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SCUTTLEBUTT 2916 - Wednesday, August 26, 2009Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors,providing a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Rig Pro | Southern Spars and Annapolis Performance Sailing. REMEMBERING TOM BLACKALLER Tom Blackaller, one of yacht racing's most colorful and outspoken helmsmen, died a young man at 49 years of age in 1989. The 20 year anniversary of his passing will be next month on September 7th, with the Scuttlebutt Forum now seeking contributions from people fortunate enough to have experienced the color and character of Tom Blackaller. Here is a post from the highly accomplished competitor and yacht designer Pelle Petterson (SWE): “Tom Blackaller was my very best American sailing friend. “We first met 1969 in San Diego, CA where I managed to beat Tom in the very last race of the Star World Championship to win the title. Tom finished second, and insisted that I had poisoned his crew, Gary Mull, the night before with Swedish Aquavit. “At the 1974 Star Worlds in Laredo, Spain, I had the lead in the beginning of the series, but Tom out sailed me and won his first World Championship title. “At the 1975 Admirals Cup, approaching the finish line of the Fastnet Race, out of the thick fog with maybe 100 meter visibility, I heard a loud shout. “Is that you Pelle?,” said Tom. “What the hell are we doing out here.” We ended neck and neck.” -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8105#8105 => Curmudgeon's Comment: I encourage others to share their stories as well. They can be emailed to mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com or posted directly into the forum thread using the link above. SHOULD THERE BE AN AGE LIMIT TO SINGLE-HAND AN OCEAN? Scuttlebutt has long followed the passages of solo and crewed teams as they seek to eclipse the elapsed time records of those that came before them. The pursuit of these claims has created a multitude of categories, and for nearly every ocean (or oceans), there is a time standard to beat. Tracking systems have brought the online viewer onboard, and the media coming off the boats have helped heighten the interest in these efforts. As of late, the pursuit of being the youngest person to circle the globe has attracted multiple entries. On July 16, 17-year-old Zac Sunderland (USA) became the youngest person to complete a lap around the world. This week, 17 year-old British sailor Mike Perham will finish his circumnavigation two months quicker. Aussie Jessica Watson is getting ready to begin her attempt in mid-September, with hopes of returning by April 2010 before she turns 17. Zac’s 15 year old sister Abby wants in on the act too, and has initiated a PR campaign to seek the funding needed for a November departure. But what has really got our attention now is the 13 year-old Dutch girl Laura Dekker who wants to begin her passage this September, but is now battling child protection authorities in her Netherlands homeland who are taking the case to court in a bid to stop the teenager from making the trip. Social workers and child protection authorities are fighting to have the teenager made a ward of court so her parents - who support her plans - will lose the right to make decisions on her behalf. So what do you think about all this? Are these wonderful examples of independent young people following their dreams, or purely an accident waiting to happen? Parents must constantly balance the necessity of keeping their children safe, while giving them age-appropriate freedom to explore, grow, and mature. Can there even be a safeguard to limit what parents permit to ensure that questionable judgment does not impact the safety and resources of others? We do have age limits to vote, to drive, to drink alcohol…is this the next one? Respond to the Scuttlebutt survey and post your comments here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/09/0825/ RIG PRO | SOUTHERN SPARS HAVE YOU COVERED Blue water cruiser or grand prix racing, we have your rig service needs covered with our worldwide programme. Be it trouble shooting problems or scheduling service/maintenance checks Rig Pro | Southern Spars is your one stop provider. September sees the annual Rolex Maxi Worlds and we’re there for you. Looking to improve your yacht’s performance? Richard & Dean will be standing by in Porto Cervo to discuss how an EC6 carbon rigging upgrade will benefit you and where you place in the fleet. Contact: Richard Searle +64 21 472 197 or Dean Harper +64 21 955 722. -- http://www.southernspars.com 505 WORLDS San Francisco, CA (August 25, 2009; Day 3) - Good thing the wind calmed down a bit Tuesday or Mike Martin and crew Jeff Nelson---notorious for their heavy weather sailing---would be running away with the 2009 SAP 505 World Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. Say what? The Newport Beach, Calif. sailors were every bit as dominant in mom and pop breeze of 8 to 11 knots to start the day as conditions built to 20 by the end of the second race. They led at every mark in both races, sometimes seemingly too far ahead to read the sail numbers of their closest competitors, if they ever bothered to look back. Now, after discarding the 99 points for Race 2 Sunday when their mast broke as they were running a close second to Mike Holt and crew Carl Smit, their tally shows only four points in five races. But they do look back. As for Holt and Smit, they're three points behind with a first and four seconds after beating everybody but Martin/Nelson. No racing was scheduled Wednesday, and the regatta will wind up with two races Thursday and one each Friday and Saturday. There will be one more discard after the eighth race, but even that may not help perennial contender and 1999 winner Howard Hamlin of Long Beach, Calif. and crew Paul Cayard. Hamlin/Cayard have already used one of their throwouts by voluntarily rejecting, in a change of heart, the redress they had won after being disqualified in Monday's race for interfering with the Gate Launch boat that follows the Pathfinder race boat, a.k.a. the "rabbit." Then in Tuesday's second race their boat sprang a leak when the gasket in the centerboard failed. -- Complete report with results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8111#8111 Photos: http://www.rrrcommunications.