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SCUTTLEBUTT 3239 - Tuesday, December 14, 2010Scuttlebutt 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 U, North Sails, and LaserPerformance. BEN AINSLIE - BEATING THE ODDS The 2010 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) had nine events, of which teams could count their best six events in seeking the ISAF Match Racing World Championship title and the Tour's bonus prize money of $50,000 USD. But skipper Ben Ainslie (GBR) and his TEAMORIGIN crew only sailed in six events, but they were good enough for Brits to top the field. Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck checked in with Ben following his latest accomplishment: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * The WMRT attracts a lot of great sailors who dedicate themselves to the match race game, but you are far better known for your Olympic accomplishments (three Gold, one Silver medal). Do the Tour events lend themselves to where your dinghy skills provide an advantage? BEN AINSLIE: It does take time to learn the match racing game but you still essentially need the same skills that you would need in an Olympic Class and you need to be fast. Quite often the game happens so fast that the team needs to have an instinctive feel for the breeze and the shifts; I think an Olympic classes background helps with that. * For anyone that has seen the videos, the WMRT looks like a street fight. Can you play this game calmly, or must you have a certain type of personality to be competitive? BEN AINSLIE: It really depends on who the competition is. Some of the teams try and sail fast and free, whilst others really get stuck in. Sailing your own race can often work but there are times where you have to accept it's going to be aggressive. * Were there any specific skills you found to be vital for success on the WMRT? BEN AINSLIE: It really comes down to having a strong team. It's like everything else; you need to have as few weaknesses as possible and be able to perform when it counts. * In any sport, the teams that improve during the season are those with the best chance to succeed in the final championship. In what specific areas would you say your team made the most progress during the 2010 season? BEN AINSLIE: This season was a bit difficult for us as there were some big gaps in the programme due to our other commitments. Fortunately, we had time to really focus on Malaysia by racing in Perth the week before; this helped us get used to the Foundation 36 and get into the time zone. It's interesting the more you sail together as a team then the chatter reduces and a lot of the communication is instinctive. I would say boat handling and communication were probably the biggest gains we made through the season. * Do you think the Tour and the America's Cup need each other? BEN AINSLIE: Probably not right now! Certainly the Tour has, in the past, been a breeding ground for match racers tuning their skills for the AC and that has been mutually beneficial. Now, with Multi-hulls it's a different game and I imagine for the time being the Extreme Sailing Series (with the eXtreme 40 catamaran) would be more relevant to the AC. Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/1209/ CURRENT, FICKLE WINDS AND DEAD ANIMALS The road for Ben Ainslie to win the ISAF Match Racing World Championship passed through Maylasia, where the results at the Monsoon Cup (Dec. 1-5) determined the final rank. But to beat out the competition above the murky water, Ainslie had to first be aware of what might lie below it: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dodging a dead cow on the way to the bottom mark counts as one of the more unusual experiences in Peter Gilmour's long sailing career. Gilmour has raced in every Monsoon Cup since its inception in 2005 and has had to contend with all manner of obstructions on the course. "There have been branches, trees and even an occasional dead animal," says Gilmour. "There is nothing like heading for a mark and suddenly seeing a dead cow or goat in your way." The source of the rivers is the massive Lake Kenya, situated in the mountains and reputedly containing half the volume of the great lakes in the United States. When the monsoon rains come - as they often do - it can dramatically affect the racing; sweeping all kinds of objects downstream onto the sailing course. Gilmour talks of one year when, after a "serious" amount of rain, local authorities were forced to open the flood doors further up the river. "We literally had 1.5 to 2 metres of volume more than we are used to, which really changed the event," recalls Gilmour. "Luckily there was a strong wind which stopped us being swept out to sea." "It is an incredibly difficult place to sail," confirms current world match racing champion Ben Ainslie. "Especially when there are light winds to go with the strong currents. I was completely gobsmacked the first time I went there." -- NZ Herald, read on: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10693690 HO HO HO Great gifts for your sailor at http://www.northu.com Books, CDs, DVDs, Seminars, Coaching and Race Weeks covering Tactics, Trim, Rules and Match Racing. Self-Gifting encouraged. Free shipping to North America - note 'Scuttlebutt Free Shipping' in comments. http://www.northu.com WHEN DEVELOPMENT AND CLASS RULES MEET A development class is not for the meek, and the development class that is getting all the publicity these days in the International Moth. When Rohan Veal from Australia electrified the sailing world in 2005 when he became the first person to win an