Keith Jacobs on the Eastport Yacht Club’s West Marine J/70 Fall Brawl and East Coast Championship

Boats coming off the Fall Brawl starting line in 2016 © Susan Jacobs

Like it or not, autumn is here and has little intention of reversing its slow eclipse of the summer-like weather that has made for ideal racecourse conditions for many glorious months. As a result, the devoted amongst our floating tribe are doing the only sane thing imaginable when faced with the prospect of months of cold, wet and freezing conditions, namely binge sailing while the binge sailing is still great.

One great example of late-season sailing psyche comes courtesy of the Eastport Yacht Club's West Marine J/70 Fall Brawl (October 20-21, 2018), which, as its name portends, offers One Design racing aboard these popular, can-do keelboats on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

And while no one like's to croon summer's swan song, there are few places on the East Coast that offer the same kind of great fall racing as Annapolis, Maryland. Not only is the town obsessed with sailing (and home to the United States Naval Academy), but it also has a reputation for delivering solid late-season breeze, which compliments the still-warm October water temperatures.

I checked in with Keith Jacobs, race committee chair of the Eastport Yacht Club's West Marine J/70 Fall Brawl, via email, to learn more about this late-season regatta.

How many years has the Eastport Yacht Club been hosting a fall brawl regatta? Also, has it always been sailed in J/70s, or did it begin with a different class of boat?

It was first run in 2012, and this year marks the regatta's seventh edition. It was created as a brand-new event looking to build on the excitement surrounding the also-new J/70.

Annapolis became home to J/70 Fleet 1, and as it turned out, we hosted the first-ever J/70 regatta anywhere in the world.

Downwind J/70 action on the Chesapeake Bay - photo © Keith Jacobs

What kind of competition level are you expecting at this event? Also, how many J/70s do you expect to see on the starting line?

The regatta has always attracted a high level of skill, including [sailors such as] Terry Hutchison, who won it in 2014.

The local fleet boasts some very good sailors, such as Henry Filter, Jenn and Ray Wulff, and Peter McChesney. Very good sailors from elsewhere on Chesapeake Bay find it an easy venue to get to, and we have always done all we can to welcome competitors from far and wide, including New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and even Texas.

This year, we anticipate a regatta with approximately 35 boats, and we of course always have room for a few more on the start line!

What kinds of conditions can sailors typically expect to see in Maryland in late October? Also, in your mind, what would be the best-scenario conditions and what would be less-desirable variety?

October usually provides some great sailing conditions. The fall breezes have settled in, and while the air temperatures are starting to cool, the water temperature is still on the warmer side. All in all, it's a great time to be on the water.

We caution people to pay close attention to the near-term forecasts and pack appropriately.

As for racing conditions, we will hope for 10-15 knots out of the east-to-south but will be prepared to deal with the less-desirable light air and/or a shiftier, more unsteady breeze out the west.

As with any race committee, we will hope for the best, but be ready to deal with everything else.

Where will racing physically take place? On the Severn River or on the Chesapeake Bay itself? Or, is this condition-dependent?

Racing will occur on Chesapeake Bay; the Severn River is too narrow and usually has too much boating traffic.

It's a busy weekend in Annapolis, with regattas also being run by Annapolis Yacht Club, Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, Severn Sailing Association, and the Storm Trysail Club. Space is tight, so we pre-coordinate who will go where on the Bay.

The challenges begin when we have to consider the location(s) of anchored freighters waiting to go to Baltimore, and/or the location of a Navy ship that anchors nearby if it happens to be the Academy's homecoming weekend.

In the ideal world, how many races do you and the other event organizers hope to conduct during the regatta? Also, how important do you expect that local knowledge will be, or will most of the fleet be comprised of local-area sailors?

Our Notice of Race states that we can run up to eight races over the course of two days. We realize that's a bit aggressive, but we figure if the conditions support it, we like to have the option to go for it.

The Bay can be a tricky place to sail; in 2017 we completed only a single race (no wind on Saturday, and barely a breath of breeze on Sunday), but ran them hard in 2012 through high wind and seas.

In the end, local knowledge will be as important as rig tune. Sailing in a tidal estuary where the river empties into the Bay creates some interesting water-flow conditions. The current and underwater features create interesting eddies, and you don't always get pushed in the direction you think are are-or should be-sailing.

Fall Brawl competitors were sent back to the harbor early as a mid-afternoon storm cell developed rapidly. Despite how bad it looks, we only got a few rain drops. - photo © Jenn Wulff

What kinds of evening and onshore entertainment can competing sailors look forward to after racing?

We will host competitor's social on Friday evening as a way for people to mix and mingle. The entry fee includes a sit-down dinner on Saturday night, and Sunday's awards ceremony includes either chili or chicken soup to help keep away any chill from the late-October afternoon. We'll throw in some free beer, and EYC's bartenders have a well-earned reputation for some "very friendly" pours, if you prefer something from behind the bar.

Beyond this, the world-famous Boatyard Bar & Grill is just down the street, and downtown Annapolis has plenty of bars and pubs to fit any preference, as you would expect in a great sailing town.

Can you please tell us about any steps that you and the other event organizers have recently taken to green-up the event or otherwise lower its environmental footprint?

Two years ago, EYC committed to running green events. Since then, almost all of our regattas have been certified at the Gold level by Sailors for the Sea, including this one; and, we expect to do the same this year, too.

We have eliminated disposable water bottles from the Race Committee, added statements in the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions encouraging competitors to bring reusable water bottles that can be refilled at our new filtered-water station, and our post-race parties use compostable cups, plates, and utensils (with pick-up scheduled the following week). And, we don't hand out straws anymore.

Anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

Thanks to the popularity of the event, West Marine joined the regatta this year as our title sponsor. That means the 2018 West Marine J/70 Fall Brawl and East Coast Championship (www.eastportyc.org/j70-fall-brawl) will offer competitors even more than in previous years. We know that the pairing of West Marine, with their industry-leading national brand, and the high-profile regatta will benefit everyone!