J/24s Sailing Primo Cup

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- With nearly 1,000 sailors coming from all over Europe, representing some 15 nationalities, the Primo Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM), is one of the most important winter events in Europe, marking the start of the international sailing season.

The regatta is sailed over two weekends in the beginning of February Feb 1-3 and Feb 8-10, with a primary focus on one-design sailing and youth sailing.  For the first weekend, included amongst the classes is the J/24 European fleets.  Amongst the J/24s will be the Swedish entry from YCM and Marstrand SS- Marianne Schoke and Stu Jardine from the UK sailing SWE 330 JULIA!  Also sailing are Alessandro Pedone from YCM sailing ITA 455 BEL COLP JESTER; longtime local sailor Dennis Frederiksen sailing MON 5452 PAGET for YCM and fellow club member Anne Rodelato sailing the famous MON 24 JOKER.

The Primo Cup attracts a lot of good sailors from across Europe to sail in the prestigious venue of Monaco.  Not hard to imagine why, since Monte Carlo is one of the coolest places to sail on the Med, plus Monaco is tres'chic!  The YCM has the support of the famous royal family- the Grimaldi's- a sailing family for generations.  Monaco's Prince Rainier collected his bride Grace Kelly by yacht from the deck of the USS Constitution, the ship she had travelled aboard from America.  And, it was on the same yacht, "Deo Juvante II", that he and the new Princess Grace spent their honeymoon cruising the Mediterranean.  In other words, salt water and sailing were in their blood.

Prince Rainier founded YCM in 1953 with the aim of promoting yachting within the principality-- starting with the old Société des Régates. In 1984, his son Prince Albert became its President (seen here at far right) and today the harbour is a seasonal focus of the international super yacht fleet.  Although a social venue par excellence, racing will always occupy a major role in the club’s activities, the Primo Cup in February being the season’s opener.  Youth and one-design sailing are a vital element of the club social life.  Prince Rainier founded the YCM Sailing School in 1970 for young people- it now uses a fleet of Optimists, Lasers and Picos. The club also hosts fleets of one-designs, including the J/24's which saw Prince Albert sailing for nearly two dozen years! Perhaps the J/70s will be the next fleet for YCM's club activities!

One of the great attractions will be YCM's new clubhouse, designed along the lines of a super yacht!  With its magnificent setting overlooking Port Hercule and the Med, it promises to be a superb showcase for Monaco, reinforcing its position as the Mediterranean's "capital of yachting". Designed by the world famous architect Lord Norman Foster, the new YCM building will contribute to the vitality of life in Monaco and the prestige of the Principality. It's an ambitious and symbolic project, check out this YouTube video of the new Yacht Club de Monaco-- pretty amazing-- J/24s can easily sail in the pool!   For more YCM Regatta and sailing information    For more YCM Primo Cup sailing information

Brian Thompson- J/24 offshore sailor

(Weymouth, England)- Brian Thompson, a J/24 sailor from England, has been setting sailing records for a long time.  Recently, he set a sailing world record as crew on the 130 foot French trimaran BANQUE POPULAIRE of under 45 days.  Just this past week, Brian sailed the MOD 70 one-design trimaran class in a record for under 100 foot sailing craft across the North Atlantic, going from New York to a mark gate off Land's End, near Plymouth, England (about 2,900nm) in under 5 days!  Then, proceeded to take a right turn, literally, to head south to Brest and still beat the record in 5 days 6 hours!!  Brian Thompson on his fastest Transatlantic yet- "It was a very nice finish, everyone is very happy.  This is my best ever-Atlantic crossing, just over 5 days from NY to Brest. I was probably waiting for five months of my life on PlayStation hoping for good weather and we never really got it, certainly not this good. The weather was almost ideal, we did not take the rhumb line past Newfoundland but went further south from the first day and then it was pretty much a straight course from there. We sailed a few more miles but we were always going fast, pretty much 25 knots or more the whole time.

I think I have done about 30 Trans-Atlantics and I think this is up there with winning the Quebec St. Malo on Sergio Tacchini and the other one was winning the OSTAR in 1992 on my own, my first Transat. This was a great race. if it hadn't been the for the foil breaking up, I am sure we would have been pretty close to the other boats.

I think we really did learn a lot. It was much harder to sail without the foil. Very easy to overpower the boat and nosedive, and so we were fine tuning that. If you had too much power the leeward hull would bury and you would stop dead. We were doing a lot of nose dives. It was a really good exercise.

