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07 Nov 2009 19:08
Back in the LVC
Ah yes, the good old days.This shot from the TEAMORIGIN/Synergy Race at the Louis Vuitton Trophy by Ian Roman. Things sure seemed one hell of a lot better when this is what the AC used to be all about. And it really does give one pause too see just how badly the current 'stewards' of the Cup have fucked it up. See below for the latest on what passes for AC action these days.
11/07/09ac
Deals and AgendasI have been asked privately to try to cobble together my unofficial segmented post court review into one piece so it's all together and post it. Sparbuilder
Nov 6th, 2009
Well it's Friday. And as tens of thousands of Yankee fans prepared for their celebration just outside the courtroom steps, strange deals were brewing inside 60 Centre St, NYC. Overall, it seemed to me that Judge Shirley came into her courtroom with an solid agenda. She stated flat out that today was about venue only and would simply "give the Heisman" to anyone who would try to derail her mission with other issues. And the Heisman came out on a few occasions and it worked well. In all, Shirley appeared to focus her attention on DB. She read about the Australia bit, and wanted to get a good feel for what GGYC's stand is on the issue. She asked some well thought out probing questions, sometimes argumentative toward DB when he tried to stretch the meaning of a few things. She caught on pretty quickly when he tried to slip a few minor Jedi mind tricks of his own regarding Cahn's orders/etc. Note to self. Jedi mind tricks are most effective when your victim doesn't have a very good grasp of the actual subject matter(like BO with boat related stuff). Shirley came into today with her game face on, and apparently well prepared with her questions. She had strong feelings on her point of view regarding the general law/deed of dift/Cahn's order side of things and seemed perfectly comfortable with her position in keeping everyone honest in her courtroom. Today was not the "let's see how much smoke we can blow up her .... this time" we saw last week.
Looking back on what took place overall, I'm guessing that Shirley had planned ahead of time to have her bench discussion with BO and DB, and probably with RC and LM in chambers. Before the attempted deal making would happen, she seemed to want to know how likely GGYC would even entertain the notion of Australia and what the complications related to it are. I'll bet she knew full well that the 'Australia offer' was without substance, and the presentation left much to be desired. I think that she was genuinely looking to DB to see if there was any reason for her to consider giving SNG the possibility of even exploring Australia. Personally, I don't think she got one-from either side.
When DB was up and giving his likely well rehearsed sound bites, JK was paying close attention. When he was answering her probing question, she was leaning in and taking notes, a bunch of notes. Quisitive expressions, and a few admonishing looks(and words) when she caught him in a little mind trick or two. When BO was up, JK appeared to generally look ...well ...skeptical. It seemed to me that she had her anti Jedi mind trick helmet on and wore a disapproving smirk to compliment it. Oddly enough, it wasn't needed as BO either ran out of tricks or chose to give up the act. He was clear, non combative, non insulting, and had many things to say ...that JK simply could care less about. She spent more than 10 minutes with her head propped up in her hand, looking as though she was forced to let a retarded 5yr old ramble on for a few minutes at a time. For a bit she even held her entire hand over her face, covering her mouth right up to her nose, like she was trying to hold in that college party hurl for a few more seconds! Very few notes were taken when BO was talking. Interesting body language overall.
She clearly didn't want to get bogged down with specific details regarding venue infrastructure, and the logistics involved with it. The subject was probably straying too close toward the dreaded 'rocket booster' type issues, and she wanted none of it. Didn't want to ruin the progress that was being made regarding subjects that she was more comfortable dealing with. So no witnesses for GGYC, Barry nearly had a cow over the idea anyway!
After Shirley was satisfied, she proclaimed that there will be no bench ruling on the venue issue today. She then requested BO and DB to the bench for a little chat. A little ...10 minute long chat. Cory, being seated in the media section closest to the bench(a mere 15ft away), might have caught a bit of what had transpired between those three(we'll probably find out after reading his next installment, can hardly wait). I could nearly smell the gears burning in his head, straining to hear what was happening and probably wishing he took that lip reading class in college. Meanwhile, the two camps went into huddle mode, like football teams planning their next play. Once the JK/BO/DB discussion was over, they hurried over to their respective parties. Now the chatter ramped up considerably.Before long, LM and RC meandered into Shirley's closed chambers and another 10-15 minutes went by. The mood from both teams went from high alert mode ...to tailgate mode in a flash. Soon, DB and BO were laughing it up like best buds over to the side by themselves. TE and company were over talking with Mackenzie and Willis with SNG suits milling around. Not a frown in sight. Throw in a bong, loosen the ties, and it would be a party! Weird! Ehman threw me a "shrug, we'll see" look. And Cory looked intrigued, confused, and generally taken aback by what he was witnessing. I went over to see what was on his mind. One thing that Cory pointed out while I spoke with him during the little private chambers LM/RC/LSK stint was that it was unusual for a judge to have a private chambers meeting with a lawyer present on only one side. Though arguably RC and LM most closely represent Larry and Ernesto directly, LM (though not directly acting as council in these hearings) IS a lawyer. Coutts is not. Cory found it odd that RC would be in chambers without one of their lawyers present. Interesting thought. Cory politely declined my offer for him to say hello to this thread using my laptop.
The festivities quickly breaks up when JK/LM/RC re-appear. A shame, a few more minutes and it would have been karaoke night in room 418! Shirley announces (roughly) that there has been some sort of meaningful discussion in chambers and that the two children (or children's representatives) have basically agreed to try to hash it out over the weekend. If an agreement happens, she wants to know about it ASAP. Not the slightest mention of what has transpired in the last 25 minutes or so, just that she expects a report by I believe Monday at the latest as to whatever they do or do not agree to.
My (very uneducated)guess it that she, as was mentioned in a few posts here already, she has a very good idea where she will be going with this if there is no mutual consent in the VERY NEAR FUTURE. She could well have telegraphed what that might be to spur things along.
I am wondering ...if she floated the potential consequences on non MC and it really inspired BOTH sides to really push for a quick and dirty 11th hour agreement over the weekend, her dangled "punishment stick" could well be some sort of split the baby decision. If it was going to greatly favor one side, there is not the incentive for that "winning party" to attempt (the impossible) at all. So I think either she floated a split the baby order, or she kept her inclinations to herself to keep both sides worried enough to try to come to their own collective decision.
After court was out, LM was quickly on the phone. I would presume to EB, who else. It wasn't a short conversation either! Ehman and RC also disappeared quickly into conference mode. Cory was, as CM mentioned, in JSK's chambers chatting away, with Shirley? I would presume so. Youngwood and BO were fairly tightlipped. When I asked them if they had any thoughts on today, YW mentioned. "Well, the weather is nice!" He and BO then smiled and said "well have to wait and see". I asked BO if he expected to be busy this weekend dealing with the venue. He basically said that it is out of his hands, eluding to the idea that it is above his pay grade and it is between Ernesto and Larry basically to agree. All the parties in the courtroom seemed to be behaving themselves, BO included. The least combative I have ever seen him in action. JSK certainly seemed to be on the ball this time around. With no rules/LWL/ independent jury type issues to deal with, all the parties could concentrate on what they were comfortable with. JSK appeared to give Alinghi's offer for Australia more credit than I would have guessed.
Personally, I seriously doubt that JSK really thinks that there will be any meaningful MC over these embattled issued over the next 2 1/2 days. I couldn't image any stick that she could dangle that enticing or that scary that will inspire a total transformation from celebrity death match to a Sonny and Cher lovefest. If she did, she's a genius! I want to bottle her up and sell it on the streets. It seems more likely to me that she is offering up the option one last time before the gavel drops on all the issues, shortly!
As a side note: As CM and I were walking out from the courtroom, a very "proper" looking older Fellow asked the two of us (in a rather stuffy London upper crustish accent) if we were "wiitthhh the meeedia" Cm referred the question to me, so I told him that we were "unofficially representing the lunatic fringe on Sailing Anarchy" His response (after physically taking a step back, and a pause) was roughly "Really, well your description sounds accurate enough" Seems he didn't feel that SA was his cup of tea. What a pity.
Sparbuilder11/07/09
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07 Nov 2009 02:43
AC LiveOur intrepid AC Anarchists are reporting live from the NYSC this morning, giving you the latest on AC court proceedings, so check it out. And all you Yankee fans can get the latest on their World Series win parade as well...!
Update: Here is the latest from GGYC:
Today's hearing at the New York Supreme Court was productive. Both sides - Golden Gate Yacht Club and the America’s Cup defender Société Nautique de Geneve - have agreed to meet on the venue and timing issues over the weekend and report back to Justice Kornreich on Monday. We are hopeful an agreement can be reached.
the biz
AliveWe just received this and it would appear to be good news for the continuation of Flying Tiger. Unfortunately, there is a fair bit of cleaning up to do after the mess that the previous owners left, but, we know Tom and think he'll do a good job.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2009Hiptrader, LLC, previous owner of the Flying Tiger line of sport boats, has completed the sale of all assets to the newly formed Flying Tiger Boats, LLC of San Diego California.
The announcement was made today by Tom Hirsh, President of Flying Tiger Boats. Mr. Hirsh was an early purchaser of the FT 10 and owns hull numbers 9 and 10. Over 100 FT 10 models have been sold since its inception. Our goal is simple says Mr. Hirsh; “to promote a fun, fast, well built, family orientated sport boat while continuing to offer future purchasers the best value in the marketplace”.
