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SCUTTLEBUTT 3444 - Monday, October 10, 2011Scuttlebutt 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: IYRS and Harken. FINALLY, A REAL RACE TRACK Let's be honest. Would you want the America's Cup if someone gave it to you? What a pain in the butt! Thank goodness Larry Ellison has a ton of money to take on the task of shining up this tarnished trophy. You remember the legal delay after the 32nd Match. How about the obscene money spent on the farcical 2010 mis-match? Not the best of times. And with the 34th America's Cup not until 2013, the event was on a road to nowhere. To create interest again, the America's Cup World Series was invented. But again, let's be honest. It's been a work in progress. The first event in Portugal wilted under the bright lights. And in the UK, only the 'crash & burn' angle rescued the show. If this was Broadway, it'd likely be a very short run. What's been missing is a legitimate sailing venue. Thus far it's solely been about entertainment, and the actors have been performing on a sound stage. But now, with the circuit coming to San Diego (Nov. 12-20), the racers will finally get a chance to race their boats on a tested track. And we're not talking about the track that hosted the Cup in 1988, 1992, and 1995. No, the AC45s will be competing on the same course as... the... annual... San Diego Bay Beer Can Series. Inside the bay, baby! And they're lucky that four-time America's Cup winner Dennis Conner has retired. Nobody went undefeated this past summer like DC did with his Farr 60 'Stars & Stripes'. And the organizers of the San Diego event are for real too. Sailing Events Association San Diego is chaired by Chuck Nichols. Chuck has been Commodore of the world famous San Diego Yacht Club and was President of both the 1995 America's Cup and the 1998 Super Bowl. And Chuck is bullish on the venue too "We have a natural amphitheater," said Nichols. "We have developed areas around the bay that will facilitate on-land spectating. We have Harbor Island with all the open space. We have Coronado Island, which we hope to have available with the Navy's cooperation. And then we have the city front area. All of this is close enough to be able to enjoy the races from shore. "With the cooperation of the Navy and Coast Guard, we can push the sailing area to the edges. And the race management is really flexible on course layout. This isn't like the old America's Cup where everything is set in concrete. While we know the footprint of the sailing area, how the course gets set within that area will depend on the wind direction so that it provides for both good racing and shoreside viewing." -- Scuttleblog, read on: http://sailingscuttlebutt.blogspot.com/2011/10/finally-real-race-track.html SPECTATING: Scuttlebutt is asking the questions on the specifics for watching the event, but answers are coming out slowly. Details here: http://www.sea-sandiego.org/americas-world-cup-series/ SHERIFF INVESTIGATION COMPLETE The Charlevoix County (MI) sheriff's eleven week investigation is complete that looked into the deadly July sailboat accident that killed two sailors racing in the Chicago to Mackinac Race. The morning of July 18th was a fateful one. 51 year-old Mark Morley, the skipper of the sailboat WingNuts, and 40 year-old Susan Bickel died from blunt force trauma to the head and drowned when their sailboat capsized. Six other crew members survived "The interesting part is to see what went right and what went wrong," explained Charlevoix County Sheriff Don Schneider. In a 150-page report that took 100 work hours to complete, the Sheriff noted two major points of concern that could have lead to even more deaths that night. The first deals with the personal flotation devices (PFD) the crew was wearing. "If you've got a self-inflating PFD, and you find yourself upside down in the boat, under the boat, that self-inflating PFD could cause your death, because it could keep you under the boat when you can't get our from under it," explained Schneider. The second point speaks to the tethers connected to the sailors. When the boat tipped, the report says the surviving crew had a hard time freeing themselves. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/Chi-Mac-100911 VISIT IYRS AT THE ANNAPOLIS SAILBOAT SHOW A trip to the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis is not only a chance to indulge your passion for all things boating: it is also an opportunity to learn if the industry holds a professional future for you. IYRS will be at the Annapolis sail and power shows, and staff will be on hand to talk about this Rhode Island school's programs in Boatbuilding & Restoration, Marine Systems, and Composites Technology - programs that have already launched many marine careers. To learn more about the school, visit http://www.iyrs.org TIGHT AT THE TOP Hamilton, Bermuda (October 9, 2011) - Torvar Mirsky won a sudden death final (3-2) against Johnie Berntsson at the Argo Group Gold Cup in Bermuda to claim his second consecutive victory on the 2011 World Match Racing Tour. A win in the petit final for Francesco Bruni over Phil Robertson means just over six points now separate the trio of Ian Williams, Bruni and Mirsky with only the Monsoon Cup to go. Mirsky was knocked out of the 2010 Gold Cup in the quarter-finals by Berntsson and more than avenged for that defeat this year. He said: "We are over the moon with winning two titles in a row. We've never done that well in Bermuda and we've never had many Tour wins so this is fantastic, we're really on a roll. I'm so proud of the way the team sailed this week, everyone just knew what they were doing on board and we felt comfortable and confident. Johnie really tested us in the final which made for some great sailing. Phil Robertson had defeated current Tour leader Ian Williams 3-0 in the quarter-finals. "Obviously we're disappointed," said Williams. "We came in here with high hopes but Phil had the speed edge all day and really deserved to win. When we sail like that we expect to lose. This regatta has been another bad one for us - we let ourselves down in St Moritz and we've done it again here so we really need to pick our game up heading into the Monsoon Cup." Sailed in Foundation 36 on November 22-27, the tour title will be decided in this final event of the year. "We are now close to Ian in the points," notes Mirsky, "and we have a big chance for the world title so we'll be fighting for it! Hopefully we can keep on this roll and win in Malaysia too." -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-100911 Argo Group Gold Cup standings (Top 8 of 24) 1. Torvar Mirsky (AUS), The Wave Muscat, $50,000.00 2. Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Berntsson Sailing Team, $20,000.00 3. Francesco Bruni (ITA), Bruni Racing, $10,000.00 4. Phil Robertson (NZL), WAKA Racing, $7,000.00 5. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team, $5,500.00 6. Jesper Radich (DEN), Adrian Lee & Partners, $4,000.00 7. Ian Williams (GBR), Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group, $2,500.00 8. Staffan Lindberg (FIN), Alandia Sailing Team, $1,000.00 BACKGROUND: The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series, with the Argo Group Gold Cup as the seventh stage of the eight event circuit sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with "Special Event" status. Prize money is awarded for each event, with event points culminating in the crowning of the "ISAF Match Racing World Champion". Ian Williams is the current tour leader. -- http://www.wmrt.com YOUTH PROGRAM SEEKS EXPANSION Local involvement proves an important component in the Storm Trysail Foundation's (STF) popular one-day Junior Safety-at-Sea Seminars, and to that end the non-profit organization is looking to expand its impact nationally by implementing more seminars at key sailing venues across the country. The program, which was established 15 years ago, currently hosts seminars in Newport, R.I., Larchmont, N.Y., Annapolis, Md. and Perth Amboy, N.J., with approximately 300 junior sailors - ranging between the ages of 12 and 20 - attending each year. Throughout the day, participants are taught the importance of safety when sailing on big boats through classroom sessions, dockside demonstrations and on-the-water experience. The seminars are sponsored by the Jamie Boeckel Memorial Fund for Safety at Sea, which donates life jackets to the programs. (The fund was established in 2002 to preserve the memory of Jamie Boeckel, who died in an accident while performing bowman duties aboard Blue Yankee in the 2002 Block Island Race.) "Local leadership is needed to stir the pot and recruit kids in any given area," said Rich du Moulin, who heads up the STF's Junior Safety-at-Sea effort and is also chair of the Larchmont seminar. "Currently, we have about 15 people in different parts of the country with serious interest; if we can double from four events to eight, we'll be very happy." The Storm Trysail Foundation is working closely with US SAILING to create guidelines that will assist volunteers looking to host a Junior Safety-at-Sea Seminar. "We want to make this program accessible and easy for people who have never done this before," said du Moulin. "If there is a strong interest in a given place, we can get some Storm Trysail Club members to help set up the lesson plan, work with them as mentors and possibly help with seed funding, if needed." -- Read on: http://www.stormtrysailfoundation.org/2011-SAS-Recap.htm SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar SAILING SHORTS * Porto Cervo, Italy (October 8, 2011) - With a second and first on the final day of racing at the