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SCUTTLEBUTT 2811- Monday, March 30, 2009Scuttlebutt 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. Today's sponsors are JK3 Nautical Enterprises, Governor's Cup Regatta, and Ribcraft. FASTNET AND FINANCE In August 1979, a summer storm of unusual strength formed in the American Midwest and rolled east. It slammed through a fleet of small yachts racing near Newport, R.I., capsizing several. Then it crossed the Atlantic, where it intercepted 300 boats racing in the biennial Fastnet Regatta, a 600-mile race around Fastnet Light, perched on a rock off the rugged southern coast of Ireland. The result was disaster. The storm's 60-mile-per-hour winds kicked up unusually steep, 20-foot waves in the relatively shallow waters of the Celtic Sea, conditions few of the sailboats were designed to handle. Many capsized, and more than a few rolled completely over, leaving sailors aboard dismasted hulks vulnerable to the crashing waves. The Royal Navy mounted its largest-ever peacetime rescue effort to pluck sailors from their sinking boats, but still, 17 died. Was recklessness to blame? Yes, but so was regulation. Many of the stricken yachts had been designed to comply with the then-new International Offshore Rule (IOR), which encouraged boats that were fat in the middle and carried their ballast up high, close to the waterline. -- Dan Fisher, Forbes, read on: http://linkbee.com/MNVJ MATT STRUBLE: 3-TIME DN WORLD CHAMPION The DN is the largest iceboat class in the world, and American Matt Struble has won the class world championships for the past three years. Scuttlebutt checked in with this master of the hardwater: * Tell us about your iceboating roots. Matt Struble: “I have been sailing ice boats for 28 years. This seems hard to believe even for myself because I am only 35 years old. Ice boating has always been DN's for me as it is for most sailors in the winter. The DN class is without a question the strongest and most competitive sailing class in the winter. Growing up on the water in Michigan with a family that sailed, made it all too easy to learn ice boating. My father and I started ice boating when I was 7 and from there on, it was a passion for both of us. We built everything we sailed in the early years, making a trip to the lumber store was something special to me. I think growing up with ice boating and sailing in my life at such an early age, has corrupted my soul. For basically my entire life, sailing has been the greatest desire and enjoyment of my life.” * How would you describe DN racing to a softwater sailor? Matt Struble: “Be prepared to make decisions fast. If you have thought about tacking on the header, you have missed it. It is a sailing machine that you become one with. Just by design you lay down on your back inside the hull. It suits sailors who can feel the boat and make strong tactical decisions.” * If you are to simplify DN racing, what are the key elements to succeed? Matt Struble: “Runners and rigs. Have your runners in alignment and a mast sail combination that will get you through the gears. Regattas are won in a variety of conditions, so be fast on average.” -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0328 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Look for the second part of my interview with Matt in Scuttlebutt 2812. JK3 NAUTICAL ENTERPRISES, INC. BROKERAGE FOCUS. Stark Raving Mad IV is by far the best J/125 available. From its Fitzgerald racing bottom and kelp cutter, faired to a grand prix level, this Rod Johnstone designed boat is the best equipped J/125 around. SRM IV has won numerous races both in California, Mexico, and Key West, to name a few. It recently won the Newport to Cabo race with first overall and first in its class. SRM IV also won in its class in Key West 2008 and has many other regatta trophies to boast about. This boat is ready to win Transpac 2009 so contact Jeff Brown today at 619.709.0697 for a viewing of this incredible machine! -- http://www.jk3yachts.com * Here’s a direct link for SRM IV info: http://linkbee.com/MNVL FIRST TIME NORDIC VICTORY AT CONGRESSIONAL CUP Long Beach, CA (Mar. 28, 2009) - They hugged and slapped high fives, sprayed champagne all over the boat and smiled like the Northern Lights. So much for Swedish reserve, and why not let it all go? Johnie Berntsson and his crew are the first team from Sweden---or all of Scandinavia for that matter---to win the Long Beach Yacht Club's Congressional Cup in its 45 years as a traditional match racing classic. "We are very happy," said Berntsson. "We were very lucky, too." In truth, they made most of their own luck in a remarkable recovery from a mediocre start climaxed by a 2-0 sweep of Italy's Francesco Bruni in the best-of-three finals Saturday. That followed a 2-1 win over France's Mathieu Richard in the semifinals after what appeared to be the Swedes' clinching 24-second victory was tossed out on a damage penalty on Berntsson's pre-start foul. He canceled the foul while