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SCUTTLEBUTT 2208 - October 24, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt brought to you by UBS (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). THE NATURAL Among his peers helming in this 32nd America’s Cup, Australian James Spithill of Luna Rossa is perhaps the sailor who appears to be most destined to win the Auld Mug at some point in his career. Spithill burst onto the Cup scene in 1999 with Young Australia, and then performed will in the last Cup with OneWorld. This campaign with Luna Rossa is his third, and he’s just in his mid-20s. I wanted to do it from young age,” Spithill admits. “I lived near the Beashels and Rob Brown and both of them sailed with Australia II, so from a young age I had a pretty good sense of what the Cup was and it was natural to want to do it. The Australia II win in 1983 was such a great moment in Australian sport.” But there was problem. Although clearly a talented Junior sailor, Spithill ran into a problem common in youth sailing - how to fund his racing. This is what led him into to match racing. “Match racing really wasn’t my choice,” he says. “To be competitive in junior sailing, you have to have a boat and you have to have sails. And to fund that you have to have money and my family didn’t have that kind of money. So it got to the point where we were still doing well, but we couldn’t afford new sails and it began to get really frustrating. “But the yacht clubs also have these youth programmes for match racing. All the boats are supplied, and you just turn up and start sailing. You don’t have to own a boat; you just have to be a junior member of the club. I really enjoyed it from the beginning. It was a lot of fun and really intense sailing.” - Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yxvoy7 THE WORLD’S OLDEST BOWMAN (Louay Habib, editor of bangthecorner.com, spoke to Jerry Kirby at his home in Newport Rhode Island, to find out what makes “the world’s oldest bowman” tick. Here are a few excerpts from a story posted on the website of the Volvo Ocean Race.) Q: What sailing experience stands out for you in the Pirates’ campaign during the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race? Jerry Kirby: Hands down that has got to be going over 40 knots on the Trans-Atlantic leg. It was the most dynamic sailing experience I have ever encountered. It would be hard to top that. At times we were ripping up the Atlantic Ocean with the possibility of tearing the boat apart, some of the waves we saw were just huge. We were hitting some ridiculous top speeds and achieving some unbelievable numbers in the scheds. Tribute to the abilities of the guys on board who showed what a talented team they were, it was full on pedal to the metal, awesome sailing. Q: If you could just beam down to anywhere and go sailing, where would you go? Jerry Kirby: I think it would be surfing in the Southern Ocean. There are some beautiful places to sail in the world, but in terms of the most gripping, adrenalin pumping sailing where you have to really max out on focus, there is nowhere else like it. Sure you can get similar conditions. We did get those, on the trans-Atlantic on The Pirates, but the Southern Ocean has another aspect; its remoteness; mid leg you are thousands of miles from civilization. - Complete story: http://tinyurl.com/yh7jb9 CAPTURING THE COLLEGE SAILOR The recent thread in Scuttlebutt about how the sport of sailing is not retaining the youth component prompted Gavin O’Hare to submit a “how-to” guide on his vision for how to reverse this trend. A longtime Snipe sailor and currently the Head Coach for the US Naval Academy sailing team, Gavin is in a unique position for seeing how the Snipe class can connect with graduating college sailors. While Gavin’s comments are focused on the Snipe class, the details of his approach are easily modified to apply to most one-design dinghy classes that have fleets near college sailing teams. Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1017a ACCURATE, RELIABLE & DEPENDABLE PERFORMANCE Words you wish described your sailing instrument system. Ockam is the leader in providing the most accurate real-time data available. The high-speed Tryad processor combined with an available 3-axis rate stabilized compass utilizes the full motion of the boat to deliver a stable wind solution that you can depend on. With performance and weight in mind, all sensors interface close to their location, allowing the information to stream unimpeded throughout the system’s reliable and robust single cable network. View more lines of information than the competition with the new Matryx II, a transflective graphical display that also strip-charts data. Contact: mailto:sales@ockam.com SURVIVING - NOT RACING Boat breaking gale force