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SCUTTLEBUTT 2988 - Wednesday, December 9, 2009Scuttlebutt 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. Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today’s sponsors are Ultimate Sailing, Summit Yachts, and LaserPerformance. TELEVISING THE SPORT The Monsoon Cup, the final event of the World Match Racing Tour held last week in Maylasia, offers the highest prize purse on the Tour (approx. $454,000), attracts only the elite teams, and is when the ISAF Match Racing World Champion is crowned. The event is also setting the bar quite high for its television coverage. Said 2009 runner-up Ben Ainslie (GBR), “I was amazed at the television - it's fantastic. There is the bow cam and the mast cam and Andy Green cam; it's really good and I'm really impressed. It's far better than the coverage of the last America's Cup and something which should be incorporated in the Cup in the future.” Andy Green, whose professional sailing career has included America's Cup campaigns, provides the following account about the television coverage from the 2009 Monsoon Cup: "From the inaugural Monsoon Cup in 2005, the goal of the organisers led by Peter Gilmour was to continually innovate the coverage of the sailing taking place. The first and most important was to have a Live TV show between 3pm and 5pm that was available for any broadcasters to take, with a 5 minute gun fired straight after the opening credits and the deciding race that finishes at 4.45, in time for a post race interview and prize-giving all completed for a 5pm finish with a World Champion and event winner crowned! "This year’s event had 18 cameras around the course - high, wide, on board, mast cam, bow cam and my special favourite, Helmet cam! I was able to get on board a boat before racing with a backpack transmitter microphone and camera built into a climbing helmet (and yes, I did look ridiculous). Not only was I able to commentate on the race from on board (keeping my voice down in light wind - whispering into the mic as if in a bunker behind on the 18th), but I was also able to give a helmsman's eye view from on board: looking back at the opposition, forward to the windshifts, current and marks.” -- Scuttlebutt, read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/1208 IT’S A CHALLENGE... AND AN OPPORTUNITY By Mark Chisnell, yachting journalist It’s been a while since I last ventured onto the topic of the America’s Cup - and with good reason. Another thirty installments of Cory Friedman’s inestimable blog on the various court manoeuvrings have come and gone, with precious little in the way of clarity or progress in the New York court on which the action centres. Unsurprisingly, I’m still just as weary of the whole thing as I was back in April last year. So, don’t panic, I’m not about to start a tack by tack analysis of court performance, still happy to leave that to Mr Friedman. Instead, I wanted to point out that we may be about to turn a corner, from where we can see in the distance (and perhaps only briefly, before the confused fog of unconstrained legal warfare rolls back in) a glimmer of sunlight uplands. The possibility of an America’s Cup match actually happening in February 2010 in Valencia looks to have tipped solidly this side of 50-50 - enough for BMW Oracle to start packing up in San Diego, anyway. So at the risk of pointing out the obvious; if Blinghi race in February then one of them is going to win. And when they do - regardless of any further legal recourse - a representative of another yacht club will need to be standing beside the winning team’s principals with a new challenge in their hip pocket. This is the traditional method for the new defender to control the next America’s Cup match: line up a yacht club who will challenge on previously agreed terms. The new defender is bound to accept the first challenge after their winning yacht crosses the finish line - so it’s important to have this organised in advance of the final race. It was a system which failed horribly for Alinghi when the New York court decided that their ‘hip pocket’ challenger - Club Nautico Español de Vela (CNEV) - wasn’t actually a yacht club, giving rise to the current situation. -- Read on: http://markchisnell.