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SCUTTLEBUTT 3621 - Wednesday, June 27, 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: IYRS, Summit Yachts, and KO Sailing. AS IF HE NEEDED THE INVITATION The Prince of Wales has christened an Olympic sailing boat as he made a surprise visit to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Charles was invited to the Olympic sailing site - the largest venue outside London - by three-times gold medallist Ben Ainslie. The Prince's appearance caused a stir amongst the gathered athletes from Team GB and around the world who have come to train in the waters off Dorset's coast. Met by the chief executive of the academy, John Tweed, and the chairman, Edward Leask, Charles was shown the site from a balcony adorned with flags from across the world. He went on to meet members of the Team GB Olympic and Paralympic sailing team, as well as representatives from Australia and Canada. Meeting Olympic hopefuls Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes, the Prince was asked to christen their boat - which they have only had for a couple of days. The pair - Britain's representatives in the 49er class - handed Charles a bottle of Palmers Dorset Gold. He poured the ale over the white sailing boat, naming it Lovely Rita. Rhodes, 31, said: "Lovely Rita is a Beatles song and we thought it was as British a name as it could be. Ben (Ainslie) names all his boats Rita so we thought we should get in on the action." Ainslie, who is seeking a fourth consecutive gold medal when he competes in the Finn class at this year's games, said of the academy in Portland: "When we think about 2012, and people talk about the legacy of 2012, this is a fantastic example of that and it's great to have Prince Charles down here and have him show his support." US Olympic sailing team members Amanda Clark and Sarah Lihan also managed to have a chat with the prince after infiltrating a line-up of Olympic sailors from Australia and Canada. Clark, 30, a 470 dinghy sailor, said: "It was pretty incredible. I didn't actually know that he was coming today, but we snuck into the line and had a wonderful opportunity. I think that it is really, really amazing and I'm so happy that he came down to support sailing and christen the boat for the British - that's just so cool, absolutely incredible." -- http://tinyurl.com/Olympics-062612 QUOTE / UNQUOTE "My greatest strength is probably my utter love of the sport. I love the water, I love the people, I love the feeling of bombing down a wave, the second before the bow drops, I love the buzz of anticipation before a windy start, I love the calculations on a light, shifty day." - Sarah Lihan, American 470 crew, 2012 Olympics, http://tinyurl.com/Olympics-062612a IYRS HITS THE ROAD IYRS hits the road this weekend, making stops at major events in Rhode Island and Connecticut and making it easy for potential students and supporters to learn about the school and its programs. If you are heading to Newport to watch the action at the America's Cup World Series, visit us at the America's Cup Exploration Zone, which is open until July 1. We will also be at the WoodenBoat Show - hosted by Mystic Seaport, June 29 to July 1 - where you can learn about the school while spying some amazing classics. For more information, visit http://www.iyrs.org/Admissions/VisitConnect/tabid/697/Default.aspx PREPARE TO BE COUNTED It wasn't immediately noticeable when the AC World Series arrived in San Diego last November. But a close look at the gate greeters revealed a hand clicker that counted each arrival. And on the final weekend, a cadre of attractive coeds was actively surveying the attendees. What was it all about? A local investment had been made to attract the event to San Diego, and now the city was seeking to assess its worth. For the AC World Series event this week in Newport, attendees should expect a similar accounting. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation has hired Maine-based research and planning firm Planning Decisions Inc. to conduct its economic impact study of the event. Planning Decisions will place team members on site at Fort Adams, where the state and the America's Cup Host Committee has set up a viewing village for sailing enthusiasts, to survey attendees and also will survey America's Cup Event Authority officials on their numbers, as well as compare sales tax revenue during the June 29-July 1 racing events. The America's Cup Event Authority has estimated an economic benefit of $72 million to Newport during the events. The study should be completed by October. Paul Harden, executive director of the America's Cup Rhode Island 2012, said early numbers are encouraging. He had expected about 2,000 to 3,000 people to visit the Fort Adams village over its initial weekend on June 23-24. There were 4,400 there on June 23 and 4,800 on June 24, he said. "From what I've heard, feedback is pretty positive. We're not going to [really] know until later in the week when they're actually racing," Harden said. "Hopefully people will see Newport and Rhode Island and what a beautiful [place] this is, and they'll come back." Source: http://tinyurl.com/PBN-062612 SCUTTLEBUTT TRIVIA In one month, the 2012 Olympics will be held in London, which has been the host city more times than any other city in the world. How many times has London hosted the Olympic Games? (Answer below) ARE YOU PLANNING TO BE A COACH POTATO THIS WEEK? The final stop in the inaugural America's Cup World Series (AC World Series) is this week in Newport, Rhode Island, with a schedule of both fleet and match racing on June 28-July 1. Eight boats representing six teams will compete. Here is the broadcast guide: * Thursday (YouTube.com) - While