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SCUTTLEBUTT 3000 - Tuesday, January 5, 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 sponsor is NorthU, Morris Yachts, and Oyster Marine. PARK HERE OR BE DISQUALIFIED When the New York Yacht Club held the America’s Cup for twenty four successful defenses (and one not so successful), they were not beyond an occasional tilt of the playing field to help their cause. But the latest move by defender Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) may have set a new precedent in how to fluster a challenger. How about a Notice of Race that requires the challenger Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) to moor their boat in a harbor that they can’t get into? Now that both the Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing teams have arrived with their boats in Valencia, Spain, Tom Ehman, Director of External Affairs for the challenger, comments on the latest event debacle: “They are trying to force us to dock in the Darsena (harbor used for the 32nd America’s Cup), which they say is for the ‘sake of the event’ when they know full well we can't get into the canal safely with the wing up, and, of course, we cannot take it down until we are in the harbour and at the mooring. “Moreover, there is not room for a proper mooring buoy in the very small Darsena. When the wing is down it needs a 100m+ radius mooring area (60m for the rig, another 15 for half the width of the boat, and another 25 of cushion to allow other boats to pass safely around it -- to say nothing of allowing scope on the mooring buoy anchor, etc). That’s a circle centered on the mooring buoy with a 200m diameter. “And even if we were able to sail in safely (with the wing up), and we could moor it, there is no guarantee we could get back out of the Darsena the next morning. That’s why we have set up a boatyard over in the commercial port where there is much more space, the entrance is not affected by the stormy northerlies frequent this time of the year (the Darsena entrance is north-facing -- the only one in the Med, go figure; commercial port entrance is south-facing), etc. “Moreover, you can bet you'll never see Alinghi enter the Darsena with their sails up! So why are they trying to force us to sail into the Darsena? Uh huh. Finally, during the last Cup teams were prohibited from sailing into the Darsena for safety reasons -- now they are demanding that we keep the boat in the canal knowing full well we would have to sail in. Amazing, eh? “Oh, and they have a measurement regulation saying that measurement will take place in the Darsena. Right!” -- Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Photo of harbor layout: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/10/0104.jpg SNG letter to Consorcio Valencia 2007: http://tinyurl.com/ygp92ra SNG letter to GGYC: http://tinyurl.com/yk8lrkp GGYC letter to SNG: http://tinyurl.com/ykcjadf BEST SAILOR'S BAR The inaugural Best Sailor's Bar contest hosted in sister publication Scuttlebutt Europe has posted the establishments that made the Top 10 list of the best of the best. Driven by public opinion, the rampant loyalty and extent of the customer databases and club members was staggering, with no shortage of technical shortcuts and competitive spirit demonstrated to elevate their favorite watering hole. Not sure if the abundance of North American sites on the list is an indication of the importance that this element is to the sport in this continent… but here is the list for 2009: 1. Peter-Cafe Sport - Horta, Azores 2. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Hong Kong 3. IYAC - Newport RI, USA 4. Maddie's Sail Loft - Marblehead, MA USA 5. The Candy Store - Newport, RI, USA 6. Le Select - St. Barts 7. Bitter End Yacht Club - British Virgin Islands 8. Royal Bermuda Yacht Club - Hamilton Bermuda 9. Foxy's Tamarind Bar and Grill - Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands 10. Willy T - Norman Island, British Virgin Islands Details: http://scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars.html THINK FAST NorthU Trim seminars teach fast fast. In one day you learn to control and balance power for better upwind performance, trim your spinnaker (A or S) to run faster and deeper, and how to set, jibe, and douse like a pro; plus you’ll take home the NorthU TRIM Seminar-on-CD for review and home study. Coming soon to a town near you. Visit http://www.northu.com or call 800-347-2457 for full info and schedule. SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA The 40th Contender World Championships is being held this week in Brisbane, Australia. Which notable America’s Cup yacht designer also penned this singlehanded trapeze dinghy? (Answer below) PHOTO GALLERIES * For youth racers, the Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami, FL is one heck of a Christmas present. Despite the perceived upheaval of family holiday plans, the event continues to grow, with 722 sailors travelling to attend the event on December 27-30. Photog John Payne was on the Laser course, where he provides a vivid display of what it is like to race this singlehander in what is likely the very best place for U.S. winter sailing: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/0104/ * American Chris Welsh describes the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race this way: “The pre-race dock atmosphere is electric, the start like a illegal drug, the race itself is a constant sprint push, and the post-race in Hobart is bullish sailing crew meets a quaint down under village and the bars are open.” Shooters Daniel Forster and Kurt Arrigo provide us with a visual tease of this classic race: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/0104a/ * When 108 boats signed up for the 2010 CST Composites International 14 World Championship, the tight confines of Sydney Harbour in Australia was going to make this event a cozy affair. Photographer Christophe Favreau offers a glimpse of the action early in the event: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/0104b/ IT’S TIME FOR A PORT-LINE BOAT AT ALL OUR MAJORS by Ken Legler, Tufts Sailing Coach, National Race Officer A Port-line boat is not a pin boat that motors around near