|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2202 - October 16, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt brought to you by UBS (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). SWISS FUME OVER POSSIBLE AUCTION (October 13, 2006) The Swiss holders of the America's Cup, Alinghi, are said to be fuming over a plan in New Zealand to hold a fund-raising auction that would sell silver remnants of the original trophy, first presented in 1851 and symbolizing supremacy in international yacht racing. But the Swiss, who won the America's Cup by beating New Zealand in 2003, claim the silver remnants of the Cup, with their historic import, do not belong to New Zealand, which capture the Cup in California in 1995 and successfully defended it in 2000, and cannot be auctioned off for any reason. In 1997, the America's Cup -- first won by the schooner America in 1851 and on display in Auckland -- was badly damaged by a sledgehammer-wielding activist protesting the plight of Aboriginal people in New Zealand. The nickel-silver chalice was then sent to Garrards jewelers of London for reconstruction. During the work, some of the panels bearing the names of winners and course descriptions had to be reproduced, and the originals remained at Garrards. Last spring, they surfaced in New Zealand. - Tony Chamberlain, Boston Globe, full story: http://tinyurl.com/yjqh8p SIMILAR PLAN - CONTINENTS APART Both New York Yacht Club and a contingent of Australian clubs took on the task of designing and building a keelboat for their specific needs. Here are excerpts from both stories) * Royal Perth Yacht Club’s Opening Day ceremony this past weekend will mark the public unveiling of one of the most exciting new projects in the yachting community of Western Australia and Australia in recent decades. For two years a dedicated group, representing 5 of WA’s major yacht clubs and Yachting WA, has been working on the design and construction of a new modern keelboat to meet a broad range of challenges that the sport and those organisations face in the future. The result has been the selection of a new design, a Bakewell-White 8 metre yacht, to become a common club keelboat amongst the major WA clubs, and to be the platform on which a range of regatta and interclub racing, and sailing development and training activities, will occur at those clubs. - See photos and complete report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/bw8 * New York Yacht Club recently celebrated the launching of the first NYYC 42, the ninth one-design class created by the club since 1900. Some 200 members and guests took part in the festivities at the NYYC’s Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, RI – many of whom sailed aboard the boat. The boat is designed by Frers and built by Nautor’s Swan. Its introduction was unparalleled: 35 boats sold within the first six months—25 to members. The concept was for a Corinthian one-design multipurpose yacht that will be very competitive as a one-design racer but also under IRC. The yacht will be capable of racing and cruising locally as well as offshore. NYYC Rear Commodore David K. Elwell Jr., who spearheaded the project, said the boat is “one answer to the growing concern by Corinthian owners about the domination of professionals in the sport.” - See photos and complete report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1013 Curmudgeon’s Comment: Scuttlebutt had been invited to the NYYC christening, and anointed Clarence Yoshikane and Chuck Simmons to represent the newsletter (who are from California but were in town to help Nick Scandone during the Paralympic Pre-Trials). On their sail aboard the Club Swan 42, they replied, “Very few things in life will surpass going sailing on a crisp fall day in Newport RI. We were treated to this experience aboard the first Club Swan 42 in 16-18 knots of wind from the North. She is a delightful yacht to sail with an ample sail plan and asymmetrical kite, clean deck layout that is simple and functional, permanent backstay and no runners. The 42 will promote great one-design racing. Even though the yacht boasts the displacement typical of a Swan, she has a very lively feel with light balanced helm.” Photos from their sail: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/swan42/index2.asp CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar B&G INTRODUCES DECKMAN V8 B&G Deckman v8 introduces a raft of new features and enhancements to the leading Tactical Navigation software. Following testing during the final legs of the Volvo Ocean Race, v8 has already claimed its first victories. The B&G team continue to deliver the leading race navigation products and support in all areas. Timeplots have been redesigned and Speed Tests have the option of overlaying polar data with test data allowing theoretical versus actual performance comparison. Alongside