J/70 CATAPULT Wins St Pete

Brown Takes J/24 Class & Overall NOOD Title
(St Petersburg, FL)- It’s hard to remember a class that has hit the ground running faster than the J/70 class. Amateur sailors from a variety of other classes are scrambling to get in and get good, while representatives from every sailmaker are investing a lot of time and effort to get the early jump on sail design, rig tune, and boat-handling techniques.

None of this will diminish the importance or satisfaction gained from a regatta win, but it does add another layer of intrigue to any J/70 regatta in 2013. Who won is as important has how they did it.  The Sperry Top-Sider St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta was the NOOD debut for the J/70 class, and it did so in style with 20 boats signed up to sail.

Unseasonably cool conditions dominated the 16th edition of the Sperry Top-Sider St. Pete NOOD. But with the cool weather came breeze, and sailors generally prefer wind and cool weather to balmy temps and glassy seas. Those who braved the wind chill on Tampa Bay Friday through Sunday were rewarded with near perfect racing conditions, which enabled the race officials to run up to 11 races for each of the nine classes.

The biggest class was the fledgling J/70 class, with 20 entries. As the J/24 did when it debuted the late 1970s, the J/70 is attracting a lot of interest in its first full year of one-design racing. Joel Ronning, of Minneapolis, MN sailed his brand new boat, CATAPULT with Willem Van Waay and Jeremy Wilmot and a St Pete YC Sailing Center Opti sailor to win the J/70 class by 20 points with a 1-4-4-1-1-2-1-6-2-2 record.  It wasn't easy as the CATAPULT team was challenged by several boats over the course of the regatta, but a combination of incredibly shifty conditions, OCS's and misjudged boat-handling (shrimping and broaches) in the 15-25 kt breezes encountered on Saturday's and Sunday's racing practically eliminated CATAPULT's principal competition.  Nipping at their heels the entire regatta was the team of Will Welles (Newport, RO) and Ethan Bixby (local sailor from St Pete) sailing RASCAL, winning two races, but having to recover from an OCS in a critical race meant the RASCAL boys had to settle for a 3-6-3-5-3-1-8-10-4-1 scoreline for a total of 44 pts to take second overall.  Just behind them in third overall was MENACE, on-board were past J/22 and J/80 World Champions sailing as a team, Kerry Klingler (Larchmont, NY) and Terry Flynn (Houston, TX), sailing their best series to date and compiling a 6-19-2-7-4-8-3-4-1-4 tally for 58 points.

Behind the top three was a real battle for the balance of the top five.  In the hunt were the teams of LIFTED (Jim Cunningham- Tiburon, CA), USA 171 (Peter Vessella- San Francisco, CA), MUSE (Heather Gregg-Earl & Joe Bardenheier- Boston, MA), JUNGLELAND (Chris & Carolyn Groobey- Annapolis, MD), SURGE (Jeff Perini) and USA 69 (Joe Colling- Bath, OH).  With all six teams within ten points of one another going into the last day, anything could happen to settle the score for the top five.  In the end, Jeff Perini's team sailed well in the final day's extremely shifty winds filled with enormous puffs and holes to beat out the others to secure 4th overall.  Fifth went to Jim Cunningham's LIFTED team, beating out USA 171 by 3 pts and MUSE by 4 pts!  It was fun, close racing overall with lots of reports of J/70s hitting 15-16+ knots in the windy, wavy conditions!

St. Pete local Robby Brown dominated the 15-boat J/24 class winning seven of 11 races. By virtue of the impressive win over some top competition, Brown, whose boat USA 799 first touched water 35 years ago, was selected as the overall winner for the regatta. That honor includes a trip to the British Virgin Islands in November, where Brown and his crew will get a chance to battle for national bragging rights  against the overall winners from the other five Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas.

Robby Brown (seen here second from the left) and the crew of the J/24 USA 799 celebrate their overall win in the 2013 Sperry Top-Sider St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta. This is Brown's second time winning the overall honors, but after being unable to go to the Caribbean the first time he is determined to make it to the BVI in November for the NOOD Championships.

Robby commented about his win, "A huge thanks to everyone aboard Team 799 this past weekend! Seen here rounding first with our complete North inventory. A fantastic job by all. Despite Travis Odenbach and Team Honey Badger's attempt to cripple our trimmer on Saturday night, our team performed at top speed all weekend. We were honored to be chosen the Overall event winner for the second time and will definitely represent Tampa Bay in the Virgin Islands for the Championships this November. A HUGE thanks to Nate Vilardebo, Stephanie Karidas, Karen Regan (the future wife) and Matt, our newly discovered secret weapon. Thanks to the event organizers for an outstanding regatta, and we were absolutely blessed with some superb sailing conditions on Tampa Bay all weekend!"    Sailing World's Stu Streuli Interviewed Robby Brown, please see it here.   For more J/70 and J/24 Sperry Topsider NOOD St Petersburg Regatta sailing information

FREMITO D'ARJA Wins J/70 Primo Cup

J/111s Enjoy Windy IRC Racing
(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- “It’s been a long time since I had so much fun on the water” said a competitor at the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse about their full weekend of racing on the water in "fresh to frightening" breeze conditions, rather epic 4-8 ft Mediterranean seas sweeping into the bay and the mountainous principality swept by a combination of snow flurries and sun-kissed by the soft winter Mediterranean sun.

Monaco’s bay again delivered a varied regatta full of surprises. From bright blue skies on Friday to the scattering of snow on Saturday, not to mention the tail end of a Mistral, the weather conditions delighted the IRCs and the one-design fleets, including the enthusiastic J/70 class.  Note that for the J/70s, voted “European Boat of the Year 2013” by the international press in the “Special Yacht” category, the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse was the first official regatta in the Med for this young class, which has only been available in Europe for six months.

Even though conditions were not quite good enough to race on the Sunday, due to the centre of a depression in the Gulf of Genoa changing tack, five very enjoyable races were started over this second weekend compared to six last weekend.  With fourteen nationalities present and a high level of competition, the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse confirmed its demanding reputation and quality for all yachts and hundreds of sailors.

A special note must also be made that makes the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse unique in its prize-giving for regattas around the world-- Credit Suisse Bank, appropriately enough, offers a 24 carat 99.999% Gold 1 oz. ingot to the winner of a drawing amongst the winners (a 1 in 6 chance)!!  Plus, Slam Advanced Technology Sportswear is awarded to the first three J/70 crews and to the top three in IRC Class.

The first day of sailing was fabulous.  It started with a steady 10 knots south-westerly wind, with beaming sunshine and calm sea, reaching 30 knots by the end of the day.  Three races were started for the J/70s while the IRC class sailed two races.  The J/70s had fun and fast sailing and this 7-meter keelboat has delivered on all its promises on the Monegasque bay. On the results side, the Italian crew of FREMITO D'ARJA sailed by Dario Levi, lead the day's race by two wins out of the three races, followed very closely by the Italian SPIN ONE team sailed by Pietro Saccomani and the Dutch HENRI LLOYD team sailed by Wouter Kolllmann, the three top crews only 5 points away from each others.

