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SCUTTLEBUTT 3786 - Friday, March 1, 2013Scuttlebutt 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: North U and UsedBoatEquipment.com PAUL CAYARD: FULL COURT PRESS Following their recent tuning sessions with America's Cup defender Oracle Team USA, Swedish challenger Artemis Racing announced they had halted their AC72 sailing program and would be proceeding with modifications to the boat. Considering that Artemis Racing is the only team that does not have a fully foiling boat, it was time to check in with team CEO Paul Cayard. Here's what Paul shared with Scuttlebutt's Craig Leweck: ------------------------------------------------------------- Sailing against Oracle was a full-scale verification that we needed to make some pretty big changes, and that's what we are doing. We are taking it on. The good news is that we learned this in February and not in July. So we have some time to react. But we need to commit more to foiling. When discussing foiling, it is important to understand that it is not black and white. It is a spectrum, and what we are really saying when we say 'foiling' is that we are reducing displacement of the boat. The lifting occurs through the foils on the rudder and the daggerboard design. On a spectrum between zero and the full weight of the boat, a fully foiling boat is lifting the full weight of the boat. Our boat had J boards, and while they lift a percentage of our displacement, they do not lift all of it. The game of foiling is trading off the drag associated with the boards. The fully foiling boats use L boards, but both the surface area of these boards, and the tightness of the L board angle, create more drag than the J board. However, they also cause more lift. So each team's design tools predicted what the cost of the drag would be, and what the benefit of the lift would be, and it is fair to say that we got it wrong. So now we are reacting. Our team has come together, and is fully committed to tackling this issue full on. Some of the aspects of the L boards that we will need to discover is their impact on maneuverability and downspeed acceleration. This had been a concern of ours, but our experience training with Oracle Team USA is that their L boards didn't' seem to be much of a hindrance, if any. This factored in our decision to make the modifications to our boats. In parallel, we are converting an AC45 to begin training sooner on a fully foiling boat. This will help fill the gap as our second boat is still a few months away, so this will give us a training platform for March. The end game is to be race ready by the start of the challenger trials in July and that's where we are headed. As for our changes, it is fair to say that we are going to be building a fully foiling boat. This will require a redesign of our boards and board cases, and rudders. It is a complete package once you go down that road. Boat #1 is now in the shed for three weeks, but we are doing work in some other areas, and are eager to get back on the water. It will not be a fully foiling boat when we re-launch. To fully convert this boat would keep us off the water for too long. However, our second boat will now have a fully foiling package. The boat was already designed with greater foiling lift, and was very close to having full foiling ability. We called it skimming, wherein it was expected to lift roughly 80% of the hull's displacement, meaning the hull is barely touching the water. But now that boat will have full foiling ability, though we will retain both full foil and skimming options to test. The changes will slightly delay the boat's schedule, but we still expect to be sailing it by the end of May. Obviously we are a little behind the eight ball on the foiling aspect of the AC72, but we have a sailing team that is suited as well as any other team to take on the challenge. I have been so impressed with our helm Nathan Outteridge, who mastered the foiling Moth to win their Worlds, and then to win the gold medal in the 49er skiff at the 2012 Games. In all the discussions we've had, he has been exceedingly confident in addressing these design needs now rather than use the time on the water. He believes the sailing team will figure it all out when the boat is ready. -------------------------- Part 2 of this interview will be in the Monday edition of Scuttlebutt. Video: http://tinyurl.com/GoZags-022813 ISLER ON EXPEDITION The Information Age is changing the way we race. Learn how Expedition Software will make you faster, smarter, and safer at the North U Expedition Webinar. Expedition Expert Peter Isler will lead intro and advanced on-line webinars. Learn how to integrate GRIB Wind Forecasts, Boat Polars, Course and Navigation info to optimize your racing performance; then learn how to analyze your log file to improve your performance for the next race. FREE Expedition software trials, special Expedition package pricing with the Webinar, and a whole new way of racing await you at http://www.northu.com MARCH MADNESS While the focus of the U.S. in March swings toward the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship (Go Zags!), the four America's Cup teams must continue on their path toward the 34th Match. Here's what the teams have planned for March: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Oracle Team USA (USA), Defender - The team will now balance AC45 training with sailing the AC72. The team is modifying two AC45s to resemble the AC72, and these will be relaunched after undergoing their metamorphosis. And on the AC72, training and testing continues, including work on crew maneuvers and sailing technique. Tom Slingsby will take the helm for the team at the upcoming America's Cup World Series in Naples, Italy, from April 16-21. It will mark the first regatta in which the Olympic gold medalist will skipper an AC45. The crew in Naples will also feature San Newton (wing trimmer), Kinley Fowler (jib trimmer), Rome Kirby (runner) and Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (bowman). ---------------- Artemis Racing (SWE), Challenger of Record - March is all about change for Artemis Racing. We learned a lot training on San Francisco Bay with Oracle Team USA in February and will