|
SCUTTLEBUTT 3504 - Thursday, January 12, 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: Mount Gay Rum and Ullman Sails. HARDESTY AND TUNNICLIFFE CLAIM TOP HONORS (January 11, 2012) - Etchells World Champion Bill Hardesty (San Diego, Calif.) and ISAF Sailing World Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) today were named US Sailing's 2011 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. Established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual awards are considered the sport's ultimate recognition of an individual's outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. Over its history the coveted award has been presented to 40 men and 32 women. 2011 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year: Bill Hardesty was first shortlisted for the award in 2008 - when he won the Etchells World Championship - Hardesty reclaimed that class' top title in 2011 after a dominating performance in an 81-strong fleet. Additionally, Hardesty won the ISAF Match Racing World Championship as tactician for skipper Ian Williams (GBR). "A lot of credit goes to the teams I raced with this past year," Hardesty noted. "Sailing is truly a group effort and winning this award would never have been possible without great teammates: the Etchells World Championship team of Steve Hunt, Mandi Markee and Craig Leweck, and Team GAC Pindar skippered by Ian Williams. 2011 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year: Shortlisted for the honor for the seventh consecutive year, Tunnicliffe is the first woman in the award's history to earn it in four consecutive years. She joins the rare company of four-time winners JJ Fetter Isler (1986, '91, '97, '00) and Ted Turner (1970, '73, '77, '79). Only five-time award winner Betsy Alison (1981, '82, '84, '93 and '98) has eclipsed them. "It is a great acknowledgment of Team Maclaren's success in 2011. Molly [Vandemoer], Debbie [Capozzi] and I worked incredibly hard to achieve our 2011 goals and we are now focused on our 2012 goal - to win a gold medal in Weymouth." Full report: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2012/YY_2011_Winners.htm IN HIS OWN WORDS By Ben Ainslie After the way 2011 ended, with my disqualification from the (Finn) world championships in Perth, it is fantastic to be able to start the New Year with a positive and, for me personally, hugely exciting announcement. My two great goals in sailing have always been the Olympics and the America's Cup. So I guess my return for what I hope will eventually be a proper crack at the oldest trophy in international sport was inevitable. There was unfinished business there. The way Team Origin disbanded at the end of 2010 was a sad moment for everyone involved but I am delighted to be back with a new team: Ben Ainslie Racing. And under the banner of my home sailing club, the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, as well. The plan at the moment is merely to enter the America's Cup World Series for 2012-13, which uses AC45s, rather than the 72ft wingsail catamarans which will be used in the 34th America's Cup in San Francisco in 2013. It's very early days and we have yet even to form a sailing team but it's great to be back working with Grant Simmer, managing director and design chief of the successful Alinghi campaigns, and also Jo Grindley and Nick Masson on the commercial and communications side. The plan is to bring in commercial partners and give them a taste of what the new-style America's Cup World Series is all about. -- The Telegraph, read on: http://tinyurl.com/Telegraph-011112 NOTE: Ben Ainslie is Britain's most successful Olympic sailor with three gold medals and one Silver. If he were to medal at the 2012 Games, Ainslie would join Torben Grael (BRA) as holding the most sailing medals with five. If Ben were to win, he would equal that of Paul Elvstrom (DEN) who won four consecutive Olympics. In short, Ben would become the greatest sailing Olympian ever. CORRECTION: It was stated in Scuttlebutt 3503 that Ben's club - Royal Cornwall Yacht Club - must enter the America's Cup to compete in the AC World Series. Not true. The defender's club, Golden Gate Yacht Club may, at its discretion, permit additional competitors that are not entered in the America's Cup to compete in any ACWS regatta. GGYC's America's Cup Committee is processing RCYC's application to compete in the ACWS only. THIS WINTER'S SAILING SEASON! Whether you are still sailing in a warm breeze, frostbiting throughout the cold months or sitting in front of the fire thinking about the upcoming summer sailing season, you can stay connected with your fellow sailors at Mount Gay Rum's Sailing Spoken Here. With tens of thousands world-wide members today, sailors are able to discuss their challenges, share their most treasured sailing photos, debate their past regatta scenarios, and to find their favorite sailing. If you haven't already jumped into the conversation, you're missing out. Luckily, today's a new day: http://www.sailingspokenhere.com OLYMPIC HONOUR FOR SAILING UMPIRE (January 11, 2012) - Peter Shrubb will not be among those challenging for a medal at this year's Olympic Games in the