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    • 2021 Newport to Cabo Race Report
      2021 Newport to Cabo Race Report
      2021 Newport to Cabo Race Report
      Well well well, after a couple mild Cabo Races, it seems the 2021 event was ready for a change, maybe a bit pent up after 2020? From the outset, the forecast called for pretty solid wind.  The start...
    • Cruising Gallery!
      Cruising Gallery!
      Cruising Gallery!
      With more people than ever looking to escape the complications of modern life by heading out to sea, our cruising courses in California and Mexico have never been more popular.  Instructor Paul put...
    • Good Times…. SD to PV Race 2020
      Good Times…. SD to PV Race 2020
      Good Times…. SD to PV Race 2020
      Ok, I have to say we've been pretty bad about posting updates.  But sitting here locked down found me actually starting to organize the photo folders on my computer (yes, it's come to that!) and I...
    • 2019 Transpac – Ready to go!
      2019 Transpac – Ready to go!
      2019 Transpac – Ready to go!
      Out boats and teams are in Long Beach making final preparations for the 2019 Transpac to Hawaii! Man, this is going to be fun.  It is the 50th running of this iconic race, and there are over 90...
    • 2019 Transpac Opportunity!
      2019 Transpac Opportunity!
      2019 Transpac Opportunity!
      We have just had a couple of cancellations in the 2019 Transpac aboard our J/World boats.  All three of our entries have been sold out for well over a year, so this is a rare opportunity to join the...
    • J/105 Racing Week!
      J/105 Racing Week!
      J/105 Racing Week!
      Ok, here we go again.  Last week it was cruising in Mexico.  This week, we are posting another photo-essay on 'what it's like' with J/World on a racing clinic we did in San Diego last week. ...
    • Cruising Mexico – A Photo Report
      Cruising Mexico – A Photo Report
      Cruising Mexico – A Photo Report
      Ok, this falls into our "What it's like..." series of posts where we try to share the experience of a sailing adventure through photos and text.  This entry in the series is going to be short on...
    • Happy Holidays and Thank You from J/World!
      Happy Holidays and Thank You from J/World!
      Happy Holidays and Thank You from J/World!
      Wow, what a year it was!  Thanks so much to all our supporters for a fantastic 2018.  We raced to Puerto Vallarta, Bermuda, Hawaii, and along the California Coast.  We cruised to Baja, Cabo,...
    • 2018 Newport to Bermuda Race Report
      2018 Newport to Bermuda Race Report
      2018 Newport to Bermuda Race Report
      Well the 2018 Newport to Bermuda Race is all wrapped up!  It was a challenging year, with a lot of light breeze and some periods of slow going, but we had an excellent time.  Team J/World boasted a...
    • Palm trees, flip-flop, whales and sea-turtles: Winter Sailing!
      Palm trees, flip-flop, whales and sea-turtles: Winter Sailing!
      Palm trees, flip-flop, whales and sea-turtles: Winter Sailing!
      So this is winter down at our Puerto Vallarta J/World facility.  Our fleet is all dialed in, and  we have a whole range of courses and activities on tap. Not sure what the weather is like in your...
    • 2017 Baja Ha Ha – that’s all, folks!
      2017 Baja Ha Ha – that’s all, folks!
      2017 Baja Ha Ha – that’s all, folks!
      So we got this report from Paul yesterday, filed from the finish of the cruiser's rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas that marks the start of the southern cruising season. And he sent a bunch of...
    • To Be, or N2B…   Newport to Bermuda, of course!!
      To Be, or N2B…   Newport to Bermuda, of course!!
      To Be, or N2B… Newport to Bermuda, of course!!
      Ok, we are excited to be announcing that J/World will be entering the 2018 Newport to Bermuda Race. The Newport to Bermuda Race is one of the world's most renown offshore events, and as such draws...
    • 2017 Transpac Wrap Up – Congrats Team Hula Girl!
      2017 Transpac Wrap Up – Congrats Team Hula Girl!
      2017 Transpac Wrap Up – Congrats Team Hula Girl!
      Ok, the spray  has settled after the 2017 Transpac and wow, what an absolute blast!  I have to say that our fleet comprised of 10 Santa Cruz 50s and 52s was probably one of the most competitive...
    • TRANSPAC 2017 Finish Line Report
      TRANSPAC 2017 Finish Line Report
      TRANSPAC 2017 Finish Line Report
      Hello to our Friends and Families! Ok, we are on the home-stretch of the 2017 Transpac.  We are aiming straight at Molokai about 10 miles out, with Oahu just in sight.  It feels good.  And boy...
    • TRANSPAC 2017 – Third Report – Race On!!
      TRANSPAC 2017 – Third Report – Race On!!
      TRANSPAC 2017 – Third Report – Race On!!
      Oh man, we have a race on out here!  We are one week into the 2017 Transpac aboard J/World's Hula Girl, and this is fantastic sailing. Our fleet is phenomenally tight as pass the 75% mark. ...
    • TRANSPAC 2017 – Second Report
      TRANSPAC 2017 – Second Report
      TRANSPAC 2017 – Second Report
      Hello all from literally the middle of the Pacific!  Here's the 2017 Transpac update #2 from J World's Hula Girl. So earlier this evening, we passed the 1000 mile marker, and in the morning we...
    • TRANSPAC – Report from J/World’s Hula Girl
      TRANSPAC – Report from J/World’s Hula Girl
      TRANSPAC – Report from J/World’s Hula Girl
      Well all right now. It's time to get all our family and friends caught up on the happenings out here in the deep blue Pacific. We are now about two and a half days into the 2017 Transpac and...
    • TRANSPAC 2017 – HULA GIRL IS UNDERWAY!
      TRANSPAC 2017 – HULA GIRL IS UNDERWAY!
      TRANSPAC 2017 – HULA GIRL IS UNDERWAY!
      After much preparation and anticipation, the J/World Hula Girl team is underway and racing. Watch this space for updates and reports along the way. It's ON! ...
    • CORW 2017 Wrap Up
      CORW 2017 Wrap Up
      CORW 2017 Wrap Up
      Ok, the spray has settled from the 2017 California Offshore Race Week, and we are here with a report of the fun! The first leg was the Spinnaker Cup, from SF to Monterrey.  We had a solid showing...
    • Merlin.  ‘Nuff said.
      Merlin.  ‘Nuff said.
      Merlin. ‘Nuff said.
      The name Merlin is iconic in the world of racing sailboats. When Bill Lee designed and built her just outside Santa Cruz, then went on to crush the competition racing to Hawaii and setting a record...
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J/World’s Hula Girl

