Day 3, already?

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So here we are, some 300 miles from our start off Point Fermin in LA, and really not that much has changed.

We started in a building breeze, working upwind in an effort to lay the West End of Catalina Island. We took a couple of hitches to make it around the point, changed down to the #2 jib, then cleared the island. The breeze softened to about 12 knots and we changed back to the #1 headsail, and headed off into the first night on a tight reach into some moderately confused seas.

And so it has been. The past two days we have seen 10 to 16 knots, all from pretty much the same westerly direction. That has put us on a tight starboard reach as we dive south. All the while, we are nervously watching the weather reports, which are predicting our first big speed-bump. There is an area of light and variable winds developing smack in our path. So most of our class is heading south to get around it as quickly as possible, but it will still take us a couple of days. And the big question is, how far south to go? The farther we go, the more wind, but the greater the distance… so we are all gambling a bit out here, watching the weather, trying to make our most informed choices… The good news is that we are currently sitting second in class, but the tough stuff is still to come.

As of a couple hours ago, we started to feel the softening breeze. Now we have about 6-8 knots of breeze, and clear skies over an incredibly blue ocean (I always seem to forget how blue it can be, and am so pleasantly surprised each time again). Back over our starboard aft quarter we can see one of our competitors. Based on our positions during our roll-call this morning, we are guessing that it is the One Design 35 Relentless. They are a quick boat and well sailed, so we need to keep some distance on them. The advantage is ours early in the race during this upwind work, but later, when the spinnakers come out and the surfing starts, they will start to take off on us… so good to keep them at bay for now…

So we just had lunch… Chef Josh treated us to his sandwich stylings. ‘Fast’ Lane Hill is driving, and we are poking along doing what we can to make time. Bill not seemingly content with the freeze dried raspberry crumble we promised him for desert tonight… keeps insisting on BLUEBERRY crumble… maybe the sun is getting to him already. Too bad. He seemed like a nice guy…

Anyway, that’s about it from out here.

Wayne Zittel & Team J World, signing off…

TRANSPAC!

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Legendary race since 1906.

 


The Trans Pacific Yacht Race is one of the most renowned yacht races in the world. With a running of 44 total races starting in 1906, the Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii is well into its second century as the longest of the two oldest ocean races in the world. The first race was the year of the great San Francisco earthquake, which literally altered the course of the event.

The race was inspired by King Kalakaua, the revered Hawaiian leader of the late 19th century who believed that such an event would strengthen the islands’ economic and cultural ties to the mainland. But it didn’t happen until Clarence MacFarlane, a Honolulu racing sailor, invited several contemporaries in San Francisco and Los Angeles to race to the Hawaiian Islands. The race was scheduled to start in the early summer of 1906, but when MacFarlane sailed his 48-foot schooner into San Francisco Bay he realized there would have to be a change of plans. The city lay in ruins following the great earthquake 27 days earlier.

But MacFarlane wasn’t easily discouraged. He simply changed the starting point to Los Angeles, and except for one nostalgic return to San Francisco for the start in 1939, the race has started in Southern California ever since. The starting line is now off the bluffs of Point Fermin in San Pedro at the southern edge of the City of Los Angeles. And after a train of days surfing in crystal clear Pacific swells with the kite up, the boats come flying into the finish off the Diamond Head lighthouse just east of Honolulu, establishing a distance of 2,225 nautical miles.

The race is legendary. The course is a classic. The fleet is world-class.


J World is excited about our entry this year, with a our team heading off to the islands on Monday, June 29. Be sure to check this blog for updates from the boat, and also visit our homepage for the link that will be posted to the satellite tracking system which will allow you to keep tabs on Team J World (and the rest of the fleet).

Transpac Facts…

Fastest elapsed time (monohull): 6 days 16 hours 4 minutes 11 seconds, Morning Glory (Reichel/Pugh maxZ86 maxi sled), Hasso Plattner, Kiel, Germany,2005.

Fastest elapsed time (multihull): 5 days 9 hours 18 minutes 26 seconds, Explorer (86-foot catamaran), Bruno Peyron, 1997.

