J/Teams Sweep Chicago-Mackinac Race

J/111 One-Designs Smoke the Fleet!
(Mackinac Island, Michigan)- For the enormous fleet of boats sailing in this year's Chicago-Mackinac Race, the forecasts weren't the most promising in the world for a fast passage north on the 289nm course to Mackinac Island.  As the morning dawned with a light southwesterly gradient breeze, it was becoming clear to the "locals" that a sea-breeze would likely develop and by early afternoon power the fleet down the course in an 8-13 knot southeasterly breeze.  The Double-handed fleet took off in near drifting conditions which include a J/29 and J/105.  About an hour later, the big divisions of J/105s, J/109s, J/111s and J/120s all took off in a building sea-breeze reinforced by the gradient.

Because of the stronger than forecast sea breeze, the race became an enormous chess match on the water, with all teams focused on when the breeze would shift from the southeast to southwest and then play gybing angles all the way down the Michigan shoreline, passing the famous Point Betsie turning point to head further NE towards the Greys Reef 3nm passage before turning to 97 degree for the final sprint to 30nm to the finish line off the famously picturesque Round Island Lighthouse off Mackinac Island.  The tale of the tape for various classes came down to two major decision points, when was the first gybe made in the middle of the lake late Saturday evening when the winds went from about 170-185 degrees to 200-220 degrees and when teams made the decision to gybe and go inshore along the Pt Betsie/Michigan shoreline to stay in breeze with more velocity.

All the J/Teams had some great racing, as demonstrated by their extraordinary performances overall in the Mackinac CUp Trophy fleet standings.  The first NINE of the Top 10 Teams were J/Boats owners.  12 of Top 15 were J/Teams and 16 of the Top 25! J/111s were 8 of Top 15 and 11 of Top 20!! An unprecedented sweep of the top 25 positions-- the best ever by any brand in the history of the Mackinac Race (or for that matter any major offshore race around the world).  Here is how the top 25 teams faired

1st- J/109 REALT NA MARA- Tom & Joe Londrigan
2nd- J/109 NORTHSTAR- David Gustman
3rd- J/111 KASHMIR- Brummel/ Henderson/ Mayer
4th- J/111 VELOCITY- Marty Roesch
5th- J/111 NO SURPRISE- Dave Irish
6th- J/111 NIGHTHAWK- Tom Edman & Steve Dabrowski
7th- J/122 SUFFICIENT REASON- Mitch Padnos
8th- J/111 IMPULSE- George Miz, Peter Dreher, Mark Hatfield
9th- J/111 WIND CZAR- Richard Lehman
13th- J/111 MENTAL- Paul Stahlberg
14th- J/120 NIGHT MOVES- Henry Mistele
15th- J/111 ROWDY- Rich Witzel
20th- J/111 MISTY- Tom McIntosh
21st- J/111 LUCKY DUBIE- Len Siegal
22nd- J/120 PERSEVERANCE- Matt Songer
23rd- J/109 KIII- Irv Kerbel

In addition to doing well overall, the four J/One-Design divisions had extremely close racing amongst their colleagues.  According to Mike Mayer, a partner in the J-111 KASHMIR, the 10-boat J/111 one-design fleet battled all the way up the lake. "What a fun race," said Mayer. "We had multiple lead changes throughout. Going through the Manitous we had eight boats within a mile of each other. What great racing."  Winning the 111 one-designs was the team on KASHMIR- Brummel/ Henderson/ Mayer and it was their 2nd Mac race win after 2011!! Putting on an amazing performance for being "newbies" to the Mac were the strong Annapolis team led by Marty Roesch on VELOCITY, finishing second after a duel with their classmates going into the final five miles of the race.  Third was Dave Irish's NO SURPRISE, fourth was NIGHTHAWK sailed by the dynamic duo of Tom Edman & Steve Dabrowski and fifth was IMPULSE led by the trio of Dr George Miz, Peter Dreher and Mark Hatfield.  Incredibly the entire J/111 one-design class all finished less than 50 minutes apart after the long race, perhaps one of the smallest "spreads" ever in a one-design class-- great racing for all!

The J/109s again proved they're one of the toughest fleets to beat on Lake Michigan, liking the light to moderate off-the-wind breezes.  Top boat in the Mac and J/109 Class winner was the J/109 REALT NA MARA sailed by Tom and Joe Londrigan.  Second was NORTHSTAR (David Gustman), third was KIII (Irv Kerbel), fourth the trio on MOMENTUS (Kevin Saedi/ George and Robin Simkins) and fifth was CERTAINLY (Don Meyer).

Amongst the J/105s, it was also a tough race amongst these evenly matched teams.  Leading the pack home was Mark Gurney's BUZZ, followed by Mark Symond's PTERODACTYL in second, Clark Pellet's SEALARK in third, GOOD LOOKIN (Dean & Lana Walsh) in fourth and fifth was Nancy Glover's TEMPEST.

Top gun in the J/120s was Henry Mistele's NIGHT MOVES, finishing 14th overall and winning the 120 class.  22nd overall and 2nd in class was Matt Songer's PERSEVERANCE, third was Bob Kirkman's HOT TICKET, fourth Frank Kern's CARINTHIA and fifth Bob Klairmont's SCIROCCO 2.

In the handicap world, Section 2 saw the two J/145s finish next to one another. Grabbing 4th and 5th, respectively, were Chris Saxton's VORTICES and Bill Schanen's MAIN STREET.

Section 3 saw another repeat winner!  The original J/122 SKYE was bought by Mitch Padnos and Tracy Brand and is now the current SUFFICIENT REASON!  Mitch and crew were incredibly happy with their performance, repeating the J/122s win in this division for the second time in four years!  Eighth in class was the J/133 RENEGADE sailed by Tom and Beth-Ann Papoutsis, ninth was the J/130 EDGE (Bob McManus) and tenth was the  J/130 WILLIE J (Doug Petter).

