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SCUTTLEBUTT 2854 - Friday, May 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Beneteau USA and West Marine. LEARNING FROM OUR YOUTH In the realm of sports, elite athletes are different, with the biggest difference often lying between the ears. Their "wiring" allows them to handle situations at a superior level. This difference can be most evident at the youth level. While some kids are easily distracted, others are highly focused. Meet Duncan Williford. Sailing Optimists for Lauderdale Yacht club in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Duncan qualified for the Optimist Worlds last year in Turkey at age 12 and this year missed the Worlds team by one point. His sixth place finish at the U.S. Team Trials (April 30-May 3) qualified him to attend either the Europeans in Slovenia or the North Americans in Dominican Republic. Now 13 years old, here is a paper he wrote for school as a persuasive essay: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Never Give Up On Your Goals Have you ever REALLY wanted to accomplish something? Not like "Oh, that sounds nice, I would kind of like to do that," but something where it is your dream. What you can never stop thinking about, never stop dreaming about, never push out of your mind for later. It's different and the same for everybody. It can be academics, sports, a job, or something else. But what they all share is that they are inner goals. If you feel this way about a goal, and never give up, the goal is never impossible. Sometimes, though, one decides to stop following their dreams. Usually, it is not one of those dreams that you can't stop thinking about, but one of those "Oh, that would be nice," kind of dreams. Those are more hollow dreams. If each time you have a dream, make a goal, and then give up; your goals start to get shallower and shallower. Eventually they are going to just become thoughts. Imagine walking through the middle of an ocean, with a path for you to walk forward, but every step you take, the ocean water fills in behind you. It seems as if there is fair weather ahead of you, but there is a hidden storm. If you go back, you must swim hard against the current and work that much harder to get back to where you came from. That is what it is like if you start giving up on your goals. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0518 WOMEN'S ALL-AMERICANS ANNOUNCED Following Yale University's win at the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Women's Dinghy National Championship, held May 25-27 on San Francisco, the 2009 Women's All-American honors were announced. Leading the group, and earning the ICSA/Quantum Women's Sailor of the Year was senior Jane Macky of Yale University, who won A Division to contribute to her school's victory at nationals. -- Complete list: http://www.collegesailing.org/news/2009allamerica.asp The next event of the ICSA championships is the APS Team Race National Championship on May 29-31, to be sailed in Flying Juniors at Treasure Island Sailing Center. The schools that have qualified are: GROUP 1: Georgetown, Yale, Harvard, UC/Irvine, Charleston, Michigan, Tulane. GROUP 2: Boston College, St. Mary's, NY Maritime, Stanford, U/Washington, Wisconsin, South Florida. Event website: http://teamracing2009.wordpress.com SailGroove video: http://www.sailgroove.org/sc/icsa2009spring Kattack tracking: http://americanregatta.com/regattas/2009/icsa BENETEAU - INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE Beneteau USA celebrates its continued success as the #1 sailboat brand in America with the best deals of all time on the full line of beautiful Beneteaus. Never has such an opportunity for maximized value and enjoyment been offered. Now, more than ever, you need the fun and satisfaction that a new Beneteau can bring to your boating life. And for a very limited time you can save an unprecedented amount of thousands of dollars upon the best boats afloat. If you want to get a jump on the savings register to receive a VIP preview of this incredible sale. Details at http://beneteau7reasons.com/ TRAINING FOR 2012 Medemblik, Holland (May 28, 2009; Day 2) With a cold and blustery start on Wednesday for the 11 Olympic and Paralympic classes at the Delta Lloyd Regatta, the winds of change blew in today. While the temperatures remained cold, it was less about survival today and more about adapting to the very shifty winds which gradually increased from 8 to 15 knots during the day. For the fifth of the seven event International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup series, open racing will continue through Saturday, with the top ten in most classes advancing to the double points, non-discard medal race on Sunday. For the North American contingent, those currently holding top ten positions are Christopher Cook (6th-Finn) and Dave Wright (7th-Laser) for Canada, and Erin Maxwell/ Erin Kinsolving (4th-470 Women), Paige Railey (4th-Laser Radial), Zach Railey (5th-Finn), Mark Mendelblatt/ Mark Strube (4th-Star), and Andrew Campbell/ Brad Nichol (9th-Star) for the United States. -- Event website: http://www.deltalloydregatta.org/2009 * Missing amid the top ten is 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (USA). Here is her report after Thursday's races: "I had another tough day today. I'm currently lying 13th overall, but plan on moving up in the standings over the next couple of days, in order to make the medal race by Saturday evening. We had three races today in tricky conditions. It was very puffy with small oscillations. It was a day of patience and I had very few of those moments, unfortunately. The first race was a black flagged start. The race committee was focused on catching every offender and got 25 of us, which left only 33 boats racing the actual race. It was not the best way to start the day, as I was now wet and cold, sitting around for an hour waiting for our next race. We did get to watch the race, however, and could pick up on what was going on with the wind." -- Read on: http://www.annatunnicliffe.com/content/view/259/1/ VIDEO OF THE WEEK These are exciting times for women's match racing with the new Olympic boat, the Elliott 6m, making its debut at the ISAF Sailing World Cup event in Kiel, Germany this June