Tufts Wins J/22 College Match Race Championships

(Fort Worth, Texas)-  Hosted by the Forth Worth Boat Club, this year's College Match Racing Nationals were sailed in J/22s.  In the end, the Tufts University "Jumbos Sailing Team" won the event.

The Tufts University Jumbos team of Will Haeger, Paula Grasberger, Solomon Krevans and David Liebenberg, overcame a first race loss in the best of three finals to overtake Yale University to win their first college match racing crown.  A pre-start penalty and late start was too much for Tufts to overcome in race one but Yale was over early in race two which set the stage for the finale.  Tufts held a slight advantage at the start and went right into covering mode.  Yale’s double tacks were initially hard for Tufts to cover but the Jumbos settled down in the 10-13 knot Southerly and pulled away with superior speed and boat handling the rest of the way through the windward-leeward twice around track on Eagle Mountain Lake.

The Fort Worth Boat Club in Lake Worth, Texas provided ten perfectly matched J-22s for the ten national finalists.  The initial round-robin in a light air Easterly saw St. Mary’s College win a three-way tie break over Tufts and Georgetown.  Quarter-finals were then staged on day two in a more moderate Southerly as Michigan bested Tulane in the 9th place consolation races.  All the quarters were decided in three straight but one as St. Mary’s beat Cal Maritime, Tufts bested Eckerd, Georgetown took Washington and Yale, who overcame a first race lose, came back to put away 5th place finisher So. Florida.

Yale, with Chris Segerblom at the helm won a hard fought semi-final over St. Mary’s, 3-1 while Tufts eliminated Georgetown with skipper Nevin Snow, 3-0.  The middle race featured a bizarre finish with Tufts holding a slight lead but a penalty to burn from start to finish.  With the brakes on hard despite spinnakers up, Tufts parked in front of Georgetown next to the finish line.  Georgetown couldn’t quite slow down enough and tried to take room at the committee boat.  After spinning around Georgetown’s spinnaker grazed the RC boat before finishing in reverse right behind Tufts.  After the smoke cleared Tufts was declared winner via offsetting penalties.  Georgetown went on the defeat St. Mary’s, with skipper Jake Ledow, 2-1 in the petit finals setting up the exciting finals between Tufts and Yale.

In the end, the Final Results were Tufts, then Yale, Georgetown, St Mary's and South Florida to round out the top five overall.  For more college sailing results.

Jamaica J/22 Nationals sailing video

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)-  Here's proof the Jamaicans know how to sail their J/22s fast down in the Caribbean and have one helluva lot of fun, to boot!  Next time you travel to Jamaica on business or on holiday, be sure to swing down by the Royal  Kingston Yacht Club, have a cold one and perhaps even go for a sail on a J/22!    Watch their YouTube sailing video here.

Montego Bay 75th Commodore's Ball

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)-  The growth of the Jamaica J/22 fleet based out of Montego Bay YC has generated enormous enthusiasm for sailors in the Montego area.  The combination of kids, Moms, Dads and lots of friends who have been looking to sail with "no dramas, mon" has generated a huge out-pouring of fun and games amongst the members.  Easy access, a fun-to-sail philosophy and an "all-inclusive" approach to anyone who walks down the beach wishing to go sailing can only mean one thing-- a good old-fashioned "jump up" to some awesome reggae!  And so it was.

The J/22 Montego Bay fleet helped to celebrate en-masse their MBYC's 75th Commodore's Ball with a "jump up" to end all "jump ups".  See the YouTube video here.

As they continue this celebration, as often these celebrations can happen for weeks or months, the Montego J/22 fleet has decided to host their JAMIN' INVITATIONAL CUP REGATTA from December 6th to 8th.  Come one, come all.  Everyone is welcome.  Just let us know, we take care of you!  We love you all, J sailors around'd'world.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you in these parts and join us!  If you know how to sail, we know how to have fun!  For more Mo'Bay Yacht Club & J/22 Fleet Sailing information

Loos Wins Cooling Down Regatta

JAMAICAS KRONJUWEL Wins J/22 Euro-League
(Braassermermeer, Netherlands)- Fourteen teams gathered for the weekend of sailing that constitutes one of the end of the season regattas for the Benelux J/22 sailing circuit.

The fleet was greeted on Saturday with 2-4 m/sec winds and, somewhat prophetically, it started to rain at the start line on the Braassemermeer. On Saturday the wind was moderate and very shifty.  Sunday dawned no better.  Sunday it was pretty uncomfortable outside. Said Thomas Hanf, "instead of using the alarm, we were awakened by pounding rain on the roof of our VW bus."  Such was the weekend for the real "Cooling Down Regatta".

