20.Apr.14 - PSSR  It simply does not get much better than the two days of racing that showed up for this year's Puget Sound Spring Regatta, hosted by Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle. 55 boats made it out April 12-13 for two of the most stellar days of the year for sailing in the Pacific Northwest. Nine local J/105s competed, and the fleet was once again sailed away with by the fast crew aboard Jerry Diercks Delirium. 10 points behind them, but just three points in front of the third place Jaded, was Erik Kristen's Jubilee.   Complete regatta information

12.Apr.14 - Minutes posted  Minutes from the 4/7/14 Executive Committee Meeting are posted.  Class Business page

11.Apr.14 - J/Fest West  A staple of the St. Francis Yacht Club spring series for decades, a fleet of 48 boats were treated to beautiful conditions for J Fest during the first weekend in April. Starting with sunny, cloudless mornings, the StFYC PRO kept the fleet in the confines of the harbor until 11am under postponement. As soon as the first whispers of the seabreeze wafted in under the Golden Gate Bridge, StFYC PRO John Craig sent the fleet out to the starting line just off Alcatraz Island and the magnificent San Francisco city front. The Blackhawk success continued in the J/105 class, as Scooter Simmons with tactician Brent Draney and company held off Jeff Littfin's Mojo by three points after five races. Scooter and crew posted a line of 8-1-1-1-1 for 12 points. Third was Adam Spiegel's Jam Session.  St. Francis YC website

28.Mar.14 - Three Tree Point Race  At the final race of Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle's Center Sound Series, the Three Tree Point Race, the battle of the J/105s in Division 6 was once again won by Erik Kristen and crew aboard Jubilee, finishing less than a minute in front of Jerry Diercks' Delirium.

28.Mar.14 - Doublehanded Farallones in San Francisco, CA  Sergei Podshivalov, sailing his J/105 Javelin in the DH Farallones for the first time, sailed to a corrected time victory in PHRF 4. Here are some of Sergei's observations: "It was my first time going to Farallones, so I was intent to make it even if we had to finish at midnight. Had plenty of food on board to prevent the crew mutiny. We did a few timed drifts before the start, and concluded that the StYC breakwaters would be a good a place to be at the 5 min warning. Had anchor ready, but didn't have to use it, were maybe 5 boat lengths away from the line at the gun. Better be safe than sorry. Luckily it was enough breeze to clear the South Tower; eventually the pressure has built up and once we were 5 miles out of the gate, the wind veered such so we were fetching the islands. The happiness didn't last that long. The wind dropped to 4 knots or less, and we just stopped and drifted northwest with the current. Even jellyfish of which was plenty around were moving faster than us. Need to learn how to make J/105 move in the light wind. Saw some other boats around making a knot or so. At 2:45 the wind built up again, to a reasonable 8 knots and we started to move. Half an hour later we had to crack off to fetch the mark. Too bad too much distance was lost due to this northerly drift and inability to make the boat to move. We rounded the islands at happy hour, wind blowing 16 -18 knots at 5 pm, then immediately jibed and set the kite. Apparently this wind angle was very favorable to the J/105, and we were able to beeline to the Golden Gate on a very hot reach, rounding up every so often, but still moving at about 10-12 knots boat-speed. Other boats either kept going with the jib, or carrying the kite but leaving the mark to windward. Once we reached Point Bonita at 8:15, the wind started to die down to 6-8 knots and was almost behind us. Eventually we had to heat up and then jibe. Close to the bridge the wind increased to 18 knots and we rounded up right by the South Tower, but fortunately missed it! As soon as we went past the Golden Gate, the wind calmed again, so we went inshore jibing back and forth to avoid the ebb. We soon crossed the finish line and opened a well-earned cold beer!"  Results

27.Mar.14 - Winter Newsletter  Members will receive the Winter edition of the J/105 newsletter via e-mail. It is also posted on the  newsletter page.

20.Mar.14 - Spring One-Design Invite  Hosted at St. Francis Yacht Club, the annual spring-season opening regatta for the J/105 fleet sailing on San Francisco Bay took place last weekend. With a terrific turn-out of 19 boats, the largest one-design fleet in the event, the competition was sure to be close. Continuing their excellent performance last year was Scooter Simmons' Blackhawk team. Their 4-2-1-4-1 tally for 12 points was enough to be crowned the Spring Champions. Not giving much away and sailing exceedingly well was Jeff Litfin's crew on Mojo. Starting out with an extraordinary 2-1 in the first two races, they settled into a good rhythm and posted a 4-5-2 for the next three to lose the 'match race' to the Blackhawk gang but still secure second overall. Phil Laby's Godot, started out with a 10th, but posted a very consistent 3-3-3-4 for 23 points to snag third overall. Next up was Doug Bailey's Akula, grabbing fourth with a 3-9-6-2-6 for 26 points. And fifth went to Adam Spiegel's Jam Session, who won a three-way tie at 27 points. Losers of the tie-break were Bruce Stone's Arbitrage in sixth and Jason Woodley/Scott Whitney's Risk in seventh. Check out video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5odXWACM5A&feature=youtu.be.  St. Francis YC website

