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SCUTTLEBUTT 2821 - Monday, April 13, 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 Summit Yachts, Kaenon Polarized, and LaserPerformance. IS SHALLOW WATER BETTER FOR SPEED? Don MacPherson is a naval arch professor at the Univ. of NH, and a very well respected marine-industry techno-guru, and the principal behind HydroComp and its "NavCAD" software, used by naval arch and marine engineers worldwide for hull resistance and propulsion (prop) predictions and analysis. Here is a recent post from his blog, which revisits the standards set by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) for the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC): “I received an interesting email yesterday, and I thought I would share my reply with our blog readers. It comes from a speed record holder “kite surfer”. “‘In the world of speed sailing, kite surfers can sail in very shallow water (down to less than 10 cm), which gives us very flat water without chop. Last year the sailing world changed the rules to force us into deeper water saying that using shallow water was using ground effect and reducing drag which is cheating, but reading your report it seems the opposite is true for displacement hulls. Do the same rules apply to planning hulls that are pushing 50 knots in water depths less than half of the beam of the board? “‘This new rule is pushing us into choppier water and slowing us down and not letting us show our true potential to sail as fast as possible. We are trying to put a case together (if there is one) to challenge this rule that - as far as a bunch of surfer types can make out - is a bit unfair to us. “‘So the question I’m asking is ‘do we get an advantage in terms of speed from sailing in very shallow water with a planning hull in terms of ground effect or is it a disadvantage like your report states for displacement hulls?’” “First, my hat is off to anyone going 50 knots on a small board. I don’t have the same “need for speed”, but I’m impressed none-the-less… “The Rules Committee is making a correct technical statement about shallow water drag, but there are other aspects of the physics of operation in shallow water that may be on your side. Let’s first consider the general hydrodynamics of shallow water drag.” -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/d8qjzh RAILEY TURNS IN GOLD MEDAL PERFORMANCE Palma De Mallorca, Spain (Apr. 10, 2009; Day 6) The Princesa Sofia Mapfre Trophy, third event in the ISAF Sailing World Cup, concluded Friday with intense racing in the double point, non discardable Medal race staging the best top ten sailors in each class. In the Laser radial division, early leader Susana Romero (ESP) needed to keep Paige Railey (USA) within two places to keep the lead. However, Railey raced in the front group while Romero could not come back after an average start to the race. A sixth place for Railey would tie Romero on points, but would win the Gold on the tie-breaker. “This gold medal feels amazing because I just started sailing full-time again in January,” said Railey. “It is the best feeling to come back and put everything I had into this event.” Anna Tunicliffe (USA), who was second in the Medal race to finish sixth overall, continues to lead the Laser Radial event in the ISAF World Cup Standings. Other top performances among the North American contingent included 470 team Stu McNay and Graham Biehl (USA), who dropped down in the standings when their second place in the sixth race became an OCS, but rallied in their final three races to finish fifth overall. -- Event website: http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org * The Olympic athletes will be taking the ferry from Palma to the mainland for the drive up to Hyeres, France for their next event, the Semaine Olympique Francaise, which starts on April 19th and is the fourth of seven events that comprise the ISAF Sailing World Cup circuit. -- http://www.sailing.org/25591.php CONGRATULATIONS TO DAN WOOLERY AND THE CREW OF SOOZAL The King 40 Soozal entered three events in Florida: Acura Key Wes Race Week, The Montego Bay Race, and the Acura Miami Grand Prix. She won her class in all three events. In 21 separate starts, Soozal scored 13 first and 6 second place finishes…amazing! Soozal is being packed now for her return home to San Francisco Bay where Dan and his crew are looking forward to a full race schedule in 2009. But first, she gets a victory party at the Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show in Oakland April 15-19. Everyone is welcome to stop by the show and see this exceptional boat first hand at Summit Yachts. Check out the King 40, as well as our other models at http://www.summit-yachts.com COMING TO AMERICA (Apr. 12, 2009; Day 2) - After a short stopover of just two weeks in Rio de Janeiro, less for some teams, it was back out on the race track again Saturday to start the 4,900 nautical mile leg six to Boston, USA, another new port introduced for this, the 10th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. The first 24 hours of the race have seen extremely light winds, currents, and a heavy swell test the patience of the sailors. Telefonica Blue and Green Dragon have stuck to the coast, the better to ride a weak land breeze that developed overnight to pass the early leaders - Telefonica Black, Ericsson 4 and PUMA. Late Sunday afternoon, those two leading boats find themselves nearly five miles further inshore compared to the rest of the fleet. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/dxbjxq Crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. Leg Six from Rio de Janiero, Brazil to Boston, MA, USA is 4,900 nm, with the finish estimated on April 27th. Current positions (as of Apr. 12, 22:15 GMT): 1. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 4,759 nm Distance to Finish 2. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 8 nm Distance to Leader 3. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 12 nm DTL 4. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 20 nm DTL 5. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 22 nm DTL 6. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 23 nm DTL 7. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 24 nm DTL Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, Did Not Start Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 * CREW LISTS: Here is the tally for who is doing Leg 6, with each team making changes except for Ericsson 4: http://tinyurl.com/d6lfht * LEG 6 ANALYSIS: After four legs of new oceans, currents, island chains, weather patterns and stopover ports, we are now well and truly back on the beaten track. The Volvo Ocean Race hasn’t been to Boston before, but the 4,900 miles north up the Atlantic Ocean from Rio de Janeiro is very familiar. Not only is it the traditional race route back to Europe, from South America via North America, but it also passes through a pattern of climate zones that we should all be able to recite by heart by now – south-east trade winds, Doldrums, north-east trades, Azores High and the westerlies. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/cjkd9s * INJURED: Telefonica Black will sail the leg into Boston one man short. Bowman Michael Pammenter was injured on Saturday when the jib sheet wrapped around his foot when they went into a tack and he got flipped into the rig. Pammenter was removed from the boat and taken to the hospital for treatment. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/c8dd5z * BACK AGAIN: Brasil 1, the event management company behind the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race entry of the same name, and the local host of this current stopover in Rio de Janeiro, went public Wednesday night with its intention to enter the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. Lars Grael, a double Olympic Bronze medallist in the Tornado Class (1988, 1996), has been named as the project leader. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/cl93ny TRIVIA QUESTION What major sailing harbor was used for the sailing scene in the 2005 comedy film ‘Wedding Crashers’ staring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn? WHY I WILL NEVER SAIL IN THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE by Tillerman, Proper Course blog Sailing is fun. I do it for fun anyway. It's meant to be fun. Isn't it? OK, occasionally it's not fun. Such as the times when I do something stupid and hurt myself... like the time I almost chopped my finger off. But the dudes racing in something called the Volvo Ocean Race have taken "doing it for fun" to a whole new level. According to this medical update from the race website, the chappies sailing in this extravaganza are having an extraordinary number of cases of "injured while having fun". Here is just a sample of the fun they have had so far... Kettle burn Kidney infection Two broken ribs Nine mouth ulcers Mashed thumbnail Prolapsed disc in back Head slammed by boom Three cases of seasickness Torn medial meniscus in knee Mouth ulcer caused by a bitten lip Grotesquely mangled and bloodied index finger Fifty nine cases of infected skin and sores Torn anterior cruciate ligament Seven head or face injuries Five fungal infections Torn buttock muscle Knee infection Hemorrhoids Way too much fun for me. I will never do the Volvo Ocean Race. I may have #11 but I don't want #18 thanks very much. Until the next time... have fun! -- http://tinyurl.com/c668zj HARKEN PUTS NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY ON HOLD Harken Yacht Equipment Inc. has put on hold its plans for a new $8 million manufacturing facility in