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SCUTTLEBUTT 2316 – April 5, 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). ACT 13: ALINGHI EXCELS WHILE +39 SUFFERS Valencia, 04 April, 2007 - It was another difficult day to be racing on the waters off Valencia. The wind was strong, but still very shifty, and no lead was safe until the finish line had been crossed. But in these very difficult conditions, it was the Defender of the America's Cup, Alinghi, who excelled, earning two race victories (on Day 2 of racing) to vault into the overall lead. Behind them, the mixed up results mean five boats are within two points of second place, with BMW Oracle Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand a shade ahead of Desafío Español, Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team and Luna Rossa. The second race was where the action was on Wednesday, as strong conditions early in the race tested men and machine. A very close first leg saw nearly the entire fleet converge at the top mark, and in close quarters, the new mast on +39 Challenge came tumbling down. Shortly afterwards, United Internet Team Germany dropped out, as it was their rig that clipped the Italians rigging during a duck, and which caused the dismasting. Then, on the second beat upwind, Shosholoza saw its jib pull out of the forestay track, pushing the South Africans to the back of the fleet (but able to finish). On the final run to the finish, the race turned upside down with trailing boats bringing wind down the course with them. At one point, just a few hundred metres from the finishing line, at least six boats appeared capable of earning the victory. Alinghi emerged from the pack, tacking on the downwind run, and squeezing in ahead of a charging Luna Rossa. -- Complete story: http://tinyurl.com/ypmyjg Standings after 3 races 1. Alinghi (SUI 91) 4-1-1, 33 pts 2. BMW Oracle Racing (USA 87) 1-4-7, 27 3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 84) 5-3-4, 27 4. Desafío Español 2007 (ESP 97) 8-2-3, 26 5. Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 94) 7-5-2, 25 6. Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia (ITA 99) 3-6-5, 25 7. Team Shosholoza (RSA 83) 2-8-10, 19 8. Areva Challenge (FRA 93) 9-10-8, 12 9. United Internet Team Germany (GER 89) 6-9-DNF, 11 10. Victory Challenge (SWE 96) 12-11-6, 10 11. +39 Challenge (ITA 85) 10-7-DNF, 9 12. China Team (CHN 95) 11-12-9, 7 Note: Points for each race equal the number of entered boats beaten plus 1. * Photos of +39 Challenge breaking their rig: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/0404 * Assorted other casualties include Team New Zealand’s Adam Beashel (Afterguard) catching a finger in the main sheet block and being taken from the boat to the hospital, BMW Oracle Racing breaking a spinnaker pole, and United Internet Team Germany suffering slight but repairable damage on it’s mast top from the collision with +39 Challenge. QUOTE / UNQUOTE => Brad Butterworth, tactician and team skipper on Alinghi, “The racing today was more like the 2003 venue in Auckland with a lot of wind and very shifty, it was hard for all the boats to maintain their positions throughout the racing. We had very good crew work, which saved the day for us. Really it was a crew work day.” => Peter Isler, Navigator on BMW Oracle Racing, “Things were looking good downwind (while leading on the final leg of race 3). We were just lining up to finish at the Committee Boat end of the line when the Mediterranean became the Mediterranean. It was very weird. We had Alinghi right alongside and they were able to sail past us on the leeward side while we were stopped dead, the wind was so localized. We got the short end of the stick today, but we had some good luck yesterday (Tuesday).” IS +39 CHALLENGE FINISHED? (The team’s website says they will be back racing on Friday, but here are some of the comments from Iain Percy posted on the Yachting World site.) * Regarding the incident: "We were on the starboard lay, the Germans tried to duck, their mast came upright and the two rigs clipped. It's one of those things that happens and I'm certainly not angry," he said. "Those guys have been great about it, they've come round, apologized and offered help. To be honest I feel bad for their helmsman, certainly not angry.” * Regarding the danger: "I