On behalf of the Yacht Club Argentino, it is my pleasure to invite you and all the competitors for the J-24 World Championship to our club at Buenos Aires City.
The Yacht Club Argentino was founded in 1884, and has a long tradition of major sailing events and it is very proud of its Race Committee experience and its reputation of great hospitality.
We are excited at this opportunity to once again welcome the World’s best sailors to one of the world’s very best fresh waters venue, the waters of the Rio de la Plata.
Sincerely
Ricardo A. Galarce
Commodore
That is the online welcome from the club Commodore.
Australia has two crews entering the worlds, skippers are David West and Sean Kirkjian and on behalf of the Australian J24 Association we wish them good luck.
We will bring you more information on their progress as we get it.
J24 Tips for speed by North Sails J 24 class experts
North Sails has been at the forefront of sail design for the J/24 class since the class first started in 1977. Throughout these years North Sails have designed and developed J24 sails which have won countless national and world titles with sailors choosing to use North sails.
North Sails have gone through a restructuring exercise recently. They are wanting to put more focus on One Design racing and will provide more tips on a regular basis – of course they would also like to sell you some sails as well !
Below are some key points from their class experts on how to maximise your J 24’s performance!
The J24 ranking page is now online. To find it look under ‘About J24’ on the top nav bar.
Lisa Simonov, the better half of ‘Make My Jay’ at Sandy and head programmer at Smart Marketing has done a fantastic job of turning an algorithm provided by Sean Wallis into a full on ranking system, complete with all the data entry and database systems required behind the scenes.
Currently the system is ranking on the state regattas and the Nationals last season, in the near future we will add the previous season as well. The ranking is designed to be based over the previous two sailing seasons and rewards regattas sailed and finish placing with different regattas having different weighting.
We plan to put even more bells and whistles into it in the future, but for now ……. how do you rank in the national list ?
The summer sailing season is almost upon us and along with all the other things you are doing to your boat to get it ready – don’t forget one very important thing – you must have a current measurement certificate !
The onus for this is on the boat owner – no other person or body. This means that if you don’t have a current IJCA certificate organised through our National Measurer Peter Stevens in the last couple of years, then you are not a legal J24 and will not be able to race. The pic above is the top of the correct certificate, if yours doesn’t look like this you have the wrong one.
If you don’t have your correctors in, your V-berth or your shelves are not fitted or you have made any other changes and not remeasured then you will not comply.
Now is the time to act, either contact your state measurer or Peter direct if you have any questions or doubts about your compliance.
The class is getting more competitive and we need to make sure all boats are racing on an even basis.
We have had formal direction from the IJCA and I have had a number of members contact me informally concerned about this matter. The National committee will be right onto this via our national measurement register this year and I gauge the mood from various members is also a “get tough” attitude. A non compliant boat is a protest just the same as a port and starboard, so don’t forget this important item in your boat preparation.
Alyn Stevenson has written an excellent piece here for us that you should all read as well concerning this matter.
J24 Measurement compliance and playing fair
As a past president of the class and someone who is not on any committees but is passionate about the class I thought it prudent to write an article on compliance of boats and measurement certificates.
Firstly members should be aware that measurers are there to protect the Class rules and ensure compliance, and in turn take their directive from the J24 International Technical Committee.
Owners are responsible for their boat measurement!
The J24 Measurement certificate is the same as an IRC certificate without it you can’t race!
If you change anything on your boat it must be done in consultation with a class measurer.
Your Measurement certificate is the most important document in your racing kit – value and respect it.
It has come to my attention that over the last 18 months there are incidences of boats removing correctors and this certainly is clear breach of RRS never mind J24 class rules.
The stalwarts of the class that have won most Nationals over time with boats that are optimized to the n’th degree but they will measure and comply.
They know the value of optimizing a boat but also don’t want to lose a Regatta because the boat doesn’t measure. They know the difference between optimization and an invalid boat that doesn’t measure. (They respect the rules)
The Australian Fleet
Boats that have missing correctors, made alterations etc. and have not had a new measurement certificate need to contact their State measurer and fix this immediately. (There can be no exceptions to these infringements of the rules)
The second categories of boats are older boats that have some basic missing items that invalidate them. The peers in class need to assist these owners to get their boats up to standard so they comply.
Having said that – Owners need to accept their responsibility and comply with directives from class measurers.
Two main areas are missing V berths and missing shelves. All of these can be replaced cheaply with lightweight replacements that comply with the class rules. A lot of us that have been in the class for a while can assist with information on how to achieve this.
At the end of the day it is ATTITUDE and RESPECT of J24 Class rule that counts, and anyone wanting to have their J24 comply will receive enormous assistance from within the class. That is the strength of the class, helping new owners come in and progress through the fleet.
COME ON – let’s play FAIR and accept our own obligation of an owner and competitor.
Easter is often a time when there is little sailing on the bay. So if you feel like making the trip down to Paynesville for some excellent lake sailing then here is your opportunity. Sounds like a great idea and could be lots of fun.
The Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club would like to invite J24 sailors to participate in the inaugural GIPPSLAND LAKES RACE WEEK.
J24 Australia welcomes Angus Middleton as the proud new owner of Amazing Grace in Adelaide and he is looking for some keen crew – see the SA pages for details.
