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SCUTTLEBUTT 3201 - Tuesday, October 19, 2010Scuttlebutt 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: Doyle Sails, Team One Newport, and LaserPerfomance. CLUB COACHES RAISE GAME By Gary Jobson, Sailing World There is a growing trend of U.S. yacht clubs hiring professional coaches to help members improve their racing skills. Golf clubs, tennis clubs, and ski resorts have long used “pros” to help enthusiasts advance their game. In sailing, we’ve done a good job of providing instruction at the junior level. Sailing schools and community programs focus on training new sailors and cruisers, but what about the racer who already has a boat and is a member of a yacht club? Eastern YC (Marblehead, Mass.) and Annapolis (Md.) YC are two clubs that have hired in-house coaches to grow participation and develop better sailors. One of the most successful collegiate coaches in America is Greg Wilkinson. His Boston College team won the 2010 ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy Championship. For the past two summers, he has coached sailors at EYC in Sonars, Rhodes 19s, and J/105s, as well as sailors in the local PHRF fleet. Wilkinson is the third coach to work in this capacity at EYC, an idea developed by then Commodore Martha Altreuter in 2005. Like Alteuter, current Commodore Robbie Doyle was a collegiate All-American and learned the value of coaching many years ago. “We worked to find money in the budget for a coach by saving money in other areas,” says Doyle. “It’s important to recruit new young sailors to come here to race. Greg is helping make this happen.” One of the first steps was to schedule practice time. “We added Monday-night racing clinics,” says Wilkinson. “This has helped build up our Tuesday-night Laser series, and we are building a Thursday-night team-race series. So now we have racing nearly every day of the week for different groups. EYC has a strong Wednesday-night series throughout the summer.” AYC hired former Stanford University coach Jay Kehoe as their director of sailing. His first two years were spent building up the club’s junior program. By the third year, Kehoe added team racing to the club’s portfolio. “We entered team-race regattas hosted by the New York YC and spent the summer practicing on Tuesday nights,” says Kehoe. “We also started adult lessons, and we were sold out in five days.” Kehoe points out the differences between working with young people and adults: “With adults, you have to be more concise and to the point. With kids, you can use a good story to make a point, while adults want hard and fast points due to their time constraints. Practice for adults has to move faster; you only get a few hours. So, you have to have drills ready to go before they reach the practice area.” When asked if there were any special challenges to adult coaching, Kehoe laughs: “Sometimes [adults] are looking for the ‘magic pill’ and want results right away. But, there are no parents to get in the way.” -- Read on: http://www.sailingworld.com/experts/club-coaches-raise-game-0 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: While reading Gary's story, I couldn’t help but think how club coaches are typically focused on youth sailing only, but how valuable they could also be as the conduit for introducing young sailors to the keelboat fleets at their club. Not every junior sailor wants a strict diet of Prams and Club 420s, and connecting them to the keelboat membership might be their ticket to lifelong sailing. SAILING TO BE FEATURED ON ‘THE PRICE IS RIGHT’ SAILING Magazine will be featured on the popular CBS television game show “The Price is Right” Tuesday, October 19. SAILING Magazine editors created their “Ultimate Sailing Showcase” for the television show, where contestants guess the value of prize packages. The contestant who is closest without going over takes home the package. SAILING editors picked some of their favorite products to be included in the prize package, including a full set of his-and-her sailing gear from Harken Yacht Equipment featuring some of the gear manufacturer’s latest high-tech clothing, sunglasses, shoes and bags. The showcase also included a new Hunter 22 sailboat, a crewed charter and a three-year subscription to SAILING Magazine. “The Price is Right” audience members each received a subscription to SAILING and television viewers will have the chance to win one of 10 subscriptions to the magazine through the game show’s website. Celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2011, SAILING is the oldest continually published sailing magazine in America. Its headquarters are on the shore of Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin. More info: http://tinyurl.com/SAILING-101810 BEST PRICING AVAILABLE NOW! Fall is discount season at your local Doyle loft. So call now to lock in the best pricing of the season. Looking for an even sweeter deal? Check out our Internet Specials. Fall is also the perfect time to bring your sails in for a wash and check