|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2458 – October 22 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, featuresand dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday with the support of its sponsors. ON THE EVE OF THE HEARING “If the law is against you, pound the facts. If the facts are against you, pound the law. If both are against you, pound the table.” - Anon. (October 21, 2007) One of the criticisms of match racing as a spectator event is that, if a yacht is in control at the first crossing, there can be a lot of activity, but not much changes. Now that both parties have exchanged their second and last set of papers, not much has changed. SNG has made a bunch of arguments and GGYC has covered them, utilizing the litigation weather gauge, the last word. Settlement negotiations may or may not resume the morning of the hearing. As they approach the 2 pm October 22 finish line, with Justice Cahn holding the cannon lanyard, GGYC remains in the lead, despite SNG’s best efforts. There is no real dispute about the facts or the governing law and it is show time for summary judgment. I will not attempt to parse all the latest back and forth. To do so would induce crushing boredom. For example, SNG argues that the word “having” in “having for its annual regatta . . . ,” can mean in the future, rather than possession, because people say they “are [] having dinner,” “are ‘having’” a wedding, and “are ‘having a baby,’” in the future. All of those constructions are, indeed, correct, but the Deed does not say “are having” or “is having.” It says “having for its annual regatta . . .,” which is a different construction, with a different meaning. Another SNG argument, based upon past consent practice, is too convoluted to report. It boils down to “Officer, you can’t arrest me for driving while not having a driver license. I always drive without having a license and have never been pulled over before, so it must be OK. (Besides, I am thinking about having a license in the future.)” -- Cory Friedman, read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/cf/#p7 HE SAYS – SHE SAYS Both BMW Oracle Racing/Golden Gate YC and Alinghi/ Société Nautique de Genève issued press releases this past weekend, and after reading them, we once again appreciate the challenges and risks when two opposing parties enter the protest room. One boat describes the incident as they saw it, and the other does the same. As for the jury, who has listened to these dissimilar stories, they are wondering if these two boats were even in the same race. Here is a summary of the positions from both sides, with links to their complete statements: GGYC says: Dated October 20, 2007, GGYC claims that their latest proposal was sent to SNG last Wednesday, and that on Thursday the current challengers confirmed in a letter to SNG that they supported this proposal in principle. However, GGYC claims that this proposal was rejected without consideration. GGYC repeatedly mentions matters regarding the boat design rule, and how the rule is not being disclosed to them until they commit as a challenger. GGYC contends that to “buy the rule sight-unseen” is highly unacceptable. GGYC also contends that SNG is not serious about resolving the dispute, and has rejected all of their suggestions of possible mediators, while declining to submit any of their own. -- Complete release: http://www.ggyc.com/071020-GGYC_final[1].doc SNG says: Dated October 21, 2007, SNG claims to have been engaged in dialogue over the past few months with GGYC at various levels in an attempt to find a solution to the lawsuit. They claim that every time SNG has made amendment to achieve a resolution, BOR adds new demands. When these demands are met, BOR remains dissatisfied. SNG latest frustration has been a letter on 18th October from BOR with a further nine issues to be satisfied, including new points not previously raised. SNG claims that several of these issues were completely against the fundamentals of the programme agreed by all legitimately entered Challengers and the cost cutting strategy presiding over the 33rd America’s Cup. BOR CEO Russell Coutts is frequently referred to in this latest salvo, wherein SNG seems to now be directing their wrath at him. -- Complete release: http://www.alinghi.com/en/news/news/index.php?idIndex=200&idContent=14008 * Curmudgeon’s Comment: We spoke to Michel Hodara, ACM COO late Sunday, who told us that there is still a meeting planned between SNG and GGYC for Monday morning prior to the court hearing. DISCOVER THE BEST BOATING GEAR/EQUIPMENT Our goal at MyBoatsGear.com is to inform and educate boaters on the very best boating products. One valuable tool we offer is our informative newsletter collection where you can learn about a variety of boating topics. Sign up for the newsletter http://www.myboatsgear.com/newsletter/2007120.asp and learn about the newest navigation technology AIS. Or browse other Newsletters subjects for Safety, Communications, Navigation, Boat