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SCUTTLEBUTT 2331 - April 26, 2007Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with support provided by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). KNOCK ON WOOD Valencia, 25 April, 2007 - Valencia, 25 April, 2007 - For the second consecutive day, good racing conditions blessed the waters off Port America's Cup in Valencia and two full flights (6 and 7) of racing were completed. Conditions were ideal for America's Cup racing with winds up to 13 knots on the south race course and between six and 10 knots on the north race area. BMW Oracle Racing remains the only team to be undefeated at the Louis Vuitton Cup, today securing a win over Areva Challenge in Flight 7 (and having a bye in Flight 6). It was also a big day for the home team of Desafío Español, who earned two wins to climb the leaderboard from 7th to 5th overall. The extra bonus point they hold over 4th place Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team, along with their victory over them in Flight 4, may prove decisive later on in the series. The Spanish were among the teams today that stalled the excitement stirred Tuesday by Team Shosholoza’s two wins, with the South African squad also losing on Wednesday to Emirates Team New Zealand. Arguably, all the matches today finished out as one may have predicted, but as we are beginning to learn, little can be taken for granted, and it is these frequent upsets - along with the fact 7 teams will be eliminated by May 9th - that is providing daily intrigue for the 32nd America’s Cup. Results from Wednesday (Day 10) Flight 6 1. Luna Rossa beat AREVA Challenge by 0:33 2. Victory Challenge beat +39 Challenge by 0:55 4. Desafío Español 2007 beat China Team by 2:01 5. Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team beat United Internet Team Germany by 0:24 6. Emirates Team New Zealand beat Team Shosholoza by 1:23 Flight 7 1. BMW ORACLE Racing beat AREVA Challenge by 2:54 2. Luna Rossa Challenge beat +39 Challenge by 1:22 4. Emirates Team New Zealand beat United Internet Team Germany by 1:03 5. Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team won, China Team did not finish 6. Desafío Español 2007 beat Team Shosholoza by 0:57 * For complete details from Wednesday’s racing: http://tinyurl.com/yo5y2b Provisional Leaders (Bonus Pts - Matches Sailed - Matches Won - Total Pts) 1. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 98) 3-6-6-15 2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 92) 4-6-5-14 3. Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 94) 3-7-5-13 4. Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia (ITA 99) 2-6-5-12 5. Desafío Español 2007 (ESP 97) 3-6-4-11 6. Victory Challenge (SWE 96) 2-6-4-11 7. Team Shosholoza (RSA 83) 2-7-3-8 8. Areva Challenge (FRA 93) 1-6-2-5 9. United Internet Team Germany (GER 89) 1-7-1-3 10. +39 Challenge (ITA 85) 2-6-0-2 11. China Team (CHN 95) 1-7-0-1 Note: 2 points are awarded for each match won. * Flights 8 and 9 of Round Robin One are scheduled on Thursday, with a frontal system expected to bring cloudy skies, the possibility of rain, and an Easterly 10 knot breeze. * While Team Shosholoza might have a disadvantage in the stronger winds seen on Wednesday, they also may be suffering from the lack of two-boat training, the kind of which helps you tune your tactics. Despite leading Desafío Español at the first mark, they proceeded in a number of questionable double gybes that most observers felt did little more than slow them and cause the loss of their lead (even with the Spanish having a man overboard at the first leeward mark – he held onto the spin sheet and was quickly able to get back on). The bigger teams likely learned these tactical lessons in-house, whereas the mistakes of the one-boat teams are being exposed now. * (Alinghi tactician) Brad Butterworth said the (race) schedule wasn't only determined by the wind. "The timing of the Cup was set certainly to fit into the market of television and then other events earlier and later in the year that could conflict with it," Butterworth said, referring to cycling's Tour de France. Alinghi races the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup in the America's Cup from June 23-July 4. -- International Herald Tribune, full story: http://tinyurl.com/2xnh6s * The must-see matches for Thursday include Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia vs. Team Shosholoza in Flight 8, and Desafío Español 2007 vs. Victory Challenge and Emirates Team New Zealand vs. Luna Rossa Challenge in Flight 9. See the complete schedule at http://www.americascup.com/en/americascup/program/calendrier.php ULLMAN’S “INSHORE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES”- AHMANSON CUP At the NHYC regatta, April 21-22, Ullman J/105 customers swept top places with Jeff Janov’s “Invisible” 1st, Bennet Greenwald’s “Perseverance” 2nd, and Henry & David Brown’s “J Hawk” 3rd. Anthony Wetherbee’s “Commotion” won the J/109 class. PHRF “A” Ullman customers