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SCUTTLEBUTT 1924 -- September 15, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.STRETCH, GROW, COMMIT AND RISK Annapolis, Maryland -- The oldest combined-age team at US Sailing's biennial Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship will be on 'Hot Flash' -- a team from Minnesota made up of accomplished sailors over the age of 50. Their aim is to accomplish three goals: to transform the way women over 50 see themselves and their potential; to inspire women over 50 to pursue their passions and to challenge stereotypes applied to mature women. "The Hot Flash story is about more than sailing -- it's about embracing our wisdom, our experience and our motivation," said Carol Pine, captain of Hot Flash. "Hot Flash intends to be an inspiration for women of all ages: urging them to stretch, grow, commit and risk." Forty one other teams will be racing against Hot Flash in this event. Sailors from the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, South Africa and 16 U.S. states will compete on the Chesapeake Bay in International J/22 class sailboats from September 16-23. Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), the 2005 Yngling Women's World Champion who is ranked #1 on the US Sailing Team in the Yngling class, will return to Annapolis to defend her 2003 title with her crew of Debbie Capozzi, Carrie Howe and Annie Lush. -- www.ussailing.org/riwkc BOOMING Because of the interest and growth of the 6.50 fleet, now with nearly 430 members, the Classe Mini is launching a brand new single-handed offshore race alternating with the Mini-Transat in even-numbered years. Sirius Evénements will be the race organizer of a new two-legged race from Nantes, France to the Azores and back. On July 30, 2006 the race will start with a sprint along the Loire River before the solo sailors head out to sea for the 2600 mile course taking them to the Azores and back. After something like week in the port of Horta, the return leg back to France will start on August 15. The event is limited to 72 participants, and competitors will need to complete a 1000-mile qualifier to be eligible. The Notice of Race for the Nantes - Azores is available on the event website. --www.nantes-acores.com TECHNOLOGY (Yachting World's Sue Pelling talked with Transat 6.50 race favorite Frenchman Corentin Douguet about his boat. Here's a brief excerpt from her story.) It's not just her slinky, underwater shape that takes all credit for her speed, it's the canting keel/water ballast system that Douguet believes is the key. Unlike any other Proto design (development class) in the fleet the new Manuard designs all run the same system of canting keel, and water ballast situated either side of the hull. Manuard explains: "The other boats have ballast or swing keels, or swing keels with water ballast in the centre of the boat. With these new Manuard designs the water can be shifted from one side of the hull to the other which makes them incredibly powerful on a reach and upwind. For downwind sailing I just empty the ballast to make her lighter. The compromise is good but it is a lot of hard work. The difficult part is working out when and where to shift the ballast. Make a wrong decision and it all goes to pot." -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/anjg2 TODAY IS THE DAY Whether you're college sailing, campaigning maxis or just cruising the deep blue, we have the gear to make those rare perfect moments on the water even more enjoyable. From drysuits, gloves, sunglasses, and foulies, we have the brand names known worldwide for quality and dependability. Take 20% off everything we sell today when you order it online and use the coupon code "Scuttlebutt" when you check out! No sales tax outside California. Outfit your crew for Key West or gear-up an entire team and save even more with Institutional Pricing. Call 800-354-7245 (in US) or 562-594-8749 (outside US). http://www.sailingproshop.com CALENDAR FINALIZED US Sailing has nailed down the qualifying events that will be used to rank athletes for the 2006 US Sailing Team -- and they are now posted online. There are at least two qualifying events for each Olympic class, except for the new Neil Pryde RS:X which has only one qualifying event. US Sailing's 2006 Rolex Miami OCR is a mandatory event for all classes. The ranking system also determines which athletes will be selected to compete in the 2006 World Sailing Games, which will be held May 10-20 in Austria, and the 2006 Olympic Test