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SCUTTLEBUTT 3509 - Thursday, January 19, 2012Scuttlebutt 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: Ullman Sails and JK3 Nautical Enterprises. EXAMINING A NEW RATING PARADIGM By Dobbs Davis, Seahorse High performance sailing is at a crossroads: Some of the most popular one-designs raced in the last decade are getting a little long in the tooth and have a chance for being upstaged by some exciting new designs just entering the scene. These range from MC38's, to Farr 400's, to GP42's and up to TP52's, all of which are racing at Quantum Key West 2012 this week. These high-speed, offshore-capable designs have always been problematic for the US rating rules, as their greater performance including planing offwind cannot be easily predicted alongside the bulk of the fleet sailing in more traditional displacement boats. Ideally the planing boats can be grouped together to enjoy good racing, but this is not always possible, and there are still critical rating differences that can arise based on the vagaries of whatever system is used. For example, the PHRF approach of using empirical data and declared dimensions to support the rating is one approach, but it can take years of data to finally hone in on a reasonable number after applying plenty of other un-measured filters (weather conditions, crew quality, etc). The ORR and IRC approach of using detailed measurements plugged into a secret rating rule might work for some, but no one likes secrecy too much, where ORR protects its fleet with 'go-slow' features, and IRC favors heavier displacement production boats in the 40-foot range. ORC racing systems are public and show promise for these boat types, but is not currently used in the US. In 2010, a group formed to examine how a new rating paradigm could be devised to work for modern planing boats, with the following features: fully-measured, completely public, simple to apply, expressed on a spreadsheet, and intentionally typeforming towards high-speed offshore designs. The group called this concept HPR, for High Performance Rule. But who are the owners and crews interested in this? And does the world really need yet another rating rule? Listening to people this week at Quantum Key West 2012 who are racing these newest generation boats (Farr 400's, MC38's, GP42's, even some TP52's), the answer seems to be 'Yes'. Anticipating this, Premiere Racing has offered an HPR class to try out the nascent version of the rule, which for the moment has been assembled from ORR and beta version HPR VPP's from Jim Teeters, combined with some PHRF factors from Bruce Bingham. After the racing on Thursday in Key West, I will be moderating a Seahorse-sponsored panel discussion from 5:00-6:00 PM EST to explain how the HP Rule works, what if any conclusions can be made from the racing to date, and what's next in the future of HPR. The panelists include: Steve Benjamin, North Sails; Marty Kullman, Quantum Sails; Dee Smith, Farr 400 Class; Wolfgang Schaefer,/ Farr 40 Class and ORC; and Rob Weiland, TP52 Class. The discussion will be streamed live online at http://www.yachtscoring.com/hpr_discussions.cfm LACK OF WIND SKUNKS SCHEDULE (January 18, 2012) - Light, fickle winds promoted organizers with Premiere Racing to cancel competition at Key West Race Week on Wednesday with hope that better breezes would allow for three starts on Thursday when winds are forecast to be 7 to 12 knots. Event director Peter Craig, after consulting with the principal race officers from all three courses, called for a postponement and held the 112-boat fleet at the dock in the morning. Craig postponed again at noon for an hour before deciding to call off racing entirely. "While forecasts would suggest an early abandonment was the right move, there was a chance the northerly would develop in time to get in a fair race around mid to late afternoon," Craig said. "However, it became apparent from looking at updated weather models and actual wind observation out on the water that the best course of action was to not go out today and try our best to get in three races on Thursday." In 19 years of directing the annual race week off Key West, Craig said this marked only the fourth lost day of competition for the five-day regatta. "No racing is certainly a real rarity for this event," he said. -- Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/KWRW-D3 Here are some links to help follow the event: Event website: http://tinyurl.com/KWRW-2012 Results: http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=547 Quantum Sails: http://tinyurl.com/Quantum-KWRW-2012 SAIL: http://tinyurl.com/SAIL-KWRW-2012 Sailing World: http://www.sailingworld.com/racing/quantum-key-west-2012 GET FACE TIME WITH YOUR ULLMAN SAILMAKER Thinking about optimizing your sail inventory this season?! Don't miss the opportunity to talk sails with Ullman Sails experts at boat shows across the