International Moth World Championship on hydrofoils, it required everyone to either add foils to their boat or get beat by those that did. This is what development classes do. They develop. The list of Moth class rules is short, limiting little more than hull length and width and sail area. They begin by stating their intention "is to give the designer and builder the fullest liberty in design and construction, within these rules to develop and produce faster boats." And while the idea is to stretch the boundaries for better boat speed, this reality is not always well received. The 2011 International Moth World Championship is next month in Belmont, Australia (Jan. 8-14), and the class Executive Committee is hurriedly trying to navigate the next big development: wing sails. Since Simon Payne (GBR) won the 2010 Worlds in March, which followed the domination of a wing sail at the 33rd America's Cup, factions in the class went into the garage to make their own wing. And now they are coming out. The problem is threefold. First, the class rules are not well suited to the wing, so interpretations must be made. The sticking point is that the rules permit one mast and one sail, and the naysayers find that all the flaps and elements amid the wing are over the limit. There is concern among the sail manufacturers who fear their livelihood is in danger, and are seeking to halt this development as not being in the "general interest of the class". Then there are all the soft sail competitors who fear their kit will not be sufficient at the 2011 Worlds. And all this uproar comes before the wing sails have entered a race. As Class president Mark Robinson (SIN) noted during the 2010 Annual General Meeting in March, "We've got a healthy class. The fleet is still on an up-turn, but the trick is to maintain this. The class philosophy is that as a development class just about anything goes. If it works, and the class members like it, it will be embraced, if not it may be banned. Thus 'retrospective legislation' is the philosophy. We also have to be careful how many revolutions we have within the class in a given period to ensure sustained growth. Hydrofoils have been a great success, but incurred a significant cost increase upon their introduction, so we have to be careful how many major revolutions we have, versus constant evolution." So will the class embrace the wing, or will self-interest kill it first? The clock is ticking, and the ethos of the class is set to be tested. Additional reports on Scuttleblog: http://tinyurl.com/Scuttleblog-121310 GLOBAL CIRCUIT EXPANDS The Extreme Sailing Series has unveiled an expanded schedule of venues and top level professional sailing teams and skippers for the 2011 eXtreme 40 catamaran tour. The 'ISAF Special Event' circuit is going truly global as it enters its fifth year, with 9 events spanning 3 continents, over 11 months and 10 teams representing 8 nations. A core objective of the event remains to be the most commercially sound way for brands and host venues to benefit from the great offer that professional sailing can present. This philosophy has been at the heart of the product since its inception in 2006, with the vast majority of teams since 2007 being sponsorship funded. A typical full budget for a competitive yearlong campaign will range between 450k and 650k Euros, plus a boat at c.100k Euros per year (charter or depreciated purchased cost over 4 years). "The circuit has come a long way since 2007 when we had just 4 European events and 5 teams," commented Mark Turner, Executive Chairman of organisers OC ThirdPole. "We continue to attract new top sponsored teams, sailors and, importantly, major new venues where we can showcase the sport with our game-changing 'stadium' format. The choice of venues for 2011 has been our core commercial team focus since the end of 2009. We are getting closer to the perfect mix of established iconic cities, premium venues, great sailing destinations and emerging (sailing) markets." 2011 Calendar & Host Venues: Act 1: February 22-24, Muscat, Oman Act 2: April 15-17, China Act 3: May 27-29, Istanbul, Turkey Act 4: June 30-July 4, Boston, USA Act 5: August 6-12, Cowes, UK Act 6: September 16-18, Trapani, Italy Act 7: September 30 - October 2, Nice, France Act 8: October 12-16, Almeria, Spain Act 9: December 9-11, Singapore 2011 Confirmed Teams & Skippers: Alinghi (SUI) - Tanguy Cariou (FRA) Artemis Racing (SWE) - Terry Hutchinson (USA) Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) - Dean Barker (NZL) Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA) - N/A Luna Rossa (ITA) - Max Sirena (ITA) Oman Air Masirah (OMA) - Sidney Gavignet (FRA) Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT) - Roman Hagara (AUT) Team GAC Pindar (GBR) - Ian Williams (GBR) Team Nice (ITA) - Alberto Barovier (ITA) The Wave, Muscat (OMA) - Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/ESS-121310 EIGHT BELLS One of the truly unsung heroes of our sport died this past weekend. B.W. Jordy Walker passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. If there is anyone who epitomized "giving back " to the sport it was Jordy. In his quiet, behind the scene style he was instrumental in most of the sailing activity in Bermuda, but more importantly, he was truly one of the Fathers of the sport of match racing and its growth around the world. Jordy was one of the five founding members of the World Match Racing Association in 1988 and helped create and start the World Match Racing Championships in that same year. He was President of the World Match Racing Association twice and oversaw tremendous