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SCUTTLEBUTT 3732 - Wednesday, December 5, 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: Doyle Sails, Atlantis WeatherGear, and International Rolex Regatta. THE FUTURE OF SAILING LIES WITH THE GIRLS By Bruce Thompson, Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club With all the talk about the future of sailing, I have been doing some listening to young sailors, particularly young women. A big part of the issue is what types of boats will work out best. Currently, the most common boat for young sailors is the Club 420. I think the problem can be summed up in this quotation from a young woman, Heidi, crewing in a Vanguard 15. "The Club 420 is a kid's boat." Heidi is definitely not a kid, she is a young woman. So persisting in trying to get young women into sailing via the C420 is not a real solution. As kids they may persist in sailing in C420s up through graduation from college, because much college sailing is done in either C420s or CFJs. But their sailing life after college is very poorly defined. One answer is to promote these young women in V-15s, which is where my club, the Chicago Corinthian YC, stands right now. We have young women who want to sail at a higher level racing in V-15s. And an interesting part of that class's activities is team racing. But to be complete, we need to make further progress. Where might she go after her post-graduate V-15 racer phase? My idea is to create a notional "career path" for women starting when they are little girls first starting to sail, up through junior sailing, college, post-grad, the Mommy track etc. Based on the one-design fleets available here in Chicago, this is my suggestion. First, this is what we currently have on offer. 1) We start the kids out in prams. We typically use Vanguard prams as they more easily accommodate two kids per boat than the Opti and kids like to sail with their BFFs. 2) If the kid is interested and feels "the need for speed", we offer the Opti next. 3) We promote the kids into C420s. This happens about middle school age. 4) We promote the kids into C420 racing. (We are looking at starting a high school team at Lane Tech). 5) We let the kids start to sail with adults crewing in Rhodes-19s. This will be their first taste of women's keelboat events for the girls. 6) We start them skippering the Rhodes-19s. 7) We encourage them to crew in Vanguard-15s. 8) They can also sail on offshore boats on weekends and/ or Wednesday nights. This is a reasonably broad spectrum of choices, but I think we can do more... read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14860 SUPPORT AMERICAN MANUFACTURING Buy a sail handcrafted in the USA and keep jobs in this country. Doyle's commitment to making sails locally means that you can have a custom sail suited to your needs, produced in this country by American craftsmen, at a competitive price. Our handcrafted locally advantage continues for years after the sail is delivered as your local Doyle sailmaker will be there to service and ensure your sail continues to perform as intended. Buy local. It's good for America and good for you. 800-94-DOYLE. http://www.doylesails.com CAPTURING THE IMAGINATION While the Lightning may not be sexy looking or high performance to sail, its strong class leadership has helped it to remain popular for over 70 years. Participation remains strong, with the class attracting both top competitors and family programs. Scuttlebutt asked some of the class insiders how the Lightning continues to capture the imagination of today's sailors. Here are comments from John Faus, International Lightning class president: ------------------------------------- We are working hard on our Boat Grant program ...and keeping touch with the alums of the program. We have had a pretty decent retention of BG alums and we keep in contact with them often. We also just appointed two Boat Grant alums to take control of the program itself. Will Brown (2010 All American from Brown) and Justin Coplan (RIT alum and an amazing natural talent). The trick is getting them initially out sailing, meeting the people, seeing the depth of talent, being an international class with opportunities to go overseas, amongst other things. It is tough to compete against the various sexy sport boats that continue to pop up (some surviving/some not). We are also exploring the idea of a class sponsored boat loan/finance program. Maybe three boats per year? Still developing the idea. We are lucky that the class has a decent amount of money invested in the ILCA fund! A growth area for the Lightning is to harness the young people who were products of Opti/420 youth sailing, and perhaps sailed collegiately, and are now unsure how to remain engaged in the sport. We just try our best to introduce them to the class, and with an older class like the Lighning, there are affordable starter boats that are plenty