headwinds and seas, comparable to those experienced in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race in 1998 when six lost their lives, have been battering the Velux 5 Oceans fleet all day. While severe winds were forecast for this period prior to Sunday's departure, no one at that stage predicted just how violent the winds currently hammering the six Open 60s would be. From on board Saga Insurance, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston at 1510GMT sent a short email entitled 'Nasty'. It read: "Wind 58 knots, storm jib up, sea white with spray, surviving not racing, but okay. Irish coffee." After a busy night managing Hugo Boss in severe gusts closer to the coast and disentangling his keel from a fishing net, Hugo Boss skipper Alex Thomson has chosen to head for port after a headsail sustained damage in 50 knots of wind. Reports from TV helicopter say that Bernard Stamm on Cheminees Poujoulat, technically race leader at present, is hove to under triple reefed mainsail alone and it is likely that the remaining boats are similarly in survival mode. The worst of the weather is forecast to pass through Monday evening, but while the wind may abate, the sea state is likely to continue to batter the boats through until Tuesday. - http://www.velux5oceans.com CRITICAL MASS (The Daily Sail subscription website looked at the small fleet racing in the Velux 5 Oceans -- formed some conclusions and evaluated the competitors. Here’s an excerpt from their story.) The perennial problem with the Velux 5 Oceans is that it clashes and has always clashed with the Route du Rhum, an event which for many of the French Open 60 teams represents a return to their sponsors otherwise only achievable from the Vendee Globe itself, all nicely packaged into a two week long period. Neither Route du Rhum organizers Pen Duick, nor Clipper Ventures seem keen on changing the year their event runs, nor, as has been suggested on numerous occasions, does it seem possible to have the Route du Rhum as the opening leg of the round the world race. At present the Route du Rhum remains the favoured choice among Open 60 teams with 14 boats expected to be on the start line in just over one week's time including three brand new state of the art boats. Another possible influence on Velux 5 Oceans numbers has been the advent of OC Group's double handed non-stop Barcelona World Race to be held next year sandwiched into the IMOCA calendar between the Velux 5 Oceans and the Vendee Globe. Alex Thomson is the only competitor at present sailing both the Velux 5 Oceans and the Barcelona World Race and one wonders if for some other skippers it was an either/ or decision. - Complete story: http://www.thedailysail.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar SEEKING BURGEES In March of this year, the Morris Yacht & Beach Club on City Island, NY was destroyed by fire. Virtually everything was lost. For several years, Morris has been the host club of the Fordham University Sailing Team. To assist the club in its rebuilding efforts, the Fordham team is soliciting burgee donations from yacht clubs around the world. To date, 74 such burgees have been received. Most have come from the USA but we have also received burgees from as far away as France, Ireland and Bermuda. If you would be willing to donate a burgee from your club, your gift will be most welcome. For the sake of continuity, size 12" X 18" is sought but other sizes have also been received. You may check to ascertain if your club's burgee has already been donated by writing to me at mailto:joesunfish@aol.com. Please put MORRIS BURGEES in the Subject so your message won't be deleted by accident. If you are sure, that it hasn't, you may mail your gift burgee to Coach Joe Sullivan, Fordham University Sailing Team, c/o Mike Roberts, Director of Club Sports, Vincent T. Lombardi Memorial Center, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458. D4 THE FIBER Dimension Polyant, the world leader in laminate sailcloth, has long led the industry in applications of high modulus fibers. Our unique and successful Aramid, Carbon, Technora, and Vectran product lines have always been the first choice for discerning sailors looking for a performance edge whether cruising or racing. These fibers, standing alone or in combined blends, form the strength behind the membranes that are D4. With a fall discount available to your sailmaker on D4 orders placed through Oct. 31, now is the time to get the fiber of your choice. Ask your sailmaker, he knows. http://www.dimension-polyant.com FROM THE FORUMS Flying with SOSpenders: “Does anyone have a solution for getting on a plane with your auto-inflate safety harness? Buying a new PFD RE-ARM kit at every port gets expensive and you end up with a pile of unused CO2 canisters. I used to