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SCUTTLEBUTT 2959 - Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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 are North U, Melges Performance Sailboats, and Onne van der
Wal gallery.
MELGES 24 WORLDS
Annapolis, MD (October 26, 2009) - The Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis 2009 Melges
24 World Championship got underway today with two tricky races sailed in
predominantly light airs out on Chesapeake Bay. As well as having to deal with
a capricious breeze, which peaked this the morning at around ten knots but
dropped to around six knots by the afternoon, the fifty-one-boat fleet also
had to factor some complex and not insignificant current flow into their race
strategies.
With the local conditions playing such a major role in things, it is perhaps
no surprise that it was ‘local boy’ Chris Larson at the helm of ‘West Marine
Rigging/New England Ropes’ who was able to make most sense of it all. Backed
up by tactician Richard Clarke, Larson turned in the most consistent results
for the day, with a 5,2, scoreline that sees him top the leaderboard tonight.
Despite snagging a crab pot when leading race one, Flavio Favini on the Swiss
entry ‘Blu Moon’ still managed to post a third and fifth today and sit in
second place, just one point off the lead. After recovering well from a poor
start in the first race, Italy’s Carlo Fracassoli on ‘Gullisara’ clawed his
way back to ninth place at the finish, before taking a comfortable win in the
second. This pair of top ten results were good enough to put him third overall
at the end of the first day.
Racing continues through Saturday. Complete daily report at
http://www.melges24.com/?p=news/&id=1718
Standings after Day 1 (top 10 of 51)
1. Chris Larson (USA), West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes, 5-2, 7 pts
2. Flavio Favini (SUI), Blu Moon, 3-6, 9
3. Carlo Fracassoli (ITA), Gullisara, 9-1, 10
4. Alan Field (USA), WTF, 4-7, 11
5. Eivind Melleby (NOR), Full Metal Jacket, 8-4, 12
6. Brian Porter (USA), Full Throttle, 2-12, 14
7. Bill Hardesty (USA), Event’s Clothing/Atlantis, 19-3, 22
8. Argyle Campbell (USA), Rock N Roll, 18-5, 23
9. Gabrio Zandonà (ITA), Joe Fly, 6-18, 24
10. David Dabney (USA), Conejo Racing-Ocean Sailing Academy, 16-9, 25
Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/yh3ra64
Event website: http://www.melges24worlds2009.com
Weather forecast: http://tinyurl.com/yks94ec
T2P.tv daily video show by 9pm EST: http://tinyurl.com/T2P-tv
These sites are posting videos, photos, and text updates during the races:
Melges 24 class blog: http://www.melges24worlds2009.com/IMCABlog.asp
Sail22: http://sailingupdates.com/?page_id=3
SailGroove: http://tinyurl.com/yjw2qe6
CHICAGO MATCH RACE CENTER ANNOUNCES 2010 SCHEDULE
With the completion this year of its first season, the Chicago Match Race
Center (CMRC) has announced its 2010 schedule, expanding to double the number
of events offered in 2009. In all there are six ISAF Grade 3 Open events, two
Women’s match race clinics with two Grade 3 events, and one Grade 2 Open
event, the Chicago Match Cup.
“This is an aggressive plan, but now that we have our TOM 28’s, the Elliott
6M’s on their way for the women, the regatta headquarters barge, the umpire
boats, a great race management team, and the experience of running four events
this past year, we feel ready to make this commitment,” says Bill Hardesty,
CMRC Director.
CMRC is the only center of its kind in the US founded to promote and grow the
sport of match race sailing. Besides being used in the America’s Cup, match
race sailing has recently also been adapted as a Women’s discipline in the
2012 Olympic Games. As part of its mission, CMRC has ordered for delivery next
year four Elliott 6M class yachts, the type that will be used in the Games,
and will use them to train and race teams with Olympic aspirations. --
Complete report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/1026/
VICTORY 2010
Now is the time to start planning for next season’s success. North U is ready
to help with the new Learn the Rules DVD, the best Sail Trim and Tactics
materials, and a full slate of offseason Sail Trim and Boat Speed Seminars.
