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SCUTTLEBUTT 2157 - August 11, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.THE TACTICAL MIND – Dave Perry Sailing by the book, avoiding the big bummers, and mastering the little things will zoom you to the top in short order, but once there, you begin to notice that the champs have yet another chapter in their repertoire of ways to beat you – a whole collection of tricky stuff. They may have used some of these tricks only once or twice in their career. Other moves and their variations, though, are subtly applied very frequently and are more noticeable once you know what to look for. Here’s some of the trickier stuff I’ve run into over the years. Around the Start - If there’s no land or any anchored boats to get a good line site on, sail outside of the right hand end of the line and come in on starboard so the two ends are in line with each other; then read your compass heading. Suppose it reads 090 degrees. Then, when you’re in the middle of the line with one minute to start, and you’re aiming at the pin on starboard, and your compass reads 110 degrees, you know you’re well below the line. Or, let’s say you’re in the middle and want a quick reference to see how close to the line you are. Quickly bear off to 090 degrees. If you are right on the line, your bow will be aiming at the pin. If you’re aiming to the left of the pin, you’re obviously below the line. - When you’re starting near the left end, and that end of the line has a boat anchored with people sighting the line, it’s helpful to figure out which person is calling the line and then watch their line of sight to get an idea of where the line is. You can figure they’re looking directly toward the right end, so if they’re not looking at you, you’re probably still behind the line. - If you had a nice hole to leeward of you, but are too close to the line, or if you want to kill time without getting any closer to the boats to leeward, an effective move is to luff your jib, keep your main trimmed tight, and then radically bear off and head up again. If you practice this a few times, you’ll see that the boat can turn quite sharply in a small place, and by reducing your speed you won’t travel too far leeward. To turn this into a killer move, you also have to know exactly how long it takes, how much room you need, and what is the fastest way to accelerate again when you have come to a near standstill. - Excerpt from Winning in One-Designs by Dave Perry, www.ussailing.org/member/library/wiodtactical.htm CHANGING TIMES Premiere Racing announced a change for their Acura Miami Race Week– shifting to a ‘Grand Prix’, single venue format for 2007. The Farr 40s have already committed to the event and a second featured class will be the ‘big-boat’ IRC class. However, only two additional classes will be allowed to compete. “We would like nothing better than to continue to grow this event,” said Premiere Racing’s Peter Craig. However, the unusual 2005 hurricane season and the subsequent effects on fuel prices and boating in South Florida are the driving forces in a business shift by the Miami Beach Marina. The official site can only commit to a limited number of transient slips. There simply will not be enough transient slips available for a multi-division ocean fleet in 2007. The Miami Beach Marina will remain the Official Site for this 2007 grand prix event. The Thursday to Sunday racing format will continue with regatta dates March 8-11, 2007. http://www.Premiere-Racing.com SUNSCREEN Question: Is it OK to use the sunscreen you bought last summer, or do you need to purchase a new bottle each year? Does it lose strength? Answer: Unless indicated by an expiration date, the FDA requires that all sunscreens be stable and at their original strength for at least three years. While you can use the sunscreen that you bought last summer, keep in mind that if you are using the appropriate amount, a bottle of sunscreen should not last you very long. Approximately one ounce of sunscreen, enough to fill a shot glass, is considered the amount needed to cover the exposed areas of the body properly. Question: Does SPF 30 have twice as much sun protection as SPF 15? Answer: SPF protection does not actually increase proportionately with a designated SPF number. In higher SPFs, such as an SPF of 30, 97 percent of sunburning rays are deflected, while an SPF of 15 indicates 93 percent deflection and an SPF of 2 equals 50 percent deflection. -- American Academy of Dermatology, http://www.aad.org/public/News/DermInfo/DInfoSunscreenFAQ.htm SAILS THAT PUT YOU OUT FRONT When the boats are the same and only the sails are different, one sailmaker stands out. Marblehead NOOD: Doyle-powered boats won 8 out of 12 classes, including 11 of the top 12 in the Etchells class. Beneteau 36.7 North Americans: Doyle-powered boats took 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. Chicago-Mackinac Race: Doyle-powered boats won the J/105, J/120 (1st, 2nd, 3rd), and Beneteau 36.7 (1st, 2nd) classes. Yngling European Championships: Doyle-powered boats swept the first three places. Cowes Week 2006: Doyle-powered boats won the Etchells and White Group Overall. If you have a one-design boat, you should be buying Doyle sails. 