Key West Race Week 2008
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 Four 109's made the trek down the Keys for the official season opener that is Key West Race Week. With only five points separating the teams after eight races, competition was tight for the class Midwinter Championship. CAMINOS (Amagansett, NY) took top honors, followed by RUSH (Annapolis, MD), SEA TRIAL (Houston, TX) and TASTES LIKE CHICKEN (New York, NY).The week was among the strangest and most challenging in the 21-year history of
the regatta. After the first day was blown out, three races were fit in on Tuesday. Wednesday failed to deliver enough breeze to race. However, what the sailors will
remember is a spectacular final two days of racing and the fun time Key West provided regardless of the weather. Interview with CAMINOS below. Full results Photo by Tim Wilkes
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UK and Ireland Update
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 The UK and Ireland J/109 Fleet has had to contend with an extremely wet and windy January and are set for more of the same in February, but the weather has in no way dampened enthusiasm. The annual J/109 Class Prize-Giving Dinner and Dance which took place early in January was extremely well attended. The picture attached here shows the assembled partying throng early before it all got messy.
Two training weekends are planned for the J/109s: one in April in Dublin Bay for the Irish boats, and one in March on the Solent for the UK guys. This fixture has been set in the UK calendar for three years now but this is the first time the Irish have run one. This reflects in part the growing number of J/109s in Ireland and also the fact that the UK guys and the Irish will meet to compete head to head for the Irish J/109 National Championship which takes place at one of the world's most famous regattas, Cork Week, later in the year.
At long last the UK and Ireland J/109 Class finally have a website to be proud of at http://www.j109.org.uk. The website was built by David McLeman who owns OFFBEAT. Many thanks to him from all of us! -Becci Eplett
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CAMINOS wins Midwinter Championship
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 Don Filappelli has owned CAMINOS since 2004, and his team for the 2008 Midwinters (sailed during Key West Race Week) included crew members who have raced with him over the past few years: son Nick, daughter Tina and her boyfriend Ryan Dempsey, Kevin Fallon, George Muhlfeld, Chris Buncke, Ken Nilsen and John Campion. We caught up with Don's wife Tina recently, who provides support for the sailors.
J/109 Class; What is the significance of the name?
Tina: The name was meant to be the same as our favorite island in the British Virgin lslands, Camanoe, but my daughter-in-law thought Caminos was better - meaning in Spanish, "Roads , Paths." Since we tend to do things our way, I suppose...
J/109 Class: If you could give one reason for returning to Key West in 2009, what would it be?
Tina: Why Key West? It was a BLAST! Great setting, great place, a lot of fun, and great sailing (in the end the weather cooperated). We need more J/109 's!
Thanks to Tim Wilkes for this and many other great photos. See more of Tim's work from Key West and elsewhere at timwilkes.com.
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2008 North Americans: Sneak Preview
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 The J/109 North Americans will be held during New York Yacht Club's sixth biennial Race Week at Newport, July 19-27, 2008. The popular regatta offers a new
twist to its split format, giving classics their own spotlight over the
weekend of July 19-20 during the club's 100th birthday celebration of
America's legendary yacht designer Olin J. Stephens. For the second session -- from Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July
27 -- up to 200 modern racing machines will converge for IRC, PHRF and one-design
competition. Several classes will use the event as their seasonal championships.
In addition to
windward-leeward courses, a distance race around Conanicut Island will
be included for many classes, adding to the unique challenges and epic
beauty of a racing arena that from 1930 to 1983 hosted the America's
Cup and continues to make Newport one of the country's most popular
sailing destinations.
"The
plan also includes continuing Race Week's tradition of good times
ashore," says Sailing Committee Chair Steven Wolff, "with massive tent parties planned on the lawn at
Harbour Court, which holds a commanding view of the sunset over Newport
Harbor. In the past, we've had the handicap sailors competing in the
first session and one-design sailors competing in the second, but now
those two groups will sail on the same days and won't miss each other
back at the club for social events." More info |
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Perhaps one sign of a healthy class is when most members are unaware of the extensive work going on behind the scenes. Since the official formation of J/109 Class Executive Committee in 2005, Barry Gold has done an outstanding job as Treasurer and was truly instrumental in helping to set up the class organization. Now that Barry is moving "up" to a J/122, Ric Campeau (owner of HOODOO) has stepped in to fill his shoes. Barry has graciously agreed to help transition Ric into his new role. 