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SCUTTLEBUTT 2277 – February 8, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with support provided by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). OFF THEY GO, ALL ALONE (Honolulu, HI) The Morning Light team is about to take another leap forward: the nautical equivalent of handing the kids the keys to the car. During their second monthly training session Feb. 8-20 starting Thursday in preparation for next summer's Transpacific Yacht Race, the 15 young men and women will sail their Transpac 52 on two 138-nautical mile overnight voyages around neighboring Molokai Island. Starting from their base of operations at the Waikiki Yacht Club, the young sailors will be under the supervision of sailing manager Robbie Haines and preeminent navigator Stan Honey for the first trip Feb. 13- 14 but will be on their own for the second Feb. 19-20. Although some of the sailors have done other overnight ocean races, for the rest these will be their first taste of a rotating watch system of sailing, eating and sleeping in a competitive mode. Jesse Fielding, 20, of North Kingstown, R.I. said, "I'm really excited. We need to find our limits. The next big step for sailing a Transpac is to go out and see if we can sail . . . at night . . . offshore . . . by ourselves." The twin goals of the Morning Light project are to prepare and send a youthful team from diverse backgrounds in a major ocean race and to produce a documentary film of the entire experience. The film is being produced by Roy E. Disney's Pacific High Productions in association with Disney Studios and is scheduled for theater release early next year. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/2lwmrx AMERICA'S OLYMPIC CONTENDERS This week, Scuttlebutt has been providing a class-by-class look at the current crop of America’s Olympic contenders. The rankings discussed are the result of each team’s performance in designated events, which have then been used to determine the members of the 2007 US Sailing Team. This report takes a look at the 49er, Tornado, and Finn classes. 49er Since becoming an Olympic class in 2000, the US has maintained a strong international presence, gaining a bronze in Sydney (2000) and a fifth in Athens (2004). The deck has been shuffled for 2008, with top ranked skipper Morgan Larson returning after being runner-up in the 2000 trials, and now teaming with Pete Spaulding, who crewed for Tim Wadlow in the 2004 games. The 49er was one of only three classes at the Miami OCR where the US had two teams in the medal race, and it will likely come down to either Morgan Larson/ Pete Spaulding or second ranked Tim Wadlow/ Chris Rast winning the trials. Third ranked Dalton Bergan/ Zack Maxam, who were the top ranked US team at the 2006 Worlds, are the only outside threat amongst the American sailors. * 2004 Olympic rep: Tim Wadlow/ Pete Spaulding (5th place) Tornado John Lovell started campaigning in the class for the 1992 Games, and along with crew Charlie Ogletree, the duo have been the US rep in 1996 and 2000, and then won the silver medal in 2004. This is likely the thinnest US field since Lovell joined the class, which might be the cause for their slumping performance in recent international events. However, they have traditionally come on strong near the end of each quad, and have only second ranked Robbie Daniel/ Hunter Stunzi representing a significant challenge between them and a chance to improve on their performance in Athens. Third ranked team is Don Thinschmidt/ Drew Wierda. * 2004 Olympic rep: John Lovell/ Charlie Ogletree (Silver medal) Finn The Finn is enjoying resurgence in the US, with significant growth in Southern California, site of what is expected to be a light air and very variable trials event. Plenty of folks are jumping in late for the event, which might provide enough markers to confuse the final standings. Top ranked Zach Railey is the only contender that has been somewhat respectable internationally, with long-time Finn sailors Geoff Ewenson and Darrell Peck, at second and third rank respectively, providing some class experience but will likely need the potentially difficult sailing conditions at the trials to get past Railey. * 2004 Olympic rep: Kevin Hall (11th place) Look for the final report to include the Laser Radial and Laser, and for the review of all classes to be posted here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0205 SCUTTLEBUTT FORUM The ‘buttheads are encouraged to submit comments for these forum threads: * Eight Bells: Mitch Gibbons-Neff - There have been some great remarks and anecdotes submitted…let’s continue celebrating his life in this thread. * Famous Sailing Couples - Who are the notable married couples in the sport? The list so far includes the Jim and Julia Brady, John and Deneen Demourkas, and Jay and Pease Glaser. Let’s keep it going and recognize those duos that are playing or contributing at a high level. * Anniversaries in 2007 - Don’t let your business, one-design class, race, etc. go unnoticed. This is