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(Howth, Ireland)- This year's J/24 Worlds promises to be a special event,
one remembered for decades to come. It's the first 24 Worlds hosted by
the Irish J/24 class and you can bet the Irish sailors will do their best to
roll-out the red carpet for all participants and ensure everyone (almost
without fail) will have an absolutely fantastic time!
With the event sailing from August 22-30, 2013, we recently got a nice update
from Derek Bothwell - Event Chairman. Says Derek, "With just a
little over five months to go until the start of the BMW J/24 World
Championships I am very happy to say that everything is going well on the
planning side. Entries are stacking up and I am very pleased to see that we
have interest from many J2/4 sailors representing North & South America,
Europe & Asia.
I am delighted that the current World Champion, Mauricio Santa Cruz, from
Brazil, will arrive in Howth to defend his title. This really puts it up to the
Europeans who have only a pond to cross in comparison to arrive in large
numbers.
We will also have Allison Young heading up a ladies team from the UK. Allison
who competed in the Laser Radial in the Weymouth Olympics has a very busy year
ahead as she continues to train for the next event in Rio. It is a challenge
for our lady sailors which should not be overlooked.
Charter boats are being snapped up and there is a lot of activity on the
accommodation front, so if you are thinking of entering, do not get left out!
The Irish J/24 National Championships will be run on the 16th and 17th of
August in the same waters with the same Race management team, so why not come
early and get a taste of the venue and tides." For more BMW J/24 Worlds sailing information
(Athens, Greece)- This year's first phase of the Pan-hellenic J/24 Championship
hosted by the Yacht Club of Paleo Falero was full of twists and turns for the
thirteen teams that participated from Athens, Crete and Thessaloniki. After 8
exciting races, the HELLENIC POLICE, with skipper Alexander Tagaropoulo took an
important step forward for the Pan-hellenic Championship Class by winning this
event before heading down to Agios Nikolaos, Crete in October 2013 for the
second phase to complete the championship. Behind HELLENIC POLICE in second
place was JMANIA with Spingo Niko and Dimitris Petkidi skippering. Third was
ANIMA sailed by Alexander Mogantam.
The first day of racing began with an unpleasant surprise for the
teams as they were leaving the harbor-- complete absence of wind. However, a
light breeze from the south appeared and spread throughout the Paleo Falior
Gulf growing into a beautiful 8-15 kts breeze. Three races were completed,
which included spectacular duels between the leading groups. The three
favorites to win (HELLENIC POLICE, ANIMA, JMANIA) made very strong starts with
the trio winning all three races.
The second day of racing was the most exciting, as there were four races in
difficult conditions for teams. The prevailing southerly winds were strong to
begin with and grew even stronger throughout the day, reaching 20-25 kts with
huge, choppy waves coming down the gulf. JMANIA stole the day with some
amazing races, including winning two races with HELLENIC POLICE taking the last
race win.
On the last day, the weather permitted only one race as the
sailing conditions diminished rapidly for the sailors. With an early
start at 11:00am, the RC was hoping to get in at least two races before the
forecasted 20-25 kts winds increased in intensity to 30-35 kts near-gale
conditions. It turns out, the forecast was right, but late! By the
time the J/24 teams were finishing the first race, gusts were already hitting
30 kts! At that point, the RC wisely called it a day and told the fleet
to head for home! The only race was won by HELLENIC POLICE
The crews now look forward to their next appointment to complete the
PanHellenic Championships in October at Agios Nikolaos, Crete. With only 5
points separating the top four teams, interest in the second phase remains
high, and the final victory of the Panhellenic open and unpredictable. Sailing photo credits- Stavros
Kouris For more J/24 Greece Pan-Hellenic Championship sailing information
(Porto Santo Stefano, Italy)- Eighteen J/24s representing Hungary, Germany and
Italy made the migration down to sail the gorgeous and enchanting
stretch of sea between Porto Santo Stefano and the offshore islands of Giglio,
Talamone and Giannella. If the weather and sailing are good or bad often
doesn't matter much to the J/24 sailors who love participating in Pasquavela;
the seaside village is beautiful and quaint with many nice cafes and
restaurants to enjoy any time of day!
On the first day of Pasquavela the winds were from the south/ southeast with a
nice, gentle 12-15 kts breeze. Establishing an early lead in the regatta
was LA SUPERBA, winning two of the three races with BUDAPEST BANK taking the
other race.
The next day was characterized by adverse weather conditions, which was both
widely expected and forecasted! Nevertheless, the excellent work of the
Race Committee made it possible to carry out at least one race in the
"scirocco" winds, blowing 20-25 kts at the start and gusting to 35
kts in heavy rain showers by the weather mark near shore (in fact, located just
off the beach at Gianella!). After that experience, the PRO wisely sent the
fleet home to lick their wounds and prepare for another day of sailing.
