International J/24 Class Association

J/24 FIVE FOR FIGHTING Wins Autumn Championship

December 12, 2017

The Autumn Championship for the Gulf of Poets J/24 Fleet took place over two weekends and was organized by the Club Nautica Marina di Carrara in collaboration with the Circolo della Vela Marina di Massa. In total, 10 races were run over the two weekends. A victory in the last race confirmed the win of the young crew on ITA 304 FIVE FOR FIGHTING in the dozen-boat fleet. The team was led by owner/skipper Eugenia De Giacomo with crew of Nicola and Matilde Pitanti, Lorenzo Cusimano and Bruna Marco. The sailing was characterized by sun and perfect wind, about 10-15 knots from the northeast on Saturday. Then on Sunday, two more races happened in similar conditions to count five for the weekend. There were four different winners of the races, including FIVE FOR FIGHTING (race 6 and 10), Riccardo Pacini’s COCCOE, Roberta Banfo’s TALLY-HO (skippered by Luca Macchiarini) and Giuseppe Simonelli’s RAZOR BILL (skippered by Davide Sampiero). At the end of racing on Sunday, FIVE FOR FIGHTING had five firsts and three seconds in their 10-race tally to win with 16 points net. The second-place boat was Pacini’s COCCOE with 25 points net. Third and fourth places were determined by a tie-breaker between Pietro Diamanti’s JAMAICA and Macchiarini’s TALLY-HO, with the former getting the benefit of countback to round out the podium. Fifth place went to Simonelli’s RAZOR BILL. “They were beautiful regattas, very fun and very competitive,” commented Pietro Diamanti. “I am satisfied with this edition of the Autumn Championship and the victory of a crew made up of determined and very good youngsters like Five for Fighting, always ready to go down into the water and to commit to the maximum. Congratulations also to Riccardo Pacini, a great return with a super crew formed by my brother Giuseppe, Fabio Apollonio and Renzo Marini and Tommy Fusato.” For more Italian J/24 Class information, visit https://www.j24.it/.


KAOTIC Tops NSW States

December 3, 2017

This year’s 2017 New South Wales State Championship was hosted by the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club and sponsored by Doyle MacDiarmid Sails. The racing took place on the Felix Bay, just off Point Piper on the southern shoreline of Sydney Harbour. Two cold, wet days and tricky weather conditions with shifty breezes was not the easiest for the RPEYC PRO duo of Terry Matthews and Adrian Broadbent and the race committee team, but their efforts were greatly appreciated by the 13 crews who participated. Performance is rated, and top boats are “scratch teams” while those in the mid-fleet get a higher handicap applied to their scores. Winning the “Open” division were long-time stalwarts of the Sydney fleet, the duo of Sean Kirkjian & Arthur Crothers on KAOTIC. Taking second was David West’s ACE. Rounding out the podium in the bronze position was CONVICTS REVENGE, skippered by Stephen Girdis. This year’s handicap division winners were Janette Syme’s WILDFIRE, and she also took the crown as Top Woman Skipper. Second was the trio of Brendan Lee and the Tromps on WATERBORNE AGAIN. Taking third was Clinton Hood’s VERTIGO. This year, the “Women on Water Trophy” was awarded to Amanda Williams for her efforts skippering JAGGED EDGE in club races, twilights and regattas, showing determination and relentless enthusiasm during her learning curve. For more Australian J/24 Class information, visit http://www.j24.com.au/.


Italian J/24 Winter Sailing Series Report

The final event in 2017 for the Italian J/24 Winter Series took place off Cagliari; one that not only had a new winner for the regatta, but also confirmed the series leader of the regional series (a six-event program that takes place during the fall 2017 and winter 2018). The weather conditions were not favorable for the two-day event in Cagliari. There was little wind on Saturday and way too much wind on Sunday. So, the RC Chairman of Société Canottieri Ichnusa, Tanni Spanedda, wisely called off racing on Sunday. Winning the regatta was ITA 460 BOTTA DRITTA sailed by Mariolino Di Fraia, with his crew of Luca Montella, Ezio Diana, Andrea Tirotto and Gianluca Cataldi. They sailed fast in all six short-course races on Saturday. As a result of the weekend series, ITA 405 VIGNE SURRAU from Club Nautico Arzachena, skippered by Aurelio Bini, leads after 27 races sailed in three events. Then, sitting in second place is Davide Gorgerino’s ITA 431 LNI CARLOFORTE-PUNTO A, and then in third place is ITA 396 MOLARA sailed by Federico Manconi. The next regatta on the circuit does not take place until January 21. For more Italian J/24 Fleet information, visit https://www.j24.it/.


