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SCUTTLEBUTT 2939 - Tuesday, September 29, 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 Morris Yachts, Melges Performance Sailboats, and OceanRacing.com. AN UPDATE FROM THE DEFENDER America’s Cup defender Alinghi team now has their catamaran Alinghi 5 in transit to Ras Al-Khaimah, the venue picked by the Swiss for the 33rd America's Cup. Brad Butterworth, Alinghi's skipper, provided the Valencia Sailing with an update - here are a few excerpts from the interview: * Did you have any breakages (during the sea trials in Genoa, Italy)? Did you suffer from any serious structural damage? BRAD BUTTERWORTH: “That's wishful thinking. For sure we broke some stuff, not daily, but at the end we were amazed how little we broke. We did have several breakages when we were in Genoa and one of them was obvious because it was near one of the back frames but it wasn't serious structural damage. We fixed it overnight and repeated it on the other side because you want to fix these parts as fine as you can and then went to sail after that and had no problems at all.” * Turning back to the current issues in the 33rd America's Cup, one point of dispute is the measurement of BMW Oracle's challenging yacht. SNG has just submitted opposition papers on this subject. Do you think the BOR boat measures? BRAD BUTTERWORTH: “No, I don't think it measures. It doesn't look like it measures to me, even under the certificate that they gave us, they don't seem to be sure very sure about that themselves and also they are not interested in getting the boat measured. In the end, the boat is not even 90 by 90 and that's what we are after. They had plenty of time to go over the rules of the measurement, they know what they've got to do. They can obviously change it any way they feel like it, show up and race the race and this is what I look forward to.” * Is there anything you might want to add? BRAD BUTTERWORTH: “You know, in the end, these 2 boats will have to come together and race and regardless of who wins or loses, that should be the end of it and the Cup should move on. It would seem ridiculous to me that the loser of the race went to court afterwards. No matter who wins, the court case should end there. These 2 boats have to come together and they need to race in Ras Al-Khaimah in February.” Full interview: http://tinyurl.com/yapg8x4 "IT'S NOT GOING TO BE TRADITIONAL MATCH RACING" Multiple Tornado World Champion and Olympic medalist Glenn Ashby has been coaching the BMW ORACLE Racing team during the testing and trialing of BOR 90, their 90-foot trimaran, as they prepare to compete against the Alinghi team and their maxi catamaran for the 33rd America’s Cup in February 2010. Here Ashby comments about the difference between approaching the start line in the races in February, compared to previous America’s Cups: “I think both teams will be very sensible in their approach to the safety side of things. To be honest, I think the maneuverability of both of the boats is going to be such that the boat-on-boat, traditional match racing pre-start stuff isn't going to be as tactical as what it has been in the past. “However, as always it will be critical to get off the starting line in good shape and without any penalties. So I think the first part of the pre-start might not be so exciting but I think the final minute before the start will be something that's absolutely incredible, with both boats coming in at very high speed, side-by-side, very close to each other. There could be some very interesting situations. But it's not going to be traditional match racing, as we usually see in the America's Cup.” -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yatmrmh NEW DECK FOR THE MORRIS M42 The Morris M42 has a new deck option. Like the M36 deck, the new M42 deck features a short trunk cabin with three windows instead of four. The self-tacking jib track has been moved off the cabin top, maximizing the foredeck area and restoring the deck sweeper concept. The impact on the interior is limited to the area forward of the mast. This option is perfect for those who really love the look of the M36 but want the larger interior of the M42. The new M42 deck was installed on Hull 19. For more info: http://www.morrisyachts.com/The-Morris-M42-New QUOTE / UNQUOTE “I don't believe in wasting time. I wear loafers...because it takes a few seconds to lace up shoes. [Saving time is] how we won the [1977] America's Cup...by saving a second here and a second there." -- Ted Turner, http://tinyurl.com/ydysmgf MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES Jeff Brown operates JK3 Nautical Enterprises, providing brokerage and new boat sales and service. JK3 represents J/Boats in Southern California, and Jeff's team was busy this past weekend hosting the annual J/Fest event in San Diego, CA. What is J/Fest, you say. Here is a report: * How is J/Fest unique from other events? JEFF BROWN: “The name J/Fest says it all. We started this event in the 90’s, and what we wanted to do is bring all the J Boats together, primarily racing one design, but do it at an event to celebrate the J Boat family. It is definitely family oriented, and we try to make it fun both on the race course and off the race course.” * We hear each year there is a theme. What is it this year? JEFF BROWN: “This year’s theme is all about the crew. So Saturday night, for example, we will have all the skippers in chef’s hats and aprons, and they will help tend bar, flip the burgers, and wait the tables. Then we are going to have special crew awards, like loyalty or funny stories about crew. In fact, all the awards this weekend are going to the crews instead of the skippers. So the crews will be coming up to pick up the trophies at the end of the event.” Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0928/ TRIVIA QUESTION Who was it that coined the phrase, ‘Go For The Gold’? U.S. TEAM RACING CHAMPIONSHIP Marion, MA (September 27, 2009) - The New York Yacht Club’s Silver Panda team learned the hard way on Saturday that all winning streaks comes to an end. Silver Panda’s three-year vice-like grip on the U.S. Team Racing Championship was broken up by Stuart McNay and Team Extreme in a thrilling final on Sunday. Team Extreme consists of former and current Yale University sailors including, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member, McNay (Chestnut Hill, Mass.), Michael Hession (New Haven, Conn.), Zachary Brown (New Haven, Conn.), Emmet Smith (New Haven, Conn.), Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, VI) and Marla Menninger (Costa Mesa, Calif.). This was only the second time they sailed together as a team of six. The new champions sealed the win by edging the three-time defending champions in the last race, 12-9, to win by a 3-2 final score. A total of 16 teams, sailing in Vanguard 15s with a three-boat / six-sailor team format, battled it out for US SAILING’s George R. Hinman Trophy in Sippican Harbor for three days of racing. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/y8gl477 ISAF ROLEX WORLD SAILOR OF THE YEAR ISAF and Rolex have announced the nominees for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2009. ISAF received nominations for the 2009 Awards from across the world for sailors representing all aspects of the sport. In deciding the nominees, the achievements of sailors made during the qualifying period of 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2009 are taken into consideration. There will be only one winner in each of the two categories, male and female, and will be selected by the ISAF Member National Authorities, the national governing bodies for sailing around the world, who are now invited to vote for the one male and one female sailor who they believe most deserves the Award. The winners will be announced at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards presentation and dinner on Tuesday 10 November 2009 at the Busan Yacht Club, Busan, Korea. Each winner will be presented with the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Trophy and a distinctive Rolex timepiece. Female Sam Davies (GBR) Hilary Lister (GBR) Blanca Manchón (ESP) Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) Male Pascal Bidégorry (FRA) Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) Paul Goodison (GBR) Torben Grael (BRA) Nathan Outteridge (AUS) Nominee qualifications: http://www.sailing.org/worldsailor/2009/nominees.php AUDI MELGES 20 - TEST DRIVE IT The Audi Melges 20 will be on display on land and in the water at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland October 8-12th. Come see the new Audi Melges 20 up close and go for a test drive too as the boat will be front and center at the test drive arena. Find out why Melges fleets are forming worldwide. -- http://www.melges20.com DANES INVEST IN TRACKING It’s often said that sailing will never be a spectator sport, but Secretary General of the Danish Sailing Association, Dan Ibsen, begs to differ. “New technology is making it easier to convey the excitement of sailing competition in a way that has never been possible before,” says Ibsen. “This year we wanted to see what was possible by bringing in live