Editor Doug MacGregor is at it again and Victoria is the place to be seen with a J, even in winter as you will read in this riveting issue of ‘Hit the Mark’. The local committees have been busy working out plans for the future with ideas for the AP regatta, unfortunately this idea has now been shelved and the National Committee is working on a new plan. Melbourne will hold an AP regatta in the future and there is a great deal of support for that, but it will be a few years away. Read on here …. J24_Newsletter_2011_07
Victorian Newsletter Editor Doug MacGregor Hits the Mark again with some hard hitting questions on the future of J racing in Victoria in this scintillating edition of ‘Hit the Mark’ – Victoria’s own answer to the Government’s carbon tax. In this edition his editorials are joined by searching articles from Hugo Ottaway, G. Maps, M.Y. Scales, Count Em and more, making this one of Eds best yet.
Peter Stevens is our National Measurer and our representative on the ITC (International Technical Committee), this is a maintenance bulletin from him for us all to take careful note of.
There aren’t many maintenance areas that are more important, or more often overlooked than keel bolts. This is true for every boat, but particularly so for J/22s, J/24s and J/80s, all of which routinely hoist the boats in and out of the water using the bolts.
Failure of any keel bolt is bad, but most bolts are part of a massively redundant system, where the failure of any one bolt is rarely immediately catastrophic. For boats that are hoisted, the failure of a bolt holding the lifting gear can be catastrophic and has the potential to lead to the loss of the boat, or much, much worse.
While this article is being distributed to USWatercraft and J/Boats customers, it applies to virtually all production boats, regardless of builder or brand. If they use Stainless Steel keelboats and most of them do, it applies. Feel free to pass it along to your friends and fellow boat owners. It’s pretty important.
Since they live in the bilge, keel bolts can fall into the category of “out of sight, out of mind”. It is because they live in the bilge that they need routine care and attention.
J/22 keels are made using 316 Stainless Steel threaded rod, which is cast into the lead. The nuts, washers and lifting bar are made using 304 Stainless and are then electro polished. This has been the industry standard for many years, and has provided many years of service life.
Stainless Steel is corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof
The basic resistance of stainless steel occurs because of its ability to form a protective coating on the metal surface. This coating is a “passive” film, which resists further “oxidation” or rusting. The formation of this film is instantaneous in an oxidizing atmosphere such as air, water, or other fluids that contain oxygen. Once the layer has formed, we say that the metal has become “passivated” and the oxidation or “rusting” rate will slow down to less than 0.002″ per year (0,05 mm. per year).
Unlike aluminum or silver this passive film is invisible in stainless steel. It’s created when oxygen combines with the chrome in the stainless to form chrome oxide, which is more commonly called “ceramic”. This protective oxide or ceramic coating is common to most corrosion resistant materials. Unfortunately Halogen salts, especially chlorides easily penetrate this passive film and will allow corrosive attack to occur.
CONCENTRATED CELL OR CREVICE CORROSION
This corrosion is common between nut and bolt surfaces. Salt water applications are a severe problem because of the salt water’s low PH and its high chloride content. Here is the mechanism:
Chlorides pit the passivated stainless steel surface.
The low PH salt water attacks the active layer that is exposed.
The absence of oxygen inhibits the re-forming of the passive layer.
These three factors work together in a vicious cycle, repeatedly attacking the same small area. If the metal is under tensile stress- like from an over torqued keel bolt nut, the pit formed can transform itself into a crack. When a crack forms the process repeats and accelerates as the surface area of the ‘active’ layer is now much larger.
Prevention is the best cure
The best way to prevent corrosion is to keep salt away from your bolts. The best way to do that is to keep your bilge clean and dry. We’ve designed our interiors to be easily washed down. Take advantage of this. At the end of the day, when you hose off your deck hardware, stick the hose down the companionway and blast out the bilge and bolts. Pump and sponge dry and leave the floorboard off when you leave. Not only will this protect your keel bolts from corrosion, it will prevent mildew and keep your interior looking and smelling fresh.
Important note! Avoid using any cleaning products containing chlorine. Chlorides are just what we are avoiding. Read the label. Clorox, Comet, and Fantastic are all products that while good for most stuff are bad for this application. Check the label.
Annual Maintenance
Checking your keel bolts should be part of your annual maintenance plan. Working one bolt at a time, remove the nut and washer and clean the threads with a small nylon or brass brush or scotch brite. Do not use a steel wire brush, as this can lead to other corrosion issues not covered here! Check for signs of rust. If everything looks good, use a generous coating of anti-galling compound and re-torque the nut. Most J/22 keel bolts are 5/8
Keel Bolt Torque Table
Bolt Diameter
Torque Nm
Torque Ft/Lb
1/2″
26.0
19.2
5/8″
66.0
48.7
3/4″
130.0
95.9
7/8″
190.0
140.1
This Table is derived from information in Table A7 from ISO/DIS 12215-9.2. These values are for well greased threads. Friction in the screw and under the bolt head makes up approximately 90% of the tightening torque and approximately 10% contributes to prestressing of the bolt. The user is cautioned to use good judgment in applying these values.
Tip- If you can pull in your mainsheet, you probably don’t need a big breaker bar to torque your nuts. Over-torqueing is extremely bad. Particularly on the bolts holding your lifting rig, under-torqueing is equally bad. If the nut is loose enough to allow movement in the bar, the bolt can be loaded unequally, leading to tension stress on one side of the bolt.
While you are there
Since you are spending some time with your bilge anyway, this is a good time to give the rest of your lifting gear a good look over. Check your sling for any signs of wear; fraying, cuts, abrasions and the like. Your sling should look essentially new.
If you use a shackle in your system, check it too. If it is bent, rusted or shows signs of wear, just replace it. A new sling costs around 50 bucks and a shackle around 9 bucks. It is the cheapest peace of mind available.
If you think you find a problem
If you find or suspect you have problems beyond a good cleanup you should contact a marine surveyor who can inspect and report findings. Your surveyor will have the specialized knowledge and tools to give you an informed recommendation.
