J/105 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA UPDATE #2

For Immediate Release: Saturday, September 21, 2002

LIGHT, SHIFTY WINDS MAKE FOR CHALLENGING DAY OF RACING

CHICAGO – The second day of this year’s J/105 North American Championships held at Chicago Yacht Cub began with clear skies and a brisk southwest wind that allowed intense spinnaker practice as each boat left Monroe Harbor for the starting line. As the starting time approached, the wind shifted west then died.

The lighter winds were welcome by everyone, since the midnight oil was burned by several competitors and sailmakers as they repaired the previous day’s carnage. Once the wind died, it never settled into any consistent pattern, frustrating sailors and the race committee alike.

The committee did manage to run two races in light and shifty conditions. The first race of the day saw a major wind shift that scattered the fleet. One boat that was in sixth place at the first two marks actually finished forty-sixth in the fifty-boat fleet after the shift.

Bob Johnstone, cofounder of J-boats and owner of the J/105 Tern 7, said, “It was an incredible day of racing. The conditions were both interesting and challenging. Our goal was to finish the day in the top five. Not easy to do with the wind we experienced on Lake Michigan today. It was pretty easy to slip from leading the pack to half way down the fleet.”

Tern 7 finished 17 and 7, moving them up to fifth place overall.

Preliminary leaders:

1. Zuni Bear, Alameda, Calif.
2. Peregrine, Arnold, Md.
3. Blue Max, Corpus Christi, Texas
4. Masquerade, San Francisco, Calif.
5. Tern 7, Charleston, S.C.

Preliminary race results are available at www.chicagoyachtclub.org

About the J/105 North American Championship

Nearly 50 J/105 boats from all over the country and Canada are gathering at the Chicago Yacht Club for the eighth annual North American Championship regatta, Sept. 19-22.

The event, a three-day offshore regatta with seven to nine races, is the largest yet of the annual J/105 North American championships, with nearly 50 boats representing 10 different U.S. regions. J/105s were designed and built by J/Boats, Inc. (the Johnstone family) in 1991, and were named Sailing World's Boat-of-the-Year among racer-cruisers in 1992. The boats are designed to be both family cruisers and intense competitive sailing vessels.

"We are thrilled with the turnout for this year’s J/105 North American Championship," said, Robert Smith, race chair. "Many of the crews are partially made up of families, which is rare in a regatta this size, and will certainly lead to an interesting few days."

Racers of note taking part include Bob Johnstone, co-founder of J/Boats, Inc., his son Stu, a Chicagoan who is on the board of directors, and his nephew Jim Johnstone, who is company sales director.

About the Chicago Yacht Club

Founded in 1875 with the goal of advancing the community’s knowledge, enjoyment and participation in boating and the nautical arts, the Chicago Yacht Club remains a valuable resource for its members and for the Chicago community. The Club has been a leader for more than 75 years in teaching children and adults how to sail, and is a preeminent organizer and host of regattas, races and predicted logs in the United States.