over. Contact your local DOYLE loft, 800-94-DOYLE, http://www.doylesails.com NOT ALWAYS NASTY After a perfect start in ideal weather conditions Sunday, the five VELUX 5 OCEANS skippers have been settling into life alone at sea. Their 60ft Eco 60 yachts will be their homes for the nine months as they sail 30,000 miles around the planet. The first leg from La Rochelle, France to Cape Town, SA is 7,500 nm. After 24 hours of racing, American skipper Brad Van Liew is leading the fleet as they make their way through the notorious Bay of Biscay. Renowned for its raging storms, the Bay of Biscay is actually being kind to the sailors. After leaving La Rochelle in a fresh breeze the sailors have now hit light winds of around six knots as a high pressure system moves in. “Getting out of La Rochelle and the Bay of Biscay is one of the first hurdles,” said Canadian skipper Derek Hatfield prior to the race start. “On my last experience during the Vendée Globe we had 50 knots on the first night going upwind. Nine boats came back, four dismasted. The next week is going to be pivotal on the first leg. From here to Cape Finisterre it’s going to be fine but after that it’s wide open as to what’s going to happen.” -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-101810 VIDEO: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-video-101810 SCOREBOARD: Brad Van Liew is holding a 16 nm lead over Zbigniew Gutkowski in second, who is seeking to become the first Polish person ever to race solo around the world. Globe, his Eco 60, won the Vendee Globe in 2002/3 and this race will be its third time round the world. Race viewer here: http://raceviewer.velux5oceans.com/app/index.html?sprint=1 BACKGROUND: The Velux 5 Oceans is the longest running solo round the world race, and has 28 years of rich heritage as the BOC Challenge and then the Around Alone. This edition covers 30,000 miles and features five ocean sprints over nine months. After setting off on October 17 from La Rochelle to Cape Town, the race will then take in Wellington in New Zealand, Salvador in Brazil and Charleston in the U.S. before returning back across the Atlantic to France. -- http://www.velux5oceans.com/ Brad Van Liew (USA): http://www.oceanracing.org Derek Hatfield (CAN): http://spiritofcanada.net MAX WIND - MINIMUM WATER The balance between the wind strength and tide level is vital for setting record speeds at the Luderitz Speed Challenge 2010, which is being held October 4 to 31 in Luderitz, Namibia, just over 1100 miles north of Cape Town, SA along the western African continent. The goal of the event is simple: to see who will set the fastest average speed over a 500-meter distance. A custom trench has been dug along the shoreline to create a smooth water surface. It is roughly 10m wide and 50-100cm deep, but at low tide might become too shallow according to the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) rules. Due to the advantages of shallow water, the WSSRC requires a depth of at least half the static immersed beam of the craft involved, or 10cm, whichever is the greater. Getting the tide right when winds exceed 40 knots is critical for records to be set. American Rob Douglas, who now holds the second fastest time in the world, describes the experience when the tide starts dropping: “Competitors sailing down the trench at these low tidal conditions are surrounded by imposing sand banks on both the upwind and leeward sides with no escape route. Full commitment for speed in the trench (luge track) is required.” With sailors trying to eclipse the unofficial world outright speed set by Alex Caizergues (FRA) on October 12, 2010 of 54.10 knots, the official governing bodies for speed sailing - WSSRC under the guidance of ISAF - offers this warning: “The ISAF/WSSRC cannot accept any responsibility for personal injury or loss of life, damage to or loss of property arising from any record attempt made under its rules whether supervised by its officials or not. It is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the skipper of a craft engaged in any such record attempt to decide whether to start and, having done so, to continue the attempt.” The winds have been quiet since Friday, but competitors are looking to a good forecast for mid-week. Here is an up and close video on board kiter Sebastien Cattelan following the windsurfer Anders Bringdal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_VBOpAw8tk Luderitz Speed Challenge: http://www.luderitz-speed.com World Sailing Speed Record Council: http://www.sailspeedrecords.com WHAT IS THE AMERICA'S CUP, REALLY? By Nick Hayes, Saving Sailing author When the Mars Rovers began beaming back images of an alien planet, we were mesmerized in technical, scientific and even spiritual wonderment. This is the correct metaphor and should be the measure for today's America's Cup platform and venues debates. Claims that this AC will Save Sailing miss the central point, and ignore what history shows us to be true. 1.) This spectacle can't be judged on whether it attracts more people to sailing, because it won't. - Sure, more people try tennis after watching Wimbledon, but the fact that the same thing happens the next year but there are fewer people playing less tennis means that it doesn’t share the glory of the game. 2.) This isn’t sailing, per se (bear with me here.) Only a handful among 6.5 billion can play this specific game. - Linking the AC to recreational sailing is like linking a space-station botany experiment with a back-yard garden. 