Flying Tiger Boats is committed to working closely with the Hansheng Yacht Building Company and Robert H. Perry, yacht designer to support existing owners and promote the growth of the worldwide class.
Currently, Flying Tiger Boats builds the Flying Tiger 7.5, Flying Tiger 10, and is developing plans for the new Flying Tiger 13.8.
For more information, please call Tom Hirsh at 619-889-9568 or visit FlyingTigerBoats.com.
Jump in the discussion thread on this topic.
11/06/09Update:Here are letters being fired out by TPYC board members:
At 7:30 this evening the e-mail list of members was released from Mike Nash (who has been too busy) to Commodore Nordin at his insistence. Commodore Nordin has released this list to the board majority for its use and I am herein sending you a response to Tom Pollack’s letter you should have received earlier this week. It has been determined that Mr. Pollack went to the TPYC vendor (MAILSOURCE, Costa Mesa) last Friday and convinced the vendor he had the right to use the mailing list which of course he would only have with board approval which he did not have.
In any event attached is my response letter that presents the boards position. If you agree with the will of the board and wish to support the board I would be honored to be your proxy. You may also name Gil Jones, Jerry Montgomery, Jim Eddy, Roby Bessent or Chuck Cook as your proxy. Please fill out both the ballot proxy and the voting proxy and return to me either by fax or e-mail (scanned pdf file). Time is short.
Thank you for your consideration.
Al GarnierWe like this one the best:
Dear Transpac Member:
11/06/09
There have been confusing and competing lobbying efforts with regard to the election of Transpacific Yacht Club officers and directors for the 2009-2010 term. As an example, I received the following email this morning from a member:
"Bill, I trust in your judgement. What should I do? Mr Pollack contacted me and got my proxy saying that he was behind you. Is this correct or did I get tricked?"
Not hearing the entire conversation, I can't be sure whether he was tricked or not.
But to clarify, I do NOT support Tom Pollack's efforts to promote the slate with Tom Garrett as commodore.
I do support the slate which was voted by the board. This lists me, Bill Lee as commodore, Dave Cort as vice commodore, and Leslie DeMeuse-Disney as rear commodore.
Bill Lee
Transpac Member since 1973 -
06 Nov 2009 04:18
WWCD?
Our boy Clean takes a ton of shit, some of it deserved and self-inflicted. It can be brutal but that's what happens when you try to push the envelope of this sport - someone's panties are always going to be in a twist. We wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would you! So our friends at Camet, both horrified and awed by Clean, came up with this as a t-shirt design. We think it's an immediate classic. What say you?
11/06/09
TPYC InfightingWe've never been big fans of the Transpacific Yacht Club, the organizing 'club' of the Transpac. Constant rule manipulations that have been biased in favor of the various Pyewackets over the years, lousy race management and PR that, among other things, has allowed for the creation and growth of the Pacific Cup, and maybe the single worst website in all of sailing. That such a hugely important race is run so bush league is incredible to us, so when a good pissing contest develops within this bunch, we're glad to share it. This particular fight involves a vote of no confidence for the proposed commodore, allegations of incompetence which include overspending on a trademark filing to the tune of 10K, which is about half a years dues for the club, firings, and all kinds of fuckery. There is a big TPYC meeting tonight and it ought to be a beauty. Here's the letter defending said would-be commodore, and here's the letter condemning him. Good times.
11/06/09viddy
Wicked Worlds
Nobody captures the excitement of racing like our old friend Petey Crawford from Penalty Box Productions. Here's a 17 minute highlight reel that tells a story of the 2009 Melges 24 Worlds as seen through On-The-Water Anarchy eyes. Enjoy, and don't forget that you can find the SA guide to all the coverage, OTWA and otherwise, right here.
11/06/09
Code GoGroupama 3 set off from off the Créac'h lighthouse (Ushant Finistère) in a good NW'ly breeze and big seas. Franck Cammas and his nine crew will have to be back from their circumnavigation of the globe spanning over 24,000 miles, prior to the morning of 26th December. Jump in the thread in Ocean Racing Anarchy.
11/06/09
Power Boat Anarchy
It turns out that our recent feature of the YSA power boat has opened up the power boat floodgates. This absolutely perfect looking little thing is the VPLP-designed Smartboat. Want one? We know we do. The price is $73k with a 115 HP engine, delivered in the US. With these things, it is clear that there isn't any boat that can't be made cool...11/06/09
One Kid At a TimeNick Hayes' stories have illustrated much of what needs to be done to 'save sailing,' and Vernon Green's post today is a great example of how we can each do our part. Check in on the thread for more.
This summer I met a 14 year old kid that had saved up all his birthday and christmas money to pay for a sailing class at my club. I was there helping and after talking to the kid realized he was really into the sport already and had a desire to race.
So for our last race of the season I called him up and invited him to sail with us, sure an extra untrained person would make us a little slower but anyone with the drive this kid has will be good for the sport.
I bought him a cheap pair of sailing gloves and included him in all the crew emails leading up to the race. The day before the race he came out and helped me and and the rest of the crew with some rigging and cleaning. He was practically bouncing off the walls and was asking the whole time what his jobs were gonna be.
Afterwards I talked with the rest of the crew and we figured out some good responsibilities for him.
Not only was he a great asset during the race to us he also helped launch other competitors boats and make lunches for the RC boat before the race. In the end he had a blast, we took 3rd and he even got to trim the spinnaker on one leg.
Above is a picture from the race, you can see him grinning from ear to ear in the life jacket!
I urge everyone to take out some inexperienced sailors to build our sport, plus it was a lot of fun for me seeing him so excited!11/06/09
Sunshine InWith Ras-Al-Kaimah back to being a dusty non-issue in the middle of Arabia, the Emirate may be regretting the spotlight that its brief title of America's Cup venue brought to it. More eyes continue to be drawn to the sketchy goings on between its residents and nearby Iran - it looks like Ellison isn't the only one unhappy with what's happening there...
11/06/09
World Championship of the WorldAfter complaints from the World Match Racing Tour, it seems that Louis Vuitton has backed off somewhat from their "World Series" designation for their borrow-a-boat Louis Vuitton Trophy racing. Regardless, the world's top match racers and AC crews are in Nice for the next few weeks for the "Louis Vuitton Trophy." Sailed in borrowed Cup boats with live tracking and commentary, it should be fun to follow some IACC match racing without the bullshit that is the America's Cup interfering. Check out BTS Broadcast's rock-solid video of the shoreside action during postponement of practice for too much breeze on the Gulf of Lyon. We'll have more from BTS during the event, which begins this weekend.
11/06/09ac/media
Woody Won11/06/09Hey look - Da-Woody is a star! And would ya look at that shirt he's wearing. Good job, Woodster. Funny, you don't appear to be nearly the kook you are in the forums! And when did your name become Woody Dennis?
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05 Nov 2009 12:37
Caption Contest
11/05/09innerview
Gash In, Part II11/05/09The conclusion to Surf City Catamarans' interview with multihull legend and BMW/Oracle coach Glenn Ashby:
SA: Speaking of the engineers, I heard you take them sailing on a pair of Wildcat F18s to help them to understand the functions of the boat?
GA:Yeah, I hope to get out there in the next half hour or so actually - I just had a few of the boys show up. We get out once or twice a week to be honest, and they’re loving it. The shore guys are getting out, there are a lot of guys that haven’t done that much sailing on catamarans are having a crack. It’s an absolute godsend having those. We’ve been able to use them a lot and get some guys out on the water that would not necessarily do a lot of sailing that just helps them with the engineering and the design side of things with the big boat.
SA: Engineers, designers, everyone's sailing them?
GA: Yeah, definitely. It’s just perfect to have them there, and they’re not like an Acat where you have to be a little gentle with the gear and stuff. You can sail them pretty hard, you know, they stand up to capsize and double trap with big guys.
SA: I never thought about getting the design crew on the small cats.
GA: Yeah it’s good. They come back with big grins on their faces. Everyone’s a winner.
SA: Converts!
SA: Do you think the AC's very visible multihull excitement will produce more multihull converts?
GA: Yes I believe it will - for sure - open peoples' eyes to the excitement and speed of multihull sailing at all levels. I can’t wait to see these 2 giant monsters of the sea go head to head and race like dinghies. I have always sailed both catamarans and monohulls and I can appreciate both for what they are. However for those who have not sailed multi-hulls, they don’t realize what they are missing.
SA: Do you think it will help get a multihull back in the Olympics?
GA: I am not sure.
SA: How about the crew. What’s it like to train some of the top monohull sailors on how to adapt to racing a multihull?
GA: It is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to work with and alongside many of the worlds best monohull sailors, many of whom are now mixing it up and beating many of the worlds best multihull sailors. They are keen learners and have the skills to adapt to many different kinds of sailing and racing on many different types of boats. So my job as sailing coach has been very enjoyable thus far and satisfying.
SA: Sounds like they’re fast learners. How quickly and competently are they adjusting to the steep learning curve that this project has placed upon them? What have you been using to teach them about multis?