honestly think it's 50/50 that no one was injured or in the morgue. A piece of diagonal fell down just beside me and went straight through the deck." * Regarding whether they could use their back-up rig: “Not really. It's half the speed and we took quite a lot of equipment out of it when we fitted the new mast, instrument wands, electronics, etc.” -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/2am378 RE-DISCOVER ATLANTIS The New Atlantis WeatherGear. Launching April 19. http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com GUEST COMMENTARY All of us who are racing keelboats have the opportunity to positively impact teen sailors and show them what an excellent life long sport sailing is. Dinghies lose some appeal for many and without an exciting, challenging alternative that offers some social connections, many will step off the path. Several exciting "junior big boat programs" around the U.S. are leading the way. Some with teams of 30 to 50 young sailors actively involved, these programs have been bootstrapped into existence by the drive of a few boat owners with the right formula. Proven success such as the programs at Black Rock YC (7 years) and Team Tsunami are leading the way. US Sailing is working to create a curriculum that offers the instructors, outline, and training materials that yacht clubs and sailing programs can take advantage of to begin their own Junior Big Boat Sailing (JBBS) program. However, it needs help to get started. The volunteers for JBBS are trying to raise a few thousand dollars to get a self-sustaining, national program off the ground. The release of the ‘Morning Light Project’ movie could very well foster a resurgence of participation in sailing among the 14 to 19 age group. Getting young adults into sailing and racing boats before the excitement of dinghy sailing loses its allure is the key to turning around the dip in participation in this age group. To help the JBBS program financially, or to otherwise get involved, contact US Sailing's Training Committee Chair, Richard Jepsen at mailto:jepsen@ocscsailing.com -- Rob Stephan, Fairfield, CT 38 TROFEO SAR PRINCESA SOFIA Palma de Mallorca, Spain (April 4, 2007) - Another excellent day of racing at the 38 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia – Mapfre, where moderate winds made it possible to complete two and even three races in some classes (now divided into Gold and Silver fleets). Commented Laser sailor Andrew Campbell (USA). “Fortunately, the big thunderheads that built inshore didn’t make it over the cold water, and we were able to finish up early today, hitting the dock just before 4 o’clock. The last few days have been so late getting in off the water that we had to go straight to dinner, so it was nice to have a little extra time to relax.” However, a look at the standings was another but relaxing, as with the great and equal level of competitors (with eleven 2004 Olympics medallists, 25 European titles and practically the top ten of each class), the standings continued to shuffle on this fourth day of racing. Leading Yngling crew Carrie Howe (USA) summed up the situation, “This was heart-stopping stuff. The breeze was up and the racing was so close that people were pushing the limits. We tried to be conservative and were happy to record three good races and leave the club without any involvement in the multiple protest hearings that followed the on-water action. There were lessons today for the future. If you are in the back of the pack, you roll the dice on (shifty) days such as this. If you are in front, conservative is safe and there are risks inherent in trying to extend your lead.” Wednesday was not as strong a day for the North Americans as Tuesday, with the windsurfers dropping the most. The top 470 men and 49er teams have been steadily climbing, with Thursday looming as a decisive day for everybody as the Medal race will be held on Friday with only the top ten sailors of each Olympic class competing for the final race. -- Event website: http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/dinghy/index.html Overall Positions of Top North Americans (over total entrants): Yngling - Sally Barkow/ Carrie Howe/ Debbie Capozzi (USA, 1/33) Star - Hamish Pepper/ Brad Nichol (NZL/ USA, 3/41) Laser Radial - Tanias Elias Calles Wolf (MEX, 6/91) 470 Women - Erin Maxwell/ Isabelle Kinsolving (USA, 6/68) Tornado - Oskar Johansson/ Kevin Stittle (CAN, 6/58) Finn - Christopher Cook (CAN, 8/55) Laser - Andrew Campbell (USA, 9/138) 49er - Tim Wadlow/ Chris Rast (USA, 12/80) 470 Men - Stuart McNay/ Graham Biehl (USA, 15/116) RS:X Women - Nikola Girke (CAN, 30/67) RS:X Men - Alain Bolduc (CAN, 31/112) LAST MAN STANDING At 08:30 (LMT) this morning (April 4), Graham Dalton (NZL) finally left the port of Fortaleza in Brazil to recommence racing in the Velux 5 Oceans singlehanded, round-the-world race. After an unwanted and extended pit stop in Latin America, the experienced yachtsman is heading out to sea to clear the local oil rigs before heading pointing his Open 50 ‘A Southern Man AGD’ north to the finish at Norfolk, Virginia (USA). Dalton has had a tough time and things aren’t set to get any easier. After pulling into Brazil to repair a damaged rudder cassette, Graham suffered the unfortunate loss of his keel bulb. After building a new bulb locally, the tenacious Kiwi skipper now has 3,220 nautical miles to go. If he averages 10 knots then it will take approximately 13.5 days, which will have him arriving in Norfolk on April 18. Under the race rules, the cut-off date to arrive in the final host port before returning to Bilbao (ESP) is April 19, so it will be a close race against the clock. The remainder of the fleet is due to leave Norfolk on Sunday, April 15 on the final sprint back to the Spanish Basque Country to complete the epic solo circumnavigation. -- http://www.velux5oceans.com STATUS IN DOUBT After struggling last time for an American presence, Volvo Ocean Race organizers announced last week that Puma, the international sporting goods company, will enter a boat in the around-the-world competition that begins in October 2008. The entry of Puma, with international headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and international public relations based in Boston, casts some doubt on whether Baltimore and Annapolis will serve as a U.S. port-of-call for the fourth time. Officials of Ocean Race Chesapeake, the organizer of the U.S. stopover, say they have not heard from Volvo headquarters whether there will be a change in U.S. stopover. "Sure we worry about it," said Lee Tawney, local spokesman. "But the game is still the game. We look forward to a decision." Race organizers have long indicated a preference for ports with ties to syndicates. In the past, Boston and Newport, R.I., have been mentioned as possible U.S. stopovers (and Read states that the team will begin their training in Newport). -- Baltimore Sun, full story: http://tinyurl.com/yo7ku2 ULLMAN SAILS POWER WINNERS Three regattas, same winning results! Division 1, Michelob Ultra Amber Cup, Fred Goldman’s J/109 “Too Sweet” took top honors and Robert Hobbs’ J/33 “All In” captured Division 2. Rolex Cup’s Division 2 was won by Chris Stanton’s Melges 24 “Devil 3”, with Tim Kimpson’s Melges 32 “Crash Dummies” finishing 2nd. At the Suncoast Race Week, Peter & Chris Wormwood in their Wormwood 27 “Deuce Coupe” won Group 2. For all Ullman Sails customers, who selected their sailmaker based on boat speed, reliability, and service…congratulations! For your next sail or inventory, contact your nearest Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com SAILING SHORTS * (April 4, 2007) For the third day in a row, Star sailors competing in the Western Hemisphere Championship arrived at Davis Island Yacht Club to find a glassy Tampa Bay. Races were postponed on shore until there was a sign of breeze, but than wind readings on the water varied enough so that it took a long time for the race committee to reach agreement as to where to set the course. However, once racing started, Freddy Loof and Anders Ekstrom (SWE) rolled a 2-5-2 to continue their leading ways, now holding a 10-point lead over Bermudians Peter Bromby and Bill McNiven. -- http://www.starclass.org/artman/publish/article_262.shtml * (April 4, 2007) Team racing day at the Optimist South Americans saw Peru, traditionally one of the strongest nations at this discipline and silver medallists at the 2006 Worlds, defeat 2006 champions Ecuador in the final. Argentina was third.In the Copa de las Naciones for teams outside the South American continent, a major upset saw Puerto Rico overcome 2006 World Champions Singapore, and in confirmation of the rising quality of Caribbean sailing, USVI take third place. -- Robert Wilkes, IODA Secretary, full results: http://www.cncharitas.com.br/sulamericano.html * The first '6 for 5' International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) equipment grant of 2007 has gone to the Savusavu Junior Sailing Club in Fiji. To support a local project to build six wood/epoxy Optimists for use by local sailors, IODA is providing free sails, spars, buoyancy bags and all the metal bits. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j19FnA6`w&format=popup CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Some of the events listed for this week: Apr 5-8 - Rolex Women's Match - St. Petersburg, FL, USA Apr 6 - BMW TOS Southern Straights Race - Vancouver, BC, Canada Apr 7 - All Fools Regatta Pirate Battle - Eugene, OR, USA Apr 7-8 - 26th Lynn Marchiando Team Racing Intrsctinl - Cambridge, MA, USA Apr 7-8 - 48th Jan T Friis Team Racing Intersectional - Medford, MA, USA Complete list of events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Bill Lee: I sailed with Jake in the last race of the 1978 MEXORC on his C&C 61 Sorcery. Yachting was different then. After the race, we had some trouble getting a turning block apart for overhaul and, someone went below and produced a full size sledgehammer. Jake Wood was one of the great big boat yachtsman in that amateur era between the paid crews of the 20s and the paid crews of the 00s’ He even built his next boat, the 80-foot Sorcery, at his own aircraft locknut factory. That was the same locknut factory he went to work for in the 8th grade. I remember visiting that factory and walking between the rows of machines with Jake. As he said, in the early 80’s, “There are 500,000 of my locknuts in a 747. There are 5 companies in the free world that make them and I sell the tooling to them.” Jake was an enthusiastic competitor both in business and on the race course. Yes, we will miss him. * From Donal McClement (from the Forum: EIGHT BELLS - deForest “Shorty” Trimingham) I first met Shorty during the 1972 Onion Patch when I was a Watch Leader on "Maverick", an S & S 40, sailing on the British Team. We had lots of fun in Newport and struck a small wager, on a boat for boat basis, for the Bermuda Race. This was the infamous race when the weather was pretty awful and we were lucky to take a first in Class with Shorty third. Within minutes of him arriving on the dock the wager (a Case of Rum from memory) was paid and a great party ensued. Over the next 20 years or so I met with him and indeed had the pleasure of both racing against him and visiting his family in Bermuda. He was always in great good humour, was generous to a fault and an extraordinary host. I was privileged to have know him and I am certain the he enriched the lives of many people both in and out of sailing. * From the Forum (re America’s Cup in Canada): Well, the AmericasCupAnwhere webcast service was pretty bad today, with no live coverage, and no results until well after they were available on other websites (they did manage to produce a record of the race, which can be replayed, but not until hours after the finish). For a subscription service this really stinks. I hope this is not another replay of the Virtual Spectator debacle. * From Bob Winston: (regarding letter in “butt 2315) If Troy Duval’s comments are on target, it would seem to quiet down the belly-aching multihull mafia on their Olympic omission, and get them to take a better look at themselves. Maybe having ‘a Hobie Day’ is a cool way to spend the weekend, but it appears to be too much of a party for developing top racers. * From Hugh Drexler: (regarding letter in ‘butt 2315) So did the ACM just forget about Canada and our interest to watch the America’s Cup? Doing deals at the 11th hour seems a bit hokey – or is it hard to find media groups that want to pay the big fees that are now being charged. Please let us know if/ when the TSN deal is done. CURMUDGEON’S OFFICE ARITHMETIC Smart boss + smart employee = profit Smart boss + dumb employee = production Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime Special thanks to Scuttlebutt’s newest sponsor - Atlantis WeatherGear - and to one of 'butts first advertisers: Ullman Sails. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
