J/95 Sailing Swiss Lakes
J/Lane, the J Dealer based in Strasse, Switzerland has its J/95 just about ready to roll on the gorgeous Swiss lakes, starting with the HallwillerSee (Lake Hallwiller). Peter Bangerter is quite excited about the enthusiasm they’re seeing for the revolutionary shoal-draft J/95. The fact that it can be towed on European Community roadways ensures that J/95 will have broad appeal to those who wish to explore not just remote reaches of their own lakes and shorelines but to take it far afield to the Med, the Atlantic or to the Adriatic Sea– it will be interesting to see how far European J/95 sailors push the limits of its capabilities- the ultimate in sailing freedom. Take it anywhere you wish to sail in complete comfort and with remarkable performance. For those wishing to get a taste of how Peter is introducing J’s to Switzerland, check out their video.
J/105 Narragansett Bay Championship Tour
(Newport, RI)- Fleet 14 (southern New England) is pleased to announce the J-105 Narragansett Bay Championship Tour consisting of three closely-spaced regattas that typically draw competitors from Marblehead to Annapolis:
July 10-11 Coastal Living Sail Newport- Newport, RI
July 17-19 Rolex NYYC Race Week- Newport, RI
August 7-8 West Passage Regatta- Wickford, RI
To make it easy for out-of-towners, Brewer Wickford Cove Marina, adjacent to Wickford Yacht Club, will haul, power wash and store visiting boats during the Tour at deeply discounted rates.
During the West Passage Regatta, Sampson Rigging will award the top boats their choice of its newest hi-tech sheets and halyards, West Marine will spice up the Saturday night dinner with some exciting product giveaways, and Waterlines, the Portsmouth RI builder of the J-105, will award the overall Tour winner the J-105 Narragansett Bay Championship half-model perpetual trophy along with gift certificates for spare parts.
Along with these generous product contributions, North Sails will provide mark set boats during the West Passage Regatta as well as offering on-the-water coaching for all comers on Friday, August 6, followed by a debrief and welcome party at Wickford Yacht Club.
For further information, contact Nelson Weiderman (Nelson@weiderman.com) of J/105 Fleet 14. And for more J/105 Class information.
J/122 Northeast Circuit
(Newport, RI)- The J/122 Class is pleased to announce its 2010 J/122 Northeast Circuit. J/122 WINGS co-owner, Mike Bruno, said “We encourage all J/122 owners to join us in a wonderful series of J/122 one-design class events this summer that includes the highlight, the J/122 North Americans held in conjunction with the Rolex New York Yacht Club Race Week.” Here are the events all J/122s are invited to:
April 24-25 American Yacht Club Spring Series- Rye, NY
May 1-2 American Yacht Club Spring Series- Rye, NY
May 28 Storm Trysail Block Island Race- Stamford, CT
June 11-13 NYYC Spring Regatta- Newport, RI
July 16-19 J/122 North Americans at Rolex NYYC Race Week- Newport, RI
Sept 11-12 Larchmont SW NOOD Regatta- Larchmont, NY
Sept 25-26 American Yacht Club Fall Series- Rye, NY
Oct 2-3 American Yacht Club Fall Series- Rye, NY
Regatta & Show Schedules:
Feb. 18-21- J/30 Midwinters- New Orleans YC- http://noyc.org/rc/2010MardiGrasNOR.htm
Mar 7–13- J/24 Copa Mexico- Puerto Vallarta Mexico – http://www.j24mex.com/copamexico
Mar 8-13- Bacardi Cup- J/24s- Coral Reef YC, Miami, FL- http://www.miamisailingweek.com
Mar. 11-14- J/22 Midwinters- Southern YC, New Orleans, LA – http://www.j22mw.com/
Mar. 19-21- San Diego NOOD- San Diego YC- San DIego, CA- http://www.sailingworld.com
Apr. 8-11- Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC- http://www.charlestonraceweek.com
April 9-11- J/Fest San Francisco- St. Francis YC- San Francisco, ,CA- http://www.stfyc.org
May 5-8- J/80 UK Nationals- Cardiff Bay YC, England- http://www.j-80.co.uk
Jun 5-6- Sprit Fest Regatta- Breakwater YC- Sag Harbor, NY- http://www.spritfest.org
Jun 20-26- Block Island Race Week- Block Is, RI- http://www.blockislandraceweek.org
Jun 25–27- Long Beach Race Week/ J/120 NAS- Long Beach YC- http://www.lbrw.org
For additional J/Sailing Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.
