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SCUTTLEBUTT 2993 - Wednesday, December 16, 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. Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today’s sponsors are Atlantis WeatherGear and J/Boats. AMERICA'S CUP SET FOR VALENCIA (December 15, 2009) - The Persian Gulf is out as the site of the America's Cup, and the yachting showdown between Swiss and American crews in giant multihulls is headed to Valencia, Spain, in February. A New York appeals court Tuesday unanimously upheld a lower court's order that Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, doesn't qualify under the 19th-century Deed of Gift to be the port for the nautical grudge match between defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland and American challenger BMW Oracle Racing. With their choice of RAK now a two-time loser in court, including Tuesday's 4-0 ruling by the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division, the Swiss said they will abide by the court's decision. The Appellate Division also upheld a lower court's ruling that rudders are excluded from measuring a boat's load-waterline. The Americans said the Swiss wanted rudders included in the measurement in an attempt to disqualify the trimaran. The rudder issue was an important technical victory for the Americans. -- Associated Press, full story: http://tinyurl.com/ydxf8yc Court decision: http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2009/2009_09306.htm Alinghi statement: http://tinyurl.com/yc7ne5k BMW Oracle statement: http://tinyurl.com/y9wtynj => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Talk about being in phase! Not only did BMW Oracle win both rulings, but they also shipped out the same day from their San Diego base to Valencia. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” CATCHING THE RIPE FRUIT By Cory E. Friedman, America’s Cup legal analyst “Once again BMW Oracle's strategy to try to win the America's Cup in court instead of on the water has been successful. For the first time in the history of the America's Cup the Defender has been stripped of its fundamental right to select the venue.” -- Fred Meyer, SNG vice-commodore. Fred Meyer has it backwards. Once again Société Nautique De Genève’s (SNG) strategy to lose the America’s Cup in court has been successful. Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) simply had to stand there and let the ripe fruit fall into its hands. As most ‘Buttheads know by now, the Appellate Division, First Department, affirmed Justice Kornreich’s decisions ruling out RAK as the Match venue and excluding rudders from measurement of Load Water Line (LWL) in a four to zip unanimous unsigned decision - only one step less dismissive than a simple “affirmed.” Regardless of whether there is any mechanism for an appeal as of right now (I am skeptical), the Appellate Division is not likely to grant leave to appeal a four to zip unanimous unsigned decision. It looks like SNG is resigned to Valencia on February 8, 2010. Because the attorney - client privilege seals the SNG lawyer’s lips, we probably will never learn exactly who the architect of this string of legal debacles was. Every lawyer for SNG, both in house and out house, with the possible exception of Bob Giuffra, handed the wheel as only the bridge remained above water, is presumed guilty until proven innocent. No one was able to counsel steering away from disaster or stepped off voluntarily. In the end, while GGYC sailed through the court conservatively, playing the shifts up the legal middle, SNG banged every legal corner and found legal headers to sail on that no one else could have found. What will happen on the water is unknown, but just as in court, SNG has pursued a fairly extreme design, while GGYC has designed its boat more conservatively. The wing may be unprecedented, but, with two elements, rather than three, it is conservative for a wing. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/cf/#p52 DISCOVER: THAT SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO BE JUST A BIT LATE Nope, we’re not talking about the late approach at the windward end when you want to own the right corner. We’re talking about a great holiday deal for all you procrastinators out there: buy an award-winning Aegis jacket or hybrid bib and get a great-looking lightweight Microburst vest free! Either one makes a great gift, and depending on how the weather systems shake out, either one could be your go-to gear for Key West next month. Visit http://atlantisweathergear.com/aegis_holiday for a list of participating dealers. Discover Your Atlantis. VIDEO ALERT - THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICA’S CUP Last week’s World Yacht Racing Forum America’s Cup session brought clear answers from both Alinghi and BMW ORACLE Racing. Publically united for the first time since two years, Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth agreed on several key elements. Here are some video clips from the event: Clip 1: Brad Butterworth and Russell Coutts explain where and when - according to them - the next Cup will take place. They also discuss their views about the possibility of getting back to Court after the regatta. Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SiwJ7K5jeA Clip 2: What type of boat will be sailed in AC 34? Monohulls or multihulls? Both Brad Butterworth, Russell Coutts and some potential challengers share their point of view. Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1up2-U2WEog Clip 3: Paul Cayard proposes that the Challengers start working together on a Protocol for AC 34. Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth say what they think about it. Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0YhVRoAEB8 ALAN FIELD TELLS ALL Over the last few years, Californian sailor Alan Field and his team aboard the rather enigmatically named WTF? have established an enviable reputation for themselves within the Melges 24 Class. In 2009 they were one of the most travelled boats on the US circuit, clocking up an impressive series of regatta results, including wins at the Gold Cup, Annapolis Race Week and the Detroit NOOD as well as overall victory in the 2009 Melges 24 North American Ranking Series. Here is an interview Alan had with yachting journalist Justin Chisholm: * You originally campaigned a Farr 40 before making the leap to the Melges 24. What prompted you to make the change? ALAN FIELD: "I woke up one day and asked myself “is this really all worth it?” I’m not necessarily referring to the costs (although those forty-foot puppy’s aren’t cheap), but more to the logistics of running a program/campaign of that size. It was hard enough just getting nine or ten people and the boat around the racecourse in one piece, but moving the entourage, the boat and all the attendant gear from regatta to regatta was actually very draining. The litany of spreadsheets that I maintained with matrixes covering the likes of sails (practice, buttoned, use, location, maker, etc), crew (cat 1’s, cat 3’s, weights, availability, skill set, etc) housing, travel, regatta schedules and so on and so on was pretty daunting. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the racing, great boat, people and competition, it was just the rest of the baggage that made me look for an alternative. "Switching to the Melges 24 was an easy choice as it is one of the most fun boats I have sailed. But what really attracted me to the class was the level and depth of competition. Because of its international status, I knew this class would afford me the opportunity to go head to head with some of the best sailors on the planet. Just look at the list of contenders that show up at the ranked regattas and you can see why I continue to look forward to each and every event. From World Champions through Gold Medallists to America’s Cup sailors; knocking heads with the best of the best is what The Melges 24 Class is all about for me and my team. "I’ve been racing in the Melges 24 class for approximately three years now and each year it seems that the bar gets raised. This really helps keep my level of interest strong, as every season there’s always another hill to climb. The Melges 24 is my main focus when it comes to racing. I do race other boats from time to time, but always with the thought “how is this going to improve my Melges 24 sailing.” Case in point was this past year’s involvement in match racing. My team and I spent five days at the Chicago Match Racing Centre racing Tom 28’s right before the 24 Worlds. I saw it as great cross-training as that skill set is vital to be able to play at the top of the Melges 24 fleet." Complete interview: http://www.melges24.com/?p=news/&id=1743 DIVERSITY DOWN UNDER AT SAIL MELBOURNE Melbourne, Australia (December 15, 2009) - After the strong breeze and heavy seas of day one at Sail Melbourne, today was a completely different picture for the first stop of the 2009/2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup with light winds and very little swell dictating play. American Clayton Johnson had a perfect day on the water, recording two wins to take the overall lead with overnight leader Michael Leigh now second. Said Johnson, “The left was certainly favoured but the committee kept skewering the beats so it was tricky to weigh up the risks and rewards and make a decision. There’s still lots of racing to go so I’ll try and keep getting good starts, get in with the lead guys and pick up some good scores.” In the Laser Radial women’s class American Paige Railey leads the fleet, two points clear of Dutch sailor Marit Bouwmeester. Railey had her work cut out for her after being given a three point penalty for not having the correct markings on her sail. “It was a rookie error from me today,” said Railey. “I didn’t put the rhombus sticker on my sail and had to drop three points which was