Russian Federation Cup Sailing J/80s In Canary Islands!

(Lanzarote, Canary Islands)- The leadership of the Russian Sailing Federation are again hosting their famous Federation Cup in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, sailing J/80 one-designs from November 3rd to 10th, 2013.  Anywayanyday.com company is the general sponsor. The organizers of the competition are RUS7 sports club and the racing will take place out of the first-class marina - Puerto Calero, which is a technical partner in the Cup.

Since 2010, the "Fed Cup" has been sailed in the J/80 offered by the local Lanzarote J/80 Fleet, the event has established itself as the best regatta for Russian Sailing Federation members and has become the principal event on the sailing calendar for dozens of sailors. The success of the regatta is guaranteed by several factors- fun boats to sail; perfect time of year to sail in Lanzarote with big breezes, big waves and plentiful sunshine; the high quality of the sailing teams; a combination of fleet racing and team racing offers something for everyone; the presence of the leading officials of the Russian sailing community; and the spectacular location of the five-star hotel Hesperia Lanzarote overlooking the waterfront and the sailing area!

The spirited competition on the water with past Russian Olympic Sailing Team members, veteran Russian professional sailors as well as novice sailors first learning the ropes of how to get a J/80 around the race track make for lively discussions during the evening social festivities and, especially, at the famous "fish barbecue" (one of the most popular dinner party events of the week!).

For more information on the Fed Cup please visit http://www.rus7.org.  For more Fed Cup sailing information, please contact Alla Frolova- Tel. +79185565984, email-frolova@valars.ru or email- alla.frolova@anywayanyday.com

The J/Boats "Impact" Developing Sailing Markets Worldwide

(Liuzhou, Guangxi Province, China)- Developing recreational sports in countries such as China has always been a challenge.  The economies in these developing countries have been in booms, the wealth has come in to the households, but the people do not have the background and knowledge that developed nations have had to really enjoy the boating life.  Lack of swimming, fear of water and lack of good instruction are all real things that need to be addressed before you can even get new sailors on the water.  Riviera Liuzhou Yacht Club in Guangxi Province, China has a formula that is working. This location is in the heart of China, 5 hours from any coastline-- not the location most would think would see the largest growth of new keel boat sailors in Asia.

Two years ago, Mr. He and Frank Lin of Liuzhou had the idea of starting a club. They pushed the local government for access to get things started. With docks completed in October of 2011 they hosted their first national Masters Cup Regatta with 14 new club-owned International J/80 one-designs.  Not really knowing what they were up against, they were smart to bring in some help to organize and run the event. In the spring of 2012 they hosted another Masters Cup Regatta.  They invited sailors from around China, Hong Kong and Singapore; as a result most of the Asian sailing world began to understand where Liuzhou was located and its promise for opportunity.  But, this did little for local sailing. As we all know, local sailing is the key to growth.

In the Summer of 2012, Jim Johnstone started working with Liuzhou to help them train the instructors to establish the sailing program and help them create some local teams to compete in other events around China. As of June 2012 there were a handful of instructors that had sailed before this program started.

With many days on the water practicing and several local companies taking instruction from the club, the first base of sailors was generated and the instructors continued to improve their skills. Liuzhou won the China Club Match Challenge and was also 5th out of the 28 team fleet.  Recently, Liuzhou sailors were 4th in the China Cup and 1st in the Round Hainan Regatta in Sanya (the "Hawaii" of China, its southernmost island resort where the 2012 Volvo Ocean Race stop-over was hosted). The Liuzhou sailing team then went on to compete in Qingdao where they placed 1st in 8 out of the 9 races. With many more events scheduled for 2013, Liuzhou is a city that other teams are worried about competing against!  That's a remarkable transformation for what many thought were "farmers" in the outback of China!

What was still missing was local racing going into 2013. With 14 boats available the club went out to the students that had taken lessons and pushed for each of the sailors that had some background to sign up for a boat and bring friends that didn't have any knowledge but wanted to learn. An 8 week Sunday series was born with all 14 boats signed up.  Sailing was simple windward-leeward courses with spinnakers and a goal of 5 races per afternoon between 1pm and 3:30pm.  Prior to racing there was a 30 minutes instructional class that would cover whatever topic the fleet seemed to need the most from the previous weekend (spinnaker handling tips, rules lessons, basic tactics, sportsmanship etc).

