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SCUTTLEBUTT 2666 - Friday, August 22, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. OLYMPIC GAMES – STRONG WINDS FOR FINAL DAY Qingdao, China (August 21, 2008; Day Thirteen) The Olympic sailing events concluded today, with the final medal race for the Star and Tornado being all that was left on the sailing docket. Unlike some of the previous events, points were close between the top contenders in both classes, and no medal position had been guaranteed prior to the race. This being the thirteenth day of the Olympic sailing events, it was becoming harder and harder to consider Qingdao as a light air only sailing venue, as both races saw a base wind strength of 12 knots with higher gusts, and a rough sea that provided plenty of surfing opportunities. In the Star, Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) had to beat the Swedish team, but couldn’t afford to give away too many points to the fleet. The Swedes kept their spacing from the Brits at the start, and their cautiousness resulted in being late at the committee boat end, with the Brits off their leebow. The Swedes cleared to the right, and when the Brits decided to go left with the group below them, it gave the Swedes the leverage they needed to get back into the race. Plenty of give and tack during this 29 minute, double windward leeward race, with the pendulum swinging to the Brits on the final run. Percy also won gold in 2000 in the Finn event. -- Complete race report: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/24802.php In the Tornado, a heavily biased start line had the fleet on port tack as they approached the line, but when the Greek team decided to start on starboard, it proved to be a deciding factor for how the race would play out. With Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz Blanco (ESP) starting at the pin, they were able to safely cross the Greeks. However, their rival Aussie team had set-up for a midline start, were forced to duck the Greeks, and then were slow to accelerate and ultimately unable to gain enough on the Spanish to take the gold in this 30 minute, double windward leeward race. Since finishing eighth at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the Spanish team won both World and European titles in 2005, were awarded the ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year that November, and won their second World title together last year. -- Complete race report: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/24801.php > ISAF reports: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/Olympicshome.php > US final report: http://tinyurl.com/5n356c > Canada final report: http://www.sailing.ca/feature/2008/08/everything.html Final Results ** Star (16 entrants) 1. GBR, Iain Percy/Andrew Simpson, 7-(13)-3-5-8-2-1-1-2-6-5/10, 45 2. BRA, Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada, 10-(11)-6-1-9-10-2-3-3-3-3/6, 53 3. SWE, Fredrik Loof/Anders Ekstrom, 1-4-(15)-3-6-1-8-2-1-7-10/20, 53 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. POL, Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Dominik Zycki,5-6-8-2-10-9-3-5-9-(13)-1/2, 59 5. SUI, Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria, 9-7-9-9-5-5-6-(11)-4-1-2/4, 59 11. USA, John Dane/Austin Sperry, 8-2-4-12-15-15-(16)-16-10-4, 86 Tornado (15 entrants) 1. ESP, Fernando Echavarri/Anton Paz Blanco,1-6-1-4-7-(13)-1-7-1-8-4/8, 44 2. AUS, Darren Bundock/Glenn Ashby, 5-4-3-1-5-(9)-2-8-7-4-5/10, 49 3. ARG, Santiago Lange/Carlos Espínola, (13)-1-1-12-4-6-9-1-9-1-6/12, 56 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. CAN, Oskar Johansson/Kevin Stittle, 8-3-9-9-1-(15)-11-12-2-2-2/4, 61 5. NED, Mitch Booth/Pim Nieuwenhuis, 3-(13)-8-3-10-2-8-3-11-10-3/6, 64 15. USA, John Lovell/Charles Ogletree, 14-12-7-11-12-14-(15)-15-14-15, 114 RS:X Men (35 entrants) 1. NZL, Tom Ashley, 4-7-7-1-5-5-3-6-8-(32)-3/6, 52 2. FRA, Julien Bontemps, (13)-1-5-4-10-8-2-10-2-3-4/8, 53 3. ISR, Shahar Zubari, 1-3-1-3-17-6-(19)-18-1-4-2/4, 58 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. GBR, Nick Dempsey, 11-9-3-2-1-7-(17)-5-3-5-7/14, 60 5. BRA, Ricardo Santos, 12-6-13-7-6-3-6-7-5-(33)-6/12, 77 17. MEX, David Mier y Teran, 16-5-17-6-12-(29)-23-21-4-25, 129 23. CAN, Zachary Plavsic, 23-25-22-21-(30)-12-26-12-29-11, 181 26. USA, Ben Barger, 21-22-24-26-26-(32)-25-17-25-31. 