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SCUTTLEBUTT 2718 - Wednesday, November 5, 2008Scuttlebutt 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 North, Morris Yachts, and Acura Key West 2009. DOCKSIDE ASSESSMENTS With all eight boats competing in the Volvo Ocean Race now in Cape Town following the finish of the 6500nm first leg from Spain to South Africa, teams will be focusing on three areas: repairing the boats, assessing performance, and making adjustments. During the leg, most of the information that is available on the race website is not made available to the teams. While the positions for each boat are available, the performance and weather data are not, nor are the emails or videos that are being sent from each boat. However, the onshore teams have collected all the data, and now is the time it is used to raise the level of each team before the start of the 4,450nm second leg from Cape Town to Cochin, India begins November 15th. Here are some of the early dockside reports: * Johnny Smullen, Green Dragon Shore Manager, regarding the collision that took the boat speed from 25 knots to a virtual standstill: “We immediately asked ourselves, what did they hit, was it a container on the surface? Perhaps a log or the whole tree! As we stood on the dock in anticipation this morning, we were somewhat relieved to see that structurally we survived. The steel keel and bearings were intact without any crazing and/or cracks; what didn’t survive was the carbon fibre fairing which fairs the leading edge of the keel. In short, the keel is milled out of a single billet of heat treated steel, and the forward and trailing edges are added later as these shapes would almost be impossible to machine. We added pre-shaped fairings to these areas and fortunately the forward one also doubles up as a sacrificial leading edge or simply put a bumper. "Unfortunately once you lose this you have a flat section across the front of your keel which really impacts your speed! We also lost the keel pin fairing; this is a conical fairing, which does exactly that, it fairs the 150mm keel pin, and without these we have a very unfair underwater profile. It would have the same effect, if a Formula 1 car lost all its wings and the nose!” -- Photos: http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/image_gallery/category/C19 * Roger Nilson, Telefonica Black Navigator, regarding their performance: “We have learned that we have a boat which is very fast power reaching and in light air, but we have problems with our speed broad reaching and running in medium and hard conditions. Before the Canary Islands, we found ourselves left behind by Green Dragon, Puma and Ericsson 3 when sailing close to them. The frustration of lacking downwind speed probably led to our mistake going west of the Canaries. “We came out from the Doldrums perfectly (day 10, 20 October) and made big gains on the leading three boats, but at Salvador we all began sailing more open wind angles and our speed problem came back as an old nightmare. This lack of down wind speed became even more obvious when the wind picked up and Ericsson 3 came flying past from behind. So did our friends on Telefónica Blue, but not as fast as Ericsson 3, but still faster than us. “It felt very frustrating to lose these two places on pure lack of boat speed. We pushed as hard as we could, but they just passed us. At the same time, we noticed that the three front-runners also had speeds we could not match. After all this frustration, the rudder just broke for unknown reasons and the story was all over. We were limping behind the whole fleet.” -- http://tinyurl.com/5nqhq2 Finishing order for the 6500nm Leg One from Alicante, Spain to Cape Horn, South Africa: 1. Ericsson 4, Torben Grael, Finished Nov. 2, 05:54:00 GMT 2. PUMA, Ken Read, Finished Nov. 2, 17:44:50 GMT 3. Ericsson 3, Anders Lewander, Finished Nov. 3, 04:08:50 GMT 4. Green Dragon, Ian Walker, Finished Nov. 3, 07:12 GMT 5. Telefonica Blue, Bouwe Bekking, Finished Nov. 3, 11:18:37 GMT 6. Team Russia, Andreas Hanakamp, Finished Nov. 3, 15:29:47 GMT 7. Delta Lloyd, Ger O'Rourke, Finished Nov. 3, 23:03 GMT 8. Telefonica Black, Fernando Echavarri, Finished Nov. 4, 16:43 GMT Overall Leaderboard (Provisional) 1. Ericsson 4, 14 points 2. PUMA, 13 points 3. Green Dragon, 11 points 4. Telefónica Blue, 10 points 5. Telefónica Black, 7 points 6. Ericsson 3, 5 points* 7. Delta