J/Regatta News
The Sun Never Sets on J’s Sailing Worldwide
The winter sailing circuits in both Europe and America are showing significant increases of activity. And, the gang Down Under continue their summer points series off Sydney, Australia. In particular, the Europeans have a jump on the rest of the world with training programs being run in J/22s in Germany/ Netherlands with past J/22 European and World Champions for those expecting to compete in the upcoming J/22 Worlds in The Netherlands this year. The French and Spanish J/80 teams are doing the same with winter/spring training programs on the Med and off La Trinite sur Mer, France also with top guns from the J/80 European classes in France and Spain (e.g. World and European Champions!). The American contingent of J Sailors have the J/30 Midwinters celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans; the Miami Grand Prix to look forward to in March; followed by Charleston Race Week. The St. Petersburg Sailing World NOOD Regatta just finished with a strong turnout for J/24s and J/80s. Read on! More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page! Below are the summaries.
Sailing World NOOD- St. Petersburg
Tim Healy’s J/24 Wins St. Pete Overall
(Feb. 12-14- St. Petersburg, FL)- This year’s SW NOOD St. Pete was an excellent kickoff to the nine-stop 2010 NOOD Regatta series, with ninety six keelboats boats contesting six quality races—which is pretty good considering the light-air conditions that have challenged this regatta venue over the past several years. Of the ninety six keelboats attending, the largest sailing fleet were the J/24s with twenty-three racing around the track, followed by the fifteen J/80s participating in the second stop of the J/80 USA Tour and four happy-go-luck J/22s enjoying all the festivities. In short, with forty-two J’s sailing, they constituted 44.0% of the SW NOOD fleet– nearly a J/Fest Southeast!
As the final day of racing progressed on Tampa Bay on Sunday, the towering smoke stacks on the eastern shore hinted at what was to come: the morning’s horizontal streaming plumes slowly giving way to vertical trails. Luckily, the 0930 warning signals at the Sperry Top-Sider St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta’s three circles allowed the race committee to squeeze in two more races before it all went kaput. And in the dying northeasterly that defined the day’s sunny but cold conditions there were all sorts of puffs, lulls, shifts, and holes and to avoid. There was no predictably to the breeze whatsoever. Even a few competitors that came out on top in the day’s races admitted that conditions were of the mind-bending sort.
For the J/24s, one smart move by Tim Healy netted his team the overall win in St. Pete and a trip to the Caribbean later in the year for SW NOOD Championships. Healy, a sailmaker with Quantum Sails, Rhode Island, went into the last race with a slim lead over Argentinean champion Joaquin Doval sailing U2 for YCA (Yate Club Argentina in Buenos Aires), and approached it with a pretty simple plan: beat Doval and keep his nose clean in the process. That later element would later be critical. “We didn’t want to be over early or hit anyone,” says Healy. “We just wanted to be conservative.”
Healy, with crew John Mollicone, Steve Lopez, Dan Rabin, and Gordon Borges, got a decent jump on Doval’s U2 squad on the first beat, but their focus on the Argentineans almost cost them the regatta. “We sailed ourselves pretty deep into the fleet, and we gave them the opportunity to put a lot of boats between us,” says Healy. “We should have sailed our own race and just stayed in phase with the shifts.”
