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SCUTTLEBUTT 3126 - Friday, July 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. Website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sailingscuttlebutt RSS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/rss/index.xml Today's sponsors: Layline and Lewmar Marine. NEWPORT GOES GAGA OVER CUP VISIT by Stuart Streuli, Sailing World (July 1, 2010) - Moments before the start of Sail Newport's America's Cup Luncheon, Scott McKenzie's, "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" wafted from the PA system across the warm, but windy, north lawn of Fort Adams State Park. Since the west coast city is - as was confirmed by BMW Oracle Racing's Tom Ehman - the lone domestic rival to Newport, R.I., to host the 34th America's Cup, this is perhaps the one time this mellow Flower Power anthem could be considered ominous. Virtually everyone in attendance is hoping that the Cup doesn't, in fact, go to San Francisco. But aside from that minor hiccup - who knows who chose the music - the event was a very successful celebration of Rhode Island's commitment to the America's Cup. BMW Oracle Racing brought the Cup, some slick video presentations, and a handful of key team members. To greet them - and apparently treat them to a long dinner at the Clark Cooke restaurant the night before - was a power team of Rhode Island politicians and other key operatives and nearly 400 eager sailors and residents. Russell Coutts, who wasn't scheduled to attend any part of the day's festivities, apparently stuck around on Thursday to attend the portion of the program designated for Narragansett Bay youth sailors and also to get a tour of Fort Adams, which is at the top of the list of potential locations for an America's Cup village. Whether this reception, which Ehman lauded as the best yet on their tour, is a positive sign for Rhode Island's chances of landing the 34th America's Cup remains to be seen - it certainly isn't a negative. Ehman, the team's director of external affairs and the emcee for the event, said that San Francisco remains at the top of the list as it's the preferred spot of team owner Larry Ellison, and the home port of the Golden Gate YC. Though, Ehman also added, that San Francisco has many hurdles still to surmount regarding the facilities. Speaking of Newport, the former Newport resident said the proposed village on Fort Adams is "second to none" and that the quality of the village "is not an issue." Ehman added that the team has decided to forego a formal RFP process. It knows, he said, which cities are in the running: San Francisco, Newport, Valencia, Spain, and one or two other - as yet unnamed - ports in Europe. Ehman said that San Diego does not want to stand in the way of its northern in-state rival and therefore is no longer being considered for the Cup, though the city is expected to host a Louis Vuitton Trophy event in 2011 and would likely be line to host other Cup-related events in 2012 and 2013. As the team stated earlier this year, the venue decision will be announced before the end of 2010. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/2dphdqc USED BOAT NOTEBOOK - J/105 The July issue of Sailing Magazine provides a look at the J/105 in its monthly feature 'Used Boat Notebook' by John Kretschmer. The J/105 class consistently provides some of the biggest fleets and best competition across North America, making it a strong contender for anyone shopping for a boat in its size range. This report should assist those making this consideration: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you just go by numbers, the J /105 is an unqualified success, a runaway best-seller in an industry that hasn't had enough best-sellers in the last 20 years. With nearly 700 hulls launched, it is one of the most successful big boat one-design classes of all time. There are well-organized fleets around the world and many regattas have a separate J/105 class. And the most impressive number of all is 18 - the number of years the J/105 has been in continuous production. But that's the funny thing about the J/105: It's really not a numbers boat at all. Ask anyone who sails a 105 what they like best about the boat and they will tell you the same thing: It's just a flat-out sweet sailing boat. And that's the reason, of course, that the numbers are so impressive. Designed by Rod Johnstone, the J/105 broke new ground when it was introduced in 1992. It fused the West Coast fast-is-fun philosophy with an East Coast ethic of simplicity and clean lines. It was the first keelboat to feature a retractable sprit and true pole-free spinnaker sailing. The cockpit is comfortable and manageable - there's just a single set of primary winches. And while the boat offers great performance, especially off the wind, it doesn't have a hint of squirrellyness in its DNA. It's easy to sail, fun to sail and at times downright exhilarating to sail. Those are traits that you can't define by numbers. This review will primarily look at the older J/105s, those selling for less than $100,000, and there are plenty of them on the used boat market. It's not a stretch to say that the success of the J/105 may have sparked the daysailer revival of the late 1990s and early 2000s. This boat features many of the same design characteristics sans the elegance. Of course that means sans the exorbitant price tag too. It's not to say that Js are cheap, as you can expect to pay around $100,000 for a 10- to 15-year-old J/105 in excellent condition. The J/105 is a boat that's easily sailed by two and rewarding to sail for an afternoon. You don't have to be a serious sailor to own a J/105. Many are set up with roller-furling headsails; in fact, furling gear is part of the class rules. But it's also a great boat to campaign seriously both as a one-design and, as the Brits say, a handicapper, and you don't need to have deep pockets to be competitive. True crossover designs are the hardest to make work, but when they do they usually become trendsetting, and that's the case with the J/105. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/24qpaho LAYLINE IS BACK WITH A SCUTTLEBUTT READER EXCLUSIVE A Scuttlebutt Exclusive.....For over 20 years the brand you have trusted for your sailing needs is back. Visit Layline.com for up to 10% and free shipping off all orders over $150 now until July 12th (some brands and products excluded and discounts / shipping vary call for details). For fast delivery, the best brands including Henry Lloyd, Magic, Gill and more, as well as the best in gear, custom rigging, accessories and knowledge, visit Layline.com, official supplier to the US Optimist National Team and the Official supplier to the International Melges 24 class. Visit http://www.layline.com or call 800-273-9491. RAISING AWARENESS OF CRITICAL OCEAN ISSUES Sailors for the Sea, a nonprofit organization based in Newport, RI that educates and empowers boaters to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters, does so through a number of programs and projects, the oldest of which is Clean Regattas. Clean Regattas offers resources and information that raise awareness of critical ocean issues and provides the important link between knowledge and practical, direct action that can truly improve the health of our waters. Clean Regattas is a voluntary certification system that encourages yacht clubs, sailing programs, and regatta events to take steps to make a more positive impact on the aquatic environment. This three-tiered system allows certification at a Bronze, Silver or Gold Level, with the certification criteria becoming more intense at the higher levels. In its fifth year, Clean Regattas is gaining a lot of momentum. Clean Regattas have been run at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Nantucket Race Week, BVI Spring Regatta, the Mudhead Benefit Regatta and the Volvo Ocean Race, among many others. Some of the efforts made by these events to reach certification include a commitment to preventing marine debris, providing oil spill prevention kits to all participants, educating participants on non-toxic cleaning products, going paperless with electronic press kits, and using biodegradable cups, towels, and garbage bags throughout the event. Additional criteria have been met by many clubs by prohibiting bottom cleaning during the event in the harbor, working to offer the sale of non-ablative bottom paints, recycling glass, and - perhaps the biggest change - providing all regatta participants with reusable water bottles and distilled water stations for refilling bottles for the duration of the event. This single action can reduce an incredible amount of waste generated by eliminating the need for disposable water bottles. Plastic trash makes up a huge proportion of marine debris. Bags and pellets mistaken for food by birds, fish and marine mammals that cause choking and death when consumed increase the threat. Scientists have linked obesity, infertility and depression with the entry of these pollutants into the food chain; and too-tough-to-biodegrade, plastic lasts forever. If every regatta, yacht club and sailor took on the task of reusing and refilling a single bottle, can or tank of water rather than reaching for a disposable 12-ounce, our shores and seas would feel the relief. -- WindCheck, read on: http://tinyurl.com/22lfrbu SAILING SHORTS * Kingston, ONT (July 1, 2010) - The fourth day of the Optimist North American Championship saw the completion of the North American Team Racing Championship, where USA 1 and USA 2 advanced to the Final in the 16 boat field, with USA 1 taking the title. Fleet racing commences on Friday with the series concluding on Saturday. -- Event website: http://optinam2010.org/ * Porto Cervo, Italy (July 1, 2010) - The third day of the 2010 ISAF Offshore Team World Championship presents a new leader as Team Germany, composed of the Farr 40 Struntje Light owned by Wolfgang Schaefer and the Melges 32 Teasing Machine owned by Jean Francois Cruette, dominated today's coastal race and now sits atop the overall classification. Also moving up in the standings is the USA team, where past Farr 40 World Champion Jim Richardson with his Barking Mad and current Melges 32 World Champion Pieter Taselaar with his Bliksem have moved up from fourth to third place. Racing concludes Saturday. -- Results: http://www.yccsresults.com/sardinia2010/sard_y.htm * Cesenatico, Italy (July 1, 2010) - After four days and seven races at the A-Cat World Championship, Australian Glenn Ashby has built a commanding 26 point lead over the 100 boat field. Randy Smyth (USA) continues his move up the standings, and now sits in 11th position to lead the North American contingent. Racing concludes Friday. -- Complete results: http://www.congregavelisti.it/anno%202010/Risultati%20Worlds%202010.pdf EIGHT BELLS It is with great sadness the International Hobie Class Association announces the passing of Thomas Poulsen Wednesday 2nd June, in Copenhagen. Thomas had been sick with Leukemia, in and out of the hospital, for over one year, and had gone through a bone marrow transplant recently. Thomas was the former President and the longest serving president of the European Hobie Class Association. Former President of the International Hobie Class Association and Life member of the International Hobie Class Association. Member of the now abandoned ISAF Multihull Committee. Thomas Poulsen devoted his life to the multihull class in particular the Hobie Class and the youth sailing. He had a vision on how he saw youth sailing in multihulls. He helped established multihull youth training in his home club in Copenhagen. As the event coordinator for many Hobie worlds he introduced the first youth world championships to the Hobie class. Thomas was more than a politician with a Hobie vision. He had a wonderful sense of humour that could break down his strongest critics. With his infectious smile and laugh he always won the debates. -- Read on: http://www.hobieclass.com/?Page=8656 DEAR CURMUDGEON, I was this morning, and have in the past, wanted to link to a topic in your newsletter. Unfortunately, there's no way to select a single "article." This makes it impossible to link to articles on the sailingscuttlebutt website, as the links must be unique on most social networking sites. I believe if you added a way to have a unique link to each newsletter you'd get more traffic to the site as then social networking sites can link many times to sailingscuttlebut.com, instead of just once, as the only link right now is the root directory (www.sailingscuttlebutt.com). -- Dusty Henry Offutt Dear Dusty: While there is not always