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SCUTTLEBUTT 2506 – January 8, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, featuresand dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. MAKING THE TRANSITION There was the time a wave swamped his sailboat in Biscayne Bay (Miami, FL) and John Ruf found himself in a bit of a precarious position, being that he is paralyzed from the waist down and momentarily was holding the key to Davy Jones' locker. "That was a little tense," Ruf said with a laugh. Was he afraid? No, that's not Ruf. A 15-hour international flight and no access to a bathroom might give him pause, but wind and water? Bring it on. "I figure the worst thing that can happen is I wind up in a wheelchair," he said, "and I've already got that one covered." Ruf, 39, of Pewaukee, WI, was paralyzed from surgical complications following a 1998 auto accident and had to stop racing his 28-foot E Scow. Determined not to give up sailing entirely, he switched to a 2.4-meter single-handed boat, a difficult transition because he had never sailed without a crew. It's safe to say he's gotten up to speed. In October, Ruf won the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in Newport, R.I., and qualified for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. He will be America's lone representative in the 2.4-meter class. "I won my share of races over the years, but the trials is the first regatta I've ever won," he said. "It was the right time to win one." -- JS Online, read on: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=700744 DOWN UNDER OLYMPIC ACTION Melbourne, Australia (January 7, 2008) -- With the qualifying series at the 49er World Championship completed on Sunday, Monday was the first day of Gold flight racing. Qualifying scores were carried over for the final series, with top North American entrant Tim Wadlow/ Chris Rast (USA) moving up from tenth to fifth place overall with scores of 10-5-1. Here is their report: “The racing today was very difficult. We raced in an offshore wind that was light, shifty, and puffy. Teams were moving from the front of the fleet to the back, or from the back to the front with each wind shift and puff. We kept a relaxed attitude through the ups and downs, and managed to finish all the races on a positive trend. “The highlight of the day was winning the third and final race of the day. We had a great start at the boat end, and then lady luck shinned on us with our own private puff that launched us into a considerable lead after racing only a couple of minutes. We shared the puff with overall leaders Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez from Spain, and spent the rest of the race match racing them well in front of the rest of the fleet. We did our job holding them off, and went on to win the race by a considerable margin. It was a nice way to finish up the day.” -- http://www.wadlowrast.com Racing continues through Wednesday; complete results: http://www.yachting.org.au/site/yachting/event/14245/default.html FLYING BELOW THE RADAR Of all the seven confirmed entries in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, the Alicante camp has been the most guarded with finer details about their campaign. This has led to speculation among the sailing fraternity and spawned a number of Spanish media theories. Initial rumours of an all-female entry have given way to the prospect of a Spanish ‘youth’ boat styled on the ABN AMRO TWO entry in the previous race. All will be revealed, we are told, mañana. One thing is for certain, there will be two boats and Bouwe Bekking, the skipper of the 2005-06 Spanish campaign backed by telecommunications giant telefonica movistar, will be at the helm again. Armed with an exclusive deal with Farr Yacht Design (FYD), the Spanish campaign is well advanced. Construction is under way on the first boat which is due to be launched in the spring of 2008. Racing begins with an in Alicante, Spain with an In-Port race on October 4, 2008. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/2ubc57 SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE RULES… Dave Perry, David Dellenbaugh, and Brad Dellenbaugh are teaching Rules and Tactics Seminars this winter. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two... From fundamental principles to nuances highlighting the difference between right-of-way and control, these rules gurus teach the rules and the tactics rules dictate. The case-based curriculum teaches situations, not rule numbers. Enrollment is limited. Sign up now (risk free) and receive Perry’s Rules Quiz book and Dellenbaugh’s Rules DVD with the course. Learn more at NorthU. Call 800-347-2457 or http://www.northu.com BARCELONA WORLD RACE Open 60 doublehanded round the world race (started Nov 11; 25,000-miles) (Day 58 – January 7, 2008) There are a few tough days ahead for Hugo Boss as the race leader, Paprec-Virbac 2 has hooked into a nice Southern Ocean low and is running away, while Hugo Boss is stuck in very mild conditions – in every sense of the word. Describing their current situation, the words of Jean-Pierre Dick on Paprec-Virbac 2 and Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss couldn’t have been more different. “There is a lot of rain and gusty winds, up to 35 knots. It’s very difficult to sail the boat,” Jean-Pierre said. “It’s very, very cold here, so just checking the sails and adjusting the sheets is torture. It’s terrible really.” The consolation is a boat speed approaching 20 knots. Meanwhile, Hugo Boss is in the same ‘Furious Fifties’ latitude, but struggling to make 5 knots on a sunny, warm, windless day. -- http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com Positions at 18:00 GMT (+gain/-loss from leader since previous day) 1-Paprec-Virbac 2, Jean-Pierre Dick/ Damian Foxall, 7,745 nm DTF (+366) 2-Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson/ Andrew Cape, 901 nm DTL (-139) 3-Temenos II, Dominique Wavre/ Michéle Paret, 2,850 (-83) 4-Mutua Madrilena, Javier Sanso Windmann/ Pachi Rivero, 2,957 (-33) 5-Educación sin Fronteras, Servane Escoffier/ Albert Bargues, 3,341 (-97) Retired - PRB, Vincent Riou / Sébastien Josse (broken mast) Retired -Delta Dore, Jérémie Beyou/ Sidney Gavignet (broken mast) Retired - Estrella Damm, Guillermo Altadill/ Jonathan McKee, (rudder damage) Retired - Veolia Environnement, Roland Jourdain/ Jean-Luc Nélias (broken mast) * (Day 45 – January 7, 2008 - 19:50 UTC) Meager progress continues for Francis Joyon and his maxi-trimaran IDEC in their solo round the world record attempt, with speed and distance numbers for the latest 24 hour speed average at only 10.2 knots while covering 244.7 nm. With 4,364 nm remaining toward the finish at Brest, France, Joyon has lost 138 miles in the past day on his advance over the record set by Ellen MacArthur in 2005, which is now at 2,523 nm. -- http://www.trimaran-idec.com CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE SEA (Sausalito, CA) Ken Neal, Executive Director of Call of the Sea, a Sausalito based non-profit organization, thinks of the 82-foot Schooner Seaward - the group's flagship - as a floating park. "She's a community boat," Neal said. "We all feel like she is ours." On land, parks introduce young people to nature, so they have a glimpse of what it's like in the wide-open spaces, far from the cities. But there are no parks at sea. How can kids, or teenagers, get out on the water to see the sea? Call of the Sea, through Seaward, is dedicated to connecting people to the sea through the unique hands-on experiences aboard a sailing ship. In the spring, summer and fall, Seaward serves as a floating classroom, taking groups of kids out on the waters near Sausalito for day trips and week-long seagoing adventures. Call of the Sea provides many scholarships, and works with community groups to ensure that all kids are invited. In the winter, Seaward leaves Sausalito and earns her keep, taking paying passengers, up to 10 at a time, on adventures in Mexico. The money that Seaward earns in the winter goes towards her outreach programs throughout the rest of the year. Jan Pehrson, Marin Independent Journal, read on: http://tinyurl.com/33hkae GETTING GREEN FOR THE OLYMPICS Although the cleanliness of the water for the 2008 Olympics sailing events has come into question, at least the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center is attempting to be environmentally friendly. The center will be using two solar energy systems -- one at the Logistics Center and one at the Athletes' Center -- to provide air conditioning and hot water. Additionally, solar-powered landscape lights and wind-powered street lamps also make up part of the scenery in the Olympic sailing center. Forty-one wind-powered lights are installed along the main seawall. This design causes the windmill above the lights to rotate, when the wind speed reaches three meters/s. The lowest wind speed for the sailing events is also three meters/s. Therefore, when the windmill rotates, the spectators will know the competition will begin. -- Complete story: http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues/venues/qdm/headlines/n214222837.shtml * On July 24, 2008, the Olympic flame will pass by the Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao. The Olympic torch relay will start off on March 25 from Olympia, Greece