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SCUTTLEBUTT 3212 - Wednesday, November 3, 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: New England Ropes, Morris Yachts, and Lewmar. NICE JUST GOT NICER The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), founded in Porto Cervo, Sardinia in 1967, is renowned for organizing international sailing events such as the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the Audi Sardinia Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup as well as World and European championships for top one-design fleets. The Club has also promoted international challenges such as Azzurra - the first Italian challenger for the America's Cup. YCCS has now announced that it has selected the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands as its Caribbean base. For over 40 years the YCCS has been one of the leading Yacht Clubs in the Mediterranean, and this new expansion follows the expressed wishes of the Club's Members to have access to quality facilities and services on both sides of the Atlantic. It has taken YCCS several years to find the perfect location for the new Clubhouse, including excellent regatta courses, fine cruising areas, and luxurious social amenities. The inauguration date for YCCS Virgin Gorda is scheduled for March 2011, in conjunction with the inaugural Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous taking place from 16th to 20th March and organized by the YCCS and Boat International Media. -- Full report: http://www.yccs.it/portal/club_clubhousebvi.php?lingua=2 OLYMPIC SAILORS GET HELP FROM A FEATHERED FRIEND He's feathered, fast and the newest recruit to Great Britain's Olympic sailing team. Meet Felix the peregrine falcon, the latest member aboard Skandia Team GBR, who has been brought in to solve the team's pesky seagull problem. Seagulls have become an increasing problem at the 2012 Olympic Games sailing venue in Dorset in southwest England, says team manager Stephen Park. Noise pollution is a major concern, with seagulls squawking early in the morning and disrupting the sleep of the sailors who are training. "Sleep and high quality rest is important to any elite athlete," Park told CNN. "We've had a lot of seagulls in the immediate vicinity of our accommodation area which has meant a huge amount of noise between 5 and 6 in the morning." Cue Felix, whose arrival has resulted in a "drastic decline" in noise levels in the morning, according to Park. We're fairly confident that things are looking pretty good for Felix's Olympic ambitions at the moment. "It took a couple of days for the seagulls to realize the falcon was there," he said. "But now they know it's best not to bother him." Using birds of prey is not a new concept in the United Kingdom. Hawks are currently used at some of London's most famous attractions, including Trafalgar Square, to keep pigeons and their mess at bay. But, Park says, this is the first time a falcon has been used to rid birds in a sporting context. At present Felix patrols the skies a couple of mornings a week. That's frequent enough to keep the seagulls away. To date, he hasn't harmed any seagulls. -- CNN, read on: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/02/british.sailing.falcon/ STS 12 MAKES DEBUT AT ORANGE BOWL YOUTH REGATTA New England Ropes is providing some rigging for the 2010 Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta (Dec. 26-30), which includes the debut of our new STS 12. Made of 100% Dyneema fiber, STS 12 is extremely strong and light with low stretch. It's coated with NER's Marine Tech coating improving overall fiber-to-fiber abrasion and durability, while providing protection from UV rays. STS 12, New England Ropes' latest innovation in performance cordage solutions is available at leading riggers and marine shops nationwide. For more information on our comprehensive dinghy solutions, visit http://www.neropes.com or call 800-333-6679! FIVE TIPS TO KEEP WINTER AWAY FROM YOUR BOAT TRAILER If your boat trailer is going to spend the off-season outside exposed to the elements, Boat Owners Association of The United States has five tips to protect your investment and eliminate problems down the road: 1) A little spray will do you: Spraying lubricants such as WD-40 on metal trailer roller assemblies, winch gears and electrical connections will keep moisture away and rust at bay. It's also best to take care of any rust spots now on the (galvanized) metal trailer frame: sand, prime and paint. (Trust us, this will be the last thing on your mind come springtime.) 2) Don't park under trees: Some boaters think their boat will be protected by storing it under trees but the opposite is true - ice, snow, and howling winter storms can snap off tree limbs which come crashing down. Falling leaves and needles can also stain boat covers and gelcoat, or make their way inside where they can block transom drain holes. 