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SCUTTLEBUTT 2203 - October 17, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt brought to you by UBS (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). STILL KICKING, Comes a time in life when merely tackling a task is notable -- the 75-year-old woman who goes back to college to get a philosophy degree, the 80-year-old man still running the short-order grill at the diner. They don't have to do well, it's enough that they do it at all. Which is where you might expect Stuart Walker to come in. At 83, he'll skipper his slippery, 27-foot race boat, Duende, against 38 competitors from 12 countries in the Soling World Championships on Chesapeake Bay this week. It's the 20th time he'll race the Worlds since 1969, when the Soling class was started. The best he ever did was eighth, in 1973, at Quiberon, France. How does he expect to do? Well, he doesn't plan to just be there. He plans to win. - Angus Phillips, Washington Post, full story: http://tinyurl.com/ymmgw3 READER COMMENTARY In response to the lead story in Issue 2199 last week, “Have We Lost A Generation Of Sailors?”, Scuttlebutt has received many well thought out comments, some of which are being included each day in the Letters section below. Several outstanding letters submitted immediately were too long to include in the Letters section, but were also too good to edit down to the 250-word limit. We wanted to excerpt these letters in this issue, and then post them in their entirety in the Fourms section of the Scuttlebutt website. If this subject is of interest to you, don’t miss what is being said here: * From Richard du Moulin, Commodore, Storm Trysail Club: Back in the 1950's-1970's most junior sailors raced small boats during the summer, and crewed on big boats in the spring and fall, and some summer weekends. This balance created a larger circle of friends and broader experience. We believe it lead to a wider and deeper appreciation of our great sport. * From Peter Alarie: Many of the kids that are successful in (today’s developmental) track simply drop out at the end of the line, unable and unprepared to make the transition to other, more challenging areas of our sport. …After years of being successful in this overly simple arena of sailing, they are not equipped for the emotional struggles of achieving the same level in Olympic or even fast One Design classes. * From Jesse Andrews, Kaneohe Yacht Club Jr Sailing director and University of Hawaii sailing coach: When I was 16, I worked at a local sail-makers after school to pay my parents back for the very much used International 420 they helped me purchase. This boat was a dream come true for me. I spent long hours working to get it as competitive as possible. I also had to find transportation to regatta's and tune the boat prior to each event. This taught me responsibility and gave me a good work ethic. …The problem (for today’s youth) is when you supply the boats, transportation, and make it as inexpensive as possible, they tend to take it for grated. * From Blake Billman, SEISA Graduate Director, ICSA Board Member, Fort Worth Boat Club, Ft. Worth TX: I took a job as a coach in Houston and was appalled by two things that I see as completely interrelated: There was a total lack of weekly big boat racing, and the absence of the technical skills their juniors possessed. I have become convinced that a real junior development program must include big boat racing and that education must start at a young age (10-11). When some juniors exit the Opti program (14-15) is too late. I am also convinced that this education must be a club wide initiative, not one run by the junior program. * From Hiro Nakajima: It appears that for many families, the junior sailing programs with Optis and Lasers is a convenient summer “sports” type activity akin to soccer and hockey, and that once the program is over, sailing is over for them as well. There appears to be a lack of understanding of the importance for a junior sailor to be exposed to numerous experiences ranging from small one-person dinghies to two to three person boats, and ultimately to big boat racing. Read these letters in their entirety here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/2006/1016 WINTERIZING GUIDE With winter approaching, Boat Owners Association of The United States has reviewed its insurance claim files and reports the following six most common mistakes made when winterizing a boat: -- Failure to drain the engine block. -- Failure to drain water from sea strainer. -- Failure to close seacocks. -- Clogged petcocks. -- Leaving open boats in the water over winter. -- Using bimini covers as winter storage covers. Complete information at http://tinyurl.com/ylrn7h SAMSON TO SPONSOR KEY WEST RACE WEEK FOR 3 MORE YEARS Samson