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SCUTTLEBUTT 2865 - Monday, June 15, 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are MyBoatsGear.com, Annapolis Performance Sailing, and LaserPerformance. TELEFONICA BLUE DAMAGED AT LEG 9 START (June 14, 2009; Day 1) - Drama today in Marstrand as Telefónica Blue/Bouwe Bekking became wedged on a rock and suspended racing at 1231GMT while leading the fleet at the start of leg nine to Stockholm. It took T-Blue two hours to free themselves with assistance before returning to Marstrand to haul the boat out for a full damage assessment. Bekking, whose boat suffered a similar mishap at the start of Leg 5 out of Qingdao, said they were sailing along under a Code Zero and a staysail, doing about 16-17 knots, when they hit the rock straight on. Explained Bekking, “It is clearly our own mistake of course, we thought we were to leeward [of the rock] and clear of it and we smacked it right on the head.” As for the amount of damage, early indications are not encouraging. “It doesn’t look that good,” said Bekking. “We took quite a lot of water on board. The canard has been pushed through the daggerboard case which is where all the water was coming in from. We can see that we broke one of the rudders off. We have to see how the bulb will look and the keel. The good thing is that the keel is still there so the boats are very very strong. If you hit at 25-30 kph normally a boat would sink so thank you Volvo for a good rule.” It is expected that T-Blue will now be trucked to Stockholm. -- Excerpts from race website Damage report: http://tinyurl.com/lz8ma3 Damage video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suC8RGPYrU8 Early leg report: http://tinyurl.com/mkq9y4 Leg 9 crew list: http://tinyurl.com/lqkyfv * VOLVO OCEAN RACE: Began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 4, 2008, crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Finish is in St Petersburg, Russia on June 27th. Leg 9 from Marstrand, Sweden to Stockholm, Sweden (525 nm) started on Sunday, June 14th and is expected to finish by June 16th. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.tv/page/Home Current positions (as of June 15, 01:00 GMT): 1. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 298 nm Distance to Finish 2. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 1 nm Distance to Leader 3. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 2 nm DTL 4. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 4 nm DTL 5. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 4 nm DTL 6. Delta Lloyd (NED), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 5 nm DTL Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, Suspended Racing Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, Did Not Start Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 * (June 12, 2009) - At the official prizegiving for Leg 8, the trophy and prize money (1,000 Euros) for Excellence of media material (video, photography, audio, copy) was awarded to Gabri Olivo onboard Telefonica Blue. Both Ericsson media crew members were nominated with Gustav Morin (E3) in second and Guy Salter (E4) in third. -- Full report plus video from all three nominees: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/News/08/Inmarsat/leg8.asp CULTURE CLASH? The companion event to the Laser ACC Full Rig event, the Laser Radial Atlantic Coast Championship, was held by SSA (Severn Sailing Association) this past weekend (June 6-7). Another light air event (in Annapolis, MD) with about half the sailors comprised of juniors. The juniors walked away with the top five placings. In talking to a couple of oldsters competing (oldster here being over 30), I got universal negatives about the number of coach boats employed by the juniors. Comments ranged from "annoying" on the RIB's buzzing about the race course to the snide "I would have done better but I didn't bring my coach with me". Certainly, if we conservatively estimate that a coach for the weekend probably cost around $880 to $1000 for their services, I don't think this Opti mentality was appreciated by the weekday working stiff/ Laser weekend warrior. -- Earwigoagin blog, read on: http://earwigoagin.blogspot.com/2009/06/laser-acc-radials-culture-clash.html * An excerpt from Laser Master and blogger Tillerman from a companion piece titled ‘Ban Mommy Boats NOW’: Enough is enough. I'm mad as hell about Mommy Boats (ie, coaching boats) and I'm not going to take it any more. So please urge regatta organizers to use their regatta SIs to ban coaches providing unfair assistance to the select few who feel the need win so badly that they will resort to such dubious measures. And please campaign within your class association to persuade your class to adopt a rule banning communication between coaches and sailors from the time the sailors leave the dock until the time the last race of the day is finished. I know this is