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SCUTTLEBUTT 3139 - Thursday, July 22, 2010Scuttlebutt 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: Interlux and Ullman Sails. FOLLOWING A PATH TO IRRELEVANCE They accused each other of cheating. They took each other to court. They turned a nice little race, an international model of teamwork and sportsmanship, into a sordid little soap opera that we soon tired of. Tour de France? Nope. Once, back when ESPN was a cute, little baby network, this country became obsessed with an international yacht race that had a long and gentlemanly history. It's called the America's Cup. My 19-year-old son never heard of it. The last one was raced in April, after 3 years of wrangling in court. The U.S. boat won. Not many watched. Or cared. Once, this race captured our attention the way the Tour de France more recently has, the way the World Cup did for a week or so in June. The United States had a 132-year winning streak going, mostly because we made all the rules and because no one really cared that much. Then we lost. And all hell broke loose. There was this guy, Dennis Conner, not nearly as rich as most of the other sailing dudes, and he was beaten four races-to-three by an Australian yacht headed by a guy named Bond, Alan Bond. That was in 1983, and by the time Conner had a chance to go to Australia and win it back 4 years later, this country was in a nationalistic frenzy over getting it back, about reclaiming our rightful place as the world's best boaters. Newspapers sent reporters Down Under. ESPN cleared the schedule to air all the Cup races - 70 hours of sailboats maneuvering around buoys on the high seas. We cared then, as deeply as we once cared whether Lance Armstrong and his U.S. Postal Team were in the lead. Most of you have heard that Lance unretired and is racing in the Tour de France again and is in something like 50-zillionth place and has taken a few ugly spills since he returned to racing. Most of you don't seem to care. That's because Armstrong's inspiring story isn't so inspiring anymore. Whether you believe there is fire where there is smoke, or that a slew of jealous people are out to get him, Armstrong is no longer Superman. The French believe their vials caught him red-handed. Floyd Landis, the 2006 Tour winner who tested positive for performance-enhancers, has, in a book, described Armstrong's elaborate strategies to avoid detection. A federal investigation headed by the same man who exposed Marion Jones is in its early stages. Greg LeMond, who has long contended that Armstrong raced dirty, said this week that, "For him, it's the beginning of the end." You know when they talk about athletes helping to grow their sport? This is the opposite. And you only need a quick glance at America's Cup to figure out where it leads. We were willing to give baseball, as much a part of our fabric as the Constitution, a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth chance to clean up its act. But these sports? -- Philadelphia Daily news, full story: http://tinyurl.com/3adu4g6 COMMENT: Hmm… so with all the interest expressed by the defender BMW Oracle Racing for the next America’s Cup to grip the public’s attention, their best efforts may fall short unless there is a protagonist to cheer for. After watching the FIFA World Cup, it would seem that the easiest way to attract the public’s attention is through nationalism. Hey Russell, are we ready to revisit this variable yet? EVALUATION: The America’s Cup television evaluation kicks off Thursday with a small army on hand to carry out a water-borne lab experiment the likes of which the “Auld Mug” has never seen. The trials are geared specifically to examine every aspect of Cup racing including the type of boat (monohull or multihull) the format of the racecourse (upwind, downwind or reaching starts) and, importantly, the video output for television. Daily rushes will be available to view on the new blog on the official America’s Cup web site, with a section for viewers to post feedback and comments. -- Details: http://tinyurl.com/34d4h36 CREATING A DEDICATION AND LOVE OF THE SPORT Are youth sailing programs so focused on making great racing sailors that they fail to make great sailors? Is their programming so focused on the top 10% that the remaining 90% are forgotten? Alexander Kovell thinks this might be the case…read on: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Why do young racers leave sailing as they grow up? Why do young soccer players stop playing as they get older? In short, competition and racing are not the answer! I learned to love boats and sailing through Sea Scouts. We didn't race much, maybe five races in six years (including a phenomenal run in Swiftsure!). But we sailed one to three nights a week, we broke things, we learned to fix things and diagnose problems. We learned leadership, seamanship, and how to work in a team. We learned life skills, not sailing skills. And how does this set our program apart from many youth racing programs? The level of commitment is comparable, multiple nights a week, one to three weekends a month. However, in my