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SCUTTLEBUTT 2714 - Thursday, October 30, 2008Scuttlebutt 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 Ullman Sails and MyBoatsGear.com. BUSTING THROUGH THE 600-MILE BARRIER (Oct. 29, 2008; Day 19) - Ericsson 4 broke through the 600-mile barrier as their historic run continued with the log reaching 602.66 nautical miles at 18:54 GMT (not yet ratified). The team had actually eclipsed the previous best 24-hour run for a racing monohull of 562.96 miles earlier in the day - set by Sebastian Josse and the crew of ABN AMRO TWO on the second leg of the 2005-06 race from Cape Town to Melbourne - and then continued to push the bar higher as they opened their lead on the fleet. The new mark established by Torben Grael's men translates into an average speed of 25.11 knots. Race performance expert Mark Chisnell comments on the forecast ahead: "Barring a breakdown or crash - the leaders should stay with the front until about 500nm from Cape Town, by then the breeze will be dropping fast on the evening of the 31st October. That's a couple of days away, so it's all a bit speculative, but there is still time for another squeeze of the accordion as the leading trio run into the protective wall of light air that's entrenched around the finish." The length of Leg One is 6500nm, with the leader expected to finish by November 2nd. Current standings (as of Oct. 30, 1:00am GMT): 1. Ericsson 4, Torben Grael, 1411 nm Distance to Finish 2. Puma, Ken Read, 56 nm Distance to Lead 3. Ericsson 3, Anders Lewander, 147 nm DTL 4. Green Dragon, Ian Walker, 160 nm DTL 5. Telefonica Blue, Bouwe Bekking, 244 nm DTL 6. Telefonica Black, Fernando Echavarri, 290 nm DTL 7. Delta Lloyd, Ger O'Rourke, 395 nm DTL 8. Team Russia, Andreas Hanakamp, 412 nm DTL Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org * Anyone who has raced against Torben Grael in Snipes or Stars knows how dominant he is off the wind, and on Wednesday his team demonstrated the same flash, simply sailing away from the fleet all day long. Here is an audio interview with Torben after setting the record: http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908a SURVIVE OR DIE By Gustav Morin, media crew, Ericsson 3 "The worst watch of my life." It takes quite a lot to hear those words from a guy like Richard Mason who has done two Volvo Ocean Races before and a huge amount of other yachting. But this morning, when he stumbled down the hatch at eight, he said it. "We were in a squall for four hours and it was pitch black, absolutely no visibility at all. I couldn't see the waves and no horizon and we had everything from 19 to 46 knots of wind, he says, catches his breath and continues: "Going with the chute up in that much breeze on one of these boats, when you can't see a thing, is as terrifying as it gets. It is usually pretty easy when the breeze is steady but it just doesn't get any harder than it was tonight. The guys did a great job to get the boat and ourselves through it in one piece." Was there an option to take the gennaker down? "To be honest we were caught with our pants down. There was never a chance to get the damn thing off! It was pretty much survive or die! And, we survived." - http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908b ONE-DESIGN SAILING SYMPOSIUM The nation's top one-design sailing experts will convene at US SAILING's One-Design Sailing Symposium (ODSS) at Atlanta Yacht Club in Acworth, Georgia on November 15-16. With presenting sponsor Gowrie, Barden & Brett, the Symposium facilitates the exchange of information between one-design experts and sailors; creating a dialogue for keeping one-design sailing healthy and growing in the United States. The ODSS covers a wide range of topics for all types of one-design sailors, from the latest developments in one-design sailing and learning how to run a successful clinic or regatta, to promoting a class or event, securing sponsorships and reviewing the basics of insurance. Symposium participants will learn directly from leading experts about strategy, tips and techniques to help grown one-design sailing and to improve their own sailing skills. Event highlights of the weekend include a Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series presentation and party; US SAILING Racing Rules Seminar presented by North U with racing rules expert Dave Perry; Go Fast Workshops with Skip Dieball of Quantum Sails and multiple one-design champion Greg Fisher of North Sails; and an Event Communication Seminar with Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck. US SAILING will also be presenting its annual National One-Design