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SCUTTLEBUTT 2648 - Tuesday, July 29, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. WIDOW DISMISSES FAKED DEATH CLAIMS A lawyer for Peggy Fossett, widow of the aviation adventurer Steve Fossett, has dismissed claims he may have faked his own death. Michael LoVallo disputed suggestions from investigators and insurance assessors that the record-setting pilot and balloonist, a friend of Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, could still be alive after his mysterious disappearance in the Nevada desert 10 months ago. Mrs. Fossett petitioned a Chicago court to have her husband declared dead. Her request was granted in February and her husband's estate of more than $10 million was awarded to her. "The remarks (that Fossett could still be alive) were in disregard of the fact, many facts," Mr LoVallo told The Daily Telegraph. Fossett, 63, the first man to fly non-stop round the earth in a hot air balloon, went missing last September after taking off from a remote Nevada airstrip on a short trip to inspect a site for possible use in a land speed record attempt. He never returned. His disappearance sparked the most intensive hunt for a missing aircraft in US history, involving Civil Air Patrol's Black Hawks, fitted with infra-red technology, as well as 30 private planes and a global internet effort led by Amazon.com and Google. Mrs. Fossett contributed over $1 million to the efforts, her lawyers have said. Neither Fossett's body nor the plane's wreckage were ever located. But Lieutenant Colonel Cynthia Ryan, of the US Civil Air Patrol, who briefed the media during the search, has said the adventurer's body "should have been found", given the extensive search efforts, suggesting he could still be alive. "It's not like we didn't have our eyes open. We found six other planes while we were looking for him. We're pretty good at what we do." Lt Col Ryan said she believed Fossett may have faked his own death due to personal problems or fears about his business dealings. Fossett made millions trading futures and options on Chicago exchanges. Risk assessor Robert Davis, who conducted an eight-month investigation for insurers Lloyd's of London, said he had "discovered that there is absolutely no proof that Steve Fossett is actually dead". Lloyd's is said to face a £25 million (approximately US$50 million) payout on Fossett's death. -- Catherine Elsworth, The Telegraph, UK, full story: http://xrl.us/ok3po OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: 10 DAYS TO GO * Last week, the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics went up to San Jose State University for team processing. “There we got all of our official Olympic team gear, and even had to dress up in our opening ceremonies outfit to be told how to wear it correctly by the Ralph Lauren Polo fashion designers. We also got fitted for exclusive Nike leather jackets and got to choose our Olympic Team ring. After our processing we had to hurry up to St. Francis Yacht Club for yet another party! We had one more final send off and it was really great. The very next morning we were on a plane to Beijing!” -- Graham Biehl, US Olympic 470 sailor, http://blog.teammb.org/?p=72 * The Qingdao Olympic village opened on Sunday. Decorated with Chinese paper cuts, water paintings and kites, the dwelling district for the Olympic sailors has a special display room for folk culture, where craftsmen perform Chinese traditional arts like sugar painting, paper cutting and metal sculpting. It also has a Chinese painting learning area where athletes and visitors can learn calligraphy. They can also taste a special Qingdao tea in the tea ceremony area and relax in the Chinese massage room. Sailors from 42 countries and regions had checked in at Qingdao Olympic sailing center as of Monday. According to the sailing committee (BOCOG), a total of 400 sailors from 62 countries and regions had registered for the events. * Postponing a popular beer festival, recruiting underwater robots and deploying navy ships, these are just a few measures Olympic co-host city Qingdao is using to fend off any possible terror attack. The renowned coastal resort in east China's Shandong Province has launched a security network that covers a sea area of 50 square km where the 29th Olympic Games' sailing competitions will be held, said the city's mayor Xia Geng. Qingdao police have placed the competition area under close monitoring by using underwater robots with video cameras, as well as bomb-detecting