|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2412 - August 16, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday with the support of its sponsors. DRIFTING ON DAY ONE Qingdao, China (August 15, 2007) -- The Stars and the RS:X fleets never left the dock as scheduled during the first day of racing at 2007 Qingdao International Regatta. The Lasers had a lay day. The Finns, the Ynglings, Tornados and the 470 Men were out on the water and readied themselves for racing, but ultimately received a tow back to the dock without racing. The 49ers and 470 Women stole the show as they were the only fleets scheduled to race… that actually go to on the first day of the Olympic test event. Comments American 470 crew Sarah Mergenthaler, “First race was today, and one was all we got! After floating around for 4 hours, we finally got a start. 2-4 knots of wind and lots of current. A very short course took 75 minutes. We did a great job of playing the current downwind and ended up with a 5th place finish.” Adds Canadian Head Coach Ken Dool, “As it is a test event, the practicality of going through the motions and waiting on the water for racing is something that we all need to grow accustomed to. Qingdao is bound to present some quality racing days, but at the same time, we are guaranteed to have some shut-outs or virtual shut-outs as we experienced today.” Results – Top Three Plus Top North American 470 Women (1 race) 1. AUS - Elsie Rechichi/ Tessa Parkinson 2. NED - Marcelien de Koning/ Lobke Berkhout 3. GER - Stefanie Rothweiler/ Vivien Kussatz 5. USA - Amanda Clark/ Sara Mergenthaler 49er (1 race) 1. ESP - Iker Martinez/ Xabier Fernandez 2. BRA - Andre Fonseca/Rodrigo Duarte 3. GRE - Athanasios Pachoumasa/Athanasios Siouzios 13. CAN - Gordon Cook/Ben Remocker -- For complete race report and results: http://tinyurl.com/2nhvb2 -- Event site: http://www.2007qdregatta.com RECORD SET AMID EPIC ATTRITION Cowes, Isle of Wight, England (August 15, 2007) -- At 08h 58m 53sec local time, Mike Slade’s new 100-foot super maxi crossed the finish line off the Plymouth breakwater under spinnaker, breaking the Rolex Fastnet Race monohull race record that has stood since 1999. With an elapsed time of 1 day, 20 hours, 18 minutes, the Bruce Farr-designed ICAP Leopard (GBR) chopped just under 9 hours off the record set by Ross Field on the 80-foot RF Yachting. Wind was southwest at 10-15 knots as the boat finished in a light rain and reduced visibility. Only 10 miles behind was George David’s 90-foot Rambler (USA), finishing at 09h 43m 21sec and also well within the previous record time. Currently leading the fleet overall on corrected time is Ger O’Rourke’s Cookson 50 Chiefton, which finished at 18:44:43 on Wednesday, with Rambler in second and ICAP Leopard in eighth. Slade said the worst of the weather was off the Lizard where, “we saw 40 knots, more in the gusts…it’s at night, and it’s hard to gauge the seas.” He continued, “But the boat is very solid, you put water (ballast) in the back and lift the bow…it’s like a Volvo 70 stretched out to 100 feet. We never had to back off, on the contrary, you can push the boat.” -- Full story: http://fastnet.rorc.org/container.asp?id=8220 * Of the 271 entrants that started on Monday, 197 had retired as of 1000 on Wednesday, with 12 finishers as of 2100. AN ADVENTURE IN PARADISE Los Angeles, CA -- The Transpacific Yacht Club is convinced that many of those 2,000-plus competitors who sailed more than 200 boats in the last three Transpacs are ready now for the next great ocean adventure: across the equator to the South Pacific. With its 44th biennial race to Hawaii successfully completed last month, the TPYC announced that for 2008 it will revive the race to Tahiti that it ran intermittently a dozen times from 1925 to 1994---this time, it envisions, not only with boats at the leading edge of evolution in the sport but a new generation of sailors sailing smaller boats with their families and friends. For many, that's more than enough reason to race to Tahiti. After the 1964 race Dale Budlong wrote in Sea Magazine: "There is a saying at the Tahiti Yacht Club that there is no one winner in a race to Tahiti. Any boat that anchors off the quay in Papeete has won an adventure in paradise." -- Complete announcement: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0815 MUMM 30 ‘ILLUSION’ CHAMPION FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR Ullman Sails customer John Podmajersky and crew on Mumm 30 ‘Illusion’ celebrated their third consecutive victory at