Unfortunately, Sunday's sailing was also adversely affected by crazy
weather! This time lack of wind was the problem and sailors (happily)
suffering from too much bright sun and flat seas. However, despite
repeated attempts by the PRO to start a race, the wind simply would not
cooperate, so no races were sailed on Easter Sunday. It was time to head
back to shore and enjoy Easter Brunch with family and friends along the seaside
cafes!
Finally, perhaps either by the Grace of God or King Neptune himself feeling
happier, Easter Monday was celebrated with three good races on a sunny day,
decent breeze and flat water. A fitting end to a regatta punctuated by
some wild weather conditions.
Continuing on their performances in 2012 as both Italian and
European J/24 Champions, the LA SUPERBA team led by Ignazio Bonanno (crew
included Simone Scontrino, Francesco Linares, Alfredo Branciforte and Massimo
Gherarducci) won five races to help them win by four points. Sailing
faster and smarter all the time is the Hungarian team BUDAPEST BANK sailed by
Farkas Litkey, their five 2nds and a first nearly pulled off a win were it not
for the 4-2 on the last races. Instead, Farkas and the B-BANK boys took a
well-deserved second overall with 11 net pts. Third was top German team
JJ ONE form the Segel Club Joersfelder with a total of 26 net pts.
Rounding out the top five were JAMAICA sailed by Pietro Diamanti in 4th and
CAPTAIN NEMO skippered by Guido Guadagni in 5th.
"Overall it was a wonderful Pasquavela-- the total number of sailing teams
is slightly lower than in 2012, but the quality is definitely increased,"
commented YC Santo Stefano Commodore. "Pity about the weather (too windy
Saturday, Sunday too little ), but the race course off Porto Santo Stefano
always presents an excellent challenge to all sailors. The race committee
was excellent considering the weather! The behavior of the participants was
wonderful and 'Thanks' to the Jury on the water. Please feel welcome,
enjoy the awards, rivers of beer and pasta for everyone!"
The German J/24 report on their experience at Pasquavela was quite amusing-
"three German teams sailed Pasquavela this year. The sailing could
be characterized as "assault and demolition" one race to "lulls
and flat" the next. At times it was sunny, then cloudy again, and
finally we also enjoyed a bit of rain. After the months of snowfall in Germany,
we were certainly happy to have a variety of weather. After all, there were
temperatures up to 18 C.! Plus, the Italians are always great hosts--
pasta, beer, red wine!
The races were sometimes very tricky and not every team did so well. The
best German team were the guys from the JJ ONE who fought hard on the last day
(getting a 7-2-4) to place third overall. Peter Langhans and his OSTE hoodlum
boys occupied eleventh place and the ALICE girls (you know, all the pretty
blonds) finished the series ranked 17th.
Legendary German sailing coach, Thorsten Paech, appeared quite happy with the
whole weekend. We practiced on the water in all kinds of situations. Pre-start,
tons of mark roundings, and boat-for-boat tactics against the competition. I'm
curious to see how our teams will implement their learning experiences in the
next event?"
No question, the Germans, Hungarians and Italians are all gunning for a
"good show" at the J/24 World Championships being sailed in Ireland
later this summer! Thanks for contribution from Paola Zanoni- Italiana di
Classe J24 (email- pzanoni@libero.it).
For more J/24 Italy Pasquavela sailing information
(Cordoba, Argentina)- The past weekend was the second and final round of the
fall J/24 championship on Lago San Roque called the "Sailor's Cup",
sailed off the picturesque Andean Mountains' town of Cordoba.
An excellent fleet turnout of seventeen boats produced close competition with
the top five all riding "roller coaster" finishes over the two
weekend event with six races completed. It was evident the various J/24
teams are increasingly more even in their performance, boat speed and teamwork
are such that many races aren't determined until the final 100 meters by those
making the fewest mistakes!
In the end, is was Team INDIGO led by Despontin Ezekiel, who managed to win the
championship after an excellent final day posting finishes of 2-4-1 for 16 net
pts. Just behind them a true Argentinean polo pony race hit the pelota
into the goal! The next four boats finished within four points of each
other!
Taking second on a tie-breaker was CALEUCHE PHONE SERVICE followed by CAIDO DEL
CIELO in third, also with 21 points. By virtue of winning one of their
first races, the team on MARIA MARIA sailed by Julia Wheat, Vicky Allende,
Carlos Trigo, Miguel Bailo and Ramiro Camiloto finished fourth with 24
pts. They were followed in fifth by A PRUEBAS DE BALAS with 25 pts!
A close finish indeed for these crazed mountain J/24 sailors who know how to
have lots of fun. Must be the deliciously yummy pampas fed beef and sweet
malbec red wines that all grow in the region. For more J/24 Cordoba sailing information
Awesome J/22, J/24, J/70, J/80,
J/105, J/109 OD Participation!
