Hull #5469 arrives at the yard at Yacht Club Argentino - Photo Team Hot Pursuit

Joy Okazaki, Michael Johnson and the rest of the Hot Pursuit crew made the trip from Seattle to Buenos Airies for the J/24 World Championships, being held from November 11-19. They have a blog up here where you can follow the team as they prepare for the regatta. Racing gets underway next Wednesday, 11/15.

Today they visited JBoats Argentina and were privileged to see a brand new J/24 coming off the line (see photo).

After a weekend of sailing our chartered boat and figuring out what still needed to be fixed, we decided to take a field trip and go to visit the JBoats factory in San Isidoro, a small, peaceful residential suburb just up river from Buenos Aires about 22km north.

Nice write up here.

Sailing is a man’s game. But don’t tell that to Hoboken resident Donna Antonucci, the founder of America Blu, a non-profit organization that promotes women in sailing.

In a city that harbors the Hudson River waterfront, water activities are becoming increasingly popular, and it’s become evident as the topic has immersed itself in the city’s new development projects.

The city’s planning of an uptown park north of the Tea Building in an area known as Weehawken Cove received significant input from the Hoboken Cove Boathouse organization at a meeting in December. Kayaking has also increased in popularity, and is available near Maxwell Place. The new opening of Pier C Park featured a designated fishing area.

As development continues (and as summer approaches) it appears that more residents are taking advantage of Hoboken’s waterfront.

One aspect of waterfront life that hasn’t been addressed is the sailing and racing scene. While some people may have leisurely sailed along the Hudson River, few have taken part in racing, which Antonucci says “has a real culture to it.”

America Blu first formed in 2000, when Antonucci decided among friends to jump right into the men’s world of sailing and racing.

“Racing particularly was male dominated,” Antonucci said. “There are very few opportunities for women in racing. So, we founded America Blu, a non-profit.”

_____________

For more information about AmericaBlu, visit www.http://americablu.blogspot.com

____________

The group depends on sponsors, and this year, Prudential Insurance Company’s logo will fly on the boat’s spinnaker. Don’t know what a spinnaker is? It’s a large sail that helps the boat run along with the wind. If sailing vocabulary is foreign, it might help to take a class.

The future

In addition to races, Antonucci also teaches an eight-week free training course.

“We have a four week classroom program, in a lecture style,” Antonucci said. “Then we have four weeks out on the water.”

The classes are taught in parts of Hoboken and New York City, depending on where space is available. Although all are welcome, Antonucci said the classes are particularly for those with some sailing experience.

Her team, which races J-24s in the Hudson River, is primarily made up of women. The team has had males in the past.

The crew has traveled all across the world to race, including in the 2002 Heineken Cup in Saint Martin, which was televised on ESPN.

“We were the only female boat out of 3,000 sailors,” she said. Each boat has approximately five people.

Breaking the barriers

Antonucci began sailing after spending time on a boat with male racers.

“I got to sit on the side of the boat, and when the boat tacked back and forth I just had to make sure I didn’t get hit,” she said. “They didn’t want to let me do anything.”

But Antonucci didn’t sit on the sidelines long, as she eventually worked with friends to form the women’s team.

“When America Blu started we were the only female boat out of the 24 boats [in a local New York based racing league],” she said. “It was a slow start.”

Antonucci began her sailing career as an adult, which she says made the transition to the sport difficult, but definitely not impossible.

The team was originally founded in Manhattan, where Antonucci lived before she found her way to Hoboken.

“We went out there to race not knowing a lot, but enough to be safe,” she said. “But we did not do well.”

The team is made up of five racers and four alternates.

However, she sees the promise that can come from a community like Hoboken.

“People sometimes forget we are a waterfront community,” she said. “We have a beach. If you wanted to put in the effort, this opportunity to sail exists. There are ways to get out in the Hudson River, and they’re expanding.”

One boat in the Manhattan Club where Antonucci is a member has a Hoboken theme, named My Way, after famed Hoboken resident Frank Sinatra.

America Blu races once a week beginning in the middle of May and ending in October. Racing in the Hudson River presents its own challenges, mostly due to the high volume of traffic.

