(Harrison, MI)- This past weekend, the North Star Sail Club in Detroit, MI hosted the J/35 North American Championship for a fleet of a dozen teams from across the Great Lakes. The fleet enjoyed three fabulous days of sailing in breezes that ranged from 12 to 27 kts!

Going into the regatta was the six-time national champion Bill Wildner on his MR BILL’S WILD RIDE and the winner of the Detroit Helly Hansen Regatta– Mike Welch’s FALCON. At the end of the regatta, it was Wildner’s MR BILL’s WILD RIDE that was declared the 2024 J/35 North American Champion!

Starting with a singularly unimpressive first-day tally of 4-2-7 to end up somewhere off the leaderboard was the MR BILL’s team! Wildner’s “wild ride” crew seemingly drank “Popeye the Sailor Man’s” can of whupass spinach for breakfast the next morning to redeem themselves! After an embarrassing first day of sailing, the “wild ride” crew posted a 1-2-2-1-2-2 tally to win by a whopping ten points for 23 pts net!

Similarly, Mike Welch’s FALCON team started with a less-than-stellar tally of 5-3-9 on the first day looking like a team of clowns. However, no one expected them to be down in the dumps for long for this talented team. No wonder, their closing tally was nearly as impressive as the “wild riders”! The FALCON crew closed with a 2-3-1-5-8-3-2 for 32 pts net to take the silver medal!

Starting with a 3-6-2 on the first day was Dean Fitzpatrick and Gary Snider’s HONOR ROLL. Sitting in second on the leaderboard after day one, things looked good. They sailed consistently for the next two days with a 5-4-3-2-5-6-5 for 35 pts to take the bronze medal.

The top woman skipper was Sheri Dufresne’s FIREFLY. Talking about being on FIRE, her team started with a 2-1-1 on the first day in their bid for J/35 World Domination! However, the “wheels fell off the shopping trolley” in her bid to win the J/35 NAs. Subsequently, her team’s 4-6-4-6-6-7-6 scorecard was insufficient to get her onto the podium and drop her to fourth place. 

J/35 40th Anniversary 
2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Rod Johnstone’s J/35 design. The subsequent success with over 320 hulls built on this remarkable boat has left a lasting legacy in the sailing community. The design continues to be competitive and influential on race courses around the world. Multiple fleets continue to compete on the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, and beyond. For more J/35 North Americans sailing information.

(Wayzata, MN)— Eighteen teams competed from September 6th to 8th, 2024 for the J/24 US National Championship at Wayzata Yacht Club in Wayzata, MN. Eight races were completed on Lake Minnetonka, including one discard. Conditions ranged from patchy wind on the opening day to delightful and steady breeze of 8-14 knots. 

Keeping up his momentum from winning this year’s J/24 North American Championship, Travis Odenbach’s HONEYBADGER proved very consistent with scores of 1-3-2-1-5-1-4-3 for 15 net points. With crew Monica Morgan, Dave Hughes, Jeff Sullivan and Jay Miles, Odenbach outlasted runner-up (and fellow Rochester, NY helmsman) Mike Ingham who netted 19 points and Kurt Dammeier’s AMUSE BOUCHE of Seattle (20 net points). 

Half of the fleet competed in the Corinthian Division, won by Nobuyuki Imai’s SIESTA from Japan, ahead of Dave Breitner’s USUAL SUUSPECTS and Bill Allen’s OZ.

Representatives from J/Boats were on hand to present a lifetime award to J/24 Fleet #1, honoring the groundbreaking birth of the J/24 in the late 1970s.  For more J/24 US National Championship sailing information.

(Palma Mallorca, Spain)- The Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds, to be held in Palma Mallorca from September 13th to 22nd, will be a landmark in the history of sailing world championships due to the extremely high quality and diversity of the teams in the largest, active one-design keelboat class in the world.

On Friday 13th September, the Spanish Navy and the Naval Commission for Regattas will begin the arduous and complex process of measuring the entire participating fleet with the help of an army of volunteers organized by the Real Club Nautico de Palma (RCNP).
 
For three days, each of the 97 boats registered in the competition, from 25 different countries, will have every aspect and weight of their boats measured. It’s an impressive list of participants from across the world: Argentina (4), Australia (5), Austria (1), Bermuda (1), Brazil (6), Canada (1), Cayman Islands (1), Denmark (1), Spain (12), Estonia (1), Finland (2), France (3), Great Britain (7), Germany (2), Italy (5), Mexico (2), Monaco (4), Netherlands (2), Norway (2), Portugal (4), Switzerland (5), Sweden (4), Turkey (3), Uruguay (2), and USA (17). 

The favorites in the competition include the defenders of the title, Charles Thompson’s BRUTUS II from the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Great Britain, and the North American team Richard Witzel’s ROWDY from the Chicago Yacht Club, past J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT from the Wayzata Yacht Club, Douglas Rastello’s GOOD TO GO from Newport Harbor Yacht Club, and Brian Keane’s SAVASANA from Beverly Yacht Club.
 
