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SCUTTLEBUTT 2396 - July 25, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday with the support of its sponsors. THE ATLANTIC IN A HUNDRED HOURS (July 24, 2007) Franck Cammas and his nine crew have smashed the Atlantic crossing record in a time of 4 days 03 hours 57 minutes 54 seconds (time in the process of ratification), at an average of 28.65 knots over the 2,925-mile course. The 105 foot maxi trimaran Groupama 3 crossed the finish line off Lizard Point on Tuesday at 00 hours 00 minutes 49 seconds (French time), improving on Bruno Peyron's time of (4d 08hr 23' 54'') by 4 hours 26 minutes. The giant trimaran had not had ideal conditions for the record run, officially established for the first time in 1905 by the Atlantic schooner helmed by the legendary Charlie Barr. Needing to return to Europe by July 25th, they left New York in a very narrow weather window after being on stand-by since June 11th. From April to July, Groupama 3 has sailed a remarkable Atlantic tour, racking up four records from four attempts. Franck Cammas and his nine crew set new speed standards for the Discovery Route, Miami-New York and the greatest distance covered in 24 hours (794 miles). -- For a daily log report from the Atlantic crossing record, go to http://tinyurl.com/2xud85 BMW ORACLE SIGNS COUTTS BMW Oracle has signed three-time America's Cup winner Russell Coutts to lead its next challenge. The U.S. syndicate's challenge has not yet been accepted by defender Alinghi while a legal wrangle hangs in the air. Coutts skippered New Zealand's successful challenge for sailing's most prestigious prize in 1995 and defended it in 2000 before signing up to lead new Swiss syndicate Alinghi for the 2003 America's Cup, taking five of his longtime teammates with him. The core Kiwi crew were credited with winning the America's Cup for a European team for the first time since the event began in 1851, but soon after their victory Coutts fell out with Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli and was sacked from the team. BMW Oracle owner Larry Ellison, who is suing Alinghi for what he says are unfair rules they have set up for the next America's Cup, said he had signed Coutts as both skipper and chief executive for whatever came next. -- ESPN, full report: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/ac07/news/story?id=2947455 * On Wednesday at 17:30 (5:30 am ET) in Valencia, Spain, America’s Cup Management (ACM), the organizing authority for the 33rd America’s Cup, will be hosting a press conference. To watch a live web stream from Port America’ s Cup; connect to http://www.americascup.com LEGAL LEVERAGING The BMW Oracle Racing team hosted a press conference on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 where they announced the signing of skipper Russell Coutts along with their legal dispute regarding the Protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup. Below is an excerpt from a story on the Sailing World website: Much of the rest of the press conference focused on the logic behind Ellison's rogue challenge, which contests the validity of the current challenger of record, Club Náutico Español de Vela, and wields the threat of a 3-race series in 90-foot catamarans next summer as leverage to get Alinghi to renegotiate a protocol that, according to Ellison, most of the challengers from the last Cup feel is unfair and unlikely to produce a contest that anyone outside of Alinghi can win. "I would like to see it here in Valencia," said Ellison. "I feel strongly this is the right place for the Cup. We had a meeting of all of the challengers a 2 p.m. today about these issues, the litigation and the associated uncertainties surrounding the litigation and I think we got a pretty broad agreement among the challengers. The outcome we'd like is to negotiate a reasonable protocol with Alinghi. No one wants to see this go to court.” -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/yt9748 * A news release from the BMW Oracle Racing team on Tuesday is posted on the Scuttlebutt site, where they provide a list on how to resolve their objections to the 33rd America’s Cup Protocol: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0724 LOTS OF SUMMER FUN… Team One Newport has the coolest sailing gear on the planet, which now include Patagonia’s Continental