For the second day of the regattas, the early starts of the morning saw spring sailing conditions.  Then the weather Gods got a bit chaotic!  Later races were replaced by snow falls and wind gusts reaching up to 20 - 25 knots of wind towards the end of the races, challenging the nerves and physical skills of the racing crews on their last legs.  Two races were completed Saturday, allowing the Race Committee to count five races in total for the J/70 one-designs and four for the IRCs.

In the IRCs, the J/111s were sailing against 14 boats in a massively competitive fleet. Loving the conditions was the J/111 ESPRIT SUD sailed by Thierry Bouchard, finishing a well-deserved 4th place overall with a 7-5-3-3 scoreline and only missing the podium bronze by just two points.  The other J/111, MERLIN sailed by Michel Buffet and Gilles Conte, finished in the top ten by gathering a record of 9-6-10-8 to finish 8th overall.

In the end, the J/70s were swept by the Italian armada.  The Italian crew on FREMITO D'ARJA dominated throughout, ahead of fellow countrymen aboard SPIN ONE and the HENRI LLOYD Dutch team.  The winners received the J/70 Class Challenge Trophy awarded by J/Boats Italy, which from now on will be awarding the best in this series at future Primo Cups.

We received a great report from Paolo Boido, Chief of J/Boats Italy:

"We made it! Thank goodness. The J/70s were getting ready for the first European regatta in Monaco, mooring at "Quai d'Honneur" at Yacht Club Monaco.  A total of seven teams have showed up for their first Primo Cup, it's a great honour for J/70 to be admitted at this prestigious event-- its attendance is generating a great interest for this lovely boat.  Four Italian Teams, one Dutch, one Russian and one representing the YC Monaco burgee, an amazing international attendance for such a new class.

Dario Levi with Andrea Casale from Quantum Italy playing tactician dominated all the races, winning the Credit Suisse Trophy and J/Boats Italy Challenge Trophy.  Second was Piero Saccomanni with Nevio Sabadin as trimmer and tactician.  Third was the Dutchman Wouter Kollmann, who was able to reach Monaco in a heavy snow storm across all of France!

The experienced Race Committee, with Thierry Leret Chairman, did a great job adjusting the sailing course according to frequent wind changes, from medium light up to strong blast over 30 knots in shifty conditions.  The J/70s put on a great show in all weather conditions, sailing fast in light with big left-over storm waves on Friday and on Saturday surfing/planing full speed at 15.0+ kts and with great stability with puffs over 30+ kts.

Boat handling has been perfect and easy in all conditions. All the teams sailed four-up. One of those was a family team, Vittorio di Mauro who sailed with Filippo Domenicali and his two kids 7 & 10 years old!! They were quite competitive even in heavy air; but most importantly, this team shows the great stability of the J/70 and how safe it is boat-handling even with two kids on board!!

It’s always a pleasure for boat designers and dealers to watch their owner's smile when they show happiness for their performances achieved with their boats. Here (pictured at right) Dario Levi’s smile showing his Velocitek displaying 17.8 kts reaching downwind in winds less than 20-23 kts!

Championat Monégasque 2013- The J/70 Fleet has been invited to sail again in Monaco, sailing March 16-17 for the YC Monaco Championship!  That is quite an honor for the new "baby J"! Therefore, in the next weeks J/Boats Italy will be offering demo sails of the J/70 in Monaco leading up to the up-coming event!

By the way, the new trailer design is working out quite nicely.  Balbi Rimorchi & J/Boats Italy engineered and set-up the new trailer Model BD-1500.  It's easy and light to tow with medium-size cars, this trailer is very stable thanks to the well proportioned body and wide axle. Independent suspension system and brakes.  A custom-made GRP front hull support with GRP flat supports aft allow easy hauling/launching from a ramp."  Thanks for Paolo's contribution.  For more J/70 Italy/ Monaco information, please contact Paolo at "jboats@jboats.it".

Finally, the Primo Cup- Credit Suisse has already been set for the 30th edition which will take place February 7-9, 2014. Significantly, the regatta will have both J/70s and J/24s and will be the IRC Mediterranean Championship.

In the meantime, the YCM will soon host from 8th to 10th March 2013, a new Team Racing event in J/24s as well as the J/24 European Championship, organized from the 6th to 12th October 2013.

Sailing photo credits- YCM/ Carlo Borlenghi.  For more Yacht Club Monaco and Primo Cup- Credit Suisse sailing information

Chile J/70 Promotion 2013

(Santiago, Chile)- J/70s have arrived in time for Chilean sailors to get a taste of the great fun that American and European sailors have been experiencing with their boats; the Chileans are especially enthusiastic after seeing the reports and gorgeous photos of J/70s frolicking in the aquamarine waters off Key West during Race Week.

We recently got an update from Juan Eduardo Reid, the Chilean J/Dealer, regarding recent interest in the J/70, regatta participation and fleet development.  Juan commented on those activities:

"This past weekend from Jan 27th to Feb 4th we had a very well-received exhibition of the boat at the Soto 40 Worlds in the emerald waters of  Talcahuano Bay.  We had many people requesting to sail the boat and we have setup demo sails on Vichuquen and Pangupulli Lakes in the near future, more on that in a moment.

We since participated in the the Frutillar Regatta on Llanquihue Lake last Friday-Saturday-Sunday.  I sailed with 3 Chilean Naval Academy students/ midshipmen.  We were 1st overall in the coastal Cruiser-Racer class! There where 5-6 coastal boats (Hunter 35, McGregor 26, Dufour 34, Bavaria 30) and nine J/24s.  In fact, we plan to run the first J/70 Nationals in Chile next year in the same time period.

For J/70 class development, we are providing boat tests on Monday and Tuesday, Feb 18-19, on Vichuquen Lake.  Already sailing on this lake quite a lot since December 2012 is J/70 #75.  Then, on Saturday and Sunday, Feb 23-24, we will be doing both racing and testing of the J/70s on Panguipulli Lake and we expect to have two more boats delivered by that date for more fun sailing in the Andes Mountains!  For more J/70 Chile sailing information and demo sail, please email Juan Eduardo Reid

Key West Sailing Interview- Dave Franzel

(Key West, FL)- Brian Hayes recently had a chance to catch up with Dave Franzel to chat about his J/70 experiences in Key West, his first J/70 regatta (Dave in orange hat at right chatting with Dave Reed of SW fame).

