J/24 TUNDRA ROSE Wins Seattle NOOD!

J/80 SKYE ROCKET & J/105  DELIRIUM Win Class(Seattle, WA)- When Seattle decides to put on a show weather-wise, she is a gorgeous place: Mountains abound, Puget Sound and Lake Union and Lake Washington provide ideal racecourses. Sure, it's dark and stormy here in the deepest months of winter, but in the summer, Seattle simply can't be beat. Case-in-point- this past weekend's Sperry Topsider NOOD regatta. While Sunday ended up being a rainy day of sailing (drum roll for the stereotypes), Friday and Saturday were the stuff of sailing legend-  perfect breeze, more sunshine than most Seattleites know how to handle, and enough psyched sailors to create a great event.

Showcasing three-consecutive days of top-tier sailing in various weather and water conditions, J/24 Skipper Mark Laura and his boat, TUNDRA ROSE, was declared top overall boat at the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta in Seattle. As a reward for mastering the Puget Sound race course, Laura and crew won an invitation to compete in the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Championship Regatta in the British Virgin Islands at the end of the season to compete aboard Sunsail 44S against the other overall winners in the 2012 series.

What may have earned Mark's team the top-billing for the regatta was the fact that the top four teams all finished within three points of one another after seven closely fought races.  Mark's team started off with a bomber race- a 9th- but managed to rattle off a string of four 3rds and two 5ths to win by only 1 pt with no first places-- that's consistency!  Tied for second were PEARL and TREMENDOUS SLOUCH- accounting for three 1sts in the event.  Winning the tie-break with two of those 1sts was TUNDRA ROSE sailed by Mike Johnson's team on PEARL, their 3-1-3-7-11-6-1 for 32 pts was enough to secure second place.  Third was Scott Milne on TREMENDOUS SLOUCH, sailing to a 2-7-1-10-2-8-2 for 32 pts to snatch third overall.  Fourth was SELF ABUSE (Harry Dursch) and fifth was R.Y.L.A.H. (John Mason).

The J/80 class had a tight, four boat fleet with well-sailed boats.  Just about all the boats won a race, indicative of how close the racing was overall.  And, there were no runaway winners.  Fun racing.  In the end, it was Bill McKinnon's SKYE ROCKET that won with just 19 pts.  Second was HEART ATTACK sailed by Joel Shapiro with 21 pts and third was David Schutte on TAJ MAJAL with 23 pts.

The J/105s also had good teams returning from last year and it was clear that a trio of boats were having a heckuva regatta.  Like their J/80 counterparts, in this case five races were won by different boats over nine races-- a pretty equitable distribution.  Making fewer mistakes than most was Jerry Diercks' DELIRIUM, amassing a 1-4-6-1-2-2-3-3-3-3 for 25 pts.  The fun-loving "Italians" aboard Lorenzo Migliorini's ALLEGRO VIVACE were leading after six races but maybe had too much fun on Saturday night?  In the end, their record of 4-5-2-2-1-1-1-7-4 for 27 pts fell just short of snagging gold, having to settle for silver on the podium.  Third was Doug Schenk's FREE BOWL OF SOUP with a 2-1-5-6-5-3-4-1-2 for 29 points, nearly overtaking their friends on the VIVACE.  Fourth was Jim Geros' LAST TANGO and fifth was Erik Kristen's JUBILEE.   Sailing photo credits- Jan Anderson     Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes.  For more Sperry Topsider Seattle NOOD Regatta sailing information

J/24 Italian & J/24 European Championship Preview

(Arzachena, Sardinia, Italy)- With 51 teams already registered, the Club Nautico Arzachena on the spectacular island of Sardinia will have near record attendance for both the Italian J/24 Championship and the J/24 European Championship.  It's not surprising that sailors look forward to making a "pilgrimage" to the great island of Sardinia since it generally offers fabulous sailing conditions, gorgeous azure blue Mediterranean waters, and incredibly delicious hospitality.

Simply put, Sardinia is a favorite with sailors around the world. The weather and sea conditions and the spectacular landscape, from the Gulf of Arzachena and the archipelago of La Maddalena, make it a sought-after area for sailing competitions.  Not surprising.  So far, lovers of the Italian landscape and seascape include 29 Italian, 13 German, 2 Hungarian, 2 Greek, 2 Monaco, 1 Swedish, 1 Brazilian and 1 American team to date!  Included are the reigning Italian Champions on LA SUPERBA and recent J/24 World Champion- BRUSCHETTA, with Brazilian Mauricio Santa Cruz at the helm.

"We are pleased with the large number of participants, especially given the economic crisis that has forced many clubs to waive participation," says Tonino Chessa, president of the organizing committee, "we feared for the heavy costs of travel necessary to reach Sardinia. Fortunately, some shipping companies have guaranteed benefits on prices. This first result encourages us to continue to focus on these events, which I believe are the best tool for the dissemination of the economic development of our region and, especially, for the dissemination of the sport of sailing."  The races start with the practice race of the Italian Championship on Friday May 25.  For more J/24 Italian & European Championship sailing information

J/24 Sail Training video- off Australia

(Sandringham, Australia)- As part of a coaching weekend just before the Vic States, Michah Shuwalow, from the SYC boating academy ran a session with the local J/24 fleet.  Michah produced a J/24 Sail Training Video at Sandringham YC prior to the Victoria States J/24 Championship.