took 5 of top 6 places, with ID48 “Chayah” and Oscar Krinsky/ Chris Redman finishing 1st. In PHRF “C”, Geoff Longenecker’s “Nemesis” 1st, Kevin Wofle’s “Jezebelle” 2nd, and Howard Lewis/ Bruce Cooper on “Pendragon” 3rd. Next stop on the “Championship Series” is SDYC’s Yachting Cup, May 5-6. For the “Fastest Sails in the Planet” contact an Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com FRENCH SAILING OLYMPIC WEEK Hyeres, France (April 25, 2007) Not a breath of wind this morning in Hyères, slowly building to a light 6 knots and then gradually increased to 8 by mid afternoon. This has been the theme for some time, but it may all be coming to an end, as the forecast for Thursday is for the easterly wind, fresh and strong, to be blowing straight into the bay from the only direction where the islands will not tame the waves. If the current leaders are positioned due to their light air prowess, look for that to be revealed as the strong winds and seas move in. With the qualifying stage of the event completed, all the top North American teams are now positioned in the Gold flight. The next goal is to be in the top ten by the end of Thursday, wherein those positions than move on to the Olympic-style medal race on Friday. Continuing to climb in the standings is the American 470 Mens team of Mikee Anderson-Mitterling/Dave Hughes, who are now on the bubble in 10th. American Finn sailor Zach Railey is moving up as well, but will need to overcome an 8 point deficit to continue sailing on Friday. -- Results: http://sof.ffvoile.net Results of Top North Americans (position / total entrants): Tornado - Oskar Johansson/ Kevin Stittle (CAN, 1/43) Yngling - Sally Barkow/Carrie Howe/Debbie Capozzi (USA, 2/29) Laser Radial - Paige Railey (USA, 2/105) Laser - Brad Funk (USA, 5/188) 470 Men - Mikee Anderson-Mitterling/Dave Hughes (USA, 10/113) Finn - Zach Railey (USA, 14/68) 470 Women - Erin Maxwell/ Isabelle Kinsolving (USA, 18/60) 49er - Rob Dale/ Hunter Lowden (CAN, 29/74) RS:X Women - Dominique Vallee (CAN, 36/71) RS:X Men - Zac Plavsic (CAN, 54/108) * American Laser sailor Andrew Campbell, who broke his thumb in a training incident prior to racing, is back in the U.S. receiving treatment, and plans to return to Hyeres, France by early June, in time to compete in the Laser Europeans that will be held at the same venue. GETTING ORGANIZED The annual general meeting of IMOCA (Open 60 monohull class) was held in Paris on April 19th, where it was noted that at least 24 boats are expected to race in the championship in 2007. IMOCA continues to attract new french and international entries, confirming its status as the only ISAF international ocean racing class. New recent projects have included skippers from Ireland, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, USA and Spain. The class has confirmed its World Championship programme for the coming year, and the vision for its future development. In 2007, the focus is in Europe, with destinations further afield under consideration for the future. Events scoring for the IMOCA 2007 World Championship are: End April: Velux 5 Oceans (Bilbao) - solo, round the world with two stops June 3: Calais Round Britain Race - fully crewed, without stops June 12: Rolex Fastnet Race - two-handed, 608 mile race in England Nov 3: Transat Jacques Vabre - two-handed from France to Brazil Nov 11: Barcelona World Race - two-handed, non-stop round the world race The 2008-2012 programme will be based around its round the world races. Solo and two-up races will remain the core feature of IMOCA, and races that are purely IMOCA will continue to be favoured. -- Full report: http://www.imoca.org/uk/default.asp?m=da&id=3811 DOWN… AND NOW OUT At 02:57 local time (06:57 GMT) on Wednesday April 25, brave solo skipper Graham Dalton finally arrived in Norfolk, Virginia (USA), 102 days after leaving Fremantle (Western Australia), in what has been an epic battle to complete Leg two of the Velux 5 Oceans race. Because he has completed the leg beyond the time and date stated within the rules, he will not be able to complete Leg three and will therefore be classed ‘Did Not Start Leg 3’; Dalton will not be classed as a finisher in the Velux 5 Oceans 2006-07. However, after a journey that has captured the imagination of sailing fans and people from all over the world, the determined skipper will still sail back to Bilbao to complete his own personal journey and a monumental solo circumnavigation that is a testament to his character and conviction. It is a devastating blow for the experienced yachtsman, who was hoping to finish the race in memory of his son Tony, who died of cancer in 2005, and complete the daunting challenge following his retirement from the last race in 2002, when he dismasted after rounding Cape Horn. Sailing onboard an Open 50 yacht, named in Tony’s honour, Dalton’s race has been plagued by onboard problems that have caused him to make no less than six pit stops around the world. Whilst at sea, A Southern Man AGD showed great pace but was battered by extreme weather and strong winds that would have tested the nerve of the hardest of competitors. -- Complete story: http://www.velux5oceans.