Michael Goldfarb wins the J24 Western Regionals in Seattle as teams warm up for World Championship
by Jay Leon 18 Sep 22:40 UTC
September 14-15, 2024
J24 Western Regionals in Seattle © Jonathan Anderson
With just two weeks to go until the Beechers Handmade Cheese Seattle 2024 J24 World Championship, boats and contending teams are starting to arrive in Seattle.
Teams from Oregon, California, Montana, British Columbia, Florida, and New York arrived in time to compete in the J/24 Western Regionals (September 14-15, 2024), which also took place in Seattle. Daniel Borrer, for example, loaded up his boat in St. Augustine Beach, FL last week, drove three thousand miles, corner to corner across the country, and arrived in Seattle just in time to win the first two races on
Saturday.
In light to very light winds on Saturday, paired with some drizzling rain, the race committee deftly finished three races. The local Seattle team on Hair of the Dog, with Jakob Lichtenberg driving, was leading the regatta at the end of the first day with a scorecard showing two second-place finishes and a fifth-place finish. "Our team felt we played wind more than current, and we think that made the biggest difference to being on top after day one", said Jon Anderson from Hair of the Dog.
Daniel Borrer, driving Jesus Lizard, finished the day with two first-place finishes and an eight-place finish, just one point behind Lichtenberg's Hair of the Dog team. Rounding out the first
day's top three was another local Seattle sailor, Michael Goldfarb who finished the day with a fifth-place finish and a pair of third-place finishes.
The steady building northerly breeze on Sunday was the inverse of the day before, including full sunshine by the day's end. Borrer and his Jesus Lizard team came out swinging on day two with another first-place finish in the regatta's fourth race. Goldfarb, who is also an accomplished Melges 24 and J/70 sailor, showed his deep experience by steadily improving and scoring a second-place finish, putting the pressure on the leaders and moving his team up to second place overall.
Goldfarb took the regatta lead in race five, with a third-place finish, while the other leaders had to count seventh and ninth-place finishes in the no-throw-out regatta.
Goldfarb and his veteran team held a firm grip on the regatta lead for the final three races, posting two first-place finishes and a sixth-place finish. Ultimately, this meant that Goldfarb and his team won the regatta with a total of 25 points, well ahead of Lichtenberg's Hair of the Dog team, who finished in second place with 41 points, and Borrer's Jesus Lizard team, who finished in third place with 43 points.
"We ended up getting two days of glamor sailing in a very competitive fleet," said Goldfarb, once the regatta's finishing guns fell silent. "The Race Committee and the club did their usual fantastic job and as for our team, we are happy, but we know we had a lot of good fortune over the weekend. Our focus now is on the Worlds and we are looking forward the racing. Meanwhile, the best part of the J/24 Western Regionals was the people—this is truly a great class and it's the people that make it so."
In addition to the traveling teams that have already arrived in Seattle, four teams are expected from Japan, three from Italy, three from the UK, and one each from Argentina, Australia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, and Puerto Rico.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Helm | Sail No | Boat Name | Club/Org | Division | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Michael Goldfarb | 5347 | None | Cyc | Western Regionals | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 25 |
| 2 | Jakob Lichtenberg | 5354 | Hair of the Dog | Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle | Western Regionals | 2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 41 |
| 3 | Daniel Borrer | 2436 | Jesus Lizard | Borrer Yacht Racing | Western Regionals | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 43 |
| 4 | Mike Ingham | 5443 | None | RCC | Western Regionals | 8 | 6 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 51 |
| 5 | Mark Laura | 2365 | Baba Louie | Syc/Cyc | | 10 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 53 |
