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SCUTTLEBUTT 3422 - Thursday, September 8, 2011Scuttlebutt 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. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: APS and Ullman Sails. A FRIENDLY COMPETITION BETWEEN NATIONS Crowning the world's best match racing nation, the Grand Final of the ISAF Nations Cup comes to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA on September 13-18. Hosted by Sail Sheboygan, one of four US Sailing Centers, the competition on Lake Michigan is the culmination of a series of eight match racing regattas that started in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on 24 March. The ISAF Nations Cup is a global competition to find the world's top match racing nation in open and women's events. The 2011 Nations Cup included seven regional finals, from which the top teams will compete in Sheboygan. The Grand Final will be sailed in the Sonar class for the open event and the Elliott 6m for the women's event. Open Division Asia - Rauf Zahid (PAK) Europe I - Stratis Andreadis (GRE) Europe II - Przemek Tarnacki (POL) North America - Peter Wickwire (CAN) Oceania - Laurie Jury (NZL) South America - Henrique Haddad (BRA) Host - Shawn Bennett (USA) Wild Card - Mads Ebler (DEN) Wild Card - Lucy Macgregor (GBR) Wild Card - Yasar Celal Tumsen (TUR) Women's Africa - Dominique Provoyeur (RSA) Asia - Ru Wang - (CHN) Europe I - Katarzyna Pie (POL) Europe II - Mandy Mulder (DEN) North America - Sharon Ferris-Choat (CAN) Oceania - Olivia Price (AUS) South America - Juliana Senfft (BRA) Defender - Claire Leroy (FRA) Host - Genevieve Tulloch (USA) Wild Card - Rita Goncalves (POR) Full report: http://www.sailing.org/36595.php EXPECT THE THRILL METER TO RISE Following the inaugural event of the America's Cup World Series in Caiscais (Portugal), teams have moved their AC45s to Plymouth (England) in order to prepare for the second leg of the AC World Series (Sept. 10-18), which is due to start on Saturday. And expectations are for the thrill meter to rise. Loick Peyron and the crew of Energy Team (FRA) have been training since last Thursday in Plymouth Sound, which is famous for hosting the start of the transatlantic race. The French challenger has been through five busy days of training in conditions that have often been quite rough. In fact, yesterday, the crew was forced to remain ashore. * What difference is there between Plymouth and Cascais? LOICK PEYRON: In Plymouth, the sea is bound to be rather choppy. This is particularly true when the wind is from the south in spite of the breakwater, because that doesn't hold back the sea completely, so we're looking at conditions that are rather more like the open sea. But this is a great place to race, and offers a good view to spectators from the famous Hoe with its green lawns. This is the place where the legendary transatlantic races begin (OSTAR). The sailing area is rather tricky with currents and extremely unstable winds. For the moment, we've been training in windy conditions in general. There have been quite strong winds to the extent that yesterday we weren't able to go out sailing. * How does the AC45 behave in such winds? LOICK PEYRON: The boat is designed for that, so that's not a problem. Occasionally, it means taking it to the edge and the precise limits are not that easy to find. When there are windy conditions, the only tricky manoeuvre is bearing away. Everything else is easy enough to deal with... sailing downwind and indeed upwind, especially in courses set up in the direction of the wind. But bearing away at the windward buoy requires you to find the right moment, the crew has to be in the right place, and you have to know whether it is risky or not to bear away and not accelerate too fast, which means that it becomes fairly complicated. As soon as there is too much wind, you reach a critical point. You have to be really careful, as the slightest mistake is hardly ever excused. We saw that on Monday with the Spaniards capsizing. Full interview: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-090711 Plymouth schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ACWS-Plymouth-2011 BROADCAST: Viewers can tune in to the America's Cup YouTube channel. Featuring a multi-screen player, viewers can choose from live onboard footage, a graphical overview or an eagle's eye view, as well as from expert sailing or standard sports commentary as part of the daily livestreaming. The racing is also available on demand at http://www.youtube.com/americascup WIN FROM THE START Outfit your team with Crugear. Offering day-definite custom Embroidery, Dye Sublimation, and Heat Applied Vinyl - APS, The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors, has you covered from head to toe. Our Customer Service is here to help walk you through the process. Trust our experts - you're going to feel a different energy on board as your crew sports your boat name and logo on gear bags, hats, tech shirts, and foul weather gear. You are a team, dress like one. It's time to represent. Click here to learn more about Crugear. http://bit.ly/Crugear4YourTeam SCORING CHANGE MAY BOOST TOUR LEADER When the World Match Racing Tour was forced to cancel the 2011 