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Scuttlebutt Updates
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Archived NewslettersSCUTTLEBUTT 2802 - Tuesday, March 17, 2009Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors,providing a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Today's sponsors are Team One Newport and North U. AMERICAN SAILING TEAM ANNOUNCED Portsmouth, R.I. (March 16, 2009) -- US SAILING has announced the new 2009 US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) which begins the journey for the Olympic Sailing Program towards the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth/Portland, England. “We’re excited about the new team because we’ve never had this many Olympic and Paralympic sailors return this early in the quad, which is a sign we’re delivering more support to the sailors,” said Olympic Sailing Chairman Dean Brenner. “We’re also excited to see a new generation of talented sailors dedicated to Olympic excellence.” The top ranked member in each event is: Olympic Classes Laser (Men’s One Person Dinghy): Brad Funk Laser Radial (Women’s One Person Dinghy): Anna Tunnicliffe Finn (Heavyweight Dinghy): Zach Railey Men’s RS:X (Men’s Windsurfer): Ben Barger Women’s RS:X (Women’s Windsurfer): Farrah Hall Men’s 470 (Men’s Two Person Dinghy): Stu McNay/Graham Biehl Women’s 470 (Women's Two Person Dinghy): Erin Maxwell/Isabelle Kinsolving 49er (Skiff): Erik Storck/Trevor Moore Star (Men’s Keelboat): George Szabo/Rick Peters Elliott 6m (Women’s Match Racing): Genny Tulloch/Jen Morgan Glass/Jamie Haines Paralympic Classes 2.4mR (Open One Person Keelboat): John Ruf SKUD-18 (Mixed Two Person Keelboat): Scott Whitman/Julia Dorsett Sonar (Open Three Person Keelboat): Paul Callahan/Roger Cleworth/Tom Brown Complete announcement: http://linkbee.com/JKQ3 ONE RACE, TWO VERY DIFFERENT SPONSORSHIP PHILOSOPHIES Sponsors of the Vendée Globe winner Michel Desjoyeaux and fourth placed Samantha Davies, Foncia (real estate services) and Roxy (female action sportswear), had very different sponsorship objectives for their respective campaigns. Yet both sponsors have enjoyed significant returns from their investments, and provide details of their campaigns within the latest newsletter of the World Yacht Racing Forum: WYRF: Why did you choose to sponsor a boat in such an extreme race as the Vendée Globe? Julien Benoist, Foncia: “The ‘extreme’ aspect of the race is just one of its ingredients. More important for us is the fact that it is the biggest race in terms of participants, public and media; it is also one of the most competitive. Our involvement in the Vendée Globe with Michel Desjoyeaux is a consequence of the disappearance of the ORMA multihull class. The Vendée Globe provides a great visibility in a very competitive environment.” Maritxu Darrigrand, Roxy: “We decided to get involved in the Vendée Globe because nearly every offshore sailor dreams of competing in this race; it is the Everest of sailing and it was a natural decision that we decided to do it with Samantha Davies. This was a new challenge for us, triggered by our love for the Oceans, the respect for the nature, the sportive challenge, the taste for adventure and travelling, and the interest for outdoor sport…” Complete report: http://worldyachtracingforum.com/downloads/wyrf_press_release-1236942754.pdf RULES QUESTION True or false, unless the Sailing Instruction says otherwise, a boat can always throw-out its worse score of a series. (see Answer below) GET YOUR POT OF GOLD... Happy St Patrick's Day from Team One Newport. For all you Leprechauns out there, it's your lucky week! You get FREE GROUND SHIPPING on your orders of $150 or more. And there is a huge pot of savings on the SPECIALS page. So, be quick as a bunny (Easter's coming!) and visit http://www.team1newport.com and have fun! Be sure to type in SSBFS in the Search box to get this offer. This offer ends on March 24th. Or call us at 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) 8am - 5pm EST for any questions!! FURIOUS FIFTIES IN FULL FORCE (Mar. 16, 2009; Day 31) - As the fleet heads down to 54 degrees south, barreling towards the Cape Horn scoring gate only 223 nm away, and expected to make the turn on Tuesday. Here are a few comments from the field: * Ian Walker, Green Dragon skipper: “It’s been a fairly brutal 48 hours with winds consistently over 30 knots made up of cold air from the south. Add to this some very confused seas and it has been a perfect recipe for breaking boats, masts, sails and people. We sailed a slightly conservative line to avoid the peak winds of the low pressure