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SCUTTLEBUTT 2863 - Thursday, June 11, 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Ullman Sails and Team One Newport. PIETER TASELAAR: COMMITTED TO WINNING THE WORLDS Originally from Holland, Pieter Taselaar had been enjoying his J/92 as a member of Larchmont and New York Yacht Clubs, and competing in the Long Island Sound events. But with his kids now a bit older, he had the idea of competing beyond local waters, and getting back to the intensive dinghy sailing he enjoyed in Europe. When Pieter saw the Melges 32, he took the leap and hasn’t looked back. Last weekend, after Pieter and his Bliksem team won a prominent M32 event in Scarlino, Italy, Scuttlebutt checked in to see what he was doing over there: SBUTT: How long have you been in the class? PIETER TASELAAR: “This is my second year in the class, and after one year of getting a feel for the boat and figuring out if I really liked it, I decided to step it up and think this is one of the few larger high performance boats which will continue to grow worldwide and attract the best competition. “I firmly believe that in terms of big boat one design racing, the Melges 32 is rapidly taking over from classes like the Farr 40, and if you look at it objectively, it is one of the few high performance large one design classes that is growing at the moment and is attracting a lot of talent.” SBUTT: What attracted you to the Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series in Scarlino? PIETER TASELAAR: “After winning the Acura Miami Grand Prix (in March), I had a choice of either doing the East Coast Championship with seven boats participating, or going to Scarlino with 21 boats competing. The Worlds this year will be at Porto Cervo, Italy, and 45 boats are expected to compete. I think in order to be competitive in a class like this (like the Farr 40 was 2 years ago), one has to travel and sail regattas in the world where the most competition is.” -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0610 BREAKFAST IN MARSTRAND (June 10, 2009; Day 5) - Today’s story for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet may be best told by going to the Race Tracker (see link below). If you were to put the last 24 hours into words, you would see the struggle for the lead between Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon as they battled up the west coast of Denmark, desperately struggling with a light south-westerly wind, with PUMA flying towards them from the west, in a much fresher north-westerly, hoping for enough racetrack. The separation that PUMA had suffered from a day ago, providing what appeared to be their Leg 8 death sentence, today delivered them back in spades. Onboard leader Ericsson 4, media crewmember Guy Salter reports, “The wind has been extremely fickle to say the least - searching for light winds and trying fruitlessly to avoid the calm parking lots. When I say we are sailing up the coast of Denmark - I really do mean up the coast - we are literally on the beach and very rarely stray too far from the shore line. It means we are getting a good look at the glorious looking beaches and sand dunes. At one stage we were forced to gybe away from the shore or run aground. As we did this we could see a man walking his dog and going about his day oblivious to what 11 stupid men were doing on a yacht just outside of the surf-line.” -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/m7wp66 UPDATE: (Thursday, 11 June 2009, 00:30 GMT) Currently, it looks like a finish time between 0200 and 0230 GMT, or just after 0400 local time in Sweden. We have a boat on the water, with the leading bunch, and the report is that PUMA has just passed Green Dragon to take second place. Ericsson 4 is about four miles ahead of them both. The water is flat, the breeze is steady and the boats are making 12 to 15 knots. -- http://tinyurl.com/mmfzba * VOLVO OCEAN RACE: Began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 4, 2008, crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Finish is in St Petersburg, Russia on June 27th. Leg 8 from Galway to Marstrand, Sweden (950 miles) started on Saturday, June 6th and is expected to finish by June 11th. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org/schedule/ Current positions (as of June 11, 01:01 GMT): 1. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 20 nm Distance to Finish 2. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 4 nm Distance to Leader 3. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 4 nm DTL 4. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 14 nm DTL 5. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 17 nm DTL 5. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 17 nm DTL 6. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 27 nm DTL Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, Did Not Start Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 MAKE YOUR SAILS LAST A few holes in the spinnaker during the douse. An eyelet ripped out. A broken batten. A torn panel. Delamination. A shrunken bolt rope. A luff recut. A murky vision window. A shredded leach cord. Missing tell tales. Mold. At Ullman Sails, our lofts not only build high quality cruising and racing sails, we also specialize in sail evaluation, maintenance and repairs. With over 40 years of experience, we offer innovative repair solutions backed by the quality and performance that we’re known for worldwide. Ullman Sails – make an investment in your performance. Contact a local loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com. THROUGH THE EYES OF RICH WILSON In wake of the world’s most extreme ocean racing odyssey known as the Vendée Globe, sailing enthusiasts have had a chance to learn about the solo, non-stop, around the world race. After covering 28,590 miles in just over 121 days, 58 year old Rich Wilson, the long American participant, provides his detailed and often opinionated take on many topics surrounding this