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Scuttlebutt Updates
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Archived NewslettersSCUTTLEBUTT 2585 – April 29 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. GUEST COMMENTARY – OLYMPIC CLASS SELECTION by Garry Hoyt For sailing to preserve its place in the Olympics, the governing solons of the sport must accommodate new realities and discard the burden of persistent delusions. For example: 1. Reliable wind over 10 knots is the single most important element in conveying the grace and excitement of sailing. Light, fickle breezes introduce undesirable factors of luck and doom any coverage to acute visual boredom. So, future competition should insist on areas that provide good winds. 2. The essence of Olympic competition is individual achievement. This is confirmed by the leading popularity of events in track, swimming, gymnastics, skiing and skating, where the public can follow the action and identify with the individual skills. Sailing should follow those successful examples. It follows that it is neither necessary nor desirable for Olympic Class selection to attempt to represent all the varied aspects of sailing skill. Like it or not, action that is friendly to TV will be increasingly important to permanent status as an Olympic event. The tactical elements of sailing that are so fascinating and challenging to the participants are largely invisible or incomprehensible to the TV audience. So, while tactical sailing skill - and the many classes that primarily reward that skill - will deservedly remain the best choices for the general sailing public, those are not the best choices for any hopes of Olympic survival. Recognizing this is not pandering to TV, but rather simply adjusting to the new realities of Olympic coverage. For example, to insist on the inclusion of female match racing in Ynglings amounts to a foolish fixation on an arcane and visually unexciting aspect of the sport. Likewise, the venerable Star Class is inappropriate because the cost and complexity of the equipment - like the weight of its crew - is too heavy. And given the Olympic goal of “higher, faster, farther”, why should we exclude multi-hulls, which are demonstrably one of sailing’s fastest forms? With all these thoughts in mind, here are my recommendations for future Olympic Classes: (read on) http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0412 * Curmudgeon’s Comment: Always a pleasure when folks like Garry jump in, and we are pleased to provide him the pulpit he has earned (Google his name if you are unfamiliar with his contributions to the sport). As for Garry’s recommendations, let’s just say that he has a vision of what an Olympic athlete should look like, and those with a waist size of 36+ need not apply. DEALING WITH ADVERSITY What happens when you own ten identical 68-foot racing yachts, host a round the world race for the boats, sell crewing positions on the boats... and then two of the boats get dismasted on their way from China to Hawaii... half way around the world from the European suppliers. It would be nice to think that the “show must go on” but pulling it off is another matter. Here is an excerpt from a report by International marine events company Clipper Ventures Plc, which owns and administers the event: * Clipper Ventures Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said: “When we lost two masts in the Clipper fleet in just over a week during the race from Qingdao to Hawaii (on March 5 and 13), the priority was to replace all the similar fittings to those that failed within the fleet and to manufacture and ship out two new masts to Hawaii.” * Sparcraft in Cape Town, the company that manufactured the masts for the ten matched Clipper 68s, had suffered a factory fire on March 7 and was unable to make the new mast section as a result. On April 10 the company confirmed that its other factories in France and the United States did not have the spare capacity to make the mast. Later that day, Clipper Ventures sourced the required mast section in France, which was transported to Atlantic Spars in Brixham. This was for the first dismasting. * Following the second dismasting, a similar section was sourced from the Netherlands and sent to Atlantic Spars for finishing. Meanwhile, Spencer Rigging sourced enough compact strand to complete two complete new sets of standing rigging. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/04/dealing-with-adversity.html TRIVIA QUESTION Who is the only man to have won the three most prestigious single-handed events: The Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum and The Transat? (Answer below) PARALOC, THE RUNNING RIGGING REVOLUTION Developed by the Swiss rope company mamutec AG, Paraloc’s patented parallel braid interlocks the cover and core fibers, forming an integrated whole so the individual elements (cover and core) cannot move relative to each other. This produces a line with less stretch, better holding power in clutches, and increased abrasion and tear resistance. Whether you’re a racer or cruiser, in need of Vectran, Dyneema or Polyester, Paraloc has a line for you. Paraloc can be found at Sound Rigging (Essex, CT), Ontario Yachts (Burlington, Ontario), Rig Pro (Newport, RI) and Rigging Systems (Miami, FL) or visit http://www.rwrope.com NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM As boating season approaches, U.S. President Bush’s administration wants to enlist the country's 80 million recreational boaters to help reduce the chances that a small boat could