J Teams Sailing Rolex Fastnet Race

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)-  The infamous Fastnet Rock off Ireland has its fanatical, passionate followers.  It's a bit like British mountaineer George Mallory's famous quote about why he climbed the ginormous, challenging Mount Everest in Tibet (29,029 ft or about 5.5 miles above sea-level)-- he said, "because it's there"!  J/Teams love, even thrive, on the "call of the running tide" and the challenge of weather that often confronts the fleet in this 608nm classic.  Its reputation as the most grueling and tactically challenging of the classic offshore races is due to its course along England's southwestern coastline and criss-crossing the southern Irish Sea twice-- the boats go from the start line off Cowes, Isles of Wight, sail towards the Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland (rounding it to port), then sail back around the outside of the Scilly Isles off southwest England (leaving them to port) and on to the finish line in Plymouth, facing massive current gates and gigantic whirlpools (literally) along the way.

For this year's 2013 edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, all 300 yachts "registered" in an astonishing 24 hours! The good news, is that a bunch of hot J sailors are in the mix, including the J/111 XCENTRIC RIPPER from The Netherlands.  Looks like "the boys" are going to chase the Double-handed crown, again.  John van der Starre and Robin Verhoef are not to be denied.  Who can blame them??  For most of the Fastnet Race in 2011, they were winning the Double-handed Division by days (OK, maybe hours), and were one of the top boats overall in ALL IRC Divisions.  However, the RIPPER couldn't make it through the final wind/current gate literally a "stone's throw" from the finish-- having to wait nearly seven hours for the winds/current to re-build for their finish.  Imagine that!! Hard to believe they didn't go simply, stark, raving, mad!  Kudos to them for hanging tough knowing they'd be back for another go of it all.  Watch out, the RIPPER is much, much faster this time around having learned a lot about the best wind/ sail/ angle combinations.

Along with them will be a fair number of fellow J/Colleagues racing everything from J/133s and J/122s down to J/109s, J/105s and J/97s.  And at both ends of the spectrum these teams are known to be tough competitors, having fun while collecting silverware on the podium!  For more RORC Fastnet Race sailing information

J/122 Sailing Fast- Wins Hamble Series!

J/111 J-DREAM & J/109 JAGERBOMB Take OD's
(Hamble, England)- Despite the combined efforts of a pessimistic forecast and ABP, who helpfully removed nearly all the racing marks in the Solent last week, boats racing in the final day of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series managed to squeeze in a race before the wind shut off completely.

Early morning saw 7-9 knots at the Bramble Bank and thick ice on decks. A short postponement accompanied a temporary lull in the breeze, but the race team was able to get all classes away in a 5-7 knot North-Westerly breeze and spring tide.  The flood tide meant that many classes were line shy in the light airs. After the start crews needed to keep their eyes out of the boat to locate areas of breeze - and to identify the large shifts, especially up the right hand side of the course.

Using inflatable marks instead of the missing racing marks, the race team set a series of windward-leeward courses, but were forced to shorten at the first leeward mark as the wind threatened to disappear completely. Nonetheless, some extremely close racing could be witnessed, even if it was in nerve-jangling slow motion. All in all, it was a beautiful day on the water, even if there was a lack of wind.

IRC 0 saw a closely fought series throughout the Winter Series and Dr Ivan Trotman's crew aboard their J/122 JOULOU hung on to their lead despite tallying a 5-4 in the last two races.  Their wonderful performance was attributed to good, solid sailing and avoiding enormous mistakes, something that plagued many of their competitors.  In the end, the JOLOU gang finished with just 13 pts total for the series, sufficient to win by four points!

Nick & Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE started out the series very strong, leading the event until the last three races.  At that point, the INDULJENCE team was having a tough go of it, collecting a 4-6-4 at the end to finish second overall in the competitive IRC 3 Class by just five points.  Their J class peers were two J/92s, neither of whom managed to sail the entire series.  However, when the J/92s were sailing, it was clear that David & John Taylor's J-RONIMO and Andy Howe's BLACKJACK were able to fire off top five finishes and give the leaders a run for the money.

Tony Mack's McFLY won the last race in the J/111 class, but it was David and Kirsty Apthorp's J-DREAM that took the top spot overall with just 13 pts.  Cornel Riklin's JITTERBUG from France sailed an excellent series to finish second overall with 15 pts-- they will be a tough team to beat come spring-time when the French host their famous SPI OUEST France Regatta in April!  In the end, Tony's McFLY sailed incredibly well whenever they showed up on the race track and took third in class.  For having sailed just 6 of 10 races, Tony and the gang averaged just 1.5 pts per race- three 1sts and three 2nds.

In the J/109s, Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX beat Paul Griffith's JAGERBOMB to take the day prize, but JAGERBOMB ended up taking the overall series by three points. Their nemesis all series long was Owain's team on JYNANN TONNYX, ultimately finishing second with 17 pts.  Finishing comfortably in third was David McLeman's OFFBEAT with 22 pts.  

Event Sailing Photographer Paul Wyeth took some brilliant photos of the entire Garmin Hamble Winter Series and many evocative images can be found on his website.   For more Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/122 Leads Hamble Series

J/111 J-DREAM & J/109 JAGERBOMB OD Leaders
(Hamble, England)- If last week's lack of wind was anything to go by, this year's Garmin Hamble Winter Series looked set to be one of the lightest in memory. And then Sunday came along. In a brief gap between two ginormous Lows that came screaming up the Channel in quick succession, all classes fitted in a race on a windy, wet and cold day.  In fact, the weather was so ferocious, some crews faced logistical nightmares in making the start via a flooded and storm-battered countryside, which was reflected in slightly lower entries this week.

A deceptively light 10 knot breeze wafted boats to the start line, before a line squall heralded the arrival of 20-28 knots of Southwesterly wind - and frequent showers of icy rain, which persisted throughout the day. The blustery conditions heralded some impressive broaches and saw some shredded spinnakers. But luckily, the advancing Low held off just long enough for the assembled crews to enjoy the spectacle from the comfort of the HRSC clubhouse as it whistled in across the Solent.

