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Aug 7, 2008, 11:49 AM
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THE BLUE JAY: A DYING CLASS?
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This story was initially posted on The JSA Blog, but has now been removed. Maybe it is a coincidence, but the story was removed following its inclusion in SCUTTLEBUTT 2655 - Thursday, August 7, 2008. THE BLUE JAY: A DYING CLASS? The numbers don't lie. The amount of Blue Jays on Long Island Sound have slowly, but surely, been dwindling. There were a record low of 2 boats at Blue Jay Champs this year. It makes one think: is it even worth holding Blue Jay races next year? We have heard our fair amount of complaints on this boat class but they have definitely done more for sailing than they get credit for, particularly in the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island (JSA) region. According to the International Blue Jay Class Association, "The Blue Jay continues to be one of the leading one-design, sloop-rigged sailboats in existence today." We're not quite sure how accurate that statement is today, but it was definitely designed to mimic the Lightning, which we all know to be a highly competitive class. This boat has been the feeder for some strong sailors and provides a firm base for every basic sailing skill such as spinnaker work, working with a crew, and learning how to operate a heavy piece of boat. Unfortunately for this class, the general consensus claims that the Pros outweigh the Cons. So what do you guys think? Should we scrap Blue Jay races altogether and let the Pixel progress, or should we keep this rich piece of history sailing in our waters? Leave us comments, take the poll, or e-mail JSA. We would really like to hear your reasoning on why the Blue Jay is so awesome, or why it belongs in a bonfire. -- http://www.jsablog.com/...is-the-blue-j-1.html *At the 2008 Pixel/Blue Jay Championship, hosted by Noroton Yacht Club (Darien, CT) on August 1 - 2, there were 23 Pixels and 2 Blue Jays.
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