SC50+

J/World is proud to have one of the most famous sleds on the West Coast in our stables, used for our offshore yacht racing programs.  Hula Girl is a turboed Santa Cruz 50, designed and built the the Wizard himself, Bill Lee.  Formerly named Gone With The Wind, this boat has been continually updated and is now faster than ever before.  With a carbon rig and updated appendages (a “T” keel and carbon rudder designed by Bruce Nelson), there is simply no better SC50.

The boat has tremendous speed potential….  she is notorious for her 2003 Coastal Cup run, where she came into Catalina Island three hours before the next Santa Cruz 50 or 52, hitting a top speed of 27.5 knots and correcting out first in front of Pegasus, TP52s, and all other Class-A boats… and see below for Roy Disney’s account of the speed of these boats.

Most recently, Hula Girl was Paul Cayard’s personal boat.  After an extensive search for a well-sailing offshore boat, one of the most accomplished sailors in the world bought Hula Girl and performed an extensive re-fit prior to the 2008 Pacific Cup.  Said Paul in an email from the boat during that race: “…this thing flies!  With such a long and narrow hull the boat likes to sail low and fast.  At the moment we have 19 knots of wind and are surfing down waves at a comfortable 14.5 knots. It’s just incredible how responsive the boat is, especially as the breeze increases.”

Hula Girl completed an extensive refit in 2013, which included an updated carbon rig and extensive modifications.  She is the fastest SC50 afloat, and better than new!  In the 2016 Pacific Cup, we shattered the Santa Cruz 50 record from California to Hawaii, making the crossing in 7 days and 20 hours, averaging nearly 300 miles/day for the full trip.  She is the only SC50 in some 40 years of racing to make the trip in less than 8 days.

Beyond our usage for offshore yacht racing programs, the boat is available for charter in many events, including those listed below.  Individuals interested in chartering Hula Girl for any of these events (or an event not listed here), please contact us.

  • Transpac

  • Pacific Cup

  • Newport to Cabo

  • San Diego to Puerto Vallarta

  • California Offshore Race Week

  • Offshore Race Training

  • Available for Racing Charters

About Hula Girl and the Santa Cruz 50

The SC 50s are known to be about the fastest 50 footers around.  Their long narrow hulls and ultra-light displacement makes them a real pleasure to sail.  Here are some great testimonials about the boats:

From an Interview with Roy Disney 
Sailing World Magazine, 2003

SW: What’s your all-time speed record?

RD: It’s hard to say. If you want an instantaneous thrill-meter reading… we always keep the averaging on the speedo turned way up.  But on the Santa Cruz 50, when we’d turned it down, I saw 28.5 one time in the middle of a moonless night when it felt like I was going straight down.

SW: Were you a little nervous?