country. We're in Cleveland this week (the show ends Sunday!) and we'll be manning booths at San Diego Boat Show (Jan 26-29) and Seattle Boat Show (Jan 27-Feb 5). Our sail consultants will be available to answer questions, discuss the latest technology, and help determine the best fit for your needs AND your budget. And if you're in Seattle, don't miss our free seminar for cruisers on opening night about sail selection, trim and handling! http://www.ullmansails.com * Dave Ullman, Greg Koski, Erik Shampain, and Chuck Skewes from Ullman Sails will present the seminar 'Unlocking the Racecourse' in Richmond, VA on February 15, 2012. Details: http://www.fbyc.net/Events/2012/02.15.social/ssi.dtml AMERICA'S CUP JURY KEPT BUSY BY KIWI QUESTIONS By Grant Dalton, Managing Director, Emirates Team New Zealand (January 18, 2012) - We have been back at work formally a week now after the Christmas break. Summer looks like it has finally decided to make an appearance and Emirates Team New Zealand is a good place to be right now. Over the break a number of important developments occurred. There were three jury decisions. The first was on the question we asked about the ability of ACRM/Oracle and the Challenger of Record to influence voting on rule changes related to the America's Cup itself by manoeuvring the vote with the small teams which had not paid the Cup entry fee. Prior to a vote in San Diego, which made this obvious to us, I was told by one team "well we don't agree with the amendment that is being proposed here in San Diego but we have to vote with Oracle. Without their support (read supply of their AC45) we would be stuffed." The Jury found that unless a team had paid the fees to be in the Cup itself they couldn't vote - the correct decision. The second was simply an interpretive question we asked on our SL33s and how they should be measured to make sure they comply with the surrogate rule which prohibits the sailing of catamarans longer than 10 metres after the 1st of January except for the AC45s and later on the AC 72s. The Jury and everyone else for that matter agreed with us so our SL33s are now in the clear and not considered surrogate yachts. The third was our agreement with Luna Rossa which had been raised by a series of interpretive questions from Oracle to the Jury. There has been some commentary about that but we are comfortable. Prior to the decision we anticipated they may stop telemetry testing between our 72s so it wasn't a surprise. -- ETNZ blog, read on: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-011812 MOST CONCERNING LEG IN THE RACE All six boats in the Volvo Ocean Race will be rendezvousing at the safe haven port in the Indian Ocean later this week for the start of the second stage of Leg 3 on January 22. Here reports Camper skipper Chris Nicholson from their second place position in the overall rankings: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Part A of Leg 3 is now a few days behind us and CAMPER is currently in transit on a ship bound for a secret safehaven in the Indian Ocean where the race to Sanya will resume. The sailing team are in Dubai and we'll spend the next few days going through a pretty intensive series of briefings on the weather and navigational challenges we can expect to face in the 4000 odd mile slog up to China. It's fair to say that our performance in the first part of the leg was not good enough and not what any of us were looking for. It hurt and we know we're capable of much better. We were left wanting for speed while reaching and the other guys were simply quicker than us in those conditions. End of story. We had made some changes to the boat and by our numbers we were actually going better than what we were on the race into Abu Dhabi from Sharjah but clearly still not enough to hang onto the others. We now need to go back to the drawing board and see what else we can do to improve our reaching speed. We're also working with the Emirates Team New Zealand coaches on improving crew techniques and eliminating some of the little mistakes that have been costing us. It's important to keep things in context though. The two sprints up and down the UAE coast have been dominated by reaching conditions and the courses meant that we were limited to essentially the one heading that several of the other guys are strong on. The next stage of the leg should present plenty more opportunities for us. Firstly, there should be a lot more windward work which we believe CAMPER is a lot stronger in, and secondly it won't be a pure boat speed race but rather a leg which will be won by being smart and keeping the boat in one piece and going the right way. So the challenge is on us to deliver an improved performance and one that puts us at the top of the leaderboard. This won't be easy. If I could describe the conditions for the leg in one word it would be "worrying". This is by far the most concerning leg for me in the race. Getting