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SCUTTLEBUTT 3549 - Friday, March 16, 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: Southern Spars and New England Boatworks. ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS. By Erik Storck, U.S. Olympic 49er skipper The Olympics are contested only once every four years. They come in and out of the consciousness of the public in a similar timeframe. For an Olympic athlete, however, the reality of the Olympics is constant. Now, the constant reality of the Olympics for the athlete, for the first time for us, is overlapping with the general consciousness of the public. This thing that has ceaselessly driven us for the past three and a half years now demands the attention of the world. In the past couple of months, I have seen commercials for the Olympics on NBC (though there are no sailing images yet...). I've seen a picture of the Olympic Rings on a barge floating down the Thames on the cover of USA Today. I've read articles about what impact the Olympics will have on the British economy. We've been interviewed by NBC, and appeared on the cover of each of our local papers. What was once a small group of followers and supporters has ballooned since we qualified for the Games. The rollercoaster ride of the Olympics has already begun, and there are still over four months to go! All this attention is what makes the Olympics special. Embracing the uniqueness and chaos of the Games will be important for us to succeed. We attended a camp for the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics and Development Team at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs at the beginning of this month. While in Colorado Springs, we had two very special experiences that significantly helped us to prepare ourselves for the reality of the Olympics. Brandon Slay, a Gold Medalist in Wrestling at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, spoke to us twice during our camp. His message was clear and direct. Visualize yourself accomplishing what you want to accomplish, and you will succeed. He defeated a Russian wrestler who had not lost in six years by first beating him thousands of times in his mind. Our odds are significantly better than that, and his message resonated with us. By preparing ourselves mentally prior to even stepping off the plane in London, we will be ready to execute the way we know we can. The second significant experience came at the hands of the US Navy Seals, two of who drove all the way to Colorado from San Diego to push us beyond our perceived limits. The work is not done with four months to go. Having experienced a training session that was very much beyond what we thought we were capable of will serve as a reminder to us of what is possible. Gold is possible! Read on: http://storckmooresailing.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/once-every-four-years/ POOR PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES CREW HARMONY One of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's senior crew members, Justin Ferris, has left the campaign with half the Volvo Ocean Race still to go, though skipper Ian Walker has played down suggestions of disagreements among his crew. Ferris, an experienced helmsman and trimmer from New Zealand who started his Volvo Ocean Race career with EF Language in 1997, left the team after they arrived in Auckland following another disappointing leg. It was a mutual decision, said Walker, who announced Ferris' replacement as 39 year-old Australian Anthony Nossiter, an Olympic rival of Ben Ainslie's who competed on Djuice Dragons in the 2001-02 Whitbread Race. Walker said: "Maybe it was coming back to New Zealand or maybe it was not having seen his kids for six months I don't know but both of us felt we were not getting the best out of each other and we should try something different. It was fairly mutual really." Abu Dhabi started this Volvo Ocean Race as favourites to win with a Bruce Farr-designed boat built by Jason Carrington and a crew packed with offshore experience and talent. But after dismasting six hours into the race on the first leg from Alicante to Cape Town, they have recorded three consecutive fifth place results and their disappointing performance now rates as the biggest surprise of this race. After 20,000 nm completed, the boat appears to excels only in a small range of conditions and to date, those optimum conditions have eluded the fleet. Also as the race has progressed, talk of problems in the crew have gathered pace with Ferris' departure giving credence to the stories. -- The Telegraph, read on: http://tinyurl.com/TT-031512 Tracking/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 LIVESTREAM: Racing heats up in Auckland for the In-Port on Saturday at 2:00 pm