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SCUTTLEBUTT 1856 - June 9, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. GUEST EDITORIAL The strength of a one-design class lies in its youth. Classes with sanctioned championships such as Youth World, Junior North American and/ or Junior National championships benefit youth sailors, the class association, other sailors in the class, and the sport of sailing itself. With so many one-design classes to choose from today, it's key to offer juniors a platform that provides the opportunity to compete at many levels within the class. This is accomplished by offering club, district, regional, national, and world youth regattas. I was lucky enough to grow up sailing Lightning's at the Buffalo Canoe Club. The BCC and Lake Erie District were very supportive of junior Lightning sailing. I had many mentors in the class teaching me, lending their boats, and offering advice on how to sail the boat faster. It was awesome. The goals were clear: at age 13, get good enough just to compete at a Junior North American's; at 16, go win! And before you age out, try to win the Youth World Championship. I didn't reach all my junior sailing goals, but I had the platform and avenue to do so. The Lightning class provided it. That is the key! Sailors of all ages and gender involved in a one-design class association benefit from sanctioned junior regattas. Seasoned veterans find it easier to locate crew, and always have fresh competition - up and comers bring new ideas, leadership, and innovation to a class. Simply stated, juniors are the breeding ground for future sailors in the class. Finally, a well-run class office is quite important. The class sanctioned junior regattas must be organized and administered through the class office. This has been one of the many strengths of the Lightning class over the years. In this day and age, there is vast competition to attract and retain sailors among one-design classes. It starts and ends with youth sailors. Get a kid on board, teach them, and give them worthy goals. While winning the class junior championship will be an important goal, the best part of participating in various class youth regattas has been the lifelong friendships I've made. - David Starck TEAM RACING Team racing has evolved from ten years ago when college sailors and optimist racers did most team racing. Now, there are active adult keelboat team racing circuits in several regions of the United States and high school team racing has grown significantly. US Sailing's U.S. Team Racing Championship has evolved from a regatta where former college sailors rally once a year in various types of dinghies to now a coveted trophy raced in vanguard 15s, with teams training for the event throughout the year. Currently, teams can qualify for the U.S. Team Racing Championship for the Hinman Trophy from three regional events and the rest by resume. Teams campaign for this Championship to earn the right to represent the U.S. at the Team Racing World Championship. This year, New York Yacht Club hosts the Worlds in September in Vanguard 15s. Recently, US Sailing started up a national team racing committee with one focus - growth of the sport. Accordingly, the committee has started by re-designing the U.S. Team Racing Championship website to be a portal for team racing. The website includes names of people who can help in your local area, recommendations on how to learn more about team racing tactics/strategy, how to run good team races, where to find umpires, racing calendar, and lots more. - Gavin O'Hare, full story: www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/ustrc/ JACK SUTPHEN Each of the names has a spot in sailing history. Stars & Stripes. Freedom. Enterprise. Courageous. Columbia. Liberty. Weatherly. Intrepid. America II. Magic. Spirit. Nyala. Twelve great names. Fourteen 12 meter sloops in all. For more than a quarter of a century, the venerable 12 meter ruled the waves as the boat of the America's Cup. And no one sailed more miles over the years on a 12 meter than Jack Sutphen . . . with a twist. "I never sailed in an America's Cup race," Sutphen joked yesterday. But he played a key role in nine campaigns, most notably serving as the trial-horse skipper for seven of Dennis Conner's America's Cup bids. For which Sutphen last week was afforded one of the highest honors in international sailing. The 86-year-old San Diegan was voted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in Bristol, R.I. "I was stunned when the call came," said Sutphen, whose America's Cup story began in 1958 when he made sails for Weatherly. Six years later, Sutphen was days away from reaching his dream of racing in an America's Cup as the tactician of Courageous when he was replaced just before the end of the