30th Jammin J/22 Jamaica Regatta announcement!

Jammin' J/22 Jamaica Regatta © Chuck Bauerschmidt

Montego Bay Yacht Club is proudly hosting the 30th edition of this yacht racing series, having been held every year since a year after Hurricane Gilbert all but destroyed the J/22 fleet.

Every year since 1989, through the generosity of local boat owners, visiting competitors are invited to come and race on the clear, aquamarine-blue waters of Montego Bay.

"2019 will be the largest, longest and best regatta since the series started. We have a wait list of teams to sail the available boats and this year, with the help of Seaboard Marine, we are importing two more boats specifically for the event," said Richard Hamilton, the Jammin J/22 Race Chairman. "Seaboard Marine have really made the shipping easy; particularly compared to 2009 when a boat sailed from Cayman Islands just for the weekend."

Hamilton continues to explain, "the J/22 is an internationally recognized 22 ft keelboat and raced by a crew of 3 or 4 people. Each yacht is identical and the winners are determined through team work, boat-handling skills, understanding the rules of sailing, and an appreciation of the wind. There are approximately 2,000 J/22s around the world with active fleets in the Cayman Islands, USA, Italy, Germany, France, South Africa, Canada and the UK. This year in Montego Bay, there will be 13 yachts on the start line, with teams from Cayman, USA, Canada and Kingston. And, maybe other countries, too!

Mike Farrington, former Jamin J/22 Champion and past Commodore of the Cayman Islands Sailing Club had this to say about the challenging sailing condition in Montego Bay; "In Cayman, we have to deal with a short chop and big breeze. Montego Bay has the shifting winds and flat water inside the bay, as well as the swells of the open ocean to play with too. These are perfect conditions for this type of boat."

Previous prizewinner from Cayman- Tomeaka McTaggart- said of a previous year's event, "having never visited Jamaica before, I was hugely impressed with the quality and enthusiasm of the J/22 fleet. It was a great weekend of racing and I thank the volunteers for organizing a great regatta."

Sailing is a growth sport in Jamaica, with training boats recently being introduced to both the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club and Montego Bay YC with a full time instructor available. Jamaica has great potential for more Olympic sailors; these new boats are the start of an exciting future in Jamaican sailing!

The regatta will be the culmination of an active year of J/22 sailing at the Montego Bay YC, with the fleet having maintained a healthy interest and encouraged new people to experience the sport. Jamin J/22 Jamaica 2019 promises to be another great finale to the racing calendar!

More Jammin J/22 Jamaica Regatta sailing information here.