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SCUTTLEBUTT 3256 - Thursday, January 13, 2011Scuttlebutt 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. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: Ullman Sails and Morris Yachts. GOLDEN GATE YACHT CLUB HOLDS COURSE AS AC HOST By Michelle Slade, yachting journalist Tucked away at the end - or the beginning depending on whether you're on foot or under sail - of Yacht Road along the San Francisco Marina West Yacht Basin is the Golden Gate Yacht Club, a two-story-unassuming-almost-quaint yellow building and home of the America's Cup Defender ORACLE Racing. Its location couldn't be more ideal for its task at hand, host club for the 34th edition of the America's Cup, just 1.8 nautical miles east of the Golden Gate Bridge and central to the city front, the site of the future race-course for the next event. While on paper it seems that the GGYC must hold a fundamental role in all that's been happening over the past year, in all truth we haven't heard much from the folks who constitute the membership in the notoriously modest club. I checked in with Marcus Young, former Commodore of the GGYC and now Staff Commodore, who assured me that there's plenty going on behind the scenes... * As host Club what IS GGYC's role in all this? MARCUS YOUNG: The Club is really the mechanism by which the races occur. In order to become a challenging team for the Cup you have to come through a yacht club so that's where the relationship between the Cup and a team starts. Now that we are the Defender of the Cup and the Trustee of the Cup, we're the point of entry for the other teams wishing to enter, ie, they have to lodge their challenge/desire to race with us, pay the entry fee and the Club is responsible for the processing/approval of those entries. As we move forward over the next couple of months, the club will most likely take on a bigger role in some facets but in other ways, we've assigned management of the event over to the new entity, the America's Cup Event Authority because we really want to have people who are, for example, experienced in sports marketing for the day to day management of the event. I would argue that it would be difficult today for any club, really, to manage the business of the racing on their own without a separate entity managing it. Full interview: http://blogs.marinij.com/sailing_in_marin FIVE PLUS ONE: America's Cup event organizers have confirmed the sixth entry for the 34th America's Cup in 2013. The official announcement by the team is expected soon. This sixth entry joins previously announced challenges from Italy (Mascalzone Latino), France (ALEPH), and Sweden (Artemis Racing). A fourth challenger has been accepted but has yet to disclosed any details of its entry, while Oracle Racing from the United States has been accepted as a defender candidate by the Golden Gate Yacht Club. -- http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-011211 AC FAQS: SF Bay area based publication Latitude 38 has put together an America's Cup 34 FAQ page where you can go to find answers to some of the frequent questions being asked: http://www.latitude38.com/features/ac34.html AMBASSADOR: Gavin Newsom, newly minted lieutenant governor of California, has been named the first-ever “ambassador at large for the 34th America’s Cup.” As mayor of San Francisco, Newsom’s team won the bid to bring the international yachting race to San Francisco Bay. Now Newsom’s role will be to help attract and welcome visitors from other states and abroad to the event, and support efforts to create a superior fan and participant experience both on and off the water. -- SF Examiner, http://tinyurl.com/SFE-011211 VIDEO GAME MAY BE COMING TO YOUR SCREEN By Patrick Twohy, SF Business Times A close read of the protocol for the America's Cup suggests that organizers are hoping it'll be a multimedia bonanza. The agreement between Golden Gate Yacht Club and the Italian yacht club that is the official lead challenger for the Auld Mug has a section titled "ELECTRONIC GAMES AND BOARD GAMES." The section says simply that the America's Cup Event Authority, the official entity in charge of everything associated with the America's Cup that isn't actually part of the racing, can use photos and video of any of the competitors in online, electronic or board games. Now, I'm a big sailing fan. I learned to sail right where Larry Ellison did - Cal Sailing Club in Berkeley - so I'd be perhaps more likely than many to be all happy about new sailing-related games. But honestly, I'm skeptical. I've tried out a lot of them over the years and I haven't found one that held my attention. But none featured territory where I've sailed for 20-plus