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=18 Sailgroove video: http://tinyurl.com/Sailgroove-505-Worlds LASER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Nova Scotia, Canada (August 25, 2009; Day 6) - It was a Goldilocks story at the 2009 Laser Worlds on St. Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia. After one day with too much, one day with too little, winds proved to be just right on Tuesday. With the breeze ranging from nine to 16 knots (19 to 31 kilometres per hour), sailors enjoyed three well deserved and tough races after spending two days ashore. Olympic Gold medalist Paul Goodison of Great Britain has taken over first place in the gold from country mate Nick Thompson, with Canadian David Wright as the top North American in sixth. Clearly enjoying the event was Laser designer, Canadian Bruce Kirby, who noted, “Forty years ago when I drew that first design, I had no idea what it would turn into. Never in my wildest dream did I expect the success that I see here today.” Racing concludes on Wednesday. Event website: http://can09.laserinternational.org Photos: http://www.capizzano.com/laserworlds2009/index.htm CHANGING FACE OF YACHT RACING The Oman Sail project is a story of vision. It is also a textbook case of how to activate sponsorship of sport across a wide variety of projects. Just as the UK will experience a blip of national pride as a result of winning back the Ashes from Australia, the Oman Sail project is building pride in a nation where sailing has always been part of life, just not sporting life. The launch of the new Arabian 100 trimaran then is not just some rich person’s toy - its a symbol of a country taking on the world. In the team’s own words : It’s a proud day for Oman as the Arabian 100 trimaran touches water for the very first time here in Salalah Port. While many will ‘ooh and ahhh’ at the shiny new hulls, its great to know that there are side-effects of the programme like Safiya Al Habsi, a young lady who is the first Omani girl to become a qualified sailing instructor. -- Yacht Sponsorship, read on: http://tinyurl.com/lp8uxn Additional images and information: http://www.omansail.com/ TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL With the dog days of summer dwindling and cooler nights ahead going back to school is certainly on the minds of kids and parents alike. So, if the thought of buying new notebooks for your little sailor is as exciting as a paper cut, like it is for us, here's some good news. At APS, long time supporters of the ISSA and ICSA, we offer great discounts for sailors getting back in the swing of high school and collegiate sailing. Check out the too cool for school deals "The World Leaders in Outfitting Performance Sailors" have put together: http://www.apsltd.com/c-5804-ScholasticOrders.aspx IN THE MEDIA * The final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race finished last June, and while it won’t be until early 2010 that the course for the next race is fully disclosed, the PUMA team has thrown out a hook to see who still is hungry for action from the last race. They have sifted through all their video footage, pulled together a lot of crazy things and some funny quotes, and has provided this entertaining 2:15 minute montage from their race around the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvkyjuTW0WI * The Herreshoff Classic Regatta is an annual event in Bristol, RI drawing hundreds of participants from around the world, and is open to all Classic and Spirit of Tradition boats, Herreshoff S Boats, the Six Metre Class, the 12 Metre Class, the Sea Sprite Class, Cat Boats and the Herreshoff 12 ½ class. Thanks to George Bekris from providing these images: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0825/ SAILING SHORTS * San Diego, CA (August 25, 2009; Day 2) - Great conditions have allowed the Snipe Junior World Championship to remain on schedule, with three more races completed today, totaling six to give competitors a throw-out race. Current leader Norihiko Kiyama and Kenichi Inada (JPN) have rolled all top seven scores, helping to build a three point lead on defending champions Mario Tinoco and Mateus Gonçalves (BRA) in second, who were now able to discard their 16th from the fifth race. In third is Tyler Sinks and Shone Bowman (USA) with four races in the top four. -- Full report: http://www.snipeworlds2009.com/news/ * Copenhagen, Denmark (August 25, 2009; Day 3) - Having sailed three races on Monday, only one race was needed today at the 470 World Championship to complete the qualifying series. With Dutch teams leading both the men and women, the 95 men will now be divided into gold/ silver/ bronze fleets, and the 57 women will be split into gold/ silver groups. Top North American men, who won today’s race, are Stu McNay/Graham Biehl (USA) in 10th, with defending World Champions Erin Maxwell/ Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar (USA) in 12th. Both teams are seeking to overcome a long layoff prior to the Worlds. -- Event website: http://worlds470.kdy.dk/ * Kingston, ONT (August 25, 2009; Day 3) - The 49er North Americans finished five races today, and now with 12 completed, former Canadian Sailing Team member Rob Dale, sailing with American Carl Horrocks, maintain a narrow lead over Matthieu Dubreucq and Trevor Parekh. Racing wraps up on Thursday. -- Results: http://cork.org/results2009/49R.HTM * Newport, RI (August 25, 2009; Day 1) – The first of three days of racing in the seventh annual C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Memorial Regatta, taking place out of Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s public sailing center, saw all four fleets of sailors with disabilities complete four races on Narragansett Bay. Racing is in the J/22 class for the visually impaired, 2.4 Metre class, SKUD-18, and Sonar class. Racing resumes August 26th and concludes on Thursday, August 27. -- Results: http://www.ussailing.net/Clagett/2009/results.htm * The St. Moritz Match Race will commence September 1-6 as the sixth stop on the 9-event World Match Racing Tour 2009. Mathieu Richard (FRA) and his French Match Racing Team are the current tour leaders and defending champions of this event, winning the 2008 edition of the event ahead of Ian Williams’ (UK) Team Pindar.Twelve teams representing eight nations will compete on Lake St. Moritz aboard the Blu26 one-design sailing boats. Conceived by the Swiss Bluboats, the Blu26 are 8 m. long and 2,2 m. wide. -- Full report: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/da/99624 KEY WEST 2010 PRESENTED BY NAUTICA – WINTER’S BEST Don’t miss North America’s premiere winter regatta! Spectacular conditions beckon IRC, One Design and PHRF racers. World class competition, professional management, and unique shoreside fun await. New 20’ Sportboat class and the return of Corsair multihulls. Make your plans for the annual Key West reunion (January 18-22). Details at http://www.Premiere-Racing.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Please submit your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Rob Overton, Senior Judge and International Umpire: The other day, I saw a report in Scuttlebutt about a World Championship regatta. I vaguely remembered that a friend of mine, a fellow U.S. Senior Judge, might be serving at that regatta, so I went to the regatta website to check if that was true. A careful search of the entire site revealed no mention of the names of the Race Officers or members of the Jury. This omission was not unique to the regatta in question -- Race Officers, Judges, and Umpires (if any) are rarely if ever listed on regatta websites. Moreover, when protest or redress decisions are announced and discussed, or even appealed, the judges involved are not identified. The ability to look up the names of judges or umpires at a particular event is not just a benefit to people like me who want to keep track of their friends. Having the names of judges and umpires out in the public domain is a key factor in recognizing their contributions and making them accountable for their decisions. Additionally, it would allow competitors to know in advance who is on the jury so they can determine whether any judge might be an interested party, as is their right under rule 63.4. Let's take the next step in making sailing more democratic and more transparent, and start announcing the names of Race Officers, Judges, and Umpires on regatta websites. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: As reported in Scuttlebutt, currently the Laser, Snipe, 470, and 505 are holding World Championship events. Taking a look at these event websites, I found only the 470 Worlds had listed the jury, and only the Laser Worlds were posting jury decisions. * From Ritchie MacDonald: I read your article (in Scuttlebutt 2915) regarding the great event by Cleveland Yacht Club, and wanted to share a similar such event on the Bras'dor Lakes, in Cape Breton (Nova Scotia, CAN). The difference is that for its 25 year history, it had been hosted by two different families and their volunteers, with support from the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club providing the race committee. First hosted by Frank and Joan Elman, it was known as The Bacardi Cup Weekend, later hosted by Ginny and Robert Sampson when it was called the East Bay Regatta. It started small but grew to host up to 59, with this summer seeing 49 entrants from across the Atlantic Provinces. Like the CYC event, the success came from the simple things. The sailors were always made welcome, an affordable $30.00 registration fee (kids are free) included a bracelet for breakfast and supper, adult refreshments, and live entertainment. Racing was started at a reasonable time (to provide a recovery period) and class racing was competitive but friendly. Sailors mostly stayed aboard their boats, keeping folks together to socialize and discuss the day's events. What else could you ask for? Unfortunately, the event’s success has gotten to be too much for the families, and this year was the last to be hosted by the Sampsons and the neighbors in Cossitt Cove. There is not one hard feeling for this decision, just great memories as everyone who ever participated knows the sacrifice everyone has made. All good things come to an end. (Already, there is talk of a reunion.) * From Chris Caswell: Regarding Tom Thayer’s question (in Scuttlebutt 2915) how Larry Ellison or Chris Dickson could be labeled as bland and lacking personality. Let me turn it around. What have either of these men done aside from spend fortunes or win races? Having money or winning races does not set these men apart. Can anyone remember a single memorable tale that doesn’t involve either filing a lawsuit or finishing first? Admittedly, I have no personal knowledge of either man, but nothing I’ve ever heard about them (or many others in today's America's Cup) suggests they might be delightful companions for dinner. * From Pat(ricia) Nolan: The first paragraph of Bill Reilly's commentary (in Scuttlebutt 2913) made me chuckle, the second paragraph made me burn. "so maybe these young girls will go back to doing what girls their age are supposed to do, selling Girl Scout cookies..." What a blatantly sexist and unnecessary comment. I sure hope he doesn't have any daughters. He must not read Scuttlebutt frequently enough to be aware of the tremendous gains girls and women have made on the racecourse in the last 10 years. Whether teenage girls (or boys) should attempt to sail solo around the world is highly debatable but make no mistake, thousands of young girls are out there on the race courses, sailing their hearts out, filled with dreams of Olympic gold just like their male counterparts. And I daresay most boys are happy to have them there. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION A great cause is like champagne or high heeled shoes. It may be magnificent, but you must be willing to suffer for it. Special thanks to Rig Pro | Southern Spars and Annapolis Performance Sailing. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