Lakeside Yacht Club’s 2007 Great Lakes Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, August 10-12. Despite close racing and shifty conditions, Illusion clinched the regatta with an eight-point margin over second place. Racing with a complete set of Ullman Sails, Podmajersky won five out of 11 races and never finished out of the top three. In competitive fleets where everything counts, top sailors rely on Ullman Sails for consistent performance and speed that wins regattas. Contact an Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com WORLD TOUR – ST. MORITZ MATCH RACE St Moritz, Switzerland (15 August 2007) -- Ian Williams (GBR) and Paolo Cian (ITA) showed the way at the St. Moritz Match Race on Wednesday. Williams sailed to a perfect 5-0 record in winning his group Round Robin while Cian was close behind, claiming his group with a 4-1 scoreline. It was an ideal day for racing in St. Moritz, with bright, sunny skies, warm temperatures and a tricky, gusty breeze, making for challenging racing. A large crowd gathered along the shoreline of Lake St. Moritz, congregating at the grandstand built over the water, just meters from the starting line, enjoying live commentary about the racing. The 12 teams were split into two groups of six, with each group scheduled to sail a full Round Robin on Wednesday. The top three from each group have qualified for the quarterfinals, with the bottom half of each group, the remaining six teams, will now try their luck in the Repechage on Thursday. These six will sail a further Round Robin, with the top two advancing to the Quarter Finals. Along with a full day for the sailors, the Umpires were certainly kept busy on Wednesday, with over a dozen penalties handed out over the 30 matches – just about one in every other race. -- Complete report: http://www.stmoritz-matchrace.ch/en/media/index.htm?4&0 Group A Ian Williams 5-0 Sebastien Col 4-1 Jochen Schuemann 3-2 ---------------- Evgeny Neugodnikow 2-3 Michael Hestbaek 1-4 Matteo Simoncelli 0-5 Group B Paolo Cian 4-1 Eric Monnin 3-2 Cameron Dunn (replacing Mark Mendelblatt) 3-2 ---------------- Staffan Lindberg 2-3 Matthias Renker 2-3 Mathieu Richard 1-4 SCHUEMANN SHOPPING The previous sports director of the defender Alinghi America’s Cup team, the German Jochen Schuemann, told the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), that he has left the Swiss syndicate and that he is now on the market again. To the news agency DPA, he said he is looking for a new challenge, but was not specific as to what if anything he was pursuing. He has often said that he would like to compete for Germany in the America’s Cup, but only if such a campaign would have the chance to win the Cup. United Internet Team Germany (UITG) skipper Karol Jablonski (former skipper of the Spanish syndicate Desafio Espanol) said to the leading German sail magazine YACHT that he and the UITG had already spoken to Schuemann and did make an offer to him. “I would be happy to see Jochen in our team, but he is in great demand, and now he has to decide which alternative is the best for himself,” said Karol Jablonski. Another hot job possibility for the three-times Olympic champion would be the change to the BMW Oracle Racing Team of owner Larry Ellison. The American software billionaire already engaged the America’s Cup superstar Russell Coutts, with whom Jochen Schuemann won the 2003 edition of the Cup. -- Mathias Müller, YACHT STAYING HYDRATED The number one hydration question I am regularly asked is: What's the best sports drink for sailing? Sports drinks are not to be confused with "Energy drinks" (i.e. Red Bull, Monster, etc). I do not believe at this time there is a "perfect sailor's sports drink", however to wrap up my theme on chronic dehydration and move on to resources one can use to prevent; some useful information and links to help clarify till I dive into research full time and create my own! My personal favorite for sailing is still Glaceau's "Smart Water", regular water and Gatorade. For non-sailing events (i.e running, etc.) I hands down love Accelerade, which can now be bought in bottle form but a little pricey. However, the ability to walk after a long run or heavy weight lifting session makes it worth while (the "science" behind Accelerade is to support muscle recovery for long training sessions). The research on sports drinks is constant, but one thing to keep in mind is they're labeled "sports drink" meaning best used while active. They carry a lot of calories which can take up residence when drank with