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SCUTTLEBUTT 3486 - Friday, December 9, 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: Team One Newport and LaserPerformance. HOW TOP SAILORS STAY SHARP By Jennifer Mitchell, Sailing World For many sailors who live in cooler climes, when the temperature drops, we put our boats away and take a hiatus from sailing until the spring thaw. The winter can be a welcome break from a competitive summer, but come springtime, we find ourselves shaking off the rust and trying to get minds and bodies into sailing shape. The best sailors avoid this cycle. In the offseason, they keep their minds and bodies strong so they're always ready to hit the water. To find out how they do it, I consulted Olympic medalist Anna Tunnicliffe, Artemis Racing skipper Terry Hutchinson, and sailing fitness guru Harry Legum. "I'm currently into CrossFit," explains Anna. "It's such a good workout, and I always wake up with new sore muscles the next morning. I find that the variation and intensity is a fun, yet amazing, way to stay fit and sharp. It mixes all different skill sets that fit into sailing, so it's great cross training. I started at CrossFit 847 in Chicago and now train at CrossFit Gables in Miami. When I'm in town, I work with the coaches, but when I travel, I do the CrossFit travel WOD (workout of the day), or if I can get to a gym, I do the assigned WOD, both of which are very hard and kick my butt. In addition, I love to run, so I run for cardio, too." Read on: http://www.sailingworld.com/experts/how-top-sailors-stay-sharp ISAF WORLDS - PART 1 NEARING END Perth, Australia (December 8, 2011) - The first Gold fleet races at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships started with a moderate sea breeze providing almost perfect sailing conditions off Fremantle on Thursday. With three additional races held Thursday in the Laser Radial and the Women's RS:X, those events will have a rest day on Friday. The Men's 470 and Finn classes completed one race today and will return to the course on Friday. All fleets will complete their open round on Saturday before the top 10 advance on Sunday to the Medal Race. Leading the charge for North America in fleet racing are Americans Paige Railey (3rd-Laser Radial), Stuart McNay/ Graham Biehl (9th-470 M), and Zach Railey (11th-Finn), and Canadian Nikola Girke (22nd - RS:X W). Group A in the Women's Match Race completed their opening round robin series, with Americans Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi finishing on top (12-3) and advancing straight to the quarterfinals. The teams in Group B will complete their round robin series on Friday. The Star, Men's RS:X, Laser, Women's 470 and 49er, race during the second week of this event. Here is the racing schedule: Women's Match Racing (Elliott 6m), December 3-16 Women's Windsurfer (RS:X W), December 5-11 Women's One Person Dinghy (Laser Radial), December 5-11 Men's One Person Dinghy Heavy (Finn), December 5-11 Men's Two Person Dinghy (470 M), December 5-11 Men's Keelboat (Star), December 11-17 Men's Windsurfer (RS:X W), December 12-18 Men's One Person Dinghy (Laser), December 12-18 Women's Two Person Dinghy (470 W), December 12-18 Men's Skiff (49er), December 12-18 BACKGROUND: The ISAF Sailing World Championships are held every four years, bringing together the Olympic class organization to host their most prestigious event. The 2011 edition will see over 1,100 sailors from 78 nations coming to Perth, Australia to compete in their class World titles and to qualify their nations for the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. -- Event website: http://www.perth2011.com MUCH AT STAKE Before an athlete can earn the right to compete in the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition, the country must first qualify for entry, and the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Perth Australia on December 3-18 is the first qualification regatta. Seventy-nine nations are at the Worlds, where ¾ of the available Olympic entries in each of the ten events have been made available. Below are the allotments for the events competing this week at the Worlds. Any country finishing within that allotment has qualified to compete at the 2012 Games: Women's Match Rach - top 8 countries Finn - top 18 countries 470 Men - top 19 countries RS:X Women - top 20 countries Laser Radial - top 29 countries The 2011 Worlds is also being used by many countries to determine their Olympic representatives. "Our goals here are so multi-faceted," admitted U.S. Olympic Chairman Dean Brenner. "The Trials have to be our first priority, and for the sailors also. The first goal is to secure selection for the Games. The second goal is a strong finish at the Worlds. Those two goals may be in line with each other, but they may not be. We'll see how it plays out. "But it is important to realize that with Olympic sailing