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SCUTTLEBUTT 2187 - September 25, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk, with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt isdistributed each weekday, with America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt brought to you by UBS (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). HOLIDAY SAIL Sailing a Polynesian canoe from Maui to Honolulu via Molokai is not what the Morning Light sailors signed up for, but when Roy Disney asked for volunteers he got 15 immediate hands in the air. All of the 13 young men and two young women who won positions on the team in tryouts at Long Beach, Calif. last month to sail a Transpac 52 in next July's Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles will get their feet wet on Hokule'a. They'll sail the 62-foot double-hulled voyaging canoe on a two-day expedition Nov. 24 and 25 over Thanksgiving weekend. Hokule'a was built in the mid-70s to prove the truth of the ancient legend that the Hawaiian Islands were settled by sailing canoes from Polynesia with only natural navigation. No modern Hawaiians had that skill, so in 1976 Mau Piailug, a traditional navigator from the Caroline Islands of Micronesia, was chosen to guide the canoe on a round-trip voyage to Tahiti and back. Nainoa Thompson, sailing master of Hokule'a, learned the ancient system from Mau Piailug, and in 1980 he became the first Hawaiian navigator in more than 500 years to guide a canoe over the traditional route [to and from Tahiti without instruments. Thompson will be the navigator for Morning Light's two-day trip touching three of the Hawaiian Islands. The Morning Light team's voyage on Hokule'a will all be in daylight and in sight of land, but Thompson will be joined by Stan Honey to enlighten the young sailors in both the old and new methods of navigation. Honey has navigated numerous Transpacs, including the 1999 record run on Disney's third Pyewacket, as well as ABN Amro One’s recent victory in the Volvo Ocean Race. Like the Morning Light team selection process, the training phase scheduled early next year and then the historic Transpac race, the team's experience on Hokule'a will be filmed as part of the documentary planned for theater release in 2008. Hokule'a will first sail from Honolua Bay on Maui's northwestern shore and head north around Molokai's eastern tip to Kalaupapa midway along the island's windward (north) shore, a distance of 36 nautical miles. The next day it will sail 54 miles from Kalaupapa to Oahu and past Diamond Head, the landmark volcano that marks the Transpac finish line. Following the November voyage, the 15 crew members will return to Hawaii early next year to start training on their TP52 Transpac boat, Morning Light (formerly Pegasus), with the prospect of being the youngest crew ever to sail the race. At race time, the average age of the 15 will be 21.2 years, a full year under the record. -- Rich Roberts, http://www.pacifichighproductions.com/ ERNESTO BERTARELLI September 22, 2007 -- The world’s 77th richest man will celebrate his 41st birthday in style today. Ernesto Bertarelli, the Italian-born, Harvard-educated chairman of Serono, yesterday ended his family’s century-long association with the drugs company through a deal with Merck. The billionaire yachtsman, who is preparing to defend his Alinghi crew’s America’s Cup title, has been head of Serono for a decade. That period has seen rapid expansion of a firm where both his father and grandfather were chief executives. Serono, which was founded in Italy in 1906, was a pioneer in the development of fertility drugs during the 1950s, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1977. The company has experienced its fastest growth under Mr Bertarelli, who took over from his ailing father, Fabio, in 1996. Since then, revenues have risen from $500 million to $2.5 billion (£1.3 billion). Mr Bertarelli said yesterday that he was concerned about how Serono’s 4,600 staff would view the sale, and he would be working through the weekend to soothe nerves and convince them that the firm’s future, as Merck’s biotech division, had just got brighter. He and his British-born wife Kirsty, a former beauty queen, live on the shores of Lake Geneva, where Michael Schumacher, the Formula One racing champion, is building a mansion next door. They also have a chalet in the Alpine resort of Gstaad. The timing of the deal gives Mr Bertarelli plenty of time to prepare for the America’s Cup in Valencia next year, after his team brought yachting’s most coveted prize home to landlocked Switzerland in 2003. -- Caroline Merrell, Timesonline website, http://tinyurl.com/npmju MAKING HISTORY Scott Young (Austin, TX) has just won his fifth U.S. Men's Championship title, a feat no other sailor has accomplished before in the 54-year history of US Sailing’s Mallory Cup Regatta. This is the third time Young won the event as a skipper (which has been done