opinion, the amount of personal investment is far greater. And this accounts for continued involvement long after one is no longer a youth scout. What is the personal investment? Personal investment isn't just about time or money. As was said (in Scuttlebutt 3138 - THE EVOLUTION OF YOUTH RACERS), the entry fee for students in many youth racing is a life jacket. A boat, sails, and even gas money are provided. Though any other fees would likely be coming out of the parents' pockets regardless. A scout boat does not float because of the adults running the program. A scout boat floats because the scouts make it float, through hard work. It is what ties them to boats and ties them to sailing for life. When a student goes sailing on a boat that is provided to them, it is merely a piece of equipment, like a basketball, or a hockey puck. But when a student, has cleaned the bilge with Soft Scrub and a Brillo pad, sewn a patch into a batten pocket, or refinished the brightwork with spar varnish and teak oil, they are forever both tied to the work they have done as well as to their dedication to the sport. Saving sailing isn't about more or continued racing, and I do love racing more than anything short of my wife and son. It’s about creating a dedication and love of the sport that can last a lifetime. -- Scuttlebutt Forum, http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10182#10182 NEW PRODUCT: FIBERGLASS BOTTOMKOTE NT ANTIFOULING PAINT Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote NT Antifouling Paint is optimized using a dual resin blend - delivering a unique, durable & fast-drying (boats can be painted and launched in the same day) antifouling paint that offers the benefits of both hard and ablative antifouling paints. A built-in slow polishing mechanism continuously smoothes and renews the active surface, avoiding the heavy build-up of paint layers like a traditional polishing paint. Learn more about Fiberglass Bottomkote NT and other high performance coatings from Interlux here: http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa MAKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN KIDS AND KEELBOATS The Storm Trysail Foundation, in partnership with the Larchmont Yacht Club and Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound, held its 14th Annual Junior Safety at Sea Seminar on Friday July 16 at the end of Larchmont Junior Race Week. Two hundred ten junior sailors from 20 clubs attended. During these 14 years, over 2800 juniors and their instructors have received training at Larchmont, and another 1000 in Newport, Annapolis, and Raritan Bay (N.J.). Storm Trysail Safety at Sea Chairman Richard du Moulin explained: “The Storm Trysail Foundation was created by the Storm Trysail Club to support and expand the Junior Safety-at-Sea Program and the Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta. We believe that big boat sailing provides juniors an exciting challenge and the opportunity for a lifetime for adventures and great friendships. But we want them to do it safely.” The morning classroom sessions included presentations by Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy’s Offshore Director Chris Gasciorek (Crew Organization), Ed Cesare (Bermuda Race Navigation), Adam Loory (Man Overboard), Kerry Klingler (Preparation for Squalls), Rich du Moulin (Dockside Demo), and Larchmont Fireman John Caparelli (First Aid and AED). Twenty-one generous owners loaned their boats for the afternoon on-the-water session. Over thirty volunteer coaches joined the owners to help instruct the junior sailors. For the first time, a more rigorous agenda was set and the perfect 15-18 knot southerly enabled all the boats to accomplish the key maneuvers. Upon boarding the boats, the owners briefed the juniors on the location of safety equipment, thru-hull fittings, fire extinguishers, fuel shutoffs, and the VHF radio. After getting underway, juniors assumed all the crew positions and first sailed upwind, practicing tacks and upwind Man Overboard (MOB) Quick-Stops, recovering a floating cushion or small buoy (no swimming allowed!). Then with spinnakers set, the crew practiced gybes and downwind Quick-Stops. Each boat also practiced reefing and unreefing. -- Complete report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10183#10183 PREPARING FOR OFFSHORE RACING Sail22 is a company geared toward providing a sailing concierge service for sailboat owners, and have been in full out mode supporting clients in the Port Huron Mackinac race last weekend and the upcoming Chicago Mackinac race this weekend. Here is an excerpt from the Sail22 list of things to take into consideration when preparing for offshore racing: Meals: If you are looking for hot meals, pasta works really well. Make it at home or buy take out from your favorite Italian restaurant. Vacuum bag individual portions (or you can do servings for two or three) and freeze them. Now, all you need is boiling water and you have a hot, tasty meal during the race. Some teams like freeze dried instead and it’s actually come a long way. Mountain House has some good ones (Beef Stroganoff with Noodles, Chicken