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SCUTTLEBUTT 2382 - July 5, 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. WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS As the final race ended and after the elation and excitement had died down and the Americas Cup had been re-conquered by Alinghi, all eyes were on a three-party conference that was taking place between the Valencian Government, Valencia Town Hall and Americas Cup Management over the staging of the next round of regattas for the 33rd Americas Cup races in Valencia. The talks appear to be centered on two main points: the Valencians are eager to succeed in their request that the participation fee for the autonomous government does not exceed 90 million Euros, whilst also trying to work out some sort of arrangement with Ernesto Bertarelli, the head of the Alinghi syndicate over whether or not the Swiss would have a major part to play in the upcoming Formula 1 race in Valencia next year. On this latter point, the Valencian Government has stated that the arrival of a Formula 1 race in Valencia is dependent on a private contract signed between the autonomous government and Bernie Ecclestone, whilst the Swiss victory Tuesday leaves the landlocked country with the responsibility of organizing a competition that must take place in the sea. As a result, Mr Bertarelli holds the ultimate decision over where to stage the next set of races, with the determination of the organizers that the next races begin in 2009 - in under two years - whilst Valencia already has all the necessary infrastructure to be the perfect setting for the race at that time, and intends to their best to ensure that Valencia once again became the site for the next Americas Cup races. Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that if the Americas Cup matches are to be staged in 2009, these will clash with the Volvo Ocean Race as many of the crew members from the Americas Cup have already made commitments in that regard. In particular this affects Ray Davies of Emirates Team New Zealand, who is to skipper Mean Machine, one of the entries in the Volvo Ocean Race. -- Excerpts from The Valencia Life Network, mailto:publisher@valencialife.net * Cupdates: Scuttlebutt thanks Gary Jobson for providing the ‘buttheads with his commentary on the 32nd America’s Cup. To relive the action, Jobson’s eight reports are together here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/gj/ * Kiwi cash: The New Zealand government announced in the wake of this morning's 5-2 result in Valencia it will bankroll another tilt at brining the auld mug home. Economic development minister Trevor Mallard said the government would provide $10 million to get the ball rolling and several more million in the coming months. * Butterworth watch: Butterworth's comments after Alinghi clinched a 5-2 victory over Team New Zealand off Valencia Tuesday appear to rule out a resumption of his partnership with compatriot Russell Coutts. He said he had not spoken to Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli about his future. "But at the moment, I'm really happy with the position we're in," he said. "Obviously, we've won and I would like to stay with this team. We've got a good thing going, so, of course." -- http://www.stuff.co.nz/4117488a1823.html ISAF WORLDS For the third time in history, the 11 Olympic Classes are holding their World Championships at the same time at the same venue – Cascais, Portugal. The official title is the ISAF Combined World Championships, and the effect is very much like what the Olympics must be like but magnified because more than one sailor is competing for each country, whereas the Olympic Regatta only features single national representatives. Racing for the 11 classes is staggered, with the Star and Tornado starting off the event on Tuesday. The Laser and Laser Radial joined these classes on Wednesday, each competing on their own race course in big waves and northwesterly winds gusting up to 18 knots. On Thursday, the Finn and Yngling will also begin their racing. Points are currently quite close, particularly in the Laser, Laser Radial, and Star fleets as they are competing in elimination heats due to the large number of entrants. Assuming that the great weather continues, all eleven Olympic classes will race three consecutive days, have one reserve day, then race two more consecutive days before the top ten compete in the medal race on the third day. Top North Americans Tornado (49 boats): 5. USA - John Lovell/ Charlie Ogletree Laser Radial (106 boats): 8. MEX - Tania Elias Calles Wolf Laser (149 boats): 14. CAN - Michael Leigh Star (62 boats): 14. USA - John Dane / Sperry Austin Complete results: http://www.cascaisworlds2007.com/home.php?content=resultadoGeral.php Top ranked American Laser sailor Brad Funk comments on the event site: “Cascais, Portugal is an amazing place. Located just 20 minutes outside of Lisbon, this former fishing village with a rich historical and cultural heritage is now an upscale destination for tourists offering many golf courses, stunning beaches, excellent surfing and windsurfing, concerts and exhibitions, and many sidewalk cafes. And the wind is consistent and strong. The area's look and weather is just like the San Francisco Bay Area, even down to the fog rolling in over the mountains. Kevin Burnham, the 470 Gold Medalist and senior statesman of US Olympic sailing has been heard announcing to anyone within earshot: ‘This is my new most favorite place for sailing!’” -- http://tinyurl.com/3dka6m ULLMAN SAILS IN 2007 TRANSPAC RACE TO HONOLULU Ullman Sails wishes all our customers in the 44th Transpac Race to Honolulu good luck, fair sailing, and a safe passage: “Adrenalin”, Santa Cruz 50; “Bolt”, N/M 55; “Brilliant”, J/100; “Cheetah”, Peterson 68; “Holua”, Santa Cruz 70; “Horizon”, Santa Cruz 50; “Hula Girl”, Santa Cruz 50T; “IT’S OK”, Andrews 50; “Locomotion”, Andrews 45; “Medicine Man”, Andrews 63; “Psyche”, Cal 40; “Relentless”, Santa Cruz 52; “Skylark”, Santa Cruz 70; “Traveler”, Northwind 47; “Uncontrollable Urge”, Columbia 30 SY; and “Westerly”, Santa Cruz 70. For the “Fastest Sails on the Planet” contact your nearest Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com OPEN 60 UPDATE * Leading British print and electronic media company Pindar this week launched its brand new Open 60 in Auckland, New Zealand. A radical new design, which incorporates many cutting edge features including a rotating wing mast and hydraulically adjustable outriggers, this team includes ISAF World Sailor of the Year and Volvo Ocean Race winner, Mike Sanderson, and innovative designer, Juan Kouyoumdjian. Pindar’s new Open 60, likened to the latest generation Volvo 70s, was built by TP Cookson’s boatyard in New Zealand over an eight month period from a carbon composite using a male mould. -- http://www.pindar.com/teampindar/news.asp?navID=150&d=821&i=4 * Skipper Alex Thomson’s new Lombard Design Open 60 Hugo Boss came out the yard in Berthon’s Marina in Lymington over a week ago after 26,000 man hours and 9 months hard labour. Engineered by Paolo Manganelli at SP Engineering, the boat is 25% lighter than the previous Hugo Boss. Last Friday, a week after her first dipping the team completed the 180 degree capsize safety test to ensure that the boat will right itself without assistance if she happens to capsize at any point. Next step is to do the 90 degree test and weigh the boat in the build up to her public unveiling on the 11th July. -- http://www.at-racing.co.uk/displaynews.asp?id=61 VIDEO OF THE WEEK The 32nd America's Cup was not just a great match, but it was a great show as well. The skill of the teams, the parity of the boats, and the variable conditions of Valencia proved that America's Cup watching can be quite entertaining. Thanks to the superb talents of photographers Gilles Martin-Raget, Ingrid Abery, and Thierry Martinez, there are three photo videos this week. Choose your shooter, or choose your musical preference, and enjoy the show. Also, if you have a video you like, please send us your suggestions for next week’s Video of the Week. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/07/0702 -- Look for the Photos of the Week feature on Friday. Submit images to mailto:photos@sailingscuttlebutt.com WORLD TOUR - MATCH CUP SWEDEN Marstrand, Sweden – Lingering showers, light air, and massive wind shifts tested competitors, race managers and umpires Wednesday on Day Two of Match Cup Sweden. The eight teams in Group B managed to complete seven flights to conclude Round Robin 1, but one flight remains to complete this round for Group A, who will resume the competition Thursday morning. The tricky conditions meant no lead was safe, and in numerous matches those who looked clearly out of contention managed to claw back and even pass their rivals when blessed with a favorable shift or fortuitous puff of breeze. The DS 37’ s used for the event accelerate quickly, and so are very responsive even in these light conditions. One of the most dramatic examples of this was in this afternoon’s first match of Flight 4 for Group A, where Gavin Brady (NZL) closed a losing margin of several boat lengths with Bjorn Hansen (SWE) to within less than one length on