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SCUTTLEBUTT 3342 - Monday, May 16, 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: Quantum Sails and Kaenon Polarized. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? While the Women’s International Match Racing Association was originally formed in 1996, the organization got a significant boost when the Women’s Match-Racing Event was selected for the 2012 Olympic Games. Now with the event pulled from the 2016 Games before its debut next summer, WIMRA Executive Director Liz Baylis (USA) comments on the situation: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Obviously this is a great disappointment to us and perhaps a decision they will regret. But it is done and we must now look forward and not backwards. We have seen an incredible growth of women’s match racing throughout the world over the last 10 years: - from 20 events in 2000 to over 80 in 2010; - from 115 skippers on the ranking list in 2000 to 320 now; - women’s match racing happening in many new countries including RSA, SLO, CRO, PER, ESA, KOR, IND, and more; Though this has been in part due to the inclusion in the Olympic programme for 2012, it is mainly due to the tremendous effort that all of you have put into growing our sport. I do not see the recent decision diminishing the fact that women’s match racing is a dynamic and exciting discipline and many of our most talented sailors will continue to participate. As WIMRA Vice President, Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen (DEN) said in a recent note to the ISAF Women’s Forum: "I don’t think that match racing has ever been adopted by the Sailing World Cups to use its full potential, so not really a surprise that women’s keelboat/match racing is out again. I’m sure match racing will be fantastic events at the Pre-Olympics, ISAF Worlds in Perth and at the Olympic Games 2012. And match racing will for sure survive also outside the Olympic programme, no doubt about that." So where do we go from here? WIMRA is committed to helping ensure that the events Lotte mentioned are all fantastic events and that the Olympic Women’s Match Racing event in 2012 showcases our sport for what it is: exciting, athletic, media friendly, and riveting. But, we will also be working outside of the Olympic programme to further develop women’s match racing in new areas as well as bolster the existing excellent events and help develop new events. -- http://www.wimra.org/news_detail.asp?rk=888 SAILING’S EQUIVALENT OF THE WILD, WILD WEST The leading international sportboat class has come to cowboy country to take on sailing’s equivalent of the wild, wild west: Corpus Christi, Texas. With the sailing venue short on family friendly attractions but long on big winds, a thin but focused fleet of 32 boats have come to the 2011 Melges 24 World Championship, hosted by the Corpus Christi Yacht Club, Texas on May 16-21. A top quality international field has travelled from Australia, Bermuda, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and throughout the USA for the perfect storm: high performance boat, warm temperatures, and ‘manly’ sailing conditions. According to Principal Race Officer Mark Foster, weather conditions are set to be close to perfect for the main world championship series. "The thunderstorms that are rumbling around the area right now are forecast to clear out over the next 48 hours and we should then see a return to the classic Corpus Christi wind conditions. 15 - 18 knots is typical in the early afternoon with the possibility of 20 knots plus in the mid to late afternoon. The added bonus is that both the air and sea temperatures are predicted to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit." The reigning champions, Italy's Uka Uka Racing, will be hoping to repeat the form which saw them clinch last year's world championship in Tallinn, Estonia with a race to spare. "We have exactly the same team as last year,” explained tactician Jonathan McKee (USA). “Our first priority is to make the choice on what sails we are going to use. Although it is generally always quite windy here, I think there is a chance we may actually get a range of conditions for the series." -- Pre-report: http://www.melges24.com/news/top-international-teams-roll-corpus-christi-20 11-melges-24-world-championship PRE-WORLDS: Norwegian Eivind Melleby and Full Medal Jacket team won the Melges 24 Pre-Worlds, edging out Italian Lorenzo Bressani and UkaUka Racing on a tie-breaker. The twelve race World Championship Series begins on Monday and runs through until Saturday, May 21st with two races scheduled per day. Pre-Worlds results: http://tinyurl.com/M24-PW-2011 BEHIND THE SCENES Among the top teams at the Melges 24 World Championship is U.S. National Champion Alan Field, with his tactician Steve Hunt sharing some of the ‘behind the scenes’ challenges that this windy and wet venue is presenting: “Trying to find sunscreen that does not sting your eyes with all the spray hasn’t been easy, and also getting off the dock without looking like a rookie is tough too. It blows so hard our 3.5 horse power engine doesn't power us out of the slip. Teams on the upwind side of the dock run a line across the channel to the windward shore and pull their boats out, then sails go up and off you go. It's the reverse when you come home; you luff up to the windward shore and ease the boat back into the slip with a long rope. “Another challenge is keeping things organized because it is so windy. The other day when I took off my sailing shoes, one of them literally was starting to blow across the parking lot. That's windy! And the breeze also makes it hard to tune the rig. Your tensions change with so much wind hitting the mast, especially if the breeze is side-to. You have to bow hang so the wind hits the rig square for equal readings side to side. Additionally, small tasks that you could normally do with two people take three or four, such as rolling a main, just to keep it under control, so teamwork is critical. You better get along with your team in Corpus Christi because you have to work together all the time!” TOP OPTI FEMALE WINS WITH QUANTUM SAILS Quantum’s Optimist sails have a winning legacy with numerous local, national and world championships to their credit. The recent USODA Team Trials in San Francisco were especially tough with cold water, long tows, long days and unusually strong winds. But once again the Quantum Radial sails proved up to the challenge. Martina Sly used our Opti Radial to finish third overall and was the top female. Other standouts in the large fleet included Nic Baird, Ben Kern and Dane Byerly. Congratulations sailors! Now for a limited time...Buy a Quantum Opti Sail and get a free Quantum hat! Contact your local Quantum loft today. http://www.QuantumSails.com CLASSIFYING SAILMAKERS The ISAF Classification system is a service to classes and events who want to define who they want to sail. If there is a limit on the number professional sailors that can participate on a boat, the Classification Code is the system that must be used. The challenge of the Code is to fairly determine what types of activity warrant a sailor to be classified as Group 3 (professional), and what is permitted within the Group 1 (amateur) classification. One of the tools of the Code is a list of over 120 frequently asked questions (FAQs), with their answers helping to define Group 1 and 3. Here are the FAQs for Sailmakers: Q. Are all employees of sailmakers automatically Group 3? A. No. Employees of sailmakers are usually Group 3 but Classification depends on the exact nature of the work and the relationship between the sailor’s work and his racing. For example those who have not been involved in providing the sails and whose work does not require knowledge or skill capable of enhancing the performance of the boat whilst on board in a race such as accountants, clerks and those who sew sails may be Group 1. Q. A sailor working for a sailmaker has work that requires knowledge and skill capable of enhancing performance in a race whilst racing but does not race with the customers of the sailmaker. Is he Group1? A. No, he is Group 3. [22.2.2(c)]. Q. A sailor working for a sailmaker or as an agent is involved in sales or marketing of sails and races with customers. Is he Group 3? A. Yes. Even if he does not have knowledge or skill capable of enhancing performance. [22.2.2(b) applies]. If he does not race with his customers he could be a Group 1 if he does not have knowledge or skill capable of enhancing performance. Q. A sailor working for a sailmaker is involved in sales or marketing and uses his employer’s sails when racing on his own boat. Is he Group 3? A. Yes. Even if he does not have knowledge or skill capable of enhancing performance. [22.2.2(b)]. Q. Is a sailor working for a sailmaker as a sail designer of racing sails always a Group 3? A. Yes. Q. Can a sailor who has only been paid for work repairing racing sails be a Group 1? A. Yes, but if he races with customers or if he has knowledge and skill capable of enhancing performance he would be Group 3. Q. Is a sailor working for a sailmaker in a purely administrative role Group 1 even if he races on a boat which uses his company’s sails? A. He knows whether he has any influence on the choice of sails, their purchase and or their cut and their performance, but normally he would be Group 1. Q. A sailmaker makes sails only for boats that do not race. Can he be Group 1? A. Yes Q. An active partner in a sailmaking loft races with a friend who has now become a customer. He has known him and sailed with him for many years. Can he be Group 1? A. No, he is Group 3. Q. A sailmaker makes a sail for himself for his own boat. Does this make him Group 3? A. Yes. His work requires knowledge and skill capable of improving