Chester Race Week

J/122 PUGWASH Wins Fleet- Einstein's Influence?
(Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada)- This race week may well be the oldest "race week" event on record in the Northern Hemisphere in terms of its history.  Chester Race Week is billed as  Canada's Largest Keelboat Regatta
hosted by Chester Yacht Club on the Eastern seaboard and sailed around the islands and shorelines of picturesque Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia.  It may well be true with over 150 entries in this latest event.

The history is both charming and reflective of sailing culture we all must not forget as we look forward to the future.  Yacht racing has been a major summer sport in Chester for well over 150 years. Its roots are firmly planted in the mid 19th century when the fishermen raced each other to markets in Halifax or New England.  As sailors and fishermen have been wont to do since time immemorial, they loved to get together and talk shop. Sailing races for pleasure and bragging rights was inevitable.  As the gatherings and races occurred more regularly, the Annual Fishermen’s Regatta was born.  The regatta was a show case for locally built boats of different designs, as well as for sailing skills.  The first documented regatta was in 1856.  It is reported to have been attended by 3,000 people who participated in a parade, amusements, land races as well as the sea races.  In 1858 a rowing race for ladies was added and a dance took place at the Mulgrave Inn which had been hosting guests from Europe, US and Canada since 1820.  In 1860 the press reported the regatta pleasures were “enhanced by a large party consisting of 150, accompanied by the city band, who arrived in the steamer ‘Neptune’ from Halifax”.  In 1885 the two day regatta had boats from Mahone Bay, Lunenburg as well as from the two Tancooks.  The big excitement was a circus which featured a hand cranked Ferris wheel on the parade ground.  According to the Lunenburg
newspaper, the 1888 Annual Regatta attracted 2,000 spectators who were treated to “the closest and most exciting match of its kind ever witnessed in the South Shore”.  After CYC was established in 1902, it became the focal point for racing.  Charter member Ned Fader remembers, “Citizens donated prizes: 100 pounds of sugar, a barrel of flour, maybe a little cash.  A boat crew could get a wonderful view on life for a dollar … best of ale, fifty cents a gallon, good rum at one dollar a quart.  They were all good God-fearing people, but they
did not let it spoil their lives too much.”  OMG, if only the America's Cup were so honest, respectful and thoughtful!

Given that the weather is always an enormous variable, this year was near perfect for Nova Scotia waters; renowned for fog and light airs most times.  The turnout for J's in general was significant, J owners provided strong support for the regatta, two large one-design classes in the J/24 and J/29, and one of the happiest teams to attend were David Murphy's team aboard their J/122 PUGWASH and gorgeous tender TUMBLEHOME. 

In the A1-Black fleet, Murphy's J/122 PUGWASH  from New York YC won class finishing seven races with a total of 31 points just barely a half point ahead of their next competitor. 

The A2-White fleet was dominated by three J's.  In first was Colin Mann from Lunenberg YC sailing his J/92 POOHSTICKS, winning with seven straight firsts in seven races!  Fifteen points back in second was Greg Hardy hailing from Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron racing his J/29 ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM and just two points behind him was Will Apold from BBYC racing his J/92 STORM FRONT.

In the Pink Fleet, Jason Penney's J/30 RATTLE AND HUM won their class, counting three races and a total of 6 points to win their class by a convincing margin.

In the J/24 One Design Class, John Whynacht's team Lunenberg YC on-board STICKY FINGERS was first overall with six straight firsts out of eight races!  They won their class by a landslide, 19 points over second place finisher Greg Blunden from BBYC racing ADRENALIN RUSH.  In third was Doug Inglis from Chester YC sailing BUZZ.

