J/122 Video Reviews

As posted on the J-UK web site and on an earlier news item here on the J/122 site, below are fresh links to two online J/122 videos.

Sail.TV Video Review

Demo Sail the J/122

'Panacea' Wins Her First Two Races

The brand new J/122 Panacea, owned by John and Jill Patterson, turned heads and wowed the opposition on Sunday winning her first ever race, and her second race too. John Patterson, an experienced racing sailor helming his new boat, with an all new crew in her debut race, steered the J/122 to victory winning both races on the water and on corrected time.

Racing in the Royal Southampton Yacht Club’s Frostbite Series, in the first race of the day Panacea beat the Corby 35 Njos into second place by 1 minute 20 seconds on corrected time and the Mills 36 Prime Suspect into third place, by over 4 minutes. Elsewhere in the eighteen boat class were, amongst others, two X-332s, a First 44.7, a HOD 35 and an Elan 34.

In the second race of the day Panacea (now really finding her stride) took the race from the Beneteau 44.7 Koko Kai beating her on corrected time by one minute 23 seconds. Kirsty & David Apthorp’s J/109 J-Dream (also new this season) finished in third place.

Conditions were relatively benign, with a south-westerly breeze of between ten and twelve knots, but Panacea’s first outing is none the less impressive!

J/122 Makes Debut at Key West

Two J/122s made a successful debut at the 2008 Acura Key West Race Week. After 8 races over an abbreviated 2 1/2 day schedule (2 days cancelled to bad weather), Andrew Weiss’ CHRISTOPHER DRAGON (Long Island Sound) and Robin Team’s TEAMWORK (Beaufort, SC) led the rest of the 37-40' IRC racers to finish 3rd and 4th overall in the closely contested IRC-2 class. The top two boats (Swan 45 MURKA-2 and J/44 GOLDDIGGER) sailed well and thrived in the moderate to windy conditions seen for most of the racing. The highlight for the J/122s was on Thursday when CHRISTOPHER DRAGON took two 2nds to TEAMWORK’S 1st and 3rd, with TEAMWORK later awarded the Premiere Racing BOAT-OF-THE DAY for winning the most competitive handicap class.

J/122 Wins Manhasset Fall Series 2007

Andrew Weiss and crew aboard J/122 Christopher Dragon recently capped off a great season on their new boat with another IRC win, this time at the Manhasset Bay YC Fall Series on Long Island Sound. Andrew reports:

“The Fall Series this year had conditions ranging from 5 to 23 Knots. Competition in the class included Tom Carroll’s J/133, an IMX45, two Farr 395s, a Ker 11.3 and a modified Beneteau 40.7. The first race was in very shifty westerly winds where we missed a shift and ended up in 6th place. Ultimately this would be our throw out race for the series. As the wind increased over the first weekend we were very fast upwind passing larger boats on the beats. Downwind we had little to no trouble with boat handling as many of the boats were wiping out.

The second Saturday we sailed three races in 17-23 knots placing 1,3,1. In the last race we were first to finish beating all the big boats on elapsed time. As the year has gone on we have been amazed how fast this boat goes upwind in big breeze. The last race on Sunday was a long seven leg race in shifty conditions. With the boat’s ability to tack faster and sail deeper angle's downwind we won both the race and series with finishes of 6,3,1,3,1,1. This regatta topped a year with Christopher Dragon where we finished first in every series entered except one where we finished second to another J/122. We couldn't be happier with the boat.”

complete results.

J-122 ‘J-DAY’ Wins Antwerp Race

J-122 'J-DAY', skippered by Robin Verhoef of J/Benelux, showed excellent performance at the recently concluded Antwerp Race in Belgium winning the 52 boat IRC class 1/2. This annual event is one of the largest of the year sailed from Breskens to Antwerp on the tidal ‘Westerschelde’. This year the entire 46 nm course was an upwind stretch with winds varying between 6 – 12 knots. The competition was fierce in the IRC 1/2 class including two Swan 45’s, two Club Swan 42s, an X 41, X 46, X 35, Grand Soleil 40 and 43 and a Bashford 36. By the end of the race J-Day corrected to a 6 minute lead over the second place boat. The light winds made it a long and exciting race which was only decided when the harbor of Antwerp was in sight. Once more – and again the J/122 proves to have great upwind speed. Congratulations to Robin and his all amateur crew! event website.

Black Rock YC Juniors Thrive on J/122 PARTNERSHIP

More junior sailors are discovering the thrill of sailing larger keelboats, thanks to a slew of JBBS (Junior Big Boat Sailing) initiatives cropping up around the country. This is no more evident than on Long Island Sound, where young sailors have been competing in the Beach Point Overnight Regatta now for 50 years. For 2007, the event (also known as the Junior Distance Sailing Championship of Long Island Sound) drew 17 boats, ranging from 30 to 45 footers, all sailing the 60 mile course from Mamaroneck, NY to Stratford Shoals and back. Winning the top prize was the junior team from Black Rock Yacht Club (pictured at left), sailing Dave and Mary Ellen Tortorello’s new J/122 Partnership. Black Rock Yacht Club started an innovative JBBS program 7 years ago that now is being modeled elsewhere. US Sailing is also developing curriculum for JBBS, and will soon be providing sailing program directors with the tools needed to start JBBS programs in their communities. Check out some of these other junior keelboat initiatives that are making a difference in the sport - Team Tsunami . . . . . . Storm Trysail Club

J/122 ‘Best Overseas Yacht’

The RORC recently announced the Annual Challenge Trophies & Special Awards for the 2007 Offshore Series and what a year it was for J/Owners. Philippe Delaport’s new J/122 Pen Azen has been named the IRC 1 champion and Best Overseas Yacht in IRC with an impressive racing record, J/133 won the ‘Best Series Produced Yacht’ and J/105s topped the 2 Handed IRC Division for the second season with Mike West’s J/105 Juneau in first and Nick Martin’s J/105 Diablo J placing second. The J/109 RORC trophy will be awarded to Jean-Eudes Renier/Patrick Baune aboard Jee-Raft. All trophies and medallions are to be awarded at the upcoming RORC Annual Dinner on Friday 2nd November 2007. Congratulations to these and all participating J/Owners for a great season! Press Release