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SCUTTLEBUTT 2945 - Wednesday, October 7, 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Melges Performance Sailboats, Atlantis WeatherGear, and APS. PEEKING THROUGH THE IRC CURTAIN Mike Urwin, RORC Rating office, Technical Director explains some of the changes proposed to IRC, and the overall objective of the IRC rule. Here are a few excerpts: * IRC does not rate individual boats, it rates the features of boats in general. We are not looking at individual boats but the whole fleet. So, as and when necessary, we make changes to the rule on an annual basis, it is very, very rare that we will make changes during the middle of a season. We run a research agenda and at the end of each year the IRC Technical Committee decides which things we want to change, which things need more work and which things are to be left alone, as they are perfectly alright. These changes all happen on a yearly basis; January 1st in the Northern Hemisphere, June 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. * There has also been a fair amount of 'noise' about the King 40 in America, Soozal, which has a powered winch package. I don't think it is appropriate for a boat of that size to have high speed powered winches and others seem to agree with me and there will be a change in how IRC deals with that next year. We want to be permissive but we don't want people to think they have to go out and fit powered winches if they are going to win a regatta, IRC does not encourage unnecessary expense. If a development comes along with value to the sailing community, we will not penalize it. If the development has little or no value than we will not look as favourably on that. * There will be many small changes next year, potentially issues such as bowsprits, and stored power. We will also be slightly refining the way we treat keels. One significant change to the rule is the way it will look. From the 1st January 2010, we will be adopting the Equipment Rules of Sailing, in their entirety. We are doing that because IRC is an international rule and we need to have measurements and standards that are common to all countries. We want to have measurers who have been trained by us or the relevant National Authority. We want to have consistency of training and measurement, throughout the world. In practice, this won't actually change anything but it will result in improved IRC measurement standards around the world. Complete interview: http://www.ircrating.org/en/concentric-circles/213-mike-urwin-interview.html BUILDING A CASE FOR CHANGE Given the murky depths the 33rd America's Cup has plummeted to, Paul Cayard, past skipper of America's Cup challengers Il Moro de Venezia, Stars & Stripes and AmericaOne and most recently with the Spanish team El Desafio, last week restated his view about how the America's Cup desperately needs independent management, if we are to avoid a repeat of the present torridness. Here is a quote from this story on The Daily Sail subscription website: "When you win the America's Cup you are first the trustee and that means you are supposed to look after namely the Trophy, but now, after 160 years, it is the honour, the dignity, the history - it is a lot more than just a piece of silverware. That is the first obligation. Then the next right is to have a team and that team would be a defender and that is a competitor for sure, that person's interest is to do everything they can to retain the trophy. So what is really missing in this whole picture for the last two years is that there is no trustee. There is no one looking out for the Cup. There are just two competitors. For two years we have read 'it is about Alinghi and Oracle'. Well where is the SNG (Alinghi's club)? And who is the SNG? And the answer is that the SNG is Ernesto [Bertarelli], it is one and the same and that is a fundamental breakdown of what was started 160 years ago when George Schuyler gifted the America's Cup in trust." Complete story: http://tinyurl.com/The-Daily-Sail-10-6-2009 MELGES IN ANNAPOLIS The US Sailboat Show is this week and Melges will be featuring the new Audi Melges 20 sportboat. Come out to see this boat up close and go for a test drive. Annapolis will also be the host to the 2009 Melges 24 World Championship at the end of this month. The Melges 24 is still the hottest one-design on the planet. Stay tuned to melges20.com, melges24.com and melges.com for the latest updates on these fantastic new boats. -- http://www.melges.com COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST GOETZ If you are into court proceedings (and who isn't these days after all the action with the America's Cup), Eric Goetz has found himself as the defendant in a complaint filed against him in the United States District Court, District Of Rhode Island. If you remember, it was Eric Goetz Custom Sailboats (EGCS) - a prominent custom builder responsible for the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race entrant PUMA - that was petitioned into Receivership in January 2009. Under a new company