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SCUTTLEBUTT 3364 - Thursday, June 16, 2011Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors,providing a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: Ullman Sails, IYRS, and Gladestone’s Long Beach. LIFTING THE FOG Since winning the America’s Cup in February 2010, the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) has held the pedal to the medal with their efforts to reinvent the series for the 2013 Match. But once the rubber hit the road, economic reality has forced changes to keep the plan afloat. Here is an update announced today by the GGYC: TEAMS: Nine teams remain among the 15 teams that had initially entered on March 31st. Each of the surviving teams is to have submitted payment for the AC45 catamaran that will be used in the America’s Cup World Series events that will be hosted in 2011 and 2012. The teams are... Defender - 1 Oracle Racing, Golden Gate Yacht Club (USA) Challenger - 8 Aleph-Equipe de France, Aleph Yacht Club (FRA) Artemis Racing, Kungliga Svenska Segal Sallskapet (SWE) China Team, Mei Fan Yacht Club (CHN) Emirates Team New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZL) Energy Challenge, Yacht Club de France (FRA) Venezia Challenge, Club Canottieri Roggero di Lauria (ITA) White Tiger Challenge, Sail Korea Yacht Club (ROK) One additional challenge entry to be revealed June 23. Among the challenging nations, Republic of Korea is new to the America’s Cup, while China is entering for just the second time. WORLD SERIES: The nine competitors will face-off for the first time August 6-14 at the inaugural America’s Cup World Series event in Cascais, Portugal where a fleet of ten AC45s will do battle in both fleet and match racing. Oracle Racing will enter two teams in the 2011 AC World Series. The second stop on the circuit will be Plymouth, England on September 10-18, followed by the final stop in 2011 in San Diego, USA on November 12-20. Full report: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-061511 WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION Jessica Mohler is a clinical and sports psychologist, and a sailing mom too. In this article, Mohler provides an interesting outlook on parenting youth athletes from a sailing perspective and makes recommendations that will help you build a strong foundation for your youth sailor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I am a sailor. I started at sailing camp at the age of 10. I competed in Lasers during high school and as a varsity sailor in college. I went on to teach and coach the sport to children and adults. My current sailing endeavors include crewing on a J-22. Along the way I became a clinical and sport psychologist. I have now taken on my most challenging role, being a parent of a child who is interested in sport, including sailing. If you are reading this, there is a good chance you are a parent who enjoys the sport of sailing and wants the best for your child, whether that means simply learning how to sail, or competing in sailboat racing. Sailing is a skill that when taught at a young age can become a lifelong sport and hobby. While parents want their children to succeed, providing guidance can be challenging and there is never one right answer. I hope these recommendations will help you build a strong foundation for your youth sailor, not only for competing at a high level, but also to develop a lifelong enjoyment of sailing. Sport psychologists agree that sport participation can help children learn important lessons, however, they also agree that it is not the sport itself, but the people who surround the child in the sport, such as parents, coaches, teammates, competitors and administrators, who build character in our children. Building a foundation for excellence as an athlete and as an adult, in many ways, can take the same path. In fact sailing provides a great analogy for this process of development. If you think about a day of sailing, many of the decisions you make as you get ready and sail to your destination are similar to raising your child. First, you choose where you are going, and gather information about the weather, the current, the time you have and the distance. Similarly setting goals, deciding where you are going and what is important while thinking about what is realistic for your child factoring in his or her abilities is an important step. You pack all your gear for the day, selecting what is necessary for a day sail, just as your child builds his abilities and skills that are consistent with his goals as a sailor. You decide who is going to take the tiller, and as the parent you decide when to let your child steer or when it is best that you take the helm through a narrow channel. Just as you provide guidance and rules for your child, parents need to know when to let their child be independent and when he needs you to intervene to provide guidance. -- Read on: http://racing.ussailing.org/Parents/Developing_Youth_Sailors.htm MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF QUALITY SAILS & SERVICE Ullman Sails has