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SCUTTLEBUTT 2953 - Monday, October 19, 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Quantum Sails, Speed & Smarts, and Premiere Racing. CHAMPIONSHIP OF CHAMPIONS Lake Carlyle, IL (October 17, 2009) - Skip Dieball and crew Jody and Tom Starck expanded the four point lead they had through 14 races on Friday by dropping an impressive, 2-1-3, line in Saturday's three races to win US SAILING's Championship of Champions by a 13 point margin. "Most national championships are tough enough," said Dieball. "Coming here to face 19 other national and world champions is incredibly challenging. Winning this regatta is really gratifying. We've been sailing for 10 years in Lightnings and I hope we do it for 10 more." Dieball (Toledo, Ohio) has had an outstanding season. He won the Highlander National Championship and Interlake National Championship this summer. Dieball now has 17 national championships to his resume. As a team, Dieball and the Starcks (Jody is a former two-time US SAILING Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year) won the 2004 Lightning North American Championships. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yzt44am Final results (Top 10 of 20; 17 races with 2 drops; Skipper and OD class) 1. Skip Dieball, Toledo, OH (Highlander), 56 points 2. Greg Fisher, Annapolis, MD (Thistle), 69 3. Allan Terhune, Jr, Arnold, MD (Lightning), 73 4. Stuart Robertson, Huntington Beach, CA (Lido 14), 95 5. Augie Diaz, Miami, FL (Snipe), 98 6. Olin Paine, San Diego, CA (Lightning), 102 7. Talbott Ingram, Fair Haven, NJ (Comet), 104 8. Paul Cayard, Kentfield, CA (Guest), 107 9. Jeffrey Linton, Tampa, FL (Lightning), 133 10. Darrell Peck, Gresham, OR (Finn), 134 Final results: http://tinyurl.com/yl4kcuw ANOTHER 'YOUNGEST ATTEMPT' BEGINS (October 18, 2009) - An Australian schoolgirl has begun her quest to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world. Jessica Watson, 16, who set sail from Sydney today, expects to spend about 240 days at sea on a 23,000-nautical mile (42,596-kilometer) journey that will take her past Fiji, up to the equator, then on to Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope before she heads back to Australia. "It's a bit scary and possibly a dangerous thing," said Watson, who began sailing at the age of eight. "But I'm not here without confidence." The trip has sparked a debate about the wisdom of her undertaking such a dangerous voyage. Her record attempt has prompted warnings that she is too young and inexperienced to take on such a challenge. Watson's collision last month with a 63,000-ton Chinese bulk carrier as she sailed to Sydney from the northeastern state of Queensland where she lives handed ammunition to those urging her to reconsider the trip. Taking on the winds and waves of the Southern Ocean is like scaling Mount Everest "on your first climbing adventure," Andrew Cape, who has sailed around Cape Horn seven times, wrote to Watson, the Australian newspaper reported. "I do not want to shatter your dreams but to undertake such a voyage requires more experience than you currently have." -- Read on: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=awWIGFZZzYlo => Curmudgeon's Comment: Watson's course takes her north to the equator before heading south to Cape Horn, which is also a requirement of the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) that round the world record routes "cross all meridians of longitude and must cross the Equator." However, the WSSRC has discontinued the record category of 'Youngest non-stop, singlehanded, circumnavigation'. -- http://www.sailspeedrecords.com COMPETITIVE PRICES OR COMPETITIVE SAILS!?! Ah the Fall.. when the only thing falling faster than leaves are sail prices as sailmakers 'traditionally' race each other to the bottom. Unfortunately you tend to get what you pay for. At Quantum they pride themselves on Quality. no matter what the season. While now is the perfect time to get the best deal on Quantum sails, be assured that this is one of those rare moments when you will actually get more than you paid for! Contact your nearest Quantum representative and get a truly good deal on the industry's highest quality sails or visit http://www.quantumsails.com AMERICA'S CUP UPDATES The Swiss defenders of the America's Cup strongly rejected security worries about holding the event in the Middle East for the first time and said Saturday they would be open to racing others in the Gulf if their U.S.-based challenger (BMW Oracle Racing) refuses to come. The comments by Alinghi team president Ernesto Bertarelli hinted at the possibility that the bitter dispute over the venue - less than 80 miles from the Iranian coastline - could threaten the rare one-on-one competition in February for the oldest trophy in international sports. "We can't force the Americans to show up if they don't want to show up," Bertarelli told The Associated Press. He said there is no option to postpone the race and Alinghi would be open to racing another team if BMW Oracle refuses to come and is ruled as a forfeit by the America's Cup overseers. A delay "is off the table. We have a commitment here with the country," he said. "We're ready to race in February." -- Complete story: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/ap/64662742.