GA: Most of the guys have taken to multihull sailing extremely well and are all very adaptable to the changing and dynamic circumstances that this cup is shaping up to be. All the guys have been sailing on various smaller multihulls from Aclass and F18, through to Extreme 40’s and Orma 60’s.
SA: How different is it now sailing on possibly the biggest sailing team in the world with large numbers of crew on board. Have you had to change your communications skills at all?
GA: For sure being a people person helps and getting on well with everyone is a bonus. Its not really much different than being part of a successful small team. Good communication is key ,especially on the water, and its always a learning process for everyone which you need to keep in mind always.
SA: Let’s talk tactics. What are the biggest differences in boat handling and tactics between sailing a 90' cat or tri around a course and how do you foresee the starts?
GA: The starts will be very exciting and most likely different to a standard monohull match race start. The closing speeds of the boats will be very, very high.
SA: Since there will almost certainly be a difference in speed between the two boats, once the boats are off the line, how do you plan and practice race tactics to deal?
That’s a good question for John Kostecki…….
SA: Are there any 'secret weapons' in the BMW ORACLE arsenal, and did they surprise you at all when you first learned of them?
GA: No, not really…
SA: You have seen what the BOR 90 has for speed and maneuverability, how do you think it handles and responds in relation to A5?
GA: I think both boats will be very closely matched by the time the event starts. Both boats will have a small speed advantage at some particular times on the course. Which boat will have the advantage and when is anyone’s guess at the moment with the continued development from both teams.
SA: What do you think will be most likely the first thing to break on either boat?
GA: That’s a good question and I am not sure on the answer. Both boats are extreme in their design and construction so I guess there could be a number of reliability issues for both teams. However as time gets closer to the event both boats become more reliable as the testing phase ends and the racing phase begins. Thus the chances for a breakage on either teams boats during racing would be no more than on a maxi monohull.
SA: What sort of loads are you seeing on the tri? Say mainsheet load, runner loads? forestay tension loads?
GA: No comment….
SA: You read in the threads here on SA about the controversial engine. What’s your view on it?
GA: The engine has certainly taken away the human powered element of the Cup which has never been seen before in the history of the event which I think is sad. In my mind it has certainly taken away from the sporting aspect and athleticism that attract the sailors to the event. There is no doubt that the boats are easier to sail with an engine doing all the hard work and trimming the sails becomes easier. However I am not in favor of the engine over human power for the Cup.
SA: As you said, these boats are pretty extreme in their design. How much real sensation do you feel on USA and, for example, do you have to hang onto fittings when she accelerates?
GA: The sensation on the big boat is quite different to sailing a small boat. I liken it to accelerating fast in a racing truck compared to a racing go cart. The top speed is much higher in the truck but the speed sensation is much more real and in your face lower to the ground and being smaller. In other words sailing downwind on an F18 standing on the transom doing 25 kts compared to nearly double speed on the big boat feels faster and more on the edge to me. However in saying that, the horse power and acceleration of the big boat is most impressive and hard to explain. A bit like a lightweight flying aircraft carrier…
SA: With all that power do you still have the helm and boat response that you find in the smaller cats?
GA: The helm is very similar to smaller cats and the boat is amazingly responsive for its size. Like all high performance multi-hulls, you can throw them around. However being smooth and having good anticipation is the key to maintaining top performance.
SA: BOR90 has many different foil configurations from straight canted boards to c-boards and now what looks like j-boards, what are the different aspects and performances between these?
GA: Well, they all work and have their preferred conditions. I am not an expert in this area but feel like it will be like selecting the right fin for your sailboard on a good wave sailing day….
SA: You’re really into this board sailing thing these days.
SA: To stay on task here, what legs or roundings do you expect to be the most challenging or potentially dangerous, how about windward mark roundings bearing off in a sizable breeze?
GA: Unless it is over 25kts I don’t think any roundings will be too bad. The big boats go round corners a bit easier than a moth or 49er as far as stability goes.
SA: Has anyone soiled themselves on a ‘big boys' bearaway?
GA: Not sure about the change of underwear, but you do need to hang on at times. The g forces get up there for sure but as the boat is so big the sensation is much less scary than trying to bear away an Extreme 40 for example in 25kts.
SA: Right on Glenn, thanks for taking time out of your schedule and hashing a few questions with me. Always good to talk with you and if you make your way up here, stop by the shop.
GA: No worries, mate.
Weeping At The WorldsAlmost two years ago, the International Melges 24 Class announced it would hold its 2009 World Championship in Annapolis, Maryland in November. And everywhere around the world, racers wept.
It's not like the IMCA didn't know what they were in for. You can ask a dozen experienced sailors what they think of sailing on the Chesapeake, and unless they live there, they'll all say the same thing: It's shit. If it's sunny and warm, there is no breeze. If there's breeze, it's cold, wet, and miserable, and 8 knots is enough to build up the infamous Chesapeake chop. The current is fickle and unpredictable, and at any moment the government can open upstream dams, throwing another knot or two of tide into the mix along with logs, garbage, and other debris. The racing area is covered with crabbers, oystermen, and commercial traffic, while near-invisible crab pots are everywhere. Tugs pull coal barges through the course on 200 meter cables, anchored freighters are often in the middle of the course, and if that's not enough, it's an expensive place to rent a house or book a hotel. As an Anarchist wrote yesterday, sailing in Annapolis this time of year is "a hate mission." Despite the lipstick they attempted to put on the Annapolis pig, the sailors weren't fooled; a depressing 51 boats showed up to race - the smallest Melges 24 Worlds fleet in more than a decade and 3 boats less than Detroit, Michigan pulled for Nationals just two years ago. That's right, Detroit.So why the hell would anyone even contemplate holding a World Championship for the highest-profile sportboat in the world in Annapolis in November? The short answer: Because no one else wanted it. For the long answer, you'll have to check back Friday when we give you our overall regatta report along with Penalty Box Productions 17-minute highlight reel.
Racing Recap
Our pre-event predictions were far off the mark. In 6 days of racing, 4 of them were in light, shifty conditions with perenially one-sided lines and beats. One local repeated all week, "there is no right," and those that were able to start near the pin and go left, left, left made out on almost all the races. Chris Larson's "West Marine Rigging" did just that, and with great starts all week long, Larson always found himself near the front of the fleet at every top mark. Every other team had at least one high scoring race, suckered into the right by pressure only to get beaten into submission by the shifts. Larson was the only boat in the fleet with only one double-digit finish, giving him a runaway victory of 25 points over Joe Fly and letting him and his all-Canadian crew play spectators for the final race. Photo at top of Larson, Clarke, Wolfs, and Florence courtesy of Meredith Block. Her full gallery is here.Those who claimed that Larson's victory was all about local knowledge missed the point; not only is his tactician Richard Clarke from Vancouver, but the second through sixth place boats were all European with extremely limited Annapolis experience. Olympic 470 sailor Gabrio Zandona helmed Joe Fly through an incredibly exciting final race to squeak out the 2nd place victory over Norwegian Volvo Ocean Race helmsman Eyvind Melleby. Melleby had a blistering start and first beat, putting 10 boats between him and Joe Fly, plenty to pass Zandona for the position. But the Italian ground him down, passing boats on every leg, and just meters from the finish, Joe Fly passed one more boat, enough to tie the Norway boat and win the tiebreak. 2006 World Champ Nicola Celon aboard Fantastica sailed a smart and conservative event to take fourth.
There was little doubt that the fastest boats in the fleet didn't win; 2001 World Champ Flavio Favini's Blu Moon and 2008 World Champ Rufo Bressani's UKA UKA Racing were both blazing, but both were also plagued by tough conditions, bad decisions, and the vagaries of racing in the hell that is the Chesapeake Bay. Favini was the casualty of an OCS in a race that never should have happened; the RC called 24 boats over on that start, 5 of which never went back. Amazingly, a few others didn't either but somehow were cleared; just one of a litany of errors from the committee led by PRO Jeff Borland. Favini made his point, though - from that point on, Blu Moon had the lowest score of the fleet with just 10 points in the final four races. Uka Uka had a different issue that put them in an early hole; bowchick Francesca Prina broke her ankle on a lumpy day 1, and her inability to get across the boat gave Bressani a big handicap as the '08 Champs started off Day 2 in 17th place. They rallied back, but like Blu Moon, there just wasn't enough runway left to catch Larson, and neither team got the big breeze that they are so superior in - not once. Uka Uka photo looking depressed also from Meredith Block.
Another big surprise was of course Terry Hutchinson's Quantum Racing, who won last year's North Americans so convincingly on the same water at the same time of year against many of the same competitors - in fact, there were only four more boats on the line this year. Despite a phenomenal crew and all the local knowledge he could handle, Hutch couldn't seem to get off the starting line, and found himself on the wrong side of too many shifts. Quantum's boathandling wasn't as crisp as it was last year, but the real factor was Terry and the team's lack of practice time. "We knew my lack of time in the boat was going to be a handicap...and it was." Photo of Terry dragging the top mark all over the bay courtesy of Sara Proctor/sailfastphoto.com.
Full results are here.
