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jonesing
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This dude needs a hug, ar at least some sunshine! Man, the look on his face says it all, doesn't it? Looks like dad has a lot of work to do in bailing out the Thistle! Thanks to anarchist Luke.
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vor
2010-03-04ambition The famous Irish writer, James Joyce once described Galway as “The graveyard of ambition”. His rationale was simple and drew heavily from life in Galway. For in Galway, you are never more than a 10 minute walk from anything - City Centre, University or its excellent pubs (on that note, Tí Neachtain on Quay st deserves a mention for its great Guinness). With such proximity, sadly comes complacency. To those of you unfamiliar (or as geographically inept as a Scotsman on the highlands) with the small Irish city on the Western Seaboard, she sits either side of the River Corrib where freshwater meets the saltwater of Galway Bay. Nestled close to the end of the Bay is this city, alive and bustling. It has strong connections with the sea, through fishing and the famous workhouse of the west- The Galway Hooker. Late May 2009, the Volvo Ocean Race visited the city, and the city erupted. Two weeks of excellent weather coupled with lively race village attracted close to 500,000 visitors. Now she holds her breath, will she get a visit off the race in 2012? With Lisbon and Lorient both named and with their proximity to each other and Galway, our chances of another visit are slim. Fingers are crossed in Galway and Ireland that the great race will return, all the while, the Irish trump card- the Green Dragon sits gathering dust, hoping for a new keel and a new lease of life. Buoyed from the success of the Stopover, the Galway Harbour Company is pushing hard for planning approval for the expansion of the Galway Harbour. This clip offers valuable insight into the ambition of the Company and their desire to see Galway Bay fill with boats and challenge the monotony of the Dún Laoghaire sailing scene. The Galway Harbour Company are wholly deserving of their planning permission, for their bravery in testing times allied to their ambition should see them succeed. A great example of championing such ambition was the development of Auckland Harbour after winning the America’s Cup and burdened with the task of defending it. The harbour was transformed into a hub of sailing and socialising-through marinas and bars/ restaurants being built on the waterfront. I am loath to quote politics, but it was one of Barack Obama’s advisors that stated “let’s not waste a good recession”. With that in mind, by pushing our boundaries and increasing our potential for export, Ireland may emerge from the recession with reason to be optimistic for the future. It is encouraging to see this nation make strides towards harvesting the bounty of the sea, as an island nation, she cannot afford to neglect her any longer. - Gilligan. |
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no shit
This piqued my interest enough for me to go read a little more about him on his web site and if you haven't read the whole story, You should go there now. I really wanted to do something to help him out but times are really tight and spare cash is an infrequent visitor to my household these days. I did have an ace in the hole in that I am a photographer and I knew that some good photos would make it a little easier to reach his goal. So I sent him a totally random, out of the blue email and offered my services. At the time, he was still in North Carolina getting the boat sorted but we agreed that when he made it back to the west coast we would work something out. Thus, I found myself driving north on I-5 to San Francisco last weekend, racing the tsunami up the coast (the tsunami won). On Sunday we set out into San Francisco Bay at the peak of high tide on a full moon. I was on a 1980's vintage 30 foot cruiser with Tony and Phil while Ronnie was sailing in his Mount Gay 30, Warrior's Wish, with his buddy Mark who was there to help since the battery on their boat was not holding a charge (BIG HINT) which meant the auto-pilot was not happy. We got out into the bay well ahead of them and were baffled when we couldn't see them behind us when we passed under the bay bridge. This was primarily a function of the fact that they were already over in the lee of Alcatraz waiting for us to plod over to them (Tony, Phil, reminder - clean bottom of boat ASAP).
