Living in the Scuttlebutt World

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
While not ready for the new year to begin, it is here and so am I. Hard to move on from the holidays, though I need to move on from the accrued pounds. My 2024 resolution is moderation… wish me luck.

This begins my 22nd year at the helm of Scuttlebutt, which means I am both old and wise. I prefer the latter though the mirror is lying less these days. But as the Curmudgeon once said, “Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.”

While the newsletter distribution has been on break, the website has been busy with a lot of the focus on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The event organizers are facing the drama that occurs every four years, and the athlete selection is a moment of truth like none other. Look for the water to be boiling in Miami as the USA hosts its Olympic Trials.

Speaking of old, Ben Ainslie – the most successful sailor in Olympic history – has handed off the wheel of his SailGP team to double gold medalist Giles Scott, ten years his junior. But the question has to be asked… why not promote team strategist and the most successful female sailor in Olympic history, Hannah Mills? Opportunity missed?

For those that like their racing to include bad meals and poor accommodations, the Sydney Hobart Race is how the Aussies spend their holidays. Funny to think that I was onboard the overall winner when it was locally launched in 2006. Those Reichel-Pugh boats last forever… I pray my handicap is as generous.

Of course, if you want real suffering, there are also transatlantic and round the world races either in the queue or underway. But as Martha Parker from Team One Newport reminds me, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad sailing gear.”

Speaking of cold, with the temperature in the low 60s°F in San Diego, I will be off the water and fully focused on being more ready for January next week which begins with the College Football National Championship between Michigan and Washington. Go game!