going to be a tough fight. There is a whole generation of young sailors who don't know how to race without their Mommies or their surrogate Mommies helping them. There are a whole bunch of guys and gals making money by "coaching" at regattas. (But please don't misunderstand me. I'm not against coaches earning a living by training sailors outside of regattas. I just don't want you making the game unfair during regattas.) -- Full post: http://propercourse.blogspot.com/2009/06/ban-mommy-boats-now.html ANCHORS AND GROUND TACKLE Ground tackle refers to all the parts of an anchor package between the boat and seabed, including the anchor. If you use only line, the ground tackle may be referred to as simply the anchor line. This latest article looks at all components of a ground tackle system whether you are on a lunch hook or preparing for a gale. RSS feeds are available at http://www.Myboatsgear.com * Article link: http://myboatsgear.com/newsletter/2008910.asp KIWI TEAM TAKE OVERALL CIRCUIT LEAD Marseille, FRA (June 14, 2009; Day 5) - Emirates Team New Zealand, maintaining a blistering pace of top three scores through the first seven races of the Marseille Trophy, held on with a 6-1-6 to easily win the second TP52 event of the Audi MedCup Circuit. While defending champion Quantum Racing stepped up their challenge by winning the bonus point coastal race on Friday, they were unable to match ETNZ’s consistency, who have quickly got their new Botin & Carceek design up to pace. The Kiwi team, skippered by Dean Barker (NZL) with past MedCup winner Ray Davies (NZL) as tactician, have now moved into the overall lead for the five event Audi MedCup Circuit, holding a 16 point lead over Quantum Racing in second with 18 points on previous leader Matador. The next event will be the Region of Sardinia Trophy in Cagliari, Italy on July 20-25, 2009. -- Full report: http://2009.medcup.org/news/index.php?id=847 Final Results (ten races, no drop races) 1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL), 27.5 points 2. Quantum Racing (USA), Terry Hutchinson (USA), 41.5 3. Matador (ARG), Guillermo Parada (ARG), 47.5 4. Bigamist (POR), Afonso Domigos (POR), 55.5 5. Bribón (ESP), Thierry Peponnet (FRA), 62.5 Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/nngb9w PEELING BACK THE CURTAIN OF PROFESSIONAL SAILING Is Professional sailing living in its own bubble? Why did VELUX put their weight behind the VELUX 5Oceans Race? The latest newsletter from the World Yacht Racing Forum discusses these subjects, beginning with an interview with Paul Cayard and Karol Jablonski: * Are there enough young sailors & helmsmen in the AC and VOR? Paul Cayard: “Many helmsmen in the America’s Cup come from the World Match Racing Tour; it’s a good training ground for the Cup. SebCol (FRA) has come from the Tour, Peter Gilmour and many others; crewmembers as well. It’s a bit different in the Volvo Ocean Race because it’s an offshore race. Well known people get offered the job more easily. There are some Classes that limit the number of professionals, for example the RC 44’s; it’s a good way for young guys to get in touch with professional yacht racing.” Karol Jablonski: “You need a lot of time to get the necessary experience in the sport of sailing. The America’s Cup or the Volvo Ocean Race are not a sailing school; only the results count. It is difficult to get a job at top events; you need to have good connections and to be involved. The project managers are usually conservative, and employ people who already have a name. Basically, it’s like in any other job.” -- Read on: http://worldyachtracingforum.com/downloads/wyrf_press_release-1244731623.pdf RACI NG RULES THAT A BEGINNER CAN HANDLE In Scuttlebutt 2797 (March 10, 2009), Ken Quant provided an abbreviated rules guide titled ‘Basic Rules That Every Racer Should Know’. Now that the North American sailing season is further along, it may be handy to revisit this concept. For someone that is new to racing, this seems like a pretty good way to bring them along: “In sailboat racing there are no out-of-bounds lines on the floor or referees to call fouls. The rules are self enforced and administered within the fleet. A basic understanding of just a few important rules will help ensure that everyone has fun and gets home safe. “The specifics of the sailboat racing rules are mind-numbingly detailed and written to cover all potential incidents. DON’T WORRY - You do not need to know everything about the rules to go out and have fun and be safe. By reading and understanding the following rules and terms, you should be able to get around the course without fouling another boat or causing an accident. These rules should only be thought of as a beginning!” Just like the official Racing Rules of Sailing, Ken has cleaned up the guide that was previously posted on Scuttlebutt. Here is the latest version: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0309 UP