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SCUTTLEBUTT 2463 – October 29, 2007
Scuttlebutt 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.
CYA AWARD WINNERS
This past weekend, the Canadian Yachting Association held their 2007 Annual
General Meeting in Kingston, Ontario. Among the events was the presentation
of ten awards that celebrate the accomplishments of sailors, coaches,
volunteers, and events.
~ Evert Bastet - Rolex Sailor of the Year Award, presented annually to a
sailor for bringing recognition to Canadian sailing and the Canadian Yachting
Association.
~ Dominique Vallée - CYA Female Athlete of the Year, awarded to an individual
athlete or crew with a record of outstanding achievement in national and
international competition and who has brought recognition to Canadian
competitive sailing.
~ Bruce Millar - CYA Male Athlete of the Year, awarded to an individual
athlete or crew with a record of outstanding achievement in national and
international competition and who has brought recognition to Canadian
competitive sailing.
~ Lt.(N) Kevin Eames - CYA Coach of the Year, recognizing an instructor/
coach who has contributed to the advancement of sailing at the club/school
level.
~ Timothy Irwin - CYA Volunteer of the Year, recognizing outstanding
contributions by CYA volunteers.
~ Isabella Bertold - Bill Burk Memorial Youth Elite Award (Female),
recognizing a top male and female youth sailor.
~ Robert Davis - Bill Burk Memorial Youth Elite Award (Male), recognizing a
top male and female youth sailor.
~ Abe Torchinsky - Marvin McDill Memorial Award, presented to the athlete/
crew with the best results at their first Open World Championship as a member
of the Canadian Sailing Team.
~ Oliver Bone and Stéphane Locas - Nathan R. Cowan Memorial Award for
Developing Sailors, recognizing individuals that have demonstrated
significant determination and persistence in the pursuit of their goals.
For a complete list of winners, and details on each winner:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/1027/
U.S. SAILING'S ANNUAL MEETING
Here are some of the news items that have come from U.S. Sailing's Annual
Meeting held this past weekend in Phoenix, AZ:
* The Board of Directors re-elected Jim Capron (Annapolis, Md.) as President
for a second consecutive one-year term. According to the organization's
Bylaws, the president can serve for a maximum of three consecutive terms of
one year each.
* Winning the U.S. Sailing St Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy for excellence in
race management was the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, which was selected from a
list of 13 nominated sailing organizations for their running of the 2007
Winter Lightning Championship held last March in which 73 boats competed.
Principal Race Officer for the event was Tom Farquhar; this is the fourth
time that an event where Farquhar was PRO won the award.
* U.S. Sailing presented Keith Burhans (Rochester, N.Y.) with the Gay S. Lynn
Memorial Trophy for his outstanding contribution to disabled sailors and the
sport of disabled sailing. Burhans is not only an accomplished disabled
sailor himself, he is a leader and an innovator with a unique ability to
foster connections among groups and to help individuals to reach their
potential as sailors.
* U.S. Sailing awarded its prestigious Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy to Bob
Hobbs (East Hartford, Conn.) for his outstanding contributions to the sport
of sailing in the U.S. over many years. Hobbs' involvement with U.S. Sailing
spans over three decades, during which he held various volunteer positions,
including president (1991-'94), Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman
(1996-2000), US Sailing Foundation President and Trustee, Chairman of the
Inshore Committee, Training Committee member, and many more.
Complete report on each award at http://www.ussailing.org
DISMASTED…AGAIN!
(October 26, 2007) Pindar, the Open 60 built and owned by print and
electronic media company Pindar, last night dismasted off the coast of Le
Havre, France. Skippered by Brian Thompson, the Open 60 racing yacht was en
route to Le Havre, prior to the start of the transatlantic race, the Transat
Jacques Vabre, in which she was due to compete in eight days time. The mast
fell backwards and then to windward onto the boat and the crew, however there
were no injuries and the crew are all safe and well. The mast, rigging and
sails were cut free from the hull, which suffered minimal damage, to allow
the crew to motor safely into Le Havre. This is the second dismasting for
Pindar Open 60 since she was launched this year, and it will now force her to
pull out of the Transat Jacques Vabre race. -- Complete report:
http://www.pindar.com/teampindar/news.asp?navID=273&d=848&i=5
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US 470 TEAM – INTERVIEWS WITH SARAH AND STU
Sarah Mergenthaler, with helm Amanda Clark, won the US Olympic Trials in the
Women’s 470, while Stu McNay won the Men’s 470 event with Graham Biehl. Here
they are interviewed by fellow 470 campaigner Dave Hughes:
* Sarah, tell us how and when you got started with Amanda.