At the ensuing leeward mark rounding, some heads-up logic saved their bacon. Approaching the mark on starboard, and with inside rights on a multiple-boat pile-up, they quickly realized that taking advantage of their right-of-way wasn’t going to do them any good. “We would have stuck it in there and either hit the mark or other boats,” says Healy. Instead, they sailed around the entire pack and got in on the tail end of the pinwheel. “It definitely got pretty bad.”
He estimates they rounded 20th (while Doval was top-five), but they worked the right side of the race course hard on the following beat, where they were banking on better pressure. They passed enough boats to make it nearly impossible for Doval to put enough points between them, and Healy’s eighth to Doval’s fourth gave the New Englanders a 1-point win and a trip to the Caribbean in November to the Sperry Top-Sider Caribbean NOOD Championship. Finishing just behind these two were another Argentinean Champion Nicolas Cubria racing JESUS LIZZARD for Real Club Nautico, winning the last race but not nearly enough points to knock the other two off the podium.
For the J/80 class, J/80 champion Kerry Klingler won this important tune-up regatta for the October J/80 Worlds in Newport. After establishing primal supremacy over the fleet, starting off with two bullets, Kerry and crew onboard LIFTED rattled off three thirds and a last race first to win the regatta by a healthy margin of six points. Two fellow Long Island Sounders also sailed solid series to further establish the primacy of their light air, shifty wind sailing skills. In second was John DiMatteo racing CHRISTE and just off the pace in third overall was John Storck and family sailing RUMOR.
The J/22s apparently had some fun despite the low turnout. Everyone won races and in the end they nearly all finished tied! How’s that for some healthy racing! Nevertheless, it was a tie-breaker for first place with Jackson Pentith sailing DELERIUM winning the regatta by having more first places. In second on the short end of that stick was Jim Chorostecki racing THREE’S COMPANY. Finishing third was Daniel Kresge on board JABBERWOCKY. Photo Credits: Tim Wilkes For more Sailing World NOOD Regatta and sailing information.
J/22 Grows and Grows in Germany
Hardy Kleinefeld has this to report about J/22 class development in Germany: “The Boot 2010 Sailboat Show has once again confirmed that the J22 continues to grow nicely as a class in Germany. The two week boot show saw great interest in the J/22 class. The German J/22 Class Association was well prepared and had plenty of KV-members willing to accommodate the crowds that came by in their high-traffic location in Hall 17. The attention has been great and the J/22 class in Germany continues to grow. Since 2005, the number of members has almost doubled. And if the ice has melted, the class will start racing in March, probably around 40 boats on the Braassemermeer for the first event. By the way, after Europe’s 2010 “Ice Age”, we will have a winter training session under the leadership of former J/22 World, European and Masters Champion, Dutchman Jeroen den Boer. For more German J/22 Class Sailing information.
Challenge J/80 La Trinité
(La Trinite, France- Feb 6-7)- Like their J/80 classmates in Spain, the J/80 French teams are starting their late winter/ early spring racing and training programs for the 2010 summer season and many of the teams are looking at gearing up for the J/80 Worlds in Newport, RI in October.
Thirteen teams participated in the second weekend of the Challenge J80 Trinitaine, racing in very tough weather conditions. On Saturday in light, shifty six to twelve knot NW winds off La Trinite, marked by lots of current, the teams spent a lot of time training on their maneuvers; with starts, mark roundings and leeward gate roundings. On Sunday, under bright spring sunshine and fifteen knot NE winds, the Race Committee sent the teams around a one nautical mile windward-leeward course. At the end of the day, it was COYOTE that won the day with a 4-1-1 record. J’BOULET was second with a 5-2-2 tally and third lay JALUCYNE with a 4-3-3 series score. For more J/80 French Class sailing information.
J/80s Spain Report
The Spanish J/80 teams press on regardless of wind, weather, European Ice Age and anything else that may be thrown in front of them. This past weekend was no exception. Of note were the training sessions conducted by past J/80 World and European Champions, highlighted by the participation of Murciano Carlos Martinez (3rd in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain and 3rd in the 2008 Worlds at Kiel, Germany), the Spaniard Jose Maria Torcida (2007 World Champion in La Trinité, France and 6th in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain).
