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SCUTTLEBUTT 3612 - Thursday, June 14, 2012Scuttlebutt 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: Ullman Sails and Atlantis WeatherGear. BREAKFAST OF (OFFSHORE) CHAMPIONS By Andrew Hurst, Seahorse Editor Something interesting has been happening in international sailing. During the late 1970s and 1980s, and on into the early 90s there was a steady flow of talent from dinghy and Olympic classes into offshore sailing. The best young helms were in steady demand onboard the good offshore racers of their day, both as helmsmen and to sharpen up the tactical armoury. Other good small boat sailors found their sail trimming knowledge had set them up for successful careers on the end of a genoa or spinnaker sheet. Many also then moved sideways into the sailmaking industry. Having cut their teeth and survived the hard yards, absorbing the new skill-set needed to perform successfully on larger boats, day and night, fair conditions and foul, many of these younger sailors went on to make names for themselves in the America's Cup and in the great Whitbread and then Volvo ocean races. Many of them will still be found there today either leading big projects or high up in a range of related businesses. But then in the late 1990s and 'naughties' something changed. It is a personal view, but I believe that at this point Olympic sailing became so refined and specialised that, underwritten by the much greater funding that was becoming available, it began to offer the prospect of a career in itself. Also, to succeed in this now more heavily invested Olympic atmosphere, there was little time to learn parallel skills; and if there was then there was little appetite. Fewer good sailors made the transition offshore, or into the Cup. Many were complacent, others tried offshore sailing and not unreasonably decided it wasn't for them (tough to argue when the choice is a wet night on the rail or a warm hotel paid for by your national authority). It is hard to fault the conflicting forces that stopped many from risking the move. And the Olympic standard was still rising fast; as one former medallist and offshore champion said in 2005, "Today's Olympic sailors may no longer be able to do much other than sail a Laser or a 470, but they do that very well indeed." But now the situation is changing yet again and for the better. Since the 49er has been a part of the Olympics another new breed has emerged. Maybe it's the greater 'adventure', maybe they are just tougher (no rude letters, please), but whatever the reason, quite a number of skiffies like Chris Nicholson, Martínez and Fernández, Rob Greenhalgh, even one-time 49er sailor Ian Walker have been stepping up and doing so very successfully. Perhaps today's much faster big boats and A-sails play their part in terms of familiarity for skiff sailors, but I believe it is more than that. Do skiffs demand a different set of fundamental human qualities, more mentally flexible and pragmatic, perhaps less perfectionist, than, say a 470 or Laser? Whatever it is, these guys seem more able than predecessors to adapt quickly, and tolerate the discomfort as they do so. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13990 Don't Forget That Special Someone... The perfect gift for Father's Day - a subscription to Seahorse, an exceptional monthly magazine for performance sailors. In formats to suit any taste and pocket: APP for the Ipad, digital book for computer tablet or smartphone - or printed edition. Order your gift subscription today and the recipient receives an email from Andrew Hurst, the Seahorse editor, this weekend explaining the gift. To order please click http://tinyurl.com/c5s24dm BACK IN THE DAY At the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Sailing Competition, Yves Loday and Nicolas Henard (FRA) took the multihull event gold medal, followed by Randy Smyth and Keith Notary (USA) and Mitch Booth and John Forbes (AUS). "We were all on the podium," recalled Loday, "and Randy pushed somebody and somebody pushed the other and we all fell in the water. At that time in Barcelona the podium was in the middle of the marina and suddenly all the Tornado teams were all in the water. After that we had to go back and shake the hand of the Queen and the King and we were completely wet. The Queen had big smiles, but not the King." With ten events on the cards, American sailors went on to medal in nine missing out on a medal in the Women's Lechner. Mark Reynolds and Hal Haenel took America's only sailing gold in the Star class whilst they collected six silver medals at two bronze. The American team had hit perfection during previous Olympic Games when they won medals in all of the events at Los Angeles 1984. A feat that had not been seen since Sweden picked up medals