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SCUTTLEBUTT 2977 - Friday, November 20, 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. Scuttlebutt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Scuttlebutt on Facebook: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/facebook Today’s sponsors are The Pirates Lair and North U. AMERICA’S CUP - ONE STEP CLOSER (November 19, 2009) - The debate as to whether the monster multis for the 33rd America's Cup are measured with water ballast or not may seem like a detail, yet the ruling that was handed down from the New York Supreme court today is a significant one. Having taken advice from three America's Cup experts and former jury members, David Tillett (AUS), Graham McKenzie (NZL) and Bryan Willis (GBR), on a number of technical issues, Justice Kornreich has stated that both boats shall be measured with all ballast aboard. For BMW Oracle the ruling appears to have little affect on the measurement of its plumb ended 90ft LWL trimaran which will presumably sink a little lower in the water but not increase in waterline length. For Alinghi the issue may be more serious. As a catamaran with long overhangs to its bows, loading the boat could increase the waterline length beyond the 90ft lwl limit. Assuming that the boat measures 90ft in it's lightweight condition, this could mean that the cat would either have to sail without water ballast or perhaps seek to utilise a clause in the Deed of Gift that allows a longer boat on the waterline if two masts are used. According to a spokesperson from Alinghi who we spoke to before the ruling was made, such a judgment would be a nuisance but not the end of the world. "It would be an irritation, but we would live with it," he said. BMW Oracle Racing's yacht club was clearly happy with the outcome. "This is victory for fair rules and common sense," said Tom Ehman, GGYC spokesperson. "Once again SNG's attempts to bias the rules in their favour have been rejected." -- Yachting World, read on: http://tinyurl.com/y92rx7u => Curmudgeon’s Comment: The list of disputes is getting shorter, increasing the chance of a Match in February 2010. Though the Swiss team still has an appeal to be heard concerning the court’s invalidation of Ras al-Khaimah as the venue, the American team is feeling confident enough about Valencia that their current plans are to begin the move from San Diego to Spain later this month. Alinghi statement: http://tinyurl.com/ybn85o4 BMW Oracle Racing statement: http://tinyurl.com/yetfcdo Court decision: http://tinyurl.com/y8durvu IT’S SIMPLE: FEWER BOAT SHOWS MEANS MORE RETURN By Norm Shultz, Soundings A dealer once said to me: “The only bad boat show is the one I’m not in.” Of course, that was back in the late ’80s, as I recall - a time when virtually every boat show produced big attendance and lots of sales. Oh, how things have changed. Today, there are simply too many boat shows. That’s what NMMA president Thom Dammrich said at the National Marine Bankers Association annual conference. He noted that manufacturers are looking for new business models, among them “cutting back boat shows from 300 to perhaps 30,” he said. “They are expensive and often don’t return to exhibitors a good return on investment. Ninety percent of boat shows need to go away,” he added. Dammrich’s speech triggered robust discussion at the National Marine Trades Council annual meeting last weekend. After all, the NMTC is made up of marine trade association executives that produce boat shows around the country. In fact, more than 55 boat shows were represented at the meeting. So you might assume Dammrich’s suggestion would be unwelcome, but that was not the case at all. The association executives all agreed that there are too many shows in many markets. As Dammrich further explained, his figure of 30 shows isn’t necessarily the right number. Maybe its 60 or 90. But it clearly shouldn’t be the 300 we have now. -- Read on: http://blog.tradeonlytoday.com/dealer_outlook/index.php/?p=268" YEAR END WEBSITE BLOWOUT AND NEW GEAR ROLLOUT! The Pirates Lair has a bunch of leftovers, closeouts, and some exciting new Mount Gay Rum apparel for 2010! Find deals on soft shell jackets, shorts, technical shirts and maybe a few leftover regatta items! For your holiday shopping fun, log on to http://www.pirateslair.com/store/index.html TAILS AND RAILS - TUNING AND PREPARATION The Luderitz Speed Challenge has attracted many of the world’s top kitesurfers to the remote Namibian town of Luderitz to compete during the month of November against each other and the clock to prove what is the world’s fastest