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SCUTTLEBUTT 2362 - June 11, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with support provided by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). WHO WILL DRIVE ALINGHI? So who will drive Alinghi? They have rotated Ed Baird and Peter Holmberg since Russell Coutts left the syndicate in 2004. The feeling is that if Alinghi believe they have a speed edge, Baird will steer, if they think they are in for a battle, then Holmberg will. While the syndicate haven't announced who has the job, the noise around Valencia is Baird has been given the nod. With winning the start and first cross so vital, Julie Ash and Peter Lester take a look at the styles of both men. Off the water Peter Holmberg is one of the nice guys of the America's Cup. On the water he can be a pitbull terrier. Holmberg has a similar style to Chris Dickson. He throws the boat round a lot more. He is pretty aggressive and pretty punchy. If there is an opportunity, he is not afraid of taking it. He is more aggressive than Baird in the prestart but may not be as accurate in getting the boat around the whole course. Lester: "Peter tends to be more aggressive, more harsh on the boat when manoeuvring. He is not as smooth as Ed." Holmberg is a bit more intuitive. You wouldn't expect him to get bogged down with a game plan.” -- NZ Herald, full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10444252 AMERICA’S CUP MATCH First team to win 5 races in the 9 race series Challenger: Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ = 0 Defender: Alinghi (SUI) _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ = 0 * Race schedule: Racing begins Saturday, June 23rd, with the second race on Sunday before the first rest day on Monday. -- Complete schedule: http://www.americascup.com/en/americascup/program/calendrier.php * Seconds, please: After Alinghi recruited Luna Rossa for a tuning session last Friday, the two paired up again on Saturday. Starting to seem like an alliance, Survivor-style: http://www.cupineurope.com/NewsEN/2007/AC32.htm * More steel balls: Some of the ‘buttheads wanted a visual demo of the “steel balls” move that was mentioned in Issue 2361. In case they failed to find it over the weekend, here is video report from Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup, where ETNZ skipper Dean Barker exhibited his anatomical prowess at 1:19 minutes into the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaWi55tmc0Y * Betting odds: The same bookmakers that picked ETNZ to beat Luna Rossa now have Alinghi as an overwhelming favorite to retain the Cup: http://www.theonlinewire.com/articleView.aspx?ID=2872 QUOTE / UNQUOTE Regarding ETNZ teammate Adam Beashel’s job of traveling 80 feet up the mast during races, perched on a spreader and searching the race course for signs of breeze, Terry Hutchinson notes, “I wouldn’t do his job, no way. It takes a special breed to go up there. I talk to him through a microphone, and he comes out on the speaker, and you hear him just getting the heck knocked out of him when he’s going up the rig, cursing and swearing when we’re going through big waves. He’s just hanging on for dear life, basically.” -- Sydney Morning Herald, full story: http://tinyurl.com/27mpz8 BUTTERWORTH vs. HUTCHINSON It’s finally here. Switzerland vs. New Zealand. A Kiwi calls the shots for the Swiss and a Yank does the same for the Kiwis. Brad Butterworth vs. Terry Hutchinson. They say this Cup is finally a “sailor’s Cup.” A liquid, fluid chessboard pitting the brightest minds in the sport against each other. The winner? Kaenon Polarized! The only common link in this epic battle is the Kaenon Polarized SR-91 lens that both insist upon. For men and women. Prescription-ready. View the entire collection online and locate an authorized dealer nearest you at http://www.kaenon.com. Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. IF YOU WERE RUSSELL COUTTS… If you were Russell Coutts, which team in the America’s Cup match would you cheer for? Would you cheer for Emirates Team New Zealand, a team from your homeland, and one that still retains parts from when you skippered it to two successful America’s Cup wins? Or, would you cheer for Alinghi, a team that you helped assemble from scratch, and that you skippered to victory in its very first attempt? Both teams represent your legacy, and provide arguable reasons to support. However, both teams also provide reasons to oppose due to internal problems that forced you to move on, and currently, sit on the sidelines. So, if you were Russell Coutts, which team would you cheer for? Vote here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/07/0610 NEW REALITY GONE WRONG Within a few days the Port of Los Angeles will begin enforcing a menu of private vessel restrictions upon recreational boaters, of all size, propulsion. This has been in the making for several years now. The first phase will be intended to inform