a boat's performance and which can be utilised whilst on board a boat when racing ISAF Sailor Classification Code: http://tinyurl.com/ISAF-CODE-0111 ISAF Sailor Classification Code FAQS: http://tinyurl.com/CODE-FAQS-0111 WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR Marseille, France (May 14, 2011) - Damien Iehl and his French Match Racing Team made the perfect start to their World Match Racing Tour season after defeating Bertrand Pace's Aleph Sailing Team in an all French Final at Match Race France in Marseille. This was Iehl’s second ever victory on the World Match Racing Tour following his win at Match Race Germany in 2008 and his early justification for being awarded a Tour Card for the 2011 season. The victory caps a week in which the Frenchman has been in majestic form, firstly by Qualifying in second position, then defeating the 2003 Tour Champion Jesper Radich (DEN) 3-1 in the Semi-Finals and finally Pace in the first all French Final on the Tour since 2007. Commenting on his win, Iehl said: “It has been a tense week but to win the event here is perfect. It’s a reward for all the hard work we’ve been doing over the last six years. We feel it’s our time now. We know Mathieu [Richard] won Match Race France last year but didn’t win the Tour so winning it is our objective now.” Iehl attended three of the nine 2010 tour events, earning a seventh at St. Moritz Match Race as his top finish. The second event of the 2011 World Match Racing Tour is Match Race Germany (May 24-29), where teams will sail the Bavaria 35 Match on Lake Constance in Langenargen. -- Full story: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-051511 Final: Damien Iehl (FRA) wins 2-0 over Bertrand Pace (FRA) Petit-Final: Torvar Mirsky (AUS) wins 2-1 over Jesper Radich (DEN), Teams earning prize money 1. Damien Iehl - $14,078 2. Bertrand Pace - $11,262 3. Torvar Mirsky - $9,854 4. Jesper Radich - $8,447 5. Pierre Antoine Morvan - $7,392 6. Francesco Bruni - $7,040 7. Peter Gilmour - $6,336 8. Alvaro Marinho - $5,984 NOTE: Prize money converted from Euros to U.S. Dollars on May 15, 2011. PHOTOS: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/0514/ THE NEW STUFF What’s spring without the new bloom? At Kaenon Polarized we’re marking the season with a fresh haul of bright colors along with modern twists in classic black, in favorites such as Georgia, Delite, Burnet, Kanvas and Klay. We’re also introducing Squeeze - designed specifically for the woman who enjoys a smaller, wrapped lifestyle performance sunglass, and Trade for the guy seeking coverage, style and performance. Every frame is equipped with Kaenon’s SR-91 polarized lenses and always available in prescription. Visit your favorite sailing shop like TeamOne, APS, Point Loma Outfitting or locate a dealer nearest you on our newly designed website http://www.kaenon.com. Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. QUOTE / UNQUOTE “The America’s Cup has never been, in its long tradition, a low-budget event. In fact, it has always been an event with escalating budgets. What we did - I mean the Challenger of Record and the Defender - was to build an event that had lower costs for the start ups. Costs that would allow anyone to participate. So we lowered the lower limit of expenditure. We haven’t touched the upper limit. This has never been the case in the America’s Cup. It wouldn’t have been right to change it.” - Vincenzo Onorato, Mascalzone Latino owner, after withdrawing from the 34th America’s Cup. Full interview on VSail: http://www.vsail.info/2011/05/15/vincenzo-onorato-we-couldnt-have-won/ SAILING SHORTS * Sheboygan, WI (May 15, 2011) - The four top U.S. women match racers faced off in a USSTAG qualifying series event to determine the entry priority in upcoming Olympic Women’s Match Racing events. Winning the event was Sally Barkow, Alana O'Reilly and Elizabeth Kratzig-Burnham, whose come-from-behind win over Team Tunnicliffe capped an exciting day of racing in 28-30 knots of wind. By virtue of winning, Barkow will represent the U.S. at the London 2012 Olympic Test Event (Weymouth and Portland International Regatta) to be held at the Olympic venue on July 31-August 13, 2011. -- http://sailsheboygan.org/USSTAG-2011.php * Gmunden, Austria (May 15, 2011) - Oracle Racing (USA) proved to be the masters of Lake Traunsee winning the 2011 RC44 Austria Cup. Their score line said it all, with three firsts and three seconds out of the nine races sailed, and only one race outside of the top five. Steve Howe (USA), currently campaigning on the Melges 32 circuit, was the replacement helm for owner Larry Ellison (USA). ORACLE Racing also takes the lead now after two events on the RC44 Championship Tour, with Team Aqua (GBR) moving up to second and Katusha (RUS) falling two places to third. -- Class website: http://www.rc44.com * Charleston, SC (May 15, 2011) - Ocean sprint five, the final leg of the VELUX 