Media Guide
Between the assembled media, the event organizers, the M24 Class, and of course, our OTW Anarchy team of Petey Crawford, Katie Burns, Aaron Siegler, Meredith Block, and me, there's far too much coverage to wade through it all unassisted, so we've created a little index with all the links you need. You can easily watch any race you want from start to finish, check out all the pics, see Penalty Box Productions highlight reels, watch dozens of interviews plus the two great Cocktail Hour talk shows we did on site, and much more. CHECK OUT THE INDEX HERE, and check back on the front page tomorrow for the final highlight reel of the coverage.While we're still a long way off from perfection, our fully live coverage of Worlds was a huge step forward for On-The-Water Anarchy, and we'd like to thank all of the sponsors and advertisers who made our coverage possible. While there are a handful of folks who can't stand our unique brand of coverage, the vast majority of you have been hugely supportive of OTW Anarchy, and we truly want to thank you, the Anarchists, as well. Especially those who showed up at our Anarchy Halloween Punch party, a loud, crowded mess of fun people enjoying each others' company under the Anarchy flag. Our favorite costume was a full three-man "Weekend At Bernie's" getup complete with (play)-dead guy, but the one I'll remember best is 'The Four Bees' - Spelling Bee, Zom-Bee, Boo-Bee, and Queen Bee. Can you blame me?
If you'd like to see OTW Anarchy at an event near you or you have any comments for us, drop us a line and tell us more. And if you enjoyed watching it enough to want to see it again, take a few minutes to do some browsing while saving money on holiday gifts for the sailor in your life: Get big OTW discounts on awesome Atlantis and Patagonia (and more) gear from Point Loma Outfitting, big discounts and free Speedplay software when you buy an SC-1 or Speedpuck from Velocitek, the same electronics that powered Chris Larson to his Worlds victory, and get a big break on your next yacht or sportboat transport, rigging work, launch and haul, or concierge service from Latis Yachting Solutions. Be sure to check out our other sponsors for big discounts and Anarchist-only specials if you order now: Ocean Sailing Academy for great racing or cruising instruction in Charleston, SC; Ullman Sails Newport Beach for the fastest sails and best service in Southern California; the book Saving Sailing, which EVERY racer who gives a crap about the sport should read; RBS Battens, the choice of more than 90% of the Melges 24 and 32 fleet in either carbon or epoxy; Eastport Yachts, the builder/designer of the Eastport 32, the best damned tender/cruiser/fishing boat ever, Atlantis Weather Gear, manufacturer of the sexy and waterproof Grand Prix softshells you saw Mer and Katie sporting in all that video, Charleston Harbor Wireless Access, designer of systems for bringing wireless connectivity to an ocean near you, and Justin.TV, the world's fastest and largest live streaming video host/provider.
11/02/09ac/media
Media Matters11/05/09We all bitch about the lack of 'mainstream media' sailboat racing coverage, so here is a chance to have a vote. From SA kook, Da-Woody:
OK everyone FOX-5 in DAGO is running the BMW-O story on their web site IT IS A TEST - they are trying this out to see what interest is out there I assured them the stats will go off the charts once the world finds out Spread the word Send them a Thank You the result will be ---> MORE Coverage <--- WIN WIN WIN Go check it out NOW and check back often BMW-O Video on FOX-5 San Diego
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04 Nov 2009 20:36
Jimmy Cracked Carbon11/04/09
With more than 20,000 views of the "Rig Dropped" thread in which Mer broke the news to the world, we're sure anyone who gives a shit already knows that BMW/Oracle's mast went over the side today in around 10 knots of breeze off San Diego. Early reports indicate it was either a terminal end or buckling of the mast itself that caused the problem, and with the engineering limits being pushed by both Alinghi and Oracle, it's a bit of a surprise that this is the first dismasting we've seen.With no injuries and minimal damage to the boat, the loss of this expensive piece of plastic may actually accelerate the program to introduce the hard sail to DoGzilla. Ya gotta race whatcha got. Pic of Jimmy The Spit by Squid, with piles more here. There's some more info on the new but wholly uninspiring BMW Oracle blog as well.
innerview Gash In11/04/09If timing is everything, then we missed on this one! Good stuff regardless
Glenn Ashby is one of the most accomplished multi-hull sailors in the world, and his current job is certainly his biggest challenge yet. Ashby is tasked with coaching BMW Oracle to victory with the giant trimaran, and his incredible winning record and solid communication style make him the perfect guy for the job. Anarchist Surf City Catamarans put together this interview using questions from the Anarchists as well as his own knowledge, so his meandering style had to stay slightly on task, but it's a solid Innerview with a good snapshot into Ashby's life as part of BMW/Oracle Racing.SA: Let’s jump right in. First, so I get it right ,what do you guys call the boat?GA: We really don’t have a name for it, we just call it the B-O-R 90, or the 9-0. I started calling it that in my reports and way back when I first started and it just sort of stuck, I guess. I just put it out there a few times and everyone started calling it that.SA: Are you having fun with those guys?GA: Yeah, mate it’s awesome. It’s really, really good fun, It’s certainly a lot of excitement and learning lots all the time; we're putting as much effort as we all can to make sure we all get out there and do the job. Of course it’s a hell of a lot of work, but it’s such a great thing to be a part of. Everyone’s putting their money’s worth into it, and so we can achieve the ultimate result at the end of the day. It really is a lot of money and a lot of time that everyone puts into it. It’s a lot of personalities, and a lot of fun. It’s a great life experience that I’ll never forget or regret.SA: You've done a lot of shit in your life, and this experience is really going to round out your resume, isn't it? GA: I know. I shouldn’t complain about the hours are long and hard, whether you’re in front of a computer or out on the water sometimes you just have to step back and pinch yourself and say, shit man, this is really cool. SA: Other than this, what have been some of your most memorable moments in your vast sailing career?GA: Probably the most memorable moments would have been winning my first world championship on my first ever trip to Europe at the age of 18 sailing the A class catamaran against the current Gold and silver medalist in the Tornado class and against 86 other competitors in L‘Estartit, Spain in 1996. Looking back, I really was just a kid and had only been sailing A class catamarans for 3 months prior to the worlds. It certainly was an eye opener on and off the water and definitely gave me the travel bug for future events and overseas competition.
Winning my first Tornado worlds in Argentina sailing with Bundock in Dec 2006 with all the countries fighting out for Olympic selection was also one of the highlights of my career, especially using my own sails!
The Olympic games in China for me would have to be also one of the mist memorable moments after a life long ambition to get there. Winning a medal looking back now over 12 months later, was just a bonus. SA: Speaking of the Olympics, how involved are you or will you be in the fight to get multihulls back in the Olympics?GA: I will be like all other multi-hull sailors, super keen to see the multi-hull be represented in the 2016 games.SA: If we do get a multi back in the big O, do you think it should stay as the Tornado or go F18/Tiger or A class?GA: Definitely not A class. But I would not be against a single-handed high performance multi-hull. I don’t mind if it was a Tornado or one design F18 either. I think as long as the multi-hull is represented, I don’t mind what type. Personally If I could choose a boat, a light weight very high performance double hander that can be sailed by an average weight and size sailor that can be purchased all over the world easily would be a good choice.SA: With multi-hulls out of the Olympics for 2012, what are your plans outside of the A-class and F-18's?GA: I have just purchased an RS:X sailboard to see if I can sail it and will look to do some regattas next year. I am also obviously very busy working with Oracle for the next Americas Cup.SA: If Catamarans are reinstated into the Olympics, will you resume your campaign to win that Gold?GA: Yes I will indeed.SA: Let’s change gears a bit. Are you currently running your business Ashby Sails as well as working with BMW ORACLE?GA: Yes, the business is still running well and my wife Melissa is keeping it under control whilst I am working with the team. We have many good people working with us to ensure the quality and performance.SA: Speaking of your wife Mel, I know you had a little girl a few months ago.GA: Yeah, a little girl. She’s doing really well, she just turned 6 months old just a couple of weeks ago. She’s growing really quick, and I’m just loving being a dad. My wife Mel and little one Loni are still there back in Australia. Hopefully they’ll come over in a couple of weeks mate and we could all catch up with your crew.SA: Well congratulations on that, they definitely grow fast!SA: With the amount of F18 racing that you currently do, are you considering designing and building boats for this class? Will there be an Ashby F-18? GA: Not in the near future that’s for sure, maybe one day when I am too old to get on the trapeze I will have a go at that! Maybe 10, 15 years time, certainly, but I’ve got so many other things going on right now. The sail-making side of it I enjoy, and I love doing the A-cats as well. I’m sort of thinking at the moment that with the way sailing is going with the cup stuff and windsurfing I think I’m going to take more of a back seat for the next 5 or 10 years and just concentrate on my sailing career. When I get a bit older and my body’s not bouncing back as well, maybe I’ll look at spending more time on that side of the business. In a couple of years things might change, but at the moment I’m happy where I am. It’s a hell of a lot of work to design and build and it’s very, very expensive, and it’s a tough market.
SA: Let’s talk about the transition from the smaller multis that you’re used to and these giant multis. First, do you like the fact that this AC will raced on state of the art multi-hulls?GA: Absolutely! For me it is the pinnacle of big multihull racing and technology. I have been playing with model trimarans and catamarans since I was a child and to be able to play with one full scale and even over size, is incredible. Being able to work alongside some of the best designers, builders and sailors and be part of one of the world’s best teams is a fantastic experience in sailing and in life.SA: How much of the foil technology that both teams are using will be able to translate into Acats in the future?GA: I think the big boys learn from the little boys and vice-versa. Many of the ideas for big boats world-wide get trialed initially on little ones.
