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SCUTTLEBUTT 2785 - Friday, February 20, 2009Scuttlebutt 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.Today's sponsors are Doyle Sails and North U. WET, HOT AND MANKY CONDITIONS by Brad Jackson, Ericsson 4 Watch Captain (Feb. 19, 2009; Day 6) - Into day six already and, apart from the first two days, it has been very steady conditions and the boys are getting a bit bored of the same conditions. The good thing is we are ticking off the miles at a good rate, while taking care off the boat, or trying to. On the 17th it was my eldest son Liam's 10th birthday and, apart from making me feel old, it also made me feel a bit guilty of never being around for a lot of the family moments. I think I have been around for maybe four of his birthdays and less for the other two kids, so I'm not a good candidate for Father of the Year, but I think they enjoy this lifestyle and understand it is my job. Still, it feels selfish on my part sometimes as I am doing what I want to do, and they have to fit around me. Hopefully I can repay them when we settle down at home for a while after the race and have a normal life. Until I take off on another project to pay for the normal life. I hope they know how much I appreciate what they sacrifice for me. We are now far from the cold and moving into the wet, hot and manky conditions where all sorts of strange rashes and growths start appearing. Looks like we have another week on this tack which is nice to not have to stack all the time. -- Full report: http://linkbee.com/FX50 * Gary Jobson is hosting half-hour weekly race episodes on public television stations in the United States. Follow the link and click on "Broadcast Times" for local times and channels: http://linkbee.com/FX50http://www.vortv.org/Home.html Crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Leg Five from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janiero, Brazil is 12,300 nm, with the finish estimated on March 20th. Current positions (as of Feb. 20, 1:00 am GMT): 1. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 10,387 nm Distance to Finish 2. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 6 nm Distance to Leader 3. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 78 nm DTL 4. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 240 nm DTL 5. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 249 nm DTL Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, Did Not Start Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, DNS Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, DNS Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com POSTPONING THE PARTY (Feb. 19, 2009; Day 102) - A slow afternoon looks to become a slow night, a slow Friday and a slow weekend for the seventh finisher of the Vendee Globe, as Arnaud Boissières finally has to bite into the sticky conditions which are settled between him and the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, 388.2 nm away. He is predicted to finish now on Sunday. The skipper of Akena Vérandas has been contemplating stepping ashore after 105 days at sea and how that will feel and how he will adjust. Considering the party that his team is preparing for him he would do well to get as much rest as he can. Sam Davies was complaining that she has had less sleep since she did when she was racing! Thomas Coville also took 105 days on the same boat in 2001, while Sébastien Josse took 93 days in 2005 when the boat was VMI. * DAMAGE ROLL CALL: What happened to 19 of the 30 original Open 60 entries that started the solo, non-stop, around the world Vendee Globe race on November 9, 2008 at Les Sables d’Olonne, France, but were later forced from the race? Aside from Vincent Rou’s dismasting due to damage incurred during his rescue of Jean Le Cam, there have been five other broken rigs. Problems with rudders are next on the list (4), and through all the failures, two boats have been abandoned. Here is what happened to the 19 skippers no longer in the race: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/vg-damage Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html Race tracking: http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/en WILL INSURANCE BE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT EVENT? In late December and the first week of January, the single-handed skippers of three round the world race boats took the drastic decision to abandon their yachts in the Southern Ocean: the seriously injured Yann Eliès on the French, IMOCA Open 60, Generali, racing through the Indian Ocean in the Vendée Globe, requested assistance 800 miles from the south-western tip of Australia on 18th December; Dutch solo sailor, Nico Budel, competing in the Portimão Global Ocean Race, issued a MAYDAY on board Hayai eight days later, 240 miles NNE of the Crozet Islands after sustaining severe keel damage, and, on 6th January, a second Vendée Globe competitor, Jean Le Cam on VM Matériaux, requested assistance after the yacht’s keel bulb detached and the boat inverted 200 miles west of Cape Horn. Happily, all three rescues were successful due to the expertise shown by the global network of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC), the skill of the sailors involved, the support of fellow competitors or fellow mariners and the immaculate seamanship of rescue services local to the incident. While the relief that no lives were lost is immense, little is spoken of the individual responsibilities of a skipper when considering abandonment or the financial implications and moral responsibilities of stepping off a yacht at sea. -- Portimão Global Ocean Race, read on: http://www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.com/?page=news&news_id=194&lang=en 4 MORE WEEKS OF WINTER… But there is a lot going on in the sailing world. Doyle Designers are transforming 3D sails into reality. If you want to see your sails flying before you go sailing, call Doyle. To view and manipulate recent examples of Doyle 3D Designs, go to http://www.doylesails.com/3d VESTAS SAILROCKET RETURNS FOR WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT (Feb. 19, 2009) - The Vestas Sailrocket team have returned to the Walvis Bay ‘Speed-spot’ in Namibia for a second attempt at the Outright World Speed Sailing Record. The WSSRC ratified world record attempt will commence on the 20th of February and will run for 28 days. The Vestas Sailrocket team are hungry to finish the journey to the top of the speed sailing mountain. As it stands they need to go a little over 3.2 knots (3.7 mph or 5.95 kmh) faster over the 500 meter course than their previous best record setting performance in order to beat the Kite-surfers. The Kite-surfers set the pace last year when Alex Caizergues did=2 0a run at 50.57 knots (93.66 kmh) in Luderitz. The team have made a number of modifications to improve safety and prevent a re-enactment of their last high speed run where the whole 30’ craft took to the air and performed a spectacular half-loop. Everything is now in place at the team’s operation base at the Walvis Bay Yacht Club for the record attempt to commence. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0219a * If you missed the video of VESTAS SAILROCKET going airborne last December, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfJK5ycx_hg SURVEY SAYS… NOT COOL Scuttlebutt used a scheduling situation in Southern California to open a can of worms with regard to race scheduling, conflicts, historic events, blah, blah, blah. In short, if an event has run for 61 years and typically pulls 400 boats, is it cool or not cool to schedule a brand new competing event that provides a similar coastal course, starts in the same area, on the same day, at nearly the same time? The verdict was not cool, and if you consider that 82% of the respondents said not cool, then maybe that translates to VERY not cool. Here were some of the comments: * “Why not schedule it at a different date and thus offer more racing on the calendar and attract more people to both races. This is a pissing match!” * “Dilution of all events offers less impact to the participants for each. If we intend to try to get more boaters out boating - forcing choices between popular events and new events does not promote more sailing.” Full story and comments: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/09/0218/ LOUIS VUITTON PACIFIC SERIES BREAKS THE MOLD by Lynn Fitzpatrick Just as Bruno Troublé said in the foreword of the book that Swiss photographer and international umpire, Jürg Kaufmann and I published this week, “Timing is everything.” With 25 years of organizing and perfecting the Louis Vuitton Cup, Bruno Troublé and Louis Vuitton were going to ensure an interesting regatta format. Jürg and I knew that the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series was going to be a unique event. We arrived in Auckland early and got into the same rhythm as the teams and the event organizers. Everyone was flexible and accessible. It was easy for us to interview teams and take photos. We even had the opportunity to ride in the 18th man position aboard Pataugas K-Challenge and China Team. The regatta was produced at a top level. There were international teams, a lot of action compressed into 16 race days; plenty of landside activities; multiple spectator options, including live TV, radio and Virtual Eye coverage available in the press center and on the big screen in the SKY CITY village; and the grim reality that nearly all of the teams would be seeking sponsorship afterward. All of these factors led us to conclude that the LVPS was the ideal regatta for us to try to produce a book that would be available as soon as the regatta concluded. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0219 * Information on the book: http://www.RegattaBook.com KNOW YOUR RIGHTS For too many sailors the Racing Rules are a source of confusion and angst. It does not have to be that way. US Sailing Rules Seminars give sailors the tools to recognize their rights (and obligations) in any situation. Presented by North U, the seminars include a Racing Rules Workbook created by Dave Perry. US Sailing members save $40. Check the schedule and sign up by visiting NorthU.com or by calling North U at 800-347-2457 or 203-245-0727. http://www.northu.com SAILING SHORTS * Tampa, Florida (Feb. 19, 2009) - Chris Doyle of Kenmore, NY maintained his place on top of the leader board after the second day of racing at the J/22 Midwinter Championship. Doyle came in first for the only race of Day 2, followed by Jeff Todd of Annapolis, MD and John Loe of Baton Rouge, LA. Winds at more than 25 knots kept competitors on shore for the better part of the day at Davis Island Yacht Club, but they finally moved toward the race course around 3:00 pm. In the overall standings following Chris Doyle are Todd and Greg Fisher. -- Full details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7056 * The Mantoloking Yacht Club and LISOT announce the 2009 Carl VanDuyne Advanced I420 and C420 clinic. The clinic will be held April 8-12 at the Mantoloking Yacht Club. Coaches for this clinic include Steve Keen, Dave Dellenbaugh, and Simon Cooke. The clinic will be structured for sailors focused on racing the 420 at the national and international level. Limited numbers of C420 and I420s will be available for charter. Enrollment is limited, sailors will be chosen based on