Nov272015

J/Calendar- of sailboatsThe NEW 2016 J/Calendar!
(Newport, RI)- HOT off the press! For 2016, we have created another beautiful calendar for J sailors who love the joys of sailing a J in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world.  Whether you are a cruising, racing or armchair sailor, these stunning sailboat photographs will transport you to wonderful sailing experiences in far away places.
The 2016 sailing calendar features J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/88, J/105s, J/111s and a J/42 sailing in many of the worlds most popular sailing areas- Cowes (the Solent), Newport (Narragansett Bay & Rhode Island Sound), San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Les Sables d’Olonne, Biscayne Bay, Lake Michigan, Kiel, Santander and Travemunde!  A sailing calendar is a great gift for loved ones, family, friends and crew- see the photo gallery here.
Order your 2016 J/Calendar here today!
Black Friday Weekend Special!
VSport would like to THANK all our J/Gear customers. With the HOLIDAY season upon us, now is a good time to provide that special crew or Captain with a gift they will appreciate. For a limited time only, please use the Gift Code Below to receive a 15% discount on all J/Gear orders placed now until Nov. 30, 2015!  Visit the J/Gear Store here and apply this discount coupon code- JB20156que.  Discount subject to the following exceptions- J/Boat print and J/Boat half-model.

J/122e sailing- sports cruiserJ/112E at London Boat Show
(London, England)- The latest sports-cruiser from the J/Design team, the J/112E, will make her debut at the London Boat Show! The first J/112E for the U.K. will arrive straight from the builder’s yard, and after the show, will remain with Key Yachting for the spring, before travelling to her new home in Ireland.
A popular 36ft in length, the J/112E is designed to be an efficient performance yacht with cruising comforts. Understanding that sailors spend more time on deck than anywhere else, J/Boats have created a comfortable, ergonomic cockpit, which is second to none. The single large diameter steering wheel allows an outboard sitting position in order to see the jib telltales and waves. With the main and jib controls within easy reach, the helmsman can adjust the sails upwind without leaving the wheel or troubling the crew – who might otherwise be relaxing in the comfortable cockpit seats. Down below, the J/112E boasts a spacious two-cabin accommodation plan, with 6’3” of headroom and an aft head/shower compartment. The varnished walnut finish adds just the right proportion of classic wood accents without taking away from the tremendous sense of space.
The J/112E joins her sisterships, the J/97E and J/122E, as an exceptional upwind performer. V-shaped bow sections provide superior directional stability and reduced slamming in waves. Freeboard forward and topside flare help to keep the deck dry. A long waterline combined with a low vertical centre of gravity results in a smooth, sea-kindly motion – more like that of a 40 footer.
The J/112E will be available to view on stand A220/B, the show runs from 8th– 17th January 2016. For more London Boat Show information, please visit us at Key Yachting or contact Gemma Dunn for details-gemma@keyyachting.com or phone# +44-2380-455669.

J/Boat Show Schedule
(Newport, RI)- Over the course of the next few months, there are some excellent boat shows to view some of the latest J/Designs and also have a chance to speak with many of your friends and colleagues about the world of sailing.  Here are some of those events to consider, so mark your calendars to see the latest J’s on display:

J/111 sailing JCup on the Solent, EnglandLandsail Tyres J-Cup Re-Ups!
(Hamble, England)- The J-Cup organizers are thrilled to announce that Landsail Tyres will return as title sponsor of the J-Cup 2016 in Partnership with B&G. The regatta returns to its home club, the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble, from 8th – 11th June.
Into its 16th year, the J-Cup has attracted strong entry numbers since the very first regatta in 2000. Organizers Key Yachting attribute this to their legion of very dedicated and passionate owners, 66 of which entered the 2015 event. The largest class at the J-Cup was the fast growing J/70 fleet, with one design racing also on offer for the J/80s, J/88s, J/97s, J/109 and J/111s.
J/70 sailing JCup on the Solent, EnglandLeigh Melling, UK Brand Manager for Landsail Tyres commented on the sponsorship; “Landsail is delighted to be supporting the J-Cup for the second year. It’s a fantastic event and should prove to be a very exciting regatta. We’re looking forward to seeing some competitive racing in 2016.”
The timing of the event, two weeks prior to the IRC National Championships and the Round the Island Race the following weekend, will allow boats that have travelled long distances to compete in three stellar events.
Teams can expect up to eight races across the three days, with music and entertainment planned for the evenings. As is customary at the J-Cup, the final prize-giving will give the organizers an excuse to throw the 400+ competitors a fabulous party with live music against the backdrop of the lively atmosphere of Hamble Village.   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com.  For more J/Cup sailing information

