January: NEW TREASURER takes over
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 Ric Campeau (owner of HOODOO) has stepped in to fill Barry Gold's treasurer shoes.
OTHER NEWS: Four 109's made the trek to Key West, CAMINOS wins the Midwinters, and it's another wet and windy January for the UK/Ireland.
HOODOO enjoyed fantastic sailing at Key West in 2006. Photo by Tim Wilkes
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March: World Tour on a J/109
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 Retired vet Dr. Bob Riggle from Seattle and his companion Phyllis Macay embarked on the ultimate around the world cruising adventure
aboard GAIA. According to their web site chart, Gaia is now somewhere in Indonesia. For stories, photos, port of call
schedule and more visit www.gaiaworldtour.net
OTHER NEWS: Hamble Yacht Services recovers from severe flooding.
Photo: Phyllis tries on some native decorations.
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April: Racing Season Gets Underway
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 Bill Sweetser's RUSH triumphed over several larger boats to win PHRF's B divison at the 2008 edition of Charleston Race Week.
OTHER NEWS: 14 109's start the RayMarine Warsash Spring Series, and the Irish fleet grows to nine boats with two more in the pipeline.
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May: Record Setting Nationals at J-Cup
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Kites gleam downwind at J-Cup. Photos courtesy of Eddie Mays  75 boats in five classes competed at the J-Cup 2008, hosted by the
Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, England. But the highlight was surely the 32
boat fleet of J/109s racing for their UK National
Championship. This was, to date, the largest gathering of J/109s anywhere in the world.
OTHER NEWS: 7 boats show up for the inaugural Seattle NOOD on the west coast of the US, and another 7 attend American YC's Spring Series on the east coast.
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| June: 109 Wins Overall at Chicago NOOD |
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 Photo � 2008 Karen I. Hirsch
Robert
& Dr. Cornelia Zerban of
Kenosha, WI on ZEITGEIST were named the overall winners of the 2008 Chicago NOOD
regatta. OTHER NEWS: J/Boats sets up a new website called J Owner Resources. The site provides a
password-protected platform for owners to access technical information at jowners.org. And OFFBEAT, the only J/109 in the 2008 Newport/Bermuda Race, finishes eighth in the doublehanded division.
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July: Family Team Takes North Americans
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 GUT FEELING blasts downwind as the squall hits. Photos courtesy of Jeff Johnstone/JBoats.
Ted Herlihy's team on GUT FEELING showed confidence in all conditions. That's easier to do when the crew has sailed together for a long time. As bowman Mike Owens explained, "I'm the new guy on the boat, and I've been with them fifteen years." Herlihy's two sons, a daughter-in-law, and her brother sail on the boat, so half the crew are related by blood or marriage. It was GUT FEELING's first major regatta win in the class.
OTHER NEWS: 109's make it to the Adriatic, and Sprit Fest 2008 draws seven boats.
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September: Skandia Cowes Week Attracts 39 Boats
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 Becci Eplett from J-UK sent us this photo from Cowes Week.
David McGough on JUST SO explains: "On Monday of Cowes Week the inshore main ripped in half on the downwind leg and we could not get it down, but we carried on and after a fetch to the shore, came round Gurnard and launched the spinnaker with huge cheers from the spectators, finishing 15th overtaking other boats in a dash for the line. The attached photo captures the moment!"
OTHER NEWS: 109's are invited to the 2009 Annapolis NOOD, and 26 boats compete in the Irish Nationals at Cork Week.
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October: Intercollegiate Regatta Won by a J/109
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 Barby MacGowan from Media Pro Int'l prepared this report. More photos
The annual Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta brought 318 college
sailors to play on 36 borrowed boats that included 5 J/109's.
The
overall winner of the five-race
regatta (based on the best winning percentage) was Mass. Maritime, sailing Rick Lyall's J/109 STORM.
OTHER NEWS: Several rules change proposals
were discussed at the Executive Board Annual Meeting, and the Board asks for thoughts and opinions from class members.
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For this final enewsletter of the year, we take a look back at highlights from J/109 sailing on both sides of the Atlantic. If you want to refresh your memory about a particular story, you can view all the archived newsletters at 