|
SCUTTLEBUTT 3724 - Wednesday, November 21, 2012Scuttlebutt 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: Atlantis WeatherGear, Ullman Sails, and J Boats. BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION The decisions from the ISAF Annual Conference (Nov. 1-11) have once again stirred our passions, with commentary in Scuttlebutt offering 'friendly feedback' on their administration of the sport. But as Latitude 38 Associate Publisher John Arndt reminds us, being part of the solution occurs as soon as we release the dock lines and raise the sails. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I think almost my entire understanding of ISAF comes from years of reading Scuttlebutt, following the banter and appreciating the comments and efforts of people like past president Paul Henderson who try hard to make it all work. Paul mentioned this week that "Sailors by nature are complainers and believe that through their local eyes the world of sailing can be run." I don't think sailors like to complain, but I do think they are passionate about sailing - and most passionate about their niche within sailing. I can't imagine how to organize it all. People say leading any association is like herding cats, but in the case of sailing it's worse. You have to herd cats, tris, monohulls and boards. Cruising and racing are different enough never mind all the different ways there are of doing each. Personally I pretty much enjoy all sailing. There are days when I'd love to be sailing a Hobie off the beach, I've spent a lot of nice afternoons on an Ensign, I cruise on weekends with the kids on a Ranger 33, and love it when I get a chance to race - big or small boats. Enjoying a night at anchor in a protected cove is idyllic. It's all fun. Ever since I founded Summer Sailstice in 2001, it was to promote one day of the year where we don't focus on the style or equipment but on the simple act of sailing. It's a day to strut your stuff, sail how you like but, in the big picture, celebrate all of sailing. In the end sailing is simple - a boat and a breeze. From Tall Ship to the recent, awesome run by the Vestas Sailrocket 2. We've probably all spent some time bonding with sailors as we hoist a few at the yacht club bar. For Summer Sailstice, the idea is for all of us to hoist a few on the weekend closest to the summer solstice - in this case though we all hoist our sails - and anything else that brings enjoyment to your sailing. It's intended as a day where we all quit fussing about how we sail (or how everybody else should sail) and just feel lucky that we get to sail. Then, just maybe, when the non-sailing world looks at the infinite ways there are to sail, it will look like fun and they'll find one that suits them. The next time you see that MacGregor 26 with a deeply scalloped jib, two fenders bouncing in the water to leeward but three laughing kids on the foredeck, you might spend less time noticing the jib and fenders and more time noticing how much fun they're having. Just celebrate that they're out there sailing. We all started somewhere. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The next Summer Sailstice celebration is June 22, 2013. Details here: http://www.summersailstice.com DISCOVER: THE ULTIMATE FROSTBITING SETUP Here in the northeast, people spend their Sundays sailing slow boats in water that is barely liquid and temperatures that make your nose hairs freeze. If this makes no sense to you, read no further. If, however, you are one of the dedicated few who look forward to this all week long, then we have the perfect setup for you: our new Challenger jacket paired with our best-selling Aegis Hybrid Bib. Waterproof, windproof and breathable with lofted insulation and a high collar so you can focus on racing, not surviving. Check them out at http://www.atlantisweathergear.com Discover a better way to frostbite. Discover your Atlantis. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE After the U.S. Olympic sailing team failed to win a single medal at the 2012 Games, an independent panel was comprised to conduct a comprehensive review of Olympic sailing in the U.S. in its current state; to form conclusions about performance in Weymouth; and to recommend changes going forward. The panel was led by Josh Adams, Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing and included Ed Adams (Middletown, RI), Andrew Campbell (San Diego, CA), Jay Cross (New York, NY), Andrew Kostanecki (Bridgewater, VT), Bill Martin (Dearborn, MI), Jack Mathias (Buffalo, NY), Jonathan McKee (Seattle, WA), Cory Sertl (Rochester, NY), and Tim Wadlow (Beverly, MA). The Olympic Review Panel Report has been released. In the report, some of the 2012 program deficiencies included: - Too focused on top team rather than building core group - Coaching/training not sufficient for specific event needs - Excessive costs due to emphasis on European schedule A significant section of the report was dedicated to improving the youth development program. Given the evolution of youth sailing in the U.S. toward heavier, simpler, institutional boats, the report noted how young sailors needed increased exposure to Olympic and high-performance boats. The report also noted that the US Sailing Youth Championship should be the premiere youth event in the U.S., a status the event once held but has since diminished in recent years. Full report here: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/Olympic_Review_Panel.htm WORST DOLDRUMS EVER (November 20, 2012; Day 11) - Jean Le Cam's 2004 record time to the Equator of 10 days 11 hours and 28 minutes is safe for another four years as leader Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA) remains just over 100 nm north of zero latitude. As long as the pack of five boats stay behind Le Cleac'h, he could care less about the record. The chasing five have been breathing the same stale air and almost eyeballing each other they have been so close, and they have all been rinsed - literally and figuratively. There was little time for sleep as they had to take care not to get caught out by sudden wind changes and squalls. Boiling one minute, drenched by a thunderstorm the next and then utterly becalmed in the inky black night, it has been a testing period. "I have never experienced a Doldrums like that before," Vincent Riou (FRA), the 2004 winner and competing in his third consecutive Vendee Globe, said. "It was a really tough night last night and I haven't been able to get any sleep," said Alex Thomson (GBR). "It was like one constant squall. It was monsoon rain for 7 hours straight. I had practically no wind at all, so I have been steering by hand the entire time. "I think I am out of the Doldrums, but every time I go through the Doldrums I always think to myself: 'now Alex, you know, whenever you think you're out, it means that you're not'. I get my dry clothes out and then bang, it starts all over again. "But I do think I am now out. I am sailing upwind. I am completely exhausted but I can't get any sleep just yet. I have the boats all around me and I can see them, so I want to stay awake at the moment." Tracking: http://tracking2012.vendeeglobe.org/en/ Top 6 of 20 - Rankings as of Tuesday 20 November 2012, 20h00 (FR) 1. Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA), Banque Populaire: 21167.4 nm Distance to Finish 2. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA), Virbac Paprec 3: 24.8 nm Distance to Lead 3. François Gabart (FRA), Macif: 25.7 nm DTL 4. Bernard Stamm (SUI), Cheminees Poujoulat: 27.4 nm DTL 5. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB: 28.5 nm DTL 6. Alex Thomson (GBR), Hugo Boss: 28.8 nm DTL Full rankings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html BACKGROUND: Twenty skippers began the 7th edition of the Vendee Globe, a solo, non-stop around the world race in the IMOCA Open 60 class. Starting in Les Sables d'Olonne, France on November 10, the west to east course passes the three major capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn before returning to Les Sables d'Olonne. In the 2008-9 edition, Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) set a new race record by completing the course in 84 days. -- http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ THE DECADE OF THE 60-KNOT SAILBOAT By Brian Hancock, SpeedDream On a chilly, blustery day in Fall 2002 I made my way to Weymouth on the south coast of England. It was a pilgrimage of sorts. I have always been a huge fan of fast boats and back then Weymouth Speed Week was a Mecca for speed enthusiasts from around the world who came to do a timed run over a 500 meter course. Before I started sailing professionally boat names like Crossbow and Slingshot were burned indelibly into my mind. They were the revolutionary speedsters of the day, radical boats capable of unheard of speeds (which back then was around 30 knots.) By the time I got to Weymouth, kite boarders and wind surfers had taken over as the fastest sailing vessels, and they were ripping it up close inshore where the wind was steady and the water flat. The main reason for my trip was to write an article about a brand new boat that a good mate, Paul Larsen, had built. He called his project Sailrocket, and along with his partner Helena Darvelid, they had come up with the first generation of what Paul called the 60-knot sailboat. It certainly was unlike any other boat I had ever seen. The origins of the design were in a book by the renowned rocket scientist Bernard Smith entitled The 40 Knot Sailboat. Without complicating this story by trying to