One important rule was that a club member had to be on each boat. However, the club has two memberships. An associate membership that allowed limited use of club boats and access to the docks or the full membership that would allow full access including the club house that is not completed yet. Membership is important not only for showing growth but to cover the people under the club insurance policy.

Each Sunday, the Riviera Yacht Club gets 70 to 90 new sailors showing up to compete in these races. None of the trained instructors were allowed to sail in any of the boats and coaching was provided on the water with two inflatable crash boats. However, instruction was limited to the following: a) coaching the last two place boats if they fall behind the fleet and b) on-the-water judging to help people with the rules and keep the damage to a minimum.

The race committee was also keeping things simple: Postponement flag, individual recall flag and general recall flags along with a race committee flag were all that were used. Three minute dinghy starts were used so no sailors needed a stop watch. 2 minutes after the last boat finishes the next start would sound. Only windward leeward courses, but depending on the wind, the distance would change. The race committee had the ability to limit sails in conditions of higher winds. No spinnakers, even no jibs were used at different times to make sure that the overall group was capable of managing the boats around the course and keep it fun.

Whether you are racing Cowes Race Week, Yachting Cup, Key West Race Week, China Cup or any of the other events around the world it is very difficult to imagine so many inexperienced people out racing at one time.  If you are in Newport or Hong Kong you may have several new boats to a fleet but most of the boats have a veteran or experienced sailor as part of the crew. They may not be good, but there is someone on the boat with experience.  The J/80 being a very forgiving sailing platform, the protected river environment allow Liuzhou to pull this off more then some of the other exposed sailing areas.

Thanks to the foresight of the Riviera Yacht Club owners for getting this program started and we look forward to seeing this success spread in developing sailing areas around the world.  If anyone wants more information or advice about these types of sailing development programs worldwide, please contact J/Boats- info@jboats.com or ph. +1-401-846-8410.

SAIL FIRST Sponsors ISAF Youth Worlds!

(Limassol, Cyprus)- Recently, Giannos Photiou, President of the Cyprus Sailing Federation, announced that SAIL FIRST has come on board as the title sponsor of the 2013 ISAF Youth Worlds and, in a difficult financial climate in the country, extended his special thanks to the company for their financial support.

With 358 sailors from 55 countries set to compete in Limassol Photiou said, "The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship is one of the greatest sports events ever to be held in Cyprus and it is characterized as a small sailing Olympiad for ISAF Youth Sailors."

SAIL FIRST, based in the harbor of Paphos on the western end of Cyprus (the island itself is in the far eastern Mediterranean), have a fleet of 10 fully-equipped J/80s to make on-water activities available to those who want to get out sailing.  They organize and manage events at any level, including fleet, match and team racing events for both yacht clubs and corporate events.

With a full-time staff based in Paphos Harbour, Cyprus including two RIBs, racing buoys, and judging and technical support, it's simply a phone call/ email to SAIL FIRST to enjoy a weekend/ week-long event of sailing on the gorgeous eastern Mediterranean-- all year long with great winds, too!  Plus, you can be one-design racing with less than four hour flights from London, Frankfurt, Paris, Moscow and other EU cities and stay in 3-5 star hotels on the island! No need to live in cramped charter-boat cabins! Plus, it's a very convenient "two in one" holiday-- one with the family and the other-- your participation in the regatta!  For more SAIL FIRST J/80 one-design fleet sailing information

J/80 BlueProject Sailing Italy!

(Lavagna, Italy)- Team-building and leadership development on J/80s on the sunny, warm Mediterranean?  Yes, it can be done.  Michele Rayneri at BLUEPROJECT SAILING ITALY has this to offer to fellow J/80 sailors and fellow J sailing enthusiasts in the corporate world:

"Dear J friends and enthusiasts,  warm greetings from Michele Rayneri- At BLUEPROJECT, we are passionate about sailing and we have been in the business of getting people out on the water for many years.  Our fleet is made up of  nine J/80 one-design sailboats and our team is extremely experienced and has gained experience in very important international regattas.

BLUEPROJECT sees sailing as a vital corporate event and provides tailored programs: professional coaching, instruction, and innovative team building, incentive and leadership development programs.

We are dedicated to actively promoting sailing at all levels through clinics, lectures and events and, in particular, improving sailing performance on keelboats by sailing the J/80.

Our team teaches the basics of sailing whilst working as a team including: navigation, sail trimming, boat handling skills, how to work and communicate together whilst also providing team building games. Individually, each team member benefits with improving: decision making, communication, leadership skills, being part of a team, self-confidence the need to build a strong, competitive and winning spirit!

