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SCUTTLEBUTT 3341 - Friday, May 13, 2011Scuttlebutt 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: Point Loma Outfitting and Mount Gay Rum. MASCALZONE LATINO DROPS OUT OF AMERICA'S CUP (May 12, 2011) - It was revealed today that the team representing the Challenger of Record (COR) for the 34th America's Cup has quit. Italian Vincenzo Onorato and his Mascalzone Latino team, which was designated to compete for Club Nautico di Roma (CNR), announced that they were unable to reach a budget that would allow them to field a competitive team. "In our sport, men in blazer have overcome by now those in oilskins," said Onorato. "I'm a man in oilskin and when I go in the sea, I want to win. I'm not interested in a hopeless challenge, I would lie to the sponsors, to our fans and last but not least also to myself." Just over a year ago, when the space-age trimaran BMW Oracle completed a two-race sweep on February 14, 2010 to win the 33rd America's Cup from two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland, team owner Larry Ellison's Club - Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) - announced that a challenge had been accepted from CNR to be the Challenger of Record for the next match. In the Deed of Gift for the America's Cup, entries are submitted by Clubs, not teams. However, in the modern era of the America's Cup, the Club is often forgotten, with the team taking the leadership role. And since the challenge was accepted, Onorato's stewardship as COR had been questioned. With so many changes occurring with the format of the next event, many arguably in favor of the Russell Coutts (NZL) led Oracle Racing defender, it was felt that the interests of the challengers were not being sufficiently upheld. Onorato had said this past February that the role of the COR was in part, "to try to keep the Defender (which is a very rich team) sensitive to the problems of the others teams in search of sponsor and consequently to keep the costs low." For Onorato, who had competed as a challenger for both the 2003 and 2007 America's Cup, the challenge for funding was real. At the time he admitted that "If, in the next few months, I won't be able to find the economic resources to make my team competitive, then I'll quit." And today he made it official. What happens next is not clear, as no announcement has come yet from the GGYC or CNR. If desired, CNR can continue as COR without a team, as had occurred in three prior America's Cup events (1970, 1992, and 1995). If CNR declines the role, it would be offered to the next Club that had entered, which would be Kungliga Svenska Segal Sallskapet (SWE), represented by the Paul Cayard (USA) led Artemis Racing team. If KSSS accepts the role of COR, the situation would seem eerily similar to when Coutts and Cayard announced in February 2007 that they were launching the World Sailing League (WSL). The plan, which failed to gain traction, was to launch a global series at venues in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and South America, and that teams would compete in ... state-of-the-art 70ft catamarans. Feb. 9, 2007 - WSL announcement: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT-3591 June 15, 2009 - Cayard interview: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT-061509 Feb. 3, 2011 - Onorato interview: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT-020311 May 12, 2011 - Onorato announcement: http://tinyurl.com/ML-020311 ENTRIES: With entrants required to post a $200,000 Performance Bond on April 30th, it is expected that more teams will drop out. It has not yet been announced what teams failed to submit the bond, so the current count is now one defense entry and 12 challenge entries. LOCAL NEWS: While it is unclear if Oracle Racing's winning trimaran from the 33rd America's Cup will ever splash in San Francisco Bay, locals will get an early look at the AC45. The team will be on the bay sailing the new catamaran, which will be the platform for the first season of the America's Cup World Series, probably by the second week of June. -- http://tinyurl.com/BJ-051211 WANT WIND? YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. For the 32 boats preparing for the Melges 24 World Championship next week, the chatter has been less about who will win and more about who won't survive. The focus has been on the venue - Corpus Christi, Texas - and the extreme conditions that are expected. Situated along the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi is nearly as far south in Texas as Miami is to Florida. So it's warm. This time of year temperatures reach the mid 80's, which might be why the Worlds are in May and not summer when the mercury (and humidity) climbs higher. But it's the sailing conditions that have people talking. Perhaps there is cause for the Latin translation of the city's name to be "Body of Christ'. To succeed at this venue, you may have to be a believer. Here are some comments from the race course: * From 2-time Olympic medalist Charlie McKee (USA), tactician for Kristan Lane (USA), winners at the 2011 Charleston Race Week: "Imagine sailing in 25 knots on the Berkeley Circle (in SF) if the water were 80 degrees? Or picture "The Gorge" with big chop and no current. Or in Southern California, the Long Beach/Cabrillo consistent summer seabreeze with 5-8 more knots and a more tactically interesting racecourse? That is what sailing in