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SCUTTLEBUTT 3210 - Monday, November 1, 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: Navtec and Ultimate Sailing. ONE YEAR TO GO With one year remaining until the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race begins with the In-Port race in Alicante, CEO Knut Frostad discusses preparations for the grand departure and explains why he feels this will be one of the closest races ever. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * What's the state of play regarding entries and the hunt for sponsorship? KNUT FROSTAD: We currently have six boats that are funded and ready for the next event, which is pretty much where we were at this time before the last race. It's no secret that my ambition was to have more, but the economic downturn has hurt the international sponsor market. In that respect, I'm really pleased because we as an organiser, combined with the teams, have raised more than 210 million euros in commercial sponsorship and rights fees. Compared to any other sporting event in the last 18 months it is substantial. * What is your assessment of the confirmed entries? KNUT FROSTAD: At least five of the teams are potential winners. I don't think we have ever had that many in the past. They are all building new boats, have top skippers and people with top experience of this race. It is going to be extremely difficult to pick a winner. There will be no team like Ericsson from the last race, running a two-boat testing programme for a year before the race. A part of that is the new Volvo Open 70 rule, which limits what a team can do, putting them on more of a level platform. The other part of it is we have attracted several really good teams this time. Look at the teams and people involved and they are truly world class programmes. * Are there other teams waiting in the wings? KNUT FROSTAD: There are four other teams that are very serious about taking part and then there is another group of five that are also working on it. We are focused on bringing more boats to the start line. If we achieve the same number as the last race (eight) then, it would be very, very good. My ambitions are higher than that but we have to be realistic. The market is incredibly tough, whereas for the last race it was possibly the best it had been. * How are the ports shaping up? KNUT FROSTAD: The bidding process for the stopover ports has been a great success and has been completed far sooner than in previous races. As such, there has been less organisational stress and most likely a better product. It's great to have France back involved - it is a market we really wanted - and likewise for Abu Dhabi. Not only that, I think the sailing challenge is going to be fantastic. The leg to Abu Dhabi will be an extension of the leg last race to Cochin in India and can only give the sailors more challenges, which is a good thing. And by breaking up the route to Brazil with Auckland will make a big difference. Now there is a full-on Southern Ocean leg. They will enter the Southern Ocean as a pack and it should make for close racing. That's what we all want and I'm certain with a year to go that it's what we're going to get. Complete interview: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-103110 CHANGING TIMES The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association racing schedule has the sloop and singlehanded nationals in the fall, and the team race and coed nationals in the spring. For the 2010-2011 season, the ICSA made a significant change by revising the sloop nationals from a fleet race to a match race format. Here ICSA president Mitch Brindley explains: “What we did was we took our sloop national championship, which was an event that wasn’t doing very well. It was a ten team fleet race event, and over the years a lot of the coaches and conferences were trying to get rid of it. The event took up a couple weekends on the schedule with the conference championship and the national championship, and the fact of the matter is that the event wasn’t that good. The sailors could find a better regatta if they sailed a Wednesday night J/22 regatta in Annapolis. “So we wanted to do a graded event. We wanted to catch on with the excitement of the Women’s match racing Olympic format. So what was done was to turn the sloop event into a match race format. It is required that there is at least one female onboard, so it is mandated that it is at least a coed event, but schools could send an all womens team if they wanted. “And people are really excited about it. Conferences are doing clinics. The sailors at all levels are really excited about doing it. The umpires are excited about it; we’ve gotten great support from the umpire committee. I think it is going to be fun. The first event for the championship will be near the end of the month (November 19-21) at Kings Point in Sonars.” Source: http://tinyurl.com/USSA-103110 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: I spoke to Mitch at the US SAILING Annual Meeting, and he was optimistic that this event format change