and have throttled back on several occasions as the slamming of the hull became intolerable. This will cost us precious miles, particularly as we are first to fall off of the system, but it is a decision I am happy with. Deep in the Southern Ocean 1000 miles from anywhere is not the place for hoisting the 'hero' flag.” -- Full story: http://linkbee.com/JKQ5 * Jules Salter, Ericsson 4 navigator: “The guys who are regularly on deck are showing signs of wear and tear from the constant salt spray and cold. People are tired as we have been at sea for four weeks now and the freeze dried diet and Chinese snacks don't really cut it in the energy stakes, especially as rations have been thinned as this leg will probably run its full 40 day course. This is when the crews dig deep to keep it all together in boat and people-breaking conditions.” -- Full story: http://linkbee.com/JKQ6 * Kenny Read, PUMA skipper: “We had a few good scheds in a row and I went to the bunk to catch a few minutes. When I woke, I looked up at the instrument panel in front of me at the nav station to see 43 knots of breeze. Yikes, here we go. I went to the hatch and asked how everything was on deck and the boys looked reasonably in control. Next thing you know we were skidding on our side a bit and I heard the flapping of the headsail. The boat came back down and the next thing I hear is ‘Kenny, grab this!’ And through the hatch comes half the steering wheel. I think this is the part where I throw in the ‘and the wheels were certainly coming off’ phrase.” -- Full story: http://linkbee.com/JKQ7 Crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Leg Five from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janiero, Brazil is 12,300 nm, with the finish estimated on March 20th. Current positions (as of Mar. 16, 10:15 PM GMT): 1. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 2,475 nm Distance to Finish 2. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 50 nm Distance to Leader 3. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 181 nm DTL 4. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 267 nm DTL 5. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 803 nm DTL Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, Did Not Start Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, DNS Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, DNS Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com SAILING FITNESS: BOWMAN ROUTINE The Bowman is responsible for making sure sail changes go smoothly, jibing the spinnaker pole, organizing and running the front end of the boat. The training will be structured as if we are training to be a gymnast or rock climber. Flexibility, lightning speed, agility, balance and strength will be needed to be effective while under pressure, anticipating the next move. Apart from a strong cardiovascular program, we can work on various exercises that can help. A few of my favorites are: * Squat thrust/Shoulder press: It’s a great exercise that challenges the heart rate, incorporates many different exercises all in one (synergistic) and will challenge the best athletes. This exercise can be intensified by first pre exhausting the arms and legs. * Rows: These can be done one arm or two. Adding a Bosu ball or Stability ball will assist in working the core (Throw in Pullups, as many as possible). * Circuit Training: This is a fantastic way to train. Basically you move from exercise to exercise every 30 seconds. The workout takes about 30 minutes and can be done with the crew or alone. Intensity will be increased or decreased depending upon routine chosen. * Plyometrics: This helps with explosive power and speed. * Agility ladders, cones, exer-band harness: Speed, balance and agility training. Read on: http://na.northsails.com/tabid/12808/Default.aspx SAILING SHORTS * The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has announced the lineup of skippers who will contest the Grand Final of the 2009 ISAF Nations Cup, to be held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 23-28 March. The ISAF Nations Cup is a global competition to find the world’s top match racing nation and develop match racing infrastructure around the world. Representing North America will be Dave Perry (USA) and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA). -- Full story: http://www.sailing.org/27561.php * Fifty-five entrants attended the 2009 Sunfish International Masters Championship, hosted by Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, FL on March 12-15. Past 3-time world champion Donnie Martinborough from the Bahamas, a youngster in the event, won