Argentina J/24 Class Activities

Argentina has a very active J/24 Class with fleets in Buenos Aires on Rio de La Plata, as well as up in the mountains with fleets just west of Mendoza and also in the Cordoba region featuring the gorgeous Lago San Roque in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.

CORDOBA: The Cordoba J/24 fleet recently completed its Torneo de Verano (summer tournament). Host for the event was Club Náutico Córdoba. They managed to sail eight races over the two-weekend series on Lago San Roque. The crew of Javier “Caraca” Moyano on GRAN CARAJO stood out from the fleet based on their consistency; winning two races and taking two seconds in the eight-race series to win with 17 points net. The balance of the podium was determined by a tie-breaker between two competitive crews sitting on 22 points each. Based on countback, taking second in the regatta was Juan Mauri DiFrancesco’s crew on CARRER over Julian Dadona’s team on SIROCCO. Rounding out the top five were Pablo Somestrari’s SEAWOLF and Carlos Trigo’s PURA VIDA, fourth and fifth, respectively.
BUENOS AIRES: The YC Olivos in Buenos Aires held their XXXVII Grand Prix International Luis Alberto Cerrato Cup for J/24s on the Rio de la Plata. After a six-race series managed by the YC Olivos team, it was a familiar team that was at the front of the pack. After five bullets and a second, Matias Pereira’s crew on ARG 5486 took home the title. Chasing Pereira’s team hard all weekend long was Sergio Pendola’s ARG 5463, the only boat to win a race off Pereira, but having to settle for second place. Third was another top Argentinean crew on Hernan Cubria’s ARG 5461 with just 15 points in six races (5 counters net).
For more Argentina J/24 class information, visit http://j24arg.blogspot.com/.


EURUS Wins Brazilian J/24 Championship

The 2017 edition of the Brazilian J/24 Championship took place over two weekends off Rio de Janeiro, hosted by YC Rio de Janeiro. The regatta had a great turnout, with 11 teams competing for national honors. The teams were treated to a range of conditions, but mostly seabreezes from the east/southeast that were a result of clear, warm days. There was one day that was a bit light, cloudy, and mostly overcast. In the end, it was a very close battle for the top three boats, with the results going all the way down to the wire on the last day. After starting out with an OCS, Ronaldo Senfft’s crew on EURUS (Andrea & Leticia Nicolino, Adhara Ginaid and Carlos Eduardo Brandao) sailed fast and conservatively, sailing the most consistent series in the top three to win the regatta counting only top four finishes for a total of 18 points net. Also starting with an OCS and winning four races was Fernando Tover Gioia’s team on MALABAR (Mauricio Santa Cruz, Rafael Pariz, Joao Pedro Soute de Oliviera and Sergio Almeida). They took the silver spot with 22 points net. Rounding out the podium was Murilo Borges’ BRUSCHETTA with crew of Tatiana Almeida, Jorge Bueno, Matheus Goncalves and Mario Tinoco. They sailed well and consistently, posting all top five finishes in their final tally to secure the bronze with 24 points net. For more Brazilian J/24 Class information, visit https://www.facebook.com/J24.BRAZILIAN.NATIONAL.CLASS/.


