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SCUTTLEBUTT 2214 – November 1, 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). MONDAY MORNING TACTICIAN (American Andrew Campbell is the top ranked Laser sailor in the US, and was the 2006 College Sailor of the Year. Below is an excerpt from Andrew’s blog, where he provides his analysis of the final race of the Pan Am Trials in Newport, RI) * Situation: Final Race of the Pan Am Trials off Third Beach, RI (Oct 2006): Going into the final race of the ten-race series at the PanAm trials, I was leading the regatta. I had 16 points and the second place boat had 20. We had the same discard (6th), and I would win any tie-breaker because I had scored more 2nd place finishes over the course of the series. Essentially, my opponent had to win the race and force me to finish worse than my discard (worse than 6th) in order for him to take the event. All I had to do was prevent him from winning the race. * Possible Strategies: 1) I could sail my own race, and try as best I could to avoid my opponent and trust that he couldn’t win the race or that in racing at full-speed, I would ensure better than a 6th place finish. 2) I could attack my opponent pre-start and attempt to disrupt his start as much as possible and then return to sail my own race as discussed in option #1. 3) Same as option #2 and build on that by covering my opponent the entire race, dragging us both back far enough in the fleet to ensure that he would not win the race. This option would ensure that both of us sailed another discard race, therefore making us add 6 points to each of our scores and ensure my victory. -- Read on for what actually happened: http://www.campbellsailing.com OLYMPIC REVOLUTION (Here is an excerpt from Scuttleblog, where the Scuttlebutt publisher shares some comments on the US Olympic sailing effort after having coffee with its captain.) The title, ‘Olympic Revolution’, is likely too strong, but you sense change and revitalization for the US Olympic effort in sailing if you spend anytime with Dean Brenner, who is the Chairman of the US Olympic Sailing Committee. I had breakfast with Dean last week while he was in California, where his trip coincided with the Pre-Trials that were occurring. He was checking in with the sailors, and continuing to spread the word not just about the committee's goals, but also how they are being achieved. The reoccurring theme in the conversation was how the US effort has been able to get more funds than in the past (as of now, the US has three times more money), and in how the US is better directing the money to the elite athletes. The 2004-08 committee slashed out all the fluff, including their own legitimate reimbursements. They are lean, and have even reduced the US Sailing Team from five members in each class to three for 2007, which will allow for the disbursement of funds to get to those teams that have clawed their way up to that level. - Full story: http://tinyurl.com/uhz78 A GATHERING OF OYSTERS The recent Montpelier Oyster Regatta in Palma, Mallorca, on October 18-22, 2006 pertains to the ongoing discussion about growing the sport of sailing. This was the 16th regatta Oyster Marine has hosted for its owners in five years, and the evolution of these meetings is worth noting. Oyster owners demand comfort; safety and reliability; and performance from their boats - in that order. The result is an elegant, heavy boat replete with amenities and built for easy handling while cruising offshore or making passages. At last count approximately 40 Oyster owners have circumnavigated the globe. When the Oyster regattas started they reflected that relaxed, cruising style. The parties and dinners ashore ranked slightly ahead of the “racing.” Over the years, things have changed a bit. One reason for the increased interest in performance is Oyster founder and CEO Richard Matthews, a successful racing helmsman. His latest personal Oyster 72-footer, designed by a team led by Rob Humphreys, is as turbo-charged as a live-aboard boat can get. It has brought home some handsome silverware. Another reason is the patience with which Matthews and his second in command, Alan Brook (a former Admiral’s Cup helmsman), have schooled their owners, acquainting them with the rules and educating them about tactics while stressing safety and fun. It all came together this year in Palma. For three of the four days a smokey sou’wester blew dogs off proverbial chains. For many fleets, at least one of the days would have been a cancellation. For the Oyster owners, there was no such thought. Off they went for a day of racing around the cans, followed by three point-to-point races. - Roger Vaughan, full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1031 MAN VS. MACHINE -- WHO WINS? When you buy a sail, you buy technology. But you also make an investment in people -- that's why you need real sailmakers, not boat-hopping salesmen. Every Doyle loft is staffed by sailmakers with more skill and sailmaking knowledge than other brands (Doyle loft managers have been at it, on average, for 35 years). Technology alone won't make you win -- if your sailmaker won't invest the time to get to know you, your boat, and local conditions, you lose. Ready for a real sailmaker? Call us at 1-800-94-DOYLE; http://www.doylesails.com MALTA ROCKS! Just got back from Malta, covering the Rolex Middle Sea Race. What a fantastic place. Not much wind for the race - at least not until the big boats had finished, and then it started blowing a beautiful Force 4. Still, entries were at a record 68 and people seem to want to come back for more. I flew in the helicopter with legend photographer Carlo Borlenghi and legend-in-his-own-lunchtime cameraman Matt