be taking some time to modify our AC72 before heading back out to the race course at the end of March. From Valencia to Alameda, it is going to be a full team effort, but we are enthusiastic about what is to come. Preparations are underway for the next ACWS in Naples in April. Containers are being loaded and shipped overseas while the AC45 is being rebranded after returning from the RBYAC event. Fans can expect a new crew lineup for this event to be announced in mid-March. The team is actively sailing its AC45's, F18's, and Moths to get the most on the water time possible. Artemis racing design members and boat builders in Valencia are working away on boat two. ---------------- Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Challenger - There's a lot to be done in the six weeks that remain before starting the base pack-up in Auckland for the migration to San Francisco. The summer weather is still holding and it could continue for several more weeks - great for the sailing programme, but not so good for a nation on the edge of drought that relies on its agriculture to earn its way in the world. Except for the 90-minute launch and retrieve exercise involving 35 people at the beginning and end of each day, sailing the AC72 is becoming almost as routine as it was in the monohulls. Breakages on the second boat, as they were on the first, have been remarkably few and of little consequence. This has allowed the team to be sailing three or four days a week, gathering a great deal of across-the-board performance data and helping the crew's familiarity with the boat and knowledge of systems. Every sailing day the team has two or three guest racers on board - a mix of media and local identities, Auckland Mayor Len Brown being the most recent. Back on shore, guest racers' talk up the "wow" factor. Sailors and non-sailors alike remark on the 72's stability even in the upper wind ranges. It's a day they will never forget. A guest racer spot and is proving to be a reliable marketing tool for a commercial America's Cup team. ---------------- Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 (ITA), Challenger - This will be the final full month for the team's training in Auckland. As the team only will be building one AC 72, the plan for March is to continue with the sports and technical development of their boat. The team will be sending two AC45s to the AC World Series in April, helmed by Chris Draper and Francesco Bruni. During this time the team's AC 72 will be transported to San Francisco for training to resume in May. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Scuttlebutt will be providing a monthly summary for each of the four America's Cup teams through to the Louis Vuitton Cup (July 7-Aug 31) and the 34th Match (Sept 7-23): http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=15054 SAILING SHORTS * The Coast Guard, already squeezed by dwindling resources, will be deeply affected by sequestration. Commandant Adm. Robert J. Papp said it goes against the Coast Guard's culture to admit it can't do more with less, but he is encouraging his units to do just that, the Navy Times reported. Papp was speaking specifically about the effects of sequestration, the government-wide spending cuts set to go into effect on Friday if Congress does not take action. -- Soundings, full report: http://tinyurl.com/TOT-022813 * Forget what's going on in Washington, March 2nd is an important date for those interested in getting a discount on the entry fees for the 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race coming this July. This prestigious 2225-mile LA to Honolulu race run since 1904 continues to attract the entire spectrum of offshore sailors, from sailing adventurers on their first crossing to those experienced speedsters seeking to win the fabled first-to-finish Barn Door Trophy. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=15261#15261ml * Tampa, FL (February 28, 2013) - Allan Terhune of Arnold, MD helmed Dazzler to the lead on the first day of the J/22 Midwinter Championship in Tampa, Florida. Ideal conditions greeted competitors from 15 teams at Davis Island Yacht Club, with breeze starting at 6 knots and building all day to 16, under sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s. Four races were completed, and Terhune notched a line of 3,1,4,1 for 9 overall points. Chris Doyle's The Jug 4 1 trails by two points, and Casey Lambert's Blackburn Marine Racing holds the third position with 15 points. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=15260 * (February 28, 2013) - The International Lightning Class Association has announced the two grant recipients of its 2013 Boat Grant program. Mitch Hall (24) and his team of Ali Blumenthal and Brooks Clark are from Charleston, SC and will be sailing with the Charleston Fleet. Also chosen was Colin Smith (22) of Fort Lauderdale, FL and his team of Fred Strammer from Sarasota, FL and Lucas Adams of Middletown, RI are or were all members of the Brown University sailing team. The team will be based out of Boston, MA and will be racing in most of the east coast regattas this summer. - Details: http://www.lightningclass.org/racing/boatGrant/2013/pressrelease2.asp PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include one leg hiking, two hull flying, toe touching, rodeo skills, DFL and loving it, perfect gift, artful branding, and the Home of the America's Cup. Here are this week's photos: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/13/0301/ Bonus Photos: * From Leighton O'Connor: "Not a bad day for the Gill Commodore's Cup today (Feb. 28) on St Maarten in the Caribbean. There was 10-12 knots of breeze, 2-3 foot seas, clear skies and lots of turquoise water. I took a couple thousands images and edited them down to neat little video about 4 minutes long. Enjoy: http://youtu.be/ng4oFlHBqyo SEND US YOUR PHOTOS: If you have images to share for the Photos of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com FIND THE BEST EQUIPMENT DEALS HERE Boat dealers, like many of us, have boat equipment sitting idle. Owners order stuff, then upgrade or change their minds. Annapolis Yacht Sales have stagnant inventory waiting for buyers. A list of their gear includes Booms, Steering