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SCUTTLEBUTT 2624 - Tuesday, June 24, 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. OVERCOMING ODDS - MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE American Zac Sunderland is now in the second week of his quest to be the youngest sailor to attempt a solo global circumnavigation, having departed from Marina del Rey in Los Angeles, CA aboard his Islander 36 on June 14th. Among his updates he responds to the following question: How did you make your dream come true and how do you endure even under criticism? "When I first came to my parents with the idea of sailing around the world we just discussed if it was even possible. They thought it was and we set about trying to find a boat. No body was going to sponsor a boat for me as a young unknown so I went to YachtWorld.com and began to search for a boat. The type of boat I needed was way out of my price range. My dad was asking around the marina about boats for sale and heard of my current boat which was then called Nantucket Sleigh Ride. I was able to buy the boat with money I had saved repairing and selling sailing dinghies in the summers. I sent out about 100 Sponsorship Proposals to marine companies and received a pretty poor repsonse. I just kept sending letters and calling people and working with my dad. Pretty soon I had a lot of equipment sponsors and people from all over the marina were getting involved with the project. I guess the point is to have a dream, pursue it and don't give up. It helps to have your parents behind you like I do. If you really believe in what you are doing, you just accept that people will criticise you. Answer your critics but then keep going." -- http://www.zacsunderland.com BIG BOATS FINALLY FINISH BENIGN BERMUDA RACE (June 23, 2008) Alex Jackson's inaugural race of his just launched 99-foot Speedboat crossed the finish line today at St. David's light in Bermuda at 09:12:56 (Atlantic time) to take line honors and the "First to Finish Prize" for the 2008 Newport-Bermuda race. Said skipper Mike Sanderson, "The boat has been faultless, a full credit to the big team back in Spain at Juan Yacht design that designed her, as well as the many thousands of hours that where put into her by the team here on Speedboat." Noted navigator Stan Honey regarding the Gulf Stream,"It was quicker to foot and let the boat go fast rather than to go hard on the wind and try to get to the warm eddy. With a big boat, you are just not in the Gulf Stream as long as the smaller boats." Rambler was the next boat to finish after Speedboat at 12:45:27. Owned by George David, the 90' ILC maxi takes line honours in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse division for professionally sailed boats with fixed keels. -- Race website: http://www.bermudarace.com => Curmudgeon's Comment: As we were following the race Monday afternoon (PT), maybe someone can explain to me why the boat tracking feature on the race website had Speedboat still 8.4nm from the finish, 11 hours after they supposedly had finished. LOCALS LEAD AT ETCHELLS WORLDS Chicago, IL (June 23, 2008) - It was a good first day for the locals as Chicago boats claimed first and third in today's first race of the Etchells World Championships. The lone race started in an 8-12 knot breeze, with a large right shift in the first beat proving to be the race determining factor for many of the boats locked out to the left side after the start. The wind gradually lightened during the race, continuing to veer right over 85 degrees, and eventually dying shortly after the finish of the first race. With no hope of fresh wind in the forecast, the race committee cancelled the second race of the day and the fleet was towed back to the harbor. It was a rough start for the 2007 World Champion Andy Beadsworth and Dave Dwyer of the U.K, having to grind back from deep in the fleet to a 40th place finish. Nine races are scheduled, with six races required to constitute a series. Racing continues through Saturday, with Sunday held as a reserve day. Preliminary results (top ten of 83 entrants) 1. USA, Justin Palm, John Erik Garr & Hans Pusch 2. USA, Kurt Winkelmann, Larry Ledgerwood & Brad Boston 3. USA, Aaron Housten, Daniel Somers & John Harford 4. USA, Vincent Brun, Ben Mitchell & Jeff Pape 5. NZL, Gavin Gerrard, Richard Bouzaid & John Baxter 6. AUS, Terence Steele, Jameson Buxton & Bradley Moore 7. USA, Bill Hardesty, Erik Shampain, Steve Hunt & Jennifer Wilson 8. USA, Senet Bischoff, Colin Gordon & Ben Kinney 9. USA, Argyle Campbell, Jack Jakosky & Dwight Belden 10. USA, Fred Joosten, David Williams & Niels Heemskerk Race website: http://www.etchellsworlds2008.com MELGES 32 RACING IS STRONG The Melges 32 National Championship is coming up in July and the turnout at the