J/Fest Southwest: A Family Affair!
by J-Boats 10 Nov 08:36 PST
November 1-3, 2024
2024 J/Fest Southwest Regatta © LYC photographers
J/105 ROCKY Triumphs with the McKiege Family!
The J/Fest Southwest Regatta marked its 14th anniversary, becoming a cherished event for J/Boat enthusiasts across the region. In 2024, a total of thirty-five J/Teams from various locations competed. Here’s a recap of the action across the different classes.
J/105 Class
The eleven-boat J/105 fleet witnessed success from the New York-based McKiege family, who clinched victory after an eight-race series. Father Doug and sons Will and Ian sailed ROCKY to a commanding 6-point lead, securing three first-place finishes and three second-place finishes for a total score of 17 points. They were joined by crew members Birger Balteskard, Sean Curry, Roscoe Taylor, Torkel Rhenman, and Sean Walsh.
Finishing in second place was Don Peloquin’s USUAL SUSPECTS with a total of 23 points, crewed by Mark Funk, Velko Roskar, Mike Royer, Roscoe Taylor, Jaime Torres, and Chris-ann Tortora. Rounding out the podium, Tom Collier’s INFINITY took the bronze with crew members Alan Bates, Doug Cagfle, Corrie Lambert, Paul Parsons, and Drew Peerless.
J/22 Class
The ten-boat J/22 fleet was dominated from the outset by Tom Meeh’s MEEHEM. They began with three consecutive wins and closed the series with two second-place finishes to top the leaderboard with just 7 points. Tom’s crew included Robert Brann and Tom Johnson.
Casey Lambert’s BLACKBURN MARINE RACING followed in second place with two race victories but couldn’t match the success of MEEHEM. Lambert’s team consisted of Jesse Fulmer and Evan Smith. Brant Koepke’s SKANK team took the bronze, featuring Shawn Brennan and Vincent Ruder on board.
J/24 Class
In the ten-boat J/24 fleet, Chris Holmes’s BAD MOON nearly swept the competition by winning four out of five races, securing victory with ease, alongside crew Sarah Francis, Luke Fricke, David Hayslip, and Johanna Holmes.
Carlos Marrero’s URAYO/CHUPA CABRAS team from Puerto Rico, including Joe Maes, Jorge Martin-de-Nicolas, Makai Prejean, and Gilberto Rivera, finished in second place. Elizabeth Hudson’s TWO SHOTS earned the third medal, crewed by Nathan Henderson, JR Hudson, Noah Melchor, and Stephanie Myers.
ORC Division
Chris Lewis’s J/121 BEAR topped this division, winning all seven races in the “no discard” format regatta—a remarkable feat! Finishing second was Dave Christenson’s J/109 AIRBORNE with a total of 16 points, followed by Stephen Guerin’s J/124 MICRO-DARCY in third with 22 points.
For further details on J/Fest Southwest, visit www.jfestsouthwest.com.
