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SCUTTLEBUTT 2920 - Tuesday, September 1, 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 Doyle Sails, JK3 Nautical Enterprises, and Dave Dellenbaugh's 'Learn The Racing Rules' for 2009-2012. CYA APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR After an eight month national search the Canadian Yachting Association is pleased to announce Paddy Boyd is its new Executive Director effective September 15, 2009. The Canadian Yachting Association is the national governing body for the sport of sailing in Canada. The Association's head office is located in Kingston's Portsmouth Olympic Harbour complex. Boyd is a skilled executive with experience in both the administration of the sport of sailing, and the boating industry. A former Chief Executive and Training and Development Officer of the Irish Sailing Federation, in addition to a skilled administrator, Paddy is an experienced offshore racer, cruising instructor, yacht broker and master mariner. As the manager of the Irish Olympic Sailing Team at both the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2000 Sydney, Australia Olympic Games, Paddy brings a wide range of skills to carry the CYA to the next level of sailing excellence, with the support and guidance of the Board of Directors. -- Full story: http://www.sailing.ca/features/cya_annouces_new_executive_director/ REMEMBERING TOM BLACKALLER Tom Blackaller, one of yacht racing's most colorful and outspoken competitors, died a young man in 1989 at the age of 49 years. The 20 year anniversary of his passing is September 7th, with the Scuttlebutt Forum seeking to share their memories of Tom Blackaller. Here is one from Terry J. Kohler: "I never sailed with or against Tom Blackaller, but I had the perhaps MORE interesting experience of trying to "manage" him inside North Sails back in the middle 1980's. I'll let everyone imagine in their own way what that might have entailed from 1984 when I 'acquired' North Sails, until his heart attack driving a sports car, a sport we shared, but Tom and I became very fast friends. "Tom even christened our Sheboygan WI office where I worked 'alone' as the 'Intergalactic Headquarters of North Sails,' since there already was a World HQ, and a United States HQ. There resides in Sheboygan at our SYC near the US Sailing Center, Sheboygan (USSCS), a trophy named after him, the Blackaller International Sled Match racing Invitational Competition (BISMIC). It has been since retired, but I think it is time to re-dedicate it on the 20th anniversary of his passing! "In the Sydney AUS airport in 1987 my wife Mary & I were having a tad or two waiting for our plane back to the states, and Tom walked up behind my wife and shouted, 'GUESS WHO!' My wife mildly replied, 'Hello TOM!' Great memories of a great guy!" * Additional stories posted by Marc Hollerbach, Tom McCall, David Johnson, Ron Bartkoski, Bugs Baer, Peter Grimm, Jr, Bill Lee, Terry Rapp, Mark Reynolds, John Jourdane, Andy Macdonald, Scotty Watterworth, Pelle Petterson, Scotty King, John Rousmaniere, Will Tuthill, Fred Roswold, Heather Mull, Gary Jobson, David E Cain, Howard Macken, Chris Caswell, Bruce McPherson, Annie Hauer, Larry Whipple, Ken Miller, K. Paisley, Skip Allan, and Dwight Belden. To submit your story, either email it to mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com or post directly here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8054 WHEN THE BOATS ARE IDENTICAL Winning sailors know that when the boats are identical, sails become the major opportunity to gain a performance advantage. Arthur Anosov and Mike Nichol dominated the Star Class 12th District Championship held at Lake Sunapee, winning 3 out of the 5 races. In the Beneteau 36.7 class, Bill Purdy's "Whirlwind" won the New England Championships, with "Crossbow" taking 3rd. When the one designs come down to one, it's Doyle. The big difference in one design. -- http://www.doylesails.com/onedesign DO KIDS KNOW HOW TO BE KIDS? Following the finals of the Little League World Series, San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan provided his perspective of this nationally televised youth baseball spectacle, and the impact this level of media has on the event and the players. He also commented on the structure of play, which seemed to reflect the nature of all youth sports...even perhaps sailing. ----------------------------------------------------------- The biggest change in baseball during the last half century has not been the designated hitter or the scourge of steroids, but the slow death of sandlot spontaneity. Whenever you hear the ping of an aluminum bat or the tell-tale pop a well-thrown ball makes in a leather mitt, those sounds can generally be traced to a structured game or an organized workout. The casual game of catch, once a commonplace pastime of American boys, is now spotted with only slightly more frequency than Sasquatch. More recent generations have come to associate youth baseball with overwrought parents (guilty), overbearing coaches and too many pitchers who can't