PV Race: Day Six

Report from J/65 "Brand New Day" during sixth day of San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race:

Feb. 28, 1446 (PT): Finished off Punta Mita in 10 knots of breeze under a A Kodak moment. Lot's of fun along the way - racing and enjoying the views. Though we wish there was more wind, the trip was well worth it. Time schedules required us to be in by end of day Tuesday; otherwise we might have enjoyed more sailing time. The J/65 performed nearly flawlessly during her 1,000 "shake-down" cruise. With the outside temperature at 84 degrees, we're thankful to be heading to the dock with the A/C on below. Looking forward to the next Mexico race. - BND

Enjoying cocktail and poo-poo hour

Passing the Coronados

Sharing the ocean

The nanny-cam checking on the crew

Sunrises are sweeter in Mexico

Survived another night

Finish line trophies

Christening
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six

PV Race: Day Five

Report from J/65 "Brand New Day" during fifth day of San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race:

Feb. 27, 1538: Passed Cabo San Lucas at about 0430 this morning. Currently, 1/3 of the way across the gulf to Puerto Vallarta, with a 10-13 knot breeze coming from a heading of 330-340. Boat speed is steady at about 9 knots of speed, sailing now with the 2A spinnaker under beautiful skies, with Chris Isaak playing from the stereo.

Jeff Johnston of J/Boats has some incredible photos and video footage under sail, including sunsets. Photos from the top of the rig while under sail, and humpback whales in full breech. Dinner last night was filet mignon and lobster tails with a Peter Michael Cabernet and Chardonnay. This is what performance cruising is all about.

On a personal note…Happy Birthday to my wife, Heather on Feb 28th. Heather, this is a race you would have had fun on. – Jim Madden, BND

Christening
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six

PV Race: Day Four

Report from J/65 "Brand New Day" during fourth day of San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race:

Feb 26, 1120: Still thankful we're in the cruising division and able to motor. Though we were able to sail just about all last night, early this morning the breeze shut off once again. While sailing in winds out of the North from 5 to 8 kts, the boat was consistently near, and occasionally above TWS under a 1A spinnaker.

Beautiful sunrise this morning with high clouds, courtesy of the high pressure system effect from the low now coming into California. Last night's menu included carnitos tacos, Hagen-daz ice cream, a chardonnay and a merlot accompanied by different movie selections in different cabins - everything from "Get Short" to "Waking Ned Devine." Breakfast this morning was omelets, fruit, and pastry. Cabo about 140 miles away. - BND

Christening
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six

PV Race: Day Three

Report from J/65 "Brand New Day" during third day of San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race:

Feb 25 1650: This is when we're thankful we're entered in the performance cruising division where motoring is allowed and especially thankful the DVD collection is stocked with variety. At 2:05 pm Saturday afternoon, although we preferred not to, we turned the engine on as the wind went out like a light switch off.

There's a big high sitting now over the middle of the Baja. We're now heading for Cabo, which is about 300 miles away. We're still hoping the breeze will fill in again. The chef was concerned we were not consuming enough of the green cans and wine. That has now all changed. - BND

Christening
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six

PV Race: Day Two

Report from J/65 "Brand New Day" during second day of San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race:

Feb 24, 1230: Let's start with dinner last evening (first night out). Sushi and sashimi appetizers, followed by freshly tossed salad, home made stew, and pecan pie for dessert, accompanied by a Syrah. We are now approaching Cedros Island at about 10 knots of speed with about 110 miles to go. Winds overnight ranged from 11 to 16 knots, freshening this morning to 15-17 knots. Biggest debate among the crew so far is who gets to push the button to trim the kite.

Update at 1707: First jibe of the race - from starboard board onto port. Crew was thrilled to have something to do! Now onto cocktail hour. - BND

Christening
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six

PV Race Begins

Report from "Brand New Day" just after the start of San Diego to Puerto Vallarta race:

Feb. 23rd, 1430. Crew on board is Jim Madden, Jeff Johnstone (J-Boats President), Jeff Brown, Jon Gardner, Greg Nelson, Erik Rogers, Wayne Terry, Chuck Sinks, Jeff Gordon, Tom Pollack - mostly a mix from San Diego and Newport Harbor YC.

