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SCUTTLEBUTT 2747 - Thursday, December 18, 2008Scuttlebutt 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. Today's sponsors are Atlantis WeatherGear and Ullman Sails. HORSES FOR COURSES Olympian-turned-ocean-racer Jonathan McKee breaks down the key differences between the Volvo Ocean Race and the Vendee Globe. “Aboard the Volvo entry Telefonica Blue (above), many hands make light the work. These next six weeks will be a fascinating time in offshore sailing. The armchair watch captain can follow the Vendee Globe and Volvo Ocean Race at the same time. This raises the obvious comparison between the two races and the boats themselves. Having sailed both, I can say the craft are substantially different, though from the same "family" of powerful, open-class monohulls. The larger difference, of course, is the format; singlehanded vs. fully crewed, and non-stop vs. with stops. These factors alone deliver two very different experiences. “The Volvo Open 70 is essentially a larger version of the IMOCA Open 60 sailed in the Vendee Globe. The Volvo rules are more restrictive in many areas, including the use of water ballast (six large tanks on the Open 60 vs. one small rear tank on the Volvo 70), construction scantlings (none for the 60s), rig dimensions (fixed for the 70s vs. open for the 60s), keel cant angle, and bulb weight. The 60s have very few rules, basically length and maximum heel when fully canted/ballasted. Thus, a number of ocean-racing innovations have been developed or fine-tuned in this arena, including canting keels, rotating wing masts, multiple water ballast options, and planing hulls. The Volvo 70 is a bigger boat, and the loads are much higher, but there are a lot more restrictions. In the end, the boats are more similar than one might think, especially in this second generation.” -- Sailing World, read on: http://SButt121708a.notlong.com WHAT WERE YOU DOING ON DECEMBER 17TH ? (Dec, 17, 2008; Day 38) – With the Vendee Globe leaders lurking to the south of central Australia, Roland Jourdain shows no sign of backing off , but if he was especially nervous about Wednesday night and Thursday, it would be entirely understandable. On 17th December 2007 (2220hrs GMT) Jourdain and Jean Luc Nelias were forced out of the Barcelona World Race when their mast broke. And, remarkably, in the Vendee Globe four years ago on 17th December 2004, he was forced to push the helm down and head 900 miles north for Hobart when he was lying in third place. A cracked keel head, black liquid oozing from it, was the cause of his retirement. Jourdain says he is not especially superstitious and has sailed a superb race to date, but he will be pleased to get through the next few hours on a boat he knows so well. Indeed, with 19 new boats built for this race and 30 entries, who would have predicted that two of the three boats which formed the top three four years ago, would again be in the top three, on the same dates? -- Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s. Standings as of 18:30 UTC (Top 5 plus of 30 entrants; 19 now competing): 1. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Foncia, 13243.9 nm Distance to finish 2. Roland Jourdain (FRA), Veolia Environnement, 31.2 nm Distance to leader 3. Jean Le Cam (FRA), VM Matériaux, 81.5 nm DTL 4. Sébastien Josse (FRA), BT, 87.2 nm DTL 5. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, 293.4nm DTL 10. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 914.8 nm DTL 12. Dee Caffari (GBR), Aviva, 1444.7 nm DTL 16. Rich Wilson (USA), Great American III, 2439.5 nm DTL 17. Derek Hatfield (CAN), Algimouss Spirit of Canada, 2701.9 nm DTL Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html Race tracking: http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/en DISCOVER: A REWARD FOR LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS In sailing, timing is critical. It’s important in gift buying too, and if you’re among those of us who wait until the last minute, we think you deserve a great last-minute deal. Between now and 12/23, if you buy a Grand Prix softshell jacket, you can get a red or green Microburst vest FREE. Shop online at JSI, Landfall, Point Loma Outfitting, Preston’s, Sailing Pro Shop, Sound Boatworks or Team One Newport. And for other last-minute gift ideas, visit our website and check out the Atlantis Holiday Gift Guide. -- http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com/RedGreen Discover: Your Atlantis VERY EASY TO GO FROM THE PENTHOUSE TO THE S^%T HOUSE (Dec. 17, 2008; Day 5) - Life on board has all been about tacking and stacking as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet makes its way upwind to the nearest treasure chest – the scoring waypoint of Pulau We, at the entrance to the Malacca Strait, over 400 miles away. From there they can turn right, and hopefully do something they would not have done for the first three-quarters of this 1,950nm leg: aim at the finish. For now, Telefonica Blue, having invested heavily in the southern-most route on the eastbound race track, continues to head the leaderboard. The lateral separation between Bouwe Bekking’s men and the rest has grown to over 110 miles. Comments Bekking, “We think we can make a gain with an expected South East windshift to come. The risk is that the shift will not mature and then we are in trouble, as being south it means as well that we have lighter winds than all the others. Is it risky what we do? Yeeessss, very risky, but we didn't have a real opportunity to tack to the north, so we stuck to our guns and believe what we see on the weather charts. These are the days that your tummy gets squeezed in like mad, and we all have to try to relax. It is a matter of breathing in and out, and to stay calm, we all have faced worse moments in our sailing lives. Another 24 hours we will see how our strategy is paying off, very easy to go from the penthouse to the s^%t house.” -- Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com Leg Three from Cochin to Singapore is 1,950 nm, with the finish estimated on December 23rd. Current positions (as of Dec. 18, 1:00am GMT): 1. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 1025 nm Distance to Finish 2. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 23 nm Distance to Leader 3. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Anders Lewander/SWE, 34 nm DTL 4. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 36 nm DTL 5. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 39 nm DTL 6. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 42 nm DTL 7. Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, 99 nm DTL 8. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 103 nm DTL Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org NEW QUAD BEGINNING WELL FOR AMERICAN CONTINGENT Melbourne, AUS (Dec. 17, 2008) - Beijing Olympic gold medallist Anna Tunnicliffe made an impressive start to her ISAF Sailing World Cup season, topping the leaderboard in the Laser Radial class following the second day of racing at Sail Melbourne. It was a busy day on Port Phillip Bay, as day two of Sail Melbourne, the first event of the new ISAF Sailing World Cup series, brought with it improved conditions. Unfortunately Radial racing was postponed Tuesday due to the light air, With 20 knot winds forecast for Thursday, the US skipper is set to have further opportunity to demonstrate her famed ability across all wind ranges and conditions. Also fairing well are US 470 class Olympic representatives Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl, winning today’s final race to keep pace with the leading Aussie pair, Beijing gold medallist Malcolm Page and his new skipper Mat Belcher. Sail Melbourne is the first of seven World Cup events across Oceania, North America and Europe that aims to build a Grand Prix type circuit, providing a focus for the Olympic-class sailors. -- Full story: http://www.sailing.org/26526.php?PHPSESSID=1b99b5dc776339674ed96fa362d98570 SETTING HER SIGHTS ON ANOTHER MEDAL Back to back gold is the ultimate aim for US Beijing Olympic Champion Anna Tunnicliffe as she steps back into the Laser Radial dinghy for the inaugural event of the ISAF Sailing World Cup at Sail Melbourne. The Florida based Beijing gold medallist is in Melbourne this week for the inaugural first leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup – Sail Melbourne. At the completion of the first day of racing in the Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial fleet, everything is going to plan with Tunnicliffe sitting in a familiar position at the top of the leaderboard. Said Tunnicliffe, “The next regatta is the US team qualifier in Miami [US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR, the second event of the ISAF Sailing World Cup] and I wanted to have an event before that and it’s the first regatta of the World Cup which I am going for too. I just want to get top three, work on my fitness and tactics and get back into racing again.” As for another Olympic medal, Tunnicliffe adds, “I’m a pretty driven person and I try to succeed at whatever I set my mind to - it would be fantastic to win another gold medal but I know it will probably be harder again this time. But if I do it again it will just prove it was worth all of the effort I’ve put in … but right now I’m just thinking of the small goals that I have to achieve to get there.” -- Complete story: http://www.sailing.org/26527.php SEASON’S GREETING FROM ULLMAN SAILS Everyone in the worldwide Ullman Sails network would like to wish you, your family and your crew a happy and safe holiday season. It’s been a big year for sailing and next season is closing in fast. Once the madness of the holidays is over, contact your local Ullman Sails loft. Our expert designers and sailmakers can help evaluate your inventory and determine the best upgrades for next year’s goals and budget. Decide on your New Year’s resolution early. Ullman Sails – Make an investment in your performance. Contact a local loft and visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com KEEP YOUR INSURANCE PAID UP The technology of lightning protection hasn't changed significantly since Ben Franklin invented the lightning rod in 1752. The best way to protect boat and crew from this random force is still to provide the strike a straight, low-resistance path to ground. If the highest metal structure on the boat is properly grounded, the risk of structural damage or personal injury is extremely small. Onboard electronics are, unfortunately, not protected. Lightning induces current to flow in any conductor it passes near, and a powerful strike even 100 yards away may induce currents that exceed the capacity of the low-current components inside most marine electronics. You can gain limited protection by twisting all electronics power leads so induced currents will tend to cancel. Electrical wiring should run perpendicular to bonding wires to minimize the inductive effect of current flowing to ground. Ground the chassis-the metal housing--to protect internal circuits and components from directly induced currents. A surge protector in the supply line may stop a limited range of lightning-induced power spikes. But despite every protective effort, if lightning strikes your boat, your electronics have only one chance in two of not becoming toast-so keep your insurance paid up. -- RCR Yachts Racer's News, http://www.rcryachts.com SAILING SHORTS * US SAILING has chosen five 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games medalists and US Sailing Teams AlphaGraphics members as the sport’s 2008 Athlete of the Year for outstanding performance and achievement this year. US SAILING’s Olympic Sailing Committee has named Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) and Olympic Silver Medalist Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) as SportsWoman and SportsMan of the Year, respectively. Paralympic Gold Medalists Nick Scandone (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Marblehead, Mass.) have been chosen as the Team of the Year, and Paralympic Bronze Medalist John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis.) is the Paralympian of the Year. -- Read on: http://SButt121708b.notlong.com * Lausanne, Switzerland (Dec. 16, 2008) - Sailing scored a major coup as its television coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games was recognized as 'The Best Sports Coverage by the Host Broadcaster' at the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) "Olympic Golden Rings" ceremony, which recognises the contribution made by the world of television to the success of the Olympic Games. In total 27 films were in the running for awards across four categories. The films were watched by an international jury, chaired by IOC Honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch. -- Complete story: http://www.sailing.org/26552.php * A record breaking fleet of over 700 junior sailors from 24 countries, as well as 26 U.S. states and territories will convene for the 32nd annual Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta based at the Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami, Fla. on December 27-30, 2008. The Orange Bowl Regatta is the culminating event of the USA Junior Olympic Sailing season. This regatta is the largest youth sailing regatta in the country, with racing held on Biscayne Bay, featuring fleet racing on four courses for Club 420, Laser, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7 and Optimist classes. -- Complete story: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2008/Orange_Bowl_Pre.asp * Acknowledging the downturn in US boat sales, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) said it would relax its model-year policy for boats on display for the 2009 winter boat show season. The NMMA Executive Committee approved a recommendation made by the NMMA Shows Committee to allow exhibitors to display a higher percentage of 2008 model year boats at this winter's shows. The new policy was established to help dealers sell off 2008 inventory. -- IBI Magazine, read on: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20081116153010ibinews.html NOT ONLY JUST A NEWSLETTER Scuttlebutt began as a sailing newsletter in 1997, but has grown far beyond those early days. The Scuttlebutt website provides: * Comprehensive event calendar * Complimentary classified ads * Photo galleries and videos * Sailing library * No-cost sailing club membership Find these options and others at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com 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 be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Michael de Angeli, Jamestown RI: As a patent lawyer, concerned above all with the correct definition and use of technical terminology, I have followed the recent debate of the proper definition of "boat" in connection with the entitlement to the absolute speed record with great amusement. Obviously one can write the definition of "boat" any way one likes. Absent a clear definition the kiteboard folks have just as good a claim as the windsurfer guys. A distinction could be drawn by requiring that the sails have to be attached to masts - but that would exclude ocean-going cargo ships flying kites, which aren't likely to set any speed records, but are unquestionably boats. Likewise, if we define a boat as something which floats, iceboats would be excluded; if we decide instead that a boat is something that is supported by water, iceboats would be included. So it's all a question of semantics, and the logical thing is to keep separate records for different classes of boats, different water conditions, and so on; that way all the leaders get legitimate respective bragging rights. This debate is very reminiscent of the problem in PHRF racing where those of us in boats equipped with furniture, heads, etc must compete against similarly-rated planing boats such as Melges 24s, Vipers and the like. It's an imperfect system, but what isn't? Fortunately the one-design option is available for those who prefer to discuss tactics, sailhandling, and strategy rather than the inequity of rating rules over beers after the race. * From Jim Whistler: (re, lead story in SBUTT 2746) I knew Peter Harken would have a funny tidbit coated with his thick and humorous accent. Whenever I read his writing, I can hear his voice and see his body language in my mind as he rambles forward. A true classic, the last of a breed of the guys that left their name all over the sport of sailing. So many of the great soft water sailors seriously check their pulse on the hard water. It's the acceleration that amazes me on the ice, I'll find my heart beating like that of a hummingbird as every muscle in my body seems to get involved in the process of going faster. * From Ray Tostado: What has the world done to my sport? I entered sailing through the sawdust and varnish of a wooden boat fleet, WHOA, then into years of IOR racing. Now it seems that the "rules" I was introduced to have vanished. Pro crews, moveable appendages, generator assisted deck equipment; and now, "kite" technology. (I won't venture down the ACC alley.) I just wish all the big boys and their weird toys would form their own playground and its rules, and stop pretending this still includes dinghy racing and the old PHRF rules. And my sentiments also go to the "cruise class". Form your own associations and join us at the line, but not with the ridiculous Home-Boy YC "adjustments". Note: "...a 35# anchor on the bow is worth 3 spm".... This is whether you have a Cal 29 or a 52' Swan! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Doctor to patient: I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you are not a hypochondriac. Special thanks to Atlantis WeatherGear and Ullman Sails. Please give consideration to supporting the Scuttlebutt sponsors when making your holiday shopping decisions this year. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
