Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 Update

(Key West, Florida Keys)- Classes and sailors from across the country and around the world already have Quantum Key West 2015 on their winter calendars. Boats ranging in size from 23 to 72 feet will compete in the waters off America's southernmost city during the 28th edition of Key West Race Week, scheduled for January 18-23.

"Quantum Sail Design Group and its backers recognize how important this international event is to sailing in North America," commented Ed Reynolds, Quantum President. "For nearly 3 decades Key West has kicked off racing here in the U.S. with a superb event that sets the standard for the entire year."

Boats big and small are already making plans for North America's premiere winter event. The ever-popular J/70 class may see this year's 60-boat turnout grow to 70-80 according to class sources.  Kathy Parks, owner of SUNDOG, shares the enthusiasm of many other J/70 owners... "The Division 2 race committee gave us another great Quantum Key West Regatta. I love the 5 days of racing, which we rarely see anywhere else and we love the energy at the panels, party and awards."

A notable component of the Key West event since year 1 back in 1988 has been the PHRF racing. While there may not be the number of classes that were commonplace a decade ago, the significance of a class win is unchanged. "It feels fantastic to finally win here in Key West," said Bill Sweetser after his PHRF 2 win on the J/109 RUSH. "You could say we got the monkey off our back, or maybe it was a gorilla... Everybody is so ecstatic. We can't wait to get the whole crew up on stage at the awards party again.”
                
"Where else would you want to be on the third week of January?" asked multiple world champion Cam Appleton. "I've done my share of race weeks over the years in any number of classes and the boat you race on really doesn't matter - the conditions are always terrific, the race committee work and event management are unsurpassed, and the competition is always full on. When I think of sailing in the U.S. I think about Key West Race Week."

This will be the fourth straight year that Quantum will serve as title sponsor and Reynolds said the Michigan-based sail-making company has enjoyed its partnership with Premiere Racing. "It's been a great relationship because we both have the same interests in mind, which is to keep an iconic regatta moving forward. Quantum's goal is to perpetuate our sport by supporting one of the finest events in the country."  Sailing photo credit- Onne Vanderwal.    For more Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 sailing information

Healy Crowned J/70 Midwinter Champion

(Key West, FL)- There was plenty of final day drama at Quantum Key West 2014 as the winners of several classes were determined during the last race. And, conditions could not have been better for those winner-take-all scenarios with the southernmost point of the United States delivering the strongest winds of the regatta. NNE breezes in the 18-25 knot range made for some spectacular racing on all courses and enabled all classes to complete 10 races for the five-day event.

The most impressive performance of the regatta was skipper Tim Healy and his team on HELLY HANSEN, which won the 60-boat J/70 class in convincing fashion. Healy, from Newport, RI, repeated as class champ in Key West by winning two races and placing second or third in five others. HELLY HANSEN clinched the regatta by finishing third in Race 9 and therefore did not sail the final race, using that as its throw-out. Geoff Becker and John Mollicone combined on tactics and trimming while Gordon Borges worked the bow for Healy, who is also a standout J/24 sailor.

“Obviously the biggest key to success is having a good team. My guys did an awesome job of boat-handling and tactics,” Healy said. “We sailed here last year so we had a real good feel for the race course. This team has also sailed J/24s together the past few years so we have a comfort level that makes a big difference.”

Healy and HELLY HANSEN came away with the biggest prize – capturing Quantum Sails “Boat of the Week” honors. “We had a huge class down here last year with a lot of really good sailors so it’s a great accomplishment to come out on top. Winning Key West is definitely one of the highlights of my career,” said Healy, a 42-year-old resident of Jamestown, RI. Eight different boats took first place during the week.

Behind them the standings were closely fought for the top five.  Other than having to drop a 28th in race 4, Brian Keane’s SAVASANA from Buzzards Bay, MA sailed a very strong series and were in the hunt as regatta leader until the 8th race when they had to count a 13th.  The SAVASANA crew reveled in the windy conditions on Friday and sailed to a 204 to wrap up second overall with 48 pts.

