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SCUTTLEBUTT 3188 - Thursday, September 30, 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: e Sailing Yachts and Ullman Sails SAILING FAMILY OF THE YEAR Sailing is not just a life sport, but also a sport that can be done by all forms of people. Big or small, old or young, man or woman. Even family members. To recognize those families that participate in the sport of sailing, Scuttlebutt is launching the 'SAILING FAMILY OF THE YEAR' award. The rules on who qualifies are loose. Your family may participate together or separately. Your family might be into competing, cruising, or supporting the sport in some capacity. Maybe not all of your family is into sailing, but some are. If you are part of a family, and you have family members that participate in the sport, than you are a qualified entrant for the SFOTY award. The winning family will be outfitted in team gear courtesy of Atlantis WeatherGear and Camet International, along with receiving international recognition and commemorative trophies. Entry deadline is November 15, 2010. Enter here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/SFOTY/ JUST OVER ONE YEAR AWAY The Volvo Ocean Race is the ultimate mix of world class sporting competition and on the edge adventure, a unique blend of onshore glamour with offshore drama and endurance. It stands alone as the elite crewed, round the world event in the sport. During the 2008-2009 edition, race organizers took a keen look at what the event needed to insure that future participants saw it as a fair, safe, and affordable contest. With the 2011-2012 edition to commence in Alicante, Spain on October 29, 2011, Scuttlebutt checked in with Volvo Ocean Race Chief Executive Knut Frostad to see how the plan was progressing. * When is the entry deadline for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race? KNUT FROSTAD: The deadline is basically autumn 2011, so in close to one year from now. Of course to be able to build a new boat for the next race you are getting up against the clock as you need a six month period plus time to launch and test the boat. However, we have worked hard on making it attractive to race with boats from the last race, and with that in mind you can be in the water next spring and still have time to prepare well. * There were eight teams in the 2008-2009 race. So far for this edition, there have been five teams publically disclosed. Will there be more? KNUT FROSTAD: We know about six boats today that will be in the start line. When it comes to how many teams we will have in the end it depends on the success of those who are still in their fundraising phase, and that is quite a few. Raising the funding and putting the whole project together is as hard and challenging as doing the race and frankly we will never have the ambition that the Volvo Ocean Race should have 15-20 boats. The race has a profile as the premier offshore race for the very best, and as long as we have the very best that is the key for us. 10-12 teams would be the maximum we could even handle logistically. I would have a liked to see one or two more teams at this stage, but there is no secret that the sponsorship market in 2009 was and still is a tough market feeling the effect of the economic downturn we have experienced. Different to the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean race is a 100% commercially funded event with no private owners or backers. Looking back at were the race was at this stage last race, we are in a pretty similar place. In addition to Puma, Ericsson 3 and 4, Telefonica Blue and Black and Team Russia, we had Green Dragon but they did at this stage not have the funding to actually do the race. Delta Lloyd came into the picture what would be late spring next year. So to answer your question, yes, as organiser we continue to support and work with the potential teams to increase the number towards 10, but if we achieve the same as last race or better we believe we have to be realistic enough to say that that is good considering the times we are living in. I am really pleased that we have several teams such as the Spanish and Puma returning to the race, we have two new consumer brands in Groupama and Camper joining the race which is quite uniqe in sailing and a new trend we would like to see more of in the future. The consumer brands help us reaching a wider audience and introduce sailing to new fans. To have Team New Zealand, Kenny Read, Franck Cammas, Ian Walker and the Spanish team which is yet to announce their team (but I know they will be good) going head-to-head is going to make it one of the toughest Volvo Ocean Races ever to win. Complete interview: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/0929/ COME SAILING ON AN E33 IN ANNAPOLIS! After a successful show in Newport, the