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Scuttlebutt Updates
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Archived NewslettersSCUTTLEBUTT 2642 - Monday, July 21, 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. EIGHT BELLS We are extremely saddened to note the passing of Mark Rudiger Thursday afternoon. Mark had been battling lymphoma for the last four years and had been doing well until a few months ago. Since then, he had been undergoing a treatment regimen at home. He took a turn for the worse last Monday and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors gave him only one more day. He toughed out three more. He was 53. Rudiger has navigated 14 Transpacs and two Volvo Ocean Races, the premier around-the-world race. On short notice, he guided Paul Cayard's EF Language to victory in 1997-98 and Assa Abloy to second place as co-skipper n 2001-02, and in 2005-06 he was called in again to work Legs 6 and 7 for a struggling Ericsson team. His resume also includes five Barn Door first-to-finish Transpacs, two Sydney-Hobart first-to-finish boats, and last year he was first to finish on the inaugural Daimler-Chrysler Transatlantic race. He also has sailed regularly on various ocean racers, including Sayonara, Pegasus and Genuine Risk. Mark's wife Lori sent out the following message to the many hundreds of friends Mark had in the sailing community: Dear beloved sailing family, Thank you all for your good thoughts and well wishes. After a very tough battle, Mark chose to trade in his defective body for a beautiful new form and left us this afternoon. At his son Zayle’s suggestion, we are going to light candles tonight to remember him and his amazing life energy. If you can, please join us by lighting a candle for Mark. Mark and I were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and healing energy from all of you around the world. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we love you all. Zayle and Lori Rudiger Courtesy of Latitude 38: http://xrl.us/k6zcf LEAVING THE SINKING SHIP? Swiss America's Cup holder Alinghi is to lose its CEO Michel Hodara, the man in charge of organizing not just the up-coming one-on-one defense against Larry Ellison's San Francisco-based BMW Oracle but in charge of the long-term planning of the next multi-challenge America's Cup in the event of Alinghi being successful. No replacement has been named for Hodara, who leaves to take up an offer he found too good to turn down. -- Stuart Alexander, The Independent, http://xrl.us/ngg42 OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: 19 DAYS TO GO The U.S. Olympic sailing venue made world headlines this past month - primarily because of a pesky algae problem that covered 30-percent of the race course at the satellite Olympic venue in Qingdao, 342-miles southeast of Beijing. However, local fishermen, the Chinese army and teams of volunteers cleared the spreading algae from the race course giving sailors time to re-focus and learn the ebb and flow of the tides of Pusan Bay as they get closer to competing in one of the oldest sports at the Olympic Games. -- Excerpts from a story by Laurie Fullerton posted on the U.S. Olympic Team’s website, http://teamusa.org/news/article/2619 * According to US Sailing weather forecasters, there's a 90% chance of "light air" for the event. The Chinese have added extra "reserve days" to the event's time window, in case the wind is so mild that they can't hold the race at all. There's a good chance the boats in Qingdao (pronounced ching-dow). will be moving very, very slowly during the races -- or be stopped completely, which happened in an informal training race there. What does all this mean for sailors on the U.S. Olympic team? A strict diet. Lighter sailors fare better in conditions where there is barely enough wind to propel the boats. In such cases, every tiny reduction of drag helps, and that includes extra body fat. "A lot of people are referring to their Qingdao weight," says team spokeswoman Derby Anderson. That includes Andrew Campbell, a 24-year-old racing in the Laser class. He's shed 10 pounds for the event, and is now a lean 175 -- lighter than he's ever been for sailing. Many of his Olympic teammates have shed even more, he says. "A lot of the guys look pretty emaciated." - Reed Albergotti, The Wall Steet Journal, full story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121634038670464017.html *Know the limits of your equipment is essential at an important regatta like the Olympics. To that end, US Star representatives John Dane and Austin Sperry had $10,000 training exercise this past weekend on China’s Yellow Sea. They learned that one of their brand new, never-used-before spars will break in 20 knots of breeze with gust to 25. “You might say wow that's bad, but I say that's good because we will never know if it was a fast or slow mast,” Sperry explained. ($10,000 is the cost of a new Star mast and a set of sails.) -- http://www.austinsperry.com/blog QINGDAO: REQUIRED EQUIPMENT Little or no wind. Pea soup air pollution. Trash bags lurking just under the surface. Oil slicks. Algae