California Offshore WeekThe New, New “California Experience”
California Offshore Week’s “Reach to the Beach”!
(San Francisco, CA)- A new offshore series has been organized to provide an opportunity to experience the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego. Beginning in 2016, California Offshore Race Week will combine historical races with a modern design, offering competition and camaraderie from May 27th to June 4.  If you know anything about Californian’s and their predisposition to surfing and sailing downwind, then toss this idea on to your bucket list!  Go big offshore, huge gentle swells with the usual NNW winds of 10-20 kts means you will be reaching to the beach (finish line) in virtually every race.  J/Sailors rejoice!  A fun, time-efficient, family-friendly way to enjoy the best that Pacific offshore racing has to offer!
Starting on Friday, May 27 in San Francisco Bay, the first race will be the Spinnaker Cup- the fleet sails out under the famous Golden Gate Bridge and turn left down the coast 88nm to the beautiful coastal city of Monterey.
J/125 sailing on San Francisco BayAfter a short layover in Monterey, the racing picks up again with Coastal Cup, starting on Sunday, May 29th in Monterey Bay.  After a lightish air beat out of the Bay, the fleet again turns left and is sent down the coast past Point Concepcion and into Santa Barbara. This is a new course layout for Coastal Cup, which fits it into the Race Week and is also a more manageable course length than some of the course layouts in the past.
With two or three days in Santa Barbara for rest and repair, the sailors have a chance to see the beautiful city and surrounding countryside, much of which consists of wineries and other attractions.  Then, on Wednesday the fleet can join the ‘just for fun’ in-port race, it’s also an opportunity to meet many of the local racers who will be out for their Wednesday Beer-can Race that day.
The final race of the series starts on Friday, June 3rd with the second running of the SoCal 300. The fleet will start in Santa Barbara and head out into the Channel Islands, passing between Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands, heading south inside San Nicholas Island, then out past the Cortez Bank and finally into San Diego for the finish.
The CORW Committee – consisting of Encinal Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club, Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club, Santa Barbara Yacht Club, and San Diego Yacht Club – has been working hard over the past few months to bring this schedule together. The emphasis is being put on having a more traditional type of race week that consists of not just racing, but an opportunity for a week of fun and excitement, both on and off the water.
The race layout gives teams the opportunity to see the best that the California coast has to offer and also sets up a great event for both the grand prix race yachts as well as the casual racer/cruisers sailing with family and friends. Race tracking by YellowBrick will allow spectators to follow along and families can meet their teams as they finish in each city, ready to spend a great couple of days ashore at each stopover. The Double-handed Division should be very popular!  Sailing photo credits- Pressure-drop.us  For more California Offshore Race Week sailing information

