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SCUTTLEBUTT 3471 - Wednesday, November 16, 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: Point Loma Outfitting, Quantum Sails, and US Sailing. GREAT COMMENTARY MAKES A DIFFERENCE Peter Isler, internationally renowned sailor, motivational speaker and author, has been inextricable from the America's Cup since winning it as navigator aboard Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes in Australia in 1987. He's one of the best commentators in the sport and it’s great to have him in the role as racing in the America’s Cup World Series gets underway on Wednesday in San Diego. SailBlast chatted to Peter about the differences working as a commentator under the new Cup format. --------------------------------------------------------------------- SB: What’s different about the way commentating is happening now? PI: I just got three days in Plymouth and I’m here in San Diego now so I’ve had just a taste of it. I’m actually not out on the water working but in a little booth - I’m really watching television - the same video image that the viewers are watching. Sometimes we have two shots in our announcement booth but usually just the feed - so we’re watching the feed, not the whole race. We have a monitor that’s linked to race management and the umpires - (referred to as STOWE, name of the manufacturer) - it’s like watching an instant messaging screen - it gives us all the race data, mark roundings are recorded, every time a button is pushed for protest, every umpire decision - all on this official screen. We’re also relying on our directors, who have all the different camera shots to choose from, to pick the right one to tell the story and that’s part of the fun, you’re really part of a team. SB: Does it make your job easier or more difficult? PI: Put it this way, I’d say it’s absolutely essential when you’re a commentator for television broadcast to talk to the picture. One of the things that is risky for an expert sailor coming in and doing the job is the tendency to talk about the important thing that’s going on in the race that may not be in the picture so having that image is great. That said, it’s also very helpful to have a 2-dimensional overhead view of the entire racecourse so that you can follow the racing and you know what’s going on outside of the visual range of the camera shot. But the great thing is that there are sailors in the directors’ chairs calling the shot changes etc., so the story that’s on ACTV is the story a sailor would want to follow anyway. SB: What do you think about AC45s for the America’s Cup World Series? PI: I’m a big fan of the America’s Cup. I’m a Cuphead and I take the broad picture of not only appreciating the America’s Cup for the spectacle it is here in San Diego this week and the great sailboat racing it is but also its historical place in international sport. So, for me it’s great to have been a part of it and to continue being part of telling the Cup story. I’m in awe of the America’s Cup - it keeps changing and it continues to evolve. -- Full interview: http://sailblast.blogspot.com * BROADCAST: The live streaming on the America’s Cup YouTube channel will begin at 12:30 pm PST on Wednesday through Sunday. For the first time there will be the option to select French commentating, while the English team of Mitch Booth, Annie Gardner, and John Rowling will focus their commentating toward the sporting audience. Additionally, Peter Isler, Tucker Thompson, and Genny Tulloch will be the Comcast broadcast commentators for the Dish Network, Direct TV, and AT&T Uverse. The on-the-water commentator is Geordie Shaver. Details on YouTube, Comcast and the post-event highlight shows here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/ACWS-SD-Broadcast DEFINITELY A NEW CHALLENGE Australian Darren Bundock joined Oracle Racing in mid-2011 as a coach and helmsman, and while he has had a taste of the AC45 helm in practice, the San Diego stop of the America's Cup World Series is his first opportunity for competition. Bundock knows no other type of sailing apart from multihulls. His career has led him to win two Olympic medals in the Tornado catamaran class, 14 world championships, five European championships and four Australian Male Sailor of the Year awards. But this is his first America's Cup campaign. In San Diego, Bundock is taking over for team Oracle Racing CEO Russell Coutts and the long shadow that comes with his three America's Cup wins as skipper. After six fleet races last weekend in the Port Cities Challenge, the Bundock skippered team finished 7th out of the nine teams. With much to learn about racing