|
SCUTTLEBUTT 3168 - Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Scuttlebutt 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.
Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt
RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml
Today's sponsors: APS, JK3, and J/Boats.
WHEN, WHAT, HOW. . . BUT NOT YET WHERE
As organizer for the 34th America’s Cup, the American defender BMW Oracle
Racing team plan on September 13th to host a press conference in Valencia,
Spain to reveal three of the four cornerstones of the next competition:
- The year in which it will be held,
- The new class of boat for the competition, and
- The competition rules (The Protocol)
This announcement falls slightly behind the timeline for The Protocol that
was to be released August 31st. The remaining key dates announced by BMW
Oracle Racing last May were:
- Design rule released by September 30th
- Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions published by December 31st
- Venue confirmed by December 31st
- Challenge Period open from October 1 - January 31, 2011
The objective for the 34th America’s Cup, according to the American team, is
to create the fairest-ever competition, sustainable to teams and their
partners with transformed racing to attract the widest possible audience for
an event planned for either 2013 or 2014.
Negotiations over the host city venue - the fourth cornerstone - continue,
but organizers are confident of making an announcement ahead of the December
31 objective.
Full report:
http://www.americascup.com/news/protocol-class-rule-save-the-date/
CATAMARANS: While the America’s Cup defender BMW Oracle Racing is not ready
to officially state their plans, the French sailing website
voilesetvoiliers.com feels confident enough to (boldly?) report that “the
34th edition will be held on catamarans 72 feet (22 meters) with wings
rigid, certainly in 2014 in San Francisco.” Standing by if needed for the
French translation of “eating crow.” Complete story here:
http://tinyurl.com/38nqllw
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
When it was announced on September 15, 2008 that Louis Vuitton was planning
an international match racing regatta to be sailed in Auckland, New Zealand
in February 2009, the idea was twofold. First, Louis Vuitton was eager to
play a prominent role in America’s Cup style racing after getting shunned by
the Swiss Alinghi team during the 32nd America’s Cup in 2007. Also, with a
legal dispute clouding the future of the 33rd Match, Louis Vuitton
envisioned an event that could help the Cup teams remain intact.
The Auckland event, named the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, was an instant
success. Two sets of America’s Cup Class Version 5 boats from Emirates Team
New Zealand and BMW Oracle Racing provided ten international teams from nine
countries the chance to match race on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, while
giving their sponsors an event for which they could leverage their value.
Since that first Louis Vuitton event in February 2009, there have been three
other “Louis Vuitton Trophy” events: Nice, FRA (Nov. 2009), Auckland, NZL
(Mar. 2010), and La Maddalena, ITA (May 2010). The next event will be in
Dubai, UAE (Nov. 2010), but after that the future is less clear. To help
clarify the situation is Bruno Trouble (FRA), whose long association with
the America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton led to the initiation of the LVT series:
“The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai will be the last one. The America’s Cup
defender, BMW Oracle Racing, is going to take over the organization of any
events linked to the next America's Cup after that event. I understand that
we can expect a few regattas each year similar to the Louis Vuitton Trophy
format. The organization might provide a some equal boats on which the
challengers for the next America's Cup will rotate before the final boats
are launched - maybe in late 2012. This is only my guess.
“Regarding the Louis Vuitton Trophy format, we are quite proud at Louis
Vuitton. Thanks to this simple concept we came up with in 2008, the
professional teams were able to survive and give exposure to their sponsors.
Without Louis Vuitton, most of the teams would have disappeared! The media
coverage of those LVT was phenomenal! We have a value of over $50 million
for the four events we already hosted. We have an excellent relationship
with the new Defender and we are talking about the future of the traditional
Louis Vuitton Cup that was created in 1983. Stand by for more information.”
SIMPLE, SMART, SCHOLASTIC SAVINGS AT APS
Scholastic sailors in need of new gear don't waste your time dealing with
the rest come where it's easy, APS, "The World Leaders in Outfitting
Performance Sailors". We keep it simple by offering great deals on gear we
stock and we ship the orders you can place individually, online, quickly
with no hoops to jump through or emails to send begging for pricing first.
