Gorgeous Block Island Race Week

(Block Island, RI)- This year's Block Island Race Week was up to its usual, fun, laid-back atmosphere that's associated with a "Bermuda Race" year....while the offshore nuts go offshore, the "day sailors" have fun, hang up their sea boots and oilies, take their showers, and enjoy evening festivities with family and friends at The Oar or Yellow Kittens.  The regatta has a mix of one-design classes (the J/105s and J/109s) and a combination of PHRF and IRC fleets.

In the IRC division, George Marks' beautiful J/122 GEORGETOWN finished second overall, beating all other Swan/ NYYC 42s quite convincingly.

 For more Block Island Race Week sailing information.

  

Huge J Turnout For Round Island Race

J/122 2nd In IRC 1 Class

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- A total of 1,754 entries sailed in this past weekend's JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race crewed by nearly 16,000 sailors!  On Saturday, June 19, the race began at 5am, from the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, after which the fleet raced westabout to The Needles, around St Catherine's Point and Bembridge Ledge buoy and back into the Solent, to the finish line in Cowes. It's considered Britain's favorite yacht race and this year's 79th edition of this great event saw thirteen classes ranging from grand prix 100 ft high tech racing boats to the famous J/24s (some 30 years old!) take off on a gorgeous sunrise to enjoy a "shorts and shades" pleasant daysail past all the beautiful sights the Isle of Wight has to offer to its passionate enthusiasts and visitors.

The premiere IRC division for the Round Island Race-IRC 1A- were a fleet of J/122s and J/133s vying for supremacy.  After the gunsmoke cleared on the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line off Cowes, it was Ian Matthews' J/122 JINJA that finished at noon in time for "high tea" on the lawn at RYS, taking both second in class and second overall in IRC 1!  Fifth in class and finishing just 36 seconds behind JINJA was Fiona and Malcolm Thorpe's J/133 KING LOUIE.  Sixth just five minutes back was Neil Kipling's J/122 JOOPSTER.  In seventh, finishing just two minutes in front of JINJA, was Louis Kenna's J/133 BNP PARIBAS.  Ninth was Herman Berghaven's J/133 SOLNESS.  Herman said he's done so many RI races and RORC races that he's simply lost count! 

 For more Round The Island sailing information

  

J/122s Enjoy Giraglia Rolex Cup

NIKITA Top J/122

(St Tropez, France)- The 2010 Giraglia Rolex Cup comprises a series of inshore races in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, followed by a 245nm offshore race starting in St. Tropez via La Giraglia islet off Corsica, then to San Remo in Italy.  It is one of the world's most picturesque coastlines, the views are dramatic and the people equally as beautiful-- the "apres sailing" is just as much fun as the gorgeous sailing venues.  Making it all happen are, of course, Rolex as primary sponsors, as well as strong event organization, managed by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. 

The racing had more than its fair share of shifty, windy offshore winds (Mistral like but not too strong) to moderate air on-shore seabreezes.  A total of four races were sailed between San Remo and St. Tropez.  The J sailors faired reasonably well, although based on some of the results of well-campaigned J's it was clear the off-the-water festivities must've been taking their toll-- after all, it is the French and Italian Riviera at the height of summer with far, far too many distractions (or attractions) for one to focus on sailing all week long!  Nevertheless, there were over two dozens J's participating.  Notable performances include Andreas Farber's J/122 NIKITA.

