|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2816 - Monday, April 6, 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 MyBoatsGear.com, Acura Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week, and the Governor's Cup Regatta. HOW DID BOSTON "STEAL" THE U.S. STOPOVER? By David Schmidt, SAIL When the Volvo Ocean Race calls on Boston Harbor in May, every weekend sailor in the region will have a chance to sniff the air around a grand prix circus. So how did Boston "steal" the US stopover? We turned to the instigator, Bill Lynn of Marblehead, Massachusetts, an unassuming ace Etchells sailor and co-operator of Atlantis Weather Gear. He also has a background in advertising and a deep knowledge of the sailing world and its myriad players. SAIL: And how did it begin? Bill Lynn: “In 2006 I had this thought to bring the America's Cup to Boston. We have a seafaring heritage, the highest average wind speed in the U.S., and one of the few harbors where you could accommodate the teams. I called my friend Ken Read to see whether he would be interested in trying to put something together, but, when we looked at the numbers, the costs were astronomical and probably out of reach. “We turned our attention to the Volvo instead. Kenny had done the last four legs of 2005-06 on Ericsson, and he had the bug. Also, he said, the Volvo was the one sailing event that delivered measurable return on investment to sponsors. If we could field a Boston-based team, we might use that as leverage to get the U.S. stopover in Boston.” SAIL: And step one was? Bill Lynn: “We spent a few weeks on a business plan and a presentation with pictures of out-of-control, logo’d Volvo 70’s. Kenny had sailed with a major Puma shareholder, and when Jochen Zeitz, Puma’s CEO, was in New York we got a meeting. He actually didn’t seem all that interested until we showed him a mock-up of a shiny red boat with a big white cat on it.” -- Read on: http://sailmagazine.com/racing/volvo_race_boston/ TELEFONICA BLUE RULES IN RIO Rio de Janeiro, BRA (Apr. 4, 2009) - The Volvo Ocean Race In-Port event saw only one race run due to the two hour postponement, but once the sea breeze filled in, there was a solid seven to 10 knot southerly breeze on the Guanabara Bay. PUMA skipper Ken Read elected to start on port tack, and out in the clear air on the right hand side of the course, the choice paid off. At the first mark PUMA led the field, followed closely by Ericsson 3, the winner of leg five, with Magnus Olsson as skipper. However, on the first downwind leg, Telefónica Blue and Delta Lloyd, who were mid fleet at the top mark, both benefitted from a big puff of wind on the left hand side of the course and shot into first and second place. Telefónica Blue was never challenged for the lead, but PUMA regained second, with Delta Lloyd, which is benefiting from a new rig, new sails, and several new crew members, holding onto third. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/c4h376 * Rio de Janeiro In-Port Race crew list: http://tinyurl.com/cg92gq * (Apr. 5, 2009) - It was announced that the 2011-12 edition of the race would have a tighter restriction on the number of sails the teams are allowed to use, reducing the sail inventory by nearly 40 percent, and introducing furling headsails. Total crew would be reduced by one, and that each team will be required to have three crew members who are under 30 years of age when the race starts, compared to the current requirement for two. Regarding the proposed route, it will start and finish in Europe, have two or three less stopovers compared to the 10 legs of the current race , and the total time for the race should be about one month shorter. It is expected that the full route for the 2011-12 race will be announced in the first quarter of 2010. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/dyo5kz * Seven of the eight teams (Team Russia is not racing) are expected to be ready for the April 11th start of Leg 6 from Rio to Boston (4,900 nm), with teams expected to begin finishing by April 27th. Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com NON STRETCH HALYARDS? Hampidjan in Iceland developed a high tech rope called Dynex Dux using Dyneema SK 75 fibers. A process of heating stretching and cooling is used to remove just about all stretch. Originally made for the fishing industry, the benefits of Dynex Dux soon became apparent for the racing circuit. Dynex Dux has been used for several years on the professional racing circuit with Farr 40s, Swan 42s, and up to large maxis. Now with new 5mm Dynex Dux, you can use the benefits on J/24s, Melges’ and J/105s. Read about Dynex Dux here: http://myboatsgear.com/mbg/product.asp?prodID=1733 DISCUSSING THE RACING RULES Bryan Willis, who has chaired international juries at the Sydney Olympics and recent America's Cups, and is the current jury chairman for the Volvo Ocean Race, has participated