the public as to the restrictions by hailing, lecturing after coming alongside and recommending on shore information classes. The second phase, due after a 90-day grace period will result in violators being boarded. Arrested if need be. And their vessel impounded if need be. What "need be" is defined as being there is no clear statute. Basically the new restrictions will prohibit recreational vessels from approaching closer than 100' to any commercial or government vessel. Currently, this definition of a commercial vessel includes a vessel with a commercial fishing license; vessels used to shuttle tourists to and from Catalina ports, and harbor sight seeing enterprises. The irony of this new mandate is that it's applications all but confines several hundred private vessels which are berthed within the bowels of LA Harbors back waters. They simply cannot transit to and from the ocean without violating this restriction. The area immediate to the Henry Ford Bridge is a puzzling situation yet to be resolved. It would be enough if the restriction addressed the 100' closed zone to berthed vessels, but it also includes such a radius when both vessels are in motion. Some of the privileged vessels travel in excess of 30+ knots. A commercial carrier will do 10 knots in harbor waters to retain steerage. So 98% of all sailboats, whether sailing or under power, simply cannot avoid violating this rule when being overtaken by a faster privileged vessel. -- To view the full report, and to post any comments, please go to the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5078#5078 OLYMPIC UPDATE: EUROPEAN CHAMPS * Laser Europeans, Hyeres, France: (June 8, 2007) The final day brought out a nice building seabreeze for the final two races. ISAf World Number 1 ranked Paul Goddison finally came out of his shell to score two bullets, raising his final position to second, but it was Aussie Tom Slingsby that won the 155-boat senior division. North American sailors held 4 of the top eleven positions, with Canadian Michael Leigh leading the charge in third; in the 103-boat youth division, Kyle Rogachenko (USA) was the top continental sailor at eighteenth place overall. -- Brad Funk, complete results: http://coych.nikopo.com/?page=affnews * Finn Europeans, Lake Balaton, Hungary: (June 9, 2007) With an event plagued by lights winds, Friday’s breeze was by far the best, with the 8-12 knot winds even allowing for one free pumping leg when the wind rose over 12 knots. American Zach Railey posted the low score for the day with a 6-1, which continued his progress up the standings toward Saturday’s final medal race. Light air returned for the finale, with Railey’s fifth place in the medal race giving him a fifth overall for the series behind winner Eduard Skornyakov (RUS) of the 91-boat fleet. -- Robert Deaves, full results: http://tinyurl.com/2yv3rz * 470 Europeans, Thessaloniki, Greece: (June 10, 2007) Thunderstorms delayed racing on Friday until 1600, but top scores that day by Stu McNay/ Graham Biehl (USA) pulled them up to third overall in the 92-boat men’s fleet. The best wind of the week arrived on Saturday with 12-15 knots, however, a jury decision on this day would shatter the Americans chances for a slot in Sunday’s top ten medal race. On the women’s course, top ten scores on Saturday by Amanda Clark/ Sarah Merghenthaler (USA) in the 48-boat women’s fleet earned them a slot in the medal race, which they proceeded to win, landing them in 6th overall for the event. Alvaro Marinho/ Miguel Nunes (POR) and Stefanie Rottweiler/ Vivien Kussatz (GER) won the men’s and women’ s divisions, respectively. -- Event website: http://www.ncth.gr/470 * RS:X Europeans, Limassol, Cyrpus: (June 10, 2007) The 2007 RS:X European Championship began Friday with more than 150 Athletes and 31 countries enjoying moderate conditions over the first two days. Perhaps knowing that there was a scheduled rest day on Monday, winds picked up considerably to 25+ knots for Sunday. The event marks the return of past Olympic medallist Mike Gebhardt (USA), but the top North Americans presently are Ben Barger (USA) in the men’s division (21st) and Nikola Girke (CAN) in the women’s division (29th). -- Event website: http://www.rsxclass.com/europeans.html DISCOVER Treasure on Block Island. If you’re sailing in Race Week, come see the new Atlantis sailing gear at the Atlantic Yacht Rigging & Supply trailer at Payne’s Dock. They splice - you shop. And keep an eye out for us in other places around the island as well. You never know what you might find. Discover the new Atlantis WeatherGear. http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com FATHER’S DAY TRIBUTE “Clearly there are a lot of sailors out there who have a lot a Dads to thank, including me. However I wish to not only thank my Dad but all those other Dads that have shared their love of the sailing and the ocean with their children. Sailing has taught all of these kids valuable life lessons