After eight races in total, the final victory went to the VERFPAGINA.NL Team led by Gaston Loos and his team with an amazing tally of two 4ths and six consecutive 1sts for total of 14 pts.  A dominating performance it was. However, the battle for the balance of the podium was anything but simple exercise of sailing around the course.  The next three boats were all essentially tied going into the last race!  For each start, for every mark-rounding, for every tack, set and gybe, the three teams all fought "tooth & nail" to scratch-out the best possible finish every race.  In the end, second was the team of Reinhold Gross with his German team aboard JAMAICAS KRONJUWEL with a steady scoreline of 7-7-3-3-2-3-4-3 for 32 points, just one point ahead of his rivals.  Third and fourth were determined on a tie-breaker by two Benelux teams.  Taking third place was Jean-Michel Lautier and his team with a 1-3-2-4-5-8-2-8 for 33 pts.  At the short-end of that stick was Ivo Jeukens taking fourth with a 2-1-5-2-6-5-8-4 for 33 pts.  Rounding out the top five was Haka with 46 pts.

As a result of this regatta, perhaps the most significant victory went to Reinhold Gross and crew on JAMAICAS KRONJUWEL, taking the overall 2012 Euro-League for the J/22s in Europe.  Congratulations to the Jamaica-loving crew led by Reinhold!  Perhaps an invitation to the "real" Jamaica to sail off Montego Bay is on order for this crew!  For more J/22 Cooling Down and Euro-League sailing information

THE JUG 41 Sailing Fast!

Wins J/22 Jack Rabbit Regatta
(Canandaigua, NY)- Every year, the J/22 class on Canandaigua Lake race one of the great season opener regattas in the Northeast, the "Jack Rabbit" regatta, hosted by Canandaigua YC.  Many J/22s around the northeastern part of America include the Jack Rabbit part of their early season training, hopping into their trucks and making the annual migration in late spring to one of the prettiest lakes in northern New York state.  For the most part, the weather conditions are pretty well dictated by passing frontal systems, so nestled into some pretty mountain valleys, the lake sailors often have to contend with capricious breezes flowing off the mountain ridges and around the various bays.  Sailing can be spectacular, particularly if a strong NW'er front rolls through, kicking up white caps against the spectacular backdrop of lush, vibrant green mountain sides exploding with a rainbow of colors with all the spring flowers.  Besides the sailing, the evening entertainment is notoriously good (e.g. excellent!).

This year, Saturday was like a July Day-- with no wind. However, the company was good with great entertainment.  For New Yorkers, the cool thing is that the Preakness horse race was taking place, providing the excitement of the day with three happy winners.  Wildly popular amongst the crowd was the familiar refrain "I'll Have Another", the standard request for many fun-loving sailors who haven't had enough liquid refreshments on the race course, but made even more appropriate by the fact the winning horse's name was (drum roll, please) --- I'LL HAVE ANOTHER! Too funny.

After the evening's entertainment closed down, the twenty-four J/22 teams were prepared to go racing in just about anything Mother Nature would throw at them on Sunday.  The race committee was able to squeeze in two races with diminishing winds late Sunday morning.  In the end, Chris Doyle's team on THE JUG 41 hung in there to take a 1-2 and win with 3 pts.  Second was Mark & Cory Sertl's LUCY with a 3-1 for 4 pts.  Third was Victor Snyder on MO'MONEY, fourth was John Goller and fifth was Trevor Collins sailing ALTERNATIVE GIRLFRIEND.

A special "Thanks" go out to their Canadian friends who visited them for the first time and had a long drive-- "please come back by", as they say with a Southern-drawl.  For more J/22 Jack Rabbit Regatta sailing information 

J/70s Love Hot Rum Race #1

J/105 Masters Crush Fleet, J/120 Wins Too!(San Diego, CA)- This past weekend marked the first of the infamous three weekend series of "pursuit" races sailed off San Diego's Point Loma.  An annual fall right of passage in the southernmost part of California, over 120 boats participated in near picture perfect conditions with winds blowing from the NNW at 10-15 kts.  As the little, slower rating boats took off in sunny, breezy conditions on a long starboard tack reach out the Pt Loma shipping channel on a SW course to the first mark under spinnakers, you could practically hear the J/Teams smacking their chops knowing the first two legs would be fast spinnaker reaches before the long beat home to Pt Loma with a quick port tack reach home to the finish line just off Shelter Island.

Leading the entire fleet home were the J/105s, most of whom were participating in the J/105 Masters Regatta. First boat home sailing an amazing race was Bruce Munro's team from St Francis YC, however, as they finished they discovered they were OCS'd by the RC.  As a result, the first official finisher was John Andron's team, also from StFYC; they were followed by the famous yacht designer Ron Holland from Ireland in 2nd; local hero, World Star champion and SDYC benefactor Malin Burnham finished in 3rd; fourth was yet another famous sailmaker, World Soling Champion, Hans Fogh from Denmark and Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and in 6th was local champion Rick Goebel on SANITY.

Class 2 was won by John Laun's J/120 CAPER with fellow J/120 sailor Chuck Nichols sailing his famous CC RIDER in 5th. Peter Zarcades J/120 MELTEMI ended up 9th.

