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SCUTTLEBUTT 3452 - Thursday, October 20, 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: Ullman Sails and IYRS. JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? This goes for sailing events too. There are now high expectations as to what people expect to find online. However, often event press releases appear to be written by travel bureaus selling timeshares, not reporters providing daily news. Before an event report is published in Scuttlebutt, we strive to do the necessary editing to focus on the facts and pare down the adjectives. This takes time, which is likely why we got a good chuckle from Guy Nowell's article in the Asian publication Yachtstyle magazine where he addressed this issue: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it just me, or have the press releases and announcements surrounding sailing events and regattas in this part of the world been getting just that little bit more breathless lately? Shakespeare was probably right - 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' But what if the bottled rose water is being used to mask an odour less palatable? Or less exotic? Has anyone else noticed the remarkable proliferation of highly scented 'PR speak' that accompanies regattas and sundry marine related events these days? Are they just trying to cover up a different sort of smell? Media operations have changed substantially over recent years. Once upon a time newspapers and magazines sent staffers to events, and then published the stories they wrote. The reputation of the publication rested on the quality of the writing, and the reputation of the events rested on reports produced by largely independent writers. Now, the difference between reporting, journalism and PR goes like this: reporting is telling it how it is, journalism is telling it how you think it is, and public relations is telling it how the client thinks it is (or at least, wants it to look). Today, events produce and distribute their own 'news', and all the major sailing events in the world have got their media image well sewn up. Starting with the big players - Volvo Ocean Race, World Match Racing Tour etc - they all produce their own news roundups (read: press releases) and issue them to the waiting world - a media world driven by the insatiably hungry 'social media', in which the attention span of the consumer is shorter than a sneeze. Inevitably, that means that a substantially skewed account of any event is what makes it into the public domain. As soon as an event writes its own press, objectivity is compromised. When did you last see a press release that said 'our event was a bit of a flop this year, there was no breeze and the race management tanked'? Right, so never believe your own advertising. There are lots of events all scrambling to get noticed, even within Asia. One local sailor described the Asian regatta circuit as 'same people, same boats, same conditions, different bar'. Take a look at the calendar: there's a major event, and often more than one, taking place in practically every month of the year - and that's before you take into consideration the weekend racing happening at your local yacht club. Your event doesn't stand a snowball in hell's chance of being noticed unless it is the biggest, the fastest, the oldest, the longest or the windiest (or whatever), and if you're not 'International' don't even bother to publish a Notice of Race. So the superlatives pile one on another, and the prose becomes ever more purple. -- Sail World, read on: http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?Nid=89206&refre=y&ntid=12&rid=4 THEY WOULDN'T PRINT IT IF IT WASN'T TRUE One of the changes with grand prix events is that they have drifted from competitions to paydays. There was a time when the people that competed in the America's Cup and the Whitbread Race invested their soul for the sake of a trophy. It was a significant sacrifice but their intent was honest. But in current times, the competitors are mixed with people pursuing paychecks, and the vociferous appetite of the media bites on everything. Here is an example of two press releases: September 22, 2009 - An Italian campaign led by Giovanni Soldini has been officially confirmed for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. Known as Italia 70, the team will race under the il tricolore with an all-Italian crew for the next two editions of the race. Soldini, 43, has completed two single-handed round the world races and has made over 30 Atlantic crossings. He is partnering with John Elkann and Carlo Croce on the project. Italia 70 has acquired the Volvo Open 70 Ericsson 3 which competed in the 2008-09 event. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/Soldini-signs-on/2865/news.html October 7, 2011 - Giovanni Soldini and his team of nine sailors will next year captain the yacht Maserati in an attempt to break the Cadiz-San Salvador (Bahamas), Miami-New York and New York-Lizard Point (UK) records. The three ocean course attempts will be monitored by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, the international body certifying the record times on the historic clipper routes. Soldini and Maserati will also attempt to break the record for the longest distance covered by a single-hull yacht in a 24-hour period. Maserati is a VOR 70 that participated in the 2008-2009 round-the-world race. -- http://www.boatpoint.com.au/news/2011/masarati-set-to-break-records-27148 While attempts to contact Soldini for comment have been unsuccessful, it is common for teams to announce their intentions to do something without the funding to actually do it. How many of the seven America's Cup challengers will actually exist this time next year? Maybe they too can hook Maserati to be their Plan B. -- Scuttleblog, http://tinyurl.com/Scuttleblog-101911 GIVE YOUR J/105 THE SPEED TO WIN Ullman Sails customers won big at J/Fest in San Diego last month, scoring 1,2,3 overall in the highly contested J/105 class. Earlier this year, the winners of the San Diego NOOD, Annapolis