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Scuttlebutt Updates
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Archived NewslettersSCUTTLEBUTT 3143 - Wednesday, July 28, 2010Scuttlebutt 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. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: Summit Yachts, Team One Newport, and US SAILING. SURVIVING CANCER TO SAIL AGAIN At the starting line for this week's Around Long Island Regatta, many of the participating sailors will be thankful to take part in one of New York's favorite distance sailboat races. One sailor who may be the most grateful is Steve Benjamin (South Norwalk, Conn.), who underwent successful surgery for prostate cancer less than six months ago. An Olympic Silver Medalist (1984, 470 class), and lead salesman with North Sails, Benjamin is known fondly throughout the sailing community as "Benj." This month he has re-dedicated his Tripp 41 Custom as Robotic Oncology in tribute to the life-saving skills of Dr. David B. Samadi, Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mount Sinai in New York, N.Y., and will compete in the 190-mile race with an eye on winning the title. "I made Dr. Samadi a promise that if he could cure me, then I would take him sailing," said Benjamin about re-naming his boat which, until this point, was known as High Noon. "My wife Heidi and I have been campaigning High Noon since 2005. In addition to winning races, one of our missions is to help introduce juniors and new sailors to the sport. We are always training new crew and getting people sailing as much as possible. With the Robotic Oncology campaign I saw the possibility to help raise awareness of prostate cancer, and to let everyone know that the disease can be overcome." The 190-mile Around Long Island Regatta is scheduled to start Thursday, July 29 at 5pm just south of Rockaway Point, and Robotic Oncology will feature Benjamin helming while long-time friend Dennis Collins will serve as co-skipper and co-navigator with Randy Needham. The threesome won the 2008 race. Benjamin's boat Robotic Oncology narrowly missed winning the Rolex US-IRC Nationals - held July 21-24 during New York Yacht Club Race Week presented by Rolex - by less than five seconds. However, an overall second-place finish combined with a class win wasn't the real victory. The real win was getting Benjamin back into a boat. Anyone familiar with prostate surgery would say, "Surgery six months ago and he's out sailing?!" And anyone familiar with Benjamin would say, "That guy has the most positive attitude!" The successful return to the helm of a racing boat is largely credited to positive thinking by the patient and to robotic rather than "open" surgery where the recovery time is lessened. -- Scuttlebutt Forum, read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10215 SOMETHING MORE TO THINK ABOUT The great debate for the next America's Cup - monohull or multihull - just received a reminder for why multihulls are exciting. They capsize. Peter Stoneberg's Formula 40 catamaran Shadow was racing on San Francisco Bay this past weekend when the wind cranked up to 30+ knots and the catamaran capsized a mile north of the Berkeley Pier. BMW Oracle Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill (AUS) repeatedly said that a capsize of their 90-foot trimaran would have ended their campaign prior to their America's Cup Match last February. Franck Cammas (FRA), who sailed his 103-foot trimaran Groupama 3 to a new round the world record, notes how he will be more relaxed when he skippers his entry in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race because the VO 70 can't capsize. For sports fans, the possibility of disaster is often why we tune in. But when disaster means the elimination of teams, then a sporting event loses some of its meaning. After a capsize, big multihulls just don't go into the shed at night and come out race-ready the next day. And for the America's Cup, which is seeking to maintain a "made for television" schedule, losing teams during the event - an event that might not have too many teams to begin with - could be a problem. If BMW Oracle Racing is thinking about multihulls for the 34th America's Cup, Shadow's tumble during a nuclear episode on San Francisco Bay just gave them something more to think about. Could this prove to be a strike against multihulls, or a strike against SF Bay? Here is the time schedule that the defender had previously announced: - Protocol for the 34th America's Cup will be issued by 31st August - Design rule released by 30th September - Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions published by 31st December - Venue confirmed by 31st December - Challenge Period open from 1st