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SCUTTLEBUTT 2443 – October 1, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday with the support of its sponsors. ARE THERE TOO MANY RACES A DAY? Maybe I'm getting old, but I remember when there used to be 1 race a day on weekends - that was when we sailed around government marks. Then we switched to drop marks and windward leeward courses and started 2 races a day. Then Premiere Racing and NOOD started doing 3 races a day. This over time seems to have changed the mentality of the Race Officers. Now it seems that the committee tries to get as many races a possible each day. I'm not sure if it's bragging rights their looking for, but not all Race Committees are sufficiently trained and experienced for a schedule of multiple races to work. Procedural mistakes are made, courses are not lined up well to the wind, and in one case this Summer, the RC failed to record finishers of several classes while other classes were starting. I do not mean to disparage the hard work that the Race Committees do. It is a difficult task and they are highly scrutinized. It can be repetitive, tiring, uncomfortable, and very tense. However, this trend seems to have led to quantity over quality mentality. Another issue is how the multiple races are making for long days. With morning winds, we might leave the dock by 8 a.m. and return around 4 or 5 p.m. If we have to go to testify for a protest, the day might not end until 7 or 8 p.m. Most of us are amateur sailors and because of that, we are carrying a full load during the week. Long days on the water are okay for the hard-core sailors, but it’s detrimental to sailing as a Corinthian sport. We find it difficult to entice novices or young sailors to sail with us when they have to basically give up their whole weekend. US Sailing is always looking for ways to improve sailing and get new people interested, and addressing this issue might help. -- Bill Heintz Do you agree with Bill? Please respond to this quick poll, and provide comments if desired: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/07/0930 FEUDERS IN CONTACT There was a glimpse of a breakthrough in the America's Cup dispute between holder Ernesto Bertarelli of Switzerland and American Larry Ellison following direct contact between the billionaires. Bertarelli had previously refused to talk unless Ellison dropped a legal action, but the pair spoke at length on the phone on Thursday night. Sources suggest both men said they wanted to avoid going to the New York Supreme Court on Oct 22. Ellison claims that the new rules for the 2009 Cup – the Protocol – drawn up by Bertarelli after winning the Cup in Valencia in July, are unfair in giving the defender unprecedented advantages, and that they are invalid. Until Thursday, Bertarelli had turned down the offer of mediation from Ellison and other teams. "The previous Protocol worked perfectly well," Ellison's new skipper Russell Coutts, who won the Cup for Bertarelli in 2003, said. "What the other side has completely failed to do is explain why any of these changes are necessary, especially as they undermine fundamental fairness." -- Tim Jeffery, Telegraph, http://tinyurl.com/25p3p5 PURE TECHNOLOGY. When talking about technological advancements in marine electronics… look no further. Ockam leads the way in sailing instrument technology by utilizing an advanced scientific approach to ensure the most reliable and accurate real-time data available. The powerful Tryad processor allows for easy sensor input calibration and processes information in 3D using pitch and roll and now has the ability to log all your data in its flash memory without an onboard PC. The new Matryx II graphical display uses transflective LCD technology to deliver crystal clear information, strip-charts, and system control. Ockam: a distinct competitive advantage. For information, contact: mailto:sales@ockam.com PREPARING FOR THE OLYMPIC TRIALS The #1 ranked ISAF Laser Radial skipper Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) has been in Newport, RI since September 10th, preparing for the Olympic Trials that begin on October 6th. Here Anna provides an update on her training, “I have my usual awesome training team, Tania Calles (MEX), and Lisa Ross (CAN), who have given up some of their "off" time to come and get me up to speed and fit again. Last week we did an 18-mile downwind ocean sail from Pt. Judith to Third Beach. The conditions couldn’t have been more perfect. It had been blowing from the SW for three days, so the sea had developed into a nice swell. My coach, Mitch Brindley, was in town for this week so we had some great coaching and all made big strides in our downwind performance. “At Third Beach, our training site is a long paved parking lot and a beach, part of a bird sanctuary at the south end of Aquidneck Island. The location has been perfect despite