GPS tracking of boats and combining it with top quality event reporting at some of the big regattas taking place in Denmark this summer.” The Danish Sailing Association focused on promoting four major sailing events in Denmark over the summer: - Finn Gold Cup - Laser Radial European Championship - EUROSAF European Match Racing Championship - 470 World Championship In 2008, with the backing of insurance company CODAN (part of Sun Alliance Group), the Danish Sailing Association bought 150 GPS tracking devices and signed up GPS tracking specialists TracTrac to cover the ISAF Youth World Championships in Aarhus. “With friends, family and sailing fans logging in from around the world, we had nearly 30,000 viewing sessions from 69 countries all over the world. We’ve already seen the huge appetite for live tracking of round-the-world sailing events like the Volvo Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe, and it seems there is just as much enthusiasm for following inshore racing events too.” -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8323#8323 EXPERIENCE PAYS OFF FOR MR. HAPPY Bob Harden's been sailing the J/24 for more than 30 years. He's learned quite a bit about the boat in those three decades. Of course one of the most important lessons is, never get too confident. With one race remaining in the 2009 Sperry Top-Sider Houston NOOD Regatta, Harden's veteran team from Austin, Texas, on Mr. Happy was in second, one point behind Corey Harding's Happy Dance, who also had the tie break. Boat names aside, one boat wasn't going to be so pleased with the outcome of the final race. Harden won the start, and then did his best to keep at least one boat in between him and Harding to ensure the class win. His come-from-behind victory also earned him overall regatta honors for the final NOOD regatta of the 2009 season, a prize that comes with a Suunto Elementum Ventus watch and a Sunsail charter boat for the 2009 NOOD Caribbean Rendezvous in the British Virgin Island in November. The finalists for the overall winner, who also received Suunto watches, were Yandell Rogers in the J/80 class, and Buddy Brown in the Ensign division. Harden's crew on Mr. Happy included: Mike LeFebvre, trim; Tom Lappin, compass, Eric Nelson, head cheerleader; Jay Sacco, bow. -- Sailing World, read on: http://tinyurl.com/ycopslh SAILING SHORTS * The Canadian Yachting Association Nominating Committee announced the list of nominations received for the positions on the Board of Directors: President - Gerry Giffin and Paul Henderson; Board - Wally Hogan, Jeff Lloyd, Ron Kobrick, James Beatty, John Kerr, Scott Cooper, Tom Babcock, and Christine Searle. -- http://tinyurl.com/ycadns9 * Set to begin Oct. 1st, Noroton Yacht Club, home of Sonar Fleet 1, will be hosting the 2009 International Sonar Class World Championship. The Sonar is a 23-foot keel boat designed by Rowayton, Connecticut resident Bruce Kirby. Fifty-five boats from seven countries are currently registered for this year's championships. Racing for the World Championship trophy will take place in the waters of Long Island Sound about two miles South of Darien, CT. -- http://tinyurl.com/ybydp2b * A new online publication for marina, boat yard and yacht club managers outlines proven techniques that could greatly reduce damage to their boating facilities whenever a hurricane strikes. The 24-page ‘What Works. A Guide to Preparing Marinas, Yacht Clubs, and Boats for Hurricanes’ shares success stories as well as failures of dozens of marinas and clubs that have experienced a hurricane over last two decades. The guide is published by Boat Owners Association of The United States(BoatU.S.), a national recreational boating advocacy organization that also offers marine insurance and has an industry-leading hurricane response team. -- http://www.boatus.com/news/PR_Full.asp?ID=441 * CORRECTION: It was reported in Scuttlebutt 2938 that Jeff Linton would be participating in the US SAILING Championship of Champions event as the defending champion. In fact, Jeff will be representing the Lightning class as its World Champion. OPTIMUM TIME SAILING WATCHES; NEW MODELS NOW IN STOCK Whether it’s fall sailing, college racing or just a head-start on holiday gifts for sailors on your list, your timing is perfect! Our watches include easy-to-read displays, pre-programmed 5,4,1,0 ISAF start sequences, loud audible alerts, are shock and water resistant, include one year warrantees plus easy to understand manuals. http://www.OceanRacing.com WHO WAS YOUR SAILING MENTOR? In the book ‘Saving Sailing’, author Nick Hayes illustrates how valuable mentoring