the starting pin “helping” the race committee sight the line. It is a starting mark, anchored, engine off, with a tall orange flag. More important it is manned with one or two race officers with loud hailer and/or radio. The advantages of using a Port-line boat are huge. With the proper ground tackle, Port-line boats can adjust the angle of the starting line right up to the preparatory (two-minute) signal. The biggest advantage is sighting the line. By sighting the line accurately from both ends, the number of general recalls can be reduced by 90%. Why now? Port-line boats have been commonly used by the ILYA (Inland Lakes) for forty years. Elsewhere they have been used somewhat sparingly all over the world. A couple things have changed in college racing in the last few years which increase the need for a Port-Line boat now. One is the use of gate marks. Instead of one or two marks at the bottom end of the course, there are three or four; two gate marks and start marks. When the wind shifts and the marks get moved, which is which? If the start mark is either a boat or a tiny anchor buoy for that boat, the gate marks stand out. The Port-line boat not only avoids this confusion, it can also help adjust those gate marks. Another reason is that our major regattas have become deeper. There are many more great teams in this century than at any time in the last century. Now every boat is on the line, and if they cannot see the pin, more boats are over early. This adds up to more general recalls, which are unfair and a waste of precious racing time. There are also more RC boats than before since team racing switched to N courses and are often umpired. In team racing we use a start boat, a finish boat and often a mark boat as well. In fleet racing we can have a two start boats and a mark boat. If only two boats are available, either start boat can cast off from their tiny anchor buoy and adjust marks fast. -- Forum, read on and comment here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8781 MORRIS YACHTS’ M52 WINS BRISTOL AWARD! Cuyler Morris accepted yet another Boat of the Year Award. The M52 won Cruising World Magazine’s Boat of the Year Bristol Award, an award rarely given out and only when a boat cannot be categorized but exceeds expectations and demands to be recognized. Past award winners include the Morris M42 - Best Special Purpose Cruise; Morris 42 - Domestic Boat of the Year; Morris 34 - Overall Winner and Best Mid-Size Cruiser; Morris 40 - Overall Winner and Full-Size (over 40) Winner; and the Morris 44 - Bristol Award Winner. See the M52 here: http://www.morrisyachts.com/The-Morris-M52 SAILING SHORTS * Long Beach, CA (January 3, 2010) - Racing at the 25th annual Rose Bowl Regatta was cut short when the wimpy winds that had prevailed all weekend gasped their last breath, with Point Loma edging out perennial rival Newport Harbor amid the 54 high school teams, and Georgetown University holding off College of Charleston to win the 26-team college competition. -- Full story: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8788#8788 * Sydney, Australia (January 4, 2010) - Day two of the CST Composites International 14 World Championship was held in light to moderate east nor'east conditions and, thankfully, increasing sunshine. The two fleets of the Qualifying Series completed one race each, with Ben Austin (AUS) taking first place in race one, with Archie Massey (AUS) winning Race Two. For Massey, he now leads overall after his request for redress on the black flag from day one was granted. The regatta continues Tuesday with more Qualifying Races for the divided 108 boat fleet. -- Complete resport: http://tinyurl.com/yj6mxll * Freeport, Grand Bahama (January 4, 2010) - The 2010 Seiko 49er and 29er World Championship began today for the 62 49ers and 35 29ers in sunny and mild weather and 15-18 knots of wind. After three races, Nathan Outteridge/ Iain Jensen (AUS) are atop the 49ers and Oscar Haumann/ ? (DEN) lead the 29er fleet. -- Results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8794#8794 * The 160nm Fort Lauderdale to Key West race starts January 13th, and with 55 boats signed up, the event has its biggest numbers in 15 years. Entries will be accepted through January 8th. During the race, live updates and real time race tracking will be posted on the event website. -- Full report: http://www.keywestrace.org/ * The Singapore Sailing Federation has announced that Andrew Sanders, Chief Executive Officer, will be handing over the helm of the organization to Edwin Low, incumbent Secretary-General and Head of High Participation, in the first quarter of 2010. -- http://www.sailing.org.sg * (January 3, 2010) - Spirit of Australia was first across the start line to the delight of the home crowd as Race 5 of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race got underway. Hundreds of supporters lined the breakwater in Geraldton, Western Australia, and cheered as the Australian team raced past with the other nine internationally sponsored yachts beginning the route to Singapore. The fleet is expected to arrive by January 23rd, with only a quick stopover before they restart on February 2nd for the race to Qingdao, China. -- http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com EIGHT BELLS * G.Lawrence (Larry) Gadsby, Portsmouth, RI, a great supporter of disabled issues and sailing programs, passed away Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, from complications of Pneumonia. Larry devoted his time and generous talents to various non-profits in the Newport area. He spent more than 25 years building the Shake-A-Leg, Newport program as board chairman and COO. He was instrumental in the founding and operations of the C.Thomas Claggett Jr. Regatta. Larry was an active board member of the Newport Visiting Nurses Association and an adjunct faculty member of Johnson & Wales College of Business. Larry will be greatly missed. -- Robie Pierce, http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8791#8791 * Barton Beek passed away January 2, 2010 in the hospital in Houston. He was a long-time Star sailor from Newport Beach, CA and supporter of junior sailing through CISA and other organizations. Tough as nails, he once rowed a dory