As well as taking photos, Michah provided a GoPro camera that was attached to three different boats over the mornings races. It was fascinating to see the differences in the way we all sail the boats.  Here’s a video that Michah put together showing PACEMAKER in the first race.  The coaching footage was taken during the Sandringham YC's J/24 Sprint Series this winter.  The video features musical artist Skrillex and their recent Top 40s Hit "Bangarang (featuring Sirah)."  Enjoy, some interesting practices being used on J/24s nowadays that are developments of boat-handling maneuvers from the past.   Check out the Australian J/24 sailing video here.

India J/24 Women Sailor Promoting Sailing

India's top J/24 women sailor and women's match racer, Ayesha Lobo, is helping grow the sport of sailing in one of the world's largest developing nations.  With millions of miles of shoreline, many gorgeous harbors to sail out of and lots of "natural amphitheaters" to promote the sport on the water, Ayesha and friends are doing their best to promote sailing to a whole new generation of sailors in India.  And, they're making the efforts work in the most extraordinary ways.  Here's a quick report from Ayesha on her recent activities-

"Congratulations on the J/70 its a beauty, I can't wait to sail it sometime soon.  This is mail is long over due as I have been caught up with university and sailing. Just to give you a quick update- the link here is an article which I got them to do as a part of
developing the Adventure Sports Groups who are interested in water-based sports in India (a national promotion/ tour agency).

In our huge country, the percentage of people that know about sailing is not even one percent!! I’ve decided to explore all possible dimensions of fun on a J/Boat.  We are opening up the J/Boat experience to everyone and expanding the field to more buyers.

MTV India (yes, the big music television channel) wants me to collaborative with them, so I am currently working on ideas for outdoor sports & activities that combine music, beauty and sailing!

We are taking our J/24 down to Hyderabad, where we will conduct a "Discover The J Experience" for the next few months (June to August). If this is successful I am planning to visit other centers and maybe create a few new ones.  I find there is so much about the J/Boat I need to learn and I am looking forward to this very exciting experience, and I am all pumped up about it. Best regards, Ayesha"

For more Indian Women's Sailing information and more information about Ayesha's experiences.

Ginormous Cinco de Mayo Regatta

J/24 SVENJA Squeaks By FIVE--JADED--DOGS
(Santa Barbara, CA)- Having one of their best and largest regattas in the greater SoCal region (Santa Barbara/ Los Angeles/ San Diego) in recent years, the sixteen J/24s that sailed in the Santa Barbara Sailing Club's annual Cinco de Mayo Regatta had tremendous competition-- the event had North American and Western Regional Champions in attendance.

In the end, after plenty of tasty margaritas, great tacos and even better racing, Team Zimmerman sailing the great yacht SVENJA snatched a well-deserved victory over some very tough hombres.  After accumulating a 2-3-1-4-1-2-9-5, the SVENJA team amassed a total of 18 pts, to win a squeaka' over the next three incredibly well-sailed boats.  The next three teams all went into the last race essentially tied on points.  Amongst that trio were Pat Toole's veteran team on THREE BIG DOGS, Klatt's crew on JADED and Taylor's gang on TAKE FIVE.  Taylor's team was on a tear in the last three races getting a 1-2-1, but it was not enough to get silver on the podium, instead having to settle for 4th place overall.  Dueling it out for second and third were Klatt's JADED and Toole's 3 BIG DOGS.  After the dust settled, the two boats ended up tied on points with 22 pts each, with the nod going to JADED for second place on the basis of having the most firsts.  Fifth in this tightly bunched fleet was Whisenhunt's crew on TORTOISE.  For more Santa Barbara Cinco de Mayo J/24 sailing information

Seattle NOOD Sailing Preview

J/24, J/80 and J/105 One-Designs Sailing
(Seattle, WA)- The Emerald City as it's known in the Pacific Northwest is getting ready to host its annual spring sailing extravaganza, the Sperry Topsider Seattle NOOD Regatta, on the spectacular waters of Puget Sound.  With enormous snow-capped mountains in the background and lush green pine forests cascading down the slopes, the setting could not be more picturesque.  With a forecast of partly cloudy skies and light to moderate southerly winds, it gives hope to the "locals" who are used to sailing in one of the "wettest" metropolitan cities in the world (average 220 rain-days per year).  The sailors may yet have a beautiful weekend of sailing to start off the Seattle sailing season.  Even then, lousy weather, rain, fog, drizzle don't dampen the spirits of sailors in these parts, it's all just part of the laid-back, fun-loving atmosphere.

