Glorious Warsash Spring Championship!

(Warsash, England)- It was a busy weekend for Warsash Sailing Club on 20th/21st April with racing on both days for the Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Championship and the fifth Sunday of the Spring Series. Perhaps the warmer weather had enticed new entries on the water, resulting in 150 boats ready to enjoy a busy programme of racing. Over the weekend, the race officers ran 40 separate races - a challenging but rewarding time all round.

Saturday- Spring Championship Day 1
The Spring Championship offers an intense schedule of four days’ racing, with no discards allowed.   White Group includes classes for J/70 and J/80.

Although the day dawned with the River Hamble resembling a millpond, everyone was pleased to see the wind fill in and racing got underway without delay.

White Group completed three good races between 40 and 50 minutes in length before the wind faded away and PRO Peter Knight called it a day amidst requests from competitors and race officers alike to enjoy a beer on the terrace in the sunshine. Information from ‘Bramble-Met’ confirmed this to be a good decision since there was a lull of well over an hour before any wind returned - too late for racing.  Betty (Jon Powell) won the first J/80 race with Juicy (Allan Higgs) 15 seconds astern. J’ai Deux Amours (Stewart Hawthorn) was a slender one second adrift in third place but returned in the second race to win. Betty came back on form for the third race.

Sunday- Spring Series Day 5,  Spring Championship Day 2
The weather was bright and sunny with a forecast south-westerly breeze set to build from 10 to 17 knots during the day. The Black Group committee boat set up station near Universal buoy using courses with an initial windward leg to Williams Shipping or West Knoll buoy. The plan was to offer a longer race well over two hours to the Spring Series competitors followed by a short race for those boats entered in the Spring Championship only. The conditions offered the best sailing in the series so far, only a few sunbeams short of champagne sailing – the champagne instead being presented after racing. Smaller boats needed to choose carefully to find clear air avoiding the  powerful IRC1 and IRC2 classes speeding downwind. Sundays in the Solent are also also busy with commercial traffic and the North Channel saw several shipping movements to avoid.

White Group enjoyed good sailing with a start near Meon. The moderate breeze remained fairly stable from the south-west necessitating only a single slight reorientation to the course to maintain good beats and runs.  Racing took place on a small neap tide which may have led boats into a false sense of security. Several had to take penalties after misjudging the tide at the windward mark. This had its effect on Betty which moved her from first boat at the end of Saturday to third overall on Sunday after six races in the J/80 Spring Championship. J’ai Deux Amours grabbed the opportunity to consolidate three wins.

J/80s are having a battle for second place while Stew Hawthorn sailing J'AI DEUX AMOURS is seemingly sailing away with the Spring Champs.  The next four boats, successively, include JUICY (Allan Higgs), BETTY (Jon Powell) and AQUA J (Patrick Liardet) and they're all within 7 pts of each other!  Exciting racing!  On the Spring Series side, Powell's BETTY is still ruling the roost and it's unlikely he'll get unseated from their throne atop the standings.  However, the battle is also for second place in the Series, with Gillian Ross' ROCK & ROLL and Allan Higgs' JUICY within 3 pts of each other, so anything goes in next weekend's finale.
Sailing photo credits- Iain McLuckie   For more Warsash Spring Series sailing information

J/80s Hong Kong Nation's Cup

(Hong Kong, China)-  The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Nations' Cup has already attracted 73 entries from 23 nations - many of whom will spend the days leading up to the event deciding what costumes to wear and what national delicacy to bring to the 'after-party'.  The race starts on Saturday, April 27th and the intent is to go "around the island" (Hong Kong, of course) as members of "national teams".

Crews are formed along the lines of nation of origin or allegiance. While the Nationality Criteria states that "100% of crew members must be nationals of the country which is represented by the boat they are racing on", the same criteria then go on to offer a multitude of different ways that a 'wannabe' can qualify - all the way down to representing a Nation in the Miss Universe Pageant.

Racing will feature a pursuit race following a simple course, starting in Victoria Harbour at Kellett Island and taking the fleet eastwards, out through Lei Yue Mun Gap, to a turning mark which will be selected to suit the prevailing weather conditions. Once around, the boats will re-enter the Harbour and, with a bit of cooperation from the wind gods, race back to the finish line at Kellett Island.

Coveted prizes include the right of the winning nation to place their flag on conspicuous display behind the Club's Main Bar until the 2014 race and, of course, the bragging rights that go with proving themselves to be "Champion Sailing Nation of The Year".

The first boat home in the inaugural event in 2011 was England, followed by Ireland, Australia, Sweden, Scotland and Japan. The 2012 edition had to be abandoned due to lack of wind and miserable weather conditions, however the 'after party' more than made up for any disappointment.

