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SCUTTLEBUTT 2163 - August 21, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.TESTING, TESTING, TESTING . . . As well as the sailing stars on the Qingdao waters, the first Olympic Test Event will also give the Race Officials team their first big challenge in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games. In November 2005 ISAF International Race Officers (IRO) were invited to apply for the ITO pool from which the members of the ISAF Olympic Race Management Team at the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition will be selected. The ITA pool was finalized earlier this year, and it is from this that the Race Management team for the Qingdao International Regatta has been selected. Twenty IROs will form the Race Management Team at the regatta from 18-31 August, with Charley Cook (USA) appointed to oversee the team.The 20 IRO’s in Qingdao come together from 17 different nations and include representatives from Asia, Europe, Oceania and North and South America. The team is packed full of names well known throughout the sailing world. Cook brings a wealth of experience as an IRO, ISAF International Judge and ISAF International Umpire. He was a member of the Jury at the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2002-2003 Louis Vuitton Cup and is also a member of the ISAF Council and ISAF Race Management Sub-Committee. With the new Medal Race format calling for on the water umpiring for the final races, the International Jury will face an additional set of challenges in Qingdao. David Tillett (AUS) will act as an experienced head at the helm of the Jury, having been Chairman of the Jury at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and he has already been chosen for the same role at the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition and at next year's Test Event. Other North American IROs chosen to be a part of this event include Peter Reggio (USA), David Sprague (CAN) and Paul Ulibarri (CAN). (Complete list of IROs: http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6~Fh?jkB) As a Test Event, the objective is literally to 'test' all facilities and systems, both on shore and on the water, from race management to security, first aid to athlete services - all elements of the competition and venue management will be put through their paces and evaluated. The regatta is taking place at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre, located at the former Beihai Dockyard on Fushan Bay in East New Zone of Qingdao, China. While some buildings are yet to be completed for use, such as the media centre and the Athletes Village, the main venues are all complete and ready to host an Olympic Sailing Competition. The Athletes Village, which will house all the athletes and team officials, is still being constructed but is due to be completed and operational for the 2007 Test Event. Post-Olympics it will be taken over by a global hotel chain. The Practice Race took place on Sunday, and Monday will see the start of official racing for eight of the eleven Olympic events. Racing will take place over four race courses, with nine days of scheduled competition and two reserve days. The regatta will follow the format of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, with a ten race opening series (15 for the 49er), followed by a Medal Race between the top ten competitors. The Medal Race, scheduled for Wednesday 30 August, will be judged on the water and scored at double points, with letter scores counting double points based on the original fleet size. Representing their nations are a total of 462 athletes, supported by accredited team officials of 223 persons. Almost 50 ISAF Race Officials are in Qingdao, who are working with the National Technical Officials on all the competition areas - race management, jury, measurement. The Qingdao International Regatta has attracted over 300 accredited media, who will arrive at varying times across the duration of the event. A volunteer population of more than 1,000 are providing essential services and support across all functional areas. Many of the volunteers are students, who plan to continue their support through the 2007 Test Event and the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition itself. -- http://www.sailing.org TEAM USA Anna Tunnicliffe has been selected by her teammates to carry the Stars and Stripes at the opening ceremony of the Qingdao International Regatta on Sunday night. “The Olympic venue is still getting its finishing touches and we don't move onto the site until Saturday,” Tunnicliffe said. “Until then, we're based at the Yinhai International Yacht Club which, itself, was only built three years ago. Although the venue is off limits, there was a practice session for the flag bearers which meant that I got a sneak peek at all the work the