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SCUTTLEBUTT 3393 - Thursday, July 28, 2011Scuttlebutt 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. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: New England Ropes, Ullman Sails, and Premiere Racing. KITING CONVERT John Heineken (Larkspur, Calif.) has arrived as the top Kiteboard course racing sailor in the world. Earlier this month, John dominated the field of 62 at the 2011 International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) Kite Course Racing World Championships in Sylt, Germany. He won 10 of the 12 races in winds that reached 25 knots and wavy conditions. The top four finishers were from the United States. The once highly competitive 29er, 49er and FJ sailor has successfully made the transition to kiteboarding, and he has loved every minute of it. Hear what the former University of California at Santa Barbara stand-out sailor had to say about his success and his admiration for kiteboarding in this interview with US SAILING: * What were your keys to success in winning the Kite Racing Worlds? JOHN HEINEKEN: "I'd say there were two main factors in my success at the Worlds. My sailing background is one of my most valuable assets. There are a number of sailors that can make a board go fast around a course, but being able to keep my head out of the boat and make good decisions without slowing down is a skill I learned during my skiff sailing years. But to really address this question I think it's important to note that San Francisco Bay Area sailors took the top three positions at this event and this is no coincidence. We were successful because we worked together on technique and designs, sharing everything, always pushing the performance envelope and improving as a group. We trained hard and effectively, living at Sherman Island and often sailing three sessions per day. On a typical day we'd practice tacking and jibing, mark roundings, and tons of short course practice, often logging over 50 miles per day. I now truly believe that training with the best is the only way to be successful." * What do you enjoy about kiteboarding? JOHN HEINEKEN: "I love going fast and I never push myself harder than in a race. The adrenaline of being on the starting line with the sky full of kites is pretty amazing and the feeling I get after surviving a big fleet start is even better. Kiting starts are a bit more challenging than boat racing starts because you have to pick a hole with your kite and follow that with your board. Just because there's a lane on the water doesn't mean you can go there, and just because your kite fits in a gap doesn't mean there's space on the water. This brings in a three dimensional aspect that is unique to kite racing, and I love it! On the other hand, kite racing is also very simple, logistically speaking. I can fit my boat and sails in my Saab, or in my board bag. There's no owning two boats and shipping one to a regatta halfway around the world, it can come anywhere with me right now. I sailed the North Americans in Puerto Rico a week after the Worlds in Germany, with the same gear. No problem." * How did you make the transition to kite racing? Read on: http://tinyurl.com/SOTW-072711 WHAT WILL WE SEE IN CASCAIS? When the inaugural event of the America's Cup World Series commences August 6-14 in Cascais, Portugal, it will be an event the sport has never seen before. Professional teams, wing-powered one design AC45s, stadium setting, specially designed race formats...this is what's possible when you combine the intrigue of an iconic trophy with money. The foundation of all ideas surrounding the America's Cup is to create an event worth watching. So what will we see? In Scuttlebutt 3392, America's Cup Principal Race Officer John Craig (USA) explained what the races might look like, and in Part 2 below sheds some light into the event management: * What will be noticing about the event judging system? JOHN CRAIG: The new Umpire system is in many ways like what we have seen in the past. It has people making the call; most of the time they get it right and sometimes they get it wrong. The difference is the new system, through the use of our tracking technology and use of live television, provides another layer of information the judges can use to make the correct call. On the water we will have 2 Umpires on jet skis and 1 Umpire in a RIB, all providing information from their perspective back to the Umpire booth. This will be coupled with live television feed and tracking software that shows overlaps and zones within two centimeters. The amount and accuracy of the information available to these Umpires hasn't been seen before. The other side of the equation is at the speed the AC45s, and ultimately the speed the AC72s will reach, keeping up positioning and making a call in a RIB alone is a very daunting task. * What RRS adjustments will appear glaring to the educated viewer?. JOHN CRAIG: The RRS have been heavily worked over both to simplify and deal with the closing speeds of these yachts. The rules team has worked hard to incorporate a lot of the Race