Newport, RI based event looks to be big! The boat is equally hyped over in Europe right now as the Melges 32 Audi Series is active and growing with some very high profile teams getting involved. Here in the USA, people are buying boats already for the Melges 32 Winter Series. Time to get geared up - get a Melges 32 and join the growing excitement! Race to http://www.melges32.com EQUIPMENT CHOSEN FOR 2010 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has announced the Bic Techno 293 windsurfer and the Byte CII dinghy have been chosen as equipment for the four sailing events at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. In response to the launch of the equipment bidding process in March 2008, ISAF received bids from ten manufacturers to supply equipment to the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. The bids were thoroughly evaluated by the Youth Olympic Games Working Party, who unanimously recommended the Byte CII as the equipment for the One person dinghy boys and One person dinghy girls events and the Bic Techno 293 as equipment for the Windsurfing boys and Windsurfing girls events. The ISAF Executive Committee made the final decision on the equipment for the Youth Olympic Games events, based on the recommendation of the Youth Olympic Games Working Party. Youth Olympic Games Events and Equipment One person dinghy boys - Byte CII One person dinghy girls - Byte CII Windsurfing boys - Bic Techno 293 Windsurfing girls - Bic Techno 293 The qualification system for the sailing events at the Youth Olympic Games, featuring six continental qualifiers and one World Championship, has also been approved. -- Complete report: http://www.sailing.org/24095.php?PHPSESSID=a6c9e34204c40ad3095309112ab4f5db => Curmudgeon's Comment: This announcement brought two things to mind. First, it was a turn to see the ISAF Executive Committee endorse the decision of the Working Party, after discarding a similar committee's opinion when deciding on the events for the 2012 Olympics. Also, the Curmudgeon has not heard of these classes, which could be either a continental issue or pathetic ignorance, and would welcome email providing and information on the Bic Techno 293 windsurfer and the Byte CII dinghy. AMERICA'S CUP DOESN'T MAKE THE CUT When a newspaper sportswriter for the city of San Diego, CA took on the task of listing the 10 biggest sports events in the city's history, none of the three America's Cups sailed in San Diego (1988, '92, '95) made the cut. Said author Bill Center, "The America's Cups played out over time, like a Padres season or a Chargers season. Yes, they drew worldwide attention to San Diego and were a boost to the tourism economy. But in terms of firing up the general populace at any given time, I don't think the America's Cup did. The farther you moved away from Point Loma, the less you heard about San Diego's America's Cups. "The middle-of-the-night television ratings from Australia in 1987 were better locally than the ratings for the races off Point Loma. That makes sense, since Dennis Conner was on a mission in Australia to win back the America's Cup. There was no such drama in San Diego's three defenses, which began with the controversial catamaran defense. Conner wasn't even a party to '92 America's Cup. The New Zealand steamroller of 1995 had flattened much of the anticipation even before Conner had to sail a borrowed boat in the anticlimactic finals. "Were the three America's Cups great events? Absolutely. Did they leave a lasting footprint on the memory of the average San Diego sports fan? I don't get that vibe. " -- http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/page2/20080623-9999-1s23boatcol.html * Here is Bill Center's top ten list: http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20080618-9999-1s18events.html A DEFINING EVENT FOR U.S. YOUTH SAILORS From June 26 to July 1, the top U.S. youth sailors are slated to compete in the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club, sponsored nationally by Nautica and LaserPerformance. The young sailors ranging from 13 to 19 years old will race Lasers, Laser Radials, 29ers, and Club 420s in the challenging conditions of San Francisco Bay. National event organizer US SAILING has selected a field of 150 sailors hailing from 16 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands based on their sailing resumes and performance at regional, national and international competitions; they represent some of the most talented young athletes in the sport. In the singlehanded events, among those to watch in the Laser class will be Luke Lawrence (Palm City, Fla.), Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), and Teddy Himler (Manhasset, N.Y.). In the Laser Radials, Anne Haeger (Lake Forest, Ill.) will be one to watch along with Ian Heausler (Tampa, Fla.), Claire Dennis (Sarasota, Calif.) and Emily Billing (Clearwater, Fla.). In the doublehanded classes, San Diegans Briana Provancha and Tyler Sinks could be the favorites in the Club 420 fleet, likely to be challenged by Stephanie Hudson of Winnetka, Ill., / Laura McKenna of Palo Alto, Calif. The 29er team of Oliver Toole and Willie McBride (both of Santa Barbara, Calif.), last year's second-place finishers in the Youth Championship, will be pushed by sailors such as Max Fraser (Capitola, Calif.)