In addition to the fleet of one-design J/80s will be a raft of handicap-racing boats, including a J/111, J/105, J/109, J/92 and even J/24s!  More fun and games racing around Hong Kong Island!
For more Royal Hong Kong YC Nation's Cup sailing information

Poole Yacht Club Triumphs @ Inter Club Challenge Cup

(Southampton, England)- This past weekend, a team of young sailors from Poole Yacht Club has won the inaugural British Keelboat Academy Inter-Club Challenge Cup.

The event was hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club on behalf of the British Keelboat Academy, and aimed to get more young sailors out racing on yachts to increase the engagement of sailors, clubs and boat owners in the opportunities which the BKA is able to offer to support the development of young sailors.  The format is based on the best scores of two boat teams from each yacht club (one IRC boat and one J/80 team).

Poole Yacht Club's winning team the J/80 LAST CHANCE sailed by Chris Doe. Combined with her team-mate, their aggregate scores over three races was 13 pts.  Their score was enough to hold off the RORC team that included Nick Haigh's JAI DEUX AMOUR with on 18 points.

Some 80 young sailors took part in the event, all demonstrating great skill on the water to handle their boats in gusty conditions, with driving rain later in the day and the continuing unseasonably  cold weather not making things any easier.

Many of the sailors were new to this size of boats and were using this event as part of making the transition into keelboat racing. On some boats, the sailors were supported by more experienced older sailors on board, whilst several boats had been entrusted to a complete crew under the age of 25 - great testament to the skill of these young sailors.

Jim Macgregor, from Poole Yacht Club, summed up the event from their perspective: "It was the first time many of the Team had sailed a keelboat outside of Poole, so to visit the Solent and keep Teams from RORC, The Royal Yacht Squadron and The Royal Southern Yacht Club behind them was particularly satisfying and will have given their self-confidence a huge boost, further bolstering their enthusiasm to do more. The tough conditions encountered in getting the team boats from Poole to The Solent and back just added to the character building experience of the event. Bonding was further built by the youngsters being empowered to organise and run the campaign themselves, under the watchful eye of Chris Doe who, at 26, was by far the eldest of the 27 sailors (average age under 19).  Suffice to say the rest of the club was right behind the Team with support whenever it was needed. There can be no doubt that Poole YC's win and the networking experienced will have given them a whole new view on their future sailing plans and a will to apply for a position in the British Keelboat Academy."

After sailing, all participants were able to hear from an experienced panel about the opportunities at the top level of yacht racing. Current BKA squad member James French, himself only 20, talked about the his experience skippering the British team at the recent Red Bull Youth America's Cup trials and, particularly, the benefit of the experience and training he had received as part of the British Keelboat Academy.

Luke McCarthy, British Keelboat Academy Head Coach, commented: "It was great to see so many young sailors out on the water and all sailing their boats really well in some tough conditions.

"I am sure that many will go on to be really successful keelboat sailors, and we look forward to welcoming lots of them to the BKA in future. Thanks to all those involved with making this first event such a success."

Editor's note- after reviewing the results, it does appear the best two boat team (IRC + J/80) in fact happens to be the Royal Southern YC's Adam Munday sailing his J/97 INDULJENCE, taking 2nd in IRC Class with 6 pts and his team-mate, the J/80 SEAFIRE sailed by Bruno Van Dyke, that won the J/80 one-design class with 5 pts, making for a combined total for both boats of 11 pts??  Were these two sailors and their Royal Southern YC team not the winners according to the format? One wonders.

In the J/80s, congratulations Bruno Van Dyke's team (RSYC) sailing SEAFIRE to first overall.  They were closely followed by Nick Haigh's JAI DEUX AMOURS team (RORC) in second and by Chris Doe's LAST CHANCE team (Poole YC) in third.   For more Inter-Club Challenge Cup sailing information    For more British Keelboat Academy sailing information

Warsash Series Swings Into Spring Sailing- Finally!

(Warsash, England)- After three weeks of freezing weather, a hint of spring was in the air on 14th April 2013 for the fourth Sunday in the Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Series. With the temperature rising to double figures, the thermal layers could be left behind and there was no ice to clear from the decks. Although the forecast promised 16-20 knots from the south with gusts to 30 knots, these did not materialize and the full program of racing could be completed for all classes.

The sportsboats in White Group also assembled in the entrance to Southampton Water. Relieved to find no forecast Force 4-6, a three-round windward/leeward course was set parallel to the shore, 0.65nm long. The J/70 class got away but there was disappointment for EXESS in the J/80s, having led all the way round, to return and find she was over the line at the start. This left the win to current series leader BETTY (Jon Powell).

