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SCUTTLEBUTT 2501 – December 21, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, featuresand dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. DECIDING WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT by Paul Henderson, ISAF President 1994-2004 Because I am a dinghy sailor, I was never really involved in the America's Cup until Luca Devoti asked me to represent +39 on the Valencia 2007 Challenger's Commission. The CC was a very constructive and concerned group. It was a great experience. The racing was first class - especially the Race Committee - and exciting right up to the finish of the last race. ISAF Rules and Officials stood up to the "test of the best". Bruno Trouble and Louis Vuitton ran a wonderful series and on-shore hospitality. Valencia provided a superb facility. Above all, there were gathered many of the finest sailors in the world, with a supporting cast representing the best of the yachting industry. Sailing finally had an event that approached the icons of the sporting calendar, the pinnacles of which are Wimbledon, The Masters, and Monaco F1. The America's Cup is the one sailing event that non-sailors gravitate to, as it is a "happening". They do not understand or care about whether starboard has right of way over port, or a boat goes 12 knots or 12.3 knots, or that a rope is called a halyard. Very simply, they like the aura of the America's Cup. From that exalted pinnacle, the event has cascaded downwards into a pissing contest, leading opposing camps into court battles. The losers are the sport, but more importantly, the sailors who these combatants say they represent. Ernesto, Larry, Brad, Russell, Tom, Hamish and all the rest… please follow the Buddy Melges adage about sailors: "The difference between the good sailors and the bad sailors is that the good sailors can get his head out of his own boat and see the total race course." Although life is never as simple as I perceive it to be, there is a solution. Valencia is available. The 2007 Protocol worked just fine. The boats are waiting and are elegant yachts. Bring back Bruno Trouble and Louis Vuitton. Dyer, Luigi, and their team are still able to deliver the integrity of the event. If you need a Challenger of Record, bring back the New York Yacht Club. Schedule the America's Cup for 2009 using the same exact format, equipment, venue as was so successful for 2007. Do not destroy, as you are doing, what was so wonderful in 2007. Your only responsibility is to the sport of Sailing and to the Sailors… accept that challenge and no other. -- Paul Henderson => Curmudgeon’s Comment: There is no event in the sport of sailing that creates a reaction within the Scuttlebutt community like the America’s Cup. Love it or hate it, we have heard from all sides. The Scuttlebutt editors have received far more letters on the event than we could ever publish, but we love receiving them, and apologize that we cannot share more of them. RADIO-CONTROLLED IDIOTS I should have seen it coming. In fact, I did see it coming but I wasn’t prescient enough to understand it. It was only about a decade ago when electronics manufacturers figured out that the newfangled GPS satellite navigation systems could be linked to autopilots, allowing skippers to program highly accurate waypoints before a voyage and have the boat sail automatically to those points. We were sitting around a lunch table when one of the more fertile minds posited that it would be possible to move a boat from harbor to harbor using this method, but without anyone actually on board. The discussion had arisen because I was about to take my boat from Southern California to San Francisco Bay, and for those of you who don’t know that stretch of barren coastline, it can be a nasty trip into lots of wind and sea. His suggestion was that we could use some basic radio-control equipment from a model airplane to start and stop the engine, and then turn the boat over to the GPS/autopilot brain. We would take my boat out of the harbor, get off in a dinghy, and using the radio control for the engine, send the boat on its way. A couple of days later we would take a boat to the Golden Gate for the rendezvous and stop my boat by radio control for reboarding. I’d have moved the yacht with none of the usual agony. It was an intriguing thought, but wiser heads said something like “Are you out of your friggin’ minds?” -- by Chris Caswell, Sailing Magazine, read on: http://www.sailingmagazine.net/onthewind_1107.html PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include Ben Ainslie back in the winning Finn form, the launch of a new club in Antigua, Santa arriving to San Francisco, a 47-foot Coast Guard boat getting rolled in the surf, and assorted holiday greetings. 