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SCUTTLEBUTT 2625 - Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,
features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is
published each weekday with the support of its sponsors.
HARDESTY TAKES CONTROL OF ETCHELLS WORLDS
Chicago, IL (June 24, 2008) - Bill Hardesty and his team of Erik Shampain,
Steve Hunt, and Jennifer Wilson dominated the second day of the 2008
Etchells World Championship, earning bullets in both of today's races, and
now holds sole possession atop the leaderboard. Today's racing started at
13:00 in light ESE winds following an onshore postponement as the race
committee waited for the breeze to fill. Two races of roughly two hours each
were sailed in 5-10 knot winds.
Remaining consistent has been a challenge, as only Hardesty and second place
Vincent Brun have stayed in the top ten, while all those in the standings
behind them have at least one finish in the 20s or deeper. Hardesty, 33, who
earlier this year won both the Mid-winters East and Mid-winters West, has
found his team's preparation to be paying off so far. "We've been out here a
few weeks training hard, getting to know the area, and making sure everyone
on the boat is working hard in all conditions," noted Hardesty. The Etchells
World Championship runs through Saturday, June 28th, with the 29th as a
reserve day. -- Complete report:
http://www.chicagoyachtclub.org/index.cfm?menu=899&openitem=899#
Preliminary results (top ten of 83 entrants)
1. USA, Bill Hardesty/Erik Shampain/Steve Hunt/Jennifer Wilson, 7-1-1, 9
2. USA, Vincent Brun/Ben Mitchell/Jeff Pape, 4-5-5, 14
3. GBR, Graham Bailey/Stephen Bailey/David Heritage, 24-7-3, 34
4. USA, Aaron Housten/Daniel Somers/John Harford, 3-30-12, 45
5. USA, Peter Duncan/Thomas Blackwell/William Barton, 17-22-10, 49
6. USA, Justin Palm/John Erik Garr/Hans Pusc Pusch, 1-17-32, 50
7. USA, Robert Wray/Scott Nixon/Mike Wolfs, 37-4-9, 50
8. USA, Chris Busch/Chad Hough/Chuck Sinks/Peter Burton, 49-2-4, 55
9 USA, Brian Camet/Eric Doyle/Brian Terhaar, 22-6-31, 59
10. NZL, Andrew Wills/Anatole Masfen/Alastair Gair, 14-8-37, 59
Results: http://www.etchellsworlds2008.com/files/OverallFinalResult.htm
A LOOK AT THE EQUIPMENT FOR 2010 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES
Around 3,200 young athletes are expected to compete across all the sports on
the Olympic programme at the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, to be hosted by
Singapore in August 2010. The sailing competition in Singapore will feature
100 sailors aged between 15-16 years, competing across four events: one
person dinghy boys, one person dinghy girls, windsurfing boys, and
windsurfing girls. Following the evaluation of bids from ten manufacturers
to supply equipment to the Games, the ISAF Executive Committee chose the
Byte CII as the equipment for the one person dinghy events and the Bic
Techno 293 as equipment for the Windsurfing events. For those who are
unfamiliar with these choices, here is some 'butthead commentary:
* From Bryan McDonald: Regarding the Bic Techno 293 Windsurfer,
1) The Techno 293 One Design is affordable, durable and sailable windsurfer
for ages 5 to 77.
2) In almost every country now, the Techno 293 One Design is the designated
Youth Development board for ages 5-17.
3) In the last three years, over 40 U.S. Junior Sailing Programs have
included fleets of Techno 293s into their programs with popular success.
4) For the price of 3 Optimists (or 1.5 420s), a junior program can have a
fleet of 8 T293 windsurfers and 14 complete rigs that cover all size sailors
and all age groups.
5) The East Coast Junior Windsurfing Championships (July 16-18 at Vineyard
Haven YC (http://www.vhyc.org) will have junior windsurfers from as far as
California racing on the Techno 293.
6) The St. Francis YC in San Francisco, CA recently purchased a new fleet of
Techno 293's for their junior sailing program.