217 RS:X Women (27 entrants) 1. CHN, Jian Yin, 1-1-1-3-3-(13)-7-8-8-1-3/6, 39 2. ITA, Alessandra Sensini, 6-2-9-1-(DSQ/28)-3-2-2-5-8-1/2, 40 3. GBR, Bryony Shaw, 4-3-11-6-(OCS/28)-6-5-3-1-2-2/4, 45 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. ESP, Marina Alabau, 3-5-5-2-5-(11)-8-5-4-9-4/8, 54 5. AUS, Jessica Crisp, 2-4-3-8-1-8-9-(14)-6-5-10/20, 66 17. CAN, Nikola Girke, 11-14-13-14-12-15-13-(DNF/28)-18-15, 125 23. MEX, Demita Vega, 23-21-25-25-17-21-20-19-19-(26), 190 26. USA, Nancy Rios, 25-24-22-26-24-27-(DNF/28)-DNF/28-26-22, 224 Laser (43 entrants) 1. GBR, Paul Goodison, (15)-2-15-1-9-7-1-4-6-9/18, 63 2. SLO, Vasilij Zbogar, (24)-4-14-6-2-11-18-1-11-2/4, 71 3. ITA, Diego Romero, 6-3-5-(36)-10-15-11-9-10-3/6, 75 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. POR, Gustavo Lima, 5-8-3-(27)-17-6-16-8-3-5/10, 76 5. NZL, Andrew Murdoch, 2-5-(40)-20-24-5-5-17-1-2, 81 9. CAN, Michael Leigh, 13-23-26-5-4-3-(28)-2-19-14, 109 21. ISV, Thomas Barrows, III, 20-28-20-24-26-(31)-15-10-21, 164 25. USA, Andrew Campbell, 14-18-1-26-32-(BFD/44)-8-DSQ/44-31, 174 Laser Radial (28 entrants) 1. USA, Anna Tunnicliffe, 4-5-6-5-6-3-(15)-2-2-2/4, 37 2. LTU, Gintare Volungeviciute, 3-13-8-1-1-4-(21)-6-4-1/2, 42 3. CHN, Lijia Xu, (24)-3-10-6-5-2-1-11-6-3/6, 50 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. AUS, Sarah Blanck, 6-11-7-(19)-4-12-8-1-5-4/8, 54 5. FRA, Sarah Steyaert, 11-1-21-3-(BFD/29)-1-3-10-11-8/16, 77 13. MEX, Tania Elias Calles Wolf, 27-25-(DNF/29)-13-15-16-7-3-1, 107 17. CAN, Lisa Ross, 16-23-13-11-7-9-(OCS/29)-25-7, 111 470 Men (29 entrants) 1. AUS, Nathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page, 4-7-3-3-3-4-5-(16)-3-10-1/2, 44 2. GBR, Nick Rogers/Joe Glanfield, 19-5-1-4-9-6-20-(OCS/30)-2-3-3/6, 75 3. FRA, Nicolas Charbonnier/Olivier Bausset,6-3-8-1-6-18-3-14-7-(20)-6/12,78 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. NED, Sven Coster/Kalle Coster, 11-(15)-12-2-8-15-2-8-4-2-7/14, 78 5. ESP, Onan Barreiros/Aaron Sarmiento, 8-2-6-9-13-13-13-4-11-(18)-4/8, 79 13. USA, Stuart McNay/Graham Biehl, 26-12-(OCS/30)-17-15-1-4-1-6-23, 105 29. CAN, Locas/Bone, 25-25-(OCS/30)-20-23-22-(OCS/30)-18-26-16, 205 470 Women (19 entrants) 1. AUS, Elise Rechichi/Tessa Parkinson, 2-2-4-1-(9)-4-2-5-3-2-9/18, 43 2. NED, Marcelien De Koning/Lobke Berkhout,3-1-9-5-2-2-10-7-4-(16)-5/10,53 3. BRA, Fernanda Oliveira/Isabel Swan, 11-(16)-5-10-7-6-6-2-7-4-1/2, 60 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. ISR, Nike Kornecki/Vered Buskila, 8-13-1-2-8-(19)-3-1-11-15-2/4, 66 5. ITA, Giulia Conti/Giovanna Micol, 14-7-6-3-6-11-4-(19)-12-6-3/6, 75 12. USA, Amanda Clark/Sarah Mergenthaler, 12-12-10-14-4-(17)-7-6-17-7, 89 Finn (26 entrants) 1. GBR, Ben Ainslie, (10)-1-4-1-1-10-2-1/2, 23 2. USA, Zach Railey, 2-5-2-2-7-8-7-(19)-6/12, 45 3. FRA, Guillaume Florent, 5-8-20-3-4-6-4-(21)-4/8, 58 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. SWE, Daniel Birgmark, 14-(17)-1-6-12-3-3-5-7/14, 58 5. CAN, Christopher Cook, 8-3-7-10-(23)-5-15-3-8/16, 67 Yngling (15 entrants) 1. GBR, Sarah Ayton/Sarah Webb/Pippa Wilson, 2-3-4-(7)-4-2-2-5-1/2, 24 2. NED, Mandy Mulder/Annemieke Bes/Merel Witteveen,9-1-2-(13)-1-5-4-1-4/8,31 3. GRE, Bekatorou/Papadopoulou/Kravarioti, 10-12-9-3-2-(16/OCS)-3-3-3/6, 48 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. GER,Ulrike Schuemann/Ute Hoepfner/Julia Bleck,8-7-7-11-11-3-5-(13)-2/4,56 5. FRA, Anne Le Helley/ Lepesant/ Gerecht, 4-(15)-1-14-5-10-10-2-5/10, 56 7.USA,Sally Barkow/Carolyn Howe/Deborah Capozzi,(14)-2-8-5-6-11-1-10-9/18,61 13. CAN, Jennifer Provan/Henderson/Abbott, 5-4-10-(15)-9-12-11-15, 66 49er (19 entrants) 1. DEN, Jonas Warrer/Martin Kirketerp Ibsen, 2-4-(10)-4-2-3-4-2-9-2-7-8-7/14, 61 2. ESP, Lizarduy/Gaztañaga, 1-10-17-2-(OCS/20)-5-7-10-3-4-1-2-1/2, 64 3. GER, Jan-Peter Peckolt/Hannes Peckolt,(15)-6-11-6-3-2-2-12-4-5-4-7-2/4,66 ----------------------------------------------------------- 4. ITA, Pietro Sibello/Gianfranco Sibello,3-9-1-1-6-9-3-8-12-(17)-3-3-4/8,66 5.AUS, Nathan Outteridge/Ben Austin,(DSQ/20)-1-7-3-1-1-6-4-6-12-2-18-6/12,73 6. USA, Tim Wadlow/Christopher Rast, 5-14-15-(16)-5-10-1-1-1-3-8-4-DNF/22,89 14. CAN, Gordon Cook/Ben Remocker, 13-12-13-10-7-6-16-16-10-(18)-15-16, 