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SCUTTLEBUTT 2445 – October 3, 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 the support of its sponsors. BOB MERRICK: ON WHAT THE OLYMPICS SHOULD BE It has been disheartening to read that the British sailing authority (Royal Yachting Association) is not actively supporting a multihull for the 2012 Olympics. It's also discouraging that they don't support a keelboat discipline. I hope the RYA is as open to changing its position on this issue as US Sailing has been lately. I spent many years of my life struggling to achieve an Olympic goal, and for one reason: because it was clear to me that the Olympic regatta was the absolute pinnacle of the sport of sailboat racing. If that were not the case, it would have been hard to justify spending all of those years in training and living below the poverty line. The Olympic regatta as it stands now is NOT the pinnacle of dinghy sailing alone, nor should it be. The Olympics is the pinnacle of sailing in general. Dinghies, keelboats, multihulls, and boards are all represented. If you have to break sailing down into its most basic disciplines, these four groups achieve the best and most practical balance while leaving room for gender equality and subgroups like single-handed sailing. While dinghies are a large and popular segment of the sport, the RYA's proposal to support as many as six dinghy classes in the Olympics can only take away from the important balance that has elevated the Olympic regatta to the highest level of our sport. What I see in this RYA proposal, and some others, is a proposal to make the Olympics something less than it is right now, and that would be more than unfortunate. The Olympic regatta needs to retain a multihull so that it continues to encompass all of the fundamental disciplines in sailing. If the Olympics became only a dinghy sailing championship, then it would hardly be worth the effort. -- Bob Merrick, 2000 Olympic silver medallist with Paul Foerster in the 470 class ON THE EVE OF THE OLYMPIC TRIALS The US Olympic and Paralympic Trials for all classes (excluding the Yngling) begin this Saturday, October 6th. In the Laser class, there will be thirty-three entrants on the start line, and unless something drastic happens, either Andrew Campbell or Brad Funk will be the US representative when racing is done on October 14th. Here are reports this week from both sailors: * Brad Funk: “I arrived in Newport three weeks ago. Aussie Tom Slingsby, the world’s #1-ranked Laser sailor and current world champion, had agreed to train with me, as had Canadian Bernard Luttmer who is currently ranked 15th. Sailing out of Third Beach in Newport where the trials will be held, we accomplished quite a lot in the two and a half weeks of training. We were able to sail almost every day in a wonderful range of the local conditions we can expect next week. A typical day would include an hour and a half training bike ride and an equal amount of time in the gym not to mention three hours in the boats. Today, I have a better appreciation for how and why Tommy dominated the Laser class last year and why Bernard is not far behind.” -- http://tinyurl.com/yqlpdb * Andrew Campbell: "With four weeks of solid training completed here in Middletown, Rhode Island, I’ll be laying fairly low this last week before our trials starts. All the sailing that could have been done, has been done. The techniques have been tried and tested. Endurance has been improved in the gym and on the water. Boat-on-boat scenarios have been practiced ad nausea. Old and worn parts and lines have been replaced with new ones. The anticipated rest of the next few days will be more helpful than trying to learn new tricks. Sailing conditions have been fantastic overall, nothing like China will be, but fantastic. The temperature is starting to meander into the fifties at night and sixties during the day, and with the official beginning of fall last week, the trees are desperately hanging on to their drying leaves." -- http://tinyurl.com/yul2bw FREE HARKEN WALL CALENDAR FOR ‘07 Purchase $100 of Harken products from the Harken Store to get the new Harken Ultimate Sailing Calendar by Sharon Green. Action packed photographs provide 365 days of pure sailing pleasure: a wild ride aboard Harken Equipped ABN AMRO, a skiff’s bowsprit pointed skyward, Windquest streaking down the Molokai Channel. The perfect place for logging your favorite weekend regattas and must-see races: the Velux 5-Oceans, Sydney-Hobart, Key West, and America’s Cup. Stop by the Harken both (17 & 18) at the Annapolis Boat Show October 4-8 for yours! http://www.harkenstore.com/uniface.urd/scwlcmw1.showPage * If you’re at the show on Thursday, October 4th, come by to meet Scuttlebutt publisher Craig Leweck at the Harken Yacht Equipment booth from 2-4pm, where he will have hard copies of Scuttlebutt to hand out, and exciting news to share. ‘BUTTHEAD SURVEY REVEALS… Simon Daubney, genoa trimmer for the defender Alinghi, tested positive for a banned substance during the 32nd America’s Cup. Following the jury hearing, and based on the evidence presented, it was found that he did not knowingly take the substance, and that Daubney bears no fault or negligence with regard to its presence in his system. The survey question asked how much consideration should a positive result from a drug test be given when a sailor is suspected of a doping violation, and the risk of sanctions by the sport exist (first violation is two years ineligibility)? On a scale of 1 to 5, the 'buttheads consider that the drug test deserved to be: 1 - Hardly considered - 9.55% 2 - Evenly considered along with other evidence - 35.00% 3 - Strongly considered; more so than other evidence - 20.00% 4 - Primarily considered; other evidence is a distant second - 15.91% 5 - Completely considered; the individual is guilty - 