devices and helicopters, according to Zhao Chunguang, Qingdao Public Security Bureau director. The Chinese navy will also deploy ships around the cordoned area, and a group of frogmen from the navy will conduct underwater security checks ahead of the competitions. -- Sail-World.com, full story: http://xrl.us/ok36n * The drafting of thousands of troops to battle a massive algae bloom in Olympic co-host city Qingdao showed China's resolve to hold a successful sailing event at all costs. It also added to an already heavy security presence aimed at safeguarding the Games regatta which locals complain has kept tourists away, hurt business and left a tense atmosphere in a usually bucolic seaside resort. As bands of sweaty soldiers, common volunteers and melancholy tourists toiled on beaches to fight the stinking green tide, tourism workers chafed at stricter rules governing visas, an unspoken ban on mass gatherings and pricey hotel rooms. "People here are already talking of a missed Olympic opportunity," said Nigel Edwards, general manager of the four-star Copthorne Hotel, one of Qingdao's six official 2008 Games hotels. "The authorities have created a situation where no one comes, so they can control what happens. All they want to do is hold an incident-free Games. They really don't care about the financial aspect," said Edwards. -- Canada.com, full story: http://xrl.us/ok35h GARY JOBSON TO SPEAK AT MORRIS YACHTS JULY 31ST Come to the Morris Service yard in Northeast Harbor, Maine for a great night of sailing. With slides and video, Gary Jobson will preview what to watch for in sailing at this summer’s Olympic Games; and he will give an overview of the Americas Cup Racing and the Volvo Ocean Race and a first look at parts of his new feature on Antarctica. Come for a glass of wine or a beer at 5pm, the evening will wrap up around 7pm. For more information call Morris Service 207-276-5300 or visit http://www.morrisyachts.com/news HELP NEEDED: EX-OPTIMIST OLYMPIANS The International Optimist Dinghy Association is looking for help as they attempt to establish how many of this year’s Olympic sailors had previously competed in an Opti. “The Optimist Class’s own research at www.optiworld.org/olympicexops.pdf has already established that at least 60%, as in 2004, of boat helms sailed Optimists when younger and that over 70% of these did so at international level,” explained class secretary Robert Wilkes. “We also know that 12% definitely did not. We would much appreciate it if your readers could give us this information about the missing 28%, identified on our list by being printed in lowercase (e.g. “provoyeur”). Any corrections would also be appreciated. Unfortunately our resources do not permit a full analysis of crew though we know that at least ten of the 470 male crew are former Optimist internationals. “This research is most important in persuading countries new to dinghy sailing to “start at the very beginning” if they have Olympic aspirations. We are especially proud to note that Barrows (ISV), Douglas (BAR) and Maegli (GUA) and possibly others made it,” Wilkes concluded. GOING IT ALONE Fortunes continue to rise and fall in the waning days of the Singlehanded TransPac. The 16th running of this popular event started off Corinthian YC on July 12 and has ended for a third of the 22-boat fleet as you read this. Boats are now finishing daily off picturesque Hanalei Bay, Kauai, and with two exceptions, the remainder of the fleet should finish easily before the Saturday, August 2, deadline. Currently anchored in Hanalei (in order of finish) are Dogbark, Hecla, Alchera, Polar Bear, Chesapeake and Ragtime! Over the weekend, misfortune befell Ruben Gabriel, whose Pearson 23 Sparky had lost its mast 680 miles from the finish. Details were sketchy, but we understand that, as of Sunday evening, Ruben had fashioned a jury rig and was proceeding toward Hanalei at about 3 knots. The Coast Guard is aware of and monitoring the situation. -- Latitude 38, full story: http://xrl.us/ok3ko; event website: www.sfbaysss.org ONE MORE TIME? Dame Ellen MacArthur admits she would "love" to win back her world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe - but it will not happen for at least three years. The 32-year-old, who completed the 27,354-nautical mile voyage in 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds in February 2005, had her time smashed by Frenchman Francis Joyon by two weeks in January this year. "I'm young enough to have a few more attempts yet," she said. Nothing will