this new boat, the reaching start has proved to be particularly troublesome for the Aussie. It is, after all, hard to score top finishes when getting called over the line early a third of the time. "For me, as this is my first go of it, the reaching start is definitely a new challenge," admitted Bundock. "The starts are sort of do or die. Once you get around that first mark, positions are quickly established. We're all so used to the upwind start, where you can luff and slow down. And with these starts, you absolutely need to hit the line at full speed or you will get rolled for sure. There is no tacking out for clear air. And while I am stepping in with a very experienced team, they've offered me no cook book on how to execute these starts. It's on me, and if I pull the trigger too soon or too late, it's a problem." The bulk of Bundock's multihull success came with fellow countryman Glenn Ashby, who was a coach for Oracle Racing as the team prepared their challenge against Alinghi in the 33rd America's Cup. But Ashby is gone now, joining with Emirates Team New Zealand who won the weekend series and leads the 2011-12 ACWS. If Bundock is to challenge his old mate, he will need to begin on the start line. "I guess if we can get these sorts of things out of the way now that’s the way to do it," observes Bundock. "These practice races are the time to get it wrong.”- Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt INTRODUCING THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION In celebration of their 10 year anniversary, Kaenon Polarized is proud to introduce the Anniversary Collection! As a tribute to the past decade, Kaenon Polarized is introducing fresh color combinations in their best selling styles that express the quality, style, and attention to detail that represent none other than Kaenon Polarized. Sure to impress is the Burnet in a new stylish Black & Clear frame with G12 lens perfect for men and women. Women are sure to enjoy the new Eden in Honeysuckle. Point Loma Outfitting has the entire Kaenon Polarized Anniversary Collection in stock. View here: http://www.pointlomaoutfitting.com/scuttlebutt.html HOW FAN ARE YOU? The nine teams that came to compete in the America's Cup World Series - San Diego got their first taste of the Southern California venue last weekend during the opening fleet races of the Port Cities Challenge. And spectators got their first taste of watching this entertainment event called 'stadium sailing'. So when the ACWS race schedule begins Wednesday, the question of whether San Diego Bay will prove to be a great spectator venue depends largely on how closely you want to watch the racing. While the views of the AC45 boats in the village are ideal, the avid race fan will have to have their smarts on to keep an accurate scorecard. Wind direction is a big variable as mark location dictates the better viewing locations. Normal wind direction is between south and west. Information is another hurdle. The event twitter feed can send twitter or text updates to your phone, while the live streaming broadcast will be available on iOS mobile devices (ie, iPhones). During the races on Sunday (Nov. 13), Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck rode his bike along the bay to assess the non-VIP spectating options from east to west. Here is his review: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12873#12873 TRADEWIND SAILING TANTALIZINGLY CLOSE (November 15, 2011; Day 11) - PUMA and Telefónica have been locked in a close-quarters battle since the fleet left Alicante on November 5, and after entering the Doldrums neck and neck on Monday evening both looked set to escape by 0000 UTC on Wednesday. As the fleet racing in leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race continues to make swift progress through the notoriously fickle Doldrum belt, the southeasterly tradewinds are almost within grasp. At 1900 UTC tonight, PUMA’s Mar Mostro’s lead had expanded again as Telefónica dropped two nautical miles and both CAMPER and Groupama 4 had inched a little closer. CAMPER gained 24 nm on this sched and is almost through the 100 nm barrier, just 103.9 behind PUMA’s Mar Mostro. Although Groupama 4 has gained five nm, this evening she is still 254 nm in deficit. Speeds on PUMA and Telefónica have dropped to around seven knots while CAMPER still has the pedal down and is averaging 15.9.Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) is maintaining 9.8 knots average and is 254.9 nm behind. It could be as early as tomorrow morning that the fleet hooks into some much-awaited breeze and begins its drag race towards the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, a non-scoring mark of the course which they must leave to port. Although Franck Cammas’ Groupama 4 crew are trailing, watch captain Damien Foxall says, “We are more than a little way behind, we’re a long way behind, but we were mentally prepared for that. The gains at the moment are more down to fleet compression than boatspeed.” -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/7bebx5g Standings as of Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 19.02.05 UTC 1. PUMA Ocean Racing by BERG, 3778.6 nm Distance to Finish 2. Team Telefonica, 7.40 nm Distance to Lead 3. CAMPER with Emirates Team NZ, 103.90 nm DTL 4. Groupama, 254.90 nm DTL 5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - Retired from Leg 1 6. Team Sanya - Retired from Leg 1 Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world's most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com PREVIEW - COLLEGE NATIONALS The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) hosts six major championships in each school year. The Coed Dinghy National Championship, Team Race National Championship, and Women's Dinghy National Championship are held in the spring, and the Men's and Women's Singlehanded National Championship and the Match Race National Championship are held in the fall. Here is the list of sailors from each of the seven districts who have qualified to compete in the 2011/2012 ICSA Match Race National Championship for the Cornelius Shields Sr. Trophy on November 18-20, sailed in J/22s at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, CA: Middle Atlantic: U.S. Naval Academy, St. Mary’s College of Maryland Midwest: University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin New England: Tufts University, Roger Williams University Northwest: University of Oregon Pacific Coast: Stanford University South Atlantic: University of South Florida Southeastern: Texas A&M University Event Site: http://www.collegematchrace.com GET YOUR SPEED ON WITH QUANTUM The J/80 East Coast Championship was a real test for the fleet with tricky winds throughout the weekend. Coming out on top with Quantum sails was Chris Chadwick sailing on Church Key with Tom Murray, Becky and Ed Fury. This team put on an impressive show of sailing consistency with great speed, solid starts and tack ticks, finishing 10 points ahead of the fleet. Also turning in great performances were Kristen Robinson on the Angry Chameleon, fourth, and Bill Hunt, fifth, on Firebolt. Get your speed on with Quantum’s class sails; our fall special continues until December 15th. See website for details: http://www.quantumsails.com/Classes/classes.aspx ARE YOU IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY? The Marine Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides companies with guaranteed online exposure of their personnel, product and service updates. Plus each week the Scuttlebutt newsletter selects a sampling of updates to feature in the Thursday edition. Are you in the marine industry? Post your updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news SAILING SHORTS * (November 15, 2011) - The 2011 J/24 Worlds in Buenos Aires, Argentina started today, as 58 crews from 9 nations gathered for practice racing which started at 2:00pm in 8 knots from the SE. After a few general recalls the fleet raced on the course for the first time. The wind was shifty, swinging 10-15 degrees and the sea lumpy which made for great down wind conditions. Stay updated on the event’s latest news on Facebook/2011 J-24 World Championship and Twitter/J24_2011. -- Event website: http://www.j24worlds2011.org.ar/Section.aspx?id=1702 * Know an outstanding coach who deserves national recognition? Submit your nominee by Nov. 16 for consideration as the USA’s National Coach of the Year. The Olympic Sailing Committee will select coaches in five categories: National Coach of the Year, Developmental Coach of the Year, Volunteer Coach of the Year, Paralympic Coach of the Year, and the “Doc” Counsilman Science Award. These awards are a part of the United States Olympic Committee’s (USOC) Coach Recognition Program which highlights the accomplishments and contributions of coaches who train athletes at all levels of sailing. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/USA-111511 * Tampa, FL (November 14, 2011) - 28 teams are currently competing in the four day, 100th Anniversary Star North American Championship/Ding Schoonmaker Cup, hosted by Davis Island Yacht Club. Sitting in 1st overall with 3 races sailed are USSTAG sailors George Szabo and Mark Strube (San Diego YC), 1st Grandmaster: Bill Allen and Jeff Imai (Sheridan Shore YC), and 1st Master: John MacCausland and Adam Dolezal (Cooper River YC). Racing concludes Wednesday. -- Full results: http://henrymoore.org/2011starNA/index.htm * At the Cocoa (Florida) match race invitational last weekend, competitors sailed a total of fifteen races. A good match racer might have won 12 or 13, but Bill Gladstone captured all 15 to win handily despite an ISAF ranking of only 686. Bill's secret - he is head of NorthU and gives seminars around the world in all kinds of racing. Bill not only dominated - he is also a nice guy. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/7j9j4gm * Alexandria, VA ( November 15, 2011) - Margaret Bonds Podlich, Former Vice President of Government Affairs of Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS), has been named President of the Association. Her new role includes external communications encompassing Government Affairs and Public Relations as well as other association programs, benefits and services. This includes developing the association's official policy positions and leading the advocacy efforts on behalf of the nation's recreational boat owners. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/6s2gbwy WHO DO YOU THINK ARE THE BEST AMERICAN SAILORS OF 2011? Help shape history and submit your nominations for US Sailing's 2011 Rolex Yachtsman & Yachtswoman of the Year Awards. These prestigious awards recognize one male sailor and one female sailor for their outstanding achievements within the calendar year and are viewed as the nation's top sailing honors. Sailing greats Dennis Conner, Betsy Alison, Ken Read and J.J. Fetter have held this honor. US SAILING members can submit nominations for these awards TODAY. Make your nominations at http://about.ussailing.org/Awards/Rolex.htm 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 Tim Patterson (re Scuttlebutt 3470): As a person who has sailed across the Atlantic twice on a 45' ocean racing catamaran and participated in the 1985 Round Europe Race on another 74 footer, I am a confirmed believer in the concept of cats and applaud your sentiments. I am thinking that you will get a lot of flack from many confirmed mono sailors and I hope many others will write to agree with you. I am obviously in the latter camp. It would be fun to hear from the many French and other Europeans who have sailed both in the ocean as to their views. I, for one, am tired of hearing about how dangerous and unsafe they are. I think we all know that there has not been a ship built yet that nature could not destroy with the fury of wind and wave. I give thanks for all the miles I have traveled on the sea and thank providence that I have survived to sail again. * From Roger Vaughn (re Scuttlebutt 3470): I've been fascinated with wing sails since I watched Duncan MacLane sailing one of Dave Hubbard's early hard wing, Little America's Cup C-cats around Long Island Sound one afternoon 30 or more years ago. And, having written the book about Dennis Conner's America's Cup-winning multihull in 1988, I am familiar with the complex care and handling of wings. Owning a boat with a wing sail would create a raft of problems for anyone without a well-funded program that included both shore personnel and/or mechanical devices. Unlike soft sails, wing sails don't come down after racing, or at least not without a lot of effort and expertise. An expensive hydraulic tilt jig was built for Conner's STARS AND STRIPES, the catamaran, to lay the whole boat on its side when not in the water. A large crane picked the boat up, set it in the jig where it was lashed in place. The jig then tilted the boat 90 degrees, putting the sail essentially, down. Those who race the smaller A- (18' loa) and C-Class (25' loa) cats, and who are arguably the best sailor-athletes in the world - many of them also have engineering degrees - have systems for handling the 30- and 40-foot wing sails. But the equipment and know-how that bit of engineering requires would test a good club sailor. -- Full letter: http://tinyurl.com/6of44zp * From John McNeill: From those same stellar thinkers who brought you the TARP and Bailout, you are now JONESED! What a great group of leaders! Definition: 1. Jonesed - Verb; A way to tell someone they have been "punked", "screwed", or "burned". It's a way to be compared to someone that has been the butt of a joke. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." - Ben Williams, author SPONSORS THIS WEEK Hall Spars & Rigging - APS - North Sails - North U Ultimate Sailing - Point Loma Outfitting - Quantum Sails - US Sailing Ullman Sails - Mount Gay Rum - International Rolex Regatta - Doyle Sails Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