J/24 Italy Winter Racing Report

November 25, 2017

The Italian J/24 Class continued to enjoy a full-slate of racing in their ongoing winter series events taking place in Cervia (Rome), Taranto and Marina di Carrara. Over 50 teams are competing in these various series. Here are the latest reports. CERVIA: On the Mediterranean Sea, 16 crews from the Romagna J/24 fleet have now completed three regattas for their Winter Championship—the X Memorial Stefano Pirini Cup—hosted by Circolo Nautico Cervia. The day’s winners for the three races were ITA 402 ARMED sailed by Marco Maccaferri, ITA 424 KISMET owned by Francesca Focardi and skippered by Dario Luciani from CN Cervia Amici della Vela, and ITA 400 CAPTAIN NEMO co-owned by co-armed by Guido Guadagni and Domenico Brighi from CV Ravennate. As a result, of the third weekend of racing, the J/24 KISMET is still in the lead for the series. They are followed by CAPTAIN NEMO in second place, and in third place is ITA 382 VENTO BLUE sailed by Mauro Martelli. The Winter Championship X Memorial Stefano Pirini Cup is divided into two stages. The first stage will conclude with races on Sunday, December 3. The second stage starts on February 18, 2018 and ends on March 18. TARANTO: Thanks to the three wins on the opening day and three more races on the final weekend, ITA 417 LA SUPERBA won the 2017 Cup Final, the closing leg of the J/24 Trofeo Ciccolo National Circuit that took place off Taranto. The Italian Navy team sailing LA SUPERBA is skipper Ignazio Bonanno and crew of Simone Scontrino, Francesco Picaro, Francesco Linares and Alfredo Branciforte. Taking second position was a new fleet member, ITA 427 JEBEDEE, owned by Nino Soriano and skippered by Luca Gaglione from the Puglia fleet. Included on the crew were Nino’s son Remo Soriano at the mast, Vittorio Renzi in the cockpit and Silvio Tullo at the bow (all of them are from the Circolo Nautico Sailing School). Rounding out the podium in third place was ITA 467 CANARINO FEROCE owned by Massimo Ruggiero and skippered by Giuseppe Maglietta. “It was an honor for us on JEBEDEE and for our fleet to be able to compete with crews like those who came to Taranto to qualify for the J/24 Worlds,” commented Puglia J/24 Fleet Captain Nino Soriano. “It was impressive to watch LA SUPERBA being at ease in the difficult sailing conditions. It surprised us and incentivized us to practice and train more to raise our level of competition. It was a great event and very good organization!” MARINA DI CARRARA: For the opening weekend of the Autumn Cup sailed on the Golf of Poets off Marina di Carrara, five races were completed in a variety of wind conditions over a sunny weekend. The host RC crew from CN Marina di Carrera was pleased to run two races the first day and three on the final day. Twelve teams headed out with great anticipation on Saturday. However, the conditions were not conducive for the regular seabreeze to build, so two races were barely completed in the dying breeze. The day’s winners were ITA 212 JAMAICA sailed by Pietro Diamanti and ITA 449 RAZOR BILL owned by Giuseppe Simonelli and helmed by Davide Sampiero. However, the standings changed dramatically on the second day. ITA 304 FIVE FOR FIGHTING sailed by Eugenia De Giacomo (with crew of Nicola and Matilde Pitanti, Lorenzo Cusimano and Bruna Marco) won all three races in the southwest winds of 8-10 knots. Consequently, De Giacomo’s FIVE FOR FIGHTING team led the standings with a 3-4-1-1-1 for 6 points net. They are followed in second place by ITA 202 TALLY I owned by Roberta Banfo and skippered by Luca Macchiarini with a record of 4-3-2-5-2 for 11 points net. Sitting in third place is ITA 481 COCO sailed by Riccardo Pacini with a 2-ocs-4-2-4 for 12 points net. For more Italian J/24 Winter series information, visit https://www.j24.it/.


World Council Meeting Minutes Posted

October 31, 2017

Thank you to the Italian Class for hosting the 2017 J/24 World Council Meeting at Fraglia Vela, Riva del Garda, Italy on October 21. The meeting minutes are now posted at http://www.j24class.org/organization/class-documents/wcm-minutes/.


J/24 Italy National Circuit October Report

October 28, 2017

The Italian J/24 Class continues to complete a combination of their summer series and upcoming fall events. Here are the latest reports from the Cervia Fleet in Sardinia and from the Genovese fleet sailing their annual Lantern Regatta. CERVIA: For the fifth leg of the Italian J/24 National Circuit, the Race Committee and PRO at Circolo Nautico de Cervia managed to provide the 23 J/24 teams with six races over the two-day weekend. Thanks to a very steady series scoreline of 5-3-2-2-3-3, J-OC sailed by Fabio Apollonio ended up winning the Cervia stage of the National J/24 Circuit with 13 points total. Just off the pace behind them and taking second place was Italian J/24 Class President, Pietro Diamanti, racing ITA 212 JAMAICA to a record of 4-1-5-3-1-2 for 15 points. Rounding out the podium was ITA 424 KISMET owned by Francesca Focardi and skippered by Dario Luciani, with a record of 10-2-1-6-4-9 for 22 points. For the balance of the top five, it was ITA 505 JORE owned by Alessandro Errani and helmed by Marco Pantano that took fourth place. Finishing in fifth place was Ignacio Bonanno and his Italian Navy crew on ITA 416 LA SUPERBA. The Cervia event also qualified another boat for the 2018 World Championship that will take place in Riva del Garda at the end of August 2018—ITA 424 KISMET won that slot. As a result of this regatta, the National Circuit series continues to be led by Diamanti’s JAMAICA, followed by ITA 473 MAGIC FAIRY sailed by Massimo Frigerio in second and ITA 304 FIVE FOR FIGHTING J sits in third, sailed by the young Eugenia De Giacomo.

GENOA/ PORTOFINO Campionato Della Lanterna: The Marina Genova Airport Nautical Club completed the second and third events of the Campionato Della Lanterna for the fleet of eight J/24s. The fleet had to contend with uncertain weather on day one, almost a “glass-out” in the morning, but followed up with a southwest breeze of 5-7 knots in the afternoon, enough to get in two races. The second day’s racing was defined by winds of 15-18 knots plus a short, steep chop. It was close racing for everyone over the weekend. In the end, it was JAWS that won the regatta, followed by JUST A JOKE in second, FINALLY in third, FOR FIVE (A. Criscuolo – P. Ghibaudi) in fourth, and LANDFALL (Simone and Andrea Moretti) in fifth. “I am very happy with the way this championship is going,” Sr Buffa explained. “Above all, it is the rebirth and the fervor of our fleet of Portofino/Genoa, constantly searching for new J/24 owners who wish to join us.” For more Italian J/24 Class information, visit https://www.j24.it/.


