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SCUTTLEBUTT 3224 - Friday, November 19, 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: The Pirates Lair and Team One Newport. TAKE ME AROUND THE WORLD The three most prominent international events for sailing are the America’s Cup, the Olympics, and the Volvo Ocean Race. And each of them is asking themselves the same question: How can we improve the manner in which we are produced for television? With no stadium to fill and no tickets to sell, the escalating commercialization of these three events needs the online and television audience to connect with its sponsors. And the urgency for this to happen has never been greater. While these three events want to increase their audience, Scuttlebutt was curious what the audience wanted. So we asked, given the choice of the three events, “Which sailing show would you watch?” While the poll result was revealing, we found the comments to be more so, and were glad that we did not offer the option “none of the above”. Televised sailing events in North America have a history of producing only its championship events, they do it with mixed effectiveness, and then are disappointed with the small audience. But getting an audience is all about building an audience. In short, sailing needs to show the regular season before it shows the play-offs. So what surprised us with the final poll results? While the Olympics finished third, it was a close third. Considering that this event has mightily struggled in past televised efforts, the interest among the voters was encouraging. But the greatest take away was how nearly half of the respondents wanted to watch the Volvo Ocean Race above all. Here are a couple comments: “Volvo Ocean Race offers more to the viewer than just sailboat racing. Offshore for extended periods of time offer a sense of’ 'man against the elements’, deprivation of the society comforts, relationship and psychological issues, and hopefully some extreme, on the edge sailing conditions.” “Talk about a true reality show, this is it. It has a continuous story line, and the event certainly has the infrastructure to carry it out. I could certainly see something like this competing against ‘The Deadliest Catch’ and some of the other more popular reality survivalist programs that are out there. It has every aspect that today’s programming requires. It has team work, speed, harsh conditions, and high tech sailing yachts along with some very interesting characters.” Understandably, the Volvo Ocean Race organizational team is thrilled with this result, partly because the comments are much in line with their plans... which they promised to share soon with Scuttlebutt. Poll result and comments: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/10/1116/ THE OTHER SHOE BOAT Here is an update on the Valencia Sailing website from Kevin Shoebridge, COO of Team Camper, one of the seven teams that have already confirmed to be on the start line for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. This team is managed by Emirates Team New Zealand and bankrolled by Spanish footwear company Camper. * Can you give us an update on the Camper Volvo Ocean Race campaign? KEVIN SHOEBRIDGE: We are well advanced with our design and build program in Auckland. In fact as of last week we have a completed hull and a completed deck. The build is done at Cookson Boats which built all our boats. They built the TP52 and about 8 America's Cup yachts. We are really happy with how it's going, we are right on schedule, and the launch should take place around mid-April. Don't forget that the VO70's are very complicated yachts and there is a huge amount of work required on the design front to keep up with the build. That's where are pretty much focused on right now, to make sure Cookson have enough information so that the build is carried out on schedule. * Is building a VO70 much more complicated than building an ACC Version 5 yacht? KEVIN SHOEBRIDGE: Absolutely. There's nearly twice as many hours of construction than an ACC boat. They are very complex yachts. * What schedule does the team have after the launch next April? Will you come to Spain? KEVIN SHOEBRIDGE: We are still deciding exactly how that will play out. Our sea trials and the initial testing period will obviously take place in Auckland. We are still debating on a few things such as the Fastnet Race and that would slightly alter our program, leading into the assembly period in Alicante. We are still not decided on the exact schedule and it will also depend to some extent on what the other teams do. The racing aspects are important, just as the testing. * You have announced Chris Nicholson as the skipper, Adam Minoprio and Chuny Bermudez. When will you announce the rest of the crew? KEVIN SHOEBRIDGE: We will make an official announcement on December 15th. All the positions are filled on the sailing team and the shore team and the crew consists of New Zealanders and a few Australians, with the exception of Chuny Bermudez, of course. There will be no other Spanish sailors in the crew. Full interview: http://tinyurl.com/VS-111810 NOOD, MOUNT GAY RUM, AND ULTIMATE SAILING All HUGE names in sailing with gear for sale at The Pirates Lair right now. Log on to get blowout deals on Newport-Ensenada, The Border Run and other event names as well as great holiday stocking stuffers! To outfit your regatta, call 888-724-5286 or online at http://www.pirateslair.com/SFNT.html FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY will host the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Match Racing National Championship on November 19-21. This is the first year for the match race format, which had previously been held as a fleet racing event. “With the recent inclusion of match racing in the Olympics, the popularity of the World Match Racing Tour and the growth of match racing events around the country, it is fitting that college sailors finally have the opportunity to compete one against one,” noted coach and match race champion Dave Perry. The championship will be held in Sonars, and there will be live streaming video of the racing