pretty frustrating. But out on the water it was another good day with a first and a second, the left was favoured all day.” American 470 crew Graham Biehl, who with Stu McNay remain in second overall, noted that the wind shifts weren’t the only challenge on the course. “The most annoying thing on the day would have to be the huge jellyfish on the racecourse,” said Biehl. “It was so hard to tell how deep they were and we hit plenty of them popping our centerboard up and cutting them in half!” Perhaps the forecast for Wednesday will clear out the sea life. Said Johnson, “We are forecasted to have over 100 degree temperatures and very very windy conditions out of the north. Some people were saying 50 knots, others thought it would be in the 20s. Regardless, it should be a windy day.” Racing continues through December 19th. After four races, here are the positions for the North American participants: 1. Paul Tingley (CAN), 2.4 Metre 2. Stuart McNay/ Graham Biehl (USA), 470 Men 7. Adam Roberts/ Nick Martin (USA), 470 Men 1. Paige Railey (USA), Laser Radial 1. Clayton Johnson (USA), Laser Standard 2. Michael Leigh (CAN), Laser Standard 28. Derick Vranizan (USA), Laser Standard 41. Sean Fabre (USA), Laser Standard Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/Sail-Melbourne-09-results Event website: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au Clay Johnson blog: http://www.claysails.com/ McNay/Biehl blog: http://www.teammb.org/index.asp GIVE THE PERFECT GIFT THAT LASTS ALL YEAR! The 2010 J/Sailing Calendar will bring year-long enjoyment and inspiration to your family and friends. For sailors who love the joys of sailing in some of the most spectacular harbors and waters of the world, the stunning photos will transport you to romantic, tranquil and thrilling experiences in far away places. -- http://www.jboats.com/sailing-calendar NO BETTER PLACE TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY Serious racing sailors from across the U.S. and around the world are heading to the southernmost point in the continental United States. Key West 2010, presented by Nautica will be the 23rd edition of this prestigious international regatta. The first entry deadline is not until December 18 and over 130 IRC, One Design and PHRF boats from more than 20 US states and 12 different countries are currently represented. While the global recession continues to impact the overall fleet numbers for this and other travel regattas, the quality of the competition and the enthusiasm of the Key West participants is as strong as ever. Terry Hutchinson, tactician for reigning Farr 40 World Champion Jim Richardson, is eager to get to Key West. “Race Week provides Barking Mad with the chance to check in with our competition prior to our 2010 world championship in the Dominican Republic. At this event last year we set a plan in place to be successful in Porto Cervo. Having a playing field like Key West quickly helps us identify areas of strength and weakness to improve on before April.” The 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the year added: “It is a great way to start the New Year!” “With virtually no local boats at this event, it’s a travel regatta for nearly all of our entrants,” said event director Peter Craig. “Given the ongoing uncertainty and instability with the global economy, there are many racing owners that understandably were unable make the Key West commitment this time around, as was also the case last January. Fortunately, there are more than enough to provide great class racing in a venue that offers what racing sailors around the world are looking for.” Full report: http://tinyurl.com/KWRW-121509 Current Entry List: http://tinyurl.com/KWRW-2010-entries KITEBOARDING AND THE OLYMPICS With the 2016 Olympic Games headed to Rio de Janeiro, and the sailing events to held on the beaches of the Copacabana, there is growing enthusiasm for how perfectly Kiteboarding would suit the scenery. The International Kiteboarding Assocation (IKA), which has been authorized by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to govern kiteboard racing, has launched its campaign to demonstrate what kiteboard racing has to offer the Olympic Games. Says two-time Olympic medalist Michael Gebhardt (USA), member of the IKAs Olympic Commission, "Kiteboarding is the purest form of sailing and would be an awesome addition to the Olympic Family within the framework of the 2016 Olympic Sailing Event. Kiteracing is not weight sensitive and all of your equipment can fit in the back of a regular car. Its colorful, dynamic, inexpensive and super easy to learn... and can be done in water as shallow as 2 inches deep, opening up many places where no other craft can navigate. “As a five-time Olympic Athlete within the sport of Windsurfing and now a professional kiteboarder, I feel Kiteboarding would marry well within ISAF's umbrella of international and Olympic Sailing events. Why not introduce the sport