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SCUTTLEBUTT 3633 - Monday, July 16, 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 and Kaenon Polarized. DON'T HATE THE BOAT - HATE THE PROGRAM By Nicholas Hayes, Saving Sailing On the subject of kids learning to sail, you'll be hard-pressed to find a discussion thread on a sailing website or an op/ed in a sailing magazine that doesn't include extreme opinions about the Optimist Dinghy (Opti) and other similar one-person prams like the El Toro. Folks either hate them or they're resigned to them. Generally, the Opti-resigned assume that the only way for a kid to learn is in a pram, starting precisely at the age of eight. Opti haters blame the boats for scaring kids away, or, at least, for not being enough fun to sail to hold their interest after a time. The resigned often get their cues from people who sell prams. And haters get theirs from people who sell something else. Of course, neither claim is true. Optis can be a heckuva lot of fun, and they aren't the only way to learn. Deeper thinking than rants and promotions takes you to a place where the flaws and the benefits are found in the programs, not the boats. On one hand, many a parent has teared up watching their child sail away from the dock for the first time, mainsheet in one hand, tiller in the other, and in full, confident control of their own tiny sailboat. It's just as moving when later in the summer, the same kid hits the line at speed in their first competition. But it can be awkward when a boat intended as a basic trainer for little people is tweaked, turboed and branded like a Formula One race car, to carry an adult-sized teen painfully slowly around a race course year after year with mom or dad shouting commands from a powerboat. Programs that use prams as basic trainers and tools to build confidence go a long way toward the development of a capable young person. But programs that push too long and hard into the dangerous zone of making sporting celebrities out of children, shuttled around by vicarious, overenthusiastic, mini-van driving parents (and the win-at-all cost approach that often accompanies them) can do more damage than good. It's precisely the same in any youth sport; when it gets hyper-competitive, it's gotten out of hand. The fun is replaced with panic and stress for everyone. -- Read on: http://savingsailing.com/2012/07/12/opti-haters/ NO GUTS - NO GLORY French skipper Yann Guichard and the 5 men aboard Spindrift racing won the Krys Ocean Race, the transatlantic race between New York and Brest (France) for the MOD70, a new class of 70-foot one design trimaran. Looking at the race tracking page, it's possible to drag the progress bar to see when Spindrift got the advantage on the 2,950 route. Now we learn how they got the advantage: "It actually all comes down to our ability to stay longer than anyone under gennaker on the second night of the race," explained Guichard. Winds were really blowing hard as we entered the low pressure system and we were picking up speed, close to 35 knots. The sea was still very calm and flat so we pushed a little bit harder than any of our competitors. We were able to combine great boat speed and a better wind angle. We slid downwind the entire night and in the next morning, we were in command, on a better course with greater speed. It was then all a matter of keeping that advantage ." Concerning the life conditions on the MOD 70, Guichard warns the ride is not for the timid: "We've been under water most of the time," Guichard said. "Big waves kept spraying the cockpit and the man at the helm was the most exposed. We've stayed wet during the entire race. We were quite tense at the beginning as it takes a while to get used to high speed sailing. When you do 35 knots and over for hours, you get the feeling that disaster awaits at the next wave. Then you kind of get used to it, you build up confidence and you keep on pushing hard. At night, things really get stressful as you can no longer anticipate the direction of the waves. I know all the MOD70 have had their moments of sheer fright, when the boat hits the wave with three hulls and boat speed drops from 35 to 5 knots within seconds. You wonder which side the boat is going to fall. And then you just keep on going." Race tracker: http://www.krys-oceanrace.com/en/race-tracker.html Full report: http://tinyurl.com/Spindrift-071512 Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/multionedesign BUILDING WITH COMPOSITES If you're curious about how individuals are trained to build composite structures - whether they are boats, planes or automobiles - come to IYRS in Bristol, Rhode Island, this Tuesday from 4 to 7 pm to find out. Get ready to be amazed by all the uses for composites technology and all the career paths that run through