J/70 EXTREME Wins Verve Cup

(Chicago, IL)- Hot, gusty winds led to challenging conditions and some tight competition as the Verve Cup Inshore Regatta wrapped up the last day of sailing at Chicago Yacht Club’s Belmont Station.  Of the 86 boats registered, twenty were J/70s, an impressive turnout for the fleet’s debut year at Verve Inshore

“We had wind eight to 12 knots, typical Chicago southwester. This was the first offshore breeze we’ve had this summer on a race day, which was shocking, and the competition was good,” said Race Officer Janet Baxter.  After a solid day of racing on Saturday, Sunday's variable winds made things interesting for both race committee and the competitors.

“We’d have 15 knots followed by seven knots, so it was a little bit challenging to figure out where the racers wanted to be sent – they were all kind of tired from yesterday,” said Race Officer Lynn Lynch. “I would’ve liked some more consistent breezes today, because not all of the runs were as square as they could have been. Yesterday was really, really solid racing – today we had a little bit more breeze, so that was more fun that way. I thought the competition was very tight in some of the fleets.”

“We’re very happy we have the J70 class for the first time,” said Race Co-Chair Jessica Jamieson. “I think the event went very well, we’re getting a lot of positive feedback.”

Taking first in the J/70s was class newcomer Dan Cheresh of Saugatuck, MI with the appropriately named EXTREME; they're extremely great record of 5-3-1-1-7-1 for 18 pts enabled them to run away with top honors in the J/70 class.  What was remarkable about Cheresh's performance was that it came against some of the best teams in the J/70 class in the past six months.  Taking second was multiple regatta winner Joel Ronning of Minneapolis, MI on the famous CATAPULT; their fast, regatta-winning start of a 1-2-2 followed by a 7-6-11 dropped them into second overall for the regatta. Rounding out third was CLOUDSOURCED, sailed by Ron Copfer of Cleveland, OH with a 3-1-7-5-13-4 record for 33 pts.

The amazing fact about the J/70 fleet was how many brand new owner/teams were amongst the top ten.  From third place at 33 pts to tenth place at 54 points were just 20 pts, a race or two here or there would've made an enormous difference for all of these teams.  Fourth was another new team near the top, Martin Johnsson's crew on AQUAHOLIKS with a 10-4-5-6-11-2 tally for 38 pts.  Next was Joe Woods team from England aboard RED, sailing a consistently better series to score a 9-8-6-10-3-3 for 39 pts, just one point back from 4th.  Sailing her heart out was Amy Neill on NITEMARE in her first major regatta ever, sailing in the top five after just four races with a 4-5-10-3 but fading a bit with some of the excitement (or anxiety) with a 12-10 to finish as top women J/70 skipper at sixth overall!  Another remarkable statistic about the J/70 fleet one-design racing is that 13 of 20 boats (65% of the fleet) had top five scores in their overall records!  Proof again that good starts, good conservative tactics could keep you in the hunt!  Sailing photo credits- Marc Anderson.  For more Verve Cup Inshore sailing information

Verve Cup One-Design Regatta Preview

(Chicago, IL)- The Verve Cup Inshore Regatta is a spectacular sailing event that is hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club at Belmont Station from August 24th to 25th. Identical One Design classes compete for two days to determine which boat has the best skipper and crew; included are the debut of the incredibly popular J/70 one-design speedster and the classic J/24 one-design keelboat classes.

This year, the Verve Cup will be bigger than ever and is assured to be the best one-design sailing around the Chicago area. Featuring optimal late summer breezes, competitive racing, and the best race committee on the water, the Verve Cup delivers outstanding racing. Big name sponsors include AUDI Chicago, Mt Gay Rum and SLAM yachting gear.

The debut of the J/70 class is quite impressive in this regatta, having by far the largest fleet with over twenty boats participating.  The fleet has a national and international flavor to it with crews from all over America and Europe.  Top teams featured in this year's event include Joel Ronning's well-traveled CATAPULT team from Minneapolis, MN; Bennet Greenwald's PERSEVERANCE crew from San Diego, CA; Joe Woods's crew on RED from Torquay, England.  Several new teams are participating including Blane Shea's GEMINI and Richie Stearns' TYLISHAN-- both from the local Chicago fleet.  Sailing photo credit- Tim Wilkes.   For more Verve Cup Inshore sailing information

J/70s @ Verve Cup Regatta

(Chicago, IL)- The Verve Cup Inshore Regatta is a spectacular sailing event. Hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club at Belmont Station August 24-25, the Verve Cup is the most popular inshore regatta in Chicago. One Design classes compete for two days to determine which boat has the best skipper and crew.  Invited to this year's event are J/111, J/105s, J/109s, J/70s and J/24 classes!  So, mobilize your fleet and sign up for wet and wild racing at Belmont this August, enjoy views of the world's most spectacular waterfront city on one of the world's largest freshwater lakes- Lake Michigan!