The “come-back kids” had to be Ian Atkin’s crew on BOATS.COM with Rory Scott skippering.  After starting out slowly with an 11-10-OCS, the J/70 UK National Champions managed to get their act together and sailed strongly to jump into third overall for the regatta, finishing with an emphatic win in the very last race! That’s wonderful news for European J/70 teams to understand that top sailors in their region are every bit as fast as the top American teams.  Follow Ian’s and Rory’s J/70 experiences here on their BOATS.COM blog.

As a winner of some of the regional J/70 events over the 2013 sailing season, many expected Joel Ronning, a long-time Lake Minnetonka, MN sailor, and crew aboard CATAPULT to be contenders.  Indeed they were, sailing extremely well in the first and last days of the regatta to sew-up fourth place with 71 pts.

Another “come-back” story was wily veteran David Ullman sailing US 32 to a fifth place finish.  After starting with a 39-14 the first day, Ullman and crew clawed their way back into contention by winning a race and placing in the top ten six times.

Top woman skipper, repeating the same feat from last year’s Key West, was Heather Gregg-Earl from Boston, MA.  Heather’s team on MUSE persevered and despite being over early in the last race and literally starting DFL about 300 yards behind the fleet, she climbed back into contention to capture a 19th in the last race and finish 14th overall.

HOT MESS, skippered by Rob Britts of St. Petersburg, Fla., was crowned as Corinthian champion of J/70 class. Britts posted six wins and three seconds within the 14-boat sub-class comprised of all-amateur crews.

As an illustration of fleet depth and competition, eight teams won races with, oddly enough, only two teams taking two wins in the total of ten races— Healy’s HELLY HANSEN and James Allsop’s MOXIE.  To finish in the top five would take at least an 8th place average and to finish in the top ten meant you had to average 12th or better!   Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal.

Sailing video interviews:

Tim Healy- Team Helly Hansen- J/70 Midwinter Champion & Overall Race Week Award winner.  Tim is also current J/24 World Champion.
Alan Terhune- J/22, J/70 boat owner, skipper & crew providing perspectives on sailing J/70s in Key West.  Alan is also current J/22 World Champion.

For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Epic Sailing off Key West- Day 4

(Key West, FL)- It's been said the only certain things in life are death and taxes. But, for sailors “in the know”, you gotta add to that list a full week's worth of racing in Key West. Thursday’s sailing was simply spectacular, with a classic NNE breeze blowing 10-20 kts, clear blue skies, and white caps dotting the seas over turquoise waters.

The strong northerly winds allowed for another three-race day on all courses. Hap Fauth, skipper of Bella Mente, felt exhilarated as he stepped onto the dock following Thursday's action.  "We had absolutely fabulous conditions out there today," Fauth declared. "Anybody who complains about any aspect of this regatta has a screw loose. This is just fantastic sailing."

So far, Tim Healy’s HELLY HANSEN has put forth an impressive performance in the J/70 class, largest of the regatta with 60 boats. Healy, the defending class champ in Key West, has placed first or second in five races and counts no lower than a fourth in accumulating 15 points. SAVASANA, the second place entry skippered by Brian Keane, is a whopping 27 points astern.

Healy won two races on Thursday and finished fourth in the other to earn the Industry Partner Boat of the Day honor. He received the beautiful handcrafted Ship's Bell Clock trophy from Chelsea Clock. Geoff Becker and John Mollicone are teaming to call tactics while Gordon Borges works the bow aboard HELLY HANSEN.

"The big takeaway today was that you can't get too focused on one side of the course. We saw big shifts both ways and there was plenty of pressure on both sides," Healy said. "Our strategy has been to choose a side, but not be the furthest boat out there. You don't want to get pushed all the way to the edge."

Just behind the two leaders and only four points out of second is Great Britain’s Ian Atkins and his team sailing BOATS.COM.  The come-back of the week award must surely go to David Ullman sailing USA 32 after their slow start on the first day of racing.  Starting off with a rather humble 39-14, Ullman’s team added a 5-4-1-7-19-7 for a total of 57 pts to leap into fourth overall after ending the first day’s racing in the high 20’s.  Fifth is Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT with 60 pts.

