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SCUTTLEBUTT 3329 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011Scuttlebutt 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: North Sails, Morris Yachts, and LaserPerformance. CREW WEIGHT RULES APPLY IN HANDICAP RACING TOO Certain one design classes include a maximum crew weight rule. The intent of such a rule is to help boat owners keep the same crew together regardless of the wind strength. And typically, it is best to be at the maximum crew weight. Interestingly, this issue of crew weight for a class is not limited to the realm of their one design racing. When using IRC ratings, this rule states that “boats rated as one-designs shall conform with their one-design class rules in respect of crew number/weight limitations unless freed from this requirement by notice of race.” For boats other than one designs, IRC has crew number/weight rules as well. But for PHRF, this stipulation appears to vary. US SAILING lists PHRF of Lake Ontario as its largest fleet, and their rules only refer to boat and sail dimensions. However, the second largest fleet is PHRF of Southern California, and their rules state that “when a boat is rated with the One-Design configuration, ...the boat shall comply with all its One-Design class rules (including sail buttons, crew weight, etc.) Any modification to the One-Design class rules which might modify the boat’s PHRF One-Design rating shall be furnished to “the PHRF Regional Board immediately after the rule change becomes effective.” Here is a partial list of keelboat OD classes with a crew weight rule: Class - Crew Weight Beneteau First 36.7- 1,550 lbs Etchells - 628 lbs Express 37 (NorCal) - 1,850 lbs or 8 crew Farr 30 - 1,155 lbs Farr 40 - 1,672 lbs Flying Tiger 10M - 1,155 lbs J/24 - 880 lbs J/105 - 1,045 lbs Melges 24 - 792 lbs Melges 32 - 1,383 lbs New York Yacht Club Swan 42 - 1,870 lbs S2 7.9 - 1,100 lbs Schock 35 - 1,750 lbs One event that includes a crew weight rule is Key West Race Week, where regatta organizer Premiere Racing administers the Key West Performance Handicap Racing Fleet. The objective of the organization is to establish and maintain an equitable system of performance-based handicaps for boats participating at Key West, and one of the tools they use to level the playing field is to rate all the boats within their published Base Crew Weight Limitations. -- Scuttleblog, http://tinyurl.com/Scuttleblog-042611 WHEN CAN A JURY CONSIDER REDRESS? By Matt Knowles When is it appropriate for a jury to consider redress? Must the jury wait until a boat has suffered some alleged harm, or may it consider (and grant) redress merely because of the possibility that a boat will suffer harm in the future? Rule 62.1 states: A request for redress or a protest committee’s decision to consider redress shall be based on a claim or possibility that a boat’s score in a race or series has, through no fault of her own, been made significantly worse... [emphasis added] This rule would seem to make it clear that a boat is not eligible for redress until there is a possibility that she has suffered harm, rather than a possibility that she may suffer harm in the future. This question was a central challenge for the International Jury appointed for the 33rd America's Cup last spring. When BMW Oracle filed for redress before racing based on provisions inserted into the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions, the jury was forced to confront this problem. The Alinghi/SNG representative argued that "the Requests were not valid, as all the requirements of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 62.1(a) had not been met. RRS 62.1(a) did not permit a Request to be made before a boat’s score had been affected." However, nonetheless, the jury found that "the words ‘possibility that a boat’s score’ used in RRS 62.1 permit the Jury to consider a Request for Redress before the race." The jury focused on the word "possibility" but seemed to ignore the past-tense use of the word "has". Now, clearly the IJ at the 33rd AC was under enormous political and logistical pressure. The New York Supreme Court had passed to them a number of thorny issues to resolve. Were the jury to find that it was not permitted to do so, all manner of chaos would ensue. So should we look at this jury decision as simply a product of the extraordinary circumstances and pressure the jury faced, or is it a correct decision that should be applied across the board? -- Read on: http://rulestalk.blogspot.com/2010/11/when-can-jury-consider-redress.html CV: Matt Knowles is a Team racer, Moth sailor, Member of the US SAILING Racing Rules Committee, and self-proclaimed rules nerd. RACING IN ANNAPOLIS? If you’re headed to Annapolis, look for the North Sails tent (manned each evening with sales & sail care reps) and our van, which will be located at the Annapolis YC annex, for overnight sail repair at this weekend’s