is to the growth of sailing. Unlike a personal coach, a mentor is typically not paid, but is someone of valuable experience that has taken a personal interest in his or her apprentice. The relationship is deeper, and the rewards are greater. However, Hayes also points out that mentoring has largely disappeared from the activity of sailing. Did you have a mentor that helped you in the sport? Was there someone that took you under their wing to open your eyes a little wider, and increase your emotional attachment to the sport? Scuttlebutt advertiser Ocean Racing would like to recognize these mentors, and raffle off three Optimum Time watches to anyone who posts who their mentor was. Make your submission here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8302#8302 TRIVIA ANSWER In 1971, author Garry Hoyt published his book titled ‘Go For The Gold’, which dealt with the development of sailboat racing skills. Hoyt went on to copyright the phrase, noting, “It was interesting to see how my title phrase ‘Go For The Gold’ took hold and eventually became common jargon for sports casters.” Hoyt’s latest book, ‘Go For The Green’, is a clarion call to bring sailing out of the doldrums and into an expanded role as a catalyst for the more environmentally sensitive enjoyment of the sea. Hoyt’s book is being read this week at Scuttlebutt… look for a review soon. 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 Chris Welsh: Safety regulations are running amuck. Please, please no ladders for small keel boats (in reference to letter in Scuttlebutt 2938). This is just another opportunity for "safety" manufacturers to require more unwanted and unwarranted gear by rules legislation. Safety BS we are now dealing with: Why do we have to provide the manufacturer, serial number, and expiration date for EPIRBS? If they are in date, good to go. Out of date, we could get tossed. They are already registered, so serial number, etc is on record where it needs to be. Same for manufacturer and date of expiry for all required flares? Our responsibility to make sure they are in date, or we could get tossed. (these two info items were required for a 100 mile ocean race last week, plus wearing the PFDs at all times, a "float plan", etc.) At a foreign venue, our US Coast Guard certified PFD/harnesses did not have a ISAF tag - no good, buy new crappy foreign ones. $3,000. Good American ones stolen off the dock, another $3,000 lost. Same for the tethers. Let's have a little perspective. If you want to carry a ladder on your Star or J/24, great. Just don't make it anything that needs addressing. * From Mark Townsend: Is it a record? Among the exceedingly talented fleet to attend the US SAILING 2009 Championship of Champions event are three Alamitos Bay Yacht Club skippers: Mike Martin (505), Chris Raab (Mercury), and Stuart Robertson (Lido 14). Has any club ever had more at this invitational event? * From Paul "De EX Pope but still kicking" Henderson: Do you remember why they call me the Pope? I was not nominated to become ISAF President so I ran from the floor with no support from Europe but got the others plus support from the international classes. When I won my old bald crew Dennis Toews grabbed the microphone at the pub where we were celebrating in London with various Kings and announced: "Damn it! I wish he had been elected POPE so then I would only have to kiss his ring!" POPE stuck as my sobriquet. * From Ted Ritter-Fort Lauderdale: Regarding the report posted in Scuttlebutt 2938, the "largest gathering of the Twelves since the Cup left Newport" was actually at the 150th America's Cup Jubilee at Cowes, UK in 2001. As I recall there were about 32 in three divisions. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES Since the Scuttlebutt newsletter is delivered by email, it must pass through countless well-intentioned content filters designed to block all the horrid messages distributed by online villains. Apparently Scuttlebutt 2938 also fell into this lair when it was deemed to have inappropriate content, and thus was blocked by Microsoft Forefront Server Security. To all the ‘buttheads who were offended when it was reported that ‘Pete C#mming’ (replace ‘#’ with ‘u’) was the overall series leader of the iShares Cup, please accept our apologies. - Scuttleblog, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2009/09/pete-cumming.html CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATIONS There is a great need for a sarcasm font. Special thanks to Morris Yachts, Melges Performance Sailboats, and OceanRacing.com. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
