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SCUTTLEBUTT 2769 - Wednesday, January 28, 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 Charleston Race Week, Charleston to Bermuda, and The Pirates Lair. SHOULD THERE BE LIMITS ON COACHING? The coaching thread in Scuttlebutt has been going now for nearly three weeks, beginning with how the Etchells and Star classes have new rules to limit on-the-water private coaching at some of their events. The discussion has wondered whether private coaches should be allowed at all, that competitors being coached during a regatta are gaining an advantage that is not available to everyone. Investing money for coaching between events to improve one’s skills is one thing, but does utilizing coaching during an event take it to another level? Some mentioned the added event logistics due to coaches and their boats. Others mentioned the safety issues (both pro and con) and environmental issues of having coach boats on the water. But can everything be regulated? If someone can afford a coach, and if they believe this is the best way for them to improve and further enjoy the sport, is it wise to restrict their access to this service? Does the sport need to be protected from coaching during regattas, or should it embrace it? If you had a magic wand, choose among the following coaching rules: * No rules limiting coaching. * Coach contact allowed before a race warning and after a race finish for each race on a race day. * Coach contact allowed before warning of first race and after finish of final race for each race day. * Coach contact allowed before competitor leaves the dock prior to first race and following finish of final race for each race day. * Coach contact allowed before competitor leaves the dock prior to first race and when they return to the dock after final race for each race day. Vote and comment here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/09/0127 TWO MORE TEAMS BITE THE DUST (Jan. 27, 2009; Day 10) - With 40-knot winds and the worse sea state for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on their current leg from Singapore to Qingdao, Ericsson 3 discovered early Tuesday morning that their bow compartment was full of water, the result of a four-meter crack and an open hole in the hull. With the water pouring in from the hole, and noting how the bow section was delaminating, they quickly turned downwind, safely arriving at the port of Keelung along the northern coast of Taiwan shortly before noon GMT. The team planned to haul the boat Wednesday afternoon to assess the damage. Later Tuesday evening Delta Lloyd reported that it also was retreating to Taiwan after discovering that one of bow bulkheads on the boat had fractured and the hull was delaminating. The crew was pumping water out and the crew had closed the watertight bow compartment as a precaution. A few hours before the Delta Lloyd crew detected the cracked bulkhead, the mainsail had been torn, making a decision to backtrack inevitable. Delta Lloyd was expected to join the Ericsson 3 team in Keelung before midnight GMT, with Telefonica Black undergoing repairs in Subic Bay, Philippines. For the frontrunners who enter the Yellow Sea by Wednesday, a high pressure system will dominate the rest of their leg. It will mean light to moderate reaching and then running conditions, making the final couple of hundred miles of this upwind slog a downwind tactical battle. “This could be huge,” said the boom-less Puma skipper Ken Read regarding the forecast. “Since the temperatures are supposedly going to plummet to below freezing soon. Oh joy!” Leg Four from Singapore to Qingdao, China is 2,500 nm, with the finish estimated on January 29th. Current positions (as of Jan. 28, 1:00am GMT): 1. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 347 nm Distance to Finish 2. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 32 nm Distance to Leader 3. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 34 nm DTL 4. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 307 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 LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR CHARLESTON WITH A DISCOUNT! What are y'all waiting for? Charleston Race Week is April 16-19, 2009 and January is the last month to register with a discount. Yes...this week! Free storage for boats from now 'til the fun begins! $10,000+ in Raymarine prizes, Vineyard Vines gifts and free-flowing Gosling's Rum. You do not want to miss the great inshore and offshore racing, plus the award-winning cuisine, charm and hospitality of America's friendliest city. The beaches are mighty fine too! -- http://www.charlestonraceweek.com If blue water adventure suits you better, race