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SCUTTLEBUTT 2413 - August 17, 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. WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT While mining past issues in preparation for a feature celebrating the 35th year of Southern Boating Magazine, I came across a piece from one of my early contributors, Bradford Mack, lamenting the decline of yacht racing as it related to ordinary sailors. I thought it was so appropriate that I picked up a portion of his column from the first issue and ran it in our retrospective. I think your readers will be amused to see that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Mack penned a regular rant called "Dock Walloping" for our magazine in which he often railed about ‘creeping technology’ affecting the sailing yachts of the day and spoiling the fun of yacht racing. “The [handicapping and measurement] rules used to change a couple of times a decade,” he complained. “Now they seem to change twice a year.” He opined that technology and the International Offshore Racing committee were making it impossible for owners of typical sailboats to participate. “All this is sure to lead to level racing where you optimize a design and rig and then race it against others of the same ilk,” he said. Oh Mack, what a crystal ball you had. Even PHRF handicapped fleets got to the point that boats were only competitive for their first season. Except for wealthy owners who could afford rock-star crews, equipping them with the latest and greatest, interest in sailboat racing began to die away. And then something happened: J/24s, the 50-foot class, Farr 40s, in short… Bradford’s level racing. Those that like to match wits on a race course generally do so today in identical fleet racing, leaving the rest of us sailors to relax about our last year’s sails and the weight of refrigeration and teak trim and enjoy beer-can or summer twilight racing in a convivial atmosphere. I started Southern Boating as a business that would allow me to raise my family in a positive environment, and after 35 years, one of my proudest accomplishments is raising a family that shares my love of being on the water. All my children have made it not only their hobby, but also their livelihood in one way or another. Now I am also able to enjoy seeing my grandchildren participate in all the wonderful activities boating has to offer. They have been running boats since they were little, and now I watch as they race Optis, water-ski, and pass their first captain's license exams. I urge Scuttlebutt readers to remember to keep boating fun and to pass along your love of this activity to the next generation. If you do, I'm sure you will find it just as rewarding as I have. -- Skip Allen, Sr., Chairman, Southern Boating and the Marine Business Journal DAY TWO: EARLY LEADERS REVEAL THEMSELVES Qingdao, China (August 16, 2007) -- Lumpy water and 6-8 knots of wind from the southeast made for a lot of smiling faces from sailors from all over the world at the 2007 Good Luck Beijing Sinopec Qingdao International Regatta. Ben Ainslie (GBR) got off to a winning start with a 1-2 in his return to the Finn after a twelve month layoff, whilst in the two windsurfing events China recorded their best performances so far. Needless to say there were some big shifts and the current played a major issue at the starts and in calling lay lines. All classes sailed all of the races that were scheduled for the day. The big winners for the day were Ainslie, Evi Van Acker (BEL) with a 1,2 in the Laser Radial, Therese Torgersson and Vemdela Zachrisson (SWE) who had a 1, 2 in the 470 Women’s class, Bryony Shaw (GBR) who had a 1, 2 on the RS:X Women’s fleet, and newly crowned Yngling World Champions Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson (GBR) rolled a 2-1. -- Complete report: http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j19FniuqC&format=popup => Curmudgeon’s Comment: The purpose of this event is to provide the leading Olympic contenders with some training time on the Olympic course, along with giving the event organizers a chance to get some practice in as well. One area that we hope they solve soon is in the online posting of results. After day one there were no results, and after day two the results were still incomplete. Considering that Qingdao is 15 hours ahead of Scuttlebutt World Headquarters, we’d hoped that would be enough time to get the info online in time for us to include with the daily report. In our efforts to provide results, please contact us if you have data that can be sent to us. -- Event site: http://www.2007qdregatta.com CARE AND FEEDING OF CORDAGE Cordage cleaning frequently requires more than the typical wash down at the end of the outing, as dirt and salt can cause premature wear to your boat lines. For a more thorough cleaning, soak your ropes in warm water mixed with a mild detergent, plus add a small amount of fabric softener to help further knock down the crusty feel. When possible, use a front loading washing machine; otherwise, wash your rope in a mesh bag or pillowcase to avoid tangling. Rinse thoroughly and hang to dry in direct sunlight. For additional information, the New England Ropes website has a complete range of helpful tips for selecting what lines to use and how best to care for them. -- http://www.neropes.com/PleasureMarine.aspx WORLD TOUR – ST. MORITZ MATCH RACE St Moritz, Switzerland (16 August 2007) -- Following the round robin series on Wednesday, which qualified the top three from each of the two groups, the remaining two quarterfinal slots would be decided through the Repchage. This series on Thursday matched up the bottom six competitors in another round robin, which saw Mattias Renker (SUI) win his final two races to earn one of the two slots with a 3-2 record. The other slot was won by the number two-ranked Mathieu Richard (FRA), who won four of his five matches, a great turn around after only winning a single match in Wednesday’s group Round Robin. Following the Repechage, the Race Committee elected to start two of the Quarter Final match-ups. But with just two and half Flights completed, the weather finally turned in St. Moritz, with clouds rolling in and the rain that had been threatening most of the afternoon, becoming a damp reality. More importantly, what had already been a shifty breeze, began to die, forcing the conclusion of racing for the day. Racing in all four of the Quarter Final match ups will resume on Friday. -- Complete daily report: http://www.stmoritz-matchrace.ch/en/media/index.htm?4&0 Quarter Final Pairings and Results (First to three points) Ian Williams vs. Matthias Renker, no races yet Eric Monnin vs. Jochen Schuemann, no races yet Mark Mendelblatt leading Sébastien Col, 2-0 Paolo Cian leading Mathieu Richard, 2-1 * The delayed start for the Fastnet Race also delayed Mark Mendelblatt’s arrival, who was racing on George David’s Reichel Pugh 90-foot Rambler. Mendelblatt arrived Wednesday night after his crewmate Cameron Dunn qualified the team for the Quarter Finals. TRIVIA QUESTION What has Dave Ullman done four times more than anyone else? (Answer below) EVOLVE OR DIE Seems pretty harsh, but that was the question that likely faced many of the pram sailors in San Francisco. Long the bastion of the El Toro boat, this 8-foot singlehander was both a stepping stone on the junior sailing training trail and also a means for the adults to go racing without first having to pay for sandwiches and slip fees. However, the Optimist class has been rolling west, having found some footing in the Pacific Northwest, and was sliding south. The strong winds and open water of SF Bay was well suited to the Opti, and the desire for promising junior sailors to travel much beyond the city limits didn’t exist with the El Toro, but did with its nationally and internationally recognized brethren For junior sailors at most clubs in San Francisco, the transition to the Optimist is complete. However, Richmond Yacht Club on the Bay’s eastside is the home of the El Toro, and it is there that both worlds are currently co-existing. The senior side of the story will remain in the El Toro, as the size of most adults preclude the use of the smaller Optimist, plus the class rules state that the boat is only for sailors under the age of 16 years. For junior sailors, however, it is a personal decision, and for the time being, it is dividing up the troops. Kids that are content with the low-key program provided by the club are staying with ole faithful, while those aspiring for more are finding the need to make the change to the Opti. Both the junior and senior ranks recently held their North Americans, with the numbers in the low thirties at each. Respectable for now. -- Scuttleblog, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2007/08/evolve-or-die.html For photos, results, and class info: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/0816 REVISED VERDICT The IMS World Championship at Hankø, Norway took a dramatic turn of events late Wednesday night when King Harald of Norway, a medal contender at the championship, along with two competitors were disqualified from Tuesday’s long ocean race after failing to round the right mark off Krager on the Norwegian South coast. Originally the international jury had penalized the King, his compatriot Carl Jansen, and German Bernd Kriegel with a 20% score penalty after breaking RR 28.1 (sailing the course). According to the jury, it was ORC who instructed them to change the verdict, saying that breach of RR 28.1 does not open for other penalty than DSQ. It is evident that the jury has used the tracking system in the regatta as evidence, which as far as we know is the first time such a system has been used as evidence in a protest situation. According to Jansen, one of the disqualified skippers, the tracking system shows that another competitor had sailed outside course limits as well, a fact ignored by the jury, despite a protest filed by him. -- Mikkel Thommessen * Hankø, Norway (August 16, 2007) -- Racing on Thursday at the IMS World Championship confirmed German dominance in both classes as the wind increased towards 30 knots in the third and final race. Team of the day was never the less King Harald and his crew on Fram XV, which finished second and first in the two races. Friday will have an offshore race before the final short race on Saturday. -- Event site: http://tinyurl.com/2vcttf NORTH SAILS GEAR = GET A FREE HAT! Attn Scuttlebutt Readers! North Sails will send you a FREE HAT when you buy a Camp Shirt (men's or ladies) or a pair of North Sails Sandals before August 23! Just write the word 'Scuttlebutt' in the comments box during checkout to redeem this offer. Looking for crew gear? North Sails can customize our shirts, jackets, hats, and bags with your boat name and number on them! When performance counts, Head North. http://www.northsailsgear.com/store SAILING SHORTS * (August 16, 2007) Ger O'Rourke's Cookson 50, Chieftain (IRL), has been confirmed as the overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race. The Farr-designed carbon fibre yacht finished Wednesday night at 19:43:44 local time with an elapsed sailing time of 55:04:43. O’Rourke, the first Irish trophy winner, will be awarded the Fastnet Challenge Cup and a Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece at the prizegiving on Friday, 17 August at the historic Royal Citadel in Plymouth. Photographer Carlo Borlenghi has sent a sampling of the action, which we have added to our race gallery. For photos and event updates, go to http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/07/0813/index3.asp * Long Beach, CA---Match racing’s 27th annual Ficker Cup, hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club, will