and arrive in Beijing on August 8. On the day of its arrival, it will be used to light the main cauldron of the National Stadium, signaling the opening of the 29th Olympiad. -- Complete story: http://torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/en/news/headlines/n214223159.shtml * There has been a fear of extremely light winds for the 2008 Olympic sailing events. However, a recent report from the Chinese press said “that the organizers would take measures to prevent bad weather from spoiling the (opening) ceremony.” Perhaps they will also have special powers to insure steady breeze for the racing too. -- Scuttleblog, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/01/special-powers.html CONGRATULATIONS ROLEX SYDNEY-HOBART WINNERS Congratulations to Bob Oatley and his team aboard Wild Oats XI, for earning their third consecutive line honor in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Congratulations also to Roger Sturgeon and his team aboard Rosebud for winning the overall IRC trophy. Both Wild Oats XI and Rosebud race with complete North Sails inventories including 3DL upwind sails and V-Series spinnakers. For more information, visit http://www.northsails.com SAILING SHORTS * Following the merger in April 2007 of Performance Sailcraft Europe and Vanguard Sailboats (USA) to become the world’s largest producer of small sailboats, they have now rebranded the global company as LaserPerformance. “Leveraging Laser as an integral part of our name was a natural. It’s the best known name in small boat sailing and represents our dedication to the sport. Performance goes beyond just our products. It speaks to our DNA and how we as an organization approach the market,” according to Chip Wilkerson, Vice President of Marketing. -- http://www.teamvanguard.com * Long Beach, CA -- Hardly a drop of water from a weekend of West Coast storms fell on the 23rd Rose Bowl Regatta Saturday and Sunday, but after nightfall when the sailing was done the skies re-opened to rain all over Boston College's parade to the championship. A protest by Stanford knocked BC---ranked No. 1 nationally---into second place and lifted St. Mary's College of Maryland into first place for the second year in a row. Point Loma High also repeated in the high school Gold fleet competition with a Sunday comeback that brought it from 25 points behind to a 35-point edge over archrival Newport Harbor. -- Complete report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0107 * Miami, Florida -- The Sid Doren Memorial, the second regatta of the four event Etchells class Jaguar Series hosted by Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, saw 85 entries compete on Biscayne Bay last weekend, with Chris Busch rolling a second place in the final race to rally for the win over Canadian Dirk Kneulman in second and Bill Hardesty in third. The next two events are the Florida State Championship (February 9-10) and the Jaguar Mid-Winters (February 29-March 2). -- Complete results: http://www.etchellsfleet20.org/2008_Jag/2008dorenresults.html * Melbourne, Australia -- The 2008 International Canoe World Championship concluded last week with Hayden Virtue (AUS) as the new IC World Champion, Chris Maas (USA) as the Development Canoe champion, and John Robson (GBR) winning the Assymmetric event. – Complete results: http://www.regattamanager.com.au/icworlds/Results/Progress.html * (January 7, 2008) A Sebastopol (CA) man who was pulled from the chilly waters of Tomales Bay Sunday after his skiff capsized died shortly after being rescued, Marin County fire officials said Monday. The unidentified man, 69, was plucked from the water after spending about 20 minutes waiting to be rescued. A Coast Guard spokesman estimated the bay's water temperature to be in the low 50s. Officials couldn't verify what the man was doing in the water and what may have caused his small vessel to overturn. – Marin Independent Journal, http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_7899843 * (January 7, 2008) A Melbourne, Australia man who took a yacht sailing in the Pacific has been missing at sea for seven months, police said today. Neil Stanley Qualtrough, 64, had little sailing experience when he sailed out of Honolulu alone in a 16m yacht called Pasado Manana on June 5 last year, and was planning to arrive in Tahiti, Fiji or Samoa about two weeks later. Police, who have been in touch with authorities including the US Coastguard, Interpol, Australian Federal Police and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, said the yacht was equipped with safety equipment. -- The Australian, full story: http://tinyurl.com/2wlykn * Correction: In Issue 2505, it was stated that the winners of the 2007 US Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards would be announced this week. The winners will be, in fact, announced next week. SAIL1DESIGN LAUNCHES ELITE YOUTH CLINIC PROGRAM Sail1Design will offer elite youth dinghy clinics this summer in Annapolis, along with established private coaching/ regatta support program. These clinics, offered at a private venue in club 420’s, will focus on collegiate-style sailing, along with basic and advanced team racing. S1D offers a top-level coaching staff to help you take that next step. http://www.sail1design.com/getresults.