BH: "Dave Franzel, with his team of Greg Anthony, Chris Hufstatder and Eric Barreveld, sailing his new J/70 for the first time at Key West Race Week, consistently climbed the leader-board and finished the week 8th overall and as the top Corinthian team (all amateur). Dave is certainly not a newcomer to top flight competition having Sonar World and North American titles to his credit. The former owner of Boston Sailing Center, Dave was looking for a vehicle to renew his excitement for racing and perhaps found it in the J/70.

Dave, congratulations on a great showing at the first J/70 midwinters! 8th overall and 1st overall in the  Corinthian is a great start. How did it come to pass that you ended up in a J/70?"

DF: "Thanks Brian!  I became interested in sport boats last year after sailing a Viper a couple of times.  But after seeing J/70s in Newport I asked Stu Johnstone to let me sail one and I found that as soon as we put the chute up and started going 12+ knots that I could not stop smiling.  It is less prone to wiping out than a Viper and kinder on old knees."

BH: "How much time did you and your team have to practice before the event?"

DF: "We arrived Friday night, set the boat up Saturday and practiced for a few hours Sunday.  The regatta started Monday.  However, our approach was to use this regatta to learn the boat and hopefully begin to achieve competitive speed."

BH: "Tell us your impressions on the boat. What did you find worked well to get you up to speed so quickly?"

DF: "Well I'm a little embarrassed about this, but on the first windy day which was the second day of the event, I noticed that Tim Healy's forestay was very stable and ours was not even though I had the backstay cranked.  I asked Tim about it after sailing and he patiently explained that the backstay has a course adjustment that gets it in range first, then the standard adjusting line.  There was also a minor issue around the fact that I have never actually used a Loos gauge before, but the backstay discovery was the main thing that helped get me up to speed."

BH: "Do you have any tips you found worked well for you either upwind or downwind?"

DF: "Upwind I tried playing the traveler first, which turned out to not be as fast as vang-sheeting in the seaway we had.  I'm going to guess that the trav will work better in flatter water.  The class allows two of the crew to sit, legs out, so we had the big guys in the front of the boat do that and Chris trimmed the jib using the windward winch.  It definitely seemed fast to ease the jib slightly in the big blasts and then trim back in.  I did not feel fast enough downwind to offer any suggestions, yet."

BH: "You sailed with 4, as you have in the Sonar for years. How did the jobs fall into place on the boat?"

DF: "Upwind Greg and Eric are constantly looking for velocity and telling me about speed and point compared with nearby competitors.  Chris is integrating the information as we discuss big picture strategy.  That let me really focus on trim and speed which was a huge help.  On the sets, Greg pulls the sprit out, then the tack line as Eric hoists.  Chris trims sheet.  In big breeze when we start to overtake waves and the bow digs in, Greg trims sheet and Chris stands behind me.  Someone is always looking for the next puff.  Downwind it was typical for our speed to range  from 7 knots in the lulls to 14  in the puffs so catching every puff and getting on a plane is a critical part of sailing these boats downwind.  We actually hit 16.7 knots once according to the Velocitek."

BH: "What was the best part about Key West Race Week (keeping in mind that this interview may reach a broad demographic!)?"

DF: "Very relaxed place, blue/green water, great breeze, excellent race management, 40 boat fleet, sun with temps in the mid 70s every day.  And then of course there was always enough going on in Key West to keep the whole team entertained when we weren’t racing!"

BH: "Your team always has fun at every event you go to. Any funny stories from this one?"

DF: "Not so much a funny story, but this: After decades of racing with inordinate concern about outcome--which may be necessary to acquire skills--I'm not certain about that, I finally realized several years ago that you can have more fun and get better results by finding a way to be less invested in outcome and more present.  I really enjoyed sailing with my team, sailing against excellent sailors and having the challenge of a new boat to figure out."

BH: "What’s next for the “SPRING” team?"

DF: "Miami, Charleston, Annapolis."

BH: "One word (or sentence) to describe the J70."

DF: "Good luck trying to wipe the smile off your face!!"

Hmm, that last one seems to be the natural outcome of having a blast sailing with your family and friends, as evidenced by Dave's J/70 colleagues doing the same in Monte Carlo, Monaco recently sailing the J/70s in the Primo Cup- Credit Suisse!   For more on Dave Franzel's J/70 interview, please read more here.

St Petersburg NOOD Preview

Hot J/70 Debut, Strong J/24 Fleet Sailing
(St Petersburg, Florida)- Riding the tail-feathers of the J/24 Midwinters will be the Sperry Topsider St Petersburg NOOD Regatta hosted by St Petersburg YC.  As one of Florida's leading yacht clubs, StPYC has a reputation for not only being a fabulous host but also one of those famously gentile clubs that simply knows how to take care of their sailors and run a great regatta.  Famous for being the starting point of the SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Circuit), sailors from around the world would belly-up to the bar and admire the gorgeous full-hull tank-testing scale models of 12 meters that hung from the ceiling-- amongst the sailing heroes casting admiring glances were Ted Turner on the Carter 39 MUNEQUITA; Dennis Conner on the many Peterson-designed WILLIWAWs; as well as Tommie Blackaller (bless his heart) on Good Lord knows what, but certainly and most infamously with Tommie Dreyfus on YOUR CHEATIN HEART! Their ghosts are still there for those offshore sailing history buffs as well as the gorgeous 12 meter and other wooden models-- who can name them!?

For the J/Tribe, it looks like there will be two good fleets of boats in both J/24s and J/70s.  For the former, they're the "veterans" and have a tradition of supporting local sailing for a long time.  For the latter, they're the "new kids on the block", the J/70 is debuting for what appears to be the largest fleet in the regatta with over seventeen entries!

Amongst the J/24s will be Todd and Genoa Fedyszyn sailing SPOONY TACTICS.  If you recall, the Fedyszyn's received their boat as a wedding present from her parents. "It's a good boat," said Genoa. "It might not be pretty, but it's fast." Both Todd and Genoa coach sailing for St. Petersburg YC's junior program; they spend most weekends attending the sailing aspirations of others.  One regatta they never miss is the St Pete NOOD. "With our schedules, this is the one event we set aside in advance," said Todd. "We look forward to it every year."  They will have tough competition from David Ogden, J/24 sailor extraordinaire from Royal Canadian YC in Toronto, ONT, Canada and from local ring-leader Robby Brown from across the Bay at Davis Island YC.

As for the J/70s, the experience at Key West proved one thing only, the class is on a steep learning curve, acknowledged even by the winner Tim Healy and those like Brian Keane on SAVASANA who were vying for class honors.  With ten boats from the Midwinters and seven new boats showing up, the class will continue a dramatic ascent up that learning curve.  With additional participation from a number of Midwest boats from the Great Lakes (IL, MI, OH) the event promises to break even more new ground for performance.  Chief amongst the leaders may be teams on the fast-track at Key West, including J/24 and J/80 champion sailors like Kerry Klingler on MENACE; Mark Ploch/ Mike Bruno on SUGAR DADDY; Joe Colling on USA 69; Brandon Flack on TORQEEDO; Peter Vessella on USA 171 and Heather Gregg-Earl on her gorgeous, sublime MUSE.   For more Sperry Topsider St Petersburg NOOD Sailing Information.

