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SCUTTLEBUTT 2927 - Friday, September 11, 2009Scuttlebutt 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. Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/scuttbutt Today's sponsors are Annapolis Performance Sailing and MyBoatsGear.com NO BRAINER Following are some excerpts from Richard Gladwell's excellent commentary posted on the Sail-World.com website. The announcement, of the Louis Vuitton World Series, should see a huge hole filled in Sailing's shop window. While some might quibble as to whether the right processes have been followed in obtaining the sanction of the International Sailing Federation, the world sailing body should not waste too much time on this at its upcoming Executive Committee Meeting. It's a no brainer. The only question on the ISAF table, should be 'How can we help?' Sailors, and the sport which ISAF represents, have been delivered a gift of which most sports can only dream. Here we have a major new sporting event for sailing, with the major teams grouped together to run on an annual and ongoing basis, together with a sponsor, long associated with the sport and eminently capable in event organization. The formula for the event has already been prototyped and came through as a stunning success, but also showing that there was plenty of untapped potential. Most importantly that event, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series got the right mix of chemistry - the Louis Vuitton glamour; the hard competitive edge of professional sport; the growing realization by spectators and media that no two days were ever the same (the bane of most yachting regattas); and the development of that curious mix of the post race bonhomie and needle that are the staple diet of the media conferences - which set the scene for the coverage of the event. How many years of meetings would it take any world sports body to pull together a package like this, and within a year have it tested and ready for delivery? The fact is that ISAF have been handed a fabulous opportunity and event. All that is required is for the world body to cut a quick deal regarding the use of the name, ISAF Racing Rules and Officials, congratulate Louis Vuitton and the World Teams Sailing Association on a job well done, and leave them to get on it - and with the unconditional blessing of ISAF. And speaking of ISAF Officials, what a fabulous opportunity for them to be part of an ongoing high profile circuit on which to develop their skills. The only point the ISAF need to be firm on, is having the ISAF flag flying high at all Louis Vuitton World Series regattas. - Full commentary: http://www.sail-world.com/news_printerfriendly.cfm?Nid=61083 ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Scuttlebutt caught up US Sailing Team Alphagraphics member Genny Tulloch and got this update on her ambitious campaign schedule: We've just finished up three great days of training in Sheboygan and are headed to Weymouth tomorrow for the last Sailing World Cup event! This event will be a huge one, as we'll sail in the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games for sailing -Weymouth, which is two hours south of London. It's also a big event for me personally, as I'll be trying to defend my current 2nd place on the World Cup ranking list. Sailing with me are two Olympians who sailed the 2008 Games together in Beijing in the Yngling: Sally Barkow in the middle and Debbie Capozzi on the bow. Together they were both Yngling and Match Racing World Champions in 2005, and both are skippers in their own right, so I'm enjoying having three skippers on a boat! We've just had an excellent three days of training at the US Sailing Center in Sheboygan, in the new Elliott 6m fleet here, with US Sailing Team Alphagraphics teammates Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly Vandemoer and Alice Manard, who are also going to Weymouth for match racing, as well as Joanne Fisher and Kristen Lane's teams, who are trying out the Elliotts for the first time and prepping for this weekend's Grade 2 Buddy Melges Regatta. Sheboygan has been an excellent host for us for this and our last US Sailing Team Alphagraphics practice here, and along with coach Dave Perry and sailmaker Greg Fisher we've learned a lot more about the boats, boatspeed, and boat-handling. Hopefully we'll get to apply our new knowledge to the conditions in Weymouth, and will be well setup with two practice days there before racing starts on Monday. Follow along here: http://www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk WHAT'S IN YOUR CLOSET? With warm summer winds turning cool and crisp sailing weather ahead, if you're like us now is the time you'll be pulling your favorite crew jacket out of the closet to stay warm. But, what's in your closet? Nothing?! Well, we've got you covered. At APS, "The World Leading Outfitter of Performance Sailors", we've put together an unbeatable September special to help. Outfit your team with Gill's new 1040 Crew Jacket and take advantage of the killer deal. For a short video about Gill's new crew jacket features and the details of the deal available exclusively at APS click: http://tiny.cc/RFRLE ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES San Francisco, CA, USA (September 10, 2009) - In Italian, the word Vincitore means 'the winner' so Jim Mitchell and his multi-national crew took the theme to heart by winning both races in IRC A class on the opening day at Rolex Big Boat Series. Over 1,000 sailors on 97 boats in 11 classes are competing through Sunday, September 13. "I wouldn't miss this regatta for anything," said Mitchell, who grew up in Chicago but now calls Zurich (SUI) his home. "It was one of our crew's birthdays yesterday, Dallas Kilponen, and I think our two bullets are the best present we can give him." All of the IRC class leaders - Kjeld Hestehave's Velos (Richmond, Calif.), Daniel Woolery's King 40 Soozal (Alamo, Calif.) and Gerard Sheridan's