In the 58 nm St. Tropez Race, the Farber's J/122 NIKITA won IRC B class quite handily.  And, for the Giraglia Race Week Combined Overall results for all four races, Farber's J/122 NIKITA finished sixth in IRC A class within a fleet of 137 boats

For more Giraglia Rolex Cup Sailing information        

 Photo credits- ROLEX/ Kurt Arrigo

  

Bermuda Race Preview

J's Largest Brand Sailing

(Newport, RI)- The town of Newport is buzzing with sailors frenetically gathering together the last minute details one sweats preparing for a 635 nautical mile race that sends you bashing and crashing across the capricious Gulf Stream.  Despite the somewhat chaotic pre-race logistics, it's only to be rewarded with the delight of digging your toes into soft, pink sands sitting in plaid Bermuda shorts, shades on with a garishly bright polo shirt, sipping goofy drinks with umbrellas stuck in them or some brownish concoction called a "dark'n'stormy".  The surrealistic magnetic pull Bermuda exerts on its long-time participants  (and some "newbs") is seemingly more powerful than the fabled Siren's songs luring sailors to their demise in ancient seas.  This year, there are 185 boats entered headed for the fabled St. David's Light finish line.  The weather should be an improvement over 2008's head-bashing beat through the monstrous walls and breaking waves of the Gulf Stream (toss in a few suicidal flying fish hitting you in the head and you wonder what the attraction is to get to Bermuda by boat?).

The most startling (and heart-warming) development from the last edition is the growth of the Double-handed Division.  Is this "baby boom" market demographics kicking in big time?  After going around the track a few times with big budget programs and lots of crew, isn't it still about the skill of the sailor?  With 26 varieties of sailboats participating, eight of the double-handers are J's- about 33% of the fleet!  Leading the charge may be Scott Miller's J/122 RESOLUTE

We wish everyone fair winds, fair current and sail fast (oh, and remember to duck when the fish start flying)!  For more Bermuda Race sailing information and iTracking real-time positions.
  

RORC IRC Nationals Preview

(Solent, England- June 25-27)- This year's RORC IRC National Championship includes competitors from Belgium, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland and the Netherlands.  Several well-sailed J's will be competing, ranging from the J/97 to the J/122s.

IRC One has a highly competitive international line-up. Philippe Delaporte's, PEN AZEN, is over from France and the J/122 is a proven winner; having been awarded RORC Yacht of the Year in 2008.

For more RORC IRC Nationals sailing information.

  

J's Dominate Rolex New York YC Annual Regatta

J/122s Sweep IRC Class

(Newport, RI- June 11-13) – Known as the longest running regatta in America, having started in 1845, the New York Yacht Club’s 156th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex also has the distinction of kicking off the sailing season in New England. This past weekend, June 11-13, over 1,000 sailors on 111 boats gathered from across the U.S. and Europe for three days of racing on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. 

The start to the weekend was the Around the (Conanicut) Island Race on Friday, which is scored separately from the Saturday/Sunday races. The race has become a popular “add on” for competitors, especially those gearing up for the biennial Newport Bermuda Race the following week.  The J/122 WINGS was second in IRC Class (the winner last year) and Governor Pete du Pont's J/122 SPITFIRE was third. Winning their IRC Class was Bill Sweetser's J/109 RUSH.  As a result, the J's won the prestigious ROLEX CUP – presented to the best performing two-boat team in the Around the Island Race – won by a globally dominating "J-Team"-  RUSH, a J/109 sailed by Bill Sweetser (Annapolis, MD) and SPITFIRE, a J/122 skippered by Pierre (Governor Pete) du Pont (Rockland, DE).

On Saturday, the first day of the two-day buoy racing, most classes completed three races. The skies may have threatened rain but didn’t deliver much on that promise. The wind was forecast to be S veering SW in a classic scenario.  However, it was not to be.  No matter what fleet one spoke to, it was quite clear that "middle left" on the windward legs prevailed and hanging into longish streaks downwind, no matter the direction, was the strategy that prevailed for the winners.  Those who'd gone right upwind simply evaporated into thin air.  By Sunday, the promise of ideal conditions didn’t materialize until late in the day, and most classes ended up adding only one more race to the total score.  And, with a breeze forecast to go from Easterlies to North and later Northwest in the day, it didn't seem clear that going right upwind would pay dearly.  Yup, as one might've guessed, staying left of your competitors was the winning strategy.

