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SCUTTLEBUTT 2911 - Wednesday, August 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 Hall Spars & Rigging, The Pirates Lair, and LaserPerformance. BORA GULARI: MOTH WORLD CHAMPION American Bora Gulari figures it was about 26 months ago when he first got into the International Moth class, and today he is the World Champion of this most unique foiling boat. Considering that the class depth exists in Europe and Australia, and that the first North American event was only in February 2008, Bora helps us understand how he has quickly conquered the class from his home base of Bayview Yacht Club on the Detroit River: * SBUTT: You have made some trips to Australia for training. How important were they in understanding the boat? BORA GULARI: "I have made two trips to Australia in the last two years. They were important as I was able to focus only on sailing my Moth for extended periods of time without distractions. I was also able to make friends and training partners with the fastest Moth sailors in the world. It was not glamorous, mainly sleeping on the floor in the basement of Andrew McDougall's house but it allowed me to go sailing at one of the most challenging venues that I have been at for Moths - Black Rock Yacht Club. It is f'ing awesome when the sea breeze is up. " * SBUTT: The U.S. had a decent showing at the Worlds. What has contributed to the country's rise in the class? BORA GULARI: "That is easy. It all comes down to one person in my mind, Charlie McKee. About a year and a half ago when I made the first trip to Coronado, CA for the Pacific Coast Championship, he pretty much laid down the 'Plan'. All of the U.S. sailors share everything. We figure things out with each other and get together to check in at prescribed intervals to see how everyone is going. I think Charlie is just such a good leader he can get anyone to do anything." * SBUTT: For someone thinking about getting into the class, what should they be prepared for? Complete interview: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0818a/ => Curmudgeon's Comment: There are highlight reels of the last three days of competition from t2p.tv, providing edited footage on the close racing, the action crashes, and the beauty of the Cascade Locks, OR sailing site: http://www.t2p.tv/guide/mw09.php SCUTTLEBUTT SURVEY: BOAT TRACKERS Distance races have increasingly been leveraging the internet, and GPS boat tracking systems have shown their ability to provide the spectator with the kind of information once available only onboard. During the 2009 Chicago Race to Mackinac, onboard boat trackers were optional, and about 1/3 of the fleet chose not to carry them. For those carrying the trackers, their position in the race could be viewed by online race fans. and by competitors with internet access. As for the teams without the trackers, they were, as referred to during the Volvo Ocean Race, in continuous "Stealth Mode." As event organizers consider the inclusion of tracking systems, the Scuttlebutt survey sought public opinion on how to handle it. Here are the results: What is your opinion of GPS Boat Tracking? Favorable - 88.00% Not favorable - 9.45% No opinion - 2.55% If an event has GPS Boat Tracking, what level of requirement should it have? It should be mandatory - 82.91% It should be optional - 17.09% Here are a couple of comments: * "Trackers are great for those of us at home but I don't think the racers should be able to use them to 'see' the other boats as it means you need yet another piece of technology on the boat (a laptop with some kind of wireless connection)." * "Mandatory for the safety aspect. From the tactical standpoint, (they should be) all-in or all-out. Nobody should have an advantage of using the data but not contributing their own position data." Read all the comments: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/absolutepm/xlacomments.asp?p=14 TELL US YOUR PROBLEMS Hall Spars & Rigging's field service team is trained to solve your most perplexing problems. Lightning strike? We'll use thermal imaging or ultrasound to check for damage, and make any needed repairs. Performance not up to par? Our pros can install super-low-windage SCR carbon standing rigging, replace your running rigging with lightweight, high-tech line, and install the highest quality deck hardware. Not sure what you need? A thorough rig inspection by a Hall expert will give you the answers. Our factory-trained technicians travel to your boat and complete most repairs on site. Problem solved. http://www.hallspars.com JULY SAILBOAT BROKERAGE MARKET REPORT For three consecutive months, United States brokerage sailboat sales have been steady at 500+ boats and roughly $40 million value, based on figures reported by broker members of YachtWorld.com. Averaged against the same three months in 2008, which were anything but steady, unit sales are down approximately 20 percent and the valuation of boats sold is down about 25 percent. At the end of June we reported that, compared to the same month last year, unit sales were down only 12 percent and the value of sailboat brokerage sales was only down by 8 percent. That appears to have been an anomaly because of the dip in sales registered in June '08, perhaps as a result of the timing of sales in adjacent months. Compared with July '08, unit sales in July '09 were down by 23% and the value of boats sold was down by 21%. Nonetheless, while the market remains weaker than in 2008, it has shown some improvement. Earlier in 2009, unit sales were down closer to 30 percent and boat valuation was off by more than 40 percent. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0818/ WHEN IS A GATE NOT A GATE On the first downwind leg with several boats approaching the leeward gate, one of the marks blows up and sinks because of the intense heat. The race committee did not replace the mark or substitute it with an object flying flag M as provided for in rule 34. QUESTION: On which side of the only remaining mark should the boats pass? (Rule 28.1 (c)) ANSWER: In the absence of any relevant sailing instruction, the remaining buoy is no longer a mark. When the sailing instructions describe a gate, the boats are required to pass between the gate marks in order to comply with rule 28.1(c). When one of two gate marks disappears, the other no longer has a required side. Boats may leave the buoy on either side and may even touch it. To avoid this problem, race committees are recommended to specify a required side when only one buoy of a gate is present, so that there will still be a mark with a required side. Boats would then round the remaining mark as any other single rounding mark, and they would also not be allowed to touch it. -- ISAF Racing Rules Q&A, read on: http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/QA2009034-%5B7483%5D.pdf 470 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP After hosting the Finn Gold Cup and Laser Radial European Championship in July, Denmark is set once again inundated with Olympic medallists and World champions, as next week racing starts at the 470 World Championship, off Rungsted Harbour. The start gun for the opening races, to be held off the harbour, 25km north of Copenhagen, will be on Sunday, 23 August, culminating in medal races for the Men's and Women's fleets on Saturday, 29 August. The 99 men's line-up features crew from all the medalling teams at last year's Beijing Olympics, interestingly all sailing at this 2009 World Championship with different crew: Australian Gold medallist Malcolm Page has a new helm in the form of Matthew Belcher; silver medallist, Team GBR's Nick Rogers now has Pom Green as crew; Nicolas Charbonnier, who returned to France with bronze last year is now sailing with Baptiste Meyer. Also competeing will be current ISAF World Cup leaders Stu McNay and Graham Biehl (USA). In the women's class, among the 57 teams are US Sailing Team Alphagraphics' 2008 World Champions Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving. "Isabelle and I haven't done much sailing since the Worlds in Melbourne last year, which was more than a year and a half ago," says Maxwell. "Since then we have both gotten married and I have been working full-time and Isabelle has been going to law school. So we don't have big expectations for defending our world title. There are a lot of new teams coming up the ranks that will be good this week and a lot of returning veterans, so, realistically we expect to be a little off the pace. Hopefully our experience will help us hang in there to be competitive. It's not impossible for us to finish in the top three, but it's a long shot for sure." A total of five men and 3 women teams will be competing from North America, all from the U.S. -- Full report: http://www.sailing.org/29242.php NEW MOUNT GAY RUM ITEMS AT PIRATES LAIR DOT COM! The Pirates Lair is the official online source for Mount Gay Rum sailing gear. Check out the new Mount Gay Rum logo on a ProFit technical tee, waterproof racing jacket or the traditional logo on a new smaller burgee. Log on to http://www.pirateslair.com/store/index.html or call (888) 724-5286 to outfit your team or event. THE CHANGING CONDITIONS OF OUR OCEANS Now traversing the Northwest Passage, the Ocean Watch crew - four professional sailors, a scientist and an educator - recently completed the deployment of three NOAA Global Drifter Program buoys. Dr. Ignatius Rigor, research scientist at the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory (UW-APL) Polar Science Center and Coordinator of the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP) is directing these activities. This project, one of 8 scientific projects planned throughout the 13-month Around the Americas expedition, focuses specifically on the polar regions of the 25,000-mile circumnavigation of North and South America and will further support the expedition's mission of highlighting the changing conditions of our oceans. Tracked by satellite and weighing approximately 45 pounds, each buoy is equipped with sensors to measure air pressure and surface temperature - data widely used by both weather and ice forecasters. After approximately two years, the IABP buoys stop transmitting their location and are typically lost. Since 1979, the IABP has deployed nearly 1000 buoys. In 2008, data from the buoys played an instrumental role in having the polar bear listed on the threatened species list. -- http://www.aroundtheamericas.org/ GIRLS SEEKING TO BE YOUNGEST * Alone and at the tender age of 16, Jessica Watson (AUS) will tackle 22,000 nautical miles over 7-8 months, aiming to break the records set by her inspirational predecessors, Kay Cottee, the first woman to sail solo non-stop unassisted around the world and Jesse Martin, the youngest person to do so. Jessica plans to set off from Brisbane in mid-September, returning by April 2010 before she turns 17, taking more than a year off Jesse's record. Jessica, will take on the notorious Southern Ocean and Cape Horn aboard her 10.4m (34') sloop. -- Sail-World, read on: http://tinyurl.com/r7v3q5 * Abigail Sunderland (USA) wants to one-up older brother Zac when she sets sail in November in a quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone. Unlike Zac, she plans to do it nonstop. Abby, as her family calls her, turns 16 on Oct. 19. She wants to leave Marina del Rey in the Los Angeles area in early November. Her father, Laurence, said Tuesday that the family, which lives in Thousand Oaks, Calif., is negotiating with potential sponsors to help cover the $350,000 cost of the adventure. On July 16, 17-year-old Zac Sunderland became the youngest person to sail around the world alone when he pulled into Marina del Rey. -- http://tinyurl.com/oc3ov5 SAILING SHORTS * Light winds last week delayed 17 year-old Mike Perham's record bid to become the youngest solo circumnavigator (with stops). On his northerly route up the Atlantic Ocean from the Panama Canal, he now expects to reach the Lizard line (GBR) marking the start and finish point of his 30,000 mile record-setting odyssey sometime on Thursday August 27, still two months inside