Out Of The Box

One of the better sailmaker/sailors in So Cal is Harry Pattison, co-principal of Elliot /Pattison Sailmakers inNewport Beach. It is always fun to race against Harry because you know that you are racing against a fair, talented and straight-up guy. No BS. He's been a fixture on the scene here for years, and his sails have gotten very good, to the point where they are considered along with the top lofts.

When we had a chance to test sail the new J-109, we proclaimed it a very good boat and thought that it could have good success on the racecourse. Harry and crew proved that in spades, winning PHRF Class at North Sails Race Week in Long Beach and being named both the PHRF Boat of the Week and the Event Boat of the Week; and co-winner of the "Top Family Boat".for the series. This after DNF'ing in the first race! We wanted to hear how they put it together and Harry provided this report. Enjoy.

Jim and Lori's J109 "Shekinah" is the first of three J109's we have had the opportunity to develop sails for. I have liked the boats since my fist demo sail last fall. For a 35 footer it is big, fast, and very nimble to sail. The boat is very well balanced and responsive even in light air with the main and class 105% jib. The roller furling headsails and asymmetric spinnakers on the sprit make it easy to sail for 5 or 6 people.

I had sailed on the boat several times this spring as we built the new sails, but North Sails Race Week was my first chance to race on the boat. Quite impressive! Friday was a good Alamitos Bay day, blowing 16 to 20 knots. Not what I would have picked for our first real sail with a crew that hadn't sailed together, but still lots of fun and a very good learning experience. Up wind we were fast! Sailing with a full main and the 105% jib we were first at every weather mark except the third one in the first race where we dropped out at the 2nd leeward mark. Sailing against a very well sailed J35 and Express 37 we found we had both good pointing and good speed. We were sailing on the Eastern most course, inside just off the Seal Beach Pier, and with the shallow water stacking up lots of short, steep chop it was hard to keep the boat going. Jim did an exceptional job on the helm and all I could tell him was "Don't worry; any other regattas you sail will be easier than this!"

Downwind was a little harder. With big kites, no crew practice, and short legs we had our hands full. It seemed like by the time we could get our spinnaker up it was time to gybe, and by the time we gybed it was time to take it down. We lost quite a bit at each rounding and by the time we reached the leeward mark the J35 was usually inside of us, and the Express was right on our transom. At the second leeward mark of the first race we had to crash gybe at the last second to keep clear of a Schock 35 that had sailed past the mark and was now coming back upwind. In the process we fouled several other lines and couldn't get the spinnaker down. So we started the regatta with a dnf and a 5th in the second race of the day.

Saturday and Sunday were much easier sailing with 6 to 12 knots of wind. The chop was still big relative to the wind, but much easier than Friday. Sailing with the 155% genoa and maximum size PHRF Spinnaker we got to see what the boat could really do. Again we were first at every weather mark, and with slightly longer legs and better crew work we could extend on that lead downwind too. We finished the regatta with a 5-1-2-1-3-3, which after throwing out the dnf was just good enough for the win. "Shekinah" was also named both the PHRF Boat of the Week and the Event Boat of the Week; and co-winner of the "Top Family Boat".

Our upwind sail inventory consisted of a carbon main, carbon 155%, and carbon 105%. Downwind we had a maximum size 147 sq. meter Code 2 asymmetric, and a 132 sq. meter code 1 asymmetric. The code 2 is a runner, used with apparent wind angles greater than 90 degrees and more than 7 knots of wind. The code one is a vmg light air downwind sail, and a reacher for any time the course has you sailing between 55 and 90 degrees apparent. The boat is easily enough driven that for most sailing you don't need a number 2 headsail. Because the jib is a little bigger, 105%, you can go to it at 14 knots true. The one-design Class rules require sailing with the 105% jib and a 108 sq. meter spinnaker. Because Class racing in on windward - leeward courses the 108 sq. meter spinnaker is a runner and has been developed from our very successful J05 Class Spinnakers.

If you have a comment or question for Harry, he's always happy to oblige. E-mail direct