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SCUTTLEBUTT 2641 - Friday, July 18, 2008
Scuttlebutt 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.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE AMERICA’S CUP?
by Eric Sharp, Detroit Free Press
So, you ask, "What's going on with the America's Cup? I've been laying awake
nights wondering about the status of the world's premier sailing event."
After receiving a number of e-mails from people who really are curious about
when and where we'll see the next installment of the 157-year-old event, I
figured this would be an appropriate moment to answer that question. And the
answer is: It's still in a New York State court, although we expect a final
answer before the end of July. For those who haven't been following this
international drama lately, here's the Minute Waltz version:
That great maritime power, Switzerland, won the cup at Auckland, New
Zealand, in 2005 and successfully defended it at Valencia, Spain, in 2007.
(The Swiss are flush for mountains but short on oceans.) Then the Swiss
leader, billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, selected as the challenger of record
a Spanish yacht club that was all of 2 weeks old and which promised to let
Bertarelli's Alinghi syndicate control both the defender and challenger
sides of the event -- in return for which Bertarelli would keep the race and
the $500 million it brings in Valencia. Hey, I'd take that deal myself. –
Read on: http://xrl.us/ktqqt
A LESS TRADITIONAL EDUCATION
The Landing School in Arundel, Maine, is making preparations to begin
building two new Steve Dalzell-designed, 30-foot performance daysailers,
tentatively called LS-30s, which will launch in June 2009. The modern,
carbon-rigged, bulb-keel boats will go under construction this fall as part
of the curriculum for The School’s 10-month-long Boatbuilding Program.
The LS-30 is an avant-garde boat for the curriculum of the 30-year-old
school which historically has built traditional-style wooden daysailers and
powerboats. The accredited, post-secondary school’s mission is to train
people to be knowledgeable and practical yacht designers, boatbuilders and
marine systems technicians who work professionally on today’s vessels using
modern methods and materials. By incorporating more performance-oriented
designs into the Boatbuilding program of study, The Landing School is
enriching its teachings with the most contemporary ideas about yacht
construction. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/LS/
WINNERS DECIDED AT YOUTH WORLDS
Arhus, Denmark (July 17, 2008) - The records tumbled at the Volvo Youth
Sailing ISAF World Championship as all seven titles were decided with one
day remaining, plus Great Britain is in an unbeatable position in the Volvo
Trophy standings and therefore wins the title for the best performing nation
at the Youth Worlds for the first time since 1996. Pavlos Kontides (CYP)
became the first ever two-time winner of the ISAF St Lawrence Trophy,
presented to the winner of the Boy’s One Person Dinghy event – an incredible
achievement considering the sailors to have come closest to it in the past
(by winning one gold and one silver medal) are Russell Coutts (NZL), Ben
Ainslie (GBR), Dean Barker (NZL) and Dan Slater (NZL). This was Kontides’
fifth and final Youth Worlds, with his next stop to be Qingdao, China, where
he will represent Cyprus at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Another record breaker today was Laura Linares of Italy. She won her third
consecutive title in the Girl’s Windsurfer event on the RS:X and became the
first sailor in the 38-year history of the event to win five Volvo Youth
Sailing ISAF World Championship medals. Also defending her title from last
year was Gabrielle King (AUS) in the Laser Radial. In the Boy’s 29er fleet,
it had looked like it would be a final day shootout between the Brits and
the USA crew of Judge Ryan and Hans Henken, but the Americans were
disqualified from race 13 after a protest from the French team, but they
still have a chance at a silver medal tomorrow. -- Complete report:
http://xrl.us/ktqya
Preliminary results (top three plus top North Americans)
Laser (11 races)
1. CYP, Pavlos Kontides, 12
2. USA, Luke Lawrence, 26
3. NZL, Sam Meech, 35
5. CAN, Robert Davis, 61
Laser Radial (11 races)
1. AUS, Gabrielle King, 18
2. ESP, Susana Romero, 33
3. NZL, Cushla Hume-Merry, 37
4. CAN, Isabella Bertold, 43
9. USA, Anne Haeger, 61
29er Boys (14 races)
1. GBR, James Peters/ Edward Fitzgerald, 35
2. USA, Judge Ryan/ Hans Henken, 45
3. ARG, Germán Billoch/ Gastón Cheb Terrab, 49
29er Girls (14 races)
1. GBR, Frances Peters/ Claire Lasko, 22
2. NED, Annemiek Bekkering/ Jeske Kisters, 26
3. AUS, Hannah Nattrass/ Michelle Muller, 38
10. USA, Julia Paxton/ Karoline Gurdal, 120
RS:X Boys (11 races)
1. CYP, Michalis Malekkides, 19
2. GRE, Thiseas Kampas, 27
3. GER, Oliver-Tom Schliemann, 33
RS:X Girls (11 races)
1. ITA, Laura Linares, 12
2. POL, Maja Dziarnowska, 19
3. BRA, Patricia Freitas, 25
SL16 multihull (11 races)
1. FRA, Valentin Bellet/ Romain Bellet, 17
2. RSA, Matthew Whitehead/ Michael Ovenstone, 28
3. GBR, James Ellis/ Andrew Glover, 32
Preliminary results: http://www.youthworlds2008.org/Results.aspx
Daily video highlights: http://www.sailing-tv.tv/2008isafyouthworlds.html
UK-HALSEY CUSTOMERS WIN 5 OUT OF 16 CLASSES
The 630-mile 2008 Newport-Bermuda Race put a premium on sailshape and
concentration. UK-Halsey customers had the best of both, led by the smallest
boat, Julien Dougherty’s Beneteau 36.7 Tenacious, which crushed the Gibbs
Hill Lighthouse division by more than two hours under both IRC and ORR.
