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SCUTTLEBUTT 2534 – February 15, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. A GOOD TIME TO BE A KID These days, you are much more likely to see youth sailors in the US at pram or school events than at a keelboat regatta. A generation ago, kids were heavily recruited as foredeck. Nowadays, there is a shortage of boats that do end-for-end spinnaker gybes, and young sailors that know how to do them. One effort to turn the tide is occurring in Annapolis, MD at the US Naval Academy. In the interest of promoting big boat racing skills and experience among youth sailors, the USNA is organizing a big boat racing clinic to be held this coming August at the Naval Academy. There is no shortage of youth training programs that focus on dinghies, but this effort will be to provide young sailors who lack an offshore background with the opportunity to get first rate training and skill development and instill in them a favorable impression of this side of the sport. Additionally, an effort is being made to hopefully attract young sailors from diverse demographics who may not otherwise get the chance to become involved in big boat racing. Led by Jahn Tihansky, USNA Director of Varsity Offshore Sailing, the clinic will be taught aboard the Academy’s fleet of new 44’ MK2 sloops and donated boats. Live in the school dorms, sail big boats all day, hang out in Annapolis… sounds like a good time to be a kid. Additional details at http://usna.edu/SailingTeam/vost/BBR_web.htm HISTORY MEETS HISTORY By Kimball Livingston, SAIL WEST Jack Sutphen rode in the tickertape parade on New York's Fifth Avenue when Team Dennis Conner brought the Cup home from Australia. Dare I risk suggesting there's a new generation of sailors out there who cannot imagine that such a thing as a ticker tape parade for sailors could have happened in the USA? Or that a winning America's Cup team was invited to the White House? I haven't had a chance to ask Jack Sutphen if he knew "Myron," who was a one-name institution around San Francisco Bay almost in the way Jack's friend "Dennis" is a one-name institution worldwide. Maybe I can find out, come this Saturday, when Jack drops into the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center in Sausalito: History meeting history. Jack Sutphen started out as an East Coast guy (it doesn't get much more East Coast than Larchmont Yacht Club's junior program), but I think of him as San Diego because that's where I first found him, driving 12-Meters as a sparring partner for Conner. His first of nine America's Cup campaigns was 1958—that was the revival year after WWII—and now Jack is an author, coming 'round for a book signing. -- Read on: http://sailmagazine.blogspot.com/2008/02/history-meets-history.html THE BIG BUSINESS OF PORT STOPOVERS It is 1977. Heath’s Condor sails into Auckland Harbour, to be greeted at the quayside by more than 10,000 spectators, who have travelled from all over New Zealand to catch a glimpse of rising Kiwi star Peter Blake. At the end of the pontoon, there is one barely noticeable sign to herald the event: ‘Whitbread Round the World Boats’ it reads usefully. That single sign apart, there is no other significant race organiser or sponsor presence and no facilities to speak of, though a few sheds have been made available for storage. The fleet is welcomed by hosts, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. It is a low key but warm welcome as it had been at the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town a few weeks earlier and would be at the Clube do Rio de Janeiro at the end of the next leg. In 1977, stopover activity is driven by the race’s Corinthian spirit. Mention of sponsorship outputs, branding, and footfall is still some way off. Despite the huge crowds, there are no specially built bars, no cafés, no merchandising outlets and no sponsor pavilions. Some crews take off in their boats to cruise round the islands and return in time for the prize-giving, which involves plenty of alcohol and a few nibbles. Back then, the route around the world dictated the port network and the considerations over what made a suitable stopover centred largely on anchorages and beer. Today in the Volvo Ocean Race, however, things are a little different. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/2on2lj * Andy Hindley, Race Director of the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race, has resigned from his position with the VOR race to take up the role as Race and Technical Director for P1 Powerboat racing. DISCOVER THE BEST BOATING GEAR & EQUIPMENT Earlier this month, Scuttlebutt provided SAIL magazine’s list of winners for the Freeman Pittman awards; you can find them in Scuttlebutt Forum under Dock Talk. MyBoatsGear.com has all these winners plus lots more gear for you to consider. Myboatsgear.com keeps you in touch with the best & latest boating products. Browse our 18 plus categories from safety, electronics and navigation to deck gear and rigging and discover what’s new, for access anytime, anywhere. New for 2008 are individual pages for all products. -- http://www.MyBoatsGear.com PART PLANE, PART BOAT, PART SUBMARINE – ALL GREEN The Earthrace Ecoboat - the incredible 78ft wave-piercing trimaran that runs exclusively on biodiesel - is in Sagunto, Spain in the shipyard of its patron Vulkan, preparing for its second record attempt at circling the globe. Its first attempt ended in May 2007, and was plagued by both mechanical and structural issues, and an accidental collision with a fishing vessel off the coast of Guatemala that left one fisherman lost, presumed drowned, and a second with serious internal injuries. In pursing this record, and by running exclusively on 100% Biodiesel fuel that has a net zero carbon footprint, this not-for-profit project aims to demonstrate how performance and endurance are not sacrificed by using environmentally sound resources. The futuristic craft will be trailing in February before starting the 24,000 nautical mile trip around the globe that will start and finish in Sagunto. The start date is planned for March 1st, and will attempt to beat the current record of 74 days 23 hours and 52 minutes that was set in 1998 by the British craft Cable & Wireless. The curious looking craft, designed by Craig Loomes at a cost of 1.3 million Euros is part plane, part boat, and part submarine, weighs 20 tons and can resist 20 ft of water when submerged. Its maximum speed is 40 knots and it can travel 3,700 Kms without having to refuel. -- The Valencia Life Network, mailto:publisher@valencialife.net Earthrace website: http://www.earthrace.net BARCELONA WORLD RACE Open 60 doublehanded round the world race (started Nov 11; 25,000-miles) (Day 96 - February 14, 2008) British sailor Alex Thomson and Australian yachtsman Andrew Cape have raced ‘Hugo Boss’, their IMOCA Open 60 class yacht, to a second place finish in the Barcelona World Race. They crossed the finishing line, just off the Olympic Port in Barcelona, at 05:34:57 UTC on Thursday morning, which was their 95th day at sea. The start of the race was a difficult one for the new Finot-Conq designed Hugo Boss, which is pitched towards high-speed reaching conditions, as there was precious little of that early on. However, just under one month into the race, the black boat set what appears to be a world record for distance within a 24-hour period, though it has not yet been ratified by the WSSR Council. Having finished nearly 57 hours behind winner Paprec-Virbac 2, it could have been a close finish if Hugo Boss had not needed to stop for 2 days in Wellington, NZL to repair a rudder. Three boats remain at sea. Temenos II is forecast to finish on February 17th, with Mutua Madrileña some 30 to 36 hours behind. Educación sin Fronteras is due around the February 25th or 26th. -- http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com Positions at 18:00 UTC 1-Paprec-Virbac 2, Jean-Pierre Dick/ Damian Foxall, finished 2-Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson/ Andrew Cape, finished 3-Temenos II, Dominique Wavre/ Michéle Paret, 570 nm DTF 4-Mutua Madrilena, Javier Sanso Windmann/ Pachi Rivero, 762 nm DTF 5-Educación sin Fronteras, Servane Escoffier/ Albert Bargues, 2,288 nm DTF Retired - PRB, Vincent Riou/ Sébastien Josse (broken mast) Retired -Delta Dore, Jérémie Beyou/ Sidney Gavignet (broken mast) Retired - Estrella Damm, Guillermo Altadill/ Jonathan McKee, (rudder damage) Retired - Veolia Environnement,Roland Jourdain/Jean-Luc Nélias (broken mast) FOR THE RECORD * Jules Verne Trophy (crewed circumnavigation around the three capes): (Day 21 - February 14, 2008; 23:00 UTC) Whilst the wind has finally kicked in again, the 103-foot maxi trimaran Groupama has passed the second legendary point in this round the world, Cape Leeuwin to the SW of Australia. In so doing, Franck Cammas and his nine crew have established a new reference time between Ushant and the SW tip of Australia, in 21 days 02 hours 43 seconds, improving