in three podcasts to discuss the racing rules of sailing: * Willis talks about how he got involved with the racing scene, how and why the rules get updated and the main changes for the recent 2009-2012 revision. * Willis discusses what rules the club racer needs to know, what rules cause the most confusion on the water and offers a few suggestions for how to use the rules to your advantage. * Willis talks about the advantages of on the water umpiring, offers his own advice on making the most of the protest process and how to present strong evidence to the committee. Click here to listen to the podcasts: http://tinyurl.com/caqhmq PAIGE RAILEY EARLY LEADER IN SPAIN Palma De Mallorca, Spain (Apr. 5, 2009) - The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup, the new Olympic sailing event, arrived in Europe for the first time with the 40th edition of the Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofía MAPFRE. Predominantly light winds welcomed the beginning of racing today for the participating classes, which include the paralympic class 2.4mR along with nine out of ten of the Olympic classes (Star, 49er, 470 M & W, Finn, Laser Standard, Laser Radial, RS:X M & W). Among the 630 boats and 880 sailors representing 40 nations from five continents, the North American contingent is predominantly from the United States, with the strongest showing after the first day in the Laser Radial and Star classes. Paige Railey (USA) leads the 62 Radials with a 1-4, while teammate Anna Tunnicliffe is in 9th with a 9-10. In the 12-boat Star fleet, Mark Mendelblatt/Mark Strube are in 4th with a 1-10. Fleet racing will be sailed until Thursday and on Friday, April 10, the top ten teams in each class will sail the medal race. -- Event website: http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/noticias.php?idiomaz=3 CASUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH BILL CANFIELD AND LYN REID There was a brain trust aboard the Race Committee boat for the International Rolex Regatta hosted by St. Thomas Yacht Club, but the switchboard for all radio and phone calls for on the water activities was Bill Canfield’s boat, Perfect Timing, a Fortier 26. It hovered near the starting area and followed some of the fleets to the first mark, positioned itself near eventful turning marks and even played the part of a herd dog near areas with rocks and especially tricky current. Canfield and his co-pilot, Lyn Reid, have been the International Rolex Regatta chairpersons for more than half of the 36 times that the event has been held. Canfield doubles as the Yacht Club Manager and Reid, a high school teacher to a generation of US Virgin Island sailors, has been responsible for registration since 1974, the event’s inaugural year and the first regatta in which Rolex was ever a sponsor. -- Lynn Fitzpatrick, World Regattas, read on: http://www.worldregattas.com/ViewInfo.php?ContentID=210 * You will find all of Lynn’s reports from the International Rolex Regatta, along with photos, here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0326 FUN AND GLORY AT ACURA ULLMAN SAILS LONG BEACH RACE WEEK What is a sailor's most prized possession? No, not his boat but a priceless trophy he wins for sailing it fast. Acura Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week offers that opportunity June 26-28 with championships at stake in the Carl Kendrich Cup for Cal 25s, West Coast/Pacific Coast titles for Farr 40s, Open 5.70s, Flying Tigers, Olson 30s and Schock 35s, Southern California honors for Beneteau 36.7s and High Point series for J/80s, J/105s, J/109s and J/120s---or charter a Catalina 37 to sail like a Congressional Cup star and go for National glory. Online entry, more information at http://www.lbrw.org CROSS MARKETING THE SPORT - PART 2 In Scuttlebutt 2814, the lead story ‘Cross Marketing The Sport’ was based on how a couple of motorsports guys were in St Petersburg, FL for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and how they decided to get on the water to race SKUD-18s. Why were they using the paralympic boat? Because one of the guys, Firestone Indy Lights team owner Sam Schmidt, is paralyzed from the chest down. Here is a follow-up story from their April 2nd outing, which was posted on IndyCar.com: New Horizons Sea spray caught Sam Schmidt squarely on the face as the sailboat knifed through the 6-foot waves on shimmering Tampa Bay. Schmidt just laughed -- like a teenager on a rollercoaster, which approximated the experience for the quadriplegic Firestone Indy Lights team owner. Hey, legs aren't necessary to walk the waves. "When somebody is paralyzed, this just proves you can do anything you put your mind to," said Schmidt, whose Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation has been preaching that message and leading initiatives to fund scientific research for spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders for nearly a decade. -- Read on: http://www.indycar.com/news/index.php?story_id=13460 SAILING SHORTS * Eighteen entrants came to Pass Christian, MS for the Star Western Hemisphere Championship, one of the Sliver level class championships for continental and hemisphere events. Despite losing the third day of the four day event due to strong winds, the event organizers at Pass Christian Yacht Club were able to complete six races to allow for one discard. Finishing with equal points, Paul Cayard and Austin Sperry won the tie breaker over John MacCausland and Phil Trinter, with George Szabo/ Rick Peters in third. Winning the Mastes’ Division was Alberto Zanetti and Gustavo Warburg. -- Full report and results: http://www.starclass.org/search.cgi?Action=view&Event_id=1652 * (Boston, MA) - Sail Boston, bowing to pressure from Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said it would dramatically scale back its tall ships extravaganza this summer, a turnaround concession that would reduce one of the city's biggest and most majestic spectacles to a shorter event with fewer vessels, attracting smaller crowds. -- Boston Globe, read on: http://tinyurl.com/degdh8 * PPL Photo Agency holds an extensive library of pictures from the America's Cup dating back to the first historic event around the Isle of Wight in 1851. They have produced a web page that provides links for a selection of photos of the key America's Cup personalities over the past 158 years, from the first race in 1851, of America's Cup racing highlights and lowlights, etc. View here: http://www.covarimail.com/view.lasso?id1=332&id2=241222 * The Lightning class announced the recipients of the 2009 Lightning Class Boat Grants, which provides high-quality boats and equipment, reimbursement for certain travel expenses, and priceless advice from their assigned mentors. There were 19 applicants, with five teams chosen to each receive a grant. -- Details: http://tinyurl.com/d5dejh * The International Hobie Class Association has put forward to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) the recommendation that the Hobie Tiger be considered for the 2012 Olympics. ISAF has now agreed to put this on their May Meeting Agenda for discussion. It does require the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to grant sailing the 11th Medal for the 2012 Olympics. -- Sail World, read on: http://tinyurl.com/c54k8x * Hobart, Australia (AP) - Mike Perham, a 17-year-old British sailor said Sunday he was confident of beating U.S. rival Zac Sunderland into the record books as the youngest person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe despite a fourth repair stop in Australia about halfway through his trouble-plagued voyage. Perham sailed his 50-foot (15-meter) yacht into Australia's most southerly city, Hobart, on Saturday for precautionary repairs to a rudder, battery recharger and ballast pump. The recharger had been defective since a large wave tipped the yacht over in the Antarctic Ocean just over a week before reaching Hobart. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/dfs3k2 * Auckland's return to the international yachting limelight by hosting the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in February put about $16 million into the Auckland economy, says an independent audit. While Team New Zealand and Alinghi and eight other visiting syndicates battled it out on the Waitemata Harbour, the City of Sails was soaking up the benefit in many forms, said the Covec consultancy report. -- NZ Herald, full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10565376 ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MATCH RACE Youth match race competitors are invited to follow in the footsteps of Olympic, America's Cup, and professional match racing circuit leaders by applying to compete in Balboa Yacht Club's 43rd Annual Governor's Cup Regatta, an ISAF Grade 3 event, on July 14-19, 2009 in Newport Beach, California. For information or bid package, email mailto:sailing@balboayachtclub.com or view http://www.govcupracing.com COURT BRINGS SENSE TO AMERICA'S CUP DEBATE Common sense and sportsmanship have prevailed in court. Now we need to see if they can prevail between two billionaire owners of America’s Cup sailing teams. The New York State Supreme Court on Thursday ruled, 6-0, that BMW-Oracle, representing the San Francisco Yacht Club, is the legitimate challenger for the next America’s Cup. The court tossed out a faux Spanish yacht club that was created on paper to flaunt the rules of the world’s premier sailing event. The big question now is whether Ernesto Bertarelli, billionaire owner of the Swiss cup holder, Alinghi, will agree to negotiate a multi-challenger event for a 2011 regatta with Oracle’s billionaire owner, Larry Ellison of Seattle, under the rules that governed the last cup, which Alinghi won in 2007 at Valencia, Spain. If the billionaires can’t