RCNB Winter Trophy
(Barcelona, Spain)- This past weekend, Real Club Nautico Barcelona conducted six races in excellent wind conditions- shifty fifteen knot winds from the southwest. The RC PRO setup a nice 3.5 nautical mile windward leeward course. Jordi Negroni won two of the three races Saturday while FORTY FIVE, skippered by Richard Terrades, continued to dominate the rest of the races. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.
Castro Ricardo III Trophy
(La Coruna, Spain)- This past weekend saw the start of the Castro Ricardo III Trophy for the J/80 class, hosted by Real Club Náutico de La Coruña. The fleet was greeted by two solid days of racing with widely varying conditions. On Saturday, it blew hard from the NE at 20-25 knots and two fun, fast races were sailed. Ultimately, it was a dogfight between MELTEMIA skippered by Fernando Lago, MARINA CORUNA skippered by Paul Chavert and IN ITINERIES skippered by Miguel Fernandez. Miguel Fernandez sailed well on the final downwind leg of the last race to win. On Sunday, it started light from the south at 6-7 knots, but later built to a gusty 20-23 knot winds, testing the crews again in large choppy seas and shifty breezes. Overall the J/80s are led by MELTEMI followed by IN INITNERIES and MARINA CORUNA. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.
J/80 RCN Clinic a Success
(La Coruna, Spain- Feb. 8th)- There was a lot of intense activity at Real Club Náutico de La Coruña during the past weekend with the celebration of “CLINICA CORUNNA J/80.” RCNLC hosted this training for the local J/80 fleet. Renowned J/80 sailors were invited to conduct the clinic, including Murciano Carlos Martinez (3rd in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain and 3rd in the 2008 Worlds at Kiel, Germany), the Spaniard Jose Maria Torcida (2007 World Champion in La Trinité, France and 6th in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain) and Peru Bilbaino Mugica. At 1030 hours the J80s began with a lecture-panel led by Carlos Martinez, on the set-up and speed for J/80s. When finished, the crews got aboard their J/80s for a very constructive on-the-water training session. Each of the guest coaches sailed on the boats with their owners and crew, focusing on boat-handling and boat speed. Upon returning to the club from these on-the-water sessions, everyone analyzed training videos of the day, examined the pictures, always striving to improve tuning, speed and maneuvering. The day ended with a dinner where sailors and guests continued their discussions of the tips and trick learned from the days’ training session. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.
J/80 Lacre Memorial Trophy
(Santander, Spain)- This past weekend, Toño Piris-Santi Lopez-Vazquez onboard YATES & THINGS continued their winning ways in the J/80 Santander fleet, they continue to lead the Lacre Memorial Trophy series. Not to be outdone, Pichu Torcida-Alex Muscat sailing ECC VIVIENDAS got the win in the second race of the day was the best boat of the day and is second overall. True to the determination of the Santander sailors, the freezing cold did not deter the twenty five crews from going to the starting line. The teams were greeted by a moderate southwest breeze blowing 8-10 knots, which permitted the RC to conduct two races. After some spirited racing that saw boats play both sides of the course and shifts influenced by the renowned “Moors” section of grassy beach off Santander (see J/Sailing Calendar photo), the teams are looking forward to more racing next weekend. Lying third after the dust settled is FONESTART sailed by Jaime Piris, fourth is SPACIO 10 raced by Paul Santurde and fifth is BANCAJA sailed by Javier López-Vázquez and Alvaro Mazarrasa. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.
J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
* J/80s at J/World Annapolis were used for a USSTAG/ GEL program with US Olympian Graham Biehl. Donna Berry from GEL had this to say about the program- “I wanted to share the following sailing story with you involving the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, sailing experiential learning company Group Experiential Learning, J World Annapolis and Olympian Graham Biehl.