5 OCEANS solo round the world yacht race, got underway today when four international solo sailors raced their Eco 60s out of Charleston Harbor and bound for the North Atlantic and their ultimate goal, the finish line in La Rochelle, France. Canadian Derek Hatfield led the fleet across the line for the 3,600-mile leg that will be the culmination of more than eight months of gruelling solo sailing through five of the world’s oceans. The first boat is expected to complete the leg in around 12 days. -- http://www.velux5oceans.com/ * Led by skipper Franck Cammas, Groupama 4, the first Volvo 70 built in France, was launched May 14th opposite Groupama Sailing Team's base in Lorient, France. Sail trials of the Juan Kouyoumdjian design VO 70 are to begin on May 17 for the sailing crew, with plans to compete in the Fastnet Race in the UK on August 14. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/GC-051511 * Miami, FL (May 15, 2011) - South Florida thunderstorms won the third day of the US Snipe Masters Championship at Coral Reef Yacht Club, so the races from the two previous day would have to suffice as Biscayne Bay was littered with lightning and torrential rain and winds. When the fleet is older than dirt, a Masters event can get muddy. The overall results found locals Augie Diaz and Pam Kelly in first place, with fellow old timers Peter Commette and Carol Cronin in second, and Doug Hart and his Snipe World Champ crew Enrique Quintero from Miami in third. -- Photos/report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/11/0515/ EIGHT BELLS Arent H. Kits van Heyningen, 95, died Wednesday, May 11, 2011 in Newport, RI. Born in Apeldoorn, Netherlands on April 9, 1916, he moved to Newport to join the Raytheon Submarine Signal division in Portsmouth where he worked as a principal engineer until retiring in 1986. In 1982, Mr. Kits van Heyningen started Sailcomp Industries along with his two sons, Robert and Martin. Sailcomp became KVH Industries in 1986 and he served as Chief Scientist until 2010. An avid sailor, he was a longtime member of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club. He sailed locally in many regattas and sailed in the Newport to Bermuda race regularly. Last year, at 94, he became the oldest sailor to compete in this classic yacht race. Mr. Kits van Heyningen was a prolific inventor with numerous patents and enjoyed combining his love of engineering with his favorite sport. He worked on the electronics for several America's Cup campaigns, starting with the French challenge in 1980. He invented several innovative sailing instruments that are still produced to this day. -- http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com/_mgxroot/page_10780.php?id=929602 SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 Craig Fletcher: After reading the ISAF classification questions I can see why those who administer sailing rival the US Government for being totally out of touch. Is the person who makes the golf clubs a pro golfer? Is the caddie? How about the greenskeeper? NO. So why are you a Group 3 (professional) if you work on a boat or deliver a boat you race on? The whole rule makes no sense. The rule need not be no more than one sentence: “If you are paid in any form to race sailboats (including prize money), you are a professional sailor.” Simple. If you’re not paid to race sailboats you are an amateur. * From Manfred C. Schreiber: Kudos to Grant Dalton and the NZ Government for keeping on with their national America’s Cup team. One can only congratulate them for their wise decision which has so many consequences in a difficult world of keeping employment numbers and national pride high on any countries priority list. My view from working in the marine environment for more than 35 years is that kids look up to the heroes from the America´s Cup if marketed right. With this comes the education of the sailing juniors. Outstanding success here for England and New Zealand. The kids are growing, they succeed and they are spreading the message. Many of them are looking for jobs in the marine industry of course in their home country. Become boatbuilders, sailmakers, sparbuilders, and all sorts of producers and suppliers. They are obviously keeping their network running. Look at what happens today: A prospering boatbuilding industry around these people in both countries which I have mentioned. Lots of innovations and jobs. Payback time for the government. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION The Mr. Bean Guide to Fun in an Elevator: Stare, grinning at another passenger for a while, and then announce, "I have new socks on." SPONSORS THIS WEEK Quantum Sails - Kaenon Polarized - West Marine - Atlantis WeatherGear Interlux - North Sails - APS - LaserPerformance - Ullman Sails US SAILING - JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Gowrie Group Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