Section 5 also saw another repeat winner, perhaps a three-peat winner?  First was the J/109 VANDA III sailed by Jack & Jim Tolliver and Jim Mitchell with a great crew consisting of Simon Minoprio and Rodney Keenan from Auckland, New Zealand and Dallas Kilponen from Sydney, Australia along with Jimmie's dad "James".  Congratulations to them as they were 4th overall in the Mackinac Trophy division.

The Section 6 sailors must've felt a bit overwhelmed by the presence of 35 foot J/Teams sailing amongst them-- which, ultimately, took 7 of the top 10 in section!  The winner was a classic cruiser/racer, the J/110 LADY K sailed by Mike Stewart.  Third was the J/35 AFTERSHOCK (Bill Newman), 5th the J/92 SPLIT DECISION (Bruce Santerre), 6th the J/35 BOZO'S CIRCUS (Bruce Metcalf), 7th the J/35 TOUCH OF GREY (Larry Schell), 8th the J/33 RETRIEVER (Matt Beer) and 10th the J/35 SHEARWATER (Tom Anthony).

Finally, the Double-Handed Trophy was again won for the third year in a row, the proverbial "three-peat" for J/Teams by the J/29 TFWB RELENTLESS sailed George and Scott Petritz.  They were following up the previous year's double-winner, the former J/122 SKYE sailed by Bill Zeiler and Richie Stearns.  Fifth overall in DH was the J/105 OCH! sailed by Brendan Docherty and Jim Hilliard.  For more Chicago Mackinac sailing information

J/Cup UK Preview

(Southampton, England)- The scene is set for a stunning 2012 J-Cup Driven by MIQ Logistics, scheduled to take place on the Solent this week. The event comes back to its spiritual ‘home’ at the Royal Southern Yacht Club this year and comprises The Lombard J/97 UK National Championship and the J/109 UK National Championship supported by Sebago. The J/111 Class will also be racing at the J-Cup for the first time this year and the International J/111 Class Rules will apply in full. The remainder of the 63 boat fleet will be made up three more classes, the J/80s who will also race in a one-design class and two mixed IRC J Boat classes. Even the brand new J/70 is set to make her first regatta appearance!

Racing starts tomorrow, Thursday 26th July and nowhere will the competition be hotter than at the J/109 National Championship supported by Sebago. Studying the form at recent J/109 one design regattas will not help the pundits at all as several boats have been starring. Paul Griffiths, J/109 Class Chair who sails with his family and friends on Jagerbomb is blisteringly quick in the light stuff but was not giving much away on interview. When pressed, Paul explained ‘The issue is that the racing in this fleet really is wide open. On any given day there are easily ten boats in the running. What I can say for sure is that everyone sailing in the 24 boat J/109 National Championship fleet is delighted at the prospect of racing in some sunshine and thrilled to share in the generous support of our sponsor, Sebago’.

The current Lombard J/97 UK National Champion is Grant Gordon and his team on Fever, having won the regatta last year in Guernsey . Fever is back to defend the one design title this year, along with eight other J/97s, a fleet which includes three newcomers to the Championship. It’s tough at the top of the J/97 fleet and even the smallest of errors can be costly. Gill Ross has a predominantly young squad on board Rock n Roll 2 but having competed together at the recent J/80 Worlds she will be hoping that the strength of her close-knit team will pay dividends. From Cornwall, having recently won the South West IRC Championship, Stuart Sawyer and his crew on Black Dog were looking fast last weekend at a training regatta here on the Solent albeit they were just pipped to the top slot by local boys Mike and Jamie Holmes in Jika Jika. Mike and Jamie also have the 2012 Lombard J/97 National Championship title firmly in their sights.

The J/111 Class has eight boats racing on a level rating basis at the J-Cup this year and the fleet is chock full of winners: Didier Le Moal’s J-Lance comes to compete from France having beaten David and Kirsty’s J-Dream (Round the Island Race Class winner) by the very narrowest of margins at Spi Ouest regatta at Easter. Jamie Arnell’s Jeez Louise won the J/111 Class at the Vice Admiral’s Cup earlier in the summer and Duncan MacDonald and Phil Thomas ’ crew on Shmokin Joe have been slotting in some very impressive results in their home port of Brighton .

So, in usual J-Cup style we’re set for a massive event: six classes, two race areas, eight races, two National Championships, 63 boats (so far!) 400 people, two bands, SLAM clothing, SLAMbucca shots, the B&G Dark and Stormy Party, North Sails daily prizes, a live blog from the race-track at www.keyyachting.com, the Wight Vodka Online Results Service, fantastic sponsor support, prizes galore and of course the infamous J-Cup Prize-giving Party on the final Saturday, this year to be held at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton and (according to current forecasts) sun, sun, sun all the way!

To sum up, James Clark, Global Services Director at MIQ Logistics, the principal sponsor of the 2012 J-Cup said ‘We are thrilled to continue our sponsorship relationship with Key Yachting and the 2012 J-Cup Driven by MIQ Logistics is set to be a fabulous regatta. We understand the huge responsibility that comes with our investment but the opportunity to be involved with the J-Cup was one that we could not ignore and it demonstrates and cements our commitment to the marine sector. This will be my first J-Cup and I have to say that I am really looking forward to the event.’   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright- Photoaction.com  For more J/Cup sailing information

J/111 Wins Bayview-Mac Race

J/29 Wins Double, J/44 Wins Too!
(Port Huron, Michigan)- The 233 boats that sailed this year's Bayview Mac sailed a fairly typical race on Lake Huron in the middle of the summer.  With no significant weather systems roaring by at a frenetic pace, it was the usual stuff of Lake Huron lore-- light to medium winds, variable, starting south, shifting west, maybe shifting northwest, but then going back west.  In the end, it means only one thing for the "long" Cove Island course, a somewhat reachy, runny leg up to the Canadian shore followed by a long beat of sorts to Mackinac Island.  For the short course guys, it would be mostly a reachy race.  Such was the tale of the tape this time around, almost two completely different races, "the reach up the beach" or the "two sides of a bad triangle."

