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SCUTTLEBUTT 3415 - Monday, August 29, 2011Scuttlebutt 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: JK3 Nautical Enterprises and Interlux. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN NOVEMBER? Tom Huston, Chief Operating Officer of the America's Cup Event Authority, was in San Diego last Thursday to enlighten local city agencies and media on what exactly will be happening when the America's Cup teams arrive with their AC 45 catamarans to compete in the America's Cup World Series event on November 12-20. Here is an excerpt of his presentation: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- San Diego is one of the places that have had the honor of hosting the Cup in the past, and we are very excited to be bringing a new, interesting exciting, and fresh chapter to the sport of sailing back to San Diego in November of this year. Part of what you can expect to see is really the concepts. This is a concept that was born almost about 18 months ago as we were trying to decide how we were going to make the America's Cup popular with the public once again. Everybody remembers 1983 when Dennis Conner lost the Cup for the first time, and we remember when he won it back, and it has been in the last 20+ years that the Cup has slowly started to leave mainstream consciousness. So part of our challenge as a marketing organization is how we were going to make the Cup big again. How were we going to make it interesting, not only for the sailing community but also for sports fans in general? How were we going to attract a new, younger audience that is going to want to follow the sport? And even more importantly, how were we going to touch the hearts and minds of young children who are making decisions in terms of what sports are they going to participate in as they go forward in life? So those are some of the things we took in to account when we put this concept together. And the fruit of that labor is now here with us thanks to the America's Cup World Series that started in Cascais (Aug. 6-14). So when we come to San Diego in November, it will be our third event, and the first event in the United States. We also recently announced that we will be hosting a 2012 World Series event in Newport, RI. So with the two U.S. cities that have hosted the Cup in the past, along with the new host in San Francisco, we now have this fraternity of host cities together, and we are very excited to be kicking this U.S. activity off this year in San Diego. The whole concept behind what we are doing is transformation. We are trying to transform a sport to take it into the new era, and we are transforming the viewer experience and excitement level of what this is all about. That happens in many ways. Everything that you will see ... none of it is left to chance. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/0828/ BITS AND PIECES * The America's Cup Event Authority, which runs the business operations for the 2013 event, said NBC (in the U.S.) will carry live broadcasts of the 2013 finals on San Francisco Bay as well as some preliminary racing that year and in 2012. That move is significant because America's Cup officials hope to expand the popularity of the event and they will need TV to reach that goal. -- SF Business Times, full story: http://tinyurl.com/SF-Biz-082811 * A raffle has been launched to award 4 VIP Experience tickets to the America's Cup World Series (ACWS) San Diego (Nov. 12-20), the first America's Cup World Series event to be hosted in the United States. These 4 VIP tickets will grant the winner and 3 friends access to America's Cup Club, where they will enjoy an unrivalled hospitality experience by the organizers of the 34th America's Cup, featuring: access to the official America's Cup Club hospitality venue, an unparalleled view of the sailing action shoreside, and elite-class benefits. Contest ends October 15th. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-082811 * America's Cup Uncovered Episode 5 picks up at the first AC Match Race Championship, with Terry Hutchinson and Loick Peyron providing a behind-the-scenes view of the race in action. Next, meet Green Comm Racing's "rockstar" Carrie Howe, the only female sailor in the America's Cup World Series. Then listen to Aleph's Alain Gautier and Philippe Ligot as they follow their team in the final winner-take-all race for the Cascais title. Finally, the teams pack up and get ready for Plymouth, the heart of the UK maritime industry and one of the most famous ports in the world. Watch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM6WtzbAKOQ INDUSTRY REPORT FROM JK3 National brokerage yacht sales are up substantially, reaching a four year high this past summer! Not only are there more boats being sold, but the average value of the boats sold is the highest it's been since 2007. Here at JK3, we've been seeing a dramatic increase in both new and brokerage sales, and sales have more than doubled since last year! JK3 is looking for quality brokerage listings to keep up with the demand. If you have a boat you'd like to sell, give us a call in San Diego (619-224-6200), Newport Beach (949-675-8053), or San Francisco (619-709-0697). http://www.jk3yachts.com CANADA'S CUP Holland, MI (August 28, 2011) - The U.S. trial for the right to defend the Canada's Cup concluded today at Macatawa Bay Yacht Club. After three days of intense world caliber match racing, Team Heritage, representing Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, defeated skipper Don Wilson's Team Convexity of the Chicago Match Race Center to win the best of nine competition by an overall result of five wins and one loss. "We've waited four years to defend our Canada's Cup rights", said Bob Hughes, helmsman for Team Heritage. "We are super excited for the opportunity to host our Canadian competitor on our home waters." Team Heritage's defense of the Canada's Cup will be hosted by Macatawa Bay Yacht Club in Holland, Michigan. This historic international match race sailing competition, dating back to 1896, will begin on Thursday, September 1, 2011. Team Heritage will face challenger Vincere, representing the Royal Canadian Yacht Club from Toronto, Canada in a best of nine competition. Winning Defense Team Bob Hughes, 49, Helm - Ada, Michigan Morgan Larson, 40, Tactician - Hood River, Oregon Warwick Fleury, 50, Mainsail Trimmer - Auckland, New Zeeland Sean "Doggie" Couvreux, 32, Bow - White Salmon, Washington Willem van Waay, 38, Trimmer - San Diego, California Will Ryan, 22, Offside Trim - Lake Macquarie, Australia Matt (Matty) Noreen, 43, Pit - Spring Lake, Michigan Nate Reynolds, 32, Floater - Traverse City, Michigan David Sligh, Jr. 39, Floater - Holland, Michigan Bill Sleeman- 48, Mast - Ada, Michigan Daily reports: http://tinyurl.com/Canadas-Cup-2011 Event website: http://canadascup2011.us/ BACK STORY: In October 2007, the Macatawa Bay Yacht Club and a team led by Robert Hughes won the Canada's Cup in 2007 as challenger against defender Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto, Ont. However, there was dispute on when the next event would occur, and the result led to the Chicago Match Race Center (CMRC) acting as defender to host the Canada's Cup in Chicago, IL against challenger Port Credit Yacht Club of Mississauga, Ontario. CMRC won this match (Oct. 2010), and it was agreed the defense of the Cup would move to Macatawa Bay Yacht Club in 2011. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10477 BRING IT IF YA GOT IT The 18ft Skiff International Regatta saw 15 teams last week test the waters of San Francisco Bay for this 10th annual event hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. Americans Howie Hamlin/ Matt Noble/ Paul Allen sailing CST Composites outlasted the strong contingent from Australia and New Zealand to win their sixth title. The 10 race series consists of nine windward-leeward races extending from the Golden Gate Bridge and beyond Alcatraz Island, but the hallmark race is the Ronstan Bridge to Bridge Race - an open contest to determine the fastest craft on the bay. With Kiteboards, Windsurfers, Aussie 18 Skiffs, a 49er and even a Weta Trimaran on the line, the Ronstan B2B is a bring it if ya got it affair. And this year kiteboarder Bryan Lake brought it all, and then some, as the kiteboards revenged last year's loss to the skiffs. The Ronstan Bridge to Bridge (B2B) is an all out dash between San Francisco Bay's two iconic bridges. With the fleet starting just outside the Golden Gate Bridge the starting gun sends the racers on a mark-less sprint to the Bay Bridge finish line some 8 miles straight downwind. As the fleet readied to start it was a dark and dank scene with fog completely consuming the Golden Gate Bridge. The upside to the bone chilling cold of the fog was the solid 20 knot breeze it was fueling. With a big 3 knot flood tide moving the same direction as the wind all the ingredients were set to threaten Windsurfer Micah Buzianis 16 minute course record. As the gun sounded it was Formula Windsurfer Mike Percey and Kiteboarder Bryan Lake nailing the start and surging out to an early lead. Lake was pushing his Cabrinha Kite deep and fast and was able to sail the middle of the course staying with the stronger winds and faster moving current. Percey took a higher line to the San Francisco city front in a move that would allow Lake to slip away. The 18 ft skiffs started in tight bunch of boats and used their superior angle to drive a deeper line pushing, literally, some of the boards out of the way. Anyone who enters this race knows the risk they are taking and this year's regatta set up some all too close calls that served as stark reminders of the risks at hand. While both Kites and Windsurfers can literally stop and spin on a dime, but not so for the lit up spinnaker flying 25 knot skiff boat. Windsurfers Steve Sylvester and Jean Rathle got a firsthand taste of the potential risk with Sylvester leaving a bit of blood on the course to show for it. Just after the start one of the skiffs was driving down deep on to the two windsurfers and just as the wind gusted up the skiff rolled to leeward with its rack literally hitting Sylvester on the head and then raking his hand and drawing blood. Somehow Sylvester managed to remain upright but not so for Rathle who after coming in the lee of the rampaging skiff thought the better for it and decided a quick swim was better than a potential impaling. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/Pressure-Drop-082811 18ft Skiff International Regatta daily reports/results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12417 PHOTOS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/0827/ IF IT WAS EASY, ANYBODY COULD DO IT If getting ready to compete in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race was easy, anybody could do it. Skipper Ken Read and the PUMA Ocean Racing have been in intense training mode in the Canary Islands, spending long sessions in the gym followed by days and nights at sea. As the team prepare for a much needed break, helmsman/trimmer Jonathan Swain gives us an inside view of what life in Lanzarote has been like. "A typical day for us starts at 0700 at the gym," says the 44-year-old Jono. Like all his crewmates, the South African sailor looks extremely fit, which is not a surprise given that they stay in the gym until 0830 every day. "Then we go home for shower and breakfast and we meet down at the base at about 0945. We have a meeting about what we're gonna do that day. We normally dock out at 11 and are back from four to six in the evening... Unless we decide to do an overnighter. "Every week we do at least one overnighter. We run some tests during the day and then at night we have two or three guys on deck. We normally go upwind, which isn't very nice because it's not much sleeping. Normally we travel 140 miles during the night and then we would turn around and either do some reaching or running back to the base or either stay out another night and do it again. By that time you are pretty tired!" The PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG Propulsion base in Marina Puerto Calero is a familiar one to some of the sailors. "It's the first time I'm here," adds Swain, "but some of our guys were based in Lanzarote for several months with Ericsson in 2008. They pushed us from the very beginning to go there and train there at least a couple of months. "It's a very good place to train: you can have the mainsail up and be sailing within a couple of minutes. It's warm and very breezy weather. Twenty knots plus is guaranteed. It really helps our programme because in Newport it was tough to find strong winds and consistent breeze the whole time." After a month of training, it's now time for Swain and his team mates to leave for a 10-day break. They will all be back in September for a final training session before heading to Alicante at the end of the month, ahead of the race start on October 29 in Alicante. -- http://tinyurl.com/VOR-082811 INTERLUX ULTRA: PREMIUM PERFORMANCE, LONG TERM PROTECTION Interlux Ultra provides excellent long-term antifouling protection for medium to high fouling areas. Ultra is a hard, durable, fast dry, scrubbable finish with excellent color and color stability. Biolux technology blocks slime and improves antifouling performance. Fast dry formula - paint and launch in the same day! Get more info at http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa ROLEX INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S KEELBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP Rochester, NY (August 28, 2011) - While Hurricane Irene battered the eastern seaboard of the U.S.A., 36 teams of all-women sailors - from 16 states across the U.S.A., Canada, and as far away as The Netherlands - were making their way to Rochester Yacht Club (RYC) for US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship. "Irene" did have an effect on local conditions in the form of a northerly breeze in the mid-20s that whipped up whitecaps on Lake Ontario and sent four-foot waves crashing over the seawall at RYC - something not seen in the 15 years since a breakwater was installed at the mouth of the Genesee River roughly half a mile away. The net result was that the day's planned practice race was cancelled, Opening Ceremonies were moved indoors, and the warning signal for the first day of racing (Monday, August 29) moved back two hours to 1200 to allow boats to finish weighing and measuring in. RYC has a well-established reputation for being adaptable from having stepped in to host the 2009 edition of the Rolex IWKC - with only a year to plan - after Houston Yacht Club was devastated in Hurricane Ike (2008) and had to give up hosting the event for a second time. "We love hosting this event and we were thrilled when they liked what we did in '09 enough to give us a second opportunity to host it," said Regatta Chairman Chris Dorsey (Irondequoit, N.Y.). Explaining that RYC is excited to have many of the competitors back as well as quite a few new faces, Dorsey said competitors should be prepared for "everything" this week. "For instance tomorrow, they're probably going to have a lot more sea than they have wind because it will take a while for the lake to lay down from what is blowing through here now. And I think later in the week they're going to have to adjust to having significantly lighter air than what they're going to have tomorrow. So the good news is they will all be tested under a variety of conditions and it [the winner] won't be that whoever is good in heavy air is going to walk away with a watch." Among those newer faces are two teams of college sailors who are able to compete because the event was moved up to late summer, from its traditional October dates, allowing the many students and teachers who will shortly return to school a chance to come to come to Lake Ontario to compete. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/RIWKC-082811 SAILING SHORTS * Sheboygan, WI (August 27, 2011) - The American Team Maclaren's Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) defeated Le Berre (FRA) Saturday in the final round of the Buddy Melges Challenge to claim overall victory for the event. Nicky Souter (AUS) defeated Julie Bossard (FRA) in the Petit Final match for third place. Tunnicliffe, Molly Vandemoer, and Debbie Capozzi advanced to the Final after going defeating Bossard in their Semi-Final knockout series. The Buddy Melges Challenge is one of just four ISAF Grade 1 women's match racing events in the USA. The field consisted of 16 teams from eight countries, and was contested using the new Olympic-designated Elliott 6m boats. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12495#12495 * Port Washington, NY (August 26, 2011) - Kiwi Laurie Jury won the 2011 Knickerbocker Cup after racing was shortened for this Open ISAF Grade 2 match race event. Due to light winds and lightening storms, and the threatening forecast with Hurricane Irene, the regatta ended Friday after two of the four scheduled days and before the completion of the round robin series. Sailed in Swedish Match 40s, Sally Barkow (USA) finished second and Nicolai Sehested (DEN) was third. Jury earns an automatic entry into the World Match Race Tour Argo Bermuda Gold Group Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda in October. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12507#12507 * Newport, RI (August 28, 2011) - The first and final day of Audi Melges 20 U.S. National Championship, hosted by Sail Newport was quick to start, continue and conclude. The 30-boat fleet was initially held ashore Friday morning due to light conditions, but with concern about the venue being in the path Hurricane Irene, it was decided by class vote to cancel the championship. Racing on Friday was provided for teams that wanted to stay, with 16 teams participating in The Irene Cup. Rob Wilber of Stony Creek, CT won the four race series. -- Full report: http://www.melges20.com/?p=news/&id=1257 * Cartagena, Spain (August 28, 2011) - Bribon became the fourth different TP52 team to win an Audi MedCup Circuit event this season when they lifted the Region of Murcia-Cartagena Trophy with a race to spare. Led by skipper-helm Gonjalo Aurajo with tactician Ross MacDonald and navigator Marcel Van Triest, the Bribon team finished with a three point lead over Audi Azzurra Sailing Team in the seven boat event. In third was Quantum Racing, which holds the overall circuit lead going into the final event on Sept 12-17 in Barcelona, Spain. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/MedCup-082811 SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 By Baldridge: The drought in Texas must come to an end. In early summer, Mount Gay Rum had an ad in Sailing World announcing the introduction of Eclipse Nautical Limited Edition Rum in June, (The BLUE BOTTLE). We have suffered from the extended drought all summer with our dwindling supplies of Oronoco being rationed until the arrival of the BLUE BOTTLES. Even when the administration took away our space shuttles, and sent them to New York City and Los Angeles we held out hope that our punishment for being a red state would not include denying us the BLUE BOTTLE. Alas, here it is late August and yet another ad shows up in the September Sailing World announcing again the coming of the BLUE BOTTLES. Have we not suffered enough? Our last hope is for a supply of the BLUE BOTTLES to miraculously appear at the Houston Yacht Club Open One Design Regatta the weekend of September 17-19 and bring relief to the 140 or so parched yachts participating. Is Texas alone suffering from this injustice? * From Bob Haust: Take it from someone who learned the hard in helping events get media exposure, event communication doesn't happen if you don't do it. And it has to be done right. The information Scuttlebutt published should be read by every event that is eager to market itself. The power of the Internet is real. COMMENT: If you missed the report in Scuttlebutt 3414 titled 'ONLINE EXPECTATIONS, here is the link: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/pr/ CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION This land is your land. This land is my land. So stay on your land. SPONSORS THIS WEEK JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Interlux North Sails - Melges Performance Sailboats US Sailing - Team One Newport - LaserPerformance SailFast - Ullman Sails - Camet - West Marine - Doyle Sails Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