proving to be a very impressive list of honorees. * Crew Watch Systems - What rotation system has worked best for you, or does it depend on the type of race? Chime in. -- Forum threads can be found here: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/07 HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE RULES? If you would like to feel more confident about racing near other boats, you should get Learn The Racing Rules! This new two-part DVD, written and narrated by David Dellenbaugh, uses live sailing action and computerized animation to explain all the important right-of-way rules in the 2005-2008 rulebook. Part 1 covers the essential rules that apply whenever boats meet. Part 2 explains the often-confusing rules about marks and obstructions. Each is an hour long and includes the text of all rules discussed. Produced by SEA-TV, it makes a great gift! To learn more or to place an order: http://www.SpeedandSmarts.com TEAM RACING SUMMIT The US Sailing Team Racing Committee organized the Team Racing Summit last weekend in Larchmont, NY, where the agenda was filled with topics such as the state of the sport, increasing participation, building masters/keelboat team racing programs, Team Race umpiring, training tools and communications processes, retaining post-college Team Racers, the championship in review, and an open forum session. Take away actions included: 1. Grass roots approach to growing the sport, where all attendees pledged they would endeavor to grow team racing in their region and mentor interested folks in regions where team racing is not prevalent. 2. Surveying various racing organizations and clubs to better serve the ends of team racing. 3. Consolidating online Team Racing resources – see link: http://tinyurl.com/2mlzw9 Sign up for the Team Racing email list serve at http://groups.google.com/group/ustra TRIVIA QUESTION If the Notice of Race for an event you were planning to attend stated that you would need to wear pinnies, what would that mean? (Answer below) WORLD SAILING RANKINGS Changes abound as six new crews hit the top spots in the latest release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings on 7 February. Unmoved despite the reshuffle are the Brits, who retain all three of their Ranking leaders and are still the top performing nation, but they now have Australia and Germany right behind them. It is no surprise to see Great Britain hold onto their place as the top nation in the Rankings. The GBR team completed one of their most successful years ever on the Olympic Classes circuit in 2006 and then began 2007 with five medals at the ISAF Grade 1 Rolex Miami OCR in the USA. Behind the Brits, it is a terrific Ranking release for both Australia and Germany. Neither nation had one Ranking leader throughout the entirety of 2006, but now each have two. The ISAF World Sailing Rankings rate skippers based on their performances over the last two years. Skippers score points by competing in ISAF Graded events. The top finishers at all ISAF Graded events score Rankings points, with the highest points awarded to the event winner and then decreasing down relative to position. The most points are up for grabs at World Championship events, followed by ISAF Grade C1 events, Grade 1, Grade 2 etc. Top two ranked North Americans in each class are as follows: -- Laser - Men's One Person Dinghy: 3. Michael Leigh (CAN); 9. Bernard Luttmer (CAN) -- Laser Radial - Women’s One Person Dinghy: 3. Anna Tunnicliffe (USA); 12. Lisa ROSS (CAN) -- 470 - Men's Two Person Dinghy: 10. Michael Anderson Mitterling/ David Hughes (USA); 26. Stuart McNay/ Graham Biehl (USA) -- 470 - Women’s Two Person Dinghy: 7. Amanda Clark/ Sara Mergenthaler (USA); 9. Jennifer Provan/ Carol Luttmer (CAN) -- Star - Men’s Keelboat: 4. George Szabo/ Andrew Scott (USA); 8. Mark Reynolds/ Hal Haenel (USA) -- Yngling - Women’s Keelboat: Sally Barkow/ Carrie Howe/ Debbie Capozzi (USA; 16. Hannah Swett/ Liz Filter/ Melissa Purdy (USA) -- Tornado - Multihull: 12 Oskar Johansson/ Kevin Stittle (CAN); 13. John Lovell/ Charlie Ogletree (USA) -- 49er - Skiff: 10. Morgan Larson/ Peter Spaulding (USA); 12. Dalton Bergan/ Zack Maxam (USA) -- Finn - Heavyweight Dinghy: 11. Chris Cook (CAN); 16. Zack Railey (USA) -- RS:X - Men’s Windsurfer: 17. Zachary Plavsic (CAN); 49. Ben Barger (USA) -- RS:X - Women’s Windsurfer: 65. Rosa Campos (MEX); 68. Karen Marriott (USA) Complete rankings list: http://www.sailing.org/rankings/ Curmudgeon’s Comment: We are reminded of an article by Gary Bodie, US Sailing Olympic Coach, on just how hard it is for North Americans to be climb up the ISAF ranking system: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/04/isafrankings SAILING SHORTS * Emirates Team New Zealand and BMW Oracle Racing had planned some sparring out on the Hauraki Gulf for Thursday and Friday, but a deteriorating weather forecast may prevent the showdown. Emirates Team New Zealand will be wrapping up their sailing program in Auckland on Tuesday while the American syndicate’s last day of sailing is Friday. * Either ‘butthead Don