and women's match racing events growing in number and participation throughout the world. The Elliott 6M was selected by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as the equipment for the event's debut at the Olympics in London 2012. So what do these boats look like? This week's video provides a good look at this exciting boat, aided by the pounding beat from the Foo Fighters song, 'The Pretender'. Click here to view: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/09/0529 * If you have a video you like, please send your suggestion for next week's Video of the Week to mailto:craig@sailingscuttlebutt.com HEARING A SOLID BANG IN THE NIGHT It had been exciting but uneventful sailing that evening in the Atlantic on May 21 (Leg 7 from Boston to Galway). The wind was strong, blowing about 28 knots and gusting to 35, torrents of water repeatedly pelting the chests and faces of the five men on deck as PUMA closed within 1,100 miles of Galway. That boat revels in such conditions and had just taken the lead in leg seven, but then, as Craig Satterthwaite drove over and through the three-metre waves, the boat suddenly skidded off course. The wipe out was not severe, but it had been accompanied by one of those noises that sailors instinctively recognise as something bad. "We heard a big clunk," says Casey Smith, who was grinding the main sheet and joined on the watch by Satterthwaite, Rob Salthouse, Erle Williams and Ken Read, their skipper. Down below, among the usual booming of the hull against waves and the groaning of strained ropes, the noise was clearer and louder. "They thought we had broken the boom or the mast or something," Casey continues. "They reckoned they could hear a solid bang." All resting hands dressed and came on deck and got the boat stabilised again, but it quickly became apparent that something serious was preventing it from fully regaining its balance. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/lc8fyr * VOLVO OCEAN RACE: Began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 4, 2008, crewed around the world race in VO 70's, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Finish is in St Petersburg, Russia on June 27th. The next event will be the sixth In-Port race in Galway on Saturday, May 30th, with live video, audio, and tracking to start at 11:45 GMT (12:45 local time). -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org/schedule/ Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 QUOTE / UNQUOTE Rob Salthouse, considering the intelligence of Casey Smith jumping into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to install PUMA's spare rudder, "This will either win us the seamanship award or the stupidity award." BOATU.S. SANTA MARIA CUP Annapolis, MD (May 28, 2009; Day 2) - Light winds continued on the second day at the ISAF Grade 1 BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup women's match race event, but held steady long enough for 5 flights to be completed. Stronger winds are expected Friday, which could prove to be a full day if there is any chance of getting caught up on the race schedule. The event format is to complete a double round robin, with the top four advancing to the semi-final round. However, if needed the Organizing Authority may change the format when conditions do not permit the completion of the intended format. The final day of racing is May 30th, with no attention signal to be made after 1730 hours. Current standings (world ISAF rank in parenthesis) 1. Elizabeth Baylis, USA (6), 6 wins -1 loss 2. Claire Leroy, FRA (1), 6-1 3. Katie Spithill, AUS (7), 4-3 4. Julie Bossard, FRA (14), 4-3 5. Lorenza Mariani, ITA (24), 4-3 6. Genny Tulloch, USA (44), 4-3 7. Katy Lovell, USA (22), 3-4 8. JoAnn Fisher, USA (43), 3-4 9. Juliana Senfft, BRA (58), 1-6 10. Maria Ramires, POR (48), 0-7 Event website: http://www.santamariacup.org LEWMAR ONETOUCH WINCH HANDLES Simply brilliant! OneTouch handles lock-in and release with just one hand. Pick it up, snick it into the winch socket and start cranking. No more positioning the handle with one hand while you twiddle a little locking switch with the other. Use this handle and old-fashioned lock-in handles will be just plain irritating. High-strength marine-grade alloy and fiber-filled composite with ball bearing single, double and power grips. 10" length. Three-year warranty. $95.00-$132.00. Find Lewmar OneTouch Winch Handles at select West Marine stores. Call 1-800-BOATING to find the store nearest you, or buy online at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/jump/09/WestMarine/0529 BRUNI BUSTS STATUS QUO IN TOUR DEBUT Langenargen, Germany (May 28, 2009; Day 1) - The teams competing in the 12th annual Match Race Germany, stage 2 of the World Match Racing Tour, were greeted with glorious conditions today as Lake Constance delivered a beautiful 12 knot north westerly morning breeze for racing to get underway. Fast out of the blocks was tour newcomer Francesco Bruni (ITA), who was recently the winning tactician in the first TP52 Med Cup event on Matador and earlier in the year came in second at the Congressional Cup. In addition, Bruni notes, "I was blessed with a baby girl five days ago and I am a very proud father. Life is good." The battle of the Brits, 2008 Tour champ Ian Williams and 2008 Finn Gold medalist Ben Ainslie, finds the former above on the standings, but with one of Williams defeats at the hands of his countryman. For reigning champion Damien Iehl (FRA), his team will need to return to the second day with significant improvement if they hope to advance to the quarterfinals from the single round robin stage. The event is sailed in Bavaria 35's, designed as a cruising yacht with all the luxurious extras, and somewhat different to the more conventional racing yachts typically sailed on the World Match Racing Tour. -- Daily report: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/da/98123 Current standings: Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Team, 4-1 Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar, 3-2 Peter Gilmour (AUS) Yanmar Racing Team, 3-2 Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, 2-3 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Team Onboard, 2-3 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Joe Fly, 3-0 