This year, the Verve Cup will be bigger than ever and is assured to be the best One Design sailing around. Featuring optimal late summer breezes, competitive racing, and the best race committee on the water, the Verve Cup delivers outstanding racing. Big name sponsors providing premium swag and generous free pours turn the party into a real blast. Get onboard for the 2013 Verve Cup Inshore, the best One Design Sailing event in the Midwest!  For more Chicago Verve Cup Regatta sailing info

J/70 Great Lakes Championship Announcement!

(Buffalo, New York)- The Buffalo Yacht Club is honored to announce that we have been selected to host the inaugural J/70 Great Lakes Championship Regatta.  Racing will be on August 10th and 11th and past Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Jud Smith will be hosting a clinic on August 9th.

Having recently run the extremely successful and competitive 2010 J/22 NA’s, 2011 LYRA as well as the annual J/22 “Raw Bar” Regatta, the BYC has demonstrated that it's a great place to sail and the fun continues once everyone is off the water.  With 39 boats at Key West this year and 54 currently registered for Charleston Race Week – there is little doubt that the J/70 has quickly become a premier one design machine offering exciting sailing and strong camaraderie in an affordable package! The racing in the Buffalo Harbor offers consistent breeze and wave patterns perfectly suited for mind-blowing downwind surfing!

We are proud to welcome back TOWNE BMW & MINI as our title sponsor.  The TOWNE Automotive Group has been a fantastic supporter of competitive sailing for 20+ years. Other sponsors are Doyle Sails, Mount Gay Rum, RCR Yachts and the Great Lakes Brewing.  We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones this summer!  Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes.  For more J/70 Great Lakes sailing information

J/70 Class Update

(Newport, RI)- Class development is accelerating dramatically around the world.  In the USA alone, there are over a dozen J/70 fleets that have formed already with nearly twice that amount in the formative process across America. 

The J/70 Regatta schedule has expanded considerably, here's a short-list of what's happening in the 70 world for 2013.

J/70 Regatta Schedule
January-     Key West Race Week- Key West, FL
February-   SW NOOD Regatta- St Petersburg, FL
March-       Bacardi Race Week- Miami, FL
April-         Charleston Race Week- Charleston, SC
                  Warsash Spring Series- Solent, England
                  SPI Ouest France- La Trinite sur Mer, France
May-         SW NOOD Regatta- Annapolis, MD
June-         Bacardi Regatta- Newport, RI
                  Sail Newport Regatta- Newport, RI
                  Cleveland Race Week- Cleveland, OH
July-          Leukemia Cup Cleveland- Cleveland, OH
                  Youngstown Level Regatta- Youngstown, NY
                  New Englands/ Marblehead NOOD- Marblehead, MA
August-      Cowes Week- Cowes, England
September- Europeans- Lake Garda, Italy
                  North Americans- Annapolis, MD
October-    Fall Brawl Regatta- Annapolis, MD
                  SoCal Championships- San Diego, CA

More regattas are coming on-line all the time. Teams out West are working out the PCC's and SoCal Championships.  J/70 owners in Texas/Gulf Coast are forming a Texas Circuit rolling between Forth Worth, Austin, Houston.  In the Midwest (Chicago, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio) teams are forming their circuit plans, too. The European 70 teams were discussing at the Paris Show and soon the London Boat show plans for the J/70 European Circuit. In Europe, fleets are developing in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Germany.  South America also has boats and fleets are in development in Chile, Argentina, and Peru.  Also in the Southern Hemisphere, it looks like J/70s may become popular in Sydney, Australia and even in Perth-- can you imagine a J/70 flying home downwind in the "Freemantle Doctor"!?  That would be insanely fun.