J/Sailing News

The Sun Never Sets on J’s Sailing Worldwide

In America, the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend is fraught with heavy amounts of travel, like 70 million people jumping into planes trains and automobiles to catch up with family and friends in just about every corner of the country.  Not much sailing takes place, other than the occasional daysail here and there.  However, the weekend before saw the San Diego YC host the second Hot Rum Series on what turned out to be a better than spectacular day for sailing- J/24s, J/27s, J/30s, J/70s, J/80s, J/100s, J/105s, J/120s and a J/65 were all out in force having a grand old time of it!  Out East, the College Match Race Nationals were sailed in evenly-matched J/22s at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC- the three day event saw thrilling minute-by-minute, second-by-second action with teams learning the match racing game on-the-fly.
Moving eastward across the Atlantic Ocean, we find the Royal Bermuda YC hosting its eponymous Bacardi Bermuda Race Week, now hosted in the fall since it fits better into North American and European regatta schedules.  The event featured the J/105 International Invitational class with seven teams participating from around the globe.
Even further across the Atlantic, we find the penultimate Garmin Hamble Winter Series taking place on the Solent.  While some classes are nearly cast in stone regards overall winners for the series, others are still up for grabs!  J/111s, J/122s, J/109s, J/97s, J/92s are all fighting for class honors.
Finally, way, way Down Under, we find an Australian J/111 sailing the Lipton Cup in Melbourne and with a fine crew on board, having a wonderful time collecting some silverware.
Read on! The J/Community and Cruising section below has many entertaining stories and news about J/Sailors as well as cruising blogs about those who continue to enjoy the Caribbean and the South Pacific, staying warm while others are trying to stay warm up north.  Check them out!  More importantly, if you have more J/Regatta News, please email it or upload onto our J/Boats Facebook page!  Below are the summaries.

Regatta & Show Schedules:

Oct 24-Dec 8- Garmin Hamble Winter Series- Hamble, England
Nov 26-30- J/24 South American Championship- Porto Alegre, Brazil
Nov 28- Dec 6- Peru J/24 National Championship- La Punta, Peru
Dec 4-6- J/22 Jamaica Jammin Regatta- Montego Bay, Jamaica
Dec 12-13- Quantum J/70 Winter Series I- Tampa, FL
Jan 9-10- Quantum J/70 Winter Series II- Tampa, FL
Jan 13- Lauderdale- Key West Race- Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jan 18-22- Quantum Key West Race Week- Key West, FL
Feb 6-7- Quantum J/70 Winter Series III- Tampa, FL
Feb 25-28- J/70 Midwinter Championship- St. Petersburg, FL
Mar 10-13- J/70 Miami Sailing Week- Coconut Grove, FL
Apr 16-19- Charleston Race Week– Charleston, SC
For additional J/Regatta and Event dates in your region, please refer to the on-line J/Sailing Calendar.