October - 31st January 2011 Scuttleblog: http://sailingscuttlebutt.blogspot.com/2010/07/monohull-or-multihull.html SEA TRIALS IN LATE AUGUST Summit 40, number 1, the first example of the new 40 ft. IRC racer/cruisers by Summit Yachts, is entering the final assembly stage. The US built, Mark Mills designed boat will be starting sea trials in late August, and will have its public debut at the Newport International Boat Show, in September. Summit 40-001, which has been built for an experienced East Coast yachtsman, will then be shown at the Annapolis Boat Show in October. For more information on this fabulous new model, go to http://www.summit-yachts.com FROM DRIFTER TO MOUNT GAY STORM (July 27, 2010) - The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac came to a close on Tuesday, with the Race Committee remaining busy finishing all but four remaining boats last night and into the first light today. This is the first time in the last several years that almost all the boats are in and able to enjoy the Awards Ceremony and Mount Gay Rum Party held today at the Grand Hotel. The race conditions for the 102nd edition provided a bit of everything. The fleet started Saturday, July 24th on a reach in nice winds following the storm system that passed through the city. The game changed to sailing upwind, in heavy air into early Sunday. Then winds clocked to east south east, and boats were downwind reaching and running in both heavy and light air. "This was a fantastic race with our second largest fleet, and every kind of sailing imaginable -- calms with files to 25 knots on the nose," summed up Greg Freeman, Mackinac Committee Chair. "These conditions rewarded well rounded boats that were well sailed," said Ron White, Chief Measurer. "The physical conditions were also spectacular. We saw a full moonrise with a simultaneous sunset in the Manitous." Overall Winners Chicago-Mackinac Trophy: Lady K (J/110), Mike Stewart (Muskegon, MI) Mackinac Cup: Flying Jenny VI (J/122), David Askew (Annapolis, MD) Cruising Division: Intangible (Tartan 3700), Tom Falck (Chicago, IL), Multihull: Gamera (F-25C), Matt Scharl (Chicago, IL) Doublehanded: Skye (J/122), Bill Zeiler & Rich Stearns (Wilmette, IL) NOTE: Both the Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division (smaller boats) and the Mackinac Cup Division (larger boats) are for racing monohulls, with all the racing monohull entrants divided by their ORR rating into either the 'smaller boat' or 'larger boat' division for the purpose of overall honors. All fleets sail the same 333 mile course, with the Cruising fleet starting last Friday while all other fleets started on Saturday. Event website: http://www.cycracetomackinac.com QUOTE / UNQUOTE "To be top in 470 you have to be very special, you need unique abilities and then you build your skills. If you look at all the top coaches in the world, of the top 50 half of them work in the 470. The boat is perfect, but the family, the people, the coaches, the athletes, they are so brilliant. In the Finn maybe three are good. In the Laser maybe eight of them are good. In the Star a lot of them are stars, but not all of them are good. In the 470 to be good, if you are top 15 in the world, you are almost an Olympic medalist. This is a university of sailing. If you are good in the 470, you are good in all classes."-- Victor Kovalenko, Australian Olympic team Head Coach, who has contributed to the winning of five Gold and three Bronze Medals. Full story in The Daily Sail: http://www.thedailysail.com/dinghy/10/56165/victor-kovalenko-interview SAILING SHORTS * New England's Bill Brangiforte won the 2010 Sunfish North American Championship amid the 87-boat fleet at Mattituck, NY July 23-25. Sailing with bad tendonitis in his left elbow - an injury that forced him to withdraw from several recent regattas, including the Worlds in June - Brangiforte modified his steering, tacking and sheeting styles to minimize the pain.-- Full story: http://www.sunfishclass.org/newengland/blog/?page_id=606 * San Pedro, CA (July 25, 2010) - This past weekend 30 of the best young and older skiff sailors came to "Hurricane Gulch" to experience the 29er Nationals. The unique 29er class format allows the over 19's and junior's to compete side by side and together all in one fleet. David Liebenberg and Max Fraser retained the National Champions Crown, with the Junior National Champion title won by Hans and Sterling Henken and the top Female team was Helena Scutt and Katie Cenname. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10214 * Russ Silvestri and his crew John Collins, Julie Papanek, and Holt Conbon last weekend travelled from San Francisco to Marblehead, Mass for the 164-boat Sperry Top-Sider Marblehead NOOD, winning the Sonar class and the overall title, earning an invitation to compete in the NOOD Championship in the B.V.I. in November. Silvestri, who is relatively new to the Sonar class, was using the event to get up to speed for an upcoming qualification series for the New York Yacht Club's biennial Invitational Cup regatta. Silvestri will be representing St. Francis Yacht Club. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/2b9mkxz * Youngstown, NY (July 25, 2010) - The Youngstown Level Regatta fielded a fleet of 177 boats, providing 25 classes for IRC, PHRF, One Design, and Multihull racing. The Beneteau 36.7 had the largest fleet with 16 boats, which was won by local Bob Hesse and his team on 'Lake Effect'. -- Details: http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=311 * Middelburg, Netherlands (July 27, 2010) - Dutch judges on Tuesday gave the green light for a teenage girl's bid to become the youngest person to sail around the world solo, thwarting a bid to have her kept in child care. Child care authorities asked the court last week to extend 14-year-old Laura Dekker's supervision by 12 months to August 2011 in a bid to stop her departure, citing fears for her social and emotional wellbeing. Dekker, who has the backing of her parents, needs to complete the two-year trip before she turns 17 on September 20, 2012, to set the new record. -- AFP, full report: http://tinyurl.com/27kz6gd * La Salle, MI (July 27, 2010) - The 2010 Thistle U.S. National Championship is underway at North Cape Yacht Club, with Andy Gunkler, Ryan Kyle & Kate Gladieux claiming the Junior title over 13 teams, while Nicole Shedden, Joy Martin & Sarah Paisley bested 7 teams for the Women's crown. The championship qualifying series for the 100 boat fleet finished today, with Mike Ingham (Rochester, NY) leading the field into the championship series on Wednesday through Friday. -- Event website: http://tinyurl.com/29mh8ss * Valencia, Spain (July 27, 2010) - Small jibs and loose boom vangs were the order of the day as the RC 44 Valencia Cup got underway in a pumping sea breeze gusting to 20 knots. After seven flights and 28 match races were completed, the field was led by Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis (w/ skipper Terry Hutchinson) at 6-0. Three other teams finished the day with 4-1 records including Russell Coutts and the BMW ORACLE Racing team, Cameron Appleton's Team Aqua and James Spithill's 17. The match racing portion of the event concludes Wednesday, with the fleet racing portion scheduled for Friday through Sunday. -- Full story: http://www.rc44.com/en/regattas/news/index.php?idContent=2394 HEY SCUTTLEBUTT ~ CELEBRATE SUMMER WITH FREE SHIPPING! This summer has been a hot and sunny one, and Team One Newport wants to help you protect your eyes with Kaenon sunglasses and your skin with ZBlok sunscreen. Get FREE UPS GROUND SHIPPING on any order over $100 or more, through August 8, 2010! Put SSB25 in the Search Box and add it to your shopping cart! Visit the Team One Newport website or call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) to get all the sailing gear you need from Kaenon, Musto, Henri-Lloyd, Gill, Atlantis, Slam, Dubarry & MANY MORE! Team One Newport - Celebrating 25 Years As The Foul Weather Gear Experts! -- http://www.team1newport.com LETTERS AND FORUM Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, 'The Curmudgeon'). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Andy Roy (re: Etiquette in sailing/cycling) Here's one from the Canadian Laser Masters Championship held on Sturgeon Lake, Ontario this past weekend. In an early race I rounded in the lead and was holding on approaching the leeward mark when Al Clark, well known sailor and racing coach from Vancouver, was (as usual) smokin' downwind. As we hit the three boat length circle, it looked like he nabbed the overlap on me. I said, "I think you've got it, Al," and he replied, "No, you take it." "You sure?" "I insist", he said. He passed me up the next leg anyhow, and went on to win the event. In a subsequent race, Al rounded the top mark in the lead and bore off on to a run having forgotten about the short spacer reaching leg. Greg Tawastjerna rounded a few lengths behind and immediately shouted at Al to remind him about the spacer mark. These are the type of exchanges that make Masters Laser racing pretty cool. => Curmudgeon's Comment: Yep, this is the same Andy Roy that placed second at the 1982 World Laser Championship and won a silver medal for Canada in the Laser Class at the 1983 Pan American Games. * From David Munge: (re, Longshot v Hydroptere) Not wishing to diminish in any way the efforts of the Longshot team, but I was recently witness to Hydroptere sailing