Started at 1200 under beautiful San Diego skies with 10 knots of breeze out of the WSW. "BND," a new J/65 and "Free Range Chicken" a new Perry 59 composed Performance Cruising Class A. Though we can motor in the cruising class, our objective is not to. Shortly after the start, the breeze continued to build and clock West, allowing us to set a 3A before passing the Coronado Islands through the middle, just west of the middle grounds at only 90 minutes into the race. We are now going at 9-10 knots, heading about 165 degrees in 15 knots of breeze with a 2A up.

Very different experience so far on this boat as compared with racing other boats. She has a very light feel to the wheel, and is quite responsive for a 65 footer. We're also not quite used to having a chef (Wayne), a wine locker (28 bottles for a crew of ten over 5-6 days), an LCD and DVD player in each stateroom and the main salon, an ice maker, and enough space to store a J/145 inside.

A few minor glitches in the early going, like having to reset a breaker on an electric winch, and having to untangle a new snuffer on the 2A. Otherwise all is good as we start the Puerta Vallarta Race. - Jim Madden

Christening
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six

We are going to Mexico

The Vallarta Race begins this week, which will take the fleet 1,000 miles from San Diego, CA, USA to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. On this race we will join Jim Madden and crew onboard his newly christened J/65 “Brand New Day.” They will be sending Scuttleblog updates of their adventures, bringing us onboard as they slide down the Baja coast in style. Unlike Jim’s recently launched Reichel/Pugh 66 “Stark Raving Mad” - a flat out racer by today’s standards – BND has both wine cellar and media room.

The photos below show BND on christening day, which included a blessing from Father Joe Carroll, likely the most well known Catholic priest in San Diego. Jim Madden knows how to start a program. - Craig Leweck

The new J/65, "Brand New Day"

One of several flat screen monitors for movie viewing when off-watch

A good selection of wines packed for the race

Noted local Catholic priest Father Joe Carroll with Heather and Jim Madden at the christening

Heather getting ready to provide the ceremonial champagne smack (got it on the second try with only minor gelcoat repair needed)

Christening
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six

J/22 Midwinters: Closing Day

Part Four in a Four Part Series
Well, if we thought Saturday was cold, Sunday morning the temperature was a whopping 41 degrees as we were rigging the boats for the final day at the J/22 Midwinters. The Weather Channel indicated at 9am the wind chill was 33 degrees. The fleet shrank a bit as several felt the conditions to be a bit marginal. Even some of the top boats felt it not in their best interest to weather the chill...Eric Faust, second place after Friday's racing and Texas sailmaker Bill Draheim were two of the top contenders to pack it in.

However, I must say as we sailed out the channel, the 8-10 mph breeze really didn't feel as tough as we had expected. Since we were dressed for a trek across the Antarctic, we found it not that unbearable. I thought the water was nearly flat when out of nowhere a rogue wave crested just above my wife, Jo Ann, on the bow and in very slow motion, dumped quite a load right down her neck. I thought I saw some ice left clinging to her hat...but that quickly turned to steam so it was hard to tell.

The racing Sunday turned out to be really challenging. It was good sailing but even shiftier than Friday. We were learning that it was imperative to be near the left at the top end of the beat, and sometimes the right paid at the bottom. When, and how you were able to cross the middle had a huge effect on where you finished. And like Friday, a poor start pushed you back to middle and away from the favored sides (not the way the books say to attack the beat). Rob Johnston and Terry Flynn did the best jobs of staying most consistent but it was Kelson Elam who, with a 8,1, earned the scores that brought him into a tie with Friday’s leader Dave Van Cleef, and then win overall on the tie breaker. Kelson is from Dallas, has been second in several major J/22 events and is always one of the very top contenders. A major win like this was overdue and well deserved.

Our team felt good with a 3rd in the first race Sunday after coming back from a mediocre start. For us, the big gainers came from sailing downwind near the middle, and the rhumbline, while much of the fleet spread towards the laylines. However, in the second race, we seriously underutilized a nice, clean start, and eventually worked our way back into scoring our throw out.

