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SCUTTLEBUTT 2530 - February 11, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. IN A RACE AGAINST TIME Last week, a drained Nick Scandone sat at the Coral Reef Yacht Club bar in Miami after dominating an international sailing fleet and winning the Paralympic Skud 18 class at the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta with seven firsts out of 11 races. For Scandone, a member of the United States sailing team, this was one of many training regattas on his schedule leading up to the race of a lifetime in China at the end of the summer. Scandone battles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, but he remains a favorite at the Paralympic Games in September in Beijing. Scandone’s situation is special, however, because he gets weaker each month. “A.L.S. is fatal and the outcome is certain,” said Dr. Judith Rabkin, a professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University. The reality is that by September, Scandone may not be physically able to compete for the United States. “The question came up at a meeting,” said Gary Jobson, a member of the Olympic Sailing Committee, “and I stood up and said, ‘Nick Scandone will tell us if he can’t do it. Until he does, he’s our guy.’ ” -- Excerpts from NY Times story, http://tinyurl.com/3e38tz I WON THE OLYMPIC TRIALS...AGAIN! by Ben Barber, US 2008 Olympic rep - RS:X Mens class That's right, part two. For the past 3 months, I have been through all levels of grief and joy, not only preparing for the Olympic Games this summer, but also continuously defending the selection decision from the Olympic Trials this past October. Here's what I have been deaf silent on since the Trials, and what I can finally share more completely now. Altogether I didn't have to only race on the water at the Olympic Trials held this past October, I also had to defend myself continuously in a monotony of un-founded allegations that have just recently concluded. During the event itself, I was protested 7 times, all were dismissed or withdrawn. Then on the final day, while I was receiving my award, my opponent took it a step further and filed a report that I had allegedly cheated, claiming I hadn't done a 360 penalty when in a collision with another competitor. I can look anyone in the eye and tell him or her that I did do the 360 turn. Unfortunately my competitor, and his coach boat full of five witnesses, further filed a report that alleged cheating was involved. During the 9-day Trials event, I was in front of four different jury panels, all ruling in my favor after carefully looking at all data submitted. But as the Sailing rules state, decisions of the International Jury, which were present at the event, are final and non-appealable. However, a Rule 69 report can be submitted at anytime during the event or even after the event has ended. My competitor had submitted a 69 report on me after the event had ended as the only available method left to possibly change the results. -- Read on: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5799 * Curmudgeon’s Comment: Claims against Ben Barger were filed by runner-up Mike Gebhardt, while claims against Gebhardt were filed by the event’s organizing authority. A protest committee of Kirk Brown (California), Brad Dellenbaugh (Rhode Island), Hal Haenel (California), Joe Krolak (Maryland) and Bill Thorpe (Michigan) determined that no actions should be taken, and all claims have been dismissed. OLYMPIC CLASS WORLDS * Terrigal, Australia (February 10, 2008) - World champion Tom Slingsby (AUS) grabbed a marginal lead at the Laser World Championship, reveling on his home waters off Terrigal during the final day of the qualifying segment of the event. The fleet will be split into Gold, Silver and Bronze for the Finals starting Monday, with the qualifier races and final races counting for total points in the championship. The event is proving difficult for the North American contingent, with Abe Torchinsky (CAN) leading the way in17th. American Brad Funk was in strong contention prior to Sunday, but his BFD-RAF scoreline pulled him down to 33rd. -- http://aus08.laserinternational.org * Miami, FL (February 10, 2008) - The Brits and the Kiwis took the bullies at the first day of racing at the Yngling Women World Championship, with Biscayne Bay living up to its reputation as one of the world’s finest sailing waters with a wind of 14-16 knots, sunny skies and warm temperatures. The American team of Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe and Debbie Capozzi were in the lead for a large part of the first race but were finally overtaken by defending World Champions Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson (GBR). In the second race, Barkow’s team were over the line early and had to turn back below the starting line, and Sharon Ferries, Raynor Smeal and Olivia Powrie (NZL) won the race a boat length in front of the 2007 European Champion Ekaterina Skudina, Diana Krutskikh and Natalia Ivanova (RUS). Current overall leaders are the GBR team Ayton/ Webb/ Wilson, with the Americans sitting in 8th place. -- http://www.yngling.org/wwc2008/080210.html SHARE YOUR SDYC MEXICAN RACE STORY Since 1953, San Diego Yacht Club has been sending racers down the Baja California coastline for distance races to Acapulco, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, and Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. These events have created lasting memories, and now it’s time to share your SDYC race story. There is no better way to inspire people to go on a similar adventure than to pass on to them a morsel of your own. Stories need not be long – whatever it takes to share the mental snapshot that you have held on to. This year’s Vallarta Race begins February 21st, and stories can be submitted until February 28th. Special story prize to be given from 2008 entrant Dennis Conner (who has submitted his own story). Email story to Scuttlebutt. Additional details at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/vallarta AINSLIE'S COCNERN OVER DRUGS RULE Ben Ainslie has revealed that several British sailing squad members are close to "three strikes and you're out'' with regard to out-of-competition drugs tests. World and Olympic champion Ainslie, speaking at a Sports Journalists' Association lunch, referred to the demands of the testing regime under which an athlete in any sport risks a ban if they miss three tests in an 18-month period. "I am not worried that there is doping in sailing,'' Ainslie told insidethegames. "But the whereabouts rule is a real worry. There are two or three guys on the team who are on three strikes and you're out. It might all be for perfectly innocent reasons, but in our sport, where we are travelling all the time, it can be really hard just keeping up.'' -- Complete story: http://tinyurl.com/2jdknu CUP TEAM GETS BACK TO SAILING It’s not all lawyers and courtroom drama for the BMW Oracle Racing America’s Cup team. As the Valencia Sailing website reports, the American team hasn’t forgotten that it is still about the sailing: * Last Friday, team member James Spithill took the helm of the American team's Extreme 40 catamaran and carried a test sail for a couple of hours off Valencia's coast. We assume that BMW Oracle is getting ready for a Deed-of-Gift multihull race, if finally that's what Justice Cahn orders. BMW Oracle will certainly have a busy 2008 sailing season in Europe and the Middle East. First of all, the second Extreme 40 catamaran is rumored to be arriving here in Valencia shortly. We assume it won't be long before we see the Americans carrying out two-boat training in Valencia. * BMW Oracle Racing is currently building a TP52 yacht, 50km north of Valencia, to be used in the 2008 Audi Medcup circuit. In addition, Russell Coutts will once again call tactics aboard the Swedish TP52 Artemis, joined by a handful of BMW Oracle sailors. As a result, the Americans will be using one and half TP52 for their training. Additionally, Russell Coutts and James Spithill will be actively participating in the RC44 racing circuit, starting a month from now in Abu Dhabi. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/2rc7l IS YOUR CLUB MAKING THE GRADE? Depending on where you live and sail, there are likely yacht or sailing clubs there as well to support the interests of their members. How well they do it is another question. Docks and decks do not a yacht club make, and trophy cases tell only one piece of the club’s story. The serious glue that makes a club succeed is the devotion and friendliness of its members. How do the members treat visitors, prospective and new members? How do racers and race officers treat competitors out on the race course – and after the races are ended? Is the club a respected, giving member of its community? What does the club give to the sport of sailing? The answers to questions such as these reveal the true heart and Corinthian spirit of the club. Which grade would you give the clubs you belong to or frequent? Here are six profiles to consider: http://desertsea.