SA: What differences, and adjustments have you had to think about between sailing smaller cats and the 90? On some levels it's a big Acat but there must be some giant differences?GA: For sure some things are very similar, but some are also vastly different. The loads on the big boat are simply mind blowing. That is the scary part for me. The speed and the actual sail part is no worries. Standing next to blocks and parts that have loads measured in the tens of tons is a bit different to what I have experienced in the past. However, the boat is engineered and built to take the loads the same as a small boat is. So you need to trust the engineers and the designers have done their job. I think I could bulid a pretty nice A cat if I had our team behind me! Things also happen a lot slower on the big boat on the water sailing but have a much more serious consequence if they go wrong. The big boat really is just a little one that has taken steroids!SA: Speaking of the engineers, I heard you take them sailing on a pair of Wildcat F18s to help them to understand the functions of the boat?Continued tomorrow...
Hate Mission11/04/09When the IRC East Coast Champs are discussed, my thoughts generally run to "cold, wet hate mission in Annapolis." But as usual, I can't say no to a sailing opp, especially when it's a hot new IRC 52 footer on her first buoy regatta. So when the phone rang two weeks ago I was auickly working out how to fit the ECCs into a 9-day period that included hauling and storing our Farr 36 'Meridian," a trip to Florida, and a day job. Come last Tuesday, we cinched down the last straps on the Farr and I was off to go racing. Practice on Wednesday was in very light air, probably 6-10 knots, though instruments were on the fritz, so that’s a best guess. Got familiar with the boat, started a jobs list, just the general first day stuff. Vela Veloce is a beuaty though - I highly recommend anyone with a spare million or two laying around to look into one. A good bit of work tidying up the new ride and getting her into 'round the cans mode included several rigging items handled Wed afternoon, Code 0 twingers added, halyard tails lengthened, and so on. Second practice Thursday in more very light airs saw crew work coming together very nicely, another few hours of rigging barber haulers, new trav line (protrim has my total ire now), getting the proper number of bearings in the trav cars, adjustment of staysail sheet length, minor tweaking of vang cascades, and more of the many details that encompass sailboat racing. A new quiver of sails from Quantum for the week, and these are far and away the best product I have ever seen from the angry green doughnut. Seriously, the lamination on these things was a work of art. Friday’s distance race provided a great warm up, but unfortunately for us, turned into a total crap shoot. At least we went to all the right marks (sorry KP kids, had to get one shot in there!). Vanquish would go on to flex her muscles later anyway, so nothing to feel bad about there. Light air is not Vela Veloce’s forte, she carries a bit more junk in the trunk than most of the other 52’s, but we did come up with a pretty good mode at the end of the day - but nine points did hurt. Saturday dawned with promise however, and some decent breeze awaited us on the course. With a bit more knowledge in our arsenal, we started to click really well, and our upwind wheels started to show a bit - surprisingly, downwind did as well. With a max of about 22 knots of breeze (we hear, still no instruments) we found a mode that was considerably faster down wind. Great communication between the helm and trimmers really started to make gains, and we started to get closer to the boat's potential. A bullet in the first race helped our stoke out a bit too. Day three, Sunday, and the weather I envisioned was here. Cold, drizzle, and general suck pervaded the course. VV’s wheels were coming through though, and a 2, 3 for the day wasn’t a bad way to finish off. Those kids on Vanquish I was ribbing earlier were shot out of a cannon and took a string of 4 bullets - nice job, boys. All in all a fun weekend, with an immensely fun boat that has a ton of upside left to go, and a top shelf crew. - Graham ‘doghouse’ Garrenton.
Jacked11/04/09
In one of the first incidents of piracy on a yacht in the area in a decade, an old friend with the strange name of Juan Pablo Del Solar Goldsmith (J.P. Del Solar to racers everywhere) and his crew were tied up and robbed by pirates last week. J.P. is the current Audi Melges 20 National Champ and a long time anarchist who's been a sailing coach and Melges racer out of Holland, MI for the past few years. Get to know JP here, a super nice guy who decided to take his dad's Beneteau First 47.7 from the Great Lakes to Chile - little did he expect he'd end up in his own little Pirates of the Caribbean drama. Here's a video we did with him at the Melges 20 Nationals.In their last hop between Roatan, Honduras and the Panama Canal, JP and crew spotted a small green panga approaching their yacht, and when it got close enough, the crew of 4 Nicaraguans pulled out pistols and shotguns. "Of course there is nothing you can do," JP told me. The pirates jumped aboard , tying up J.P. and crew and stealing everything of value aboard. Cash, video and still cameras, booze, navigational equipment, food, computers - all gone, and the pirates were convinced they could find drugs aboard, but didn't. When J.P. resisted, the pirates shot into the air and told him they would kill him, so he gave up his resistance. Strangely, they left J.P. his iPhone for navigating to Panama, maybe out of respect for another Spanish speaker.
JP has already replaced the shit he needs to get to Chile, but now he's looking for crew. So if you're interested in getting some serious sea miles with a pro sailor on a voyage through the Panama Canal, to the Galapagos, and on to Chile and you're able to get to Panama immediately, get your ass in gear and go sailing with JP. Email him here. Chance of a lifetime, folks.
more acRound TableA NYYC anarchist just reported seeing an unusual group around a table at the New York Yacht Club that included Bryan Willis, Hamish Ross, Lucien Masmejean, Melinda Erkelens, Tom Ehman, and a couple of other suits. Is this the first sign that the sides may be coming together to get their issues sorted out for the 33rd Cup? One can only hope...
11/04/09
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04 Nov 2009 03:39
ac breaking
Rig DropsBMWO's DogZilla broke their rig today. We are getting the story, in the meantime jump in the thread..11/03/09Now that the economic bubble has popped we can see that coalescence is healthy for a community in both good times and bad, but fragmentation is especially visible and threatening in the bad. What can be done? It’s pretty simple:
Harder than we thought as we approached the start line in the vanguard position only to see two bargers charging in with no rights at all. With a boat 1 beam to leeward and an inner distance mark maybe half a boat to windward we rightly thought we had nailed the start.
Newbies who, although they were not a finely tuned racing machine and needed, at times, lots of shouting at – or at least got lots of shouting whether they needed it or not – performed at a level that surprised even themselves, let alone me. Sure there were mistakes but each manoeuvre was successfully completed, perhaps not at the speed I wanted but for all the shouting their heads never went down and for that I was proud of them.
The second visit to the room was a simple case of barging and the jury had been in a motor boat just 50m away to that one two went our way with very little fuss. I wonder what tomorrow will bring – I don’t entirely know but the forecast does say a hell of a lot of wind – goody! Photos by Carlo Borlenghi.
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03 Nov 2009 08:10
Odd Couple
11/03/09Even with the growing number of 'modern' traditional boats, we still get a chuckle out of seeing the somewhat odd coupling of various components. Take this Hull and keel combo on the new Scandinavian 20. Add a rotating semi un-stayed tapered carbon fiber wing mast to this 'cruiser' and it is quite a combo. We think these are actually great developments, but still...................saving sailing
Saving Racing11/03/09From the book Saving Sailing, by Nicholas Hayes
Of the approximately 1.2M registered sailboats in the Unites States, only about 20% are actively raced. Sailboat racing, like all sailing in the U.S., is in decline, with a meager 3/10ths of 1% of the population, including kids, doing it today (compared with about 3% of the population just 30 years ago). Racing is down almost 88% (you read that right) since 1979, shedding almost 6 million participants.
Let’s look at the facts.
A few races (less than 2% of all starts) are major media events, hosted by professional managers who provide services like entertainment, provisioning, coaching and photography, who rally spectators and sponsors and publishers, and promise branding on a large scale. These are the exception, not the norm. But these are also the events that most will see in a late-night mention on cable TV and that shape the public’s view of sailing in general.
The vast majority, more than 98% of all starts, are far more modest. Most races began with a few sailors saying, “Let’s go here to there and see who gets there first” followed by a gradual evolution to something more complex and socially interesting. Since racing often involves an assortment of buoys to define a course and timekeepers to set starts and finishes, most events are the product of systematic volunteerism, coalescence and cooperation on par with that found in a large church or temple. Many yacht and sailing clubs can trace their roots to basic race organization, often provided by member-racers who took turns setting buoys and time to make racing possible for their competitor-friends.
Once the racing begins, favorite flavors emerge. Most sailboat racers fall into one of two categories: 68% who sail on a boat designed for dual, triple or more purposes and 32% who prefer racing identical boats.
If you visit any of the online discussion boards regarding sailboat racing, you will inevitably confront a heated debate of the merits of handicapping verses sailing one-design. There, sailors will often insist that their favored design is the solution to waning participation. As you might guess, one-design sailors want their design to be the popular standard, and handicap sailors do not see how a one-design fleet will meet their needs. It is notable that only 7% of all the sailboats in the U.S. meet a one-design criteria.
