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SCUTTLEBUTT 2282 – February 15, 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 support provided by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). CORRECTING AN URBAN LEGEND (Noted sailor and yacht designer Bruce Kirby provides clarification to a report that was included in Scuttlebutt earlier this week.) On Monday in Scuttlebutt 2280, you quoted an article on sportsmanship written a while back by Bob Merrick. While Bob’s praise of Peter Barrett dropping out of the fifth race at the 1964 Olympics - after committing a foul that no one else had seen - is certainly justified, the nature of the foul was not accurately described. The truth is, Pete did not hit a mark that day, but his actions in the race were no less memorable. Pete had a less than perfect start in the fifth race, and had to make an early tack onto port to clear out, taking a few transoms to do so. While closely crossing the stern of another Finn, his shoulder brushed the other boat’s rudder. Pete felt the contact, but it was so slight that the helmsman of the other boat didn’t happen to notice it. As reported by Bob Merrick, Pete did drop out of the race, as there was no 720 rule in those days. He then sailed out beyond the starboard tack layline to be clear of other boats, and proceeded up to the area of the weather mark, where he arrived with a lead of about 50 yards over the next boat. Peter was very fast in heavy air and that day we had the strongest wind of the series. As a side story, and perhaps as another debate starter, I too was competing in the Finn class at the 1964 Olympics (for Canada), and in that same race I found myself on the second reach, planning very fast and overtaking the Russian sailor ahead. Suddenly, the bow of the Russian boat appeared about two feet ahead of me and at right angles to my course. I crashed into him as he was capsizing, leaving him turtled and crawling around the bottom of his boat. I dropped out of the race, thinking he had luffed me violently and intentionally, only to find out later that when I had taken his wind he had broached out of control and slammed into me. To this day, I don’t know whether the incident would have been considered a foul when the other boat was out of control. Paul Elvstrom was there as a coach/ observer, and when I described the situation to him, he noted that "… if the Russian was upside down, he could not have hoisted a protest flag!" Curmudgeon’s Comment: We contacted Bob Merrick, who admits that his story was wrong, but deflected some of the blame by claiming that it was told to him by Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Fleets Captain Peter Harken (The SSC will bring this matter up at our next board meeting). As for the poll, where we asked whether others would have also dropped out of the race, the results were that over three-fourths of the respondents said they would. Hopefully that is also how it would be handled on the water. Poll results: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/07/0212 2007 INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED The America’s Cup Hall of Fame announces selection of two significant sailing leaders for induction into the Hall of Fame. Laurie Davidson (New Zealand) and Bruno Troublé (Paris, France) have been named as the 2007 inductees to the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. The inductees, who exemplify the best in both the design and international promotion of racing for the Cup, will be honored on the occasion of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame 15th Annual Induction Ceremony to be held Sunday, June 24, 2007 in Valencia, Spain. America’s Cup Hall of Fame President Halsey C. Herreshoff, who will preside over the Induction Ceremony, said: “The selection of these two outstanding America’s Cup individuals fits perfectly with the mission of the Hall of Fame to elevate only the very best to the top honored status for the America ’s Cup. Laurie Davidson, a highly successful designer of America’s Cup yachts, is particularly known for the “Davidson bow”, a forward overhang geometry that was a factor in New Zealand successfully defending the Cup in 2000. Bruno Troublé, an America’s Cup Challenge skipper, is the mastermind behind the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger series. As such he continues to set the stage for the 2007 America’s Cup races. I express my congratulations to these special individuals that we honor this year.” -- Full Report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0214 2007 SCYA J/BOATS MIDWINTERS Congratulations to Tony Weatherbee and his J/109 team on “Commotion” capturing top class honors at the Midwinters in Dana Point, Feb 10-11. Christian Morris on “Painkiller” followed in second place, making it another 1-2 finish for teams with full inventories of Ullman Sails. In the J/105 class, 3 of the top 5 boats had full inventories of Ullman Sails. Top teams choose Ullman! The 2007 racing season is upon us, and it's not too late to upgrade your inventory to a set of the "Fastest Sails on the Planet." Contact your local Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com FOR WHEN THE HORSES GET ON THE TRACK [The BMW Oracle Racing Blog posted some facts regarding the racecourses that are anticipated for the Louis Vuitton Cup (LVC). Below are some excepts.] + LVC and AC Match courses will always be four-leg, windward-leewards, same as for all the Acts. The first and last legs are .3 nautical miles longer than legs two and three because the gate (which ends leg two) is set .3nm to windward of the start/finish line. + Overall the RC is aiming for a race to last about 90 minutes -- this to fit into a two-hour TV show including an intro, the pre-start, and a post-race show -- to hit that targe the RC will vary the length of