local (Friday at 9:00 pm EDT) and the start for Leg 5 to Itajai, Brazil on Sunday at 2:00 pm local (Saturday at 9:00 pm EDT). Both can be watched online, live and replayed: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/live.html 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 SOUTHERN SPARS AT THE VOR STOPOVER IN AUCKLAND Southern Spars is "raising the bar" at the Volvo Ocean Race's (VOR) Auckland Stopover showcase, stand number 25. The stand showcases Southern Spars history in the Whitbread/VOR; from the first Southern rig - Sir Peter Blake's Steinlager II in 1989, to the current rigs on Telefonica and Camper. There is a chance to win team clothing and a Whitbread/VOR history DVD is screening. Our sales team is on-hand for any inquiries you have about Southern Spars' products and services, and we will be using this time to offer as many people as possible a chance to visit our custom-projects facility in Auckland. -- http://www.southernspars.com PHILOSOPHY ON CREW CHANGES During the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race, it was not uncommon for the competing teams to make crew changes. However, Ericsson 4, which dominated the event, kept the same crew intact for the entire race. E4 skipper Torben Grael provides his observations on crew changes: * What was the crew rotation plan at the beginning of the race and has that changed any? TORBEN GRAEL: The plan on Ericsson 4 was to not have any rotation, and I think when things go well, normally you do not have the rotation. I think the rotation is something you do normally do to work around some circumstances. In Brasil 1 (during 2005/6 Volvo Ocean Race) we had a planned rotation to bring Knut Frostad for the Southern Ocean legs, the reason there was that we were quite an inexperienced crew and nobody had sailed those legs before so we thought it was a good idea to have someone with more experience on those legs. So that was the reason. Apart from that, the only other rotation was the navigator and that was for other reasons. I think the fact here that we haven't had any rotations is that nobody has gotten hurt and that the crew is getting along well together. And I think that is a very good sign. * How much easier is it to keep the crew together when you are winning? TORBEN GRAEL: I don't think it is necessarily about winning or losing. It is more if things are going well or not. I don't think we necessarily need to win to have the perception of being successful. This was much the case with Brasil 1. It is harder when things are going bad, and there is not a good atmosphere onboard, that is when you have to change. It is very easy to need that, because it is a long period of time to be together with ten other guys in a high pressured environment. It is very easy for things to not go well and you need to make a change. The good thing is that we have done a lot of practice before so we had a good idea before that if things were not going to go well, we would have had an indication beforehand due to our proper preparation. Full interview: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0509/ COMMENT: When I spoke to Ken Read after the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race about crew changes, he acknowledged that some of his were not planned. But he also wondered out loud if E4 was able to keep their crew together due to their blistering performance. "It's easier to manage the crew when you're winning," he acknowledged. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt SAILING SHORTS * Clearwater, FL (March 14, 2012) - Thirty-one Snipes from Europe, South America, and North America attended the 2012 Snipe Midwinters on March 12-14. Ernesto Rodriguez/Megan Place posted such consistent finishes that even an OCS in the last race couldn't keep them from winning the event. Kevin Reali and Tim King (St. Pete, FL) managed to stay within three points of the leaders, even after they lost a tiller extension halfway through the last race. Emanuel Aghem and Luciano Pesci from Argentina rounded out the top three. The second stop on the Snipe Circuit is Miami's DonQ Regatta on March 16-18. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/Snipe-031512 * Brisbane, Australia (March 15, 2012) - After a layday on Wednesday, the fourth day of racing at the 2012 Laser World Masters Championships was abandoned today after huge wind shifts prevented fair racing. Weather gods willing, three more races will be completed Friday 16 March, and three more on Saturday when the Laser World Masters Championships for 2012 will come to a close. -- Full report: http://www.sail-world.com/newsfeed_show.cfm?nfid=12&nid=94904 * The U.S. Coast Guard has released maps of the proposed areas of the bay it will monitor during the America's Cup races this summer and next. The maps show that the Coast Guard will keep watch over the area from Crissy Field to Aquatic Park this year. The zone proposed for 2013 is slightly larger, covering Alcatraz Island and reaching as far east as Pier 27. It includes a transit zone along the southern boundary of the zone. Commercial vessels can pass through the regulated area, as long as they stay out of the race course. - Details: http://tinyurl.com/SFC-031512 * Following the success of the Transatlantic Race 2011 and its companion Atlantic Ocean Racing Series, the Royal Yacht Squadron and the New York Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Storm Trysail Club, announce the Transatlantic Race 2015 (TR 2015). The race will start in mid-May, 2015 from Newport, Rhode Island, the on-the-water home of the New York Yacht Club. The TR 2015 is scheduled to coincide with the 200th Anniversary of the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) in early June. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/TA-031512 * US Sailing prescribes that the requirement for a highly-visible colored material or patch covering 50% of the area of storm jibs in ISAF OSR 4.26.2 (a) is only a recommendation in the U.S. until January 1, 2014. Then, after January 1, 2014, the ISAF requirements for new storm sails in ISAF OSR 4.26.2 (a) shall apply to CAT 0, 1, 2, and 3. This requirement grandfathers all storm sails made prior to January 1, 2014. -- Read on: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2012/High_Visibility_031412.htm PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include big wings, college keelboat racing, feast or famine winds, skiff on steroids, eight bells, and round up time. Here are this week's photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/12/0316/ SEND US YOUR PHOTOS: If you have images to share for the Photos of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK This month, the CNN Mainsail show offers a unique insight to what life is like for the people who earn their living in the America's Cup teams. Shirley Robertson takes a look inside this private world with Cup team Artemis at their base close to Valencia, Spain. This three part series meets Swedish billionaire Torbjorn Tornqvist and his team of designers that are working on Artemis Racing's 2013 America's Cup boat, interviews Artemis Racing CEO Paul Cayard who is in charge of turning a multi-million dollar investment into a winning team, and follows Mainsail's Shirley Robertson as she lines up against skipper Terry Hutchinson during an AC45 training day. Click here for this week's videos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/12/0316/ Bonus Videos: * This week on Episode 30 of 'America's Cup Uncovered' we uncover our newest and youngest skipper to date: Team Korea's Nathan Outteridge. Along with his teammate tactician Giles Scott, these young Olympic class sailors inject new blood into Team Korea starting at the next AC World Series event in Naples April 7-15. Peter Ansell, ACRM On-shore Operations Director, takes us for a site tour of the Naples event site. We also have an exclusive first glimpse of the brand new super-sized Artemis Racing AC72 wing-sail. Tune in on Saturday March 17 approx 0800 PDT 1600 BST: http://www.youtube.com/americascup#p/c/915CDC8233C7B14E * On T2P.tv this week is the Bacardi Miami Sailing Week 2012. This world famous regatta off the shores of Biscayne Bay had over 150 boats competing in this prestigious event made famous by the Stars and now including Melges 20's, 24's, Viper, and J-24's. -- http://www.t2p.tv/guide/msw12.php * In the March 16 "World on Water" Global Weekly Sailing News Report we have videos of the 2012 Farr 40 USA Circuit Championship Event #2 in Florida, Clipper Race dramas as two crew are medevac'd and a man-overboard incident, 2012 Middle Harbour Yacht Club Sydney Harbour Regatta Australia, 2012 Bacardi Miami Sailing Week Florida, in "Fresh to Frightening" we see really awesome footage of Clipper yachts in huge seas showing just what their novice crews can experience and in the VOR Groupama 4 has drama as its hull delaminates as it races to win the leg. See it on http://www.boatson.tv 1200GMT 0700EST. SEND US YOUR VIDEOS: If you have clips to share for the Video of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com NEW ENGLAND BOATWORKS TO LAUNCH NEW BELLA MENTE JV72 New England Boatworks has also been chosen by Nautor's Swan as an authorized repair yard. Our extensive repair and refit facility and our long list of in-house trades-people enable us to tackle any project. Call us to schedule work before your summer racing and cruising schedule begins. Our Bermuda Race prep scene is heating up including modifications on several top yachts. If you are looking for excellence in yacht service contact NEB today to discuss your plans for upgrades, annual service or the custom build project, sail or power, that you've been dreaming about.401-683-4000, http://www.NEBoatworks.com GO PUMA MAR MOSTRO! 