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SCUTTLEBUTT 3572 - Wednesday, April 18, 2012Scuttlebutt 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: North Sails, Hall Spars & Rigging, and Ocean Racing. SEEKING MEGAGIFT TO BREAK GROUND Lee Tawney is crisscrossing America with his hand out. His mission is simple, raise $27 million to build, equip and operate a National Sailing Hall of Fame. Achieving that goal has been problematic for the director of the Hall of Fame. He is looking for an eight-figure megagift to be the catalyst for the Hall's construction at 69 Prince George St. in Annapolis. Tawney and his group faced fundraising headwinds the past two years. Nonprofits across the nation have seen donations drop in the aftermath of the recession. If there's ever been an optimal time to ask for a $10 million donation, the past two years haven't been it. Small gifts will keep sailing education and kids programs going but they won't trigger the laying of the first cornerstone of what is expected to be a $12.5 million construction project and another feather in Annapolis' tourism cap. Hall President Dick Franyo said landing an eight-figure donation is critical to breaking ground on the proposed building. Franyo said the Hall is focusing much of its large-donation attention to people involved in the sailing world who might be able to write a check for at least $10 million. The Hall is also soliciting donations from corporations and grant-making foundations. It's a difficult economic climate to be asking for a single donation of $10 million or more but that's what it will take to make the Hall's brick and mortar site a reality, Franyo said. "It's all about the money," Franyo said. "We really need a building name gift." In February, the state gave Tawney three more years to raise the money to build the Hall. It was a welcomed reprieve as the Hall's fundraising tally stalled at $3 million mark during the winter months. Momentum has been building since the Hall's first induction ceremony in October, Tawney said. Recognizing the first 15 members was pivotal in transforming the Hall from idea to reality. -- The Capital, read on: http://tinyurl.com/Capital-041712 EXPERIENCED SAILORS WHO KNEW RISK The racing yacht that was slammed by unexpectedly large waves in a tragic accident that left one crew member dead and four missing was manned mostly by experienced sailors who understood the risk, according to friends and fellow sailors. Eight people were aboard the Low Speed Chase on Saturday when a pair of swells knocked all but one of them into the water near the Farallon Islands and sent the yacht onto rocks. Four had spent several years sailing together on the now-wrecked boat. They were joined by a shared love and the various skills they brought to a day or week at sea, said Adam McAfee, who was a member of that core crew and typically helmed the vessel until about 18 months ago. "There is a part of me that is thinking, `Would this have turned out differently if I was on board?" said McAfee, 45. "Could we have gotten out of there without anything happening, unscathed, or would I be dead Number 6?" The owner, James "Jay" Bradford, 41, of Chicago, recognized that he did not have the expertise to skipper a sailboat in rigorous conditions, but he took care and pride in working with a captain and putting together a crew he joined as a hands-on member, McAfee said. The scion of a family that made millions through a Nashville-based brokerage company, the low-key Bradford had lived in San Francisco until a few years ago and bought the 38-foot vessel in 2006. He quickly began going on local and distance races to Hawaii and Mexico with fellow sailors from the San Francisco Yacht Club in Marin County, where he kept the boat. "It's very much a community and very much a way of life," McAfee said. With McAfee in the driver's seat and Bradford working in the middle of the boat, Marc Kasanin, a professional artist and talented sailor close to their ages, was recruited to trim the main sail. Rounding out the group of regulars was Jordan Fromm and Nick Vos, strong young men in their 20s who had grown up sailing with the yacht club's youth sailing program, and Alexis Busch, Vos' girlfriend since the two were in high school. Read more: http://tinyurl.com/SI-041712 PHOTOS: These are aerial images of the Sydney 38 Low Speed Chase on the rocks of the Farallon Islands: http://tinyurl.com/SFC-041712 COMMENT: As tragic as this is, I hope that it is viewed for what it was: an unfair act of nature or the result of regrettable onboard decisions. Our sport embraces the type of adventure that this race presents, and it would be a shame if this incident led to onerous rules and expenses that would limit future sailors from this type of experience. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt "THESE SAILS HAVE MADE OUR LIVES EASIER" Ken Read and PUMA Ocean Racing won a very exciting Leg 5 of the VOR from Auckland, NZ to Itajai, Brazil. "This leg was about surviving initially and then racing toward the end," Read said. When asked about his sail inventory (PUMA and five of six boats in the VOR race will complete sets of North sails), Read is clearly pumped about their North sails. "I have to give credit where credit is due because these sails have made our lives easier. ... With North 3Di, we could do the whole 39,000 mile race with just one mainsail..." When performance counts, the choice is clear: http://na.northsails.com * Kenny Read ducked into the Sailing World offices in Newport, R.I. this week, and editor Dave Reed pressed Read further on the topic of sails: http://www.sailingworld.com/blogs/racing/built-to-last ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST It was last month in Scuttlebutt 3538 that a report was published outlining how many of the America's Cup challenging teams might find the funds to compete in the Louis Vuitton elimination event next year. Three of the teams were fully committed: Artemis Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Luna Rossa Challenge 2013. As for the other five teams, Aleph (FRA) was the only team that acknowledged they could not proceed. Among the other four teams, they all said it was their plan to proceed, though only one said it with conviction: Green Comm Racing (ESP). "There has been speculation whether Green Comm Racing will have an AC72 yacht," said Pierre Orphanidis, Green Comm Racing press officer. "I can tell you that not only will we have an AC72 yacht, we are fully committed to that, we are not involved just for fun or to play. So Grant Dalton beware, and Dean Barker beware (both of Emirates Team New Zealand), on the waters in San Francisco, 13 months from now, it won't be that easy." And which team announced on Tuesday they have dropped out of the 34th America's Cup? Green Comm Racing. Here is their announcement: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-041712 While the final competitor count may not come until June 1 when an entry payment is to be made, here is the current list of teams: Defender - 1 Oracle Racing, Golden Gate Yacht Club (USA) Challenger - 6 Artemis Racing, Kungliga Svenska Segal Sallskapet (SWE) China Team, Mei Fan Yacht Club (CHN) Emirates Team New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZL) Energy Team, Yacht Club de France (FRA) Luna Rossa Challenge 2013, Circolo della Vela Sicilia (ITA) Team Korea, Sail Korea Yacht Club (ROK) SEEKING A FOURTH CROWN Reigning Alpari World Match Racing Tour Champion Ian Williams will begin his bid for a fourth Tour victory next month, a feat that would put him level with Peter Gilmour's record and affirm his status as a legend of match racing. It would be a remarkable performance from the Brit who only won his first World Championship in 2007 and, according to Williams, will more than compensate for not competing in the London Olympics. Williams has opted to begin his GAC Pindar team's campaign in South Korea at the Korea Match Cup (May 29-June 3) which sits back-to-back with the opening event, Match Race Germany (May 23-28). He approaches the new season amid a backdrop of Olympic build-up dominating the sports headlines, most noticeably back home in the UK. "Having the Olympics in London is a big thing for me as a Brit," said Williams, "and obviously it was a huge disappointment when they decided to omit men's match racing after the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but you have to move on and push your talent elsewhere. "I didn't need to look far. There is nothing in the world like the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. It really is the best of the best and the only opportunity to become the recognised ISAF Match Racing World Champion. You don't live and breathe one class of boat - the ultimate challenge is to master different boats at each event. The teams who can do that quickly and consistently are the ones you see challenging for the World Championship. "Did I consider training in another discipline for the Olympics? Not really - my results show I prefer bigger boats so it wasn't an option. I'm enjoying being involved with the British women's Olympic team, helping our match racing girls to prepare. I think they're in a really good place now and I'll get my 'Olympic kick' if they do well." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-041712 3000+ EXTRA MILES (April 17, 2012; Day 31) - CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand arrived in Itajai, Brazil at 12:35:44 GMT on Tuesday (April 17) to complete its marathon Leg Five journey that started in Auckland 30 days ago. The crew had to sail an estimated 3000 plus extra miles compared with their rivals - meaning a total of over 9,000 miles for the leg - after diverting to Chile for repairs to the boat's damage bow after suffering structural damage in brutal Southern Ocean conditions. "Through all the trials and tribulations we've had on this leg and to still end up with fourth place and 15 points," said co-skipper Stu Bannatyne, "that's what this race is all about, gathering points as best you can," he said. "No points come easy in this race and this leg has been a classic example of that." Despite having little time to rest, Bannatyne insisted the team would be as competitive as ever in Saturday's in-port race. "Our next race is on Saturday, and that's enough time to get ready and get the essential work done," he said. "At the end of the day we'll come out racing with no excuses not to do well." -- http://www.camper.com/en/volvo-ocean-race ABU DHABI: Since leaving Puerto Montt, Chile by ship on Apr 10, the team estimates their arrival to be the evening of April 18. Once in Itajai, the team needs to chop out 4m x 1m sections on each side of the boat, which will be replaced by new core foam pieces. The repair is estimated to take 72 hours. The In-Port Race is on April 21. PROTEST UPDATE: The International Jury has moved up their hearing this week from Thursday to Wednesday (2100 UTC) to review a report from the head of the Measurement Group over the sails carried by Team Telefonica during Leg 4 from Sanya to Auckland. The protest concerns an alleged breach of the Notice of Race 5.2.2, which specifies the sail requirements and limitations while racing. PUMA skipper Ken Read discusses the issue on Sailing World: http://tinyurl.com/SW-041512 SCHEDULE: Racing will commence in Itajai with the Pro-Am Race on April 20, the In-Port Race on April 21, and the start of the 4800 nm Leg 6 to Miami on April 22. -- http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule Leg 5 - Auckland, NZL to Itajai, Brazil (6,705 nm) 1. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), Apr 6, 019d 18h 09m 50s 2. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), Apr 6, 019d 18h 22m 28s 3. Groupama 4 (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), Apr 10, 023d 12h 58m 44s 4. Camper (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), Apr 17, 030d 11h 35m 43s - Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), Retired - Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), Retired Overall Points (after 5 legs) 1. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), 147 pts 2. Groupama 4 (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), 127 3. Camper (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 119 4. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), 113 5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), 55 6. Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), 25 Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain (Oct. 29) and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles around the world via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com VIEW FROM THE PODIUM Congratulations to the Hall-rigged Puma, winner of Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean race, surviving a tough trip across the Southern Ocean. And kudos to Groupama (Hall boom), finishing third under jury rig. Congratulations to the TP52s Mayhem and Powerplay, trading wins at the International Rolex Regatta and Les Voiles de St. Barth. Nilaya (Baltic 112) and Selene (Swan 80), both with Hall masts and Hall SCR rigging, finished 2nd and 3rd at St. Barth. Like us on Facebook and visit our website for the latest news on Hall customers and products. http://www.hallspars.com FREE CLASSIFIED ADS The Scuttlebutt Classified Ads provide a marketplace for private parties to buy and sell, or for businesses to post job openings. Here are recent ads for boats: * GP42 ROMA - Built 2006 * 2010 Beneteau First 40 - Smile and Wave * 1986 Custom Kirby 30 View/post ads here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/classified_ads SAILING SHORTS * Clay Johnson, who had been campaigning to represent the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic Games in the Men's Singlehanded event, has become the new owner of Colie Sailmakers in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13584 * Portsmouth, RI (April 17, 2012) - US Sailing, the National Governing Body of the sport, and Zim Sailing, a North American manufacturer of one-design sailboats, have come to terms on a multi-year sponsorship deal. Zim is an official sponsor for several major US Sailing events, including four National Championships and US Sailing's National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS). -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13586 * Qingdao, China (April 17, 2012) - The first day of Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series launched the Austrian team of Red Bull Sailing skippered by Roman Hagara atop the leaderboard. The nine teams competed in six open-water races today, with the fleet racing in 'stadium-mode' on Wednesday. Skipper Morgan Larson (USA) of Oman Air, who won Act 1 in Muscat six weeks ago, was not fully able to reclaim his mojo and currently sits in fifth. America's Cup challenger China Team, competing for the first time, had two man-overboards and are in eighth. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/ESS-041712 GEAR UP FOR SPRING WITH OCEAN RACING Optimum Time watches with pre-programmed start sequences, loud audible alerts, sync buttons and electro-luminescence backlight displays for nighttime viewing. Waterproof backpacks & duffels made to the highest standard keep your clothes and electronics dry. Polarized sunglasses with optically correct, polarized polycarbonate lenses, TR90 frames in a crush proof case. http://www.OceanRacing.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 may be 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 Robert Kinney: After you reported in Scuttlebutt 3558 on the changes that Newport Harbor Yacht Club (Newport Beach, CA) is making to the Ahmanson Cup Series (April 21-22), I wanted to give you an update on the entry count. Last year only 5% of the fleet was from NHYC. So far, a third of the entries are from NHYC, and the entries don't close until Thursday. Our goal was to have an event the membership would support, and it was their overwhelming call to replace the windward-leeward courses with a pursuit race format. So far so good. Even better news is that Newport Harbor will be getting dredged in the next few weeks and soon you will be able to bring your TP52 to the dock and NHYC! * From Scott MacLeod: Always good and interesting insight from Mark Turner (in Scuttlebutt 3571) who has his pulse (and wallet) committed to the sport. Having started and run a similar professional series (Swedish Match Tour, now World Match Racing Tour) that was directly (but not officially) tied to the America's Cup, he is spot on in his assessment of the current AC World Series. We survived commercially because there was no ACWS and the teams needed and we supplied a very cost effective platform to promote themselves and their sponsors. The Cup and the teams need a continuous platform to promote and gain exposure for their sponsors. Waiting every three years just won't cut it so the ACWS should fulfill that purpose... but at what cost? Costs need to be aligned with the sponsor market value for the ACWS which can include the AC brand, Louis Vuitton series and AC finals. However, when costs are too high the private benefactor needs to cover that difference. It's seems that the difference is pretty wide right now and hopefully will narrow in time. It's too bad that AC Event Authority and Mark's series didn't merge or partner together rather than competing in the commercial market. However, as they say "the biggest fights are for the smallest pieces of pie." * From Norris & Karen Palmer: The America's Cup, otherwise known as the "Technical Cup" is no longer a sailing event for regular sailor's who have to use their skills to navigate, set sails, round marks and other sailing experiences. It is now going to be a great spectator's sport looking for high speed crashes exactly like the NASCAR, which is also a non-event to any sailor I know. * From Peter Brown: I'd like to jump on the bandwagon myself! As an avid fan of the America's Cup I like to say 'Thank You' to Mr. Ellison too. The commitment he's made to the cup seems to make Thomas Lipton's pale. And now he's won the cup and with an incredible investment of finances his team is changing the way sailing is perceived, watched and sailed. I don't know anyone who could say they weren't in awe the first time they saw the Tri with the wing. Totally breathtaking, total risk and now we're watching them change the nature of the America's Cup. It seems that much of the naysaying is being debunked by the AC45 racing, and I suspect that the 72's will take our breath away when they launch. So Mr. Ellison, Mr. Coutts and all the people involved in AC 33, congratulations and thank you. Good luck too! DON'T PANIC BECAUSE AD SPACE IS NOW SOLD OUT If you would you like your marine business news to be published in Scuttlebutt, our advice is to buy ad space. But since the advertising opportunities are now sold out for 2012, the Industry News Forum allows companies to post their personnel, product and service updates at no charge. As a bonus, each week the Scuttlebutt newsletter includes some of the recent updates. Are you in the marine industry? Post your updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Chipped dishes never break. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Team One Newport - Harken - Gowrie Group - North U - Soft Deck North Sails - Hall Spars & Rigging - Ocean Racing - Ullman Sails Southern Spars - The Pirates Lair - New England Boatworks Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