e Sailing Yachts team is headed to Annapolis. Meet e Sailing Yachts designers Carl Persak & Jeremy Wurmfeld and builder Cabot Lyman at the US Sailboat Show October 7-11, where we'll be showing off two gorgeous Lyman-Morse built e33's. Join us on Dock H to tour the e33, and hear the latest on the much anticipated e27 and e44. Limited e33 demo sails are available throughout the show - sign up today! It only takes one sail to understand the superior comfort, easy handling and performance advantages this elegant daysailer offers. Info and reservations: http://www.esailingyachts.com CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS This October, US SAILING will host its annual Championship of Champions regatta in Greenwich, CT, bringing together a 20 boat fleet of current U.S. one design National, North American or World Champion skippers to see who will prove to be the 'best of the best'. Last yearıs winner was Highlander Champion Skip Dieball, who lined up against his peers in equally matched Lightnings. This year's event will be held in Ideal 18s. Across the Atlantic, the UK will host a similar event - the Endeavour Championship - that is also an invitation only event with the guest-list hand-picked from 30 National Champions of selected fleets. It is recognised by the RYA - the boating authority in the UK - as the pinnacle of that year's dinghy sailing achievements which will hail a "Champion of Champions". The event is hosted by Royal Corinthian Yacht Club and will be sailed in the Topper Xenon. So what are the selected fleets in the UK? Here is the list: B14, Blaze, Cadet, Enterprise, Fireball, Firefly, 420, GP14, Hornet, Lark, Laser 2000, Laser 4000, Merlin Rocket, Mirror, Musto Skiff, National 12, Osprey, Pico, RS Feva, RS200, RS300, RS500, RS600, RS700, Scorpion, Solo, Topper, 29er, Vortex, Wayfarer U.S. (Oct. 13-16) - http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/CofC.htm U.K. (Oct. 1-3) - http://royalcorinthian.co.uk/endeavour-championship => Curmudgeon's Comment: Maybe the champions of these two events should attend the Scuttlebutt Sailing Club championship, held annually in the British Virgin Islands as part of the Bitter End Yacht Club's annual Pro-Am Regatta (Oct. 30-Nov. 6, 2010). Other skippers currently planning on attending are Dean Barker, Peter Holmberg, Russell Coutts, Paul Cayard, Ken Read, Zach Railey, and Anna Tunnicliffe. Details: http://www.beyc.com/index.php/proam.html NEW GEAR ON DISPLAY By Michael Lovett, Sailing World As I have for the past few years, I served as a judge for the Newport for New Products competition at the recent Newport International Boat Show. My judging duties gave me a chance to scope out some of the latest boats and gear. Among the best stuff I saw - from the meticulous woodwork of the Spirt 46, voted best sailboat, to the multitasking display on the best new product, Simrad's NSE 2.0 - I noticed an unprecedented level of refinement. Maybe it's because manufacturers can't afford to go back to the drawing board. Maybe it's because we're all getting into the mode of doing more with what we have. Whatever the case, throughout the show, the best new gear I saw was that which improved upon itself - or its competition - without necessarily reinventing the wheel. Both Gill and Atlantis have reworked their salopette offerings. Gill's Crosswind mid-layer salopettes have a more ergonomic fit, thanks to stretch material in the shoulder panel and an elasticized waist. The use of slippery lining material makes it easy to jump into the Crosswind when the going gets wet. Atlantis has adapted its popular Aegis Hybrid Bibs for women, giving the garment more flattering curves. Similarly, ergonomics are the main attraction to Spinlock's Zero life vest. Designed specifically for keelboat sailors - who frequently rely on a brick of horseshoe-style PFDs stowed down below to keep them legal - this not-United-States-Coast-Guard-approved vest achieves maximum comfort, range of motion, ventilation, and drainage by means of neoprene construction, mesh panels, and the Body Fit adjustment system. Before long, the U.S.C.G. will do what European authorities have done and certify floatation vests like Spinlock's latest. In the meantime, you can still save your life with a Zero - a life vest you'll always be happy to wear. -- Read on: http://www.sailingworld.com/gear/the-newport-news?cmpid=enews092910 PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO HOST TEAM RACE TITLE Sixteen three-boat teams representing three countries will face off in Vanguard 15s at the 2010 U.S. Team Racing Championship on the waters of Lake Union in Seattle, Wash. for three days of racing beginning this Friday, October 1. The championship will be decided on Sunday, October 3. The highest placing U.S. team will represent the United States at the 2011 ISAF