In the second White Group race there were individual recalls in the J/70s and J/80s but this time everyone returned quickly. Halfway through, the wind started to shift and had soon gone through 90 degrees to the south-west. The race was shortened and the committee boat moved inshore ready for the third race. With the wind in the 8-10 knot range the J/70s got away cleanly only for one of the forecast gusts to come in at over 20 knots just two minutes before the J/80 start. At this point the committee boat’s anchor began to drag causing a short delay. The enthusiasm of the fleet to get under way showed when half the boats were too keen on the start line. With several hidden in the middle a general recall was needed before all went smoothly on the next attempt. Again, there was close racing in the J/70s. This time the fleet finished within 27 seconds after 50 minutes of racing. Simon Cavey in PHEEBS posted two wins and a third for the day, whilst BETTY (Jon Powell) gained the same score in the J/80s.

The J/80s continue to see Jon Powell and crew riding the mighty BETTY fast, hard and furious, never letting up on the fleet and rarely showing a chink in their armor.  With 19 pts, the betting is good that BETTY is well on her way to taking the J/80s with 19 pts after 12 races!  Behind them by 23 pts is Gillian Ross's ROCK & ROLL in second overall.  They're followed by Allan Higgs' JUICY with 59 pts in third place.

Next weekend sees additional racing on Saturday for the Spring Championship whilst the Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Series meets for the fifth time on Sunday 21st April 2013.  Sailing photo credits- Iain McLuckie    For more Warsash Spring Series sailing information

J/80s Love Big Winds @ Charleston Race Week

(Charleston, SC)- Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week has a reputation for consistent, solid breeze. In fact, Charleston’s great wind is one of the big reasons this event has grown so spectacularly over the past decade.  It was on the eve of the regatta when most weather models predicted big breeze for the start of racing on Friday, with Sunday promising similarly apocalyptic conditions. And that is exactly what the 2013 edition received. With the 287 teams scattered about on harbor and offshore courses, race organizers were eager to seize the day, completing 3 to 4 races in Friday’s 15-30 knot winds.  Saturday’s moderate breezes and calm seas allowed for some recovery, but it was another 3 to 4 race day to insure each fleet was given the chance to sort out the pecking order in the standings. With the podium positions far from certain, Sunday looked to be the determining factor if not for one thing: the forecast. If Friday’s winds were “monster”, there really wasn’t an appropriate superlative to describe what happened Sunday morning. Rapidly increasing winds and huge seas offshore (8 feet at the mouth of Charleston Harbor) prompted the principal race officers to cancel all competition offshore. Inshore, the race committees set up courses and attempted to get races going on all three courses, but the action was quickly cancelled for everyone.

The J/80s had a mild turnout and in the end it was Bert Carp who reigned supremo taking near straight bullets to win class on USA 11.  Just behind them two points back was Richard Donn's SUPERFLOUS that took second and in third overall was Brad Bertram's ROCKET DOG.  Congratulations to all for job well done!  For more Charleston Race Week sailing information

Warsash Spring Series- Halfway report

J/Teams Anticipating Warmer Spring Soon!
(Warsash, England)- The six-Sunday Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Series resumed on 7th April 2013 after a break over the Easter weekend. On a positive note, this was the warmest day of the event so far this year which has seen very cold conditions. However, the sea temperature has yet to warm up - 4.5 degrees compared with 10 degrees at the same time in 2012! Nonetheless, crews and race officers alike donned their thermals and foul weather gear to enjoy a great day’s racing in a steady 10-14 knot breeze from the south-east in a fairly flat sea state.

On Peter Knight’s White Group line the wind steadied around 120 degrees, so the three 40-50 minute races could use the same course. The slightly warmer temperature may also have been reflected in White Group’s spinnaker handling. With slightly less numb hands, there was a significant reduction in the numbers taking the wide route round the leeward gate.

In the J/80s, Race 2 saw a general recall when a mid-line bulge occurred a few seconds too early. Given a second chance, the class then got away cleanly although ROCK & ROLL just beat the gun in the third race and had to return. Out for the first time this season, Stewart Hawthorn in J'AIX DEUX AMOURS took all three wins.  At this stage halfway into the series, Jon Powell's BETTY continues to maintain a healthy lead on the fleet.  Rounding out the top five are Gillian Ross' ROCK & ROLL, Mark Baskerville's MISTRAL, Allan Higgs' JUICY and Vladimir Phillips' JABBA.