SARAH - Amanda and I teamed up in April, 2002 so we're working on 6 years of
training and compteting with each other. We were serious about the Olympics
from day 1 of our program. I was sitting at work one day when my dad called
and said he'd just spoken with Dennis Clark (Amanda's father) and that she
was looking for a crew in the 470. Side note here: Amanda and I grew up
sailing Optimists against each other years beforehand, so I knew who he was
talking about right away. I called Amanda that weekend and we talked over the
phone about each of our goals, plans, try-outs, etc. I flew down to Miami the
next weekend to go for a sail. You see, I'd been a single-handed sailor all
my life. I wasn't sure if I'd fit the mold as a crew but was sure willing to
try for an opportunity. The other issue I had was that I'd never been on a
trapeze before, so I had to make a few phone calls to dig up a harness for
that weekend! I immediately fell in love with the 470 and Amanda and I worked
well together. I took a leap of faith and decided to quit my job the
following month so we could train full time in Europe. The rest is history!
Read on to learn of how previous trials experience helped, a typical training
day, favorite regattas, advice to future Olympians, and schedule leading up
to the Olympics. -- http://www.onedesign.com/class/470/470_whatsnew.html#17
* Stu, what do you feel are your best strengths?
STU - I feel we are strong on the starting line. Our boat-handling is
excellent, so we are good at maneuvering and sailing when near other boats.
Our speed is consistent throughout the wind range and never holds us back. I
think people sometimes focus too much on getting a boat speed edge. The edge
that is found is usually most apparent in a tuning environment and then seems
less transferable to a racing environment. Basically, speed is necessary, but
sometimes overrated. We have the speed to race in a wide range of conditions,
so our decision making is what wins and what loses the regatta--but won't
complain if speed wins it either!
Read on to learn of Stu’s 470 career, their training plan now for the
Olympics, the leading teams, and tips for getting into the class. --
http://www.onedesign.com/class/470/470_whatsnew.html#16
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine)
Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar
SAILING SHORTS
* North Sails has announced the purchase of Cuben FiberCorporation, a
leading-edge manufacturer of specialized sail cloth headed by physicist Dr.
Heiner Meldner and composites engineer RJ Downs. Both Downs and Meldner will
join North's technical team while continuing to develop Cuben Fiber
sailcloth. First developed and used on Bill Koch's winning America's Cup
boat, America3, in 1992, Cuben Fiber's patented technology uses individual
filaments spread from the fiber to create a durable and light sailcloth.
