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SCUTTLEBUTT 3094 - Tuesday, May 18, 2010Scuttlebutt 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. Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt Today's sponsors: North Sails, West Marine, and Schaefer Marine. COMPOSITE RIGGING GETS A REPRIEVE The IRC is a measurement system which strives to classify a broad range of monohull keelboats for competition. One of the tenets of the rule is that the methods used for calculation are kept secret so as to prevent designers from seeking an advantage within the rule. The spirit of IRC requires that owners and designers shall not seek means of artificially reducing the rating of a boat without a corresponding increase in rating, and the rule administrators discourage unnecessary expense at all levels. Therefore, when composite standing rigging became available, IRC looked at it twice. First, compared to heavier wire or rod rigging, the stability of boats using composite rigging would likely improve due to the reduction of weight aloft, making these boats faster (and arguably more fun). But the cost of composite rigging was enormously expensive, and the rule was not eager for an arms race to occur. As a result, the IRC view at that time was the rating adjustment for composite standing rigging would get adjusted twice - once for the performance benefit, and once for the privilege of spending huge chunks of money to gain the performance benefit. But at a recent meeting of the IRC Technical Committee, the subject of the rating cost of composite standing rigging was discussed. The Committee noted that the technology of composite standing rigging has matured significantly in recent years to the extent that it is now becoming close to mainstream. Plus, it was their understanding that composite standing rigging has a life expectancy at least that of steel rod rigging, and that the costs has fallen to the extent that some brands are now available at costs only a little higher than the equivalent steel rod rigging. Noting all of the above, the Committee made the decision that the rating cost of composite standing rigging will be reduced with effect from January 1, 2011 (June 1, 2011 in IRC southern hemisphere countries). The exact effects on TCC (time corrector) are not yet available, but are expected to be broadly neutral in terms of speed versus rating. IRC update: http://tinyurl.com/2d4f2s8 RETURNING TO THE SCENE Among the legends at the Finn European Championship last week was John Bertrand (USA), who won the Gold Cup in 1978 and the Europeans in 1979, before taking the silver medal in the 1984 Olympics in Long Beach. How does he feel about being back on the Finn scene after so long? "It's great. I've got back into the Olympic scene just by doing some coaching and working with some sailors for three of four years - mainly Laser sailors and so this is my first opportunity to really get back and see what's going on with the Finns. I am coaching Luke Lawrence, a young kid from the United States and it's exciting. I didn't realise how much I really missed it until I came back." Bertrand sees a big difference in the class to when he was competing. "The biggest difference is that everyone is fit now, everyone is tall, and it seems like the equipment with the new boats and new construction and new carbon masts seems to have brought some unity in terms of the overall speed in the fleet. Back in my day with the aluminum masts you had to go through 10 or 15 of them before you actually found one that you liked. It looks likes they are sailing the boats very aggressively and that probably starts in the Opti and goes through the Laser and then into the Finn. The overall competitiveness is a lot higher now." "Actually I was just having a discussion with somebody and the Finn needs to stay an Olympic class. It's very physical and it suits a heavier sailor. If you look at the competition, it's great competition, it's spread out - not one person is dominating and you have be fit and tactically smart. I think it's one of the ultimate Olympic boats so it needs to stay." -- Full story: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9872#9872 Photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/0516/ NORTH SAILS-POWERED BOATS STEAL THE SHOW AT SEATTLE NOOD Over 170 boats participated in the Sperry Top-Sider Seattle NOOD regatta May 14-16. North Sails-powered boats won six classes including: J/105 (Team Jaded); Melges 24 (Team Junk Shot*); Performance 30 (Team Blue Martini); Sport Boat (Team Redfish Bluefish); Deception Mini 12 (Team Three Stooges) and Thistle (USA-3922). Team Big Dogs and Team Self Abuse took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the highly competitive J/24 Class. North Sails is proud to be a sponsor of the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Series and provides free weather forecasts for all NOOD events. (*-Partial inventory). To sign