Sperry Top-Sider Annapolis NOOD Regatta. In partnership with Southern Spars and Sailing Weather Service, we are also offering free weather forecasts for the 3-day event. Log on to our Web site to sign up & we hope to see you there! http://na.northsails.com SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA Which country holds the most Olympic sailing medals but never has won a gold medal? (Answer below) ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP - EVENT FOUR Hyeres, France (April 26, 2011) - For the third day of the Semaine Olympique Française, racing started late due to warm temperatures hastening the building breeze. For the larger fleets that needed to conclude their qualification series today, the prospects looked grim but finally by 8PM the last boats came back to the dock after a long day of wait and sail. Both the men’s and women’s 2010 ISAF Sailor of the Year recipients lead their respective events. Blanca Manchon (ESP) is going into the RX:X Gold group with a nine points lead, equal to that of the margin held by Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby (AUS). Leading the American armada in the men’s keelboat event, which holds three of the top 10 positions in the Star class, is George Szabo and Mark Strube in fourth. “Prior to today we were pretty consistent with all top 10 finishes,” explained Strube. “Today saw what seemed to be many boats over and only one called (back). We dipped below the start at about 10 seconds because we felt we were over. The rest of the boats just kept going. We started close to the pin and got ping-ponged up the first beat and got caught outside of a big shift which put us pretty far back. We fought our way back to around 14th by the top of the last weather mark but lost a few right at the finish which put us at 18th for the day. The next few days we need to be on the line and let our boat speed and tactics do the work.” Racing continues each day this week and concludes on April 29. Daily report/results: http://sof.ffvoile.net/index.php?page=18&lang=en&news=103 Canada: http://tinyurl.com/CYA-042511 USA: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/World_Cup/SOF.htm YACHT CLUB HOUSE DRINKS Sailing has its traditions, and for better or worse, the adult beverages is one of them. At some yacht clubs, this tradition includes a designated house drink. Using the all powerful Facebook to gather information on apres sailing aperitif, here are the drinks that can be found at the following clubs: American YC (Rye, NY) - Planter's Punch, Bay Head YC (Bay Head, NJ) - Steak Knife Bayview YC (Detroit, MI) - Hummer Eastport YC (Annapolis, MD) - Juanita's Margarita Indian Harbor YC (Greenwich, CT) - Black Top Larchmont YC (Larchmont, NY) - Montesano Cooler Madison Beach Club (Madison, CT) - Lightning Monterey Peninsula YC (Monterey, CA) - MOP (Myers OJ and Pineapple) Rochester YC (Rochester, NY) - Wedge Royal Burnham YC (Essex, UK) - Max's Special Scuttlebutt Sailing Club - Cadillac Margarita Seawanhaka Corinthian YC (Oyster Bay, NY) - Southside Southern YC (New Orleans, LA) - Red Drink (aka Planter’s Punch) St. Francis YC (San Francisco, CA) - Sloe Gin Fizz YC’s along the Gulf Coast - Bushwacker Any others? Please email your ‘knowledge’ to the Scuttlebutt editor: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com STARTING BATTERY VS. HOUSE BATTERY Choosing a marine battery that will be right for your boat can be a tough undertaking today due to the numerous types and wide variety of design duties of batteries on the marine market. Two basic types of marine battery perform two distinctly different jobs. A starting battery is built to crank the starter on your boat's engine by delivering a high number of amps in short bursts of 5 to 15 seconds. Once the engine starts the onboard alternator quickly recharges the battery. Marine electrical experts recommend that boat owners have a dedicated starting battery for each engine. The starting battery should be independent of other systems requiring electricity. The marine cranking amp (MCA) or cranking amp (CA) rating on the battery indicates its starting power. Your engine manual should tell you the recommended MCA/CA for your engine. Get a battery that meets or exceeds that rating. A house battery or house battery bank supplies power to all the components and systems that run on DC electricity on your boat. Deep-cycle batteries are used for house power. This type of battery is designed to supply a steady flow of power over a long period of time. -- Read on: http://www.marine-electronics-reviews.com/choosing-a-marine-battery.html SEE MORRIS YACHTS IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA Come see the largest group of Morris yachts ever assembled on the West Coast Friday, May 13-Sunday, May 15 at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach, CA. From 10am to 5pm, the Sparkman & Stephens designed M29, M36, M42 and a Chuck Paine designed Morris 