UK Autumn Cup October 14-15 – Chaotic Win

Thanks to Johnny Allen for this report: The weekend of the 14th to 15th of October saw 12 J/24s take part in the Autumn Cup, hosted by Parkstone Yacht Club, Poole, UK (the venue for the 2020 J/24 World Championship). The Parkstone Yacht Club is undergoing the largest sailing club build in Europe with an impressive new clubhouse nearing completion ready for some of the largest sailing events in the UK. Saturday brought a light southwesterly breeze with four races being sailed out of a scheduled five. Apart from race one, won by Roger Morris’ Jolly Roger, Nick Philips and his team on Chaotic could not put a foot wrong, winning the remaining three races of the day, with the rest of the fleet having a mixed day. Jolly Roger was the overnight leader before the discard kicked in. Sunday morning’s start of race five at 09.30 saw most of the fleet changing to jibs minutes before the start as the breeze built…only for a number of the fleet to do a headsail change back to genoas on the first downwind leg. Duncan McCarthy on Madeleine was first to finish, only to find out that they had been disqualified by the ‘U’ Flag Rule, within one minute of the start (along with Team Impact and Flying Colours), thus handing the lead to Nick McDonald’s Cacoon. Race six and all the fleet were back on genoas with Mark Lewers’ Hijinks quick out of the blocks finding the left hand side of the beat to be favoured and never challenged once they reached the windward mark of lap one. Race seven was won by Madeleine, and race eight by Andy Taylor’s Phoenix. However, consistency paid, and the Chaotic team are worthy winners of this year’s America’s Autumn Cup. Of note is the ever-improving youth team on Team Impact who regularly pushed at the top of the fleet, perhaps not surprising with the Kuzyk brothers on board—past Topper World, European and National Champions. Also Jack Butters, ex Spitfire National Champion, sailing with his brothers Pete and Steve, and their father Dave on Crackerjack. At the prize-giving, Chaotic thanked the race officer Bryan Drake and his team for an excellent regatta, managing to get in all eight races in what were sometimes tricky conditions.

Rank Boat SailNo Club HelmName CrewName Nett
1st Chaotic 4177 Parkstone Yacht Club Nick Phillips Matt Hardy, Tom Montgomery, Charlie Montgomery, Hugh Styles 15.0
2nd Phoenix 4222 Parkstone Yacht Club Andy Taylor Paul Williams, Jack Sharland, Sam Shrive, Izzy Savage 29.0
3rd Madeleine 4265 Parkstone Yacht Club Duncan McCarthy Steve Phelps, Charlie Fisher, Spencer Whitworth, Kiersten Metcalfe 31.0
4th Jolly Roger 4270 Parkstone Yacht Club Roger Morris Andrew Morris, Daniel Sparrow, John Sparrow, David Sparrow 32.0
5th Team Impact 4236 Parkstone Yacht Club George Kennedy Eden Luke, Harry Gilchrist, Giles Kuzyk, Elliott Kuzyk 35.0
6th Crackerjack 4074 Parkstone Yacht Club Jack Butters Dave Butters, Pete Butters, Ian Millard, Steve Butters 36.0
7th Jawbreaker 4271 Saltash Sailing Club James Torr Abi Smith, Stuart Hammond, Nick Triscott, David Cooper 38.0
8th Cacoon 5432 RYA Nick McDonald Paddy Hutchins, John Allen, Sam Spencer, Lorna Graham 42.0
9th HiJinks 4213 RWYC Mark Lewers Neil Appleton, Helen Timpson, Emily Mulligan, Katie Moore 44.0
10th Flying Colours 4266 Parkstone Yacht Club Alex Pollock Barney Pollock, Richard Popper, Tilo Pepe, Vivian Allen/William Pollock 59.0
11th Jam 4153 SSC Ben Maddaford Sam Nicholson, Matthew Maddaford, James Randall, Jess Jarvis 60.0
12th JuJu 4254 Poole Yacht Club Quinton Hall Yvonne Hall, Miles DeSa, Thomas Clayton, James Walker 71.0


Robert Bakoczy and Team Become 2017 J/24 European Champions / Open European Championship Won by American Keith Whittemore