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 Steve Gregory: Following the Australian survey and editor's comment in Scuttlebutt 3548, I contend that their problems are what we also see in the U.S., and that few of the survey findings have changed in the past 20-30 years. And that, to me, makes me question the design of the survey. I don't think the Aussies needed to spend any money to learn that clubs are viewed as exclusive, that sailing is meant to be relaxing, or that a barrier to entry is the complexity for involvement. These aren't new issues. What the Aussies needed to be asking is why these issues are different today than in the past. My guess is that the free market of our sport, which has encouraged the heightening cost and commitment to participate, is partly to blame. Did we really need carbon gear and moulded sails? The other part of the blame is on liability, which has crushed our free spirit for adventure. We are now a society of worriers. If we could spend less and worry less, our sport would thrive again. Remember, other than a small percentage of pro sailors who pinch owners for a daily rate, we sail for recreation. But we have allowed the sport to become more stressful than our work life. And that is killing it. * From Andy Zimbaldi, S/C Newport Harbor Yacht Club: Craig, your query about whether the study would be similar in the US is interesting (in Scuttlebutt 3548). Actually, US sailing associations and yacht clubs have done a lot of work on this subject and the findings are very similar to those in Australia. Big crisis in our sport in the US. And much exacerbated for yacht clubs. The average age in most yacht clubs is rising precipitously as younger people are disinclined to make the financial and time commitments to a yacht club membership. Our sport is at an interesting crossroads. COMMENT: I wonder how closely yacht clubs are now looking at their junior programs. They are more diverse and comprehensive than ever, but are these programs fulfilling their purpose? The mission statement of my club's program is "to develop knowledgeable youth sailors and to instill in them a love for the sport of sailing that will serve as a foundation for the future of the Club." Are junior programs still the source for future club members? - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt * From Olof Hult: Who started buff sailing (as asked in Scuttlebutt 3547)? Paul Elvstrom, of course! He recalls in one of his books, when sailing in his early Olympic contests ('48, '52,..) his competitors were not very good hikers. So he built a bench at home with straps to do daily practice. He tried for 1.5 years (!) to learn to hike with his knees outside the rail, but found it impossible to stay there longer than six minutes, before fatigue would affect his concentration. He would also sail at max speed and concentration to and from the racecourse, to cement the idea in his competitors' minds, that he had superior boat speed, and couldn't be beat. * From Matt Blake: Ah Fritz Mueller, don't sell yourself short vis-a-vis your younger brother Mark (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 3548). I remember a day, many years ago, in the early spring when our high school sailing coach - Art Ellis - put me in a Finn dinghy for the first time with the wind blowing in the 18-20 knot range. I clearly remember capsizing into the frigid waters of Sippican Harbor within a few minutes away from the dock. After fumbling around for a few minutes, righting the capsized dinghy, I became exhausted and cold. Art replaced me with you to show me how it was supposed to be done. You, with your OK dinghy experience, jumped into the boat and quickly sailed the completely swamped Finn dry and showed how it was supposed to be sailed with several crisp tacks and jibes in the stiff wind. Needless to say, I was really impressed. Having sailed with your brother, Mark, a few times, I agree he was well conditioned and agile, in large part due to his participating in competitive high school gymnastics. I could not agree more that good physical conditioning helps one sail faster and is extremely important to compete at the top end of our sport. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION It's okay to pretend we're Irish on St Patrick's Day. We pretend we're good on Christmas, don't we? SPONSORS THIS WEEK Doyle Sailmakers - Summit Yachts - North U Atlantis WeatherGear - Ribcraft - North Sails - Mount Gay Rum J Boats - Ullman Sails - Southern Spars - New England Boatworks Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
