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Scuttlebutt Updates
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Archived NewslettersSCUTTLEBUTT 2586 – April 30 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. NOT THE FAMILY BUICK Geneva, April 29, 2008 – The brand new sailing boat Mirabaud LX was presented to the media this morning at Société Nautique de Genève, in Switzerland. Supported by the Banque Mirabaud & Cie banquiers privés, this project is the result of Thomas Jundt’s creativity and experience with highly competitive sailing boats. Aimed at flying on its hydrofoils, this 33-foot prototype has a very special characteristic: it has no hulls, although a marginal floatability remains, aimed at preventing the boat from sinking until it reaches flying speeds (approx 8 knots). Conceived around a structure of carbon fiber tubes, weighing only 330 pound, this boat is a concentrate of high technology. Every single element has been optimized in order to reduce the overall weight and allow it to fly on its foils as quickly as possible. As of today, it is the only “hull less” boat on earth. -- Full story and photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0429 NO STOPPING STURGEON When Roger Sturgeon sailed his boat Rosebud to victory in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race in December, he did not realize the impact that triumph would have on his life. Rosebud, a Storm Trysail-Transpac 65, won the overall IRC handicap title on corrected time, won the IRC B fleet and claimed the regatta's Tattersall's Cup trophy for taking overall honors. That made Sturgeon, who was racing in the event for the first time, only the third American in the 63-year history of the regatta to win the overall title. That victory has resonated throughout the sailing world. "It's been amazing," said Sturgeon, of Fort Lauderdale, who was in town this week along with his impressive boat. As Rosebud tactician Kevin Miller put it, "I didn't realize how important that race really was until after we won it." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/543oqz * Dockwise Yacht Transport (DYT) and Rosebud Racing has joined forces to become Rosebud Racing/Team DYT. Owned by Roger Sturgeon of Ft, Lauderdale, Fla., the STP-65 will benefit from the alliance in August when it is transported by DYT from Newport, R.I. to Sardinia, Italy for events in the Mediterranean. -- http://www.yacht-transport.com/dytlatest?sid=105&folder=2986 SO MUCH FOR THE RANKINGS Long Beach, CA (April 29, 2008) --Scott Dickson says he was sizing up the opening day's scorecard in his Long Beach Yacht Club's 44th Congressional Cup presented by Acura when he thought, "There's no way Gavin [Brady] and I can catch these guys. We've got a score of about 300 already." Pause. Oh, wait, that's our ISAF [international match racing] rankings." Actually, Dickson and Brady, a pair of immigrant Kiwis living in the U.S., are ranked 137th and 89th but stand 5-0 and 4-1 after the first day of racing against several world tour regulars, which they are not. Brady, with his America's Cup duty with BMW Oracle, hadn’t sailed a tour event in more than a year, and this is one of only two events that Dickson does most years along with the Ficker Cup qualifier that has been his ticket to enter. Second place has been his best finish in 11 previous Congressionals, but Dickson, a Long Beach resident who has an older brother named Chris, said Tuesday, "I hope after 12 years I'd be getting the hang of it." In succession, reveling in the fresh but shifty south to southwest breezes that built from 6 to 14 knots through a sunny afternoon in the mid-60s (F.), he outsailed a U.N. lineup of New Zealand's Simon Minoprio, France's Philippe Presti and Damien Iehl, Russia's Andrew Arbuzov and Sweden's Johnnie Berntsson. His crew of Mark Ivey, Matt McKinlay, Tony Stuart, Mark Strube and Chuck Stevens is all Southern California-grown talent. Ivey is the tactician. They had about a half-dozen practice sessions over the last few weeks. "Today we enjoyed the fruits of all the practice we put in," Dickson said-- – Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0429a "THE BEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE" The Sperry Top-Sider Annapolis NOOD Regatta featured 265 boats in 17 classes. Jimmy Praley and his crew (mostly family including his uncle and father) won the 15-boat Cal 25 class onboard their entry, "UpChuck". "We had superior boat speed and height to windward, which we attribute to the sails North built for us," said Praley. "In a very competitive one design class like the Cal 25, great sails are probably the best investment you can make." Congrats to the "UpChuck" team for their second consecutive win at the Annapolis NOOD. When speed and performance matter, head