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SCUTTLEBUTT 2151 - August 3, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.LITIGATION Two law firms -- Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP Abraham Fruchter & Twersky LLP -- are litigating coordinated class actions, alleging systematic fraud, false advertising and persistently misleading claims that exaggerate the ability of sunscreens to protect against the sun and reduce the risk of cancer and other skin ailments. The suits state that manufacturers are making deliberately fraudulent and misleading claims on their labels and websites, in their advertising, and seeks an injunction on the claims, compensation for consumers and other remedies, including a public education program concerning sun protection paid for by the industry. SPF designations, the suits say, apply only to protection from UVB rays, but manufacturers use them to imply a similar level of UVA protection, which SPF does not in fact provide or measure. The FDA accepts SPF standards for UVB, but there is no standard yet in the US to measure UVA protection. Both UVA and UVB pose health threats. The suits also note that the "waterproof" designation is deceptive because all sunscreen products lose efficacy when immersed in water and there is no standard for measuring their efficacy against UVA rays. "The Skin Cancer Foundation has worked tirelessly educating the public about the importance of using sunscreen as part of a complete sun safety regimen, and we are finally seeing the results of our efforts," said Perry Robins, MD, President and Founder of The Skin Cancer Foundation. "This lawsuit is especially disturbing because it may cause people to stop using sunscreen." The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Response: Since its inception in 1979, The Skin Cancer Foundation has always recommended using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher as one important part of a complete sun protection regimen. -- Excerpts for a story posted on the Sail magazine website. To read the Foundation’s sun safety tips: http://www.skincancer.org/classaction.php AN OLYMPIC POSSIBILITY Twenty-seven teams gathered at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy for two days of racing in the first 29erXX Open Cup. The 29erXX, a new design by skiff guru Julian Bethwaite, is a high-powered rig for the existing 29er hull. This new rig is only 18 inches longer than the standard 29er mast, and features carbon construction, double trapeze wires and three sets of shrouds. A masthead kite adds quite a bit of speed downwind while the responsive 29er platform requires the sailors to move with precision through maneuvers. Carbon tubes extend out the back of each rail to allow the crew to keep their weight further aft and the bow out of the water. After the first day of racing Canadian Genevieve Bougie-Basiten remarked "Under ten knots I felt a bit under powered, but the new rig demands better boathandling [than the 29er]. You must be in good shape, and the skipper has to work so much harder now. Its really fun!" Although the 29erXX is aimed to be the first women's Olympic skiff, the inaugural event was open to all sexes and featured competitors from eight different countries. The new gear did not quite hold up to Weymouth's conditions. Failures included four torn kites, a snapped rack-extension and a broken mast. Nonetheless, the competition was fierce, all had fun, and the general consensus supports the direction the 29erXX design takes. Local I-14 gurus Kate Nurton and Louise Hickey wished the boat included more high-tech features, but were completely in favor of including a women's skiff in the Olympics. 2004 Yngling gold medalist Sarah Ayton raced on the last day. She returned to the dock with a huge grin, commenting, "This is great! Its really good fun to go so fast." Five masts will return to Canada with the hopes of hosting another 29erXX event following the CORK regatta the third week of August. Going forward the main goal is a good showing at the ISAF Observation Trials in Santander, Spain next spring. From there, the possibilities are endless. For complete results, photos and more information visit http://www.29erXX.org TRIVIA QUESTION Last week, Sarah Lihan won the US Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship, marking the sixth time in the last twenty years that the event was won by a Floridian. Only one other state can claim the title as many times as Florida. What state is it? (Answer below) FAST SAILS DEMAND FAST CLOTH! Why are Ullman Sails the fastest sails on the planet? Simple, fast designs demand fast cloth! At Ullman Sails we choose only the “Best” sail cloth from Contender, Dimension/ Polyant, and Bainbridge International. And now, with our new FiberPath technology, “Best” just got “Better!” What good is a fast sail design, if the cloth can't hold the shape? Our winning designs, combined with superior sailcloth, continue collecting trophies for our customers. If you and your crew are ready, let Ullman Sails bring our speed technology to your sails. Call your nearest Ullman Sails loft or visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com CHINA'S XU LEADS BY 8 Marina del Rey, Calif.