J-80 UK Class Association

Raymarine Warsash Spring series. Starts March 15th, Sundays 15, 22, 29 March, 5, 19, 26 April.  White Group Champs weekends 18/19 and 25/26 April.  Warsash Sailing Club. www.warsashspringseries.org.uk Spi Ouest-France, 9th April – 13th April, La Trinité-sur-mer, France Contact: Société Nautique de la Trinité/mer                                                             Tel: +33 (0)297 557348 Fax: +33 (0)297 558578 www.spi-ouestfrance.com   www.snt-voile.orgPlease note that the Notice of Race for this regatta is usually posted in early December and there is a limit on the number of boats that can compete. You are strongly advised to get yours in very early. Translation services are available at J-UK.Elvstrom Sobstad Summer Championship, 16^th May – 17^th May, Hamble, Solent Contact: Royal Southern Yacht Club Tel: 02380 450302 Fax: 02380 450313 www.royal-southern.co.uk Incorporated within the RSrnYC May Regatta

Island Sailing Club Open Meeting 6/7 June 2007 Island Sailing Club, IOW

The Round The Island Race Saturday 20th June.  www.roundtheisland.org.uk

2008 J/80 UK National Championship, 10^th June – 13^th June, Hamble, Solent      Contact: Royal Southern Yacht Club Tel: 02380 450302 Fax: 02380 450313 www.royal-southern.co.uk 2008 J/80 World Championship, 4^th July – 11^th July, Santander, Spain      Contact: Real Club Maritimo de Santander Tel: +34 942 21 40 50 Fax: +34 942 36 19 72 www.rcmsantander.com/ingles/ Cowes Week, 1^st August – 8^th August, Cowes, Solent Contact: Cowes Combined Clubs Tel: 01983 295744 Fax: 01983 295329 www.cowesweek.co.uk   

J-Cup 2009, Thursday 20^th August – Saturday 22^nd August, Torbay, Devon Contact: Royal Torbay Yacht Club Tel: 01803 292006 Fax: 01803 200297 www.royaltorbayyc.org.uk   ,  

With the previous weekend being blown off, making a record three of eight weekends in the series, there might have been a lack of enthusiasm for the final weekend of the series.  The fact that the fleet was saying goodbye to stalwart bow people Kath and Mr Ben from Jevan and Savage Sailing Team respectively helped in the good turnout.  The fleet certainly wishes them well in their new life in Australia.  In fact sailing with biting cold and freezing rain that felt as if ones head was being pierced by needles made everyone wish they were going with them to an Australian summer season. Although there was a nice downwind reach to the start area and the short nature of the course on the Hillhead plateau the cold gusty Northerly made everyone very grateful for the prompt start of racing.  Jevan (Rob Fox) took off at great speed and led round the windward mark , closely followed by a pack of boats, with JimBob ( Bob Hewson) and Boats.com ( Ian Atkins ) in close attendance.  A reach to the outer loop obviously saw little change and with only one round of the outer loop Jevan must have thought they had the race in the bag.  There were enough shifts though, that there were place changes and the Savage Sailing team (Liz Savage) came through and by the end won from Boats.com  and Jevan only just holding off Just Chilling (Stephen Chiverton) at the final mark.  A few General recalls from the SB3 fleet meant that the J80’s had to hang around so that the line could be cleared in order to get us a way for the second race.  The Race office though did a good job and got the fleet away as fast as possible.  Increasing breeze saw a few gennaker issues downwind. Boats.com and Savage Sailing had a battle out in front with Loudwater (Charles Somerset) and Just Do It (Terry Palmer) coming to the fore both with good speed downwind.  Making sure that you were in the gust downwind was key.  Boats.com won this encounter, with Savage second and Loudwater third. Three boats decided that they had had enough of the freezing conditions leaving six brave crews to fight out the final race of the day and the series.  Savage Sailing and Boats.com renewed their battle at the front of the fleet with Boats.com taking this race as well.  Terry Palmer in Just Do It had their tenacity rewarded with a third Overall Joystick sailed by Rob Larke and Vic Gregory had the series sewn up before this last weekend.  Good results this weekend saw Boats.com, Ian Atkins take second overall and Liz Savage third.  Rob Fox was fourth. Thanks must go to the Hamble River Sailing Club and the Race Teams who did a splendid job.  J 80’s go from strength to strength in the Solent with 18 bota taking part in this series.

With the racing on Sunday 9^th November being blown off the forecast was much kinder for the 16th.  This encouraged the appearance of some new sails just out of the locker.  The Just Do It team were sporting a new Elvstrom Sobstad jib which is made of a heavier weight Mylar film with more thread in it and the Just Chilling team tried out a new Goacher Main and jib.  

Concidering the time of year an impressive 13 boats raced and once again there was very tight racing.  Ian Atkins in Boats.com who had dominated the fleet in the early part of the year is now finding the going tougher.   Joystick this weekend sailed by Stuart Hawthorn ( not exactly a stranger to the class) is certainly now the boat to beat.  Although they scored three bullets, the third race saw them only take the lead on the final beat, proving that they too are being made to work hard by an increasingly competitive fleet.

The first race was held in a westerly with a westgoing tide, enough shifts and changes in pressure enabled losses and gains.  Joystick sailed an impressive race sailing away from the fleet .  The Just Do It Team (Terry Palmer ) picked a good gust and held onto it going down the penultimate run to take second place with Loudwater sailed by Charles Somerset in third.  The second race saw a bit more breeze with the tide turning and slightly more choppy water .  This didn’t stop Joystick who again took the race from Boats.com and Savage Sailing Team helmed this week by Liz Savage.   After a general recall, which was perhaps inevitable with the tide pushing the fleet over and a fairly short line, the third race got away and was again very closely contested with Jim Bob( Bob Hewson) and Jevan ( Rob Fox) fighting it out at the front.  On the second beat Just Chilling came through to first from Joystick and held the lead down the run but a riding turn saw them drop down to fifth with Joystick taking the race from Jevan and Loudwater.

The result speak for themselves, although the short beats because of the tide ensured that there was not much distance between the boats, the racing is very close and getting out of phase with the shifts proves very costly indeed.  There is much place changing and although Joystick has the edge at the moment every body feels that they are in with a shout.

P&O have opened booking for the Portsmouth Bilbao route but are expecting full payment on booking, we are investigating a freight crossing from Poole to Santander but if you are thinking about doing what should be a very special regatta please use the forum so that we try try to arrange some advantageous rates.

Just as the RYA uses J 80’s for the match racing programme in the UK,  at Nations Cup regional finals (the ISAF international event) J80’s were used in Ireland in Kinsale.  Our versitile boat just keeps going from strength to strength and with over 300 boats built in the last 3 years is the fastest growing sports boat in Europe.