|
SCUTTLEBUTT 3084 - Tuesday, May 4, 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. Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today's sponsors: Audi Melges 20, North U, and Henri Lloyd. "IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE DIFFERENCE" Adam Minoprio, the reigning ISAF World Match Racing Champion and winner of the 2009 World Match Racing Tour, talks with Valencia Sailing website about his latest assignment with Team New Zealand: the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * Let's start with the obvious question. Why do you want to do the Volvo Ocean Race? ADAM MINOPRIO: Growing up in New Zealand, as a boy I watched the Whitbread coming into Auckland and most of New Zealand's greatest sailors have gone through the Volvo Ocean Race. It's also a natural step of progression for me and since the opportunity came along, I certainly jumped into it. I really look forward to it. * It's certainly a change for you, going from short upwind/downwind legs in small boats to sailing 40,000 miles around the globe. ADAM MINOPRIO: It's going to be a huge difference and that's part of the challenge but at the end of the day it is just boat sailing and I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun. I have done a few offshore races, not as many as I probably would like, and I enjoyed all of them. * What's the longest offshore race you have done? ADAM MINOPRIO: It's the Sydney Hobart and we did it in a pretty quick time, two days and two hours on a TP52. * What will the biggest challenge as far as you are concerned? ADAM MINOPRIO: I think the whole thing is going to be a challenge. Every aspect of the project will be a challenge on itself although I can't single out any in particular. Nevertheless, its challenge I look forward to taking on. I will be one of the drivers and trimmers of the boat and the basic principles of what a boat go fast or slow are the same. I have helmed Maximus when she was on the water and it's not that different. The main difference I see from the smaller boats is that on big boats things happen slower. * What is the schedule for you personally and the Volvo Ocean Race project for 2010? ADAM MINOPRIO: This year my focus will entirely be on the World Match Racing Tour. The Volvo Ocean Race boat is still being designed and we will not do any sailing in that aspect. The America's Cup is still unannounced, so it will be all about the WMRT and the world title we have to defend. Complete interview: http://tinyurl.com/39remqr FOR SALE: RACE READY VOLVO OPEN 70 For the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race, Ken Read and PUMA Ocean Racing have secured the services of Juan Kouyoumdjian to create the lines of the successor to il mostro (which got 2nd place in the 2008-9 race). Kouyoumdjian has designed the winners of the last two races - ABN AMRO ONE (2005-06) and Ericsson 4 (2008-09). "It's funny to start to get to know somebody on a personal level like Juan," noted Read. "He was always the enemy in the past and now all of a sudden he's on your team. And you know what; he's actually a really good guy. So Juan, everything I said about you in the past, I take back, I apologize." As for il mostro, Read has also has a plan which is made possible by the new Rule which has been framed to enable second generation Volvo Open 70s to be competitive on their second lap of the world. Il mostro will be part of the team's training at least through this summer. The return journey to Newport is the start point. After that, says Read, the boat is up for sale and the hope is that it will be on the start line in Alicante on 29 October next year. "With this new Rule we very much hope that this boat does the next version of the race," he says. "We are talking to several people right now. "What we would like to do is bring in a team to help us sail the boat this summer, bring a brand new team up to speed to learn how to do a Volvo programme and then cast them loose come September. That's the ultimate goal. Hopefully we are putting a package out there which is valuable to a potential new team. "The boat's in great shape, we just had it ultra-sounded and it came through with flying colours. We are getting back on and sailing through the north Atlantic in the spring, so we obviously still have a lot of confidence in the boat. "Hopefully these new rules keep the older boats competitive. Our plan is to hand it over and build a new boat through the winter and go back at it again." -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/35pcz5s AUDI MELGES 20'S TO DETROIT Next up on the Audi Melges 20 USA Tour is Detroit where the NOOD Championship will take place. Detroit promises to be a strong venue for the Audi Melges 20 as well as Melges 24's. Come and check out the new Audi Melges 20 up close. If you can't make Detroit, the 20's move to Toronto for a USA Series Event. -- http://www.melges20.com FINAL FIELD SET FOR COLLEGE NATIONALS The second most important college sailing competition of the year was held over the weekend of May 1-2, and for the second consecutive year the action was dominated by schools from the East Coast. From the 200+ active racing programs that compete under the auspices of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), 36 schools were seeded, based on performance, into one of the two semifinal rounds of the ICSA/Gill Coed National Championship: the ICSA National Championship Eastern Semifinals which took place at College of Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina) or the ICSA National Championship Western Semifinals at the University of Washington (Seattle, Washington). For the 18 schools competing at each location the stakes were high - only a top-nine finish would qualify them to progress to the championship finals which will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin from May 25-June 3, 2010, in Madison, Wisconsin. At the Western Semifinals in Seattle, light air on day one only allowed for the completion of four races - two each in A and B Division. When racing wrapped up on day two, with ten races completed in both divisions, the point spread among the top three teams was a good indication of the close competition: Yale won the event with 89 points, St. Mary's was second with 91 and Roger Williams was third with 98. At the Eastern Semifinals in Charleston the big story was the dominating