Back in the clubhouse John Wallace, the local director from sponsor Brooks Macdonald, and his family enjoyed the warmth and after-race banter whilst presenting the weekly champagne prizes. The Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Series continues on 14th April 2013.   Sailing photo credits- Iain McLuckie   For more Warsash Spring Series sailing information

J/80 Charleston Race Week Preview

(Charleston, SC)- Starting on April 18th, a massive navy of J/Teams will descend upon the beautiful sleepy town of Mt Pleasant, South Carolina and transform the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina into "J/Town".  Of the 295 boats participating, 117 J/Teams (40% of the fleet) are sailing in the event coming from all points of the compass, by far the dominant boat brand for Charleston Race Week.

J/80s sailing will have spirited competition between Jim Kershaw (Leesburg, VA) on COOL J; Brad Bertram (Augusta, GA) on ROCKET DOG; Rick Donn (Thornwood, NY) on SUPERFLUOUS; and Bert Carp (Annapolis, MD) on USA 11.  Cool.   For more Charleston Race Week sailing information

J/80 North Americans Announcement

(Block Island, Rhode Island)- The 50th Anniversary of the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week is 3 months away, and this year Storm Trysail has offered to host the J/80 North Americans.  A package deal has been arranged by the J/80 Class Association and the Storm Trysail Club, which includes launching and hauling, trailer and vehicle storage, a mooring in Great Salt Pond, and all the racing and parties you can handle in one week, for less than $1,000!

There is no event like Block Island Race Week, and there is no boat like the J/80!  Stable and fast on and off the breeze, easy to sail in any condition, and with an established, tried and true set of Class Rules, the J/80 continues to be the boat many love to sail. Combined with the unmatched Race Management of the Storm Trysail Club, this year’s J/80 North Americans are not to be missed!!  For more J/80 North Americans sailing information- http://www.blockislandraceweek.com

Next, in anticipation of an outstanding week of racing at BIRW, the New York Yacht Club has invited the J/80 Class to participate in the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta.  This prestigious event, taking place June 14-16, is on the Bucket List for many sailors worldwide.  J/80 sailors can bring their boats to Sail Newport for the Annual Regatta and enjoy the hospitality and experience of the NYYC Race Committee, while getting tuned up for the North American’s at Block!  Storage for boats and vehicles has been arranged so there is no need to worry about dropping your rig and moving your boat from place to place.  This also allows teams a great opportunity to take on a partner and give someone else a chance to steer the boat for the podium, and spread out the cost of transportation.  For more New York YC Annual Regatta sailing information.

J/80 Sailors Frozen @ Spi Ouest

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- Of the 423 boats sailing, over 130 alone were J/Teams (31% of the entire fleet) and, it's safe to say, that after the first day of racing many were wondering how they were going to survive the chilling weather forecasts for the next four days of sailing.  Facing unusually cold, windy conditions for this traditional Easter Regatta, the competitors woke up three mornings in a row to temperatures in below 0 C. (under 32 degrees F), winds blowing 15-25 kts for two of the days. Over the course of the regatta, dropouts were not uncommon, especially with the smaller one-designs-- several people were "med-evac'd" to the hospital using RIBS for treatment of hypothermia.

After a freezing rainy and windy Thursday, the next two days were relatively quiet. However, on Sunday, the last day of racing saw a return to the strong winds and an icy northeast breeze gusting to thirty knots!  While some suffered, others rubbed their hands with glee.  For Eric Brezellec and his tactician, Sebastien Col, the last day of breeze left them ashore. Their J/80, INTERFACE CONCEPT, did not have to sail the last race as they had already won the regatta the day before!

Others in the J/80 class were less fortunate.  The phrase "caught a cold" fits perfectly with the beginning of the competition and for those that endured it for four days.  The OMANI SAIL girls team, in particular, had a tough challenge for them, sailing in conditions they've never experienced in their lives-- icy cold rain, hail, and huge winds.  Said Nicolas Honor, the head of the OMANI SAIL team, "the shock was violent, they'd never seen hail, much less sailed in less than 0 deg C!  After hoisting their spinnaker on the first day, the decided to return to home port-- a good idea and I understand!"

For the rest of the J/80 teams, it was a battle to overcome cold as well as the challenge of sailing smart.  In the beginning, ATLANTIS's Louis Sambron gave Brezellec's crew on INTERFACE CONCEPT some tough battles.  But, a 19-5-38 on Saturday killed their chances of being a contender for the lead.  The same was true for Michael Vasquez's GOLD SAILING from Spain, accumulating a 7, BFD and 14 to drop them from contention as well.  Then, the team on GENERALI led by Nicolas Lunven compounded finishes of 10-9-10 over the first 7 races with a 26th in race 9 on Saturday to torpedo their chances as well.  In the end, while Brezellec's win was a "runaway", a total score over ten races of 12 points (seven 1sts, 2,3 as counters), the fight for the balance of the top five was a dog fight, to say the least.  In the end, Vazquez's team on GOLD SAILING hung in to finish 2nd overall, a full thirty points back from Brezellec's with 42 pts.  Lying third just one point back was Lunven's GENERALI with 43 pts.  One point back in fourth was Sambron's ATLANTIS with 44 pts and rounding out the top five watching all the drama unfold before him was Simon Moriceau's team on INTERFACE CONCEPT 2.

