Sunday, May 15, 2016

HONEYBADGER Blinds J/24 J-Dazers

J/24 sailing JDaze regatta(Canandaigua, NY)- For the twenty-three J/24 sailing teams that consider the annual J/24 J-DAZE Regatta an annual rite of passage to start their spring sailing programs, it has become like a home camping ground to them.  A warm and fuzzy place to go sailing and hangout with friends.  Pitch the tent.  Cook a few “shmores” (ya know, that stuff with graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate, and puffy white Kraft marshmallows cooked over an open fire).  Drink a few thousand brewskies and tell at least a few tall tales next to that smokin hot friend of yours, tell a few lies about how ya coulda’shoulda’won’a’regatta type of stuff.  Yah.  Just the usual.  But, in this case, it’s true.  Host Canandaigua YC makes everyone, we mean “everyone”, feel at home.  OK, trappers of baby rabbits not permitted, but varmints are not off limits, ya know what I mean?

So, sets the tone of the event. Laid back.  And, spectacularly beautiful.  For those who have not visited the amazing Finger Lakes District in New York, it’s a can’t miss event.  Right?? You are missing something on your “bucket list”.  Really?  Yes, add it in.  And, toss that other lake in New York on that same “upstate NY lakes” list- Lake George.  Insiders’ knowledge, we can assure you.

J/24 Seabags Women's Sailing TeamAs a long-time local of all good things New York, it was “home-boy” Travis Odenbach that took home the honors for this year’s J-DAZE, blistering his fellow J/24 buddies with all bullets to win by a landslide on the amazing HONEYBADGER.  Flip Wehrheim, Travis’ colleague from Rochester YC, occupied second place due to his 8 pts tally.  First, “small-lakes” team was Tom Doran’s OZ from Oswego YC in third place with 9 pts.  Taking fourth was Skylar Munger’s PT BLISTER also from Oswego YC with 12 pts and fifth was a real “foreigner”, a women’s crew from Portland YC in Maine- SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM!  Yikes, hide the boys, hide the men!  Erica Beck Spenser’s women’s crew of Emily Follett, Jess Harris, Jenny Norton Rosenbauer, and Kim Calnan were ready to scalp any natives in their way! In the end, Erica’s crew sailed well to keep the boys honest with a steady scoreline of 5-5-6 for 16 pts.   For more J/24 J-DAZE Regatta sailing information