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SCUTTLEBUTT 3049 - Tuesday, March 16, 2010Scuttlebutt 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. Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today's sponsors: APS, North Sails, and LaserPerformance. VOLVO OCEAN RACE GOING TO MIDDLE EAST Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has broken new ground for the Volvo Ocean Race by being confirmed as the first Middle East stopover in the history of the event. A boat from Abu Dhabi will also take its place on the start line of the 2011-12 race in Alicante, Spain in the autumn of next year. Team Abu Dhabi, a crew specially selected by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) will campaign a new Volvo Open 70 which will be built in the UAE capital by the Abu Dhabi Mar Group. "It is our ambition to include a UAE national in the crew who will be our ocean ambassador representing the emirate's long seafaring heritage," said Al Muhairi, director general of ADTA. "The locally-constructed boat will also signal our potential as a new build and repair port, which will recall the heady days when vessels made on these shores set sail for months of pearling expeditions and proved to be among the sturdiest afloat." The new marina being built at Emirates Palace - the emirate's signature hotel and among the world's most opulent - will be the focal point of the host port. "This event will take Abu Dhabi's marine leisure proposition to the world and will enable us to demonstrate, first hand, our powerful credentials to a highly influential professional yachting audience," said His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADTA. Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yeeym2t BERTARELLI TO TAKE PART IN THE NEXT VOLVO RACE? By Barry Pickthall, PPL Ltd The announcement on Monday that Abu Dhabi has beaten off a late challenge from Ras al Khaimah to host the Volvo Race fleet in the Gulf has heightened interest in which team will represent this Gulf state in next year's race. The Volvo announcement simply stated, 'Team Abu Dhabi, a crew specially selected by ADTA will tackle the 'Everest of Sailing', in a newly designed boat, which will be built in the UAE capital by the Abu Dhabi Mar Group." Could Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, who is reported to have pressed for Ras al Khaimah to become the regional stopover in return for an Alinghi entry in the Volvo race, be persuaded to dump his Arab partners a second time and take up the colours of Abu Dhabi? Bertarelli selected Ras al Khaimah to host the 33rd America's Cup, only to have his choice rebuffed in the New York Supreme Court in favour of Valencia. Having now lost the Cup to Larry Ellison's BMW Oracle Racing team, Bertarelli is casting around for a fresh challenge to keep his Alinghi sailing team together. An entry in the Volvo race is we understand, very much on the cards. If it happens, then Ernesto's No 2, Brad Butterworth will again be key player. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/0315/ HARKEN MONTH AT APS It's mid-March and at APS, "The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors", that means time is running out on another great deal. This month save an additional 10% off our already discounted prices on Harken hard goods. Bum blocks, sticky travelers, wimpy winches.whatever, we'll help you sort it out and at a great price. So go ahead, let's get the lion's share of the work done now so when the lambs come it'll be time to go sailing! As a bonus we've got some exclusive Harken freebies we'll throw in to sweeten the deal too. But hurry time is running out: http://bit.ly/bvuWxZ WHERE WILL THE MIDDLE OF THE RACE GO? The Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) organizers are leveraging the 2011-12 race route, seeking to build interest through the gradual disclosure of port stopovers. One of the mandates for the race was to reduce team budgets, and significant team expenditures occur at each port. The 2008-9 race had ten stops; predictions are that the next race will have nine. With the remaining stopover ports to be revealed throughout the remainder of March, here's what is currently known: Leg 1: Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa Leg 2: Cape Town, South Africa to Abu Dhabi, UAE Leg 3: Abu Dhabi, UAE to ? Leg 4: Leg 5: Leg 6: Leg 7: North America to Lisbon, Portugal Leg 8: Lisbon, Portugal to Lorient, France Leg 9: Lorient, France to Galway, Ireland Where will the middle of the race go? Here are some theories: LEG 3: The 2008-9 race went to India, but with UAE now confirmed, Leg 3 must be headed to Asia. The last race went from India to Singapore, and Singapore to Qingdao, China, but look for the next race to sail through the southern section (wasn't too popular last time), though perhaps not as far north as Qingdao (gets cold up there in the winter). Despite damage in the 2008-9 race to five boats due to the strong weather and water hazards of the South China Sea, China is too strong commercially for the race to pass on. LEG 4: The 2008-9 race went from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which at 41 days was the longest leg of the race (and race history). It was also a