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenger Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco told America's Cup defending club Societe Nautique de Geneve that it is considering filing a complaint with New York courts on the grounds of breach of fiduciary duty, in part because of the selection of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, as the site of the best-of-three showdown. It wasn't clear what penalties SNG could face, or if GGYC would ask the court to remove the Swiss as trustee. Pursuing breach of fiduciary duty could be an offshoot of the GGYC's mid-August hiring of David Boies, a trial lawyer who has been involved in several high-profile cases in the United States. In a motion filed Oct. 2, BMW Oracle Racing cited "grave safety concerns" for its U.S.-based crew that would be sailing a massive trimaran named USA within several miles of Iran. A hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 27 on the venue issue and ongoing rules squabbles between the bitter rivals. -- Complete story: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=4564033 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Brad Butterworth, Alinghi skipper: "The conditions are ideal here (in Ras al-Khaimah) for these boats, exactly the building sea breeze that we hoped for which means we can sail as much as six days a week; it couldn't be better for what we are trying to achieve." * Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi team president: "Some of the things I see from BMW Oracle read like the trailer of a Hollywood movie, do they really think we and the rest of the world ignore the fact that 40% of the world oil traffic goes through the Strait of Hormuz and as many goods are coming in to provide for what is the fastest growing region in the world over the last 10 years?" * Pierre Orphanidis, Valencia Sailing: "The media embarked on a number of tenders to follow the first 'official' test sail of Alinghi 5, the 'unofficial' one having taken place on Friday. Unfortunately, it wasn't a day to write home about. Winds were very light, ranging from 4 to 7 knots." -- Full report, audio, and photos from Alinghi press conference last Saturday: http://tinyurl.com/yhnrbjm CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES Technical cost containment, improved safety and reliability, closer competition and maintaining the Volvo Open 70's status as the most spectacular offshore monohull are at the heart of the changes recently announced for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. Here are some comments regarding these changes: * Ken Read, PUMA skipper in 2008-09 race: "This Rule eliminates the need to have a huge budget teams but it doesn't do it so radically that this isn't still the grand prix of sail boat racing right now," he said. "You can still create a budget out of all these new rules which is substantially more than we spent in the last race and we had pretty reasonable success. Trying to make mileage a little more important and putting more emphasis on the offshore stuff is the smart way to go. I like the youthful enthusiasm that the Under-30 rule brings. Eyes-wide open, great young sailors who just need a chance. It's a good thing for the race." * Matt Sheahan, Racing and Technical Editor of Yachting World: "I see containment as a better option. Cost capping always makes you wonder how they are going to police it," he said. "It's a bit like taxation, you can have plenty of rules to say you shall not do this but there are so many ways around it. Whereas cost containment, as outlined in these revised rules, is going to be much easier to police and to get the teams to understand. The thing that will have the biggest impact is the rule on restrictions on race sails. It's a huge reduction for a boat that has to sail around the world. By narrowing the advantages enjoyed by the most powerfully-backed entries you automatically improve the expectations for those with less in the bank. That is a great step for the race, great for the sailors and sponsors, and most important it will ultimately improve the contest." Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/ykkwfp7 RICHARDSON CUP 2009 By Michael B. Hoey It was June 18th, 1924 when English mountain climbers George Mallory & Andrew Irvine looked at the path before them. Climb the coldest place on earth: Mt. Everest. Five times they had tried to climb Everest and five times they had failed. It was October 8th, 2009 when Dutch sailors Chris & John VanTol and Irish veteran, Michael B. Hoey, looked at the path before them. Sail in the coldest place on earth for the 2009 Great Lakes Match Racing Championship: Minnetonka, MN. Five times they came within close reach of the summit and five times they had failed. The winner of the event would be awarded the coveted Richardson Cup. The Richardson Trophy was established in 1912 by Commodore S. O. Richardson, Jr., of the Toledo Yacht Club, Toledo, Ohio. It is a Sterling Silver Trophy (created by Tiffany & Co) which is the second oldest sailing trophy in US history. The 2009 event was the 