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SCUTTLEBUTT 2228 – November 21, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with support provided by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). TRAINING AGAIN (Nov 20, 2006) Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America’s Cup, kicked off their winter training today in Dubai. The team decided to make this move due to the poor winter weather conditions in Valencia, and because they felt the Dubai weather would almost exactly emulate the conditions in Valencia, Spain in June, which is when the America’s Cup Match will be next year. Moving an America’s Cup team is no small feat, particularly one as well supported as Alinghi. First came the 3,500-ton cargo ship carrying the contents of the Alinghi compound, which set off from Valencia on the October 23rd. The route took it through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, on into the Arabian Gulf and through the Straits of Hormuz to arrive 18 days and 4,600 nautical miles later in Jebel Ali Port of Dubai. The shore crew set up the temporary base at the Dubai International Marine Club with a boatshed, sail loft, 10 workshop containers, the two America’s Cup Class racing yachts, masts, keels, no less than 65 sails and everything else that is needed to get the boats out sailing everyday. Next came the transportation of the team members from Europe to Dubai, which Swiss International Air Lines, latest official supplier to the team has provided. Approximately 60 people, half the America’s Cup team, are now in Dubai, including the sailing team, designers and shore crew. Alinghi will be in Dubai until late February when the team will return to Valencia to continue training for the America’s Cup Match, which will be from the June 23 -July 7. -- http://www.alinghi.com MONDAY MORNING TACTICIAN (American Andrew Campbell is the top ranked Laser sailor in the US, and was the 2006 College Sailor of the Year. Below is an excerpt from Andrew’s blog, where he finds himself amongst a crew racing this past weekend, and is reminded in how communication becomes the key to success.) I had the good fortune of sailing on a J/105 this weekend in San Diego Yacht Club’s Hot Rum Series. With a weak Santa Ana system setup over the SW, the conditions were trying. The closer to shore you sailed, the lighter the breeze, with its range between a glassy 0 knots at some marks to 15+ at others. Adding to the chaos, I was on the boat with my brother, father, girlfriend, and owners Pam and Doug Warner. Needless to say there was opportunity for family bonding or total meltdown. I can sum up my impression of the two and a half hour race in one word: vocabulary. Finding the right vocabulary to use on boats with more than just one person can preempt a number of potentially disastrous situations. Hopefully I will be able to shed some light on a couple of the communications interchanged on Javelin this past Sunday. -- Read on, http://tinyurl.com/yazwya DEAR ISAF PRESIDENT During eleven days’ of meetings at the 2006 ISAF Annual Conference in Helsinki, Finland, leading figures from across the sailing world got together to debate and decided upon some of the foremost issues in the sport of sailing. Amongst the hot topics in Helsinki were a new World Cup for the Olympic Classes, a new Medal Race course for the windsurfers and the creation of a Working Party to look at the events for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. Now, ISAF is providing the chance for Scuttlebutt readers to pose their questions about the discussions and decisions directly to ISAF President Göran Petersson. A selection of the best questions and the answers from the President will be published on ISAF website on Monday, November 27. Email your Conference question together with your name and nation of residence to mailto:askthepresident@isaf.co.uk ATTENTION ALL SAILORS!!! The Camet clothing line keeps growing. They have now added T-shirts for kids, with sailing graphics for all ages in a variety of colors and designs; perfect gifts for young and future sailors. Camet offers a complete line of padded sailing shorts with a new navy blue color in the Cargo shorts, made in a fast drying breathable fabric, reinforced seat to insert foam pads, two Cargo pockets, phone pocket, adjustable waist, and belt loops. Additional “must have” gear includes Code Zero shirts, Mylar bags, Coolmax, shirts, Rash guards, Neoprene shirts/ hiking pants, and Padded vests. Camet website: http://www.camet.com THE SCUTTLEBUTT SPOTLIGHT (Two weeks ago at the College Single-handed Nationals, Yale University’s Women’s Sailing Captain, Emily Hill, finished in fourth place. Here are some excerpts from an interview conducted by the school newspaper.) Yale Herald: How did you first get into sailing? Emily Hill: I started when I was nine. My family used to take a lot of trips and vacations on the water, and one time, my dad signed me up for a sailing class. YH: What’s your most memorable moment here at Yale on the water? EH: We won Nationals my freshman year, so that was pretty exciting. But, I’d say just any day on the water that is a classic YCYC [Yale Corinthian Yacht Club, pronounced “yik-yik”] day with big waves and lots of wind and lots of spray. YH: Do you have any pre-race superstitions or rituals? EH: Not really. We always like to listen to a song that everyone’s into and blast the heat so that we stay warm before we going on the water. YH: How does the team look this year? EH: We’ve got a really big team this year, so practice is really hard. That’ s actually making us a lot better. We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores who are developing now. We have a bright outlook, but we have to work really hard to capitalize on our potential. YH: What’s the best advice you’ve received? EH: It doesn’t matter what people think about you. You have to do what’s right for you. Also, don’t take yourself too seriously. YH: You’re from Miami. How long did it take you to adapt to the weather? EH: A long time. I didn’t know what fleece was. Now, I’m an expert layer-er. Complete interview: http://www.yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=5057 SANTABUTT WANTS YOUR GIFT LIST For six weeks, Scuttlebutt will be asking for your holiday gift list, and each week SantaButt will give a $50 gift certificate to one of the gift lists that have been sent in. There are now five weeks remaining to submit your “must have” items for this year’s holiday season. Post your gift list here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/2006/gifts WHERE ARE THE AMERICANS? Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia (Nov. 20, 2006) With racing scheduled to begin Wednesday, Nov. 29, the lineup has been confirmed for the Monsoon Cup, Stage 6 of the 2006-’07 World Match Racing Tour and the richest sailing event in the world. The 12 skippers and crews will be chasing a prize purse of MYR 1 million, (approx. $275,000 USD). It is the largest prize purse offered in sailing. The winner will earn MYR 250,000 (nearly $70,000 USD). Racing is scheduled Nov. 29-Dec. 3. While the twelve-team field is filled with top talent, it is absent of North American representation other than Alinghi’s Peter Holmberg of the USVI. Heading the lineup is the event reigning champion and match racing world champion Peter Gilmour of the PST team from Australia. Another entrant is current world championship leader Ian Williams of Team Pindar from Great Britain. America’s Cup syndicates are represented by Jesper Bank of United Internet Team Germany, Paolo Cian of Team Shosholoza, Sébastian Col of Areva Challenge, James Spithill of Luna Rossa Challenge and Wearn Haw Tan of China Team. Other participants are Björn Hansen (SWE), Team Apport.net; Tiffany Koo (MAL), Team Selango Gapurna; Adam Minoprio (NZL), Black Match Racing; and Mathieu Richard (FRA), Saba Sailing Team. Racing will be held in the Foundation 36, designed by New Zealander Brett Bakewell-White, with the semifinal and final rounds on Dec. 2 and 3 scheduled to be broadcast live on the Internet at www.sail.tv. Additional details at http://www.WorldMatchRacingTour.com GET RULES ANSWERS ... AND WIN. The UK-Halsey animated Rules Quizzes remain the best online racing tool - try them at ukhalsey.com. Now, we’re going one step further: email your rules questions to us and we’ll answer them. If we turn your question into a quiz, you’ll win a free copy of our Rules Quiz CD. Too impatient to submit and wait? Looking for a great holiday gift? You can buy our CD at our online store for $45. That’s money well spent if it keeps you or a friend on the winning side of future protests. E-mail questions to: rulesquestions@ukhalsey.com. Take the quizzes at: http://www.ukhalsey.com SAILING SHORTS * (Nov. 20, 2006) US Sailing has presented Urban Miyares (San Diego, CA) with the Gay S. Lynn Memorial Trophy for his outstanding contribution to disabled sailors and the sport of disabled sailing. Miyares, a blind sailor who has skippered two Transpac races and numerous Newport-Ensenada races, is the founder and CEO of Challenged America, an organization focused on providing free sailing opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. Miyares was presented with the award during an awards banquet at US Sailing's Annual Meeting in Newport, R.I., last Saturday. -- US Sailing, full report: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2006/lynntrophy.htm * When the College Dinghy Nationals were hosted by the College of Charleston last May, Russ O'Reilly was helping the home team win the event, himself taking B division honors. Flash forward to last weekend, and with the College Sloop Nationals being sailed in Charleston’s fleet of J/22s, O'Reilly with crew Chris Lash and Brendan Healy were again able to claim the win for their school. -- Complete results: http://www.collegesailing.org/regattaLatest.asp?RegattaID=156 (photo gallery courtesy of Glennon Stratton: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/1120) * The 32nd America’s Cup Challenger Commission website reports that British participation in the next cup might be gaining momentum. Amongst the UK’s "Power 100" people in the twelfth spot is Sir Keith Mills, who amongst many other initiatives, is now purportedly “heading a British challenge for the America's Cup.” -- Full story: http://www.challengercommission.com/labels/GBR.html * A long-awaited sold wingsail has been fitted to Paul Larsen's SailRocket, the boat in which he hopes to break the 50-knot barrier, and this photo by Mark Lloyd shows Paul taking it for a spin in Portland Harbour. The top speed in the previous soft sail rig was 31 knots. This new version is 16 sq m, weighs 50kg and, says Paul: "according to our VPP (velocity prediction program) SailRocket should be capable of hitting 55 knots of boat speed in 22 knots of wind assuming ideal conditions." -- Elaine Bunting, Yachting World, http://tinyurl.com/ybxzfr * (Long Beach, CA) 279 entries in 20 classes relished in light winds for Alamitos Bay Yacht Club's traditional Turkey Day Regatta Nov. 18-19. The resurgence of the Finn and Lido 14, along with the many other popular west coast one-design fleets, continues to make this a popular regional early winter event. -- Results: http://www.abyc.org/upload/2006_Turkey_Day_Results5.htm * Thanks to photographer Fried Elliott, who has provided Scuttlebutt with images from the Star North Americans. From 79 boats jetting off the start line, to the massive crews balancing on the bow downwind, to Tony Herrmann’s 12-year old granddaughter droop hiking upwind. Enjoy: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/1118/index.asp RACES IN PROGRESS * Velux 5 Oceans leader Bernard Stamm, onboard the Open 60 Cheminees Poujoulat, this morning reported a broken halyard and over 40 knots of wind. Although the defending champion has the benefit of a substantial lead of over 700 miles, the Swiss skipper will surely feel the presence of the chasing yachts. Stamm, however, does not appear to have let a broken halyard slow him down for the moment and is battling through the strong winds with gusto. Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) in second, Mike Golding (Ecover) in third and Kojiro Shiraishi (Spirit of Yukoh), now only separated by 146 miles, have been clocking impressive speeds as they power reach towards Western Australia and the finish of Leg 1. --Velux 5 Oceans race website: http://www.velux5oceans.com * The 70 boat Audi Etchells Worlds fleet received another sailing lesson from triple North American Champion Jud Smith today off Fremantle, in Race 3 in the eight-race regatta. Jud Smith won the first race in the series and was second yesterday. Today he sailed through Briton Andy Beadsworth on the final beat, gaining 37 seconds, to take the gun for the second time. Overall Smith leads the series with four points with 1,2,1 from Andy Beadsworth on nine points from 3,4,2. In third place is Alastair Gair on 29 points with 2,23,4. This eight race series has a drop and once that is applied the leaders will close up. A fresh day on the water with the 'Fremantle Doctor', providing plenty of whitecaps, or as the Kiwi born PRO Denis Thompson says 'there were plenty of sheep in the paddock.' It took three general recalls before the fleet got started, with the final beat of the race being shortened to 1.6 mile due to a large Naval vessel steaming up the course. It was up this last beat when Smith was able to finally pass race leader Beadsworth, who was unable to avoid the heavy downwind traffic. Back on the dock Smith explained the day, “We sailed with our light medium jib and we think that helped us to the first mark. We stayed close all through the race to Andy Beadsworth. Then at the final bottom mark, we switched gates with them, we faked left and went right, and he was committed to the left. I got snuckered just the same way by Dennis and then last year by Hank Lammens and lost both times as you have to sail through the fleet to cover and that costs.” Said Beadsworth, “At the bottom mark against Jud, we made our own decision; we went to the wrong mark, had a less than perfect drop and then had gas all the way up to the finish.” More information online now at http://www.etchellsworlds2006.org ON YOUR HOLIDAY TO DO LIST - KEY WEST! Don’t miss the party! North America’s premiere international regatta - Acura Key West 2007 (Jan 15-19) - is fast approaching. World-class competition featuring IRC, One-Designs and a PHRF National Championship, professional race management, incredible conditions and a 20th year celebration. Hurry, entry deadline is December 8th. Details and online entry: http://www.Premiere-Racing.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Peter O. Allen, Sr.: I was delighted to see the selection of Bill Sandberg as US Sailing's Sailor of the Week. I think that Scuttlebutt's leadership should prevail on Mr. Sandberg to share the product of the work of his Moosehead Committee, which honors the work of race committees who demonstrate why we all love them so well. A cursory search of both the worldwide web and the web site of AYC failed to reveal any information on the valuable contributions of this committee to the sport of sailboat racing. It's obvious that the work of the Moosehead Committee has too long gone without sufficient recognition. I suggest it's time for their work to be broadcast far and wide. Curmudgeon’s Comment: We agree, and will seek out Bill to learn of the next award recipients. * From Joshua Bone: I was so excited to see that after all of these years, Mrs. Susie Trotman received the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy. Over the years she has been a huge force in the Long Island junior sailing scene. Susie and Stan open up their beautiful home every year for junior coming in to compete or train on Long Island. I happened to be one of these lucky individuals. Some years ago there was an invitational racing clinic held at the USMMA. Joey Harris, my coach at the time and Evan Thompson, team member from Columbia Yacht Club flew in from Chicago, and I from Fort Worth. Susie picked us up at the airport and rushed us to her home. The garage was filled floor to ceiling with Gatorade, bottled water, soda, cookies and other snacks. It was easy to see that she had things extremely organized and that we better not try to help. Susie didn’t want people to help her. She always has a can and must do attitude. We dropped our bags in our pre-designated rooms and were summoned to come downstairs. On the counter there was a guest book. It was filled with the names and notes of yachting elite. We were asked to sign. * From Al Johnson, Seattle, WA (RE Issue 2227, Melges 24 Nationals) I suppose that it was inevitable to see the top boats in the Melges 24 Nationals listed with someone other than the owner “at the helm.” We’ve come to expect that owners rarely steer on their zillion dollar programs, but we now have hired guns driving 24-footers for someone else? What’s next – having someone steer your Laser for you? I’m not a golfer, but if I was, I don’t think that I’d enter a tournament and pay Tiger Woods to hit my shots for me. What’s the point of playing? I thought the point of racing was to test your skills against the completion, not your designated driver’s skills. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Youth is when we are always hunting greener pastures, and middle age is when we can barely mow the ones we've got. Special thanks to Camet clothing, UK-Halsey Sailmakers, and Premiere Racing. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