Teriyaki with Rice, Lasagna) and you can buy them individually packed or by the large can and vacuum bag what you need. This can be a huge weight savings for teams looking to save in that area…especially important for light air racing. Freeze dried can also be a good option for a back-up meal in case the race runs long. Liquids: Figure out how much drinking water you need for your team and emergency water. Three quarts of water per day per person is a good guideline. In addition to drinking water, plan for cooking water and coffee water (gallons or 3L containers work great to save on garbage waste) for boiling or to add to freeze dried. Other than water, it’s important to have something with flavor and electrolytes, etc. Little packets to add to water bottles of sports drinks work well and also keep weight down. Energy drinks are great for when you need that boost. Starbucks Via’s make a great coffee (try the extra-bold). They are well worth having. Use the individual packets of powdered creamer, they even come flavored now. And don’t forget sugar packets for coffee too. Consider having hot chocolate packets as well. With any of the packets for drinks, take them out of their boxes and put in plastic storage bags to stay organized and keep the cardboard of the boat. Complete list: http://tinyurl.com/Sail22-Prep-Tips SAILING SHORTS * Deltaville, VA (July 21, 2010) - Despite light winds and multiple restarts due to a pushing current, the first day of the 2010 U.S. Optimist Fleet National Championship completed three races for the 260 competitors. Having won all their qualifying races are early leaders Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, FL), Nic Muller (Ft. Pierce, FL), and Duncan Williford (Fort Lauderdale, FL). The qualifying round will continue on Thursday, with the Friday and Saturday slated for the Championship Series. -- Full results: http://optinationals2010.org/results/fleet-results/ * Largs, Scotland (July 21, 2010) - After a day and a half sitting waiting for the wind, a steady, building northerly breeze trickled down the Clyde this afternoon allowing racing to commence for the 320 competitors at the Laser Radial World Youth Championship. Tied for the lead in the Girls division is Erika Reineke (USA) with a 2-2, while Matthew Mollerus (USA) is tied at the top of the Boys division after winning the lone race of the day. Racing concludes July 25th. -- http://www.laserworlds2010.co.uk/radialyouth/ * Miami, FL (July 21, 2010) - Racing began this morning in Laser Radials on Biscayne Bay for the 46 sailors competing at the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship, hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club. In winds of 12-16 knots with 90 to 95 degree temperatures, the 2009 champion, Molly McKinney (Sarasota, Fla.), and 2008 champion, Arielle deLisser (Miami, Fla.), currently are in first and second place, respectively. Racing resumes Thursday and concludes on Friday. -- Full report: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2010_USJWSC_Day_One.htm * Newport, RI (July 21 2010) - The second half of New York Yacht Club (NYYC) Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex began as many New England summer days do with fog, humidity and light wind. By the 11am starting time, the NYYC Race Committee reported 6-8 knots of wind, which held steady for today’s two races. This half of the regatta is doubling as the Rolex US-IRC National Championship, which has the 35 boat divided in five fleets. Early leaders in four of the fleets won both their races. -- Full report: http://nyyc.org/archives_public/article_801/ * This year's Cal 20 Class Championships were sailed in San Pedro, CA at Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club from Thursday through Sunday, July 15-18. After winning the elimination series, Jib Kelly with Randy Smith and Doug McLean continued their winning ways to take the championship title. Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10180 * Barcelona, Spain (July 21, 2010) - The third event of the TP52 2010 Audi MedCup circuit - Conde de Godó City of Barcelona Trophy - failed to see suitable conditions on the first scheduled day of racing. The 11 strong TP52 Series fleet representing 10 different nations, were left waiting, poised and ready for their first ever points racing off Barcelona, but the light breezes proved insufficient to get competition under way. The fleet will try again on Thursday; racing concludes on July 25th. -- http://www.medcup.org/news/?id=3510 * Kirsty Bertarelli became Britain's richest woman when she married Swiss bio-tech billionaire and America’s Cup winner Ernesto Bertarelli in 2000. But after ten years of wedded bliss and three children, the 39-year-old has returned to her first love - music. The Staffordshire-born beauty made her UK stage debut this week when she supported Mick Hucknall and Simply Red at Edinburgh Castle, adding some glamour to the evening in a one-shoulder studded mini dress and matching boots. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/2u8k6xg * Nordic Mast and Southern Spars have announced a merger to better serve the world market, combining two highly regarded mast companies that have operated in different geographic and market sectors. Southern Spars is based in Auckland, New Zealand while Nordic Mast is based in 6230 Rødekro, Denmark. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10179 * (July 21, 2010) - The leaders of the current ISAF World Match Race Rankings remain unchanged but the chasing pack are applying pressure and closing the gap. Current Open World Match Race Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) has had his lead narrowed as has Lucy Macgregor (GBR) in the Women's Rankings. Top ranked North American Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) has moved up from 6th to 3rd in the Women’s Rankings. -- Details: http://www.sailing.org/33456.php CLEAN SWEEP & A RECORD TO BOOT Congratulations to Jack Taylor & his crew aboard Santa Cruz 50 “Horizon” who accomplished an impressive feat at the 2010 Pacific Cup with a clean sweep, including first boat to finish, first boat in class, and first boat overall. Fully powered by Ullman Sails inventory, the “Horizon” team also broke the record for the fastest Santa Cruz 50 to ever sail the 2070-nm distance race from San Francisco to Oahu, Hawaii. Taylor and his crew crossed the finish line in Kaneohe Bay Friday night after 8 days, 11 hours, 46 minutes. Ullman Sails - Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Jul 22-25 - Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta - Marblehead, MA, USA Jul 23-25 - Sunfish North American Championship - Mattituck, NY, USA Jul 24 - 'Round-the-Island Race - Edgartown, MA, USA Jul 24-25 - Waikiki Offshore Series - Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Jul 24-25 - Youngstown Level Regatta - Youngstown, NY, USA Jul 24-30 - Thistle National Championship - La Salle, MI, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Craig Fletcher: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 3138) Is offshore sailing becoming less fun? Depends on what boat, what class, and whether the racing is for business or pleasure? There were 159 fully crewed boats in the recent Bermuda Race: 103 non-pro boats, 38 non-pro cruiser/racers, and only 18 pro boats. In the recent Newport to Ensenada race, of the 210 fully crewed monohulls there were 126 (the majority of which are 100% non-pro) that were in the racing class and 84 in the cruising class. My conclusion is simple; the numbers don't lie. If the governing body of sailing wants to see more boats on the race course, ask the rule makers to promote boats with interiors to a standard the owners wives will find comfortable, and offer all-amateur or open-pro classes in all regattas. * From Larry A. Whipple, Past CGSC Commodore: Regarding the 10 BEST PLACES TO LIVE AND BOAT in Scuttlebutt 3138, none of these meet the conditions of Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, and specifically the Coconut Grove Sailing Club! => Curmudgeon’s Comment: It was in 2004 when Scuttlebutt posed the question to a panel of experts as to what sailing venues provided the best racing conditions. And, as Larry states above, Miami was among a list of our elite seven sites. Here is the report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/04/racingsites-us/ * From Tom Keogh: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 3138) Stories about Bizzy's Dad would fill volumes, and he was far more than a world-class prankster. He encouraged generations of sailors at Larchmont and was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. Many sailors who've raced at Larchmont know the delights of a Montesano Cooler (or two or three) after racing. Not all are aware that the first, and the only genuine versions of this ambrosial rum mix originated from a wooden keg which he kept on his lobster boat. The keg was named "The Queen, God bless Her" and anyone who used less than the full name was quickly corrected. Every time a new batch was prepared, Commodore Montesano would pull out a special teak stick to stir the mix. Although the stick was never used for anything else, it still had a large, clear marking on the top which said "Diesel". It was always fun to see the reaction of anyone experiencing this for the first time. He'd explain that it was the secret ingredient for the special flavor. * From Richard Feeny: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 3137) Sailboat racing and bicycle racing are sports that value and promote sportsmanship as an equal goal to winning the race. I believe the reason is that both sports have elements of real danger. Competitors can be seriously injured or killed if they make poor decisions. The danger element teaches respect for the racecourse, and promotes strong camaraderie between the competitors. A better analogy than a long Laser regatta might be a distance race in which a competitor loses a keel and capsizes. Our rules explicitly forbid passing this other vessel. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Bill Maher’s New Rules: “Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.” Special thanks to Interlux and Ullman Sails. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
