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SCUTTLEBUTT 2423 - August 31, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday with the support of its sponsors. FARR 40 WORLDS Copenhagen, Denmark. (August 30, 2007) -- After day two of racing in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship 2007, the top four boats overall are all familiar names - Mascalzone Latino, Alinghi, Nerone, and Barking Mad - all are previous Rolex Farr 40 World Champions. Yet several other boats picked the shifts well enough on a difficult day to move up in the standings. Struntje Light (GER), Siragusawa (FIN), Nanoq (DEN), and Norwegian Steam (NOR) all had a top five race finish - no mean feat in this 36-boat fleet. The day began overcast with scattered rain and a WSW breeze at 12-14 knots at the first race start, dropping to 8 knots for the second race. A third race was postponed as the wind was forecast to drop further. After winning the first race, Barking Mad’s tactician Terry Hutchinson went on to describe the randomness of the day, with their second race, “we got an awesome start in the middle of the line just to leeward of Alinghi and to weather of Nerone. Got our bow out, just trucking along, sailing a left shift, tack, cross everybody to the right of us, go for about 2-3 minutes, sail back into a right shift and tack…looking just sweet. Cross Nerone, cross like two lengths ahead of Nerone, Nerone goes about four lengths beyond our line and tacks and just sheer off of us. We went from easily launched to being engulfed by the pack. Basically the light spot was on us, it was on no other boat. It was a little random.” Racing concludes September 1st. -- Complete report: http://www.regattanews.com/pressrelease.asp?pid=1710&lang=1 Preliminary Results (top 10 of 36 after 5 races) Position – Country – Helm – Tactician – Points 1. Mascalzone Latino - ITA - Vincenzo Onorato - Adrian Stead, 24 pts 2. Alinghi - SUI - Ernesto Bertarelli - Brad Butterworth, 34 3. Nerone - ITA - Antonio Sodo Migliori - Vasco Vascotto, 39 4. Barking Mad - USA - Jim Richardson - Terry Hutchinson, 39 5. Infinity - USA - John B. Thomson Jr, - Jens Christensen, 48 6. Sputnik - AUS - Ivan Wheen - Tom King, 48 7. Opus One - GER - Wolfgang Stolz - Kelvin Harrap, 57 8. Calvi - ITA - Carlo Alberini - D Pietro, 68 9. Ichi Ban - AUS - Matt Allen - Michael Coxon - 68 10. Enfant Terrible - ITA - Serena Gianluigi - Paolo Cian, 68 -- Complete results: http://www.farr40.kdy.dk/uploads/After_race_5.htm -- Entry and crew list: http://www.farr40.kdy.dk/con45.php4 * While it has been cold and miserable for the Farr 40 worlds, some heat was injected from outside when Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi asked that the chairman of the jury, Tom Ehman, should step down. As Ehman is at the centre of the litigation by GGYC, at the behest of BMW Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Alinghi, as a competitor, felt there could be some conflict of interest. Ehman did not step down, doubtless because he thought that his four co-jurors would never allow themselves to be manipulated in what could be seen as vindictive behavour. But Bertarelli’s skipper, Brad Butterworth, is incensed and has written to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with a formal complaint. -- Stuart Alexander, full report: http://stuartalexander.wordpress.com/2007/08/30/truth-and-power THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG…AND FOILING International Moth World Champion Rohan Veal comments on his latest activity, “Ok, so I can now let the 'cat' out of the bag and mention on my blog that the real reason I was up in Toronto, Canada a couple of weeks back was to test sail Fred Eaton's foiling C Class cat. It was a bit last minute, but seeing how I was in Detroit, it wasn't too far to head up. So how did it sail? Well I thought it was a lot smoother, stable, and slower than expected, but it is still very early days in development. They have done a great job, though, and have based their development on the Prowler foils, cable, and wand mechanisms. "There were a lot of improvements that could be made obviously based on my experiences, but most did not have the time or budget to complete before the C Cat Challenge begins. I cannot comment on how it will fair against the other C Cats as I have never sailed one before, but it certainly has potential, especially if the crew have experience in sailing it in all conditions.” -- For full report and photos: http://www.rohanveal.com/index.html END OF SUMMER SAVINGS Check out the closeouts at henrilloydonline.com for end of summer savings on fine gear. Henri