find home plate. Compared to previous generations, few American kids play enough baseball to achieve fundamental competence, and those that do play so much in such a structured environment that they sometimes lose their taste for the game. "You never see them play (unsupervised) catch," one veteran scout lamented yesterday, "and you never see them play things like Pepper. Basically, all they ever want to do is go hit. It's sad, really." - Full story: http://tinyurl.com/nrhrys IS THIS THE BEST ONE DESIGN KEELBOAT TEAM ON THE PLANET? Lorenzo Santini's highly talented Italian crew aboard UKA UKA Racing, have just made Melges 24 history by becoming the first team to hold the World and European Championship titles concurrently. Already reigning World Champions after their comprehensive win in Porto Cervo in 2008, last week in the French town of Hyeres they also scooped 2009 European Championship crown with an impressive performance which saw them win four of the ten race series. A remarkable achievement in a high quality eighty-six-boat fleet peppered with AC veterans, World Champions and Olympic sailors. Three year ago in a bar Torbole, Melges Europe boss Federico Michetti told me that he was in the process of assembling a 'dream team' for an assault on the International Melges 24 regatta circuit. Since then and with the considerable support of team owner Lorenzo Santini, Michetti's super-squad has dominated the Melges 24 Class on an unprecedented global scale. UKA UKA Racing are showing no signs of easing up in 2009. A win at Key West in January has been followed up with victory at the hotly contested Italian Championship before their Europeans victory last week. So are UKA UKA Racing the best one design keelboat team on the planet right now? American sailing legend Dave Ullman, who watched the racing at the Europeans from his coach boat, believes they might just be. "There are few more competitive fleets in the world than the Melges 24 and UKA UKA's currenr dominance of the class is unprecedented. Certainly their attention to details and work ethic is impressive and their sailing ability even more so. These guys are something special for sure." -- Offshore Rules, full story: http://www.offshorerules.com/articles/showArticle.aspx?id=331 2009 SIX METRE WORLD CUP Newport, RI (August 31, 2009) - For sailors, and spectators too, few sights on the water this summer will have more visual appeal than the 30+ yachts that will gather in Newport from September 8-12, 2009, for the Six Metre World Cup. The genesis of the class, in 1906, coincides with the establishment of the International Rule, a mathematical formula used to design a number of sailboat classes. From 1906 to 1914, over 300 "Sixes" were built as they appealed to consumers with, and without, deep pockets. Ranging from 34 to 38' long, the design's rule, which allowed design differences, and the relative size-to-cost ratio, which encompassed the ability to ship easily by freighter in order to compete internationally, meant the owner could build a tailor-made craft. While over time the number of Sixes built grew to more than 1,200, today only about 350 of these treasured yachts remain in existence worldwide. -- Read on: http://6metreworldcup.com/Press%20Release%20082809.htm * Video preview of the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7sxmpXbhPA JK3 NAUTICAL ENTERPRISES, INC. The upcoming Long Beach Yacht and Boat Show is guaranteed to offer something for every boater. Featured this year is the very "HOT" Santa Cruz 37. This "Fast and Fun" carbon machine is currently available for test sailing in Newport Beach. Also at the show you'll find the luxurious and comfortable Back Cove 37, the latest power boat from Back Cove Yachts. J/Boats is celebrating the debut of the new J/97 and JK3 has various models of J/Boats listed. The brokerage side has seen a huge upswing - JK3 is selling boats! So whether you are in the market for selling or buying, JK3 is the place! -- http://www.jk3yachts.com PHRF NEW ENGLANDS An end of summer ritual wrapped up yesterday (Sunday) after over 100 boats in 11 fleets raced off Marblehead, MA in the PHRF (Performance Handicapped Racing Fleet) New Englands. While this event brings both local and national sailors together for three days of competitive racing, the impending arrival of Tropical Storm Danny canceled all racing on Saturday which meant that teams had to pull off the win yesterday in the fewest races possible. "We were anticipating winds of 30 knots or greater combined with 8-foot seas for Saturday and we put together a contingency plan. At 6 p.m. Friday night we had to call it off for Saturday and I think everyone is glad we did," said Principal Race Office Ken Adam of the Corinthian Yacht Club. "But, we got in six races over two days which the sailors all seemed to be happy with. The three race committees from the Corinthian, Eastern and Boston yacht clubs really worked together as a team with the safety and welfare of the sailors coming first." -- Laurie Fullerton, Salem News, read on: http://tinyurl.com/nfckf6 * Complete results: http://www.phrfne.org/page/5295 PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE DEFINITION OF OBSTRUCTION The ISAF Section C Working Party has made two submissions to ISAF that deal with rules 18 and 19. One is an "emergency" change in the definition of Obstruction, to go into effect January 1, 2010, and the other is a proposed ISAF Case dealing with the meaning of Room. Before we get into the submissions themselves, let's look at the problem the working party is trying to solve. There are a number of scenarios in which Rule 18, Mark-Room, and Rule 19, Room to Pass an Obstruction, appear to conflict. Consider the following scenario, taken from a team-race call suggested by Matt Knowles. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/l63rao PHOTO GALLERIA * The 470 class may be a billion years old, and there may be proponents that want the skiffs to replace it in the Olympics, but these photos from the 470 World Championship show the boat still has grace and speed, and is still attracting a youthful culture. Photos by Jurg Kaufmann: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0831a/ * The Melges 24 Worlds will be in Annapolis in October, and last week the class European Championship showed who was peaking at the right time. It also showed that hiking hard is not just for the young, and that the members of most teams have matching sailing gear. Photos by Pierrick Contin: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0831/ * A tornado blew through Canandaigua YC in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, carving a narrow path across the property, taking out many of the tall, old, beautiful trees, and creating complete havoc amongst the dry sailed dinghies and keelboats. Photos by Bill Blevins: http://www.sailingworld.com/photogallery.jsp?ID=1000024350 NYYC INVITATIONAL CUP When the New York Yacht Club set out to create a unique regatta in the tradition of friendly competition among the world's leading yacht clubs, it received immediate support from the yachting community and the media for the inaugural Invitational Cup. For the September 15-19 event, a total of 19 yacht-club teams from 14 countries will gather in Newport, RI to compete aboard the fleet of equally matched NYYC Swan 42s. Here are two of the teams that will be competing: * According to St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) Commodore John McNeill, the decision for StFYC to take part in this historic competition was unanimous. Very quickly the club put together a team made up of sailors with envious one-design racing experience. At the top of the list was team skipper Craig Healy, a dentist by trade, but one with a Soling World Championship to his credit. Alongside him will be two notable tacticians, U.S. Olympian Russ Silvestri and U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist Jeff Madrigali. Other crew members are John Callahan, John Collins, Joe McCoy, Matt Noble, Chris Perkins and Chris Smith. Noble was selected to fulfill one of StFYC's goals of incorporating a junior sailor on the team. * Terry McLaughlin, the designated helmsman for the Royal Canadian Yacht, is used to representing his country. At the 1984 Olympics, he won a silver medal sailing a Flying Dutchman, a class in which he is also a world champion, and was the skipper of Canada I in the 1983 America's Cup Trials. Joining McLaughlin's will be Allan Megarry and John Millen, both having also sailed on Canada 1 and continued their America's Cup campaigns on Canada II (1986). Millen is also an Olympic bronze medalist from 1988 in the Flying Dutchman class. Other crew members are Geoff Moore, John Hele, Rob Emery, Andrew McTavish and Jim Gibson. Event website: http://www.nyyc.org/WorldInvitationalCup/ JUST RELEASED: NEW RACING RULES DVD! Improve your knowledge and application of the rules with Dave 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 * Halifax, NS (August 31, 2009; Day 2) - For the three hundred athletes from around the world at the 2009 Nautel Laser Masters World Championships, today they were dealt sunny skies but shifty winds, and it was not until mid-afternoon before the race committee could get the first race off, leading to another long day on the water for these advanced athletes. For the Masters (45 to 54 years old), Scott Ferguson of the United States is in first, hometown favourite Andy Roy is in second and Ari Barshi of the Dominican Republic is in third. -- Complete report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8160#8160 * Port Washington, NY (August 30, 2009) - Reuben Corbett, Black Sheep Racing (NZ) and his crew Miles Addy, Brad Farrand, amd Tom Bentham won the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup. After placing 6th in the full round robin and winning the semi-finals in a tie breaker, Corbett went on the capture the title over Dave Perry (USA) 3-2. Phil Robertson (NZ), Waka Racing, beat out Keith Swinton (AUS), Black Swan Match Racing, in the petit finals. The Knickerbocker Cup qualifies Corbett for the King Edward VII Gold Cup, a World Match Racing Tour event in Bermuda. -- Full