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SCUTTLEBUTT 2643 - Tuesday, July 22, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. AC UPDATE (The following excerpts are from a story posted on the Daily Sail subscription website.) (Last week) BMW announced the renewal of their partnership with Larry Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing team for a third campaign. According to BMW Oracle at least, the 33rd America’s Cup will be kick off on 12 March 2009 at the venue of Alinghi’s choice, be it northern or southern hemisphere, regardless of the Deed. It seems highly likely that Alinghi won’t see it in this way. How this will be resolved perhaps only Justice Cahn knows… (BMW Oracle Racing’s Russell) Coutts is wondering particularly where Alinghi will be getting their spars and sails built. Ellison’s US challenge has the advantage of having the Nevada-based North 3DL plant within their territory along with several spar makers, notably Halls, who it already been announced are building their spars. In Switzerland there is of course the ubiquitous North loft, but their 3DL comes from the US. Prior to the last Cup Alinghi were known to be testing a new black sail cloth being manufactured by a Swiss company, although in practice we never saw this being used in the 32nd Cup. While it seems most likely that BMW Oracle Racing’s boat will be a trimaran, might Alinghi build a catamaran? “The choice between catamaran and trimaran, one of the main things is that it could be very very wind dependent,” says Coutts. “A very very light wind venue could favour a narrower boat, it could even favour a smaller boat. And the last thing - depending upon the size of the boat, at certain sizes a catamaran will be lighter, while at other scales a trimaran will be lighter. -- http://www.thedailysail.com/ QUOTE / UNQUOTE “I always thought it was healthy to have a job, a normal life and then an obsessive interest in your chosen sport. Ours was sailing. Alan Warren and I always tried very hard but we also liked to have fun. I don't know if Olympic sailors do any more.” --Tim Jeffery, http://xrl.us/nes5w THE BEST OF THE BEST * Nominations are now invited for the 2008 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. Nominations can be made by anyone and the only criteria are that sailors must have performed an "outstanding achievement in the sport" during the qualifying period of 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008. A shortlist will be drawn up by ISAF from all of the nominations received at the ISAF Secretariat and sent to the 126 ISAF Member National Authorities who will vote for one male and one female sailor who they believe merit the Awards. Past nominees and winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year include: 2007 - Ed BAIRD (USA) and Claire LEROY (FRA) 2006 - Mike SANDERSON (NZL) and Paige RAILEY (USA) 2005 - Fernando ECHAVARRI; Anton PAZ (ESP) and Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR) 2004 - Robert SCHEIDT (BRA) and Sofia BEKATOROU; Emilia TSOULFA (GRE) 2003 - Russell COUTTS (SUI) and Siren SUNDBY (NOR) 2002 - Ben AINSLIE (GBR) and Sofia BEKATOROU; Emilia TSOULFA (GRE) 2001 - Robert SCHEIDT (BRA) and Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR) 2000 - Mark REYNOLDS; Magnus LILJEDAHL (USA) and Shirley ROBERTSON (GBR) 1999 - Mateusz KUSZNIEREWICZ (POL) and Margriet MATTHIJSE (NED) 1998 - Ben AINSLIE (GBR) and Carolijn BROUWER (NED) 1997 - Pete GOSS (GBR) and Ruslana TARAN; Elena PAKHOLCHIK (UKR) 1996 - Jochen SCHÜMANN (GER) and Lee-Lai SHAN (HKG) 1995 - Russell COUTTS (NZL) and Isabelle AUTISSIER (FRA) 1994 - Peter BLAKE (NZL); Robin KNOX JOHNSTON (GBR) and Theresa ZABELL (ESP) Nominations should be sent in to ISAF by 10.00hrs (UTC) on Friday 5 September 2008 on the official form which can be found at: www.sailing.org/worldsailor. FIVE YEARS OLD & GOING STRONG! Nick Jedrich owns a Frers 30 on the Chesapeake Bay. When he races, he pulls out his five-year-old North 3DL TF1 sails (taffeta film on one side) and still can't believe his eyes. "They're perfect," says Jedrich, "My sails look brand new and I keep telling my North representative that when I do buy new sails, I want the same exact cut. The shape is great and they trim very well. I haven't even considered buying anything other than North." When performance, shapeholding, and durability matter, head North: http://na.northsails.com TRIBUTE TO RUDI July 21, 2008 (Mackinac Island) -- Randall Pittman and crew aboard Genuine Risk, the largest boat in the over 430 boat fleet, were the first to reach Mackinac Island first thing Monday at 1:18 a.m. during the 100th Running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. Peter