RD: I was scared s–tless.  But it was so dark that we had to turn the bow lights off because it gave people vertigo.  All that was there was the compass and one little teeny old B&G with numbers about half an inch high.

SW: Did you believe what you were seeing?

RD: Well it went from 12 to 18 to 28.5 about as fast as I can tell you that. Then started to subside again. It really felt like we were going straight down a cliff or something. We called it the black hole.

Hula Girl Update from the 2008 Pacific Cup
Paul Cayard – Friday, July 25, 2008

At 0830 this morning we had 50 miles to go and we had just got finished dealing with the morning squalls. They were pretty mild this morning. We were hoping for a bit more really, to give us a chance to pass the Raindrop for first to finish. Raindrop is the only boat ahead of us. They are just 36 feet long, racing in the double handed division which started about 5 days ahead of us. They have been out here for a while! Maybe they deserve to the honor of finishing first.

We had a good night including some white knuckle driving by yours truly in 28 knots of wind with the A4 up. Boat speed was a pretty steady 18 knots with peaks at 20. Again, I am impressed with how well this boat performs!

Amazingly, we had no major damage onboard during the race. Not a torn sail, not a broken batten, never got kelp on the keel or rudder. We did have some normal wear and tear and we did break one masthead spinnaker halyard that required Robbie Kane going up to the top of the mast to drop a new one in 20 knots of wind. He is a “pro” with a great future!

Molokai is in sight off to our left as we are aiming at Coco head on Oahu. The wind is just 14 knots as usual at this time of the morning. It will build a bit as the morning goes on.

With the finish to our voyage hours away, I am thinking about how this was just a dream a year ago. I have to admit, it was a lot more work and time consuming that I thought it would be. That was mostly my fault as I wanted to modify and improve the boat which created a huge amount of work for my friends. But the boat is a nice boat to sail.

My goals with this project were: to share a sailing adventure with my children, that none of us will ever forget. Also, the goal was to expose them to the great world of offshore sailing, the beauty of nature at sea, and the teamwork and camaraderie that is crucial to a winning team. Along with mine, I took four other outstanding young adults, all of whom thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have gained a lot out of it for sure. Mission accomplished…

…So this afternoon, we will finally taste that Mai Tai, the one we worked so hard for. It will probably taste pretty good. Might have to have a second one just to make sure of how good it is.

I am happy with myself for making this happen. For sure it cost some money, and for sure it took a lot of time, but as they say in the commercial: Priceless!

Farallone Islands Race
by Scott Grometer

When we finally rounded the island and headed downwind back toward the city, we popped up a sizeable 3/4 oz. spinnaker in a steady 25 knots of wind. When the chute set, the helm suddenly went light, there was this incredible surge of acceleration, and a tremendous roar of noise silenced all conversation as the boat began to lift. I was in a state of near paralysis. I had never experienced anything like this on a boat this size, and was totally unprepared for what ensued. When I glanced at the VDO instrument repeater on the mast, I could not believe my eyes: 16, 17, 17.5, and finally a peak at 19+ knots. The Sat Nav (this was pre-GPS) corroborated these readings. These were not momentary blasts while surfing down swells either. Indeed, the boat would actually accelerate up and off the crests, not just down them. A rooster tail was coming off the stern, and the owner must have sensed my disbelief when he turned to me and said “now you know why Bill Lee says, ‘fast is fun’.”

J World Offshore Racing – 2012 San Deigo to Puerto Vallarta Race

About J World Offshore Programs

There are no other programs in the world like this.  Period.

The offshore programs put together and managed by J/World are absolutely unique in the world of yachting.  You are a truly active and integral member of an actual racing 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  We aren’t just  taking you for a ride like so many 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.

For most programs, we limit enrollment to six clients.  With three coaches aboard, that’s a 2:1 ratio which means everyone aboard gets a ton of personal attention from our extremely experienced staff.

These programs are fully turn-key, and managed by a team of sailors who are hand selected for both their extensive sailing background, and their ability to coach well and share their knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm with others.  The afloat staff is supported by our expert shore team, insuring that you have the time of your life.

The boat is owned by J/World.  This is crucial…  it is not some charterboat that we tap into for occasional use.  It is our boat, campaigned regularly by our team.  To you, this means that the equipment is on absolutely top condition, the boat is maintained to the highest competitive standards, and the safety equipment onboard is second to none.

The J World Offshore Programs are singular in the world of yachting.  If you have heard of other pay to play programs or you have joined the ‘cattle boat’ programs that dominate the market, it’s time to rethink your experience.  There is no other program in the world like J World Offshore.

