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SCUTTLEBUTT 2425 - September 5, 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 the support of its sponsors. SEARCH UNDERWAY FOR STEVE FOSSETT (September 4, 2007) World aviation record-holder and yachtsman Steve Fossett is missing and a search is under way in western Nevada, a Nevada aviation spokeswoman said Tuesday. Fossett took off in a single-engine plane from a private air strip known as Flying M Ranch, near Smith Valley, 30 miles south of Yerington, Nevada, on Monday, with enough fuel for four to five hours of flight, according to Civil Air Patrol Maj. Cynthia S. Ryan. Yerington is south of Carson City, near the California border. The 63-year-old who was the first person to solo around the world in a balloon, took off Monday at about 9 a.m. (noon ET) in good weather and had planned to return at noon, a CAP statement said. The search for Fossett began about six hours later. Ryan said authorities are searching hundreds of miles of rugged terrain in western Nevada. They also are analyzing information from radar intelligence to try to track Fossett. In 2004, Fossett and his international crew of 12 aboard the 125’ maxi-catamaran Cheyenne, had demolished the two year old Round The World Sailing record - by almost 6 days (improvement 5d 23h 4m 39s). Their time had toppled the May 2002 mark of Bruno Peyron and Orange I and fulfilled Fossett’s decade old ambition to achieve ‘the most important record in sailing’. -- Complete details on the search at CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/04/fossett.missing/index.html LEARNING HOW TO WIN… AGAIN (Anna Tunnicliffe [USA] was the lone North American to medal at the Olympic test event last month. Here is her report.) Looking back on the 2007 Good Luck Beijing International Regatta I realize that the event was valuable in so many ways. Apart from all the vital information I gained about conditions in Qingdao on and off the water, I learned again how to win. And, I learned how to deal with the pressure of the media people who were all over your every move on the race course, good or bad. It has been a very long time since I won an event. Come to think of it, this was really the first international event that I have won. Teens and a couple of top tens is a good way to sum up my slightly rocky spring season. Overall, it wasn’t what I expected from myself. The main reason? I had lost sight of the fun aspect of the sport and had begun to put pressure on myself to perform. The reason I got into sailing and the reason for my past successes was because I was enjoying what I was doing. Granted, training is a lot of hard work, but then training isn’t supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be painful, right? The fun comes when its time to compete. Going into Worlds this year, I re-evaluated my goals and it seemed to have worked. I adopted the same mind-set going into the event in Qingdao. After putting too much pressure on myself the first day, I took a step back, adjusted my attitude, and enjoyed the rest of the regatta. It seems to have worked again. With the US Team selection trials just a month away, this renewed sense of confidence is so important. The Trials are going to be a very difficult event, both physically and mentally. -- Read on: http://www.annatunnicliffe.com/content/view/120/103 * Curmudgeon’s Comment: Some nice lessons here, and further into her report if you click through. Anna later makes mention that leading into the Trials, she will be working with her training partners Tania Calles Wolf, from Mexico, and Lisa Ross from Canada. These are both highly ranked sailors, and it is nice to see sailors from North America working together to raise their game. PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE The TP52 MedFleet's technical director Nacho Postigo shares his view on the 2007 TP52 Breitling MedCup Circuit thus far, and what his vision is for the future. Here are some excerpts: * "This season you can see in different areas that the racing teams have seen more professionalism and a higher level. There are more and more teams with a chance to win. More and more big names, more and more people coming into the circuit from the America's Cup since 2005. I think that next year, in that direction, the circuit wll be even stronger, because America's Cup will not give many chances for racing and practicing. So it will be a good way to build an America's Cup team, getting one or maybe two TP52's. I would expect this to happen, for sure. If I were running an America's Cup team and couldn't do two boat testing, couldn't do many things then I would spend my time on the match racing circuit and doing TP52 racing." * "Truthfully you don't see huge changes in design this year. The box rule is really quite tight and so you don't see big changes in design and the fact that the box rule is quite tight can be proved by the likes of Balearia which is a 2005 boat which has done well, been ahead of the fleet and scored good points, and others, for a long time. But at the end, in the first event it was a mix of new boats and older boats, in the top 6, 7 boats but the more the season goes on, the more the new boats emerge at the top again. The crews with the new designs are usually the better ones and rise to the top." -- Complete interview: http://2007.medcup.org/news/?idioma=2&id=3106 DON'T YOU WANT FREE GEAR?! Who doesn't? Here's how to get the gear: Buy and take delivery of a Laser 4.7, Radial, Laser, Pico, Sunfish, RS Feva, V15, Zuma, or Nomad from now up until December 31st and receive your choice of a Seitech Dolly, Storm Covers, or a Magic Marine Gear package with your purchase (RS Feva customers get your choice of two items)! As an extra bonus, buy and take delivery of your new Vanguard sailboat before October 31st and