Friday’s racing promises to have another epic, even windier day, with 15-25 kts wind forecasted from the NNE.  Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal  For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Spectacular Sailing- Day 3 in Key West

(Key West, FL)- Broad smiles and weary bones usually means a successful day on the water for sailors. There was plenty of both on the docks around the Conch Republic on Wednesday after organizers of Quantum Key West 2014 completed three races in strong winds.

Northerly winds that held steady from 12-20 knots provided the best racing conditions yet for the 10 classes on three divisions. After completing three races combined on Monday and Tuesday, the competitors were thankful for the full day's work.

There is a new leader in the J/70 class, the largest of the regatta with 60 boats. Tim Healy steered Helly Hansen to 2-2-3 on Wednesday to take control with a low score of 29. Catapult, skippered by Joel Ronning of Minneapolis, MN, is 12 points behind in second. Third is Brian Keane on Savasana and leaping into the top five was Dave Ullman on US-32 with a 5-4-1 on the second day of sailing.  Notably, Ian Atkins's "boats.com" also jumped into the top ten with a great day of sailing.

Geoff Becker is calling tactics upwind on Team Helly Hansen while John Mollicone is doing the honors downwind for Healy (Jamestown, RI), the defending regatta champ. "Going downwind we were in-between planing and displacement mode so you had to decide when to keep the bow up and the jib out," Healy said. "There were big gains and losses to be made downwind."  Healy explained that a J/70 begins to plane in around 15 knots of breeze and attempting to do so when the wind is not strong enough causes the boat to really slow down. "It's crucial to know when to soak it low," he said.
Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal   For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Slow Start to Epic Key West Race Week

(Key West, FL)- The prognosticator “extraordinaires” of all things weather were, for one of those rare moments, remarkably accurate in their predictions for a light air day with next to no wind or just enough wind to make it happen.  As it turns out, the light southerlies driven by a “pancake flat” mini-High shadowing the Florida Keys and into the Straits of Florida that border Cuba to the south were enough to get two of the three race courses racing on the first day.

While Division 1 managed to sail two races on super-shortened courses (with breezes fluctuating wildly from 3.2 to 4.4 kts and swinging from 220 to 270 degrees), the other fleets on Division 2 and 3 had even less to contend with.  Neither the gradient breeze nor the sea-breeze  along the coast fully developed during the day.  The J/70 fleet with 62 boats strong sat around for 5+ hours on the water and the RC PRO wisely canceled racing for the day.  Nevertheless, there’s a fun blog being written by UK J/70 sailor Ian Atkins sailing “boats.com” with a number of his mates who’ve raced with him on the Solent off Cowes (read more here)

Aside from D-1, the other “lucky dogs” for the day were the Division III teams sailing on the course that is further east along Key West.  Waiting until at least 1530 hrs, their RC PRO managed to squeeze in a race for all three classes— the two PHRF fleets and the J/80s.

For the rest of the week, most weather models are in agreement that Tuesday will see a building breeze for the rest of the week with plenty of sunshine.  Sailing photo credits- Ken Stanke/ kenstanek.com    For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Another Epic Key West Sailing Forecast!

(Key West, FL)- This year’s Quantum Key West Race Week is gearing up for its trademark week of racing on the aquamarine waters off the coast of the Conch Republic. As the sailors make their way down the Florida Keys by air, water and land over the weekend, it looks like they will be greeted by either the tail feathers of another “polar vortex” spinning madly across America or they’ll be hammered by a “clipper system” ripping SSE across the continent spinning up all kinds of winds.  By Monday, the “good word” from the colorful Key West Chamber of Commerce is that sunny, benign weather will caress the fleet with near-perfect Caribbean-like conditions all week— some forecast!  Realistically, various weather forecast models (GFS, NAM, ECUWF) show 8-12 kts from NW to NE quadrants for Monday, Tuesday followed by increasing winds from the NW to NE in the 10 to 20 kts plus range from Wednesday to Friday’s closing day.