As for the J/70s, suffering no less than their counterparts in the J/80s, the cold was equally taxing on their abilities to sail fast and smart and not be too "numb" from the chilly, windy sailing conditions. In the end, perhaps the ultimate survivor was M Thomas skippering OEUST GREEMENT, winning the J/70 class by just one point! The top four places were so close, that the last race determined how the entire top five finished in the overall standings.  Second was Fred Bouvier of J/Composites sailing J BECRE. Third was M. Kerscaven sailing PL YACHTING with 24 pts.  Fourth was FLAHAULT MARINE sailed by M. Ferchaud, perhaps sailing the most "dyslexic" series-  five 1sts and three 10ths! Rounding out the top five was M. Chapelot sailing ALBERTO.

In the world of IRC racing, many crews either dropped out, replaced crews, or spent time keeping crew-members warm.  With just 18 boats, IRC 4A may well be one of the smaller IRC divisions, but it's incredibly competitive.  And, up to that task was the J/97 MISPICKEL V sailed by B. Fagart, capturing a 5th overall in the difficult weather.

Finally, the "little boat" division is IRC 4B with 40 boats thrashing around the race track freezing their butts off for most of the regatta, much like their colleagues in the J/70s and J/80s.  And, none other than the "classic" J/24, now over 35 years young, managed to sporting a fleet of six boats to duel it out for J/24 "bragging rights".  In the end, top J/24 was INSULARIS's A. Garcia taking 7th in class.  Second J/24 was MARTA's P. Lemaistre taking 9th in class.  And, third J/24 was BOLERO's P. Ravel. Until next year!  May it be much warmer for all sailors in the third weekend of April- Easter Weekend 2014!  For more SPI OUEST France Intermarche sailing information

J/80 French Easter regatta results

Demonstration of the crew of “Interface Concept” in J/80 class finishing with 30 points ahead of second: Eric Brezellec won his third consecutive Spi Ouest France. He will be a great chance for France at the J/80 Worlds to be held in early July in Marseille. Second place is for the Spanish Mikel Vasquez “Sailing Gold” and third for “Generali” skippered by Nicolas Lunven, a former winner of the Solitaire du Figaro. In strong wind and cold conditions, the J/80 French Cup is starting well!

As usual now at La Trinité sur Mer, over 100 (exactly 107) J/80 were present for this major event. Due to the significant number of boats, the J80 fleet has been split in a gold and a silver groups for the final races.

Eric Brezellec: “We won seven of the nine races. This is great! This is a great victory because the level has increased. We had to fight to win so many races. We prepared last winter at Port La Forêt. We make a good team for our workouts. I'm having the same crew for the World: myself, Sebastien Col, Josselin Le Moine and Yann Château".

The same weekend took place the 48^th edition of the SNIM at Marseille won by Stéphane Sollari on “La Nautique” in the J/80 class. Conditions were also windy but temperature much more suitable! J/80s raced at the same area they will next July for the Worlds, close to the beaches and the Corniche, a fantastic viewpoint to the races in the bay.

http://classements.snt-voile.org/freg/finale_spi_2013_s.htm 
http://www.lanautique.com/import/snim__2013_j80%281%29.htm

J/80 Teams Ready For SPI OUEST

Big J/80 Fleet Training for Worlds
(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- The 35th edition of the SPI OUEST-France Intermarché starts on March 28th and goes for four days of racing in the Bay of Quiberon off the famous seaport of La Trinite sur Mer.  SPI OUEST France is one of Europe's largest regattas, and certainly the premiere regatta of the spring sailing season, and over 150 volunteers from the Societe Nautique La Trinité-sur-Mer have been preparing for several weeks to host the 423 registered sailing teams and several thousand sailors. And among the skippers, some of the biggest names in French sailing will once again take part in SPI OUEST; including none other than Thomas Coville, Franck Cammas (Volvo Ocean Race winner on GROUPAMA), Vincent Riou, Michel Desjoyeaux, Nicolas Troussel Souben Daniel, Nicolas Lunven, Franck-Yves Escoffier and others.

