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SCUTTLEBUTT 2633 - Tuesday, July 8, 2008Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors. THE IMPORTANCE OF JUNIOR RACE TEAMS by Ken Legler, Tufts University Sailing Coach When I took over the excellent sailing program at Wianno Yacht Club on Cape Cod I was reminded repeatedly that the program is above all about having fun. I think they were afraid that having a college coach run the program would mean nails for breakfast. I agreed it should be fun but, I had to wonder, if they were all having so much fun, how come there was only one kid enrolled over the age of thirteen. The fun they were having was appropriate for the younger age groups but not for teens looking for more than sponge tag or sailing to a beach. How many times haves you heard the question, "If only we could keep the kids from leaving the sailing program before they turn 14?" The answer is to increase the prominence of the sailing program junior racing team. The biggest benefits of a prominent junior racing team are two-fold; to provide role models for the pre-teens and to build a base of future sailing instructors. The benefit to the race team kids themselves is more obvious but, they usually represent a minority of the total program population. They also might take up more than their share of the program resources. They are, however, your programs greatest assets. Here's why. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0620 THE PROCESS OF APPEALS by Jos M. Spijkerman, Netherlands - International Judge/Umpire Appeals are the second layer provided in the rules, in case parties do not agree with the decision of the protest-committee. Only a party to the hearing can "appeal" that decision to the National Authority. In the Netherlands our MNA has formed "de Zeilraad" (translates as: Sailing Counsel) to handle those appeals. Most PC's are done by more knowledgeable sailors or persons who have studied the rules, like me. But still we are amateurs. And we do make mistakes or don't know everything. Therefore it's not something to feel ashamed of if your decision is appealed. Unless a PC has been very sloppy or made procedural mistakes, it should welcome the help of experts. Appeal committees have a couple of options: (rule 71.2 RRS): > They can uphold, change or reverse the decision of the PC. > They can declare the protest or request for redress invalid. > They can send the protest or request back for another hearing to the original or different protest-committee. -- Complete article: http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2008/07/appealing-pc.html OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: 32 DAYS TO GO * China says it will deploy unmanned aircraft or drones over its Olympic sailing venue in the coastal city of Qingdao during the Beijing Games to watch for suspicious activities. The state-run Xinhua news agency says police tested one of the drones Friday during a drill in the Shandong provincial capital of Jinan, not far from Qingdao. Reports say it is the first time that China has used the unmanned, low-flying reconnaissance aircraft. Xinhua says the drones will scout out suspicious activity and transmit photos and video back to a command station. It did not say what threats the sailing event could face. China has said terrorism is the biggest threat to the Beijing games and already claims to have foiled terrorist plots targeting athletes and foreigners during the Olympics. -- http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-07-04-voa18.cfm * (July 7, 2008) Thousands of Chinese troops and volunteers should clear unsightly algae from competition areas at the Qingdao Olympic sailing venue by Thursday, an official said. The picturesque seaside resort in northern China has been embarrassed by a massive algae bloom that has left swathes of offshore waters green and disrupted training for a number of Olympic sailing teams ahead of next month's Games. Qingdao, which has dispatched 6,000 troops and thousands more volunteers to scoop up the green muck off beaches and offshore, was initially ordered by the Chinese government to remove all algae by July 15. "There's clearly no shortage of effort ... There's still small clumps rather than large islands like before," Morgan Reeser, a coach with the British team said. Authorities said by Monday they would complete the placement of 50 km (30 miles) of offshore fencing, designed to block more algae from seeping into the sailing areas. The July 15 deadline does not include the miles of spoiled beaches where troops and volunteers are toiling to remove a seemingly endless supply of the weed. Tourists expressed gloom at being confined to crowded sections of