(Houston, TX)- Houston Yacht Club recently hosted its 27th annual Elissa
Regatta for the benefit of the tall ship ELISSA. This event not only raises
money for the ELISSA but also raises awareness of Texas' sailing heritage.
The ELISSA is an iron-hulled sailing ship built in Scotland in 1877, and is now
a National Historical Landmark as well as the "Official Tall Ship of
Texas". She is a three masted barque with nineteen sails covering over
one-quarter of an acre in area. The Elissa is housed at the Texas Seaport
Museum and is owned and operated by the Galveston Historical Foundation.
Proceeds from the Elissa Regatta Weekend not only help maintain the ship but
also fund exhibits, community activities and educational programs in connection
with the Elissa for youth and adults.
Sailing in the regatta was local luminary Jay Lutz, racing aboard his J/80 USA
803 with son, Taylor Lutz. Here's Jay's report- "What a great time of year
to sail on Galveston Bay in Texas! Throw in a good cause, the 27th annual 2013
“Elissa” Regatta, hosted by legendary Houston Yacht Club and you have a fun
time for all.
The regatta consisted of twelve classes ranging from the hot new
J/70 to a pursuit start in mixed PHRF rated boats. I had the pleasure of
crewing with my son Taylor, in our J/80 along with our good friends Joe Taylor
(JT) and Casey Rogers. JT and I are old, and when we added up, (with a
calculator) just the years we’ve sailed together, it was more than the J/80 is
long-- 30 years!! At least the “kids”, Taylor and Casey brought our “average”
crew age down considerably. Advil anyone?
Our race course consisted of the PHRF, J/109, J/105 and J/80’s. Winds were SSE
12-18 knots for both Saturday and Sunday (and I might add 78 degrees). In our
J/80 fleet the competition was very tough with many different competitors
leading our class at some point during the six race event. Kevin Funsch and
crew of “Geaux Fast” (AKA “Kicks”) did an outstanding job to win the event by
one point over “USA 803”, Taylor Lutz and crew on a very tight last race
finish. Third was Ramon Torres on “80 Proof” who did a great job winning
race #1 on Saturday. Fourth place was our local fleet captain Forbes Durdin on
“Mojito” who had the most unlucky first day rounding the first windward mark of
race #1 with a comfortable lead after an excellent beat but missed the offset
mark (yes, it was a ways away Forbes) and having a spin takedown/ jib out, back
upwind to clear the offset and dropping back to 6th…And then again leading race
#2 and missing the mark change (not sure we heard or saw any “C” flag either)..
He needed a couple Mojito’s after that!" Thanks for that
contribution, Jay!
The six J/105s battled it out for Galveston Bay supremacy. Winds in the 15-25
knot range made for some exciting extremely tight racing under beautiful Texas
skies and very comfortable temperatures. First place changed hands several
times during the six races, but Mark Young on KILLER RABBIT won his first ever
J/105 regatta and was properly doused in the drink afterward by his admiring
competitors. Has Fleet 17 found a new tradition? Bill Lakenmacher on RADIANCE
stole second by one point from Bee Bednar on STINGER. A great time was had by
all.
The six J/70s saw two matches form over the course of the regatta, one a race
for first and the other for third overall. In the end, Tom Romberg from
Austin YC won the first match with Chris Lewis from Lakewood YC taking
second. In the second match, Jim Mitchell from Fort Worth Boat Club
sailed BOOMTOWN into third by virtue of winning a tie-breaker over Bruce
McDonald's team from Austin YC sailing ROGUE WARRIOR.
The largest class at the regatta were the fun-loving J/24s. The fourteen boats
supplied great competition and the top five really was not settled until the
smoke cleared in the final race. Squeaking by with the top honors was Stu
Lindlow's TROPICAL AGGRESSION, winning by only one point over Jim Kondziela's
ODALISQUE. Third was Natalie Penner's GIGGLES, an awesomely fun team from
Dallas Corinthian YC just three points back. Fourth was Kelly Holmes-Moon
on BAD MOON and fifth was Bryan & Vicki Dyer on RUM LINE.
The six J/22 teams saw a streak of bullets from Larry Blankenhagen's team on
PARROT TALES LIGHT, winning comfortably with 6 pts. Taking second was Don
Peloquin's STUDENT DRIVER and third was Chris Morlan's TILT.
Finally, the J/109s sailed as a trio with some spirited competition. At
the end of the day, is was Dave Christensen's gang on AIRBORNE that was crowned
champion. Next in line was Tom Hutton's LEADING EDGE and in third was
Barry Hoeffner's POLE DANCER. For more ELISSA Regatta sailing information
(Buenos Aires, Argentina)- While winter seemingly still has not left the
northern hemisphere, clinging a bit too tenaciously for most battle-hardened
sailors, the J/24 gang down in Buenos Aires are enjoying nearly equally crazy
conditions in their J/24 Autumn Cup, hosted by Yacht Club Argentino.
