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SCUTTLEBUTT 2777 - Monday, February 9, 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.Today's sponsors are Kaenon Polarized and 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix. AMERICANS DEFEND WORLD TEAM RACING TITLE (Perth, Western Australia) - Representing New York Yacht Club, reigning Team Racing World Champions Clay Bischoff, Lisa Keith, Colin Merrick, Amanda Callahan, Pete Levesque, and Liz Hall defended their title over the weekend by winning the 2009 ISAF Team Racing World Championship, but it was not without adjustment to some of the unique features of the event. Following the first two round robin series, the event changed locations, and as Pete described, “If you have read all of our previous updates, any references to the "Freemantle Doctor" were incorrect. We were previously dealing with the Freemantle Med Student. Today, we met the doctor and he was angry.” For the next three days, the championship saw winds peaking in the upper 20s/low 30s, and after the NYYC experienced a substandard first day in the big breeze, they realized it was time to simplify the starts and seek more conservative tactics. This worked, with their scores from the four round robin series resulting in them being the top seeded team going into the championship round. The format of the first round pitted the 1 and 2 seeds against each other. The NYYC team won this match and went directly to the finals. Meanwhile the 3 and 4 seeds faced each other and the winner advanced to sail the loser of the 1 vs 2 battle. Then the winner of that, which was the Australian team that won the Under 21 World Championship earlier in the week, went on to face the NYYC team for the championship. -- Read all the NYYC daily reports on the Scuttlebutt website (photos too): http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/tr SKUNKED ONCE - SKUNKED TWICE Qingdao, China (Feb. 8, 2009) - Remember the 2008 Olympics, with sailing held in Qingdao, China? Light winds, fog, and current appear to be a year-round condition for this town. On two consecutive days, efforts for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet to complete their four boat In-Port race were shelved because of unfavorable weather, with light wind and fog scuppering Saturday’s attempts and even weaker breezes (though clear skies) causing frustration on Sunday. The race committee will try again on Monday, and if conditions are again not suitable, Tuesday will be the final day to attempt the In-Port race. If there has been no racing by 1600 on Tuesday, the In-Port race will be cancelled and no points allocated to the four teams. The forecasts for Monday suggest between five and seven knots of breeze will pass through the Olympic Sailing Centre, while Tuesday could see up to nine knots. Leg Five from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will start February 14th, is 12,300 nm in length, with the finish estimated on March 20th. In-Port race audio/video information: http://linkbee.com/D1DA Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com * (February 8, 2009) - Rick Deppe the media crew member (MCM) onboard PUMA has once again beaten the competition to win the Inmarsat Media Prize for Leg 4. The hotly contested Inmarsat Trophy and cash prize recognises the vital role technology and the videographers (MCM) contribute to bringing the race closer to a global audience. Also nominated for the Prize sponsored by leading mobile satellite service provider, Inmarsat were Teams Ericsson, Gustav Morin onboard E3 and Guy Salter on E4. -- Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/News/08/Inmarsat/leg4.asp TWO IN - NINE MORE TO GO (Feb. 8, 2009; Day 91) - After the cool, calm delivery of Michel Desjoyeaux just over five and a half days ago to win his second Vendée Globe, Les Sables d’Olonne welcomed the rookie with a bite, Armel Le Cléac’h, who brought Brit Air across the finish line at 08:41 hrs GMT Saturday morning under perfect blue winter skies and a watery sunshine, to finish in a well deserved and highly creditable second place. Commented the 31-year Armel: “At no point did I imagine having to retire from the race, or slow down to carry out repairs. Perhaps the fact that I was slower in the southern ocean meant that I took fewer risks. I’m sure that experience helps by reducing the stress, when you are at such high speeds. It’s also important to be at ease with your boat. That’s something that each of us has to be able to do. I don’t have any regrets. I didn’t worry about losing ground. I just stuck to my philosophy of sailing my race as I felt fit. I didn’t do anything stupid anyway.” -- Complete report: http://linkbee.com/ECT5 Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s. Standings as of 18:30 UTC (30 entrants; 11 now competing): 1. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Foncia, Finished Feb. 1, 15:11 GMT (84:03:09:08) 2. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, Finished Feb. 7, 08:41 GMT (89:09:39:35) 3. Marc Guillemot (FRA), Safran, 1164.8 nm Distance to Finish 3. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB, Dismasted - Redress Given 4. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 1256.0 nm DTF 5. Brian Thompson (GBR), Bahrain Team, 1700.3 nm DTF 6. Dee Caffari (GBR), Aviva, 1792.6 nm DTF 7. Arnaud Boissières (FRA), Akena Vérandas, 2381.9 nm DTF 8. Steve White (GBR), Toe in the Water, 3137.8 nm DTF 9. Rich Wilson (USA), Great American III, 4671.3 nm DTF 10. Raphaël Dinelli (FRA), Fondation Océan Vital, 5838.5 nm DTF 11. Norbert Sedlacek (AUT), Nauticsport-Kapsch, 6226.2 nm DTF Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html Race tracking: http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/en BEST FRIENDS, NOW RIVALS. ONE COMMON BOND. The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series is showcasing the sport’s greatest talent. Yet all eyes are on best friends, former teammates and now bitter rivals, Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth. One common bond between the former dynamic duo is Kaenon Polarized and the patented, superior optics of our SR-91 polarized lens. Coutts has chosen the new Lewi frame and Grey 12 SR-91 lenses, while Butterworth uses the Kore with Copper 12. Their eyes are firmly locked on the prize, their route is different, but their tool is the same, Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. http://www.kaenon.com ALINGHI ADVANCES TO CHALLENGER FINAL (Feb. 8, 2009) Billed as the ‘Friendly Games’, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series were anything but among the two teams that faced off at the 32nd America’s Cup. An unpopular decision by Alinghi in declining to race against Emirates Team New Zealand on Saturday for tactical reasons (races against ETNZ do not earn points) drew out some fighting words from the kiwis and event fans. However, Alinghi came out loaded for bear today in a race against BMW Oracle Racing, steered by Russell Coutts, winning by 13 seconds. With one day remaining in this second round of the event, Alinghi has now accumulated enough points to advance directly to the challenger finals. Their opponent will be decided when the other gold fleet teams (BMW Oracle Racing, TeamOrigin, Damiani Italia Challenge, and Luna Rossa) meet up in the next round with the top two silver fleet teams (China Team and Pataugas K-Challenge). The event format calls for Emirates Team New Zealand to now sit out of the racing until this next round of challenger races determines a winner, and they will match that team in the Louis Vuitton finals. -- Latest report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6998#6998 Event website: http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com Video coverage: http://linkbee.com/CQO6 Audio coverage: http://linkbee.com/CQO7 Sailing World coverage: http://linkbee.com/D1DL * BAD KARMA: Skipper Dean Barker on Alinghi’s no-show. “I was disgusted. The racing has been close, competitors are enjoying themselves and the public is being treated to some great sailing. It’s all about the spirit of the event. It’s all about doing what’s right for yachting. Their action was insulting and disrespectful to our team and to the New Zealand people. If they were taking a swipe at us they missed the target and whacked the thousands of New Zealand yachting fans that are following the action in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series and wanted to see two great teams go head to head. It is inexplicable when the team pulls a stunt like this. It’s just bad sportsmanship.” * SECURITY: Six years after the Alinghi team received death threats targeting its Team NZ defectors and their families, skipper Brad Butterworth is still shadowed in his home town by a bodyguard. Butterworth, in Auckland with Alinghi for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, is constantly tailed by minder-to-the-stars Wayne Tempero, a bald, stocky, heavily tattooed personal security expert who has looked after the royal family of Brunei and footballer David Beckham. -- Full story: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4841329a1823.html ALINGHI’S NO SHOW SHUNS SAILING FANS WORLDWIDE A few years ago, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), ran with the slogan ‘For the Fans’. It wasn’t just a glib marketing line, it was a mission statement that was considered by officials, teams and media when making decisions. The principle led to some innovative schemes to bring the sport and the fans closer together. I will never forget long time Le Mans Radio announcer John Hinghaugh saying over the public address system at the Sebring international raceway - “fans are invited to come down to the main straight, onto the grid” - minutes before the race started. You didn’t need a special