A local Vietnamese joint served up some excellent pho, spring rolls, shrimp, etc. and the lot of us sat around and shot the breeze. Everything I read about him on the web had given me the broad outlines of who Ronnie is, but nothing gives me a better sense of who a person really is than sitting around a table with some hot food and cold beer. We talked about family, sailing, the recent America's Cup, San Diego, and a whole slew of other topics and by the end of the evening I was even happier that I had been able to contribute, in how ever small a way, to this kid (sorry Ronnie, but I'm almost old enough to be your father) being able to follow his dream. If you haven't been following Ronnie's story here, I'd suggest going back and checking out his blog and the stories on SA. I can guarantee you that you'll want to help him out and I can tell you for sure that if you met him in person, you'd want to help even more. Did I mention that he needs a new battery? Just checking. Also, if you are interested in learning more about the great non-profit organization that Ronnie is working with and how you can help make a difference in the lives of other wounded Veterans, please visit www.HopefortheWarriors.org. More than 90 cents of every dollar donated goes directly towards helping combat-wounded Veterans and their families. - Ed. Peter Howson |
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community
2010-03-04torched Well this just sucks. Arson is suspected and let's hope they catch 'em. As you may know, am a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire. We have/had a club team here that has been doing fairly well in NEISA over the past few years. I just received word that someone burned out boathouse to the foundations either last night or early this morning. The boathouse had all 18 of our FJs, 10 Lasers, countless sails, equipment, etc. Without any of this our team ceases to be able to practice, and probably ceases to exist. We need the help of the sailing community to rebuild and recover from this disaster. Fire was discovered around 4:30 this afternoon. After talking to the officers on the team it seems that insurance will probably come up pretty short on covering, but we don't want to go through with anything until after we find out the results of the investigation. Arson is my first thought, and is the present thought on everyone's mind, but nothing is official yet and the police still have to weigh in. More importantly this boathouse serves as the community sailing center for the local kids so they are out of a place to sail this summer as well. However, after all is done,we will need to replace 55 boats, motors, foils, spars, sails, equipment, etc, so that's when we'll need help sourcing all those things. I know that's often where this community can be so great. I will keep you updated on our status and you can join the thread I started. - Anarchist celphtaught. |
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the biz
2010-03-04you did what? Starting a boat building company in this economy takes balls and these guys have 'em...
Carbon Ocean Yachts offers a US based composites builder who combines all the aspects of a world class carbon yacht. Whether a high end cruiser/racer complete with ultra-light-weight aerospace grade furniture, elegant interior solutions, carbon rigging, and custom deck hardware systems or a stripped out racing yacht, Carbon Ocean Yachts is the competitive solution. The Carbon Ocean Yachts’ experience will be a sailing ready, turnkey yacht as specified by the client and designer. With race boat methods of composites building in house, owners looking for performance in the cruising setting can expect these same weight savings. Whether the client requires modern or classic interior styling, Carbon Ocean Yachts will accommodate with the same technologies, namely cored veneered panels. Carbon Ocean Yachts sees the need for a fresh approach to business:
The core of the team consists of David Lake, Britt Colombo, Toby Mueller, Lew Davies, and Mike Danks. Collectively, their skills, accrued through years in the industry, offer a complete building solution with unparalleled quality. Members of the team have been involved with building high profile racing yachts and cruiser/racers including the Deed of Gift multis, AC version V, Volvo 70s, Open 60s, TP 52s, custom racer/cruisers, custom IRC and entire optimization projects. |
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other media
2010-03-04ambitious Despite what you may think, not everyone else in our business hates us. Most, yes, but not everyone. Carl Cramer from Wooden Boat Magazine is on our short list and he has a project we thought you'd find interesting.