Cowes Week J/70 & J/111 One-Design Classes!

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, the world’s best-known sailing regatta, taking place from 3rd to 10th August have announced a radical departure with the traditional Cowes Week racing- cool one-design racing in really fun boats!

In the "Monty Python tradition", upsetting and calling into question the status quo is nothing new for the "J" Team.  Two new J classes have been introduced to this year’s Cowes Week regatta. The rapidly growing J/70 fleet will have its own start this year and will have a race format of two races a day for the first four days.  The sailing should be a lot of fun.  Imagine getting 20-25 kt westerly down the Solent, beating to the first mark off Yarmouth/ Lymington, then simply smoking down the Solent, criss-crossing back and forth, leaving vapor-trails behind as the fleet flies towards the famous finish line off the Royal Yacht Squadron's deck on Cowes!

There will also be a dedicated class for the increasing number of J/111s coming to Cowes, allowing the exciting 36ft performance boats to enjoy some close one-design racing during the Week. The event concludes the J/111 European Circuit that will have commenced with the SPI OUEST France Regatta in the famous Brittany seaport of La Trinite sur Mer in April.   For more Cowes Week sailing information

J/70 Sailing Expert Debrief- Scuttlebutt

(Key West, FL)-  Scuttlebutt Newsletter Editor, Craig Leweck, was on-hand in Key West to speak to some of the leading J/70 teams.  As Craig describes, "Since its introduction in March 2012, the J/70 has quickly established itself worldwide with 125+ boats sailing in 15+ countries in 2012, and 350+ boats to be sailing in 2013. With 39 boats competing at Key West Race Week 2013, the J/70 class was the talk of the town. Here is what three of the competitors shared with Scuttlebutt from the week of racing":

A. David Ullman- Ullman Sails- 5th overall...
"I learned the same lessons as always. Do not show up for a major regatta without proper preparation. We sailed at 570 lbs. which was near the class maximum, but the class max was removed before the regatta and it was good to sail at 700 lbs. plus. This meant sailing 4-up instead of 3-up. We learned the wind speed to plane or not plane downwind was 12 knots. Planning is jib out and higher angles (seen here), but when the winds were lighter than 12 knots, we would sail lower displacement angles with the jib rolled. Rig tuning is a work in progress but we got closer as the regatta wore on. Seems like you can sail with the leeward shroud always under tension."

B. Jud Smith- Doyle Sails- 4th overall...
"One of the talking points after the regatta would be crew weight, and it was. We added a fourth to our crew on Sunday once we saw the forecast for the week was going to freshen after Monday. We were the heaviest team at 780 lbs and we were too heavy, for sure, and would not sail that heavy again. In retrospect, we think the right weight is in a range for 660 to 700 lbs with a crew of four for the boat handling. The 3-up teams are at a disadvantage in fresher conditions. Top 3-up team was Dave Ullman (5th) and next 3-up team was not in the top 15 overall. We added the fourth so as not to be disadvantaged upwind but we added too much weight that hurt us downwind." -- Read on here.

C. Tim Healy- North Sails- 1st overall...
"Like most regattas, the successful teams come in well-prepared and improve during the course of the event. However, this regatta was unique in that nobody had much time in the boat beforehand. Our team trained for a couple days before the regatta, but the winds were mostly light. For us, we found using the time before each race day was when we learned the most.

One of the issues in developing boat speed is the difference between tuning speed and racing speed. Being fast when tuning with a couple boats is not the same as being fast when racing in a 39-boat fleet. Fortunately the work developing the tuning guide got the numbers really close, though we did find an advantage by taking a step up to tighten the rig. This information will be incorporated into the North Sails tuning guide." -- Read on here.  Sailing Photo Credits- Onne Vanderwal and Ultimate Sailing.

Bob Hughes- Sailing J/70 Key West Perspective

(Key West, FL)- Just Did It!  Yes, Bob Hughes, owner of the championship winning Farr 40 Heartbreaker did something that we should all do-- see what Bob had to say in his feature for Sailing Anarchy.

"Figuring it was not worth it to drag the Farr 40 all the way to Key West for a seven boat fleet and the Melges 20 class that we just bought a boat for does not participate, we were in a quandary what to do for 2013 KWRW. Willem Van Waay suggested returning to our J/Boats roots and charter a J/70 as they had a 40 boat fleet registered. I had no idea what to expect but had plenty of preconceived ideas that almost all turned out to be wrong!

First the Johnstone’s came out with a great boat to sail! She goes up wind very well and is plenty of fun to sail downwind. She feels and sails like a dinghy with a keel. Our only complaint with the boat is the winches that are not needed and tend to beat up the crew. Hopefully they will allow them to be removed in the future. Otherwise we loved sailing her and we never put the engine on her the whole week, sailing her to and from the slip. They are still experimenting with the crew weight so it was unlimited for this event but only two could have legs out.

Our team consisted of British Laser sailor Nicki (Minaj) Thompson, Willem (Creature) Van Waay and college sailor Venezuelan Victor- The Dictator and myself. Four people is a big advantage in the corners with a extra pair of hands for maneuvers and upwind as you can only have two people hiking so the third can sit in and trim the mainsheet and back stay(traveler with Helmsman). The boat goes upwind much better than the typical sport boat. Sail development and rig tune are all in their infancy with the class so the sailmakers are working with a blank canvas. I am sure the sails will look much different in a year and hopefully the class will allow a plastic jib that will last longer than the Dacron. Southern Spars put a very nice rig on her. The boat is planes easily downhill in the breeze and has plenty of power in the light air.

For $50K in the water sailing I think J/Boats have hit the market at the right price point allowing lots of great sailors to get in and play the game. Besides many established Pro Sailmakers like Dave Ullman, Mark Ploch, Jud Smith and winner Tim Healy one of the best things about this boat was that I saw younger teams just a few years out of college able to buy and race the heck out of the boat. Sailing needs something to get younger people in it and I think this boat will bring plenty of them into the game. Over the years we have competed in KWRW in a Melges 24, 1D35, Farr 40 and Melges 32. This fleet was just as competitive as all of those, similar to the 60 boat Melges 24 fleets of the late 90′s. I have heard people say "it is the right boat at the right time" and I could not agree more. Well designed, quality build, affordable price and J/Boats marketing have kick started to almost 400 boats already sold. We liked it so much and figured what else would we rather do KWRW in next year, so we better buy a J/70!  The boats are really fun to sail both upwind and down and everyone is trying to learn how to sail them fast. Like all one-design classes we will be sailing these boats much differently with established tuning guides in a year. With the shrinking fleets we have all seen the last few years, this boat has a chance to make a huge impact on our sport.

