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SCUTTLEBUTT 3034 - Tuesday, February 23, 2010Scuttlebutt 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.Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today’s sponsors: Team One Newport, Southern Spars, and North Sails. REVEALING THE VOLVO ROUTE The route for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race is now set and the first port of call will be Cape Town, South Africa, making its eighth appearance as a host. "We have received port bids from many different cities, each with their own cultures, specialities and challenges," said CEO Knut Frostad. "We have taken our time to evaluate carefully over 80 bids from ports around the world who wanted to host the event, before making our decisions. Leg one from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, a distance of 6,500 nautical miles, is one of the longest in the race and historically, the team that wins this leg has gone on to claim the overall trophy. In the 2008-09 race the eventual race winner Ericsson 4 took 21 days, 17 hours and 54 seconds to complete the passage. While the rest of the course is due to be officially revealed before the end of March, the Valencia Life Network published on Monday that Abu Dhabi is set to replace the Indian port of Kochi from the 2008-09 race. Said the publication, “It also appears that Qingdao is also out, but talks are underway to include Australia or New Zealand, with Miami now replacing Boston, and St Petersburg (Russia) being deleted in favour of Gothenburg (Sweden) as the final port. Several insiders expect it to read something like: Alicante/Cape Town; Cape Town/Abu Dhabi; Abu Dhabi/Australia or New Zealand; Australia or New Zealand/Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro/Miami; Miami/England; England/Gothenburg.” Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad notes that nearly 50 teams have shown interest in participating, with two now officially entered in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. Giovanni Soldini will lead an all-Italian on Italia 70, which has acquired and will compete aboard Ericsson 3, the second generation Volvo Open 70 which carried the Nordic team's hopes in the 2008-09 event. Also committed is offshore specialist Franck Cammas, having partnered with Argentinean Juan Kouyoumdjian, the designer of the winning boats in the last two editions of the race. While not formally committed, it is understood that two Spanish teams will participate under the leadership of Pedro Campos - one with a new build and one to use the reconfigured Telefonica Blue from 08/09 race. Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/ STUDY: WARMING TO BRING STRONGER HURRICANES Top researchers now agree that the world is likely to get stronger but fewer hurricanes in the future because of global warming, seeming to settle a scientific debate on the subject. But they say there's not enough evidence yet to tell whether that effect has already begun. Since just before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005, dueling scientific papers have clashed about whether global warming is worsening hurricanes and will do so in the future. The new study seems to split the difference. A special World Meteorological Organization panel of 10 experts in both hurricanes and climate change - including leading scientists from both sides - came up with a consensus, which is published online Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience. "We've really come a long way in the last two years about our knowledge of the hurricane and climate issue," said study co-author Chris Landsea, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration top hurricane researcher. The technical term for these storms are tropical cyclones; in the Atlantic they get called hurricanes, elsewhere typhoons. The study offers projections for tropical cyclones worldwide by the end of this century, and some experts said the bad news outweighs the good. Overall strength of storms as measured in wind speed would rise by 2 to 11 percent, but there would be between 6 and 34 percent fewer storms in number. Essentially, there would be fewer weak and moderate storms and more of the big damaging ones, which also are projected to be stronger due to warming. An 11 percent increase in wind speed translates to roughly a 60 percent increase in damage, said study co-author Kerry Emanuel, a professor of meteorology at MIT. The storms also would carry more rain, another indicator of damage, said lead author Tom Knutson, a research meteorologist at NOAA. -- San Diego U-T, read on: http://tinyurl.com/y8bzgjc THE DEVIL WEARS HENRI-LLOYD, MUSTO, GILL, PATAGONIA... And you thought the Devil wore PRADA!!! The devil (aka Mad Martha) tests and races in the greatest gear from Henri-Lloyd, Musto, Gill, Atlantis, Slam, Patagonia, Harken, Dubarry and lots more (lucky her!). You too can take advantage of Mad Martha and the team's testing and get the best sailing gear around. Visit http://www.team1newport.com or call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) and talk to an expert team