Awards. Additionally, a Basic Race Management Seminar will be held on the previous evening, Friday, November 14th. -- Full details and to post comments: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6609 LIGHTWEIGHT STRENGTH FROM ULLMAN SAILS Ullman Sails has the right combination of experience; sail design technology, and cloth selection to deliver the 'Fastest Sails on the Planet.' Our FiberPath sails are arguably the lightest, strongest, string load-bearing sails available. And FiberPath delivers superior longevity compared to the alternatives. That's why FiberPath is a practical option for racers and cruisers alike. So whether you're rethinking your cruising sail inventory or preparing for the next racing season, Ullman Sails will build sails customized to fit your goals. For more information on FiberPath technology, contact a local Ullman Sails loft and visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com ULLMAN LEADS FLEET AT MELGES 24 NA'S Annapolis, MD (Oct. 29, 2008) - For the first day at the 2008 Melges 24 North American Championship, the air temperature barely broke into the 50's, but the sun was shining and most importantly the wind was a near perfect eighteen to twenty knots. With the breeze in the right phase for much of the first beat, it was the boats who had started at the committee boat end who got the early jump. 2007 World Champion Dave Ullman made the best of this to round the first mark comfortably ahead of the pack, holding on for the win. In race two Terry Hutchinson led around mark one, but Kristen Lane took the fight to Hutchinson downwind and by the first leeward mark she had managed to take the lead, and ultimately, the win. With the temperature dropping further, the crews were happy to get race three underway quickly and accordingly played their part with a clean start. Gabrio Zandona won the start at the committee boat end and looked to be a comfortable leader halfway up the first beat. However it was Flavio Favini who was able to tack underneath him at the top mark to round first. For the rest of the race these two teams were in a league of their own, with Favini demonstrating rocket ship speed upwind on the final beat to eke out a five length lead at the finish. Racing continues Thursday with three more races scheduled, with more on Friday and Saturday to complete the twelve race series. -- Complete report Current results (Top 10 of 49; three races) 1.) Dave Ullman, Pegasus 505 - 1, 3, 3 = 7 2.) Flavio Favini/Franco Rossini, Blu Moon - 2, 7, 1 = 10 3.) Terry Hutchinson, Quantum Racing - 4, 2, 4 = 10 4.) Gabrio Zandona/Giovanni Maspero, Joe Fly - 9, 6, 2 = 17 5.) Bruce Ayres, Monsoon - 5, 9, 8 = 22 6.) Brian Porter, Full Throttle - 6, 10, 6 = 22 7.) Chris Larson, West Marine Rigging/NE Ropes - 8, 8, 7 = 23 8.) Morgan Reeser/Neil Sullivan - 10, 4, 17 = 31 9.) Kristen Lane - Brickhouse 623 - 12, 1, 19 = 32 10.) Vincent Porter, USA-576 - 3, 17, 12 = 32 Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908c VICTORY AFTER 15 ATTEMPTS While younger, nippier boats may have come onto the scene, few have stolen the hearts of so many top sailors as the 505 has done. Two weeks ago the 505 World Championships took place in Palermo, Italy. The regatta was won by British sailmaker Ian Pinnell - who has been trying to win the event for more than 18 years, having attended the worlds on 15 different occasions - and his crew Carl Gibbon - the 27 year old is a new crew to Pinnell with the pair only having teamed up at the end of the last World Championships in Adelaide (AUS). Well known throughout the sailing community, Pinnell started sailing in Mirrors and Enterprises. He has since sailed all manner of classes including the N12, 420, 470, Miracle, Enterprise, Fireball, 505, Soling, Mumm 30, Melges 24 and International 14. Impressively Pinnell has won 36 World, European and National championships and won the 1989 Endeavour (Champion of Champions) Trophy. However, up until this year the 505 World Championships crown had always eluded him. Partly due to this and partly due to his love of the boat, the 505 class has become his main focus over the last five years or so. So passionate is Pinnell about the 505 and particularly the calibre of sailor it attracts that he believes winning the event is materially harder than winning the Olympic Games. "When you look at the number of boats - 122 this year - along with the skill of the sailors and the fact that more than one boat is allowed to enter from each country, I think it is fair to say it is harder to win than the Games."