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SCUTTLEBUTT 2682 - Tuesday, September 16, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. GUEST COMMENTARY (With the recent passing of Olin Stephens, this article was written by David Pedrick, a protégé from 1970-77 and one of Stephens’ great admirers since boyhood) It’s daunting to think of the number of sailors and industry professionals who have benefitted from Olin Stephens’ genius, whether through the adrenalin of racing or the serenity of cruising. Spanning from Lightnings to J-Class yachts, from blue-water cruising and ocean racing to virtually every important offshore racing event on the planet, Olin crafted designs that countless crews and the seas themselves have loved. Olin always kept his sights on the next thing. He could see and admit publicly the weaknesses of any particular design, and was constantly figuring out the next improvements to make. When asked about why he didn’t copyright his designs, he explained that, if someone was copying your past work, that’s right where you wanted them – behind you. Nevertheless, he shared his ideas generously by contributing for decades to the technical development of the sport of yacht racing. I’ve held a special fondness for Olin, who gave me my start as a yacht designer in 1970. He soon trusted me with an increasing share of creative and technical work on major projects, including the America’s Cup and emerging Maxi racers. With his office hours full of telephone calls and letter dictation, he used the quiet time of his evenings and train commute to advance his own ideas. Among the special memories that I have of Olin is often starting the day with an update on what he had been working on the evening before, and being asked to take it further during the day. I’d pass it back to him at the end of the day, and so it would go from one study to the next. A few years ago, after I introduced Olin – my most significant mentor – at an event at the New York Yacht Club, he told a story about his early mentor, whom he called – even at age 97 – “Mr. Crane.” After a few more stories of his early years in the Six Metre Class, in crisp detail and with humor and humility, all of us in the room felt the special privilege of having had that time with him. Throughout his fifty years as an active and amazing designer, and thirty more in an active and amazing retirement, Olin’s standards of intellectual challenge and integrity never faltered, and will shine on every bit as brightly as all the trophies that his creations have captured. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Additional comments should be posted here: http://tinyurl.com/Scuttleblog0914a BACK IN THE GAME (September 15, 2008) Following the 32nd America’s Cup in July 2007, Louis Vuitton, the long time Challenger Selection Series sponsor and overall sponsor of the 32nd AC, announced that it was pulling out of the event. Unhappy with the direction the defender Alinghi was taking the event, and a reduced role that was a far cry from that of the previous five Challenger Series, this was a shot heard around the world, as many found that Louis Vuitton’s involvement had been vital in maintaining the unique aura of the Cup. For those pleading for Louis Vuitton to get back in the game, the company announced today that they are planning an international match racing regatta to be sailed in Auckland, New Zealand in February next year. The “Louis Vuitton Pacific Series” is being organized in association with the New Zealand Government, Emirates Team New Zealand, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS), and Auckland City. Organisers will select between six and eight teams, on a “first come, first served’’ basis, to participate in this friendly series of races that will compete aboard Emirates Team New Zealand AC class boats. -- Complete announcement: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6396 * The full LV Pacific Series press conference is online, posted by TVNZ Channel 3. Interviews afterwards include John Banks and Grant Dalton. -- http://tinyurl.com/SButt0915a * From the French America’s Cup challenging team K-Challenge, CEO Stephane Kandler stated, “The fact that this event is organized by Louis Vuitton, an America’s Cup’s historical sponsor, is great news for all the sports community. It is the perfect opportunity to have a positive impact for the future of the oldest sports trophy in the world, and K-Challenge is more determined than ever to bring it back with a new generation who already represented France in the last edition.” -- http://www.k-challenge.org IT'S IN THE DETAILS... Design, style, and fashion ... it's all about the details. At Camet we make sure the details are covered to give you the best products and service that you deserve. From flat double needle stitching to special technically engineered fabrics, our products are proven designs that help you perform better on the water. Get the details at http://www.camet.com/?Click=1006 ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST During their recent haul of six Olympic sailing medals, there was a supreme amount of media attention on the British sailing team. In fact, when team member Ben Ainslie won the country’s first sailing medal of the Games, a Google search for his name generated 4,340,000 internet stories immediately following the medal ceremony. Given that the Games are now coming to London, and in how other parts of the sport seem to have roots there, it came as an absolute surprise to learn of the recent decision by the UK paper The Daily Telegraph to end their 19 years of sailing coverage. Britain always used to be the exception in the world in terms of coverage given to the sport by the national newspapers. Contrast