While there was some discussion about the cancellation of the third race and sending us in (the sailing really became pretty nice), everyone soon realized that once again a wise decision had been made by the Houston YC race committee. Their wisdom gave everyone the opportunity to make the trophy presentation and hit the road by 4pm. I know everyone will agree that HYC did an outstanding job in making this chilly event still the huge success it was. In addition to providing a perfect onshore facility for a big one design fleet such as the J/22, the club members made you truly feel welcome - true Southern hospitality. It was a great event in spite of the weather.

Jo Ann and I were pleased to be on the road at 4:30pm after dropping our teammate, Todd Hiller at the airport. Our plan was to drive nearly straight through so we might arrive home Monday evening. I was looking forward to one of those bonding experiences that only develop after driving 24 hours with your co-pilot.

As stated earlier in this blog, no road trip is complete without a little action and adventure...and this time it happened as we made a sharp turn on Rt 65 in Mobile, AL during rush hour. I am not sure I really knew what a serpentine belt was until that moment when it shredded and flew off. Our dashboard idiot lights lit up like a pinball machine. Without power steering I felt like Tom Cruise in "Days of Thunder," nearly grazing the outside cement wall. Soon I realized that this belt also drives the fan and water pump...and we quietly coasted and gurgled off to the side of the road.

I have to tell you, if you don't have AAA, you gotta get it. We called the 800# and in 45 minutes we had been pulled to our tow truck driver's best buddy's repair shop. Three hours or so later, we were back on the road heading towards Annapolis, and an hour later AAA called back to check to make sure we had been treated satisfactorily!

The remainder of our trip was totally uneventful and we made it home safe and sound early Tuesday morning. If you think you might develop some serious bonding after driving 24 hours with your "co-pilot," wait 'till you bump it up to 38 hours. – Greg Fisher

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J/22 Midwinters: Winter delay

Part Three of a Four Part Series
(Sunday, Feb 19) Unfortunately the weather predictions were right for Saturday - 45 degree high and 15-25 mph breeze - so the race committee wisely abandoned racing for the day at 11 am.

The regatta organizers did a great job of quickly shifting gears and moved up the dinner planned for Saturday night to noon. A great opportunity for yet more socializing. You can really tell a great deal about a club and its regatta management when they are challenged by unexpected changes. Hopefully today will bring a better chance for racing...though we're seeing predictions of 10-20 and a high of 44. One weather model predicted the wind chill to be 33 degrees until noon! At the present time the temperature is 39 degrees and wind-chill is 28!

We'll hopefully have a report tonight with the final results after a full day of racing! - Greg Fisher

Curmudgeon's Comment: Looks like Greg hit the road back to Annapolis before having a chance to post a wrap-up report. They did get two more races in, totalling five, with Texan Kelson Elam rallying to tie early leader David Van Cleef, and winning the tie breaker. Click here for complete results. Look for Greg's report to follow.

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J/22 Midwinters Begin

Part Two of a Four Part Series

(Saturday, Feb 18) For most of the 48 boats sailing the J/22 Midwinters at Houston YC, the first day of racing on Friday began with a trip to the Kolius Equipment trailer to stock up on all the fancy fleece and rubber gloves they carried. While everyone was expecting a nice 70-75 degree regatta (like we had for our practice day Thursday), a nasty front pushed through and 50 degree highs and 15-20 mph breeze was the prediction.

Truth be told, the racing on Friday was not nearly as bad as the forecast, with the breeze being a comfortable 8-12 mph. It was shifty for sure, and required working - and then winning your side - to position well at the top mark. The scores were up and down for most people as a result, except for fellow Annapolitan Dave Van Cleef and his VC Performance Rigging team. They pegged the day well with a 2,7,1. Their secret seemed to be consistent, conservative starts, and rarely getting stuck in the middle. It was definitely one of those "tough to cross the middle" days. They also prepared exceptionally well, practicing a good 6-8 hours before the racing began! In second is Eric Faust, Scott Young in third, Max Scott in fourth, and Scott Nixon in fifth.

