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SCUTTLEBUTT 2610 – June 4, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. COMING OUT OF THE DARK Dave Perry is one of the good guys. His long list of sailing accomplishments is worthy of sufficient cred, but it is his rules knowledge that really leaves the competition behind. Every four years there is a new ISAF Rule Book, which is then followed by one of many books that Dave has authored, “Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing”. It should come as no surprise then that Dave is an advocate for making the information surrounding rules more available, and one area that he feels has come up short in the past is in the Appeals department. But not anymore. Dave is the chairman of the US SAILING Appeals Committee, and for the past couple years, one of the things he’s been trying to do (with much support) is get the Appeals Book out of the dark corners and into broad daylight (read free on-line), so people (competitors and officials) can read the appeals and learn from them, and so everyone is even more on the same page for the betterment of the sport. That time has come. No longer a deep dark secret, the Appeals Book is now readable online (free for US SAILING members). The Appeals are decisions of the US SAILING Appeals Committee, and the Cases are decisions of national authorities from around the world published by ISAF. Typically, protest committees conform their decisions to the Appeals and Cases when the facts are similar, which makes them invaluable to know and use. -- Link: http://www.ussailing.org/appeals BLUEBIRD CONDITIONS FOR MELGES WOLRDS Porto Cervo, Italy (June 3,2008) -- The third day of the Volvo Melges 24 World Championship 2008 was an absolute stunner for the 114-boat fleet with clear skies, hot sunshine, crystal clear blue waters and a north-westerly breeze which built from around 16 knots at the start of racing to well into the 20s by the end of the afternoon. The conditions allowed for three more qualifying races to be completed, so with five now on the scorecard, there is one more race scheduled on Wednesday before the fleet is to be divided into Gold and Silver groups for the final six races of the championship. Italy’s Alberto Bolzan, helming ITA727 Pilot Italia for Gianni Catalogna, continues to lead the regatta after having added 3, 1, 7 to his existing 2, 1, making this the only team with an all top ten score. Chicago’s Brian Porter and his USA649 Full Throttle team got the day off to a good start with a second in race three but a 13th in race four and an eighth in race five saw them slipping down from third to fourth overall. In the Corinthian Division, for the all amateur crews who are also scored in the Open Division, Norway’s Oyvind Peder Jahre, sailing NOR554 Terra Eindomsmeglng for Stian Briseid, continues to lead the regatta having won the first two of today’s races and come fourth in race five. Bruce Ayres of Newport Beach, CA, in USA637 Monsoon is currently tied for fifth. 1. PILOT ITALIA Alberto Bolzan Gianni Catalogna, ITA,2,1,3,1,7, 14.00 2. UKA UKA RACING Lorenzo Bressani Lorenzo Santini, ITA,10,6,1,2,2, 21.00 3. BLU MOON Flavio Favini Franco Rossini, SUI,11,5,6,3,1, 26.00 4. FULL THROTTLE Brian Porter Brian Porter, USA,5,3,2,13,8, 31.00 5. POIZON ROUGE Jean Jean-Marc Monnard, SUI,3,5,10,9,5, 32.00 Event website: http://www.melges24worlds2008.com CRUISING DIRECT IS NOW "NORTH SAILS DIRECT" Cruising Direct, a division of North Sails that has specialized in building sails for smaller cruising boats where owners take their own measurements, has grown into a new market and a new name: NORTH SAILS DIRECT. North Sails Direct will sell North's 3Dr thermo molded racing sails, as well as traditional cruising sails (some boat/size restrictions may apply). Visit North Sails Direct's sharp new Web site for more information: http://www.NorthSailsDirect.net MANAGING THE PROFESSIONALISM When the Melges 24 class got launched, they wrote the rules without any restriction placed on the classification of the sailors. Bring on the sailmakers, the stockbrokers… no barriers to entry was the formula to bring out the best and the brightest. The profile of the class quickly rose as the quality sailors came to play, and with names like Dave Ullman, Vince Brun, Terry Hutchinson, James Spithill, Russell Coutts, etc, all having spent time on the rail, the class is now well known for providing an elite level of racing. However, with this type of racing comes heightened professionalism, and this