Chinese have put in to create the new waterfront facility. It's very cool, quite awesome. “I got in some good sailing practice yesterday, about two and a half hours in a breeze that varied between eight and 15 knots. This was an offshore breeze which is not the normal condition for Qingdao, but that always happens. I trained with Brad Funk and Andrew Campbell, the two US Team Laser contestants, and worked on upwind and downwind speed and checked the current. There was a very short chop, very much like Santa Monica Bay, if not worse. The current wasn't as strong as the previous day but it was still ripping hard,” Tunnicliffe concluded. -- http://www.annatunnicliffe.com EVEN WE ARE AMAZED.... You know you tend to accumulate gear over the years but even we were amazed with how much stuff we had! Nineteen years worth of gear from our former shop including Catalina, MX-RAY, Laser, Sunfish, Hobie Cat, Prindle, NACRA, Gill, Magic Marine, OS SYSTEMS, cordage, fittings, and much more. We even have a 40' container complete with wiring, lights, outlets and more that would be ideal for a big boat program or mobile rigging shop! Some of it’s on e-bay this week http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ50QQsassZgoodgearlowprice or e-mail us at mailto:DryArmour@aol.com with what you are looking for and we'll check our inventory. LITTLE BROTHER (The Daily Sail subscription website took a look at the first GP 42 launched and drew some interesting conclusions. Here’s an excerpt from a story posted on their website.) As a cost cutting measure the GP 42 rule was written to minimize crew numbers by limiting total crew weight to 720kg (1587 pounds) or eight bodies. This amounts to less crew weight for its size than a TP 52 and so the boat is more tender. One crewman described the boat as being "athletic" to sail because of the crew limitation. According to Patrick Shaughnessy, Farr Yacht Design VP, the GP 42 is slightly quicker than the TP 52 for its length: "It is in a similar design space - volume for length, wetted surface for length, but it is slightly more powerful. Whenever you have a slightly smaller boat it planes slightly earlier, so it will be an exciting boat." Another difference is between the rules themselves in that the GP 42 doesn't rely on the IMS measurement system to determine its stability whereas the TP 52 does. Instead the GP 42 has its own inclining test, similar to the IMS, based on a fixed weighted distance being applied to the boat. Thus whenever the IMS rule changes the TP 52s are locked in to changing with it, which is one reason why plans are afoot for the TP 52s to get their own independent rule written. The major difference between the GP 42 and the TP 52 is one of price. While a TP 52 costs around 1.5 million Euros (US$1,921,000) to get on the start line, the Latini-built 42 is less than one third of that. -- http://www.thedailysail.com SCOW CHAMPIONSHIPS The 11-day Inland Lake Yachting Association’s championships attracted 224 scows to Lake Geneva. Sixty-five year old Gordy Bowers won his first ILYA E Scow Championship despite being the bridesmaid many times. Sailing with his brother and nephew, the family won the 5-race event with a total 12 points. Collegiate All-American Jamie Kimball took the MC fleet title. Emily Green with Miles Clark of Madison, WI took the I-20 title. The M-16s were won by Pewaukee’s Paul Reinecke and Kate Tornehl. Minnetonka’s Tom Burton with owner Brad Robinson won the A Open title. The ILYA Championships concluded with C Scows celebrating their Centennial year with an 81-boat fleet competing three days. Lake Geneva’s Sam Rogers and Jamie Kimball won their first ILYA C Championship by two points over Okauchee’s Steve Schmidt and John Ritter. Lake Beulah’s Martin Barr and Ben Porter took third. The C Centennial Celebration featured a dinner feting past champs which included past Rolex winners Jane Pegel and Buddy Melges. It was announced that Jerry Huse, the oldest returning Champ who sailed, had his sail number P-1 retired from his home lake of Okoboji. IA. Complete results: http://www.lgyc.com Pictorial review: http://www.patdunsworth.com KING OF THE MOUNTAIN Paolo Cian won his first World Match Racing Tour championship when he defeated Ed Baird in the final of the 4th annual St. Moritz Match Race. Cian won the series 2-1, which was halted when the 4:00 pm time limit passed. After Baird got the series to 2-1, the winds started shifting wildly. The race committee tried three times to get a start going but had to postpone each one when the wind shifted an inordinate amount as a thunderstorm passed. When the storm was over the wind shifted 180 degrees, from the south to the north, and went light as the skies cleared. The time was 3:30 pm and the race committee worked quickly to reset the course and get another start, but the wind was too light to attempt anything. Cian