There will be nearly 130 boats sailing, but what’s different, like a lot different, about this year’s Key West is that J/Teams comprise two-thirds (66.0%) of the fleet with 85 J’s sailing.  In other words, Key West is now the de-facto “Winter J/Fest”!  That’s a good thing since the new regatta HQ at Kelly’s Caribbean Bar & Grill, situated on Caroline St between Whitehead St and the infamous Duval St will be over-run by members of the J/Tribe sailing J/70s, J/80s, J/88, J/109s, J/111s, J/122s, and J/125!

Newport-based Tim Healy will be back to defend his title in J/70 class aboard TEAM HELLY HANSEN, which has attracted a whopping 62 boats. Runner-up Brian Keane’s SAVASANA (Weston, Mass.) and third place finisher Bruno Pasquinelli on STAMPEDE (Dallas, Texas) will also be back as the J/70 class contests its second Midwinter Championship.  They’re up against a formidable array of teams from across the world, not just top Americans, but also teams from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Great Britain, Canada and Bermuda.  The top boats from the Tampa Bay Quantum Winter series will be attending, including the top three- Jud Smith on AFRICA, Rob & Sandy Butler on TOUCH 2 PLAY and Rob Britts’s HOT MESS.

The balance of the J/70 fleet is deeply talented with any number of teams capable of top ten finishes.  Amongst the top foreign teams could be one of Great Britain’s top J/70 crews, Ian Atkins sailing BOATS.COM; from Puerto Rico is Marco Teixidor skippering CACHONDO; from Bermuda is Chuck Millican racing ELUSIVE; and from Mexico is Julian Fernandez Neckelmann’s FLOJITO Y COOPERANDO.

Several Etchells 22 World, North American and Jaguar series champions are sailing J/70s, namely Jud Smith as mentioned, but also Peter Vessella sailing RUNNING WILD, Peter Duncan helming RELATIVE OBSCURITY and Jim Cunningham on LIFTED.

Other contenders that have won or were “in the chocolates” in various J/70 regattas in the past year include Brian Elliot’s B-SQUARED, Doug Strebel’s BLACK RIVER RACING, Mike Sudofsky’s CARLOS, Joel Ronning’s CATAPULT, Bob Hughes’s HEARTBREAKER, Kerry Klingler’s MENACE, James Allsopp’s MOXIE, Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE, Dave Franzel’s SPRING and Dave Ullman’s US 32 from Newport Beach, California.

Designers Rod and son Alan Johnstone will be sailing the latest RAGTIME and welcoming other renown class newcomers like Johnny Demourkas sailing GROOVEDERCI from Santa Barbara, CA (Farr 40 and J/105 West Coast Champion); John Brim from Fisher’s Island skippering a “baby RIM” called RIMETTE; Johnny Wynacht sailing STRANGE BREW from Nova Scotia (Canadian J/24 champion and J/29 sailor); Richard Bergmann on ZUNI BEAR II (of J/105 Zuni Bear fame); John Arendshorst on 20/20 RACING from Macatawa Bay; Chris Whitford sailing a baby HOT LIPS (top Farr 40 team from Chicago); Stu Williams on CLOUDSOURCED from Whitefish Bay; Malcolm Gefter sailing CELERITAS from Newport (long-time M32 and Swan 42 sailor); and Tim Molony skippering JOUST (with his New Orleans friend, Olympic medallist Johnny Lovell, as tactician!).

The dynamic match-racing duo of Taylor Canfield (current World Match Racing Champion) and Stephanie Roble (USA #1 Women Match Racer) are sailing as tacticians and could be the proverbial “dark horses” in the fleet. Taylor is sailing with Dan Cheresh’s EXTREME team from Macatawa Bay and Steph is helping Juddie Smith’s Marblehead team on AFRICA.