fast. I recently recruited a girl who basically quit sailing after graduating from Harvard (over 6 years ago!) She is now active in the Long Island Sound. I am sure she is the norm. ------------------------------------- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14869 GRANT: The International Lightning Class Association is now accepting applications for the 2013 ILCA Boat Grant Program. The program, entering its seventh season, offers a few select teams the opportunity to sail a race-ready boat in one of the strongest one-design classes in North America. Details: http://www.lightningclass.org/racing/boatGrant/2013/pressRelease.asp SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO (SOUTH) (December 4, 2012; Day 25) - While the sequence of ice gates is keeping the Vendee Globe fleet from the treacherous conditions of the Southern Ocean (south of 60 degree latitude), they still got a shellacking today as mountainous waves combined with 20+ knot winds to create a pounding offwind ride. The ice gates are succeeding in keeping the leaders in tight formation, though a prevailing high pressure system ahead may open up some leverage. There are two choices: 1) Aim directly at the western end of the Crozet gate and hope the most direct route overcomes the light winds; or 2) Sail extra miles, diving south to avoid the worst of the light stuff before ascending north to catch the east extremity of the gate. So far only Alex Thomson has pointed the bow of Hugo Boss south while race leader Armel Le Cleac'h seems intent on the direct route to the gate 560 nm ahead. ICEBERGS: New on the tracking display are the ice areas that have been identified in the Southern Seas. The orange lines represent the northern limit of icebergs found. Tracking: http://tracking2012.vendeeglobe.org/en/ Top 5 of 20 - Rankings as of Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 20h00 (FR) 1. Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA), Banque Populaire: 17408.5 nm Distance to Finish 2. Francois Gabart (FRA), Macif: 44.9 nm Distance to Lead 3. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA), Virbac Paprec 3: 48.7 nm DTL 4. Bernard Stamm (SUI), Cheminees Poujoulat: 69.1 nm DTL 5. Alex Thomson (GBR), Hugo Boss: 194.6 nm DTL Full rankings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html BACKGROUND: Twenty skippers began the 7th edition of the Vendee Globe, a solo, non-stop around the world race in the IMOCA Open 60 class. Starting in Les Sables d'Olonne, France on November 10, the west to east course passes the three major capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn before returning to Les Sables d'Olonne. In the 2008-9 edition, Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) set a new race record by completing the course in 84 days. -- http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ TOUR LEADER STUMBLES WHILE CANFIELD STARTS STRONG Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia (December 4, 2012) - As the first day of sailing at the much-anticipated Monsoon Cup got underway today, Taylor Canfield (USVI) enjoyed a strong start and reaffirmed his credentials as a future Tour Card Holder with two wins from two in Qualifying Session 1. After finishing the session without a win, Bjorn Hansen (SWE) will need to quickly regroup ahead of Wednesday if they are to overcome their poor start and maintain their Championship challenge at the final event of the 2012 Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT) season. Having taken victory at the recent Argo Group Gold Cup in Bermuda and fourth at the Chicago Match Cup this season, Canfield is looking to make the permanent step up to the top level of match racing by securing a Tour Card for next season. He did his chances no harm in the first day of Qualifying, finishing with a 100% record, before racing was abandoned in late afternoon, owing to conditions that were too light and variable. Canfield, said: "We've got two wins, even though we nearly lost out to Jeremy Koo in the very first race of the event. We've been doing well at shifty venues lately and the wind was doing that a bit today, so we're all for it. "This is a lot different to our last Tour event in Bermuda. Different boats, different venue but we're learning every second we're out there. The guys are ready to go. We'll get some sleep and a good feed tonight and do it again tomorrow." Referring to his team's primary ambition, Canfield continued: "Getting the wildcard here was really important to us. This event may well determine whether we get a Tour Card next year and there hasn't been a North American team for a long time so we'd love to be competing regularly, representing our region. Light winds limited racing today. The Monsoon Cup will continue Wednesday with the event Final taking place on December 8. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-120412 BACKGROUND: The eight event World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series, and is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Prize money is awarded for each event, with event points culminating in the crowning of the "ISAF Match Racing World Champion". -- http://www.wmrt.com DISCOVER: GREAT GIFTS FOR THE SAILORS ON YOUR LIST While most of the sailors we know are resigned to the prospect of lumps of coal in their stockings, you can surprise them with some great new Atlantis gear to help them get through the coming winter. The new Challenger insulated jacket and Brimbles fleece sweater are great for the people on your list who need to keep warm for the next few months, and the Resolute jacket and Shipyard shorts are just right for those lucky enough to be headed south. Need a great Christmas present? Visit your nearest Atlantis dealer or http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com Discover Your Atlantis. A HELPFUL TIP FROM DAVE... When racing upwind on port tack with another boat close to leeward, Rule 20 allows that boat to hail you for room to tack if she needs to make a major course change to avoid an approaching starboard-tack boat. Rule 20 requires you to respond by either tacking as soon as you can, or hailing back to her "You tack!" In almost all circumstances, it is better for you to hail, "You tack!" Rule 20 then requires the hailing boat to tack as soon as possible, and you now have the option of tacking close to leeward of the hailing boat (leebowing her), or ducking her and the approaching starboard tacker and continuing on port tack. Remember, if your plan is to duck the hailing boat when she tacks, be sure to create enough separation so that when she tacks, you can bear away and duck her without hitting her! -- Dave Perry, Chairman of the US SAILING Appeals Committee, http://tinyurl.com/USS-120412 SAILING SHORTS * Each year US SAILING presents up to five awards to recognize outstanding individuals, classes, clubs and fleets in one-design sailing. The awards -- Service, Leadership, Club, Regatta, and Creativity -- highlight role models of creative leadership in one-design sailing. Nomination are now being accepted - US Sailing membership not required to nominate. The deadline for nominations is Monday, December 10th. Awards will be presented at the One Design Sailing Symposium, Cleveland Yachting Club, Rocky River, OH on January 12, 2013. Details: http://racing.ussailing.org/One-Design/One-Design_Awards.htm * Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean this year saw above-average storm activity and marked the second consecutive year that the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast "suffered devastating impacts from a named storm," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nov. 30 marked the end of the Atlantic hurricane season, one that produced 19 named storms, of which 10 became hurricanes and one became a major hurricane. -- Soundings, full report: http://tinyurl.com/TOT-120412 * Melbourne, Australia (December 4, 2012) - At the second day of Sail Melbourne, the wind peaked on Melbourne's Port Phillip at 47 knots from the Sou'west and for the rest of the time it averaged 25+ knots. These conditions sidelined all the Olympic and Invited classes with the exception of the kiteboarders, with the men completing three races while the women added two races to their tally. Racing at Sail Melbourne, the first event of the 2012-13 ISAF Sailing World Cup, continues through December 8. -- http://sailmelbourne.com.au * Virgin Gorda, BVI (December 4, 2012) - The Farr 100 Ran Leopard, helmed by Niklas Zennstrom with Adrian Stead on tactics, completed the Transatlantic Superyacht & Maxi Regatta in 7 days, 8 hours, 59 minutes and 12 seconds to claim line honours and smash the course record. Zennstrom and his 18-strong crew crossed the finish line off Virgin Gorda shortly after 10 p.m. UTC last night after covering 3,300 miles at an average speed of 18.6 knots. The new course record beats the previous one set by Hetairos in 2011 by 25 hours, 59 minutes and 18 seconds. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/YCCS-120412 INTERNATIONAL ROLEX REGATTA - MARCH 21-24, 2013 Give yourself an early Christmas present and save a few more $'s with an early registration to the 40th Annual International Rolex Regatta in St Thomas, VI. Just $250 before Jan 31, 2013 and those boats registered before Christmas can claim a case of Heineken at registration. Visit http://www.rolexcupregatta.com for registration 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 Frederic Laffitte: I read with attention the commentary from Glenn McCarthy in Scuttlebutt 3730. He is dead on. I am a long time racer from days of the IOR dinosaurs, which I raced from the Med to Australia and everywhere in between. I stopped racing big boats when it stopped being fun, moving on to the J/24 and now Etchells. I stopped racing big boats for