wind-powered craft. American Rob Douglas’ top speed has him .03 knots from the kite speed world record, and about .30 knots from the all out record. Here is an update from his website: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weather has been unusual this year in Luderitz. Historically, November has been a very windy month with many rideable days. But this year, that pattern has been thrown off. Strong winds have been coming for periods of a few days at a time and they have been followed by extended periods of no wind- calmness or onshore notherlies and fog. Luderitz is a small, isolated and seacoast town of the southwest coast of Africa, surrounded by desert. When the wind is not blowing competitors at the Ludertiz Speed Challenge must find things to do. There is always something you can do to go faster. Tweaking equipment can be an endless procedure. Fins, Kites, boards, straps and harnesses can be adjusted in the field. The Luderitz speed strip is a unique venue and testing for this event is best done here. Over the past few days the NASSP team has been making adjustments. (see pic of Gebi and Rob) Our living quarters are now thoroughly covered in fiberglass dust, and etc. Cut off pieces of tails and rails, fiberglass, and used chunks of sandpaper are accumulating. When traveling around 60mph over water our speed boards are resonating all kinds of pressure on our legs. A little more or less here or there can make the rider more comfortable and able to apply more effective horsepower from the kite to the water. The easier the ride the more the sailor can pay attention the course, no small feat when traveling around 60 mph over inches of water….that is why they call it sailing on the edge. -- Read on: http://nassp.net/nassp/?p=272 Event website: http://www.luderitz-speed.com SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA After having been included in the Olympics since the 1976 Games in Montreal, the Tornado catamaran will not be an event at the 2012 Olympics. Which class is considered to be the younger sister of Tornado? (Answer below) LIGHT WINDS POSTPONE SCHEDULE Nice, France (November 19, 2009) - Italy’s Azzurra opened the Semi Final Round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur with a solid win over TeamOrigin (GBR), but the second Semi Final match between Emirates Team New Zealand and Synergy Russia Sailing team was postponed until tomorrow due to light winds. Today’s lone match began in winds between 8 and 10 knots from the north, but the velocity dropped to between 4 and 5 knots at the finish of the short, 5.2-nautical-mile race. The postponement also affected the Knockout Round matches for 5th through 8th places. The pairings of BMW Oracle Racing versus TFS-PagesJaunes and Artemis against All4One are setback a day. On Friday, the plan is to start the BMW Oracle-TFS-PagesJaunes match first, followed by Emirates Team New Zealand-Synergy Russia Sailing Team and then Artemis-All4One. Additional racing is planned but will be dependent on the weather. -- Complete report: http://tinyurl.com/yd89owl Event website: http://www.louisvuittontrophy.com/home/ Video interviews: http://www.youtube.com/user/btsbroadcast BACKGROUND: The Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Cote d’Azur is the inaugural event of the World Sailing Teams Association. The WSTA event is designed to be a cost-effective format for the teams, with the four America’s Cup class boats being used in Nice on loan from existing teams. Racing concludes in Nice on Nov. 22nd, with the next Louis Vuitton Trophy events to be in Auckland, NZL in March and Sardinia, ITA in May, with two more to be confirmed by the end of the year. NOSTALGIA AND NATIONALISM The pursuit of the Louis Vuitton Trophy inspires patriotism and no team generates more nostalgia and nationalism than Azzurra. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda displays spirit and plays to the heartstrings of Italy’s passionate sailing nobility and sports fans like no other. The Club’s America’s Cup inspiration dates back to 1980 when Ricardo Bonadeo, current YCCS Commodore and Azzurra President, launched an America’s Cup challenge under the club’s colors. The club’s membership includes influential members of the Italian business community and 17 companies joined H.H. The Aga Khan and the late Gianni Agnelli, of Fiat fame, in sponsoring the Azzurra team. Azzurra’s first campaign carried the spirited Italians through to the Semi-finals of the 1983 Louis Vuitton Cup. Azzurra also pursued the 1987 America’s Cup. The team was so inspirational that “Azzurra” became the popular name for