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SCUTTLEBUTT 3437 - Thursday, September 29, 2011Scuttlebutt 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: Team One Newport, Ullman Sails, and Quantum Key West 2012. BEING A SURVIVOR Stacked tightly next to Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison on Oracle Racing's RC44 while racing in a world-class fleet is an experience virtually impossible to stick a price tag on. It's just not an opportunity that comes by even once in a lifetime for most sailors, unless the experience happens to be an auction item at the San Francisco Yacht Club's annual Leukemia Cup event. Which is precisely how Ross resident Chris Kostanecki, 48, found himself in ninth-man position on the stern, hiking out hard and packed together with Coutts and Ellison during the RC44 Miami Cup event last December. A 15-year survivor of leukemia, Kostanecki bid on the opportunity to sail with some of the world's best sailors at SFYC's 2010 Leukemia Cup event, paying an "exorbitant amount" as he described his donation to the benefit that he's personally close to. The Miami Cup event happened to be on the same weekend as his wedding anniversary and when it came up for auction, his wife talked him into it. "The Leukemia Cup for me is a real touchstone every year to get reconnected with my personal experience being a survivor. It's very emotional," Kostanecki said. A life-long sailor, Kostanacki wasn't disappointed in Miami. He got to sail two races, one with Oracle Racing and also with Marin's Paul Cayard on Artemis Racing. "It was fantastic, they really delivered," Kostanecki said. "I was at an incredible vantage point on the stern listening to Russell call the shots. He processes things so much faster than anybody I've ever seen on the water and is extraordinary to watch." Jokingly, Kostanecki, who has competed nationally in one-design boats and an Olympic campaign in the Tornado, added, "I could probably drive that boat well with Coutts chirping in my ear." More seriously, the reminder of how close he came to not being able to enjoy life is always nearby. He's a staunch supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and ironically his wife Jennifer worked for the Society when he was first diagnosed with the disease. While he participates in many fundraising events Kostanecki's specially connected to the Leukemia Cup. "I raced competitively so was all over it when the SFYC started the event," Kostanecki said. "We've watched the regatta morph into the leading Leukemia Cup in the country." In its sixth year, the event raised $688,500 in 2010, and according to Robin Reynolds, fundraising consultant to the event, this year's goal is $1 million. Nationwide, The Leukemia Cup has raised about $6.4 million, a significant number tagged for research. -- Marin Independent Journal, read on: http://www.marinij.com/sports/ci_18990389 MORE: There are 45 events listed on the Leukemia Cup Regatta website. The 2011 San Francisco event is October 2: http://www.leukemiacup.org/register LOCAL PERSPECTIVE Mark Buell, as the primary organizer of the 2013 America's Cup in San Francisco, provides an update from the host city of the 34th America's Cup: * As America's Cup Organizing Committee chair, what are your responsibilities from now until 2013? MARK BUELL: Under the agreement that was signed between Larry Ellison [winner of the previous America's Cup], the mayor and me, the America's Cup Organizing Committee has the responsibility to raise the money that The City would have otherwise expended to host the event, and to assist the Event Authority, which are the Ellison people, in introducing them to potential sponsors. There are a lot of other details in the agreement ... but the primary focus is to raise $32 [million] to $40 million and to help the Event Authority in securing sponsors. * How are you planning to raise that kind of money? MARK BUELL: Right now, as in most large capital campaigns, we are in what we call the quiet phase. We're talking to major donors and we're talking to the Event Authority about revenue streams that could assist. I'm fairly confident that in the next six to eight weeks, we'll be able to demonstrate that we're well on our way to meeting our objective. * When should locals start seeing changes? MARK BUELL: I call it the three-legged stool: One of the legs is raising this money. Another leg is the improvements to the piers that have to happen to accommodate the event. Ellison is going to be advancing the money to improve those piers to the tune of $55 million. Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://tinyurl.com/SF-Examiner-092811 DAVE PERRY'S RULES QUIZ Immediately after the starting signal, the race committee signals an 'Individual Recall' and clearly hails Boat S's number. S (on starboard tack) luffs her sails in an attempt to slow down so that she can clear herself from other boats and return to the start. Boat P (on port tack), on a collision course with S, decides that S is a "premature starter" with no rights, and tries to cross ahead of S. S bears away ten degrees to avoid P, and protests. You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this? Answer below. SHIP YOUR DRYSUIT FOR FREE! Buy any in-stock drysuit from Team One Newport along with a pair of gloves, boots, PFD or watch and receive FREE Ground shipping from anywhere in the lower 48 states. Please add FREESHIP to your shopping cart and your shipping will be removed from your order prior to being sent to you. While shopping our