Cuben Fiber will continue to be manufactured at its current facility in Mesa,
Arizona. -- Complete release:
http://na.northsails.com/news.taf?_function=detail&news_uid1=370
* It is confirmed that American Clay Burkhalter finished 12th overall (proto
division) in the Mini Transat, the 4240-mile solo ocean race that goes from
France to Brazil. Of the 89 starters, 13 are still racing, with 25 thus far
not completing the second leg of the two leg race. --
http://www.teamacadia.org/
* OC Events have signed a new title partnership agreement with Artemis
Investment Management, one of the UK’s leading investment management
companies. The 13th edition of The Transat, to be known as The Artemis
Transat, will start 11th May, 2008 from Sutton Harbour, Plymouth (UK), and
finish in Boston, USA. Created in 1960 by Sir Francis Chichester and Blondie
Hasler, and often known until 2004 as the OSTAR, it is the oldest solo race
in history. The 2008 edition will be a monohull only race, with the IMOCA 60
and Class 40 classes currently confirmed. http://www.theartemistransat.com
* The Preliminary Notice of Race for the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race is posted
on the event website. The Official Notice of Race will be posted when changes
to the 2008-2009 ISAF Offshore Special Regulations are finalized. --
http://tinyurl.com/2njy7l
* Del Rey Yacht Club will host a fourth stop on the November US-IRC tour of
Southern California yacht clubs, The informational presentation at DRYC
scheduled for 3:00PM on Saturday November 17th will benefit all active racers
in the Santa Monica Bay-Redondo Beach area. Other stops on the US-IRC Owners
Association tour will be Friday evening November 16th at the Los Angeles
Yacht Club, Saturday morning November 17th at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club
and Sunday morning November 18th before the "Hot Rum" Race #2 at the San
Diego Yacht Club. -- Full details: http://www.us-irc.org/newsfull.cfm?ID=56
* Correction: If you found the link wasn’t working in Issue 2463 for the
story regarding the disaster with Loki during the Rolex Middle Sea Race, here
it is again: http://tinyurl.com/3bbnts
AS WINTER APPROACHES, BE SURE TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT
Let's face it. If we're serious about our cruising or racing, we spend a lot
of money on our sails. Most of us are pretty good at taking care of our
sails. We either send them out to be washed and dried properly or we do it
ourselves. If you've ever experienced a severe mildew issue in the past, or
if you want to be sure to avoid them in the future, please visit
http://mclube.com/sailkote/sailkoteplus.php and click on one of our
professional McLube Spray Facilities for a free quote to have your sails
coated with Sailkote PLUS anti-mildew formula.
EIGHT BELLS
Hezron Moxey, a legend and the finest gentleman one could ever meet, died
last Thursday at the age of 79. Moxey crafted an exciting and prolific career
and during the 1970s when the regatta rage stated, he was one of the
principles of the sailing movement. Although he was the skipper of famed
boats like the Unca Boss, the Lady Eugenia and the Lady Nathalie, he will
forever be linked more so to the Good News.The Good News with Captain Hezron
at the Tiller revolutionized sailing and brought high levels of excitement to
regattas.
The Good News in fact was one of the first boats that on their very own merit
were responsible for great portions of the crowds that started milling on
mailboats and planes during the 1970s to flock island regatta locations. In
1974 the Good News emerged as a champion of the sea with its first victory at
the Family Island Regatta in Exuma. Captain Hezron would pilot her to
victories also in 1977, 1978 and 1982. In 1985, Captain took command of the
Lady Eugenia and attained success at the big regatta once again. Then in 1990
and 1991, he was successful yet again, this time aboard the Unca Boss. He
teamed up also with the loquacious Eleazer "Sailing Barber" Johnson with the
Lady Nathalie. A stern, but fair man, Captain Hezron was lots of fun as
well. – The Bahama Journal, read on:
http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=123&a=14595
NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you are company that is marketing to the sailing community, the only way
to insure that your new products get publicity is to post the information on
Scuttlebutt’s New Product Announcement section. This is a self-service tool,
so there are no delays in getting your information online. As for the
Scuttlebutt reader, this is a handy area to browse through and see what is
“new on the shelves.” Look for the link in the Scuttlebutt website navigation
area, or go direct to the section here:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/products
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 Brian Raney: As a counterpoint to the "courtesy to race managers"
post, and a complement
to the ISPCRY post, I've got a certain PRO to nominate in the category of
"Most Time Wasted in Perfectly Sailable Beeeze due to Over-Diligence".
Unfortunately, the events weren't on LIS.
=> Curmudgeon’s Comment: Brian is referring to the 2007 Moosehead Awards that
will be presented this weekend, and whose purpose it to openly celebrates the
faux pas of race committees from the Long Island Sound. If you have any
details on this year’s winners, please post them in this Forum thread:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5417
* From Gail M. Turluck: (regarding Courtesy To Race Managers thread beginning
in #2461) At the GL70 Bay Harbor, MI, series this past summer the RC, facing
a Traverse Bay made of fog shrouded glass, stated after a 1 hour
postponement, "The weather is reported to be breaking soon. You all came here
to race. We came here to run races. Let's all get out there so when the wind
comes in, we're ready, we'll drop buoys, and you can have at it." We did, we
had about a 1/2 hour of goofing off out there, but the wind came in, the
buoys were dropped, and racing ensued. Rather than an hour of wasted wind
while everyone got off the dock, rigged, etc., WE RACED! Thanks, Eric!
