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SCUTTLEBUTT 3473 - Friday, November 18, 2011
Scuttlebutt 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.
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Today's sponsors: International Rolex Regatta and Doyle Sails.
ARTEMIS RACING QUALIFIES FOR SEMI FINALS
San Diego, CA (November 16, 2011) - Artemis Racing has advanced into the
Semi Final of the AC World Series Match Racing Championship in San Diego,
beating a red hot Aleph team to join the final four. The last match of the
day was a cat and mouse affair, the result in doubt until the very end, but
finally, Artemis Racing prevailed.
Aleph skipper Pierre Pennec led his crew into battle five times on Thursday
(although only four counted), bullying his way through the fleet from the
lowest seeded pair. After dispatching China Team, Team Korea and ORACLE
Racing Coutts, Aleph ran out of magic in the match against Terry Hutchinson
and Artemis.
Artemis Racing joins Energy Team, Emirates Team New Zealand, and ORACLE
Racing Spithill in the Semi Finals, each of whom previously qualified via
the seeding races on Wednesday.
A thick fog that enveloped San Diego Bay burned off by mid-morning, allowing
a light 7-10 knot sea breeze to build. But by early afternoon, the fog
settled in again, dropping the temperature and keeping the wind light and
shifty in the bay. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/89vnvpy
Results San Diego Match Racing Championship - Qualifying Matches
Q1. Aleph beat China Team
Q2. ORACLE Racing Coutts beat Green Comm Racing
Q3. Aleph beat Team Korea
Q4. Aleph beat ORACLE Racing Coutts
Q5. Artemis Racing beat Aleph
Friday's Semi Final Matches (first to two)
SF1. Emirates Team New Zealand vs. ORACLE Racing Spithill
SF2. Energy Team vs. Artemis Racing
BROADCAST: The live streaming on the America’s Cup YouTube channel begins at
1:00 pm PST on Wednesday through Sunday. For the first time there will be
the option of English or French commentating. There will also be a Comcast
broadcast for the Dish Network, Direct TV, and AT&T Uverse. Details on
YouTube, Comcast and the post-event highlight shows here:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/ACWS-SD-Broadcast
WEATHER FORECAST: http://www.weatherflow.com/americascup
HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE REACHING START
A frequent complaint of the America’s Cup BC (before catamaran) is the
winner of the start tended to generally win the race. And while the AC45s
now being used in the America’s Cup World Series have demonstrated that
passing is a new reality, the start still remains important.
The vitalness of the start is born in the course format, as the race begins
with a short reaching leg before the teams bear off toward the leeward mark.
And leading at that first turn is still an accurate indicator of a good
position at the finish.
“There are a lot of different factors that are contributing to getting off
the start line,” explained Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker,
who has proven to be most consistent at this new format. “For the reaching
starts,” notes team coach Rod Davis, “the rule of thumb is the leeward boat
has a slight advantage, but, and it is a very BIG BUT, if you get rolled by
one boat, you will be rolled by everyone.”
Like most strategic decisions, it is a matter of assessing the risk and
reward. “If you choose to start down there you better be sure you can keep
your bow clear all the way to the mark,” revealed Barker. “If you are bow
even when you get to the first mark, the leeward boat is able to pull away
on the first leg. It is a huge advantage if you can hold it, but if you
start getting rolled, as I have experienced a few times, it’s pretty
painful.”
In America’s Cup 2.0, starting at either the high end or low end of the line
is now a significant tactical decision for the teams, and a talking point
for the arm chair sailors. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt
ACWS San Diego Course diagram: http://tinyurl.com/ACWS-SD-course
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CHEMISTRY ON & OFF THE COURSE FOR TEAM KOREA
By Michelle Slade, SailBlast
I have to say Team Korea has piqued my interest this past few months and
it’s not just because the average crew age is 30. Chatting with skipper
Chris Draper (GBR) reminded me of conversations I’ve had in the past with
Grant Dalton, the drive behind Emirates Team NZ - the most successful team
in the America’s Cup. Like Dalton, Draper leans into the conversation fully
engaged and straight to the point. And like Dalton, Draper is massively
driven by competition.
I was curious to learn how this first-ever Korean Cup entry put together a
first class team who are doing really well holding their own - mid-fleet -
in the inaugural America's Cup World Series competition.
Cliché or not, the phrase, “there’s no ‘I’ in team”, comes instantly to mind
when talking to Draper. It’s clear he’s hand-picked his guys - he wanted
skilled, hard-working sailors with a winning chemistry, and he’s pretty sure
he’s headed in the right direction.
Like himself, Draper says there’s a new wave of people coming into America’s
Cup sailing who have been Olympic campaigning full-time for the last 10
years and who are used to working with a team-mate who they’re with
everyday, perhaps spending 200+ days a year training together, and who have
come to understand the importance of good relationships.