before) and he also won it twice as crew. Sailed in Sonars, Young, took a 3-2 on the final day to win by six points over 18-year-old David Bolyard Jr., Kurt Adler, and David Bolyard Sr. (a previous Mallory Cup winner), all from Mandeville, La. Six points further behind was another past champion, Charles Quigley of the host Boston Yacht Club. -- http://www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/usmsc CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES… We all have choices, and so do you when it comes to buying a new or used J Boat. JK3 Nautical Enterprises, Inc. has more J Boat listings then any other brokerage on the west coast. When it comes to buying or selling a used J Boat, our experienced sales team is here for you! So, if you are thinking of a J Boat, make the right choice at http://www.yachtworld.com/sailcalsandiego or just give us a call at 619-224-6200. Know you are making the right choice with JK3 Nautical Enterprises, Inc.! LASER MASTERS WORLDS The first two races of the Jeju Laser Masters Worlds were completed as scheduled but only just. A 7 to 10 knot south south easterly breeze was a relief for the masters fleet after being prevented from practicing the previous day by coast guard concerns about strong winds. Australian, Brett Beyer scored two bullets in the Standard rig fleet each time followed home by Greg Giles (NZL). The USA’s Tracy Usher is the top Master in fourth place. In the Radial fleet, Steve Cockerill (GBR) and David Early (AUS) share the lead with four points each. Grand Master Alllden Shattuck (USA) is just six points further back in fourth place while Great Grand Master (over 65 years), Peter Seidenberg (USA) is in 6th overall in the Radial fleet. -- http://tinyurl.com/qupsa THE TWELVE’S A dozen 12 Metres competed off Newport, R.I., in the International 12 Metre Association's (ITMA) 2006 North American Championships. In two days of brisk breezes, six races were held. Racing on the third day was not to be, when the wind roared at 30 knots and the fleet--after a wishful trip to the race course--was sent back home by the Race Committee. A final stormy day mellowed enough for completion of another three races. The class winners were, Grand Prix: KZ 5, Hissar, Edgar Cato/ Brad Read; Modern: US 26, Courageous, Craig Millard/ Jamie Hilton; Classic Traditional: US 1,7 Weatherly, Clay Deutsch. Complete results: http://www.museumofyachting.org/results.pdf Photographer Cory Silken captured the racing at the 12 Meter North Americans providing Scuttlebutt with great images that bring back great memories: http://tinyurl.com/gltvm. IN THE MED Peter de Ridder’s Mutua Madrilena added the Trofeo Balearia Ibiza y Formentera to the overall 2006 Breitling MedCup TP52 Series title. Taking second place in Ibiza by just one point Eamon Conneely’s Siemens, skippered and steered by Ian Walker, stole third place overall on the Breitling MedCup TP52 standings from Caixa Galicia, skippered by Roberto Bermudez who had to settle for fourth overall on the season standings. Photographers Carlo Borlenghi, Thierry Martinez, and Ian Roman provided Scuttlebutt with images from the TP 52 regatta in Ibiza, Spain, which include the unbelievable crash sequence between Santa Ana and Bribon: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/0922/ Trofeo Balearia Ibiza y Formentera Final Results: 1. Mean Machine (Peter de Ridder/Peter de Ridder, Spain) 33pts 2. Siemens (Ian Walker/Eamon Conneely, Ireland) 34pts 3. Cristabella (Tim Powell/John Cook, Great Britain) 57pts 4. Caixa Galicia (Roberto Bermudez/Vicente Tirado, Spain) 65pts 5. Warpath (Dean Barker/Fred & Steve Howe USA) 71pts. 2006 Breitling MedCup TP52 Series, Overall standings: 1. Mutua Madrilena 160 pts 2. Warpath 211pts 3. Siemens Patches 243 pts 4. Caixa Galicia 249pts 5. Cristabella 304pts 6. Lexus (Russell Coutts/Jaime Yllera, George Andreadis, Spain) 348pts, IT WAS RIGGED – TP52 BREITLING MEDCUP 2006 In convincing style, Peter De Ridder and team on Mutua Madrilena must be congratulated on winning the TP52 Breitling MedCup regatta along with the Warpath team who finished second. Interestingly, both yachts were powered by Southern rigs. These rigs were revolutionary to the class as a result of Southern’s extensive research on rig configuration, including studies on sail/ rig optimization and aerodynamics. Designing an aerodynamic, three spreader rig configuration produced increased section stability and better tuning capability over a wider range of conditions. For more technical detail on the rigs that dominated the Breitling MedCup, visit http://www.southernspars.com SAILING SHORTS * A South wind blowing 20-25 with gust to 35 set the stage for the final day of racing in a 2007 Etchells North American Championship hosted by the New Bedford Yacht Club and the Etchells Buzzards Bay Fleet 19. No problem - Jud Smith won his third straight NA championship with a 27-point win. Jud’s crew, Henry Frazer and Mike Craig were also part