Show products, Racing & General. By signing up for the newsletters, you will have the source to the ultimate knowledge in boating equipment, for access anytime, anywhere. LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED By adding American Jonathan McKee to the Estrella Damm Sailing Team for the Barcelona World Race, they instantly gained a fan here at Scuttlebutt for this doublehanded, round the world race. With only three weeks until the start (Nov 11), here is a report from the team: With the days and hours quickly ticking by the team is leaving no stone unturned in their approach to race preparation and with over three months of racing looming on the horizon, the shore team have put in just over the same amount of time renewing, optimising and improving the bright red IMOCA 60 monohull since the boat went into the water in June. For every day that Guillermo Altadill and Jonathan will race the boat, the same amount of time will have been put into ensuring that she too is ready for the challenge to come. Jonathan McKee explains, "Our biggest focus is strengthening any part of the equipment that could be prone to breakdown during our three months at sea. We feel that if we can finish the race with all our gear intact, we have a chance for a podium finish, so the whole team is working hard on reliability. The guys are putting in some long hours, and recently we brought in some reinforcements, but the spirit is good and each day the boat gets better. It is just a race against time, with the start just weeks away now!" Guillermo Altadill agrees. "If this was the Volvo Ocean Race, we would do a complete check after each leg (three weeks) and would repair the small problems, but this race is not going to forgive us any mistakes, especially in the Southern Ocean. So reliability is the most important word!" In recent weeks the boat has been fitted with new spreaders on the mast and a new system employed for the lifting rudders. In addition, the boat has also been supplied with a new communication system including a newly designed and easy to use video conferencing system, telecommunications and a webcam to help the sailors stay in touch with the Race Office and their shore team and to help the public follow the two sailors around the globe. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/yqggca U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP OF CHAMPIONS San Diego, CA (October 20, 2007) – With only four races needed to complete the schedule of 19 races, day three of the U.S. Championship of Champions was going to provide a few challenges before closing out the event. With the weather during the previous two days being all about sunshine and steady winds, the final day would be anything but. Thick fog sat on Mission Bay, forcing a postponement before the fleet could leave the dock. Once the fog cleared, winds from the south proved unstable, forcing the abandonment of one race when the more typical westerly direction abruptly kicked in. Light winds throughout the day kept the crews from hiking, and the shifty conditions allowed for a few teams down in the standings to have their own memorable moments. Despite the challenging conditions, Snipe National champion Ernesto Rodriguez and Megan Place gathered two more firsts to gain complete control of the event, and turning the focus to see who would fill out the remaining top positions. Augie Diaz and Michelle Sumpton were making a run with a 4-1-1, pulling even with Jeff Linton and Alan Capellin in second with one race remaining, but keenly aware that Colin Smith and Leandro Spin were lurking only two points further back. The start of the final race would prove pivotal. -- http://tinyurl.com/yp5oyp Final Results (top 5 of 19) 1. Ernesto Rodriguez/ Megan Place (Snipe), 58 2. Jeff Linton/ Alan Capellin (Flying Scot), 75 3. Augie Diaz/ Michele Sumpton (Snipe), 79 4. Colin Smith/ Leandro Spina (Laser Radial), 82 5. Charles Higgins/ Jenica Ryan (Vanguard 15), 96 Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/ynoacb U.S. TEAM RACE NATIONALS Oyster Bay, NY. (October 20, 2007) - New York Yacht Club Silver Panda wins the 2007 US Team Racing Championship, beating 21 of the best teams in the county. WHishbone captured second place and the Woonsocket Rockets beat San Diego Yacht Club to earn the bronze medal. Racing was close and the conclusion was not settled until NYYC Silver Panda captured the best of three races over WHishbone as the sun was setting over Oyster Bay Harbor in New York. Twenty-two teams completed the third and final day of the 2007 U.S. Team Racing Championship beautiful 70-degree summer-like weather and 0-10 knots of wind. The racing was halted due to a lack of wind during the afternoon, but resumed on a shortened schedule. The regatta consisted of over 200 races during the three day event. Team members of NYYC Silver Panda were Pete Levesque (Annapolis, MD), Colin Merrick (Portsmouth RI), Clay Bischoff (New York), Amanda Callahan (Canton MA), Lisa Keith (Boston, MA) and Elizabeth Hall (Washington, DC). These members had just returned from Spain where they had won the Team Racing Worlds three weeks ago and are the defending U.S. Team Racing Champions from 2006. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/2xf9ym IN WITH THE NEW…SALE ON THE OLD 2008 Henri Lloyd GORE-Tex styles are on the way. Why not take advantage of great values on their popular 2007 GORE-TEX Cruise Racer Jacket? Low-bulk, three-layer, high-vis hood with two-way adjustment and Polartec 200 fleece-lined collar. Cinch in the draw cord hem and sink your hands deep into the hand warmer facility. Cool, damp weather doesn’t stand a chance! Great styling, great protection -- now at a great savings. Regular retail price at $450. Sale price is $250. Check it out at http://www.Henrilloydonline.com -- but hurry. Only a very limited number of pieces available. MALTA RACE REPORT Here is a report from Peter Isler on the eve of the Rolex Middle Sea Race start on Saturday, October 20th, which takes the 57-boat fleet on a 606 nautical-mile adventure that starts and finishes in Malta: “Just prior to the start, all the focus is - as usual - on the weather. But instead of thinking about tactics, most competitors are thinking about seamanship, safety, and survival. The forecast calls for a squally frontal passage halfway through the race followed by nuclear NW winds with gusts to 50 knots and beyond. I just did a ‘routing’ on Expedition software for our boat (Tom Hill's RP 75 Titan XII) and the entire second half of the race featured offwind sailing in winds averaging 40 knots. “This year's race features the biggest fleet in race history, and George David's Rambler (ex Alfa/Shockwave) should have no problem beating the 2 1/2 day race record as long as they can hold together. But the majority of the fleet are smaller boats, and their ride looks longer and even more challenging. This is my first time doing this race, and by all accounts it is normally a great race - with lots of dramatic turning marks (including a live volcanic island, and the fabled Straits of Messina), and a mixture of calms and blows. But this year, I think the focus will be less on sight seeing and more on keeping everything safe and together.” -- Peter Isler * The 28th Rolex Middle Sea Race looked to be mirroring almost exactly its British cousin, the Rolex Fastnet, as retirement after retirement is phoned into the Royal Malta Yacht Club Race Control, whilst the front-runner Rambler (USA) makes record-breaking progress towards the finish. After a relatively benign start Saturday, the trouble began as yachts began to reach to the Sicilian coast. At 1600 Sunday some twenty-two yachts had retired including four of the big ones - Titan 12 (USA), Valkyrie (CAN), Whisper (IRL) and Ourdream (GBR) - leaving thirty-five still racing. -- http://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/news/index.cfm?ID=129&f OLYMPIC CLASS MUSICAL CHAIRS: What makes a good Olympic class? What do you think are the important criteria? Is it availability and affordability? Should it be high performance, or maybe low performance? After all sometimes the slower a boat, the more tactical the racing. But then faster boats can be more fun to sail, and certainly more fun to watch. Is it media appeal? After all, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) say that minority interest sports like sailing and equestrianism need to start appealing to broader audiences to attract greater share of the global TV audience during the Olympic fortnight. In a little more than two weeks from now, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) will sit down to determine which will be the categories for the Olympic Regatta in Weymouth, England, in the summer of 2012. So over the next two weeks, SailJuiceBlog.com will be running a series of articles looking at the Olympic classes, and weighing up the pros and cons of the existing classes – and a few new ones besides. I’d like to hear what you think too, and in the next few days I’ll be launching an Olympic Classes Survey, where you can vote for your most wanted – and most hated – Olympic boats. Olympic sailing is at a critical juncture. The IOC has handed ISAF the task of whittling down the existing 11 categories that will be represented at Qingdao 2008, down to just 10 for Weymouth 2012. – Read on: http://tinyurl.com/yuc4w2 505 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP Annapolis, MD (October 19, 2007) - A 30 boat fleet descended upon Annapolis for the 2007 International 505 North American Championship. Competitors hailed from as far away as Germany, the UK, Canada, and the West coast of California. The fleet had the Bay to themselves - a benefit of racing mid-week in October - and the comfortable October air and water conditions made racing enjoyable. Tyler Moore and Jesse Falsone took race 1 in a day typical of Annapolis conditions that featured a long postponement for breeze and shifty