Sailing the Division I Cove island course were a trio of J's that found the difficult conditions much to their liking.  In fact, the more difficult and variable, the better this trio of boats were going to perform in this race.  Sailing PHRF C were two J/111s and a "classic" J/33.  To no one's surprise, the wiley old fox of the Great Lakes, Dave Irish from Harbor Springs, Michigan, again won his class for the second year in a row sailing his appropriately named NO SURPRISE! Dave is a veteran of a few dozen Mac Races, so it stood to reason that if anyone was going to figure out how to sail the Cove Island Course fast, it was Dave and crew.  Not far off the pace was the J/33 SHENANIGAN sailed by Dick & Dan Synowiec, getting a third in the division.  And, perhaps most surprisingly was the strong showing for their first time in the "racing" division of the J/111 UNPLUGGED sailed by Tim Clayson (last year's winners overall in the Cruising Division)!  They sailed to a well-deserved 4th overall in a tough, competitive fleet.

On the short course, the eight J/120s sailed a classic one-design race with many familiar faces dueling it out for line honors.  Many of the pre-race favorites were in for a surprise.  Leading the gang home was Ken Brown's JAYHAWKER in first place.  They were followed by a bunch of Canadians upsetting the American apple cart, preventing a clean sweep of the podium.  Gerald Hines team on IRRESISTIBLE TOO from Ontario finished second.  Third was J/120 ring-leader Frank Kern on CARINTHIA, four was Bob Kirkman's HOT TICKET and fifth was Don Hudak's CAPERS.

The Level 35 Class proved to be a J/35 "tour'de'force" with a record number of eight J/35s racing.  After the smoke cleared in this incredibly competitive class, it was a very familiar face at the top of the podium- the amazingly famous MR BILL'S WILD RIDE sailed by Bill Wildner, of course!  Second was the very experienced FALCON team sailed by Ed (43 PH Macs) and John (37 PH Macs) Bayer (only 250+ Bayview Mac Races amongst the crew-- e.g. "been there, done that" 100x!).  Amongst the 35s, Robert Gordenker's TIME MACHINE ensured J/35s took the majority of the top five with a 5th place!

In PHRF D Class the fleet of J/105s had many well-sailed boats, but it was Mark Symonds' PTERODACTYL that delivered and took home the bronze for 3rd place this time around.   In PHRF E, the J/44 SAGITTA sailed by its co-owners/skippers, both past Commodores of Bayview Yacht Club, Com. Larry Oswald (1990) and Com. Jon Somes (2000) proved, yet again, why they're considered "Grand Masters of the Huron Universe", taking it home against a tough group to secure a solid first place in their division.  For PHRF F Class, the classic J/36 POLARITY sailed by Murphy Palmer, the last of its breed as J/36 hull #55, pulled off a 5th in class! A similarly classic J/34 IOR design, SEA FEVER, also managed a third place in PHRF G class sailed by an incredibly experienced Mac Race team, led by Den Balcirak and Tom Burleson from Grosse Point Woods, Michigan.

Finally, in the Double-handed Division IV group, the J/Teams again proved they can sail their boats faster more consistently than any of their short-handed competitors.  A well-proven scenario in Fastnet Races, TransPac Races and Trans-Atlantic Races over time.  In this case, it was the J/29 PATRIOT sailed by David and Lyndon Lattie that won their class and a fellow J-sailors on the J/105 PIRANA (CJ Ruffing and Chris Ongena) pulled off a dramatic third place finish to round out the podium!  For more Bayview-Mackinac sailing information

J/111 Sailing Cowes & Peru

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The J/111 has taken the world by storm in 2012, with boats lighting-up race courses in over 12 countries.  One-design action is already taking place in Chicago, Newport, Annapolis, San Francisco, La Trinite France and now in the Solent, starting with the upcoming J-CUP, then followed by Cowes Week.  J/111 #60 based in Hamble, UK is ready to sail for enthusiastic J sailors. Whether your passion is short-handed distance racing, round-the-buoys fleet racing, or just plain sailing fast & fun in an easy to sail speedster, the J/111 is well worth checking out.  For those of you who have an interest in expanding your horizons in the European racing scene while still having the ultimate beer-can evening series boat, please don't hesitate to contact Paul Heys at J-UK at paul@keyyachting.com or +44 78022-64141.

Meanwhile, for those loving the South American lifestyle, it's hard to beat sailing a J/111 in Peru.  Recently, the J/111 CHALLWA was launched into the cool Pacific Ocean in the morning shadows of the magnificent Andes Mountain range.  German Fuchs and friends are happy to welcome J/111 enthusiasts anytime in their spectacular waters on the southwestern side of South America.  An important note for connoisseurs of the traveling lifestyle-- Peru, Chile and Argentina have some of the most extraordinary skiing, sailing, beef and wine (white or red) in the world (not necessarily in that order)!  Please be sure to contact German for a demo sail/ski anytime.  For more J/111 sailing information

Chicago-Mac Race Preview

NEW J/111 One-Design Class Ready-to-go!
(Chicago, IL)- The famous offshore yachting classic in the Great Lakes is about to get underway with over 300 boats undergoing last minute preparations for the 289nm dash from Chicago up Lake Michigan to that quaint, cute little island called Mackinac sandwiched between the top of Michigan and the Canadian border.  This annual right of passage has enough of a tradition for offshore sailors in the Great Lakes that those old sailors who never die and come back for more are honored, even revered, by those in the know-- that secret society known as "the Old Goats Society".