19.55% Here are some of the comments provided: * While the possibility of a "spiked" drink exists, it would be wise for a person who has aroused the ire of some of the nutcases in the world to take reasonable precautions to avoid this. On the other hand, there is almost no way that "spike" food - at least in a restaurant - could be avoided. At a time when I was subject to doping contro, I was advised to avoid all dietary supplements since it was highly uncertain what they actually contained. -- Hugh Elliot (former member of the US Disabled Sailing Team) * It should come as no surprise to professional athletes that they will be tested for banned substances and, if found using, will likely face some type of sanctions. At the very least, they will be publicly flogged and their ability to be on a team at the highest level will be hampered. Consider almost any employee in the private sector today that works with machinery or dangerous materials. They are tested regularly and if found using, they are fired. In this case, it’s not that they can’t go sailing, it's that they can't earn a living in a field they may have spent many years training to work in. It's time for the lax attitude toward drug usage to end. * I have had a drink of mine spiked. I would hate to think something like that could effect one’s career. -- Read all the comments at: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/07/1001 WIZARDRY FROM THE LEFT COAST Like the Lido 14 Class in which he has enjoyed so much success, Mark Gaudio is a product and fixture of the Newport Beach, Calif., racing scene. Both the boat--designed by Barney Lehman and Bill Schock--and the sailor turned 50 this year, so it was only fitting that when the class held its anniversary championship at Newport Harbor YC last August, Gaudio was the winner. It was Gaudio's fourth time winning the event in the past eight years and his second major victory in as many weeks; he took top honors at the Cal 20 North American Championships the weekend before. Gaudio permeates small boat racing in Southern California. He runs Vanguard Sailing Center of Southern California, coaches junior racing teams at Coronado YC and Alamitos Bay YC, holds racing clinics throughout the region, and, in addition to Lido 14s and Cal 20s, races Lasers, Naples Sabots, and Harbor 20s. He's a charismatic advocate for the sport and a generous teacher, but also a fierce competitor who's not afraid to play hardball. At the 2007 Lido 14 Class Championship, Gaudio had no qualms about blowing the whistle on a competitor who was racing with an illegal transom. On lessons learned at the event, Gaudio replies, “You know what I learned, or should I say, relearned? The Holy Grail is still getting your bow out and hitting the first shift. I tell the kids that: Don't worry about your equipment. What matters most is getting your bow out and hitting the first shift.” -- Sailing World, complete interview: http://tinyurl.com/yq8z39 SAILING SHORTS * Eastport Yacht Club and the Annapolis Maritime Museum are teaming up to produce the first annual EYC Boat Show Bash on Saturday, October 6, from 5-11pm at the Eastport Yacht Club on First Street in Eastport. Proceeds will benefit the Museum and the Eastport Yacht Club Foundation. Entertainment includes three bands, food, soft drinks, beer, wine and Mount Gay Rum drinks, and a Raffle Extraordinare with over $8,000 in prizes including bareboat charters and a kayak. Complete details at http://www.eycbash.com * Jack Gierhart joins Penfield Marketing as Managing Director and will be responsible for expanding the company’s sailing and other marine business. Gierhart brings more than 20 years of marine and luxury marketing experience to Penfield, with prior associations including Nautor’s Swan USA and US SAILING. Headquartered in Westport, CT, Penfield Marketing Group is a lifestyle marketing firm that specializes in sports, recreational products, travel and luxury. Gierhart will be based out of their new office in New Bedford, MA. -- http://www.penfieldmarketing.com * Now Playing on T2P.TV is the Belle Haven Challenge Cup, where sailors and guests competed aboard vintage 12 Meters on Long Island Sound to raise funds for Shake-A-Leg. Also showing is the BIG Team Regatta which has DC area companies racing J/80s in support of the National Maritime Heritage Foundation’s Kids Set Sail program. -- http://www.t2p.tv * With over 120 boats competing over two weekends the American YC Fall Series finished this past weekend with John Brim's newly launched Reichel-Pugh 55 Rima2 winning Class 1 and the best performance in IRC. John Hele's Daring won the closely contested 11 boat Swan 42 fleet. Stephen DeVoe's Swan 45 Devocean won IRC class 2 and the overall Spring and Fall best performance. For complete results of all 14 divisions: http://tinyurl.com/29kbcb * Portsmouth, R.I. (October 2, 2007) - US Sailing and Mount Gay Rum have announced that they have extended their partnership through 2009. The partnership centers around the US Sailing Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series, but also includes other US Sailing events such as the National Sailing Programs Symposium, the One-Design Sailing Symposium, and the organization's Annual Meeting. The partnership between US Sailing and Mount Gay Rum began in 2005. -- Full announcement: http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2007/mountgayrum.asp DISCOVER The ultimate combination of performance, comfort and style. Introducing the versatile Numbers Softshell from Atlantis. Developed in partnership with the Numbers team for the hottest new boat on the planet, this hybrid mid/outer layer pullover is made from the finest softshell fabric with a bonded microfleece backing and welded seams. It stretches, breathes, disperses moisture, and blocks both wind and water so you stay warm and dry in a wide range of