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SCUTTLEBUTT 2995 - Friday, December 18, 2009Scuttlebutt 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. Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today’s sponsors are Hall Spars & Rigging and New England Ropes. U.S. SINGLEHANDED CHAMPIONSHIP REVAMPED FOR 2010 Portsmouth, R.I. (December 17, 2009) - US SAILING and the U.S. Singlehanded Championship Committee have taken a long hard look at this National Championship and are making changes to better suit the needs of singlehanded racers in the U.S. There are several classes that make up the bulk of the singlehanded sailors (Finn, Lasers, Sunfish, Force 5, MC, to name a few), but the championship has been predominately sailed in boats that were best sailed by men despite a significant increase of women’s participation in the singlehanded classes over the past 10 years. With the popularity of the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship and the addition of the Radial class to the Olympics, US SAILING recognized that there was an opportunity for a women’s singlehanded championship. With this in mind, the U.S. Singlehanded committee has made significant improvements to both the event and the selection process to ensure the best singlehanded sailors in the U.S. are participating in the finals. This change signifies a natural progression for the growing segment of the sport and a welcome change to the event. The selection procedure for invitations to the event has also been changed. In 2010, 24 invitational men’s and women’s berths will be awarded based on the selection criteria outlined by the committee. These invitations range from Area level qualifications to National level singlehanded events around the country from a variety of classes including the Laser, Radial, Sunfish and Finn. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/ye4fmz8 THANK YOU ROY By Lynn Fitzpatrick, yachting journalist I was driving down the Long Beach Freeway when I heard the news that one of the greatest benefactors to sailing in the United States, Roy E. Disney, had passed away. Before I knew it I was in front of Gladstone’s, practically a shrine to Disney’s Pyewackets and their string of yachting victories. Numerous Pyewacket models decorate the bar and restaurant, which has become home to the Los Angeles to Honolulu Transpac sendoff celebrations. As I drove along, I tried to fathom how many lives this personable, kind and generous man has impacted. The US Sailing Center, the Sailing Foundation, CISA and the Long Beach sailing and yacht clubs - all of their programs touched by his generosity and keen support of junior sailing. Passing Hoag Memorial Hospital reminded me of a visit that I made to the Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach during Transpac 09 with Robbie Haines, Tom Garrett, Tom Pollack, Genny Tulloch, Jesse Fielding and Jeremy Wilmot. Their sailing, professional and civic careers have been deeply touched by Roy. Along with signing posters and caps, handing out T-shirts and playing video with the kids in the cancer ward who were receiving transfusions, we worked on a card. Genny Tulloch helped a little girl address the card to “Our Friend Roy.” It was July and she wrote and one patient wrote to another, “Get Better Soon.” We all hoped that Roy would regain his strength and health. It wasn’t to be. He spent quality time with his wife, Leslie, family and friends during his final months. He even short shrifted himself of some transfusions to attend meetings that involved the future of sailing, but he never rebounded. -- Read on: http://www.worldregattas.com/ViewInfo.php?ContentID=401 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: There is no shortage of love for Roy. Numerous notes are posted on the Forum, where I encourage you to join the parade: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8732 PUT MORE HAPPY IN YOUR HOLIDAY Hall Spars & Rigging's online store is humming with specials designed to make your holidays happy. Need new sheets? Let Ryan (Hall rigger extraordinaire) choose the rope for you and get high-end sheets at prices so low it will make you smile. Need new hardware? Our discontinued yet fabulously functional hardware is priced to make you jump for joy. Many of these blocks and stoppers come with a halyard or sheet - free! Our online sale will be spreading joy until January 1, 2010; order gifts by Dec. 20 for under-the-tree delivery. http://www.hallspars.com LIMITED RACING ON DAY 4 SAIL MELBOURNE Melbourne, Australia (December 17, 2009) - Day four of racing had a stop-start feel with the weather having a major influence on proceedings. The morning fleets headed out in a 20 knot breeze making for some tricky sailing conditions and as the morning wore on a storm front moved across the bay, initially dropping the breeze before the boats were sent to shore and racing postponed. After an hour break the afternoon fleets hit the course to try and get some racing in amongst the shifting breeze and