of the 2005 North American Championship team. Hank Lammens won a tie-breaker from Marvin Beckmann to take second place, while Cam Appleton and Bill Mauk finished fourth and fifth respectively. -- http://www.etchellsnewbedford.com/results/naresults.htm * Holland, Mich. -- Lake Michigan provided a spectacular range of conditions for the 15 boats racing at the Mumm 30 North American Championship. Teams from Canada, Australia, California, the Great Lakes and East Coast fought down to the wire for the title, taken home by Philippe Kahn’s California based Pegasus driven by Chris Perkins. The Australian team on Foreign Affair finished the series in second place - a single point behind Pegasus. Pegasus tactician Jeff Madrigali said, “It all came down to the last few waves. Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad took the remaining spot on the podium. -- http://www.mumm30.org * Iain Murray, who won six consecutive 18ft Skiff Giltinan (world) championship from 1977-1982 (incl.), has returned to the class this season as mentor to the young crew of the brand new Channel 7 ‘Gotta Love It 7’ skiff. It’s also a return to TV’s Channel 7 who sponsored Murray throughout his 18ft Skiff career in the famous ‘Color 7’ skiffs. Each member of the ‘Gotta Love It 7’ crew is only 20 years old. Seve Jarvin (who crewed with Euan Mc Nicol to win the Giltinan in 20050 is skipper, Robert Bell is Sheet Hand and Sam Newton For’ward Hand. * Newport, Rhode Island --After two days of competition, and with five races, competitors at the 2006 IFDS Blind Sailing World Championship were given an unexpected day off courtesy of a weather system that was predicted to deliver gale-force winds accompanied by 8-11 foot seas. The vision classification of the skipper determines in which division each four-person team is competing with the totally blind B1s and the vision-impaired B2s racing New York Yacht Club's fleet of 23' Sonars, and the least vision-impaired B3s racing in Sail Newport's J/22s. Regatta rules mandate that only a blind sailor can steer, while the other blind crew trims the sails. -- Complete standings and photos: http://www.nyyc.org * The atypical breezy conditions that racers experienced on Day 1 of the Lands' End Texas NOOD continued on Day 2, albeit with a little less velocity. But it was enough to lure some of the racers who'd decided that Friday was better spent at the dock out on the water. The only group in the 87-boat, 11-class fleet that decided to spend a second day on land was the Star class, whose delicate rigs would have suffered on Galveston Bay's choppy waters. For most classes, it was a three-race day in glorious conditions. --Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/ewohx * The 2003 Solitaire du Figaro winner Armel Le Cléac’h and his sponsor Brit Air have chosen the Multiplast yard to build their new Imoca 60’ monohull for the 2008 Vendée Globe. Designed by the Finot Group, the boat will start to take shape in Vannes (southern Brittany, France) in early October 2006. Brit Air will be the second Imoca Open 60 monohull built by Multiplast for the 6th edition of the Vendée Globe. http://www.multiplast-yachts.com WATERPROOF BACKPACKS & DUFFELS FROM OCEAN RACING Ocean Racing’s new waterproof backpack features a cushioned neoprene laptop sleeve, room for your foul-weather gear, boots & a fleece. Features include polyurethane-impregnated nylon fabric, RF welded seams, waterproof zippers, external pockets, cushioned back & straps. Also available is a matching duffel, and together they make great holiday gifts! http://www.oceanracing.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or space (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, there are no word or frequency limits on comments sent to the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Chuck Sinks (re ‘One of the Good Guys’): Three cheers for Tim Hogan being named U.S. Sailing's Sailor of the Week. Long overdue! My kids, along with literally thousands of other youth sailors here in Southern California and beyond, are benefactors of the vision and determination of Tim Hogan. I have been lucky enough to see it first hand. The success of CISA is just one of a number of accomplishments for Tim - and really just the tip of the iceberg of his impact on youth sailing. No one knows the number of hours Tim has invested in the betterment of youth sailing - but no one can argue with the results. Enjoy the recognition Tim, it should be for a lifetime. . * From Ian Jenkins, Perth, Western Australia: In Scuttlebutt 2186 you write: "Francis Joyon.......the first man to sail round the world solo, in under 80 days..." Isn't he the only man to have done it, and the second fastest person? Whenever I introduce my (only) wife to people as "my first wife", whilst technically correct, I get at least a week of grief. * From David Chivers: It is always interesting to hear new ideas for courses and they should be tried, however, each course type