story: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8155#8155 * Sailing World's Fall Preseason rankings on August 31st find St. Mary's atop the Coed division while Charleston lead the Women's division. At the Spring Nationals held in San Francisco that closed out the previous college season, St Mary's and Charleston finished first and second in their respective championships. -- Complete rankings: http://tinyurl.com/nh8kj4 * The International Farr 30 One Design Class will hold its 2009 North American Championship in Annapolis, MD September 5-7. This will be the first North American Championship since the class's name change from M 30 to Farr 30, which will be run in conjunction with CBYRA's 43rd Annual Annapolis Race Week over Labor Day weekend. Entries are confirmed from Great Lakes and New England owners as well as those from the home town fleet. Details at http://www.farr30.org * September 1st is the early registration deadline for the 2009 Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship (final deadline is September 15). Sailors who register by September 1 will receive a US$100 discount off the US$675 entry fee, plus Rolex Watch U.S.A. will be providing Rolex IWKC vests to all competitors who register by the early registration deadline. The championship will be hosted by Rochester Yacht Club on October 7-10. -- Event website: http://www.riwkc.com * Sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the 2nd National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic for recently injured veterans will be held in San Diego, Sept. 20-25, 2009, at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, with San Diego's Challenged America program providing the adaptive sailing instruction along with the SailUSA11.com America's Cup yacht both providing the sailing experience every day of the week-long event to the veterans and their families on San Diego's Big Bay. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8156 * Yachtswoman Hilary Lister, 37, on Monday became the first quadriplegic woman to sail solo around Britain after the 40-day trip in her specially adapted boat. After enjoying sports as a child, Lister was diagnosed with a degenerative disease which gradually limited the use of her body. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/nkeful * CORRECTION: In Scuttlebutt 2919, the J/80 class racing schedule incorrectly listed the dates for the 2010 Annapolis NOOD Regatta as April 23-25. The correct dates are April 30-May 2. LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Please submit 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 Gregory Scott: Two of the "real" characters we have seen in sailing were Tom Blackaller and Steve Fossett... I never met either... As I read this year the many stories about kids in sailing and have suffered through a season of over involved parents watching their kids play soccer, I can't help but think of the experiences Fossett and Blackaller grew up with. I somehow feel neither had doting parents following them around (I believe the new expression is helicopter parenting). Somehow they managed to grow up and become "characters". At this point I'm sure parents are reaching for a keyboard to point out they are both dead. However, I will remind any that feel that way to realize the fact that neither are actually "dead" other than physically. Both will live on as characters, legends and mentors, the people in life we meet that make life more worthwhile. * From Hal Smith: Regarding Chris Caswell's wonderful lament in Scuttlebutt 2914 for missing AC heroes, as I read and responded to the nostalgic trip through more recent America's Cup characters, it generated two thoughts to add. One, there was probably a similar sadness felt by observers when the majesty of the J-class boats were replaced by the rather dumpy 12 meters (that most of us later grew to love). The earlier vessels that had carried clouds of graceful sails had been retired for the sake of cheaper (and they certainly looked cheaper) and comparatively little 12's that slowly sailed around W/L courses. Two, is the lack of personalities not the result of sailing's success? As is often the case with unintended consequences, corporations with big money found a place in our fun and games called sailboat racing and upstaged our heroes. While we may have dreamed of public recognition back when we climbed into our little boats on race day in sports obscurity, we didn't imagine that our heroes would be hidden by the corporate logo when financial success came. The good news is that all of that money has produced some fun toys that we never imagined possible in those days. And now, we have to look to other sailing experiences for our heroes. Didn't we all get a thrill from the Special Olympics as just one example? There will be more as long as people are necessary to steer the boat. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. Special thanks to Doyle Sails, JK3 Nautical Enterprises, and Dave Dellenbaugh's 'Learn The Racing Rules' for 2009-2012. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
