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SCUTTLEBUTT 3544 - Friday, March 9, 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: The Pirates Lair and North U. "IT'S AS CLOSE TO NASCAR RACING AS YOU GET" American Morgan Larson has come up just short plenty of times, thank you very much. Barely scraping out a win is much better. Competing for the first time in the Extreme Sailing Series, the American skipper led Oman Air to a surprise victory in the season's opening act at The Wave on the Gulf of Oman last week. Larson's crew immediately surprised the field, jumping into a tie for the lead after the opening day of the four-day event, then consistently sailing to dominant victories as the week unfolded. "It's an amazing feeling," Larson said. "It was a challenging week and obviously our learning curve was quite steep. But this was really hard racing and any team could have won going into those last couple of races and we were just lucky that they went well for us. I'm sure there was a bit of beginner's luck to this one and we just dug in and focused hard." Larson may be new to the Extreme circuit, but he's hardly new to sailing. His has been a successful career sprinkled with wild disappointments. The son of a sailor growing up in Santa Cruz, Calif., Larson won the junior national championship in 1988. He went on to enjoy a successful college career, splitting time between the College of Charleston and the University of Hawaii, and winning a national title in the process. Larson said college sailing's style is similar in some aspects to Extreme Sailing. "College sailing's a great arena," he said. "It's obviously slower boats than this form of sailing, but it is tight-course racing and a little bit of positioning. Skills you learn in that help you in this kind of racing. "It would be like a football field that's the size of a tennis court - it's just more man-on-man." Larson faced the well-worn post-college dilemma - pursue his dream, or get a real job. The thin line between a life of sailing and a life in the business world came down to the simplest of things: Beer. "After college I just thought I was going to get a job and then some guy asked me to come race on his boat," Larson said. "(He was) an amateur sort of weekend sailor who wanted to win a race and hired a couple of us young guys and gave us some beer money, basically, and a few bucks. That worked out well and it just started snowballing from there." Thus was launched a successful career that's seen Larson compete in two America's Cups and make a serious run for the Olympics three times, in 1996, 2000 and 2004. -- China Daily, read on: http://tinyurl.com/CD-030812 BACKGROUND: The Extreme Sailing Series is in its sixth season, with this year's eight event tour travelling through Asia, Europe, and South America. The platform used is the one design Extreme 40 catamaran, with the format for event including both ocean and 'stadium' short-course racing in front of the public. Interest in the ESS has grown in part due to the multihull format planned for the 34th America's Cup in 2013. -- http://www.extremesailingseries.com/ HIGH SCHOOL SAILING RIDES A WAVE OF POPULARITY By Deborah Bach, Three Sheets Northwest (March 8, 2012) - Looking around at the teens on the docks and out racing in the waters off the Seattle Yacht Club on Saturday, Brendan Fahey smiled. It was a sight to see - more than 120 guys and girls from about 25 high schools racing on Portage Bay for the seasonal kick-off of the Interscholastic Sailing Association's Northwest District (NWISA). It wasn't like this when Fahey joined the sailing team at North Kitsap High School in the late 1990s. Back then, there were only about seven registered high school sailing teams in the district. "High school sailing gives kids like myself, who aren't in sailing families or members of yacht clubs, a chance to get out on the water," said Fahey, 28, who now coaches high school sailing. "We are so lucky to live in a place where the idea of having sailing as a high school sport is real." It's real - and it's growing. The Interscholastic Sailing Association, the national governing body for high school sailing in the U.S., reports increased numbers of high school sailing teams across the country. Participation in NWISA - which includes Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho and British Columbia - has increased fivefold over the past six years, to more than 25 schools with registered teams. Crews and coaches watch the races from the Seattle Yacht Club docks. So the Northwest seems a fitting place to host the 2012 Mallory Cup Double-Handed Championship, which will bring the top sailors from around the country to Seattle to compete for the nation's most prestigious high school trophy. The championships will be held at The Center for Wooden Boats on May 11-13, with the district championships there the previous weekend. It will be only the second time the Mallory Cup championships have been held in the region, said NWISA President Burke Thomas. "It's a huge deal," he said. "It's really exciting." How to attract more young people to sailing - and thus ensure a future for it - is a topic of increasing focus among yacht clubs and marine businesses as the boating demographic ages. -- Read on: http://threesheetsnw.com/blog/2012/03/high-school-sailing/ THE BORDER RUN, YACHTING CUP, CONGRESSIONAL CUP, PACIFIC CUP! The best events trust The Pirates Lair for their regatta graphics, apparel, decals, trophies. Call at (888) 724-5286 or ken@pirateslair.com to plan your successful event. WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Lanee Beashel is an accomplished Olympian (she has competed in four Olympic Games - 1992/1996/2000/2004, Women's Windsurf), the mother of two young children and wife of pro-sailor Adam Beashel. Here she shares her story, her passion for the sport and plenty of advice to young sailors and parents alike. * How and when did you start sailing? LANEE: I learned how to sail on a Blue-Jay out of Port Washington, NY when I was 10 years old. (I was born in Manhasset, but