Monday, June 8, 2015

J/Day III Chicago Announcement

J-DAY CHICAGO! (Chicago, Illinois)- Starting with a fun formula and simply making it better has been the theme of the latest “J/Fest” regatta in Chicago- it’s called “J/Day III.”  Stearns Boating, Skyway Yacht Works and Columbia Yacht Club are inviting all J sailors of all types and stripes to join them for a one-day free-for-all on June 27th, Saturday.  All J/Boats are welcome, J/22s to J/160s and everything in between!

The 2014 edition of J/Day was a great success with gorgeous weather and lots of fun activities.  Once again, the sailing will be in the outer harbor right off the Aquarium and Planetarium. It will once again be crazy fun racing for all.

While some boats will opt to sail normal windward-leeward courses, the day features a pursuit race and a race with water balloons and Frisbee tosses adding or subtracting from your finish times.  It is all about having fun with the family and a break from the hard core racing of the summer.

“This year,” says Steve Kindra (from Skyway Yacht Works), “we want to make one of the races where kids drive and really start to include the family into the mix!”

J/70 sailing off Chicago waterfrontAccording to Rich Stearns (of Stearns Boating), “Last year, we had over a dozen boats participating, from J/70s to a J/133.  The courses were 1 mile in length and because of the weather, we were able to race inside the outer break-wall, just outside the harbor mouth. That was the first time anyone had raced inside the wall - other than the Junior Sailors!”

Steve added, “This year we will have 3 sponsors - HARKEN, KANBERRA GEL, and PETTIT PAINT. Rich and I are providing the food and refreshments and the sponsors are providing very generous prizes, including Nautica watches, Pettit Paint, HARKEN hardware and hats and rum-drinks kinda stuff. Kanberra Gel is providing promotional items including a 2 oz gel for signing up at the skippers meeting.”

For more information, please contact Rich Stearns (cell 847-404-2209/ rich@stearnsboating.com) or Steve Kindra (ph# 847-638-0010 or info@skywayyachtworks.com).   For more J/Day Chicago sailing information