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SCUTTLEBUTT 3010 - Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Scuttlebutt 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.
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Today's sponsors are Summit Yachts, North Sails, and Sail1Design.
PERFECT START TO KEY WEST RACE WEEK 2010
Key West, Fla., (January 18, 2010) - Competitors reported wind shifts
ranging from five to 50 degrees, which kept tacticians on their toes on Day
1, Key West Race Week. Wolfgang Schaefer, who won a race in Farr 40 class
for only the second time in four trips to Key West, steered Struntje Light
to victory in Race 2 after finishing sixth in Race 1 and holds the overall
lead via tiebreaker over both Barking Mad (Jim Richardson, Newport, R.I.)
and Joe Fly (Giovanni Maspero, Rome, Italy).
Early competition is close in the 21-boat Melges 24 class, as two of the top
contenders, UKA UKA Racing and Blu Moon, both won a race. In Melges 32
class, Rod Jabin and his crew aboard Ramrod posted a pair of third place
results to grab the early lead in class. America's Cup veteran Gavin Brady
is calling tactics for Jabin. "You take an average boat and put Gavin Brady
onboard it makes a big difference," Jabin said. "I did a reasonable job of
getting us off the start line and Gavin did a great job of positioning the
boat."
Bella Mente, a Reichel-Pugh 66-footer skippered by Hap Fauth of Newport,
R.I., is the opening day pacesetter in IRC 1 class, which features the
largest boats in the regatta. Kelvin Harrup is calling tactics aboard Bella
Mente, which won both races on Monday and holds a four-point lead over the
TP52 Interlodge (Austin Fragomen) and the Wally 82 Highland Fling (Irvine
Laidlaw).
The introduction of a handicap multihull class at Key West 2010 saw Merlin,
a Gulfstream 35 that is scratch boat in the fleet and the lone catamaran,
notch two bullets to seize the early lead. "Today's conditions favored us
because we have more sail area," said tactician Dough Fisher, a
Florida-based professional with Ullman Sails.
Brian Keene (Marion, Mass.) is off to a good start in his bid to repeat as
J/105 champion at Key West, steering Savasana to a first and a second on
Monday. North Sails professional Will Welles (Newport, R.I.) won Race 1 and
took third in Race 2 to jump ahead in the 19-boat J/80 class, which is
contesting its Midwinter Championship at Key West 2010. -- Full report:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8950#8950
Results:
http://www.premiere-racing.com/KW10_Results/kw10_results_reports.htm
Key West Event Website: http://www.premiere-racing.com/
* Look for Scuttlebutt's Key West 2010 micro-site to be the information
portal, providing live blogging, daily T2P video, live tracking, weather
updates, commentary, and candid interviews. Three video segments from
Monday include interviews from event manager Peter Craig, plus behind the
scenes tours of the near-live race course updates and scoring system. View
it all here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/kw/
LEAD CHANGES APLENTY IN DAY 3 STAR WORLDS
Rio de Janeiro, Bra., (January 18, 2010) - The 2003 and 2005 Star World
Champion, Xavier Rohart, and Pierre Alexis Ponsot (FRA) won Race 3 of the
2010 Star Worlds, in light air and under cloudy skies. The French team
fought hard to win the pin and the left hand side of the course during the
start. Renato Cunha and Marcel Mascarenhas (BRA), Iain Percy and Andrew
Simpson (GBR), Gustavo Lima and Charles Nankin (POR) and Diego Negri and
Nando Colaninno (ITA) led the attempt to hunt down the French, but didn't
have the stamina to get the job done.
Said a pleased Rohart following the race, "We worked hard for that! We were
especially fast downwind." He commented that the key to their win was the
start, and that they were determined to be at the pin during each attempted
start of Race 3, in the light air and current. Their great start and first
beat up the left hand side of the course gave them a comfortable lead at the
first weather mark, and they extended from there.