the second beat of the race, only to lose all of that gain again at the top mark. But then on the run, he and his team from Oracle Racing managed to close this gap and even passed Hansen at the bottom mark, and even drew a red flag penalty on him while rounding. Jensen performed his penalty turn after the rounding, but fouled Brady again, and had to do yet another turn. Normally this would be the end of the match, and Brady let Jensen split to the right side of the course. But it was there that Jensen found a puff of breeze, rolled over Brady who sat windless in the middle, and sailed on to win the match. -- Read on: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/default.asp?m=da&id=57346 GROUP A: (incomplete) Simon Minoprio (NZL) 5-1 Björn Hansen – Team Onico (SWE) 4-2 Mattias Rahm – Victory Challenge (SWE) 4-2 Gavin Brady – Oracle Racing (NZL) 4-2 Evgeniy Neugodnikov – Lord of the Sail Team (RUS) 2-4 Jenny Axhede (SWE) 2-4 Ian Williams – Team Pindar (GBR) 2-4 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) 1-5 GROUP B: Jesper Radich – Desafio Espanol (DEN) 6-1 Magnus Holmberg – Victory Challenge (SWE) 5-2 Mathieu Richard – Saba Sailing (FRA) 5-2 Sebastien Col – Areva (FRA) 4-3 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) 3-4 Eric Monnin (SUI) 2-5 Claire Leroy (FRA) 2-5 Malin Millbourn (SWE) 1-6 OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK If you missed the Grand Opening of Forty 1º North on July 4th in Newport, RI, you will be delighted to know that we are now open seven days a week, and standing by to receive you and your boat. The harbor's neatest marina and coolest bar and restaurant now awaits you, your boat… and your appetite. To get a summer guest pass, go to http://www.41no.com SAILING SHORTS * A record fleet of 130 yachts will start off Marblehead, MA at 1:00PM, Sunday July 8th, beginning the 360 nautical mile Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is the 32nd biennial race in the 102-year history, and this year the field includes Alchemy, Titan 12, Blue Yankee, Donnybrook, Rima2, Hissar, and Decision. Boston Yacht Club are co-organizers of the race with the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, Halifax, NS. See complete race details at: http://www.marbleheadtohalifax.com * A field of 35 Club 420 teams of sailors (13-18 years of age) from throughout the United States will descend upon Lake Pontchartrain July 5-11 to compete for the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy. The three-day regatta will be preceded by a two-day clinic given by United States Naval Academy’s head intercollegiate sailing coach, John Vandemoer, and a team of four other instructors. -- http://www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjrw/double/ * United States Yacht Shows, producer of the Annapolis Boat Shows, has launched a new annual yacht show to coincide with the opening of National Harbor - a Potomac Riverfront development opening in Washington, DC, in spring 2008. Scheduled for May 1-4, 2008, The Yacht Show at National Harbor will feature new, charter, and brokerage yachts from 60ft (18m) and up in what the organisers claim is a first-of-its-kind event in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. -- IBI Magazine, full report: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20070526150807ibinews.html CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: July 6-8 - East Coast Junior Windsurfing Champs - Vineyard Haven, MA, USA July 6-8 - Express 27 National Championship - San Francisco, CA, USA July 6-8 - Leukemia Cup Regatta - Dealtaville, VA, USA July 6-8 - Mumm 30 Lake Erie Championship - Cleveland, OH, USA July 7-8 - J/24 Great Lakes Championship - Oswego, NY, USA July 7-8 - Thistle Atlantic Coast Championship - Tom's River, NJ, USA July 8 - Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race - Boston, MA, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 David Burn, Toronto, Canada: Why does Scuttlebutt not make critical comment of the Umpire’s call in Race 7. It was a definitive gift to the Swiss …….one might wonder whether the old epithet “follow the money” would not apply to that call. If you watch the virtual of the incident it is clear that the Swiss sailed below their proper course ie below hard on the wind on starboard, in order to allow the Umpire to make the spurious call. And yet nobody has commented. Clearly sailing low. No foul. Look at the sail track. Sad day for AC racing. At that point in the race there should be no penalty call unless the foul is huge and obvious. This one was bogus. The Swiss didn ’t win, the Umpire won that race. => Curmudgeon’s