I would encourage you to go for a sail, better yet race, the J/70 as the racing is plenty tough and lots of fun. This is the way it is supposed to work, American entrepreneurship creating solutions. Well done Johnstone Family!"  - Robert Hughes/ Heartbreaker Sailing Team

One J/24 World Champion Joins Another!

(Newport, RI)- Here's one for the "why you sail a 'J' to learn how to sail better, faster, smarter and move ahead in the world department"-  J/24 World Champion Tim Healy has been asked by yet another J/24 World Champion, Ken Read (now President of North Sails) to re-join "Team Blue".  Prophetically enough, North Sails announced that Tim would join in the role of One Design Coordinator after Key West. Healy, who won the J/24 World Championship in 2010, worked for North Sails from 1998-2004 and has been in the sailmaking industry for 14 years.

"Tim has proven himself countless times in a wide array of one design sailboats from J/24s and Shields to Lightnings and Etchells – and now in the new and quickly growing J/70 class, where he won top honors in the 39-boat fleet last week in Key West,” said North Sails President Ken Read. "Having Tim back at North Sails gives us an opportunity to work closer with clients through his experience and knowledge of how to prepare and win on the race course,” Read continued.

Healy, who was a three-time All-American Sailor at St. Mary’s College in Maryland, has earned his place in the world of one-design sailboat racing. He has won 17 major titles in the J/24 class since 1999 and 7 National and North American championships in other classes. Healy also won a Gold Medal at the Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic in 2003.

"What I enjoy most about sailing and sailmaking is learning how to fine tune everything about the boat -- sails, rig tune, boat setup, tactics -- to make it go faster. Sailing our J/70 in Key West last week was a great example of how fulfilling it is to race in a brand-new boat and tweak our tactics and boat setup all week long until we found our groove. What we learned in Key West will be shared within the North Sails Group and will be applied to help our clients go faster on the race course,” he continued. “My love for the sport of sailing never seems to subside and rejoining North Sails allows me to utilize the best tools in the business to ultimately better serve my clients," Healy concluded.

"We are very excited to have Tim back onboard and look forward to his knowledge and input on where we can improve our sail designs and client outreach," said Vince Brun, head of the One Design division of North Sails. "Not only is he an accomplished and talented sailor but he is also committed to helping clients at regattas and he will work with our team internally to make sure we are doing the best job possible with regatta preparation and presence," continued Brun. "Our goal within the One Design division of North Sails is to have a stronger presence for our clients leading up to and during regattas and to provide better client services across the board," Brun said.  "Vinnie" should know, he sailed one of the first J/24 Midwinters himself starting in 1979 as a "newbie" just off the ship from Brazil. :)

J/70 Winter Sailing Sweden!

(Marstrand, Sweden)- Peter Pan lives and sails in Sweden?  Flying all over the place magically happens to be one of those things that Peter Gustafsson and buddies do well with their BLUR Sailing Team.  While Peter G may not have the magic wand, certainly he and his crew have the gift and passion for sailing anytime, anywhere and make the most fun of it!  Their most recent most excellent adventure happened to be the delivery of the first J/70 to Sweden.  Imagine the circumstance.  Middle of the winter next to the Arctic Circle.  Sunny. Gentle breeze. Snow on the rocks, next to the tide-line! OK, so it's really cold.  But, like their Viking brethren, it's yet another excuse to go sailing-- sunny with breeze!  And, so they did.

The first J/70 into Sweden experienced winter sailing in that gorgeous, exotic, magnificent summer paradise the worlds knows as just "Marstrand".  The BLUR Sailing Team comprised of Magnus Hansson, Patrik Måneskiöld and Peter Gustafsson took the 70 for a spin-- why not!?  Here's their report:

"The first J/70 came to Sweden a week ago and we were of course a bit eager to try it!  The crew were looking a little skeptical about this when I picked them up in the city, but after a lunch at Marstrand's Havshotell there was no doubt left we'd go sailing-  2-3 m/s, -3C and the sun peeked out-- yes, it was actually quite pleasant.

The boat is one of three that are sold to Stenungsund. A little funny that the largest M24 fleet now will be joined by Sweden's first J/70 fleet.  New owners stood on the dock and looked a bit jealous when we set out. I hope they got to sail the boat this weekend.

I brought Magnus Hansson and Patrick Moon Skiöld that normally sail with me on J/111 BLUR. Magnus also sails the M24 and it was so very interesting to get his input on the differences. Patrick is an old match racing sailor, so he has also seen a number of boats over the years.

Read the rest of Peter's perspectives and commentary here on the BLUR.SE blog (always entertaining!).    J/70 Marstrand Sweden Sailing video     J/70 Marstrand Sweden Facebook sailing album

Sailing World- Interviews J/24 Ace- Terry Hutchinson

(Key West, FL)-As if there weren't enough J/24 World Champions in the mix, like America's Cup winner Ed Baird calling tactics on the TP52 QUANTUM RACING or champion J/24 sailor Tony Rey sailing on the Ker 40 CATAPULT, here's a great interview with Terry Hutchinson who was sailing with long-time friend and compatriot in crime Jimmie Richardson from Newport, RI sailing his Farr 40 World Champion BARKING MAD- interview by Stuart Streuli at Sailing World.

J/70s @ Chester Race Week!

(Chester, Nova Scotia)- As winter progresses into spring it's never to early to dream wistfully about those cool "sweater-weather" evenings "downeast" in Maine and Nova Scotia, cocktails in hand, with delicious munchies of cheese & crackers and lots of veggies with yummy dips at hand, watching the spectacular sunset settle across the bay and the distant rolling hills-- it's simply magical for those lucky enough to have experienced them over time.

Perhaps one of the world's best kept secrets is Chester Race Week, held in Chester, Nova Scotia, just a stone's throw away from the bustling metropolis of Halifax.  Chester Race Week (scheduled August 14-17, 2013) has been sailing since 1856 and in recent summers has had consistent entries of 130-150 yachts. The regatta is run on three different race courses within the confines of the waters of Mahone Bay, surrounded by beautiful pine-tree covered granite islands dotted throughout the bay.  Sailing could not be more convenient, especially since the time to the race course (always a big consideration after a long evening out the night before with friends!) is usually 30 minutes maximum! Plus, Chester Race Week is ranked by SAILING WORLD as one of the TOP TEN events in North America!  Not hard to see why, the Nova Scotians are fabulous hosts, making everyone feel at home and go out of their way to ensure everyone is having a good time.  Perhaps it's their fishing heritage, but Nova Scotians certainly follow in the grand tradition of working hard in order to play hard!  To that end, the J/70s and other J's sailing will have a J/Party, with bands every night of the week!  Gosling's Rum and North Sails are sponsors and some guy named "Andreas" is both Entertainment Chief and Regatta PRO-- yes, that person is Sir Josenhans, one of the nicest, most affable guys you'll ever meet.