in all of the Stockholm 1912 events. -- Full report: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/london2012/news/26849.php ADD SPEED TO YOUR FAMILY ADVENTURES Cruising with your family this summer and nervous about hoisting a spinnaker? Don't be! Ullman Sails Blue Line Spinnakers are built specifically for easy trim in a variety of conditions, so flying a kite is safe and enjoyable for everyone onboard. Our spinnaker shapes are designed to use in a wide range of sailing angles, keeping the sail stable as the breeze changes. And each Blue Line spinnaker is custom-made using sailcloth that matches your sailing style and goals. Add speed to your cruising adventures! Contact a local Ullman Sails loft for more information. Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com HOW HARD TO PUSH? (July 13, 2012; Day 4) - Team Telefonica led a furious charge into the eye of a North Atlantic storm on Wednesday, and it will be how the leading quartet of Groupama, Telefonica, PUMA and CAMPER play the risky situation that will decide the leg... and could ultimately decide the entire race. Thursday will be a big day. With the combination of gale force offwind conditions up to 50 knots and waves in excess of six metres, the results could hinge on who pushes hardest and still survives. Also up for grabs is the world 24-hour speed record for a monohull set by Ericsson 4 during the 2008-09 race, where their mark of 596.6 nautical miles has not been bettered since. But the runway could determine that. The first fumble occurred today on Groupama after skipper Franck Cammas made the call to reef the mainsail as they prepared for the storm. "It's when we had to take this reef that we noticed the main sail was stuck at the top of the mast," media crew Yann Riou said. The solution proved to be sending bowman Brad Marsh to the top of the 31-metre mast. "To give you an idea, it's already tough to stand up on deck in these conditions," Riou added. "So, up in the air with a 31-metre lever... I don't understand how he did it! If you're looking for the hero of the day, he is here!" Marsh braved the climb three times to solve the problem. With speeds almost halved for around two hours, Groupama slipped from second to fourth. The latest ETA for the boats' arrival at Lorient, on the Brittany coast of France, is Friday. -- Event media Leg 8 - Lisbon, Portugal to Lorient, France (1,940 nm) Standings as of Wednesday, 13 June 2012, 22:02:03 UTC 1. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), 796.3 nm Distance to Finish 2. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), 6.0 nm Distance to Lead 3. CAMPER (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 9.9 nm DTL 4. Groupama 4 (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), 10.5 nm DTL 5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), 31.6 nm DTL 6. Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), 52.0 nm DTL Tracker/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Schedule: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos FOR SALE: Puma's Mar Mostro, competing now in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, is on the market. "Mar Mostro is an amazing yacht, whether sailing around the world or on an IRC race track," Ken Read, Mar Mostro skipper. "We were very pleasantly surprised when we won the only two IRC events we sailed in! Around the buoys and in the Transatlantic Race, both against very stiff IRC competition, Mar Mostro was fast and reliable in all conditions. Whoever buys this boat will share the wild ride PUMA Ocean Racing has been on during our epic and exciting around-the-world race!" For boat specs and details, visit http://www.pumavolvo70forsale.com BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain (Oct. 29) and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles around the world via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com NOT EXACTLY BLACK AND WHITE By Kimball Livingston, Blue Planet Times oooKAY. I got a press release on behalf of the African Diaspora Maritime regarding its legal action against the Golden Gate Yacht Club, Defender and Trustee of the America's Cup. Said press release describes the situation as, "one man's two-year attempt to integrate the upcoming 34th America's Cup." Which doesn't go far toward building Charles Kithcart's case for being a viable organization, not an individual with a few associates and a bug up his tail. But they (cisionwire.com, press releasers extraordinaire) said it, not me. When Martin Luther King marched on Selma, "integrate" and "de-segregate" were functionally the same. Are we being told that the America's Cup is segregated? It's very white, we know that, but if Mr. Kithcart's legal team from the vast firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP is going to argue