—Two days earlier Paige Railey, the defending champion who was struggling in the Laser Radial Women's Worlds, allowed that "I've got to step it up." In light of the ill wind that blew her way Wednesday, that is now an understatement. Minutes after an encouraging fifth in the day's first race, she was compelled to withdraw from the second. Her boat was OK; the only thing broken was her heart. She is in seventh place, 27 points behind the new leader, Lijia Xu of China. Railey was yellow-flagged by an on-water judge for sculling---i.e., thrashing her tiller to and fro to gain propulsion---at the start. Because it was her second such violation of the week---the first drew only a double penalty turn---she had to drop out and take a last-place score or lose the option of using the race as a discard at the end of the six championship round races through Friday. She returned to the California Yacht Club launch ramp under tow by her coach, reportedly in tears. Railey, ranked No. 1 in the world in the women's new Olympic class, started the championship round in 11th place in the 45-boat Gold fleet, which became the elite group after the first 6 of 12 races comprising the qualifying series. The other 44 boats are now sailing for Silver honors. Railey, 19, of Florida, actually was fifth before the first discard kicked in after Tuesday's races (an adjustment in the standings completed after the evening's press release) but her worst discard was a 12th, while France's Solenne Brain temporarily moved into first place by dropping a 21st and Xu skyrocketed into third by tossing a 33rd. Xu is thriving with a string of 2-3-3 finishes in the big winds that blessed the last three races. After hitting 16 knots late Tuesday, the breeze started at 15 Wednesday and built to 17, with seas of 3 to 4 feet that tossed the little boats like corks. And Xu (pronounced zoo) is learning to love it. - Rich Roberts Women’s Gold Fleet: 1. Lijia Xu, China, 6-4-6-(33)-3-2-3-3, 27 points. 2. Anna Tunnicliffe, Florida, 3-1-3-7-7-9-(24)-5, 35. 3. Sarah Steyaert, France, 1-24-(32)-1-6-1-2-2, 37. 4. Katarzyna Szotynska, Poland, 12-7-1-2-7-6-(27)-8, 43. 5. Solenne Brain, France, 6-2-2-5-1-21-9-(29), 46. Men’s Radial Worlds: 1. Jon Emmett, Great Britain, 18-2-(25)-16-6-1-5-7, 56. 2. Steven Le Fevre, The Netherlands, 4-4-1-(41)-15-2-2-4, 62. 3. Steven Krol, The Netherlands, 2-1-(20)-15-3-19-7-20, 67. 4. Ryan Seaton, Ireland, 5-25-9-(46)-13-7-2-10, 71. 5. Fabio Pillar, Brazil, 16-12-5-1-4-9-(30)-28, 75. Event website: http://www.calyachtclub.com WORLD RANKINGS Great Britain remains the leading nation in the latest release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings with recent success in Europe helping them maintain all three of their top spots. There is just one change amongst the leaders and little surprise as new World and European Champions Monica Azon, Sandra Azon and Graciela Pisonero (ESP) take the Yngling top spot. With two teams ranked number one and one ranked in the number two spot, the USA is tied with with the Ukraine in the fourth spot in the rankings. North American sailors in the top ten in their respective classes include Paige Railey (USA, #1-Laser Radial), Anna Tunnicliffe (USA, #2-Laser Radial), Lisa Ross (CAN, #5 - Laser Radial), Amanda Clark/ Sara Mergenthaler (USA, #7 - 470 Women), Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe, Debbie Capozzi (USA, #7 - Yngling), Michael Anderson Mitterling/ David Hughes (USA, #10 470 Men), George Szabo/ Eric Monroe (USA, #1 Star) 4. Mark Reynolds/ Hal Haenel (USA, #4 - Star), Andrew MacDonald/ Brian Faith (USA, #9 - Star), John Lovell/ Charlie Ogletree (USA, #4 - Tornado), Oskar Johansson/ Kevin Stittle (CAN, #10 Tornado), Chris Cook (CAN, #6 - Finn) -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j8~Fh`AA2 TRANSPAC ROW Anne Stevens, the Hawaii State Representative for the 23rd District, which includes the pathetic Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, told Latitude in a telephone interview yesterday that she expects F Dock, the so-called 'TransPac Row', to have new docks in time for the finish of next July's Los Angeles to Honolulu race. Thanks to Stevens' success in getting members of the governor's cabinet to come down and have a look at the disgrace that is the Ala Wai, there have been changes. Richard Rice, who used to head the state's Division of Boating and Ocean Resources, is gone, as are several of the district managers. A shakeup was badly needed. According to Stevens, there have been a lot of problems at DBOR. For example, they lost out on $1 million in federal funds because they didn't fill out the necessary paperwork on time. In addition, even though a much-needed 28% increase in slip fees was approved for the Ala Wai long ago, it hasn't been implemented because the DBOR has again not finished the necessary paperwork. As such, as many as 171 slips are at risk of being lost because they aren't safe. When Governor Linda Lingle said she wanted dilapidated 'TransPac Row' ready for next July's arrival of TransPac boats, the DBOR bureaucrats apparently came up with every excuse in the world why it couldn't be done. For example, a year wouldn't be enough time to draw up