off Cowes in England. She had arrived in the UK having sailed, on her own floats, from her base in France, and was on route to Kiel in Germany. This was no delicate, fragile yacht, but a fully fledged normal boat. In 25 knots of breeze she sailed, back and forth, between the Island and the main land in 25 knot South Westerly sea conditions comfortably reaching boat speeds of 42 knots. No fuss, no stress, with passengers on board, the crew walking around the deck trampolines chatting to each other. As your report says she currently holds the world sailing speed record at nearly 52 knots. She is an outstanding successful yachting development. * From Richard Clark: Eric Camiel hit it on the head (in Scuttlebutt 3142): "What is missing, however, and what is uniquely available in sailing coverage are the shots that tell the story of the people, what they are thinking, feeling, doing as athletes and as individuals during the race." To me the America's Cup is like Golf or a game of Chess. It is a mind game, not a speed game. If Multi Hulls are used, there goes the Cup in my book. It's about the people. The sailors, designers, builders, the ego's, politics and dare I say Nation Fervor. Bring back national teams with 50% national crews and a national skipper. The great America's Cups were simply that. Rooting for Dennis and the USA. Rooting for John and the Aussies. Russell and the Kiwis. And on it goes. I have been film editing for years and worked on a couple of Sid Fisher projects way back when. It's the people, the personalities. The personality can also include the boat. Multi Hulls have the Little America's Cup. Just my thoughts as I watch multiple films in the NZ Film Fest and am drawn to great scripts, great directors with stories well told. The less fx driven films are the most lasting. The same goes with yachts.. * From Keith Logan: If BMOR is looking at making AC sailing more appealing to the masses via TV coverage, then their team should look at the way cricket, once a very boring sport to watch, has been revitalised through clever camera's and very informed commentators. => Curmudgeon's Comment: Amen! Each summer I am drawn to Versus for the Tour de France, which in part is due to the broadcast team. While the scenery and camera angles are wonderful, it is the commentators and production team that keep the broadcast audience engaged during the 100+ mile stages. * From Paul V. Oliva: (re, reports from the RC 44 Valencia Cup) I find it somehow sad and disappointing that wind at 16-18 knots with gusts to 20 knots is considered "strong wind." Sure, the feeling of wind is all relative. If you're used to 10 knots, 20 is certainly big wind; if you've been trapped for a couple of days in 40 knots or more, well 20 knots feels positively light. SF Bay sailing does calibrate one's personal anemometer at the high end. But do the majority of racers really consider 20 knots extraordinary? Here is Tuesday's report from the RC 44 Valencia Cup: http://www.rc44.com/en/regattas/news/index.php?idContent=2394 * From John Holmberg, St. Thomas, VI: Day four of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games Sailing venue in Boqueron (Puerto Rico) - full moon over the Western point of this usually quiet town brings us to another day of sailing. J/24, Hobie 16 and RSX Male and Female on the farther course and the Snipe, Laser, Laser Radial and Sunfish on the near course. The beaches are quiet as we leave for the tow out and packed to the brim when we return. Christmas in July ends today (Tuesday) and the crowds of well wishing party families will be missed tomorrow on our lay day. Winds had been consistent as they build on the daily thermal on the SW tip of Puerto Rico and Monday they teased us out to the water and away from the beach goers with their portable "reggaeton" blasters the size of a cooler and mounted on wheels... only to disappoint us by either not showing up or swinging all over the place. Lay day scheduled Wednesday and final day of racing on Thursday July 29. Results and info at http://www.mayaguez2010.com/ SAILING RULES ON ANDROID The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012 is now available on Android phones through the Android Market. This is also available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.SM through the App Store. Now the rules are in the palm of your hand, no matter where you are for $5.99, http://media.ussailing.org/RulesApp.htm CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the sea." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French poet Special thanks to Summit Yachts, Team One Newport, and US SAILING. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
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