BLUEPROJECT is situated in Port of Lavagna (Genoa), but we can organize events with our J/80s all over the Mediterranean Sea.  Lavagna is an ancient seaside village, a hidden treasure and great destination for everyone enjoying a yacht rental holiday along the Italian Riviera.  Lavagna is situated in the wonderful Gulf of Tigullio, between Portofino and Sestri Levante and not far from Genoa, Montecarlo and France. It is one of the most beautiful gulfs in Italy and offers facilities and situation for excellent sailing.

The coast is a sequence of marvelous villages with their marinas, pastel-coloured houses, first-rate sports facilities and the fashionable atmosphere of "la Dolce Vita".  The beauty of the seascapes, the intense blue of the sea and the green mountains are breathtaking.

In Lavagna there are good sea food restaurants, quality beaches and a medieval, charming town centre.  A yachting vacation to the Italian Riviera can definitely be made much more enjoyable and a lot of fun with BLUEPROJECT.  For more info please visit- http://www.blueprojectsailing.it   Or, call mobile +39 335 8093904 or email- ivanaquattrini@concepteventi.it

J/80 in Barcelona Sailing School

(Barcelona, Spain)- Sailing director, Eva Piulats, says "We're opening a new sailing school in Barcelona...the novelty is that we have a beautiful J-35 in our fleet along with J/80 sailboats! We are proud to have such a performance boat for sail-training."

Furthermore, Eva says, "As founder of the brand new company "Barcelona Sailing School", I have a background in sciences in my early ages and then more than a decade of sailing experience in several seas and countries. And from the beginning, I had the chance to work with the dealer of J-Boats in Spain, Mr. Pedro Egea, manager of the company Catamaran Center SL & Yate Center. He made me love J-Boats by sailing them and I was clearly set up for the decision.

So, when I wanted to turn my career into another field and be devoted to training, I decided to focus on J-Boats. We planned to use J-35 for offshore regattas and preparing skippers to cruise on their own. We also offer other activities in J-80 for day-sailing!"  For more Barcelona Sailing School information- L'Equip de Xaloc

J/80 French Teams- Sportboat + Training Regatta

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The J/80 teams in France are starting to dial-up their training programs for 2012 with a focus to get all boats up to speed in time for the early start of the J/80 Worlds in Dartmouth, England in June.

For the second weekend of training, seven enthusiastic teams showed up for a combined weekend of training on Saturday with a Sportboat Regatta on Sunday.

Saturday's sailing was simply fabulous.  Under a wind veering north-northeast from 6-12 knots, flat water and glorious sunshine, the fleet practiced sailing maneuvers and then worked on various starting situations.   At the end of the session, the skippers and crew met for a debrief with their coach and speaker Walter Arnaud (winner of a Spi Ouest France in J/80).  A video of the day is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlblKR75rlQ

The Sportboat Regatta on Sunday was excellent training for all the crews.  Three windward-leeward races were held in a wind veering north-northeast 4-10 knots under sunny skies.  In the end, the top three J/80s were 1st SENJI, 2nd J-VENTURE and 3rd GREEN RIBBON.  To learn more or participate in the final training weekend email- arnoskipper@yahoo.fr  For more J/80 Challenge Sportboat Regatta sailing information   For more J/80 France Sailing Photo galleries

SAIL Magazine- One-Design Best Around the Buoys

(Boston, MA)- SAIL's Best Around the Buoys is a grass-roots racing initiative to reward one-design sailors for their team's performance at the local racing level and encourage racers to set a goal of racing on the national level. One team will be selected based on its local-sailing resume and will earn a free entry to Quantum Key West Race Week, Jan 16–20, 2012, on board a race-ready J/80.

Best Around the Buoys Highlights are the following:
- Winning team earns regatta entry, housing, dockage, entry in the J/80 class at Quantum Key West Race Week (airfare not included)
- J/80 well-equipped by industry partners
- New suit of North racing sails
- Go-fast bottom paint job supplied by Pettit
- Hardware and team kit by Harken Yacht Equipment

To enter, fill in the information at the link below.  Include your 2011 Race Resume (minimum 3 one-design events) and a 200-word maximum essay on why you think your team is ready to compete at Quantum Key West Race Week.  Just one entry per team (crew of 4). Entries close Oct 19th, winner announced in November.   SAIL Magazine Best Around Buoys J/80 information

  

J/80 China Winter Series

(Xiamen, China)-  There was light air this weekend, but no lack of turnout again for the second week of racing.  With 8 boats on the water and over 50 people attending to help with committee or sail, things have been going very well.  Since the overall participants in many cases have not sailed J/80's before, the first two weeks of light air have allowed teams to start to figure out the best ways of handling the asymmetrical spinnaker sets, jibes and take downs.  

