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SCUTTLEBUTT 2123 - June 26, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.OLYMPIC SAILING VENUE IN QINGDAO (The Daily Sail subscription website spoke to RYA representative Nick Rogers and the Mayor of Qingdao about the sailing venue for the 2008 Olympic Games. Here are a few excerpts from the story posted online.) The first thing Rogers notes is just how quickly the seasons change. This puts sailors in the rather unfortunate position of only having a short time slot when the weather is similar to how it will be for the actual Olympics. “We were there a month later than the Olympic dates and we had some really good wind,” he explains. “It is hard to find venues that are similar to how it is in July because there simply aren’t many. England in the summer can be pretty close and Miami can be close but apart from that…” “The sea state is very difficult; it is really choppy because it’s a flat very shallow sea bed. This also means it is not always stronger tide out to sea and you get some tricky situations with swirling tide lines. Also the wind does not have any real pattern. It is not thermally enhanced in any way. That is quite odd because you get the feeling it is going to be a good day when you launch and then it just craps out,” continues Rogers. Aside from the conditions Rogers seems genuinely excited about the venue saying that all Olympics are special for different reasons. “The venue is brilliant. Sydney was obviously very special because of the harbour. Athens was special because it was in Europe and it was beautiful weather. I think Qingdao is special because of the culture and the city and it is a great place in terms of the setting. -- http://www.thedailysail.com REBUTTAL Having read the article translated from Club Racing website regarding the Brunel VO70, variants of which have been published around the sailing website fraternity, I feel that I must reply and put the record straight. Many of us have worked extremely hard to make this project work, and as such cannot treat such blatant inaccuracies flippantly. On arrival in Gothenburg at the end of the leg "Brunel" (VO70) was met by all members of the syndicate - me, Grant Wharington and Matt Allen. Grant was the first to board the boat and congratulate the guys in what was a great result. Matt Allen had been present in Rotterdam too, and his presence was no secret whatsoever. As with all other leg arrivals, after about 20 minutes of celebration the boat was moved from the arrivals dock, around the corner, to moor up alongside all the other VO70's for the public to gaze upon. The yacht remained in that position until the morning of Tuesday 20 June, fully branded, when she was motored around to be dismantled ready for her RORO journey back to Australia. By the time she left the Race Village, only Brasil 1 and Pirates of the Caribbean were still there. I sincerely hope that no reader need ever rely on the identification skills of the "KRNM [Dutch rescue service]" since the yacht seen in Europe can only be the Brunel Open 60, which I understand was on her way to Kiel, as planned. Lastly but perhaps most importantly I have no intention of indulging anyone with the ins and outs of our contract with Brunel. Premier Challenge fulfilled their obligations to Brunel, and our contract has been now been concluded to mutual satisfaction. -- Bindy Lockhart, Premier Challenge TEAM NER’S QUEST FOR GOLD The bubble wrap is off, mast is up, and now the quest begins. Ken Read is outfitting his brand new Melges 24 with only the best, New England Ropes. Tapered V100 Main Halyard, Endura Braid almost everywhere as sheets and control lines, and our latest and greatest Spyder line for all small diameter cords. Splash down set for next week. Look for updates on sail trim, crew work, and other go fast ideas on the NER website. Others make line, we make line perform. -- http://www.neropes.com VALENCIA WEEKEND ROUNDUP After four days of racing, Emirates Team New Zealand is alone at the top of the Act 12 leaderboard. Here are some of highlight of the last three days of racing in Valencia. * Sweden’s Victory Challenge was the story Sunday in Valencia on Sunday when skipper Magnus Holmberg’s team was able to beat Alinghi, the defender of the America’s Cup, by 21 secords. * BMW Oracle lost their first race in Act 12 in a very tight race with Alinghi on Saturday. The margin was just 20 seconds. * In a race where both boats appeared to be quite equal, Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rosa by just 11 seconds. * Desafío Español’s new ESP88 lost races to both Alinghi and BMW Oracle by close to a minute each. * China Team was ahead and looking for its first win of the season when crew member Olivier Herledant fell overboard. He was picked up by a chase boat, and the Umpires were obliged to assess the team a penalty, allowing +39 Challenge to jump into the lead. * Shosholoza earned a straightforward win over United Internet Team Germany and followed that up with a close 20-second loss to Alinghi; a performance which would have been unthinkable in the Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts last year at this time. ACT 12 STANDINGS 1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL84) 8- 0 2. Alinghi (SUI75) 7- 1 2. BMW Oracle Racing (USA87) 7-1 2. Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA86) 7-1 5. Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team (ITA77) 5-3 6. Victory Challenge (SWE63) 4-4 6. Desafío Español 2007 (ESP88) 4-4 8. Team Shosholoza (RSA83) 3-5 9. +39 Challenge (ITA59). 2-6 10. AREVA Challenge (FRA60). 1-7 11. United Internet Team Germany (GER72). 0-8 11. China Team (CHN79) 0-8 Curmudgeon’s Comment: If you really want to track of what’s happening in Valencia, download the CupInfo CupTracker© to track team results in the LV Acts, follow changes in the Louis Vuitton Ranking, check head-to-head results between teams at a glance, and track scoring sheets up to the Louis Vuitton Cup finals and the Big Match itself. -- http://www.cupinfo.com/en/tracker_dload.htm WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS RACES (Following are two excerpts from a story by Tom Van Riper posted on Forbes.com) For a certain adventurous type, a simple race--running, sailing, biking or swimming--just won't suffice. These people want to do more than test their speed and skill; they want to confront mortality and are only satisfied when there is an element of danger to a competition. Whether it's motorcycles, sports cars, boats, animals or just feet, they are flocking to the most challenging and dangerous races around the globe. Few official industry statistics are kept that chronicle all injuries and deaths in all races, but plenty of stories provide a sense of which carry high danger rates. Some risk takers not enamored with motor sports take their adventure from the sea. In 2001, Gail Browning, a marine surveyor in Annapolis, Md., and a veteran sailor, became the first American in 20 years to compete in the Mini Transat, a treacherous 40-day boat race from France to Brazil. Tricky and ever-changing conditions keep the course fraught with danger, and during the 5,000-mile competition, an Italian racer on a competing boat fell overboard and was lost at sea. "I started with plenty of wind, but at one point it died down and I drifted for 300 miles," says Browning, who also endured a big storm during the Mini Transat's 1,000-mile qualifying race. "The most frightening thing is wondering what you'll do if it gets worse," she says. For sailors even more intrepid, there's the around-the-world Global Challenge, a U.K.-based trek that covers 29,000 miles and touches five continents. The race, launched in 1992 by sailor Sir Chay Blyth, attracts more first-time sailors looking for adventure than it does veteran seafarers. "It's people who ask themselves, 'Have I really done what I've wanted in my life?' " Blyth says. Over 200 racers who paid the $50,000 entry fee will kick off the 2008 Challenge, enduring a course that's purposely designed for maximum difficulty. It forces competitors to sail west, against the wind and currents. Blyth, the first ever to sail around the world westward in 1971, said no one has died in the event's four races so far, though "there are plenty of fatalities in yacht racing." -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/hs6xu IS ISLER BLIND? No, he’s not blind, but he does wear glasses. Peter Isler is sight challenged. He needs corrective lenses to see. So what job does Isler hold on AC challenger BMW Oracle Racing? Navigator. Yeah, the blind guy is telling the driver where to go. That’s why the blind guy relies on Kaenon Polarized Rx – constructed from the same superior SR-91 polarized lenses the helmsman and breeze readers are wearing on BMW Oracle. The finest optics in the business are available from Kaenon Polarized. Prescription or non-prescription … Ask for it by name: Kaenon Polarized Rx. Evolve Optically. http://www.kaenon.com SAILING SHORTS * Superyachting Challenge Events—SCYE—will support the effort of the 72’ Martens sloop, Beecom, as the yacht attempts a WSSRC crewed monohull special category Transpac record from San Francisco, United States to Yokohama, Japan. SYCE will provide the yacht and her crew comprehensive challenge support from berthing and crew accommodations in both the US and Japan