The crew were awesome. Mohsin is more experienced and did quite a lot of driving and ran the pit (halyards) and was a real stalwart, and Fahad we knew was a really strong trimmer, but he turned out to be a really good helmsman. He could go very very fast, now over the next few months - he has really got the knack for it - and that adds to his skills, how to trim the boat, how to balance the boat, working out where the limits are, all things which take experience, he has the good the helming ability he has just not got the miles yet because he only started sailing three years ago and he really has come on incredibly." For more MOD 70 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

"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 Sailing Fun @ Monaco's Primo Cup

(Monaco)- For almost 30 years, the European elite has been gathering in Monegasque waters at the beginning of February to take part in the Mediterranean yachting season’s biggest event in terms of the number of participants.  With almost 1,000 sailors coming from all over Europe, representing some 15 nationalities, the Primo Cup – Trophee Credit Suisse organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM), is one of the most important winter events in Europe, marking the start of the international racing season in Europe and the Med.

Strong breezes and bright sunshine marked the first weekend of sailing which saw five very competitive series racing from Friday to Sunday for the J/24s and other classes.  International teams from all over Europe faced tough conditions, with winds up to 30 knots from the north-east to south-west, providing an excellent early start to the regatta season in demanding rather wintery conditions. “I take my hat off to all the participants, some of whom braved traffic problems caused by the wintery weather to get here, and while it was a bit chilly this year there was sunshine and wind in the bay of Monaco,” said a delighted Thierry Leret, Race Committee President, at the prize-giving when all the winning crews are presented with SLAM clothing and a pair of waterproof binoculars with compass from Bernard Optic.  No fewer than six races were held for the one-designs, still the best format for the most seasoned sailors when it comes to competing on a level playing field.

For the J/24 sailors, their sights are set on the J/24 European Championship in Monaco in 2013.  What a spectacular venue!  Sure to be a popular event, J/24 sailors must remember that none other than the HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco (and President of Yacht Club Monaco)  cut his teeth on one-design sailing in the family's principality sailing J/24s with numerous Americans and Europeans over the course of time-- at least a dozen years straight at last count!  Prince Albert is sure to be the gracious host yet again for the 2012 International J/24 European Championship at Yacht Club de Monaco!

In the 2012 edition, it was good to see the “southerners” clinch victory in the J/24s after several past series have been dominated by the “northerners”.  The crew from ST ANDREWS SECURITIES, with François Brenac as tactician, fought off the attacks by the Swede Marianne Schoke and her team sailing JULIA.  “I’ve been competing regularly in the Primo Cup for the last seven or eight years with members of the Yacht Club de Monaco. The Primo Cup is a fantastic event to kick-start the season and prepare for the big regattas later in the year. And, I am delighted to learn that Monaco will be hosting the J/24 European Championship from 6 to 12 October 2013,” said Marianne, who is also president of the J/24 European Class Association.

TOPO TOO, helmed by Claude Rodelato, finished third but the skipper was very satisfied with the result. He had a totally new team who came together specially for the Primo Cup, as his brother Jean and Blandine Medecin are currently among the leaders of the Transquadra Double-handed Transatlantic Race between Cascais (Portugal) and Le Marin (Martinique).  For more J/24 Monaco Primo Cup sailing results

Vincenti Leads Anzio J/24 Winter Championships

(Anzio, Italy)- A summer day with twenty-six degrees C cooled by a gentle breeze from the west at 5-8 knots and the beautiful sea and sky a deep blue greeted the J/24 sailors for the first event in the Anzio & Nettuno Winter Championship series.  Hard to beat such spectacular conditions south of Rome in the Tyrrhenian Sea.  Anticipation for great sailing was quite high as twenty-five J/24s prepared to sail the first day of the 37th championship

The Race Committee waited for the arrival of the thermal in the early afternoon and managed to start racing around 1330 hrs.  After a gorgeous day of sailing, it was Marco Vincenti  racing Team DJKE that was leading the fleet by 3 pt.  Second was Ignazio Bonanno sailing LA SUPERBA and third was a surprising new face at the top of the leader-board, Luca Silvestri on ENJOY 2 just two points back from LA SUPERBA.  Fourth five points back has two boats currently tied on points, Gianni Riccobono sailing PELLENERA and Manuela Santarcangelo sailing INDIANA J!  The next event is scheduled for Sunday, November 6.  For more Anzio & Nettuno Winter Championship sailing information

VILJA Wins Cervia J/24 Winter Circuit

(Cervia, Romagna, Italy)-  After the notoriously fickle northern Adriatic Sea served up bad weather the previous week (rough seas and high waves), and great racing the following weekend.  It was a concern the final weekend of the eastern Italy fleet fall championship might be at risk to the fast-moving weather systems that start to fly across Europe in the fall.