Corpus Christi is like. Now mix in some of the worlds top sailors (and others of us who appreciate the opportunity to race against the best), fantastic boats that are both fast and highly tactical, great hospitality, and you have the making of one fun regatta!" * From 2-time US SAILINGs Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Ed Adams, coach for Alec Cutler and his Hedgehog team: "Corpus is one of the most reliably windy venues in this country. The wind can either be a gradient SE breeze driven by the typical thermal low over west Texas, or be a pure seabreeze that forms in an offshore gradient. Either way, it's often windy when you wake up and nearly always windy by late afternoon. A weak seabreeze day still sees winds in the teens, and on a good day it is in the 20s. On some days it touches 30. "The conditions feel like Biscayne Bay (Miami) in a strong southerly. The Bay is shallow and the fetch is about 15 miles. There is a tremendous amount of space at Corpus Christi Yacht Club. And there are plenty of hotels within walking distance. Corpus isn't glamorous like Miami or San Francisco, but if you want wind, it's a good venue." The race schedule is Monday through Saturday (May 16-21). Look for more comments from the race course next week. Event website: http://www.melgesworlds.com GOOD STEAL, I MEAN DEAL ON SLAM SAILING GEAR With the arrival of the new 2011 Superyacht collection from SLAM, there is a need to clear out some of the older styles. Here's a chance to save 25% on some great gear, while supplies last! Better yet it's just in time for the 2011 season. Foul weather gear, shoes, shirts shorts, etc. Visit www.slam-shops.com/clearance.html to see all of these great deals, and save bundles! There is also still time to outfit your team. Give us a call and ewe will help your team look good on, or off the water with our new apparel. http://www.pointlomaoutfitting.com/team-clothing.php CLASSIFYING PAID CREW AND EMPLOYEES The ISAF Classification system is a service to classes and events who want to define who they want to sail. If there is a limit on the number professional sailors that can participate on a boat, the Classification Code is the system that must be used. The challenge of the Code is to fairly determine what types of activity warrant a sailor to be classified as Group 3 (professional), and what is permitted within the Group 1 (amateur) classification. One of the tools of the Code is a list of over 120 frequently asked questions (FAQs), with their answers helping to define Group 1 and 3. Here are the FAQs for Paid Crew and Employees: Q. Can a sailor who is paid to work by the owner of a boat on which he races be a Group 1 sailor? A. No, he is Group 3 unless there is no connection between his work and the boat on which he races. Q. Is a paid crew on large sailing boats that never race or on motor boats Group 1? A. Yes, provided that his work on the sailing boat or motor boat is not connected to a boat on which he races. Q. May a crew working on a sailing boat as part of the crew and very occasionally racing for 'fun' on that boat in a 'fun regatta' remain Group 1? A. Yes. Provided the racing has not been organised in accordance with RRS 89. Q. May a sailor who is paid to maintain his friend's boat but is not paid when racing on it be Group 1? A. No. He is Group 3. Maintenance is included in the activities in Regulation 22.2.2(a)(ii). Q. A sailor works on a boat that races. The sailor is not involved in the handling of the boat and only looks after the guests. Can that sailor be Group 1? A. Yes, provided the duties do not include any racing role. Q. Can a sailor who gets paid for the delivery of a boat be a Group 1? A. Yes, unless he races on that boat, in which case he would be Group 3. ISAF Sailor Classification Code: http://tinyurl.com/ISAF-CODE-0111 ISAF Sailor Classification Code FAQS: http://tinyurl.com/CODE-FAQS-0111 WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR Marseille, France (May 12, 2011) - A steely performance in the second Qualifying Session from Torvar Mirsky (AUS) now leaves him one win away from topping the field in the first stage of Match Race France, the opening event of the 2011 World Match Racing Tour. Despite an early defeat today at the hands of four-time World Champion Peter Gilmour, Mirsky's team went on an undefeated run of five matches including notable wins against Damien Iehl (FRA) French and Jesper Radich (DEN), two of the five teams to have secured their places in the Quarter-Finals. One team who are far from certain to reach the Quarter-Finals despite being widely tipped as favourites to win here is Ian Williams' Team GAC Pindar. A run of defeats today meant the two-time World Champion had the sizeable challenge to win his final three races of the round to enter a tie-break. Phil Robertson (NZL) and Francesco Bruni (ITA) were duly dispatched, but light winds will delay the final match against Bjorn Hansen (SWE) to Friday. Each team gets 11 qualifying races, and a win would put Williams and four other teams at 5-6, with tie breaking rules advancing only three of the teams into the Quarter-Final stage. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-051211 Stage 1 - Qualifying (current standings) Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team, 7-3 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat, 7-3 Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team, 6-5 Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners, 6-5 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Mascalzone Latino, 5-5 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing Team, 5-5 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, 5-6 Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team, 5-6 Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan, 5-6 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, 4-6 Alexis Littoz-Baritel (FRA) Savoie Mont Blanc, 4-7 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team, 2-7 RESULTS/ PAIRINGS: http://tinyurl.com/MRF-051111 UPDATES: Live text updates and streaming video are on the WMRT website: http://www.wmrt.com AWARDS: Winners of the 2010 World Match Racing Tour Awards were unveiled today (May 12) with The Monsoon Cup in Malaysia taking the coveted title for the Best Overall Event, while Ben Ainslie and his TEAMORIGIN were recognised as the Best Team. The awards, which were voted for by the sailors and media, saw winners selected in 7 further categories which included the best overall management; marketing; media operations; audience engagement initiative; TV innovation and most improved event. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-051211A SAILING SHORTS * Gmunden, Austria (May 12, 2011) - On a day that started with blue skies and light winds, and ended with the fleet of RC44's sheltering in a corner of Lake Traunsee on storm moorings, the random conditions challenged consistency among the thirteen teams at RC44 Austria Cup. However, rolling a 2-2-3 was 2010 circuit winner Oracle Racing, with American Steve Howe steering in the absence of owner Larry Ellison. With Russell Coutts calling the shots, Oracle Racing finished the day with a six point lead over second placed Katusha. -- Full story: http://www.rc44.com/news/view/keep_calm_and_keep_fighting * With the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Team Race National Championship on May 27-29 in Cascade Locks, Oregon, the form guide is now out on who is expected to vie for the Walter C. Wood Trophy. The Sail1Design ICSA Team Race rankings have Georgetown, who finished third in the 2010 event, as the leading contender. Full list: http://www.sail1design.com/rankings/icsa-rankings * Madeira, a Portuguese archipelago less than 400 km north of the Canary Islands in the north Atlantic Ocean, has secured a visit by the ten-strong fleet competing in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race which, at 40,000 miles, is the world's longest race. A popular year-round resort, Madeira will be the first port of call after the 68-foot Clipper yachts depart the UK on 31 July during the first leg from the UK to Brazil. The fleet is expected to arrive in Madeira between 8 and 10 August this year. -- Full report: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/race-news?item=199 * The inshore series for the Atlantic Cup, a new professional event for Class40 teams, takes place May 14-15 on Narragansett Bay in Newport, RI. The points accumulated in the offshore stage last weekend will be combined with the inshore races to determine the overall event winner and recipient of $7,000 from the $15,000 prize purse. Currently the standings are led by Mike Hennessy and Rob Windsor sailing the Owen Clarke designed Team Dragon. -- http://www.atlanticcup.org * The entry list for the 2011 Etchells World Championship in San Diego, CA is now at 80 boats from 10 countries: USA, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Greece and Bermuda. Nine races are scheduled on June 6-11. Former World champions who have entered include former America's Cup winner Dennis Conner, who has two titles (1991, 1994), John Savage, AUS (1979, 1988), Stuart Childerly, GBR (2001, 2002), Bill Hardesty, USA (2008), Jud Smith, USA (2006), Vince Brun, USA (2000), and Etchells builder Dirk Kneulman, CAN (1998). -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=11837 * Competitors are gearing up for the Storm Trysail Club's (STC) 24th Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex, which has been returning biennially to one of New England's most beloved island getaways since 1965. The five-day regatta, scheduled for June 20-24, has just announced that it will be hosting the J/109 East Coast Championship along with the previously announced 2011 IRC East Coast Championship and the J/122 National Championship. Along with these high-caliber featured competitions, the regatta will also include the debut of the new J/111 class and some serious racing for a large PHRF fleet. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=11839 SAILING SPOKEN HERE. THE CONVERSATION HAS BEGUN! For sailors around the globe like you, Mount Gay Rum has launched Sailing Spoken Here. With thousands of world-wide members today, sailors have connected to discuss their technical challenges, share their most treasured sailing photos, debate their past regatta scenarios, and to find their favorite sailing bars to celebrate the completion of a day at sea. If you haven't already jumped into the conversation, you're missing out. Luckily, today's a new day: http://www.sailingspokenhere.com PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include wings and foils, damage deposits, island fever, kids and lifelines, May calendar, next 100 years, trimaran nationals, and high water. Here are this week's photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/0513/ SEND US YOUR PHOTOS: If you have images to