this with the USA and even hot sailing nations such as France and New Zealand. Further, The Telegraph habitually gave more space, more often, than any other paper, so it’s hard to view this as anything but a setback for British sailing. Outstanding yachting scribe Tim Jeffery had been the paper’s chief correspondent, who is also a regular contributor to Seahorse magazine. The purported reason for this change? The reason given was the economic downturn, though it is widely suspected that new management would prefer to concentrate on the major sports. At least you can’t accuse the newspaper of favoritism, as despite the sailing team being the recipients of what some estimate to be $10 million a year in public lottery funding, and in how Lord Moynihan, the chairman of the British Olympic Association, considers the sailing team to be the “Formula One” of British Olympic sports, it still isn’t sufficient cause for column space. * While The Daily Telegraph might not be interested in sailing anymore, there was certainly an impressive crowd of the people that did come out for a British Olympic sailing team welcoming parade: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/09/nice-parade.html DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? by Tillerman, Proper Course blog (September 15, 2008) I've written here before at length about the fun I've had traveling to various exotic spots around the world with Tillerwoman to have interesting vacations linked to my sailing in Laser Masters Worlds Championships at aforementioned exotic spots. I've also written about how the Laser Class is attempting to tighten up the entry to the Masters Worlds in order to prevent totally incompetent bozos who don't know the pointy end of a Laser from the pointy end of their whatsits from entering these prestigious events. Or maybe just to prevent barely competent marginal Laser sailors with embarrassing blogs from entering? Today the International Laser Class Association opened up applications for the 2009 Masters Worlds in Canada. OK, Nova Scotia isn't exactly as exotic as Mexico, Spain or Australia but it's still going to be a popular event among North American sailors. As of 2:30 pm on the first day of applications... There are 45 applications for the 35 places allocated to the USA. There are 45 applications for the 11 places allocated to Australia. There are 24 applications for the 15 places allocated to the United Kingdom. There is 1 application for the 0 places allocated to American Samoa. And so on. Probably someone's going to be disappointed. -- Read on: http://propercourse.blogspot.com/2008/09/dont-you-know-who-i-am.html 'LEGEND' HONORED AT ANNUAL REGATTA They didn't come as much to win a big trophy as they did to remember an departed friend — a man they fondly called "The Bruin." "He was a legend," sailor Craig Gabel said of Bruce Goldsmith, "and when I say 'legend,' I mean a true legend. He was the kind of guy who would have won the party and the boat race." Gabel's words came Sunday at the 65th annual regatta at the Devils Lake Yacht Club, where the event was contested in honor of Goldsmith, a world-class skipper who died June 3, 2007 in a sailing accident in western Lake Erie. Goldsmith, 71, worked in Jackson as an investment broker until his retirement in 2002. He belonged to the yacht club and won the regatta 13 times from 1962. He got his nickname because he looked like a bear. The fatal accident happened during the North Cape Yacht Club's Commodore Perry Race, north of Toledo. His boat's boom hit him in the head, broke his neck and threw him overboard, said his friend and longtime sailing partner, Dr. Terry Timm of Ann Arbor. -- Read on: http://blog.mlive.com/citpat/2008/09/legend_honored_at_annual_regat.html RESULTS MATTER! (Rolex Big Boat Series) At this past weekend's Rolex Big Boat Series, IRC A, IRC B, IRC C, Express 37, J/105, J/120 and Melges 32 class winners raced with North sails. Why does this matter to you? It proves that whatever you race, North has a sail for you that's PROVEN faster, stronger and more durable than the competition...! When performance matters, the choice is clear: http://www.northsails.com HOBIE 16 NA’S ATTRACTS CONTINENTAL FIELD (September 12, 2008) The wind was light for the final day of the Hobie 16 North American Championships in Clear Lake, Iowa. Normally this would have been unwelcome news, but after sailing twelve hard fought and windy races over the previous two days, light air was almost welcome news. One race was started in just over five knots and the sailors barely drifted over the finish line to end the week long championship. Team Heineken, Francisco Figueroa (aka: Faccio) and Jolliam Berrios from Puerto Rico, sailed their throw out and won the event by more than 20 points. Francisco and Jolliam are one of many top teams to come out of Puerto Rico. No doubt the stiff local competition has helped them to win their first North American Championship. In second were Pedro Fernandez and Cristy Guirola from Guatemala. Cristy was the winning helm at the Women’s championship held over the weekend and won last year’s Pan American games as a crew with Pedro as the team coach. Pedro Fernandez is a Cuban expatriate who has been coaching the Guatemalan Hobie 16 team for many years. -- Daily reports and results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6368 Final Results (Top 5 of 56) 1. PUR, Francisco Figueroa/ Jolliam Berrios, 78 2. GUA, Pedro Fernandez/ Cristy Guirola, 100.3 3. USA, Roberty Merrick/ Eliza Cleveland, 108 4. GUA, Jason Hess/ Enrique Arathoon, 118 5. MEX, Armando Noriega/ Marta Norriega, 123 SMALL BOAT, BIG CHALLENGE British yachtsman Tom McNally is about to attempt to enter the record books as he soon embarks on a double Atlantic