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SCUTTLEBUTT 3568 - Thursday, April 12, 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: Atlantis WeatherGear and Ullman Sails. PUTTING THE FUN BACK INTO SAILING By Bill Sandberg, WindCheck One of the best-known acronyms - keep it simple, stupid - should be used more in sailing. This past winter I had the opportunity to serve as PRO [Principal Race Officer] several times for frostbiting at American Yacht Club, Rye, NY. It was such a joy, helped in part by the mild weather. But what makes frostbiting the most fun is the simplicity of it. There is no Notice of Race, nor is there a six-page set of sailing instructions written by a lawyer. Results are not prepared by an online scoring system, and there isn't a code flag to be seen. The signal boat is staffed by a PRO and two others who handle scoring, check boats in and run the automatic horn timing system. There are two support boats that set marks and act as safety patrol when a competitor has a breakdown or decides they want to spend a few minutes swimming beside their overturned boat. In fact, it is so informal that the competitors want the boat at the pin end, which is not anchored, to call boats over early. Of course one competitor did complain when I went to change the starting line, yelling, "This is frostbiting, keep it going." I didn't bother to point out to him that if I didn't reset the line, nobody would be able to cross on port. He probably wouldn't have listened anyway. What does the fleet get for their efforts? Well the first time I was PRO, we had nine races and the next time we had six. That's the beauty of frostbiting: you get a chance to hone every aspect of your game each time you go out. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the fleet sails in boats that are virtually maintenance free and can be purchased used for less than $1,000. Better yet, when sailors go to sell them, they'll get most of their money back. And best of all, protests are a non-occurrence. In fact, I can't remember the last time we had one, nor did I hear any screaming matches among competitors on starting lines and at mark roundings. If I didn't know better, I'd swear they were having too much fun to bother with those niceties. Having fun in a sailboat. Gee, what a novel idea. But what's the point? Much has been written by other writers that children's sports have been overdone to the point where they would not even consider throwing a football unless the field was lined, they had the best equipment on and there was an electric scoreboard. How about adults? -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/WC-041112 FULL ON Naples, Italy (April 11, 2012) - The AC World Series - Naples opened in spectacular fashion on Wednesday as winds up to 25 knots and lumpy waves provided harrowing conditions for the two fleet races. The AC45 catamarans, powered by their powerful wing sails, were leaping out of the water, launched into the air by the heavy sea state. "It's cool, the sailing is pretty awesome, you can't complain when you're sailing in conditions like that," said Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, who sits at the top of the leaderboard after two fleet races. "But it's very challenging for the boats and very taxing for the crew. The goal was to get back to the dock in one piece, which we did - it's nice to be back in good shape." Not surprisingly in the difficult conditions, there were teams who finished the day less content. Terry Hutchinson was leading his Artemis Racing team to a solid second place in the first race when both bows buried in impressive fashion as he rounded the top mark. The front of the boat kept going down, the wind pushing the wing over, until they capsized. "It was a balance between racing the boat hard and not putting ourselves in a position of risk," Hutchinson explained. "I don't really feel like we put ourselves at risk but still we ended up on our side. It's just very frustrating... Luckily no one's injured, but the wing is absolutely broken... It's a real bummer, the boat was so well prepared and sorted for the regatta, and we've been going well in training, so all in all a pretty big disappointment." The program for Thursday starts with Match Racing, the pairings determined by today's results, followed by two Fleet Races. Racing begins at 1330 CEST (04:30 PDT). Provisional Standings after Day One: 1. Emirates Team New Zealand (Skipper: Dean Barker) 2. ORACLE Racing - Spithill (Skipper: James Spithill) 3. Team Korea (Skipper: Nathan Outteridge) 4. Energy Team (Skipper: Yann Guichard) 5. Luna Rossa - Swordfish (Helmsman: Paul Campbell-James) 6. Luna Rossa - Piranha (Helmsman: Chris Draper) 7. ORACLE Racing - Bundock (Skipper: Darren Bundock) 8. Artemis Racing (Skipper: Terry Hutchinson) 9. China Team (Skipper: Fred Le Peutrec) Full report: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-041112A Race schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-040612 Sailing instructions: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-041112B Online viewing: http://www.youtube.com/americascup Television viewing: http://www.americascup.com/en/Discover/AC-On-TV/ DISCOVER: A GREAT WAY TO MAKE APRIL FEEL LIKE JUNE If you live anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon Line, sailing in April can be pretty raw. We're here to help. Try a Flying Point fleece top under an Aegis jacket/hybrid bib combo when it's all on, or the Grand Prix soft shell jacket and race pant when warmth is the priority. And while our 100% wool Navigator sweater may not qualify as technical sailing apparel, it'll keep you toasty and looking sharp no matter what you're doing on or around the water. Find it all at an Atlantis dealer near you or at http://www.AtlantisWeatherGear.com. Discover Life on the Water. Discover Your Atlantis. QUOTE / UNQUOTE "They have a saying just about everywhere in the world: 'It's not normally like this.' The wind studies for Naples, done in the months before the regatta, said it would blow over 18 knots only 7% of the time. Well, we found the 7% on the first day." - Rod