Management pieces in the RRS, allowing for a very tight set of Sailing Instructions only two pages long. One example on the Race Management side will be the way communications are delivered to the teams. All communications go through a system known as RO Comms. This system is a combination of text messages issued by the Signal Boat or as a back up from the Umpires by radio. These messages, which indicate starting times, postponements, course changes and penalties issued by the Umpires, are displayed on the yachts. The boat on boat RRS Part 2 When Yachts Meet is going to take some time for people to get their heads around. It is going to be very different and is going to take a while for the avid rule fan time to work through. A ton of time and effort has been put in by the rules team and we think they are going to meet our needs and will continue to get refined going forward. Online race coverage: http://www.americascup.com Additional details: http://tinyurl.com/ACWS-1-BTSI NEW ENGLAND ROPES SPONSORS CJ BUCKLEY REGATTA This worthwhile event started in 2003 in memory of CJ Buckley who loved sailing but tragically passed away from brain cancer. The event is hosted by the East Greenwich Yacht Club and Greenwich Bay Sailing Association and will take place from August 1-3. New England Ropes takes great pride in its philanthropic efforts that support the sport of sailing especially these events which encourages today's youth to get out on the water and grow their passion for sailing. Find out more about the CJ Buckley Foundation by visiting their website at http://www.cjbuckleyregatta.net DEFENDING AGAINST THE SPREAD OF THE SCOURGE Remember the 2008 Olympics in Qingdao? The sailing events were in jeopardy when an algae bloom covered the racing area, requiring the Chinese navy and an army of volunteers to scoop up the green stuff so as to clear the course. And now, an underwater invader is taking the wind out of the sails of the America's Cup. Regulators have refused to issue permits necessary for the sailing regatta to move forward until organizers can prove the event won't significantly spread invasive seaweed through San Francisco Bay. Concerns over exotic seaweed, including Undaria pinnatifida, a fast-growing Asian species that reaches 10 feet and poses dangers to native kelp species, prompted the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board on Friday to reject a 107-page permit application filed late last month by the Port of San Francisco. The seaweed has taken root beneath some piers in San Francisco and could spread on the hulls of spectator boats as they enter and move around the bay. To reduce those risks, the Port had proposed an educational campaign that would alert boaters to the dangers of the seaweed and of the importance of keeping hulls clean of plants. But that proposal was not enough to satisfy the state. "The information in the application is insufficient to determine whether the outreach program will sufficiently mitigate for potential invasive species impacts from spectator boats," Watershed Division Chief Shin-Roei Lee wrote in a letter to Port and America's Cup officials. If it appears that it will be impossible to prevent the spread of the seaweed, Lee wrote, then the Port and America's Cup Event Authority will need to propose compensation, such as providing funds to an invasive species eradication program. Port environmental regulatory official Kelley Capone said her agency is coordinating with environmentalists to prepare a better plan for defending against the spread of the marine scourge. - The Bay Citizen, read on: http://s.tt/12UYD BORDER BATTLE The international sailing rivalry in the Pacific Northwest goes back many years, and in 1907 the first match for the Alexandra Cup was held between the United States and Canada. However, the train quickly got derailed in 1909 over a measurement dispute, leaving the Cup idol until this century long hiatus finally came to an end in June 2008. After the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club defeated Seattle Yacht Club that year in loaned 6 Metre sloops, Seattle challenged for 2010 using "bring your own" R boats, but again came up short against their northern neighbor. The Alexandra Cup will be held again this year in "R" boats, hosted by RVYC on English Bay, Vancouver BC. Following the selection series on either side of the boarder, the U.S. Challenger will complete against the Canadian Defender on October 28-30. Among the challenging groups is St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, CA. Here is a report from Staff Commodore Robert Keefe: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The "Old Brits" at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (RVYC) are going all out to conduct a first class international regatta which, if we win, will bring perhaps a half dozen "R's" to St. Francis Yacht Club in 2012. Our entry "Ace" is in the Northwest where she was refinished, and is as perfect as can be restored. Everything is first class; hull, rig, sails and detailing. She is a beautiful 43' racing yacht. We will have a complete