J/111 sailing Garmin Hamble Winters seriesGarmin Hamble Winter Series #7 Report
(Hamble, England)- As the 2016 Garmin Hamble Winter Series nears its conclusion, winter has finally made an appearance.  Last weekend, racing was cancelled amid 35-knot gusts, and this week a changeable forecast ushered in light winds, winter sunshine and very cold temperatures.  Nonetheless, the race team, headed by Kathy Smalley, got all classes away after a short postponement. Their task was a tricky one, with a big right shift forecast, a strong tide running across the race course, and a patchy breeze.
These conditions turned most fleets on their heads, with many of the overall leaders scoring their worst results yet as discards, and others taking advantage of the windshifts to make big gains both on the water and overall.
J/88s sailing Hamble Winter Series- Solent, EnglandMost notably, a trio of J/88s topped IRC 2, with Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS winning the class, ahead of Richard Cooper’s JONGLEUR in second and Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEART in third. A number of close battles are lining up for the final race next weekend in this class, with a number of boats only a point apart throughout the fleet. As a result, Ward’s crew on ESJR are sitting on 3rd overall for the series with Cooper’s JONGLEUR in 5th place and Howe’s TIGRIS in 7th position.
Cornel Riklin’s J/111 JITTERBUG has the IRC 0 Division pretty well locked with just 7 pts as a result of 7 straight 1sts!  They are leading a potential sweep of the division for J/Teams with Louise Makin’s J/111 JOURNEYMAKER II in 2nd place and Chris Daniel’s J/122 JUNO in 3rd overall.
With one more weekend of sailing, it is also possible that J/Teams could sweep the IRC 3 Division.  Annie Kelly & Andy Howe’s J/97 BLACKJACK II are leading with 8 pts net and they are closely followed by Robin Stevenson’s J/92S UPSTART with 12 pts net.  Caught in a horse race for the last spot on the podium is David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO, just one point out of third with 30 pts net.
J/109s sailing Hamble Winter seriesThe J/109 Class is having great sailing and it is clear that Simon Perry’s crew on JIRAFFE is having quite a go of it this fall.  Their six bullets are helping to lead the class by six points.  The next two boats are in a duel to the finish, with Roger Phillips’ DESIGNSTAR currently sitting in 2nd with 14 pts and Joe Henry’s JOLLY JACK TAR in 3rd with 15 pts; whomever beats whom in the last race will determine the outcome of that dogfight!
Day sponsor One Sails handed out prizes at the HRSC clubhouse after racing, where competitors warmed up after what felt like the first real day of winter they’ve seen in the series so far.
Next week sees the final race of the 2016 Garmin Hamble Winter Series, and should see some close racing to determine the final results of what has been a competitive event.  Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth/ Pwpictures.com.   For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/120 CC Rider- Chuck Nichols- sailing Hot Rum seriesJ/Teams Leading San Diego Hot Rum Series
(San Diego, CA)- The second race in the famous San Diego YC Hot Rum Series took place this past weekend in simply spectacular sailing conditions off Point Loma.  With a fresh 10-14 breeze from the NNW, the fleet took off into the wild blue yonder under sunny skies and great expectations to finish fast to enjoy an afternoon of relaxing at the clubs expansive deck overlooking the harbor.  Just about everywhere one could see there were big smiles, laughter and plenty of ribbing as teams prepared for their assault of the course, hoping to catch everyone that started in front of them to be crowned winner for the day!  It was close for a lot of J/Teams.
J/65 Maitri- sailing San Diego Hot Rum seriesIn Class 1, the top J crew is Tim Fuller’s J/125 RESOLUTE, holding on to 4th position with an 8-3 for 11 pts.  Mark Surber’s J/125 DERIVATIVE is sitting in 10th place in class with a 6-13 for 19 pts and Tom Barker’s gorgeous J/65 MAITRI is currently lying 14th with a 12-16.
The J/120s are all doing well in Class 2, with two boats tied for third place- John Laun’s CAPER with a 3-8 for 11 pts and Mike Hatch’s J-ALMIGHTY with a 4-7 for 11 pts.  Just one point behind them is Chuck Nichol’s CC RIDER with a 2-10 for 12 pts!  And, the leading boat has 7 pts, so everything goes for determining the outright class winner next weekend!
J/105 sailing Hot Rums Series off San DiegoClass 3 has the benefit of several extremely well-sailed J/105s in their midst, in fact they are sweeping their class for the time being.  The racing cannot be much closer for this intrepid band of sailors, with Rick Goebel’s SANITY and Dennis Case’s WINGS both tied on 4 points each for the class lead with Dag Fish’s VIGGEN in third with 7 pts.  Steve & Lucy Howell’s BLINK! is sitting in 5th with 11 pts, Ed Sanford’s CREATIVE is 7th with 14 pts and Mike O’Connell’s SPEEDPLAY is 9th with 17 pts.  Not a bad performance for these guys, six of the top ten!
Leading another sweep in Class 4 are the J/70s, with Dave Vieregg’s SOGGY DOLLAR sitting on top with 4 pts, followed by Steve Wyman’s NUNUHUNU in 2nd with 7 pts and then Tom Reilly’s J/100 JASWINDER in third place with 9 pts.  Not far off the pace is Robert Berkley’s J/70 MOCKING J with 16 pts and in 10th place is Eduardo Saenz’s J/70 DESTROYER.  Like their colleagues in Class 3, there are 5 J/teams in the top 10!
In the overall standings, the J/105s are right in the hunt for the top three.  Case’s WINGS is currently 3rd with 12 pts and Goebel’s SANITY is 5th with 16 pts.  Sailing photo credits- Cynthia Sinclair/ San Diego YC.   For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series sailing information