the field. The three-hour Open House is a prime opportunity to see the IYRS lab, meet staff, see a demonstration, and learn about financial aid and veteran benefits. Learn more about the program in a short film - then join us on Tuesday. http://tinyurl.com/IYRS-Composites RESCUE REQUIRED (July 15, 2012; Day 16) - The bulk of the 23 entrants competing in the 2120nm Singlehanded TransPac Race arrived this weekend, keeping race officials and bartenders busy with the completion of their crossing. The big dog appears to be Jim Quanci's Cal 40 Green Buffalo as the overall monohull winner. However, not everyone would be joining the pineapple party, as early this morning Derk Wolmuth on the Vindo 40 Bela Bartok activated his EPIRB, about 450 miles off the finish line at Hanalei Bay on Kauai, and broadcast on the SSB that he was requesting a medical evacuation. The Coast Guard enlisted the help of a ro-ro cargo ship that was about 80 miles away to effect the rescue. Around dawn, Wolmuth was safely taken aboard the ship and is scheduled to arrive in Oakland, California on Wednesday. The Coast Guard reports that Wolmuth had been ill for three days with what he suspects is a staph infection. Bela Bartok is currently adrift, or possibly sailing slowly toward Kauai thanks to her windvane, but the race tracker on the boat will continue to send position reports, which will be helpful in salvaging the boat as well as keeping mariners - including the 46 entries in the Pacific Cup which start this coming week - updated on her position. Race website: http://singlehandedtranspac.com/ WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR Chicago, IL (July 15, 2012) - Reigning Tour Champion Ian Williams (GBR) was today crowned the 2012 Chicago Match Cup winner after a 3-0 battle against Australian youngster Jordan Reece, which also closed the gap on Bjorn Hansen at the top of Alpari World Match Racing Tour leaderboard, the Swede having won the day's Petit Final to take third. Williams GAC Pindar went into this inaugural US Tour event desperate for a win, having finished second and third at his previous series events so far this season. Starting strongly despite an enforced crew change due to appendicitis suffered by his tactician and mainsheet trimmer Bill Hardesty (USA), Williams kept true to his tactician's wishes sent from hospital: "Tell Ian nothing fancy! Keep it smooth and fast!" Williams, said: "It wasn't straightforward out there, the conditions were very difficult with the light air and missing Bill [Hardesty] after he'd done a fantastic job all week was a tough change to make. Garth Ellingham [WAKA Racing] is also great sailor and he did a great job in the Final but obviously it takes a while to gel as a group." "The first couple of races were pretty dicey and they could have gone either way but I felt that as we improved and the communication was there, we did a much better job of controlling the start and controlling the race. Full story: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-071512a Results/Prize winning: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-071512b SEA SICKNESS One of the more helpless feelings is when you are sick on a boat. A new product to assist with this ailmant was sent to Scuttlebutt World Headquarters, and we are eager to send it to someone who will test it. Psi Bands (pronounced "Sigh Bands") are acupressure wrist bands for the relief of nausea due to morning sickness (pregnancy), motion sickness/ travel, chemotherapy, and anesthesia. The FDA-cleared bands claim to be drug-free, adjustable, comfortable, fashionable, waterproof, reusable, and affordable. If you want to give them a test, post your reason on Facebook. You might be the lucky winner. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/Seasick-071512 ISAF YOUTH SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (July 15, 2012) - If the light to moderate conditions were challenging yesterday, they were even more so on day two of the Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in Dun Laoghaire. A westerly to southwesterly breeze, blowing off the picturesque town on the outskirts of Dublin, was making the wind both shifty and gusty out on the water for the 343 future Olympic potentials, all under 19 years of age, who have congregated in the Emerald Isle from all four corners of the globe. At one point a squall passed over the fleet measuring 25 knots in the harbour. Despite the testing conditions on the water, competitors in the eight classes all completed three races and with five races in total now sailed, have been able to discard their worst result. -- Read on: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/news/38932.php Top Positions - North America Boy's Laser Radial - 1. Mitchell Kiss (USA) Girl's Laser Radial - 22. Violet Stafford (CAN) Boy's 420 - 18. Max Flinn/ Andrew Burns (CAN) Girl's 420 - 9. Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick/ Abigail Rohman (USA) Boy's RS:X - 10. Ignacio Berenguer (MEX) Girl's RS:X - 18. Cristina Ortiz (MEX) Open SL16 - 12. Jeremy Herrin/ Sam Armington (USA) Open 29er - 3. Quinn Wilson/ Dane Wilson (USA) Complete results: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/editions/2012/results.php LONDON Our eyes will be focused on it. For two weeks our emotions will be filled with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Each and every athlete has dreamt about this fortnight, tirelessly trained for it, and sacrificed everything. At Kaenon Polarized we salute all of you, the men and women who are in London to put it all on the line. Whether it's the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, this will be one of life's greatest experiences for those who are there. Love it. Live it. Enjoy! Kaenon Polarized. Evolve Optically. Available in prescription. http://www.kaenon.com LASER MECCA The Columbia Gorge Racing Association this week welcomes the Laser Class to the Columbia River Gorge for the 2012 North American Championships. The regatta is open to Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 sailors. Considered one of the top racing venues in the country with spectacular vistas at every turn and a consistent warm windy breeze some 150 sailors will are registered, the high end of expectations in an Olympic year, says international Laser Class president Tracy Usher. "It's a great turnout," Usher said. "As is becoming the norm, with 90 or so, Radials are the dominant fleet by a factor of two over Standards. In the 4.7s, 15 is a good turnout for this still fledgling fleet in North America, in contrast to the European Championship where they can pull down 300 easy." Derek Vranizan, 25, a favorite in the Standard rig when racing begins Thursday, will first be taking on Tuesday's big event, the Laser Blowout, the infamous distance downwinder. "I'll be trying for my third Laser Blowout title. I'm definitely stoked about that because it's my favorite race in the world - I like going downwind way more than upwind!" The race is 18 miles dead downwind from Cascade Locks to Hood River through the magnificent Columbia River Gorge. Big breeze, big waves, and jaw-dropping scenery make this ride a genuine E-ticket! But it's not for the faint of heart, as entry is limited to only sailors who can handle the 25+ knot winds. Full report by Michelle Slade: http://tinyurl.com/SB-071512 SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING CALENDAR Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar SAILING SHORTS Newport, RI (July 15, 2012) - Over 700 sailors from 17 states descended on Sail Newport this weekend to race in The Newport Regatta featuring BACARDI Newport Sailing Week Presented by EFG Bank. Organizers set up four courses to handle the 259 boats in 20 classes, with 181 races taking place over three days, July 13-15, 2012. Marking its 28th year of competition, the Newport Regatta has become one of the largest multi-class events on the east coast. -- Full report: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=14151#14151 * Newport, RI (July 15, 2012) - If the rest of the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex goes as well as this weekend did, there will be hundreds of very satisfied sailors telling their tales of joy next weekend, when the split-format regatta is scheduled to officially conclude. For the past two days (July 14-15) the Weather Gods allowed 28 visually arresting vintage yachts to engage in lively battles for victory in six classes. Overall honors for best performance, earning a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner watch, was Michael McCaffrey, skipper of the S Boat Osprey. -- Full story: http://nyyc.org/archives_public/article_1225/ * (July 15, 2012) - One hundred fourteen boats are entered to compete at Whidbey Island Race Week (July 16-20 in Oak Harbor, WA. PHRF and one design fleets, led by the venerable Thunderbird with 16 boats, will compete on the water and continue on land in the week long volleyball tourney. The party got started early for some at Dinghy's Whidbey Island with five classes competing. Winning the 'Bring What You Brung' class of 11 boats was Darlene Woo in a Snipe. Event website: http://whidbeyislandraceweek.com * Following the demise of the TP52 MedCup circuit, the debut of the 52 Super Series this year will be followed by a 2013 schedule that expands to competition on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The series will open in the US at the Quantum Key West Race Week in January, which will be followed by the 52 World Championship in either Miami or St Thomas. -- Full report: http://www.52superseries.com/2012/07/14/2013-super-series-calendar-revealed * (July 15, 2012) - Flat seas and light winds marked the start of 219 boats for the 88th Bell's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race on Saturday. Finishers at press time include elapsed winner Doug DeVos' Max Z86 Windquest, completing the 254nm Cove Island course in 27:50:36. Third boat to finish, just over three hours later, was Phil and Sharon O'Niel's TP52 Natalie J, the current PHRF Overall and Division A leader. Event website: http://www.bycmack.