-- Daily Sail, read on: http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908d 2008 CYA ANNUAL AWARD RECIPIENTS Following the Canadian Yachting Association 2008 Rolex Annual Awards Banquet held at the Kingston Yacht Club, Kingston Ontario on October 25, 2008, the Canadian Yachting Association has announced their 2008 Award recipients: > Rolex Sailor of the Year Award: Paul Tingley (Halifax, NC). > CYA Female Athlete of the Year: Stacie Louttit (Victoria, BC). > CYA Male Athlete of the Year: Oskar Johansson (Oakville ON)/Kevin Stittle (Orangeville, ON). > CYA Coach of the Year: Steve McBride (Victoria, BC). > Nathan R. Cowan Memorial Award for Developing Sailors: Lee Parkhill (Oakville, ON). > CYA Volunteer of the Year: Tracy Terry (Victoria, BC). > Bill Burk Memorial Youth Elite Award (Male): Robert Davis (Kingston, ON). > Bill Burk Memorial Youth Elite Award (Female): Isabella Bertold (Surrey, BC). > Marvin McDill Memorial Award: Isabella Bertold (Surrey, BC). > CYA City of Kingston Regatta of the Year: Mobility Cup, Pointe Claire Yacht Club. > William Abbott Senior Trophy/Sail Training Program of the Year: Nepean Sailing School (Nepean, ON). > Recreation Event Award: Ontario Sailing BOOM Program. > Chisholm Trophy/Excellence in Race Management: Lunenburg Yacht Club for the Canadian Optimist Championships. Complete description of each award and recipient is at http://www.sailing.ca/features/2008_cya_annual_rolex_awards_banquet COMPLETE UP TO DATE NOAA PAPER CHARTS Here are two sources for the latest up to date paper NOAA charts. One from OceanGrafix is the latest Chart printed on demand (http://myboatsgear.com/mbg/product.asp?prodID=1485), not the one in the store that's been sitting for months. The second, a new initiative from NOAA (http://myboatsgear.com/mbg/product.asp?prodID=1490) allows the user to print the chart directly at home and for free. MyBoatsGear.com will help you find the best gear, by reviewing hundreds of boating products and bringing the best ones to you. Product information is easily accessed and organized into 200 plus categories. NO REGATTA TOO FAR If you have the time and desire (and a good credit card), there is no shortage of sailing available in the U.S. Some of the best adventures involve hooking up the trailer to the back of the car, heading cross country, and catching up with mid-America. Ever driven through the sierras? How about enjoyed a Waffle House in the south? A water park in the midwest? Good times! For a couple 52-footers, they have lately been traveling like dinghies - though likely without the diversions. Last month, the TP52 Mayhem owned by Ashley Wolfe (Calgary, CAN) and Jim Mitchell's IRC 52 Vincitore (Zurich, SUI) were racing at the Rolex Big Boat Series in San Francisco, CA. This weekend, they will be part of the 37-boat fleet for the IRC East Coast Championship in Annapolis, MD. Said Wolfe, "We plan on participating in Key West Race Week and Miami SORC again next year so Annapolis seemed to make sense. Originally we planned to race the Newport to Cabo race on the West Coast, however some of our competition decided to head east. In efforts to keep the field competitive we decided to follow suit." -- http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908e BERTARELLI PLAN WILL SLASH COSTS (Oct. 29, 2008) - America's Cup teams will cut their budgets by up to 80 percent under plans for sailing's richest event in 2010 as financial turmoil makes it harder to find sponsors, defender Alinghi team owner Ernesto Bertarelli said. ``We need to adapt to the times,'' the Swiss billionaire said in a phone interview from Geneva yesterday. Under plans to be discussed by about a dozen prospective teams Thursday, syndicates will be able to be competitive on a budget of 10 million to 20 million euros ($12.5 million to $25 million), Bertarelli said. Teams spent as much as 100 million euros to build and race boats in the past. Teams will build only one boat, which will be about 10 feet (3 meters) shorter, and could use less equipment and fewer sailors than at the last event, Bertarelli said. He said he was confident sponsors can still be secured in the current financial climate. ``Companies still need to run businesses, they need to have a public image,'' Bertarelli said, adding that Alinghi sponsor UBS AG hasn't said it will withdraw. UBS was forced into a $59.2 billion bailout by the Swiss government this month. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908f * IN THE NEWS: The investment firm UBS is taking heat for helping affluent Americans cheat the US Treasury out of some $2 billion. The Boston-bred Bradley Birkenfeld was a banker for UBS, a Swiss financial behemoth with major US operations. His specialty: devising tax shelters in the form of offshore shell companies and peddling them to the superrich. According to court documents, 85 to 90 bankers in UBS's wealth-management divisions drummed up business at high-roller events like the America's Cup yacht race and Miami's prestigious Art Basel exhibition. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908g SAILING SHORTS * An updated list of theatre locations for October 31st is now available for the Morning Light film, the true-life documentary about a group of fifteen young adults who were recruited and trained to race a high-tech, high-performance 52-foot boat in the event from L.A. to Hawaii. -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/M_L * WikiSailing has adapted the Google Earth browser plug-in to create virtual tours for a number of coastal sites. In these virtual tours a plane flies along the area, with the viewer able to control the speed of the flight and adjust the viewpoint to look left, right or straight ahead. You can ever change from a plane to a helicopter or boat. So far the wiki has tours of Saint-Tropez Saint-Raphael (FRA), Cannes (FRA), Isole Toscane (ITA), Mauritius Island (Republic of Mauritius), St Martin Island (FRA), and Sydney (AUS). -- http://www.wikisailing.com/Wikisailing * US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR is preparing for its 2009 debut as the second stop on the inaugural International Sailing Federation's (ISAF) Sailing World Cup 2008-2009 circuit. Already a long-time ISAF Grade 1 world ranking event as well as a US SAILING Team AlphaGraphics qualifier and preferred winter training regatta for the world's elite Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, the Rolex Miami OCR also will celebrate its 20th Anniversary when it returns to Coconut Grove, Fla., from January 25-31, 2009. The Notice of Race is now available online at the newly-launched event web site: http://tinyurl.com/SButt102908h CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: Oct 31-Nov 2 - 2008 IOM U.S. National Championship Regatta - Milford, MI Oct 31-Nov 2 - Storm Trysail Club IRC East Coast Championship - Annapolis, MD Nov 1-2 - Bloody Mary Regatta (SEFS, CS) - Anderson, SC Nov 1-8 - Pro Am Regatta -Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. 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 David Foscarini, Toronto, Canada: I was just running thru and cleaning up some old emails and I re-noticed this piece in Butt 2710. I would like to support Sarasota Sailing Squadron in their efforts to keep the city from raising their rent. The SSS has hosted the 29er Midwinter the last couple of years. They are a very low key and welcoming club. Open to hosting regattas, open to teams arriving a little early for some training, open to hosting training camps for us northern sailors looking for a little sun. Hoping to be back there this winter for some training and racing. This is a place for sailors looking to keep sailing. (Here is the story posted in the Herald Tribune: http://tinyurl.com/HT102308) * From Vicky Low: If readers are getting frustrated with the Volvo Ocean Race website, they could always go to www.ericssonracingteam.com, which has all the onboard information, images and video from Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander) and Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael). As well as some great blogs from the crews on both boats and team meteorologist Chris Bedford. * From Eric Sorenson: Thanks for your efforts to get the V70 site to behave. Even with the quirks this is WAY the best coverage of a race I have ever seen around the world. The sailing game that echos it virtually is a kick! I cannot believe there are 31,000 or more boats racing out there from around the world. I was back in 24,898 to start with after my random start three days late and got and sent messages to the boats around me. One from Portugal and one from Sweden plus a bunch of others. We three are now in 10,000 -14,000 place. Moving up. Do you know if we restart with real fleet when they do out of Cape Town? We will find out. High school math classes are thinking this is real cool stuff too. They have class boats sailing against other classes in the school and many kids got their own boats launched. This may do more for sailing participation than any regatta could! Let the Volvo guys know they have done good. Do we get to virtual race in the buoy banging races? CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Comparing the stock market crash to divorce, the crash takes half of your net worth and lets you keep your spouse. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and MyBoatsGear.com. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