The U.S. is behind the rest of the World's continents in the area of
competitive Windsurfing infrastructure (for example, over 300 kids under 17
competed in the 2007 Techno 293 Windsurfing Championship in France), though
the recent formation of US SAILING's Windsurfing Task Force (affectionately,
known as WTF) plans to narrow the gap.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xirq4uZ5Z6A
More info at http://www.BicSportNA.com/Techno293
* From Craig Yandow: The Byte is single hander, 12 ft (3.7 m) long, 4 ft 3
in (1.3 m) wide and roughly 100 lb (45 kg). The Byte is designed for sailors
weighing 120 to 145 lb (54 to 66 kg) although most sailors weighing 90 to
160 lb (41 to 73 kg) should have no problems sailing this boat on a
recreational basis. The "CII" upgraded the original Byte with a fully
battened sail and carbon-fibre mast. The new rig has a slightly larger sail
made of mylar and is designed to be self depowering, with the inspiration
coming from the desire to create an out-of-the-box, cost effective, women
Olympic boat. However, the Laser Radial was chosen over the Byte CII as the
women's boat for the 2008 Olympics.
* From Paul Gingras: The Byte CII is somewhat like a small Laser and was
designed by Ian Bruce who is the co-designer of the Laser. The boats are
very popular worldwide, though not in the US. For a child or a small adult,
the Byte is easier to sail than a Laser, and has the same performance as a
Europe dinghy or a Laser Radial. The class reached out to skiff guru Julian
Bethwaite, designer of the 29er and 49er, to develop the state of the art,
new, self depowering mast and sail combination.
More info: http://www.ps2000.ca/boats/byte/byte.htm
THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
June is Harken month at Hall Spars & Rigging. From ball bearings and
Battcars, to furling gear and Carbo Racing Foils, we have the high-quality
Harken hardware you need to make your sailing season run smoothly. And when
you purchase Harken hardware, an extra 5% will be magically removed from
your final cost. But don't wait - Harken month will be over at the stroke of
midnight on June 30. Be sure to register on our site so we can find you with
similar offers that are no fairy tale. http://www.hallspars.com
OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: 45 DAYS TO GO
* (June 24, 2008) The Canadian Olympic committee is in the midst of deciding
what to do with an unexpected entry in the women's keelboat event for the
Olympic Games. The country had not qualified for the Games in the event
(Yngling class), but after New Zealand declined their berth earlier this
year, it bounced back to ISAF who then was to follow protocol on how to
allocate the entry to insure that the full quota of 400 sailors are in
attendance in China. The Canadian Olympic Development Committee was meeting
today to decide whether to keep the berth, though rumors are that it had
already been assigned to Jen Provan, who competed in the 470 class for the
2004 Games, but failed to qualify Canada in the 470 class for 2008.
Following the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR, Yngling skipper Sarah Bury, who had been
campaigning with crew Martha Henderson and Katie Abbott, was replaced by
Provan, with Provan sailing her very first Yngling event at the 2008 class
world championship this past February in Miami, FL.
* Of the 5,000 sailors competing in the tremendous Kiel Week festival in
Kiel, Germany, five Americans will travel to represent the US Sailing Team
AlphaGraphics at the regatta taking place June 25-29. Most of the U.S.
Olympic Team sailors are winding down their racing schedules in favor of
on-site training in China, but diehards Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) and
Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) will sail in the Finn and Laser Radial
classes respectively. Also racing in the Laser Radial class at this
International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade 1 event is third-ranked US
Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member Sarah Lihan (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).
Disabled team member John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis.) heads to Kiel Week to race in
the 34-boat 2.4mR class. In the Women's RS:X, second-ranked windsurfer
Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) will also be racing in Kiel Week. - Race
website: http://www.kieler-woche.de/eng/sailing/index.htm
AEOLUS CALLS THE SHOTS
(June 24, 2008) For the second Newport Bermuda Race in a row, Mother
Nature-in the form of her servant Aeolus-- is smiling on the small boats.
The big winners of the St. David's Lighthouse Division, the Cruiser
Division, the Double-handed Division--and perhaps even the Gibbs Hill
Lighthouse Division--are still somewhere over the horizon, close reaching
for Bermuda in a light southwesterly breeze. This is just reward for getting
beat up for more than 24 hours, when the small boats were hard on the wind,
beating their brains out. It's no fun going dead to windward in 25 knots on
a 40-footer, but this year, the rewards may be big enough to make the pain
vanish.
