General

The MRX is a Farr 1020 with a small steroid pack stuck up it’s transom, a better rig, a racing deck with a bigger cockpit, a better keel and about 1200kg lighter.

In Auckland they have 10 of them – all identical and just like the J24 they offer incredibly close racing. The JET crew has just been over there doing the MRX Pacific Keelboat Challenge and having a fantastic time

Next year we need to get a group of 6 J crews to go over and have a fantastic J party sailing in this regatta, we would have a ball. I know because we did this year.

I have put together a story and a few pics about it all – too much to go on the J site front page so here is a link to it on another page

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

Greg Rowlings has completed a hat-trick of Tasmanian championship wins in the International J24 keelboat class, taking out a hard-fought series on the River Derwent.

Read all about it in this link to the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania    Click here

Monjon Australia 2013 J24 Victorian Championships are almost upon us, this will be another hard fought regatta and now is the time to get your entry in and arrangements made for accomodation and travel.

Regatta dates are the 20th and 21st April.  Venue is Sandringham Yacht Club.

Click here to go to the regatta page for more information that will help you

The NOR and other race documents and notices to competitors will be available shortly from the SYC site.

Once again our  friends at MONJON are the Major Sponsors of the regatta being very generous in their help of the class here in Melbourne – Thank you very much Jon at MONJON.

MONJON is a specialist security company that provides professional ‘in-house-trained’ personnel, equipped with leading edge technology that meets the demands of their many national and multi- national clients.

MONJON specialises in Static Guard, Patrol Guard, Electronic Surveillance, and Security Training, including Road Traffic Management services for sites ranging from major construction to TV and Film production sets and major events.

So if you or anyone you know needs security and more in Melbourne then go to the MONJON site   www.monjon.com.au

Also sponsoring the regatta this year is UK Sails. Sam Haines of UK has donated a brand new kite to be won by the skipper that comes exactly in the middle of the fleet. Sam’s aim is to support the class stalwarts who make up the bulk of the class by being there every week and not usually winning any silverware. Here’s one for you guys in the pack – how good is that – thanks Sam !

If you need to ring and find more information out, then contact: Sarah Thompson 0415 931 046  or  Kirby O’Brien 0403 025 250

South Australian State Titles 2013

The CN Management South Australian State titles were held at the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia over the weekend of the 9^th and 10^th of March. A predominantly light wind event saw the local fleet joined by a few guest skippers chartered boats and one visitor from Victoria. Andrew Townsend pulled a crew together and entered JJF, while Jamie Goode returned to the fleet in No Eye Deer after upgrading to a Farr 30 at the start of the year and Bill Coutts (the previous owner of JJF) was the guest helm in Stockcar. Special thanks go to Ron Thomson and the crew of Kicking Bottom who made the trip from Sandringham for the weekend.

With concerns about whether there would be enough wind for any racing, the race officer got proceedings underway in a very light and shifty breeze and had to rotate the course through more than 90 degrees before the two laps were completed. A slightly stronger and much steadier breeze allowed for a fairer 2^nd heat however the 3^rd race of the day was abandoned as the wind disappeared completely with most of the fleet getting swept north on the tide. With 2 wins El Fideldo were looking like the boat to beat with Kicking Bottom pushing them hard with 2 second places.

Sunday saw one race completed in a light northerly before the wind started swinging to the west bringing the possibility of a sea breeze. Although the direction steadied, the breeze failed to build and the last two races were run in similarly light conditions. El Fideldo managed to maintain their unbeaten record with Kicking Bottom close behind and Dave Nicholson on Such Is Life finishing consistently at the front end of the fleet to secure third place overall.

Under PHS, it was Bill Coutts that took the honours by only half a point from Andrew Townsend with the other Townsends in Good Company taking third.

It was good to see almost all the boats at the CYCSA on the water for the weekend and great to have some competition from further a field. The next event in SA is the Great Southern Regatta, again held by the CYCSA, on the 6 and 7^th of April. To secure our One Design start, it would be great to see as many boats on the water as possible. Details are available on the CYCSA website.

2013 J24 State Championships

Hosted By Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia

*** PROVISIONAL RESULTS ***

Updated:  10/03/13  3:47:47 PM

2013 J24 State Championships

Hosted By Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia

*** PROVISIONAL RESULTS ***

Updated:  10/03/13  3:47:47 PM

Sydney Harbour Regatta J24 Division on 9 & 10 March saw 7 boats enter for racing in a 15-20 knots North Eeasterly  under perfect blue skies – a change after a wet February and a lot of  strong winds recently.

With a very busy harbour,  crews had lots of fun racing and congratulations to those who made it out both days.  Whisper, Kaotic and Waterborne Again only managed one day but added to a fun fleet!  Wildfire, J-Spot, Waterhound and Ace completed the 6 races with no protests.. and no dings… David West steering Ace to 4 wins to secure the series for the third year!!

J24 competitors enjoyed a few too many drinks on the beach at MHYC with thanks going to all involved in running a great regatta and giving us our own division again!!!