That first year, an astounding number of 60 families built their own boats in a matter of two-and-a-half days. The majority of the kits were Bevin's Skiffs, from Alexandria Seaport Foundation. A dozen or so built Karl Stambaugh's stitch-and-glue Weekend Dinghy, and three groups built Opti kits that were then being produced. (One of the Optis – and its skipper – went to the Nationals a few years later, and both acquitted themselves well.) Over the years since, many many groups around the world have adopted the loose framework of Family BoatBuilding to produce their own events, and that has been fantastic. Some of the groups choose the tried-and-true Bevin's Skiff; many others use indigenous or other designs. The format typically follows this: producers provide a kit, materials, and instruction. Two-and-a-half days later, all the families launch their boats. After some requisite time learning to row or paddle, and fixing one or two small leaks, the boats come out of the water, up on to the top of cars, and are driven home – where, we like to think, those beginning families continue to be boaters for life. This year at the WoodenBoat Show, we're trying something different. Rather than “produce” Family BoatBuilding, we are inviting wooden kit builders the opportunity to help families build THEIR kits, at no charge (to the producers). Our goal: a dozen or so kit builders or their agents, and a dozen or so families or groups building those kits. We're not going for a record; we are going for an unmatched experience in bringing new people to boatbuilding, and to the experience of boating. We are calling this the Motherlode of Family BoatBuilding. Is there room for Anarchists in this gathering? Absolutely. If you, or someone you know, is a wooden kit producer who would like to avail themselves of this opportunity, please contact me. And, for families interested: We'll likely have all our producers in place by the end of April, so families will be able to pick and choose the boats they want to build. Maybe we can have some live streaming in place for SA – so, even if you can't be at Mystic Seaport (CT), June 25-27, you will be able to enjoy some of the flying sawdust and real accomplishments of these first-time builders. And isn't that what it's all about? |
We embarked on an ambitious program in 1998 at the WoodenBoat Show, then held for the first time in St. Michaels, MD. We had a nice adjacent piece of land, outside the show grounds, that was begging for use. Thus was
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lost
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ac
2010-03-03cheese with whine SNG Vice Commodore Fred Meyer has issued an “Open letter”, below, regarding the “launching” of Race two of the 33rd America’s Cup. Mostly it says the waves were too high (too high for what?) and there were a lot of spectator boats in the way, so Alinghi couldn’t really get a good start. Oh, and load alarms were going off on both boats. They were going to run out of daylight. They sky was falling too. So, the three members of the SNG Race Committee expressed their opinion to Harold Bennett and went below and pouted. What isn’t said is how the SNG Race Committee came to these conclusions. Was there a phone call from Alinghi to the SNG Race Committee boat saying that they didn’t want to race? Harold Bennett doesn’t need to file a report now with ISAF. SNG Vice Commodore Fred Meyer did that for him. Now, is ISAF President Petersson going to actually have something to say about this? Or is the behavior of SNG’s Race Committee on the world stage no big deal to the sport? We know you have an opinion on this... Open letter from Société Nautique de Genève vice commodore Following recent declarations in the media by Harold Bennett, the Principal Race Officer (PRO) for the 33rd America’s Cup Match, we feel obliged to clarify the situation on board the Race Committee boat before the start of Race 2. SNG as Organising Authority appointed Fred Meyer, Nicolas Grange and Marcel Beauverd to be the Race Committee for the 33rd America’s Cup. Harold Bennett was appointed by ISAF – in agreement with SNG – as PRO. As such, he became the fourth member of the Race Committee. Under ISAF racing rules of sailing (RRS), the Race Committee conducts the race and makes all decisions relating to it, such as designating the course to be sailed, setting the start line, starting or abandoning the race. The PRO has no specific prerogative and has to operate the race as decided by the Race Committee. On Sunday 14 February, the wind for most of the day was shifty and uncertain. The sea state was not good as the waves to the North were still above 1m. At 16:00, the wind was gradually establishing from the East but was also dying out and the sea state was still not satisfactory. At this moment, spectator boats were still in the middle of the start area and there was clearly not enough time to clear the area and launch the race in good conditions. There was a risk of finishing the race after sunset. The three SNG Race Committee members expressed their opinion to Harold Bennett explaining that the race should not be launched for the following reasons: • The starting area was not clear of spectator boats • The sea state was improper (the waves were too high) • The certainty of racing during day light hours (the last possible warning signal as per the Notice of Race was 16:30) was being jeopardised putting