blooms. Heaps of money spent. Years of training. And your life’s work is to get on the podium. A new Reality Show obstacle course? No. The Olympic sailing competition in Qingdao, China. The sailors have spoken. The most important tool and piece of equipment will be Kaenon Polarized and the patented SR-91 polarized lens in purpose-built, sailing-specific lens tints. Nothing will be more in-demand than Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. Available in prescription – Single Vision or Freestyle Progressive. http://www.kaenon.com HAT TRICK FOR CAYARD? Almost a week into the 15th Pacific Cup, some of the earliest starters are preparing to hold their traditional halfway parties as they pass the 1035-miles-to-Hawaii mark. Following Sunday's standings, Paul Cayard's family performance on Hula Girl (San Francisco), moved them into first place overall. The crew sailed almost 300 miles in a single day, putting them on track to win several awards, such as the overall Pacific Cup trophy, the Division E trophy, and the Blue Water Sailing Family Trophy for "Fastest Family Afloat." Competition has grown for the Storm Trysail Club's Team Trophy, awarded to the yacht club team of three boats performing best in their divisions and overall. Currently, a team from the Richmond Yacht Club (Richmond, Calif.) leads the scoring, consisting of Mark A. Moore's Moore Havoc, Joshua Grass;' Summer Moon and Dean Treadway's Sweet Okole, all of which are doing very well in their divisions. Aboard perennial victor Cal 40 California Girl (Richmond, Calif.), a memorial will be held at the halfway party, with other boats joining in via SSB radio, for Davey Glander. Glander was an avid racer and friend to many Pacific Cup racers who passed away after the 2006 race. Glander participated in 2006 on California Girl and returned on Valis (Sausalito, Calif.). He passed away on November 17, 2007 at the age of 49. He was planning to participate this year on Valis. -- Updated official standings at http://www.PacificCup.org, which also has links to time-delayed satellite reports. YOUTH WORLDS FINALS Great Britain topped the medal table as the podium positions were decided on the final day of racing at the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Århus, Denmark. While the Volvo Trophy went to Britain, the fight for second place was a close fought one with New Zealand pipping Australia to the post with only two points separating them. On the final day of the 38th championship all the medal positions, bar the Boy’s 29er fleet, remained unchanged. In the 29er Class, Argentines Germán Billoch and Gastón Cheb Terrab won the last race of the series pushing American’s Judge Ryan and Hans Hensen down into the bronze position by a single point. Running in a close second place for most of the event, Ryan and Henken incurred a disqualification Thursday. The USA’s Luke Lawrence (Palm City, Fla.), racing in the Laser Boys’ class, had solidified second place on the second-to-last day of the event. Without a possibility of moving up or down in the 45-boat Laser fleet, Lawrence did not sail the final race. Over 250 sailors from 60 countries competed in the championship. Team Cyprus has only three competitors in the championships, making their two gold medals, one by Pavlos Kontides in the Laser and the other in the Boy’s RS:X fleet by Michalis Malekkides, even more impressive. Final Results: Laser (12 races- 2 discards) 1. CYP, Pavlos Kontides, 13 2. USA, Luke Lawrence, 32 3. NZL, Sam Meech, 40 5. CAN, Robert Davis, 64 Laser Radial (12 races - 2 discards) 1. AUS, Gabrielle King, 19 2. ESP, Susana Romero, 36 3. NZL, Cushla Hume-Merry, 44 4. CAN, Isabella Bertold, 49 9. USA, Anne Haeger, 69 29er Boys (14 races - 2 discards) 1. GBR, James Peters/ Edward Fitzgerald, 39 2. ARG, Germán Billoch/ Gastón Cheb Terrab, 50 3. USA, Judge Ryan/ Hans Henken, 51 29er Girls (14 races - 2 discards) 1. GBR, Frances Peters/ Claire Lasko, 24 2. NED, Annemiek Bekkering/ Jeske Kisters, 27 3. AUS, Hannah Nattrass/ Michelle Muller, 41 10. USA, Julia Paxton/ Karoline Gurdal, 129 RS:X Boys (11 races - 2 discards) 1. CYP, Michalis Malekkides, 26 2. GRE, Thiseas Kampas, 30 3. GER, Oliver-Tom Schliemann, 34 RS:X Girls (11 races - 2 discards) 1. ITA, Laura Linares, 14 2. POL, Maja Dziarnowska, 21 3. BRA, Patricia Freitas, 16 SL16 multihull (11 races - 2 discards) 1. FRA, Valentin Bellet/ Romain Bellet, 21 2. RSA, Matthew Whitehead/ Michael Ovenstone, 35 3. GBR, James Ellis/ Andrew Glover, 39 Final results: http://www.youthworlds2008.org/Results.aspx Daily video highlights: http://www.sailing-tv.tv/2008isafyouthworlds.html TRIBUTE TO THE GOLDEN ERA OF YACHTING Racing concluded Sunday for the first half of the New York Yacht Club's (NYYC) Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. For 53 classic yachts it was the culmination of a colorful tribute to the Golden Era of yachting that included a 100th birthday party for one of yachting's greatest and most prolific designers, Olin J. Stephens (who attended the celebration at the New York Yacht Club last night). While a fleet of historic 12 Metres raced north