Read more about J/70 class development on the newly formed J/70 Class Association- J70class.com or learn more from owners on the J/70 Class on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/J70Class.

J/70 One-Design Class Update

(Newport, RI)- Over the past month the evolution of J/70 one-design class development continues its inexorable fast pace around the world.  While the first J/70s are just beginning to appear in such exotic locations like Santiago, Chile; Sydney, Australia; Hong Kong, China; and Miami, FL, other famous sailing venues are seeing fleets blossom like spring flowers across the sailing landscape.  Europeans are just beginning to get a taste of the J/70 in the Netherlands (Belgium & Holland) as well as in England and France.

In the Americas, the class is developing rapidly.  To date there are over a dozen fleets in development with nine confirmed already.  At this stage, it looks like Annapolis can lay claim to being the J/70 capital of the world with Fleet #1 status, followed closely by their friends in Newport/ Narragansett Bay with Fleet #2.  The Great Lakes are growing fast with Cleveland as Fleet #3, Western Lake Ontario #6, South Shore Lake Ontario #7 and Erie, PA as #8.  Out West, SoCal (Southern California) is Fleet #5 and the California fleets may soon expand to include Santa Barbara, CA as its own fleet along with San Francisco, CA.  Plus, the Cascade Locks, OR and Seattle, WA fleets are not far behind! In the East, Fishing Bay, VA is now Fleet #4 and just recently Marblehead attained Fleet #9 status.  Not far behind are fleets forming in Chicago, IL; Fort Worth, TX; Houston, TX; Lake Dillon, CO; Tampa, FL; and Long Island Sound.

Reports from the frontiers of J/70 fleet development are encouraging.  Recently, Jud Smith, a world-renowned sailor (Etchells 22 World Champion, Sonar North American Champion, IOD World Champion and Dennis Conner's mainsail trimmer in the America's Cup), had the following commentary after sailing in Marblehead recently: "I saw the J/70’s sailing in Newport a bunch this summer.  It looked well mannered, without the crew having to fight it to go fast.  I also like the decision to go with dacron race sails for this size one-design.  The ramp-launch trailer, roller furling headsail, carbon rig with adjustable backstay all makes a lot sense.  However, it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to sail with Peter Duncan this fall in New York that I realized that this boat was going to be a game-changer.  I couldn’t help but think the J/70 class was going to take-off like the J/24 did  years ago.  When I got home I told my wife, Cindy, how impressed I was with the boat and that it was a class we could race together. I was pleased to finally be able to get her out sailing at the Marblehead Demo day.  When she returned to the dock she insisted I join her for another ride. I wasn’t expecting that! She’s quite excited now for racing the J/70 together. Our two daughters can race it as well, even if I’m away!"

The report from San Diego was similar.  Jeff Brown at JK3 Yachts said: "This past Sunday we had a J/70 Demo Day hosted at San Diego Yacht Club with sailmakers from Ullman, Quantum, and North sails on each boat for people to test. It turned out to be a perfect day with about 30 attendees.  We offered food, beer, and drinks on the dock after and it was a very successful, enjoyable event. We're looking forward to growing our Socal Fleet #5!"  For more J/70 one-design sailing information

J/70 Sailing Chicago & Florida

(Naples, FL)- Over the past few weeks, the J/70 has been sailing in Chicago and Florida.  In the Chicago area, Richie Stearns and the SAIL-22 crew (Ed & Becky Furry) have been sailing up and down the Chicago waterfront and soon all around the Midwest.  Recently, Richie, Lori and Ed "shadowed"the 35nm Chicago-Waukegan Race in a light-medium air southeasterly sailing up the lake from the Belmont Harbor starting line off the spectacular Chicago city-front north along the coast to Waukegan, Illinois.  The speeds and experiences surprised the trio on the J/70 as well as those who saw them sail with them (much, much bigger boats)-- they pacing with many 35-40 foot racing boats!  If you're in the greater Chicago region, please be sure to contact Richie Stearns at 847-404-2209 or rich@stearnsboating.com.  Meanwhile, down in Florida, Craig Crossley and crew have been making a circuit around Naples, Fort Myers, St Petersburg/ Tampa/ Clearwater on the West Coast and soon on the East Coast.  Be sure to contact Craig directly at 401-330-6135 or craig.crossley@gmail.com for a demo sail in Florida.  For more J/70 sailing information