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SCUTTLEBUTT 2819 - Thursday, April 9, 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.
Today's sponsors are Ullman Sails and 2009 Marion Bermuda Race.
THE LIFE OF A PROFESSIONAL SAILOR
Shannon Falcone is keen to make up for lost time when PUMA Ocean Racing set sail
for Boston on Saturday. The Antiguan switched places with Jerry Kirby for the
leg five marathon from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro, but the duo have since swapped
back ahead of the sixth stage. In between, the 27-year-old sailed with BMW
Oracle in San Diego and rested at home, but he is now itching to return to Ken
Read's team.
"I had other commitments and had good fun doing those, and then I had two weeks
at home before coming here," he said. "I ate well, trained hard and got ready
because I knew the other guys would be tired. I'm feeling refreshed and I'm just
really looking forward to getting back on the boat. This next leg I am looking
forward to because it should be a pretty fast leg. We'll be passing by home so
that should be pretty cool. If we get within 200 miles of Antigua my dad said he
will take out a boat and try to catch us but I'm not sure they'll stand much
chance."
He admitted he does not entirely know what to expect from the 4,900-nautical
mile trip to North America. "In the past the straight forward legs have been
tough and vice versa," he said. "I think all the legs in this race are tough
because it's so tight between the boats. This leg I think will be tough. The
conditions will be good apart from the last few days when we cross the stream
and head towards Boston. I heard it can get pretty nasty and cold. We'll be
alright." - Read on: http://xrl.us/beocd4
MIXING AND MATCHING
In a recent interview Anna Tunnicliffe - Olympic Gold Medallist and US Sailing's
Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award - was asked about any difficulties switching
between fleet racing and match racing. Here are some of Anna remarks: "It's not
hard to switch from one type of racing to another. Both are very fun in their
own way, so for me it's just a mental switch in my head. As for switching from a
crew to no crew, I have a fantastic crew that I sail with, so when I sail with
them, it's just as easy for me to focus on steering the boat as I do when I'm in
my Laser. I do enjoy talking to my crew when I sail, so for that reason I like
to sail with others, but I also enjoy the physical side of the Laser My match
racing has helped me in my fleet racing, as I have been in situations where I
need to match race. It also helps with the one-on-one boat situations that you
sometimes need when coming into marks." - Complete interview:
http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2009/Tunnicliffe_Q&A.asp
GOING SEPARATE DIRECTIONS
ISAF Secretary General, Mr. Jerome Pels issue a statement on Wednesday
announcing that the Professional Kiteboard Riders Association (PKRA) decided to
decline any further involvement in the mediation process to reach agreement with
ISAF recognized member, the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA). The
ISAF announcement went on to say:
- ISAF will not recognize the PKRA "World" Tour and as such ISAF will make this
fact clear to our Member National Authorities.
- According to ISAF regulation 19.4.1(c) the PKRA tour is a prohibited event if
it continues to use the word "world", either in the title of the event or
otherwise.
- Sailors who participate in the PKRA Tour may have difficulty entering and
competing in the ISAF recognized IKA World Tour or other National events as they
may have their ISAF eligibility suspended according to ISAF regulation 19.4.
Earlier PKRA announced that starting with the 2009 season, all PKRA events will
be sanctioned by the International Surfing Association (ISA). -
http://www.prokitetour.com/
A STEP ABOVE AT THE NORTHSHORE LEUKEMIA CUP
Sailing for a good cause and enjoying the spring season, Ullman Sails customers
swept the top spots in the Northshore Leukemia Cup on Lake Pontchartrain,
Louisiana, March 21-22, 2009. Ken Buhler's J/30 team on "Jalapeno" claimed first
place in the spinnaker division, ahead of Lee Eikel's Flying Tiger 10 "Tin Man,"
and Caron and Steven Choate's Wavelength 24 "The Bear." All three boats competed
with 100% Ullman Sails inventory. The non-spinnaker class was dominated by Tom
Quinlan on the J/28 "VooDoo Child," also fully powered by Ullman Sails. Make an
investment in your performance. Visit Ullman Sails at http://www.ullmansails.com
EVER SO TRICKY
Palma De Mallorca, Spain (Apr. 8 2009; Day 4) It was another long day at the
Princesa Sofia Mapfre Trophy Regatta. The wind expected from the South West,
came from the opposite direction in the morning. The race committee had to wait
until mid-afternoon, while the sea breeze progressively lowered and changed for
a North-Easterly, to start racing. With big clouds over the bay, the pressure
was uneven on the race course and made racing very tricky. These conditions
produced new heat winners in most classes, reducing the lead of most favourites
or producing new ones. The USA's Anna Tunnicliffe won the single race in the
62-boat Laser Radial class on Wednesday. She is now just a single point behind
class-leader, Paige Railey (USA). Three races are scheduled for Thursday. --
Event website: http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org
MADE IN VIETNAM
Corsair Marine, which was previously based in California, is entering its third
year of building trimaran yachts in Vietnam. Owner Paul Koch told IBI that
Corsair, which has shipped about 1,500 boats to 20 countries, is the only
recreational yacht builder in that southeast Asian country.