race and the sport of sailing in general. Here is Part 2 (of 4): * Why is there not more U.S. participation in this race? RICH WILSON: “The U.S. has had some great singlehanders (Phil Weld, Phil Steggall, Walter Greene, Bruce Schwab, etc.), but they’ve either scraped together a minimal budget to do a race, or had some resources to start with. Maybe we need a great American singlehander hero to transcend the media. “It’s pretty clear from our success in our K12 programs that the media is missing a great story. We had 50 newspapers publishing our 15 part weekly series in the US, and 25 of those papers were in Missouri! About as far from salt water as you can get! So if the teachers and kids are into the Vendee Globe in Missouri, why can’t the sportswriters of America, get into it? The kids and teachers in Missouri have imagination and curiosity, that’s the difference between them and the media.” -- Read on: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2009/Wilson_Q&A.asp KIWI TEAM ENJOY NEW AND IMPROVED PROGRAM (June 10, 2009; Day 1) - Skipper Dean Barker and his Emirates Team New Zealand team confirmed that their powerful new Botin Carkeek designed TP52 is no slouch in lighter breezes when they won two of three races today on Marseille’s Rade Sud. Added to the third place in the day’s second windward-leeward contest, the Kiwi team lead overall by seven clear points in the Audi MedCup Circuit’s Marseille Trophy. Emirates Team New Zealand’s de-brief after (the MedCup event in) Alicante seems to have improved their decision making, while Adam Beashel (NZL) strengthens their hand, sniffing out the best of the breeze – a role he accomplished with distinction during the team’s last America’s Cup campaigns. “Conditions were much easier to read here than in Alicante.” Confirmed Ray Davies (NZL), Emirates Team New Zealand’s tactician, “We had two good starts down the pin end when it was favoured, and then we moved up the line. When it was really congested we started up the line a little but much faster and were able to roll over everybody. The boat is going really well in this steady breeze. As soon as we have the guys on the rail hiking we go really well.” -- Full story: http://2009.medcup.org/news/index.php?id=762 Results after three races: 1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL), 1+3+1= 5 points 2. Bribón (ESP), Thierry Peponnet (FRA), 6+1+5= 12 points 3. Matador (ARG), Guillermo Parada (ARG), 2+6+4= 12 points 4. Quantum Racing (USA), Terry Hutchinson (USA), 8+5+2= 15 points 5. Bigamist (POR), Afonso Domigos (POR),5+4+6= 15 points Complete results: http://2009.medcup.org/results2/venue.php?trophy=2 HOW TO PROMOTE THE SPORT “We need to more people in the sport.” This statement has probably been made as many times as there have been questions on how we can grow the sport. Up in San Francisco, they have hit on a theme I have long championed, that is the convergence of sailing with media-friendly entities. Here is their event announcement: “The first ever Celebrity Media Regatta will be held on Sunday, June 14th, in conjunction with the Giants-A’s baseball game, with the sailing event held next to AT&T Park in McCovey Cove. Local broadcast personalities will join local sailors for a parade and fun races to benefit BAADS (Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors). The event is organized by Marine Media Alliance, hosted by South Beach YC, presented by Summer Sailstice, instruction by Spinnaker Sailing, boats lent by the Catalina 34, J/105 and J/120 fleets, with assistance from lots of volunteers including norcalsailing.com, and contributions by Sail California and J/World.” Holding the event during this cross-town rivalry, at a site where home runs over right field may hit one of the boats, crewing the boats with celebrities that will attract local television and print media, doing it for a worthy cause, and supported by numerous groups that will benefit from the publicity… win, win, win. This is a pretty damn good way to promote the sport! -- Scuttleblog, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2009/06/promoting-sport.html TEAM ONE NEWPORT IS GOING GREEN AND SAVING YOU GREEN! The world renowned Team One Newport demonstrates their environmentally friendly atmosphere. They are always reusing boxes, paper and anything possible. They decided not to print a catalog this year to save some trees, but their website as a new look and is improving all the time! Visit the SPECIALS page for great deals from Patagonia, Henri-Lloyd, Musto, Gill, Atlantis, Slam, Sebago, Teva and more! Visit http://www.team1newport.com or call 800-VIP-GEAR and let one of the friendly sailing clothing experts help you out! QUOTE / UNQUOTE With over 50 years in the sailing world including 35 years experience as a skipper in one design, offshore and mixed handicap racing, Australian Graeme Murray Owens was deservedly recognized with the Order of Australia medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List on June 8, 2009. Graeme’s resume includes international, national and state umpiring and judging, but he would never accept any form of compensation. Said Graeme, “If I accepted money my interests would become my business. Then I would lose my interest.” -- Sail World, full story: http://tinyurl.com/kvrase “WE’RE GOING TO DO THIS” To win the collegiate National Dinghy Sailing Championship last week, St. Mary's College had to win two races against Yale, a school more than five times its size. "We told the kids they didn't need to do anything miraculous," said coach Adam Werblow, referring to B Team skipper Michael Menninger and senior Jennifer Chamberlain. "The kids looked at us and said, 'We're going to do this.'" With breezes and currents running strong on San Francisco Bay, the sailors made good on their word. Down by three points at the beginning of the last set, they won by 20 points and 40 boat lengths, crossing the finish line with Chamberlain at the tiller to mark the end of her collegiate sailing