Adhering to good starts and sound strategies all weekend was IRC4 overall winner WINGS, a J/122 co-skippered by Mike Bruno and Tom Boyle; they won the largest class in the regatta with fifteen boats from across the IRC spectrum.  WINGS' 3-2-1-2 score was more than enough to overcome a strong challenge from Andrew Weiss' very well-sailed J/122 CHRISTOPHER DRAGON with a 4-1-2-4 record.  Most importantly, rounding out a J/122 sweep of IRC4 was Governor Pete du Pont's J/122 SPITFIRE with a 1-3-4-5 tally.  Just off the pace was Jim Bishop's experienced, winning team racing the J/44 GOLD DIGGER, finishing in fourth place and giving the J/122s a strong run for the money all three days of sailing (note- these are the same guys who won the Miami Grand Prix in March this year).
 
For more Rolex NYYC Annual Regatta sailing information.

  

Peter Tanner- On Cruising J/122 OOJAH

Peter Tanner is currently cruising in Norway in his J/122 OOJAH. He previously owned a J/110 of the same name.  Here is Peter's latest report-  "Hi all.  For the benefit of the navigators amongst you we're at 61 36N 05 02E, for the rest of you Floro is just south of the big kink in the Norway coastline & just North of the mighty Sognefjord, at 115 miles the longest fjord in Norway. Thanks to Gordon Cossor's help we had a relatively easy passage up the North Sea dodging all the gas & oil rigs & arriving in Stavanger 6 days after leaving Hamble - it was cold (4 or 5 layers) & we had to motor half the way due light wind. Christene thought she was suffering from a bit of seasickness but it turned out to be a hangover after an unsuccessful attempt to lock herself out of Lowestoft marina!

Stavanger is a forgettable landfall but the Lysefjord just inland was quite stunning with sheer rock faces, steep sides, wooded slopes & tumbling streams all intermingled. We then motored north weaving in & out of fjords, between islands, through nooks & crannies for a week until we reached Bergen. There is no way we'll have time to explore all the fjords but we did go into the Hardangerfjord and moored against an old pontoon from where we were able to walk up to the Bondhus glacier - it was beautiful but the effect of global warming on the retreating glacier was all too evident. In Victorian times ice was carried down to the fjord & exported all over Europe for refrigeration. Bergen was buzzing, with a jazz festival in progress, & everyone was out partying - boats were rafted 4 or 5 out. The waterfront with its old colourful wooden houses & narrow streets is very picturesque, & even the more modern parts of the centre are attractive It is the wettest place in Norway with rain over 250 days a year, & it is said that when a young boy was asked if it ever stopped raining he replied "I don't know - I'm only 13!".   However our weather was improving day by day & we were down to 3 layers! The next 2 days of the inner lead through the Radsund were very intricate with sometimes less than a boat's length between the rocks but all well marked. The anchorages have been beautiful but some proved too cramped, too deep or subject to fierce mountain downdrafts (fallvindor probably in plain mans English "foul wind") & after several attempts we had to move on! The depth can vary from nothing to over 1,000 metres in a moment, a marked contrast to the North Sea much of which is only 25 m deep. If a rock has your name on it you certainly will not see it coming!

After a week of predominantly motoring we had our first real sail today and we're down to 2 layers & shorts. The coastline has opened out a little although we're still weaving between mountainous islands with the wind coming from all angles. Some days we see hardly anyone but tonight we're in a small marina - trying to operate a Norwegian washing machine was the most stress we've had so far! The Norwegians are all delightful & usually speak very good English - fortunate for us because Norwegian is a bit of a mystery. It remains chilly but dry & increasingly sunny & we're not running the heating for the first time this evening; night is about 3 hours of twilight. Shopping or eating out are around twice as expensive as at home, but diesel is similar to the UK and berthing a lot cheaper. OOJAH is behaving herself & absolutely rocketed along on the few occasions we've had the spinnaker up, although we struggle to de-power her in stronger wind.  To answer one question - we are still speaking, & C's not missing  work, although she says looking after me is a full time job.  With much love,  Christene, Peter & OOJAH"