The weather scenario is a bit uncertain as a huge depression in the North Atlantic is expected to arrive Monday in the late afternoon, but is preceded by a trough carrying winds. The path it will takes varies from hour to hour based on the various weather models.  Explained Christophe Gaumont (renowned meteorologist), "yesterday, we predicted 35 knots Friday and this morning, we did not expect more than 10 kts!  We should have a weekend with a wide range of conditions, sustained wind Friday and Monday and low to moderate Saturday and Sunday. The east, west, south, a little rain, a little sun. In short, an Easter weekend of varied, colorful and variable weather." Now that's a weather forecast all the sailors can rely upon, isn't it?

Of the 423 boats sailing, over 130 alone are J/Teams (31% of the entire fleet) which makes "J" the dominant sailboat brand at the biggest regatta hosted in France!  Amongst those teams will be an all-women OMAN SAIL team sailing their J/80 LES JUPTIENS in the enormously competitive fleet of 108 J/80s.  This team of women came from Oman to rub shoulders and learn from the biggest names in French offshore and one-design sailing.  Joining them are many familiar names at the top of the J/80 Worlds and most all top French teams will be using SPI OUEST as part of their "tune-up" and training efforts for the J/80 Worlds Marseilles down on the Mediterranean later in July. Amongst those teams are familiar French J/80 names like INTERFACE CONCEPT's Eric Brezellec, INTERFACE CONCEPT 2's Simon Moreceau, ATLANTIS's Louis Sambron, GANJA's Luc Nadal and JIBE SET's Herve Leduc.  One of Spain's top teams, GOLD SAILING with M. Jauregui, will be testing the waters on the Baie de Quiberon.  Alongside him will be Italy's Massimo Rama sailing JENIALE!  For more SPI OUEST France Intermarche sailing information

J/80s Training UK

(Southampton, England)- This past weekend could be construed as a very valuable weekend for J/80s in the United Kingdom.  The weekend of the 9th and 10th of March saw J/80 teams congregate in Hamble for constructive and informative tutorials and sail-training on the water.

On Friday North Sails designer (and the only Brit to have ever taken the J/80 Worlds title) Ruairidh Scott, conducted a clear and concise session on the optimum tuning and rigging settings of these record-breaking performance boats. The session was of great use to many owners who are new to the world of keelboats, as well as those who have had their boats a number of years and were keen to check their settings are right. Ruairidh was also on hand to answer questions from the sailors.

On Saturday the fleet held their annual pre-season training day for small boats, led by legendary Yorkshireman and Olympic coach Jim Saltonstall. The J/80s made up the bulk of the fleet and included UK Class Chairman Mark Baskerville with his boat MISTRAL..

After a quick briefing at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Jim's RIB led the troops out into the Solent, where they enjoyed a good few hours of practice starts, boat handling exercises and some racing. Jim spent time with each boat, advising them what they were doing right and (more importantly) what they were doing wrong with regard to every facet of performance, from rig tuning to crew position. Back at the club Jim went through his video footage of the day, which effectively demonstrated the points he had made on the water!  Many thanks to all who attended the sessions and to the Royal Southern, Ruairidh, and Jim.   For more J/80 sail training information

JENIALE Takes Tigullio J/80 Championship

(Tigullio, Italy)- This past weekend, the 37th Winter Championship Tigullio took place that saw the JENIALE team take the overall regatta series title.  In a battle for J/80 Italian supremacy that took place from November 2012 to February 2013, it was clear the Massimo Rama's JENIALE team worked hard to maintain their edge and stay near the front of the fleet to prevail in the end as Champion.

The last series of racing was difficult for the crews, with cold weather and a 15+ kts wind, perfect sailing with a bit of chill in the air. And this time, after a series of nine first places, JENIALE had to settle for second place, beaten by Sanchez and crew. After them followed JBES of Garibotto with Enrica Capizzi driving and JBLU2 skippered by Maria Cristina Rapisardi.  The final standings saw Massimo Rama's JENIALE! finish in the lead, followed by TWT, JBES, JBlu2, and Montpres.

The J/80 Italian sailing season continues with the Championship of Santa Margherita, then next Sunday in May with Marina Yachting Trophy and the J/80 Italian National Championship in Sestri Levante.

For the March 9-10 weekend the BLUPROJECT will provide its 9 J/80's for the European Cup, an event organized to allow a one-design challenge amongst the teams/crews that are winners in the IRC, ORC, J/80 classes in the Championship of Tigullio.  This promises to be a fabulous event to be sailed amongst champions in the J/80 class!   For more J/80 Italy sailing information

J/80s Sailing Travemunde Week

(Travemunde, Germany)- Beginning last year in 2012, J/80s have participated in Travemunde Race Week in both handicap and the middle-distance race- perhaps one day as a one-design class, too!  Maximilian Gebhard relates their experience of sailing their J/80 in the event that includes a 42nm offshore race.  Here's his account:

