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SCUTTLEBUTT 3244 - Tuesday, December 21, 2010Scuttlebutt 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: Interlux and Southern Spars. WHAT IS YOUR CHRISTMAS WISH? With only four days to go before Christmas, it is high time that Scuttlebutt readers tell the Curmudgeon what they want for Christmas. While we make no promises that the Curmudgeon can fulfill your wish, we will at least publish the best wishes (read: creative, novel, ridiculous, etc.) in the Friday edition of Scuttlebutt. For Christmas I would like...................... Email your Christmas wish to the Curmudgeon at editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com IS SF'S CUP BID ON SHAKY GROUND? By Rob Grant, Latitude 38 With its government having pulled out all the stops to put together a bid to host the 34th America's Cup, San Francisco is far from a lock to host the event. Most recently, reports that BMW Oracle Racing team officials have been meeting with representatives from Newport, Rhode Island, Dubai, and a nebulous Italian venue have done a great deal to cast doubt on San Francisco's bid. Given that the team's imposed deadline for a bid from the City has already passed, we're at a loss as to what the team hopes this will accomplish. It's too late to be a negotiating ploy, which leads us to believe that all the effort put in by the sailing community, San Francisco government and civic leaders may have been in vain all along. First of all, what's with all this Newport, Rhode Island business? What happened to San Francisco being the only U.S. city under consideration? Ellison can do what he wants with the Cup - it's his prerogative as the winner - but he's going to have a hard time arguing that the signed, sealed and delivered deal from the City of San Francisco will have a deleterious impact on the event. Which is the only believable argument from someone with a personal fortune estimated in the neighborhood of $27 billion. He's going to have a hard time convincing us that Newport will generate the same kind of international appeal and enthusiasm around the Cup as San Francisco will. The thing is, by this point in the process, San Francisco is a known quantity. Ellison and Coutts know what they'll get here, the terms are spelled out. It seems highly doubtful that Rhode Island, motivated as it is to get the event, would be able get a host city agreement together and voted on by the end of the year. So, if they were to choose Rhode Island, BMW Oracle Racing either must risk announcing the venue without having a host city agreement in place, or put off the venue announcement and risk being sued by a challenger for not sticking to the protocol. The team's COO Stephen Barclay has been all over the wires with his claims that the deal was changed late in the game and that's what caused the team to look elsewhere. But the reality is that the deal only changed because the original one no longer had the support of the majority of Board of Supervisors, due in part to the fact that the City government rightly uncovered the myth the team made every effort to perpetuate - that of the bogeyman Italian venue (while the European economic crisis swelled to a crescendo) - and that even if that competition was real, it wasn't worth giving away the farm for anyway. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/L38-122010 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: I received a lot of email today commenting on the connection between Larry Ellison’s $10.5 million purchase of the 19,000-square foot Beechwood in January, the 1851 mansion that became the epicenter of Newport high society under the Astor family, and the shift toward possibly hosting the America’s Cup in Newport. But what is not clear is if Larry gets to stay in the house, as the purchase was purportedly initiated by his wife Melanie Craft, from whom Ellison was divorced from this past summer. ROBBED BY MAN IN SANTA SUIT A man dressed in a Santa Claus suit and armed with a gun robbed the East Providence Yacht Club in Rhode Island on Sunday night, according to police. Lt . Raymond Blinn said the robbery happened at about 7 p.m. A bartender had been getting the bar at the yacht club ready for the evening when a man, described as large and wearing a Santa hat, white beard, a red Santa suit jacket and jeans, walked in and produced a shotgun or rifle-type gun from a Santa bag. The bartender fled through the bar entrance and escaped d to a nearby establishment. Police said an undetermined amount of cash was missing from the bar register when police arrived. The incident is under investigation. -- http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/12/east-providence-yacht-club-rob.html => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Unconfirmed reports are that this might be part of a string of robberies that first occurred in Valencia and then San Francisco. FIND THE RIGHT PAINT AT THE NEW YACHTPAINT.COM The new Interlux web site makes it easier than ever to choose the right Interlux paint for your boat, get technical information and support for any paint project. "Paint Your Boat" to see how different paint colors look on your hull. Ask questions and share paint info with other sailors. "Ask The Expert" to access the extensive knowledge base and experience of the Interlux Technical Service staff. Learn more here: http://www.yachtpaint.com PUT DOWN YOUR EGG NOG AND TUNE IN By Tim Zimmermann, Sailing World In October, I just came out and ordained that the Route Du Rhum would be the best race of 2010. Well, technically, there's another race that could compete for that title, but just barely - because it starts on December 31. That race is the 2010/11 Barcelona World Race. It's non-stop, double-handed, round-the-world in Open 60s. Like the Vendée Globe, only with someone on board to yell at, and help drive the boat at even more insane speeds on slightly more sleep. Ocean racing needs new formats (desperately), so I was immediately hooked when the BWR was launched in 2007. That inaugural edition featured nine boats, 18 skippers, and plenty of awe-inspiring sailing. Sadly, the best U.S. sailor, Jonathan McKee - sailing with the inimitable Guillermo Altadill - was forced to retire thanks to rudder damage. It was won by Jean Pierre Dick and Wetass favorite (and ex-PlayStationer) Damian Foxhall in 92 days, 9 hours. Apparently, the BWR has got something right. While the Volvo Ocean Race is still struggling to field a decent fleet, the BWR lineup is looking strong, with 15 teams set to fight inch-by-inch across 25,000 miles of ocean. Some notables include Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia, Dee Caffari and Anna Corbella on Gaes Centros Auditivos (rolls right off the tongue), Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss (back for Round 2), Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez, and Jean Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron on Virbac-Paprec 3. I’m picking Dick and Peyron for the win, but it’s always dangerous to discount Desjoyeaux. Alex Thomson will sail flat out and probably set some sort of daily record, but hopefully he’ll also manage to keep his natural inclination toward boat-breaking speed under control enough to finish (he’s abandoned two Vendees and one Velux 5 Oceans, but did finish the last BWR in second place, so maybe that other skipper aboard, occasionally urging a more judicious pace, is just what he needs). Here is the Sailing World link for all the tracking and broadcast info for the race, plus to watch a promo vid: http://www.sailingworld.com/blogs/racing/put-down-your-egg-nog-and-tune-in IN LOVE, BOOT JUICE AND ALL Aigle Maramu Lace-up Boots are one of the most popular and higher quality boots for dinghy sailing. If you are still scrambling for holiday ideas, and if your gift recipient is anything like APS Store Front Assistant Jenny Gervais, these boots might be your solution: “I love Aigles! There, I said it! I got my first pair of Aigles when I was in High School. They were a pair of hand-me-downs and the same pair that my mom got when she started college sailing. So, it goes without saying that these boots are super durable! In college I bought my first NEW pair of Aigles and use them today, these boots just don't wear out! “They have amazing grip on the bottom. I wear them Laser Radial sailing, 420, FJ and J22 sailing. Another of their great features is the stiffness of the boot around the ankle. It provides more support than plain neoprene boots. Also, I prefer the lace up version because I find the zippered boots unzip on their own and can be uncomfortable. However, I love the Aigle boots enough to suggest trying their zip style over any other zip boots!” -- http://blog.apsltd.com/2010/12/aps-staff-review-aigle-maramu-boots.html CONVERGING SAILING WITH CELEBRITY By David Fuller, YachtSponsorship.com While the Yacht Racing industry sat inside a conference venue in Portugal, trying to answer Richard Simmonds’ question - Who is the most well known sailing personality? - sailing was getting more publicity than it has had in years. While the sport’s decision makers wondered how to get exposure on mainstream television, millions of mainstream television viewers, readers of glossy magazines and newspaper people were following Oprah Winfrey and Russell Crowe, sailing on Sydney