growth and change in the sport. I was privileged to meet Jordy by chance in 1988, where we discussed an idea of taking the King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda to the next level, making it one of the top trophys and events in the sport by bringing in top prize money, television on ESPN, sponsors and spectators to Hamilton Harbour. He put his own money behind the plan with an interest-free loan to the club, and me, to create this event. He also took a lot of flak from people who thought that racing the event in Hamilton Harbour close to shoreside spectators wasn't "proper yachting". However, the event was a great success, offering top prize money to the best sailors in the world and with great sponsors like Omega, Brut, Renaissance Reinsurance, Colorcraft, and ACE Group to name a few. More importantly the Gold Cup became the gateway for the up and coming sailor to get on to the circuit and make a name for themselves through the innovative format. Names like Baird, Holmberg, Gilmour, Coutts and Spithill all came through this event to go on to greater achievements within the sport. More importantly, he did this all as a volunteer. He wasn't paid to travel around the world to these meetings, he never asked for anything, motivated only by what he thought it would bring to future generations of sailors around the world. Match racing would not be where it is today without the tireless and unsung work of Jordy Walker. Most, if not all, of the top professional sailors who made their way through the match racing system and specifically the Gold Cup in Bermuda, owe a huge amount of gratitude to this person who, with tremendous class and grace, quietly gave of himself back to the sport. He will be greatly missed. -- Scott MacLeod, Force10 Marketing. More here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10981 BEFORE SANTA HEADS SOUTH... You should head NORTH...! At North Sails Gear, we have stocked our holiday shelves with an awesome selection of outerwear, gifts, luggage, shirts and more for men, women and children. We have great stocking stuffers too (book lights, fleece blankets, junior sail bags and more)! You won't be disappointed with our great selection and now through Friday (December 17) enjoy free surface shipping in the USA on all orders over $50 - just write 'Scuttlebutt Ship' in the order notes box during checkout and shipping will be deducted. Hurry - items are moving quickly and it'll be the New Year before you know it! http://www.northsailsgear.com SAILING SHORTS * The Canadian Yachting Association invites all Canadian sailors and their supporters to participate in the Annual Canadian Sailing Awards. Nominations are being sought for outstanding sailors, athletes, coaches, race officials, volunteers and events that have contributed to the sport over the past year. Deadline is January 5, 2011. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/CYA-121310 * SurferToday.com announced the standout riders of the year 2010. The selection of the best surfer, kitesurfer, windsurfer and bodyboarder included American kiter Rob Douglas who set a new Outright World Speed Record at the 2010 Luderitz Speed Challenge. -- http://tinyurl.com/ST-121310 * Melbourne, AUS (December 13, 2010) - Light winds played havoc with the Sail Melbourne program on day one of the first event of the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup where more than 400 crews have lined up for racing. Only four of the eight Olympic classes managed to complete races, with leading performances from North America turned in by Erik Storck/ Trevor Moore (4th, 49er), Stu McNay/ Graham Biehl (4th, 470M), and Clay Johnson (7th, Laser) from the U.S. team. -- Full report: http://www.sailing.org/34867.php * The Rotary Mobility Cup 2011 expects to be the largest International disable sailing regatta in North America. To be held August 29 to September 2, this regatta will take place on the waters of Hamilton Harbour, 35 kms south west of Toronto, Ontario. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10979 * The start of ocean sprint two of the VELUX 5 OCEANS continues to be postponed due to adverse weather conditions off the South African coast. Gale force winds and huge seas led to the race committee taking the decision to delay from the planned start on Sunday to possibly Thursday because of concerns about the safety of the solo skippers and their Eco 60 yachts. Ocean sprint two, the second of five that make up the VELUX 5 OCEANS, will see the fleet sail through the Southern Ocean to Wellington in New Zealand. --Full story: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-121210 FREE CLASSIFIED ADS The Scuttlebutt Classified Ads provide a marketplace for private parties to buy and sell, or for businesses to post job openings. Here are recent ads: * Farr 30 for sale * Sailing Center Community Relations Manager position * Henri Lloyd, Womens Offshore Foulies for sale View/post ads here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/classified_ads 12 DAYS TO SAVE @ LASERPERFORMANCE Need help with that special gift for the dinghy sailor in the family? The elves at the LaserPerformance workshop have selected 12 different specials. Program runs through December 19th with some great deals on Laser, Sunfish and Club420 parts! For details contact your LaserPerformance authorized dealer or LaserPerformance online: http://shopna.laserperformance.com/templates/group.aspx?GroupGuid=3073 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 Ben Barger, Olympic Commission Member: The athletes can relate very well to Paul Henderson's point (in Scuttlebutt 