Out on the water, IRC 0 was first away and Dr Ivan Trotman's crew aboard their J/122 JOULOU had a rough go of the conditions, managing a 5th place, sufficient to hang onto their lead for the series by two points.

For Nick & Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE the conditions were generally to their liking but again managed to hang on tenuously to their position in second overall, hoping for a good last race next weekend!  The "feel good" story of the day had to be Andy Howe's J/92s BLACKJACK that sailed a good race to snag a 2nd!

Of the J/111s on the water, Cornel Riklin's JITTERBUG finished first in what amounted to a match race for the top of the class.  At this stage, David & Kirsty Apthorp's J-DREAM has a 3 pt lead on the class and short of a crushing last race or two, they hope to hang onto the lead for the Winter Series win.  JITTERBUG can mathematically have a shot, but it's at pretty long odds that J-DREAM will be displaced at the top of the leader board.

In the J/109s, Paul Griffiths' JAGERBOMB was first of the two J/109s that completed the race, further tightening their grip on first place overall and pulling into a 6 pts lead in the class.  Like their former J/109 competitors, J-DREAM, the Griffiths' JAGERBOMB team look set to take home the crown for the J/109 class next weekend barring an apocalyptic race of sorts.  Second is Owain Franks' JYNANN TONNYX with 16 pts and in third is David McLeman's OFFBEAT.

Event Photographer Paul Wyeth took some brilliant photos of the day's racing and more evocative images can be found on his website - http://www.pwpictures.com.

Thanks to Force 4 Chandlery, who, as Day Sponsors provided prizes in the clubhouse after racing.  One race remains - and crews wait to see what the weather gods have in store!   For more Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J/122 JOULU & J/111 JDREAM Lead Winter Series

(Hamble, England)- The Garmin Hamble Winter Series entered its second half of the series on Sunday with thick fog drifting down the Hamble River in the early morning. But competitors expecting wintry conditions were surprised by bright sunshine and a fluctuating, light and shifty breeze that offered big gains for those who kept in phase with the shifts.

A strong west-going tide at the start made time-on-distance calls important as the classes got clean away to beat their way from near Universal Marina buoy towards Hill Head and South Coast Sailing. As the tide turned, boats rounded their leeward marks and began a long beat against the tide and in a fickle breeze up the Hill Head shoreline towards the finish at Coronation.  Gains were there for the taking for those with the confidence to stand on inshore and cheat the tide – and for those with well-calibrated depth sounders.

In IRC 0, Dr Ivan Trotman’s J/122 JOLOU continues to lead the fleet overall with an impressive scoreline of 1-2-1-3-2-1-1-2 for a total of 8 pts over a host of top British IRC boats like a Grand Soleil 46, Mills 43 and and Arcona 430.

The IRC 2 class has two J/105s sailing against a thicket of IRC optimized beasts and at the end of the day, the J/105 guys are having fun, taking their good races with the difficult ones (e.g. all beating against tides).  Currently, Chris Jones' JOURNEYMAKER 5 is sailing well and lies 5th.

The largest IRC class has traditionally been the toughest one to win.  This fall's IRC 3 class sailing the Winter Series is no different.  A J/97 and J/92 are racing against formidable competition.  At this stage, Nick & Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE has a steady record of 3-1-3-2-6-2-4, dropping out of the lead due to their last three races, but lying second with 11 pts just 4 pts back.  The J/92 J-RONIMO sailed by David John Taylor has sailed consistently in the top five when they are actually out sailing on the race course.  To date J-RONIMO lies 8th but is only 12 pts out of 5th with a long shot at even a 3rd place given their excellent sailing performance to date and taking into account some strategic drop races (like DNC's they don't want to count).

The J/109s were topped this week by a newcomer to this year’s series, Richard Hinde-Smith’s TIGH SOLIUS, which beat David McLeman's OFFBEAT in 2nd and Paul Griffith's JAGERBOMB in third.  So far, JAGERBOMB continues to lead their standings with a string of top five finishes, counting a 1-3-1-1-4-6-3 for a total of only 9 pts.  David's OFFBEAT and Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX are tied for second with 14 pts apiece.  Fourth is Todd Wells on JE VANTE with 18 pts and fifth is Roger Phillips on DESIGNSTAR.

David & Kirsty Apthorp's JDREAM won another race in the J/111 class to now lead her class by just four pts, with a 2-1-2-3-3-1-1-1 scoreline for 8 pts total.  French J/111 owner Cornell Riklin has been sailing like a madman, his team onboard JITTERBUG are sailing very well and have amassed  a steady 1-3-1-2-2-3-3-3 for 12 pts to be within striking distance of the lead.  Tony Mack's team on McFLY have sailed to a 1-1-2-2-2 in their last five races to get within striking distance of the two leaders just one point back from the French team.  What is abundantly clear is that the J/111 teams are pushing each other so hard that had they been IRC handicap racing, their elapsed time finish positions would put them at or near the top of the heap in their IRC class.  As usual, one-design racing forces teams to sail better, smarter, faster and make fewer mistakes than others they race against-- the results speak for themselves.

The day's sponsor was Andark, who provided prizes to the assembled crews in the HRSC clubhouse after racing. Sailors will be keeping an eye on the long-range forecast for next week to see if the warm, dry weather will put in another appearance, although the consensus in the clubhouse concluded that a little more wind would be nice.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth- PWPictures.com  For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J.A.T. Wins J/80 Hamble One-Designs

J/122 JOULOU, J/109 J'TAIME, J/111 JET Lead Hamble Winter Series
(Hamble, England)- Winter finally showed its ugly, nasty teeth to the Garmin Hamble Winter Series and Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships over the past weekend, to mark the halfway point of the series.  While nothing like what their American colonialist counterparts had to survive with an even nastier gal named "Sandy", the gangsters sailing around the Solent certainly had their fair share of bad stuff to contend with for weather.

Saturday was the first day of the final weekend of the Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships. But a ferocious forecast and bitingly cold northerly wind put paid to the plans of the J/80 class, whose racing was cancelled. Only the J/109s ventured out for one race, before racing was called off for the day. One boat lost their rig, which broke above the top spreader, and another two boats had already retired. Steve Maine’s J2EAU won the race, around a minute ahead of JYNNAN TONNYX and YEOMAN OF WIGHT.

