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SCUTTLEBUTT 2461 – October 25, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, featuresand dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday with the support of its sponsors. THRILL OF VICTORY – AGONY OF REDRESS Anyone who has ever mounted an Olympic campaign in the sport of sailing knows how difficult it can be. Lack of funding, minimal support and the fact the United States gets just one representative per class make the odds of earning an Olympic berth extremely long. Annapolis resident Farrah Hall overcame all those obstacles to claim the U.S. berth in women's sailboarding… or so she thought. Hall, a 1999 graduate of Broadneck High, won the U.S. Olympic Trials in RS:X class on the water, posting a low score of 29 points after 16 races over eight days. "It was one of the greatest feelings of my life. Knowing that I had accomplished something I worked so hard for was very satisfying. I was extremely happy," said Hall, who secured the title by placing first in the final two races of the trials. However, while Hall was calling family and friends with the good news, runner-up Nancy Rios was filing a request for redress that ultimately changed the final results. Rios claimed that a collision at the start of the 16th and final race caused her to finish fourth and a jury agreed. Rios was awarded second place for Race 16 and the two-point improvement vaulted her past Hall into overall victory. Hall, who was completely unaware of the redress hearing, was pulled out of a shower and brought to the jury room to hear the final decision along with Rios. Chairman Larry White told both competitors the jury thought Rios' performance had been significantly hampered by the collision and that redress was warranted. -- Capital Online, full story: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_24-07/SPO HELL FREEZES OVER Yes, it seems that hell has frozen over, because the State of Hawaii, after all these decades, is actually taking a baby step to improve things in one part of the woefully rundown 747-berth Ala Wai Yacht Harbor in Honolulu. Specifically, work has begun on a new 650-ft F Dock, replacing the old dock that - we're not making this up - had been handed down to them several years ago by the Waikiki YC! It should be in place by next July. While this is a first step, it's just a little one. It will still leave a staggering 90 of the marina's 747 slips unusable - in a place where the demand for slips far exceeds the supply. And the situation is even worse at another state marina on Oahu. Getting the new dock was contingent upon an increase of 33% in slip fees. Ala Wai slips fees have been ridiculously low for decades - causing much of the deferred maintenance problem - and even with the increases couldn't be considered high. Department of Land and Natural Resources interim Director Laura Thielen also announced that another 172 slips, on floating docks B, C and D, will be replaced next year. Even with that, there is much work to be done. For example, in many places the marina space is being used extremely inefficiently. Boats just 25 feet long are kept in slots that could accommodate 100-footers, and in other places there is so much space between boats that 25% more could be accommodated. In addition, the Ala Wai has been allowed to become a storage facility for boats that are never used. It's our hope that the state takes a look at revamping the Ala Wai as a whole, for to do it piecemeal is going to end in disappointment. -- Latitude 38, read on: http://tinyurl.com/37mr3b A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME Given the fact the case in the NY Supreme Court focuses on one and only point, whether the CNEV (Club Nautico Español de Vela) is a valid challenger, it goes without saying that any information related to the CNEV is of primordial importance. It has been widely reported that Alinghi's lawyer David Hille, when asked by Judge Cahn about CNEV's annual regatta (in this week’s hearing), stated it would be held in November. That statement comes as a total surprise because if it is true, then the Challenger of Record will be having its third attempt to have an annual regatta as requested by the Deed of Gift. As a result, we contacted Manuel Chirivella, president of the CNEV, asking him to clarify the challenging club's position in that matter. We received a statement, mentioning that, "The Deed of Gift states that the challenging club must organize at least one annual regatta. Well, the CNEV has organized an Optimist regatta in Santander, the Vuelta a España a Vela (Spain Sailing Tour) last September (a regatta that visited a large part of Spain's coasts) and will organize in November a regatta in Valencia. All three events were born as annual regattas". [Note: The translation to English is ours]. So, assuming both men are telling the truth, it is remarkable there is this lack of co-ordination between the Challenger of Record and the Defender. After all, the issue of CNEV's annual regatta is by far the most important in that court case! -- Valencia Sailing, complete story: http://tinyurl.com/2t6glv => Curmudgeon’s Comment: In Romeo and Juliet, when she said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, it is believed to mean that what matters is what something is, not what it is called. Maybe when it comes to the meaning of “annual” that the Spanish are fans of Shakespeare. I also wonder if Justice Cahn, if he accepts that an annual regatta can be something that has not yet occurred, will place stipulations that the event much annually occur for CNEV to remain the Challenger of Record. AN INVESTMENT IN PERFORMANCE FOR 2008 It is not too early to plan 2008 