It’s not every day that one gets to meet an Olympic sailor, let alone race with one. On February 4, 2010 in Naples, Fla., AlphaGraphics, the title sponsor of the US Sailing Team, took its sponsorship to the next level with a pioneering event that intertwined world-class sailing with corporate relationship building. AlphaGraphics brought its top franchisees out to sail and race with US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) team member Graham Biehl, a 2008 Olympian and 2012 Olympic hopeful, in an event organized by fellow sponsor, Group Experiential Learning (GEL), the country’s premier provider of experiential outdoor and sailboat-based leadership development, team building and corporate entertainment programs. Ninety-five percent of the participants had never sailed, let alone raced, prior to the afternoon on the home waters of the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club, but tight racing ensued, facilitated by a highly experienced coaching team from J World Annapolis, a sailing school partner which powers many GEL programs. Participants were divided into four teams on J80s, with each team guest-coached by Biehl during one round of the four races which comprised the regatta.
“Our role as a title sponsor of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics has really evolved into a greater and greater relationship year-after-year,” said Kevin Cushing, CEO of AlphaGraphics. “Our event was a great example of how the members of the team are more engaged with our franchisees and our franchisees are engaged with them. Graham Biehl was present on every boat giving us tips and having a blast with our franchisees. It was a once-in-a-life experience.”
Added Dan Cooney, Commercial Director for US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, “We were thrilled to have our team-building partner GEL lead our title sponsor AlphaGraphics and their top franchisees through the paces on the water, culminating in some competitive but friendly racing. It serves to deepen and add value to these relationships.”
The day’s outcome? Sixteen key franchisees and AlphaGraphics employees experienced an unprecedented opportunity to compete with and against a young Olympic athlete, and got a glimpse into the teamwork required to battle wind, currents and competitors in the intense world of sailboat racing. Several teams won individual races and the regatta did award trophies, but as Kevin Cushing pointed out, the victories are truly measured in the smiles of the participants and the deepened relationships between AlphaGraphics and its vital franchisees.
* J/35: Pimped Super-fast Family Cruising Classic– Dan Moll- from Puerto Rico took an old J/35, now renamed CAVALLINO, and “pimped” their ride into the ultimate cruising, sailing “crib”. Here’s Dan’s story:
“Someone told me once that I’ll be doing fine if I get a foot of boat for every year of my age. At 34, my second life for some years now had been as a race-car driver. But with a four-year-old, racing was just taking time away from my new family. As a kid, I sailed Lasers at the Club Náutico de San Juan and spent many summers sailing the Virgin Islands on my best friend’s sailboat. I grew to love the ocean and the adventure of discovering the thousands of destinations on land and under water that Puerto Rico and the Virgins offered. It was the lifestyle I wanted for my children one day, so it was logical to go back to sailing. They say every time two sailboats heading in the same direction see each other on the water, a silent race is on. It’s true. I wanted a cheap super-fast cruiser. What is it? How about retro-fitting an aged race boat to cruise?
This red hot rod of a boat caught my eye on December 2004, standing on the yard at Puerto del Rey, in Fajardo, PR. The 1984 J/35 “Ventajero” was a local legend. Previous winner of the ‘Round Puerto Rico Race and the St. Thomas Rolex, it was full of great stories. After a quick visit and some research on the internet, I was very interested. Over two-hundred boats on the water, five active one-design fleets, and an American Sailboat Hall of Fame Inductee. In other words, a “Certified Classic”. If my dream car would have been a Ferrari, at least here I got my fast red toy for a fraction of the cost.