On the final run with the breeze filling in from behind, Brits Percy and
Simpson were ahead and lower than the pack. Said Percy, "Bart called it. He
said, 'as soon as the first boat goes, we've got to go'. Wind like this is
difficult. We have confidence in our speed when it gets windier."
The North American team of Macdonald/Lekszycki (CAN) maintained a consistent
showing, while Campbell/Nichol (USA), just made the top third of the fleet
in Race 3. -- Full story:
http://www.starclass.org/artman/publish/article_469.shtml
The Star World Championship brings together a record number of 81 teams,
representing 20 countries, with racing in Rio de Janeiro on January 16-22,
outside of Guanabara Bay.
Event website: http://www.starworlds2010.com
Preliminary Results (after three races) - Top 10 of 73
1. GBR, Iain Percy/Andrew Simpson, 15
2. BRA, Alan Adler/Guilherme de Almeida, 22
3. NOR, Eivind Melleby/Petter Pedersen, 23
4. SWE, Fredrik Loof/Johan Tillander, 35
5. SUI, Marazzi/De Maria, 37
6. CAN, Ross Macdonald/Andre Lekszycki, 37
7. USA, Andrew Campbell/Brad Nichol, 39
8. ARG, Kouyoumdjian/Colla, 42
9. BRA, Brun/Kunze, 43
10. ITA, Negri/Colaninno, 46
Results: http://www.starclass.org/search.cgi?Action=view&Event_id=1845
SUMMIT 35 TOPS THE LIST
The new Summit 35 was recently chosen by Sailing World Magazine as "Best IRC
Racer" for 2010. The Mark Mills designed boat continues the same race bred
pedigree as the successful Summit 40. "Overall it is a great boat for Key
West Race Week," says Chuck Allen, one of the BOTY judges. Two of the new
35's will be making their Key West debut this month. Check them out at
http://www.summit-yachts.com
ABSOLUTE ANTITHESIS OF "HELICOPTER PARENTS"
Presented annually by Premiere Racing, John Storck Jr. was recognized at Key
West 2010, as the recipient of the Paul Washburn Award - For The Love of the
Sport. Steve Washburn, a Long Beach, Cal., resident and long-time race
committee volunteer for Key West, created the special award to honor his
youngest son, who passed away suddenly three years ago. Here is a story
published in Race Week News:
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John Storck Jr., has said on many occasions that it is truly a blessing that
his four children have taken to sailing with such enthusiasm. Storck, a
resident of Huntington, N.Y., is a lifelong sailor, so it is certainly
rewarding to see his kids enjoying spending time on the water capturing the
wind as well. However, it is no accident that John III, Erik, Kaity and Ian
Storck have come to love sailing as much as their father. All four were
introduced to the sport in a positive environment that fostered a passion.
John Storck Jr., and wife Colette, brought each child aboard the family
cruiser-racer Jonrob, when they were babies. The kids learned the basic
fundamentals of sailing while cruising Long Island Sound aboard the Ericson
39, and were later introduced to the competitive side of the sport as crew
for their father when he raced in local events sponsored by Centerport Yacht
Club or Lloyd Harbor Yacht Club. "Our kids literally grew up on the Jonrob
doing summer cruises and were able to experience sailing in its purest
form," Storck said.
All four children attended sailing school to further hone their skills,
learning how to steer and trim in the Optimist dinghy and Club 420 classes.