As long time supporters of the ISSA, the sole retail sponsor of the ICSA,
and title sponsor of the APS/ICSA Team Race Nationals we're also known for
giving back. Ordering at APS simply makes sense! Details:
http://www.apsltd.com/c-5804-ScholasticOrders.aspx
TRACKING EARL
Hurricane Earl, the second major hurricane of 2010, began to menace the
eastern United States Tuesday, stirring up seas and promising a soggy and
potentially dangerous Labor Day weekend. To help affected U.S. residents
follow Earl’s progress is Sailing Weather Service (SWS), which recently
helped Ericsson 4 win the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race and BMW Oracle Racing win
the 33rd America’s Cup.
“We've opened a public page for folks to track Earl using data that is
normally available only to US Sailing Members,” said SWS Chief Meteorologist
Chris Bedford. “There are 1-hour time step images of our proprietary model
forecast along the U.S. east coast for the next 3-5 days. Some zoomed model
graphics are available over the Chesapeake and New England. Our plan is to
keep this open until Earl (and maybe Fiona) have passed. With a little luck
we won't need it again, but to be honest, I'm not too optimistic about
that!”
The 2010 Hurricane Season in the Atlantic Ocean began on June 1, 2010, and
will end on November 30, 2010. The Sailing Weather Service Model Data can be
viewed here: http://www.sailwx.com/HURRICANE/
FARR YACHT DESIGN CHOSEN FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE
Shortly after announcing Ian Walker as skipper for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Team, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has confirmed that Jason Carrington
has been hired as Technical Manager for the team, and that Farr Yacht Design
(FYD) will design and build their Volvo Open 70 for the Volvo Ocean Race
2011-12.
Farr is known for creating race winning yachts, yachts that have been
successful competitors in more than 40 World Championships and numerous
grand prix events including the Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup.
"Farr Yacht Design was selected because of its ability to tailor to our
specific requirements and its strong commitment to research and design which
has been ongoing since the conclusion of the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race,"
said His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, ADTA. "We
anticipate being able to announce the appointment of the yacht-builder early
next month after finalising selection of six tender qualifiers from
throughout the Middle East, Europe and the Far East." -- Read on:
http://tinyurl.com/3ym8vj2
CONNECTIONS: Farr Yacht Design was responsible for the two Telefonica boats
during the 2008-9 Race, where the Bouwe Bekking skippered Telefonica Blue
team finished third despite twice damaging the boat due to groundings. The
Abu Dhabi sponsored team will sail into its homeport in January 2012
following the 5,430 nm Leg 2 from Cape Town, South Africa.
ARE KIDS OLD ENOUGH TO BE PLAYING ADULT GAMES?
They sail solo around the world, climb the highest mountains and race around
ovals at breakneck speeds. They're kids, some not old enough to get into an
R-rated movie on their own.
On Sunday, a 13-year-old became the youngest person to die at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he fell off his motorcycle and was run over
by a 12-year-old during a race, raising the question: How old is old enough
when it comes to extreme sports?
"They're not just small adults," said Dr. Lyle Micheli, director of the
division of sports medicine at Children's Hospital of Boston and an adviser
to the International Olympic Committee's medical commission on youth sports.
"Kids are different. Kids have to be protected by society."
Peter Lenz fell off his motorcycle during a warm-up lap for the U.S. Grand
Prix Racers Union event at the speedway. Then he was hit by 12-year-old
Xavier Zayat. Kids pushing boundaries is nothing new. Mozart was composing
music when most children are still mastering their ABCs, and an 8-year-old's
paintings are fetching six figures in Britain. Tiger Woods first showed off
his golf skills at the grand old age of 2.
But several child psychologists said there's a big difference between
academic or cultural prodigies - even phenoms in traditional sports - and
kids who risk their lives. In the last six months:
- 13-year-old Jordan Romero became the youngest climber to summit Mount
Everest;
- 16-year-old Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail around the
globe solo, nonstop and unassisted;
- 14-year-old Laura Dekker from the Netherlands is currently at sea trying
to top Watson's record.
"A lot of teens, physically, are very much able to do similar things as
adults because their body types have developed, and they've got the muscular
strength," said Dr. Robyn Silverman, a psychologist who specializes in child
and teen development. "Where we go wrong with these teens is that they have
problems with impulse control, stress management, abstract thinking.