at risk the security of the race yachts and spectator boats. Acting against the opinion of the Race Committee, Harold Bennett unilaterally launched the race. Rather than enforcing the Race Committee decision by physical means, the SNG Race Committee members decided to withdraw and wait below decks. Launching the race in improper conditions resulted in (i) Alinghi being penalised before the start because it was disturbed by spectator vessels while making its way toward the starting line (ii) the Race Committee boat starboard lay line being impracticable for both racing yachts because of the presence of spectator vessels on the lay line and (iii) high load alarms on both boats sounding continuously during the first leg on starboard because of the sea state. Fortunately no accidents occurred that day and neither of the boats was damaged. The three SNG Race Committee members however maintain that it was unreasonable, unnecessary and improper to launch the race at that moment. From a rules point of view, it is not even clear whether there was truly a race or not on that day. Fred Meyer |
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community
2010-03-03reaching out
Challenged America – You Know Us, Don’t You? Lost a leg in Iraq and are looking for a new sport? Let us get you on a crew spot on an AC Boat. This is from the 2009 Veterans Summer Sports Clinic. Photo by VA. We even take middle school kids out on the water for the first time. Creative Performing Arts Middle School. But who are we really? Challenged America’s parent foundation is the Disabled Businesspersons Association based in San Diego. The foundations purpose is assisting enterprising individuals with disabilities maximize their potential in the business world, and work with vocational rehabilitation, government and business to encourage the participation and enhance the performance of the disabled in the workforce. Typically our participants are given training in today’s business strategies whereby they can start their own business, become consultants or be hired by an employer. Many of our recent participants are recently injured veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. This training is critical for these veterans to reenter the workforce and pursue a life of fulfillment. Challenged America itself is the therapeutic sports branch of the foundation. As we all know it’s a given that we feel better about life when participating in a sporting activity we love and so do our participants. When our participants sail they recover faster, their psyche is improved and who doesn’t love being on the water? In 1978 two disabled veterans in wheelchairs were at San Diego’s Mission Bay watching others sail and said: “That looks like fun…and all of them are sitting too. Now, that’s something we should be able to do.” Unable to find a sailing program or school able to accommodate their needs and desire to sail a boat themselves they purchased a Cal 20 sailboat. They invited others with and without disabilities to learn how to sail with them. This was the origin of what we know as Challenged America. Today, Challenged America attracts the disabled and their loved ones, professionals in sports therapy and recreational rehabilitation, sailing instructors, yacht designers, educators, researchers, innovators, engineers and adaptive technology developers from around the world to San Diego to participate or observe the Challenged America program. Hundreds visit and sail with Challenged America each year.
Here’s what Paul Cayard has to say when he was keynote speaker at our recent West Marine / Challenged America Regatta: " I was honored to be the guest speaker at Friday night's first annual Challenged America Gala dinner sponsored by West Marine. Honored because the mountains I have climbed in sailing are molehills in comparison to what these disabled sailors do!" President and co-founder of Challenged America Urban Miyares is a Vietnam Vet who lost his eyesight to Agent Orange. He was bowman when Challenged America fielded an entry in both the 2003 and 2005 TransPac!! The foundation actively operates ten specially equipped Martin 16's out of Shelter Island in San Diego. Last year they had 1,000 disabled people out sailing. Disabled people who go sailing often say that it is the most therapeutic activity they do. Challenged America also supports research to develop the mechanism that allows the boats to be sailed by disabled sailors. They have a member who can only use his tongue and lips, and he has sailed solo!! The stories are fascinating and a true testimony to the human spirit, as well as the will to overcome. I was in awe of these people and just honored to be in their company. Kudos to West Marine for supporting this very worthy cause and all those individuals who have done so much to build Challenged America over the past 31 years. Over the years the work of Challenged America has touched the lives of many people from all walks of life. Recently Challenged America had the distinct honor to host the sailing venue for the Veterans Summer Sports Clinic where recently disabled veterans come from all over the country to participate in five separate venues during the week. Challenged America worked with the Marriott Hotel and Marina which will be providing the venue for the next five years. Video here. So why are we telling you about ourselves? Well, we need your help Anarchists. You as a group