the course according to wind strength. + For Round Robin 1 (RR1) of the LVC, the courses will need to be shorter to have time to sail the scheduled two two races per day. Under the rules, in light air they could be as short as 8.6nm (a 2.3nm first leg). Probably more like 2.8nm on a normal Valencia 10-14 knot afternoon. Longer if its windier. + In RR2, the Semifinals and Finals of the LVC, when only one race per day is scheduled, you can expect the races to be longer than in RR1. The maximum length permitted under the NOR is 12.6nm (a 3.3nm first leg). The 12.6nm course will be the norm in the Match, hence we Challengers have asked the RC to try to use it as much as possible during the LVC Semis and Finals to get the Challengers practiced up for it -- the exceptions being if we have encounter several days of bad weather and, God forbid, have to go back to running two races a day to finish up the Semis or Finals on time, or on a light air day when there is only 7 knots or so of breeze). By comparison, in Auckland we normally sailed three-lap courses of slightly more than 18 miles. -- Full report: http://bmworacleracing.twoday.net/stories/3306092 NEW START At 62, some people start thinking about retirement. For George Wood, it was time to declare victory, move across the country and start from scratch. As he took the reins of the Newport Sea Base, the Boy Scouts of America-operated community center that holds maritime education programs for numerous youths, Wood was eager to face new challenges. He began work recently, filling a position vacant since August. At that time, his predecessor Charlie Abbott was fired for undisclosed reasons after six months with the base. Wood is used to running a wide variety of programs, like those the Newport Sea Base offers. In addition to coaching a winning sailing team at the College of Charleston, S.C., he developed the college's offerings for students, ranging from physical education classes to the sailing association, as well as classes for adults in the community."We taught a lot of people how to sail," he said. Wood got to the College of Charleston 31 years ago with a doctorate degree in physical education and a desire to teach. Fatefully, he volunteered to be the advisor for the sailing club, which he said had "four little boats" at the time. It led to a coaching career that won the school's teams 15 national collegiate sailing championships and produced 60 all-American athletes. "I haven't had a real job since," he joked. "One thing led to another, and my avocation became my vocation." -- Daily Pilot, full story: http://tinyurl.com/2bzeo3 ELITE TRAINING FOR HEAVY HITTERS Top Optimist sailors are heading to Miami next week for the 2007 ITC International Clinic and Regatta. The Miami Yacht Club and Leandro Spina, Head Coach of the No Excuses Sailing Team, has arranged for coaches Bocha Pollitzer (ARG), Happy Alegre (PER) and Ramon Aixemeno (ESP), along with sailors from 10 countries to come to Miami for a week of training (Feb 17-22) and racing. In attendance from the 2006 World Championship will be winner Julian Autenrieth (GER), 4th place Stephie Zimmerman (PER), 7th place Jonathan Martinetti (ECU), and 8th place Benjamin Grez (CHI). Also taking part will be the 2006 North American Champions Ivan Aponte (PUR) and Ariana Villena (ECU), plus National Champions Sacha Pellison (FRA) and Raul Rios (PUR). Top USA sailors will have a chance to practice with these international sailors compete for the No Excuses Sailor Perpetual Trophy to be held out of Miami Beach, FL, February 23-25. For daily reports and news: http://www.noexcusessailingteam.org IT’S A STRETCH Remember polyester double braid? It could handle most rigging loads, but it stretched and absorbed energy. Today’s line has much less give, delivering more of the power in the line to the block. Harken Italy’s Danilo Fabbroni writes about the evolution of running rigging, line management, and the constant battle against heat, abrasion and stretch. http://www.harken.com/scuttlebutt/Danilo_Fabbroni_Running-Rigging.php SAILING SHORTS * Over 1500 sailors are headed this weekend to St. Petersburg, FL for the Sperry Top-Sider National Offshore One Design (N.O.O.D.) Regatta. Scheduled for February 16-18 and hosted by St. Petersburg YC, the regatta’s organizers are preparing for 200 teams spread across 19 one-design classes. Racing takes place on Tampa Bay under the guidance of Principal Race Officer (PRO) Peter “Luigi” Reggio, who also is known as the America’s Cup PRO. This regatta marks the first of nine Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas for 2007, hosted in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston; New York, San Diego, St. Petersburg, Florida, Annapolis, Maryland, and Toronto. -- http://tinyurl.com/yta4yr * The largest mega yacht marina facility on the west coast of the Americas will soon put down anchor at "Porto Hussong" in the port city of Ensenada, Baja California, providing much-needed and long-awaited slips for luxury mega yachts. In addition to the coastline condominiums and boutique hotel, the centerpiece of the 16-acre world-class Porto Hussong resort will be a 290-slip marina with 76 recreational vessel berths capable of handling mega yachts up to 400 feet in length. -- Complete report: http://www.boats.com/content/boat-articles.jsp?contentid=19502 * Forty sailors from all over North America (and a couple from elsewhere) participated in the Florida Laser Masters Championship for the Jack Swenson Memorial "Dirty Old Men of the Sea" trophy last weekend. The regatta, organized by the Royal Turkey YC and hosted by the Palm Beach SC, had three races each day in the Atlantic Ocean off Palm Beach. Class winners were: Apprentice (age 35-44), Ernesto Rodriguez; Master (age 45-54) (and overall winner), John MacCausland; Grand Master (age 55-64), Alden Shattuck; and Great Grand Master (age 65 or over), Peter Seidenberg. Full results at http://www.pbsail.org/regatta/downloads/2007LaserMasters.pdf * Correction: Issue 2281 incorrectly noted that Walker/ Reynolds won the Exalted Grand Master division of the 2007 Zag Star Masters Regatta. They were in fact second, with Johnny Sherwood with Bert Collins as crew finishing 12th place overall, and taking the EGM division title. Sherwood has previously won the Masters division and the Grand Masters division. Now with his EGM win, he is the first Star sailor to have won all three divisions. 