We’re also gearing up for our Tenth Annual Performance Race Week to be held
next in Captiva, FL next April. Next season’s success starts with special
deals now at http://www.northu.com
GOOD VIBES IN SOCAL
Long Beach, CA (October 25, 2009) - For the seven West Coast 70s and 10 Farr
40s, the inaugural Campbell Cup this past weekend was initiated in honor of
longtime racing enthusiast Mike Campbell, who passed away mid-October last
year. Amid the challenging light breezes, Brack Duker and the crew of his
Santa Cruz 70 Holua and Frederic Scheer's Farr 40 Far Niente were the final
winners. Also recognized was Per Peterson's Andrews 70 Alchemy, whose team was
awarded with a "Campbell Cup Humanitarian Award" for their compassionate
efforts to rescue a seal.
Regarding the seal incident, Alchemy helm Will Stout explains, "The baby seal
just jumped up on the transom and then crawled into the cockpit. He had
fishing net wrapped around him and was choking. It was an extreme situation.
We immediately got on the radio trying to get the Coast Guard, lifeguards or
someone to help us. We finally got hold of the Harbor Master's office who
asked us to bring it to their dock so they could transfer it to Animal
Control. They took it to Marine Animal Rescue in San Pedro from there." --
Complete story:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8490#8490
NOT SO SOLO
If the juvenile court this week allows Laura Dekker to sail around the world,
at least she won't be by herself anymore. According to her lawyer the trip
will be made into a reality TV show. It could be the ultimate reality TV show:
14-year-old girl sails around the world solo, navigates the islands of
Indonesia and the Panama canal, braves the pirate-infested waters off the
coast of Somalia, faces rough storms, dead calms, loneliness and physical
exhaustion. Her reward: the Guinness world record for becoming the youngest
sailor ever to circumvent the planet solo.
TV stations have been competing for the rights to Laura Dekker's story ever
since it made headlines last August, when a Dutch juvenile court grounded her
just as she was about to set sail in her 8-metre boat. Laura was temporarily
placed under the supervision of a youth welfare organisation pending a
decision by the juvenile court, which is expected by the end of this week.
After considering several proposals, 'Team Laura Dekker" has agreed to go into
business with one, as yet unnamed TV station. In a bizarre twist the TV
coverage is being used as an argument before the juvenile court. After all,
sailing around the world with a TV crew in tow, hardly qualifies as a solitary
experience. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/yjwzup7
SAILING SHORTS
* Twenty-six teams competed in the 2009 J/80 North American Championship,
hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX on October 23-25. Winning the
event was 2008 runner-up Kerry Klinger, narrowly beating out Terry Flynn/
David Whalen by one point after the eight race series. -- Final results:
http://tinyurl.com/yftgvtb
* Marseille, France (October 26, 2009) - Epic conditions on the second day at
the Student Yachting World Cup, with 70 degree temperatures, cloudless, sunny
skies and a solid 8 and 15 knots for three more races. The lone North American
team, University of Rhode Island, has clawed their way to fourth overall as
they seek to minimize nagging mistakes that have thus far plagued their
series. Tactician Alex Baittinger notes, “We need to rely on our boatspeed in
tight situations, in order to capitalize on the mistakes of other team, while
minimizing our own mistakes. We still have room for lots of improvement in
every aspect of our racing.” -- Full report:
http://sywc2009.blogspot.com/2009/10/day-2.html
* At the Quebec Sailing Federation Gala, held in Poine-Claire on October 24th,
Ian Bruce became the first member to be inducted into the Quebec Sailing Hall
of Fame. This gesture recognized his exceptional contribution to the
development and promotion of sailing, not only in Quebec but also on the
international scene. -- http://www.voile.qc.ca/AN/accueilAn.asp
* The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is offering the public a chance to
make Olympic history by designing an Olympic medal for the Youth Olympic
Games. People around the world are being invited to submit their designs for
the medals to be awarded at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which will
be held in Singapore next year, from 14-26 August 2010. -- Read on:
http://www.sailing.org/30085.php
SAVE THE DATES: AUDI MELGES 20 MIAMI WINTER SERIES
The International Audi Melges 20 Class Association is proud to present the
Inaugural Miami Winter Series hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club,
Shake-A-Leg and supported by Melges Performance Sailboats. The series is
comprised of three individual regattas spanning early December 2009 through
March 2010, offering a great escape from the cold and snow to enjoy the warm
waters of Biscayne Bay, Fla., primo racing conditions and very hot sportboat
competition. Event No. 3 of the series will be held in conjunction with the
new Bacardi Miami Sailing Week. The Inaugural Miami Winter Series features the
first three of eight high-powered events on the 2010 Audi Melges 20 USA
Sailing Series schedule. Additional information at http://www.melges20.com and
http://www.cgsc.org
THE VIEW FROM THE HELM OF ALINGHI
By Ed Baird, America’s Cup defender
* Regarding the conflict with GGYC (Golden Gate Yacht Club):
“It was exciting at the end of the last Cup, with a lot of teams ready to keep
going in the traditional multi-challenger format. We had agreement among most
of America’s Cup community, before AC 32 was over, on a new 90-foot monohull
class to replace the International America’s Cup class, and we hoped to race
last summer, 2009, in Valencia. There would have been a lot of teams involved.