Elan 40 Tupelo Honey - joined the two-bullet club today, in the IRC B, IRC C and IRC D classes, respectively. All four divisions of IRC handicap-rated boats also are competing for the Rolex US-IRC National Championship. The other two groups vying for national championships are the Express 37 and Melges 32 classes. For Burt Benrud, this is not only his first Rolex Big Boat Series but also his first season in the Grand-Prix one-design class. "This is our first big outing and we could have not picked a better location," he said. Benrud, with co-owner Andy Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and crew on the Melges 32 Rougarou, won the day's first race, took a second in the second and now sit in first overall in the six-boat class. - Complete report: http://www.big-boat-series.com/ SIX METRE WORLD CUP NEWPORT, RI (September 10, 2009) - Strong breeze and current met the 6mR World Cup fleet again Thursday, which kept the racing inside Narragansett Bay just north of Gould Island. For the second and third races of the day the course was shortened to 1.2 nm leg. Three races were completed in the Modern Division while the Classics completed two. After 5 races the standings for the Modern Division show: Sophie II (SWE-132) in first place with 14 points, Scoundrel (GBR-96) just one point behind with 15 and May Be XIV (SWE-115) in the third position with 19 points. In the Classic Division show Eric Jespersen's Gallant (KC-10) in the lead with 13 points, Erik Tigleff Larsen's Great Dane (DEN-65) has 16 points and Don Martin's Saskia II rounds out the top three with 18 points. Continued heavy NNE wind is predicted for Friday's racing, which will likely keep the fleet racing inside Narragansett Bay again. - For complete scores, photos and more information, visit www.6metreworldcup.com IT'S NEVER LIKE THIS . . . Aarhus, Denmark, 10 September 2009 - Racers on the World Match Racing Tour encountered "uncharacteristic" summery conditions for September in Aarhus, Denmark - perhaps a little too summery for the opening day of the Danish Open, organized by the Royal Danish Yacht Club. The wind off Marselisborg Havn was not only from the northwest, and offshore, but in the morning it was painfully light too, making for a day of extreme challenges. RESULTS Peter Gilmour (AUS) Yanmar Racing 3-0 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 3-0 Jes Gram Hansen (DEN) Trifork Racing 4-1 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-2 Peter Wibroe (DEN) Wibroe Sailing Team 3-2 Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team 3-2 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 1-2 Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team 1-2 Ian Williams (FRA) Team Pindar 1-4 Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 1-4 Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 0-3 The round robins continue off Aarhus tomorrow aboard DS37 yachts that are regularly used at the top match racing events in Scandinavia. - Event website: http://worldmatchracingtour.com SNIPE WORLDS San Diego, CA (September 10, 2009) - Day 4 of the 2009 Snipe World Championship brought good breeze from a consistent direction for 49 International competitors, sailing in the Pacific Ocean off of Point Loma. Races 8 and 9 were sailed in a steady 12 - 15 knots of breeze, with the peak reaching 16 knots mid-way through race 8. The current regatta leader, Brazilian team Bruno Amorim and crew Dante Bianchi, continue to reign and solidify their lead with a 3rd place finish in race 8, using their second drop allowance for their 14th place finish in race 9. Beyond Amorim and Bianchi, places 2 through 6 are only separated by a 10 point spread, with the USA's Ernesto Rodriguez and Megan Place in fourth place. - http://www.snipeworlds2009.com DIESEL FUEL MAINTENANCE Some of us are winding down our sailing season and thinking about storage for the fall and winter. When you store your boat for the winter, fuel left in the tank can separate called phase separation. The article by MyBoatsGear.com, 'Solving Diesel Fuel Problems' offers advice on all fuel issues including storage. To offset Phase Separation add a fuel stabilizer. Fuel Stabilizers provide stabilizing chemistry, and are needed when fuel sits for extended periods. RSS feeds are available at http://www.Myboatsgear.com. * Article link: http://myboatsgear.com/newsletter/200767.asp SAILING SHORTS * Weymouth, England - It has been a long time coming. The last Olympic windsurfing world champion from Great Britain was Barry Edgington. That was back in 1992. Barry just happens to be Nick Dempsey's (GBR1) coach. Nick is the 2009 RS:X Windsurfing World Champion. An emphatic win in a 105-boat fleet. The final scoreboard shows Nick a full 18 points clear of second placed Nimrod Mashiah (ISR21). Canadian David Hayes was the top North American in 35th place with Ben Barger (USA) finishing 47th. Complete results: http://www.theresults.org/earth/rsxworlds/center_youtube.jsp# * Malletts Bay Boat Club, Colchester, Vermont -Canadian Peter Hall, sailing with Jay Deakin and Ched Proctor, continues to lead the International Lightning Masters Championship with eight points. Two races were completed Thursday under perfect weather conditions (if you like 10 to 15 knots, temperatures in the 70s, and clear blue skies). Bill Mauk currently sits in second place with 9 points and James Crane is third with 10 points. The series wraps up Friday with two more races scheduled. Please check the event website for more information: http://www.mbbc-vt.org/Events/LightningWorlds09/default.asp * The ISS (International Superyacht Society) released its lists of finalists for the 2009 International Design Awards. These yachts represent the very finest naval architecture, design, interiors, engineering, and builds the large yacht industry presents annually. In the sail categories, awards are given for size categories 24m-40m and over 40m, with noted naval architects including Philippe Briand Yacht Design, Farr Yacht