Email Sent to Group: usaownersassociates
President's Message February 2025 |
Hello %firstname% %lastname%,
February is here and spring will be upon us before you know it. At the annual meeting of J109 Class Association held on October 23rd, 2024, the slate of class officers was reviewed with voting closing on November 11th. I would like to thank Ray Douglas for taking on the role of Vice President. Ray continues to bring great energy to the class in his role as fleet captain for Fleet 11 in the Great Lakes. I would like to thank Bill Kneller for serving as chair of the Technical Committee and John Grefizu for serving as class Secretary, for their invaluable advice and knowledge. I would also like to thank Don Irion, co-owner of Full Tilt for stepping up and serving as class Treasurer, as well as a thank you to departing treasurer Julia O'Dowd for her time and effort in this role.
Following a ballot sent to all voting members this past September, your board approved the deletion of rule 6.2 no longer allowing to board to deem an event a “weight limit” event. Effective January 1, 2025 for class or fleet sanctioned events, the crew of each boat shall be limited to the driver plus six crew members. To encourage participation, including junior sailors, a seventh “lightweight person” may be added without penalty, provided that person’s weight does not exceed 60 kilos (132 lbs.). The updated J/109 Class Rules are posted on the class website.
I am happy to report that we have a great calendar of racing events planned for 2025. Fleet 11 will host the J109 North American Championships at Chicago Yacht Club in August. This will be held in conjunction with the Verve Cup inshore from August 21 to August 24. This is anticipated to be competitive and fun event. Block Island Race Week has been designated the East Coast Championships with 12 boats already signed up. Additionally on the east coast, the Cedar Point OD regatta will not be held this year, but in its place on May 31 and June 1, the Pequot Yacht Club will be hosting a J109 clinic/regatta with the opportunity to learn J109 boat tuning and skills, and immediately apply them in a race setting. The goal is to provide instructional focus, on the water practice, competitive racing and feedback and analysis. New and seasoned boat owners are highly encouraged to attend.
Summary:
- 2025 North American Championship
- East Coast Events
- Great Lakes Events
- 2025 Annual Dues >> J/109 Record Update and Dues at this link <<
A few events to highlight including links to the events:
2025 North American Championship – The Verve Cup Inshore Regatta hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club, will serve as the J/109 Class North American Championship. This annual event is a favorite among sailors due to its spectacular sailing conditions, exceptional onshore hospitality, and outstanding race management. Measurement will take place on Thursday, August 21. On-water racing is scheduled from Friday, August 22, through Sunday, August 24, culminating in the awards dinner. This is a great opportunity for J/109 owners to compete in a popular regatta in the vibrant city of Chicago. Start making your plans now to participate and secure your accommodations before the season arrives. If you're coming from out of the area and are interested in chartering a J/109, please reach out to Ray Douglas (rrdouglas88@gmail.com). I look forward to seeing you on the waters of beautiful Lake Michigan in August. Registration is expected to open soon. Please visit the event site at chicagoyachtclub.org.
American Yacht Club Spring Series – American Yacht Club (Rye , NY) – May 2-4 A great way to open the season
Race for the Case – Lloyd Harbor Yacht Club – May 17 & 18. The Race For The Case, where the best overall boat wins a case. Every registered boat receives a bottle. There is a post race party at Huntington Yacht Club. . Attend this event and make your way to Pequot for J109 invitational 2 weeks later. For assistance with securing a mooring longer term, contact Dan Corcoran for more information.
Pequot Yacht Club J109 Invitational – Pequot YC (Southport, CT) – May 31 and June 1. This new J/109 one-design event is a must do on Long Island Sound. This will be a clinic/regatta with the opportunity to learn J109 boat tuning and skills, and immediately apply them in a race setting. The goal is to provide an instructional format, on the water practice, competitive racing and feedback and analysis. New and seasoned boat owners are highly encouraged to attend. Please reach out to Dan Nash (Dan.Nash10@gmail.com) for information. This will also serve as the first event of the East Coast Regatta Series.
Spring Off Soundings Race Weekend @ Watch Hill to Block Island – June 13-14. The Spring Series is sailed in early June. Traditionally, the Friday race is from Watch Hill, RI to Block Island. The Saturday race is in the vicinity of, often around, the Block Island.
NYYC Annual Regatta – New York YC (Newport, RI) – June 13-15. North America's oldest annual regatta will feature three great days of racing including the separately scored Friday Around-the-Island.
2025 East Coast Championship at Block Island Race Week – June 23-27. Block Island Race Week (BIRW) will serve as the J/109 Class East Coast Championship. This is the 60th anniversary of BIRW and this iconic East Coast sailing regatta organized by the Storm Trysail Club. Race Week includes multiple races per day, lots of shoreside activities, and a Round the Island Race. Currently 11 boats are entered. This is the second event in the East Coast Regatta Series
Safe Harbor Race Weekend Regatta – Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard (Newport, RI) – August 8-10. Head up to Newport for the 3rd event in the East Coast Regatta Series. Safe Harbor Race Weekend participants and guests will be treated to a host of festivities including a Friday evening opening dinner with panoramic views of Narragansett Bay and casual coastal cuisine, and a celebratory Saturday night Talk of the Town Crew Party featuring a mariner’s feast and live music. https://shmarinas.com/safe-
Vineyard Race – Stamford Yacht Club (Stamford , CT) – Stamford Yacht Club is the proud sponsor and host of the Vineyard Race. The 238-mile course stretches from Shippan Point in Stamford, Connecticut to the light tower at the entrance to Buzzard's Bay, and then returns to the finish in Stamford Harbor, leaving Block Island to starboard on the way out and back. This coastal race is ideally suited for the J109. Let's get a good showing this year!
