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SCUTTLEBUTT 2770 - Thursday, January 29, 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. Today's sponsors are Ullman Sails and Melges Performance Sailboats. WHEN WINNING BECOMES A HABIT The Storck family has been bringing their J/80 to Key West Race Week every year since 2003, winning their class in the last two events, and a top four finisher during six consecutive trips south. Kaity Storck provides Sailing World with a couple nuggets about their program: * About their crew: “The one thing our team has always done really well, is that everyone focuses on doing their own job and just their job. I think that's a problem that a lot of boats have difficulty with, especially when you have a lot of really good sailors together. It's hard for everyone to focus on doing just their job. More often than not, it's not that you run into problems with people messing up their job, but people sort of overstepping boundaries. So everyone always does a really good job on our boat. But probably with the conditions being so shifty and up and down breeze wise, we were seeing easily 10 knot ranges and the really big shifts, I think John, my brother, who was driving the boat, probably gets the MVP for keeping the boat moving.” * About their Key West routine: “Maybe the fact that we have to take a taxi home to get to our condo, so therefore we don't go out at night. That could be it. We stay at a condo that's over on the south side of the island. We don't go out that much, we go to the tent, then go to dinner, then go to bed usually. We definitely have an order of things to do when we get out to the racecourse. We're taking wind shots on the way out to the course just as soon as were out there…before we even go out my dad tries to get the rig to where he thinks the breeze will be for the day. We're just out of the harbor, we're checking the wind, we check it again. We check it a lot, just to be in tune with what we think is happening.” * Advice for first time J/80 sailors at Key West: “Trying to put together a team that has sailed together before so you can be really focused on going fast for the regatta, and everybody knows what they're doing. I will not hesitate to say our strongest point is our speed. If you have a good mix of all-stars and people who have sailed the boat before that's definitely better than all all-stars that maybe have never sailed before because things can get done a lot better. Like I said before, the most important thing on a boat is everybody doing their job. They've got to be good at their job, so they've got to be an all-star at that. But, yeah, speed is really important down here.” -- Full report: http://linkbee.com/CNR1 FINAL SPRINT FOR THE FINISH (Jan. 28, 2009; Day 11) - The Volvo Ocean Race leaders have shifted to light air downwind mode for sailing’s equivalent of a 100-metre dash to the finishing tape in Qingdao. Don’t count on much sleep here, and with Ericsson 4 and PUMA continually having better wind conditions than the leader, the top three could be finishing together after 2,500 nm of landmine sailing. But the final stretch is not without unique challenges. “There are some serious fishing nets out here that we have seen today - mostly unlit and unmarked,” noted Puma skipper Ken Read. “Don't be surprised if a fishing net helps determine (the finishing order).” Puma and E4 have reported they are routinely running the nets over, and while able to clear most off, E4 lost their lead to Puma when having to back down to clear one off. Seeking the silver lining, Read notes how they are getting a bit of a reprieve for this time of year. “Typically, we would still be going upwind here off of China, and that would be a lot colder than what we have now. This time last year the harbor was frozen where we are going, hopefully they won’t be breaking up ice to get us in there. If that’s the case this year, it would be the perfect ending to this leg!” There has been limited information made available regarding the boats in pit row, with Ericsson 3 and Delta Lloyd in Taiwan and Telefonica Black in the Philippines. E3 does believe the affected area of damage on the port, underside of the hull is repairable, but they have not decided where the work will be completed. The delaminated area is between three and four meters long, and the affected area is at the most about one and a half meters wide. A replacement panel is planned to be crafted in Italy, and will then be adhered to the hull in either Taiwan or China. Leg Four from Singapore to Qingdao, China is 2,500 nm, with the finish estimated on January 29th. Current positions (as of Jan. 29, 1:00am GMT): 1. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 97 nm Distance to Finish 2. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 17 nm Distance to Leader 3. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 23 nm DTL 4. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 343 nm DTL Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, Suspended sailing Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, Suspended sailing Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, Did Not Finish Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, Did Not Start Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com “SAVASANA” TOPS J/105 FLEET AT ACURA KEY WEST 2009 Ullman Sails customers Brian Keane and his crew on “Savasana” claimed the tightly contested J/105 fleet at Acura Key West 2009 last week with Gerrit Schulze’s “Max Power” securing third place overall. “Savasana” won the 12-boat fleet with 26 points with no drops in ten races. The top three boats finished within four points of one another. Both “Savasana” and “Max Power” competed with 100% Ullman Sails inventory. Choose the sailmaker that matches quality sails with quality service. Make an investment in your performance with Ullman Sails. Contact a local Ullman Sails loft and visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com ONLY DISASTER WILL SAVE THE RECORD (Jan. 28, 2009; Day 80) - Currently enjoying a prosperous offwind wind angle as he passes The Azores, forecasters suggest Michel Desjoyeaux will have to keep his speed up if he is to miss out on a muscular beat across the top of the Bay of Biscay before reaching the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Even with the upwind work, only disaster may save the 2004-5 Vendée Globe mark set by Vincent Riou of 87 days, 10 hours and 47 minutes. For Desjoyeaux to break it, he needs only to cross the finish before 23h49 on February 4th. This seems probable, as his latest ETA is between January 31st and February 1st. Should he achieve this the skipper of Foncia will improve on Riou’s time by around four days, sailing around the world in 83 days. Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s. Standings as of 18:30 UTC (30 entrants; Top 5 of 12 now competing): 1. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Foncia, 1221.4 nm Distance to finish 2. Roland Jourdain (FRA), Veolia Environnement, 769.6 nm Distance to leader 3. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, 1094.9 nm DTL 3. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB, Dismasted - Redress Given 4. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 2140.8 nm DTL 5. Marc Guillemot (FRA), Safran, 2173.0 nm DTL Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html Race tracking: http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/en RAILEY FAMILY RETURNS TO OLYMPIC TRAIL Miami, FL (Jan. 28, 2009) - Bets on mid-week gains had to be laid on light winds today at US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR, where 444 sailors from 41 countries completed a third day of competition. The regatta is part of the 2008 - 2009 ISAF Sailing World Cup for Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and is also the USA’s only qualifying regatta for determining its 2009 U.S. Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. Zach and Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), two siblings with the same cause, are gunning for berths not only on their national team but also at the 2012 Olympic Games. They are perfect examples of the caliber of sailors racing here: Zach won a silver medal for the USA in Finn class at the 2008 Olympics, while Paige is an ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. Brother is currently sitting in third overall after the Finn class completed two races today and sister is in second after winning her Laser Radial class’ single race today. “I was leading in a race that had to be abandoned, which was too bad,” said the 21-year-old Paige, who trails long-time rival and Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) in the standings. “I didn’t pass Anna in the scoring but I closed the gap.” Tunnicliffe, who also was recently named US SAILING’s Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, finished seventh today, which she used as her allowed throw-out, and carries 11 total points over Railey’s 15. -- Complete daily report and results: http://rmocr.ussailing.org/Press_Room/Press_Releases/2009_RMOCR_Day_3.htm * SailGroove video coverage: http://www.sailgroove.org/sc/miamiocr DALTON DUBS REGATTA THE 'FRIENDLY GAMES' The 10 international teams assembled in Auckland for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series could be forgiven if they felt as though it was a bit of a novelty being back on the water this week. With the America's Cup still in limbo after 18 months of bitter feuding between holders Alinghi and Larry Ellison's BMW Oracle Racing, it certainly feels that way for the weary public. On Friday, 30th January, they'll really be entering Twilight Zone territory when the first day of racing begins in the Louis Vuitton regatta. That's right, America's Cup teams. Out on the water. Racing. How could this be, one may ask, when the