The J/29 One-Design class had very close competition compared to the J/24s.  Larry Creaser from Chester YC aboard JAEGER just squeaked out a victory over Matt Christie from BBYC sailing COLMONELL by two points, the last two races determining the final outcome.  Third overall was MacDonald from Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron sailing FEED ME just four points back.   For more info

SAN DIEGO J/FEST 2009

It's All About the Crew
Southern California ’s J/Fest is at the San Diego Yacht Club September 25-27. J/Fest is Southern California ’s largest and most attended regatta… exclusively for J/Boats. Don't miss out on the biggest J/Boat event of the year! This year J/Fest will be focused on celebrating and thanking your crew and those who contribute to the camaraderie and success you have during the sailing season. There will be exciting one design racing, great prizes, and fun parties. Register for J/Fest today at http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/races09/jfest Questions? Contact J/Concierge Amanda Denton at JK3:amanda@jk3yachts.com

Buzzards Bay Regatta

J/105 POWER PLAY Wins Tie-breaker

(New Bedford, MA- Aug 7-9)- As usual the Buzzards Bay Regatta was hosted by a great BBR Committee that did an admiral job of hosting a cast of thousands for their annual first week of August event. This year's host New Bedford YC laid out the red carpet for the fleet and most everyone went home with a smile on their face if not having gained a few more pounds from all the good food and drink.

There was a large turnout of J's for this event and has become a fixture for many J owners as one of the last regattas of the summer sailing season in New England waters. This year's classes included the J/24, the J/80 and the J/105. Numerous other J's competed in the PHRF handicap classes.

The J/105s had a very closely fought event between this years primary summer regatta competitors, Brian Keane racing his renowned SAVASANA and Bruce Stone sailing POWER PLAY (pic above). Much like Block Island Race Week, the regatta between these two keen competitors came down to the last race, whomever beat whom would win the regatta. In this case Bruce won the last race and Brian Keane dropped a valuable third place to finish tied on points but lost on who had most first places! This was the wiley old fox Charlie Shumway racing his classic looking J/105 SEA SHADOW.

The J/80s were dominated by Kerry Klingler sailing LIFTED into first place with a fourteen point lead over Chip Johns CAVATICA. Chip just beat out Steve Kirkpatrick racing STIMULUS PACKAGE.

The J/24s were won by Craig Correia by four points over Bonnie Kirchner and Sanford Tyler ended up just one point behind Bonnie...again the last race determining whom beat whom to get the top three podium finishes.

The J/109 GUT FEELING raced by Ted Herlihy won IRC1 Class by four points; dominating their class of five IRC racing boats. For more info. Photo Credits- Spectrum Photo.

J/Fest Northwest

Burnell's J/109 TANTIVY Wins
(Seattle, WA- June 20-21)- Corithian YC member Stuart Burnell and the crew of his J/109 TANTIVY took top honors in the annual J-Fest regatta, winning the Francis LeSourd Trophy. The regatta was held on Puget Sound off the Shilshole Bay Marina.

Overall it was a well attended J/Fest NW with thirty-nine boats racing in seven fleets, two as PHRF handicap and five as one-designs- the J/24, J/30, J/35, J/105 and J/109s.

In the PHRF handicap classes, the J/100 TOURIST won the only PHRF Class 1 race they could fire off due to extenuating circumstances. The J/46 CLAYMORE and the J/35 BLUE STREAK finished second and third, respectively. The PHRF Class 6 managed to get in four races and the team of Moynihan/Conway simply put the rest of their fleet into a clinic of how to race around the track, garnering four first in their J/29 WINGS. The lone J/60 SKYE ROCKET raced by Mckinnon was second and Schutte's J/80 TAJ MAHAL was third.

For the one-designs, the J/109 TANTIVY raced by Stu Brunell sailed an almost perfect series, too, garnering four firsts in six races to win by seven points over Greene's IT'S ONLY ROCK'N'ROLL, Woodfield's SHADA slipped into third by one point after not covering the ROCK'N'ROLL team well enough. In the J/35s, White's GRACE E sailed in a very competitive class to just beat out Deyo's DIVERSION by three points, who in turn won on a tie-breaker over Berge's THE BOSS. In the J/105s, the largest and most competitive fleet with ten boats, Schlitz's MONEY SHOT won on a nail-biting finish based on results of the last race...they had to at least tie or beat by one boat over Diercks' DELIRIUM in order to win. Finishing third just off the pace but coming on strong in the last four races was Kristen's JUBILEE only three points back. The J/30s had a fun time racing around the track themselves with the team of Gardner/Adair sailing ROUNDER atop the leader board with Bottles' CELEBRATION two points back in second and the team of Marsden/Geck racing BOB (what about Bob??) in third. The J/24 class saw Milne's TREMENDOUS SLOUCH beat out Brown's MOUSE TRAP and Mason's RYLAH to win all the marbles in this classic class.