Lloyd trousers and jackets, smocks and vests, all with the quality construction and styling you expect from HL…but at prices you might not expect! Choose from foul weather or fair weather options in a variety of colors and sizes. Be sure to order now while the selection’s good. Close out your summer with closeouts from Henri Lloyd; you’re just a click away! http://www.henrilloydonline.com/cart/closeout.php A WHOLE NEW RACING MINDSET As skipper of the PUMA Ocean Racing entry in the 2008-09 race, American Ken shares his thoughts on what it takes to tough it out when the going gets rough. Q: What were your first recollections of the Whitbread/Volvo race? A: To be honest my first thought was ‘these guys have got to be nuts to do something like this’ like any other sane person would think I imagine. I built up a fascination and an intrigue about the race from the books I read about it as a kid. When you delve back in to history and read some of the tales and the adventures they were mind-boggling to a young kid. Q: What did your experiences in 2005-06 teach you about the race? A: What I learned most is that you need a whole new mindset for this race. It’s a pacing rather than a pressing situation on a Volvo Open 70. The chemistry of the people on board is crucial and the all-purpose mentality of an individual crew member rather than a specialist is a big part of it. Then there’s the question of how to tame the boats themselves. They are fascinating both in design and the speed they generate. How hard you can push a boat like this without it breaking is unbelievable. It’s like nothing I’ve ever sailed before. In terms of learning, we all want to become better at anything we do – whether as an accountant, a lawyer, a doctor or a sail boat racer. And even though I jumped in late last time, because of the guys I sailed with and because of the experience I had, I became a better sailor and I look forward to keeping the learning curve going. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/3cvw3t ACM: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS America’s Cup Management (ACM) is the entity that Alinghi formed to handle the administration of the 32nd America’s Cup. ACM remains in place, with Chief Operating Officer Michel Hodara responding here to some of Scuttlebutt’s lingering questions regarding the 33rd edition: * By the defender participating in the challenger trials (per the Protocol of the 33rd event), is it not possible that the defender may influence the ultimate outcome of the challenger trials? Given that the threat of elimination does not exist for the defender, it would seem conceivable that the defender may choose to lose to a lesser team, which might help this team advance past a stronger challenger that could ultimately pose a problem for the defender in the America's Cup. At the very least, the participation of the defender does open the door for this type of concern. MH: “In order to reduce costs, it has been decided to impose to sail only one boat at a time. Therefore, it was reasonable that the Defender could take part in the Challenger series, otherwise, the Defender would have no opportunity to race an opponent while the challengers raced in the Challenger Series.“ * What teams are currently participating with the defender in the design rules for the new class of America's Cup boat? MH: “Starting mid-September, the entered Challengers will participate in the rule writing through a consultative process that will take place over several meetings. At this moment of time the entered Challengers are Desafio Espanol, Team Shosholoza, TeamOrigin, Team New Zealand and the German Team who have submitted their entry and who will formally be accepted in the next days.” * The most recent press announcement by ACM stated that the Protocol for the 33rd Cup was proposed by ACM. Isn't the matter of protocol something that the Defender and Challenger agree on? MH: “That is correct and is exactly what happened. The Protocol is the result of many meetings and discussions with the Challenger of Record and its representatives, which lasted most of the duration of the 32nd AC Match. The process was the same than in 2003 with GGYC and BOR.” * Does ACM speak for SNG? MH: “Because Yacht Clubs tend to appoint the appropriate professionals to deal with all AC operational and administrative matters, ACM sometimes speaks on behalf of Alinghi’s club, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG).” DISABLED SAILING WORLDS WARM-UP Newport, R.I. (August 30, 2007) – An exciting finale was on tap at the fifth annual C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Memorial