But the argument is mostly wasted breathe, at least as suggested by the data:
Among 164 U.S. sailing clubs surveyed (by US Sailing) in 2007, there are 215 different, active one-design fleets, and another 3 or 4 fleets each of handicap racers of various pedigree. This means that sailboat racing as a whole has the burden of attempting to appease, or at least juggle, about 500 tiny special-interest groups, each with only a few dozen (or less) members but with very definite opinions about what is right and wrong in their sport. It also means that fleets must, by this market design, constantly shrink, rather than grow, to adjust to the latest fad.
Mathematicians have names to describe trends in group dynamics like these. Fragmentation is when the group is breaking apart, and in doing so, becoming weaker. Coalescence is when a group is coming together and as a result, becoming stronger.
When groups coalesce they gain buying power, competition increases and prices fall, creating access. That is precisely why sailing clubs formed originally; by tapping the buying power of a group, access to lakes and oceans and boats became a reality for the group.
Conversely, when groups fragment, entry barriers like financial or time costs rise. Without a club, an individual has to bear all costs of access, training or coordination. As cost and access barriers climb, popularity must eventually and inevitably drop, although it may not seem so at first.
Since about 1980, Americans have assumed that we would have unlimited discretionary income and the ability to buy into whatever personal entertainment we wish, without need to share access. A strange period of cheap money and ample toys created a false sense of unlimited buying power. It hasn’t felt as if there was much need to coalesce, so many clubs witnessed major shortfalls in member recruitment — even as marinas expanded and prices for basic services increased. The average cost to dock a sailboat rose 8 times faster than inflation in the last 10 years, even as overall demand measured in usage dropped. Now, fewer people sail on bigger and bigger boats that consume more and more lake frontage.
More important perhaps, during this time, many clubs became sellers of support services, including those required for racing, as opposed to self-sustaining groups of volunteers. So in some places, only those that can afford to buy the time of others can afford to race, and those with time to spare and some interest can’t. More people inside and outside of sailing think that sailing is a professional sport of sponsors and celebrities, when, according to the numbers, it isn’t and will never be.
Basic supply and demand theory tells us that this had to end.
Now that the economic bubble has popped we can see that coalescence is healthy for a community in both good times and bad, but fragmentation is especially visible and threatening in the bad. What can be done?It’s pretty simple:
- Join a club, and if there isn’t one within reach, form one
- Share boats if necessary
- Set a race course
- Enter whatever boat you have access to
- Take your turn doing race committee
- Take your kids and their friends
Like this stuff? Then get the book!
The Formula
It is obvious that F18 catamarans are damn sexy. With a growing fleet of boats that are great bang-for-the-buck, top level sailors, a 12-event regatta schedule, and a free keg of beer at every event, you have the recipe that helped make the Eastern area F18 summer series a huge success as other classes and events struggled to maintain numbers. 31 teams competed in a mix of distance, and buoy course races throughout New England, NY, and NJ between May and October. Each event averaged around 12 boats, which provided plenty of tight racing for all involved. Teams that regularly attended regattas saw a tremendous increase in performance throughout the season, culminating when 6 New England teams traveled to Toronto and all placed in the top 13 in the 37 boat Canadian National Championship. 
Team Microwind (Anarchists Mike Easton and Tripp Burd) demonstrated total dominance coming off a strong finish in the Tybee 500 to win each event in the series as well as take a top 5 finish at North Americans and plundered the Canadian Championship trophy. Having a team of this caliber in the series raised the level of competition as a whole as other teams fought hard to stay in the mix. Behind them in the standings were teams comprised of father/son, coed, and a wide range of ages, but all with one thing in common, the need for speed. Narragansett Brewery signed on as the beer sponsor for the series, providing lots of swag and the fuel to perpetuate the reputation for partying as hard as we sail. Series results and information can be found at www.nensa.org-wildtsail
11/03/09
I Quit!
When I signed on to work with Sailing Anarchy to cover the Melges 24 Worlds, I CLEARLY had no idea what I was getting into. See, I'm a simple pen-and-paper kind of person - I've never worked with video production equipment, unless my Blackberry counts. So when I found myself surrounded by video cameras, computers, lenses, microphones, cables, antennas, modems, hard drives, and professional photography equipment, I literally geeked out. Can we talk about sensory overload? By the way, "On the Water Anarchy" is the biggest misnomer I've ever heard. The Anarchy isn't just on the water; it's on the dock, at the house, at the parties, in the car, in the kitchen, at the store...it's shopping, cleaning, changing fuel filters, fueling up, organizing and hooking up equipment, loading gear, taping lashing, networking, editing, programming, drinking, smoking, and dancing. And there I was, completely clueless, just trying to get a grasp on a job I was responsible for, and one that that changed with every new challenge and condition. Was I a good fit for OTWA? Well, I definitely know that following the Melges 24 Worlds so closely gave me a new determination to become a better competitive racer, and that's pretty much the idea behind the concept; to get people more exciting about racing. And based on the feedback I've received, we did just that.
It was definitely not easy for a minute, but was working with the OTWA crew fun? Well, any week-long event that culminates with my waking up Sunday morning on a 63' luxury yacht still dressed in a pumpkin costume must have been a lot of fun, whether remembered or not! I have no idea how I found the energy to go sailing on the R/P 45 Sjambok that same day, but I bet it had something to do with being amped after watching the Melges fleet battle it out all week long. It felt great to step on a sailboat after watching some of the top sailors in the world battle it out on the Chesapeake Bay, only 120 miles north from my hometown. I only wish there could have been more wind - I feel kind of embarrassed for my home waters. It never blew more than 15 knots all week, and even that only happened for one race on the last day. Truly disheartening, especially since just a couple weeks ago, when I sailed on Stephen Murray, Sr.'s TP-52 "Decision IV" it blew 25+ knots. Where did that damned breeze go during the M24 Worlds? I'm at a loss, and I feel like apologizing for my Bay to everyone that traveled so far to race Worlds.
I know that Clean is working on his Worlds report right now, so check back tomorrow for a story that includes all the links to each day's coverage. While the live coverage was certainly groundbreaking and a huge hit, since I was there it's not as exciting to me as the insanely good highlight videos from Petey Crawford and the gorgeous shots captured by Meredith Block.
Congratulations to Chris Larson, the 2009 Melges 24 World Champion, and to Bruce Ayres, the 2009 Melges 24 Corinthian World Champion. Thank you to all of our sponsors, especially Point Loma Outfitting and Atlantis Weather Gear for my pimp-ass jacket that everyone is totally jealous of.
Anyways, it's been ultra-real and very fun, and I hope you guys liked my part in OTW Anarchy from the M24 Worlds. Thanks for all the nice emails and PMs, and stay tuned for my next crazy story, whatever it is. Hopefully it doesn't involve Afghanistan, but right now, you never know. If I can stay out of that, I'll be looking for another new adventure, if anyone knows of one...
Much love,
Katie Burns11/03/09race report
Small Worlds11/03/09
The 2009 2.4mR World Championships began today in the Caloosahatchee River at Fort Myers, Florida. An early morning fog prompted an onshore postponement, but racing began when the shifty sea breeze rolled in. With two races completed today, the top three sailors are:
1 CAN99 Tingley,Paul
2 USA8 Horrocks,Carl
3 USA88 Ruf,John
Racing is hosted by the Edison Sailing Center and is scheduled to continue through Friday.
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02 Nov 2009 14:44
Blame Canada
It is not a big surprise that Chris Larson's "West Marine Rigging" won the 2009 Melges 24 World Championships. The almost entirely light-air regatta put a premium on understanding the current and great starts - two things that Larson and crew did superbly - while negating the big-breeze speed advantage of the Italian boats.While Larson is certainly American, his crew are all maple leafers, something you don't see too often at the top of a World Championship leader board unless it's in Canada. Mike Wolfe, Richard Clarke, and Curtis Florence certainly worked hard for this one, and Larson's victory was so complete that crew could celebrate during the final race as they spectated from their bobbing boat.A final interesting fact is about Larson's amateur rock star bowman Curtis Florence, an SA'er from the very beginning. With this victory, Florence becomes the current World Champ in three international one-design classes: Farr 40 with Barking Mad; Mumm 30 with Optimum, and now Melges 24 with West Marine Rigging. That's one hell of an amateur sailor. Congrats to 'em all, and check out Florence's interview with Mr. Clean about his wife, his amateur status, and the event. And check back this week for a full wrap-up of the entire Melges 24 Worlds along with links to all the coverage of the regatta.11/02/09
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01 Nov 2009 22:47
Wide Load11/02/09
More shots of the Atomium 950. We think this is a great size for this type of classe boat and would love to see some momentum with them....on board
Big StepsAmerican Mini sailor Chris Tutmark breaks down his Transat onboard Mini Anarchy and beyond...
The Leg 2 prizegiving was a couple of nights ago so all that really remains is to finish getting the boat apart to be shipped back to France. It is somewhat hard to believe it has already been 7 days since I finished, the days have been a complete whirlwind; getting caught up on sleep, greeting friends who were finishing the race, trying to see a bit of Salvador, getting the boat cleaned up and taken apart and eating a fair bit. I did not really expect how fatigued I would be from the race as I found my attention span was completely wrecked and only now seems to be getting close to normal. Some of this could be attributed to the weight I lost, am not sure how much but I know that most of my clothes now just hang on me.