the lack of fresh water to rinse our boats off, but that will be supplied during the regatta. There have been a lot of guys training out of the sailing site, but all in their small groups. It’s funny to see, as this is usually the case in the Radial fleet at regattas. Usually, all the guys train together and the girls stick to their little secretive groups, but here, the guys seem to be infected by our disease – understandable though, seeing that we’ve reached the Trials. “Boats are provided for the event by Vanguard, and we get those this week on Wednesday. Once I get mine, I’ll take her out for a quick spin, get measured in and then take a couple of days off before the racing begins.” -- http://www.annatunnicliffe.com * American Andrew Campbell provides video from the downwind 13-mile training run from Pt Judith to Third Beach. Andrew Campbell is the boat on the left, and you haven’t recently seen all the carving that goes on when sailing a Laser in waves, you need to click through for this 45 second eye opener: http://tinyurl.com/23wpx3 ARTEMIS SNARES TOP STEP Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy (September 29, 2007) In the end they made it look easy. With only a single score outside the top five all week - a six in the first race - Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis (SWE), with Russell Coutts in the role of tactician (and at times magician) swept to a comprehensive victory at the Rolex TP52 Global Championship 2007. The winning margin was 26.75 points ahead of 2006 Champion, Eamon Conneely's Patches (IRL). The enormity of the win is emphasized by only 6 points separating the next four boats. -- Complete daily report: http://www.regattanews.com/pressrelease.asp?pid=1739&lang=1 Final Standings (Top 6 of 15) 1. Artemis - Torbjorn Tornqvist, SWE, 6-1-1-2-4-1.25-4-2-2, 23.25 2. Patches - Eamon Conneely IRL, 1-5-9-8-1-15-3-7-1, 50 3. Mean Machine - Peter de Ridder, MON, 7-4-6-3-6-7.50-1-8-8, 50.5 4. Siemens - Alberto Roemmers, ESP, 11-8-10-5-2-6.25-8-1-4, 55.25 5. Stay Calm - Stuart Robinson, GBR, 12-7-2-4-3-8.75-2-12-5, 55.75 6. Windquest - Doug DeVos, USA, 8-6-5-1-11-2.50-12-9-7, 61.5 Complete results: http://www.rolextp52globals2007.com/results07/tp52_1.htm Carlo Borlenghi photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/0930 ISAF TEAM RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 Gandia, Spain (September 30, 2007) The USA won their third consecutive ISAF Team Racing World Championship as Silver Panda took the honours in Gandia, Spain. The Americans started the Championship as clear favourites and the USA 1 team, aka Silver Panda, of Clay Bischoff, Lisa Keith, Peter Levesque, Elizabeth Hall, Colin Merrick and Amanda Callahan did not disappoint. They won the ISAF Team Racing World Championship Trophy for the USA for the fourth time, and for the third consecutive Championship. Two years earlier at the New York Yacht Club a large majority of the Silver Panda team had been losing finalists behind Team Whishbone, but since then they’ve been the star on the team racing circuit and once again displayed their technical and tactical abilities over five days of racing in 420s, with Great Britain finishing second and New Zealand in third. -- http://www.sailing.org/20501.php SAILING IN UNCHARTED WATERS Skip Novak is best known for taking part in four Whitbread Round the World Races and when he decided on a change in career he decided to combine his love of sailing with his other skills, notably mountaineering. He now works in the high latitudes, although he lives in South Africa, running Pelagic Expeditions and says he has witnessed at first hand the effect of global warming and a rise in popularity of the area with more and more people visiting. “I sailed down in the high latitudes when I was doing round the world races and used to go past the islands. You can only reach some of these places by sea, so if you want to move around, you have to do it by boat. I also have a climbing background and have done a fair bit of mountaineering. I wanted to combine all of that and had the opportunity to build a boat very cheaply in 1987 in Southampton,” said Skip. “I went to the Antarctic on an expedition to South Georgia and also went again in 1991. It was then that I saw an opportunity down there for chartering as virtually no-one else was doing it back then. There was just myself and five other French boats down there and we all knew each other. I went down to have an adventure and decided to stay and make a living.” – Yachts and Yachting, full story: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=138600 GREAT RESPONSES BUTTHEADS! HOW DO YOU MCLUBE? With all of the fantastic responses we are getting from Buttheads on how you McLube, the Curmudgeon and McLube want to meet you face to face in Annapolis at the Harken booth! Thank you to all Buttheads kind enough to share their favorite