the City of Pewaukee, noted co-chairman Peter Harken. Harken Yacht will wait for the economy to revive before it begins building the 100,000-square-foot building. Thanks to steadily growing sales, Harken Yacht announced two years ago plans to build the new facility. But the global recession has taken the wind out of the company's sails, Harken said. Harken Yacht had hoped to begin construction before last fall, but ran into delays because of opposition to the project from some local residents and their alderman, Harken said. As a result of delays in getting city approvals, the company's executives held off on building the new plant because of the approach of winter. The turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the economic recession deepened, and hurt demand for the company's products, Harken said. -- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, full story: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/42611327.html DEVELOPING OUR FUTURE TALENT Kaenon Polarized is proud to partner with the premiere youth development camp in America - put on each spring by California International Sailing Association – the CISA Advanced Racing Clinic. Congratulations to Race Day winners: 29ER - Mac Agnese, 14, FL / Ian Simms, 16, CA; CLUB 420 - Declyn Whitmyer, 15, CT / Ian Storck, 15, NY; CFJ - Kate Rakelly, 15, CA / Colleen Hackett, 14, CA; INTERNATIONAL 420 - Mac Mace, 17, CA / Jeff Aschieris, 17, CA; RADIAL - Claire Dennis, 17, CA; LASER - Will Howard, IL. Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. http://www.kaenon.com WIND-POWERED CRAFT AIMS TO SMASH ICE SPEED RECORD A British man who has just claimed the world land sailing speed record is now planning to better his speed — on ice. Using just wind power, Richard Jenkins drove his vehicle, the Greenbird, to 202 km/hour (126 miles/hour) in late March on the dry Lake Ivanpah near the border of California and Nevada in the western United States. With the land sailing record under his belt, Jenkins now plans to return to work on his Greenbird ice sailing craft — which he feels has the potential to be even quicker than the Greenbird land racer. Jenkins said his next ice sailing attempt would likely take place in December this year on Canyon Ferry Lake in Montana, where the ice is large and secure enough for the vehicle. It is also important to make attempts before snow falls on the ice, creating more drag, Jenkins added. -- Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/04/08/land.sailing.record/index.html#cnnSTCText FRIDAY NIGHT BEER RACES by Matthew Lynch, Honolulu International Travel Examiner For 30 years, Pete Richards and Jim Schmit have been sailing in the Friday night races from Honolulu Yacht Club. They've been nice enough to let me tag along for the last few races, and have even invited me to keep coming back to learn more [God help them!]..... Yacht Clubs are interesting places, filled with the colorful personalities of salty sailors, wandering vagabonds, and travelling minstrels... a few strategicly bought drinks at the club bar, an easy-going attitude, a willingness to work hard and follow directions on the water, and anyone with a little sailing experience can find themselves crrewing one of the friday night beer racing yachts... Our motley crew assembles at the dock by 5 o'clock every Friday, emerging from the craziness of week's-end-Waikiki traffic to see who has shown up to sail with us this week and get the boat out of harbor to jostle for the best starting position when the race-start horn blows at 5:30. This week Antoinella [from Italy], Jenny [Local/California girl], and Chad'n'Eric [two North Carolina boys who've never sailed before] are sailing with us. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/d8my3m SAILING SHORTS * Robin Team's J/122 Teamwork clinched the IRC fleet victory in the 408 mile re-inaugural Lauderdale to Charleston Race, while John Evans' Little Harbor 54 Jasmine dominated PHRF. Jasmine's crew included navigator Chris Woolsey, son of Dr. Dean Woolsey who won the inaugural 1968 race. Roger Sturgeon's STP 65 Rosebud/Team DYT crossed the finish line just before 10 p.m. Thursday night (Apr. 9), 90 minutes under the 1974 record set by Ralph Ryder's C&C 66 Phantom. -- Race website: http://www.fortlauderdalecharlestonrace.org * Applications are now being accepted for the US Naval Academy Big Boat Racing Clinic, a unique racing clinic designed for junior sailors focused on developing leadership and teamwork skills aboard large offshore race boats. The clinic, scheduled for August 2-6 in Annapolis, MD, will be taught aboard the Academy’s fleet of new 44’ MK2 sloops and donated boats. -- Full details: http://www.usna.edu/sailingteam/forms/Big_Boat_Clinic.htm * The 2009 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship is on course to be a record