Our team with Annapolis J/22 ace Todd Hiller, my wife Jo Ann, and top local C420 sailor Robby Baldridge wound up 8th for the day. We found that marginal starts pinged us back to the middle where we struggled in traffic. Interestingly, one usually tries to stay near the middle and away from the edges! Our highlight for the day was picking up our van after it spent 3 days with a local mechanic. No road trip finishes up without a little excitement.... and maybe a new transmission!

I'd like to describe in my next report a little bit of our feelings about Houston YC and the sailing conditions. I am very impressed with the club. The people have been so kind and welcoming, the launching facilities look like they could easily handle a 100 J/24's (which they might have in April for the Nationals), and there is plenty of parking for cars and trailers. As we have learned, the sailing conditions here can throw anything at you - on Thursday we had a nice SSE straight down the bay - true boat speed sailing. Yesterday, however, when the breeze turned around, the Bay provided some challenging lake style conditions.

All in all, a great spot, but we're not quite sure about the temperatures today. Taking a look at the Saturday forecast, it is calling for a high of 45 degrees is predicted with 15-20mph! – Greg Fisher

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J/22 Midwinters: Gulf Coast Update

(Past J/22 North American champ Greg Fisher of North Sails files this report on his way to the class midwinters in Texas - Part One of a Four Part Series)

Every away regatta starts out with a road trip. Some are boring and non-eventful (hopefully), and some are exciting and full of adventure. For me, the drive to Houston for the J/22 Midwinters was going to present something a little different and special.

Joining me was my 17yr old son Kurt for a little father-son bonding. Some may question how special it might be for Kurt sitting in a van for 18 hours. Some may also note that I truly know how to show my son a great time. But what would make this trip interesting would be our stops in Mississippi and New Orleans, and our firsthand look at how the areas are recovering from last fall’s Hurricane Katrina.

Kurt has grandparents and cousins who live, or I should say lived, in Bay St Louis, MS, where the eye of Katrina passed, and I have many close friends who sail out of Bay Waveland and Southern Yacht Clubs. We had seen the media photos and video of the terrible damage inflicted on these gulf coast towns, but it had not prepared us for what we saw during this trip.

Words could not describe the total devastation in Bay St Louis, MS and Waveland, MS. We walked up to Beach Drive, which runs along the front of Bay St Louis, but it simply didn't exist any longer. It was completely washed out, and the ground where it stood was now a good 5-10 ft lower! When we managed to drive to Waveland, where it has been said the greatest damage occurred, there was simply not a house standing. There were slabs, stairs, a few walls… but nothing that would resemble a home. The extent of damage here extended at least a mile in from the beach.

When we entered New Orleans - specifically Lakeview where Southern YC is located - we felt we were entering a ghost town. There was an ugly water line as high as the second story on all the houses in the area. Some houses couldn't handle the water and collapsed. There was still no power in the area. We needed to dodge boats that still littered the roads leading to Southern YC. The SYC driveway still had 10-15 boats lying on top of one another... evidently waiting to be hauled away. The club’s structure was cleaned off the slab and only a fence with a sign earmarked where the building had been.

To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement. It felt like it would be years and years- if ever- before anything could ever grow again in either area. But interestingly enough, that was not the sentiment we felt and saw when we talked to the local people. Their optimism was inspiring and impressive.

At SYC all the J/22's and R-19's are lined up on the dry sail pad, waiting for a generator to power up the hoists. There are floating docks with 420's lined up, anxious to start the season. The Dock master and Sailing Master were on site setting things up. They said within a month or two there will be a functioning 6,500 sq ft modular building that will be replaced with a new, beautiful club in two years. In Mississippi, Bay Waveland YC already has two trailers set up...the yard was cleared and I understand at least the social aspect of this extremely active club is still intact.

Overall, it was really remarkable how excited folks in this region were. I think a hotel desk clerk in Gulfport, MS summed it up best when I seemed surprised that they had rooms available. “Of course we have rooms,” she exclaimed! “We've been through a lot but we're open and ready for business. Come on down!"

More to come... Greg Fisher


The remains of Beach Drive in Bay St. Louis, MS

The trailers that serve as Bay Waveland YC

Gate at Southern Yacht Club

Looking at Southern Yacht Club from across the channelPart OnePart TwoPart ThreePart Four

Nothing to sign

When kids are into sports, few things jazz them up more than getting an autographed ball by a popular sports figure. My boys have several on their shelves, and they make for a lasting keepsake.