there are often goals that go beyond the event you are competing in at that moment. This is really a major differentiating factor for Olympic sailing versus most other kinds of sailing. It is so much about the long haul, taking the long view and preparing for the Games. And since this is the Trials, you can't succeed at the Games unless you earn the right to GO to the Games." SAVE BIG ON SLAM @TEAM ONE NEWPORT Just in time for the Holidays! Check out Team One Newport's Slam Clearance Sale for great foul weather gear! SLAM is changing their product line in 2012, so here's your opportunity to get great 2011 gear at ridiculous prices. Shop for friends, family or even yourself (while supplies last). See our website for details. http://tinyurl.com/slamsale or call 800 VIP GEAR (800-847-4327) or 401-847-4327. VOLVO OCEAN RACE RESUMES SATURDAY Cape Town, SA (December 8, 2011) - The Volvo Ocean Race has revealed its anti-piracy plan, which will see the fleet transported by armed heavy lift ship from an undisclosed Safe Haven Port in the Indian Ocean and resume racing from a set-down point along the Sharjah coastline in the northern Emirates, within a day's sailing of the Leg 2 finish in Abu Dhabi. Race organisers announced in August that the route for Legs 2 and 3 would be re-drawn because of the increased threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean. With the fleet set to depart Cape Town for the start of Leg 2 on Sunday, Race Director Jack Lloyd has made parts of the plan public for the first time. Following the In-Port Race on Saturday, the six boats will leave Cape Town as scheduled for Leg 2 on Sunday, December 11 and continue to be tracked as normal until they reach a point in the Indian Ocean. From there, details about the boats' location will be switched off to the public as they sail on to a Safe Haven Port. At that port, the boats will be loaded on to a ship protected by armed guards and featuring other security measures and transported to the northern Emirates. Once unloaded, Race Management will decide where exactly to re-start the race for a short competitive sprint into Abu Dhabi, which is hosting the event from December 31 to January 14. The sailors will not be on board the ship. "This solution means we still have the exciting race finish into Abu Dhabi as always planned, while steering clear of the most dangerous waters off the Eastern African corridor," explains Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. -- Full report: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/news/4311_Anti-piracy-plan-revealed.html * Race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante says the fleet could be in for a five-hour battering immediately after the start of Leg 2, with 25 to 30 knot headwinds producing conditions reminiscent of those that caused such damage on the first night of Leg 1. The winds are expected to moderate to 10-15 knots as the boats pass the Agulhas Cape but the biggest factor will be the size of the ocean swells while sailing into the wind. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-120811a * Following their dismasting and delayed recovery, PUMA skipper Ken Read discusses how difficult it may be to now remain competitive on Leg 2: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-120811b * Live coverage of the Cape Town In-Port Race on Saturday, December 10 is at 0800 EST and the start of Leg 2 to Abu Dhabi is the following day at the same time. Follow the action at http://new.livestream.com/volvooceanrace Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world's most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com U.S. NOMINEES ANNOUNCED (December 8, 2011) - US Sailing has released its shortlist of nominees for the 2011 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards. Those making the 2011 shortlist represent the diversity of the sport and include round-the-world racers, kite boarders, one-design champions and Olympic hopefuls. Nominees for US Sailing's 2011 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award: Melges 32 World Champion William Douglass (Southport, CT) Etchells World Champion Bill Hardesty (San Diego, CA) IKA Kite Course Racing World Champion Johnny Heineken (Larkspur, CA) Laser North American Champion Clay Johnson (Toms River, NJ) Allstate Sugar Bowl J/22 World Champion Rob Johnston (Heath, TX) Finn U.S. National Champion Zach Railey (Clearwater, FL) Star North American Champion George Szabo (San Diego, CA) Velux 5 Oceans Winner Brad Van Liew (Charleston, SC) Nominees for US Sailing's 2011 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award: Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Eliott 6m Champion Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI) Farr 30 World Champion Deneen Demourkas (Santa Barbara, CA) 29erXX North American Champion Kristen Lane (Tiburon, CA) Kieler Woche 470 Women Champion Erin Maxwell (Stonington, CT) Kieler