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SCUTTLEBUTT 3434 - Monday, September 26, 2011Scuttlebutt 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: Gowrie Group and Summit Yachts. DOUGLASS/LARSON WIN WORLDS Palma de Mallorca, Spain (September 24, 2011) - The fourth day of racing at the 2011 Melges 32 World Championship on Friday shuffled the scores, with William Douglass' Goombay Smash and tactician Chris Larson overtaking event leader John Kilroy on Samba Pa Ti with tactician Vasco Vascotto. With the three top teams now within one point, the final day of races on Saturday would prove pivotal. But after a long, nerve-racking, rainy on-land postponement, around two o'clock a short trip out to the race course left the 29-strong fleet waiting for the wind. Unfortunately, it never arrived and no racing was able to take place leaving Douglass and his team of Chris Larson, Marco Constant, Andy Escourt, Stu Pollard, Mark Towill, Chris Welch and Alan Nakanishi as the 2011 World Champions. -- Final report: http://melges32.com/?p=news&id=823 Final Results - top 10 of 29 (After 8 Races, 1 Discard 1. William Douglass/Chris Larson, Goombay Smash; [28]-3-12-6-1-7-10-2, 41 2. John Kilroy/Vasco Vascotto, Samba Pa Ti; 5-1-10-1-13-2-[28]-10, 42 3. Lanfranco Cirillo/Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; 10-9-3-2-2-[23]-3-13, 42 4. Yukihiro Ishida/Hamish Pepper, Yasha Samurai; 1-[24]-2-13-7-4-7-18, 52 5. Edoardo Lupi/Branko Brcin, Torpyone; [18]-18-6-3-18-1-6-4, 56 6. Vincenzo Onorato/F. Bruni, Mascalzone Latino; 2-5-20-12-[21]-1-1, 59 7. Jason Carroll/Cameron Appleton, ARGO; 3-12-13-4-[22]-3-21-6, 62 8. Joe Woods/ Paul Goodison, Red; [15]-10-15-8-12-14-5-5, 69 9. Filippo Pacinotti/D. Cassinari, Brontolo HH; 13-11-1-[17]-17-9-4-16, 71 10. John Porter/Jonathan McKee, Full Throttle; 7-[15]-5-15-15-8-13-8, 71 Full results: http://tinyurl.com/2011-M32-Worlds-results SO MUCH FOR RETIREMENT It was 1971 when Canadian Bruce Kirby set loose his Laser design, and the world has never been the same. With over 250,000 boats built, the class has been the gateway for nearly every prominent racer in our sport. The Laser became a men's Olympic-class boat at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the Laser Radial was first sailed as a women's Olympic-class boat at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The years have not affected Kirby's affection for the Laser. He loves it, and had remained connected to it. But like any aging parent, Kirby was preparing for retirement. Two and a half years ago Kirby sold his rights to the design to one of the three International Laser Class Association (ILCA) builders, but sometime after that drama ensured with one of the other builders, and then the class. When Kirby saw his grown child in trouble, his thoughts of carefree days were replaced with his desire to right the ship. So much for retirement. "With the legal work now well behind us and the Laser design rights back in my hands," explained Kirby, "I am looking forward to working with the ILCA, the builders and ISAF to get the mechanics of producing and marketing Lasers back to where it was three years ago. "There were a lot of mistakes and misunderstandings surrounding my attempt to transfer the 40-year-old design rights to Global Sailing in New Zealand (one of three ILCA builders), and it became obvious that the best way to solve the dilemma was for me to resume ownership of these design rights and builder contracts. "With the cooperation of all parties, the class should be able to continue its long history as the premier sailboat racing organization and mainstay of Olympic sailing." At 82 years old, Kirby's return to the class should bring new life to the class's long time slogan: 'Cheat the nursing home, die on your Laser'. SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA How many people have singlehandedly circumnavigated the planet? LOCAL SAILOR DISCOUNT ON GOWRIE'S ONE-DESIGN INSURANCE Gowrie Group's One-Design website enables sailors to customize their coverage, get an instant quote, and buy an insurance policy online - all in a matter of minutes. Your premium depends on where you use your boat - sailors that use their boat exclusively within 100 miles of home are given a significant discount, sailors with a global schedule can purchase the coverage they need. Optional coverage for chartering is also available. US SAILING members are eligible for a 10% discount. Over 135 classes (less than 30') are pre-approved. Get a quote and buy a policy online now: http://www.gowrie.com/onedesignquote SAILING SHORTS * Hyannis, MA (September 24, 2011) - The 2011 F-18 North American Championship Series hosted by the Hyannis Yacht Club has been won today by Skipper Robbie Daniel and Crew Hunter Stunzi from Clearwater Florida. In 13 races held over four days of racing, they bested a fleet of 55 competitors from seven countries with a combined score of 19 points which included seven first place finishes. Their worst finish, a fourth place in race 9, was their single throw-out as permitted by the racing rules for this event. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12663 * The Royal Canadian Yacht Club hosted 54 teams at the International Albacore Championships in Toronto, ONT on September 16 - 23. Consistency was king for Barney Harris and David Byron (of Potomac River Sailing Assn.), who won the championship as the lone team to post all top eight scores through the twelve race series. Results: http://albacore.org/iaa_files/results/2011/2011internationalsfinal.html * Larchmont, NY (September 25, 2011) - While insufficient wind on Long Island Sound prevented the four fleets at the U.S. Disabled Championship from competing on Sunday's final round of racing, each fleet completed at least three races. Winners included Rick Doerr/ Brad Kendall/ Hugh Freund in the Sonar; Scott Whitman/ Julia Dorsett (Boca in the SKUD-18; Charles Rosenfield in the 2.4 mR; and Edward King/ Bill Sandberg/ Jim Scott in the Ideal 18. -- Full report: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2011/USDC_2011_D3.htm * Annapolis, MD (September 25, 2011) - The Lloyd Phoenix Trophy was decided in dramatic fashion on Sunday at the U.S. Offshore Championship, hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy Squadron on Chesapeake Bay. Defending champion Bruce Kuryla (Milford, Conn.) of the New York Yacht Club and Milford Yacht Club and his team edged skipper Steve Travis (Mercer Island, Wash.) and his crew from the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle by a boat length in today's final distance race to win the Championship. -- Full report: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2011/USOC_2011_D3.htm * Marsala, Sicily (September 25, 2011) - The first ever European Youth Open Match Racing Championship hosted teams from Italy, Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany, Austria, France and the United States of America. In the final Valerio Galati (ITA) beat Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) 2-0 and in the Petit Final Mark Lees (GBR) beat Gorazd Rajar (SLO) 2-0, making Valerio Galati from Italy the EUROSAF Match Racing, European Youth Open Champion. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/Eurosaf-092511 * (September 25, 2011) - At 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT), the six double-handed Class40's in the Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) fleet crossed the start line in Palma, Mallorca for the 7,000 nm Leg 1 to Cape Town. There are five legs to the 30,000 nm course, which will then take the fleet from Cape Town to stops in Wellington, New Zealand; Punta del Este, Uruguay and Charleston, USA before finishing back in Mallorca by May 2012. -- Full report: http://globaloceanrace.com/?page=about&lang=en * (September 23, 2011) - The Australian Sailing Team today officially opened its new National Training Centre at Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney. It is designed to provide Australian sailors with all the necessary resources as they continue their quest for Gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games and beyond. -- MySailing, read on: http://tinyurl.com/MySailing-092511 * Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation Friday making it easier for San Francisco to create financing districts to pay for improvements tied to the America's Cup. "The Port of San Francisco is a beautiful urban coastline," Brown said, "but its infrastructure needs a lot of work." Indeed, some rickety piers are at risk of being condemned because the port does not have the money to fix them. The city expects to set up infrastructure finance districts once it completes the state-mandated environmental review by the end of this year. -- SF Business Times, full story: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-092511 SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar EIGHT BELLS Renowned catamaran designer Rudy Choy passed away on September 13 in Honolulu. He was 88 years old. In 1947, Choy, along with mentor Alfred Kumalee and Woody Brown, created the first modern catamaran in Hawaii. A decade later, Choy and Kumalee joined forces with Warren Seaman to form Southern California's C/S/K Catamarans, one of the best known cat builders of the era. The firm saw great success during the '60s, building such well-known racing cats as Aikane, Pattycat II, Seasmoke, and Aikane X5, which smashed