the same reason Glenn did... it stopped being fun. I agree that the boats are much better now but it is irrelevant because so few of them are racing. So why have they stopped racing? The main reasons are: - The rules change too often, making boats obsolete. - The fun is gone as only the pros have a chance in a high level competition. - The pro sailors killed the golden goose by making sure that no amateur can ever dream to win, and that includes what Glenn said about the race courses. - The fact that the pros cannot get a job if they do not win has changed the atmosphere everywhere from the dock to the bar, and from the race course to the protest room. Bottom line is that the pros are killing the sport we love. So what do I do now? I race my Etchells as well as I can, I race my family wooden boat in the Classic Boat race in the Med, and I go cruising on my 57 footer whenever I can. EDITOR'S NOTE: Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are a lot of professional sailors hiking (or coaching) on Etchells these days. This weekend begins the four event Jaguar Cup Mid Winter Series in Miami with 55 entrants listed. Details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14887 * From Paul Henderson, ISAF past president: I read with interest the promotion of the Lightning Class in Scuttlebutt this week. It brings to mind the great statement by Paul Elvstrom: "It is much harder to build a solid class organization than to design a new boat." I wish the ISAF would listen to this adage before replacing an Olympic Class. Solid class organizations are the glue that holds our sport together. Where is Ding Schoonmaker when we need him? * From Barbara Thoney: Thank you for pointing out that Terry Hutchinson is taking the high road (in Scuttlebutt 3731). After years of organizing travel and logistics for him and his teams, he has become one of my best friends. But it is without prejudice that I can say I have rarely had the pleasure of working with someone who is more focused, loyal, and dedicated to the idea of "team". He works hard at bringing out the best in everyone - especially himself. Perhaps the powers that be at Artemis Racing could not understand the talent and drive they had with him to make them the best they could be. Terry will land on his feet and move forward. I don't know if the same can be said for Artemis. * From Casey Baldwin, Nova Scotia: The as yet unexplained dumping of American Terry Hutchinson from the helm of Swedish challenger 'Artemis', leaving no U.S. skipper in the 34th Americas Cup, including defender 'Oracle', is a travesty that could be avoided. Make it a true international supreme sporting series, with skipper, crew, and designer for the challengers and defender holding citizenship in the country of their entry. Why not fully rejuvenate the passionate patriotism of the founding 1851 race, when an all-American entry soundly defeated a fleet of British boats and crews, reportedly to the dismay of Queen Victoria. To my knowledge, the true national teams in similar boats all ended with the last 12 meter races in Perth 1987, when American skipper Dennis Conner regained the Cup. In the extraordinary '83' battle, ending 132 years of unbroken U.S. dominance, Aussie passion was electric, with the OZ Prime Minister interrupting their footie Super Bowl with a gigantic crowd-rouser to boost the eventual Australia II win. The endless debate about using mono or multi-hulls in the Cup is understandable, but the change to making citizenship mandatory is likely more important. With many millions being spent to popularize the Cup, I would suggest a pure national format for entries would do as much, if not more, to help make the America's Cup the major sporting title it deserves. EDITOR'S NOTE: We've allowed Casey to reiterate a point that has already been acknowledged by the organizers of the 34th America's Cup, which was how it was a mistake for there to be no nationality clause included. But some things are worth repeating. Thread now closed. FREE CLASSIFIED ADS The Scuttlebutt Classified Ads provide a marketplace for private parties to buy and sell, or for businesses to post job openings. Here are recent ads: * FOR SALE: KVH Display * FOR SALE: Snipe dolly * HIRING: Chicago YC Asst Head Coach position * HIRING: Collegiate Head Coach Position Available - FLORIDA View/post ads here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/classified_ads CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "When you get up in the morning, you have two choices - either to be happy or to be unhappy. Just choose to be happy" - Norman Vincent Peale, minister and author SPONSORS THIS WEEK Ultimate Sailing - Summit Yachts - North U - North Sails Ribcraft - Doyle Sails - Atlantis WeatherGear - International Rolex Regatta Point Loma Outfitting - Ullman Sails - Dieball Sailing - The Pirates Lair Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