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,12345~1016526,00.html DISCOVER New gear. Cold beer. Come see the NEW Atlantis gear at Team One Newport and enjoy a beer on us at the International Yacht & Athletic Club (IYAC). Don’t miss it! May 3rd. 5-7 PM. 561 Thames Street in downtown Newport. Discover Atlantis. http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com GIRLS WANT TO GO FAST TOO With an eye towards the 2012 Olympic Games, it is widely suspected that an event to be added to the sailing competition will be a womens skiff. To prepare for this possibility, ISAF held an evaluation event in Hyères, France during the week prior to the French Sailing Olympic Week, where some of the world’s top women sailors put the 29er, 29erXX, RS800, Cherub Daemon, Carbonology GT60, and International 14 through their paces. Unfortunately, like much of Europe lately, there was not much wind to make any grand conclusions. However, the first hurdle appeared to be achieved: women can sail skiffs. As for which one, the group was in agreement that they wanted to be challenged, and many considered the RS800 to be too easy. On the other end of the scale, there was a sense that the some of the choices were too big and/ or complicated, such as the Cherub Daemon, Carbonology GT60, and International 14. Interestingly, on the last day of the evaluation, the wind finally increased to 12+ knots, and it was the 29erXX that stayed out the longest due to demand. The possibility now exists for an additional evaluation event to be held later this year, where the field of boats will be narrowed, and a final decision to be made. Photos from the Hyeres event are at http://tinyurl.com/224xqa * On the eve of the Evaluation event, 29erXX designer Julian Bethwaite (also designer of the 29er and 49er) provided his comments on the boat, and its suitability for the Olympics: “It would have been much more fun to go balls out, strap on racks to the 29er or even do a brand new boat and try and blow the socks off everyone. Been there - done that – and with reasonable success! But that’s not what I think this trial is all about. Firstly, we have a platform of nearly 1500 boats out there and, were we able to turn them instantly into an Olympic standard, the combined cost to the manufacturers and the world sailing community would be a fraction of a new development. Secondly, this is not about power and speed (can’t believe I’m saying that!) but rather about the paramount importance of the largest possible majority of the world’s young women being able to sail this boat, in control, in all conditions.” -- There is much more to this interview: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/jb SAILING SHORTS * Jeremy Wilmot, the 21-year-old progeny of a world-class sailing clan from Down Under, is the unanimous selection of his Morning Light teammates to lead them in their campaign through the 44th Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu in July. -- Sail World, full story: http://tinyurl.com/263aov * Correction: If you had trouble with the link for the Ronstan Orbit Blocks in Issue 2330, here it is again: http://www.ronstan.com/orbitblocks WHO ARE THE SPOKESPEOPLE? It is frequently stated that Gary Jobson is the leading spokesperson for the sport, at least in the U.S. However, there are many more that are not as well known. Some have a national presence, while others are known well in their region or local area. The Guest section of the Forum (no log-in required) is asking for your suggestion on who are some of these people. In your mind, who are the folks that draw a crowd, whose opinion matters, whose advice we should be seeking? Post your submission here: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4686#4686 LETTERS TO 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, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, 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 Mike Hershey: I agree completely with Peter Isler... the Oracle/ Luna Rosa Match was one of the "greatest America's Cup boat races of all time." AND it was missed almost completely by ACTV! I was watching Canal+ and the commentators were screaming Non!,.,.Non!.... Non!... When ACTV would switch to the Chinese race or the ETNZ vs. Spain race with such a big delta they couldn't even get both boats in the picture! The teams have repeatedly complained, begged, insisted etc. that ACTV get Michele Hodara out of the TV and hire people who know what they are doing... And now it seems that it may finally be too late to the great detriment of the teams competing and the Cup as a whole. Curmudgeon’s Comment: ACTV, which is responsible for the video production, is an arm of the event organizer (ACM). As one of our sources stated today, “ACTV is the disaster we knew it would be despite repeated tries by the challengers to force ACM to sort it