UK. But the highly-respected ISAF international sailing umpire and judge will certainly have a major say in determining who gets to stand on the podium. The past Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) commodore has been named on the ten-member international jury and umpire team that will preside over Olympic match racing in the Elliott six-metre class to take place at Weymouth, England this summer. Shrubb, who was selected from a pool of over 120 sailing umpires and judges worldwide, said he was "humbled" to have been given the opportunity to officiate on the Olympic stage. "It's a bit humbling to come from a small country like Bermuda and be a part of such a big event like the Olympics," he said. "When any athlete wins an Olympic medal, whether it be gold, silver or bronze, it's a life-changing experience. And to be a part of the decision making that will finally determine who gets a medal in the Olympics is a pretty awesome responsibility." -- Royal Gazette, read on: http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20120111/SPORT03/701119969/-1 HEADING SOUTH FOR THE WINTER High profile fleets, intense competition and superb sailing conditions have made Key West a showcase event for many one design classes. This marks the 25th anniversary of the annual race week off Key West (Jan. 16-20), and Quantum Sail Design Group has helped keep the renowned regatta going during tough economic times. "We recognize that Key West Race Week is the flagship regatta in this country and has been for well over two decades," Quantum President Ed Reynolds said. "This has been reinforced by many people we've spoken with both here and abroad. Even with the smaller fleet sizes of recent years, this midwinter, big-boat regatta is very important to North American and international sailboat racing. We would like to see it continue and are committed to supporting the regatta during this transition period." Some of the most exciting racing in Quantum Key West 2012 will certainly come in the 52-foot class, which has drawn eight entries of various designs. Included in the class are brand new IRC 52 designs from Reichel-Pugh and Judel-Vrolijk along with two others that are coming right off the Med Cup Circuit. "This is going to be one of the finest IRC 52 fleets ever assembled," said Ed Reynolds, president of Quantum Sail Design Group, which is sponsoring the regatta and fielding an entry in that big-boat class. Quantum Racing, which has won three of the last four TP52 world championships and two of the last three Med Cup circuits, will be skippered by Quantum primary stockholder Doug DeVos with America's Cup veteran Terry Hutchinson calling tactics. "Nobody has been more supportive of the sport of sailing and backed that up with action than Doug DeVos so it's somewhat fitting that he's sailing in the regatta this year," Reynolds said. Some of the world's top amateur skippers and captains of industry such as Hap Fauth, Ennio Staffini and Irvine Laidlaw will be at the helm of the 52-footers, which feature fully professional crews consisting of sailors with vast America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Olympic experience. Among the notable tacticians on the scratch sheet are Gavin Brady (Vesper), Tommaso Chieffi (Anema & Core) and Peter Holmberg (Highland Fling XII). Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/0111/ Scratch sheet: http://www.yachtscoring.com/event_scratch_sheet.cfm?eID=547 * (January 11, 2012) - For 47 entrants, the 37th Annual Fort Lauderdale - Key West Race (160 nm) began today with the fleet beating into a 20-25 knot wind. Wizard, Antilope, Reef Points, Loki, Bandana, Osita and Warlock have retired or did not start. Photos from the start: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/12/0111B/ PLAYING THE LONG GAME Abu Dhabi, UAE (January 11, 2012) - With just eight points separating Team Telefonica and second-placed CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, the overall lead could be up for grabs this weekend, when 12 points are on the table for a double victory in Friday's Etihad Airways In-Port Race and the Leg 3 Stage 1 sprint starting on Saturday. But for all his burning desire to steal the top spot from Iker Martinez, who has presided over two wins from two offshore legs so far, Nicholson says he won't be focused solely on Telefonica when racing recommences."There's no option to be match racing with Telefonica," he said. "We have so much of this race still to play out that we have to treat all of the competitors very much the same." Nicholson says his team will continue to play the long game and keep clocking up podium results - a strategy he says has paid dividends in previous races. "Every time we go out there we have a chance of coming first and haven't been out of the top three yet," Nicholson commented. "Telefonica being so consistent obviously make it look difficult, but have a look in the history of this race and quite often all the top teams have one or two bad results along the way. Right at this stage we are slowly but surely getting better." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-011112 Overall leaderboard after Leg 2 1. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), 6-1-1-1, 66 pts 2. CAMPER (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 3-2-2-2, 58 pts 3. Groupama (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), 5-3-5-4, 42 pts 4. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), 2-DNF-3-3, 28 pts 5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), 1-DNF-4-5, 19 pts 6. Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), 4-DNF-6-6-0**, 4 pts ** Still racing. If Team Sanya finishes the first stage of Leg 2 under racing conditions, they will collect four points for sixth place for the first stage of Leg 2 and then automatically add one more under race rules for the second stage and a further two points for the Abu Dhabi In-Port Race. Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos Course details: http://tinyurl.com/Piracy-121111 RACE SCHEDULE: The five teams are in Abu Dhabi now preparing for the Pro-Am Race on Thursday (Jan. 12), the In-Port Race on Friday (Jan. 13), and the start of Leg 3 to Sanya, China on Saturday (Jan. 14). As in Leg 2, Leg 3 will be similar with a Stage 1 short sprint to meet the ship which will transport the five boats to the safe haven port. If all goes to plan, Team Sanya will join the fleet there, and all six boats will compete in Stage 2 to Sanya. - http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world's most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com READY FOR THE CRUISING SEASON? Ullman Sails has over 40 years of expertise in sailmaking and we don't just specialize in racing sails. Our cruising series are the first choice for day sailors and offshore cruisers worldwide. The Ullman Sails Endurance Line offers options for the coastal and adventurous cruiser including cloth selection, finishing and reinforcement. Interested in sailing on the bay?! Check out the Ullman Sails Navigator Series. Ullman Sails experts are also available to answer questions about furling systems, inventory options and UV protection. There are no cookie-cutter sails here. You'll always get a high-quality, well-made custom sail. Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com SAILING SHORTS * Charlotte Harbor, FL (January 11, 2012) - Charlotte Harbor showed off her bluster Wednesday on Day Two of the 2012 International Association for Disabled Sailing World Championships. A front brought steady 14-knot winds that gusted past 20 knots at times to test the world's best. Leaders are Thierry Schmitter (NED) in the 2.4mR, Jennifer French/ Jean-Paul Creignou (USA) in the SKUD, and John Twomey/ Anthony Hegarty/ Ian Costello (IRL) in the Sonar. -- Event website: http://www.ifdsworlds2012.com/ * (January 11, 2012) - A young sailing star is in an induced coma after being knocked unconscious during a race. Tess Lloyd, 17, was thrown into the water after a collision with a windsurfer during the Australian Youth Championships in Brisbane on Tuesday. She was knocked unconscious and her 29er capsized, and was rescued by a spectator boat and taken to an ambulance. Lloyd has had surgery, and will remain in a coma at the Princess Alexandra hospital in Brisbane for at least 48 hours, until the swelling in her brain subsides. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/Herald-Sun-011112 * America's best teenage sailors will be in Long Beach, CA this weekend to compete for positions in next summer's ISAF Youth World Championship in Ireland. The US Sailing ISAF Youth World Qualifier will be hosted by the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Saturday through Monday. There currently are 96 entries for the four types of boats: separate classes for boy and girl singlehanded Laser Radials, doublehanded boy and girl International 420 dinghies and singlehanded boy and girl Techno 293 windsurfers; doublehanded 29er skiffs will be a coed class without gender designation. Entry list here: http://tinyurl.com/Trials-011112 PROMOTE YOUR EVENT The Scuttlebutt Event Calendar is a free, self-serve tool that is powered by the most utilized database in the sport. Are you doing enough to promote your event? To view all the events, or to post your own event, visit the calendar at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * New sailing multimedia platform launches print room and 24/7 TV * Passport Yachts Uniquely Wins Double "Boat-Of-The-Year" 2012 Award * Rondar Raceboats Ltd Announces USA Subsidiary View updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news 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 Gregory Scott: The past year has been riddled with 'how to save sailing' ideas, and this week the Bayview-Mac Race announced the cure to use only PHRF with no measurement rule options. Their assessment is likely the most direct route to what thousands of well-intended words were trying to say. So thank you Bayview Yacht Club. I love canting keel 50's, but like twin hull AC boats, most clubs don't have any. Today I was in Brockville, Ontario, and they get 20 boats out every race night. That's one boat for every 1000 people who live there. Measure that on San Francisco Bay... yeah PHRF! * From Peter Brown: It must be the near full moon or