member! We even created a special section for those lucky sailors racing in the Newport to Bermuda race! Check it out! W.I.S.S.A. - IT HAS BEEN 30 YEARS! By William Tuthill It is hard to believe that it has been thirty years already! From the humble beginnings of homemade windsurfing sleds sailing on snow and ice, to the multifaceted international organization - World Ice and Snow Sailing Association (WISSA) - that has evolved, it has been quite a journey. “Back in the Day” as it is said, the windsurfing rig powered “Open Class” was the only category - a mosaic of international ideas - on how to manage windsurfing on frozen water. It has always been a requirement that representatives from at least five countries compete - always ensuring diversity - but the changes brought about by wings and kites were an unexpected delight. Now it is common for kites to outnumber the other two classes combined. In retrospect, the more easily transported wings and kites came along just in time. The cost of traveling overseas with a full windsurfing kit plus a sled and winter clothing has indeed become very expensive. To compensate, WISSA friends are lending gear to visiting sailors from overseas who will be attending the 2010 World Championship at Saguenay Fjord in Quebec, Canada on February 26-March 7. The increased travel restrictions have cut into everyone - even those traveling with just skis and kites or wings - hence the policy that takes the championships across the Atlantic each year. The WISSA World Championship is the oldest continually run race in the history of windsurfing - a putative water sport. It is the only international racing venue for wings and all types of hand held sails, and until proven otherwise, the oldest international race for kites [comments are welcome about this]. Each year is different. The geomorphology of the Saguenay Fjord in Quebec, Canada is a unique place in North America for skiing kite in winter. The sliding surface is exceptional and the wind, amplified by the fjord, is present at almost any time. Every event also has the flavor of the local culture, and the pride of the host country is always evident. The experience of participating in a WISSA event is hard to describe. It is the Olympics of ice and snow sailing. Information links: http://www.wissa.org http://www.kitewing.com http://paraskiflex.homestead.com http://www.conceptair.com http://www.snowfer.com/specs http://www.windski.com SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA In the previous 159 years of the America’s Cup, only six venues have hosted the prestigious sailing event. What are they? (Answer below) FOR THE RECORD (Day 23 - February 22, 2010; 17:23 UTC) - By passing Cape Leeuwin this Monday morning, Franck Cammas and his nine crew on Groupama 3 has achieved the best reference time over this section of the course, which spans around 4,000 miles from Cape Agulhas of the tip of South Afrida. It's been a very fast crossing over the past four days since Franck Cammas and his men have covered 2,893 miles at an average of 30.13 knots. The giant trimaran is just two days from the midway mark now, and have gotten onto the same longitude as Orange 2 in 2005. Groupama 3’s deficit now is only as a result of her trajectory being further North, but this separation could fade to nothing at the entry to the Pacific as Bruno Peyron and his crew had to climb up to 50° South at that point. Entry into the Pacific is scheduled over the course of Tuesday night or the early hours of Wednesday. Following on from that, they will have to choose the best way to tackle the two lows, which are set to fuse together offshore of New Zealand. "A low has settled over our course after Tasmania and we have two options,” explained helmsman said Lionel Lemonchois. “Either we can skirt round New Zealand, or we can go a lot further South. Our navigator Stan Honey is fairly optimistic: he thinks we'll be able to get ahead of a front again and do approximately the same thing as we did in the Indian Ocean, which is good news!" Repositioning themselves further South could prove to be a favourable option as each degree of latitude gained will reduce the distance towards Cape Horn by around a hundred miles! -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/yczj5m8 Current position as of February 22, 2010 (22:00:00 UTC): Ahead/behind record: -85.3 nm Speed (avg) over past 24 hours: 31.0 knots Distance over past 24 hours: 744.3 nm Distance to go: 13,166 nm Data: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne/positions.asp?lg=en Map: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne/index.asp?lg=en * After their start on January 31, 2010, Franck Cammas and his nine crew on Groupama 3 must cross finish line off Ushant, France before March 23rd (06:14:57 UTC) to establish a new time for the Jules Verne Trophy (21,760 nm) for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions. Current record holder is Bruno Peyron and crew, who in 2005 sailed Orange 2 to a time of 50 days, 16 hours, and 20 minutes at an average of 17.89 knots. 