J/121 Northeast Sailing Calendar 2019 update

David Southwell's (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) J/121 Alchemy, winner of the Doublehanded Class - 2018 Ida Lewis Distance Race © Michele Almeida / MISTE Photography

The J/121 fleet continues to grow and next season, nearly one third of all the boats worldwide will be sailing in the New England area for the summer. Kicking off the season will be the second Annual J/121 Spring Tune-up hosted by J/Boats and the Newport Shipyard.

The great line-up of events continues, highlighted by Block Island Race Week, the NYYC 175th Anniversary Regatta and J/Fest New England. Let the fun begin! Here is the list of the events and links.

May 17-18: J/121 Spring Tune-up/ Newport Shipyard, Newport, RI – a combination J/121 clinic/regatta with onboard coaching and daily recaps– a great way to get up to speed within weeks of spring launching. Four boats and seven owners participated in 2018 and as many as eight teams are expected for 2019.

May 24: Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race (Stamford, CT) – this 186 miler is the first offshore distance race of the season and a great shakedown for teams planning on more offshore racing during the year. It's a commitment to get the boat down to Stamford, CT and back after the race. But, worth the effort if you want an early season challenge and some potential speed-record setting legs.

June 7-9: New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta (Newport, RI) – this is the big season opener in Newport with usually 150+ boats participating and a variety of courses. Friday is the classic round-the-island race – tailor made for the J/121. The weekend is a choice of buoy racing or mid-distance open, course style – a great tune-up for Block Island Race Week.

June 23-28: Block Island Race Week (Block Island, RI) – this biannual classic attracts teams from all over the east coast for five days of spectacular racing. Storm Trysail Club will provide the J/121s (with at least 6 boats) with a class start and the ability to sail Round-the-Island type courses, which Block Island is most famous for.

July 7: Marblehead to Halifax Race (Marblehead, MA) - the principal offshore race of northern New England, this 363 mile race goes from Marblehead, MA to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

July 15-20: New York Yacht Club 175th Anniversary Regatta (Newport, RI) – New York Yacht Club's anniversary regatta only comes around every 25 years, so this is a must-attend event! The NOR indicated that entrants must be members of NYYC or three specific guest clubs, but one can also apply to the sailing office. With several J/121 owners being NYYC members, there's an excellent chance for a class start.

August 10-11: J/121 Open Course Rally at J/Fest New England (Newport, RI) – J/Boat owners from around New England will rendezvous for a fun weekend of racing and socials.

August 16: Ida Lewis Distance Race (Newport, RI) – the 15th edition of this 120nm to 165nm overnight race that starts off Fort Adams State Park and finishes inside Newport Harbor with a bottle of champagne awaiting every finisher.

August 30: Stamford-Vineyard Race (Stamford, CT) - This 238-mile course stretches from Shippan Point through the swirling currents of Plum Gut past Block Island, and on to the light tower at the entrance to Buzzard's Bay. Once reached, sailors return by leaving Block Island to starboard on route to the finish in Stamford Harbor.

September 1: Conanicut Round the Island Race (Jamestown, RI) – the oldest continuous yacht race on Narragansett Bay, this event drew 100 boats in 2018 with the J/121 CRESCENT winning its class and finishing second overall.