J-Cup Regatta 2014 report

by Phil Riley on 27 Jul 2014 J-Cup Regatta 2014 - Hamble, Hampshire, UK - After facing the very real prospect of not being able to race in the regatta, organised by Key Yachting and run by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, it's been quite a turn around in fortune for Mike and Sarah Wallis's Jahmali in the J-Cup 2014 in Partnership with B&G.

With repairs to a snapped mast only completed at 7am on the first day of racing (Thursday 24th July), the J/109 went on to sail to victory in a ferociously competitive class, winning the J/109 UK National Championships in the process.

To cap a memorable event, boat and crew were also awarded the prestigious J-Cup 2014 at Saturday night's hugely attended Gala Dinner and Prizegiving. Ultimate success, after what proved to be challenging and tricky wind conditions across all three days, was also a personal triumph after years of competition.

'I've been doing the J-Cup as long as Paul Heys has been running them, so it's been a while,' said a delighted Mike. 'It's a great day for us and very much appreciated.

'It's the first time I've won the J/109 class. I won the 105 class as an owner 14 years ago, and as a tactician nine years ago. I've drunk out of the J-Cup at other people's expense many, many times,' he laughed.

Mike admitted that the conditions particularly suited Jahmali and her long-standing crew.
'On our boat we tend to be a lot better in the lighter and flukier conditions, so these have played to our strengths and helped us achieve this. I think if it had been blowing force six we wouldn't be where we are or anything like that.

'Going into the last race we were only one point ahead of Tigh Soluis and Jubilee, but fortunately we got the right end of the line and everything was easier after that as we had clear air and clear wind.'

He added: '`Certainly it's been very much up to the wire as it always is with the 109s. It's always very, very close, and perhaps being lighter has opened things out a little bit. When the wind’s up and there's less chance of opening up gaps it's very very close, so we are also grateful for that. I don't think there were any collisions this time, which is very unusual for the 109s!'

Tributes paid to organisers and race officers
Echoing the opinion of many other competitors, Mike also paid tribute to regatta organisers and race officers. 'It's been a great regatta, very well run by the Royal Southern in very difficult conditions. They've done an extraordinarily good job.'

A win in the final race helped secure Jahmali's class and national championships victories, finishing five points clear of Tony Dickin's Jubilee with Iain MacKinnon's Tigh Soluis two further back.

In the other nationals run within the regatta - the Lombard-sponsored J/97 Championships - Charles Ivill's ETB Tyres Just Like That took four wins from seven races to finish three points clear of Nick and Adam Munday's Induljence, with Helen Hoffman's Jaslan taking the final podium place.

Also celebrating success was Guernsey's Roger Martel with his J/122 Kaya, winner in IRC1.

'We had a few good results and a few less so, which we've managed to come back from, so we're really pleased,' said Roger, taking part in only his second J-Cup.

'We got a good start on the last race but had to tack to avoid a dredger, then fell in to a hole and a 133 got past us. We got round the weather mark and the wind disappeared, so one minute we were ahead, the next behind.

'Luckily they shortened the race - everyone else had fallen into holes around us and we just managed to squeak it.'

The last race win, along with three previous bullets, put Kaya five points clear of East coast-based Angus Bates' Assarain IV, which was three ahead of Ian Dewhirst's Jump.

Experience counted in IRC2 where Stewart Hawthorn's J/88 Jongleur, most of whose crew have raced together for over 15 years, almost managed a clean sweep but ended up discarding a second place.

'We worked our way round the strategy that we had set ourselves - to make nice clean starts, get in to a good lane, then watch what was happening,' said Stewart. 'The last race of the series was the high point I think as we managed to come from a really flaky start, being well down the fleet on the first beat, and from that get in to the lead.

'Very difficult and tricky conditions for everyone, but having sailed in the Solent for a number of years it wasn't too much of a shock,' he added.

Jongleur finished nine points clear of Richard Sparrow's J/92 Who's To Know, which was two clear of another J/92, David Greenhalgh's J'Ronimo.

Also discarding a second in a dominant performance in the J/70 class was Simon Cavey's Just4Play. She finished on a high with three bullets, 12 points ahead of Steve Northmore's Waterjet2, with Jack Davies' Jugador a further two back.

However, the regatta's comeback kid award was surely deserved by Patrick Liardet's Aqua J, whose four successive bullets - following a four-(seven)-two scoreline - powered her to the top of the J/80 table. She finished five clear of Douglas Struth's DSP and 12 ahead of Brian Denney's Jalapeno.

The J111s didn't get the chance to get on the plane, but a competitive class was won by Duncan McDonald's Shmokin Joe, seven points ahead of Chris Jones and Louise Makin's Journeymaker II who managed to hold off Cornel Riklin's hard-charging Jitterbug which won the last three races.

The J-Cup is organised by Hamble-based Key Yachting Ltd., an agent and distributor for J Boats, Grand Soleil, Nautitech Catamarans and Tofinou throughout the UK and Ireland.


