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SCUTTLEBUTT 2395 - July 24, 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. J/125 WINS TRANSPAC (July 23, 2007) The first two times Reinrag2 sailed the Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii, Al Garnier was on the boat enjoying the fun with the family. This year he's on the docks greeting every boat that finishes the race, whatever time of day or night, because that's what Transpacific Yacht Club commodores do. Late Sunday night at the Hawaii Yacht Club that duty included Reinrag2, his brother Tom's J/125 from Portland, Ore. "Al said before the race, 'My dream would be to present the big trophy to you,' " Tom Garnier said. And so it will be. The little 41-foot boat-that-could upstaged all 73 starters big and small to win first place overall on corrected handicap time. Al will hand the Governor of Hawaii trophy to Tom at the awards dinner Friday night. "The gods must still be crazy," Tom said. Garnier spelled backwards is Reinrag . . . or vice versa. The 2 means "squared," but let's not go there. What's important is that even with handicaps aside, Reinrag2's daily mileage logs late in the race surpassed those of almost all other boats except Pyewacket and Magnitude 80 twice its size. Doug Baker's Mag 80, meanwhile, finished an hour before dawn Monday to clinch overall honors in Division 1 ahead of Pyewacket. Mag 80's elapsed time was 7 days 19 hours 8 minutes 10 seconds, second only to Pyewacket's 7:01:11:56. And there was still considerable action at sea with a second match race between Cal 40s heating up to the level of the ongoing joust of Transpac 52s. Both were so tight that in each case the boat behind was ahead of its rival on corrected time---Steve Calhoun's Cal 40 Psyche over Don Grind's Far Far and the Morning Light rookies against John Kilroy Jr.'s Samba Pa Ti pros. The TP52s should finish around midnight Wednesday, the Cal 40s the next day. -- Read on for the complete report: http://tinyurl.com/yspvqb * Look for the ETAs from the yachts as they near Hawaii, the actual Finish Reports, and then the Daily Standings at http://www.transpacificyc.org MEAN MACHINE CANCELS VOLVO OCEAN RACE PROJECT Mean Machine’s CEO and founder Peter de Ridder has announced the team have suspended their Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09 project after initiating it ten months ago. The main reasons for this turnaround are financial, where the team does not have sufficient sponsorship to cover the considerable budget for a project of these proportions. The lack of funding at this point has a direct impact on the timings in terms of logistics and the construction of a new boat. The team’s commitment to sailing excellence has lead them to decide that withdrawal from the competition is the best realistic option. The team, with project Skipper Ray Davies and Operations Manager Dirk de Ridder, will carry on competing in the TP 52 class and in other one design events. -- http://www.mean-machine.nl HOME SWEET HOME The guarantees offered over the future enlargement of the Port in Valencia and the Formula 1 urban circuit have finally managed to convince Ernesto Bertarelli of Alinghi that Valencia after all will be the future site of the next America’s Cup. Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero plans to hold a meting later Monday with Mr Bertarelli in order to publicly show his support for staging the event in Valencia. As a result of the negotiations, the final sum payable by Valencia for staging the Cup Races has dropped by ten million Euros to 110 million (approx. 151,787,000 USD). The new competition will take place in 2008 and 2009, and will be called The Rolex Cup, with the watchmaker now becoming the official sponsor of the early regattas replacing Louis Vuitton. The official announcement will be made on Wednesday, and at that time the proportions payable by the federal, local and Town Hall Government will be announced. As things currently stand, the federal Government will pay 40%, as will the Valencian Government with the remaining 20% coming from Valencia Town Hall. -- Valencia Life Network, mailto:publisher@valencialife.net FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE WORLD All over the world, you will find Camet Padded Sailing Shorts. The leading teams are using the combination of our Code Zero Shirts and Sailing Shorts made out of a breathable fast drying fabric with a UVA certification (97.5%) for sun protection. With our closed cell foam inserts available for a variety of different styles of shorts, we have redesigned comfort to give you the ability to hike hard