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SCUTTLEBUTT 2896 - Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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.
Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt
Today's sponsors are North Sails and Melges Performance Sailboats.
WHO IS STUART WALKER?
Most people know Stuart Walker from the monthly column he has been writing for
Sailing World magazine since 1962. They inevitably include a story about a
Soling race in which Walker analyzes and illustrates all the tactical
influences - competitors, weather, currents, himself - to outline why he
succeeded or how he failed. For his faithful readers, there are to be
countless points on a race course when the mumbled words are “What would
Walker do?” But who is Stuart Walker? This profile courtesy of SpinSheet and
APS may shed some light:
When Annapolis sailor Dr. Stuart Walker read C. Stanley Ogilvy’s Thoughts on
Small Boat Racing, he was struck by a line at the end that said the best way
to learn about racing was to write a book about it. So, he did. Nine of them.
Born in Brooklyn and raised mostly outside Larchmont, NY, Walker started
sailing at the age of 12 on his father’s Q Class sloop, on which he and his
father cruised as far as Nantucket and raced on Long Island Sound with various
clubs. During World War II when he was in medical school at New York
University, Walker bought an old Star and raced her. His top opposition was
the world-renowned boat builder and racer Skip Etchells, “who always won,”
says Walker. “Occasionally, I got close.”
In the same time period, he met Frances, who not only became his wife 64 years
ago, but also agreed to spend her honeymoon sailing on his Star around
Fisher’s Island and into Peconic Bay (NY)—a feat for which the groom’s father
noted that she was either “the dumbest or the bravest girl he had ever met.”
-- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0728/
LASER RADIAL WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Karatsu, JPN (July 28, 2009; Day 1) - Veronika Fenclova of the Czech Republic
and US Olympic Champion Anna Tunnicliffe are tied at the top of the
leaderboard after two races at the 2009 Women s Laser Radial World
Championship. All 87 registered competitors from 30 countries were on the
water today, with the competition split into two fleets.
The anticipated wind was late coming so the fleets were postponed on the water
with the first race getting underway 40 minutes after the scheduled starting
time. The wind was relatively consistent from the NNE with a strength of 7-12
knots and as the wind increased there was enough swell for exciting sailing
and gains to be made.
This was the first of three qualifying days, to be followed by three days for
the final series. The forecast for Wednesday is for heavy rain with a further
two races scheduled. Racing continues through August 2nd. -- Full report:
http://events.laserinternational.org/en/events/reports/100z33
* Anna Tunnicliffe daily report:
http://www.annatunnicliffe.com/content/view/270/1/
WOMEN'S MATCH RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Lysekil, SWE (July 28, 2009; Day 1) - For the first day of the ISAF Women’s
Match Racing World Championship, five skippers have taken the lead with four
matches won out of five in the first Round Robin: Claire Leroy (FRA), Katie
Spithill (AUS), Camille Ulrikkeholm (DEN), Anna Kjellberg (SWE) and Marie
Björling (SWE).
With teams of six crew sailing the DS37 Match Racer, the World Championship
started in perfect conditions, with blue skies and south-westerly winds at
around 15 knots. Said defending World Champion Claire Leroy, “Today’s sailing
proves even more that many teams are able to win. The competition is closer
than previous years.” Swedish local Marie Bjorling started the regatta by
beating the Leroy and ISAF #3 ranked Lucy Macgregor (GBR). Lone North American
entrant Sally Barkow (USA) is 2-3. -- Standings:
http://www.lysekilwomensmatch.se/page/227/page.htm
NORTH-POWERED BOATS LEAD THE WAY IN 2009 TRANSPAC
If you’re in the market for a new set of sails and want to be sure they are
durable, fast and competitive, consider this: North-powered boats led the way
from Los Angeles to Honolulu, HI in the 2009 Transpacific Yacht Race in July.
‘Alpha Romeo’ shattered the previous monohull record to finish first; ‘Samba
Pa Ti’ was first overall and ‘OEX’, ‘Grand Illusion’ and ‘Pyewacket’ finished
1-2-3 in the Sled class. ‘Pegasus’ finished first in the Double Handed
Division and ‘Charisma’ won the “Aloha” Cruising Class. All of these boats
raced with North Sails inventories. When performance matters, the choice is
clear: http://na.northsails.com
FOR THE RECORD
(July 28, 2009) - On standby since July 7th in New York, the 103-foot
maxi-trimaran Groupama 3 skippered by Franck Cammas has just switched to code
green. Barring a last minute change in the weather forecast, the team will set
off on Wednesday night or Thursday morning (French time) on her bid to break
her own fully crewed Transatlantic Record.
At Groupama team's base in Lorient, France, Cammas is in direct contact with
Sylvain Mondon at Meteo France and Stan Honey, Groupama 3's navigator, in
order to narrow down the departure time from New York, and with the logistics
team to complete the crew's transfer to the United States.