defender trials by a young upstart from San Diego named Dennis Conner. Normally, such a circumstance would create bitterness. But five years later, when Conner was plotting the Freedom defense, he asked Sutphen to move to San Diego to become the trial-horse skipper for Conner's first campaign as an America's Cup skipper. "That's when I started really piling up the miles," said Sutphen. - Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, full story: www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20050607-9999-1s7boatcol.html COMING TO SAN DIEGO Pearson Yachts is pleased to announce that they will be attending the upcoming San Diego Boat Show from Thursday, June 23rd through Sunday, June 26th at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina in San Diego, California. If you are planning to be in the Southern California area around this time, the True North 38 will be in the water and on display for viewing. This will be a great opportunity to see the Pearson Yachts tradition of innovation and superior boat building up close and in person. For additional information or questions, please call 619-224-8783 or visit http://www.pearsonyachts.com RUMOR MILL An Internet report that Roy Disney's R/P maxZ86 Pyewacket had been sold to Marda Phelps in Seattle really 'lit up' the phone lines at the Phelps residence on Wednesday morning. Marda could hardly stop laughing as she talked about the absurdity of the story. It is true however, that she and her husband Shef have just purchased a pre-owned sailboat, but its 52 feet long - not 86 - and it has an autopilot and a roller furling jib. Before she hung up, she wanted to make sure we would tell everyone that their former boat - the successfully campaigned SC 52 Marda Gras - is now seriously for sale. In a later discussion with Pyewacket's Program Manager Robbie Haines, we learned that while Pyewacket will be placed on the market after the Transpac Race, absolutely no effort has been made to sell it yet. Haines said the entire issue is really premature - Disney hasn't even discussed the asking price yet. OVERCOMING For nearly three centuries, Portsmouth (New Hampshire) has been an active maritime port, but the gentler sight of sailboats racing around the buoys - the motif for any summertime destination along the New England coast - has often eluded this harbor. Portsmouth enjoys an incomparable maritime legacy. But those who choose to sail here must compete with the Piscataqua River, renowned for being the second-swiftest navigable current in North America. Facing 12-foot tides as well as six knots of current when trying to race discourages sailors who prefer the level playing field of open water on a large bay. Furthermore, the experienced sailors and boat owners who want to sail and race here must get in line. There is currently a 20-year waiting list for a mooring permit. Despite the odds, the Seacoast remains a vital place for a devoted and small community of area competitors who find innovative ways to keep the sport alive and growing. To read about those innovative solution, here's the URL to Laurie Fullerton's story in the Plymouth Herald, www.seacoastonline.com/news/06052005/news/45982.htm CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar ICSA/GILL NA COED DINGHY CHAMPIONSHIP Austin, Texas (June 8, 2005) - The University of Hawaii made it clear that they are planning to vigorously defend the championship title they won last year as the third and final event in college sailing's triple crown -- the ICSA/Gill North American Coed Dinghy Championship - got rolling today. Six races were sailed in both A and B divisions by competitors from 18 colleges in 10-18 knots of breeze under sunny skies with temperatures in the high 90s, conditions that elicited a "Dude, this is awesome!" critique from one member of the Rainbows squad. The Rainbows are currently first in A-division with 25 points, and fifth in B-Division on 41 points for a combined 66 points and first place overall. Hobart/William Smith Colleges, fresh off their win of the ICSA/Layline Team Race Championship, follow in second overall on 72 points, with Dartmouth College third overall on 75 points. Rounding out the top-five are Yale with 78 points and Harvard with 85. Racing on Lake Travis resumes tomorrow, Thursday, June 9, with the championship title determined on Friday, June 10. - Media Pro Int'l Event website: http://collegesailing.org/nas/spring05/index.htm NEWS BRIEFS * June 8 - New Zealand supermaxi Konica Minolta has smashed the Auckland-Fiji race record by more than a day after clinching line honours in Suva early today. Owned by Wellington businessman Stewart Thwaites, the 30m vessel completed the 1100 nautical mile (2037km) journey from Waitemata Harbour in three days, 10 hours, 47 minutes and 40 