From South America, the main favorites are Argentine team Guillermo Parada’s NILDO from the Club Náutico de San Isidro, Mexicans Ignacio Pérez Moret’s ZAGUERO from the Vallarta Yacht Club, the Brazilian team Selmo Nissenbaum’s HIGHLANDERS and Ralph Vasconcellos’s MINDSET, Haroldo Holberg’s OCEANPACT, and Renato Faria’s TO NESSQ, all from the IC Río de Janeiro.

The host country Spain is fielding a remarkably strong contingent of teams with World and European Champion credentials. Those teams include Luis Albert’s PATAKIN, Luis Martinez Doreste’s MONJO,  Luis Bugallo Arriola’s MARNATURA, Luis Martin Cabiedes’s NOTICIA, and the Canal family (Jorge Perez’s ABRIL ROJO & Luis Perez’s ABRIL VERDE). This is a formidable contingent of champion Spanish sailors hoping to snag the J/70 World Championship crown! For more J/70 World Championship sailing information.

(San Francisco, CA)- One of the best sailboat racing venues in the world, iconic San Francisco Bay, is ready to turn it on for the 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club, September 11-15, 2024. 

The most prestigious regatta on the West Coast has attracted 71 boats and nearly 700 sailors to the docks of St. Francis Yacht Club, to hear what classes will race for Rolexes and perpetual trophies on Wednesday night, and to start preparing for the first race on Thursday, September 12. With a strong turnout in J/88 and J/105 one-design classes and ORC divisions, organizers are thrilled to welcome members and guests to be a part of the action on the water and shoreside. 

“Having been involved in this epic West Coast regatta for some four decades, it is my honor and privilege as Commodore to welcome our members and guests to the 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series,” said Chris Perkins, 2024 Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club and a past winner of the event. “I wish the best of luck to our competitors who are here to compete in one of the world’s most spectacular racing venues. Sail fast and enjoy our outstanding hospitality.”

“Sailing smart the first couple of days is key, but Saturday and Sunday are really where the championship will be won,” commented Ryan Simmons from the J/105 BLACKHAWK.

Rolex Big Boat Series’ extensive history of champions is a tribute to the depth of talent that graces the event and this year, a solid fleet stacked with talented and tough competition is expected. 

“We have thirty J/105s starting again this year, which is great to see, and the ORC fleet is diverse and deep in talent with past winners returning to defend their titles,” says Felix Weidling, Race Director of St. Francis Yacht Club. “We always have our competitors’ best interests in mind and after taking in sailors’ feedback from last year, we continue to improve this important event which is a cornerstone of West Coast sailboat racing.”

Perennial Rolex Big Boat winner in the J/105 class, Ryan Simmons, and his well-seasoned team on BLACKHAWK are eager to see how the competition will play out in the competitive San Francisco-based J/105 fleet. BLACKHAWK took first in class in 2019, 2021, and 2023, and second in 2022. Simmons does not take for granted that his luck will bear out for another win, although he and his crew are talented enough—and hopeful. 

“We’re lucky, we have low turnover on our team—we’ve been sailing together a long time and it’s a big difference,” says Simmons. “Our competitive edge this year will be consistency. In the first two days of the regatta, you can’t lock in the win, but you can take yourself out of contention, so sailing smart the first couple of days is key, but Saturday and Sunday are really where the championship will be won.”

Hot to prevail against BLACKHAWK is NE*NE, owned and skippered by Tim Russell who has played bridesmaid many times, often finishing in the top three. He’s currently leading the local J/105 fleet in the class championship series, making him a serious podium contender. 

“A first place on NE*NE is eluding me!” says Russell. “You have to take chances and I usually approach every regatta being super conservative. On my starts, I’m trying to win one end or the other and let our boat speed take care of itself and minimize mistakes, but in Big Boat, you have to gamble.”

“Some of the best, most reliable, and most fun sailing conditions in the world are this time of year at this venue, the race management is second to none, and the social side is always spectacular,” explained Peter Wagner, owner/ skipper of the J/111 SKELETON KEY.

Peter Wagner won last year’s ORC-C division on SKELETON KEY, the J/111 he’s owned since 2015. Winner of the J/111 North Americans for two years in a row and St. Francis Yacht Club’s Sailor of the Year in 2023, Wagner is a tough act to follow. He’s been racing the Rolex Big Boat Series for almost 25 years and is looking forward to the solid competition, great conditions, and fun social gatherings.

“It’s always one of the highlights of our season and certainly the highlight of racing on San Francisco Bay,” says Wagner. “In this particular event, we’ve raced in various one-design classes as well as ORR and now ORC and we’re excited about the momentum around ORC. I think it will be a competitive event. Some of the best, most reliable, and most fun sailing conditions in the world are this time of year at this venue, the race management is second to none and the social side is always spectacular. There is always a great group of sailors that convenes around RBBS.”

