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SCUTTLEBUTT 2647 - Monday, July 28, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. WHY? The news of Michel Hodara leaving AC Management took the America's Cup community and the sailing world by surprise. Following last weekend’s announcement, Sébastien Destremau conducted an interview with America's Cup Management’s CEO Michel Hodara and the event’s Marketing and Communication's Director Paco Latorre. Here are two excerpts and a link to the full interview: Destremau: Michel Hodara, you have a reputation of being very secretive however can you enlighten us the reason of your departure? Michel Hodara: There is not one but multiple reasons actually. The most important one is very personal and probably a bit selfish. Somebody offered me a job that I really wanted to accept. This is a complete change in my career as I am moving out of the sport and event management to move into the Television Entertainment Business. This is something I am very interested in and I look forward to the challenge ahead of me. Destremau: Alinghi/ACM's reputation has been tainted since the end of the 32nd America's Cup, why? And do you think you played a role in this? This question is also directed to Paco. Hodara: The bucks stops with the CEO, so you can assume that I am ultimately responsible for it. There is no doubts that we've made some PR mistakes after July 2007 but the problem is much older than that. Our philosophy since 2003 was always deliver the best possible event with the best facilities. Sometimes we had to make rules for the better running of the event that were not always very popular and we didn’t take the time to explain them properly to the community. Paco Latorre: In the case of the media, one would agree that we put a big effort in providing good technical services and always worked hard on being efficient; however we too often didn’t do very well in the relationships with the journalists and the rest of the AC community. So long as we were producing an impeccable event, basically applauded by everybody, everything was fine. But what a price we paid as soon as some mistakes were made after the event! I must say that in the transition after the 32nd AC, Michel and myself were very conscious about this insufficient care of the relationship with the people within the America's Cup community (the local people in Valencia, the teams and the media) and there were things that we wanted to do differently. It’s still an objective to improve this area. -- Full story: http://xrl.us/oksi MAI TAI TIME Double-handed sailors Joby Easton and Bill Huseby aboard the Cascade 36 Raindrop were the first boat to finish the Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii, getting the gun in the early afternoon on Saturday. Less than 20 minutes later Paul Cayard and family finished on their modified Santa Cruz 50, Hula Girl. “My hat is off to Bill Lee, the designer of the Santa Cruz 50,” Cayard said. “She is a great performer in the ocean, comfortable inside (it is the Four Seasons compared to what I am used to) and she is 28 years old to boot. Way ahead of her time!” Raindrop had started three days before Hula Girl, but with the boats now pouring into Kaneohe Bay, she appears, to be the overall winner of this 61-boat race. -- http://pacificcup.org/about.html HAIL THE KINGS OF MOISTURE WICKING GEAR! The Pirates Lair has lined up the best wicking gear for your team or event. Check out our deals on DryShirt®, ProWik®, SportTek®, Wikz, Expert, etc. Need logos? We have the hottest graphics in the industry for Dye-Sublimation and Screenprinting. 7-day turn-around in most cases. Worldwide delivery. Log on to http://www.pirateslair.com/wicking for reviews and order info. ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? Diabolical winds made for plenty of exciting stories back at the dock after the New York Yacht Club's (NYYC) sixth biennial Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex concluded Sunday. The four-day competition had started much the same wet, windy way on opening day, but fortunately, sunshine and fair winds followed for two days to dry things out. Sunday, the race committee managed a race in each of four classes (NYYC Club Swan 42, Melges 32, J/109 and J/105) that were competing on Rhode Island Sound but had to abandon a second race when a storm swept through, wreaking havoc with 48-knot winds. All told, 120 boats were competing. Another six classes (IRC 1 and 2, PHRF 1 and 2, J/122 and Beneteau First 36.7) had taken off on a middle-distance race around Conanicut Island and felt top winds of a more reasonable 28 knots. "You know it's windy when everything