October 1, 2017

Hungarian victory crowned the J/24 European Championship which was held in Balatonfüred between September 24 and October 1. The title was decided during the very last race of the 10-race competition. The continental trophy was won by young Robert Bakoczy and his dynamic team after four days of consistent sailing. The Open Champion title was won by American Keith Whittemore. 250 competitors on 48 boats from eight countries sailed the waters around Balatonfüred during the European Championship on board of the world’s most popular one-design keelboat. Light wind continued to be the theme during the last race day, but despite the challengingly shifty conditions, the Race Committee, headed by Bence Fluck, managed to run two races on the final day. Race 9 was sailed in 7-8 knot northeasterly winds, during which three German teams gathered BFD penalties due to jumping out early. LUV was the first boat to reach the first upwind gate, shadowed by the young girls-only team on GER5266, while Django turned third. By the end of the second leg, leading positions shifted as the left side of the course proved faster, but LUV and GER5266 managed to hold onto their leads while Greek Evniki completed the leg third. The second upwind leg was accomplished by again LUV first while two teams came in from the right: Jukebox in second place and Furio in third. Tom Stiry and his team won Race 9 before Jukebox and upcoming FGF Sailing Team. Race 10 was a nerve-wracking course, testing the endurance of the teams with its dropping, shifty winds. Evniki was the first to round the first upwind mark followed by Dutch team JOOL and Jmania. This order was kept at the downwind mark, except Evniki swapped positions with JOOL. Dropping winds clustered up the teams at the mark, and there were fierce struggles for inside positions coupled by loud protest calls. Team JOOL struggled up first to the second upwind mark, followed by Evniki and Vitesse. The Dutch ended up winning the race on board JOOL, beating Evniki and Vitesse. The Race Committee was determined to do an 11th race which had to be started by 4 pm. The wind was picking up to 7-8 knots and shifting east, but the first start attempt had to be interrupted by an AP due to a sudden wind shift. The 11th race started clear on the second start attempt, though shifting conditions forced an abandonment. Therefore, the European Championship closed after 10 races. FGF Sailing Team helmed by Robert Bakoczy became European Champions. “The J/24 European Championship was a great adventure for us, as this is not our Class. We sail in a different Class. It was great that there was no pressure on us, and this brought us victory. We are extremely delighted. I don’t know, I am just overwhelmed right now. It hasn’t yet sunk in that this has happened to us and we won,” said Bakoczy after his win. Silver went to Farkas Litkey with his mixed Hungarian/Italian team on board Pelle Nera, while the bronze was earned by Balazs Tomai and his team on Jenesis. The Open Trophy was taken home by American Keith Whittemore and his team on Furio. “It was amazing to race on this beautiful Lake where, to our surprise and biggest delight, powerboats are banned. You cannot believe how lucky you are with this. We had 10 great races, great organization and fair start lines,” said Whittemore after the races. Jukebox helmed by Miklos Rauschenberger, who was leading the regatta during two days, finished fourth. They received a standing ovation at the prize-giving ceremony, as they earned three wins during the regatta and offered very consistent sailing all throughout the week. German Süllberg with Stefan Karsunke finished fifth, followed by Evniki helmed by Athimos Nikolaidis at sixth. Three more Hungarian teams made it to the top 10 which is a great achievement considering the strength of the fleet. Dutch team JOOL (Dirk Olyslagers) finished seventh, followed by Jbond (Robert Sarina) in eighth, iJroncat (Gabor Sallai) ninth and Jinge (Imre Scholtz) closing the top 10. Following the J/24 Class’ legacy, there were also special prizes distributed. The “Old Boat Trophy” was earned by Just a Big Dinghy helmed by Annamári Sabján. The boat had been used by a Swiss fisherman who shortened the mast by 6 cm. The mast had to be restored to its original length before the European Championship in order to comply with Class Rules. The girls-only team went to lengths to make their boat race compliant. The “Ladies Trophy” special prize was won by Emily Kern and her team on Rotogirl. “The Top Youth Boat Trophy” was won by the GER3634 team, Fast F, helmed by Johanne Maske. The “Top Senior Boat” title went to Italian Attilio De Battista on ITA498 named Pilgrim. Erik Hercsel, the President of the Hungarian J/24 Class, concluded the event as follows, “I am grateful that I had a chance to sail the same course with such great sailors during this regatta. Seeing the Hungarian fleet, the teams, the helms achieving such great results makes me even more happy. Long months of organization and many late nights preceded this event. Big thank you to my entire team who made this event such a success, to the many supporters, volunteers, J/24 Class members, to Balatonfüred Yacht Club, and of course to our sponsors whose support was inevitable in the realization of this great event.”

