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SCUTTLEBUTT 3436 - Wednesday, September 28, 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: Morris Yachts, Doyle Sails, and LaserPerformance. STATE OF THE CLASS Ever since foils were added to the International Moth in 2003, the class has been elevated both literally and figuratively. Growth in the U.S. was flying high for the 2009 CST Composites Moth World Championship in Cascade Locks, Oregon, where 33-year old Bora Gulari became the first American in 33 years to win the title. Now two years later, Scuttlebutt checked in with class promoters Matt Knowles and Anthony Kotoun who file this report on the State of the Class: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Moth class in the US is in a good place right now, but we also have work to do. First, our strengths: we have small but growing fleets scattered around the US (mostly Southern California, the Pacific NW, Newport, and Annapolis areas), we have a number of US sailors who have demonstrated that they can compete internationally at the highest level, and we have an even bigger group of dedicated Moth sailors who are doing lots of racing and pushing the development envelope at every turn. Perhaps the best thing we have is lots of Moth sailors out there just enjoying the foiling experience. The thrill of foiling has attracted many, and the word is spreading! The boat itself is also a strength. A new Moth is a turn-key operation that -- with a few hours assembly -- can be foiling well straight out of the box. The boats are getting faster, way more reliable, and easier to sail every day. But we also have challenges. Above all else, we need to increase the rate of growth in our fleets to sustain more local and regional racing. While the fact that the boats are insanely easy to ship around makes traveling a breeze, having more local and regional races will solidify the class. Part of the challenge is convincing folks with older foiling Moths that they should not stay on the sidelines just because they are not riding the latest & greatest. Likewise, we need to continue to pull new people into the class. Things are going in the right direction. 10 years ago, the US Moth class was dead. Today, it is growing. The challenge for the class now is to keep up the momentum. So how do we get to where we want to go? Here is our three-part plan: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/0913/ ARE WE READY? With the start of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race on October 29th in Alicante, Spain, PUMA's Mar Mostro skipper Ken Read provides an update from the Atlantic Ocean on their preparation: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (September 27, 2011) - It seemed like about a week ago we were heading south after the Transatlantic Race to our training camp in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It was actually the middle of July. Time has flown. Nearly a year ago we decided to split our training time between Newport, Rhode Island, and Lanzarote. We were looking for two very different venues, two different types of wind conditions in order to evaluate our sails and our new boat. Boy did we ever get that. Newport was terrific leading up to the Transatlantic Race. It provided a complete mix of weather both inshore and offshore – lots of different weather looks thrown at us. The local community treated us fantastic, and we were ready on July 3 for our first big test which was the race to England. After a pretty successful race, we took a right turn and sailed downwind in the trades all the way to the Puerto Calero Marina. It's a fairly secluded marine facility on one of the windiest islands I have ever been to. Every day you get up to what sounds like the roof of your apartment being blown off. "Here we go again," I would say to myself day after day – now I know what all the boys felt like that did the America's Cup in Fremantle in 1987. The wind every day just wears you out, but it was exactly what we needed. So, now we are paying for that fantastic downwind sail all the way to the Canaries. It is upwind for about 800 miles, against the trades and into the Mediterranean to Alicante, Spain, for the lead up and the start of the Volvo Ocean Race. By rule we have to be there I believe by the third of October, one month before the start. If everything goes according to plan, we should be there a couple days before. We may actually take our time as well and do some more testing. You never know out here, and having a plan that can change literally with the wind is important. The thing is, once you get to Alicante the testing is over... read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/0927a/ VIDEO: During the course of the race, the multimedia team will be producing daily news updates, a weekly 3-minute news round-up and highlights from each of the 9 legs and 10 in-port races -- which will be available online through our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos WORLD