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 Justin Assad: I was interested in the piece about trapeze safety and Beverly YC's methods in addressing it (in Scuttlebutt 3632). As part of my summer position leading Nantucket Yacht Club's Junior Sailing program, I recently also moved to retrofit trapeze harnesses, and to upgrade our older harnesses to new ones. I was interested to find that Gill is discontinuing the only quick-release hook/harness option they produce, and was unable to find another dealer/supplier offering an emergency hook system (we have some Magic Marine spreader bars here that have been hook-less for several years, as we seem unable to get the hooks in the USA any longer). All of this one year after the tragic incident on Severn River - seems odd: it would appear that we don't currently have an emergency release hook system on the US Market. While I understand that at advanced levels the quick-release hook can be a hindrance, it does seem essential at the learn-to-trapeze level. Any insight on this would be appreciated - what am I missing? * From stewartvz (Forum): This is a good set of (coach and support boat) rules and the Melges 24 class should be commended (Scuttlebutt 3631). However it doesn't go far enough. Coach boats can obtain information about the course, conditions, competitors, etc. that a racer cannot. Any communication of this information to a racer is an unfair advantage period. Coaches should be prevented from communicating with racers from the moment they leave the dock until the finish of the last race of the day. The exception is development regattas where learning is the focus. COMMENT: The 2011 Etchells Worlds banned comms between coach and crew at 30 minutes before the start. This limit was a bigger issue for multiple teams that shared a coach, but for a team with a dedicated coach, 30 minutes was still enough time to provide current and wind information before the start. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt * From Fin Beven: In Scuttlebutt 3630, it was reported that the International Jury for the 2012 Newport Bermuda Race penalized the yacht Carina 15 minutes in elapsed time because a professional sailor briefly steered the boat during the race. I'm not usually a "black-and-white kinda guy, but the rule about no pros driving is so crystal-clear. If you are in a class where pros are not supposed to drive (which Carina was in), and you let a pro drive, you are OUT. Period. Let the owner then deal with his crew issues as he or she desires. I should know, as I recently experienced a similar situation. I sailed in a race in SoCal last year with just my son. I negligently did not realize that our local PHRF rules required a crew of at least three because we were sailing more than 10 miles offshore. We were sailing from Long Beach to Catalina. When I learned of our transgression, I contacted the sponsoring yacht club, and asked to be scored as DNS, even though we scored first in our class. My request was appropriately honored. As it should have been. EDITOR'S NOTE: It should be said the Notice of Race does allow the Jury to waive or impose penalties other than disqualification for infringement of the rules regarding professional sailors. Also, a letter last week inferred there was a formula based on boat size to determine how many pros can be onboard a boat. Actually, the formula is based on total crew. In the case of the 48-foot Carina, her total crew of 12 people allowed for her to have 3 pro sailors onboard. Here is the link to the NOR: http://tinyurl.com/NB-071512 ARE YOU IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY? The Scuttlebutt website allows marine companies to post their personnel, product and service updates. For free. As a bonus, each week the Scuttlebutt newsletter includes some of the recent updates. Are you in the marine industry? Post your updates in the Industry News section of the Forum. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION It's easy to make a small fortune in aviation. First, you start with a large fortune. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Kaenon Polarized - Vineyard Race - North Sails J Boats - Point Loma Outfitting - Pure Yachting Ullman Sails - APS - New England Boatworks Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