Conner and watched Alfa Romeo tearing through the fleet at a phenomenal rate (the smaller boats started first). The ability to make your wind - eg 5 knots boatspeed in 2 knots true wind - is pretty useful when the breeze is in short supply, but it wasn't enough to break Zephyrus IV's course record set in 2000. It's incredible the record has stood so long in the face of such massive advances in technology, but even SuperMaxis need a good breeze to get them really motoring. - Andy Rice, full report: http://tinyurl.com/yyvekd Curmudgeon’s Comment: Here are some of Carlo’s images from the event: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/msr/ STU BANNATYNE: THE GENTLE GIANT The first thing you notice about Stu Bannatyne is that he is a very big guy; about 6’5” with a back as wide as a dining table and massive hands. He looks like he could be very much at home in the thick of the action on a rugby field in his home town of Auckland, New Zealand, but sailing is Bannatyne’s chosen sport. However if you thought that he was just useful in the muscles department, you would be very wrong; a degree in mechanical engineering and years of experience working with some of the best in the business means that Bannatyne is an expert in sail and rig design. He has raced everything from Lasers to the colossal 145ft monohull Mari Cha IV, but it is round the world racing where Bannatyne has excelled. Stu Bannatyne was back again for his fourth circumnavigation, again as watch leader in the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race. However movistar was beset by problems and did not complete the race, the team were forced to abandon ship in the North Atlantic, but that has not put Stu off. He is as keen as mustard to go round again in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. Louay Habib (editor of www.bangthecorner.com) had a quiet beer with Stu Bannatyne to find out bit more about the gentle giant from Auckland. Q: I am very good at? A: Keeping a level head in any situation, as long as it doesn’t involve any of my three daughters! Q: What was it like the first time you went out on movistar in big breeze? A: Exhilarating. It hammered home everything we had thought about the new Volvo 70s. Fast, powerful boats that needed respect and rewarded good trimming and driving. Q: Which is the easier afternoon for you: A watch on a Volvo 70 in the Southern Ocean or your daughter’s birthday party with 20 kids? A: A birthday party with 20 kids will always be an easier option than a Southern Ocean watch on a Volvo 70. There are times when the Volvo 70 will be as much fun but it will always be much harder work. There are plenty of parallels though like avoiding destruction of equipment, avoiding injuries and rationing the food! -- Read on for the full interview: http://tinyurl.com/y6fwce PONDERING (The following observations were posted on the popular blog ‘Proper Course’, where the mantra of author Tillerman is “Cheat the nursing home. Die on your LASER.”) (Monday, October 30, 2006) Yesterday...I spent ninety minutes driving to the yacht club. I waited around for an hour until the PRO decided that it was too windy for us to race. It was blowing 20 to 25 knots, gusting to 35 knots, with an offshore wind and an incoming tide. I phoned my son and learned that his Laser fleet in Boston had also cancelled racing. I spent ninety minutes driving home from the yacht club. I had a beer for lunch. I went for a walk with Tillerwoman on the trails in the woods above our town and pondered the fact that a woman had been killed doing exactly this, exactly here, a year or so ago on a similarly windy day when a branch from a tree fell on her head, and pondered the fact that going for a walk in the woods with my wife is statistically more dangerous than sailing a Laser in 35 knots. I pondered the fact that I had been out sailing a Laser in Menorca a couple of weeks ago in exactly similar conditions and had had a blast. I pondered the fact that the Aussie Laser sailors go out and sail in these conditions and pondered that this might be one reason they do much better than American Laser sailors at international regattas especially when it's windy. - Tillerman, link: http://propercourse.blogspot.com/2006/10/pondering.html JOHNSTONE NEW OFFSHORE CHAMPION Virgin Gorda, BVI -- Early on, it was obvious that Rod Johnstone and the crew of his Freedom 30 were reveling in the fresh Caribbean trade winds that greeted the fleet of the Bitter End Yacht Club’s annual Defiance Day Regatta – an event that also served as the fifth annual Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Offshore Championship. Sailing with guests of the BEYC as his crew, Johnstone won the event in convincing style, besting the defending champion (and second place finisher) Keith Musto from the UK on both legs of a course that took the fleet from the BVI’s North Sound to “The Baths,” and return. The fresh conditions also made it possible for Dr. Robin Tattersall’s beautifully restored 10 Square Meter ‘Diva’ to set a new course record of one hour and seven minutes for the first leg. Earlier in the week, the preliminary rounds of the Musto-sponsored Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championship Regatta were conducted in three classes. The top two boats in each class now advance to the finals on Friday, which will be sailed in equally matched Hunter 216s. The qualifiers are: Laser Class - James George (UK), Fredrik Svenson; Hobie Wave - Nadine Francyk (San Francisco, CA), Charles McNeil (Palm Springs, CA); Hunter 216 - Jim Durden, (Marina del Rey, CA), Chris Fretz. The SSC Championship is being held in connection with the BEYC’s 20th Anniversary Pro-Am regatta, in which BEYC guests crew for the