Key West Race Week | Ullman Sails USA 32 Regatta Wrap Up

Team USA 32 from California Yacht Club (left to right): Greg Koski, Doug Mclean, Erik Shampain, Keith Magnussen

Key West Race Week (KWRW) 2015 version is in the books.  Potentially the last KWRW turned out to be a somewhat light air event until the final day when the classic conditions came through with much appreciation from the sailors. 

USA 32 leading the pack

USA 32 skippered by Doug Mclean from California Yacht Club was in the ultra competitive J-70 class.  Not only was the J-70 class the largest but it was also the closest with the regatta really coming down to the final few races.  Tea, Helly Hansen rallied back only to be OCS in the final race to ultimately end their chances.  Team Calvi Network remained consistent and took the top honors with some really cool sailing.  Flojito Y Cooperando pushed into second with their new Ullman Main.  They were extremely fast and made the most of their speed by keeping good clean lanes around the racecourse. 

Flojito Cruising Upwind

USA 32 rounded out the regatta in 11th place to secure a great finish for Doug Mclean as his first regatta as skipper.  The boys had a solid regatta and after three days were still in touching distance of the podium.  A tough fourth day with two over early starts were hard to overcome but the team bounced back with solid finishing.

Doug Mclean: "One of the best sailing experiences ever, great boat, great sailing venue, and really great team.  We came a long way from where we started, and having never sailed together until Key West, I am very proud of this team. I am also very proud of our results.  I want to thank our sponsors, Latis Racing, Ullman Sails, and most of all California Yacht Club for there great support.

Keith Magnussen:  "The fourth day was disappointing but we had to keep things in perspective.  This was our first regatta together as a team and when you are still developing it is important to bounce back and we did.  The atmosphere of the event and team was amazing and it was a pleasure to sail for Doug Mclean and California Yacht Club.  The J-70 is a great boat and I can only hope that it starts flourishing on the West Coast."

Erik Shampain: "Overall we had a great regatta and learned more about sailing and tuning the J-70.  The two highlights for me were blasting downwind on the final day and the collaboration between all of the Ullman customers as we are always trying to go faster as a group." 

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Mexico reports from the newest fleet of J70's taking over the lake and the world!

Erik Brockmann from Valle de Bravo, Mexico reports from the newest fleet of J70's taking over the lake and the world!


This conditions were great this weekend, Saturday 8-10 knots and Sunday 10-15 knots so the J70s really came alive when it was 15 knots which was a lot of fun. Everyone on top is sailing with 4 crew, but weight was very different from our light weight team of Ricky, two girls and myself (250 k) compared to Julian's team which was over 300k. one of the super parts of a growing fleet of strong one design boats is, "great thing was that a long list of great sailors were there racing the J70: Julian, Jero Cervantes, Eric Mergentaler, Yon, Eliane and Ander Belauste, Javier Velasquez, Andres Akle, Fede Ortiz, Luis Morales and some others all of whom have won many national titles in the past.

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SAILS BEYOND THE BUOYS

From the Eastern Seaboard to the Great Lakes and California. Don't start thinking about your sail inventory too late! Ullman Sails provides a range of sails and service to get you race-ready. Contact your local Ullman Sails 
loft to discuss the benefits of our Race Series, FiberPath technology and Red Line spinnakers. We also offer comprehensive service, including 
inventory evaluations, maintenance, sail-handling systems and rating optimization. Make sure your team is outfitted with the right sails to handle the demands of offshore racing. 


Invest in your performance. Ullman Sails Newport Beach



EDITOR'S NOTE: Winter is seminar season, and the Ullman group is on the road with their "Unlocking the Racecourse" program that walks you through 
each stage of a typical race day and covers key strategies used by the pros to sail and win consistently. Here's a video excerpt: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UeJIKN1AM0 

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