been dedicated to building performance sails for over 40 years. Our group is a strong collection of international lofts that specialize in serving their local markets. With a rich combination of experienced designers and skilled sailmakers worldwide, we ensure every Ullman Sails customer benefits from our international collaboration. No matter your sailing goals, we can answer your questions and customize a plan to fit your budget. So whether you’re contemplating an addition to this season’s race wardrobe or need the most durable sail inventory for your upcoming cruise, make sure you invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com. RECREATIONAL BOATING FATALITIES AT RECORD LOW (June 14, 2011) - The U.S. Coast Guard released its official 2010 Recreational Boating Statistics today. Total fatalities fell to 672, the lowest number on record. Coast Guard officials, while heartened by the drop, were quick to caution that this number remains unacceptably high. They noted that the 2010 total is only slightly lower than the 676 deaths in 2004, the previous record low; but 26 deaths lower than the average number of fatalities for the last 10 years. Total reported accidents were 4,604 in 2010, down from 4,730 in 2009, while injuries totaled 3,153, down from 3,358. Property damage was estimated at $35 million. "We're glad to see the numbers decline," said Rear Admiral Kevin Cook, Director of Prevention Policy for the U. S. Coast Guard, "but the real tragedy is that so many of these deaths are needless and could have been prevented had boaters taken some simple steps. I am optimistic that the number of deaths and injuries can continue to be reduced further because of the strong commitment to safe boating from our partners in the States, non-government advocacy groups, and the boating industry." Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed, and alcohol use rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as the leading factor in 19% of the deaths. COMING TO AMERICA The Extreme Sailing Season is embarking on its fifth season, and is now heading Boston in the USA - the first time the circuit has staged an official event in the United States. Sailed in Extreme 40 catamarans, the nine event tour will travel through Asia, Europe, and North America this year. The 2011 ESS has grown in part due to the multihull format planned for the 34th America’s Cup in 2013. The Boston event will be staged at Fan Pier as part of the Boston Harborfest celebrations and it is lining up to be a very special event. Taking place from Thursday, 30th June to Monday, 4th July, every day is open to the public and there will be plenty of attractions. The 11-boat Extreme 40 fleet will showcase their close combat ‘stadium’ style of racing in front of the spectators at Fan Pier, a 21-acre site on Boston’s waterfront spanning nine city blocks. The Extreme 40s will be supported by 49er racing, Laser and J22s racing for the official charity Courageous Sailing, fireworks, live music and street performers, and aerial demos from the Red Bull Air Force skydivers. Media partner Boston’s Fox25 TV will be capturing all the action as part of their scheduled live programming from Fan Pier. After three events in Muscat (Oman), Qingdao (China) and Istanbul (Turkey), three different teams have so far claimed victories - Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Muscat), Luna Rossa (Qingdao) and Artemis Racing (Istanbul) skippered by American Terry Hutchinson. Current season leader is Groupe Edmond de Rothschild followed by Emirates Team New Zealand , and Artemis Racing. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/ESS-061511 OUT ON THE STUMP The Snipe, a hard chine two person racing dinghy designed in 1931, is taking their show on the road. Their promotion plan, ‘The Traveling Snipe Fleet’, is being run by the USA Snipe Sailboat Class, and after one month is already making a positive impact. Don Hackbarth, Fleet Administrator, explained that “the program involves a coach/Class Rep traveling the USA in a van with 3 boats, presenting the Snipe sailboat to people not previously exposed to the product. Clinics are held during the week to allow multiple people to ‘test drive’ and on the weekend the boats are made available to prospects for a regatta.” The Fleet started out in Miami in mid May with its shake down and introduction at the USA Masters Championship, and then traveled to Dallas for several clinics and a regatta during the week leading up to the 75th Southwestern Snipe Championship hosted by Snipe Fleet # 1 on Memorial Day weekend. As an immediate result of this exposure, one participant bought a Snipe and another decided to participate in the next major Snipe Regatta where the Traveling Snipe Fleet was heading, in Annapolis, MD for the Colonial Cup Regatta. Again several clinics were held and the boats were made available for use in the Colonial Cup. The results in Annapolis were encouraging also, with one father and son team looking to buy a boat and other teams planning follow-up test drives. This past week the Fleet headed to Surf City, NJ for an introduction clinic and a regatta. “The boats are being used at capacity,” reports Austin Kana, Fleet Coach and Class Rep, “and the response of those exposed to the Snipe product and membership has been extremely positive.” Lee Griffith, past Commodore of the Class and host for the Surf City Regatta, sees the program as possibly the best marketing and promotion plan the class has ever had. “I know that is a strong statement and it is premature, but so far so good,” said Griffith. “Boats are full and full of the right people....young experienced sailors from other classes who are sailing the boat and going....Wow, this Snipe is pretty cool.....” The Traveling Snipe Fleet will continue through this summer working up the northeast coast and then heading west to the Midwest. For more information on the Traveling Snipe Fleet and the USA Snipe Sailboat Class, visit http://www.sailingsnipes.org or contact Don Hackbarth at dhackbar@bellsouth.net SUMMER SCHOOL AT IYRS While full-time students at IYRS are off enjoying summer, the school’s faculty and facilities are made available to marine professionals and serious enthusiasts who want to deepen their knowledge about classic and modern boats and their systems. Summer Continuing Education courses at IYRS cover a wide range of topics: from composites repair and refinishing, to surveying wooden and composite-construction boats, to lofting and learning about alternative and hybrid power systems. Courses are one- or two-day, 9-to-5 sessions so individuals from outside the area can pair a trip to Rhode Island with a valuable educational opportunity. Learn more at: http://tinyurl.com/IYRS-Summer-School-2011 SAILING SHORTS * The 2011 Great Lakes Championship Series calendar has been finalized by the Offshore Racing Rule Owners Association (ORROA), consisting of five great events to bring the best Great Lakes racers together and be scored in a single series. ORROA, in cooperation with the Offshore Racing Association (ORA) and Offshore Racing Rule (ORR), developed the series for Great Lakes sailors and hopes to offer similar series on both coasts. ORROA hopes that by encouraging the use of a common, objective rule, participation in regattas will increase across the country. -- Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12050 * Tuscany, Italy (June 15, 2011) - Due to the multiple flight schedule needed for the 273 competitors at the Finn World Masters in championship, the top two boats finally got to race each other head to head today in an individual heat. Defending World Masters Champion Michael Maier (CZE) now has small advantage over Allen Burrell (GBR), though both are still tied on four points, and they have a one point lead over Thomas Moerup Petersen (DEN) and Uli Breuer (GER) who both won their heats. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/Finn-061511 * (June 15, 2011) - With eight races completed after three days of competition at the Sunfish World Championship, Matheus Dellagnelo (BRA) has stretched his lead over the 72 boat fleet in Curaçao. Sixteen countries are represented. Racing concludes on Friday. --Event website: http://www.sunfishworlds2011.com * Marseille, France (June 15, 2011) - The second stop of the five event TP 52Audi MedCup Circuit opened today with Quantum Racing leading the Marseille Trophy on countback, sharing the same points aggregate as Bribon. Quantum Racing recovered from a poor start in race one to finish fourth, and then convincingly won the second race of the day. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/MedCup-061511 EIGHT BELLS The sailing world lost a great friend the night of June 13. Surrounded by his family, Walter Fischer passed away peacefully in his sleep after a two year battle with cancer. Walter joined luxury retailer Little Switzerland in St Thomas in 1961. Starting as a watchmaker, he rose to become President and CEO. In 1989, he joined Rolex as head of sales for the Caribbean and Latin America. In 1999, he was named President and CEO of Rolex Watch USA. While in St Thomas, Walter was responsible for the creation of the International Rolex Regatta in 1972. It has long been known as the "Jewel of the Caribbean." in the early 80s, Walter and a group of friends brought the first J/24 to the Caribbean. He also served as the head of the Race Committee and Commodore of St. Thomas YC. Walter sailed all kinds of boats from steering his J/24 Sting to grinding winches on a maxi, which he always referred to as "grind til you puke." As President of Rolex US, Walter expanded the company's relationship with the New York YC, of which he was a proud member; many aspects of US SAILING, including sailors with disabilities; Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week and Collegiate Regatta; the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta; and the Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis YC. Perhaps Walter's greatest joy was watching his 8 year old granddaughter, Caroline, sail her Opti off the beach at the St. Thomas YC. Details for donation: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12049 