/ David Liebenberg (Livermore, Calif.) who finished first in the recent 29er National Championship. -- Complete report and entry list: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2008/youthchamps_preview.asp EXCLUSIVE PUMA CREW SHIRTS. ONLY AT TEAM ONE NEWPORT You can be a part of the PUMA team by purchasing the crew t-shirt only available at Team One Newport. They have men's and women's short sleeve model plus the unisex long sleeve! Show your support for the only US entry to the Volvo Ocean Race! Oh yea, the other really cool Volvo Ocean Race gear is also available at Team One Newport along with the latest gear from the top manufacturers of sailing clothing! Why not shop where all the top racers from around the globe shop and get your gear from the place that has it all! Call 800-VIP-GEAR or visit http://www.team1newport.com SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO: PACIFIC CUP AND SARCOMA CUP The start times and division breakdowns have been decided for the 61 entries of the biennial Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii. Here are some highlights: * Entrants will begin starting July 14 and conclude July 19th. Early starters include Moore 24's, topping out with Kjeld Hestehave's Tanton 73 Velos. The smaller boats will be handicapped under PHRF with the biggest boats using ORR. A preliminary starting list is posted on the race website, with the plan to finalize the plan by Friday, June 27. -- Race website: http://www.pacificcup.org * One of the prominent stories from the 2006 race was the delivery back to the West Coast of Nick Barran's ILC 40 Mureadritta's XL, which struck a whale and forced the crew to their liferaft as the boat sank. Among the crew on that trip was Nathalie Criou, who a couple months later was diagnosed with sarcoma, a form of cancer that primarily affects children and young adults. Nat has since founded a nonprofit called BeatSarcoma, has organized regatta in San Francisco on June 28-29, and will be racing in the Pac Cup on her Express 27 'Elise' to raise awareness and funds for Sarcoma. For details on the Sarcoma Cup: http://www.richmondyc.org/cal2/EventShow.asp?event_id=89406&event_batch=1 OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: 46 DAYS TO GO * Beijing will follow international practice to enact traffic control during the Olympic and Paralympic Games with an aim of cutting the number of vehicles on the roads, improving air quality and facilitating public transport. From July 1 to September 20 this year, Beijing-registered automobiles will hit the roads on an alternate-day basis; vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers will be banned from the roads on even-numbered calendar days, and those with plates ending in even numbers will be banned from the roads on odd-numbered days. -- Complete story: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/olympiccities/beijing/n214412857.shtml * The Australian Sailing Team website has been updated to include sailor & coach profiles, information about the boats and events, links to key sites, a diary, gallery, and calendar with links to results and regatta websites. -- http://www.australiansailingteam.com.au SAILING SHORTS * San Rafael, CA (June 23, 2008) - An early-morning two-alarm fire Monday at the San Rafael Yacht Club caused moderate damage to the building. San Rafael firefighters were called at 2:49 a.m. with a report of smoke from nearby Yacht Club Drive. Firefighters arrived at the club at 405 E. Francisco Blvd. to find flames on the back deck and inside the back of the club. The fire was extinguished by 3:30 a.m., San Rafael fire Battalion Chief Jeff Buscher said. He estimated $100,000 in damage to the building. No one was injured. -- Marin Independent Journal, full story: http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_9674093 * Acura Key West 2009 once again takes place in Key West, Florida on January 19-23, 2009 with competition for One-Design, PHRF & IRC classes. The invited one design classes include: Corsair 28R, Farr 40, J/105, J/109, J/120, J/80, Melges 24, Melges 32, M 30, RC 44, Swan 42, T-10, and TP52. Details at http://www.premiere-racing.com * First launched in the fall of 1997, niche sailing magazine Good Old Boat printed the first issue of 5,000 copies in June 