happen for at least three years as MacArthur is currently committed to a partnership with BT that began in September 2007 and involves Extreme 40 sailing in the iShares Cup as well as IMOCA 60 events, but she insists she is in no rush. "At the moment we don't have a boat that is capable of doing that (breaking the record). Afterwards we will have to see." -- Riath Al-Samarrai, PA Sport, full story: http://xrl.us/odm69 TRANSAT QUEBEC SAINT-MALO In the North Atlantic, the crewed, non-stop Transat Quebec Saint-Malo fleets are in the middle of nowhere enveloped in fog and yet they’re racing as if they’re in a harbor. Following yesterday’s damage to his rudder, Laiterie de Saint Malo is making towards the French coast by its own means. Given the poor visibility, vigilance is the order of the day. Still the overall leader, trimaran Crêpes Whaou! has eased off the pace slightly, a little scalded by the misfortune suffered by Laiterie de Saint-Malo, but envisaging an arrival in Saint Malo sometime between Thursday and Friday. In the monohull category it is debatable whether the FICOs or Class 40s will be first to make the finish? After eight days of racing, seven of which have been at the mercy of capricious winds, often on the nose, to extract themselves from the Saint Lawrence, the first competitors in the 40 foot Class are still maintaining an infernal pace. The top players in the class are sailing virtually neck and neck with the leader of the FICO fleet, An Ocean of Smiles, testifying to a difficult night in 25 knots of breeze under spinnaker. -- http://www.quebecsaintmalo.com/en/index.asp NORTH CLIENTS SPEED THROUGH NYYC RACE WEEK North Sails clients sped through NYYC Race Week presented by Rolex winning IRC-1 (Rosebud); Swan 42 (Tiburon); Melges 32 (STAR); IRC-2 (Sforzando); J/109 (Gut Feeling) and Beneteau 36.7 (Elan) classes. Second place in IRC-2 was Craig Albrecht and crew on his Farr 395 'Avalanche.' "Over the winter we worked with our North Sails representative to optimize the boat's sail inventory," said Albrecht. "This was the first event of the year for 'Avalanche', but we quickly found ourselves sailing faster than ever in a very tough division. Time and time again, North finds ways to make my Farr 395 go faster." http://na.northsails.com * Do you like the idea of working for North Sails One Design in San Diego, CA? This premier company is currently seeking a detail-oriented designer for hands-on product development to join them in their new Pt. Loma facility. Read on for qualifications: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6146 SAILING SHORTS * Last Sunday afternoon, the 140-foot, two-masted schooner, Spirit of South Carolina was struck by lightning while sailing off the east coast of Block Island. The incident disabled most of the electronics onboard and the engine power which is controlled by electronic components. There were no injuries to passengers or crew. The ship, which is devoted to experiential education programs for South Carolina youth, is equipped with substantial lightning protection as well as surge protection in the electrical system. The crew assessed that its huge wooden hull “appeared to be uncompromised.” -- www.spiritoceanadventure.com * 109 boats gathered on Lake Winnebago for three days for the annual X boat championships held at the newly renovated Oshkosh Yacht Club’s site known as the Waters. Senior Fleet: 1. Davis and RJ Porter, Lake Geneva, 21; 2. Michael and Mitchell Lee, Lake Geneva, 27; 3. Charlie Morris / Mac Six, Lake Geneva, 47; 4. George Kutschenreuter / John Barr, Lake Beulah, 41; 5. – Nicholas and Madeline Clemence , Pewaukee, 43. Junior Fleet: 1. Joe and Griffin Rolander, Lake Geneva, 15; 2. Eddie Cox / Cole Lee, White Bear, 37; 3. Addy Ferguson / Hayley Jewett, Minnetonka. 44. -- http://www.oshkoshyachtclub.org/ * The Chesapeake Bay in late July usually isn't the best place to find two days of steady breeze, but that's exactly what the sailors at the Lightning Atlantic Coast Championship in Rock Hall, Maryland enjoyed last weekend on the Eastern Shore. David Starck (Buffalo, NY) and crew, Scott Ikle & Ellen Starck, won the event followed by Allan Terhune, Jr and Geoff Becker - both from Annapolis, MD. Full results and photos can be found at www.lightningclass.org and http://www.rockhallyachtclub.org/ * Lorain Sail and Yacht Club hosted the 2008 Interlake Nationals this past Thursday-Sunday on the southern shores of Lake Erie. Ten races were completed in near perfect conditions. Skip Dieball (LaSalle, MI) & Craig