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SCUTTLEBUTT 2196 – October 6, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt brought to you by UBS (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). TECHNOLOGY Internet Retailer pyacht.com has developed a portable weather buoy that the Company plans to deploy at strategic locations on the perimeter of the race course at major regattas around the United States. A working prototype of the first buoy is currently on display in Land Space X-5 at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. The buoy uses the latest wireless technology to deliver wind speed, wind direction, current speed, current direction, sea state and the coordinates of the location where it is anchored. Measuring two feet in diameter, the buoy itself is just over two feet tall. When fully rigged with its carbon fiber mast and ballast stem, the buoy stands just over 11 feet tall. The idea was born at the Star Western Hemisphere Spring Championships where company President Rob Emmet hired a Coach for the regatta. "My coach was running all over the course prior to the start gathering wind and current data. With barely any time left before the start he would fly up to our boat and start yelling "The wind is doing X on the right and Y on the left." said Emmet. "My question was how did he know what was happening on the left while he was seeing X on the right? The left could be showing X, Y or Z." The solution, Emmet decided, was to have weather buoys on the left, on the right and in the middle at the top. "I think the buoy concept is a much better idea because it allows the coach or navigator to methodically gather the data and communicate calmly with the skipper prior to the start." The buoys transmit their data via 900 MHz modems to a processor located on a control boat. Software then analyzes the data trends over a period of time to determine averages. Once the data is compiled, it can be distributed by VHF radio or voice in the case of one-on-one One-Design coaching, to another RF Modem aboard a larger racing yacht in the case of one-on-one coaching at the Grand Prix level, or via a WiFi transmitter on the control boat when providing a weather service to multiple subscribers in a fleet. "Wireless technology is getting so advanced that it's really simple to deliver this data to a pocket PC or even a smart phone." said Emmet. Now that a working prototype has been developed, testing and refinement will continue until the Spring of 2007 when the Company plans to begin offering the service to the general public. "We're planning on developing this with some of our friends who run first class sailing programs." said Emmet. "It's a very steep learning curve at this point. It seems every time we figure out one thing, we learn two more things and wish we had done it differently." – Rob Emmet, rob@pyacht.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK Thanks to Don Finkle and his RCR Yachts Racer's Newsletter for bringing this week’s video to our attention. If you believe there is no way to show the excitement of sailing on film, think again. This video is a compilation of many wild offshore moments, all put against the music of POD (yea…a local San Diego band), playing the high energy song 'Boom'. Put your cup of coffee down and enjoy. Also, if you have a video you like, please send us your suggestions for next week’s Video of the Week. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/#media BALTIMORE-ANNAPOLIS AGAIN? (A story in the Baltimore Sun discusses the possibility of the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race stopping once again in Baltimore-Annapolis. Here are a few excerpts.) Baltimore and Annapolis, hosts for the past three races, are expected to bid again. "All things being equal, we'd love to host the race again," said Gregory Barnhill, the head of Ocean Race Chesapeake. "We just have to see what kind of race this will be." Barnhill said preliminary reports are that attendance was up at the Inner Harbor and City Dock in Annapolis, and the sponsors of the racing yachts were pleased with both the attention they got and amount of business they conducted with clients during the three-week stopover. Glenn Bourke, the chief executive of the around-the-world challenge, while not calling the Baltimore-Annapolis stop a done deal, said: "We've always enjoyed coming there. The venue works. We don't want to re-invent the wheel. It would be an easy decision for us to come back." Although we try to go provincial and award the stop based on having a boat, it doesn't mean it has to come from the Chesapeake," he said. "The great thing about Baltimore and Annapolis is that the numbers of people who come out to see us seem to be growing." The addition of the first two stops in the Middle East and Asia signals a new chapter for Volvo. Volvo veterans are betting that Dubai and Hong Kong will emerge as strong candidates. The Volvo CEO expects the route will come together "slowly," because of the desire to choose ports that have ties to a syndicate. One piece of real estate -- the