Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

An interview with Leo Valle on the J109 North American Championship

by David Schmidt 10 Oct 2022 08:00 PDT October 11-15, 2022
J/109 raceourse action on the waters of Long Island Sound © Leo Valle

When Rod Johnstone designed the J109 in the late 1990s as an update on the venerable J/105, he didn't necessarily imagine that the 35-footer would prove to be one of the most successful mid-30-foot keelboats afloat. But, with several hundred J/09s manufactured from 2001 to 2012, and with vessel concentrations in areas of the country with strong One Design traditions, there's little wonder that the quick and capable keelboat has won over so many hearts and minds.

While J109s can be seen populating many harbors around the country, the Long Island Sound area has long been a hotbed of class activity. 2022 is no exception, and the J109 North American Championship is set to unfurl on the waters off of Pequot Yacht Club from October 11-15.

I checked in with Leo Valle, regatta chair of the J109 North American Championship, via email, to learn more about this exciting championship-level regatta.

How many boats are you expecting on the starting line(s) of this year's J109 North American Championship?

Pequot Yacht Club is thrilled to host this prestigious event. The J109 Class is one of the best 35-foot amateur classes sailing today. We have 19 boats registered, which is similar to prior years. There are a couple first timers to the event and many returning veterans.

Generally speaking, what kinds of conditions can sailors expect on the waters of Western Long Island Sound in mid-October?

As the cooler weather sets in, mid-October is a transitional time from the summer southerlies to the winter northerlies. We forecast more big-breeze days with the occasional light air day mixed in.

We've removed the localized current effects by pushing the course further offshore. The sea state can vary from very flat in a northerly, to choppy in southerlies, to surfable, long rollers when it blows from the east.

Do you see local knowledge playing a big or small role in the regatta's outcome? Can you please explain?

We've moved the race circle further offshore to level the playing field. That said, the course is still relatively close to shore (two to three miles) and I believe an experienced sailor will quickly find the favored side and understand if the current has an effect. I think that good preparation, smooth teamwork, smart tactics, and boatspeed will determine the final top places.

In the ideal world, how many races do you and the other organizers hope to score? Also, will these be straight windward-leeward courses?

We are targeting to run 12 races on windward-leeward courses. The only twist we've added is the potential to include a "long finish leg" on the last race of the day.

If the wind direction cooperates, we plan to finish the race near the harbor entrance. This could add as much a mile to the last leg of the course.

If you could offer one piece of advice to visiting (and local) sailors, what would it be?

This is a good class with good people. We will race hard, but ashore we are all friends and are willing to share "secrets". Ask for a tip here and there. We also appreciate why we do this—we want to have fun. Enjoy yourself, enjoy Pequot's hospitality, and don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

Do you have any entries that you're eyeing for podium finishes? What about any dark horses who you think could prove to be fast, once the starting guns begin sounding?

The class is deep with talent and there are several contenders for podium spots. Look out for the defending NA Champ Team Courageous, four-time NA Champ, Loki, and three-time NA Champ, Gut Feeling. It's best not to rule out some other strong teams that have been putting in the hours to prepare for the event: Zig Zag, Emoticon, Gossip, and Growth Spurt.

What about onshore entertainment? What can sailors look forward to once the finishing guns have gone silent each day?

As you know, the racing isn't the only part of the regatta. The social aspect is very important and provides good fun. We have an extensive onshore program that includes daily breakfast, a welcome cocktail party, a daily post-racing happy hour, and a formal Friday night Championship Dinner with a live band.

Can you please tell us about any efforts that the club has made to green-up the regatta and generally lower its environmental wake?

We've made a concerted effort at Pequot over the last few years to reduce our impact on the environment, especially the marine environment.

For J109 North Americans in particular, we've tapped the Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta toolkit to identify best practices we can adopt. Some specific examples include eliminating plastic straws at our post-race events, awarding practical items and perpetual trophies, posting signage that we'll reuse after the event, and promoting alternative transportation and carpooling.

We've hosted Clean Regattas in the past for junior sailors, but this will be our first big event where we target a clean certification.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

This event would not be possible without the support of our generous Partner sponsors at UBS and The American Club.

In addition, we want to thank our sponsors in the J109 Class Association, Regatta Mixers, Bridgeport Harbor Marina, Two Roads Brewing Company, TUCK Gin, Dermatone, Black Rock Boat Works, Minuteman Press, YourClub.Shop and McMichaels Mamaroneck.

For more information about the regatta and our sponsors, please visit our event website at www.j109nac22.org. Also, you can follow the results here: yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=15047

Related Articles

SAY it with intent! SAY it in carbon…
You know, you might also have to SAY it in epoxy. You know, you might also have to SAY it in epoxy. Get all that, and you are certainly someone who needs to know about SAY Carbon Yachts. It's all about efficiency, acceleration, pace, and the amount of horsepower required to get there. Posted on 8 May
Night sailing, Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup
Night sailing, encountering light airs in the Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup We bundled up as the last of the rays sunlight dipped below the Olympic Mountains and night quietly fell on Puget Sound. We'd been racing for about twelve hours in the Seattle Yacht Club's Protection Island Race (April 26), and we were getting tired. Posted on 6 May
For the love of slightly larger, even faster boats
Bring it on. No chicken chutes allowed. Celestial, the newest Cape 31 in Oz is up and racing Thank you. You have let For the love of small, fast boats run before the breeze like a superlight planning hull under way too big a kite, with immense sheep in the paddock, and the Sailing Master grasping the flare gun in his pocket... No chicken chutes. Posted on 4 May
Touching base with Erden Eruç
Erden Eruç on his 2026 Golden Globe Race campaign Adventures come in all sizes, scales, speeds, and price tags. My longtime friend and sometimes shipmate Erden Eruç was the first person to complete a human-powered solo circumnavigation. He's now turning his attention to the 2026 Golden Globe Race. Posted on 1 May
The Allure of Timber
The longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood In these days of exotic materials, high modulus carbon and ultra lightweight construction, it's possible to overlook the longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood. Posted on 29 Apr
A look inside the Spirit Yachts yard
A close look at what makes their yachts unique Traditional skills in boatbuilding could be regarded as a lost art from a bygone era. In the world of fibreglass and carbon, the joinery and laminating techniques of wood ribs and cedar strips are a thing of the past. Posted on 28 Apr
Transat Paprec, Classics, US Sailing, Cup news
Some parts of North America are experiencing a faster approach of spring's warm tidings than others While some parts of North America are experiencing a faster approach of spring's warm tidings than others, the offshore racing action is plenty hot in the Transat Paprec. Posted on 22 Apr
Make me smile even wider and brighter
What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Only one thing... What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Well, how about actually speaking with a former participant who has then gone on to work in the industry. That's what! Posted on 22 Apr
Cup bust-ups; SailGP time-out
A few situations that have been on the build for a while all came to a head within the same week. It has been a tumultuous few weeks on the NZ sailing scene and internationally. A few situations that have been on the build for a while all came to a head within the same week. Posted on 15 Apr
Pro Sailing Drama and Intrigue
SailGP, the America's Cup, and the sailors themselves have all been in the mainstream news What a couple of weeks it has been in the world of professional sailing: SailGP, the America's Cup, and the sailors themselves have all been in the mainstream news for one reason or another. Posted on 15 Apr
Zhik 2024 DecemberTrofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca 2025PredictWind - Wave Routing 728x90 BOTTOM