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SCUTTLEBUTT 2326 - April 19, 2007Scuttlebutt 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). STUCK IN IDLE Valencia, 18 April, 2007 - Light conditions continue to disrupt the schedule at the Louis Vuitton Cup in Valencia. After three scheduled race days, no matches have been sailed in Round Robin One. On Wednesday, race officials and the 11 teams returned to the race course area to the North and South of Port America's Cup, but conditions were similar to the two earlier days this week: plenty of sunshine and clear skies, but still not warm enough to drive the sea breeze. At 16:05, Principal Race Officers Peter Reggio and Harold Bennett postponed racing for the afternoon for the third consecutive day. The postponed flights are now scheduled next week. As done thus far this week, the scheduled flights for Thursday - Flights 7 and 8 - will continue as planned. With Friday originally held as a reserve day, it will now be used to host Flights 1 and 2. The remainder of the make-up schedule for Flights 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Round Robin 1, is being integrated into the race calendar that can be read here: http://www.americascup.com/en/americascup/program/calendrier.php Flight 7 1. BMW Oracle Racing vs. Areva Challenge 2. Luna Rossa Challenge vs. +39 Challenge 4. United Internet Team Germany vs. Emirates Team New Zealand 5. Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team vs. China Team 6. Desafío Español 2007 vs. Team Shosholoza Bye - Victory Challenge Flight 8 1. Victory Challenge vs. Areva Challenge 2. BMW Oracle Racing vs. +39 Challenge 4. Desafío Español 2007 vs. United Internet Team Germany 5. Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team vs. Team Shosholoza 6. China Team vs. Emirates Team New Zealand Bye - Luna Rossa Challenge * Three days of no racing is not the ideal start to the competition, except perhaps for +39 Challenge, who have had three more days to sellotape their Version 5 rig back together. Kind though it was for Alinghi to lend its Version 4 rig, the very mast that won the 2003 Cup in Auckland 5-Nil, apparently in anything more than 10 or 12 knots of breeze and the extra loads caused by these new-generation square-headed mainsails makes the stick look distinctly wobbly. Talk is that Iain Percy's shore crew could have the Version 5 rig back together by tomorrow (Thursday). -- SailJuice, http://sailjuice.blogspot.com/2007/04/fremantle-of-med-yeah-right.html * You gotta laugh. No doubt Alinghi is -- just what the Defender had in mind when they scheduled AC 32 to start in April instead of June or even May when the seabreeze is more prevalent. -- BOR blog, http://blog.bmworacleracing.com/stories/3316582 * Chris Bedford, BMW Oracle Racing, regarding the past three days: “It’s unusual, but not atypical. We’ve had conditions like this over the years. In May 2004, the first month we were collecting data on the water, we had a five-day period like this. Thursday still looks very light, maybe one race, but I doubt two. Going into Friday and Saturday, things gradually start to improve.” -- http://tinyurl.com/yrdrbt * Teams might need to be adding umbrellas to their kit, as the ten-day forecast on The Weather Channel is now calling for rain to move into the area: http://tinyurl.com/2gh9bl CHINA SIGNS UP China has been officially confirmed as a stopover for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race as part of the event’s expansion into new territories. A number of Chinese coastal cities will now vie for the right to be selected as host port when the race visits Chinese waters in February 2009. Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, was joined by representatives of the China Water Sports Administration Center (CWSA) and the China Yachting Association (CYA) in making the announcement in Beijing. The race organizers and the CYA have also entered into a co-operation agreement to promote sailing in China. The deal will include a Chinese entry in the race. The fleet will arrive in China at the time of the local spring festival in 2009. The stopover will include an in-port race. A number of events are planned for the three-week duration of the stopover. The agreement is the culmination of months of negotiations with the Chinese authorities to bring the race to Asia. Further talks are continuing with government and port representatives in India and the Middle East with further announcements expected in the coming months. -- Event website, full story: http://tinyurl.com/ytkpzf BOOK YOUR SUMMER CHARTER FROM MORRIS CHARTERS! This summer, explore some of the