comment: There seems to be a need for some clarification on the incident that occurred on leg 3 just prior to rounding the upwind mark. Alinghi is allowed to bear down on ETNZ as long as she gives them room to keep clear, and that by altering her course, she does not presume a downwind angle (approx below 90 degrees to the wind). From viewing the virtual track of Alinghi, it appeared that helmsman Ed Baird bore down once at an ample distance from ETNZ, and maintained that course all the way. Tactically, ETNZ needed to duck Alinghi, but Baird had nailed the perfect angle toward them to prevent this. When ETNZ persisted, Alinghi had to head up to avoid them, and that is how the umpires called it. Versus commentator Peter Isler initially disagreed with the umpire’s call, but when he viewed the virtual track, he sided with their decision to penalize ETNZ. We also conferred with rules expert and United Internet Team Germany tactician David Dellenbaugh, who agreed with the call as well. * From Stephen A Van Dyck: (Regarding the conspicuous absence of the Kiwis at the America’s Cup victory press conference.) While there has always been controversy surrounding the Cup, it has been largely surrounding event conditions and management issues. The respect that the sailors have shown for each other over the years since 1958 has been noteworthy. Take for example the moniker “Gentleman Jim” Hardy, with whom Bill Ficker and I shared the 1970 AC press conference. He did not win the Cup, but he won a lifetime of respect from sailors everywhere. Or take the example of Dennis Conner bravely showing up at the press conference to congratulate the Aussies when they lifted the Cup in 1983. And so when Mr. Bertarelli gracelessly implied that the losers could have a (their own) press conference, perhaps he did not realize that they in fact were….since in fact Mr. Bertarelli is the loser, and because of it the Old Mug has little less luster. * From Robert Johnston, New York City: I would say that ETNZ has finally laid to rest the old adage, "Your majesty there is no second." ETNZ can stand tall for reinventing the meaning of second, head and shoulders above all the rest, one second off the best. * From Geoffrey Emanuel, Southlake, Texas: I want to say that Versus did a fantastic job in an unenviable position of broadcasting what is arguably the toughest sport for lay people to ever understand. More importantly, they did justice to those more likely to watch-experienced sailors who care about nuance and wind shifts and pointing vs. footing, etc. My singular complaint was the times chosen to break for commercials. Given the tightness of the racing, I'm not sure there was any good time to break! Good on ya Verus! * From Paul Henderson: There has been circulated a request from ISAF for sailors to recommend suggestions for its 100th Anniversary. The last thing that my predecessor did before I took over was to change the name from International Yacht Racing Union to ISAF. I was constantly asked: "What does the "A" stand for?" I never could answer. I personally voted against the change as IYRU was unique and had a great tradition. The feeling was that Sailing was more modern than Yachting. I delayed the change as long as I could. The lawyers said the vote was improper. Council went ahead anyway. We still own all the rights to IYRU. The marketing committee at that time said that we should not change the name as IYRU and Yachting had a positive aura. Many sports are called "union". As I watch TV I see that in the Afghanistan War ISAF means: International Security Assistance Force. It is not a clever association for our sport. My recommendation for the 100th Anniversary is to change back the name to the historical unique IYRU. It would be a great tribute to the wonderful 100-year history of the IYRU. * From Charlie Clifton, Sarasota, FL: I have worked on the scoring team at major national regattas. We quickly had results entered and ready to post on the web site. The jury and/or PROs nixed our desire to post promptly due to pending protests or redress requests, often involving boats far down in the standings. We were denied permission from the US Sailing certified officials to post promptly despite repeated requests. Perhaps US Sailing should suggest to their certificate holders that results should be posted right away with the notations "Protests Pending", "Provisional", or "Hearings Pending" as applicable. Delayed results release is not necessarily the fault of the scoring team or the regatta organizers. CURMUDGEON’S COUNSEL Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Forty 1º North. |