conditions once the wind arrived. On Day 2, in a lumpy 7-10 knot southerly, Ethan Bixby and Erik Boothe skillfully ripped off three bullets to take a four point lead to the disappointment of Moore and Falsone. To everyone's much relief, Day 3 brought a consistent 12 knot southerly breeze. With breeze strong enough for reach/running, the Race Committee opted for a long Worlds course. Californians Mike Martin and Jeff Nelson, renown for their heavy-air dominance, took the fifth race. Following that race, the southerly dropped off a bit, and Bixby and Boothe secured their lead in the regatta overtaking the German team of Boris Herrmann and Julien Kleiner for the bullet. With Boothe and Bixby's scores, they mathematically locked up the title even with one race remaining. – Read on: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dgj89t44_48hggqc3 Final Results (top five of 30) 1. EthanBixby/ Erik Boothe, 11 points 2. Boris Herrmann/ Julien Kleiner, 16 3. Tyler Moore/ Jesse Falsone, 18 4. Mike Martin/ Jeff Nelson, 21 5. Jeff Miller/ Paul Allen, 30 SETTING RECORDS… No matter where you looked, be it Annapolis, Barnegat Bay, Southern California, or Long Island Sound, a record number of Ribcraft RIBs have carried coaches, set marks, and hovered around the races this summer. Contact Ribcraft today to learn more about why their Professional Grade RIBs are everywhere. http://www.ribcraftusa.com SAILING SHORTS * Annapolis, MD (Oct 21, 2007) - Terry Hutchinson on 'Quantum Racing' with his crew of Scott Nixon, Morgan Trubovich, Brian Janney and Tara Thomas beat out 19 other teams to claim the 2007 Melges 24 Northeast District Championship. Strong winds on Saturday provided for four races, while the RC was able to squeeze of two light wind races on Sunday. Alan Field on 'WTF' was second. -- Complete story with photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/1021/ * The National Safe Boating Council, with the support of West Marine, Inc., is asking for entries for the 2008 Boating Safety Sidekicks Contest "I'm a Safe Boater, Are You?” The third annual event asks for children between the ages of 4 and 15 to submit stories, posters, or videos that describe how they stay safe on the water. First prize winners will be awarded in three different age categories. Winners will receive prizes courtesy of West Marine and WithinReach. To view last year's winning entries and for contest requirements, deadlines and more details, visit http://www.boatingsafetysidekicks.com * Annapolis, Md. – On Saturday, November 3, the Severn Sailing Association and Eastport Yacht Club will host a Road to Rolex women’s sailing clinic with coaching and instruction by Greg Fisher (Arnold, Md.) in preparation for US SAILING’s upcoming Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship (IWKC). The Rolex IWKC is considered one of the world’s pinnacle events for women sailors and is scheduled for November 14-17, 2007 at the Houston Yacht Club, in LaPorte, Texas. The Road to Rolex Clinic will feature the International J/22 class keelboat, the same boat utilized in the Rolex IWKC. Contact Liz Filter for info: mailto:emfilter@verizon.net * Promoting woman’s sailing and tennis, and the camaraderie that comes from a weekend of close-knit competition, is the goal behind the St. Thomas Radiology 2nd Annual Women’s Sailing Regatta & Tennis Tournament, set for November 8 to 11, at the St. Thomas Yacht Club, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Last year’s event brought together nearly 100 women from all three US Virgin Islands as well as the BVI. -- Complete details: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/1019/ CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 JimC: As soon as I saw allegations about RNZYC not being qualified to challenge I figured Alinghi's court case was doomed... No-one would come up with such preposterous nonsense if they had any real facts on their side... EB, it doesn't matter how good your lawyers are if the facts aren't on your side. Time to settle before its too late... * From Jon Rogers: Pointing to the list of top US Trialists with Naples Sabot roots from Issue 2457, you need to add Zack Maxam, who was second with Dalton Bergan in the 49er class. Also, all those being listed with Naples Sabot roots also are coming from fleets in the San Diego area. * From John Harwood-Bee: Somebody must be on extremely tenuous ground if they are attempting to justify part of the new AC protocol by challenging the validity of the RNZYS. To compare a one hundred year old legitimate institution with a hurredly assembled 'Micky Mouse' circus created only for the benefit of the defender helps demonstrate the very thin ice this farce is skating on. There is an expression that should have been heeded long before the behind the scenes machinations caused the current trauma. ' If it 'aint broke, don't fix it' CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you. Special thanks to MyBoatsGear.com, Henri Lloyd, and Ribcraft RIBs. |