Andreas promises J sailors "postcard perfect sailing conditions", WSW winds 10-15 kts filling in the bay with a spritely 1-2 ft chop, lots of fun and no humidity.  Four days of racing are planned with up to three races per day.  He says getting there is really simple- just take I-95 north through Maine until it ends, then turn right to Halifax- about 11 hrs from Boston.  For those wanting to make it real easy, there may be a flatbed truck (4 J/70’s per truck) service from RI available. Both hoist and ramp launching is available. For some logistics and regatta info, please contact Andreas at andreas@prg.northsails.com or Jim Snair at syb@eastlink.ca or ph# 866-590-9210.   Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal
For more Chester Race Week sailing info

Scandinavian Sailboat Shows Starring- J/70!

(Marstrand, Sweden)- Like a shooting star whistling across the Northern Lights on a crystal clear, deep black night in the Arctic Circle (where you can see stars across the horizon nearly 180 degrees!), the J/70 has stirred tremendous passion amongst the sailing cognoscenti in Scandinavia.

Recently, Peter Johansson from Marstrand Yachts in Sweden reported that "our first three J/70’s just arrived, we launched one boat and test sailed yesterday in -4 degrees Celsius. This coming weekend we have eighteen people booked for test sailings in the freezing winter weather. There is a lot of action right now around the J/70, many prospects coming in every week."  One of those "ice-pumping-in-their-veins" Vikings happened to be Peter Gustafsson who went for a spin with the famous offshore BLUR SAILING Team (blur.se), seen pictured here off gorgeous, sunny Marstrand!

For those sailors looking to get a taste of great food, amazing camaraderie and catching up with fellow sailors over some kirsch, cheese fondue and fine wine, you might consider taking a visit to one of the three up-coming sailboat shows in Scandinavia that features the J/70- Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Oslo.  Here are the dates for these events:
Gothenburg Sailboat Show- 2-10/February   
Stockholm Sailboat Show- 2-10/March
Oslo International Sailboat Show- 13-17/March

"The Key West Scrolls"- Sailing World Blogs

Sailing World Blogs- the Most Excellent Key West Experience
(Key West, FL)- During Quantum Key West Race Week, there was more than enough activity and perspectives on life, love, friends, family and "simply messing about in boats" to fill an encyclopedia.  To that end, Sailing World's Dave Reed and Stu Streuli and others like Don Finkle, long-time J sailor and dealer and Jonathan McKee, long-time family friend from Seattle, WA provided unique insights on "why" people enjoy the "Woodstock of Sailing"-- Key West Race Week-- a gathering of friends from around the world to start the "New Sailing Year".  Yes, there are others that are similar that bring together sailors from a wide variety of classes and from all four corners of the compass; like Cowes Week, Cork Week (Ireland & Canada), SPI Ouest France, NYYC Race Week, Big Boat Series, Long Beach Race Week, Bacardi Miami & Charleston Race Weeks (NKOTB's), Kieler Woche, Block Island Race Week, Whidbey Island Race Week, Delta-Lloyd Race Week, Marseille and Palma Mallorca's newly famous shindig- PalmaVela, just to name a few, but the grand-daddy of the big-time winter events that gets the ball rolling for the new sailing year simply happens to be "Key West".  Here are some perspectives from those who experienced it first-hand.

"Musical Chairs"- by Dave Reed
Sailing World Editor Dave Reed was embedded with Tim Healy's J/70 HELLY HANSEN for an insider's look into the class's first major event.  Here are some excerpts:

Sunday, January 20- The Beginning of Time
"Tim Healy, John Mollicone, Geoff Becker. These guys are what you’d call 'The Starting Three'. As J/24 champions many times over, they know what they’re doing. Together, they’d be pretty darn close to an ideal combined weight for the J/70 class, rumored to be around 600 pounds or so, but no one really knows. Then there’s myself. Over the next five days of racing I could either be the extra (excess) weight in this program, or just the right difference when, and if, it gets really windy. I’m OK with being an extra set of hands and a little more righting moment. I’ve got one of the best seats in the house.

It’s all new, this J/70 thing. Most of the teams in the fleet are still assembling boats, sailing them for the first time, and debating over headstay length, rake, and whether to race with three up or four up, and then where to put them and who does what. In the fleet of nearly 40, the talent and crew combinations are all over the map. Where there’s a few big guys, there’s a petite fourth. There are big-three Etchells-type teams, and plenty of foursomes."

Friday, January 25- The End of Time
"The Final Four- A week ago, as you may recall (if not, see above), I joined 'The Starting Three' in Key West, full of uncertainties. A new boat, a new team, zero practice days, and a lot to figure out: who does what, who sits where, what’s the right headstay length, and on and on.

Our first two starts were terrible, and in light winds, comebacks don’t happen easily. That’s where the double-digit points came in. The next day, we went 3,3,1. 'The Tim Healy' (as labeled on his recyclable metal water bottle on the boat), shook off whatever it was that was occupying his mind, and started like the expert he is. After winning the last race of the day, he joked with a wry smile, “Well, at least I know I don’t suck."   Read more about Dave's adventures being the "cog in the wheel" on what is, at least for the moment, one of the world's fastest J/70s.  Plus,  see Facebook sailing video for good downwind sailing technique on Tim's boat here.

"The Finkle Files"- by Don Finkle
Long-time J/Sailing Veteran, J/Dealer and leader at RCR Yachts enjoyed his first J/70 regatta with his son Tim and friend Morgan Paxhia-- it was a family affair.

Sunday, January 19
"When the editor asked me to write a blog for Quantum Key West Race Week, he failed to tell me that the other storytellers he chose were Jonathan McKee and Steve Hunt. I’m not sure I would have agreed to do this if I knew I was in such accomplished company. But even 'ham-and-eggers' like me have stories, so here we go.

Quantum Key West 2013 started for Team Junior last Monday as my wife Heather and I pulled out of Youngstown, N.Y. (near Niagara Falls) with our J/70 in tow.  So began a three-day drive, which was enjoyable for me but less so for her. The fog in the mountains of the Appalachians made for some hairy driving conditions. Plus, I had no idea there were so many 18-wheelers on the roads. We passed a couple of them in the ditch, which was even less reassuring to Heather….

One of the reasons for my downsizing from my 36-footer to the J/70 was the ability to travel more easily. My favorite part of sailing is doing travel regattas. To that end I wanted to tow down and back myself for the experience. We had already done that in November to Annapolis for the Fall Brawl Regatta, but that was only a one-day trip. Key West is a much bigger deal, but so far, it’s been well worth the trip---

Another reason I moved into the J/70 was so that I could sail with younger people, especially my family, who frankly have more fun on a sportboat. I’m 65 years old, and I’ve always sailed with multiple generations on our boats. I find sailing with younger people gives me energy. I’m clearly the weak link on our crew this week, but that is OK, the boys seem happy to put up with me-- at least so far.