breaker with 59 nations and 280 sailors entered to compete in Buzios, Brazil from 9-18 July. The 39th edition of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship is the first to visit South America and the host city of Armação de Buzios is gearing up for a huge entry of top youth sailors from right around the world. Classes to compete are Boys Laser Radial, Girls Laser Radial, Boys 420, Girls 420, Boys RS:X, Girls RS:X, and Open Hobie 16 with Spinnaker. -- Full story: http://www.sailing.org/27956.php * The Conselleria for the Economy of the Valencian Government has revealed that as a result of the recent decision by the New York Court, it considers that the contract signed with America’s Cup Management prior to the court finding to now be null and void as a result of a contract clause that the decision activated. However, Jose Luis Villanueva, the Director of Major Projects for the Valencian Community, stated that the Valencian autonomy was using its best efforts to ensure that the pre-regattas and other events concerned with the America's Cup will take place in Valencia. -- The Valencia Life Network, mailto:publisher@valencialife.net TRIVIA ANSWER The schooner Woodwind featured in the movie ‘Wedding Crashers’ is an actual schooner available for charter and public cruises out of Annapolis, Maryland. In fact, they used the boat "as-is" including keeping her name unaltered. The boat featured is the second Woodwind (Woodwind II) and has an identical sister that bears the name "Woodwind". Captain Jennifer Brest of the Woodwind tours was actually laying underneath actor Christopher Walken steering the boat down the Severn River in Annapolis, while he is holding onto the wheel. -- Full story: http://www.travellady.com/Issues/June07/4173WeddingCrashers.html SUMMER IS COMING. ARE YOU READY? The iconic Sunfish is the ultimate summer boat (not so bad for Frostbiting either!) Light weight and car toppable, the Sunfish combines performance, stability and durability in a package for beginners and experts alike. Visit a dealer near you or http://www.laserperformance.com. Put a smile on your face. Sail Sunfish. 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 Dan Meyers, Newport, RI: (re, Open Letter in Scuttlebutt 2520) As a loyal member of the NYYC, I understood perfectly the motivations of the Club to file an amicus brief with the New York courts supporting the American challenger, the Deed of Gift Match, and the traditions of the Club to uphold valid challenges for the America's Cup. But this news of the open letter now switching position 180 degrees, decrying the DoG match, and seeking a multi-challenger monohull AC regatta leaves me very confused. Isn’t this exactly what Alinghi argued for in court? And for the RNZYS to support the open letter after suing Alinghi for anti-trust for trying to stage a multi-challenger event seems like another complete flip flop. Have these clubs now seen the logic of Mr. Bertarelli's proposals? Wasn't April Fools day a couple weeks ago? Some clarification please. * From Alain Waha: Great to see Vietnam featured in Scuttlebutt 2819, but the story MADE IN VIETNAM is slightly incorrect as it stated that Corsair Marine is the only recreational yacht builder in that southeast Asian country. T-Boats also produce in Vietnam. Here is their website: http://www.tboat.com * From Scott Mason: (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 2820) St. Pete counts the Raileys (both very accomplished sailors) amongst their ranks. Doran misses the boat however dissing SoCal (“St. Pete hosts far more high-level regattas - and is home to more sailing champions - than any bay in southern California.”). The 2008 US Olympic Team includes 4 members who call San Diego home. The 2009 U-18 team includes three San Diegans, two Newporters and one sailor from Santa Barbara. Add to that the 2009 US Sailing members from SoCal and the ranks of college All-Americans that are littered with SoCal sailors, and it is pretty difficult to lay claim that St. Pete is the Mecca or sailing in the US. Doran, before you talk the talk, walk the walk! => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Another ‘butthead told me that the San Diego Star fleet members had won something like 15 world championships, hosted about seven Star World Championships, and is hosting the Snipe Worlds this summer. Throw in a couple America’s Cups and some Olympic trials, and San Diego begins to look pretty good. However, this debate is for another time, as this thread is now shut down. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Among the games for when we get older are Pin the Toupee on the Bald Guy, Musical Recliners, and Simon Says Something Incoherent. Special thanks to Summit Yachts, Kaenon Polarized, and LaserPerformance. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
