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SCUTTLEBUTT 3638 - Monday, July 23, 2012Scuttlebutt 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. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: Soft Deck and Hall Spars & Rigging. AC72 TAKES A BOW TO ENTHUSIASTIC NZ AUDIENCE Auckland, New Zealand (July 21, 2012) - Emirates Team New Zealand's America's Cup AC72 catamaran made its debut to the New Zealand public on Saturday evening. On a cool winter's evening at Auckland's Viaduct Harbor, an audience of more than 6000 watched skipper Dean Barker's wife Mandy splash the yacht with champagne. Simultaneously, flame gas lines around the yacht and fireworks lit the sky as 18 months of work by the design and build teams were revealed for all to see. Mandy Barker named the cat "New Zealand" - team members' acknowledgment of their gratitude for the country's support through the difficult times since Valencia in 2007. Team managing director Grant Dalton said the night could not have happened without the support of the Government and sponsors who backed the team with such enthusiasm. "New Zealanders should be proud that their team attracts the support of these major international companies," Dalton said. "The same can be said for the international designers, engineers and analysts who augmented our design team. We are proud of what we have achieved so far, working in a tin shed in Auckland. We carry the New Zealand flag sponsors' brands proudly and pledge that the mission of every member of this team is to bring the America's Cup back to New Zealand." As the countdown to the big moment got underway Prime Minster John Key, Auckland Mayor Len Brown and sponsor representatives were led to the yacht by a Maori warrior. With the yacht in the background, 1000 people pulled on a hemp rope to "load" the catapult which smashed the champagne bottle and sprayed the boat. It was a proud moment for the team and signaled the beginning of the next stage of preparations for the 2013 America's Cup. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/c24h7tq * Sail-World took (iPhone) video of Emirates Team NZ's new AC72 as she passed through Auckland's Viaduct Harbor bridge. It shows the best view yet of the deck layout of the AC72, and how ETNZ have approached the issue of developing the winch-power necessary to sail the 72ft catamaran, providing a platform that can be crossed at pace during tacks and gybes, and the structural layout of the beams and supporting structure. -- Check it out at: http://tinyurl.com/cfa6yz3 CLOSE FINISHES CONCLUDE NYYC RACE WEEK NEWPORT, R.I. (July 22, 2012) - With the coveted Rolex watches on the line, the two divisions and entire IRC fleet vying for these trophies pulled out all the stops on the final day of NYYC Race Week that saw a building southerly and many finishes too close to call. It was the Swan 42s that were contesting their National Championship, and the J/109s looking to crown their North American Champion. In the end it was Ken Colburn and his team aboard the Swan 42 Apparition who wound up capturing the prize and Rick Lyall aboard Storm in the J/109 class who captured the title and a Rolex watch. Maxi racer George David and his crew aboard Rambler in IRC 1 showed a dominant performance over NYYC Commodore Bob Towse's Blue Yankee to claim the Best Performance Overall in IRC. David, Colburn and Lyall will all receive their own Oyster Perpetual Submariner watch. Vesper and Temptation-Oakcliff kept up their winning ways in IRC 2 and 3, with several points between them and their competitors. The biggest upset of Race Week, occurred in IRC 4 where Dolphin and Down Time overtook Craig Albrecht's Avalanche, leader going into Sunday, to top the leader board. Just a half-point separated the two with Ed and Molly Freitag's Down Time taking the title. At press time the other one design results were not finalized including the J/111, J/105 and Beneteau 36.7. In the Navigator's Race for the PHRF title, the Melges 24 Velocita won with two firsts. -- Report: http://nyyc.org/ SOFT DECK Soft Deck's non skid is easy to install, and provides amazing traction wet or dry. Our soft, barefoot friendly material with a peel and stick backing can be installed over existing nonskid in minutes, and won't tear up your knees or elbows. With 20+ different size pieces and several boat specific kits, we probably have just the size or combination you need. But full sheet goods and custom kits are also available. We are proud to welcome Whitecap Composites in Peabody, MA (paul@whitecapcomposites.com) to our growing team of dealers and custom installers. Check us out at http://www.Soft-Deck.com ROB CRANE AIMING HIGH IN OLYMPIC LASER Weymouth and Portland, U.K. (July 20, 2012) - Rob Crane will represent the USA in the Laser class. He was born into a family that is passionate about sailing. His competitive sailing began in the Optimist class, and in 1998 he won the Optimist North American Championship. Soon after, Rob advanced to the Laser Radial and it wasn't before long that he was highly-competitive in the full-rig Laser. Crane, 26, had his breakout performance at the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, where he qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. How and when did you first get involved in sailing? RC: I first got involved in sailing through my parents. My Dad was a sail maker for many years. My Mom's father built Lightnings for a living. Due to this family history it was almost a given that I would sail. I first started sailing when I was five or six, but did not sail competitively until I was seven or eight. Who has been the most influential person in your sailing career and why? RC: My Dad has been the most influential person due to his extensive sailing knowledge and participation in my sailing career. What would winning an Olympic medal mean to you? RC: It would mean the world. It is hard to quantify exactly what, but I would be elated. It would be the culmination of years of hard work. What is your training regimen? I try to