We had two races and tried to get a third but lack of wind lead to abandoning the last race.  Boat #6 driven by Jacky Chen showed consistent first place finishes to win the day.  I must say that it is great to see so many kids joining the sailing.  Last week we had Laura and Phil Harvey with 4 small kids on board and this week we had Alain and Sacha Vermeulen and Pieter van der Plas sailing with their kids.  You will notice from the photo that the kids are driving when they got 2nd in the first race.  

I am glad to see that everyone is having a great time.  We have changed the schedule a little to help with the holiday travel schedule.  We will be racing Dec. 19th, Jan. 9th, Jan 16th, Jan. 23rd and finishing on Jan. 30th.  We are keeping track of the overall score but it is good for people to realize that this is just for fun and that we are all out just bettering out sailing ability.  I look forward to seeing everyone this weekend, We will be trying to get the first start off at 1:30pm sharp if we have breeze this weekend so don't get too far from the starting area.   

Zen Sailing by Lee Carlson- J/80 Sailor

* Now and Zen-  We sail for a lot of different reasons.  Some people like to win races, but they don’t even really like the pure act of sailing.  Some people never win a race in their life, but they just love being out the water.  Then, there are those of us for whom sailing can become an act of personal salvation.  Lee Carlson has an excellent story to tell about how sailing gave him back his life through his book “Passage to Nirvana”.

You can read the whole version of the events in Lee’s life that led up to his need to write this book, but the short version is that a culmination of some pretty negative things – a nasty divorce, his mother falling down a flight of stairs and dying, topped off by being hit by a car and sustaining a traumatic brain injury – gave the net result of his book. Somehow, Lee found the resolve to recover his life and did so largely because of the support of his fiancé Meg, and their boat, aptly named “Nirvana”.  Toss in some Zen, and you have a book not so much about Lee’s life, but lessons that can be applied universally.  Here’s a quick Q & A with a guy who has had more than his share of bad luck, but who has also had the good fortune to have the ability to turn it around.  Scot Tempesta at Sailing Anarchy did one of his famous "SA InnerViews" with Lee--- here's the intro, you gotta read the rest.  Absolutely amazing and inspiring story.

SA - What is your background in sailing?  Where, and on what, have you sailed?

Lee - I was born on the Navy base in San Diego when my father was on a destroyer there. I started sailing soon after I was born, going out with he and my mother in a Star. I grew up at the Buffalo Canoe Club on Lake Erie. I raced with some of the top Lightning sailors in the world, and I also raced the usual and not-so-usual assortment of dinghies and small keelboats: Tech Dinghies, Lasers, 420's, 470's, Albacores, Sharks, J24's. Then I graduated to larger keelboats: Ted Hood's fantastic centerboard one tonner “Abino Robin”,  an Ericson 39 “Warlock” on Lake Erie and LIS, Eight-Meters on Lake Ontario (changing headsails in the middle of the night in freezing 8-ft. seas while clinging to a knife-edge bow with no lifelines is not something one ever forgets), and other bigger custom keelboats. Those were the days of the SORC and I raced on the maxi Windward Passage, on a mini-maxi that was a Doyle team boat, as well as racing captain of a Dubois 46 and as crew on assorted other boats. I also cruised fairly extensively, first on my family's Islander 37 on the Great Lakes, with a few charters in the Caribbean. My father bought part ownership of a 34-footer with a family in Miami, and we used to do family vacations in the Bahamas, before the drug scene got too bad. For my honeymoon my wife and I bareboated in the Virgins. When I moved to New York City to become a magazine editor, I raced a number of different boats on Long Island Sound, such as an Evelyn 32. Before my accident I was crewing regularly on a J/80.   Read the rest of Scot's SA InnerView here.   For the book, you can get it here.