134 ** Final results include a medal race for entrants in the top ten. Both medal race position and points are shown (position/points). Complete results: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/resultscentre.php STANDING ON THE PODIUM Here is the medal count for each country from the 2008 Olympic Games, with their count from 2004 in parenthesis: Great Britain - 6 (5) Australia - 3 (0) France - 3 (2) Brazil - 2 (2) China - 2 (1) Netherlands - 2 (1) Italy - 2 (1) Spain - 2 (3) United States - 2 (2) Argentina - 1 (1) Denmark - 1 (2) Germany - 1 (0) Greece - 1 (2) Israel - 1 (1) Lithuania - 1 (0) New Zealand - 1 (0) Slovenia - 1 (1) Sweden - 1 (1) Austria - 0 (2) Canada – 0 (1) Czech Republic - 0 (1) Norway - 0 (1) Poland - 0 (1) Ukraine - 0 (2) Eighteen countries medaled compared to the mark of 20 countries that earned sailing medals in 2004. A complete breakdown of how the 33 medals were distributed is now posted on the Scuttlebutt website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/medals => Curmudgeon’s Comment: I want to shout out a special thanks to all the photographers that have been sending us images. Look for the Olympic gallery link in the Monday newsletter. Also, to express our appreciation to our friends at PredictWind.com for providing daily weather forecasts, graphs, and images during the entire Olympic sailing event. A complete history is posted here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/olyweather ONLY 150 DAYS TILL ACURA KEY WEST 2009 Summer is going fast and racing sailors from across the country are making their plans for North America’s top winter regatta - Acura Key West 2009, presented by Nautica. World class One Design, PHRF, and IRC racing in the warm waters off beautiful Key West. Highlights will again include the PHRF National Championship, International Team Competition, One Design Mid-Winter championships and a week of unbeatable shoreside parties. Race dates are January 19-23, 2009. For the Notice of Race, Online Entry, Invited Classes, Dockage, forms and details visit: http://www.Premiere-Racing.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK A multitude of chaseboats, helicopters, land-based cameras, on-board cameras, and microphones around the race course provided the sights and sounds of the 2008 Olympic sailing events. Of the five race courses, one was positioned adjacent to the marina jetty, and it was this course that was used for daily television shows and land-based spectating. The 11 events rotated through this course during their Opening Series, and then it was this course that was used for each event’s Medal Race. If you missed any of the sailing coverage, you can now get caught up as the Scuttlebutt website has an index of all the videos hosted on the NBC website. 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 videos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/08/0818 OLYMPIC GAMES – NEWS AND NOTES * Spanish gold medal-winning Tornado sailors Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz paid their own tribute to victims of the Madrid air disaster by donning black armbands at their victory ceremony in Qingdao. A passenger jet on Wednesday carrying 172 people, crashed at Madrid's Barajas Airport Wednesday afternoon, killing 153 people. Spain had declared three days of mourning Thursday, leading the pair to climb the podium wearing a black armband each despite Spanish media reporting that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had banned arm bands as well as the flying of the national flag at half-mast at the Spanish section of the Athletes Village. -- http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/08/21/olympics.armbands/index.html * The Optimist class has proudly determined that 23 out of the 27 skippers of the medal-winning boats in Qingdao are former Optimist sailors. Additionally, at least 67% of these medallists were already internationals at Under-16 level, sailing in Optimist World or Continental championships. -- http://www.optiworld.org/ioda-news.html * Just when you thought the fat lady had sung his last note, the controversy and protests regarding the 49er medal race appear to have another stanza. Here is the official announcement: “The ad hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has received an application from the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and the Spanish Olympic committee (COE) against two decisions of the International Jury of the International Sailing federation (ISAF) related to the gold medal race of the 49er event which took place on 17 August 2008….A hearing in this matter will take place on 23 August 2008 at 09.00am.” -- Complete story: http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2008/08/court-of-arbitration-for-sport-will.html GARY BODIE TO STEP DOWN AS US SAILING TEAM HEAD COACH by Stuart Streuli, Sailing World After a decade at the helm of the U.S. Sailing Team - and 30 years as a sailing coach - Gary Bodie will be stepping down by the end of the year and moving away of professional coaching. The team has won eight Olympic medals during his tenure - three gold, four silver, and one bronze. * Will the duties of the head coach change at all in the immediate future? BODIE: They're going to reorganize the role a little bit, try to take out some of the administrative and logistical stuff, including ISAF and Miami OCR and shipping and yadda, yadda, yadda, which I end up spending over half my time on and put that back into the office so to speak. So this person would be able to focus more the head coach and high-performance role. * Will the person be more of a team manager, more big picture? BODIE: I've pretty much taken an active role coaching individual athletes during my 10 years. I've done it where I've been coaching my share of the load. But again that takes away from the big picture kind of stuff. So I think the new person will be able to focus more on being the head coach. I think [high-performance director] is a pretty popular title in Olympic sports, not just sailing. I think my replacement will actually be more involved with the athletes, and still be doing some on-the-water coaching, moving from class to class, but less focused on one or two athletes and one or two classes and hopefully it'll be successful in taking some of the administrative and logistical stuff off the plate. The reason that Sparky [Team GBR Olympic Manager Stephen Park] is able to do what he's able to do is they have five people doing what I'm doing and five more doing what (Olympic Director) Katie Kelly does. One of their athletes came up to Katie and commented, "I can't believe you and Gary do all these things." He was more admiring it than being critical. -- Complete interview: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT0821A =>Curmudgeon’s Comment: Kenneth Andreasen, who was Finn Silver Medalist Zach Railey’s personal coach, will succeed Gary Bodie as the US High Performance Director. QUOTE / UNQUOTE * Dean Brenner, US Olympic Sailing Chairman: “I am proud of this team and of our performance. We won two medals. We could have won more, but we didn't, and there are a lot of teams going home right now with fewer than two medals. We won a gold and a silver from two first-time Olympians, both of whom appear to be sticking around for another go. That's a real positive. We can build off those two performances. And we can enter the next four-year Olympic cycle with strength in those two events. “We also enter the next Olympic cycle with lots more young talent that may sign up for another go. I think there are more than a few 2008 Olympians who will feel the tug of "unfinished business." That's also a huge positive. But make no mistake about it... we have work left to do. I leave these Games proud, but not satisfied. That's an important distinction.” -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT0821B * Graham Biehl, US 470 crew: “I can’t give too much information out, but, it is an awesome time to be affiliated with US Sailing Team Alphagraphics. The things the team is doing, and what we have planned for the next quad, will surprise a lot of people, and maybe some others will get clued in that keep slamming US SAILING and the Olympic Team. Shame on them. Maybe they should try some Olympic sailing before criticizing or at least get a better understanding of the program. “I can confidently say the program will adopt a British style system which the athletes and staff fully support. We will have top level sponsors, some are almost nailed