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SCUTTLEBUTT 2781 - Friday, February 13, 2009Scuttlebutt 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 MyBoatsGear.com and 2009 Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race. WILL ROXY GIRL GET THIRD IN WORLD’S TOUGHEST RACE? (Feb. 12, 2009; Day 95) - Bathed in sunshine with very little wind, Les Sables d’Olonne prepares for several hectic days of activity, starting with the arrival of Samantha Davies, GBR, (Roxy) who is expected to break the finish line to complete her Vendée Globe some time late on Friday evening, or early Saturday morning. Sounding quite down and disheartened Guillemot said he considers third place may be beyond him now, now forcasted to be facing a long, slow beat to the finish with no keel and a very limited mainsail area. Indeed Guillemot reckoned now that he may finish after Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrian Team Pindar) and Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA). -- Full report: click here * The only two women taking part in the race are about to achieve excellent results, finishing in the top 6 from 30 starters. Samantha Davies (Roxy) should be the third competitor to cross the finishing line after a well executed race which she has given immense pleasure to many as she has shared it from aboard a legendary boat while her compatriot, Dee Caffari (Aviva) will become the first woman to sail around the world alone in both directions. Before them, five other women left their mark on the Vendée Globe. -- Read on: click here Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s. Standings as of 18:30 UTC (30 entrants; 11 now competing): 1. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Foncia, Finished Feb. 1, 15:11 GMT (84:03:09:08) 2. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, Finished Feb. 7, 08:41 GMT (89:09:39:35) 3. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 198.3 nm Distance to Finish 3. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB, Dismasted - Redress Given 4. Marc Guillemot (FRA), Safran, 439.0 nm DTF 5. Brian Thompson (GBR), Bahrain Team, 600.9 nm DTF Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html Race tracking: http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/en * Samantha Davies (Roxy) and Marc Guillemot (Safran) were awarded 32 hours and 82 hours respectively, as a result of the assistance provided during Yann Eliès’ rescue (broken leg) on Dec. 20th. These times will be deducted from their final finishing times; Sam will need to finish at least 50 hours ahead of Marc to beat him. QINGDAO TO RIO - THE LONG ONE by Mark Chisnell Qingdao, China (Feb. 12, 2009) - It’s a very long way - 12,300 nautical miles - that’s the first thing you need to know about Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, which starts February 14th. It’s not quite half as far as the Vendee Globe boats sailed on their whole circumnavigation - but it’s just one leg of ten in the Volvo Ocean Race. The second thing you need to know about Leg 5 is that estimates of how long it will take to race from Qingdao to Rio de Janiero, via Cape Horn, run from about 28 days to 43 days, depending on how the weather plays out. And the third thing is that due to Inmarsat doing a little bit of satellite shuffling, there will be very little if any video footage sent from the boats from the 14th to the 24th February. All right, that’s the basics out of the way. If there is such a thing as natural justice, then the fleet will get off to a quick, simple start – they will run downwind in the northerlies that they battled against for so long to get to Qingdao. It’s once they get to the southern end of the Yellow Sea that the trouble starts - they could head for Hawaii or Australia, and either option could turn out to be the fastest way to Cape Horn. -- Read on: click here * Skipper Bouwe Bekking confirmed Telefonica Blue will pay a three-point penalty to change to larger rudders that are better suited for the high wind reaching and running conditions expected on Leg 5. This modification means their tally will fall to 42 points, seven behind leaders Ericsson 4, and just one ahead of third-placed PUMA. -- Full story: click here Leg 5 crew list: click here Video/audio of the start: click here Overall scores: click here NO WINNERS IN THIS CASE Apparently everybody saw it. January 2006 at Key West Race Week. It was big news at the time, when Michael Kehew's heavily modified Kiwi 35 ‘In Theory’ came to the regatta with high hopes but was sunk before the first gun. The owners of the modified Kiwi live in Rhode Island, where they prepped the boat for two years, painted it, put in a carbon mast, bought new sails, and had it trucked to Key West for the event. However, while docked prior to the event, ‘In Theory’ was struck by another boat and sunk. Three years later, Kehew is now in court. At the time, ‘In Theory’ was docked at Key West when Bruce Schwab - a noted solo sailor - was trying to singlehand his Open 60 ‘Ocean Planet’ away from the sea wall in rough weather (Schwab’s docklines had chafed through). Schwab collided with ‘In Theory’, but when his insurer refused to pay for the Kiwi 35, and with litigation required to occur in Florida, the situation languished. However, when Schwab started working and visiting RI, he established sufficient status under R.I. law and was served in November 2008. -- Scuttleblog, read on: click here BOARDING LADDERS & RESCUE This week we are looking at boarding ladders. Whether you go swimming or fall overboard, getting back onboard is often harder than you think. The RNLI says that people falling overboard is on the rise, with numbers almost doubling in the last year. In the US 2/3 of boating deaths are from drowning and 90% were not wearing a PFD. With