Bad habits

Paige Railey is suffering from a bout of bad habits. During her Scuttlebutt podcast last June, we discussed her propensity for gaining OCS scores. She has won a lot of events carrying an OCS as her drop, and lost a few because of it. Now, however, her bad habits have heightened, as she is collecting kinetic penalties like a toddler collects Easter eggs. Back in August, she was disqualified from the Laser Radial Women’s Worlds because of kinetics, and now again last week at the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta.

To back up slightly, you do not get disqualified from an event due to kinetics without some effort. The system gives you three chances. The first offense during an event earns you (720) penalty turns, and the second offense earns you a DSQ from the race. It is not until the third offense that you get shown the door. Complete disqualification from the event. Strike three… goodbye.

To be fair, Paige wasn’t the only boat racing last week breaking the kinetic rules. In all, there were handed amongst seven Olympic classes. Of those 77 penalties, eleven were in the Laser Radial class, with three earned by Paige - all of them for excessive rocking.

US Sailing Olympic High Performance Director Gary Bodie compares the three strike system to that of basketball, wherein a player who collects six fouls in the NBA is pulled from the game. Basketball players carrying fouls are forced to play more cautiously or risk fouling out. With this comparison, Paige failed to adjust her game, having earned her third foul in just race six of the thirteen race series. If she were playing basketball, she would have fouled out before half time*.

There were purportedly many observers and competitors who felt that Paige was crossing the line. But where is the line between acceptable and excessive amounts of artificial propulsion? Other competitors have sought out the counseling of umpires, and through one-on-one sessions, have learned where the line is with Rule 42. During his post-event debrief with Railey and her personal coach, Bodie believes that they will seek out similar help.

As the incumbent ISAF Female World Sailor of the Year, and the US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, the spotlight for her has never been brighter. However, her continued success as both a role model to young sailors, and as an Olympic contender, rests largely on how she deals with her bad habits, while not losing the aggressive style of sailing that has made her a top contender in the Laser Radial class. -- Craig Leweck

*(Jan 30 - 7:31 am PT) We have learned that are errors in the data on the event website from which this statistic was derived. Railey's third infraction was in fact during the 10th race.

Key West party pictures

Not all ideas are good, and I am wondering if we should have passed on the concept of encouraging folks to submit images from the 2007 Acura Key West regatta. The saying, “What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas” might apply to the week in KW, and sending Scuttlebutt photos of potentially damning events might hurt attendance next year.

I have already had one request to have an image removed from the gallery before his wife saw it. We did get some new pics sent last night, which we hope to post later today. However, if we don’t get another image submitted, I am thinking now that the gallery is a winner based on the image below. I left KW on Wednesday, and I believe this was taken on Friday… bummer! - Craig Leweck

Barometer reading

While Scuttlebutt World Headquarters sounds like a grand address, it all happens a short stroll from my bedroom. On my commute to work, the only landmark is the kitchen, which has a coffee pot programmed to brew at 4:00am (which is supposed to keep me in bed until then). Because I get going early, without my morning jog with the dog, there is a good chance that changing out of my pajamas would be among my decisions of the day (yes, I get dressed each day).

Last week I got of the house, changed the message on the office phone, and headed to Florida for Acura Key West Race Week. There is plenty that I can comment on from the trip, but one of the things that I took away from the trip is that the Scuttlebutt newsletter remains a highly relevant, highly respected media for those people that I met. Reassurance is always good, and the winds of support were blowing strong. I met up with prominent industry leaders, who all have made a commitment to supporting the publication. Sailors respect our credibility and fairness, and events like Premiere Racing appreciate the promotion we provide.

On Monday of this week, the Scuttlebutt newsletter did something that we rarely do. For the final wrap-up article for Acura Key West Race Week, we listed the top three in every class of the event, which amounted to a whopping third of our publication length. Seventeen classes, fifty-one podium finishers, all listed with boat type and homeport.

Why give one event so much play? Well, the event is a big deal, and with the glamour classes in our sport getting so much attention, we felt that everyone who did well deserved recognition. Plus, we felt that our readers would benefit from seeing where folks are traveling from, and what types of boats they are sailing. In the bar after racing, we are from many places, but we all share a love to sail. In that way, we are all the same, and hopefully we can keep it that way. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt

Anniversaries

Scuttlebutt turns 10 years in 2007, but we are far from alone this year in the anniversary category. After getting a few press releases on the subject from various industry giants, we began a list that grew beyond what would seem to reflect a typical year. We have moved the list to the Scuttlebutt Forum, which will provide a chance for additions from anyone who was slighted. As is, here is what we have:

Businesses
US Sailing - 110
ISAF - 100
Yachting Magazine - 100
B&G Instruments - 50
North Sails - 50
Harken Yacht Equipment - 40
New England Ropes - 40
Vanguard Sailboats - 40
Elliott/Pattison Sails - 35
J/Boats - 30
Doyle Sails - 25
Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing - 25
Stagg Yachts/Farr International - 25
Onne van der Wal Photography - 20
Annapolis Performance Sailing - 15
and... Scuttlebutt - 10

The list also includes milestone years for events, one-design classes, and even a few birthdays. Click here to take a look, and please add on to the list where it is needed.

