Pacific Cup Update #1 – Ready to roll!

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I am happy to report that all of our pre-race preparations are complete, and we are pretty much ready for the race to Hawaii. With the utter chaos of preparations behind us (yea! see the look of desperation on my face??), we now are free to focus on the racing.

We just wrapped up a practice session, ironed out the last kinks, and distributed some swanky looking crew gear. We have a truly great team who seem to have gelled right away, and the weather is looking like it is changing for the better, a trend which will hopefully continue until our departure on Wednesday at 2pm. We have a highly competitive fleet we’ll be heading out with, including some quick boats and some great sailors, so we have our work cut out for us.

The next update will probably be sent in sometime Wednesday evening, so definitely check back in… and wish us luck!

Cheers,

Wayne Zittel

Pac Cup Preview…

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Busy Busy…

So we haven’t been terribly good about keeping these posts regular. We have simply been swamped with classes, racing, and preparing for the Pacific Cup Race to Hawaii. With just over two weeks until the start, we are pretty close to ready. We went thru the boat and equipment inspection last week, and we are down to all the little details that we hope will contribute to a sucessful race. We’ll be keeping everone updated with race reports from the boat on the way over, so be sure to check the blog regularly…

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Hello All –

Summertime in San Francisco is a wonderful thing… whether you are racing in ‘the slot’ or heading to Angel Island for a lazy day barbecue, the Bay is sure to please. J World has a full range of courses running non-stop, and of course upcoming special events catering to cruisers and racers of all sorts.
PACIFIC CUP – Race to Hawaii – July 14th
We still have one spot recently opened up in our Pacific Cup program this July. A late cancellation makes this race to Hawaii an opportunity for you. Two coaches, six students, and the opportunity of a lifetime.
Says Kimball Livingston (an editor for SAIL Magazine) of our program: You will be “taught how to get to Hawaii doing the fast thing. Win or lose you’ll come back different. Want to skipper, next time, with confidence? You never really know what you will get, California-Hawaii, but it is a benign passage by the standards of ocean passages and halfway across you are farther from land than at any other point on the globe. At the end there’s Hawaii. Suck it up and cope.”
Click here to find out more about the Pacific Cup
Hawaii to San Francisco Cruise
At the beginning of August, we will be conducting an offshore cruising class which will take students from the Hawaiian Islands to San Francisco. Following the sailing route northward around the Pacific High, this is a great opportunity to gain some valuable offshore experience. More on this offshore cruising class…
Summer Sailstice – June 21!
Celebrate sailing in SF on the longest day of the year… this event brings together everyone who loves wind, water and sail! Sail in, motor in, or just come down for a full weekend of sailing, cruising, racing, windsurfing and onshore entertainment. Free admission for all, and J World will be there providing sailboat rides! For more info: www.summersailstice.com/sf
Charter Boat Available for 2008 Big Boat Series
J World has a top level J/105 available for charter for the most prestigious sailing event on the West Coast, the 2008 St. Francis Big Boat Series. This boat is known as one of the fastest on the Bay, and is being made available for a qualified candidates/teams, however the J/105 fleet has strict owner/driver rules and limitations on pros. Contact us for further information.
Racing Weeks
Our next racing week in San Francisco Bay is July 7. These courses cover everything from sail trim and boat-handling to rules and tactics. Get faster, sail smarter, win races. Regardless of what type of boat you sail and where you sail it, this class will send you home ready to take on all comers Intro and Advanced
Private Instruction
This season has just gotten started, and J World instructors have already been booked for private sessions in Chicago, Valle de Bravo, and Hawaii… We have top level racing coaches who can provide valuable insights to your trim, technique, and teamwork. Additionally, our private programs for boat owners have been used by boat brokers, boat builders, and insurance companies to train and educate both new and experienced sailors to the techniques and skills necessary for the efficient and safe operation of their vessels. Finally, when you are ready to stretch your legs and head offshore for the first time, consider taking a J World instructor on the passage. Learn good habits from the start, and have an enjoyable and safe passage!
All the best,
Wayne Zittel & the J World Team

Northward ho…

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Well, most of our fleet has headed north for the Summer. World J/120 didn’t follow the whales this year, but was subjected to the indignity of a flatbed truck. Time constraints being what they are, we wanted to get the boat back in San Francisco to get ready for the Pacific Cup race to Hawaii and the cruising class from Hawaii to San Francisco this summer. Here is good ol’ J/World high and dry, beating to weather at about 100kph! By the way, to the student who left their red lifejacket in Puerto Vallarta, I think we found it. The trucker seems to have forgotten his red flag for the end of the mast!

That’s one of our J/80’s and “Mamicita,” our Mexican Road Warrior Hauling Machine. Which way to the water?!?

Wayne Zittel

Bravo!

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So I just got back from doing some coaching for a J/24 team in Valle de Bravo, a beautiful lake about a two hour drive from Mexico City. This is a popular getaway for the city dwellers, and there is a fantastic sailing scene. Scattered around the lake are more sailing clubs than I can keep track of, and all manners of boats were out sailing. There were races going for Optis, Lasers, Terns, Santana 20s, J/24s, Hobie 16s, and who know what else… there were probably four race courses scattered about at any given moment. The J/24 fleet alone regularly draws some 25-30 boats! It was a very great scene to see.
The J/24 2009 North Americans will be in Valle next February, and it promises to be a great event. Hopefully we’ll see you down there!