week there is no shortage of sailor fees and support at the class world championship. Addressing the issue in the event’s Notice of Race, there are numerous restrictions being placed on the coaches and support boats to help manage the situation. Here are some examples: * No Coach boat or Support boat shall pass information in any way to a boat that is racing. * Coach and Support Boats shall communicate only with the boats they are registered to, and only by means of voice between races. Closed VHF or mobile telephone communication is prohibited. * Coach and Supporter boats shall display a flag, or other identification symbol, as may be required by the Race Committee. * All Melges 24 boats shall proceed to the Racing area under their own power. * There shall be no transfer of any goods or equipment until after the finish of the last race of the day between Melges 24’s and their coach or support boats. * Coach and support boats shall not go alongside their Melges 24’s until after the finish of the last race of the day. Read on for the complete list, wherein any action inconsistent with the rules is protestable, with the penalty applied to the overall score and therefore not discarded. -- http://abe5.com/4g9 BOSTON COLLEGE VYING FOR COLLEGE TRIFECTA Newport, RI (June 3, 2008) - In the 41 years that college sailors have fought to win the three national championships held every spring under the umbrella of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, only one college has dominated to win all three events as the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Md.) did in 1991. The Boston College Eagles (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) are the series leaders heading into the final day of the ICSA/Gill National Championship, and on Wednesday, should they turn their 17 point lead into a win, they would not only join the Middies in managing a rare feat, they will have done so on possibly the most famous sailing waters in the world - those of Newport, R.I. By the time four sets of races had been completed, the Eagles had made their move and held a slim two point lead over St. Mary’s College. With four more races counted for A-Division, Georgetown edged ahead of BC in the standings while tied on points at 128. Racing wrapped up after the 12th race was completed in both divisions as BC, with 150 points, increased the spread to 17 over Georgetown. St. Mary’s is in third with 182 points, followed by Roger Williams University with 202, and Connecticut College with 205. The final six races for A- and B-Division will complete the championship on Wednesday, June 4. A storm is predicted to move into the area overnight bringing heavy downpours and SSE breeze. Daily report: http://foxholefengshui.com/wordpress/?p=50 Results: http://www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring08/coedresults.asp STRONG WINDS GREET TP52 FLEET FOR SECOND MEDCUP EVENT Marseille, France (June 3, 2008) The MedCup in France carries memories the international crew of the Argentine TP52 Matador were happy to bury today. In Hyeres last year they broke their mast during the final regatta of the season and had to consign to the deep their hopes of a top three finish overall. But today in the opener of the City of Marseille Trophy, the second regatta of the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit, the international crew mastered the 20 knot Mistral and used the awkward swell to best effect and emerged from the three excellent races leading the regattas by just one point. With multiple Star world champion Vince Brun (USA) calling tactics, Matador earned two second places and a seventh place to hold off the advances of the new USA 17. With owner Larry Ellison sharing the steering with James Spithill (AUS), and Russell Coutts (NZL) on tactics, USA 17 improved as the crew learned their new boat in the testing conditions, rising from sixth in the first race, to fifth in the second before winning the third, just getting the better of their sister-ship Artemis on the finish line. -- Read on: http://2008.medcup.org/news/?id=184 Provisional Results after three races (top 10 of 14) 1. Matador, ARG (2, 2, 7 - 11) 2. USA-17, (6, 5, 1 - 12) 3. Bribón, ESP (4, 4, 4 - 12) 4. Artemis, SWE (12, 1, 2 - 15) 5. Mean Machine, MON (1, 14, 3 - 18) 6. Quantum USA (3, 6, 12 - 21) 7. Platoon by Team Germany, GER (7, 9, 5 - 21) 8. Audi by Q8, ITA (8, 7, 8 - 23) 9. CxG Caixa Galicia, ESP (9, 11, 6 - 26) 10. Mutua Madrileña, ESP (5, 8, 14 - 27) *Correction: Scuttlebutt 2609 stated there