driving rain. The 49er and 29er fleets were the only ones to complete any racing, both getting a race in before the conditions worsened and all the fleets were sent back to shore, with the Laser, 470 and RS:X classes unable to complete a race on day four. Reigning 49er World Champion Nathan Outteridge was left crewless today with Iain Jensen stuck on shore due to illness. All was not lost for the Australian pair with an experienced stand in crew available in Irish sailor Matt McGovern. McGovern and skipper Ryan Seaton broke their mast racing on Wednesday and retired from the event. -- Full story: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au/news/newsitem.html?news_id=3138 Racing continues through December 19th. Current standings for North American participants: 2. Paul Tingley (CAN), 2.4 Metre 2. Stuart McNay/ Graham Biehl (USA), 470 Men 6. Adam Roberts/ Nick Martin (USA), 470 Men 1. Paige Railey (USA), Laser Radial 1. Michael Leigh (CAN), Laser Standard 2. Clayton Johnson (USA), Laser Standard 26. Derick Vranizan (USA), Laser Standard 41. Sean Fabre (USA), Laser Standard Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/Sail-Melbourne-09-results Event website: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au Clay Johnson blog: http://www.claysails.com/ McNay/Biehl blog: http://www.teammb.org/index.asp LOUIS VUITTON AND WSTA ANNOUNCE REGATTAS FOR 2010 (December 17, 2009) - The World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) and Louis Vuitton today announced more Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas for 2010 and early 2011. Each Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta is a stand-alone regatta sailed in event-supplied 85- foot long AC Class yachts that require a crew of 17 top sailors to sail. The regatta concept is designed to transform a port venue, regardless of its previous sailing culture, into the capital of professional yacht racing for two weeks, along with all the associated activities and excitement, on and off the water. The schedule for the next events covers four distinctly different parts of the world: Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland: March 9-21, 2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena, Sardinia: May 22 - June 6, 2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy Middle East: November 13-28, 2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy Hong Kong: January 9-24, 2011 The venue in The Middle East is embargoed until January 15, 2010. Newly-elected WSTA board Chairman Paul Cayard commented: “The Louis Vuitton Trophy is gaining momentum following the great regattas held in Auckland and Nice in 2009 and I really believe 2010 is going to be an even better year for our teams, their crews and supporters.” -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/ygjbccb SAILING HAS LONG RESISTED TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT By Eric Sharp, Detroit Free Press In 1876, Nathaniel Herreshoff entered a 33-foot catamaran called Amaryllis in a New York Yacht Club Centennial Regatta and scared the crap out of the yachting establishment by winning. The radical boat, the first of its kind to race in the United States, was amazingly advanced, with touches like ball-and-socket joints at the end of the crossbeams that let the hulls ride the waves independently. After Herreshoff won the race for yachts under 36 feet, the anonymous writer who covered the event for the New York World described Amaryllis as “a nondescript, half Catamaran, half Balsa and wholly life raft constructed by Mr. Herreshoff, of Providence” and that “whether ruled out by the judges or counted in, can justly claim to be the fastest thing of her inches under canvas that floats, and it is doubtful if there are any steamers of her size that could out-speed her in a straight reach with the wind abeam.” He also wrote presciently, “It behooves the owners of the large schooners” that raced for the America’s Cup “to take counsel together lest somebody should build an Amaryllis a hundred feet long and convert their crafts into useless lumber.” The writer implied that the owners of the big yachts should embrace new ideas and technology like Amaryllis. But that’s not the way establishments react when their noses are tweaked. Instead, the New York Yacht Club and other major clubs simply banned multihull boats from their events. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/ydzgcvn FUTURESAILING - PART 2 By Kimball Livingstone, yachting journalist Part Two of a series of conversations with people who are driving profound changes in the way that we are able to sail. Once the opportunities are clear, how will people choose to sail? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “My vision,” says Bob Johnson, “is a sailboat you turn on. Every once in a while I like to sit down and ask, what’s over the horizon, and how do we get there? Ultimately, it can be done. We can automate sailing. People wonder, why would you want to, when the joy of sailing is doing things? I get that. I like fast, stick-shift cars. But you’re always free to do as much as you want. I think we could bring in more people, and keep more people in sailing, if we simplify it.” If you come from the racing side of sailing, you may not know Bob Johnson, founder and designer of the Island Packet line of cruisers. And if you know the boats you probably think of them as conservative. But. An Island Packet today is a different beast from the Island Packets of 15 years ago, much less the boats of 1979, when Johnson founded the business to do the thing he had always wanted to do. At that point he had been to MIT and had his fifteen minutes as a rocket scientist. Deep inside, he was a few-years-on version of the same kid who was always drawing boats in high school. Today he is the high priest of full-keel cruising boats that, in subtle ways, are creeping toward automation. And Johnson is keen to crank up the pace. “Someday,” he says, “you will be able to step aboard a sailboat and turn it on, and it will sail itself. The world of electronics is working toward integrating GPS, radar, all the elements so that a boat can be made to take itself from waypoint to waypoint. ” -- Read on: http://kimballlivingston.com/?p=970 HOT NEW PRODUCTS FOR 2010 New England Ropes, in partnership with DSM Dyneema, will be introducing their latest innovation, in fiber technology, at Key West this upcoming January. DSM Dyneema's latest innovation, DSM Dyneema SK90, offers superior performance in stretch resistance as compared to traditional SK75 fibers. Look for New England Ropes and its partners at Key West for this latest and greatest innovation in fiber and rope. DSM Dyneema SK90 will be a perfect companion product to our 2009 performance standout, Poly-Tec. -- http://www.neropes.com SAILING SHORTS * Sail America, NCMA and the Port of Oakland have reached an agreement to hold Strictly Sail Pacific at Jack London Square, Oakland from April 15-18, 2010. For 2010, Strictly Sail Pacific will return to an all-sail show and will feature a four-day format, a new-improved layout, better parking, indoor seminars, added features, and a wide selection of in-water and on-land exhibitors. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/1216.htm * The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia recently presented the CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Awards. For only the fifth time in the history of the Awards, a woman has been recognized for her dedication to the sport of sailing. Amanda Scrivenor was named Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year. The CYCA broke with tradition and awarded the Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year to a crew person rather than a yacht owner. -- Full story: http://www.cyca.com.au/newsDetail.asp?key=4543 * Team Finland has secured their third victory of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, crossing the finish line in Geraldton, Western Australia, on Wednesday at 1210 local time (0410 GMT). In what has been the closest race to date, Team Finland finished just 33 minutes ahead of Spirit of Australia, denying the Australian team the home port victory that they were so desperate to achieve. Third place went to Jamaica Lightning Bolt, with the Caribbean team beating Cape Breton Island across the line and claiming their second podium finish of Clipper 09-10. -- Full story: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/race_news/?item=1253 * In the 2009 Swan Maxi Class racing round up, the class has announced that @Robas are the overall winners of the Swan Maxi Circuit. @Robas now proudly hold the prestigious silver Asprey Maxi Circuit trophy. Gerard Logel the talented owner/driver of @Robas sailed with an amateur crew, who have been key participants on the Swan Maxi Circuit since the introduction of the class in 2008. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yfgxo6k EIGHT BELLS David G. Davignon, 62, died suddenly on December 14, at St Lukes Hospital in New Bedford, Mass. He was the husband of his high school sweetheart Susan (Barrow) Davignon, to whom he had been married for 41 years. An avid boater, David began working with Edey & Duff in 1970, a boat building company located in Mattapoisett, Mass, and Marathon, Florida. In his 40 years with Edey & Duff, acting as President and General Manager, David endeavored many projects, two of his favorites being the Conch 27, a fishing boat aimed at the fishing guides in the Florida Keys, and the Sakonnet 23, a traditional double ended day sailor. Stated Kathy Harding, of Harding Boat Works, the principal owner of Edey & Duff, “The Edey & Duff family of owners, employees and customers are deeply saddened. We have lost a trusted leader, a respected professional, and a true friend. Dave was the backbone of the Company for many years. His unique style of leadership and personal touch contributed greatly to preserving and enhancing the proud tradition of quality workmanship, customer satisfaction and famously seaworthy boats.” PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include the home of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, dad and daughter sailing, adios San Diego, Optimist in frozen Finland, new beginnings in Turkey, Cirque du Soleil in Sydney, un-youth sailing, and the secret to repairing the America’s Cup. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/1218/ VIDEO OF THE WEEK When the discussion turns to making sailing more marketable for television coverage, the ideas stream on what changes need to be made for a race format to better fit the viewing audience. Other sports have gone down this road, and once the genie is out of the bottle, there is no stopping how extreme things can get. Flash forward to Red Bull, the drink that could power the tortoise past the hare. The marketing people at Red Bull must be avid drinkers of their product, as they come up with some pretty inventive ideas on making various sports more extreme...and watchable. Red Bull is building a tradition of amazing stunts on New Year's Eve, and this year finds action sports icon Travis Pastrana launching his car off a pier...toward a floating barge...in Long Beach, CA. This event will occur in the same harbor used for the start of the Transpac Race, and at the doorstep of Scuttlebutt friend John Sangmeister's restaurant 'Gladstone's Long Beach'. Maybe next year's Red Bull event will see the America's Cup multihulls getting launched off floating ramps for distance. One could only hope...enjoy: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/09/1218/ * If you have a video you like, please send your suggestion for next week’s Video of the Week to mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com LETTERS AND FORUM Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). One letter per subject, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From John E. Gluek Jr., President Dimension/Polyant Sailcloth: I have had the pleasure throughout my sailing and sailcloth career to be able to meet and compete against many of the past winners for Rolex Yachtsman Of The Year award. Looking over all the nominees this year, it would be difficult to choose the most accomplished winner, as they are all talented. I have had the pleasure of knowing John Ruf from early in my scow days years ago prior to his auto accident, and have watched hi mature into a world champion racer. One must look at the progress on the race course John has made from 2006 through 2007 to see the determination and talent that has developed. Most of all, if you’ve had the pleasure to know John the person like I have, he is just as big a winner off the course. Therefore, my vote goes to John Ruf. 2009 World Champion 2.4 meter open class 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Paralympic (Bronze) 2007 1st US Paralympic Team Trials 2007 10th IFDS Disabled Worlds 2.4 meter 2006 6th place US Sailing Pre Trials * From Alex Arnold (re Scuttlebutt 2993): Why the push for 4 of 7 (races in the next America’s Cup) rather than best of 3 and over with? Seems like with two so markedly different boats, the race will be a blowout no matter which one does the blowing and not very exciting. After the initial excitement of seeing BOR90 in San Diego and after the first tack, I found it pretty sleepy. * From Damian Christie, Melbourne, Australia (re Scuttlebutt 2993): SNG’s vice commodore Fred Meyer still doesn’t get it. He whines that for the “first time” in the history of the America’s Cup the defender has been denied “its fundamental right to select the venue”, which plainly illustrates SNG’s failure to understand its obligations as the Cup’s trustee. If SNG had respected the Deed of Gift from the outset, it wouldn’t be in this mess. Since 2007, it has paid the Deed lip service by accepting a challenge from a paper yacht club (CNEV) and choosing a venue (RAK) that were both non-compliant with the Deed’s clear, unequivocal language. SNG’s blasé interpretation of the Deed unquestionably originates with the generous break that this landlocked club received from the RNZYS in 2000 — to qualify as a challenger by organising “its annual regatta” in Cannes (as a substitute for not having an ocean-based annual regatta). Having evaded the Deed’s strict criteria for eligibility (which essentially outlawed lake-based clubs), and then won the Cup, SNG has since considered itself bullet proof to bending the rules. Far from whining, Meyer should be grateful that SNG was ever allowed to compete for the Cup! If SNG had first proposed challenging for the Cup back in 1887, the NYYC would have ruthlessly (but legitimately) dismissed the Swiss as landlocked amateurs with not even a smidgeon of maritime prowess. Therefore, SNG today owes it to the sailing community to honour the Cup’s rules and traditions. It’s time to put up and shut up, Mr Meyer. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection. Special thanks to Hall Spars & Rigging and New England Ropes. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
