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SCUTTLEBUTT 2614 – June 10, 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. HOW CANADIANS SUPPORT THEIR NATIONAL ORGANIZATION by Gregory Scott (June 9, 2008) With the US SAILING is presenting a proposal to change their membership system, I decided to do some research on the Canadian system for collecting fees for our national sailing body, the CYA (Canadian Yachting Association). What came to mind immediately was that in Canada, yacht club membership also meant being a CYA member. That is the Canadian system. However, as I am no longer a yacht club member, and therefore not a member of CYA, I wondered how I could become a member again. I still have a boat, and had previously benefited from many years of CYA affiliation. To get the answer, I went to the source and spoke to the CYA, asking what I thought was simple question. Ha! The short answer is, I can't be a member of the CYA without an affiliation to a club through a provincial sailing association ... full stop! However, as a work around for many people like me (who sail/ race and have no interest or opportunity to be with a club), we can be part of the CYA through the Ontario Sailing Association (OSA) by paying a fee to OSA as a member of "The Maple Leaf Club", a non-asset organization (not unlike Scuttlebutt Sailing Club). That facility provides me access to CYA membership benefits. But learning this led to the next set of questions: Apparently, CYA gets their fees through a provincial body that collects fees from the "member clubs" (local yacht/sailing clubs) and then forwards the CYA portion of what they collect from the local clubs. As an example, OSA collects $20.00 per "reported individual", keeps $10.00 for their organization and sends $10.00 to CYA. Now here is where the rubber hits the road. Do "member clubs" pay what they should? Drawing a real comparative to the current debate regarding US Sailing, are Canadians in the same position as Americans in regard to funding our national body? Yep! We do the same thing, as it appears as though we don't pay either. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0609a OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: 60 DAYS TO GO * NBC Nightly News has posted an amazing piece on American Paralympic class SKUD 18 skipper Nick Scandone and his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Nick shows true heart and determination in the face of a terminal challenge, with the question varying between his ability to win an Olympic medal, and whether he will live long enough to try. Watch this two-minute video: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#24987042 * (June 9, 2008) Over 200 of the world's leading 470 sailors, including many of the Olympic teams, are competing this week for the 2008 European title on Lake Garda. Of the 119 boats, 86 men and 33 women, from five continents and representing 32 countries, Americans Amanda Clarrk and Sarah Mergenthaler are having early success after two days with a 4-1-1 to lead the women’s division. Conditions so far have been fairly light (5-12 knots), flat water, and scattered rain showers everyday. Qualifying is completed on Tuesday, with Gold and Silver divisions racing from Wednesday through to the Medal race on Sunday. -- Results: http://abe5.com/4v1 Clark/Mergenthaler website: http://abe5.com/4v2 * Michael Capozzi of Bayport, NY became convinced his daughter Debbie had a future in sail racing when she competed in an international competition when she was just 14 and had been sailing for only four years. It was the Sunfish world championship at Sayville Yacht Club. "It was very, very windy and a lot of boats were flipping," Capozzi recalled. "Debbie, who doesn't weigh too much, slipped out of her boat, but was able to hold on for the last 300 yards and crossed the finish line."That determination and her rare skill has now brought her to the pinnacle of the sport. After winning three world championships, Capozzi, now 26, and her two Yngling crew members are headed for the 2008 summer Olympics in China, where they are considered favorites to bring home a medal. -- Newsday, read on: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-lisail0606,0,3199575.story * Members of the US Sailing Olympic team will be in Qingdao, China for a Training Camp from June 13-26. American Star crew Austin Sperry explains how this trip will differ from his previous visits to the 2008 Olympic sailing site and what his team hopes to accomplish: http://austinsperry.com/news?id=7630 IDEAS THAT CLICK You hear them across every racecourse, telling you your competitors are trimming sheets and adjusting controls. But ratchet blocks are more than just noisy psychological weapons; they’re an indispensable piece of hardware on dinghies, one-designs, and even cruising