performance of Boston College. Fifteen races were sailed in both A and B Division, with BC winning 11. Even the addition of penalty points in one race couldn't ground the Eagles and they won the event by a 35-point margin over the hometown team from College of Charleston. While there were favorable weather and wind conditions - good breeze, air temps around 80 and sunny skies - the current on the Cooper River was a challenge for the competitors to master. Complete story and results: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/0503/ SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA The High School racing schedule will hold its double-handed national championship (Mallory Trophy) on May 7-9, 2010 in Greenwich, CT. Who is the only current member of the U.S. Sailing Team Alphagraphics to win this championship in all his/her four years of high school? (Answer below) TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE When Iceland's volcano activity through a wrench in the travel plans for the Olympic athletes seeking to attend the ISAF Sailing World Cup event last week in Hyeres, France, a group of Laser sailors headed south to Mexico. Picking up the story here is John Bertrand: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The plan was irresistible. It involved a group of highly motivated top Laser sailors, one of the world's best Laser coaches, Luther Carpenter, and an all-inclusive price including boat, lodging, food, and coaching. Not to mention, the promise of spectacular sailing conditions. The International Sailing Academy is owned and operated by a couple of top Canadian Laser sailors, Chris Dold and Vaughn Harrison. The facilities and venue are world class and offer a unique experience. It is based out of the newly built Riviera Nayarita Marina in the town of La Cruz, that just hosted two major regattas, 2010 Mexorc and Regata Copa de Mexico. It is a twenty five minute cab ride from the Puerto Vallarta international airport with easy and affordable service from all major North American airports. They have 10 new Lasers that we ramp launched from the marina, and from there it is a quick two-minute sail into the Banderas Bay. One of the best features is the consistent wind. Early in the morning the winds are light and from the south. By eleven o'clock it starts to build as it swings to the west, and in the afternoon we saw a steady 15-18 knots. It was easy to tailor our training program based on this consistent wind pattern. Another great feature was the food. Our meals were prepared by Leah Danielson and served at her home, which also houses the North Sails loft and overlooks the Marina and Bay. She has worked in the catering business both on yachts and in restaurants and is a fantastic cook. The food was fresh, local, healthy and delicious. She catered to our individuals needs and requests. It was convenient and really nice not having the hassle of eating out every night. The option to eat at the local restaurants is also quite easy, because the town is just on the other side of the marina. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/33zebjs FLYNN FLIES IN ANNAPOLIS By Michael Lovett, Sailing World As the J/80 freight train rolls northward on its USA Tour, bound for the World Championships in Newport, R.I., in October, the class just keeps picking up steam. The 36-boat fleet at the 2010 Sperry Top-Sider Annapolis NOOD was the largest of the regatta's 16 divisions, and, arguably, the most competitive. Over the course of eight races, four boats posted first-place finishes; Houston native Terry Flynn had just one bullet in his scoreline, but his team sailed with enough consistency to win both the division and the overall prize, which includes an invitation to compete in the NOOD Championship in the B.V.I. in November. The Annapolis NOOD was the first time Flynn had sailed with his crew of David Whelan, Mark Foster, and Charlie Snyder, but the Quantum sailmaker had no trouble getting everyone on the same page. "Too many times, when it's your first time sailing together as a crew, everybody's real quiet the first race of the regatta, and you do terrible," says Flynn. "We made an effort to say, 'You start giving input, and if we don't want to hear it, we'll tell you." With Foster and Snyder feeding information to Whelan, the tactician, Flynn was able to concentrate on steering the boat through the light wind and mixed-up chop on Chesapeake Bay. "I didn't do anything but drive," he says. "I put my head down, concentrated on keeping the boat moving, and listened to what they wanted me to do. I very rarely got involved in the tactical end of things. I'm pretty good at listening, and they're pretty good a putting me where we need to be." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/2anmfcc Complete results: http://www.sailingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=1000082649 ACCELERATE YOUR RACING You can spend a lifetime learning to be a better racer, or you can accelerate the process with a North U Coach. On Your Boat: Because there is no boat like your own. Stop Guessing: Rig tuning, spinnaker handling, mainsail shape, helming. We provide answers. For Your Crew: After all you have put into your boat and equipment, get North U for your crew. Learn More: Our training covers every facet of racing trim, tactics, and boat handling on your boat. North U: Turning sailors into racers and racers into winners since 1980. 