Woche Laser Radial Champion Paige Railey (Clearwater, FL) Rolex International Women's Keelboat Champion Cory Sertl (Rochester, NY) Skandia Sail for Gold Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, FL) A panel of sailing journalists will vote to determine US Sailing's 2011 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. The winners will be announced in mid-January and honored on Wednesday, February 22, 2012, during a luncheon at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. -- Full report: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2011/YofY_2011_Shortlist_120811.htm SAILING ON DISPLAY San Diego, CA (December 8, 2011) - Moving is never easy. But while couches and mattresses can be unwieldy, a boat is an entirely different story. The Hall of Champions Sports Museum has starting putting together its new 4,500 square foot sailing exhibit. Set to open in 2012, the exhibit will feature a fully rigged Star Boat, an America's Cup room with scale models of boats that have raced in San Diego, interactive sailing simulators, and other hands-on exhibits. It will also include displays on the history of sailing in San Diego, bringing together world champions, youth sailors, yacht clubs and Naval architects in a dedicated space. San Diego hosted the America's Cup in 1988, 1992, and 1995, and recently served as the third stop in the inaugural America's Cup World Series. In addition to serving as a venue for competition, the city has a rich history of sailing innovation because of the Navy presence and the many boat builders and ship designers who call San Diego home. To celebrate the city's sailing history, the Hall launched a campaign to raise $1 million for the new exhibit, more than $700,000 of which has already been raised, prompting the exhibit team to move ahead with construction. One of the first steps of building the exhibit involved bringing the Star Boat from the loading dock, through the center court, and down to the lower level—the future home of the sailing exhibit. -- Photos: http://tinyurl.com/UT-120811 JUDGE A BOAT BY ITS NEW ADVANCED LASERPERFORMANCE COVER LaserPerformance has just launched a new line of advanced covers for dinghies. New covers are crafted in the USA for the Laser, Sunfish, Pico, Vapor Optimist, C420, V15, Bug, Bahia and Vago with a 5-year limited warranty! Highest quality, best fitting, longest lasting covers available to dinghy sailors today. Contact us at customerservice@laserperformance.com SAILING SHORTS * Singapore (December 8, 2011) - With the overall standing for the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series on the line, the 10 Extreme 40s dealt with light winds that shifted through the entire compass. After four races today, Roman Hagara's team on Red Bull Extreme Sailing remained in first while Dean Barker's Emirates Team New Zealand climbed from fourth to second position. America's Cup helms complete the rankings from third to sixth position. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/ESS-120811 * (December 8, 2011; Day 16 - 23:45:00 UTC) - Loick Peyron (FRA) and his team on the 131-foot maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V have built a 2160.8 nm advantage over the non-stop circumnavigation Jules Verne Trophy record of 48 days 7 hours 44 minutes 52 seconds set by Franck Cammas on the 103-foot Groupama 3 in 2010. They now have 13908 nm to the finish. -- http://www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr * With the recent announcement that the 2012 MedCup has been suspended, 2011 TP52 season and World champion Quantum Racing is headed to the U.S. to compete in the 25th edition of Key West Race Week. Owner Doug Devos is planning to drive the boat with Terry Hutchinson, Don Cowie, and Shawn Clarkson onboard. Among their competition will be two, new custom IRC 52s - Highland Fling XII (Irvine Laidlaw, Monaco) and Interlodge (Austin Fragomen, Newport) - both of which are making their racing debuts in Key West. -- Full report: http://www.quantumsails.com/News/index.php/archives/873 PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include camo sailing, December sailing, wine sailing, umbrella sailing, wet sailing, down under sailing, lumberyard sailing, and gentleman club sailing. Here are this week's photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/PHOTOS/11/1209/ 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 Flashback to when sailing was popular in the 80's, and popular for commercial marketing. Are there any recent examples of boats in TV ads... or do we all now fast forward through the commercials? Click here for this week's video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/11/1209/ BONUS: Mrs. Curmudgeon has the flannel sheets on the bed, which means it's time for the first iceboating video of the season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkr-UqVKWHc BONUS: This week on Episode 20 of 'America's