St. Francis crew. There will be five in the boat; same as when we competed for the 6 meter championships, but "Ace" is a good bit bigger. There were two other restored "Rs" along with "Ace". They are very well done, and in prime condition, and should be very good competition. There is nothing second rate about what is going on here; it is the type of international yacht racing event we need to get back into. This is an avenue that might very well attract a lot of attention worldwide with a very bright future. Sailing conditions on English Bay can be light to moderate; it certainly isn't San Francisco Bay. But, in the late fall they have more wind that normal. "Ace" is about as big as any "R" ever built (1926). Her waterline is a little longer that the others; she always liked wind. However, she was very successful in Southern California; Arthur Rousseau for 5 years and never missed the Mid Winter regatta in Los Angeles. He won four times against a very good fleet of Southern California "R" boats. There will also be an "R" from the Chicago Yacht Club that will challenge and be with us in Vancouver. We will have to eliminate against both the Seattle Yacht Club's "Pirate" and also the Chicago boat to get into the finals. At the same time the two Canadian "R"s" will sail an elimination series with the winner advancing to defend in the finals. The last time we were as a club (1969) on English Bay we sent our 6 meter, "St.Francis IV", north for a match for the Canadian American Challenge Trophy, Sometimes known as the Globe & Mail (Toronto) Trophy emblematic of the North American 6 Meter Championship. The RVYC held the trophy, and we as the Challenger with Tom Blackaller sailing along with Ed Bennett, Gary Mull, Commodore Tompkins and Ron Anderson in the boat beat the defender in the best 4 out of 7 match; we won the first 4 races. Time has a way of repeating itself, and here we are again; great stuff. ATTENTION: St. FYC Staff Commodore Robert Keefe is eager to purchase a Vintage Universal Rule "R" Class sloop suitable for restoration. Interested parties can contact him at rckeefe@sbcglobal.net ONE-SIXTH OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY (July 27, 2011) - On the San Francisco cityfront, where 145 sailors and 110 volunteers wrapped the Junior Windsurfing Worlds on Sunday, Wednesday saw the practice race - not on the first attempt - for 120 juniors entered in the Laser 4.7 Worlds. Kids, it's called The Ebb. One-sixth of San Francisco Bay goes out and in twice a day, and The Ebb pushes upwind and, yes, it will sweep you over the start line early and often. I reckon that's why we have a practice race. PRO Kevin Reeds is proud of the international aspect, "with sailors from 28.5 countries." Excuse me? "If they don't fill out the nationality line on the electronic registration, it defaults to the first country on the list. Afghanistan. Right now we have about a dozen entries from Afghanistan, but we're tracking them down one by one and getting closer to 28.0." The junior championship continues through Tuesday (of next week), with Laser Slalom racing Wednesday and Thursday, registration and measurement for 247 Laser Masters competitions on Friday and Saturday, and opening races Sunday. How St. Frantic can it get? With the San Francisco Yacht Harbor torn up for reconstruction, and most docks removed, the club has towed barges into the basin for hauling the Lasers, which are having to squeeze between one ginormous dredge and the Golden Gate Yacht Club to get to the racecourse and back. Hey, Dutra Group, are we gonna have a harbor for the Big Boat Series? -- Kimball Livingston, Blue Planet Times, http://blueplanettimes.com/?p=7412 ULLMAN SAILS WIN BIG AT YOUNGSTOWN LEVEL REGATTA Ullman Sails customers dominated last weekend at the Youngstown Level Regatta on Lake Ontario, winning the highly competitive Beneteau 36.7 fleet and sweeping five of the top six spots in the 22-boat fleet! Congratulations to Gary Tisdale's "First Today" who took first place with 100% Ullman Sails inventory. He led the charge of Ullman-powered boats that finished 3rd through 6th overall. The regatta also hosted the Farr 30 Great Lakes Championship where Bill Markel and crew on "Standard Deviation" claimed the 2011 title with full Ullman inventory. And Robert Mendenhall cleaned up in the J/22 fleet with seven straight bullets. -- http://www.ullmansails.com SAILING SHORTS * Buzios, Brazil (July 27, 2011) - One race was completed today in the International Lightning Class Association World Championship, putting the regatta back on schedule after high winds and seas delayed racing on Monday afternoon. The Chilean Team of Tito Gonzalez sailing with his son, Diego and Cristian Herman convincingly won the race and are now the sole leader of the regatta. The American team of David Starck sailing with his wife Jody and Ian Jones took a 3rd today to move up to second overall. -- Full report: http://www.lightningclass.org/racing/results/2011/worldsreportday4.asp * The 2011 U.S. Optimist National Championship concluded Sunday at the Houston Yacht Club in Shoreacres, TX with a total of