without losing feeling in your legs. This will allow you to go longer and not suffer from fatigue, helping you to think clearly and perform to your expectations! http://www.camet.com/?Click=122 BRITISH CHALLENGE NOW OFFICIAL Monday 23rd July 2007 -- The Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), represented by Alinghi, received a challenge from the Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC), represented by TEAMORIGIN, for the 33rd America’s Cup. AC Management (ACM) has now informed the RTYC and TEAMORIGIN that its challenge has been accepted. Following the Spanish Club Náutico Español de Vela’s challenge represented by Desafio Espanol and the South African Royal Cape Yacht Club’s challenge represented by Team Shosholoza, the Royal Thames Yacht Club’s challenge, represented by Sir Keith Mills’ TEAMORIGIN, becomes the third officially accepted challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup since Alinghi completed its successful defence of the 32nd America’s Cup on 3rd July 2007. Sir Keith Mills commented from London, “TEAMORIGIN and the RTYC have together challenged for the America’s Cup believing that a Host City, a full regatta programme for the coming seasons and a class rule for the new boat to be used for the 33rd America’s Cup Match will shortly be announced. TEAMORIGIN further believes that several other teams will challenge in the coming weeks and months following these announcements.” – Complete announcement: http://www.teamorigin.com/da/58075 FOR THE RECORD (July 23, 2007) With less than 200 miles to go to Lizard Point this Monday lunch time, the 105 foot maxi trimaran Groupama 3 has made up its deficit on the reference time set by Bruno Peyron last year (for the transatlantic crossing record). Currently sailing at an average speed of around twenty-five knots, Franck Cammas and his nine crew are expected to reach the finish line at around midnight. Record in prospect? Sailing to the South of Ireland at around 1500 hours UK time, the giant trimaran was benefiting from favourable wind conditions to complete the 2,925 mile course between Ambrose Light (New York) and Lizard Point (Cornwall, UK). However, though the wind Gods are with them providing 25 knots of N'ly on the beam for this final dash, Neptune is being a little less cooperative, providing short, confused seas off the European continental shelf. In spite of having to ease off the pace a little in order to preserve the structure, Franck Cammas and his crew are still managing to make around twenty-five knots of boat speed...on a direct course towards the goal. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/23xscd OVERHAULING COCONUT GROVE'S WATERFRONT Miami, FL -- Coconut Grove's waterfront could be the ''Sailing Capital of the World'' and a more welcoming place to residents and tourists, according to a master plan that will be considered by two Miami boards next week. But after more than two years of studies and public meetings, the city-hired planning firm of Sasaki Associates has found that navigating through nostalgic landmarks, government leases and deeds and public and private interests has been an arduous task. One of the most noticeable features in the plan being presented: the demolition of the Coconut Grove Expo Center, which would be replaced by park space and an open-air amphitheater. Most in the Grove have applauded the idea. But another move to create more park space has been one of the plan's most contentious aspects: the Coconut Grove Sailing Club's 25-year-old facility would be demolished and the club would move to the southwest side of Dinner Key Marina, along with nonprofit watersports center Shake-A-Leg Miami. Both have opposed the move. -- Miami Herald, full story: http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/177668.html THE WORLD ISN’T ROUND Beginning on July 29th it will be Radial. The countries best junior women’s singlehanded sailors will be competing for the US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship. The event is sponsored by Vanguard, sailed in Laser Radials, at the Pleon Yacht Club, July 29-August 4. For updates visit teamvanguard.com and http://www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjrw/single XV PAN AMERICAN GAMES Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (July 23, 2007) - Most U.S. sailors completed their first two races of the XV Pan American Games today in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All nine sailing classes were underway as scheduled Monday at Glória Marina following yesterday's cancellations. The women's RS:X was the lone class to complete only one race