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SCUTTLEBUTT 3659 - Tuesday, August 21, 2012Scuttlebutt 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: North Sails, APS, and KO Sailing. A SAILOR'S RULE FOR WEARING A LIFE VEST: YOU DECIDE By Bill Schanen, SAILING magazine Folks, I'm trying to get my head around the idea that we're supposed to wear PFDs at all times on a boat. I suppose I should be able to do this. It wouldn't be the first time I've changed my behavior in the name of safety. For example, I used to ride a bike without a helmet, but now I wear one most of the time. Of course, when I started riding a two-wheeler, bike helmets hadn't yet been invented. But I've figured out that on my lightweight road bike with its skinny tires pumped to 140 pounds PSI and my shoes clipped to the pedals I could be moving on downgrades at more than 35 mph and if something went wrong my head would need all the protection it could get. Still, I don't wear a helmet at all times when biking, not, say, on a rented fat-tired bike on Mackinac Island trying to pedal fast enough to stay vertical while following day-trippers and horses moving at a garden slug's pace. It seems I wear the helmet when bike riding is potentially dangerous and I don't when it's not. Hmmm, I wonder whether that has any application for sailing. This magazine gets letters from readers asserting that it is a fundamental rule of sailing that PFDs must be worn at all times. These same letter writers chastise SAILING for publishing pictures of people sailing without PFDs because this sets a bad example of unsafe boating. This is probably a good place to say that I am all for safe boating. Let me add that this magazine stands foursquare behind safety too. But help me out here, people, with this PFDs all-the-time-every-time concept. Let's say I'm on a sound, stable cruising boat sailing in zephyrs on flat, warm water along a nearby shore. Am I really committing a sin against the god of safe boating by not wearing a life vest? I'm wondering, how is this scenario more dangerous than walking on a marina pier or fishing from a river bank? Is it a safety commandment to wear PFDs there too? Or to cinch up a life vest while eating at a dockside restaurant? I'm trying to rationalize how swimming fits into the PFD imperative. If water is so dangerous that you always have to wear a flotation device on a boat, you certainly have to wear one when you actually go into the water, right? But you can't really swim wearing a life jacket. And don't even think about diving. So no PFDs while swimming. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/Sailing-082012 FOR FREE SAIL CARE, HEAD NORTH! If you're in the market for new sails, consider this: North Sails has become the worldwide leader in sailmaking through an ongoing commitment to making sails that are faster, lighter and longer lasting than any other sails in the world. It's why five of six Volvo Ocean Race boats chose North sails for their around-the-world race. Whether you race or cruise, North Sails is committed to designing and building sails that are just right for you! All new sails come with 1 year free sail care & repair* throughout our worldwide network of sail lofts, so whether you're 25 or 25,000 miles from home, we've got you covered. When performance counts, the choice is clear: http://www.northsails.com. *Restrictions apply. HOW THE AUSSIE'S DID IT? How could the North American continent come home from the 2012 Olympics without any sailing medals? While each of the national teams take inventory of the reasons for failure, there is one reason they must accept as unsolvable. Remoteness. Yes, it is a disadvantage for the U.S. and its neighbors to be so far from European competition, but don't come crying to Australia, the clear leader in the sailing events with three golds and one silver medal. Hard to get much further away from anything than Australia. So how did they do it? There are likely many reasons, but among them might be the boats the athletes sailed when younger. Of Australia's four medals, three of them (470, 49er, and WMR) were rooted in the 11-foot Flying Eleven class. The Flying Eleven is a doublehanded Australian boat designed as a high performance racing skiff, providing a logical step in the transition between junior classes such as the Manly Junior or Sabot and classes such as Cherubs, I-420s, I-470s, 29ers, Moths, 13s, 49ers, etc. "It is fast and fun," shares past Aussie Olympian and current Farr 40 world champ Bob Wilmot. "It's good for ages 10 to 20 with combined crew weights of 80 to 115kgs. There's no trapeze but it's very fast, and importantly, there is plenty of gear changing through the wind range. We had 103 competitors at our Nationals two years ago and this year we had to have 4 fleets for qualification. "I am sure we can find good charter or loaner boats