McLube applications with us. Here are a few: Pam W McLubes the zippers on her foul weather gear. James S McLubes his Melges-24 spinnakers. Paul C McLubes the seat on his Surfski to ease body rotation and increase power to the paddle. Robie P McLubes his wheelchair cushions to slide more easily. How do you McLube? http://www.McLube.com/sailkote/recreation * If you’re at the show on Thursday, October 4th, come by to meet Scuttlebutt publisher Craig Leweck at the Harken Yacht Equipment booth from 2-4pm, and let him spray some McLube on your sticky zippers, blistering feet, chapped hands, and any other Boat Show ailment. LOVING THE LIGHT STUFF Leixőes, Portugal, had a uniquely windless week for the Snipe class world sailing championships, and as a result it got a unique winner. Tufts sophomore Tomas Hornos became the youngest-ever champion skipper this month, earning the title on his 19th birthday. Hornos, from Swampscott, MA, and his crew, Miami, FL high school senior Enrique Quintero, would have been happy with a top-10 finish in an event that draws some of the globe's top sailors. But the youthful duo took advantage of the mild conditions. "I'd say that I'm better in light air than heavier winds," Hornos said. "Where we sail in college for the sailing team, we get a lot of light air. It's just been my specialty. For other people, I guess they like a heavy wind. They are either heavier or they grew up sailing in heavier-wind places." The lack of wind forced a reduced schedule of just three races. In the final race, Hornos and Quintero overtook Kenji Abe and Hiroshi Yamachica of Japan to take home the title in the snipe, a 15-foot, two-person racing dinghy. "Clearly they had something going in light air," said Tufts sailing coach Ken Legler. "They had a winning strategy and a winning speed." It was the latest triumph in a sailing career that started not long after Hornos's family moved to Massachusetts from Argentina when he was 3. His father would take him sailing every weekend, and by age 10, Hornos had started to race. -- Boston Globe, full story: http://tinyurl.com/266n6m SAILING SHORTS * Millville, NJ -- Police have charged a long-time treasurer of the Union Lake Sailing and Tennis Club with theft of over $75,000 and theft by deception, city police reported Friday night. Kevin H. Gavigan, 59, was arrested without incident at his residence around 5 p.m. Friday, and was then taken to the police station, where he was charged. Gavigan, who was the treasurer for the club, had taken over $100,000 of money from the club over a period of six years. -- http://tinyurl.com/27wyvo * Marketing and sponsorship agency, brandRapport, was appointed by Joao Lagos to support Lagos Sports in all of the marketing, PR and commercial aspects of the World Sailing League (WSL). The WSL is a new global sports series conceived by sailing legends Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts and underwritten by sports promoter Joao Lagos - Chairman of Lagos Sports. -- http://tinyurl.com/ypno9f * Boston, MA (September 29, 2007) A record 112 boats competed in 7 divisions in the 3rd Annual Boston Harbor Islands Regatta. This round-the-islands, benefit, pursuit race bookended by a pre-race dinner at the Boston Harbor Hotel and a post-race Redbones barbecue on Georges Island has become Mass Bay's most popular big boat regatta. Half the boats don't even have PHRF certificates. Michael Feeley's J/109 Lady Love became a 2-time winner of the Mayor's Cup for spinnaker classes and Steve Cucchiaro's Baltic 43 Windward Spirit took home the honors for cruising canvas. Complete results on http://www.islandalliance.org/regatta.asp| * Cannes, France (September 29, 2007) With only three races completed at the 12 Meter World Championship following three days of racing, the fleet needed to get in two more on their final race days on Friday and Saturday to qualify as an official series. Unfortunately, strong winds on Friday kept the fleet ashore, and a drifter on Saturday prevented racing as well. There will be an owners meeting to see if there is a consensus to make the St. Tropez series next week count as the Worlds. -- Results: http://www.yachtclubdecannes.com/12results.html SET SAIL FOR ANNAPOLIS And stop into Onne van der Wal's booth of amazing nautical photography in Tent A. Come admire his newest prints and get 15% off and a free poster with purchase. When the boat is high and dry, an "Onne" original keeps you smiling and sailing all winter long. -- http://www.vanderwal.com * On Thursday, October 4th, after you have done your shopping at the OVDW gallery, Scuttlebutt publisher Craig Leweck encourages everyone to head over to the Ben & Jerry’s on 139 Main Street from 5-8pm. He’ll be there snacking on some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, with 15% of all sales donated to The Box of Rain Foundation, a year-round non-profit sailing program