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/07/1221 WINTERIZING THE BOAT With the winter season now in full swing, boat owners in areas that get real winters (California and Florida don’t count) have hopefully taken all the steps to guarantee that their boat will survive the freezing temperatures. But if you’re not sure, it might not be too late to review a list of the six most common mistakes made when winterizing, as provided by BoatU.S. Marine Insurance from a review of their past claim files: 1. Failure to winterize the engine: Freezing temperatures occur in all 50 states and while they are taken seriously up north, it’s the balmy states of California, Florida, Texas, Alabama and Georgia where boaters are most likely to have freeze-related damage to engine blocks. It routinely occurs to boats stored ashore here. Boats left in a slip are less susceptible to sudden freezing as the surrounding water retains heat longer than air. 2. Failure to drain water from sea strainer: If your winterizing plan calls for draining the engine, the seawater strainer must be winterized or residual water could freeze and rupture the watertight seal. Sometimes you won’t know it’s damaged until spring launching and water begins to trickle in. 3. Failure to close seacocks: For boats left in the water, leaving seacocks open over the winter is like going on extended vacation without locking the house. If a thru-hull cannot be closed the vessel must be stored ashore - the sole exception are cockpit drains. Heavy snow loads can also force your boat under, allowing water to enter thru-hulls normally well above the water line. 4. Clogged petcocks: Engine cooling system petcocks clogged by rust or other debris can prevent water from fully draining. If one is plugged, try using a coat hanger to clear the blockage or use the engine’s intake hose to flush anti-freeze through the system. 5. Leaving open boats in the water over winter: Boats with large open cockpits or low freeboard can easily be pushed underwater by the weight of accumulated ice and snow. Always store them ashore. 6. Using bimini covers as winter storage covers: A cover that protects the crew from the sun does a lousy job protecting the boat from freezing rain and snow. Unlike a bonafide winter cover, biminis tend to rip apart and age prematurely by the effects of winter weather. -- http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/winter/default.asp BARCELONA WORLD RACE Open 60 doublehanded round the world race (started Nov 11; 25,000-miles) (Day 40 - December 20, 2007) After seeing their significant lead diminished to just 12 miles over the past three days, race leaders Paprec-Virbac 2 have stretched the margin by 58 miles over Hugo Boss in the past 24 hours. Comments P-V 2 skipper Jean-Pierre Dick, “There is a lot of wind today, at times over 40 knots. It’s stressful, because the waves are big and the water crashing over the deck is freezing, making it a challenge to maneuver and change sails.” For Temenos II, conditions over the past 24 hours are helping them nurse their wounded keel towards New Zealand. With the swells lengthening, it has limited the amount of boat slamming that might damage the keel. They plan to stop in New Zealand to determine the cause of the growing rust spots in their keel, which they fear to be broken welds within the structure. -- http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com Positions at 18:00 GMT - Distance to leader (+gain/-loss since previous day) 1-Paprec-Virbac 2, Jean-Pierre Dick/ Damian Foxall, 13,194 nm DTF (+429) 2-Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson/ Andrew Cape, 84 nm DTL (-58) 3-Temenos II, Dominique Wavre/ Michéle Paret, 1446 (-93) 4-Mutua Madrilena, Javier Sanso Windmann/ Pachi Rivero, 1938 (-63) 5-Educación sin Fronteras, Servane Escoffier/ Albert Bargues, 2862 (-217) Retired - PRB, Vincent Riou / Sébastien Josse (broken mast) Retired -Delta Dore, Jérémie Beyou/ Sidney Gavignet (broken mast) Retired - Estrella Damm, Guillermo Altadill/ Jonathan McKee, (rudder damage) Retired - Veolia Environnement, Roland Jourdain/ Jean-Luc Nélias (broken mast) * (Day 27 - December 20, 2007 - 16:48 UTC) Francis Joyon and his maxi-trimaran IDEC now have 10,537 nm remaining in their attempt to set a new solo round the world record. In the past 24-hours, they posted an average speed of 18.9 knots and a distance covered of 453.3 nm, and post an advance of 2818 nm over the record set by Ellen MacArthur in 2005. -- http://www.trimaran-idec.com * (Day 3 - December 20, 2007 - 19:00 TU) In his solo round the world record attempt, Thomas Coville and the maxi-trimaran Sodeb'O will be challenged to avoid comparisons to the similar attempt that is currently in progress with Francis Joyon. So far so good for Coville, as the latest 24 hour data has his average speed at 21.57 knots and 517.7 nm distance covered. Now past the Canary Islands, Coville estimates his advance to be 11 hours in front of current record holder Ellen MacArthur. -- http://www.sodebo-voile.com/actu/news-eng.html CONVERTING A TP52 FOR OFFSHORE RACING For the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart race, Syd Fischer, aged 80, will be onboard his TP52, the tenth ocean racer bearing his trademark Ragamuffin name. Originally owned by Philippe Khan and called Pegasus, Roy Disney bought the Farr design and used it for his Morning Light project, which gathered a crew of 15 young sailors and filmed their preparation and participation during the Transpac Race this past summer. Fischer has beefed her up for the Rolex Sydney Hobart race, replacing the Transpac keel with a heavier one designed by Farr, to increase upwind stability, reinforcing the internal structure to carry the heavier keel and adding another ring frame between the mast and the bow. He has also fitted a bowsprit in place of the spinnaker pole and replaced the mainsail, which originally had only one reef, with a new one with three reefs to handle the almost inevitable southerly blow on the way to Hobart. The greater downwind speed of the TP52 has had Fischer and his crew reviewing their downwind sailing angles in the VMG trade-off between running deeper close to course or higher and faster but over more distance. "If you are not planing, you are going too slow," says crewman Tony Ellis who has sailed 40 Hobart races, most of them with Fischer. "It's certainly a lot of fun to sail." The CYCA in its annual Ocean Racer of