shorts. Team One Newport is the exclusive dealer for these great quick dry shorts. They have lots of great pockets and are worn by some of the best sailors including the Swan World Champion crews onboard Plenty and Moneypenny. You can get these shorts and technical shirts, jackets, and foul weather gear embroidered by Team One’s in-house embroidery department. Look your best while winning the race! Visit Team One Newport’s website or call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) for the Patagonia Continental shorts and more! http://www.team1newport.com TRANSPAC UPDATE (July 24, 2007) Excerpts from the official LA to Honolulu race report: * Gib Black probably couldn't tell you what his boat's handicap rating is, and he certainly wouldn't care. He was having too much fun in the Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii to worry about such trivialities. "It was wonderful and beautiful," he exclaimed after sailing his 28-year-old Stag's Leap Winery---nee Chasch Mer, the first Santa Cruz 50 built---into his hometown Ala Wai Yacht Harbor before dawn Tuesday, the seventh of nine boats in the SC 50/52 division but 11th overall among the 73 starters on corrected handicap time---and unsurpassed in joy. Black said the Thursday, July 12 start was so favored for the middle fleet, as against the first starters July 9 and the big boats July 15, that Stag's Leap Winery was able to hoist a spinnaker after only 24 hours and 15 minutes, about half the normal time leaving the Southern California coast. * Among boats still at sea, the Transpac 52 match between the young Morning Light team and John Kilroy Jr.'s Samba Pa Ti turned weird. A questionable morning position report relayed from Samba Pa Ti by another boat indicated that the latter had broken away on a deep dive south in the past 24 hours and sailed 249 miles at 10.4 knots to Morning Light's 201 at 8.4 knots---but lost 33 miles in distance to the finish, now 499 to 530 in ML's favor. That would place the boats about 165 miles apart on the course with Samba Pa Ti due east of Hilo on the Big Island, an unlikely position this late in the race. How that plays out will be known when they finish, probably late Thursday. -- For the complete Tuesday report: http://www.underthesunphotos.com/Press%20Releases/tp07pr39.htm -- Look for the ETAs from the yachts as they near Hawaii, the actual Finish Reports, and then the Daily Standings at http://www.transpacificyc.org -- Additional finish line photos from Sharon Green are posted at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/transpac XV PAN AMERICAN GAMES Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (July 24, 2007) – Another day of light winds delayed sailing at the XV Pan American Games Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at Glória Marina. Following a rainy morning, sailors got on the water for the afternoon races, but many were only able to complete one race after waiting for up to three hours for wind. Both the RS:X Men and Women, as well as the Hobie 16 added two races on the day. Regarding the day, American Laser sailor Andrew Campbell commented, “We waited for about three hours with no wind. But, when we started the race, it was fine. It just took all day for that thermal to kick up. At that point, it was a steady wind and it ended up being a pretty even race.” Regarding the outlook for Wednesday, Campbell noted, “We still need to see what the conditions are like, and I’m going to just keep doing what I’ve been doing. A bunch of guys got penalty flags today, so it’s nice for me not to have one or worry about that going into tomorrow.” Races are scheduled to continue on Wednesday at 1 p.m. local. If wind conditions are favorable, they will attempt to complete three races before daylight runs out to make up for Sunday’s cancellations. Results - Top Three plus Top North American Laser Radial (12 boats) – 1 race today/3 total 1. Canada 2-2-3: 7 (Lisa Ross) T2. USA 4-1-9: 14 (Paige Railey) T2. Argentina 3-4-7:14 (Cecilia Carranza Saroli) T2. Bermuda 5-3-6: 14 (Katrina Williams) Laser (12 boats) – 1 race today/ 3 total 1. USA 1-5-2: 8 (Andrew Campbell) 2. Argentina 7-1-1:9 (Julio Alsogaray) 3. Brazil 3-4-3: 10 (Robert Scheidt) RS:X Men (9 boats) -- 2 races today/4 total 1. Mexico 1-1-1-1: 4 (David Mier Y Teran) 2. Brazil 3-2-3-1: 9 (Ricardo Winicki) 3. Argentina 2-3-2-5: 12 (Mariano