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SCUTTLEBUTT 3020 - Tuesday, February 2, 2010Scuttlebutt 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.Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today’s sponsors: Melges Performance Sailboats, North Sails, and J/Boats. GROWING THE MOTH IN THE U.S. After a breakthrough year in 2009, where the United States hosted and won the International Moth World Championship, the U.S. Moth Class is continuing to add boats, and enthusiasm has never been higher. This past weekend, a record 24 boats attended the Gill Pacific Coast Championships in Coronado, with several new faces, and lots of boats really raising their game. Scuttlebutt was there too and got some video, with some of the outtakes below * Charlie McKee, on his role in helping grow the Moth Class: “It’s not like I am some big organizer, and I don’t view it as any type of burden. I just view it as how cool the Moth sailing is and how much cooler it would be if more of our friends did it. This group is so easy, and really has the right attitude. We’ll gather after sailing and talk about the day, discussing whether we should be doing more or less races, if they should be longer or shorter, or where do we want to go next. All I really have to do is start the conversation and it all gets taken care of.” * George Peet, on sharing knowledge: “Bora Gulari and I had gone to Australia during the past two winters, but at the 2009 Worlds we had a good enough showing with Bora and Dalton Bergan (first and fourth, respectively), and we knew that both of those guys are super fast. Plus there is another group of us that can hang in there okay at times, so we figured that rather than go all the way to Australia again, this winter we would build on what we had going at the Worlds and try to get everybody going better here in the U.S.” * Lindsay Bergan, on the training plan for the March 2010 Worlds in Dubai: “Dalton and I shipped our boats from Seattle to Coronado where we have been training with the group and racing in the Pacific Coast Championship. Next up is a weeklong regatta in Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, and from there we will ship the boats to Dubai in time for a week of practice before the Worlds (on March 8-15).” The winner was never really in doubt. U.S. Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Bora Gulari has continued to improve since his historic World Championship win last year, and he proved nearly unbeatable by winning 11 of 14 races. Dalton Bergan has also been working hard, and was a close second in most races, and winning two. It was a great battle for third, with the winter training and preparation of George Peet an even match for the regatta savvy of Charlie McKee. In the end, Charlie nipped George for the last podium spot, with Jonathan McKee rounding out the top 5. Bora also won the slalom competition on Saturday, just getting around Dalton at the finish. For the full report with results, and to watch the video, here is the link: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9023 ALINGHI 5: FROM CONCEPT TO VALENCIA A boffin’s favourite day is the one when they’re given a blank sheet of paper and told to create. Such was the brief given to Alinghi’s 23-member design team – led by co-ordinator Grant Simmer, chief designer Rolf Vrolijk and chief engineer Dirk Kramers. The result of their work is the carbon-fibre technical and engineering wonder called Alinghi 5. “This really has been a designer-driven programme, basically because not many of the sailing team have a lot of experience in a multihull this big,” says bow team member Rodney Ardern, who has minimal previous experience aboard multihulls. One of the strengths of Alinghi during its two America’s Cup victories was the interaction between the design team and sailing team. The two teams worked closely together to develop a boat that had good VMG speeds and was manoeuvrable. But because of the stop-start nature of this Cup cycle and the short lead time the designers have shouldered heavy responsibility in creating Alinghi 5. “Nothing is straightforward with Alinghi 5. Nothing,” said Simmer. “I think everything is bigger and higher loaded than anything any of us have ever done before.” -- Read on: http://www.alinghi.com/en/news/news/index.php?idIndex=227&idContent=21581 * EVENT WEBSITE: The website for the 33rd America’s Cup has been launched. Look here for details on how to view the event: http://33rd.americascup.com/en/ * CHALLENGER: The BMW Oracle Racing team had a full day on Monday in moderate conditions, with team photographer Gilles Martin-Raget in the helicopter to provide these images: http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/one-week-to-go-training.html MELGES WINTER SERIES IS HOT - MELGES 32, 24, 20 Take your pick! All of the Melges Classes are hot this Winter. Event 2 is coming up for the Audi Melges 20 Fleet and the numbers continue to grow for these events and overall class participation. The Melges 24 and Melges 20 then has the Bacardi Miami Sailing Week where both classes will be racing on the Melges Circle. Over twenty boats are expected for the Melges 32 Miami Race Week Championship. Check out the excitement at http://melges.com INTERNATIONAL JURY IN SESSION Valencia, Spain (February 1, 2010) - The five-person International Jury for the 33rd America’s Cup met for the first time today. Under consideration were five requests by the challenging club, Golden Gate Yacht Club: • Can the defender unilaterally select wind and wave limits? • Is Mutual Consent required to select race start times? • Can wind detection equipment be used? • Can friction reduction systems be used? • Are the regatta rules contradictory? “The fact the hearing lasted from 1100 to 1730 proves that the issues being considered are significant and that the Jury gave the challenger and defender full opportunity to present their cases,” said Ehman. International Jury Chairman David Tillett indicated that the findings of his panel will be released Tuesday afternoon. A further hearing concerning GGYC’s request for redress over measurement will also be heard