"Contrary to what you might think, the crew hasn't been in New York since July
7th. Our standby organisation is such that they must be able to make the
transfer to the start zone within 24 hours. Since July 7th, we've been keeping
them informed each morning at 1000 hours of the latest weather forecasts
provided by Sylvain Mondon. The minute we switched to code yellow (possible
departure within 48 to 72 hours), they prepared their gear for sea. They are
currently in the plane bound for New York," says team manager Stephane
Guilbaud. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/nsezcm
=> Curmudgeon’s Comment: No official word yet from Thomas Coville and his
105-foot maxi-trimaran Sodeb'O or Pascal Bidégorry and his 131-foot
maxi-trimaran Banque Populaire V, which are also both in New York preparing
for their attempts at the solo and crewed transatlantic crossing record,
respectively.
CONTROVERSY IN MACKINAC
(July 28, 2009) - The 85th Pure Michigan Bayview Mackinac turned out to be the
race that had everything: wind, no wind, fog, rain, sun and controversy. The
controversy came after the first boats on the Cove Island course found the
mark east of where it should have been. The mark is a buoy placed for the
race.
Depending on who you asked, it was anywhere from a couple hundred feet to 0.8
miles east of its intended location. "It was hard to find the mark," said Al
Declercq of Grosse Pointe Park, sailing on Defiance, which was part of a group
of boats rounding in a heavy fog. The boat was leased from the U.S. Merchant
Marine Academy. "The only reason we found it was because we had radar."
Some boats ended up sailing around, looking for the mark. Others gave up and
rounded where the mark was supposed to be, including the GL 70 Evolution,
which was marked down one place in a protest hearing after admitting it did
not make a visual rounding, said race chairman Frank Kern. The rules
specifically state that boats must make a visual rounding. Rounding at the
coordinates where the buoy is supposed to be, without seeing the mark, is not
a legal rounding. -- Detroit Free Press, full story:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090728/SPORTS18/907280346/1048/sports
SAILING SHORTS
* Honolulu, Hawaii (July 26, 2009) - After a hard fought battle, John
Spadaro’s Bashford 41 Boomerang won the 2009 Waikiki Offshore Series for a
second year in a row. The regatta was sailed in seven races over three days
off the south shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Boomerang finished with 14 points,
followed by Gil Budar’s Farr 42 Gerontius in second, and Scott Bradley’s
Beneteau 40.7 Cazan placing third. -- Full report:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7936
* Bridgeport, CT - An uncertified teenage sailing instructor, a misfitting
safety jacket and the lack of any kind of distress signals resulted in the
death of a three-year-old child during a horrible sailing accident in Westport
Aug. 26, 2008, a federal lawsuit charges. Now the father of Alexandra Vitale,
who drowned in the accident when a gust of wind capsized the Hobie Cat Getaway
catamaran she was on, is seeking at least $5 million in damages from Longshore
Sailing School and Katherine Durie, the teenage instructor aboard the boat. --
Connecticut Post, read on: http://www.connpost.com/ci_12911358
* Tour de France a la Voile race director William Borel revealed the M34 will
replace the Farr 30 beginning in the 2011 race. Built by the Archambault
boatyard and designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design, the boat will be 10.34 meters
long, one meter longer than the Farr 30. She should be especially powerful
thanks to a greater sail area/displacement ratio and will be able to sail
longer offshore legs. The event organizers also plan to use the boat in a new
bi-annual transatlantic race beginning in 2011/2012. -- Full report:
http://www.tourvoile.fr/en/2009/media/press-releases/cp2307.html
* Global mobile satellite communications services provider Inmarsat has
confirmed that its new FleetBroadband 150 (FB150) service is now live and
passing commercial voice and data traffic on the network. -- Full report:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7753
* From September 5 to October 15, 2009, US SAILING will hold its annual
election to fill three seats on its Board of Directors. The President and one
Director are running unopposed. Members of the Board of Directors will serve
for a three-year term in rotation. Voting is open to US SAILING members only.
Details -- http://about.ussailing.org/Directory/BOD/Elections.htm
MELGES MANIA
Exciting events are on the horizon for many of the Melges classes including
the Melges 24 World Championship and the Audi Melges 20 U.S. National
Championship along with all the big Scow regattas that run through the summer.
Catch much of the action on the official Melges.com website as you can see
race results, video, and live updates during many of the championships. The
new Audi Melges 20 is taking off big time in the USA and Europe. Watch for
regatta updates and race images also at http://www.Melges.com
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
Please submit your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’).
Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words
(letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Tony Nunes:
I refer to comments from Kathy Weishampel and others in Scuttlebutt 2895 about
Williford deliberately hitting another boat at the start of the recent
Optimist nationals. I had the opportunity to be an on the water judge for one
of the events in the Texas Junior Olympic Sailing Festival on Galveston Bay
earlier this month. We were only judging for Rule 42.