are one of the most powerful and influential in the sailing community! Recently I remember reading a forum thread where a disabled sailor was traveling in his car towing his boat up the East Coast in the middle of the night when his trailer broke. Within 2 hours he was rescued, trailer taken to a repair shop and he was put up for the night, all through the efforts of the SA team. You can move mountains and get it done. Challenged America serves participants from all over the world and we need help from you, the worldwide team Sailing Anarchy. Were asking you Team SA, sailors from around the world to step up to the plate and keep Challenged America serving the people that need our services so much. With charitable donations down dramatically in this economy Challenged America is in financial need. However at Challenged America as you can imagine no one is a quitter. We have implemented a business plan to open a Used and Surplus Boating Gear and Equipment Outlet in San Diego and we need your donations to fuel the great work that our volunteers do. We need sailors from every boat, every club, every lake, and every ocean around the world to help us in our endeavor to assist our participants. We need your donations of:
These donations will keep Challenged America alive and healthy and serving our participants and your participation is simple. If you have any of the items we are in search of let us know. Call or e-mail today, Challenged America is a registered 501.C.3 non profit charitable organization and your donations may be tax deductible. Call today to keep sailing alive and accessible for everyone. Sail Fast, Dave Hopkins |
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clean report
2010-03-03long haul
With the proud US Air Force (Bora, Dalton, Lindsay, George, and Funky) sporting their fighter jet battle stars and major challenges expected from the Aussies and Pommies, there's plenty of drama in store in the warm, moderate breeze off the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. And with three girls entered in this big event, we're sure to have the first Sailor Chick of the Week in a while, and learn a thing or two about how accessible the moth is. The stars are there, the weather is just right, and thanks to Puma, CST Composites, and the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, the whole OTWA team will make it nearly as fun for you as it is for us. So keep an eye on the front page tomorrow, and get ready for some ultra-high speed desert racing. |
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baby steps You have all undoubtedly noticed that the world-famous SA forums have recently gotten a facelift after some 7 years of very little change. There have unsurprisingly been a few glitches and there are of course plenty of people who hate it, but we are confident that when the whole thing is complete, the look and much increased functionality will win most of you over. The new forums should be significantly quicker than the old, while the interface for viewing and downloading topic attachments and for editing posts has gotten more powerful and useful. You can now upload multiple attachments to each posts with one click (great for getting some regatta photos or weather analysis images up), and the photo gallery is easier to use and can be integrated with your SA profile much more easily. One thing that may prove popular is the new blog section of the board - already Mr. Clean has tested it out with some inane crap in his new "Media Matters" blog, and while the Anarchists may or may not go for it, at least the free option is there for sailors, teams, clubs, classes, and whoever else wants an easy to deal with blog hosted right here on SA. There are new tools to keep tabs on what's happening in the world of sailing as well - you can use RSS feeds from individual forum threads and from specific forums, and the new boards are integrated with Facebook as well, though we can't for the life of us figure out how just yet. Feel free to tell us what you think about it, but if you piss and moan, prepare to be ignored. |
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pimpin'
2010-03-03lighter, faster
Schuchter Sportboats of Switzerland, the manufacturers of the Esse boat line which includes the Esse 850 and the Esse 990, are introducing the Esse 990R. This new model builds on the successful hull design by Felci Yacht Design for the Esse 990 daysailer and takes the design to a new, higher level of performance. The Esse 990 is an expression of style, performance and build excellence that one magazine editor called a "Robb Report® centerfold." The Esse 990R is a lighter and faster version intended for Grand Prix racing. The Esse 990R shares the hull design of the Esse 990 but has the hull, deck, mast, boom and gennaker boom all manufactured in carbon fiber. The weight saved by removing the teak decks and changing from the epoxy/e-glass closed cell foam laminate hull and deck construction of the Esse 990 to a carbon fiber/closed cell foam laminate in the Esse 990R have been moved into the keel bulb for increased stability, righting moment and higher upwind boat speeds. Tons more info here. |
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pole lancer
And this picture was taken in Port Olona… known for hosting the Vendée Globe fleet. Thanks to anarchist Andraž |
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what it is
