Vallarta Cup Report

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Hey everyone…  I hope you all are having as great a winter as we are down here in Puerto Vallarta.  The weather has been stunning, the whales are literally all over the place, and the sailing…  well, see for yourself:

This was from the final race of the 2012 Vallarta Cup, a regatta consisting of a race a day every Saturday in January.  We went out with a pile of great people and friends on Profligate, a 65 foot cat…  there was a whopping total of 29 people onboard…  but it didn’t feel crowded at all.  And thanks to a great crew, yours truly was able to kick back, chat with old (and new friends), hoist a couple of cervezas, and catch some of the action on video.  There are a lot of shots of Kevin and Sandy’s new-to-PV J/133 Paladin just ’cause she’s a sexy looking boat.  And a couple nice views of the always well sailed Bright Star and newcomer Olas Lindas.  And dig that techno soundtrack!

Sooo… if this looks like your kind of racing, we still have a couple options for you this winter.  Even though the San Diego to PV Race and the annual Banderas Bay Regatta are both sold out, two spaces remain onboard our 50 footer Hula Girl for the fantastic MEXORC regatta in March, and there is a great racing clinic aboard our J/80s the week of April 2.

Cheers!

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

 

Props

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We here at J World have been working hard at our offshore racing and cruising programs.  These special events take a tremendous amount of work, time, money, and energy to put together and pull off in “J/World” style.  That’s why it’s always fun and gratifying after the fact to hear how much everyone enjoyed it…  and we keep in touch with alumni from years (and decades!) past, so it’s good to know that what we are doing is working.

And now it’s cool to hear the the ‘main-stream’ sailing media has heard the news about what we are doing.  In fact, SAIL Magazine featured us in their November issue in an article on Pay-to-Play Programs…  and they ran a great shot of our Hula Girl reaching into Hawaii (thanks again for the photo, Rob Grant!).

Our offshore programs are like no others I know of.  The number of clients aboard is extremely low.  And the level of participation is incredibly high.  You are a truly active and integral member of the team.  We don’t load the boat with clients to the point where no one gets to do anything.  We won’t just park you over a grinding pedestal.   And we aren’t just  taking you for a ride like so many other big boat programs.  You are sailing the boat.  You get to drive, trim, navigate…  whatever your interests are, we’ll be sure that you get to exercise that muscle.
And we are competitive…  3rd in the Pacific Cup, 4th in Transpac, 3rd in Cabo Race…  and stay tuned for the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race, MEXORC, and the next Pac Cup!
If you have ever dreamed of getting aboard a turboed offshore boat and really sailing her, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to discuss how to take your sailing to the next level, and how to have the adventure of a lifetime in the process…
All the best,
Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

The Past Blast….

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The 2011 Banderas Bay Blast wrapped up yesterday.  This three day event provides fun for all comers, and good things for the local school children.  The BBB is a fundraiser that focuses on providing kids with school supplies, and the local beneficiaries came by Friday morning to say thank you…

The Banderas Bay Blast is a charity event for local school kids
Then it was off to the races!  As I mentioned, it’s a three day event, with casual point-to-point races each day and a host of activities each evening, but it culminates in the “Pirates for Pupils” charity spinnaker run from Punta Mita to the Paradise Village Marina.  For the final day of the rally, I was invited aboard the 63′ catamaran Profligate with a large crew of old –  and new – friends…  here’s about a third of our gang shoving off for the boat anchored out off of Punta Mita:
The pupils were left ashore and the pirates headed out to the boat for the Pirates for Pupils Charity Spinnaker Run from Punta Mita to Paradis Village Marina

The breeze was light, but spinnakers were up right away, the sun was out, and you’d be a fool to complain!  Down the run a ways, we caught up to one of our classes on a J/80…  here’s the the view from aboard Profligate.  And I’ll commend Rick on his choice of shirts and assistants for the day.

J/World J/80 in the background, J World’s coach Rick trimming, and future J/World  alum Saira before she sails off to the South Pacific…   right?

And here are Servando and Julio (with coach Chris) looking great as they jibed across our transom.  The breeze might have been dying in the evening, but the cheer and crew spirits remained pretty strong well into the evening.