the TransPac speed record in '89 when she arrived in Honolulu in just 6 days, 22 hours. Thanks to Choy's vision and determination, his name will be forever linked with the modern catamaran movement. He is survived by his son Barry, who took the helm from his dad by creating Choydesign, a luxury catamaran design firm. -- Latitude 38, http://tinyurl.com/Lat38-092511 TRIVIA ANSWER Since no one is standing at the door with a clicker, an accounting for all the solo circumnavigators is likely to be incomplete. However, Robin Knox-Johnston, who is known to be the first person to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation (1968-69), is giving it a try. His list includes 186 people that have accomplished this feat from American Joshua Slocum (1895-98) to May 2011. Here is the list: http://www.robinknox-johnston.co.uk/da/20103 SUMMIT AT ANNAPOLIS Excited about the fall boat show season? Anxious to see the latest sailboats from around the world? Well, come to the US Sailboat show in Annapolis, and check out the 2011 Summit 35. This Mark Mills designed racer/cruiser will impress with its large, comfortable interior, and huge cockpit, and built in the US quality. It already has an impressive race record, and doubles as a fast family cruiser as well. Stop in and see George and Barry at the Annapolis Show, and check out all of our models at http://www.summit-yachts.com 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 Urban Miyares, Challenged America: The 4th annual National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic for recently injured veterans just ended in San Diego. With more than 100 men and women who were recently injured (a number being disabled due to combat), it was an emotional event for not only the dozens of Challenged America volunteers, but also the families of the vets, personnel from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and on-lookers at the Marriott marina, as these veterans experienced sailing for the first time. When talking about "advancing the sport of sailing," those in the boating industry should have been at the dock when these veterans returned from their first sail, and race, in a small keel boat. The smiles and enthusiasm generated about the thrill of sailing and their want to continue in the sport was overwhelming. There is a population of new sailors waiting for the opportunity to sail. All they need is the invite to come aboard. If anyone out there would like more information on how to make their vessel accessible for someone with a disability or how to start their own sailing program for veterans, kids and adults with disabilities, and their loved ones, we invite them to contact us at Challenged America -- which was founded by disabled veterans 34 years ago. -- Forum, http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12582 * From Scott Mason: Commenting on 'Why Kids Don't Want to Sail' from Scuttlebutt 3433, many parents have much higher expectations than their offspring. We often coach (as amateurs) their swing, pitch, shot or line exit. How about stepping back and cheering their successes while letting coaches deal with areas for improvement. Trust me, your time to impact will end, and your time as a friend will not. Let them enjoy their youth, look forward to that lifetime relationship. * From Matthew Fortune Reid: I am so happy I am not a kid in sailing or soccer, or in the back of a soccer mom's SUV, etc. I see these kids and moms driving around, with the mom managing cell phone, food, control of the kids, etc. Horn blaring, eyes glaring, finger pointed to the heavens. I was lucky enough to get into sailing in my early 40s, far beyond the days when I was concerned about what sunglasses I wear. The addiction of our country is the one-upsmanship of beating the Jones next door. No matter what the cost. You can blame TV and other media, but what it comes down to is parenting. We are now at least two generations removed from the parents who understood that they were not our friends, they were our caretakers and molders. Their obligation was to raise a self-sufficient and socially conscious child. I had many resentments against my parents until my early 20s, when I realized that all the chores I did, dishes I washed, lawns I cut, made my life so easy on my own. I always had clean clothes, plenty of food and love, extra schooling at home and...discipline. We are too fat, too proud and too entitled. And, from what I see on a daily basis, miserable. Bill reminisces about the days of yore. They are gone forever. His most important point is almost unspoken, but there nevertheless. Experiences, not possessions, at the end of the day, are what life is all about. I still believe that kids have the best