sail three days on, one day off, for three hours a day. Then off the water I go to the gym to lift 3-4 times a week, with 3-4 cardio sessions a week. -- Full story: http://olympics.ussailing.org/2012/07/20/meet-the-team-rob-crane-laser THE GAMES ARE COMING By Bill Sandberg, WindCheck The start of the Olympic Games in Weymouth, England are only days away (July 27) and the sailing events in the Paralympics begin August 29. I'm happy to say that the USA will be sending strong teams to both, with a number of excellent medal opportunities. While the USA continues to lead the world in Olympic sailing medals (59), the Brits have won more golds (23 vs. 19). The world of Olympic sailing has changed dramatically. More countries are sending better prepared teams than ever before, and money is the king. Who's won the most sailing medals in the recent games? The UK. Which team has the most money? The UK. And this year they also have the advantage of sailing in their home waters. Having co-chaired two fundraising events for the teams in the last nine months, I've had the opportunity to get to know the sailors, as well as their coaches and the management team led by US Olympic Sailing Chair Dean Brenner, from Wallingford, Connecticut. I can say without a moment's hesitation that the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider (never knew there was a hyphen in Top-Sider) is composed of sailors we can be justifiably proud of. That they are great sailors is a given, but they are also a group of individuals that will represent the country with honor. You will not likely find any of these sailors jumping on a media boat and threatening a photographer, or using language that would make a marine blush. They are gentlemen and ladies to the core. The US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider is one that is built for the long haul. The sailors have financial backing far in excess of what they have ever had before, although there is still a long way to go there. Equally important, there is now a development team (created in 2007), which is divided into two parts. First is the Olympic Development Team, whose sailors race Olympic classes (i.e. 49er, Finn, etc.). Then there is the Youth Development Team, whose sailors' race boats used in the Youth Worlds (i.e. International 420). Planning for the future always pays off. Unlike professional sports, sailing can't trade for big name athletes with other countries. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/d7lsqzg COMMENT: As Bill notes, the two key elements to Olympic success is the development of young sailors, and the financial support they need once at the highest level. The past U.S. template of short-course college racing and personally organized Olympic campaigns after graduation no longer works. The fork in the road - dividing focused Olympic training and pleasure competitive sailing - must now come sooner. -- Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt LUCKY FOR SOME (July 21, 2012) - 46 boats are now well underway in Pac Cup 2012. With the weather presenting itself as it did earlier in the week, it's no surprise that the boats that left Monday/Tuesday are quickly being caught by those who left later in the week. At 0730 hours Saturday morning, the double-handers were leading the pack, as they have done since their departure last Monday. The J/120 Jamani has maintained a solid lead on the fleet and has logged 592 nm just under five days. 45 nm behind is Naos 30, with Relentless 28 nm behind Naos 30. The breeze was at 8+ knots from 032 degrees. The rest of the fleet sits loosely clustered behind the three lead boats, except Juanita, the Phoenix 38 on her maiden Pac Cup, who is well at the back of the fleet having gotten stuck in a wind hole some distance north early on to only track south again and find her groove along with the more northerly situated of the gang, which could end up working out well for her. -- Read on: http://pacificcup.org/news/21jul2012 *Feeling more Pac Cup luck than others is the crew on J World's Hula Girl, as expressed in an excerpt taken from their blog, "We're not sure how we sit in the standings, we aren't sure this breeze will hold, we aren't sure about much at all, in fact, except this one thing: we are sure that we were able to get away from the California coast a LOT less painfully than our brethren aboard the smaller boats that started before us! Pure luck of the draw, to be sure, but still we are happy we didn't hit the hole they found. Some of those boats did a fantastic job punching thru it... nicely done... now we have to catch them. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/crxebhg CLIPPER 11-12 RACE GOES TO THE AUSSIES Southampton, England (July 22, 2012) - It was a spectacular scene today as thousands of people turned out to watch the end of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race in Southampton, England. After 51 weeks of racing, Gold Coast Australia secured overall victory, as the non-professional crew on board all ten ocean racing yachts marked the end of a 40,000-mile challenge of a lifetime. Visit Finland finished in second, while a battle towards the end saw Singapore pip De Lage Landen to the post for third place - finishing seconds ahead. The fleet crossed the final finish line in Race 15 in the early hours of the morning, where Clipper Race Founder and Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world, led a parade of sail up Southampton Water to welcome back the fleet of ten identical 68-foot racing yachts. Tasmanian skipper Richard Hewson and his crew proudly stood on the helm of the Clipper Race yacht as thousands of people applauded the victorious Australian team. "It has been an amazing adventure. From the start we've had plans to dominate the race and we've definitely done that. We've been racing against some fantastic teams and very tough competition all the way. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/cbw2epy THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE Better Place, the new 50 meter Wally, designed by Tripp Designs and recently launched from ISA Yachts, showcases Hall Spars & Rigging's exceptional seamless carbon spar and Oceanfurl boom. Successful sail trials were recently completed in Ancona, Italy with team Hall onboard - even Hall Spars president and founder Eric Hall took a trip up the 67.5 meter mast (and we have the pictures to prove it)! For these photos and more, including regular news and updates, like us at http://www.facebook.com/HallSpars, and visit us at http://www.hallspars.com ISAF YOUTH SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONCLUDES Dublin Bay, Ireland (July 20, 2012) - Cool heads and steely nerves were among the vital attributes required to achieve ultimate success as the 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships finished on Dublin Bay in Ireland. Across the seven different classes the finale was marked by light, conflicting breezes with at least as many title upsets unfolding through the day as there were expected winning scenarios playing out on cue. -- Full report: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/news/38959.php Top Positions - North America Boy's Laser Radial - 4. Mitchell Kiss (USA) Girl's Laser Radial - 15. Natalia Montemayor (MEX) Boy's 420 - 19. Max Flinn/Andrew Burns (CAN) Girl's 420 - 11. Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick/ Abigail Rohman (USA) Boy's RS:X - 10. Ignacio Berenguer (MEX) Girl's RS:X - 19. Cristina Ortiz (MEX) Open SL16 - 8. Jeremy Herrin/ Sam Armington (USA) Open 29er - 4. Quinn Wilson/ Dane Wilson (USA) ISAF Nations Trophy - 13 (USA) Complete results: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/editions/2012/results.php SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar SAILING SHORTS * Cascade Locks, OR (July 22, 2012) - With a race or two to spare, Chris Barnard skipped the last of three races sailed on the final day of the Laser North Americans hosted by the Columbia Gorge Racing Association. After sailing an almost faultless regatta this week, the 21-year old College Sailor of the Year was relieved to get off the water knowing that he'd taken the championship title with 12 points to spare. Conditions today were good for racing, cooler with a breeze up to 23 knots. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/c3pbx59 * New Zealand Northland businesses and council leaders are gutted at losing out on a potential $10 million windfall after America's Cup holders Oracle scuppered plans to train in New Zealand this summer. Oracle ground crew was arriving in October with the yachtsmen, including Sir Russell Coutts coming in January and staying until the end of May next year. But plans were dashed when Oracle revealed this week it was staying in San Francisco instead. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/d2goog2 * Marstrand, Sweden (July 22, 2012) - Team Aqua has won the RC44 Sweden Cup for the second year in a row with a race to spare, on a day where the wind increased and the sea state made for some exciting downwind sleigh rides in Marstrand. For the overall RC44 Championship Tour, each of the teams can now discard their worst event of the season. The final event of the season, which doubles as the class World Championship, will take place in the beautiful fishing town of Rovinj, Croatia from 3rd-7th October. -- Full story: http://www.rc44.com/news/view/team_aqua_win_in_sweden * (July 21, 2012) - The final and third day of racing at the MC-Masters National Championship hosted by the Cedar Lake Yacht Club, West Bend, WI, delivered some big surprises, much like days one and two, with solid racing in great conditions for races four and five. Bruce Gallagher (Pine Lake) is the new 2012 Masters National Champion. He survived the day with a 1-6. Dave Koch had a 3-8 to finish second and Stu Oltrogge had the Cedar Shake-up with a 23-2.Top Grand Master went to Bill Biersach, Top Mega Master to Dr. Jack Kern, and top Old Salt to Dick Booth. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/bta556v * After a Thursday afternoon of sunshine and breeze and an evening of music and food in the rum tent on the lawn of the Oak Harbor Yacht Club, the racers aboard the 115 race boats competing in Whidbey Island Race Week 2012 stumbled from their nearby tents and returned to the waters of Penn Cove the morning of Friday, July 20 for one final day of fun. -- Results and report at: http://tinyurl.com/dxmbvkw GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Robert Wilkes (re, Scuttlebutt 3637): Ref the potted biography of Zach it may be of interest that he was a member of the USA Optimist 'Dream Team' of 1997, which contained three of the 2012 Olympic team and two other members of Team AlphaGraphics. The USA Optimist Worlds team of 1997 in Carrickfergus, Ireland included Amanda Clark (aged 15, weight 58kg/130lb) who was 4th girl, Trevor Moore who placed 22nd, Clay Johnson, the runner-up in the 2012 USA Laser trials, and Peter Must who campaigned for the 2012 49er spot. Three Olympians and two strong trialists from one 5-person team. Zach had a precocious talent and had made the USA team at the exceptionally young age of 11. In 1997 he was in fact fully 13 (born May 1984) but failed to match the 6th place he had taken the previous year. His weight of 53kg/119lb meant that he was ready to leave the Class though it was Peter who won the 1998 USA Radial Championship. All the boat skippers on the 2012 USA Olympic team are former Optimist sailors. Details at http://tinyurl.com/cvbytpk * From Jim Thompson, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI: Over the coming days it will continue to happen, but can we please stop referring to the Chicago Race to Mackinac as 333 miles long? Since when are yacht races measured in statute miles? This little annual nautical event is 298 nautical miles long. It is sailing and we sailors use nautical miles. No one cares the race is less than 300 miles long. really. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey. 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