This reunion of sailors from across the greater Midwest (and the World) is celebrated first at the famous Chicago YC Monroe St Station, then after a few days on the water, is re-celebrated again with even taller stories to tell of what happened in the race conquering 'ole Mother Nature.  Ever heard about the boat planing past competitors in 95 kt winds under bare poles with lightning lighting the way home.  Or, the one about surfing the front of a water spout to the finish while God's light show of lightning bolts blew out all the instruments are were lighting up the carbon fiber in the jib like St Elmo's fire?  Yup.  Mac Racers have seen it all, heard it all --ironically there's even some truth in those "Paul Bunyan-type" stories for many who frequent the infamous Pink Pony Bar & Restaurant, de facto post-race headquarters for the thousands of weary sailors.

Gathering under the tents and along the docks of Chicago's waterfront are some of the world's better sailors and certainly a remarkably strong contingent of J sailors from across the lakes, including visitors coming from afar to participate in one of the true "Lake classics".  Four J/One-Design classes are represented- J/105s, J/109s, J/111s and J/120s.  It's the first year for the J/111 One-Design class, first for the Mac Race, too.  Plus, there are J/Teams spread throughout the Double-handed and handicap classes, many who've proven time and again they're not only champions in their own classes and divisions, but quite a few who've won the variations of the Mackinac Island races overall!

Starting with the one-design classes, it's quite exciting to see the J/111 speedster evolve into a full-blown one-design racing class in this eponymous offshore race.  There are ten J/111s entered and, quite frankly, there's no telling how it's all going to end up at the finish line.  What J/111 owners and their teams have proven to date is that just about anyone can win, especially an offshore race like the Mac.  The J/111 is so fast offshore, that anyone getting any leverage on their classmates extracts fast and enormous gains.  And, it works both ways. Especially if you're the boat behind, you're never out of the hunt for a podium finish, as last year's Mac Race proved for the five 111s that sailed in that stormy race!  Amongst the top contenders will be teams that have competed in Key West, Charleston, Annapolis, Newport, Bayview and Chicago over the past year.  From Chicago, you have several winners of recent regattas, including Paul Stahlberg's MENTAL, IMPULSE (Dr George Miz, Peter Dreher, Mark Hatfield), KASHMIR (the Mayer, Henderson, Brummel team), Tom McIntosh's MISTY and Tom Edman/ Steve Dabrowski's NIGHTHAWK. Newcomer to the Chicago fleet, the J/109 Great Lakes Champion Len Siegal, is sailing his new J/111 LUCKY DUBIE! From Annapolis is one of their top boats, VELOCITY sailed by Marty Roesch from Annapolis YC.  And, past year's double Mac Race winner NO SURPRISE sailed by Great Lakes racing legend Dave Irish should be amongst the top of this incredibly talented fleet.

The J/120s have a few Lakes legends of their own sailing amongst their one-design class along with some newly revamped programs all looking to dial-up their programs to take a shot at the top of the fleet.  From the Bayview Mac Race, you'll see all the top teams- CARINTHIA (Frank Kern), JAYHAWKER (David Sandlin), IRRESISTIBLE TOO (Gerald & Joanne Hines)- plus add in two strong Chicago teams in the form of SCIROCCO 2 (Bob Klairmont) and JAHAZI (Frank Giampoli) and it's likely you will find it hard to pry these teams apart even going into the finish line just short of Mackinac Island!

The J/105s have the largest J/One-Design fleet with fourteen boats participating.  Some familiar names will be contenders, including the recent Bayview Mac top J/105, Mary Symond's PTERODACTYL from Grosse Point YC and then add in top local Chicago boats like Tom and Gyt Petkus' VYTIS, Clark Pellett's team on SEALARK and John Weglarz's inmates already running THE ASYLUM and you have the makings of a 289nm gunfight at the OK Corral-- tough teams having a great time!

Not to be outdone by their other 35 foot sisterships, the J/109 class has ten strong teams racing to Mackinac Island, many of whom are past Mac podium finishers, Sailing World NOOD Regatta winners and Verve Cup winners.  Like their J/111 friends, the J/109s can see just about any boat finish in the top three due to the competitiveness of the fleet, nevertheless likely to be amongst the top boats will be MOMENTUS (Kevin Saedi and George & Robin Simkins), REALT NA MARA (Tom & Joe Londrigan), NORTHSTAR (David Gustman), K-III (Irv Kerbel) and DRIVEN 2 (Jim Milliken from Traverse City, MI).

In the handicap classes will be a wide variety of J's participating, from J/42s to J/145s.  In the Cruising I Division will be the J/42 ANOTHER J sailed by Conrad Dieter from Minnesota.  In Double-handed division will be the J/105s GONZO (Ken Ganch) and OCH! (Brendan Docherty) and the J/29 TFWB RELENTLESS (George & Scott Petritz).  In Section 2, there will be two J/145s fighting in out with some Santa Cruz 52s, Tripp 47s and Neiman-Marcus 43-50 footers. Both J/145s, VORTICES (Chris Saxton) and MAIN STREET (Bill Schanen, publisher of SAILING MAGAZINE) are tough contenders, both having won their classes in the various Mac Races.  Section 3 sees three J/130s, a J/122, J/133 and J/124 all slugging it out with Farr 395s and Sydney 41s for class honors.  Mitch Padnos's J/122 SUFFICIENT REASON, the J/124 STILL MESSIN (Adam & Jerome Esselman), the J/133 RENEGADE (Tom and Beth Ann Papoutsis), and the J/130s SALSA (Jim Gignac), WILLIE J (Doug Petter), EDGE (Bob McManus) will amongst the class leaders.  In Section 4 is the J/46 WINDRUSH from Lake Forest sailed by George Hender.  Section 5 has the "sleeper Q ship" in the fleet, the J/109 VANDA III sailed by past Chicago-Mac Winners Jimmy Mitchell and Jack & Jim Tolliver.  Section 6 seems to be a 35 footer shoot-out with J/35s, a J/33, J/110 and J/92 dueling it out with Beneteau 10R's, Shock 35s and Thomas 35s.  In the end, the J/110 LADY K (Mike Stewart), the J/92 SPLIT DECISION (Bruce Santerre), the J/33 RETRIEVER (Matt Beer) and the J/35s BOZO'S CIRCUS (Bruce Metcalf), HOUQUA (Jack Andree) and TOUCH OF GREY (Larry Schell) will all be scrapping for the podium by Monday-  OMG, what a tough fleet to sail against (please note- some of these boats have all won Mac Overalls in the past, too)! Finally in Section 7 is the J/92 CYCLONE sailing against, of all things, old NA 40s for silverware!   Chicago Mackinac Race Yellowbrick tracking   For more Chicago Mackinac sailing information