Amongst the record nine women J/70 skippers (15% of the class!) will be current J/70 North American Champion Heather Gregg-Earl skippering MUSE along with Suzy Leech sailing JUNKANOO, Catharine Evans steering MOJITO, Maegan Ruhlman on SPACEMAN SPIFF, Kathy Parks on SUNDOG, Amy Neill on NITEMARE, Kirsten Berry sailing DANGER MOUSE, Carrie Austin skippering CHINOOK and Tris Worth sailing ALIBI.

Dave Franzel attended what was known as Key West Race Week way back in 1981 as crew for a J/24 program. The founder of the Boston Sailing Center returned 32 years later as a J/70 skipper and was crowned as Corinthian champion after finishing eighth overall in the 39-boat fleet.  "I had an absolute blast. It was one of the best regattas I've ever been to. It made me wish I hadn't waited so long to come back," said Franzel, a resident of Somerville, Mass. "I was very impressed with the race management. The courses were sound and the starting lines were solid. We got in 12 races in five days and you can't ask for more than that."

The Demourkas family from Santa Barbara, CA are back again.  This time, John Demourkas will be racing his new J/70 GROOVEDERCI in the class as the couple makes their annual winter pilgrimage from Santa Barbara.  His wife Deneen is sailing her M32 GROOVEDERCI, commenting that, "John and I have been attending this event the last 14 years and we love the relaxation Key West affords, particularly after a hectic holiday season.  And then there is Race Week, which always delivers. You can pretty much guarantee great sailing conditions, beautiful weather and good competition. Why wouldn't you be here?"

NOTE- the North Sails J/70 team is providing FREE pre-regatta clinics in Key West— come one, come all! Here's what’s happening:

• Saturday 1-4 pm- North On-the-water clinic (run by Tim Healy, Allan Terhune, Andreas Josenhans and Chuck Allen) with starting drills and short course races with complete photo and video coverage.
• Saturday 5:30 pm- Clinic Debrief at the North U. Regatta HQ (725 Caroline St, formerly West Marine)- review photos and videos and pick the brains of top J/70 sailors in a relaxed and casual environment. Refreshments courtesy of North Sails.
• Sunday 10 am- North Dockside clinic- will be held at Tim Healy's boat located near the ramp at the Truman Annex. Bring your questions and a notepad to get the latest, hands-on, tuning tips

For Key West sailing video entertainment, look at this beautifully produced summary from Chris Odom @ Chris Odom Photos- nice sequences of J/70s, J/80s, J/109, J/111, J/44, J/122 in the 3-minute clip.    Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal Photos and Tim Wilkes.com Photos.   For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Countdown to Key West

(Key West, FL)- Racing teams from across the country and around the world are getting ready to compete in the waters off America's southernmost city during the 27th annual Quantum Key West Race Week, scheduled Sunday through Friday, Jan. 19-24.

The "wow" factor is clearly in play again for the 2014 edition. All three divisions will feature well prepared programs gathering to enjoy great competition and renowned Key West sailing conditions, as they pursue coveted podium finishes.

The incredibly popular J/70 class is coming off a very successful Key West debut with the fleet topping 60 boats for their 2014 Midwinter Championship. Returning veterans and newcomers to Key West will experience big fleet racing with exciting starts, tight mark roundings, and close finishes. Both the J/70 Open and Corinthian winners will be recognized with daily and series trophies.

For those who can't be out on the race course, there will be plenty of ways to follow the racing. Last year was a first for "Key West Live" coverage (#QKeyWest) and there will be more real time bloggers and video coverage to keep everyone connected this year.   Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal
For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

Having Fun Sailing-- according to Don Finkle

(Youngstown, NY)- Don Finkle from RCR Yachts, the J/Dealer in upstate New York, wrote a nice perspective regards why successful one-design sailboat classes have a “collegial atmosphere” amongst their sailors.  Here are Don’s comments as posted in Scuttlebutt:

There are not as many racing sailors out there as I thought there were. Much has been said about the decline in sailboat racing so that is no secret, but it dawned on me recently that it is worse than I had thought.

When I was sailing 36 foot racer-cruisers, we usually sailed with and against people we knew from year to year, even as we moved around. And those people normally stayed with the same crew, or maybe switched from one boat to another within the same fleet.