time just messing about in boats, or the woods, etc. The Opti conundrum is just a microcosm of how our society has evolved. I am not sure there is a way to go back, but I will read with great interest all the positive replies to his gauntlet thrown down. * From Derek Paterson: Regarding wind strength at different temperatures, without being scientific it is the density of the air, not the speed that makes the difference. Compare being hit by a marshmallow at 20 knots with being hit by a same size piece of solid chocolate at 20 knots. The marshmallow would be a surprise - the chocolate would hurt. * From George Morris: Regarding the finish line rules quiz (in Scuttlebutt 3430), there is no actual requirement, as far as I know, for the Race Committee to give a toot when a boat crosses the finishing line but we do this because it's fun. The fact that a toot has been given does not necessarily mean the boat has finished correctly, including the bit about clearing all marks. The RO does not have to record a finishing time just because he has given a toot. If he observes a boat crossing the finishing line he notes the finishing time but if the boat subsequently hits the mark he rubs it out again, doesn't he? Inevitably the boat would claim that he heard a toot and that meant he was no longer racing but the boat would be wrong. The toot will always be given before the boat clears the mark and can surely be revoked if the marks are not subsequently cleared. The score in this case is DNF. * From Shannon Bush: Adding to the comments about hitting a finishing line mark, if a competitor finishes (by definition: pierce the finish line with all sails, etc in place) and then hits the finish mark, he has broken a rule and needs to exonerate himself. If the competitor is savvy, he would immediately bear off, gybe around the finish mark, then tack back around the finish mark and re-finish. He will have exonerated himself by completing the "one-turn penalty." IF NOT, then the competitor is am at the whim of the RC whether or not he will be protested. A competitor can take the one-turn penalty anywhere as long as he returns to the course side of the finish line and RE-FINISHES. If the RC sees a boat properly finish, then hit the finish mark, the RC finishes the boat IN PLACE and notes that the boat hit the finish mark, and does NOT score her DNF. IF the RC intends to protest the boat hitting the finish mark, the RC shall inform the boat ashore, within the time limit, its intention to protest. IF the RC sees the boat exonerate herself, the RC shall score the boat in the position she crosses the line for the second time, making notes all the while. * From Art Karpf: Apparently I started a thread about reaches vs windward/leewards when I wrote regarding "Navigator's" courses in PHRF races. That was not my intent, since I grew up racing (non-spinnaker) Snipes from 1948 to 1963 and reveled in short-course triangle races, especially when alternated with windward/leewards. A one-design race is a different animal from an assortment of PHRF boats. No question, a reach can be a challenging leg in a one-design, offering opportunities to pass and be passed and mark roundings that often spell the difference between winning and losing. I loved reaches in one-design sailing. I even like reaches in short-course, multiple-lap PHRF racing with or without a spinnaker. What I railed against was the tendency for regatta committees to use one-race-a-day long "navigator's" courses to get non-spinnaker classes, by their very nature composed of very different designs, sent off out of the way while they run multi-race windward/leeward regattas for the apparently more-favored PHRF spinnaker boats. * From Jim Champ: When the discussion turns to race course selection, I'm reminded of this wonderful xkcd cartoon: http://xkcd.com/386/ You'd think all us supposedly bright sailors would be able to recognise that opinion varies, and accept that. But no, and every time it comes up the parties seem to get more agitated and seem to think that if only they rehearse the same arguments *yet again* the other side will finally see reason. Give up guys, it ain't going to happen! Human nature I guess: even writing this I feel tempted to advance one argument or another, but I am strong. I... shall...resist. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION An object at rest will always be in the wrong place. SPONSORS THIS WEEK JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Summit Yachts - Gowrie Group - North Sails Melges Performance Sailboats - Morris Yachts - Doyle Sails LaserPerformance - Team One Newport - Ullman Sails Premiere Racing - US SAILING - Beneteau Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