after light winds prevented the sailors from rounding the course within the time limit. Andrew Campbell (San Diego, Calif.), led off competition with a bullet in the first race. He dropped to fifth in the second race, but finished the day in a tie for first in the Laser class along with Chile's Matias del Solar (six points). Commented Campbell on his day, "The first race was good. I got off the line in a great spot and hit the first shift, and was long gone. It was really nice to just punch out, be in clear air and going fast the whole time. My boat speed felt fine, but it's a little hard to tell. That second race I think showed that everybody is a little more even." The sailors will be back on the water tomorrow with races scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. local. If wind conditions are favorable, they will attempt to complete three races before daylight runs out to make up for Sunday's cancellations. -- Complete report and results: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0723a Results - Top Three and USA Laser Radial (12 boats) -- 2 races 1. Canada 2-2: 4 (Lisa Ross) 2. USA 4-1: 5 (Paige Railey/Clearwater, Fla.) 3. Argentina 3-4: 7 (Cecilia Carranza Saroli) Laser (12 boats) -- 2 races T1. USA 1-5: 6 (Andrew Campbell/San Diego, Calif.) T1. Chile 4-2: 6 (Matias del Solar) 3. Brazil 3-4: 7 (Robert Scheidt) RS:X Men (9 boats) -- 2 races 1. Mexico 1-1: 2 (David Mier Y Teran) T2. Brazil 3-2: 5 (Ricardo Winicki) T2. Argentina 2-3: 5 (Mariano Reutemann) T4. USA 5-4: 9 (Ben Barger/Tampa, Fla.) T4. Venezuela 4-5: 9 (Carlos Flores) RS:X Women (7 boats) - 1 race 1. Canada 1 (Dominique Vallee) 2. Argentina 2 (Florencia Gutierrez) 3. USA 3 (Nancy Rios/Cocoa Beach, Fla.) Lightning (7 boats) -- 2 races 1. Chile 1-1: 2 (Alberton Gonzalez, Diego Gonzalez, Cristian Herman) 2. Brazil 2-3: 5 (Claudio Biekarck, Gunnar Ficker, Silva Marcelo) T3. Ecuador 5-2: 7 (Sebastian Herrera Castro, Juan Santos Dillon, Juan Santos Garces) T3. USA 3-4: 7 (Bill Faude/Chicago, Ill.; David Starck/Buffalo, N.Y.; Jody Starck/Buffalo, N.Y.) Sunfish (11 boats) -- 2 races 1. Venezuela 3-1: 4 (Eduardo Cordero) T2. Peru 1-6: 7 (Alexander Zimmermann) T2. Virgin Islands 5-2: 7 (Peter Stanton) T2. USA 2-5: 7 (Paul Foerster/Rockwall, Texas) J24 (7 boats) -- 2 races 1. Argentina 1-2: 3 (Joaquin Duarte Argerich, Gustavo Gonzalez, Sebastian Peri Brusa, Alejo Rigoni) T2. Uruguay 4-3: 7 (Alejandro Foglia Mafio, Sebastian Rana, Nicolas Shaban, Santiago Silveria) T2. Canada 3-4: 7 (Mark Goodyear, Rossi Milev, Erwyn Naidoo, Mike Wolfs) 6. USA 6-5: 11 (Daniel Borrer/St. Augustine Beach, Fla.; Nate Vilardebo/Tampa, Fla.;Patrick Wilson/Savannah, Ga.; Josh Putnam/Augusta, Ga.) Hobie Cat 16 (8 boats) -- 2 races 1. Brazil 1-1: 2 (Bernardo Arndt, Bruno Oliveira) 2. Guatemala 3-2: 5 (Cristina Guirola, Juan Ignacio Maegli) 3. Venezuela 4-3: 7 (Gonzalo Cendra, Yamil Saba) T5. USA 6-4: 10 (Bob Merrick/Branford, Conn.; Eliza Cleveland/Branford, Conn.) T5. MEX 5-5: 10 (Javier Cabildo Quiroz, Katia Dennise Real Lopez) Snipe (11 boats) -- 2 races T1. Brazil 1-3:4 (Pedro Amaral, Alexandre Paradeda) T1. Uruguay 2-2: 4 (Pablo Defazio, Eduardo Medici) 3. Argentina 6-1: 7 (Francisco Bonaventura, Adrian Oscar Marcatelli) 4. USA 5-4: 9 (Augie Diaz/Miami, Fla.; Tracy Smith/Newport, R.I.) * Curmudgeon’s Comment: The event website is not exactly user-friendly, so Scuttlebutt is heavily dependant on participants or onsite support personnel for our reports. If our coverage seems US biased, it is only because that is where our assistance is coming. Scuttlebutt strives to provide balanced coverage for the North Americans in attendance, and will welcome any media support from other countries. REGATTA ROUND UP * Troia, Portugal (Monday, July 23 2007) -- Jenny Axhede of Sweden emerged the triumphal victor of the Troia Portugal Women’s Match Cup, defeating Sally Barkow of the United States by three races to one in an action-packed final the finished shortly before sunset. It was a final in which wind shifts and penalties played their part. Jenny Axhede (NED) came away with $20,000.00 while Sally Barkow (USA) earned $12,000.00. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/2e2jc9 * Fifteen teams from across the Gulf Yachting Association competed at Pontchartrain Yacht Club (Mandeville, LA) last weekend for the Junior Lipton Championship. The three-race format requires a different skipper for each race and a sailor may sail no more than two races. SYC posted a three-bullet sweep to defend their Junior Lipton title from 2006 and win for the fifth time in seven years. Skippers Kiel Killeen, Julian Richards, and Team Captain Michael Levert were assisted by crews Dwight LeBlanc, Mason Ryan, and Benjamin Fournier Foch. Houston YC (TX) was second with Bay-Waveland YC (MS) in third. -- Complete results: http://www.pontyc.org/regatta/junior_liptons/Jr%20Lipton%202007.htm * Corona del Mar, CA -- The 41st Governor’s Cup junior match race event drew to a close with the most dramatic 3 race final in recent memory. Newport Harbor Yacht Club and King Harbor Yacht Club advanced to the final by beating out St. Thomas Yacht Club and Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in their respective semi-final matches. The finalists were all even going into the final race, which saw NHYC successfully shed a penalty and hold on for the race and event win. The 2007 Governor’s Cup winning team included skipper Mike Menninger, with Cole Hatton in the middle and Chris Segerblom on the bow. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/24bkmv * Chris Carroll from Cleveland Yachting Club won the J/22 Eastern Great Lakes Championship hosted by Fleet 73 and The Buffalo (NY) Yacht Club from July 21-22. The 52 boat fleet sailed five races in very light and variable conditions. Cory Sertl finished second, and hopes to build on her performance as she heads to the J/22 North American Championship in Cleveland (September 19-22) and the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship in Houston (November 12-17) sailed on the J/22. -- Complete report and results: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0723 * With 304 entries, the US Optimist Dinghy Association (USODA) National Championships are underway at Minnetonka Yacht Club in Deephaven, MN, where Erika Reineke of Ft Lauderdale, FL beat Laura Wefer of Sea Cliff, NY on a tiebreaker to win the Girls Nationals last Sunday. Racing for the Open Nationals began Monday. -- http://www.2007optinationals.com/ * Since the 234-boat fleet started Bayview Yacht Club’s Port Huron to Mackinac Race on Saturday, July 21st, all entries in the GL 70 and IRC A classes had either finished or retired by Monday, with the balance of the fleet expected in by Tuesday. -- Race website: http://www.byc.com/mack07 JUMPIN JACK FLASH ====> LAURIE DAVIDSON 50, FOR SALE They don’t make racer/cruisers like they used to! She is fractional for upwind and with masthead spinnakers. Nice interior and very generous cockpit. This excellent blend of old and new will turn heads and go fast too. Ready for 2008 Pacific Cup, Vic Maui, or your favorite event. $179,000. http://www.fastisfun.com/listings/Davidson50/index.html SAILING SHORTS * Hong Kong has moved a step closer to becoming a port of call for 2008-09 following a round of meetings this week between Volvo Ocean Race organisers and government representatives. The latest development follows the recent confirmation of Qingdao as an Asian stopover. Volvo veteran Matt Humphries has been part of the discussions with authorities in Hong Kong with the intention of putting together a Hong Kong-backed entry. -- Full report: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2007/july/hongkong/index.aspx * New Haven, Conn. – Boating-Industry marketing communications specialist Mascola Advertising announces the appointment of Kathryn Tuttle to the position of agency President. Tuttle, a 13-year veteran of the firm, previously served in the role of Vice President for five years. Tuttle will succeed agency founder Chuck Mascola, president since 1987, who will become chairman of The Mascola Group. The Mascola Group is a multi-disciplinary marketing entity composed of three firms: Mascola Advertising, Caffeine Interactive, and Xpresso PR, based in New Haven, Conn. * Nominations are now invited for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2007 – the most prestigious award of recognition in the sport of sailing. Sailors nominated may represent any discipline of the sport of sailing, but must meet the criteria of 'outstanding achievement during the period 1 September 2006 through to 31 August 2007'. Winners will be announced at the ISAF Annual meeting on Tuesday 6 November in Estoril, Portugal. The 2006 Winners were Paige Railey (USA) and Mike Sanderson (NZL). Anyone can nominate a sailor; complete details at http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j1~Fnipk2&format=popup * Amid rumours and a report which appeared in the Mail on Sunday on 15 July stating that Musto, the outdoor clothing company, had been sold for £40 million to Inflexion Private Equity, Nigel Musto confirms that the company remains firmly in the hands of the Musto family. Speaking to Yachting World today however, Nigel Musto - Managing Director - confirmed that although the company is not selling up, there are changes afoot for to expand into the casual market, and is seeking a partner with expert advice in that field. -- Full story: http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20070623154842ywnews.html 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 Bill Stephens: They won the 29er class at the US Sailing Youth Championships in New Orleans, LA, then they won the 29er class a month later at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Kington, Ontario, and now they are heading to the August 29er European Championship in Sweden. Are there any other youths that are on as big a roll as Americans Emily Dellenbaugh and Briana Provancha? * From Bill Canfield, St. Thomas, USVI: My hat is off to the Balboa Yacht Club and the crew who put together the Governors Cup Regatta last week. This was the first time that St. Thomas Yacht Club has been extended and invitation and I hope not the last. We were welcomed by one and all at the club. The racing was excellent, race management superb and umpiring very consistent. This is really the only event in the US that allows our junior sailors to show off their match racing talent and a show it was! * From John Tormey: From the 105-foot maxi trimaran Groupama 3 blistering the Atlantic Ocean, to the 94-foot Pyewacket finally getting to smoke the trade winds in the Pacific Ocean (and thanks to Sharon Green for the photos), this week must set some kind of combined speed record for dual ocean pursuits away from the continental United States. * From Dan Meyers: Enough with the sour grapes being hurled at Alinghi, Ernesto Bertarelli, and Brad Butterworth. Alinghi has assembled a great sailing team from countries all across the globe. They have behaved like sportsmen under hostile conditions. In New Zealand, they were the targets of unprecedented attacks, surveillance of their wives and children by the Blackheart weirdo’s and outrageous public insult. And they stayed silent, letting their performance on the water speak for them. They never commented on the reasons that justified the departure of some of the crew from Team New Zealand. After the 2003 challenge, they took the Cup to Europe and once again the bizarrely jealous pundits spent the last several years moaning about Valencia and every aspect of the defense. The Acts were a resounding success, taking America’s Cup racing to the people across several continents. The venue turned out far better than expected, and the Cup itself was some of the most exciting racing the sport has ever witnessed. Again in 2007 they let their sailing speak for them. Now they want to use the defenders prerogative to bring the Cup into a new era. With 101 boats built under the IACC rule, it is time for more modern boats. Can we imagine if the Cup was still stuck with 12 meters? New technology, shorter time cycles, and less nationality requirements help the sailors, sponsors, and spectators. Alinghi has done a great job for the sport. Settle this matter on the racecourse, not in the courthouse. * From Mike Rose, Auckland, New Zealand: I must admit, several of us have been thinking along similar lines to Peter Cullum in Scuttlebutt 2393 (where Louis Vuitton would host their own event separate from the America’s Cup). The initial event could be held in existing or new IACC yachts, called the Louis Vuitton Cup (as it was until recently) and, as there is no defender for the first event; the winner would become the first defender when the event was next held. A new Deed of Gift would be drawn up prior to the event, stipulating clearly what rights the defender has; say: choice of date, choice of venue, permitted wind range. All other aspects (design & number of boats, race committee) would be worked out between the defender and the challengers, represented by a Challenger of Record or CoR committee chosen by the challengers. Obviously revenue, TV rights, etc. would need to be apportioned in some way but I am sure this could be worked out. The idea is to give the defender some clearly defined advantages without allowing them to skew the event ridiculously in their favour, as our Swiss friends currently seem intent on doing. This strikes me as a workable formula that could stand the test of time and regularly produce the sort of close exciting racing we have all just witnessed with such enthusiasm. I suspect it is also something not that far from Mr. Schuyler envisioned. CURMUDGEON’S CONUNDRUM Why is it that no plastic trash bag will open from the end you first try? Special thanks to Camet International, Vanguard Sailboats, and Wizard Yachts Ltd. |