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-challenge-and-opportunity.html IS IT ‘TWENTY TEN’ OR ‘TWO THOUSAND AND TEN’? However you say it, the Ultimate Sailing 2010 Calendar has 365 days of exhilarating images! Sharon Green, joined by four of her esteemed globetrotting and dedicated colleagues, bring you 12 months and 24 beautifully composed images of world-class sailing to dazzle you for another year! Check out the new calendar and other Ultimate Sailing merchandise at: http://www.UltimateSailing.com QUOTE / UNQUOTE * Murray Jones, sailing programme coordinator with Alinghi, on why BMW Oracle disputed their venue at Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE: “I don't know what Oracle's motivations were for not coming to RAK; they came up with some fairly feeble reasons. In the month and a half we have been out here it has been absolutely perfect sailing conditions; I wouldn't know of a place in the world better for sailing a regatta in these types of boats. It's a real shame because I am sure they would have enjoyed these conditions as much as we have. I honestly don't know why they objected - maybe it's because we chose it.” -- Seahorse, http://seahorsemagazine.com/2010-January/alinghi.php * BMW Oracle Racing CEO Russell Coutts, who this week said that subsequent modifications to their boat since it was first launched a year ago have made it over 20 per cent faster, added that the wing sail has been a game-changer. "The wing sail is the biggest single transformation of a boat I have ever seen," he said. "It has turned an astonishing boat into something spectacular." -- http://tinyurl.com/oapdlw * On the topic of the race schedule, Russell Coutts said that his team would prefer the 33rd America's Cup to be extended from the three races required by the Deed of Gift to a best of seven series against the defender Alinghi team. "We want to compete in seven races," said the New Zealand yachtsman who commented with a laugh, that "this is the only point (we have) in common" with the Swiss defender, Alinghi. -- Las Provincias, full story: http://tinyurl.com/yz8qfff IMPROVING EVENTS FOR 2010 When the conversation turns to what makes successful regattas, the bullet points are typically great race management, competitive racing fleets, consistent weather conditions, and engaging social activities. Combine this formula with windward-leeward race courses and multiple race days, and you have a version of nearly every weekend buoy regatta. However, the biggest event this year in San Diego - the Hot Rum Series - didn’t have its race course neatly aligned with the wind… heck, the course even had some REACHING. With one race held over three Sundays in November and December, the race buoy locations are fixed, with the wind deciding what point of sail each of the five legs will have. The overall results for the inverted start pursuit race included a Farr 60, a TP52, a Cal 36M, a Hobie 33, an FT10, and a Wabbit in the top ten… a pretty random collection amid the 146 entries. The Hot Rum Series was once known for its après beverage service following each race, with the warm drinkies poured from the rum that was required as an entry fee. While entry fees, cash bars, and complimentary pupus now serve the after party, the event’s popularity remains strong. Perhaps it’s the simplicity that is the attraction, with less emphasis on closed course tactics. Or perhaps it is the general confusion, led by all the varied boats, that makes each one of them feel like they are always “in the race’. But even a good formula can get better. With the growth of kelp impeding the course, the 2010 rendition will see a mark change to help reduce the effort and anxiety required to keep the foils clear. And about the Sunday schedule… that also got addressed, with the races to be held next year on Saturday. Over the years, there have been a lot of football games missed, and probably some Monday work days too. As for the San Diego Charger season ticket holders, they will no longer be forced to choose on Sunday. Are you having conversations on what kinds of changes can be made to improve your events for 2010? Is there an 'outside the box' event in your area that has significant popularity? Share them in the Forum: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8701 “NO MOORING FIELDS, NO SAILING CLUB” For more than 60 years, the Coconut Grove Sailing Club has operated and managed an inner mooring field on the waters of Biscayne Bay, giving sailboats a coveted place on the water and a haven against the elements. But after Miami upgraded its main outer mooring field and opened up 175 spots to the public on Nov. 1 -- part of the first phase of implementing a $165 million waterfront master plan in Coconut Grove -- club members wonder what will happen to the inner mooring field and the sailing club itself. Rentals of spots within the inner mooring field provide much-needed income for the club, which uses the money to provide a wide variety of sailing programs to adults and children, according to Commodore Nick Martens. ``It's the only