be held Friday through Sunday off the Belmont Pier where spectators can view the action from the end of the pier starting at noon each day. Sailed in Catalina 37s, the event winner earns a slot in next year’s Congressional Cup, with the current entries being two-time Con Cup winner Dave Perry (Southport, CT), Jon Singsen (Old Greenwich, CT), John Loe, (New Orleans, LA), and Keith Swinton, (Perth, Australia), along with SoCal sailors Brian Angel, Bill Durant, Scott Dickson, Craig Fletcher, and Steve Steiner. -- http://tinyurl.com/2devk6 * The Miles River Yacht Club, located in historic St. Michaels, MD, is hosting the 2007 Comet International Championship Regatta on August 17-19. This event will also be the celebration of the Comet's 75th birthday, which was designed in 1932 by Star international champion C. Lowndes Johnson. Originally intended to be a smaller, shoal-draft version of the Star, the class has been experiencing a rebirth in recent years after once being one of the largest in the U.S. -- http://www.cometclass.com * Severn Sailing Association and Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis Maryland will be hosting over 80 entrants at the Lightning North American Championship, with the qualifying series on August 20-21 and the final series on August 22-24. -- http://www.2007lightningnas.com * Sailing World's latest college rankings has St. Mary's atop the coed rankings, but a shuffle in the top half of the board sees Brown, Navy, and Stanford make significant jumps. St. Mary's, Charleston, and Stanford are unchanged as the top 3 in the women's rankings. -- http://tinyurl.com/yt3b37 * Transat race organiser OC Events Ltd once again selected the UK city of Plymouth for the start of The Transat 2008. The Transat, which has started from Plymouth ever since the inaugural race in 1960 when Sir Francis Chichester won the event in just over 40 days, has become synonymous with the city. Steeped in maritime history, The Transat, referred to as the toughest of them all, is known for its demands on both skipper and boat as they race solo, against the prevailing winds across the North Atlantic to America. -- http://www.thetransat.com PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt include an update on the Laser SB3 coming to North America, a hydraulically controlled stern that drops to form a landing platform, high wind sailing at the Gorge and Cabarete, a bow down J/24, a futuristic look at the next America’s Cup class, plus a really cool looking carbon fiber steering wheel. 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/07/0817 TRIVIA ANSWER Without stretching the resources of the Scuttlebutt research staff, we know that one of the things Dave Ullman has done four times more than anyone else is win the Lido 14 National Championship. Predominantly sailed in the western US, the Lido 14 class will be enjoying its Golden Anniversary (50th) of running of the Class Championships next week when the event returns to the site of the inaugural event in 1958 - Newport Beach, CA. Ullman has collected nine of these pickle dishes, with other skippers on the list including Craig Leweck (5), Chris Raab (4), Stuart Robinson (4), Mark Gaudio (3), Charlie Cummings (3), Harry Wood (3), George Szabo (2), and Nick Scandone (2). Complete list at http://www.lido14.org/Association/OurSrClassChampions.htm 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 Richard Clark: (re: Staying Hydrated in Issue 2412) For my money, and here in New Zealand we have to make it go farther, or is that further, anyhow for my money the following served me well for running, sailing, and cycling: Water. It's free, than add fresh squeezed orange juice (you can taste the sugar), a touch of lemon juice (it puckers the lips), honey (the bee kind, not the female kind), and a touch of salt (for obvious reasons). I have never understood commercially available sports drinks; I guess there is one born every minute. Also, drink early and drink often but, and this is a killer on occasions, don't over hydrate. That is becoming more of a problem than most people realize. Now here in New Zealand there are those who even buy water in fancy bottles; what are they thinking? Take a container, turn on the tap, and fill it with pure clear water to go. For my money, New York City water from Croton is the best city water anywhere. Jeez…I miss the America's Cup gossip. * From Marc Jacobi: (re: Laser US Nationals) Not only were results posted quickly, but the gang at Malletts Bay Boat Club did another thing that was greatly appreciated by the sailors after a long day on the water: set-up on the club's back porch were two tables of cut watermelon, chips & salsa, coolers full of water bottles, and even ice cream sandwiches waiting to be devoured, which they were, with many thanks and appreciative smiles. * From Ron Williams: Thanks for the notice on the Los Angeles to Tahiti race. Looking at how the race took between 2-3 weeks in the past, I better start stockpiling vacation hours now. For anyone thinking that a race beyond Cabo is too long, they will need to be adjusting their ‘reality clock’ for this 3500-mile enduro. * From Katy Anno: With how global warming is melting the icecap down south, will this shorten the 14,000 nautical miles that is currently stated for the Antarctica Cup Yacht Race to start this December? * From David Barrow: I was in the butcher's shop the other day, listening to an older fella going on about the cost of the Fastnet Race to the Lifeboat and Rescue Services. I suspect he would be the same guy that would be outraged about the politically correct world we live in today if the race was cancelled. Funny thing about life and opinion. CURMUDGEON’S CONUNDRUM Who was the person who discovered that milk came from cows, and, more importantly, what was he doing at the time? Special thanks to New England Ropes and North Sails. |