Class 4 saw the debut of the J/70s.  And, what a debut it was with the group of four J/70s having a very close start and taking off in the first giant puff like a Navy F-18 getting shot off the catapult on an aircraft carrier!  Taking off with foam hissing in their wake, the J/70s quickly overhauled all their competitors in front of them.  In the end, the J/70s took 1st and 3rd.  Leading them home was J/70 ULLMAN SAILS in 1st with the J/70 QUANTUM SAILS team taking 3rd.  The J/70 NORTH SAILS team was 2nd across the line but suffered a similar fate as their J/105 counterparts (the Munro team) by having to take an OCS.  For more Hot Rum Series sailing information

Hartog Wins J/22 Hamburg Champs

(Hamburg, Germany)- The J/22 fleet in Germany continues to grow and the Hamburger Segel-Club that sails on the gorgeous waters off Hamburg always seem to enjoy spirited competition amongst friends.  The fleet has expanded and the level of sailing competition has improved considerably.

Over the August 25th-26th weekend, it was pretty clear that Svend Hartog's team on GER 1450 were sailing quite confidently and their record of 2-5-1-1-2 for a 6 pts net total meant they just nipped their friends in second by just one point.  It was a wonderful victory for Svend's team that was comprised of two guys and two girls- Svend and friend Dirk Fischer and Stefanie Schweder and Annie Westschfling.  Sailing incredibly well and giving Svend's team serious competition was Hardy Kleinfeld on GER 1181 with a very steady 1-1-3-2-3 with just 7 pts net (unbelievable to lose with such a steady record!).  Third was Frank Lammerskitten with yet another tough record of 3-4-2-4-1 for just 10 pts net!

While the top three boats were having their own battle  for fleet domination, it was pretty clear that several other battles were emerging amongst other members in the fleet.  The balance of the top five was decided by a tie-breaker!  Winning this gunfight at the OK Corral was Kai Freese on GER 1243 with a 5-2-7-5-5 for 17 pts.  Losing that skirmish was Ingo Hueter on GER 1364 with a 4-6-4-3-6 record for 17 pts (no seconds made the difference).   For more J/22 Germany sailing information 

J/Fest Southwest Success!

J/70s Debut, Enormous Showing for J/22s, J/24s(Houston, Texas)- Lakewood YC hosted the third annual J/Fest Southwest Regatta for sixty-two boats! Awesome atmosphere! Great band and free beer waiting for all the crews as they came off the water! Everyone is in party mode!

The focus of the J/Fest Southwest Regatta is to provide a Regatta venue that is extra fun for J/Boat owners, their family, and friends. While the racers are on the water, their spouses, children, family, and friends can enjoyed a myriad of activities and tourist attractions in the Bay Area.

One-design fleets that participated this year include the J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/105s, J/109s and a J/PHRF class.  In the J/22s a great class of fourteen boats sailed with the local host team, BLACKBURN MARINE RACING skippered by Casey Lambert, simply walking off with the overall honors with four straight firsts for 4 pts.  Second was Fred Lindsey's team CACTUS JACK with a record of three 2nds and a 3rd for 9 pts.  Third was RICH SKANK sailed by Brant Koepke's team from Galveston Bay Cruising Association with three 3rds and a 2nd for 11 pts.

The J/24s had an excellent showing with sixteen boats participating.  It was a knockdown, drag 'em out fight for the top three with Corey Harding's team on HAPPY DANCE taking the gold with a 1-3-2-2 record for 8 pts to win by one point.  Second was Bryan Dyer skippering RUMLINE from Fort Worth Boat Club with a 2-1-3-3 tally for 9 pts.  Third was Stu Lindlow on TROPICAL AGGRESSION with a 3-2-1-4 for 10 pts.  Great racing to the end for this trio of teams!

The J/70s had their first one-design racing on Galveston Bay.  It was fun racing for all as the teams were all learning how to get the most out of their new boats.  In the finale, it was Bruce McDonald sailing ROGUE WARRIOR 2 from Houston YC that managed to score four 1sts and a 2nd for 6 pts.  Second was Jimmy Mitchell on BOOMTOWN from Fort Worth Boat Club that managed to wind a count-back tie-breaker based on most 1sts, etc.  Jimmy's 3-1-3-2-3 was good enough for 12 pts, overcoming Dave Hinrichsen's #51 that had three 2nds and two 3rds for 12 pts, too.

The J/80s had a great cross-section of sailors amongst the eight teams, including a team from Dillon, Colorado- Kurt Vanderwal on HENDRIX.  In some respects, this regatta was a great practice warm-up for local sailors all participating in the upcoming J/80 North Americans being held in Fort Worth Boat Club later in October.  Topping out the fleet was local J/80 champion sailor Jay Lutz sailed USA 803 with four straight 1sts!  Jay's performance was all the more remarkable considering the fact that they were up against another J/80 NA and World Champion, Terry Flynn and David Whelan, who ultimately finished second.  The Flynn/Whelan team sailed QUANTUM SAILS/ GULF COAST RACING to four 2nds to easily finish behind their local, friendly competitors.  Third was Alfred Poindexter sailing ANDALE that managed to just secure their position with a consistent 4-5-5-4 for 18 pts.