tomorrow at 1900. -- Complete report: http://www.ggyc.com/STATEMENT%201%20FEBRUARY%202010.pdf * SCUTTLEBUTT IN VALENCIA: Scuttlebutt legal analyst Cory E. Friedman, who has submitted 55 reports (over 70,000 words) covering the legal proceedings of the 33rd Match, will be going to Valencia, Spain to follow the Match close-up and provide timely updates for 'buttheads around the world. Rather than strong arm the marine industry to help defray expenses for his Valencia reporting, Scuttlebutt is appealing to its readership to help with expenses. Details on how to contribute here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/store SAIL'S TOP 40 SAILORS WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE Put two or more sailors in a room and ask them for an opinion on any sailing-related topic, and before you know it you’ll have an argument. Ask a group of SAIL editors for a list of the most influential people in the sailing world and before you know it, you have a brawl. As SAIL magazine marks its 40th anniversary, we decided to highlight the 40 sailors who’ve had the greatest impact on our sport over the last four decades. After considerable debate, we came up with the following list. Odds are, however, that the debate is far from over. Lowell North Lowell brought a blend of science, computers and hotshot racers (who he called his “Tigers”) to the business of sailmaking and to the competitive racing scene. Lowell and North Sails raised the bar on grand prix competition. The Gougeon Brothers Jan and Meade Gougeon’s WEST SYSTEM Epoxy is probably the most widely used product in the market and has found favor with countless sailors in a vast array of uses, including both boatbuilding and repair. Bernard Moitessier Bernard first made his name by sailing non-stop from Tahiti to Spain via Cape Horn in 1966 aboard his 39-foot ketch Joshua. He cemented his reputation during the 1968 Golden Globe, the first non-stop race around the world, when he dropped out despite being in a position to win the race and continued sailing alone around the world again. He spent another decade cruising and writing about his exploits and in the process inspired a generation of solo sailors in France and around the world. Frank Butler In addition to creating the trend-setting Catalina 30, Frank ushered in a new era of sailboat construction when he pioneered the extensive use of hull liners at Coronado Yachts in the 1960s. He also transformed sailboat marketing with his owner-focused sales strategy, which built loyal owner’s associations and allowed customers to have direct input into future models. Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/yg3p78l THEY DO CALL IT A FIASCO, AFTER ALL By Kimball Livingston What’s up at the Golden Gate Yacht Club with barely a week to go before their trimaran hits the race one starting line at America’s Cup 33? A fiasco, but in this case a fiasco of the finest sort. The GGYC start/finish line over the weekend was used for the biggest sailing event of the year on San Francisco Bay, the Three Bridge Fiasco. 359 entries (!). I’m not sure yet how many boats actually started, but the relentless winter rain relented, and some people made the right choices and some did not. The point of the event is to round marks at three bridges - the Golden Gate, Bay, and San Rafael bridges - in any direction and any order, in either doublehanded or singlehanded divisions. With a ripping ebb tide peaking at 5.8 knots, you knew there would be big winners and big losers. They do call it a fiasco, after all. -- Read on: http://kimballlivingston.com/?p=1303 FREE SAIL CARE & REPAIR FROM NORTH SAILS North Sails is providing free sail care & repair on all new North sails purchased in 2010. Honored anywhere in North’s worldwide network of sail care locations, you will be in good hands no matter where your travels take you. Free sail care & repair is available on North cruising, racing, and one-design sails. Sails MUST be registered online & some restrictions apply. When performance & durability matter, the choice is clear: http://na.northsails.com * A new boat show was launched last week in San Diego, so Scuttlebutt’s Craig Leweck went on a field trip to check it out, and had a nice video chat with North Sails sales professional Jon Gardner. View here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWfMRn1woKw FOR THE RECORD (February 1, 2010; 18:24 UTC) - After 24 hours on the water, Franck Cammas and his nine crew on the 103-foot triamaran Groupama 3 is conceding a deficit of nearly a hundred miles in relation to the reference time to establish a new time for the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions. However, this minor discrepancy at the start of this round the world is nothing to worry about, since it was all part of the plan for Franck Cammas and his crew as they set sail from Ushant on Sunday afternoon. On paper, this might appear worrying, but on water the situation is becoming favourable again for the giant trimaran Monday afternoon: the calm conditions settling over the Bay of Biscay are now a distant memory for Groupama 3. This was the first challenge during this impromptu start, which only really took shape 24 hours before they set off. Indeed the chance to be part of the `meteorological window' was worth taking... And for the time being the forecasts are holding true on the water! The ride across the Bay of Biscay was fairly quick until the early hours, where Franck Cammas and his nine men had to put in a gybe to anticipate the NE'ly wind shift. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yly7ndf Current position as of February 2, 2010 (00:00:00 UTC): Ahead/behind record: -115.40 nm Speed over past 24 hours: 18.3 knots Distance over past 24 hours: 440.3 nm Tracking: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne/positions.asp?lg=en * Groupama 3 must cross finish line off Ushant, France before March 23rd (06:14:57 UTC) to establish a new time for the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions. Current record holder is Bruno Peyron and crew, who in 2005 sailed Orange 2 to a time of 50 days, 16 hours, and 20 minutes at an average of 17.89 knots. RISK VERSUS REWARD Stories of yachting conquest provide inspiration, but do they also encourage recklessness? Empowering young people to dream big is one thing, but creating risks for others is quite another. This commentary is directed at the latest effort by a young person to solo circumnavigate the world: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Mr. and Mrs Sunderland, at what point do these attempts to be the "youngest" to sail around the world become wrong? How young is too young? 