|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2868 - Thursday, June 18, 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Southern Spars and Ullman Sails. JIM TEETERS - FOUNDER OF THE BUCKET RATING SYSTEM. Kate Branagh of the Superyacht Cup sat down with US SAILING’s Offshore Associate Director and offshore ratings expert, Jim Teeters, to discuss his Bucket Rating System. The Horus Superyacht Cup, held on June 24-27 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, has adopted the Bucket Rating System for their race. This system was developed Teeters and used at the popular St Barth's and Newport Bucket regattas for the past few years, the data is continually being built upon and tuned to allow for the many factors influencing accurate ratings. The system was a great success at the Superyacht Cup Antigua, creating the closest finishes in 14 years of Superyacht Cup racing. Here Jim Teeters answers some questions to help display the myths and explain how the Bucket Rating System works. KATE BRANAGH: The Bucket Rating System has been used at the St Barth's bucket for some years now, how different is the current formula to the original? JIM TEETERS: 2009 will be the 7th year that the Bucket Rating System has been used for St Barth’s. Before 2003 the start times were based on educated guesses and observation of racing. In 2003 we first introduced the use of a velocity prediction program (VPP) to help with the ratings. The VPP uses fundamental science to analyze the basic performance characteristics of the boats and predicts boat speeds. The success we had with the VPP over the course of the next 2 or 3 events proved just how valuable it was. So, over the course of 7 years we have evolved from educated guesswork to a science tempered with observation. -- Read on: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2009/Teeters_Q&A.asp IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER “No way is this in the bag.” With those words Ken Read insisted his PUMA team will take nothing for granted in the apparently one-sided battle for second with Telefonica Blue in the Volvo Ocean Race. Read’s men would appear to have all the reasons in the world to feel comfortable, sitting on a nine-point lead that will fall to a hefty seven when Blue finish leg nine. Bouwe Bekking, on the other hand, admitted in the immediate aftermath of running aground that “most likely second place is gone”, given that Blue have just one in-port race and a single leg to make up the deficit. But if Read does feel secure, he is giving no indication. “You don’t make it all the way around the world, smashing into rocks and going through all the stuff that the fleet have been through without having a lot of guts and a lot of fortitude,” he said. “It was a huge shame what happened to them. We are really happy that everybody is healthy, that nobody got hurt. From what we have been told they are going to be back over here for the day races and they are mathematically not out of it by any means. We still have a battle on our hands.” -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/lx2zlc * Telefonica Blue have resumed racing in leg nine and are en route to Stockholm. The team informed the Volvo Ocean Race duty officers they were continuing their leg at 19:16 GMT on Wednesday, June 17th. Last Sunday, Telefonica Blue ran hard around shortly after the start of the race, and found themselves stuck on a rock just outside Marstrand. -- http://tinyurl.com/nsbmmw * VOLVO OCEAN RACE: Began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 4, 2008, crewed around the world race in VO 70’s, with ten distance legs and seven In-Port races. The next event is the final In-Port Race on June 21st in Stockholm, Sweden, with final distance leg (400 nm) on June 25th, taking the fleet from Stockholm to St Petersburg, Russia, with the finish expected to be on June 27th. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org/schedule Event website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 IT WAS RIGGED - AUDI MEDCUP MARSEILLE TROPHY Congratulations to Emirates Team New Zealand who in convincing style won their first Audi MedCup Circuit Regatta in Marseille over the weekend, enough to give the team the series lead. In the GP42 arena, Roma 2 also performed consistently taking out the regatta. Both yachts are powered by Southern Spars masts that feature refinements in windage, stiffness, and boom design. Interestingly, Southern Spars has supplied masts to three of the current top five boats in each class. To learn more about what goes into producing a performance winning rig, visit http://www.southernspars.com WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR: TROIA PORTUGAL MATCH CUP Troia, Portugal (June 17, 2009; Day 1) - At Stage 4 of the 2009 World Match Racing Tour season, Troia Portugal Match Cup began today off the beautiful shores of the Troia peninsular with a shifty 5-7 knot breeze which built throughout the day to 12-14 knots. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, Philippe Presti (FRA) and Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing team are the early leaders after 10 flights of racing. With many of the world’s best match racing stars here sailing the SM40’s, the competition for the $69,000US prize money event has already proven fierce in the opening flights of the Round Robin stage. -- Read on: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/da/98443 Results from Day 1 Peter Gilmour, AUS, YANMAR Racing 5-0 Philippe Presti, FRA, French Team 4-1 Mathieu Richard, FRA, French Match Racing Team 4-1 Torvar Mirsky, AUS, Mirsky Racing 3-2 Adam Minoprio, NZL, ETNZ/BlackMatch 3-2 Ian Williams, GBR, Bahrain Team Pindar 3-2 Sebastien Col, FRA, French Team/K-Challenge 3-2 Bjorn Hansen, SWE, Team Onboard, 2-3 Phil Robertson, WAKA Racing, 2-3 Ian Ainslie, RSA, Team Proximo, 