hard leg to maintain media interest, so look for a shorter route from China, and with limited options, an Australian or New Zealand stop seem likely. Leg 5: Leaving from the Oceania region across the South Pacific, the fleet will be stopping in South America.but where? Just because the 2016 Olympics are going to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, don't expect the VOR to follow suit. Rio underperformed commercially during the last race, so look for alternatives in Argentina or Brazil. Leg 6: Leaving Argentina or Brazil, this next leg will head toward North America, and the two cities still vying for the bid are Newport, RI and Miami, FL. The final decision is believed to be Miami due to better financing, and considering that Lisbon is a long, long way south of previous trans-Atlantic finish ports, Miami's southern location will help teams navigate around the Azores High. While the full race route is to be revealed by the end of March, hopefully it gets delayed so as to give Scuttlebutt some fodder for the annual April Fools edition. Add your theories here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9427 FOR THE RECORD (Day 43 - March 15, 2010; 17:20 UTC) - Offshore of Cape Verde, favorable sailing conditions find Groupama 3 now powering back into contention in relation to eclipse the Jules Verne Trophy record. Indeed she has made up nearly 200 miles in the past 24 hours and her deficit is set to diminish still further over the coming hours! On her 43rd day at sea, current record holder Orange 2 was at her slowest, so tangled up in a ridge of high pressure that they only covered 180 miles. The Doldrums was virtually non-existent Sunday night, with the next obstacle to be a ridge of high pressure to negotiate from Tuesday evening. Once past the ridge, Franck Cammas and his nine crew will seek out a low which will bring SW'ly breezes that the 103-foot trimaran could possibly ride all the way to the finish off Usant, France -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yd75x4l Current position as of March 15, 2010 (22:00:00 UTC): Ahead/behind record: -139.35 nm Speed (avg) over past 24 hours: 24.9 knots Distance over past 24 hours: 597.1 nm Distance to go: 2,687 nm Data: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne/positions.asp?lg=en Map: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne/index.asp?lg=en * After their start on January 31, 2010, Franck Cammas and his nine crew on Groupama 3 must cross finish line off Ushant, France before March 23rd (06:14:57 UTC) to establish a new time for the Jules Verne Trophy (21,760 nm) for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions. Current record holder is Bruno Peyron and crew, who in 2005 sailed Orange 2 to a time of 50 days, 16 hours, and 20 minutes at an average of 17.89 knots. HAPPY ENDING San Francisco, CA (March 14, 2010) - A stranded windsurfer was rescued Saturday in southern San Francisco Bay after radioing the Coast Guard for help. At 5:16 p.m., the windsurfer contacted the Coast Guard with his handheld VHF radio after losing his board south of the San Mateo Bridge. Sector San Francisco Command Center personnel immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast, notifying mariners in the area of the distressed windsurfer. A 25-foot response boat from Station San Francisco, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station San Francisco, a Coast Guard Auxiliary Mobile Unit, and the Foster City Fire Department were all dispatched to the scene. Once on scene, the Auxiliary Mobile Unit directed a good Samaritan to the location of the distressed windsurfer. Once recovered, the good Samaritan transferred the windsurfer to awaiting EMS personnel in Coyote Point Marina were he was transported to Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City. The successful recovery of the windsurfer was a direct result of his possessing a handheld VHF radio. Without the ability to contact the Coast Guard once losing his board, the execution of this case could have been hindered dramatically. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/yamye6t GRACIAS 2010 MEXORC & REGATA COPA MEXICO! The 2010 MEXORC was held as part of the 3-week Regata Copa Mexico, a joint effort between Mexican government and sailing associations featuring sailing, windsurfing and kite surfing. North Sails congratulates Sr. Bernardo Minkow and crew onboard his North-powered Farr 40 'Flojito y Cooperando' for winning Class B and Overall in this year's event. Racing into Puerto Vallarta prior to the start of MEXORC, Sr. Lorenzo Behro and crew on 'Peligroso' was the overall winner and Bill Turpin and crew on 'Akela' crossed the finish line first and broke the record in the 2010 Vallarta Race. Both are powered by North sails. http://www.northsails.com NEW ZEALAND TAKES FIRST LOSS Auckland, NZL (March 15, 2010; Day 7) - Menacing black clouds hung over the Waitemata Harbour at the start of day six, with strong and gusty sou-west winds forcing a cancellation to the day's competition with the exception of one match, where previously unbeaten Emirates went down in defeat to France's seventh-placed ALEPH. Emirates strategist Adam Beashel said afterwards "it was one of the worst races we've sailed in a long time." After missing the first two shifts to trail at the first weather mark, Emirates tore their kite during the set, which then blew out, nearly broke their pole, and led to bowman Stuart Bettany going overboard. Emirates rallied on the second beat, but ultimately lost to Aleph by 38 seconds. Milder weather is expected Tuesday and racing will resume with flight seven, the last of the round robin. With an earlier start scheduled, the remaining matches of today's abandoned flight six will be squeezed into the schedule tomorrow, or on subsequent days. Live streaming web coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland is available on the event website. Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/ycuowhv Provisional leaderboard after Flight Six (partial): 1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), skipper Dean Barker (NZL), 5-1, 5 pts 2. All4One (FRA/GER), skipper Jochen Schumann (GER), 3-2, 3 pts 2. Azzurra (ITA), skipper Francesco Bruni (ITA), 3-2, 3 pts 2. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team (ITA), skipper Gavin Brady (NZL), 3-2, 3 pts 2. TEAMORIGIN (GBR), skipper Ben Ainslie (GBR), 3-2, 3 pts 6. Artemis (SWE), skipper Paul Cayard (USA), 2-3, 2 pts 7. ALEPH Sailing Team (FRA), skipper Bertrand Pace (FRA), 2-4, 1 pts* 8. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, skipper Karol Jablonski (POL), 0-5, 0 pts *Penalty point deducted Team lists: http://www.louisvuittontrophy.com/teams/EN/ BACKGROUND: The Louis Vuitton Trophy series is designed to be a cost-effective format for match racing competition in Version 5 America's Cup Class boats. Teams will take turns on the two Emirates Team New Zealand yachts NZL 84 and NZL 92 that have been fitted out, optimized and rigged after a year in storage. They will race four matches a day to complete a round robin seeding series before a ladder elimination culminating in the finals on March 21st. The 2010 series continues on to Sardinia (May 22-June 6) and Dubai (Nov. 13-28). AULD MUG: The America's Cup trophy will be on display for public viewing during the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta in Auckland. The defending American team BMW ORACLE Racing has been in Auckland, consulting with the teams about the next edition of the America's Cup. -- Details: http://www.louisvuittontrophy.com/newsletter/?id=103 TEEN SAILOR IS 'A BRAND' By Elaine Bunting, Yachting World Is 16-year-old Jessica Watson in danger of being milked for maximum profit? Here's something that's scary and worrying in equal measure. The publicity team behind 16-year-old Jessica Watson is working on how best to capitalise if she successfully completes her non-stop solo circumnavigation later this year. Spokesman Andrew Fraser from 5 Oceans Media commented: "Our job is to manage and protect the Jessica Watson brand." How sad to think of a 16-year-old minor being deliberately confected as a brand. There has been much well-meaning and worthwhile debate about the merits of teenagers sailing alone round the world. Say what you like but so far every one who's set off - from Jesse Martin to David Dicks to Zac Sunderland to Mike Perham - has succeeded safely. No adult professional solo round the world race can boast this kind of record or ratio of success. Every bit as worrying, though, is the prospect of businesspeople latching on to these efforts and milking them for profit. Fame is something that comes with a price tag no 16-year-old can possibly understand. Besides, if these youngsters' voyages are rewarded with fame and fortune the 'youngest' record - by its nature a race for physical and mental immaturity - becomes an attractive proposition to exploit. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/yezj6ru * As of March 15, 2010, Jessica has been out for 149 days, and is now in the Southern Ocean on the final leg from South Africa toward the Australian finish line of Sydney Harbour. -- http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/ NO SLEIGH RIDE YET TO SAN FRANCISCO * (March 15, 2010; Day 14) - The Pacific is clearly not living up to its name for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, as the cold wet and windy conditions persist and heavy squalls mean that layering up is a must before the crews dare to venture on deck. Skipper Pete Stirling of 'Jamaica Lightning Bolt' notes, "Last night we got caught unawares by one (a squall) that was moving very quickly. We had 20 knots of boat speed and 40 knots of apparent wind meaning 60 knots of true wind. We were massively over-pressed and on the edge of being out of control." * A new chapter for the 'Cork' team in Clipper 09-10 was revealed as skipper Hannah Jenner was announced to take over at the helm of 'Cork' following the grounding of the original yacht during the race to Singapore from Western Australia. A replacement yacht has been chartered and the 'Cork' crew, who have been racing on board the other nine yachts of the Clipper 09-10 fleet since the incident, will take delivery of their new vessel in Panama at the beginning of May. * In Qingdao, 'Team Finland' is nearly ready to take on the mighty Pacific as the replacement 90 foot spar has finally been lowered into place. A