to the world for the 2016 Olympics. It is the most modern and efficient form of wind powered sailing on the planet." Kiteboarding perfectly suits the IOC strategy Kiteboarding is the best performing of all sailing classes Kiteboarding offers equal opportunities for any kind of athlete Kiteboarding is affordable and transportable Kiteboarding is media attractive Kiteboarding brings the sports top athletes to The Games Kiteboardings Olympic Campaign is supported by the major manufacturers Kiteboarding can help to make Olympic Sailing attractive again The high-resolution version of the 2009 brochure "Kiteboarding and the Olympics" can be downloaded here: http://tinyurl.com/y9cfm8f FUTURESAILING - PART 1 By Kimball Livingston, yachting journalist Part One of a series of conversations with people who are driving profound changes in the way that we are able to sail. Once the opportunities are clear, how will people choose to sail? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I know a guy in Hawaii who says he’s years ahead of BMW Oracle in wing technology. He has a point. For one thing, Mark Ott and Harbor Wing Technologies have been at it since 2006, and they share brainpower with BMOR in the form of designers Gino Morelli and Pete Melvin, also David Hubbard. And they share brainpower with Britain’s TeamOrigin in the form of Stan Honey. Mark Ott can make his prototype catamaran, powered by a freestanding wing, sail around a course with no one aboard—either self guided, or fly-by-wire under the direction of a game controller. Yep, a game controller. That astounds me, and it doesn’t bug me one bit. I have no angst that machines could take over a corner of sailing. But it’s important to consider what conversation you want to have. Are we talking sailboat racing as we know it, or futuresailing? When Alinghi pulled a fast one and upped the ante on automation, and BMW Oracle benched some players and automated too (and I wonder, would that have happened, regardless, when the wing came along?) the conversation fed into the question of what’s right for sailboat racing. Lots of people think we’re straying too far from the good old days of racing, and Ott doesn’t necessarily disagree. “The debate about the America’s Cup boats mirrors what went on in Formula One car racing a while ago,” Ott says. “They found they could run formula cars with computers doing the shifting and the compensating, and the drivers were just turning the wheel. That took something out of the competition, so they decided not to go down that road. They limited the computer input. But on my boats, I can control as much as I please.” -- Read on: http://kimballlivingston.com/?p=896 LETTERS AND FORUM Please email 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 Bernie van't Hof: (re, engine usage in Scuttlebutt 2992) During long offshore races it is necessary to run the engine to replenish battery charge. How many times has the engine been inadvertently slipped into gear, even if reverse, even for the briefest moment? Technically that's a sin, but would you lodge a declaration? Depending on the sailing instructions a protest committee or jury has no choice but to issue anything up to a DSQ. But failing to lodge a declaration could be even more serious if discovered. A nice conundrum! * From Ron Rosenberg, Team McLube: (re, bottom finishes in Scuttlebutt 2992) It's always interesting to read quality feedback and tips from the class experts, and the rock-solid Lightning class is no exception. These days no one should be surprised that the experts all seem to agree that a smooth and slippery finish is fastest... it's also the "cleanest". There is no question that a clean hull is definitely faster than the alternative. At the end of the day it's always easy to spot the freshly sanded "rougher" finishes as they are usually the ones with the most obvious "ring-around-the-waterline" or oily, grimy sheen stuck to the hull surface and that's definitely not fast. For those who enjoyed reading the Lightning class tips from the experts, I might suggest clicking on http://www.mclubemarine.com/quotes.php where we have compiled a few dozen in-depth tips from the Scuttlebutt readership. These "slides" provide some detailed feedback and personal testing done on a wide variety of craft from Foiling Moths to Melges and multihulls to Il Mostro and more. When considering which Speed Polish will help you achieve your preferred result, you may also want to consider these characteristics: Does it apply quickly and easily (will it clean-polish-protect all in one?), long-lasting durability, environmental impact, protection from UV degradation, is it safe for my crew and kids to use, and is it reasonably priced? CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Holiday advertisement: “Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating.” Special thanks to Atlantis WeatherGear and J/Boats. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