“You couldn’t call it a great place to sail because of harbor traffic,” Antonnucci said. “But the fact that you’re able to make sailing part of your life is very convenient. When there’s a steady wind, it’s a beautiful place to sail.”

For more information about AmericaBlu, go to http://americablu.blogspot.com.

Stuart Streuli

Congratulations to Michael Johnson, Joy Okazaki, and the crew of Hot Pursuit for winning the J/24 class at the 2010 Sperry Top-Sider Seattle NOOD Regatta! Both Mike and Joy contribute greatly to the sport and it’s great to see them having this huge success. With 2 bullets and 12 top ten finishes over 3 days and 14 races they were able to out class a deep 21 boat fleet.  Rounding out the top three were Pat Toole  driving 3 Big Dogs and Harry Dursch  at the helm of Self Abuse.

Story here. Results here.

I just received a press release from the Manhattan Yacht Club:

Dennis Conner is inviting teams from around the world to compete in the Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge in New York Harbor on August 20th, 21st, & 22nd 2010. The purpose of this event is to “promote international goodwill through friendly competition.” Racing will be held in New York Harbor on J24 sailboats from the Manhattan Sailing Club located at “Dennis Conner’s North Cove” in Lower Manhattan. Racing in New York Harbor will create memories of a lifetime as competitors sail past the Statue of Liberty and under the skyline of Manhattan.

We invite you to spread the word and invite teams to come and participate in the Fourth Annual Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge. Attached is an information packet. If you have any questions, please contact Emily Whipple directly at (212) 945-4069 or via email at Emily@myc.org.

Attachment: Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge 2010

ESPN will also be carrying the event:

For the first time in its programming history, ESPN360.com — ESPN’s 24/7 broadband sports network — will carry the oldest sporting trophy event and sailing’s most prestigious regatta and match race, the 33rd America’s Cup. The best of three races duel will take place live from Valencia, Spain beginning Monday, Feb. 8th at 3:45 a.m. ET. Race 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10th and — if necessary — Race 3 on Friday, Feb. 12th, both at 3:45 a.m. ET.

This should be good!

Shown at a recent measurement session at Kvichak Marine Industries are, from left, Scott Milne, Measurer Noel Morgan, Richard Demmler, Measurer Mike Johnson and Keith Whittemore. Milne's and Demmler's boats were being measured, and Whittemore, also a J/24 owner, is a partner at Kvichak and provided the space for the boats.

[source: CYC Seattle]

In a cavernous construction space at Kvichak Marine Industries in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, measurers from J/24 Fleet 26 are hard at work.

It is Thanksgiving weekend, and three boats are lined up on trailers inside the big shed, where they have been packed with heaters and fans for a couple of days to suck out the moisture before they are weighed. A fourth boat, already measured, is parked on the street.

Mike Johnson and Noel Morgan, armed with tape measures, templates and weighing scales, are climbing all over the boats, inspecting for measurement integrity and taking both notes and photos which they will later add to a database to track each of the about 30 active boats in the Seattle fleet. Measuring all of them will take several more weekends and countless hours of work, all in preparation for the J/24 North American Championships, to be held on Puget Sound in May.

Full article here.

Link: www.louisvuittontrophy.com

New Wave during better days.

Top Bermuda boat “New Wave” has sunk:

A sailboat, which sank yesterday in the Great Sound area may be a hazard for other boat users, advises Bermuda Maritime Radio.

The vessel, a J24 sailboat called New Wave, belonging to the Royal Hamilton Dinghy Club, was involved in a race when the boat unexpectedly capsized.

No one was injured and there were no reported problems with crew on board.

Bermuda Harbour Radio could not say exactly what caused the boat to capsize, however a spokesperson explained that a harsh wind of 10 to 15 knots passed by the boat unexpectedly around 11 a.m. or noon yesterday.

Harsh winds of 10 to 15 knots?? There must be more to this story. The article from the Royal Gazette is here.

At least she lies in realtively shallow water and will likely be raised:

The owners of the boat or the club are expected to raise the vessel this week, in fact there were already divers in the water yesterday afternoon looking for lost items.

For info on how to keep your J24 from sinking (always a good thing) check out the links under “Safety” on the links page.

Results here.