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SCUTTLEBUTT 2757 - Monday, January 12, 2009
Scuttlebutt 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.
Today's sponsors are Summit Yachts and Kaenon Polarized.
THE GOAL THAT KEPT NICK ALIVE
The death of 2008 Paralympic Gold Medalist Nick Scandone has allowed for
significant reflection on what he had overcome since being diagnosed in 2002
with ALS, also commonly called Lou Gehrig's Disease. Winning the medal was
significant, but to stay alive to do so demonstrated how vital this goal was to
his life. Just after winning the medal, his wife Mary-Kate noted how it was a
bittersweet moment for the couple. “It’s everything we’ve been fighting for,”
said Mary-Kate. “Sailing and his [Paralympic] goal has kept him alive.” In an
emotional moment, Mary-Kate thanked the designer of Nick’s boat “because he gave
me four more years with my husband.”
US SAILING has collected several stories/anecdotes/quotes about Scandone from
teammates and people in the sailing community. Here is one from his Paralympic
teammate Maureen McKinnon-Tucker:
“I had never seen, nor will I ever see again, such a true example of how someone
could LIVE FOR something. Nick showed pure human will: He spared all other
elements of his life that would take an ounce of sailing distance out of him. He
saved expenditure of energy for only ONE THING...sailing. When he didn't want to
eat, he ate to sail. When he didn't want to swallow, he drank water to sail.
Everything was to sail. And more specifically, everything was for the goal: the
gold. If he hadn't had his eyes on that prize, I assure you he would have passed
long before now. We all have life lessons to learn from Nick both on land and at
sea. Nick was a kind, calm, confident, unpretentious, mentoring, generous person
and a brilliant, brilliant sailor. By being Nick's teammate, I have been
rewarded by being both a better sailor and better person - and so have all of us
who knew him.” -- Complete collection:
http://olympics.ussailing.org/Current__News/Nick_Scandone_Tribute.htm
The Celebration of Life for Nick Scandone will be held on Sunday, January 18,
2009 at 2:00 pm at the Balboa Yacht Club, 1801 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar, CA
92625. Attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite memories of Nick and
speak during the open mike portion of the reception. In lieu of flowers, the
family suggests donations can be sent to ALS Foundation (http://www.alsa.org)
or:
BYC Maritime Sciences and Seamanship Foundation (BYC MSSF)
In memory of Nick Scandone
1901 Newport Blvd., Suite 350
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Tax ID #33-1102882.
Photo tribute of Nick: http://SButt011109a.notlong.com
ERICSSON 4 WINS THE DAY IN SINGAPORE
(Jan. 10, 2009) - Racing resumed today for the Volvo Ocean Race teams with the
Singapore In-Port Race, where two in-port races were held amid shipping traffic
in gusty conditions with winds in the teens. With little chance to practice due
to time spent in the protest room, Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael was concerned
his crew might prove 'rusty' when they got onto the race track. However, their
scores of 2-1 for the day proved otherwise. "It was a hard week for us and we
were a bit rusty," said Grael. "We have not practiced in-port racing since
Alicante so for us to get this result was very good for the team."
Second overall was PUMA who ran away with victory in the first race by more than
a minute but struggled with gear problems in the next to finish fourth. Said
skipper Ken Read, “At the top mark, our keel system shut down just at the worst
possible moment. Four boats just sailed around us as it took us three minutes to
get it sorted, and we then had to play catch up for the rest of the race.”
Winning would have been a nice way to go out of the Volvo Ocean Race, said
tactician Chris Nicholson who returns home to Sydney to have surgery on his
anterior cruciate ligament and faces up to six months recuperation.
For the In-Port Race, the final standings position from the day (after 2 races)
is viewed as a single race, and earned half as many points as earned on a race
leg. Now the fleet begins their preparation for Leg 4, the 2,500 nm route from
Singapore to Qingdao, China that starts January 18, 2009.
Current standings after Singapore In-Port Race:
1. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 39 points
2. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 33.5 points
3. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 31.0 points
4. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Anders Lewander/SWE, 24.0 points
5. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 22.5 points
6. Telefonica Black (ESP), F. Echavarri/ESP, 22.5 points
7. Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, 10.5 points
8. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 10 points
Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org
Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4
Race replay and tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com
* Images from photos Rick Tomlinson, Juerg Kaufmann, and Oskar Kihlborg show
close racing amid tanker traffic and overcast skies:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0111
KING 40 WINS SAILING WORLD’S BOAT OF THE YEAR
Summit Yachts is pleased to announce that its King 40 is the 2009 Sailing World
Magazine overall ‘Boat Of The Year’ winner. The Mark Mills designed, IRC
Racer/Cruiser has been capturing silver in Europe and the US. The comfortable
interior, powerful sail plan, and efficient cockpit all combine to make this a
true dual purpose winner. Three King 40’s are poised to compete at KWRW in the
highly competitive IRC 2 class. Build slots are still available for early summer
2009 delivery. For more information go to our web site
http://www.summit-yachts.com
DEPPE WINS BEST BROADCAST MATERIAL
(January 11, 2009) - Rick Deppe has won the Inmarsat Media Prize for Leg 3 of
the Volvo Ocean Race. The trophy and prize money were presented to the PUMA
Ocean Racing Team media crew member in Singapore by Piers Cunningham, head of
Maritime Business at Inmarsat. British-born Deppe is an experienced sailor and
acclaimed videographer, whose credits include ‘Deadliest Catch’ on the Discovery
Channel.