the new features B&G now include the “most accurate” GRIB routing tool at no extra cost. As used to win every offshore classic. http://www.bandg.com WILLIAMS WINS GOLD CUP Hamilton, Bermuda (Oct. 15, 2006) Ian Williams of Great Britain today won the 58th annual King Edward VII Gold Cup with a 3-1 defeat of Frenchman Mathieu Richard. Williams won the first two races, dropped the third and then closed out the series in the fourth race with a one boatlength victory. He and crew Bill Hardesty (bow and tactics), Gerry Mitchell (headsails) and Mark Nicholls (mainsail) finished with a 13-6 record and won $25,000 of the $100,000 prize purse. “There’ve been moments this week where I’ve lost it and didn’t know what was going on,” said Williams, 29, of Hamble, England. “My crew kept me going at all times. It’s just fantastic to have finally won one.” The win moves Williams into first place in the Match Racing World Championship standings with 35 points. He leads Richard by 5 points. The events of the World Tour determine the ISAF Match Racing World Champion, who will be crowned in December 2007. A total of 15 events comprise the 2006-’07 World Tour schedule. - Complete story and results: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/default.asp?m=da&id=43943 US OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC PRE-TRIALS EAST Newport, RI (Oct. 15, 2006) The Rhode Island Sailing Foundation partnered with Sail Newport, New York YC, Ida Lewis YC, and US Sailing to host the Pan Am Trials for the Laser and Laser Radial classes along with the Paralympic Pre-Trials on two race courses in Middletown and Newport, RI. On the Laser/ Laser Radial course off of Third Beach in Middletown, conditions overall were consistently spectacular ending with Sunday’s steady, southwesterly 16-18 knots breeze, brilliantly sunny sky and waves made for Lasers. On the inshore circle, Paralympic Classes tended to more difficult conditions of 12-14 knot shifty westerly-southwesterly coming off the Jamestown coast in Potter Cove. Top sailors in Laser, Laser Radial, Skud 18, 2.4mR and Sonar classes will return to the same venues in October of 2007 for the Olympic Trials. - For full regatta report and scores: http://www.sailnewport.org Laser (39 boats; 10 races) 1. Andrew Campbell, San Diego, CA, 20 points 2. Brad Funk, Plantation, FL, 20 3. Clay Johnson, Toms River, NJ, 34 Laser Radial (21 boats; 10 races) 1. Anna Tunnicliffe, Plantation, FL, 12 points 2. Paige Railey, Clearwater, FL, 15 3. Sarah Lihan, Ft.Lauderdale, FL, 29 2.4 mR (12 boats; 7 races) 1. Tom Brown Northeast Harbor, ME, 7 points 2. Bruce Millar Richmond, BC, 14 3. Nick Scandone Fountain Valley, CA, 20 Skud 18 (4 boats; 7 races) 1. Mark Lewis/ Maureen McKinnon-Tucker, Hingham, MA, 13 points 2. Karen Mitchell/ Michael Grimm, Deerfield Beach, FL, 14 3. Scott Whitman/ Julia Dorsett, Milltown, NJ, 15 Sonar (4 boats; 7 races) 1. Rick Doerr/ Timothy Angle/ Bill Donohue, Clifton, NJ, 6 points 2. David Schroeder/ Keith Burhans/ Kevin Wixom, Miami, FL, 11 3. Albert Foster/ Jim Thweatt/ Joe DelVecchio, Wayzata, MN, 17 Check the winner’s websites for details - * Andrew Campbell (Laser): http://www.campbellsailing.com * Anna Tunnicliffe (Laser Radial): http://www.annatunnicliffe.com US OLYMPIC PRE-TRIALS WEST San Diego, CA (Oct 15, 2006) Hosted by San Diego YC, the Tornado Pre-Trials are the first class on the west coast to complete their series. Beginning this week, racing will commence in the Star (Marina del Rey, CA), 470 Men, 470 Women, RS:X Men, and RS:X Women (Long Beach, CA), Finn (Newport Beach, CA), and the 49er (San Diego, CA). Results (12 boats; 7 races) 1. John Lovell, New Orleans, LA/Charlie Ogletree, Kemah, TX, 7 points. 2. Enrique Figueroa/Jorge Hernandez, Puerto Rico, 12 3. Robbie Daniel/Hunter Stunzi, Florida, 15 Complete results: http://www.sdyc.org/trials/tornados/tornadoPreTrialsD3_res.htm HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOUR FREE GEAR YET? Get Free Gear now with the purchase and delivery of a Vanguard boat by December 31st and receive your choice of a Seitech dolly, Storm covers, or a Magic Marine gear package with your new boat. Make your purchase by Halloween and get a blade bag. For complete details http://www.teamvanguard.com ZEN AND THE ART OF SOLO SAILING (October 15, 2006) Zen master, martial arts expert, solo yachtsman, adventurer and graduate of the Misaki fisherman’s school in Japan. The prize for the most exotic entrant in the eight-strong fleet for the Velux 5 Oceans solo round-the-world race (which starts in Bilbao, Spain on October 22, 2006) has already been awarded. So it is no surprise to learn that, on his journey to the start in Bilbao on Sunday, Kojiro Shiraishi repelled an attack by pirates off the Cape Verde Islands, nor that one of the inspirations for his love of the sea was Sinbad the Sailor. “They were very weak pirates,” he