This entire Mini/ TransAt experience has been absolutely amazing and I am so happy that that I took the leap and did it. As I basically jumped in with both feet and made it happen there have been a number of surprises along the way, both good and not so good. I did not expect how friendly almost everyone in the fleet would be, that was truly a wonderful thing. I have made some new friends that I know I will have forever. The other big surprise came during leg 2 and unfortunately was not quite as good. It was the level of weather information collaboration that some competitors felt was acceptable. Coming to the south side of the Doldrums, there were some competitors who I could hear on the radio both exchanging weather data from where they were and collaborating on figuring out what it all meant.
After the doldrums, I pushed hard to catch back up to the people who had passed me and I was partially successful with this. The sailing was quite pleasant but not hugely exciting as it was mostly fetching or slight cracked off jib reaching on port. We all slowly got lifted as we approached the NE corner of Brazil with Fernando do Nororonh (sp) needing to be left to starboard. The major tactical question was how close to get to the shore as it allowed a freer sailing angle and less distance sailed but also was potentially lighter winds. I opted for between 45 and 60 miles off here which increased to 80 after we went back to spinnakers when the wind freed. This was on the second to last night which was overcast with very little moon and winds up into the mid 20s. The top number I saw on the knotmeter was 15.89 but it could have been higher as I had the averaging up fairly high to smooth out the pilot responses.
The final puzzle of the race was transitioning from the trade winds offshore into the land breeze. I did not play this quite as well as I could have since I ms-interpreted what was going on and sagged south along the transition line instead of punching straight through it. Adding to the challenge was that my batteries had not charged fully during the day and I was starting to get low voltage alarms from various instruments. Finally everything except the masthead tri-color shut down so I reverted to using my handheld GPS for the final 5 hours of the race. Not having a depth sounder was really the only thing I had wished I had since in the dark it was difficult to really tell how close to the beach I was getting and there were some offshore rocks to be avoided.
Picking out the finish line in the pre-dawn light with the city lights was also a little challenge but not too severe of one. Once across the line it was sails down and pick up the very slow tow into the harbor. Waiting for me on the dock was a cold beverage, some great fresh fruit, my girlfriend who I had not seen in two months and some of my other competitors. The picture that was in SA was about 4 minutes after I stepped onto the dock. A minute or so later I was in the water of the harbor along with a bunch of other folks. This was probably a good thing since I doubt I smelled very well, I do know that the coffee I was drinking the last night was coming out of my skin. Note to self: 10 spoonfuls of instant espresso might be too much in 16 ounces of water.
Would I consider doing this all again, absolutely!!! It was not easy or inexpensive but in the end I have learned so much about myself and hopefully become a better sailor too. In that I went from complete mini novice to TransAt veteran in less than six months in a little amazing for me to ponder but such is the way the program played out. Being the top American in the race is a great added bonus but not something I had even remotely thought about as a goal. With more time in the boat I likely could have moved up some places in the rankings.
To get to this point has been a huge effort and there have been a lot of folks who have helped me make this happen and I need to recognize them. So, in no particular order, the folks I want to thank are:
-my family, especially my sister and her family for helping out with my house and mail while I was gone.
-all the friends who gave me rides to and from the airport, not having to deal with shuttles was really a great bonus.
-Tom Milne and all the folks as Remote Medical (www.remotemedical.com) They did my medical kit and provided me with some great first aid training. Fortunately none of which I needed to put to use but it was still great to have.
-Carl Sutter and everyone at Fisheries Supply (www.fisheriessupply.com) for helping out with some equipment and always wanting to hear about how things were going.
-Jonathan McKee for almost too much to list. He was always available to answer my questions and provide advice that I know helped me avoid a number of missteps along the way.
-Sylvain Pontu at Demi-Cle in Locmiquelic (www.Demi-Cle.com) for looking after my boat in France and helping me make sure I had all the required equipment on the boat.
-Isabelle and Alexi at Grand Pavois for being willing to take the time to explain things in English when I did not understand the French and being sure I had answers to all my questions.
-Anabelle and Sandrine at Classe Mini (www.Classemini.com) for truly making me feel a part of the mini family from the very start. Anabelle also helped with translating weather and race briefings at events which was incredibly helpful.
-Probably the biggest thank you needs to go to Kevin McMeel. Kevin did weather forecasts for me for both legs and they were amazing. Easy to understand even in a heavily fatigued daze and very accurate. On leg 2, Kevin had recommended going fairly far East and close to the African coast between the Canaries and the Cape Verde Islands, I started this way but ultimately chickened out and this was likely my biggest tactical blunder. I was worried the shift would continue to the East and not provide an escape, ultimately the shift came and it would have worked out just the way it was forecast. In addition to Kevin, I was getting weather info from Ken Campbell and the folks at Commanders. They did a great job as well and as both sets of information usually agreed it made things a bit simpler for me.
- Scot and Clean at SA for their support, kind words and being the best source of information on the TransAt for readers in North America.
-Last but by no means least is my girlfriend, April. She has helped me in some many ways it is difficult to imagine I could have made this all happen without her.So what´s next? The boat is for sale and presently the plan is for it to go back to Lorient and be put up for the winter. I have spoken to a few folks who are interested in the boat but as yet, no one has decided they want to buy it. If it does not sell by next season, I will race the boat. I head home to Seattle in a few days and am really looking forward to being home for a while and will get back to work on other people´s boats. Many of my customers, in addition to sending me notes of congratulations, have also asked me to contact them when I am home so I think my job list will get filled quickly. Thank you to all of them for that loyalty!!
I did brielfy entertain thoughts of bringing my boat to the US but at present I will learn more racing it in France, also PHRF does not really know what to do with a Mini so racing it in that system is rather tough. I want to do what I can to help support Mini/shorthanded racing in North America and hope that it does continue to grow. I think North American sailors can continue to improve racing Minis in Europe but it will take a lot of work and some fundamental mind set changes. One of the biggest will be a change of attitude and to accept that racing in Europe we are guests, that things are done differently and that the system is what it is.Also looking beyond petty rivalries will be a big step, the sailors from countries work together to train, and work on their boats. The Italians and the Spanish were both very good about this. For me, I hope to be in La Rochelle in 2011 at least as a spectator and possibly as a competitor.
11/02/09scotw
Kitty Cat
11/02/09
Admittedly not much of a vid, but we Cat Chimney is having a great time driving a canting keel boat in New Zealand. She is from Lloyd Harbor, NY and is a chemical engineering major at the University of Auckland, when she's not studying she races Laser radials. Check out the smile! SCOTW submission from anarchist Ed..race report
Clear Ahead
This morning when I read the article on Sailing Anarchy about China Cup I resolved to not write an article after the after race party – sorry I failed just a short and hectic day later. I was amused that our erstwhile editor entitled my piece ‘China Daze’, yesterday maybe but today definitely not. The day dawned with 8-10 but forecast to strengthen – NICE. Our inexperienced but learning – and fast – crew headed out to the racecourse and some good racing instead of chasing the committee boat around looking for wind. We decided to stay out of the trouble that was the scrum at the committee boat going instead for clear air and speed at the sacrifice of the few metres we would gain by mixing it.
We started mid-line with another boat just bow forward and to leeward – great start. Imagine our surprise then, when over the VHF our number was one of those OCS – surprise as our bow-person, yes it was a girl, couldn’t see the committee boat for all the sails crowded round it and I (from the helm) could see the pin clearly behind the boat to leeward. However rules is rules!
50 metres to leeward we were still being called OCS so we radio’d the committee boat informing them of a protest and started the race with the next class – fully 5 minutes behind the fleet. To say I was ‘boggled’ is an understatement. We kept our heads up however and eventually finished 24 of 30 which considering the start we gave the rest we were happy.
Race two was pretty uneventful and pretty uninspiring with a 23/30. In race 3 of the day the breeze was up with one of my crew noting one or two boats with number 3 up instead of the number 1. Nah – hell or bust said I – boy it was going to be hard work.Harder than we thought as we approached the start line in the vanguard position only to see two bargers charging in with no rights at all. With a boat 1 beam to leeward and an inner distance mark maybe half a boat bean to windward we rightly thought we had nailed the start.
With crew legs dangling over the side and 3.5 tonnes of Beneteau rapidly approaching it was not the most comfortable place to be in, to leeward was a yacht sponsored by Yachtfinders it was rock and a hard place time.
Thankfully the Yachtfinders guys spotted out predicament and allowed us to slip down otherwise there was a real possibility of the sound of splintering fibreglass filling the air. Up went the flag again – twice in one day, a precedent for myself, sure I have been to the room before but a repeat visit on the same day was a bit much.
As soon as we could we flicked over onto port in the growing breeze, now touching 10-12 knots and tried to get out of the way. Hard work as the breeze grew and the white horses started to appear and I had a crew of newbies on board.
Newbies who, although they were not a finely tunes racing machine and needed, at times, lots of shouting at – or at least got lots of shouting whether they needed it or not – performed at a level that surprised even themselves, let alone me. Sure there were mistakes but each manoeuvre was successfully completed, perhaps not at the speed I wanted but for all the shouting their heads never went down and for that I was proud of them.We finished on the water 24(OCS); 23 (best forget that one) and a 14 in the strong breeze = good on the lads for not giving up and letting their heads go down. So it was that on arriving at the dock protest forms had to be obtained and completed, not for one room appearance but for two.