On the previous weekend, a perfect day marked by sun, fresh Mistral (12-14 knots) and calm seas allowed the twelve J/24s to sail three excellent races.  At the end of the day, victory went to the Romagnan team on CAPTAIN NEMO, sailed by Dominic Bright, Richard Ancarani, Aurelio and Claudio Comporesi Menghi- all members of the Sailing Club Ravenna.

However, by the last installment of this event, the standings would change dramatically.  After nine races as counters for the entire championship series, it was Ruggero Sperafico's team on VILJA that wins the XXXVII Winter Championship Interlaghi, the seventh and final leg of the Italian Circolo J/24.  Second goes to a Pierluigi Puthod on SPLENDIDA, suffering from a DSQ in race 7 and a 19th in race 9 to lose the championship by three points! Tied with them, but losing the tie-breaker was was Francesco Bertone sailing JJ ExtraLarge-- ugh, more agony for the top three. Then, fourth was Pietro Diamanti skippering JAMAICA only two points back and rounding out the top five was Fabio Di Rossi on VALHALLA only two points further back!!  "If only", as they say at the pub afterwards after a few pints of Peroni's Nastro Azzuro!  For more J/24 Cervia Winter Series sailing information.

PUNTO J Wins J/24 Italian Open Championship

(Anzio, Italy)- Over the past weekend, the town of Anzio (south of Rome on the Mediterranean coastline) turned into a festival of sailing: one hundred and twenty sailors, sailing enthusiasts and many, many curious passers-by enjoyed the summer-like weather.

The competition was strong and the excellent turnout of twenty-two J/24s made for a lot of fun and many lead changes!  After seven races, it was clear that Ignazio Bonanno on PUNTO J sailing for Centro Velico Marina Militare won in a convincing fashion with a 2-1-2-1-2-5-4 scoreline for just 12 pts.  Second was Fabio Delicati on DJKE from Sezione Velica Anzio (the local sailing club) with a 4-3-4-ocs-4-1-2 for 18 pts.  Fabio was a contender for the regatta lead until their unfortunate OCS in Race 4.  In third on the podium was Francesco Cruciani steering AVOLTORE from Vela Club Tarkna sailing to a 1-4-5-3-1-11 for 19 points.  Francesco  basically lost any chance of wining the regatta or getting second by bombing their last race. Instead, they just won out on a tie-breaker to get third, beating Pietro Diamanti racing JAMAICA that sailed to a 7-8-3-2-3-3-1 scoreline also for 19 pts.  Fifth was Paolo Rinaldi on AMERICAN PASSAGE with 35 pts.

During the Awards ceremony the "Prize Cruciani" went to the crew that got the best finish in four events that constituted the Italian J/24 Circuit (Spring Trophy Argentario, Pasquavela, National Championship and Italian Cup)- the winner was Francesco Crucianin on AVOLTORE

The Race Committee, composed of Riccardo Maurizi, Luciano Crocetta, Stefano and Paola Rizzo Piozzi, managed to run seven races in three days despite the wind never exceeded 7 knots! "The presence of a large turnout of J/24 teams for the Italian Cup and the meticulous checks by the J/24 class measurer, Cesare Cislaghi, contributed to the prestige of the event," said Paul D'Aloisio.  Furthermore, sailed Paul, "Anzio has now become one of Italy's most important spots for racing in one design and collaboration between the J/24 Class and the Italian Navy League in Tiber, Remo and Rome means many more J/24 sailors can join in the fun!  Next season we expect thirty boats! This is a great signal and shows how important this class is still alive in Italy and that does not matter the age of things but the ability to make them be alive."  We could not have said it any better than that, in Italian, Spanish, English, Russian, Chinese or French!    For more J/24 Italy Cup sailing information.