Hopes were high for better conditions on Sunday, with competitors enjoying an extra hour in bed as the clocks went back. Despite the cold morning, competitors were greeted by a much more civilized 11-18 knots from the west. The race team set each class two races from up to Hill Head for the smaller boats, and East Knoll for the bigger boats, to laid gate and leeward marks downwind.  J/80s in the Lewmar Hamble One Design Championship fleet raced in the mouth of Southampton Water, sailing three races.

Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships
After the final three races of the two-weekend Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships on Sunday, Phil Taylor’s J.A.T won the J/80 class overall, three points clear of Jon Powell’s BETTY.

After the cancellation on Saturday losing 4 races, the final 3 races on Sunday were always going to set-up for a grand finale between the main protagonists at the top of the leader-board. 15 boats lined up just off from the Royal Southern race mark with a mixed forecast and strong tides set for the day.

Race 1 - saw Patrick Liardet 'Aqua-J' dominate from start to finish and the team of J.A.T for most of the race were not anywhere near the chocolates, getting the final mark with a strong tide proved the decider where Phil Taylor and Kevin Sproul's 'J.A.T' shot back up to 2nd place just beating John Powell's 'Betty'.

Race 2 - the J/80 class is always known for never backing down from a start, and on this occasion it was only a matter of time when the inevitable was going to happen. At 20 seconds (due to about 2 to 3 knots of tide taking the fleet over the line) to go pretty much the entire fleet where recalled and the the PRO decided to break out the Z-Flag... much talk went around the fleet as usually the black flag is usually pulled. 2nd time lucky and the fleet got away, from start to finish it was lead by the team of 'J.A.T' followed by the new Royal Southern YC Academy team 'Spitfire' in 2nd and 'Betty' in 3rd.

Race 3 - with everything still to play for and no outright winner just yet, race 3 was all about getting away at the start. Off the line 'J.A.T' got caught in the pack but the vast experience of the team shot them out towards the front of the fleet. The course now with very little tide was a game of getting the right shifts upwind and down and therefore the fleet remained incredibly tight. At the finish though it was Phil and Kevin's 'J.A.T' bringing the fleet home first with John Powell's 'Betty' snatching 2nd place from new UK Chairman Mark Baskerville's 'Mistral'.

So overall the team of 'J.A.T' won but it wasn't an easy task. The fleet would like to thank Hamble River SC for organising a great event and look forward to working with them in 2013 to develop this fantastic end of year championships.

The J/109s raced with the main Garmin Hamble Winter Series fleet. Christopher Palmer’s J-TAIME posted two firsts on Sunday, but this wasn’t enough to beat Owain Franks’ JYNNAX TONNYX, whose 2 second places on Sunday, was enough put them two points clear overall.  In second is Richard & Valerie Griffith's OUTRAJEOUS with 25 pts.  This is Paul Griffiths' JAGERBOMB a scant one point back with 26 pts in third.  The balance of the top five is Steve Maine in J2EAU tied on points but in fourth on the tie-break with David Rolfe & Andy Johns' SHADOWFAX.

Garmin Hamble Winter Series
In the main series, the shifty, patchy breeze meant that large gains and losses were there for the taking, and in many classes the status quo was upset by some fantastic displays of tactical sailing. Andark was the day sponsor, and presented prizes to the winners in each class.

In IRC 0 Class, Ivan Trotman’s J/122 JOLOU posted two firsts to take them four points clear at the top of the class.  Things were closer in the IRC 3 class with Nick & Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE having an "off-weekend", scoring a 6-2 to drop back to second in class just two points off the pace for 1st overall with 11 pts.

In the one-designs, David and Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM enjoyed similar success in the J/111 class taking two bullets for the weekend to be winning class with 10 pts.  Second is Cornel Riklin's tough French crew onboard JITTERBUG with a 3-3 to keep 2nd place and third is Tony Mack's McFLY with 16 pts total.

For the J/109s, Paul Griffiths' JAGERBOMB is leading with 10 pts followed by Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX in second with 14 pts and David McLeman's OFFBEAT in third with 18 pts.

Next week, there’s a break in the series, before it resumes on the 11th November. The next four weeks have one race per day to get competitors in before the light fades. Enjoy the break and see you in a fortnight!   For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

Stunning Solent Sailing

J/122 Leading IRC0, J/97 Leads IRC3, JITTERBUG Tops 111s, JAGERBOMB Tops 109s
(Hamble, England)-  As fall sailing continues unabated in the south of England, cooler air is beginning to make its presence felt on the Solent.  However, this past weekend saw the weather Gods provide another stunner for the sailing teams in the Garmin Hamble Winter Series and MDL Hamble Big Boat Series.

Big Boat Championship
Saturday saw the start of the final MDL Hamble Big Boat Championship weekend. The forecast was appalling, with a mirror calm greeting the race committee as they motored out to the race course, and no-one really expected to get any racing in. But competitors couldn’t believe their luck as 4-5 knots of southeasterly filled in after an hour’s postponement, allowing the race team to get four races in from a start-line near Wight Vodka.

On Sunday, a good NorthEasterly 10-15 knots was forecast, and, unlike Saturday, that was exactly what the weather gods served up. Racing started from the vicinity of Sunsail Racing buoy at low tide, with courses cascading down the East Solent in a sluicing flood tide. The MDL Hamble Big Boat Championships fleet raced alongside the main Garmin Hamble Winter Series fleet, with two races for all classes.

In the J/111 class on Saturday, David & Kirsty Apthorp's J-DREAM won the first race, but couldn’t hold off Cornel Riklin’s JITTERBUG, who took first in the remaining three races.  Then on Sunday, JITTERBUG took two seconds on Sunday, but that was enough to keep them nine points clear at the top of the fleet – an impressive showing for their first regatta.  With JITTERBUG winning the Big Boat Championships, J-DREAM managed to hang in for second place overall with a 3-3 showing.  Third was Alfred Munkenbeck's MUNKENBECK with 21 pts.  Finally, it was good to see Tony Mack's crew closing out the series after a slow start by winning the last two races.