PREMIERE OF MORRIS YACHTS' L44 AT ANNAPOLIS Morris Yachts will unveil their Civilian version of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Leadership 44 training vessels at the Annapolis Boat Show. The Leadership 44 Civilian model (Lc44)evolved from the terrific success of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy project where Morris Yachts was chosen out of 11 yards to build eight new 44-foot sailboats (known as the Leadership 44s) for cadet leadership training at the USCG Academy. The civilian version retains all of the exciting sailing characteristics of the Academy's L44 with a modified Herreshoff-style interior for enhanced luxury and comfort. The Lc44 is a yacht that will turn heads in any harbor and provide her owner with pride of ownership for many years. http://www.morrisyachts.com GETTING LOOSE FOR A GOOD CAUSE Louie's Last Regatta was started in 1999 by a group of Milwaukee sailors who basically wanted one more sailing regatta before they had to pull their boats from the water. The event helps to support the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin while allowing its participants to get a little loose for a good cause. The 2011 edition was held last weekend.... are your charity events like this? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Louie's Lucky 13th Regatta was a washout in terms of the sailing but it probably will be one of the longest remembered. For those of you who did not hear, there were a series of waterspouts off of Milwaukee. They were only a mile or so off shore and were right in the starting area of the race. The waterspouts were quite spectacular - real crowd pleasers... The spouts caused an on-shore postponement - duh. Louie's always has been considered two parties interrupted by a sailboat race so there was a considerable amount of pre-race merriment going on. The cell that formed the waterspouts came ashore right over South Shore YC and caused a severe downpour. This resulted in several hundred thirsty sailors being deposited in the SSYC bar which just happened to have build-it-yourself Bloody Mary bar set up. About this time we saw a string of new cells exploding over the lake and they appeared to be taking the same track of the earlier cell that caused the water spouts. We announced an indefinite delay to monitor these new cells. Pouring gasoline on a fire. September will be a very, very good month for the SSYC House Committee. About an hour later the new cells were indeed lining up to dump on the race course. This analysis coupled with the fact that a majority of the sailors were roaring drunk caused us to abandon the race. The PRO then had his first Bloody of the day... With the crews released from the burden of racing for the day, several dozen boats made their way up the Milwaukee River to raft up off the Ale House's dock on the Milwaukee River Walk. The 66' J/V Defiance from Chicago ran the gauntlet of the several opening bridges to get the Ale House only to discover that the docks were too shallow for them. They made a ceremonial passing and a salute and went back to a deeper dock. Too bad they could not tie up but they did score style points. By this time, the weather had cleared and it was a beautiful day and the Ale House's river-side patio was overflowing with sailors. I'm sure Mount Gay recouped their investment of their red hats. To top it off, many of the crews did participate in the crew costume contest. Civilians who just showed up could not have had clue what the hell was going on. I estimate there were at least 500 sailors were there. It was an incredible scene. -- ILYA, read on (scroll down): http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/0927/ Event website: http://www.louieslast.org/ PHOTO GALLERIES * Winning a world championship is a big deal, but winning with style is sweeter yet. The Melges 32 World Championship was won by William Douglass on Goombay Smash, who donned various 'outfits' throughout the week, and hosted parties on several nights with a full DJ at his sprawling crew house. Sweet photos from Joy Dunigan from the event in Palma de Mallorca, Spain: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/0926 * The F-18 is the most vibrant catamaran class in North America, and the North American Championship in Hyannis, MA was the event of the year. The excitement in this class will continue to increase as teams prepare for the 2012 F-18 Worlds Championship, which are to be held next year in Long Beach, CA. Photos from PhotoBoat.com: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/0927 BEST IN THE WORLD ISAF and Rolex have announced the Nominees for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2011. In deciding the nominees, the achievements of sailors made during the qualifying period of 1 September 2010 and 31 August 2011 are taken into consideration. There can be only one winner in each of the two categories, male and female. The 2011 nominees are: Female Dee Caffari (GBR) - Record Breaking Round The World