Allen has taken some artistic liberties, or the cover of Dubai’s March edition of Time magazine is showing how the city has come to accommodate the America’s Cup syndicates that have moved there for winter training. Judge for yourself: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/time.jpg * Registration for the 2007 U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy is now open. The event will be held at Pontchartrain Yacht Club in Mandeville, LA, and will be preceded by a clinic. Sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats and raced in Club 420s, this Championship is an open event for women sailors between 13 and 18 years old, no pre-qualification is required. Charters will be awarded based on date of application and distance to those who register by May 1st. Full details at http://www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjrw/double "FASTEST SAILS ON THE PLANET"… PERIOD! The 2007 racing season is NOW!! Is your sail inventory ready? International Grand Prix, to highly competitive One Design, to local Club racing, Ullman Sails has the right sail design technology and fabric selection to deliver the "The Fastest Sails on the Planet." Ullman Sails new "FiberPath" sails are arguably the lightest, strongest string load-bearing sails available! "FiberPath" is stronger for its weight, and delivers superior longevity compared to the alternatives. For more information on "FiberPath," or to get a quote on the "Fastest Sails on the Planet," contact your local Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com EIGHT BELLS All of us here in Newport, RI that knew Steve Womsley - owner of Custom Yacht Outfitters - were shocked and very saddened to learn of his untimely passing. All of those that spent time with him in any one of his many sporting pursuits, be it golf, fishing sailing, or shooting, will remember his easy booming laugh and dedicated enthusiasm in all he did. He will be sadly missed both off and on the water. -- David A. Loughborough, LMI Llc Curmudgeon’s Comment: When the Scuttlebutt newsletter put out the call for help finding a coach boat for Nick Scandone’s team during the Paralympic pre-trials last fall, it was Steve Womsley who generously offered his 24 ft RIB with 200 HP. No charter fee - just fill with fuel & oil. Our kind of ‘butthead. TRIVIA ANSWER If the Notice of Race for an event you were planning to attend stated that you would need to wear pinnies, that likely means you will be sailing in some type of team event. Pinnies are the latest craze, used extensively in college and team race events to help identify the members of a team. They are a tight-fitting jersey that goes over the life jacket, and are of a color and design that is identical to all members of the team. See college teams in their pinnies at the Timme Angsten Memorial Regatta: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/1126 LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (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, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Walter Keenan: The sailing community suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Mitch Neff. Everyone who came into contact with Mitch over his lifetime of dedication to the sailing community probably has a Mitch story to share, and no doubt all over the world, in many languages, sailors are remembering him as a "classic" in every sense of the word. Mitch had authenticity, because he had done and seen it all: ocean races, naval combat, yacht construction, industry booms and busts, rating rules, rock stars and most recently the revival of the Classics as a racing class. Over the years, Mitch made thousands of friends around the world and and was loved and respected by everyone from European royalty to varnishing crews in the West Indies. Thanks to Greg Matzat for sharing some of his Mitch-isms, and I hope Olin Stephens writes in with his favorite Mitch story - there are enough to fill a very long and enjoyable book! Curmudgeon’s Comment: We hope Olin writes in too. As for the rest of you, we have started a Forum thread where comments and photos can be posted: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/07/mitch * From Doran Cushing: (regarding Comcast and the National Sailing Hall of Fame in ‘butt 2276) The ironies of Comcast pledging a pittance $50K to the National Sailing Hall of Fame is laughable (were it not for millions of consumers who are forced to deal with a monopoly). Irony #1 - Ted Turner, love him or not, has brought more revenue and more interest to sailing than anyone at Comcast. Without Turner, there would be no Time-Warner. Maybe this is Comcast's way of "slapping" someone who has bested them forever. Irony #2 - that $50K would be pocket change if the cable networks had any governing/ regulatory agency...even the New Hampshire Dept. of Justice is afraid to take on Comcast. Consumers are powerless against a federally mandated monopolistic industry. Irony #3 - the honorees of the Hall of Fame initially will be from an age before cable. Later additions will be