| 6 | Jasper Van Vliet | 5277 | Evil Octopus | Richmond Yacht Club | Western Regionals | 3 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 61 |
| 7 | Paul Bogataj | 1980 | Atom Ant | CYC Seattle | Western Regionals | 7 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 63 |
| 8 | Ryan Milne | 5470 | Jester | CYC Seattle | Western Regionals | 4 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 66 |
| 9 | Scott Milne | 5471 | Tremendous Slouch | CYC | Western Regionals | 13 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 13 | DNF ‑ 23 | 73 |
| 10 | Harry Dursch | 2845 | Self Abuse | CYC | Western Regionals | 9 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 84 |
| 11 | Eric Sanderson | 3421 | Suspence | CYC Seattle | Western Regionals | 6 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 86 |
| 12 | Philip Brzytwa | 5322 | Ghostface | CYC | | 15 | 9 | 22 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 90 |
| 13 | Robert Hyslop | 1826 | Rhumba Girl | Sandpoint Sailing Association | Western Regionals | 20 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 111 |
| 14 | Michael Johnson | 5477 | Pearl | SYC/CYC | Western Regionals | 16 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 114 |
| 15 | Carl Sheath | 3843 | Tundra Rose | CYC Seattle | Western Regionals | 11 | 17 | 24 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 120 |
| 16 | Kurt Dammeier | 5352 | Amuse Bouche | Cyc | None | DSQ ‑ 26 | 16 | 25 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 122 |
| 17 | Robin Van Vliet | 4268 | Little Wing | Richmond Yacht Club | Western Regionals | 23 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 4 | 23 | 5 | 147 |
| 18 | Sam Hopper | 62 | Saltine | PYC | Western Regionals | 14 | 20 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 19 | 16 | 149 |
| 19 | Ashli Slawter | 674 | Atomic | Sandpoint Sailing Association | Western Regionals | 17 | 22 | 14 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 17 | DNS ‑ 24 | 159 |
| 20 | Graham Kirby | 3373 | BLURRRR | West Vancouver Yacht Club | Western Regionals | DSQ ‑ 26 | 10 | 21 | 22 | 12 | DSQ ‑ 27 | 22 | 20 | 160 |
| 21 | Sarah Hampson | 2939 | Whoo Cares | CYC | | 21 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 22 | 163 |
| 22 | Denny Vaughan | 3746 | Easy Street | CYC Seattle | Western Regionals | 19 | 24 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 14 | 25 | DNS ‑ 24 | 167 |
| 23 | Matt Gibbs | 5356 | Alice? | NFYC | Western Regionals | 18 | 15 | 16 | 21 | DNF ‑ 27 | 20 | DNC ‑ 27 | DNC ‑ 24 | 168 |
| 24 | Ginjer Yachechak | 5171 | Queen's Gambit | North Flathead Yacht Club | Western Regionals | 12 | 25 | 18 | 18 | 26 | 25 | 21 | DNS ‑ 24 | 169 |
| 25 | Henry Hamby | 2505 | Jester | SSA | Western Regionals | RET ‑ 26 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 172 |
| 26 | Jake Meulink | 4157 | Katana | South Sound Sailing Society | Western Regionals | 22 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 18 | 17 | DNC ‑ 27 | 21 | 172 |
| 27 | William Vlases | 3839 | Irrational | CYC | | DNC ‑ 27 | DNC ‑ 28 | DNC ‑ 28 | DNS ‑ 28 | 22 | DNS ‑ 28 | 24 | 13 | 198 |
About the 2024 J/24 World Championship presented by Beecher's Handmade Cheese
The 2024 J/24 World Championship presented by Beecher's Handmade Cheese is to be sailed September 28 - October 5 on the Puget Sound just north of Seattle, WA. The hosts, Seattle J/24 Fleet 26 and Corinthian Yacht Club, have assembled an experienced and enthusiastic team lead by Regatta Chair Jonathan Anderson and two-time J/24 world champion Keith Whittemore. Mark Foster will serve as Principal Race officer, and the on-the-water judges will be lead by Willi Gohl. In addition to the title sponsor Beecher's Handmade Cheese, major sponsors include The Port of Seattle, Bank of America, Investco, Diamond Parking, Slingshot Kiteboards, Cheap Diver, Fisheries Supply, and CSR Marine. Social events will be on-site at the Port of Seattle's Shilshole Bay Marina. Spectator boats will be available on site and live tracking and highlight video coverage will be available on the event website. Opening Ceremonies will be held at the Nordic Heritage Museum on September 30th.
https://www.j24worldsseattle.org/