While the Volvo Ocean Race sailors are bashing their way towards South Africa, six J World Annapolis clients and J World director Jeff Jordan and coach Tony Bastidas have just finished leg one of their exciting offshore cruise to the Bahamas.

While the Volvo gets the glory, sailing from Annapolis to the Bahamas is no small task.  Possibly the most challenging part of the trip for these six clients was the trip down the Bay. The crew dodged ships and navigated the Chesapeake overnight and arrived in Portsmouth, VA this afternoon just over 24 hours after leaving Annapolis.  For most of the clients, last night was their first overnight sail – not quite shellbacks yet, but on their way to becoming seasoned sailors.  Just a few days from their final departure – the ocean beckons them.

The next few days will be spent preparing the boat for the ocean passage and engaging with World Cruising Club members and others crews participating in the Caribbean 1500 and ARC Bahamas Rally.  There are multiple ways of tracking the team as they make their way to the Bahamas.

1)  You will find their track at the World Cruising Club’s site via the Yellowbrick Tracking service

2)  You will find their track via the Euro Trash Girl’s SPOT Gen3 Tracker

3)  You can also track their progress by following our MMSI Number (367641340) on any number of AIS tracking pages.  I am currently a fan of Vessel Finder.  Click on the link and it should take you to our page.

Stay tuned for more coverage, interviews and news of the first annual J World Annapolis ARC Bahamas Rally!

Jahn “coach T” Tihansky was fighting hard for a podium finish at this week’s J/80 World Championship. He tells it best on how he and his team got around the race course faster than most of the fleet.

One of the best things about the J/80 class is the great people who are a part of it. J/80 stalwart and class treasurer Ramzi Bannura talks about his success on day one of the J/80 World Championships.

One of our favorite graduates is Eunice Lin. Eunice has been sailing with us for quite a while and we are excited to see her off racing with other teams and learning on her own. Here are her thoughts from our “Postponement Notes” series.

Jonathan Bartlett is a leader in the sailmaking industry. As one of the big dogs at North Sails Chesapeake, JB is well versed on how to sail fast and outwit the Chesapeake. Here are some good points on how his team found success at the J/80 World Championships.