wheels, winches, backstay adjusters, cold plates, props, sails, outboards and more. Much of this gear is brand new at a fraction of new cost. Here's the Annapolis Yacht Sales page: http://www.usedboatequipment.com/author/ays/ Buy and sell used boat equipment online 24/7. VIDEO OF THE WEEK Snow, ice, wind, and freezing waters...sailing. This is a trailer to the upcoming documentary "Frostbiters". It explores the extreme sport of Frostbiting -- where it is done, who does it, and why. Exclusive interviews with some of America's top sailors, photography and film from sources and sailing organizations all over New England, and directed and produced by Emmy award winning Thurston Smith. If you are the type that prefers to read just the news and avoids the video link, we encourage you to give it a try this week. It could be the best 1:23 minutes of your day. Click here for this week's video: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/13/0301/ Bonus Videos: * This week on America's Cup Discovered NBC's America's Cup commentator Gary Jobson guides us through his "History of the America's Cup" series from 1983 to 2013. Tune in on Saturday March 2 approx 0800 PST 1100 EST. http://www.youtube.com/americascup * Chalk Talk Presented by US Sailing is airing its Winter Special episode to catch up on all the college sailing news from the offseason, including the ICSA Midwinter Meeting and winter regattas. Then, hear from sailors from top teams in each conference about what their teams are doing to get ready for the spring season of college sailing! See it now at http://www.youtu.be/J9AgRkByUaA SEND US YOUR VIDEOS: If you have clips to share for the Video of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Chris Murphy: Regarding the story of John Ross-Duggan's death in Scuttlebutt 3785, I wanted to make sure that people realized how much of a pioneer he was in the sport of Disabled Sailing. He was the first to be picked to represent the US when sailing first became a Paralympic sport, winning a bronze medal in 1996 and again in 2004. He won numerous other races in his Hobie cat before and after his car accident that left him a quadriplegic, and Sonar but the surf in Hawaii was his true love. He was a pioneer, an inspiration, a fierce competitor who left no stone unturned, and a true friend. You will be missed my friend. I'm glad you are back with your Mom who meant so much to you. * From Rob McNeal: I was lucky enough to become acquainted with John Ross-Duggan back in the 80's while racing Hobie cats all over Florida. He was, by far, the most courageous sailor I ever knew. And he was one of the nicest, most down to earth guys I ever met too. I never even knew he was a Doctor. He was sailing capsizable boats as a quadriplegic - often singlehanded if I recall correctly. I don't think he could swim. He did not have full use of his arms. And he was very good - National Champion, back in the day when there were hundreds of boats in the regattas. He pushed his boundaries and was an example for all the rest of us. I lost touch with him long ago but often when times were tough for me - I would think of him. It doesn't surprise me at all to learn that he was a surfer too. There wasn't anything that guy couldn't or wouldn't do. He was an incredible example of how to live. * From Henry Filter: In reference to the question "How expensive is sailing?" in Scuttlebutt 3785, it was said by Mr. McCarthy that we should "Answer it the way politicians answer all of their questions - with answer you want to give that is not the answer to the question." Are you kidding me? Really? I can't believe somebody would print that! If that is your solution our sport is truly doomed! With all due respect to Mr. McCarthy, it is that logic that has our country almost 17 trillion dollars in debt, roughly 100% of GDP and almost past the point of no return. I got an idea, how about answering with the truth? Sailing is for everyone of all social and economic levels; just find the boat that fits your budget, work hard, set goals and you'll find yourself enjoying the water on a regular basis. Community boating access programs are growing all around the country giving more and more people access that didn't have it before. Most of my friends didn't have boats 30 years ago when getting out of college, trade school or service to the military. But they worked hard, saved, bought a used something, and got out on the water. Today's 20 somethings face an even more difficult economic environment. We need to provide them a way to get out on the water and ultimately find a way to own their own boat. Our sport is for life and should be presented that way. Let's be realistic and honest with people. The America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, and Olympics are the extremes. The average sailor does not need to be in that camp, but it still takes money. After all, doesn't everything? * From John Sweeney: In response to Mr McCarthy's OpEd in Scuttlebutt 3785, if he believes that sailing isn't a millionaires' only club, surely there is a better response to the 'Question' than obfuscating, like a politician. Like any sport, pastime or hobby, there are costs associated with participation. And there is no escaping that a lot of people spend a lot of money to participate on their chosen level. If asked, I prefer a direct and factual answer more along the line that, sailing can be and is every bit as affordable as what some people choose to spend on bowling, golf, hunting, mountain climbing, biking, buying a weekend-only sports car or even motor boating. Counter to the old adage, sailing is a sport where one can ask what it costs to join - and be pleasantly surprised at the answer - and counter to the Woody Allen line, it's a world-wide club everyone should be proud to claim membership of. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "If you want things to be different, perhaps the answer is to become different yourself." - Norman Vincent Peale SPONSORS THIS WEEK Dieball Sailing - Southern Spars - North Sails - North U - Farr 40 Class - Block Island Race Week - Doyle Sailmakers - GMT Composites - Ullman Sails - New York Yacht Club - UsedBoatEquipment.com - Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