Harbour. A Google search for ‘Oprah Sailing’ brings back 506,000 results including the Huffington Post and Oprahs own website. One news outlet described it as: “SHE’S the queen of the TV world and he was once a Master And Commander – and today Oprah Winfrey and Russell Crowe went sailing in Sydney Harbour,” It’s interesting to note that nobody in the audience at the World Yacht Racing Forum mentioned Jessica Watson in the list of most recognisable sailing personalities. The Australian teenager probably had more media coverage in 2010 than any other sailor and has sold more books than Ben Ainslie or Russell Coutts. A Beneteau First 47.7 is not a winged multihull. Oprah could have gone sailing in a bathtub and people would have still watched. The TV megastar said: ‘I’m having the time of my life.’ Sailing does have great personalities like Loick Peyron and Shirley Robertson, but the sport doesn’t make the most of the stars who enjoy sailing to promote it in other areas. The industry missed a trick in Australia. -- http://tinyurl.com/YS-122010 GOOGLE IT: While a search of ‘Oprah Sailing’ resulted in half million web pages from her single outing, by comparison a search of ‘Ainslie Sailing’ for the four time Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie resulted in a 123,000 web pages recording his lifetime of accomplishments. And then there is the brilliance of how the World Champion Aussie 470 mens team name their boats after films of Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman, resulting in nearly 200,000 web pages on the subject. In comparison, that is slightly more than a search of “BMW Oracle Racing”. Are we paying attention? SOUTHERN SPARS SETTLES INTO NEW PREMISES We are pleased to announce that Southern Spars New Zealand have settled into a new home. The bespoke 10,000 sq. meter manufacturing facility enables Southern Spars to introduce new technologies and accommodate the growing demand for larger and more technically advanced superyacht and grand prix race rigs. For those wishing to contact us, our new details are as follows: Physical Address: 15 Jomac Place, Rosebank, Auckland 1026. Postal Address: PO Box 71020, Rosebank Mail Centre, Avondale, Auckland. Tel: +64 (0)9 845 7200; Fax: +64 (0)9 845 7201 We wish everybody a safe and happy New Year. For further information about the new facility please contact news@southernspars.com NMMA FILES SUIT OVER E15 DECISION National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging an October 13, 2010 decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to partially approve E15 for a subset of on-highway motor vehicles. NMMA is joining the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) in a newly-formed coalition - the Engine Products Group (EPG) - in pursuing this legal challenge. Vann Ness Feldman will serve as counsel. (The joint release on the filing is below. Click here to download a PDF of the filing itself.) “NMMA regrets having to pursue litigation on this matter, but it is clear that EPA has not fulfilled its statutory obligations to ensure the safe introduction of E15,” said NMMA President Thom Dammrich. “Consequently, we and our industry partners have determined that it is necessary to seek relief in the courts in order to protect our manufacturers and our consumers.” “Throughout this process, NMMA has strongly and consistently urged full scientific testing on marine engines and equipment, as required by law, and the rational evaluation of policy mechanisms to protect consumers from misfueling and product failures associated with incompatible fuels, and regulatory actions to ensure that compatible fuels remain available and affordable,” said Dammrich. “EPA has failed in each regard and approved E15 in contravention of its clear statutory requirements.” -- Read on: http://www.nmma.org/news.aspx?id=17909 IT’S NEVER LIKE THIS (December 20, 2010) - It has been a grueling start to the second sprint of the VELUX 5 OCEANS with the fleet battling strong currents, unpredictable weather and severe sleep deprivation. After starting from Cape Town on Thursday, the ocean racers have been pushing south into the Southern Ocean in search of the prevailing westerly winds that will propel their yachts towards their destination of Wellington, New Zealand. But instead of battling against the notorious weather conditions of the Roaring Forties and Screaming Fifties latitudes, the VELUX 5 OCEANS fleet has had to face an unexpected challenge in the form of a massive area of high pressure sitting in between them and the westerly winds they are searching for. The high pressure zone has brought with it squalls, thunderstorms and south easterly winds - uncomfortable