Design, German Frers, Ron Holland, Design, Dubois NA, and Tripp Design. Full list here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/09/0908a/ * Three quarters of US distributors reported lower sales in 2009, according to a survey released today by the National Marine Distributors Association (NMDA). About half of them said they expect 2010 to be a better year.The annual "State of the Industry" questionnaire, sent to NMDA members, received a 91 per cent response rate. When asked to compare 2009 sales with 2008 levels, 76 per cent said they were lower, while 14 per cent said they were higher. Only ten per cent said they were the same. - IBI News, full story: http://tinyurl.com/o35nxx LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Please submit 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 Cameron McIntyre (re: Laura Dekker -Scuttlebutt 2926): At some point the race for youngest solo circumnavigator will exhaust itself. It is not out of the realm of possibility that a thirteen year old girl could sail around the world alone, despite the argument whether she should be allowed to or not. The final question is: at what age is it out of the realm of possibility for a child to attempt such a feat? I am sure that question will be tested to the extreme. The other question I find myself asking is why does the voyage of sixteen year old Robin Lee Graham aboard The Dove back in 1965 seem to have more meaning and present a greater philosophical quest than the voyages of today's youth? Sure it took Robin practically five years and two boats to complete his journey (without a GPS, chartplotter, autopilot, radar, etc) but I can't help but think that Robin returned with more to teach, all of us. * From Tim Petterson In regard to the young person hitting a freighter (Scuttlebutt 2926) - The first time I went offshore in my own boat, one of the pieces of equipment on the boat was a Lokata. It was a radar detector that made a lot of noise when it picked up a signal from a ships radar. I made two Trans Ats in this boat and numerous trips from the Caribbean to the East coast of the US. I consider this radar detector an essential item for any person sailing shorthanded. I cannot imagine being offshore alone without such an item. I would say it came right after the EPIRB in terms of importance. It was like having an extra set of eyes that could see over the horizon. * From Robert L. Hill, London, UK Jessica Watson's quote in The Guardian reads "It could have happened to anyone. I'm unlucky I suppose, but you also learn from it" (Scuttlebutt 2926). Hitting a large cargo ship when you have radar, have not been at sea for all that long, and have decent weather is not the sort of lesson that should be left until just before starting a circumnavigation. Perhaps no other statement could better show the lack of judgement used by allowing skippers with very limited ocean and life experiences undertake what is still a dangerous journey. The whole criticism of single-handed sailing since Chichester's days is the issue of keeping watch by yourself, and the danger you pose to others as well as yourself. Her response of "The whole incident gives me confidence, wow, I can actually handle this" is entirely the wrong conclusion to draw - and is clearly the attitude of someone with more dollar signs in their head than judgment. * From Ray Tostado (edited to our 250-word limit): New York State's effort to save lives by mandating winter life jacket use is only part of the solution (as reported in Scuttlebutt 2922). The San Francisco Bay Bridge Authority and the USCG did a test/survey (1985?) on cause of death when people would leap off of the Golden Gate or other major bridge structures into the Bay. It had always been presumed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma from the impact to the water. But the results were quite different. A large percentage died from drowning. This implies that trauma was not the death warrant it was presumed to be. In order to drown one has to be in the process of breathing. Death by trauma leaves the lungs comparatively dry. This resulted in further study of the cause of death and the conclusion was that upon immersion into cool water the human anatomy has an auto response in the upper back area which results in the head being arched back at the neck. This opens the breathing passages in an uncontrollable manner allowing water to enter the lung cavities. The irony is that scuba divers and others have known how to prevent this auto response for half a century or better. Upon entering water that may trigger this response by pressing the chin downward against the chest firmly. This closes the esophagus passageway and prevents the "gasp" reflex; which is how the water is inhaled causing drowning. * From Tom Webster: The Swiss continue to distort every sense of fair play with the rudder measurement being the latest roadblock ... if SNG wants to keep the cup that bad, why doesn't Ernesto just say "the race will be on the moon in February 2010 and bring your lunar module"? It is getting that ridiculous, and unless the courts get this resolved or ISAF gets its head out of the sand and takes control, we will continue to move forward with a distortion of what sport is supposed to be about in our sport's premier event. * From Jeroen van der Beek: Thanks to Louis Vuitton and a number of other participants we now have an international match racing event on the water. Thanks to Ernesto Bertarelli we also have a match racing soap opera in the New York Supreme Court. All bases covered we can watch/follow either or both events as our personal tastes dictate. However I have one request, can we restrict Ernesto Bertarelli's involvement to just the one event, as the lines between fact and fiction are already vague enough as it is. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it. Special thanks to Annapolis Performance Sailing and MyBoatsGear.com. 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