After the Fort Worth Boat Club's One-Design weekend and racing seminar, it was clear the ten boat class was going to have some very competitive racing as many of the teams had stepped up their game and were sailing their boats much more effectively and faster around the race track.  In the end, local rock star Bill Zartler on SOLARIS again proved to be the "wiseman" of the class and managed to sail to four 1sts and a 5th for 9 pts, easily winning their class.  Behind them was Greg Turman's HORNY TOAD, a well-sailed team that featured some great local talent from the Houston area; their 4-2-4-2-2 record for 14 pts was good enough for 2nd place.  Bill Lakenmacher sailed his RADIANCE to a third place position overall with an 8-6-3-4-1 record for 22 pts, showing improvement every single race.

The J/109s had one of their best showing in years with six boats sailing with one of the local host sailors simply dominating the fleet.  It was the HAMBURG "show" as Albrecht Goethe's teams led the fleet with five straight 1sts for a 5 pts total to win by a landslide.  Behind them was a real donnybrook of a fight for second place with Tom Sutton sailing his LEADING EDGE to a 2-3-4-2-5 record for 16 pts, to win a count-back tie-break based on 1-2-3 tally.  Losing that tie-break battle was Dave Christensen racing AIRBORNE into third place with a consistent 4-2-2-4-4 record also for 16 pts.

Finally, in the PHRF division, Doug Shaffer's beautiful J/122 GAMBLER sailed well as the "big boat" in the division to win with yet another "picket fence" performance- garnering four straight bullets for 4 pts to win class.  Second was Chris Alk's J/27 FOOTLOOSE with 11 pts.  Third was Bob Crutchfield's J/120 BLUECHIP with 18 pts.   For more J/Fest Southwest sailing information

US Women's Match Race Sailing Preview

Top Women's Teams Sailing J/22s @ St Francis YC
(San Francisco, California)- The 2016 Olympic Games may have eliminated the Women's Match Race event, but the beat rocks on this week at the 2012 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship (Sept. 13-16). Six teams from across the United States have come to San Francisco to compete for the title in J/22s at the St. Francis Yacht Club. Typically strong winds are forecast for the event and the teams will be tested not only by each other but by the conditions on the City Front. Furthermore, the US Sailing Championship is a Qualifying Event for the 2012 ISAF Nations Cup Regional Finals.

This year’s roster is highlighted by Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.), a two-time U.S. Women’s Match Racing Champion skipper. Tulloch finished just short of winning her third consecutive U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship at least year’s event on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. She lost a thrilling Final match to Sally Barkow, 3-2. Tulloch will be sailing with US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider teammates Jennifer Chamberlin (Washington, D.C.) and Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.), who finished fourth as a skipper at last year’s event. Margaret Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) will also be crewing for Tulloch. She was a crew for Roble last year.

Three-time Rolex Women’s Match Racing Champion Sandy Hayes (Scituate, Mass.) is in pursuit of her first U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship. She will be joined this week by teammates, Cindy Olsen (Scituate, Mass.), Ivy Binns (San Mateo, Calif.), and Krista Paxton (Detroit, Mich.).

Giving these top teams a run-for-the-money will be local StFYC sailors Nicole Breault, Evan Brown, Casey Williams and Julie Servais.  Nicole has won the J/22 SoCal Match Racing circuit and her familiarity with the boats and the local San Francisco Bay conditions will prove to her liking.  For more US Women's Match Racing sailing information
 

J/Teams Support "Sail for Hope" Regatta

(Newport, RI)- This year's regatta marks the 11th running of Sail for Hope. In the wake of the 9/11/2001 attacks on America, a few local sailing enthusiasts scrambled to organize a regatta to honor and support those affected.  The event is the classic "Around Jamestown Island" race that is about 19.5 nm around the East and West Passages of Narragansett Bay.

The first Sail For Pride Regatta rallied over 180 boats and $110,000 designated for charities to support the NYFD firefighters, police and the victims of the attacks and their families. The display of patriotism and generosity on and off the water made a lasting impression in the sailing community.

After the inaugural year, the organizers retired the name Sail For Pride, but continued the event as Sail For Hope, reflecting the Rhode Island state motto and aimed at supporting local charities. Charities supported over the years have included RI Red Cross, Seamen's Church Institute, Newport Harbormaster's Emergency Equipment Fund, local public high school sailing teams, US Olympic Sailing Trials and many more, including a huge fund-raising year in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.  To date, over $800,000 has been raised for a wide variety of charities, including RI Red Cross and the Wounded Warrior Project- an organization that actively puts forth a rehabilitative effort in assisting our warriors to recover and transition back to a civilian lifestyle.

On Saturday, the 6th of October, seventy-seven boats participated, including a large fleet of eleven J/22 one-designs and several PHRF classes. In the J/22 one-designs, it was Whitney Slade and crew that took home the silverware by 3 min 26 secs over Matt Chao's team in second.  Third was Alan Renfrew another 2 min back.  Fourth was Rufus Van Gruisen and third was PJ Maltais.

For the PHRF 6 handicap class, the J/111s sailed well with Doug Curtiss on WICKED 2.0 taking second place and class newcomer David Brodsky and Fred Van Liew sailed their new J/111 ODYSSEY to 5th overall in their first outing!  The J/111s in New England "welcome" Dave and Fred and look forward to sailing with them in the 2013 sailing season!