Regatta, hosted by Sail Newport, as three days of racing (August 28-30) for disabled sailors wrapped up on Narragansett Bay. With five boats racing in both the SKUD 18 and 2.4 Metre classes, and eight in the Sonar, there were no huge numbers to drop once each fleet got to the requisite eighth race when a discard would be figured into the overall scores. That didn’t keep the drama factor down though as the competitors fought their way around the course through seaweed and in light and shifty winds that never exceeded 10 knots. -- Daily reports at http://www.ussailing.net/Clagett/2007/pr/index.htm Final Results (top three in each class) 2.4mR (5 boats) 1. CHN - Minq Xue Qi, 21 2. USA - Mark LeBlanc, 21 3. USA - John Ruf, 21 Skud 18 (5 boats) 1. USA - Scott Whitman/ Julia Dorsett, 17 2. USA - Karen Mitchell/ JP Creignou, 17 3. USA - Nick Scandone/ Maureen McKinnon-Tucker, 18 Sonar (8 boats) 1. USA - Rick Doerr/ Tim Angle/ Bill Donahue, 25 2. ISR - Dror Cohen/ Benny Vexter/ Arnon Efrati, 26 3. USA - Paul Callahan/ Tom Brown/ Roger Cleworth, 27 Complete results: http://www.ussailing.net/Clagett/2007/results.htm * Next up for the fleet is the 2007 IFDS World Championships that begin September 7th in Rochester NY. -- http://www.2007ifdsworlds.com SETTING SAIL INCLUSIVELY Sixteen-year-old Michael Hogbin calls it "regatmosphere," the excitement that starts to build before a big regatta. He and his family are just some of the 100 volunteers at the Whitby Yacht Club (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) helping host the Access Class World Championships over the next six days. Sailors from all over the world, of all ages and abilities, will compete in single and two-person divisions in the first-ever world championship for access sailing. David Staley, of the International Access Class Association, says Whitby was a good fit for the Australian-based event because some crews will be using it to prepare for the International Association for Disabled Sailing Combined World Sailing Championships in Rochester, New York. The Sept. 7 regatta in Rochester is a qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. However, access sailing is open to everyone, not just those with a physical disability. "The design of the boats is such that they are stable and easier to sail," explains Mr. Staley. "Sailors have to remain seated, so it creates a level playing field. People who are very athletic have no advantage over someone with a disability." Some of the boats are modified with sip and puff controls, essentially two straws that can help someone without the use of their arms operate the sheet and helm winches. Ame Barnbrook, who was born without arms and only one leg, uses servo assist controls, a joystick she manipulates with her three toes to operate a two-person SKUD 18. She and crew member Dennis Critchley, both of Sydney, Australia, are one of three Aussie teams hoping to qualify for Beijing in Rochester next week. -- Full story: http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/sports/article/85099 DISCOVER THE BEST BOATING GEAR/EQUIPMENT MyBoatsGear.com: the boating equipment, news & review site. From safety to electronics to deck gear and 18 other categories, we show you what’s new and what’s the best, with almost 1,000 links to manufacturers. Not only do we bring you news and information on the best new gear, but we also offer how-to newsletters and you will learn what equipment is available to fulfill a particular need like communications. What are the latest developments in electronics? How can I solve my anchor dragging issue? We can help answer questions like these at http://www.MyBoatsGear.com SAILING SHORTS * The Royal Thames Yacht Club in England, as the challenging club for America’s Cup challenger TEAMORIGIN, is recruiting to fill a Head of Communications job position to aid in managing all communications with club members covering the whole range of the Club's activities, liaison with TEAMORIGIN, PR activity, developing the Club's website and magazine and working with sponsors. Complete details at http://royalthames.co.uk/pages/posts/head-of-communications379.php * The Swan 45 Class Executive Committee has highlighted the four high profile events which will form the International Class circuit for 2008. The Programme is to feature: Rolex Capri Sailing Week from 21st to 24th May; Copa del Rey, Palma from 26th July to 3rd August; and the Rolex Swan Cup, Porto Cervo, Sardinia from 8th to 14th September. The proposed 2008 circuit will also incorporate team racing for the Class at the Rolex Sardinia Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia from 