Isler, navigator on Risk said, "It was a tactically challenging race. We had 5-6 weather models and the science just couldn't keep up with Mother Nature." Like Isler, many sailors are reporting on the fickle winds in this 2008 race, which began Saturday. The crew of Genuine Risk is packed with great instincts in sailors like Isler, Eric Doyle and James Spittle to name a few. The 100th Mac was special for Pittman and crew for several reasons, but in particular the race was an opportunity for the crew to pay tribute to friend and renown sailor Mark Rudiger who passed away Thursday prior to the race. "We added a sticker on the boom that reads "RUDI." We dedicated this race to him," Pittman remarked. Rudiger was Pittman's navigator the last time Genuine Risk competed on the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac four years prior. Genuine Risk finished with an elapsed time of 35:08:42, and just under an hour later was followed by last year’s first to finish boat Windquest, owned by Doug and Dick DeVos with an elapsed time of 35:56:44. As the day progressed forward, so too did the boats participating in the 100th Running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. The sound of the cannon firing, indicating a boat crossing the finish line, became more and more frequent. As of 6:29 p.m. CDT, 90 boats had finished and 16 retired. Nearly all boats in from the Turbo and Great Lake 70 sections are in as the cannon continues to sound almost every minute as a stream of boats continue past Round Island light at the finish. With each finish came word of the challenging and often unpredictable conditions on the race. “The race typified all conditions one can experience on the race,” said Michael Brotz, skipper of Great Lakes 70 Chance, and a veteran of 27 Macs. “We experienced everything. Flies, wind, no wind, hot sun, wind shifts. It was relatively slow, and at some times relatively fast sailing.” -- For continued coverage of the fleet go to www.chicagoyachtclub.or PACIFIC CUP Double-handed entry Raindrop (Portland, Ore.), skippered by Joby Easton and crewed by Bill Huseby, is no stranger to victory or the Pacific Cup. Easton and Huseby took first in the double-handed division aboard Huseby's Soverel 33 Sting in the 1988 Pacific Cup. The pair, from Portland, Oregon, appears headed for a repeat with Monday's standings showing Raindrop leading her fleet by a good margin. Serving as crew instead of skipper, Huseby was asked if he saw great differences between the 2008 race and his 1988 victory run. Referring to Easton, Huseby said "Well, he's paying the bills this time instead of me." In the overall standings, Dean Daniels’ Hobie 33 Sleeping Dragon has moved back to the top of the fleet with a 191-mile day’s run. -- Updated official standings and links to time-delayed satellite reports at: http://www.PacificCup.org GENUINE RISK, RAMBLER, SPEEDBOAT... All ask for CAMET Hobart Sailing Shorts…. the lightest shorts on the market! They weigh in at only 9 ounces and are designed with offset side seams to reduce chafing. The improved design provides extreme flexibility, while the Titanium silver nylon fabric has a durable water repellent finish that dries quickly and has a UV rating of 40+. Features include two back pockets with Velcro closures, adjustable Velcro waist, two deep side-pockets, and a Cordura-reinforced seat for added protection from abrasive surfaces. Ask for it by name! -- http://www.camet.com/?Click=923 SAILING SHORTS * Six sailors will have their names entered into the Barnegat Bay Sailing Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 4: The Barnegat Bay Sailing Hall of Fame promotes the area’s maritime heritage by recognizing individuals whose accomplishments on the water and/or on shore have significantly enhanced Barnegat Bay’s maritime character and strengthened its status as a maritime center. The 2008 inductees are: Henry Bossett (Manasquan River YC), Willie decamp (Mantoloking YC), Garry Hoyt (Beachwood YC), Mike Spark(Surf City YC), Dick Wight (Mantoloking YC) and a posthumous award will be given to Dick Bertram (Mantoloking YC). * The marine terminal manager at Texas A&M University-Galveston, who also coached the school's offshore sailing team that lost a boat during a fatal racing accident last month, has been fired. The Texas A&M System fired James Atchley for failing to reveal his criminal history on his job application in 1997. Atchley didn't disclose he had a federal conviction in 1990 related to the savings and loan scandals of the 1980s. The sailboat Cynthia Woods capsized June 6 after its keel broke off, killing one crew member and stranding five others