announced today that they have signed a 3-year commitment to be a Gold Industry Partner at Key West Race Week. "Samson was the very first rope supplier to partner with Key West Race Week over 5 years ago, and we are proud to continue this sponsorship." says David Krupka, Samson Recreational Marine Sales Manager. "It's such a great venue for working one on one with some of the best boats and sailors in the world and for learning how to continually improve our racing lines to meet their needs." http://www.samsonrope.com FLORIDA FIGHTS BACK The mayor of Ft Pierce, a coastal city about 60 miles north of Ft Lauderdale, has called for plans to use 100 acres of vacant land as a marine industrial development. Mayor Bob Benton told the Scripps news service that he wants to create a marine industrial zone on land zoned for residential use. It would include marinas, boatyards and other marine-type facilities. The story noted that city commissioners lined up behind the idea last week. St Lucie County has over 10,000 boats. Benton said in a commission meeting that boating-related businesses can no longer afford to operate on the waterfront in various parts of the state, particularly South Florida and the Treasure Coast, because of the rising demand for waterfront development and skyrocketing property values. "Basically, Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are pushing them out, and St Lucie and Martin County are next," Benton told the news service. "Property values along our port area have gone up 100 per cent this year. Recreational boating is one of the biggest businesses in Florida, but if you don't have a support system it won't exist. Everything is going private and there's just a lack of space." Benton said the plan could take up to 20 years to develop. Other commissioners cautioned of a possible backlash from residents located near the proposed marine industrial zone. Others pointed to alternative plans to use the area for public water retention in that swiftly developing region of Florida. "It appears to have some merit on the surface, but there appears to be some complications," one commissioner told the paper. - IBI Magazine, http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20060910145718ibinews.html MADE IN CHINA Frank Pong, former commodore of the Royal Hing Kong Yacht Club and prominent owner/skipper in Asia sailing, has joined the China America’s Cup team as Honorary Chairman. Here is an excerpt of an interview now posted on the team ’s website. * You want to develop sailing in China. How are you going to go about doing this? What are your objectives? Says Pong, “Under the guidance of the Chinese Yachting Association, dinghy and windsurf sailing have been underway for decades but bigger boats have not been much looked at until now. …There is now financial capability and as the Country becomes more affluent, leisure time activities are becoming a bigger part of life. …At the present time, there is no doubt the sorely missing part in sailing in China is the knowledge and a pool of people who can just go onto a 35 footer and sail with competence. Hence there is a great deal of need for big boat sail training. I have met many enthusiastic friends coming from all parts of the world who have expressed their keenness to assist by starting sailing academies and this is something that would be much welcomed. There is one problem, though, and that is the language barrier. Not all Chinese persons who wish to learn to sail share a common language with those who wish to spare their time to teach them. I suppose that is why I have found myself and my crew in a position to help in the conveyance of the basic elements of bigger boat handling and racing.” Complete interview: http://www.china-team.org/china/news-en/franck%20Pong MOUNT GAY HAT CONTEST The rules are simple - he or she with the most red hats wins. Last week, Steffi Schiffer of Ft. Lauderdale, FL submitted an image of her hat collection; now it’s time to see what other collections exist. Since we cannot verify the actual ownership of a Mount Gay hat, we are simply looking for photos with the most countable red hats. We don’t care if you combine collections with your mates… just show us the hats! You have all week (and weekend) to pull this together, wherein the Scuttlebutt judges will review all the entries beginning Monday, Oct 23 (perhaps over Mount Gay and Tonics). The top three entries will be those with photos that show the most red Mount Gay Rum hats that we can count. Winners will win… Mount Gay Rum gear/schwag. Post your photos at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/2006/mgr NO MATTER WHAT TACK YOU ARE ON, YOU ALWAYS LOOK GOOD. Camet International has the outstanding reputation of always being the best in design, quality, and service. The Camet sailing shorts are the