sail inventory upgrades. The expert, world-class Ullman Sailmakers are standing by to assist you. Why are they the best? Simple…Ullman couples latest design advancements and technology with the best sailcloth our industry provides. For racing at the local or international level of competition, offshore cruising, or simply daysailing, Ullman delivers outstanding performance, durability, and service. Are you and your crew ready for the “Fastest Sails on the Planet”? Let Ullman Sails bring top performance to your program. Call your nearest Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com QUOTE / UNQUOTE Paul Cayard, the newly appointed Sports Director for the Desafio Espanol team, was among the most outspoken opponents of the Protocol that the Spanish team had agreed to when they became the Challenger of Record with Alinghi. Here are some of the comments from Cayard when the Protocol was announced on July 5, 2007, “In previous protocols, there’s been more definition. There were a lot of things that weren’t said. Never in my lifetime competing in the America’s Cup, where you didn’t know the class of boat at this point. As a potential competitor, not knowing the rule for the boat is a huge disadvantage.” -- Full audio: http://www.cayardsailing.com/media/paulcayard5jul07_7.mp3 SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER – FASTER THAN A CAL 40 The Transpacific Yacht Club organizers of next summer's 13th Tahiti Race have set only one primary condition for entries: Any boat with the speed rating of a Cal 40 or better is eligible. There will be no upper limit. "If your boat's faster than a Cal 40, come on," said race co-chairman Dale Nordin, who will succeed Al Garnier as TPYC commodore next year. "We're trying to open it up to as many people as possible who want to do the race." However, all boats must meet Category 1 of the ISAF Special Regulations governing offshore and oceanic equipment and preparation, including US SAILING prescriptions. Also, inboard power is required. The race will be run under ORR and all monohulls must have a valid ORR certificate. Multihulls must be a minimum of 45 feet overall length. There will be no single- or doublehanded classes; all entries must have a minimum crew of four. The 3,571-nautical mile race, scheduled to start June 21 off Point Fermin in San Pedro, has been run intermittently a dozen times from 1925 to 1994. The current hiatus has been marked in recent Transpacific Yacht Races to Hawaii by the revival of the Cal 40 class led by the late Wendy Siegal, re-establishing the boat's performance and seaworthiness as an enduring benchmark for ocean racing. -- Compete report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/1024 COURTESY TO RACE MANAGERS I was recently on the race management team for a major championship of an international dinghy class. On the first day, one light air race was held after an on-water postponement of several hours. There was enough wind for the boats to sail around most of that time, but the class requires at least four knots of wind to start, a two-hour time limit for the first boat to finish, and a preference for long courses. These factors and an adverse current led the PRO to postpone until a good, legal race could be run. That was done and the race was deemed successful, although some of the racers were miffed at being on the water so long without racing. On the second day two races were scheduled and the PRO indicated he would try for a third to get back on schedule. There was very little wind at the club when competitors arrived. At about 0930 the PRO sent an official boat to the racing area, and it found 6-7 knots from the predicted direction. Since these were raceable conditions, the committee boat and its support craft left at the scheduled 1000 harbor start time, signaling departure with a cannon indicating intent to start on time at 1100. At the racing area (about 30 minutes sail for the competitors) the race committee found conditions were suitable for racing with winds of 7+ knots, prediction of more, and a favorable current. The wind at the club was still light, though there was enough to sail out to the race area, However, the competitors, as a group, chose to stay ashore to wait for more. At the start time of 1100, there were no boats in the starting area or visibly making their way out, so the race committee signaled postponement. A little later the stronger outside wind reached the club, and the competitors decided to sail out. The first race started an hour late at noon, and three good races were sailed in fine conditions. To sailors, a race management team's judgment that conditions are suitable for racing might or might not be correct. (In this case it was.) For a variety of reasons, however, it is vital that competitors get out to the racing area on time when directed by race officials and there's enough wind to do so. The ramifications of sailors not doing so are obvious in terms of the impact on the willingness of clubs and volunteer race personnel to support our sport. -- Name Withheld * Curmudgeon’s Comment: If you happened to be at this event, or have experienced something similar, we encourage you to post your comments here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5408 DELPHIA OPEN HOUSE JK3 Nautical Enterprises, Inc is hosting a Delphia Open House & sale on Saturday, October 27, 2007 from 10am-2pm in San Diego & San Francisco. Delphia delivers unashamedly on its promise of high quality that is priced surprisingly low. Come take notice of the name brand hardware and skilled craftsmanship throughout the yacht. This one-day event allows you to see and experience the Delphia 40 GT. Demo's can be arranged by speaking with Jeff Brown or John Bohne in San Diego and Barry Demak in San Francisco. RSVP to Jane Rowe at 619.224.6200 or mailto:Jane@sailcaliforniasd.com - view the Delphia line at http://www.jk3yachts.