While many sports athletes don't deserve their "role model" position, it is where the fans and media have thrust them. We cheer for their teams, and praise their good play. And when the ball they autograph sits on a kids shelf, it becomes an active reminder of that sport.

Sailing is starting to develop participants that are well known - some even outside the sport. Dennis Conner may have been the first well known sailor outside the sport. Ellen MacArthur is now well known. Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts are well known, at least so inside the sport. What's also great about sailing is we often have access to these sailors. We are not restricted by fences. Heck, sometimes we are even competing against them.

But for sailing, what do our role models sign? Sailing doesn't use a baseball or football. We use boats and sails. We can't put our Optimist on the shelf. Tiller extensions are small and affordable, but they are usually black and too narrow to sign. For adults, maybe they can sign our Mount Gay Rum cups, but what about the kids? Sailing just doesn't have anything good that can sit on a kid's shelf.

Paul Cayard will be making a public appearance at a West Marine store in Annapolis, MD during the Volvo Ocean Race stop in April. I just don't know what he is going to sign. - Craig Leweck

Road trip

Last Friday I was chatting with One-Design guru Greg Fisher as he was beginning a road trip from Annapolis, MD to the J/22 Midwinters in Houston, TX. I was teasing Greg that when the Thomas Guide comes out with their annual updates, they likely check with him for advice.

Greg drives a lot. Greg is from Columbus, Ohio, where he ran his very successful Shore Sails one-design loft for years, and traveled much of the country with either a Thistle, Snipe, Highlander, or Flying Scot trailing behind. For Greg to do business, he was constantly on the road, and has seen more than one Suburban odometer lap around.

He is now in Annapolis with North Sails, and this week we will join him on his trip to the J/22 Midwinters. Greg will provide Scuttleblog his commentary, which begins with a stop through the ravaged gulf states on his way to the regatta. Look for updates to come. - Craig Leweck

blokarting

There seems to be some momentum for an aspect of the sport not typically covered in the sailing media: land sailing, or specifically, blokarting. Wherein landsailing is normally done outside of the city where large spans of clear space exist, the blokarts are coming to the people.

These portable, simple karts originate from New Zealand, are much smaller than their landsailing breathren, and they are all about closed course track racing. Last weekend I met up with the San Diego contingent where they had secured a beach parking lot for the use of demos and open sailing. They tell me that the growth of blokarting is contingent on establishing places to sail, but with insurance in hand, they have gradually been securing suitable sites for hosting future events.

In under ten minutes, we had pulled the blokart out of the car and are on the track. I am given some tips, like don't put your hand out if the kart tips, but most of the advice is centered around reminding me that it is simple and sails like a boat. While boats don't have seat belts and helmets, the rest was pretty standard stuff.

It was sunny, I was next to the beach, a good breeze had brought out the kite sailors, and I was getting my first push. The apparent wind quickly moved forward for the broad reach course that aimed me toward the far end of the lot, with cones marking the tight turn for the return trip back. The kart was at full acceleration when I entered the turn, but with the cones to my left and a short wall to my right, there was no room to bail out.

In the turn, I am fighting against the outer g-force as I work to keep my weight on the inside to prevent the kart from tipping. I feel the large rubber wheels load up, and am glad that the parking lot surface is clear of the sand that would cause them to slip. I finish my gybe and exit the turn, knowing that I had just passed my first test of landsailing.

I could see how going around on the track alone might get tiring, but with seven karts out this day, it made for some fun match ups. The racing is typically done in heats, with starts similar to sailboat racing (unlike land and ice boats, which begin with a push). The photo to the right is from a track in New Zealand, and from the other photos on the site, you can imagine that it makes for some pretty exciting racing.

I had my Treo 650 phone with me, and when I pulled it out to snap off a picture while sailing, I ended up taking a video. It is hard for photos to capture the thrill of blokart sailing, and while this video is pretty bumpy and in need of editing, it does give you a better idea of what this is all about (here is another video from off the kart). Also, one of the karters had his GPS turned on and recorded a top speed of 22 knots in the 10-14 knot winds of the day, and being seated so low to the ground, you definitely feel the speed.