48 will be on view. Because we rely on the generosity of owners to borrow their boats, this is truly an exceptional gathering of Morris yachts. To make an appointment, please call 207-244-5509 or email us at sales1@morrisyachts.com For more information on Morris Yachts go to http://www.morrisyachts.com TRIVIA ANSWER As for which country has yet to stand upon the top step of the Olympic sailing podium, Canada holds the most medals (9) by any nation never to win a gold medal. CHAFE GETTING YOU DOWN? By Aaron Freeman, APS A new way to stop chafe on board has now arrived! Ice Bear sailing powder is specifically made to alleviate chafe on the undercarriages of male racing sailors. The powder incorporates 100% organic ingredients all formulated for the extreme conditions that sailors subject their valuables to. The powder includes cornstarch and arrowroot to control moisture, kaolin clay to give the powder a dry feel, and the secret ingredient zinc to add some lubricity and reduce chafe. At the Charleston Race Week, I was able to try this product, and I must say I’m a fan. This powder does not clump like Gold BondTM or baby powder, and does not have the strong medicine or “old guy” smell like some other undercarriage maintenance products. Another nice thing about the Ice Bear is the convenient 3oz container. It can easily fit in your sailing bag and allow you to “freshen up” after racing before hitting the club for your rum drink. While I haven’t had the opportunity to try the powder offshore, you better believe this is going to be in my bag for the Annapolis-Newport race. -- Full report: http://blog.apsltd.com/2011/04/ice-bear-review.html SAILING SHORTS * The Reichel Pugh 75 Titan Powerplay, which had been competing this week at Antigua Sailing Week, was badly damaged by an onboard fire in Falmouth Marina Monday evening. The boat, owned by Tom and Dot Hill, was chartered to Peter Cunningham for the regatta. -- http://www.sailingweek.com/v3/index.php * Peter Reichelsdorfer, known for his work on the ORR, with Sailing Yacht Research Foundation, has been elected to the Lake Michigan Sailing Hall Of Fame. His induction will occur at Sheboygan Yacht Club on May 11th at 6:30 PM CDT. * (April 26, 2011) - During the first day of a test event in New Zealand for the AC45s, five teams trialed several race course configurations as well as the new Umpire system in conditions that ranged up to 25 knots. Getting their first taste of ‘crossing the line’ and capsizing was Oracle Racing. No one was injured and the boat suffered minor damage to the wing that should be repairable overnight. -- Full report/video: http://www.americascup.com/blog/flippin-fantastic_113 * (April 26, 2011) - With 186 days to go until the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 kicks off in Alicante, the new Spanish Volvo Open 70 “Telefónica” has left the King Marine shipyard this morning, where it was built over approximately 40,000 hours with a team of over 28 builders and 19 designers in the region of Valencia in Spain. The Juan Yacht Design studio, based in Valencia and lead by Argentina's Juan Kouyoumdjian, were in charge of the design of the new boat for the Spanish team directed by Pedro Campos. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/TT-042611 * All respondents to a recent survey by the National Marine Bankers Association said the dollar volume of loans booked in the first quarter of 2011 was up from the same period last year. The survey, conducted earlier this month, was done to gauge changes in the lending environment and identify trends that could be used for business planning. Thirty percent of association lender members responded, including loan originators/brokers, financial services firms and banks, with the majority having a national presence. -- Soundings, read on: http://tinyurl.com/TOT-042611 NOTICE TO MARINE INDUSTRY Scuttlebutt World Headquarters is on every mailing list, so we get all forms of email press releases about marine industry updates. While there is often Most go in the trash. The Marine Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum was created so companies could get guaranteed exposure by posting their own personnel, product and service updates online. In addition to website traffic, Scuttlebutt editors randomly select updates each week to include in the Thursday edition of the Scuttlebutt newsletter. Here is the link to post Industry News updates: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news SUMMER IS COMING. ARE YOU READY? The iconic Sunfish is the ultimate summer boat! Light weight and car toppable, the Sunfish combines performance, stability and durability in a package for beginners and experts alike. Visit a dealer near you or http://www.laserperformance.com. Put a smile on your face. Sail a Sunfish. 