Audi TP52 World Championship off the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Ed Baird and the crew of Quantum Racing lifted their third world TP52 world title from four challenges. They added to Worlds wins in 2008 in Lanzarote and defended the title they won last year Valencia. Emerging with a four points margin over Germany's Container, the American flagged Quantum team complete the same 'double' as they did in 2008, winning both the Audi MedCup Circuit title as well as the World Championship. -- Full story: http://tp52worldchampionship.org/news/?id=1535 * The Storm Trysail Foundation and the Larchmont Yacht Club teamed up to run the world's largest college regatta on October 8-9, when 400 collegiate sailors raced on a fleet of 47 offshore boats ranging from 35 to 44 feet. Schools came from across the country to compete in the placid waters of Long Island Sound off Larchmont, N.Y. Three light air races were sailed on Saturday with two races attempted on Sunday with light winds forcing the abandonment of both. The overall winner was Maine Maritime, which won the eight-boat J/109 fleet with a perfect score of three firsts. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12736#12736 * Britain's Nick Craig and Toby Lewis representing the OK class bested the field of 25 champion skippers to win the Endeavour Trophy - the UK championship of the champions. Craig, who has now won the event a total of five times, and Lewis who's won it three times, will gain entry to the British Virgin Islands' Pro-Am Regatta at Bitter End Yacht Club (Oct. 29 - Nov. 5). They will join the Pro line-up, which this year includes Ed Baird, Peter Holmberg, Anna Tunnicliffe, Paul Cayard, Dave Ullman, Russell Coutts and Zack Railey. -- Full report: http://royalcorinthian.co.uk/newsstory/2000529/2011-endeavour-championships * Rye, NY (October 9, 2011) - Hosted by American Yacht Club, the 2011 Heineken High Performance Dinghy Open drew 119 boats to compete in nine classes. The largest class drawing 28 boats was the Viper 640 was won by Jason Carroll. -- Event details: http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=478 * Chicago, IL (October 9, 2011) - While the past two days brought beautiful winds and weather for full days of racing, light air plagued the final day at the 72nd Richardson Trophy. The conclusion of the Semi-Finals was one of two flights completed today. After postponements, the Race Committee decided the wind was not filling in enough to continue racing. Subsequently, Finalist Don Wilson was crowned the 2011 champion. Sailed in Tom 28s, this Great Lakes Match Racing Championship is second to only the America's Cup in being the longest-running, continuously held match race competition in the world. -- Full report: http://chicagomatchrace.com/PressRelease/article.asp?p=10109 * Mooresville, NC (October 9, 2011) - On Saturday, skippers David M. Hyer and Amy Kleinschrodt caught fire and built significant leads in their respective fleets. Today, their teams cruised to victory on the final round of racing at the 2011 U.S. Men's and Women's Sailing Championships, hosted by the Lake Norman Yacht Club. -- Read on: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2011/USMWSC_2011_Final.htm * Hamilton, Bermuda (October 9, 2011) - The RenRe Junior Gold Cup wrapped up Sunday afternoon as a true champion of champions event. The world's best young sailors met each other for some premiere Opti sailing with 11 national champions facing off from 17 countries, including 22 Bermudian sailors. Taking home the Junior Gold Cup this year is American Wade Waddell, 14, of Miami, Florida. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/RenRe-100911 * (October 9, 2011) - The six teams in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race completed a 360 nm qualifying race from Alicante to Palma, Mallorca and return. No points were awarded, as the purpose of the race was to check safety systems as each boat fulfilled several tasks including a man-overboard drill as well as testing their emergency steering and storm sails for half an hour when instructed by race control. The first In-Port Race starts on October 29, and the 6,500 nm race from Alicante through the Atlantic to Cape Town, South Africa on November 5th is the first of the nine offshore legs. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-100911 THE STRETCHIEST PAIR YOU'LL EVER WEAR With super stretch and eco-friendly materials, Harken's padded Ballistic Eco Pants and Shorts are the new favorite on the water. Articulated knees, 4-way stretch, and quick-drying fabric are perfect for freedom on the foredeck or comfort in the cockpit. Even the knee/rear reinforcements are made of a custom Harken fabric to stretch with you. Pads are included, but no worries if you get hooked on the feel - both shorts and pants have non-padded versions for everyday wear. Check out the reviews and full selection at http://www.harkensport.com/cat/PantsShorts.html EIGHT BELLS Richard E. "Pogo" Evans passed away at age 60 on Thursday, October 6th, in Miami, FL after a prolonged illness. A long time resident of Fort Lauderdale, Pogo was born in Macon, GA. He grew up working in his father's boat-building and cabinet shop where he developed the skills that would serve him throughout his life. He served for four years in Viet Nam with the United States Air Force and then embarked upon a career of boatbuilding and ocean racing that spanned the next twenty years. In between stints with legendary boat builders Palmer Johnson and Derecktor, Pogo served as the paid professional aboard Pat Haggerty's racing yacht "Bay Bea" for several years, including the 1977 Admiral's Cup in England as part of the US team. He also skippered Bevin Koeppel's "Congere" before becoming part of the regular crew aboard Bill Whitehouse's maxi-ocean racer "Mistress Quickly" for campaigns all over the world. -- Forum, read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12729 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 may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Carol Newman Cronin: To add to the event sponsor brainstorming session in Scuttlebutt 3443, consider using in kind donations for a raffle, and sell tickets to regatta participants (and others). * From David Fuller: Regarding the recruitment of event sponsors (Sbutt 3443), my advice is to consult a pro. All sports are becoming better at raising sponsorship, but some are learning faster than others. It's like learning to sail. You can do it yourself, you'll get there in the end, but if you pay for a couple of lessons you can get there faster. The suggestions thus far are all good, but keep in mind that it is a two-way transaction - if they are giving you cash, what are you giving them. Is the value of what you are giving them more than 3 times the amount of cash they are giving you? * From Casey Robert Baldwin: The comment by Mr. Hartman,"I don't think that sailing is a suitable sport for the Olympics" in Scuttlebutt 3443 is somewhat short-sighted. Applying a little bit of the extraordinary vision of the late Steve Jobs to dramatically improving video/graphic coverage of sailing - witness the recent success of the ACWS in Portugal and England - will allow similar Olympic sailing viewing for millions to follow in the near future. It is not "impossible", particularly given the recent racing format change in which the last of eleven races in 2012 will feature only the top ten boats in each class. If the Olympic Committee goes a little further in future Olympics and for example, has the last three races for the top ten racers, it will be both dramatically and economically feasible to have an on-boat camera and helicopter coverage with real-time graphics. There should NOT be near-shore 'Stadium Sailing' for Olympic sailors, with the extra vagaries of large unpredictable wind shifts increasing luck and reducing skill. Leading edge technology can provide excellent coverage of normal and fair Olympic courses further off-shore. While it was fun for the thousands gathered on the grassy 'Hoe' in Plymouth to occasionally see the ACWS boats meters from the beach, I suspect many watched the giant screen to follow the racing, seeing exactly what millions saw at home. This further bolsters the idea of great tech coverage for Olympic sailing. I agree with Mr. Hartman it's better to be sailing than watching, even if you are struggling in the bottom half of your local club racing. However, sailing has been an integral part of the Olympic tradition since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896, missing from only one, the 1904 event in St. Louis. And it is one of the few super-sports events remaining that are nation vs. nation, no foreign ringers allowed. COMMENT: It's relevant to recognize that the cost to broadcast the ACWS is an extraordinary sum that's being underwritten (either in part or full) by the fifth wealthiest person in the world. And even if someone were to fund the cost to broadcast the sailing events at the Olympics, that does not guarantee the television networks that bought the broadcast rights would show it. The networks choose to show those sports that draw the biggest audience so as to maximize their ad revenue. -- Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION The Mr. Bean Guide to Fun in an Elevator: Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask, "Got enough air in there?" SPONSORS THIS WEEK IYRS - Harken - North Sails - Gowrie Group - Salt Harbor Studio Doyle Sails - Team One Newport - LaserPerformance - Ullman Sails JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Summit Yachts - New England Ropes Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
