J-70 ‘Sequel’ AUS 828 – A ‘Bucket List’ Adventure
When Matthew O’Brien and I purchased J-70 1680 Skyhook from Tony Landgren early this year, we could have never imagined, that some 14 weeks later, we would be competing with Matt’s brother Sean O’Brien and Tony in the World Corinthian J/70 Championships in Denmark!
At short notice, we intended to implement an intense training program, but our good intent was immediately sidelined by an unexpected serious injury to my left shoulder; and sailing as a crew was limited to a few sessions before the event.
As a J/70 team, we knew we got on the plane to Europe underdone, but the potential learning journey and experience for us, being involved in a J/70 World Championship, was too good of an opportunity to miss out on.
Excitingly, we touched down in Copenhagen, to be greeted by the sights and sounds of a beautiful and historic city, and were immediately taken aback by the sheer beauty of Denmark, its lush green deciduous vegetation in Spring, its old-world charm and architecture and the warm and hospitable locals.
Other nationalities at the Worlds were blown away that we had travelled so far from Australia to compete, and our AUS and BYS branding made interaction with them easy; we ultimately made some great friends.
Measurement was an arduous task, but simplified by Tony’s careful preparation of Sequel’s sister ship AUS 828, from afar before the event. Sequel AUS 828 is owned by a syndicate including our Commodore Martin Kudnig, and the J/70 had been transported from Italy to Denmark for the event after upgrades and refurbishment. We simply sat in awe watching their sailing club crane 113 J/70’s into the water, to then be rafted up in the marina. It was a pretty impressive sight!
To the humour of the crew, I was called in to be interviewed by a World Sailing Representative, relative to my World Sailing classification. After much discussion, I convinced him that I was not a paid professional! I offered up my iPhone and upon flickering through my BYS Wind Warrior racing images, he looked at me with a wry smile, giggled and said ‘Clearly you are not the professional we are looking to eliminate from this event’.
In the practice race, we quickly learned that the Europeans and the local sailors are warriors on the water and that sailing is synonymous with the people of Denmark, the historic home of the Vikings. They have a passion for sailing and nationally they own just over seven per cent of the World’s J/70 numbers; 150 in total. They simply love the yacht, and it is now a core one-design sports boat in their national sailing development program. Europe as a continent is simply going off with J/70 sailing!
After a couple of practice starts set up by the PRO, we launched into an invitational race with 113 J/70’s on the water. After a ripping start, we found ourselves right up there in the mix at the first top mark, but coming in on a port tack saw us punished by those approaching on starboard; endless J/70’s, nose to stern, overlapped creating wind shadows and turbulent water. We struggled to find a hole, which ultimately led to two penalty turns, and ‘spin, spin’, we took in the sights of Copenhagen City skyline from the water, whilst the fleet hoisted kites and raced away. We ended up down in the fleet but returned to the harbour a little wiser of what was required to compete at this level.
Were we intimidated at this stage? Absolutely! We were a group of BYS club sailors, amidst 450 of the World’s most talented J/70 sailors in 113 yachts at a World Title. Amidst this group were copious National and World Champions with a lifetime of sailing in numerous sailing classes. The AUS team alone of J/70 Celestial out of the Cruising Yacht Club of Sydney, was helmed by the winner of the Sydney to Hobart Sam Haynes (Celestial TP 52), with George Richardson, an Etchell World Champion bowman recently appointed to the AUS Americas Cup youth team, and two other very experienced and youthful world champions.
However, to be honest, we were never there for the chocolates, and we knew before we left Australia that our mission was going to be one of learning and indulgent experience… simply competing in a World Title was ‘bucket list’ stuff for us all.
The first two days represented a qualifying series where we quickly learned that racing would be fierce and tight. Travelling at 6 knots uphill, the first mark rounding at the windward mark was a war zone of one hundred-thousand-dollar yachts, all jostling for a starboard lay line in turbulent water, wind speeds averaging 18-20 knots. The kite hoists were intense, and the big breezes provided the most perfect picture sight of J/70 kites ripping downhill to the bottom mark. Some of the flight races ended with 1st and 55th separated by a mere 150 metres.
I think as a self-regulating sport, Australians are generally pretty honest and respectful sailors, some Europeans sadly we found not so much. When the jury boats were otherwise engaged, some opponents attempted to crash through on port tack. Many would go into denial when challenged, and in the end, we got sick of it and took a few to the protest room to be ultimately disqualified from the races – based simply on their arrogant refusal to acknowledge their wrongdoing.
In the six-race qualifying series, I think our starts were generally excellent. We stayed out of trouble, avoided fights for the boat and pin ends with much more experienced crews. We cleverly used the ripping tide that felt like home as an advantage, and then tacked out into clean air, to often be in the mix at the top mark.
However, little mistakes would see ten boats pass us in an instant, and we just did not have the polished finesse that comes from hours and hours J/70 racing and practising, to go head-to-head with the top guys in the fleet. We qualified in the silver fleet and at the start of the official title races we ‘humorously’ sat comfortably in first place; ironically all our competitors did too!
The big breezes continued relentlessly and we got better, with our best result being a 20th place. The highlight for me was when the fleet got hit by a squalling 40 knots on a violent Baltic Sea, as we rounded the top mark. At a moment of fear and trepidation, our BYS OTB skills kicked in with cries of ‘Yahoo’ and ‘Send it’. As we scampered to the back of the boat, the bow danced violently on the bare away, and we absolutely launched it downhill in massive waves passing J/70 after J/70 lying flat in the water, kites a mess! In RS Aero terms, Sequel went like a Maserati!!!!!
So, it’s a bit surreal, sitting on a plane now heading home from Dubai, that we have just completed 13 races in a World J/70 Championship over five days in huge breezes, in a cold yet beautiful place in Denmark (ironically coming into summer; go figure!)
There were a few lows! When the spinnaker occasionally failed to set, with entanglement, the fleet would frustratingly race away whilst we dealt with the problem; and sickness amidst temperature and weather extremes struck our crew. The consequence of travelling through crowded airports and packed planes with countless travellers sick and coughing, on our way to Copenhagen.
However, ultimately the highs on this trip were life-changing, inspiring and hugely memorable. As was the kindness of Tony Langred to include us in his personal dream to sail in a J/70 World Championship in Europe.
One could never forget the immensity of 100+ J/70s in a regatta, the tactical fight for the front row on the start line, and the spectacular rainbow colourful sight of copious spinnakers on the Danish horizon, with associated blistering kite runs. The endless battle in big breezes crashing through waves, and when all seemed lost at times, the remarkable recoveries which saw our intuition and sailing skills come to the forefront.
I think one of the most rewarding aspects for me was our ‘in the deep end’ development in a J/70 on a rapid learning curve amidst quality and experienced J/70 campaigners. We ultimately aim to bring those lessons learned back to continue to build the J/70 fleet knowledge at BYS.
But undoubtedly for anyone thinking of taking a World Championship journey, best of all for us was the friendship experienced between other AUS teams from Sandringham and Sydney, the relationships developed with international sailors from countries worldwide, and in particular the comradery and friendship between four Southern Peninsula sailors, proudly Australian and competing in a J/70 World Championship a long way from home, under the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron burgee.
Author: Simon Pluim
Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron
The Team…
Tony Landgren
Matthew O’Brien
Sean O’Brien
Simon Pluim
J-70 Sequel AUS 828 @ J-70 Worlds
J-70 Sequel AUS 1636 – Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron/Sandringham Yacht Club
J-70 Skyhook AUS 1482- Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron
Photo Credit: Hannah Lee Noll (Copyright) and Simon Pluim