of the Newport Bridge, one-design classes for S Boats and 6 Metres took up some of the real estate south of the bridge for around-the-buoys racing. Four more classes of mixed designs headed off on a circumnavigation of Conanicut Island, a course famous for showing off the scenic shores of both the East and West Passages of Narragansett Bay. The sum total was spirited racing in a variety of conditions for each fleet. Joe Loughborough (Newport, R.I.) said his yacht Belle saw a good 20-22 knots at one point. -- Media Pro Int’l, full report and results: http://www.regattanews.com/event.asp?id=205 VHF AND POSITION POLLING One of the features of VHF radios in recent years is DSC. DSC enables you to send receive private messages including exchanging your position. This week’s news covers position polling (see link: http://myboatsgear.com/newsletter/2008919.asp) and how you can track your friends with DSC on your chartplotter. MyBoatsGear.com helps you find the best gear, by reviewing hundreds of boating products and bringing the best ones to you. MyBoatsGear.com stores product information for access anytime, anywhere, and organize them into 200 plus easily-accessible categories. -- http://myboatsgear.com/mbg/index.asp SAILING SHORTS * Nieuwpoort, Belgium (July 20, 2008) - Big wind forced cancellation of the final day of racing at the Laser Europeans Championship. In the final results, Tom Slingsby (AUS) topped Great Britian’s Paul Goodison by eight points to win the European Laser Standard Senior Trophy while Goodison became the European Laser Standard Senior Champion. Canada’s Michael Leigh finishing eighth in the competition. In the European Laser Radial Women's Trophy Regatta, the USA’s Paige Railey finished seventh behind winner Sari Multala (FIN). -- http://www.kycn.be/fr/laser_european_ch__2008.html * Columbia River, Cascade Locks, Oregon - Mike Martin and Jeffery Nelson have won the 30-boat 505 NAs -- scoring a six point win over Nick Adamson and crew Stephen Bourdow. Howard Hamlin and Peter Alarie took third, just three points further back. Website: www.usa505.org/usa/regattas/2008/NorthAmericans/ * Thunderstorms and variable wind conditions welcomed sailors on over 430 boats to the start of 100th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Lands’ End. A large portion of the fleet was able to pick up 8-12 knots of breeze as they made their way out of Chicago. At our distribution time, Windquest held a four-mile lead over Genuine Risk. To track the fleet, go to http://www.chicagoyachtclub.org and click on “Track the Race to Mackinac.” * With just over 3 knots of SE’ly breeze, it was the dreaded current of the Saint Lawrence River which set the tone amongst the 18 Class 40s setting out at 1500 hrs UT and the six Open 50’ trimarans and four FICOs released by the starting gun for the start of the 7th Transat Quebec Saint Malo. Setting out 30 minutes after the Class 40s, the multihulls and the FICO Classes saw themselves subjected to the same pattern. Gennakers for the multis and asymmetric spinnakers for the monohulls enabled them to contend with the current and from the outset the favorites took the lead. -- http://www.quebecsaintmalo.com/en/index.asp * Doug Kaukeinen’s perfect final day of three bullets gave him a 10 point margin of victory over Derek Jackson in second place at the Sunfish North American Championship hosted by Erie Yacht Club. . Bill Brangiforte stayed consistent and remained in 3rd overall. Donnie Martinburough’s first day of not being called over the line multiple times produced 11-2-2 results. That allowed him to sneak past Brian McGinnis by one point to end the 52-boat regatta fourth and fifth places respectively. -- http://www.sunfishclass.org/~north-americans/ * The Newport Harbor Yacht Club has won 42nd Governor's Cup international junior match racing series hosted by the Balboa YC in California. The next four places went to international entries -- 2. Cruising Yacht Club of Australia; 3. Royal Yachting Association; 4 Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron -- with the Southern Yacht Club taking fifth of the 12 entries. - http://www.balboayachtclub.com/ * Starting this past weekend and continuing through mid-August, nearly 30 young sailors and their support groups from all over the US have qualified to compete in the I-420 World Championships in Athens, Greece. Two weeks later another group will race at the Junior European Championships in Croatia. With the support of the Newport-Balboa Sailing & Seamanship Association (NBSSA), in conjunction with the California International Sailing Association (CISA) and the US I-420 Class Association, these sailors were chosen by their performance in qualifying events. Another young group will be able to compete in the UK National Championships later this summer, CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar THE 2008 SEITECH CHALLENGE IS ON!! SEITECH, innovative manufacturer of the world’s finest dollies and racks for small boats wants to see your best photo of their product in use. Email pictures of your SEITECH product in use to mailto:info@seitech.com to enter. The winner of the SEITECH challenge will receive a $300 SEITECH Gift Certificate. Challenge ends August 31st, 2008. -- http://www.seitech.