beach, but some also pitched in with local relief efforts. - Complete story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7634719 HIGH PERFORMERS There are many variables that go into performing well at a regatta. Some are controllable, some are not. Clothing is a controllable variable. Therefore, when looking for high performance clothing the Code Zero quick dry shirt from Camet is a perfect choice! Made with a double circular knit lightweight fabric that is designed to wick away moisture, dry fast, be comfortable and have maximum UV protection. This high performing shirt is perfect as a single warm weather layer or as an under layer for cold weather. Camet is our source for Padded Sailing Shorts, Pants, Vest and so much more. http://www.camet.com/?Click=738 QUOTE / UNQUOTE Canadian coach Dave Hughes, regarding the Olympic sailing site in Qingdao, China: "You have two schools of people: those who complain about it -- because it really is a terrible venue in terms of sailing, it's horrendous -- or those who just say it is what it is and you approach it as best you can." Adding Australian coach Euan McNicol, a former skiff world champion, "You don't really want to go sailing around in pollution, and I've never sailed in a place that's more polluted than this." - http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_N9vizI8lf8MdBXCEldiPR4JNVA THE DMV AS A ROGUE AGENCY? by Richard Spindler, Latitude 38 Since the early 1990s, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has been handling drunken boating convictions - aka BUIs - like drunken driving convictions in the sense that they've suspended the driver's licenses of the offenders. There is just one problem with that practice - in early June, the Court of Appeal Second Appellate District Division ruled they didn't have the right to do so. Such an action would have required a law passed by the California Legislature - which will probably be forthcoming. As we understand it, those license suspensions will now be set aside, and the 'victims' may be entitled to sue the DMV. About 150 to 200 people have been affected each year since the early '90s. We're not in favor of people 'boating under the influence', but neither are we in favor of government agencies exceeding the authority granted them under the law. -- http://www.latitude38.com RAGTIME - A RETURN TO ITS ROOTS (July 7, 2008) Ragtime the wooden wonder boat added to its legend Monday when, undeterred by a disabled engine, a torn main sail and broken gooseneck, it finished the Transpacific Yacht Club's Tahiti Race not only faster than the old record already beaten by two other boats but in strong position to claim overall victory on corrected handicap time. Without proper power---not for propulsion but to run its instruments and electrical systems---Ragtime finished the 3,571 nautical miles from Los Angeles off the Pointe Venus lighthouse at 5:24 a.m. PDT Monday (2:24 a.m. local time). Ragtime not only beat by five hours the former race record of 14:21:15:26 set by Kathmandu in the previous race in 1994---beaten this past week first by Doug Baker's Magnitude 80 in 11:10:13:18 and just Sunday by Bob Lane's Medicine Man in 13:08:35:23---but also looks like a strong contender for the handicap win. But this race is only the first leg of a nostalgic return to Ragtime's origins Down Under, where in the mid-60s the late John Spencer created the sleek, black, hard-chined, low-freeboard (and wet) one of a kind boat that by many accounts became the single most influential offshore racer of the last half-century. -- Complete story: http://xrl.us/maitai TEAM RACING TIPS - START LINE STRATEGY by Steve Hunt This tip comes from professional sailor and newly crowned Etchells World Champ skipper Bill Hardesty. Bill is a previous Hinman Champion, 5-time Collegiate All American, and College Sailor of the year, and involves starting and first beat strategy. It is very powerful for your team to win both ends of the start, which allows you to protect both sides of the race course. In most sailboat races, one side of the race course pays more than the other, and if you have a teammate winning each side, you will always have someone winning the race, which is VERY powerful. So how do you accomplish winning both ends of the start? The teammates on each end, (Pin and Boat starters) should start in a way so they can LEAD their opponents toward their side of the course. The pin starter should start close to leeward of their opponent and sail left. The boat starter should start to the right of their opponent having the option to tack first and lead to the right. Often the boat starters tack shortly after the start, so if your boat starter is above their opponent, to their right, they