1, 2 IN 18 FOOT SKIFF CHAMPS Once again it is all in the detail. For the third year running Southern Spars rigs have dominated the premier 18 foot skiff JJ Giltinan Championship, held in Sydney last week. Congratulations to the Gotta Love It 7 trio who lead the final race to take the championship by four points over another Southern powered team, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers. Project Racing used a #2 Southern Spars rig to take third place. To find out more about what goes into designing and creating world class rigs visit: http://www.southernspars.com * Photo gallery: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/jj SAILOR BLAZED TRAIL FOR WOMEN When JJ Fetter started sailing 40 years ago, she had no idea she would become a pioneer in the sport. But it didn’t take her long to discover that boys and girls - and men and women - were viewed differently in sailing. “The junior regattas were open to everyone, but there was a winner’s trophy and a ‘first girls’ trophy,” she recalled recently. “I always wanted just to be first and hand that other trophy off as ‘the first boy trophy.’ ” Although she was recruited by several other colleges, Fetter selected Yale because the school promised her a chance to sail on the varsity team and “just not pursue trophies in women’s events.”As a senior, Fetter became only the third female sailor in the history of intercollegiate sailing to win All-America honors. “But at the time, I thought that was going to be as far as I was going to go in sailing,” Fetter said. “There just weren’t very many opportunities for women.” That began to change with the 1984 Olympics, which were sailed off Long Beach. Not only had Cathy Foster won the British 470 trials, she won a race in the Olympics and finished 10th in the final standings. After the 1984 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee decided to add a 470 class for women to the sailing lineup for the 1988 games. Fetter sailed on to win two Olympic medals, four world championships, compete against men in match-racing events around the world and serve as tactician and starting helmsman during much of the 1995 America’s Cup campaign on the all-female crew of the Bill Koch-backed Mighty Mary. Over the past two decades, Fetter, who sailed most of her international career under her married name, Isler, was named the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year four times. Monday night, Fetter was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame - along with major league pitcher David Wells and Olympic gold medalist diver Greg Louganis - during the annual San Diego Awards dinner at the Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yaxeca6 SAILING SHORTS * Globally successful yacht designer Mark Mills is the Afloat.ie/Irish Independent “Sailor of the Year 2009” after a year of exceptional achievements which built on his original accolade as Sailor of the Month a year ago. -- Details: http://www.afloat.ie/news/mark-mills-is-sailor-of-the-year/ * Clear blue skies and crystal clear oceans typify the Caribbean and the 24 competitors in the RORC Caribbean 600 were treated to some superb champagne sailing conditions, as they started the only offshore race in these waters. There wasn’t a foul weather jacket in sight as the fleet sailed upwind into a warm easterly breeze of 12-15 knots at the start of the 605 mile race that will take them around 14 Caribbean islands, in what is regarded as probably the best sailor’s play ground in the world. -- Event website: http://caribbean600.rorc.org/ * Annapolis Yacht Club announced the re-launch of the Intercollegiate Sailing Alumni 'All-American Regatta' on May 15-16, which was last hosted in 2000 by Washington College of Chestertown, Maryland. In an effort to combine great competition with camaraderie, this event will be sailed in two divisions: J22's or AYC's C420's. All past ICYRA/ICSA All-Americans, whether Crew, Skipper or Honorable Mention are welcome to enter in either division. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9272 * The Sailing Company presented its annual "State of the Sailing Industry Report" during the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail and it was peppered with phrases such a "survival mode," "Darwinian gale," and "indulgence is no longer affordable." Rick Walter, of MarketResearch Associates, delivered a sober assessment of the sailing industry, but one that promised "brighter skies" in 2010. -- Soundings, read on: http://tinyurl.com/ya4axtv * Quebec boat builders PS2000 and 49er.ca have announced they will be sponsoring a new 29er sailing team. The team will be based out of Montreal’s Pointe Claire Yacht Club, located on Lake St Louis. Numbers are not known yet, but it is expected that half a dozen boats will qualify for the team. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9273 TRIVIA ANSWER In the previous 159 years of the America’s Cup, only six venues have hosted the prestigious sailing event: New York; Newport, R.I.; Fremantle, Australia; San Diego, CA; Auckland, New Zealand; and Valencia, Spain. -- http://tinyurl.com/ydf5dnf WILL 2010 BE A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR YOU ON THE RACE COURSE? For our customers, it already has been! Sailors using North sails have scored fantastic victories to start 2010 - Star Worlds; Miami OCR (470 W, Finn, 2.4mr, Sonar); J/24 MidWinters; Etchells Sid Doren... and growing. Whether your goal is to win your Club Championship or your Class’ World Championship, North Sails can help: http://www.OneDesign.com 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 * From Michael Scott: I hope that you guys in the media continue to follow up with the MNA and ISAF on what they intend to do about the race committee situation at the America’s Cup. If it is found that those race committee members tried to manipulate the outcome of the race or were in communication with a competitor regarding manipulation of the start time then they should be either suspended or even banned from the sport. The FIA recently banned Flavio Briatore for life for what I would see as a similar incident in illegally manipulating the outcome for an F1 race. * From Stephen A Van Dyck (an old AC guy from the days of wooden boats) Congratulations indeed to the entire BW Oracle team for bringing the Americas Cup back to the US. It represents a significant technological achievement; have you ever seen anything remotely like it? It likewise represents an impressive organizational achievement, both technical and people. And to see the final race turn on a sailors critical layline call by BMW Oracle was awesome. But to my way of thinking the most important achievement was BMW Oracle prevailing against an attempt to high jack the cup and turn it into an Alinghi fiefdom. The (almost) endless legal battles and fruitless negotiations were frustrating for observers, but for the Ellison/Coutts led team they must have been gruesome. Leaving aside the money, those kind of legal wars take a huge toll on ones psyche and truly test what one really believes in. I was one who fervently hoped that BMW Oracle would not settle for some halfway house and compromise the Cup forever. I believed at the time of the raging dispute that BMW Oracle seriously wanted to create the platform for a truly fair and spectacular competition. I believed that they wanted to restore the luster to the Cup that it deserves. I was not to be disappointed. Mr. Ellison said at the post race press conference that his intent was to create the kind of fair competition that the larger sailing world wants to see. And all his actions since have confirmed that intent. Congratulations to Larry Ellison and the BMW Oracle team for having the courage of their convictions, fortitude, determination and wisdom to see it through. You have set a good example for all those who aspire to do what is right, but hard. * From Tom Montoya: I am sure I am not the only one to agree with Mr Davant's opinion (in Scuttlebutt 3033) about sailing the AC34 on SF Bay. It would be a great theater! Great for the region! I have sailed the Bay for many years and loved when any AC version boats sailed the Bay with the back drop of the Golden Gate Bridge. I would like to suggest spreading the wealth to AC camps in San Francisco, Alameda, Richmond, Marin, Berkeley, etc. Give the region a tremendous shot in the arm on the way to economic recovery. You know, Alameda has a bunch of docks and hangers (boat lifting at Nelson's Marine) at the closed Naval Air Station that could be converted. Probably get the space pretty inexpensively. * From Bruce Munro: As one who has sailed and raced on San Francisco Bay for 40 plus years, I completely disagree with Dick Enerson's assessment (in Scuttlebutt 3031) that racing the America's Cup on San Francisco Bay is not possible. The Louis Vuitton Cup could be sailed in the South Bay between the Bay Bridge and Candlestick Point where the 49ers play football. There is lots of room, steady winds (10 - 20 kts typical in the summer) and very little ship traffic. The match itself could be be sailed in the main bay between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Ship traffic could be controlled for the limited number of races during the match. The main bay provides a fantastic back drop and is ideal for TV. Winds are very steady and typically in the 15-25 kt. range during the summer months. There are numerous possible locations for the team compounds along the San Francisco waterfront, at Treasure Island and even at the old Naval Air Station in Alameda. There is a deep water port there where the Navy used to park aircraft carriers. As far as San Francisco government is concerned, they recently made an unsuccessful bid for the Olympic Games. The America's Cup is not the Olympic Games, but it probably is the closest thing to a major international event that San Francisco can reasonably expect to host. Our municipal government sometimes acts in strange ways, but they would be foolish to pass on this opportunity. I believe they would support it and I am glad to see that Larry Ellison is talking to our Mayor CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young. Special thanks to Team One Newport, Southern Spars, and North Sails. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