on the time held by Bruno Peyron and his crew onboard Orange II in 2005 by eleven hours six minutes. For the past 24-hours, their average speed has improved slightly to 20.7 knots while gaining 495.7 nm down the track, but their advance over the record has slipped further to 313.7 nm. With a current boat speed of 28.8 knots, the team hopes to soon increase its margin again over the current record. -- http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en * Route de l'Or (crewed route from New York to San Francisco): (Day 29 - February 14, 2008; 21:30 UTC) Lionel Lemonchois and his nine-man crew onboard the 110-foot maxi-catamaran Gitana 13 are approximately 1500 miles from the equator, but weak southeasterly winds has required a series of jibes over the past 48 hours in order to remain in the path of stronger winds, which is dropping their VMG by about 4 knots. For the past 24-hours, their average speed has increased to 18.3 knots while gaining just 438.3 nm down the track, with 4,040 nm remaining in this 14,000-mile record attempt. -- http://www.gitana-team.com/en/gitana10/homepage.asp YOU COULD GET INTO BIG TROUBLE... ...if you don’t know the rules. Dave Perry, David Dellenbaugh, and Brad Dellenbaugh are teaching Rules and Tactics Seminars this winter. From fundamental principles to nuances highlighting the difference between right-of-way and control, understand the rules and the tactics the rules dictate so you can turn rules situations into tactical opportunities. Enrollment is limited. Sign up now (risk free) and receive Perry’s Rules Quiz book and Dellebaugh’s Rules DVDs with the course. Learn more at NorthU. Call 800-347-2457 or http://www.northu.com SAILING SHORTS * Miami, FL (February 14, 2008) – Defending champions Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb, and Pippa Wilson (GBR) won the first race of the Yngling Worlds and never looked back, and now after 10 races, they have won the event with a day to spare. The final medal race for the top ten positions will be held on Friday, but even with points being doubled, the Brits’ current 31-point lead over Krystal Weir/ Karyn Gojnich/ Angela Farrell (AUS) can not be threatened. Climbing up the scorecard is the American team Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe, and Debbie Capozzi (USA), who are now in fourth position, 10 points back from third. -- http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/ynglingworlds/index.asp * The 9th International Sailing Summit is planned for December 2008, to be held in conjunction with the Paris International Boat Show. The ISS is on December 4th, with the show starting on the 5th. Preliminary details at http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5815 * Nine marine manufacturers were honored for innovative achievement by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) at the 67th Annual Miami International Boat Show. Winners were selected among 50 products that were entered in eight different categories. – Floatline, complete report: http://www.floatline.com/floatline/2008/02/nine-products-h.html * Scituate, MA - If everything works according to plan, this may be a big year for sailing in Scituate, as the town’s recreation department has teamed with the historical society to plan a major expansion of the town’s sailing program. The department is raising money so it can provide advanced sailing classes, the type that currently are not available to Scituate residents who do not already belong to a private club. -- Complete story: http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/homepage/x1520648231 * Sailing World's College Rankings as of February 14, 2008 have St. Mary's and Yale on top, respectively, of the Coed and Women's divisions. -- Complete rankings: http://tinyurl.com/2u7elh * Clarification: In Issue 2533, the story “Imagery is Powerful Stuff” failed to correctly state that the movie "Morning Light" is being co-produced by Roy E. Disney and Leslie DeMeuse-Disney. PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include a slide show from the Laser Worlds, dead of winter racing in Vancouver, Opti wave launching in Buenos Aires, TP 52 boat building in Auckland, 18 Footers action in Sydney, fun with aluminum in San Francisco, and the spoils of victory in Barcelona. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/08/0215/ LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From John Reed, Secretary to the WSSR Council: The WSSR statement (in Issue 2532) was solely concerning claims for outright speeds over 500 metre or 1nm courses. 