Danish Open, it created a problem as there were several top teams that had chosen that event as one of their scheduled events to contribute to their overall tour standings. The fix was to devise a system to award points for that event which could yet add a twist to the season. "The Tour Card Holders who chose Denmark as one of their 6 allocated events (everyone except Francesco Bruni) will receive an average points score based on their other 5 allocated events," explains Tour Director Craig Mitchell. "If that average is one of their best 5 scores this season it will count towards their Championship total." At this stage of the Tour, with six of the eight events completed, the big winner from this adjustment looks to be Ian Williams (GBR), who vaulted last week to the top of the standings following his third place finish at the St. Moritz Match Race. "As it stands Williams would benefit the most," Mitchell observers, "as he could replace the tenth place (2 points) he scored at Match Race France with his average which is high at 18 points because he has two firsts and two third places to his name. That would give him a 16 point advantage over his current total score of 90." The points adjustment will not be made until after the Argo Group Gold Cup (Oct. 3-9). "If we put the average points in right now," said Mitchell, "Ian Williams would maintain his overall lead and actually increase the gap between him and second, from one point to 17. It's clear though that Ian Williams's Team GAC Pindar will be the team everyone will want to beat in Bermuda so they can stay within overtaking distance going into the finale in Malaysia." Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-090711 RULES QUIZ During a race, a Laser sailor wears hiking pants with stiffeners under his thighs. He is protested for breaking rule 49.1, Crew Position. You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this? Answer below. ECONOMIC REALITY SHRINKS FIELD Over the past three months, the harsh reality of securing offshore yacht racing sponsorship in a fragile and unpredictable financial environment has come sharply into focus for the teams in the double-handed, Class40 Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR). In the early summer, 19 teams were officially entered and this number has gradually been reduced to six confirmed entries for the 2011-12 circumnavigation to start September 25th. As official organisers of Class40 round-the-world racing until 2016, 90 per cent of the withdrawn entries have requested a slot on the start line of Josh Hall's single-handed and double-handed Class40 Global Ocean Race 2013-14 allowing the teams to re-group and plan well-funded and competitive campaigns. While this determination by the skippers is encouraging, it highlights the immense struggle and effort that can often hamper teams. Confirmed double-handed Class40 entry list for the Global Ocean Race 2011-12: 1. Sec. Hayai, Nico Budel with team entry of Ruud van Rijsewijk, Frans Budel, Bas Bax-Kiburg, Erik van Vuuren (NED). 2007 Akilaria Class40 2. Desafio Mallorca, Conrad Colman and Hugo Ramon (NZL/SPA). 2011 Akilaria RC2 Class40 3. Nannini/Peggs, Marco Nannini and Paul Peggs (ITA/GBR). 2007 Akilaria Class40 4. Phesheya-Racing, Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire (RSA). 2006 Akilaria Class40 5. Campagne de France, Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron (FRA/GBR). 2011 Pogo 40S2 6. BSL, Ross Field and Campbell Field (NZL). 2008 Tyker40 Class40 Full story: http://globaloceanrace.com/?page=news&news_id=510&lang=en SAILING SHORTS * San Francisco (September 7, 2011) - Some intriguing class battles promise to highlight this year's Rolex Big Boat Series, which starts tomorrow (Thursday) and slates four full days of racing action on the San Francisco waterfront that is now home to the America's Cup. Adding spice to what's cooking for 81 entered teams is a class stocked with TP52s; one conceived especially for "fast forties"; another harboring no less than 21 fiercely competitive one-design teams and yet another devoted to determining a new world champion. (A total of eight classes - four for IRC and four for one-design--will be sailing.) -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/0907 * (September 7, 2011) - The release today of the ISAF Match Race Rankings finds Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) has moved to the top of the Women's Match Race Rankings for the first time whilst Ian Williams (GBR) maintained top spot in the Open Match Race Rankings. The American broke into the top ten in the Women's Rankings in December 2009 and has steadily worked her way up to take top spot. Meanwhile in the Open Rankings another good performance by Williams in the sixth stop of the World Match Race Tour in St. Moritz Switzerland strengthened his position as World #1. -- Read on: http://www.sailing.org/36594.php * San Francisco, CA (September 6, 2011) - John Demourkas (USA) went against an age-old superstition today as he locked down the Farr 30 Pre-Worlds fleet to take an 8-point victory in the four-race regatta. Competition for the Farr 30 World Championship starts Thursday and runs through Sunday as part of the Rolex Big Boat Series. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/Farr30-090711 * Co. Dublin, Ireland (September 7, 2011) - Race three of the Star European Championship (September 2-10) was successfully started on Dublin Bay this morning as gales finally abated for the 26-boat fleet gathered at the Royal St. George Yacht Club. The 2006 European champion Diego Negri (ITA) with Enrico Voltolini remain as overall leader after their second win of the series. A 30-plus knot squall scuppered the plan to sail three races to catch-up on the programme. A fifth today by Canadians Richard Clarke/Tyler Bjorn moved them up to fourth overall. -- Event website: http://www.rsgyc.ie/stareuro2011/ * Porto Cervo, Italy (September 7, 2011) - After Tuesday's Mistral-inspired abandonment, racing got started early at the 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup as wind speeds were predicted to rise dramatically across the day. Principal Race Officer Peter Craig called for a coastal course of approx. 23.5-nautical miles for all four classes, with the winners to be Niklas Zennstrom's Ran 2 (GBR) in the Mini Maxi World Championship, Claus-Peter Offen's Y3K (GER) in the Wally division, Highland Fling (MON) in the Racing Maxis; DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA) in the Racing/Cruising Maxi division and Nilaya (GBR) as the top Supermaxi. Strong winds are again forecast for Thursday. -- Full report: http://regattanews.com/pressrelease.aspx?cid=18297&lid=1&eid=192&year=2011 * Chicago Match Race Center's fall season kicks off with the Autumn Open Grade 3 A and B Events September 9-12. With the combined events, this weekend maximizes a travel time for points awarded for the teams from five nations travelling to Chicago to compete. Many of the teams competing are using the events as a tune-up for the Grand Final of the ISAF Nations Cup in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA on September 13-18. -- Full report: http://chicagomatchrace.com/PressRelease/article.asp?p=10096 ULLMAN SAILS POWER NORWEGIAN M24 TITLE At last weekend's Melges 24 Norwegian Open 2011, Norwegian Christoffer Sundby and crew on "Oslo Flaggfabrikk" dominated the 2011 national title with a race to spare! The team finished with six bullets in the nine-race series, proving their speed and tactical edge on the racecourse. Fully powered by Ullman Sails, "Oslo Flaggfabrikk" finished 13 points ahead of second place without sailing the final race. Hosted by Fredrikstad Yacht Club, the 36-boat fleet from Norway, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark and the U.S. was challenged with strong currents, shifting breeze and changing weather over the three day event. Invest in your performance. www.ullmansails.com RULES ANSWER Concerning the protest against the Laser sailor wearing hiking pants, the protest disallowed. Rule 49.1 states, "Competitors shall use no device designed to position their bodies outboard, other than hiking straps and stiffeners worn under the thighs." Therefore, wearing stiffeners under the thighs does not break rule 49.1. Details at http://home.ussailing.org/KB.htm?ArticleId=5301 EXCEPTION: The only caveat to Rule 49.1 is when the class rules override it. An example is the Etchells whose rules state that "No ... special device shall be used by any member of the crew for the purpose of supporting his weight outboard of the sheerline." -- http://www.etchells.org/pdf/classrules.pdf EIGHT BELLS US visionary in classic yacht restoration, Adrian Pearsall, passed away on Tuesday, September 6th. After a successful career in modern age furniture design in the 1950's-1980's, Adrian Pearsall never really retired. Instead he turned his passion for preservation and meticulous craftsmanship to the hobby of sailing and classic yacht restoration. Long before many would appreciate the beauty in these treasured relics, he rescued and personally restored numerous classic yachts, including the famous 44ft Herreshoff NY-30, AMORITA (1905); a 50ft Burgess P-Class Sloop CHIPS (1913); a Wm. Fife Six Metre, CLARITY (1926); and a Herreshoff Watch Hill 15, EMMA (1924). But most notably, he was solely responsible for the rescue and re-build of the long time Fastnet Race (elapsed time) record holder, the 72ft Wm. Fife designed HALLOWE'EN (1926), which was completely restored over a four year period in a shed he built behind the Museum of Yachting, in Newport, RI. -- Bill Doyle, http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12554 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Sep 8-11 - Beneteau First 36.7 North American Champs - Toronto, ONT, CAN Sep 10-11 - US Sunfish Masters Championship - Lake Bluff, IL, USA Sep 10-17 - New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup - Harbour Court, RI, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * Rudders - Finco merges with Foss Foam * Atlantis WeatherGear to Sponsor the 2011 NYYC Invitational Cup * AED for boats View and/or post Industry News updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Scott Brown, Minneapolis, MN: I applaud the forward-thinking comments in Gary Jobson's address regarding yacht clubs (in Scuttlebutt 3421); specifically his thoughts regarding the old guard and communication. However, the suggestion that printed communication on its own can improve club participation falls short of the mark. From major corporations to soccer clubs -- everyone is trying to balance the tradition of print with the immediacy and low-cost of digital. But the form in which we communicate is not the problem -- it's what we communicate. A few suggestions: 1. Be on time. Communicating anything late has minimal value. 