There is a strong contingent of J Sailors participating in the regatta in three one-design classes of J/24s, J/80s and J/105s.  In the fourteen boat J/24 class, some familiar names that have been near the top of the leader board over time will be present.  Amongst those contenders will be Scott Milne on TREMENDOUS SLOUCH, Mark Laura on TUNDRA ROSE, Richard Bustamante on HABANERO and Noel Morgan on JOSS.

In the J/80 class, it's a tougher call since most of the boats are well-sailed in a small fleet.  Nevertheless, past participants like Bryan Rhoes on CRAZY IVAN, David Schutte on TAJ MAJAL and Bill McKinnon on SKYE ROCKET will be in the hunt.  Perhaps they'll all have a bit of anxiety if HEART ATTACK sailed by Joel Shapiro beats them all!

The J/105s have a number of good teams returning from last year as well as some new additions.  Certainly looking for podium finishes based on past performance will be Lorenzo Migliorini's ALLEGRO VIVACE, Jim Geros' LAST TANGO, Doug Schenk's FREE BOWL OF SOUP and Jerry Diercks' DELIRIUM.  For more Sperry Topsider Seattle NOOD Regatta sailing information

SERCO Wins J/24 Spring Cup

(Plymouth, England)- Hosted by the Royal Western YC in Plymouth, England (the same club that hosts the Fastnet Race after the boats finish), the fourteen J/24s had a seemingly fantastic time sailing in the bay outside Plymouth, massive current whirlpools and all.

With the mixed weather conditions, the sailors were tested across the weekend and managed to get in all seven races scheduled.  Starting out with a 3-1-2, the team on SERCO helmed by Bob Turner put in a solid performance and ended winning the regatta with 13 pts.  Duncan McCarthy sailed MADELINE to second overall, posting some good scores in the top two but couldn't maintain consistency to take the gold.  Sailing a similar "roller coaster" scoreline was Darren Stansbury on the redoubtable HEDGEHOG, managing to win two races but not steady enough crack the top, hanging on for a well-deserved third on the podium.  Rounding out the top five were Matt Hardy on NIKATA in fourth and Nick McDonald on LEGAL ALIEN in fifth.   For more J/24 Spring Cup sailing information

"Naples Navy" Blitzes J/24 Trofeo Academia Navale

(Livorno, Italy)-  The script could not have worked out better for the Naples J/24 sailing team representing the Italian Navy for their region.  In what turned out to be a demanding few days of sailing, from big winds, sunny days and driving torrential rains and breeze to conclude the regatta, the Italian Navy's Naples team sailing LA SUPERBA led by skipper Ignazio Bonanno sailed to a flawless victory to win the J/24 Class with four first places, two seconds and a ninth (tossing the 9th).

The Trofeo Academia Navale has become one of the "must do" spring events for Italian (and European) sailors in the spring sailing calendar.  After all, the city of Livorno and the Italian Naval Academy put out the "red carpet" and throw a fabulous show for all participants, all welcome from all parts of the world.  In the "what's not to like about this" regatta category, it may not be a bad idea to put this on your "bucket list" of regattas to sail-- lots of fun, with extraordinary pageantry and style, and few do it as well as the Italians.  This year's 29th TAN, as they call it, was no exception.

On the Opening Day, "It was the day of the embrace between Livorno and the world. Along Via Grande, decorated with the colors of the city and the 29th Trofeo Accademia Navale of Livorno and the City, are paraded the flags of the 20 marine-fairing nations from all over the world participating in the races of TAN."  Indeed, it was an impressive site. Ninety-five athletes (men & women) from naval academies of Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Great Britain, India, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey. Also present was a Chief Naval Officer from Qatar who was sent as an observer-- he was so enraptured and fascinated by the atmosphere that he announced that next year, for the first time in thirty years, Qatar will be among the participants.  Where were the Americans and the famous US Naval Academy sailing team?  Or, their friendly Russian Navy Sailing Team?  Maybe next year?

From the steps of City Hall, the Mayor of Livorno, Alessandro Cosimi, gave the foreign sailors welcome on behalf of the entire city.  The applause and the enthusiasm of Livorno's citizens and elementary school children accompanied the parade along the way. It was quite a display of passion for the event and their embrace of this significant sailing event.  At the end, a parade of local historical "tall ships" participated in the festivities, including "Capricia", "Corsair II" and "Ursa Major".  Some people even won rides to sail and sleep aboard the sailing ships (count me in, too!).  To cap it all off, a significant cultural attraction was the collaboration between the TAN and the "Fondazione Teatro Goldoni," which presents the concert of "Tchaikovsky's Trio" in the picturesque scenery of the Goldoni Theatre in Livorno-- a breathtaking visual extravaganza.

Back to the sailing stuff.  The first day of racing was excellent, if not challenging.  The uncertain weather, rain in the morning and mostly cloudy skies for the day, did not affect the performance of the sailing competitions for the seven classes of racing.  After three races, Ignazio Bonanno's "Naples Navy" team on board LA SUPERBA was leading with a 1-2-1.  Second was Claudio Buiatti's JACK OF DIAMONDS with a 2-11-2 and third was Pietro Diamanti's JAMAICA NAVY with a 5-1-11.