16th to 21st June. -- Complete details: http://www.swan45class.org/da/60112 * The Cayman Islands Sailing Club (CISC) is preparing for what they say will be one of the most exciting weekends in even its long and illustrious history. On September 1-2, the CISC will host possibly the first full-scale, youth-only regatta ever held in the Cayman Islands. Sponsored by leading financial services company Scotiabank, the National Youth Sailing Championships will involve young sailors aged 18 and under, competing in a number of boat classes including Laser, Byte, Feva, Pico and Optimist. -- Full details: http://www.caymannetnews.com/news-1552--11-11--.html * Correction: In Issue 2422, the list of North Americans that were in the top twenty ISAF World Sailing Rankings was missing the 16th ranked 470 Women’s team of Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving (USA). LABOR DAY HOLIDAY Scuttlebutt World Headquarters will be closed next week on Monday, September 3rd due to the Labor Day holiday. This United States federal holiday takes place on the first Monday in September, and dates back to 1882 from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the "working man". It is still celebrated mainly as a day of rest and marks the symbolic end of summer for many. Labor Day became a national holiday by Act of Congress in 1894. Look for the next issue of the Scuttlebutt newsletter, Issue 2424, to be dated September 4, 2007. PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include an engine getting ripped out of a Chesapeake Bay boat, the remaining mast stump of a SoCal 48-footer, match race action from the Knickerbocker Cup and Windy City Match Race, and some summer ending images of kids, water, and boats. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/0831 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: Aug 31 - Sept 2 - Bronte Rocks - Oakville, Ontario, Canada Aug 31 - The Stamford Vineyard Race - Stamford, CT, USA Sept 1-2 - Rocky Mountain Buccaneer Rodeo - Los Ojos, NM, USA Sept 1-2 - Sarasota Labor Day Regatta - Sarasota, FL, USA Sept 1-3 - Annapolis Race Week - Annapolis, MD, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Please send me an email if you are able to submit a report on any of the events above. LETTERS TO 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, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Roger Vaughan: (regarding letter in Issue 2422) Thank you Cory Friedman for that clarifier about how the New York Supreme Court will react to the GGYC action against SNG. I second your "be happy, stop whining" counsel. I've been puzzled myself about the whining going on. Hello, it's the America's Cup: controversy and litigation (often threatened, sometimes real) have always been a part of this yachting sub culture. It's people with runaway egos backed by large fortunes going at each other tooth and nail. It gets ugly, ridiculous at times. Always has.You want good, no-frills competitive sailing, watch the Olympics, or any class world or national championship. Whoever wins the Cup tries to slant the playing field in his favor. That's a given. The New York Yacht Club did it for 132 years. But Ernesto Bertarelli and his cohorts took a couple giant steps over the line. GGYC has taken them to task, and that's a good thing. Checks and balances. The New York Supreme Court will provide a decision that we all hope will put everything back on an even keel, and the beat will go on. It's all part of this game, which, don't forget, is part circus. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: We look forward to more commentary from Cory, who is local to the NY Courts, and his profession has provided him insight into both its operation and personnel. * From Andy Vare: From a relatively detached standpoint, I am astounded at the similarities between the new Pyewacket and Michael Faye's highly discredited America's Cup challenge from Mercury Bay in 1988. It seems like the right-side-uppers are finally coming to emulate the upside downers, about 20 years later. I'm sure Juan K. will explain that the two are truly different yachts, but skiff wings are skiff wings. I wonder aloud if racks and trapezes ala Derek Baylis and Ian Murray will be allowed next Transpac? At least during the early reaching... * From Steve Gregory: Thanks for providing the comments from Don Finkle in Issue 2422 regarding the bogus Beneteau First 10R rumor. Scuttlebutt continues to be the most credible and complete source of sailing news on the Internet. CURMUDGEON’S CONUNDRUM If God sneezes...what should you say? Special thanks to Henri Lloyd and MyBoatsGear.com. |