Commenting on the submissions for Leg 3, Piers Cunningham praised the awesome
creativity of Rick Deppe’s camera work on ‘IL MOSTRO’. “Conditions onboard were
tough as the crew faced constant heat and humidity," said Cunningham. "The
majority of this leg saw the fleet sailing upwind often against a strong
current, alongside the tricky conditions and facing the frustration of being
becalmed. It was a tough call for the judges between the eventual winner Deppe
and the work of Sander Pluijim (of Delta Lloyd). Deppe won because he
demonstrated a professional ability to create visual drama out of predictable
situations whereas Sander capitalised on a dramatic scenario. Deppe’s shots from
the bowsprit were amazing.”
View samples of the nominated and winning videos:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/Inmarsat/leg3.asp
DAVIES AND CAFFARI PROVING THEY BELONG
(Jan. 11, 2009; Day 63) -- There were only two women among the 30 entrants that
started the 2008/2009 Vendee Globe back on November 9, 2008 in Les Sables
d’Olonne, France, and of the 12 boats still competing, these two women remain in
the race:
* Remarkable British solo skipper Sam Davies on Roxy rounded Cape Horn in fourth
at 0920hrs this morning in difficult conditions, over 40 knots of wind and big
seas, weather completely typical of what one would expect for the windswept
legendary rock at the tip of South America. Davies’ time from Les Sables
d’Olonne is 62 days 21 hours and 18 minutes. “It's incredible to be here,
especially after horrible conditions over past 24 hours,” said Davies, noting
that she had been scared for the first time in her incredible race, shutting
herself inside Roxy as a big, 50 knot squall hit knocking Roxy over.
* British yachtswoman Dee Caffari has discovered further deterioration to
Aviva’s mainsail as she continues towards Cape Horn in the Southern Ocean, and
it is expected that the progressive delamination will soon lead to the sail’s
ultimate failure. While Caffari may soon be forced to find alternative sail
plans as repairs alone will not be sufficient, her ultimate goal remains to
become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop both ways around the world. To
achieve this she must complete the Vendée Globe race so whilst her mainsail
issues may slow her down she remains committed to completing the race.
* As a result of the time taken during Jean Le Cam's rescue operation, and the
damage to his port outrigger that led to his dismasting, Vincent Riou informed
the International Jury that he was requesting redress. Until the decision of the
jury is known, Riou’s PRB will continue to be ranked in the official race
positions. Riou and Le Cam arrived mid-morning on Jan. 8th in Puerto Williams,
the Chilean naval port. Also, following the collision of Veolia Environnement
with a sea mammal on Thursday, Roland Jourdain reported Sunday that he had
finally completed repairing several cracks around the keel box and in the
compartment at the foot of the mast bulkhead onboard.
Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s.
Standings as of 18:30 UTC (Top 5 plus of 30 entrants; 12 now competing):
1. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Foncia, 5128.9 nm Distance to finish
2. Roland Jourdain (FRA), Veolia Environnement, 250.0 nm Distance to leader
3. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, 743.3 nm DTL
4. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 1793.6 nm DTL
5. Marc Guillemot (FRA), Safran, 2099.8 nm DTL
8. Dee Caffari (GBR), Aviva, 3040.6 nm DTL
10. Rich Wilson (USA), Great American III, 5073.9 nm DTL
Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en
Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html
Race tracking: http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/en
THE PERFECT STORM
Each year since purchasing a Hunter sailboat from Angus Yachts in 2005, Tom Duke
was invited to the Toronto International Boat Show as a guest of the dealership,
one of the largest in the country. He was also invited to Angus' annual customer
appreciation cocktail party on Saturday nights. But this year, there's no Angus
cocktail party and Duke had to buy tickets to the show, which run January 11-18.