  • Special Events
    • Offshore Racing
      • Transpac
      • Pacific Cup
      • San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race
      • Newport to Cabo Race
      • California Offshore Race Week
      • Offshore Yacht Racing Training
    • Buoy Racing
      • Midwinter Clinics
      • MEXORC
      • Banderas Bay Regatta
      • San Diego NOOD
      • Yachting Cup
      • J/105 Racing Clinics
      • J/70 Racing Clinics
      • Travelling Racing Clinics
    • Special Cruising Events
      • Hawaii to California Offshore
      • Mexico Cruising Courses
      • Baja-Ha-Ha



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Recent Posts

  • 2021 Newport to Cabo Race Report
  • Cruising Gallery!
  • Good Times…. SD to PV Race 2020
  • 2019 Transpac – Ready to go!
  • 2019 Transpac Opportunity!
  • J/105 Racing Week!
  • Cruising Mexico – A Photo Report

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A reminder that "We are all visitors to this time, A reminder that "We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing though. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love....and then we return home." - Austrailan Aboriginal Proverb 

Thanks for the photo Paul. Happy Monday everyone.
Hang in there. 2023 is right around the corner. @ Hang in there. 2023 is right around the corner.

@collinmulry @leemanjam
Happy Holidays from J/World! We hope everyone has Happy Holidays from J/World! We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful time. We're open though the holidays and there's still time to gift your loved one a course or a sailing experience. Contact us for Gift Certificates and ideas!
Punk is about to arrive in Antigua after an epic A Punk is about to arrive in Antigua after an epic Atlantic crossing. Then it's a quick turn around and we're ready for the Panama canal! Photos from J/World's Panama passage last year. Stay tuned for pics from these adventures.
Thanks to everyone who was involved in the latest Thanks to everyone who was involved in the latest adventure with J/World - Cabo to Puerto Vallarta.

Happy Thanksgiving eveyone, have a save and relaxing weekend.
We've got the tropics on our mind Antigua - Panam We've got the tropics on our mind

Antigua - Panama - Costa Rica

#costarica #antigua #panama #catamaran #catamarancruising #horizonbound #panamacanal #atlantictopacific
It's November and the sun's about to set on 2022 b It's November and the sun's about to set on 2022 but there's still time for one last epic adventure! Join us as we cross the Panama Canal sailing from Antiguia to Costa Rica. 
Decebmer 12 - 22. Email us at info@sailing-jworld.com to reserve your spot!

#catamaran #catamarancruise #panama #antigua #costarica #panamacanal #adventure
#sailing #yachtracing #jworld #lesvoilesdesainttro #sailing #yachtracing #jworld #lesvoilesdesainttropez #sailracing
Catamaran Cruising Course, Valencia to the Canarie Catamaran Cruising Course, Valencia to the Canaries, departing November 4. Berths still available!
Rolex Middle Sea Race! Come sail with J/World, we Rolex Middle Sea Race! Come sail with J/World, we have space aboard our J/122.
Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World. So we are on Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World. So we are on a modern twin ruddered, carbon, chined 46 footer with laminated sails, and this is our next door neighbor. How cool is this. Celebrate all things wind powered!
Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World, bow dude wai Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World, bow dude waiting for action!
Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World, ridiculous a Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World, ridiculous amounts of eye-candy. Stunning sailing yachts in a picturesque setting.
Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World. a true celeb Les Voiles de St Tropez with J/World. a true celebration of sailing!
Thanks for an excellent first day in our September Thanks for an excellent first day in our September Race week everyone! If you've been thinking about joining is for one of our Race Weeks now's your chance to sign up! Our next one will be January 23 - 27, 2023 in San Diego. 

#jworldsailing #J/80racing #sailboat #sailboatracing #sandiego #sandiegobay
PUNK - Enroute to a new home. If you'd like to get PUNK - Enroute to a new home. If you'd like to get onboard for part of the passage home to the US from Spain shoot us a message!
Upcoming Special Events: Les Voiles de St Tropez Upcoming Special Events: Les Voiles de St Tropez  and the Middle Sea Race
European adventures. A few from Palermo. Next up L European adventures. A few from Palermo. Next up Les Voiles De Saint-Tropez!
Pacific Cup is over, Hula Girl and Cazan are curre Pacific Cup is over, Hula Girl and Cazan are currently on their journey home.......but we're not stepping back. Things are gearing up for a Fall full of fun. We've got the Med races coming up (which we're super excited for), deliveries, Euro passages as well as an Atlantic crossing on the cards this year! We're also still offering our LTS and Cruising courses from our Cali bases all though fall so check out the calendar to see what's coming up.

#comesailaway #sailing #sailingcalifornia
This was us heading to the start for the legendary This was us heading to the start for the legendary Pacific Cup yesterday (thanks Paul Martson). Final start for Pacific Cup is in an hour! They're broadcasting live if you want in on the action.

#yachtracing #pacificcup #paccup2022
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