One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday afternoon is Rescue RIB driving which involves laying marks and keeping an eye on the kids big and small as they compete in their races. It was a brisk day off Sandringham yesterday with a fresh 20 knot sou’wester blowing and a 2- 2.5 metre sea running which provided for interesting sailing. Some of the kids sailing in those conditions were as young as 7 and they all toughed it out and completed their events, some a little damper than others but all with big smiles. Driving the RIB allows me to get up close to the action and I snapped off a whole lot of shots yesterday. I have attached a small selection for your interest. Forget the B/S we just saw in Valencia, this is what sailing is really all about! |
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ac opining
2010-03-02no multis? A different and unattributed commentary on the AC. We give you it all, don't we? Plenty of water has passed under the bridge since the 33rd America’s Cup was decided and since plenty of people have chipped in and given their (unasked) opinion on the future of the America’s Cup. Funnily enough no-one has bothered to ask me for my opinion on the matter and I wouldn’t have bothered: too much politics and I don’t have a say in the matter (yet). However being involved in the sailing industry automatically involves you in all this and perhaps it even allows me to help people form their opinion on the direction of the AC. So with the title suggesting I might be ranting on about my opinion on the matter I hope to actually present a number of points that explains why multihulls (assuming a basic, considerable size of at least 60ft LOA) are not the right tool for the job without getting into the politics surrounding a proper America’s Cup campaign. Before you, the reader, start labeling me as conservative or pro-lead mine, I think that it is inexplicable that ISAF dropped the multi from the Olympics (and with that from development fleets within national bodies). However I do think that the America’s Cup has never been about the outright fastest craft but about technological advances. And as in one of the cocktail hour interviews from the OTWA-team became clear, many of the insiders agree with me that the real advances for the sport will have been made in all the stuff done in the engineering departments and not really in sail systems or other visible technologies (even the hard sail was much like the ’88-rig in technology terms). But I am losing track here. Multihulls are not viable for a multi-challenger America’s Cup for one simple reason: Space. Space is a commodity second in value only to time in any well organised project. For a multi-challenger event one must assume that two boats are required (the cost of a boat is negligible compared to logistics, personnel, sails, research, etcetera) to be competitive. Two multihulls will require considerable more dock space (you can probably park 4-6 monohulls side-by-side in the space of a same LOA multihull), then there is the required space for lifting and manoeuvrability, the shed space, etcetera). All of a sudden a single base has to be some 4-6 times wider to get a comparable set-up to what teams are used to in order to develop a viable challenge. I am not even going to discuss the introduction of solid sails as that would be a plain stupid idea, just look at the space (and manning) requirements for a single hard sail rigged boat and then multiply that by 6, 8 or even more. So the multihull is unviable for the America’s Cup and not because they are not good match racing boats (that argument is void because we are not discussing match racing but the America’s Cup), or because they are slow to tack (it is just that the speed difference between going through the tack and up to speed is so much greater than on the old-style monohulls that you can’t lee-bow easily), or even because the blue-blazered aristocracy is against them. What route do we have to go down then? Without going too opinionated, the history must be respected (all-weather, friendly competition, emphasis on sailing and design) and the most important thing of all is that we are discussing the America’s Cup (and accompanying selection series). It is not another regatta, it is not the pinnacle of match racing it is not primarily there to make the sponsors happy; The America’s Cup is an event like no-other, with rules set in the nineteenth century but still as relevant today as they were then and when that is realised I think the event will be the better for it. If I am to share my opinion on anything, it must be on the ‘Deed of Gift’ and all those calling for amendments to it. Having read it a couple of times and looked back at history I am amazed at how valid it is today, possibly even more so than 150-something years ago. The Deed presents some guidelines to allow a challenger and defender to organise a race or series in whichever way they see fit if they can agree on the terms but if both parties are too stubborn it threatens with painfully impossible matches and rules. It almost forces both parties to behave like gentlemen and only when one or both parties are incredibly childish and incapable of acknowledging they are smaller than the event sets the terms and conditions. Personally I’m looking forward to joining the 2012 J-Class regattas in the Solent. |
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on course?