drawing one off Richard before the start, but later learned he'd have to do it all over again. -- Read on: http://www.lbyc.org/html/content.cfm?CID=1176# * Terry Hutchinson, posted the top round-robin record at 15-3, but lost to Bruni 2-0 in the semifinals. Hutchinson regrouped to beat Richard 2-0 in the petit finals to finish third overall. Great Britain's Ben Ainslie, who started fast in the round robin but faded later, won the fleet race for non-sailoff teams to collect $1,000 and an Oceanaut watch. Berntsson's won $10,000 and watches for his crew. Bruni won $6,000. NATIONS CUP GRAND FINAL (Mar. 28, 2009) - Skippers Damien Iehl and Claire Leroy led the French teams to repeat success as they triumphed in Porto Alegre, Brazil to win the 2009 ISAF Nations Cup in both Open and Women's divisions. France have again proved themselves a nation of match racing excellence as the teams of Iehl and Leroy both came back from 1-0 deficits to repeat the double success at the last Nations Cup in 2006. The world’s top match racing nations have been put to the test through a series of Regional Finals held around the globe and this week’s Grand Final in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and again it is the French who have prevailed in both competitions. In the two petit finals, Denmark took the bronze medal in the Open division as Mads Ebler defeated Alvaro Marinho (POR) 2-1. Bronze in the Women’s division went to the USA as Beijing Olympic gold medallist Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) overcame Giulia Conti of Italy 2-0. -- Full story: http://www.sailing.org/27685.php INTERNATIONAL ROLEX REGATTA (March 29, 2009) - Hundreds of sailors at the International Rolex Regatta rallied after hard racing yesterday to enjoy a reggae music concert and food fest last night at Yacht Haven Grande, then hit the water today for a final showdown in one of the most spectacular sailing arenas in the Caribbean, if not the world. Today's races --magnificently threading their ways through and around cuts, cays and islands off the east end of St. Thomas, USVI -- finalized winners in six classes: one for IRC, three for CSA (Spinnaker Racing, Spinnaker Racing/Cruising and Non-Spinnaker Racing) and one each for One-Design IC 24s and Beach Cats. The event has been hosted by St. Thomas Yacht Club for 36 years and this year attracted over 60 local and visiting teams from the U.S. and Europe. -- Read on: http://www.regattanews.com/pressrelease.asp?pid=100052&lang=1 => Curmudgeon’s Comment: On behalf of Scuttlebutt, Lynn Fitzpatrick of World Regattas was on-site and posted six reports about the event. Additionally, photographers Ingrid Abery and Pim Van Hemmen have provided Scuttlebutt with images from the event. Here are the links: Stories: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0326 Photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0329 ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MATCH RACE Youth match race competitors are invited to follow in the footsteps of Olympic, America's Cup, and professional match racing circuit leaders by applying to compete in Balboa Yacht Club's 43rd Annual Governor's Cup Regatta, an ISAF Grade 3 event, on July 14-19, 2009 in Newport Beach, California. For information or bid package, email mailto:sailing@balboayachtclub.com or view http://www.govcupracing.com BUILDING A REPUTATION It was 1973 and Killian Bushe, a fresh 18-year-old from Cork, was preparing for a career counting money. "I'd just finished my A-Level exams at school and went to interview with a couple of accountants," he recalls. "Decided I didn't want to be like them." He dropped the idea and started a boat building apprenticeship under his dad, George, at South Coast Boatyard in Cork. Thirty-six years on, he's smiling in the shade of the Delta Lloyd team base in Rio de Janeiro."I'm happy with my decision," he says. History has given him cause to be.If Ericsson 4 hold their position on top of the leaderboard and manage to win this edition of the race, he will have built the last three winners of this event, having also constructed the ABN AMRO twins and illbruck. -- Read on: http://linkbee.com/MNVM * Following Ericsson 3’s leg 3 winning finish last Thursday, the four other boats were finished by Sunday. All the teams except Team Russia are expected to be ready for the Rio de Janeiro In-Port Race on April 4th, with Leg 6 from Rio to Boston (4,900 nm) to begin April 11th, with the teams expected to begin finishing by April 27th. Crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Leg Five began Feb. 14 from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janiero, Brazil (12,300 nm). Finishing positions: 1. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, Finished Mar. 26, 10:37:57 GMT 2. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, Finished Mar. 26, 22:57:44 GMT 3. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, Finished Mar. 27, 04:27:00 GMT 4. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, Finished Mar. 28, 18:59 GMT 5. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, Finished Mar. 29, 03:55:00 GMT Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, Did Not Start Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, DNS Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, DNS Current points standings: 1. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 63.5 points 2. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 53.0 points 3. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 50.5 points 4. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 43.5 points 5. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 39.5 points 6. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 21.0 points 7. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 12.5 points 8. Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, 10.5 points Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com FIRST SAILBOAT TO OUTPACE 50 KNOT MARK Last Thursday night, sailing history was made when Macquarie Innovation powered down the 500 meter course at Sandy Point, Australia at an average speed of 50.43 knots. Macquarie Innovation reached a maximum speed of 54.23 knots (100km/hr) in winds of only 24 knots and became the first sailing boat in the world to complete an official 500 meter run in excess of 50 knots. Macquarie Speed Sailing Team is now preparing the record claim for ratification by the sport’s governing body - the World Sailing Speed Record Council. The final ratified speed is expected to be lowered to 50.08 knots due to tidal variances experienced along the course. -- http://linkbee.com/MNVP JOBSON TO BE NOMINATED AS US SAILING PRESIDENT Portsmouth, R.I. (Mar. 28, 2009) – US SAILING, the national governing body of the sport, announced Saturday at US SAILING’s Annual Spring Meeting in Denver that the Nominating and Governance Committee intends to nominate Gary Jobson of Annapolis, Md. as the organization’s next president. The position of president will be elected by the board of directors at US SAILING’s Annual General Meeting in Houston on October 25, 2009. The US SAILING President serves for a one-year term and a maximum of three consecutive terms. Current US SAILING President Jim Capron, also of Annapolis, Md., has led the organization since November 2006. His term will end at US SAILING’s Annual General Meeting in October 2009. US SAILING members will elect board members by voting electronically in September and October, or in person at the annual general meeting. The new board will meet immediately to elect the new US SAILING President, Secretary and Treasurer, all who have terms expiring. -- Full report: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2009/Jobson%20nomination.asp TWENTY AND COUNTING What do you get with attending thousands of regattas and having countless supports boats on the water? Over twenty years of commitment to the sport. Providing the optimal platform for setting marks, coaching, or just watching the races, RIBCRAFT offers professional grade RIBs ranging in size from 15' to 30'. -- http://www.ribcraftusa.com SAILING SHORTS * Marina del Rey, CA (Mar. 29, 2009) - There were 55 competitors in the Full Rig Class of the Laser Midwinters West at the California YC, but after eight race it all came down to a match race in the finale between junior Chris Barnard from Newport Harbor YC and Seattle YC’s Derick Vranizan. Although Barnard placed 13th, he was two lengths ahead of Vranizan for a three point regatta win. Master Chris Raab took third. It was a bit easier in the 69-boat Radial Class. Oliver Toole from Santa Barbara won five of the nine races on his way to his six point victory over Acapulco’s Erik Brockman. -- Daily reports and results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7288 * Thirty-two entrants came to San Diego Yacht Club this past weekend for the three day Etchells Midwinters West. Wind conditions remained in the teens on Friday and Saturday, dipping down slightly for the final two races on Sunday. After eight races, only two points separated the leaders, with Bruce Nelson holding off Brian Camet for the win. Vincent Brun was third. -- Complete results: http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/results09/etchellsMidwinters_res.htm * (Virgin Gorda, BVI) - The Bitter End Yacht Club has announced the line up for skippers at the 2009 Pro Am Regatta, October 31 to November 7, which includes Ed Baird, Paul Cayard, Morgan Larson, Zach Railey, Ken Read, and Anna Tunnicliffe. The 23rd Annual Pro Am format provides the keen sailor an opportunity to crew for Olympic Medalists, America’s Cup winners, and World Champions in a unique (and tropical) racing environment. Additionally, the Annual Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championship takes place during the Pro Am. Interested racers should check out the early booking bonus through May 1. For more information, visit the freshly launched Pro Am web site: http://www.proamregatta.com * The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released