down, and a few more big surprises. Also the enthusiasm of the athletes is tremendous. Most of us are planning to campaign for 2012 and I can tell you we all want medals next time. For those of us who had our first games experience, we’ve learned a lot and felt even more ready for the next games. Look for some exciting things from your new US SAILING Team.” -- http://blog.teammb.org/?p=93 O’PEN BIC “UN-REGATTA” THRILLS JUNIOR SAILORS Cool boats and cool format left kids from Wisconsin to Tortola with a new stoke for sailing August 16 at the U.S. O’pen Cup hosted by New Bedford Community Boating Center. The kids were jazzed by unorthodox slalom courses, freestyle, and emphasis on sportsmanship, seamanship and fun! over results. Capsizing is part of the game, and not something to be feared. For full results and photos go to http://www.CommunityBoating.org. To lock in your special 2009 program, contact mailto:info@BicSportNA.com before October 31, 2008. BACK ON SCHEDULE AT J/22 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rochester, New York, USA (August 21, 2008) - Perfect conditions met the fleet of 104 J/22s for the second day of racing at the J/22 Ultimate Marine Group World Championship in Rochester, New York. The extremely flukey 5-8 knot breeze from Wednesday was replaced today with a much improved 10-15 knots, allowing the event to hold three races, with four now completed of the 13 races scheduled. Low point score from today was Greg Fisher of Annapolis, MD, but the current overall race leader is Class President Chris Doyle representing Youngstown YC from Youngstown, NY. Chris is not only competing for the Worlds trophy, but also personal pride among family members, as he has two brothers and one nephew amongst the competing skippers. Racing continues through Sunday. -- Event website: http://www.myyc.org/j22worlds GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY PAYS OFF The Government's $33.75 million subsidy of Emirates Team New Zealand's 2007 America's Cup challenge boosted the economy by $2 for every dollar invested, Associate Finance Minister Trevor Mallard said today. An economic impact report prepared by consultants Market Economics said the effects were greater than $35 million to $53 million estimated in 2003 because Team NZ gained more funding from overseas sources. The foreign sponsorship helped fund the $130 million spent on the challenge, much of it while the yacht crew prepared at Team NZ's Auckland base for the regatta hosted in Spain. The study estimated the Team NZ challenge added between $62.2 million and $74 million to the economy through additional activity and flow-on effects, with most of it assisting Auckland. It also generated between 750 and 900 jobs. The spending generated an estimated extra $32.4 million to $39.4 million in tax take for the Government. The report said there were less tangible but wider benefits from the challenge in terms of raising the profile of New Zealand and in particular the marine industry. -- NZ Herald, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10528273 WINNERS, PARALYMPIANS CELEBRATE BEFORE HEADING TO CHINA Newport, R.I. (August 21, 2008) – The five American and six Canadian sailors who will represent their nations in the three sailing events of the 2008 Paralympic Games wrapped up their final day of racing for the 2008 C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Memorial Regatta being run from Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s Public Sailing Center. Their participation in “The Clagett” was the final step in preparing for the competition in China and illustrated perfectly the regatta’s mission of developing and building the competitive skills of sailors with disabilities. It was an emotional finale for all the competitors and event organizers -- their collective support was vocalized in urging the Paralympic teams to make the medal podium in Qingdao. The final races of the regatta took place after the exit of a very light breeze which caused several races to be abandoned and also postponed racing for about an hour. The arrival of sea breeze, which built to eight knots, allowed the final races of the regatta to take place. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6273 SAILING SHORTS * Bill and Sally Martin and the crew of the GL 70 Stripes have won the 2008 Great Lakes 70 season championship, wrapping up the honor by defeating 2007 season champion Tom Neill aboard Nitemare (season, 2nd place) in this past weekend’s Chicago Verve Cup. In its 13th year of awarding a season champion, the Great Lakes 70s had ten sleds competing for honors. Stripes is the eighth different GL 70 to be crowned GL 70 champion. -- http://www.greatlakes70.org * Portland, ME - The Coast Guard and Maine Marine Patrol are investigating a growing number of missing metal sound signals from buoys along the Maine coastline, which can put sailors and other mariners in danger. At least seven known buoys, primarily throughout the Down East Region, have had their bells and gongs removed and investigators suspect they are being stolen and sold. -- Sail World, read on: http://www.sail-world.com/cruising/index.cfm?nid=47722&rid=11 * Eugene, OR (August 20, 2008) - Stu Robertson from Huntington Beach, CA with daughter Erin as crew won six of the seven races of the 51st Lido 14 Class Championship to claim his fourth title in five years and fifth overall dating to 1975. Forty-three boats attended the event held on Fern Ridge Lake, hosted by the Eugene Yacht Club. -- Daily reports: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6264 * The International 14 North American Championship will be held this Friday through Sunday in Newport, RI. Defending NA Champion Andrew Yates and current Pac-Rim champion Kris Bundy will be battling it out amongst 15 boats from San Diego, Seattle, Toronto, and Ottawa, as well as CT, RI, and MA. Spectator information and race progress can be found at http://nsf.skiffsailing.us/regattas/spectator-info.html * A Florida boat owner last week filed a lawsuit against US oil companies, alleging they sold ethanol-blended fuel to boaters while knowing it would cause damage to engines. Florida boat owner Erick Kelecseny claims that his boat engine and fuel tank were damaged by ethanol-blended gas. His lawsuit alleges that gas companies including Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell, continued to sell ethanol-blended fuel to the marine industry after they knew it would cause damage to the motors. The Florida lawsuit follows a second class-action lawsuit filed last April in California. -- IBI Magazine, full story: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080720141534ibinews.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’. Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). You only get one letter per subject, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Chip Nilsen (edited to the 250-word limit) I read with amazement the comments in Scuttlebutt about the 49er Medal race. These are obviously people that would like to have their arm chair fitted with a tiller and a mainsheet, so they can watch a big screen and sail on a WII. The 49er is a high performance skiff, not a boat. They seem surprised to see a 49er capsize. “Look Margret, they must have lost their keel”! No!, this is skiff racing in breeze. The mantra for the adrenalin loving 29er, 49er, I14 and 18 sailors is “Win or Swim” as capsizing and pitch poling is part of pushing the edge. I was astonished to see the Medal race characterized as a Demolition Derby. I have watched the rewind of the 49er medal race a few times and saw no collisions or any of the 49ers looking for even a tow. These skiffs sail up wind at over 10 knots and downwind at “Hair on Fire” 18+ knots and gear breaks. The Danes dealt with gear failure prior to the start of the medal race, believing their dreams were dashed away as they looked at their broken rig sailing back to the harbor. The Croatian team and coaches seeing the crippled 49er ran quickly rigged their boat ready for the Danes to use in the medal race in big breeze. Upon their return to the course, the spectators, race committee and I think even the judges were cheering them on. I know I was; and the BIGGEST story here was the Corinthian spirit of the Croatian sailors, seeing the “Agony of Defeat” and turning it into GOLD. “FAST IS FUN” CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. - Vince Lombardi Special thanks to Acura Key West 2009 and O’pen BIC. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