What is the future of this discipline? I would make the argument that kite course racing has one of best chances of becoming an Olympic Sport for the following reasons,
Get out there! - anarchist Patrick Rynne |
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onboard
2010-03-02record run? The big tri Groupama is on a record attempt for the Jules Verne that is really getting interesting. 8,556 mile to go and the weather is really nasty.. Navigator Stan Honey posts this update in our forum... The grib data is pretty good for 4 days or so, and broadly useful out to 6 days. Use mostly GFS and ECMWF/CEP. Now tangling with the low that we have been worried about for several days. The timing of the low is not great for us, forcing us to sail extra miles. Better if it slowed down a bit. Zonal flow makes these systems faster than ideal for us. Follow along.. |
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local knowledge
2010-03-02come original
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environment
2010-03-02what are you doing? From our friends at Sailors for the Sea. Pay attention. Sailors have a deep appreciation for the ocean and a growing awareness of the severe problems facing the ocean. David Rockefeller, Jr., founder, and Dan Pingaro, CEO, of Sailors for the Sea, the only ocean conservation nonprofit focused on the sailing and boating community, invite sailors to support ocean conservation by becoming a Sailors for the Sea Ocean Guardian. This new funding effort recognizes significant philanthropic investors who support ocean conservation and have a passion for sailing. A life long sailor, David was troubled by the fact that sailors had not organized and taken action for the ocean like surfers and anglers. After working on the Pew Ocean Commission, he founded Sailors for the Sea in 2004 in an effort to bring sailors together to address ocean conservation issues. Ocean Guardian support will strengthen Sailors for the Sea and its ability to continue programs like Clean Regattas, Around the Americans, A Sea Change, Ocean Watch Essays, and Certified Sea Friendly. Sailors for the Sea works with the cruising and yacht racing communities, marine trade industry, and public to increase the level of protection and restoration of oceans and coastal waters. The organization leverages every dollar of support by collaborating with nonprofits, local governments and business through unique programs, bold special projects, and education that directly addresses the issues – ocean acidification, coral reef bleaching, polar ice melt, overfishing, pollution, etc. – threatening oceans worldwide. Many of these issues have served as the central theme for the organization’s Ocean Watch Essay program. Latest Ocean Watch Essay focused on the dangers of bioaccumulation. The most recently published essay – “Bioaccumulation – Are We Poisoning Ourselves? Can We Reverse Course?” – takes a hard look at the process by which contaminants (mercury, arsenic, PCBs, etc.) concentrate and magnify to affect the entire world ecosystems from oceans to humans. While it is unclear if this trend can be reversed, the essay identifies key sources for the toxic pollutants, like plastic debris, centuries of industrial waste dumping, improperly dumped hazardous waste and chemical-based pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, anti-depressants, hormones, etc.) excreted into the waste stream, overuse of pesticides and herbicides, etc., and provides suggested ways to slow its course. A record number of yacht clubs and regatta organizers commit to ocean preservation and protection standards. The 2010 Clean Regattas season is underway! The first official, certified regattas will be the BVI Kite Jam, and St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Last year over 40 events and 25,000 individuals participated in the Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta program – the 2009 Sailing Anarchy Sportboat World Championship of the World became a certified Clean Regatta. The goal for 2010? Double that number! The organization has added new resources to help regattas reduce their impact. Keep checking cleanregattas.org for constant updates. Consider joining the Clean Regattas – participation is free, easy, and makes a difference for the environment. Register online now, or email chris@sailorsforthesea.org for more information. Make sure to ask your commodore, sailing director or regatta chair if they are doing Clean Regattas |
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big pimpin'
2010-03-0240' option
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waiting for the thaw
Mark Capern |
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race report
2010-03-01holy
Here are some of the details as I've heard them: Saturday - cloudy and breezy - winds building from 15 - 20, with good chop on the Biscayne Bay. In Race 2, Scott Piper, skipper of 1372 "Pipe Dream" who's been sailing Etchells in Biscayne Bay for more than a decade, rounded the top mark in 8th and was just turning down at the offset when they collided with a port tack boat, Ehrhart, with Rodney Hagebols in the middle, sailing 1355, "Lucky." They hit bow to bow and with so much force in both sails, they just kept pushing into each other, rather than going into the usual collision dance circle. The bowman on 1355 (no one from that boat has responded to my queries for more info) went to the bow to try to push Pipe Dream out of their boat, but was bounced into the drink instead. He was momentarily stuck between the two heavy boats but was able to scramble back onto his ride with a few scratches. In the room, it was ruled a port / starboard. Seems simple, but it took the protest committee an hour to be sure, and that's even when no one from the port tack boat showed up for the hearing.