for 26 hours in the Gulf of Mexico. -- http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5899816.html * Puerto Rico sailors were jubilant last night after winning the Optimist Team Racing Worlds. Sixteen teams, selected on the first five races of the fleet Worlds participated. The event, held over a single day, uses a ‘direct elimination with repechage’ format familiar in other sports. Singapore finished in second place with the USVI taking bronze -- which shows the advantage held by small countries which can concentrate their talent in one or two clubs for training n this exciting discipline. Detailed account and score-sheet at www.optiworld.org/08worldnews.html * The Lightning Youth World Championship finished up last week in Montreal, Canada. The event was hosted by the Royal St. Lawrence YC and Lightning Fleet 215. Competitors raced in borrowed boats donated by the local and regional Lightning fleets and rotated boats after each race. Final results: 1.Taylor Lutz, Luke Vreeland, Bernie Roesler USA; 2. Ian Schillebeeckx, Connor Aswad, Will Schwarz USA; 3. Matthew Schon, Timmy Crann, Jason Lutz USA. Complete results and photos at www.lightningclass.org * Danny Pletsch, sailing with Megan Magill (Friday) and Carrie Amarante (Sat/Sun) won the Nautica Vanguard 15 National Championship, held July 18-20 at Larchmont YC. After having 114 boats show up June 14-15 with no wind, 77 boats returned to find building southwesterlies each day and a variety of conditions, allowing for 16 races in less than 48 hours. Ward Young and Anne Marie Martin finished second, one point ahead of Russ O'Reilly and Joel Labuzetta. Full results are posted at http://www.larchmontyc.org and regatta photos are posted at http://www.boatographer.net * A total of 18, leading TP52 team have arrived in the spectacular Mediterranean venue of Puerto Portals, Majorca for the fourth round of the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit - the Breitling Regatta - which starts Tuesday. Keen to check out the conditions and prepare for the first two races 15 teams headed out into the bay for a practice race earlier today but the stiff 20kt plus breeze dropped off and became very shifty as the day wore on. -- Sue Pelling/Yachting World, July 21 -- http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20080621155028ywnews.html * Lake Champlain YC, Shelburne, VT--Oregon's Darrell Peck won the 26-boat Finn North American Championship in a series abbreviated by light and shifty conditions. Local sailor Dave Powlison won a tie-breaker over Toronto's Matt Johnson for second and third places, respectively. http://lcyc.info/files/finn071708_0.html * The Saint Lawrence has served up a complicated helping of conditions for the original 28 crews in the 7th Transat Quebec Saint Malo. After 24 hours, the fleet of Class 40s, 50 foot Open multihulls and some Fico monohulls are currently beating their way down the meandering river. The yachts are progressing in headwinds at the mercy of the tides and strong currents between Quebec and the river estuary. The fleet has already had one retirement: -- the Pogo Class 40 Entreprises Lorraines, skippered by Patrice Carpentier which ran aground and has suffered damage to the keel. -- www.quebecsaintmalo.com * Over 160 junior sailors converged on tiny South Bass Island on Lake Erie for the first of three events in the Inter-Lake Yachting Association's (I-LYA) Bay Week Regattas. Held July 14-18 and presented by Progressive and sponsored by GMC, the Junior Bay Week Regatta hosted sailing in five one-design classes (Thistle, 420, Club FJ, Laser and Laser Radial) for youngsters ages 13-18. It also served as a stepping-stone to the US Sailing national junior sailing championships for the Sears Cup, Bemis and Smythe Trophies, by doubling as the Area E Quarter-Finals for those ladder events. -- For race results, photos and more information, visit www.i-lya.com * The Alinghi sailing team regrouped again in Lorient, France Monday for the second session of two-boat ORMA60 training with Foncia and Banque Populaire. This comes off the back of a successful week racing Dan Meyers' Numbers in Cork, Ireland where the Alinghi powered IRC66 won its class. The team is preparing for a possible Deed of Gift Match on multihulls in 2009 and is using all areas of the sport for the training process, the Décision 35 circuit in Switzerland being one, the eXtreme 40 iShares Cup another and the ORMA60s in Lorient a third. -- http://xrl.us/np9gc CHECK OUT SAIL1DESIGN’S JOB OPENINGS, USED BOATS & GEAR Sail1Design is sailing’s classified source, from gear to boats to jobs. Today’s S1D spotlights: Full-time Yacht Broker, Annapolis; Etchells #670 for