Whidbey Island Race Week Preview

(Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, Washington)-  For a regatta that's renowned as an "adult play-ground", it's not too hard to imagine why so many teams return year-on-year to enjoy the many pleasures (both visual and otherwise) of these spectacular islands in the Pacific Northwest.  Good weather.  Bad weather.  It's always fun and frolic no matter what the conditions.  And lots of good sailing in between it all. While many in other parts of the sailing world wonder why those who thrive in yellow foulies (classic NW sailing gear) love to sail there, those "in the know" recognize they have some of the BEST SUSHI in the world!  Enough said. Plus, the camaraderie is off-the-charts fabulous!  Does sailing matter? Sure, amongst friends it does!  And, that's what keeps them coming back for more despite the vicissitudes of Mother Nature.  Here's the score.

PHRF 1 looks to be a slew of assassins looking to make a score.  Chief amongst them with a bit of luck will be the J/111 ADALGISA sailed by Lynn Adkins.  In the Super 30 Fleet, the infamously fast J/90 EYE EYE skippered by Dave Cohen will be hoping to make their mark on this remarkably fast and agile class.  PHRF 2 could easily be dominated by the 35 foot J/Class.  Starting with a rash of J/109s, expect to see Adam Korbin's ASTRAL PLANE and Joe James' TANTIVITY in the mix.  Plus, the J/35s GRACE E sailed by Bryan White and BERGEN VIKING steered by Svein Ellingsen may be factors to contend with.

Down the track in PHRF 3, the J/29s will most certainly make their presence felt amongst the leaders.  Look for Rick McVey's NO NAME, Bob  Mayfield/ Pat Nelson's SLICk and Pat Denney's HERE & NOW to provide good racing against the J/33 CORVO sailed by Tom Kerr and the rest of their fleet.

The J/105s one-design fleet has top teams returning, included amongst the half-dozen boats are past winner ALLEGRO VIVACE sailed by Lorenzo Migliorini from CYC, Jim Geros' LAST TANGO and FREE BOWL OF SOUP sailed by the three musketeers (Doug Schenk, Eric Hopper and Matt Davis) all hailing from CYC Portland, Oregon.

PHRF 4 will be an interesting fleet of boats that includes three J/80s and one new J/70.  The J/80 teams include Steve Moe's CRAZY IVAN from Corinthian YC, Bill Mckinnon's SKYE ROCKET and Dave Schutte's TAJ MAHAL also from CYC.  The new J/70 DA SPENCER is being sailed by Mike Pitt from CYC, too.

PHRF 5- J/30 FOR SAIL skippered by Grady Morgan from Corinthian YC.  PHRF 6 has the J/24 LUCKY JIM with Jim McAlpine sailing amongst a raft of other 24-25 foot boats.  For more Whidbey Island Race Week sailing information

Bayview Mackinac Preview

(Port Huron, MI)- Starting July 14th 233 boats will be sailing from Port Huron, Michigan north up Lake Huron to finish at the fabled summer resort known as Mackinac Island.  The Bayview Mac is comprised of two courses, one is known as "the short course" and takes those classes up the Michigan shoreline on the western side of Lake Huron for 204nm.  The bigger, faster boats sail the "Cove Island course" (e.g. the big course) and from the start head in a northerly course towards a buoy off the Canadian coastline called the "Cove Island Mark", whereupon the fleet then heads WNW towards Mackinac Island for a total distance of 254nm, just 45nm less than its "sister" race, the Chicago-Mac which runs 289nm.

Sailing the Division I Cove island course in PHRF B is the J/145 VORTICES sailed by Chris Saxton, they finished 2nd in class and 4th overall last year and hope to aim even higher!  Sailing the same course in PHRF C will be two J/111s, NO SURPRISE skippered by Dave Irish and UNPLUGGED sailed by Tim Clayson (last year's winners overall in the Cruising Division) and the J/33 SHENANIGAN sailed by Dick & Dan Synowiec.

On the short course, the eight J/120s are sailing one-design with many familiar teams going for the gold!  Included are the top three finishers from the 2011 race-- the famous CARINTHIA sailed by  Frank Kern, FLYIN IRISH skippered by Bill Bresser, HOT TICKET sailed by Bob Kirkman and Don Hudak's CAPERS.

In the Level 35 Class, a record number of eight J/35s are racing, including the famous MR BILL'S WILD RIDE sailed by Bill Wildner, of course!  Remarkably, Meme Carter's SPECIAL K will be sailing this year's race for the 19th consecutive year!  Also sailing is FALCON is owned by Ed (43 PH Macs)and John Bayer (37 PH Macs) and brother in law Jim Barnes.  Falcon was the 2005 and 2006 and last year's (2011) J-35 North American Champion and has won its J-35/T-35 One Design Class in the last two Mac Races. Falcon's experienced crew has over 250 Bayview Mac Races between them. This race will mark Ed Bayer's 44th Mac, John Bayer's 36th, Mike Welch's 29th and Ron Rossio's 27th! Newcomers WHIPLASH sailed by Gregg Whipple are on their second Mac Race and hope to have some fun in the Level 35 Class!

