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SCUTTLEBUTT 2729 - Thursday, November 20, 2008Scuttlebutt 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. Today's sponsors are Ullman Sails and Charleston Race Week. THERE IS NO 50 KNOT RECORD… YET The World Sailing Speed Record (WSSR) Council is the lone authorizing authority for record claims. Established by the International Sailing Federation in 1972, their mission is to maintain consistent standards for a variety of record setting categories. The quest for the outright world speed sailing record is being played out on several fronts, with recent excitement coming from Luderitz in Namibia where kiteboarders were displaying that they are currently the fastest. American kitesurfer Rob Douglas set a new speed record of 49.84 at the Luderitz speed strip on September 19th, which was later ratified by the WSSR, beating out the previous record of 49.09 kts set earlier in the year by windsurfer Antoine Albeau (FRA). During the same speed event that Douglas set his record, called the Lüderitz Speed Challenge, the event announcement came on October 3rd that Sebastien Cattelan of France become the first human being to sail at more than 50 knots, a world record he held for only 24 hours before compatriot Alexandre Caizergues snatched it away with a top speed of 50.57 knots. The speed set by Caizergues was announced as the new speed record, but the only problem is that over a month later, no formal claim for the record has been requested of WSSR, who is still awaiting the documentation from the event organizers. According to the record books, Douglas is still the holder of the outright world speed sailing record. -- Scuttleblog, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/11/no-record-yet.html NEW ISAF COUNCIL MEMBERS ANNOUNCED The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has announced the new members of the ISAF Council, the final decision-making body of ISAF. The new members of the ISAF Council were announced at the ISAF General Assembly in Madrid, Spain. The Council is chaired by the ISAF President Göran Petersson (SWE) and also includes the seven Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer (non-voting), 28 representatives of ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs) and one representative each from the ISAF Classes, Offshore sailing and Women’s sailing. In addition, the ISAF Presidents of Honour, His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and His Majesty King Constantine, are entitled to attend and participate in Council meetings although they do not hold a vote. The new Council members will serve a four-year term up until the ISAF General Assembly in November 2012. -- Read on for complete list: http://www.sailing.org/26160.php “NO BROACH, PLEASE GOD, NO BROACH” - MAGNUS OLSSON (Nov. 19, 2008; Day 5) - The fleet is counting the cost of the last 24 hours of boom and bust as the Southern Ocean continues its hostile takeover of events on board. Like the global economy, there have been casualties – both structural and psychological – as the leaders charge towards the scoring gate at longitudinal 58 degrees east. Among the ruins there are more broaches to be found than in your grandmother’s jewelry box. Said Ericsson 3’s Media Crew Member, Gustav Morin. “Last night, in complete darkness, we had a quite dramatic broach,” he reports. “We were sailing in steady 30 knots and rough seas when a big squall came in. In just a few seconds the wind increased to over 40 knots. Mange (Magnus) Olsson was helming and when he felt the wind coming he said a prayer: ‘No broach, please God, no broach’.” -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT111908A * PUMA have sustained serious structural damage for the second time in 24 hours and are considering whether to re-route away from the rest of the fleet to Cochin. The night before last, they crashed off a wave which caused several cracks in the longitudinal frames of the bow section. They bent the bow pulpit and shredded an asymmetric spinnaker in the process. The fix took seven hours but cost PUMA little in time to their rivals at the head of the fleet. Then at 04:30 GMT this morning, as the fleet blasted along in 25 knots of squally southern ocean, they suffered a further blow when the boat was launched off another wave. This time the main section of the boat took the brunt of the impact - just behind the keel frame. "This time it's a bit more serious," skipper Ken Read said. "This one may be a bit tougher to work around. Not only is this break in the central structure for the entire boat, but it will take quite a bit longer to put a fix on - maybe as long as 24 hours." -- Read on: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT111908B * Video reports: PUMA problems: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_OmUdUzc4o Team Russia’s Chinese gybe: http://tinyurl.com/SBUTT111908C * A reminder of how this leg is confusing, as the race for the scoring gate (due east) and the race for the finish (near north) have little in common, yet both reward points. The fleet as a whole has been going for the gate, but with the wind now veering to a more westerly direction, some are now gybing to port and heading north toward the finish line, thus costing miles toward the gate. The current standings are based on the distance to the finish line, not the gate, but it is the combination of both points that count. PUMA is only in fifth to the gate, but a fifth to the gate (2 pts) and a win at the finish (8 pts) is still better than Ericsson 4, which is leading to the gate (4 pts) but is in seventh for the finish (2 pts). The length of Leg Two from Cape Town to Cochin, India is 4,450 nm, with the leader expected to finish by November 30th. Current standings (as of Nov. 20, 1:00am GMT): 1. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 3219 nm Distance to Finish 2. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 40 nm Distance to Leader 3. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Anders Lewander/SWE, 50 nm DTL 4. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 53 nm DTL 5. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 59 nm DTL 6. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 61 nm DTL 7. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 86 nm DTL 8. Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, 105 nm DTL Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race website: http://volvooceanrace.org “JALAPENO” REIGNS AS TOP BOAT FOR THIRD YEAR STRAIGHT For the third straight year, Ullman Sails customer Ken Buhler and team on J/30 “Jalapeno” continued their reign as top overall boat at the Lake Pontchartrain Racing Circuit regatta in New Orleans, October 25-26 and November 1-2. In a two-weekend event with six races and one distance race, the “Jalapeno” team finished first overall in the 9-boat C division with 100% Ullman Sails inventory. Over the past three years, “Jalapeno” has compiled an impressive record of 18 first place finishes and three second finishes for the event. Ullman Sails - Make a commitment to excellence. Visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com IS PEYON TOO FAR EAST? (Nov. 19, 2008) - The brakes are well and truly on for the Vendee Globe fleet. Speedos slacken, tension rises as the leaders are dealt a large serving of the real Doldrums experience. The overwhelmingly favored downwind angle for the Open 60 fleet is on port, and if there is any concern as to how far east the fleet is approaching the crossing point of the zone, it is countered by the lost miles down course that occur when gybing to starboard for a more westerly approach to seek better winds. While Loïck Peyron is currently in the lead (7 degrees north latitude), he is also amongst the most easterly of the lead pack (26 degrees west longitude). Roland Jourdain is most westerly (28 degrees west longitude), and while only in 10th position, he has made significant gains, and we need only remember how a month earlier in the Volvo Ocean Race that Green Dragon took the race lead at this point by crabbing to a position 275 miles further west than Peyron (30 degrees west longitude). -- Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en Standings as of 18:30 UTC (Top 5 plus of 30 entrants) 1. Loïck Peyron (FRA), Gitana Eighty, 21123.7 nm Distance to finish 2. Sébastien Josse (FRA), BT, 25.3 nm Distance to leader 3. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA), Paprec-Virbac 2, 47.8 nm DTL 4. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, 49 nm DTL 5. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB, 56.9 nm DTL 12. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 251.8 nm DTL 16. Dee Caffari (GBR), Aviva, 351.2 nm DTL 21. Rich Wilson (USA), Great American III, 540.5 nm DTL 25. Derek Hatfield (CAN), Algimouss Spirit of Canada, 1564.6 nm DTL OPEN THE SAFE - AWARD THE TROPHY It was four days of racing in September, reveling in the conditions that San Francisco is famous for, but the season’s hallmark event of the Rolex Big Boat Series had yet to hand out the trophies for its most populated class - the J/105. Amongst the 110 boats competing in ten classes (four IRC divisions and six one design events), one remaining Steel Submariner Rolex timepiece had been residing in the safe of the St. Francis Yacht Club for the past two months, and not on the winning skipper’s wrist. When Rolf Kaiser’s crew aboard the J/105 Donkey Jack came to the dock at the end of the regatta, the winning math was indisputable, and the champagne was flowing. However, an alleged infraction involving a tanker crossing during the final race pulled the Donkey Jack team into a protest, effectively ending the party, with a lengthy hearing continuing well past the awards ceremony. When the protest decision went against Kaiser’s team, the St.FYC race officials sensed that this was not the end of it, and have held onto the prizes… until now. -- Scuttleblog, read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/11/rolex-on-standby.html SAIL MAGAZINE 2009 BEST BOATS AWARDS SAIL Magazine has announced their 2009 Best Boats Awards for Innovation and Excellence, with their team of judges - Bill Springer (senior editor), Charles Doane (editor-at-large) and Nigel Calder (systems expert) - examining the 2009 fleet of new sailboats debuting at the Newport and Annapolis boat show in order to determine the most innovative and best designed sailboats of the year. Here are the winners who emerged in the following categories: * Flagship (>50’): Outbound 52, a center cockpit cruiser with well-conceived construction details. * Cruising Multihull: Moxie 37, a South African designed and built catamaran that combines high-performance fun and leisure-mode cruising in a single well-conceived package. * Performance: Santa Cruz 37, almost all-carbon, this boat displays excellent sailing performance. * Small Boat: Bug by LaserPerformance, a bright new alternative in the sail trainer category for kids. * Accommodations: Hunter 50, incorporating every shoreside amenity a sailor could wish for. * Systems: Tartan 5300 with its dedicated attention to “systems room,” making all core connections, circuitry, batteries and equipment readily accessible to the user. * Deck/Cockpit: Outbound 52 for its deep, narrow, and secure cockpit design. * Cruising Monohull (<50’): There was no clear single winner in this category. Full report: http://www.sailmagazine.com/boat-reviews/best-boats/best-boats-2009-winners RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES IN CHARLESTON APRIL 16-19, 2009 The place to be next April is apparently Charleston. Tracking the first 2 weeks of registration, entries have increased by 85% compared to the first 2 weeks of registration last year. Chris Hamilton, new local fleet captain for the Melges-24 said, "With 10 Melges-24's now racing out of Charleston, we are