conditions for solo ocean racing. The racers have also had to face the Agulhas Current, a strong-running warm-water river that is constantly pushing them back to Cape Town. . After four days at sea Brad Van Liew’s Eco 60 yacht Le Pingouin leads the fleet having just nudged south past Derek Hatfield on Active House. Despite being out in front, things onboard Le Pingouin are tough, and the constant slamming of his yacht from the huge waves whipped up by winds and current have been making life a misery. “Without a doubt the toughest part of this leg so far has been the weather,” said Brad, winner of ocean sprint one. “It has just been the worst slamming session I have ever had. Before that it was all I could do to keep the boat moving. It’s really been tough. The weather thing has been an absolute conundrum. Instead of the normal Southern Ocean conditions it’s been more like sailing in the Gulf Stream - puffy white clouds, warm water, violent thunder storms, squalls. The current is anything from one to six knots and changes direction in an instant. I have just been waiting for something on the boat to go bang.” -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-122010 FLEXIBLE: Ocean Sprint 3, which will see the fleet of Eco 60s depart Wellington, New Zealand, on February 6, will now finish in the Uruguayan city of Punta del Este, rather than Salvador in Brazil. Said race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, “Whilst we were not keen to change route mid-race, Salvador was unfortunately not able to fulfill our demands with regards to the obligations to host the race.” This third leg is expected to finish in early March and the start of Ocean Sprint 4 to Charleston, USA, is now set for March 27 2011. Ocean Sprint 5, the final sprint, will still depart Charleston on May 14 as the skippers return to La Rochelle, France, to complete their solo circumnavigations of the planet. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-122010a INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum encourages companies to post their new hirings, product and service updates. Scuttlebutt editors will select Industry update each week to include in the Thursday edition of the Scuttlebutt newsletter. Here is the link to post Industry News updates: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news EIGHT BELLS Peter Phillipps, husband of Jeanette, father of Lach, Ben, Bea (Beach Bennett) and Christy (all with his first wife Gay Nelson of West Tisbury), and since 1962, the owner and skipper of the 50 foot, 90 year old Alden schooner VOYAGER, passed away from complications of pneumonia in Maine this past weekend. He and VOYAGER, accompanied by family and friends -- always lots of kids, their friends and other family -- sailed many thousands of ocean miles -- along our coast, to the Canadian Maritimes, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and about twenty years ago Pete embarked with Jeanette on a leisurely circumnavigation. Over the years VOYAGER was rebuilt in Nova Scotia and then again in Thailand during the circumnavigation. There is particularly lovely Benjamin Mendlowitz photo of VOYAGER anchored off Moorea, French Polynesia during the passage through the Pacific -- a group of friends chatting in the cockpit. He and Jeanette cleared in to the United States at the WoodenBoat Show in Mystic several years ago and, having bought a piece of property near Camden, built a house overlooking Penobscot Bay -- with VOYAGER on a mooring nearby. Pete was by training, an architect and college professor, but his family, VOYAGER and sailing remained the central focus of his life. -- Ginny Jones 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 Laurence Mead: WOW... what a creative and fabulous idea from Bruno Trouble (in Scuttlebutt 3243)! A doublehanded six day race in one designs that finishes at a fixed time would be THE story of the Olympics alongside the Marathon and the 100 metre final. Full live tracking and full time on board TV coverage...... LOVE IT!!!!!! * From Rick Suter: After reading Scuttlebutt for many years I would like to make my first comment by endorsing the idea of a multi-day offshore race in the Olympics. This is the single best idea I have heard about anything in sailing in years. I already am excited and ready to follow them with on-line GPS tracking and cheering for future heroes. Bravo to a great idea ... I only hope it happens. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION If it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all. SPONSORS THIS WEEK APS - Henri Lloyd Interlux - Southern Spars North Sails - Ullman Sails Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