will have its own problems. My sympathy lies with Bill Doyle and the boats apparently not complying with the rules. We see this all too often in all types of boat, at every level and irrespective of the course configuration. There is only one way we will “educate” these people and that is using the rules and protest. Yes I know it involves paperwork and time spent after the racing, but it is the only way. If a club does not want to hear the protest or you do not think it is being treated properly then appeal to your National Authority. Please do not complain about the rules being difficult. Every sport has rules and many are far more complicated than ours – try cricket! Other sports expect people to learn the rules and not make excuses about difficulty. We all have to learn and of course people should have the chance to have things explained, but they cannot use the excuse of ignorance for ever. If we all take the responsibility and use tuition and protests, then people will have to learn the rules and those that don’t want to can go and play a different game. It is up to all of us. Bad manners and deliberate flouting of rules should not be tolerated * From Dave Gruver: Interesting discussion about port or starboard rounding’s, gates and other alternatives at the weather mark. If a key concern with port rounding’s are the starboard tackers trying to stuff it near the two boat length circle (or even inside it), what about setting a limiting mark that must be left to port directly downwind of the weather mark? I have never seen this done, but wonder if it could be effective. If the limiting mark were set at least two boat lengths (class size, or largest OA length of a boat racing) directly downwind of the mark then the layline of a boat passing the mark close on port would intersect the starboard layline outside the two boat length circle. This would move the intersection and all the traffic away from the mark itself. Certainly there is the potential for a pile up at that intersection, but there is potentially more room to maneuver, and less incentive than there is to stick it in at the weather mark. OK, all you internet sailing experts- flame away! * From George Bailey (re "no level of course configurations or rules modifications can alleviate bad behavior and sportsmanship."): This was a description of club level racing? If someone gave me the finger when I tacked to port to keep from hitting them, I would both protest and file a grievance with the club in at attempt to get them banned from racing in our club for some period of time. Fact is, in my club, such behavior just does not happen. It’s the crews who get all the abuse (another story). We used to have one bully who would pretend not to know Rule 18 with people he did not know, but he is no long with us. While still with us, he did come round when informed that his behavior would not be tolerated. Why would a club let people get away with the bad behavior described by Mr. Doyle? * From Mike Hughes: Where in a big fleet are you not going to get the nose to tail stack up approaching the top mark,(first leg especially) does not matter what the rounding is ,,most important thread I think is getting another option In approaching the weather mark,,, has to be a good thing Down side an extra mark, plus extra time to set, or geographical issues, they seem pretty easy to overcome really,, in the big picture. * From Alexander Williams: When the RC uses a VFH radio to broadcast the starting sequence countdown, and includes all relevant information including what class is about to start, almost every problem is solved - except of course the OCS issue, which needs still needs a healthy dose of technology. (Where are all your RFID-heads when we need you?) * From David Spinelli: On September 15th, my 'team' at Microsoft participated in United Way's 'Day of Caring' by helping to clean up Jetty Island park - a few hundred yards offshore from Everett. Afterwards after 6 hours of labor removing trash and flotsam from the beach (morning) and removing blackberry bushes (afternoon) on Jetty Island, we went a 1/2 mile down the dockyards to the Scuttlebutt Brewing Company's bar for beer sampling. I chose this project for my team because of my passion for sailing and clean waterways. Scuttlebutt beer is VERY good. BTW, the bar is located in the working dockyard area of Everett and its clientele is sort of a throw-back. Additionally, the bar is located next door to the Everett Naval Base. There were many sailors in there at 3pm on a Friday afternoon and the large quantity of signed naval photos and memorabilia is a testament of Scuttlebutts support of the nautical community and the morale of our naval heros. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Sign in a restaurant window: "Don't stand there and be hungry, Come on in and get fed up." Thanks to JK3 Nautical Enterprises, Southern Spars, and Ocean Racing. America’s Cup coverage is brought to you by UBS. |