Perhaps the most notable cultural/ sailing event of the day starred the famous Italian circumnavigator of Planet Earth- the Florentine sailor Amerigo Vespucci.  Captain Vespucci's 500th Anniversary was featured and was dedicated to his works at home in Tuscany and Livorno (his main port).

The next day of sailing saw a mix of "partly cloudy" conditions, really good wind, rain and clouds flying across the race course.  Nevertheless, despite the rain, the J/24 teams saw LA SUPERBA continue their dominance of the class.  Ignazio Bonanno's team finished the day with a three 1sts and two 2nds.  Spanking anyone?  Ouch.  Iganzio's team laid down the law and made sure no other team was going to beat them.  The German sailor Stefan Karsunine and Marco Vincenti, were in 2nd and 3rd overall, respectively.  They passed the Monaco team of Dennis Frederiksen.

The last day of sailing was almost anti-climactic for the J/24 teams.  After getting a good-ole-fashioned, military-like, "blitzkrieg" the J/24 competitors simply saw the "Naples Navy" on LA SUPERBA, led by skipper Ignazio Bonanno, walk off with a near flawless victory with four 1sts, two 2nds and a ninth. The silver medal was won by German Stefan Karsunine sailing MAX BAHR.  Bronze on the podium was taken by Marco Vincenti and Fabio Delicati of the POLIZIA PENITENZARIA.  Fourth was top J/24 Monaco Team sailor Dennis Frederiksen on YC MONACO and fifth was Litikey Farmas on NAVISCON from Hungary.

At the end of the day, here are some compelling facts.  Despite economic distress in various parts of Europe, indeed the world, this year's 29th edition of TAN saw record numbers with 16 classes of racing with 281 boats and 1,099 sailors from 20 nations.  Again, sailing, sports and the sea continue to prove to be sources of union among the peoples and cultures of the world!!

Interest in the TAN is also demonstrated by the approximately 100,000 visitors who visited the port of Tuttovela Medici during the event (just 3 days)-- and the J/24 class is the "premiere media sailing class" at the event.  Yes, that is an amazing figure.  Similar to what is seen in Newport, RI for "Tall Ships" events and far, far beyond anything ever touted (or ever seen) in the America's Cup!.  Italian sailing media are considered (alongside their French, German, Spanish and UK counterparts) to be amongst the best in the world-- TAN were accredited to more than 100 media professionals; Radio Flash Livorno broadcast live on TAN for five hours a day; and the agency ITALPRESS was print media partner for TAN-- collectively providing greater visibility and enormous "presence" to the event on radio, TV, print and Internet (social media).

As pointed out in the closing ceremony of the TAN from an Italian Navy Admiral, the success of the event is the result of the enthusiasm of the organizers and the synergies between all "actors" that participate in TAN-- institutions that range from military and civil associations, to government agencies, sailing clubs, sponsors and all those who still believe in the values ​​of sailing for the trophy. Trusting in the same enthusiasm and passion for the future, the event can look with optimism and ambition for the next edition of the TAN, the thirtieth.  Perhaps their American and the Russian counterparts might join, too?
Please visit the Trofeo Accademia Navale sailing website for more information

J/24 Ace Ken Read Wins Volvo Ocean Leg 6

Volvo 70s Ocean Race- congratulations to Ken Read and crew on PUMA Mar Mostro for winning Leg 6 and pulling into a virtual tie for the lead with three other teams- TELEFONICA the current leader with an 11 point lead over PUMA with two boats sandwiched in between- CAMPER and GROUPAMA.  It's close boys and girls!  Just three legs to go, the last long leg (Leg 7 from Miami, FL to Lisbon, Portugal) will be the toughest tactically.  From there it's just two "wind sprints" along the European coastline to finish in Galway, Ireland in early June!   You can follow the teams on http://www.volvooceanrace.com

A Media-Gasmic J/24 Easterns!

(Howth, Ireland)- Thirteen boats attended this years Mediagasmic J/24 Eastern Championships in Howth.  The Howth YC laid out the red carpet for the competing crews and all had a wonderful time sailing over the weekend in "fresh to frightening" north-easterlies.

With a third place in the opening race being his worst result in the six-race series, JP McCaldin in JAMAIS ENCORE from Lough Erne YC was an impressive winner of the Mediagasmic-sponsored J/24 Eastern Championships at Howth over the weekend.

Even National Champion Flor O'Driscoll on HARD ON PORT couldn't match the level of consistency that the northern visitors demonstrated while another feature of the weekend was the steadily-improving performance of the HYC K25 Team on KILCULLEN EURO CAR PARKS who finished 5th overall.

Discarding an 11th in the first race, the crew - led by John Blake and with Cillian Dickson on the helm - clearly learned a lot as the days went on, culminating in top notch 2nd and 3rd finishes on the second day.   

The Championship started on Saturday with four races in fresh north-easterlies and first blood was drawn by Howth's JIBBERISH (Fergus O'Kelly & others) whose gamble of a left-side long tack paid off handsomely for a sweet victory ahead of O'Driscoll and McCaldin.