trial sail is planned for Tuesday morning local time and all being well the team will set off to San Francisco by Tuesday evening. Event website: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com WE WANT YOUR FROSTBITE PHOTOS Brush the snow off your boat, put your dry suit on, get on the water, and take some pictures. Submit your fun and outrageous frostbite photos for a chance to win a 15% discount at the LaserPerformance online store. For more information go to http://www.LaserPerformance.com and click on the Photo Contest icon in the top left corner. * From Peter Beardsley, Vanguard 15 Class President: "The 2010 national V15 schedule has been posted online with events covering New York, Connecticut, Newport, Cape Cod, Annapolis, the Gulf Coast, Chicago, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. The highlight of the 2010 calendar is the V15 Nationals, to be hosted July 10-11 at SailNewport, where we expect at least 65 boats. LaserPerformance plans to build boats in two annual batches through the foreseeable future , and are now taking orders for the first batch through March 31 for boats that will be delivered at the end of April." -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9434#9434 SAILING SHORTS * San Pedro, CA (March 15, 2010) - USC skipper Chris Vetter, having learned from heartbreaking experience, wrote a different script for his crew before racing started in the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup/Cal Maritime Invitational Intercollegiate Regatta. After finishing second for the last two years in the West Coast's only intercollegiate big boat regatta, USC used their experience in the chartered Catalina 37s to top the 10 college and academy teams from the East Coast to Hawaii. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9429#9429 * With a shortage of offshore distance racing in Southern California, the 129 nautical mile inaugural Islands Race hosted by Newport Harbor YC and San Diego YC was welcomed with a solid turnout of 41 boats. Starting on Friday at Long Beach inside the breakwater, the fleet headed across the channel in 10-14 knots to the West End of Catalina. Approaching sunset, the wind built to 17-20 knots for the run past Catalina and San Clemente Islands. From San Clemente, the fleet rushed for the finish San Diego in the faltering breeze to prepare for the rum squall that hit Saturday evening. -- http://www.islandsrace.com * The Farr 30 Class has announced the Farr 30 North American Championship will be held on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis MD during the 44th Annual Annapolis Race Week Sept 3-6 2010. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9428 * Sail America said that exhibitor space in the new indoor exhibitor hall of Strictly Sail Pacific is completely sold out. The sailboat show is scheduled to take place April 15-18 at Jack London Square in Oakland, California. Jonathan Banks, show producer and executive director of Sail America, said all the major sailboat manufacturers will be bringing boats to the show. Jenneau and Hunter will be showing some models for the first time on the Pacific coast. Gear suppliers and service providers will also display more than 30 new products. There will also be more than 100 seminars at the show. -- IBI Magazine, http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20100215155624ibinews.html LETTERS AND FORUM Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, 'The Curmudgeon'). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Ryan Hamm, Charleston, SC: In response to Laurence Mead (in Scuttlebutt 3048), I concur completely. We too often try to find fault with our sport and talk ourselves into reasons our sport is in trouble. I have been on both sides and have raced against Russell Coutts and Dave Ullman, and countless other pros. They beat me pretty handily (most of the time) but it sure was great to be near them on the line and see how the good guys do it. That was in Melges 24s where many of the best have competed but the class also scores the Corinthian division inside the same event so you race against the pros and not trophy but if you beat the other amateurs you still have a chance to be in the silver. I have also sailed against Joe the plumber, and countless other everyday "Joes" in regular Harbor races in Charleston and surrounding waters. Both sailing against the pros and "Joe" are great and you can choose which way you want to go in our sport or you can do both. But whatever you do don't leave the sport because you don't want to lose to the pros. Sail against Joe if you want some silver and can't beat James Spithill, Bora, John Bertrand or other greats. I like it both ways. Either can makes you a better sailor depending on what you put into it. Sail fast, often, and have fun! But don't quit on account of a few pros. -- Forum, http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9431 CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "If you're faced with a forced airplane landing, fly the thing as far into the crash as possible." - Bob Hoover, renowned aerobatic and test pilot Special thanks to APS, North Sails, and LaserPerformance. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