In the PHRF Non-Spinnaker class, the J/28 WHALAYED sailed by John Whaley finished 3rd overall.  In PHRF 4 class, the J/30 RHAPSODY sailed by Bill Kneller was 2nd overall and the J/24s NIGHTHAWK (Barker, Ryan, McVicker) and BUCKSHOT (Larry Colantuono) were 4th and 5th, respectively.    Sailing photo credits- George Bekris   For more Sail for Hope Regatta sailing information

Koppernaes Wins J/22 Lake George Regatta

(Lake George, New York)- Despite the fact that many J/22 sailors had just come off sailing the J/22 North Americans in East Tawas, Michigan along the beautiful shores of western Lake Erie, the fact that 28 boats still made the pilgrimage to Lake George is testimonial to its long-term attraction to sailors from around the eastern parts of America!  Missing to some degree were the top boats from both Annapolis and Rochester, nevertheless the competition was spirited and it was great to see other teams in the hunt to haul in some silverware.

To say that sailing on Lake George is a breath-taking experience may perhaps be an understatement.  Surrounded by gorgeous, verdant green rolling mountains that are already showing the changing of colors in the fall to bright hues of reds, organs, yellows and purples it's hard to concentrate on the racing.  However, after two good days of sailing, it was clear a new winner was crowned for this event, John Koppernaes and crew, winning with a 16-2-6-2-2-5 record for 17 pts net.  Perhaps the steadiest team on the lake this weekend was Ron Harris' team, compiling a 7-3-1-6-4-7 for 21 net pts, having to throw out only a 7th to place second overall (on a "no-throwout" basis they would easily have won the event).  Third just one point back was RJ Moon's team that started off fast and "faded to black" with a 5-1-2-11-19-3 tally for 22 net pts (perhaps the party Saturday night contributed to the nasty scoreline on races #4 and #5.  Rounding out the top five were Bob Mendenhall in fourth and Trevor Collins in fifth.  For more J/22 Lake George Open/ Northeast Districts sailing results 

Koppernaes Wins J/22 Lake George Regatta

(Lake George, New York)- Despite the fact that many J/22 sailors had just come off sailing the J/22 North Americans in East Tawas, Michigan along the beautiful shores of western Lake Erie, the fact that 28 boats still made the pilgrimage to Lake George is testimonial to its long-term attraction to sailors from around the eastern parts of America!  Missing to some degree were the top boats from both Annapolis and Rochester, nevertheless the competition was spirited and it was great to see other teams in the hunt to haul in some silverware.

To say that sailing on Lake George is a breath-taking experience may perhaps be an understatement.  Surrounded by gorgeous, verdant green rolling mountains that are already showing the changing of colors in the fall to bright hues of reds, organs, yellows and purples it's hard to concentrate on the racing.  However, after two good days of sailing, it was clear a new winner was crowned for this event, John Koppernaes and crew, winning with a 16-2-6-2-2-5 record for 17 pts net.  Perhaps the steadiest team on the lake this weekend was Ron Harris' team, compiling a 7-3-1-6-4-7 for 21 net pts, having to throw out only a 7th to place second overall (on a "no-throwout" basis they would easily have won the event).  Third just one point back was RJ Moon's team that started off fast and "faded to black" with a 5-1-2-11-19-3 tally for 22 net pts (perhaps the party Saturday night contributed to the nasty scoreline on races #4 and #5.  Rounding out the top five were Bob Mendenhall in fourth and Trevor Collins in fifth.  For more J/22 Lake George Open/ Northeast Districts sailing results

J/Fest Southwest- Oct 13-14

(Houston, TX)- Lakewood YC on Galveston Bay in southern Texas along the Gulf of Mexico is again hosting the Third Annual J/Fest Southwest.  Open to all J/Owners, the focus of the J/Fest Southwest Regatta is to provide a Regatta venue that is extra fun for J/Boat owners, their family, and friends. While the racers are on the water, their spouses, children, family, and friends can enjoy a myriad of activities and tourist attractions in the Bay Area. Goodie bags for skippers will contain coupons for family fun.

One design fleets slated for the J/Fest Southwest Regatta include J/22, J/24, J/80, J/105 and the J/109’s. It will be a circuit stop for the J/22’s and the J/24’s. All J/Boats are welcome to race in the PHRF classes and in the J/Cruise class. Any J/Boat is eligible to participate, and the regatta organizers intend to offer several exciting formats for the non One Design racers. This year we expect to see a couple of hot J/70’s flying around as well!   For  more J/Fest SW sailing information

J/Fest Southwest- Oct 13-14

(Houston, TX)- Lakewood YC on Galveston Bay in southern Texas along the Gulf of Mexico is again hosting the Third Annual J/Fest Southwest.  Open to all J/Owners, the focus of the J/Fest Southwest Regatta is to provide a Regatta venue that is extra fun for J/Boat owners, their family, and friends. While the racers are on the water, their spouses, children, family, and friends can enjoy a myriad of activities and tourist attractions in the Bay Area. Goodie bags for skippers will contain coupons for family fun.