take it in Carry On with no problems but things are different now. I ’d appreciate any advice.” - This request was made on the Scuttlebutt Forums, where comments can be posted here: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/2006/sos SAILING SHORTS * (Miami, FL - Oct 23) On day one of the 2006 Snipe Western Hemisphere & Orient Championship (WH&O) Championship, light winds and eager starters plagued the fleet of 43 boats representing 7 countries. After enduring a 2-hour postponement on shore and 2 general recalls, the fleet finally got underway under a Z-flag in a solid 6-8 knot breeze on Biscayne Bay. The Brazilian team posted a strong showing with 4 in the top 10 for the sole race of the day. Top North American sailors were Ernesto Rodriguez/ Leandro Spina (8) and George Szabo/ Alan Cappelin (10). - Full results: http://www.snipewho2006.org/results.html * While light winds plague most of the participants in the 607-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race, Alfa Romeo has been largely untroubled at the head of the fleet, though the prospect of breaking the course record is looking increasingly remote. After their start on Saturday, Neville Crichton's 100-foot canting-keeler had just over 220 miles to go as of 1330 hours Monday, with a close battle raging behind between Thuraya-Maximus and the slightly smaller Morning Glory. - http://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com * Jean-Pierre Dick, skipper of the IMOCA Open 60 Virbac-Paprec, is the 7th professional sailor to officially commit to participate in the Barcelona World Race on 11th November 2007, where he will be sailing his new Farr designed Virbac-Paprec – currently under construction in New Zealand. His new IMOCA Open 60 will be launched in 2007 in order to compete in the Barcelona World Race 2007 and Vendée Globe 2008, two of the key races of the ten event four year cycle of events in the IMOCA Ocean Racing World Championships. - http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com * Pindar, the leading print and electronic media company and well known sponsor of international sailing campaigns today announced its sponsorship of British match racing sensation, Ian Williams. Ian is Britain’s most promising match racing helm who is currently leading the World Match Racing Tour and recently won the illustrious King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda. Williams, 29, has signed a fourteen-month deal with Pindar, which includes re-naming the team to ‘Team Pindar’ and supporting them throughout the 2006-7 season (the remainder of the current World Match Racing Tour). - http://www.williamssailracing.com * The National Yacht Broker Certification Program announced today over 300 yacht brokers nationwide have earned the prestigious Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB) designation. Introduced in 2002, certification recognizes professional experience, training and mastery of core areas of expertise related to professional yacht broker skills and knowledge. In addition to practical experience, CPYB brokers must comply with the CPYB Code of Ethics and must pass a rigorous three-hour written examination. - http://www.cpyb.net “MAN OVERBOARD” Preparing for next year’s Transpac or the Transatlantic Race to Hamberg? Or just want the very best man-overboard gear for your crew? SeaMarshall’s personal Alerting Units and new SarFinder homing receiver are the accepted standard in overboard recovery gear. What is peace of mind worth? Contact Chip Barber: mailto:admin@chbarber.com; http://www.chbarber.com/seamarshall.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or space (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, there are no word or frequency limits on comments sent to the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Bruce Lines: (from a letter thread beginning in Issue 2205) Regarding social members of sailing clubs - before you decide to keep these people out of your club, think twice. They are useful. If you really think about it they are similar to corporate sponsors of the sailing members. Most of us like having a nice clubhouse, restaurant and bar for the post race activities. To support all of this you need a critical mass. Sailors alone do not normally make up sufficient numbers for the critical mass. Once involved in the club these members often start to support other activities, for example youth sailing and race management. * From John Verdoia: (regarding Chip’s letter in Issue 2205) I concur with Chip Johns' comments on a lost generation of sailors, but I am not sure it is just a recent concern. I have been fortunate to sail the past 40 years or so in wide variety craft from dinghies to ultralights and big boats. As a youth I also sailed with a San Francisco Sea Scout unit, which raced 30-foot