titled Goetz Custom Technologies (GCT), Eric bought the business back from the state in March 2009, with promises of a better and brighter future. However, based on information gathered from the complaint filed October 5, 2009, the future looks to be a financial mess. The complaint was filed by Aegir Racing (AR), who had contracted in August 2008 with EGCS to build an 82-foot Rogers-design sailing yacht for more than six million dollars. The contract was then transferred to Goetz's new company, but after a summer of turmoil where AR payments to GCT have apparently left contributing vendors unpaid, AR is now alleging that GCT does not appear to have the financial resources necessary to complete the Rogers 82. A request for comment from Eric Goetz has not yet been answered, so until a statement is made by his company, 'buttheads can read through the events between GCT and AR as documented in the court complaint: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/1006/ CHALLENGING CONDITIONS FOR ARGO GROUP GOLD CUP Hamilton, Bermuda (October 6, 2009) - Beautiful blue skies and sunshine are what competitors awoke to on day one of the Argo Group Gold Cup, the eighth stop on the nine event World Match Racing Tour. Racing conditions of 5-7 knots presented itself to the eight teams in Group 1 who were able to complete four flights in total this morning. Undefeated in all four matches current Tour leader Torvar Mirsky (AUS) and his Mirsky Racing Team leads Group 1 on opening day of Argo Group Gold Cup. "We started well," the young Aussie said. "It was tough sailing in the light and shifty conditions. We were able to roll some of our competitors downwind to get the wins. In the race against Eric Monnin (SUI) he couldn't get far enough ahead of us to make up his penalty turn." Group 2 got off to a slow start and just finished one flight before the wind shifted and went from the 5-7 knot south westerly to about 3 knots or less from the south southwest. The committee had hoped to get in four flights for each of the three groups on the first day but the wind gods wouldn't cooperate. Organizers are keen to finish four flights for all three groups before foul weather is expected with a front late Wednesday and into Thursday pushing through. GROUP 1 4-0 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 3-1 Eric Monnin (SUI) Search.ch 3-1 Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar sponsored by Argo Group 2-2 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 2-2 Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 1-3 Reuben Corbett (NZL) 1-3 Robbie Allam (GBR) Ian Evans (USA) GROUP 2 1-0 Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing 1-0 Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K Challenge 1-0 Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin 1-0 Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Alandia Sailing Team 0-1 Alvaro Marinho (POR) Seth Sailing Team 0-1 David Perry (USA) 0-1 Rasmus Viltoft (DEN) 0-1 Paula Lewin Crews (BDA) GROUP 3 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing Team Blythe Walker (BDA) Donald Wilson (USA) Charlie Enright (USA) Complete report: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/da/100363 WHAT'S GOING ON IN PARK CITY, UT? With many areas seeking the formula to sustain their sailing activity, a mountain reservoir outside of Park City, Utah has grown their only sailing fleet from nearly nothing to 58 boats in two years. The Park City Sailing Association is on a roll, and now only in their second season, they have just hosted the 30-boat Laser No Coast Masters Championship. Scuttlebutt checks in with Geoff Hurwitch, Founder and President of the PCSA, to see how this ski town near Salt Lake City is becoming a center of sailing too: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Jordanelle is a relatively new reservoir, created in the mid-to-late nineties. Before then, there was a Laser fleet in the area but they sailed on the Deer Creek Reservoir down in Midway and mostly on weekends, contending with the waterskiers and Personal Watercraft. Having a body of water less than half the distance away from Park City has made a huge difference in the success of our fleet. The PCSA was formed in March of '08 between myself and a neighbor who had a Laser. I had recently sold my Laser to a friend in Park City so I volunteered to run the races and organize the start up of the fleet. I've focused my energy in this way for the two seasons of the fleet, borrowing boats to race from time to time until just yesterday when I received my new boat. We marketed the program through local flyers in key establishments like Starbucks, grocery stores, local restaurants...etc. I also ran a classified in the local online news source, ksl.com for the two early parts of the first two seasons, that also helped to get the word out. Right at the beginning I created a Yahoo group that enabled the members to communicate and for me to post Laser specific files and results for the series. We also reached out to the local newspaper, the Park Record, and after that article ran on us, we had a huge upsurge in membership. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8391 DISCOVER: OSCAR ONE-EIGHT Here at Atlantis, we're pretty excited about our first US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, and we're going to use the opportunity to present our latest and greatest gear for Fall sailing. New fabrics, styles and colors to keep you warm, dry and looking great on the water and off - all at great show prices! Come see us at booth O18 in the Yacht Basin section of the show, or pay us a visit online at http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com to see the newest Aegis product videos along with testimonials from a few of our happy customers. Discover Your Atlantis. ANOTHER ROUND THE WORLD RACE? By Elaine Bunting, Yachting World A fatal potion of spiraling budgets and death-defying catastrophe did for the ORMA 60 trimarans but the dream of speed and drama that gave rise to them won't die. Another idea for reviving the concept has just bubbled to the surface. Last weekend in Lausanne, Franck David announced what he hopes will be a successor to the defunct ORMA class. The former executive director of the class outlined the Multi One Design, a 70ft one-design trimaran that would come with a ready-made calendar of events. These are a crewed round the world race in 2013 - but through the Panama Canal, not round Cape Horn - a European tour and eligibility to the big solo and double-handed transatlantic races. The 70ft design by VPLP has 'strong oceanic options' - ie not like the breed weakened ORMA 60s - with a similar beam but longer hull length and higher beams. They will incorporate now tried and tested features such as canting masts and curved foils. Franck David tells me he has private funding for the first five boats to be built, and they will all be constructed at the same builder, to be announced soon. The cost of taking part in the Multi One Design circuit is substantial: 2.5m euros for the boat, an annual licence of 475,000 euros to cover class membership, race entry and insurance, and estimated team and running costs of 1.5m euros a year. That makes it comparable to the top end of the IMOCA 60s, where most of the former multihull sailors have migrated. But who, you might wonder, needs yet another round the world race? And what are the odds of making it work, at this difficult time, and within the subordinating framework of a one-design circuit? If you look back at recent history, the signs aren't favourable. -- Read on: http://www.yachtingworld.com/yw/blog/20090906093042blog_elaine_bunting.html EIGHT TEAMS TO COMPETE IN INAUGURAL LOUIS VUITTON EVENT The World Sailing Team Association (WSTA) announced that the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta to be held in Nice, France on November 7-22 now has eight confirmed teams. The event is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), which has requested the event name change from Louis Vuitton World Series - Nice to Louis Vuitton Trophy - WSTA - Nice. The Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice is jointly promoted and organised by the teams, through the World Sailing Team Association (WSTA), Louis Vuitton and the Club Nautique de Nice (CNN) with the FFV support. The eight teams that will compete for the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice: Azzurra (ITA) BMW Oracle Racing (USA) Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) K-Challenge (FRA) Swedish Challenge Artemis (SWE) Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) Team Origin (GBR) Team French Spirit (FRA) Complete report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8395#8395 SAILING SHORTS * Bengt Johansson, representing Raritan Yacht Club in NJ, sailed his Fuzzy Wuzzy to a second consecutive J-30 North American Championship, held at Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, CT on October 2-4. With all firsts and seconds in the five-race, 15-boat series, Fuzzy Wuzzy bested five-time champion Scott Tonguis' Zephyr team from New Orleans, and local aces John McArthur in Smiles and 1994 champion Carl Sherter in Fat City, and Steve Buzbee sailing Blue Meanie, also out of Raritan. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8394 * (October 6, 2009) - Pilot Paul Larsen and the Vestas Sailrocket team has returned to Walvis Bay , Namibia in hopes of breaking the all out speed record of 51.36 kts set on September 4, 2009 in Hyeres, FRA by skipper Alain Thebault onboard Hydroptere. Their attempt was sidetracked today when during a run with 25-26 knots of wind, Vestas Sailrocket took off into the air doing 53 knots. Early reports indicate the hull and beam are fine but the flaps have taken some damage. -- http://www.sailrocket.com * Windsurfing racing have been enjoying steady growth in participation and stoke over the last two years, with the enthusiasm focused this weekend on the East Coast Windsurfing Fall Regatta. Multiple racing divisions will be available along with Freestyle Expression Sessions, SUP Races, and Windsurf Relay Races. The