  

Lady's Sailing Team- France J/80

You have to check out this cute blog from a remarkable group of women sailing in France.  This year, this "Lady's Sailing Team" fielded three entries for the 32nd SPI OUEST France! They certainly enjoyed the sailing and the camaraderie socializing with many new friends in La Trinite Sur Mer, the beautiful seaside town that hosts this enormous regatta.  In this photo are- Moana, Pauline, Tara,  Allyson, Cecil-- these gals all raced in the 2010 SPI OUEST J/80 class.  Based on this level of enthusiasm racing their J/80s, it's no wonder French women are the leaders in the ISAF Women's Match Race rankings. Read more about their team and approach to sailing here (all French, but Google Translate does an OK translation).   Lady's Sailing Team- SPI OUEST report.      Lady's Sailing Team Blog.  

Spanish J/80s Miss Volcano Cloud

(Spain)- With the ash cloud hanging heavy over northern Europe and severely curtailing outdoor activities, the Spanish fleet of J/80s enjoyed good racing off their Mediterranean coastlines in Palma (see above), Santander and Bilbao.  In the Santander J/80 fleet, they're racing for the MAQUCHE TROPHY and FONESTAR raced by Jaime Piris, Alfredo Portilla, Carlos Bats and Bryan Lee continue to be the leader in the overall standings, winning four straight races against a thirty boat fleet! Second is LUPA skippered by Adrian Zamacona and third the MABLE V sailed by Oriol.   Photo credit- Jesus Renedo

In the Bilbao J/80 fleet, the Basques were racing for their Spring Trophy on a perfect day for sailing, sunny, clear with a fresh northeast wind around 15-18 knots creating surfable one meter waves.  José Azqueta with GUIDE VIII continues to lead with 11 points ahed of Meda Diego's SUMINAM and 15 points ahead of Ibon Basanez's JET SET. Next Saturday will be the second day of the championship.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing information. 

Hublot Palmavela Regatta

Tres Amigos, Tres Campiones

(Palma de Mallorca, Spain)- If there is any place on Earth that comes close to a sailing paradise, Palma surely has to be on the list with its spectacular geography, great sailing on the bay and beautiful, historic town anchored by the skyscraping Santa Maria cathedral.  The mountainous ridge along the NW portion of Mallorca creates a reasonably reliable sea breeze from the WSW.  No wonder Palma's town and harbors are favorites of super yachts and sailors alike for centuries, or why photographers like Jesus Renedo (featured here), that call Palma "home", consider it one of the most spectacular places to shoot sailboats in the world.

The first big event of the sailing season for Palma is the Hublot Palmavela and it's considered one of the best of the year, often because of the spectacular spring sailing conditions with bright, crystal blue skies.  This year's seventh edition lived up to those expectations, with skies made even clearer with no European air traffic due to Iceland's volcanic ash cloud over northern Europe.

The J/80 fleet had twenty-two entries, attracting a star-studded cast of sailors that included two former J/80 World Champions, Jose Maria Torcida and Ignacio Camino, from 2007 and 2008, respectively.  According to Jesus, "it was an incredibly tight fleet to watch and, to our joy, one of the WALLY super yacht owners, Thomas Bascher, left his Wally 100 footer OPEN SEASON to have loads of fun racing one-design in J/80s."

After two beautiful days of sailing, it was hard to hold the ex-World Champions and the Spanish National champions off the podium.  At the end, it was Martinez on PERALEJA GOLF that set the standard with just twelves points!  Camino on NEXTEL finished second with thirty one points, just beating his fellow World Champion Torcida sailing ECC VIVIENDAS who finished third with thirty five points.  Photo Credits- Jesus Renedo.  For more J/80 Sailing results.  For more Palmavela sailing and regatta information  

J/80 Wins Asia's ABMA Sportboat Class Award

(Shanghai, China)- The awards and enthusiasm for the J/80 class continue to roll in, a phenomenal achievement for the world's largest ISAF International sportboat class and a boat first designed in 1993 to grow the sportboat revolution worldwide.  This past week, the Asia Boat Marine Association voted on the "Best Sportboat for Asia", a category that had a slew of other well-known sportboats competing.  The J/80 received five of ten votes while its erstwhile competitors received only one or two votes each!  The four reasons mentioned by the ABMA Committee that strongly influenced the voters were:
    * New Hong Kong Fleet
    * Use of the J/80 in the Asian Games
    * Production in Xiamen
    * Overall an all-around performer meeting the sportboat and daysailing requirements.
For more information on the ABMA Sportboat Sailing Awards  