that the Golden Gate Yacht Club turned him down as a potential fellow Defender along with Oracle Team USA over the color of his skin, rather than because he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding, he and his mysterious financial sources face a long road to the promised land. So far, Mr. Kithcart has been very good at implying just that, without tripping over himself by saying it. He also does not acknowledge the distinction between accepting any Challenger that meets the standards of play, versus accepting into the fold a would-be Defender and giving him a badge so he can go raise money. Come to think of it, though, that's not a bad idea. So I hereby put the Defender on notice: The Journalistic Diaspora Maritime-USA, all of us Fourth Estaters who have been scrambling for crumbs since the $$ shakeout of '08, demand to be allowed to enter AC34 and build an AC72 and race for the honor of America. I can sail, and so can my friends. Commodore Bajurin, I expect your positive response within 48 hours so I can start making calls. Team JDM-USA is ready to roll. Jimmy Spithill, be very afraid. There's more... read on: http://blueplanettimes.com/?p=9053 EDITOR'S NOTE: The case presented by African Diaspora Maritime has been reviewed by our legal team, which has struggled to find its merit. Oral arguments are to be heard on June 27 in the New York City courts. SAILING SHORTS * All 167 boats in the 635-mile Newport Bermuda Race are equipped with a Yellowbrick tracking module. The 2012 races starts Friday, June 15th with the first start scheduled for 1:00PM EST. Tracking will be delayed by 6 hours for the first 48 hours of the race and then go to near-real-time reports every 30 minutes from each yacht. As yachts get within 15 miles of Bermuda the timing of reports will be more frequent. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/NB-061312 * (June 13, 2012) - The latest ISAF match race rankings remain unchanged since the turn of 2012, with Ian Williams (GBR) and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) once again retaining their place at the top in the Open and Women's Match Race Rankings. The top North American in the Open Rankings is Chicago Match Cup Qualifier winner, Taylor Canfield (ISV), who moves up to World #19. Full report here: http://www.sailing.org/38735.php * Dartmouth, England (June 13, 2012) - Racing at The MIQ Logistics 2012 J/80 World Championship Powered by SLAM commenced Tuesday for the 76 competing teams, though light winds allowed for only one race to be completed. Better conditions today allowed for four races, with Jose Maria Van Der (ESP) having now legged out a 21 point lead over countryman Javier Aguado. Crews from nine nations are competing, with a total of 11 races planned through Friday. -- Event website: http://www.j80worlds2012.com * Organizers of the America's Cup are near the finish line of San Francisco's complicated political obstacle course, but there's still a pending lawsuit - which if not settled could delay plans to build race facilities on the waterfront. The City's Port Commission voted this week to settle the suit, which was brought against The City and the Port by a group called Waterfront Watch, for what it saw as inadequacy in the America's Cup project's environmental analysis. -- SF Examiner, read on: http://tinyurl.com/SFE-061312 DISCOVER: AN E-TICKET TO BERMUDA Current forecast is for decent breeze and, at least for the first night or two, pretty cool temps and water across the deck. Your skipper's pushing for going light, but staying dry and comfortable is key too. Atlantis has you covered with the lightest waterproof gear and mid-layers on the planet - bomber stuff that will stand up to whatever Mother Nature has in store for us this weekend. Check it out at http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com, and stop by Team One Newport to chat with the experts and pick up your kit. Dark 'n Stormies await. Discover your Atlantis. 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. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: * Jun 15-17 - Great Lakes International Challenge Cup - Rochester, NY, USA * Jun 16-17 - J 22 Ontario Provincial Championship - Toronto, ONT, Canada * Jun 16-17 - Thistle Great Lakes Championship - Chautauqua, NY, USA * Jun 16-22 - US Snipe Nationals - Miami, FL, USA * Jun 20-24 - The Rose Cup - St. Petersburg, FL, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * SLAM's Force 1 Foul Weather Gear Series * Joel Labuzetta Named Sailing Director at Annapolis Yacht Club * New Sailing Novel View updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news 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 Kevin Keogh: Regarding your story about spousal membership in yacht clubs in issue 3609, I think that American Yacht Club