18.Mar.14 - Gary Mozer named Overall Winner at San Diego NOOD  A dominating final day of sailing in the J/105 class earned Gary Mozer and crew aboard Current Obsession 2 the prestigious Overall Winner title at the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta San Diego, hosted by San Diego and Coronado Yacht Clubs on March 14-16. The Beverly Hills-based skipper made tactful decisions in the breezy conditions on San Diego Bay to claim top honors at the country's largest regatta series. As overall winner, Mozer and crew received an invitation to the Caribbean to sail against fellow NOOD Overall Winners. The event attracted 120 entrants to compete in 14 divisions, with racing held on the ocean and bay courses. An additional feature was the pursuit-start North Sails Rally Race, an 11nm tour of San Diego Bay won by the J/105 Viggan with Joe Dagostino and Tom Fisher. New to the 2014 NOOD season is the "Local Boat of the Day" award presented by North Sails. Designed to recognize a skipper who exemplifies superior local knowledge of the course as well as precise execution during their races, San Diegan Rick Goebel, epitomized those characteristics on Sanity, also in the J/105 class, claiming this weekend's distinction.   Gary Mozer video interview

09.Mar.14 - Terry McLaughlin Prevails at J/105 Midwinter Championship  Terry McLaughlin dominated the fleet at the J/105 Midwinter Championship hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas. Sailing Avici with Paul Parsons, Kevin Taylor, Jeff Cooke, Emmett Dickheiser and Monica Parsons, McLaughlin (recently named Sail Canada's Rolex Sailor of the Year) totaled only 22 points in the 11 race series. They endured a 20 percent penalty in race three, and otherwise tallied all top three finishes. Hometown helmsmen Bill Lakenmacher on Radiance (32 points) and Uzi Ozeri on Infinity (46 points) rounded out the top three. McLaughlin raced with Paul Parsons years ago, but actually didn't know the rest of his crew, since Paul did the organizing. "Our win was a true team effort," McLaughlin said while accepting his trophy. He also complimented the great Race Committee, noting, "It has been a long time since I have experienced 10 races in two days!" With favorable breezes on Friday and Saturday, the Race Committee was able to complete five races per day, leaving just one on Sunday (won by Lakenmacher). The top five: Terry McLaughlin, Avici (22 points), Bill Lakenmacher, Radiance (32), Uzi Ozeri, Infinity (46), Mark Young, Killer Rabbit (50), Greg Turman, Horny Toad (51). Eleven teams competed. Photos (courtesy of John Lacy Photography) are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacyphotos/sets/72157642007204024/, and complete results are available at the  regatta website.

08.Mar.14 - Terry McLaughlin Extends Lead Heading into Final Day of J/105 Midwinters  Terry McLaughlin lengthened his advantage after another five-race day at the J/105 Midwinter Championship. Sailing Avici with Paul Parsons, Kevin Taylor, Jeff Cooke, Emmett Dickheiser and Monica Parsons, McLaughlin (recently named Sail Canada's Rolex Sailor of the Year) notched another round of consistent scores to total just 20 points in 10 races heading into the final day of competition. The event is being hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas with 11 teams. Local Bill Lakenmacher on Radiance continued his stellar performance, and kept hold of second place with 31 points. Fellow Texan Uzi Ozeri on Infinity maintained his bronze position with 43 points. The day dawned with light breezes around 4-5 knots, as Greg Turman's Horny Toad lodged Saturday's first victory, trailed by McLaughlin and Lakenmacher. Radiance won the ensuing contest over Ozeri and McLaughlin. The breeze kept creeping up a couple knots each race so by the third bout, teams saw 10-12 knot winds, when Mark Young's Killer Rabbit took the bullet. Again Lakenmacher and McLaughlin made it into the top three. Avici returned to the first spot in the next battle, followed by Alan Bates on Zippity and Matt Arno on Blue Flash. McLaughlin ended the day with another victory, ahead of Turman and Lakenmacher. Racing concludes Sunday. Photos (courtesy of John Lacy Photography) are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacyphotos/sets/72157642007204024/, and complete results are available at the  regatta website.