An atypical evening cloudiness gave a bit of relief from the sun, and made for some beautiful lighting as we headed into the marina…
Another beautiful day on the water down here in Puerto Vallarta….  in December!!
C’mon and get down here…  you know you want to…
Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

 

Better Days…

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Ok, this stuff kills me…  here is a little blast from the past.  It’s a shot of the mighty fine lookin’ Soverel 50 Locura back in ‘the day.’

She was a fast boat, a successful boat, and not bad too look at either.  I got to sail on her a number of times and had fond memories…  even after design philosophies moved on, and rating systems changed, she was a powerful machine and loved to strut her stuff.

I dug the shot above out of my personal files because I happened upon a Soverel 50 for sale in San Diego.  Yep.  One and the same.  I was saddened to find this:  here she is now…

Ouch.  Ignobly waiting a new owner, which might be tough to come by.  They are virtually giving her away (asking $19K), so maybe she’ll find some love… take care of your boats, folks, and they will take care of you!

 

What A Weekend…

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A bit of weather blew thru San Francisco the tail end of last week, but scooted on by before the weekend leaving us with some great sailing. Here’s one of the classes heading back to the marina at the end of the day Saturday.  Lookin’ good.
Meanwhile this was the scene down in Puerto Vallarta at almost the exact same moment.  Nice breeze, broad reaching back to the marina with the kite up and Punta Mita in the background:

San Francisco Bay or Puerto Vallarta, you pretty much couldn’t go wrong.  All our sailing courses are up and running at both locations, plus charters and special cruising and racing events.

And hopefully the sailing was as nice wherever you were, and we’ll see you on the water soon!

Wayne Zittel & the J World Team
www.sailing-jworld.com

 

November Newsletter

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Winter Heat
 
So, not that I am complaining, but it’s been hot down in Puerto Vallarta.  But things have cooled off and the weather is pretty much perfect right now.  The air conditioning is now off, and the daily seabreeze blows thru the J World office all afternoon.  Life is good.  And the sailing is excellent.
  
We just wrapped up our first Learn-to-Sail class of the season, but have plenty more on tap.  Plus cruising options, and our next Racing Week is starting December 12…  and check out the list below for all the Special Events we have happening.  Man, this is going to be some winter!
 
Meanwhile, SF Bay has had some beautiful days.  Check out our blog for some great shots of a recent corporate sailing trip aboard the beautiful 52 foot J/160.  Look a little too relaxing for you hotshot racers? Keep reading..
 
Just Announced:  Winter Racing in SF
Jack Frost Series 2011-2012, Encinal Yacht Club
Saturdays November 19, January 21, February 25, March 24
 
Join our J World Team on a J/80 for this winter series. Participants rotate thru all the positions onboard (including helm) and gain valuable insights and experience from an onboard J World coach. Take advantage of the winter months to see what racing is all about, or if you already have the bug, improve your sailing skills and prep for the 2012 season. This is coming right up – first race in 10 days so contact us now for details!
 
 
MEXORC
March 10-17, 2012 – Limited Spaces Remaining!
MEXORC is a truly special event.  Held every two years, the regatta plays host to all the boats that have sailed down from California in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Yacht Race, and the Mexican fleet that comes up from Acapulco.  There are six days of racing, including three days of point-to-point medium distance races all around Banderas Bay, and three days of buoy racing.  This event traditionally has a truly fantastic shore side agenda, including full tilt kick off parties, beautiful on-the-beach dinners, and an extravagant closing ceremony…  in fact, it is so over-the-top that the President of Mexico even came to the last MEXORC!
 
 
J World is entering our renowned Hula Girl in the regatta, and we have limited berths available.  The team will be led by a group of J World coaches, and is a great opportunity to come have some real fun and strengthen your skills!  Visit here for more info…
 
Banderas Bay Clinic and Regatta
March 18-24, 2012
Every March, J World runs a special event in Puerto Vallarta aboard our fleet of J/80s.  We start off with a three day racing clinic, essentially and abridged version of our renowned weeklong racing course.  Boathandling, sail trim, spinnaker work, strategy, tactics…  we cover it all!  Then it’s showtime!  You get to race in the Banderas Bay Regatta with one of our coaches aboard.  Everyone on the boat gets a great workout at all the positions, from helming to trimming to tactician.  If you want to advance your racing skills and have a truly memorable time doing it, this is perfect for you. 
 
