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SCUTTLEBUTT 2657 - Monday, August 11, 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. OLYMPIC GAMES - RACING ON SCHEDULE Concerns over suitable sailing conditions for the 2008 Olympics are real, and when the Notice of Race called for only one race needed to complete a series, everyone took notice. However, following the first two days of racing on Saturday and Sunday, there is only one thing that matters: the racing is currently on schedule. There are five race areas that will be used, with the inshore Course A being the primary course for television viewing. The Finn and Yngling got the party started Saturday on Course A, and while the winds remained in the 5 knot zone and the currents were strong, both classes completed their two races. The 49er class began their racing on Sunday, and it was there turn on Course A that again dealt similar conditions, but the skiffs succeeded in completing three races. For the Finn and Yngling, on Sunday they were assigned Course E, which is more offshore, and benefitted from a stronger 8 knot breeze and weaker currents than as seen on Course A. The sailing conditions have required a deft hand and a bit of luck to read the winds and current. In the Finn class, the North American entrants have found consistency in their scores, but it has not always come easy. In the first race, event leader Zach Railey (USA) came from 15th to 2nd on the final run to the finish. Canadian Chris Cook has kept his fans on edge, coming from 19th to 8th in the first race, then pulling off comebacks of 25th to 7th and 19th to 10th in the third and fourth races respectively. Conversely, the American Yngling team’s overall position in the standings would be much different if they had not dropped from 2nd to 14th on the final lap of the first race. Current Results: Finn (26 entrants) 1. USA, Zach Railey, 2-5-2-2, 11 2. GBR, Ben Ainslie, 10-1-4-1, 16 3. CAN, Christopher Cook, 8-3-7-10, 28 4. SLO, Gasper Vincec, 9-11-6-5, 31 5. ESP, Rafa Trujillo Villar, 12-4-3-14, 33 Yngling (15 entrants) 1. GBR, Sarah Ayton/Sarah Webb/Pippa Wilson, 2-3-4-7, 16 2. FIN, Silja Lehtinen/Maria Klemetz/Livia Väresmaa, 6-6-3-8, 23 3. NED, Mandy Mulder/Annemieke Bes/Merel Witteveen, 9-1-2-13, 25 4. USA, Sally Barkow/Carolyn Howe/Deborah Capozzi, 14-2-8-5, 29 5. AUS, Krystal Weir/Karyn Gojnich/Angela Farrell, 1-11-6-12, 30 12. CAN, Jennifer Provan/Martha Henderson/Katie Abbott, 5-4-10-15, 34 49er (19 entrants) 1. GBR, Stephen Morrison/Ben Rhodes, 4-3-5, 12 2. ITA, Pietro Sibello/Gianfranco Sibello, 3-9-1, 13 3. DEN, Jonas Warrer/Martin Kirketerp Ibsen, 2-4-10, 16 4. FRA, Emmanuel Dyen/Yann Rocherieux, 7-8-4, 19 5. AUS, Nathan Outteridge/Ben Austin, 15-1-7, 23 13. USA, Tim Wadlow/Christopher Rast, 5-14-15, 34 15. CAN, Gordon Cook/Ben Remocker, 13-12-13, 38 Complete results: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/resultscentre.php OLYMPIC GAMES - DEALING WITH THE DETAILS * RACE SCHEDULE: Monday will have the following classes racing: RS:X Men and Women (Course A), 49er (Course B), 470 Men and Women (Course D), and Finn and Yngling (Course E). Laser and Laser Radial begin on August 12th, with the Star and Tornado being the last events to start on August 15th. Two races per day are scheduled for each event, except for the 49er class, for which three races per day are scheduled. The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race each day is 1300. Eleven races are scheduled for each event except for the 49er class, for which 16 races are scheduled. Of the 11 (16) races, 10 (15) are scheduled as opening races and one as a medal race. When five or more opening races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score. However, the score from the medal race will not be excluded. -- Notice of Race: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/olynor * WEATHER FORECAST - Qingdao Olympic Venue: For Monday, August 11, light winds around 7 knots are predicted (estimating the wind gradient from 40m height in model to 5m height). Wind direction from NW in morning, but trending left to Southerly by the afternoon. View maps/graphs at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/olyweather - to get the animated hour by hour forecast map images, sign up for free worldwide forecasts at www.predictwind.com * RACE WATCHING: Of the five race areas, Course A is the primary site for filming, chosen for its close proximity to shore. This might help for logistics, but it makes for brutal sailing. Said Yngling crew Carrie Howe (USA), “We raced Saturday on Course A, just outside the harbor, watched by a fleet of spectator boats that included 29 official media boats crowded with TV teams and still photographers. The breeze was incredibly light and fluky, around six knots, but made even shiftier by the proximity of the course to the thermals generated by the concrete jungle ashore. Complicating things further, there was a strong tidal current sweeping