and his Team Viano Mercedes Benz crew Pierluigi Fornelli and Nello Pavoni finished with a 13-6 record and won SFr 32,000 (approximately $25,000) of the SFr 150,000 (approx. $121,000) prize purse. He also won the new “King of the Mountain” trophy, a 45-pound piece of granite from Maloja Valley south of St. Moritz. A weighty trophy, Cian nearly toppled when he picked it up. They earned this championship, advancing out of the Repechage Round and then defeating the three Alinghi helmsmen – Peter Holmberg, 2-1, in the quarterfinals, Jochen Schuemann, 2-0, in the semifinals and Baird – in successive rounds. The World Tour resumes action on October 10-15 with the $50,000 Bermuda Gold Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda. -- Sean McNeill, http://www.WorldMatchRacingTour.com St. Moritz Match Race Final Standings: 1. Paolo Cian (ITA) 13-6, (approx. $25,000) 2. Ed Baird (USA) 10-5, (approx. $17,800) 3. Mark Mendelblatt (USA) 9-5, (approx. $14,500) 4. Jochen Schuemann (GER) 8-5, (approx. $12,100) 5. Ian Ainslie (RSA) 8-8, (approx. $10,500) 6. Peter Holmberg (ISV) 8-3, (approx. $8,900) 7. Eric Monnin (SUI) 6-4, (approx. $7,600) 8. Sébastian Col (FRA) 3-7, (approx. $6,800) 9. Peter Gilmour (AUS) 3-8, (approx. $4,800) 10. Ian Williams (GBR6-5, (approx. $4,000) 11. Philippe Presti (FRA) Luna Rossa Challenge, 6-7, SFr4,000 (approx. $3,200) 12. Flavio Favini (ITA) 3-8, (approx. $2,400) FARR 40 WORLDS: RIGGED FOR COMPETITION The Farr 40 Worlds has again attracted a big fleet including the world's top names in keelboat sailing. As the hottest one design keelboat regatta in the world, much interest will be focused on the new boats recently launched for the regatta. Southern Spars has been chosen as the new rig supplier for the Farr 40 and recently delivered their first batch of rigs for the worlds. Southern Spars One Design specialise in building high performing, consistent one design products including; carbon spinnaker poles, sprits, sail battens, composite stanchions and tubing. For the latest One Design products, visit http://www.southernspars.com BIG FINALE The Narragansett Bay Yachting Association held its 30th annual Junior Olympic Festival in the waters off of Ft. Getty Park, Jamestown, Rhode ISland, from August 14th - 16th. A total of nine classes and 312 sailors from around New England and as far away as Chicago competed in challenging conditions ranging from light to heavy with a healthy dose of current to boot. Opti sailor Lucas Adams won the Peg Read Trophy for best sailor of the week in a tie-breaker with fellow Opti sailor Nick Johnstone. Other top finishers: Optimist Blue Fleet: Katia DaSilva Optimist Red Fleet: Lucas Adams [Overall Optimist Winner] Optimist White Fleet: Hugh MacGillivray Optimist Green Fleet: Oliver Booth Laser Standard: Michael Marshall Laser Radial: Peter Largess Laser 4.7: Paige McClatchy Club 420, Division I: Natalie Salk & Hadley Neale Club 420, Division II: William Hluchan & Ryan Shea SAILING SHORTS * Mike Martin collected seven bullets in the 11 race, 27-boat 505 NAs at St. Francis YC, and in the process scored a seven point win over Nick Adamson. Kevin Taugher placed third with Boris Herrmann and Mike Holt filling out the top five. -- http://tinyurl.com/mtgks * Fifty four boats from five different countries sailed at the Snipe North Americans at Gull Lake near Richland, Michigan. Six races were completed over the 3 day event with Augie Diaz beating out Ernesto Rodrigez by nine places in the last race to win by 3/4 of a point. Brian Bissell was third, Hal Gilreath fourth, and Henry Filter fifth. --http://www.glyc.org/ * Matt Burridge successfully defended his Lightning Class North American Championship at Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego, California. Sailing with his long-time crew, Dan and Tobi Moriarty, Burridge proved to be very fast and very smart in the changing and challenging conditions. Burridge was followed in the standings by Turhune, Jeff Linton, David Starck, and Larry MacDonald. In the President’s Cup Fleet, Nick Farina and his crew, Ashley Jerman and Mike Ledger won by three points over Terry Burke. -- http://www.lightningclass.org * Michael Karas has scored a two point victory over Mitch Hall in the 16-boat U.S. Singlehanded Sailing Championship for the George O'Day Trophy. Benjamin Richardson finished in third place followed by Chris Branning and Teddy Himler at the six race Laser regatta sailed at the Milwaukee YC. -- http://www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/ussc/ * The World Sailing Speed Racing Council has just ratified a record that will likely stand for quite a while. It’s hard to imagine that there are many hearty adventurers thinking of challenging the new Yokohama to San Francisco record in the “20-foot Sport -Singlehanded’ category. ‘Yachts’ in this category must be a maximum 20 ft overall and have no inside