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SCUTTLEBUTT 3605 - Tuesday, June 5, 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: Doyle Sailmakers, Atlantis WeatherGear, and J Boats. BEING A GOOD SAILING PARENT By Bill Sandberg, WindCheck Let me start this column by admitting that I was not the perfect sailing parent, making my share of mistakes along the way. However, I think I've observed the right and wrong ways to rear a capable young sailor. Certainly no sailing parent sets out to be a bad one, but sometimes "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Rather than run the gamut of sailors, I will limit this column to the world of beginning sailors who often sail the Optimist. Many young sailors have their first experience with the sport as part of a junior sailing program at a yacht club or public sailing program. This is the most critical step in introducing young people to the sport, and often results in the biggest loss of future generations. Does your program begin with 20 first year sailors, shrink to 12 in their second year and 8 by the third? There must be a reason for it. I don't place all the blame on parents, by a long shot, but they can be a contributor. Let me lay out some guidelines for proper sailing parenting. Expose your child at an early age... If possible, take your child for a sail on the family boat or with friends before joining a sailing program. This will make them comfortable with the water before the natural competitiveness of a junior program sets in. Support but do not do... If your child decides they want to race, notice I said if they choose, not because of their instructor or under self-imposed duress because Mom or Dad sails, take them to regattas. Once there, leave them alone. Do not rig and launch their boat. They are capable of doing it themselves, or will find a friend or instructor to help if need be. Be a parent not a cheerleader... If you do not attend a regatta, make sure your first question is "did you have fun today?" How they did is not important and they will tell you anyway, but how you approach the topic is critical to how your novice sailor reacts. Now here is a radical idea. Don't go out and watch your child race... The Storck family from Centerport Yacht Club was named by Scuttlebutt readers as the Sailing Family of the Year. They've had pretty good success with their own children - three of them have been Collegiate All-Americans and the fourth is on his way. Their number two son, Eric, is going to the Olympics in Weymouth this summer as skipper of the U.S. 49er team. Most importantly every one of their kids is polite and a great role model to younger kids. How did they achieve such success? One way was to sail as a family at a very early age. Son Ian was aboard Jonrob for his first victory at the age of 2 months. They continue to sail together and father John, by his own admission has gone from helmsman, to tactician, to trimmer and now to bill payer. But it was the way they helped their kids in their Opti career that was unique. John and/or his wife Colette would drive their kids to events around the world, but once there, spent the day touring the local town, never once going out to watch their child race. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WC-060412 COMMENT: We have only shared a few excerpts from Bill's monthly column; if you are in the 'market' we encourage you to read the whole piece. I wasn't a perfect sailing parent either, but proved to be a pretty good baseball parent. Why? Mostly because I did a better job keeping the focus on the fun and less on personal achievement. Like it should be. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt INVENTED IN MASSACHUSETTS, STILL HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA Invented in Marblehead in 1983 and still handcrafted in the USA, the Doyle StackPack is the easiest way to handle your main. Make your sailing easier and more enjoyable by adding a StackPack to your main - doesn't have to be new, doesn't have to be Doyle. Doyle Sailmakers is proud to provide sailors with unparalleled personal service and sails handcrafted in the USA. Upgrade your main with a Doyle StackPack. Ask about the new zip-off StackPack option. http://www.doylesails.com/stackpack OLYMPIC PREVIEW Weymouth and Portland, U.K. (June 4, 2012) - The first day of racing is in the books at Sail for Gold, but now without a long wait for the wind to reach a suitable speed for racing, keeping the fleets out on the water until the early evening hours. Racing continues through June 9 at the venue selected for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The highlight of the day was in the Finn class, where American Caleb Paine won the lone race over a fleet of 44 skippers. Fresh off a gold medal at Delta Lloyd Regatta, Paine explained that he won by picking the correct side of the course throughout the long race. "It was fairly close after the first weather leg, and the distance (on the fleet) stayed the same on the first reach," he explained of the moment capturing the race lead. "It was all in the first downwind. I stayed with all the boats and sailed in the pressure. There was an opportunity for me to either to stay with boats on right, looking downwind, or go to the guys on the left. I jibed over and took the pressure on the left side, and after rounding the mark it was a pretty easy beat by hitting the right side and I just extended." Paine has become more comfortable sailing against the top international Finn sailors. "It was a matter of looking at where the pressure was," he said. "It's more of being where the wind is. I'm happy I've been working on getting all these pieces together." US Olympic Finn representative Zach Railey, who is in 4th overall, talked about the feeling at Sail for Gold, which is down in number of competitors compared to previous years. "The atmosphere is very different than last year," said Railey. "The selections have been made for all the classes and we know, pretty much, who is going to the Olympics. For the Finn class, we have all of the representatives who will be at the Olympic Games minus two competitors. It will be a very good test here at the Olympic venue to where we're at with just under two months to go." Event website: http://www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk Canadian team: http://tinyurl.com/CST-060412 USA team: http://tinyurl.com/USST-060412 RUMOUR MILL Any lack of wind and racing on the opening of the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta, the last chance to tune up before the Olympic rings move in next month, was more than made up by the rumour mill about machinations within the International Sailing Federation to overturn a decision made last month to throw out the windsurfers and replace them with kiteboards in Brazil in 2016. The decision came as a shock to the windsurfers, to the watching sail racing community, and even to some of those who voted 19-17 to make the switch. Now there is a move to raise the matter at ISAF's annual general meeting in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, in November, where support by 75 per cent of the council is needed for a formal review. None of the leading presidential candidates, who would be left to implement the decision on the departure of outgoing president Goran Petersson, has publicly backed the decision to change. It is believed that considerable progress has already been made in mustering the 75 per cent. -- Stuart Alexander, The Independent: http://tinyurl.com/RM-060412 CANADA'S BEST MEDAL BET They are, in one sense, an odd couple - a 44-year-old fifth-time Olympian from rural Saltspring Island and a 42-year-old Olympic first-timer from Montreal - but also a seemingly perfectly matched duo. Richard Clarke, Toronto-born but a longtime resident of Salt Spring, and Tyler Bjorn are perhaps Canada's best bet for a sailing medal in London after the two longtime competitors decided to hook up a couple of years ago to compete in a Star class boat. "Tyler and I both have salt water in our veins," Clarke, the helmsman, said. "Sailing goes back quite a number of generations. Both our fathers represented Canada in [sailing] in the 1972 Olympics. We grew up as competitors and have a lot of respect for each other's abilities." Clarke competed in the 1994, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics in the Finn class, with a best finish of ninth in 1996. He decided to switch to the Star class at the end of 2009 and convinced Bjorn to become his partner. They were a disappointing 18th in last month's Star World Championships in France, but had finished in the top 10 in all seven World Cup races in the 2011-2012, including a fourth in April in France. Last year, they were also sixth in the Sail for Gold regatta at Weymouth, site of the London sailing competition, and eighth in a pre-Olympic test event, also at Weymouth. Clarke says the duo, who are coached by 2002 Star Class world champion and British Olympian Steve Mitchell, have developed an instinctual team chemistry. "We push each other hard and when Tyler says 'C'mon, let's get this done,' I know it's time to respond. You can get in pressure-cooker situations in the Olympics, when things can get on your nerves, so it's nice to have a companion on your side who's not going to fall victim to that." Clarke says that having failed to earn a medal at four previous Olympics, he isn't interested in going to what he says will be his last Games just to get "another feather in the cap." That's a major reason why he decided to step away from his professional sailing career last August to "focus 100 per cent on winning a medal for Canada." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/VS-060412 SCORE: The Star fleet had just one race Monday at Sail for Gold, with Richard and Bjorn finishing second: http://www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk/results/index12.html DISCOVER: GEAR FOR "THE 99%" Not that 99%. 99% of the sailing that 99% of us do is near land and in conditions that don't require Southern Ocean-style foulies. But there are always days when it's a bit cooler or there's some water coming from above or below, and those are the conditions we designed the Resolute jacket and race pant for. Made from a high-quality stretch 3-layer laminate and designed to deliver the ultimate combination of performance, fit and race boat style, the Resolute line is our new go-to sailing gear. We're betting it becomes yours, too. Check it out at http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com/Newfor2012 Discover the lightweight sailing gear revolution. Discover your Atlantis. LAST CALL ON BOAT PREP It was only last Thursday night when the Volvo Ocean Race completed its transatlantic leg, but teams are already looking down the barrel of the restart. The six cradled Volvo Open 70s are due to hit the water on Tuesday in anticipation of the Pro-Am Race this Friday, the In-Port Race on Saturday, and the start of the 1940nm Leg 8 from Lisbon, Portugal to Lorient, France on Sunday. "What we're doing right now is just trying to make sure the boat doesn't break and everything is set up perfectly," said Kimo Worthington, PUMA general manager. "The next leg is pretty short and the final one is even shorter yet there's 60 points on the table. If you look at it, it's the same amount of points as the two legs from New Zealand to Miami. It counts for a lot and it's going to be amazing to watch. Anything could happen still - the race is still wide open." The next leg to France will be their final port before the race concludes in Galway, Ireland in early July. But this is each team's final chance for full service. "Right now it's more about the fact the boat can't come out of the water for the next five weeks," said Neil Cox, CAMPER shore manager. "It's a massive concentrated effort under the water line, making sure just diving under the boat is enough to keep a race win on the cards." With just two legs and three in-port races to go, four teams are still in the running for the overall prize. "One of the good things about a class rule that is three generations old now is that the boats become closer," said Neal McDonald of Team Telefonica. "I think this race will go down to the wire for sure. I'd be very surprised if this race is concluded before the end of the last leg and maybe even the end of the last inshore." -- Event media Tracker/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Schedule: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain (Oct. 29) and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles around the world 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 COLLEGE SPRING NATIONALS Austin, Texas (June 4, 2012) - Racing continued today for the ICSA/APS Team Race National Championships on Lake Travis. After the top eight teams had advanced on Sunday from the pool of 14 schools, the focus today was to complete the Gold double round robin series to determine the top four schools that would compete for the championship title. Racing began around 1 p.m. in 10 knots of breeze out of the south-southeast. The air was warm around 84 degrees. As the first flights of races got started the wind began to die on the racecourse and around 2 p.m. the wind gave out and racing was postponed. The wind kicked up to 10-12 knots around 3 p.m. out of the south-southeast and the races got started again. It was a long hot day for the competitors due to the heat, fairly light winds and loads of sailing to be done. There was barely time for breaks in between races as the teams had to rotate and head right back out on the water. St. Mary's was leading the standings for part of the day, but the College of Charleston claimed back their lead from yesterday and ended the day on top. Joining these schools in the finals on Tuesday will be Boston College and Hobart and William Smith. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13941#13941 SAILING SHORTS * The 2012 Laser US National Championship were hosted by Houston Yacht Club (TX) on May 31-June 3. Erik Bowers of Minnetonka Yacht Club (MN) won the 14-boat Laser title, Mitchell Kiss of Macatawa Bay Yacht Club (MI) won the 43-boat Laser Radial title, and Conner Harding Lauderdale Yacht Club (FL) won the 25-boat Laser 4.7 title. -- Results: http://tinyurl.com/LC-060412 * The inaugural Bayview One Design Regatta was held May 31 - June 3 at Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI. Twenty classes with 179 competitors filled the four race circles, with winners determined by tie breakers in the J/120, Melges 24, PHRF A and B classes. The Lightning was the largest class at 23 boats, which was dominated by Skip Dieball and crew Jeff Eiber/ Abby Freeman with all firsts. Complete results: http://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=202 * Applications are now being accepted through July 20th for the 2012 U.S. Team Racing Championship. Hosted by Larchmont Yacht Club, this championship will be the U.S. qualifier for the 2013 Team Racing Worlds. More information can be found at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USTRChampionship.htm * Fidelity Investments, one of the world's leading providers of financial services, will partner with the America's Cup World Series, when it concludes its first season in Newport, Rhode Island on June 28-July 1. The 2011-2012 America's Cup World Series is a six-stage championship spanning Europe, the United Kingdom and North America where AC45 teams accumulate points at each stage in fleet and match racing. -- Full report: http://media.americascup.com/pressreleases/?id=762 * Launched in New Zealand 2009, Karl Kwok's Farr 80 maxi was participating in the Auckland to Noumea yacht race when it notified race officials on June 4 at 7pm that it had suffered damage to its decking and hull and was continuing to deteriorate. The incident occurred around 100 nautical miles east of Norfolk Island, and as of June 5 at 8:30am, was being accompanied by the fishing vessel Advance 2 as it sought the sheltered waters of Norfolk Island's capital Kingston. A bulk carrier, Katherine, was also coming to assist. The crew of 18 is safe and well. -- Full report: http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2012/20120605b.asp J/111 - BRINGING BACK THE FUN The J/111 has been lighting up smiles around the world. This 36' easy-to-sail speedster, uncompromised by rating rules, has brought the fun back into sailing. If you haven't been aboard, check out a J/111 sailing near you (now 70+ boats sailing in 8 countries) or catch some video action at http://www.jboats.com/j111 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 Dave Perry: I rarely disagree with Moose (Guest Commentary from Moose McClintock, Scuttlebutt #3604), but I strongly disagree when he suggests he doesn't belong on a list of some of the most successful living U.S. sailors. In fact, many of us would not be on that list if it weren't for sailing with Moose. The driver is just one member of a successful team. Moose usually trims the headsail and also assists with the tactics, so he is integral to both the speed and the smarts on the boats he races on. Plus, his competitive drive is inspiring, as anyone who has raced with him knows. He's won five J/24 World Championships with several different skippers, as well as many other Worlds and countless North Americans. He's been integral in at least two America's Cup campaigns. And he's a very strong skipper as well, pushing Peter Commette hard in the Laser before Peter went on to win the first Laser World Championship in 1974; and he's still racing his Laser hard in the highly competitive Newport frostbiting fleet. Moose belongs for sure. UPDATE: The voting has begun for the 'Greatest American Sailor' contest. There have been some brutal match-ups in the first round, such as siblings Ken and Brad Read, co-workers Mark Reynolds and George Szabo, and neighbors JJ Fetter and Bill Hardesty. As for Moose, he is currently trailing his match against Robbie Haines. Vote here: http://ussailingentry.com/Bracket/tabid/84/Default.aspx ADVERTISING. FREE ADVERTISING The Scuttlebutt Classified Ads provide a marketplace for private parties to buy and sell, or for businesses to post job openings. For free. As a bonus, each week the Scuttlebutt newsletter includes some of the recent classified ad postings. View/post ads here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/classified_ads CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION You don't have to brush all your teeth; just the ones you want to save. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Kaenon Polarized - KO Sailing - Doyle Sails - Atlantis WeatherGear J Boats - Point Loma Outfitting - North Sails - Allen Insurance Ullman Sails - JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Dieball Sailing Need stuff? 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