event, scheduled for August 18-31 in China. The classes selected for the 2008 Olympic Games are: Finn (men); 470 (men and women); Laser (men); Laser Radial (women); Neil Pryde RS:X (men and women); 49er, Star, Tornado (all open); and Yngling (women). The 2008 Olympic Games are scheduled for August 8-24 in Beijing, China. The Olympic Regatta will be held in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing. -- www.ussailing.org/olympics/2006/rankingsystems.htm ISAF MATCH RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Calpe, Spain -- Light breeze, 6 knots average, and only four boats for the twelve teams today. Russian Eugeny Neugodnikov won three matches today (against Lopez-Vazquez, Lingberg and Hansen), so he is co-leading with Cian the results table at the end of day 2, although Cian has four victories out of four matches while the Russian has raced seven matches. Two of the Tom 28 boats were removed from the competition today after James Spithill complained yesterday and refused to sail his last match. Problems in the rudder were reported, so only four boats were used. Lopez Vazquez, #317 in the ISAF rankings, got his first point by beating James Spithill. The Australian was also beaten on his next match against Gilmour, who got his second point of the round robin. -- www.sailing.org Round Robin Rankings after two days of racing - Paolo Cian (ITA) - 4 pts/ 4matches - Eugeniy Neugodnikov (RUS) -4 pts/7matches - Sébastian Col (FRA) - 3 pts/5 matches - Staffan LINDBERG (FIN) - 3 pts/6 matches - Bjorn Hansen (SWE) - 3 pts/6 matches - Mathieu RICHARD (FRA) - 2 pts/3 matches - Philippe Presti (FRA) - 2 pts/3 matches - Ian Williams (GBR) 2 pts/4 matches - James Spithill (AUS) - 2 pts/4 matches - Peter Gilmour (AUS) - 2 pts/5 matches - Ed Baird (USA) - 1 pt/3 matches - Santiago Lopez-Vazquez (ESP) - 1 pt/8 matches BASILICA J/24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Weymouth, UK - There were no delays Wednesday at the 55-boat Basilica J/24 World Championship. The rafts broke up promptly at 0900 and the teams were greeted by a fresh 18 knot breeze, with a short chop as they left the harbour. The stronger breeze found most teams sailing with the jib and brought new leaders to the front of the pack with Peggy helmed by Jon Powell (GBR) getting the bullet. For the second race of the day -- race #6 -- the breeze eased to 15 knots and the fleet was split on those sailing with jibs versus those switching to genoas. Luigi Ravioli onboard Fiamma Gialla (ITA) won race and moved into second overall. -- Nancy Zangerle The provisional overall results with one throw-out (protests pending): 1. Anthony Kotoun, Jigalo, ISV, 21 points 2. Luigi Ravioli, Fiamma Gialla, ITA, 22 points 3. Max Skelly, Murder Picture, USA, 22 points 4. Tomomi Hatakeyama, Gekko, JPN, 28 points 5. Mauricio Santa Cruz, Bruschette, BRA, 29 points 6. Peter Bream, Team Tarheel, USA, 41 points 7. Sean Kirkjian, Jobs for the Boys, AUS, 45 points For full results: www.j24-weymouth.com NEWS BRIEFS * The tallship Pride of Baltimore II lost her rig in a squall while racing off France last week. Here's a link to a blog with photos and first person description of the dismasting. -- http://www.pride2.blogspot.com/ * John Kostecki went sailing with his new mates on the Ericsson Racing Team in 25 knots down the waves off Vigo, in the Bay of Biscay. Rick Tomlinson and his helicopter captured the incredible action on film. Very hot images: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/ericsson0914/ * The Waikiki Yacht Club announced today that the dates for the 2006 Waikiki Offshore Series will be July 25 - 30, 2006 on the waters off Waikiki and between the islands of Oahu and Maui, Hawaii. The series will include six buoy races and one medium distance race. www.waikikioffshores.com * Twelve teams will be at Newport Harbor YC on September 21-24 trying de-throne defending Prince of Wales (US Match Racing Champion) Karl Ziegler with his crew of Dean Brenner and Mike Welch from Seawanhaka Corinthian YC. This years champion will also receive an invitation to represent the United States at the Semi Finals of the Nations Cup to be sailed in the US Virgin Islands. The winner will also receive invitations to sail in Knickerbocker YC's Knickerbocker Cup, an ISAF Grade 2 event, and the Ficker Cup, an ISAF Grade 3 event hosted by the Long Beach YC. * Wednesday in Moscow, the sailors at the Finn Gold Cup drank coffee all day and waited for the wind. The coffee kept coming but unfortunately the wind didn't. One start was attempted at 