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SCUTTLEBUTT 3156 - Monday, August 16, 2010Scuttlebutt 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: Kaenon Polarized and The Pirates Lair. IS S.F. KISSING THE AMERICA'S CUP GOODBYE? By Richard Spindler, Latitude 38 From the very beginning, we at Latitude suspected that the politicians in San Francisco didn't have the capacity to keep the America's Cup from getting away from San Francisco Bay, the stated venue of preference of BMW Oracle Racing's Larry Ellison - the person who gets to choose. For awhile there was a bunch of happy talk from various politicians and officials that made things seem promising, but now, not so much so. According to a report by Katie Worth of the Examiner, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has just been brought up to speed that they have until the end of September, not until the end of the year, to come up with the basic proposal for the event, with the draft due in about three weeks. Trying to get the mayor and the board to do anything in three weeks, particularly a mayor who is running for statewide office and a board that is just coming off vacation, is hoping for an awful lot. Kyri McClellan, a very responsive project manager in Mayor Gavin Newsom's office, called the BMW Oracle timeline "ambitious." When we fed 'ambitious' into our Google government-speak translator, it came up with "absolutely impossible." We don't know how accurate that translator is, and maybe Ellison is just trying to put the squeeze on the Board, but we fear our initial skepticism about local government being able to take care of business was all too valid. We hope they prove us wrong, but we're not holding our breath. Of course, it's not like the Board of Supervisors hasn't been doing anything. They are currently considering legislation that would make it illegal for kids to get toys with their meals - unless those meals consist of tofu, raw cauliflower and pomegranate juice - and are passing a resolution denouncing the price of lettuce in the northwest corner of West Timor. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/37jo6m9 => Curmudgeon's Comment: For those that don't know, Latitude 38 is based in northern California. SKANDIA SAIL FOR GOLD Weymouth, England (August 14, 2010) - The world's best Olympic class sailors battled it out for regatta medals and ISAF Sailing World Cup titles today on the last day of racing at Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta. Held at the venue of the 2012 Olympic Sailing Regatta, Sail for Gold was the final event in the 2009-2010 Sailing World Cup. Topping the medal standings in the Olympic events was the home team, pulling in six medals with France and Australia next with four each. US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) fought hard in challenging conditions throughout the week, finishing with two bronze medals: Erin Maxwell (Norwalk/Stonington, Conn.) and Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar's (New York, NY) in the Women's 470 and Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), Molly Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) in Women's Match Racing. Canadian Michael Leigh also landed on the podium, getting bronze in the Laser event. ISAF also awarded Sailing World Cup medals for the top three teams in each class, based on accumulated points from the seven World Cup events in 2009-2010. USSTAG teams won three medals overall: Team Tunnicliffe won silver in Women's Match Racing, Andy Horton and James Lyne won silver in the Star class, and Paige Railey won a bronze in the Laser Radial. For Canada, Michael Leigh was awarded the bronze in the Laser for the Sailing World Cup circuit. Event website: http://www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk/ U.S. team update: http://tinyurl.com/2crllzl Canada team update: http://tinyurl.com/28aerk9 Follow US sailors on their blogs/websites: Team Tunnicliffe: www.teamtunnicliffe.com Zach Railey: http://www.zach2012.com/ Erik Storck/Trevor Moore: http://storckmooresailing.com/ Peet Must/Carl Horrocks: http://www.barnegatbay49er.com/ Rob Crane: http://robcraneracing.com/Blog/Blog.html Clay Johnson: http://www.claysails.com/ Andrew Campbell/Brad Nichol: http://campbellnichol2012.blogspot.com/ Stu McNay/Graham Biehl: http://www.teammb.org/ Amanda Clark/Sarah Chin: http://www.teamgosail.org/ Maxwell/Kinsolving Farrar: http://www.470teamusa.com/wordpresstesting/ Doerr/Kendell/Freund: http://teamusa674.com/ Ben Barger: http://www.benbarger.com/ Farrah Hall: http://www.farrahhall.com/ THE KALIFORNIA KIDS Yep, they say we're different out west. Maybe no better example than the junior development boat of choice, the Naples Sabot. Last week 13 year-old Riley Gibbs, read the breeze like a future Olympic champion with a masterful display of talent at the Jr. National championship held on breezy, shifty Mission Bay. How important was breeze reading on the water? Not just Riley, but each sailor finishing in the top 10 wore Kaenon Polarized to read the tricky conditions. The Kalifornia kids know, you can't read it if you can't see it. Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. http://www.kaenon.com HOT TIMES AT BIG INLANDS For the Midwest scow sailor, the Inland Lake Yachting Association Championship is an immense celebration which brings together all the classes. With a staggered schedule, the "Big Inlands" allows a competitor to compete in several class championships. Finishing up this weekend on Lake Geneva (Wisconsin) was the E and MC Scows events, which saw Scuttlebutt contributor Sam Rogers take the E-Scow title. But Sam had more to overcome than his 54 competitors. Here is the story from Lon Schoor of the National Class E-Scow Association: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We arrived Wednesday afternoon to a beautiful breeze over the lake that invited a number of boats out to practice before the racing was to start on Thursday. For those that had their crews ready, sailing was the best idea. But there were a number of boats whose crew hadn't arrived or they had last minute maintenance they wanted to do on their boats. Not a good idea - the heat index had to be over 100 on the blacktop parking area. It was brutal - in any other environment people would not have showed up. But this is the ILYA Championships and there was too much excitement in the air to be squelched by the sauna hot and humid air. Fifty-five E-scows owners completed registration and were ready to go on Thursday. Unfortunately when Thursday came they were left sitting until 4:00 PM when the racing was officially cancelled. Oh, the lake had plenty of waves, just not a one created by a breath of air. Worse yet, Wednesday's hot and humid was just a warm up for the real thing on Thursday. At the Tex Mex party that evening the talk was all about the forecast of good winds on Friday, 10-20 was often heard and was a welcome thought. Friday was a difficult SE wind direction and the 10-20 ended up being more like 5-10 and that is being very generous - maybe the leaders saw that velocity but the back of the fleet lumped along in 4-7. It was hard. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10276 THE LATEST VARIATION OF WORLD CIRCUMNAVIGATION There now appears to be as many young sailors seeking to be the youngest to circumnavigate the world as there are routes to do it. In the past year we saw Zac Sunderland (USA) do it with stops, heading west from Los Angeles and using the Panama Canal. Mike Perham (GBR) did it with stops from England, going east and around all the Capes (correction: he went through Panama Canal rather than around Cape Horn). Jessica Watson (AUS) also went east and around all the Capes, but began from her country in the southern latitudes and made no stops. Then of course there was the train wreck - aka Abby Sunderland - that tried to go solo non-stop from Los Angeles, but her failed easterly route around all the Capes was plagued by boat failure, and arguably, brain failure. The latest seeking to join this party is Dutch teen Laura Dekker, who just arrived in Portugal from the southwestern Netherlands to complete a 10-day test cruise with her father leading up to her bid to become the youngest person to sail around the world solo. Sailing her red-hulled 11.5 metre (38 foot) ketch Guppy, the trip was meant to iron out any technical problems before launching her official solo bid, which will leave from Portugal sometime within the next week. Dekker wants to break the record for the youngest world solo sail set in May by Australian teenager Jessica Watson. Watson completed a non-stop, unassisted round-the-world trip a few days before her 17th birthday. Dekker turns 17 on September 20, 2012, allowing her a little over two years to complete the trip, during which she intends to stop at several ports along the way. And for the latest variation of world circumnavigation, Dekker has said her route from Portugal will take her across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Pacific via the Panama Canal. She plans to stop at the Galapagos islands before heading to Australia, Thailand then through the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, up the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, connecting to the Mediterranean Sea for her return to Portugal. -- Scuttleblog, http://sailingscuttlebutt.blogspot.com/2010/08/world-circumnavigation.html KEEPING IT FUN AND EASY Introduced in 1972, the Hobie 16 was a trend setter at the time, but has seen the cutting edge of multihulls move pretty far along. Regardless, it is believed to be the second largest boat fleet in existence with over 109,000 boats built to date, and according to the report below by Anthony Duchatel, the class looks to be providing an amazingly turn-key experience at the 2010 Hobie 16 World Championships: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (August 15, 2010) - Racing is imminent at for the 19th Hobie 16 World Championships in Weihai China. Racing starts Monday in the Masters and Grandmasters series at the Hobie 16 Worlds in Weihai, China (with the Women's, Youth, and Open events to follow