accommodations. Alessandro Di Benedetto (ITA) established the ‘initial record in this category for his recent June 10 to August 11 passage -- 62 days 17 hours 51 minutes 55 seconds. * Seven hundred sailors from around the world have come to CORK in Kingston, to compete in Bytes. Laser, Laser 4.7, Laser Radials, C II, Club 420, 29er’s, Laser II and International 14. This is a continuation of the traditional CORK Sail Week, as the Offshore, Optimist and Youth-Fest regattas have just concluded. Racing was delayed about an hour but got underway light rain and fog on most courses around eleven o’clock and the sailors managed to get in three races on several of the courses. -- http://www.cork.org “MAN OVERBOARD!” The best just became more affordable. SeaMarshall announces a new, permanently mounted, direction-finding receiver, the SarFinder 1003. At about half the price of similar man-overboard homing receivers, the SarFinder is the perfect match for your SeaMarshall water-activated man-overboard beacons. (Works with other brands, too!) For information: Chip Barber mailto:admin@chabrber.com; http://www.chbarber.com/seamarshall.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thought at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Keith Taylor: Bravo for providing Hydroptère (Video of the Week - Scuttlebutt 2162) with a little exposure to the US sailing public. I've followed this incredible project for years and never ceased to be amazed at the drive, dedication and tenacity of its creator Alain Thébault and his team. The work was initiated through the vision of the legendary Eric Tabarly way back in 1976. The first prototype was sailing nine years later. On my last visit to the Paris Boat Show, nine or ten years ago, there was the current version, all spidery 60 feet of floats and foils, suspended from the boom of a monster crane and floating high over the show entrance, gleaming white like a Starfighter in the glare of spotlights and moving gently in the breeze. The goosebumps I experienced had nothing to do with the cool winter air. The team is now up to version five or six of the current 60-footer and working hard on plans for a bigger maxi-version. It's in French, of course, but click on the little Union Jack at the top right corner of the home page to see much of the content in English. The official web site is http://www.hydroptere.com/ * From Bill Menninger: Right on Vann Wilson - I agree. Those old guys must be on something to even want to sail a Laser in the Berkeley circle. And congrats to Tracy Usher as he's getting pretty ancient as well! And enough already on the Disney stuff regarding sailing from Hawaii to Los Angeles. That will make good seamen and delivery skippers out of these guys, but I agree with the original testament, it won’t fine tune their ability to beat other TP52s to Hawaii. * From John Oliver: I hope Vann Wilson wasn't being serious in his comments about Peter Seidenberg and others of his age. I knew, and sailed with (against) Peter in Toronto in the first Laser fleet there at the Water Rats club (sail numbers like 9397) in the very early seventies. I know I did , and believe Peter also attended the first world championship in Bermuda, which was won by Peter Comette, who still sails (Snipes, the last time I saw him in Florida more than fifteen years ago) . Incidentally Paul Henderson sailed in Finn and Albacores at that time, he always called himself "the last of the sit on the side brigade". I still sail, here in Belize even manage to teach some sea scouts some of the basic skills, and race in the annual harbour regatta. Maybe we're not quite as intense as the younger, I almost have to say "semi-pro" Olympic sailors of today, but we still have the skills and mostly, the health and stamina to keep on going. Curmudgeon’s Comment: Trust me -- Vann had his tongue firmly planted in his cheek when he wrote his comments about the Laser Great Grand Masters. * From John Stovall (In response to Mr. McCarthy's editorial on fun in sailing ): All Gene need do is go back twenty years and head to the Yacht Club next door. Columbia Yacht Club, Chicago, sponsored one of the best examples of a fun regatta that I have ever experienced - ever! Every Wednesday evening everyone on the dock got to sail and "somehow" we had a start. Did not matter what direction wind was from - course was from start to "8 Mile Buoy" (nobody ever figured out where it was 8 miles from!) and back. Somebody in the bar kept "secret" sorta PHRF like ratings and by the time we got back to the dock a winner had been crowned & beer was distributed to winners. Buy winning you "earned" a couple second "subtract" from your rating for the next week. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATIONS It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions. Special thanks to DryArmour, Southern Spars, and CH Barber. |