 
The Banderas Bay Clinic and Regatta has very limited space and sells out every year, so make your plans early to come join us!  More info ishere
 
2012 Sea of Cortez Cruise
Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas
The dates for our annual cruise across the mouth of the Sea of Cortez have been set.  April 29 to May 4 come join one of our top cruising instructors for and adventure in the tropics.  We’ll spend a day or two in the beautiful Banderas Bay, then work our way up the coast of mainland Mexico visiting small towns, beautiful anchorages, and remote islands along the way.  Then we’ll turn West, and head for the southern end of the Baja peninsula.  Great sailing, beautiful scenery, incredible wildlife are all on the agenda.  More info here.
 
 
 
 
2012 Pacific Cup
Race from San Francisco to Hawaii, July 2012
Only two berths left!
Berths now available on the 2012 Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii aboard our 50 foot sled, Hula Girl.  Now is your chance to hop on a fast boat with great coaches and take off on the ride of a lifetime.  Last year, we got third in class, and fifth overall….  and in 2012 we’ll be looking to beat that!  J World offshore racing programs have been getting a huge amount of praise from all sources, and there is nothing else in the world like it.  Visit here for more info.
 
 
Anyhow, that’s the latest from J World.  Definitely remember to check out our sailing blog or our Facebook pages for more regular updates and all the additional details.  We realize that most people don’t want to get more than one email a month from us, so we post a lot more frequently on the blog and encourage folks to check it out when they can…
Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

Beautiful Day on the Bay

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We thought we’d share some pictures with you of a recent corporate outing on San Francisco Bay aboard one of our 50 footers, the elegant Mandalay…  Makes me want to go sailing.  Right now.  Many thanks to Peter Lyons of Lyons Imaging for the great shots!

Slipping past Yerba Buena Island
Wearing It Well….
Bay Bridge, NEW Bay Bridge, and Buoy…
The Intrepid Crew
Alcatraz
Ideal Day on the Bay.  Golden Gate Bound.
The pointy end of a powerful boat is a great place to be…
Mandalay and the Bay Bridge

 

Puerto Vallarta Sailing Season Kicks-Off!

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Hey everyone…  This week officially kicks off our winter sailing season in Puerto Vallarta.  We are starting things off with a Learn-to-Sail course, but have all manners of sailing classes on tap…  cruising, racing, and general seamanship.

Beautiful Banderas Bay is a natural wonder.  Some 22 miles wide and 24 miles deep, the Bay boasts ideal sailing conditions throughout the winter.  Daily seabreezes combined with shorts-and-T-shirt weather from October to April make this one of the nicest winter sailing destinations in the world.  That’s why J World is here.

And did I mention the scenery?  The old town of Puerto Vallarta is tucked in the southeast corner, right at the base of the spectacular Sierra Madres, where the jungle comes right down to the water in a spectacular way.  The popular Los Arcos, the secluded village of Yelapa, the rugged Marietta Islands with their secret beaches, and the world-class Punta Mita playing host to everything from the Four Seasons to trekking surfers are all right here.

Whales, dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays, and more.  Great sailing,  The best school in America (and out of America!).  Beautiful resorts.  Perfect, perfect weather.  Really, what are you waiting for?  Get on down here!

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team
J World Performance Sailing School, Charters, and Adventures

What a Croc…

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Well, the sailing season-south-of-the-border is heating up.  The Pan Am Games just wrapped up here in Puerto Vallarta, so now we are shifting gears and getting ready for another fantastic winter season.  So we were down at the crane launching J/80s, when Chris remarked, “Hey, that log is…..  swimming?!?”  And indeed it was.  You see, up the canals, the luxury homes with docks fade away and the jungle takes over.  And the wildlife.  We know there are crocs up there, and you can take a jungle tour and check ’em out, and we’ve heard they wander down towards the marina, but we have never seen it ourselves until yesterday…   he was a big one too!

Ok, that’s it for now…  more about all the happenings at our winter sailing facility soon…

All the best,

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

Fleet Week!

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Now here’s an opportunity…

A late-breaking cancellation has made it possible to get out on the water to check out the Fleet Week fun aboard our stunning J/160.  This boat is a phenomenal sailing machine, and of course the show at Fleet Week in SF Bay is always world class.

Click here to learn more about the boat, or contact us to find out how you can get out on the water this weekend!

All the best,

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team