Further event information: http://j24europeans2017.hu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hunj24class/


Farkas Litkey is Leading After Eight Races at the J/24 European Championship

September 30, 2017

Teams sailed four races Friday on the third day of the J/24 European Championship, having accomplished eight races in total. It was a busy day, not only in race numbers but also in number of protests, so the international jury was kept busy as well. Farkas Litkey (Pelle Nera) took over the lead though tied on points with second Keith Whittemore (Furio), while Balazs Tomai (Jenesis) sits at third after Rauschenberger Miklos (Jukebox) was disqualified from race 8 by the technical committee for faulty sailing. The top league has reorganized, competition is tight and spots on the podium are still up for grabs. The day started out with shore postponement. After a short wait, the fleet headed out to the course area. The fleet sailed Race 5 in 6-8-knot easterly winds. Leading Miklos Rauschenberger (Jukebox) won Race 5, followed by Frank Schönfeldt (Henk). Greek Anthimos Nikolaidis (Evniki) finished third though due to being over the line early they earned a BFD, therefore Peer Kook (Bockdrauf) moved up a notch to third, and Balazs Tomai (Jenesis) could claim fourth. Winds dropped by Race 6 though it was an even 5-6 knots at the beginning. Winds dropped further during the race forcing the RC to shortened the length of the second upwind leg. Race 5 finished with five Hungarian teams occupying the top five league. Order of finish: Farkas Litkey (Pelle Nera), Robert Sarina (Jbond), Balazs Tomai (Jenesis), Robert Bakoczy (FGF Sailing Team), Gabor Sallai (iJroncat). Race 7 was preceded by a lengthy on-water postponement as the Race Committee decided to move the course southward in hope of more steady winds. The new course was set, and Race 7 started in an 8-knot northeasterly. The start for Race 7 had to be repeated due to a general recall three teams, including leading Jukebox collected a BFD. The second start for Race7 was clear. Swedish For Fun rounded the upwind mark first, followed by Vitesse and iJroncat. The order somewhat shifted by the downwind mark which was rounded first by FGF Sailing Team, followed by Furio and Evniki. FGF ended up winning race 7 by consistent sailing. Vitesse came in second, Furio third. Greek Evniki finished fourth while Hungarian Jinge fifth. The wind dropped to 5-6 knots by Race 8 while keeping its direction, so no course change was needed for the last race of the day. Teams really had to be alert and decide which side to choose that would bring them fresh breeze. Balazs Tomai on Jenesis opted for the left and rounded the first upwind mark first, beating Vitesse and Pelle Nera. At the end of the first lap, Jörn Harms took over the lead with Vitesse overcoming Balazs Tomai (Jenesis). Vitesse held onto his leading position until finish. Farkas Litkey (Pelle Nera) finished second, Keith Whittemore (Furio) came in third, Jenesis landed fourth, while FGF Sailing Team nailed the fifth spot. The winner of the day was definitely Farkas Litkey whose consistent sailing paid him with taking the lead in the regatta. Litkey told us after the races, “We sailed four races today out of the total eight. Successful four races for us. I am satisfied with all races. There are light winds which benefit us as we are fast in light winds. We have enough speed there to stay among or ahead of the best. The regatta organization is fantastic. It is incredible that there are 48 boats. I’m truly impressed. Shore events are perfect. New videos, edited every night, the day’s photos displayed is really unique. I haven’t seen this at any other regattas. This is the best organization, I’ve ever seen.”

Opening Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7YmCso-mo8
First racing day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HT4b1eqop8
Second racing day:https://www.facebook.com/hunj24class/videos/1574942895896260/
Results: http://j24europeans2017.hu/results/


Three Hungarian Teams on Top of Leaderboard After Four Races at J/24 European Championship