3) Turn it around in the driveway: If you're going to leave the boat on the trailer in your driveway for the winter, face the hitch away from the street if possible, and put a lock on the trailer hitch. The name of the game in avoiding boat theft is to make your rig as difficult as possible to steal. 4) Take care of the tires: In addition to being a theft deterrent, removing the tires and storing them in the garage or shed will keep the sun from damaging them. With the tires off, this may also a good time to repack the bearings (Another thing you won't want to do in the spring). Block the frame and secure plastic (contractor grade) trash bags over the hubs and brakes to keep them dry. If tires won't be removed, position the trailer so that the tires rest on a piece of plywood or plank to prevent dry rot, and cover them (again with plastic bags) to keep the sun off and hubs and brakes dry. To avoid flat spots from happening, move the trailer periodically a few inches throughout the winter. 5) Help water drain: Keeping the boat and trailer rig in a slightly nose-high (bow up) position will allow water to drain out the transom drain hole. This can be easily done by placing a small block under the trailer jack. (Don't forget to remove drain plug and tie it to the ignition key where you will find it in the spring). Also ensure that the boat's cover is tight and periodically check inside throughout the winter - critters love to hide aboard boats and find them appetizing. Source: http://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=561 PART 6: THIS SAILING VACATION Saving Sailing Author Nicholas Hayes continues to refine and improve the core ideas of his award-winning book in a 6-part series published in SpinSheet Magazine. Here is an excerpt of a story he shares from his return trip following the 2010 Hook Race, a 200 mile race that starts in Racine Wisconsin and extends north along the western shore of Lake Michigan. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A night at anchor in Nicolet Bay is a rare treat, like flat clean lake ice for ice-boating in a Wisconsin winter, requiring confluence. Some years, indeed often many years in a row, it just doesn't work out. My wife and I must work hard enough in our jobs to be able to take the time off to race. The family must select sailing over other more pressing or fun things that it might do in the summer. The race must finish at the right time. We must take a couple of extra days off of work to make a lazier return trip, and we must luck into a day, like this one was, where nature cooperates. This is one of the central lessons of sailing and one of its prime attractions: you just don't know what you're going to get. You might not get what you hoped for, for long periods of time. You might have to wait. You might have to adjust your expectations. You might have to try again. Most of the essential variables are out of your control. But when it comes together, it can be stunning in its beauty and power: graceful, organic, complete and, dare I say, spiritual. On one hand, it's the ideological antonym of the phrase "instant gratification". These rare memorable moments can't happen without patience, confidence, trust, hard work and the cooperation of many. They directly oppose the X-Box, cable news, and the all-inclusive theme-park. On the other hand, we can also find an ideological link to the time-honored practice of "living in the moment" and rewards not unlike those that might come from centering through prayer or meditation. You find yourself free of distraction and complication and in balance with the world. It's like you've discovered something brand new. But there is another notable and very important benefit: you are there with people you love, and they feel the same way. In our minds, these moments of common joy and circumstance overwrite the trivial, and stand out as the most important in life. These are the formative events. When you hear people sharing these stories, it is clear that they're talking of the best times, and the best people they've known. And note something else: they're not talking about something they purchased with cash or credit. Indeed, they're telling you about something that they made... that they created... that they waited for, and then seized upon by their own volition... by investing time and trying again and again as a team and by trusting. That's why I believe we should Save Sailing. There are few such ideal formats for making meaningful memories and in doing so, feeding our souls and strengthening our families and our collective spirit. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/SS-Part-Six Part 1: http://tinyurl.com/SS-Part-One Part 2: http://tinyurl.com/SS-Part-Two Part 3: http://tinyurl.com/SS-Part-Three Part 4: http://tinyurl.com/SS-Part-Four Part 5: http://tinyurl.com/SS-Part-Five PHOTO GALLERIES * From the "better late than never" department, a huge sampling of images from the U.S. Team Racing Championship are now online from Adam Koch. Hosted by Seattle Yacht Club, the event was raced on Lake Union in the shadow of Seattle's Space Needle. -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/1102/ * Starting from Malta, the 606 nm Rolex Middle Sea Race takes the fleet around the Island of Sicily and then some. "It's unbelievable when you see the true, spewing volcano of Stromboli, it's phenomenal. You get to encounter different colored smoke and red lava - you don't see that in Chicago," remarked Bryon Ehrhart (USA), an active member of both the New York Yacht Club and Chicago Yacht Club, whose TP 52 Lucky was deemed the overall corrected time winner in IRC. Photographers Kurt Arrigo and Carlo Borlenghi share the experience: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/1101/ * The British-American Cup, first raced in 1922, represents a pinnacle in international team racing in keelboats. First sailed in International 6 Metres and contested effectively as a fleet racing contest between the United States and Great Britain it is now raced at the keenest level as a four-on-four team race by the top team racers in the two countries. Several British clubs have from time-to-time been involved in the British end of the contest while throughout its history the Seawanhaka Corinthian YC of Oyster Bay, NY has been the American custodian of the contest. The Brits got the best of the Yanks this time, with the next edition to occur on Oyster Bay, NY in 2012. Images courtesy of Ingrid Abery: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/1031/ UNDER THE RADAR - THE M42STC This offering from Morris Yachts deserves another look: the Morris M42STC. The STC stands for 'Short Truck Cabin'. Her owner, who owned an M36, wanted the bigger more commodious M42 but did not want to give up the M36's lines. No problem - M.Y. had S&S re-draw the deck and this beauty was launched in 2009. Why are we talking about this now? With picture perfect weather this summer, photographer Onne van der Wal put her in his sites and the results can be found at http://www.morrisyachts.com/The-Morris-M42-0 No one puts this baby in the corner. SAILING SHORTS * ESPN Classic presents "Super Sailing Saturday" on November 6, 2010, with three back to back programs that look at Long Distance Racing, the 2009 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, and the America's Cup 12 Metre Era Retrospective. Details here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10742 * Virgin Gorda, BVI (November 2, 2010) - The first day of the 24th Annual Bitter End Pro Am Regatta might have belonged to UK amateur sailor Stu Bithell, but for a pair of OCS calls in races that he thought he'd won. Those two miscues pushed him below the fold on the results page and opened the door for Russell Coutts (23 points) to take a six point lead over Paul Cayard (29) after eight races in IC 24s. Ken Read also had an OCS, but nonetheless remains in the hunt in fourth place with 34 points, just behind Peter Holmberg (31). Guests of the Bitter End Yacht Club rotated through the crew lists of the seven invited skippers. -- http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10743#10743 * (November 2, 2010; Day 17) - Velux 5 Oceans race leader Brad Van Liew (USA) is waiting for a "window of opportunity" to start the final sprint across the South Atlantic to Cape Town. The 42-year-old American solo sailor has led the fleet for the majority of time since leaving La Rochelle, and currently holds a margin of 165 nm over second place Zbigniew Gutkowski (POL) with 2976 nm to the finish. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-110210 * (November 2, 2010; Day 3) - The first incident of drama for the 85 solo skippers competing in the 3542 mile Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale occurred today. Suffering from strong chest pains, nausea and extreme fatigue, Bernard Quentin (Cote d'Or II) was evacuated from his trimaran this morning by the Spanish navy who transferred him to the charge of the medical team at Burela. Meantime Franck Cammas on the giant trimararan Groupama has taken the lead in the Ultimate class since early this morning, continuing to set a fierce pace as his southern routing takes him under the critical Azores high pressure system. -- Event website: http://www.routedurhum-labanquepostale.com/en/s01_home/s01p01_home.php * On the opening day of the entry period for the 34th America's Cup, (1 Nov), four teams declared their intention to compete. Among the