such as self- reliance, perseverance, endurance, autonomy and the importance of happy hour. To all the Dads for their years of on the water training they so cleverly camouflaged as fun, belly up, this round is on me.” – Cameron McIntyre * Thanks to Atlantis WeatherGear for donating a Grand Prix vest for the thread raffle, and congratulations to Annie Nelson for being the lucky winner. Read all the Father’s Day notes - or post your own - at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/07/fd PASSPORT RULES SUSPENDED Under pressure from thousands of irate summer travelers and their Senators, the Bush administration temporarily suspended the strict passport rules that went into effect in January. The new rules required all US citizens flying to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda to have a passport. Since the implementation of the rules, passport processing centers across the country have been inundated with applications, causing a tremendous backlog and long delays in processing the applications. With their travel plans looming and no sign of their passports, vacationers started getting vocal with their Congressmen who, in turn, got vocal with the State Department. -- ‘Lectronic Latitude, read on: http://tinyurl.com/yqwgu9 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar GLORY DAYS RETURN New boats are nice, but four Santa Cruz 70s harkened back to their glory days Sunday by sweeping the top four spots overall on corrected handicap time in the second biennial First Team Real Estate Invitational Regatta for the Hoag Cup produced. Not to say there weren't any records set. Jim Madden, a competitor and chairman of the big boat inshore event, announced at the awards ceremony that organizers of the Balboa and Newport Harbor Yacht Clubs had topped their goal of raising $400,000 for the Hoag Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute, believed to be the largest amount ever raised by a charitable sailing event. Ed McDowell's 21-year-old Grand Illusion, with Patrick O'Brien taking over as skipper and helmsman in the owner's absence, led the way on the water, followed by Tim and Tom Hogan's Westerly, Doug Ayres' modified Skylark and Brack Duker's Holua. The 15-boat fleet represented a variety of some of the West Coast's best racers over the last few decades, from Ragtime, now owned by Chris Welsh, in the 70s to Doug Baker's Magnitude 80 in the 21st century. But handicap ratings and good sailing trumped new technology this time as the 70s---a.k.a. the iconic "sleds" that dominated downwind racing in the 80s and 90s---sounded a triple blast from the past. -- To read all the reports from the 3-day event: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/hoag SAILING SHORTS * Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy (June 9, 2007) Two more races, two more winners and one final change in the overall standings. The 2007 Rolex Farr 40 Europeans have been nothing if not consistent in painting a totally new picture every race and every day. In the end there was no doubt about the winners, Massimo Mezzaroma & Nerone stole the show on the final day to post a fourth and a first, winning by six points from overnight leaders Mascalzone Latino, with Kokomo from Australia a further eight points back in third. -- Full report: http://www.regattanews.com/pressrelease.asp?pid=1632&lang=1 * The WSSR Council announced the ratification of a new Miami to New York World Record by Groupama 3. On June 3-4, 2007, skipper Franck Cammas (FRA) and a crew of 10 averaged 27kts to set a new elapsed time of 1 day, 11 hours, 5 minutes, and 20 seconds. The previous record by Steve Fossett and "PlayStation" of 2d-5h-54m-42s was set in May 2001. -- John Reed, Secretary to the WSSR Council * (June 10, 2007) The first day of the Giraglia Rolex Cup finished with a beautiful real time victory for Alfa Romeo. Wild Oats tried but could not compete with the Kiwi boat's supremacy on the course. It was Pieper Roel's Swann 80, Favonius (ITA) that moved in to take the lead on corrected time in the IRC Class just ahead of Magic Carpet Squared and K2 Wind. -- Full story: http://www.regattanews.com/pressrelease.asp?pid=1635&lang=1 * The New York Yacht Club’s 153rd Annual Regatta presented by Rolex saw 94 yachts compete on Saturday and Sunday. Also, the Around the Island Race – the Friday preamble to the Annual Regatta -- saw 65 of those yachts race. For Friday’s Around the Island Race, the yachts started in bright sunshine, but soon enough sailed into a full-on fog. The weather tone for that day and the next was thus set. But then there was Sunday! Ah Sunday -- a rare day in June. – Full story: http://nyyc.org/popup.cfm?content=viewthenews&thenewsid=696 WHAT IS ANDREW CAMPBELL WEARING? Magic Marine Gear while sailing in the 2007 Laser Europeans and ISAF World Championship in Portugal. Andrew Campbell chooses Magic Marine. Magic Marine is the gear designed specifically for one-design sailors. To check out Andrews’s gear, find a dealer and to view the entire Magic Marine range, go to http://www.magicmarinegear.