"The company started in Chula Vista, in the San Diego area, 22 years ago and I
purchased it in 1994," says Koch. "When it started, the costs of labour were
probably okay, but as it went on it got harder and harder to make money." Koch
said he looked at setting up operations across the border in Mexico in 2004, but
said it would've been hard to convince his all-Mexican workforce to relocate for
less money. "The security stuff that you're hearing about now was just starting
to happen, and I didn't want to deal with that, plus all the corruption," he
says. -- IBI Magazine, read on:
http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20090301135932ibinews.html
SAILING FITNESS: FIVE TIPS FOR GRINDERS
Harry Legum of Annapolis Sailing Fitness has been a trainer/coach for over
twenty years, and has created a 'fitness for sailing' program utilized by many
teams and illustrious sailors such as Terry Hutchinson and Anna Tunnicliffe.
Here he provides some exercises to aid the 'grinder' position:
Grinder-what's needed? Split second reaction time, high endurance for hand speed
while at the same time having the brute force to finish the trim at the end of
the tack or jibe. I find that combining a HIT program with circuit training and
promoting a strong cardiovascular routine tends to work best. Plyometrics are
incorporated to increase explosive power.
These five exercises will lay a solid foundation to a Grinders success:
1. Chest Fly's
2. Back One arm rows
3. 30 minute Circuit Training
4. Cardio 40-50 minutes 3-5 days a week
5. Core training
Complete report: http://www.na.northsails.com/tabid/13326/Default.aspx
SAILING SHORTS
* February 8, 2010 - that's the date that two monster multihulls will race for
the America's Cup, IF - and this is an important if - Alinghi and BMW Oracle
Racing cannot negotiate the terms for a more conventional America's Cup prior to
that time. For those who love details, the court's Order and Judgment is now
posted on the Golden Gate YC's website: http://www.ggyc.com/acnews.php
* Boston College and Charleston are the top coed and women's teams in the land
according to our latest coaches poll. Yale is in the top 3 in both polls. The
latest edition of Sailing World's college rankings are available at
http://www.sailingworld.com/ranks. Also, you can get the top ten every two weeks
via twitter, Sign up at http://twitter.com/swrankings
* The Canadian Yachting Association Appeals book for the 2009-2012 rules is now
available to download free of charge from the CYA website:
http://www.sailing.ca/news/the_cya_appeals_book/
The CYA and ISAF have also provided permission for commercial printers to print
single copies from electronic files for the CYA Appeals Book for 2009-2012, and
for the Case Book for 2009-2012 for the International Sailing Federation
<http://www.sailing.org/9506.php>. Print the letter on the CYA website and take
it with you if you have your Appeals Book and Case Book printed at a commercial
printer or copy shop.
* Rough sailing for South Florida boat dealers means big business for a Fort
Lauderdale company that takes boats from cash-strapped owners. National
Liquidators had orders to reel in 3,066 vessels in 2008, the most in 21 years
handling boat repossessions and auctions. "We repo four to five boats a day in
South Florida," President Robert 'Bob' Toney said. --Sun Sentinel, full story:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-boat-repossessions-madoff-0403,0,761168
8.story
* Yachting New Zealand has produced a brand new Sailing Games book. The book is
a collection of forty fun games to improve skills and knowledge, ten for on
shore and thirty for on the water. This fully illustrated book is a great tool
for coaches and loads of fun for parents and sailors. It also makes a great
birthday present or gift for another occasion. -- SailRaceWin, read on:
http://sailracewin.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-sailing-games-book.html
MARION BERMUDA RACE OFFERS JOINT TROPHIES
Did you race in last year's Newport Bermuda Race in the Cruising Division or the
Corinthian Stonington to Boothbay Harbor Race? If so, you are half way there in
winning a combined trophy by racing in this year's Marion Bermuda Race. The
Newport and Marion Bermuda Race award the Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy
sponsored by SAIL Magazine to the best combined finish by a skipper doing
consecutive races. The Corinthian Stonington to Boothbay Harbor Race and the
Marion Bermuda Race joined together to award the New England Offshore Racing
Trophy under the same rule format. So pull that winning crew together and
register for the 2009 Marion Bermuda Race and take home some silver.