During those years, John Jr., and Colette were the absolute antithesis of
the infamous "helicopter parents", who push their kids to compete and focus
solely on results. "When my kids were junior sailors, I rarely ever went to
the regatta unless I was working on the race committee," Storck said. "If
John and Erik were doing a big regatta, I would take Kaity and Ian to the
zoo. My wife and I never wanted to put any pressure on the kids." -- Read on
in the Tuesday issue Race Week News:
http://www.premiere-racing.com/KW10_Results/kw10_race_week_news.htm
* Erik Storck and his sailing partner Trevor Moore are currently racing in
the 49er North Americans, hosted by the Miami Yacht Club. Here's an excerpt
from their blog:
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North Americans Day 1: Big Breeze, Big Improvement (January 16, 2010) - Our
first day back on Biscayne Bay a year removed from our first event in the
49er was an exciting one. The Southeast breeze kicked up quickly to around
20 knots. The chop also kicked up significantly, making for some difficult
sailing. After needing a race to get back into it, we made some adjustments
to our maneuvers and finished the day with two fifth-place finishes. -- Read
on: http://tinyurl.com/yk7ay43
WILL THIRD TIME BE A CHARM?
Solo sailor Derek Hatfield is preparing for his third attempt at racing
alone around the world. The New Brunswick native, who resides in Mahone Bay,
N.S., is attempting to raise $500,000 he needs to compete in the Velux 5
Oceans 2010 around-the-world yacht race, which begins next fall. "The family
and I have put all of our savings into this; we've sold our house," said the
former RCMP officer. "The first time around it was about the competition, I
wanted to do well. Now I want to give back to Canada and represent Canada."
In 2003, Hatfield completed the Around Alone single-handed yacht race,
covering over 28,700 nautical miles while spending nearly eight months at
sea. Hatfield, who constructed his boat with family and friends in New
Brunswick, was the only Canadian to finish the demanding race.
But his second effort at circumnavigating the globe solo was not as
successful. In the 2008 Vendée Globe event, Hatfield was forced to retire
after a large wave rolled his boat, Algimouss Spirit of Canada. "I was south
of Australia and got knocked down in a big storm," he said. "I had to stop
in Australia, and unfortunately once you stop and go ashore you must
retire."
His next challenge will be the Velux 5 Oceans race, formerly the Around
Alone race. The event starts in October and will take racers to a number of
stopovers before concluding back in France. -- Read on:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/12/31/ns-derek-hatfield.ht
ml
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DINGHY CHAMPIONS TALK IT UP
With the 2010 OK Dinghy World Championship being held January 31-February
12, in 'windy' Wellington, New Zealand, the past three world champions, Nick
Craig (2005, 2006, 2007), Karl Purdie (2008) and Thomas Hansson-Mild (2009),
talk about the class, the racing and their thoughts on last year's and this
year's championship:
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For current world champion Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) victory last year in
Kalmar, Sweden, was a dream come true. With 20 years experience under his
belt and a host of top ten places, many thought Thomas had missed his
chance. However, he kept plugging away and was finally back at the front in
2008 where he finished fifth overall.
Explaining his return to form he said, "Sailing is a sport of details, and
when it comes down to it everything has to work smoothly. Family support and
friends are also vital parts to get the puzzle done. Someone once said that
there is need for about 10,000 training hours to become really good in a
sport. OK Dinghy sailing is no exception. I began to sail very early and
it's no myth that what pushed me towards my dinghy sailing was a rather
troublesome pollen allergy. I did not have the allergy on the water and the
bay at home became my playground in the summer."
"In 2007 I saw how quickly Karl Purdie (NZL), sailed, and what equipment he
had. He did not win the worlds that year, but he showed a momentum I had
never seen before. I realised then that we were stuck in old thinking and
had to reconsider. I bought a new mast and switched sail makers to Quantum.
