Australian J/122 Sails Maiden Voyage off Sydney

Australian J/122 MARTA JEAN Sailed Her Maiden Voyage recently from Sydney to Newcastle.  Here's a report from Ray Entwistle - "For the start of this story we’ve borrowed the tune from an old Billy Joel song– see if you can pick it..... Its 9am on a Saturday, the south-easterly breeze is kicking in, We’re sailing up to Newcastle, the maiden voyage of the J/122 - ‘Marta Jean’.  Lah de dah, de de da’ah..........  That’s the extent of our combined creative talent, so it’s back to our usual narrative.  The Rae family’s pride and joy ‘Marta Jean’, a new J/122, left Greenwich Flying Squadron, west of Sydney Harbour Bridge with water and fuel tanks half full and the dockbox fitted holding the inflatable, for her maiden voyage up to her new home base, Newcastle, about 70nm north of Sydney.  She had spent her first couple of months at Greenwich, nestled close by to 2 other J/122’s, Lithium and Jackpot.

We motored under Sydney Harbour Bridge, past the Opera House and hoisted the mainsail in the lee of Watsons Bay.  After a quick radio check reporting into Sydney Marine Rescue, 3 on board, destination Newcastle, zeroed the speedo and a few minutes later we sailed through Sydney Harbour Heads. A couple of 44 footers were half a mile ahead also heading north. Good, something to chase, even though we were in full cruising mode.  ‘Marta Jean’ dipped her bows into the Tasman Sea swell and with the wind now at 16 knots over the starboard beam  we surfed down the first big wave and hit 12.4 knots, with the owner Steve on the helm grinning from ear to ear and commenting “it really does what it says on the label“. We knew it was going to be a nice days sailing. Manly and Dee Why beaches soon slid past and within the hour we were clearing Long Reef  - the other two larger yachts we had passed were already specks in the rear view. Twenty five miles further north we radioed to Gosford Marine Rescue, it was almost midday and we were making great time. We tested the auto pilot in the two metre swell but not for long, we were having too good a time surfing down the waves at the wheel.

Averaging over eight knots, we soon found ourselves checking in with the chirpy Swansea Marine Rescue on the shores of beautiful Lake Macquarie, as we continued to surge north. We were already 75% through our journey.  We were now sailing through all the gigantic coal ships which were at anchor waiting for their turn to be called into port to take their precious loads to all parts of Asia.  We were also pushing 2 knots of the Australian eastern current but with the wind dropping to 12 knots and swinging a little more south we hoisted the spinnaker and sped towards Nobby’s Head beach.  Nobby’s Head was made famous when the giant coal carrier “Pasha Bulker “made global news when she grounded on the beach in a huge winter storm in June 2007. After gybing a few angles we dropped the spinnaker and sailed into Newcastle Harbour on a twenty knot squall hitting 12.3 knots and being amused by the fact that we had finished as we started. We found ‘Marta Jeans’ new pen and checked our watch and instruments. We covered the 70.8 n.miles in eight and a half hours averaging 8.35 knots. Ten minutes later we were sat in the new Newcastle Yacht Club with a well earned beer in hand and watched a rain squall cover the harbour, wondering how far back the other two boats were that started their journey just ahead of us from Sydney.   Share

Close Racing in Warsash Spring Series

(Hamble, So'ton, England)- The third week of Warsash Sailing Club's Spring Series saw the first south-westerly breeze of the season. The wind stayed true in direction with the strength varying from 10 to 14 knots, providing near ideal sailing conditions if still cold. Despite the clocks going forward, competitors were out early for practice with new entries joining the fleets.

The Black Group committee boat anchored near Hamble Yacht Services buoy and used Air Canada, close to the Bramble Bank, as the first windward mark with a finish at East Knoll. Adjustments were made to the lengths of the courses with IRC1 completing 15 miles and IRC3 12.5 miles. IRC4 used a White Group start line but also finished with the other Black Group boats at East Knoll after a course covering over 10 miles. High water occurred during the start sequence, so competitors had the favoured combination of beats with the current and runs against it. Tacticians kept careful watch of the depth to benefit from or dodge the tide.

The number of "Big Boats" competing in IRC1 has increased as their Spring Championship after Easter approaches. In IRC1 the J/122 JOLLY JELLYFISH sailed to an uncharacteristic 7th, but still remained in second overall in the standings.  the J/133 JAMMY DODGER raced by Neil Martin sailed a great race to get a third to move into fifth place overall.
  
Full results on the Warsash Website.  Photo by Eddie Mays- http://www.eddiemays.com.  Share

International Rolex Regatta- J/122 LOST HORIZON Wins!