years. Maybe in a Christmas stocking sometime soon, I'll find an America's Cup video game. Santa? I know it's only January, but are you awake? Source: http://tinyurl.com/BizJournals-011211 SAILS AND SERVICE FOR ALL SEASONS No matter the season, where you are or what sailing you do, Ullman Sails lofts worldwide are providing the best sails and service possible. In Key West, customers are tuning up for the year’s first big event in the Melges 24, J/105 and J/80 and multihull classes. South of the equator, the Etchells Australian Nationals are in full swing and Audi Victoria Week starts next week (the largest regatta in the Southern Hemisphere!). For those in the snow, customers are eagerly awaiting the spring thaw with sails in our lofts for service, cleaning and storage. Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com GROWING THE SPORT Multihull racing is on the rise in the U.S. thanks to countless sailors and volunteers who are running first-class events around the country, as well as introducing this form of exciting sailing to beginners. Bob Hodges of Covington, La. is one of these contributors making a difference in the multihull sailing community. Bob, a member of the Pontchartrain Yacht Club, has been class president of the United States A-Class Catamaran Association since 2004. During his watch, the class in the U.S. has doubled in size which has helped foster the development of some of the most talented sailors in the country. “I think the growth of our class in the U.S. over the last six to eight years is attributed to several factors,” Bob explained. “One has been the establishment of districts that promote regional racing. Another has been better publicity and visibility through our own website and the internet based sailing media. But the most important factor has been the attitude of the sailors who make the events fun, share knowledge, and create an atmosphere where new A-Class sailors feel extremely welcome.” This week Bob is competing at the first round of the 2011 U.S. A-Class Catamaran Winter Circuit in Islamorada, Fla. He is competing with elite sailors including Ben Hall, Matt Struble, Randy Smyth, Morgan Larson, and Terry Hutchinson. "Multihull racing is a growing segment of the sport because the technology is getting better both in high performance beach cats and cruising boats, and people are embracing it. The America's Cup adds a little punch and legitimacy to our segment of the sport. It’s good that skiff technology is trickling down to dinghies, especially youth boats." -- Full story: http://media.ussailing.org/Sailor_of_the_Week.htm PIGEONS AND STATUES Belmont, NSW, Australia (January 12, 2011) - It was a layday today at the 2011 Zhik Moth Worlds’, allowing the 109 entrants to mend their rides and themselves after several days of big wind racing. Nathan Outteridge (AUS) has dominated thus far, winning 10 of the 12 races, but holds only a six point margin over Aussie Joe Turner in second. 2009 World Champ Bora Gulari (USA) sits in 5th overall, while Linsdsay Bergan (USA) is tied for the lead of top women. Commenting on the event is current World Champion Simon Payne (GBR): “We had big winds Tuesday which peaked at about 28 knots. It was a wild ride and the rich got richer as the big and strong smoked upwind. I went through the line in the 2nd race with 28.6 knots on the clock. Clive Watts, owner of CST recorded 30.3 knots which was a nice birthday present for him. It wasn’t so long ago that we had the prestigious 20 knot club. “So I'm struggling in this event and some people have asked me why I still race after winning the Worlds in 2006 and 2010. For the love of the sport mate, you have to get over your ego and if you still enjoy it, go sailing. In this game sometimes you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue. You have to be pragmatic and the effort required to win a Worlds is immense! You can’t do it every time and accordingly you have to be realistic about your result. You win when you can and you don’t run for the skirting boards when you can’t.” Racing commences Thursday and concludes Friday. Future Worlds will be in Campione, Italy (2012) and California, USA (2013). Results: http://www.mothworlds.org/belmont/results/ Worlds: http://www.mothworlds.org/belmont/ Brad Funk: http://www.funksailing.com/ Matt Knowles: http://knowlesmoth.blogspot.com/ Simon Payne: http://sipayne.blogspot.com/ Chris Rast: http://fasterandhigher.blogspot.com/ CLOSING IN ON THE EQUATOR (January 12, 2011: Day 13) While leaders Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron on Virbac-Paprec had around 120 miles to run to the Equator at 1530hrs UTC today, the chasing duo of Michel Desjoyeaux and François Gabart on Foncia seem little