boats. Understanding ratchet blocks and effectively designing them into your systems will allow you to trim and make adjustments with more precision and control. -- Read on: http://www.harken.com/blocks/ratchetoverview.php GAME ON IN NEWPORT FOR SAILORS AND SHOOTERS Photographer Amory Ross has quickly established himself in the rarefied world of grand prix shooters. Here he provides an update from Newport, RI: (June 9, 2008) It's been a busy few weeks here in Newport, and showing no signs of slowing down. This past weekend was Sail Newport's Halfway Rock Regatta, the first real chance for the sailors (and photographers) to shake the cobwebs off. Of course, this upcoming weekend is the NYYC Annual Regatta, arguably the most talent-laden North American regatta of the year. Not a whole lot of time to work out those kinks. I got to see PUMA under sail for the first time, pretty amazing. I was planning on using my underwater housing but found a few complications. First, the visibility in Newport is horrible. It's easy to forget the importance of the 50+ foot underwater visibility in the Med, until you jump in the water here and realize you can't even see your feet. Second, Volvo 70s are fast. Like, really fast. If you're looking for a good scare, try putting yourself in front of one on a broad reach. The kind of reach where they're doing 28 knots and flying their windward rudder. I personally wouldn't recommend it, and I assume the boys on PUMA might agree. Not to mention you better have a fast boat, because otherwise there's no way you'll come close to pacing them. -- Read on: http://amoryross.blogspot.com/2008/06/halfway-rock.html FIVE KIDS ON TOP OF THE SAILING WORLD What were you doing when you were in your early teens? And what are teenagers doing now? Watching marathon TV? Hanging out at the mall, playing endless video games… But, for five young sailors, ages 12-14, life has a decidedly more provocative twist. These five boys have reached the pinnacle of their Optimist sailing careers and are headed to Cesme, Turkey next month to represent the United States in the International Optimist Dinghy Association World Championship Regatta. Fairly heady stuff for kids not even old enough to drive! This is the U.S. World Team! Duncan Williford will be 13 in July. He is from Fort Lauderdale and is the sailor who won Team Trials – the qualifying regatta for the World Team. Pearson Potts is now from Sag Harbor, New York, but his roots are in New Orleans. Pearson is 15 and is a third-time World Team member. Christopher Craven just turned 14 and hails from Miami Shores, Florida. Axel Sly will be 14 this month and is a second-time World Team member from Weston, Florida; and Antoine Screve from San Francisco, California is also 14 and is making his second trip to the World Team. These kids are among some 150,000 worldwide to sail the Optimist, a small pram sailboat just 7’6” long. From its humble beginnings in the late 1940s in Clearwater, Florida, when the Optimist was built as a soap-box racing car for the water, the “Opti” has grown to be the largest class of youth sailing boat in the world, represented in 110 countries. -- Business Wire, read on: http://abe5.com/4v3 KOREA ATTRACTING ATTENTION WITH NEW TOUR EVENT The third stop on this year’s World Match Racing Tour heads to Jeongok Marina in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province of Korea where a fleet of new purpose-built boats, a new marina, live TV coverage, and the richest total prize money purse yet - 300 million Won, or about $300,000 – makes this brand new event a sought-after stop on the Tour. Round robin racing begins Wednesday, June 12th with the finals set for Sunday, June 15th “This event has all the hallmarks of being truly world-class,” said World Match Racing Tour President Scott MacLeod. “The efforts made by the Koreans to build the infrastructure here, the ideal spectator venue, the prize money, the sailing talent, and all the other features add up to establishing this as being on the top tier among all our Tour events.” Besides having a shoreside venue located in a brand-new marina complex 70 km south of Seoul on Korea’s west coast, the Korea Match Cup has also invested in a fleet of new 36-foot Bakewell-White-designed KM 36’s built locally in Hwaseong City by Advanced Marine Tech. The boats are the first racing yacht to be built and sailed in Korea, with a match race version produced for this event and a subsequent racer/cruiser edition planned for export. Besides having a centreline retracting carbon bowsprit and asymmetric spinnakers, a unique feature of this match racing version is the addition of a cameraman's cupola in the deck where there would usually be the main companionway: onboard cameramen will thus be in a perfect position to capture the all the action up close. -- http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/da/70705 Entry List (with Tour Standings after two events) 1. Ian Williams (GBR), Team Pindar 2. Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Alandia Sailing Team 3. Paolo Cian (ITA), Team Shosholoza 6. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team 7. Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Victory Challenge 10. Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing Team 12. Sébastien Col (FRA), K Challenge/French Match Racing Team 14. Adam Minoprio (NZL), Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing * Peter Gilmour (AUS), Team PST * Jesper Radich (DEN), Rudy Project Sailing Team * Wataru Sakamoto (JPN), Siesta Team, Qualifier from KMC Asian Qualifier, Hayama , Japan * Seung Chul Lim (KOR), Korea Gyeonman Team, Qualifier from KMC Asian Qualifier, Korea * First 2008 tour event TIME TO BUY NEW SAILS? HEAD NORTH! If you're ready to outfit your boat with new sails, NOW is the time to buy from North. With the introduction of North's new 3Dtc technology and our 3Dr mold running full tilt, we are working overtime throughout the summer and have timely delivery dates available. Whether your boat is 22-feet or 122-feet, North Sails can provide exactly what you need. When performance, durability, and speed matter, head North: http://na.northsails.com SAILING SHORTS * Galveston, Texas (June 8, 2008) - The Coast Guard along with a Texas A&M salvage crew recovered a deceased victim from the sailboat Cynthia Woods, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed this afternoon. The boat was found 27 miles southeast of Freeport late Sunday afternoon. The body is believed to be that of Roger Stone, a safety officer for the Texas A&M Offshore Sailing Team. He was one of six members of the team onboard the sailing vessel when it capsized in the Gulf of Mexico late Friday. Five of the crewmembers were rescued early Sunday morning. -- Full story: http://abe5.com/4v4 * The World Sailing Speed Record Council announced the ratification of a new transatlantic crossing world record (Powered Sails - WSSR rule 21c) by skipper Chris Sherlock (GBR) on the fully crewed 30m monohull Leopard. Traveling the distance of 2925 nm on May 27-June 3, 2008, the team covered the distance in 7 days 19 hours 20 minutes 49 seconds for an average speed of 15.6 kts. The previous record was by Phocea, led by skipper Bernard Tapie (FRA) in July 1988 (8d 3h 29m). -- http://www.sailspeedrecords.com * (June 9, 2008) Earthrace, the a 24m tri-hull ecoboat, successfully underwent massive repairs in Singapore and will set off later today on the next leg to Cochin, India, where it is expected to arrive on June 13th. Earthrace is on day 42 of its attempt to break the world record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe. Despite the delays for repairs, the boat is still 1,556 miles ahead of the world record pace, set by the British Cable and Wireless team in 1998, despite sustaining significant damage in Palau and having to complete the last leg of the journey on one engine. http://www.earthrace.net * Free weather forecasts by Sailing Weather Services for the Sperry Top-Sider Chicago NOOD Regatta on June 13-15, 2008 are available by signing up at the North Sails' online weather center: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf * Rye, New York -- The U.S. Disabled Sailing Championship for the Independence Cup was hosted by American and Larchmont Yacht Clubs on June 7-9, 2008. Winners included Bruce Millar (CAN) in 2.4mR, Rick Doerr/ Tim Angle/ Bill Donohue (USA) in the Sonar, and John McRoberts/ Stacie Louttit (CAN) in the Ideal 18. -- Results: http://tinyurl.com/5skwuh * Cannigione, Sardinia (June 9, 2008) - With good weather and a wind from the north east at just over eight knots, the first races commenced in the J/24 World Championships, disputed in the waters of the Gulf of Arzachena. The Championship will feature 76 boats from 17 countries competing in two-a-day races over 5 days through Friday. The first day ended with the Argentine Francisco Campero in command of the standings with a 4 point lead over “Bruschetta” and two-time World Champion Mauricio Santa Cruz. In third place is Andrea Casale and “Fiamme Gialle,” fresh from winning the Italian title. -- Report: http://tinyurl.com/6zb6jo Results: http://tinyurl.com/5t7ojw * The Boat International Media Superyacht Design Symposium is an owner driven, design focused event to be held in New York City on October 27-28, 2008. By sharing detailed information of their own personal experiences of new build projects, the speakers will assist those involved in new build projects to save time, money, and to reduce the risks associated with high cost or high technology custom build projects. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/6jx2px J BOATS - 31 YEARS YOUNG As the J/24 Class turns 30, J Boats’ worldwide activity is at the high water mark. J/80s are 1,100 strong, growing at 100/year, with a new Asian builder supplying the Pacific Rim. J/122 has surpassed hull #50 with multiple IRC wins across Europe and America. J owners are setting attendance records (125 boats at J/80 Worlds, 32 at J/109 UK Nationals, 65 at J/105 NA’s). New J/105s are coming out of US Watercraft. Wow! http://www.jboats.com 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 Peter O. Allen, Sr., Rochester, New York: I've watched the discussion on mandatory membership in USSA with interest. In a nutshell, it's been consistently shown that folks in the United States simply don't like to be told that they must do something, such as joining an organization that doesn't seem to do much for them. And they will often stubbornly eschew membership, even when they can see some benefits. As a retired Certified Association Executive, (and a long-time member of the certifying organization, the American Society of Association Executives, or ASAE) I watched many associations struggle with the question of how to bring more people into voluntary membership. It seems that the most successful model is the association that provides a good array of benefits to the prospective member. Some will look at the "products" of an association and decide that they can get along just as well by not buying a membership. Others will see the obvious benefits of membership in the association and will join and then annually renew their memberships. I wonder how many staff members of USSA are members of ASAE, a voluntary membership organization. Each of them (or at least those who are department heads and above) should be. * From R. G. Newbury: (re, proposed US SAILING prescription to rule 46) Although the U.S. can add a prescription to rule 46, it cannot change Rule 75 which provides that an Entry shall be made by 'a member of a national authority'. A quick troll discloses that individual memberships in Yachting New Zealand cost $35 NZD (about $26USD). If membership becomes mandatory, consider where you would like to become a member. (Being Canadian, this is not a problem I must resolve, although I know what my reaction would be). * From Gail M. Turluck: (re, rooftop Yngling in #2612-2613) What a great way to have a keelboat "dolly" yet not have to pay axel costs on turnpikes all across America! With the I-Pass/I-Zoom/EZ-Pass now implemented and we sailors blindly blasting cross country, we're not well notified when tolls increase. I discovered today that Indiana hiked their toll rates April 1. Yet, the booth area signs that used to display current toll rates are nowhere to be seen. Changes to the sign were the unsettling means for discovering increased tolls in the past. What a great government-related (yes, I know, some part of the toll and road administration has been "privatized") boondoggle for hiking fees and keeping the motoring public in the dark. The charges go against your "account," and as your "account" gets used up, there's an automatic refresh (read: charge to your linked credit card). No notice of rate changes required. * From Jay Sacco, Austin, TX: Much as I respect Butch Ulmer and his opinion (in #2612), I have to differ with his suggestion that US Sailing should lengthen the time between rule changes. While I agree with his observations about the problem (many sailor’s don’t know or truly understand the rules, and they take years to learn them), and I agree we need a solution in order for all of us to enjoy better racing, I suggest that the solution be more and better education, not slower changes. When Butch says that he suspects it takes the average sailor more than 4 years to learn the rules, I’d agree and add “if they ever do” to that statement. In my experience, many sailors have never actually read the rule book, and only learn the rules through sailing with others, who may or may not know them. Hence “mast abeam” is still occasionally heard on the race course. If we don’t allow the rules to change with reasonable frequency, then we’ll be stuck with “bad” rules for long periods of time. Wouldn’t it be better if the rules continue to change as they have and when a new rule book comes out, we all just take the time to understand what’s changed? It’s not as if it gets completely re-written all the time, and usually the changes are simplifications that are easier to understand than the old rules. Then, whenever a casual sailor gets the inclination to learn them, they’re as best as they can be at that time. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Sometimes the truth comes not from what one absorbs; but rather from what one surrenders. Special thanks to Harken Yacht Equipment, North Sails, and J Boats. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