J/105 sailing past Oracle Team USA AC 45 foilerBermuda J/105s Cheque-Mated!
(Hamilton, Bermuda)- The 2015 edition of the XL Catlin Bermuda International Race Week was blessed with relatively classic Bermuda sailing conditions for the international group of sailors in the J/105 fleet.  The forecast could not have been much better, with the first day’s racing schedule to have NNE winds of 10-20 kts, partly cloudy skies, followed by more of the same on Friday with slightly less wind, and then closing with lightish airs and a sunny day on Saturday.
Fittingly, the weather Gods cooperated for the most part, permitting the Royal Bermuda YC’s PRO, Hank Stuart, to complete the ten race no throw-out series for the fleet of seven boats.  The format is unique, local Bermudian crews of three persons are matched with international crews of three people, with the Bermuda and International skippers swapping for each race, each skipper helming five races each.
The racing on Thursday started off in cool temperatures (by Bermuda standards) with puffy, streaky breezes ranging 20-30 degrees in the 12-22 kts range.  Fast out of the gate was homeboy, home-town hero Peter Bromby and co-skipper Chris Murphy sailing CHEQUEMATE, posting a perfect score of five bullets to take a commanding lead.  After a slow start fraught with mistakes in the first race, the YABSTA crew with Trevor Boyce (BER) and Stew Neff (USA) sailed to a 4-2-2-2-2 scoreline to secure a strong hold to second place.  Settling into third place after the first day was the team of Jon Corless (BER) and John Barnett (USA) with a 5-6-3-3-5 record.
The second day dawned with beautiful blue skies and a moderate breeze from the ENE, blowing 6-10 kts, gusting higher at times during the day.  Continuing their remarkable string of firsts was the Bromby/ Murphy team on CHEQUEMATE, starting out their day with a 1st place in race 6 and closing out the day with a 3rd to remain comfortably at the top of the standings.  With two races being sailed in light to moderate winds, the Great Sound was up to all its tricks as big, puffy, dark grey clouds would slide across the race area and produce massive veering or backing shifts for each leg.  With near lottery-like sailing conditions, the standings were jumbled for the balance of the top teams.  The YABSTA Boyce/Neff crew survived the day with a 3-7 while behind them the BACK IN BLACK crew of Ed Faries (BER) and Mark Riley (USA) sailed lights out to post a 2-1 for the day and jump into 3rd overall.  MAYHEM dropped back to 4th place with a 4-6 record and PASSION’s team comprised of Jim Macdonald (BER) and Andrew Kennedy (USA) from Annapolis tightened the gap with the top three with a 5-2.
On the final day, the wind Gods finally listened to everyone’s wishes and permitted the J/105 teams to sail three more races. The day started with the Great Sound resembling a mirror. Hank Stuart, the PRO, sounded the horn and the AP went up the Club’s flag pole alerting the classes to stay ashore. The Race Management Team went afloat to hunt for wind. At 10:32:55 the AP came down and the fleet was for racing.  On the final day, the YABSTA team of Boyce/Neff won the day based on their very consistent 3-1-3, enabling them to secure a second overall as well as second in both “divisions”, Boyce 2nd in the Bermuda skipper category and Neff 2nd in the International group.  Also, roaring back from a dismal second day was the MAYHEM crew of Corless/Barnett, posting a 1-6-1 to take second for the day and secure third overall, with Corless taking 3rd in the Bermuda group and Barnett 4th in the International.  Third on the day was CHEQUEMATE’s Bromby/ Murphy team with a 2-5-2 record to hang on for the overall win and winning each category- Bromby (BER) and Murphy (International). Of note, was that Mark Riley on BACK IN BLACK was third in the International skipper’s group.
J/105 sailing BermudaOne of the highlights of the regatta was the Oracle Team USA America’s Cup team training on their two 45 foot foiling catamarans with Jimmy Spithill leading the charge and teammate Tom Slingsby sailing the other boat.  On Thursday and Friday, the two boats could be seen slicing and dicing the aquamarine waters of the Great Sound at a high-pitched hummm as they sailed between the J/105s racing the regatta.  No one on board the J/105s could be heard complaining, especially since Spithill & Slingsby were smart enough sailors to never affect the wind of the J/105s sailing upwind or downwind on the 0.8 to 1.0nm long legs.  In fact, it was quite a thrill to see them whistling past the fleet at speeds ranging from 20 to 32 kts— fast boats those cats are!!  Here is Jimmy Spithill’s video of the America’s Cup 45 ft foilers sailing around the J/105s on the second day of racing.
Furthermore, there was a nice 10-minute sailing video produced by a local PR/Media team that can be seen here where you see both the J/105s and the OTUSA 45 ft foilers doing fly-bys.
Thank you to the great sponsors of this event – Bacardi Limited, EFG, Bermuda Tourism Authority and J/105 sponsors: XL Catlin & Butterfield Group.  Sailing video credits- Jimmy Spithill/ Oracle Team USA.   For more Bacardi Bermuda Keelboat Race Week sailing information