Slowest elapsed time (monohull): 23 days 23 hours 55 minutes 4 seconds, Viking Childe (42-foot ketch), William Merry, 1939 (Note: race started in San Francisco; slowest ET from Los Angeles was 22 days 11 hours 36 minutes 15 seconds by Camille (Stewart 42), James and Ann Read, doublehanded, San Francisco, 2005).

Total starters (44 races): 1,700.

Largest fleet: 80 boats, 1979.

Smallest fleet: 2 boats, 1932.

Largest boat: Goodwill, 161 feet, 1953 and 1959.

Smallest boat: Vapor, 25 feet., 1999.

Oldest boats: Alsumar (70-foot Sparkman & Stephens yawl), 73 years; and Odyssey (58-foot yawl), 68 years, 2005.

Oldest full crew: Bubala (Cal 40), six crew members ages 66 to 72 (average 68.3), 2005.

Oldest doublehanded crew: Tango (J/133), Michael Abraham, 70/Phillip Rowe, 70, 2007.

Youngest crew: On the Edge of Destiny (1D35), six crew members ages 17-23 (average 19.8), 2007.

Fastest elapsed time doublehanded: 10 days 4 hours 4 minutes 19 seconds, Étranger (Open 50), Howard Gordon/Jay Crum, 2001.

Longest day’s run: 393 nautical miles, Morning Glory, July 18, 2005.

Shortest day’s run: 0, Viking Childe, 1939 (7 miles in 7 days).

Closest boat-for-boat finish: 4 seconds, Kawamee over Marie Amelie (for 6th to finish in Class B), 1955.

Closest first-to-finish: 4 minutes 31 seconds, Ragtime def. Windward Passage, 1973.

Most races by boat: 14, Ragtime (first race 1973, latest 2007).

Most Transpac races by individual: 22, Thad Jones.

Most Transpac and Tahiti races by individual: 25, Bob Dickson.

Youngest crew members: Larry Folsom Jr. (Centurion, 1975), 11 years 35 days; Virginia Munsey (Silhouette II, 1957) 11 years 42 days; Samuel (Shark) Kahn (Pegasus, 2001), 11 years 11 months.

Hawaiian entries: 101.

International entries: 124 (record 9 in 2003).

All the best,

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

Our New Sportboat Fleet!

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J World Announces the Launch of our New Sportboat Fleet!


J World, the Performance Saioing School, proudly announces the launch of our newest fleet boat, the prototype J/.08! The boat implements all the latest design characteritics and build techniques. The hull is a graceful postmodern mix of styles, with a modified AC bow and a trluy plumb stern to maximize waterline length. The detached rudder kicks up for beach landings (and at random inappropriate moments), and can double as an oar for those lovely light air days.

Since the boat makes use of sawdust ballasting (far easier to manage than water ballast tanks), we were able to eliminate the keel entirely. With no keel to protect the prop, We decided to eliminate the sail drive as well. Besides, you’ve got that oar/rudder thingy.

The boat is of composite construction, implementing the lates SCIMP technology with layers of the new 3M ‘Arbol’ and Elmers glue. Galvinized nails used throughout.

Weight aloft has met unprecedented savings by the elimination of the entire rig. Without a keel, it’s really all we could do. So admittedly performance on some points of sail will be lacking, but it is more than made up for with the gift of a rating.

The picture above shows captian Eugenie making final preparations before hull #1 slides down the ways in San Pancho, Mexico.

All the best, and enjoy your day,

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

2009 Banderas Bay Regatta Wrap Up

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Does it get any better than this? The 2009 Banderas Bay Regatta was held last Thursday thru Saturday, and the conditions were pretty much impeccable. Each day started with about 12 knots, building to a fun 20 knots in the afternoons. Shorts and t-shirts were the uniforms, and sunscreen was a must. There were some 45 boats out racing, including sleek monohulls, big cats, a staysail schooner, and of course sportboats… that’s one of the cats about to swallow a J/24 below…


J World hosted a three day clinic prior to the racing, and we had folks from Chicago, California, Montana, and Massachusetts come down to sail J/80s in Mexico. We are happy to report that our J World teams took 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in class… well done!


