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Scuttlebutt Updates
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Archived NewslettersSCUTTLEBUTT 2541 – February 27, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. THICKER THAN WATER by Chris Pastore, Sailing World As the fleet approached San Diego's Mission Bay YC following the final race of the 2006 Lightning North Americans, a roving pack of kids darted through the boat park. Buckled into PFDs with crotch straps and collars, a few of the youngest waited for their parents to hit the beach. Although the Lightning attracts some of the most skilled sailors in the world, the presence of families, even at top international regattas, is a prominent feature of the class landscape. This particular event the top-five finishing teams had, at least in part, family members sailing together. One of the first to reach shore was Dan Moriarty, who with his wife Tobi and helmsman Matt Burridge won back-to-back North American titles in 2005 and 2006. Moriarty says Lightning sailors place a premium on family inclusion. To foster this atmosphere ashore, with cookouts and family-friendly post-race activities is one thing, but the Lightning encourages the same accord on the water, something to which the Moriartys attest. Most Lightning sailors feel the class's move toward windward-leeward courses has lowered the optimal crew weight, making it easier for teams to sail with lighter sailors, wives, or children, for example. That the middle crew position provides a low-pressure training ground for new or young sailors is also a boon. But what is it about these family teams that enables them to fill the leader board? Read on to meet the following families: Larry, Joy, and Adam McDonald Paul and Trine Elvström Pease and Jay Glaser The Backus Sisters The Coleman Brothers Trevor and Tina Baylis => Sailing World: http://tinyurl.com/2dmund OLYMPIC BLISS There is something about Olympic campaigning that makes the heart grow fonder. British medallists in 2004, Sarah Ayton (Yngling) and Nick Dempsey (RS:X), announced they will be tying the knot this fall after the Olympics, after seven years of engagement. Also currently engaged are Americans Anna Tunnicliffe (Laser Radial) and Brad Funk (Laser). For those that have already walked the aisle and done a lap at the Olympic opening ceremony, there are Americans Jim Brady (Soling-’92) and Julia Trotman Brady (Europe-’ 92), Jay Glaser (Tornado-’84) and Pease Herndon Glaser (470-’00), Craig Healy (Soling-‘00) and Pamela Poletti Healy (470-’92), and from New Zealand, Murray Jones (FD-’88, ’92) and Jan Shearer (470- ’88, ’92, ’96). Any others? Post here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5852 CANADIANS DOMINENT AT TORNADO WORLDS Takapuna, Auckland (February 26, 2008) - On a day when Americans John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree fell hard from their position near the top of the standings, rolling a 29-DNF in the 51-boat fleet, it was the team of Oskar Johansson and Kevin Stittle (CAN) that was among the strongest on the second day of the 2008 Tornado World Championship. Amidst a steady 18-23 knots with the occasional squall, the Canadians earned a third in the opening race on Tuesday, and then won the event’s fourth race, moving from eighth overall up to fourth place, clearly signaling their determination to earn one of the final four Olympic berths (scores are 21-1-3-1). They are now the best placed of the ten countries in the running, followed by New Zealand, Russia, and Austria. Also getting a 1-3 on the second day of the event was the French team of Yann Guichard and Alexandre Guyander, which moved them up from fifth overall to now hold the overall lead of the championship. -- http://www.tornado.org/html/event_details.asp?EventID=169 * Comments from the American team: “Things went sour on us today in both races at the 2008 International Tornado World Championship on the Hauraki Gulf. A busted spinnaker tack line dropped us to 29th place in the first race, and forced us to withdraw from the second when we were in fourth place. As a bunch of our fellow competitors reminded us, that’s yacht racing. Your preparation work can be excellent but bad luck can still bite. With six more races to sail over the next three days, we’ve dropped from our second place yesterday to an uncharacteristic 22nd. For us, it’s now all about racing harder than ever and improving every race.” -- Read on, http://www.t-squaredracing.com/content/view/80/1/ VIRTUAL WAREHOUSE SALE The legendary Warehouse Sale at Team One Newport goes On-Line so everyone can take full advantage of the unbelievable prices on discontinued items. These products are final sale, but with prices up to 80% off the original retail, they’re worth it. Check it daily because the crew at Team One Newport is adding items everyday. Visit http://www.team1newport.com and click the Virtual Warehouse Sale on the left column and choose your size! Bargains away! Or call 800-VIP-GEAR to check what they have in your size! ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher, leave those kids alone. Hey, teacher, leave those kids alone! All in all it’s just another brick in the wall. All in all you’re just another brick in the wall. This Pink Floyd song, “Another Brick in the Wall”, was a late seventies protest anthem against rigid schooling, and it was the first thing that came to mind when Annapolis Yacht Club announced they had committed to buying six 29er sailboats from Canada-based PS 2000. The traditional forces that have funneled American youth sailors through the Optimist and Club 420 are now opening up to some of the more modern and exciting choices that are available today. And AYC is jumping in with both feet. The 29er is a true high performance skiff – a 2 person, single trapeze, asymmetric spinnaker boat. Originally designed as a youth feeder class to the Olympic 49er, it has emerged as a strong and growing class on its own. Recognized immediately by ISAF upon its introduction in 1999, the 29er class has been validated by its selection as the boat for the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2002. Popular in Europe, Canada, the