specific venue will be decided and announced this Friday night based on forecasted wind conditions. Details at http://tinyurl.com/y8snxyj * Alan R. Gurski has been appointed company president of Gougeon Brothers Inc. by the board of directors, replacing retiring president Robert H. Monroe who joined the company in 1976 and has served as president since 1997. Michigan-based Gougeon Brothers manufactures West System and Pro-Set brand epoxies and celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. -- http://www.boating-industry.com/output.cfm?id=2317573 * The US Olympic Sailing Program will host two training camps for members of the US Sailing Teams - Under 18 and Under 23 and other talented youth sailors who are on an Olympic track in the Laser, Laser Radial, 29er or International 420. Sailors must be interested in competing at international events and pursuing an Olympic campaign in the future. Both clinics will be held at the US Sailing Center in Miami (Coconut Grove), Fla. The dates for the two clinics are November 27-29 and December 19-22, 2009. -- Details: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/Training_Camps.htm * The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today released its 2008 U.S. Recreational Boat Registrations Statistics report showing that nationwide, U.S. recreational boat registrations in 2008 decreased an estimated 1.4 percent compared to 2007. A total of 12.8 million vessels were registered by U.S. states or documented by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in the U.S. in 2008, compared to 13 million in 2007. -- Read on: http://www.nmma.org/news/news.asp?id=17722&sid=3 IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL SALE OF THE YEAR What more can we say? In line with the Annapolis Boat Show we're running our Annual Boat Show Sale and just about everything at APS, "The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors", is on sale! Need new foulies? Now is the time! Need a new Laser? Now is the time! Need new rigging? Now is the time! Whether you're coming to the Show or not you can save big across the board and do even better by combining our discounts with the special Fall deals that vendors like Gill, Velocitek, Atlantis, and Tacktick are also offering. Click here for Details: http://www.APSLTD.com "THERE IS ABSOLUTE SAFETY" Organizers of the next edition of the America's Cup, due to be staged in Ras al-Khaimah in February, said on Tuesday they would meet the BMW Oracle team next week to assure them there was no security threat. Khater Massaad, chief executive of the Ras al-Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), said officials from the emirate would meet the California-based team to try and allay any concerns. Oracle, backed by software executive Larry Ellison, said in court papers filed in New York on Friday the 2010 race should be moved to Valencia in Spain, citing a U.S. State Department advisory warning Americans to "exercise a high level of security awareness" due to possible attacks from al Qaeda and other militant groups. The disagreement is the latest twist in a two-year legal battle over the terms of yachting's most prestigious race. "We were surprised and shocked. We have written to Larry Ellison that RAK is part of the UAE and the place is safe," said Massaad, noting Oracle's Middle East headquarters were based in nearby the UAE emirate of Dubai. "The UAE has 10 million tourists a year and millions of Americans and other foreigners live here. There is absolute safety," he said. -- NY Times, read on: http://tinyurl.com/ydmkpm9 * New Zealand's Television Channel ONE Sport's Yachting reporter, Martin Tasker, visited the proposed America's Cup venue of Ras al-Khaimah in United Arab Emirates and filed this report, showing the state of preparation, three and a half months from the 33rd Match: http://tinyurl.com/yes3xv3 FREE BEER AT U.S. SAILBOAT SHOW Well, not exactly. There was a plan in place for Scuttlebutt and a couple of other media moguls to be hosting a free beer event this week at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD, but show management put the kibosh on that. Regardless, Scuttlebutt publisher Craig Leweck will be at the show to see the latest offerings, and will be working with the MyBoatsGear.com editor Mike Hobson to review some of the standout products. Here are some of the past reports: 2008: http://myboatsgear.com/newsletter/20081015.asp 2007: http://www.myboatsgear.com/newsletter/20071015.asp 2006: http://myboatsgear.com/newsletter/2006122.asp * Throughout the U.S. Sailboat Show, Cruising World will present a series of 18 seminars featuring top cruising and sailing personalities. All seminars will be held in the ballroom of the Annapolis Marriott Waterfront hotel and are free, compliments of Cruising World and the Coast Guard Foundation. -- Details: http//www.cruisingworld.com/0910seminars CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart". Special thanks to Melges Performance Sailboats, Atlantis WeatherGear, and APS. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