regularity (i.e. sitting at work or in class). For those who enjoy a splash of flavor to encourage regular daily hydration, the Glaceau products are nice due to their decreased amount of sugar compared to a Gatorade, soft drink and fruit juice. The sugars in drinks tend to be a kicker in a weight management programs (keep an eye on labels)...something to consider when choosing a beverage to sip on while at work or class. -- Jennifer Langille, for links to research and product information: http://thedockbox.blogspot.com/2007/08/sports-drinks.html DISCOVER The softshell jacket that’s winning the hearts and minds of some of the highest-profile racing programs and one-design classes in the US. From Etchells, J-105s and Club Swan 42s to IRC race boats from Newport to the Med, the Grand Prix softshell is rapidly becoming the gear of choice. Waterproof/breathable softshell fabric that embroiders beautifully and looks great whether you’re standing on the deck or in the bar. Discover the new wave in performance sailing gear. Discover Atlantis. http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com HOW DID WE POST RESULTS SO QUICKLY? We just wrapped up hosting the 2007 Laser Nationals and have received a great deal of positive feedback regarding the live updates and how quickly we were able to post accurate results. Here is a little insight into how we were able to post provisional results on the Internet within a half hour after the last boat in an 80+ boat fleet finished. The key is having good people on the finish boats. All the technology in the world does not matter if you don't have accurate finish orders to post. We had two finish boats, one at each end of the line. The primary boat was anchored at the starboard end of the finish line. The secondary finish boat anchored just beyond the pin end of the line so that they could sight the line back towards the primary finish boat. Each boat was set up with a person sighting the line, two people recording results, a person videotaping the finish, an extra person to track down sail numbers of boats that were obstructed as they crossed the line, and a driver. The primary finish boat also had a race communications person on it (more on this later). -- Read on: http://www.mbbc-vt.org/Events/LaserNationals07/how.htm SAILING SHORTS * Barnegat Bay, NJ (August 15, 2007) -- Big breeze arrived for the final day of US Sailing's Chubb U.S. Junior Championships, a three-day event sailed on Barnegat Bay and hosted by the Lavallette, Mantoloking, and Bay Head Yacht Clubs. Clifford Porter (Fontana, WI) and Scott Hoffmann/ Evan Hoffmann/ Eric Alamillo (San Diego, CA) maintained the lead they held from day one to win the open single- and triplehanded divisions, while Brendan Kopp/ Michael Costello (Fairfield, CT) rolled two bullets on the final day to take the doublehanded class. -- http://www.ussailing.org/championships * US Sailing has launched three online tools for Performance Handicap Racing Fleet sailors. Launched by the United States Performance Handicap Racing Fleet Committee (USPHRF), working in concert with US Sailing's Offshore Office, these tools include two databases - which contain handicap ranges and critical rig and hull dimensions for many production boats raced throughout the U.S. - in addition to an analysis tool that allows sailors and handicappers to develop a picture of how a given boat performs in relation to its handicap. -- Full report: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2007/phrftools.asp * NY State sales tax department is issuing subpoenas to all marinas, boatyards, and boating clubs, demanding records for boats stored for the past three years to locate boat owners who have not paid their sales tax. -- Don Finkle, RCR Yachts * Etchells class officials from both the United States and Canada combined their marketing resources to launch a new comprehensive website. Using this new spot in cyberspace, the two divisions of the International Etchells Class Association will promote the growth of Etchells one-design sailboat racing primarily across North America. The website will be a useful, regularly updated source of information for the class members and for all other sailors who want to learn more about the boat and the U.S. and Canadian fleets. The new website is at http://www.EtchellsNA.org * Hankø, Norway (August 15, 2007) -- The IMS World Championship continued Tuesday with the long offshore race that took the boats southwest on the Norwegian coast, class 1 to Jomfrulands Rev and the class 2 boats to Rakkeboene