this in Mind we looked at many of the boarding ladder types and methods on the market. RSS feeds are available at http://www.Myboatsgear.com * Boarding ladders: http://myboatsgear.com/mbg/product.asp?prodID=1683 BOAT OWNERS WARNED: DON'T MAKE WAVES Lots of boaters are unhappy with plans to use Monroe Harbor as the rowing venue for the 2016 Olympics should Chicago win the Games, but you won't hear many complaints. The Chicago Yachting Association, an umbrella group for 15 yacht clubs in the Chicago area, has asked members to keep a lid on it, noting in a memo obtained by the Tribune that yacht clubs "are vulnerable to retribution." Mayor Richard Daley's office and the Chicago Park District have made it clear "that they do not wish to talk about issues that may be confrontational until after October 2009," according to the memo by an association committee charged with formulating an approach to the city's Olympic plans. City officials say they aren't trying to stifle dissent before Oct. 2, when the International Olympic Committee, which values popular support, selects a host city. But critics of the bid, from parks activists to concerned taxpayers, believe boosters have worked to suppress public criticism and withhold potentially controversial information. -- Chicago Tribune, read on: click here STRONG WINDS DELAY LV FINALS Auckland, NZL (Feb. 13, 2009) - High winds have delayed racing in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series finals on Friday afternoon. A 12-15 knot breeze is considered ideal for racing but with winds gusting to 30 knots, event organizers have decided to postpone the start of race two until conditions improve. Alinghi leads the series 1-0 having beaten Team New Zealand by 22 seconds in the first race on Friday morning, in which shifty and gusting winds hampered both crews on the downwind legs. The boats, and supporting spectator fleet, have returned to the Viaduct but there is still the possibility of one more race late on Friday. If no further racing is possible on Friday, the remainder of the racing will be rescheduled for Saturday. This raises the possibility that the series will be reduced from best-of-seven to best-of-five as there is no provision for racing to go beyond Saturday. -- TVNZ, click here Event website: http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com Video coverage: http://linkbee.com/CQO6 Audio coverage: http://linkbee.com/CQO7 Sailing World coverage: Click here THE NEED TO FULFILL THEIR FIDUCIARY DUTY Among the eighteen teams that have entered the 33rd America’s Cup (legal warning: this is the event that occurs if Alinghi wins in court), it is expected that at least half won’t find the funding to ultimately participate. However, everything begins with a first step, and with the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, several teams took a second step by participating. They all remarked how much they learned, how enlightened they have become, and after getting eliminated, how eager they are to continue. The LVPS was billed as the ‘Friendly Games’, as its intent was to get teams on the water and away from the bickering. Good vibes, Corinthian spirit, bring the event back to spectators… right? Or, is this a naive premise in this era of sponsorship and professional sailing? Can sailing have an All Star Game, where the event is to be fan friendly first, and competitive second? Based on how the Alinghi team is handling their business, the answer appears to be no. -- Scuttleblog, read on: click here MARION BERMUDA RACE SAFETY AT SEA SEMINAR The 2009 Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race “Safety at Sea” symposium will be taking place on Saturday, March 28th, in the Kresge Auditorium at MIT in Cambridge, MA. Capt. John Bonds, USN (Ret), an acknowledged expert on safety at sea will be the moderator. The symposium will now be complemented by a NEW and exciting second day (Sunday, March 29) of practical training sessions, including: Medical Emergencies, Weather and CPR training. If you’re planning on racing to Bermuda or Halifax this summer, or just want to make sure you’re up to speed on safety procedures and techniques, you won’t want to miss this educational weekend, where you’ll find more enlightening content and demonstrations than ever before! For additional information and registration: http://marionbermuda.com/symposium1.shtml PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include big masts getting shipped, a big boat getting beach launched, bigger boats starting a buoy race, big delamination on an Open 60 in the Vendee Globe, big smiles for the Volvo Ocean Race to have breeze in Qingdao, big celebration for the arrival of Armel Le Cleac’h in Les Sables d’Oloone, big pleasure from Samantha Davies, and big love from San Francisco. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: click here VIDEO OF THE WEEK As part of the bid to promote the role of the Media Crew Member (MCM) onboard each Volvo Ocean Race boat, Inmarsat, the technology sponsor of the Volvo Ocean Race, is putting up a cash prize for the best broadcast material coming off the boats on each leg. There is also an overall cash prize. Scuttlebutt has partnered with Inmarsat to help showcase the work of the MCM, and this week we provide the winning footage from Leg 4, arguably the hardest leg in the history of the race, which took the fleet through the China Sea from Singapore to Qingdao, China. Enjoy a short video of the three nominated individuals, along with a second video with the winning footage. Click here for this week’s video: click here * If you have a video you like, please send your suggestion for next week’s Video of the Week to click here SAILING SHORTS * Maine Maritime Academy will return March 13-15 to defend its stunning victory in last year's