ten invited skippers in an event that combines fleet and match racing. This year’s Pro-Am skippers are: Paul Cayard, Russell Coutts, Ken Read, Dawn Riley, Dave Perry, Charles ‘Butch’ Ulmer, Rod Johnstone, Keith Musto, Lowell North and Bruce Kirby. -- http://www.beyc.com B&G LAUNCHES DECKMAN v8 SOFTWARE B&G announces the launch of its Version 8 Deckman for Windows software, packed with more advanced functions and features to give competitive sailors the winning edge. New functionalities now in Deckman v8 include GRIB editing and routing, speed testing with polar overlay, strip charts with superior analysis tools, C-MAP MAX electronic chart compatibility and support for Ocens and Sail Docs. With Volvo Ocean Race winning routing, interface with all instruments, improved functional start screens and a significantly lower, all-inclusive price, B&G has a real winner on its hands. To learn more about Deckman v8 or other B&G systems, contact http://www.bandg.com SAILING SHORTS * A reminder that the Laser class in North America had their website address hijacked, and have had to move their site contents to a new domain. If you know of any websites that provide links to the Laser class site, it would help the class to inform them that the new website address is http://www.nalaser.org * L. Dennis Kozlowski, the imprisoned former Tyco International Ltd. chief executive officer, found a buyer for his historic 130-foot sailing yacht, the Endeavour. Sempervirens Ltd. agreed to pay $13.1 million for the British-built yacht, according to court papers filed in New York. The original asking price was more than $17 million. The sale will help Kozlowski, 59, pay $167 million in court-ordered restitution and fines as he serves a sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years for looting Tyco. - Wall Street Folly, full story: http://tinyurl.com/rb73n * Informational presentations are scheduled for those interested in participating in the 2007 Marion Bermuda Race. The race will be scored under ORR (formerly AMERICAP II) and IRC. There is no charge to attend and the presentations are open to all interested sailors. The two dates are on November 9th in Stamford, CT (Stamford YC, 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, 203-323-3161) and December 7th in Oyster Bay, NY (Seawanhaka Corinthian YC, 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Tom Foley, 516-922-6200 Ext. 108). - Full details at http://tinyurl.com/se8cz * (October 31, 2006) Top headlines on the College sailing website include announcements and details for: 2006-2007 ICSA Sloop National Championship, 2006-2007 ICSA Singlehanded Championships, Tentative 2007 Spring Schedule, Latest Procedural Rules as of 9/06, and Collegiate Dinghy Class Rules. Links for these headlines are at http://www.collegesailing.org * Bridgeport, CT (October 31, 2006) WindCheck, the monthly magazine dedicated to Long Island Sound sailing, will publish its 50th issue in November, marking the publication’s first major milestone since its launch four years ago, announced Publisher Anne Hannan of Bridgeport-based Maritime Publications, LLC. WindCheck has a circulation of 30,000, and is available for free at more than 650 locations in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. For more information about WindCheck, log onto http://www.windchecklis.com RACES IN PROGRESS * Velux 5 Oceans, a 30,000-mile race exclusively for the Grand Prix IMOCA Open 60 and Open 50 classes, is now in its second week. The race begins and ends in Bilbao, Spain with just two stops - in Perth, Western Australia and Norfolk, Virginia on the east coast of the USA. - http://www.velux5oceans.com * Route du Rhum race, the 3,500-mile solo race for multi-hulls and monohulls from France to Guadeloupe began last weekend, and already is reporting drama amid the fleet. - http://www.routedurhum.org 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 Stuart Hebb: (regarding the US-IRC announcement in Issue 2213) On behalf of handicap boat owners who can't or don't want to spend the money on a Swan 45 at a minimum, I have the following complaint. I own an Aerodyne 38, which is apparently not big enough for the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series or Miami Race Week. I am planning to do races that will satisfy Groups 1,2 and 4. However, Group 3 states that you need to do two events: Key West Race Week or Miami Race Week or selected events in the Caribbean. Being a Miami-based boat, I am forced to the Caribbean if I want to complete the series. How ironic that the former SORC is shutting out all the Florida-based handicap boats and now the Gulf Stream Series seems to be giving little thought to boats of this size as well. Any other ideas on how to grow the sport? * From Red Webb: (regarding Cam Lewis’ commentary in Issue 2213) Just as I woulda thought from that man. The note to Scuttlebutt from Cam Lewis is great writing and shows all his obvious passion. Over time, and following some smiles, ya get to remember the beautiful people you are fortunate to have met; and for me, Mr Lewis is one of them. To the Lewis family and friends on the ice...have a magical winter up there, and thanks for your part in winning AC 88. * From John Rumsey: (regarding the story ‘Under The Spotlight’ in Issue 2213) Wasn't that 32% increase for women’s sailing in the Olympics a reduction for men’s participation? Trading a woman's 3-person boat for a men's 3-person boat. Is this progress? CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Everybody repeat after me...we are all individuals. Today’s Scuttlebutt newsletter provided by Doyle Sails and B&G Instruments. America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt is brought to you by UBS. |