Our youngest son Tim is the trimmer. His long-time friend Morgan Paxhia, who is family to us, is our driver. These two started sailing against each other in the Youngstown YC junior sailing program when they were about 10 years old and have been school classmates, buddies, and sailing friends for 20 years.

Morgan went off to sail in college at the University of Rhode Island, and Tim went to Connecticut College where he played hockey and lacrosse. The three of us sailed together on the J/70 in Annapolis in November and had a ball, but figured we'd be light for Quantum Key West so Morgan tabbed his former teammate from URI, Joey Mello, to be our fourth. Joey has been heavily involved in the 'Ninkasi' Melges 20 and Melges 32 programs. He’s our tactician, and that leaves me with the all-important tasks of passing up water and sandwiches, helping on the hoist and douse, making sure the Velocitek has batteries, and so forth. It all worked well on the practice day, now we get to see how we do when the fur starts to fly in earnest!"  Read more here about the Finkle's dramas and adventures (or lack thereof) on the Sailing World blogs.

"McKee's Key West Minute"- by Jonathan McKee
Jonathan and his brother Charlie have all grown through their experiences racing a variety of boats, including J/24s and other various J's over time.  Jonathan is not just a remarkably talented sailor, he's also a great person with an interest in helping grow the sport overall along with friends Dave Ullman, Carl Buchan and others who grew from their experiences in various one-design classes.  Here's Jonathan's amusing commentary:

Sunday, January 20
"It is so great to be back in Key West. I missed it last year and somehow my whole year was not the same. The combination of sunny warm weather, beautiful emerald water, great racing, and a unique colorful town is unmatched by any other regatta.

Key West always provides ample down time, and causes me to reflect on what a fortunate life I have. Not only do I get to race on a beautiful high-tech race boat with a well-trained crew, practicing my craft against the best sailors in the world, but there is time to catch up with old friends from previous campaigns. I always run into people I have not seen for years, sometimes decades. Memories flood back of races and good times past.

Coming as it does at the beginning of a new season, Quantum Key West is a fresh start, but also a time for reflection, a chance to give thanks for all this sport has provided to me over the years, and all the funny and wonderful people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Now onto the racing."

Thursday, January 24
"One of the many great things about Key West is the live music. There must be at least 20 bands and musicians playing at any time. I have never seen anything like it. Nearly all the venues are open to the street, and there is no cover charge. So it is very easy to drift from band to band and check out several musicians in a short time. Personally I get quite inspired by watching music performed live, so I really love this aspect of the Key West experience. In fact, I am listening to a grisly old singer/guitar player right now, crooning an old Leon Russell tune in the Schooner Wharf Bar. Beats working!  The amazing thing is most of the musicians are really good. I guess if you are traveling musician, Key West in January is not a bad gig. Most of the music is sort of folk or blues oriented, with the odd rockers and jazz types. Not a lot of hip-hop here in Key West. I guess this reflects the demographic, which is predominantly white and middle age. Although, maybe I’m not ferreting out the alternative venues well enough."

The Editor was pleasantly amused by Jonathan's perspective.  On Wednesday, the night before he wrote his impressions of the local music scene, Jonathan happened to walk into a famous local "wine bar" called Virgilio's, an open-air patio behind the equally famous Italian restaurant on Duval St called "La Trattoria".  A three-piece band was playing-- two guitars and a drummer.  After catching up for awhile about family, friends, life, the band resumed its next set and we were simply blown away by the sound and improvisation of this trio. There you go Jonathan, we certainly found another great "alternative venue", if not entertainers!  To next year!  And, with you and Elizabeth sailing a J/70!
Read more about Jonathan's sailing experience here on SW's Blogs.

Big J's Sweep Three Bridge Fiasco Div-15/ Div-21

J/22, J/24 and J/105 OD's Have a Ball!
(San Francisco, CA)- J's were everywhere. Perfect day. Saturday, January 26th on San Francisco Bay, marking the start of the 2013 sailing season on San Francisco Bay.  Clear as a bell, gorgeous scenery and over 300 boats all with just two people aboard, some with just one.

Fleets of one-designs- like J/22s, J/24s and J/105s collectively showed up with 26 boats, a great showing for any race.  And, there was a collection of larger J's like J/32, J/120s, J/100, J/111, J/44 and so forth all milling about with two people on them.  Was this the start of a two-handed navy of sorts ready to go on an expedition someplace?  Perhaps it was "mass amnesia" and a bright sunny, cool day that is only meant for the Tinsley Island Lighthouse Race from the Bay into the vast Delta?

Here's what Paige Brooks had to say, "What this is, may be loosely construed as a race.  Three bridges, two people, one boat, in a pursuit-style race. That’s the Three Bridge Fiasco. Actually it can be sailed single or double-handed and is the kick off for San Francisco’s Single-Handed Sailing Society’s race season.

It’s a sight to behold, the entire bay dotted with boats going this way and that. We wish it were like that every weekend. This is certainly the biggest race on the bay, thanks to a wealth of available crew, the second largest is the Corinthian Mid-Winters when many skippers bring new sailors to come out and try their hand racing with friends for a day.

305 boats crossed the starting line this morning off the deck of the Golden Gate Yacht Club in a dying flood tide. Approximately two-thirds of the boats decided to round Blackaller (the Golden Gate Bridge mark) first and then head to either the Yerba Buena Island (Bay Bridge) or Red Rocks (Richmond San Rafael Bridge). Conditions were a chilly 10-15 knots at the start, though the wind faded to a whisper behind Angel Island for boats heading to Red Rocks.  The smart money went with the tide first going east-bound around Treasure Island from the starting line."

Local h2oshots.com/ pressuredrop.us photo-journalist, Erik Simonson, explained, "If you are unfamiliar with the 3 Bridge Fiasco, it's premise is simple. Take one start finish line, three obstacles placed near the San Francisco Bay's three centrally located bridges, and go around them and through the start line any which way you want!

The Single-Handed Sailing Society originally had a handful of takers the first time around and the idea of "the fiasco" was quite tame compared to the number of entrants in recent years. With the start at 0900 hrs and the last scheduled at 1100 hrs, the theory is the slower first starters will be long gone before the faster boats get going.

With a brisk Northerly in the mid-teens at the start, and a forecasted building flood, a majority of the fleet opted to take a clockwise approach, with Blackaller first, then ride the tide to Red Rocks in the North Bay, but that was not the only option.

Raccoon Straights offered the best current option for north bound passengers, and the vast majority opted for the scenic route, riding the tide and were greeted by a couple dozen seals and sea lions who were taking advantage of the mackerel run.

The ride from Raccoon to Red Rocks was pleasant as it was smooth, and many of the crews began reducing layers as the temps began to rise. Rounding the rock just south of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge is on of the major milestones of the regatta. An this year with the Northerlies still holding steady in the 5-8 knot range it means a nice down hill ride is in the forecast.