North. http://na.northsails.com THINGS THAT COME IN THREES Last week, America’s Cup Defender Alinghi hosted a Media Day in Valencia, Spain where they presented three details that did not seem to warrant a party, but they probably figured that providing cocktails and poo-poos to the yachting scribes might get them some complimentary publicity. Their message was: * We are training on multihulls * We are going to build a multihull * We are in favor of a May 2009 defense Not entirely riveting news, but there is an old adage of law that states: “When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. And when you don't have either the law or the facts on your side, you pound on the table.” Maybe Alinghi is now pounding the table, and if they say May 2009 enough times, they could get their wish. The smart tactician identifies the situation, and succeeds or fails in how they utilize the options available. Continuing on the theme of threes, the Alinghi team also took advantage of the Media Day to pay tribute to a previous Curmudgeon’s Observation: “The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.” Breaking it down, the problems surrounding the defense of the America’s Cup fall into three categories: * Those that designed the Protocol * Those that presented the Protocol * Those that defended the Protocol For those that designed the Protocol, they will remain nameless to protect their family and innocent bystanders from retribution. For those that presented the Protocol, Pacco Latorre, Alinghi head of marketing acknowledged that "we didn't do very well at explaining the team's vision for the 33rd America's Cup.” For those that defended the Protocol, Lucien Masmejean, Alinghi head of lawyering noted, “We haven't done very well so far from a legal point of view. The way the American legal system works is completely different to what we are use to in Europe. … It is all very confusing and that's probably why we have not been showing a great deal of strengths to date. We are a bit naïve in this …” Beware of things that come in threes. From a numerological standpoint, the 33rd America’s Cup was doomed. -- Scuttleblog, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/04/beware-of-threes.html => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Stuart Alexander of The Independent has a nice chat with Alinghi CEO Brad Butterworth, where Brad discusses how the sailing team is dealing with the current stalemate. -- Audio: http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/sound-and-vision/?vid=816943 NATIONAL PASTIME IN BERMUDA The Bermuda Sailing Association (BSA) began its sixth annual WaterWise programme this month. The programme has nearly 150 students participating in this year's programme. The M1 students (6th grade, 11-12 years old) from eight schools across the island start with the dry-land sessions using the Opti Simulators on the school courts and fields. These sessions include seminars on points of sail and parts of the boat as well as practice sessions on boating skills. This is a feeder programme into the Sloop Programme, which is targeted at M3 students (8th grade, 13-14 years old) and is put together by the same curriculum developer as the Sloop Programme. ACE has donated $8,000 toward developing the curriculum. In June, the students will put their new skills and knowledge, learned through the WaterWise Programme, to practice on the water. Students will use Opti sailboats at Darrell's Island, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, Sandy's Boat Club and Sea Cadets (St. George's). Deborah Sullivan Gravelle, program director for the BSA said: "Sailing is, and has always been, a national past-time in Bermuda. “ -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/4pgqx9 SAILING SHORTS * SEA-TV has won two Platinum Awards at the 41st annual Worldfest film festival in Houston, Texas for their documentary, High Seas Schooner. They won both for the feature length documentary and for the 90 second preview for the production. High Seas Schooner chronicles a three week voyage on the classic 100-foot wooden schooner, Harvey Gamage, as it sails from the Virgin Islands to Gloucester, Massachusetts. The excitement builds when the schooner encounters storms and high seas in the North Atlantic. Rigging breaks and the skills of the crew are tested as they battle the extreme conditions. -- http://www.sea-tvproductions.com * Eight teams will be competing in the Royal Thames Cumberland Cup 2008 two boat international team racing contest. The Contest will take place at The Royal Victoria Dock, London from the May 16-18, with the winner being presented the 1912 replica of the 1781Cumberland Cup. The teams are Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR), New York Yacht Club (USA), Royal Perth Yacht Club (AUS), Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (GER), Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (CAN), Southern Yacht Club (USA), Royal Alfred Yacht Club (IRE), and Verine Seglerhaus am Wannsee (GER). -- http://www.thecumberlandcup.com * Annapolis, MD -- For more than a decade, would-be sailors and newcomers to the Bay have turned to the SpinSheet publication for advice on how to get into the sport. On April 20 at SpinSheet’s annual Crew Listing party, the Chesapeake Bay sailing magazine will debut its free new sailor guide, Start Sailing Now, a free, 24-page guide to getting into sailing, from casual daysailing to racing, on the Chesapeake Bay. It will be distributed at outdoor retail outlets, community festivals, and other hand-picked locations where potential sailors (such as active cyclists and hikers) look for regional event information, and will soon be online at http://www.startsailingnow.com * The Valencia Sailing website reports that Valencia's main newspaper, Las Provincias, is stating that BMW Oracle Racing owner Larry Ellison was in Valencia this past Monday and held a secret meeting with Francisco Camps, the president of the Valencia Region, and Rita Barberá, the city's mayor. The purpose of the meeting is believed to be in regard to hosting the 34th America’s Cup in Valencia, in the event that Ellison’s team wins the 33rd America’s Cup in their DoG match against the Alinghi team. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/46mfwy * British America’s Cup TEAMORIGIN announced that on May 1, 2008 they will reduce the retained team to a smaller core group. This group will comprise some of the management team, key design and sailing team members, a limited commercial/marketing team and essential support functions. Team members are now able to pursue other projects with the knowledge that they will be brought back into TEAMORIGIN once the next multi-challenger America’s Cup programme is properly defined. A number of sailing programmes are already defined during the Cup ‘interim’ period. -- Complete report: http://www.maindesignservices.co.uk/docs/TOe-news220408/enews.htm DISCOVER: THE NEW 2008 ATLANTIS COLLECTION The best combination of performance and style just got even better. Boats are starting to go into the water here at the boatyard in Marblehead, which means it must be time for the launch of the new 2008 Atlantis line. Whether you're a hard core performance sailor or you just like to spend time around the water, we've got the gear you're looking for in colors and styles you'll love to wear. Visit our website at http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com or call us at 877-333-SAIL. If it's a nice sailing day, leave a message. We'll call you back when we get in. EIGHT BELLS Soundings Trade Only’s associate editor JoAnn W. Goddard died unexpectedly of natural causes this week in Washington, D.C., while covering the American Boating Congress. Goddard, 44, worked for Soundings Publications for 10 years. Prior to being promoted to associate editor of STO, she was a staff writer for Soundings for nearly seven years. She was an award-winning journalist whose compelling stories reached many in the marine industry. Boating Writers International honored Goddard numerous times throughout the years, including presenting her with its prestigious top prize recognizing journalistic excellence, which she received in 2001. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/4sckc4 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 Bill Kasey: I recently attended a rules seminar. I thought it would be a simple brush up on how to avoid confrontation on the race course. Instead, it seemed to be directed towards how to use the rules as a tactical weapon. I understand that there are times when a sailor needs to defend their patch of water, but to actively seek a foul on another boat seems beyond the scope of the fundamental principles of recreational competition. Yet worse was the discussion about how to reopen a hearing, and how to appeal. What exactly constitutes “new evidence”? What are the limits of what can be presented as “new evidence”? What does someone have to say or do to prove that the Protest committee made an error? How exactly do you prove to the people you are claiming made an error that they accept they did? On the subject of appeals – I can only surmise that this is a hot topic because the America’s Cup seems to be lost in legalese, and the Judges are trying to prepare for a flurry of protest room nonsense this summer. If that is the legacy that Alinghi has left in the sport, pretty soon our best way to get the sport televised will be on Court TV. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Don’t forget US windsurfer Farrah Hall, who has also been seeking to overturn a jury decision from the US Olympic Trials. * From Ralph Kelley, Rockwall, TX: (re, lead story in Issue 2585) Garry Hoyt's proposals are right on! Who cares about a match race in Ynglings? I started sailing in 1940 and have been in dinghies all my life (plus some time in smaller one-design keel boats), but this will be so dull that I will watch something else. While his comments on the size of competitors needs to be understood that some sports require lightweights and some require heavyweights, his suggestions for proper TV coverage are perfect for today's reality. * From Ben Jarashow: Garry Hoyt is right; Olympic sailing should consider the visual implications of the classes chosen for inclusion in the Games. I must disagree with one major point: Speed does NOT equal excitement. In Aussie Skiffs, for TV presentation, the crashes have at times been SPED UP in replay to make them seem more exciting (unlike NASCAR, where crashes are replayed slo-mo). Among the best sailing video EVER was during the 1987 America's Cup in heavy, pig-like 12m boats. Instead, I submit that two things are exciting to all audiences: First, action: Close racing, lots of tacks & gybes, more boats on the course. Even crashes are OK, but should not be the primary reason to watch. Second, spray. A planing hull goes fast by saving energy - not generating waves. Fast, but it doesn't look fast to the untrained eye, and is especially difficult to show effectively on TV. I agree with Garry's recommendations for classes. The Moth and Kites look crazy, even on video. A-Cats are the cutting edge of the sport, and non-sailors can relate to Windsurfers. I don't think the Olympics are the place for a heavy keelboat - leave that visual presentation to AC & Volvo. I want to add one more exciting visual idea to the mix: With the most tacks & gybes on any racecourse ever, the closest racing with something always happening - Team Racing. It's incredibly exciting – non-sailors will watch until they learn the more complicated bits. * From Corky Aucreman: Right on Garry! My only difference would be to include a high performance boat that requires teamwork, which is an aspect that people understand and appreciate. That could be the 49er, what a concept. * From Charles "Butch" Ulmer: (re, banana story in #2585) This is a repeat of something I sent to Scuttlebutt years ago. Bad luck stories and superstitions about bananas are conjecture! Here are some cold, hard facts! For those of us who do or have suffered from Mal de Mer, the much maligned banana tastes as good on its way up as it does on its way down (to your stomach) and being nice and soft, it doesn't irritate your throat. Small comforts like this mean a lot when you're hanging over the leeward rail! * From Chris Dowling, Sag Harbor, NY: In regards to the superstition of carrying bananas on board, the superstition is true! For the 2004 Newport-Bermuda Race, we started on a Friday, had bananas on board, had a woman on board, and we came in second. Damn bananas! * From Tom Adams: Green boats are also bad luck, along with starting a trip on Friday. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Either the green boat voodoo is limited to the Americas, or the Europeans just don’t care because the Spanish America’s Cup team (formerly known as Desafio Espanol) seems to have embraced the color, shown here with their GP42 entry: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/08/green.jpg * From Tom Hagoort: The article (in ‘butt 2585) about the threat of small-boat terror reflects the effort of big-government advocates to use fear to expand regulation of every aspect of everyday life. Could not one say with respect to pedestrians wearing bomb vests that "While the United States has so far been spared this type of strike...., terrorists have used [pedestrians wearing bomb vests] in other countries", thereby justifying a requirement for every pedestrian to carry federal government registration? Common sense tells us that a terrorist intending to use a small boat will not be discouraged in the least by any of the requirements suggested by Homeland Security. If the atmosphere sought to be created by those at Homeland Security were to occur, the terrorists would have produced the loss of freedom they so much desire. A GREAT OFFER FROM LASERPERFORMANCE From now until June 14th, buy a Bahia, Vago or Pico and we will give you everything you need to get on the water. That’s right, “give” as in gratis, no charge, etc. So quit waiting on the dock and get out there today. Go to http://www.laserperformance.com to find out more. CURMUDGEON’S COUNSEL The best advice for teenagers is to leave home now while you still know everything. Special thanks to North Sails, Atlantis WeatherGear, and LaserPerformance. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
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