over the next two weeks). The venue is now ready with the completion of the sailing centre, a fully landscaped beachfront clubhouse for competitors that includes viewing platforms, lockers, showers and bars. Chinese organisers and craftsman have established, almost overnight, a magnificent stage for the launch of the World titles and for up to 400 sailors from around the World. Competitors have been overwhelmed by the capability and hospitality of the Chinese people. All 60 new Hobie 16 have been fully assembled and sit outside the sailing centre ready for the Masters and Grandmaster sailors. The Australian and American factory teams have excelled in putting the boats together in record time. Beach captain, John Hooper said "there is nothing better to look at than the sight of 60 brand new boats except maybe when they launch for racing" while Steve Fields, the person leading the factory teams has nothing but praise for his team and the Chinese assisting them. The Chinese hosts and event organisers and some competitors have had a full dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony Monday morning following the sailor's race briefing. The Opening Ceremony looks like it will surpass anything seen before at a Hobie Worlds or any other international catamaran regatta. There is genuine excitement in the air for the competition that starts tomorrow. -- Event website: http://www.hobieworlds.com/h16-2010/ FALL AND WINTER REGATTAS WITH THE PIRATES LAIR Need tees and polos for your fall regatta? Call The Pirates Lair! Need tech-tees and tech-polos? Call The Pirates Lair! Need the best nautical graphics? You can email us too... Call (888)724-5286 or email mailto:ken@pirateslair.com SPOTLIGHT ON NANTUCKET Nantucket, MA (August 15, 2010) - Nantucket Race Week is an eight-day experience that marshals the entire Nantucket community together in a fun-filled week of regattas, awards ceremonies, and parties. The races provide sport for everyone from young dinghy sailors and families in the household one design to grand prix racers at the very top of their profession. The racing began on Saturday, August 7, 2010 with events scheduled daily through Sunday, August 15, 2010. Among the event features was the IOD Pro/Am event with highly accomplished guest sailors among the 12 entrants. Here were the results: 1. American, James D. Bishop, Jr./ Dave Ullman, 12.00 2. Peoples Boat, Robert Constable/ Mark Reynolds, 17.00 3. Bravo, David Poor & Chris Gould/ Dee Smith, 22.00 4. Windy Point, John Kerry/ Gary Jobson & Mike Koe, 29.00 5. Tango, Jonas Everets & Joe Creney/ Kimo Worthington, 29.00 6. Victor, Bruce Liljegren/ Chuck Allen, 30.00 7. Cape Cod, Heather Gregg/ Karl Anderson, 36.00 8. Sail Newport, Jesse Smith/ Mike Toppa, 38.00 9. Corinthian, Lori Bate/ Robbie Doyle, 40.00 10. Whisky, Whitey Willauer/ Kevin Farrar, 49.00 11. Alpha, Richard Werdiger/ Tom Whidden, 58.00 12. Larchmont, Marion Maneker/ Steve White, 70.00 Event website: http://www.nantucketraceweek.org/ SAILING SHORTS * Toms River, NJ (August 13, 2010) - With 61 teams vying for the 2010 Lightning North American Championship, it was David Starck, Jody Starck, and Ian Jones from the Buffalo Canoe Club that won the title. The Championship was hotly contested with five teams able to win the regatta at the start of the last race. With wind conditions of 18+ knots of breeze, Team Starck passed Tito Gonzalez and crew, past World Champion, on the last downwind leg and held on for the final weather leg to claim the Championship. -- Complete results: http://www.lightningclass.org/racing/results/2010/nas/final.pdf * Chicago, IL (August 15, 2010) - What a difference a day makes: near-perfect conditions produced a dark horse winner and the most exciting action yet in today's final day of the 2010 Chicago Match Cup. Mike Buckley (USA) and his team of Nathan Hollerbach, Dave Hughes, Danielle Soriano, and Mark Pinney have claimed the top prize in this ISAF Grade 2 event, the first of the August Grade 2 Trifecta. Buckley has also earned an invitation to next month's Danish Open, the next event on the ISAF Grade WC World Match Race Tour. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10270 * North Sails One Design expert Greg Fisher has formally accepted the position of Director of Sailing at the College of Charleston. Fisher, who became a sailmaker immediately after college in 1978, opened his own loft, Fisher Sails in 1986, and eventually joined North Sails in 1991. He has won 21 National and North American titles in seven different one design classes throughout his sailing career. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10271 * San Francisco, CA (August 14, 2010) - The International Knarr Championship concluded today with another race win by series leader Jon Perkins (USA). The win left him with a commanding eight point lead over his brother and second place finisher Chris Perkins (USA). Danish skippers Soren Pehrsson and Lars Gottfredsen finished third and fourth overall respectively. Sean Svendsen (USA) finished in fifth place. This is Perkins' third IKC championship (2010 SF, 2005 Oslo, 2002 Bergen), with only Danish knar sailor Frank Berg holding more IKC championships in the 42 years the IKC has sailed. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10278#10278 * San Diego, CA (August 12, 2010) - The limit of one hundred forty entrants attended the Naples Sabot Junior National Championship on Mission Bay. While Scott Sinks of San Diego, CA dominated the qualifying series, it was Riley Gibbs of Long Beach, CA that maintained all top four scores to win the championship. -- Complete results: http://www.sdyc.org/juniors/10results/sabotNats_res.htm * Northern Californian Bismarck Dinius has filed a federal civil lawsuit against Lake County and a number of its employees for violating his civil rights when they prosecuted him for manslaughter in the '06 death of Lynn Thornton. Thornton was killed after the sailboat she and Dinius - who was on the tiller - were aboard was hit from behind by a speedboat driven by then-Sheriff Deputy Russell Perdock. Prosecutors alleged that Dinius's blood alcohol content of .10 made the accident his fault instead of Perdock's. A jury found him not guilty last August, but Dinius was left with legal bills totaling over $300,000. -- Latitude 38, full story: http://tinyurl.com/34ww8kn * The Transpacific YC has announced the opening of entries for the 46th edition of the Transpacific Yacht Race from Long Beach, CA to Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii. The early entry deadline is February 27, 2011 for the July 2011 event. -- http://www.transpacrace.com/ SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar LETTERS AND FORUM Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, 'The Curmudgeon'). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Bruce Thompson: Now that the list of applicants for U S Sailing's Championship of Champions is complete, I think it is appropriate to congratulate Drew Daugherty on the continuing success of his efforts to enhance this regatta. The hardest job left will be for Drew and his committee to select the 19 final entrants from this list. Here is the list: http://tinyurl.com/3xykjjs I see a wonderful cross-section of the one design side of our sport, with a representation of classes from Opti & Interclub, through the mid range Thistle, Lightning & Highlander classes (that did quite well last year) on up to the J-24s and International 210s. The list includes some of last year's participants, some family (last year's winner and runner-up will be supplanted by their brothers, Ernie Dieball and Matt Fisher) and a blend of young rising stars (Christopher Williford and Olin Paine, last year's sixth place finisher, ahead of fellow Californians Paul Cayard, Mike Martin & Chris Raab) and some legends such as Augie Diaz and Dick Tillman. The event will be held October 13-16, 2010, and I would like to congratulate everyone involved, the committee, the applicants, Indian Harbor Yacht Club, the Ideal 18 Class and all the volunteers for the fine preparation work they have already done and I wish that they all have as much fun in 2010 as we did in 2009. * From Sharon Green, yachting photographer: I went to see the movie Charlie St Cloud, and I have to say it was pretty good. As you know, the movie is not so much about sailing as it is about life, death and the in-between. Anyway, Zac Effron can actually act and now I know why all the girls drool over him! The boats in the opening dinghy scene are all beat up and quite eclectic looking with some random sails. Looks like any junior sailing program. Last year one of the set designers called me for some calendars to decorate his (Zac Effron/ Charlie's) home office. Sure enough the calendar is in the movie, on this month of August 2010 and several photos cut out from some other calendars. The cool thing was my business card was on the tack board. Kaenon and Sperry have huge signage on the side of the boat too. They shot it all in North Vancouver so the backdrop is spectacular. => Curmudgeon's Comment: Here was the tease for the movie last month in Scuttlebutt: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/10/0723 * From Barbara Herman: Paul Henderson is a great person and I am sure his book is wonderful. I had the fortune to sail with people on a crew we lovingly called "The Pope, The Penguin, The Poodle and the Dope". Their given names were Lowell North (the Pope), Buzz Boettcher (the Penguin), Ron Love ( the poodle), and Phil (he would not like to be called the dope). Is not Lowell truly the POPE? * From Tom Griffin, Darien, CT: From the daily reports coming from San Francisco, it doesn't sound like that sight will be ready or able to pull off what is needed. Mr. Ellison et al., You are encouraged to take another long look at Newport, RI, with Fort Adams, and all the past history, for the next event! It's a proven winner. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION You cannot give or receive without eventually giving or receiving in return. Special thanks to Kaenon Polarized and The Pirates Lair. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