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Eric A Sorensen: As regards the story in 2504 with the 42' boat carrying 10,000 lbs of coffee. I did some silly number crunching. Given 3lbs of coffee = 1 gallon and there are 7.48 gallons in a cubic foot = 22 lbs a cubic foot which would add floatation if swamped since water is about 56 lbs per cubic foot. Now on to the nebulous part... a 42-foot boat could be as much as 14-feet wide and have an average headroom of 6-feet (rounding). As a failed calculus student, I merely divided the beam in half to calculate a rough interior volume of 1764 cubic ft (which would allow for 38,000 lbs of coffee if it was a stripped out interior). If we assume there were berths, tanks, head, and galley taking up 1/3 of the space that would allow 1164 cu. ft = 25613 lbs of coffee with no room to maneuver below. Take away some coffee to make a pathway and sleeping space etc.... and you might be able to get 10,000 lbs down there but the real question is why? Coffee has been known to be the importers friend or the captain just wanted to try and make his boat into a working business. * From Gregory Scott: With the New Year brings reflection, and while we’re musing over who's the greatest and pondering their accomplishments, I want to add a name to the list. Ted Ison may not be familiar to many, but to anyone who has raced in Kingston, Ontario (CAN), he sure is. I can't count the CORKs, Worlds, Youth Fests, etc. that Ted has been part of. His love of the sport and his willingness to share his time always makes the sailing experience better. While generous, Ted is not a saint. He has recounted less than enjoyable days dealing with twerps being twerps, rainy days, no wind, too much wind, enough wind to make everyone puke, and through it all, there's Ted. Now to say "Ted" really isn't the complete story. I have to include Bernie because without her “Cub Scout Leader” demeanor added to the mix, I think some days would have really gone off the rails. Numerous books have been written about learning life through sailing, Ted is a chapter. Mentoring, coaching, driving countless miles with college kids, his shared knowledge has improved many lives. When I hear “this is the last year," I nod knowing that one phone call & he’ll be setting another start line. Every “kid” who "grew up" sailing in Kingston, either on a “greatest hits" list or adding your opinion, has a story. If we added up the time Ted and Bernie have sat on a start line they could have sailed the world. So to the "Ted and Bernie's" of sailing,.thanks and have another great year on the water. * From Jennifer Martin: Thanks for another great analysis by Cory Friedman (in Issue 2505) regarding the latest in America’s Cup legal maneuvering. Cory must get quite a kick at all the armchair attorneys that provide their opinion. It would not be hard to buy into the Alinghi logic, but fortunately for the ‘buttheads, Cory is able to dive down into a level of legal speak that is foreign to most of us, and once again, tell it like it is. And once again, the Alinghi lawyers are making Brad Butterworth look like the most conservative tactician on god’s green earth. They play the edges, they split from the fleet, they jump the line, they use experimental gear, and as is usually the case with such an approach, they get burned. Sizzle! * Curmudgeon’s Comment: A recent thread discussing the proper outfitting for the US Coast Guard may have provided some misinformation. Based on the USCG policy manual, when water temperature is above 60 degrees and air temperature is above 50 degrees, personnel are required to wear their Work Uniform, Type III PFD, and a Boat Crew Survival Vest. An excerpt from the policy manual is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0107a/ CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION No one has more driving ambition than the kid who wants to buy a car. Special thanks to North U, North Sails, and Sail1Design. A complete list of Scuttlebutt’s preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