sale, Sailing Coaches needed, Sarasota, FL; Quantum Cruising Asymmetrical, like new; Sail1Design Dinghy Clinic Annapolis, 21-22 August. Check these out and lots more. http://www.Sail1Design.com EIGHT BELLS Experienced sailor and prominent retired businessman David J. Walsh, 64, was killed Friday afternoon after a power boat collided with the sailboat he was aboard and threw him into the waters of Buzzards Bay. According to the Coast Guard, DJ. Walsh and Warren G. Hathaway were sailing when a 60-foot power boat hit Mr. Hathaway’s 30-foot sailboat, the Padanaram. Hathaway was being treated at St. Luke’s Hospital Friday night but escaped serious injury in the accident, but Walsh was thrown into the water by the force of the collision. He was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Walsh served two terms as the president of the Buzzards Bay Regatta, the last being last year, and he had been a regatta volunteer for 14 years. As co-chairman of the Waterfront Committee, Walsh also helped coordinate the appearance of several Tall Ships during the 1996 Summerfest waterfront festival. -- Full details: http://xrl.us/np79a 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 may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). 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 Angus Phillips: For the record, in my 30-plus years of covering sailing I've not met a kinder, gentler, more helpful yachtsman than Mark Rudiger. He was a great sailor and an even better person. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Angus Phillips is an internationally respected journalist and columnist for the Washington Post -- his by-line has appeared proudly in this newsletter since we began publication in 1997. * From John Jourdane: The sailing world just lost one of it's best. Mark Rudiger was very special. After sailing thousands of miles together across the Pacific, the Atlantic and up and down the West Coast, I knew that Mark was "the best;" not only one of the best navigators in the world, but a friend to all sailors, a gentleman, a wonderful husband and father. He was one of the really good guys in the sailing world, and we will all miss him. * From Andrea Falcon, Italy: I am very sad to read that Mark Rudiger passed away. I really liked him during the 1997-98 Volvo Ocean Race that he won together with Paul Cayard on Ef Language. It was great to see them arriving at every port; they had both moustaches, beard and they were always smiling. It always took a while to understand who was who. When you looked at Mark Rudiger, you could say: "He is really enjoying what he is doing, he is having fun". And he was taking great decisions during that race. * From Carl Zimba: In response to the report by Stephen Van Dyck about trash recovery at the Women’s Match Racing Mayors Cup in Long Beach (‘Butt 2641), I would like to applaud them and report about another effort to remove floating trash. Here in Boston, a group of high school sailing coaches, led by Tom McNichol, started an effort to remove floating trash from the Charles River five years ago. That effort continues today and has grown to include volunteers from all walks of life, not just sailors. Each year, these volunteers go out on the Charles four days a week and remove hundreds of bags of trash each year, leaving a much cleaner river for all to enjoy. For more information, visit the Cleanup Boat's web site at http://rbcant.us/cleanupboat/index.htm. * From Grey McGown Fort Worth (re story in Scuttlebutt 2457): Curmudgeon .. if you visit Landing School sometime you'll find that on the site of the school a lot of sailing vessels have been built there for hundreds of years. I found this with a Google search: "Shipbuilding operations, including that of Captain Tobias Lord, were moved to the Landing area, above Durrell’s Bridge. From 1790-1867, hundreds of ships were built at the half dozen major shipbuilding yards. These ships were then launched to Kennebunkport, the busy harbor where the masts were stepped and cargo was loaded in preparation for their voyages. As the trans-Atlantic voyages became more common, ships of greater tonnage were built. A lock was built and used for nineteen years by a group of Landing builders to provide better passage of large vessels down the river. Between 1854 and 1918, shipyards moved closer to the mouth of the Kennebunk River, towards lower village and the port, where hundreds more wooden sailing vessels were constructed." CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION A poor memory is not the same as a clear conscience. Special thanks to North Sails, Camet, and Sail1Design. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