But GGYC have been pushing hard for two years now to take control of the event
through the New York Court system. In effect, GGYC is trying to make a hostile
takeover of the America’s Cup.”
* Regarding engines on the boats:
“It makes a lot of sense. You cannot do things manually fast enough with boats
this large and this fast to get the best from them. It is even a safety issue.
By allowing the trimmers and other crew to do things quicker you actually can
get more out of the boat and this also means you must get better performance
out of the crew. When you are at the dock and you fire the motor up and listen
to noise it makes you scratch your head and wonder if this is the right thing
to do. But when you get out on the water and start sailing, having the motor
is fantastic. You can turn the winch just when you need to without worrying
about grinders being ready and at station.”
Complete story: http://tinyurl.com/yhsk6tv
AMERICA'S CUP SHENANIGANS
By Eric Sharp, Detroit Free Press
In its self-serving efforts to defend the America’s Cup, the Swiss Alinghi
Team has achieved the remarkable feat of pushing the world’s most prestigious
sailing regatta and oldest team event toward irrelevancy. That’s because Louis
Vuitton, the up-up-upscale French fashion house, has seized on the vacuum
created by the legal fight between Alinghi and America’s BMW-Oracle to start
an international series of regattas for America’s Cup class boats the world
that could well supersede the Cup as the world’s premier sailing event.
I can easily see this one ending with the America’s Cup becoming just one more
race in the Louis Vuitton Trophy series or even disappearing altogether. Think
about it. If you’re a potential sponsor, where would you get the biggest bang
for your buck? Pouring $100 million into an every-three-or-four-year race
where your boat might be eliminated before the semi-finals, or a
four-times-a-year series where your brand would get television time every day?
The first Louis Vuitton regatta begins Nov. 7 on the Mediterranean Sea off
Nice, France, with eight teams sailing the kinds of boats that were used in
the 2007 America’s Cup at Valencia, Spain, where Alinghi was successful as the
defender. What it won’t have is an entry from Alinghi whose boss, billionaire
Ernesto Bertarelli, drove Louis Vuitton out of the America’s Cup sponsorship
largely because Bertarelli wanted to control all aspects of the event.
BMW-Oracle and Alinghi will meet on Oct. 27, but it will be at the New York
State Supreme Court, where Alinghi will try to defend its decision to choose
Ras al Khaimah on the Persian Gulf at the place where it will defend the cup
next February in a race that will pit a 115-foot Swiss catamaran against
BMW-Oracle’s 113-foot trimaran. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/ylh9y6y
KILLER AERIALS
Attention NYYC Invitational Cup, 6 Metre Worlds and 12 Metre Worlds
competitors! Onne van der Wal got killer aerials and on the water shots of all
3 events, the best of which are posted online. Shop now for the holidays! We
print in all sizes and make stunning giant prints or canvases up to 84” long.
