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SCUTTLEBUTT 2442 - September 28, 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. JONATHAN MCKEE AND THE BARCELONA WORLD RACE American Jonathan McKee discusses his participation in the Barcelona World Race, the doublehanded Open 60 event that will start this November and sail around the world. * After a successful America’s Cup with Luna Rossa, you choose a completely different path. Why? “I really enjoyed the America’s Cup as well as my experience with Luna Rossa but I always wanted to experience different styles of sailing and races and put myself in different situations. For me this is an opportunity to do something completely different. This type of ocean racing, especially short handed ocean racing is something I have some experience with and which appeals to me a lot. One thing that’s great about it is how different it is compared to the America’s Cup, not only in the sailing itself but in that the team is so much smaller and I can be much more involved in its overall decision-making and its personality. An individual sailor rarely has this involvement in the America’s Cup.” * You’ll be just two persons sailing together for more than three months. Can this lead to conflicts or problems? “For sure it’s difficult and can create conflicts. I’ll have less time with my family; I have a wife and two children and it’s not going to be easy being away for three months. Luckily there is technology that helps in that sense a little bit but still it’s a long time. That’s a positive aspect of the America’s Cup, you can go home every night and be with your family. It’s a much more family-friendly environment. On the other side, this race will be over quite quickly. It lasts three months, it finishes an then you are on to your next assignment, while the America’s Cup last almost 4 years.” * Why did you specifically choose the Barcelona World Race and not the Volvo Ocean Race or any other round-the-world race? -- Valencia Sailing website, read on: http://tinyurl.com/37crsk A PLATFORM FOR BONDING Long distance races are camping trips with accommodation, buoy races fill the daylight hours before the Mount Gay drinkies are poured, and boat chores merely provides the crew with an excuse to get out of the house. Even volunteering for Race Committee is only 30% work and 70% telling lies, eating deli sandwiches, and hand line fishing. If there is one thing the sport of sailing does well, it provides an excellent platform for bonding. Back in the day, bonding meant male bonding. The yacht club bar was once the sole bastion for the men, but those days are now long gone, with women continuing to compete and contribute on an equal level with their opposite sex. However, there are still times when men need their thing, and women need theirs. While some traditions have fallen aside over the years, there is one that continues to hang on in certain parts of the world: the stag cruise. Last week, St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, CA celebrated their 50th Annual Stag Cruise, where more than 200 boats and nearly 800 yachties headed 70 miles up the Sacramento Delta to the club’s exclusive enclave, Tinsley Island. The privately owned outpost, which is well concealed from the surrounding freshwater inlets and estuaries by shrubby atolls, was the site of high-level male bonding, with a collection of notable speakers, ‘athletic events’, and Las Vegas entertainment commemorating the event’s golden anniversary. The Curmudgeon graciously accepted an invitation to attend, and here provides his report on the occasion: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2007/09/life-altering-experience.html THE DOPING SPOTLIGHT Doping abuse by athletes in sports has been widely suspected, occasionally proven, and is now front-page news as tougher rules and testing procedures are initiated. Unfortunately, due to the mismanagement of the problem, athletes are now considered guilty until proven innocent. When a person is accused of a doping offense, the statement that seems to be frequently repeated is that “I have never knowingly taken a banned substance.” Regrettably, this same statement was uttered by Simon Daubney, genoa trimmer for America’s Cup Alinghi, upon testing positive for a banned substance. Here is Simon’s statement: “Yesterday I went before the five-man 32nd America’s Cup Jury in London regarding a positive doping test taken on 23 June 2007. While Anti Doping Norway did find traces of a recreational drug in the urine sample, the