NEAR THE ATMOSPHERE Holy shirts it's hot! But, that's just fine. Sun, heat, and sweat are no match for the cool new Atmosphere shirts from Henri Lloyd. With Fast-Dri technology and UV 50 protection, Atmosphere shirts are the sailing shirt of the year. But, you don't have to take my word for it. Let APS, "The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors", show you the virtues of the Henri Lloyd's Atmosphere shirts. For a video look at what makes Atmosphere shirts the top of the technical shirt heap and to hear about an unbeatable custom team gear deal exclusively from APS, click... http://www.apsltd.com/teamgearspecial WEATHER FEAST FOR NYYC 155TH ANNUAL REGATTA Newport, RI (June 14, 2009) - When Newport’s local NBC affiliate aired a story this weekend about a recent run of foul weather affecting Southern New England’s tourism and commerce, the included coverage of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) 155th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex served as a good-news sidebar to the piece. The three-day regatta, the longest running in this country’s history, attracted 105 boats, the most in a non-Bermuda Race year, and served up weather challenges that, while perhaps disappointing to beach-goers, delighted the 1000 plus sailors competing in 12 classes on Rhode Island Sound over three days. -- Read on: http://www.nyyc.org/home/article_518 * Highlights among the results include the tight battle in IRC 1 between Tom and Dottie Hill’s new Reichel-Pugh 75 Titan 15 and Roger Sturgeon’s STP 65 Rosebud/Team DYT, and the shellacking of all bullets in IRC 3 by the King 40 Act One, owned by Charlie Milligan and Allan Stern. -- Complete results: http://www.nyyc.org/155annual/ THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN EVERY DAY (June 14, 2009) - When the oddsmakers looked at the 21-boat field for the Melges 24 U.S. Nationals, they likely struggled to determine who would have the edge on the San Francisco Bay course. When the event completed today, it looks like three of the top ranked teams struggled as well. It simply is not too often there is a three way tie in a major event to determine the winner, but that is how it ended with Brian Porter’s Full Throttle team winning the tie-breaker over Vince Brun in second and Dave Ullman in third. Maybe history was on Porter’s side, as this is his fourth U.S. title in the class. Bruce Ayres , who led the event after the first day, finished fourth overall and won the Corinthian Fleet. -- Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/lwvcxz SAILING SHORTS * (June 14, 2009) - At 05:10 hrs UT Friday (01:10 local), Dutchman Jan Kees Lampe sailed into Newport, RI as the elapsed time winner of the 2009 Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR) in 17:17:40 from Plymouth. Sailing his Open 40, he broke the previous record for a 40-foot boat by nearly two days. Rob Craigie’s J/122 Jbellino was second to finish Saturday morning and currently leading IRC class 1. Twenty six year old Hannah White onboard her Figaro II Pure Solo was the first woman (fourth skipper) to finish line Sunday morning. Hannah nearly beat the record for 35 foot and under boats. -- http://www.ostar2009.com * For the fifth year ESPNU's presentation of college sailing features the top young sailors competing for this trophy that dates back to 1937. Onboard cameras and microphones highlight the action of 123 sailors from the most competitive 18 schools in the nation. Among the spectators was sailing champion Paul Cayard who talks about all aspects of the sport with host Gary Jobson. This one hour program is schedule to air on ESPNU on Saturday, June 20 at 3:00pm eastern time. View additional times here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar/shows/#6 * With the Chilean duo of Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz leading across the Leg 5 Scoring Gate at 2122 UTC on Thursday, Desafio Cabo de Hornos brought their overall total for the circumnavigation to 41 points. For the German team of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme aboard Beluga Racer, second place at the scoring gate (Friday 1800 UTC) brought their total pre-finish line to 47.1 points. In effect, as long as Beluga Racer now complete Leg 5 in first, second or third place or are even scored DNF (Did Not Finish) in the double-handed fleet, the German team have won the inaugural Portimão Global Ocean Race overall. -- Full story: http://www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.com/?page=news&news_id=318&lang=en * CORRECTION: The dates for Dallas Race Week in Rockwall, TX were incorrectly announced last week as June 14-19. The correct dates are June 21-26. -- http://www.dallasraceweek.com 25% OFF SELECT SUNFISH, OPTI, LASER PARTS AND MORE! Check out LaserPerformance’s on-line store http://shop.laserperformance.com for more info. While you are there, pre-order your new Laser blocks on-line. Made