“From the brief glimpses I have had of past America’s Cup teams,
personalities can be quite abrasive and I think we’re trying very hard at
Team Korea to make sure we have people who get on well and who will work
hard and give it their all, and feel good that the person sitting next to
you is watching your back, or if you make a mistake, they’ll back you up -
that’s an ethos we’ve started for this campaign and we’ll try to maintain
that all the way through.” - Full story: http://tinyurl.com/6wz8xze
WHICH TEAM DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?
Since the America's Cup match only comes around every three to five years,
the event has struggled to broaden its appeal. But now we have the America's
Cup World Series, which was launched in 2011 to provide the platform for
sporting fans to get connected with the event, and for teams to become fan
favorites.
Just as Facebook has demonstrated the power of 'like', Scuttlebutt wants to
know which of the America's Cup teams you like (or sort of like). This is
purely a popularity poll, and has no bearing on who may win. Here is the
list of teams with their current skipper(s):
Aleph (FRA), Pierre Pennec (FRA)
Artemis Racing (SWE), Terry Hutchinson (USA)
China Team (CHN), Charlie Ogletree (USA)
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL)
Energy Team (FRA), Yann Guichard (FRA)
Green Comm Racing (ESP), Vasilij Zbogar (SLO)
Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 (ITA), Max Sirena (ITA)
Oracle Racing (USA), Jimmy Spithill/Darren Bundock (AUS)
Team Korea (ROK), Chris Draper (GBR)
Submit your 'like' here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/11/1117/
TELEFONICA KEEP PRESSURE ON PUMA
(November 17, 2011, Day 13) - As the fleet enters the second phase of leg
one of the Volvo Ocean Race, PUMA’s Mar Mostro (Ken Read/USA) continues to
keep Telefónica (Iker Martínez/ESP) at bay. The Spanish boat is just off her
port hip, 8.9 nautical miles (nm) behind as the pair rattle south at 15.8
knots. They are currently 167 nautical miles off Recife on the Brazilian
coast.
Meanwhile, CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) became the third boat to round
Fernando de Noronha at 1430 UTC this afternoon. Groupama 4 has gained 15 nm
in the last three hours, but still languishes 394 nm behind PUMA’s Mar
Mostro. The French team is likely to reach Fernando de Noronha tomorrow
around midday.
Throughout the day, speeds have remained between 14 and 15.7 knots for all
four boats. PUMA navigator Tom Addis says the speeds are high due to the hot
angles they are sailing. He plans to take the conventional approach for this
leg and dive south, sailing away from the finish in Cape Town, to skirt the
Saint Helena High to the south and head into the strong westerly winds that
they hope will sweep them to the finish in pole position. -- Full story:
http://tinyurl.com/88kvwgd
Standings as of Thursday November 17, 2011, 19.02.42 UTC
1. PUMA Ocean Racing by BERG, 3191.4 nm Distance to Finish
2. Team Telefonica, 8.90 nm Distance to Lead
3. CAMPER with Emirates Team NZ, 126.40 nm DTL
4. Groupama, 374.60 nm DTL
5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - Retired from Leg 1
6. Team Sanya - Retired from Leg 1
Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html
Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos
BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in
Alicante, Spain and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six
professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world's most
treacherous seas 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
J/24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DAY TWO
Buenos Aires, Argentina (November 17, 2011) - Perfect sailing conditions
prevailed for day 2 of the J/24 World Championship as Newport, Rhode
Island’s Tim Healy extended his lead over the 58-boat fleet. Healy’s
consistent top-five finishes allowed him to claim a 20 point lead over
Argentina’s Francisco van Avermaete, who retained the second place position
after two more challenging races, each started under a black flag.
The first race was started in a 10 knot breeze, building to 15 knots by the
end of the race. After a significant right shift on the first leg, Francisco
Campero aboard Audi crossed the line first but was scored BFD giving Peru’s
Luis Olcese the race win. For the second race the wind had increased to
18-20 knots and Healy found his form, leading the fleet wire-to-wire to
finish the day. Back on shore, the competitors were treated to authentic
paella and ice cream at the Yacht Club Argentino.
10 races are scheduled and racing will continue through Saturday. Live
on-the-water updates about the racing can be found on the regatta Facebook
page here: http://tinyurl.com/7ty6zpa
Event website: www.j24worlds2011.org.ar
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt
include storms, bay racing, boat washing, stadium sailing, foiling, and
classic yachting. Here are this week’s photos:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/1118/
BONUS: Hardly an event passes through southern Florida without shooter John
Payne capturing the action. Last weekend was the 2011 Audi Melges 20
National Championship - here is his gallery:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/1115/
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
What was one design racing like in the U.S. nearly 50 years ago? This week's
video comes from Thistle Class Past President Craig Smith, and is of the
1965 Thistle Class U.S. National Championship that was held in Milford CT on
the Long Island Sound. The 1965 National Champion was Peter Bordes in #603.