September 29, 2017

The second race day continued with two further races at the J/24 European Championship on Lake Balaton. After four races, three Hungarian teams rule the top league. Jukebox is leading with Miklos Rauschenberger at the helm, shadowed by Jenesis, helmed by Balázs Tomai, while Pelle Nera helmed by Farkas Litkey is third. Due to the black flag start rules, yesterday’s favorites, the American Keith Whittemore on Furio and the German Daniel Frost on JJone lost their positions as they haven’t been able to drop their BFDs. The day started out beautifully in 7-9 knots of easterly winds. The first three teams to round the first upwind mark during the third race was German Tom Stryi (LUV), Hungarian Gabor Sallai (iJroncat) and also fellow Hungarian Farkas Litkey (Pelle Nera), keeping their positions until the finish of that race. German Stefan Karsunke on Süllberg finished fourth, while the current overall leader Miklos Rauschenberger on Jukebox crossed the finish line fifth. The middle of the fleet pretty much clustered up due to dropping winds and finished really close to each other so the Race Committee decided to shorten the course on the third and fourth legs. Race 4, the second race of the day, was preceded by an on-water postponement as the wind started shifting and it also dropped well below 5 knots. After a bit of waiting, the regatta moved southwards, a new course was set and racing continued. Excited teams were unable to hold their horses well enough, being Black Flag starts for six teams, including yesterday’s favorites Furio and JJone who were forced to watch the race from the sidelines. Repeated start for Race 4 was clear. The rounding order at the first upwind mark was Jörn Harms on Vitesse, Balazs Tomai on Jenesis and Miklos Rauschenberger with Jukebox. The order pretty much remained the same at the end of the first round at the downwind gate…only Jukebox turned a bit before Jenesis. Miklos Rauschenberger on Jukebox decided to take the left-hand mark and continue upwind on the right, while Tomai on Jenesis opted for the right-hand mark and sailed on the left upwind. The second upwind mark was rounded by Vitesse first, followed by Jenesis, then Fast F. The race was won by Jörn Harms on Vitesse, Jenesis with Balazs Tomai finished second, while the third was taken by a female helm Johanne Maske. Race 5 started in somewhat annoyingly shifty 5-6-knot easterly winds which later completely died, so the race committee decided to abandon the race to the biggest disappointment for leading Keith Whittemore (Furio) and Farkas Litkey (Pelle Nera). After the race, Balazs Tomai admitted that, “We expected to finish in the top 10. We are awaiting further races from the second spot though we are only half-way through with the regatta. This is the second time that I helm a J/24 on such a prestigious regatta. I believe that teamwork is key in this Class.” For more information and complete results, visit http://j24europeans2017.hu/.

Videos:
Opening day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7YmCso-mo8
First Racing day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HT4b1eqop8


Hungarian Dominance at the J/24 European Championship: Miklós Rauschenberger with his crew on Jukebox Leading with Two Wins

September 28, 2017

Two races were sailed on September 27, the first day of the 2017 J/24 European Championship. Both races were ruled by the Hungarian teams occupying 10 spots in the top 20. Jukebox, helmed by local Miklos Rauschenberger, has secured two wins by confident sailing, followed by the current American National Champion Keith Whittemore on Furio, while last year’s World Champion, JJone helmed by Daniel Frost and his crew came in third. The first race on the first race day of the Continent Championship started out in light, easterly 7-9 knot winds at 10 am as scheduled. First start was under U flag, but loads of excited competitors went over the start line early, so the second start was under the Black Flag. Seemingly the teams were more careful at the second start in order not to be disqualified, so only two boats, HUN2 and GER5467, were over early therefore each earned a BFD. Jukebox, helmed by Miklós Rauschenberger and his team, took over the lead after the first upwind leg and won the race. Daniel Frost and his team came in second on JJone, followed by fellow German LUV, helmed by Tom Stryi. The wind lost power by the second race, dropping to 5-7 knots, further boosting the Hungarian teams’ self-confidence on the start line. Dropping, tricky winds require expert starting technique, where choosing one’s starting position is key to a successful race. Those starting closer to the pin end proved to be faster coming up the first upwind mark. Six Hungarian teams got there fastest. First to round the mark was Tamas Madarasz and his team on Rebel. The first downwind leg was fastest on the right side. After the first round, the already weakening wind was also shifting northward forcing a course alteration. The frontrunners split into two. The two leading teams, Jukebox and Farkas Litkey helmed Pelle Nera, chose to remain on the left while the rest of the fleet kept to the right hoping to find stronger breezes. By the end of the second race, winds died almost completely though the spinnakers were still holding up nicely. Patience and focus were the strongest virtue to finish the race. The second race was also ruled by Miklós Rauschenberger and his team on Jukebox, while now three-time Soling World Champion Farkas Litkey came in second on Pelle Nera followed by also fellow Hungarian Tamas Madarasz and his team on Rebel. As the wind completely died, there was no chance to do the third race. After shore postponement, the day was called after two successful races. So after two races, Jukebox helmed by Miklos Rauschenberger is leading the regatta with two wins. He summarized the day as follows, “In today’s light winds, local knowledge was definitely an advantage. We knew at both starts that we must choose the pin side, and it proved right. It is very good to see that the Hungarian teams are doing well, though today’s tricky conditions haven’t given foreign competitors the chance to really prove how good they are.” Furio, helmed by Keith Whittemore, is second with two fourth places at both races, while the German World Champion Daniel Frost on JJOne is looking forward to getting ahead from the third place. Results and more info: http://j24europeans2017.hu/.