is going sideways -- the wind, the rain, the boat," said Damian Emery (Shoreham, N.Y.), who won the J/105 East Coast Championship with his overall victory here and was already the class's Southern Circuit champion. In the J/109 class, which is sailing its North American Championship, victory went to Ted Herlihy (South Dartmouth, Mass.) aboard Gut Feeling. In IRC 1, Robert and Farley Towse's (Stamford, Conn.) Blue Yankee made an attempt to replace Roger Sturgeon's (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) Rosebud/Team DYT at the top of the scoreboard but was unsuccessful in its bid, finishing third to Rosebud's first in the around-the-island race. "We improved on our game tremendously here," said Sturgeon, "because of the competition, and specifically because of Blue Yankee. It went down to the last race; we felt the pressure the whole time." Mark Watson (San Antonio, Texas/Newport, R.I.) is now the NYYC Club Swan 42 class U.S. National Champion after he finished fourth today in Tiburon. And Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), sailing Star, became the new Melges 32 National Champion, a title which he adds to his 2006 title. -- Media Pro Int’l, on-demand video by T2p.tv is available at www.nyyc.org, where complete results also can be found. ROLEX US-IRC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Bill Martin (Ann Arbor, MI) steered his Great Lakes 70 Stripes to three first place finishes in three races in IRC Class 1 on Sunday to grab first place in the Rolex US-IRC National Championship. Martin wins the second annual championship trophy and much more, a specially engraved Rolex Steel and Platinum Yacht-Master timepiece. Alice Martin, no kin to Bill, came second to the 68 foot Stripes by only 3 corrected seconds-per-mile. She sailed her little Sydney 38, Painkiller 4, valiantly with a pair of second places and a first place in IRC Class 4 on the last day. She needed just a little less time on the course through the week. Stripes also won IRC Class 1, Rampage won IRC Class 2, Chewbacca a N/M50 sailed by William Peterson (Bayfield, WI) won IRC Class 3 and Painkiller 4 won IRC Class 4. The regatta started in Little Traverse Bay off Harbor Springs, Michigan on Friday and concluded seven races later on Sunday. Six of the races were windward leeward and the race on Saturday was a seven-leg 'Tour of the Bay.' -- Media Pro Int’l, results are posted at: http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=176 QUANTUM RACING WINS AT PUERTO PORTALS The Botin Carkeek TP52 Quantum Racing dominated competition at the Breitling Regatta in Puerto Portals this week, cementing her second consecutive regatta victory and tightening her grasp on the prestigious Audi MedCup circuit championship. The final day of racing was abandoned Saturday for lack of wind. However, competing on the Bay of Palma for the previous four days, Quantum Racing built a commanding lead of 14 points over second-placed Matador. Terry Hutchinson (USA) and the crew became the first team since 2006 to win back-to-back MedCup regattas “We’ve been working for this result ever since we put the boat in the water at the beginning of the summer,” said Hutchinson. “We continue to get more out of the boat and the sails as we focus on the fine points of our crew work and communication. -- http://2008.medcup.org/results/venue.php?trophy=4 Final Results -- 14th Breitling Regatta, Puerto Portals, Mallorca 1. Quantum Racing, USA, 11-2-2-8-2-2-1-1-2-1, 32 2. Matador, ARG, 3-1-3- 9- 7- 1-9-9-1-3, 46 3. Platoon powered by Team Germany, GER, 7-4-6-7-6-6-2-2-7-5, 52 4. Artemis, SWE, 4-11-5-5-10-3-3-3-8-2, 54 5. Mean Machine, MON, 1-5-1- 2-1-7-15-14-14-6, 66 Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 1. Quantum Racing, USA, 161 2. Artemis, SWE, 191 3. Bribón, ESP, 209.2 4. Mean Machine, MON, 224 5. Matador, ARG, 238 PACE PICKS UP -- CARNAGE TOO While the 7th Transat Quebec-Saint Malo was changing both the rhythm and the setting as the fleet made it into the Atlantic, the trimaran Laiterie de Saint Malo, sailing at 20 knots hit a whale and broke its only rudder. Victorien Erussard and his crew have installed an emergency rudder to traverse the Atlantic by their own means. Amongst the multihulls this transatlantic, still led by Crêpes Whaou!, has changed tone in light of the number of collisions with sea creatures. In the Class 40 category, the pace has picked up in the downwind conditions supplied by 20 knots of breeze. A high intensity drag race is the order of the day now, as the fierce duel at the front of the fleet between Télécom Italia (Giovanni Soldini) and Pogo Structures (Halvard