four is BMW Oracle Racing, the Defender and Mascazone Latino, the Challenger of Record. The other two teams, who are believed to be Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis group and the Russian sailing team Synergy, will not be named until their applications are being verified. -- Matthew Sheahan Yachting World, full report: http://tinyurl.com/YW-110210 * The BoatUS Foundation's "Innovation in Life Jacket Design Competition" is calling for out-of-the-box life jacket design entries. The entries will be judged based on four criteria: wearability, reliability, cost and innovation. A $5,000 cash award goes to the winning designer. -- Full report: http://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=574 * Annapolis' Eastport Yacht Club and Bermuda's St. George's Dinghy Club have slated their 18th biennial Annapolis to Bermuda race for Friday, June 8, 2012. Open to any single or multi-hulled sailing yacht, Annapolis organizers are anticipating up to 50 entries for the 750 mile race. Details at http://www.bermudaoceanrace.com * Large yachts that summered in Charleston, S.C., have begun their seasonal southern migration, partially to avoid large tax bills that would arrive if they were to linger in South Carolina waters. Yachts registered out of state don't get a bill unless they're in Charleston County waters for 180 days, so lots of those big boats get moved to places such as Florida, which has no property tax on boats, The Post and Courier newspaper reported. -- Soundings, read on: http://tinyurl.com/Soundings-110210 INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum encourages companies to post their new hirings, product and service updates. Scuttlebutt editors will select Industry update each week to include in the Thursday edition of the Scuttlebutt newsletter. Here is the link to post Industry News updates: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/INDUSTRY_NEWS_C15/ LEWMAR COUNTDOWN TO METS LAUNCH Lewmar are launching a host of new products at the forthcoming METS 2010, in Amsterdam on November 16-18. New ranges include the CPX windlass and the HTX collection of performance sailboat blocks and travellers. With the addition of the larger EVO winches, the Range now covers from Size 6 to Size 80, while the launch of the V9 Vertical Windlass complements the successful Lewmar V Range. Additional launches include stainless steel hatch furniture, a dual chain gypsy, and streamlined deck switches. Come and meet the Lewmar Team in Stand 11.101 for a preview, or click on http://www.lewmar.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 Dan Knox: I always figured that San Francisco had about as much chance to hold the America's Cup as the Giants did to win the World Series. These days I'm feeling pretty good. * From Steve Gregory: (re, interview in Scuttlebutt 3211) So nice to have a guy like Grant Dalton in the America's Cup game. He says things that make sense, like how the defender should host the event in their country, how the teams should be crewed by nationals of the country they represent, and how opening entries to an event without disclosing the venue sets an early imbalance. The defender wants to create an event that can commercially support the competing teams, yet teams can't determine their sponsors until they know the landscape - at least the teams that need commercial support can't do it. So instead, four teams that mustn't heartily rely on commercial support can enter on the first day, thus getting first dibs on the AC 45s they are forced to buy so they can sail in 2011 events that are a condition of entry. And teams like Emirates Team New Zealand must wait to learn the venue, thus losing valuable time. I wonder if any books have set the odds on BMW Oracle successfully defending the 34th America's Cup. Probably not. Why bother. * From Jim Fulton: Will the Louis Vuitton Trophy event in Dubai be televised (Nov. 13-28)? I'd love to watch it. I guess that makes me a Flintstoner. => Curmudgeon's Comment: I asked this question to Peter Rusch, Communications Coordinator for the World Sailing Team Association, who replied: "The plan is similar to what was done in the previous Louis Vuitton Trophy events. Live streaming with VirtualEye of the entire regatta, with video highlights after racing. There will be enhanced live coverage of the final days of racing, though not sure at this time how much live video will be streamed and how early in the regatta it will start. We will update you when this information is finalized." CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I toss one that ain't never been seen by this generation." - Satchel Paige, hall of fame baseball pitcher Special thanks to New England Ropes, Morris Yachts, and Lewmar. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