organization that gives access to the regular guy to use the bay,'' he said. If Miami officials replace the club's existing 200 moorings with new screw-down moorings and dredge the bay bottom to comply with state environmental rules, Martens said, the city would take over the inner mooring field, effectively locking the sailing club out of a vital revenue source. The club's 2010 fiscal year budget shows that it expects to receive $310,900 in net income from the moorings, nearly 51 percent of its operational revenue. ``No mooring fields, no sailing club,'' Martens said. -- Miami Herald, full story: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/east/story/1366765.html SUMMIT 35, “ACT ONE” WINS DEBUT RACE Summit 35-001, “Act One”, owned by Charlie Milligan and Tom Roche won her debut event, the 53rd annual Wirth Munroe Yacht Race by six minutes on corrected time. Act One’s class featured a strong IRC entry, including two TP52’s and a Cookson 50, as well as the new Wally 82 Highland Fling XI in the popular Ft. Lauderdale to Palm Beach coastal classic. Feedback from the owners and crew, who previously owned a Summit 40 by the same name, was that the Summit 35 has very strong performance downwind and in light conditions, as does her larger sister, the Summit 40. For more information check out our web site at http://www.summit-yachts.com SAILING SHORTS * Thailand was voted the favourite sailing venue in Asia and the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta best regatta in Asia, according to a recent survey. The survey found also that the Regatta generated approximately 40 million baht ($1.2 million) for the Island economy during the 2009 event. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/yfd5ofp * Clipper Ventures confirmed Polish skipper Zbigniew Gutkowski as the fourth entry in the exciting new Eco 60 Class in the VELUX 5 OCEANS 2010-11. Said Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, “We have already announced skippers from four countries - Canada, USA, Belgium and now Poland - and currently have another six entries preparing to announce in the coming months.” The V5O has an Open 60 class for full budget programs, and an Eco 60 class for older boats with other race restrictions to limit costs. -- http://www.velux5oceans.com/ * The Global Ocean Race 2011-12, with its five leg course open to solo and doublehanded Class40s, has announced its tenth entry in the doublehanded division. - Event website: http://www.globaloceanrace.com * Michel Desjoyeaux was named the 2009 French Sailor Of The Year, during the traditional “Soirée des Champions” organized by the French Sailing Federation. The winner of the Vendée Globe succeeds to Francis Joyon, Round The World Record Holder and 2008 Sailor Of The Year. Michel Desjoyeaux received this prize for the third time. -- Full story: http://www.datapressepremium.com/rmdiff/diff_20056553476.pdf * The route of the 2010 Tour de France à la Voile has been revealed, which will be the final year the race will be sailed in Farr 30s. She will be replaced in 2011 by the M34, which has seen nearly ten boats already sold. The first one is expected next spring and will be named after the Nexus Dean Barker Team, with the Team New Zealand skipper expressing his desire to participate in the 2011 edition. -- Full report: http://www.datapressepremium.com/rmdiff/diff_20056553019.pdf * The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has published the 2010-11 edition of the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations. The ISAF Offshore Special Regulations are used by race organisers to provide uniform minimum equipment, accommodation and training standards for monohull and multihull yachts racing offshore. A number of changes made at the recent ISAF Annual Conference affect the new 2010-11 edition of the Special Regs. Unless otherwise specified the amendments are effective 1 January 2010. -- Full details: http://www.sailing.org/30961.php * CORRECTION: The photo gallery in Scuttlebutt 2987 referred to the Traditional 22 foot and 43 foot Dhow Sailing Classes as having gaff rigged sail plans, when in fact they hoist a lateen rig. Photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/1207a/ FREE GEAR FOR THE HOLIDAYS! From now through December 31st, buy a boat from LaserPerformance and get a dolly or covers PLUS a Ronstan Race Watch or Gill Dry Bag and Floatable Sunglasses - for free! It's that simple. It's that great a deal. Some restrictions apply. Contact your local dealer or go to http://www.LaserPerformance.com for all the details. LETTERS AND FORUM Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Jack Jennings, Pied Piper Racing: In the article