seconds. Konica Minolta eclipsed the 16-year-old record held by Future Shock by 27 hours and 55 minutes. - www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=10329690 * The VO 70 Movistar completed her first 15,000 miles of ocean trials when the Spanish participant in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 arrived Sunday afternoon in Galici. "We suffered some shredded sails from Australia to Rio, but we also learned a lot and improved upon a number of elements on the boat. Proof of that is the fact that we did not break anything all the way from Rio to here," said Bouwe Bekking. * All the yachts in the Global Challenge have now finished Leg 5 - the longest leg in the race. The last yacht, Pindar, made her entrance into Boson Harbor Wednesday morning - more than three and a half days behind BG Spirit. The outcome of Leg 5 and the overall leg results now depends on the results of a protest filed by Imagine It. Done against BP Explorer for an alleged 'luffing after sunset' incident on June 6. The protest hearing is scheduled for Saturday, June 11. - www.challengebusiness.com * Sailboat parts manufacturer Harken (www.harken.com) has agreed to act as the title sponsor for the Florida Catamaran Racing Series (FCRS) hosted by internet site www.1Design.Net. Harken will provide trophies for the FCRS which includes the Harken Endurance Series, a six event distance racing series, and the Harken Buoy Series, a six event buoy regatta racing series. The Harken Endurance and Buoy Series alternate throughout the year and attract some of the top catamaran sailors in the country. * Thrane & Thrane A/S has been appointed official sponsor of satellite communication equipment to the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06. Each boat in the seven-strong fleet will be equipped with Thrane & Thrane's SAILOR Fleet77, one Sailor Fleet33 and two Inmarsat-C systems. The Sailor Fleet77 system will be an especially important part of the onboard communication package, as it enables data transfer rates of up to 128 kbps. This equipment will be the primary communication link from the boats at sea to the spectators on land and will bring the world of yacht racing to a new level. - www.thrane.com & www.volvooceanrace.org * Sail San Francisco will showcase the largest gathering of tall ships on the San Francisco Bay since 2002. The non-profit Pacific Rim Foundation will play host to sailing vessels from around the world and the USA starting with the arrival of Japan's 361' Nippon Maru II on July 15, 2005. A spectacular array of international and local ships led by Mexico's 270' Cuauhtemoc and Russia's 356' Pallada, taking part in the Parade of Sail on July 28. www.pacificrimfoundation.org * Correction - Allison Jolly's former husband was mistakenly called Mark Jolly in the letters section yesterday. He is actually Mark Elliott. THE ULLMAN TIDAL WAVE CONTINUES!!! Ullman Sails continues devouring the competition on the Southern California sailing scene. CYC's Cal Race Week 2005: Ullman Sails customers won 8 of 13 classes off Santa Monica Bay, and placed customers in the top three in eleven classes. Next big showdown is Ullman Sails Inshore Championship Series, June 24-26 off Long Beach, California. With over 100 boats pre- registered, there's still time to meet entry deadlines. Come enjoy one of SoCal's greatest sailing venues, and witness for yourself why Ullman Sails are the "Fastest Sails on the Planet." Info on the Championship Series and Ullman sails at http://www.ullmansails.com 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. This is not a chat room nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Sir Robin Knox-Johnston: Those of us who have followed Minouru Saito's solo non-stop unassisted circumnavigation and know the man are perhaps less surprised at his success. At the age of 71, when most people have their feet up and are becoming, well, a bit sedentary, he has thrown down the gauntlet. So who out there is going to beat 244 days at the age of 71? * From Les Smith, Newcastle, Australia: From an Australian perspective it is indeed gratifying to have Alan Payne's contribution to the AC recognized. And while not wanting to take anything away from this achievement similarly disappointed that Ben Lexcen again missed out. This issue will no doubt generate some interesting letters in Scuttlebutt, while raising questions as to the impartiality of the selection process. If we can believe the media, seems like people do have long unforgiving memories (or egos) when it comes to Ben Lexcen. Then maybe this is something like the Baseball World Series where only North American teams get invited or is there a need to understand the rules? Better go find a lawyer. * From Andy Colloton: It is simply astounding that a public service such