1-800-94-DOYLE; http://www.doylesails.com PREMIUM ON PATIENCE Marina del Rey, Calif. --- The 172 sailors racing at the Laser Radial Youth Worlds swam, dozed and waited patiently for the wind to fill in -- patience that was ultimately rewarded with the seven knot southwesterly -- and two races for the male championship, while the smaller female fleet had to settle for only one race on Thursday. The 133-boat male fleet will now be split into gold and silver fleets for the remainder of the championship, which ends Saturday. Female leaders (Six races with one discard - 39 boats): 1. Claire Dennis, (USA) 9 points 2. Susana Romero (ESP) 16 points 3. Allie Blecher, (USA) 17 points 4. Laura Maes, (BEL) 24 points 5. Bodenes, Marion (FRA) 27 points Complete standings: http://tinyurl.com/kj8ug WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR Skovshoved, Denmark (Aug. 10, 2006) — Local hero Jesper Bank began his defense of the Danish Open, Stage 2 of the 2006-’07 World Match Racing Tour, with a perfect 4-0 record. Bank, the Danish skipper of United Internet Team Germany for the America’s Cup, is clear atop the leaderboard, but trailed closely by Frenchman Sebastian Col. The new helmsman for France’s Cup team Areva Challenge went 4-1 in morning racing. Ian Williams of Great Britain lies third in the 12-team field with a 3-1 record. The opening day of the 10th annual Danish Open saw a wide range of conditions. Winds in the morning were from the south/southwest between 12 and 14 knots, with gusts slightly higher. The six crews in the morning racing promptly ran off five flights (15 races) within three hours. After lunchtime the winds shifted to the west and dropped to around 8 knots, waning to 5 knots later in the afternoon. Only four flights (12 races) were held in about four hours of racing. Bank posted his undefeated record in the shifty afternoon winds. -- Sean McNeill, http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/ Danish Open Standings (After 9 of 22 scheduled flights) 1. Jesper Bank (DEN) United Internet Team Germany, 4-0 2. Sebastian Col (FRA) Areva Challenge, 4-1 3. Ian Williams (GBR) Williams Sail Racing, 3-1 4. Björn Hansen (SWE) Team Apport.net, 3-2 T. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team, 3-2 T. Sten Mohr (DEN) BMW ORACLE Racing, 3-2 7. Simon Minoprio (NZL) Vision Yachting, 2-2 8. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia, 1-2 T. Dorte O. Jensen (DEN) Team Sjælsø Gruppen, 1-2 10. Mads Ebler (DEN), 1-4 11. Peter Wibroe (DEN) Team Wibroe, 1-4 12. Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team, 0-4 SAILING SHORTS * The 2006 Naples Sabot Junior Nationals finished this week, where 172 boats competed at Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego, CA. The winner of the championship was not decided until well after the finish of the last race, as tie breaking rulebooks were pulled out to determine the outcome. Jake Ladow of San Diego and Stacy Mace of Newport Beach closed the event with matching scores, but in the end Ladow was the winner, Mace in second, and Judge Ryan of San Diego in third. Complete results: http://www.sdyc.org/sabot/results.htm * To honor the hundred-year anniversary of the Newport to Bermuda race, artist John MacGowan was commissioned by the Cruising Club of America to create a commemorative, original oil painting to depict the theme “One Hundred Years of Racing to Bermuda.” With St. David’s Lighthouse on the horizon, the scene includes a variety of sailing vessels from five distinctive periods in the race history: a contemporary yacht, an IOR sloop from the 70’s, a “William Tripp Sr.” Bermuda 40 ketch, a schooner, and finally a gaff rigged cutter. Now available on both paper and canvas: http://www.johnmacgowan.com/print_larger.html * San Diego’s Next Level Sailing has acquired Stars & Stripes USA-11 to join her sister, Stars & Stripes USA-34 and Abracadabra USA-54 