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SCUTTLEBUTT 3211 - Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Scuttlebutt 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.
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Today's sponsors: Melges Performance Sailboats, North Sails, and Ocean
Racing.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, is eager to return to the
America's Cup game. His team came up just short in the 32nd Match against
the defender Alinghi team during the 2007 Valencia event, and he would like
to see his team get another bite of the apple. Last week he met with
Scuttlebutt associate editor Michelle Slade in Auckland, NZL to offer his
perspective on the plans for the 34th America's Cup:
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* Update me on Emirate Team NZ's position re AC34:
GRANT DALTON: Without any venue named we can't raise a cent because it
doesn't necessarily change all your sponsors - some can run across the
States and/or Europe. An easy example - one of our major sponsors last time
was Estrella Damm - a Spanish beer company. If it's in San Francisco,
Estrella aren't on that side and for us that was a lot of money. So, I can't
really move or make a decision until I have a venue.
* Is there one venue over another that is easier for you?
GRANT DALTON: Better, easier, nicer, more preferred in every other way is
San Francisco - we'd far prefer San Francisco. It makes no sense to me that
an American defender would even contemplate taking the Cup to Europe. It
doesn't make any sense.
* Do you think the next event will be less costly to competitors?
GRANT DALTON: Absolutely not. Sir Keith Mills (GBR) is the only guy who has
put his hand up and said what's real. It's not even close to cheap. It's
just a PR line. Of course you can make it cheap. If BMW Oracle Racing decide
to sell designs because it is in the Rule, they could start basically giving
them away to teams so they had literally a stock design. They won't win but
the event numbers will be bolstered but that is not why Emirates Team NZ
would ever play the game. Like Mills decided, I'm going to play this game to
win, not to compete. To be in it to win is not cheap, it is not even close
to cheap.
* Your thoughts on a nationality rule for the future?
GRANT DALTON: We are absolutely for it - and you can argue for simple gain
of our own - but we believe it should be a nation against nation event. It
makes more sense, people can relate. They cannot relate to - in this country
- guys on the team who are not kiwis. Why can't they be kiwis? They could be
Americans and I think Americans would relate. The reason that it went away
from any nationality is because it didn't suit (Ernesto) Bertarelli - there
aren't a lot of Swiss yachties. It didn't work - it was convenient for him.
In Oracle you have - but it doesn't matter because the protocol is done -
absolutely the ability to be as good as any nation in sailing - they already
are. Stars and Stripes was a great example. Certainly it would be a
cornerstone if it we were to win it that we would put in place. We would
absolutely put a nationality rule in. It would drop the cost too.
Complete interview: http://tinyurl.com/MS-110110
ENTRIES OPEN: The entry period for the 34th America's Cup runs from Nov. 1,
2010, to Mar. 31, 2011, with the first four entries submitted on the opening
day. In addition to defender BMW Oracle Racing (USA) and Challenger of
Record Mascalzone Latino (ITA), there are two other teams that were not be
named as their applications were being verified. -- Full report:
http://www.americascup.com/2010/11/entry-period-opens-for-34th-americas-cup/
FACEBOOK: If you want to 'like' the 34th America's Cup, here is the event's
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/34thAC
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST SAIL BOAT RACES?
The first edition of "The Guinness Book of Records" book was released in
1955 with the intent on being the definitive reference for superlative facts
and answers of great use to the general public. Later renamed Guinness World
Records, the book is for those people that like to know 'stuff" like this:
The fastest time to eat a 12" pizza is 1 min 45.37 sec and was set by Josh
Anderson (New Zealand) in Wellington, New Zealand, on March 22, 2008.
The fastest time to carve a face into a pumpkin is 24.03 seconds, by Stephen
Clarke (USA) on July 23, 2006.
Vincent Pilkington of Cootehill, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, plucked
a turkey in 1 minute 30 seconds on November 17, 1980.
Ken Edwards of Glossop, Derbyshire, England ate 36 cockroaches in one minute
on March 5, 2001.
During the recent rash of 'youngest around the world' record attempts, the
Guinness World Records group became concerned with encouraging attempts by
minors on records which are dangerous or potentially life-threatening, and
this year made the decision to no longer accept any such 'youngest' sailing
record claims.