* From Mike Brown, Chicago: (first reported in Issue 2462) I would like to
add my sentiments to the crew aboard the J/35 "Jason" out of Chicago. On
Wednesday, October 24th, they set out for a delivery of their race boat to a
local yard, only to not make the delivery complete. Three perished in 6-8
foot seas while rescuing a crewmate that had fallen over. In the colder
climates, delivering your yacht is a yearly event, can be anticipated to be
as much fun as some of the racing we do all year, but bad things can happen
anytime and I am hoping most take all precautions even though it might seem
like getting the boat from point A to point B is no big deal. Accidents
happen and this is just one of those fluky things that happen to the most
experienced sailors.
=> Curmudgeon’s Comment: The boat's owner, John Finn, 45, was killed along
with Adam Kornen, 33, and Alexander Childers, 38. Finn and Kornen were both
from Chicago; Childers was from Evanston. The fourth sailor, Joseph Sunshine,
34, of Chicago, was treated and released from a local hospital. Additional
information here:
CBS television: http://tinyurl.com/3yh3sl
Chicago Tribune: http://tinyurl.com/3b5wvn
* From Bruce Thompson: The report on the loss of three lives from the J-35,
Jason, http://www.suntimes.com/news/621652,CST-NWS-boat26a.article gives
pause for reflection. The medical examiner reported that the men drown,
though they were all wearing life jackets. As a former Safety Committee
Chairman for LMSRF, I have been quite disappointed by the failure to even rig
the jacklines when the SIs specifically call for them to be available (e.g.
during the Chicago-St Joe night race). Observation of the rafts upon arrival
indicate that such preparedness is rare.
The question everyone should ask themselves is, What will it take to get me
to rig and use my safety harnesses? Night (8:15 PM)? High winds (40 mph
gusts)? High waves (12 feet)? Limited crew (4 men)? Cold water (59 F)?
* From Bryan Hayes, Chicago: (Regarding the loss of Loki in the Rolex Middle
Sea Race from Issue 2462) Wouldn’t good seamanship be having an emergency
steering system on board a multi-million dollar racing yacht sailing in rough
offshore conditions? Shouldn’t racing sailboats that race offshore be
self-sufficient and not need for their crew to be airlifted off flimsy boats,
at taxpayer’s expense, due to the loss of a rudder. I would think that a
carbon rudder and rudder stock would be the most vulnerable part of these
racing machines, especially with all the debris floating in our waters. If
designing and building back-up rudder and steering systems would make these
boats 1/10 of knot faster, than every single one of them would spend near any
amount of money making that so. I know that things go wrong and the
unexpected happens, but that is where seamanship comes into play. Good
seamanship is not just being able to handle boat emergencies, it’s also being
able to plan and prepare your boat for the unexpected. I would think losing a
high-tech super lightweight rudder would not be that unexpected. We sail in
the Mac race every year and I know of many boats that have spent considerable
time and money planning for such misfortunes; that’s good seamanship!
* From Cameron McIntyre: From the Sail-world.com article regarding the yacht
Loki, it said that “A rudder made from a bunk and pipe cots was also
attempted but this proved futile, yet a good morale booster at the time.” Uh,
was there no requirement for a functional emergency rudder?
* From Jonothan Saunders, Fiji Islands: (regarding story in Issue 2462) With
all due respect to Dee Caffari and her achievement, how come British record
holder John Guzzwell has not received the MBE as well? He was the first
Englishman to circumnavigate the world you know, in "Trekka", a 20' yawl, in
the mid-fifties. I would like to be the first to nominate him for his amazing
achievement; perhaps some help from others would help to get this ball
rolling.
CURMUDGEON’S COUNSEL
It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just
bombed. - U.S. Air Force Manual
Special thanks to Team One Newport and McLube Sailkote PLUS.
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