Bob Ross and his staff at Sail Northwest organize the popular event for J Boats and use the Corinthian YC race committee and clubhouse to support it. The Francis LeSourd Trophy is named for the sixth commodore of CYC. It was donated by his law firm as the J-Fest best-performance trophy in 1998, when the firm sponsored the regatta.

Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week

Wind Lovers Rule in 20 knots of Long Beach Breeze
(Long Beach, CA- June 22-26)- The last anybody checked, fun had not been outlawed during a recession---after all, wind is free and there was plenty of it Friday, and a thousand or so mostly working class sailors are making the most of it during Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week. Sailors from these parts will tell you that San Diego 100 miles to the south is not the windiest venue on the West Coast. "That's why we enjoy coming up here," said Chuck Nichols, owner of J/120 CC RIDER. Few complaints about the weather conditions were heard from the 135 boats competing in 18 classes on three race courses inside and outside the Long Beach outer harbor. Only 8 knots of wind was forecast for the first day of the West's largest keelboat regatta, and that's what everyone saw through the first race in early afternoon. But by Race 2 the southwest breeze had started to build and the better sailors went with it, bringing smiles to the faces of the volunteers from Alamitos Bay and Long Beach Yacht Clubs who are running the traditional event on and off the water. By Sunday, it was so windy that even the local Alamitos Bay and Long Beach Yacht Clubs that organized the event were impressed by the benevolence of nature that blessed the West Coast's largest keelboat regatta.

Ultimately, Chuck Nichols, Chris Snow and Mark Surber came on strong in the last two races Sunday to win, respectively, the J/120, J/24 and PHRF-1 classes, reveling in winds of 15 to 20 knots. Running away from their classes in the J/109s and J/105s were Tom Brott and Gary Mozer, respectively.

The ten boat J/120 Class were looking forward to the carpet of whitecaps as they sailed out of the Alamitos Bay jetty on Sunday. "We don't get this much in San Diego," said Nichols, racing his J/120 CC RIDER. "But we've had the same crew [of 10] for seven or eight years and our average age is over 50, so it's good to know we can still sail in heavy air." While other boats were rounding up or spinning out here and there, Nichols said, "I think we were the only one in our class that didn't wipe out. We have really good communication for trimming and adjusting and keeping the boat sailing under us." Rounding out the leaders of the ten boat J/120 class were John Laun aboard CAPER in second by only one point and eight points back was Jed Olenick's DOCTOR NO.

Surber's DERIVATIVE, a J/125 racing PHRF Class 1, finished fourth and sixth in the early light-air races Friday and Saturday but ran off two seconds and three firsts in the windiest races over three days. "The windier it is the better it is for us," said Surber, a Coronado YC member. "It's what makes Long Beach a great event. We just kept driving as hard as we could thinking that sooner or later something may come our way." Lorenzo Berho's gorgeous J/145 RAINCLOUD finished seventh but reveled in the windy conditions of the last day.

Only two of the seven J/24s raced Friday, leaving Susan Taylor's TAKE FIVE with an early 1-1 lead and everybody else with a steep hill to climb. Like Surber, Snow's BOGUS started slowly with a fourth place in Saturday's first race, but then hooked into the big breeze to run off four consecutive wins to match Taylor in points and edge her on a tiebreaker---his four first places. Rounding out the top three was Pat Toole's team aboard 3 BIG DOGS, finishing a scant one point behind Taylor and Snow on their tie-breaker....almost the bridesmaid, almost the winner, too!!

In the J/105 class, Gary Mozer's CURRENT OBSESSION sailed away from all their competitors with a fairly dominating performance, garnering five firsts in seven races to win by thirteen points over Doug and Pam Werner's JAVELIN. In third was Bill Logan's PHOLLY eight points further back.

