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SCUTTLEBUTT 2692 - Tuesday, September 30, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. MORNING LIGHT: “IT’S ABOUT THE JOURNEY” The much anticipated “Morning Light” film has been making headlines since the call for applications was made in the spring of 1996, and the plan was hatched to document a team of young sailors in their quest to compete in the Los Angeles to Hawaii 2007 Transpac Race. The movie is readying to be released nationwide on October 17, but Scuttlebutt was fortunate to see it this past weekend at the very first theatre showing during the San Diego Film Festival (yea, how many other ‘buttheads went to a film festival this weekend?). For the avid Scuttlebutt readers, this film has two strikes against it. First, we have heard a lot about it, and hype is a double edged sword. Second, we know how it ends. Also, this is not a movie… it is a documentary. If you are expecting the next “WIND” (which made the ‘womper’ famous in 1987), forget it. The good news is that none of these issues matter, because they have nothing to do with the focus of the movie. When Producer Roy Disney was asked about the movie’s concept, he replied, “It’s about the journey. We’re not making a film about sailboat racing and we’re not making a film about a boat. It’s a story about a group of young adults sailing across an ocean, the obstacles they encounter and the bonds they form. It’s a story about becoming more than the sum of the parts.” And for the viewer, the movie succeeds in bringing us along. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6473 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Interestingly, the onboard cameraman for Morning Light was Rick Deppe, who will hold a similar position onboard PUMA Racing Team’s VO 70 for the Volvo Ocean Race. This is a new addition for the VOR 08/09, where each boat will have onboard a Media Crew Member (MCM) - an embedded reporters - who will be providing video footage to help tell each entrant’s story. It is still not clear what the exact plan is for the video, but we are hopeful that well-produced shows will be available online on a set a schedule, and not random clips that irregularly get posted during the nearly nine months long race. The in-port race in Alicante, Spain will start October 4th, with the leg from Alicante to Cape Town, South Africa beginning October 11th. -- Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org CLASSIC YACHTING INSPIRES TIMELESS BEAUTY by Amory Ross, photographer The risk of getting burnt out doing what you love runs very high, as it does with any full time profession. Things get repetitive, you become disinterested and lose motivation, and this in turn impacts your enthusiasm and subsequently your success. Fortunately sailing is incredibly diverse and I can honestly say Cannes, the classics, and the Regatés Royales have been therapeutic. Classic yachts demand an entirely different kind of photography, mostly due to the sheer beauty of the boats. With modern raceboats we tend to focus on the areas of action. The deck, the bow, the people hanging over the windward side. The action at the marks, the starting sequences... It is all extremely predictable and somewhat monotonous. Classic yachts on the other hand don't require anything more than an appreciative eye and attention to detail. -- Read on: http://amoryross.blogspot.com/2008/09/classics.html MELGES LINED UP AT ANNAPOLIS BOAT SHOW Melges Performance Sailboats will be on full display at this year’s Annapolis Boat Show on October 9-13. Melges will be featuring the Melges 20, which will be on display and also available for test drives through the show. The Melges 32 and Melges 24 will be in the water as well. Stop by the show and check out the latest from Melges. – http://www.melges.com THE STORM OF '38 THAT SLAMMED NEW ENGLAND. In September 1938, a powerful hurricane struck the east coast with no warning. Now, on the 70th anniversary of the storm, sailing superstar Carol Newman Cronin has published "Oliver's Surprise" (September 2008, GemmaMedia), a story about a young boy who transcends time in her native Jamestown, Rhode Island. Member of the elite US Sailing Team from 2001-2007, Cronin has used her sailing passion to paint a picture of Jamestown just days before the Storm of '38 slammed New England. "It's interesting how strong people's memories are. They have their own stories or family stories passed down," says Olympian and national sailing champion Cronin. "It's a very powerful story today, and certainly in Jamestown that's true. Living here led me in this direction. I had to work as a race official to get experience for the book, and then I had to go to the Olympics to finish it," she says, laughing. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/44md5p * Link to book: http://tinyurl.com/Oliver-s-Surprise SAME CLAIM – DIFFERENT COURT (September 29, 2008) - The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) submitted its appeal brief today to the New York State Court of Appeals in a case that may decide the future of yachting’s America’s Cup. Specifically, GGYC is asking the court to declare it the legitimate Challenger of Record to Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the Swiss club that holds the Cup, and rule that the challenge that SNG accepted from Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) in 2007 is invalid under the 19th century “Deed of Gift” that governs the oldest trophy in international sport. GGYC spokesperson Tom Ehman said, “At their meeting this weekend, Larry Ellison and Ernesto Bertarelli agreed to continue discussions that could bring an end to this legal battle. However, no dates for further meetings have been set, and we do not expect an immediate resolution. Today, we filed our appeal brief with the New York State Court of Appeals to meet the Court’s deadline. “Our offer still stands: we will withdraw our appeal to the New York Court of Appeals if Mr. Bertarelli agrees to return to a multi-challenger event for the 33rd America’s Cup with fair and competitive rules similar to those used for AC32.” – Link to Brief: http://www.ggyc.com/20080929_GGYC_Court_of_Appeals_Brief.pdf AMERICA'S CUP RACE FOOTAGE LOST TO HISTORY As the 25th anniversary of the 1983 America's Cup victory passes, the full story of one of Australia's finest sporting moments may be lost to the past. An academic and sailing obsessive, Peter Edwards, has spent four years trying to track down the footage of the seventh race of the 1983 America's Cup and, sadly, he believes it no longer exists. The 25th anniversary of the race was last Friday, September 26th. Down three races to one, Australia II, funded by tycoon Alan Bond, came from behind to end the Americans' 132-year defence of the trophy. In a Sydney Morning Herald survey, the race was voted by readers as the most significant sporting event in Australia's history. Mr Edwards was 14 when the Ben Lexcen-designed 12-metre yacht famous for its controversial winged keel won off Newport, Rhode Island, and he credits the event as engendering his lifelong love of sailing. Now the vice-commodore of the Royal Australian Navy Sailing Association, he said that after an exhaustive four-year hunt for the footage of the race from start to finish, he has come up empty-handed. -- The Age, read on: http://tinyurl.com/3lspj9 * From Dr. Karl Urtz: September 26, 1983 was the day where the 12-m “wing-keeled “ Australia II won the America’s Cup against US 40 Liberty and finished a successful American defending period for 132 years. What happened after with the boats? Australia II is in a museum, and Liberty was sold around 1989 to Japanese brokers but is now reported to be lost, confirmed to me by Bill Trenkle. Searching for her I file a lot of not-answered E-mails but got some interesting info. She was repainted from ruby-red to white, documented by two images in the book ‘America’s Cup XXVII, The Official Record’ published by Dennis Conner. Bad news came from Mr.Hiroko Kato of the Japanese Yachting Magazine KAZI: “ …… For the boat, Dennis Conner's ‘Liberty’, we do not know about what she is doing now. However, she had been in Japan certainly. We know some sailors who had sailed Liberty. Since she has been lost, many people looked for her, and we received a lot of inquiries about it. May be someone who didn’t know about her history sold or let her die (rusting away).” => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Hmm, no footage, no Liberty. Who’s next…Dennis? SELECTING SAILS IS EASY FOR BRAD COPPER Brad Copper and crew aboard his Tripp 43 'TNT' won IRC B at Rolex Big Boat Series after buying the boat just ten months ago and equipping it with a brand-new set of North sails. "North is a solid company with great products. The North sales and service teams have been very accommodating and have helped me succeed on the water, which is what it is all about. Buying North sails is an easy decision for me." When performance matters, the choice is clear. http://na.northsails.com * North Sails has expanded its presence in the Midwestern region of the United States by adding a full-service sales and sail care loft in Cleveland, Ohio. Located in the marina district at Sailing Inc, 5401 North Marginal Road, North's new sail loft will cater to both one design and PHRF sailors of all skill levels. Full story: http://na.northsails.com/news.taf?