Many thanks to the Vallarta Yacht Club and Paradise Village for hosting the event, and of course everyone who came down to sail… we really had a fantastic bunch of people. Our appreciation also goes out to photographer Jay Ailworth for sharing theses shots… lots more are at http://www.strangebird.us/


One last chance to get a racing fix for this season in Mexico: J World is hosting a Racing Week starting April 6…

All the best,

Wayne Zittel & the J World Team

Multiple Choice…

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So one of our alumni (thanks Steve!) who is heading down to Puerto Vallarta for the Banderas Bay Clinic and Regatta sent us a picture the other day. So we are taking the oppotunity to remind everyone out here that if you look our your window/door/hatch and see anything even remotely resembling the top picture, just remember that it doesn’t have to be like that. From down here, it’s hard to even imagine that these two extremes can co-exist simultaneously. But they do. So you choose…


Winter is the prime-time down in Mexico. Still got a couple of great months for fun in the sun… in fact, with the Banderas Bay Regatta going on in March, an April Racing Week, and then the May cruise from Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas, sprinkled with a variety of learn-to-sail classes, sailing charters, etc. etc… it’s pretty much the apex of the season. In fact, a group just moments ago walked into the office after a day with 20 knots of breeze, whales, dolphins, and jumping manta rays.

Nice.

All the best,

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

Everywhere we go…

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We here at J World are pretty proud of our alumni. We run into them all over the place… from the remotest anchorages to the busiest marinas, it really is amazing how many people we continually run into who have been through some program at one of our locations. And when it comes to racing no one has sent more racers off to winners’ circles worldwide. Our coaches and alumni have won Transpacs, Chicago-Macs, America’s Cups, Volvo Ocean Races, and more national and world championships than we can keep track of.

One young sailor who came to join us for a Banderas Bay Regatta in Puerto Vallarta a couple of years ago impressed us a lot with both his natural ability and his great attitude. After the regatta, he headed off with aspirations to do some serious racing… visions of hot-rod singlehanded Mini Transats surfing in his eyes.


Well, Conrad Colman sent us an email the other day… and he has been pretty busy the past couple of years. Since we saw him in Mexico, he’s done a Transat, worked on a IMOCA Open 60 before the Vendée Globe, got himself into (and out of) trouble on an offshore racing cat… and maybe the best news of all is that he recently got his own mini and is training for a season which will hopefully culminate with the Mini Transat race in September. Man, he is starting off on one of the toughest sailing circuits in the world, with an incredibly deep pool of talent. He’s got his work cut out for him, but we think he’s up to it! He’s one to watch…


Anyway, congratulations Conrad, and we wish you the best of luck. You folks out there can follow him on his website here, and we’ll post updates down the line…

Cheers,

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

Fiasco! (of the Three-Bridge variety)

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While J/World SF manager Barry Demak took the weekend off from sailing to go skiing in the Sierras in Vallarta-like weather, a whole bunch of folks participated in the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Three Bridge Fiasco on Saturday. 364 boats were entered! The name of the race refers to the course: Blackaller Buoy near the Golden Gate (YRA 16), Red Rock Island near the Richmond San Rafael Bridge and Treasure Island under the Oakland Bay Bridge – in any order! All the usual makings like a big ebb and light breeze, made the event the fiasco it is meant to be.

We were thrilled to see a wide swath of J/World alumni and instructors participating on boats ranging from twenty-six to forty feet, but are especially proud of Richard Baker and Steve Harris. According to preliminary results, the duo finished fourth in their division out of 19 starters. Congratulations Rich and Steve!


Steve’s J/105 “Frisky” is featured in our BoatShare program. Steve is a new, first-time boat owner and relatively new to racing. Rich previously owned and raced his own boats, before becoming a member on “Frisky” last fall.

Steve’s email after the race sounds like so many TBFs – a “great time!”

“Rich and I had a great time yesterday. It looked pretty discouraging at first, as the wind was practically nil for the first couple of hours after our start. We, like the majority of boats, decided to head for Blackaller first, going with the waning ebb. I think it took an hour and a half just to finally drift there… After we rounded, the wind began to fill in from the North West at about 5 – 8 knots, and we rode the building flood down through Raccoon Strait to Red Rock with just enough wind to fill the sails. On the way to TI it picked up to 15- 20 kts, and we screamed all the way there picking off one boat after another, until hitting the wind shadow behind Yerba Buena and drifting again around to pick up the wind line and head for the finish, again with great breeze.”


