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SCUTTLEBUTT 2835 - Friday, May 1, 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Team One Newport and New England Ropes. ATTENDING THE SCHOOL OF RUSSELL Among the highly professional European race circuits is the RC 44 class tour, now in its third season. The RC 44 is a light displacement high performance one design boat designed by three-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts, together with naval architect Andrej Justin. On the international sailing e-Magazine ‘A BRUSH WITH SAIL’, Justin described what it was like to work with Russell on the project: “A guy that knew both Russell and I, told me approximately 5 years ago that RC wanted to design/build a new OD 40 footer and asked me if I would be interested to participate in the project. You can imagine what my answer to the “lifetime opportunity” was, so he gave me some design parameters and asked me to prepare a preliminary to discuss it with Russell in approximately three months time. “As I didn’t have any specific input, I was quite conservative and the preliminary was for an up to date F40. I spent a lot of time working on a presentation with a lot of nice pictures of the 3D model in all possible perspectives from inside and outside. “We then travelled to the Milano Malpensa airport to meet RC between two flights. I was quite nervous at the beginning, but when RC didn’t show practically any interest in the coloured pictures, I started to get very nervous. At the end I unrolled a sheet of mylar with the boat hull lines in upright and heeled condition with a spreadsheet of hydrostatic data and performance parameters printed on the side. Well, just then RC showed some interest. “He asked me what do I think about the hull shape, so I started with the volume distribution, balance of lines and areas, performance parameters etc. etc. At the end RC said, I want my boat to be – this and this - and gave me the basic “no compromise” RC44 design parameters. “So we started to develop the boat. First we did a lot of CFD and VPP to get the basics right (very interesting part) and then continued with the deck layout, FEA, propulsion and, extremely important, the transport system (the boat can be packed on a 40" container for road transport or shipping). “Working with Russell on a racing boat project can be compared to mastering a Phd. in engineering in one year! With his engineering background and a huge data bank on top racing boats, he is definitely the best possible design input and decision maker.” -- Complete interview (Page 11): http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0430 FROM TEAM RACING TO THE J/24 WORLDS Pete Levesque and his Silver Panda team has won the past two team racing world championships, so when past J/24 world champ Chris Larson said in Scuttlebutt that he considered Pete as one of the sleepers to win next week’s J/24 Worlds in Annapolis (May 4-8), we checked in with Pete for an update: * When did you get the idea to do the Worlds, and what has been the path since then? PETE LEVESQUE: “The desire to compete at the J/24 Worlds started when Caroline (wife) and I moved to Rhode Island, (Tiverton) in March 2008 and began working at Hall Spars. The local Newport J/24 fleet is very active and strong so we thought that if we could compete locally then we would probably be competitive at any J/24 regatta. We've been in the boat for almost a year and so far that has proved to be the case. The path to the worlds has been a calendar full of events. Nationals, Newport Regatta, Noroton, Mid-winters, East Coasts, Annapolis NOOD and every summertime Thursday night in Newport. It's been a great experience and I can understand why this boat is still popular after 30+ years. * You nearly won the Annapolis NOOD, widely used as the final tune-up event for the J/24 Worlds. What did you learn from that event that will help you in the Worlds? LEVESQUE: “At the NOOD we were able to verify the results of the work we put in this winter. We wanted to make sure we were fast, that we had picked the correct genoa for ourselves and that our rig was doing what we had expected. But, most of all we wanted to know what else we needed to work on to get better. As we cross things off of the J/24 boat-specific learning curve list, we find that we need to improve ourselves the most. * Do you find your team racing experience to be an asset on the course? -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0430a PUMA RACING TEAM IS HOME…. Congrats to Kenny and the PUMA team for all of their endeavors and achievements. And welcome home! Get in the Puma spirit with great Puma gear from Team One Newport. Visit http://www.team1newport.com and click on Puma Ocean Racing gear at the top (because they are #1) and see the latest Volvo Ocean Race products and Puma gear. You may also call Team One Newport at 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327). Be sure to look at the latest and greatest sailing gear in the other departments! GO PUMA!! HAS DELTA LLOYD TURNED THE CORNER? (Apr. 20, 2009) For a team that was born just weeks before the start of the race in October, it's not surprising that Delta Lloyd suffered some teething pains in the first half of the race. But arriving in Boston, the renewed team was on top of the world. "I am extremely happy with where we are," said Roberto Bermudez. "This is a very good team." A quick look at Delta Lloyd's position on the leaderboard might make that comment seem a little bizarre. The figures say Bermudez's team have 21 points, a tally superior only to that of the inactive Team Russia crew. They also tell of an eight-point margin separating Delta Lloyd from sixth place, a situation not helped by their failure to manage better than sixth in an offshore leg. In fact, they have been seventh or eighth (when there are eight boats racing) seven times, failed to finish a leg once, and been unable to race at four other scoring stations. In other words, that leaves just four occasions where they have ranked sixth or higher. All very predictable for the last team to enter. Not to mention the only campaign using a second generation boat. But the words on the dock after leg six were more important when assessing the current status of this particular campaign. "I must say Delta Lloyd sailed very, very well," said Telefonica Black navigator Roger Nilson, whose team snatched fifth from Bermudez. "There were situations where she was faster than we were." Ericsson 4's Torben Grael added: "Delta Lloyd sailed a fantastic leg." How did we get here? The answer seems to be on a container ship. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/dlkn7j * VOLVO OCEAN RACE: Began Oct. 4, 2008, crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. The next event is the Boston In-Port race on May 9th, followed by the 2,550 nm transatlantic Leg 7 from Boston to Galway, Ireland that starts May 16th and is expected to finish by May 23rd. Seven of the eight teams are expected to compete (Team Russia will not compete). Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 THE BILGE WAS MY BABYSITTER How many people had their first sailing experiences in the bilge of a boat? Your parents thought it would be neat to bring you sailing at a young age, but pretty soon you were down below by the bilge, leaving you to wonder why they hadn’t just left you at home. Do you have a memory like this (and have worked through therapy)? Everyone that submits their “The Bilge Was My Babysitter” story is entered in a raffle sponsored by McLube and could win some of their Hullkote speed polish. Raffle to occur May 4, 2009 at 9am PT. Post your story here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7361#7361 OLYMPIC RANKINGS 101 The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) now has two ranking lists for Olympic athletes, both of which were updated this week. Here is an explanation: * ISAF World Sailing Rankings: A complex formula that allows each competitor to count his or her best seven results over the previous two years, accumulating event points based on various factors. Permitted events generally include Olympic, World, Continental, and National championships, along with selected top Olympic Classes events. A high ranking is helped by having two solid years of good results. Here are the latest rankings: http://www.sailing.org/25633.php * ISAF Sailing World Cup: New this year is the ISAF Sailing World Cup, a seven event series of top Olympic Classes events (one in Australia, one in the U.S., and five in Europe). In each event, the 20 highest ranked boats in each class receive weighted points. Attending all events, and doing well in them, is key. Here are the latest rankings: http://www.sailing.org/worldcupstandings.php Among the North Americans currently ranked high in both standings are: Laser Radial - Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), 1st in both 470 Men - Stu McNay/Graham Biehl (USA) - Sailing (4th), World Cup (1st). Both rankings will be updated on 3 June 2009 following the Delta Lloyd Regatta, event five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, on May 27-31 in Medemblik, NED. TEAM NEW ENGLAND ROPES AT J24 WORLDS Chris Larson and his team will be partnering with New England Ropes at the 2009 J24 World Championships in Annapolis, Maryland. New England Ropes, the leading marine performance cordage manufacturer in North America, will have a broad selection of products in action for the upcoming event. Endura Braid, V100, Salsa and our complete dinghy range will give Larson's team an edge on sail control and performance. For more information, on our wide selection of racing products, visit our website: http://www.neropes.com - Others make rope. We make rope perform. COMPLETE FOCUS ON MULTIHULL TRAINING * Alinghi, 33rd America's Cup Defender, has started its 2009-2010 multihull campaign in Switzerland launching the two Décision 35 catamarans that will be used as training platforms towards a multihull America's Cup in May 2010. The sailing team will be dedicated to multihull training, racing the Challenge Julius Baer on Lake Geneva for the rest of the season and withdrawing from other monohull commitments. -- Read on: http://www.alinghi.com/en/news/news/index.php?idIndex=200&idContent=19382 * Alinghi has cancelled their commitment to compete in the 2009 World Match Racing Tour. Said Alinghi press officer Daphne Morgan Barnicoat,"The WMRT (World Match Racing Tour) is the most competitive match racing event in the world and provides excellent training for a conventional America's Cup in monohulls. As we have been forced to an America's Cup Match in multihulls, our focus must be on training and racing these. So yes we have withdrawn from our monohull commitments this summer." -- SailRaceWin, read on: http://tinyurl.com/ddvv3c SAILING SHORTS * The World Sailing Speed Record Council announced the ratification of a new World C Class Record, which is for craft carrying between 234-298 sq ft of sail (22-28 mtr sq). Setting the new 500 meter speed record of 50.07 knots was Simon McKeon aboard Macquarie Innovation at Sandy Point (AUS) on March 26, 2009. The previous record of 48.14 knots was set in 2008 by the same team. -- http://www.sailspeedrecords.com * A special Rhode Island Screening of Walt Disney Pictures Movie "Morning Light" will be on Sunday, May 3rd at 4:00 p.m. in the new CBLS building on the University of Rhode Island's Kingston campus. There will also be a special opportunity to meet local cast members and URI sailors Jesse Fielding and Robbie Kane following the movie. All proceeds from the event will benefit the URI Sailing Team and its efforts to secure funding to compete in the 2009 World Collegiate Championship in Marseille, France from October 24-31, 2009. For further information, please contact Sharon Pavignano in the URI Foundation at 401-874-5124 or spavignano@foundation.uri.edu * Pewaukee, WI, (Apr. 30, 2009) - Harken announced a reorganization of its Global and U.S. sales team to better serve its market. This reorganization sees three internal promotions and one staff reduction. Promoted into new roles are Mark Wiss (Global Sales Manager), Jim Andersen (U.S. Sales Manager), and Charlotte Taylor (U.S. Aftermarket Leader). As part of this reorganization, Tim Kent, former U.S. Sales Manager, is leaving Harken. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/dhxe6l * Twelve owners of IRC-rated boats have formed a new group called Sound IRC. The group is seeking to improve both the quality of IRC racing on Long Island Sound and also to increase participation. Rich DuMoulin, Chairman of the National Owners Association, said "IRC is founded on the principle that it is an owners rule administered by professionals. With Sound IRC we are taking this to the local level where owners directly work with yacht clubs and race committees to make the racing more fun and attract more competitors." -- Read on: http://www.us-irc.org/newsfull.cfm?ID=166 * Free live internet broadcast of the 36-team Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) National Eastern and Western Semifinals regatta this weekend, May 2-3 will be provided by SailGroove. Each Semi-Final event will be sailed in FJs, with the top nine from the West and the top nine from the East to advance to the ICSA/Gill National Coed Dinghy Championship at St. Francis YC/Stanford on June 1-3. Event details: http://www.collegesailing.org/neisa/semis09 * West Marine today reported sales of US$101.0m for its quarter ended April 4, 2009, a drop of 10.9 per cent compared to the same period a year ago. It also reported a net loss of US$14.8m compared to a net loss of US$17.6m a year ago. Same store sales dropped by 6.8 per cent. The company said in a statement that this represents the best first-quarter "pre-tax" results since 2005. -- IBI Magazine, read on: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20090330153132ibinews.html * US SAILING and the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) have partnered to develop a program that provides college sailors with an opportunity to become US SAILING members at a special discount rate. -- Read on: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2009/College%20Pass.asp * One of the UK's leading superyacht designers has had to have his foot amputated after it was crushed by a hydraulic winch during a yacht race in Slovenia. Jonathan Rhoades of the Rhoades Young Design Group was a guest on board a 70ft sailing yacht taking part in the Shipman Regatta last weekend when the accident happened. -- Read on: http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20090330170409syw.html PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include an old school Swan, a demolished schooner, a big mast in transit, the Boston skyline welcoming the Ericsson 4, carbon booms with a faux wood finish, Olympic racing, and a sequence of images from the construction of a Rogers 82 at Goetz Custom Technologies. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0501 * Photographer Carlo Borlenghi shares some of his beautiful work, this time from Santa Margherita, Italy where he is shooting an International Maxi Association event. Very grand! - http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0501a VIDEO OF THE WEEK On Thursday, April 30, 2009, the Volvo Ocean Race and the PUMA team earned some U.S. television network time when they were hosted by the Today Show. In studio with Today Show hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford was skipper Ken Read along with Jerry Kirby, Casey Smith, and Shannon Falcone. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/09/0501 * The April update from Sailing TV includes the Bacardi Cup, the Rolex Women’s Match Race, Snipe Don Q, etc. - http://www.sailing-tv.tv/sailingtvapril09.html 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 Leslie Valmadre, Western Australia: I suppose the Deed of Gift that SNG are now so rightously prepared to defend against the evil machinations of the GGYC is the one they resurrected from the dusty bottom of their waste bin after the NY Court determined it was in fact the only deed that counted. I am also certain that the SNG management and particularly Brad Butterworth and their PR advisers are all graduates of the same school of public relations as the late Iraqi Minister for Propaganda who was last seen declaring Iraqi victory to be imminent while clevely dodging the incoming mortar rounds. Wake up SNG you will have to abide by the rules or forfeit the Cup. Frankly I am hoping for the latter result as sailing is a sport for sportsmen and sportswomen not for those who wish to manipulate the rules to suit their own purposes. * From Justin Scott, Royal Thames Yacht Club Member and Viper 640 Class Prez: I have never taken sides in the complex dispute between GGYC/BMW Oracle and SNG/Allinghi, but this news item in BYM News has pushed me over the edge. After the court victory, GGYC offered a choice between a Deed of Gift challenge in two multihulls or the opportunity to go back to a conventional multi-challenger regatta in AC monohulls. That seemed fairly magnanimous in victory to me. Then SNG has come back with this absurd suggestion of a multi-challenger regatta in multihulls. For goodness sake, Brad and Ernesto, if you want to keep pissing around, please go to the leeward side! * From Ed Botterell: (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 2834) Thank God for the Smithies of this world. That was the most essential and heartwarming story ever to find its way into 'butt. If there is anyone out there who went through the URL without crying a bit, I suggest you line up a good psychiatrist. I don't need the Doctor; and I'll wager Corey doesn't, either. -- Photos: http://tinyurl.com/clhk2v CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.” - Albert Einstein Special thanks to Team One Newport and New England Ropes. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