in the Charleston to Bermuda event just one month later (May 29 - June 6). -- http://www.charlestontobermuda.com KNUT FROSTAD: “THE TOUGHEST CONDITIONS EVER” While the new route through Asia for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 has been justified for commercial reasons, the sailing conditions have been criticized. The waters are not well charted, there are frequent reports of floating debris, and the channels are filled with fishing and shipping obstructions. Despite the upwind legs being anticipated, it is challenging to control the speed of the VO70 to prevent hull damage when launched off waves, and it is extremely uncomfortable for the crew during these launchings. With two teams now disabled with hull damage on Leg 4 from Singapore to Qingdao, China, Scuttlebutt contacted Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad to comment on the current events: “I certainly agree with many that it would be easier to sail the traditional route around the world, also for us as race organizers. However, the easy way is not necessarily the right way. It was a brave decision to take the Volvo Ocean Race to Asia, and we have been learning a lot every single day since we left Cape Town. “I can almost guarantee you that the race will come back to Asia next time. We have had more visitors and more media coverage than we have ever seen before in this race One day in Cochin, India had 107,000 visitors through the race village. That is important, not only for the Volvo Ocean Race, but also for sailing in general. Introducing our sport to new audiences might create the most exciting opportunities we have had in a long time.” -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/tt SAILING’S FAVORITE ROXY GIRL (Jan. 27, 2009; Day 79) - While Michel Desjoyeaux is enjoying good weather under spinnaker, and hopes to finish sometime between Saturday lunchtime and Sunday afternoon, Samantha Davies and Roxy have bounced back after a long week in very light and unpredictable winds, re-gaining fourth place which she lost to Marc Guillemot last Tuesday. While Guillemot profited from an inshore position, using the additional thermal breeze close to the Brasilian coast-line, so now the Roxy skipper has been consistently quicker since the weekend as she enjoys stronger trade winds. Remarks Sam, “It’s been another day in paradise for me on board Roxy. Today we’ve had a few squalls to give me some exercise, followed by blue sky, sunshine, a lifting breeze and great boat speed from Roxy! Top that off with a magnificent sunset and you couldn't ask for more...except to be 2000 miles further ahead! To give you a better idea of what Roxy has to put up with in terms of the battering she takes from waves, I have summarized below my idea of the different distinct groups you can get.” Here are Sam’s wave classifications: * The "Surprise" Wave This is a group of waves, not necessarily similar in physical characteristics, which are guaranteed to pop up in annoying situations: 1. When you have been helming for a while, have dry decks and no waves, therefore you are in oilskin bottoms only. The wave hits the quarter and arrives from behind you, neatly filling up your oilskins and boots. 2. When you are sitting, nicely balanced, on the bucket...need I say more! 3. When you are to leeward, checking the trim and the wave finds a way of defying gravity and smacking you fully in the face. 4. When the wave manages to break cunningly into the cockpit, find its way down the hatch and into the boat, cascading past you in a furious rush to soak anything that isn’t waterproof on its way through! -- Read on: http://www.samdavies.com/gb_les_news.asp?num=2468 Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s. Standings as of 18:30 UTC (30 entrants; 12 now competing): 1. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Foncia, 1537.0 nm Distance to finish 2. Roland Jourdain (FRA), Veolia Environnement, 579.1 nm Distance to leader 3. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, 1021.7 nm DTL 3. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB, Dismasted - Redress Given 4. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 2054.3 nm DTL 5. Marc Guillemot (FRA), Safran, 2098.7 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 * DAMAGE ROLL CALL: The route of the Vendee Globe 2008/9 has taken its toll on 18 of the 30 original entries that started on November 9, 2008 at Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Aside from Vincent Rou’s dismasting due to damage incurred during his rescue of Jean Le Cam, there have been five other broken rigs. Problems with rudders are next on the list (4), and through all the failures, two boats have been abandoned. Here is what happened to the 18 skippers no longer in the race: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/vg-damage STAYING ON SCHEDULE AT ROLEX MIAMI OCR Miami, FL (Jan. 27, 2009) - A brisk morning breeze greeted 444 sailors from 41 countries as they embarked on their second day of competition in US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR. The conditions, combined with Monday’s near perfection, has brought early momentum to the event, which is sailed on Biscayne Bay and based at the US Sailing Center, an official Olympic training center in the Coconut Grove section of Miami. Now leading the Star class is Geoff Ewenson (Annapolis, Md.), better known for his prowess in the Finn class, switched to the Star when the boat became available to him for this event. “We had several really good downwind legs where we passed a lot boats,” said Ewenson about his and crew Skip Dieball’s (Toledo, Ohio) rise to the top of the scoreboard, “and Skip did an awesome job calling tactics. He got us out of any tight jams I got us into.” He was especially pleased about posting a 2-1 today, because Dieball’s daughter turned three today. “On the way out to the course we said ‘wouldn’t if be nice to get three points for Mallory’; we were purely joking, but we’ll take it,” said Ewenson. Fleet racing continues through Friday, when Paralympic and Women’s Match Racing medalists will be named. The top-ten from the remaining nine Olympic classes will move on to a single medal race on Saturday. . -- Daily report and results: http://rmocr.ussailing.org/Press_Room/Press_Releases/2009_RMOCR_Day_2.htm MOUNT GAY RUM, NEWPORT-ENSENADA, BORDER RUN, BIG BOATS All these organizations and events rely on The Pirates Lair for the best design and value in regatta apparel. Right now: Custom tees from $5.00. Moisture wicking from $15, and fuzzy vests from $25. Log on to http://www.pirateslair.com for Mount Gay Rum gear or contact mailto:ken@pirateslair.com to outfit your team or event. A POSITIVE STORY ABOUT THE CAPE FEAR 38 In June 2008, during the 610 nm Regata de Amigos from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico, the Cape Fear 38 ‘Cynthia Woods’ overturned when she lost her keel, ultimately leading to the death of one of her six crew members. While the Coast Guard found that the keel loss was likely attributed to a number of groundings and subsequent improper repairs, and not due to the fault of her design or construction, everyone related to the boat took a big hit on their reputation. Therefore, when the Cape Fear 38 ‘Tangent’ won PHRF 3 at Acura Key West 2009, Scuttlebutt contacted boat program manager Chuck O'Malley, owner of Doyle Chesapeake, for an update: “This year at Key West Race Week (KWRW), the stars aligned, a good class split, and ideal wind conditions for the boat all week. The boat loves anything above 10 knots and in 13 to 20 it really shines both upwind and downwind. This is owner Gerry Taylor’s sixth time to KWRW with Tangent, where he has been 2nd and 3rd in prior years. The most interesting thing is that Gerry usually does 3 to 4 events a year with Tangent. He does KWRW, Charleston, Baldhead Island and maybe another event in North Carolina and then the boat goes back to cruising mode till Key West comes again. “As far as the Cynthia Woods incident goes, it never presented a concern to me or any of the crew. I have sailed on this boat personally at three Key West events with two of them having really big breeze. Last year when they cancelled the first day of race week due to too much wind, we were out tuning up. The boat is very solid. Cliff Stagg from my loft sailed it for the first time ever on the Saturday before Key West, and was shocked at how solid a boat it was in waves and breeze. Having never been on board before, and just reading the news reports, he thought it would be marginally built. It's awful to read of a tragedy like that which occurred on the Cynthia Woods, but for all the pain Roger Stones' family has suffered (Stone died in the ‘Cynthia Woods’ accident), Bruce Marek (designer) and Kent Mitchell (builder) have suffered right along with them. The Cape Fear is a solid boat.” * Coast Guard report: http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/425/245691 THE BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN AT THE LVPS Auckland, NZ (Jan. 27, 2009) - Draw! There may be a cold chill in Valencia, but the stage is set for some fiery clashes in the heat of the Auckland summer. Afterguard representatives from each of the 10 teams in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series drew their order of battle for the round robin portion of a match racing series to determine who sails off against Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand in the final round of the inaugural LVPS. Racing starts in two days, on Friday, January 30th. The first fray pits the 2008 World Match Racing Tour Champion, Ian Williams and China Team against this year’s runner-up on the tour, Sebastian Col and Portaugas K-Challenge at the mouth of Auckland’s Harbour between North Head and Rangitoto Island. Next up, something new and different, Ben Ainslie and Team Origin faceoff against Peter Holmberg and Luna Rossa. The home team, Emirates Team New Zealand meets Vasco Vascotto’s newly formed Damiani Italia Challenge. In the final race of the day, America’s Cup holder Alinghi will flex its muscles against Gavin Brady and Greek Challenge. -- Lynn Fitzpatrick, read on: http://www.worldregattas.com/ViewInfo.php?ContentID=179 * Louis Vuitton Pacific Series site: http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com SAILING SHORTS * The Canadian Yachting Association is has announced the first ten members of the 2009 Canadian Optimist Dinghy Sailing Team, which are being recognized as Canada’s most successful Opti sailors in 2008 – under the age of 16. The qualifying event was the 2008 Canadian Optimist Championships. -- Full story: http://linkbee.com/CK9R * Exhibitors at the first five National Marine Manufacturers (NMMA) boat shows of the season—the New York National Boat Show, Kansas City Boat & Sportshow, Nashville Boat & Sportshow, San Diego Boat Show, and New Orleans Boat Show—are reporting better-than-expected sales and healthy buying crowds, encouraging news considering the challenging economic situation facing our industry. Early reports indicate dealers are writing contracts and selling boats at the shows, as well as walking away with solid sales leads to pursue in the months ahead. -- Read on: http://www.nmma.org/news/news.asp?id=17622&sid=3 * Beginning on February 1st, EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) utilizing the 121 MHz radio frequency will no longer be monitored by the US Coast Guard. “406 MHz EPIRBs are now the standard for offshore distress signaling,” said BoatUS Foundation Rental EPIRB Program Manager David Carter. “They have better accuracy, fewer false alerts and greater reliability. Search and rescue agencies are able to respond quicker and pinpoint offshore boaters in trouble.” -- Full story: http://www.boatus.com/news/PR_Full.asp?ID=354 * The deadline to submit application for the CISA (California International Sailing Association) Advanced Racing Clinic on April 4-7 is this Sunday, February 1. For more information go to http://www.cisasailing.org 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 Jane Lawton Baldridge: In 1976, I was fortunate enough to get be in the 4th year of trying for the Adams Cup with the same skipper and crew. We were from Seabrook, TX, a great place that encouraged many great sailors. John Kolius offered to be our coach even though he was going for the Olympics in Solings then also. He spent tireless practices out on the water making us smart and tough. He went to the finals, but was there for morale and keeping the team together more than anything, his on the water job having been done before we left Texas for Rochester, NY. He never talked to us on the water. I wouldn't trade his coaching for anything in the world and he knew the boundaries. A great coach can make a team reach their peak performance and skill levels before the event. From shore they can help with the "team stresses" but they do not belong on the race course except as distant observers. If the coach does their job well the athletes will do "their job" on the race course and take encouragement and direction on shore after the day’s events. * From David Barrow: How many times have you watched a race from another boat and thought, "Why can the fleet not see that shift, tide, current, etc. - it is so obvious.” That is the coach’s perspective. The coach will also be armed with GPS wind equipment and a fast boat to get around the course. Is it an unfair advantage - yes! Is it legal for most classes - yes! Should it remain so? That will boil down to the amazingly democratic sailors that compete in our sport. Personally, I believe to make things fair, coaches should not be allowed on the course during racing or between races. You could really level the playing field by saying that coach’s findings have to be published daily. When all that has happened you will still find the same guys at the front - you can't buy feel. CURMUDGEON’S CONUNDRUM When you open a bag of cotton balls, is the top one meant to be thrown away? Special thanks to Charleston Race Week, Charleston to Bermuda, and The Pirates Lair. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