leaders in technology and comfort. They are made out of a breathable, fast drying Supplex with a UV rating of 50+ (blocks 97.5% of UV rays) and reinforced with a Cordura seat patch to insert an optional foam pad. Camet has a variety of men's and women's shorts, pants, and colors. Coolmax shirts, Code Zero shirts, padded vest, mylar bags, etc. All made in the USA. Visit the Camet website at http://www.camet.com FORECASTING SUCCESS All America's Cup teams in Valencia have at least one meteorologist working full time on weather observation and forecast. Why is it so important for the teams to have a dedicated weather department? What part does weather forecast play in the success of a team? The ‘Valencia Sailing’ website talked to Guenter Meschkat, meteorologist of Team Shosholoza, provided a detailed overview of his daily job in Valencia. “The most important meteorological phenomenon in Valencia affecting sailing in general and the America's Cup in particular is the sea breeze, especially in the critical months from April to July since the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup take place during these months in 2007. In meteorology the sea breeze is a local wind created by temperature differential between land and sea. According to Guenter Meschkat no other larger scale atmospheric conditions affect Valencia's weather in such a significant way, at least as far as the America's Cup is concerned during the previously mentioned period.” - Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/ybm53m SAILING SHORTS * US Sailing announced that it is organizing a discussion panel on the Volvo Ocean Race on Friday, November 17, from 5:00-6:15 pm in Newport, R.I. The panel discussion, held during US Sailing's Annual Meeting, will take place at the Newport Hyatt Hotel on Goat Island. The panel will consist of Stan Honey, navigator on the winning team of ABN Amro One; Ken Read, helmsman and tactician for Ericsson Racing Team; Jerry Kirby, bowman for Pirates of the Caribbean; and Jennifer Lilly, the official weather forecaster for the Volvo Ocean Race. The panel will be moderated by Gary Jobson. - http://www.ussailing.org/events/meet06fall/fall_2006.htm * 20 sailors will receive scholarships from the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity to assist them in qualification and preparation for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition in Qingdao, China. Sailors from 14 nations will receive the funding support to help them realize their Olympic dreams in China. - ISAF website, full details: http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6fFh?6vw&format=popup * Bitter End YC has announced the line-up and team pairings (derived from a random drawing) for their 20th Annual Pro Am Regatta, sponsored by vineyard vines. Paul Cayard will pair with Keith Musto; Russell Coutts is paired with Rob Johnstone; Ken Read is teamed with Bruce Kirby; Dave Perry and Lowell North are paired together as are Dawn Riley and Butch Ulmer. The action start in the North Sound off Vigin Gorda, BVI on October 29, with guests of the BEYC resort serving as the crews for invited skippers. - http://www.beyc.com * The 2006 Linda Elias Memorial Womens One Design Regatta was founded in 1992 and is recognized as the premiere all-women’s yacht racing event on the Pacific coast. Competitors this year came from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Los Angeles, to compete in the fleet of identical 37-foot sailboats. Annie Nelson and her San Diego Yacht Club team beat out second place finisher Susie Taylor and past LEMWOD victor Liz Hjorth, co-skippering from California Yacht Club, by four points. - Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/ybescu * The results link for the Tornado Pre-Trials in Issue 2202 proved to have issues of its own. Here is a link that works: http://www.sdyc.org/trials/tornados/tornadoPreTrials_res.htm HERE, THERE, & EVERYWHERE Coast to coast, boarder to boarder, and around the world; whether patrolling our waters, officiating regattas, or coaching our children, Ribcraft RIBs prove themselves day in and day out. Now’s the time to see for yourself what safety professionals and yacht clubs already know. Contact Ribcraft today for information. http://www.ribcraftusa.