J/111 sailing fast- Melbourne, Australia Lipton Cup regattaJ/111 JOUST Wins Australia’s Lipton Cup
(Melbourne, Australia)- The Melbourne-based J/111 JOUST had a good regatta winning the AMS category at the Lipton Cup sailed between several clubs on Port Philip Bay.
As the second smallest boat up against 52-foot carbon race boats, it was not expected to perform so well on handicap and line honours. Saturday was 15 knots with heavy seas for three windward-leewards, Rod Warren’s crew on JOUST performed incredibly well in the challenging conditions to secure two bullets and a third.
On Sunday, it was a four-hour race around the cans in similar winds.  After two hours a 46-foot carbon boat finally managed to get past JOUST, which maintained upwind speed in the high sevens!  JOUST finished just three minutes ahead of the famous America’s Cup 12 meter KOOKABURRA and comfortably won on corrected time!  Warren commented on their performance, “Our tactician was Aaron Linton, the Australian Taser National Champion and we had the local North Sails guru aboard, Aaron Cole- they were the ‘A’ team!  Thanks to all involved for a tremendous weekend of sailing.”  For more J/111 sailboat information

J/22s sailing College Match Race Nationals- Charleston, SCCharleston Wins College Match Race Nationals
Dartmouth Sailing Posts Dramatic Comeback to Take Silver
(Charleston, SC)- Ten collegiate teams from across the USA competed at the 2015 College Sailing Match Race National Championship, with racing in matched J/22s on November 20-22 in Charleston, SC.
During the three days of sailing, the racing was incredibly close. After the first round-robin, Georgetown University was leading with Eckerd College in 2nd place and Texas A&M University in 3rd place.  After the ensuring Repechage round for the top eight teams, it was still Georgetown in 1st place with Eckerd in 2nd position, followed by Dartmouth College in 3rd and College of Charleston in 4th.
During the quarter-finals on the second day, the wheat started to separate from the chaff, with Charleston beating the leading Georgetown team in the semi-finals to qualify for the championship and Dartmouth crushing Eckerd as well 2-0 to launch themselves into the final round.
The finale was epic, filled with drama as the two gladiators, hardened by dozens of races, flexed their muscles, and showed why they deserved to be in the final face-off for the College National Match Race Championship.  It was a bit like the American Civil War, the Confederate south (Charleston) up against the Unionists from the north (Dartmouth); and no one was giving an inch.  Charleston’s team (Christophe Killian, Beka Schiff, Jake Reynolds, Reed Baldridge) was up against a formidable Dartmouth team (Charles Lalumiere, Nathanial Greason, Abigail Rohman, Hope Wilson).  After the first two matches, the South was leading 2-zip.  However, the Dartmouth team rallied big-time, pulling out all the stops and before everyone knew it, “Big D” was back in the game.  With two straight wins under their belt, the momentum had shifted dramatically; the Green Machine from the North was feeling pumped about their one-two punch in the 3rd and 4th race.  With the two teams tied on points, it was going to be an epic fifth and final race. The spectators were going crazy. Circling like wild cats in a fighting cage, the two combatants went at one another right from the start.  However, in the end, the Charleston team just edged out the Dartmouth crew to take the overall win.
In the Consolation Round, Georgetown University (Nevin Snow, Meaghan MacRae, AJ Reiter, Campbell D’Eliscu) took the best of three series with a swift 2-0 record over Eckerd College (Tim Siemers, Jason D’Agostino, Bill McKenzie, Jessica Resnick).   For more College Match Race Nationals sailing information