  

Terry Hutchinson- Why AC45 Cats are Faster than J/24s

Terry Hutchinson has been participating in the new America's Cup AC45 catamarans down in Auckland, New Zealand.  Terry has learned to stuff the bows already doing 20+ knots and "send it down the mine", as they call it- a euphemism for going down to the bottom of the sea!  Terry's ARTEMIS RACING Team is learning fast and are, simultaneously, sailing the Extreme 40 catamaran circuit in Europe and Asia.  Hear more about Terry's perspective on the "learning to sail catamarans for dummies 101".  Interesting stuff.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JusttO11jXo  

So, which former J/24 World Champion has the better sailing toy?  Terry's AC45 and AC72 or Kenny's VOR 70?  In either case, you, too, could have that choice if you started sailing J/24s, J/22s or J/80s!!

  

Ken Read's PUMA VOR 70 lives!

Designed by Juan K and built by buddy Tommie Rich at New England Boatworks! Or, what any self-respecting J/24 World Champion would want as a toy to go offshore across the Seven Seas. Looks a lot like the the last boat, just more black than red in the color scheme.  Looks FAST, though.  Just your basic box-boat 70 foot "scow" with a bluntish bow that's almost round.  Not exactly an aesthetic boat with romantic lines, just brutal, raw power manifest in all carbon-black (the interior is black, too-- pretty, eh?).  No micro-modal sheets, pillow tops and down pillows for these boys-- more like carbon cloth bunks, plastic clothes, plastic underwear and synthetic mainsheets easing constantly on carbon drums at 120 db every minute or so.  Fun? Just 38,000 miles worth, too.  Only for masochists paid to take the pain.   Nevertheless, we wish Kenny luck and God Speed on this venture-- the French brigade will be tough (Stan Honey thinks the French are even crazier and tougher than the Kiwi's offshore--- he oughta know, they even smoke Gaulouoise hand-rolled cigarettes when it's blowing 50 knots in the Roaring 40s!).   Sailing photo credits- George Beris

  

Brazil Wins Trofeo Accademia Navale

(Livorno, Italy)-   Brazil beats Italy?  Sounds like a soccer (futbol) game.  No, just a story of a good Brazilian sailor stuck in Italy not wishing to leave such a warm, loving, hospitable and fun-loving people that love the "dolce vita", have delicious pastas and even yummier wines.

With an impressive series (five first places and two second places) the Brazilian Mauricio Santa Cruz and his equally renowned BRUSCHETTA crew dominated the Trofeo Accademia Navale held in the city of Livorno. The prestigious event held for more than a quarter of a century ensures not only top-level racing but charm and appeal-- thanks to the Navy and its splendid setting on the seashore next to the village of Tuttovela.

The J/24 world champion (champion in 2006, ’07 and ’09), Mauricio, and his team did not even need to take to the water in the eighth and final round: they had, in fact, won the coveted trophy (delivered by Admiral Division of Pierluigi Rosati, Commander of the Naval Academy) to close the regatta with 9 points.  Silver went to JAMAICA helmed by Carrara Peter Diamond (with a crew Gianluca Caridi, Giuseppe Garofalo, Fabrizio Ginesi, Paul Governato) 26 points.  Just one point away with the Bronze medal was LA SUPERBA NAVALE led by Ignazio Bonanno.

Eight races with challenging weather and sea conditions were completed under the careful direction of the Navy League of Livorno.  Forty-two teams participated- a record for the T.A.N. regatta.  There was a strong presence of foreign Navies- with Naval Academy teams represented from Chile, China, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Japan, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.  For more Trofeo Accademia Navale sailing information.   

J/24 Naval Academy Regatta- Livorno, Italy- April 9-17

The Trofeo Accademia Navale e Citta di Livorno, now commonly known as the TAN or the Academy Trophy, has been held annually since it was first organised in 1981– as the Centennial Regatta– part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Naval Academy.

The enthusiastic support of the sailing clubs and citizens of Livorno represents a significant contribution to the success of the Trophy, which has become a major sailing event not only in national but also international circles.  This year they expect over FORTY (yes, 40) entries from naval academies around the world sailing the world's most popular one-design offshore keelboat- the J/24!

The Livorno coastline provides the perfect setting for all of the activities associated with TAN focusing on the historic site of the Naval Academy as a natural point of reference, guardian and treasury of the highest naval and sailing traditions.  The Academy Trophy is characterized by two equally important traits: on the one hand, sound athletic competition and on the other, the desire for exchange and interaction, not only with other athletes but also with those passionate or simply curious about sailing, involving both the institutions and citizens of Livorno.