if some of the Scuttlebutt kids want to come and have a go at our Nationals in January. Might tie it in with a family vacation to Sydney." Class website: http://www.flying11.yachting.org.au UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT (August 20, 2012) - US Sailing has officially announced Josh Adams as the Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing. This position was previously held in a part-time capacity by Dean Brenner (2004-2012). This new full-time position officially begins September 4, 2012. Adams comes to US Sailing following a seven-year post as publisher of SAIL magazine. He has an extensive background in Olympic sailing. Since 2005, he has been an executive committee member of US Sailing's Olympic Sailing Committee. As an elite competitor and member of the U.S. Sailing Team in 1995-96, he finished second at the 1996 Olympic Trials in the 470. "The challenge ahead for the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program is significant," said Adams. "So is the opportunity. As it stands now, 40 percent of the classes in the Rio 2016 quadrennium will be new. We need to lead our US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider to be performance-centric, to adapt quickly to the new boats, and to build depth in the established classes. At the same time, we need to commit ourselves to a sustainable youth development strategy. Building a program around performance and youth development is a goal that I look forward to leading." Full report: http://tinyurl.com/new-management EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have any advice for Josh, feel free to post it in the Forum thread: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14264 WHEN AN OLYMPIC EVENT CHANGES Ever since a board event was introduced to the sailing competition at the 1984 Olympic Games, there has been a search for the right equipment to use. Four different windsurfers had been used during the ensuing eight Olympiads, with the one design RS:X as the chosen equipment for Beijing in 2008 and again for London in 2012. The board event supplies the equipment to the Olympic Games, or specifically, the manufacturer does. Neil Pryde, the sole manufacturer for the RS:X class, was required by their contract with ISAF to supply free equipment to the Olympics and Youth World Championship. Usually they can sell that gear after these events, but when the ISAF Council chose this past May to support kitesurfing instead of windsurfing for the 2016 Olympics, Neil Pryde now finds itself with a lot of used equipment that is now much harder to sell. The decision to change to kitesurfing caught most everyone offguard, not least of which were the kitesurfers who thought their time would come for the 2020 Olympics. It certainly was a shocker to the RS:X class, which has now moved towards a "judicial review". The RS:X class has retained a queens council lawyer in London to challenge whether ISAF actually followed their regulations this past May. They are not challenging the outcome of the vote, but rather if it was done within the rules and regulations of ISAF. The goal of the RS:X class is to receive a positive outcome of the judicial review, which could lead to a re-vote on the board event at the ISAF Annual General Meeting this November, with the decision to be based on general majority as is standard for event selection. However, if the judicial review is not favorable to the RS:X class, then the task to change the event will require a 75% vote in favor of windsurfing to unseat the kitesurfing decision. While a lot of the heavy lifting has thus far been on the shoulders of the RS:X class, all stakeholders are now coming together in the battle to save not just windsurfing as an Olympic event, but also all the feeder systems like the Techno 293 class which the pinnacle relies upon for its future stars. If you feel that the ISAF Council erred in eliminating windsurfing from the 2016 Olympics, you can contact your sailing federation, your Council members, members of the Events Committee, or anyone who you may know who has anything to do with ISAF, and tell them how you feel. ISAF Council: http://www.sailing.org/about/committees/isaf_council.php Events Committee: http://www.sailing.org/about/committees/events/index.php Contact: http://www.sailing.org/about/isaf/contact/committees_meetings.php SEE THE LIGHT The most important aspect of a PFD is its ability to preserve your life. Spinlock takes this to heart, finding great ways to maximize protection and visibility while maintaining comfort in their Hammar Deckvest 5D. This new model has an addition of a Pylon Light. This pylon extends the safety light above the wearer's head allowing it to be seen from a 360 degree view, different than the older light configuration that was obstructed at certain angles by the wearer's body. (Quick Video: http://bit.ly/SPINpylon) A remarkably simple and effective safety feature, the Pylon Light comes as standard equipment on the Spinlock Hammer Deckvest 5D and can also be purchased separately for use on many inflatable PFD models. http://bit.ly/InfPFD1 GOLD MEDAL SAILOR ADJUSTS FOR AMERICA'S CUP Imagine Michael Phelps winning gold at the Olympics and then making his debut in water polo against the best in the sport - after four days of practice. Maybe it's a bit of a stretch to compare Ben Ainslie's transition to that one. He is still within the sport of sailing. But "Big Ben," one of the most popular people in England after winning in the Finn class, is making the switch from singlehanded sailing in a 16-foot dinghy to skippering a 45-foot fixed-wing catamaran in this week's America's Cup World Series on San Francisco Bay. "For the first time in my life, I'm out of my depth a little bit," Ainslie said. "Most of these teams have been training for over a year now in this class of boat. I've definitely got some catching up to do." He is being given shore and logistical support from Oracle Team USA, which he will join after the ACWS and help its effort to retain the America's Cup in 2013. He'll skipper an AC72 against Jimmy Spithill's crew to prepare it for the finals. Ainslie's crew this week is a battle-tested group of Oracle hands: Simon Daubney, Kyle Langford, Matt Mitchell and Simeon Tienpont. Thanks to his new sponsor, his team is called J.P. Morgan BAR (Ben Ainslie Racing). Read more: http://tinyurl.com/SFC-082012 DETAILS: Racing for the AC World Series event is Aug. 22-26, where 11 boats are representing eight teams: Artemis Racing (SWE), China Team (CHN), Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Energy Team (FRA), J.P. Morgan BAR (GBR), Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 (ITA), Oracle Team USA (USA) and Team Korea (KOR). Here is some information to help follow the event: - Event details: http://tinyurl.com/ACWS-Aug-21-26 - Crew list: http://tinyurl.com/ACWS-0812-Crew-List - Latitude 38 viewing guide: http://tinyurl.com/Lat-38-ACWS-0812 - Video tour of live viewing options: http://youtu.be/BXk8lgRKIWw - SF sports bar viewing: http://tinyurl.com/beer-and-cheer SHADOW: l'Hydropere DCNS, the 60-foot foiling trimaran that holds the world speed record for a nautical mile, will be in San Francisco during the AC World Series this week. The boat has been in Long Beach (CA) preparing to break the speed record from Los Angeles to Honolulu. -- http://www.hydroptere.com BULL MARKET: Charles Schwab has been announced as a sponsor of the 34th America's Cup, becoming the official investment firm for the America's Cup World Series events in San Francisco and the Louis Vuitton Cup, America's Cup Challenger Series, and America's Cup Finals in 2013. More: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-082012 SAILING SHORTS * Long Beach, CA (August 19, 2012) - Hosted this weekend by Long Beach Yacht Club, brothers Mark and Bruce Golison won the 51st Cal 20 Class Championship to become three-time winners of the national championship. Having won previously in 2003 and 2004, light conditions prevailed for much of the event. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14298 * Chicago, IL (August 19, 2012) - Taylor Canfield's intimate knowledge of the TOM 28's helped give him the edge needed to dominate and win the Chicago Match Race Center's August Grade 2 Invitational, which concluded after three days of racing off Chicago's Belmont Harbor. As the first event of the four stage US Grand Slam series, Canfield and his team of Matt Clark, Dan Morris, and Hayden Goodrick plan to continue on this Thursday in Bayview YC's Detroit Cup. The following week the series continues at the Knickerbocker Cup in Manhasset Bay, NY, followed by Oakcliff Invitational in Oyster Bay, NY. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14322 * After 105 races sailed, St. Francis Yacht Club emerged the repeat winner of the 2012 Commodore George R. Hinman Masters (Hinman Masters) Invitational Trophy. The thirteenth yearly edition of New York Yacht Club Masters Team Race for The Hinman Masters Invitational Trophy was held at New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court Club house on August 17, 18 and 19 with teams representing ten clubs. -- Full report: http://nyyc.org/hinman-masters-aug17-19/ * The 2012 International 420 Junior European Championships (Aug. 10-17) were held in Riva, Italy for 113 teams representing 29 nations. As an important feeder class for the Olympic doublehanded dinghy (I-470), countries are limited to sending a maximum of seven teams. Of the seven teams representing the U.S., three teams qualified for the gold division. Top performers were Wade Waddell/Henry Fernberger (6th, open division) and Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick/Abigail