_function=detail&news_uid1=398 * North Sails and Sailing Weather Services have partnered to provide complimentary weather forecasts during the M30 World Championship from October 1-4, 2008 in Newport, RI. To sign up for this free daily service, log on to: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf US SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT * Sayville, N.Y. (September 28, 2008) - It all came down to the final race of sailing's U.S. Championship of Champions to find out who would take home the crown in this battle of the best in one-design racing. Sailed in Sunfish on Great South Bay out of host club Sayville Yacht Club (N.Y.), the battle was on between Sunfish North American Champion Doug Kaukeinen (Rochester, N.Y.) and Thistle National Champion and 2005 Champion of Champions Mike Ingham (also from Rochester, N.Y.), both sailing out of Rochester Canoe Club. Going into the final race, Kaukeinen was one point ahead of Ingham. In the first leg of the final race, Ingham was ahead of Kaukeinen but Kaukeinen passed him at the gate at the leeward mark. Ingham nearly caught up with the Sunfish champion when the wind lightened but Kaukeinen managed to stay ahead and finished second in the final race, securing his win, while Ingham finished fifth. -- Full report: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2008/c_of_c_wrapup.asp * Chicago, Ill. (September 29, 2008) - Racing on the final day of the U.S. Offshore Championship on Tartan 10s out of Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club was tight and exciting in winds of 9 to 14 knots on Sunday afternoon. The battle for the National Championship title and the Lloyd Phoenix Trophy was between Rick Strilky (Chicago, Ill.) and his team representing Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club and the defending champion Chuck Nichols (San Diego, Calif.) and his team from San Diego Yacht Club. Going into the final day of racing, Nichols' team was within striking distance of Strilky's team, just three points separated the two teams. The race committee put on three races on the final day. In the end, it was the team of hometown favorite Rick Strilky that had stronger finishes: two race wins versus Nichols' one race win. -- Full report: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2008/offshore_wrapup.asp * Oyster Bay, N.Y. (September 29, 2008) - The U.S. Match Racing Championship wrapped up on Sunday after four days of racing with the title and the Prince of Wales Bowl going to Pequot Yacht Club (Southport, Conn.) for a fourth time in the history of the Championship. Pequot Yacht Club's team was led by Dave Perry (Southport, Conn.) who was joined by crew David Moffet (Jamestown, R.I.), and Chris Museler (Portsmouth, R.I.). The Championship was sailed in Sonars and hosted by Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Weather conditions on Long Island Sound were not ideal for sailing the last day of the Championship and the semi-finals were cut short and finals cancelled due to lack of breeze (the first three days of the regatta had seen heavy to moderate wind). -- Full report: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2008/matchracing_wrapup.asp SAILING SHORTS * With a win in Sunday's distance race and a little help from the second-place boat, Seattle's Kris Bundy and Jamie Hanseler won their fourth International 14 Nationals hosted by Richmond YC. The 25-boat fleet got solid breeze into the mid-20s over the weekend's six races, which proved a worthy adversary for much of the fleet - every boat below seventh place had at least one letter score. -- Latitude 38, read on: http://tinyurl.com/3pnh32 * 2008 Paralympic Gold Medalist Nick Scandone will be at Balboa Yacht Club in Corona Del Mar, CA on Sunday, October 5th from 5-7pm for a celebration event. On display will be the photos and videos taken by the team during their time in Qingdao and Beijing. RSVP to Gracie at 949-673-3515 by October 2. * Danny de Cardenas of Nassau, Bahamas won the Bahamas Optimist National Championship this past weekend in the two day event hosted by Nassau Yacht Club and the Royal Nassau Sailing Club. The championship began four years ago with just 12 boats, and has now grown to 81 competitors who traveled from Abaco, Eleuthera, Long Island, Grand Bahama and New Providence. -- Championship fleet results: http://bahamassailing.org/results/optinat_champ_2008.htm * The 2008 12-Metre North American Championships hosted by the International 12 Metre Association and the New York Yacht Club attracted 11 yachts for three days of racing Sept. 19-21. In Division A Grand Prix, Hissar (a 1987 America’s Cup contender), skippered by Edgar Cato, placed first, Courageous (the America’s Cup winner in 1974 and 1977), skippered by Steve Glascock, won four races in taking Division B Modern. In Division C Traditional, Weatherly (the America’s Cup winner in 1962), with Clay