for public and corporate charter. The yacht experienced a complete restoration in 2002 by Derecktors of Miami, Florida at a cost of nearly a half million dollars. This transformation included a fresh application of the distinctive Stars & Stripes trademark paint color scheme. In addition to its three IACC yachts, Next Level Sailing is the exclusive operator of private charters on "America"- the 139 ft. replica of America 1. -- http://www.nextlevelsailing.com * The date for Kit Hobday's Memorial Service has been confirmed as Wednesday September 27 at 14:30 in the Haven Events Centre, Cowes Yacht Haven, Isle of Wight. The service will bring together Kit's many friends, competitors and crews to celebrate his remarkable life which sadly ended on June 20, 2006 following a brave battle with Prostate Cancer. For those unable to attend, a book of condolence is open on the website where thoughts and messages can be left for Kit's family. And for those to plan to attend, pre-registration would be appreciated: http://www.bearofbritain.com/memorialservice/index.asp EVERYTHING MUST GO…. Gill, Musto, Gul, Magic Marine, spare parts for boats and much more must go. Longtime Scuttlebutt advertiser, The Sailing Pro Shop, has recently been sold, and the previous owners have some remaining inventory that must be liquidated. Beginning today and for the next several weeks, they invite you to stop by their eBay listings and save up to 80% on the best gear available at huge savings! If you have something on your wish list and don’t find it listed or would prefer not to bid on eBay, please send an e-mail to: mailto:DryArmour@aol.com; eBay listing at http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ50QQsassZgoodgearlowprice LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thought at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From: Reynald Neron (re the story about Roy Disney falling overboard, and one of the young sailor trying out of the race jumping to help him): You comment on the fact that you'd be surprised if the young sailor is not picked up for the race. I was wondering if I am the only one thinking that it is actually a silly move (although a courageous one) to jump in the drink to help a Man Over Board. This being said, I must also confess that I do not know Roy Disney's swimming/ floating capabilities. However, I understand that a chase boat was nearby (well, the one Roy was boarding) so picking up should have been pretty quickly performed, and rather than sending people, sending life saving devices (life rings and so on...) should be the way to go. And while I am here, I would like to show my appreciation to Roy Dysney for his commitment in developing youth skills. Not many people give young people such an opportunity. * From Kerry Deaver (re Disney overboard story): Not so sure I agree with your comment that John is a hero for jumping in after Roy. As a lifeguard, that is the response that John has been trained to execute. Isn't it usually race boat protocol to keep everyone on board unless the victim is unconscious or obviously in such distress that they cannot assist in their own rescue? The big item for all to note is that Roy had on his lifejacket even though he was just a mile or two offshore. * Doran Cushing: Without trying to start a territorial war, I couldn't help but notice the number of Florida sailors cited in the Aug. 10 Scuttlebutt. The pre-Olympic sailors total nine, one more than California. Also included were winners, top finishers, or leaders in the Sears Cup, Lightning Atlantic Championships, and Star European Championships. During my early days in sailing, mostly in California, it was "understood" that the top sailors came from Calif. and Newport, RI. But Ed Baird, Allison Jolly, Charley Morgan, Ted Irwin, Mark Soverel are just of few of the racers, cruisers, builders, and designers who have made sailing history from their Florida roots. It must be the water... * From George Albaugh: (re Geo Bailey’s comments on the Moth): Those low rider Moths with T-foil rudders (set aft of the transom on a gantry) are operating in what Andy Patterson might call "forced displacement" mode. I ain't too bright, but my understanding of the phenom is that the T-foil rudder, below the waterline and moved a bit aft of the boat's transom courtesy of the afore mentioned gantry, somehow tricks the water into thinking the boat is a tad longer than actual, and hence the ability to exceed theoretical hull speed. * From Ralph Taylor: Woodie Cobb asks “I want to know how the Foiling Moth relates to waterline?” Waterline