America's Cup is in such turmoil? -- NZ Herald, read on: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10554044 * Complete match schedule: http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com/downloads/lvps_results_20090128.pdf MY DATE WITH DEAN BARKER Creating media events out of sailing events will inevitably create media darlings out of the sport’s leading sailors. Gossip queen Rachel Glucina, who apparently reports on the latest parties, fashions and celebrity events around town for the New Zealand Herald, is loving the excitement this week surrounding the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Here is an excerpt from her column titled ‘My date with Dean Barker’ dated Jan. 28th. “This morning I had the fortune of being invited by Mayor John Banks to be a guest at his very private, very exclusive Skippers Breakfast for all the VIPs from the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Grant Dalton was there looking more rugged and weathered than when I last saw him. He's the Keith Richards of the sailing world, though I don't presume Louis Vuitton will be recruiting him for any campaigns to sell manbags in the near future. The effervescent Frenchman Bruno Trouble was there in flamboyant red trousers that only a gay man or a sailing man could get away with - you know, in that preppy-chino-chic way. He looked like a poster boy for Ralph Lauren. But it was (Emirates Team New Zealand skipper) Dean Barker who stole the show.” -- Scuttleblog, read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2009/01/my-date-with-dean-barker.html MELGES ROCKS! That was the theme at this year’s Key West Race Week as so much of the entire fleet was Melges Boats. The Melges 32 and Melges 24 fleets raced in ideal conditions. On top of that, the new Audi Melges 20 went out sailing each day. At night, Melges Rocked with its annual customer appreciation party. Hands down… it was the party of the week! Plus the Melges 32 was recognized as the Boat of the Week, deemed the most closely contested class of the regatta. Melges Rocks! Race to melges.com for the latest information. -- http://www.melges.com SAILING SHORTS * Annapolis, MD - Eighty-four competitors braved below freezing temperatures at the 2009 Interclub Mid-winters held January 24-25th at Severn Sailing Association. Team Vineyard Vines out of Larchmont YC won the event which consisted of John and Molly Baxter in A division and Danny Pletsch and Emily Whipple sailing in B division. They were 13 points ahead of the Manhasset Bay YC team of Kevin Morgan/ Kelly Mockridge and Pedro Lorson/ Mimi Berry. Third place was the North Sails Team of Will and Katie Welles and Garth Reynolds/ Danyell Tirelli in B. -- Results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6951 * (Jan. 27, 2009) - State Farm Florida Insurance Company (State Farm Florida), the state’s largest private property insurer, today filed plans to discontinue its Florida property insurance product lines, which includes their boat owners policies. The plan requires regulatory review, and State Farm Florida will not be taking any action under the plan until the regulatory process is complete. State Farm Florida emphasized that it was submitting a two-year plan that seeks to limit disruptions for customers, and if approved, will allow them time to find coverage with other insurers. State Farm states that they currently hold 57,982 boat policies. -- Complete announcement: http://linkbee.com/CNR2 * Cape Town, S.A. - 320 entries participated on Saturday 17th January for the 2009 Resolution Downwind Dash, making it the world’s biggest kite and windsurf race in the world. Strong winds and big swell for the 20km course resulted in a victory for windsurfer over kiters, with Ross Williams (GBR83) taking first place ahead of Benoit Moussilmani (FRA72); with 2 kiters separating fifth placed Klaas Voget (GER4) from the top 2. -- http://www.gustmagazine.com/ * French skippers Sebastien Col and Claire Leroy continue to hold the top spots in the latest release of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) World Match Race Rankings on 28 January 2009. France has now held the top spot in both the Open and Women’s ISAF World Match Race Rankings since 30 July 2008. -- http://linkbee.com/CNR3 LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’. Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). You only get 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 Richard Johnson: I'm confused by the BMW Oracle Racing team's announcement that they are "poised to move their main boat building operations from Anacortes, Washington to Warkworth, New Zealand." I thought they reason they built their boats in the USA was to satisfy the requirements of the America's Cup Deed of Gift. Does this mean the BOR will also be severing their ties to the Golden Gate Yacht Club and issuing future challenges from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron? => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Here is more info from the NZ Herald: “The team will still keep its operations going in Washington as under the America's Cup rules part of the boat has to be completed in the country the team represents. Tim Smyth, who heads up Oracle's construction team alongside fellow Kiwi Mark Turner, said under his present US visa conditions he was only allowed to build boats associated with America's Cup racing. But the move to New Zealand would open up the potential for it to expand the business into the broader marine market as well as the high-tech composite industry.” -- Full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10553151 * From John N. Dennis (re, Knut Frostad's comments in Issue 2769) It should be a grave concern to the organization and the sponsors that these yachts cannot seem to sail a leg without major structural failures. The multiple millions spent on these yachts should have at least paid for a vessel that could withstand the conditions they have encountered. The designers and engineers should refund their fees for substandard workmanship. The race is now a real farce. * From Mike Sharpe: (edited to the 250-word limit) The latest Volvo race was always going to be dumb and fraught with problems due to the crazy course selected, but today’s news of more withdrawals and the comments from Volvo Race Management (both in today’s Scuttlebutt #2769) that “I can almost guarantee you that the race will come back to Asia next time” rates a ‘zero’ on the ‘logic scale’. Maybe that is great for Volvo marketing to develop its business plans in Asia, but what about the empty tents and no-show boats for the other race sponsors and competitors. Volvo is a great sponsor for sailing, but it is time to face reality that if only half the competitors are able to finish due to attrition, then maybe it is better to select a course where the majority of competitors will survive. I can visualize the conditions the boats are racing in now, having raced off the East Coast of Japan in the cold of November in an ocean racing series a while back, and I can just imagine the conditions the fleet is experiencing in mid-winter! Maybe those British steel cutters that were designed to go racing around the world the ‘wrong way’ would be a better design for this course next time. In the series I raced in one boat capsized and sank in the Pacific off Japan, with the crew rescued a few days later in a life-raft. Reading today’s report, teams are close to facing this same situation. Come on guys, time to put safety and competition ahead of sponsor interest. * From Morgan Reeser: (re, coaching during regattas) I feel that perspective has been lost over who actually benefits from having a coach: - Helping ‘mid-fleeters’ get to the front: The sailors in the middle and back of the fleet will suffer most from minimizing coaching contact of the water. Without coaches on the water the established experienced teams will continue to win and will never be threatened by a mid-fleet team. Expert coaching allows the sailors further back in the fleet to sail to their potential and better enjoy the competition. Helping sailors to be their best and achieving their goals is why I continue to coach. To have been told by one of my Gold Medal athletes that I helped her achieve her life’s dream, makes me want to do it with each succeeding team I have the opportunity to help. - Coaching possibilities: In the 1996 Olympics, Tom King/Mark Turnbull were 23rd in the Men's 470 class, 110 points from the Gold Medal. In 2000, with a lot of hard work directed by coach Victor Kovalenko, Tom and Mark won the Gold Medal. - Reducing expense: The expense for a coach pales in comparison to what owners pay for multiple professional crews that sail with them. And isn’t a professional sailor racing on the boat actually coaching the owner driver around the course? In recent Etchells Jaguar Cup events, I have coached multiple teams, hugely reducing per boat coaching expense and keeping per team benefits very high. Coaches help sailors, coaches help sailing. * From Kerry Poe: Coaching should be handled the same way as allowing professional sailors race… let the classes decide what level of coaching is acceptable. The class associations should be able to control the kind of atmosphere and kind of sailors they want to attract to their fleets. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: The Scuttlebutt Survey discussing coaching limits will close on Thursday by Noon Pacific Time. If you still want to submit your opinion, that’s the deadline. Results will be posted in the Friday issue, and the thread will be closed in the newsletter. Here is the link for the survey: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/09/0127 CURMUDGEON’S DICTIONARY Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Melges Performance Sailboats. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
