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SCUTTLEBUTT 3231 - Thursday, December 2, 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. 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: Ullman Sails and Melges Performance Sailboats. THE ROLLER COASTER LIFE OF A DEVELOPMENT CLASS - PART 2 Rohan Veal from Australia electrified the sailing world in 2005 when he became the first person to win an International Moth World Championship on hydrofoils, taking first place in eight straight races. For a class rooted in development, this was a game changer. Interest in the class has been sky high ever since, and now possibly faces its next game changer: a wing sail. We have seen them in the Little America's Cup on the C Class catamarans, and earlier this year on the U.S. entry that defeated the Swiss in the 33rd America's Cup. But now the Moth? Explaining this new reality is American Bora Gulari, 2009 Moth World Champion: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * What made you think a wing on the Moth was realistic? BORA GULARI: The Moth class is open and has always been an experimental class. When the foils were introduced to the class they were far more out in left field. Let's not forget, wings have been around for 30+ years. After seeing BMW Oracle pooch the start of the first race of the America's Cup in February, but then sail up, over and around Alinghi, we all wanted one at that very moment! * Who have you collaborated with to develop your rig? BORA GULARI: We have quite the wing team! It was designed by Canadians Steve Killing and Magnus Clarke, and built by Rob Paterson and Rossi Milev at Object 2 Skiffworks in Toronto with a bit of help from George Peet, Anthony Kotoun, Chris Rast and Andrew McCorquodale. This was Fred Eaton's Little America's Cup winning combo of designers and builders. He got it right so we copied! * Is the wing destined to be a game changer for the class? BORA GULARI: Time will tell, but there is nothing to be afraid of! Believe it or not, it is easier to rig, derig and easier to sail. If a wing is going to work in any class besides the C Class it would be the Moth. * How has the class been dealing with the wing? BORA GULARI: There is no current rule that addresses the wing. In August, the International Moth Class Association (IMCA) published an interpretation of the current class rules and their application to solid wing sails. More recently, the IMCA presented some questions about our wing design, to which we just submitted a response. The IMCA Executive Committee is working hard to make sure the road is clear for the 2011 Worlds in Belmont, Australia (Jan. 8-14). * Seems like this wing project could be a huge distraction for you at the Worlds. BORA GULARI: Maybe, but the class ethos is to develop and produce faster boats within the rules. This is what I believe we have done, and I gain as much satisfaction in this aspect of the class as I do competing on the water. -- Read on (Part 1 included): http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/1201#P2 NOTE: The entry list for the Zhik 2011 International Moth World Championship is up to 112 participants as of today. -- http://www.mothworlds.org/belmont RACE COURSE CONUNDRUM The latest Scuttlebutt survey concerns the typical courses being offered for buoy racing, and specifically, if there is enough reaching in racing. Commenting on the topic is Ken Legler, Tufts Sailing Coach and National Race Officer: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Perfectly fair for the winners or more fun for the masses - that is the question. Under the tutelage of Bill Bentsen, I was part of a race management team in the 70s that sought to manage the most fair possible races for championships and a move away from reach legs began. Instead of modified courses with really long reach legs, the emphasis was on a long first beat to reduce traffic at the first mark and less luck of a single wind shift. Those "Gold Cup" and "Olympic" courses had shorter reach legs which meant less passing lanes and reaches were often "parades." In the 90s most all reach legs were eliminated from championship or big boat races to avoid those boring parades. When I run races now it's almost always W-L loops. When I race however, I'm begging for occasional long reach legs. That's because I rarely race any more to win championships but rather to just have fun racing. I rarely get them long enough or on the right angle for the waves; setting them just right is a lost art. Imagine if you will at your class championship that one race is a "long distance" race with some really long legs including epic reach legs that you remember for a long time. Imagine a long (long enough for separation) heavy air tight spin reach in a Melges 24 or other sport boat. Imagine a round-the-island race in your PHRF boat around your favorite island. Imagine a family one-design race that finishes in another harbor for a quick picnic lunch, then races back around a longer course as the breeze picks up. I'm not suggesting all races be silly races. For the top end of college racing and most other highly competitive races, W-Ls are, for the most part, the way to go. But can't we mid-fleeters have some variation once in a while, and perhaps a chance to get lucky? SURVEY: If you haven't submitted your "two cents", the survey will be open until 12:00pm PT on Thursday. Vote here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/10/1130/ QUALITY FOUNDED IN ONE DESIGN Ullman Sails is often perceived as a one design sailmaker. In reality, this distinction is the reason why we are the choice sailmaker for both cruising and racing sails. After years of racing and testing sails in one design fleets, our designers use the same development techniques to build and deliver consistently fast big boat sails. Our sailmakers also follow a "one design" standard, closely monitoring the quality of every sail from construction to finishing. Be confident that every detail is built to the highest standard. Ullman Sails - Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com. CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE SPORT It was in 1986 when Chip Johns partnered in the purchase of Vanguard Sailboats from Peter and Olaf Harken, moving the company from Wisconsin to Rhode Island, and growing its product line to become the leading manufacturer and largest U.S. supplier of recreational and high performance small sailboats. While Chip sold his interest in Vanguard (now LaserPerformance) in 2007, he still remains