plans and get the docks in place - as if it's rocket science. Then someone pointed out that way back in 2001, plans had been drawn up to replace the F Docks, making it much easier to beat the deadline. "I can't guarantee it," says Stevens, "but there shouldn't be any reason why the TransPac row docks won't be in place for the end of next year's race." -- Richard Spindler, Publisher / Executive Editor, Latitude 38, http://www.latitude38.com SAILING SHORTS * Thursday, three AC challengers bring Cup racing to Kiel, Germany for the first time. In the style of the Moet Cup in San Francisco and the UBS Trophy in Newport in 2003 and 2004, the racing will be close to shore with a full program of activities on shore for the public to enjoy. Three Challengers for the 32nd America's Cup -- BMW Oracle Racing (USA), Team Shosholoza (RSA)and United Internet Team Germany (GER) -- will compete in the German Sailing Grand Prix through Sunday in a mix of match racing and fleet racing. * Sandy Point, Hayling Island, Hampshire, England -- After five races in the 112-boat CSC 505 World Championships, the USA’s Howie Hamlin and Jeff Nelson are just one point behind series leaders -- Mark Upton Brown / Ian Mitchell (GBR). Australians Michael Quirk / Geoff Lange are five points further back in third, while Americans Tyler Moore / Jesse Falsone moved into sixth place with a pair of single digit finishes. -- http://hisc.co.uk/nupdate.asp * The Ellen MacArthur Trust is urging everyone enjoying Skandia Cowes Week to dig deep and help them to raise £100,000 in their first year as the official charity of the prestigious sailing regatta. The charity takes young people aged between 8-18 sailing to help them regain their confidence, on their way to recovery from cancer, leukaemia and other serious illnesses. The Trust have been amazed by the support they’ve received so far this week, which has seen them raise a total of £88,536 (US$166,210.350). * Twenty eight of the finest disabled sailors from the United States and Canada will meet up at the Chicago Yacht Club’s Belmont Harbor August 4-7 to compete in the 15th annual U.S. Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup Regatta. Two-person crews will compete in specially outfitted 20-foot Freedom Independence boats, each of which will also be co-manned by a non-competing able-bodied volunteer, to help ensure the safety of all participants. Solo entrants will race without assistance in single-handed 2.4mR boats. http://www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/usic * The 2006 Bay Week wrapped up its racing on Wednesday, where breezy conditions saved racers from the continued hot weather on Put-in-Bay. Scuttlebutt reporter Skip Dieball of Quantum Sails Toledo files this closing report from what continues to be a very competitive regatta, both on the water and off. Congratulations to the Beneteau 367 out of Erie, PA, TAZ, which won their division and the West Marine Boat of the Week honors. Read on for Skip’s report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/pib TRIVIA ANSWER 2006 US Junior Women's Singlehanded Champion Sarah Lihan brings the title back to Florida for the sixth time in the last twenty years, equaling the total of six titles by California sailors during the same time period. Florida victories were by Lihan, Paige Railey (2001, 2002, 2004), Charlotte Hill (2003), and Annemarie Casesa (1996). California titles were claimed by Casey Hogan (1995), Rebecca Harris (1991, 1992), and Giselle Camet (1987, 1988, 1989). Curmudgeon’s Comment: Photographer Sue Bodycomb/Yachtshots.com has provided the Scuttlebutt website with a gallery of photos from the 2006 event: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/leiter BOAT BUILDING VERSUS SAIL MAKING Suppose you have to decide between building composite racing boats or building sails with the chance of building membrane sails. Which way do you sway? This question was asked in the Scuttlebutt Forums, and we were wondering what the ‘buttheads thought. All responses to this thread are eligible to win a Scuttlebutt hat. List “which way you sway” AND why, and will put your name in for the cap drawing to be held this Friday. Here is the Forums thread: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/2006/0802 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 Peter Huston: Our sport, in its recreational form, is based on honor and self-policing on the race course. So too should it be relative to measurement after initial measurements are certified. Of course, a class needs to have consistency in their measurement procedure too. Simple rules help as well, if not also being a necessity for class health. There are many subtle factors that contribute to the decline in racing participation. I have sailed in one class over several decades that insists on measurement at North American championships each year. I can understand weighing the boat, because it might have retained water, and that is an easy measurement to take. But to measure a mast over and over each year? What is the point of that? All it does is waste time. I’ve measured countless sails at North American or World Championships – the only ones that didn’t measure in were batches of sails