agree on an event with 12-15 challengers in 85-90-foot monohulls, then the court said they must meet one-on-one within the next 10 months in huge multihulls somewhere on the world’s oceans. (Alinghi gets to choose the venue.) -- Detroit Free Press, read on: http://tinyurl.com/d8ogf5 SARNO LOSES CREDIBILITY When the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) filed their lawsuit back in August 2007, deeming that Société Nautique De Genève had devised unfair rules for the next America’s Cup, their move to denounce the Swiss club’s plan had significant support. However, as time moved on, the desire to get the event back on the water increased, as did the professional sailors desire to get a paycheck again. The strong support that GGYC, and their BMW Oracle Racing team had early on, had faded. One of the more vociferous critics of GGYC had been Shosholoza team’s principal, Captain Salvatore Sarno, the leader of the beloved South African team from the 32nd America’s Cup. In Scuttlebutt 2655 (Aug. 7, 2008), when Sarno was asked whether BMW Oracle was right in appealing, he said, “BMW Oracle has never been genuine and has pursued only their own interests.” Interestingly, after the Appeals Court verdict, Sarno declared, “I think that it is the right verdict and that Alinghi and America’s Cup Management (ACM) made a mistake in accepting the challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup from Spain’s Club Nautico Espanol De Vela (CNEV).” -- Scuttleblog, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2009/04/sarno-loses-credibility.html CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Folting: I was the Race Committee Chairman in San Diego, CA for the famous 1988 “catamaran vs big boat” America’s Cup race and also the 1992 event. The only reason I say that is I had occasion to review, reread, research, read some more, and go to Lawson History of the Americas Cup, of which I have one of 3000 of the books, just to protect the rules in the fairest way I knew how, with a lot of help. My point is that the more I read the Deed of Gift, the more I came to understand that this is one of the most understated documents that has ever been written, and engulfs so many people. If you study it, it really is a great document, and it does cover most things even when people try to change its meaning, or think they do. The term KISS really applies to this 152 year old document that continues to confound, make people who should not, twist in the wind, spend millions to defend or challenge, fortunes won or lost along with reputations, not to speak of whole nations now involved. All of this because of a two page document, written so well that it sometimes is fought over in court, usually with an appeal. Now, that is writing at its best and to this day makes the imagination of a lot of heavy hitters run wild, and God help those in the middle. The Americas Cup is the oldest vied for trophy in the world, and this document is why. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: I totally agree. The Deed is posted here on Scuttlebutt: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/dog * Roger Marshall: This is from Bow Wave issue number 489, a marine insurance newsletter. I thought it might be of interest, particularly the last paragraph. Here is an excerpt: The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) confirmed yesterday its Huon-class mine hunters, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Norman , had found 24 of the 31 containers lost from the Pacific Adventurer during Cyclone Hamish (as reported in Scuttlebutt 2801 - March 16th). The commander of the Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group, Dean Schopen, said the ships' mine disposal vehicle had located the containers not far from where they had been reported lost. Commander Schopen said, “The containers are lying on the seabed (at 120 metres) close together, secured in groups of two and three, and are in varying states of condition.” The minesweepers were continuing to search for the remaining missing containers. (When containers go over the side, there is always the question arising as to how buoyant they may be. A reefer box lined with foam is pretty unsinkable and an airtight drybox will often glug along on the surface for many months, to the intense annoyance of navigating small craft and yachts. It is said that the Southern Ocean is unusually full of such things by reason of the trend of current, but we would be very interested if any of our Readers could confirm this--ed). -- Full report: http://www.wavyline.com/current.php?issue=489 CURMUDGEON’S (POLITICALLY CORRECT) OBSERVATIONS She does not have "Breast Implants" - She is "Medically Enhanced." Special thanks to MyBoatsGear.com, Acura Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week, and the Governor's Cup Regatta. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