passionate about the sport. Chip checked in with Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck on Tuesday to share his sage advice concerning the top two articles in Scuttlebutt #3230, which he believes to be among the critical issues in our sport. "Development classes are great fun to sail, but the long term success of a class depends on a balance of satisfying the user, the equipment provider (ie boat builder/importer), and the event organizer. If the equipment provider is stuck with unsellable inventory because of class development, then the future buyers/users will have trouble finding the gear to use in future events. Yes, there are always exceptions to this and the Moth and I14 are pretty good examples of this, but they are far from mainstream. The really successful classes have builders/importers who can make a buck AND support events. The classes that die are those that cannot support their suppliers. "Are we sick of doing loop d' loops with Loopy courses? When Vanguard first introduced the Vanguard 15 Class we tried to come up with some courses that would provide more fun for the sailors. The best one that I recall was based on a modified triangle. Start in the middle, beat, starboard reach, jibe and close reach back to the start mark (round to stb), run to a downwind mark, and then beat to a finish or another cycle. Lots of fun in breeze, for both the competitors and the committee. Many of the successful big boat events have at least one day's race as a "round the island" type race where there are more factors than just headers and lifts affecting the race. Let's get a bit more creative in our race management." TOUR LEADER ON BACK FOOT AFTER OPENING DAY Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia (December 1, 2010) - With the World Match Racing World championship title on the line, Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar made an impressive start at the tour finale Monsoon Cup by posting a 3-0 scoreline in the opening Qualifying Session, whilst Tour leader Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team did little to silence his rivals, losing both of his match races. Richard, who has both defending champion, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN breathing down his neck in the race for the championship, needed a strong start here in Malaysia. An early defeat to Ian Williams was followed by a match against Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team. "Not the start we wanted at all today," admitted Richard. "We had two bad starts. In our first race again Ian Williams there was a shift before the start, so we suffered. Against Bjorn Hansen, we might have a strong record against him but he beat us today and that is the only result I care about." Despite these defeats, the Frenchman was buoyed by the mixed fortunes of his nearest rivals, with Minoprio losing to Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team and Ben Ainslie going down to the increasingly-impressive Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing to take the polish off his two opening victories. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-120110 First day standings after three flights Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, 3-0 Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN, 2-1 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team, 2-0 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, 1-0 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Azzurra, 1-0 Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing, 1-0 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing, 1-1 Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, 1-2 Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing Team, 0-1 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, 0-2 Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing Team, 0-2 Jeremy Koo (MAL) Koo Racing Team Evernew, 0-3 POPCORN: To follow the race action on Thursday, tune into the World Match Racing Tour website by 10:00 am (UTC/GMT +8 hours) for a streaming video feed and live text updating: http://www.wmrt.com/live-blog.html PERMUTATIONS: Here is how each of the top five skippers in the overall Tour standings - Mathieu Richard (FRA), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), and Ian Williams (GBR) - can become the new ISAF Match Racing World Champion: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-2010-math BACKGROUND: The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series, featuring 9 events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with "Special Event" status. Prize money is awarded for each event, with event points culminating in the crowning of the "ISAF Match Racing World Champion". -- http://www.wmrt.com EDITORIAL - THE AMERICA'S CUP RIP-OFF Gigantic international sporting events tend to be great fun for the people who attend. They make great promotional videos for the host city. They can generate big revenue and profits for some private businesses. But when the party's over and the bills come due, these extravaganzas aren't always a boon to the municipal treasury. And at a time when San Francisco can't afford to pay for teachers and nurses and recreation directors, the supervisors ought to be giving much greater scrutiny to the deal that could bring the America's Cup yacht races to the bay. In 2009, as the city of Chicago was preparing an unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Olympics, the Chicago Tribune took a look at what the 1996 games had meant to another U.S. city, Atlanta. The Trib's conclusion: lots of private outfits and big institutions did well - the Atlanta Braves got a new baseball stadium and the Georgia Institute of Technology got a new swimming and diving center - but the city itself didn't get much money at all. That's exactly the way the deal that Mayor Gavin Newsom negotiated with Larry Ellison, the multibillionaire database mogul and yachtsman, is shaping up. A shadowy new corporation controlled by Ellison would get control of more than 30 acres of prime waterfront land worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The city could lose $42 million, and possibly as much as $128 million. We don't dispute the huge economic impact of holding an event that could attract more than 1 million visitors to the Bay Area. Those people will spend money in bars, restaurants, shops, and hotels. The waterfront improvements and increased tourism will create, according to economic reports, 8,840 jobs. But as the Board of Supervisors