Now that I sail mostly on J/70s we travel a lot more and are exposed to a much larger pool of sailors, many of whom I did not previously know. So I pay a lot more attention to the other sailors in our fleet, who they are, where they sail, their backgrounds, etc. I want to meet new sailors, follow their accomplishments and hopefully learn from them.

What I have found is that many of these people sail in a variety of boat designs, not just in one class. They may have a favorite but they can be found in different boats in different events, sometimes driving, sometimes crewing.

Where I am going with this is that if you name four different fleets of say small keelboat one designs you don’t have four distinct sets of sailors. Many of the names sail in multiple fleets, so the total number of participants is less than you would first think. I figured this out by looking at the results of the J/70 class at first, then scouring the results of other classes….and the same familiar names cropped up on scoresheets all over the place.

Some of these people sail Melges 20s, Melges 24s, J/80s, Lightnings, J/22s, J/24s, etc. in addition to the J/70, often 3 or 4 different classes. This is not a bad thing at all; it means that sailors get to try and enjoy different boats (there is no perfect boat) and meet more people as they move around. But it can give the impression that there are a greater number of sailors than is actually the case.

Each class is thus in somewhat of a precarious position. With sailors hopping from class to class they might not have the long term commitment to any one, so any given class could find itself with a drop in attendance at any time.

The exception to this would be those classes that focus their energy on sustaining membership based on a collegial atmosphere, involvement at a social level, being inclusive of sailors of varying ages and abilities, etc.

Quantum Key West Race Week Update

(Key West, FL)- The annual winter pilgrimage to the sunny, friendly climate of the Florida Keys in late January is showing healthy participation by J/Sailors!  This spectacular event presents world-class competition over five full race days. Entering its 27th year, Race Week offers exceptional racing and fun shoreside parties in wonderful Key West. The Florida Keys and Key West are the perfect southernmost vacation destination!  Yes, even the first J/24 Midwinters sailors in 1978 can attest to that fact!!

Premiere Racing’s reputation for excellent race management and regatta organization promises to deliver another great regatta and ideal winter get-away for all sailing enthusiasts.  If you haven’t already, make plans now to start off the New Year with the best sailing there is this side of the Caribbean’s aquamarine waters and warm, gentle trade-winds.

So far, 105 boats have signed up for Key West, with the two largest one-design fleets being J’s. The 64 J/Teams registered in four classes represent 61% of the fleet, a veritable J/Fest down in the Florida Keys!  By far the largest one-design fleet at the event, the forty strong J/70 Midwinter Championship fleet, already has representation from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Great Britain and continental Europe.

Head on down and join the fun!  Last year’s Key West was epic, 2014 promises to be even better!  Sailing photo credits- Onne Vanderwal.com   For more Quantum Key West Race Week sailing information

J/70 Media Around The Globe!

(Newport, RI)- While many sailors in the USA and Europe have seen the J/70 sail or saw one in local boat shows or sailing magazines, there are still parts of the world that have not- like Belgium and Chile.

Recently, Belgian sailors had their taste of the J/70 sailing experience. Their premiere sailing magazine- VAREN- did a test of the J/70 on the Braassemermeer and it was recently featured in latest issue- please see http://www.varen.be    Furthermore, VAREN did a cameo video on the J/70 sailing on YouTube, please watch here.

In the meantime, Manuel Eguiguren was recently out sailing J/70s on a spectacular Chilean lake high in the Andes Mountains of South America-- enjoy this "J/70 sailing music video" here.


Cover Girl- J/70! Did anyone see the April issue of Sailing World magazine?  The J/70 was on the cover and SW Editor Dave Reed's article was about the J/70 sailing experience in Key West Race Week. In addition, the "From the Expert's" article was about sportboat tips that are directly applicable to the 70.  Sailing photo credits- Tim Wilkes.com and Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing.com.

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.

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. :)

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.

"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.