site, be sure to check out the Solar Wind Jackets for Men & Women from Patagonia. A must have for any outdoor enthusiast!! Shop www.Team1Newport.com or Call 800 VIP GEAR to get yours today! Team One Newport has been servicing the active sailor for 27 years with the best selection, service and expertise. TARGET ON THEIR BACK On a mid-September Tuesday, it was pouring in Branford, Conn. The coed and women's sailing teams for Yale University were about to start practice, and everyone was already drenched. Many members of the team had chosen to wear waterproof layers out on the water. Max Nickbarg '14, however, chose to go shirtless under his life jacket. "We'll be wearing dry suits too soon," he said. Yale's youngest varsity teams practice in fall rainstorms and on frigid spring days, and have become forces in the sailing world: In 2009, they won the Fowle Trophy as the top team in collegiate sailing and, in 2011, they boasted six All-Americans on their roster. Both the coed and women's teams are currently ranked No. 1 in the country. "We were a young team last year, but we learned a lot," Cam Cullman '13 said. "Now the targets are on our backs and the pressure is on. We accept that and we're going to try to make the most of it." Despite that success, team members said that they compete in relative obscurity. Their boathouse is a 15-minute drive from campus, and their competitions - which are often held far from shore - are by nature not suited for spectating. Moreover, home competitions are few and far between - the coed and women's teams each have one regatta in Branford this year. Instead of competing at home, the Elis travel all over New England and beyond. In every weekend of September, the coed sailing team participated in at least three regattas. Last weekend, it raced in four across three different states. Meanwhile, the women's team traveled to Boston for a regatta of its own. The two teams race in as many as eight events on any given weekend, and travel not only to every New England state but also occasionally to California, Maryland, Florida and Illinois for events. -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/YDN-092811 SAILING SHORTS * (September 28, 2011) - Racing at the Trihedral Canadian Yachting Association National Sailing Championships started today, in St. Margarets Bay! The event, which is taking place at the St. Margaret Sailing Club in Glen Haven, NS, runs through October 1st. The event is also the National Qualifying Regatta for the Laser & Laser Radial classes. Day one leaders are Lisa Ross (Laser Radial, female), Alexander Sapp (Laser Radial, male), and Lee Parkhill (Laser). -- Event details: http://tinyurl.com/CYA-092811 * Chicago, IL (September 28, 2011) - The ISAF Grade 1 Chicago Match Cup began today for 12 teams from 7 nations who are competing for grading points and their share of the $65,000 prize money purse. Racing the Chicago Match Race Center's eight equally-matched TOM 28 class boats in the shadow of Navy Pier, eight flights were completed during the qualifying round robin series. Leading the field with 6-2 records are Taylor Canfield (USVI), Phil Robertson (NZL), and Keith Swinton (AUS). Racing concludes on Saturday. -- Event website: http://chicagocup.org/ * Annapolis, MD (September 28, 2011) - The ISAF Grade 1 Santa Maria Cup International Women's Match Racing Championship began today with eight teams competing in J/22s. The schedule will have teams completing two round robins for seeding into the quarter-final round. Leading with a perfect 8-0 record after eight flights is American Anna Tunnicliffe with crew Debbie Capozzi, Molly Vandemoer, and Liz Bower. Racing concludes on Saturday. -- Event website: http://www.santamariacup.org * The esteemed George R. Hinman Trophy will be decided on Galveston Bay this weekend at the 2011 U.S. Team Racing Championship. This US SAILING National Championship comes to the Gulf Coast from Shoreacres, Texas for three days of racing on Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2. Fifteen teams will compete in Vanguard 15s. The U.S. Team Racing Championship is hosted by the Houston Yacht Club. -- Read on: http://media.ussailing.org/Latest_News/2011/USTRC_2011_Preview.htm * Following approval by the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Executive Committee on 17 September, the 2012 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods is now available. In order to detect potential patterns of abuse, nicotine has been placed on WADA's 2012 Monitoring Program to observe the effects nicotine can have on performance when taken in oral tobacco products such as snus. -- Full report: http://www.sailing.org/37147.php * Nice, France (September 28, 2011) - Light winds dominated the opening day for the 11 teams at Act 7 of the nine event Extreme Sailing Series. Roman Hagara's team on Red Bull Extreme Sailing dominated the day, with America's Cup teams Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand in 4th and 11th, respectively. The four Extreme 40 races were set in an 'open water' configuration today, with the 40-foot catamarans to return to this large course on Thursday before they move on Friday through Sunday to the 'stadium' format as close to the Promenade des Anglais as possible. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/ESS-092811 * Rovinj, Croatia (September 28, 2011) - The penultimate event of the RC44 Championship Tour kicked off with a day of match racing, a chance for the pro's to steer or the owners to pit themselves against some of sailing's top match racers. The 14 teams sailed eight flights in 6-12 knots, with Russell Coutts and Stuart Hebb on Oracle Racing (USA) as the top team with five wins and just one loss to series leaders Team Aqua (GBR). Thursday marks the start of the four day fleet racing phase of the Adris RC44 Cup. -- Full report: http://rc44.com/news/view/challenging_but_serene_in_croatia 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: Sep 30-Oct 2 - J/80 North American Championships - Larchmont, NY, USA Oct 1-2 - J/22 Oktoberfest Regatta - Nashville, TN, USA Oct 1-2 - Sonar Atlantic Coast Championships - Darien, CT, USA Oct 2-8 - Audi TP 52 World Championship - Porto Cervo, OT, Italy View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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: * NEW BOOK: 'Sail for a Living' by Sue Pelling * P2 Marine - Lewmar Winch Parts & New Video * World-beating buoy to aid people overboard * New Ownership at UK Sailmakers Northwest * SailLaser St. Petersburg to Open this Winter View updates here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum/industry_news RULES QUIZ ANSWER Boat P is penalized under rule 10, On Opposite Tacks. Under rule 21.1, Starting Errors; Taking Penalties; Moving Astern, S does not lose her right of way until she is sailing back towards the pre-start side of the starting line or its extensions. This quiz question is from Dave Perry's 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes 2009-2012: http://home.ussailing.org/KB.htm?ArticleId=5301 ULLMAN SAILS POWER PODIUM SWEEP + PCC TITLE Sport boats converged on San Diego last weekend for the CYC Fall Sport Boat Regatta where Ullman Sails customers claimed the Flying Tiger 10 Pacific Coast Championships and a full sweep of the Viper 640 podium! Congratulations to Paul and Julie McPherson's FT 10 "Niuhi" who took charge early to seal their PCC title. And in the Viper 640 fleet, Chris Winnard's "Disaster Area" finished first overall with five bullets, followed by James Sears' "The FNG" in second and Tim Carter's "Viral" in third overall. All four boats were fully powered by Ullman Sails! Invest in your performance. http://www.ullmansails.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 Bill Brangiforte As this year's Mystery Guest at the C Scow Blue Chip Regatta, I want to second Andrew Campbell's comments (in Scuttlebutt 3435) about the amazing hospitality of the Midwest Scow sailors and, in this case, the members of the Piskatee Yacht club. By the end of the weekend, I felt as if I had dozens of new close friends! While there has been a lot of negative talk about sailing lately, events such as these show us how great sailing is - we get to compete on the water and make lifelong friends in the process! I applaud Andrew for his performance; I did not do nearly as well, but at least I did not have to do the infamous bar walk! * From Larry Landrigan, Lake Baldwin Florida Community Sailing: In Scuttlebutt 3436, Richard Olney was making a comment to the story "Why Kids Don't Want to Sail" that had run in Scuttlebutt 3433. In his last sentence Olney says that "Perhaps we need to divide the sailing programs into racing for some and seamanship for those who want to go gunk holing." I would like to take that further and say that seamanship needs to be taught prior to dropping anyone into a racing program. I have been running match racing events for all ages for the past four years and have come to the conclusion most of the participants don't have the basic knowledge of seamanship to safely participate in an event supplied keel boat match race or even a fleet race. The program I run is making the transition from a one mile diameter inland lake program to a salt water coastal program with the intercoastal waterway running through the 6 mile by 4 mile sailing area. Roller furling jibs, reefing mainsails and 4 horsepower outboard motors are being added to each of the six 18-foot tiller steered keelboats that we use in the program. We are also in the process of certifying the boats as "undocumented passenger vessels" for the next round of our community sailing program. When we generate a core group of Basic Keelboat Certified sailors then we will take up the match racing and fleet racing game again. COMMENT: When I was learning to sail as a nine year old at my yacht club program, we were required to have a copy of 'Royce's Sailing Illustrated'. I recall getting tested on my knots, and we all aspired to be like the gas dock guy who could lasso a cleat and slip on the hitch from ten feet away. It wasn't just about learning to sail; the little things were important too. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt BEST AROUND THE BUOYS AT QUANTUM KEY WEST 2012 SAIL Magazine's "Best Around the Buoys" contest is back! Win the use of a J/80, dockage, entry, housing, and more. Seeking a deserving one-design team to compete at the national level during Quantum Key West 2012 (January 15-20). Experience North America's premiere winter regatta and Key West fun. Details: http://www.sailmagazine.com/bab CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION You know times are tough when parents in Beverly Hills fire their nannies and learn their children's names. SPONSORS THIS WEEK JK3 Nautical Enterprises - Summit Yachts - Gowrie Group - North Sails Melges Performance Sailboats - Morris Yachts - Doyle Sails LaserPerformance - Team One Newport - Ullman Sails Premiere Racing - US SAILING - Beneteau Need stuff? Look here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