both the 40-49 year category and the overall title. In second was Tom Whitehurst, who won the 50-59 year group. Other group winners were Joe Blouin (60-69 yr) and Dick Tillman (70-79 yr). -- Results: http://diyc.org/resultsdetail.asp?ResultID=735 * The 2009 Annapolis to Newport Race will start June 5th, the 62nd anniversary of the race, and will be co-hosted by Annapolis Yacht Club and New York Yacht Club. Run in odd years, the Notice of Race is now available online, with this edition to offer racing in IRC, PHRF, and Double-Handed divisions. The course is 473 nautical miles from Annapolis to Castle Hill Light House at the entrance to the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The record time for the race is held by Joseph Dockery's Farr 60 Carrera, which in 2001 finished the course in 42 hours, 58 minutes, 12 seconds. -- Details: http://v009u07qap.maximumasp.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=46 * (Zurich, Switzerland) - UBS AG has announced it will replace three members of its board of directors as part of a wave of changes to top management at Switzerland's largest bank. Among those stepping down are billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, who has been a board member for seven years, and is head of the Team Alinghi yachting syndicate which has won the last two America’s Cups. UBS was a principle sponsor for Alinghi during both campaigns. -- IHT, full story: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/16/business/EU-Switzerland-UBS.php * The sixth Vendée Globe began for 30 entrants on November 9th 2008, was won by Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia February 1st, with the final entrant, Austrian Norbert Sedlacek, bringing the race to an end 42 days later on March 15th 2009. A brief summary of the major race events has been posted on the event website: http://linkbee.com/JKQ8 * The organizers of the Tour de France à la Voile had presented last November the specifications for a new boat that would replace the current Farr 30 (ex Mumm 30) from the 2011 race onwards. After receiving 23 proposals from 9 different countries (Spain, France, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Turkey and USA), three projects have now been shortlisted, with designs by Jacques Valer, Russel Coutts/Andrej Justin, and Joubert Nivelt Design. -- Valencia Sailing, full report: http://linkbee.com/JKQ9 EIGHT BELLS Eric Schlageter, who had been battling brain cancer, passed away in San Diego, CA on March 15, 2009. Eric’s trail began in the Midwest, passed through the notable naval architectural school of the University of Michigan with the likes of Bruce Nelson, Bill Tripp, John Reichel, and Brendan Dobroth, and then began a yacht design firm with Scott Graham that stood MORC and handicap yachting on its ear for most of the 70’s and 80’s. When IOR and MORC began to fade, Eric was approached by his friend Bruce Nelson to join SAIC and head up their Americas’s Cup Velocity Prediction Program. In early 1990, Eric moved to San Diego to take the position, where his Cup involvement included working for Team Dennis Conner in ’92, the Young America syndicate in ’95, Paul Cayard’s America One team in ’00, and the OneWorld syndicate in ’03. Details on Eric’s memorial service were not available at press time. Additional information on Eric can be found in a story Scuttlebutt published in July 2004: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/04/Schlageter STILL GOING US Sailing Rules Seminars are headed to Rye, Charleston, Seattle, Vermillion, Duluth, Wickford and beyond... Presented by North U., the seminars include a Racing Rules Workbook created by Dave Perry and cover all the rules - new and old - and take the myth and mystery out of the rules so racers understand their rights (and obligations) in any situation. US Sailing members save $40. Check the schedule and sign up by calling North U at 800-347-2457 or 203-245-0727, or by visiting http://www.NorthU.com RULES ANSWER Regarding how events are scored, Apendix A2 in the Racing Rules of Sailing says that unless the Sailing Instruction says otherwise, each boat's series score shall be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score. However, even if one or more throw-outs are allowed, you cannot always throw-out your worst score. Some scores are not excludable. These include being DSQ'd for breaking Rule 2 (Fair Sailing), Rule 30.3 (Black Flag), Rule 42 (Propulsion), or Rule 69 (Gross Misconduct). If you break one of these rules, you are stuck with it. (Be aware that there are additional "what ifs" in the referenced rules, but space does not allow coverage of all the details of this topic. Check the appropriate rules for details.) -- Courtesy of Southern Bay Racing News You Can Use 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 be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Brian Gleason, Charlotte Harbor, FL: I just got out of a meeting with yacht club officers, veteran racers and race officials, tourism development officials and local media reps and all signs point to an early March 2010 Charlotte Harbor Regatta for multiple one-design fleets (Melges, Flying Scot, Sunfish, Corsair, Colgate, J-22, etc.) and mixed-fleet handicap races over a 4-5-day stretch in Feb.