Yachtswoman Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU) - Double Professional Windsurfing Association World Champion Alexandra Rickham (GBR) - ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion and IFDS World Champion - SKUD18 Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) - ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion - Women's Match Racing Male Ben Ainslie (GBR) - Match Racing World Champion & ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion - Finn Lorenzo Bressani (ITA) - Melges 24 and 32 World Champion Rob Douglas (USA) - Outright World Speed Record Holder Iker Martinez & Xabier Fernandez (ESP) - IMOCA60 and 49er success Nathan Outteridge (AUS) - International Moth World Champion and 49er champion The winners will be selected by the ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs), the national governing bodies for sailing around the world, who are now invited to vote for the one male and one female nominee who they believe most deserves the Award. The winners will be announced during the ISAF Annual Meeting on November 8, 2011 in Puerto Rico. Full report: http://www.sailing.org/37136.php Previous winners: http://www.sailing.org/worldsailor/previous-winners.php VISIT US IN ANNAPOLIS! Join Doyle Sailmakers and e Sailing Yachts at the US Sailboat Show October 6-10. Stop by and see Mark Ploch and Paul Beaudin at the Doyle Sailmakers booth located at A 32-34 and tour e Sailing Yachts' new e33 squared edition on Dock H. This next generation e33 features five years of innovations, including Doyle Sailmakers' square top main with unique batten system that optimizes sail shape at all wind speeds. For more information or to schedule an e33 demo sail visit: http://www.doylesails.com/annapolis TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE American Rob Douglas is the fastest sailor on the planet. On October 28, 2010, with the wind gusting to 45 knots, Douglas raised the bar further than anyone had gone before, hitting a new record speed of 55.65 knots in the manmade trench at Luderitz, Namibia. Speed comes from strong, steady wind and flat water, and the virtues of the Luderitz trench in southern Africa first helped Douglas set the outright record in 2008 at a speed of 49.84 knots. Ever since, the Luderitz Speed Challenge in October has been the de facto event for windsurfers and kiteboarders to test the limits of speed. Having an organized event helps to defray the related costs. Electronic timing equipment and personnel are needed, along with maintaining the shallow trench so it's groomed for speed. With the speed averaged over a 500 meter distance, organizers in 2010 dug a trench 750 meter long by 3 to 5 meters wide by 1 to 3 feet deep. After a year of tuning his kites and boards for another record run next month at Luderitz, Douglas finds himself on the outside looking in. "I have heard that the Luderitz Speed Challenge is going to happen this year," replied Douglas, "but it will be a private event and I am not invited to attend." The event organizer is also excluding France's Alexandre Caizergues, who had raised the speed record to 54.10 knots just before Douglas pushed if further to 55.65 knots. Douglas has no idea why he is barred from the event. "I can only guess," said Douglas. "Sebastian Cattelan has never won the Luderitz Speed Challenge and maybe with Alex and me not around he will have better luck. Not real good for the sport but that's the way it goes." Attempts to contact organizers of the Luderitz Speed Challenge have been unsuccessful. Turning lemons into lemonade, Douglas is hosting a GPS speed event on at Martha's Vineyard on October 16-31. The 12 fastest kitesurfers in world history will race, including multiple world record holder Alex Caizergues and the fastest women sailor, Charlotte Consorti. The North American Speed Sailing Invitational (NASSI) will have $30,000 in prize money, courtesy of Lynch Associates and The Black Dog. The event is organized by The North American Speed Sailing Project (NASSP) and under specified conditions laid down by the International Kiteboarding Class Association (IKA). -- http://tinyurl.com/NASSI-092711 FREE ADMISSION TO THE US SAILBOAT SHOW The US Sailboat Show in Annapolis on October 6-10 is ground zero f or the marine industry activity. An absolute who's who and what's what. The prominent Yachting World magazine will be there, and they are seeking their readership to participate in one of several reader feedback sessions they are conducting at the show. This would take about an hour and a half of your time and they will provide refreshments and two complimentary tickets to the show for each participant. If you are a regular purchaser of Yachting World magazine and would like to sign up or learn more, contact Richard Shead at richard_shead@ipcmedia.com ARE YOU IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY? The Marine Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides companies with guaranteed online exposure of their personnel, product