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SCUTTLEBUTT 2280 – February 13, 2007
Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,
features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is
distributed each weekday, with support provided by UBS, main partner of
Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing).
PLAYING THE GAME RIGHT
(‘Butthead Lou Morgan II reminded Scuttlebutt of an article Bob Merrick
wrote nearly five years ago on the subject of Sportsmanship. Below are some
excerpts - how would you handle this situation?)
Tokyo Japan, 1964: Peter Barrett is at the Olympic games sailing the Finn.
Peter had been to the games before. At his first Olympics, in 1960, he had
finished eleventh. This time he was a veteran, one of the best in the world
and he had the world right where he wanted it. He was in contention to win
the regatta and a Gold Medal.
Being in a position to win is generally what we strive for, but sometimes it
causes us to get just a little too aggressive. It happens to the best of us,
even Olympic champions. Maybe that's what happened to Peter Barrett at the
1964 Olympics, maybe not. What did happen is Peter misjudged a rounding and
hit the mark. We've all been there. Our reaction is almost universal. It
happens before we even have a chance to think. What do we do? We look around
to see if anyone saw it. And what do we do if no one did? The answer to this
question, and many other questions of sportsmanship, may be easy to answer.
It could also be complicated. If you don't think about it until that moment
when you've hit the mark, chances are it's going to be complicated.
When it comes to hitting marks we've got it easy, one 360 turn and you keep
on racing. Back in 1964 Peter Barrett didn't have it so easy. In 1964 the
penalty for hitting a mark was disqualification from the race. Peter had to
have known that he would lose the Gold Medal if he dropped out. He could
have simply continued sailing. No one saw him hit the mark. Peter Barrett
did drop out of that race because he knew he hit the mark, and that was
enough. He also undoubtedly knew that, if it was really the medal that he
wanted, he could have had someone make one for him and he wouldn't have been
half way around the world in Japan at the Olympic Games. Peter Barrett won
the Silver Medal in the Finn class in 1964, and as his friend Peter Harken
said of the victory, "I believe that Silver of Peter's is worth a million
Gold's." Peter Barrett returned to the Olympic games for a third time in
1968 and won a Gold Medal in the Star Class. Peter Barrett passed away in
December 2000. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/2jnm33
* How would you handle this situation? Let’s take a poll to find out:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/07/0212
BOWING OUT
(American Carol Cronin, 2004 Olympic rep in the Yngling class, provides this
report on why her team is terminating their 2008 Olympic campaign.)
As you all know, we just finished our 2007 US Sailing Team qualifiers.
Sixteen teams from around the world came to Miami, and jockeying for a front
row start or an inside overlap with this elite group showed us how much the
world level has climbed since last summer's Yngling Worlds. After a lot of
thought and discussion, we have decided to end our Olympic campaign
effective immediately. Only two US teams competed in the ranking regattas:
Team Cronin and Team Seven (Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe, and Debbie Capozzi).
Our retirement means Team Seven will represent the US at the 2008 Olympics
in Qingdao, China.
When I started sailing Ynglings in 2001, four US teams finished in the top
eight at the Worlds - and all of us were sailing part time. Since then the
world has changed, and a full time effort is now mandatory to be competitive
on the Olympic stage. Kim (Couranz), Margaret (Podlich), and I have had a
fantastic year together, and our recent results don't reflect how much we
learned and grew as a team. But with the rest of the group sailing full
time, it is simply not possible to meet our performance goals of winning the
US Trials and medalling at the 2008 Games.