laughs, easily and sensibly scared off, it seems, by a stocky Japanese sailor wielding a Shinai, the bamboo sword traditionally used in kendo, one of Japan’s oldest martial arts. Sinbad would have been proud of him. A bigger clue to the underlying motivation of Kojiro’s campaign lies in his boat, Spirit of Yukoh, an Open Class 60 named after Yukoh Tada, a legend of the sea. Tada was a Tokyo taxi driver, poet, author and musician, and a proficient enough yachtsman to win his class in the first edition of this race, then known as the BOC Challenge, in 1982. - Andrew Longmore, Times Online, full story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-2404250,00.html * Seven of the eight Open 60s competing in the Velux 5 Oceans race participated in a practice race on Saturday, October 14th, where Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) held an unassailable lead before dropping out just before the finish. Mike Golding (Ecover) was the first boat to cross the finish line, followed by Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat Landolt). - http://www.velux5oceans.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,12345~911999,00.html SAILING SHORTS * Thanks to Kos for the images from the The Superyacht Cup, where our personal favorites are the ones with the dollies stretched out on the cockpit couches adjacent to the grinders. Good living: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/1014/ * Seventeen Lightning teams competed at Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, Maryland to represent the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games. “On The Road To Rio,” the competitors had qualified to compete by placing at various National events. It came down to the final race with Debbie Probst, Jeff Linton, Allan Terhune and David Starck in contention. David Starck’s team with Jody Swanson Starck and Bill Faude prevailed. Photos and complete results at http://www.lightningclass.org * The FIS Tracking Services will be used in two prominent west coast offshore events in 2007. For both the 800-mile Newport to Cabo San Lucas Sailboat Race in March, and later in the 2,225-mile Trans-Pacific Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu in July, the FIS Tracking will provide sailors, race officials and fans to track the progress of each individual boat or race section using their nautical chart display. both the fleet’s route and that of each individual boat. - http://www.fistracking.com * Chip Johns, President of Vanguard Sailboats of Portsmouth, RI, was awarded the SAIL Magazine Industry Award for Leadership at a ceremony during the Annapolis Sailboat Show on October 6, 2006. "Getting more people hooked on the sailing lifestyle takes ongoing commitment from truly dedicated individuals," says Josh Adams, Publisher of SAIL, who made the presentation. Chip's business is "all about putting big numbers of people in small boats...he's a sailor, a businessman, and an industry leader determined to grow sailing," Adams continued. - Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1013 * (October 15, 2006 - San Francisco, CA) George R. Hinman, Commodore of the New York YC, and his crew earned a well-deserved victory this past weekend at the 28th Annual International Masters Regatta, hosted by St. Francis YC. Juggling for position in the top three throughout the regatta, Dick Tillman overcame regatta founder and Bay local, Don Trask to take second overall, with Trask placing third. - Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/yzh42m GET READY…IT’S TIME…KEY WEST! Only 91 days until North America’s premiere keelboat regatta – Acura Key West 2007 (Jan 15-19). World-class competition, professional race management and awesome Key West conditions. Don’t miss the 20th year celebration. IRC, One Designs and a first ever PHRF National Championship. Current entries, online entry, and planning details at http://www.Premiere-Racing.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or space (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, there are no word or frequency limits on comments sent to the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Clarence Yoshikane: (regarding the request in Issue 2195 by Nick Scandone’s team for a coach boat during the Paralympic pre-trials) We got very lucky with the RIB; the request in Scuttlebutt worked beautifully. We received a few calls. Steve Womsley from Ida Lewis YC generously offered us his 24 ft RIB with 200 HP. Just fill with fuel & oil. The area was pretty drained of available boats, so we were very thankful to have found such a nice tender. * From Matthew Reid, bowman, Iskra (RE: Robert Hughes in Issue 2201; edited to our 250 word limit) As a true amateur (I usually pay my own way to and from events, my own lodging, etc.), I echo Robert's sentiments regarding the Farr 40 fleet. I have sailed against him