VELA Sailing- Dave Ullman J/70 Interview

Vela Sailing.TV had a nice, introspective look at the J/70 class and its meaning to Dave Ullman, multiple World Champion in a variety of classes, including 470s and M24s.  Said Vela Sailing.TV, "We talked to Dave Ullman after the first day of racing at Key West Race Week. He had solid results, granting him and his crew a first place on the first day of racing of the J/70 class. Here is the interview (with an involuntary break ). This is fresh out of the race course, no time to edit it, but really good information and race approach. Enjoy!"

Epic Key West J/70 Midwinters

Healy Wins, Keane Close Second!
(Key West, FL)- "It felt like 1978 all over again – debuting a new class in Key West with top sailors and family teams from around the country participating. This time, 35 years later, it was the J/70 capturing the headlines, blogs, and video feeds beaming around the planet, though the J/24 was never far from mind.  At almost every turn, there was a J/24 champion from one of the past four decades walking by on the dock admiring the J/70, including several who happened to sail in that famous 1978 J/24 Midwinters like Mark Ploch, Bryson Hall, Dave Ullman and Bill Shore," said Jeff J.  Then, there were the "new kids on the block", like past J/35 North American Champion Bob Hughes and J/80 champions Bruno Pasquinelli keeping the fleet "honest" as to who knew how to sail sportsboats fast.

Most teams arrived over the weekend and all launching and hauling took place at the Truman Annex (former US Navy base) facility equipped with a super wide launching ramp (can launch three boats at a time) and two "cherry picker" hoists (bless, those guys) that tossed in/hoisted a boat every 5 minutes.  The industry showed up in force with about half a dozen rigging trucks, and suppliers like Southern Spars, Harken, Marlow, Torqeedo and the top sailmakers all on hand to support the owners.  Chris and Julie Howell, the new administrators of the J/70 Class had their RV onsite all week helping get folks registered for the class and equipped with member stickers and royalty tags. Saturday evening was a J/70 owner's reception at Kelly’s (Race HQ) where Chris and Julie and the founding group of J/70 Class officers were introduced to the sailors.

Racing was fantastic with 12 races in 5 days, including two 3-race days.  The first gun wasn’t until 11:30am and the fleet was usually dockside by 4. Half the boats dry-sailed out of the Annex and the others wet-sailed. Once people got into the rhythm of hauling and launching every day the dry-sailing went very smoothly and most thought they’d do the same again next year.   The J/70 program was by far the most affordable ever done at Key West and a big reason so many KW veterans came back this year. It was also the first time in years the event permitted a boat under 24’ to compete, a nice testimony to the confidence the organizers had in the ability of the boat to handle whatever Key West dished out for weather conditions.

As Craig Leweck, of Scuttlebutt fame, pointed out, "it's the right boat at the right time.  When nearly a third of the boats in Key West are competing in one class, and when that class is a one-design boat that has yet to celebrate its first birthday, the question that we ask is---what gives?  Already the magazines have heaped praise on the boat:

Sailing World - Boat of the Year
SAIL - Best Boat - Performance 30ft & under
Yachts & Yachting - Boat of the Year - Performance Boat under 30ft
BOOT Dusseldorf- European Yacht of the Year- Special Category
 
"The Key West J/70 fleet will represent about 1/3 of U.S. built J/70s to date," explained J/Boats' President Jeff Johnstone. "A Key West debut was a natural. Several owners competing had expressed their interest early on that it would be great to get 'back' to Key West in a smaller, more affordable program. There's also a portion of the fleet that are experiencing the event for the first time. This is all a bit of flashback when you consider that Key West is where the J/24 kicked off its first class event back in 1978. And in fact some familiar faces like Mark Ploch and Dave Ullman, who raced in the first J/24 Midwinters, are competing in the J/70 class this week."

The extraordinary growth of the J/70 class is a testament to the marketing ability of J Boats. "It's really exciting to see a class that has only been around for four months become the largest one design class at Key West RW by almost double,” said David Ullman, President of Ullman Sails International. "I jumped at the opportunity to sail in the class because it'll be the starting block for a new and potentially big one design class, which is exciting to be a part of. Plus, the popularity of the boat has attracted a field of first rate competition."

What could be most interesting is not only who wins, but how did they win.