The start of every race I saw was absolutely chaotic. There were 75 boats on
the line with sailors ranging in skills from national team members to
beginners. The starting line was set very long for each race and on most
occasions favored the port end. The majority of boats hung around the
committee boat prior to the start and then approached the line with a minute
to a minute and half to go. Why they did not use more of the line I do not
know, especially when the other end was favored. Coaching maybe or lack
thereof? But also a lot of inexperience from the younger sailors I am sure.
Anyway, because there were so many boats trying to start in the same place,
collisions, bumps, pushing off of other boats and sculling to hold position
were the order of the day. The sailors seemed to view the collisions, etc., as
a necessary part of getting a good start. No boats protested any other for
collision. The judges had to whistle and make the ones we could catch do
circles (and these were few as we simply did not have enough judges). -- Read
on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7938#7938
* From Robert Thuss, Atlantic Highlands, NJ:
While I appreciate the tenacity of the two USNA boats and the other eight
boats that finished the 2009 Around Long Island Regatta (as reported in
Scuttlebutt 2894-5), the fact is that 54 out of 64 entrants were either DNS or
DNF. On Jade, we were DNS since we were racing double handed and just before
our start we concluded we would not be able to safely stand a single-handed
watch overnight.
While the Sea Cliff Yacht Club Race Committee does not control the weather,
they could have controlled when to start the race. They chose to start in
gale-force conditions and they had difficulty in setting the line, checking in
boats, starting the race, and keeping track of which boats were still in the
race. While the decision to race is the skipper's alone, what are the
consequences of a RC making a poor decision to start the race in potentially
dangerous weather conditions?
The RC could have delayed the start by 18-24 hours. Entrants in the race
figure it will take a couple of days to complete, so the whole weekend is
reserved for finishing and getting back home. With all the costs and
preparation, nearly 85% of entrants were disappointed to have to withdraw
based on their captains' better judgment. It’s too bad the RC didn't have
better judgment too. They should really consider giving an entry fee credit
good for the next 2 years, to regain some good will that was lost in this
year's race.
* From Michael A. Rosenauer:
Regarding the Steve Fossett story in Scuttlebutt 2895, having spent many, many
hours flying up and down the Sierra Crest in small airplanes (PA-28-181, a
Piper Archer II), the theory that Fossett was slammed into the ground on the
eastern side of the Sierra is completely plausible. The daily SW wind being
dragged east by the heating desert, hits the western Sierra slope, is bumped
up by the mountains and rotors down on the other side. The rotor is caused by
the air being forced back down by the higher air that is flowing smoothly from
west to east as well as the moving air being slowed by the ridge, trees, and
ground. It is not uncommon to have 2000 ft/min curls of moving air on
cloudless days. Combine that with the thinner air, and the rules about not
approaching ridges head on, keeping well above the ridges (and the rotors)
makes for good advice.
The Sierra Wave is a very similar phenomenon. It brings throngs of gliding
enthusiasts to the area between Truckee and Mammoth. The mid level wind blows
hard enough that the "bounce" off the mountains will spawn lenticular clouds
above the rotors and just east of the ridge. The gliders can then use the
heated air off the ground to thermal up to the steady, rising wind and then
fly the leading edge or western edge of the mid level wind to carry them up
higher. It is not uncommon to hear jets climbing out of Reno report gliders at
altitudes exceeding 15,000 feet. It is equally common for the gliding events
to cover hundreds of miles in closed courses.
* From Scott Cavanough:
Regarding the lead story in Scuttlebutt 2895, I would like to point out the
unfair miss match that was not talked about. Ranger agreed to use their
cruising sails rather than their race sails for that Friday sail as well as
the Newport Bucket Regatta as agreed with Hanuman because they had not tested
their race sails. Ranger’s cruising sails are between 2-5 years old whereas
Hanuman was using brand new 3DL cruising sails.
Hanuman was quicker upwind, but downwind back to Newport Ranger out jibed
Hanuman who went past Castle Hill a few minutes behind Ranger. Sailing aside
it was amazing to see the two yachts sailing side by side again, only thing
that will beat that is to see four or five J's sailing against each other in
the future.
* From Steve Quant, Albuquerque, NM:
While bicycle racing and boat racing do have some similarities, and the SoCal
J/105 idea was admirable, what it largely demonstrates is that the biggest
similarity between the two sports is the lack of understanding of each sport
by the general public, or even, each other.
The particular event described (in Scuttlebutt 2895) is based on a pretty much
uniquely American version of bike racing known as a "criterium" or "crit." A
crit consists of timed duration or pre-determined number of laps around a
course typically shorter than one mile in length and usually has "primes" and
sometimes "miss and outs." To my knowledge, there has never been nor will
there ever be a crit in the Tour de France.
CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
“My 4 year old told me that ‘claustrophobia’ was the fear of Santa.” - Maurice
Cusick
Special thanks to North Sails and Melges Performance Sailboats.
Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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