But that does not mean GWR is out of the sailing business. They have
enlisted the services of yachting author Mark Chisnell to help with their
categorization, who in turn is seeking help from Scuttlebutt readers:
"I have been asked by Guinness World Records to research some of the other
sailing achievements they have logged, and the next contentious one is the
thorny issue of biggest sail boat race. I thought we might divide it up into
categories:
Largest Single Sailboat Race by number of competitors
Largest Single Sailboat Race by number of boats
Largest multiple race event (regatta) by number of competitors
Largest multiple race event (regatta) by number of boats
Largest Single Trans-Oceanic Sailboat Race by number of competitors
Largest Single Trans-Oceanic Sailboat Race by number of boats
"If anyone has suggestions for claimants for any of those, I'd love to hear
them. Please contact me through my website:
http://www.markchisnell.com/email.htm
WINTER SAVINGS ON MELGES SPORTBOATS
Now is a great time to get into a new Melges. Winter incentives are in full
effect for all of our fun sportboats: Melges 32, Melges 24 and Audi Melges
20. With the Winter Series coming up you can put a program together and come
race in warm weather and sunshine! Call Melges today for further details or
stop by http://www.melges.com
HURDLE BUSTER
The growth of sailing is restricted by reality. Equipment costs, storage,
and water access are hurdles. But if ever there was a hurdle buster, it is
windsurfing. But when it comes to organized competitions, windsurfing is on
the outside looking in. However, this week in Miami, windsurfing is on the
inside looking out as Miami Yacht Club hosts the Kona World Championships.
Remarkably the Kona Class got recognized by ISAF only in its 4th season as
an established class. The philosophy, aim and focus have brought the Kona
One Design concept from a notion to a renowned direction in modern
windsurfing. A direction that is built on simplicity, fair tactical sailing
and versatility.
In contrast to all other windsurfing classes, propulsion (pumping) is
strictly prohibited and due to its unique versatility and superb light wind
performance - no minimum wind limit is required. The class is divided into
four weight groups plus the ladies and cadet divisions, with different sail
sizes carefully tuned to match the (weight) divisions to eliminate a "sweet
spot" or weight advantage of any particular group. This allows all weight
groups to compete at equal terms in big fleets, rather than having separate
starts for each division.
Over 70 competitors from three continents are listed on the online
registration list. From Wednesday through Sunday, competitors will compete
in course, freestyle, and slalom disciplines.
Event information: http://tinyurl.com/Kona-110110
Class information: http://www.kona-windsurfing.com/
READY TO DELIVER?
When the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race boldly announced that each entry would have
an onboard media crew member, hope ran eternal that well produced video
programming would feed a global audience for the nine month contest. While
the footage and photography was brilliant, it came in sips rather than
gulps. However, the announcement below from the race office indicates that
the 2011-12 edition might be ready to deliver:
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The global production and distribution company IMG Media is confirmed as
official television partner to the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. IMG Media, a
division of global sports and media company, IMG Worldwide, is the world's
largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming operating
in over 30 countries around the globe. Volvo Ocean Race joins a portfolio,
which includes The Open Championship, IRB Rugby World Cup and The Wimbledon
Championships.
"Our ambition is to create 'event' television that becomes 'appointment to
view'," says Adam Binns, Director of Television for the Volvo Ocean Race. "A
mix between live, highlights, short form and news programming will enable us
to strike the right balance between the offshore 'DNA/essence' of the race,
and made-for-television spectacles such as the in-port races."