J/122 LOST HORIZON Wins Spinnaker Racing Class

(St.Thomas, USVI- Mar 26-28)- The three-day event, hosted by St. Thomas Yacht Club, has a track record - spanning 37 years - for delivering the goods when it comes to racing and island-style hospitality.  This year, it delivered again.  With sixty-nine teams competing in four divisions (IRC, CSA, One-Design IC 24s and Beach Cats), the forecast of 12-17 knots over the three sunny days, and plenty of Caribbean parties, music and cuisine to fill any time not used up by racing, there's no question this year's International Rolex Regatta completely delivered a getaway to remember!

"This year we arranged for some races to snug up next to St. John, so competitors could expand their horizons and our sister island could share in some of the excitement of seeing the spectacle of the fleet racing," said Regatta Co-Chair John Sweeney. "For the same reasons, we had the IC-J/24s racing off the beachfront at the Ritz Hotel on Saturday, and later that night, hundreds of sailors, organizers, volunteers and townspeople took part in a giant reggae music concert and food festival at Yacht Haven Grande, where some of the event's larger boats are berthed. All to say, everyone really enjoyed getting around to different places on the island and out on the water."

Another winner of a Rolex timepiece was James Dobbs' (Antigua) J/122 LOST HORIZON in Spinnaker Racing/Cruising Class. "I knew which boats had a chance of winning before the race," he said, referring to a tight group at the top of the scoreboard that included second-place finisher Three Harkoms, a Beneteau 442 skippered by James Hudleston (Yarmouth, UK). "I've sailed against them before, and they are serious about racing, as we are."  Just behind them finishing third was Rick Wesslund's crew on EL OCASO, the very well sailed J/120 that has won Key West Race Week in the past.  Not to be missed was the beautiful J/46 MISS MAGIC, sailed by Jim Baus, finishing a well-deserved sixth overall.

In IRC class, Bill Coates' J/122 OTRA VEZ consistently sailed in top three handicap overall during the three days.  However, two bomber finishes in the fourth and sixth races hurt their opportunity to get a Rolex Submariner!  After sailing well enough to be second at one point, they fell off the podium to finish fifth overall.
 
For more Rolex Regatta sailing information
http://www.rolexcupregatta.com  Share

J Europe Dream Team Re-United!

(Les Sables d'Olonne, France)- We are pleased to announce that JB Composites in Les Sables d'Olonne, France will take over the J Boats building license from Kingcat. JBC principals Yves Roucher, Arnaud Ringeard and Didier LeMoal bring a wealth of boat-building, corporate and J Boats expertise to the company. This is a “dream team” come true for J Boats and a very exciting development for the entire J network.

Mr. Roucher, former president of Federation Industrial Nautique (French Sailing Industry), has owned several successful boat companies, including ALUBAT, a company he founded in 1970 and which later (in 1994) acquired the first license to build J's in France. Mr. Ringeard is president of FAST Groupe, a third generation, family-owned holding company with business interests across many fields including mass transportation, healthcare, eco-cars and even sailing charters. Didier LeMoal is well known to the J community for his 15 year involvement overseeing European J production and sales including project directing the successful launching of the J/109 and J/122.

The good news is the European economy is improving, leading to greater confidence for active J sailors and buyers, in particular.  Future prospects are bright and with the JB Composite team leading the charge, renewed energy has led to a significant backlog of orders for several models including the J/109, J/97, J/92s and J/80.  For more information, please contact J/Boats at ph# 401-846-8410 or info@jboats.com

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Warsash Spring Series- J/122 Wins!

J/122 JOLLY JELLYFISH Wins IRC1

(Hamble, So'ton, England)-  The sunshine continued for the second week of Warsash Sailing Club's Spring Series on 21st March but in stark contrast to week one, the breeze was often elusive and tricky. The weather forecasts varied, with wind speeds ranging from 4 to 15 knots, but in the main agreed a north-westerly was due to back to the south-west or south.

The latest period of light airs had persuaded the Race Committee to shorten IRC1 at South East Ryde Middle and IRC2 at Browndown at the end of a run. There were only two finishers in IRC1 and this week's champagne went to the J/122 JOLLY JELLYFISH.

In IRC1 the J/122 JOLLY JELLYFISH put the pedal to the medal, sailed well, proving that you don't need a brand new McClaren $250,000 GBP F1 carbon sedan to dust-off your mates on the M-1 or M-25 roadways.  JOLLY JELLYFISH is just one point off the overall lead over the redoubtable Niklas Zenstrom on RAN and just behind Paul Turner's purely professional team on ARTEMIS.
 