J/Community
What friends, alumni and crew of J/Boats are doing worldwide
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Arizona YC J/24 women's sailing team* Victor Felice, Rear-Commodore of Arizona YC in Phoenix, Arizona is supporting the growth of women sailing in the greater southwestern parts of America.  Here is his latest endeavor:
“For the first time in nearly four years, I am passing the tiller of my J/24 MERMAID RESCUE to a new skipper. In fact, the whole crew is brand new. On December 5th, the Arizona Yacht Club is hosting the annual Governor’s Cup Regatta on Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix.  It is a “pursuit” race- based on a handicap formula, the slowest boats will leave first, followed in order by faster boats. The Regatta course takes all the boats twice around Lake Pleasant and, in theory, all boats should finish at the same time.  This is a really big cup (not just the prestige of winning, it really is big!).
The new crew is an “all women team” selected from amongst the best women sailors in the club. Amongst them there are champions, commodores and cruisers turned hardcore racers. The crew members are:

  • Kim Stuart – Match Racer, New Zealand and Canadian Women’s National Championships, Harken Cup in Sydney and much more
  • Cynthia Pillote – AYC Ruth Beals Cup Champion, Fleet Champion, former AYC Commodore
  • Stacey Haggart – Current AYC Club Champion
  • Monique Palermo – Cruiser-turned-Racer, Future Governor’s Cup winner

They will all meet for the first time the weekend before the Regatta– none have sailed together. None have sailed a J/24, as a matter of fact. (Yes, maybe some day the will become J/Lovers, too!).
Please join me in wishing the ladies good wind and fast sailing.  If you would like to show the ladies your support with words of advice, ideas, suggestions, go-fast tricks or anything that comes to mind, please do so. Please email me- victor.felice@mermaidrescue.us”  Cheers, Victor.