Rohman (4th, women's division). -- Event website: http://events.sailracer.org/eventsites/default_s420.asp?eventid=91143 * Kingston, ONT (August 20, 2012) - CORK OCR Regatta for Olympic and elite development classes (Aug. 18-22) is hosting 174 entrants in the Laser Radial, Laser, Finn, Kite, 29er, 49er, and International 14. Seventeen entrants are competing in the 49er North Americans, with Canadians Jon Ladha/ Daniel Inkpen blitzing the field. Details here: http://www.cork.org/results/2012-results-resultats-2012/ * A nine-year-old Wisconsin boy died from a lightning strike, one of eight boaters who sought shelter on a Lake Superior beach, Minnesota authorities said. Luke Voigt, 9, of Iron River, Wis., was one of eight family members and friends who were on a sailboat that took refuge about 5:30 p.m. Saturday from a rapidly approaching thunderstorm near the Duluth-Superior harbour, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said Sunday in a news release. Lightning struck before most could get off the boat, but one person was able to call 911. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/CBC-082012 'LIKE' KO SAILING, GET A FREE GIFT Over on KO Sailing's Facebook page, you'll find sailing news, sale updates, photos and more. And right now, we're giving new 'likers' a special Free Gift with any purchase, plus FREE GROUND SHIPPING on your entire order! 'Like' us today. http://facebook.com/kosailing 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 Peter Commette: By eliminating the Women's Match Race event for the 2016 Olympics (as noted in Scuttlebutt 3658), ISAF eliminated one of the two sailing disciplines outsiders can readily understand. Makes no sense, just like it makes no sense not to have adopted team racing, the other great aspect of our sport that is so easy (and exciting) to follow. * From Eric Sorensen: Courage is an appropriate term to observe with what is going on in SF with the ACWS. Thanks for your 'Butt report (#3658) on the pre-race carnage. Three down so far in practice and many more to go with the first Oracle 72 waiting in the wings to be launched on the Bay after this initial episode of the ACWS in its second year. Sphincters will be tightened as race day comes on us this week. Wing repair techs will be getting NO sleep and lots of practice in their chosen trade. It is hoped there are plenty of spare bits for these one designs to be applied so everyone can race. Crews are trying to get a handle on the roughest wind and sea condition of any venue thus far. Plymouth of last year was a fair preview but a daily dose of this will harden UP the teams. ETNZ and Oracle have done many days of practice in this extreme wind and should be the ones to beat. The weather mark where the chutes are deployed will be the deciding factor between smoking away from the opponents or taking an early bath. YEEEHAW! Cowboy up! * From Donald Street: After 48 years in the insurance business, I know there are a huge number of unnecessary claims filed for flooding or sinking caused by inadequate bilge pumps. After recently reading about the loss of the Hanse 370e Outer Limits in May, 330 miles from Bermuda, it has prompted me to distribute this letter to Scuttlebutt along with several prominent print magazines in hopes of getting sailors to stop, think, and install proper bilge pumps. The crew of Outer Limits discovered a leak, and then took the easy way out, abandoning ship and letting the insurance company pay for the total loss. The fact that with no one on board to pump, the boat remained afloat for 48 hours, shows the bilge pumping system on Outer Limits was grossly inadequate as the crew of FOUR felt they could not keep ahead of the ingress of water long enough to sail back to Bermuda. The fact that the boat floated with no one pumping for 48 hours shows that the boat could not have been leaking that badly. If Outer Limits had a proper bilge pump, a permanently mounted Edson 25gpm diaphragm bilge pump, or the same pump mounted on a board as a movable emergency bilge pump, the crew of Outer Limits would have been able to move 1,500 gallons an hour. With four crew, one hour pumping and three hours off, that would certainly have kept Outer Limits afloat long enough to motor sail 330 miles back to Bermuda or close enough to have a rescue boat come out and meet them with pumps. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14243 SELLING. BUYING. HIRING. The Scuttlebutt website provides a marketplace for private parties to buy and sell, or for businesses to post job openings. For free. As a bonus, each week the Scuttlebutt newsletter includes some of the recent ad postings. Have an ad? Post it in the Classified Ad section of the Forum. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Televangelists: The Pro Wrestlers of religion. 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