A whole host of programming will be produced and distributed by IMG
including a series of 'Golden Moments' showcasing the greatest footage in
the 37-year history of what is the world's premier ocean race. Live video
conferences, daily and weekly news updates will also be broadcast around the
world and as Binns explains, "IMG and SNTV are the perfect fit for us. Our
Race will be consumed when the viewer wants, on all kinds of devices so it
is essential we work with a company whose experience across television,
mobile, broadband and IPTV is unrivalled". -- Full announcement:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/1029_vor/
US SAILING ANNOUNCEMENTS
* US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC) seeks nominations from the
public for the 2010 Coach of the Year Awards in Sailing. The awards are a
part of the United States Olympic Committee's (USOC) Coach Recognition
Program which highlights the accomplishments and contributions of coaches
who train athletes at all levels of sailing. The OSC will nominate sailing
coaches in five categories: National Coach of the Year, Developmental Coach
of the Year, Volunteer Coach of the Year, Paralympic Coach of the Year and
the "Doc" Counsilman Science Award. Details here:
http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/2010/2010_Coach_Awards.htm
* US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee have announced the equipment to be
used for the 2011 US SAILING International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Youth
World Qualifier, which will be held January 14-17, 2011 at Houston Yacht
Club in La Porte, Texas. The U.S. representative for seven of the eight
events to be contested at the 2011 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World
Championship will be determined at the January qualifier, while the
multihull discipline will be selected by resume. Details here:
http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/2010/2011_ISAF_Youth_Qualifier.htm
* Online registration opened November 1st for US SAILING's 2011 Rolex Miami
OCR at the event web site, RMOCR.ussailing.org. All competitors and coaches
must register and submit entry fees online before January 7, 2011, as there
will be no on-site registration. Scheduled for Sunday, January 23 through
Saturday, January 29, 2011, this prestigious event is the second stop on the
International Sailing Federation's (ISAF) Sailing World Cup 2010-2011
circuit. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/RMOCR-110110
J/122 PUGWASH WINS IRC EAST COASTS WITH NORTH 3Di SAILS
The J/122 'Pugwash' won the 2010 Storm Trysail Club IRC East Coast
Championship this past weekend with a brand-new set of North 3Di sails.
Owned by David Murphy of Westport, CT, 'Pugwash's' tactician and match
racing champ Ian Williams was impressed with the J/122. "It's a great boat
and rates well." 'Pugwash's strategist and Olympic gold medalist Kevin
Burnham was extremely impressed with the sails. "We had brand new North 3Di
sails and they were absolutely fantastic performing sails. They held their
shape really well and are very low stretch." When performance counts, the
choice is clear: http://na.northsails.com
EXPANSION: Bill Chernock, executive director of the Carson Valley Chamber of
Commerce, was one of hundreds of business leaders, public officials and
private employees celebrating the groundbreaking of North Sails' new
53,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Minden, Nevada. The new
facility will increase operations by 18 percent with the expansion and bring
20 new jobs to the community during the next six months. -- Read on:
http://tinyurl.com/NS-110110
GOT JOBS: http://www.na.northsails.com/tabid/2478/Default.aspx
STILL WIDE OPEN
Unlike other sports, sailing has many mountains to climb. To put all the
dinghy and keelboat summits together would make for a formidable mountain
range. But for the match racing purist, there is only one summit - the ISAF
Match Racing World Championship.
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team is in a buoyant mood ahead of
the World Match Racing Tour's decider event, the Monsoon Cup (Nov. 30-Dec.
5). "Our goal in Malaysia is obviously victory," said Richard. "We've had a
great season, with three victories and five podiums and we've been leading
the world ranking throughout the year so yes, our goal is definitely to win.
This title is very dear to us.
"Our principal challengers are Adam Minoprio and Ben Ainslie's teams," noted
Richard. "Both Minoprio and Ainslie are fantastic sailors. Adam is young,
casual and hugely talented. Ainslie is a proven talent, his list of
achievements is incredible and his team's experience is just amazing;
however he is not always consistent. The ball is now in our camp and it is
our duty to get the job done!"
With the Monsoon Cup offering 1.5 times more points than a standard WMRT
race, the championship is still wide open and the script could not have been
written better for the Monsoon Cup. With the winner scooping 38 points, the
remaining points breakdown is as follows: 30 (2nd), 22 (3rd), 18 (4th), 15
(5th), 12 (6th), 9 (7th), 6 (8th). The team holding the largest point total
after the Monsoon Cup will be the 2010 World Champions. -- Full report:
http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-110110
2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings
(After Stage 8 of 9; top five)
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, 105 Points
2. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, 90 Points
3. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN, 88 Points
4. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, 76 Points
5. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group, 72 Points
Full standings: http://www.wmrt.com/results/scoreboard.html
SAILING SHORTS
* Virgin Gorda, BVI (November 1, 2010) - This year's Scuttlebutt Sailing
Club's Offshore Championship Regatta from Bitter End Yacht Club to The Baths
and back was sailed under bright sun with Caribbean trade winds in the high
teens. There was a lunch/swim break in the middle, but the race was scored
using the combined times of the two legs. Everyone one agreed - there were
no losers, but the big prizes went to Stu Bithell (UK, IC 24), Paul Cayard,
(Multihulls) and Ken Read (Elapsed Time). The BEYC Pro Am Regatta with the
same skippers and crews from the BEYC starts on Tuesday in the IC24s. --
Details:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10738#10738
* The Mackinac Island City Council is considering a proposal that would put
Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry, which has served the island since 1945, out
of business. Shepler's is a longtime sponsor of the Bayview Mackinac Race,
and race organizers are of the belief that if Shepler's is not allowed to
operate, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for Bayview Yacht
Club to hold the Bayview Mackinac Race. A petition is being circulated to
voice concerns, and there is a goal to get 5,000 signatures before the
Council meets again on November 4th.