The J/109s saw a similar, electrifying performance to Mozer's with Thomas Brott flying around the course in ELECTRA to win by eight points counting five firsts and two seconds-- yikes, an average of first! Well, kind of. Still a dominating performance over Steve Crooke's SUGAR and Chris Mewes' SHADOWFAX, second and third respectively. We are certain by now that the others are probing Brott for some of his speed secrets by now!

The West Coast Championship was the main event for the five boat J/29 class. Bruce Lotz aboard SEDONA showed the fleet how to get it done and with four first places managed to win by just three points over Larry Leveille's RUSH STREET. Bob Lenard averaged third to get third overall.

The J/80 class was perhaps the closest racing fleet other than the J/24s. Gary Kamins's FIRED UP was crowned champion with Gregg Kelly's MERKIN and John Steen's UNDERDOG finishing second and third, respectively.

Chicago SW NOOD

J/105 VYTIS Wins Overall Title
(Chicago, IL- June 19-21)- Tom Petkus and the crew of the J/105 VYTIS were selected as the overall champions of the 2009 Sperry Top-Sider Chicago NOOD. 186 entrants competed amid 17 classes, with Petkus besting 16 other teams to earn the title.

Michael Lovett, of Sailing World, interviewed the team- "When I spoke with the crew of the J/105 Vytis on Saturday night (of the Sperry Top-Sider Chicago NOOD), the team stood in fifth place, 8 points out of first. In the blare of the regatta tent, downing Mount Gays and chewing on a dinner roll, crewmember Keith Krause made a hopeful declaration. "We're still in the hunt," he said. "That's all that matters." I nodded my head and wished him luck, but I must admit I never expected Vytis to post two bullets on Sunday and vault to the top of the standings, unseating fellow Chicago boat and perennial rival, Messy Jessy, earning first place overall at the 2009 Sperry-Top Sider Chicago NOOD, and winning a trip to the British Virgin Islands to compete in the NOOD Championships this November.

In the highly competitive J/105 fleet, in which seven boats had a legitimate shot a victory on Sunday morning, holding a lead was no simple task. "With all the great local sailors and the boats that come in from all over the country, who are you going to cover?" says Petkus. "The thing about this regatta was the conditions were very trying. We were constantly changing gears. And in this fleet, if you fail to adjust your jib car before the other boat does, that could be the difference between first and fifth place."

A few years back, when organizers of the Chicago-Mac were considering implementing a new weight limit for the J/105 class that would break up the Vytis crew, Petkus responded that he would sooner race PHRF than give the flick to one of his family members. The solidarity of the team is so great, competitors have a running joke that Petkus must have a 401K plan in place for his crew.

On the other courses and fleets, Dan Pesch’s J/100 Remedy won PHRF section 4. Eleven J/109s battled for NOOD honors, but Rob Zerban's ZEITGEIST wins again. And in the J/35’s Larry Taunt’s BAD DOG wins.

Sailing World Detroit NOOD

Frank Kern Wins J/120 Class!

(Detroit, MI May 29-31)- The host Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI had 191 boats competing in 20 classes. Frank Kern's Carinthia, took a seven-boat J//120 class by 3 points over second and six points over third. Five of seven boats won races in the J/120 class, six of seven recorded a top-two finish.
The assessment of the competition for the J/120s at "Day-twaah" was insightful: "In spite of the large spread of the J/120 class IRC ratings, these boats are very close in speed and any one of them can win the NOOD based on tactics and crew ability. Jerry Bresser of Flyin' Irish comes in from his 2008 one-design victory in the Bayview Mackinac. Don Hudak's Capers returns from his overwhelming 2008 victory of the J/120 class in Harbor Springs. Henry Mistile Night Moves will be defending his 2008 NOOD victory, which he won in the last race. Marv Ihnen's Ihnsanity will be returning with his first place success in the DYRA series on Lake St. Clair. Bob Kirkman's Hot Ticket, although he didn't claim any bullets in 2008, will be returning with a veteran J/120 crew and is always in the thick of competition. Frank Kern's Carinthia did not race in last year's NOOD, but will be coming back with a class triumph in the Chicago Race to Mackinac class and winner of the J/120's Great Lakes Trophy. Competition in this class is very competitive and these veterans of the J/120 class should have another close battle for victory." Ultimately, Frank and crew prevailed. For more info.