Top Ten Sailing Blogs

We got into blogging in December 2005, not really having any idea what lied ahead. Soon we started looking around at how others handled their blog, which has helped us slowly figure out how to use ours. One of the best blogs we found is called Proper Course, where blogger Tillerman writes his posts in a way that speak to a broad audience. You don’t need to be in the blogger’s personal circle of friends to know what he is talking about, and this has allowed the Scuttlebutt newsletter to occasionally post Tillerman’s commentary.

As the Proper Course is viewed as a leader in the sailing blog world, Tillerman has taken on the task of encouraging other blogs to maintain high standards. Scuttleblog was particularly stoked when we found ourselves on the Proper Course’s annual list of Top Ten Sailing Blogs of 2006.

The Scuttlebutt newsletter is an immensely popular source of daily sailing news, and we are continually seeking out the very latest items of interest. We see the blog world as the underground media, and look forward to supporting those who use it responsibly.

Did the voters get it right?

Each year in January, a panel of yachting experts gather for conference call on who they feel is best deserving of the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. Each panelist has a list of sailors in front of them that had been refined from the nominees submitted by US Sailing members, wherein the short list of names are those that truly stood out during the previous calendar year.

With the announcement this week of Jud Smith and Paige Railey winning their respective awards, we beg the question, did the voters get it right? Hard to argue that Jud’s domination of the Etchells class on the world stage, and Paige’s conclusive win at the Olympic Games test event in China (and her winning of the ISAF Sailor of the Year award), were not worthy of the Rolex award. But what about the others?

The women’s award was a two-horse race between Paige and Anna Tunnicliffe. Since both are committed to the Laser Radial, comparing their head to head battles showed Paige beating Anna in five of their nine encounters (including her domination of the Olympic test event). Anna was more consistent than Paige through the year, but much of that was due to Paige’s problems at the Laser Radial Worlds with the on-the-water judges. When push came to shove, and with the shadow of Paige’s ISAF award looming, the wind was likely just strong enough on Paige’s side of the course .

The men’s contest was much more interesting, as there was significant diversity in how the top candidates arrived on the list. Jud’s accomplishments were primarily in one class, but he had been dominant on every level. How sailors fare on an international stage often sets the nominees apart, so it is easy to defend Howie Hamlin’s right to the title. His deuce at the 505 Worlds and win at the I-14 Worlds, along with his regular victories on the 18ft Skiff circuit, are heady accomplishments. Perhaps because Jud’s win was in a class with tighter class rules than the assortment of boats in Howie’s CV, or that the 505 and I-14 classes don’t have the same following as the Etchells in this continent, gave Smith the nod.

Arguably, the voters appear to have gotten it right, and both winners are great leaders on, and off the water. Scuttlebutt plans to capitalize on this theme in 2007, where we will take the short list from this year and create a sportsmanship award. Following the memorable words of Paul Elvstrom, “You haven't won the race, if in winning the race, you have lost the respect of your competitors.” Wouldn't it be great if the same male and female won both awards?

Leading outside of the results column

We sense this was a busy week at the US headquarters of the sport. For the past six months, the US Sailing Review Board had been dealing with the process of Brodie Cobb’s gross misconduct case, with the final decision of a two-year penalty now announced. Additionally, the results of the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards were finalized and published. A most serious offense decided, and the honor of the sport’s elite awarded, all in the same week. One theme struck us from these announcements: sportsmanship.

Obviously, Cobb had not succeeded in this department. What should be noted is that Cobb is a highly decorated sailor. A former All-American at Tulane University, he is a two-time winner of the US Sailing Singlehanded Championship (’84 & ’85), an America’s Cup effort organizer, a former US Olympic team campaigner, and just this year (after his Rule 69 incident), winner of his age division at the 2006 Laser Masters Worlds.

The Scuttlebutt poll in December on who the ‘buttheads thought should win the Rolex awards felt as much like a debate on sailing talent versus popularity. In the men’s category, winner Jud Smith and Greg Fisher proved to be supremely popular. On the women’s side, Anna Tunnicliffe was a run-away favorite. The involvement of these three sailors in active one-design classes as both sailors and instructors, along with Anna’s time in college sailing, likely led many supporters their way.