up the course, with the wind. Oh yes, there was the official TV helicopter too.” The RS:X Men and Women are scheduled for that course on Monday. For the US audience, look for Gary Jobson to join the NBC production team beginning with Wednesday’s races, adding his commentary to the live shows through to the end of the series. He will also be editing a 5-6 minute daily highlight, which he hopes to have available by 7am ET. > U.S viewing schedule: http://xrl.us/nbcsked > Canadian viewing schedule: http://xrl.us/canadiansked TODAY’S YOUTH SAILORS HAVE SOME GREAT ROLE MODELS Many of the finest athletes in sailing are at the top of their game competing in China right now. Harken and McLube know this firsthand because we are lucky enough to work closely with many of these Olympic and Paralympic athletes as we focus on the cutting edge of product development. As partners, we greatly appreciate their creative input, opinions and valuable feedback. As fans we admire their commitment to excellence, their drive to constantly improve and to ultimately realize their full potential. Harken and McLube are very proud of these athletes... and today’s youth have some extraordinary role models: http://olympics.ussailing.org/Olympics.htm OLYMPIC GAMES - FEELING THE PRESSURE * Believing that a gross breach of good manners or sportsmanship had occurred, a Rule 69 protest was filed against the Russian Yngling team by the Jury after the measurers found improper corrector weights in their hull. The protest was later dismissed when the Jury was not satisfied that the team had knowledge of the weight correctors in the prohibited location and therefore there is no serious breach of sportsmanship. -- http://www.sailing.org/olympics/racing/decisions.php * For the Finn fleet, the on-the-water jury has issued 11 penalties to 8 entrants during the first four races, all for Rule 42 (kinetics) violations. For the first infraction, a boat can exonerate themselves with a 720. However, for additional violations, boats must either drop out immediately or risk a non-discardable disqualification (DND). Among the multiple violators were the Brazilian (2) and Greek (3). -- http://www.sailing.org/olympics/racing/onwater.php * The Dutch Sailing Team have registered their highly controversial Code O Tornado gennaker with the measurers at the Olympic regatta at Qingdao and that they have accepted it, subject to measurement, as a legitimate sail for use in the regatta. This sail, which he has spent several months developing, is considered by many to define where the medals will go, depending on the weather conditions. The smaller dimensions of the sail allow it to be successfully used both upwind and downwind, with skipper Mitch Booth believing the sail has an advantage over the standard gennaker in winds of up to 11 knots. The risk is that each team can only measure in one gennaker, and the other two teams that are known to have developed the weapon – the Americans and Australians – have not yet had their measurement appointments. -- Sail World, complete story: http://www.sail-world.com/USA/The-cat-is-out-of-the-bag/47504 OPENING CEREMONIES - THE MOMENT, ENJOYED With the Opening Ceremonies on Friday evening, and several events starting in the next day or two, not all the sailors chose to take the hour flight from Qingdao to Beijing. However, for those that could afford the time away from training, the experience was life altering. Here is a report from US Team Leader, Dean Brenner: “Words are my life. When not working with our Olympic athletes, I teach and coach public speaking and writing for a living. And I don't own the vocabulary to describe what yesterday's Opening Ceremony was like. So since I need some help with my words, I'll quote team member Andrew Campbell: The Opening was one of those "Forrest Gump" moments when you look around and ask yourself how and why you are there. “It was magic, pure magic, and the easiest way to share the experience is to simply walk you through the day, starting with the trip from the Qingdao Village to the airport. We were given a highly weaponized police escort, with roads and highways totally blocked and police officers standing at attention every few hundred feet all the way from our Village to the airport - about 20 miles. No delays at the airport. We had our own dedicated security and passport lane, and we were at the charter flight in minutes. Same treatment on the other side in Beijing. “I could write a few thousand words about our afternoon in the Village, but the real action worth writing about started at about 5pm. -- Read on: http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/blog/dean/2008/08/moment-enjoyed.html STAYING ON THE SAFE SIDE OF CHINESE LUCK * (August 8, 2008) The Chinese built Green Dragon Volvo Open 70 set off for her mandatory 2000-mile Volvo Ocean Race qualification passage from her base in Cork on the morning of August 8, 2008. Skipper Ian Walker reports from onboard: “Today is sail number day – 8th of the 8th 08 and IRL 888 has set off on its 2000 mile qualifier. 