moved to California when I was 5. My parents would send my sister and myself back to NY every summer to live with my Aunt and Uncle so we could grow up sailing at the PWYC with our cousins). Both my Dad and older sister, Lynn, windsurfed and sailed but we started racing boards together when I was 15 in Dana Point Harbor. We were lucky, it was when windsurfing was at its prime back in the late 1980s and we had a strong local fleet at our harbor and in Southern California. * How did you evolve from a young aspiring sailor to a top pro? LANEE: I think the reason my sister and I loved it so much was that there was a group of kids our age that all started windsurfing together and then when a few of the kids started racing outside our fleet, my Dad, sister and I went too. I was fortunate to have been racing as a Youth and a Woman, so I had many opportunities open to me. During that time, there were so many different types of one-design windsurfers on the scene. I was racing on the Original Windsurfer, Waylar, Mistral Superlight, Mistral SST and Division II. Every different board had their own National series and Worlds throughout the year, so it wasn't uncommon for me to fly to Florida for a National race one weekend and drive to San Diego the next for a different board's National race. When I was 19, they announced a separate women's class at the 1992 Olympics, which gave me a real chance to qualify for the Games (I had been campaigning for 1988, but we raced against the men and it was going to be very tough to win a trials). I just started at UC Irvine and was on their sailing Team, so I decided to embark on a windsurfing campaign while I was getting my BA. I always enjoyed competing and traveling, but it wasn't until I decided to campaign for 1992 that I made the choice to get really serious and focus on getting to the Trials with a shot at winning. This was the point where I really changed my outlook. I was never going to turn 'Pro' and do the World Tour; for me the Olympic side of windsurfing was what I wanted to do. I preferred racing on the same equipment and having the sailor race against the sailor knowing when you came back to the beach, no one could say 'your equipment was better than mine'. World Cup at the time was very equipment based and it was run over 3 disciplines, Waves, Course Racing and Slalom. I love the tactical side of Olympic class racing and back then, with no pumping, long courses and lots of upwind really challenged me. Read on: http://tinyurl.com/CP-030812 ONE FINAL CLIMB TO THE FINISH (March 8, 2012; Day 18) - Before they can step onto the dock in Auckland, Franck Cammas and his Groupama 4 team still have a day and a half at sea, beating into a strong South-East to easterly wind, which will fade as they make their way along the coast of New Zealand. But with the forecast appearing sufficiently stable, expect only a breakdown or mutiny to dislodge the French. However, the remaining podium places are far from certain. "It is going to be a very close finish, that's for sure," noted Gonzalo Infante, Volvo Ocean Race chief meteorologist While the French are first to confront winds up to 38 knots and seven meter seas, the conditions will stick around for their competitors. "These are incredibly hard conditions for the end of a leg," said Infante. "The middle three boats - PUMA, Telefónica and CAMPER - will also have to face the winds and waves but it is decreasing." Infante said a compression of the fleet was likely as they entered the final few hundred miles to Auckland. "The race is very much open for the five boats behind Groupama. It is going to be a very close finish, that's for sure." Leg 4 - Sanya, China to Auckland, NZL (5,220 nm) Standings as of Friday, 09 March 2012, 1:01:24 UTC 1. Groupama 4 (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), 338.8 nm Distance to Finish 2. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), 112.3 nm Distance to Lead 3. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), 138.4 nm DTL 4. CAMPER (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 147.0 nm DTL 5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), 199.9 nm DTL 6. Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), 217.2 nm DTL Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos Race schedule: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain (Oct. 29) and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles around the world via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com SAILING SHORTS * Miami, FL (March 8, 2012) - Racing got underway in earnest today for the five classes - Star, Viper 640, Audi Melges 20, Melges 24 and J/80 - competing in BACARDI Miami Sailing Week (BMSW) presented by EFG Bank. The Star fleet, competing for the 85th BACARDI Cup, had started racing on Monday but was sidelined for the last two days as a weather system generating high winds and hazardous marine conditions sat over the area. Today, with easterly winds in the upper teens, the Stars resumed their series, joined by the Melges 20 and 24 along with the Viper 640 and J/80 classes. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13384#13384 * St. Petersburg, FL (March 8, 2012) - It was moving day at the 41-boat Thistle Midwinter's East Championship, with the top three teams now within two points leading into the final races on Friday. Skip Dieball helped himself the most today by winning both races, and now sits in third position. A 3-3 by Allan Terhune, Jr. has given his team the lead after a 4-13 by Paul Abdullah dropped his team to second. -- Results: http://tinyurl.com/SPYC-030612 * Sailors from Peru, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. finished tight competition in the Techno 293 North American Championships held at the Calema Windsurf Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The sailors enjoyed a variety of conditions in six races before the third day was blown out with 30 knot gusts. The Techno 293s were part of a windsurfing festival with 97 windsurfers in the Formula, RS:X, and Kona 1 classes. Rasmus Sayre narrowly pulled out the podium over Jonathan Rudich and Juan Bazo in the Under 17 Techno class, and Maximo Nores bested Maria Bazo in the Under 15 division. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13383 * Charleston, SC (March 8, 2012) – The Maserati racing yacht, which departed Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday to seek proper weather in their quest to better the current 24-hour sailing record of 597 miles, has postponed their attempt. While sailing toward Cape Hatteras, the VO 70s windward rudder was seriously damaged after hitting a chunk of wood in the Atlantic. The crew has returned to Charleston where Maserati's rudder will be immediately replaced with a spare. -- Full story: http://www.oceanracing.org/?p=8290 * The IRC rating system is administered around the world through Rule Authorities, although all certificates are processed either by the RORC Rating Office or the UNCL Centre de Calcul. The Rule Authority helps regarding applications, measurements, any local policies regarding weighing and measurement, or any IRC queries that owners or race organisers have (if they don't know the answer, they will pass on the query to RORC or UNCL). The appropriate Rule Authority is based on where the boat predominantly races (as opposed to where she may be registered). A list of Rule Authority contacts in now online: http://www.ircrating.org/en/contact/rule-authorities-map JOIN THE TOUR OR SIT AT HOME The North U Seminar Tour is on the road and webinars are streaming to your desktop. The first twenty to register at each seminar location get a Free North U Long Sleeve T along with the full day seminar and Seminar Disc that is included with the course! Or sit home, and attend an on-line Webinar. Topics range from Racing Trim, Cruising, and Weather to Expedition Performance Software. Crew, Student and US Sailing member discounts. Learn More. Visit http://www.northu.com PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include Hungarian surfing, too old for that, selling the sport, March calendar, Bimini racing, and Cruising Club of America award winners. Here are this week's photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/12/0309/ * Stu Johnstone posted this photo on the Scuttlebutt Facebook page. What were you doing in 1977? Go Jumbos! - http://tinyurl.com/FB-030812 SEND US YOUR PHOTOS: If you have images to share for the Photos of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK Before the arrival of spring turns these videos into old news, this week we provide two clips of winter action. If you want some hard water speed, these windsurfing iceboards are now surpassing the 50 knot barrier. If you want to freestyle on snow, save the lift ticket money and take the skis and kite to where the wind blows. With the ease of these stand-up sailing options, now everywhere offers year round sailing. Click here for this week's videos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/12/0309/ Bonus Videos: * This week on Episode 29 of 'America's Cup Uncovered' we uncover Emirates Team New Zealand racing dragon boats against rugby team Auckland Blues in a best of three challenge. Then we're in San Francisco at the St. Francis Yacht Club for the Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. Then we go behind the scenes of the second Americas's Cup Competitor Forum of 2012. Tune in on Saturday March 10 approx 0800 PDT 1600 BST: http://www.youtube.com/americascup#p/c/915CDC8233C7B14E * The March 9 World on Water Weekly Global Boating Video News Report starts with our "Fresh to Frightening" action segment of last Sunday's Sydney 18 Footers Skiff Race where 9 out of the 14 boats capsized in the gusting Nor'easter, the Global Ocean Race Punta del Este Leg 3 finish, the 2012 RS:X European Championships in Madeira, the Farr 40 Australian Championships in Sydney, Mid-way in Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race China-New Zealand and Act 1 of the 2012 Extreme Sailing Series in the Wave, Muscat. See all the fast action on http://www.boatson.tv approx 1100 GMT, 0600 EST. SEND US YOUR VIDEOS: If you have clips to share for the Video of the Week, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor: mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.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 Sam Blalock: I read your report about the Melges 24 class (in Scuttlebutt 3543), and I give the class credit for making a rules adjustment to moderate what they now realize is excessive hiking. I am sure there are some young teams that are bitter about the idea, but given how the class is fully professional with the top crew being well paid, maybe this change will neutralize this too. However, what is shocking is that it will take the class a year to figure out how to tighten the lifeline. So for another season, the majority of the class suffers, because the decision makers are worried about offending the members. Guess what... some people aren't going like it but most will. The lifelines in the J/80 are bone tight and that class is doing fine. Just do it. * From Bill Artuzzi: Regarding your observations on the Melges 24 Class, probably best to not equate 'athleticism' with the endurance of pain. * From Pete Thomas: Per your report in Scuttlebutt 3543, the decision whether Brit Ben Ainslie gets a pair of sailing handcuffs due to his Rule 69 violation is in the hands of ISAF. But ISAF is mostly funded by the International Olympic Committee, and if Ainslie is set free, he will compete in the Olympics where a medal winning performance could make him the greatest sailing Olympian ever. And this would get an avalanche of media attention. Can ISAF be trusted in making a decision with such an enormous conflict of interest? CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION If you have nothing to do, don't do it here. SPONSORS THIS WEEK APS - Gowrie Group - North U - Atlantis WeatherGear - Soft Deck North Sails - JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Ullman Sails - The Pirates Lair Need stuff? 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