describe Smith's concept, suffice is to say that it was a radically new way of thinking and the boat that Paul and Helena had built was futuristic in the extreme. I chased Paul down the short course in a fast RIB, but despite the conditions being almost perfect, Sailrocket was barely able to hit 30 knots top speed. I know Paul was a bit disappointed; they were aiming for 50 but were also realistic in their expectations as those were early days. "There is a ton of room for development," Paul told me. "For starters we have a soft sail. At some point we will build a fixed wing and that will greatly improve things." Paul is nothing if not an eternal optimistic and his engaging enthusiasm leaves no one in doubt that he is on a mission to succeed. I left Weymouth that day optimistic, but secretly feeling that kite boarding was the future and an actual sailboat was never again going to hold the record. Fast forward a decade and here is where the story starts to get interesting.... read on: http://tinyurl.com/SD-112012 EDITOR'S NOTE: For those of you not paying attention, Sailrocket eclipsed the 60 knot barrier last Sunday on Walvis Bay, Namibia, setting a new outright record (59.38 knots) and one nautical mile record (55.32 knots). After celebrating the feat, the team has been prepping the boat this week in hopes of raising the bar further when the next weather window arrives on Wednesday (Nov. 21). Record details: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=5078 SAILS AND SERVICE FOR ALL SEASONS No matter the season, where you are or what sailing you do, Ullman Sails lofts are providing the best sails and service possible. Last weekend Kevin Taugher and his Viper 640 team dominated their class at the Turkey Day regatta at Alamitos Bay YC in California. Further south, an Ullman Sails Voyager customer completed the delivery of his Swan 68 'Claudia IV" to the Panama Canal after a leisurely cruise along the Mexican and Central American coastline. And final preparations are in full swing for this year's 2012 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race customers in Australia. Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com TWO'S COMPANY, THREE'S A CROWD For the first time, two AC72s have been sailing together in race formation this week. Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge trained together on Tuesday (NZ time) on the Hauraki Gulf off Auckland. "You learn a lot faster when you have another boat around you to punish you for your mistakes," said Kiwi coach Rod Davis, explaining the benefit of sailing against another team. But the Kiwis and Italians weren't the only America's Cup teams on the gulf. Oracle Team USA had crewman Simon Daubney tracking the racing closely, taking pictures from a chase boat. Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton said the fact Oracle had representatives keeping a close eye on the Kiwi team and Luna Rossa indicated it was nervous about their progress. "If I was in the other teams I'd be envious for sure," boasted ETNZ managing director Grant Dalton of the arrangement. "I'd be a little worried, because this isn't making us go slower, I know that." It is expected America's Cup defenders Oracle and Swedish team Artemis, who are also based in the San Francisco area, have a similar arrangement where they will hold practice races. Dalton said Team New Zealand will also keep a close watch on their competitors, although at this stage there is little going on. Artemis are still in the very early stages of testing their boat, which they launched just over a week ago, while Oracle remain shore-bound after suffering catastrophic damage last month when their AC72 pitch-poled in choppy conditions on San Francisco Bay. Source: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-112012 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10848922 ANYBODY WANT A MAI TAI? Organizers from the Transpacific Yacht Club (TPYC) have announced the starting dates for their 47th edition of this classic biennial race from Los Angeles to Honolulu to be held in July 2013. The first start will be on Monday, July 8th, 2013, with subsequent starts planned for Thursday, July 11th and Saturday, July 13th. The staggered starts help compress the finish times for a fleet that will have widely different speeds over the 2225-mile course, which could range from the record-setting 16.5 knot average course speed made in 2009 by Neville Crichton's R/P 100 Alfa Romeo to a more leisure pace at half that rate among some Aloha Division entries. Depending on weather conditions, entries could be crossing the finish line at Honolulu's Diamond Head as early July 19th and keep coming right up until the final awards ceremony a week later. "This is a system that has proven effective for our entries, the