The Southernmost Regatta Key West preview
by J/Boats 15 Jan 2022 22:14 UTC
January 17-22, 2022
The inaugural Southernmost Regatta, powered by Sailing Inc., is next week! Imagine being in gorgeous, sunny, Key West, watching sunsets, chatting with friends we haven't seen in months, and enjoy five days of awesome sailing in the aquamarine waters of the Florida Keys, watching dolphin jump and play around your bows! It's happening now!
The event will be held January 17th to 21st, 2022 on the picturesque blue waters of Key West, FL. Two one-design fleets of J/Boats- J/70s and J/111s- will be enjoying what makes Key West great; the opportunity to race at a tropical venue, experience the island culture, and reconnect with our friends during the cold winter months.
With eight J/111s already registered, there is no question one of the hottest large offshore one-design classes will be anticipating fun, spirited competition on the water and plenty of camaraderie off the water. Remember, ALL post-race social gatherings and awards are outside next to the SUNSET TIKI BAR on the waterfront at the Galleon Resort (note- their blender drinks are out of this world).
Who will be a factor in the J/111s? Well, if the recent J/111 Worlds was any indication of the level of competition, virtually ALL of the teams have been on a leaderboard in one regatta or another. So, the betting handicappers at DraftKings likely could not place odds on any one team running away with all the silverware. Nevertheless, contenders will include the Ruhlman family's SPACEMAN SPIFF, Andrew & Sedgewick Ward's BRAVO, Bill & Jackie Baxter's FIREBALL, Jeff Davis' SHAMROCK, Ian Hill's SITELLA, Bard & Ian Faber's UTAH, and Marty Roesch's VELOCITY. Two additional "dark horses" have joined the fray, but little is known about their teams... for certain more news soon!
The ten-boat J/70 contingent is quite excited to enjoy classic Key West planing conditions offshore. Given that the weather forecast is setting up to be a real classic, their wishes may be fulfilled by the weather Gods once and for all. A big front on Sunday will pass through, leaving strong N'Westers on Monday, slowly shifting to NNE, then E, then SE by Friday with sunny weather, 65 to 72 F degrees, and breezes in the 8 to 15 kts range. Perfection!
Leading J/70 teams include Dan Goldberg's BAZINGA, James Gary's AYACHCHO, Ole Eichhorn's MOJITO, and the two Wayzata Yacht Club teams- Dick Kalow's SUPERIOR 1 and Bryce Kalow's SUPERIOR 2.