as the NWS could ever be on the chopping block due to special-interest-controlled legislators. After a year as we had in Florida last year combined with the forecast of another busy hurricane season coupled with the regular threat of serious weather, the potential for the serious loss of life or property is simply too great to pass the responsibility onto the private sector. How many private companies are going to broadcast weather information and alerts over VHF and sideband frequencies to reach customers who are not in their "home" market? I doubt the expenses will be incurred by anyone other than the government to assure adequate warning for all mariners. The time has come for us as an industry to flex our political muscle and stop this dangerous line of thought on the part of the US Senate. Our industry is lucky enough to have some well-connected and powerful customers and workers, as well as a broad base of constituents that can have an impact on our governing process. I implore every single person who reads this to contact your local Senator and let them know how dangerous this move could be, and how we will hold them responsible for anything bad that happens from privatizing the National Weather Service. The threat of alienating a constituent base such as ours should be enough to awaken our governing bodies from their special-interest induced slumber and take action now, before tragedy strikes. * From Kevin Crandall: I thought Scuttlebutt readers would find this information useful to voice an opinion directly to those who might listen. The National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005 (S. 786) is currently in the US Sentate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. They can be directly contacted at: http://commerce.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm * From Glen Dickson: I take issue with Sid Shelter's suggestion that Youth Champs are being held at Cedar Point YC due to "a level of ignorance," presumably on the part of US Sailing. I attended Laser North Americans last year, and while I didn't expect San Francisco Bay-like conditions, I can attest that the regatta suffered from a very unusual and unfortunate weather pattern that was good for whiffleball, but not much else. I felt sorry for the regatta organizers, who had done such a marvelous job preparing the club for the event, and am glad Cedar Point is getting a second chance this year with the Youths. While I am not privy to the inner workings of the US Sailing bid process, my guess is that strong one-design racing clubs like CPYC are awarded big events like Youths because they want to host them--and not many clubs have the volunteer support and necessary infrastructure to accept such a massive undertaking. One of the obvious realities of our sport is that it depends on the vagaries of weather; I know I have also suffered through days of horrible light-air conditions at Buzzards Bay, Hyannis, Clearwater and Kingston. While I prefer to sail Lasers at Cedar Point in November, when their frostbite racing often sees strong northwesterlies (and 40-boat fleets), history would suggest that a few sailors have learned to race successfully on Long Island Sound in June. I imagine the same feat will be repeated this year. * From Dave Smith: In 1993 the Hobart and William Smith Colleges sailing team was a little known club team in Geneva NY. However, under the leadership and guidance of Head Coach Scott Ikle, the HWS team has turned into one of the premier college sailing teams in the country. As an alum, I can remember in 1996 when we first cracked the top 20 in the college rankings, and then qualified for our first College Dinghy Nationals in that same year. From the very beginning, Scott brought a different perspective to what were preconceived notions of college sailing. With a winter term workout schedule that rivaled that of the nationally ranked Hobart Lacrosse team, and with February sailing on Lake Seneca in 20-30 degree weather, blinding Upstate New York lake effect snow, and 20 knots of breeze, to say we earned every success, is, by all means, an understatement. Scott has consistently put together a top tier team consisting of players (sailors) who may have been overlooked by other high profile programs, with a budget that is a fraction of that of other schools. In this respect, I would say that Scott is the Billy Beane of college sailing. Yesterday marked an important day for Scott, for the impressive current HWS team, and for the alumni(ae) of the team who have seen this amazing transformation over the past 10 years, as the Hobart and William Smith Colleges sailing team captured its first National Championship in the Team Racing College Nationals. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house." - Rod Stewart |
