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SCUTTLEBUTT 2265 – January 23, 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). ROLEX MIAMI OCR (January 22, 2007) Perfect conditions welcomed more than 855 elite sailors from 49 countries on the first day of racing at US Sailing’s 2007 Rolex Miami OCR. A steady southeasterly breeze and blue skies offered competitors a taste of what makes Biscayne Bay an ideal venue for this world-class event in its 18th year. The regatta is the only International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade-One regatta in the United States for Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. A number of American sailors enjoyed peak performances today, including Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wisc.) and her crew, Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.), the number-one ranked Yngling team on the US Sailing Team, who tied in points with Great Britain's team of Sarah Ayton/ Sarah Webb/ Pippa Wilson and Finland's team of Silja Lehtinen/ Maria Klemetz/ Livia Varesmaa but topped the scoreboard after tie-breaker rules were applied. Barkow and her crew swapped first- and third-place finishes in today’s two races, while Lehtinen’s team came in second place in both races. Among the classes that were large enough to warrant splitting into two racing fleets was the 49er. US Sailing Team member Tim Wadlow (Beverly, Mass.) and his crew Chris Rast (Wake Forest, N.C.) topped their fleet by posting two bullets after a fourth-place finish and went on to post a second-place overall after scoring from the two groups was merged. Edging out the U.S. team by one point in overall scoring was the Japanese team of Akira Ishibashi and Yuko Makino, sailing in the second fleet. More good fortune came to U.S. sailors in the 470 Women's racing, where American sailors Amanda Clark (Shelter Island, N.Y.) and Sarah Mergenthaler (Aberdeen, N.J.) secured a third-place finish with 13 points in three races, behind The Netherlands’ Marcelien de Konig and Lobke Berkhout with three bullets and Italy’s Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol with 10 points. In the second of two races, the American team struck an object with their rudder on the downwind leg and lost some distance they needed to recover. -- Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/mocr0122/ Curmudgeon’s Comment: The regatta website had been down most of Monday, and was still not available when we published in the evening. For results, the report link has the top three in each class, with a link to the event site, which will hopefully be available soon for complete results. MONDAY MORNING TACTICIAN (American Andrew Campbell is the top ranked Laser sailor in the US, and was the 2006 College Sailor of the Year. Below is an excerpt from Andrew’s blog, where he tries to unravel a recent weather mark situation.) The windward mark seems the consistent location for trouble on the racecourse. I had an interesting incident in this past week’s training in Miami that led me back to the rule book scratching my head. Yet again the Monday Morning Tactician in my own head. Situation: Two boats approach a windward mark on port tack, not overlapped. The lead boat, Andrew (Blue), sailed into the 2-boat-length circle clear ahead of the trailing boat, Mike (Red). Several starboard tack boats were sailing toward the windward mark on the starboard tack layline, preventing Andrew from an easy tack around the windward mark. Upon sailing into the 2-boat-length circle, Andrew stopped his boat to await a lineup of starboard tackers. Looking under his boom, waiting for a gap, Andrew was surprised to hear Mike overlapped inside him calling for “Room” of some sort. So befuddled was Andrew that he could no longer tack into the gap he desired because of Mike’s proximity to windward between him and the mark. Irritated, Andrew sailed down the line to look for a hole in the line where both boats could fit, hailing “Protest.” After ducking six or seven boats unnecessarily, Andrew finally could tack into a hole onto starboard only to see Mike tack closer to the mark and round well ahead. Under rule 18, when a boat clear ahead enters the two-boatlength zone, then the boat clear astern is not entitled to room in between the mark and the leeward boat. Likewise, when approaching an obstruction, a boat that enters an overlap from clear astern after the boat clear ahead reaches two boatlength’s distance from that obstruction should not be entitled to room at that obstruction. In that sense, the windward boat should not have room to duck in this obscure situation. -- Read on for Andrew’s conclusion: http://tinyurl.com/2642mc QUOTE / UNQUOTE While