Details here: http://tinyurl.com/PETITION-102010
* (November 1, 2010; Day 16) - While Velux 5 Oceans race leader Brad Van
Liew (USA) maintains 155 nm lead over Zbigniew Gutkowski on the race leg
from La Rochelle, France to Cape Town, South Africa (7500 nm), late starter
Christophe Bullens will stop at Las Palmas on Gran Canaria to repair his
ripped main, broken battens and tangled runner. Other onboard problems
include a fuel spill, a leaking hull and no electrics to power his
navigational instruments. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-110110
* (November 1, 2010; Day 2) - After more than 24 hours at sea in conditions
which have progressively eased off for the 3542 mile Route du Rhum-La Banque
Postale skippers, already many of the class leaders are hooked firmly into
their strategic plays which could already dictate the outcome of their race.
The key choice is whether to make south with more favourable breezes while
they last, to try and deal with the expanding Azores high pressure system,
to mark time on an average course and see how the models change with time,
or to stay north closer to the rhumb line course. -- Full report:
http://tinyurl.com/RdR-110110
* (October 31, 2010) - Andy Cornah and his fellow skippers Ben Field, Mark
Lees and Jon Pinner - all members of the Royal Thames Yacht Club team racing
squad - reversed more than a decade of American domination in the
British-American Cup today with an emphatic performance on Queen Mary Water,
West London to take the oldest prize in keelboat team racing by 7 wins to 2.
American skippers representing Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (Oyster Bay,
NY) were Karl Ziegler, Joel Hanneman, Tim Wadlow and Andy Herlihy. -- Full
report: http://www.royalthames.com/event/231
GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR SAILORS ON YOUR LIST
Ocean Racing's waterproof Offshore Backpack & Duffel have room for all your
gear, comfy straps, waterproof zippers plus seams that are taped, sewn and
RF welded. Sailing watches from Optimum Time have built in ISAF 5,4,1,0
countdown functions, backlight displays and robust waterproof construction.
More great gift ideas too. 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 are 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 Dan Weiss, Director, US Windsurfing:
A correction to Brian Hancock's post (in Scuttlebutt 3210) concerning the
Outright Speed Record by Rob Douglas. Brian incorrectly credited Robby Naish
as holding the outright record seven years ago with a speed of 38.47.
Twenty-three years ago, Pascal Maka was the first to break Crossbow II's
record with a blistering run on a windsurfer of 38.86 knots. Seven years
ago, Pascal's record was eclipsed by Simon McKeon in Yellow Pages with a run
of 46.82. While Robby Naish can be credited with many amazing achievements,
holding the outright speed record is not one of them.
* From Tim Patterson:
Thank you Mal Emerson (in Scuttlebutt 3210) for your words in support of
change. One cannot help but wonder where we might be today if Captain Nat
Herreshoff had been listened to instead of banned from racing his catamaran
after the regatta in 1876. I seem to recall him saying something to the
effect of: "They pay me to design fast boats and now I show them what fast
really is and they ban them from racing."
* From Grant Vogt:
Having been a long time follower of the America's Cup through the 12's and
the IAAC Class, I have since lost interest, due to the billionaire legal
wrangling and arguments for and against the cat and sailing location/venue.
I vote for carving out a race course in the marshlands of Luderitz, Namibia
with grandstands for spectators and TV camera's covering each straight away
and corner around the course (similar to NASCAR) and have match races on
cats using kite power. Should make for exciting racing in 40-50mph winds,
especially if one (or both) of the boats spin out of control on turn one!
CARNAGE! YEAH! All those in favor say AYE!
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones
who mind, don't matter.
Special thanks to Melges Performance Sailboats, North Sails, and Ocean
Racing.
Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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