deliver a nuclear or radiological bomb somewhere along the country's 95,000 miles of coastline and inland waterways. According to an April 23 intelligence assessment obtained by The Associated Press, "The use of a small boat as a weapon is likely to remain al Qaeda's weapon of choice in the maritime environment, given its ease in arming and deploying, low cost, and record of success." While the United States has so far been spared this type of strike in its own waters, terrorists have used small boats to attack in other countries. The millions of humble dinghies, fishing boats and smaller cargo ships that ply America's waterways are not nationally regulated as they buzz around ports, oil tankers, power plants and other potential terrorist targets. This could allow terrorists in small boats to carry out an attack similar to the USS Cole bombing, says Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen. That 2000 attack killed 17 American sailors in Yemen when terrorists rammed a dinghy packed with explosives into the destroyer. "There is no intelligence right now that there's a credible risk" of this type of attack, Allen says. "But the vulnerability is there." To reduce the potential for such an attack in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security has developed a new strategy intended to increase security by enhancing safety standards. The Coast Guard is part of the department. -- CNN, read on: http://tinyurl.com/5r54of SAILING SHORTS * The Notice of Race for the 2009 ISAF Nations Cup is now available online. The ISAF Nations Cup is a global competition to find the world’s top match racing nations in both open and women’s events and to develop match racing infrastructure around the world. The Nations Cup encompasses a series of eight Regional Finals from September-December 2008, from which the top team will qualify for the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final to take place in Porto Alegre, Brazil on March 23-28, 2009. The Regional finals for the North America/ Caribbean region will be held in Charleston, SC (date tba). -- http://tinyurl.com/6d5flk * Earthrace, the world’s fastest, coolest and greenest powerboat kicked off its round the world race at 1400hrs CET on April 27th from Sagunto in Spain, in an attempt to break the round the world speed record and promote the use of sustainable fuels. Earthrace is a 78ft wave-piercing trimaran that runs exclusively on biodiesel, and has a net zero carbon footprint, making it one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly powerboats. -- http://www.earthrace.net * Courageous Sailing Center of Boston, MA has completed the accreditation process for sailing schools administered by US SAILING. Courageous Sailing Center instructors must undergo the training program to be certified to deliver curricula created by US SAILING’s National Faculty, which has been developed to set the standard for sailing education excellence. -- http://www.courageoussailing.org * Free weather forecasts will be available for the 2008 USODA Team Trials courtesy of North Sails and Sailing Weather Services. Hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club, the USODA Team Trials will be held from May 1-4, 2008. Sign up by April 30 and also receive a regatta overview: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf * The New York National Boat Show will move to December 13-21, 2008, nearly two weeks earlier than it was originally scheduled. The announcement was made in a statement by NMMA, the show's owner and organiser. The show had straddled the Christmas and New Year's holidays for the last five years, prompting complaints by exhibitors and lower attendance numbers for show-goers. The show will continue to retain its nine-day format at Manhattan's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. -- IBI Magazine, complete report: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080322130451ibinews.html THAT A BANANA IN YOUR POCKET? On the way out the door Sunday, we were hastily putting together lunch. I made some sandwiches, the boat already had snacks and water, so Camille was left in charge of fruit. She innocently grabbed a couple of bananas to put in the lunch bag. I freaked out. Me: What in the name of Neptune are you doing? C: Putting these bananas in the bag? Me: Are you crazy, you want us to capsize, sink or worse? C: No. Me: Then put those bananas away right now. C: Me: The bananas, put them away...next thing you're going to want to sail on a Friday. C: Mama, there's something wrong with Daddy. Me: Aaaaiiieeeeaaaaaaa. It went something like that. The point being, I won't have bananas on my boat and I don't know why. I've heard the theories: methane gas rotting the other fruit, scary spiders, methane poisoning, no fish. None of these pertain to me or will ever pertain to me. So why do I worry? Let's call it a hedge. I'm on the precipice of sailing disaster at all times; I sail in one of the craziest places in the world (San Francisco), I barely know what I'm doing (just kidding future crewmates) and I have a 30+ year old boat. Something could so easily go wrong either through my doing or through no fault of my own that I can't imagine why I would take one more chance when I can control it. So, no bananas on board and I won't leave for Hawaii on a Friday. – EVK4 blog, http://evk4.blogspot.com/2007/07/is-that-banana-in-your-pocket.html * Here’s a follow-up post, which discusses the bad luck that Captain Jack Sparrow had with bananas in the latest movie version of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ -- http://evk4.blogspot.com/2007/08/banana-on-board.html MELGES 32: BOAT OF THE WEEK Congratulations to Joe Woods and his Melges 32 team from Great Britain on winning the Melges 32 East Coast Championship in Annapolis, MD this past weekend. Woods traveled to the USA to participate in a popular Melges racing series - Sperry Top-Sider National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta, where Woods was also recognized as the Boat of the Week. Melges 32's traveled from all over to participate, with the Melges 24 fleet also proving to be quite popular, with many teams using the event to prepare for the 2008 North Americans and 2009 World Championship, both to be held in Annapolis. -- http://www.melges.com TRIVIA ANSWER Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) is undoubtedly the king of solo sailors, being the only man to have won the three most prestigious single-handed events: The Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum and The Transat. Starting on May 11th, Desjoyeaux will be skippering the latest generation of IMOCA 60 in The Transat, joining a field of 13 IMOCA Open 60 and 12 Class40 monohulls (with 270 Atlantic crossings among them). The race begins in Plymouth, England and finishes at Boston, MA approximately two weeks later. Full details on the prominent shorthanded races: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar/sh 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 Walter I. Bostwick, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands: (regarding the open letter in Issue 2583 by Giovanni Maspero, owner of Joe Fly, following their disqualification at the recent Farr 40 World Championship) Beyond my personal high regard for the complete integrity of Mr. Henry Menin, his selection as a member of the Jury for the 32nd America's Cup would indicate that his impartiality towards Oracle was unquestioned. Also as a matter of fact, Mr. Menin was an umpire during the 2000 America's Cup and went to work for Oracle during the 2003 event. Top level sailing is a small family and suggesting incestuous relationships is easy for someone familiar with that sort of thing, but seldom productive. * From Clark Chapin: To the casual observer here in the Midwest, the protestations of Giovanni Maspero seem to ignore several previously reported aspects of the incident: 1. The competitors knew the makeup of the Jury well beforehand. 2. Commentators quoted by Scuttlebutt remarked that Joe Fly had "overplayed their hand" at mark roundings during the event. Could "overplayed their hand" be a polite phrasing of "repeatedly violated the rules"? 3. There is no allegation that the facts found by the Jury were at all incorrect or improper. It seems to me that deciding a championship on the final day in this way is a foreseeable consequence of a lack of competitor protests earlier in the event to establish an expectation of rule compliance throughout the fleet. Perhaps the Farr 40 Class would be better off without Joe Fly if the cause of their exit is a willingness by the Jury to hear a valid protest. * From Jonathan Smith, Newton MA: I find it inconceivable that Barking Mad would not protest. It is just this sort of behavior that encourages the bully tactics of the jerks on Joe Fly. If you slap them right away, they might just learn. Instead, they got exactly what was coming to them. Find it interesting that Barking Mad had only enough stones to witness a third-party protest, rather than lodge the protest themselves, when they were the one’s fouled in the first place! Protests can’t be “situational”, especially up at the front end of the fleet. If you are both fighting it out for last at the hoist, then that is an entirely different affair. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: There has been no shortage of opinions expressed on this situation, and we have moved them all to Scuttleblog where they can reside together. If you have something to say on the subject, please post it here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/04/hot-button.html * From Eric A Sorensen: (re, story, FRENCH ANNOUNCE CATTLE CALL, in Issue 2583) The French Spirit is amazing and truly a good thing. Calling for a program to design a boat and put together a team for a contest that doesn't exist is an example of adventurous thinkers from a culture which is trying to keep its independence. The culture in the US could learn a thing or two from this attitude. The 'shock and awe' attitude that America seems to project in the use of military and movie genres is just flat out bluster backed by technologic advances that are currently on top but destined for the 2nd seat if the education of our population continues to decline as on its current course. The French are merely exercising their mental muscles and soon their physical ones on the race courses of the world. Their participation in the ocean races as a population is way inverse to their world population status, with only the Kiwis outnumbering them in an even more inverse relationship. Sailing is good for thinking in real time and in thinking of scenarios of what could happen if.... (preparation, at least 2 days prep = one day sailing). More sailing culture is good for producing less screen time and that is a good thing! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION I've been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it. Special thanks to R&W Rope and Melges Performance Sailboats. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
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