J World Annapolis Points the Bow Towards The Ocean
Our friend Andy Schell who has helped us to become the World Cruising Club’s official training partner, encouraged us to join the ARC Bahamas Rally and is a major contributor to the global ocean sailing discussion writes a really cool blog that you should check out at http://59-north.com. 59º North Ocean Sailing is a blog filled with Offshore sailing articles by your favorite writers. Plus events, seminars, gear, books, charts & podcasts. Hosted by Andy Schell. Not too long ago, all of the sailors in the world were at sea – and needing to fill a little air time, Andy took the time to Skype us from Sweden and conduct an interview.
It should come as no surprise to anyone who has heard me speak that I went on and on about myself without saying much – but if you’ve got nothing better to do, you might grab a glass of wine and have a listen. Better make that a bottle.
Kristen Berry is one of the directors at J/World Annapolis sailing school. Andy chatted with him in early August about his racing and cruising career, his transition into professional sailing from managing political campaigns (you’d be surprised at the similarities), his thoughts on what racers can learn from cruisers (and vice versa) and how he creates successful trainig programs at J/World and manages successful ocean racing campaigns. J/World Annapolis is now the Official Training Partner of World Cruising Club USA, and are hosting their first Ocean ‘OPS’ course on September 22-23. The Ocean Preparedness Seminar will be a hands-on weekend learning safety and emergency management specific to ocean sailing. Check them out at jworldannapolis.com.
Annapolis-to-Newport Race Committee to Conduct Special “What to Expect” Seminar on Friday, October 10th
“What to Expect” when racing offshore covers all the key topics for first-timers
Always wanted to enter the Annapolis-to-Newport Race, but didn’t know exactly what it entailed? Had a hankering to complete an offshore passage, but just needed a little guidance as to how to accomplish such a feat? Own a comfortable cruising type of boat and wondered whether it was capable of competing successfully in such an event?
All those questions and many, many more will be answered during the inaugural Annapolis-to-Newport Race seminar, which will be held Oct. 10 (4-6 p.m.) at the Annapolis Yacht Club. Titled “Annapolis-to-Newport: What to Expect,” the two-hour session will feature four veterans of offshore racing dispensing valuable advice and answering every possible question about what it takes to prepare for and complete the renowned 475-nautical mile race that connects two of the country’s greatest sailing towns.
Panelists will cover all the basics, beginning with a complete description of the course, which is unique because it combines both inshore and offshore elements. Skippers that attend the seminar will learn specific factors to consider in the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Tips about routing and how to handle such interesting elements as rounding Block Island will be discussed along with how long in terms of total hours it can take to reach Newport. Read more
Thursday Night Racing 2014 Slideshow
Post Cards From Paradise – J/24 National Championship
Editor’s Note: This is the second dispatch from our man in Amsterdam Kent Bartlett who reported on his experience a the J/24 National Championship.
Day 2 of the J/24 US National Championships was nothing short of spectacular. The breeze was stronger topping out at about 16 knots with the puffs going to 18 knots but still from about 65 degrees off magnetic north. The fleet split in their decision to use either the genoa or the jib with the top competitors opting for the increase in sail area to cut through the chop and the majority of the rest of us opting for more pointing ability in the flat sections of water. Our first race we decided to use the genoa and quickly abandoned that idea after we saw 90% of the fleet ahead of us at the windward mark with 60% of the boats in front of us using the jib. We noted that if the driver wasn’t changing their main trim every 3-5 seconds the boat would heal excessively sliding the boat to leeward and adding to the windward helm causing the boat to slow down while it rounded up to slightly above the groove everyone was aiming for. It also didn’t hurt the jib trimmer to only have to move the clew of the jib 3 feet across the boat instead of the 15 feet that the genoa required for a proper close-hauled to close-hauled course. Being the jib trimmer I thanked (insert preferred savior here) for that last benefit. Race 1 with the genoa left us 35th across the finish line in a 45 boat fleet while Race 2 with the jib put us at 21st across the finish line. Suffice it to say we decided the jib worked just fine for us and gave us more room for error with the repercussions of being caught off guard in the chop or puffs being less than if we flew the genoa. Read more
Postcards from Paradise – J/24 National Championship
Editors note: The following is a a report filed by Kent Bartlett – J World Annapolis Coach – who is in Newport this week racing in the J/24 National Championships.
For Shifty, the first race of the J/24 US National Championships was a back to basics boot camp with mental highs and lows, itchy heads as to what the future would hold, and short periods of insanity. Here’s a leg by leg break down of Race 1 on the twice around windward-leeward courses with gates and an offset.
At 1100 with the fully overcast sky the breeze was at 11 knots with puffs in the 13-14 range from about 65-75 degrees magnetic north. The first leg of the first race proved to us (yet again) that being the pinball in the middle of the course doesn’t do squat. We stayed in phase when we weren’t trying to clear our breeze but too many tacks and trying to lead boats back without a clear strategy just does not work. End of leg 1, 35th. Read more
The lifestyle
Bermuda Ocean Race Update
When Brad Cole is coaching sailing with J World Annapolis, he works with the Varsity Offshore Racing Team (VOST) at the US Naval Academy. Brad, set sail Friday in the Annapolis to Bermuda Ocean Race aboard the Navy 44 and has been posting some news and photos as they race down the bay. You can track the race HERE to follow their progress.
The race has been structured to provide a combination of inshore and offshore racing previously not available. Divisions are established to insure fair matching for both cruising and racing boats. A major objective is to enhance the art of navigation for more sailors. This includes piloting through the 125 miles of Chesapeake Bay coastal waters and navigation of the 628 mile offshore leg. A2B provides these challenges within a framework designed for safe offshore sailing. It enables many sailors to fulfill a lifelong ambition: a blue water passage to an island of coral with white sandy beaches and hospitable people.
The first Annapolis To Bermuda Race was established in 1979 with seven yachts that competed informally. The organizers determined there was sufficient interest for this type of race and it became an accepted biennial event starting in 1980. Since then the fleet has grown and now attracts both racing and cruising boats. The fleet is limited to 50 entries. This allows the committee and host clubs to be responsive to the needs of each entrant–a major objective of the race organizers.
J World Annapolis Sailing In Baltimore
ARC Bahamas IS BACK!
Did you know that J World Annapolis is now the official training partner of the World Cruising Club? Did you know we are planning special training sessions for ARC Caribbean 1500 and ARC Bahamas participants? Did you know J World Annapolis planning to sail the ARC Bahamas this fall and you are invited to join us? Well its true! Four berths remain for this “bucket list” offshore passage that departs from historic Portsmouth, VA and ends at the sunny Bluff ouse Marina on Green Turtle Cay.
Sailing with J World Annapolis and the ARC Bahamas is best way to get to the Bahamas this winter!
What’s in a name? The Bahamas Class has been renamed ARC Bahamas, to give the fleet their own identity within the Caribbean 1500 rally.