70th running of the Richardson Cup. On Friday, Wayzata Yacht Club and Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota greeted 11 different teams with brisk winds and 45-50 degree temperatures. By Saturday, temperatures had plunged into the 20's and the forecast was for a high of 34. Winds were 15-25 mph with a wind-chill of 18 and a layer of steam blowing from shore to shore. The J/22s were covered with about an inch or so of snow. Our team scrambled to the local Target and bought up critical winter gear that included fake fur hats and gloves. Tactic: the warmest team will win. This day our team went unbeaten. -- Complete story: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/1018/ NEW DVD SET EXPLAINS THE KEY RACING RULES! Improve your knowledge and application of the rules with David Dellenbaugh's 'Learn The Racing Rules' for 2009-2012! This completely new two-part DVD set uses live sailing and animation to explain the right-of-way rules and their limitations (Part 1) plus all the rules at marks and obstructions (Part 2). To order or get more info: http://www.LearnTheRacingRules.com SAILING SHORTS * Athens, Greece (October 18, 2009) - The four day International Association for Disabled Sailing World Championship saw 43 entrants compete in the three events designated for the 2012 Paralympic Games. In the singlehanded 2.4mR, Thery Schmitter (NED) won with Bruce Miller (CAN) finishing ninth. In the doublehanded SKUD-18, Alexsandra Rickham/ Niki Birrel (GBR) won with Scott Whitman/ Julia Dorsett (USA) finishing second. In the three person Sonar, Jens Kroker/ Robert Prem/ Siggy Mainka (GER) won with Rick Doerr/ Brad Kendall/ Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (USA) finishing fifth. -- Daily reports: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/IFDS_World_Championship_in_Greece.htm * St. Petersburg, FL (October 19, 2009) - The list of invited skippers competing in the ISAF Grade 1 match racing regatta Rolex Osprey Cup includes world #7 ranked match racer and 2008 Olympian Anne-Claire Le Berre (FRA), Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla., USA), who last week won the 2009 Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship, and 2008 Olympian and Rolex Osprey Cup defending champion Giulia Conti (ITA). Racing takes place October 21-24 on Tampa Bay in the Sonar. The format consists of a double round robin, with knockout (first to win 3 points) semi-final and final rounds scheduled at the end of the round robins. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8444 * The CYA Nominating Committee has announced a revised final list of candidates for the Board of Directors to be elected at the CYA AGM in November. Among the changes is that Paul Henderson is no longer a candidate for President. - Details: http://www.sailing.ca/features/cya_nominating_committee_report_october_2009/ * Clearwater, FL (October 18, 2009) - The first day of racing was cancelled at the US SAILING's 2009 U.S. Multihull Championship (USMC), where 20 elite multihull teams are to race on the Gulf of Mexico in F16 Vipers supplied by Australian High Performance Catamarans. Defending champion Nigel Pitt (Hartwell, Ga.) returns with new crew Emilee Pitt, while 2007 winner John Casey (Longwood, Fla.) and crew John Williams (Long Beach, Calif.) are back after finishing second overall in 2008, just two points behind Pitt. John Tomko (Canyon Lake, TX), who was third in 2008, is joined by 2006 US SAILING Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.). -- http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USMHChampionship.htm SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar LEXCEN RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGN CONCEPT By Barry Pickthall, Former Yachting Correspondent to The Times I have read with some surprise the claims by Dr Peter van Oossanen that he and Dutch aerodynamics expert Joop Sloof were largely responsible for the design of the radical wing keel on Australia 2. I got to know Peter quite well during the 1983 Cup summer in Newport, and after the event, I met with Peter again at his home in Holland to flesh out the exact timeline of events surrounding the design of Australia 2 for a book we were proposing to write together, telling the story of the research and tank testing work that went on at the Netherlands Ship Model Basin in Wageningen where he was chief scientist. Re-reading my notes, Peter was quite explicit that Ben had been responsible for the concept of the 'upside down' keel. "He came up with several keel shapes for us to tank test, including an inverted keel, which Ben threw in just to see what would happen," said Peter at the time. "The inverted keel showed considerable promise, providing a much better righting moment than traditional keel shapes. The one problem was the large amount of turbulence along the base of the keel. I discussed the problem with Joop Sloof from the Dutch Aeronautical Laboratory. He pointed us to some research papers produced by Boeing showing how winglets could be used to act as endplates to smooth out the flow of air around the wing tips. Ben went away and designed some winglets to add to his upside-down keel and we tested this in the tank." The rest of course is history. I don't know if Dr Peter van Oossanen has been misquoted or his memory of those events has faded, but he was adamant in 1984 that Ben Lexcen was responsible for the design concept of the wing keel and that the Netherlands Ship Model Basin had simply tested and refined the design. THE PERFECT WINTER ESCAPES - KEY WEST & SOUTH BEACH Temperatures may be falling, but South Florida's tropical warmth and sunshine beckon: Only three months until Key West 2010, presented by Nautica (January 18-22), with Miami Grand Prix racing to follow (March 4-7). Top tier international competition and superb conditions at both. Don't miss winter's best, enter today! Details: http://www.Premiere-Racing.