Full results Warsash Spring Sailing Series.  Share

J/122 At Strictly Sail Pacific Show

See the Extraordinary J/122 One-Design, Racer, Cruiser

(Alameda, CA)- Sail California will have a booth and several J's at the docks at the Strictly Sail Pacific Show from April 15-18.  Be sure to stop by and learn more about the J/122.  To help you with your choice of boats will be Norm Davant and his crew of experienced sailors.  If you'd like a special tour or a demo sail of one of the boats before/ after the show, please be sure to contact Norm at Sail California- phone# 510-523-8500, via email- norm@sailcal.com or website- http://www.sailcal.com  Share

UK Warsash Spring Series

Perfect Start for J Sailors

(Hamble, So'ton, England- Mar 14)- Glorious sunshine and a steady breeze made for a perfect first day of this year’s Warsash Spring Series on 14th March. Competitors in the 170-strong entry list were out bright and early, some putting into practice lessons learned during a Jim Saltonstall training session organised by the Royal Southern Yacht Club the day before.  Black Group comprises four IRC classes plus one design starts for J/109, J/105 and J/92. The committee boat set up station between East Bramble and Universal Marina buoys.
 
In IRC1, the J/122 JOLLY JELLYFISH sailed to a solid third overall.  Expect to see more competition in this class when Ian Matthew's J/122 JINJA, Neil Martin's J/133 JAMMY DODGER and Jackie and Robert Dodson's J/133 JERONIMO get cranked up for the series next weekend.

Back at Warsash Sailing Club after racing, the weekly class winners were presented with champagne whilst everyone enjoyed a well-earned rest and time to catch up with sailing friends at the beginning of the new season. The Warsash Spring Series runs on Sundays until 25th April, with a break for Easter. New entries are welcome and enquiries can be made to Warsash Sailing Club on 01489 583575, admin@warsashsc.org.uk or visit  www.warsashspringseries.org.uk.  Share

St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

(Simpson Bay, St. Maarten- March 7)- There can be few events in the world that match St. Maarten Heineken Regatta’s unique cocktail of fun and serious racing. Under the leadership of Robbie Ferron – St. Maarten Yacht Club commodore – who set up the regatta 30 years ago, this Caribbean classic continues to go from strength to strength and, if the positive buzz on the street is anything to go by, next year’s event is going to reach record levels.

With some of the world’s most talented sailors including the likes of many J/24 and J sailing veterans like America’s Cup legends Peter Isler, Peter Holmberg, round the world PUMA sailor Kenny Read and Olympic/America’s Cup skipper Andy Beadsworth, among the many high profile sailors competing here this week, it’s not surprising this event is fast becoming a Mecca for seriously fun winter racing.

The final race of the three-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta may have lacked one special Caribbean ingredient – sun – but there was certainly no shortage of action for the 240-boat fleet in the extremely lively northerly breeze which allowed the big raunchy yachts the opportunity to really strut their stuff on the 27nm race from Marigot Bay back to Sint Maarten Yacht Club.

In what was arguably one of the most competitive fleets at the regatta, Spinnaker 5 class saw two J's vying for class honors, the J/120 EL OCASO and the J/122 LOST HORIZON.  The first day of racing was an auspicious one for Jim Dobbs J/122 LOST HORIZON.  Starting off with a 1-3 on the water, Jim later find out the first turned into an OCS.  Nevertheless, Jim and the LOST HORIZON crew dominated the rest of the regatta with three straight firsts over the next two days to get third overall.  Rick Wesslund's veteran Key West Race Week winning J/120 EL OCASO sailed a remarkably consistent series, with a 2-2-3-2-3 record, to finish second overall, just two points out of first.

After a relaxing afternoon prize-giving on Sunday at St. Maarten Yacht Club, competitors and guests were treated to an exuberant evening dancing the night away on the beach in the presence of International Reggae superstar Maxi Priest and his band who played classic hits of the last three decades, concluding yet another successful St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.  For more St Maarten sailing and regatta information.  Share

RORC Caribbean 600 Race

Glimcher's J/122 CATAPULTs Home

(Antigua- Feb. 23)- The 2010 version of this new bluewater classic really was an enormous navigational and tactical challenge.  The majority of the fleet entered into the "black hole" stage of the race when they all arrived at the easternmost turning "mark"- Guadeloupe Island.  Seemingly, the weather Gods played a nasty trick on the fleet, shutting down the smaller boats leaving them bouncing around in swells with little wind while the big boats simply blasted off under fast reaching conditions to the finish line.  After spending long periods with little rest and virtually no wind, the sailors began to feel the effects, leading to substantial numbers of boats retiring.