888 is the luckiest Chinese number, so was deliberately chosen for this boat. Today must feel strange for our three Chinese crew members to be at sea on the day that the Beijing Olympics opens. This is especially true for Guo Chuan who had the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch into the Olympic sailing city of Qingdao three weeks ago. It feels a bit odd for me too after being so focused on the last three Olympic Games, and now having a totally different goal this year. “We are bracing ourselves for a sustained 30+ knots and the first real test of the boat in the open ocean. It is not without some trepidation that we head into this system as we can ill afford the time to our program that major damage could cost us, but as always, it is better to find these things out sooner than later. We also need the training in these conditions and it is too easy to put it off. Right now 2000 miles seems a long way, so quite how we will feel leaving Qingdao with 12,300 miles ahead of us to Rio is hard to fathom (Leg 5 beginning mid February 2009). Still – we’ll deal with that when we get there. “ -- Team website: http://www.greendragonracing.com THE TOOL OF CHOICE IN QINGDAO They’re reliant upon purpose-built lens tints in varying Light Transmission Levels. They’re the podium-chasers, in Qingdao. Specializing with Copper 28 and Yellow 35 lens tints to increase contrast, erase glare and sharpen details in the haze, fog and smog. To spot the algae blooms. Read the breeze, the current. Most prominently worn will be Hard Kore, Kore, Rhino and Georgia from Kaenon Polarized. Featuring the patented SR-91 polarized lens. Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. Available in prescription - Single Vision or Freestyle Progressive. http://www.kaenon.com SAILING SHORTS * Pensacola, FL (August 8, 2008) – With only one race remaining on Friday for the 59 boat fleet at the Thistle Nationals, it was all on as top two teams entered the day tied with an 11 point gap on third in the no throw out series. With it all even between Mike Ingham/ David Hanson/ Delia Ingham and Greg Fisher/ Jeff Eiber/ Jo Ann Fisher, it was the Fisher led team who would finish the race in fourth, four places ahead of Ingham for the win. Finishing third was Paul Abdullah/ Andy Lawrence/ Sarah Paisley. -- Results: http://www.thistleclass.com/events/nationals2008.shtml * Richmond, CA (August 8, 2008) – Following the qualifying series for the 31 boats at the Snipe Nationals, the teams of Ernesto Rodriguez/ Leandro Spina and Augie Diaz/ Kathleen Tocke were tied on points. However, for the Nationals schedule on Wednesday through Friday, Diaz put the hammer down, winning four of the six races to capture the title. Rodriguez/ Spina finished second with Peter Commette / David Harrison in third. -- Results: http://www.snipenationals2008.com/results.php * Long Beach, CA (August 10, 2008) - Following the Laser North Americans in San Francisco two weeks ago, 183 entrants attended the Laser US National Championship, hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. The Canadians dominated the Laser Full Rig, taking the top four spots, with Chris Dold of Royal Canadian YC winning by two points over Lee Parkhill of Royal Canadian YC. The top U.S. entrant was Derick Vranizan of Seattle Yacht Club in fifth. The Floridians swept the other two divisions, with Laser Radials won by Mateo Vargas of St Petersburg YC and the 4.7’s won by Cameron Hall of St Petersburg YC. -- Results: http://www.abyc.org/upload/LaserChamps4.htm * The Shark World Championship in Hamilton, Ontario found 46 boats competing in the nine race series last week, eventually won by Dave Foy/ Jamie Foy/ David O'Sullivan of Ottawa, Ontario. -- Results: http://69.90.69.142/~rhyc/Shark%20Worlds/sharkworlds08nh.html * Newport, RI (August 10, 2008) - The 97-boats at the Lightning North Americans completed their qualifying series today, which was won by Bill Healy/ Tim Healy/Nicole Breault. Racing continues Monday through Wednesday for the championship series. -- Results: http://xrl.us/onbfj * Blue Point, N.Y. (August 10, 2008) - Four years ago this month, Paul Foerster (Heath, Texas) won Olympic gold in Athens, Greece. Today, Foerster won the U.S. Singlehanded Championship at Sayville Yacht Club in Blue Point, N.Y. So stepping onto the top level of a podium is nothing new for Foerster, who has now won his fifth U.S. National Sailing Championship title and who also won gold at the Pan-Am Games last year as well as a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games. -- Complete details: http://www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/ussc/ * Holland, MI (August 8, 2008) - After three days of racing on Lake Michigan with conditions ranging from light winds on Wednesday to strong seas on Thursday, Arielle Delisser and Marissa Lihan, both of Coral Reef Yacht Club (Miami, FL) were tied