everything from pizzerias to newborn baby girls. Over 20 years later, Azzurra has returned to the milieu of interclub and nationalistic sailing competition by fielding a near completely Italian team for its World professional Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) debut at the Louis Vuitton Trophy-Nice. The Azzurra team brings together Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly sailing team, which has done so well in one-designs such as the Melges 32 and the Farr 40, and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda under the Azzurra trademark. -- Lynn Fitzpatrick, read on: http://www.worldregattas.com/ViewInfo.php?ContentID=370 BETTER THAN EVER The 10th Annual North U / Offshore Sailing Performance Race Week will be better than ever. Enjoy six days of racing with an on-board coach, video review and unmatched curriculum under the leadership of North U Director Bill Gladstone. Come to Captiva Island Florida April 18-25 for the fun, and as a bonus, go home racing better than ever. Space is limited. Call 800-221-4326 or visit: http://www.offshore-sailing.com/racing.asp EXTREME 40S SPLASH DOWN IN HONG KONG As an unseasonable cold snap descended on Hong Kong this week, the OC Events operations team also arrived into the ‘harbour city’ and immediately began preparations for the inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia taking place this weekend. The containers housing the six Extreme 40s arrived at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the teams immediately set about assembling and dressing the boats. The sight of these spectacular vessels being craned into the water drew quite a crowd of curious fans. This will be the first time these high-performance craft have raced in Hong Kong and there is genuine excitement amongst the teams as they look forward to going head-to-head in one of the world’s most exciting and dynamic cities Paul Campbell-Jones, skipper of The Wave, Muscat, is on his first visit to the city. “Hong Kong is an amazing place, so busy, full of high-rise buildings and bright lights. It’s unbelievably hectic but great fun. It’s amazing that we will actually be racing in the harbour - that is extreme!” -- Read on: http://www.extremesailingseriesasia.com/container.asp?id=22660 * The inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia will be staged between November 2009 and March 2010, with events in Hong Kong, Singapore and Oman with the possibility of a fourth venue to be confirmed. Skippers competing in the first event are Nick Moloney (AUS), Thierry Barot (FRA), Pete Cumming (GBR), Roman Hagara (AUT), Shirley Robertson (GBR), and Paul Campbell-James (GBR). APPROACHING THE WEST INDIES (November 19, 2009) - Nothing is easy for the IMOCA Open 60 duos as the 4800-mile doublehanded Transat Jacques Vabre race now approaches the West Indies islands arc. In the variable conditions which are affecting the leading groups as the trade winds are decayed, small miles lost are quickly magnified and, conversely, small gains can grow with seemingly equal ease. Leader Safran with Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier Bérnac had continued to profit overnight in better breeze, but during the day Groupe Bel have managed to pull back 10 miles to cut Safran’s margin to 70 miles, whilst Mike Golding and Javier Sanso on Mike Golding Yacht Racing are 100 miles behind Groupe Bel. But once the leading trio break into the Caribbean it would seem that there will be steadier, trade wind like conditions in through the weekend to a finish in Puerto Limon some time between Monday and late Tuesday. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/yasyltz * The ninth edition of from France to Costa Rica began on November 8th, with 10 of the 14 Open 60 monohulls and 4 of the 6 Open 50 multihulls starters still competing. On Nov. 18th, Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier Benac on Safran continue to lead the Open 60 fleet by a 72 mile margin with 1472 nm to go. -- Event website: http://www.jacques-vabre.com/en SAILING SHORTS * This week the Volvo Sailing Podcast talks to World Sailor of the Year Torben Grael, catches up with a former winner - Mike Sanderson - at the Louis Vuitton Trophy, and is aboard Artemis in the TJV with Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet. Listen here: http://tinyurl.com/y8mhsww * (November 19, 2009) - After the first day at the U.S. Match Racing Championship, Bill Hardesty and his crew of David Hughes and David Gerber are on top of the field of ten teams with an undefeated record following seven races. Hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club (Fla.), the four day event is held in Sonars and will continue through Nov. 22. -- http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USMRC.htm * (November 19, 2009) - The 105-foot trimaran Groupama 3 has benefited from good conditions over the past 24 hours, with the routing to indicate that Franck Cammas and his nine crew could make landfall in Cape Town, South Africa overnight on Saturday or early Sunday morning. As such Groupama's shore crew should soon be able to begin repairs to the aft beam, in order to make Brest as quickly as possible for a new attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy Trophy - the fully crewed round the world record attempt under sail - in January! -- http://tinyurl.com/yb47cpg TRIVIA ANSWER In 1975, Rodney March (GBR) designed the Dart 18 as a One Design Class. The concept originates from his earlier creation, the ex-Olympic Tornado from 1967. The Dart 18 is 5.5 meters long, has a mainsail and jib, one trapeze for the crew and no dagger boards. The boat is easy to sail and therefore still popular. Thanks to the lack of continuous development of equipment, the Dart 18 remains an affordable class for a wider group of sailors. This year's Dart 18 Worlds will be held in Aruba, where 41 teams representing nine countries will compete on the Caribbean Sea beginning on Sunday November 22nd. PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include a contrast of old and new, a contrast of big and small, a hunger for southern sailing, a long standing collegiate event, a commitment to shorts, a commitment to excellence, wing sailing, and squall sailing. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/1120/ * The Leucadia Open Invitational Match Race Event was founded in 1999, and might possibly be the oldest radio control sailing contest ever held in a backyard pool. While the BMW Oracle Racing team tested their 90-foot trimaran on San Diego Bay in hopes of competing in a match race event, the Leucadia Open was actually having an event just 30 minutes to the north. How many R/C pool match race events had the reigning Star World Champion competing in the finals? This one did: http://tinyurl.com/ygv4qvv VIDEO OF THE WEEK Immediately after watching this video, the holiday wish list for Scuttlebutt World Headquarters got longer. We need a helmet-cam! During an F18 catamaran race in Quebec, Canada, one skipper strapped on a helmet cam and recorded footage, edited it to a foot tapping tune and is now taking us on his trapezing, hull flying adventure. Then, another thought came into our heads: the skippers onboard the America’s Cup multihulls need to be wearing helmet-cams too. Can you imagine being on their heads, going 40 knots, driving the boat 20 feet over the water? Holy smokes… please… give us that footage. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/09/1120/ * If you have a video you like, please send your suggestion for next week’s Video of the Week to mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com 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 Mark Chisnell: The story on the potential A Cup wind limits (in Scuttlebutt 2976) raises an immediate question of the rule: "It is anticipated that races shall be sailed in winds having a windspeed of not more than 15 knots..." Where - 20 feet off the water, or 200 feet off the water? There's usually a difference... * From Brooks Magruder, Istanbul: After more than a century of MUTUAL consent to race slow lead-mines, it takes the LACK of consent of the defender & challenger to give us the potential of an ACup race between ultimate, 90' box-rule, techno-busting, experimental racing machines. If this match happens & somehow even goes to a tie-breaking third race, then let's see whether history judges this as a "mess" or the Nobel committee is forced to introduce a new "sailing award" category. Regarding the story in Scuttlebutt 2975 "YACHT RACING IS CURRENTLY IN A CRISIS" concerning boat safety, the main (only?) reason racing boats break is because designers & engineers try to reach the mystical safety "limit" of trimming performance hampering WEIGHT. If the rating or design rule could set the minimum weight of certain structures or components, then this reason would be solved. Designers would instead design MAXIMUM strength for this minimum weight. F1 sets a pretty high minimum weight for their cars for this reason (and also several cockpit crash strength requirements). CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist ". Special thanks to The Pirates Lair and North U. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