Wayne Zittel

2008 Singlehanded Farallones Report…

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Timo onboard the SF Bay based J/120 Twist sent us this following abbreviated account of the 2008 Singlehanded Farallones Race last weekend… oh the roller-coaster of sailboat racing! Thanks for sharing, Timo…

Summary of the day: – backwards start – what’s with Jam Session? – best start? – go for ebb – tack, tack, tack – Alchara catches up… how the hell? – match race mighty Alchara – choppy seas, decent wind – Outsider hikes! – first at rock? – set the kite – donate flesh – kite bad idea… 20+ degrees low of home – tack down, sheet in, heat up, HOLD ON! – tiny roundup (x2) – medium roundup – wind builds – tiny roundup – bigger roundup – wish for crew – parallel to R2 – wind goes from 17 to zero in 3 seconds – what the fuck? – kite wraps mast – down kite, up jib – mutiny, happy, mutiny, happy (repeat 5x) – drift towards shore near mile rock – too close to rocks – engine on – 9 hours sailing – dnf – wife at dock – lovely sight – put away boat – nighty night

Strictly Sail Pacific

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So we just spent the past five days at the Stricly Sail Pacific boatshow in Jack London Square, Oakland, right across the water from our Alameda office. We had a J/80 in the water at the show docks, and another giving sailboat rides for the Discover Sailing group… and we make the Channel 2 News… click here for the clip. We’ll post some more photos and genral observations fornt the show in a day or two…

J Fest San Francisco 2008

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Well, yours truly was still down in Mexico, so I missed J Fest this go-around, but it sounds like it was a great weekend… nice warm weather and good sailing for all fleets. Here’s a short photo collection set to music… Thanks for sharing, Serge…

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Hello Friends and Alumni –
Well, the whale sightings are getting less frequent in Banderas Bay (but we did see a baby breaching some 20+ times just yesterday!), so it must be warming up in the wintry north… and sure enough, we have a lot of people excited about getting back out on the Bay. Tons of things going on and a couple of exciting announcements:
Blah-Blah-Blog!
All kinds of great things cross our desk every day here, and we’ve decided that it would be fun to share them in an informal environment… so we started a blog. We’ll try to update it regularly, but honestly it will probably take some practice until it becomes habitual, so bear with us! Here you go… http://sailing-jworld.blogspot.com/
Strictly Sail Pacific
The big all-sailboat show is going on in Oakland this week… this is “Largest Sailing Marketplace West of the Mississippi,” so don’t miss it! And when you are there, come on by and say hi… we will be out on the docks with one of out J/80s and hope to see you! http://www.strictlysail.com/
NEW PROGRAM: Boat Share by J World
Ok, we are excited to announce the launch of a new program from J World… Boat Share by J World is a fractional ownership program which allows you to co-own exciting sailboats. The cost of ownership is a fixed rate that is remarkably low. Our first boat in the program, a beautiful J/92, is now available for (partial) purchase. For details about the program, give us a call or come by the boat show!
April / May Cruising Classes
Come explore the Sea of Cortez on our Spring Cruise. We have two spectacular legs to choose from, each one offering an opportunity to experience one of the world’s great cruising grounds. Abundant sea life, unspoiled beauty and accommodating weather provides the perfect setting for instruction aboard our J/120 with Capt. Eugenie!
Seven Day Live-aboard cruise – Apr 26-May 2 -Puerto Vallarta to La Paz
Seven Day Live-aboard cruise – May 4-10 – La Paz to San Carlos
Click here for more info on these special cruises, and here for information pertaining to our standard live-aboard cruising classes.
Racing Weeks
Our renowned racing classes are running in San Francisco April 28 and May 19. These courses cover everything from sail trim and boat-handling to rules and tactics. Get faster, sail smarter, win races. Regardless of what type of boat you sail and where you sail it, this class will send you home ready to take on all comers Intro and Advanced
Hawaii to San Francisco Cruise
At the beginning of August, we will be conducting an offshore cruising class which will take students from the Hawaiian Islands to San Francisco. Following the sailing route northward around the Pacific High, this is a great opportunity to gain some valuable offshore experience. More on this offshore cruising class…
Private Instruction
This season has just gotten started, and J World instructors have already been booked for private sessions in Chicago, Valle de Bravo, and Hawaii… We have top level racing coaches who can provide valuable insights to your trim, technique, and teamwork. Additionally, our private programs for boat owners have been used by boat brokers, boat builders, and insurance companies to train and educate both new and experienced sailors to the techniques and skills necessary for the efficient and safe operation of their vessels. Finally, when you are ready to stretch your legs and head offshore for the first time, consider taking a J World instructor on the passage. Learn good habits from the start, and have an enjoyable and safe passage!
All the best,
Wayne Zittel & the J World Team
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So one of our alumni just sent me this video on You Tube… nice ride on a J/80, eh? Imagine what they would be doing if they got their weight farther aft. The bow is pushing in pretty hard at times, but they keep it under control…

While we are at it, here’s a link to a shot from one of our racing classes in SF Bay a while back. Posted by the student driving… yee-haw!