3236) that it's not about the events it's about the media, the stories and the competition. But what is clear is that the path the ISAF had while under Paul Henderson's control for nearly a decade made it a feeding ground for strategy-less council making decisions. I surely was pissed off at how carelessly and blindly ISAF changed things right before each quad, especially when I fund 75% of my own Olympic campaign expenses. Did medal races make us a TV sport? Did killing the multihull get us closer? Without fitting and sustainable equipment to my body type and experience they are 'make or break' Olympic decisions. After sitting on the Olympic Commission and as chair of the ISAF Athletes Commission, changes are now finally being made according to an overarching strategy that took some 18 months of nearly daily emails and calls with all the vested constituents responding (IOC, ISAF, MNA's, sports consultancies). You can find this strategy on the homepage's link on ISAF's homepage or here. No it's not perfect, but it's a huge leap forward of where ISAF was. The problem in the sailing sports federations world is that they aren't ran like businesses; they spend money given to them and have nearly no clue how to actually market and sell the brand. Now with the approved strategy, ISAF will be out to the ultimate litmus test, having to engage tactics that requires raising capital and many other operational changes to achieve success. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10978#10978 * From Richard Gladwell, Sail-World: With the greatest of respect there are some areas with which I take issue with Paul Henderson (from Scuttlebutt 3236). I was part of the media in Qingdao, and wasn't aware of any leaning of media interest towards the Star. Yes their medal race was spectacular, in the big breeze and big sea off the seawall at Qingdao - as were the 49ers and Tornados, Yngling and others. But in the earlier stages of the regatta there were often only one or two media boats on the Star/Tornado course, and with only a couple of photographers on each the times I went to their course. Yes some of the Star sailors are household names, but the real media interest is in the medalists from previous Olympics who are coming back, and if they can become double or triple medalists. Can history be made? People like Alessandra Sensini, Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy (can he win Gold in the Finn and now the Star?) The performance of the Chinese womens board sailor in front of her home crowd was clearly the most unforgettable. There was only one event, in terms of local support. Plus you have real nationalism at the Olympics, which is not the case in other aspects of professional sailing. Nationalism is something the general media understand very well - as it pulls the readership back home. My point being that the Star is not the media jewel of the Olympics. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10974#10974 * From Don Finkle, RCR Yachts: I think Giles Pearman misses the point (in Scuttlebutt 3238). People don't watch sporting events at the Olympic level for the equipment they use. They watch to see the best athletes in the world compete. It is all about the stars. To have an Olympic sailing event without some of the best sailors in the world (assuming the Star is not there) would lessen the event and the result. * From Nis Peter Lorentzen: Surely Paul Henderson's comments are correct, BUT let us explore this subject further. Is it really true that the "equipment" and its size does not matter? Sailing has the advantage over many other sports that the "equipment" can potentially add a lot to the public image and media attractiveness of the sport. If we go back to the pre-WWII years of the Olympics, the larger keelboats that were used were Skerry Cruisers/Square Metre Yachts and Metre Yachts. At that time these boats were the most advanced, fastest and beautiful yachts ever produced. I believe that the public image and media attractiveness of Olympic sailing would increase dramatically today if we learned from Olympic sailing a century ago, as well as from the America's Cup, and allowed each country to participate with a 12 Metre yacht again! Our entire Western tradition of recreational sailing was shaped by early sailing heroes like Lipton, Fife, Herreshoff, Burgess, Vanderbilt, Sparkman, Stevens, etc. Paul Henderson is also right when he says that sailing will "never" be dropped from the Olympics. Sailing represents freedom, adventure, heritage, competition, glamour, technology, nature, ocean, wind power, and many other positive attributes. Would a 12 Metre Olympic keelboat match racing discipline attract the very best sailing heroes in the world (think Conner, Bond, Koch, Bertrand, Melges, Turner, Coutts, etc.)? Would the size, beauty, majesty, heritage, glamor and inspiration of a 12 Metre Olympic "flagship" yacht attract millions of potential new sailors to the sport, and thereby indirectly benefit all the less expensive and widespread boat classes? -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10970#10970 CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL Before you use the bathroom in someone's house, make sure you first check their toilet paper supply. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Kaenon Polarized - Hall Spars & Rigging - Team One Newport North U - North Sails - LaserPerformance - Doyle Sails Ultimate Sailing - Ullman Sails - Southern Spars Atlantis WeatherGear - JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Holmatro Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