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Mark Eustis: Regarding a report in Issue 2360 about the first circumnavigation by a gay couple, I would surmise that while history may not show an open record of gay couples having gone ‘round the world, no doubt many have headed that way before. * From Reynald Neron: (Regarding the report in Issue 2360 of a gay circumnavigation) Taking the risk of sounding politically incorrect (what the heck, I am French and Aussie, I am supposed to be politically incorrect), the gay community is always asking to be treated equally, yet they take the first opportunity available to separate themselves from society. A gay circumnavigation is basically a double-handed circumnavigation. This has been done long time ago, and since then, by many other couples... * From Ewell C. Potts III: It was interesting to read about the young Opti sailors - Connor Brady and Pearson Potts - in Issue 2361. I'm a little miffed about the fact that sailing was non-existant at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. As a matter of fact, competitive sailing has continued despite the loss of the club to the storm and fire. SYC is hosting the US Sailing Youth Championship in two weeks where 150 of the top U.S. youth sailors will converge for a weeklong event of clinics and racing. It is true that Houston Yacht Club (thankfully) hosted the Opti Midwinter Regatta held just 3 months after the storm, but SYC hosted the following year with over 150 boats attending and is not looking back. One other point of interest might be that Pearson is an only child and does have a first cousin named Cardwell Potts. Although I'm sure that Cardwell loves his aunt Marisa, his mother's name is Kay and she happens to claim him on a regular basis. Please make whatever corrections you would deem necessary. I 'm the former Commodore of SYC and served as such during and after the storm. Our sailing programs are alive and well and our sailors continue to participate locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. * From Bruce Matlack: (regarding the Video of the Week in Issue 2361) The very first film, as well as the very first windsurfing device, predates this film by several years. It was taken by Newman Darby, the fellow the Smithsonian credits with the invention after thoroughly researching all the evidence many years ago. Ironically, Darby's film shows instant success, while Drake's shows the humbling failures experienced by many of your readers. Success by Schweitzer was due to patent protection and a lot of hard work. Also, let's not forget the sacrifices and dedication of all those pioneers who team sponsored the Schweitzers to success and who never got a piece of the pie. * From Ron Baerwitz: (regarding Versus coverage) If you are listening, keep up the fantastic work you guys are doing. If you need to change programming or keep the commentators' comments basic to attract a non-yachtie crowd then by all means do it. As much as I enjoy the team of commentators I, as well as any real yacht racer, does not need them to enjoy the cup. So, make any choices you deem necessary to increase viewership. Just keep on showin' da cup! * From Damian Christie, Melbourne, Australia: So Desafio Espanol and Luna Rossa are trialling with Alinghi in a show of European unity and bravado, while other European teams fear the America’s Cup will re-enter the ‘dark ages’ if it returns to New Zealand. All I can say is ‘Bring it on!’ The Cup will survive all these teams if they elect not to participate again. If the Cup returns to New Zealand, it will merely open the door for challengers from other parts of the world – Australia, South-East Asia, China, Japan, and the United States (that is, genuine American yachtsmen, not those Kiwi pretenders from Oracle!) - to challenge for the Cup. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (if it wins) would have every right to amend the protocols to ensure a more nationalistic approach to the Cup. As Dennis Conner has famously said, the Cup holder writes the rules and has done so to its advantage since time immemorial. It’s merely a perk of winning the Cup. A nationalistic approach might disadvantage some challengers, but it would also encourage other countries, notably Australia and Britain (whose sailing ranks have been decimated by raids from other European and other international syndicates) to rebuild for the Cup. I’m sure it would also reinvigorate the participation of American sailors whose involvement in this edition was at an all time low. Sorry, Europe, but the America’s Cup has stood the test of time and will continue to do so. Go Kiwis! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." -Winston Churchill Special thanks to Kaenon Polarized, Atlantis WeatherGear, and Magic Marine Gear. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
