60 Fort Adams Dr
Newport, RI 02840
USA
CHNYC Members Bill Kneller, EC Helme and Tim Kohl are lead organizers for this regatta.
2017 J/Fest New England
Host Club: Sail Newport, Newport RI
Check In: Friday 1500-1930 August 11
North Sails Local Knowledge & Weather Brief: Friday 1830-1915 August 11
Skipper’s Meeting: Friday 1930 August 11
Racing / Dinner: Saturday August 12 (Cocktails @ 1800, Dinner @ 1900)
Racing / Awards: Sunday August 13 (Awards @ 1700)
Registration is Open – Register now and pay your entry fee anytime before 14 July!
- Open to all J/Boats
- Expected one?design classes include J/22, J/24, J/30, J/70, J/88, J/105, J/109
- Includes the culminating event for the U.S. J/70 Youth Championship
- Any J/Boat Class with 5 or more boats will be scored as One Design, otherwise ….
- Additional Classes for J/PHRF Spin (Symmetrical), J/PHRF Spin (Asymmetrical), and J/Cruise.
- J/22 registration is $200, U.S. J/70 Youth Championship $1,000, all other J/Boats $250
- J/22 charters are available from Sail Newport
- Saturday party and BBQ at Fort Adams
Celebrating 40 years since the J/24 was introduced, the second New England J/Fest Regatta is being hosted by Sail Newport the weekend of August 12-13th 2017. North Sails is the Partner Sponsor for this regatta limited to J/Boat owners and crew with racing taking place in Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. This event capitalizes on our New England 2016 J/Fest and similar successful J/Fest Regattas held in other US regions where participation has exceeded over 70 boats. The event coordinators are anticipating 80 boats on the starting line with One Design starts for classes with 5 or more boats. There will be off the water festivities including a barbeque on Saturday night with awards following racing on Sunday.
40 years ago, the J/24 made its boat show debut at the Hartford Boat Show. It was a memorable occasion for many reasons, including the fact that the main roof of the Civic Center had failed in several areas due to heavy snow accumulation. The show had to be staged in the wings of the building, and the low ceilings prevented the mast from being stepped. The sleek, bright red J/24 attracted a ton of attention over the weekend, with the most popular question being – “how much horsepower does this boat have?” Little did anyone know at the time just how much horsepower the J/24 would prove to have. J/Boats looks forward to a great year ahead and are already out of the blocks with a busy January including: a record J/Boats attendance at Quantum Key West Race Week (64% of the fleet), Sailing World Boat-of-the-Year for the J/112E, the largest J display yet at BOOT Dusseldorf, and the new J/121 project quickly taking shape in Rhode Island.
This event takes place in “home waters” for many of the iconic high performance J boats that were built at the former Tillotson-Pearson Incorporated, the former Pearson Composites LLC, US Watercraft and CCF Composites. J/Boats have a very strong following and very active class associations that include world class champion sailors. The 2017 New England J/Fest regatta is scheduled the weekend between Buzzard Bay Regatta (4-6 August) and the Ida Lewis Distance Race (18-19 August). This allows boats that travel to compete in three back-to-back events at different venues around Southern New England. This regatta has also been designated as a special event for certain J/Boat classes as follows:
- J/30 Class – Southern New England Regional Championship
- J/70 Class – Narragansett Bay Championship
- J/105 Class – Fleet 14 Event
- J/109 Class – Part of the East Coast Regatta Series Championship
The Sail Newport has been selected to host the regatta which will include two full days of One Design and PHRF racing along with the regatta party, dinner and award ceremonies. Information regarding the regatta including logistics, mooring availability, barbeque signup and hotel accommodations are all located on the Regatta Web Site: http:// jfestnewengland.com. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Bill Kneller, Regatta Organizer – jfest@j109.org.