to at-sea logistics and tracking as well as complete media services to follow and publicize Beecom’s progress. The yacht is schedule to cross the start line within 72 hours. -- http://www.superyachting.com * The eBay auction for Captain Paul Cayard's Musto foul weather gear closed on 25 June - all proceeds will be donated to the Hans Horrevoets Memorial Fund. * Crescendo, the Swan 44 MkII owned by Martin Jacobson of Greenwich CT, finished top boat in the 2006 Onion Patch series, a performance that helped her Indian Harbor Yacht Club team to win this year's Onion Patch Trophy. The team included Crescendo, the J44 Brown-eyed Girl owned by Scott Dinhofer and the J130 Christopher Dragon owned by Andrew Weiss. The series, which attracted seven teams from across America, takes in the New York YC Annual Regatta, the Newport Bermuda Race and the Royal Bermuda YC Anniversary Regatta. The Storm Trisail Red team took second. Complete results: http://www.onionpatchseries.com/. * The Buffalo Canoe Club hosted the Thistle Great Lakes Champs, Lightning Canadian Open, and the Laser & Radial Distrcit 3 & Ontario Gold Cup, June 24-25. In total 123 teams (43 Thistle, 31 Lightning, 33 Laser, and 16 Radials) completed in the two day, mainly light air event. Winning skipper's included Mike Ingham - Thistles, David Starck - Lightnings, Chris Dold - Laser, and Robert Davis - Radial. For complete results, please visit www.buffalocanoeclub.com * Azzura Marine will be introducing two new boats at Sydney International Boat Show. They will be displaying the new Marten 49 --a pre-preg carbon Reichel/Pugh-design that features a lift keel for improved draft and performance when racing and reduced draft for accessibility to shallow ports and bays when cruising. Additionally their Sydney Yachts brand will introduce the new Sidney 36CR -- five of which were ordered off drawings prior to launch. -- http://www.martenyachts.com / http://www.sydneyyachts.com * Delavan YC, WI -- Lots of drama as the MC Scow Masters National Championship came down to how the first ten boats crossed the line. In the final race, Peter Toumanoff scored a second, which put him into a tie with Eric Protzman. Toumanoff won the tie breaker and the championship which saw just one point separating the top three boats, and only seven points separating the top six boats. Tom Blackwell finished strong with 27-2-1-1-1 series to take third place. -- http://www.mcscow.org/ * Stuart Childerley and his crew Simon Russell and Roger Marino are named Crew Clothing Co. Etchells European Champions 2006 winning the 26-boat regatta at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Cowes by 7 points. Second place goes to Andy Beadsworth, crewed by Jonathan Taylor and Mo Gray who finished just one point ahead of Ante Razmilovic, crewed by Mike Wolfs and Stuart Flinn. Ante’s brother Nils Razmilovic with crew Brain Hammersley and Adam Turk finished fourth while Tom Hughes and crew Jamie Stewart and Ron Rosenberg of the USA were fifth. -- http://www.rcyc.co.uk/da/27898 * The first Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix series has come to an end, but for the five multihulls, the sailing is not over yet. The individual teams plan their own activities in the UK, Netherlands and US for the rest of the year. At the moment, representatives of the VX 40 class and the Volvo Ocean Race are discussing whether they will continue the co-operation. “Either way, we are intending to prosecute the Grand Prix series worldwide,” said Mitch Booth, skipper of Team Holmatro and creator of the Volvo Extreme 40. -- http://www.volvoextreme40.org. * A new website has been launched to help fill the communications needs of both racing and cruising sailors. The site's user-friendly interface allows sailors to stay in direct communication with their crews (via Instant Invitation) or their friends and families back on shore (with an email every time a sailor's page is updated). The site allows racing skippers to manage race dates and crew; track racing calendar and post race results; and create and maintain 'My Racing Page' with all current information on the crew, vessel and race plans. -- http://www.MyHomeHarbor.com * This week's video report from Cowes Online has a report on the Etchells European Championship, the start of the JOG race to Alderney, and a Rolex Commodores' Cup preview. -- http://www.cowes.co.uk/cb/zone?p=story2;story_id=1768;cp= GET ZHIK'ED The gear designed for the fastest wet athlete, has flown the coop and arrived. Introducing Zhik, rhymes with hike, incredibly innovative performance sailing gear featuring revolutionary designs in hikers, boots, and more. Check it out, get Zhik'ed, and get wet in style. Exclusively