is a speed factor only for boats in “displacement mode”; they must push water aside – as represented by wake -- to make progress. When a boat “gets up on a plane”, the length of the (pre-plane) waterline becomes irrelevant; the boat skims over the water rather than plowing through it. The wake decreases dramatically & what counts then is the ratio of driving force to (wetted surface) drag force. The foiler is in displacement mode only until it pops up to plane. As it rises onto its foils, drag is further reduced due to less wetted surface. * From Dan Cooney, BBR Regatta Chair: Just a short note thanking you for the great coverage of the Buzzards Bay Regatta (in Issue 2154). Gordon's piece was terrific and captured the flavor of the small community that supports this large event as well as the competition and regatta scene. It's been an incredibly positive experience to be involved with the regatta and humbling to know how many volunteer hours go into each of these events. It's a tribute to volunteers and to the sport that we have a community so willing to put the time in for the benefit of fellow sailors. Competitors were central to this virtuous cycle. Despite some challenging wind conditions, they were patient and waited for the Race Committee to deliver quality races. We heard very little complaining but did receive thoughtful feedback, which we'll take and fold into the next one. I know the sport is imperfect but there is a beauty and magic to sailing that is difficult to explain and harder still to escape. * From George Bailey: Sailboat racing is a sport. In contrast, for many, sailing embodies an approach to living. Sailing is satisfying because it involves freedom, responsibility, self-discipline and real challenges. One cannot talk one’s way out of problems. Though these virtues apply to racing, many racers only leave the dock to practice or to race; they do not get satisfaction from just “going sailing.” Scuttlebutt is focused on racers and racing, not on sailors and sailing. Hence it is not surprising that winning takes precedence over “having fun.” Further, Scuttlebutt focuses more on professional racing than amateur racing. Hence the endless debates about how to get better press coverage, more spectators, etc. As best I can tell, all the amateur racers I race with or used to race with (I am not racing Moths right now) still have lots of fun. They could care less about an audience, the press, etc. etc. They would like bigger fleets. But that national problem has more to do with ever-increasing demands on our time than something about racing. My “just sailing” and my racing friends have one main complaint: not enough time. When the “just sailing” sailors do get on the water, the “fun” takes care of itself. On the other hand, when the racing is over, the serious racers drop their sails and motor to shore (to save those expensive racing sails, of course). The winners feel satisfaction, even if winning was more work than fun. What’s your pleasure? * From Christopher Parker: With regards to bringing more fun into this sport -- edited to our 250-word limit): I would like to tell you about the most fun day I ever had on the water. This event happened only once because of a certain detail that will become obvious but if it could be overcome the event could be run anywhere anytime. The event of which I speak was, I believe, organized by King Harbor Yacht Club in the early 80’s. It was advertised as a “Pirate Battle” with water balloons as ammo. Boats of all sizes were invited, and came, and there were so called unaffiliated observers on each boat to record hits. A box shape area was delineated with buoys and you could only fire or be fired upon while in the box. Various sling shots were mounted in the rigging and trout scoop nets used to fish unexploded ordinance out of the water I’ve never had so much fun in a boat on the water and I’ve done some things. The downside and ultimate killer of the event was, as you might have guessed, the polluting effect of burst balloons which could no doubt find their way into the creatures below. If a suitably fun and mischievous substitute for this ammunition could be found I believe this would be a great event as boat handling is obviously paramount in having fun and keeping damage out of the equation. On this day there were no collisions but a few balloons did find their way down companionways etc. Any geniuses out there think of a good substitute? CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” -Will Rogers Special thanks to Doyle Sailmakers and the previous SPS owners. |