Race two, three and four saw NYAH (Hyde & Deasy, RCYC/RStGYC) and JAMAIS ENCORE take turns to head the fleet, with NYAH winning two to head the fleet overnight. The fourth race highlighted just how competitive the fleet was, with 12 boats finishing within five minutes.

Fortunes were reversed on Sunday when NYAH had a disastrous 9th in the opening race and then a 4th while major rival McCaldin by comparison, had a dream day on the water. The fifth race in the series saw the Lough Erne crew win by a massive margin and while they only had to sail safely in the last race, second behind HARD ON PORT was more than enough to secure the Eastern Championship trophy with a margin of four points.

The Mediagasmic-sponsored event attracted visiting boats from Malahide, Lough Erne, Lough Ree, Lough Swilly, Royal Cork and Carrickfergus and was considered an outstanding success by the 13 crews, with much praise heaped on PRO David Lovegrove and his team for the quality of the racing.  For more MediaGasmic J/24 Irish Eastern Championships Sailing information

J/24 Sailing- Australian-style

* From The Back of the Room, It Looks A Bit Like This-- J/24 Victorian Championships story courtesy of Doug MacGregor.  The Editor nearly died of laughter recalling how often such scenarios were encountered by numerous friends over the course of time!

"Day one, race one; the wind vanished faster than a Scotsman’s wallet.  Four boats not only didn’t finish, they didn’t even get to see the finishing line as it was lifted and moved…with the flag for this being flown from some boat other than the committee boat.  We’ve just got to introduce (at least) one drop in this series now that it involves 7 races.  That’s what we huffily suggested amongst my crew.

For the next three races the wind couldn’t have been better. To give a clearer picture, we  race at the back of what we, on Crackerjack, call the pelaton.  The learned amongst you will know this makes the first top mark (before the pack has thinned out a bit) very interesting to say the least.   You are holding your line to the mark, the mob arrive in front of you and then…you don’t have the line.  You have to make more tacks than Santa Claus makes roof top visits on Christmas Eve.  And we made the same mistake over and over and over again.  We thought we’d beat that gang of bullying sails to the mark, and never did.  Some of the first top marks made stock car racing look like synchronised swimming.  All of that aside this was our third time that all five of my crew had been on the water together since May last year.  So really, we were “training”…I told my crew it’s called “competition training”…for the nationals. (ahem).  We were in awe of the speed and sheer precocious talent the younger crews showed.  All along I had been saying to my crew that sailing Js is a whole other ball game.  Tell that to the youth posse.  Whilst in my modest opinion they were in the most part sailing their J24s way too heeled over…still they made us feel as if we were sailing backwards.  So, day one…frustrated, humiliated, depressed, impressed, puzzled and our pants down around our ankles.  Strangely “all is not lost” was our battle cry.  To be honest I had one hand on my “Boat for Sale” sign.

A feisty wind presented itself to the fleet on day two.  “Bring it on” was our new battle cry…we do slogans well, don’t we??…Our belief is the heavy air really finds out the crews who aren’t as well oiled as they could be.  That turned out to be us!  Race one was touch and go genoa weather…we changed gear more times than Barry Humphries has changed stage costumes.  We were please with our speed but completely bemused by our position in the field…er, that would be near back.  Race two…I’ll not even get into it that much except to say that jibs became the order of the day (gusts of 28kts)….  We rounded the first top mark and popped the kite…with the vang on(!!!)..A broach, up again, then another broach straight into a Chinese gybe…a very, very, long Chinese gybe.  Very long.  Waaaaay long.  (funny that, the photographer was there too – Ed) An injury to take care of; a jarred neck, then another one; a cut through an eyebrow. Life jackets on folks.  No more kite on that run.  Uphill again we toiled and we popped the kite again for the second downhill run…back in the saddle as they say. It was beyond our skills to hold the spinnaker in those gusts so down it came and we opted for safety.  The final race we decided, for the hell of it, to mix it with the big boys.  We crossed the line at the pin end just behind the incredible (and ultimately victorious) Ben Lamb and basically spent the whole of that first leg copying everything he did…steering, trim, tacking…as much as we could anyway.  All of which gave us our crowning moment…eighth to the top mark.  Felt like we’d won the trophy.

Before I sign off I want to thank my crew.  Brave and loyal and tough. They never give up, they never stop trying to be better, they are never casual.  Battered and bruised and still they are there, looking at the nationals and knowing we are capable of much, much more.  I am lucky to have them."

For more fun, entertainment, amusement and simple fun sailing, check out what these guys are doing Down Under.

Annapolis NOOD Sailing Preview

NEW J/111 One-Design Class Debuts
(Annapolis, MD)- While the Sperry Topsider crew can't guarantee awesome sailing, they certainly can make sure the sailors are happy with their togs and clogs and make life ashore festive and fun.  With a forecast of light to moderate winds for Thursday/ Friday out of the south and a weak front switching the winds into the northerly quadrants at a robust 4-7 knots for Saturday/ Sunday, the PRO's will be on their toes to get some decent sailing in for the madding crowds.  How many teams will be in attendance?  With nearly 200 boats registered, there will be over 1,100+ J sailors crewing on 141 J's (that's 72% of the fleet!).