2. Deliver information that helps members be better members, and then stop. This keeps content focused on the core of the club -- sailing. 3. Keep the format simple. It reduces the time requirement of this volunteer position without hurting performance. 4. Assign the newsletter to a new person every year. It'a huge job. Share it. 5. Leave out the drivel. How many Spring newsletters begin with, "Well, it's been a long winter, the snow is almost gone, and it's time we dust off our boats and . . . . . blah, blah, blah." Just get to the meat. 6. Provide balance. Cover the entire club, not just the part of the club of special interest to the newsletter editor. 7. Have a sense of humor. You're not producing the Wall Street Journal. It's a club, and clubs are fun! * From Lorne Cheeseman: As someone who is interested in sailing, has sailed a bit but does not currently own a boat, one thing that Yacht clubs could do is to encourage members to bring new people onto their boats. For example, adding a requirement in addition to serving on the race committee or other club service to bring in new members, or to have bonus points offered for new crew during regular club regattas. I do want to get into sailing but am not going to go out and buy a boat right away just to do it. I find that some of the walls that one has to get over to get into sailing are far too steep for many people in a time when the sailing community should be removing barriers... not putting them up. * From Luiz Kahl: The re-direct suggestion by Jared Wohlgemuth in Scuttlebutt 3421 would still not work. The problem is that people outside (i.e. media, etc) would link their sites to the custom URL which you created and used to market the event and once you let that domain lapsed and die, all outside links to it would now be broken. The solution is to create and market "sdyc.org/snipeworlds2009" as that domain would remain live forever. The classes (in this case, Snipe) should have a single domain for their worlds - snipeworlds.com - which would have links to your files on the SDYC web server. Another option would be to use services such as yachtscoring.com which would run your events and maintain all of the data live for you for years to come - outside links would not be broken. * From R. G. Newbury: Regarding custom event URLs, quite a number of years ago I attempted to do this for the Etchells Class. I obtained (and paid for!) the domain etchellsworlds.org. The idea was to have ONE static page, consisting of links to the actual event sites, so that, at the least, an outsider could *find* the event site, without having to worry about domain name oddities. But the event organizers never seemed to like the idea and it never went anywhere. Personally, I would love to be able to just type in snipeworlds.org or starworlds.org and click on one further link to have access to the latest news. Easier on the brain cells. The domain has since been transferred to the Etchells Class. A page is there, but no-one has permission to access it! COMMENT: The most significant value of an event site for a one design class is marketing. Yet, these sites are typically in the control of the event organizer, whose interest is regatta management and not class marketing. More details on event communication here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/pr/ * From Marc Jacobi: While reading Scuttlebutt 3421, I was flabbergasted at the write up about the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. 25-28 knots is now considered so "menacing" that racing is canceled? Geez, when I was growing up in Honolulu they were racing squirrelly IOR Maxi lead mines in stronger winds than that without incident. The swells were 10-20 feet too. I've one word for a professionally-crewed fleet (or professional race committee) that can't handle that amount of wind: pitiful. COMMENT: I haven't spoken to PRO Peter Craig about the cancellation of racing, but I am reminded of the comments made by Naval Architect Bruce Nelson in Scuttlebutt 3305. Bruce had filed a thoughtful report about the flaws of modern yacht design following the attrition of 9 of the 15 big boats from the 2011 Newport-to-Cabo Race. Here is an excerpt: "Today, many races which were once a test of seamanship are now more often a test of nerves, and the physical stamina of the crew. Every ship in the US Navy is designed to meet minimum sea-kindliness standards so that the sailors are not routinely injured, or seasick beyond all usefulness. Perhaps yacht racers need to consider some similar criteria." -- Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt, full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=4658 CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Why be difficult, when with a bit of effort, you can be impossible? 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