The race came down to a slightly faster pace downwind on a long starboard gybe, and Tony eked Billy out at the end. They had their next matchup in Race 4 in about 15 knots of breeze on a clear sunny day. This time Bill was able to out gybe Tony, in a fantastic gybing duel and take 1st. At the outset of Race 5, Hardesty had a fighting chance of taking the weekend if he won race 5 (Rey with a 7, 1, 1, 2,: Hardesty with a -34, 2, 7, 1). Tony said they had to stay with the leaders at the start and went left, but the wind went right. By the top mark, they knew Billy was deep in the fleet and thus elected to sail home, taking the last race as their drop. Bill said he went left when the wind went right, and then went right when the wind went left. You gotta hate that. Worse, at the finish, he didn't leave quite enough room for another finisher and was rewarded with a 1' x 6" hole in his stern. With a deep finish, Hardesty gave the victor the spoils: Tony Rey and team went home with the pickle dishes. I imagine Hardesty is looking forward to matching up against Chris Busch in the races leading up to the NAs in San Diego this June. Good Times. Paige Brooks |
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le roi de la mer
Franck Cammas has seemingly done it all, and dominated much of it. From sportboats to ORMA 60s to the Jules Verne to the America's Cup, Cammas obviously has the skill, the leadership abilities, the corporate contacts, and the drive to make shit happen, and it seems to all be happening right now. Cammas had an integral part in BMW/Oracle's training and eventual victory over Alinghi last month. His iShares team last year was on the podium for 2009 and until recently, was scheduled for the 2010 season. And at the moment, he's hurtling 'round the world with nearly a day's lead over Bruno Peyron's incredible record on Orange 2, looking damned good as the next owner of the Jules Verne Trophy. But his recent accomplishments are not the most interesting thing about Cammas. No, what excites us are the next couple of years of life in Cammas land. First, there's the Groupama Volvo bid. They've already bought the ultra-quick Ericsson 4, one of a few boats that gets a solid stability advantage over all new builds due to new bulb weight rules. And Cammas has retained Juan K to build their new boat, and while Juan may draw a lot of whacked out boats, his record in the VOR is hard to argue with. With a Lorient, France (Cammas' team HQ) stopover expected to be announced this week, Groupama's involvement in the Volvo is going to be a massive draw for French sailing fans, and Cammas might just get this legendary race out of Nordic hands and into Latin ones. And then there's Peyron's recent announcement of a new edition of "The Race," something that is already exciting guys who own, or have access to, a G-Class multihull - and one of the nicest and newest is Groupama 3. Assuming Peyron can get his shit together, an 8+ boat fleet for what is certainly the most extreme race on the planet will surely get Cammas on the line. Finally, Ellison and Coutts have been saying the kinds of things multihullers could only dream of 3 years ago - that a couple of races in Valencia truly opened their eyes to the possibilities of a multihull AC. And of course if a multi-challenger, multihull America's Cup in 70-odd foot trimarans becomes a reality, would anyone want to bet against the guy who, in his twenties, dominated the ORMA 60 Class so completely that it folded forever? We wouldn't. Photo courtesy Yvan ZEDDA/Groupama-Cammas.com |
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local knowledge
2010-03-01up & down Day 1: President's Cup Long Distance Race The wind started out of the West and built up to 15 knots as the classes started fro the upwind buoy. Spinnakers were set as the fleet headed down to the second buoy near old Vallarta and then back to the windward buoy with a finish in front of the Vera Cruz YC. The normal wind build did not come blasting into the bay, the cloud cover moved in and kept the winds under 12-14 knots the rest of the day. It looked like it might be windier at the start! There was a little too much wind for the RP-42 "Quintessence" who lost their mast when a shroud turnbuckle broke and completely lost the mast, rigging and sails over the side. It was very sudden, very loud and very unexpected. The crew were safe and received excellent help from Ian Trotter who came down from San Diego to help with the race committee this week and race his J-24 next week and the Mexican Marines, thank you! The first boat to finish was the RP-77 "Akela" who finished far enough ahead of the other Class "A" boats to also finish first on corrected time. The Farr 40 "Flojito" from Acapulco narrowly edged out the Farr 46 "Wasabi" also from Acapulco. In Class "C" the Melges 32 "Mojo" from Texas showed incredible downwind speed to beat "Bandido". As expected in Class "D" the Peterson 40 "Piet Hein" won her class with the newly re-furbished NM-41 "Shamadi" finished 2nd in her maiden race with all new Ullman Sails! Way to go! As a special treat we talked to CYA Commodore Jorge Ripstein who sailed with his long time friend and tactician Dave Ullman, founder of Ullman Sails. Jorge and Dave have raced several MEXORC's together and are racing the Farr 46 "Wasabi" again. Day 1 video and interview Muchas Gracias por velear con Ullman Sails, |
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sex sells
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