Before the 2008 World Championships, I had been training well and finished
fifth with a taste for more. I won the last race and ended up just five
points from the bronze medal. I went home with the feeling that now I could
compete with the finest elite and this spurred me to take another step
forward." -- Read on:
http://www.okworlds2010.com/documents/100119PressRelease.pdf
SAIL1DESIGN LAUNCHES NEW PROFESSIONAL SAILING JOBS SITE
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SAILING SHORTS
* (January 17, 2010) - The Laser Caribbean Midwinter Regatta, held every
January in Cabarete, Dominican Republic is a combination of social
activities and challenging sailing. This year sailors asked the organizers
to skip the Bar B Q at the prize giving ceremony, and donate the money
instead to the efforts in Haiti. In the standard fleet Raul Aguayo from the
Dominican Republic beat his country man Ari Barshi and Peter Shoppe from the
USA. Radial fleet was won by New Zealander Alister Thompson, and Peter
Seidenberg was the first Great Grand Master. -- Results:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8943
* New York, N.Y., (January 19, 2010) - The Cruising Club of America has
selected Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to receive its prestigious Blue Water
Medal, without date, for a lifetime devoted to the advancement of sailing,
sail training and youth development and on the occasion of the 40th
anniversary of his singlehanded, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. In
the 85-year history of the CCA's Blue Water Medal only seven Medals have
been awarded without date. The medal will be presented to Sir Robin
Knox-Johnston on March 5, 2010 during the club's annual Awards Dinner at the
New York Yacht Club, in New York.
* Marcus Young, Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) commodore, wrote another
letter on Sunday, on behalf of BMW Oracle Racing to Pierre-Yves Firmenich,
his counterpart at Alinghi's club, the Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG),
saying a Monday deadline "would settle all the remaining issues" before the
33rd edition of the Cup scheduled to start on February 8, giving SNG a
further opportunity to resolve said issues by signing the resolution now
known as the Singapore Agreement. -- Read letter: http://tinyurl.com/yzhzfw9
* CORRECTION - If you tried to link to Liz Rountree's letter in Scuttlebutt
3009, the link was bad, here's the good one:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8940#8940
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 Paul Bogataj:
Since the Deed of Gift provides the Challenger a "match for this Cup with a
yacht or vessel propelled by sails only and constructed in the country to
which the challenging Club belongs ...", isn't there another question before
one even gets to the issue regarding where the yacht was constructed? Is the
wing a sail? What defines a sail? Is it anything that pulls a boat through
the water using force extracted from the wind (like a kite)?
Why would there be different words for sail, wing, and kite? They may
perform similar aerodynamic functions, but they have different
characteristics that define them as different things. Perhaps a sail is
something that is flexible and is capable of being raised and lowered along
the mast. It seems that there is more potential legal arguing, unless they
do not intend to race with the wing.
=> Curmudgeon's Comment: Here is the definition from Wikipedia: "A sail is
any type of surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind -
in essence a vertically-oriented wing. Sails are used in sailing." And, of
course, there is the precedent from the 1988 Match when Stars & Stripes
(USA) successfully defended the 27th Match with a wing-powered catamaran.
* From Nick Newman, MIT '56 (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 3009):
What I believe was the first British Universities Sailing Team to visit the
US and compete against US teams took place in 1954. The team was composed
primarily or entirely of Oxford University sailors. Jack Wood certainly
helped to host them, as did Leonard Fowle and many others in the New England
area. I was a member of the US Team, which reciprocated their visit in 1955,
racing against several University teams in England and Ireland. Our team
captain was Alain de Berc (MIT '55). Others included Bruce Loring from Brown
and Bill Stiles from MIT.
* From Cameron McIntyre: (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 3007)
While I will agree with Mike Sharpe on the insanity of the very old and very
young attempting death defying feats of sailing for bragging rights and
personal publicity, I take offense to his comment on Marina Del Rey.
"Interestingly many of these attempts start from the Capital of the Land of
Fruit and Nuts, Marina Del Rey, CA., a notorious light wind environment that
has no relevance to serious offshore sailing."
Myself and many other buttheads sail in Marina Del Rey, and many of us have
sailed tens of thousands of ocean miles and have trophies recognizing those
accomplishments. If Mr. Sharpe has a problem with Marina Del Rey and the
sailors to whom the port is home, he would serve himself and the sailing
community at large a favor by politely keeping his comments to himself.
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
Special thanks to Summit Yachts, North Sails, and Sail1Design.
Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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