IN IRC 0, Neil Kipling's J/122 JOOPSTER continued her winning ways and stayed at the top of the leader board, closing out the regatta with a 1-2 on Sunday for a total of just 21 pts.  Her classmate JAMMY DODGER, the J/133 sailed by Neil Martin managed a 5th in the very competitive class.

Garmin Hamble Winter Series
The Garmin Hamble Winter Series ran as usual on Sunday, this time from the same start-line as the Big Boats in ideal conditions. The day sponsor was Southern Ropes, who provided prizes at the clubhouse after racing. All classes sailed two races, with the smaller boats finishing on the Hill Head plateau, and the bigger boats finishing near Browndown.

In IRC Class 0, Dr Ivan Trotman's crew on the J/122 JOLOU are now leading their division with a 1-2-1-3-2 record for 9 pts.  They are currently on top of a rogue's gallery of IRC special purpose boats like the Grand Soleil 46, Mills 43 and Arcona 430.

The IRC Class 3 saw the J/97 INDULJENCE sailed by Nick & Adam Munday tied on points for the lead with a 3-1-3-2 record for 9 pts.

The J/111s, whose results also counted for the MDL Hamble Big Boat Championships, were led by Tony Mack’s McFly, who took two bullets ahead of JITTERBUG.  Consequently, JITTERBUG is still leading with 9 pts followed by J-DREAM then McFLY in third.

Similarly, Paul Griffiths’ JAGERBOMB posted two firsts in the J/109 class and is currently leading their class with a comfortable lead due to an impressive scoreline of 1-3-1-1-1 for 6 pts.  Second lies David McLeman's OFFBEAT with a 4-1-2-6 record for 13 pts.  Just one point back is Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX with a 3-4-4-3 tally for 14 pts.  The balance of the top five has Paul Coward's JACOBI in 4th and Roger Phillips' DESIGNSTAR 2 in 5th.

So, looking ahead, there’s one more weekend of racing before the mid-series break. Next weekend is the final Lewmar Hamble One Design Championship weekend, as well as the fourth Garmin Hamble Winter Series race day, for which the day sponsor is Andark.  Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth   For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J's Enjoy Close Sailing- Solent's Winter Series

J/122 Leading IRC0, J/97 Leads IRC3
(Hamble, England)- The second weekend of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series, which incorporated the first weekend of the Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships, saw some champagne sailing conditions. Bright sunshine and 8-12 knots of breeze burned off the thick frost and eerie mist that started the day off, giving some stunning, if shifty, sailing conditions for all classes.

The race team got two races in on schedule on windward-leeward courses, with big shifts and a strong ebb tide giving competitors the chance to make big gains - and losses.

IRC 0 was first away. Dr Ivan Trotman’s J/122 JOLOU won her race and continues to lead IRC0 with a 1-2-1 scoreline for 4 pts.  Nick and Adam Munday’s J/97 INDULGENCE topped the IRC 3 class, with a 3rd and a 1st to be leading their series in IRC 3.

In the J/111 class things were close. Cornel Ridkin’s JITTERBUG and David and Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM are tied overall on 5 points, with a first each. Third lies Charles Rolls & Andrew Christie's ICARUS with 10 pts.  Similarly in the J/109s, Paul Griffiths’ JAGERBOMB leads the class overall by a point, with a first and a third, ahead of David McLeman’s OFFBEAT and her score of a 4th and a 1st.  Third is Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX with a 3-4 tally for 7 pts.  A look at the full results shows some close battles lining up in all classes, which should prove fascinating to watch as the series unfolds.

Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships
The weekend also hosted the first of two Lewmar Hamble One-Design Championships weekends. This popular event had 48 entries, and featured racing for J/80 and J/109 classes on both Saturday and Sunday, kindly supported by Lewmar.

Paul Griffiths’ JAGERBOMB tops the J/109 class with a good smattering of top 3 results, accumulating a formidable scoreline of 5-3-1-2-1-3 for 15 pts. They finish the weekend three points ahead of Richard and Valerie Griffith’s OUTRAJEOUS who have a 1-2-2-4-8-1 record for 18 pts and are sitting in 2nd place.  In third is David McGough's JUST SO with 3-1-8-1-5-5 scores for 23 pts.  Currently lying fourth is Owain Franks' JYNNAN TONNYX and fifth is David Rolfe & Andy Johns' SHADOWFAX.

The J/80s sailed 7 races over the weekend. Phil Taylor’s J.A.T leads the 13-strong class overall with fairly consistent low-point scores of three 1sts, three 2nds and one 8th for 17 pts.  Jon Powell’s BETTY from France has been sailing very fast and smart and could easily be leading were it not for an RET in Race 4.  As a result "the BETTY" scoreline is four 1sts, two 2nds and an RET for 21 pts!  Next up in third overall is Patrick Liardet’s AQUA-J with a 3-4-3-4-2-7-3 record for 26 pts.  Rounding out the top five are Yannig Loyer sailing J-OUT-OF-THE-BOX in fourth and Dr Ross skippering  ROCK & ROLL in fifth.

Next weekend is the final MDL Hamble Big Boat Championship weekend, as well as the third race day of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. Everyone is hoping the fine weather continues.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth  For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information

J's Love Dartmouth Week

J/70, J/97, J/109s All Winners!
(Dartmouth, England)- Earlier in the summer of 2012 the International J/80 One-Design Class felt it would be worthwhile to host a J/80 World Championship in one of the most picturesque sailing venues in all of the United Kingdom.  Such wisdom was not unfounded.  The sailing can be superb and simply mind-blowing-- Beatle's Yellow Submarine, Strawberry Fields eye-opening spectacular.  No wonder sailors in the UK don't ever mind taking a wander down with their trucks, campers and boats to this magical part of this island nation.  And so, there is this nice regatta that is held at the end of summer that perhaps could have a "Newport-like" Jazz Fest associated with it (like a mix of old Rolling Stones blues, Jimmie Hendrix, Stan Getz, early Led Zep, Beck, Davis and others) that bring additional cache and fun to what has to be one of the best end-of-season summer sailing regattas in the world.