West Coast -- has dropped out of Volvo's plans. While it harbors large sailing communities in the San Francisco bay area and San Diego, the added distance and weather considerations pushed California beyond the race's horizon. "We're trying to keep the race within a nine-month window," Bourke said. "It would be more upwind than downwind, and these are predominantly downwind racers." -- Candus Thomson, Baltimore Sun, full story: http://tinyurl.com/kd4o2 3Dr DELIVERS SUPERIOR 3D PERFORMANCE TO SMALLER BOATS In 1992, North Sails revolutionized modern sailmaking by introducing 3DL thermo-molded sails, elevating sail performance to a level that remains unmatched by any other sail technology. Now, another 3D sail revolution has arrived ... it's called 3Dr. 3Dr sails are thermo-molded on a highly efficient revolving drum whose surface is shaped by 2,200 computer-controlled pistons. The 3Dr system now allows North Sails to deliver superior 3D shape-holding and performance to one-designs and medium-sized performance yachts at very competitive prices. Take the online 3Dr tour right now at http://www.northsails.com/3D. Then power-up to 3Dr! MORE TECHNOLOGY (The Daily Sail subscription website has posted an interview with Composite Rigging V-P Scott Vogel about Southern Spars' new carbon standing rigging. Here are just a few excerpts.) Composite rigging is now commonplace on racing keelboats of all shapes and sizes in classes where it is allowed. Although significantly more expensive than rod, composite rigging is one third to one quarter the weight of its metal equivalent and as fitting it results in a considerable weight saving aloft it can make a significant difference to a yacht's righting moment. While PBO has became the material of choice for standing rigging and runners, a key player in the market is now pushing hard with a new type of rigging made from our favorite material: carbon fiber. So what's so flash about carbon fiber compared to PBO? Scott Vogel, who runs Composite Rigging explains: "Carbon is a base element - there’s not that much more you can do with it - it has already been burned! So the fiber is pretty inert environmentally, it doesn’t really care about moisture or UV or any of that stuff which some of the other fibers have a problem with. It is pretty durable, has a high fatigue life, etc. These are in fact the main advantages of carbon fiber compared to PBO as its physical properties, such as stretch, stiffness and strength, are very similar to PBO. "Longevity and durability and things like that - in those respects the carbon is far superior," says Vogel. – Full story: http://www.thedailysail.com PEPPER/WILLIAMS LEAD WORLDS GOING INTO FINALE San Francisco, California – Positions in the fleet begun to take final shape on Day 5 of the Wells Fargo Private Bank Star World Championships, hosted by the St Francis Yacht Club. However, it’s still tight at the head with the top four having a realistic chance of winning. The breeze today was light and shifty as it’s been all week, from the west 8-9 knots, smooth water and a slight ebb tide. Fredrik Loof and Anders Ekstrom (SWE), took first place today, ahead of Jim Buckingham and Mike Dorgan (USA). Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (BRA) took third, while Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dominik Zycki (POL) took fourth. Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams (NZ) were in fifth place. Commented defending champion Xavier Rohart, “It’s really tough racing. We missed a small wind shift on the second beat and dropped a few places. Everyone is working hard to be tighter. It’s so difficult to be clever all the time here. Guys like Robert, Hamish and Andy (Horton), are really clever with what’s going on with the wind here. I’m impressed with the level. We’re starting well, our speed is average and our downwind is really nice. The week’s not finished.” Pepper and Williams are putting on an excellent performance, and look hard to beat, showing great skill at emerging from deep to lead. It’s an exciting time for New Zealand, a country just now delivering up Star sailors and already with two teams sitting in the top five places overall in the best show down of Star sailors that many present at this international regatta have ever witnessed. Pepper said, “It’s been our week. Carl’s doing a great job downwind. We may not be in the best place at each mark but we’re focused on being consistent. In tricky conditions there are always options which we’ve been looking for. We’ve not made any big mistakes mind you, the top guys seldom make mistakes so it’s hard to put too much time on them. We’re just working at being conservative at the start and not too aggressive and slowly chip at it, working on speed and going the right way. Our boat speed’s as good as anyone’s.” – Michelle Slade, for full story & results: http://www.stfyc.com Standings after five races (one discard) -- 66 boats 1. Hamish Pepper/ Carl Williams (NZL) 11 pts 2. Robert Scheidt/ Bruno Prada (BRA) 18 pts 3. Xavier Rohart/ Pascal Rambeau (FRA) 20 pts 4. Andy Horton/ Brad Nichol (USA) 21 pts 5. Rohan Lord/ Miles Addy (NZL) 26 pts 6. Flavio Marazzi/ Martin Kozaczek (SUI) 31 pts 7. Jim Buckingham/ Mike Dorgan (USA) 38 pts 8. Fredrik Loof/ Anders Ekstrom (SWE) 39 pts 9. Mateusz Kusznierewicz/ Dominik Zycki (POL) 52 pts 10. Daniel Stegmeier/ Beat Stegmeier (SUI) 58 pts DAVID LORING WIN SUNFISH WORLDS CHARLESTON, South Carolina — Today’s final action in the 2006 Sunfish World Championships, staged at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, was almost an anticlimactic affair. As the 96 competitors from 16 countries waited nearly three hours in 80-degree temperatures for a fitful sea breeze to materialize, it looked like the event might end without a final race. Eventually, about 7 knots of wind crept into the harbor from the south-southeast, and the race committee got the competitors off the line without a general recall. As the wind built slightly to 10 knots, the competitors worked their way around the five-leg, windward-leeward course in a mounting flood tide. At the finish—five legs later—local sailor David Loring, who began the day with a comfortable 28-point lead over his nearest rival, clinched the world championship title by crossing the line fourth. Loring pumped his sail in jubilation, and rocked his boat to weather, then he threw himself over backward into Charleston Harbor’s green water as his boat sailed away. -- Dan Dickison, final results - seven races with one discard: 1. Loring, USA, 13 2. Mendelblatt, USA, 27 3. Whitehurst, USA, 35 4. Stanton, ISV. 43 5. Gust, USA. 55 Complete results: http://www.sunfishworlds-2006.com/SCORES.htm CONQUERING A COUNTRY The America’s Cup rewards experience like few other sports. For evidence, take a look at the people involved with the top four teams on the 2006 Louis Vuitton ACC Championship. There simply aren’t too many rookies on board. It’s hard enough to tackle the America’s Cup as an experienced challenger, with all the intellectual property, hardware and know-how gained from previous campaigns. To start a campaign from scratch, challenging from a country that has very little sailing infrastructure is monumental work. But this is the task that China Team has set itself. To shortcut over some of the common speed-bumps, the team forged an alliance with Le Défi, a French challenger from the two Auckland editions of the America’s Cup. The arrangement means the team instantly gained hardware CHN 69 and CHN 79 and expertise, critical to help it overcome a late start. Even with this, the goals of the team are modest; China Team is taking a long view of challenging for the America’s Cup. In this edition, the team is trying to integrate as many Chinese sailors as possible and raise the profile of the sport in China. “From the beginning we knew this was going to be a long term project,” says skipper Pierre Mas. “We didn’t expect to raise a big budget for 2007, but we have the feeling that now things are going well and we hope to continue this team beyond the 32nd America’s Cup.” “We have just returned from Qingdao where we have done some small boat training with our Chinese sailors and also a lot of media and guest events,” explains Mas. “We’ve hosted a few thousand guests and organized many promotions, both on-site and on television. On the technical side, we’re working to complete the new boat. The construction is happening in Dong Guan, in the south of China. The hull is nearly finished and we are starting to build the deck. We expect the boat to be in Valencia in mid-December.” China Team is pinning a lot of hopes on its new boat. Like other teams racing older generation boats in 2006, China Team simply didn’t have the horsepower to compete. Integrating up to five Chinese sailors (with no previous Cup experience) into the race crew also made racing challenging. But with an off-season of training and a new boat on the way, the team is hopeful. – America’s Cup website, full story: http://tinyurl.com/pw34v 2007 MOORINGS BROCHURE NOW AVAILABLE The Moorings offer over 30 exotic sailing grounds from Belize to Tonga, with rate specials now including 10% off bareboat charters from January 5 to February 17, 2007. Order a new 2007 brochure and learn about their newest monohulls and catamarans, including the innovative Moorings 4600, at http://www.moorings.com SAILING SHORTS * This weekend over 400 Optimist sailors (ages 9-15) will descend on Little Egg Harbor YC on Long Beach Island in New Jersey.. They will compete at their 2006 Atlantic Coast Championships and try to finish in the top 25% to try and qualify for 2007 National Team Trials. For results and updates go to http://www.lehyc.org * Wednesday in Bilbao, while preparing his yacht, 'Saga Insurance' for the start of the Velux 5 Oceans, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston slipped on a sail and fell as a result of a small amount of hydraulic fluid on his boots. Sir Robin has consulted the doctor and undergone x-rays to his back. The x-rays show a hairline fracture to his coccyx but he has been advised that this should not prevent him sailing. Sir Robin is continuing his preparations