3.) And it mustn’t be judged on whether it attracts more transient tourists with open wallets to stand and gaze from shore. That's both a financial shell game and forgettable, if not regrettable--like a cash infusion in a company with an obsolete or unsustainable business model. - Estimates of $1.4B economic impact ignore the unfortunate reality that from the bleacher seats on a renovated shore, there will still be very little, if any public access to the water, and to an actual sailing experience. But it should, in my view, be judged on whether it engages our minds and hearts; whether it drags the horizon closer, bringing into view new vistas of opportunity, and leaving the human race more optimistic and energized. Like the Mars Rover. This, it can do. -- http://tinyurl.com/Saving-Sailing-101810 THE RETURN OF THE LEGENDS TO NEWPORT The 12 Metre Reunion was a HUGE success in Newport. There were great stories, lots of laughs and recounted memories. You can still be a part of the Reunion with the Legends 12 Metre gear only found at Team One Newport. Visit http://www.team1newport.com/products.asp?dept=199 for the grand selection of products from t-shirts, to jackets to coasters! Or you can call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) to speak to our Customer Service team. Team One Newport also has a great CLEARANCE SALE STARTING on THURSDAY!! So, mark your calendar and check out http://www.team1newport.com/departments.asp?dept=148. Team One Newport specializes in the best sailing clothing in the world! IMPORTS 'KILLING' BOAT MARKET Imported mass-produced boats are having a major impact on the New Zealand recreational marine industry, almost crippling some boat builders and pushing down prices of Kiwi-made vessels. Over the past few years, a large number of production boats - mass produced off a single mould in Europe, the United States and Australia - have been imported into New Zealand. This has also put the squeeze on mum-and-dad boaties wanting to sell their vessels, with prices dropping at least 15per cent. Mass-produced boats are generally cheaper to buy than Kiwi-built vessels, and sell for even less secondhand. This has resulted in a drop in prices and demand for locally built motor boats and yachts. "As secondhand boats, they are pushing the price of the general secondhand market down ... models from 2003 upwards can be bought at reasonable prices and are giving buyers a lot more options than were previously available with New Zealand-built boats," a boat broker told the Herald on Sunday. Another broker, who also wanted to remain anonymous for fear of affecting his clients' sales, said imports were "crippling" the secondhand boat market. "Importing a production boat can be 40 per cent cheaper than buying the same one in New Zealand secondhand," he said. Auckland boat builder Greg Salthouse said production boats were not good for New Zealand. "It's a shame to see them come in. They keep building them and storing them up and then they have a fire sale and get rid of them cheap," he said. "They're building them cheaper than we can down here. But the quality is not the same." -- NZ Herald, full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10681074 BEST RACE STOPPED BY BRUTAL STORM Sailing industry pioneer Neil Pryde considers the 656 nm Hong Kong to Vietnam Race to be “one of the great ocean races, combining an exhilarating downhill slide with a very interesting tactical challenge that unfolds as the fleet approaches the Vietnam coast …the race that nobody wants to miss”. Race Chairman Geoff Hill describes it as “one of the best offshore warm water events in the world”. However, the scheduled start on October 20th of the 2010 edition has been postponed due to the forecast impact of Super Typhoon Megi. And for good reason after what occurred on Monday, when the storm made landfall in the Philippines, killing at least three people, leaving a wasteland of fallen trees and power poles, and sending thousands fleeing to safety in near-zero visibility. Megi was a Category 5 super typhoon, the highest rating, with winds of more than 155 mph when it hit mountains in northeast Luzon overnight Sunday. As Megi blew across the northern Philippines, forecasters said it would next hit China and Vietnam, where recent floods unrelated to the storm have caused 30 deaths. In China, authorities evacuated 140,000 people from a coastal province ahead of the typhoon. In considering the potential impact of Megi in the South China Sea, in particular the position relative to the rhumb line during the race, the decision to