http://www.marionbermuda.com
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine)
Here are a few of the events that are coming up:
Apr 9-12 - Rolex Women's Match - St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Apr 10-12 - Southern Straits - West Vancouver, BC, Canada
Apr 11-12 - 26th Easter Laser Regatta - Austin, TX, USA
View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar
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 David Rogers: In reading some of the discussion following the recent
court ruling I can only shake my head. All this talk of "getting back to what
the America's cup is" in reference to a multi-challenger event seems off. How
much more "America's Cup" can you get than two rich guys building massive, crazy
huge boats and then go out and sail against each other? You bring your monster,
I will bring mine, and we race!
The multihull boats that would be used in a Deed Of Gift contest are the modern
equivalent of the J boats of the early 1900's. I in no way see how a DOG match
would hurt "the Cup" or its prestige. My opinion is that the opposite would
occur. Discussion of what happens to an America's Cup circuit completely misses
the point. The America's Cup is a challenger driven event, not a pro circuit! I
know there are a lot of teams a people that will be displaced by a DOG match,
but that is irrelevant to what should be done with the cup.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for a top level pro sailing circuit. The structure
of the Deed of Gift is completely unsuited to a circuit type event. Use
something like the Louis Vuitton Series or similar for it. Just please don't
pervert the America's Cup and make it in to something that it really is not.
Enough of this talk about how "we really just want a multi-challenger event."
Now bring on DOGzilla!
* From Mike Priest: In Scuttlebutt 2818, Tyler Carder took umbrage at the
article about the Match Race Regatta "at" Tampa. As we say out here in
Californian, "Dude... Chill out!" Semantics like "at" Tampa or "on" Tampa are a
lot closer than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim!
* From Michael H. Koster: Not to add to the confusion, but Tyler Carder probably
should have mentioned that St. Petersburg should not be referred to as St. Pete.
The City of St. Pete Beach, west of St. Petersburg, is a separate entity
(although they do share the same Area Code 727).
* From Patrick J. Sikorski, Executive Director/Trustee, 12m Yacht Development
Foundation: 12mYDF stand in full agreement with Dawn Riley's and USS- Rich
Jepsen's comments in a recent Scuttlebutt article the importance of encouraging
youth sailing! This confirms what we have heard around the yacht clubs and
sailing organizations of Long Island Sound, New York and Connecticut. We are
planning to aggressively approach the issue by offering what we consider to be
"a different experience of sailing than what can be found in club 420s, or even
29rs."
12mYDF recently launched the Gary Jobson 12m Sail Camps & Clinics - to the 41
yacht clubs, Commodores and sailing directors at the recent JSA - Junior Sailing
Association Winter Meeting - targeting youth, junior sailors, adults, and
executives.
Our America's Cup 12m yachts provide the not to be missed experience with "more
complexity and power, a platform that promotes team work and socializing with
other teens" and channels much needed inspiration to the possibility of bigger
and better things as far up as the current pro circuit ranks of the World Match
Racing Tour
Our goal is to build out a new bench mark in educational "big boat-hands on"
sailing under our 501c3 educational/charitable mission to "acquire, restore and
preserve historic America's Cup 12m Yachts and their "match racing" heritage"
with former AmCup Stars. -- www.12mYDF.com
* From Dieter Loibner: I get it, I get it. Putting on sunscreen is the
an-apple-a-day therapy for outdoor enthusiasts. However, in difference to
apples, sunscreens have side effects. What's good for your skin might be a
little less so for the citizens that live downstream of your shower drain. Now
who's that? If you go look, be careful. You'll meet some pissed-off microbes.
And no, this is not an early submission for April 1. Here's the clip from the
March 24 edition of Environmental Health News:
'Nanoparticles from sunscreens damage microbes'
Nanoparticles in sunscreens, cosmetics and other consumer products may pose
risks to the environment by damaging beneficial microbes, scientists reported
Tuesday. Nano-titanium dioxide found in personal care products reduced
biological roles of bacteria after less than an hour of exposure. The findings
suggest that these particles, which easily end up at sewage treatment plants
after being washed off in showers, could eliminate microbes that play vital
roles in ecosystems and help treat wastewater. -- Full story:
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/nanoparticles-damage-microbes
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL CURMUDGEON
Two of the most popular games us older people play are "Sag - you're it," and
"Hide and Go Pee."
Special thanks to Ullman Sails and 2009 Marion Bermuda Race.
A complete list of preferred suppliers is at
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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