Second and third were also UK-Halsey customers: Thomas Carroll’s J/133
SirenSong and Mark Hansen’s J/145 Sweet Lorraine. Richard duMoulin won the
Doublehanded class (fourth time). Class-2 went to Andrew Kallfetz’s Tartan
41 Aurora, Class-4 to Randy Baldwin’s Taylor 42 Cabady, and Class-6 by John
Levinson’s J/46 Tabasco. Great sails: great results. 800-253-2002.
http://www.ukhalsey.com
SLAMMED FOR SAILING YACHT ON AUTOPILOT
Coastguards have slammed two Hampshire (England) sailors who used an
auto-pilot system to steer their boat from inside their cabin. Lifeboat
crews launched a £5,000 ($10,000 US) rescue operation after what looked like
an unmanned yacht was spotted near the mouth of Lymington River. A
helicopter, rescue boat and Customs launch were dispatched at huge expense
amid fears that someone had fallen off the J/133 sailing vessel.
However, when ground crews finally caught up with the yacht on its mooring
at Berthon Marina, they found the two sailors in the cabin - they had been
navigating with a hi-tech autopilot device. Lymington Coastguard deputy
station officer Colin Tabor said that concern was heightened because the
pair had failed to respond to radio messages issued on the emergency 16
channel. -- Daily Echo, read on: http://xrl.us/kk4dt
SAILING SHORTS
* Nieuwpoort, Belgium (July 17, 2008) - The qualifying is now completed at
the Laser European Championship, with the gold fleet now decided for the
final two days of racing. Aussie Tom Slingsby continues to dominate the Full
rig division with Michael Leigh (CAN) in fourth, only two points from
second. Sari Multala (FIN) has been equally strong in leading the Radial
Women, with American Paige Railey climbing up the standings to seventh.
Racing ends on July 19th. --
http://www.kycn.be/fr/laser_european_ch__2008.html
* Newport Beach, CA (July 17, 2008) - Twelve teams of expert young sailors
from the United States, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia and the United
Kingdom are at the Balboa Yacht Club this week to compete in the 42nd annual
Governor’s Cup International Junior Match Racing Championship. After five
flights, the local team of Michael Menninger/ Cole Hatton/Chris Barnard from
Newport Harbor YC is undefeated, with teams from Australia and the US Virgin
Islands carrying just one loss apiece. Racing continues through July 20th.
