Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments BFD 2024 Leaderboard

An interview with Spencer May on the 2020 Jamin' J/22 Regatta

by David Schmidt 8 Dec 2020 08:00 PST December 10-13, 2020
Jamin Jamaica J/22 Regatta © Jamin Jamaica J / 22 Regatta

If you're a J/22 sailor, it's hard to imagine a better regatta than the Jamin' J/22 International Regatta, which is set to unfurl on the waters of Jamaica's beautiful Montego Bay and the nearby vicinity on December 12, 2020. The event, which is being hosted by the Montego Bay Yacht Club, typically supplies boats, sails and equipment, allowing visiting participants to focus on winning races rather than organizing their kit. To facilitate this, local J/22 sailors participate in "qualifiers" that allow the strongest teams to represent Jamaica. The rest of the fleet is then loaned to the visitors in a lottery system.

While the still-raging pandemic has impacted the Montego Bay Yacht Club's ability to host a full invitational event, including the usual home-stay accommodations and parties, participating sailors can still look forward to plenty of on-the-water competition. In honoring the "international" component of Jamin, local teams will each represent a foreign fleet for the day of racing. Jamaica will be represented by the recent Nationals champion Renegade, which will skippered by the veteran Jamin competitor Richard Hamilton.

Once on island, participating sailors can look forward to great racing. Provided that the weather gods cooperate, the event is planning on running four races. I checked in with Spencer May, Jamin chair and vice commodore of the Montego Bay Yacht Club, via email, to learn more about the this classic warm-water One Design regatta.

Can you tell us about the regatta's culture?

Jamin' has a longstanding culture of inclusion and hospitality. Offering North American and the rest of the world sailors an opportunity to sail and enjoy pristine conditions (warm prevailing trade winds and the clear, warm water of the Caribbean Sea) in early December, with the U.S. and Canada are usually battling snowstorms.

During the event's infancy, the late Tony Hart (the original "host") would take visiting sailors on excursions to some special places around the island. Good Hope in the interior and Sea Grapes Villa in Discovery Bay were both incredible day trips for the visiting teams. Home-stays were common and visitors would usually extend their trip to explore Jamaica on either end of the three-day regatta.

Jamin' has a culture of fun-loving friends gathering to compete and create memories, with laughter and smiles galore (and plenty of cold drinks!).

Can you tell us how the 2020 edition of the regatta will be different than previous years?

2020 will be unlike anything we have seen before. The event has been closed to foreign teams, as travel restrictions and Jamaica's regulations have been a constantly moving target.

We did not want prospective visitors to have to cancel flights or accommodations due to all the factors currently out of our control.

We also will not be hosting the usual themed parties that have been such a standard as there are currently Government restrictions on the number of individuals allowed to gather.

Given the pandemic, how many boats are you expecting to attract this year? Also, where will they hail from?

We are hoping for eight boats on the starting line. This number represents just over three-quarters of the local fleet with a couple of the teams traveling to the Montego Bay Yacht Club from Kingston's Royal Jamaica Yacht Club.

What kind of competition levels are you expecting this year?

With our Nationals behind us, we have a very good idea of the level of competition...HIGH!

The first and third places finished within three points of one another. Renegade took the win with 12 points and Ayahso and Tsunami scoring 15 points each over the two-day, six-race weekend.

We are expecting some tight competition from this year's Jamin' Regatta as many of the same teams will be represented (though they will all be flying different colors as we are representing different countries).

We will be missing the international teams and their ability to mix it up with the fleet, but rest-assured racing will be competitive. The plan for the final race of the series is to do a reverse start. The boat with the fewest point going into the last race will need to cross the start line last and the team with the most points will have a bit of a head start. Call it the handicap race for this series, as we are not doing any throw-out races.

Do you have your eye on any pre-racing favorites in both classes? What about any dark horses?