Lloyd, 4 points 8. Team Russia, 4 points *Scoring penalty: http://tinyurl.com/illegal-keel Scoreboard: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 HEAD 'NORTH' FOR RESULTS! Congratulations to Todd Hiller who won the J/22 East Coasts; Pete McChesney who won the J/105 East Coasts; Hans Fogh who won the Soling Nationals; and Ashley Wolfe who won the IRC East Coasts this past weekend in Annapolis, MD. Congratulations also to Gabrio Zandona and Giovanni Maspero aboard Joe Fly, Flavio Favini and Franco Rossino aboard Blu Moon* and Chris Larson aboard West Marine Rigging/NE Ropes for placing 2nd, 3rd and 5th respectively at the Melges 24 NAs. All seven boats were equipped with North sails. When performance matters, the choice is clear: http://www.northsails.com. * Indicates partial inventory. VENDEE GLOBE: FOUR DAYS TO GO Michel Desjoyeaux, winner of the 2000-1 Vendee Globe and one of the acknowledged favourites among the 30 entrants to win this edition, provides these comments prior to the November 9th start in Les Sables d’Olonne, France: THE START: “We should have a quiet start on Sunday with a 15-20 knot south-westerly. These conditions won't put the boats under too much strain, and will allow everyone to get into their stride” THE PACE: “Eight years ago, I gave myself the goal of not exceeding an average of 20 knots per day. This time with so many determined racers taking part, we will certainly have to go faster than that. We're going to spend the first month with the accelerator stuck to the floor!” EXPERIENCE: “The fact that I've already done the Vendée Globe may not be a real advantage. It just allows me to feel more at ease with only a few days to go before the start. In previous races, four out of five winners were taking part for the first time. It requires a little innocence and a breath of fresh air!” COMPETITIVENESS: “In 2000, I was 24 hours ahead of Ellen MacArthur. Four years ago, Vincent (Riou) finished 6 hours ahead of Jean (Le Cam). It wouldn't be surprising if this time the two at the front finish within sight of each other.” FORECAST: “In 2000, the forecasts were valid for five days. Now, we have sixteen-day forecasts, but which may not be very reliable. But they do allow us to plan for seven or eight days ahead. That enables you to look at what is coming up and avoid the worst storms. Moreover, the safety gates are further north than before and take us away from the worst gales.”-- http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en JOYON NOT TO LET WEATHER GODS TARNISH RECORD ATTEMPT (Nov. 4, 2008; 20:06:00 UTC) - It should have been simple. Francis Joyon (FRA), who had crushed the solo, non-stop around the world record aboard the 97-foot maxi trimaran IDEC, wanted to put his stamp on the Discovery Route record, a 3,884 nautical mile course between Cadiz, Spain and San San Salvador in the Bahamas. The current record was set by fellow Frenchman Thomas Coville with his 60ft trimaran Sodebo back in July 2005. In equal steeds, Joyon and Coville might trade punches, but IDEC and Sodebo are not equal steeds. Both tremendous in their own right, but to compare in poker parlance, Joyon is dropping a Straight Flush to Coville’s Three of a Kind. It’s ‘gun to a knife fight’ kind of stuff. Only problem, however, is that the wind gods treat all boats the same, regardless of how worthy. Joyon is now in his eighth day of this record, with a deadline of this Friday (1800 pm French) to dethrone Coville. He had built up an early lead, only to see it vaporize after the Canary Islands when he needed to follow a northerly course (yes, NORTHERLY) to seek a suitable weather system. Life now seems good again for Joyon as he is feeling the trade winds, and has his bows suitably pointed southwest. He holds a 358nm advance over the record, has just clicked off 475 nm in the last 24 hours, and has just 666nm to go. If Joyon conquers this foe, it may last long, but a win is a win for this master of the record books. -- http://www.trimaran-idec.com DOING WHAT YOU LOVE Plenty of people in the sailing world are “doing what they love for a living,” but Daniela Coen and Allen Clark - perhaps more than anyone we’ve met - epitomize what that’s all about. As the owner/operators of PhotoBoat.com, this couple travels to regattas up and down the East Coast and beyond, and if you’ve sailed in a regatta in this area recently, you’ve probably seen them zipping around on