Dartmouth Week is run by the Joint Regatta Sailing Committee that includes the River Dart SC, the Royal Dart YC and the Dartmouth YC.  Like their compatriots just a "bit East" of them in Cowes (e.g. Cowes Combined Clubs), the "Dart Team" are no "shrinking violets" when it comes to the ability to put on a world-class event.  And, with the pedigree of a few amazing regattas they continue to host on an annual basis, it's no wonder that "Dart Week" continues to grow apace.  With a growing contingent of J-Sailors who are amongst the world's cognoscenti of what are the best regattas to attend, it appears the "Dart Crew" are on the right track!

The J/109 teams seem to agree and have attended Dart Week with tremendous enthusiasm.  In the J/109 One-Design class one of the class leaders managed to walk off with all the marbles, with Paul Griffiths' JAGERBOMB winning with a  4-7-2-1-4-2-1 tally for 10 pts net.  Their erstwhile competitors, Liam Shanahan's RUTH sailed a solid series to compile a 5-1-1-5-6-3-5 record for 15 pts net.  Just one point back was Angus McPhie's WAVE WARRIOR in third with a 9-2-3-3-7-1-7 for 16 pts net.

In the much watched Sportsboat Class it was going to be clear that a "shoot-out" amongst the fast asym boats was going to be the order of the day with a "pecking order" established amongst the fastest sportboats in the UK.  So, far, almost a draw, but with the J/70 winning this latest battle amongst the J/80s, 1720 Sportboat and Laser SB3s.  It was the J/70 JENGA 8 sailed by Julian Cook that garnered a 1-1-1-1-3-13-2 for 6 pts net to win Sportsboat honors and bragging rights for this coming week.  2nd was the J/80 TEAM BALTIC that compiled a near equal record of 2-2-3-2-1-1-1 for 7 pts net to be just nipped in the end for class honors.  3rd was class compatriot, the J/80 CAPTAIN JACK sailed by Frank Roswell that managed a 4-3-2-3-2-3-4 for 13 pts net.

Division 2 IRC was a serious, tough class to win.  But, yet again the J/97 came up "spades" at the critical juncture to simply walk off with class silverware.  This time it was the J/97 JIKA-JIKA sailed by Mike Holmes that finished first in class.  They were followed by the J/97 JEOPARDY 2 skippered by Richard Watney that finished 5th in class and in 6th was the J/105 JACKPOT sailed by Vernon Bradley.  Sailing photo credits- James Walker  For more Royal Dart Yacht Club & Darmouth Week sailing information

J/111 BLUR Frosts Scandinavian Sailing Circuit

(Stockholm, Sweden)- It's been a great season for many of the Swedish J/Boats.  Long time J/boat aficionado, Peter Gustafsson, got his new J/111 BLUR in time for SPI-Ouest France and managed a top three finish! But before handing his old J/109 BLUR over to the new owner, he and his team won both the Marstrand Big Boat Race and the inshore part of AF Offshore Race (Around Gotland Race).

Back on-board the new J/111 BLUR for the balance of the Scandinavian sailing summer, they quickly adapted to the boat. Here's Peter's quick summary of their sweet summer season aboard the 111:

"We were 3rd in the super competitive R40-class in Færderseilasen in Norway, 2nd in class in Around Hermano, winning the feeder race to Around Tjorn and last weekend they topped it off with a 3rd overall of 436 boats in Around Tjorn, Sweden's largest yacht race.

The Around Tjorn is the highlight of the year for many, gathering all kinds of boats and sailors. This year we had Fredrik Loof straight from winning the Olympic Gold Medal in his Star and the Swedish guys from GROUPAMA (Volvo Ocean Race Winners) racing in the 28 mile race around the island of Tjorn.

We had very close racing with the two First 40s that came first and second. We led on the first beat despite winds up to 14-16 knots but when it opened up, it quickly became a waterline race. We knew we were faster downwind, so we just had to hang in there. Turning the corner, the chase begun through the narrow passages in the archipelago. It was just crazy, doing 15 knots with the big kite just a few feet away from the rocks. In the end we were very close but lost out on handicap.

To round of a great weekend I did the same course solo on Sunday after the race. We were ten boats that tested if the format would work for a new solo race in 2013. Sailing the J/111 solo worked beautifully!! I really love the boat.

On the agenda for the season is to top 20 knots-- so we have the crew on standby for one or two September low pressures!"  We wish them well.  We have NO DOUBT (like the famous musician) they will top 20+ knots boatspeed!

Other J/boats that's are winning races in Sweden are J/105 JAVELIN with Sebastian Larsson who won Around Naset overall and the J/97 SAILING FOR JESUS skippered by Lennart Jansson who won his class in Hermano Runt.   Sailing photo credits- Ake Fredriksson
Sailing reports:
http://www.blur.se/2012/06/10/faerderseilasen-2012/
http://www.blur.se/2012/08/06/hermano-runt-2012/
http://www.blur.se/2012/08/20/tjorn-runt-2012/
http://www.blur.se/2012/08/20/mellan-broarna-solo-2012/

J/Class @ Key West Race Week

(Key West, FL)- The 2013 Quantum Key West Race Week running from January 20th to 25th, 2013 will again feature the popular PHRF J/Class for enthusiastic J/109, J/111, J/120, J/122, J/124, J/125 and J/133 owners.  This past year's edition proved to be a fun, competitive class.  The unique feature of the J/Class is having Rod Johnstone and a knowledgeable PHRF rating committee ensure that Time-on-Time handicaps are applied fairly, ensuring that all J/Owners have an equitable shot at placing well in any given race and for the overall regatta.

In fact, in the 2012 PHRF J/Class the top three boats, the J/122 TEAMWORK, the J/109 RUSH and the J/111 MENTAL all won races over the course of ten races in five days! It was awesome sailing and it emphasized near one-design sailing consistency to finish in the top five-- incredibly fun sailing in conditions that ranged from 17-23 kts on the first day to 5-8 kts towards the end of the week.  Long-time Key West veterans Robin Team and Bill Sweetser both agreed it was the best handicap fleet sailing they've ever experienced!  “We come down here to Key West to get the best competition we can find and boy did we this year,” Team said. “We could not believe how close the racing was in this class. Tres Hombres, Mental and Rush were all very well-sailed and pushed us from start to finish.” It was a particularly special experience for Robin since he had brother Adam and two sons Alston and Coleman aboard!