made in error, usually like a whopping quarter inch on a mid-girth. I've never in my life known one single recreational racer who went out of their way to cheat through illegal equipment. We have plenty of rules that would take care of cheaters if they are found out. The biggest penalty is not what ISAF, an NGB or class would do to the cheating sailor, it is the social pressure they would face. If nothing else, let’s get rid of as much measurement at class championships as possible and spend that time more productively – like having fun. * From Doran Cushing: No. That is the simple answer to Mr. Chamberlain's question as to whether racing sailboats should have, or are entitled to, right of way over non-racing boats. While covering regattas throughout the South, I've often witnessed the conflict between racers and pleasure cruisers (as well as large commercial vessels). The legal regulations which govern vessels on navigable waters do not change whether racing or not. One solution to reinforce that requirement is for the race committee to clearly spell out that any competitor who does not yield as required by law is subject to disqualification. From a practical side, yes, non-racing boats should attempt to stay clear and most will do so. But wind shadows or wakes from these boats are part of sailing, whether it be racing or cruising. Part of racing is understanding the big picture and anticipating shifts, waves, and wind shadows. The better racers will avoid getting boxed in by other vessels, again, whether those vessels are r acing or not. Look at the tactics in a start at the America's Cup, using spectator boats as "picks." Tacking away may not send you on what seems to be the favored route but neither will holding your course and getting blanketed by a freighter or large motor yacht. It comes down to courtesy and common sense, which may be missing from a portion of our nautical neighbors. * From John M Buckley: I was the PRO for the J24 Women's Open Championship. The race area was Southeast of Bird Island which is at the exit point from Outer Sippican Harbor in Marion, MA. The race area was positioned intentionally away from the two major passages - the one going from Marion, Ma. to Woods Hole (leading to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket) and the one from the entrance to Buzzaeds Bay to the Cape Cod Canal. If Tony was going from Marion to Woods Hole, he would steer 180 degrees magnetic from Sippica Harbor Red Buoy 2, (FLR) to the entrance to Woods Hole - a closed hauled course in a SW breeze. On that course, he would have passed to the west of the starboard tack lay line to the windward mark. If he was steering significantly lower that 180, then he might have encountered some competitors. During our planning, we were very conscious of our obligations to all sailors, racers and cruisers. If he found himself in that situation, he might have considered tacking on to port, which he would have had to do eventually anyway. In any event, we are sorry that we might have tainted his weekend cruise, the same one I have taken a hundred times, at least. * From John A. Berol: The TSA web site no longer states any exception for CO2 cartridge for life-jackets. The old reported web pages do not work. Do you know of a new TSA web page that works and that says there is a CO2 exception for life jackets? The only page I can see has no exception. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/compressed_gas.shtm * From Ralph Taylor (re When The Rules Aren’t Followed blog): Anyone who’s raced should know that yelling often accompanies close port/ starboard confrontations, most especially those that result in the hail of “Protest”. That the offender’s crew objected says he/ she didn’t understand the situation. (The rules applying – 10, 14 & 18.3 -- seem pretty clear if the description’s accurate.) “Other options” is a lame response. What we don’t know is whether “SP” had their boat under control (Bigger boat doesn’t always mean better sailors.), was aware of “Trygve”, or understood the respective rights & obligations. The description implies one or more of these essential elements was missing. The hearing may provide illumination. But, sarcasm – though oh so tempting – rarely helps engender better relationships or make a point. Similarly, with hails other than “Protest”. How to handle it from here? “SP” seems to need education, so as not to provide future hazards. Maybe, by a third party, if relations have soured or the anger hasn’t abated. * From Steve Old: In light of current debate regarding Rules, and the observance and breach of same. Someone famous once said ... "Rules are designed for the guidance of fools and benefit of experts!" * From Steve Travis: For whatever it is worth, I think the race committee has done a fantastic job at Cowes week this year. I appreciate that may comments coming from IRC 1 may not have relevance to the SB 3 issues, but just wanted to say they are doing a great job. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATIONS Of all the people on TV I have seen that reached 100 years old, not one of them mentioned jogging or working out as the reason. This issue of Scuttlebutt presented by Ullman Sails. |