"We're thankful for the organizers and race committee that enabled us to have the first experiences with J/80s in Travemunde, especially the distance race of 42 nm that makes for about an eight hour race. This year we will be racing on a shorter course, about 25% shorter. The middle-distance race from Travemünde to Grömitz is sailed around fixed navigation marks criss-crossing the Bay of Lübeck. Our race in 2012 was the 42 nm (Track), going from the buoy Offentief (towards Wismar), navigational aids before Niendorf / Timmendorfer beach, Neustadt iH and the Lübeck-Gedser route to the pier in front of Grömitz. We had 12-23 kts winds providing challenge on upwind, downwind and reaching legs, including how to best navigate the current, wave and wind induced coastal changes along the racer track.  Amusingly, it was the lightest and youngest crew on board that did the navigation for the first time! Plus, he helped maintain the motivation of the crew for about eight hours! Upon arriving in the port of Grömitz, we managed to get to the restaurant tent for the sailors and enjoyed the harbor festival with live music from the stage.

So, how did we handle accommodations for sailing after the racing?  We were not planning on staying on our damp boat without luggage, shore power, and onboard toilet.  No problem. Since Grömitz is only 30 minutes drive from Travemünde and Lübeck, both J/80 teams had positioned the previous evening a car with dry luggage, mattresses, heater, including food/drink at the port. For the sailors, breakfast was catered in the restaurant tent, so the lack of cabin interior the J/80 not even bother here. The facilities in Grömitz were excellent.

Besides the pre-eminent J/80 one-design regattas like the World Championship, Flensburg and Kiel Week, I can definitely recommend the middle distance race of the Travemünde Week to complement the sailing calendar only.  For questions about logistics, accommodation, cranes, and sailing Travemünde Week, the two local crews are at your disposal.  Please feel free to contact us- Maximilian Gebhard (mail@GER1406.de) or Meinhard Braedel (m.braedel@gmx.de).   For more J/80 Germany sailing information

J/80 Challenge "Casino Partouche" France

(La Trinite sur Mer, France)- As hosts of the 2013 J/80 Worlds in Marseilles, France, it's pretty clear the French J/80 Class is determined to put on a good showing not just as hosts, but as competitors to dethrone the Spanish from winning yet another J/80 Worlds since 2007!  While a formidable challenge, many French teams are capable of winning a world's at this level and at the last two Worlds in Dartmouth, England and Copenhagen, Denmark some of the French teams were on the cusp of taking the podium.

Looking forward to the Marseille Worlds, several fleets in France have already embarked on training programs to improve their overall performance.  In La Trinite, they held the fifth edition of the "Casino Partouche" to focus on training all the teams in the fine-art of sailing a J/80 fast across a broad range of weather conditions.  With eighteen teams participating, the crews enjoyed ENE winds from 8-12 kts on Saturday and more ENE winds ranging from 5-20 kts on Sunday with a bit of chill in the air.

After training and boat-handling, boat-speed drills on Saturday, all the crews sailed four races on Sunday.  In the end the top five teams included, AXELLE J (Damien Zucconi), GREEN SAILS (Julien Bourgeois), CHARLY (Pierre Metais), IMAJINATION (Erwan Gourdon) and JIBI (Yannick Tabarly).

There are two more stops on the training/ racing tour named after their primary sponsors, including:
- March 16-17- "Armor-Lux"
- March 23-24- "The ZING Cafe"

For more information, please contact Arnaud Walter / Arno Skipper on ph# +33-0669-582121 or email- arnoskipper@yahoo.fr     For more J/80 French Class training/ racing programs

GREAT SAILING Leads Spanish J/80 Circuit

(Santander, Spain)- The J/80 "Great Sailing" skippered by Jose Maria van der Ploeg, current world champion and class gold medal at Barcelona 1992, leads the ranking of the Spanish J/80 Class thanks to stringing together excellent results in events counting towards the ranking, such as: Palmavela, Cup of Spain, the Spain Championship and the World Championship.

Great Sailing skipper Jose said, "It is a great pleasure to be in front of this ranking during the start of the 2013 J80 Spanish sailing circuit" and adds that "since coming to the class, in March 2011, my team has done a great job, keeping an exceptional level for over two seasons. The J/80 is very competitive class where there is a large group of great sailors, that when sailing one-designs becomes very important.  Obviously, my years of sailing numerous Olympic sailing classes such as the Finn and Star have contributed largely to my success because I feel very comfortable in the J/80 class."

Furthermore, Jose had some words of thanks, "to my crew for their excellent work where it matters most in tough situations on the race course.  My sincere thanks to: Javier Goizueta, Iñaki Olariaga, Fernando Velarde, Maria Bover, Jesus Quirze, Juan Ignacio Merayo, Lluis Mas Hugo Ramon, Chapon Pol and son Jose Maria.

