Vela 2012 Show Report

(Trieste, Italy)- Sailing on the Mediterranean and off the gorgeous coastline of Italy's Adriatic Sea has its benefits.  Spectacular natural scenery. Famous coastal villages dating back to the days of Odysseus's famous sailing epic "The Odyssey" traversing the Aegean, Ionian and Adriatic Seas.  The region is steeped in both history and the evolution of civilization, especially as it relates to seafarers.  In that great tradition, local sailors continue to ply their waters in the hope of winning some silverware as well as enjoying the voyage to their events.

In Trieste, the tradition lives on, one of the great sailing areas in Italy.  The weather conditions for sailing are great most of the time, with strong southerly sea-breezes flowing.  The typical Northern wind called "Bora" (a.k.a. "mistral", "meltemi" in other parts of the world) can build up to incredible power, flowing down fast out of the Italian Alps at ferocious speeds in excess of 40-60 knots!  Here is a report from Paolo Boido regards the local sailboat show and the local sailing scene:

"Trieste has produced some of the best Italian sailors in recent years, all great friends of the "J/Family" and most of them successful sailors with various J/Boats models. Two J/24 Worlds Champions, Vasco Vascotto (as well America’s Cup driver) and Rufo Bressani (internationally famous in many different Classes), hail from Trieste.  Gabriele & Furio Benussi are also top drivers in J’s One-Design Classes. Roberto Vencato managing the Ullman Loft in Italy is also based in Trieste.

At the recent VELA Boat Show in Trieste, J/Boats Italy was displaying the gorgeous J/122 #78, an impressive site for many local sailors with its high-modulus black carbon fibre Hall Spars mast & boom-- the J/122 truly dominated the local sailing scene.

Piero Santi, the happy owner of this great yacht, is a kind of veteran among J/Boats Owners. He has owned a J/92, then a J/105, next a J/109, and now sailing this lovely J/122 Grand Prix Edition form JB Composites France.  Mr Santi and crew won several races in the Trieste Gulf and North Adriatic Sea. Obviously now there is a great expectation waiting for impressive speed and results of this new J/122 on the local Trieste sailing scene.  The crew will begin practicing and discovering how to sail faster their new “racing machine”, getting ready for the next IRC/ RORC European Championship that will take place in July 2012.

The Vela Boat Show is in it's fourth edition this year.  This show is open just to sail yachts and takes place in the private and modern marina of Porto San Rocco located in a very nice eastern part of the coast of the Trieste gulf.  The manager of the show, Roberto Sponza, is a great sailor in past 470 Olympic campaigns.  We look forward with Roberto's help to have many more J-sailors in Trieste and the Adriatic Sea!"  Best regards, Paolo Boido.

German J/22 Class BOOT-Dusseldorf Report

(Dusseldorf, Germany)- Much has happened at the Dusseldorf BOOT Show in 2011, a total of 250,500 visitors from 60 countries attended the Dusseldorf boat this year.  The German J/22 Class Association continues to grow in Germany, we're very committed and enthusiastic and participating one more time in this great Boat show brings us great exposure. In the class everyone is engaged, which is probably due to the structure of a large circle of friends and that helps to grow the class. And just as exciting, they were also on the exhibition and showed the interested visitors that "J/22 sailing” in our class association is a good choice.

The booth with a brand new J/22 and movies from the World Championships 2009 at Lake Garda was very nicely designed and attracted the visitors which came into the hall of the sailing center.  Everyone who sees the images of the J/22 fleet from Lake Garda is fascinated, those people we can’t help to find out how to go sailing on a J/22!

With the promotion of the "Marinepool European J/22 Championship" in 2011 in Travemünde Week, supported by “Dimension-Polyant” and “Marine pool”, visitors were able to enjoy and appreciate the beautiful J/22 but also recognize how strong the J/22 class is in Europe. So, whoever enjoys competitive sailing and is in a class of boat where the fleets in their regattas are decreasing, you're warmly welcomed in the J/22 Class Association!  The upward trend continues and the interest of attracting more and more sailors is increasing. And each of our members has a little part in it. Good prospects - right?"  To learn more about joining the J/22 Class sailing in Europe and America.