a unique Scuttlebutt link to individual stories in each Scuttlebutt newsletter, there is a unique link to each Scuttlebutt newsletter that is published. All the newsletters, dating back to the Scuttlebutt #194 -- October 5, 1998, are indexed in the Archive section of the Scuttlebutt website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archivedMonth.asp?year=2010 NAVTEC HYDRAULICS; THE HEART AND MUSCLE OF WINNERS In the highly competitive Newport Bermuda Race, the leading boats in the Gibbs Lighthouse division chose Navtec race hydraulics. Noonmark V1, Snow Lion, Ran, Bella Mente, Titan XV and Beau Jeste all benefited from controlling sail trim using Navtec's legendary cylinders; the heart and muscle of any Navtec hydraulic system. Ran combined Navtec's M series cylinders with its lightweight rotary pump to achieve a super slick operating system. The M series hydraulics were developed as part of Navtec's America's Cup program. Navtec has equipped all America's Cup winners since 1992. Visit: http://www.navtec.net or become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lewmar.marine PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include going mainstream, getting strong, rubbing elbows, looking good, looking bad, looking brilliant, and dressing well. Here are this week's photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/0702/ SEND US YOUR PHOTOS: If you have images to share for the Photos of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK Since the BMW Oracle Racing team won the 33rd America's Cup in February 2010, they have been busy planning and promoting the next event. This week they were on an east coast swing of the United States which included meeting President Obama at the White House, ringing the NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City's Times Square, television show appearances, and a celebration tour with the trophy in Newport, RI. Here are two videos, one profiling the trip and another profiling the Cup: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/10/0702/ SEND US YOUR VIDEOS: If you have clips to share for the Video of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: 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 Michael H. Koster: In response to David Doody's question (in Scuttlebutt 3125) regarding using ORR (a US Sailing product): "Why shouldn't one of the greatest ocean races in the world be scored under one rule - the rule that most of the world races under?" In one word - politics. * From D. Randy West: (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 3125) Kudos to Scot Kauffman and his updating slower boats to great racing machines. Look what he did for the Swan 44 of S&S design and "Stewart Little", with a new keel and rudder! * From Pat Stadel: (re gybing a spinnaker in Scuttlebutt 3125) Use tapered spin sheets and end-for-end the pole (rather than the dip pole system). This gets rid of all sorts of complications, plus using a continuous spin sheet (instead of two separate ones) also reduces the spaghetti. * From Paul Flemming: (re, Sunscreen for Sailing in Scuttlebutt 3125) Our government has done a lot of research on sunscreen. The important facts are in a report called "The Burning Facts" by the EPA which you can easily "Google". The salient points are: - SPF over 30 is a waste of your money and SPF only measures protection from UVB rays, not cancer causing UVA rays (it is actually illegal in Australia to claim an SPF over 30 for that reason). - The only active sunblock ingredient that provides "extensive protection" from both UVA and UVB rays is zinc oxide. Separately, I happened to be in a dermatologist's office today (Thursday) and an American Academy of Dermatology poster stated that 80 % of skin damage is typically done by the time you are 18 years old. Protect your kids early! In the interests of full disclosure, I am Managing Partner in Z Blok sunscreen which has zinc oxide. So if in doubt read "The Burning Facts" to get the real facts. Here is the link: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/sunscreen.pdf PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT Scuttlebutt World Headquarters will be closed on Monday, July 5th to recover from the events of the Independence Day holiday weekend. In the United States, the Fourth of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. When the holiday falls on a weekend, the adult drinks seem to taste just a tad bit better. The July 4th holiday is also expected to bring record numbers of boaters to the water, and with alcohol on hand for the celebration, the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) has three tips that can help ensure it's also a safe holiday for everyone on the water. - Designated drivers are good - but don't forget the guests. Someone who boats infrequently may not be familiar with wakes, docking, or boarding, which increases their chances of falling overboard. Boat operators need to really ask themselves, how much attention can I devote to watching inebriated guests while trying to safely make my way home. - For the boat's operator, even small amounts of alcohol increase the risk of an accident. The July 4th celebrations mean many boaters will be running at night. The challenge is that small amounts of alcohol lower a boater's ability to discern moving objects, faint lights, and unlit objects on the water, and it also takes very little alcohol to affect a person's night vision. - Sun, wind and waves take their toll. U.S. Coast Guard tests found that an operator who has two beers and four hours of exposure to the elements can be expected to demonstrate the equivalent performance of a rested operator who has had six beers. Full report: http://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=532 CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION This week, with the Fourth of July holiday weekend coming up, a preschool teacher took the opportunity to tell her class about patriotism. "We live in a great country," she said. "One of the things we should be happy is that, in America, we are all free." One little boy came walking up to her from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said. . . . "I'm not free. I'm four." Special thanks to Layline and Lewmar Marine. Preferred supplier list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