may help to motivate greater numbers of youth sailors to experience keelboat sailing during their high school years. Also, the international graded event status, which includes a lot of requirements for the event organizers, provides valuable points to sailors seeking to raise their ISAF match race ranking. NAVTEC DELIVERS LE PONANT RIGGING Navtec have delivered a full set of replacement rod rigging for Le Ponant, the 88 metre, 3-masted, French commercial superyacht. With just two months between receipt of order and delivery, the rigging package was designed and manufactured at Navtec U.S., and assembled at Navtec’s fully-equipped rod and fibre rigging facility in Cannes, France. The project will be completed when the rigs are re-stepped next month. With an emphasis on quality, delivery, and value for money, Navtec is a strong contender for the number one choice for rigging and service within the superyacht industry. For more information, visit http://www.navtec.net ACROSS THE EQUATOR The Velux 5 Oceans is the longest running solo round the world race, and has 28 years of rich heritage as the BOC Challenge and then the Around Alone. This edition in Eco 60s covers 30,000 miles and features five ocean sprints over nine months. After setting off on October 17 from La Rochelle to Cape Town, the race will then take in Wellington in New Zealand, Salvador in Brazil and Charleston in the U.S. before returning back across the Atlantic to France. Here is a report from leader Brad Van Liew (USA): ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (October 31, 2010) - I are trucking along in the southeast trades off the coast of Brazil making some miles, but it is not comfortable sailing as it is almost upwind and very wet on deck. Everything with the boat seems in order and the autopilots have now had enough mileage in all conditions that their never ending auto-learn software has the boat so wired that it makes me look average at steering. It is really quite remarkable that the technology has come so far in the last few years. The last time I did this race (2002-3), the “cat’s meow” was being able to rely on true wind steer features while steering off the breeze. At that time NKE, Raymarine and B&G were all in on the game and now have it pretty wired. The next challenge seems to be eliminating masthead movement through motion sensors and software, which makes for very steady wind data. The net result is that the wake in my current 20 knots of tight reach steering to wind looks like a pair of train tracks off the twin rudders. B&G seems to have it working. We’ll see very soon how this all works in the “full noise” atmosphere of the Southern Ocean! It was a big day of excitement crossing the equator yesterday. The gratification of getting half way to Cape Town was brief, as I quickly realized there is still a long way to go. I am really enjoying the boat and getting to know her traits. I swear, she has more lifelike personality than any boat I have sailed. One very nice lifestyle factor is that I have not been running the engine to charge the batteries. It makes for really nice sailing! The wind pushing the boat along also spins my hydrogenerators, which have been making enough power so far to drive my electrical needs. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/BVL-103110 SCOREBOARD: With 3278 nm to the finish of the first leg, Brad Van Liew (USA) is holding a 153 nm lead over Zbigniew Gutkowski since the October 17th start from La Rochelle, France to Cape Town, South Africa (7500 nm). Race viewer here: http://raceviewer.velux5oceans.com/app/index.html?sprint=1 Race website: http://www.velux5oceans.com Brad Van Liew (USA): http://www.oceanracing.org Derek Hatfield (CAN): http://spiritofcanada.net IN SUPPORT OF CHANGE By Mal Emerson The sailing audience Peter Danks knows (as stated in Scuttlebutt 3209) may well be disengaged or at least say they are but I doubt Peter would even bother with communicating here were there not at least a modicum of interest. Sailing is truly an unusual sport if those that are involved for life and certainly those who make their living from the sport are "disengaged or un-interested" in what has to be the pinnacle of the sport. The America's Cup has been all about change since its inception and there have been those from the "old school" that have made similar comments throughout. Remember how unfair the "plastic" boats were; how revolutionary the first aluminum boat was? Heaven help us, a winged keel! The non sailing public will likely be engaged when they see the speed, athleticism and crew coordination required in racing the new boats. I can't imagine someone who actually sails not being interested. It is sailing only to a much higher level. I would urge those sailors who might feel disenfranchised to go sailing. While there imagine 3+ times the speed. Think of a dial up with closing speeds of 40 kts. Imagine a cross with relative speeds of 30 kts or more. Imagine luffing up a boat at 20+ kts. Imagine a mark rounding going from 20 kts to 5 to 20 again in a few boat lengths. Better yet: sail a beach cat or a higher performance cat. They are cheap easy to get a ride on and will provide a taste of what something similar yet 72 feet long with a crew of 11 would be like. You may also discover why cat sailors often find it difficult to go back to monos. Along with change, improvement or not, always comes sour grapes from those enamored with the way it was. However, it would be the odd sport indeed that alienated those involved by raising the bar. STUDENT YACHTING WORLD CUP La Rochelle, France (October 29, 2010) - The Student Yachting World Cup - the only international world championship for college sailing - concluded Friday with the twelfth and final race. Memorable it was. “The wind blew the promised 20 knots gusting to 30,” described Team Canada. “The race committee made the decision that no spins were to be flown and all boats must use their jib as opposed to the genoa to minimize boat breakage. It was a blast!” Southampton Solent University (England) and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland) were clearly the class of the field, with the Brits edging the Swiss for the win. Team USA and Team Canada finished 5th and 6th respectively. “A fifth place in this World Cup event on the very first try for a West Coast team is nothing to be sneezed at,” observed Cal Maritime Academy’s Doug Webster. “There is a learning curve involved, not last of it involved with the supplied Grand Surprise 32s.” Event website: http://WWW.sywoc.org/ Final results: http://www.sywoc.org/IMG/jpg/generaldernierjour.jpg Team USA: http://followteamusa.csum.edu/ Team Canada: http://qstsywoc2010.blogspot.com QUOTE / UNQUOTE “Needless to say, the closing ceremony celebrations may have gotten a little out of hand but in the best of ways.” -- Team Canada (Queen’s University) at the Student Yachting World Cup, http://qstsywoc2010.blogspot.com IRC EAST COAST CHAMPIONSHIP Annapolis, MD (October 31, 2010) - With a well proven design and an almost all-Alinghi crew, Numbers wasn’t a shocker to win the Storm Trysail Club’s IRC East Coast Championship, but it didn’t walk away with easy victory either. The 66.5’ Judel-Vrolijk design was minus its owner Dan Meyers (Boston, Mass.) but loaded up with plenty of go-power, including the young Rome Kirby (son of Volvo Ocean Race veteran Jerry Kirby) who helmed while Brad Butterworth (of America’s Cup fame) served as skipper. “The breeze was fantastic,” said Regatta Chair Dick Neville, “more like San Francisco than Annapolis at this time of year, and it was nice to see Numbers vindicate itself after it missed winning this event three years ago, basically losing on the last run of the last race.” (Meyers’s 60-footer with the same name won the event in 2006.) Winning IRC 2 was Kevin McNeil (Annapolis, MD) and his Farr 40 Nightshift, IRC 3 was won by David Murphy (Westport, CT) and his J/122 Pugwash, and IRC 4 was won by Rush, the J/109 owned by Bill Sweetser (Annapolis, MD). -- Full report/results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10731 JUST LAUNCHED… 2011 ULTIMATE SAILING CALENDAR Fasten your seatbelts... Sharon Green’s Ultimate Sailing Calendar takes you on a thrilling global ride with unique perspectives and compositions of the sport. Sharon and her invited contributors have proven again, ‘they shoot to thrill’. In pursuit of the ‘ultimate sailing’ photographs, they hang from helicopters, cling to chase boats and muscle with underwater housings. Check out the exciting 2011 calendar and great new gift ideas for the sailing enthusiast. http://www.ultimatesailing.com SAILING SHORTS * Bitter End YC, Virgin Gorda, BVI (October 31, 2010) -Although more than 60 people signed up to race in the Harken Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championship Regatta, all eyes were on defending champion George Huntington from Manhasset Bay YC in New York. He did not disappoint. He won the Hobie Wave class in the morning races with straight bullets. That qualified him for the finals. Nonetheless, Huntington came back in the afternoon in the Hunter 215 class - with identical results. Huntington will defend his SSC Championship against six challengers on Thursday in the same IC 24 used for the BEYC Pro Am Regatta, which starts on Tuesday. -- http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10730 * St. Petersburg, FL (October 31, 2010) - The 2010-11 Cressy Championship, representing the High School Singlehanded Championship, was hosted by St. Petersburg YC on October 30-31. Of the 18 entrants in the Laser Radial fleet, Ian Barrows of Antilles School (St Thomas, USVI) took the title over Mitchell Kiss of Black River High School (Holland, MI) in second. In the 18 boat Laser fleet, Nevin Snow of Cathedral Catholic HS (San Diego, CA) and Christopher Stocke of Sarasota High School (Sarasota, FL) were tied, with Snow taking the title. Snow and Stocke finished 1-2 a year ago in the Laser Radial division. Results: http://tinyurl.com/Cressy-103110 * (October 31, 2010) - Team LISOT (Long Island Sound Optimist Team), representing the USA, won the prestigious BMW Opti Team Cup Team Race this weekend at the Potsdamer YC on Lake Wannsee in Berlin, Germany. The 5-sailor LISOT team was Alexandra DelBello (American YC), Drew Gallagher and Ty Ingram (Larchmont YC), Will Logue and Jack Parkin (Riverside YC), coached by LISOT Head Coach Pepe Bettini. This is the first year a non-European team has ever won this event. Full report: http://blog.lisot.org/2010/10/lisot-wins-bmw-opti-team-racing-cup.html * After six races, the Curacao Youth Sunfish title 2010 went to Ard van Aanholt. With 20 participants, including 4 sailors from Bonaire, the championship counted also as a qualifier for the Sunfish Youth Worlds, which will be held along with the Open World Championship in June 2011 in Curacao, Dutch Caribbean. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10729 * St. Malo, France (October 31, 2010) - The 3542 mile Route Du Rhum route started in sunshine, light winds and gennaker reaching conditions: the perfect formula for the start for the record fleet of 85 skippers who set off on the ninth edition. But a complex weather situation faces the singlehanded fleet of IMOCA Open 60 and Class 40 monohulls and ORMA 60ft multihull on their way to the finish at Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe. The general consensus is of a comparatively slow upwind race as the Azores high pressure area basically comprises two systems which seem to limit any obvious southerly routing option. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/RdR-103110 * (October 29, 2010) - The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) announced the appointment of the International Jury for the 34th America's Cup. The 34th America's Cup Match is planned to be held in 2013, with lead up events commencing in 2011. The Jury will handle all disputes that may arise in this Cup cycle including the lead up events and the America's Cup match. The five-person International Jury will be: David Tillett (Australia) Chairman, John Doerr (Great Britain), Josje Hofland (The Netherlands), Graham McKenzie (New Zealand), and Bryan Willis (Great Britain). -- Full report: http://www.sailing.org/34647.php SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 are 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 David Redfern: (re, AC commentary in Scuttlebutt 3209) What wise words Peter Danks! And what arrogance and marketing speak from Richard Worth. You can't spin when the core truth is wrong. People don't believe you. * From Fried Elliott: (“Are You A Flintstoner Or A Facebooker?” in #3209) If I'm going to be characterized as a cartoon figure, at least get it right. I grew up on Chuck Yeager and Apollo 11 so I'd prefer to be thought of as Elroy Jetson or Rocky, the Flying Squirrel. Please rush my Propeller Beanie or Flying Goggles and AC Deed of Gift Secret Decoder Ring to me c/o Scuttlebutt. * From Mark Jardine, Yachts & Yachting editing: I did a little more looking into this to see how ‘Facebook generation’ the new America’s Cup organisers are! Here is the page of a man called Stefano Defelice lying on hammock: http://www.facebook.com/americascup Have the organizers got another short Facebook URL such as facebook.com/ac34? No. Maybe the Flintstones are organising a party for people they don't know... * From Ginny Jones: Interesting that Rob Douglas, of Martha's Vineyard, is now the world's fastest sailor as he sails at Luderitz in South Africa. His father, Robert S. Douglas, senior, has been skippering SHENANDOAH -- the 102' square topsail schooner [designed by Captain Douglas senior, along the lines of the 1850's revenue cutter JOE LANE] since she was launched for him back in 1964. SHENANDOAH hails from Vineyard Haven and has never had an engine; she's the iconic queen of the fleet here on the Vineyard where there is a world class collection of wooden boats, including several schooners and yachts belonging to the Douglas family. Rob and his three brothers all learned to sail on SHENANDOAH as have many others during her summer cruises. She now takes island school kids sailing. That was until they took up wind surfing, and other more challenging pursuits. Odd to think that Captain Douglas senior is the quintessential gaff rigged sailor and Robbie is now the fastest sailor in the world. * From Brian Hancock: I think that the amazing sailing going on quietly in Luderitz is simply one of the most exciting aspects of our sport. Can you imagine sailing, well hanging on for dear life, to a kite while balancing on a flimsy board blasting down a "trench" to set a new outright speed record of 55.65 knots - that's a tad shy of 65 miles per hour. Mind blowing especially when just two years ago the mythical 50 knots barrier was broken for the first time. By contrast, seven years ago legendary windsurfer Robbie Naish held the record; a paltry 38.47 knots...! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “Even when freshly washed and relieved of all obvious confections, children tend to be sticky.” - Fran Lebowitz, author/actor Special thanks to Navtec and Ultimate Sailing. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