"They really need to be able to understand the risks," Silverman added. "It
looks so cool and teens have this process in their heads: 'It's cool, let's
just do it.' There's not the, 'Let's step back and look at the pros and cons
of the situation,' as adults would." -- AP, read on:
http://tinyurl.com/28fl5x3
=> Curmudgeon’s Comment: At the risk of repeating myself, Jessica Watson’s
circumnavigation is worthy of immense praise, but she did not set any
records. Neither will Laura Dekker’s feat be a record if she fulfills her
dream.
SEE THE J/65 AND TRIPP 75 IN NEWPORT
JK3 will be showing the J/65 and Tripp 75 at the Newport Brokerage Boat Show
September 16-18. Both yachts have recent price reductions and the owners are
saying “SELL!” The Tripp 75 Bella Pita was conceived as a work of art
capable of making ocean crossings and also performing well in ocean regattas
and café racing. The J/65 Brand New Day has a design that maximizes the
thrills of sailing. If you have a passion for speed and desire for luxury,
the J/65 is in a league of its own. Make an appointment with Jeff Brown
(619-224-6200) for the Newport, RI show. http://www.jk3yachts.com
FINN WORLDS
San Francisco, CA (August 31, 2010) - After four races, Thomas Le Breton
(FRA) holds the leads on equal points with Zach Railey (USA) in second.
Double race winner today Ed Wright (GBR) is in third. The top five boats are
all within four points of each other.
The first race started with light winds but increased to 12 knots by the top
mark and 22 knots by the second race in a typical San Francisco Day with fog
rolling between the Golden Gate and cold breeze building during the day.
Wright rounded the top mark in third and moved ahead on the downwind to lead
throughout. Race one winner Gasper Vincec (SLO) and Thomas le Breton moved
through the fleet to place second and third.
The wind had really kicked in for race four with Wright leading round the
top mark from Mark Andrews (GBR). Andrews took the lead on the first
downwind leg, but Wright dug in on the next beat and took a nice lead to
extend to the finish for a second race win. Thomas Le Breton placed third
again.
Wright is no stranger to these waters, having won the 2010 Finn North
American Championship on these very same waters just last month (July
16-18). Wright in fact won every single race of that regatta, foreshadowing
his performance today. Two more races are scheduled tomorrow, Wednesday
September 1st, on the Olympic Circle in San Francisco Bay. Lighter, warmer
winds are forecast as the SF Bay falls under a high pressure system.
Event website: http://www.finngoldcup.com/
Daily reports: http://tinyurl.com/waterhound083110
Results: http://yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=342
LASER WORLDS
Hayling Island, England (August 31, 2010) - Across today’s two testing
qualifying heats at the Laser World Championships it was avoiding the early
high score discard that was top of the agenda for most sailors. But with big
differences in the strength of the modest sea-breeze on different sides of
the race course that was never going to be an easy goal to achieve. After
another picture postcard English summer’s day gentle SE’ly thermal breeze,
Croatia’s Luka Radelic stands at the top of the overall leaderboard, a
single point ahead of Kiwi duo Joshua Junior and Michael Bullot.
But rather than being content with his overall position, the Radelic’s mood
was decidedly sombre. His 42nd in the first heat today, discarded in favour
of his 2,2,1 to date had left himself with no latitude for further weighty
scores during the eight races four day qualifying phase. “I have that 42nd
place which is a big weight to carry, the discard already spent,” remarked
Radelic. “So I’m under real pressure I can’t make any more bad races until
the finals. It is certainly not as good as it looks!”
Positioned in fourth is World and Olympic champion Paul Goodison (GBR), who
managed to preserve a scoreline consisting entirely of single figures. He
found himself on the wrong side of the course, away from the best of the
wind pressure in his first heat today but battled back to a ninth, a useful
discard to have in reserve. “I just sort of got on the wrong side of a
couple of big things on the first race but I came back quite well to finish
in the top 10. I was in the 30’s, so I was happy with that.”