conditions. Availability is limited. Try one on at the Landfall booth (Tent C42) at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, and order one quick because once they're gone. http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com 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 Bob White: First, I would like to congratulate Tomas Hornos and his crew on their victory in the Snipe Internationals. That is an awesome accomplishment. I must comment on your Issue #2443 that said he was the youngest skipper, at age 19, to do so. In 1945, myself with my twin sister, Betty, won the Snipe Internationals at age 17 when the event was held on Chicago's Lake Michigan. We were also the first brother and sister to win the championship. I do not believe any foreign skippers were racing. The races did have notable Snipe skippers, such as Ted Wells, racing. * From Antonio Vettese - editor Vela e Motore: Considering that cocaine and cannabis doesn't really help the sailors for better performances, I think that we can post an ethic judgment as we have to admit that there is no increase in speed for Alinghi. Since sport is always a "sublimation" of life and we can see "heroes" in our sailor, the ethic judgment is far heavier. In Valencia the rumor of some grinders increasing power with steroids was strong but not proved at the moment. The search for speed and help from stress with drugs, in my opinion, is a weakness in personality but is in any case the result of this way of living sports. The way Alinghi and AC Management wanted. More money, more pressure, more show. Sailing was still a happy island from this point of view. In any case Alinghi has a responsibility in the process of globalization: they strongly wanted sailing to be closer to F1, soccer and other sport with a higher rate of corruption. That is not a plus, that is a lack of value. * From John Roberson: I am hugely relieved that the America's Cup jury has absolved the legendary Simon Daubney of any wrong doing in the recently heard drugs case. I've had the good fortune to know "Daubs" for about 25 years, and he has always been a great ambassador for our sport. He's a regular guy who does his job with a passion, and has always been an example that young people coming into the sport could follow. I never did believe he was guilty, and I'm delighted that the often maligned Cup jury recognized that this was a scenario that just didn't have any credibility. I look forward to seeing him back on the end of a headsail sheet doing what he's the best in the world at doing. * From Mike Levesque: As some of your readers have suggested, the answer lies not with the PRO, but with the sailors. Barring other issues (weather, mark boat and volunteer availability, etc.), the best PROs base this decision entirely on what the sailors want. As a racing sailor (of Hobie 16s), I want to race as many 50-minute races as possible in a day, and be back on the beach by 5:00 to clean up for dinner (or 2:00 on Sunday). Most Hobie sailors feel that way, so that’s how I run Hobie regattas as a PRO. When I work regattas for other boats, the first thing I do is ask the host club what the sailors want. If they want 3, 90-minute races, that’s what they get. There are really only three things you need to ask: What time do we start? What time do you want to be back on the beach? How long do you want each race to last? You also have to factor in how long will it take the boats to sail to/from the racing area, how cold is it, etc. I find that the interesting debates come when you talk to the sailors afterwards. Sometimes, you can run five races that take less time on the water than four races, but some sailors feel they’ve worked harder. Same thing when you run a two-lap race vs. a three-lap race that takes the same time, they don’t always notice that you’ve reduced the distance to weather… * From Ron Barr and Sue Sproule, Hamilton, Ontario: In answer to Bill Heintz ’s question “are there too many races a day”. Yes, we would have to agree with Bill. We attended three regattas this year where there were two races on Saturday and one race on Sunday. All of the races were a reasonable length. We found this very civilized and a fair competition for all. There is another point, though. A fall-out of trying to schedule too many races in a day occurs when a race committee shortens a race because they want to get another race in. This has happened to us a number of times in the last few years. In at least one case, the race we were doing was shortened and by the time everything was set up again there was not enough wind to get a subsequent race in. Outside of conditions in which continuing to race is dangerous or where there have been procedural problems, the race committee that shortens a race opens themselves up to accusations of bias. The RC has set the course to the best of their ability at the time, so let the racers sail it! Who cares if you don’t get another race in that day? Let us finish the one in which we have already invested our time and energy. (This also applies to wind shifts. A wind shift is not ‘unfair’. It is part of sailboat racing, and should not be a reason to shorten or abandon a race. See America’s Cup race 7.) => Curmudgeon’s Comment: I am wondering if opinions regarding the number of races are affected by the travel time to the venue. For events at our local home club, we might be more apt to want more races. But by traveling a few hours or so, does the racing become only part of the equation, and enjoying the venue, local restaurants and watering holes require more emphasis? Comments… CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “You'll never have all the information you need to make a decision. If you did, it would be a foregone conclusion, not a decision.” - David Mahoney, philosopher Special thanks to Harken Yacht Equipment and Atlantis WeatherGear. |