ticket; anyone could walk the grid, be up close to the cars or have their picture taken on the start line. Contrast this mentality with events in Auckland over the last couple of days where the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series has been designed to showcase America’s Cup style sailing, a luxury goods manufacturer and the country of New Zealand. Alinghi, defender of the America’s Cup, took a ‘competitive’ decision not to compete against hosts Emirates Team New Zealand. Alinghi’s behaviour, though technically legal, shows that sailing has a lot to learn about being a spectator sport. It is unthinkable that a professional sports team like Manchester United or The New York Yankees would refuse to play a game against a rival based on the argument that ‘they had nothing to gain.’ -- Yacht Sponsorship, full story: http://linkbee.com/ECT6 TIME TO MAKE SOME POPCORN by Cory E. Friedman, Legal Analyst Scuttlebutt Internet TV highlights for Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 2:00 pm EST, State of New York, Court of Appeals, Web Channel http://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps (and follow links). Featuring Golden Gate Yacht Club vs. Société Nautique De Genève - Webcast. (Summer reruns available the next day.) Parental guidance is strongly advised. May contain pointless showboating, misleading questions, beating up on the side the judge actually favors, softball questions, judges lost without their law clerks, stoney silence and other misleading behavior. Everything must be taken with a bucket of salt. Do not try this at home. Thanks to the web, ‘Buttheads around the world can judge the lawyers for GGYC and SNG and the Judges of the Court of Appeals. In litigation, as in every other facet of life, some parties are willing to do whatever it takes to win and some parties are not. Watch it play out yourself. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/cf/#p33 HARDESTY RALLIES FOR ETCHELLS WIN (February 8, 2009) - Packed with amateurs and professionals in a 60 boat fleet, the Etchells class proved again during their Florida State Championship what a challenge it is to win an Etchells regatta on Biscayne Bay. This was the third of the four events that comprise the class’ Jaguar Series, and despite a forecast that called for strong winds, the anemometer stayed in the boat’s sweet spot of mid-teens for the weekend event. Beginning the event with a 14th place, skipper Bill Hardesty and his team of Vince Brun, Eric Shampain and Jennifer Wilson spent the next four races climbing the standings, closing the event with a second place finish to get by regatta leader Jud Smith for the win. Among the close racing was one particularly nasty weather mark rounding, which photographer John Payne describes: "As we stood by the weather gate during race 2, we noticed a cruising boat, towing a dinghy that appeared to be heading right into the middle of the race course. I am sure that at some point the skipper looked up from his cold adult beverage, and uttered something to the effect of, ‘where'd all these other sailboats come from?’ What happened next was hysterical." -- Complete story and event photos (including the messy sequence with the cruising boat). -- http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/jaguar/#3 Final Standing - Top 5 of 60 (5 races, 1 throwout) 1. Bill Hardesty, Vince Brun, Eric Shampain, Jennifer Wilson - 12 points 2. Jud Smith, Dirk Kneulman, Darby Smith, Tim King - 13 3. Ante Razmilovic, Stuart Flinn, Chris Larson - 23 4. Tony Rey, Billy Bennett, Ched Proctor - 23 5. Jeff Linton, Frank Atkinson, Jamie Stewart - 24 STRONG INTERNATIONAL FLEET FOR ACURA MIAMI GRAND PRIX Top programs from nine countries and 14 states are lining up for great competition under the Florida sun. IRC, Farr 40 and Melges 32 classes will enjoy exciting race days and South Beach’s great nightlife. The 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix begins March 5. There’s still time to enter: http://www.premiere-racing.com/AMGP09 SAILING SHORTS * If you are a sailing photographer, or even if you like the idea of taking photos, you owe it to yourself to see the collection of images that Carlo Borlenghi shot this past weekend at an event in Monaco. His ability to capture the moment, and then to make that moment so extreme, is art. Maybe it helps that among the boats he shot was the new Melges 20. Enjoy: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/0208a * The US I-420 Class Association has announced the athletes that will represent the United States at the International 420 One Design Class - World Championship Regatta this summer at Riva del Garda, Italy. The individuals were chosen from the top finishing teams at this year’s Youth World Qualifiers held at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in the I-420, and sailors that had previously qualified for Team USA to compete in international championship regattas. -- Full details: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0206 * Miami, FL (Feb. 8, 2009) - It wasn’t just the 25 Star boats who raced in the Zag Masters at Miami’s Coral Reef Yacht Club, the winning team of Magnus Liljedahl and Bermuda’s Peter Bromby or the many other Olympians and world champs who garnered most of the attention. It was the six skippers age 70 – 73 who clearly showed that they still could master a star even on a breezy Biscayne Bay day. Charles Kohlerman III, Canadian Hans Fogh, John Sherwood, John Chiarelli, John Rumsey and Tony Herrmann enjoyed this regatta. Named after prominent Star sailor Frank Zagarino, the regatta requires that the skipper be age 50 or older. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6999 * According to the race tracker, Rosebud/Team DYT has a chance to break the race record for Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay (Jamaica). Having made the turn at Cuba, Rosebud/Team DYT was 120 nm from the finish at 5:00 pm ET, sailing offwind with boat speed around 17.5 knots. Roger Sturgeon’s STP 65 has to finish before 12:30am Monday morning to break the record. -- http://www.montegobayrace.com/index.html CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Al Johnson, Seattle: I find it interesting that the recent Scuttlebutt racing preference poll gave the two options as “windward / leeward buoy races”, or “buoy races with occasional reaching leg”. What happened to middle distance or point to point races? The older I get (with 35 years or racing behind me), the less enthusiastic I am with a constant diet of near misses and an occasional extremely expensive collision in buoy racing. Short lines, short legs, and contentious mark roundings are exciting, but not always in a good way. This is exacerbated by the new paradigm of starting one class at the same time another is finishing. Seattle has lots of marvelous waterways for middle distance (20-30 mile) races, but the local clubs run only a dozen or so distance races versus literally hundreds of buoy starts. Seattle Yacht Club’s end of season Grand Prix Championship has evolved from two days of distance races and one day of buoy racing in the late ‘70s to seven W/L buoy races this last year. Where’s the balance? Sloop Tavern Yacht Club started a two-day double handed race to Port Townsend (30 miles away) six or seven years ago. Within a few years they had to cap the entries at 100 due to moorage constraints. For the past several years it has had more entrants than any of the various weekend buoy racing regattas in Seattle. Maybe there is a message here that a significant part of the sailing community would prefer some longer races. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: And a couple weeks ago there were 364 boats on San Francisco Bay participating in the Singlehanded Sailing Society's Three Bridge Fiasco, with a course that toured the bay for single or double-handed entries. This race now claims to be the biggest west coast sailing event. Hmm… * From David Schmidt, Senior Editor, SAIL Magazine: Regarding the high attrition rates plaguing this year's Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), it's vital to consider that this year's course has changed substantially since the last VOR. Gone are the days of a Southern Ocean battle around the three great capes; here instead are several uphill legs, work that VO70's aren’t designed for. The 2005-2006 race experienced heavy attrition, but it's important to recognize that the race organizers worked hard to make these second-generation boats sturdier, especially in the hull structure and the keel-ram areas (N.B., only Delta Lloyd, formerly ABN Amro One has suffered significant keel problems thus far). In my opinion, the race organizers addressed the problems from the last race, but then added new variables. Is the problem the course, not the boats? Having been aboard a first-generation VO70 when its bow was delaminating, it's not pleasant to hear carbon grinding on carbon. Plenty of crews have heard this noise this race, and all have fought heroic battles to keep their yachts afloat. But it's important to note that the majority of this carnage took place on storm-battered, upwind Leg 4. Bottom line, no design does everything well. Choosing heavy, "ocean-worthy" tanks to race around the world at a ‘blistering’ 9 knots would be like racing Honda Accords in the Indy 500. Having been aboard a second-generation VO70 doing 23+ knots, there simply aren't more exciting, technically advanced boats afloat. As sailors, if we’re not pushing the envelope, we’re not evolving; if we’re not evolving, we’re adrift. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, and then he wears it every day." - Noelle, age 7 (Hint: Valentine’s Day is Feb. 14th) Special thanks to Kaenon Polarized and 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
