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SCUTTLEBUTT 3688 - Tuesday, October 2, 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: Atlantis WeatherGear, US Sailing, and KO Sailing. WHAT DO THE INGREDIENTS OF BEER HAVE TO DO WITH SAILING? By Glenn McCarthy, Lake Michigan SuRF Newsletter Put hops, malt, barley and water in four concrete steel reinforced silos and do not mix them, what do you get? Nothing good! Mix them together and you get beer, something real good. We broke off Junior Sailing/ Sailing Schools into their own silo. These programs are growing, everyone involved is enthusiastic. We broke off High School sailing into its own silo. It is one of the greatest success stories in sailing today, more and more High Schools are signing up and competing against one another. Collegiate Sailing is in its own silo. While more mature, it is also growing today. Adult sailing is in its own silo. Just like the Beer example, we leave these four ingredients in their own silos and do not mix them. And what do we have? Nothing good at the end of the day! Adult sailing is struggling at most levels. There are 300,000 juniors between the ages of 5 and 21 in their three silos in this country. By age 22, 95% of them have quit sailing. Why? It is all about "peers." They see their peers quit without ramification, and so they quit too - no loss (see the related story on growing your yacht club membership through your sailing school, there is a golden lining). We have been justifying that when sailors get out of college they are busy establishing themselves in the working world, changing jobs frequently, getting housing, moving regularly to get better deals, dating, going to weddings, getting married themselves, having children, etc. Wait a moment there, isn't that the exact same stuff we did at that age and didn't we keep sailing? Why is this now an excuse not to sail? We (I'm a boomer) kept sailing because when we were juniors, we sailed with adults. They were part of our peer group. We saw sailors in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and a few hanger-ons in their 90's who all sailed. We knew that they were part of our peers. We knew that we, too, would be sailing for a lifetime. This cycle has been broken. It was never an intention to segregate the age groups, we enjoyed racing with all ages on board. I remember sailing on Inferno in the early 1970's, a red C&C 52 owned by Jim McHugh (McHugh Construction Company) when I was about 12. This was the days of RDF, before Loran or GPS. It was a long distance single-day course race in which we were the lead boat. The navigator hailed to the crew "I owe a beer to whoever can spot the mark." I said, "It's right up ahead, a little to the right of our course." All of the crew looked and looked and couldn't see it and started to disbelieve me. I said, "It is white on top, orange in the middle and white on the bottom." The navigator knew the colors of the mark and said there was no way I could have guessed that and I must be seeing it. We sailed to it and rounded it; it was our mark. The point being, I was helpful to the team at age 12, they understood I contributed to the team, and I became one of them right at that moment, having earned my spot. (To the Inferno navigator: I forgot your name, I'm old enough now and you still owe me that beer. Call me). If the silo system for young sailors was in place back then, I would not have been on Inferno, I would have been at some Opti or 420 regatta somewhere, with helicopter parents shuttling me around. Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/1001/ DISCOVER: ALPHA-BRAVO 30/31 This week marks the 43rd annual US Sailboat Show, and if you're in Annapolis, we invite you to stop by the Atlantis shop at AB 30/31 where we'll have a huge selection of our best-selling gear available at great boat show prices. Kit yourself up for cool-weather sailing with the new Challenger jacket, and try on the new Brimbles sweater, his and hers classic Fall styles for everything from a day on the water to a high school football game. Check them out at http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com and then come see us at the show. Discover America's fastest-growing brand of sailing gear. Discover your Atlantis. THE DISNEY STORY ON YOUTH SAILING By Glenn McCarthy, Lake Michigan SuRF Newsletter I became friends with Roy Disney a decade ago when I set up a showing of a film he made about the Transpac Race (Transpac: A Century across the Pacific), put together by Leslie DeMuese, shown at Northwestern University, and advertised heavily to LMSRF members. Along the way, he told me a really cool story. His crew started out as young guys when he bought Pyewacket, a Santa Cruz 70. As the crew gelled and as they grew older, eventually they had kids. One day someone said that a short race down to Mexico was coming up. It wasn't a "big important race" and what if all of the dads brought their kids along? It was done. They got to the starting line and each kid stood next to their dad. The trimmer taught his kid to trim, the grinder taught his kid to grind, etc. As the race continued, slowly each kid was taking over the dad's job. There is a buoy outside the bay a mile from the finish in Mexico where the crew had to jibe the boat. They completed the jibe, lined the boat up for the finish line, and all of the adults went below (including Roy). Here was Pyewacket, a Santa Cruz 70 sailed by kids from 8-12 years old, with a 10 year old at the helm, bringing the boat across the finish line. When the Race Committee saw all these kids running this big boat crossing the finish line, their eyes got as big as platters. Can you do anything as cool as this with kids on your boat in a race or many races next year? Source: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/1001/ WHO WAS THE BEST IN 2012? Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 U.S. Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards, widely acknowledged as the foremost individual sailing honors in the nation. Through November 30, 2012, every member of US SAILING may nominate the one male and one female sailor they think has turned in the most outstanding on-the-water performance during the 2012 calendar year. At the conclusion of the nomination period (October 1-November 30, 2012), a shortlist of nominees will be presented to a panel of accomplished sailing journalists who discuss the merits of each and vote by secret ballot to determine the individual award winners. The winners will be honored in February, 2013, during a luncheon at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, when they will be presented with specially-engraved Rolex timepieces. The winners in 2011 were Anna Tunnicliffe and Bill Hardesty, and it was expected for the 2012 winners to come from successful performances at the Olympics. But with the U.S. team failing to medal, it opens up the nominees to a wide range of accomplishments. Who do you think should be nominated? US Sailing members post suggestions here: http://www.ussailing.org/awards Non US Sailing members post suggestions here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/12/1001/ SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA What marine event expects to attract as many as 100,000 visitors with an economic impact of well over $50 million? THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AT THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 The Energy Team AC45 broke its mooring Saturday night and the boat drifted into San Francisco Bay before it was secured at Treasure Island. Fortunately, the boat has only suffered minor damage. "The Energy Team boat drifted about a mile from its mooring at Pier 30/32. Thankfully, it was a very calm night and the boat was returned to us without sustaining serious damage," said Regatta Director Iain Murray. "We're grateful for the way this ended and for the help of a good samaritan at Treasure Island who spotted the boat and secured it before handing it back to us." The boat is now back at the team base at Pier 30/32 and repairs are underway. The Energy Team AC45 is expected to be ready for the practice race on Tuesday. "We are thankful to everyone who was able to help us out last night," said skipper Loick Peyron. "It's fortunate it wasn't more serious and we're looking forward to getting back on the race course." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-100112 BROADCAST: The AC World Series in San Francisco (Oct. 3-7) will be available on Wednesday by VirtualEye only, with the racing on Thursday through Sunday picked up by 35 networks throughout the world. In the U.S., commentators Gary Jobson and Todd Harris will host the YouTube broadcast on Thursday through Saturday, and then will move over to NBC to host the 'Super Sunday' final races. Details: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-093012 US SAILING MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Sailors from around the country are positively impacted by US Sailing programs and services. From beginners to experts, from one-design sailors to offshore cruisers, and from instructor trainers to race officials, US Sailing membership dollars support all types of sailors. Can you imagine our sport without certified instructors, coaches, race officials and umpires? Where would our sport be without Racing rules and ratings that level the playing field? How would you feel about sailing without adequate safety standards? Help US Sailing grow these vital programs that are important to the sport. Join US Sailing today! http://www1.ussailing.org/membership/SelectMemberType.aspx PROFOUNDLY APPROPRIATE The tight kinship that is created though sailing is well documented. Another example of this affinity took place in Davenport (Iowa) at the 51st Polar Bear Regatta; an occasion which celebrated the life of Don Wagner - memorializing the event in his name. Don's contributions to the National C-Scow Sailing Association, Lake Davenport Sailing and to his friends throughout the C Scow community will be missed but always remembered. Twenty-three teams competed, representing six different clubs from five different states. This wide attraction proves once again that the Polar Bear is more than just a local regatta - it is a signature annual event for the C Scow class. The Lake Davenport Sailing Club truly makes every sailor feel welcome and at home. After Saturday's races, it was time to pay homage to a couple of great Polar Bear traditions as the sun set Saturday evening. Following the signature pork chop dinner, the raffling off of some truly great swag was conducted by Dinah Wagner and aided by Courtney Benedict along with the ever present Fry Daddy's two man band. And as her late husband Don had done for many years, Dinah kept up with tradition and gave the shirt off of her back to one lucky ticket holder. In the final race on Sunday, Joe Schaub showed why he has a plethora of Polar Bear Championships, finishing the regatta as he started, winning the last race by a wide margin. Schaub attributed his overall victory in part to the "mojo" found in the borrowed sail of Don Wagner. The sight of the LD-31 sail pulling a horizon job victory on the last race at this regatta was profoundly appropriate. Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/0930/ NOT JUST A SNACKTICIAN We'd be willing to bet that the youngest sailor in the 22nm Round the Rocks Race (on San Francisco Bay) was eight-year-old Jack Holden. Jack was crewing for his dad Michael in the 33-boat doublehanded spinnaker division on the family's Richmond YC-based Laser 28 Firebolt. After the race, we asked Mike how it went, wondering if it was more like singlehanding while babysitting than actually doublehanding. "Sailing with Jack was fun, definitely not babysitting," replied Mike. "What is he able to do as crew while you're racing?" we asked. "He is officially the snacktician on the boat," said Mike, "so he gets us food and drinks during the race, and does other cabin jobs like switching battery banks when I start the engine." Sounds like little kid jobs so far, but wait... "He helps with the jib during tacks: he always loads the winch before and he releases if it's not too choppy - otherwise he stands in the companionway while I do it. He mans the spinnaker sheet during jibes in case I didn't ease it enough to make the pole, and he presses the 'turn 10 degrees' button on the autopilot when I have jibed the pole to get the main to stay over. I was driving upwind, but the autopilot steered for the spinnaker leg, the same as if I was singlehanding. We reefed and unreefed several times to keep it mellow for him." -- Latitude 38, read on: http://tinyurl.com/Lat38-100112 SAILING SHORTS * The Canadian Yachting Association Nominating Committee has released the final list of candidates for the Board of Directors to be elected at the CYA Annual General Meeting on Saturday, October 27, 2012. The current Board of Directors and final list of candidates for election to the Board of Directors are as follows: http://tinyurl.com/CYA-100112 * The Annual Regatta Organisers Conference and CSA AGM will take place on 20th and 21st October 2012 in St. Maarten. Attendees include regatta organizers and national associations across the Caribbean. Aside from the business of the AGM, the conference is an opportunity to be updated on the latest in the industry from a Caribbean perspective as well as join seminars to assist in your development of your regatta. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/CSA-100112 * Santa Cruz, CA (September 30, 2012) Hungary's Szabolcs Majthenyi and Andras Domokos took the 2012 Flying Dutchman World title, hosted by Santa Cruz YC (Sept. 25-30), with a day to spare. The 43-boat fleet completed nine races, with the top North American entrant Lin Robson/Adriaan Schmal (USA) finishing 16th. American Steve Bourdow, Olympic silver medal winning Flying Dutchman crew at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, finished 18th with skipper Philippe Kahn. -- Full report: http://www.sailing.org/news/32626.php KO THE COMPETITION! The USODA Midwinter Championships (Team Trials Qualifier) and Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta are just around the corner, and KO Sailing has the charters, gear and everything else you need to stay ahead of the game. Coach boats available too! Learn more at kosailing.com: http://www.kosailing.com/charters/optimist-charters.html 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 Roger Vaughan: In Scuttlebutt 3687, Scott Ostler is right on when he says sailing has "devolved" from an adventure to another sport run by helicopter parents and coaches; how the crash-and-burn, push-over-the-edge by kids left to their own devices is a thing of the past in this country. But it's not such a new phenomenon. The late Bob Bavier, Yachting Magazine President, America's Cup winner (1964), President of NAYRU (now USSailing), and inductee in the 2012 class of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, wrote this in his monthly column 42 years ago: "We still bring up our youngsters in tame, relatively heavy boats. We are not in tune with the rest of the world that is zeroing in on light, sporting, two-man centerboarders often equipped with trapezes." This is not just about sailing. It reflects a national malaise. The concept of "risk," upon which this country was founded, has become a bad word in some ever-expanding circles. * From Todd R. Berman: Zach Berkowitz is on to something with "No More Street Ball" (in Scuttlebutt 3687). The shortcoming of American youth sailing is as much spiritual as they are mechanical. Let kids go wild in fast boats without coaching or adult "hyper" supervision and they will develop the instinctual love of speed rather than the more robotic mechanical parts of being fast in a boat. Obviously the solution is a blend of factors but Zach's observations are a thread that almost nobody wants to pull at in American youth sports today. We are seeing the same things from young athletes in other sports. Today's 18 year old up and coming American soccer star may have been professionally coached on groomed fields since being 8 years old, and that player may have wonderful athletic and technical skills for the game. However, in many cases they sadly lack the creativity and love that blossoms from a youth spent without obsessive coaching in the streets and beaches of Brazil. * From Richard Jepsen, CEO, OCSC Sailing: I agree with the premise of the article about the biology of sea sickness (in Scuttlebutt 3687). However, I believe the numbers quoted in the seasickness article don't apply for sailing. Our experience with new sailors at our sailing school are almost reversed...10 percent are prone to seasickness. I'd say that the vast majority of our students on sailboats, even in 20-25 knots of breeze, avoid seasickness. Admittedly, it is inshore (SF Bay) but the waves are 2-3 feet and there's plenty of motion. Sailing just happens to be a different motion than what the Navy research (powerboats, offshore) points to. So, out in the ocean on a power boat platform, the numbers of people prone to seasickness can be high. But, sailboats tend to create MUCH less sea sickness in people whether inshore or on the coast. Also, our most sensitive clients have great success with the medications mentioned, especially Dramamine and Scopalomine. (We advise students to take half doses of Dramamine over time before and during their boating experience to maximize benefit and minimize side effects. Works like a charm. TRIVIA ANSWER In answer to the question of what event expects to attract as many as 100,000 visitors with an economic impact of well over $50 million, the focus of the marine industry is in Annapolis for the U.S. Sailboat Show (Oct. 4-8) and U.S. Powerboat Show (Oct. 11-14). Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck will be there Oct. 4-6. Among the products being introduced at the Sailboat Show is the new McLube Antifoul Alternative Speed Polish. They will be giving away free samples to people who register to receive a coupon code redeemable in person at the Harken-McLube Booth #17/18. Details here: http://www.mclubemarine.com/antifoulpolish/index.php?r=scuttlebutt PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT The Scuttlebutt website provides 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 ad postings. Have an ad? Post it in the Classified Ad section of the Forum. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Do women really think that giving their spouse the "silent treatment" is punishment? SPONSORS THIS WEEK Point Loma Outfitting - Summit Yachts - Premiere Racing Atlantis WeatherGear - US Sailing - KO Sailing - IYRS - North Sails E Sailing - Ullman Sails - APS - Allen Insurance and Financial Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