receive a free blade bag. Go to http://www.teamvanguard.com or call 1-800-966-SAIL for more details and to find your local Vanguard dealer. TAKING SIDES Sir Keith Mills and Mike Sanderson, Team Principal and Team Director respectively of TEAMORIGIN, Britain’s challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup, explains why it has challenged under what has been called an invalid Protocol. “ACM ran a fantastic event this Spring, not only from a sports and entertainment point of view but also by setting the standards on a number of non-sports aspects placing the America’s Cup firmly in the 21st century, in amongst the most important sporting competitions in the world today. We do not believe that the new Protocol will have a negative impact on the future of the America’s Cup. To the contrary we believe it provides a platform for further growth and some real opportunities for those who decide to challenge,” continues Sir Keith. Among the strengths of the Protocol for the 33rd event are: * Of the introduction of a new America’s Cup Class, a new 90 ft yacht, giving every challenger an equal opportunity to start the design process at the same time. * It prohibits two-boat testing which will reduce costs. New techniques will be developed to refine existing and new yachts, opening up a level playing field for new challengers. * It allows for regular official racing to be run in Valencia. Teams may race their opponents in practice whilst simultaneously running parallel hospitality and sponsor programmes. -- Complete statement: http://www.teamorigin.com/da/53491 WHAT IS TINYURL? While recently attending the opening ceremonies of a national championship, enjoying the good company of some new and old friends, an unexpected question was asked by three different people within the span of fifteen minutes: “What is tiny-earl?” The first time it was asked, the question needed to be repeated thrice before figuring what they were inquiring about. Long story short, folks were wondering about a website address frequently seen in Scuttlebutt: tinyurl.com. If you have ever wondered, read on: http://tinyurl.com/28szd9 SAILING SHORTS * (September 4, 2007) In its preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, the Ericsson Racing Team began a training run today from Stockholm, Sweden to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, which will be the team's base for almost a year. They are sailing Ericsson's recently acquired boat, ABN AMRO One, which is now completely repainted in a new design. Ericsson's two race yachts for the next Volvo Ocean Race are being built in Kista, outside Stockholm: the first will be launched late in the fall and the second next spring. -- Full report: http://www.ericssonracingteam.com/news_20070904.html * Oporto, Portugal -- The Milaneza Trophy Pre Worlds Regatta for the Snipe Class finished last weekend with No Excuses Team of Ernesto Rodriguez and Leandro Spina (USA) winning the event with scores of 9-1-1-2. Second place was T. Roquette and J.Tavora from Portugal and third place Bruno Bethlem and Dante Bianchi from Brasil. Perfect sailing conditions with winds from 8 to 15 knots made the event a great test of speed and skills before the World Championship next week. -- Complete results: http://www.worldsnipe2007.org/swc.htm * Buffalo, NY -- The current list of entries for the 2007 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship (NAC) has reached a record 47 boats, more than doubling the entries from last year’s event. This year’s race has attracted top name racers from around the country who will be competing in the four-day event beginning September 6th. -- http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=133 * (September 2, 2007) The Museum of Yachting in Newport, RI and Panerai had over 400 sailors and 61 classic yachts racing across Narragansett Bay in heated competition at the 28th Annual Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta over Labor Day weekend. These ageless vessels (35 sailboats 50 years or older and 4 which were at least 100 years old) got a chance to exhibit their speed and beauty. -- Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0904 * (September 4, 2007) Sally Barkow (USA) stormed to victory at the ISAF Grade 1 Trentino Women Match Race, defeating World Championship silver medallist Katie Spithill (AUS) in the final. Barkow and her crew bounced back from the disappointment of missing the podium at the Olympic Test Event in China, by demonstrating their match racing prowess on Lake Ledro in Italy. After winning the round robin with a 10-1 score, Barkow swept through the knockout stages. She defeated Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN) 2-0 in the semis, before dispatching Spithill 3-0 in the final. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j1qFnizvw&format=popup * US Sailing is currently accepting bids from clubs around the country to host U.S. National Championships for 2008-2011. Available Championships include junior, women's, men's, team and match racing, and multihull events. Bids will be voted upon in October at US SAILING's Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona and should be submitted by October 1. Information at http://www.ussailing.org/championships/championshipmanagement MORRIS YACHTS 35TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION A TRIUMPH! Morris Yachts 35th Anniversary weekend wrapped up with a group photo and awards breakfast in the company’s Northeast Harbor yard on August 19th. The three-day event drew owners from as far away as Japan. Highlights of the weekend included: yard tours, presentations by designers Chuck Paine and Greg Matzat, and the inaugural Morris Concours d’Elegance. A gala dinner dance with fireworks ended the first day with a bang. A stiff NW breeze (30knots) made for a spirited race