designed to inspire and encourage Annapolis area youth, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances. -- http://www.boxofrain.org EIGHT BELLS Southern Californian Doug Mongeon, who became a legend by being a brilliant entrepreneur and a competitive, relentless ocean sailor, died last Monday, the 24th of September. As an inventor of multiple medical devices, Doug attained professional acclaim for his proficient & qualified achievements in the respiratory arena. Doug was an innovative designer, fastidious to detail and a highly motivated marketing maverick. Doug's sailing prowess will be immortalized by his insatiable attraction to the immeasurable magnitude & challenge of the open sea. His affinity for great design led Doug to advance 'state of the art' sailing technologies allowing him to dominate his opponents (most of the time.) His loyal 'band of sailors’ will undoubtedly remember the enduring camaraderie and the exhilaration of fierce unadulterated competitive sailboat racing. Doug enjoyed many years of membership at the Dana Point Yacht Club where he was a colorful & charismatic member. Doug owned such boats as Swiftsure (N/M 68), B-Nasty (B-32), Flyer (Farr 40), Debauchery (1D48), and Debauchery (Farr 36). Doug was a devoted dad to his daughter Danielle who was the 'light of his life'. A widower, Doug met and married Jannine in 2006 and completed the family life that he so much appreciated. A viewing and service will be held Tuesday Oct 2nd from 6-8pm at the Ferrar Colonial Mortuary, 351 N Hewes St. Orange CA 92869. 714-639-2711. Afterwards there will be a gathering held at Rockin Sushi (a Doug favorite) from 8PM at 1107 N Tustin Ave. Orange CA. 714-532-6311. LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (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, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Hank Evans: What is "Anti Doping Norway"? A company that tests for drugs? A statement about the country of Norway's drug policies? I don't have a clue. * From Adrian Morgan: Why don't people come clean and admit 'I occasionally relax with a spliff', rather than 'I have never knowingly taken banned substances.' I can't imagine having a wee smoke without knowing about it, unless it's as a victim of passive smoking. Pull the other one. Curmudgeon’s Comment: We sent a request for additional information to both Simon Daubney and the Alinghi team, but have not yet received a reply. * From Bruce McPherson, Hyannis Port, MA: (regarding Stag Cruise report in Issue 2443): Some of the most memorable luncheons at the Sparkman and Stephens round table at the Prince George Hotel in New York City in the 1970's consisted of reports from Rod and Olin upon their return. I have never understood why someone on the East Coast hasn't tried to replicate the event at Block Island! Now that you have "Been there, done that," will you use your influence on the New Englanders that appear at the Bitter End Yacht Club, when you are there, to put together a similar event in conjunction with the Cruising Club and the Storm Trysail Club? I think more good for our sport might materialize than might otherwise be imagined. I do not know who else might have first hand experience and thus be in a position to make the sale as effectively. * From Pepe Tous: (edited to the 250-word limit) We are on our way to the 33rd America’s Cup. Soon there will be a new boat, new challenges and new challengers, a lot of new faces, and of course, a lot of public interest. Unfortunately, it may not include Russell Coutts… again. Russell played the bull in a china shop with Mr Bertarelli and lost. Now he is doing the same, but this time he has found an accomplice, who happens to also be a bull. The only thing the two of them are going to achieve is a pile of sherd. They’ve already missed out on influencing the design for the 33rd… please don't miss the start too. The America's Cup should be the race of all sailboat races. The boats should be wonderful designs, big and spectacular. The sailors pushing those boats as well. We, the spectators and ultimate sponsors of the race, want to see great sailboat racing. Russell is one of those sailors who is qualified to give us just what we want. Russell, please go have a beer with your co-bull and talk some sense into him. I know he can't help himself because he is pursuing his America's Cup dream and has not yet enjoyed victory. You, on the other hand, have no excuse. All of us would love to see Russell Coutts again, with a tiller in hand, making good use of all you have learned over the years. So, go say to Mr Ellison, "We've gotta talk. Bottoms up mate!" -- Post all comments here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5355 CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Never be afraid to sit awhile and think. Special thanks to Ockam Instruments, McLube SailKote, and Onne van der Wal Gallery. |