crossing in his purpose-designed 3 foot 10 inch boat, “The Big C"! Setting off from Cadiz, sailing to Central America, Texas, Newfoundland and back to his home town of Liverpool, Tom will sail a total of approximately 10,000 miles. He has previously held various ocean records for sailing in very small craft; the last craft being a comparatively massive 5 foot 4 and a half inches. However he subsequently lost that record when American sailor, Mr Vihlen, completed the trip in a boat just half an inch shorter. -- Scuttleblog, full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/09/small-boat-big-challenge.html SAILING SHORTS * Team Russia's Volvo 70 Kosatka reached Alicante this morning after its delivery trip from Portland, UK. This was the last offshore experience for the boat and the crew before the start of its round the world adventure. The preparation for the race is almost at its final point, with seven of the eight competing teams now at the race start city of Alicante, Spain (Delta Lloyd is in transit), preparing for the first in-shore race on the 4th of October. -- http://www.teamrussia.org * Portimão, Portugal (September 15, 2008) - The 15-boat TP52 fleet completed their practice race today in sub 10 knot winds in anticipation of the sixth and final event on the Audi MedCup Circuit, the Portugal Trophy regatta. Skipper Terry Hutchinson and the crew of Audi MedCup Circuit leading Quantum Racing (USA) currently have a lead of 41.2 points over Dean Barker’s team onboard Bribón (ESP) in second. Windward-leeward races will be held Sept 16-20 except on the 18th, when the fleet will compete in a double-points coastal day race with a distance between 30 and 50 miles. -- http://2008.medcup.org/home NEW J TO DEBUT IN 2009 The new J/95 (31.2') from J Boats not only draws as little as 3' of water, it will sail circles around other modern daysailors, all the while in complete comfort and control. The carbon mast, retracting centerboard, wheel steering, removable transom locker, and many more unique features set this J apart. http://www.jboats.com/j95 ZEN & SAILING…CONFLICTS TO THE TAO In some past musings I commented on how alike the art of sailing is with Kung Fu and the practice of Zen. There is the truth to us Zen practitioners, that they are not just alike but the same. Kung Fu is called motion Zen. Because in the Zen/Ch’an mind there is no duality, on the basic level we are all the same. Man, plant animal, thought, action, etc. Ch’an is the Universe and the Universe is Ch’an, Life is Ch’an. Sailing is life on a small scale, using the forces of nature to get you where you want to go, having fun, doing it with style, etc. One aspect of reality, one aspect contains the seed, the essence of all. As we are a part of God, we are god in a sense. Not God with a “big G’ but with a little “g”. Get it? … no matter. -- Read on: http://zensekai2.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/zen-sailingconflicts-to-the-tao LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’. Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). You only get 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 Stewart Hall, Toronto: (re, passing of Olin Stephens) I met Olin Stephens as a 19 year old in the mid 70's. It was my first trip to NYC and, having loved America's Cup boats since I was old enough to read Yachting magazine, I made my way to City Island, having heard there were 12 meters there. I found a busy boat yard and starting poking my head around. It didn't take long to discover a number of 12 meters up on blocks in a dusty old shed. I believe one of them was Columbia. As I stared at the boats in wonder an old man walked up to me and asked if I liked sail boats. I told him of my love for the America's Cup and that seeing these boats was a dream come true. We spent about 15 minutes talking. He was very interested in what I thought about the boats. He was kind, gentle and curious and seemed to have nothing better to do than talk to a gawky 19 year old. It struck me that he had the same kid-like love of these boats as I did. Eventually he walked off and another man came up to me and asked if I knew who I was talking to. I answered no and when he told me I was flabbergasted. I will never forget meeting the great yet humble Olin Stephens. * From Fred Frye, M.D., SDYC Commodore, 1987: It was an honor and a privilege to meet and know Olin Stephens. My involvement with him came with the San Diego Yacht Club and Dennis Connor’s involvement with the America's Cup starting in 1979. He made many visits to our Club in the intervening years. His imprint on the Cup and its history is legend. His interest in boat design and his willingness to adapt and adopt new design ideas only emphasizes his innovative approach to yacht design. As has been said many times before, he is the most influential designer of the 20th century. Above all he was the epitome of a Corinthian Yachtsman. Something that I feel is being lost as we move forward. I will always treasure my conversations and interactions with him. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Additional comments should be posted here: http://tinyurl.com/Scuttleblog0914a WHICH IS THE BEST RACING WATCH? It was over two years ago that we asked for watch preferences, and when we put the suggestions to a vote - wondering what was the best watch was for the weekend sailboat racer, regardless of cost - the Timex Ironman was the choice. How do we feel today? Here is the link for the previous thread and survey, and to post your own opinion: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6385 CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing. Special thanks to Camet, North Sails, and J/Boats. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