open whaleboats on the Bay. Those of us interested in the program learned valuable lessons regarding the care and repair of older wooden vessels, and frequently utilized those skills while underway – both racing and cruising. The ability to jury rig; proficiency in preparing for transport (whether on a trailer or at the end of a tow line); and an aptitude for solving problems help transform young sailors into young seamen. There are many, many people I am quite comfortable sailing around the bouys with – but there are far fewer I choose to be with offshore in adversity. * From Pat Healy: Are kids (or even adults) better seaman? Here's the test. Look at how they tie their shoelaces. If the bows are crossways to their shoes, it's a square knot and they may understand the basics. If the bows go up and down (along the length of their shoe), it's a granny knot and someone else should bend the jib sheets on. * From Ted Robinson, Block Island, RI: (edited to our 250 word limit) Interesting concept, that the young sailors lose interest after their junior, high school, and college programs end. Like other school based athletic programs, such as the hockey or football, sailing has no continuity. Participation in club-level team sports after school (college) requires a degree of motivation. Sailing participation after college probably faces a similar dynamic. Last weekend, I encountered a newbie boat owner with a Tartan 27 and a fouled anchor trying not to crash and burn in 25 knots wind in Block Island’ s Old Harbor. After getting him squared away, over beers he told the tale of when he first got the boat how he took his spouse and kid out on its maiden delivery-home voyage. As you can imagine, the usual stuff happened, and she won’t set foot in the thing again. It is inevitable that this guy’s soon going to have a hard choice to make between his love of sailing and spending time with his family. Sailing instruction programs appear to be another miscue. Virtually all the schools I researched require an initial monetary/time commitment of several days/several hundred dollars. Aviation schools, on the other hand, will let you buy a single hour lesson. You can experience flying in less than two hours for less than a hundred dollars. The sailing “media” provides wonderfully entertaining content on racing strategy, the latest big time racing boat and personality news. But regular boat strategy, such as “Don’t Take Your Spouse on a Shakedown,” is nowhere to be found. * From Tim Patterson: (regarding Nigel Rollason’s letter in Issue 2207) It is always sad to see or hear someone criticize those who push the envelope. Team Phillips cat and Pete Goss certainly qualify as ones who pushed the envelope. I have often wonder where catamaran development would be today if Captain Nat had been encouraged by the New York Yacht Club in 1876, instead of being chastised for beating beating everyone with his new craft.Team Phillips should be congratulated for sticking with Goss when the going was not so smooth, for trying to make advances in a sport that is so much fun to participate in. I remember the letter Pete's son wrote about how proud he was of his Dad; I second that letter, and wish for more of the same excitement of that great race. * From Hank Evans, Des Moines. IO: In response to Ralph Taylor's comments (in Issue 2207) about "short course" racing, I would very much agree. I recently got into RC sailboat racing and what really struck me was the amount of racing experience one gets in a very short time. Our club races Sat. mornings from 9 to 12 and it is not uncommon to get in between 15 and 25 races in 3 hours. When I think about that compared to gathering crew and getting my C&C 29 on the race course for 2 or 3 regular length races in a weekend, the contrast is dramatic. Short courses greatly increase experience and should be used as part of sail training. Perhaps incorporating some RC boats in a training program could also be considered to add to experience. I have found kids just flock around at our yacht club whenever I bring mine out and are anxious to sail it. My philosophy is the more we can get kids sailing and racing - in any kind of boat - the better. * From Rich Nicholls: (regarding Morgan Stinemetz's letter in Issue 2207) The comment about the Blue Lightening boats doesn't reflect the full facts. According to the bio of Don Aranow, the problem with these boats was not that they worked as designed but didn't fulfill their mission, but rather they did not satisfy the specs and did not perform as promised. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Never remember what you can afford to forget. Special thanks to Ockam Instruments, Dimension-Polyant, and CH Barber. America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt is brought to you by UBS. |