from an age when sailing was ignored by cable. I'd rather see the Hall of Fame ask for $1 from 50,000 human beings than one corporate monolith. I don't mind having to pay to have my trash hauled away...cable wants us to pay to have garbage brought into our homes. Rabbit ears still work * From G. Russell Bowler, President, Farr Yacht Design: (In response to Daniel Forster's questions in 'Butt 2276) Popular use of the term "canard" on canting keel boats is a lifting surface other than the keel or rudder. The word has been unceremoniously stolen from the aero industry where it is defined as "an extra lifting surface attached to an aero plane forward of the main lifting surface, for extra stability or control." Our French clients are highly amused by our use of this word. We have contacted Daniel to discuss the reasons for canting keel/twin canard arrangements, the keel activating systems and other technical issues on the Farr 11s. The project was commissioned by a good client and is the result of turning his very detailed brief into a set of design drawings for a fast and exciting boat. FYD has not promoted this project as a one-design, although there is a lot of interest in the boat and if the owners have any desires to establish fleets with good OD rules and appealing regattas, we would be happy assist in that process. It's good to see Daniels interest in the project and I am sure a fleet of 11s's downwind in a breeze will provide wonderful photo opportunities. * From Kris Kristiansen, Marblehead, MA: With regard to USCG Commandant Thad's brilliant idea of licensing sailboaters - I thought that he had already taken care of that with the increased numbers of "courtesy inspections" that sailboats have to endure these days. We also shouldn't forget the possibility of attack by terrorist on tricycles (TOTs), slow speed aged grannies with walkers (SSAGWs), and bombs in baby buggies (BIBBs). Please ensure that this email gets to the proper authorities for further licensing of these potentially dangerous, bomb toting, attack vehicles. Yeah, another piece of paper will really keep those terrorists at bay ... * From David Greenlee: There is a very nice sailing fundraising calendar available by following the links through collegesailing.org that has more action, equally nice looking people, and less skin (than the UT calendar). Purchasing one of these calendars helps support college sailing's umbrella organization rather than one particular team. The photos were taken at last Spring's collegiate national championships in Charleston. Curmudgeon’s Comment: The calendar thread is now dead. * From Glenn McCarthy: Let me see if I can provide a different way of looking at RRS 42. Almost all of the other rules when handled in a protest room are questions of one boats judgment over the others (tacking too close, port tack boat keeping clear, windward boat keeping clear, etc.) and typically involve a potential altercation with another boat (except hitting a mark). Almost all of the other rules can be considered tactical. However when it comes to kinetics, this is no longer a question on judgment of how close things got and whether it was too close. It is a choice, an election and a conscious decision (not judgment) by the sailor that does not necessarily infringe on the space another boat is using (therefore not providing a pucker factor on the other boat, causing the other boat to emit an emotion). Kinetics is not a tactical decision to lock another boat out, for example. It is only for the purpose of speed enhancement for the boat that performs it. The rules writers have allowed kinetics, and established limits on how much is acceptable. And as others have pointed it, it does come down to judgment on how much is too much. * From Ken Guyer: The recent 20 year reunion of the 1987 Cup team at SDYC was a great event and reminded all who attended of what made that race the one to remember in 12 meter America's Cup competition. Not only was the racing some of the best ever; challenging conditions, exciting tacking duels, incredible seamanship, and off the race course controversy and intrigue. As Malin Burnham pointed out, it was the end of true amateur competition in the America's Cup. Taking a desire of one man to avenge his loss of the Cup in 1983, Dennis Conner and Malin Burnham put together a program comprised of men and women dedicated to seeing that end, no matter what personal sacrifice need be made. e were reminded that not all were paid for their efforts. Those that were, raked in just over $300 per month. The demand was that all involved have a commitment to the commitment. Sailing as a national sport was at its peak as the entire country watched the final races against the Aussies and the dream realized by this incredible group of Americans. It will be a long time, if ever, we see that in the America's Cup again. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Make love, not war. Heck, do both…GET MARRIED! Special thanks to Speed & Smarts and Ullman Sails. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