Under the prestigious and longstanding patronage of the President of the Republic, the TAN continues to proudly welcome international teams to the regattas (in 2010 20 foreign navies were represented) while committing itself to the five objectives which have guided its organizers so far: athletic and competitive excellence; the exchange of expertise and experience; the international character of the event; the inclusion of disabled athletes; and finally the social, cultural and recreational activities designed to attract large-scale participation at the docks and in the city.

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy and the 130th of the Italian Naval Academy, many of the events that will take place during the 28th edition of the TAN will have a markedly historical connotation, evoking national spirit and traditions.  IF you happen to be in Italy during April 9th to 17th, by all means swing by Livorno and enjoy the festivities-- trust us, the Italian Navy knows how to throw a lavish, extravagant, very fun party.  For more sailing and event information for the Trofeo Accademia Navale in Livorno, Italy.   

J One-Design Expertise Helps Racing Big Boats!

* J One-Design Expertise Helps!  Past J/24 World Champion John Kostecki (right) led the Farr 40 Worlds fleet home sailing on TRANSFUSION.  Another former J/24 Champion Chris Larson (left) was doing the same further down the ladder.  Great story, consistency is King, as they say in tight, college-style fleets.

In race nine Transfusion's crew were coughing dust for the first upwind leg and appeared to lack boat speed while defending champion Nerone was sailing hotter angles out in front on the first downwind run. Transfusion's US tactician, John Kostecki, now a three-time winner in the Farr 40 Worlds, lived up to his reputation as one of the world's best as the local boat clawed its way back to finish second behind Nerone, and win the title!  While five different boats won races during the series, Transfusion won only once, but never dipped below a seven.  Consistency pays.

Start sailing any one of the large International J/One-Design classes- J/22 (http://www.j22.org), J/24 (http://www.j24class.org), J/80 (http://www.j80.org)- and you'll learn darn fast! Or, why do you think top women sailors have a hard time winning the Rolex Women's Worlds sailed in J/22s or many of the top USA skipper/ tacticians and European or Australian skipper/ tacticians often started in the middle of the pack of J/22, J/24, or J/80 fleets at some point in their life learning how to sail better, faster, smarter?  Takes practice to get good, lots of it.   

J/24 Monaco Primo Cup

(Monaco- Feb 4-6)- This year's 27th edition of the Primo Cup/ Trophy Credit Suisse runs over two weekends, the 4-6th and 12-13th of February and has traditionally marked the launch of the international racing season in the beautiful, picturesque principality of Monaco.  For over a dozen years, Prince Albert of Monaco raced J/24s in the event, inviting other royals from around Europe to participate and either stay at the Palace or nearby swanky hotels along the waterfront.  This past year, Port Hercules was buzzing with all the competitors from around Europe- Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Great Britain, Hungary and, remarkably, a huge contingent from Russia.  Of the 99 entries in 5 classes, the J/24s were the largest sailing class at the event (others had many "no shows").  Those 24 J/24 entries came from 7 countries- Monaco, France, England, Hungary, Italy, Brazil and Sweden.  Amongst them were Sweden's Anna Maria Gunderson, Brazil's BRUSCHETTA sailed by Maurizio Santa Cruz with J/Boats Italy's Paolo Boido aboard, England's HITCHHIKER sailed by Andrew Taylor and JOLLY ROGER helmed by Roger Morris, and Hungary's NORD TELECOM SAILING TEAM skippered by Gabor Makai.

Brazil's Mauricio Santa Cruz, three times world title holder in 2006, 2007 and 2009, commented, "It is the first time I sail in Monaco, this event is internationally recognized for it gathers the best European challengers." To gather all the competitors, Dennis Frederiksen, J/24 class representative, had organised a skiing weekend in Limone, France. Dennis mentioned that "the competition would be a great challenge as the winner of this series would also receive an "invitation" for the J/24 World Championship on 11th to 19th November 2011 in Montevideo, Uruguay."

"The years follow on and none are alike. After the snow and very strong breezes of 2010, it is the first time in 27 years that we have had such light, sunny conditions!" declared Thierry Leret, Race Committee President, at the prize-giving. Indeed, spring-like conditions, with an anticyclone centered on the Gulf of Genoa meant only one race counted during the whole of the first weekend of the Primo Cup - Trophy Credit Suisse.