Cup Uncovered' resumes the story of the inaugural year of the America's Cup World Series with a look back to Plymouth where we witnessed stadium sailing in all its glory from The Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound. Extreme conditions bookended the week making stop two on the tour a regatta to remember with plenty of capsizes and crashes. Tune in on Saturday December 10 approx 0800 PDT 1600 BST: http://www.youtube.com/americascup#p/c/915CDC8233C7B14E BONUS: "World on Water" Dec 9, Week 49 features the recent China Cup Regatta in Shenzhen, China, the start of Leg 2 of the Global Ocean Race in Cape Town, South Africa, the sensational PWA Supremesurf Big Days Windsurfing Contest in Germany, the record breaking Jules Verne Trophy attempt by Banque Populaire V in the Indian Ocean, the frantic repairs to the yachts in the Volvo Ocean Race in Cape Town, South Africa, and in "Fresh to Frightening" we show a hapless catamaran sailor being blasted off the water by Banque Populaire V as it races past in the middle of the ocean at 35 knots plus. See it on www.boatson.tv at approx 1200 GMT, 0700 EST. 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 Chip Johns: Wow, I was surprised to read a letter I wrote 12 years ago when I opened my 'Butt (#3485)! It just reminds you that whatever we write can be re-published anytime, so be careful. The amazing thing was that I had the same discussion with a friend who has been involved with the AC for many years just a few hours prior to re-reading my letter in 'Butt- Twilight Zone moment? Think about it for a minute, how much has been spent on the AC since 1999? If a fraction of those sums were spent to build an infrastructure to introduce people to our sport in a meaningful way, could the AC event organizers sell real sponsorship today? Didn't I just read that the AC management is planning on downsizing the "test events" so that expenses are closer to revenue? Have they really spent $150MM plus so far on this event? I still think the cart is positioned before the horse. Larry and team... are you listening? * From John Riise: Why do sailors - or at least the ones who write letters and editorials about it - constantly bemoan the dearth of ways to drag more people into the sport? Last I checked, almost anywhere there is enough water to float a dinghy there are sailing schools, clubs and community programs geared toward showing people the sailing ropes. Not to mention friends, uncles and just nice acquaintances who would be thrilled to give a newbie his first taste. Yes, golf is more instantly 'accessible', but anyone with the desire and half a brain can make the extra effort to learn to sail - or skydive, spelunk, surf or scuba, to name a few other non-immediate-gratification pursuits - if they want to. To complete playing devil's advocate, slips are hard enough to come by in many areas. Why would any sailor possibly want to generate more competition for them? Plus at least part of the attraction to sailing is the serenity of escaping the hoards, not embracing them. Sailing isn't broke, so stop trying to fix it. It's self regulating and there's nothing wrong with that. It will never be golf and be thankful for that. Let's all stop acting like Jehovah's Witnesses about this whole thing. * From Eric Sorensen: Regarding the comment in Scuttlebutt 3485 about how the ACWS in SD was lacking information on how to get started in sailing, Anacortes YC (Anacortes, WA) does a ride weekend every year during the city's Waterfront Festival. The port gives room in the marina, and our fellow YC members take sign ups from the crowd and escort them to the various vessels. I am guessing we had 12-15 boats active for both days last year, some power and some sail, some big (Catalina 42) and some small (Ranger 21). My wife and I love giving the rides. The best passenger was a fellow who was 89 and had never expected to get on a sailboat again. We had a great sail about the bay and there were tears of gratitude on his face! Another family comes back each year and requests our boat. Now their son is racing with me and is my most faithful crew member. There are rewards of all kinds in sharing one's boat with others. SCUTTLEBUTT ADVERTISING IN 2012 Scuttlebutt provides a limited amount of text ad slots in each newsletter, and most of these ad slots for 2012 will be assigned THIS FRIDAY. If you are interested in advertising, contact us for details: 619-299-5678 or advertising@sailingscuttlebutt.com CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION The Mr. Bean Guide to Fun in an Elevator: Ask, "Did you feel that?" SPONSORS THIS WEEK Ultimate Sailing - Summit Yachts - North Sails - North U Morris Yachts - Atlantis WeatherGear - Melges Performance Sailboats The Pirates Lair - Point Loma Outfitting - Ullman Sails - LaserPerformance Team One Newport - JK3 Nautical Enterprises Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