American Yacht Club Fall Series – American Yacht Club (Rye , NY) – September 27 & 28 and October 4&5. Two back-to-back weekends for AYC Fall Series
Skyway Yachtworks Colors Regatta – Fleet 11 Nearshore Championship Event – May 31 and June 1 @ Columbia YC
Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta – Chicago YC – June 6 – 8. This event will serve as the J109 Great Lakes Championship.
Chicago to Waukegan Race – Chicago Corinthian YC – June 21.
Race to Mackinac – Chicago YC- July 19. Come join Fleet 11's one design section competing in the 116th running of America’s Offshore Challenge, beginning in front of Chicago’s magnificent skyline and finishing at Michigan’s iconic Mackinac Island.
Verve Cup Offshore Distance Race – Chicago YC- Beginning Friday, August 9, 2024, the Chicago Yacht Club will host the 32nd annual Verve Cup Offshore Regatta. This event will feature two days of offshore buoy racing and a separate Saturday distance race. Annually, this event hosts over 100 yachts ranging in size from 26 – 70 feet and carries crews from 4 – 20 racers.
2025 North American Championship J109 North American Championship Chicago YC Belmont: August 21-24
Chicago Regatta – September 6. The Chicago Regatta provides a fun opportunity for all boaters to contribute to the well-being of children while celebrating the boating community that enriches our lives.
We have numerous other events across the country starting to fill the class calendar. Check them out and sign up. It's going to be a busy season with lots of great racing!
2025 Annual Dues
This email is also a reminder that 2025 membership and class dues are due for renewal on the J/109 Class website. You may renew membership and pay dues at this link. If you would like to know the last time you paid dues, just look at the green banner across the top once you have logged in.
Best,
Dan Nash,
J/109 Class President
Additional Information and Links of Interest are provided below
Your J/109 User Profile & Boat Information
Click the Member Update logo below to update your information.
Update your contact, boat and home port information.
Use your email address (%email%) as your login.
Need more help? Click on this link and read the section labeled Existing Members. If you still have a problem logging in, email the J/109 Class Administrator – admin@j109.org
Need Information on Maintenance, Rules, Buy / Sell J/109 Boats & Equipment?
Click the J/109 Class Forum logo below to read and share boat information.
The forum has information owners have shared on maintenance, sails, tuning, cruising and events. If you have something boating related to buy or sell, this is the place to look. The J/109 Class Forum is the designated method for people to ask the J/109 Class Measurer questions about rules and rules interpretations.
Anyone may read the forum without logging in, but to be able to post on the forum, you will need to register for a free account, which is separate from you J/109 Class website account. Once you navigate to the forum, click Register near the top right to setup an account. If you already have a forum account, click on Login located next to the Register. There are helpful hints on using the forum located at this link.
J/109 Class Membership
One of the best ways to insure your investment in the J/109 is to support the Class. Owners and Co-owners are strongly encouraged to become Members of the J/109 Class Association. Others may become Associate Members. Members are owners or co-owners. Associate Members are crew and supporters of the J/109 Class. The membership fee is $50.00 for Members and $50.00 for Associate Members. Members who are current with annual dues are provided access to restricted areas on the class website and are able to view complete lists of owners and members.
Existing Members – If you are already an owner with an email address on file, all you need to do is get a password by clicking the Login button located on the menu bar of the website https://j109.org. When in doubt, try this first. Use the Forgotten Password section of the Login page. Once you enter your email address, we will send you a link to reset your password at that address, or if no account exists, provide immediate indication on the screen. As an existing or previous member you can inspect and edit your contact information (after you have logged in) by clicking Update My Info under the Members menu. Existing or previous members can pay annual dues (after you have logged in) by clicking on Renew Membership – Dues under the Members menu.
New Members – If you are not currently registered or do not have an email address on file, register by filling in the form by navigating the menu on the class website https://j109.org – Mouse over Market, then click on New Membership to open that page. Submit your information, then once we review your contact information we will add you to the database. This may take a day or two.
More information about registration and passwords is available in the Login page available by clicking on the Login button located on the menu bar of the website.
J/109 Custom Boat Website Subscriptions Available
The J/109 Class has arranged with Crew Manager LLC to make custom J/109 boat websites available. Current year J/109 events are already added to the main calendar and easily added to your boat calendar. Crew Manager provides a boat website with features the Skipper & Crew will use throughout the sailing season. In a nutshell, the team website provides a “Who, What, When, Where and Wear” schedule with automatic reminders. After an event, the Skipper may post results and crew members may submit comments, pictures and stories about the event. Crew Manager works on most any device with a web browser including PC, Mac, iPad, Android tablet, iPhone and Android Phone. The cost for an annual subscription is $90 and includes the website setup. If you have any questions regarding Crew Manager, contact Bill Kneller who started this for his own boat J/109 Vento Solare.
Schedule & Events on J/109 Class Calendar
Click the J/109 Class Calendar logo below for upcoming events.
Keep up to date on planned J/109 events via the website calendar.
For questions or comments, please contact the J/109 Class Administrator.
This message was sent from the J/109 Class Association email system. We periodically send out messages about the J/109 Class including one design events, class rules, cruising, member updates, maintenance information, and technical advisories from equipment manufacturers concerning the J/109. If you would like to update your email preferences, please send a message the J/109 Class Administrator.