J Cup Black Line overall results  - Day 1, 2, and 3

Rank   1st	Class   J109	Boat Name   Jahmali	Helm   Mike &	Nat   GBR	Sail #   8901	YC   RSrnYC	R1   3.0	R2   1.0	R3   3.0	R4   (6.0)	R5   3.0	R6   1.0	Total   17.0	Nett   11.0
			Sarah Wallis
2nd	J109	Jubilee	Tony Dickin	GBR	2986L		2.0	3.0	1.0	(9.0)	5.0	5.0	25.0	16.0
3rd	J109	Tigh Soluis	lain	GBR	2377		5.0	7.0	4.0	1.0	1.0	(13.0)	31.0	18.0
			MacKinnon
4th	J109	Offbeat	David	GBR	8543R		4.0	(13.0)	10.0	2.0	6.0	3.0	38.0	25.0
			McLeman
5th	J109	lnspara	Tor	GBR	8809R		6.0	2.0	2.0	5.0	(21.0	11.0	47.0	26.0
			Mclaren								BFD)
6th	J109	Jolly Jack Tar	Adrian Wheal	lRL	8541		1.0	(15.0)	6.0	12.0	2.0	6.0	42.0	27.0
7th	J109	Stalker	Steven	GBR	9760R		(10.0)	8.0	5.0	7.0	7.0	2.0	39.0	29.0
			Tapper
8th	J109	Jumping	David	GBR	2709R		11.0	6.0	7.0	10.0	4.0	(12.0)	50.0	38.0
		Jellyfish	Richards
9th	J109	Jacobi	lvan	GBR	9014R		8.0	5.0	(12.0)	11.0	9.0	9.0	54.0	42.0
			Burden
10th	J109	Jagerbomb	Paul Griffiths	GBR	6865R		12.0	4.0	(21.0 DSQ)	4.0	21.0 BFD	7.0	69.0	48.0
11th	J109	Jynnan	Owain	GBR	2192L	RSrnYC	18.0	14.0	8.0	3.0	8.0	(21.0	72.0	51.0
		Tonnyx	Franks &									RET)
			Jean
			Lockett
12th	J109	Basic lnstinct	Colin Campbell	GBR	7901R		7.0	11.0	14.0	(16.0)	13.0	10.0	71.0	55.0
13th	J109	Jai Ho	N.	GBR	936R		16.0	(18.0)	11.0	14.0	11.0	4.0	74.0	56.0
			Maclachlan
			& A Bohlsson
14th	J109	Blue Jay of Poole	Alan & Lis Bennett	GBR	2068R		14.0	12.0	13.0	8.0	(21.0 BFD)	16.0	84.0	63.0
15th	J109	Blackjack	Martin	GBR	590		9.0	16.0	15.0	13.0	10.0	(18.0)	81.0	63.0
			Ozard
16th	J109	Red Arrow		GBR	9109T		17.0	10.0	16.0	17.0		8.0	89.0	68.0

			Jorg Lobbedey							(21.0 BFD)
17th	J109	Just So	David	GBR	529R	15.0	(21.0	9.0	15.0	14.0	15.0	89.0	68.0
			McGough				DNF)
18th	J109	Alice of	Alistair	GBR	1 L	13.0	9.0	19.0	(21.0	12.0	19.0	93.0	72.0
		Hamble	Speare- Cole						RET)
19th	J109	Designstar2	Roger	GBR	5109R	RSrnYC   (20.0)	17.0	17.0	18.0	16.0	14.0	102.0	82.0
			Phillips
20th	J109	Juke box	Chris	GBR	9091R	RYS         (19.0)	19.0	18.0	19.0	15.0	17.0	107.0	88.0
			Copeland

J111 Class: Sailed: 7, Discards: 1, To count: 6, Rating system: IRC, Entries: 9, Scoring system: Appendix A

Rank   1st	Class   J111	Boat Name   Shmokin Joe	Helm   Duncan	Nat   GBR	Sail #   76111R	YC	R1   1.0	R2   1.0	R3   1.0	R4   2.0	R5   (7.0)	R6   2.0	R7   4.0	Total   18.0	Nett   11.0
			McDonald
2nd	J111	Journeymaker 11	Chris Jones &	GBR	7751R	RSrnYC	(5.0)	4.0	2.0	5.0	2.0	3.0	2.0	23.0	18.0
			Louise
			Makin
3rd	J111	Jitterbug	Cornel	GBR	1111X		4.0	(7.0)	7.0	6.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	27.0	20.0
			Riklin
4th	J111	Jeez Louise	James Arnell	GBR	5811R		2.0	3.0	(8.0)	1.0	5.0	6.0	5.0	30.0	22.0
5th	J111	J Dream	Dave &	GBR	111X		(8.0)	5.0	3.0	4.0	4.0	4.5	3.0	31.5	23.5
			Kirsty
			Apthrop
6th	J111	McFly	Anthony	GBR	111N		3.0	8.0	4.0	3.0	3.0	4.5	(10.0	35.5	25.5
			Mack										DSQ)
7th	J111	ICARUS	Chris Body	GBR	8711R		7.0	2.0	5.0	(8.0)	8.0	8.0	7.0	45.0	37.0
8th	J111	Jelvis	Martin Dent	FRA	106		6.0	6.0	6.0	(7.0)	6.0	7.0	6.0	44.0	37.0
9th	J111	Mustigo II	Henry	IRL	7111		(10.0	10.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	8.0	64.0	54.0
			Scholefield				RET)	RET