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 Johanne Lalonde, Ottawa, Ontario: I really enjoy your daily feed... keep it up! I am looking for a high end ($200+/-) coffee table book, with nice pictures or sailing, sailing places, sailing boats... more pics than words! Just a feel good book! Can you assist? (Submit suggestions here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8445) * From Jane Pegel: I followed with interest as the Rolex Women's International Keelboat regatta was sailed off Rochester. When the photos became available, I scrolled through them and was very pleased to find one of Helen Ingerson of Rochester YC receiving recognition. This concept of this event was entirely Helen's when she chaired the then USYRU Women's Sailing Committee. As a member of that committee, I was focusing on dinghy racing for women, and I must confess that I did not support Helen's vision of a keelboat championship. Well, that shows what I knew. Helen had it right. The keelboat event has flourished. A little bio on Helen. With her husband, Joe, Helen successfully raced a big boat on Lake Ontario. Helen was at the helm. She also campaigned a Soling. She tried Lasers at the Women's Singles/Doubles at Association Island but didn't have the required physique. Nevertheless, she worked tirelessly to promote the Singles/Doubles, convinced Rochester YC to chair the Worlds in 1979, and chaired the protest committee several times. She earned her stripes as an International Judge and was well respected in those circles. After the close of the 1983 Women's Single/Doubles Worlds in Auckland, where Helen served on the Jury and I managed the US team, we joined several of the team members in a brief tour of the North Island. A lot of good fun. This lady was one tough competitor and has contributed more than her share to the sport of sailing. => Curmudgeon's Comment: In this video from T2P, Barbara Farquhar and Helen Ingerson discuss the founding of the regatta, almost 25 years ago, recalling a time when there were no regattas specifically for women. At 94, Helen was honored during Saturday's prizegiving for her role in paving the way for young(er) women sailors. In a very touching moment, winner Anna Tunnicliffe and team stopped to hug and thank her on their way to the stage to collect the trophy. The Helen piece starts at 02:27 (through 04:32). Grab a tissue or two and enjoy: http://www.t2p.tv/guide/freeviewers/riwkc093b.php * From Roger Willcox: Regarding Paul's article in Scuttlebutt 2952 (Lessons From 50 Years of Junior Sailing), I'm a strong believer in his approach to sailing. I'd appreciate a Scuttlebutt article on the fun games he mentions: "For most 10 year olds, pirate, sponge tag, bucket attack, etc., are far more fun than racing--but sailing well improved each team's attack." I have several grandchildren who haven't found enough "fun" in just racing dinghies. My own introduction to sailing, in my Dad's catboat at Richmond County Yacht Club in the early 1920s led to devouring Manfred Curry's "Aerodynamics of sails and Racing Tactics" when I was 10 years old and winning the Comet Class championship in a homemade boat when I was 15 years old in 1935. Years of competitive racing followed in all sizes of boats. Racing is still "fun" because I've figured out how to compensate for knee problems and keep on racing 9' Dyer Dhows with the Mamaroneck Frostbite Associations as my 90th birthday approaches. Competitive sailing can be a sport for all ages! * From Richard Jepsen: Great thread and especially great piece by Mr. Heineken. Good reminder to all of us in the sail training world to keep our priorities straight: If Safety and Fun are the prime objectives of any sail trainer, learning follows and enthusiasm grows. * Link to Paul Heineken's article: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8435#8435 * From Bob Bausch: In addition to the winglets used by sailboats as well as aircraft, Richard T. Whitcomb also had a very important contribution to supersonic aircraft even earlier, the "area rule", which took the subsonic F-102 to the twice sonic F-106, one of the true success stories of our Century Series fighters, and one I count myself lucky enough to have flown in. And this "rule" opened the way for other aircraft to realize their potential. He was a genius. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. Special thanks to Quantum Sails, Speed & Smarts, and Premiere Racing. 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