the current record. -- Read on: http://www.covarimail.com/view.lasso?id1=404&id2=291365 * The Portugal Trophy fleet for the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit will see all ten TP52 Series entries in the Marina of Portimao on the Algarve competing in the fourth stop of the five event circuit. Racing will take place from August 19-23, with light winds expected. The overall scores has skipper Dean Barker's Emirates Team New Zealand team up by 32.5 pts over the new Judel /Vrolijk design Matador, with 2008 champion Quantum Racing in a distant third. -- http://2009.medcup.org/home/ * The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) last week cancelled the Ontario Place In-Water Boat Show 2009. The show was scheduled to take place September 17-20. Linda Waddell, NMMA Vice President of Northern Shows, sent a letter telling all exhibitors that the show would be cancelled. "Due to market conditions, minimal inventory levels and a strong desire from boat dealers to focus efforts on the upcoming Toronto International Boat Show (TIBS), it isn't feasible to produce the 2009 show," Waddell wrote. -- IBI Magazine, read on: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20090718160608ibinews.html * The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the organising authority for the 65th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, and Rolex SA of Geneva, the race's naming rights sponsor, have announced the release of the Notice of Race and invite applications for entry, now online at http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/editorial.asp?key=1711 * (August 18, 2009) - As the first storm of the Atlantic Ocean season, Hurricane Bill churned toward the west-northwest Tuesday as it teetered on the brink of becoming a major hurricane. As of 5 p.m. ET, Bill's maximum sustained winds were at 110 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane. When its sustained winds reach 111 mph, expected Tuesday night or Wednesday, it will become a Category 3 hurricane. Weather models showed the storm missing Bermuda as it heads nearer to the upper U.S. East Coast, but currently posing no threat. -- http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/weather/08/18/severe.storm/index.html * San Francisco, CA (August 18, 2009) - The 505 North Americans began today, providing teams with a quality event prior to the class world championships on August 23-29. Unfortunately, the results are not yet available online: http://www.505sapworldchampionship2009.com WHO IS LASERPERFORMANCE? The world's largest producer of sailboats? The builder of such iconic dinghies as the Laser, Sunfish, 420 and Optimist (among many others)? The company that recently introduced the award winning SB3, Bahia, Vago, and Bug? If you said yes to all three, you were right! Find out more at http://www.laserperformance.com 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 Ian Armstrong, Dubai, UAE: In response to Cressida Robson's letter (in Scuttlebutt 2910), Ras al Kaimah is part of the United Arab Emirates (where the largest cities are Abu Dhabi and Dubai), and is open to visitors from around the world. Although the UAE is Islamic, and Emiratis usually dress in traditional clothing, but foreigners do not. Non-Emiratis do dress more conservatively then in the US, and both men and women should avoid tank-tops or shorts unless at the pool, on the beach or afloat. Women do not need to cover their heads, and alcohol is available for non-Muslims. If the Cup leaves the New York courts for the waters of the Gulf, American fans should not hesitate to come and visit. Most visitors will arrive through Dubai, which has a wide array of hotels, restaurants and shopping malls, and is only an hour from RAK. It is hot now, but in February the weather should be great. A bit of cultural sensitivity is recommended (like anywhere in the world), but the UAE is safe, lively, open and welcoming. * From Jim Babel: Regarding boat building coming to America, Mark Pickle is moving his "PStar" Star boat manufacturing from Germany to Gull Lake, Michigan: http://www.thesailingcenter.us/ * From Adrian Morgan: On the topic of boat tracking, I say too much information can be counterproductive. When racing boats go into "stealth mode" (oh for goodness sake, what's wrong with incommunicado?) I for one breathe a sigh of relief. No more minute by minute stuff about how many times they swapped the Code Zero for some other esoteric sail, or how many saltwater spots they found on their bums (butts?). In the (good) old days they'd set off and the first you'd hear about them was a garbled report passed via a tramp steamer. Every scrap of information was gold. Now we have wall to wall coverage, and the uniquitous and interminable surfing footage. The sponsors want it, of course, but I don't. I have better things to do with my time than hang on the internet, racing vicariously. And I suspect the crew just wants to get on with it too, rather than gunning for the cameras or scrabbling together barely literate reports every day which spell death to any subsequent books about of the race. * From Doran Cushing: Regarding the potential for Garmin owning Raymarine (in Scuttlebutt 2910), my experiences with both organizations would hope that the Garmin ethic will extinguish the Raymarine approach. With multiple products and many years of experience with both product lines, I can only say that Garmin has always gone out of their way to do more than necessary to satisfy the customer. Raymarine seemingly took the opposite approach, nickel and dime-ing me for repairs and upgrades that should have been painless and penniless. I have never been disappointed with a Garmin product, neither in performance nor its user-friendly intuitive logic. The Raymarine products have been exactly the opposite. It's like Apple and Bill Gates...no contest. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting." - George Carlin Special thanks to Hall Spars & Rigging, The Pirates Lair, and LaserPerformance. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