In PHRF D Class is a J/100 and five J/105s.  The J/100 BLUEJAY is sailed by John McVeety.  She is normally rigged as a single handed daysailer on Alpena's (Ontario) Thunder Bay. Twice a year they add crew and go racing. She has participated 7 times in the Huron Double handed Challenge.  Challenging them will be the fleet of J/105s with top boats like Mark Symonds PTERODACTYL, GOOD LOOKIN sailed by Dean Walsh and SORCERY sailed by Larry & Brian Smith-- the top three finishers from 2011 hoping to repeat their performances again!

In PHRF E, the J/44 SAGITTA will be sailed by its co-owners/skippers, both past Commodores of Bayview Yacht Club, Com. Larry Oswald (1990) and Com. Jon Somes (2000).  They've been racing Port Huron to Mackinac races together for nearly 15 years. Previous to year 2000, they raced on Com. Oswald's NA 40 Disruption and since year 2000 on Sagitta, a J-44. While racing together, they have won their class two times on Sagitta and five times on Disruption.

For PHRF F Class, the J/35 RAGTIME is skippered by Allan Schmidt and the J/36 POLARITY will be sailed by Murphy Palmer.  POLARITY has a rich history with its beginnings on the East Coast and is the last of its breed as hull #55 which was the last J-36 built.

PHRF G Class has the beautiful, classic J/34 IOR boat sailed by an incredibly experienced Mac Race team, led by Den Balcirak and Tom Burleson from Grosse Point Woods, Michigan.  This is Commodore Balcirak's 49th Mackinac and Tom's 36th. It is sailed by a crew of family and close friends. Their Mackinac Race highlight was a clean sweep in 2004 when they won their class, overall, and the Yacht Club Challenge. This year grand-daughter Mackensie Balcirak and daughter-in-law Susie Balcirak will be doing their first Mackinac!

Finally, in the Double-handed Division IV group, the J/29 PATRIOT will be sailed by David and Lyndon Lattie and the J/105 PIRANA will be sailed by the team of CJ Ruffing and Chris Ongena.  For more Bayview Mackinac Race sailing information

J/One-Designs Sailing Rolex NYYC Week!

(Newport, RI)- The upcoming Rolex NYYC Race Week promises to be a fun event for the thirty-six J/Teams participating in the regatta, representing about 44% of the total fleet of 82 sailing off Newport.  J sailors will be racing one-design in J/109s, J/105s and J/111s while others are sailing in IRC handicap class.

The J/109s will be hosting their 2012 J/109 North Americans and with eighteen teams sailing the competition is sure to be tough.  There are familiar names amongst the entries that may be factors on the overall leader board, featured amongst them are former champions like Ted Herlihy's GUT FEELING from South Darmouth, MA, Bill Sweetser's RUSH from Annapolis, MD and Rick Lyall's STORM from Wilton, CT.  Challenging them will be teams like David Rosow's LOKI, Don Filippelli's CAMINOS, and Rob Salk's & John Sahagian's PICANTE, the top "local" Newport boat that sails often on Narragansett Bay.

The J/111s will be having their first one-design event in New England, with six boats participating.  Dave & Mary Ellen Tortorello's PARTNERSHIP, Doug Curtiss' WICKED 2.0, Henry Brauer's FLEETWING, Sedgwick Ward's BRAVO, Rod Johnstone's JAZZ and Paul Strauch's ANDIAMO will surely have a great time racing while simultaneously learning how to get their boats going ever faster.  By way of example, lots of dock chatter regarding tuning/sailing tips during the recent Block Island Race Week saw a number of teams sailing there improve their performance considerably over the course of the week.  It should prove to be an exciting three days of sailing for these teams.

The J/105s are having their top New England event and the nine teams represented include amongst their ranks a number of past 105 champions, including some familiar names like Kevin Grainger on GUMPTION34, Nelson Weiderman on KIMA and Joerg Esdorn & Duncan Hennes on KINCSEM.  This trio alone are highly competitive and it looks like there may be some new teams sailing that may upset the proverbial "pecking order" at the top of the fleet.

Sailing in IRC Class are some of the most competitive J/Teams on J/122s and J/44s.  In the J/122s will be the Rolex New York YC Annual Regatta winner Mike Bruno on WINGS; a new J/122 owner from Annapolis, Don Shea, will be racing DOLPHIN and George and Carol Shaw from Denver, Colorado will be sailing TUMBLEWEED.  Amongst the J/44s, Jim Bishop will be racing his IRC-optimized J/43.5 (sawed-off transom with carbon rig and modded keel) called WHITE GOLD and Bill Ketcham will be sailing his standard J/44 MAXINE.  For more New York YC Race Week sailing information

J/111 J-DREAM Wins Epic Round Island!

(Cowes, IOW, England)- The post-race atmosphere in the sunny town of Cowes was mainly one of relief and immense pleasure after competitors enjoyed a challenging, lively and memorable day of racing, organised and run by the Island Sailing Club.  The 81st Round the Island Race, the biggest yacht race in the world, this year attracted an entry of 1,647 boats across 25 classes.  Of these, 1,198 crossed the finish line within the 10pm deadline; 247 retired, giving a 73% finish rate which is precisely the same percentage of finishers as in 2011 when the 80th Anniversary Race attracted a record entry of 1,908 yachts and welcomed home 1,345 finishers.

