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SCUTTLEBUTT 2521 – January 29, 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. US SAILING'S 2008 ROLEX MIAMI OCR Miami, Fla. (January 28, 2008) – Perfect first-day conditions greeted sailors at US SAILING's Rolex MIami OCR, where 369 Olympic and Paralympic sailors from 34 countries are competing in four Olympic classes (Laser, Laser Radial, Star, and Yngling) and three Paralympic classes (2.4mR, SKUD-18 and Sonar). As an International Sailing Federation Grade 1 event, the regatta figures into world rankings, and some countries are selecting their 2008 Olympic and Paralympic teams based on results here. One sailor who doesn't have to worry about whether she'll make it to Qingdao in August is the USA's Olympic representative in the Laser Radial class and US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.). After winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Sailing in October, Tunnicliffe changed her focus. "I used to have one drive--to win the Trials. Now I have a new drive; it's to win in China." The Florida sailor today won the second of her class's two races after finishing third in the first. The performance put her in first place overall for the day. "It was only 7-9 knots, which made for tricky sailing," said Tunnicliffe, acknowledging that China will have similar wind conditions but with much more chop and swell than Biscayne Bay had to offer today. "It's still early," she said about this regatta. "With it being light and fluky, it's still wide open." – Read on: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5770#5770 Day 1 Results Laser (24 boats) -- 2 races 1. Maciej Grabowski (POL), 2-1, 3 2. Kyle Rogachenko (USA), 1-4, 5 3. Charlie Buckingham (USA), 4-6, 10 Laser Radial (39 boats) -- 2 races 1. Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), 3-1, 4 2. Paige Railey (USA), 1-4, 5 3. Penny Clark (GBR), 6-2, 8 Star (70 boats) – 2 races 1. Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams (NZL), 1-3, 4 2. Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria, (SUI), 2-1, 5 3. Rick Merriman/Brian Sharp (USA), 1-4, 5 Yngling (28 boats) -- 2 races 1. Song Xia Qun/Li Xiao Ni/Yu Yan Li (CHN), 2-8, 10 2. Sarah Ayton/Sarah Webb/Pippa Wilson (GBR), 6-6, 12 3. Sally Barkow/Debbie Capozzi, Carrie Howe (USA), 3-10, 13 2.4mR (25 boats) -- 3 races 1. Damien Seguin (FRA), 4-2-1, 7 2. Stellan Berlin (SWE), 2-7-2, 11 3. Carl Horrocks (USA), 3-4-4, 11 SKUD-18 (10 boats) -- 2 races 1. Nick Scandone/Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (USA), 1-1, 2 2. John McRoberts/Stacie Louttit (CAN), 3-2, 5 3. Scott Whitman/Julia Dorsett (USA), 5-3, 8 Sonar (11 boats) -- 2 races 1. Colin Harrison/ Russell Boaden/Graeme Martin (AUS), 3-1, 4 2. Jens Kroker/Tobias Schuetz/Siegmund Mainka (GER), 1-3, 4 3. Bruno Jourden/Herve Larhant/Nicolas Vimont Vicary (FRA), 2-4, 6 Complete results: http://www.rolexmiamiocr.org/results/index.htm OLYMPIC SAILING DOWN UNDER * Melbourne, Australia (January 28, 2008) For the first time since the start of the Finn Gold Cup, the lead has changed hands following the final fleet race of the event. After an intense race Ben Ainslie (GBR) passed Dan Slater (NZL) on the line to get ahead by one point before Tuesday’s medal race. With Pieter Jan Postma (NED) climbing to 3rd and Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN) in 4th position after a 9th in today’s race, the top 4 contenders are within 10 points going into the final Medal race. On the outside looking in will be Canadian Chris Cook, who is in fifth, but 27 points off the lead. -- Event website: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au/event/finngoldcup2008 * Melbourne, Australia (January 28, 2008): The second of three days of Gold and Silver flight racing was held at the 470 World Championship, with one day remaining before the medal race for the top ten to be held on Wednesday. Currently leading the men is Alvaro Marinho/ Miguel Nunes (POR), with top North Americans Stu McNay/ Graham Biehl moving up the board to 21st place. On the women’s side, the North American contingent is looking strong, with Erin Maxwell/ Isabelle Kinsolving (USA) leading and Amanda Clark/ Sarah Mergenthaler (USA) in seventh. -- Event website: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au/event/470worldchampionships2008 PERFORM TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS! All over the world, you will find Camet Padded Sailing Shorts. The leading teams are using the combination of our Code Zero Shirts and Sailing Shorts made out of a breathable fast drying fabric with a UVA certification (97.5%) for sun protection. With our closed cell foam inserts available for a variety of different styles of shorts, we have redesigned comfort to give you the ability to hike hard without losing feeling in your legs. This will allow you to go longer and not suffer from fatigue, helping you to think clearly and perform to your expectations! http://www.camet.com/?Click=700 AD CAMPAIGN AIDS IN OLYMPIC EVENT SELECTION At first, it seemed like an impossible task. But just months after launching a campaign to get a sailing event called women's match racing included in the 2012 Olympics, local organizers of the effort learned that they'd achieved their goal. Thanks to an international ad campaign planned and executed by Zimmerman Design Office in Sheboygan (WI), the International Sailing Federation voted last November to include the sport in the 2012 Olympics in London. The idea came from sailing enthusiast Terry Kohler, 73, owner of Windway Capital Corp. and North