career. For the Seahawks, it was the third time this decade that the team has taken the co-ed title. The championship course in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club was postcard perfect, with the Golden Gate Bridge on the left and Alcatraz, the former federal prison, on the right. The conditions were exactly what St. Mary's expected. The team spent three weeks practicing at Point Lookout State Park, where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Potomac River to create "big current, big waves and big breeze," Werblow said. From there, they went to the waters off Santa Cruz, Calif., for more of the same. -- Baltimore Sun, read on: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-sailing0610,0,7181136.story * Complete results: http://www.collegesailing.org/nas/spring09/coedresults.asp SAILING SHORTS * Building upon a partnership established in 1994, the New York Yacht Club announced that Rolex Watch U.S.A. has become an official sponsor of the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, to be held Sept. 15-19 in Newport, R.I. Rolex joins formerly announced sponsor Sperry Top-Sider, the iconic American brand best known for inventing the performance boat shoe, in presenting this unique regatta, which features world-class, Corinthian sailing among 18 teams representing premier yacht clubs from around the globe. The winning skipper of the Invitational Cup will receive a specially-engraved Rolex timepiece. -- Full announcement: http://www.nyyc.org/WorldInvitationalCup * (June 10, 2009) - The House of Representatives swiftly passed House Resolution 410 yesterday evening, designating July 1, 2009 as "National Boating Day". The NMMA said in a statement that it will recognise "the important role recreational boating and the boating industry" play in the lives of 59 million American boaters. -- IBI Magazine, read on: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20090510142256ibinews.html * Walter Kendall and Gwen Myers were preparing to sail their 37-foot sloop in a 10-day cruising rally around Chesapeake Bay when FBI agents arrested them last week on charges of having spied for the Cuban government for 30 years. -- Trade Only, read on: http://tinyurl.com/m6qzag * New York boat dealer David Bofill will testify this afternoon before the House Committee on Small Business on "Laying the Groundwork for Economic Recovery: Expanding Small Business Access to Capital." Speaking on behalf of his company, Dave Bofill Marine Inc., and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, Bofill will discuss the impact the current credit crisis has had on marine dealerships and their manufacturers and what Congress can do to help small businesses. -- Trade Only, read on: http://tinyurl.com/kmvkw5 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: June 12-14 - Invitational Regatta for the Hoag Cup - Newport Beach, CA, USA June 12-14 - NYYC 155th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex - Newport, RI, USA June 13-14 - 5th Annual Mark Madness - Boyne City, MI, USA June 13-14 - Etchells Long Island Sound Championship - Shelter Isl, NY, USA June 13-20 - J/22 World Championship - Riva, Lake Garda, Italy June 14-19 - Dallas Race Week - Rockwall, TX, USA View all the events 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 Bill Lynn: (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 2862) Kids don't need coaches to "get the maturity and character they need out of sailing". Sailing does that, and if a kid is fortunate enough to have a coach or mentor who reinforces it, so much the better. The tough part is that, in some cases, the opposite is true and the "win at all costs" mentality is leading to the wrong lessons being learned. John Vandemoer’s right in that it's not necessarily the coaches who are at fault, but the problem they face is that it's real easy for a few bad apples to spoil the barrel. The kind of activity that is reported to have taken place at these high-level events, while not necessarily illegal, clearly creates a playing field that is not level and worse, a playing field that is dramatically affected by the amount of money parents are willing to spend. We all want our kids to be successful in junior sailing, but if coaches and event organizers don't start drawing some lines, the lines may get drawn for them, and potentially in a more reactionary way that any of us wants. I was fortunate to have had some terrific sailing coaches like Dave Dellenbaugh, Tom Kinney, Pete Smith and Ken Legler - great sailors and good guys who left a lasting impression on me. None of them ever told me which way to go on the first beat. Instead, they taught me what to look for and how to make my own decision about which way to go. Isn't that a better way to build "character, self reliance and maturity"? -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2009/06/youth-coaching.html * From Larry Whipple: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 2862) Actually 21-year-old Zebulon Tryon and 18-year-old Chris Reuter are only eligible for Honorable Mentions for the Darwin Awards. To be actual candidates they have to remove themselves from the gene pool! * From Bob Johnson: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 2862) As a member of the Race Committee for last weekend's Chicago Match Racing Center's inaugural regatta at Belmont Harbor, I have to say that the excitement, energy and enthusiasm at the event was awesome. I look forward to the next three events. Thanks to Don Wilson and all his staff and volunteers! * From Gary Oberbeck: In response to Susie Pegel's letter (in #2861), Sunfish sailor, and Sunfish Master Champion in addition to a Laser sailor! No favoritism there - just a talented sailor. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION If only one price can be obtained for a quotation, the price will be unreasonable. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Team One Newport. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