18.00, but was soon abandoned as the wind started playing games again. The planned lay day in Moscow on Friday is now a distant hope as there are still four races to get in before the finals start on Saturday. With only two races sailed so far and a maximum of three per day to be sailed, it looks like racing will go into Friday. -- http://www.finngoldcup2005.ru/ * A wave of nostalgia is set to wash over Newport this week with the arrival of more than a dozen 12-Metres for the International 12-Metre Association's 2005 World Championships sponsored by The Jibe. Seventeen boats will be competing in four divisions -- the largest collection of 12-Metres racing together since the last World Championships (held in 2001 during the America's Cup Jubilee in Cowes, England). New York YC is hosting the four-day regatta which will also serve as the class's North American Championships. Racing starts today and continues through Sunday. -- www.nyyc.org * The 32nd America's Cup fleet arrived in Trapani on Wednesday evening aboard the M/V Schippersgracht. The ship completed the 2800 nautical mile journey from Malmö by slipping through the stunning Egadi Islands just to the west of the city before docking in the harbour at Trapani. Unloading of the ship begins early Thursday morning and the team boats are expected to be placed on the team base compound over the course of the day on Thursday and Friday. -- http://www.americascup.com/en/ * Saga Marine of St. Catharines, Ontario, and Pacific Seacraft of Fullerton, California, announced their new boatbuilding agreement. Saga's models will now be built in California. Allan Poole, President of Saga, stated the reason for shifting production out of Canada: "The increasing value of the Canadian dollar seriously affected the revenue and was starting to erode margins. Like many Southern Ontario manufacturers, we have had to seek alternative sources." Pacific Seacraft, which has been building yachts for nearly 30 years, was named twice by Fortune Magazine as builder of one of America's best products. ULLMAN SAILS QUALITY INVESTMENT! Why are Ullman Sails the "Fastest Sails on the Planet?" Simple…Ullman selects only premium sailcloth and marine hardware that the sailmaking industry can provide. Ullman Sails combines the latest proven sail design programs with proven construction technique that have an end result of simply the best sails available. Whether you race, cruise, or merely enjoy daysailing, look for top quality sails that combine performance, durability, and service. There is only one clear choice…Ullman Sails. Call your nearest Ullman Sails loft or visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is neither a chat room nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere.) * From John Rousmaniere. Stephanie Stoll spots our pastime's Russian thread, which like so many aspects of yachting history is eccentric and starts with the Dutch. Early competitions between pleasure boats included mock sea battles between pseudo navies of "jaght schipps" ("speeding ships" - the "j" is pronounced like "y") that blasted away at each other with blank cartridges. One spectator enthralled by these heroics was the young Peter the Great. Determined to found a Russian navy, he forcibly got his subjects sailing by canceling ferry service on St. Petersburg's Neva River and requiring commuters to sail either their own boats or ones borrowed from an organization called the Flotilla of the Neva. Though not quite a yacht club, its story does demonstrate one truth, which is that autocratic yachting governance is not a monopoly of modern-day commodores. * From Ian Parkes, New Zealand -- Please Mr Editor, don't kill the AC thread. It's the roar of the greasepaint and smell of the crowd that makes great sporting events (and Scuttlebutt) great. * From John McBrearty: In response to Alex Watters' post where he complained about "granola bar complainers". I love granola bars! Great for sailing! As a fervent granola bar eater, I even buy them for the crew, and an occasional tree hugger, I have absolutely no problem with anyone who has earned the bucks neccessary to put together an AC program. It is, after all, the Super Bowl of sailboat racing albeit with a much longer history than the gridiron. By the way, maybe you should try eating granola bars, they keep you regular. * From Derek Bouwer, Commodore, ABYC, Port Elizabeth, South Africa: I've read with interest the saga of the amount of money put into the AC campaigns. While I may not agree to the changing of the rules which have