on Saturday. A lobster bake brought the day to a close. For photos, Concours, and race results, go to http://www.morrisyachts.com/35th 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 Peter Campbell, Yachting Journalist, Sydney, Australia: I totally endorse your comments (in Issue 2424) regarding the coverage given to the Farr 40 worlds. Through the Rolex sponsorship, the sailing media - web sites, yachting magazines, the daily press, etc - received an excellent report plus results after each day's racing and, as a result, the event received excellent exposure from the media. In contrast was the recent 8-Metre Centennial World Championships in Scotland, where it was impossible to get results posted their website until the following day whilst reports of racing were a brief and inconsistent. Even worse was the Metre Class World Championship conducted by the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Solent. They appointed a press officer - and I am still waiting for the one and only final report! Both of these events had a major sponsor. ISAF must also look towards a major improvement in reports and, in particular, results from the Olympic Regatta at Qingdao. One could not decipher the results on the official website for the Pre-Olympic Regatta and the official news releases did not give much idea of what happened on the water. Fortunately, Yachting Australia had the foresight to send a media person, Nicole Brown, to Qingdao and she sent back regular and informative news releases of the Australian performances (two gold, a silver and a bronze medal). In these days of emailing, clubs who make an effort to 1) advise their local and national media of an upcoming championship event or major regatta; 2) find a club member willing to write a short report and email this and results (top 5 or 10) to the media; 3) upload lo-res photos to web sites, will find their event gets the coverage it deserves. * From Doran Cushing, St. Petersburg, FL: (edited to the 250-word limit) When the concept of a sailing magazine for the southern states became a reality in 1993 as Southwinds Magazine, I thought my job would be easy. Just tell all the yacht clubs I wanted their NORs, their schedules, and their results, and I would be swamped with content for publication. Nine years later, the struggle for results remains the norm, with timely support being the exception. As I continue to compete in events in the south as well as the northeast, I find little has changed. We arrive at a skipper's meeting and there are no written sailing instructions - the competitors had to hand-write the lat/lon of the multiple marks which might be used. Results are a mystery hours and hours after racing has concluded. And we've paid a healthy sum for the honor of competing. The common bailout is "they're volunteers." But that does nothing for the skippers and crews who have spent a pile of money, dedicated precious personal time, and expect only what the program promises...fair racing. The participants are "volunteers" also, but we don't expect to get away with incompetent crew, misinformation, and whimsical decisions by a RC. The ongoing commentary on Scuttlebutt about the lack of active websites and timely results is a true indicator of why the sailing and racing community is struggling. Teens with no common sense can post timelier, more readable, more valuable information on Myspace.com than many of the sailing clubs and organizations in the U.S. Go figure... * From Amie Boothe, Annapolis, MD: I read your comments (in Issue 2424) on publicity and regattas and I have taken over the task of doing PR for an upcoming event for the 505 fleet here in Annapolis. The 505 North Americans is being hosted at Severn Sailing Association on October 15-19th and I need help getting the word out and getting more boats registered. We've been hitting all the 505 list-serves but I would like to post a brief press release on Scuttlebutt about the regatta. Would this be possible? Also, I will work on getting a brief update sent to you all for posting on Scuttlebutt during the event. It’s going to be a great regatta and we're hoping to get a good turnout. Also, I would like to mention that we are doing skipper/crew match-ups for anyone looking to sail and we are helping people find boats to charter. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: We thought we would print Amie’s letter to give her extra credit for stepping up. Look for details on the event in Issue 2426. * From Frank Lawson, Port Ludlow, WA: (from a story in Issue 2424) The no-show of Bertarelli and Butterworth at the Farr 40 Worlds awards ceremony is the epitome of poor sportsmanship. Double B Ltd. seems to have mistaken the sport of sailing with the business of sailing. * From Buck Downes: Does Brad Butterworth need to spend some time in front of a mirror? With the AC brouhaha and now his Farr 40 tantrum, I guess the money is worth the loss of respect. Jump Brad, Jump! * From Kent Gardam: This quote from the ACM's Michel Hodara is interesting: "The Protocol is the result of many meetings and discussions with the Challenger of Record and its representatives, which lasted most of the duration of the 32nd AC Match." Which leads one to wonder, if the Challenger of Record did not exist as a yacht club or an entity until just a few days prior to the completion of the 32nd Match, how was the ACM able to meet with its representatives during most of the duration of that match? And a further question on which the court can rule: did SNG breach its fiduciary responsibility to the beneficiaries of the trust (yacht clubs that meet the requirements of the deed) by self-dealing with a sham challenger? Over to you, Judge Cahn. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read English. Special thanks to Vanguard Sailboats and Morris Yachts. |