I called my friend, professional sailor and rigger Jorge Hernandez to please come and see it and give me a dead honest opinion whether to purchase the boat or keep looking. Jorge came and after a close inspection, I still remember his advice: “It’s on its way to becoming a cadaver, but the basics are healthy and we can save it. It’s an awesome boat. You’ll sail faster than most 40-footers today.” He was in, and so was I. So here I was, $27,000 later, with my beat-up-racer-to-become-superfast-cruiser. I was lucky to have a multi-talented construction employee, Albert, who lived nearby the yard. We took the thing apart and called it “Monster Garage J” for some time. Jorge supervised. I also called J/Boats, to see if by any chance, I was able to get a copy of an owner’s manual for the restoration of my almost twenty-year old boat. I talked briefly with a very nice lady on the phone and got a quick reply: “Just mail us a check for $20. I’ll be mailing you right away.” She even offered Rod Johnstone’s phone number mentioning he’d be glad to offer any advise if I needed. I was very impressed. That’s how a world-class family business provides customer services, and I had just bought an old boat! I received my owner’s manual copy in two days.
I won’t go into detail, but after three months, the project wasn’t worth $1,000. Outside, all deck hardware was out. Inside, everything went out, with the exception of bulkheads, engine, diesel tank and the only two small cabinets. That’s when the news came, my wife was pregnant! Make that a family cruiser, baby included, with a wife who had never sailed. Call it either brave or stubborn.
I was kept excited by many who I met in the marina, asking if I was the one who purchased Ventajero. Eyes lit up with awesome racing stories…many. I’m an architect, with 15 years in the construction business. That means probably too much creativity for the assignment and no fear of destruction and reconstruction. Jorge, a perfectionist. We discussed the project. The basic requirement for the ideal boat given the situation: safety first, and it had to sail singlehanded.
Fifteen months later, with new everything and then some, “CAVALLINO” went in the water. It looked beautiful, shiny red hull with brand new white non-skid and all new Harken hardware, running and standing rigging. With tiller steering, it felt like a big Laser. It sailed beautifully, although a bit “sporty” for the family. By that, I mean a wet cockpit, and a bit too much heel. The boat also felt light against 3’ chop. You usually see these boats crewed with 8-10 guys, 6 of them on the rail, and now I know why.
The J/35 sure is beamy, at 11.8’. I also needed more fresh water. Ta-da! Two custom fiberglass tanks behind settees. I met a local artisan, Ismael, who promised to deliver. He built both tanks shaped and bonded against the hull. We measured and they made about 95 gallons each! We installed them with Rule bilge pumps inside each of them and placed switches at the cockpit. Water ballast transfer happened at 3.5 minutes for a full tank. The heel correction is good for about 3-4 degrees, and the boat feels a lot more planted as it slices upwind.
It was time to make the cruiser look like it inside. I worked with local shop Sand, Sea and Air interiors to design the interior upholstery. Sunbrella textile was child friendly, and a top 1” layer of memory foam provided extra comfort. We got an award from the Marine Fabricators Association for “Ourstanding Achievement” in 2008. Custom teak cabinets were installed for storage above tanks and many more projects followed. With plenty of water, extra-large batteries, new AC/DC panel, inverter, diesel generator, A/C, microwave, electric cooktop, fresh water electric head, auto pilot and GPS, now we have a fully equipped cruiser. The kids’ biggest smile was when they saw the 22-in. LCD, where we hookup our Apple TV. I had gone from “Monster Garage” to “Pimp my J”.
On the cockpit, custom molded fiberglass backrests deflect water and keep the seating dry. A table was fabricated and it doubles as a center insert turning the seats into a big lounge pad, with cushions also by SSA. The last projects were to move the primary winches back and make them electric. The main halyard was routed back and I can raise the mainsail from the helm with the electric winch. Also, I added a hatch for the bow locker. J35s have huge bow lockers, but only accessible from the v-berth. The space was good for anchor locker and also for the gennaker bag. A Forte Carbon bowsprit was installed on deck and rigged to extend and retract from the cockpit.
I’ve had the best time pimpin’ my J and sailing CAVALLINO, our pimped super-fast family cruising classic. Hope you enjoy our recent YouTube movie, “Sailing Culebra 2010”. In contrast to very tough economic times, we had some great moments to start the new decade.
See Sailing Culebra on J/35 CAVALLINO on YouTube.