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK The America’s Cup has a long history of bickering and backstabbing, and for attracting some of the colorful personalities of the sport. Call it “sailing's soap opera.” What the event has not always had much of was great racing, but the 32nd America’s Cup provided that and more, and showed all the skeptics that at the end of the day, the Cup could still be about two evenly matched boats, with the finishing order settled only by sailing the race. With the ongoing debate about personal protocols and deed-busting antics, and the drama playing out in the NY Supreme Court between the Swiss and American teams, it is easy to forget what the fight is for. Thanks to Tucker Thompson, who was in Valencia covering the last event for the Versus network, he has edited for Scuttlebutt a 1:27 reminder to show us again how exciting the racing really was, and why it would be a shame for the next event to be anything less. Also, if you have a video you like, please send us your suggestions for next week’s Video of the Week. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/07/1022a/ * If the America’s Cup is a bit too over-the-top for you, here is a video produced by Tampa Bay Channel 10 from the Rolex Osprey Cup, an ISAF Grade 1 women’s match racing regatta hosted last weekend by St Petersburg YC. Interviews include co-chair Tom Farquhar, Internationals Judge Henry Menin, and Rachel Silverstein. -- http://www.tampabays10.com/video/news/?aid=49652&sid=65759 * On October 28th, the International Society for the Perpetuation of Cruelty to Racing Yachtsmen will hold its annual Moosehead Awards Luncheon at the Belle Haven Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT. The I.S.P.C.R.Y., created in 1941, openly celebrates the faux pas of race committees from the Long Island Sound. While all in good fun, these are awards that nobody seeks out, though this video clip helps to provide a “red carpet” feel to the festivities: http://tinyurl.com/3dlphq => Curmudgeon’s Comment: If anyone has any information on the 2007 Moosehead Award winners, please anonymously post it here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5417 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 Gavin O'Hare, U.S. Team Racing Championship Chairman: I do believe this year's team racing championship was significant. First, it was the largest gathering ever at this event, with competitor teams calling from the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and Bermuda. Secondly, NYYC Silver Panda's win completes their triple crown of 2007 - Wilson Trophy in the UK, ISAF Worlds last month in Spain, and Hinman Trophy last weekend! Congrats Pandas. In case you were not able to wait for the breeze to fill in at 4pm in Oyster Bay, Long Island for the Team Racing Championship semi's and finals last Sunday, you can see the matches thanks to the technology of GPS and Kattuck race tracking technology. The finals was a battle of team racing goliaths NYYC Silver Panda and WHishbone. After almost 200 races in 2.5 days and a several hour wind delay, I did see the finals. It was impressive. I suggest all team racing enthusiasts re-live the matches at the Kattack website: http://kattack.com/News/2007USTeamRacingChampionship/tabid/176/Default.aspx * From Kirk Elliott: As most know, Burke Sawyer passed away a few weeks ago. There will be a spreading of ashes and celebration of life on Friday, Nov 2nd. Contact Roy Bream for information on going to sea at mailto:bream@mindspring.com * From Tom Whitmore: The item in Issue 2460 about Nobel Prize winner Albert Fert's intention to use some of his winnings on new windsurfer sails reminded me of another similar story. Way back in 1987 I was selling sails in the Northeast when I heard a radio interview with the newly announced Nobel prize winner in Economics, Robert Solow. When asked what he planned to do with his winnings, he replied that he thought he might by a new sail for his boat. Thinking to myself, it's not everyday somebody broadcasts on the radio that they are going to buy new sails, best I give this guy a call straight away. His wife answered and politely asked the nature of my call. After my explanation, she replied the he was very busy with a lot of calls waiting, but she thought perhaps he'd like to speak to me. After a brief conversation in which I congratulated him on receiving such an honor and he spoke about the sad state of his J/24's genoa, we agreed that I should send him a quote. He ended up buying the sail through our affiliate loft on Nantucket, and naturally we proudly mentioned our prominent customer in our newsletter. I hope some hungry sailmaker out there seizes this new opportunity; they don't appear all that often. * From Ron Schaper: As the son of a fisherman, I know what "floundering" is. It would have been much better if Loki had been floundering (as reported in Issue 2460), rather than foundering. * From Mark Townsend: In response to Mark Weinheimer's letter (in Issue 2460) regarding making the 470 an open class, the 470 was an open class from 1976 until 1988 when the men's and women's 470 classes were introduced. Cathy Foster (GBR) made Olympic history at the 1984 Olympic Regatta, by becoming the first woman to win a race in an open event in the 470 Class. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION You know you live in the 21st century when you pull up in your own driveway, and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and JK3 Nautical Enterprises. |