were only ten boats competing, rather than the actual count of 14 entrants. J/WORLD POSITION AVAILABLE IN SAN DIEGO The Performance Sailing School is looking for a well-rounded person that can provide quality sailing instruction. J/World has consistently been rated the best sailing school in the US by Practical Sailor Magazine, with their teaching platforms (J/80, J/105 & J/120) considered to be ideal for learning. Those interested in J/World must have exceptional inter-personal and communication skills paired with excellent sailing skills, strong theoretical knowledge, and solid cruising/racing background. US SAILING instructor certification is preferred. What could be a better then getting paid to sail and be on the water in San Diego! Contact us at 619-224-4774 or email mailto:lee@jworld-sailing.com BIG BUCKS FOR ONE REGATTA BMW Oracle Racing announced that the brand new Reichel/Pugh TP 52 that they just constructed, just launched, and are racing this week for the first time at the Marseille, France stop of this year’s MedCup Circuit will be the only time that they currently plan to sail the boat. Team skipper Russell Coutts said that “we have decided to now put our focus very firmly on getting ready for the America’s Cup.” The team will be stepping up its multihull training, including more time on its two X-40 catamarans and with the 60-foot trimaran Groupama 2 in Lorient. The reasoning does make sense, though it is easy to get lost in the extravagance of building the boat in the first place. With an approximate cost of up to $2 million before even swinging the champagne bottle to the bow, the desire to calc the cost of each race at the City of Marseille Trophy regatta comes to mind. Of course this all pales in comparison to the money spent in pro sports, like when the New York Yankees signed Roger Clemons last year, which amounted to $18.7 million or about $1 million per game started. But then again, there is a revenue stream there to balance out the costs. =>>>> Pulling this down to the ‘butthead level, what was your most extravagant purchase that was under-utilized? Best answer gets Scuttlebutt schwag. Post it here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/06/big-bucks.html FLYING SEA LION INJURES 29ER CHAMPION Santa Cruz, CA (June 3, 2008) It began as a training session last Friday afternoon (May 30th) for US National 29er Champions Max Fraser and David Liebenberg , who were taking advantage of a 25 knot day off of Santa Cruz harbor. They soon set their kite and headed back to the mile buoy, quickly lifting their hull speed to the low 20 knot range, when out of nowhere leapt a large sea lion into their path. Coming from just forward of their bow, the sea lion crashed into the fully trapped out Liebenberg, whose knee gave way upon impact as he then hurtled aft into Fraser, who was able to grab him and pull him back onto the deck. The injured Liebenberg helped to get the kite down as Fraser waved in their nearby safety boat, which then quickly picked Liebenberg up and proceeded at flank speed back to the Santa Cruz Harbor. While en route, cell calls went out for medical attention to be at the launch ramp along with plenty of ice from the Santa Cruz Yacht Club bar. Thanks to the fast actions of all involved, Liebenberg expects to fully recover within 4 to 6 weeks. SAILING SHORTS * (June 3, 2008) ICAP Leopard, the 100 foot super maxi yacht owned by Mike Slade, this evening broke the Transatlantic speed record held by the 246-foot luxury yacht Phocea. Finishing the 2,925 nautical mile crossing from New York to the Lizard, Cornwall, UK, in seven days, 19 hours and 21 minutes, reducing the existing record for a monohull yacht with power-assisted winches by eight hours (still to be ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council). The outright monohull record is held by the 140-foot "MariCha IV"of 6d 17h 52m 39s set in October 2003. -- http://www.leopard3.com * New Zealand Skipper Pete Bethune's quest to smash the round the world powerboat record with the 78 foot biodiesel powered trimaran Earthrace has certainly taken a sombre turn for the worst. After a good run from the Marshall Islands disaster struck after the pit stop in Palau in the Western Pacific. After another smooth refuelling, on a moonless night Earthrace was just two miles from the port when she hit something rather solid, which caused almost complete destruction of the port drive shaft, propeller, and possibly even the P bracket and gearbox, and some degree of hull damage as yet