J/111 World Champion My Sharona, pictured here in at the 2015 Quantum Key West where the team also won first place.
After four days of racing in two locations, Quantum sails Sails led teams to first and third on the podium while claiming four of the top five spots at the J/111 World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island last week.
Quantum’s own Marty Kullman sailed on Bob Hesse’s Lake Effect. Though breezes were a little light, he said the inside and outside racing at both locations was great – —even the distance race, which was different for a world championship, but well-liked by the racers.
The team on Lake Effect placed third overall, which is great for a team who’s just getting to know each other. “Our team was really pretty new,” said Kullman. “We’d never sailed together, so our team spent a lot of time trying to get used to each other.”
He said they didn’t have a single best moment, but the championship itself was a great experience. “We were getting used to being a team for the first time and were just trying to communicate well. We improved over the week and had the best results the owner’s ever had at a regatta.”
Kullman said he enjoys the J/111 fleet because races are determined by teamwork, not the boats. “All of the boats basically go the same speed,” he said. “When all the boats are really the same, it comes down to teamwork. It’s really tactical in nature. It’s not overly professional-burdened—you’re only allowed to have one pro on a boat—so that puts a premium on family and team.” (Are you building your team? Check out our latest series on turning a good crew into a great team.)
A look at the scores shows how evenly matched the fleet is, with seven different boats finishing first throughout the 9-race weekend. In the end, though, it was Quantum-powered My Sharona who took the title with two individual wins and a 15-point margin. Lake Effect took third, with Wind Czar and Spaceman Spiff—both using Quantum sails—in fourth and fifth places.
There were also 10 Quantum reps at the championship both on and off the water.
Kullman said the results are a testament to the time and attention they have given to the J/111 fleet for the past year. “Our results on and off the water show the efforts we’ve put in regarding servicing our clients. Almost half the fleet used Quantum sails,” he said.
Congratulations to everyone on an amazing weekend.
J/111 World Championship
1 – George Gamble, My Sherona
3 – Bob Hesse, Lake Effect
4 – Richard Lehmann, Wind Czar
5 – Rob Ruhlman, Spaceman Spiff
For full results, click here