West Coast and Australia, 29ers are now gaining popularity on America’s East Coast, with growing fleets in Newport, RI and Long Island Sound. The 29er will be the ISAF Youth Worlds boat again this year. -- Scuttleblog, read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/02/another-brick-in-wall.html * If your club has purchased a 29er (or 29ers), go to the Scuttleblog link above and add your club name and quantity in the Comments section. SIMPLE AS 1-2-3 (February 26, 2008) So this is how the race goes – big breeze from San Diego down the Baja Peninsula to Cabo San Lucas, turn the corner, and then agonize your way across the Gulf for the second leg of this race toward the finish at Puerto Vallarta. Your approach to Cabo (in tight = within 25 miles of the tip of Baja, out wide = outside of 25 miles from the tip of Baja) will have everything to do with how you finish in the race. Following the race’s start last Saturday, the Turbo Sled Magnitude 80, with her 361 nm run Monday and 269 nm run Tuesday, looks to be on a pretty good track to better Pyewacket’s course record of 3 days, 21 hrs hrs, 55 min, 36 sec. Although her tracker is not working, her weather report at 0800 revealed 13 kts of wind, so she is still finding breeze as she picks her way across the second leg of this race. On the other hand, the escort vessel Coley D, also crossing the gulf today, reports calm seas. Aahhhhh! -- http://www.sdyc.org/pv/index.htm * Have you submitted your entry for the Vallarta Race Story Competition? If you have ever competed in any of San Diego Yacht Club’s Mexican races, share a quick story about the people you sailed with or a memory from the race. Stories can be submitted until February 28, 2008, with a special story prize to be given from 2008 Vallarta Race entrant Dennis Conner. -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/vallarta/ * Navigator Mark Rudiger onboard the Santa Cruz 70 Holua is providing daily race audio updates: http://www.pro-sight-sailing.com/Pages/Pro_Audio_room.html THE EVILS OF THE INTERNET A woman who hired a yacht using a certificate she downloaded from Facebook has been questioned by police and cautioned under the Fraud Act. The 29 year old hired a yacht near Dorset (UK) last summer using the fake certificate. The conditions of hire stated that she needed to have a Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Yachtmaster certificate in order to hire the vessel. The woman found an image of such a certificate on Facebook. She downloaded the image, doctored it and produced it, claiming it was a photocopy of a genuine certificate she had earned. Though the certificate was accepted at the time by the yacht hire firm, it was later found to be a forgery. The MCA investigated the incident alongside the Marine Unit of Dorset Police, and the woman in question turned up at Bournemouth police station to be questioned. She was cautioned under the Fraud Act and released. A statement said that no further action had been taken because the yacht hire was paid for and the boat was returned undamaged. "Seafarers should never publish copies of their certification on the internet," said Captain Andrew Phillips of the MCA Enforcement Unit. "If you have already done so then you are strongly advised to remove them immediately. Having the document on the internet allows them to be copied, and then abused." -- http://www.out-law.com/page-8890 SAILING SHORTS * Annapolis, MD - A drawing of the new dock area has been released for the National Sailing Hall of Fall adjacent to Annapolis City Dock and the U.S. Naval Academy. Upon completion this spring, The Sailing Center and Docks will feature a small collection of classic boats, the John Smith Shallop Race, and model sailboat racing. An agreement with the U.S. Yacht Shows provides continued use of the area for the Shows. The once restricted “Governor’s Dock” will now be open to the public as will the entire area. The public dinghy dock will remain. See drawing at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0226 * Ex-America’s Cup sailor, John Barnitt, joined Alinghi this week as sports director for the sailing team. The American sailor is familiar with the Swiss team having worked for Alinghi during the 31st America’s Cup as starboard grinder. The 47 year old has enormous depth in the industry; he started his career with Dennis Conner on Stars & Stripes in 1987, sailed the infamous 1988 catamaran vs. monohull match and in 1992 experienced the early days of the new AC Class. After some time out, he joined Alinghi in Auckland for the victorious 2003 America’s Cup. -- Complete report: http://www.alinghi.com/en/news/news/index.php?idIndex=200&idContent=15167 * Annapolis, MD - The Comcast Foundation has awarded an $11,000 grant to Box of Rain, an Annapolis-based nonprofit organization, to support the expansion of its summer program for disadvantaged youth. The summer program, established in 2003 for Annapolis area at-risk youth ages 8 to 14, uses water-oriented activities as a vehicle to reach participants and teach them life-building skills that will create opportunities for them as they approach adulthood. -- Complete announcement: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5853 FREE BOAT NAMES Get your boat name/sail number embroidered FREE on all North Sails polo shirts, jackets and vests from now through Sunday, March 2. Write the word "scuttlebutt" in the comments box during check-out to receive this offer. Embroidery charge will be deducted after check-out. Looking for good deals on great sailing gear including Henri Lloyd jackets & vests? Visit North Sails Gear's winter clearance section: http://www.northsailsgear.