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SCUTTLEBUTT 3684 - Wednesday, September 26, 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: Team One Newport, Harken, and Pure Yachting. THE THINGS WE DO The 2012 5O5 North Americans blasted onto San Francisco Bay last week without massive fanfare, with the 31-boat fleet going about their business on the Berkeley Circle. After 11 races over 4 days (Sept. 20-23), Tyler Moore and Rob Woelfel edged out Mike Martin and Jesse Falsone for the title. The 5O5 is one of the sweetest dinghies on the planet, which perhaps explains the lengths at which Falsone went to attend the NAs. Here is his event report: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm sitting in my office on Wednesday mid-morning when I get a call. It's Mike Martin and he needs me to hop a flight to San Francisco immediately to sail the 505 NAs with him, but not until he makes absolutely sure that any one of 7 other local (and not so local) alternatives absolutely cannot make it. I don't remember the entire list, but Carl Buchan, some local kite boarder, and one of the Barbados Worlds run girls were in there so I'm not in such bad company. Mike's regular crew, "Jeffa" Nelson, had to bolt out of town for a family emergency; otherwise the regatta would have been over since they are 10% faster. Mike and I sailed together in 2005 on both coasts and the Germany Worlds where we were one bad tactical move from the title (and decades of an unbearably smug Falsone). This success accounts for why I'm #8 on the Mike Martin 505 crew depth chart. After explaining to Mike that although it was possible, I would undoubtedly pay a large price at work, where I had proposal work, and at home being that it was my daughter's 10th birthday and my wedding anniversary. Mike was undeterred by such flim flam, but said to give him another hour to check in with the junior club after I said that I only weighed 192 and had a bad shoulder. Meanwhile, I watched the internet prices of last-minute plane tickets ratchet ever-higher by the minute. In desperation, Mike relented and asked me to push the "purchase" button, which I did just before airfares reached a grand and I would have to connect through Anchorage. So, after an unconvincing explanation to my boss, I risked life and limb dodging DC traffic to get home, pack, and race back up to BWI for my flight to SFO. Fortunately, I did have just enough time to stop at CVS and pick up a prescription for some little pills to calm my nerves. There was a lot to live up to after snatching the crewing spot from some anonymous kite boarder. Read on: http://tinyurl.com/PD-092512 Event details: http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/5787 THE HOTTEST SELLING PRODUCT AT NIBS Straight from the Newport International Boat Show is Sperry's Technical Clothing! Team One Newport's staff had trouble keeping the shelves stocked but fortunate for you we have gotten some more in and want to make it available to you! Sperry's passion is the sea and their Technical Clothing is for people like us that are drawn to the thrill and pursuits on the water. Sperry creates for performance and builds quality and design into everything for an enduring sense of style. Grab them at boat show pricing until October 8th! http://www.tinyurl.com/tonsperry or 800.VIP.GEAR (401.847.4327) I'M GUILTY - THE ADMISSIONS OF A SAILOR By Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt A recent Scuttlebutt thread discussed how event rules can vary from event to event. These event rules, defined in the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions, are required reading, and understanding the event rules is paramount to being prepared. So, at the risk of embarrassing myself, I will share a story from a national championship this past weekend. I hadn't read the Notice of Race, but wasn't too concerned. I had read the Sailing Instructions several days before the regatta, which seemed to include all the details. It was a three day event, and it had gone well for us. I determined we finished second, but was puzzled when I learned we were third. What happened? My mistake was I did not know there was a throw-out. While this seems like an epic blunder to admit, it was a result of how the Sailing Instructions were written and my rusty rules knowledge. The Sailing Instructions said... * The Race Committee shall attempt to complete 9 races. * Low Point Scoring System per Appendix A will be used. My hope right now is I'm not the only imbecile that doesn't know all the details of Appendix A in the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS). When I didn't see any mention in the Sailing Instructions of there being a throw-out, I assumed all races were included in the score. But Appendix A in the RRS states that "each boat's series score shall be the total of her race scores excluding her worse score." In my feeble defense, I had been following the J/24 and Farr 40 World Championships last week, and their Sailing Instructions clearly detailed how their events would be scored. The J/24 Worlds stated there would be a throw-out after five races, and the Farr 40 Worlds stated there would be no discards. So perhaps there are two lessons to share; 1) For race organizers, keep the Sailing Instructions clear and simple, and; 2) For competitors, assume nothing. Thread: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14494 QUOTE / UNQUOTE "People are getting tired of frugality. They have frugality fatigue. They're looking around saying, 'I'm OK. Life doesn't go on forever. If I don't start doing something for myself or my family soon, it will be too late.' They realize that if I'm waiting for world peace or political sanity, I'm going to be waiting for a long time." - Phil Bennett, Hinckley's vice president of sales, regarding the improved boat buying climate. Full story on Soundings: http://blog.tradeonlytoday.com/tradetalk/?p=637 THIS KID'S GOT GAME Peter Burling may be 21 years old and the youngest skipper in the America's Cup arena, but he arrives with a wealth of knowledge that belies his age - he's already an Olympic silver medalist and a two-time world champion. "All the yachting I do, I'm always the youngest, it doesn't bother me anymore," says Burling, a tall and soft-spoken New Zealander. "It's always been that way, I just go with it." Burling began sailing at the age of 8 when his dad bought a boat for him and his brother. By the age of 11 Burling had jumped into the Optimist class, the largest youth trainer in the world, and finished second at the New Zealand Nationals after winning the first two races of the regatta. He returned a year later to win the national championship, his first title. From the Optimist he moved on to the International 420, a two-person dinghy, and won with skipper Carl Evans his first world championship by the age of 15. A year later they were repeat champions. On the fast path to success, Burling and Evans represented New Zealand in the 470 class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They placed 11th in a hastily prepared campaign, but it was a great learning experience for Burling who switched to the 49er Class after the 2008 Games. Now a skipper, he won the silver medal at the London Olympics, a medal he had wrapped up before the medal race finale. "You obviously learn a lot from every event you do, but the Olympics are certainly special. They only happen every four years and they are what everyone's trying to aim at, so it was nice to have been there before (in 2008) and seen how it all works," says Burling. "Most of my youth boats through to the 470 were all pretty similar, but the 49er is a different beast and it took a while to get used to sailing it. We've done all right, though." Burling is hoping that success carries over to the AC45 for Team Korea. Given his pedigree in the 49er Class, he might be well suited for the role. Burling follows Nathan Outteridge in the helmsman's role for Team Korea, whom he also happened to follow onto the medal stand at the Olympic Regatta. Outteridge and Burling were training partners leading up to the Games. "It's a bit annoying that we're always stepping where [Nathan's] been before us, but he's set a high bar for the team," Burling says. "I'm looking forward to a bit of racing." -- http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-092512 ANNAPOLIS 2012 - THE HARKEN WHO, WHAT, WHERE, & WIN! Stop by the Harken Tent this year and ask us your burning questions! Know it all already? Then prove your salt on the Harken Grinder - get the fastest time and win our hot-off-the-press 2013 Ultimate Sailing calendar. We'll also be showcasing our 2013 New Products: Performa winch sizes 20-80, integral backstay adjusters, underdeck small boat and ESP furling units, and the insanely popular Rogue backpack! And don't forget to ask about our rigger/dealer coupons - the Harken tent at Annapolis is a do-not-miss! http://www.harken.com/new LOCAL LEADER Newport, RI (September 25, 2012) - Opening day at the 2012 Melges 32 World Championship, hosted by the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) was nothing short of spectacular. With big seas and a steady 18-20 knots blowing throughout the day, NYYC member Benjamin Schwartz on Pisces has secured the lead after two races. "The first time I sailed with Ben was in Ft. Lauderdale at the Gold Cup last December, and immediately I felt very comfortable and confident on the boat." commented Pisces tactician Chris Rast. "Ben is a great helm, George 'Bear' Peet does an awesome job trimming and Marty (Kullman) pulls all the remaining pieces together. "Everyone really knows what needs to be done in order to win and that there is no time to ever feel we are not in control. Which for me, as a tactician, it really sets me up in a nice spot. I can ask for things and it's usually delivered. So, like on the last run today, we needed to go lower and slightly faster than the guys in front of us, which set us up perfectly to gybe on top of them and win. This team is delivering right now." Two more races are scheduled for Wednesday with a start of 11.00. Racing continues through Saturday. -- Full report: http://melges32.com/?p=news&id=959 Current results - top 10 of 33 (Skipper/Tactician) 1. Benjamin Schwartz/Chris Rast, Pisces (USA); 4-1 = 5 2. William Douglass/Chris Larson, Goombay Smash (USA); 3-3 = 6 3. Andre Pozzi/Gabriele Benussi, Bombarda (ITA); 1-6 = 7 4. Edoardo Lupi/Branko Brcin, Torpyone (ITA); 8-4 = 12 5. Alec Cutler/Richard Clarke, Hedgehog (BER); 5-7 = 12 6. Vincenzo Onorato/Nathan Wilmot, Mascalzone Latino (ITA); 12-2 = 14 7. Steve Howe/Morgan Larson, Warpath (USA); 2-15 = 17 8. Andy Lovell/Steve Benjamin, Rougarou (USA); 14-5 = 19 9. Ryan DeVos/Ed Baird, Volpe (USA); 13-9 = 22 10. Pieter Taselaar/Nick Thompson, Bliksem (USA); 7-16 = 23 Complete results: http://tinyurl.com/M32-Worlds-2012 SAILING SHORTS * Marseille, France (September 25, 2012) - Strong offshore winds made for exciting sailing conditions in the J/80s on the first day of qualifying at Match Race France, where Peter Gilmour got off to a flying start for the sixth stage of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing sits on top of the standings in Marseille after five straight wins put his team on the brink of qualification to the knockout stages. Overall tour leader Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team stumbled today, sitting ninth in the twelve team field. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-092512 * The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) have released a Guide to Offshore Personal Safety for Racing and Cruising. The ISAF Guide to Offshore Personal Safety for Racing and Cruising will provide essential reading for sailors undertaking the ISAF Offshore Personal Survival Course, which equips them with the knowledge to be safe at sea and prevent and deal with emergencies. The handbook provides important information to accompany the course. -- Details: http://www.sailing.org/news/32564.php * l'Hydroptere DCNS will have to wait until next season to relaunch their Transpacific record attempt between Los Angeles and Honolulu. Ultimately their 2012 campaign hasn't offered up a favourable weather window to set sail for the Hawaiian archipelago. The team will soon conclude their training in San Francisco before returning to Los Angeles. -- Full report: http://hydroptere.com/news/508/146/Hawai-en-stand-by CORRECTION We have learned the report by Australian Geographic in Scuttlebutt 3683 was in error, as esteemed yachting journalist Bob Fisher reports: "The day that Australia II took the Cup was 26th September 1983 (and not the 25th). Those of us who were there will never forget the date. As for the 'Ben didn't design the keel' lobby - I discussed this phenomenon with him when we were shipmates aboard the 48ft More Opposition in 1976, and I will admit to no surprise when I learned of the configuration of Australia II's keel seven years later." PREFER YESTERYEAR'S OLDSMO-BUICK OR CITROEN? We thought not. A lot of RIB designs are really old. PURE YACHTING offers all new custom RIB's built in the USA. Multi-purpose YC RIBs. Coach boats for all programs. SuperYacht Tenders. Harbormasters. Police & Fire. Call RIB legend Whitey Russell now at 401-338-7457 http://www.pureyachting.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 Julie Ashton: Thanks for laying out the sponsorship scenario that Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association has created (in Scuttlebutt 3683). While requiring schools to buy boats from LaserPerformance is clearly an aggressive sponsor requirement, it may have succeeded if handled differently. ICSA needs to communicate better with its members, and ICSA needs to partner with companies that schools are eager to work with. This sponsor agreement was not mentioned in the May meeting minutes, and schools are only now learning about the agreement after it was finalized this month. Additionally, schools can now choose other boat builders which have succeeded in entering the market because LaserPerformance has been difficult to work with. ICSA leadership clearly misread their membership if they thought requiring schools to work with a supplier for whom overall respect has dipped would be well received. It will be worth watching to see if this eight year agreement is upheld. * From Leslie Valmadre: Thank you for the article (in Scuttlebutt 3683) reminding the sailing world what a great achievement the 1983 win was, not only for Australia, but more importantly for the America's Cup itself as it was only then that it was able to throw off the New York Yacht Club custodianship and become the premium event it is today. Sadly I am not sure the many who are involved in today's campaigns are aware of, or even acknowledge, the debt of gratitude owed to those who, lead by Alan Bond, dared to and won the great prize. On Friday this week, as we have every last Friday in September for many years now, a group of Western Australian AC sailors from most of the Australian campaigns will gather to enjoy a lunch and renew again the close camaraderie that comes from high endeavour whether it is successful achievement as in the '83 challenge or unsuccessful as many of us experienced in the '62, '67, '70, '74, '77 and '80 challenges. However, I know that to a person not one of us would ever feel we wasted one second of our time, and win or lose, we are proud that we gave it a go. With respect to Vince Lombardi, winning is not everything it is only the ultimate reward for how you play the game and playing the game at any level is the greatest reward. * From Tim Patterson: I shall never forget seeing the commentator shoving the mike in front of John Bertrand's face and asking him how he felt (after their AC victory in 1983). His words were the best anyone could possibly have hoped for after 132 years. I may not have them exactly, but what I remember is: "If I could make my countrymen as proud of their flag as you are of yours, I shall have done a great thing." My apologies to Mr. Bertrand for any mistake in the wording; the thought of that moment and his most gracious words have stayed with me - I hope I was not too far off. * From Mal Emerson: I certainly grow weary of the pure sour grapes being published in The Butt about AC 34. Considering that sailing is the subject of the Butt, I perceive it to be solidly one-sided. The Asian teams, no doubt, had winning in mind when they joined the fray. Trying is the essence of winning. Even if there is only one challenger, AC 34 will have been a resounding success and be truer to the history, tradition, and intent of the Deed of Gift, and thus The Cup itself than any of the matches since WWII. I'll wager more people have been directly exposed to The Cup in AC 34 than in all previous events combined and the real deal starts next year. I really enjoy the constructive criticism of the way AC 34 is being run and even the mono/multi controversy. Simple, unsubstantiated, derogatory comments and predictions of failure, however, are not only tiring but also bad for the sport and even contrary to the guest commentary directions to, "save your bashing .... for elsewhere" 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: * J-120 2001 for sale * Selling Optimist Super Trailer - 25 Optis & Coach Boat * Used Melges 24 sails wanted View/post ads here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/classified_ads CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "Here's all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. 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