Reutemann) RS:X Women (7 boats) – 2 races today/3 total 1. Canada 1-1-1: 3 (Dominique Vallee) 2. Argentina 2-2-4: 8 (Florencia Gutierrez) 3. Brazil 4-3-2: 9 (Patricia Castro) Lightning (7 boats) – 1 race today/3 total 1. USA 3-4-1: 8 (David Starck, Jody Starck, Bill Faude) 2. Brazil 2-3-4: 9 (Claudio Biekarck, Gunnar Ficker, Silva Marcelo) T3. Chile 1-1-8(OCS): 10 (Alberto Gonzalez, Diego Gonzalez, Cristian Herman) T3. Ecuador 5-2-3: 10 (Sebastian Herrera Castro, Juan Santos Dillon, Juan Santos Garces) Sunfish (11 boats) – 1 race today/3 total 1. Venezuela 3-1-2: 6 (Eduardo Cordero) 2. Peru 1-6-1: 8 (Alexander Zimmermann) 3. USA 2-5-3: 10 (Paul Foerster) J24 (7 boats) – 1 race today/3 total 1. Argentina 1-2-4: 7 (Joaquin Duarte Argerich, Gustavo Gonzalez, Sebastian Peri Brusa, Alejo Rigoni) T2. Brazil 8-1-1: 10 (Carlos Jordao, Mauricio Oliveria, Daniel Santiago, Alexandre Silva) T2. Canada 3-4-3: 10 (Mark Goodyear, Rossi Milev, Erwyn Naidoo, Mike Wolfs) Hobie Cat 16 (8 boats) -- 2 races today/4 total 1. Brazil 1-1-2-4: 8 (Bernardo Arndt, Bruno Oliveira) 2. USA 6-4-1-1: 12 (Bob Merrick, Eliza Cleveland) 3. Guatemala 3-2-6-2: 13 (Cristina Guirola, Juan Ignacio Maegli) Snipe (11 boats) – 1 race today/3 total 1. Uruguay 2-2-2: 6 (Pablo Defazio, Eduardo Medici) T2. Brazil 1-3-6: 10 (Pedro Amaral, Alexandre Paradeda) T2. USA 5-4-1: 10 (Augie Diaz, Tracy Smith) -- Complete results: http://www.rio2007.org.br/data/pages/8CA3C78713B9BC7F0113BA4693F13C69.htm BY THE GRACE OF GOD Charleston, SC -- Joel Lambinus unfurled the sail on his 14-foot Laser last Sunday and then happened to glance backward. What Lambinus saw made him leap for his life. A Fort Sumter tour boat loaded with tourists was bearing down. "I looked over my shoulder, and I saw the boat, about 75 yards away and headed dead straight for me," said Lambinus, 57, an experienced sailor who was competing in the Charleston Yacht Club Open Regatta. Witnesses told the Coast Guard the tour boat was the 102-foot-long, 32-foot-wide, 97-ton, Spirit of Charleston, and that the vessel was crossing an area reserved for sailboat racing. As Lambinus swam to avoid being pulled under the tour boat, it cracked and broke his sailboat, tearing chunks of it with its propeller. Lambinus said he felt his legs bumping the hull of the tour boat, and he feared the propeller would slice him up, too. "By the grace of God, I was able to get away," he said. "When I popped up, I realized that if I had stayed in the boat I would have been mincemeat." -- The Post and Courier, read on: http://tinyurl.com/24mdgy WE WEREN’T DRAGGIN’ OUR FEET Apart from mini-marathons, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire (pronounced: Lerry) Regatta (alternates with Cork Week) is the largest participant sports event in Ireland. Held just 2 weeks ago, over 3,000 sailors, 522 boats in 25 classes were racing on 9 courses. Boats driven by UK-Halsey Sails won 11 of the classes plus Best Overall (congratulations to Messrs O’Sullivan and Keelan and their Impala 28 “Whistlin’ Dixie”). We won with new boats, old boats, young racers, and old (including the event’s oldest skipper, Roy Dixon, who took Class-0 IRC). Our sailmaker-run lofts around the World want to help you, too. Get a quote: 800-253-2002, http://www.ukhalsey.com REGATTA ROUND UP * The 2007 Club 420 Association US National Championship saw 70 entries last weekend at Wayzata YC on Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. Light winds prevented racing on the first day, but steady breezes on day two and three allowed for a 7 race series. Overall winner was Sam Williams/ Margaret Rew of Bay Head YC, NJ, with Sydney Bolger/ Kayla McComb of Newport Harbor YC, CA winning the Women’s Division, Louis Padnos/ Ben Spector of Macatawa Bay YC, MI winning the Junior Division, and Harrison Burton/ Jackson Portor of Lake Minnetonka Sailing School, MI winning the Non-trapeze Division. -- Complete results: http://www.wyc.org/420/Results.htm * A lack of wind on Monday kept the racers onshore for the US Optimist Dinghy Association (USODA) National Championships at Minnetonka Yacht Club in Deephaven, MN. The 304 entrants will try on Tuesday to get back on schedule. -- http://www.2007optinationals.com/ * The 24th International Lightning World Championships are underway this week in Athens, Greece, with American Bill Mauk winning the Masters Championship and also