share for the Photos of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK With so many Optimist sailors in the U.S., the United States Optimist Dinghy Association each year must host a Team Trials to help in the selection of who can attend the international events on behalf of the country. The 2011 trials were held on San Francisco Bay May 4-7, in full view of the Golden Gate Bridge... and the wind gods. The four day regatta provided the 172 sailors with 12 races of spring conditions on the Bay. While it was a bit early for the nuking winds typically found in the summer, it looks as if there is plenty on in this video. Click here for this week's video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/11/0513/ BONUS 1: When the Paralympic Games added the doublehanded sailing event, their choice of the Skud 18 was brilliant. This boat is pure fun, whether you are disabled or not. This video shows the Skud 18 flying along in big wind, on a broad reach, with the spinnaker up: http://youtu.be/mICCbjq0AU4 BONUS 2: If your roots are deep in the keelboat side of the sport, but you have long wondered what dinghy sailing was like, this video is for you. Come onboard this Vanguard 15 to see what it takes: http://youtu.be/f3p7lnnIOUA BONUS 3: The America's Cup organizers are following the "try it, you'll like it" strategy concerning the switch to multihulls. Watch at your own risk: http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/u BONUS 4: To recognize the danger that lurks whenever the 13th day of any month falls on a Friday (like on May 13, 2011), this video provides the top 13 moments from the Friday the 13th movies. This video contains content that some people may find offensive, but the clip was really easy to find when we searched for it. You've been warned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gftv1w3dudU&hd=1 SEND US YOUR VIDEOS: If you have clips to share for the Video of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Clark Chapin: (re, 2016 Olympic events) Why focus on the elimination of keelboats vs. "skiffs" or "dinghies" and ignore the question of why the Laser and Finn are both still included? * From Bill Croughwell: Using the logic of the sailing experts who eliminated the Star from the 2016 Olympics, can we also expect to see the Track and Field experts eliminate the Discus in favor of the Frisbee? * From Casey Robert Baldwin (re: S'Butt 3340 Olympic Sailing Circus) Completely agree with Olympian Carol Cronin that ISAF decision dropping keel-boats is a travesty that should have been avoided. Amongst the many complex and partially political decisions the ISAF execs in St. Pete ignored, was a simple conservative choice. Eliminate the beloved and heavy ancient 'Finn Class' to make room for a mixed-gender crewed hi-tech keel-boat. The Finn has been in every Olympics for 60 years (incl. 2012), weighs near 3X the Laser at a hefty 320 pounds with roughly the same length. In a decent breeze, this class requires serious muscle power and weight for the skipper to be competitive, limiting those who wish to compete in the Finn. The older 'Star Class' (designed 1910) was less limited and better qualified to be retained than the Finn. If both these excellent traditional boats had been dropped, ISAF would have no problem including a modern keel-boat class. That aside and to push Cronin's point, to eliminate the expensive investment in time and money spent on the Elliot 6 after only a few years (over 2 dozen already sold to Olympic hopefuls), is a confused and illogical decision. The Elliot 6 could have easily been retained, even if they altered that class event from Women's Match Racing to mixed-gender crew racing (any combination) in fleet, for this excellent and small modern keel-boat. Human beings tend to traditional and ritualistic behaviour, including ISAF's exec committee. They have bowed to some modern changes whilst ignoring the obvious, even conservative changes, in eliminating keel-boats for 2016. * From Richard Clark, Aotearoa New Zealand: After years of living with a professional painting father who fired his red lead paint pots at the end of the day and years of painting my own hulls with high copper/lead content anti foul paints, I am dealing with a huge level of toxins in my body. Lead, Mercury, Arsenic & more. I was shocked when, a couple of weeks ago, the tests came back from the Lab and I got to see the effects of such exposure. I was very cavalier; yes I wore a mask, I wore gloves and overalls but these toxins are far more powerful and invasive. I hope all sailors pay attention to cause and effect. * From Eric Sorensen: I love John Beale's use of the term 'front porch' for the foredeck (in Scuttlebutt 3340). That was my haunt during my 3+ decades of big boat racing. The use of the slightly off terms on boats, that is not using 'correct' nautical terms, is great fun. For example, below deck turns into downstairs, the lazerrette is the garage, the swim step is the back porch, etc. Are there other terms to add to this naughty dictionary? CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION It is bad luck to fall out of a thirteenth story window on Friday. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Summit Yachts - Team One Newport Atlantis WeatherGear - IYRS - North Sails Doyle Sails - West Marine - LaserPerformance - Ullman Sails J Boats - Point Loma Outfitting - Mount Gay Rum Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