The wind conditions were as forecast with most of the fleets starting in a moderate south-westerly breeze.  However, the forecast for the wind to increase dramatically meant a number of fleets would not start, including the J/80s.  As a whole, the J/Teams faired well in this classic 60nm+ race around the fabled island.  David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J/111 J-DREAM reveled in the conditions planing down the south side of the island after St Catherines Pt in 3-5 meter seas and 20-25 kts of wind to take the overall hours in both IRC 1A class and IRC Group 1, completing the course in just 6 hrs:21 min:54 secs!  In fact, they were first J/Team home and led an enormous contingent of J sailors to honors in a number of classes.  The double-win is a repeat of last year’s victory by fellow J/111 SHMOKIN JOE.

"We are absolutely delighted to have won and the J/111 is proving her versatility whatever the wind strength as we had 13-26 knots.  My crew complained that they missed the spectacle of watching the spinnakers stretching as far as you can see in both directions, because we rounded the corner at Bembridge too quickly - there is no pleasing some!  However to see Actual do a ‘flypast’ and to watch Eleanora was apparently consolation and particularly for crew member Herbie Harford (16) who was on his first trip round the island," said David Apthorp.

In IRC IA class alone, J teams were 8 of the top 20, an amazing achievement in the incredibly challenging conditions.   After J-DREAM, the J/111 MANIC was 8th, the J/122 JOULOU was 11th, the J/111 OJE was 12th, the J/122 JOLLY JELLYFISH was 13th, the J/111 MUNKENBECK was 14th, the J/122 GHOST was 16th and the J/122 MINT JULEP was 18th. Were it not for a DSQ, the J/111 JEEZE LOUISE would have been 7th!  In IRC 1B Class, the J/122 NUTMEG IV from France finished 3rd in class were 7th overall in IRC Group 1! A fabulous performance for all these J/Crews!

A similar scenario played out in IRC 2A Class with J's taking 9 of the top 20!  Leading the group home was a classic and incredibly well-sailed J/35 KNIGHT BUILD LTD, finishing 4th overall but just missing overall honors to win by just six minutes!  Amazing for a 25+ year old design.  Next up on the board were a slew of J/109s, with OFFBEAT (6th) leading home the rest of their colleagues- JAHMALI (7th), BASIC INSTINCT (8th), BLUE JAY (9th), HIGH TENSION (14th), JUMUNU (16th), JOUSTER (18th) and JOLENE (19th).  A good show for 35 foot J's in this class!  But, it was IRC 2B Class in Group IRC 2 that took home the overall honors in the group. Nine of the top 15 were J/Teams, led home by the J/105 JELLY BABY taking a 3rd in IRC 2B class and 5th overall in IRC 2 Group.  The J/105 KING LOUIE was next with a 4th in class and 8th in the group.  The J/109 JIBE was 5th in class and 11th in the group.  The balance was filled out by J/105 NEILSON REDEYE (7th), J/109 JAGERBOMB (9th), J/105 JOS OF HAMBLE (10th), J/109 JUKE BOX (11th), J/109 J'TAIME (12th), J/109 JUMPING JELLYFISH (14th) and J/109 J2EAU (15th).

In the highly competitive 30 footers division, IRC 2D, there were a strong mix of J/97s and J/92s participating in "class" configurations.  Most of them found the conditions to their liking and the results speak for themselves, with J/Teams taking 13 of the top 20 places!!  Holy smokes.  Finishing 3rd was the J/97 JJ L'AMOROSSO, followed by the J/97 MCFLY (5th), the J/92 JUST ENOUGH (6th), the J/92 WHO'S TO NO (8th), the J/97s INDULJENCE, INJENIOUS, JIKA JIKA and JEOPARDY 2 in 10th, 11th, 13th & 14th, respectively, the J/92s BOJANGLES in 15th, the J/97 JACKAROO in 16th and the J/92s JAMMIN, BLACK JACK & MOBY J in 17th, 18th and 19th respectively.  Incredible.  For the 30 footer J teams this was quite a dominant performance as a group, no other brands or boats were even close.

Of note, in ISC Division 4, the J/120 ASSARAIN III loved the powerful reaching and running conditions on the south side of the island, St Catherines Point and east in particular, and pulled of a well-deserved 2nd in class and 4th in ISC 4 overall.   Sailing Photo credits- Patrick Eden and Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com.  For more Round Island Race sailing information

CORK Week Sailing Preview

Large J Contingent Sailing
(Cork, Ireland)- From 7th to 13th of July, a highly competitive fleet of eleven J/Teams are participating in this year's biennial CORK Week sailed in the large bay off Cork, Ireland.  The regatta, which is hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven, County Cork, is a Grand Prix sailing event which is renowned, world wide, for exciting and challenging racing. Boats from all over the world participate and come from as far away as South Africa and Hong Kong.  This year's fleet is significantly reduced from past years, with just 109 boats sailing, a far cry from the 400+ seen in some past events.

In addition to top-class racing, the fabled on-shore tented village lets all crews interact socially in a fun way, and it has become one of the main ingredients in the success for Cork Week.  Bodega-by-the-Sea features some of the country’s best live bands and DJs, combined with the unique atmosphere of Cork’s Club Bodega in a setting like no other.

Cork Week 2012 Event Chair Pat Lyons said, “Cork Week comes along every two years and offers an occasion to celebrate all that is best about how we can enjoy the wonderful facilities that our environment has placed on our doorstep. In Cork Harbour, we have a world class maritime playground and by hosting a sailing event of international quality, the Royal Cork provides an opportunity for both sailors and spectators alike to meet old friends, engage in a top class sailing competition, and enjoy the waterside hospitality and entertainment for which Crosshaven is renowned.”