07.Mar.14 - Terry McLaughlin Earns Advantage at J/105 Midwinter Championship  Terry McLaughlin, recently named Sail Canada's Rolex Sailor of the Year, has taken the lead after day one of the J/105 Midwinter Championship hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas. Sailing Avici with Paul Parsons, Kevin Taylor, Jeff Cooke, Emmett Dickheiser and Monica Parsons, McLaughlin won three of the day's five races, and has a point total of 10. Locals Bill Lakenmacher on Radiance and Uzi Ozeri on Infinity hold the next two spots, with 15 and 20 points, respectively. Winds on Galveston Bay held at a steady 10-16 knots throughout Friday. McLaughlin started the event with a bullet, as Greg Turman's Horny Toad placed second, and Bee Bednar's Stinger third. Avici again took first in the next contest, while Lakenmacher and Ozeri moved up to the silver and bronze positions. Mark Young's Killer Rabbit earned the victory in race three, as again Lakenmacher and Ozeri rounded out the top three. McLaughlin returned to the highest mark in race four, followed by Young and Bednar. The closing battle was won by Lakenmacher, as McLaughlin settled for second and Ozeri for third. Racing continues through Sunday. Photos (courtesy of John Lacy Photography) are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacyphotos/sets/72157642007204024/, and complete results are available at the  regatta website.

04.Mar.14 - Midwinter Championship launches Friday  11 J/105 teams are gathering for racing at the Midwinter Championship this Friday through Sunday in Seabrook, Texas. Lakewood Yacht Club is again our gracious host. Keep up with all the action at the regatta website, and look for photos on the J/105 Class Facebook page.  Regatta Website

15.Feb.14 - Chiloe Island Regatta in Chile  The 2014 Chiloe Regatta was the second year of participation for the J/105 fleet in Chile. With 14 boats attending, the J/105s are by far the biggest and most successful one design in Chile. And there where many boats sailing with family crew. The competition between Scimitar and Recluta was tough from the beginning. Recluta was the top J/105 in the previous edition, so they were hoping to continue the tradition and started off on a good track. During the week these guys from Valparaiso had many good races, so they managed to stretch into a little lead for the final day. But, in Chiloe, any position is uncertain until the very end and the very shifty 18 to 20 kt breezes on the last day broke down the tradition. Recluta had a bad result in the first of two windward leeward races, losing the lead to Scimitar. After the first race, the conditions in Puerto Montt Bay were very tricky with 50 degree wind shifts, lots of rain and current. So, when the RC at 16:15 communicated to the fleet that there would not be more races, the championship was complete. Scimitar's young crew, that had been under the deck staying somewhat dry and warm from the heavy rain, were about to explode! They jumped on deck and started taking off their clothes and were getting ready to jump into the 14 degree Celsius water in the rain. But, before they managed to leap, both fathers Toti and Maceta and Carola (Maceta's wife) managed to control the kids exuberance and kept them aboard. Their crew of nine managed to get back to the yacht club and have a dry celebration. The Chiloe Island Regatta is the most famous and competitive regatta in Chile. It runs every two years around Chiloe Island, 650 miles south from Santiago and after the first version in 1990, 23 editions have been organized since. The regatta is mainly long distance races of 12 to 30 miles plus some windward leeward courses during a seven day program with one day off in the middle.

10.Feb.14 - Lookin good  
Guess what's on the front cover of the in flight Air Canada magazine?

06.Feb.14 - San Juan Regatta  Gusts blowing 20+ knots and rolling seas created challenging yet exhilarating conditions for nearly 100 sailors from five islands that competed in the 13th Club Nautico de San Juan International Regatta (CNSJIR), held January 31-February 2 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The CNSJIR Race Committee reveled in the brisk conditions launching as many as 13 races for the six classes that sailed with teams hailing from five Caribbean island nations. In the 7-boat CSA Spinnaker class, which included three Melges 32s, it was Puerto Rico's Jonathan Lipuscek's J/105 Dark Star that won with a decisive five firsts in six races. "We did very well considering the conditions and the competition," explains tactician, Rafi Martinez. "Our strategy was to focus on good boat handling, make few errors and on the downwind when the Melges plane to maximize the waves and puffs to our advantage."  San Juan International Regatta sailing information

31.Jan.14 - Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series  Billed as Barbados' Ultimate Sailing Challenge, the new format Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series was deemed a huge success. It incorporated a series of coastal races as well as the iconic Mount Gay Round Barbados Race, and a final 300-mile sprint to Antigua to tie-up with the Superyacht Cup. Organized by the Barbados Cruising Club in association with the Barbados Tourism Authority and Mount Gay, this annual event (January 15-24) played its part in kick-starting the Caribbean racing season. With nearly 50 boats from all around the world (Great Britain, USA, Canada and New Zealand plus a strong Caribbean contingent from BVI, St Lucia, Antigua, Barbados) close competition prevailed throughout the week. The breezy conditions made for some spectacular racing conditions. "We had excellent conditions and we sailed well as a team," said Peter Lewis, skipper of the J/105 Whistler. "We touched about 14 knots of boat speed in 25 knots of wind so our spinnaker runs added excitement." Whistler took the 35 and Under Class honors with an elapsed time of 7:37:06. They also took second in CSA Racing Class during the three-day regatta held earlier.  Regatta website