J/24 European Championship Kicks Off with the Participation of 48 teams, 8 nationalities and 250 crew

250 competitors of 8 nations on 48 boats have registered for the 2017 J/24 European Championship which is organized by the Balatonfüredi Yacht Club in Balatonfüred, Hungary between September 24 and October 1. The Europeans has been preceded by a three-day registration session where all the boats and sails have been measured. Though the practice race had to be cancelled due to lack of wind, competitors have been compensated by a fantastic Opening Ceremony in the club followed by an awesome party with good food and plenty of drinks. The Opening Day kicked off with beautiful sunshine and pleasant easterly wind which some of the competitors took advantage of for training. Unfortunately, the wind completely died down by the afternoon, so the practice race needed to be called off by the Race Committee. The Opening Ceremony was a truly remarkable event where the Balatonfüredi Yacht Club’s young Optimist competitors sailed into the marina each carrying the flag of a competing nation while music characteristic to each nation played in the background. The Triumphal March from Verdi’s Aida played on while the flags were being raised. A spectacular RG dance performance performed on a floating pontoon followed the flag raising. The International J/24 Class was often referred to as a ‘Big Family’ in the opening speeches as most Class members know each other quite well. The iconic Stuart Jardine was the first to greet the competitors and also announced that he intends to retire soon and pass over his legacy to Michael Peters. Stuart is a member of the Technical Committee of the International J/24 Class, also a seasoned and successful sailor who finished fourth during the 2008 European Championship in Hungary. It is amazing that though being over 80 years old, he has personally managed the measurement procedure and the entire measurement team. Local measurement preparations for the J/24 Europeans were coordinated by Zsolt Baranyai. Ákos Pécsváradi, Gábor Csernussi and a handful of volunteers also supported the measurement team. Károly Simon, as a life member of the organizing Balatonfüredi Yacht Club, greeted the competitors wishing them fair winds and fair racing. Andras Holczhauser represented the Hungarian Yachting Association and also greeted the competitors. Erik Hercsel, Head of the Hungarian J/24 Class, expressed his gratitude toward the sponsors of the event: Audi being the main sponsor, plus Quantum Sails Hungary, Julius Meinl, International (Ricky Sport), Jet Travel, Bravo Boats also supporting the event. Bence Fluck’s, international Jury, was also introduced to competitors as well as Dusan Vanicky (SVK) as Chariman, Pedro Rodrigues (POR), Judit Bodnár (HUN), Gábor Oroszlán (HUN). The Opening Ceremony was followed by a leisurely dinner catering to both local and international taste. Good wines and superb atmosphere were an integral part of the evening.


Rossi Milev’s Clear Air Crowned J/24 World Champion

September 24, 2017

For those who place in the bottom third in the first race of a World Championship, look to Rossi Milev’s Clear Air for inspiration. The local team overcame double-digit finishes in the first three of eight races to become the 2017 victors at the driveHG.ca J/24 World Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Going into Saturday’s final day of competition, Milev trailed Tony Parker’s Bangor Packet by 5 points. Nailing a second-place in today’s only light-air contest earned Clear Air the title with 47 net points. Parker ended just one notch back, settling for the silver position after a very consistent week of sailing. Ariko Murohashi’s Lull of Japan claimed the bronze spot with 62 points. Nicolas Cubria’s Elvis won Saturday’s meeting, and although the Race Committee attempted a ninth race, conditions forced an abandonment. Milev was an integral player in his club—Port Credit Yacht Club—earning hosting duties for this Championship. “It hasn’t sunk it,” beamed Milev. “The first race went against us, but I said ‘don’t give up, it’s a long regatta.’ We just plugged away.” Crew Gayle Gray (mast), Mark Goodyear (trim), Jon Messenger (tactics) and Jeremy Edwards (bow) were up to the challenge in the persistently light air affair. Milev continued, “We had great speed all around, and could hold the lane. We sailed the rig a little bit lighter than what the tuning guide says. You never know when your time will come. You try to figure out what’s going on, but it wasn’t easy!”

The IJCA also awarded its perpetual trophies:
• Jaeger Women’s Trophy to Erica Beck Spencer, Sea Bags Women’s Sailing Team
• Under-25 Turner Trophy to Finn Hadlock, Boreas

The top five overall:

  1. Clear Air, Rossi Milev, Mississauga, ON, CAN – [46] -11 -13 -1 -11 -5 -4 -2; 47
  2. Bangor Packet, Tony Parker, Washington, DC, USA – 7 -2 -5 -8 -9 – [15] -8 -9; 48
  3. Lull, Ariko Murohashi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, JPN – [40] -14 -3 -6 -12 -8 -15 -4; 62
  4. Lifted, Evan Petley-Jones, Halifax, NS, CAN – [39] -10 -1 -2 -6 -1 -28 -20; 68
  5. YouRegatta, Carter White, Portland, ME, USA – 11 – [25] -6 -13 -19 -4 -3 -12; 68

Sixty-three teams from Argentina, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and the USA competed. Complete results may be found at https://yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=2934, and photos are available on the J/24 Class Facebook page.

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