Sails, who decided to get involved after talking to professional sailors last spring while in Spain for the America’s Cup. Since there is only room for 10 sailing events in the Olympics, women's match racing could only be included if something else got bumped. That's where the advertising came in. Kohler turned to ZDO, which does a lot of work for Windway and North Sails. Owner Bryon Zimmerman and his staff put together glossy ads to run in the three biggest sailing magazines, asking people to call their ISAF representative and lobby for the inclusion of women's match racing in the Olympics. "There really was a ground-swell of responses to the ads," Zimmerman said. "It was so fast and furious. I think people were passionate about it. The international ad campaign helped. All those elements … are what got it in." -- The Sheboygan Press, read on: http://tinyurl.com/28ta8q AMERICA’S CUP ON TRIAL by Cory E. Friedman, Scuttlebutt legal consultant (January 28, 2008) Behind every litigation there is a screw-up. Make that more than one in this AC litigation. Although clients are the originators of the most ingenious and creative screw-ups, it is usually the lawyers trying to get their clients out of their messes that bear the brunt of the criticism. Clients do not fall on their swords. Lawyers do. That is why it was adios White & Case, former “best lawyers” of Société Nautique Genève (SNG). Until now, the screw-up that dominated the litigation was the creation of the obviously bogus Club Nautico Español de Vela (CNEV) as Challenger of Record. The honor of center stage now passes to the now infamous “keel yacht” challenge, which threatens to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC). As John Rousmaniere and others have noted, inquiries regarding how the obviously misplaced “keel” wound up before “yacht” in GGYC’s challenge have brought forth only enigmatic responses from GGYC. Buried in the latest blizzard of papers lies the answer. Barry Ostrager’s Affirmation was filed Monday and is on the web, without its fairly extensive exhibits. Exhibit H of that Affirmation is the 15 July 1987 Mercury Bay challenge. The GGYC challenge is obviously copied word for word from that challenge. Everything is exactly the same, the title, format, everything. The only differences are that Commodore Marcus Young is substituted for Humphrey Michael Gerard Fay and the dimensions are different. Each one goes on to “certify the details set out below as to the name, rig and specified dimension of the keel yacht to represent [the challenging club] in a match for the America’s Cup to be sailed in accordance with the Notice of Challenge herewith.” Thus, someone familiar with the Mercury Bay challenge obviously copied the Mercury Bay challenge verbatim without realizing that “keel” was superfluous and could only lead to trouble. That trouble has arrived. It also explains the bind GGYC’s lawyers are in. – Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5771 BARCELONA WORLD RACE Open 60 doublehanded round the world race (started Nov 11; 25,000-miles) (Day 79 – January 28, 2008) The fight to get on the podium in Barcelona is intensifying as Mutua Madrileña has taken more miles out of Temenos II over the past 24 hours. At one stage overnight, the delta was down to just 20 miles, before Temenos II stretched away to 44 miles today. Considering their current speed of 8.5 knots, and the much higher potential given the right conditions, leads are hardly safe for long. The battle at the head of the fleet is much closer as well, with Hugo Boss having gained over 300 miles on leading Paprec-Virbac 2 since Friday afternoon. But with the doldrums looming ahead for Hugo Boss, they aren’t expecting to keep up this recent pace of impressive gains. -- http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com Positions at 18:00 GMT (+gain/-loss from leader since previous day) 1-Paprec-Virbac 2, Jean-Pierre Dick/ Damian Foxall, 2,633 nm DTF (+173) 2-Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson/ Andrew Cape, 531 nm DTL (+116) 3-Temenos II, Dominique Wavre/ Michéle Paret, 1,643 (-27) 4-Mutua Madrilena, Javier Sanso Windmann/ Pachi Rivero, 1,687 (-32) 5-Educación sin Fronteras, Servane Escoffier/ Albert Bargues, 2,915 (+71) 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) MELGES ROCKS! Melges did rock Acura Key West last week with 27 Melges 32’s racing and 46 Melges 24’s on the starting line. Not only was the sailing exciting, but so was the ‘Melges Rocks’ party on Wednesday night that attracted all of the Melges class sailors along with many others that wanted to get in on the action! A big thank you from Melges to all those that made the journey down to one of the hottest sailing events of the year. Melges Rocks! Please look into the Melges 32, Melges 24, the all new Melges 20, along with our many other boats. -- http://www.melges.com FOR THE RECORD * Jules Verne Trophy (crewed circumnavigation around the three capes): (Day 5 – January 28, 2008; 18:56 UTC) Since sunrise, the 103-foot maxi trimaran Groupama 3has found its wings once more. Under gennaker in fine NE'ly tradewinds of 18 knots on slight seas, the giant trimaran was able to rack up average speeds of over 27 knots! This fifth day at sea has born witness to a cracking pace, and the equator is now no more than 950 miles ahead as of Monday lunchtime. With stronger tradewinds Monday afternoon, they expect to pass the equator prior to sunrise on January 30th, and current weather models show things are shaping up nicely for the Southern hemisphere. -- http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en * Route de l'Or (crewed route from New York to San Francisco): (Day 11 – January 28, 2008; 10:32 UTC) Since exiting the Doldrums, the conditions over the past few days threw a kink in the 110-foot maxi-catamaran Gitana 13’s attempt at the record from New York to San Francisco, but the situation improved significantly Monday afternoon. Team Gitana was rewarded for its efforts and patience in the form of a southeasterly wind current, with Gitana 13 cruising again at 25-30 knots. Over the next few days, the strategy adopted by skipper Lionel Lemonchois and his crew of nine will consist of skirting around the west side of the Saint Helena high-pressure system—which is very broad in the southern summer—by sailing along the coast of Uruguay and Argentina. -- http://www.gitana-team.com/en/gitana10/homepage.asp EMERGING YOUTH FROM BARBADOS From watching sailboats off the beach of his native Barbados as a young boy to now training for the Olympics, with an impressive list of performances at international sailing events to his credit, 17-year-old Gregory Douglas is a hot prospect and up-and-coming Caribbean sailing star in the Laser class. “I loved to go to the beach when I was growing up,” Gregory explains. “Then after my Dad and I took a sailing course together when I was nine years old, I started sailing Optimist dinghies. What I loved, and love, most is just being out on the water. It’s different every time you go out and that’s what makes it fun as well as challenging.” Gregory showed an aptitude for sailing right away. He and his family, launched into international competitions – including the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Optimist Worlds - that helped him learn skills that are tough to acquire where big fleets aren’t found. “Sailing at the highest level in the Optimist inspired Gregory to follow the path of many successful Optimist sailors to the Olympics,” says his dad, Peter. “The percentage of medalists at the Games being former Optimist sailors has been steadily increasing over recent years, reaching 78 percent at the Athens Olympics.” A gain of 20 pounds in weight and four inches in height over one year in 2005 led Gregory to make the switch from Optimists to Lasers. -- Read on, http://www.allatsea.net/specificissueeditorial.php?featureid=1610 SAILING SHORTS * Reigning InterClub National Champions John and Molly Baxter representing Larchmont Yacht Club (NY) dominated their A Division rivals at the 2008 InterClub Midwinters. Eleven races were sailed in each division of this classic college-style regatta, with the Baxters winning 7 of them in the light to moderate conditions. The contest was tighter in the B division, with "Dans" Pletsch and Maggie Lumkes a bit deeper in the standings, but staying close enough in points to secure the regatta win for the Larchmont team. -- Complete report with results: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=5768 * The official Notice of Race for the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race is now available online. Additionally, details about Safety at Sea seminars, safety inspection checklists and forms, and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club berth reservations forms. More than 117 boats have already applied for entry for the race, which starts in Newport, Rhode Island on June 20. For these details and more, or to complete an Application for Entry, visit http://www.bermudarace.com * The Yacht Show at National Harbour will be launched in June this year, taking place on the Potomac River adjacent to Washington DC in the US.Held from June 5-8 at National Harbour's marina facility, the Yacht Show is exclusively for new, brokerage and charter yachts greater than 60ft (18m) in overall length, which will be displayed in the water. -- IBI Magazine, read on: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080028143019ibinews.html * Holt Allen hardware — produced by British sailboat equipment manufacturer Allen Brothers — will now be sold under the brand name Allen. The same range will be available from Allen hardware as was available from Holt Allen, and the same team will continue to create the products. -- IBI Magazine, read on: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080028140704ibinews.html * US Sailing has announced the Umpire Seminar schedule for 2008, with seminars providing training for aspiring umpires and match racers. The schedule is Long Beach CA, February 9; St. Petersburg FL, April 9; Newport RI, May 29; and Sheboygan WI, June 19. -- http://www.ussailing.org/umpires DISCOVER THE BEST BOATING GEAR & EQUIPMENT MyBoatsGear.com keeps you in touch with the best boating products. Browse our 18 plus categories from safety, electronics, and navigation to deck gear and rigging and discover what’s new and the best. Bookmark MyBoatsGear.com, and sign up for the newsletters. -- http://www.MyBoatsGear.com DEATH OF A HARD DRIVE The Scuttlebutt publisher had a rough start to his week, though there is likely never a good time for a computer hard drive to crash. Regardless, the show must go on, though there was a pile of email that went down with the ship. Since Friday, any letters to the editor, ad inquiries, story ideas, etc. should be resent. Thanks in advance (and go check your back-up systems right now!). CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION A fool and his money can throw one hell of a party. Special thanks to Camet International, Melges Performance Sailboats, and MyBoatsGear.com. A complete list of Scuttlebutt’s preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