walking down the Wharf in Key West after racing, a tourist was overheard saying, "I never knew that Acura made sail boats, and they make an awful lot of them.” (overheard by Michael Gutshall) * A reminder that Scuttlebutt is seeking party pictures from this year’s event. View the current gallery, and use the link at the top to submit your photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/kwp/ * Nelson Weiderman posted daily commentary from Key West on the J/105 class website, where he provided his observations from both the event in general and from the J/105 race course: http://j105.org/KWRW2007/commentary.php SAIL FASTER AND SMARTER If you want to improve your results on the race course, you should read Speed & Smarts. This bi-monthly newsletter, written by winning America's Cup tactician Dave Dellenbaugh, has been praised by racing sailors worldwide for more than 12 years. Each colorful issue has 16 pages full of race-winning tips on boatspeed, tactics, strategy, rules and more! Whether you are a skipper or crew, on a one-design or big boat, Speed & Smarts will improve your performance. To see a sample issue or sign up for a subscription, visit our website at http://www.SpeedandSmarts.com FOR THE RECORD (Jan 20, 2007) The support team for the foiling trimaran ‘Hydroptère’ reports that they have reached the record speed of 46.5 knots and, according to their measurement system, beat the 500 meter distance record in her category as well as the absolute record for the nautical mile. The first two records Alain Thébault and his crew would like to beat is the 500 meter record, held by Techniques Avancées with 42.12 knots and the Nautical mile record, held by Finian Maynard with 39.97 knots. The team is encouraged that the speed peak recorded at 46.5 knots will enable the boat and her crew to take up the challenge as soon as possible i.e. the absolute sailing speed record set at 48.7 knots on 500 meters. The team still needs to verify the recent speed runs reached before Port Haliguen, France, in Quiberon Bay, with the World Sailing Speed Record Council in order to make those first speed breaking records official for l’Hydroptère. * Video of the Hydroptère is available on the Scuttlebutt website, where it was among the Video of the Week segments hosted last August: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/06/0814/ A VIEW FROM ISAF (Gary Hoyt’s commentary last week in Issue 2262 regarding the Olympics and sailing caught the eye of the chairman of the ISAF Match Racing Committee, Henry Menin, who has provided Scuttlebutt with a view from his chair.) I read Gary Hoyt's letter to Scuttlebutt (in Issue 2262) about sailing in the Olympics with great interest. I agree with Gary on several points. I would suggest to him, and to your readers, that there are solutions to the problems with sailing in the Olympics other than those he has recommended. I agree that the success of sailing is not dependent on Olympic participation...but it will be much more difficult without it. The Olympics are responsible for much of the funds that are used to promote sailing worldwide, for running youth and development programs, for sailing clinics, for the training of race officials (measurers, race officers, umpires, judges), for the running of many regattas, etc. I disagree that sailing must have winds over 15 knots to sustain viewer interest. What is needed is close coverage of an exciting race. Match racing, in winds much less than 15 knots, provides that kind of close coverage and excitement because the game is played along the shoreline, using the shore as a part of the game, giving viewers an "up close and personal" perspective of the racing where you can hear the skippers and crews talking (yelling?) to each other as they maneuver to control their opponent in a one-on-one battle. The races are short (20 minutes or so) and there can be up to 5 matches on the course at any one time, giving the spectator a variety of matches to watch. And, in winds of even less than 10 knots, the action can be very, very exciting because it is not the speed of the boat that provides the excitement, but the close proximity of the two boats to each other and the control that one tries to impose on the other, or from which one is trying to escape. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0122/ WHEN THINGS GO WRONG (If you an adventurer, and someday dream of following in the footsteps of MacArthur, Stamm, Joyon, etc., below is a report on perhaps what not to do.) The trip began as a breathtaking challenge: to cross the Atlantic singlehanded on a 20 feet Tornado Olympic catamaran. Francesco Di Benedetto’ s plan saw him leave Gran Canaria on January 2nd with his 2700-mile course heading to Guadeloupe. Benedetto, born in Rome in 1968 and claiming both Italian and French citizenship, would have no assistance outside of the supplies he would bring along. For the first three days, Benedetto was able to provide position reports to his support team, wherein they could track his progress. But on day four, his support team lost contact with him, and for the next seventeen days their only means of hope were in that the EPIRB signal had not yet been reported. However, on January 19th, his EPIRB was activated, which placed him 700 miles from Guadalupe, and just a bit south of his direct route. 8 hours later, and just before sunset, Francesco had been intercepted and rescued (along with his catamaran) by a cargo ship on her way to Barcelona. Benedetto, who is expected to arrive in Spain by January 27th, has been in contact with his support team, and reported that his troubles began on the 7th of January, where he lost all his equipment in a storm. Said Benedetto, "I had nothing, imagine myself, the boat, the mast and two sails." Nothing meant no water, food, GPS, glasses, auto-pilots, headlamps, medicines, ... "Without glasses and contact lenses, I could hardly see the end of the catamaran, and at night there were no stars. I had a small compass with no light and the EBIRP in my pocket, that's it." Since Francesco had no routing support, he sailed right through areas with 20 to 30 knot wind. "The waves were incredible,” he recalled. “Not too tall but steep and fast. Like cannon balls that I had to avoid... not for 3 or 4 hours, for days!" After sailing on for 12 days in hopes of finding a boat for help, he finally activated his EPIRB rescue signal. -- Website: http://www.francescodibenedetto.com/ THE AMERICA’S CUP: WE’RE THERE. UK-Halsey is fast-tracking production of new sails for Team China’s latest AC challenger (starts sailing February). Team China picked UK-Halsey for the kind of attention they didn’t expect from the other brand who’s doing the rest of the fleet. And we’ve come through for them: our genoas are light, hold their shape, have 0% crimp. Our genoas were first to be 100% carbon. We ’ve had zero failures since 2005 (crucial when your budget is tight). UK-Halsey is proving we can handle the highest level in racing; yet, we’re not too “big” for your program. Call us: 800.253.2002, http://www.ukhalsey.com SAILING SHORTS * With a day of mixed conditions, two Argentine teams emerge as the leaders after four races in the qualifying series at the 29er Worlds in San Isidro. Day one began in 6 knots of breeze with two separate courses for qualifying in the fifty-boat fleet. The wind dropped during the first race, and then dropped below the class minimum of 4 knots after the race was complete. After an hour postponement, winds built to 8 knots to start Race 2, topping out at 15 knots by the end of Race 4. Top North American team is Judge Ryan/ Hans Henken in 19th. -- http://29er2007.cnsi.org.ar/index2.htm * The World Sailing Speed Record Council announces ratification of a new World Record from Taipei to Hong Kong. The Monohull ‘Johan II’ sailed by Philippe Grelon (FRA/NZL) and a crew of 7, completed the leg on the 18th to the 20th December 2006 with an elapsed time of 2 days, 15 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds (average speed: 7.30 knots). The previous record was 2 days, 16 hours, 46 minutes, and 32 seconds, held by Ellen MacArthur sailing B&Q in April 2006. -- http://www.sailspeedrecords.com * One of Gary Jobson’s video interviews in Key West was with Russell Coutts, who together discuss the America’s Cup (past, present, and future), sailing technology, and future projects. -- http://www.jobsonsailing.com * To update the details in ‘Butt 2264 surrounding the Interclub Dinghy Midwinters this weekend in Annapolis, MD, the NOR and entry form can be found at http://www.interclub.org * Correction: If you had trouble with the results link in Issue 2264 for Acura Key West 2007, here it is again: http://tinyurl.com/yqhvy4 DISCOUNT TICKETS FOR CHICAGO SHOW The 12th Annual Strictly Sail Chicago boat show will be held February 1–4, 2007, and now Scuttlebutt has $5.00 discount tickets for all the ‘buttheads. Look for their banner ad on the Scuttlebutt website for info, or go straight to the show’s e-commerce site to buy your discount tickets: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/jump/ss-c07.html CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Doran Cushing: Jon Alvord's comments (in Issue 2264) about the multihulls being "dissed" again (at Key West Race Week) is, in reality, the tip of the iceburg. Look at the week's accumulation of photos posted by Tim Wilkes - 67 photos in all on the