Koschalk won the event with 20 points followed by Greg Fisher (Annapolis ) and Hank Boissoneault (Sandusky) tied for second with 39 points, with Fisher winning the tiebreak. Fourth was Scott Savage (40 points) and fifth was Matt Fisher (46 points). Bryan Sarber (Indianapolis) won the Challenger Division. Ryan Kyle won the Junior Division. Betsy Bradley won the Women’s Division. -- http://www.hooversailingclub.com/pdf/2008nationalsresults.pdf * The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water honored Safe Kids of Greater Toledo, OH with its 2007 Boating Safety Grant Excellence Award and announced the granting of nearly $50,000 to 19 groups across the US for its 2008 Boating Safety Grant program. The Boating Safety Grant Excellence Award is bestowed on the group that conducts the year's most innovative, resourceful and effective grant project. Safe Kids of Greater Toledo will receive an additional $1000 to use towards last year's grant program that included public service announcements promoting life jacket use that aired in regional movie theaters. -- http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation * Stan Gibbs’ Cal 25, Calamazoo, proved too tough to beat as he took first place honors in the Cal 25 Regional Championship Regatta hosted by the local Cal 25 Fleet V and Long Beach Yacht Club. In the two-day regatta under sunny skies and constantly shifting breezes of 8-10 knots, Gibbs won the first five races and sat out the sixth for his throw-out. Don Reiman’s Rhyme N Reason took second place with One Time, sailed by Art Melendres, LBYC finishing third. www.lbyc.org . * Surf City YC on the NJ shore hosted the 40th Annual Mariner Class National Championship Regatta with 23 boats participating with skippers and crew ranging in age from 15 to 75. Six windward/leeward races were held over the two days with winds ranging from 8-25 mph. The close competition within the fleet ended with Newt Wattis and son in law Eric Joesten as crew winning the last race and the regatta by a single point over Paul Coward and Ginny Fine of Brant Beach YC. Terry Moulton with crew John Gray was a close third. -- www.usmariner.org and www.scyc-nj.org * Reminder: A live webcast of a memorial party for Mark Rudiger at the San Francisco Yacht Club is scheduled for Tuesday, 1-4 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, at www.rudimemorial.org. Rudiger, 53, died July 17 after a relapse of lymphoma at the height of his career as one of the world's top ocean racing navigators. The webcast will feature friends and family offering tributes and anecdotes. USA! USA! USA! Sally Barkow and Team Seven Sailing have already left for China. The Olympics are only two weeks away; show your support with an official Team Seven Technical Tee by SailFast Apparel. It’s quick drying and offers UV 50 protection. Shop now at http://www.isailfast.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘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, 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 Bob Patterson: I used to race Lightnings in Sheboygan when I lived in Iowa. Great place to sail, lovely people. As far as the equipment and facilities now present, I have a feeling Terry Kohler, who, besides running one of the largest bathroom and kitchen fixtures in the US, is also owner of North Sails, may have had something to do with it. Bill Koch supports the Sea Scouts, Roy Disney did Morning Light and supports junior sailing in SoCal. We need more guys like them to help grow and support sailing. * John Schalka: It was great to see Greg Norman do so well at the British Open. Kind of makes aging look like a relative thing. I would like to point out that Al Clark at 50 or so, from Vancouver has been on an awesome run in recent weeks in the very tough Laser class. He won in the full rig at WAVEs against about 40 boats, the Canadian Nationals also in full rigs, and he easily won the just completed North Americans at St Francis against 85 Radial sailors. Al coaches several of the best sailors in North America including Mike Leigh, Abe Torchinsky, Luke Ramsey, Andy Wong and Kevin Grierson. He actually sails the Laser with these guys almost every day and his hard work is apparent both in his own performance and in the results of his guys. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION One man practicing sportsmanship is better than a hundred teaching it. -- Knute Rockne Special thanks to Morris Yachts, North Sails, and SailFast Apparel. 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