racing starts at noon, a delayed broadcast begins at 1400 EDT and will show the seeding fleet race and the deciding race of each of the match race quarter finals. * Friday (YouTube.com) - The live broadcast starts at 1430 EDT and will show the match racing semi finals and the fleet races. * Saturday (YouTube.com) - The live broadcast starts at 1430 EDT and will show the fleet races and a selection of speed trial runs * Sunday (NBC in USA) - The live broadcast starts at 1430 EDT and will show the match race and fleet race finals. Coverage on YouTube.com is subject to territorial broadcast agreements. In the United States, the broadcast agreement with NBC means there will be no live coverage on Sunday July 1 on YouTube. However, replays, highlights and on-demand are unaffected and will be available on YouTube in the USA throughout all four days of the AC World Series in Newport. YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/AmericasCup Race schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-062512a FIFTY IS THE NEW THIRTY (June 27, 2012) - Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton is so excited about the potential of the team's new AC72 catamaran, he plans to join the crew for the next America's Cup. The team took delivery of their first AC72 yesterday - a significant milestone for the syndicate as they continue to embrace multihull sailing. And it is a world Dalton wants to experience firsthand, rather than from a chase boat. Dalton has been training with the America's Cup crew twice a day to prepare for the gruelling physical demands of sailing the mammoth catamaran, which is capable of 40 knots. Oracle chief executive Sir Russell Coutts, the mastermind behind the new multihull class, said when he unveiled the plans for next year's cup that the new boats will encourage a new breed of sailor. The crew needs to be strong, athletic and agile to manoeuvre the giant catamarans around the course, and Dalton is confident his 54-year-old body will hold up. "You can get knocked around a fair bit, at 40 knots this thing will really fly, but I think I'm up to the challenge," said Dalton. "If I'm not up to it, and I'll know it myself, I won't do it - simple as that." -- NZ Herald, full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10815668 SAIL BOATS THAT MEET YOUR NEEDS Whether your focus is racing at the ultimate level, club racing with some light cruising thrown in, or anything in between, the Summit Yachts line of sail boats can meet your needs. The Summit 35 and 40 have won international events throughout the world in both distance and around the buoys events. The new Summit 45 will compete at the highest level against production and custom designs. All of our models are built in the USA, and are designed by Mark Mills. Check out all of our models at http://www.summit-yachts.com Choose the best. Choose Summit MAYBE KIWIS DON'T AGE Tony Rae will make a simple wish when he blows out the 51 candles on his birthday cake on Tuesday -- to be back racing around the world in the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race at the age of 54. New Zealander Rae, as part of the CAMPER team for the 2011-12 edition, remains in great shape despite the physical and mental demands of what is his fifth appearance in the Race and by far the toughest of those assignments. "This Race is very, very different," he said. "I was just watching the video of the last leg and there isn't any footage like that from previous races that I've done. These boats are so much quicker, so much more physical. When you're leaping off waves, you see the damage that's been done and damage to people too. We're pushing a lot harder and we're all a lot closer together. It's just push, push, push. "If I'm still in one piece, I might get to go around again," added. "Let's see if I get asked. My mind is still right; whether my body can hang in there... "Age is just a number. If you're fit enough and injury free you're good to go. You have to be injury free to get around on this boats otherwise it's a mission. The next race there'll be less crew again and that closes up again. You have to have everyone available all the time. Who knows? It looks exciting next time by the sound of it... Never say never." -- http://tinyurl.com/VOR-062612 EDITOR'S NOTE: Rae makes note that the next race will have less crew on each boat. CEO Knut Frostad will reveal plans on June 28 for a new boat design for the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race. ISAF WOMEN'S MATCH RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Gothenburg, Sweden (June 26, 2012) - After the opening day of the 2012 ISAF Women's Match Racing Worlds in Gothenburg, Sweden the early favourites have proven their worth and taken control. With a north westerly wind increasing throughout the day, the conditions could not have been any better on Gothenburg as the sun shone down on the 16 competitors, including 10 of the 12 Women's Match Race crews who will head to the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. In Group A there is a clear divide with four crews with 100% records and the other four without a race win. ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), Ekaterina Skudina (RUS), Sally Barkow (USA) and Olivia Price (AUS) all have 100% records leaving Anne-Claire Le Berre (FRA), Mandy Mulder (NED), Julie Bossard (FRA) and Anna Kjellberg (SWE) with work to do. The results in Group B were slightly more varied with only Claire Leroy (FRA) and Silja Lehtinen (FIN) holding 100% records. Lucy Macgregor (GBR) and Renee Groeneveld (NED) have two out of three race wins to their name whilst Tamara Echegoyen (ESP) and Rita Goncalves (POR) have just the one. Camilla Ulrikkeholm (DEN) and Silke Hahlbrock (GER) are yet to record a victory. The top four in each group advance to the Gold group and with the round robin concluding Wednesday, the four crews with 100% records have one foot in the next round. -- http://www.sailing.org/38797.php FREE CLASSIFIED ADS The Scuttlebutt Classified Ads provide a marketplace for private parties to buy and sell, or for businesses to post job openings. Here are recent ads: * North Sails is hiring in Vancouver, CAN * Trina, Shaw 24 Hull #1 is for sale * Recruiting Membership Director - US Sailing * Etchells #793 for sale View/post ads here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/classified_ads SAILING SHORTS * ESPNU will broadcast the 2012 Gill Coed Dinghy National Championship of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association on Friday, July 6 at 6:00pm EDT. The top eighteen collegiate sailing teams in the nation competed June 6-8 on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. The show will include a special feature on collegiate sailors who have graduated and are competing in the 2012 Olympic Games. The show re-airs on Sunday, July 8 at 9:00am EDT. * The largest gathering of wooden boats and enthusiasts in New England will converge at Mystic Seaport (in Mystic, CT) for the 21st annual WoodenBoat Show Friday through Sunday, June 29 to July 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The three-day WoodenBoat Show, hosted in a partnership with WoodenBoat Publications, has been described by Yankee Magazine's Travel Guide as "one of Connecticut's top 20 events for the summer." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/MS-062612 * CORRECTION: It was reported in Scuttlebutt 3620 that John Kostecki won his first World Championship at the 1981 Sunfish Worlds. Actually, it was 1982. Here is a list of past winners: http://www.sunfishclass.org/worlds/?page_id=2 TRIVIA ANSWER London has been the host city for the Olympic Games three times. It is the only city for the United Kingdom to have hosted the Olympics. The United States leads the list as having hosted the Games eight times, followed by France (5), with the UK, Canada, Italy, Japan, and Germany as three-time hosts. Among the countries listed above, only the United Kingdom has not been host to both the Summer and Winter Games. NO AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED Whether you're a newbie, pro or in between, you'll find all your performance sailing needs at KO Sailing - parts, gear, charters and boats. We've even got the fisherman's dream for you avid anglers. Save 10% off any online order of $75 or more with code SB612 at checkout (exclusions apply). http://kosailing.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 Peter Harken: Rolly Tasker was a long time living legend of the sailing world during his stay on Earth, and now that he has sadly passed, he will be remembered as one of the very best. I knew Rolly and his wife Kerry very well, having spent time with him at his amazing Phuket, Thailand sail-loft and his all Teak house plus his AC museum in Western Australia. Alistair Murray of Ronstan and T'J Perrotti said it all in Butt 3620, so all I can add is, "Rolly, I'm sure proud to have known you, mate!" * From Jon Wright, Vanderstar Chair, USNA Sailing Program: Although the North Sails press release (in Scuttlebutt 3620) is accurate, I need to point out that my role on Invictus was purely advisory and safety. The Midshipman crew of 14 ran the entre boat lead by skipper Patrick Duffett and XO Mary Cox. It is a testimonial to Navy Sailing and head coach Jahn Tihansky that the Midshipman can take a six year old TP 52 (the old Samba Pa Ti, a very good boat) and some hand me down sails and compete with the pros. Incidentally, Navy Sailing had two other boats in the race, both Navy 44's. Defiance was second in class to Carina and 2nd overall in the Saint David's Division and our other 44 Swift was third in her class and third in fleet. For the Academy, it's not only about sailing and seamanship but most importantly, it's about the leadership skills the Midshipman develop that transfer directly to their careers as Naval officers. * From Eric Sorensen: Your article 'Achieving Success At Club Level' in #3620 prompted me to share the story of 'Jah Mon', a Catalina 42 in Anacortes WA - the only fully furnished furniture boat getting to the start line in our Wednesday nighters in Class A. We rate the slowest boat in the fast class, rating the same as a Viper 20! The winds are light and the seas are flat. There is usually sun. Our goal, should you choose to attend, is to not be last. The crew varies but the attitude among them is the same. Have some fun! Weighing in at 30,000lbs with every cruising amenity, we are twice the weight of the next boat, a Baltic 39 which is 15,000 lbs. We go out to seriously win the start; after that we do our best and just grin. More boats should be out there but all is good for those that are! You should see those Viper sailors when we loom over them as they 'try' to port start in front of us! YIKES! * From John Tormey: The "Greatest American Sailor" Tournament (in Scuttlebutt 3620) would be okay as long as there wasn't any campaigning to influence the vote. Yes, surveys like this will always have a popularity element that will skew the merit of each candidate, but there is only one contestant that has people working hard on her behalf. Oops, did I give it away who it is? CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Quantum Sails - Melges Performance Sailboats - North Sails US Sailing - Allen Insurance and Financial - IYRS - Summit Yachts KO Sailing - Ullman Sails - APS - Pure Yachting - Henri Lloyd Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