up, log on to: http://na.northsails.com DID YOU KNOW? The Procedural Rules for Inter-Collegiate Sailing Competition have revised the Racing Rules of Sailing Propulsion Rule 42: RRS 42.2 (c): This rule essentially states how sailors are to use the wind and water to propel the boat, and while an occasional pump of the sails is okay to initiate surfing, ooching (sudden forward body movement, stopped abruptly) is prohibited. In college, this rule is modified such that when offwind surfing (rapidly accelerating down the leeward side of a wave) or planing is possible, ooching is permitted in order to initiate surfing or planing. RRS 42.3(b): This rule says that a crew can roll their boat through a tack or a gybe, provided that, just after the tack or gybe is completed, the boat's speed is not greater than it would have been in the absence of the tack or gybe. In college, this rule is modified to allow a crew to accelerate their boat through a tack or gybe, but states that the boat's mast does not move aggressively away from the vertical more than once during the maneuver. College Procedural Rules: http://tinyurl.com/2eo9fua TIP TIME: GELCOAT REPAIRS This tip comes courtesy of Waterline Systems: "This time of year, lots of people will be trying to fill in little gelcoat nicks and dings. I'm not going to do a whole step by step here-- just one tip. Buff your hull first. The hardest part is matching the color. If your boat is more than a few years old, the sun will have attacked the color a bit. If you just jump in, and match the gelcoat then buff the hull, the color of the hull will change and the new, unoxidized gelcoat won't. You will be bummed." -- http://www.waterlinesystems.com/ NEW LOOK FOR ADULT SUMMER CAMP It was disheartening to hear that the Inland Lake Yachting Association (ILYA) Bay Week Regatta at Put-in-Bay, OH had fallen on hard times. Albeit, it was over 20 years ago when the Scuttlebutt editor had participated in this island event, but my recollection was I had about as much fun as one could have with their clothes on. Wake up early, race around the island, finish by lunch, indulge in excessive adult activities, pass out early, and do it all again the next day. Hands down - my best Lake Erie memory. Thankfully, there is an effort to revitalize an event long known as the "Summer Camp for Adults" at Put-in-Bay, as explained here by North Cape Yacht Club's Kent Gardam: "If you are like me, over the years you have gradually become less than enamored with the ILYA Bay Week Regatta at Put-in-Bay, OH. A reasonable group of North Cape boats have continued to do the Saturday Deepwater Race but then headed home on Sunday, leaving only a small core of competitors that have continued to support the Monday to Wednesday Bay Week Regatta. "To pretend that Bay Week has recently been anything like its former glory is just kidding yourself. BUT, there are real solid reasons to believe that things have changed. I am here to encourage you to think about giving Bay Week another try. There is a new sheriff in town in charge of organization and the committee that has been put together (which includes our Commodore and Vice Commodore) is doing all the right things." Here are some of the highlights for this year: - More convenient racing schedule for Friday through Sunday. - Combining short distance races with buoy races. - A better valued social package and entry fee - Better race management. - Confirmed dockage. Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/28s6sr5 10% OFF SITEWIDE TWO DAYS ONLY - 5/18 & 5/19 Sail away with savings this Tuesday & Wednesday at westmarine.com. Take 10% off regular priced items sitewide and save on practically everything else online including our huge selection of sailing gear! http://www.westmarine.com SAILING SHORTS * Newport, R.I. (May 14, 2010) -- Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and her crew Elizabeth Kratzig (Miami Beach, Fla.), Suzy Leech (Simsbury, Conn.) and Alana O'Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) won the New York Yacht Club's Women's Match Racing regatta today at Harbour Court, earning a spot to compete at Sail for Gold in August and Sail Melbourne in December. Barkow defeated US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics' Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) and her crew Molly Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.), Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) and Liz Bower (Rochester, N.Y.) in the first-to-three finals today 3-1. -- Full story: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Releases/2010_News/NYYC_WMR_Regatta.htm * The United States Congress has recognized the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) as the National Sail Training Association of the United States as well as the United State's representative in the International Sail Training Forum. Congress also commended ASTA for its advancement of character building experiences for youth at sea. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9885#9885 * The Inaugural Youth Match Race Clinic & Regatta was won by Newport Harbor Yacht Club (Newport Beach, CA), led by skipper Chris Segerblom with his crew of Connor Bathen and Kieran Chung. They will be memorialized on the new Rose Cup, and in addition they have earned a berth at the 44th Governor's Cup Challenge in Corona del Mar, CA to be raced in July. Ten teams competed in Governor's Cup 21's, with past Governor's Cup champion Brian Angel leading a team of coaches who worked with the teams during the event. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9886#9886 * The 2010 Sperry Top-Sider Seattle NOOD Regatta attracted 178 entries amid the 21 classes, and it was in the 21-boat J/24 fleet where Michael Johnson's Hot Pursuit came from behind to win his class, also taking the title of J/24 Northwest Regional Champion. Johnson was also selected as the event's overall winner, which includes an invitation to compete in the NOOD Championship in the B.V.I. in November. -- Event website: http://tinyurl.com/22v4eg3 * With a close to perfect score, Andrew Fowler's team of Sam Hurst, Brendan Fafliani, John Sheehy, Nick Smyth, Guy O'Leary, Peter Bailey and Phil Lawton from Royal St George YC in Dublin, Ireland, won the 2010 Royal Thames Cumberland Cup from Ian Ilsley's team from Yacht Club de Monaco. Firm friend and arch-rival of the home side the Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans was third, claiming by dint of that result the Bourgne Cup, contested on each and every occasion the clubs meet, in whatever larger competition. -- Report and photos: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9887#9887 * The 2010 Masters' US Championship was held in Charleston, South Carolina with 61 Masters racing in Standard rigs and 27 in Radials. After three days of racing, Grandmaster Peter Vessella beat Apprentice Eric Oetgen after an epic final day battle to take the overall spot. In the Radial fleet, Great Grandmaster Peter Seidenberg shows his stern to the kids with Master Ken Swetka taking second. -- Final results: http://tinyurl.com/2bwz2cr * (May 17, 2010) - After the three weeks of 'downhill' sailing and the flat waters of the Panama Canal, the first two days of the 520-mile upwind sprint from Panama to Jamaica has come as a shock for the ten yachts in the Clipper 09-10 Round The World Yacht Race now beating into more than 20 knots of wind. Jamaica Lightning Bolt currently holds a narrow lead with 152 nm to the finish. -- Full report: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/race_news/?item=2012 * The Windsurfing Task Force of US Sailing and US Windsurfing have announced the selection of the thirteen sailors that will comprise the 2010 Youth Development Windsurfing Team. Each of the individuals earned their position by showing prior windsurf racing achievement, demonstrating significant future potential and committing to a rigorous training schedule and international competition. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/22w7u2t SCHAEFER'S SOLVES BIG PROBLEM FOR "ATHOS" Schaefer Marine's patented articulating mast track is on the 203 ft. "Athos". Schaefer's track articulates so the batten ends and luff bolt rope move as one when the sail is trimmed effectively eliminating chafe. The track also allows the "Athos" crew to furl her sails entirely into her boom. -- http://www.schaefermarine.com LETTERS AND FORUM Please email 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 Eric Matus: The story in Scuttlebutt 3092 about American Brad Van Liew competing in the VELUX 5 OCEANS 2010-11 race got me to thinking about how does the race get its name, since the route is based on the skippers crossing five oceans alone. According to references there are 5 oceans: Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Southern. But the race course shows they cross only four of them. They don't show crossing the Artic Ocean. The race is an amazing event. I can't imagine why the promoters need to toss credibility aside to make it sound even grander. Any chance they're going to throw an Icelandic port into the course and require the sailors pass Iceland to starboard? That would truly make it a 5 ocean race. => Curmudgeon's Comment: I asked this question to V5O Communications Director Tim Kelly who offered this explanation: From our perspective, we believe our race route technically covers 5 oceans: - North Atlantic Ocean - South Atlantic Ocean - Indian Ocean - Pacific Ocean - Southern Ocean The race is comprised of 5 ocean sprints and covers these 5 major oceanic regions (it is our interpretation that the Atlantic - and Pacific - have 2 zones in the different hemispheres). Hope this answers your query. We are always open to new stopover opportunities in new regions - happy to consider Iceland for 2014 if you have a connection to any relevant contacts. Race