Sebastien Col (FRA) French Team/K-Challenge, 2-1 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, 2-1 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Team, 1-2 Eric Monnin (SUI) Team Search.ch, 1-2 Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin, 1-4 Carsten Kemmling (GER), 0-3 Match scores: http://tinyurl.com/Results-5-28-09 'AROUND THE AMERICAS' LEAVES SUNDAY Captain Mark Schrader is no stranger to adventure sailing, but this expedition is different. On Sunday at noon, Schrader and his crew will set out from Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle in the 64-foot steel boat Ocean Watch on a 24,000-nautical mile journey clockwise through the Northwest Passage, down the east coast, around Cape Horn and back to Seattle. It's a journey few have made - only about 100 ships have ever traversed the Northwest Passage, though the melting Arctic ice pack is making the trip increasingly accessible. The expedition is also ambitious in another way. Dubbed "Around the Americas," it aims to raise awareness about the troubling state of ocean health and mobilize people to help. Schrader hopes the project will be the catalyst to cultivate a new generation of marine conservationists. -- Three Sheets Northwest, read on: http://tinyurl.com/TSN-5-28-09 SAILING SHORTS * The family of the late John Biddle, who was recently inducted in the America's Cup Hall of Fame due to his commitment to the event as the foremost yachting cinematographer-lecturer during his time, is having all of Biddle's videos withdrawn from the market effective July 1st. For individuals and/or yacht clubs wishing to bolster their libraries before this deadline, additional information is here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2009/05/john-biddle-videos.html * Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law several bills to strengthen his state's economy, including one that will help the marine industry. House Bill 7031 allows non-residents who purchase a boat in Florida, or bring a boat into Florida for repair or alteration, to remain in the state 180 days before becoming liable for the sales and use tax. Currently, the tax applies after 90 days. -- Trade Only, read on: http://tinyurl.com/p6yx4k * Lake Traunsee, Austria (May 28, 2009; Day 2) - Team Aqua (Cameron Appleton) were able to hold their day one lead at the RC 44 Austria Cup match race event to win over the nine boat field, with teams led by Karol Jablonski, Dean Barker, Paul Cayard, and Rod Davis rounding out the top five. On his team's win, Cameron Appleton confessed, "We've had a huge amount of luck. I don't know any other place that offers such opportunities to come back. The qualities that were necessary to win today are: patience, focus and belief." The fleet racing event starts Friday. -- Full report: http://www.rc44.com/en/regattas/news/index.php?idContent=2046 IF I WERE PRESIDENT OF US SAILING. In October, Gary Jobson will become the next president of the US SAILING. Gary is actively seeking input from the Scuttlebutt community, so here is our chance. To help motivate us, OceanRacing.com has donated three Optimum Watches to be raffled off to everyone that submits their input. So here is the format. fill in the blank: "If I were president of US SAILING, I would______________________________." Here is one of the responses: "If I were president of US SAILING I would make it less expensive for volunteers to work for sailors. I've worked as a measurer, and paid the price for all the PHRF and Portsmouth books. As I became a senior race officer, I purchased the race officer and race management books, and while qualifying to be a Judge I purchased more rules and appeals books. At one time you had to go to a US SAILING national convention to take the tests which also cost money. All the time and money to become qualified was followed by more vacation time and expenses to volunteer to help run regattas. "I no longer maintain certification in any of these activities because they became so cost prohibitive. I would love to get back involved but it appears I will need to win the lottery or inherit way more than I have to be able to afford the costs associated with being a volunteer." Raffle will be held June 1, 2009 (noon PT). All responses must be posted on the Forum: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7506 PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include a buried boat, a sailing cow, a naked supermodel, a 69-foot Pendragon VI, a 505 race, a foiling prototype, a bewildered crew, and a sequence of dangerous stupidity. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week's photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0529/ 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 Bill Reilly: In response to Johnny Leggat's comment (in Scuttlebutt 2853) about the commercial fishermen and the "damage caused to their livelihood" when a sailing boat snags their gear, I just want to say this: If the fishermen's gear is so important to them, why don't they make the floats a bit bigger and easier to see?... most of the time you cannot see them until it's too late because the floats are practically invisible out there... it doesn't take a whole lot of common sense to figure that out... * From the Forum: As an avid reader of the forum, I thought I would take my chance to get some feedback from all of the members in regards to a new program. As a family of keen sailors and owners of previous Grainger tri's, we like the idea and concept of the ST7 and are giving it considerable thought to put it into production (why just build one). However to do this we would like to see if there are any other like minded people who would like to see the Grainger ST7 being produced. To help us get a idea of the needs and different requirements before making a final decision, we thought it important to get a response via a survey. If you are interested in the boat, we would appreciate it if you could take the time to fill out the survey. Click here for survey: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7571 CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION The harder thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing. Special thanks to Beneteau USA and West Marine. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