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or space (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, there are no word or frequency limits on comments sent to the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Sandy Purdon, former Executive Director, Stars & Stripes '87 America's Cup Challenge: (regarding the auction of America’s Cup silver remnants from Issue 2202; edited to our 250 word limit) In 1990, my wife, Kathy and I (I was Vice Commodore of San Diego Yacht Club at the time) were invited by Garrards to bring the Cup to London to help celebrate 250 years of their business. Along with the America's Cup, which had not been back to England since its loss in 1851, Garrards displayed other famous sporting trophies that they had created. As we were invited for a week in London by Garrards, they requested to do a wax mold of the Cup as they were concerned about potential damage or loss of the Cup in the future. We agreed, but not before we went through considerable legal discussion with our attorneys, wherein Garrards had to agree to a number of stipulations that were to be approved by whoever was the Trustee (current winner) of the Cup. Little did anyone know what was to happen in New Zealand that would bring the Cup back to Garrards to be repaired. The questions just off the top of my head is how this agreement between San Diego Yacht Club (trustee at the time) and Garrards reads pertaining to the replacement parts of the Cup as in this situation. Obviously the question is how this agreement reads regarding the pieces replaced by the Trustee (New Zealand) at the time of the repairs and the current Trustee (Swiss), and their respective jurisdiction over the Cup and its former pieces now. * From Bruce Brown: (regarding Daria Blackwell response in Issue 2202 to Brown’s Industry Commentary story in Issue 2201) I could not agree more. It is absolutely about sailing - not always about racing. My comments were addressed to a specific question that was asked - about how to keep those young sailors from high school and college racing programs interested in sailing. Sailing is much more than racing. Racing represents a very small percentage of sailors and our industry recognizes that fact. My interest is in opening up the interest in the wonder of sailing to a much broader group. Thanks for reminding all of us that sailing is not just about racing. * From Tom Fischbeck: After reading Curmudg jr's losing generation of kids and sailing blog (in Issue 2199), and in the same Butt, the "Catamaran Kid" story, I realized that what we need is beach cats! We have lost Beach Cats, these fun exciting, non-yacht club affiliation, cheap, used cats. Beach catamarans are the perfect solution for kids and sailing. Hobie made a bazillion and they can be found anywhere on the planet for sale cheap. No excuses. I say fill up all the city lakes and beaches with Beach Cats! * From John Glynn: While it's great to try to figure out ways to keep the kids that are already sailing in the sport, I have been vocal in the past (see Scuttlebutt guest editorial Dec 04) about ways of introducing kids to the sport "softly" and earlier, and with more positive imagery. Happily, I believe that this is beginning to happen to a greater degree in North America. The larger the talent pool coming in (5-8 year olds), the larger the group that stays with it. More pre-school books, more kids/family oriented sailing magazine stories, and more toys that help youngsters relate to sailing can only help grow the sport at the entry level. Then we can focus on retention. Parents know that teens and pre-teens have a mind of their own, and if they choose another activity, there is nothing we can do about it. However, if we reach them earlier, perhaps we can make a positive impact. It pains me to see that oftentimes, the first day of Junior Sailing Class is a child's first introduction to sailing. Conversely, I am excited to see more clubs add "fun sailing" to their pre-school camps. By the time kids get to Optis, they are hooked and confident, not terrified. (Glynn’s editorial was in Issue 1723: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=2960) * From Herb Motley, Fleet Captain, Marblehead IOD Class: Two observations: first, college sailors are often taught to use the rules as an aggressive tactic, rather than as a device to keep boats apart. This takes the pleasure out of the sailing experience itself on the one hand and makes them tiresome competitors on an adult circuit on the other. That said, the Marblehead International One Design Class has made an effort to invite college/post graduate sailors to join us in the summer series, and we've developed a rather nice pipeline from MIT, largely through two graduates who own boats here. We'd like to improve our score with the many other sailing colleges in the Boston area, but this is a start. * From Chip Pitcairn: (Re:The Superyacht Cup dollies on the couch next to the "grinders" in Issue 2202) If a yacht has powered winches should the drums be called grinders, windlass,…or just a problem waiting to happen? CURMUDGEON’S QUOTATION “My wife has a slight impediment in her speech - every now and then she stops to breathe.” - Jimmy Durante Special thanks to Samson Ropes, Camet International, and Ribcraft. America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt is brought to you by UBS. |