as the early leader of the Open event. -- Event website: http://www.lightning2007.gr OVERCOMING OBSTACLES (July 24, 2007) Hilary Lister, 35, the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the English Channel exactly two years ago, today became the first female quadriplegic to sail solo around the Isle of Wight. Lister, who is able to move only her head and neck, used a ‘sip-puff’ method of steering to control her boat, by breathing down two straws enabling her to steer and adjust the sails. Hilary crossed the start line off Cowes at 08.12 (BST) on Tuesday 24th July in her ‘Artemis 20’, a 20 foot racing boat named ‘Me Too’. She covered an incredible 50 miles in 11 hours, 4 minutes and 22 seconds, sailing at an average speed of ten knots. Crossing the finish line at 19.20 (BST) an exhausted but jubilant Lister was overjoyed to have completed this important prologue to her solo sail Round Britain next summer, a dream she declared at the finish of her cross Channel record. Hilary Lister commented: “This was the boats first real test since she was fitted with a unique ‘sip puff’ system which allows me to control the boat with just my breath. It’s a long way to go until I will be ready to attempt my ‘Round Britain Dream’ next summer, when I will circumnavigate Britain stopping off at various ports along the way. Today has been a really important milestone.” -- http://www.hilarylister.com SAILING SHORTS * Boat America Corporation has been purchased by National Indemnity, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Corp. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Berkshire Hathaway, with 217,000 employees and revenues approaching US$100 billion, owns a number of different types of companies, including Geico Insurance, Fruit of the Loom, HH Brown Shoe Group, NetJets, Buffalo News, and others. Boat America Corporation is the main supplier of towing, insurance and other services to the nonprofit boater's association, BoatUS, which has 650,000 members. -- IBI Magazine, full report: http://tinyurl.com/yoj6rd * The 2007 College Nationals, held last May in Norfolk, VA and Annapolis, MD, are being aired this week on ESPNU. Show times are Wednesday, July 25th at 7:00pm ET and Thursday, July 26th at 12:00pm ET and 10:00pm ET. * A new record entry of 256 sailors for the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) World Championship is reported by hosts the Y.C. Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy. 56 countries will be represented by up to five sailors per country. Racing begins Wednesday. -- http://www.optiworld.org/ioda-news.html * Troia: Tuesday July 24th 2007 - The third event in this year’s World Match Racing Tour begins Wednesday with the opening round robin of the Troia Portugal Match Cup. Twelve skippers will meet each of the others once and the top scoring eight helmsmen will progress to the knock out stages of the competition, beginning with the quarter-finals that will begin as soon as the preliminaries are complete. The list of skippers and crews includes many who have been on duty in Valencia at the America’s Cup as well as the leaders in the World Tour and the top placed skippers in the ISAF world rankings. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/2fma9w * The Youth National Team Race Regatta 2007 and the Under 21 ISAF Team Race World's Qualifier will be Hosted by the United States Sailing Center - Long Beach on August 14-16, 2007. The winning team will represent the United States at the Under 21 ISAF Team Race World Championship in Valencia, Spain on September 23-29, 2007. The US event NOR is at http://tinyurl.com/yszgqy WHAT’S THE HAPPS? Haul-out Antifouling Paint PackageS. The price we quote is the price you pay; your best value from America’s Boatyard of the Year: KKMI. Bonus savings for yacht club members; take an additional 10% off the total fixed price. Contact us for details. Keefe Kaplan Maritime, Inc. -- http://www.kkmi.com 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 Kent Fox: In Issue 2395, Bill Stephens asks "are there any other youths that are on as big a roll as Americans Emily Dellenbagh and Briana Provancha?" Well, Colin Smith of Fort Lauderdale, FL is on a pretty good roll too. The Laser sailor tallied first place finishes at the Orange Bowl Regatta, ACC's, and the Laser North American Championships in the Laser Radial class, while