ORC 6 Division
This ten-boat fleet features twin J/122s that are both offshore veterans with lots of silverware crowding their trophy shelves. Watch for this match race between David Rosow’s LOKI and Andrew Clark’s ZIG ZAG. Joining them is Kurt Locher’s J/42 ATALANTA and Kurt Locher’s modified J/105 SLEEPER.
PHRF 5 Division
The eight boats sailing this fleet include seven J/Teams! Some of the notable teams include three top J/120s (Brian Spears’s MADISON, John Sartorius’s ALIBI, and Richard West’s CHARLOTTE), Eric & Magie Deichmann’s J/112E MISCHIEF, and Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE.
PHRF 4 Division
This eight-boat division includes Steven Landy & Derek Soohoo’s J/100 SANGUINE and Matt Roleke & Trace Dittenhofer’s J/33 CO-CONSPIRATOR.
The fun doesn’t end at the finish line— racers can look forward to the return of the always-popular Stamford Yacht Club post-race party. Thanks to all the race sponsors, the party offerings have been upgraded so it’s one you’ll not want to miss.
For more Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race sailing information
https://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/50032
RORC Myth of Malham Race Preview
(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The RORC Myth of Malham Race is set to be a thrilling chapter in offshore sailing, marking the sixth event in the RORC Season’s Points Championship— the world’s largest offshore racing series. This race also serves as the decisive finale for the IRC Two-Handed National Championship and the third installment in the new RORC Cowes Offshore Racing Series.
Spanning approximately 235.0nm, the course mirrors the initial leg of the Rolex Fastnet Race, challenging sailors with complex tidal gates and headlands such as Anvil Point, St. Alban’s Head, Portland Bill, and Start Point.
Anticipation is high, with a huge variety of boats aiming to win the Myth of Malham Cup for the best corrected time under IRC. 150 boats are expected to compete—making it the largest RORC fleet since the record-breaking 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race. Notably, about 30 teams will contest the IRC Two-Handed division, vying for the national title.
With its blend of tactical complexity, competitive spirit, and historical significance, the 2025 Myth of Malham Race promises to be a standout event in the offshore racing calendar. Over a dozen J/Teams are taking up the challenge as part of their preparations for this year’s ROLEX Fastnet Race.
IRC 1 Division
In this large thirty-three boat fleet will be Mike O’Donnell’s Irish team aboard the J/121 DARKWOOD and Nick & Jacquetta Edmond’s new J/45 STICKLEBACK.
IRC 2 Division
The big twenty-three boat fleet includes a pair of champion J/122s (Derek Shakespeare’s BULLDOG and Nick Southward’s WHISKEY JACK), Robin & Lawrence Herbert’s J/133 CORAZON, and Murt Abrakhmanov’s J/112E JENIS.
IRC 3 Division
This massive forty-three-boat fleet will surely have difficulties getting off in clear air off the crowded Royal Yacht Squadron starting line! Breaking free for clear air will be crucial to success in the first 10-15 miles of the race headed out west from the Solent and past the infamous red candy-striped The Needles Lighthouse. Several competitive J/teams include twin J/112Es (Simon Harris’s J’OUVERT & Wayne Palmer’s THINKING SPACE) and a trio of J/99s (Jean-Baptiste Brian’s JOLLY JUMPER, Jean-Lin Flipo’s YALLA, & Alain Waha & Matt Waite’s FURTHER WEST).
IRC 4 Division
This big thirty-six boat fleet has a half-dozen J/109s participating, including Chris Burleigh’s JYBE TALKIN, Rob Cotterill’s MOJO RISIN, Gillian Burgess’s RED ARROW/ Royal Air Force, and Jamie Parker’s WHITE KNIGHT 7/ Royal Army). Joining them will be Richard Breese’s J/105 MOJO and Mark Kendall’s J/99 JIRO.
IRC Doublehanded Division
In this twenty-seven boat fleet will be three J/Teams; Breese’s J/105 MOJO, Harris’s J/112E J’OUVERT, and Palmer’s J/112E THINKING SPACE.
For more RORC Myth of Malham Race sailing information
http://www.rorc.org
Helly Hansen Sailing World Annapolis Regatta Video Highlights
(Annapolis, MD)- Enjoy this series of five videos produced by the regatta for your enjoyment and happy memories of sailing this de-factor “J/Fest” on the Chesapeake Bay.
1. Why do J/Sailors love sailing the Helly Hansen Sailing World Annapolis Regatta? Watch this fun sailing interview video on YouTube here
https://youtu.be/hGRtpDvjmt0
2. How the J/88 Team EXILE won the class and the Overall Title- interview with owner/skipper Andy Graff and tactician Kris Werner. Watch the video on YouTube here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eaN55jVEp0
3. Racing highlights on Chesapeake Bay- about 40 minutes each
– Friday- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vc6WJOi7aU
– Saturday- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n4NW-LWHQU
– Sunday- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goY3zZntddQ
J/Puma Zip-Top: May 20% off J/Gear Special
(Newport, RI)- Puma has long been synonymous with outdoor performance gear. The J/Puma Performance Zip Top is a contrasting moisture-managing top and is built to handle robust conditions. Distinctive 2-tone design with your J/Class logo embroidered on the front. Choose from a selection of colors.
Material:
86% polyester, 14% elastane
DryCELL moisture-wicking performance
UV-resistant UPF
Feature:
4-way stretch for ease of movement
Solid base with color-blocking under the arms
The Puma Cat logo on the left sleeve
Customize option with yacht name and sail number for a competitive crew team.
Comes in a broad selection of colors for every crew and is offered at a 20% discount for May.