the Year Awards named Fischer, Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year. This will be his 39th Hobart race, joining 81 other entrants for the 628-mile event starting December 26, 2007. -- http://rolexsydneyhobart.com SAILING SHORTS * Durban, South Africa (December 20, 2007) -- South Africa’s America’s Cup Shosholoza team skipper, Mark Sadler, continued to set the standard at the Eikos J22 World Championships, making the most of the 20 knot winds that greeted the fleet of 35 boats in the forenoon. But rising wind and sea conditions once again forced the race management committee to postpone the event after only two races had been completed, bringing the total of races sailed to six with Friday being the final day of the regatta. Sadler leads Jeroen den Boer (NED) by nine points. -- http://www.j22.co.za/index.php * The Southern California Yachting Association has scheduled its 19th annual Women's Sailing Convention for Feb. 2 at Del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey. The event is open to all women interested in sailing, from beginners and novices to veteran racers. -- The Log, full story: http://www.thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=231554 * The Superyacht Cup has announced a new joint venture with The Phuket Invitational Superyacht Rendezvous, Thailand. The Superyacht Cup has been organizing these specialized events for yachts 26 meters and above for 12 years, with the forthcoming 2008 scheduling including the Transatlantic Challenge starting in Antigua in April, the Palma event in June, the Antigua event in December, and now the Phuket Invitational in December. -- http://www.thesuperyachtcup.com * La Romana, Dominican Republic -- The Casa de Campo Yacht Club and Marina, one of the Caribbean’s most luxurious resorts in the Dominican Republic, has announced the 2008 Casa de Campo Regatta - Presidente Cup from February 13-17, 2008. The Regatta is open to IRC, PHRF, CYA and one design monohull boats from 24-100 feet. Classes will be determined by the number of entries. There will also be a new super yacht division for yachts over 100 feet. Free for all competitors of the regatta January 21-February 22, 2008. The Presidente Cup is part of the IRC’s Gulf Stream Series. Details at http://www.casadecamporegatta.com/copapresidente2008/ 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 Mike Esposito – Congratulations on reaching issue 2,500! I remember a long way back when an L.A.-area friend suggested I subscribe to this little e-newsletter that had a lot of fun sailing info. It even had some fun dock stories about people I didn’t know, but sailing is such that, no matter where someone lives, you could get the joke. Sometimes I miss those anecdotes, especially during the America’s Cup court season. It’s a little chilly here in Chicago, so I haven’t been around the docks to see anything worth sharing. So, if any of you folks prepping for the Jaguar Cup or other warm and friendly places have anything to share, it would sure warm up those of us trying to keep polar bears from chewing the mainsheet or penguins from fouling the prop – and get our minds back on the fun stuff. And again, congratulations on reaching issue 2,500, Scuttlebutt. * From David Storrs: The sailing community owes you a tremendous debt of thanks for 2500 issues of Scuttlebutt, the most interesting publication in our sport because it covers so much so openly and so timely. To realize that one person's passion has created this remarkable achievement proves how much can be done when one is truly excited about something. Mr. Curmudgeon, we thank and salute you! * From Bennet Greenwald: Ten years is a noble spot of time. Congratulations on a great success and gift to the Sailing community. Thanks for the noise leavened with a sense of humor and all the remarkable coverage. Thanks for common sense. Thanks for the hard work. We'll lift our New Year's glass to the next ten and beyond. * From David Shulman: Congrats-and thanks from us all. In the electronic age, it's terrific that you folk have stepped up to be the "newspaper" of the time. Looking forward to many more * From Taylor Grant: Congratulations on 2500 issues. You have changed how information is shared, and you have achieved a record that anyone would be proud of. * From Rose Dana, Newport Shipyard: Congratulations to Scuttlebutt on ten years of objective, incisive, and most of all, comprehensive reporting on all aspects of the yachting world. It is refreshing in an age of media overkill that you have managed to be a reasoned voice for our sport and our business. Thank you! => Curmudgeon’s Comment: We do our job, we try to do it well, and it is the occasional “pat on the back” that makes it all worthwhile. Thanks… this thread is now closed. * From Eric Sorenson: According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.Female reindeer don’t drop their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should've known... only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION On my gift list for Santa is an America’s Cup defense, a week without an Open 60 dismasting, a multihull event in the 2012 Olympics, and a week’s vacation. I suspect I only have a chance at getting the last item, so I am taking it next week to enjoy the holidays. Best wishes from the Scuttlebutt team - look for the newsletter to return January 2, 2008. A special thanks to all of Scuttlebutt’s preferred suppliers, for whom make it possible to provide this publication. Whenever possible, please extend your patronage to the companies on this list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