out.” The Rule 69 Blog provides further rant on the subject: http://www.rule69blog.com/archive/2007/april/252 * From Bill Spalding, Skaneateles, NY: (regarding stories in ‘butt 2330) Your subscription fee is safe. The Tack by Tack commentary of the fifth flight was quite gripping. Even more enticing was the Hydroptère on board video of their record setting run. I didn’t understand one word of the language, but I could feel the danger, excitement, and anticipation their voices carried. For some reason I like the idea of a team operating a superbly engineered sailing craft obtaining the record in open water over a sailboard running a trench. * From John Senger: Is it just me, or does ACM's decision to send their legal team after Sanfield Associates and their America's Cup game seem a little short-sighted? Considering the lack of wind, lack of races, and dwindling enthusiasm for the Cup; I'd think ACM would welcome anything that helps raise awareness and keeps people interested in the regatta on a daily basis. Then again, given how things are going so far, I wouldn't be surprised to see them come after me for breaching their rights by referring to the America's Cup in this email. * From Linda Frederick: How ludicrous. If it is true that "referring to the term America's Cup is a breach of rights," what comes next? Before long it won't be safe to say good morning without clearing it with our lawyers first. I am in favor of copyright and patent laws, within reason, but come on folks. People seem to be trademarking and patenting absolutely anything, reasonable or otherwise. Quick, someone think of a catchy, legally innocuous euphemism for...that unmentionable sailing race coming up this summer somewhere in Spain, preferably before we all get the hiking shorts sued off of us. Curmudgeon’s Comment: You might need to. ACM’s legal team came after Scuttlebutt for what we felt was an act in support of their event. If they will burn up legal hours fighting the media, a sector they desperately need to keep all their sponsors happy, than everyone would seem to be fair game. * From Eric A Sorensen: Waiting for wind... a Seattle, WA mantra on many occasions. This is a light air venue and the world would have seen it if One World had brought home the Cup. As it stands, the surprise is that there is a bit of a wind lull in Valencia. Deal with it. Perhaps the solution for TV could be a contest on the water to see which team can score the most hits with a potato gun or a water balloon launcher or my favorite... some odd stainless fasteners tossed onto the main of a competitor to fall into their cockpit. All these things happen out here when these conditions kick in. At least once these AC boyos start the race they will be moving the entire time unlike the long races up here where we can sit for hours in the rain waiting for a breeze in the middle of a race at night! It must be tough over there. * From John Jourdane - In support of Fred Berg's note (in Issue 2329) about "there being no place where the wind never fails to blow at some point." After 35 years of racing sailboats to, from, and in Hawaii, including Transpac, Pacific Cup, Victoria to Maui, Clipper Cups, Kenwood Cups, and all the local races, I've never had more than a couple of days without solid trade winds, and big seas. Hawaii would be a great venue for the America's Cup. * From Adrian Blunt: Maybe the Sea-Me, electronic, active radar reflector is what Tom Hagoort (Letters to the Editor #2330) is looking for, who asked about the existence of a reasonably priced electronic devices for boats that transmit a signal that radar detectors can identify. It’s made in the UK by Munro Engineering; here’s the link: http://www.sea-me.co.uk * From Sam Nedeau, Executive Director, Great Lakes 70’s Sailing Association: After reading Rich Robert’s press release (Scuttlebutt 2328) concerning Friday’s Newport to Ensenada race, one might conclude that the Great Lakes 70s are no longer in existence. WRONG! To paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of our demise are greatly exaggerated. In fact, 2007 will mark the 11th Championship season for the class. Ten GL 70s are eligible to compete for this season’s championship, comprised of the Chicago NOOD, Chicago- Mackinac, Bayview-Mackinac, Bay Harbor Regatta and Chicago’s Verve Cup. The fact that the West Coast sled class is gaining strength is only further evidence of the magic of the sleds. These wonderful boats continue to offer great racing, close competition, and major thrills for those who are fortunate enough to race aboard them. And Mr. Duker, thank you for joining us in 2006 and, by the way, I know a few ‘old men’ who would love to mix it up with you again in 2008. -- http://www.greatlakes70.org CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Airspeed, altitude, and brains. Two are always needed to successfully complete a flight. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Atlantis WeatherGear. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