"That's the risk you run with regattas! We had the most amazing practice sailing conditions from Tuesday to Thursday with 15 knots of wind and a calm sea which meant we were able to sail with many foreign teams who had arrived early to get in some training!" observed Jean Rodelato, one of the J/24 specialists in the very international field.

"It is the first time I have come to Monaco to race in the Primo Cup, as I had heard so much about this event which is a benchmark on the international one-design scene. I witnessed the dynamism of the Monegasque J/24 class which organised a ski & sail ahead of the regatta,"  commented Mauricio Santa Cruz (Bruschetta), triple world champion. Faced with a Monegasque and Italian armada, he clinched a fine second ahead of the Monegasque Pieter Flohil (Dangerous) and won “selection by invitation” to take part in the series’ world championship being held 11 to 19 November 2011 in Argentina.

As it turns out, Mauricio only had to sail one race!  On Saturday 5th February, following a recall, the J/24s competitors had to calm down their enthusiasm after being shown a black flag, with all early starts disqualified.  Despite a slow start, Santa Cruz's BRUSCHETTA team figured out the tactics and surged through the fleet to finish 2nd in the one and only race that was run on all three days!  The placid, calm seas made for gorgeous sunrise and sunset photos but offered impossible conditions to finish off the regatta after a beautiful start on Friday midday.  BTW, the "swag" the competitors receive for entering the event is extraordinary, as are the trophies-- including a Hublot Yacht Chronograph for all the winners, tasty champagne and lots of other nice things like you see in this photo! See you there next year!   Sailing and Regatta Photos by Carlo Borlenghi     For more J/24 Monaco Primo Cup Sailing Information.   

Vincenzo Onorator- ex-J/24 & J/39 sailor competes for America's Cup

* Vincenzo Onorato- another former J/24 and J/39 sailor from Italy (and leader of the famous MOBY Lines providing ferry service to the islands of Elba, Corsica and Sardinia)- is now the leader of the MASCALZONE LATINO AC34 Challenge.  Vincenzo was a good sailor when he was racing his J/24 and J/39 and was always an honorable and fun-loving person that loved the sport of sailing and, most importantly, included many of his friends and family.  Recently he wrote Michele Tognozzi, editor of FareVela (a leading Italian sailing publication):  "Dear Michele,  I read Fare Vela Online with interest, every day. I have also read the criticism leveled at my club, seen as a sleeping partner of the Defender rather than a Challenger of Record worthy of its name. I partly feel responsible for these opinions as a direct result of our scant communication on the work we are carrying out. Oracle and Mascalzone, and their respective yachts clubs, inherited a disastrous Cup in terms of image, a result of the long and, I point out, legitimate litigation with Bertarelli. Russell and I meet almost every week and our teams are in daily contact.

All decisions taken are thoroughly discussed and thought through. It is also true we are going through an international economic environment, to say the least disastrous, and this is a further incentive to act with utmost care and caution. My silence doesn't mean I'm not doing anything,  but that we are humbly working, among other things, on carrying water to our mill. I'm Italian and my mill is called Italy, I would like to take to our country a series of events of the next Cup, just like I did last summer in La Maddalena.  A Jesuit priest that taught me in school used to say: Look at the substance of things, not their form. That's what I'm doing.  Your faithful and devoted reader, Vincenzo Onorato".  Full story can be read on Scuttlebutt USA here.

  

SERCO Wins J/24 European Championship

(Kamperland, The Netherlands)- The J/24 European Championship sailing in Kamperland had a stunning last day.  England's Bob Turner sailing SERCO surprised everybody to take the lead in the standings from favorite XENON of Peer Kock from Germany. The final day was even more exciting as the reigning European champion Alexandros Tagaropoulos sailed HELLENIC POLICE to three perfect races in a row. The Greek crew won all three races while SERCO sailed to a 15th and 21st in the last two races. WILD STUFF!! The final results after 11 races showed that Bob Turner grabbed the European Championship from the Greeks with the smallest of margins. Favorite Peer Kock who was in first place during the first days of the championship had an off day for the final three races. He moved to third place overall.  Rounding out the top five were Jan Kaehler sailing UNITED 5 from Germany in fourth and Dimitros Altsiadi from Greece finishing fifth sailing EYNIKH.

