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SCUTTLEBUTT 3482 - Monday, December 5, 2011Scuttlebutt 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: Ultimate Sailing and Summit Yachts. IS IT TIME FOR A NEW STANDARD? Trapeze harness entanglement is a known cause for drowning or near death events in sailing. In the U.S., the drownings of a 420 crew this past summer and an 18 footer crew in 2008 were attributed to the trapeze harness. And when Scuttlebutt spoke to several elite skiff sailors, they believe harness accidents are far more common than is publicized. Skiff champion and designer Julian Bethwaite was so motivated by a personal experience to seek a solution. Here are his comments: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I designed a quick release harness, and used it for about three years. On that harness the hook comes detached when you pull a string. We were about to go into production, had the dies ordered, but then I loaned the harness to a sailor on Lake Garda and learned he had taped the hook so that it wouldn't come off. Such an adjustment rendered the harness pointless, so I realized that this was not a sufficient solution if people were going to defeat this feature. So then we went looking for ideas that couldn't be manipulated. We tried maybe 20 different options until we settled on the ball option. We also tried a hook on the wire and a ring on the harness, and that worked quite well. But we found the ball design to meet our goal, and while we make them, it is not a product we actively market, partly due to confusion with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) which requires a removable hook, and obviously our harness doesn't have a hook. (ISO 10862:2009 specifies requirements and test methods for quick release devices as a component of the small sailing-craft trapeze system worn whilst afloat. The quick release device is intended to quickly release the wearer from entrapment and minimize the risk of drowning in the event of a failure to release from the sailing-craft trapeze system by other means. The quick release device is intended to be easily accessible and operated in all conditions that might occur whilst in use, including when a craft is capsized or inverted.) There are no standards from ISAF on harness design, so we probably sell a hundred of the harnesses a year. It is a good solution, it works, though it does take a little practice to adjust to it. We are looking at some new tooling to improve it, which I believe to be the ninth revision. I think the 49er took that many revisions to get it right, so maybe we are there with the harness too. But certainly the ball system we use offers a far lesser chance of entrapment. Beyond harness design, the other contributing factor is the rigging. Think about all the lines in the boat. The big issue now is that spectra lines float whereas the older ropes would sink. We used to have wire for the trapeze wires, and they would sink, but now the spectra trapeze wires float. The spinnaker halyard floats, which is why in the 29er we have mandated that you have to have a spinnaker halyard gobbler so that the chance of entrapment by a loose halyard on the floor of the boat are significantly reduced. So with an overturned boat, these new lines are all floating. And the hook on the trapeze harness is designed to hook on things. Unfortunately, people are still very slow to change their mind, to consider other systems. The current fixed hook system on the trapeze harness is what we all have grown up with, so perhaps the thinking is that if it was good enough for us, it is good enough for our kids. But as the sport becomes more popular, I am thinking that this notion is incorrect. Bethwaite harness: http://tinyurl.com/Harness-120411 Quick release harness: http://www.apsltd.com/c-3825-trapeze-harnesses.aspx ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It's standard for the 18 footer class to not require PFDs to be worn as they are found to contribute to entrapment after capsizing. And some experts contend the crew on trapeze boats should always carry a knife as a safety measure for entanglement. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently seeking comment regarding the need for approvals of Inflatable PFDs for children ages 13-16; the age between when they are mandated to wear a PFD as per U. S. Coast Guard Regulations and when they can legally wear an Inflatable PFD. Comments are to be posted here: http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=USCG-2011-0076-0006 PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES When the mast on PUMA Ocean Racing failed on Monday, November 21 in the southern Atlantic Ocean, sailing under jury rig to Cape Town was going to take too long. Less than 700 nautical miles away was the small island of Tristan da Cunha, and for five days this would be their home as they waited for help to arrive. Help came on Friday (Dec. 2) when PUMA's Mar Mostro successfully got the boat loaded on the container ship TEAM BREMEN and departed Tristan da Cunha for Cape Town. Also in transit was their 30-metre spare mast, which on Saturday made it to the team base after a journey that took it from the United States to Cape Town via Luxembourg, Amsterdam and Johannesburg. With the boat not due to arrive until December 6 and the Cape Town In-Port Race set for December 10 the tight timeframe is still a major cause for concern. "How tight is it going to be," asked PUMA general manager Kimo Worthington. "It's going to be weather dependent. Last time in Cape Town it blew 50 knots for four days and that shut the place down. "We'll hopefully get the boat in on Tuesday night, we'll unload it, bring it over here, and then pull the boat put of the water," he said. "We'll hopefully get the rig in on Thursday, sea trial on Thursday and then let Kenny and Brad Jackson and the sailors make the plan. We're still trying to win a race here, not just compete. "It's not just a case of throw the mast in and go. If you start rushing around too much you make more mistakes and we can't afford those at this point. And the guys have to see the families a little bit - it's been a long month already." -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/PUMA-120411 * Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 began with one of the most dramatic first nights in the race's 38-year history and continued in epic mode on the way to the finish in Cape Town. A 52-minute video documentary and written review provide a recap of the first leg: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-120411 * Live coverage of the Cape Town In-Port Race on Saturday, December 10 is at 1300 GMT and the start of Leg 2 to Abu Dhabi is the following day at the same time. Follow the action at http://new.livestream.com/volvooceanrace Overall Standings (In-Port 1 and Leg 1) 1. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), 31 points 2. CAMPER (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 29 3. Groupama (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), 22 4. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), 6 5. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), 5 6. Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), 3 Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world's most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com NAUTI AND NICE: SAILORS LOVE ULTIMATE SAILING Making a list, checking it twice? For the goody-two-shoes on your holiday shopping list, what could be better than an Earth-friendly recycled shopping bag stuffed to the brim with treasures from ULTIMATE SAILING? Fill our 'Ultimate Green' reusable tote with the 2012 edition of the Ultimate Sailing Calendar and one of our stylish yet functional tops. Choose from the colorful Technical T; ž-zip quick-dry Performance T; or Hydro-zip base-layer. Finish it off with our customized ULTIMATE SAILING cap featuring built-in retractable tether, and your holiday shopping is in the bag - ALL FOR $100 OR LESS! For goodness sake: visit http://www.ultimatesailing.com FICKLE WINDS WELCOME ISAF WORLDS Perth, Australia (December 4, 2011) - The weekend saw the opening of the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, where the Women's Match Race event got the event started in the stadium-like arena in Fremantle's Inner Harbour. And while the venue was awesome for spectators, it proved to be a challenge for the wind gods. Despite difficult conditions and shifty winds as the day progressed, world number one Anna Tunnicliffe (USA-1) sailed true to form, leading her team to win three of three on Saturday. "It was extremely tricky, the wind was very very shifty but it provided interesting conditions and kept you on your game," Tunnicliffe said. Twenty-nine teams are competing, representing 20 countries. Teams are divided in A and B fleets, with Tunnicliffe leading the A group on Saturday. Conditions proved more puzzling on Sunday for the B group, where Genny Tulloch (USA-2) won their lone race of the day. "It was a hard day, we had to stay mentally prepared all day, and that's the way it is in light air and shifty venues." Racing continues on Monday in Women's Match Racing with Women's RS:X, Laser Radial, Finn and Men's 470 classes also beginning their series. -- Event website: http://www.perth2011.com CANADA: A top 10 finish in Perth qualifies a competitor to represent Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games. Furthermore, for the Laser/Radial classes, if a top ten is not achieved, the scores are carried over to the final trial stage at Miami OCR. The 'Canuck' presence in Perth is the third largest contingent of the 78 nations in attendance. Host country Australia leads the entry charge followed by Great Britain. -- Full report: http://www.sailing.ca/features/canadian_dreams_begin_in_perth BACKGROUND: The ISAF Sailing World Championships are held every four years, bringing together the Olympic class organization to host their most prestigious event. The 2011 edition will see over 1,100 sailors from 78 nations coming to Perth, Australia to compete in their class World titles and to qualify their nations for the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. OVER TWO DAYS FASTER (December 4, 2011; Day 13 - 22:45:00 UTC) - Loick Peyron (FRA) and his team on the 131-foot maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V today passed the Cape of Good Hope on their attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy - the non-stop circumnavigation record. After 11 days 21 hours 48 minutes and 18 seconds since leaving Ushant, Maxi Banque Populaire V crossed the Cape of Good Hope, getting to the end of the second intermediate segment in the Jules Verne Trophy and at the same time shattering the time previously set. They have set the fastest time to the equator, and now the fastest time to the first of three Capes. "This record is almost indecent, remarked Peyron. "A few decades ago, twelve days was the time set by Charlie Barr to cross the Atlantic, a record he held for a long time. And today, it is almost the time it took us to get to the Southern Africa. However, we should not forget that we are sailing on an extraordinary machine. Banque Populaire is an amazing tool that uses the intelligence of men and the work of a team. What we have just achieved would not have been possible three years ago. We had to optimize the boat and earn on an incredible experience." Now sailing in the Indian Ocean, the Maxi Banque Populaire V is faced with a difficult sea requiring the sailors to slow down a little bit. The instructions given by the skipper are clear: we do not exceed 30 knots! "We finally jibed and are now sailing on starboard," remarked helm/trimmer Brian Thompson (GBR). "We had not made a maneuver since the Canaries, which is also a record! The sea is very rough and we have to fight at the helm to slow the boat down as it is very intense for her right now. We are going along a front and should be arriving around the Kerguelen Islands by Tuesday night." Peyron's team is now 1,769.50 nm - over two days - ahead of the record of 48 days 7 hours 44 minutes 52 seconds set by Franck Cammas on the 103-foot Groupama 3 in 2010. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/BP-120411 Tracking: http://tinyurl.com/PB-Tracking-2011-12 Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/VoileBanquePop SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar SAILING SHORTS * St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. (December 4, 2011) - (December 4, 2011) - For the first year that the Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR) became an open event, Finland's Staffan Lindberg and USA's Sally Barkow would meet in the Finals. Lindberg lost to Barkow in the first race of the Finals and came back to win the next three and the championship. The USVI's Taylor Canfield won the Petite Final 2-0 over the USA's Dave Perry, thus each skipper finished third and fourth, respectively. This four-day Grade 2 match race was sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s. Daily reports here: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12855 * The release last week in San Francisco of the 1,612-page environmental impact report provides a final look at how people will live and get around, on- and off-shore, during the competition in 2012 and 2013. The report noted that the America's Cup World Series events will run from Aug. 11 to 19 and Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, with the Youth America's Cup Series taking place in between. The Challenger Series will begin July 4, 2013 with America's Cup match culminating the summer's racing in a best-of-nine series Sept. 7 to 22. Read more: http://tinyurl.com/SFChron-120411 * Ft. Lauderdale, FL (December 4, 2011) - After three days and eight races, Steve Howe aboard Warpath, alongside of tactician Morgan Larson and crewmembers Jeff Reynolds, Warwick Fleury, Zack Maxum, Mark Towill, James Maloney and Tim Klein, have been crowned 2011 Melges 32 Gold Cup Champions. For Howe, who won four of the races, this is his first major win in the Melges 32 Class. Eighteen teams competed, with Ryan DeVos (Ed Baird tactician) on Volpe and Joe Woods (Geoff Carveth tactician) on Red finishing in second and third, respectively. -- Full report: http://www.melges32.com/?p=news&id=841 TIME TO START DREAMING OF 2012 Winter is just starting, but thoughts of spring sailing can't be far off. Strictly Sail Chicago will be running from January 26-29, and Summit Yachts will be there. Come and speak with Barry and George about the exciting Mark Mills designed boats. See what we can build for you and your crew to create your dream yacht. In the meantime, check out the great products at http://www.summit-yachts.com GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. Either submit comments by email or post them on the Forum. Submitted comments chosen to be published in the newsletter may be limited to 250 words. Authors may have one published submission per subject, and should save their bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. Email: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Gail McCarthy Turluck: Following up on the lead article in Scuttlebutt 3481, I'm one of few in my generation that hauled my children to sailing events I was going to. Whether my dad's Star, T-10, C&C 43, Ericson 46, or Great Lakes 70, or my trailer full of Sunfish, we were the family that sailed (and traveled) together! They did summer programs for two summers at two yacht clubs, so this may be why they are more adaptable. I tried to launch a high school program for them but that proved difficult. My son did a little college sailing; my daughter attended schools with no team. They had other interests: Color Guard, Drum Corp, football, soccer, swimming, wrestling and more. Today we all race, whether the big boat, Star, Sunfish or other boats. I love the fact that when I ask them if they want to go to a regatta, the answer is often, "Yes!" Maybe if those my age start asking their now-adult children to come along to a race it might not be too late, and to scoop up those grandchildren that are starting to come along! What's going to make a next step after Opti-Laser-420, I don't know, but I hope and pray some solutions are found soon. * From Manfred Schreiber: Gary Jobson's article in Sībutt 3481 made me thinking about the activities we are offering in our small club for the youth sailors. And yes, Gary is definitely on to something (as expected from the headline) already within the first paragraph. A tow to a regatta. Yes, we have done that with the juniors and their boats in tow but lately we have gone for the van option for too many parents "on stage". I will discuss and re-think the situation with our trainers; I will give assistance when necessary. One just has to listen more to the kids about what they are talking about, when talking about sailing. And here it is the same as Gary experienced with his daughters: They talk about the yearly cruise or the blue ribbon regatta when I took them on my C/R. We are not competitive yet, but we have a lot of fun. A lot to talk about in winter and I am glad that this article has put new blood into my system. * From Adrian Morgan: Maybe it's because you can concentrate on just a handful of boats, but the dramatic first leg of the Volvo was gripping. No surprise they had a billion (was it?) hits to date. Too many boats and you kind of lose concentration. But with Cammas, typically French and doing his own thing, (and nearly succeeding), mega-funded Puma dismasting and the plucky Spaniards, no doubt benefiting from their dinghy experience, driving through to the first leg finish in Cape Town like young heroes - there's a real sense of individual character. And now we have that old sea dog Loick Peyron and BP vs Groupama going for the Jules Verne, streaking into the Roaring 40s accompanied by "flying fish as big as small salmon...", leaving a wake as smooth as a javelin track. The tracker technology in both races is addictive. What a treat in store for us armchair sailors. SCUTTLEBUTT ADVERTISING IN 2012 Scuttlebutt provides a limited amount of text ad slots in each newsletter, and these are often sold out well in advance. Most of these ad slots for 2012 will be booked in the next two weeks, so if you are interested in advertising, contact us for details: 619-299-5678 or advertising@sailingscuttlebutt.com CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "The manner of giving is worth more than the gift." - Pierre Corneille, French playwright SPONSORS THIS WEEK Ultimate Sailing - Summit Yachts - North Sails - North U Morris Yachts - Atlantis WeatherGear - Melges Performance Sailboats The Pirates Lair - Point Loma Outfitting - Ullman Sails - LaserPerformance Team One Newport - JK3 Nautical Enterprises Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