world’s finest cruising grounds - the waters of Maine - in one of the many exceptional yachts available from Morris Charters. This year’s fleet includes Morris 45 Firefly; this boat may be chartered for cruising or racing. Other boats include a Hinckley Bermuda 40, Bristol 45, and many other exceptional yachts. Situated in Northeast Harbor, Morris Charter puts you right in the heart of the magic that is Maine. Discover the charm and beauty of Maine’s coastal islands, rugged shoreline, and snug harbors. Your unforgettable summer is only a Morris charter away. http://www.morrisyachts.com/charters FINAL LEG At 12:20 PM (16:20 GMT) on Wednesday April 18, the start gun for the third and final leg of Velux 5 Oceans singlehanded round the world race fired in the waters off the Virginian coastline. After a postponed start in Norfolk due to severe weather conditions created by the large storm on the Eastern seaboard of the United States, the fleet of four Open 60 yachts began the final sprint back to Bilbao, Spain, the start and finish port of the Velux 5 Oceans. The departure from the downtown harbor in the morning saw all the skippers, race organisers, local volunteers and sailing fans pay respect to the young people recently killed by a gunman at Virginia Tech University, the worst school shooting massacre in the nation’s history, that saw 33 dead and many more injured. Before the yachts departed, everyone respected a minute’s silence in a small ceremony and the US flag in the marina was flown at half-mast. -- http://www.velux5oceans.com * Graham Dalton is making slow progress up the North Atlantic and is expected to arrive in Norfolk on Friday. The re-start extension means that Dalton is likely to arrive in Norfolk in good time and will be within the necessary time constraints to remain in the race. * Here are a couple excerpts from a story G. Bruce Knecht wrote for The Wall Street Journal: In 1969, the same year Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, Robin Knox-Johnston completed the first nonstop solo circumnavigation of planet Earth. Now, at age 68, he is making another solo lap around the globe as part of the Velux 5 Oceans race. Of the seven men who started, two have dropped out, and he is currently in fourth place. The day-to-day reality of the race is a lot different from Sir Robin's first trip around the world, an odyssey that was more about survival than speed and that took 313 days. He was aboard Suhaili, a 32-foot wooden ketch he'd had built in Bombay when he was based there as a merchant mariner. Suhaili and (his current boat) Saga Insurance both weigh about nine tons, but the newer vessel, thanks to the wonders of carbon fiber, is twice as long, and it carries sails four times as large. It can maintain speeds of 15 knots or more and hit 30 when riding a wave. Suhaili averaged four knots and rarely did better than seven. -- Complete story: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0418 US OLYMPIC UPDATE * US Disabled Sailing Team members Nick Scandone (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Marblehead, Mass.) have announced they will join forces in the new SKUD-18 class. Scandone, who was named the 2006 US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, is currently the top ranked sailor in the singlehanded 2.4mR class on the 2007 Team. Due to the progression of his illness, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, he has decided to switch to the new doublehandeed SKUD-18, so he can compete against other sailors with similar disabilities. “This switch allows me to compete on a more even playing field,” he said. * Twenty-five US Sailing Team members and 29 Americans total are currently training in Hyères, France, prior to the 39th annual Semaine Olympique Française de Voile (French Sailing Week), an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade 1 event. Organizers of French Sailing Week expect approximately 1,000 elite sailors from more than 50 countries to compete. The following USST members will compete in Hyères: ~ 470 MEN (117 entries): Mikee Anderson-Mitterling (Coronado, Calif.)/David Hughes (San Diego, Calif.); Stu McNay (Boston, Mass.)/Graham Biehl (San Diego, Calif.); Justin Law (Newport Beach, Calif.)/Michael Miller (Charleston, S.C.) ~ 470 WOMEN (59 entries): Amanda Clark (Shelter Island, N.Y.)/Sarah Mergenthaler (Harvey Cedars, N.J.); Erin Maxwell (Stonington, Conn.)/Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.); Molly Carapiet (Belvedere, Calif.) /Molly O'Bryan (San Diego, Calif.) ~ FINN (76 entries): Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.); Geoffrey Ewenson (Annapolis, Md.) ~ LASER (202 entries): Brad Funk (Clearwater, Fla.); Andrew Campbell (San Diego, Calif.) ~ RADIAL (110 entries): Anna Tunnicliffe (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.); Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) ~ RS:X Men (111 entries): Bob Willis (Chicago, Ill.) ~ RS:X Women (73 entries): Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) ~ TORNADO (37 entries): Don Thinschmidt (Holland, Mich.)/Drew Wierda (Miami, Fla.) ~ YNGLING (29 entries): Sally Barkow (Chenequa, Wis.)/Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.)/Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) -- Complete report at http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/spotlight/spotlight041807.asp * The ISAF World Sailing Rankings were released April 18th, where Great Britain remained as the lead nation, but after a disappointing showing in Palma, are finally looking vulnerable as the Aussies eye the top nation spot. Of the eleven events, North American sailors have managed to compete in enough events to hold top ten positions in 7 of the categories: Laser Radial: 2. Tania Elias Calles (MEX), 3. Anna Tunnicliffe (USA); Laser: 3. Michael Leigh (CAN), 8. Bernard Luttmer (CAN); 470 Women: 7. Amanda Clark/ Sara Mergenthaler (USA), 8. Jennifer Provan/ Carol Luttmer (CAN); Yngling: 6. Sally Bakow/ Carrie Howe/ Debbie Capozzi (USA); Star: 6. George Szabo/ Andrew Scott (USA), 9. John Dane/ Austin Sperry (USA); 49er: 10. Morgan Larson/ Pete Spaulding (USA); Finn: 6. Chris Cook (CAN) -- Complete information: http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6~FnA,7?&format=popup ULLMAN SAILS POWER PUGET SOUND WINNERS Congratulations to Erik & Stephanie Kristen and crew, who won the J/105 class on “Jubilee” at the 2007 Puget Sound Spring Regatta in Seattle, WA. They were followed by Chuck Stephens’ J/105 “Panic” who finished 2nd. Three of the top five J/105’s had full inventories of Ullman Sails, as did Martin Godsil on “Invader” taking 1st Place in the Thunderbird class. Time and again, winning teams turn to Ullman. To find out the how affordable one sail or a full inventory of the “Fastest Sails on the Planet” is, contact your nearest Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com SAILING SHORTS * The 2007 Keelboat Team Racing calendar kicked off with a bang this past weekend, with New York Yacht Club defeating Larchmont Yacht club to win the Jackson Cup hosted by Boston Yacht club in Marblehead, MA. The Jackson Cup serves as the opener of the sailing season for many of the top keelboat team racers in the US. The teams that competed represented the following yacht clubs: Southern, Larchmont, Seawanaka, Corinthian, Royal Nova Scotia, Yale Corinthian, Boston, Eastern, and New York. -- Rob Richards, photos at http://tinyurl.com/2bwojk * A competitor’s advisory has been distributed for the 2007 Sperry Top-Sider Chicago NOOD Regatta to be held June 15-17, regarding the use of the IRC Rule. Details at http://tinyurl.com/234vqa * Photos are on the Scuttlebutt website from Glen Cove, NY, where the recent Noreaster dumped 7+ inches of rain in 24 hours. A number of trailerable keelboats were damaged when the intense saturation caused a bulkhead to give way, collapsing a significant area of the dry storage area. -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0419 * The Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology and SUNY Maritime College announced in a statement that they will offer a new joint continuing-education (CE) program. The courses will be offered through Westlawn, SUNY Maritime and ABYC, and will cover subjects from the fundamentals of boat design, maintenance and repair, to marine surveying, through metal corrosion, to training for captain's licenses, and radar recertification. -- IBI Magazine, full story: http://tinyurl.com/2yr6fp * The Show Listings page on the Scuttlebutt website has added a link to Yachting TV, which is a UK based online TV show for cruiser sailors. Each of their programmes are free to view for a month online and then available to buy from their archive. Show subjects include pilotage, boat reviews, sailing skills, etc. -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar/shows * The 2007 J/24 US National Championship has brought a fleet of 37 boats to Florida Yacht Club in Jacksonville, FL, where racing will take place on the St. Johns River from Thursday (4/19) through Saturday (4/21). Current weather reports indicate comfortable temperatures and decent winds on Thursday and Friday of 13-17 knots, decreasing to below 10 knots for Saturday's finale. -- http://www.j24nationals.