As for the future, Van der Ploeg explains that "we will soon start our 2013 season, which means we must work harder to have a good season.  More importantly, we're also looking forward to hosting the 2014 J/80 European Championship to be held at my club."

It's not surprising the Spanish continue to succeed in the world of J/80 sailing; considering there are four other Spanish sailors before him that have won J/80 Worlds.  Van der Ploeg's record is quite remarkable when one considers his competitors including six previous J/80 World Champions.  In April 2012 he finished third in the Palmavela, after winning the Princess Sophia. In May, Van der Ploeg was proclaimed Champion of Catalonia during the celebration of the MedSailing in The Balís and winner Trofeo Conde de Godo in Barcelona. In June he won the Silver Cup in Spain.  And, then a few weeks later Jose was crowned J/80 World Champion in Dartmouth, England. In September he took the bronze medal in the Championship of Spain. Thus, only two years after embarking on the adventure of sailing the International J/80 class, Van der Ploeg is at the "top of the class" in both Spanish national events and at the world level.   For more J/80 Spain sailing information

J/80 Sweden "SeglarPub" Training

(Stockholm, Sweden)- While they may be enjoying ice-bound -20 C weather conditions, the Swedes will still get together and "talk shop".  To that point, Anna Drougge and Isabelle Mungsgård have taken the excellent initiative to collect all the sailors in Stockholm and invite them to the first "SeglarPub".  Yes, "sailor pub" networking event!  Cool idea.

The first "SeglarPub" event is scheduled for February 21st in Stockholm at the "Odengatan". Come and talk old memories and plan for new great things on the lake. An occasional beer might slip down too!
For more Swedish J/80 SeglarPub "training" information

J/80 Italy Race Training

(Tigullio, Italy)-  The New Year's festivities have come and gone, but the competitive activity for the J/80 sailors have never ceased!  In fact, J/80 racing is continuing with 10 boats participating in the Winter Championship Tigullio, clear evidence of good class growth and participation.  The next event for the Winter Championship in Santa Margherita Ligure started on February 3rd.  Then in the second half of May the fleet will be primarily engaged in sailing these two events before the Worlds Marseille in July:
- May 18-19- Marina Yachting Trophy- Chiavari, Italy
- May 24-26- J/80 Italian Championship- Sestri Levante, Italy
For more J/80 Italy class and sailing information

Championship of Champions- Italian Style!

(Genoa, Italy)- The 37th Gulf of Tigullio Winter Championship began on Sunday, November 11, 2012; it's the annual sailing circuit organized by The Committee of the Tigullio Sailing Clubs chaired by Franco Noceti.  Perhaps most importantly, the circuit has become a major sailing event for winter sailing along Italy's western coastline and has been well-attended by many top teams in the Italian offshore circuit.

For this year, a "special prize" has been introduced that takes all the top sailors from all classes along with forty(!) Italian journalists (as crew) to compete for the "Championship of Champions" aboard J/80s sailing off Lavagna, Italy at the conclusion of the regatta-- it will mark the ending of the Gulf of Tigullio Winter Championship 2012/ 2013.  One hopes there will be plenty of "GoPro" video afterwards of the crews performing amazing maneuvers in cramped spaces and with lots of colorful language describing how well the spinnaker came down at a mark-rounding while getting pin-wheeled outside of a dozen boats!

The Tigullio Winter Championship Finals will take place from March 9 to 10, 2013. All of the nine winning teams will challenge aboard J/80s provided by Blue Project.  Blue Project's primary intention is to organize the Championship of the Champions every year to promote this unique, fascinating, spectacular sport of sailing and, furthermore, to help promote and support the J/80 class in Italy.

For more Blue Project Championship of Champions sailing and promo information, please contact Ivana Quattrini at email- ivanaquattrini@concepteventi.it or go to the Blue Project event website.

J/80 German Youth Training

(Berlin, Germany)- The national class in Germany is working hard on promoting youth sailing in J/80s and broadening the appeal of one-design racing, with a focus also on preparing for the Worlds Marseilles.

After the very successful youth development program that was introduced in 2012 for the first time, the J/80 Class in Germany has decided again to promote and provide boats for youth for the 2013 season! Here's is how it works:

"To promote Junior J/80 sailing, the German Class Association is providing up to 3 boats with a charter fee of 500 EUR each, used to support the participation of the youth in German and international regattas.

Any German J/80 crew can apply, but must meet certain qualifications- 25 years old maximum, student in school/ university, and members of the J/80 Class.  Applications may be submitted informally to the Board of the J80 Class Association and must be received by April 30th."
Thanks for contribution from Christopher Peper.    For more German J/80 sailing information