their 11.5-foot RIBs, maneuvering into position for the best shot, standing up and strapped into a kiteboarding harness that’s tethered to the bow eye. “We attach to the harness with a carabiner and lean back,” says Allen. “It’s kind of like using a tripod. With the steering and throttle in one hand and the camera in the other, we can zoom around by ourselves and photograph all the boats without using another driver. I think we’re the only ones doing it on the East Coast.” “We met while working as sailing instructors at John Kantor’s Longshore Sailing School in Westport, CT. Allen started there in 1995 and I started in ’97, while we were in high school,” says Daniela, a Georgetown University graduate; Allen earned his degree at UConn. “After college, Daniela ran the school for a few years,” says Allen, who also worked at the Boat Locker in Westport. “JK sent me to work at the Bitter End Yacht Club for a winter,” Daniela recalls. “Allen came to visit and we met the people that were running Yacht Shots BVI. They’re great people, and we thought it was a neat business. “I worked for Yacht Shots for six months in Tortola, where Guy Clothier taught me that technique,” Allen explains. “We wanted to stay in the sailing industry because that’s our passion, and that’s why we started PhotoBoat.” -- WindCheck, read on: http://tinyurl.com/6ravpx IN SPITE OF IT ALL: STRONG FALL FOR MORRIS YACHTS! Cuyler Morris, President of Morris Yachts, is pleased to report that despite the global gloom and doom, Morris Yachts turned in a strong September and October. Sales were closed on three new M36s and one M42. Contracts were signed and deposits were also taken for an Ocean Series Morris 38 and Morris 42. Morris Brokerage and Service are also trending to finish up this year well. Interest has been extremely positive for the new M29 as well. Hull #1 of the new M29 is scheduled to launch in February. For more information, visit http://www.morrisyachts.com SAILING ON THE TUBE * NBC and Universal Sports present the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games presented by GE to TV beginning this Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports with a 90-minute documentary narrated by NBC Sports’ Bob Costas. The NBC Sports’ Paralympic special goes in-depth with top Paralympic athletes as they trained for and competed in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Among the Paralympic athletes to be profiled is Nick Scandone of Newport Beach, CA who won the gold medal in the SKUD-18 class. Following the special will be an unprecedented 28 hours of Paralympic event programming on Universal Sports taking place November 10-16. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/6hgbnq * ESPN Classic presents the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac on Sunday, November 9 at noon eastern (11:00am central time). The 2008 edition was the 100th running of the race to Mackinac that saw a record 432 boats compete. ESPN's Gary Jobson produced and narrates this 60 minute program. Camera operators were aboard six of the boats through the 333 mile passage. Find out what it is like to race aboard both amateur and professional boats ranging from 35 to 70 feet. The show will reair on Tuesday, November 11 at 6:00pm eastern (5:00pm central time). -- http://jobsonsailing.com SAILING SHORTS * Annapolis, MD (November 4, 2008) - With the defending champion, John Kilroy’s Samba Pa Ti, out of the mix, the 2008 IRC East Coast Championship title was up for grabs this past weekend in Annapolis, Md. The three-day regatta, run by the Storm Trysail Club’s Chesapeake Station, consisted of a 29.64nm distance race on Friday and five windward/leeward races on Saturday and Sunday. Mayhem, the TP52 owned by Ashley Wolfe (Calgary, CAN), won IRC Class 1 and was crowned the overall 2008 champion among the 35 competing boats. Arethusa, a NYYC Swan 42 owned by Philip Lotz (New Canaan, Conn.), won IRC Class 2 and finished second overall in fleet. -- Full report, photos, and video: http://tinyurl.com/5tgcar * Entries for the 45th edition of the 2009 Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu are now open. New for the 2009 Race is a 100% online entry system accessed via Transpacific Yacht Club's new website. For Skippers and Crew looking to fill positions, the new crew finder "Pin List" as it is now called is also activated. For more information email Entry Chairman Mike