-- Event website: http://xrl.us/ktq8c
* (July 17, 2008) - Volvo Ocean Race entrants Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 left
Sweden today and set sail on their mandatory race qualifier. The race crews
will not return to Sweden until they return for the Marstrand stopover in
mid-June 2009 during the Volvo Ocean Race. The 3,000 mile trip back to the
team's training base in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, will be used by the
two-boat Ericsson Racing Team, as their shakedown for the round-the-world
race, and will be the first time that Ericsson 4 will head out on a long
passage since its launch in late June. -- http://www.ericssonracingteam.com
* With three of the six TP 52 Audi MedCup Circuit regattas completed, the
next event, the Breitling Regatta, is in Puerto Portals, Majorca, starting
with a practice race on Monday, July 21st for the 16 teams competing. The
overall lead of the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit has been in the hands of three
different yachts, firstly the new Mean Machine (MON), secondly Bribón (ESP)
a 2007 design that went through an optimization program with a few
significant modifications over the winter, and the current leader, by just
6.2 points, Quantum Racing (USA) again a new boat launched in 2008. --
http://2008.medcup.org/home
* The 7th Transat Quebec Saint-Malo, which will start on Sunday, July 20th
in front of the Quebec Yacht Club will see no fewer than 28 boats lining up
for the start of this mythical crewed transatlantic race to France, which
previously saw wins by Karine Fauconnier, Franck Cammas, Loïck Peyron,
Laurent Bourgnon, Serge Madec and the late Loïc Caradec. For the 2008
edition, the Class 40' boats will be in the spotlight with no fewer than 18
boats setting sail. -- http://www.quebecsaintmalo.com/en/index.asp
* The New York Yacht Club's sixth biennial Race Week at Newport presented by
Rolex begins July 18th when some of the world's most notable classic yachts
and their owners and crews gather to participate in the club's 100th
birthday celebration of America's legendary yacht designer Olin J. Stephens.
Several S&S designs expected to compete include Dorade, one of his very
first boats off the drawing board (at the ripe young age of 21), now owned
by Edgar Cato (Charlotte, N.C.), as well as Sonny, Joe Dockery's (Newport,
R.I./Greenwich, Conn.) 1935 cutter sloop, which was rammed by a German
submarine in WWII, then refloated and repaired. -- Full report:
http://www.regattanews.com/pressrelease.asp?pid=1925&lang=1
EIGHT BELLS
Southern Californian Dr. Thaddeus C. Jones, who has been battling cancer for
many years, passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 7:10pm PDT. I
believe his many Transpac races as navigator and crew are somewhere around
22+, certainly putting him near or at the top of most races sailed. With
numerous Mexican and Transatlantic races, along with cruising Catalina
Island and the Pacific Northwest, he generally enjoyed being with his pals
at sea. His candor, navigation skills, and seamanship will be missed by all
of us who sailed with him. No services planned at this time. -- Kirk S.
Elliott
YOU AREN’T GOING TO MACKINAC ISLAND???
If not, there is still the chance to buy Mount Gay Rum gear from the Brand’s
official gear supplier, The Pirate’s Lair. Look for the best available
technical apparel, all with the Mount Gay Rum logo. This is what you want to
be wearing on the water this season. If you are on Mackinac Island, go by
the Island House for the official Mount Gay Rum 100th Race to Mackinac gear.
View the entire Mount Gay Rum gear and accessories from Pirate’s Lair at
http://www.pirateslair.com/store/index.html. Check out Mount Gay Rum
sponsored regattas (many selling gear) at http://www.mountgay.com
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt
includes an insane Open 60 moment, cartoon humor from the Alinghi team,
trimarans for the disabled, hotted up Cal 20’s, hottie winning match racers,
a smokin’ hot hottie making Dacron look cool, hot and cold youth
sailors,…and some very hot new photos of the Melges 20 trialing in China. 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/08/0718
* Throughout the U.S., over 2,000 young sailors will participate in US
SAILING’s Junior Olympic Sailing Festival (JO) events scheduled for this
month. Dan Herman provides images from the event in Los Angeles where
Lasers, Laser Radials, 420’s, and CFJ’s competed. --
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/08/0717/
SCUTTLEBUTT FORUM FOR YOUR EVENT REPORTS
The Scuttlebutt Forum has returned, and is now better than ever. Whereas the
newsletter has limits in length and scope, the Forum can accommodate all
comers. For the regatta organizers that don’t want the hassle of updating a
website, but still want to communicate to the online community, the Sailing
Event Reports section of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an ideal platform.
Presently, the Forum categories are:
> Dock Talk: For all your sailing comments and questions.
> Sailing Event Reports: For posting regatta reports and commentary.
> Collegiate Sailing: For topics specifically relating to college sailing.
> New Product Announcements: For equipment, boats, and clothing/accessories.
> Classified Ads: Free postings for gear, wanted items, jobs, and boats
Log-in to the Forum here: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum
WHERE WAS THE NAVY BORN?
by Bill Lynn, Atlantis WeatherGear
Atlantis HQ is located in Marblehead, MA, and it’s where we all live. When I
drive into town, it says right there on the “Welcome to Marblehead” sign:
“Birthplace of the American Navy”. Now, my parents taught me not to believe
everything I read, but given Marblehead’s heritage as a seafaring town, is
there really a reason to question this assertion?
