Letter from the Prez
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 I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some thoughts with you as we prepare for the 2009 season.
2008 was a good year for the class. 2009 has begun with significant global economic challenges. While this will no doubt present challenges to owners and crews, we need to remind ourselves of a few important things as we prepare for the coming season. First, we sail because it brings us pleasure; excitement for some and relaxation for others. We enjoy our boats and the company of our crews, whether they are family or friends. We also know that the more J/109s that show up at an event the more fun we have. Our class is only as strong as its members. We need to stick together during these difficult times and support each other. As you think about the coming season, please try to support as many Class events as possible. We need your continued participation to keep the class strong!
We will hold the J/109 North American Championship at the Chicago Yacht Club in conjunction with the Verve Cup in early August. This is a new venue for our NA's and a reasonably central location so hopefully the event will attract participants from fleets around the country. Stay tuned for details.
The US East Coast Championship will be held at Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week in June. Sailing World has offered to host a J/109 start at the Annapolis NOOD this April. We have designated the event the J/109 Mid-Atlantic Championship. Bill Sweetser has also proposed a new award for the boat with the best performance at multiple East Coast J/109 events to encourage owners to travel. This year, that award will be given to the boat with the best combined performance at the Annapolis and Larchmont NOOD regattas.
I apologize for not being able to share news of other championship events in the UK or elsewhere in the US but as of this writing I am not familiar with all the Fleets' schedules. If you have major events planned, please let me, the other officers or Carol Cronin know and we will make sure they are posted on the Class website. We encourage you to use the website as a resource. Share your news, regatta results, pictures, stories etc. on the site so we can stay current on developments throughout the Class. -Rick Lyall
Read the full letter
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Acura Key West Dishes up Some Breeze
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 Photo: Tim Wilkes Photography (See bio below)
Bill Sweetser's RUSH showed Key West that the 109 is a force to be reckoned with, finishing second in PHRF 2 against a host of newer designs. With a tight rating band to even the performance variations, RUSH bested all but the brand new GOOD GIRL, a J/100. Fred Goldman's TOO SWEET from Bradenton, FL also participated. Complete results
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Report from J-UK
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Becci Eplett sent in this report:
Hello All! We've been making the most of the (comparatively) warm weather here over the last week or so and have been extremely busy over the last couple of weeks with viewings of both new and second hand boats. It seems that whatever the city, government and financial experts say, people are generally more determined than ever to pursue their leisure and recreational hobbies, including sailing. Let's all raise a glass to that!
Partly in an effort to use our 'on the water' time wisely, and partly just as an excuse to catch up with owners and prospective owners on a social footing, we have decided to run a 'J-UK Open Day' on Saturday February 21st. The plan at the moment is that we will have all of the popular Js available for trial sails (rolling throughout the day) from Hamble and a series of very light (and hopefully entertaining) presentations / seminars on shore during the day relating to various different aspects of boat ownership and yachting. Prospective owners will have a chance to meet up with other J Boat owners and their crews, along with representatives from each of the Class Associations. Considering all of the above, I guess we'd better find a venue with a bar...! More info on this event to follow but please do feel free to email me back if you think you might like to be involved.
So... the Warsash Spring Series is just a few weeks away now and we are busy with planning and preparation on that side of things. We are able to deliver most new models for Spring 2009 and we are still enjoying a very busy time with the second hand boats on the brokerage side of the business. Most of the boats listed are based in Hamble so please do give me a call if you would like to come view any of them. I will be happy to make the arrangements.
More info
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Entries open for Block Island 2009
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 Entries are currently being accepted for the 2009 Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex. Three J/109's have already committed to the event, including North American champion Ted Herlihy's GUT FEELING.
Race organizers are requesting early registration so they can better prepare for the event. More info
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Frostbiting Update
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The Royal Southhampton Yacht Club's Frostbite series began on Sunday 11th January and continues
each fortnight until 8th March. Racing is provided for IRC
classes and there are two races on each racing day.
After 3 races with 21 boats scored, J/DREAM (the winner of the Hamble Winter Series) lies in 7th overall with a 2,2,OCS. Neil Pritchard-Meaker's BETH is in 14th. Photo by John Greenway. Complete Results
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About Photographer Tim Wilkes
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 In the more than 20 years that he's been shooting, Tim Wilkes has cut his
teeth primarily in architectural and sailing photography. He has photographed the world's most prestigious regattas and is the official photographer of Key West Race Week, Miami Grand Prix, and Block Island Race Week.
"Boats are all about design, aerodynamics and beauty. It's all a process of
discovery. No matter how many times you cover a sailing event, something
unexpected always happens. Change keeps it interesting. All I ask is that
the experience stays new. When it isn't anymore, I'll hang up my camera and
take to the bottle."
Tim Wilkes is published in magazines in more than 20 countries worldwide. He
lives in Rochester, New York. To check out Tim's easy to search site full of great photos, visit www.timwilkes.com
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With January already astern and spring still over the horizon for most of us, J/109 racing for 2009 has already gotten off to a fine start. In this issue we take a quick look at Key West Race Week (which in spite of lower turnouts provided some great racing) and also look ahead. Rick Lyall also shares his thoughts for the season to come, including some exciting news about upcoming events. Enjoy!