"Most of the one design sailmakers will be there to see how well they have done with sail development and getting the most performance out of the boat," noted Jud Smith of Doyle Sails. "It will be interesting to see which teams and sail designs find themselves on the podium on Friday. The crew weights will be different among many of the teams and that may turn out to be a big factor depending on conditions during the week."

J/70 was the largest class at Quantum Key West 2013 with 39 boats and the boat was showcased with some spectacular racing. North Sails pro Tim Healy and his experienced team on HELLY HANSEN seized the lead on Thursday then held it by winning both races on Friday, which featured 14-16
knot winds. Geoff Becker (tactician), John Mollicone (trimmer) and Dave Reed (foredeck) comprised the crew on HELLY HANSEN.

"It was really fun to figure out how to sail the boat. Right up to the last race we were working on tuning and experimenting with techniques," said Healy, a J/24 World Champion who was making his J/70 debut. "We went out early every morning and tinkered with sail trim and rig tune. We made progress every day and the crew worked very hard at fine-tuning every maneuver."

After a slow start the first day, Healy's team took a top 15 position with a 23-14 after the first day of sailing and simply worked harder than anybody to put together ten straight races mostly in the top three, winning five of them.  It was an impressive debut for a long-time J/24 sailor, especially since this was Tim's first "sportboat" event, learning the ropes on the fly especially downwind on how to simply sail faster.  Everyone else was right there with him on steep, steep learning curves figuring out how to start, how to round marks with their newfound crew members and how to get going fast upwind and downwind in the planing conditions the fleet saw for four of the five days.

Chasing Healy all week was past Key West J/105 and J/80 Champion, Brian Keane on his renowned SAVASANA.  Like Healy, he also had a slow start out of the blocks on the first day, posting an equally impressive 15-25, a near mirror image of Healey's first day exploits.  Gotta love it, eh?  However, loving the breezier conditions as Keane often does (former College Single-handed Champion in Lasers, too), he and the SAVASANA crew took off and posted nine top 5 results!  Behind them from Ft Worth Boat Club in Texas was the team of Loring/ Pasquinelli sailing STAMPEDE who also shared a similar pattern to the other two leaders.  Starting off the first day with a blistering 18-33, the STAMPEDE boys shook off the cobwebs and sailed to mostly top 5 finishes for the next ten races to snag third for the regatta.  Rounding out the top five were Peter Duncan and Juddie Smith sailing RELATIVE OBSCURITY finishing 4th and first day leader, Dave Ullman and Tommie Lihan, sailing TEAM 69 to fifth overall.  Notably, class newcomer Bob Hughes (of J/35 and Farr 40 Heartbreaker fame) sailed his J/70 HEARTBREAKER to sixth place, just 6 pts out of 4th overall, the difference unfortunately being an OCS and RDG that materially affected his chances for a top three finish.

For the first time, a Corinthian Class was also sailed for by the purely amateur boats and the competition was hot in this grouping.  David Franzel (Somerville, MA), Founder and Executive Director of the Boston Sailing Center, captured the Corinthian portion of J/70 class sailing his boat SPRING and finished 8th overall in the main fleet.  Just behind him in 9th overall and 2nd in Corinthians was the brother team of Blake & Lud Kimbrough sailing NOSTALGIA from Newport, RI.  Finishing third in Corinthians and 14th overall was Bryan Elliott and David Hyer on B-SQUARED.  Thanks for the contribution from Craig Leweck/ Scuttlebutt.

Sailing World's Dave Reed Interviews of the winners:
Tim Healy- http://www.sailingworld.com/videos/all/2013-quantum-key-west-tim-healy-interview
Tim's Tricks for boat-prep- http://www.sailingworld.com/videos/all/healys-j70-tips
Dave Franzel- http://www.sailingworld.com/videos/all/2013-quantum-key-west-dave-franzel-interview

Sailing photo credits:
Onne Vanderwal- vanderwal.com
Tim Wilkes- timwilkes.com

For more J/70 Midwinters/ Quantum Key West sailing information