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 John Harwood-Bee: It is interesting to read the negative responses to the news that the NZ government (i.e. the taxpayer) is to underwrite an AC campaign to the tune of $36million. Martin Devlin even claims that the majority of ‘Kiwis’ oppose such a move. What a fuss over a comparatively small sum. They should consider themselves VERY fortunate that, unlike us poor Brits, they are not bidding for the Olympics. When a bunch of fools decided it would be a good idea to challenge for the so called ‘honour’ of hosting the 2012 event, LONDONERS were told it would ‘ONLY’ cost them 2.5 BILLION pounds ($4BILLION) to stage it. Then LONDON won the bid and we BRITISH taxpayers discovered that it would not be London but ALL of us who would have to underwrite the 12 BILLION pounds (around $20 BILLION) to stage the farce. Considering that it took Montreal over 30 years to pay off the costs and it is estimated that Athens will never finish paying the bill, New Zealanders should count themselves fortunate that their leaders having only committed a relatively small amount to a campaign that should at least bring them the same amount in publicity benefits. * From Ken Womack: I am avid Corinthian (non-pro) Etchells sailor. I cannot think of a more fun way to spend my sailing dollars. The fun and rewards I get from sailing in the Etchells fleet are not derived in small part from those "professional crew and coaches". These professionals guarantee that I am measuring up against the best of the best. They also serve to attract the very best of the Corinthian sailors as well. When I arrived at SDYC last June for the Etchells North American Championship, I found that I would be competing against skippers like Bruce Golison, Chris Bush, Bruce Nelson, Bill Hardesty, Brian Camet, Dave Ulman, Vice Brun, Dennis Conner, and Chris Snow, just to mention a handful. Amongst their crew were dozens of class champions, Olympians and AC guys. Almost without exception any one of these sailors were more than willing to give me a few moments of conversation, coaching and advice. Not just before the regatta, but also during the cocktail hour following the races each day. Advice ranged from sail trim, steering and starting, to course management and weather forecasting. -- Forum, read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=11750#11750 * From Glenn Selvin: To my friend Chris Ericksen (in Scuttlebutt 3328)...thanks for putting the coaching issue in perspective! I sail a Finn. I can't afford a new sail every year, and I wish I could afford that new HIT mast I keep drooling over. And I damned sure can't afford a coach. I guess money's just too tight in an economy that only the politicians say is improving. But still, me and the rest of the old guys still go Finn sailing, and do the best that we can with our bad backs and weak knees. Finns4ever. * From Mike Moore: It's been a long, long time since I've sailed Etchells (the 1991 Worlds on SF Bay comes to mind). But I've been somewhat active as a crew in the Star Class since about 1997 and have seen a pretty significant shift regarding coaching over the years. I absolutely agree that coaches can provide a great deal of help to sailors of all calibers. But the reality I've experienced is that coaching during regattas has developed to the point where those with coaches have a significant advantage on race day, not just in the training period leading up to it, or in the debrief session after the day is over. Here are a few reasons why: 1) The tow out. Let’s face it, that's really nice when the fleet is facing a long sail to the course in light air. And for the record, as long as there is breeze, I always prefer to sail over a tow, even home after the day is over. 2) On-the-water supplies. Having no coach, we've always had to choose our sails before leaving the dock, and then live with them for the day. The coached sailor has 2 more mains and 2 more jibs on the coach boat. Lighter breeze on the course than at the dock, or wind picks up in between races? No problem, just change the sails. And perhaps even more unfair, spare parts are also available. Not sure that fitting will hold up? No worries, your worst case scenario is losing one race if it's a multi-race day, as you've got spares on the coach boat. The un-coached sailor either makes it through the day without a breakdown, or he's out for the rest of the day following one. -- Forum, read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=11752#11752 COMMENT: Depending on the one design class and/or the event, some of the benefits of regatta coaches may be limited by class rules and/or event sailing instructions. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt editor CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Point Loma Outfitting - Doyle Sails - North Sails Melges Performance Sailboats - Interlux - Team One Newport Morris Yachts - LaserPerformance - Ullman Sails - Summit Yachts US Sailing - The Pirates Lair - O’pen BIC Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