1-4 Alvaro Mourinho, POR, Seth Sailing Team, 0-5 Andrew Arbuzov, RUS, 0-5 * FORMAT: The tentative schedule calls for a Single Round Robin to seek the top six for the quarter-finals, with the top two from a Repechage single Round Robin for the last six also advancing to the quarters. Then there will be a Quarter Final knock out series, the first to score 3 points; a knock out series of Classification, 5 to 8, the first to score 1 point; a Semi Final knock out series, the first to score 3 points; a Petit Final knock out series, the first to score 2 points; and a Final knock out series, the first to score 3 points. -- http://tinyurl.com/nm6qm7 TO THE LAND OF THE ‘DARK ‘N STORMY’ Crews of two of the three Bermuda yachts entered in the 2009 Marion Bermuda Race were on hand in Marion, Massachusetts Tuesday preparing for the Friday (June 19th) start of the 17th sailing of this prestigious event. As the starting time approaches, they will be joined by about a thousand sailors… crews of 48 boats plus their friends and families, for weather briefings, the skippers meeting and, of course, a few famous Dark ‘n Stormy cocktails at the Beverly Yacht Club. With favorable winds and currents that are now predicted for the 645-mile ocean racecourse, the invasion of Bermuda should begin sometime early on Monday morning. David Caso’s Cherubini 44 Silhouette will be on hand to defend her 2007 title, but will be pushed in these conditions by some top quality competition. Marion Bermuda Race Marketing Chairman, Ray Cullum was asked to compare this turnout with previous years. “In 2007 we had 72 starters and we have 48 registered now. We think the regulars are back but the first-time participation is off,” he said. “We usually have about one half of the fleet as first time participants. This year it is one third. -- Full story: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=7673#7673 THE FINAL CHAPTER OF A CORINTHIAN STORY (June 17, 2009) - It was a long night for Will Sayer. With the night glow of Newport, RI so tantalizingly close he was stuck in a hole with no wind. This was the final page of the final chapter of Will’s Corinthian dream. A project that started in 2001 when Will bought the dilapidated Sigma 33 now known as ‘Elmarleen‘. A boat, Will says, that he would not have sailed out of Cowes (UK) at that time, she was in such a poorly state. Will stripped her, he ripped her apart, and then lovingly rebuilt her. And now she has withstood the rigours of a transatlantic race. Following the May 25th start of the Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) in Plymouth, Elmarleen crossed the finish line at 0900 EDT today as the overall IRC winner on handicap of the 2009 OSTAR. Quite an achievement for boat and skipper. A first time venture across the Atlantic for Elmarleen and Will’s first attempt at single handed racing. -- http://www.ostar2009.co.uk/newsFull.php?id=76&start=0 THE NEXT HARBOR OR THE NEXT SHIFT? This summer you may be planning to explore the inlets of the Chesapeake Bay on that long-awaited family cruise. Or you may be focusing on your last weeks of training before the biggest regatta of the season. Cruising or racing, lakes or oceans, speed or durability - Ullman Sails specializes in building quality, affordable sails for every facet of sailing. And we understand that our performance is as important as yours, no matter what your goals are. Ullman Sails – Make an investment in your performance. Contact a local Ullman Sails loft and visit us online at http://www.ullmansails.com SAILING SHORTS * The nation’s largest recreational boat owners group and advocate says go ahead, have some fun on your computer - it’s okay for grown-ups to play video games at work. The boss isn’t looking. Logging onto BoatUS.com and playing the online "DockIt!" game of skill now could make you 25 big ones, and improve your boating knowledge. Every time you play and complete one level of the game, you’ll earn one entry into BoatUS’ “Wave of Fortune,” a year-long sweepstakes with a $25,000 grand prize. But you only have until November 30 to play. The grand prizewinner will be drawn in December. -- Read on: http://www.boatus.com/news/PR_Full.asp?ID=410 * Applications are now being accepted for the US SAILING 2009 Championship of Champions, which will be sailed in Lightnings October 14-17 at Carlyle Sailing Association in St. Louis, Mo. US SAILING selects twenty competitors from nominees by their class associations. Eligible applicants must be current (August 1, 2008 - July 31, 2009) National, North American or World One-Design title holders, members of US SAILING, and members of a club, class or association that is an organizational member of US SAILING. Applications will close August 14, 2009. -- Event website: http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/CofC.htm * Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino have thrown this summer's Tall Ships visit a million dollar life preserver. The visit had been jeopardized after Mayor Menino said there was not enough public money to cover security costs. Then came word Wednesday of the million dollar deal he made with the governor. There won't be a parade or fireworks, but the public will be able to go aboard some of the 49 visiting ships while they're docked, free of charge. The Tall Ships will be there July 8 through July 13. -- Full story: http://wbztv.com/local/tall.ships.boston.2.1047978.html * (June 17, 2009) - With 580 miles of the Portimão Global Ocean Race remaining for front runner, Desafio Cabo de Hornos, the fleet leaders have now turned south-east and are heading directly for the finish line on the southern tip of Portugal as, late on Tuesday evening, the double-handed fleet hardened up in the south-westerly breeze and began their descent towards Portimão with a zone of light and highly unpredictable weather ahead. -- Read