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: April 19-24 - Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, English Harbour, Antigua, WI April 20-21 - Leukemia Cup Regatta, St. Petersburg, FL, USA April 21-22 - Ahmanson Cup Regatta Newport Beach, CA, USA April 21 - Miami to Key Largo Race, Miami, FL, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Bob Fisher: As one who has had the temerity to voice my opinion of what I have found about Valencia in “sailing forums”, I must answer Victoria Scott’s letter in yesterday’s Scuttlebutt 2325. What I have reported has been the facts, all borne out repeatedly, and concern the area in which the America’s Cup is held. The America’s Cup community does not have the time to “discover the heart of the city” as it is busy for most of its available time. Neither does it have the time “ to delve beneath the surface and find a lovely city with small boutique hotels.” After several previous visits to Valencia, staying in an adequate hotel relatively near the America’s Cup harbour, I relied on a colleague to unearth a suitable apartment to rent for the period of the cup races, one that was within reasonable walking distance of the media centre. It is in the port area and regrettably, during the nine-minute walk to work, we are forced to pass several drain covers from which the stench is appalling these are a common feature. And there can be no denying the crime rate is high almost daily a member of one of the teams is mugged in the streets and the police appear disinterested, preferring to target those who ride their bicycles on the sidewalks (like the native Valencians) rather than risk their lives on the roads. No, it is not Auckland, a fact of which we are all too well aware. Curmudgeon’s Comment: While we aspire to focus on the positive, we have heard our share of troubling stories about the city. Bob has posted additional observations on the Sail World website: http://www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?Nid=32699&rid=8&sc=arc * From Bill Gibbs: Regarding Elaine Bunting's desire for modern testing of safety equipment, check out (the publication) Practical Sailor, which has recently tested PFDs and life rafts. Sort of the Consumer's Report of the sailing industry. * From Jeremy McGeary, Farnham, VA: (edited to the 250-word limit) With reference to Elaine Bunting in Scuttlebutt 2325, Cruising World tested half a dozen radar reflectors in 2000 (October issue). Our spotter vessel was the local pilot boat, while I was on the "target" boat - a "very ordinary sailboat" - and was disheartened by the reports from the pilot boat in their inability to distinguish us from birds and other clutter on Narragansett Bay. The main conclusion I drew privately from that test was that if you want to appear on a container ship's radar, you'd better be a container ship. It comes down to how many square feet of reflective surface you can put up there. Even the live "enhancer" was only marginally better than the traditional aluminum egg crate reflectors. In our test, the really expensive devices offered minimal improvement, and for considerably more weight aloft. I therefore now make every possible effort to steer clear of places where big, fast ships travel, as I think it's time we all admitted that “might has right” (especially since radar is unable to distinguish between a stand-on sailboat and a burdened power boat). As for man-overboard gear, I refer to a report on the BoatUS site from (I think) the Crew Overboard Symposium held in 2005 (boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport). Not to be a pessimist, but I've decided to live by what I used to tell my charter "guests" in the Caribbean when they asked, as they would, "What happens if I fall overboard?" My answer -- "Don't." * From Cliff Bradford: After three days of racing lost in Valencia, I can hear all the clamor about it should've been held somewhere else. The fact is there's no place where the wind never fails to blow at some point. If we wanted scheduled boat races with no chance of postponement then the AC should be for model boats in an indoor pool with fans for breeze, otherwise quit yer bitchin'. * From Alex Arnold: (regarding news report in Issue 2325) Don't flame me, but what is the point of we, U.S. taxpayers, footing the bill for 1.2 million USD for slips in Clearwater, FL or any other locality for that matter ? CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION It's no longer a question of staying healthy. It's a question of finding a sickness you like. - Jackie Mason Special thanks to Morris Charters and Ullman Sails. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