Race Charter J/80s At J/World San Diego

J/80 North American and J/80 World Championships are just around the corner right here in the US and J/80 sailing is gearing up from Coast to Coast. J/World San Diego recently entered four J/80s into the San Diego NOOD Regatta, adding to the class totaling 12 competitive boats. Bring your crew to San Diego and tune up for the season and big races this fall. Yachting Cup 2010

is coming up the first weekend in May. J/World San Diego is offering individual positions as well as full boat charters for the regatta. Contact us for more information at info@jworldsandiego.com or http://www.jworldsandiego.com  

BMW Sailing Cup 2010 in J/80 One-Designs

BMW Wins Sports Marketing Award

(Munich, Germany)- BMW won this years Sports Marketing Award in Munich with the BMW Sailing Cup Series on J/80s,  one of the most coveted prizes in the sports business industry.  It is quite an honor for BMW to be the winner of this award in Europe's biggest sports business conference- the Congress of ISPO SpoBiS held this year in Germany.  BMW decided earlier this winter to continue the series with the International J/80 One-Design fleet.  As a result, BMW will prepare their eight J/80s for the new season that starts in May with 14 events at different locations all over Germany in 2010.

The project, known last year as "SAILING CUP 2009", by the Bavarian car maker BMW has now established itself as the world's largest amateur regatta series.  According to the results of the online vote in Germany, it has BMW demonstrating that its marketing efforts with J/Boat's International J/80 Class in Germany is an ideal way to combine the positive images of the yachting experience with sales/CRM measures that measure impact on auto sales.

Manfred Bräunl, Marketing Manager for BMW of Germany: "We are delighted with the award. We are, with the BMW Sailing Cup, on a successful path and our commitment to yachting continues in the future. In the field of yachting, BMW can take the opportunity to demonstrate our technological competence and we can also share common values such as teamwork, innovation and high-tech to be experienced. Sailors and sailing enthusiasts are already looking forward to sailing the J/80s in the BMW Sailing Cup 2010."

The BMW Sailing Cup, which goes into its fifth season in 2010, has been an inspiration to the sailing community around the world.  Promoted under the slogan "pleasure is sailing" it has attracted sailors from around the world, including teams from Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.  BMW has established with the BMW Sailing Cup Regatta series for a sport boaters. Every year more than 1,200 sailing enthusiasts are participating in the event.  BMW has a long tradition in yachting and is a premium partner and presenter of major sailing events: Since 2002, BMW has been involved actively in international yachting and the America's Cup as a partner in the Team BMW ORACLE Racing.

For this year's qualifying regattas, the BMW Sailing Cup is handled by a combination of the local BMW dealer organization and a local sailing club.

TOUR CALENDAR 2010
May 1-2- Leipzig, Cospuden, Leipzig branch
May 8-9- Hamburg, Elbe, Office Hamburg
May 15-16- Northeim, Northeim Big Lake, Autohaus Leinetal
May 29-30- Munster, Lake Aa, Autohaus Hakvoort

For more BMW and J/80 Sailing Cup information.

  

World Match Race Champions Racing J/80s

Current World Match Racing Champion, Kiwi Adam Minoprio, will be racing J/80s in the Match Race France Regatta from April 6-11 in Marseilles.  Adam's signed on to Team New Zealand as understudy to Dean Barker.  It's Adam's unflappable nature that has earned him the call up from Grant Dalton to be Dean Barker's side-kick in Team New Zealand's two-boat development programme for the next America's Cup. "For Adam it's how fast is he, because you can be able to match race, but on these boats Dean's instinctively fast, there's only a few that are fast," says Grant Dalton.  "I'd like to think I'm fast enough. I've been sailing a long time, I'm always learning and I think I've got what it takes to make one of those Cup boats go fast," says Minoprio. At 24, Minoprio is the reigning world match racing champion, set to defend his title on the eight month long World Match Racing Tour circuit with his team Black Match Racing. First event is Match Race France in Marseille to be held in J/80s on April 6 - 11, 2010."  Time to prove you can beat the world's best on a J/80.  A boat that is sailed fast by many, many people worldwide- French, Spanish, Germans, Belgians, Americans, British.  Good on ya mate...master these like other J Champions before you (Ken Read, Ed Baird, Terry Hutchinson, Chris Larson, Dave Curtis, Brad Read, Eddie Warden-Owen, Francesco D'Angelis, to name just a few) and the "big ride" could be yours! Good luck!   

Become Better J/80 Sailors?

If so, suggests Peter Sundelin, former Olympic medalist and experienced J/80-sailor, you sail Lasers four days at Svartlöga, Sweden! He says that sailing and boat-handling dinghies like Lasers are the foundation to be able to sail all types of boats. In a dinghy, you get immediate response when you are doing right and wrong. Training is intensive and provides quick results.