NOOD, Long Beach RW and the Southern California Championships were all powered by Ullman Sails. If your focus is winning in 2012 - whether at your club, Key West or the North Americans in San Diego - choose the sails that have proven speed and performance when it counts. It's not too late to use your 2011 stickers (remember: use them or lose them!) Pre-order your 2012 inventory now. http://www.ullmansails.com COULD BE 'THE' PLACE TO BE By Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt San Diego is the third stop in the inaugural America's Cup World Series (AWS), which will take place November 12-20, 2011 and feature both fleet and match racing. The series was born to give America's Cup challengers critical training time and to grow fan interest prior to the 34th America's Cup in 2013. Now I personally believe that if I really want to watch a sporting event, any sporting event, it has to be in broadcast form, preferably on my 55 inch HD television. In my home. I can focus on the game, hear the analysis, and rewind when needed. On my couch. Drinking my beer. To me, going to a game to watch the game is nearly an oxymoron. While I have yet to attend an ACWS event, I have a hunch it's like watching any other sporting event live. While the AC45s might be the attraction, you don't go to just watch the racing. You go for the fan experience. People watching. Tailgating. Souvenir shopping. Drinking expensive beer. Screaming like an idiot. The hopes and dreams of the ACWS organizers are that if they build it, people will come. To get connected to this 'new and improved' America's Cup. To buy into the vision. And to hedge that bet, it helps that San Diego is ranked the third best vacation spot in the United States. In short, there is plenty of stuff to do there, so there are plenty of reasons to come. But just because the boats are exciting and the city is attractive, it's still not enough. What will really make the ACWS event worthy of fan attendance is an event village. When you've had enough of race watching, you want to roll over to something else. Somewhere close. With things to do. The good news has just arrived as the details of the America's Cup Village have been released. And if the stars line up and the skies stay clear, this could be 'the' place to be in San Diego for November 12-20. Here is the scoop: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/1019/ Additional details: http://tinyurl.com/ACWS-SD-101911 MORE: Scuttlebutt has been hustling for all the information, but just like Rome, this event hasn't been built in a day either. And since some of the info keeps changing, we're waiting until this cake is fully baked. We hope to soon share details about viewing locations, transportation and parking, and any related fees. HALF TIME AT PAN AM GAMES The sailing events for the XVI Pan American Games are being held at the Vallarta Yacht Club in Puerto Vallarta, with racing scheduled for October 17-23. Laser (Men), Laser Radial (Women) and RS:X (Men and Women) - and five non-Olympic, open classes - Hobie 16, J/24, Lightning, Snipe and Sunfish. Wednesday saw some of the lightest conditions of the event. Dana Paxton, Communications Director for the USA team, provides this update: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (October 19, 2011) - Heading into the scheduled "lay day", Team USA leads in the Lightning and the J/24 classes and stands in medal position in three others through six races of the Pan American Games sailing regatta at the Vallarta Yacht Club. In addition to the two leaders, the U.S. stands second in the Snipe and Sunfish classes and third in the RS:X Women's (Windsurfer) class. The U.S. Lightning team, skippered by Jody Lutz (Brick, N.J.), picked up fourth- and second-place finishes today to secure the top spot through six races with 11 net points. Jay Lutz (Houston, Texas) and Derek Gauger (Ann Arbor, Mich.) round out the Lightning crew. "We didn't see much current on our course that affected anything, but the wind was light and there were puffs of wind throughout the racecourse that changed things rapidly, so you had to be a little lucky to get it," Jody Lutz said. "There were a couple of times we were lucky and there were also a couple of times we weren't. We'll take the way the day went, but for us it could have been a touch better." Each sailing class is slated to race twice per day, with the exception of a scheduled off day Thursday. The medal races, reserved for just the top five in each class, are set for Sunday. The low point total at the end of competition will decide the medalists. -- Full report: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/2011/Pan_Am_Games_Day_3.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashley Love, a producer/filmer/editor for t2p.tv, files this report: "ISB hired us as the official video for the event, so we have a t2p.tv team of 5 producers, videographers and editors covering all three courses each day. So far, the breeze has started off light, which the locals knew and hence posted in the SIs that all races would wait till 1:00 each day for the first warning signal. The afternoons have been picking up with the sea breeze from the west, but not so much today, Wednesday, October 19th. "The breeze never filled in, which contributed to the Full Rigs getting all bunched up at the last windward mark of the day. I swear there were three different languages coming out all at once. Just so you know, the way to say 'Room!' at a mark in Spanish is 'Agua!' Literal translation being 'Water!' Makes sense. "With Thursday as a lay day, the t2p team has some zip lining/repelling down waterfalls on the docket." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Canada team: http://tinyurl.com/CYA-Pan-Am-2011 USA team: http://tinyurl.com/USSTAG-Pan-Am-2011 Results: http://tinyurl.com/PAG-2011-results Event website: http://www.guadalajara2011.org.mx/ENG/01_inicio SAILING SHORTS * The Olivia Constants Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of their much anticipated website, honoring the spirit of 14-year-old Olivia Constants, who died tragically in June 2011 in a sailing accident in Annapolis, Maryland. In conjunction with the launch of the website, The Olivia Constants Foundation, Inc., is currently pending a 501c3 status; allowing donations to the organization to be tax-deductible. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12796 * Twenty of the elite one-design sailing champions in the U.S. will come together this week to see who is the best of the best at the 2011 Championship of Champions, hosted by the Corinthian Sailing Club on White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas. The three days of racing will take place in Flying Scots from Thursday, October 20 to Saturday, October 22. -- Read on: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2011/C_of_C_2011_preview.htm * (October 19, 2011) - The Board of Directors of PRADA S.p.A. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Prada S.A. ("Prada SA") has been invited to sponsor the participation of Luna Rossa yacht in the 34th America's Cup. The total amount of the sponsorship is expected to be approximately Euro 40 million. The America's Cup Event Authority has not yet announced that Luna Rossa is among the entered challengers for the event. -- http://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/20111019/LTN20111019405.pdf * A proposed Canadian Yachting Association Bylaw amendment will be presented to the membership at the Annual General Meeting on October 29, 2011 in Kingston, Ontario. The change is in regard to the eligibility of athletes to be board members, who currently must be carded members of the Canadian Sailing Team within the three years prior. The Board has approved a change to the eligibility requirements that will allow anyone who has been a carded Canadian Sailing team athlete within the previous ten years to be eligible for election as an athlete director. -- Details: http://www.sailing.ca/features/notice_of_motion2011/ INSIDE IYRS Look inside the IYRS workshops virtually and in-person this November. The "Inside IYRS" blog chronicles day-to-day life at the school, as students restore boats and learn about onboard systems and composites. On two November days, the school will open its doors to the public so interested fans and potential students can visit and meet the staff. On Tuesday, November 1, stop in at the Newport campus, and on Thursday, November 3, visit our Bristol facility. Both Open Houses run from 4 to 7 PM. The IYRS blog is updated year-round. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/IYRS-blog CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Oct 21-23 - Invitational Regatta for the Hoag Cup - Newport Beach, CA, USA Oct 21-23 - IRC Mid Atlantic Championship - Annapolis, MD, USA Oct 21-23 - US Soling Championship - Annapolis, MD, USA Oct 22-28 - Rolex Middle Sea Race - Valletta, Gzira, Malta View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * GMT Composites announces new Director of Sales and Marketing * Marchal Sailmakers opens in San Francisco Bay Area * Green Product of the Year Contest View updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news 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 Craig Fletcher: Concerning the coaching thread, to all the people who want to make sailing a less expensive sport...wake up! Sailing is an expensive sport. There are many other sports for you, such as running. You only need shoes and some clothes. But if you want to be a great runner, you will need a coach, funding, natural ability and time to train and compete. My point is in any sport you have to have natural ability, time and money. The best will move to the top of their sport and the rest will either complain how unfair life is or they will go out and have FUN competing. I suggest FUN! * From Howard Paul: With all due respect to Gary Jobson (in Scuttlebutt 3450), I must clarify some facts regarding the differences between coaches in other sports. Many sports like Baseball and Football (American), the coaches are part of the game. In Golf and Tennis, they help train their athletes and prepare them for competition. When the match or tournament take place they have to sit in the stands and keep quiet. It is strictly forbidden for them to say anything! I remember a few years back I was driving the stake boat in a youth regatta. As the boats approached the lay line one of the coaches from one of the clubs yelled out "Don't over stand the Lay line!" As part of the committee I felt I had an obligation to intervene. So discreetly I went to a friend of mine who was a member of that club and told him what had happened. He went to the coach and they came back with "It was not coaching. It was encouragement." I must not have had my poker face on as after a brief pause they said they wouldn't do it again. This is the problem with having coaches on the water. Let's have coaches but once they leave the dock the coaching stops and the sailing begins! * From Jim Champ: I don't get all this "ISAF must" stuff (in Scuttlebutt 3451). ISAF seems to regulate with a reasonably light hand. Surely it's mainly up to the individual classes what they want to do? If ISAF came up to my class and said "we've decided that you're an amateur class and need to be protected from professionalism and so we've added all this to your rules", I rather suspect the first thing that would happen would be a large "[expurgated] off" message from the sailors and a campaign to withdraw from International status from at least part of the membership. I don't think ISAF is really "in charge" of the sport in that sort of sense and I certainly don't think they should be. Sounds like far too much authoritarianism and over-regulation to me. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION The best ideas probably don't occur when everybody is sitting around a table. SPONSORS THIS WEEK BIC Sport - Hall Spars & Rigging - North Sails - IYRS - Southern Spars Point Loma Outfitting - Quantum Sails - LaserPerformance Ullman Sails - APS - US Sailing - Salt Harbor Studio Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