on: http://www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.com/?page=news&news_id=324&lang=en ALINGHI STILL NOT READY TO REVEAL The court battle may finally be over, but there is still a great mystery hanging over the next America's Cup event: What will the holders use to defend the trophy? Established in 1851, the America's Cup is the oldest active trophy of any sport and by far the most prestigious match race sailing event in the world. Scheduled for February 2010, the 33rd edition of the America's Cup will be contested by the holders -- Swiss syndicate Alinghi, and U.S. challenger Oracle, owned by Larry Ellison. The date follows protracted court battles which saw both teams fighting over the terms of the next event. Last month's New York Supreme Court ruling which finally decided the terms and date of the regatta also announced that the contest is to be decided in a one-off series in multihull boats. While Oracle revealed a 90 ft trimaran last year, defenders Alinghi are still building their boat for the event -- and they are refusing to give away any secrets about it. CNN's MainSail show visited the Alinghi base in Switzerland to try to catch a glimpse of the mystery vessel -- but they came no closer to seeing the boat under construction. MainSail presenter Shirley Robertson only got as far as the compound gates in her quest to see the vessel. The team's design co-coordinator, Grant Simmer, told CNN that the design would not be revealed until the latest possible point. -- Read on and watch video: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/06/15/alinghi.boat * As reported in Scuttlebutt 2837 (May 5, 2009), Daphne Morgan Barnicoat, Alinghi’s English Press Officer, said that the Alinghi multihull for the Deed of Gift America’s Cup match will be launched during the summer on Lake Geneva in Switzerland. This is now expected to be in July. 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: June 19-21 - Chicago Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta - Chicago, IL, USA June 19-21 - Offshore Challenge Cup - Gulfport, MS, USA June 20-28 - Cleveland Race Week - Cleveland, OH, USA June 20-21 - Toronto Area Hospice Regatta - Toronto, Ontario, Canada View all the events 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 Larry Suter, Sailing Coach: (re, youth coaching thread) I think that people have to realize that at regattas you have people who generally win, finish in the middle or the back. If you have no teaching/ coaching nothing changes and the people who feel they are not learning and getting better will quit and try another sport. When you keep coach boats behind the starting line for the race, or off the course, the teachers cannot help their students because the teachers do not know what happened. This is good for the people who already are at the top but hurts the learners. Tilting the field toward the established sailors will help them but not our sport. Sailing is an experience sport and having a good teacher will help the people who would like to get better learn faster, have more fun, and stay in sailing. Imagine if we had rules governing the amount a student is allowed to learn in school. We are lucky in our sport as we are able to sail against the best, America's Cup winners, Gold Medal winners, etc. with only a registration fee. This does allow different levels of talent and commitment on the course at the same time. Many successful classes have trophies for Corinthian and overall to help everyone sail to their commitment level and have fun. When you legislate against sailors trying to get better, you will hurt the sailors and hurt the sport. * From David Fuller: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 2867) This is a great debate that should run and run and run. One wonders why it is a bad thing to have to have the support of rich benefactors. Soccer does it - many clubs wouldn't run without wealthy owners, or NFL or NBA for that matter. Professional sport is here to stay. That doesn't mean that there can't be room for both. Golf manages the balance very well and even ancient sports like Cricket and Rugby realize that professionalism drives technology and interest from non-sailors. However, I agree with Scott MacLeod’s reasons why it is hard though. * From Hugh Elliot: Perhaps the first thing that Ralph Stocek, and others who think as he does (Scuttlebutt 2867 - Behind the Club Gates), should do is to start thinking about all of the players and stop focusing exclusively on skippers and owners. While there is significant expense in owning a boat, the crew gets to play for very little. And although a few of the crew can accurately be described as "rail meat", the key players - tacticians, trimmers, bowmen, grinders, pit - are every bit as important to the team's results as the clown with the stick in his hand. Jim Kilroy - owner of many maxi-boats named Kialoa - was quoted as saying, in response to the question of whether sailing was a rich man's sport, that in his experience there was one rich man and twenty five poor men on the boat and that he thought the poor men might be having more fun. * From Doran Cushing: Just to confirm how the mainstream media just doesn't get it, the following is quoted from the St. Petersburg Times of June 16 under the heading of Sailing: "Five-time Olympic medalist Torben Grael, sailing Ericsson 4, has clinched victory in the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race that will finish its 10th and final leg in St. Petersburg, Russia, this month." Pretty handy how he managed that big ol boat by himself. I guess the headlines this week should also have read "Kobe wins NBA championship" and "Crosby wins Stanley Cup." CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? Special thanks to Southern Spars and Ullman Sails. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