Mabire) testifies. -- http://www.quebecsaintmalo.com/en/index.asp AUGUST IS HERE. ARE YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR BIG REGATTA? Whether we’re talking about your upcoming club championship, Quantum’s run at the AUDI MedCup, or the US athletes focused on China, we all know that preparation is the key to success in our sport. Team McLube’s new citrus-based Hullkote Speed Polish is designed specifically to help you better prepare. Hullkote applies in half the time and effort it takes for older petroleum based polishes. Just wipe on and wipe away excess. No buffing or heavy polishing needed. Hullkote is eco-friendly, safe and easy to apply, seals all surfaces completely, and leaves a very fast high-gloss protective UV durable coating. http://www.mclubemarine.com/ PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS In the upcoming week, the US America's Cup Challenger will come up against the Defender, Alinghi in the third round of the iShares Cup to be sailed off Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. This will in fact be the first time the two teams have really come up against each other in a multihull regatta apart from a minor joust in Switzerland two months ago. The two teams are taking quite a different approach to the event, sailed in Extreme 40's with Ed Baird (USA) the skipper of Alinghi in the 2007 America's Cup helming Alinghi's steed, while BMW Oracle racing have elected to use a multihull specialist Franck Cammas (FRA) as skipper of one of their boats (Team Cammas) and James Spithill, helmsman of Prada in the 32nd America's Cup as their second skipper (Team Spithill). So the iShares Cup will become a test of strategies - whether a specialist multihull skipper will come out ahead of the cross-trained America's Cup regulars. BMW Oracle Racing skipper and CEO (Russell Coutts) is not skippering either entry, but is hoping to be selected in the crew! -- Richard Gladwell, Sail-world.com, full story: http://xrl.us/okyhj SAILING SHORTS * Allan Terhune topped a 69-boat fleet at the 50th Flying Scot North American Championship sailed at Toms River Yacht Club, Toms River, NJ -- and it wasn’t even close. With just 17 points in the six race series, Terhune had less than half as many points as his nearest rival, David Neff (35 pts) who finished the championship in second place, one point ahead of Scott Mauney. -- http://www.fssa.com/ * Four different innovative race formats were used at BIC O’pen World Cup that recently brought 65 competitors from eight countries to Brittany, France. The formats were inspired from the pro windsurfing scene -- downwind slalom, crosswind slalom, adventure racing and O’pen Cross (including freestyle moves). And there was another interesting variation - no protests were accepted, but an on the water jury could require a competitor to do a 360 when they saw a rules violation. Kids raced and had a lot of fun at the same time. * The East Coast Junior Windsurfing Championships - a US Sailing Junior Olympic Regatta -brought kids from all around the nation to the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club in Martha’s Vineyard. The fleet at enjoyed a variety of wind conditions and race courses including some slalom downwind legs. After nine races and one throwout, first place overall was decisively won by a local girl Solvig Sayre (10 points) with second going to Austin Emer from Clearwater Florida (18 pts). -- Complete results: http://xrl.us/okrpf * On May 28, the National Sailing Hall of Fame videotaped a panel discussion called "Racing: Business Leadership & Management held at the Annapolis Yacht Club. Sponsored by the World Presidents Organization, this 1 hour and 12 minute panel discussion features leaders in both business and yacht racing as they talk about the commonalities that make for a successful business and a winning race team. Moderated by Gary Jobson, the panel includes business leaders Bob James and Terry Kohler. To watch the video, go to www.nshof.org and click on "Film Library" * The Splash World Championships ended last Friday in Tavira, Portugal. And Ben Lutze (NZL) is the 2008 World Champion, with George Lane (NZL) taking the Bronze medal. Gilles Cleeren (BEL) was second. 