Available framed or unframed. See the action online at
http://www.vanderwal.com/vanderwal_regattas_travels.aspx
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 Bill Mosher (Re, Terry Kohler’s receiving Herreshoff Trophy):
In addition to what Terry has done lately, 25 years ago he was the fund
raising chairman for the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center. His efforts and
cash donation helped the Sailing Center refurbish it's then dilapidated fleet
of Vanguard Volants, made by the Harken brothers in Pewaukee, WI. The Harkens
charged the center cost only to update and renew the boats which then lasted
another 5 years and allowed the center to begin accepting a fleet of donated
Ensigns. Today we have over 80 sailboats in the fleet & the center is
finishing another campaign (thanks to Peter & Olaf Harken) and building a $1.8
million dollar classroom & office building. Oh yeah, after 32 years of
Port-A-Johns we will now have indoor plumbing, toilets and showers! Thanks
Terry! Congratulations on receiving this award. You deserve it. (anyone
wishing to donate an Ensign, please contact me as we need more:
billm@forespar.com)
* From Ken Guyer (regarding commentary in Scuttlebutt 2958):
I had wondered just how much Brad Butterworth had bought into what his boss
Bertarelli was selling, just a kind of a curiosity of whether Brad had
completely sold out the America’s Cup or was just being loyal to the one
signing his paycheck. Thank you Brad for making it clear, you have completely
sold out. No one is talking about changing the deed of gift to make it easier
for the challenger to win; most want to make it so the defender can’t do what
Alinghi has done to the event.
As I read the self-served offering penned by Butterworth, I was waiting for a
part that had even a weak admission that his boss really screwed the pooch
when he tried to take all fairness out of the challenger selection trials and
stack the deck in Alinghi’s favor. Especially trite considering the success of
the 2007 Cup just completed in Valencia.
When things go wrong and eventually head to the courts to decide what is
right, always look to what first took place to set the events on that course.
Ernesto Bertarelli’s desire to change the protocol and take possession of the
entire event is where it started and where the initial blame should be laid.
Had it not been for that act, we would all be talking about the upcoming
racing rather than the upcoming court hearing. Thank you Brad, you are solidly
part of the problem, not the solution.
* From Bruce Munro:
(In Scuttlebutt 2958), Vernon Merritt makes a good point when he states that
the deed of gift language should trump the ambiguous language in Judge Cahn's
order that says the America's Cup venue can be "anywhere" SNG chooses. An
argument can be made that the good judge really meant that SNG could choose
"anywhere" that is deed compliant. However, even if GGYC can win this
argument, it will most likely be a hollow victory.
The current judge will not be able to fault SNG for reading Judge Cahn's order
the way they did when they choose RAK as the venue. To now say that the deed
requires a Southern Hemisphere venue for a race in February would be unfair to
SNG and the judge would need to grant a delay in the race until a Southern
Hemisphere venue could be selected. That delay would then most likely put the
race in the window of time that the deed allows for a Northern Hemisphere race
and SNG could once again choose RAK as the venue. So, it becomes a classic
case of if you win, you will lose anyway. There is no gain on the play. We are
back at the line of scrimmage.
* From Oscar Gallo, Long Beach, CA:
About the 22 ft Dhows and their bigger brother ships, the 44 footers, they are
beautiful things to see in the Gulf. During our four years in Dubai, it was
always a real treat to see scores of Dhows on the horizon. However, the Dhow
racing is limited to Emirati Citizens only.
For some amazing artwork, look for Alastair Houston , a Scottish painter who
has produced a series of Dhow paintings and prints: www.alastairhouston.com
About the sailing in the UAE, it is really a sad loss for Valencia, as the UAE
"customer base" for the America’s Cup will be very limited.
* From Jake Doyle, New York Maritime ’09 (edited to 250-word limit):
(Regarding the possible format change of the College Sloop Nationals from
fleet to match racing), this would be a great opportunity to grow match racing
in North America. To date there is only one collegiate match racing event that
I know of and that is the Intrepid Cup at Navy in the spring. It was always
one of my favorite events every year and it seems to be growing in popularity.
However I would not switch over just like that; there are some things that
have to be overcome.
Outside of Navy, Coast Guard, and maybe Kings Point, who else has the budget
to host a match racing event of any scale? Just for one race you need two
umpires in one boat and a third in a wing boat. So to even have a 10 boat
regatta - which is what sloops was this year - you need 15 qualified umpires
as well as 10 separate power boats. This is all on top of the regular race
management demands of mark set and signal boat personnel and equipment.
Getting good umpires is expensive.
I would first see if the schools already hosting sloop events would be willing
to host promotional match racing events this spring. Let them experience what
it is like to run a match racing event and then let them decide. If they can
pull this off without sacrificing the quality of racing (match racing with
bad, or worse, no umpires is not very fun), then match racing will quickly
become very popular in college sailing. But I would hate for this to be done
half ass.
CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
Special thanks to North U, Melges Performance Sailboats, and Onne van der Wal
gallery.
Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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