Says Peter, "On Svartlöga we have 10 top well-equipped Lasers. We lend any personal equipment you need, wet suit, hanging trousers, shoes, etc. Several J/80-sailors have also been with us at Svartlöga. Happy to hear from them, you'll hear what they thought about the workout!  On 17-20 June, we have a course that focuses on racing. You who want to participate on the course, must be comfortable with the laser. The situations we are experiencing on the track in a J/80 in a day, you will meet in half an hour in a Laser."

You can read more on Peter Sundelin's website - http://www.sundelin.org.

Or, for more J/80 Sweden sailing info.  

J/80s Spain Report

(Feb. 17th)- The Spanish J/80 teams press on regardless of wind, weather, European Ice Age and anything else that may be thrown in front of them.  This past weekend was no exception.  Of note were the training sessions conducted by past J/80 World and European Champions, highlighted by the participation of Murciano Carlos Martinez (3rd in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain and 3rd in the 2008 Worlds at Kiel, Germany), the Spaniard Jose Maria Torcida (2007 World Champion in La Trinité, France and 6th in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain).

RCNB Winter Trophy 

(Barcelona, Spain)- This past weekend, Real Club Nautico Barcelona conducted six races in excellent wind conditions- shifty fifteen knot winds from the southwest.  The RC PRO setup a nice 3.5 nautical mile windward leeward course.  Jordi Negroni won two of the three races Saturday while FORTY FIVE, skippered by Richard Terrades, continued to dominate the rest of the races. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

Castro Ricardo III Trophy

(La Coruna, Spain)- This past weekend saw the start of the Castro Ricardo III Trophy for the J/80 class, hosted by Real Club Náutico de La Coruña.  The fleet was greeted by two solid days of racing with widely varying conditions.  On Saturday, it blew hard from the NE at 20-25 knots and two fun, fast races were sailed.  Ultimately, it was a dogfight between MELTEMIA skippered by Fernando Lago, MARINA CORUNA skippered by Paul Chavert and IN ITINERIES skippered by Miguel Fernandez.  Miguel Fernandez sailed well on the final downwind leg of the last race to win.  On Sunday, it started light from the south at 6-7 knots, but later built to a gusty 20-23 knot winds, testing the crews again in large choppy seas and shifty breezes.  Overall the J/80s are led by MELTEMI followed by IN INITNERIES and MARINA CORUNA.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

J/80 RCN Clinic a Success

(La Coruna, Spain- Feb. 8th)- There was a lot of intense activity at Real Club Náutico de La Coruña during the past weekend with the celebration of "CLINICA CORUNNA J/80."  RCNLC hosted this training for the local J/80 fleet.  Renowned J/80 sailors were invited to conduct the clinic, including Murciano Carlos Martinez (3rd in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain and 3rd in the 2008 Worlds at Kiel, Germany), the Spaniard Jose Maria Torcida (2007 World Champion in La Trinité, France and 6th in the 2009 Worlds in Santander, Spain) and Peru Bilbaino Mugica. At 1030 hours the J80s began with a lecture-panel led by Carlos Martinez, on the set-up and speed for J/80s. When finished, the crews got aboard their J/80s for a very constructive on-the-water training session.  Each of the guest coaches sailed on the boats with their owners and crew, focusing on boat-handling and boat speed. Upon returning to the club from these on-the-water sessions, everyone analyzed training videos of the day, examined the pictures, always striving to improve tuning, speed and maneuvering.  The day ended with a dinner where sailors and guests continued their discussions of the tips and trick learned from the days' training session. For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.

J/80 Lacre Memorial Trophy

(Santander, Spain)- This past weekend, Toño Piris-Santi Lopez-Vazquez onboard YATES & THINGS continued their winning ways in the J/80 Santander fleet, they continue to lead the Lacre Memorial Trophy series.  Not to be outdone, Pichu Torcida-Alex Muscat sailing ECC VIVIENDAS got the win in the second race of the day was the best boat of the day and is second overall.  True to the determination of the Santander sailors, the freezing cold did not deter the twenty five crews from going to the starting line.  The teams were greeted by a moderate southwest breeze blowing 8-10 knots, which permitted the RC to conduct two races.  After some spirited racing that saw boats play both sides of the course and shifts influenced by the renowned "Moors" section of grassy beach off Santander (see J/Sailing Calendar photo), the teams are looking forward to more racing next weekend.  Lying third after the dust settled is FONESTART sailed by Jaime Piris, fourth is SPACIO 10 raced by Paul Santurde and fifth is BANCAJA sailed by Javier López-Vázquez and Alvaro Mazarrasa.  For more Spanish J/80 sailing info.  