Using our 705-pounds limit on the boats keeps everyone honest and if the wind is light for any races that will give the three-person teams an advantage over the teams that sail just below the limit.

In the absence of last year's 30th-anniversary race winner, Mike Farrington, it will once again give local heroes a chance to shine!

Does the event still plan to hold post-racing festivities/parties, given the pandemic? If so, can you tell us what we're missing out on?

We are not going to be hosting the traditional booze-soaked parties as alcohol doesn't make it easy to follow local Covid protocols... So, we will have to party double-time in 2021.

In the '90s there was a tradition of a boating "Parade of Lights" in the past and it was revamped last year for the first time in recent history. Open to motorboats, cruisers, and catamarans, all clad with festive lights and blasting holiday tunes, this event is perfect for respecting Covid protocols.

On a quiet evening (just after sunset) we will leave the club and do a few laps around the harbor, gleefully singing and drinking on our own boats with friends and family, celebrating together and apart! J/22s are traditionally towed behind one of the larger motorboats.

Can you tell us about any efforts that you and the other regatta organizers have made to try to lower the regatta's environmental footprint or otherwise green-up the regatta?

We utilize one five-gallon bucket per boat for the entirety of the event to dish out the ice/food/drinks/welcome packets and t-shirts. These buckets are re-used year after year.

Anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

We have had a 30-plus years of historic events, creating lifelong friendships from all over the world, and it has been incredible to build those relationships and see some familiar faces over the decades.

Many of the members have connected with us on Facebook and Instagram. Anyone that is interested in seeing future event details should also follow along:

www.facebook.com/jaminj22

www.instagram.com/mobayjamin

Related Articles

Despite world politics industry remains resolute
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America As part of NMMA's continued advocacy efforts following the 2025 American Boating Congress (ABC), a group of NMMA leaders visited Capitol Hill last week to meet with Congressman Mike Collins (GA-10). Posted on 25 Jun
Major industry event updates in the USA and Europe
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America The International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), North America's premier technical trade event for the recreational marine industry announced today that registration for visitors is now open for this year's Show. Posted on 18 Jun
Maritimo M50 Flybridge & S60 Sedan Video
We speak to Maritimo's Neil McCabe & Phil Candler We talked to Neil McCabe, Maritimo's Design Office Manager, and Phil Candler, Maritimo's General Manager Operations, to find out more about the M50 Flybridge and S60 Sedan during the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Posted on 17 Jun
Room for industry optimism for the rest of 2025
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America Despite varying economic factors across all states, the latest data from NMMA's Monthly Recreational Boating Industry Data Summary report offers a tempered view of the recreational boating market. Posted on 11 Jun
More confusion as tariff decisions overruled
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America On May 30, President Donald Trump announced that Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum will double from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, June 4. The announcement was made during a speech at U.S. Steel's Mon Valley Works-Irvin Plant. Posted on 4 Jun
Event updates, new products and more
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America The 2025 American Boating Congress (ABC) concluded last week in the nation's capital, bringing together marine industry leaders and policymakers for high-level discussions on the future of recreational boating and marine manufacturing. Posted on 28 May
Trade war continues but progress being made
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America Following talks over the weekend in Geneva, Switzerland, the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day pause on the ongoing trade war between both countries. Posted on 14 May
American Sportfishing Association urges action
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America ASA President Glenn Hughes sent a letter to Trump Administration expressing support for its efforts to address global trade imbalances and strengthen U.S. competitiveness, while urging swift action to provide greater certainty and relief for ASA members. Posted on 7 May
Tariff rates under further consideration
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America According to an April 23 Wall Street Journal report, President Trump is considering reducing the tariff rate on Chinese imports to 50-65%. Posted on 30 Apr
"Steady as she goes" is the industry message
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America As the recreational boating industry faces shifting economic tides, understanding the sentiments of its leaders has never been more critical. Posted on 23 Apr
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterSelden 2020 - FOOTERNorth Sails Loft 57 Podcast