Apparently there is, as evidenced by an ad we ran in Scuttlebutt two weeks
ago in which we referred to Marblehead as the place the Navy was born. We
received many responses from the Scuttlebutt audience, some gently
correcting our misperception and others more stridently making a case for
other towns and cities including Philadelphia, Whitehall, NY, Portsmouth, NH
and our neighbor Beverly, MA. The facts surrounding the case are not totally
clear, but at the end of the day, it would seem to us that Marblehead’s
claim to the title is solid. Here’s what we think we know (read on):
http://atlantisweathergear.blogspot.com/2008/07/where-was-navy-born.html
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the
Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘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, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an
alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the
Scuttlebutt Forum.
-- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com
-- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum
* From Big Mikey Howard: (Regarding Mark Rudiger, Issue 2639) For those of
us who know Rudi, there is nothing I can say that we as his brothers and
sisters do not already know. He is what the 3 C's are all about. Class,
compassion, and the final C, competitive. Having been around most of the
planet with him, and sharing some times when we wondered if we would make
it, Rudi was always there. On deck in 60 knots to lend a hand, down below
working his magic to get us in front or stay in front. On the beach loving
as only Rudi could. Concern for friends and family. Never about him. Always
about his mates.
As we all know he is fighting the biggest gale of his life. Just as he was
there for us all who have been blessed to share our time at sea with him,
and you who do not know him at all. It is important that we are there for
Rudi. There are those who have been with him through his battle at the start
and continue in so many ways. Thank you. It’s the love, blessings and
support for he and his family you have all given that continue to keep Rudi
strong and fighting. For those who do not know Rudi, just close your eyes
and think of someone that would always be there for you and have your back.
That's Rudi. Positive energy can change the course of many things. PLEASE in
your own way, take a minute and send Rudi your positive energy. Obviously
he, Lori and Zale have monetary considerations that have been addressed in
this publication. Do what you can in your own way. Faith can move mountains.
-- Messages to Rudi can be posted here:
http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6073
* From Benjamin Richardson: (re, item in Issue 2640) Perhaps I have missed
in the past that you always regularly publish the list of sailors whose ISAF
eligibility is suspended, but it seems as though today's mention of it
follows a mention within the last 1-2 months. Tell me, are any of the people
on the list new making it a topical addition? Is there a reason to publish
this list at all? Brodie Cobb is the only North American on this list, so
you publishing it repeatedly is nothing more than a reminder for all sailors
to shun him. Do you really think that he is going to try to show up to sail
a regatta? Brodie was not given a lifetime ban. When he becomes eligible
again, the sailing community should be open to him until he proves unworthy.
You don't need to keep putting a fresh coat of paint on the scarlet letter.
* From George H. Peet: I am sure enough damage has been done. Mentioning
these people who have been banned is pretty harsh.
* From Stephen A Van Dyck: At the Women’s Match Racing Mayors Cup in Long
Beach over last weekend, we conducted a very successful experiment, ocean
clean up. Each of the five umpire boats was equipped with a fishing net,
courtesy of West Marine, and a trash bucket. Umpire Committee Chair Kirk
Brown asked our fellow umpires to pick up trash in the water when it did not
conflict with our primary duties of on the water umpiring. On the first day
the idea engendered little enthusiasm among the umpires. But as more trash
became evident later in the regatta so did a growing enthusiasm among the
umpires. On the last day of the regatta every boat came back with a “haul”.
The idea stemmed from a windy Laser regatta where I was offended by the
competitors trash that I picked up. As sailors we all talk about being
environmentally friendly, but is your regatta leaving the waters cleaner
than you found them? A net, a bucket, and a positive attitude on support
boats will make a difference.
* From Tracy Usher: The Laser/Radial/4.7 North American Championship begin
next Thursday (July 24), with about 150 boats already registered, including
13 4.7s, 54 Lasers, and 83 Radials. Immediately following the North
Americans, the St Francis YC is resurrecting the Heavy Weather Laser Slalom
this year. It will run Monday-Wednesday, to fit into the West Coast Laser
Schedule (NA's, PCC's in Monterey, US Nationals in Long Beach). A lot of
interest was generated when Dick Enersen's video from the 1970's resurfaced
recently on YouTube (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3uhghIrwQY) and Jim
Taylor successfully lobbied (ok, it wasn't that hard to convince anyone) to
restart the event. Information on that event can be found at
http://www.ilcana.org/hcal/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=373
CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
Old is when an all nighter means not getting up to use the bathroom.
Special thanks to UK-Halsey Sailmakers and Mount Gay Rum.
A complete list of preferred suppliers is at
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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