route here: http://tinyurl.com/25vr95p * From Geoffrey Robinson: Unfortunately, for the occasional racer, there is no handicap system which allows for all the vagaries between a boat organized for racing and the boat used for cruising. For our club races under PHRF, some boats are never cruised, have none of the normal cruising gear on board, and are certainly advantaged. Also unfortunately, if a system is devised to attempt to compensate for these differences, some racers will take advantage, using the rules to increase their chances on the race course. The bottom line is that there is no way to design a rule that no one can use to their advantage. The only hope is for all sailors to be honorable. Probably not going to happen. * From Frank Conway: I have sailed in all the different classes (IOR, IMS, IRC and PHRF) and feel that rating the crews is unfair and will lead to more problems than it's worth. If you are new to a sport, you have to know you are going to get beat up. If losing drives people away, do we even want them? Does one design then need to get "rated". Sailing is a sport of endurance, skill and strength. When we started sailing, we were so far back the committee boat was sometimes gone but we kept pressing on and never quit, and it made us better sailors. In other sports where handicaps are for the individual performance, there is a practice called sand-bagging. In golf, you can easily miss a few putts to get a higher handicap, which will give you a couple of extra strokes the next tournament you are in that uses handicaps. In bowling, another sport with handicaps, I have seen guys miss when way ahead or behind in games to get the average lower, especially at the start of the season. Guys who averaged a 210 the year before start in the 180's to 190's, thus getting extra pins each game. So with regard to sailing, who is to say that a crew does not perform to their ability to get extra seconds per mile in the crew handicap system? Dog it for a year, get a generous PHRF rating and win everything the next year. Seen that before and I am sure many who read this have seen it too.... * From Michael Warren: Regarding Cory Friedman's letter in SB #3092, I agree with much of what Mr. Friedman says about Simon Daubney except for the contention that Daubney NOT be inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame. The history of the America's Cup is filled with heroes and scoundrels, many of whom have likely done much worse things than that for which Mr. Daubney was penalized. Fame can come in many forms - as a role model or as a warning. I would hope that Mr. Daubney's inclusion in the America's Cup Hall of Fame will not ignore the controversy of his two year ban from the sport, and serve as a lesson to future sailors of the dangers of doping in any form. However, his banishment does not negate the fact of his participation in a team that had significant impact on the competition. And, yes, it would not surprise me if in the future there might even be a "special place" for Ernesto Berterelli on the wall of the Hall. Near the restrooms. I trust and support the judgment of the Selection Committee. * From Damian Christie, Melbourne, Australia: Di Pearson puts a strong case for Syd Fischer's inclusion in the America's Cup Hall of Fame (in Scuttlebutt 3092), but sadly, he will always be a tiny footnote in the Cup's rich history and does not automatically warrant a place. For a start, Syd Fischer is definitely not the equal of Sir Thomas Lipton in Cup circles. The winless Lipton was involved in five America's Cup matches. Fischer was involved in four Louis Vuitton Cup regattas and an America's Cup defence series - he never came close to reaching the Cup match. In fact his record in all five campaigns was diabolically poor, with four of his yachts finishing last and two of these - the ill-fated Advance in 1983 and Challenge Australia in 1992 - notching two wins between them! Even Syd's supposedly best effort - Steak'n'Kidney in 1987 - came last, despite showing enormous speed and potential in its dying days. His designer apparently put the winged keel the wrong way up! There's no questioning Fischer's other maritime achievements, as Di argues, but when it came to the America's Cup, Syd Fischer was truly the last of its Corinthian yachtsmen. His "no frills" approach to running America's Cup campaigns always put him behind the proverbial eight ball. Sadly, even Syd's blooding of James Spithill will never be truly acknowledged in Australia because for many Australians Spithill (much like the America's Cup itself) was lost to the international Cup fraternity long ago. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "They say that the cheque being written for Greece is the biggest cheque ever written - until Tiger Woods gets divorced." - David Letterman Special thanks to North Sails, West Marine, and Schaefer Marine. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