One design fleets slated for the J/Fest Southwest Regatta include J/22, J/24, J/80, J/105 and the J/109’s. It will be a circuit stop for the J/22’s and the J/24’s. All J/Boats are welcome to race in the PHRF classes and in the J/Cruise class. Any J/Boat is eligible to participate, and the regatta organizers intend to offer several exciting formats for the non One Design racers. This year we expect to see a couple of hot J/70’s flying around as well!   For  more J/Fest SW sailing information

J/22 Team Race- Sailing Report

St Francis YC J/22 Team Race Invitational "insider's view"- we received a great report from Nicole Breault, one of the winning skippers from StFYC from their escapades the past weekend team-racing against some of California's best sailors from San Francisco down to San Diego.  Nicole said,

"Last weekend the St. Francis Yacht Club hosted a team racing regatta for some incredibly talented teams from west coast clubs including San Diego YC, Seattle YC, and Newport Harbor YC. Racing was held in J/22s on the famed waters of the Golden Gate, right in front of the clubhouse, and we experienced the notorious winds and current of the Bay.

Of the two StFYC teams in the event, ours was pieced together only a week before by Scott Sellers. He had lost his other two crackerjack skippers to scheduling conflicts, and replaced them with me and Shawn Bennett. Shawn and I are pretty fast sailors, and have match racing backgrounds, but the amount of team racing we each had done in the past 20 years was minimal. Nevertheless armed with a positive attitude and a bunch of very capable people crewing for us, we headed into battle together.

Spectators on both Saturday and Sunday were treated to exciting action. There were dozens of tactical mark traps and hi-low plays that kept the racing close for the most part. In addition, much to the dismay of Diego (StFYC’s J/22 bosun), we had several spinnaker-clad broaches, including a full-on death roll capsize by Shawn!

After three round-robins, the top four teams moved into semifinal, first-to-two-wins series. Racing was amazingly tight in both brackets with San Diego prevailing over Seattle and our StFYC team (Red) edging out the other StFYC team (Blue). We were having a hard time believing at this point that we had sailed into the finals. There were so many All American caliber sailors on the race course… no doubt any of these teams could have won the event!

Ultimately, we split wins against San Diego in the finals and the regatta win came down to the last race between us and San Diego. I will remember that last race for a long time! We were mixing it up around the top of the course, and one of their guys fouled and had to spin. We looked good down the run, but Brian Hayes had plans for us at the leeward mark! He was in the one and pulled of a mark-trap that left us in four, five, and six, chasing with just the last beat to go! Luckily, we had a strong, flooding current to extend the sailing time of the leg… and the wind was both puffy and shifty. Shawn and crew tacked around the leeward mark and scooted left up the beat, heading into a lefty on the shore. Scott and I, and our crews, headed right and hitched into solid right pressure at the top of the beat. Their guys were stuck in the middle trying to cover. In the end, all boats converged across the finish line within seconds of one another. My boat got the one, Shawn’s boat tacked at the pin and spectacularly shot the line for the two, and Scott’s boat photo-finished with the others! Incredible!

Our hats go off to all the teams we raced last weekend. The tough, friendly competition was fantastic! Looking forward to the next chance to play!"   Formore J/22 StFYC Team Race sailing information

Tulloch Wins US Women's J/22 Match Racin

(San Francisco, California)- For four days, the top women's match racing teams in America battled for supremacy on the spectacular waters of San Francisco Bay, home appropriately enough for the next America's Cup in September 2013.  Set against the backdrop of the City of San Francisco, the women's teams fought in elimination rounds over three days that saw the two most experienced teams ultimately rise to the top.

By Saturday afternoon, the culmination of the racing decided who would reach the Finals of the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. Genny Tulloch and Nicole Breault would square off in Sunday’s Final series. A win for Tulloch would mark her third Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy.

Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.), a two-time U.S. Women’s Match Racing Champion, had been sailing during the week with Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) and US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider teammates Jennifer Chamberlin (Washington, D.C.) and Steph Roble (East Troy, Wis.). They had yet to lose a race all week. They won the final flight today and swept their Semifinal series, 3-0, over Shala Lawrence (San Diego, Calif.) to advance to Sunday’s Finals. Team Tulloch was 15-0 in Round Robin action.

Nicole Breault (San Francisco, Calif.) advanced to the Finals with a 3-1 win over Andrea Cabito (Alameda, Calif.) in Saturday's Semifinals. Breault’s crew consisted of Evan Brown (San Francisco, Calif.), Casey Williams (Belmont, Mass.), and Julie Servais (San Diego, Calif.). They were 11-4 in Round Robin play; however, three of those losses came against Tulloch.

In the final analysis, those three losses would come home to haunt Nicole's team.  For the third time in four years, Genny Tulloch won the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship. Tulloch and her crew were dominant by winning all 21 matches they raced. They put the finishing touches on this fantastic four-day event by winning 3-0 over Nicole Breault in the finals.

Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.) was challenged in today’s first race. Breault had a lead early and was in control. However, Breault lost her lead when she over shot the first mark, picked up a foul, and took extra tacks. Tulloch went on to win by a couple boat lengths.

After a compelling pre-start in race two, Breault made a mistake by not turning back earlier in the box to lead back in light air against current.  As a result, Tulloch approached the starting line in control by exposing Breault to bad air and forcing her back, deeper in the box. Tulloch took a two boat length lead off the line and never looked back. Tulloch won race two by eight boat lengths.

Breault notched another penalty on the pre-start of race three. Tulloch took a three boat length lead early and eventually won by 10 boat lengths to clinch the championship.

“It feels amazing to win this championship in my home waters,” said Tulloch. “It was really cool for us to join forces this week. Everyone did a great job and proud of this team for how they all came together.”
Sailing Photo credits- Chris Ray Photography.  For more US Women's Match Racing sailing information

Tulloch Wins US Women's J/22 Match Racing

(San Francisco, California)- For four days, the top women's match racing teams in America battled for supremacy on the spectacular waters of San Francisco Bay, home appropriately enough for the next America's Cup in September 2013.  Set against the backdrop of the City of San Francisco, the women's teams fought in elimination rounds over three days that saw the two most experienced teams ultimately rise to the top.

By Saturday afternoon, the culmination of the racing decided who would reach the Finals of the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. Genny Tulloch and Nicole Breault would square off in Sunday’s Final series. A win for Tulloch would mark her third Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy.

Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.), a two-time U.S. Women’s Match Racing Champion, had been sailing during the week with Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) and US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider teammates Jennifer Chamberlin (Washington, D.C.) and Steph Roble (East Troy, Wis.). They had yet to lose a race all week. They won the final flight today and swept their Semifinal series, 3-0, over Shala Lawrence (San Diego, Calif.) to advance to Sunday’s Finals. Team Tulloch was 15-0 in Round Robin action.

Nicole Breault (San Francisco, Calif.) advanced to the Finals with a 3-1 win over Andrea Cabito (Alameda, Calif.) in Saturday's Semifinals. Breault’s crew consisted of Evan Brown (San Francisco, Calif.), Casey Williams (Belmont, Mass.), and Julie Servais (San Diego, Calif.). They were 11-4 in Round Robin play; however, three of those losses came against Tulloch.

In the final analysis, those three losses would come home to haunt Nicole's team.  For the third time in four years, Genny Tulloch won the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship. Tulloch and her crew were dominant by winning all 21 matches they raced. They put the finishing touches on this fantastic four-day event by winning 3-0 over Nicole Breault in the finals.

Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.) was challenged in today’s first race. Breault had a lead early and was in control. However, Breault lost her lead when she over shot the first mark, picked up a foul, and took extra tacks. Tulloch went on to win by a couple boat lengths.

After a compelling pre-start in race two, Breault made a mistake by not turning back earlier in the box to lead back in light air against current.  As a result, Tulloch approached the starting line in control by exposing Breault to bad air and forcing her back, deeper in the box. Tulloch took a two boat length lead off the line and never looked back. Tulloch won race two by eight boat lengths.

Breault notched another penalty on the pre-start of race three. Tulloch took a three boat length lead early and eventually won by 10 boat lengths to clinch the championship.

“It feels amazing to win this championship in my home waters,” said Tulloch. “It was really cool for us to join forces this week. Everyone did a great job and proud of this team for how they all came together.”
Sailing Photo credits- Chris Ray Photography.  For more US Women's Match Racing sailing information

J/22 Sailing MoBay- "Hannah Montana" Report!

(Montego Bay, Jamaica)- The Jamaica J/22 Class had a fabulous third meet in Montego Bay.  The second meet was a hoot, but the third one was even better- we called it the "Hannah Montana" special.  We had six races in 5 to 25 kt winds.  For the most part there were three race per day with at most two hours on the water per day.  Too short, you say?

Well, here in MoBay we take most kindly to the most "considerate" sailing imaginable. After all, it's beautiful here.  The people are beautiful, too.  And, they are simply wonderful and laid back.  Don't believe us?  Please come down and join us, mon!  Be assured, we can show you a good time!

So, here's an example of how we sail-- There should be no such thing as a ‘close call’ in a port-starboard that doesn’t result in a protest and this past weekend people realized that as port boat in close quarters they must either tack and (preferably) lee bow, or duck.  A good duck can only mean that the chances are the roles will be reversed at the next encounter further up the course!!

The fleet was very conservative at the start on both days with ZIPPER playing at the port end and clearing easily across the fleet on a couple of occasions.

Once again a square short start line, with excellent race management from Evelyn Harrington and Robbin Delisser, the fleet was able to enjoy a focus on extremely close racing.  The only thing persistent for the whole weekend was that there was no right or wrong on the way up the course and 20 degree shifts were the norm.  Those that could capitalize gained big and those that couldn’t - well, next time.  Boat speed helped but as RENEGADE proved with her oldest sails pointing the bow in the right direction ensured a place well up in the fleet was really possible.