With four races now completed, the qualifying series continues through
September 2nd, with the final series from September 3-5. Full report:
http://tinyurl.com/2d2b5lx
AMATEUR INTERGALACTICS
Newport, RI (August 31, 2010) - The New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
U.S. Qualifying Series, where 24 preeminent yacht clubs in America will
compete, will be held in Newport, RI next week on September 7-11. The top
three U.S. teams from next week's event will join the top six teams from the
2009 Invitational Cup: New York, Royal Canadian, Japan Sailing Federation,
Nylandska Jaktklubben of Finland, Royal Cork of Ireland and Royal Bermuda,
plus at least 10 other international teams, September 10-17, 2011 at the
NYYC Invitational Cup presented by Rolex to be sailed in NYYC Swan 42s.
Among the competitors, who must be amateurs (Corinthian) sailors and members
of the yacht clubs they represent, is Bora Gulari, skipper of the entry from
Bayview Yacht Club, founded in 1915 in Detroit. Gulari is the 2009 Rolex
Yachtsman of the Year in America on the strength of his win in the Moth
World Championship in 2009. “This is a great honor to be invited to compete.
I’m very excited to race against other U.S. yacht clubs. This is like an
amateur championship in the States. I hope to do well, but this is not my
usual type of sailing," explained Gulari who sails a fast-singlehanded
hydrofoil-equipped dinghy. "I look forward to representing my club Bayview
and am going to give it an all-out effort."
The skipper for the team from Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, Mass. is
Bill Lynn, who is no stranger to the Sonar, the boat to be used in this
event (along with the J/22). Lynn is the 2007 Sonar World Champion and 2004
North American titleholder. Eastern Yacht Club was founded in 1870 and
fielded three successful defenders to the America’s Cup: Puritan, Mayflower
and Volunteer in 1885, 1886 and 1887, respectively.
The St. Francis Yacht Club Team from San Francisco is skippered by Russ Silvestri,
who sailed a Finn in the 2000 Olympics and competed in the 2009 NYYC Invitational
Cup for this same yacht club team, which finished seventh. The St. Francis
Yacht Club, founded in 1927, boasts a number of Olympic and America’s Cup
sailors. -- Read on: http://www.nyyc.org/home/article_856/
A HORSE FOR ALL THE COURSES
J/122s recently earned overall honors at Chicago-Mac and Doublehanded Mac,
plus division wins at Bayview-Mac, Rolex IRC Nationals and IRC Great Lakes.
More than just a race winner, the J/122 sports a comfortable cockpit and
beautiful cruising interior, making this J the most versatile and super-fun
40 footer you'll find. http://www.jboats.com/j122
SAILING SHORTS
* Ridgeway, ONT (August 31, 2010) - Morning conditions for the first day at
the Snipe Western Hemisphere & Orient Champs looked bleak for the 40 teams,
but a postponement allowed for 9-11 knot winds to develop for the completion
of two races. It’s tough at the top with only one point separating the top
three teams, with Alexandre Tinoco and Gabriel Borges of Brazil in first,
followed by multi-world Champ Augie Diaz and Kathleen Tocke crewing (USA) in
second and Raul Rios and Marcos Teixidor of Puerto Rico in third. Racing
continues daily and concludes September 3rd. -- Full report:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10462
* As San Francisco aims to capture the America’s Cup, a new face is taking
the helm of economic development in San Francisco. Mayor Gavin Newsom named
Jennifer Entine Matz as the head of the economic development department,
effective Sept. 30. Matz, 41, will replace Michael Cohen as director of the
Office of Economic and Workforce Development. -- SF Examiner, read on:
http://tinyurl.com/27dawj3
* The Farr 40 Class Association announced that the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World
Championship will take place February 23-26 in Sydney, Australia. The event
expects 12-14 local teams and 8-12 international entries. 2010 Rolex Farr 40
World Champion Nerone, owned by Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori
(Rome, ITA), are a confirmed entrant to defend their title. A Corinthian
Trophy will be presented to the best performing team with a maximum of two
professional sailors on board and a reduced number of new sails in the
calendar year. Serving as Principal Race Officer will be Peter “Luigi”
Reggio. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/2d7shkv
LETTERS AND FORUM: Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor
(aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’). Published letters must include writer's name and be
no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity).
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
CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
“I went to a massage parlor. It was self-service.” - Rodney Dangerfield
Special thanks to APS, JK3, and J/Boats.
Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
|
| |