Come on down, bring the family and friends and join the fun! The J/70 sailed by Kerry Klingler and Rick Lyall from Connecticut (for J/70 One-Designs) and the J/124 STILL MESSIN, Adam Esselman from Charlevoix, Michigan (for the J/Class) are already entered and can't wait to go! Many of the same J/109s, J/111s and J/122s will be returning again for more fun in the Florida winter sun! State your intentions now, just enter your boat-- no need to send in the entry fee until December!   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes.com  For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Cowes Week Preview

(Cowes, IOW, England)- Since 1826 Cowes Week has played a key part in the British sporting summer calendar and is one of the UK's longest running and most successful sporting events. It now stages up to 40 daily races for around 1,000 boats and is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world.

This year, Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, as the event is now known, offers a great mix of competitive sailing and social activities from August 11th to 18th. The 8,500 competitors range from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors. In excess of 100,000 spectators come to watch the sailing, enjoy the parties and live entertainment, and to experience the unique atmosphere. It is genuinely a one-of-a-kind event.

Traditionally, Cowes Week takes place after Glorious Goodwood and before the Glorious Twelfth (the first day of the grouse shooting season) - occasionally the traditional dates are changed to ensure optimum racing, taking account of the tides. Over the years the event has attracted British and foreign royalty, and many famous faces.

The first race was for a Gold Cup of the Value of £100, held in 1826 for just seven yachts under the flag of the Royal Yacht Club (which later became the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1833). The next year King George IV indicated his approval of the event by presenting a cup (the King's Cup, presented at every subsequent event until 1939) to mark the occasion, and the event became known as Cowes Regatta. This was run as a three-day, then a four-day, event and quickly became part of the social calendar.

It was not until 1964 that, on the suggestion of HRH Prince Philip (a regular competitor and Admiral of the Royal Yacht Squadron), Cowes Combined Clubs was formed to run and organise the regatta. This body represented the seven clubs involved in managing the racing (Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal London Yacht Club, Royal Thames Yacht Club, Royal Southampton Yacht Club, Royal Southern Yacht Club, Island Sailing Club and Royal Ocean Racing Club) and Cowes Town Regatta Committee. The Royal Yacht Squadron line became the universal start line and there was one set of sailing instructions and racing marks for the Week-- it was a brilliant suggestion by the Prince as since the regatta has mushroomed in popularity.

Over the course of time, J/Boats sailors have found the Cowes Week to their liking, enjoying the fabulous on-shore festivities along with the equally challenging sailing up and down the capricious tidal river known as "the Solent".  Participating in this year's events will be one-design fleets of J/109s and J/80s as well as fleets of J/111s, J/122s, J/97s sailing within various IRC classes.  Thirty-one of 180 IRC entries are J/Teams, about 17% of the fleet, quite a good show again and the dominant brand in IRC class sailing-- twice as many as Beneteau or X-Yachts participants in each brand!

Again leading the charge as biggest one-design keelboat fleet at Cowes are the twenty-five J/109s and what amounts to a changing of the guard amongst the top of the fleet will be in the making as last year's top boats are all gone.  Amongst the leaders could be ME JULIE (Dominique Monkhouse),  David Mcleman's OFFBEAT and the RAF Sailing Team on their familiar RED ARROW.  It will be an fascinating fleet to watch as the pecking order gets jumbled rapidly race to race!

The J/Sprit class may again include a selection of J/92, J/97 and J/105 designs. In 2011, there was keen competition for the top spot, the class winner being the J/92s J'RONIMO (David Greenhalgh & John Taylor) followed by Nick and Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE, third was Andy Howe & Annie Kelly's J/92 BLACKJACK.  All three competitors are sailing again and will have to contend with two top J/105s, NEILSON REDEYE (Pip & Pete Tyler) and KING LOUIE sailed by Fiona and Malcolm Thorpe.  Then, the rest of the fleet are no less intimidating, including several J/92s like WHO'S TO NO (Richard Sparrow), BOJANGLES (Richard Sainsbury), HULLABALOO (Andrew Dallas); and a gaggle of fast J/97s like MCFLY (Tony Mack), JACKAROO (Jim and Stephen Dick), JET (James Owen), the champion JIKA-JIKA (Mike & Jamie Holmes) and another champion FEVER GLENFIDDICH (Grant Gordon).

The J/80s recently had their J/80 Worlds in Dartmouth and, as expected, the run-up to that event would have an impact on the large twenty-four boat attendance the J/80s enjoyed last year.  This year it looks like there will be a competitive coterie of nine boats with some familiar top boats in the fray, including JAMMY DODGER, AQUA J and the RAF Sailors on SPITFIRE.

Sure to be a factor will be the six J/111s, starting with David & Kirsty Apthorp's new J/DREAM, winner of this year's IRC Class in the Round Island Race.  Then you have SHMOKING JOE (Duncan McDonald and Phil Thomas- past IRC Class winners in the Round Island Race).  Newcomers include MOJITO from Hong Kong sailed by Simon & Michele Blore, previous owners of successful J/92s of the same name; DJINN from Belgium sailed by Sebastien de Liedekerke, a former J/109 owner; JEEZ LOUISE (James Arnell); and ICARUS sailed by Charles Rolls and Andrew Christie.  If the performance of the 111s in recent offshore events with any amount of breeze is indicative of the possible outcome in IRC2 Class, their friendly J competitors will have a tough time handling them.  Included in this group are the J/122s.

The four powerful J/122s JINJA (Ian Matthews), GHOST (Ken Lowes), THE SISTERHOOD (Susan Glenny), MINT JULEP and JOULOU (Ivan Trotman) will keep everyone honest and perhaps win a race or two and take a podium finish!