BoatShare by J/World simplifies boat “ownership.” Owners’ expenses are offset by membership fees, and members are able to use and sail a great boat like a J/105 as if they own it. Rich, for example, sails at least four times per month, and scheduled “Frisky” for the “Three Bridge Fiasco” several months ago using the online scheduler. Membership in “Frisky” is currently offered at just $525/mo. Contact Barry at info@boatsharebyjworld.com for more information about BoatShare by J/World.

Lectronic Latitude has more on the race here.

Banderas Bay Regatta…

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Hola from beautiful Puerto Vallarta! Well, folks have clearly put the hectic schedules of the holidays behind them and are focusing on “what’s next?” so our winter/spring schedule is getting BUSY. And we have all sorts of great things going on. We have a racing week on March 2, and the Banderas Bay Regatta is March 19-21.


Our annual Banderas Bay Clinic/Regatta is sold out, however we have a J/120 and a Jeanneau 43 available for charter to qualified teams/sailors. The boats are available with or without J World coaches… contact us for details.

Our Spring Sea or Cortez Cruise (from Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas in early May) still has a couple openings, so for those of you looking to cruise a bit it tropical climes, this as a great opportunity. Seven days aborad a great boat with a J World Cruising Instructor. Muy bien!

We aslo have piles of Learn-to-Sail courses, Performance Cruising classes, and charter opportunities… plus more and more classes getting scheduled on San Francisco Bay.

What are you waiting for? Let’s get sailing!

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team

Where it all comes together…

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We just got this photo from one of our recent students down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Thirteen year old Michaela is doing a great job driving the J/80 with the kite up, the weather is beautiful, and of course there’s that whale in the background… man, there is nothing wrong (and tons oh-so-right) about this picture!


This is one seriously sweet place. Said it before, and I’ll say it again. Learning to sail, racing, cruising… yep, it’s perfect for all that.

Credit for the great shot goes to Nancy Fletcher, and thanks to Paul for sending it our way!

Cheers,

The J World Puerto Vallarta team…

20,000?? Seriously??

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During one of our J/World Racing Weeks in San Francisco back some year and a half ago, we had some serious breeze-on one of the days. Against my better judgment, we set the kite (one of the big ones; we didn’t have a shy kite aboard that day), and we flew from the Bay Bridge to, well, way south. Jibing was out of the question. Here you go… listen to the boat hum!

Shortly after this clip was taken, we had a pretty good broach. In fact, you can hear me say “George, do me a favor…” he stops the tape just as I tell him to put the camera down, get the vang in his hand, and scoot back!

Skiny, the student driving, is a writer for Intersection Magazine. In his article he described the wild planing and subsequent crash as follows: “The only way to understand what happened next is to drive at top speed down a highway in a Lamborghini Murcielago… naked, with the windows down, and your body covered in Vicks Vapor Rub.” Indeed. Don’t know that I would have phrased it that way, but I think we understand what he means.

So the video has been up on You Tube for a year now, and has nearly 21,000 views?!? Seriously?!? For a crappy nine second clip… no offense, George (camera) and Skiny (Actor, Director), Spoon (supporting). What’s wrong with us sailors?!? Of course, I went on to spend another hour looking at random sailing clips of all varieties…

Anyway, thanks for your support, all you nut-jobs. Now get back to work.

No, wait, here’s another video. A bit slow at the start, but it’s a great finish. Been there / done that (see above). And I don’t know if they are nuts or heroes, as it must be pretty cold. As I write this on Jan. 5 in flip-flops at our Puerto Vallarta office, I readily admit I am getting softer in my increasing years. Some call it softer; I like to call it wiser.

Now that we have frightened off anyone thinking about learning to sail, just know that it’s not as bad as it looks… notice the smiles at the end of it? I don’t think anyone there was complaining.

Cheers,

Wayne Zittel and the J World Team