If you didn’t win the Nationals in Melbourne and if you aren’t Ben Lamb then you didn’t, well you get another chance as the Victorian States are coming up and will have much the same line up of keen trophy hunting skippers.

Known as the ‘Balmy Regatta’ the Vic States always attracts a good turn out and a great social scene. So if you are sitting on the fence and can’t make up your mind then now is the time to slip off to the YES side.

Entries will be online through the Sandringham YC site   www.syc.com.au and the NOR will be out soon for more information

Regatta dates are :

April 20th-21st

Want to see and download the whole poster – here it is:

2013_States_A3poster_100

Once again our  friends at MONJON are sponsoring the regatta, so if you need security and more in Melbourne then go to the MONJON site   www.monjon.com.au

Just want to ring and find out, then contact: Sarah Thompson 0415 931 046  or  Kirby O’Brien 0403 025 250

In conjunction with Charter World Yachting Holidays Terry Wise from Pacific Sailing School is organising an adventure of a lifetime!

Terry wanted to give the J24 guys and girls an opportunity to enjoy this fantastic opportunity and asked me if I knew any that might want to go, so I said quick – on the website with this idea.

You can join Terry sailing on a 45ft cruiser this July sailing through the superb Cycladic Islands of Kea, Siros, Mykonos, Paros, Serifos, Kithnos and Hydra. Rich in historical archaeological and cultural significance, the Greek Islands are the world’s favourite cruising waters.  A 12 night cruise from $2790 per person.

Spaces are strictly limited to 6 people plus Terry (in charge of ice for drinks !)

Please RSVP by 22^nd February 2013 if you’re interested.

Note – this is a sailing holiday with friends and not a PSS course.

Check out the attached Itinery and brochure

Greece trip       Itinery

March sees 2 of Sydney’s premier yacht clubs hosting regattas with J24 Divisions – you all keep telling us you want more one design class racing so here’s the perfect opportunity for you to race against other J24s.

http://www.shr.mhyc.com.au/

www.rpeyc.com.au

Classic Regatta NOR 13

We have had significant interest from various parties regarding participation in the CN Management South Australian J24 Titles being held at the CYCSA over the weekend of the 9^th and 10^th of March. Our primary aim is to get as many local boats out on the water as possible and have had a good response from both local and interstate crew. As things stand we have 3 boats still available for charter. These have been offered to local sailor s from other classes but would also be available for any interstate crews. Boats currently still available include Amazing Grace, a Peter Stevens refit special, with the current owner keen to join in as part of a visiting crew and last years winner JJF, an older boat but with practically everything excluding the hull replaced for new in the last two years. Both of these boats could be absolutely on the pace and will be allocated on a first comer first served basis. So man up! Bring your sails, and we will hopefully see a few of you in March.

Link to the NOR below:

http://cycsa.com.au/racingdocuments.html

Simon’s note: I know there is a growing swell of interest in Melbourne to go to Adelaide for the SA States, better book a boat sooner rather than later if you want to be on the water !

The Monjon 2013 Victorian State Champs being held on the 20 – 21st April is likely to be a repeat of the the hugely successful and very competitive 2013 Musto J24 Nationals just held. Although we expect a different weather regime which should suit those who like a lighter breeze. Tradionally known as the “Balmy Regatta” for its warm balmy, hazy days, the Vic States is already attracting a swag of interstate entries with several boats being left here from the Nationals.

Once again we are expecting a fleet of over 20 boats competing for the title, which for many years has been owned by Dave Suda and his crew on Pacemaker but last year taken off him by Ben Lamb, our recent Nationals winner. Better sharpen up Dave, the nationals results show this one may not go your way either. And that means there will be a number of top yachts vying for the top spot. Arthur Crothers plans to be back to defend (Bennie not yet confirmed I gather). Steve Girdis will be back, as will the SA sprinter Doug Watson (Two legged Donkey! – you have to be kidding) and Peter Stevens in Haywire, a renovated boat that will turn your head with it’s interior fitout, we have yet to see how fast it is. I hear Terry plans to get a couple of boats down – that may mean Sean is back, we don’t know yet but with a string of seconds recently Sean must be keen to take out a title pretty soon. Seems like he has been in the desert for a while. Could we entice Wallis from retirement and radio controlled playthings, if you have a good yacht and need a top skipper – why not try your luck with a call to him. He did pretty damn well in Sydney with barely a practice day or night out.

Looks like the Thommo Cup will be back on too, with Janette planning to come down with a hotshot girl crew – this is going to be a party for sure, you need to be here !

Then there is the growing list of locals that are at the pointy end on any given day, younger guys like Adam coming up, veterens like Hugo getting back into it again, there’s the girls and Brendan – it’s gonna be a fight on the track again but one thing for sure about the Balmy Regatta, the social side is a big one too and I hear Sarah and her team are at it again with the onshore antics.

So plan to come to Melbourne, if you do then give us a call soon and we’ll organise some accom and all the other things that make your stay in our city just the best time you can have in a J.

NOR will be out soon so check back here for a copy to download.

Contact Sarah Thompson on 0415 761 046 for more information.