Two well-sailed J/133s- JUMP (Ian Dewhirst) and MADJUST (Richard Huges) have proven their capabilities to win races both around-the-cans and offshore may possibly end up in IRC1 or IRC2, in any event they will have their hands full as they strategize how to get around the Solent as cleverly as possible.  Sailing Photo Credits- Beken of Cowes/ Tim Wright-Photoaction.com. For more Cowes Week 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 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

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

Windy Sailing In Warsash Springs Finale

J/109 JAHMALI, J/80 J2X, J/92 J'RONIMO Lead Their Classes
(Warsash, So'ton, England)- The final gathering for the Warsash Spring Series and Spring Championship took place over 28th/29th April 2012 and was sponsored by SLAM. Earlier in the season, conditions had been bright, sunny and light, but this was all set to change. After a very damp week, the rain looked like continuing and more importantly forecasts highlighted gusts to 50 knots over the Solent on late Saturday/early Sunday. The race officers kept their collective fingers crossed, hoping the worst of the weather would blow through overnight but in the event all classes were cancelled on the final day.

Four races were scheduled for Black Group on Saturday- Day 3. The breeze came mainly from the northeast but with frequent minor oscillations.  The committee boat set up station between North Ryde Middle and Mackley buoys with a finish at Goodacre. Races 1 and 2 were windward/leeward courses, two rounds totaling just under eight miles, with a half-mile spreader at the windward end to take boats up tide for an accurate run. Races 3 and 4 were shorter and as the tide had slackened, were simple windward/leewards. The final race included a starboard leeward rounding – just to keep crews on their toes! The breeze started around 11/12 knots for the first two races, increasing to 14/15 knots in the afternoon.

This year all boats in IRC1 and IRC2 were eligible for the Spring Championships. As no discards are allowed, consistency often paid. But, all efforts for the most part were for naught as Sunday's gale was the spoiler. After a successful Saturday’s racing, everyone hoped that the worst of the gale would go through the Solent overnight. There did seem to be the possibility of a lull during the middle of Sunday although a significant wind veer was also forecast. Beaulieu Boat Jumble was cancelled and the high speed Southampton/Isle of Wight ferries were suspended until lunch time. All racing for White Group was cancelled early on whilst Black Group was told to stay ashore as racing, if it were possible, would not commence before 1130. In the event, Black Group too was abandoned at 1000. Spring Series Chairman Peter Bateson said: “We were hoping to achieve a race for Black Group but it was still blowing Force 6 with gusts above 30 knots by mid morning. An expected wind shift from northeast to southeast meant we would not have guaranteed a good course for competitors, even if the wind had abated in time.”

This left the standings for the Spring Series as of last week. After six races in IRC 1 Class, Ivan Trotman's J/122 JOLOU finished 4th overall.

The J/Sprit class was new this year and attracted a selection of J/92, J/97 and J/105 designs. Again there was keen competition for the top spot, the class winner being the J/92 J'RONIMO (David Greenhalgh & John Taylor) followed by Nick and Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE.  Third was Andy Howe's J/92 BLACKJACK, fourth Chris Jones' J/105 JOURNEYMAKER 5 and fifth Charles Ivill's J/97 BLACK MAGIC.

The J/109 class saw Mike & Sarah Wallis' JAHMALI lead the entire series to win comfortably.  They were followed in 2nd by David Mcleman's OFFBEAT with David & Mary McGough's JUST SO in third.

The J/80s saw Rob Larke's J2X win by a landslide.  Second was Stew Hawthorn's J'AI DEUX AMOURS and this was Nick and Anni Haigh's SLIGHTLY STEAMY.  Just off the pace were Ian Atkins' team on BOATS.COM in fourth and Patrick Liardet's crew on AQUA-J.   Sailing photo credits- Eddie Mays  For more Warsash Spring Series sailing information

Busy Sailing Warsash Spring Weekend

J/109 JAHMALI, J/80 J2X, J/92 J'RONIMO Lead Their Classes
(Warsash, So'ton, England)- It really was a busy weekend on the Solent for the Warsash Spring Championship and Series.  The Warsash Spring Championship offers an intense schedule of four days’ racing for selected classes. This year all IRC1 and IRC2 boats are eligible as well as J/109 one designs. Sportsboats include J/80 classes, too.

The forecast 5 knots on Saturday did not materialize in the morning and everyone waited for the wind until around 1130. When the breeze arrived it was in the 8/10 knot range west/southwesterly to westerly but shifty. Racing for Black Group got underway just before noon near Fastnet Insurance buoy with short windward/leeward courses set. In the afternoon the wind increased and dark clouds formed resulting in gusts to 20 knots in the showers. This enabled longer six mile courses to be set for the second and third races. It was a long day for competitors who were finishing the third race after 1600, so it was sensibly decided not to go for a fourth race. White Group racing under the lee of the northern shore had less stable conditions and there was an interval of two hours between the first and second races. Even so, three races were completed for the J/80s.

Conditions on Sunday morning were bright and sunny with a forecast for increasing wind and squally showers. In Black Group, IRC1, IRC2 and J/109s were scheduled for two races. Even with an adverse tide, the fleet pushed the line and were all recalled. Starting at Fastnet Insurance, the first leg was a long beat to Air Canada buoy by the Brambles Bank. Most tacticians decided to put in a long port tack across the tide towards Calshot shore. The restart of IRC1 was under the ‘Z’ flag penalty system. The J/109s were given a shorter first leg and by the time the leaders were round Flying Fish buoy, they were sailing back downwind in parallel with IRC1.

The remaining Black Group classes enjoyed one longer race using a combination of fixed and laid marks with a windward/leeward loop towards the finish. The J/Sprit class got away cleanly but in others there were several declared OCS, including some of the front runners for overall honours.

With the first races completed for the relevant classes the Black Group committee boat moved north and west for the start of the second and shorter race. The wind had by now swung towards the southwest which allowed the continued use of Air Canada as the first mark followed by a short series of runs and beats before finishing at East Knoll buoy. In the first fleet, the changed tidal conditions meant most boats cleared the start line and kept on their starboard tack all the way to the port layline. Judging that point was crucial. Some in all classes overstood the mark and lost places.