The larger, faster boats were plagued by light winds for the second half of
the race. The smaller, slower boats have had a hatful of wind for the second
half-more wind than a few boats have dealt with comfortably. On the basis of
provisional results posted late Tuesday, the Puma branded Volvo 70 yacht Il
Mostro is atop the Open Division's leaderboard on corrected time, over an
hour ahead of Ian Henderson's Privateer, a Cookson 50. Clayton Deutsch and
his New England tribe on Chippewa, a Swan 68, topped the other 12 boats in
Class 9 of the St David's Lighthouse Division. Her corrected time was 69hrs,
45mins, 24secs. Jim Madden's new J65, Brand New Day has been at the RBYC
dock for the afternoon and sits in 2nd place with a corrected time of 73hrs,
22mins 23secs. -- Race website: http://www.bermudarace.com
GIVING BACK TO THE SPORT
Among the hot team race events last year was the Charles River Open Team
Race, where 490 races were held for the 42 teams (3 boats/team x 2 crew/boat
x 42 = 252 people), all based from the MIT sailing pavilion. The 2008 event
is scheduled for June 27-29, with the Notice of Race including an
interesting twist to reward the individuals that are putting time back into
the sport. Since team racing is a very volunteer intensive part of the
sport, especially at the highest levels with umpiring, CRO organizers wanted
to make sure that their event attendees held an appreciation for the need to
contribute.
Therefore, the NOR stipulates that entries this year's will be limited to
high school and college team racers and others who have actively contributed
back to high school and college sailing. These sailors must have spent a
minimum of two full days to help run, umpire, judge, or coach at a college
or high school sailing event in this academic year. To spotlight this, race
management is being provided by last year's champions (of pretty much
everything), the Silver Panda team. Among the teams that have not only given
back to the sport, but also to each other is the family combo of sisters
Emily and Becca Dellenbaugh who will be skippering alongside dad David. --
Event details:
http://xrl.us/ft2vr
HEAD NORTH FOR PUMA GEAR & A FREE HAT!
If you're looking for PUMA gear (worn by the PUMA Ocean Racing crew and
shoreside team), head North today! North Sails has several pieces of the
limited edition PUMA sailing collection in-stock and ready to ship. For a
limited time (through Sunday, June 29), we will include a free North Sails
Spinnaker Hat with every PUMA gear purchase. Just write the words
"Scuttlebutt North" in the comments box during check-out to receive this
offer. http://www.NorthSailsGear.com
SAILING SHORTS
* (June 24, 2008) The Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race started last
Sunday morning under beautiful sunny skies and 15 knots of breeze. By
mid-afternoon all nine boats were well underway enjoying about 30 knots of
wind. The progress of the fleet can be followed with the interactive Race
Tracker at http://trackinfo.fistracking.com/2008VicMaui
* Earthrace, a 24m tri-hull wavepiercer that runs on biofuel, is nearing the
finish in its attempt to break the world record for a powerboat to
circumnavigate the globe. The boat is currently 2,550 miles ahead of the
world record pace set by the British Cable and Wireless team in 1998. The
crew set off on the final leg of their journey after a quick refueling in
Port Suez prior to transiting the Suez Canal for a rapid journey back to
Sagunto, Spain, where the race began almost two months ago. To break the
record, Earthrace must return before July 12th -- http://www.earthrace.net
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 may be edited for clarity or simplicity
(letters shall be no longer than 250 words). 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.
-- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com
-- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum
* From Ted Jones: (reinforcing Mark Hollerbach's letter in Scuttlebutt
2624). Years ago, a single mom moved into our neighborhood with a family
which included a son the same age as our oldest son. What could this non
sailing neighbor do for her 14 year old for the summer? We suggested he join
the Norwalk Yacht Club junior sailing program (full disclosure: I was the
program's chairman). Our neighbor's son took to sailing immediately and
never looked back. You've heard of him -- Peter Isler.
What better example could there be of the success of junior sailing than
Peter's achievements as an internationally recognized sailing star? So, go
ahead Point Judith, turn your junior sailing program into a parking lot and
see how many internationally famous car parking valets your club produces.