in Rye, New York has it exactly right. The Club treats husband and wife each as members. While they are married, each has the same audit number and they are jointly responsible for the payment of one membership dues and charges although each is a member. If one spouse dies, the membership of the other spouse continues. Divorce does not affect the membership of either of them except that one of them will be assigned a new audit number and each will separately be responsible for his or her own dues and charges. All proposals for membership with respect to married couples are considered as proposals for the membership of the husband and the wife. Both go through the proposal and interview process. If a member marries a person who is not a member, the member notifies the Secretary of the Club of the name and age of his or her new spouse who is then promptly presented for election to membership by the Board of Trustees without any need for proposers and seconders. * From Cory E. Friedman: At my club, NLGYC (in Hague, New York), we have individual memberships, couple memberships (not sure how formal vows play into that) and family (H&W [or H&H or W&W???]) with kids under 25, in escalating cost. If a spouse wants privileges, the couple has to move up to couple membership. We have no such thing as free spousal membership. Same if they have kids. As same-sex marriage is the law in NY, I assume that will eventually have to be dealt with, although I'm sure we somehow will get it wrong. * From Ken Legler: Thank you Ted Jones for your many contributions and rekindling memories of my One-ton days. I include a picture of the "Hawk" trophy (right after awards at the 1979 USYRU One-ton champs) and two one-tonners I competed on in 1979 (Firewater) and 1983 (Celebration). One-tonners were about 37' (IOR rating 27.5) until 1982, then grew to 40' (IOR rating 30.0). Level racing was really cool with all different boats rating the exact same. William Donovan's Not By Bread Alone, with its mast head genoa could out point everyone while the fractionals were faster at reaching. Old friend Moose McClintock sailed on Perry Harris' Special Edition. He welcomed me aboard their "Ten ton Tanton Two-ton" and tweaks got their rating level for the series. I got to campaign "Firewater" as tactician and alternate helm for the '79 Worlds. We lost the worlds to John MacLaurin's "Pendragon," which had been a 3/4 tonner. They elongated the boat with bow-sprit, longer daggerboard and spin poles and won a mostly downwind series. Second was Graham Walker's "Indulgence" a British speedster with Lowell North in charge. Bob Barton captained "Firewater" and although winning the Worlds was our goal, winning the NA's was pretty cool. Indulgence had a 1-1-1 going into the LD race (240 miles crisscrossing Rhode Island Sound). We rounded Buzzards Tower three times, on a crystal clear night, on a hazy morning, and in a zero visibility t-storm the second night. Indulgence dropped their chute in the water on the second time around, cut it free, and blew by us on the long beat to Montauk. That error may have caused their mast to go on the third time around, allowing Firewater to win with a 5-2-2-3. "Rush," with Nelson & Marek aboard, won easily the next year in Leland, MI. See photos here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13993#13993 * From Mick Christensen: So disappointed that no "evidence" has been discovered (regarding Newport to Ensenada Race tragedy). All based on the tracking data and hearsay. Why has there been no report of anyone diving on the suspect crash site? The keel and motor are surely there! I can realize that diving conditions may be tough with currents and waves in that area - I've sailed by these islands several times in smaller sailboats. There is also the issue of Mexican waters, however, it seems unlikely that they would bar a lawful attempt to settle the exact location by finding the debris. I hope the USCG will be more diligent and thorough. COMMENT: The US Sailing report, which was included in Scuttlebutt 3611, did indicate a complete report would be forthcoming in July. As for this preliminary report, their headline of "Independent Review Panel Makes Discovery" was a bit of a stretch. Probably a better word than 'discovery' would have been 'determination' or 'confirmation'. A discovery would have been finding the keel or motor on the ocean floor. Hope that's declared in the final report. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven is estimated to be $16,400, which is still much less than professional therapy. SPONSORS THIS WEEK BIC Sport North America - Team One Newport - Atlantis WeatherGear Gowrie Group - Pure Yachting - APS - North Sails - Soft Deck Ullman Sails - The Pirates Lair - Harken Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