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 years old??? Pick a number. Where will this egotistical pursuit end? More importantly, How? With your daughter’s death? Someone else's child? Some even younger child, motivated by similar egotistical motives and the lure of fame to attempt this ignoble, selfish, and disingenuous pursuit. You should be ashamed of yourselves for promoting any attempts at this idiotic "record", much less with both of your children. If these "record" pursuits continue, someone will die, and you will be partly responsible for advancing this pseudo "competition" for sole benefit of the recognition. It is one thing entirely to have your children learn the benefits of single handing and the associated personal responsibility but you cross the lines of sanity and common sense when you allow it to become a pursuit of a "record" that will have a limit. We will find out how young is too young and that will be a sad and unnecessary day. Are you prepared to reimburse any and all parties that might be involved in a rescue? Are you prepared to let your daughter die rather than request others to go save her if she gets in trouble? Should others risk their lives in a rescue attempt when Abbey starts screaming "I want my mommy" form the southern ocean? Should any of the rest of the world even lift a finger at all? I think not. It turns my stomach to think that others might lose their lives attempting to save a child who should never have gone in the first place. And let's be clear, no matter how mature and talented she might be, she is still a child and the next attempt will likely see someone with even less maturity. -- Scuttlebutt Forum, read on and comment here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=9022#9022 SAILING SHORTS * The Notice of Race for the 2010 International Kiteboarding Class Association North American Course Racing Championships has just been published.The event is hosted by Asociacion Mexicana de Kitesurf for and on behalf of Copa Mexico and the Mexican Sailing Federation and will be held from March 1st (Registration) till March 6th at Bucerias,Nayarit / Mexico. -- http://tinyurl.com/yjnbogj * The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and several partners in Hawaii, announced a comprehensive long-term plan to assess and remove plastics, derelict fishing gear and other human sources of marine debris from coastal waters and coral reefs along the island chain. The plan, a first of its kind in the nation, will be instrumental in protecting the state's coastal communities and marine life from the thousands of pounds of marine debris that wash ashore each year. -- Soundings, read on: http://tinyurl.com/ydy2x6v http://tinyurl.com/ydy2x6v * The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA) and the National Marine Bankers Association (NMBA) have announced the addition of new language to the NADA Marine Guide, published by NADA Appraisal Guides, offering a more accurate value on its listings of new non-current boats. -- Read on: http://www.nmma.org/news/news.asp?id=17781&sid=3 HIGH HONORS FOR THE J/95 The J/95 (31') breaks new ground as a sporty, keel-centerboarder that daysails eight, sleeps four and sails in only 4’ of water. It's also the first design in history to win the Overall Boat-of-the-Year award from BOTH Sailing World & Cruising World. Wow, that's versatile! Check out gallery and specs at http://www.jboats.com/j95/ * Scuttlebutt’s yellow video camera caught up with Jeff Johnstone at Key West Race Week, where Jeff provided an update on the J/80 class in Key West, and the forecast for class activity leading up to the 2010 J/80 World Championship in Newport, RI this fall. Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YrTLaD26F0 LETTERS AND FORUM Please email your comments to the Scuttlebutt editor (aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’). Published letters must include writer's name and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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 Susan Taylor: The National Sailing Hall of Fame and Annapolis Community Boating are interested in securing donated J/24's for the FreeSail 2010 program in Annapolis, MD. The 2009 FreeSail program involved 465 people, 98% of whom had never sailed before. The boats would be wet-sailed from the National Sailing Hall of Fame piers from mid April through September. If you have a used J/24 or know of someone who may be able to donate their boat, please contact Susan Taylor at susan.taylor@nshof.org or 410-991-9815 or Lorie Stout at info@annapolisboating.org The boats would be donated through Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating (C.R.A.B.) which is a 501c3 organization and they in turn would provide them to ACB for use in the FreeSail 2010 program at the National Sailing Hall of Fame. * From R. Geoffrey Newbury: Although the machinations are sometimes infuriating, and the return visits to court often obscure, this portion of the America's Cup story is nothing more than pre-start manouvres, ‘in a match race’. It is not always about whether you can gain an advantage, it can be just as much about denying your opponent the opportunity to gain an advantage. Cory Feldman's multi-chapter treatise on the court case should be viewed as a restatement of Von Clausewitz as applied to a non-contact sport! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “I'm not afraid of dying. I just don't want to be there when it happens!” - Woody Allen Special thanks to Melges Performance Sailboats, North Sails, and J/Boats. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