inaugural Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup, the West Coast's only intercollegiate big boat regatta. The event is organized by California Maritime Academy and hosted by the Los Angeles Yacht Club, where eight teams from across the country will fleet-race Catalina 37s chartered from the Long Beach Yacht Club Sailing Foundation. It's the only one of four intercollegiate big boat regattas held on an open ocean. -- Full details: click here * For boat buyers, getting a loan to finance a new or used boat is much tougher these days as many banks have dropped out of the market. However, that doesn’t mean money is not available, says the nation’s largest recreational boat owners group, BoatUS. -- Read on: click here * The Outdoor Channel, a cable news network, and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) have signed a deal for a US$250,000 grant for television and online advertising for the industry's Discover Boating programme. For every ad purchased by an NMMA member with a budget of US$50,000 or more, the network will provide the member with a 100 per cent match in free advertising. It will also donate 10 per cent of the value of the television ad to the Discover Boating ad campaign. -- IBI Magazine, click here CLIMATE CHANGE COULD DRAIN GREAT LAKES The Great Lakes have long been a bastion of stability -- with water hovering at about the same level for as long as anyone can remember. But a new study shows that climate change once pushed lake levels far below where they are now. That opens up the possibility that future climate change might do the same thing. More than 33 million people depend on the Great Lakes for water, hydropower and work in industries ranging from shipping to recreation. During the past event, about 8,500 years ago, water ceased to flow between the lakes. Today, going from interconnected bodies of water to isolated basins could be catastrophic. -- Discovery Channel, read on: click here 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 John Servais, Editor, Northwest Citizen: (re, America’s Cup report in #2780) Cory Friedman again provides Scuttlebutt readers with the outstanding analysis of what happened in the New York Court of Appeals. Thank you from one sailor of the thousands who appreciate his efforts to help us understand the legal process. * From Tim Patterson: It is a great pleasure to read Cory Friedman's commentary on the proceedings; thank you for having the foresight to have him on your team. * From Christopher W. Pollak: The most entertaining part of the Americas Cup is reading Cory Freidman's analysis of the legal proceedings! Well done Cory and thank you Curmudgeon for bringing this to us 'Buttheads! *From Tim Minogue: (posted in Forum) Once again Cory Friedman has written an insightful article on the AC court proceedings. His judgement of the lawyers is cruel but fair. Maureen Mahoney (for GGYC) was exceptional, her knowledge of the brief and of the relevant history of the Cup was outstanding. Not only did she make her points well, she did a very good job of steering the argument away from one of the vulnerabilities in GGYC’s case that both Judge Smith and Judge Ciparick questioned in detail (and the point that has been discussed in this thread at length) on whether the object of the having clause was the ocean water course, not the annual regatta. -- Read on: click here * From T.J. Perrotti: Many thanks to 'butt and Cory Friedman for his incredible insight, experience, and eloquence in helping us non-lawyers (thankfully!) interpret Tuesday's latest AC Court wranglings. I watched the webcast and was amazed (and dumbfounded) to observe this dance of "lawyers and judges on speed" ... Do they ever pause to breathe? I thought Mahoney (for GGYC) held her ground firmly, and then hit a home run with her very last argument. Essentially, she posed the following: At the time of their submitted challenge, CNEV stated that their FUTURE intent was to hold an annual regatta thereby complying with the terms of the Deed. However, if -- in general -- a challenger-to-be simply states that their future INTENT is to comply with the terms of the Deed, how can the Defender accept such challenge without knowing implicitly that those terms would, in fact, be met? To do so would only preclude the Defender from potentially accepting SOME OTHER bona fid challenge from a club that HAD ALREADY met all of the Deed obligations. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: We are pretty lucky to have Cory, though I wonder if he ever thought that he would still be at it after 18 months and 34 reports. If you missed the Court hearing, it will supposedly remain online for a couple months: click here * From John Turvill, Jakarta, Indonesia: (re, letter from Keith Taylor, press officer, Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in #2780) Living in Indonesia where a full-on cable modem can often deliver no more than 28kbps (remember dial-up?), I fully understand his comments about bandwidth – albeit from the opposite perspective. When the AC was in Valencia I was able to “watch” on Virtual spectator without needing video bandwidth and it was often a real adrenalin rush with or without audio commentary (which is also low bandwidth). Why hasn’t that been available for the LVPS? I strongly suggest that organizers remember for future events that not everyone needs or has access to consistent video bandwidth on the internet, and VS animation that can is driven by a very low bandwidth requirement has significant value. On a related topic, shouldn’t VS be mandatory for all Olympic events? CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." - Billy, age 4 (Happy Valentine’s Day - Feb. 14th) Special thanks to MyBoatsGear.com and 2009 Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