In 2003 I watched Sally, Carrie, and Debbie jump into a very intimidating
group of US Yngling sailors and beat us all at their second regatta
together. Since then they have, most amazingly, stayed together (the only
Yngling team in the world to do so), and matured both as a team and as
individuals. I wish them all the best and have already offered them my
support as they prepare for the Games. -- Full report:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0212
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
It has been revealed that Areva Challenge is under threat to be penalized by
the America's Cup Jury. As a result of a regrettable combination of
circumstances, the French Challenger entered in possession of 4 unauthorized
pictures of the new Luna Rossa's ITA 94 taken by the independant
photographer Philippe De Poulpiquet. Areva concedes that there has been a
violation of the Protocol by its team under Article 11.2, which prohibits to
observe or capture images of another Competitor's ACC yacht within 200
meters of the Competitor's yacht. "Fortunately, this foolish transgression
was discovered and remedied the day after it occurred, with appropriate
action taken immediately," explained George Clyde, Legal and Rules Advisor
for Areva Challenge. "We ask that the Jury consider an appropriate sanction
without imposing a penalty that would have a competitive effect", he added.
"No advantage has been gained by Areva, and no disadvantage has been
suffered by Luna Rossa or any other Competitor as a result of the Protocol
violation." -- Cup in Europe, full report:
http://www.cupineurope.com/NewsEN/2007/Areva.htm
YOUR CHOICE
You can spend a lifetime learning to be a better racer, or you can
accelerate the process with North U. Try our TRIM and Tactics seminars
featuring Gary Jobson and other top instructors, plus books and CDs to take
home. Or Performance Software and Instruments webinars live, on-line.
Perhaps an On-The-Water Race Week in Captiva Island. Or try Coaching aboard
your boat. Why wait? Call 800-347-2457 or Visit http://www.NorthU.com
WANTED: AMERICAN TEAM
With the format announcement of the 2008 Rolex Commodores’ Cup by the RORC,
the US Sailing Offshore Teams Committee is eager to see if there is interest
within the states for this event. The USA has not won a major international
offshore regatta abroad for 10 years, but now that IRC has taken hold in
North America, there is hope that a strong effort to end the draught is
possible.
The Rolex Commodores’ Cup is a classic Cowes (England) event for amateur
sailors, modeled after the professional Admiral's Cup Series. It is
comprised of racing over seven days with a schedule of six inshore races, an
offshore race, and a Round the Island race. The regatta is sailed out of
Cowes, Isle of Wight, and the team format seeks one boat from each of the
following three bands:
Class 1 1.120 – 1.230 DLR 200
Class 2 1.075 – 1.119 DLR 200
Class 3 1.025 – 1.074 DLR 215
Dates have not been finalized, but the 2006 regatta was the last Sunday in
June through the first Sunday in July. That would be June 29th-July 5th for
the 2008 event. Teams are nominates by the national authority… US Sailing
for the USA. If necessary, a selection committee from US-IRC and the US
Sailing Offshore Teams Committee will monitor and review performance of
yachts sailing in any of the major US-IRC events in 2007. -- For additional
details, contact US Sailing Offshore Teams Committee, Talbot Wilson,
Chairman at mailto:talbot@talbotwilson.com
THIS IS COOL
For each day at Acura Key West 2007, an entire fleet of boats was saddled
with GPS units, with the data than being converted to a video replay of the
race. This service was provided by Kattack, and for a limited time, the
video replays can be watched on their website’s viewer without having to
download the Kattack Race Player. If you competed in the J/105, IRC 1, IRC
3, Melges 32, Farr 40, or Corsair 28R, this is must-see TV. Each replay is
sped up, keeping them under five minutes of viewing time, and has the boat
names attached to help tell who is who. For those desiring the full media
experience, the Kattack Race Player is still available as a free beta
download. Using the Race Player, viewers can analyze individual boat
performance, zoom in or out, speed up or slow down, observe wind shifts, and
catch every tactical nuance of the race along with polars and speed strip
charts for each boat. Heck, this may someday replace reliving race moments
in the bar with our hands. -- http://www.kattack.com
SURFBOARD REVOLUTION
(Queensland, Australia) A Gold Coast plumber has invented a radical
surfboard steering system that promises to revolutionise the sport in the
same way as yachting's winged keel. Former Palm Beach surf shop owner Don
Smith said the V-shaped system replaced the dangerous fins on surfboards,
making them safer, more stable and faster. He said he had already knocked
back $1 million for the idea, which he hoped to adapt for use on boats and
other watercraft.