After rounding Red Rocks, the fleet spread out pretty well, and it was at times hard to discern which routes were being favored, but as the fleet of now southbound sailors reached the Treasure Island Area, the re-grouping began in earnest.

As the counter-clockwise contingent’s last stragglers emerged from the lee of Yerba Buena, the Clockwise contingent arrived, and began stacking up like salmon in a river, awaiting the next pulse of energy to push through the obstacle ahead of them.

Once through the Bay Bridge Narrows, the fleet was blessed with glorious, mirror-like conditions that water skiers dream about.

At one point there must have been well over a third of the fleet compacted on the south side of the Bay Bridge, proof positive that ratings systems was working well. Despite the general lightness of wind, a positive and happy vibe rolled through the fleet, after all it's nearly February and while many of our friends and family are shoveling snow before frostbiting, the only frost bite anyone suffered this day was from leaving their paws on an ice cold frosty one too long!"

Amongst the one-designs sailing in the J/22 class, it was quite the deal.  Like Mark Adam and daughter Sarah seen here as part of the 8 boat J-22 Fleet out of the St FYC.  This fleet is usually sequestered to the City Front for team / match racing events.  However, this year the 8 boats were chartered from the club for just $100.00 each to test their mettle on something uniquely different.  It was apparently quite popular and the teams loved sailing the boats in what was generally benign sailing conditions.  In the end, it was Scott Sellers and Geoff Mcdonald that took line honors sailing SWAMP DONKEY 6.  Arriving about 12 minutes back was John Turney and Justin Shaffer on SEVEN and in third was Alex Symes  and Brian Kerr on SNOWY OWL.

The J/24s have been long-time participants in the race, probably since before time!  Leading the J/24 class home was Darren Cumming and Steve Myers on the famous DOWNTOWN UPROAR, winning by over a half hour!  Second over the horizon was Randall Rasicot and Jasper Van Vleit on FLIGHT and third was Alex Scultink and Amancio Souza on FLY BY NIGHT.

Like their J/24 colleagues, the J/105s have seen the 3BF as an honorable right of passage to start their sailing season, dust off the spiders, clean the bottoms, lube the winches and blocks and go for a spin on the bay.  Showing they were up to the task in this popular and highly competitive fleet on the Bay, David Miller and Roger Wise sailed BALD EAGLE to a near 4 minute win over the team of David Gross and Alex Samodurov racing NIRVANA.  Nipping at their heels just 40 seconds back was Richard Butts and Jill Visor, the first "mixed doubles" team, sailing MELILANI to snag third for the race.

Over in handicap world, the various J/Teams sailed incredibly well, many winning their classes to the chagrin of many of their competitors.  In the Division 15- Double Non-Spin, the J/crews led a sweep of the podium.  Top dog in a duel for the finish was Bill Mohr and Mike Berndt's J/124 SPIRIT OF FREEDOM, finishing at 1327 hrs.  Just 27 seconds back was the J/44 ACEY DEUCY sailed by Richared Leute and Anton Muzik.  Rapidly closing on these two in the waning hours of the race was the J/111 AEOLUS sailed by Rob Theis and Stefano Lindt around 6 minutes back.

In Division 13- Double PHRF 111-150, the J/32 PARADIGM sailed by family team of Luther & Robert Izmirian finished at 1326 hrs, winning their division by 2 minutes.  The J/80 NIMBUS sailed fast by Stephen Jones and Tim Han managed to go around the track by 1332 hrs to happily finish 4th, only 6 minutes off the top boat.

In Division 12- Double PHRF Under 108, the J/120s all had varying theories about what was the fastest way around the capricious SF Bay waters.  They went both ways, but top dogs went counter-clockwise with the J/120 MR MAGOO getting the jump to grab 4th in class, sailed by the 120 class veterans Steve Madeira and Jeff Lawson, finishing by 1328 hrs.  Next J120 down the line was Tom Grennan and Herb Kleekamp sailing KOOKABURRA, finishing at 1338 to finish 9th in class.

The Division 11- Double Sportboat was sure to be a competitive class as these were all J/70s, J/90, Melges 20/24/32s and Ultimate 20/24s and Hobie 33s.  A crazy group of boats.  In their debut 3BF, the J/70 did well with Drew Harper and Garrett sailing DILLIGAF to the finish by 1339 hrs, missing 3rd place by only 5 minutes--- or the difference in the Bay PHRF rating of 111 versus ROW PHRF at 121-- a 10 sec/mi hit.  Really?  A J/70 rates faster than a J/29 masthead?? "We live in interesting times", said one Chinese wise guy.

Finally, in the Division 21- Double 30, the J/30s swept the top two spots with Peter Jermyn and Curt Brown sailing IONE to first with a finish at 13:36 hrs and fellow J/30 rockstars Tony Castruccio and Konstantin Andreyev on WINDSPEED pulling into the finish line at 14:00 hrs to snatch the silver.

Overall, it was a really interesting outcome for J sailors on the Bay.  Big "J" on campus was the J/32 PARADIGM with their 13:26:13 hrs finish, getting 5th overall in a fleet of 277 boats!!  Next was the J/124 finishing at 13:27:10 for 7th overall.  9th overall was the J/44 ACEY DEUCY finishing at 13:27:37.  In 11th was the J/120 MR MAGOO crossing at 13:28:45, then the J/22 SWAMP DONKEY 6 finishing at 13:31:37 in 16th overall.  Just behind them was the J/80 NIMBUS at 13:32:19 to get 18th, then the J/111 AEOLUS finishing at 13:33:23 to grab 20th.  In 21st was the J/105 BALD EAGLE crossing at 13:34:00, then the J/30 IONE at 13:36:01 good enough for 26th.  That's quite a cross-section of J/Boats sailing design and history all finishing within about a 10 minute period!  Truly a chaotic fiasco!  No wonder people love this race, it's a blast!

Sailing photo credits- Erik Simonson/ h2oshots.com- be sure to visit his photo galleries- some excellent shots of J/22s, J/24s, J/70s, J/80s, J/105s, J/32, J/120 and so forth!  His editorial/multimedia site is pressure-drop.us (http://www.pressure-drop.us).

Christine Weaver and friends from NorCAL Sailing put together a nice 15 min video of the 3BF.  Nice documentary and explanation of what it's all about along with some fun footage.

The J/105 JAM SESSION sailed by Adam Spiegel and Chris Tholstrup had a tracker on-board for the race.  Take a look at what they did here.

San Francisco photographer Patrick Schroff was up high in the Presidio facing N/NE taking some awesome time-lapse footage of the 3B on that spectacular, sunny day.  Here's "Frisco in 34 seconds", very cool to watch the boats sailing into the Blackaller Buoy just west of St Francis YC on the bay.