Other boats returning to defend their 2023 titles include the J/88 PELAGIA owned and skippered by Christos Karamanolis and the J/109 REVERIE owned and skippered by John Arens.

“I’m excited to lead the Rolex Big Boat Series in its 60th anniversary year,” says Susan Ruhne, who chairs the regatta and is the 2024 Rear Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club. “The event is such an important part of the StFYC’s history and a favorite for so many sailors and spectators to experience. There is nothing like watching 70-plus boats on three race courses duke it out on San Francisco Bay, including the classic downwind run from the Golden Gate Bridge back to the club. I am also very proud that we continue to maintain Rolex Big Boat Series’ status as a Clean Regatta, a foundation of the event.”  Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ UltimateSailing.com. For more ROLEX Big Boat Series sailing information and results.

(Rye, NY)- There is still time to register for the American Yacht Club Fall Regatta classic on Long Island Sound! You don’t want to miss one of the last big regattas of the 2024 sailing season in the northeastern seaboard!!

The AYC Fall Regatta is offering two racing formats:
– Windward/Leeward Racing for the ORC and One-Design Classes
– Coastal Racing for the PHRF Classes (including Doublehanded & Non-Spinnaker) and the ORC Classes.

As part of the AYC Fall Regatta, they will be hosting the J/109 East Coast Championships!
Live music and the classic free food & drinks will be waiting for you when you step off the water! Plenty of story-telling and catching up for all on the picturesque American YC lawn with a view of the famous New York City skyscrapers in the distance off to the west.  Time to get busy and get your team ready for the AYC Fall Regatta- register here! 

What J/Sailors, family, and friends are doing worldwide

Above From L to R: Andy Spence-Parsons (Former Commodore WYC), Rolf Turnquist, and Jeff Johnstone.

(Wayzata, MN)- At the recent J/24 US Nationals, J/24 Fleet #1 founders John Gjerde, Rolf Turnquist, Dale “Dirtball” Anderson, and the Wayzata Yacht Club were honored with the J/24 Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Jeff Johnstone, President of J/Boats.  

Forty-eight years ago- on December 1976- a small group of die-hard sailors from Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota learned of a new 24-foot design that had just dominated the eastern Long Island Sound series in Connecticut. The original RAGTIME had just won 15 of 17 races sailing with a crew of Mom, Dad, and 4 kids under the age of 16. The new boat was going into production as a one-design. That new boat was the J/24.

John Gjerde and Dale “Dirtball” Anderson got on the phone with Rod Johnstone, peppering him with questions about specs, one-design rules, the builder, you name it.  Rod recalls those first conversations, and how reaffirming it was to have such passionate validation of the J/24 and one-design keelboat sailing. Less than a month later John Gjerde and Rolf Turnquist went into partnership and ordered the first boat (Hull #7 OZ).  Soon four more were ordered, and with an impressive 5 out of the first 25 J/24s ever built, J/24 Fleet #1 was born on Lake Minnetonka!!

John, Rolf, and Dirtball towed OZ east for the inaugural J/24 North American Championship in Newport in 1978, proudly representing Fleet #1 and the Wayzata Yacht Club. They helped set the tone early in the J/24 class for fun, highly competitive racing, and even more fun times onshore. In those first years of the class exploding in size, most clubs didn’t know what hit them – how to deal with non-stop general recalls, how to deal with teams sleeping on their boats and bringing campers, how to deal with sailors hanging out at the club all night until the kegs ran dry. The J/24 class was more like a rolling Woodstock Music Festival. 

John and Dirtball are sadly no longer with us, but their contributions to the J/24 class and one-design sailing will never be forgotten. Rod Johnstone recalls an early John Gjerde story that captures the spirit well. After that first season in 1977, John wanted to ramp things up and invited Rod to Minneapolis in late January of 1978 (a few weeks after the first 1978 J/24 Midwinters in Key West- won by Mark Ploch’s TCHAU with Stu Johnstone as tactician!) to speak to a packed house. 

A conference room was booked at a downtown hotel and 100+ people were invited to hear the latest about the J/24. Rod got stuck at LaGuardia airport in a snowstorm and couldn’t make it, so he regretfully had to cancel.  

When Rod spoke to John a few days later, he learned that the party went on anyway!! Everyone showed up and all night long John, as a joke, proudly wore a name tag that read “Hello my name is Rod Johnstone.”  Fleet #1 doubled in size in 1978!

Wayzata Yacht Club’s adoption of the J/24 fleet in 1977 helped establish a one-design culture that has, in the years since, spawned an impressive number of other recognized one-design fleets, including J/22 fleet #1 and J/70 Fleet #2.  And now, the Wayzata Yacht Club’s Thursday Night summer series draws upwards of 120 boats with no less than 7 active one-design fleets. Wow!

The inscription on the framed half-model award reads: “In honor of J/24 Fleet # 1 founders Dale Anderson, John Gjerde, Rolf Turnquist, and Wayzata Yacht Club – for their unwavering support, enthusiasm, and lifelong dedication to the J/24 Class and one-design sailing.”