Sunday’s racing had everyone in the bar within 2.5 hours albeit with rain preventing the boats from coming out of the water.  There is so much positive energy and reaction to the impetus we can only hope that Montego Bay can generate as much participation in Kingston in the coming months.

Thanks to "Hanna Montana" for the title and a pink beach ball picked up during a downwind leg on "Renegade" which even has a little bell in it!!  Cool runnings, dudes, kids will love this one!  Sailing photo credits- Evelyn Harrington   For more Royal Jamaica YC and J/22 Montego Bay sailing information

Doyle Wins J/22 North Americans

(East Tawas, MI)- The 31-boat fleet that sailed in this year's J/22 North American Championship at Tawas Bay Yacht Club in Michigan were in for an unexpected treat- fabulous sailing on the gorgeous Carribean-blue waters of Lake Erie!  The sailing conditions were quite a bit better than initially forecast, especially because the Midwest has been living with in sufferable heat and light winds all summer long.

After the first day of racing, Lee Sackett of Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, OH held the lead. Winds started light and shifty, but increased during each race to around 12 knots in Race 3. Sunny skies and temperatures around 70 degrees made for a gorgeous day on the bay. Three races were completed with Lee scoring a consistent line of 2,3,5 for 10 points, and Allan Terhune of Arnold, MD and Terry Flynn of League City, TX were tied for the next position with 12 points.  In the day's first race, Richard Hallagan of Canandaigua Yacht Club took top honors, followed by two teams from the Cleveland area- Lee Sackett in second and his father Tod in third. In Race 2, Brad Julian of Severn Sailing Association grabbed first, with Chris Doyle of New York and Lee Sackett next. Terhune rounded out the day with a victory. Chris Doyle trailed in second, and Flynn in third.

Chris Doyle took over the lead on day 2. With stellar scores on Tuesday of 1,2,1, the team launched into first after Race 6 when the throw-out took effect and they dropped their 22 from Race 1.  Chris Doyle had 8 points heading into the final day of the regatta.  Allan Terhune trailed in second with 16 points, and Terry Flynn was just one point behind him.  The J/22 teams reveled in the Tawas Bay wind and waves throughout Tuesday, with breezes between 10-18 knots and surf-able waves.

After the racing completed on day 3 Wednesday, it was pretty clear that Doyle's team had finally gotten their boat in gear and were sailing both smart and fast. With crew Will Harris and Adam Burns, the team ended the nine-race regatta with just 16 points, after dropping a 22 from Race 1. During the other eight races, they had all top three tallies. Behind Chris Doyle was Brad Julian of Annapolis, MD with 28 points and Terry Flynn of League City, TX with 29 points. Tod Sackett of Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland, OH got the day started off with a victory, with Julian and Chris Doyle behind. In the next race, Allan Terhune of Arnold, MD earned the win, Chris Doyle second and Julian third. Flynn ended the regatta with a victory, ahead of Julian and Chris Doyle. Conditions were ideal again on Tawas Bay with breeze between 8 knots at the beginning of the day, and building to 16 with gusts to 18 by the last race with 2-4 foot waves. The top 10: Chris Doyle (16 points), Brad Julian (28), Terry Flynn (29), Allan Terhune (31), Lee Sackett (38), Marvin Beckmann (43), Chris Wientjes (54), Tod Sackett (65), Jeffrey Todd (69), Nick Turney (86).   For more J/22 North Americans sailing information

US Women's Match Race Sailing Preview

Top Women's Teams Sailing J/22s @ St Francis YC
(San Francisco, California)- The 2016 Olympic Games may have eliminated the Women's Match Race event, but the beat rocks on this week at the 2012 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship (Sept. 13-16). Six teams from across the United States have come to San Francisco to compete for the title in J/22s at the St. Francis Yacht Club. Typically strong winds are forecast for the event and the teams will be tested not only by each other but by the conditions on the City Front. Furthermore, the US Sailing Championship is a Qualifying Event for the 2012 ISAF Nations Cup Regional Finals.

This year’s roster is highlighted by Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.), a two-time U.S. Women’s Match Racing Champion skipper. Tulloch finished just short of winning her third consecutive U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship at least year’s event on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. She lost a thrilling Final match to Sally Barkow, 3-2. Tulloch will be sailing with US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider teammates Jennifer Chamberlin (Washington, D.C.) and Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.), who finished fourth as a skipper at last year’s event. Margaret Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) will also be crewing for Tulloch. She was a crew for Roble last year.

Three-time Rolex Women’s Match Racing Champion Sandy Hayes (Scituate, Mass.) is in pursuit of her first U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship. She will be joined this week by teammates, Cindy Olsen (Scituate, Mass.), Ivy Binns (San Mateo, Calif.), and Krista Paxton (Detroit, Mich.).

Giving these top teams a run-for-the-money will be local StFYC sailors Nicole Breault, Evan Brown, Casey Williams and Julie Servais.  Nicole has won the J/22 SoCal Match Racing circuit and her familiarity with the boats and the local San Francisco Bay conditions will prove to her liking.  For more US Women's Match Racing sailing information