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Alex Arnold: (Re: "WE ARE NOT ALONE" in Issue 2540) I'm not entirely sure that sailing is losing numbers as is golf. Sailboat racing maybe, but sailing seems to be thriving; witness all the recent "easy to sail" day sailors being introduced and sold in the market. This is not surprising, to me, when I stroke my addiction and read "Scuttlebutt" everyday. Larry and Ernie are not the fun of our sport; it's the joy of the "day sail" with family and friends. * From Scuttleblog Comments: Perhaps the answer (regarding participation in sport) is sailing with the family rather than leaving them at home. I have done that for years, but it would be easier to compete if others would sail that way as well. Many of the "family" boats have been replaced with Dad's night out boats at my club. Those boats stay tied to the docks more on weekends and only sail Wednesdays. -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/02/we-are-not-alone.html * From Piako (in the Forum re story in Issue 2540, “Is the Olympics just about medals?”) Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Olympics are about winning medals. Yes, they are also about ambition, goals, dreams, energy, application and effort. They are about commitment. They are about passion. But that's a given. That's expected. That's the price of entry. The Olympics, resolutely, are about winning medals. There isn't an elite athlete on the planet that doesn't agree with that statement. There are plenty of regional, national and international events where excellent, passionate athletes can compete and prove themselves and reward their ambitions. But the Olympics are about people who have done that, have totally proven themselves, and who are now competing against each other. True, some National Organizing Committees (like the New Zealand Olympic Committee) and their selectors have made allowances and have allowed near-elites compete in the Olympic arena. But these athletes seldom succeed. They invariably disappoint themselves, and sadly, the folks back home are disappointed too. This sounds harsh, but it's true. It's the Olympics, for goodness sake. You only have a right to be there if you have a serious chance of winning. And frankly, for Kiwis it has nothing to do with money. The New Zealand Olympic Team has never made financial rewards a factor in Olympic competition. Some countries do. But NZOC are purists. They believe in the honor of sport. They believe in winning (and supporting programs that build winners). And the fact is, they have been mercilessly hammered back home when athletes that could never win were taken to the Olympics, and didn't win. -- Read on and add comments: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5836#5840 * From JScott: (in the Forum re story in Issue 2540, “Is the Olympics just about medals?”) The Olympic ideal is about the dream and it is about the best athletes in the world "taking part" in a corinthian competition that breaks down all kind of boundaries. Money and commerce may have sullied some part of the ideal, but it has also enhanced the Olympics in other ways. At the end of the day, the ideal is still there. There is still something special and noble about the Olympics that other sporting events don't have. Many hundreds of the competitors will not be turning pro' and the sacrifices they have made to get there are because.... well they wanted to get there. We have provided sponsorship to a Paralympic team for the last couple of years. I am thrilled to have done so. They have qualified. I feel a part of the dream. I believe they will medal, I am rooting for a medal, but I assure you that we were sponsoring the dream not the medal. If you contribute to a national sailing organization, ask yourself if all you need is medals or if you are just darn proud of your best athletes being there. It’s a huge thrill when your country wins a medal but it’s a thrill that your fellows are there at the opening ceremony. -- Read on and add comments: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5836#5848 * From Grey McGown, Fort Worth, TX: (regarding the story in Issue 2540, Taking the Carbon Challenge) You're going to catch hell for supporting anything Al Gore does or says...you should be aware of Bob Lutz's take on man-made global warming..."it 'is a crock of ....! However, Scuttlebutt is so good let me be the first to forgive you. * From Rod Glover: You are free to print the following, but it is primarily intended for your education. The incessant drumbeat by people like yourself is convincing people who do not have the skills to decide for themselves that global warming is real. I may not be. This could have catastrophic results for our country if we implement strategies without accurate information. It would probably be best if those who are not experts in a field of science use some care in making decisions and categorical statements about scientific matters. Although I have technical degrees, and worked for years in environmental affairs, my area of expertise is not climatology, and I admit I do not know the truth of the conflicting statements about global warming. I can say, however that your statement on Feb 26 that, "Few can still argue that his (Gore's) claims are not real," is categorically false. Many scientists from around the world do take issue with some or even almost all of his conclusions. And these are not people on the fringe. The distinguished Alfred P Sloan Professor of Climatology from MIT, in a lengthy column last year in the Wall Street Journal, did take issue with many of his conclusions. Also respected scientific societies have contested his claims. The astrophysicists, for example. Something about solar activity. NASA, and others have contested his claims on increased hurricane intensity. Global warming also affects global weather trends that impact hurricanes. And these are only a few of many. Those who do not agree with man-made global warming are not treated too kindly by the media. -- Read on: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5841#5841 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: We are far from experts in this department, and while there is a disagreement within the scientific community regarding the doom of global warming, it seems hard to dispute that reducing pollution can be considered a bad thing. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Change is what happens when the pain of holding on becomes greater than the fear of letting go. Great offers in Scuttlebutt from Team One Newport and North Sails. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
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