Deutsch at the helm, was victorious. -- Complete report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6474 * Sea, America’s Western Boating Magazine, is celebrating its 100th year of publication by releasing a historic commemorative issue in October 2008, containing 216 pages of vintage photos, Western boating history, stories of landmark marine businesses and a timeline covering the changing world over the past century. -- Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0929/ * Four J Class yachts, including the new Huisman-built Hanuman, have communicated their intention to participate in The Superyacht Cup 2009 in Palma, June 24-27. It will be the first time the four J's, Ranger, Velsheda, Shamrock V and Hanuman will race against each other. 2009 will be the 13th year for The Superyacht Cup and 11 yachts have already registered. The fleet of yachts will be berthed in the new central location in the heart of Palma at Muelle Viejo, directly in front of the cathedral and the historic old town district of the city. -- Complete report: http://www.thesuperyachtcup.com/get_single_news.php?news_id=103 * Pursuant to the Canadian Yachting Association Bylaws, section 12.4 (d), a listing of the people who are nominated to the Board of Directors is now online: http://www.sailing.ca/feature/2008/09/nominations.html PARALOC IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE SPORT OF SAILING Paraloc running rigging powered Jud Smith to victory at the 2008 Etchells North American Championship. Paraloc’s unique braiding process creates a fast, free running line that won’t kink, has better holding power in clutches and increased abrasion and tear resistance. For more precise sail trim, join the running rigging revolution at http://www.rwrope.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 Adrian Morgan: Call me shallow, but there must be a deeper, more personal reason why the America's Cup has been brought to its knees. It can't be about the small print in the Deed of Gift; or high-minded objections, voiced by weasely lawyers, posing as 'defenders of the Holy Grail'. No, there has to be a better explanation for why Mr Larry Ellison has taken it so hard. It's got to be all about plain, simple jealousy. Larry may be richer, and own a bigger yacht, but he's 64, and Ernesto Bertarelli's 42. Ernesto's won two America's Cups, Larry has yet to get to the finals. Oh, and, (according to my girlfriend), Ernesto's much prettier... OK, OK, trivial, I know, but it can't simply be about a yacht race? * From Stephen Lobsinger: “This Cup is donated upon the condition that it shall be preserved as a perpetual Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries.” -Deed of Gift As I sit back and ponder what the America's Cup would be like if it were to be sailed in monstrous 90 foot multi's I can't help but wonder when (and if) we will see an end to the courtroom drama. As a long time Cup observer it isn't unusual for It to be surrounded in bitter battles both on and off the water. The Cup has always inspired, and brought out the best and worst in people, as only competition can. There isn't a single sailor out there who hasn't dreamed of holding the oldest sports trophy in history high above their heads. There is a lot of negative talk surrounding the legal case between BMW Oracle and Alinghi. Not only have these legal issues affected just about every syndicate from the 32nd America's Cup, it is also reasonable to assume that it has affected those of us that are passionate about yachting in one way or another. Many will develop a grudge. Some will dislike Alinghi for attempting to change the Regatta rules, introduce a new yacht class, and alter the way the Cup has been run successfully for over a century and a half. Others will dislike BMW Oracle for beginning what has seemed to be a never ending legal charade. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6470 * From Mark Powell, Tallahassee, FL: Congratulations to Robert Douglas on setting the outright world speed record. I checked out the link to the SAIL magazine article and photos and was shocked to see that Robert was not wearing a helmet! Having lost two windsurfing buddies to kitesurfing head injuries (Peter Nordby in Corpus Christi and Alex Caviglia in Miami), I recommend that Robert invest in a good helmet ASAP! * From John D Keogh, Newport RI: (re, classic yacht collisions) Based on my witnessing of the handling of SUMURUN's elder owner last summer, and its collision into two (2) classic NY 30's ALERA, and the subsequent sinking of AMORITA, the only explanation was negligence! After last week’s tragic event in Europe, SUMURUN's owner was very fortunate that no one was injured or worse, perished last year. 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