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 Nevin Sayre: I checked out the ‘Best College Sailing team’ forum thread and was honored to be included. It's tough to toot your team's horn. I'm more inclined to toot an "era". In my era there was Jonathan & Charlie McKee, Morgan Reeser, Ken Read, Shadden, Linehan, Pete Melvin, Pete Lindsay, Hookansen, Silvestri, Raab, Bill Lynn, Wefer, Johnstone, Slattery, Pede Dickey and many others who ripped in college and went on to major sailing accomplishments. But it would be hard to match against the era of Perry, Benjamin, Isler, Delenbaugh, Legler, etc., or maybe a more contemporary era. Interesting to think about though. – Forum thread at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/07/bestever * From David K. Anderson: After your piece in 'butt 2281 on Casa de Campo in the DR, I would like to mention another compelling, new and exciting Caribbean sailing destination, Port Louis in Grenada. Peter de Savary's newest redevelopment interest is combining a world-class maritime resort with club and village community, and residential and commercial ownership. Two of the best features are that Grenada is virtually outside of the hurricane routes-I believe they've faced 3 in 70 years-and it eagerly accepts vessels up to 100m LOA. If this has the quality of Skibo Castle in Scotland, or Bovey Castle in Devon, south of England, Port Louis will become the premium sailing spot on the globe. Oh, and the weather's perfect. * From Doran Cushing: A reminder that the Coast Guard official is addressing the annual meeting of Boating Writers International at the Miami Boat Show Friday Feb. 16. This is the presentation where they plan to discuss their thoughts on the science and technology and general thought on the small vessel terrorist threat. More recently, the Commandant has floated the idea that recreational boaters should be required to obtain an automobile-type license as a national security measure so that the Coast Guard can identify who is on America's waterways. The feds can already take your boat if you are thinking about going to Cuba (how do you prove you weren't?). The "floated idea" would have to mean fingerprinting, photos, and other personal information for the feds to use as they please. And that doesn't even address the issue that the license program is a train wreck waiting to happen...and would stop nothing. Maybe if a few thousand boat owners showed up Friday morning in Miami it might send a message. As a licensed USCG captain, the feds already demanded my fingerprints. Who's next? * From David & Alejandra Bolles: (Re dropping out after hitting a mark from Issue 2280) Malin Burnham had a similar experience at the 1963 Star Worlds, as mentioned in the report on the Worlds in the Star Class Log: “Joe Duplin arrived at the first mark first, followed by Malin Burnham. Here occurred, among all the week's disasters that dashed so many hopes, the one that most heavily affected the series outcome. Chatterbox (Burnham's boat) approached the mark on port tack and went about with plenty of room, not crowded by anyone. But she "stalled out" tacking, losing more headway than Burnham had anticipated. Then as she rounded her crew came inside to release the backstay at the same instant that a mammoth sea and a puff of extra wind threw the boat to leeward. The combined effect of all this was that the leach of her mainsail brushed the bobbing mast of the mark, and the boat that almost surely would have won the Worlds Championship dropped out of the race.” * From David Cook, SKUD18 Class Rep: (Re: Peter Barrett's Sportsmanship) I would hope there are lots of sailors like Peter Barrett out there. I know Gustaf Fresk or Goodstuff from Sweden came to my mind when I read Scuttlebutt. He did a similar act of sportsmanship at the Paralympics in Atlanta in 1996 that should be shared with others. As helm of the Canadian Sonar team, I was being aggressive and did a port tack start, as the port end was heavily favoured. Goodstuff was the first of a long line of starboard tackers itching to tack on to port. He saw me on port and tacked below. At the protest hearing, where he eventually got disqualified he said, "I tacked because he wanted to, not to avoid the port-tacker." How many people would have said that? It turns out SWE placed 4th overall, earning the 'Leather' Medal and losing the Bronze by a quarter of a point. Goodstuff got his just rewards 8 years later by cleaning everyone's clocks at the Two Person Worlds. I'm excited to once again be racing against the likes of Goodstuff and all the other talented sailors in the SKUD18 Class. With the addition of Nick Scandone, the competition has just gotten tougher. Nick too is a 2.4 Metre World Champion. It was awesome in Miami to see the younger Scott Whitman and Julia Dorsett school the old folks. As I'm sure my fellow skippers would agree, I would really like to acknowledge and thank my teammate Brenda Hopkin and all the other SKUD crews who make their skippers look good. Pulling all the strings in a high-performance quasi-skiff type boat is challenging beyond belief and much appreciated. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Harken Yacht Equipment. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