many times on the Great Lakes, and have found him to be one of the stalwart Corinthians of the fleet. I currently sail on Iskra (Borys Jarymowycz) and we field a true team of amateurs, except for the one class 3 gentleman, Mike Considine of UK Sails (in Chicago). Our driver is one of Borys' sons, Bo, who is probably one of the youngest drivers around at 27ish. Luke, his other son, trims jib and spinnaker. The rest of us are just enthusiastic Farr 40 fanatics who love the high level of competition. The best part of the whole Farr 40 scene is the mix of pros and amateurs...everyone benefits in my opinion. The 2006 Worlds showed us that, as on any given day, anyone in the fleet had a chance to capture a bullet. Barking Mad (Jim Richardson) supplied no surprises by capturing third overall and I must say, Jim epitomizes the whole vibe of the Farr 40 Fleet--race hard and HAVE FUN! By the way, Iskra captured Boat of the Year 2006 for the Great Lakes Farr 40 fleet, which just goes to show that attitude and love of the sport count as much as a big checkbook. I am truly looking forward to the 2007 season when masthead spinnakers will make their appearance. * From Michael Tambone: I've been a scuttlebutt subscriber for several years. While reading the latest back and forth on youth, Farr 40, etc, I couldn't help but be reminded of a saying we had in the Navy -- a complaining sailor is a happy sailor. Feel free to use that for your next quote of the day! * From Daria Blackwell: (regarding the Industry Commentary story in Issue 2201) “There is plenty of talk within the sailing industry about entry-level sailing and how to bring new blood into our sport. There is less talk about keeping those new sailors in the sport once they drink the refreshing cool water of racing.” Blah. Blah, women’s sailing program. Why can’t people just get it? It’s not about racing. It’s about sailing. * From George Bailey: A hot 17-year-old Laser sailor was given a Moth to race in a regatta in Norfolk several years back. He did well, as expected, until it blew too hard for his weight. However, on the second day I was at the end of the dock where his and my Moths were tied up. He was having a terrible time raising his sail (bolt rope luff on the moth he had). He would get it up part way and it would stop and he could not determine why. He had checked and the vang was loose. The halyard was clear. I leaned over and pulled the slipknot out of the main sheet that had been put there to keep the boom from blowing/falling in the water. Up went the sail. To myself, I mused that the training he was being giving apparently fit with what I knew in other such cases, in that it did not prepare him as an all-round sailor, only as an around-the-marks, covered by a chase boat, dinghy racer. I am sympathetic, as the same was true in the 1950's when I learned. I learned to sail by sailing on my own each weekend between races (we raced year-round every other Sunday at the Miami Yacht Club in those days), not by racing. * From John Hammel: Just a quick observation regarding the apparent lack of women skippers in the co-ed division of college sailing: I am a new and somewhat removed observer of this scene as the parent of a college freshman, so please forgive my presumptuousness, but it seems to me that one reason for the absence of women skippers might be that the competition is fierce in the women's division, and the coaches want to win there as well as in the co-ed division. Therefore, they may not want to risk siphoning off talent from the women's to the co-ed divisions, whose events often overlap on the same weekend. * From Mike Anderson, Oklahoma City, OK: Had Mr. Kueffner read the letter from Mr. Allen in Butt #2199 with the same care as he read the English history novel (as Kueffner remarks in Issue 2201), he would know that the remarks disparaging the use of French terms in reporting the results of the championship event held in Texas, came from a fellow Yankee, not from a Texan. As we in Oklahoma learned last week only too well (when Texas humiliated OU for real, not like the bad call at Oregon). Don't Mess With Texas! * From Garry Hoyt: (RE: Gary Comer’s passing) Let me echo the earlier paeans of praise from various sailors. His Land’s End catalogue was a must read that redefined the genre. At one point in my advertising career I was the Regional Manager for the Young & Rubicam Chicago office, where Gary was working. This technically made me Gary’s boss. Based on his subsequent spectacular success, I should have immediately reversed roles and volunteered to go work for him! Quite a guy and a star in any league—he deserves a safe harbor. CURMUDGEON’S CONUNDRUM How do you handcuff a one-armed man? Special thanks to B&G Instruments, Vanguard Sailboats, and Premiere Racing. America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt is brought to you by UBS. |