100 top youth sailors from seven countries competed. It was a dramatic final day of racing with many boats OCS in the last race including early favorite Cleeren (BEL). New Zealand claimed the top country trophy with six Zealanders finishing in the top ten overall. Once a European-dominated class, under the guidance of coach John Morgan New Zealand sailors have now claimed 3 of the last 6 world titles. Final results: http://www.nzsplash.co.nz/results-splash-worlds-2008-xidc44458.html Event website: http://www.splashworlds.org/home.php * Green Dragon, the Irish entry in the forthcoming Volvo Ocean Race, will arrive in its home port of Galway for the first time today as its crew increases their attempts to hit their funding target. Green Dragon needs about €12 million (Approx US$19M) in overall sponsorship to take part in the race and has secured 80 per cent of this to date. A private syndicate of Irish businessmen contributed €5 million for the construction of the boat’s hull, and several Chinese construction companies are also sponsors. -- http://xrl.us/okygg “VICKI” IS FOR SALE This well known Alan Andrews designed 70 is for sale. Launched in 1995, she is all carbon and beautiful inside and out. This is a must see and sail. Fast, fun and of course, ready to go. See pictures at http://www.vickilawrence.com/vickilawrence/hobbies.htm. Located in Southern California. If interested, contact owners at mailto:vickiandal@aol.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘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, 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 Henry L. Menin, International Umpire: Recently I had the opportunity to umpire the Area E-K Semi-Finals for the Prince of Wales US Match Racing Championships in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It was a great event but what impressed me the most was the facility in Sheboygan. The ‘Sail Sheboygan,' foundation operates as a non-profit organization in conjunction with the Sheboygan Yacht club and the next door Sheboygan Youth Sailing Center. They have recently been designated status as a US Sailing ‘Sailing Center,' -- the only one that is focused on match racing. They have eight evenly matched Sonars that are available, plus four of the best umpire boats I have ever seen. They are 17’ Edgewater boats that have been specifically equipped and perfectly suited for the unique requirements of umpiring match races. The facility has a dedicated RC signal boat, plus several other RC "RIB" boats for setting and moving marks as well as on the water crew transfer. Best of all, they have wonderfully trained race officers with many decades of personal racing experience to run the signal boat, and to set and move marks. This facility on Sheboygan is a great place for training for match racing teams and for clubs that want to ‘drop in’ and run a regatta of their own. With the tremendous increase in participation in match racing in the USA, and with the advent of Women’s Match Racing in the 2012 Olympics, Sheboygan would be an ideal place to train and for clubs to run regattas for their sailors. * From Hugh Evan (re ISAF rankings discussion in ‘Butt 2646) ISAF Finn ratings, Surely the point of the rankings is to inform, any rating system that fails to recognize the realistic finishing positions will be considered in that light, if the system does not show where the competitors may reasonably finish it is of little real use. You would be a little upset if you used this logic were stock picking or betting on a horse race, why not here? It is important to make users aware of anomalies. Journalism seems to be doing its job here. * From Owen Muyt (edited to our 250-word limit): A few weeks ago I had ago at the organizing committee of the Newport to Bermuda Race and how poor their whole coverage of the race was from the lead up, to the actual race itself and then post race information. I asked them to approach the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and get some tips on how they market and run an event like the Sydney to Hobart. And also how they get up to date, live information out to the public on the progress of the fleet itself. But also individual boats so family and friends can follow from home. Well over this weekend and possibly Monday and Tuesday as well as the weather goods aren't doing their thing. The club is currently running their 380NM race to Queensland with over 70 boats competing. This is a great time for all yacht clubs world wide to have a look on how well a race can be followed from the comfort of a lounge chair. So all you race organizers and committees -- have a look and see for your self. The race tracker is very simple to use and (live to the second). Not six hrs old like the Bermuda race. To log in try Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race or go thru the yacht clubs site with just Google CYCA. And remember this is not a Cat 1 race like the Sydney/ Hobart. This is only a Cat 2 race. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. Special thanks to The Pirate’s Lair, Team McLube, and Vicki & Al Schultz. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