Team Racing World Championship next August in Ireland. The top four teams from the 2009 event have returned, including defending champions Team Extreme, who will return all six sailors from last year's team. Zachary Brown (New Haven, Conn.), Emmet Smith (New Haven, Conn.), Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI), Marla Menninger (New York, N.Y.), Stuart McNay (Boston, Mass.), and Michael Hession (Chicago, Ill.) make up Team Extreme. In May, Team Extreme captured the Wilson Trophy in Great Britain by defeating the West Kirby Hawks in the finals. The West Kirby Hawks, a perennial power from Great Britain and winners of the 2009 Wilson Trophy with the same six sailors led by Ben Field (Sevenoaks, Kent GBR), Dom Johnson (Orpington, Kent GBR), and Andy Corhah (Sevenoaks, Kent GBR), will also be competing this week and are in search of their first U.S. Team Racing Championship. Having narrowly lost to Team Extreme at this year's Wilson Cup, they are out to avenge their loss. Up to 346 races will be conducted at the south end of Lake Union. Friday and Saturday's racing will feature a double round-robin schedule. Sundayıs racing will consist of championship elimination rounds and the finals. Racing starts at 10:00 a.m. PST all three days. Additional details here: http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USTRChampionship.htm REGATTA TITLES THEME OF THE WEEKEND Ullman Sails customers scored regatta wins in several West Coast events last weekend, including Dave Baer and crew who won the 2010 Catalina 30 National Championships in San Diego. Baer's team won four of the five total races! Inside San Diego harbor, Geoff Longenecker's Melges 30 "Nemesis" won their second straight International Sportboat Anarchy Festival in Division A. And further north in Redondo Beach, Ullman Sails powered the winners of all four classes (PHRF A, B, C & Cruiser) at the ASMBYC Champion of Champions event, led by overall winner Duncan Cameron's S-33 "Trust Me". Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com SAILING SHORTS * Starting Thursday, September 30, US SAILING will be accepting Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year nominations. Nominators will automatically enter a sweepstakes to win two tickets to the Awards Ceremony at the New York Yacht Club's Model Room with travel and accommodations provided by Rolex and US SAILING. The Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards recognizes one male sailor and one female sailor for their individual outstanding on-the-water achievements within the calendar year. Nominations will be accepted for these awards through November 30, 2010. Details here: http://about.ussailing.org/Awards/Rolex.htm * Newly crowned ISAF Women's Match Racing World Champion Lucy Macgregor will join American Anna Tunnicliffe as the female skippers taking part in the 8th round of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour Championship, which runs from October 5 to 10 at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Up to 24 teams will vie for the prize purse of $100,000 that will be divided amongst the top eight teams. -- Event website: http://www.argogroupgoldcup.com/ * Two sailors will no longer be racing in the VELUX 5 OCEANS. French skipper Charles Hedrich and British ocean racer Simon Chalk have not fulfilled their obligations to the VELUX 5 OCEANS race management and as a result will not make the start line of the 30,000-mile singlehanded round the world race. There remain six entries - including Brad Van Liew (USA) and Derek Hatfield (CAN) - that plan to start the race on October 17 from La Rochelle, France. -- Race website: http://www.velux5oceans.com * For anyone who has thought about a career in the marine trades - as a boatbuilder, designer or marine technician - thereıs a world of top-notch one- and two-year technical programs available. To help examine the possibilities of a career working in and around recreational boats, BoatUS has added a new list of marine trade schools, community colleges and accredited certification programs to the Guide to Marine Education Programs. Details here: http://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=566 * The International Etchells U.S. National Championship will be hosted by New York YC at Harbour Court in Newport, R.I. Oct 2-3 in conjunction with SailNewport. Thirty four boats from Miami, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal and across New England are preparing to descend upon Newport for the regatta, which will also conclude the Zhik Etchells Atlantic Championship Series. Event information here: http://www.nyyc.org/etrcchellsNationalsOCT/ CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. Here are some of the upcoming events listed on the calendar: Oct 1 - BIG Team Regatta San Francisco - Berkeley, CA, USA Oct 1-2 - Leukemia Cup Regatta - Charleston, SC, USA Oct 2-3 - The Sanford Fall Regatta - Sanford, FL, USA Oct 6-9 - MC Scow National Championship - Lake Lanier, GA, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar INDUSTRY NEWS The US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD (Oct. 7-11) for sailors is akin to the Academy Awards for actors. It is one of the few times when all the players come out. Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck will be there be too, checking in with products and services that will benefit Scuttlebutt readers. Another Scuttlebutt resource is the Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum, which provides an opportunity for companies to announce their updates. View and/or post Industry News information here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/INDUSTRY_NEWS_C15/ 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 are 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 Peter Costa, Fleet Captain: The Boston Harbor Star Fleet is looking for a young team to sail its fleet Star boat for the 2011 season. The 2011 team will need to sail from the Cottage Park Yacht Club in Winthrop, MA. and join the Boston Harbor Fleet. This is great way to try your hand in the Star Class at a very low cost. Full details when you contact the fleet captain at peter@owlengineering.com or jzambella@aol.com * From Eric Sorensen: JJ Fetter Isler's comments (in Scuttlebutt 3187) on how to do high school racing are applicable to any sailing program. You will be there if you put out that sort of effort. Your own skills will accumulate and expertise will improve to whatever level you care to take it too. Bora Gulari won the Moth Worlds in the Columbia Gorge because he had more time in than anyone. The other top place finishers were fairly commensurate as well with their time invested. My own time investment these days is in pursuit of leisure! One must try and be the best one can be. Attitude is everything! * From Peter Willcox, Norwalk, CT: Congratulations to Graeme Kendall on what must have been a very exciting trip (completing the Northwest Passage across the top of Canada and Alaska in 12 days as reported in Scuttlebutt 3185). But I think this "Everest" of sailing records, like the youngest whatever, is another that can be safely left alone. Last summer I took a small research ship up through the Narres Straits, the body of water between Greenland and Ellesmere Island. We passed through the Straits up to the Arctic multiyear pack ice at 82 degrees and change. It was the first transit of the Straits in the month of June. Was this a great feat of seamanship? Absolutely not. It was just the first time in history that there had been no ice in the Straits. My point is, it is not your father's Arctic or even your big brother's Arctic anymore. Quite likely next year, Webb Childs and Chay Blyth will come out of retirement to row and sail the Passage in open boats. If they are not eaten by polar bears, who are now endangered by disappearing habitat (sea ice), they will have a great trip. * From Tyler Carder: It is truly remarkable how many people are whining unpleasantly about the plans for the next America's Cup, though it is often hard to figure out if their opinionating is based on ignorance, some gilded and glowing misconception of "how great things used to be", or a long-standing monohull bias against anything sailing that has more than one hull. For whatever reason, to those of us who love multihulls, who exuberantly welcome the new changes to the America's Cup, who think watching a pair of dog-slow lead-bottomed monohulls waddle around a racecourse is deathly dull, their reasoning is utterly comical, no matter how well-meaning the intentions of these doubters may be. Alan Veenstra's complaints as reported in Scuttlebutt were particularly amusing, if at the same time deeply insulting. When he says that, by not using big winged cats in the next AC, "we could put real sailors and tactics back into the world's oldest competition", one has to ask who he thinks will be sailing the AC cats? Can he really believe that all the people sailing cats and tris around the world are not "real" sailors? And apparently, all those pseudo-sailors in multihull races are not using "real" tactics? Hunh! That must come as a real surprise to great talents like Glenn Ashby or Jimmy Spithill, Fred Eaton or Magnus Clarke, Mitch Booth or Loick Peyron, or all the thousands and thousands and thousands of others who happily sail and race multihulls. -- Scuttlebutt Forum, read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10586#10586 CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM "Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?" - Dog Special thanks to e Sailing Yachts and Ullman Sails. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