The long leg south from the northern turning mark off the coast of St. Maarten to the island of Les Saintes off the southern tip of Guadeloupe was an upwind surprise for the fleet, with the breeze from the south, turning southwest early on Wednesday morning.  This was quite a different story from the start where clear blue skies, fresh breeze and aquamarine seas greeted the sailors-- the sailors were treated to some superb champagne sailing conditions that typify these waters at this time of year.  The first boats crossed the starting line for the 605 mile race on February 22nd to start an adventure that would take them around fourteen Caribbean islands, in what is regarded as probably the finest sailor's play ground.  By the morning of the second day, the wind direction had changed to southerly and windless spots were appearing all over the race course. And, that was all she wrote for a vast majority of the fleet.

Les Saintes proved to be the nemesis for many boats that were caught in the wind shadow from the high mountains of Guadeloupe, the bigger boats managed to get through but the breeze was really beginning to tail off and the smaller boats became trapped. Marc Glimcher's J/122 CATAPULT had been sailing a very intelligent race and were leading overall on handicap when the breeze died out.  Despite such challenges, kudos to Marc and team on CATAPULT for persevering until nearly the fourth day, still leading and having rounded Les Saintes/ Guadeloupe headed towards Antigua, English Harbour, before making the difficult decision to simply pack it in and turn on the "iron genny".  From the track of CATAPULT above, you can see they were seventh boat-for-boat with 50-65 footers around them!  Better luck next time!   For more RORC 600 sailing and regatta information.  Share

Australian J/122 Dominates IRC1

JACKPOT Cleans House In Sydney Offshore Series

(Sydney, Australia- Feb. 22)- It seems to be a recurring theme Down Under.  Anytime a group of experienced amateur yachtsmen get together and race a J off the famous Sydney Harbour Heads, "magical" things seem to happen.  And, this year's winner's circle throughout the summer offshore series off Sydney included the J/35 SOUNDTRACK, the J/109 MAJIKAL and the J/122 JACKPOT.

Ray and Sandra Entwistle’s J/122 JACKPOT won the 2009/10 Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Short Ocean Pointscore Series on IRC.  The SOPS is an 11 race series which runs from October to February, and is a combination of both windward / leeward courses and short passage races, held on the waters offshore from Sydney. JACKPOT has also collected a 1st in the Gascoigne Cup, 1st in the David Burke Memorial Trophy and a 3rd in the Morna Cup, held throughout the series.

JACKPOT finished 3 points ahead of her nearest rival Ed Salter in his famous AFR Midnight Rambler, completing the series on 17 points.  JACKPOT's worst result was a 5th, which they were able to drop.  Other than that, JACKPOT finished in the top 3 places for all other races.  The top class fleet is a mixture of yachts in the 38-60 foot range with everything from a Swan 60, TP52’s, Cookson 12’s, new Beneteau 40’s, 47.7’s, 44.7’s, Sydney 38s and others.  The season comprised of a variety of wind, sea and weather conditions but JACKPOT and her crew remained consistent throughout.

Ray had this to say about sailing the J/122- "We have a fairly small sail wardrobe from Ian Short Sails which has proved to be incredibly effective, consisting of a carbon main, #1 light carbon jib, #1 Medium Heavy carbon jib, #4 Kevlar jib.  The kites we fly are asymmetric, being a 140 sq.m reacher and 155 sq.m runner.  The J/122 is designed to carry non-overlapping jibs so tacking is quick and easy, and the kites fly from a fully retractable carbon sprit making the hoists, drops and gybes simple and efficient.

The J/122 is a joy to sail, she doesn’t slam in rough conditions, her hull shape allows her to ride up the waves and surf back down, in the light winds she simply glides along. In one race gusting over 30 knots and waves peaking at 15 feet we hit a speed of 18.6 knots and averaged 14.4 knots on a leg from Botany Bay to Sydney Heads.

As a result of the resin infused construction, the J’s are light but extremely strong, so you don’t have the excessive sheet loading you get with some other brands.  This also means you don’t need to have a crew of rugby players on board – in fact 40-50% of Jackpots crew are women.  The J/122 really epitomizes what sailing should be about.  We can race her hard and win a prominent and competitive series, but then load her up with food and water and head up the coast cruising.  She truly is a dual-purpose yacht.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our crew Ian, Hedgey, Emmy, Cassandra, Kate, Caroline, Darren and James for making this series not only a ‘winner’, but also a lot of fun.  Our congratulations and respects to all our competitors for their sportsmanship throughout this highly competitive series."  Good on ya mates!  We hope you get a few more enthusiastic J sailors Down Under to play with soon!  Share