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SCUTTLEBUTT 2824 - Thursday, April 16, 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 Mount Gay Rum Gear and Ullman Sails. BUILDING AT THE LEADING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY With construction facilities located in Sydney (Australia) and China, McConaghy Boats builds include everything from the Alfa Romeos, ICAP Leopard 3, Wild Oats and VO70 Green Dragon, to production skiffs, to dinghies like the new Melges 20 Sportboat, and Mach 2 Moth. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Managing Director Jon Morris now posted on the Harken website: * How has the manufacturing process changed for McConaghy, especially with the addition of your China facility? Jon Morris: “When John McConaghy started in ‘67, he was pushing the boundaries with plywood. His moths and skiffs won races because they were built lighter and stiffer than the competition’s. This led him to develop glass fiber boats, then carbon, then pre-preg carbon from the USA aerospace industry. Pre-preg carbon and Nomex boats are now relatively common around the world, but there are some tricky aspects to the manufacturing process when applying these materials to a yacht. The process requires constant development and testing, especially as the engineering of these structures becomes more refined with less margin for error. “In both China and Sydney we test, innovate and improve our processes with each new project and communicate the results between the two factories. Consequently, we have twice as much exposure to different products and testing. In China a large amount of our production uses resin-infused glass/carbon sandwich construction, employing both open and closed mould techniques in Vinylester and epoxy resins. At the same time, we are producing foiling moths and other pre-preg carbon parts in our 14 m autoclave at 5 bar pressure. So there are many different construction processes going on in our company, each with its own unique challenges.” * The (VO 70) Green Dragon was built in an astounding 7 months. What lessons did you learn from previous builds? -- Read on: http://www.harken.com/interviews/McConaghy_Boats.php LOOKING BACK AT THE 1998 J-24 WORLDS by Terry Hutchinson In less than a month’s time 80 J-24’s will gather at the Annapolis Yacht Club for the 30th edition of the J-24 World Championship. While I have been somewhat removed from the J-24, one cannot help but think that the class and boat were a great tool for many of the world’s top sailors. Consider that the winning helmsman of the 32nd America’s Cup is a past J-24 World Champion. Six time world champion Ken Read is beating his brains out on the Volvo Ocean race; okay so maybe Kenny has not gotten smarter with old age but without question he is just as good as he was with his last J-24 win. Needless to say, you can look at a lot of different areas of our sport and you realize how many great sailors passed through the J-24 class. When Will (Jeffers) approached me for the monthly Waterline Systems update he asked me to write about our (Worlds) win in 1998. It seemed appropriate with the class World Championship upon us and, if nothing else, a good stroll down memory lane as I can remember almost all of it as if it was yesterday. -- Read on: http://www.waterlinesystems.com/Special/TerryWorlds.php “THIRSTY” FOR MOUNT GAY RUM GEAR???? Look for the leading sailing gear in The Pirate’s Lair Mount Gay Rum line. For use on the boat or beyond, Pirate’s Lair offers competitive priced items, all with the legendary Mount Gay Rum logo. You’ll find top quality moisture wicking t-shirts and polos, soft shell jackets, micro fleece vests and jackets, sailing shorts, accessories and more. Look for the newly added Mount Gay Rum burgee and the Mount Gay Rum Barbados island t-shirt you have been looking to get! To order this top offered apparel and gear, log on to http://www.pirateslair.com/store/index.html GOING MONOMARAN It feels like we’re announcing someone having a sex change operation - but Darren Bundock, Australian Tornado and catamaran stalwart and silver medallist in both Sydney and Beijing has gone monohull. He was spotted last week sailing a 49er at the Princess Sofia Trophy. “I guess it is very disappointing for me that I am here for the first time without the Tornado,” admitted Bundock to thedailysail. “I’ve been coming to Europe since 1991 sailing the Tornado, so it is definitely is a change to be here without it.” Impressively the first time Bundock says he sailed on a monohull was around Christmas time last year! “It is all a real change for me - a completely different discipline, going from two hulls to one and it certainly has been very difficult for me. Realistically I had only done one or two weeks training before we got here, so I guess I can’t be expecting too much.” Fortunately he has in his crew the highly accomplished Ben Austin, who with his former helm Nathan Outteridge were the 2008 World Champions, only to finish the alarming up-in-the-air 49er medal race in Qingdao a disappointing fifth. “I guess the hardest thing is keeping it up the right way, because it is amazing how unstable they are!” continues Bundock of his move to the monomaran. “I guess it is really a boat handling thing I need to get up to speed with because tactically they aren’t much different. But boat handling - it is just a huge mountain to climb.” -- Daily Sail (subscription site), read on: http://tinyurl.com/DailySail041509 POINT - COUNTERPOINT Scott MacLeod, Sr. Vice President, Business Development for the Sony Ericsson Women’s Professional Tennis Tour, understands the commercial value of sporting events. Scott is also closely connected to sailing, as his company, Force 10 Marketing, owns and manages the World Match Racing Tour. Here he disputes a story in Scuttlebutt 2823 regarding the