at Annapolis Performance Sailing ...http://www.apsltd.com/zhik LONG BEACH RACE WEEK Long Beach YC & Alamitos Bay YC - The 160+ boats racing at Long Beach Race Week got it all. At times there was a lot of wind - enough for one dismasting and for a Reynolds 33 catamaran to capsize - and there were some major wind shifts, frequently accompanied by substantial changes in velocity. In the 20-boat J/120 class - largest in the regatta - Dennis and Sharon Cases’s Wings and the fleet’s newest member, Current Obsession 2 co-skippered by Doug McLean and Gary Mozer, traded first and second place finishes throughout the six race series. The McLean/ Mozer team came from behind to win the event by two points after Wings did a penalty turn for brushing the weather mark in the regatta finale. -- http://www.lbrw.org/results.html A SPRINKLING OF ROCK STARS Thirty nine boats from the 13 teams and seven nationalities have been busy with their final preparation and practicing on the Solent for Monday’s first races in the 2006 Rolex Commodores' Cup. Crews competing in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's biennial team racing event for cruiser- racers are largely Corinthian, although 25% can be professional under the International Sailing Federation's crew categorization system. Thus, on the Irish Orange big boat, Colm Barrington's Magic Glove the line-up includes two sailors fresh from last weekend's finish of the Volvo Ocean Race - Rob Greenhalgh, crewman on race winner ABN Amro One and Pirates of the Caribbean navigator Jules Salter. Another former Volvo Ocean Race navigator freshly returned from the centennial Newport-Bermuda race is Australian Adrienne Cahalan. -- http://www.rorc.org/comcup/index.php LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thought at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Rick Bernstein: As a teen in the late 70’s and now in my early 40’s, I’ve gone from buying every AC book, reading every headline and story, following each US Syndicate; to not caring. It’s becoming ever more apparent that those organizing, competing and interested in today’s AC are out of touch with the every day racer, we all know it’s about the money. It’s sad, once Coutts left his homeland to drive for Switzerland, my interested ended. To hear today that half, that’s half of the only US boat is from New Zealand, is further proof of the sad state of affairs. I would absolutely encourage the majesty of the cup be returned to Nation against Nation, us against them, as the writers of the deed had intended. Because in the end, should the BMW/Oracle boat win, it won’t be a true US team that won, it will be business boat that won with a group of great sailors from other countries. * From Enrico Ferrari: I like the country affiliation for the AC. It lends respectability to the money shower. * From Robert M. Grant: Following on Craig LeweCk’s commentary (Scuttlebutt 2122) – should the America’s Cup change to be a contest between nations it would most likely return to and stay in New Zealand . This is a country with a huge number of very experienced AC sailors. It would take some time for other nations to build up such strength. * From Jeff Canepa (re fire at Abbott Boats): As we all know, the news from Sarnia effects lots us. Bill Sr. and Jr. have done an outstanding job supporting a sport we all love so much. They've made it easy for more than half a decade to give talented sailors tools to perform. This short set back will not detour one of the most talented small boat builders in North America and best of all, as you will soon read and hear, the soon to be launched site for Abbott boats (www.friendsofabbott.org) will help him put Abbott back where they belong. Keep the faith … a lot of Bill's client do. * From Jim Whitmore: It was a great shame that the Etchells British National and European Championships ended in controversy. Two time world champion Stuart Childerly and crew who won both events have been accused of using a previously ruled 'illegal' carbon tiller, apparently having been told by the class measurer it was illegal it was painted in order to hide it. Two years ago Childerly, crew and the world fleet were told that Carbon tillers were illegal in the class and were instructed to remove any offending ones. Whilst this is currently under class investigation lets hope that ISAF get involved and make a public announcement clearing the team of cheating if they are proved innocent otherwise issuing the appropriate harsh punishment if found guilty. Cheating will not be tolerated in our sport. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one. Special thanks to New England Ropes, Kaenon Polarized, and APS. |