on promoting match racing on the local level (in Scuttlebutt 2987), you quote Kristen Lane as saying that the only way to get into the Congressional Cup or the Monsoon Cup is to be a pro or buy your way in, and as a result this blocks new comers to match racing. This is not accurate at all. The Con Cup and the Monsoon Cup are both Grade 1 events, meaning they are at the highest level of match racing and to maintain their Grade 1 status there are some strict guidelines that must be followed. I can’t speak for the Monsoon Cup, but the quickest way to gain entry into the Con Cup is to simply win its qualifier event - the Ficker Cup, a Grade 3 match race event. The real blockage to the sport is mentioned later in the article with regards to the resources needed to match race successfully (the fleet of boats, umpires, etc). The ISAF event classification for different events is a good system and rewards the most talented and dedicated teams. Today there are so many more resources (i.e match racing yacht clubs/ venues) available to teams wanting to learn match racing that I believe we will continue to see the number of events grow and talent level increase. It is up to the individual teams to sail their way into the Grade 1 events, and if you have talent and dedication, there is a place for you at the Grade 1 level. * From Gregory Paul: (re, promoting match racing on the local level in #2987) The COST of match racing seems to be the main concern. In New Zealand we have solved that problem, with, as is also required a ONE Design Boat. Two yacht clubs in Auckland, New Zealand run annual regattas, at minimal cost. Both events involve the Des Townson designed and built Radio Controlled yacht - the 900 mm long ELECTRON. No Rigid Inflatables required, great when we have an official Umpire, but, otherwise judged by the fellow competitors. All the rules of match racing are invoked, with the same pre start activity at the regattas hosted by Watchman Island Yacht Club and Orakei Yacht Club. Better than any computer game. It's REAL SAILING. -- Http://www.electron.co.nz * From Bruce Hebbert, GBR Intl. Umpire: (re, team race flag system in #2987) I recently umpired the US Hinman in glorious Marion Mass. Fantastic sailing great organisation and an umpire system that in truth failed all. How, why? The protest system requires 4 specific procedural steps. All of which have to be in the right order and be seen or heard by the umpires. OK and this was in strong winds and in very fast moving boats in tight multi boat incidents. Forget getting the order right. I reckon that in difficult conditions the probability of an umpire missing a flag or a hail is about 25%...10% in light airs. So the numbers speak for themselves…if you have the Two flag system the umpire FAILURE rate is 68%; for the Single Flag system the Failure Rate is high but this time 44%. These are just numbers…but believe me that was what it was like. Around Two thirds of all protests were greened either because they were not seen or the process was invalid. We have to have a better way…step 1 is obvious, but even with the Single flag we need to get better. (Bruce Hebbert has been a high school and college coach for 25 years, and a GBR IU with a specialisation in team racing. Bruce also has umpired three US Team Racing Championships). -- Forum: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8710#8710 * From Mike Brown, Chicago: Wow does this story hit home (about frostbiting in Scuttlebutt 2987). Sometimes the conditions can be pretty ripe during the Chicago Yacht Club frostbite season, but it still brings out the many diehard racers that live in an around Chicago. We always launch in time, most of us do at least...RC is set up...but I do see something that is missed these days. Not as many families participate as they do in Manhassett Bay. In fact, 90 percent of the sailors are one design racers trying to hone some skills and have a hell of a good time doing it in the spring and fall, when the breeze seems steadier and stronger. It has not always been that way though. I am now wondering about some of the people we have lost due to age and sickness, and worry if another small fleet of racing is on the verge of dying due to lack of youth participation. We have excellent High School and College teams in the area and I am hoping their enthusiasm for the sport at one point will be enough to get their children involved. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION The instructions on an American Airlines packet of nuts: Open Packet, Eat Nuts. Special thanks to Ultimate Sailing, Summit Yachts, and LaserPerformance. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