with 37 points going into Friday’s final race. Thursday’s leader Sky Adams of Santa Barbara Yacht Club (Santa Barbara, CA), was also still in the hunt with 40 points, but in the end it was Arielle Delisser of Miami, Fla. who prevailed, claiming the title of 2008 U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Champion in the 47-boat event. -- Final report and results: http://xrl.us/onbfm * Newport, RI (Aug. 10, 2008) -- World Champion NYYC Silver Panda won the Vanguard 15 Team Race, hosted August 9-10 by the New York Yacht Club at its Harbour Court Clubhouse. Eighteen teams sailed, and Silver Panda – which won the 2007 and 2008 ISAF Team Racing World Championship -- was undefeated, going 25 races without a blemish. In second place was Larchmont Yacht Club, whose only two defeats were at the hands of Silver Panda, and in third place was Tall Boyz. Team members on Silver Panda are Peter Levesque, Liz Hall, Clay Bischoff, Lisa Keith, Colin Merrick and Amanda Callahan. -- http://nyyc.org/vanguard15team/ * Rhode Island-based Goetz Custom Boats has been awarded a contract to build a prototype boat for Kelly Space & Technology for testing of its ballistic protection armor technology. Kelly Space has developed a lightweight polymer-based ballistic protection system that is capable of being moulded into any shape. The company said that it possesses substantial weight-strength advantages over leading ballistic armor products, while also increasing a boat's buoyancy. -- IBI Magazine, full story: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080708153201ibinews.html PHOTO GALLERIES California shooter Glennon Stratton was onsite last week at the Naples Sabot Nationals and at the US Laser Nationals this past weekend, and has provided the ‘buttheads with galleries from both events: Sabots: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/08/0808a Lasers: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/08/0810 NOTHING LIKE NEW ENGLAND We give you a good time in Newport before you stretch your legs. Your yacht is always tickety-poo after it leaves Newport Shipyard...and so are you! Best action by far. Most Newport gigs center around the Shipyard. Get a front row seat. -- http://www.newportshipyard.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Brian Raney: (Reply to Chris Boome's post in #2656, “Can't you guys give up on continuing to try to humiliate Brodie Cobb?”) No, we can't. A great guy would not assault a fellow competitor. You can sail with him. I don't want to, and frankly I think he got off with a light sentence. I show up to race sailboats, not box, wrestle, or fight in aquatic MMA. This seems to be a sensitive issue for those who know him, and he might be a great friend. There was some noise made about the monthly publication of those suspended from also, I believe, Brodie supporters. I think it's great that this info is available, and reminds us all of our responsibilities. I also think it was a HUGE mistake to include his name in the O'Day PR messages, as many others apparently do too. * From Tom Hansen: Love the "Butt" every evening, especially when you have Lake Michigan/ Midwest info. I've used this line for years, stolen from a funny radio guy (Kevin Matthews), and my kids (adults) use it with their kids to help explain what we all see all too often: "There are more horse's asses than there are horses." I submit this specifically for San Francisco's (minimum) discrepancy of two: Brodie Cobb and his apologist, Chris Boome. It's my opinion, and shared by so many in/ on the Forum, that Cobb deserves every nuance of his well deserved sanction, and our sport must always hold dear its Corinthian antecedent. * From Peter Harding, Chester, CT: One party to the shenanigans over the America’s Cup has been awfully quiet recently – CNEV, the club with no members, no fleet, no clubhouse and now, with the defection of Desafio Espanol to the Abra YC, no team. With all the controversy over their challenge and the current economic downturn it must be questionable whether they can find the sponsorship and the team to even field a credible contender. Surely the honorable thing for CNEV to do now would be to withdraw their challenge? This would allow the BMW Oracle vs Alinghi match in 90’ catamarans to go ahead in 2009 followed by an AC with multiple teams in Valencia in 2011 in boats yet to be determined. It seems that 2011 is likeliest time anyway for the next AC if the NY Court of Appeals ruling is upheld while if it is overturned we will have to wait for the GGYC Deed of Gift challenge to be sailed before we see another multi-team AC. Come on CNEV! Take the initiative and you will be applauded by sailors and sponsors the world over who want to see the AC back on the water and out of the courts. CURMUDGEON’S CONUNDRUM If someone says that you are gullible, do you believe them? Special thanks to Team McLube, Kaenon Polarized, and Newport Shipyard. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