The J One-Design fleets are all well-represented and are broken down into five J/111s, a dozen J/109s, aye-teen J/105s, ocho J/35s, move J/30s, thirty-four J/80s, nineteen J/24s and thirty-six J/22s.  In fact, it's quite a significant turn-out of the 35 foot J-Designs- J/35s from the 80s, J/105s from the 90s and the new J/111s.

On that score, the J/111 fleet is shaping up to be a good test of how crews adopt to the flatter, choppier, shiftier waters of the Chesapeake Bay.  Three of the 111 teams all sailed in Charleston, having to cope with massive easterly swells from an offshore storm in NW to NE winds, making for a rolly-polly ride upwind and downwind.  Past champion VELOCITY sailed by Marty Roesch will surely be on the comeback trail and CRW Champion RAGIN led by Bob Moran and 3rd place finisher Henry Brauer on FLEETWING will be challenging for the top of the pack.  With those three as a benchmark, it will be interesting to see how quickly the other two boats, Jim Whited's BAD CAT and Anthony Culotta's CUORE DI LEONE fair against some of their well-practiced compatriots.

With three dozen teams showing up on the starting line, the J/22s continue to demonstrate that a bit of chutzpah, fun and camaraderie go a long way for long-term fleet success.  There are many familiar faces in this crowd as well as some new ones.  The event may yet turn into another donnybrook between the Rochester crowd versus the Annapolis gang.  Leading the Rochester crew will be Chris Doyle on THE JUG 41 and Vic Snyder on MO'MONEY.  The local Naptown crews are pretty formidable, amongst them will be Jeff Todd on HOT TODDY, Al Terhune on DAZZLER, Sandy Adzick on HOT TICKET and Todd Hiller on LEADING EDGE, just to name a few.

After nearly 35 years of racing, you'd think the J/24 teams would have an established pecking order amongst the top teams.  NOT!  As has been atypical of many top international one-design classes, the J/24 is so easy to pick up fast by good sailors that just about anyone can be competitive in a short period of time.  Same holds true now as it did back in 1977.  However, octogenarian Tony Parker on the storied BANGOR PACKET XXX is the local Maine/DC boy who's been keeping all the latest boys and girls in check.  After all, many a J/24 World Champion has crossed swords with Tony and lost-- he's still sharp as a tack after all those years of "ultimate fighting" in the J/24 class.  Making sure they learned a thing or two and hope to stay in front of Tony are recent J/24 World Champ Tim Healey on 11TH HOUR RACING from Newport, Robby Brown from St Pete on USA 799, Travis Odenbach on HONEY BADGER and Pete Kassal on SPACEMAN SPIFF.

An excellent turnout of thirty-four J/80s re-affirms their class strength after good fleets at Key West, Bacardi Sailing Week and Charleston Race Week-- all events on the J/80 Winter Circuit.  J/80 sailors are having a lot of fun racing their fast, closely-matched A-sail boats.  Teams that could be factors are changing as some teams improve their capabilities on boat-speed, boat-handling and tactics.  Showing great improvements recently has been Kristen Robinson and team aboard ANGRY CHAMELEON.  Others in the hunt will include Andy Burton on GROMIT from Newport, Chris Chadwick's CHURCH KEY, Bruno Pasquinelli's TIAMO, Mike Sudofsky's BOB DYLAN, Ramzi Bannura's STACKED DECK, Will Crump & Tom Klok's R80, Brian Keane's SAVASANA and Erik Storck's NA Champion RUMOR.

The J/30 sailors continue to enjoy the first cruiser-racer ever built by the J/Boats Team.  And, many "classics" of this genre abound.  These teams have a scream, no doubt about it. So, making any predictions about an outcome are certainly beyond the comprehension of even the J/30 sailors themselves.  Has something to do with rum, beer, sun, fun and varying degrees of that combination over three days of sailing.  So, working on past performance, we can at least look for Pam Morri's BUMP, Ron Anderson's INSATIABLE, George Watson's AVITA and Bob Rutsch & Mike Costello's BEPOP to be hunting around the front of the pack most times this weekend.

The eighteen boat J/105 fleet will be as competitive as ever.  Chesapeake locals such as Peter McChesney on the now famous MYSTERY MACHINE, Chris & Carolyn Groobey on JAVA, Andrew Kennedy on BAT IV, Bob Reeves on A-TRAIN, the Gitchell's on TENACIOUS and Jack Biddle on RUM PUPPY will certainly be factors in the top five.  Toss in top three J/105 NA's sailor Jim Rathbun on HEY JUDE from Toronto, ONT, Canada and some US Naval Academy Sailing Team college sailors and you're certain to see a running gun battle taking place on the waters just off Easton's Point.