Jury found that there was no fault or negligence on my behalf. This comes as a relief to me as I have never knowingly taken a banned substance however, until this matter is completely resolved, I have resigned from Alinghi, so that they can go about their business without distraction. I hope to return to the team once my name is cleared. “I was found in breach of the America’s Cup Anti Doping Rules after a routine urine test taken by Anti Doping Norway on 23 June 2007. The urine sample returned a positive test for a recreational drug on 13 July 2007. Then the B sample returned a positive result on the 8 August.” -- Complete statement: http://www.alinghi.com/en/news/news/index.php?idIndex=200&idContent=13924 WHEN IN ANNAPOLIS... See the latest addition to True Wind’s line of premium sailcloth bags – the Classic Tote. With an open top and three outside pockets, the Classic Tote offers plenty of room for items large and small. Featuring the same new Hood Dacron sailcloth and original nautical stripe design that is found on all True Wind bags, the Classic Tote comes in a variety of color combinations and is perfect for the boat, beach, gym, and office. All True Wind bags are proudly ‘Made in the USA’. View the Classic Tote, and the rest of the collection, at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis (Tent I-Booth 4) or on-line at http://www.truewindusa.com 2007 ICSA ALL ACADEMIC SAILING TEAM Norfolk, VA. (September 27, 2007) – The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) has recognized 20 outstanding scholar athletes by their selection to the 2007 ICSA All Academic Sailing Team. The honor acknowledges success at the highest levels – both on the water and in the classroom – of these men and women who have been nominated by their respective schools for academic and athletic performance during the 2006-2007 academic year. The 2007 ICSA All Academic Team recognizes ten First Team and ten Second Team student-athletes who maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a scale of 4.00, were a key starter or reserve member of their school’s sailing team, and who had reached junior standing at his or her institution of learning in order to be considered eligible for this distinction. Members of the 2007 ICSA All Academic Sailing Team – First Team are: Anna Bargren (Wauwatosa, Wisc.) – University of Wisconsin ’07; Nicole Beckett (Satellite Beach, Fla.) – University of South Florida ’08; Michael Easton (Lexington, Mass.) – Tufts University ’08; Jack Field (Noank, Conn.) – Massachusetts Institute of Technology ’08; Matthew Kastan (East Amherst, N.Y.) – University of Rhode Island ’07; Rebecca Levin (New Haven, Conn.) – Stanford University ‘07, Melissa Pumphrey (Annapolis, Md.) – St. Mary’s College '07; Eva Seligman (Potomac, Md.) – University of Southern California ’07; Emily Simon (Oak Brook, Ill.) – Harvard University ’07; and Kristen Sproat (Annapolis, Md.) – U.S. Naval Academy ‘08. -- Complete list: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/0927/ FULL OF SNAKES AND LADDERS Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy (September 27, 2007) The Rolex TP52 Global Championship 2007 served up another day of intriguing competition on the water, just as the Costa Smeralda served up one of the worst days of weather in recent memory of those that regularly compete in this sailing mecca. A window of opportunity in the prevailing strong winds enabled the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda race officials, led by Peter Craig, to run one of the two coastal courses included in the programme. At the end of a winter like day, the Swedish boat Artemis popped out in front to secure another priceless victory in a race that turned into a lottery at the mid-point. Artemis was followed home by Windquest (USA), Doug DeVos' s boat having set the pace for much of the race. Mutua Madrilena (CHI) did a back to front recovery and took third, just ahead of Glory (USA). Patches (IRE) had a day to forget; full of snakes and ladders, and with her last roll of the dice landing her firmly on a snake to finish in twelfth. Going into the last two days, five boats are separated by 6-points, but ominously for the fleet one boat lies 17 points clear ahead of them all - Artemis. -- Complete daily report: http://www.regattanews.com/pressrelease.asp?pid=1737&lang=1 Current Provisional Standings (Top 5 of 15) 1. Artemis - Torbjorn Tornqvist, SWE, 6-1-1-2-4-1.25, 15.25 2. Windquest - Doug DeVos, USA, 8-6-5-1-11-2.50, 33.5 3. Mean Machine - Peter de Ridder, MON, 7-4-6-3-6-7.50, 33.5 4. Stay Calm - Stuart Robinson, GBR, 12-7-2-4-3-8.75, 36.75 5. Patches - Eamon Conneely, IRL, 1-5-9-8-1-15, 39 Complete results: http://www.rolextp52globals2007.com/results07/tp52_1.htm ISAF TEAM RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 Gandia, Spain (September 27, 2007) Here is a report from the Silver Pandas, the leading American team following Day three: “ To quote Bern Noack, our coach at the last worlds: ‘Well, we're not going to go undefeated.’ Today's racing started at the normal, 11AM time. The breeze was again fickle and difficult for the race committee to deal with. Our course moved from the channel to the basin just outside of it several times throughout the day as the race officers sought the best conditions for team racing. Finally, the breeze filled in enough from the north-northwest to provide a puffy, shifty race course with 450-foot long beats. For those who have sailed at MIT when the breeze comes across the river, today's conditions were very much like that except that in international 420s we planed around the course in a matter of seconds.” -- Read on for complete reports from Day 1, 2, 3: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/trw NYYC Silver Panda Team Pete Levesque / Liz Hall Colin Merrick / Amanda Callahan Clay Bischoff / Lisa Keith FLAVORED ICE: A SOLUTION FOR HEAT AND ABRASION ISSUES Big boat racing produces loads that can have damaging effects on running rigging. Since its introduction, Samson Ice (PBO/ Vectran blend) has emerged as the preferred cover for protection from heat and abrasion. Until recently, Samson Ice only came in one color, making it difficult to distinguish the different lines if used in multiple applications. Samson's R&D team has recently engineered Ice in 6 new colors. Successfully tested on Pyewacket's Transpac run, Flavored Ice was an instant hit with the crew. See a sample of Flavored Ice at the US Sailboat Show, Samson booth #B-49. http://www.samsonrope.com/recreationalmarine ON THE ROAD TO QINGDAO “Canadian sailing team in best shape in years getting ready for the Olympic Games” says Head Coach Ken Dool. As the world community gets ready to identify their athletes who will form their Olympic Team in 2008, Canada’s sailing team is in its best position going into an Olympic Games than they have been for years. Ken Dool, the team Head Coach and the High Performance Director for the Canadian Yachting Association, is pleased to report that Canada has already qualified to send a representative in seven of the 11 classes scheduled to compete. “We still have the 2008 World Championships in which to secure spots in the remaining four classes,” said Dool confidently. In comparison, in 2004 Canada qualified to participate in six of the 11 classes, and a good portion of those qualifications were not made until the last round of qualifications, just months before the games. “It makes a huge difference for many of our athletes now training knowing Canada has qualified for seven classes,” explains Dool. “They still face the challenge of securing their personal positions but not the added pressure of class qualification.” -- Complete story: http://www.sailing.ca/news/headline.asp?numNewsID=1380 TRAVELING BACK IN TIME Cannes, France (September 27, 2007) Here is Paul Cayard’s latest diary entry after the third day at the 12 Meter World Champs onboard Kiwi Magic: “Another difficult day today with the wind. There was a light westerly breeze from the Mistral to the west which eventually gave way to a moderate easterly breeze from the low pressure just to our south. Around 1230 we got our start. Eric Doyle our tactician wanted the right so we started at the committee boat and the wind in fact went right for the first half of the windward leg. We were looking quite strong there until the wind went 20 degrees left. Then we tacked under Kookaburra II and the fleet trouped out to the right. We burned off KZ5 of Edgar Kato but KZ3 with the Grael brothers got a bit stronger on us. There was a fair amount of swapping sides amongst the fleet. Finally up near the top the wind filled from the right and Kookaburra II led us into the mark by a couple of lengths then KZ 3 and KZ5 followed.” -- Read on: http://www.cayardsailing.com/cs_Reports.cfm?evtID=77&csRpt=638 SAILING SHORTS * North Sails has partnered with Sailing Weather Services to provide FREE weather forecasts for the Moby M30 World Championship from October 1-7 in Porto Cervo, Italy. To sign up, visit North Sails's online weather center by clicking here: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf * Sailing World's College Rankings as of September 27, 2007 have been released, with St. Mary’s maintaining its hold on the top spots in the coed and women's rankings. -- http://tinyurl.com/33dhtw PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include A photo sequence of a C&C 99 round down, a beautiful Nova Scotia sunset, a real “BUTT SHOT” along with the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, Kialoa ll resurfaces in Italy, SKUD 18s at the IFDS Worlds, and some great shots from the windy Folkboat Internationals in San Francisco. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/0928 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: Sept 28-30 - CORK Fall Regatta - Kingston, Ontario, Canada Sept 28-30 - J/Fest San Diego - San Diego, CA, USA Sept 28-29 - 3rd Annual Boston Harbor Island Regatta - Boston, MA, USA Sept 29 - 23rd Annual Dunedin Cup/ Kiwanis Regatta - Dunedin, FL, USA Sept 29 - Sail for Hope - Newport, RI, USA View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar VISIT BERMUDA FOR THE GOLD CUP When was the last time you walked on a beach with pink sand? When was the last time pastels filled your world? When was the last time you visited Bermuda? The Bermuda Gold Cup is around the corner (Oct. 8-14) and you won't want to miss it. This will be the 100th anniversary of the event, and the lineup includes Americas Cup Champion Ed Baird, World Match Race Leader Ian Williams, and some of the best match racers in the world. Vacation packages for two, including round trip airfare from Boston, and accommodations at the Hamilton Princess hotel, start at $1,400. Additional information at: http://tinyurl.com/2kr952 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 David Brookes, Executive Director, International Hobie Class Assn.: The decision by the RYA to remove the multihull from the Olympics and ISAF Youth Worlds is a very strange one (as reported in Issue 2441). At the past four ISAF Youth Worlds, the young British Hobie 16 sailors have won for their country three Gold and a Silver medal. One young Hobie sailor in particular has won two Gold and a Silver medal at the ISAF Youth Worlds for his country and RYA. He moved to a Hobie Tiger and now sails a Tornado to conclude his dream of racing at the Olympics in a multihull when the 2012 Olympics come to his home country. RYA has now tried to take that dream away from a young sailor who has done all he can for his sport and country. If young sailors win medals and represent their country with the highest of distinctions (both on and off the water), then the officials remove that dream, and you wonder what effect this will have on all the young sailors. If RYA does not support the successful, you wonder if any class is safe. Or does RYA not look at the results of the sailors but just make random decisions? * From Bill Healy: (re: Jerry Milgram from Issue 2441) In addition to the accomplishments documented, I should add a little known fact that while a grad student at M.I.T. in the 1960s, Jerry designed the first computerized sail. It was for an Interclub dinghy in the frostbite fleet at Marblehead where he was competing. The Dacron came from Ted Hood’s loft and he and I constructed it in his apartment in Cambridge. The seams were all glued, no stitching, and the leech was hot knifed. I still have the sail, which was quite fast. * From John Gross, Delray Beach, FL: I know there are many that cannot wait for the appearance of the SB-3 from Vanguard and the Melges 20. I would like to see these new animals on the block be a success, but if the price of these prove to be out of reach, Vanguard has been producing an affordable alternative for the past few years… the Nomad. Listed as a family day sailor, it is anything but. At 17-feet long with an 8-foot beam, it has a big roomy cockpit, mylar sails, and an asymmetrical spinnaker that gives the sailboat a turbo effect when launched. I use to own one and had a lot of fun with it. There will always be an alternative to going new. * From Cliff Bradford: Surprising that Isabelle Joschke isn't one of the ISAF Sailor of the Year nominees because she's been tearing up the Mini 6.50 fleet this year including being the current leader of the Mini Transat. It doesn't help that the period under consideration splits the sailing season from two years. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION "Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place." -- Billy Crystal Special thanks to True Wind and Samson Rope. |