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-corinthian-is-your-yacht-club.html ARE YOUR SAILS READY FOR SPRING? Let Doyle service your sails now so they are ready to go in the spring. Routine repair and maintenance will improve the performance and extend the life of your sails. Your local Doyle sailmaker will inspect every inch of your sails and take care of minor problems before they escalate into major ones. Contact your local Doyle loft. 800-94-DOYLE, http://www.doylesails.com BARCELONA WORLD RACE Open 60 doublehanded round the world race (started Nov 11; 25,000-miles) (Day 92 - February 10, 2008) Home is in sight for the leading crew of the Barcelona World Race as Paprec-Virbac 2 prepares for what could be their last night at sea. It’s been a difficult few days for the race leader, having seen their lead diminish dramatically earlier in the week. More worrisome has been the weather – the approach to Gibraltar was in true boat-breaking conditions with 40 knots headwinds, and steep choppy seas. And of course there is heavy commercial shipping traffic in the area. To add the final insult, the pair is running out of food, making do with the dregs of their three-month supply. Paprec-Virbac 2 is expected to finish early in the evening on Monday, with Hugo Boss still in the Atlantic Ocean but due at Gibraltar by midnight Sunday and in Barcelona on Wednesday. Temenos II is forecast to reach Gibraltar late on the 14th. -- http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com Positions at 18:00 UTC 1-Paprec-Virbac 2, Jean-Pierre Dick/ Damian Foxall, 247 nm DTF 2-Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson/ Andrew Cape, 326 nm DTL 3-Temenos II, Dominique Wavre/ Michéle Paret, 1,152 4-Mutua Madrilena, Javier Sanso Windmann/ Pachi Rivero, 1,405 5-Educación sin Fronteras, Servane Escoffier/ Albert Bargues, 2,710 Retired - PRB, Vincent Riou/ Sébastien Josse (broken mast) Retired -Delta Dore, Jérémie Beyou/ Sidney Gavignet (broken mast) Retired - Estrella Damm, Guillermo Altadill/ Jonathan McKee, (rudder damage) Retired - Veolia Environnement,Roland Jourdain/Jean-Luc Nélias (broken mast) FOR THE RECORD * Jules Verne Trophy (crewed circumnavigation around the three capes): (Day 17 - February 10, 2008; 23:45 UTC) The weather conditions and above all the sea state have become sufficiently manageable again for the 103-foot maxi trimaran Groupama 3 to lengthen its stride downwind whilst remaining along 42° South latitude. Having previously battled with challenging conditions, the past 24 hours have markedly improved, providing for an average speed of 26.6 knots to rattle off 637 nm. The team’s advance over the Orange 2 record is now at 470 nm, with their course taking them North of the Kerguelen Island, and roughly mid span of the Southern Ocean between the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) and Cape Leeuwin (Australia). -- http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en * Route de l'Or (crewed route from New York to San Francisco): (Day 25 - February 10, 2008; 23:30 UTC) After an excessively long delay at Cape Horn due to bad weather, the 110-foot maxi-catamaran Gitana 13 has returned to the race since rounding Cape Horn on Friday. Now 900 miles up the Chilean coastline at 43.2 degrees S latitude, they have managed an average speed of 17.1 knots over the past 24 hours while traveling 411 nm, and are now 5,446 nm from the finish. -- http://www.gitana-team.com/en/gitana10/homepage.asp SAILING SHORTS * San Diego, CA - A thirty-eight boat fleet enjoyed sunny conditions for the Thistle Midwinters West Championship, hosted by Mission Bay Yacht Club, with some of the class’s top sailors making the trip to the west coast. Paul Abdullah (FL) led the out-of-state onslaught, followed by Greg Fisher (MD), Skip Dieball (OH), Mike Ingham (NY), and Craig Koschalk (MO). Top instate sailor was Doug Hart (9th) from San Diego, CA. -- Complete results: http://www.mbyc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=321&Itemid=51 * Miami, FL (February 10, 2008) - Bill Hardesty with Eric Shampain, Mary Anne Ward, and Steve Hunt dominated the eighty-nine boat Florida State Etchells Championship, amassing only 13 points in four races. Hardesty’s finished 19 points ahead of Randall Pitmann’s team and 23 points ahead of fellow San Diegans Chris Busch, Chad Hough, Chuck Sinks and Peter Burton. The two teams from San Diego are now first and second in the overall Etchells Jaguar Series, with the final regatta in the Etchells Jaguar Series being the must-count, Etchells Mid-Winters to be held on February 29, March 1 and March 2nd. -- Complete story and results: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5802 * Miami, FL (February 10, 2008) - New Zealand’s Rod Davis (age 52) and crew Jamie Gale won the Star ZAG Masters last weekend. Rod is an Olympic medalist and Jamie won the Star North Americans in 2000; both are America’s Cup veterans. Although the minimum skipper age was 50, Coral Reef Yacht Club’s Star ZAG Masters still had 38 boats competing with skippers from nine