J/35 sailors continue to enjoy one of the most successful 35 footers ever built as racer-cruisers.  Love the boat names, some of the old classics and some new variations.  T-BONE, AUNT JEAN, DAKOTA GIRL, BAD COMPANY, MEDICINE MAN, REBEL YELL.  Hell, might as well be at a Harley Davidson reunion in the Badlands of North Dakota, don't ya think?  Free tattoos go with this gang (although the J/30 guys might argue this point).  And, they love it, working those grinders on the massive kevlar/carbon genoas and monster masthead spinnakers to go faster and faster.  Cool boat.  Cooler crews.  Predictions here?  None.  Teams change, teams get hungover. Bless'em all, they will certainly have fun and one may guess it would be a dead heat with their J/30 friends for the highest "fun quotient" amongst the J/Clan.

At a dozen strong, the J/109s have amongst their fleet three past J/109 North American Champions in the form of Bill Sweetser's RUSH (the Local) versus Rick Lyall's STORM (the Outsider- just a Long Island Sound guy), all contending with that silver fox from Buzzards Bay/Cape, Ted Herlihy on GUT FEELING (the Foreigner- so far East the Earth ends in a cliff).  In the end, way too hard to call this one with some many other strong teams tossed into the mix.  For more Sperry Topsider Sailing World NOOD Annapolis sailing information

J/24s- Fun Sailing Australia

* Sequins and Pearls! All right. It is not about Mardi Gras or Carnivale, or even our impending Presentation Night, for then it would be sequins and pearls, after all.  What it is about is that you know that I just love a good sequence of images and our pal, who's "Not the Oldest Bowman on the Bay", Chris Furey, has supplied us with a "pearler". We'll just let him explain his pictures, then.  Said Chris, "I know that J/24s are often maligned as old-fashioned boats these days, but they still provide tight tactical racing in good sized fleets and at an affordable entry level. I sailed my first J/24 back in the late 70s and was the original Victorian dealer for the class, so I have a bit of a soft spot for the boats. We have a growing and very active fleet at Sandringham Yacht Club, with 18 boats now parked on the hardstand and prospective owners clamoring for space for more boats. A fantastic initiative from the local fleet has been to provide two fully-kitted J/24s for intermediate and youth sailors to charter and race for a season, as a stepping stone from the off-the-beach dinghy scene to keelboat racing."

"Last Sunday, I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride with ISAF Judge, Rob Ware, on the Jury boat to observe and photograph the 20 boat J24 fleet fighting out the last three races on the final day of their 2012 Victorian State Championships, which were held off Sandringham. It’s a privileged position for a keen sailing observer and photographer to be in, as we were right up close and personal with the sailors as they raced hard on a gusty Port Phillip."  For more great photos and the rest of this great sailing story.

KAOTIC Wins J/24 Vic States

Or, Was It Simply Benny & The Jets Flying Away?
(Sandringham, Victoria, Australia)- The Australian J24 fleet is returning to its glory days and enthusiastic owners and crews are reaping the benefits.  This year the 2012 Monjon J24 Victorian Championship attracted 3 National champions, 4 New South Wales, 2 South Australian and 1 youth competitor along with the majority of the Victorian fleet to make the most competitive regatta in years.  All praise to the committee who worked to secure a major sponsor Monjon Securities and two minor sponsors U.K Halsey sailmakers and Quantum Sailmakers.  Not since 1996 have 20 first class J24′s raced a Victorian Championship. Credit must go to Greame Watt and crew who did an excellent job in running 7 heats which started in 5 knots and progressively increased over two days to the final race in 30 knots.

The MONJON Victorian Championship went along without a hitch last weekend, largely due to the huge amount of preparation from a dedicated team of volunteers, led by the Victorian Association’s own Sarah Thompson and Doug Macgregor.

The weather, race committee and eager owners and crews combined to provide exhilarating racing and spectacular viewing for those lucky enough to be out there. Throughout the fleet we could see the individual battles, all as important as the next.

Up front Ben Lamb hung in on a testing Saturday and then took control on Sunday in a performance as good as I have seen in a J24, to hold the Pacemaker and Convicts teams at bay. Kaotic's win all the more important as they helped NSW get one back, after Pacemaker had taken out the NSW and National Titles earlier this summer.

I remember racing Ben Lamb in similar conditions at the 2006 Worlds when Kaotic won Race 7 and we finished third, and I can safely say they have lost none of their speed, particularly downwind.

The racing between Kaotic, Pacemaker and Convicts Revenge in the big breeze on Sunday was as tough as it gets, as we pushed each other to the limit. Stephen Girdis, a multiple National Champion and successful worlds campaigner has certainly regained his J24 mojo and would have probably taken the title, if not for two separate incidents with hyperactive which resulted in costly penalty turns.

The battle for top 5 honours was intense but Adam Evans and Hugo Ottoway showed cool heads on Sunday with solid performances in the strong northerly, enough to keep the chasing pack at bay, which was no easy task considering the improvement of the next bunch. Our first female skipper Kirsty Harris on Hyperactive was a very credible sixth, followed by Jumping Jack Flash who had fourth all but stitched up with consistently strong finishes, until their OCS in the final race. In eighth and sailing a chartered boat we had Dave West, followed by By the Lee and Make My Jay rounds out the top 10.