to the Malacca Straits shouldn't be too bad but we then have to deal with countless unlit fishing boats, nets, floating debri and the risk of piracy. An encounter with just one of these obstacles could seriously set back your leg. If we make it through the Straits in one piece and in good shape we then have to face the China Sea where we're likely to encounter boat breaking type conditions of 30 to 40 knots with wind against tide. -- ETNZ blog, read on: http://etnzblog.com/#!2012/01/more-work-needed-and-leg-3-is-the-chance Course details: http://tinyurl.com/Piracy-121111 Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos Race schedule: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world's most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN By Gary Jobson From the America's Cup to Fastnet to casual sails with my family and friends, I've had the opportunity to be a part of a variety of sailing experiences. In terms of personal accomplishments, my participation in the Leukemia Cup Regatta as its national chairman since 1993 has been among the most gratifying of my life. The sailors, patients and family members I've met along the way have only deepened my resolve to stop blood cancers from taking more lives. As a lymphoma survivor, I appreciate the support of the sailing community all the more! The 2012 Leukemia Cup Regatta schedule has just been released and we have another exciting sailing campaign ahead, with a record 48 events on our calendar. I invite you to register and start fundraising now for a Leukemia Cup in your area or in a favorite sailing location, so that you can get a head-start on joining me at our Fantasy Sail December 7-9, 2012 at the Southern YC in New Orleans, the third-oldest yacht club in the country. If you have attended a Fantasy Sail in the past, you already know about this great weekend which provides an opportunity for the top fundraising Leukemia Cup Regatta participants to celebrate their success. By raising $8,500 or more by November 1, 2012, you can join us in New Orleans and enjoy a great weekend of sailing and social activities with a group of dedicated people who have provided exceptional support for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's efforts to discover new therapies and cures for blood cancers! Register now and raise funds to help us support cancer research. I am a blood cancer survivor thanks to people like you supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's funding of the most promising blood cancer research anywhere. Details here: http://www.leukemiacup.org NEW MODELS FROM JK3 YACHTS AT SAN DIEGO SUNROAD BOAT SHOW JK3 will be showcasing an exciting lineup of brand new boats and new models at the upcoming San Diego Boat Show on January 26-29. Come by the show to see the entire lineup from Back Cove - the stylish new 30, new 34 and the classic and elegant 37 flagship. If you prefer sail, the new model Sabre 426 MK II is making its West coast debut at the show. Also on display will be the new model J/V design Hanse 385. Stop by JK3 to see the J/95 and for info on the new J/70 - the latest hotrod from J/Boats. For more info contact JK3 619-224-6200, http://www.jk3yachts.com SAILING SHORTS * The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) announced today that the new J/70 (image above) will be featured at the 2012 NYYC Invitational Cup U.S. Qualifying Series (USQS). The J/70 will join the NYYC's fleet of Sonars when 24 of the nation's most competitive yacht clubs compete in the NYYC Invitational Cup USQS off Newport, RI from September 4 to 8, 2012. The top three finishers will earn the right to compete in the 2013 NYYC Invitational Cup presented by Rolex. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/NYYC-011812 * US Sailing has awarded an Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal to the crew of Mosquito, a Farr 395, for rescuing the life of a fellow crewmember who fell overboard during the 2011 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. The medal was awarded to the sailors at the Milwaukee Yacht Club's annual awards banquet on Saturday, January 14 in Milwaukee, Wis. -- Read on: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2012/Rescue_Medal_Chicago_011812.htm * The 2011 Community Sailing Awards were announced at US Sailing's 2012 National Sailing Program Symposium at the Hilton Long Beach (Calif.) last weekend. Here is the list of the fourteen award winners: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2012/2011_NSPS_Awards_011812.htm * CORRECTION: As reported in Scuttlebutt 3508, the Tradewinds event was won by Sarah Newberry and Matthew Whitehead. However, the top eligible youth team which will represent the U.S. at the 2012 ISAF Youth Worlds was Jeremy Herrin and Sam Armington from Sarasota, FL who finished 7th overall. CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Jan 21 - 3rd Annual Good Old Boat Regatta - St. Petersburg, FL, USA Jan 21 - Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race - Bridgetown, Barbados Jan 23-28 - US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR - Miami, FL, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Mark Gaudio: I wanted to add my two cents after I saw the comment in Scuttlebutt 3508 about the US Youth World Qualifier in Long Beach last weekend. I am a lifelong resident of Southern California, and was a coach at the qualifier, and I too questioned why it was held at this venue in January. The conditions were crummy yet typical for this time of year. I totally agree that it was too important of a regatta to be hosted during the winter on the West Coast. I went to Florida two years ago to coach the same teams and the conditions in Clearwater were awesome...8-12 ish. * From Scott Mason: In Scuttlebutt 3508, you made a somewhat negative comment on the decision to hold the US Team Qualifiers for the ISAF Youth World's in Southern California this past weekend. By way of comparison, the Multihull team qualifier was held in Florida the same weekend. They were also shut out on Saturday. As PRO of the 29er and Techno 293 course, we were able to complete 5 races for 29ers and 4 for Techno in 2-7 knots of wind Sunday. Monday brought better Long Beach conditions, starting in 13 knots and "dying" to 6-7 by days end. We completed 4 additional races for each class, and the winners are all deserving to represent the US in Ireland this July. January is a pretty busy time for high school students, with Final's and getting the last college applications in. The regatta rotates to prevent a burden on one geographic region of the country. Somewhere between 35-40% of the competitors are from SoCal or NorCal, thus a west coast swing. Given that ABYC has lost one day sailing in the three years they have been host, and there have been quality sailable conditions the other days, I think your comments were unfair. COMMENT: First, my comment was in no way to disrespect the Long Beach event's race management. The personnel and host club involved are elite, period. The point of my comment was to question why an event of this magnitude would be held at a venue during the time of year when quality sailing conditions were least likely. I can appreciate all the factors that go toward planning such an event, but this was the U.S. qualifier for the most important youth championship in the world. I just thought it deserved better. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt * From Paul Warren Redington Beach, FL: Regarding the Jahn Tihansky story in Scuttlebutt 3506, I spent eight years as a volunteer sailing coach with the Naval Academy's Offshore Sailing Team. It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life. I definitely got to sail in some exciting places, such as Block Island, Long Island Sound, DelMarVa, Bermuda, and Newport. But, the best part of the experience was the people involved in the program, especially the midshipmen. I can tell you that it's really fulfilling to be part of the summer sailing program on campus, teaching the plebes (incoming freshmen) basic sailing in 24'-26' keelboats. Then, some get so excited with sailing that they try out for one of the sailing team -- most of these kids have never sailed before they got to the Academy or, maybe, at best, they played around on a Sunfish on a lake back home. The Offshore Team races the Academy's 44-foot training sloops, plus several donated custom racers; the Intercollegiate Team races in 420s, FJs and J-24s (or at least, they did when I was involved.) More than 200 'mids' participate in both mid-week practices and weekend regattas. Very impressive! The 'big boat' team, especially, get hands-on training and experience in distance navigation, leadership, teamwork, seamanship, engineering (i.e., maintenance), strategy and "combat" (aka racing competition.) These are the same types of skills and knowledge they'll need to be naval officers, commanding our Navy's ships-of-war in real life conflicts. I can highly recommend this experience to any experienced sailors in the Baltimore-Washington-Annapolis area; when I was involved, you didn't need to be directly affiliated with the Academy to volunteer. Also, I'd expect that other large sailing programs (USCGA, USMMA, SUNY-Maritime, and others) offer similar volunteer opportunities. Check it out. Congratulations to Jahn Tihansky and the USNA sailing community for a continuing "job well done." As the saying goes, "Thank you for your service." CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION I have run out of sick leave, so I'm now calling in dead. SPONSORS THIS WEEK New York Yacht Club - New England Ropes - North U. Dieball Sailing - J Boats - US Sailing - North Sails - Ullman Sails JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Doyle Sailmakers - The Pirates Lair Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