* From Barry Dunning: With reference to Ray Tostado's and Ken Reads views
(in Issue 2624), I have packed up Etchells sailing because of the cursed
nonstop windward- leeward courses. A boom in the air, hang on by your toes,
blasting reach is a skill of the past. I enjoy Etchells for course sailing
like Cowes Week where we can at least have some REACHING.
* From Pat Healy: I do remember sailing only
triangle-windward-leeward-windward courses and recall why reaching legs fell
out of favour. They were -- boring. Except in very strong winds, once you
got around the weather mark it was a parade. There were no tactics or wind
shifts that allowed you move more than a few places. On runs boats have a
larger field-of-play, can use wind shifts and split for nearby boats looking
for better current. Race Committees were eventually advised to only sail
reaches when there was enough wind to have it was possible to plane and
surf.
In the 50s and 60s the Dragon class sailed a "Gold Cup" course. First a
windward-leeward, then a triangle with two reaches before a final beat to
the finish. There was a tactical run early in the race when the fleet was
closer together and later the fun of reaching if there is enough wind for
reaching to be fun.
* From Gram Schweikert: (Re: tracking discrepancy noted in issue 2524) If I
am following the discussion correctly at the iboattrack forum, there is a
website for the Newport Bermuda RC to put actual finish times into the
tracking system. It appears the RC has decided not to do this..or post any
finish information for that matter. Therefore the rest of us are left in the
dark as to how the boats are lining up on corrected time.
* From George McCroskey: My guess is that the 8.4 nm you mention is the
distance from the finish line around to Hamilton and the RBYC. Once finished
in that race, there is still a lengthily trip around to Hamilton in a
somewhat tricky channel. It's usually during that trip that most crews break
out the rum and beer and start singing sea shanties like "The Keeper of the
Eddystone Light." I know; I've been there and endured a slightly intoxicated
shipmate, Russ Nutter, sing every verse of that song while steering the boat
in the dark, doing both pretty much from memory, and not missing a word or a
turn of the channel!
* From Eric Robbins: Like in the St. Pete to Mexico race in May, the boat
tracker does not turn off, or set a "mark", when a boat finishes. It
continues to track it to its mooring! You will see the leading finishers
continue to fall down the corrected-time leader-board, as they "fail" to
make any more progress towards the finish line they have already crossed.
Very frustrating for us Internet viewers.
* From Len Davies, Cape Town, South Africa: (re, story in Issue 2624) ISAF
strikes again with another of their unfathomable choices of equipment for
the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. Not being familiar with the Boardsailing
equipment I am unable to comment on the merits of the Bic Techno 293 Board
chosen, but what on earth made the 'buttons' decide on a dinghy of which few
have any knowledge let alone access to for purposes of preparation? The
chances of this boat ever reaching the shores of emergent nations in time
for constructive sail training by prospective entrants are more than likely
zero!
If the Editor is blissfully unaware of the Byte Cll with his connectivity to
what's hot & happening, what chance do those young folk have in the less
affluent regions of the world? Is this once again a question of leveling the
playing fields for all, but those with access to the boat having a slightly
more level field? On the other hand, and I only ask, what promises were made
and accepted to gain a foothold for a new entry onto the market?
GET YOUR KICKS WITH NEW SUNFISH TRICKS!
The go-fast and fun professionals at LaserPerformance have given the classic
Sunfish some noteworthy updates. A new class approved, ultra-stiff aluminum
tiller and composite blades are now coming standard with all new boats for
2008. Take another look at the world's favorite small boat at
http://www.laserperformance.com
* The annual Coastal Living Newport Regatta on July 12-13, 2008 will be
adding the Laser SB3 to its line-up of 21 one-design classes this year,
making it the first regatta for the class in North America. Eager to build
on the popularity of the class in Europe, there are six SB3's already
committed to racing in the Narragansett Bay regatta. Details:
http://xrl.us/ft27e
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
From George Carlin: "The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger
the a-hole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a 'decaf grandee
half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino,
extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low and one NutraSweet,' ooh, you're
a huge a-hole."
Special thanks to Hall Spars & Rigging, North Sails, and LaserPerformance.
A complete list of preferred suppliers is at
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers
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