-March 2010. Charlotte Harbor, on Florida's Gulf Coast, is the second largest harbor in the state. It lies about halfway between St. Pete and Naples. In 2004 SAIL magazine named it one of the 10 greatest places to sail in the United States. It has hosted the Olympic Soling trials and the Olympic windsurfer trials as well as many one-design races, including the Sunfish midwinters. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7193 * From Dick Neville: Steve Eliasen (‘Butt 2801) has figured it out. The new kids want to have fun and the O’pen BIC is simply more fun than the antiquated Opti or Sabot. With all due respect to the International Opti Class and their fabulous success, I think European clubs are buying O’pen BIC’s. When I ask Junior sailing program leaders about getting some here in the States, I get a strange look - like “how dare you suggest a boat could be more fun than an Opti?”. Again, not to offend, but we need to be progressive to get more kids on the water. If the O’pen BIC does it. Let’s get some in our junior programs. * From George Backhus: (re, story in #2801) Airline pilots used to joke "I don't know why we bother checking the weather-we're going anyway." It sounds to me like container ship captains have the same carefree attitude about sailing into the teeth of a tropical cyclone. Do these guys ever wait for a storm to pass, or divert away from or run from potentially dangerous situation? It would seem that losing a couple dozen containers and spilling oil and haz-chems along a pristine coastline are just something for the insurance company to worry about. When will the skippers and CEO's of the shipping companies be held personally accountable for anything other than maintaining the schedule? I find it difficult to believe that the recent situation near Brisbane is anything but poor seamanship. * From Dan Chesson: (re, letters in #2801)I see you've gotten quite the business from fans of British aviation. However, Jim Champ lists the A-10 Warthog as a British aircraft, when it is in fact 100% American. It was conceived and built for the USAF by Fairchild-Republic. * From Zorana Jelenak: Currently the QuikSCAT (Ocean Surface Winds Derived from the SeaWinds Scatterometer) satellite is in its 10th year of operations and so far we do not have plans for its successor. I am trying to document how useful QuikSCAT data is to its users. With a group of dedicated QuikSCAT followers we managed to show impacts of QuikSCAT on NWS weather forecast and warning products but we are really interested to understand how this product is actually used in real life situations. Web link to QuikSCAT: http://manati.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/quikscat/ Is the racing community using QuikSCAT winds and finding them useful? If you have any examples of how QuikSCAT winds help you make different decision that would be very helpful. If you have any plots that show your routes and you can point to where you made decisions to change direction due to info you got from QuikSCAT, that would be of enormous value. All experiences are important, positive and negative too, it helps us improve on a product when possible. We are posting ASCAT data on our web page too. ASCAT is the scatterometer on a European satellite and also provides wind vectors but over a smaller swath area than QuikSCAT. ASCAT has two 500km wide swaths with 700km gap in between. Accuracy of ASCAT winds relative to QuikSCAT is comparable between 4-16 m/s. For higher winds ASCAT tends to underestimate wind speed intensities. Web link to ASCAT winds: http://manati.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/ascat/ Please send your comments to mailto:Zorana.Jelenak@noaa.gov CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “You live and learn. Or you don't live long.” - Robert A. Heinlein Special thanks to Team One Newport and North U. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
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