for the race, which starts on October 22. * US Sailing’s Community Sailing Council annually presents 16 different awards for outstanding contributions to community and instructional sailing. This is the time for nominations for outstanding individuals (volunteer or staff) or organizations (non-profit or for-profit) for an award. Any US Sailing member may make a nominations – without any limits. The award categories are outlined at: http://www.ussailing.com/community/awards.htm * Sailing World and Cruising World magazines have announced, but not as yet posted on-line, the nominees for their Boat of the Year awards. Sailing World is considering 19 boats while Cruising World nominated 26 boats in six categories: small production cruisers, midsize cruisers, multihulls, full-size production cruisers, full-size cruisers and a special-purpose category that our editors are calling, “Nothing quite like it.” Curiously, the contest rules are posted on the magazine’s websites, but not the nominees? http://www.cruisingworld.com/cw_boy.jsp?typeID=395&catID=687 * More than $215,000 was raised by live and silent auctions from the sell-out crowd of more than 300 attending the Sail4Kids dinner at the American Yacht Club in Rye, New York. The funds will benefit the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital (MFCH) at Westchester Medical Center. Olin Stephens was honored as this year’s recipient of the MFCH Champion Award. John Rousmaniere, marine historian, noted author and accomplished sailor presented a tribute to the joy Olin sparked in children while sailing aboard yachts of his design. -- http://www.Sail4Kids.org * Check US Match Racing Champs: http://www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/usmrc/ GOOD BOOKS The Scuttlebutt website has an Amazon.com banner on the right side, and we managed to program the search feature to find a great selection of sailing books. Every time you click on the refresh button on your browser, a new book is displayed. Also view the 200+ books listed in the Club Library. Amazon.com provides Scuttlebutt a referral fee for any books purchased through their links on the Scuttlebutt website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or space (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, there are no word or frequency limits on comments sent to the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Brian Raney: The rich get richer... It seems unfair, insult to injury, that ISAF includes invitation-only events to the rankings. The Qingdao test event was limited to a select few who already had a decent ranking. Apparently, junior events can be included in the rankings as well - but no Masters events! * From John Tormey: In Michael Levesque's letter in Issue 2195 about being wary of criticism toward volunteer run organizations, in this case as it pertains to websites, is well taken. Michael is absolutely right. However, when you are StFYC, one of the most prestigious clubs in the country, with significant resources, Michael's point does not apply. Not all clubs have the ability to do it right, but I am sure the members of StFYC would like to think that they do. And for an event like the Star Worlds, where the eyes of the planet are aimed toward the information, the internet becomes the conduit, so the host club better bring its A game. They have hired a press agent, yet the press releases are not posted on their site. The site layout is a hindrance. I am not sure why more events are not following the lead set by Key West Race Week, where results and event reports are promptly posted. Particularly for a one-design class, where class members from around the world have an interest, a good website is vital. * From Rick Bernstein: Regarding the recent dialogue, ‘Correcting the Record,’, and in no disrespect to any of the parties involved, I am surprised and sort of disappointed that Scuttlebutt would air such dirty laundry political play between a man and his former company. The many wonderful reasons I look forward to Scuttlebutt everyday, are the stories of regattas, scores, new technology introductions, equipment reviews, international events and positive human interest stories. What I've thoroughly enjoyed has been the lack of political mud slinging, that I believe has no place in your newsletter. The issues between Mr. Leonard and his former company, the back and forth "they said," and "he said," again, have no place here, in all due respect to the parties involved. * From Adrian Morgan: Why all this washing of dirty linen in Scuttlebutt? Larry Leonard is sacked from Quantum Sails and gets several bites of the cherry to 'put the record straight'. As correspondents we're only allowed one letter to whinge about some injustice. This saga just rolls on and on. Hands up those who give a damn? CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION My height matches my driver's license, but unfortunately, my weight doesn't. This issue of Scuttlebutt provided by North Sails and The Moorings. America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt is brought to you by UBS. |