compromised by their crash box damage which is expected to see them stop in Recife, Brasil on Friday. The detour to Brasil may be around 120 miles but in fact Foncia will sail a slightly higher, faster angle to get to the stopover so the net cost in time off the routing can be minimised. The Foncia technical team will be awaiting the arrival of the duo for an operation which they anticipate will take around 20 hours to replace sacrificial ‘nose cone’. The decision has been made that Alex Thomson will not rejoin HUGO BOSS as skipper, but instead will remain in England to stay close to his infant son Oscar who was diagnosed with a heart condition after being born on January 7th. HUGO BOSS will continue on with substitute skipper Wouter Verbraak (NED) and Andy Meiklejohn (NZL). Thompson was originally unable to start the race after undergoing an emergency appendectomy two days prior to the December 31st start. Race Tracker: http://tracking.barcelonaworldrace.org Standings (top 5 of 14 as of 20:10:59) 1. Virbac-Paprec 3, Jean Pierre Dick & Loick Peyron, 21,827 nm DTF 2. Foncia, Michel Desjoyeaux & Francois Gabart, 40.1 nm DTL 3. Estrella Damm Sailing Team, Alex Pella & Pepe Ribes, 97.8 nm DTL 4. Mapfre, Iker Martinez & Xabi Fernandez, 140.2 nm DTL 5. Mirabaud, Dominique Wavre & Michele Paret, 155.6 DTL Full rankings: http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org/en/ranking BACKGROUND: This is the second edition of the non-stop Barcelona World Race, the only double-handed race around the world. Fourteen teams are competing on Open 60s which started December 31st and is expected to finish by late March. The 25,000 nautical mile course is from Barcelona to Barcelona via three capes: Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, Cook Strait, putting Antarctica to starboard. Race website: http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org QUOTE / UNQUOTE “The thing that is best for me is to put myself in the middle of this ever changing world, cope with everything it dishes out, and spend 24 hours a day in a race! The mental strength you need to spend 3 months in a 24 hour a day competition, managing yourself physically and your emotions, is probably one of the best tests there is of a person.” - Ryan Breymaier, the sole U.S. participant in the doublehanded Barcelona World Race and sailing with co-skipper Boris Herrmann (Germany) aboard Team Neutrogena. NOT TOO LATE TO GET WHAT YOU REALLY WANT Owned by famed recording artist and author Jimmy Buffet, AILERON is a great opportunity to own not only a collector’s item, but a beautiful and fast daysailer. Designed by Joubert and Nivelt with a concentration on esthetics and maneuverability, AILERON is boat ownership simplified as she comes with a custom trailer and is easily towed. And for a limited time, delivery of the boat anywhere in the continental U.S. is included. She is located in a heated storage building here in Maine and can be seen anytime. $169,000. To view the complete listing go to http://www.morrisyachts.com/brokerage/31-Tofinou-95-Aileron-169000 or call 1-207-244-5509 A HUGE TACTICAL DECISION If you’ve been following the Velux 5 Oceans round the word race, than you know there were only five solo sailors that started the race, and now there are four. You know the rules of the race required each skipper to sail an Eco 60, aka an older Open 60 launched before January 2003. And you probably know that this race has not attracted the most elite of ocean going racer, with the Barcelona World Race attracting all the top dogs. Regardless, there have been times during the Velux 5 Oceans that none of this matters. Like now. This five leg race is near the finish of its second leg from Cape Town, SA to Wellington, New Zealand, and the race organizers have presented a tactical challenge that even the most disinterested observer should appreciate. “When setting the course we purposely left it up to the sailors to decide their own route into Wellington as a final test for them,” Velux 5 Oceans race director David Adams explained. As the finish is located at the bottom of New Zealand’s north island, the choice of which way to pass the south island is left to the sailors. “Each route has its benefits and its drawbacks,” notes Adams. “(By going west), the Tasman Sea can be pretty fickle and the Cook Strait is notorious for its funnel effect, channelling strong winds down in between the North and South islands. The easterly route however is also pretty tricky - it would see the skippers sailing due north into the strong, seasonal Wellington northerlies.” As the VELUX 5 OCEANS race tracker shows, race leader Brad Van Liew (USA) and Derek Hatfield (CAN) appear to have opted for the westerly route through