posting wins at Midwinters West and the US Sailing Youth Championships in the Laser full rig. * From Zane Murdoch: In what way is a new, bigger America's Cup class that goes a fraction faster for more money and results in bigger deltas better than an established class with good racing? Better for the designers, better for the money people, perhaps better for technophiles, not better for exciting racing, not better for showcasing the talents of the best sailors. New is better only if there is some useful improvement. * From Gregory Scott: Something many North American's don't get is the rabid European interest in soccer (football) and F1 racing, with Le Tour right behind. Regardless of any/all foibles that tag along with those attractions - soccer hooligans, the absurd money in F1, the doping in bike racing - all are overlooked. There is drooling at the mouth interest in a Spanish version of Monaco, complete with megayachts in the harbour while F1 cars race around a "harbor style" circuit. The babes that come with F1, the money, and the glamour will out trump a simple thing such as the "Deed of Gift". Until anyone has seen European money up close and personal, you forget how they have been getting rich way longer than those of us in North America. Add in the Arab and Russian money wanting to be spent, it all ads up to a whole new deal. We may have won the Cup a long time ago, but now they have it back along with all the elements needed to keep it, with much deeper coffers than what any North American city would be either willing or able to pony up. * From Steve Brownsea: Anyone who thinks that the current fight over the America’s Cup is going to end its standing as sailing most elite regatta does not understand the legacy of the event. It has survived two World Wars, numerous legal battles, and the 1988 farce… and it will survive anything that Alinghi can throw at it. It can survive through the economic droughts and thought the large windfalls of cash, because we love it and want it, no mater how much we complain. We will still admire the work that the designers and sailors have done throughout its legacy. I spent May and June in Valencia watching the races and I for one hope that people continue to challenge for the cup fighting all the way. * From Siobhan McDonnell, Portsmouth, RI: Regarding BMW Oracle Raing’s latest legal machinations, those who can sail, sail. Those who can't sail, sue. * From John C. Fisher, Commodore, The Storm Trysail Club: (edited to the 250-word limit) On Saturday July 21, 2007, on Bear Island (The Thimbles) Stony Creek, Connecticut, at approximately 1500 hrs a formal protest (code flag "B" hoisted to the yardarm) was lodged by Raymond Redniss, Fleet Captain, The Storm Trysail Club, on behalf of it's Officers, Directors and membership, additionally supported by the family and friends of Edward Montague Adams. The action has come as the result of the unexpected and premature passing of our fellow member, shipmate and close friend. Anyone who sailed, witnessed, or enjoyed life in Ed's company would concur that a gross injustice has occurred. As a member in the Storm Trysail Club since 1978, Ed and his family were constant contributors to the operational successes of Storm Trysail's Block Island Race Week, as well as many other events. As a tireless worker and consummate tinkerer, the job was never done until it worked right and kept on working. Two lasting thoughts come to mind when I think of Ed: "Pride in Workmanship" and his wonderful sense of humor. In our 35 years together, the only time he told me "NO" was at this year’s Block Island Race Week. While excitedly opening his bag full of committee gear, and pulling out his RC shirt, the joy leapt from his face for a brief moment, and he exclaimed in all seriousness and with that unforgettable boyish grin, "I don't do stripes.” I will forever remember that moment. That grin was priceless. Anyone who knew Ed will agree we have lost one of the best. With the hearing pending, regardless of the Arbitration or Jury decision, there could never be the appropriate redress. Good bye my friend, you will always be missed, but never forgotten. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION A consultant is someone who takes the watch off your wrist and tells you the time. Special thanks to Team One Newport, UK-Halsey Sailmakers, and KKMI. |