and service updates. Plus each week the Scuttlebutt newsletter selects a sampling of updates to feature in the Thursday edition. Are you in the marine industry? Post your updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news SAILING SHORTS * (September 27, 2011; Day 3) - As the six Class40s in the double-handed Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) entered the funnel between Spain and the African coast, the fleet's ranking positions have shuffled as the teams squeezed into the 110-mile wide section of the Mediterranean and Alborán Sea leading to the Strait of Gibraltar. However, Kiwis Ross and Campbell Field on the Verdier Design BSL were back in the lead Tuesday morning with 90 miles to Gibraltar. Following their exit of the Med, the route of Leg 1 continues on to Cape Town, South Africa. -- Full report: http://globaloceanrace.com/?page=news&news_id=521&lang=en * SAIL's Best Around the Buoys is a grass-roots racing initiative to reward one-design sailors for their team's performance at the local racing level and encourage racers to set a goal of racing on the national level. One team will be selected based on its local-sailing resume and will earn a free entry to Quantum Key West Race Week, Jan 16–20, 2012, on board a race-ready J/80. Entries close Oct 19th; winner announced in November. Details: http://www.sailmagazine.com/bab/ * The Long Island-New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative last week filed a lease application with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). The Collaborative also issued a study showing that the proposed wind farm of up to 350 megawatts, potentially growing to 700 megawatts that is to be located 13 to 17 miles off the coast of the Rockaway Peninsula and Long Island, could create up to $2.7 billion in new economic activity, including 2,300 to 4,700 jobs during construction and 85 to 170 permanent jobs, depending on project size. -- Full report: http://www.marinelink.com/news/offshore-project-island340465.aspx LASERPERFORMANCE FALL SALE PROMOTIONS - 9/1/11 THRU 12/31/11 Buy a qualifying boat and receive a free GoPro HD Helmet Pro video camera. Check out the Heavy Air Laser Slalom (below) filmed mostly on GoPro's. As always, yacht clubs, camps and individuals can take advantage of low Fall Fleet Builder promotional pricing on C420's, Opti's, Bug's and CFJ's. Details at LaserPerformance.com (http://na.laserperformance.com/home) or your Local Dealer (http://na.laserperformance.com/dealer-locator). VIDEO: http://na.laserperformance.com/news/heavy-weather-laser-slalom-2011-2 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 Mark Chisnell: Regarding your rather nostalgic comment in Scuttlebutt 3435 on what it would be to see the likes of Blackaller and Conner in the AC34 format, I think you just described the 1987 Cup. At the time, it was completely game-changing to sail 12Ms off Freo in the Doctor. And ESPN's broadcast muscle was every bit as flexed as anything being pumped up now. * From Michael Warren: I don't need to imagine. Tom Blackaller drove a 40 foot cat in the ProSail series back in the Eighties not long before he died at the wheel of his race car. He was a hoot and an inspiration. * From Peter Franzen: Regarding the opposition to the re-establishment of the old Mecox Bay Yacht Club (in Scuttlebutt 3435), I sailed there in the 1960's. Pollution, traffic, et al? The bay is for everyone to enjoy. How can a sailing program be detrimental to the well being of a place like Mecox Bay, unless of course you feel that you have the right to dictate the goings on in public areas that you have decided are yours. Here's another story on the situation: http://tinyurl.com/Hamptons-092711 * From Richard Olney: Regarding his report 'Why Kids Don't Want to Sail' in Scuttlebutt 3433, Bill Sandberg is right on target plus kids are bombarded with the same "over-organized" sports in every community; there is no "fun" left in these programs. Having coached kids hockey for over 10 years in the 70's, I saw it all grow out of control (and into the hands of adults who lost sight of what kids want). Our kids did JYRA on LI Sound & similar in Marblehead in the 80's but found surfing & windsurfing more fun. But there will always be the hard chargers who can take sailing to the higher level and good for them---they are just superior sailors who elevate the sport and deserve to stand on the podium; maybe they want more than fun. Perhaps we need to divide the sailing programs into racing for some and seamanship for those who want to go gunkholing. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION An ounce of rejection is worse than a pound of 'sure'. SPONSORS THIS WEEK JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Summit Yachts - Gowrie Group - North Sails Melges Performance Sailboats - Morris Yachts - Doyle Sails LaserPerformance - Team One Newport - Ullman Sails Premiere Racing - US SAILING - Beneteau Need stuff? 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