New England J/Fest Announcement!

(Bristol, RI)- The first New England J/Fest Regatta is being hosted by the Bristol Yacht Club over the August 13-14 weekend.  East Coast Yacht Sales and North Sails are the Partner sponsors in this regatta limited to J/Boat owners and crew with racing taking place on upper Narragansett Bay.

This event capitalizes on similar successful J/Fest Regattas held in other US regions where participation has exceeded over 70 boats.  The event coordinators are anticipating 75 boats on the starting line with One-Design starts for classes with 5 or more boats.  There will be on-shore festivities including a barbeque and entertainment on Saturday night with awards following racing on Sunday.

Narragansett Bay is considered “home waters” for many of the iconic high performance J/Boats that were built at the former Tillotson-Pearson Inc.  They have a very strong following and very active class associations that include world-class champion sailors. 

The 2016 New England J/Fest regatta is scheduled the weekend between Buzzard Bay Regatta (5-7 August) and the Ida Lewis Distance Race (19-20 August).  This allows boats that travel to compete in three back-to-back events at different venues around Southern New England.  This regatta has also been designated as a special event for certain J/Boat classes as follows:

•     J/30 Class - Southern New England Regional Championship
•     J/70 Class - Narragansett Bay Championship
•     J/109 Class - Part of the East Coast Regatta Series Championship

The Bristol Yacht Club has been selected to host the regatta that will include two full days of One Design and PHRF racing along with the regatta party, dinner and award ceremonies. The Bristol Yacht Club is a relaxed and family friendly place located in the geographical center of Narragansett Bay. The waterfront town of Bristol has many diverse dining experiences, parks, museums and serves as the beginning of the East Bay bike path. The BYC offers convenient and safe parking, ample short-term docking and a professional staff. There will be moorings available from the Bristol Yacht Club, Bristol Marine, Herreshoff and the Harbor Master.

Take note of the date and please consider joining us for some great racing in Bristol RI.  Information regarding the regatta including logistics, mooring availability, barbeque signup and hotel accommodations are all located on the Regatta Web Site: http//jfestnewengland.com.   Sponsorship opportunities are still available.  Please contact the Regatta Chairman for more information- Bill Kneller- email- bill@109.org.