800-347-2457, http://www.NorthU.com CAN YOU NAME THIS PLACE? The BLANK is a tricky place to sail. There are a number of different areas they can set your race course in when you are sailing out of BLANK. Each area is unique in how the wind behaves. But there are a few generalizations I can make that might help you out. If you are sailing upwind, the closer you get to a shoreline, the shiftier it will get. Whenever the breeze is blowing from the North or South and you are sailing out in the middle of the bay, the wind can be pretty steady with oscillations every 5 minutes or so. Always check the weather forecast because big persistent shifts can happen with an approaching front. Another persistent shift happens when the seabreeze fills in. The seabreeze is from the SW direction. The summers are hot and muggy with very little wind. The pattern in the summer is hot, no wind, late afternoon thunderstorm, no wind, and then a gentle breeze arrives in the evening. Answer on Scuttlebutt Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/324q6nx SAILING SHORTS * The Canadian Yachting Association (CYA), the national sports organization representing the sport of Sailing in Canada, has a call now for nominations to the CYA Board of Directors. The Board has the responsibility to oversee the conduct of the business of the CYA and to supervise the Executive Director, who is delegated responsibility for the day-to-day conduct of business of the CYA. Any responsibility not delegated to the Executive Director or a committee of the Board remains with the Board. -- Details: http://www.sailing.ca/features/call_for_nominations_2010/ * (May 3, 2010; Day 14) - The route for the Clipper 09-10 Round The World Yacht fleet from San Francisco to Jamaica now finds the fleet off El Salvador with no wind and mirror-like seas. The nine teams are now faced with the challenges of keeping the heavy boats going in the heat and lack of wind. The 'Spirit of Australia' team hold a 8nm lead over second place 'Qingdao' with 785 nm to the finish. -- Event website: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com * Gmunden, Austria (May 3, 2010) - The ten RC 44 teams remained on land all day, waiting for wind during the second event - The Austria Cup - of their six event 2010 schedule. Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio had no other choice than to cancel the races at 3:30 PM. Four teams are currently separated by three points in the overall ranking, with the top two teams including BMW Oracle Racing team members Larry Ellison, Russell Coutts, James Spithill, and John Kostecki. -- Class website: http://www.rc44.com/en/regattas/news/index.php * Barbados, West Indies (May 3, 2010) - Chips Howarth & Vyv Townend (GBR) remain in the lead after the second day of the Fireball World Championship. Seventy boats from 15 countries are competing, with teams from Great Britain holding 8 of the top 10 places. -- Event website: http://www.fireball-worlds.com/ TRIVIA ANSWER Mark Mendelblatt is the only member of the U.S. Sailing Team Alphagraphics to win the high school double-handed national championship in all his four years of high school. Now sailing in the Olympic Star event, Mark was a member of the winning St Petersburg High School team (St. Petersburg, FL) from 1988 through 1991. Twenty high schools will be competing in the 2010 Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA) Fleet Racing Championship (Mallory Trophy), hosted by Indian Harbor YC at Greenwich, CT on May 7-9. The Mallory Trophy is school sailing's oldest trophy, with the first event held in 1930. It was selected and presented to the then-IYRA (now ISSA) by Clifford Mallory and his son, when the elder Mallory was Commodore of Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, and President of NAYRU, the predecessor of US SAILING. -- http://www.highschoolsailingusa.org SHOP FOR THE BEST ... FROM THE BEST Upgrading your gear? If you're looking for the newest and most extensive offering of Henri Lloyd technical clothing and Gore products, look no further than your closest HL Elite Dealer for a full range of styles, sizes and colors. Click here to locate an HL Elite Dealer near you: http://www.henrilloydonline.com/web/categories2.php?cat=dealer_styles 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 Bruce Ells: (re, 'What's Really Wrong With Yacht Clubs' in #3078) Unfortunately for many yacht clubs, and for their members who pay the bills, there are lots of sailing crew who won't step up and join the club where they do their sailing on other people's boats, because they feel it's just not worth it when they don't own a boat or go to the club on any day other than race day. These people are reaping huge benefits and lifetime experiences in the enjoyment they get from sailboat racing, but they want other people to pay for it. I understand it costs money to support a family and put children through college, and those are priorities over sailboat racing, but it also costs money to establish and maintain a yacht club. And it takes dedicated volunteers to run the yacht club and all its events and races. The only volunteers I've ever seen at the club and at the races are our dues-paying yacht club members. Along with not joining the club, and thereby helping with the cost of providing all the enjoyment non-member crew seem to want to have, many don't want to volunteer either. The yacht club members I know happily pay for their own fun, and they pay for a lot of other people's fun, too. We can help grow membership by encouraging our non-member crews to be a real part of what it takes to have a race day. * From Steve Brownsea: I understand how the initiation fees and monthly dues required to join a yacht club seem to some to be taking away from your children's collage future, but for me I believe it is an investment in my daughter's future. The friends she has made and what she has learned through sailing is irreplaceable. It does not take too many trips to the movie theater, the mall or some dinners out to make up the monthly dues required to be a member of a club and give your children a head start in the sort of life that they can enjoy many years to come. * From Ryan Stotland: A friend of mine Jack Lee from Montreal, Canada, is currently sailing around Britain (3000 nm) and expects to finish his trip at the beginning of July. During his quest he is raising funds for two charitable causes that are applicable to his trip...the Marine Conservation society and the Heart and Stroke foundation. He has already raised 30,000 dollars in funds but hopes to raise over 100,000 by the time the trip is completed. As a friend of his, I am trying to spread the word so that he can accomplish his goal of raising money for these two important causes. His website is tracking his progress with updates on his blog and more info about the causes and his life story. I hope that you might find this to be an interesting story to include in Scuttlebutt. His website is http://www.sailbritain.org CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "Money and women. They're two of the strongest things in the world. The things you do for a woman you wouldn't do for anything else. Same with money." - Satchel Paige Special thanks to Audi Melges 20, North U, and Henri Lloyd. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