before they all crossed he Skagerrak to Persgrunnen off the Swedish west coast and returned to Hankø. Strong winds from south west to south east ensured a fast passage and the first boat to finish, King Haralds Fram XV completed the race in 13 hours 29 minutes, however, was later given a 20% penalty along with two other lead boats for rounding a wrong mark. -- Event site: http://tinyurl.com/2vcttf * Albany, Western Australia, has been selected as the start and finish port for the Antarctica Cup Yacht Race. The historic port, 150 nautical miles east of Cape Leeuwin, sits on the very edge of the 'Roaring Forty' latitudes and provides crews with a natural springboard to attack the challenging 360° race track around Antarctica. The event has weathered five years of perseverance to arrive on the doorstep of realisation this coming Southern summer with the first entry expected to set out around the course in December. -- http://www.antarcticacup.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK There are few places in the United States where you can expect to dial the summer wind to "strong." On the top of anyone's short list is San Francisco, and that is why the Northern California site is the annual host to the Ronstan US 18 Skiff Championship. These high-speed rockets will be competing in the event on August 21-25, and we have two video versions to show what will be on display. For those with a heart condition, there is a 14 second teaser, and for those who are in better health, a meatier 7:15 version. Also, if you have a video you like, please send us your suggestions for next week’s Video of the Week. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/07/0813 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: Aug 15-18 - Force 5 North American Championship - New London, CT, USA Aug 17-21 - Club 420 North American Championship - Long Beach, CA, USA Aug 17-19 - Trans-Erie Yacht Race - Erie, PA, USA Aug 17-19 - Verve Cup Offshore Regatta - Chicago, IL, USA Aug 18-22 - CORK Regatta - Kingston, Ontario, Canada Aug 18 - U.S. O'Pen Cup - Newport, RI, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Paddy Boyd: (from Issue 2411) Robert Wilkes deserves a long and happy retirement for the work he has put in, not only for the Optimist Class, but to the development of sailing worldwide. The Sailing Community is losing a tireless and selfless worker, who, along with Helen Mary, has given far, far more than they have received. * From Chip Wright: I am sure it was not Richard Spindler’s intent in Issue 2411 to paint a bleak picture for LBYC’s fall race to Cabo San Lucas, but it sure seems that there are problems ahead. Richard knows the Baja area pretty well during this time of year, and he wouldn’t lay it out like he did unless he felt certain of the situations. Maybe there are two sides to the story, and for the sake of this re-born race’s desire to successfully find an audience, let’s hope so. * From Matt Lindblad, Varsity Coach, MIT Sailing (regarding the College Sailing Prognostications in Issue 2411): Well, seems like a rather MAISA-biased assessment of the upcoming college season. 8 teams in MAISA that can WIN nationals? Especially considering that MAISA’s top finisher at last year’s dinghy coeds (hosted in MAISA) was 6th while NEISA had all 6 teams in the top 10. NEISA also had 3 of the top 5 spots in both dinghy’s and team racing and 4 in top 10 at Womens (MAISA had 3). There are certainly excellent teams at the top level in MAISA (St. Mary’s won women’s and Team Race nationals) as in other conferences but I think when you compare MAISA’s depth to NEISA’s, NEISA has 12 teams that can really compete at the intersectional level, vs. MAISA’s top 8 teams. In the “Sailing World Top 20 Rankings” from end of last season, half the teams were from NEISA and if you take it even deeper to the top 20 in each conference, there’s no questions NEISA is the deepest conference in college sailing. BUT, that’s why we sail the races so keep your eye on the results and with the new format for college nationals, anything can happen! * From Kathy Bates: The story about Matthew Recker as the skipper United States Naval Academy offshore team is another example of how that institution can transform decent sailors into exceptional ones. Recker is from Fallbrook, CA, which is far enough from the ocean that you might as well be in Iowa. Not too many SoCal sailors come from that farmland, yet Recker has done so. Outstanding! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Atlantis WeatherGear. |