promising value of a one-on-one America’s Cup Deed of Gift match between defender Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing: “First, the Deed of Gift (DOG) match will be two or three races at best so the sponsors will only get exposure in those races. Compare this with the number of televised matches during the 2007 Louis Vuitton (LV) series and 32nd America’s Cup (AC) match and there is no comparison. You may think that a DOG match with two billionaires going head to head would get greater television coverage and ratings but quite the contrary. There would only be two countries represented so only those two TV markets would care compared with the number of countries interested in a multi-challenger event (Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, etc.). You may get higher news coverage because of the sheer anomaly and history of the event, but compared to a five month long LV series and America’s Cup match, there is again no comparison. I also don’t believe that the nature of a DOG match will be the greatest image for those brands (or the sport) during these economic times. Actually, this would be a huge negative.” -- Scuttlebutt Forum, read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7333#7333 * How do you feel? Click on the Forum link above to post your comments. SMALL DIFFERENCES (Apr. 15, 2009; Day 5) - With little lateral separation among the tight reaching Volvo Ocean Race teams, the variation in weather conditions have still succeeded in the uneven distribution of good and bad wind shifts. With the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha (eastern tip of Brazil) now 333 nm ahead of Telefonica Blue, Ericsson 4 watch captain Stu Bannatyne describes some of the intangibles that could impact Leg 6: “The frantic sail changes and gear changing of the previous few days seems to be slowing down. We are entering a period of more stable breeze and the sailing is very pleasant on deck - shorts and t-shirts are all that is required (unless of course you are going forward to the always wet bow area of Ericsson 4). Time to reflect a little on the race so far and what the future may hold. “The last two stopovers have been very short, Qingdao by design and Rio by virtue of our extra long voyage on leg 5. This has put a lot of pressure on shore crews to complete job lists and the sailors are given precious little time to recover before putting to sea again. Particularly in Rio there was barely enough time to regain weight (although four trips to Porcao helped in this department!) let alone any conditioning or strength lost on the previous leg. This means that most of the sailors on leg 6 will still be at sub optimum physically, add to this the travelling for the guys that flew home from Rio and it makes for a tough turn around. This leg will also be tough as we make many sail changes in hot weather and then at the end will likely be in freezing cold temperatures again as we approach Boston.” -- Read on: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2009/April/EMAIL-ERT4-L6-D5-1444/ * HEROES AND ZERSOS: PUMA skipper Kenny Read describes their struggles and triumphs so far on Leg 6: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2009/April/EMAIL-PUMA-L6-D5-1407 * BIG BANG: What can sound like the mast is coming down, but not waken skipper Magnus Olsson? Ericsson 3 media crew member Gustav Morin explains: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2009/April/EMAIL-ERT3-L6-D5-1350/ Crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Leg Six from Rio de Janiero, Brazil to Boston, MA, USA is 4,900 nm, with the finish estimated on April 27th. Current positions (as of Apr. 15, 22:15 GMT): 1. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 3,866 nm Distance to Finish 2. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 13 nm Distance to Leader 3. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 15 nm DTL 4. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 21 nm DTL 5. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 21 nm DTL 6. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 24 nm DTL 7. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 40 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 CHRIS WINNARD JOINS ULLMAN SAILS SEATTLE Ullman Sails welcomes Chris Winnard to its international group of sailmakers to head the sales and repair facility in Seattle, Washington. Chris has been a top sail consultant for almost 20 years as well as a leading competitor on the water. His accolades include first in class at England’s Cowes Week, multiple one design titles in the U.S., and the 2006 CYC Seattle Sailor of the Year. Chris brings an extensive knowledge of sails and deck/rig hardware to our team and a friendly face to the local sailmaking scene. Ullman Sails - make an investment in your performance. Visit http://www.ullmansails.com ADIOS PALMA, BONJOUR HYÈRES Fresh from competing at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma, Spain, last week, 10 US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) members and 14 Americans total have set their sights on Hyères, France. Semaine Olympique Française (French Sailing Week, or simply Hyères, as it's often called), the fourth of seven International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup events, starts this Saturday and runs through April 24th. Some 556 Olympic and Paralympic crews are registered to compete on the Mediterranean Sea. The USSTAG members competing are: Anna Tunnicliffe (Laser Radial), Brad Funk and Clay Johnson (Laser), Bryan Boyd (Finn), Stu McNay and Graham Biehl (Men's 470), Molly Carapiet and Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer (Women's 470), Ben Barger (Men's RS:X) and Farrah Hall (Women's RS:X). Joining the team are Coaches Luther Carpenter, Leandro Spina, Bunny Warren, Caroline Brisebois and Christoph Sieber. -- Event website: http://sof.ffvoile.net/ UNEQUALED BEAUTY AND WARM HOSPITALITY Charleston, SC (April 15, 2009) - The activity has begun in earnest at all of Charleston's marinas, boatyards, and yacht clubs as 174 racing sailboats and more than 1,000 sailors from as far away as Norway prepare for Charleston's biggest regatta of the year, which starts Friday. Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. summed up the City's feelings well: "We've been so pleased to see Charleston Race Week develop over the past decade into one of the most important sailing events in the entire Southeast" said the Mayor. "Charleston Harbor is the city's life blood, and we're delighted to share this great waterway and the unequaled beauty and warm hospitality of our unique city with so many accomplished sailors from around the globe." -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0415 SAILING SHORTS * The leading sailors and top nations all consolidate their positions in the latest release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings on 15 April 2009. Following on from the European debut of the ISAF Sailing World Cup at the Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia MAPFRE in Palma, the latest release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings puts Spain on top of the national standings. Among the top ranked North Americans are Anna Tunnicliffe (1st - Laser Radial), Stu McNay/Graham Biehl (7th - Mens 470), and Zach Railey (8th - Finn) from the U.S., and Christopher Cook (6th - Finn) from Canada. - Full report: http://www.sailing.org/27989.php * US SAILING's U.S. Offshore Championship is accepting resumes for this championship to be held September 25-27, 2009. This year's application deadline is August 15, 2009. Hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, this year's regatta will be sailed in Navy 44s. -- Event website: http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USOffshoreChampionship.htm * Florida yacht broker Robert Moran pleaded guilty Tuesday to filing a false tax return to conceal more than $3 million in a Swiss bank account. Moran, of Lighthouse Point, Fla., failed to note he had UBS accounts on his latest tax filing and failed to report the interest earned on the accounts, according to a report at Law.com. The yacht dealer had access to a shell corporation in Panama, purchased and sold securities through UBS, and converted U.S. dollars to euros, according to the report. -- Soundings Trade Only, read on: http://tinyurl.com/ckbfyq 45 REASONS TO LEARN HOW TO SAIL From John Edward Harris: Awhile ago I entered a contest that required me to list 45 reasons to learn to sail. Here is my list: 1. Learning to sail is safer for you than trial and error. 2. Learning to sail will lead you to greener recreation since sailing burns no fossil fuels. 3. Learning to sail is a great way for you to meet potential partners, either members of the opposite or same sex, or to take your current significant other on a great romantic getaway. 4. Learning to sail helps you keep mentally and physically fit. 5. Learning to sail will help you better appreciate Thomas Cahill’s Sailing the Wine Dark Sea. 6. Learning to sail can lead to a new lifelong passion. 7. Learning to sail could lead to new employment as the captain of a sail boat for hire. 8. Learning to sail is more fun than learning to sell. 9. Learning to sail could come in handy if your home is repossessed and you need portable, floating living accommodations. 10. Captain Jack Sparrow would want you to learn to sail. Full list: http://tinyurl.com/45ReasonsToSail CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: Apr 16-19 - Charleston Race Week - Charleston, SC, USA Apr 18 - 54th Annual Miami to Key Largo Race - Miami, FL, USA Apr 18 - Dead Man's Island 360 - Tacoma, WA, 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 Captain Rick Rahm: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 2822) I have been using Crown Weather service for many years. Living in South Florida and being a Yacht Captain for over 25 years, I have relied on these forecasts for up to date information and analysis of the Hurricanes as they form and travel across the Atlantic to our shores. You can always be sure you are getting the best forecast to make sound decisions regarding your boat, home and family’s safety during the season. Thanks for sharing this with your readers. * From D. Randy West, Dieppe Bay St. Kitts: (re, superstitions in Scuttlebutt 2822) The bugs bunny thing goes back to the first French colony in the West Indies, St. Kitt around 1624. Seems that the first colonist arrived by shipwreck and by the following year a relief ship was sent with provision...and being French included caged bugs to supplement the diet of coconut and cassava. And yes, weather ensued along the route and the cages of our furry friends were dashed open and dinner escaped. Once hungry, they chewed their way through the side of the ship.....no resupply, few survivors, but a legend and superstition was born. * From Jim Sears: Regarding all these superstitions, don't you guys know it's bad luck to be superstitious?!?! * From Bill Stump: So, in regards to those unmentionable "furry things" (re Robin Wallace's letter to S/B # 2823), how will the 505 Class ever start a race without that Wabbitt? * From Gary Bruner: As regards "furry things", now I finally know why Wylie called one of his racing design a "Wabbit". I thought he was just a fan of cartoons. You can learn something every day! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Among the games to play when you get older are Spin the bottle of Mylanta, Doc-Doc Goose, and Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says Bend Over. Special thanks to Mount Gay Rum Gear and Ullman Sails. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