Angus Yachts, which merged in June with Clift's Marine, Canada's largest yacht
brokerage, quietly closed its doors on Dec. 1 after 36 years. The company had
offices in Mississauga, Orillia and Penetanguishene and employed 55 people. In
2005, Angus sold more Hunter sailboats than any other dealer in the world. In
2006, they started selling powerboats. Last year, they were the largest dealers
of Cruisers Yachts in the world. They were about to launch the Prestige line
from France. "We had huge growth, doubling every year from '03 to '07," says
Alan Adelkind, former vice-president of Angus Yachts. "We were touted all
through North America as the darlings of the boat business. We turned down one
brand a month." -- Toronto Star, read on:
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/568544
TERHUNE STARTS 2009 SEASON WITH ETCHELLS WIN
Miami, FL (January 11, 2009) - With a forecast for 7-10 knots on Saturday and a
little lighter on Sunday, the PRO Dave Brennan told the 62 Etchells skippers
attending the Etchells Sid Doren Memorial Regatta that they planned to get as
many races in as possible on Saturday, as they weren't sure they would be able
to get off a race on Sunday. This turned out to be the case. Saturday's racing
saw breeze a little left of east with 5-10 degree shifts, with the breeze never
getting above zephyr status on Sunday. The Sid Doren Memorial, won by Allan
Terhune, was the second event in the four regatta Jaguar Series, the premiere
winter event for the Etchells class in North America. The first event, the Piana
Cup, was won by Jud Smith. -- Paige Brooks
Top 5 of 62 competitors
1. Allan Terhune, Katie Terhune, Todd Wake, Kristine Wake - 21 points
2. Bruce Golison, Steve Erikson, Billy Lynn, Peter Lynn - 23
3. Tony Rey, Billy Bennett, Ched Proctor - 28
4. Kurt Winkelmann, Brad Boston, Will Crump - 28
5. Bill Hardesty, Vince Brun, Eric Shampain, Jennifer Wilson - 29
Complete story, photos, and results:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/jaguar/#2
KAENON POLARIZED U.S. AND WORLD SAILORS OF THE YEAR
Terry and Anna, and Ben and Alessandra chose Kaenon Polarized as the tool to win
their Rolex awards. The most common piece of sailing equipment used by the best
sailors in the world is the patented SR-91 polarized lens by Kaenon. Vincent
Riou has relied on our prescription products in the Vendee Globe, and Nick
Scandone used Kaenon Polarized Rx as his greatest weapon. If a Rolex is your
goal, your first choice is Kaenon Polarized. Visit http://www.kaenon.com to
learn more and locate a dealer near you. Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically.
SAILING SHORTS
* Tampa, FL (Jan. 10, 2009) - A frontal passage that blew out the competitors on
the practice race day left behind mainly light winds for the 3-day J24 Midwinter
Championship, hosted by Davis Island Yacht Club. Tim Healy (Newport, RI) with
crew Dave Crocker, Nick Judson, Nick Von Der Wense and Gordon Borgess had all
scores in the top 10, giving them an impressive victory over Will Welles’s team
(Newport, RI) in second and John Mollicone’s (Newport, RI) team in third. --
Results: http://diyc.org/resultsdetail.asp?ResultID=714
* America's new Rolex Yachtsman of the Year will line up against an all-star
field including the top three ranked match racing skippers in the world in the
45th Congressional Cup March 24-28, the Long Beach Yacht Club has announced.
Terry Hutchinson of Annapolis, Md., the winner in 1992, will face France's
Sébastien Col, Great Britain's Ian Williams and France's Mathieu
Richard---currently 1-2-3 in the International Sailing Federation (ISAF)
rankings---in a deep field of talent that also includes Australia's James
Spithill, who drove Italy's Luna Rossa in the 2007 America's Cup at Valencia. --
Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0111b/
* The CISA (California International Sailing Association) Advanced Racing Clinic
applications are now being accepted for the April 4-7 clinic. Clinic Director
Andrew Campbell stated, "This year will be a return to the legendary coaching
level the CISA clinic has had for so long. We are going to lay the foundation
for American sailors to win on the international level for the decades to come."
Applicants are encouraged from all over North America to apply. Applications are
due February 1st. For more information go to http://www.cisasailing.org
* With less than 2,000 miles to go and a deficit of just 330 miles on Francis
Joyon’s time, Thomas Coville knows that the coming days will be very demanding
and leave little respite for him and his the 105-foot maxi-trimaran Sodeb'O as
they seek to break the solo, round the world record time. For Coville to break
the record, he will need to overcome the current forecast calling for an upwind
course into 35-40 knot winds with large seas. Coville must cross the finish line
in Brest, France prior to 15th January, 03h27'20'' UTC to set a new record. --
Full story:
http://www.sodebo-voile.com/actu/news/eng/448-TENSION-ABOARD-SODEB-O.html
* The America's Cup Hall of Fame, located in Bristol Rhode Island, is pleased to
announce the induction of John Longley and the late Thomas Ratsey at a black-tie
dinner on April 30, 2009. The 16th Induction Ceremony, presented by Rolex Watch
U.S.A. and hosted at the New York Yacht Club in New York City, will also honor
the late John Biddle for his 2008 induction into the Hall of Fame. --
http://www.herreshoff.org
EIGHT BELLS
John R. "Jack" Howie, 75, of Colts Neck, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, at
the Monmouth County Care Center, Allenwood. He recently moved back to his
home-base of Monmouth County to be with his family after spending 10 years in
his retirement state of Florida. A graduate of Rutgers and Admiral Farragut
Academy, Jack was president of boat building companies, including Bangor Punta's
O'Day Company, AMF's Alcort/Paceship Division, and later founded Howmar Boats,
his own sailboat manufacturing company. He was a licensed Maritime and Aircraft
pilot, enjoyed flying for years, and sailed competitively and also just for the
love of the sea. A veteran, Jack proudly served his country as a Company
Commander, U.S. Army Engineers, Korea. He lived in Marco Island and the Florida
Keys prior to moving back to New Jersey.Services will be private. Memorial
donations can be made to Monmouth County SPCA, P.O. Box 93, Eatontown, NJ 07724.