excluded certain skippers. This type of racing is only for those that can afford it if you can't stand the heat get out the kitchen. As a Saffie I am immensely proud of our Shoshaloza Campaign and follow it with great interest when I can. It is this type of racing that spurs boat design and technology that will ultimately filter into ordinary yachting in the lower echelons of Corinthian sailing so go for it, I say! To bemoan the amount spent and to say it would be better spent trying to combat the pandemic that threatens Africa, although well meaning is far from the truth if the lack of money was the problem the pandemic would have been dealt with by now. Unfortunately there are a lot more factors at play here. So long may the AC reign. The mere sight of those thoroughbreds at work, leaves me a drooling mess, from the smallest budget campaigner to the largest. Such are the vagaries of sailing that it's the boat, the crew and the tactic that wins races on the day, A big budget does not always guarantee a win. * From Donal McClement: For those Buttheads who may be interested the Royal Cork has recently published a magnificent book that provides a full and detailed History of the Worlds Oldest Yacht Club. This important and beautifully produced tome is available from the Yacht Club for the princely sum of 100 Euro. -- www.royalcork.com * From Jan Visser: As we come to grips with the destruction Mother Nature has unleashed on the Gulf Coast so many people there are forever changed. Yacht Clubs in the region will be flying the postponement pennant for some time to come. These clubs possess something that is sorely lacking in today's America, a sense of pride and patriotism unrivaled anywhere.. I know that at my club here in Olympia WA, at every meeting the Pledge of Allegiance is recited with fervor and conviction, no bickering here about content. Clubs all across the country through their youth programs have produced some of the most dynamic citizens for their area and the country. As we are all encouraged to give and to help in this monumental effort to rebuild a region take a moment to reflect on these clubs, their membership, their employees. When you write that check to the relief organization of your choice save a bit for these clubs so that they may return to the fabric of the land. Support the Gulf Clubs through the Gulf Yachting Association Foundation, Ron Richards President, 3 W Garden St. Suite 343, Pensacola, FL 32502, a private non-profit 501(c)3. * From Chris Ray: I think its great that the North American Championships for the J-105 class are being held in North America, as opposed to just the U.S. However, as of September 10th there are 33 J-105s registered for the St. Francis Yacht Club's Big Boat Series, which is running concurrently. Is this a coincidence? The BBS dates are set way in advance, so is there something here I'm missing? Are the J-105 NA's actually the Eastern Championship? * From Roger Martin: The 'Yacht Sculpture' of Bill Koch's ACC boats on the front lawn of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was designed and engineered by our company, Rodger Martin Yacht Designs, of Newport, Rhode Island, who were also part of the engineering team in 1992. Here are some 'insider' highlights: - The yachts are held up by Navtec rod, anchored to screw-piles in the ground, running 175 feet to 'Il Moro' and 100 feet to 'A cubed,' over 45 foot carbon compression posts, on their 'windward' sides. - Navtec rods from their 'leeward' sides anchor them to the ground. The catenary (sag) is less than 6 inches. - The yachts sit on 3.5 inch dia. 17-4 PH stainless ball-and-socket connections under their keels, engineered for load of 70 tons! - Boston City code requires the assemblage to withstand 110 mph 3 second blasts, and 90 mph sustained winds. - Screw-piles twenty feet deep anchor major load-points. Massive concrete footings could not be used because jack-hammers needed to remove them might damage ancient artifacts in the Museum! Screwpiles can be 'unscrewed' & re-used. - The main support pins in each boat have load-cells read by a computer, from which engineers can remotely monitor tension loads, temperature and wind in real time. - The keel bulbs weigh about 20 tons each. Fully-rigged CGs are 5' above ground! - The yachts have lightning cables running from masthead to ground and an FAA Aircraft Warning Lights atop their masts. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION When you think about it, dust is really mud with all of the juice squeezed out. |