Featured in this year's event will be another strong turn-out of J/109s sailing in what amounts to be the Irish J/109 Championship.  Returning from the 2010 J/109 Europeans Championships will be third-place finisher Ian Nagle & Paul O'Malley on their champion JELLY BABY from the host Royal Cork YC.  In the IRC classes will be the new Irish J/111 WOW sailed by George Sisk from Royal Irish YC, the J/122 MINT JULEP skippered by David Cule, the J/92 VAGABOND sailed by Simon Fox Davies & Giles Stanely from Dovey YC and two J/24s, Aidan MacSweeney's MAXIMUS and David Lane's An t'Oileanach both from Royal Cork YC.  Sailing photo credits- Ingrid Abery.com  For more CORK WEEK sailing information

Gorgeous Sailing Block Island Race Week

J/111s & J/29s Sweep Classes
(Block Island, RI)- During the "off year" Block Island Race Week (every even year), the fleet may be smaller since so many boats in the Northeast sail the Newport-Bermuda Race, but the racing and the camaraderie is no less fun.  In fact, the sailing is quit a bit more challenging and intimate since the boats that do participate are often well-sailed and have top teams aboard.  This year the fleet was greeted with spectacular weather, with shifty northerlies on the first day changing to classic S-SW winds for the balance of the week.  Most all fleets managed to sail nine races and "kudos" must be given to the Duck Island YC PRO, Susie Miller and her RC team for getting in some excellent racing.  The classic Around Block Island Race was won overall by the J/111 WICKED 2.0 sailed by Doug Curtiss and team from Buzzards Bay.

The J/109s were sailing their East Coast Championship and this year past champion Bill Sweetser and crew aboard RUSH managed to dash off eight 1sts and two 2nds for 10 pts to dominate their class and be crowned East Coast Champion.  Second was another past champion, Ted Herlihy sailing GUT FEELING to a record of two 1sts and seven 2nds and two 3rds for 16 pts.  Third was Hugh McLean on SHEARWATER.

In the hot, hot PHRF 1 Class, the J/111s swept the class taking the podium overall.  Leading the charge was Doug Curtiss's WICKED 2.0 with a 4-3-1-3-1-1-1-2-1 scoreline for 13 pts.  Second was Rod Johnstone's newly launched JAZZ sailing with a family team and scoring 2-6-2-4-3-2-2-1-2 for 18 pts.  Third was Paul Strauch's ANDIAMO sailing to a 3-2-4-2-6.5-4-3-6 for 27 pts.  Fourth 111 was Segwick Ward's BRAVO putting in a much stronger performance than last year, finishing just two points out of fifth overall!

In PHRF 2 Division, some of the strong J/29 rivalries continued with the MGHTY PUFFIN from Narragansett Bay taking on the "bad boys" from Long Island, the notoriously fun-loving "Espo" crew on HUSTLER. In the end, John & Tony Esposito on HUSTLER again proved they're a force to be reckoned with, winning yet another Block Island Race Week with seven 1sts and three 2nds for only 9 pts.  Second was Steve Thurston's team on the yacht MIGHTY PUFFIN, sailing their J/29 to an easy second place on the podium with two 1sts, five 2nds and three 3rds for 15 pts!  The J/105 SHE'S THE BOSS sailed by John Sutherland took fourth in class.  For more Block Island Race Week sailing information

The J-Cup 2012 Update

(Hamble, So'ton, England)- The J-Cup 2012 Driven by MIQ Logistics will be hosted at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble, Southampton from Thursday 26th July to Saturday 28th July. The regatta will also include the inaugural Lombard J/97 UK National Championship. Lombard’s continued support of the J/97 Class reflects their recognition of the fleet’s rapid growth in the UK and of the standard of competition within the class. The regatta will also welcome the return of the J/109 UK National Championship 2012 Supported by Sebago. Both Championships will be raced according to the One-Design Class Rules.

2012 will mark the eleventh J-Cup, an event that has grown in size beyond all reasonable expectation, both in terms of the number of competitors involved and also by reputation. All J Boat owners are invited to compete; the racing is first class and the shore-side socials are legendary. This year a SailRacer results service sponsored by Wight Vodka has been launched which will allow live race blogging and live results directly from the regatta committee. The service was used at the recent J/80 World Championship in Dartmouth and was a roaring success.

Competitors will arrive for registration on Wednesday with three races scheduled for both Thursday and Friday. The final two races will take place on Saturday, followed by an extravagant prize-giving evening at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton to mark the end of what will no doubt be another extremely successful few days of racing. Competitors will not only be racing to win their classes but there will also be special prizes on offer to recognize exceptional performances on the water.  For more J/Cup sailing information

J/111 Cruising & Day-Sailing

(Annapolis, MD)- The J/111 continues to amaze those who've had the privilege to sail one.  Whether racing offshore in demanding conditions, dueling around the buoys on classic "sausage" courses, or simply daysailing and cruising with family and friends, J/111 may be one of the most versatile 36 footers ever to come off the J drawing boards.  Fast, fun, easily handled by women and children the J/111 can be sailed short-handed by a family crew. Recently, we discovered that an all ladies crew were more than up to the task!

Having fun with a number of their friends on the Chesapeake were Barb Whited and her friends on a weekend regatta.  As she described, "we sailed the ladies spring race series. We did win the series, but it was closely fought. Most of the other boats rated over 160, but we left them in the dust after we all practiced for the first 2 races. The first day we had 2 - 4ths (last) while crew learned to work the boat and I got better jibing the boat. After that, we were 1st. We had 5 ladies and took a penalty for a male crew member since we just didn't have quite enough power with just the 5 ladies. My male helper cost me 5 more seconds (34), but we still won with 2 - 1sts, 1- 2nd, and a 4th.  Threw out one race. Wind was blowing those 2 days, up to 20 on the second day. We had no problems handling the boat.  We had a GREAT time. I was shocked to win since I gave the other boats so much time, but we left them in the dust on 3 out of 5 races."  Read more of Barb's story here on the J/Blog.   For more J/111 sailing information