by Harken, these blocks are now class approved and a great upgrade for any Laser sailor’s rig. To find out more about LaserPerformance and all their products, visit http://www.LaserPerformance.com IF ONLY THE SAILING INDUSTRY WERE HIP AND COOL Grant Headifen, NauticEd.org I recently received a magazine published by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors that is sent specifically to PADI dive shops for their dive shops’ eyes only. What a cool and hip magazine. It was full of suggestions on how the dive shops can continue to attract the right demographic to their industry. Part of the color, glossy magazine was devoted to a convention they had hosted to grow their industry with guest speakers from major corporate trainers. PADI is the world’s largest dive industry certifying and training company. They take an impressive high-tech and glossy approach to marketing the dive industry, and they do a great job. They devoted a lot of space in the magazine to teaching dive shops how to present their industry - how to attract the younger generations, to make diving hip and cool. It’s difficult to project this scene on the sailing industry. Unfortunately, sailing is still just plainly seen as a stodgy thing that boring, rich old folks do. But there are lots of things that we all can do to fire up this industry with a bit more excitement. -- Trade Talk, read on: http://blog.tradeonlytoday.com/tradetalk/?p=159" CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Richard Jepsen, Chair, Education Division, US SAILING: (re, Brendan Sailing Program in 2864) Thanks for running a piece about one of the best sailing programs for kids with learning differences I've seen. And, the need for programs like this is greater than ever. Jim Muldoon, aside from founding and fostering this program in Maryland, has spent the last several years promoting the value of the program to community sailing programs around the country with speeches and workshops at the National Sailing Programs Symposium and elsewhere. I hope we see other Brendan programs springing up around the country. It's a great model! * From Mike Funsch (re, Introducing kids to sailing/racing and youth coaching) Bring a sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies out on a Thistle in light wind. Add in boogie boards for towing as they take turns steering. When ready for an Opti, let them swim and play extensively. Fears subside and positive memories are attached to being on the water in a sailboat. Make it fun, but allow them to accept the sport (and responsibility) on their own, and make it their own. You can't do it for them, no matter how hard you try. Will this make them dedicated racers? I don't know yet, as my kids (10, 8, and 7) just started this summer when they became ready. They all are enjoying sailing, but only the oldest has expressed an interest in racing. My hunch is that the others will follow along when they see the fun to be had (and get dragged along to regattas anyway, as happened with my younger brother years ago. Regarding coaches being involved around races, that's the parents and coaches fault. Better to teach the kids to do their own homework and think for themselves than simply feed them fish. A good technique is to ask them what they think, and then why. Perhaps their results will be negatively impacted this weekend. However, developing the confidence and ability to make analysis-based decisions in situations of dynamic ambiguity at a young age will benefit the kids far more than a higher finish in a race via external assistance, legal or otherwise. * From Wes Oliver: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 2864) While I agree with most of Bill Sandberg’s comments in his WindCheck column, ‘Make It Fun. Make It Fun. Make It Fun.’, I have to differ with his comment about Pixel performance. While the Pixel is well-behaved enough to have replaced the Blue Jay as the intermediate trainer for kids in the 11 to 14 age range, most of those kids don’t see the Pixel really perform. Our experience shows Pixel performance to be equal to or better than that of the venerable C420. With its carbon rig, lighter weight and modern Bruce Kirby design, the Pixel is an easier boat to sail than a C420, doesn’t require a trapeze, and is easier for a lighter crew to right after a capsize. Kids don’t have to leave the Pixel for the C420 as they become more proficient. Rather, they should have the fun of planing upwind and downwind in this easily driven, modern dinghy. More than 175 Pixels are now sailing on Long Island Sound, with fleets from Harbor Springs, MI to Sebago Lake, ME. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION The Redneck Book of Manners says that a guy should always offer to bait his date's hook on the first date. Special thanks to MyBoatsGear.com, Annapolis Performance Sailing, and LaserPerformance. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