1998, and are pleased to now announce their ten year anniversary. -- Full story: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/06/good-old-boat-turns-10.html * Team Spain was crowned ISAF Offshore Team World Champion for the second time, lifting the Rolex Offshore Team World Championship Trophy following victory at the Sardinia Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo. The Spanish team - comprised of Massimo Mezzaroma's Farr 40 San Miguel telefonica Nerone helmed by Antonio Sodo Migliori with Vasco Vascotto on tactics; Marco Salvi's Swan 45 Telefonica Vertigo with Francesco Bruni on tactics; and Jose Cusi's Bribon Telefonica with Pedro Campos at the helm and tactician Ray Davies - took four victories over eight races. There were five three-boat teams competing in the event. -- http://www.sailing.org/23955.php * Block Island Race Week hosts Duck Island Yacht Club and Zuse, Inc. ran 11 races over 5 days last week, including the classic Round the Island Race midweek. With the Newport Bermuda Race drawing away most of the larger boats, the tightest action was found in the J/105 and J/109 divisions, where in each case the eventual runner-up ran off a streak of 4 bullets over the final two days to make things very interesting. -- Final results: http://www.blockislandraceweek.org/results.php THEY'VE SAILED EVERYWHERE, EVEN THE OLYMPICS Since introducing the Offshore Backpack & Offshore Duffel, our customers have raced all over the world with them. Now Sally Barkow, Debbie Capozzi & Carrie Howe - aka Team7Sailing - have gone to Qingdao with them too. Check out http://www.Team7sailing.com and the best waterproof luggage in world sailing at http://www.OceanRacing.com 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. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Marc Hollerbach: (re, story in Issue 2622) I nominate the Point Judith Sailing Club board (in South Kingstown, RI) for the Darwin Awards. Those are the awards handed out "Honoring those who improve the species...by accidentally removing themselves from it "(www.darwinawards.com). All the Lasik technology in the world can't seem to save my baby boomer generation from their self-centered short sightedness. Let's see, a wealth of entertainment options to choose from, a down economy, how can we attract new members & improve our operation? Ah ha! Let's get rid of junior sailing and add parking! What a coincidence! As I was finishing that last paragraph I received a call from the father of a new sailor in our junior learn-to-sail program (full disclosure: I am chairman). A non-sailing family, their 14 year old wanted to give it a try so he signed up for the 2 week session that started last week. It turns out that he loves it and wants to stay in for the rest of the season. Will this young man go on to join the sailing community, maybe even join our club? Who knows? The only thing we know for certain is that he will not be joining Point Judith Sailing Club. At least, not until he can drive. * From Ray Tostado: I recall some decades ago when regatta race courses were at times formatted into three mark legs: windward; reach; downwind. I do not clearly recall the reasons to abandon such a configuration, but now all we have are up and back races. Frankly, I am tired of this dull road to nowhere. Is there a national rule limiting any such courses? Since that change, designs have also changed, things are different, just not like they were decades ago. The advent of the sprit has reduced the DDW ability to many designs. I don't see any new boats getting the 28 degrees to weather beats common in the good 'ol IOR days. I liked the IOR! But maybe too many of these IOR learning experiences for designers tended to round up a bit often, so, "let's get rid of reaches and make it just up and down?". There, see how stable they are now? => Curmudgeon's Comment: In Scuttlebutt 2321, Puma Racing Team skipper Ken Read noted that among the reasons he was taking on the challenge of the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race, "There are only so many windward-leewards you can do before it gets a little tiring, and I've been doing a lot of windward-leeward race courses for the last 25-30 years." -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=3635 CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION From George Carlin: "If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie." * George Carlin (May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008), a frequent contributor to the 'Curmudgeon's Observations', died of heart failure Sunday in Los Angeles at 5:55 p.m. PT. He was 71 years old. -- Complete story: http://xrl.us/carlin Special thanks to Melges Performance Sailboats, Team One Newport, and Ocean Racing. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