Video trivia is that the boat that won the Nationals in 1965 finished in 5th
place in the 2010 Thistle U.S. Nationals. Click here for this week’s video:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/11/1118/
BONUS: AC Uncovered Episode 17: This week the America's Cup World Series is
in San Diego. We talk with new skippers - Darren Bundock helm on ORACLE
Racing and Yann Guichard on Energy Team to get their take on the new
America's Cup format, and what it's like to drive an AC45. We also sit in a
Team Briefing with Principal Race Officer John Craig and On Water Operations
Director Harold Bennett to hear how they manage setting a race course that
is best for the spectators. Then we take a break from racing to go surfing
with Simeon Tienpont Bowman for ORACLE Racing. ORACLE Racing has spent some
solid time in San Diego through the years and we chat with the team to hear
what it's like to come back to familiar waters. We then have a look behind
the scenes at ACTV to see how LiveLine technology has brought the "yellow
line" into our sport. Tune in to youtube.com/americascup on Saturday 19
November approx 0800 PDT 1600 BST.
BONUS: “World on Water” Nov 18, Week 46 Global Boating News Report features
the latest in Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race, the winner of the America’s Cup
World Series-San Diego “Port Cities Challenge”, the Rolex Sailor of the year
announcement in San Juan, Costa Rica, the race to the finish of the Transat
Jacques Vabre Race, the finish and stop-over of the Global Ocean Race in
Cape Town, South Africa, the winners of the 2011 ISAF Sail Melbourne Sailing
World Cup and in “Fresh the Frightening” we show the official footage of the
RNLI in action when a 30 foot yacht is holed when it hits submerged rocks.
See it on www.boatson.tv approx 1200 GMT, 0700 EST.
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
SAILING SHORTS
* Lanzarote, Spain (November 17, 2011) - The RC44 Championships kicked off
in Puerto Calero today with a shake up on the leader board for the 14 teams
competing. John Bassadone (GBR) and the team Peninsula Petroleum from
Gibraltar came out on top with Italy’s Vasco Vascotto as their pro skipper
for the last event of the season, which also counts as the World
Championship, a title still up for grabs. The 2011 RC44 Championship Tour
(fleet racing) however was won by Team Aqua at the last event in Croatia,
with an event to spare. Team Aqua also this week took the 2011 RC44 Match
Racing Championship title. -- Event website: http://www.rc44.com
* (November 17, 2011) - Check out live stream video of the ICSA Match Race
National Championship, as the teams fight for the 2011 Cornelius Shields Sr.
Trophy November 18-20. The national championship will be co-hosted by St.
Francis Yacht Club and California Maritime Academy. Racing will be aired by
Chicago Match Race Center on the event website www.collegematchrace.com,
each race day.
* Tampa, FL (November 17, 2011) - Twenty-eight teams competed in the four
day, 100th Anniversary Star North American Championship, hosted by Davis
Island Yacht Club. With a total of six races, the racers received a
combination of conditions, ending with a nice, stiff breeze. 1st in
Grandmasters went to L. Whipple/P. Trinter, 1st in Masters to J.
MacCausland/A. Dolezal, and 1st Overall and winner of both Ding Schoonmaker
and the North Americans to George Szabo and Mark Strube. Full results:
http://henrymoore.org/2011starNA/index.htm
* The Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA) have elected Tim Hogan
(Newport Beach, CA) as its new President. The Interscholastic Sailing
Association is organized to encourage and promote the sport of sailing and
sailboat racing among high schools. Organized into 7 Districts, over 400
schools compete annually in events across the country. Hogan assumes the
Presidency with the largest number of registered schools in the history of
ISSA and returns to High School sailing after taking a one year hiatus. Look
for a revamp of the website, membership database and scoring program in the
coming year. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/73gw9bz
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 Tej Trevor Parekh (edited to 250 words):
I have to say, stadium style sailing is great. To risk sounding like Coutts
et al, forget about the sailing we all know. Who needs a long race course
where breeze is virtually uniform right across it and far from shore where
noone can see it or engage with it? Take the Extreme Sailing Series Boston
(June 30-July 4), which was incredible with speedy 40’ cats literally within
40 yards of shore, inspiring awe in the thousands of spectators. I was also
a competitor in the 49er class that weekend. We raced literally along the
shoreline, using the break-wall full of spectators and a buoy as a gate on
each leg of the course. Were the courses square? No. Were there giant puffs
and lulls? Yes. Was the start line ridiculously skewed? Yes. Did the sailors
have an amazing time? Yes.
Despite the above things that we traditionally consider to be “unfair” in a
sailboat race, it was good, solid, fun racing. And it was fair because it
was the same for everyone. What it did was encourage sailors to take full
advantage of a micro puff or shore shift and to make lots of maneuvers to
stay in the favored part of the course. The fleet stayed tight, there were
lots of lead changes, crosses, rules incidents and yes, collisions (with
accompanying verbiage).
So I say forget everything you presently know about sailboat racing and try
stadium racing - it’s awesome and you won’t regret it.
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
It's not called 'Nagging'. We now call it being 'Verbally Repetitive'.
SPONSORS THIS WEEK
Hall Spars & Rigging - APS - North Sails - North U
Ultimate Sailing - Point Loma Outfitting - Quantum Sails - US Sailing
Ullman Sails - Mount Gay Rum - International Rolex Regatta - Doyle Sails
Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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