24 hour records are subject to a different set of rules which can be found on www.sailspeedrecords.com.(Rule 27). Briefly, in answer to Bob Morris (letter in Issue 2533), timed GPS position reports of yacht have to be automatically transmitted directly to an appointed WSSR Commissioner without any action of the crew of the vessel. These procedures have to be established prior to any attempt on a 24 hour record is undertaken. * From Mike Perry: Carl Franca's letter (Issue 2533) does bring up a sore point for many offshore sailors. How do these round-the-world blokes avoid crippling bouts of crotch rot? I remember on a long ago Cape Town to Rio race developing a weepy case of boat butt that still brings tears to the eyes. As the scurge crept down the back of my legs, I wrapped the nastiness in elastic bandage that spread the pain out and made it bearable. Fresh water, dry land, anti-biotic cream and buckets of cuparinas (nasty Brazillian rum drinks) soon cleared up the problem. But memory remains. If a solution has been found to the dreaded rot, please let the rest of in on the secret. * From Tim Patterson: Kudos to Bill Trenkle for telling it like it is (in Issue 2534). SDYC has taken way too much grief for the Catamaran racing the monohull. Also, we should all remember that the coverage in Australia for 1987 was thanks to Ted Turner (come on Ted, a station that shows sports 24/7?), who took it on and did it better than it had ever been done before. Remember the blimp cam shot of the jib tearing, the sewer cam, the mast cam, the onboard mics. That was the best! * From Alfred Poor: Some writers to Scuttlebutt Letters advocate making the NYYC the permanent trustee of the Cup competition. And I don’t mean to pick on anyone in particular, but Chris Ashcroft leaves me scratching my head when he laments “men who are evidently spoilt, nouveau riche business brats who fail to understand the importance of sportsmanship and good sports stewardship.” Excuse me? Are we talking about the same America’s Cup competition? Take the “nouveau” out of Ashcroft’s comments, and you’ve described the people involved with the AC competition for its first 100 years. Sportsmanship? How did the United States hold onto to the Mug for 132 years? Perhaps the fact that all competitors had to arrive on their own keel for the races was a small factor. This meant the European challengers had to build an entry suitable for an Atlantic crossing, and then race in the light summer airs off Newport. I’m no naval architect, but I see nothing “sporting” about this home field advantage. And who was responsible for this lopsided “stewardship”? None other than the NYYC that some would have resume those responsibilities. I’m not saying that the NYYC would behave the same way as it did in the previous two centuries (and I’m a former member of the august institution), but why would they be any better suited to guard the henhouse than any other organization? Even a passing familiarity with historical events can do wonders to provide a context for current events. MARIACHI MUSIC AND FROZEN MARGARITAS The Scuttlebutt website has been collecting stories spanning nearly the 55 years that San Diego Yacht Club has been sending racers down the Baja California coastline for distance races to Acapulco, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, and Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. Thanks to Dennis Conner, Tom Leweck, Dan Schiff, Duncan Kelso, Fred Schenck, Skip Allan, Bill Kreysler, Fred Frye, and Mike Kennedy, the adventure of sailing south of the border is alive with mariachi music and frozen margaritas. If you have participated in a SDYC race, please join in and send Scuttlebutt the mental snapshot you have held on to. Special story prize to be given by Dennis Conner. Email story to Scuttlebutt by February 28th. Additional details at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/vallarta DIMMING THE LIGHTS Scuttlebutt World Headquarters will be closed during the President’s Day holiday weekend, with no newsletter distributed for Monday. Look for Scuttlebutt to return on Tuesday to normal circulation. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Proper use of toiletries can forestall bathing for several days. However, if you live alone, deodorant is a waste of good money. Special thanks to MyBoatsGear.com and North U. A complete list of Scuttlebutt’s preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