The stabilising device was designed mainly to help protect surfers from
sharp fins. "Like a lot of surfers, I've got fin cuts. I've been stabbed in
the foot, even on my ear," Mr Smith said. "This thing is safe – you're not
going to get cut." The polypropylene device has State Government financial
backing. Independent scientific trials have been successfully conducted at
the University of Adelaide's hydraulics laboratory. An international patent
has just been secured and the Shredda Advanced Steering System will soon be
on the world market for less than $100. -- The Courier Mail, full story:
http://tinyurl.com/2pxoc9
CAMET ANNOUNCES NEW TECHNICAL SHORTS
Camet International Clothing expands their line of technical gear by
announcing their new Hobart Extreme Technical Shorts. Designed to be the
lightest shorts on the market, they weigh in at only 9 ounces, and are
designed with offset side seams to reduce chafing. The improved design
provides extreme flexibility, while the Titanium silver nylon fabric has a
durable water repellent finish that dries quickly, and has a UV rating of
40+. Features include two back pockets with Velcro closures, adjustable
Velcro waist, two deep side-pockets, and a Cordura-reinforced seat for added
protection from abrasive surfaces. View all the Camet products:
http://www.camet.com/?Click=122
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Electrical contractors Corporate Electric have sponsored the latest addition
to the Cayman Islands Sailing Club’s (CISC) expanding youth sailing fleet,
an Optimist sailboat. The CISC wants to build a large Optimist fleet to help
young children learn to race.Commonly known as an ‘Opti’, the boat is sailed
in more than 110 countries by over 150,000 young people and is the only
dinghy approved by the International Sailing Federation exclusively for
sailors under-16 years of age. According to the CISC, a survey conducted at
the sailing regatta for the Athens Olympics in 2004 found that over 60% of
the skippers and 70% of the medal-winners were former ‘Opti’ sailors.
The CISC are working to create a Cayman Islands Optimist team to travel to
international regattas around the world. The team’s first competition will
be the Caribbean Optimist Championships in the British Virgin Islands this
June. Mike Weber, the CISC’s Sailing Director said that Corporate Electric
had helped the club realise their goal of building an Optimist fleet in the
Cayman Islands. “This is a huge step in our development. We have a
world-class sailing location, high-quality instruction and coaching, and now
we have the proper boats,” he explained. -- Full report:
http://tinyurl.com/2tekpe
SAILING SHORTS
* Sailing in their homewaters of St. Petersburg, Florida, Ethan Bixby and
Eric Boothe captured the 35th 505 MidWinters held at Fort DeSoto Beach.
Posting five bullets in eight races, the team held off Ramsay Key and Drew
Buttner (Westwood, MA) and Ali Meller and Mike Coe (Annapolis, MD). Twelve
teams from as far away as Ottawa, Canada competed in eight races over three
days in winds from 5-15 knots. A full write-up and results can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/2kmj8y
* The International Yacht Restoration School is expanding its educational
programs to cover the full range of onboard systems for all types of boats:
sail and power, classic and modern. The new program will offer comprehensive
training in installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting onboard systems
such as electrical, electronic, steering, plumbing, and propulsion.
Developed in cooperation with the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYc), the
program was created to meet the industry's demand for skilled workers and to
keep students in step with changing technology. - http://www.iyrs.org/
* (Arundel, ME) Joseph Libby of Beals Island, Maine was awarded the Marine
Electronics Journal Scholarship at a ceremony at the Landing School of
Boatbuilding and Design in Arundel, Maine. This prestigious five thousand
dollar scholarship is awarded to a Landing School Marine Systems Technology
student with demonstrated abilities and the desire to pursue a career in the
field of marine electronics. -- http://www.landingschool.edu
* Correction: The link in Issue 2279 for video highlights of the inaugural
Casa de Campo Regatta 2007 Presidente Cup was wrong. The correct link is
http://www.t2p.tv
COMING TO AMERICA.... THE NEW J/122
Following successful debuts at the Paris and London Shows, the new J/122
will arrive on USA soil in time for the J Boats Midwinter Owner Rendezvous
in early March. Production for this 40' 'sprit model with accommodations' is
booked through October with 10 of the first 20 boats States-bound.
http://www.jboats.com/j122
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be
edited for clarity or simplicity (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, a more open environment for discussion is
available on the Scuttlebutt Forum.
-- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com
-- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum
* From Sergei Sikorsky, Newport, RI: (regarding the World Sailing League
announcement) Looks like somebody is finally making nails with heads. As a
veteran of NAMRA, Formula 40, and Prosail, I have been waiting for this for
a long time. Ask anybody who raced in any of those series and you will hear
that they experienced the most exciting and competitive racing of their
careers. To quote the late, great Tom Blackaller: “I haven't had this much
fun since I was a kid sailing my first Star regattas.” Tom then proceeded,
in his first outing ever on a multihull, to give Randy Smyth (multiple
Olympic medalist, F40 champion) a run for his money during a glorious season
of Prosail. I have no doubt in my mind that the world racing league will
produce the wildest, fastest, closest and most telegenic racing anybody has
ever seen. A humble suggestion: talk to a Prosail veteran about the very
simple rules that we raced under. If my memory serves me right, we only had
seven rules, combined with on the water umpires. No protests, and penalties
given and executed on the spot. It really worked! And the reservations about
the big speed differences between dialed in or not: makes for lots of lead
changes, very exciting! I have no doubt in my mind that this will become the
most popular racing series around in no time flat.
* From Rich Jepsen Chair, Education Division, US Sailing: As several forces
drive the process, from security to boating accident statistics to politics,
we are trending toward a more formal requirement in this country to
demonstrate competency in your vessel of choice before being allowed to
operate it. Several states require training and the passing of written exams
to operate vessels and several others, including the State of California,
are considering it.
US Sailing saw the writing on the wall several years ago and, under the
volunteer leadership of Timmy Larr and Dick Allsopp, created a robust OTW
training program for powerboating to serve as a partner to the extensive
sail training regimen already in existence. This started out as a way to
ensure that instructor candidates and race management personnel were
competent and safe in small powerboats, but the demand for training on a
variety of powerboats in a variety of situations has required that they
develop a series of powerboat training levels, using US Sailing's years of
experience in creating practical safety and seamanship training to ensure
this training meets the same high standards. Several schools around the
country are engaged in powerboat training from basic skills to mark setting,
to rescue, as well as operation of larger power yachts in race committee
work or just plain cruising. The sailing and boating communities owe a debt
of gratitude to Timmy and Dick for their selfless work over years to bring
this to life. To learn more, visit http://www.ussailing.org/training
* From Scott Brown, Minneapolis, MN: As input to the debate about the use or
over use of electronics, I offer this copy found in a current navigational
manufacturer's website: “Put in simple terms, this invaluable instrument
continuously displays to the helmsman the direction in which he should be
steering . . . by combining data from the compass, speed transducer and GPS
to determine the best route.” Technically, it most likely improves
performance. Realistically, it changes the game to be my computer against
your computer. And that's simply a game of writing checks. But it's a free
world, baby. If your racing group wants it, then go for it. And vise versa.
* From Art Ahrens: Regarding the best Americas Cup ever, I remember it as
the last cup that was really a contest between nations before talent sold
out to the highest bidder. I remember a very fierce and well-contested LV
Cup, the only cup where we had some really good breeze that we weren't
afraid of boats sinking in, and I especially remember the Australian
hospitality shown to all to the competitors. None of the Cups since ‘87 were
as spectacular to watch as that one was. I would love to see the new ACC
boats deal with the doctor! Those days are gone forever. Good on ya mates!
CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries
without making them give you any of theirs." - Chrissy, age 6
Special thanks to North U, Camet International, and J/Boats.
Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender
of the 32nd America's Cup.
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