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SCUTTLEBUTT 3198 - Thursday, October 14, 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. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: Ullman Sails and Harken. CONFIRMED The Luderitz Speed Challenge 2010 is being held October 4 to 31 in Luderitz, Namibia, just over 1100 miles north of Cape Town, SA along the western African continent. This is the 4th edition of the event, which is held under the scrutiny of the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC) and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). With a custom canal approximately 10m wide and 50-100cm deep along the shoreline, the challenge is to see who will set the fastest average speed over a 500-meter distance. Here is the latest update: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (October 14, 2010) - To firm up yesterday�s report, the WSSRC ratified the speeds that were set on Tuesday, meaning that Alex Caizergues (FRA) officially set a new Outright World Speed Sailing Record of 54.10 knots during his run Tuesday afternoon in 45 knots of wind. This breaks the previous record of 51.36 knots set in 2009 by the foiling trimaran Hydroptere with skipper Alain Thebault (FRA) in Hyeres, France. A number of national records were broken on the same day: Kite Surfing: USA - Rob Douglas, 51.88 Namibia - Stefan Metzger, 45.02 New Zealand - Gavin Broadbent, 50.93 French (Women�s) - Charlotte Consorti, 45.23 Australia -Tim Pumpa, 46.78 Windsurfing: Sweden - Anders Bringdal, 44.80 U.K - Zara Davis (Women�s, production board), 36.99 Sebastien Cattelan from France is ranked second in the world speed sailing rankings at 52.33 knots. The battle for the title of "the fastest speed sailor in the world" is far from over - with more big winds forecast here in Luderitz for not only this week, but for most of October. VIDEO: Here is Alex Caizergues record setting run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AxSlC3hP14 MODERN SPEED SAILING - NOT FOR THE PURISTS Paul Larsen (GBR) has pursued the outright world speed record for nine years, and currently holds the B Division (from 150 to 235 sq ft) record of 47.36 kts with his Sailrocket craft. Here are his comments regarding the latest movement of the outright record: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Naturally I have been following the kite surfers latest outright world speed sailing record attempt with great interest. Yesterday (Tuesday) they really stamped their dominance on the sport by breaking the record by the biggest single margin in the sports history. 54.1 knots is pretty impressive as it not only jumps through 60 mph but also over 100kph... so that's all the closest big round numbers dealt with then! Our genuine congratulations go to Alex for being rewarded for the effort he has put in. I think you also have to respect the effort put in by the team behind the event who have continued to optimise the course and seen the results improve with each iteration. Whether you think a kite is a proper boat or not is a contentious issue. I don't think it is a boat in any form... but it is definitely a contender for the outright world speed sailing record and I don't even mind the ditch they are running down. Sure, it's not for the purists but as long as it is unaffected wind and water... then it's in in my books. So how do these speeds affect us? Well they vindicate our decision to park the old boat and build a new one. I'm pretty sure that the speeds are also out of practical reach of all the other boats we have seen to date. Part of the reason I say this is because I think that the kites still have a few knots up their belt. They are not subject to the same issues of ventilation and cavitation that windsurfers and boats are, well not to the same degree anyway, and with a few readily available tools they can make an ideal course. That's a big part of the equation. So is this it for the boats? Definitely not, but we are coming to the end of an era that requires something new. The beauty of this sport is that it is unique in sailing for bringing the diverse fraternities together and putting them head to head at their absolute limits. You have wind-surfers, kite-surfers, foilers and 'boaters' all going balls out for the perfect run. Everyone has their ideas, beliefs and favourites, they pick their sides and this makes it interesting. -- Read on: http://www.sailrocket.com/node/272 COLLECTING HARDWARE AT SEATTLE�S PSSCs The Pacific Northwest �summer� racing season culminated in CYC�s Puget Sound Sailing Championships last weekend where Ullman Sails customers walked away with multiple trophies. In the fast-growing Melges 24 fleet, Canadian Brad Bradley claimed first place with a talented West Coast crew in a 16-boat fleet. The sportboat P02 division boasted six boats with all but one competing with Ullman Sails! Chris Winnard on FT10 �Dangerous When Striped� took top honors with full Ullman kit. And Greg Larsen�s Olson 30 �Lunchbox� won division P05 with Dave Martin�s Soverel 33 �Graphix� finishing third. Invest in your performance (and go fast!) http://www.ullmansails.com WHAT DID THEY DO WITH �MY� AMERICA�S CUP? Wingmasted cats and a World Series? It�s the most ambitious shake-up yet in the world�s oldest international sporting trophy, but at what price? Matthew Sheahan of Yachting World reports on the major changes for the next America�s Cup, and provides this interview with chief architect and defender CEO Russell Coutts: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- What was your starting point? �I was asked what wins the America�s Cup. Without even thinking, I said a fast boat. This was the first indication to me that there wasn�t a lot of sport involved in the Cup and that the game had been played at the design and technology end of the scale for a long time. Our aim was to bring the balance back a bit and make Cup racing more of a sporting challenge.� Why multihulls? �Fixing the beam, length and weight of the boat means you can control the righting moment and hence the power output of the boat. It is easier to keep the performance of boats designed under a box rule closer when they are catamarans. �It is also important to make sure the boats are demanding to sail, exciting to watch and inspire tomorrow�s young sailors. There are too many 40-50 year olds in America�s Cup racing � it�s like watching a senior tour. Crews will need to be fitter, faster and leaner.� Why a wingmast? �If you believe that the America�s Cup should represent the leading edge of design and technology, then a wingmast is extreme and yet easy to control within a tight box rule.� What about the AC45? �This is the Cup boat�s little sister with attitude! It is a launch pad class and will help to fast-track sailors into the sport.� How many Challenging teams do you expect? �At least six teams are expected already and I�m pretty confident we�ll get eight Challengers, which could mean 16 AC45s next year if each team has two boats.� Are you expecting to have a Defender series? �There is a real possibility of a Defender series and some serious interest in the US. There is at least one person who has indicated and has the means to underwrite it.� Multiple venues for the America�s Cup? �I�d say it was unlikely. We did start thinking about this as there could be some advantages, but I think it would be less likely now.� NEED MORE: Still feeling a bit lost amid this new reality? Click through here for Matthew�s complete report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/1013/ Yachting World: http://www.yachtingworld.com NEW AC45 CATAMARAN CLASS TAKES SHAPE America�s Cup Regatta Director Iain Murray today inspected production of the new AC45 catamaran class. The AC45 is the little sister with attitude to the AC72. Both classes are fundamental parts of the transformation of the America�s Cup. A one-design wingsail catamaran of 45 feet, the AC45 has been created to fulfill three roles: - Fast-track teams for the 34th America�s Cup to a common level of catamaran sailing and wingsail technology at the outset of their campaigns. - Provide a class of boat for the 2011 season of the new America�s Cup World Series. - Provide a class of boat for the Youth America�s Cup commencing in 2012. The first catamaran is slated for launching before Christmas in Auckland, New Zealand. Sea trials are planned immediately afterwards with representatives from potential challengers to the 34th America�s Cup invited to participate. Cookson Boats and other key suppliers have been engaged to work with Core Builders to ensure swift production of the first batch of boats at a rate of two a month. Another designated boatbuilder in the USA or Europe is envisaged. Boats will be delivered in sequence of ordering. After use next year in the ACWS, the AC45 will be used for the Youth America�s Cup, a series to be run in 2012 in conjunction with the ACWS that will then be using the AC72. -- Full report: http://www.americascup.com/2010/10/new-ac45-catamaran-class-takes-shape/ PROTEST REQUIREMENTS When intending to protest another boat, there are specific requirements that are needed for the protest to be valid. First and foremost is informing the protestee. Under Rule 61.1(a), �a boat intending to protest shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity. When her protest concerns an incident in the racing area that she is involved in or sees, she shall hail �Protest� and conspicuously display a red flag at the first reasonable opportunity for each.� Regardless of the validity of a protest, it can be disallowed if the protest requirements are not fulfilled. But what is the test of whether an object is a flag within the meaning of rule 61.1(a)? In the context of rule 61.1(a), a flag is used as a signal to communicate the message �I intend to protest.