will be the leeward boat after the tack. With both teammates tight to leeward of their opponents heading toward the edges of the course, one teammate will most likely gain on the first shift or puff and be in first place. -- http://www.teachingteamracing.com NORTH SAILS GEAR: FREE SHIPPING North Sails is offering free shipping on all North Sails Gear orders over $75 (before tax & shipping) through Friday, July 11. Write the words "Sbutt Ship" in the comments box during check-out. Offer good on surface shipping within the USA only. When style and performance matter, head North: http://www.NorthSailsGear.com SAILING SHORTS * Weymouth, UK (July 7, 2008) The second day of the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships has been cancelled due to too much wind with gusts between 30 and 40 knots continuing. For the 99 entries from 18 countries, the original schedule was to divide the fleet for three day qualifying series, with two final days to sail for the Gold and Silver fleets, but now only four days remain with the final day slated for Friday. During the postponement, the Moth manufacturers were corralled together for an impromptu sales pitch for their products and future plans. Details here: http://scott.projectsomewhere.com/2008/07/07/tough-questions * Kenichi Horie is a sailor, environmentalist and an adventurer, setting his first world record at age 23. Now, at a more seasoned, retirement aged 69, his latest accomplishment - a first - was to sail from Hawaii to Japan on a wave powered boat, arriving last Friday. Additionally, the boat was made out of recycled aluminum and equipped with eight solar panels for lights, computer and phone. The trip on the 3-ton, 31-foot catamaran, Suntory Mermaid II, took 110 day and covered almost 4,000 miles from the Hawaii Yacht Club's Aloha dock to the Japanese islands of Honshu and Shinkoku. -- Orlando Sentinel, full story: http://xrl.us/kkawj * Annapolis, MD - Lorie Stout, Chairman of the Board of the newly-formed Annapolis Community Boating (ACB) organization, has announced a cooperative program with the Annapolis Sailing School and the Boys and Girls Club of Annapolis that will introduce sailing to children of ages 5-18 years. Mrs. Stout explained. "The intention is to start small, using existing local institutions, like Annapolis Sailing School, and over time build a network of programs that can be combined at a public waterfront facility. -- Full details: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6023#6023 * Traverse City, MI - Traverse Area Community Sailing (TACS) officially broke ground today at Hull Park for work that will bring a new, accessible boathouse, boardwalk and a dock with a lift system to their site. TACS is a project partner in the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation Access to Recreation at Boardman Lake Project, which received a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant totaling $440,000 in October 2006. As part of the project, TACS was eligible for $100,000 in matching dollars to support building an accessible boathouse and dock. -- Complete report with photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/08/0704 * The date for the 47th Newport Bermuda Race will be June 18, 2010, and will be administered by new race chairman Richard Shulman from Barrington, Rhode Island. -- http://www.bermudarace.com * The crew of A. Findlay Gibbons' Custom 42-1 Zulu from Victoria, BC has withdrawn from the 2008 Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race due to light winds. From the race start on June 22nd, the Zulu team predicted their ETA would not be until July 20th. They are continuing to Maui under power. -- Race website: http://www.vicmaui.org/index.php?page=Interface.Home * A record of number 12 countries are fielding 64 teams that will be competing at the Tutima 2008 J/80 World Championship in Kiel, Germany on July 8-13. Among the top teams in attendance from last year's worlds are Ignacio Camino (Spain), Uli Muenker (Germany), Kevin Sproul (UK) and Patrick Bot (France). Event website: http://www.j80-worlds.de * Heather Ambrose, from Mallet's Bay Boat Club in Colchester, VT bested Carol Cronin from Sail Newport, RI by one point in a tight, seven race series at the 2008 J/24 International Women's Open, hosted by Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, MA. As the first and second place finishers, both helmswoman earned a berth in the J/24 World's Championship to be held in Annapolis, MD in 2009. -- Complete report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6041#6041 * Marine biologist Fabian Ritter, working for the non-profit organisation MEER is investigating reports of collisions and near miss events between