nations. All came with great credentials. In second place, was Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Augie Diaz (age 53) sailing with Phil Trinter. Steven Kelly from the Bahamas took third with Bill Holowesko as crew. -- Complete story and results: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5800 STAY CURRENT. IRC GULF STREAM SERIES STARTED JAN. 16 Subscribe now for e-news from US-IRC at http://www.us-irc.org/join.cfm Did you know that the 3rd annual Gulf Stream Series started Wednesday January 14th with the Ft Lauderdale Key West Race and it concludes 18 events later in the STC East Coast Championship? Get all the US-IRC news at us-irc.org. CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Robert Wilkes, Secretary, International Optimist Dinghy Association: (regarding story in Issue 2529) May I support with some facts the view of ISAF secretary general Jerome Pels that fair racing is possible in Qingdao. In 2001 the International Optimist Class held its Worlds in the same city. Winds were indeed very light, and even multiple Olympic race officer Michel Barbier could only complete 7 of the 15-race schedule. However, of the top 20 in the 208 boat, 44 nation fleet, here are some interesting statistics: > Four had placed in the top 20 the year before in Spain. > Seven placed in the top 20 the year after in the USA. > Three later won medals in the ISAF Youth (Under-19) Worlds. > The gold medallist was the silver medallist of the year before and later won a medal at the ISAF Youth Worlds. These are not the sort of results you get from a lottery. * From Bruce Munro: In Issue 2528, the America’s Cup View blog suggests that it would be a hijacking of the America's Cup if the New York Yacht Club stepped into the breach and tried to provide some adult supervision over the adolescents who now control it. If the bloggers had been paying attention, they would have noticed that the Cup has already been hijacked by Mr. Bertarelli. He seems to feel that the next Cup will be sailed on his terms or not at all. Only the courts now stand it a position to make him act reasonably and that could take a long time. As we all have said many times, sailboat racing should be decided on the water not in the protest room or the court room, if at all possible. Under the present ownership of the Cup, the desired alternative does not seem possible. It is Ernesto's way or the highway. * From Craig Fletcher: In Issue 2526, Malin Burnham suggests forming a committee to rule the America’s Cup - a committee like the Olympic committee or say any government bureaucracy. Enough said. The AC survives because it is unique. Leave well enough alone and enjoy the history, sailing - and yes - the fun of controversy that the Cup creates. * From Rob Tomkies: (regarding story in Issue 2529; edited to the 250-word limit) There has always been a tax to obtain entry into Australia by sea. To clear your vessel within a reasonable time frame, you have to deposit a tax, such as a bottle of spirits or a carton of cigarettes, into the open empty briefcase carefully positioned on your nav table. If you do not comply, the Customs “officers” will take about 3 hours noting camera lens numbers and the like before grudgingly clearing. Now the government is joining the fray, requiring at least 24 hours notice of arrival or face a fine of $4,000.00. I understand that today’s security measures require clearance of people to help avoid importation of terrorists, but really let us get this into context. Every morning between about 7-9am 1,600 passengers arrive from New Zealand into Australia, giving a maximum of about 3 hours notice of arrival! What chance of a decent passenger scan happens here? Let us consider a youth on their world adventure - a 30-foot home on the sea with all his possessions onboard arrives via somewhere and at an average speed of about 3 knots. Ignorant of the new border control, and unable to pay his fine, he might find himself having to forfeit his home/yacht. What a grand experience to start life with? I suppose that when Customs ask, “Have you any convictions?”, the reply would be that you didn’t know that it was still compulsory! * From Bob Sargent: In regard to the story “What’s In A Name” (Scuttlebutt 2529), my favorite boat name listed is LAST BOAT VII. * From Steffi Schiffer: You missed a biggie on #3 of the boat names. SECOND WIND is a Jimmy Buffett song, which is the major reason for it's huge popularity. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Teamwork means never having to take all the blame yourself. Special thanks to JK3 Nautical Enterprises, Doyle Sails, and US-IRC. A complete list of Scuttlebutt’s preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