undetermined. -- Sail World, read on: http://abe5.com/4ga * On June 21-28, Chicago’s lakefront is the venue for the 2008 Etchells World Championship Regatta, which is being organized by World Sport Chicago (WSC), the “living legacy” of Chicago 2016’s Olympic Games bid, and the Chicago Yacht Club. This prestigious international sailing event, which will start at Belmont Harbor, is part of a continuing effort by World Sport Chicago to bring world-class Olympic and amateur sporting events to Chicago. Other recent World Sport Chicago events include the 2008 Chicago Cup, an international Olympic wrestling event, the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships and the 2007 Junior Olympic Skills Competition. -- http://www.worldsportchicago.org/main * First launched on May the 15th, 1934, the William Starling Burgess designed J-Class Rainbow defended the America’s Cup against Endeavour in 1934, but when Ranger was chosen to defend in 1937, Rainbow was sold for scrap. Now 70+ years later, Dykstra & Partners Naval Architects have been tasked with the design and build of the 40-meter J-Class Rainbow, adding to their J-Class involvement that includes Shamrock V, Velsheda, Endeavour, refit of Ranger and the new build Endeavour II. Rainbow will be the second new J-Class in order for the Dykstra team. -- CupInfo, read on: http://www.cupinfo.com/en/jclass-dykstra-rainbow-project-pr-1.php * Six nations and 15 teams will compete in the 2008 Rolex Commodores' Cup when the weeklong competition commences on June 29th, hosted by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. Following a review of the 2006 event, RORC has instituted some changes to the racing format, introducing a round the Isle of Wight course as part of the offshore component and making a double-points inshore course the last race of the series. The challenging teams are France (4 teams), Hong Kong (1 team), Ireland (2 teams), Spain (1 team), The Netherlands (3 teams), and United Kingdom (4 teams). -- http://rorc.org/comcup/index.php * An affordable housing option for Block Island Race Week entrants is available, as long as they are also participating in the Newport to Bermuda Race. -- Scuttleblog, read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/05/birw-housing.html * The Rhode Island Team Racing Association (RITRA) has launched a new website that currently hosts information on upcoming events and local boat charters. -- http://www.ritra.org SB3: LET’S GO RACING! With fleets hitting the water in Annapolis and Seattle, the SB3 is on North American starting lines in 2008. There will be a class start at the Coastal Living Regatta in Newport RI in July. Look for more events to be added soon. Get in the action. http://www.laserperformance.com WITH DEAN BRENNER, US OLYMPIC SAILING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Q: How does the US Olympic Team program/support compare to other countries? A: There are a number of other National Teams in other countries that benefit from some significant support from either their government or some sort of other of government agency. Their funding tends to come in larger chucks and that is a good thing for them. Teams like GBR and other countries have really benefited from it and they have done a really nice job leveraging that support. If you had to pick a program that is at the top of the heap you would definitely point to team GBR. They are very well funded and they are very well organized. When we took over 3 ½ years ago, by our estimation we were out spent by the top countries by about a 10 to 1 ratio. Now I would say we are being out spent by a 3 to1 ratio. We have closed the gap pretty significantly, but we still have a ways to go. Not only do we have less funding, but we have to work harder for the funding we do have. We don’t have these huge chunks coming from the government or from the lottery system. We get our funding from many different sources. We have to keep hustling all the time and working for it. The good news is that we are being out spent by much less than we used to be, but the bad news is that we have to keep working really hard to keep that momentum going. Q: Do you foresee any changes for 2012 in the US Olympic Selection Process? A: Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0528a CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION ‘Experience’ is the name that has been given to label our mistakes. Special thanks to North Sails, J/World San Diego, and LaserPerformance. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