race organizers and the media," says TPYC Commodore Dave Cort. "We lose the spectacle of the big fleet starts off Point Fermin, but it helps have more people around to enjoy all the fun activities at the finish." -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14813 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 John Fisher: For anyone who does not clearly understand Bill Sandberg's point (in Scuttlebutt 3723), please take the time and get involved in a regatta that requires digging in and truly rolling up your shirt sleeves. It is all too easy to criticize from the sidelines. Stop and think for a minute how many "soft dollars" ( ie, volunteer labor, RC, Judges, etc... people who are giving back to a sport they love) that it takes to run a first class event, which is what is expected if not demanded nowadays. On the whole, entry fees make up less than half of the "hard dollars" to make a regatta happen. If you don't understand or appreciate sponsorship in sailing - open your eyes - do the math. Run a regatta that people want to come back to, and once you are qualified and in the position to offer insightful commentary, take the time and truly thank your sponsors and the volunteers. * From Jim Champ: In Scuttlebutt 3723, Mr Bainton wonders how ISAF could justify the absence of any keel boat class in the 2016 Olympic competition. It is of my opinion that there are an awful lot of things that ought to be in the Olympics, and personally I've never managed to work out a decent slate of events within ten medals, bearing in mind all the factors I can think of. Just to represent short course racing, there probably should be mens and womens medals in accessible singlehanders and two handers, high performance singlehanders and two handers, sailboards, kites, multihulls and keelboats. Trouble is that's 16 medals. Then to represent the sport a bit more there probably should be passage racing in singlehanders, crewed boats and multihulls, and also a 500m speed course sprint in boats, boards and kites. I'm sure most of us can think of a good many more appropriate categories. * From Paul Henderson, ISAF past president: Regarding the deletion of keelboats from the Olympics, it was a decree from IOC President Jacques Rogge who, as an Olympic Sailor himself, believed that keelboats did not fit into the Olympic ideals. He tried to delete them for the 2008 Games but I was successful in deflecting that IOC directive. However, as one of his final acts before retiring, he did succeed in removing keelboats for RIO2016. I still consider this a mistake. COMMENT: ISAF is eager to heighten the spectator appeal of the Olympic sailing events, which has thus far taken normal sailing classes and sought to make the racing more appealing. However, might it be time to realize that what we really have are 10 Olympic events that all appear essentially the same to the uneducated, but compete in an unusual race format to the educated? Does Track and Field have a 200 meter race where the athletes compete in running shoes, and another 200 meter race where the athletes compete in flip flops? No, they have significant diversity in their events. For sailing, rather than having 10 increasingly similar events competing on the same race course, what if the events better represented the full scope of our sport? The media likes two things: interesting stuff to talk about and interesting people to talk to. If ISAF delivered greater diversity and charismatic athletes, I think they might achieve their goals without selling out the sport. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt THE J/97 IS THE FIRST "J" ... ...Under 32' in 25 years to combine full accommodations in a high performance, easily driven hull. The J/97 sleeps more than it takes to sail her, and was named 2011 IRC Boat of the Year in France. No need for hotel rooms at the next regatta! On display in Annapolis. http://www.jboats.com/j97/ HAPPY THANKSGIVING The Thanksgiving Day holiday is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when during the Civil War, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it to be a national day of thanksgiving. The staff at Scuttlebutt World Headquarters will be enjoying this national holiday with family and friends, and we are hopeful you can too. There will be no Thursday and Friday edition of the Scuttlebutt newsletter, but we will resume publication on Monday. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Did You Know: Outdoor temperatures can be determined by counting the chirps made by crickets. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Doyle Sails - International Rolex Regatta - Ultimate Sailing - North Sails New England Ropes - Atlantis WeatherGear - Ullman Sails - J Boats Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