just the weather report of snow, sleet & freezing rain that have got my dander up enough to write. I read Karl Kirkman's letter (in Scuttlebutt 3503) and just don't see it the way he does! The Volvo Ocean Race is a competition, a competition that races boats around the world. Complaining about the stealth zone? Complaining that the race committee cares about the safety of the competitors? We may have gotten a grey screen, but do you think that the sailors weren't working their butts off to win? And they all finished safely. The Tour de France drives the pack to locations, not a competition? The Dakar rally does the same. There are no paying fans in sailing, don't think there ever will be, so to get the money the sailors want, they need sponsors. And to keep the sponsors happy you need to do what the sponsors want. But when the gun goes off, if you think it's not competition at the highest level of offshore racing you're mistaken. Breakdowns? Of course! Ever see a car race where someone is driving around in a car duct taped together just trying to get points? Enjoy the show, because it's one heck of a show! And while I'm ranting, I went to San Diego to watch the AC45 and I thought it was fantastic! (except for the weather - it was warmer in Boston) I have never seen a more organized race put on anywhere. I watched in awe as the mark boats moved in unison as the wind strength changed before the start, the closeness to shore that the course was laid out, and the promptness when races started. Absolutely first class. And the racing? My god when Spithill and Barker got into a tacking duel in their match race...in catamarans...riveting! Sure there were places that could use a lot of improvement, but on the water it was first class. * From Barrie Harmsworth, UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation: In response to Mario Sampaio (Scuttlebutt 3503), I believe that it would be useful to balance his issue with IODA with my own observations. For many years I was active with Optimists and travelled to numerous IODA events including World Championships. At the time I was on the Youth and Development Committee of ISAF as well, as an alternate, the ISAF Council. No organisation is perfect and even ISAF struggles with that ideal on occasions. However, generally, IODA does succeed and under difficult circumstances. Firstly the Optimist class is the only one in the sailing world that is not managed by its sailors. IODA is run by enthusiastic adults who sail but do not sail Optimists. Secondly, IODA has over 100 plus member national authorities involved in the class and they range from well developed MNAs to freshly emerging ones. Under these conditions it is impossible to create a "one size fits all" policy. The complexities of controlling the costs of the Optimist dinghy are unbelievable. Demands made on boat builders and sail makers vary from extremely high performance craft wanted by wealthy parents in well off MNA's to the most economically possible by government sponsored providers in relatively poor MNAs. Thirdly, the hopes and aspirations of the adults that put young sailors in Optimists stretch from extremely ambitious to idyllic dreaming. Out of control parents and coaches at IODA Championships are legendary as are the young sailors that arrive with a well meaning parent who knows little or nothing about sailing. -- Forum, read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13135#13135 * From John Harwood-Bee: Congratulations to Elaine on her excellent article (in Scuttlebutt 3502). In typical Gallic manner history is rewritten. Surprising, as at the time Steve Fossett's success achieved significant coverage in the French media. By being awarded to 'Geronimo' for her slower time, the JV Trophy irrevocably lost its prestige as THE trophy for the RTW record. It became an 'also ran'. Precedent was set that any vessel beating the previous JV time could claim the trophy despite not having beaten the previous WSSRC recognised record. The Jules Verne is relegated to just another trophy. 'Banque Populaire V' remarkable achievement is in beating the world record time for the circumnavigation. Being awarded the JV Trophy is incidental. WILL SPEAK FOR DRINK The National Sailing Programs Symposium brings together program directors, instructors, volunteers, parents and industry representatives to share and learn best practices with one another about running, maintaining and improving sailing programs. Hosted in Long Beach, CA on January 11-14, the program moves to Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club on Friday at 5:00pm for the event's keynote speaker... Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck. Attendees get dinner afterwards and Craig gets cocktails. Details: http://training.ussailing.org/ProgramMgmt/NSPS/2012_NSPS_Long_Beach.htm CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION I am not superstitious. It brings back luck to be superstitious. SPONSORS THIS WEEK APS - Ribcraft - North Sails - Harken Melges Performance Sailboats - IYRS - Mount Gay Rum Ullman Sails - Amazon.com - North U. - New England Boatworks Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