water. One boring multihull image. Tim's an excellent shooter but he also knows where the money is. My point is not that the coverage is biased against multihulls - the fastest boats in the regatta - but that it all comes down to money. Media in the U.S. are run by bean counters, not ethical, professional journalists. While this fact is a pisser for the Corsairs and less-visible PHRF classes, it is a deadly fact when it comes to what the American public learns about the world around them. If they can deceive by omission about unimportant stuff, what do you think they are telling your about the other stuff? As a journalist, I am embarrassed by the profession as a whole in the U.S. -- Wilkes’ Key West photos are at http://tinyurl.com/2hd3dx * From James Spithill: Stuart Alexander’s article does not express my opinion (as was included in Issue 2263). Without the World Match Race Tour and match racing, I along with many of my team mates and competitors would not be where we are today. Due to the dollars required for events, the racecourse in most venues is close to shore, which makes it exciting for spectators and sponsors. This can also make conditions tricky and sometimes frustrating, but they are the same for everyone, and as professionals we know this and the good guys win anyway. With the hard work of Scott Macleod’ s team and volunteers worldwide, match racing has grown, and provides a great stepping-stone for younger sailors with America’s Cup aspirations. I want to be clear that I support and enjoy the tour and look forward to competing in it again after the Cup, and hope to see match racing back in the Olympics. * From Jim Champ: (regarding Scott MacLeod’s letter in Issue 2264, where Scott explains how financial decisions do affect what venues the World Match Racing Tour goes to because without the financing from very generous sponsors, there wouldn't be any events.) I suggest the vital importance of this consideration is shown by the cancellation of the 2007 Team racing Worlds. Rumour has it that this event has been cancelled exactly because a venue, excellent in sailing terms, simply couldn't find the money needed to run the event... Unless the event can be 100% financed by the sailor's entry fees, then the money is vital. * From Nancy Zangerle, President - US J/24 Class Association: (edited to the 250-word limit) In regards to Alex Arnold's request for the "rest of the story" (in Issue 2264), I hope I can fill in the blanks. The two boats that swamped (in the 2006 J/24 North American Championship) were towed close to the harbor entrance before sinking in 15'-20' of water. One was Jack Be Nimble featured in the video. The other was a charter to a team from Chile. Skip Shumway of Shumway Marine arranged to have the Club's floating crane towed out to the boats with Miles Bliss, Club Yardmaster, as crane operator. Skip also arranged to have a scuba diver on hand to attach lifting straps. About a dozen club members in several boats provided the necessary support, and both boats were refloated, towed to the club, and placed on trailers within 4 hours of being submerged. Both the race and the recovery were exquisitely managed by the volunteer race committee, headed by PRO Sandy Grosvenor, and the many members of the Rochester Yacht Club. The crew members from the two boats were retrieved without incident or injury. During the Awards Ceremony, Scott Baker, who was racing the J/24 No Brainer, received the J/24 North American Sportsmanship Award for coming to the aid of his fellow sailors. Jury Chair, Hank Stuart, noted that all 61 boats were hauled and on their trailers by 1700 hours on Sunday. * From Nicholas Stark: In 'Butt 2263, I read the piece about Larry Ellison - the USA's Best CEO. Interesting and revealing tidbit. But, what I thought was even better, was following the link back to the BMW Oracle blog where the Ellison piece appeared under the category "Cool People", and then reading each of the stories about all the "cool people" who have been blogged over the past two years. Excellent reading about a lot of nice people in our sport who don't otherwise get much visibility. It's such people who make our sport so great, and it was enjoyable to read about each of them. Made me feel even better about our sport and the people it attracts. Other AC teams, and other teams, events, and organizers within our sport would be wise to emulate BMW Oracle's blog. http://bmworacleracing.twoday.net/topics/Cool+People CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Eighty percent of married men cheat in America; the rest cheat everywhere else. Special thanks to Speed & Smarts and UK-Halsey Sailmakers. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