In the second race, the entire J/109 class was OCS and a general recall was signaled. They got away OK at the second attempt under a ‘Z’ flag preparatory signal. The afternoon conditions also suited the sportboat classes racing near the entrance to Southampton Water, although by the final race, conditions were brisk and even the front runners in each class were having difficulty gybing smoothly.

Now joined by the Spring Championship contenders, J/80s had increased in class size to 20 plus. With the J/80 World Championships being held at Dartmouth in June, there has been a steady increase in both quantity and quality. Rob Larke has been the man to beat but this weekend Stewart Hawthorn, returning to the class, has slowly been narrowing the gap. Although Rob holds a substantial lead in the main series, things are much tighter in the Spring Championship with Rob (J2X) and Stewart (J’ai Deux Amours) only a couple of points apart. Ian Atkins (boats.com) had a bad result in the first race of the day and trails slightly but in a 14 race series, with no discard, this could still prove a small setback.

In IRC 1 class, Ivan Trotman's J/122 JOLOU is now lying in 4th overall for the series after a slow weekend.  And in 9th is Ken Lowe's new J/111 GHOST.

The J/109 class continues to see Mike & Sarah Wallis' JAHMALI leading the series with a 2-2-1-3-4-1 scoreline for 9 pts, followed in 2nd by David Mcleman's OFFBEAT with a 4-1-3-4-6-4 tally for 16 pts.  Lying third is David & Mary McGough's JUST SO with an 11-3-5-2-5-3 record for 18 pts.

In the mixed J/Sprit class, the class leader continues to be the J/92 J'RONIMO (David Greenhalgh & John Taylor) with a 1-1-1-4-5-7 record for 7 pts.  Second is Nick and Adam Munday's J/97 INDULJENCE with a 5-2-2-2-2 scoreline for 8 pts.  Third is Andy Howe's J/92 BLACKJACK with a 3-3-3-6-6 score for 15 pts.  Fourth is Chris Jones' J/105 JOURNEYMAKER 5 and fifth is Charles Ivill's J/97 BLACK MAGIC.

Next weekend has the grand finale on 28th/29th April with a full schedule of racing over the weekend which sees the conclusion of both events in the Warsash Spring Series and Spring Championship Powered by SLAM.   Sailing photo credits- Eddie Mays   For more Warsash Spring Series sailing information

J's Lovin' Fresh Warsash Sailing

(Warsash, So'ton, England)- The second half of the Warsash Spring Series arrived with a "bang" on 15th April after a break for Easter. Following three Sundays of light and fickle breezes, competitors were greeted with a brisk if chilly northerly of 12-14 knots, which unexpectedly rose to over 20 knots by late morning-- indeed, fresh to frightening with a bit of nip in the air!

The Black Group fleet raced from a start line on Ryde Middle bank on courses designed to include the occasional reach, interspersed with beats and runs. The start sequence stayed on schedule until an over eager IRC3 class forced a general recall. All classes shared common marks for the start and end of each race with the middle section of each course suitably adjusted to suit the different classes.  In IRC 1 class, the J/111 JEEZ LOUISE skippered by James Arnell sailed for the first time in the series and finished 3rd, just beating out Ivan Trotman's J/122 JOLOU in 4th.

The J/109 class has a dozen entries this year and so far each race has produced a different winner. This week it was newcomer Jonnie Goodwin’s HARLEQUIN that was top boat. This was his first race in the series and the team put in a very strong performance to beat David & Mary McGough’s JUST SO by over four minutes. If HARLEQUIN competes similarly in the next two weeks, there could well be a shake up in the results. At this stage, Mike & Sarah Wallis' JAHMALI are leading with a 2-2-1-3 scoreline for 8 pts, followed in 2nd by David Mcleman's OFFBEAT with a 4-1-3-4 tally for 12 pts.  Lying third id Owain Franks & Jean Lockett's JYNNAN TONNYX with a 5-6-2-6 with 19 pts.  Less than four points behind in 4th and 5th, respectively, are David & Mary McGough's JUST SO and Paul Griffith's JAGERBOMB.

In the mixed J/Sprit class, another newcomer had a good day. The J/105 JOURNEYMAKER V (Chris Jones), as the biggest boat in the class, reveled in the conditions to take line honours but three minutes behind him and less than a boat’s length apart Tony Mack’s MCFLY just beat the J/97 INDULJENCE (Nick & Adam Munday) to the line to take the class win on his first outing. Class leader J'RONIMO (David Greenhalgh & John Taylor) could only manage fourth in their slightly smaller J/92 for a 1-1-1-4 record for 7 pts.  Second is Nick and Adam Munday's INDULJENCE with a 5-2-2-2 scoreline for 11 pts.  Third is Andy Howe's J/92 BLACKJACK with a 3-3-3-6 score for 15 pts.  Fourth is John Cooper & Ian Townend's J/92 JAMMIN and fifth is Chris Jones' seasoned offshore campaigners on JOURNEYMAKER 5.

On the White Group sportsboat course, the J/80s were given a gate at the bottom of the course. In the first strong breeze of the year, for many of them the retrieval of gennakers proved to be a significant factor and some ended up having to sail longer windward legs than expected. In the first race it became apparent that boats sailing to the shifts made the most gains. Under the lee of the Meon shore the northerly wind was much more susceptible to shifting and the boats that chose to go for the laylines tended to lose out. Two boats dominated the J/80 class. Rob Larke (J2x) won all three races and he was followed home each time by Ian Atkins in boats.com.  After a series total of twelve races, J2X is leading by over 20 pts.  Lying second is Nick and Annie Haigh's SLIGHTLY STEAMY with 43 pts, followed in third by Stew Hawthorn's J'AI DEUX AMOURS with 62 pts.  Fourth is Patrick Liardet in AQUA-J with 64 pts and fifth is Ian's boats.com with 75 pts.

Next weekend the pace hots up with racing on both days for the Warsash Spring Championship, including a section with trialists for the Dolphin Brewer’s Commodore’s Cup. The fifth week of the Warsash Spring Series continues on Sunday 22nd April.   Sailing photo credits- Eddie Mays  For more Warsash Spring Series sailing information