twelve races sailed in the Medal Round. Overall winner of the event was New Zealand's current National Champion Leonard Takahashi-Fry. The 2011 US National Champion in second place is Wade Waddell who is one of the US team members who will represent the USA at the 2011 IODA Worlds in New Zealand this coming December. Skippers through third place in the Bronze Division qualified to attend the 2012 Team Trials this coming April in Brant Beach, New Jersey. Full results at https://sites.google.com/site/optinationals2011 * The ISAF World Sailing Rankings for 27 July 2011 have been released for the nine Olympic fleet racing events. Eight countries have top ranked teams, with only Great Britain holding the top spots in two events (Men's One Person Dinghy - Heavyweight and Men's One Person Dinghy). All the North Americans ranked in the top ten come from the U.S. team, with the Women's Two Person Dinghy team of Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Farrar as the highest ranked in fourth position. -- Full report: http://www.sailing.org/36353.php INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * Yellowbrick tracking devices chosen for top Great Lake regattas * SOS Dan Buoy Winner of two 2011 Australian Awards * First edition of 'Australian Sailing + Yachting' launched * Major wins for NEB built boats in Transat & Transpac Races! View and/or post Industry News updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news 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: Jul 28-31 - Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta - Marblehead, MA, USA Jul 29-31 - Dillon Open sponsored by Northwest Mutual - Dillon, CO, USA Jul 29-31 - IRC Canadian Championship - Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jul 29-31 - Melges 32 North Americans - Newport, RI, USA Jul 29-Aug 1 - North American Challenge Cup - Chicago, IL, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar MARK YOUR CALENDAR - QUANTUM KEY WEST 2012 Are you making plans for your winter escape to Key West? There's no better place for serious racing sailors to be January 15-20. Don't miss the special 25th Anniversary celebration! NOR, class news, entry plans, and lots of planning aids will be updated throughout the coming months. http://www.Premiere-Racing.com GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Philip D. O'Niel III: Regarding Frank Kearn's comment in Scuttlebutt 3392, I guess that Frank forgets he won the Bayview-Mackinac's Cove Island Race Overall in 2007 sailing under IRC. Wonder what changed in four years? Were they resentful of Frank then? Bayview has sailed the Cove Island course (254 nm) for decades. Yes it is longer and harder but everyone including the shortest, slowest boat used to sail that course. When you decide to race offshore I think you pick the most challenging course you can. Those that sailed the Cove Island course deserve credit for their competitive spirit and I am sure wonder about the logic of 65 foot boats and other custom one off boats sailing the short course (204 nm). The "pick your course" certainly did not increase participation, just diluted the competition. * From Bora Gulari: Regarding Frank Kern's comments about IRC and how the bigger, newer boats always tend to win, I took a review of the past results and it seems like the bigger, newer boats tend to always do well regardless of what rule is being used. Since I have been sailing the BYC Mackinac Race, the long course has been originally run under IMS, then PHRF for a couple years after the demise of IMS, then more recently IRC and ORR for one year. The one year ORR was also allowed it was pretty random as everyone got to choose whatever they wanted (either ORR or IRC). What happened was there were a lot of classes with very few boats. Pretty ridiculous. I have attached the results, which show that ince 1996 it is not too often when a smaller, slower boat has legitimately beaten the big boats. It's distance racing, and if someone gets a weather system in front of you, one has to do a little prayer. Results attached: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/11/BYC-Mac.xls * From Phil Mostyn: Referring to Tom Duggan's example in issue 3392, why didn't the RC request Redress under rule 60.2(b)? Alternatively, of course, the PC could have called a hearing to consider redress under rule 60.3(b). * From Brent Boyd: Commenting on the RRS 32.1 example by Tom Duggan in Scuttlebutt 3392, the three tools who sailed the wrong course and would not retire should be banned from sailing for one year - reason being "lack of sportsmanship". I hope they will enjoy looking at their ill-gotten trophies for a year while their fleet continues to race. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION You know times are tough when you get a pre-declined credit card in the mail. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Harken - Hall Spars & Rigging - North Sails Melges Performance Sailboats - Southern Spars - The Pirates Lair Quantum Sails - J Boats - New England Ropes - Ullman Sails - Interlux - APS Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