budget analyst points out, those are not permanent, full-time jobs; much of the increased employment needs would be met by increased productivity (bartenders and waiters handling more customers than usual), overtime, and temporary jobs. And again: Most of the benefits will go to the private businesses in the tourist industry. The city's increased tax revenue won't be nearly enough to cover the expenses. Even if the America's Cup group raises $32 million - and that's not guaranteed in the deal - the city would still be down $10 million. So in effect, San Francisco is preparing to spend $42 million of taxpayer money (and to forego as much as $86 million more by giving away waterfront land that could be developed) to benefit the sixth-richest person in the world, a new company he's going to create and control, and the tourist-related businesses in town. Oh, and to make it even juicier: the city is promising to seek state approval for Ellison to build condos or a hotel on the waterfront - something nobody else can legally do. This doesn't strike us as a terribly good deal. -- San Francisco Bay Guardian... read on: http://www.sfbg.com/2010/11/30/americas-cup-rip MORE: Here is a report from the San Francisco Examiner that provides a less opinionated update of the situation: http://tinyurl.com/SFEX-120110 MORE, MORE: Local yachting journalist Kimball Livingston concisely presents (yes, you heard correctly) how there has been a huge shift concerning the venue plan in San Francisco: http://kimballlivingston.com/?p=5460 CANADA: A challenge for the America's Cup is being considered from Canadian group. "We're very much in the exploratory phase of the program," said Kevin Reed, a Toronto investment banker and RCYC member who is chair of Red Maple Racing, the bid's name if and when it takes off. "We'll know by late January or mid-February. We'll take 60 days to size up the opportunity. But it makes a ton of sense and the economics are realistic." Reed said the Canadian group, including the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and Royal Halifax Yacht Squadron, would put together a joint challenge, to be run out of the RCYC on Toronto Island and feature an all-Canadian crew. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/TheStar-120110 => Curmudgeon's Comment: When it comes to the America's Cup venue, it makes me wonder sometimes how the event has grown to be so complicated. And since a lot of the financial math is based on the 32nd America's Cup, which had 12 teams and was hosted in sailing crazy Spain, it makes me wonder more how the math will pencil out for a host city in the U.S. with much fewer teams. Right now there are only three teams that have fully stepped up to the plate, and while the entry period might be open until March 31st, the logistics of organizing a competitive team will close substantially before that. MELGES 32 GOLD CUP CHAMPIONSHIP The Official Winter Series of Melges 32 Racing begins this weekend at the Lauderdale Yacht Club. This three day championship has been one of the favorites for the Melges 32 sailors. Great racing and great organization, fantastic boats! The Melges 32 continues to impress with another large turnout at this championship. The trend will continue as the fleet goes to Key West Race Week next and then Miami Race Week in March. A full winter of Melges Racing. Check out photos, video and results at melges32.com and melges.com. Winter Pricing Specials are in effect - call Melges today for special prices! -- http://www.melges.com EIGHT BELLS Robert H. Grant, beloved skipper and owner of the very successful line of sailboats named ROBON, died in Newport Beach, CA last week at the age of 90. A Celebration of Bob's life will be held at Newport Harbor YC this Friday, December 3, 2010, at 3 p.m. Bob's second-most meaningful sailing accomplishment was his first-to-finish victory in the 1972 Bermuda race aboard Robon III. After flourishing to weather for the last stretch of the race in 75+ knots of breeze and significant waves, Robon was shepherded by Bob toward the finish off St. David's Head on the very dark and stormy night of June 20. Bob and his crew pushed the brand new C&C 61 in its first race ever to also win Class A in the fleet of 178 starters. Robon's competitors included some of the finest sailboats of the time, including the much larger Winward Passage, Blackfin, and Ondine. Bob's most meaningful sailing success was the great amount of love, dedication and respect which existed between him and the many crew who were fortunate to see a sunrise at sea with him. His crew included many of the legends of Pacific Coast sailing, including Kenny Watts, Burke Sawyer, Bill Lawhorn, E. Ben Mitchell, George Griffith, Saint Cicero, Jack Hall and Don Vaughn. His three sons Taylor, Gerry and Larry regularly accompanied Bob offshore. Bob was a founding director of California International Sailing Association ("CISA"), and, as Treasurer, funded the first junior training activities for California's young, aspiring sailors. It was through the foresight of the Founders like Bob and the great efforts of those who followed that CISA has become the preeminent regularly scheduled junior training institution in the world. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10915 INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * Yacht Scoring - Race Administration Program * Dyer Jones Appointed Chief Executive Officer * Ronstan Moves into New Headquarters * Scape Yachts launches new Scape 51' * Quickline Custom Ultra Flip Swivel Recall Release * Give the Gift That Helps Protect Our Oceans * Nautical Christmas Cards * Custom Sailing Shirts View and/or post Industry News updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) The Scuttlebutt Event Calendar is a free, self-serve tool that is powered by the most utilized database in the sport. Used primarily for event marketing, the crew list service is also widely accessed to help connect available people with skippers in need. To view all the events, or to post your own event, visit the calendar at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Ziploc bags are just like men, as they hold everything in but you can always see right through them. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Mount Gay - Kaenon - LaserPerformance - Ultimate Sailing Melges Performance Sailboats - Henri Lloyd - Team One Newport North Sails - J Boats - Ullman Sails - JK3 Nautical Enterprises Summit Yachts - Doyle Sails Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