New European Champion Bob Turner of SERCO: “This was a though regatta with a very close finish, indeed. But fortunately we won. We have a good  team, a combination of experience and youth. Despite of the weather the Race Management en organization here did a great job. The atmosphere was fantastic during this event. Our next target is the World Championship J/24 Sailing in Sweden”

  Alexandros Tagaropoulos, skipper of GRE 751 HELLENIC POLICE, immediately after losing his European title: “Yes, very sad. We missed the title with only one point difference! After the second race, we had some strange trimming problems with our mainsail. Yesterday, I was inside the boat and I saw by incident that the mast step inside the boat was moving all the time. So I made a quick repair. Maybe that’s why we were performing much better today”.  For more J/24 Europeans sailing information
  

Huge J Fleet @ SW NOOD Annapolis

(Annapolis, MD)- Looks like it will be a stellar turn-out for this weekend's SW NOOD Regatta sailing on Chesapeake Bay. 210+ boats to enjoy a sunny, bright weekend in the 80s and warm southerlies-- at least that's the forecast from Meteo Norteamericano-- one hopes NOAA Marine meteorologists have got it right for once.  The J Fleet is enormous with 117+ boats attending (nearly 60% of the entire NOOD fleet) and representatives from across the spectrum of one-design classes and coming from all points of the compass across the Eastern seaboard- from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (our ice hockey mad friends from way up North) down to Houston, TX (our Tex-Mex bronco-busting cow hands from the real South) and from Boston, MA (that sport crazy town renowned for the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics- what else is there?) out to Chicago, IL (another sport crazy town).  Here's a class-by-class report and some of the leaders to watch for this weekend.
The eight boat J/109 One-Design class will have class champions Rick Lyall and Bill Sweetser vying for honors in this closely fought fleet.  Rick's J/109 STORM is dashing south from winning the first day sailing at American YC Spring Series to participate in the first event of the J/109 East Coast Championship.  And, rumor has it Bill Sweetser's RUSH is ready to rock-n-roll.  Should be an interesting match up that sets the standard for the rest of the J/109 season series!

The J/105 One-Design class has twenty-five boats showing up along with some past class champions.  Amongst them will be teams like Jack Biddle's RUM PUPPY, Andrew Kennedy's BAT IV racing with Drake Johnstone as tactician, Jim Rathbun sailing HEY JUDE who finished third in the 2009 North American Championship, Bob Reeves on A-TRAIN, Carl and Scott Gitchell on TENACIOUS and Travis Weisleder on LUCKY DOG.  All these boats are well-sailed and any one of these boats are capable of winning or getting podium finishes.

With thirty-five boats, the J/80 One-Design class is by far the biggest at the regatta.  The J/80s are racing the fourth event in the 2010 USA Tour that leads up to the Worlds in Newport.  A strong Texas contingent is showing up, including past World Champion Terry Flynn on B-TEAM, class leaders Jay Lutz and Gary Kamins on FIRED UP, and Bruno Pasquinelli.  The Massachusetts teams from around Boston/Buzzards Bay are fielding some remarkably strong crews, including past J/105 North American and Key West Champion Brian Keane racing SAVASANA, past J/105 New England Champion and Sonar Champion Henry Brauer who has Stuart Johnstone aboard as tactician sailing RASCAL and Henry de Groot on WIRED.  The locals from Annapolis who expect to give everyone a serious run for the money include Ken Mangano's MANGO, Brian Robinson's ANGRY CHAMELEON, Aaron Galvin's WILLY T and Chris Johnson's DRAGONFLY.

In the J/22s, twenty-two boats will include a strong local contingent comprised of the current J/22 Midwinter and World Champion Greg Fisher racing WHAT KINDA GONE and Jeff Todd on HOT TODDY going up against some of the Rochester gang such as Chris Doyle on SOLID LAYER and Travis Odenbach on INSTIGATOR.

For the fifteen J/24s sailing, local legend Tony Parker on BANGOR PACKET (remember him leading the J/24 Worlds for a day or so?) will be leading the charge and still teaching some of the kids new tricks on how to get around the race track like the crafty old fox that he is.

The J/30s and J/35s are each eleven boats strong! That's a terrific turn-out for these two classes and familiar names like BIG KAHUNA, CHAOS, REBEL YELL, MEDICINE MAN, BAD COMPANY, AUNT JEAN, MAGGIE, BAD GIRL will be mixing it up with everyone for bragging rights in these perennial one-design classes.   More news soon.  You can follow the action at Sailing World's site.