After a hard day of racing Saturday, the fleet was able to complete three good
races. Southwest winds prevailed despite, providing the fleet with what is
known locally as the "borneo conditions", rains blasting the fleet
with massive wind shifts and winds gusting from 15-25 kts. With the
racing taking place not far off the "North Dock", the fleet was
constantly challenged with shifty, gusty cells that keep mixing up the
fleet. After three races sailed, it was clear the CACIQUE team led by
Sergio Pendola had established a good lead on the fleet with a 1-1-2.
For Sunday's racing, the fleet was blessed with a sweet sunny day with little
breeze. After two hours of postponement a gentle northerly settled onto the
race course, veering to the northeast that grew stronger during the day.
The RC managed to run two good races to make for a nice start for the two
weekend series. The first race with soft breeze was again won by Sergio Pendola
and the CACIQUE gang and the second race was won by Nico and Rina Cubria. The
Rossi brother's on SHARK are still lurking and waiting for their chance at the
lead. Also, the BA J/24 fleet welcomes newcomer Adrian Segurado.
Next weekend concludes the Autumn Cup at YCA- April 13 & 14.
For more J/24 Buenos Aires sailing information
(Barbados)- Commenting on hosting the Nation's Cup Qualifier, President of the
J/24 Club of Barbados, Greg Webster said, "such organized events
will help to further develop the sport of sailing on the island.
Support-funding and events of this nature also allows the J/24 Club to promote
Barbados as a sailing destination and helps to train and develop our youth
sailors for international competition."
The Barbados J/24 Club founded in July 2007 has rejuvenated Barbados to the
sport of sailing and yacht racing with its camaraderie and spirit of
competition. The J/24 One Design fleet grew from 4 to 10 boats in just 14
months. And, most importantly, it's mission is to encourage and grow the
recognition of the J/24 class throughout the Southern Caribbean and in in
Barbados.
Following a convincing victory in the Barbados ISAF Nation's Cup Qualifiers,
Team USA, skippered by Dustin Durant, will represent the Caribbean and Americas
region in the 2013 Nations Cup J/24 yachting championship in Denmark.
Team USA spoiled the party for Team Canada when it mattered most, registering a
convincing 3-0 victory in the final sail-off in Carlisle Bay on Sunday
after the Canadians had completely dominated the preliminaries.
Six teams took part in the United Insurance Nations Cup qualifiers which were
hosted by the J/24 Club of Barbados and sailed over three days as an
international regatta in Carlisle Bay.
The Canadians, skippered by Peter Wickwire, entered the final with 15
points, having defeated all rivals in the round-robin preliminaries, but
encountered a more tactically-charged American team in an exciting tussle for
the finals.
Durant and his crew, from Long-Beach California, grabbed the
championship as they controlled the pre-start sequence and tactically
stifled the Canadians in each of the three races in the finals.
The Canadians finished second overall while Team Puerto Rico, captained by
Marco Texidor, were third after defeating Robert Povey's Barbados team 2-1 in
the sail-off for third place.
The Barbadians, who made the semifinals and were defeated by Team Canada, won
the first race in an impressive performance against the Puerto Ricans but were
unable to subdue their more aggressive rivals and took fourth place.
"It was truly a new level of competition for us Barbadian sailors but it
was also a fantastic week learning from our competitors from North
America . It will certainly raise the bar for our local guys to achieve new
heights. We look forward to meeting them again in the coming year,"
said Povey.
The lone female crew in the regatta, an American team skippered by
Sandy Hayes, have also qualified for the Nations Cup Women Finals in Denmark as
winners of the female division. Part of Sandy's team includes the famous
bow/cockpit goddess, Martha Parker of TEAM ONE Newport- the world's leading
foul-weather gear experts!
President of the J/24 Club Barbados, Greg Webster, said the International
Sailing Federation Grade-2 event was a learning curve for local J/24 sailors
and thanked all sponsors for helping to make it a success. Along with
title-sponsors United Insurance, other support came from RL Seale, EarthWorks
Pottery, 10 Saints Beer, the BYC, and RoseBank Apts.
"The pre-start sequence for each match was fantastic to watch as the
competitors were very aggressive and the boats were in extreme close proximity
to one another and the helmsmen were required to maintain the control of the
boat with assistance from the crew in a precision manner so as to prevent fouls
and penalties. It was great to watch and learn from the top international
sailors. It was a successful event hosted by Barbados and many thanks to our
sponsors and volunteers", he said. For more J/24 Barbados Nation's Cup sailing information