its report into the boating accident of the two NFL players and their friends whose 21-foot fishing boat capsized in rough waters the Gulf of Mexico Feb. 28. The report finds improper anchoring as cause for the accident. -- Orlando Sentinel, read on: http://linkbee.com/MNVQ * The fifth week (Mar. 21-27) of the Portimão Global Ocean Race Leg 3 from Wellington (NZL) to Ilhabela (BRA) finds the double-handed fleet splitting either side of the Falkland Islands, with the western option taken by Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer and Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli being the favourable route as Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz on Desafio Cabo de Hornos are forced north-east into the South Atlantic after a close encounter with the island’s Port Stanley fishing fleet. -- Read on: http://www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.com/?page=news&news_id=249&lang=en * Photographer Cory Silken has provided Scuttlebutt with 187 images from the St. Barth’s Bucket this past weekend, which was an invitational regatta set for yachts over 100-feet (31 M) L.O.A. The Notice of Race calls for the St. Barth’s Bucket to be a fun event, and what can be more fun than enjoying a daily sail on a mega boat, likely with all the food makers and drink mixologists that one would expect when rolling big. Enjoy: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0329a CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’. Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). You only get one letter per subject, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Richard R. Blackwell, New York, NY: I always enjoy reading Scuttlebutt and looking at the Photos of the Week. However, I was quite surprised to see the shot of the juniors practicing for the Governor's Cup Junior Match Race. While I admire the determination of the front man to keep the boat flat, (as well as the ability of the driver to shoot her competition out the back), I noticed something was missing- a PFD. Maybe it was under his shirt. Regarding the bare feet, well, some do and some don't I guess. -- Photo: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0327 * From John Lafer, Peshastin, WA: There is a bit of irony that a portfolio of J-Class designs remain in the library of Sparkman & Stephens. The world, its economy at the time of Ranger’s successful Cup defense, and then the demise of the class in an injured world seems to be repeating itself today. We survived. Considering the current “maalstroom” circulating throughout the world, my modest proposal is to dust off the remaining plans and dispense them to the current Defender and Challengers, build the rest of the S&S Js, stop the squabbling, and conduct the America’s Cup once more off Sandy Hook. Perhaps it would be the spirit of the J-Class, a brief Corinthian renewal that could carry us through the pending storms once more. We will survive. * From Bob Dill: (re, report in Scuttlebutt 2810) Richard Jenkins successfully sailed Greenbird to a top speed of 126.1 mph, passing the 200 kph mark and, pending NALSA ratification, setting a new world record. His fast run was on Ivapah Dry Lake at about 11:05 on Friday 3/26. The winds at the time were in the 30 to 40 mph range. The wind direction was northwest allowing him to make good use of the long axis of the lake. Richard had achieved 107 mph earlier in the week in less wind with a less favorable direction. The old record was 116.7 mph set by Bob Schumacher at the same venue ten years and six days earlier. View a video of the successful run here: http://blog.greenbird.co.uk/2009/03/27/greenbird-smashes-world-record * From Hank Evans: (re, Video of the Week in #2810) As an iceboater of many years ( 40+ and co- designer of the Skimmer 45 - over 5,000 built), I can assure you that iceboating does not involve "silently gliding". In fact, between the the noise of the wind at 40 to 100 MPH and the racket the blades make chattering over the ice at high speed, it is actually a VERY noisy sport. Although you are usually so pumped up by the excitement, you don't notice. Soft water sailing can be silently gliding, but iceboating and its related sports is anything but. APRIL FOOLS WRITING ASSIGNMENT In anticipation of April 1st, Scuttlebutt is hosting an April Fools writing assignment. There are countless themes to choose - just scroll through recent issues of Scuttlebutt and put your own absurd twist to any event… or make up your own. We will publish every story (without the author’s name), and dig into the prize bin for the most worthy. Deadline for submissions is 12:00 pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 31st. Send stories to the Scuttlebutt editor at mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION I Have a Degree in Liberal Arts; Do You Want Fries With That? Special thanks to JK3 Nautical Enterprises, Governor's Cup Regatta, and Ribcraft. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