The 2006 Western Regional Championships are to be held in Long Beach, CA (USA) on March 24-26, which will provide a nice measure on their growth so far, and what might be needed to continue bringing landsailing to the people. - Craig Leweck

Grenada Sailing Festival

(Photographer Onne van der Wal provides the following comments after returning from his assignment at the Grenada Sailing Festival - see photos)

Being probably the smallest of the Caribbean race weeks, it must rank as the most scenic and unique. The racing fleet consists of a mix of old IOR boats, some IMS, and a variety of one designs classes. Among the group, there are also often a handful of bigger boats in the way of Swans and cruising boats that came across the pond with the ARC. Barbados and Trinidad always have a strong presence and make for a very competitive fleet of boats. The Moorings and Horizon are the majority of the charter boats that race in that division and believe me, its not only pretty babes on the rail, but hard core racing too!

The entertainment after the racing is hard to beat. The best parties are held at the True Blue Bay Resort which also happens to be race headquarters and home for the race committee and judges. From a superb steel band to the Tivoli drummers, its all native tunes and dancing for the merry sailors. It never gets too crowded at these parties, making it easier to socialize and get reaquainted with old friends.

The most exciting part of the Grenada Sailing Festival are the native work boat races held across the bay from St. Georges on Grand Anse bay. Along the beautiful long beach that serves as race headquarters for the work boats, there is a live band on stage with the local radio DJ giving a blow by blow account of the racing that is held within a stones throw from the beach. The crowd loves it, and as the day goes on, more and more empty little green bottles are found on the beach. The mood gradually livens up with more dancing and vocal involvement from the local spectators as they cheer on their local boat.

Each village from Grenada and the surrounding islands has a team. On Saturday and Sunday they sail several heats which end up with a final sail off on Sunday afternoon in 5 identical locally built boats. The prize for 1st place is $1000 US... a lot of money in Grenada! The winner of this race are the heroes of the day and they carry this honor for the next year when they come back to defend their title in the next regatta. Workboat racing is a very serious thing and many people come to watch it. The Grand Anse beach on Sunday afternoon looks like every person that lives at Grenada comes to watch the action.

I love Grenada Sailing Festival. Its an event where the locals mix with the visitors, who always have time for a chat and a beer. Everyone is having a blast racing and hanging out on an island that is not spoiled by tourists. I hope I will see you next year at the 2007 Grenada Sailing Festival! - Onne van der Wal

Click here to see Onne's images from Grenada Sailing Festival.

In the puddles

Sally Barkow's comments in today's Scuttlebutt reminded me of my two years in Columbus, OH, where I learned the ropes of the Midwest sailor. Growing up a So Cal kid, we hardly went east of the I-5 freeway, let alone to landlocked turf. This region likely has the least of respect of all in the US, and Sally is likely getting tired of fielding questions about how she could come out of that area being so good, let alone even knowing the difference between a daggerboard and a centerboard.

I learned the difference between the two on Buckeye Lake in OH, which is littered with tree stumps below the surface. I joined the Lightning fleet one day, but was schooled not to ever sit over the centerboard well. The Lightning board is a large steel plate, and when it came across a stump, there were two losers. The first was the stump, which got a heck of a whack fromt the leading edge. The other loser was whoever was sitting over the trunk, since the board would kick up until it got past the stump. Daggerboard boats just would not survive in this environment.

Sally is right about how sailors can't go both ways. You have a better chance of taking the lake sailor, and teaching them to be good open water sailors, than the other way around. The inland lakes take levels of patience, creativity, and courage that open water sailors want no part in. But if you grow up in the Midwest, it is all you know, and you get darn good at it. I sailed the Snipe for a lot of years, and whenever the Nationals were held in the inland lakes, there would be different folks doing well when compared to the open water venues. The difference for Sally is that she has invested the time to make the cross-over, and learn the ways of the open water sailor. I doubt anyone who grew up on, say, Biscayne Bay, has any interest in learning to sail on the lakes of her home. - Craig Leweck