experience and regatta results. Applications can be downloaded from http://linkbee.com/FX52 and are due by March 1, 2009. For questions regarding the clinic contact Phil Factor: phf2103@columbia.edu * The International J/24 Class has approved the use of woven and/or laminated ply material of either polyester, HMPE or Aramid fibers for the use in the construction of class genoas. The rules change will go into effect on March 1, 2009 and will be in effect for the upcoming 2009 World Championships in Annapolis, Maryland. Prior to the rule change genoa material was limited to woven polyester, or polyester substrate, and polyester film laminate. (Pentax). The goal of the change was to provide more material options and to create a more durable and all-purpose sail. -- Class website: http://www.j24class.org * Following the successful stopover there in June 2008, Cork has today been confirmed as an entry in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. Cork will also be a host port after the final Atlantic crossing in the 35,000-mile race across the world’s oceans. Cork will be one of ten identical, stripped down 68-foot racing yachts competing in the event, each sponsored by an international city, region or country. They include Uniquely Singapore, Qingdao and Hull & Humber, all of whom will be making return appearances, plus first time entrant California. -- Event website: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com * Race Organizers have announced that the tenth anniversary of the Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race is forging ahead as planned, with the dates set for June 6 to 21, 2009. The Van Isle 360 is a biennial, 580 nm. point to point race circumnavigating wild and rugged Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada. Sailed in ten legs the course provides inshore, offshore and overnight legs through some of the world's most challenging and beautiful waters. The deadline to enter this year's event has been extended to Feb. 28, 2009. -- http://www.vanisle360.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK The holy grail of skiff events, the JJ Giltinan International 18ft Skiff Championship, is occuring this week on Sydney Harbour in Australia. This is the 60th time for the event, where a fleet of 32 skiffs representing Australia (NSW, Western Australia and Queensland), UK, USA, New Zealand and Canada are competing for the unofficial world championship for the class. Representing North America are skippers Howie Hamlin (USA), Chad Freitas (USA), and Andrew McQuarkendale (CAN). Sailcam, an online sailing video channel, has provided a highlight reel from this very high performance arm of the sport. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/09/0220 * Videos from the 2009 Laser Midwinter's East, which is being held Feb, 19-22 in Clearwater, FL, are being posted: http://www.sailgroove.org/videos/coverage/view/234666 PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include a chick magnet, a study in contrast, an idea waaaay outside the box, a depleted fleet, a celebration swim, a down-under glimpse of youth sailing, and an America’s Cup team testing their new TP52. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0220 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 be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 John Harwood-Bee: It is unfortunate that Doran Cushing(Scutt 2783) mistakenly attributed Steve Fossett's 1999 record time to 'Cheyenne' rather than 'Lakota' thereby prompting the vociferous response from Ken Batzer (Scutt 2784). In every other respect, however, Mr Cushing was correct. A search of the Pineapple Cup/ Mobay web site fails to deliver any recognition of or information on multihull times at all. It is necessary to carefully read the Notice of Race to realize that in fact a multihull cannot win the Pineapple Trophy or any of the other trophies listed. Mr Batzer asserts that should a multihull 'come to the party' and beat the existing record she will receive "appropriate" recognition. As a Director of Fossett Ocean Challenge, it was my understanding at the time (1999) that 'Lakota', in a time of 2 days 20 hours 8mins 5 secs, had reduced by a significant 7hrs 30+ mins the 1971 time of 3days 03hrs 40mins 07 secs set by 'Windward Passage'. The winning elapsed time for a monohull in 1999 was 3 days 5hrs 43mins 47secs. by Roy Disney's 'Pyewacket'. If I am missing some information on other record times, I humbly stand to be corrected. If not, I should be most interested to hear what Mr Batzer considers to be 'Appropriate Recognition'. * From Steve Pyatt: Following on from the discussions you included a few years ago on drops/discards, my daughter came up with a radical idea. She likes the drop as it provides some way of removing the element of (bad) luck in sailing but she had the thought that maybe there should be two drops; both the worst and best scores! This would reduce radical tactics and reward consitency. An erratic mid fleet sailor with 20,1, OCS, 18, 30 9, etc would count 77 whereas one who had 19,18,(gear failure-DNF),18,19,18 would score 74. Currently the erratic one would beat the consitent one 78 to 92. Similarly at the top end, the Ainslie's etc would still win comfortably as they have plenty of firsts and won't miss one (1,OCS,1,1,2,2 = 6) over erratic flyer takers (e.g. 3,5,2,OCS,1,8 = 18 ) but so would the consistently fairly good guy with 4,5,4,4,4,9 ( 17 v 18 rather than 21 v 19)! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION A good reputation is the most important piece of equipment in your sailing bag. - Lido 14 Newsletter Special thanks to Doyle Sails and North U. 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