J/Cruisers
J Cruisers continue their adventures around the world, below are a selection of most excellent “blogs” written by their prolific publishers.  Some terribly amusing anecdotes and pearls of wisdom are contained in their blogs. Read some! You’ll love it.
* The J/40 HERON REACH sailed by Virginia and Jerry is participating in the Blue Planet Odyssey project and have recently joined them in the Marquesas Islands in the Eastern Pacific.  Learn more about their adventures and experiences here- http://heronreachodyssey.blogspot.com/
Giant whale breaching in front of J/160 SALACIA off Australia's Whitsunday Islands* J/160 SALACIA has been sailing in Australia in the Whitsunday Islands.  Guess who decided to throw themselves across their bow as they cruised comfortably to their next destination?  A giant whale!  Look at this amazing photo!
J/42 cruiser- sailing across Atlantic Ocean* Jim & Heather Wilson just completed a circumnavigation of our “blue planet Earth” in June 2013 on their J/42 CEOL MOR.  Said Jim, “The odyssey of CEOL MOR is over, for now.  We completed our circumnavigation on our J/42 when we crossed our outbound track in Britannia Bay, Mustique. We were, however, still 2,000 nautical miles from home. So we continued on through the Windwards, the Leewards, and then through the British Virgin Islands. After a farewell ‘Painkiller’ at the Soggy Dollar, and a last meal at Foxy’s, we made the 1,275 nautical mile passage to the Chesapeake and completed our port-to-port circumnavigation when we arrived in Annapolis on June 28, 2013. We had been away 1,334 days, completed 259 days of ocean passages, and sailed 30,349 nautical miles (34,925 statute miles). Read more about their adventures in their  well-documented blog here: http://www.svceolmor.com/SVCeolMor/Welcome.html
* J/160 AVATAR headed for the Caribbean, again, for 2015/ 2016!  We LOVE these updates from our cruising J sailors that continue to criss-cross the Seven Seas. This one comes from Alan Fougere, sailing his beloved J/160 AVATAR.   Alan sent us an email update regards their various improvements and refit to the boat (see above).  They will again be based at Proper Yachts in St John, US Virgin Islands.
Bill & Judy Stellin- sailing J/42 Jaywalker* Bill & Judy Stellin were interviewed about cruising on their J/42 in the Wall St Journal called “Retiring on the Open Sea”.  The Wall St Journal asked Bill to reply to dozens of questions that flooded into the WSJ’s Editor desks. Here’s the update:
Retiring on the Sea: Answering Readers’ Questions
Advice about selecting a boat, ocean crossings, itineraries and safety
Wall St Journal interview- Stellin's Offshore cruising/ sailing retirementThe article in our WSJ Online December retirement report about eight years spent sailing the Mediterranean— “Retiring to the Open Sea”— prompted many questions and comments from readers.  We asked William Stellin, who wrote the story, to answer some of the most common queries.
WSJ- “What kind and make of boat did you use? Looking back, would you have picked a different boat?”
Bill- “In 1995-96, J/Boats of Newport, RI, came out with a new cruiser/racer model, the J/42. We bought hull No. 6 of this popular 42-foot sailboat and named it JAYWALKER. This was our fourth boat since beginning sailing in 1975.
Although long-distance cruising wasn’t what we had in mind when we purchased JAYWALKER, it soon became apparent it had the ability to carry us easily and safely anywhere we wanted to go. Because the boat is light, it sails well in light winds, which means very little motoring is necessary.
People often ask (and argue) about what boat is best for cruising. Any boat that is strong, safe, fast, comfortable and easily handled by two people should fit the bill. One thing for sure, fast is fun—and important when trying to avoid bad weather.”
READ MORE ABOUT BILL’S INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY AND THOUGHTS ON WSJ ONLINE HERE
* The J/42 JARANA continues their epic voyage around the Pacific. Continue to read about Bill and Kathy Cuffel’s big adventure cruising the South Pacific headed for New Zealand.  Their blog is here:http://www.svjarana.blogspot.com/
* John and Mary Driver are sailing their J/130 SHAZAM for extended cruising in the Atlantic basin. At this time, John and Mary finished their double-handed crossing of the Atlantic, landing in Portugal on their J/130 Shazam after completion of their ARC Rally. Read the latest news athttp://www.sailblogs.com/member/shazam/.
J/130 sailing ARC Rally arrives Portugal- leave a message on the sea wall!* Several J/160 owners are island hopping across the world’s oceans, fulfilling life long dreams to cruise the Pacific islands, the Caribbean islands, the Indian Ocean and all points in between.  Anyone for Cape Horn and penguins??  Read more about their adventures and escapades (like our J/109 GAIA, J/42s PAX and JAYWALKER and J/130 SHAZAM friends above).
–  Bill and Susan Grun on the J/160 AVANTE are also sailing in the Pacific archipelago, read more about their great adventures on their blog (http://web.me.com/susangrun).  Read about their latest adventures as they’ve gotten to New Zealand- “Avante Cruises the Pacific”.
– Eric and Jenn on the J/160 MANDALAY also sailed the Pacific archipelago, read more on their blog athttp://www.sailmandalay.com.  Eric and Jenn are J/World alumni took MANDALAY up and down the West Coast (Mexico, CA), then to the South Pacific and New Zealand.  MANDALAY is back in San Francisco now, and in the J/World fleet–she is available for skippered charters, private instruction, and corporate/executive groups.