plus commentary from Dawn Riley, Bill Hardesty and Paul Cuneo. The ten teams that have qualified to attend from the seven ICSA districts are: School, Skipper University of Minnesota, Matthew Thompson Tulane University, Patrick Ryan College Of Charleston, Jackson Benvenutti, University Of Washington, Glen Stellmacher Boston College, Taylor Canfield University of Wisconsin, Phillip Morley Brown University, Mark Towill Cal Maritime University, Dillon Lancaster Kings Point, Chris Herring St. Marys College Of Maryland, Michael Menninger. Details here: http://www.collegematchrace.com/ SAIL MAGAZINE’S BEST BOATS FOR 2011 The business maxim that you have to innovate your way out of a recession seems to have been taken to heart by boatbuilders. After a comparatively small field of new boats in 2009, this year's boat shows were crammed with talent. There was genuine innovation, a great degree of variety, and a good many excellent examples of the art of boat design and building. Our judges' task was harder than it has been for some years, but by the end of the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD we had sailed and pored over enough boats to arrive at a consensus. So without further ado, the recipients of the 2011 Best Boats awards are... Flagship Monohull: Southerly 57RS Most Innovative System: Beneteau Sense 50 Flagship Multihull: Gunboat 66 Deck and Cockpit: J/111 The Green Award: Hunter 27e Daysailer: C.W. Hood 32 Performance, 30ft+: Beneteau First 30 Cruising Monohull Under 50ft Presto 30 Best Dinghy: Topaz TAZ Performance, 30ft and Under: X-Treme 25 Most Innovative Rig: Radical Bay 8000 Cruising Multihull + Accommodations: Discovery 50 Details: http://sailmagazine.com/boat-reviews/best-boats/best_boats_2011/ ITALIANS ARE LATEST VICTIM Dubai, UAE (November 18, 2010) - On the fifth day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai, where four of the teams managed one win apiece in their two race match ups, the Mascalzone Latino Audi Team failed to grab a point in their two races against BMW Oracle Racing. Said MLA skipper Gavin Brady (NZL), “It wasn’t a very good day to close the Round Robin; it wasn’t the way we wanted to end it. We got a little bit behind on the shifts in the first leg in both races and we managed to keep it close but in a 30-minute race you only get two passing lanes, if you’re lucky. We got really close, we put a lot of pressure on them but their crew work and tactics held up.” With just one match remaining in the first round robin, BMW Oracle Racing is in an unassailable position at the top of the leaderboard. Only Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand have a chance to improve their standing, racing tomorrow (Friday) in the final match of the first round robin. A victory for Artemis would see them overhaul the Kiwis to take over second place. Racing in round robin two will begin following the ETNZ vs Artemis match. In the second phase of the regatta, each team will sail the other just one time, but a victory is worth two points. The top four teams at the conclusion of round robin two will advance to the semi final. Current standings (Team, Country, Helm, Tactician) 1. BMW Oracle Racing (USA), James Spithill/John Kostecki, 9-1, 9 pt 2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Dean Barker/Ray Davies, 5-4, 4.5 pt* 3. Artemis (SWE), Cameron Appleton/Iain Percy, 4-5, 4 pt 3. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), Francesco Bruni/Rod Dawson, 4-6, 4 pt 3. ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), Sebastien Col/John Cutler, 4-6, 4 pt 6. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team (ITA), Gavin Brady/Morgan Larson, 3-7, 2 pt* * Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires LIVE COVERAGE: ESPN3, the online member of the ESPN sports network, will be airing live the final three days (November 25-27) of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai. Show time on the website is listed at 3:30 am ET. - http://espn.go.com/espn3/ BACKGROUND: The Louis Vuitton Trophy series was designed to be a cost-effective format for match racing competition in Version 5 America's Cup Class boats. Racing will continue to the November 27th. The event website will have live streaming coverage with VirtualEye for the entire regatta, with video highlights after racing. Look for enhanced live coverage of the final days of racing. Event website: http://www.louisvuittontrophy.com/home/ FREE KAENON TEE SHIRT OR HAT Team One Newport is partnering with Kaenon for a Holiday Special! Purchase any pair of Kaenon Sunglasses and get a free Kaenon Tee Shirt or Hat plus Free Shipping! Visit http://www.team1newport.com/products.asp?dept=114 to take advantage of this fantastic deal. While on our website, glance at our Henri-Lloyd & Gill Holiday Specials, too. Just in case you haven't already heard, we are offering FREE Ground Shipping on any orders over $150. Team One Newport is world renowned for its service, selection and expertise! Call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327), Follow us @ http://twitter.com/teamonenewport or Click http://www.team1newport.com today! ARE YOU A ‘TRANSUMER’? By Wanda Kenton Smith, Soundings National Marine Manufacturers Association vice president and chief marketing officer Carl Blackwell shares a definition of "transumerism” from trendwatching.com: "Transumers are consumers driven by experiences, by entertainment, by discovery, by fighting boredom, who increasingly live a transient lifestyle, freeing themselves from the hassles of permanent ownership and possessions. The fixed is replaced by an obsession with the here and now, an ever-shorter satisfaction span and a lust to collect as many experiences and stories as possible. Transumers are driven more by experiences rather than the desire to own." Several years ago, when I was part of the marketing launch team of SailTime - the sailing industry fractional sale ownership organization - I got my first real glimpse of this yet-unnamed trend. I saw firsthand how many veteran sailors and newcomers alike wanted the no-hassle approach to boating at an affordable price. I believe transumerism represents a very real and important mindset shift that has been developing during the last decade. Blackwell was quick to clarify that this definition doesn't conclude that transumers aren't candidates for boating purchases. "It means that ownership alone is not enough," he wrote. "Consumers today want to own AND experience," he wrote. I agree wholeheartedly. As an industry, it's critical that we recognize the power of the boating experience rather than simply try to sell the boat. People don't buy fiberglass; they buy the places and the people and the things they can do and the feelings they experience. We should seek sales and marketing platforms that will allow people to enjoy firsthand what boating uniquely offers. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/Soundings-111810 SAILING SHORTS * Perth, Australia (November 18, 2010) - Good performances in moderate but shifty breezes on the third day of the Perth International Regatta have seen Australian sailors taking the overall lead in three of the eight Olympic class events racing today. After the three races in the morning for 49ers, Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have a ten point overall lead from Chris Draper and Peter Greenhalgh from Great Britain. Emmanuel Dyen and Stephane Christidis (FRA) are in third position. -- Full story: http://www.sailing.org/34740.php * The Barcelona World Race, the double-handed, non-stop, race around the world in Open 60s, will commence on December 31st, with 15 entries set to take the starting line. The course is from Barcelona to Barcelona via three capes: Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, Cook Strait, putting Antarctica to starboard. This will be the second edition of the race, with the inaugural event held in 2007-8 boasting nine boats with 18 skippers France, Spain, UK, Australia, USA, Ireland, and Switzerland. -- Race website: http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com/en/ * Antigua’s third annual Ocean Series of races will be run in tandem with Antigua Sailing Week 2011 (April 24-29). Yachts can enter both the Ocean Series and Antigua Sailing Week, or either one of these events. The Series consists of three offshore or coastal races ideally suited for ocean-going yachts that revel in Antigua’s trade wind conditions. The main objective for the 2011 Ocean Series is to provide fabulous racing on courses of suitable length that give the adrenalin rush of blasting through the Caribbean at high speed. -- Full report: http://www.sailingweek.com/v3/news.php?id=132 EIGHT BELLS Britton Chance (born July 24, 1913), who won a gold medal for the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in the 5½ Meter Class alongside Edgar White and Sumner White, died early in the morning of November 16th at the age of 97. His wife Shoko Nioka was at his side. Brit lived a storied life beyond sailing in science and engineering, and had a long association with the University of Pennsylvania. In the fifties he started and became Chair of the Department of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry to open the Johnson Foundation to graduate student training. His work has been honored in many ways, including his receipt of the National Medal of Science in 1974. Brit “retired” to become emeritus in the early eighties but never stopped his research initiatives to expand his field. -- http://www.voy.com/221392/47636.html PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include boats flying, camel jockeys, dock sailing, sunset sailing, Dennis Conner’s latest venture, women’s skiff, and skill building. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/10/1119/ 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 Held for the past 24 years in North Sound, Virgin Gorda, BVI, the Bitter End Yacht Club Pro Am Regatta dished up all the major food groups of a great event: perfect weather, warm water, good winds, and better company. The format of hotel guests competing alongside professional sailors on the water, and then socializing with them ashore, has over the years proven popular for both groups. These videos were taken by one of the guests during the Scuttlebutt "State of the Sport" Discussion that was moderated by Scuttlebutt founder Tom Leweck and included America's Cuppers Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts, Volvo Ocean Racer Ken Read, and Olympian medalists Zach Railey & Anna Tunnicliffe. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/10/1119/ BONUS 1: If you have never seen a spinnaker pole spear through the side of a hull, then this video is ‘Must See TV’. Taken during the Louis Vuitton Trophy event in Dubai: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0zA-xHJdgU BONUS 2: The outlook is bright for the multihull to return to the Olympic Games in 2016 as a mixed event. Talk about the best of both worlds. You get to train in a really fun boat, and the parties are mixed events too. Come on board the Tornado multihull with 2010 World Champions Roland Gaebler and his wife Nahid Gaebler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwmcZNUnFcM BONUS 3: “We just organized a regatta in Newport, RI for our friend who is running a Paralympic campaign in the 2.4mR class. We built giant pumpkins out of fiberglass and raced them around a course! It was a huge success and we are planning to do something similar in the Caribbean this winter - maybe giant coconuts!” - Kirsty Morrison. Full report and video link here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10834 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 CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “People are always asking couples whose marriages have endured at least a quarter of a century for their secret for success. Actually, it is no secret at all. I am a forgiving woman. Long ago, I forgave my husband for not being Paul Newman.” - Erma Bombeck SPONSORS THIS WEEK Ultimate Sailing - Interlux - Summit Yachts - North Sails Ocean Racing - Doyle Sails - Atlantis WeatherGear - Lewmar Ullman Sails - Harken - The Pirates Lair - Team One Newport Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
