The J105 UK Class Association held their 2009 National Championships over the weekend of 4/5 July.

Nine J105’s took part over eight windward/leeward races over the two days, with race organisation superbly managed by Race with Condor.com. After an early morning shower on both Saturday and Sunday the weather was fantastic, mostly sunny with a building south easterly on Saturday from 6 to 14 knots and a south westerly on Sunday, peaking at 20 knots in the final two races of the day.

The racing was close: classic, unbeatable one design racing at its best. Four boats won individual races: Fay J (Paul Griffiths) 3, Java (Rob Dornton-Duff) 2, Jelly Baby (William Newton) 2 and Diablo J (Nick Martin) 1. After seven of the eight races Jelly Baby and Fay J were equal first with 13 points each, so everything hinged on the final race of the series. This race saw an incredibly close finish with seven of the nine boat fleet arriving at the final leeward mark virtually together with the result in doubt right up to the finish. In the event Jelly Baby prevailed, winning the race and the series.

Final results:

First:                 Jelly Baby                     William Newton                        14 points

Second:            Fay J                            Paul Griffiths                             17 points

Third:               Java                             Rob Dornton-Duff                    17 points   

Our thanks go to the RAF Yacht Club for hosting the Saturday night party and to North Sails for supporting the event and donating prizes.

Where was everybody! Only six J105's took part in the classic Round the Island Race on Saturday 20 June. The race started at 0820 with very light airs with the tide just turning off the Green. It seemed to take forever before a solid breeze established itself from the west, increasing to a good 20 knots or more around St Catherines. So much so fun, but sadly the wind died at Bembridge Ledge leading to the raft up of the century with much use of shouting and fenders. The upshot of all this was that the race restarted about an hour later when a new breeze filled in and luck played its part.

At the finish Flawless J (double handed) finished as the first J105, well done guys, at 1752 followed over half an hour later by Fay J (who had been significantly ahead just before Bembridge), closely followed by Jelly Baby and Jeopardy. Not far behind them came Jus a J, a French J105 with Just Acquaholix ringing up the rear at 1905. The end of a very long and somewhat trying day!   

Last week's bi-annual Biscay challenge was a complete contrast to the previous race, being dominated by a high over Biscay giving very light winds and forcing many competitors to retire.

The race started with a brisk beat in a force 4 out of the Solent and swiftly degenerated into a foggy windless scenario with boats anchoring in up to 60m of water. The slow run down to Ushant caused the leaders to bunch up and there was only approx 3 hours between the leading boat on the water (Spliff, an Open 40) and Only Just (J105). However, cracking off after Ushant allowed the high speed planing boats to break away ahead of a high whilst Only Just was left to sit in the middle praying for a push from a following whale! Varying conditions at the end meant the Open 40 and the J133 Pintia reached into the finish at high speed whilst at the back end of this group Only Just crept  in a 3knot zephyr. 

J boats were placed 1^st and 2^nd with local to Hondarribia boat Pintia (J133) taking 1^st and Only Just (J105) second , ahead of Spliff (Open 40)