For what I expected the visits couldn’t be simpler. In P1, a race committee representative agreed there was a an error. Negotiations for redress were then entered into. When I explained the error meant we had to start with the next class the jury quickly offered average points which we were happy to accept as I felt that justice would be best served in this manner.
The second visit to the room was a simple case of barging and the jury had been in a motor boat just 50m away to that one two went our way with very little fuss. I wonder what tomorrow will bring – I don’t entirely know but the forecast does say a hell of a lot of wind – goody! Photos by Carlo Borlenghi
11/02/09coming
Mini MinisRacing in the 2009 2.4mR World Championships begins Monday in the Caloosahatchee River at Fort Myers, Florida. Forty-five competitors will take part in the event, hosted by the Edison Sailing Center. The World Championship comes on the heels of last week's 2009 2.4mR National Championships in the same location, providing competitors a "tune-up" for the Worlds.
In the three day National competition, after eight races, only a four-point spread separated the top three finishers: Terry Schmitter of the Netherlands in first place, Hans Aukland of Sweden in second and Peter Norlin of Sweden in third. This week's 2009 2.4mR World Championship is scheduled for five days of racing, ending Friday.
Results, photos, videos and blog are here.11/01/09
big pimpin'
Chillin'From our friends at Open Sailing...
For many of us winter is just around the corner and the 2009 sailing season will soon become a distant memory. Of course for others the season never ends. Here in Southern California we are lucky enough to be able to sail year around. However, we’re not selfish and we want to share some of that season with you. Open Sailing is offering a special Winter Delivery Program. All you have to do is place an order for your new Open 5.70 before the end of 2009 and you’ll get the following:- Save $1000 – a new Open 5.70 with trailer and sails for $29,990.
- Free storage for your new boat for January, February & March in sunny sailable Southern California.
- Unlimited access to your boat – you can spend as much time in SoCal as you’d like.
- Free entry into the Champagne Series Regatta, the SCYA Midwinters Regatta and the SCCYC Les Storrs Regatta.
- A free day of coaching on the water with a member of the Open Sailing Team to get you up to speed on your new Open 5.70.
Check out these great deals and more.
11/02/09 -
31 Oct 2009 18:25
m24 worlds
Fantastillasara
It's Saturday morning of the 2009 Melges 24 Worlds, the last day of this six-day regatta, and all I can think is; "Today might be the day." Today might be the one day of the regatta that gives us conditions worthy of a World Championship. But then again, I said that about Tuesday. And Wednesday. I mean, what the hell is going on out here? I'm going to have to dig out my Captain Planet ring from the 90's and call up the power Wind to try to do some good over here on the Chesapeake. I wonder where my boy Jose is with the Heart ring, because we could use some of that, too. You know things are slow when one of the highlights of your week is going for a yacht in no breeze. Carlo Vroon and his crew on the Netherlands boat Gelikt let me step on board after the racing on Thursday, and we drifted around playing games and having a good time. I never knew you could play Tag on a 24 foot boat, but it's pretty much the greatest idea ever, now that I've done it. I don't think I stopped laughing the entire time I was on board, which was good for me considering we've had so much going on this week and I've definitely been a little lost in the sauce. At least November starts tomorrow, which means that MY BIRTHDAY is coming soon, and if anyone was wondering, I would like a Melges 24, a pair of Kaenon UPD's from Point Loma Outfitting, a tiki hut on a no-name island somewhere, a date with Petey Crawford, a Velocitek Speedpuck, world peace, a bullmastiff named Kuma, and a nap. I don't think I've ever slept as little in a week as I have as part of OTWA. Oh, and I like Heather Evans' cakes, too.
Back to talking about the weather, despite plenty of missteps (including mistakenly firing off a four-shot salvo from the starting cannon 4 minutes after the starting gun yesterday), the RC have somehow managed to get nine races off in this sorry excuse for breeze. Whether they should have gotten all nine off is for smarter people than me to decide. But we'll need three races today if the full 12-race schedule is to be filled, and hopefully they'll go for quality, not quantity, and we can get back here in time to get our our Halloween costumes on. You guys might want to stay tuned today for mine...
Speaking of Halloween, HAVE YOU GUYS HEARD ABOUT OUR PARTY TONIGHT?!?!?! We're having it here in Annapolis at a hot new place downtown called Level. It starts at 10PM, ends whenever they throw us out (2PM?) and the address is on West Street...Number 69. Not kidding. We have great prizes to give away for the best costumes, including stickers, shirts, and a Velocitek - but only for those wearing costumes - so definitely be creative about it. I want to laugh so hard tonight that my Sailing Anarchy exclusive cocktail comes out of my nose. Did we mention FREE BEER?
On the water, this one is not quite over, but it's going to be a long road for Rufo Bressani or Gabi Zandona to overcome Chris Larson's 15-point lead. Larson's got a 12 for a throwout, so if there was only one race today he wouldn't even need to go out there. But there will definitely be more than that, and as we've seen anything can happen here, so it's going to be a blast to watch. There's plenty of drama too, with Nicola Celon filing a questionable protest against Uka Uka that was proven a total joke on a video replay, a Blu Moon team that is mathematically gone but threw two bullets up yesterday and made it look easy, and a Quantum Racing team that is firing on all cylinders finally.
Despite our great friend and production dude extraordinaire Aaron Siegler having to leave early to attend his grandfather's funeral we WILL be live out there on an Eastport 32, and it's definitely going to be something to watch. So check it out live, and go to the OTW forum to see all the highlights from the last five days and all the pics and recorded video today.
Anyway, I'm not going to recap yesterday - just check out the Day 5 thread or watch both races starting here (press 'next clip' to skip ahead). And remember that once again, we've outdone ourselves with the OTW Anarchy Cocktail Hour, which saw 5 of the hottest sailor chicks around sitting at the aforementioned new bar/restaurant throwing back drinks and answering questions from the hottest sailing photographer around, Meredith Block. Check it out here.
We love you, Aaron.
-KB
10/31/09race report
China DazeIt’s been a long time since I have done so much motoring in 2 days on a racing boat.
Fist off, yesterday morning we motored form Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club base at Causeway Bay to the start line for the China Cup off Steep Island to the east of the Hong Kong SAR, that was 1 and a half hours. 30 Beneteau 40.7s and assisted IRC boats, the largest of which was Jelik 3, a sister of Pyewacket and assorted HK Handicap boats.The line was set fair by the PRO but the Beneteaus were a little eager, in fact too many of them for the race officer to catch were a little eager and the two additional hoots meant we had to go to the back of the queue to try again.
At the second attempt we were off for what was to turn out to be a long beat in about 8-10 knots of breeze and a 2m swell.
It was going to be a long way to Dawa Wan (Bay) and the finish line off Longcheer Yacht Club in Shenzhen. Longer than we would know as the wind started to shut down as we approached the turn into the bay.
Fortunately the race officer, Russ had taken a race around the corner and having found just 2 knots decided to shorten off the coast. The last 500m though was very frustrating with boat on almost identical tracks on different tacks.
What looked like being a bottom third finish was nicely elevated to exactly mid fleet with a 16/30 by being on the right side and in the last 200m we passed 5 boats.
Then on with the iron topsail for another hour plus to the marina.
There, because we had come from Hong Kong to PR China we had to pass through immigration which had been set up especially for the event, a unique experience as the officials checked our passports with many of us sucking on a bottle of the free beer supplied by one of the sponsors. Can you imagine getting away with that at Kennedy or LAX – and they say China has npo freedoms – Ha!
After a good night sleep it was back on the shuttle bus to the marina and some round the cans racing – Oh no it wasn’t.
The wind gods refused to play ball at all and after about an hour in the one spot the committee boat guys thought they saw the wind in a different part of the pay – off they charged.
In their wake were almost 50 racing yachts giving chase. They only caught up when the committee boat stopped where they thought there might be enough wind for a start but rather suspiciously they didn’t drop their anchor.
Many, many more minutes putt-putting around and off went the committee boat again, it was starting to look like a guided tour round Dawa Bay. Again nothing but there was breeze a bit further north so off went the committee boat again and this time when it stopped the anchor chain rattled down into the water and the two mark boats headed off hopefully, one to windward an the other to lay the pin.
But it was not to be. Russ Parker the PRO and his team had tried valiantly for almost 4 hours to find a big enough patch of stable breeze for us yachties to go and play and though no fault of his there was really nothing to find.
So we motored back to the marina – at least we had plenty energy left for the beach party put on by the organisers, complete with hi tech sound and light show and some half decent DJ’s.
Only damage this day was one of the Beijing Sailing Team went over the ankle and was stretchered off the pontoons although I can happily report seeing him at the beach party later without the aid for a stick – anything for the attention of some pretty girls.
Tough to drag the team away early but we have a long day with 3 scheduled races tomorrow to make up for today.
Shanghai Sailor
10/31/09• whether it is safe to race off Valencia, Spain, in February 2010 (the date of the 33rd Match) • whether racing and other rules can be changed after the Notice of Race is issued
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