� Only if the object used as a flag communicates that message, with little or no possibility of causing confusion on the part of those on competing boats, will the object qualify as a flag. A flag must be seen primarily to be a flag. A red shirt, a red scarf or any fairly decent sized piece of red cloth should be okay, but not a red bailer or a red life jacket. SOURCE: Thanks to IJ/IU Jos M Spijkerman (NED) for this reminder. Here is his website: http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2010/10/pillowcase-of-week-41-72-red-flag.html THE SEASON'S OVER WHEN YOU SAY IT'S OVER Keep on sailing, just get the right gear and squeeze out a few extra weeks on the water. Warm Harken Sport gear fits any climate with midlayer pullovers, fleece jackets, windproof fleece, Softshells, and Crew Jackets. See all our cold and cool weather gear at https://www.harkensport.com/cat/Cold.html HEINEKEN AND HIGH PERFORMANCE Anyone flying over Long Island Sound or cruising the waters off American Yacht Club on Columbus Day weekend witnessed an unforgettable sight as an international armada of 120 boats from North America and Europe put on a NASCAR style spectacle of boats speeding, darting and, in some cases, flying across the water in the 2010 Heineken High Performance Dinghy Open. For the uninitiated observing the scene it looked like something between �chaos theory� and a jailbreak. The Heineken HPDO was inaugurated in 2004 by John Wyles for all sailing classes with a Portsmouth Yacht Handicap of 87 or faster. Classes included, Olympic classes (49�er - first timers) former Olympic classes (Flying Dutchman and Tempest), development classes (F-18, Int�l Canoe, Int�l Moth), classic one-designs (505, Fireball) and two of the hottest sport boats in the North American market: the Viper 640 and RS-K6. Competitors arrived from Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada and across the US. Glenn Morrison, AYC�s Race Committee Chairman, commented: �This Regatta is going to be a tough act to follow. We had perfect dinghy weather, an increase of twenty boats, brilliant performances offshore and the renowned sportsmanship and camaraderie of competitors in the HPDO. We congratulate all the competitors and look forward to hosting you again next year.� An added feature of this year�s event was Saturday night�s presentation on fixed wing sails by Steve Clark of C-Class and International Canoe fame after dinner at the American Yacht Club. He also fielded questions from many of his almost 250-person audience. Heineken has sponsored this event since its inception seven years ago and AYC HPDO Regatta officers praised them for their generosity in support of this rapidly expanding sport. -- Complete report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10660#10660 INDUSTRY NEWS The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * Comprehensive list of marine book titles from McGraw-Hill * H4 Software offers Digital Compass phone application * Spade anchors in the U.S. View and/or post Industry News updates here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/INDUSTRY_NEWS_C15/ SAILING SHORTS * Lanzarote, Canary Islands (October 13, 2010) - The first three medals of the inaugural RC 44 World Championship were awarded today in recognition of the match racing portion of the regatta. Jimmy Spithill and the 17 crew won the gold, Terry Hutchinson and Artemis the silver and Russell Coutts and BMW ORACLE Racing the bronze. Spithill, a winner in 2005 of the ISAF World Match Racing Championship, defeated Hutchinson 2-0 to claim the championship that began Tuesday afternoon and concluded Wednesday. The fleet racing segment is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, with the World Champion to be the combined low point score of both events. Read more here: http://www.rc44.com/en/regattas/news/index.php?idContent=2569 * Sailing World's college rankings as of October 13, 2010 report that Boston College has slipped a rung in the ladder, and now finds itself looking up in the coed and women's rankings. St. Mary's and Brown, respectively, take over the top spots. Full report here: http://tinyurl.com/SW-101310 * Russia�s Synergy Sailing Team will build a new TP52 for the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit as they seek to improve the top level of Russian grand prix sailing and introduce more young Russian talent to the upper echelons of world sailing. Theirs is the third new build TP52 to be announced for next season and will be built from the same mould as the new Botin Carkeek designed Quantum Racing (USA). The other new build will be a Rolf Vrolijk designed R�n for Niklas and Catherine Zennstrom (SWE). -- Full story: http://www.medcup.org/news/?id=4173 * Belgian ocean racer Christophe Bullens has confirmed that he expects to be on the start line of the VELUX 5 OCEANS this Sunday after securing a new boat for the race. The 49-year-old Belgian completed a 2,500-mile qualification passage in his original Eco 60 Five Oceans of Smiles in September. But his campaign was thrown into jeopardy early last week when his original yacht Five Oceans of Smiles was cruelly dismasted 15 miles off the coast of France en route to La Rochelle, the start port of the 30,000-mile solo round the world race. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/V5O-101310 * The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today waived a limitation on selling fuel that is more than 10 percent ethanol for model-year 2007 and newer cars and light trucks. The waiver applies to fuel that contains as much as 15 percent ethanol, known as E15. The decision excludes marine engines and other non-road engines, such as those on snowmobiles, lawn and garden equipment, and other small gasoline-powered engines. Marine industry groups, including the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Marine Retailers Association of America and BoatU.S., have vigorously opposed E15. -- Soundings, read on: http://tinyurl.com/STO-101310 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Oct 16-17 - Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship - Deltaville, VA, USA Oct 16 - Helen Johnstone Memorial Regatta - Newport, RI, USA Oct 20-24 - Beneteau 36.7 North American Championship - Annapolis, MD, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter are limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: [email protected] Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From John Harwood-Bee: John Arndt�s observations re interest in the 34th AC (Scutt 3197) are not confined to North America. Speaking to many sailors at the Southampton Boat Show here in UK and in subsequent conversation with sailing friends, I have found considerable disinterest. Few if any of my acquaintances believed there would be a British challenge. The non participation of Team Origin was anticipated long before it was announced, many believing (Team Principle Keith) Mills was only looking for a timely excuse to get out. Amongst non-sailors there was a total lack of awareness and/or interest in a possible British challenge or the cup in general. Obviously there are some diehard fans of the cup but unfortunately not enough to justify some of the more exaggerated claims made about its popularity. Perhaps it would have been better if the �Auld Mug� had been returned to NYYC until such time as the Deed of Gift is more correctly adhered to. I admire Ellison�s determination to prevent Bertarelli�s hijacking of the event. Unfortunately I fear that the damage done to the AC�s reputation in that debacle will take some time, and an excellent trouble free next Cup, before many in the sailing fraternity and certainly the general public start to take interest again. * From Walter Keller, Houston, TX: It is a given that the vast majority of sailors, racing or otherwise, are club and recreational weekend sailors. And, among all of these sailors, it is the one-design races attract the most action, interest, and attention. The Cup has become a contest for billionaires racing overly exotic, outrageously expensive boats with over-paid crews. Those boats and their teams bear no resemblance to the sailing craft we enjoy messing about in. We find it impossible to vicariously place ourselves on their boats. Our attention wanes and we long for a return to the serious one-design Cup racing we once understood. And, multihulls? Where are today's Ted Turners and Gary Jobsons? * From Rob Anderson: Reading John Bertrand�s plaintive missive (Scuttlebutt #3196), I had to chuckle at life�s little ironies. Though it�s been over 25 years, it was powerful forces within US Sailing that were instrumental in installing John as the Finn representative for the �84 games in LA. I certainly hope that John�s young prot�g� is not treated as poorly as the sailors that were on the wrong side of that train wreck so many years ago. * From Ron Rosenberg: (re, USSAG comments in SBUTT 3196 & 3197) Earlier this quad I was warmly welcomed into Kenneth's program as a private coach, and he and his staff coaches immediately made me and many other private coaches feel very comfortable working alongside them. Since 1984, I've been continually and closely involved with the US Sailing Team either as a sailor, a staff coach, or a private coach for USSTAG athletes and others. Over the years the team policy on private coaches has varied a little, but for the most part the team has generally made an effort to encourage, support and work with those private coaches that share the common goal to help the athletes improve in an efficient manner and to help them reach their potential. I believe that there has never been a better time to be a member of the USSTAG or a Dev Team member. The high level of support, resources, energy and opportunities that this USSTAG have provided these athletes with is simply unprecedented in this country. * From Art Karpf, New Rochelle, NY: Maybe I'm just being an old curmudgeon, but you can't convince me that being dragged along by a kite on a string at over 50 knots while balancing on a small board is the same as sailing a vessel at over 50 knots. Merriam-Webster defines a vessel as "a container for holding something", or as "a watercraft bigger than a rowboat". (Previous record holder) HYDROPTERE is a vessel. No one challenges that. When a kite-surfing board can support a rider standing up without being pulled by the kite/sail, then I'll begin to accept it as a vessel. Until then, you can call it a water sailing speed record, but don't call it the fastest sailing vessel. CURMUDGEON�S OBSERVATION �Last night my wife met me at the front door. She was wearing a sexy negligee. The only trouble was, she was coming home.� - Rodney Dangerfield Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Harken. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