J/80s and J/World Annapolis Partner with USSTAG/GEL Sailing Program

* J/80s at J/World Annapolis were used for a USSTAG/ GEL program with US Olympian Graham Biehl.  Donna Berry from GEL had this to say about the program-  "I wanted to share the following sailing story with you involving the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, sailing experiential learning company Group Experiential Learning, J World Annapolis and Olympian Graham Biehl.

It’s not every day that one gets to meet an Olympic sailor, let alone race with one.  On February 4, 2010 in Naples, Fla., AlphaGraphics, the title sponsor of the US Sailing Team, took its sponsorship to the next level with a pioneering event that intertwined world-class sailing with corporate relationship building.   AlphaGraphics brought its top franchisees out to sail and race with US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) team member Graham Biehl, a 2008 Olympian and 2012 Olympic hopeful, in an event organized by fellow sponsor, Group Experiential Learning (GEL), the country’s premier provider of experiential outdoor and sailboat-based leadership development, team building and corporate entertainment programs.  Ninety-five percent of the participants had never sailed, let alone raced, prior to the afternoon on the home waters of the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club, but tight racing ensued, facilitated by a highly experienced coaching team from J World Annapolis, a sailing school partner which powers many GEL programs.   Participants were divided into four teams on J80s, with each team guest-coached by Biehl during one round of the four races which comprised the regatta.

“Our role as a title sponsor of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics has really evolved into a greater and greater relationship year-after-year,” said Kevin Cushing, CEO of AlphaGraphics.  “Our event was a great example of how the members of the team are more engaged with our franchisees and our franchisees are engaged with them.  Graham Biehl was present on every boat giving us tips and having a blast with our franchisees.  It was a once-in-a-life experience.”  

Added Dan Cooney, Commercial Director for US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, "We were thrilled to have our team-building partner GEL lead our title sponsor AlphaGraphics and their top franchisees through the paces on the water, culminating in some competitive but friendly racing.  It serves to deepen and add value to these relationships."

The day’s outcome?  Sixteen key franchisees and AlphaGraphics employees experienced an unprecedented opportunity to compete with and against a young Olympic athlete, and got a glimpse into the teamwork required to battle wind, currents and competitors in the intense world of sailboat racing.  Several teams won individual races and the regatta did award trophies, but as Kevin Cushing pointed out, the victories are truly measured in the smiles of the participants and the deepened relationships between AlphaGraphics and its vital franchisees.  

The J/80 Mafias Trophy- Spain

SPACIO 10, ECC VIVIENDAS, YATES&THINGS Win

(Santander, Spain- Feb 6-7)-  On the final day of the first trophy of the year, Pichu Torcida continued his winning ways from the 2009 season.  Pichu's ECC VIVIENDAS sailed extremely well, winning two races on the last day, to finish just two points back from Mafias Trophy winner, Paul Santurde on SPACIO 10.  SPACIO 10 consistently led the series, despite not winning any races.  And, thanks to an extraordinarily consistent series of 2-2-2-2 in the first four races, Santurde managed to hang in there for the overall win.

Like their friends in Bilbao, heavy rain in the afternoon on Saturday in Santander Bay did not stop to the fleet from having an interesting day of racing.  There was high tide, the wind blew between 15 and 18 knots from the west, and the race committee managed to run five races.  There were 22 boats on the starting line.  Unusually, the fleet went right the first time, without needing to have to repeat the same tactic later in the day.  In later races, the fleet was distributed equally throughout the race course. Some sought more favorable tide, some surfed the channel area of the bay and others simply played the left side, sailing further south. 

While ECC VIVIENDAS was winning the last two races, SPACIO 10 was wrapping up the series with a solid performance.  With their fourth consecutive second place, Santurde's SPACIO 10 secured winning the Mafias Trophy.  Antonio Piris sailed his YATES&THINGS very well to finish third for the series, followed by Alberto Padron's MABLE V and Jamie Piris' FONESTAR in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Next weekend the Santander J/80 fleet starts the Waxy-Memorial de Antonio Pereda Trophy during the month of February.  More Spanish sailing news.