Davis, coach, Emirates Team New Zealand, http://etnzblog.com/#!2012/04/not-normal-but-certainly-a-day-to-remember FORECAST: According to PredictWind.com, winds will be significantly lighter on Thursday, possibly single digits in the afternoon. However, strong winds are expected to return Friday and remain through Sunday. -- http://www.predictwind.com WHAT WE SAW It was 0500 on Wednesday when Scuttlebutt World Headquarters logged on to the America's Cup YouTube channel. With hot coffee poured, we sat down to watch the fleet racing planned for the first day of the AC World Series in Naples, Italy. Here's what we saw: BREEZE: With winds up to 25 knots and big waves, there were casualties on the course. Of the nine teams, two dropped out during the first race with only six able to start the second race. One hull was damaged by the upwind pounding. One wing was destroyed by an offwind capsize. One crew was replaced between races due to injury. COMMENTATORS: ACTV continues to rotate the personnel, with Mitch Booth, Gary Jobson, and John Rawling on the microphones. Among the best team yet, though the riveting visuals made their job easier. EXCITABLE: Few skippers are as animated (read: loud) as Artemis Racing's Terry Hutchinson, who is without his tactician from the last two events: Iain Percy. While his audio can be entertaining, Terry is gaining notoriety for a lesser trait: capsizing when it's windy. EXPERIENCE: A proven record in multihull sailing is no guarantee for success in the AC45. Darren Bundock continues to struggle for Oracle Racing despite significant training, while Yann Guichard did well for Energy Team with no practice. But the star of the day was Nathan Outteridge, who has no experience in similarly sized multihulls, and first stepped on the AC45 less than a week ago. TANDEMS: Oracle Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand continue to shine in large part due to their afterguard stability. These teams are quiet and poised - a result of the significant history between helm and tactician: Jimmy Spithill/John Kostecki (OR) and Dean Barker/Ray Davies (ETNZ). TACKING: Match racing requires maneuvering, never a strength with a multihull. However, the AC45 has surprised the naysayers, proving to be quite nimble in the turns... until today. Tacking in the big waves was not pretty. SUSTAINABILITY: After the beating the AC45s took on Wednesday, the engineering on the AC72 might need reviewing. San Francisco on a summer ebb tide can be brutal too, and having carbon bits littered in the Bay might put a damper on the America's Cup Healthy Ocean Project. CHINA TEAM: The personnel on this team have been retooled so many times, yet they continue to underperform. At what point does the solution become less about the sailors and more about the program? BOTTOM LINE: It was entertaining. Strong winds help, and while Thursday looks to be lighter, the forecast shows stronger winds for Friday through Sunday. NORTHBOUND (April 11, 2012; Day 25) CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand rounded Cape Horn under the cover of darkness this morning, marking a major milestone on their mission to complete Leg 5 to Itajai, Brazil. "We didn't do much (to mark the occasion) because by that stage we were in to 25 to 30 knots, beam reaching, so it was fire-hose weather on deck,'' Navigator Will Oxley said. "Unfortunately when we rounded it was dark, no moon to even lighten it for a slight sighting,'' Media Crew Member Hamish Hooper said. Since the rounding CAMPER have been battered by gusts in excess of 60 knots and are racing with a reefed mainsail and storm jib, Oxley said. "We have our arrival (in Itajai) some time around the 15th, but there are plenty of landmines between now and then." -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-041112 ABU DHABI: The boat left Puerto Montt, Chile by ship on Tuesday and is now en route to Itajai with an ETA of April 17. Upon arrival, the team estimates it will take 72 hours to complete the repairs. The team needs to chop out 4m x 1m sections on each side of the boat, which will be replaced by new core foam pieces. The team is confident they will be ready for the Itajai In-Port Race on April 21 and the start of Leg 6. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-041012b SCHEDULE: Racing will commence in Itajai with the Pro-Am Race on April 20, the In-Port Race on April 21, and the start of the 4800 nm Leg 6 to Miami on April 22. -- http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule Leg 5 - Auckland, NZL to Itajai, Brazil (6,705 nm) Standings as of Wednesday, 11 April 2012, 22:02:53 UTC 1. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), Apr 6, 019d 18h 09m 50s 2. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), Apr 6, 019d 18h 22m 28s 3. Groupama 4 (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), Apr 10, 023d 12h 58m 44s 4. Camper (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 1611.0 nm Distance to Finish - Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), Retired - Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), Retired Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos 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 THE RIGHT SAIL CHOICE Whether managing a PHRF rating or evaluating cloth durability, selecting your next sail can be a daunting task. You want the best choice for your boat, not the best sale for your sailmaker. At Ullman Sails, we focus on finding sail solutions that fit the needs of our customers, not our monthly quota. Ullman Sails has been designing and building quality sails for 44+ years. With expertise on and off the water, our lofts have the experience and resources to evaluate your goals and answer your questions. So let's talk handicap optimization and laminate specifications. Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.com AN INTENTIONAL MANIPULATION OF THE TRUTH By Juan Kouyoumdjian, Juan Yacht Design With our 3 boats safely in Brazil and under the risk of sounding arrogant, I'll break away from my golden rule of not speaking until the end of the Volvo Ocean Race to put the record straight since I believe we are presented with an intentional manipulation of the truth. There is a common, spread notion that ALL the participants of this VOR have structural problems, that the situation is unacceptable and that something needs to be done for the future. A fundamental distinction needs to be done between the mast breakages and the rest, and whilst I think it is very important to understand what caused so many mast failures, it is a travesty of the truth to put ALL designs in the same basket when it comes down to the "other" structural issues. This generalization might suit a specific Team, or person to push any agenda he might have for the future, but out of respect of the hard and serious work done with my Team I need to speak up. In the first edition of the VO70s, we had 2 triumphs to celebrate that as designers we are very proud of. One is obviously that our design was driven to victory by a very good crew and the other one is that our 2 boats [both ABN AMRO] were the only ones that completed the full circumnavigation without major structural problems. This celebration was faded by the public generalization that because one boat sunk and others had structural failures, then ALL of the boats had problems and the rules had to be changed. Which in fact they did, for the worse! I didn't say anything publicly then and moved on. However, seeing the same generalization occurring now, I'd like to stick to the facts and so allow for conclusions to be made without generalizations. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/0411/ CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Is your event listed on the Scuttlebutt Event Calendar? This free, self-serve tool is the easiest way to communicate to both sailors and sailing media. These are some of the events listed on the calendar for this weekend: Apr 13-15 - Texoma Lakefest Regatta - Denison, TX, USA Apr 14-15 - Around Santa Barbara Island Race - Los Angeles , CA, USA Apr 14 - Safety at Sea Seminar - Throggs Neck, NY, USA Apr 19-24 - Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta - Falmouth Harbour, Antigua, WI View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar SAILING SHORTS * Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck will be at the Strictly Sail Pacific boat show this Friday (Oakland, CA on April 12-15). Scuttlebutt readers save $5.00 by purchasing tickets here: http://tinyurl.com/SSP-2012-Tickets * (April 11, 2012) - The Herreshoff Marine Museum and the America's Cup Hall of Fame today announced the identity of the next three inductees to the America's Cup Hall of Fame. The first person to be inducted this year, posthumously, is Gerard B. Lambert, Sr. (USA) - who was active in the periods 1930 to 1937, the second, Jonathan Wright (USA) - was active between 1974 and 1987 and the third, Patrizio Bertelli (ITA) - has been active continuously since 1997. The America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on June 29. -- Full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/12/0411a/ * Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire recently signed a bill that eases the pilotage requirements for foreign-flagged vessels. Under the law, which takes effect on June 7, foreign-flagged boats weighing as much as 750 gross tons and under 200 feet can apply for a pilotage exemption. The previous legislation capped the exemption at 500 gross tons and 200 feet. -- Soundings Trade Only, read on: http://tinyurl.com/STO-041112 INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES The Industry News category of the Scuttlebutt Forum provides an opportunity for companies to announce new products and services. Here are some of recent postings: * Zim Sailing now building the Byte CII * Joe Richter Joins Quantum Newport * British Marine Electronic Association Launch New Website View updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news EIGHT BELLS John William King, Jr., fondly known as Jack, died on March 24, 2012, with his family and close friends by his side. He is survived by his wife Carole, his children Karin (Glen Cox) and William (Sheryl), and his brother Robert (Bonnie). Those close to him knew him as a crusty barnacle with a heart as big as a basketball. His infectious, hearty laugh and bright blue eyes would warm up a room as he re-told skits of his favorite comedian Mel Brooks or shared the many adventures he enjoyed though out his life. He had a unique flair with words; his favorites were "phooey" and "humbug." He loved solving crossword puzzles from the Wall Street Journal. He left a legacy as a masterful storyteller, and a long and illustrious career as a world-renowned blue-water sailboat racer, with six boats all named Merrythought. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=13566 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 Michael Schulz: The sailing community lost one of our own last week, a common denominator to all of us blessed with a love for pressure in the sails. With her sister and family embraced, Catherine Connolly (1969 - 2012) succumbed to cancer the evening of April 5th and our loss drew tears around the world. To all that were honored to know you, and on behalf of the thousands that never met you but in whom your sprit will last forever, fair winds, Mainsheetgirl. * From Paul Gingras: I disagree with Grant Dalton, (State of the Volvo Race, #3566). Drama in sport, whether it be Formula 1 auto racing or Volvo Ocean Racing, comes from watching individual competitors and manufacturers display their skills. Watching a car or boat break down provides no drama, only disappointment. There have been few competitive moments in this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race and far too many disappointments. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION If you cannot measure output, then you measure input. SPONSORS THIS WEEK Kaenon Polarized - Point Loma Outfitting - North U - Atlantis WeatherGear Pure Yachting - JK3 Nautical Enterprises - USSTAG - North Sails Ullman Sails - Doyle Sailmakers - Mount Gay Rum Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