the Tasman while Polish skipper Gutek on Operon Racing has split to the east in a gutsy tactical move. Van Liew’s lead over second place Gutek is 334nm with 603 nm to the finish. “West of New Zealand looks quite confused right now,” added Adams, a former Velux 5 Oceans winner. “A high pressure is coming through the Tasman which will bring some pretty light winds of five to ten knots. However, once through it, they will be able to make the right turn into the Cook Strait and blast into Wellington with strong winds behind them. The easterly route looks very constant, with winds of about 15 to 20 knots from the south west - perfect sailing conditions. But by Sunday things will have changed totally and Gutek will have 40 knots of breeze on the nose.” Complete story: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-011211 Race tracker: http://raceviewer.velux5oceans.com/app/index.html?sprint=2 SAILING SHORTS * The historic Edgewood Yacht Club in Cranston was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning. Flames shot into the air before 4 a.m. It took about two hours to bring the fire under the control. No one was hurt, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. A member of the club told NBC 10 News that the club will continue, but that the building is a total loss. The club's first floor had recently been renovated. The Edgewood Yacht Club is one of the oldest yacht clubs in Rhode Island, dating to 1908. -- http://tinyurl.com/EYC-011211 * British yachtsman Geoff Holt MBE has won the coveted title of Yachting Journalists’ Association Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year for 2010. Southampton based Geoff, 44, became the first quadriplegic to sail across the Atlantic when he sailed into the British Virgin Islands on January 7, 2010, overcoming personal adversity and achieving his own impossible dream. Other finalists in contention were Edward Wright, Finn World Champion and double World Cup Winner, and Lucy MacGregor and her team, Ladies World Match Racing Winners. -- Yachting World, full story: http://tinyurl.com/YW-011211 * Once upon a time, all classes for the Transpac race from Los Angeles, CA to Honolulu, HI started on July 4. Later, in an attempt to get all the boats to Honolulu together, or almost, there were four starts. That didn't work, so Transpac YC is trying something simpler. Transpac 2011 will have two starts, July 4 and July 8. The breakdown will be announced on June 4, the deadline for filing an entry. -- http://www.transpacrace.com * The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council Tuesday voted unanimously to turn down a proposal by Champlin's Marina to expand its docks and piers over an additional four acres of Block Island's Great Salt Pond. This could bring to an end a seven-year legal battle to expand the marina. -- Soundings, read on: http://tinyurl.com/STO-011211 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Jan 14-16 - Caribbean Laser Midwinter Regatta - Cabarete, Puerto Plata, DR Jan 14-17 - ISAF Youth World Qualifier - LaPorte, TX, USA Jan 15 - Heineken Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro Race - Cape Town, SA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * Farr 400 all carbon, one design racer * Lewmar Expands Marketing Team * SailLaser St. Petersburg to Open this Winter * 2011 Miami International Boat Show * Max-Prop ECOWIND wins Sail Mag's Pittman Award View and/or post Industry News updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Bill LeFevre, Tijeras, NM: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 3255) Great, my club has been debating the merits of replacing our junior fleet. “Keep the Sabot!” “No way, regional tradition requires we use senior El Toro.” “Don’t be silly, the Oppi has the strongest fleet in the Entire Universe” “Let’s try the Facebook, AND the Open Bic” With the news of the AC45 going youth, we’ve finally got a platform that we can all agree on. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “Realise risk is good, as long as it’s sensibly evaluated. In society, we’ve taken a wrong turn on this. You have to let young people take risks. Building sites are much safer places today because of health-and-safety regulations, and that’s great, but then we go too far. Playing conkers with goggles and gloves on? Do me a favour.” -- Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (GBR), who in 1969 was the first to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation of the globe, http://tinyurl.com/RKJ-CO SPONSORS THIS WEEK Quantum Sails - APS - North Sails - West Marine - Lewmar Atlantis WeatherGear - IYRS - Ullman Sails Morris Yachts - North U - Mount Gay Rum Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