Nash mailto:entry@transpacrace.com or go to http://www.transpacrace.com * Marine Marketers of America have announced the winners of the association’s first North American marketing competition, which drew an impressive 46 entries from 24 different companies representing a broad range of brands, boats, products and services. The MMA introduced their new “Neptune Awards” for marketing communications efforts judged “Best in Class” by expert juries of marine industry marketing professionals. The mission of this new Awards program is to recognize and promote excellence in marine marketing communications. Awards were given in 5 different categories. -- Read on: http://www.marinemarketersofamerica.org/eblasts/MMA-eblast-103008.html * Sailing World's College Rankings as of November 3, 2008 finds Boston College atop both the Coed and Women's rankings, which are determined by SW's coaches panel of Michael Callahan (Georgetown), Ken Legler (Tufts), and Mike Segerblom (USC). -- Complete rankings: http://tinyurl.com/6ks4lk * CORRECTION: The Charleston Race Week website address in Scuttlebutt 2717 had a typo that made it inoperable. Here is the correct address: http://www.charlestonraceweek.com KEY WEST AND MIAMI – UNDER THE FLORIDA SUN Acura Key West 2009 racing excitement begins January 19th, followed 40 days afterward by the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix. Enter now and plan your South Florida adventure. Ideal conditions, professional race management, world class competition, and shore side fun in Key West and South Beach! Entries and details: http://www.Premiere-Racing.com 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 Chris Welsh: (re, story in SBUTT 2717) Not to be biased, but you missed the most significant Sydney- Hobart entrant in our world: Ragtime, Ex-Infidel, the only boat from the USA in the race, and more importantly, the only boat returning to vanquish the 41 year old ghost of being outlawed from the 1967 Sydney-Hobart. As I've said to my crew, the Sydney-Hobart virus has hit. We've got the rig out for inspection, safety reviews underway, chain plates are being reinforced, new heavy weather sails are on order, and we're excited to be going! For those that don't know the complete story, Ragtime (Ex-Infidel) won the 1967 Keelboat Fleet Championship in Auckland, displacing Ranger. Sydney-Hobart was the final goal for Tom Clark and his new boat, but the 1967 regulations were amended to demand a thicker hull thickness than Ragtime had. Outlawed and unhappy, Tom sold the boat to America and had Bucanneer built, a new boat that met the hull thickness specification for 1968 and he went to Sydney. And they won. Now 41 years later, we are eagerly looking forward to participating in this year's event. * From Chris Stahl: (re, story in SBUTT 2717) It is fantastic to see that the Morning Light premiers and events are extending beyond the coasts and into the Midwest! I am excited to go to the Sheboygan event this Friday, and applaud the Traverse City event coming up. Additionally, The Northwestern University Sailing Team presents… a Chicago area Morning Light Premiere, on November 13, 2007 at the Cinemark Theater, in Evanston, IL. More information on the event surrounding the premiere will be posted in the forum as soon as possible. -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/M_L * From Dennis Palmer: (re, letter in SBUTT 2717) Finally, a voice about the America's Cup mess that makes sense. I strongly support Vincenzo Onorato's idea to use the old AC boats and the protocol that worked so well for the last AC for the next cup. What could be easier? In this economy, it would be hard to find sponsors and raise funds to build new boats. The old boats were so well developed to maximize the design rules that the racing was very close and exciting, and the protocol was fair. If it's not broken, don't fix it. Ernesto Bertarelli, are you listening? The AC is dangerously close to falling apart permanently, while other races, such as the Volvo Ocean Race, and the upcoming Vendee Globe and Louis Vuitton Pacific Series have captured the imagination of sailing fans and sponsor dollars. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION If you find that your last breath is taken in an elevator, be sure to push the "UP" button. Special thanks to North, Morris Yachts, and Acura Key West 2009. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