Normally a report might stop at the top ten but the next four boats need special mention, especially when 11th place is Joel Aulich helming Gridlock. Sailing with dad Steve on strings and sisters Megan and Kate keeping the front half in order with Steph Strong, this was their first regatta and I look forward to watching this crew cause headaches further up the order in the near future. Ron Thomson finished 12th to comfortably keep the ‘Thommo Cup’ in Victoria, followed by Michael Lewenhagen in Excite your Sense. This was a very solid result considering most of their energy went towards ensuring we had an awesome Saturday evening BBQ, which we did!  Thank you Mark Haughton (VIC Measurer) for your efforts getting the fleet measured, and in some cases painted, so we had another boat on the water.

Andrew Hunting and his youth team are new to the class and in finishing 14th they kept 6 boats behind them in their first regatta, despite carrying maximum points in the final two races following gear failure. Smart thinking from their team got the boat home safely and I must say it is great to see the rejuvenated “Sidetracked” being sailed by such a great bunch of guys.

The racing was very tough, and as we continue to tweak our equipment, Ben Lamb highlighted the value of perfecting the pin end start. At the pointy end, the crew work was super slick and the speeds were so even, that in most cases if you want to win races, it comes down to who gets off the line best. This is especially the case when the pin end is favored and the left side of the course is paying, as it has been in almost every race of both the Nationals and the Vic States. At the Nationals each race went to whoever won the battle at the pin end, and on Sunday Kaotic did it in every race for three wins!

So where to from here you ask? Well at the moment a Victorian boat holds the NSW Title, a NSW boat holds the Victorian Title and the Nationals went the way of the Victorians by a solitary point. VIC 2 lead NSW 1. Bring on the NSW Titles later this year! One Design all the way.  Thanks for the contribution by Dave Suda-- more reports coming next week!  For more J/24 Australia and Vic States sailing information

Perfect Sailing- J/Fest San Francisco

(San Francisco, CA)- It was picture perfect weather on San Francisco Bay for J/Fest, with mild winds gaining steadily through the day. Even the tides were kind, allowing rusty crews a chance to remember and practice their skills without paying too heavily before the racing season kicks into full swing.   Thirty one J/Teams participated in this year's J/Fest, with twenty J/105s, five J/120s and six J/24s.

Like their counterparts way across the continental divide in Charleston, the San Francisco J/24 crews had a serious three-way battle for first place.  Perhaps it was more of a rugby scrum than anything else.  The regatta winner was determined on a tie-breaker while third place was only one point back!  Talk about suffering a bit of anxiety on the race-track.  Settling the score by virtue of having more firsts was Darren Cumming's DOWNTOWN UPROAR, starting well and hanging tough to earn a 1-2-3-1-3 record for 10 pts.  Losing the tie-break and finishing second was Luther Strayer on LITTLE WING with a 2-3-2-2-1 tally also for 10 pts.  The only other double race-winner was Rich Jepsen's RAIL TO RAIL, gathering a 4-1-1-3-2 tally for 11 pts.  Fun, tough competition amongst those J/24 crews.

The J/120s also saw a hard fought series amongst the top three with just three points separating the teams.  In the end, Barry Lewis' CHANCE sailed consistently to garner a 4-1-3-1-2 record for 11 pts.  John Wimer on DESDEMONA sailed fast, but not fast and smart enough, to collect a 2-3-4-3-1 score for 13 pts.  Were it not for a third race scoring penalty, Steve Madeira's MR MAGOO may have had a better shot at 1st or 2nd.  Instead, the "mean green fighting machine" that is the "MAGOO" managed a 1-4-scp(4)-2-3 for 14 pts to round out the podium.

The J/105s had a great turnout with a highly competitive fleet of twenty boats.  There were some familiar names again at the top of the fleet.  This time, it was Jeff Litfin and John Case on MOJO that simply had this weekend completely dialed-in and walked off with first place.  MOJO's 2-4-2-4-2 record was blindingly consistent, winning no races, but sailing fast and conservatively smart to with with only 14 pts, 7 pts clear of the fleet.  Second was 2011 Rolex Big Boat Series Winner Scooter Simmons on BLACKHAWK, winning two races but having a tough time in the other three (7-6-6) to hang on to second place with 21 pts.  Third was another Rolex Big Boat Series winner, Bruce Stone on ARBITRAGE, starting slowly then improving over the course of the weekend, scoring a 9-5-3-6-1 for a 24 pts total.  Bruce's team just edged out Adam Spiegel's team on JAM SESSION on a tie-breaker, Adam's team accumulated a 5-10-4-2-3 for 24 pts to finish fourth.  Fifth was Tom Kennelly's WONDER, sailing one of their best regattas in J/105s so far.   Sailing Photo Credits by Chris Ray   For more J/Fest San Francisco sailing information