LONG ON LONG BEACH As host of the sailing events at the 1984 Olympics, Long Beach has long been considered the premier sailing venue of Southern California. And when the sailing ends, the sailors go to the region’s number one restaurant: Gladestone’s. As host to the Congressional Cup, Farr 40 North Americans, and Los Angeles to Hawaii Transpac race - and seeking to host a 2012 America’s Cup World Series event - Gladestone’s Long Beach tops a good day of sailing with large portions of fresh seafood, grilled steaks and chops, healthy salads, and eye-opening desserts. Details at http://www.gladstoneslongbeach.com and http://www.facebook.com/GladstonesLongBeach CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Jun 15-19 - J Class Regatta - Newport, RI, USA Jun 17-26 - Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race - Marion, MA, USA Jun 18-25 - ORC Offshore World Championship - Cres, Croatia Jun 19-24 - Dallas Race Week - Rockwall, TX, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * GeoRacing: Watch your favorites races in 3D Live * West Marine Awards $30,000 in Marine Conservation Grants * Bavaria Yachts USA sponsors 19th Annapolis Leukemia Cup Regatta View and/or post Industry News updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer, USSTAG: I completely agree with Craig’s article (Freely Pursuing All Types of Sailing, Scuttlebutt 3563) about the young girl at the Etchells Worlds. I was being interviewed last week by people from Sperry Top-Siders and was asked who inspired me, what was a favorite memory, why I got so hooked on sailing, etc. Besides being surrounded by all the talented sailors at San Diego Yacht Club, I was brought back to racing by my dad and his friends on Lehmans, local handicap events, and especially some of the Southern California cruising options. Sailing is so encompassing and such a lifelong sport. If you only see the 10 to 15 year olds racing in the junior series you miss 80 percent of what sailing is all about. I am so glad that this is being discussed, and to hear about how this has gotten a little girl stoked on sailing! * From Chip Pitcairn: (re, Etchells Worlds story in Scuttlebutt 3563) I will never forget sailing on a Star in the Sugar Bowl regatta at Southern Yacht Club. I was a pick up crew with a skipper I didn't know; I was 16 and about 140 pounds, not exactly ideal Star crew. We won the class and Roy Trundle, my skipper, told me to go to the award presentation, pick up the trophy and he said I should keep it. I remember how proud I was. That was in 1971 and that trophy still sits in a place of honor in my home, and reminds me of how much a gesture like that means to a young person. I bet that girl will remember that trophy in 40 years. * From John Schimert: There are many self absorbed and acutely self absorbed characters in sailing. Your two articles in Scuttlebutt 3563 appear to place you among the later. Generally, I believe you do a great job with Scuttlebutt. However, today you chose hubris over humility. * From Jim Champ: Interesting to note Carrie Howe's comment (in Scuttlebutt 3563) that mixed catamaran sailing is not a common practice. Every country's sailing scene is different of course, but looking at some Championship results from the UK it seems that over here it is - at least in the more moderate sized classes. At this year’s Dart 18 Champs, for instance, of 78 entries, if I am matching name to sex correctly, 42 had male helms and female crews, 4 had female helms and male crews, and one had an all female crew, leaving 31 with all male crews, so actually a majority of mixed crews. The similar sized Spitfire class, which carries a spinnaker, from 27 boats seems to have had 9 male helm/female crew, 2 female helm/male crew, one all female and 15 all male crews. Once you look at more powerful boats like the F18 the numbers of women sailing appear to diminish significantly. * From Peter W. Grimm: After viewing the video of the AC 45 capsizing several times on Fox News this morning, I may have a new sailing term for modern times... "CAPSAPAULT" Here is the video if you have missed it: http://youtu.be/x1MOsI1BfbM * From Tom Arthur, NZ: Regarding the article by Steve Pyatt in Scuttlebutt 3362 on handicapping, congratulations to the NZ Zephyr fleet for coming up with such a simple system. In hindsight it seems so obvious that I wonder how I have never dreamed of this myself. I am involved with two dinghy classes and also with radio controlled yachting, and find that some regattas are reluctant to record times and with RC yachting that is an impossibility, so handicapping has always been a subject of much debate. This system will solve all that. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION I know all good things must come to an end; I just want to know when they start. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Quantum Sails - BIC Sport - North Sails - Gowrie Group LaserPerformance - APS - Morris Yachts - US SAILING Ullman Sails - IYRS - Gladstone's Long Beach - USSTAG - Harken Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