from Newport to Avalon on his 70th birthday, but also an exceedingly caring and kind individual. -- Post additional information here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8793#8793 * Ross Ritto, music industry professional and San Diego, CA sailor, passed away from cancer on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, at the age of 60. Born in Rochester, NY, Ross spent nearly 40 years in the sound business, helping to grow a company that had provided touring systems for the likes of Jimmy Buffett. His involvement in the Southern California sailing scene included his Farr ILC 40 High Five and involvement as a PHRF handicapper. -- Post additional comments here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=8792#8792 TRIVIA ANSWER The Contender dinghy came from the sketch pad of Ben Lexcen, who designed the America's Cup winner Australia II. Originally designed as a future single handed Olympic dinghy by the young Queenslander in 1966, when he was still known as Bob Miller, the Contender dinghy is this week celebrating its 40th World Championship in its Queensland design birth place. The Contender was awarded International status in 1968. The first World Championship was held in Britain in 1970. In 1974 and again in 1988 Contender World titles were sailed out of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS). Now, in the Club's 125th year, the Contender World Championship returns with a 60 boat international fleet. -- http://www.contenderworlds2010.com/ CEO - OYSTER MARINE USA Oyster Marine is looking for an established player in the high-end yacht market to lead and develop our US Sales of bluewater cruising yachts 46ft to 82ft and to promote our 100 and 125 Superyachts. Based Newport, RI. Contact Robin Campbell at: mailto:robin@oysteryachts.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 Peter Isler: (re, Sailing Faster Than The Wind in Scuttlebutt 2998) The clip from the website that was trying to explain sailboat speeds relative to the wind got things pretty tangled up. The quote from BMW Oracle's Mike Drummond was out of context and made things even more confusing/incorrect. Of course many sailors have sailed faster than the wind speed... on a reach even a small monohull keelboat can attain such performance. But to "beat" the wind when sailing downwind…that's pretty fast. Of course no boat can beat the wind if steered on a directly downwind point of sail... and that was Mike's point. But heat it up a bit (turn toward the wind) , let the sails start acting like a wing rather than a barn door and lots of multihulls and probably some monohulls can "VMG" faster than the wind speed. That is, if you let a helium balloon loose at the windward mark, the boat would beat the balloon to the leeward mark! (Of course it would have to gybe at least once). Training for the 1988 America's Cup on the Stars & Stripes catamarans (we had two identical cats, one powered by a wing and the other by a traditional mast/sail rig), we noticed an interesting phenomena in our racing practice. On the downwind legs, the leading boat could "cover" the trailing boat and give it "dirty" air! That leading boat advantage is expected on upwind legs, but it turns out, if the two boats are "vmg-ing" faster than the wind speed on a downwind leg... the leading boat retains that tactical weapon. Another good reason to get in the lead off the starting line! * From Eric Hall: Of course the America's Cup country of origin question about sails has nothing to do with popularity polls or letter writers' opinions. The question is whether the Deed of Gift applies to sails. I believe there is precedent for the answer. If memory serves, the New York Yacht Club waived the Deed of Gift sail requirement after 1958 allowing the Aussies to buy US-made Hood sails for Gretel II for the '62 match. Until then - as far as I know - sails were made in challengers' countries. The point may be mute. North is now talking about a 100% Swiss-technology "black sail" product. Alinghi tested such Swiss-made sails during the last Cup. If the product is ready for prime time, they're covered. * From Euan Ross: As a small boy who cried myself to sleep during past iterations of the America's Cup, if it turns out that the Deed of Gift does not in fact include sails, may we now ask the New York Yacht Club for a rerun of all these tragic challenges from Britain and Australia in the 50s and 60s, when the competition was preempted by our lack of access to US cloth? Because, as we know now from the classic 12 metre circuit, when equipped with equal sails, our boats from that era are not half as bad as they appeared to be at the time. * From William F. Cook: There has been some chatter recently concerning the AC Constructed-In-Country rules. "Constructed" does not mean the same thing as "designed" and none of the patents or other issues which are often brought up apply. The rule simply says that you have to build it in the country from which you are challenging or defending. None of the historical exceptions to this rule which are so often cited apply because all of those exceptions come about from mutual consent agreements. There is no mutual consent in this America's Cup. For the first time in history the two parties have agreed on nothing (even in 1988 they had some mutual consent!). As a result, the event rules are derived from the Deed alone. I would suggest that it is probably worth someone's time at SNG to actually read the thing, which they clearly haven't done. GGYC notified SNG of the CIC issues more than a year ago in an attempt to make SNG understand the implications of failing to arrive at mutual consent, but the overtures were ignored. GGYC has taken great pains to follow the letter of the Deed in the absence of such an agreement with the understanding that their challenge would be scrutinized for any infraction. It isn't too much to ask that SNG either do the same or finally come to the bargaining table and agree to a fair protocol, although it's undoubtedly too late for that now. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and relatives will. Stay in touch. Special thanks to NorthU, Morris Yachts, and Oyster Marine. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