Condolences and memories can posted at
http://www.orenderfamilyhome.com/condolence.htm
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine)
Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt
editor, aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’. Letters selected for publication must include the
writer's name, and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for
clarity or simplicity). You only get 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 Phil Mostyn: (re, coaching story in Issue 2755) I guess we all know the
difference between the support a competitor gets from friends in a support boat
between races, and the support a competitor gets from a coach. However, who in
the heck can that difference between the two on the water? What if the coach is
among the friends? What if the coach doesn’t register with the RC?
I’m a judge and umpire and sometimes come across race officials who get carried
away about coach boats going up one side of the course or the other, but in all
my experience I have yet to catch someone cheating, notwithstanding that we
have, at the request of RC’s, monitored some suspects very, very carefully.
My view, if it’s good for the development of the Class, then go with it. If the
sailors don’t want it - as the Star sailors are said to have voted that they
don’t - then ban it. But if you want to try and police such a ban between races
you are probably going to have to ban support from any source.
* From Geoffrey Emanuel, Southlake, TX: The decline in race participation has
been long debated. However, I cannot think of a bigger deterrent than on the
water coaching during a regatta. Most can't afford it and those that can should
practice with coaching and race on their own. On the racecourse, coached teams
dilute the true test of skills in a sport that rewards self-sufficiency. The
uniqueness of our sport has been the ability of amateurs and professionals to
compete together. I can think of no better way to alienate amateurs this than
on-the-race course coaching. Ban it outright. There is no manageable middle
ground.
* From Charles J. Doane: (re, Issue 2756) As usual, I've read Cory Friedman's
latest with great interest and was pleased, but not surprised, to learn that the
NYYC has filed the most cogent amici brief in the ongoing AC litigation. As I've
said before, I believe the best way forward is to reform the AC trust and
appoint the NYYC as permanent trustee and bar them from competing. Having a
trustee compete with others for the corpus of a trust is bound to create
problems, for the roles of trustee and competitor, as Mr. Bertarelli has so
aptly demonstrated, are inherently incompatible.
I do wish Mr. Friedman would explain in more detail exactly why the issue of
fiduciary duty has not and cannot be raised in this litigation. The "organized
yacht club" question, it seems to me, is only ancillary to the larger question
of whether Bertarelli has breached his duty as trustee. Is it a standing
problem? Are not GGYC and all other aspiring competitors beneficiaries of the
trust? If they cannot raise the fiduciary issue, who can?
As for Mr. Everitt's comments on the carnage in the Vendee Globe, I'm afraid he
may be right about the economic crisis putting an end to the proliferation of
these amazing, but ultimately fragile boats. If so, I, for one, will miss them.
The Vendee Globe may well be the most dangerous sporting event in the world, but
the only ones truly qualified to say whether it is too dangerous are those who
compete in it. If they are willing to accept the risks, should we not be
permitted to admire them for doing so?
* From Toby Cooper: In Scuttlebutt 2756, Julian Everitt says “madness” has taken
over in International yacht racing, which according to him is allowing unsafe
boats. He is barking up the wrong tree. Completely wrong. The expensive boats in
the Volvo, Vendee and other races are marvels of modern materials and
engineering. Jean Le Cam did not experience keel failure, he said hit a shipping
container. This seems to happen in these distance races with alarming
regularity. It is not yachts that are becoming “increasingly unsuitable for
their primary purpose” as Everitt blindly claims, it is lost shipping containers
which float semi-submerged for who knows how many years like 20 ton steel mines
in the ocean. It seems like somebody could make a solid living if they developed
an inexpensive seawater-activated tracking device that could signal the position
of containers at sea.
CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
How do men exercise at the beach? By sucking in their stomachs every time they
see a bikini.
Special thanks to Scuttlebutt’s newest advertiser Summit Yachts, and for the
continued support from Kaenon Polarized.
A complete list of preferred suppliers is at
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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