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘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, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From David DeLo: Kirk Elliott's comments on Thad Jones passing bespeak all of our thoughts for those who were shipmates, friends and patients of Thad. Dr. Baja was a true unique curmudgeon who as a doctor treating me for strange reactions from rosarito lobster, rendered the following medical advice, "dumb Shit". My thoughts are he still has the record for most transpacs. * From Hans Ueli Liniger, Switzerland (re Eric Sharp’s story in ‘Butt 2641): Ease up a bit on the Swiss or we will inform the FED's about all (and I mean all) your accounts in our banks. How about that? And,whatever might go on in the courts we won the cup twice whether you like it or not. * From Tom Hart (Re comments in ‘Butt 2641): As an avid sailor and bicyclist who has sadly witnessed the effects of doping on cycling's premier event, the Tour de France, I applaud Scuttlebutt's publication of recent suspensions. Doping is a problem that will only grow unless the consequences are clearly publicized. * From Jack G. Clayton: For those that think the public outing of ISAF suspensions is bad form, I draw attention to the good ol' days of capital punishment -- a time when miscreants were punished in the public square. The motive was clear: education and deterrence. I applaud Scuttlebutt and others for shining a spotlight on those that have chosen to flagrantly ignore the rules. * From Mike Esposito (re: birthplace of the Navy -- ‘Butt 2641): The Continental Navy, which the U.S. Navy counts in its history, was established by the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, on Oct. 13, 1775. From www.history.navy.mil about the "Father of the Navy": "The importance of the sea as a highway, a source of food or a battlefield, if necessary, was well understood by the American colonists. When the Revolution came, it was a natural impulse, therefore, that many men in numerous locations would play prominent roles in the founding of a national navy. Thus, the Navy recognizes no one individual as 'Father' to the exclusion of all others. As it was the Continental Congress, convoked in Philadelphia, that created the Navy in their resolution of 13 October 1775, the members of Congress must collectively receive credit for the creation of the Continental Navy, the forerunner of the United States Navy. The various attempts to credit individual naval officers with this act are misguided, for those officers received their commissions from the very body that created the Navy in the first place. None of this, of course, detracts from the great contributions to our struggle at sea for independence made by General Washington, John Barry, John Paul Jones, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and others." With so many "fathers," it's just as impossible to name the birthplace. * From Stephen C. Kratovil: Driving around New England, New York etc; I have also noticed and wondered about the birth of the US Navy. As they say 'Success has a thousand fathers but failure is an orphan'; so I guess it's a good sign so many take credit for birth of the US Navy. I'd like to recommend to those with an interest in the US Navy an excellent book by Ian W. Toll, 'Six Frigates'; which tells the story of the founding and funding of the US Navy by Congress. Why the Barbary pirates were instrumental in this decision; the innovative design and scantlings of the ships (the use of Live Oak, which proved so integral to the reputation of 'Old Ironsides'); the politics of the decision and construction process and why these ships and the US Navy were critical in the War of 1812, which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. * From Dave Rustigian: On the three days of Long Beach Race Week I was assigned to the leeward gate on Charlie circle with Martyn Bookwalter. Martyn had with him a fishing net and a trash bag and we picked up trash whenever we had time. Without a lot of wind shifts we had a lot of time. You can get all kinds of stuff out there but the biggest offenders are the plastic store shopping bags that float just below the surface of the water looking for a water intake to get sucked up into or the plastic six pack things that wind up around the necks of some of our wild life. There is also no shortage of plastic plates and styrofoam cups either. This takes no time and you're out there anyway. All Race committee whalers and mark-set boats should be so equipped. Good-on-ya Martyn and Bruce. I don't know of a single race management person that wouldn't applaud this as a great idea. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION If you don’t think pushing 60 is hard, wait till you start dragging it. Special thanks to Kaenon Polarized, MyBoatsGear.com, and LaserPerformance. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
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