sailing vessels and cetaceans. As part of this research noonsite.com - the global website for cruising sailors - and MEER are inviting all sailors around the world to provide information on any whale/dolphin collisions or near misses during their sailing careers. All reports can be logged on with the objective of gathering statistical information on actual collisions and near misses, to help understand the reasons for the collisions and to help reduce the risk both for sailors and for cetaceans. -- Full details: http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2008-07-07-3 * Given the current weather forecast, Thomas Coville's latest attempt to break the single-handed Northern Atlantic record onboard his 105-foot maxi trimaran Sodeb'O may set off from New York between late Tuesday night and midday Wednesday (UT). A cyclone/hurricane is currently forming in the Southern Atlantic, but so far it is not believed to be tracking towards the US and New York in particular. -- http://www.sodebo-voile.com/actu/news-eng.html NEW J/105 PRODUCTION UPDATE The first J/105s by US Watercraft are nearing completion in Portsmouth, RI. The 2009 model includes new-style European interior, templated keel and rudder, composite tiller, LED running lights, and much more. Check one out at the Newport or Annapolis Show or soon sailing in a J/105 fleet near you. http://www.jboats.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, '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, 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 Pat Nolan: (re: John Rousmaniere's comment in #2631 Photos of the Week: "To my knowledge this is the top finish in any major ocean race by a crew with such a large proportion of women.") Sigh. How quickly they forget..... He must not have read the results of the 2006 Newport to Bermuda Race very carefully. With a crew consisting entirely of Caribbean women racers, Lea van Hass in her Frers 49 "Synergy" made history, being the first women's team to ever win any division of the 100th anniversary Newport Bermuda race. They received the inaugural Carleton Mitchell Finesterre trophy for winning the cruising division. Their Navigator, Val Doan, proudly sailed away with the Navigator's Trophy as well. I think this qualifies as a top finish in a major ocean race. * From John Rousmaniere: (re, letter in #2632) Congratulations to Nicole Weaver, Jeff Riedle, and their shipmates in the mostly female crew of Euro Trash Girl for winning PHRF in the 2005 Annapolis-Newport Race! When I wrote my report from the Newport Bermuda Race on www.BermudaRace.com, I hoped to stir up stories of other successful egalitarian crews. The Bermuda Race has a long tradition of women sailors dating back to its inaugural in 1906, when Thora Lund Robinson raced down through a Gulf Stream gale in the 28-foot sloop Gauntlet. In 2006 the race's first Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy for top boat in the Cruising Division was won by the all-woman crew of Synergy, skippered by Eleanora van Haas. Are there other similar accounts out there? * From David Redfern, Kent, England: (edited to the 250-word limit) Twenty five years ago, 36 year old Peter de Savary launched a massive attack on the New York Yacht Club to win the America's Cup. In what may have been the first truly modern challenge, with a squad of over a hundred, with rotating team positions and a quartet of skippers, de Savary's Victor '83 challenge fought its way through the Challengers' Series finally meeting Australia II in the Challengers' Finals. The first race saw Victory defeat Australia II, then the next two races were defeats and Alan Bond's Australia II went on to make history. This was Alan Bond's fourth attempt at the Cup, and for the Victory team, to get so far in their first challenge meant they did remarkably well. After Australia II went on to beat Liberty in the Twenty-Fifth America's Cup, the New York Yacht Club protested the winged keel of Australia II and may have had the protest upheld but for the fact that de Savary, with designer Ian Howlett had also experimented with a winged keel and a year earlier had obtained a confidential ruling that the keel was legitimate. Passing this letter of confirmation on to Alan Bond swung the decision in favour of Australia II, a fact recognised by Ben Lexen in his book. This past weekend, the team enjoyed a twenty five year reunion at the Royal Yacht Squadron on Thursday July 3rd. A great occasion in a great setting and a wonderful atmosphere made it a memorable occasion. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence." - Vince Lombardi Special thanks to Camet, North Sails, and J Boats. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