expecting over 30 total Meleges-24 entries. Charleston Race Week always treats teams to great racing, unforgettable parties and the racers' favorite Dark 'n Stormies!" The event has rolled back the price of shoreside passes to 2006! Also ranked the friendliest city in the nation by Travel & Leisure. http://www.charlestonraceweek.com SAILING SHORTS * A yacht racing management seminar has been scheduled for December 6, 2008 at Larchmont Yacht Club for yacht clubs and race managers who organize events for yachts racing IRC, PHRF, and One Design. Owners and Crews are also encouraged to participate, with the goal to provide the latest information about IRC, share best practices and consider ways of improving racing and increasing participation. Speakers include Andrew McIrvine, Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC); Eddie Warden-Owen, Chief Executive RORC; Dan Nowlan (US Sailing); Peter Reggio (PRO); and Dick Neville (PRO). Full details: http://www.us-irc.org/newsfull.cfm?ID=135 * (Nov. 19, 2008) - Frenchman Thomas Coville and his 105-foot maxi-trimaran Sodeb’O is seeking to establish a new solo round the world record, and is currently holding a 47.5 nm advance over Francis Joyon’s record after nearly a day and half. For this global record attempt, Coville will have to pass the Petit Minou lighthouse at the entrance to Brest harbour in France by January 15, 2009 at 03 hours, 27 minutes and 20 seconds GMT to set a new record. -- http://www.sodebo-voile.com * The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is offering grant funds up to $4,000 each for community non-profit groups to develop projects that address environmental problems on local waterways. Since 1997 the annual BoatUS Foundation Clean Water Grant program has awarded over $300,000 to improve the marine environment, funding 149 projects in 35 states. This year’s deadline to apply is February 2, 2009. -- Read on: http://www.boatus.com/news/PR_Full.asp?ID=345 EIGHT BELLS George Olson has lost a long battle with cancer last weekend. He died on November 12 in Santa Cruz, surrounded by wife Lyn Neale, his two grown children Adrian and Kristina, and other family. George was 68. Olson was a true renaissance man — a jack of many trades and master at more than a few. Antique car restoration, model railroading, surfboard maker, boatbuilder, landsailer and amusement park ride designer were just a few of the passions during his life. We don’t know what sort of a mark he left on most of those pursuits, but the one he left on sailing is huge and indelible: George was a key ingredient in the primordial soup that gave the world ultralight sailboats. -- Latitude 38, read on: http://tinyurl.com/Lat38-111908 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Here are a few of the events that are coming up: Nov 21-23 - Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship - Miami Beach, FL, USA Nov 22-23 - Turkey Day Regatta - Long Beach, CA, USA Nov 23 - ARC - Atlantic Rally for Cruisers - Gran Canaria, Spain View all the events at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar 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 be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). 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. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Kimball Livingston, SAIL: (re, letter in Scuttlebutt 2728) I got caught up reading Paul Heineken's defense of the thrills and tactical aspects of skiffs in the context of ISAF's 470 Olympic selection - the more so because Dr. Heineken did not bother to stipulate the many hours he spent paying his dues in Finns and Lasers in his younger years. Nor did he mention his penchant for leaving the family cruising sloop parked while he takes off kiting with son Johnnie (who did OK in 29ers before moving on). Nor to mention that he hit the big 3-0 about 3-0 and change ago, so this is not the voice of a hotblooded youth, but certainly the voice of someone fully dialed into our sport. In a recent San Francisco Bay regatta, I made, shall we say, "an appearance" on the wire of a 29er, crewing for Paul, and I figured out this much: If only I could re-up my age eligibility, this is the way I would go. But whose loss is it that 29ers won't become a women's Olympic class anytime soon? It's public knowledge that the Star class increasingly finds it a mixed blessing to be home to its many pros and Olympians, while my 505 friends have been ducking the Olympic bullet forever. And 505s are doing so very fine. * From David Howie: (re, how International Sailing Federation refers to the type of Olympic classes as ‘equipment’) Why not call them boats? Boats is a perfectly good word that we all understand. My equipment is elsewhere; my boat is sitting on the hardstand waiting to go sailing. * From Zane Murdoch, Mahone Bay, NS, Canada: I am trying to figure out why the current Volvo Ocean Race is so much less interesting to me than the (con)current Vendee Globe event. Primarily, I think, because the single-handers are easily identified by country or by personality, each of their stories becomes compelling, and I can be caught up in the drama of their gains and losses. The Volvo boats are corporate entities with professional teams and, mayhem notwithstanding, less personable. Yes, the Vendee skippers are all sponsored too, I know, but it is my very subjective interpretation of the races I refer to. The mess of in-port races and scoring gates for the Volvo race does not help. This pushes the event even more into the realm of professional sport, complete with league play - and away from the more straight-forward challenge of people and boats vs. the elements, and the simple concept of first-around-wins. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION A racetrack is a place where the windows clean the people. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Charleston Race Week. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