postpone was unanimous, with the plan now to reschedule at a time in 2011 to be soon announced. Sources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39716105/ns/weather/ http://tinyurl.com/RHKYC-101810 HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SAILING Last month, Scuttlebutt published a story by JJ Fetter Isler, who had taken off her double Olympic medal hat, and had added High School Coach to her list of achievements. Isler’s report, ‘Getting the most out of High School sailing’, provided sage advice for sailors who want to maximize their high school sailing experience. This month, Scuttlebutt is re-publishing a report by Brooke Thompson titled ‘High School to College Crewing Guide’. While competing on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland sailing team, Thompson had one of those “if I only knew then what I know now” moments, and decided to write this guide to help crews make the transition to college sailing. Said Thompson: “In my opinion, high school sailing teaches crews most of the skills they need to know, but college sailing fine-tunes and expands on those things. College crews come from a huge range of experience levels and backgrounds, but what they have in common is that everyone makes changes along the way to adapt. This guide is an attempt to pinpoint some of the bigger reasons that contribute to this transition and list all the little details that go a long with it.” With the fall season started for High School and College sailing, these two guides may prove invaluable: High School guide: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/0928/ College guide: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/crew_guide/ LP BUCKS!!! Take delivery of a new Laser, Sunfish, V15, Bug, Vago or Bahia between September 1st and December 31st and receive an LP BUCKS coupon worth between $200 and $450 to use at the store where the boat was purchased. Go visit your local dealer to take advantage of this great program. More info at: http://www.laserperformance.com/promotions/lp-bucks Sail Legendary LaserPerformance.com 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 are 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 Bill Seifert, Warren, RI: Could it be that the layout person for S'butt is getting tired of the "new" America's Cup? There was a time when the finalization of a measurement rule would have been "front page above the fold", to use newspaper terminology. In the same terms, placement of the final AC rule (in Issue 3200) was buried in "section B page 28”. * From Richard Clark, Aotearoa New Zealand: These two excerpts from Scuttlebutt 3200 got my attention . . . - "If Team NZ decide to compete - "and that's a big if," says Dalton . . . " I totally empathize with Grant Dalton, and I would quote myself: "If I decide to watch and, that's a big if . . ." - "With the sun shining brightly and a fresh breeze blowing, five international skippers succeeded in starting the VELUX 5 OCEANS, beginning the 30,000-mile race around the globe in their 60ft Eco 60." Aaaah a real yacht race, man against the elements, now this I will follow. I am just a little guy who has supported both physically, financially and emotionally, the America’s Cup from before Perth to the Auckland meltdown. Before Perth, I followed it in the papers and it seemed like fun but Perth set the sailing world and television on fire. Pride of Nationality, the Location, the Weather, the Racing, the Egos, the whole enchilada. I sat, glued to the box, screaming with my daughter, every night. That WAS the America's Cup. And then one of the best helmsmen we have seen - Russell Coutts - sells out and ends up kidnapping the whole damned thing and now it is a multihull shell of itself. Nope, not for me. Not that I am adverse to multihulls; I raced a Hobie 18 in Sydney in the 70's. Sure they are fast, sure they are leading edge technology, but are they the America's Cup? * From Allan Brinckmann, Cape Town: I'm reminded of the transition which Formula One Grand Prix racing went through in the 1960's as the amateur owner/driver racing teams were squeezed out by the professional teams backed by the motor industry and big corporate sponsors. What we're witnessing is the final transition of the Americas Cup from the hands of the talented (and wealthy) amateurs to the professional, high-tech teams backed by big corporate sponsors. Will the transition succeed? Of course it will, eventually. The die-hards amongst us won't like it, but then we don't have to watch. Will it create new audiences? I'm sure it will. (I'm an old fashioned purist/die-hard but I was blown away watching the BOR trimaran sail away from Alinghi!) So, the old AC days are gone. We can reminisce watching the 12 Metre reunions... Will there be IACC reunions? Probably not! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION You are less well known than you think, and more notorious than you'd like. Special thanks to Doyle Sails, Team One Newport, and LaserPerfomance. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