Sailing needs people to look up to. Top sailors - just as any top athlete in their sport - are thrust into the role model category. Perhaps some are not capable of dealing with this responsibility. Managing the requirements of competing at the top level, along with supporting the needs of the sailors around you, is not an easy task. However, for folks like Smith, Fisher, and Tunnicliffe, we should feel fortunate that they are leading our sport in more than just the results column. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt

Baby Steps

US Sailing made public the results of a recent Rule 69 hearing today, a case that had been simmering since last July, with the protested party (Brodie Cobb) receiving at two-year suspension. Scuttlebutt got involved early in this case, not because we had an ax to grind with the parties involved, but because we felt that cases like these deserved to be better publicized. We felt fortunate that we had attained information from the incident, and saw it as an opportunity to help improve communication of this area of the sport.

In the past, it was US Sailing’s desire to protect both the system for which cases like this are handled, and to help maintain the “innocent until proven guilty” standard for the parties involved. While good in principle, we believed that there was greater value in heightening the awareness for incidents of gross misconduct, so as to help prevent them for occurring again, and to communicate to the public that a potentially bad apple was among our midst.

When US Sailing handed out a six-month suspension for an incident in 2005, the hearing took six months. This latest hearing took slightly less time. Baby steps. Also, the 2005 case was the first time where details of the incident and subsequent hearing were made public, having been posted on the US Sailing website. However, this was done after the length of the penalty had been completed, with the details of this latest hearing being made public now, at the beginning of the suspension term. Baby steps. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt

Key West Convention

Celebrating its 20th year, Key West Race Week begins January 15, and seems to attract big fleets, fun boats, and enthusiasm. You can go to A to Z on this event. If you want great racing, you’ll find it. If you want good times, you’ll find it. If you want to check in with industry folks, you’ll find it. If you want to stand in the Mount Gay rum line amongst elite pro sailors, you’ll find it. This event has it all.

For twenty years, this event has flourished, despite being held at the most southern point of the country, and not the easiest place to get to. It is not cheap either, with travel, dockage, haul-out, and pricey housing adding up. But everything comes with a price, and with expert race management and all the other stuff listed above, plus the best sailing conditions likely found anywhere in the world in January, the event has hit enough of our hot buttons to deserve prime space on our vacation calendar.

Scuttlebutt will be attending the event, as it has proven to be a great chance to check in with the various entities that support us: advertisers, photographers, editors, and sailors. We will be collecting images from the sailing, and this year, we are also seeking party images to show off the on-land portion of the program. Our mantra this year will be “It’s not whether you win or lose… it’s whether you get your photo in Scuttlebutt.”

Depending on how the next week goes, I will either learn how to use my video camera or not. If I do, then I will try to send some clips to the ‘buttheads from the action. I might also bring along my digital voice recorder, and grab some sound bites from the racers. I do plan to bring along a sharpie pen and gather autographs for future Scuttlebutt giveaways. Hopefully folks like Brad Butterworth, Vince Brun, Ken Read, Bouwe Bekking, etc. will be cool about signing my Mount Gay rum cups. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt

Not on the list

When ESPN went about listing the top 60 most demanding sports, they identified 10 categories, or skills, that go into athleticism, and then assigned a number from 1 to 10 to the demands each sport makes of each of those 10 skills. By totaling and averaging their responses, they arrived at a degree-of-difficulty number for each sport on a 1 to 100 scale. That number places the difficulty of performing each sport in context with the other sports we rated. When the list was done, they found that Boxing (1) is the most demanding sport -- and that Fishing (60) is the least demanding sport. Where was sailing? It was not on the list.

Based on ESPN’s “panel of experts”, they found that the elements that comprise Golf (51), Archery (55), Curling (56), and Bowling (57) to be more demanding than sailing. Huh? Below are the categories that led to this result:

· Endurance: The ability to continue to perform a skill or action for long periods of time. Example: Lance Armstrong
· Strength: The ability to produce force. Example: NFL linebackers.
· Power: The ability to produce strength in the shortest possible time. Example: Barry Bonds.
· Speed: The ability to move quickly. Example: Marion Jones, Maurice Green.
· Agility: The ability to change direction quickly. Example: Derek Jeter, Mia Hamm.
· Flexibility: The ability to stretch the joints across a large range of motion. Example: Gymnasts, divers.
· Nerve: The ability to overcome fear. Example: High-board divers, race-car drivers, ski jumpers.
· Durability: The ability to withstand physical punishment over a long period of time. Example: NBA/NHL players.
· Hand-Eye Coordination: The ability to react quickly to sensory perception. Example: A hitter reacting to a breaking pitch; a drag racer timing acceleration to the green light.
· Analytic Aptitude: The ability to evaluate and react appropriately to strategic situations. Example: Joe Montana reading a defense; basketball point guard on a fast break.

Sailing does not deserve to be too highly ranked based on these categories. However, for all the sailors who competed in the Volvo Ocean Race, to all the skiff sailors, to pretty much everyone in between, sailing does deserve to be ranked higher than Billiards (59). -- ESPN list: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills#

We are baaaaaaack

In the history of Scuttlebutt, the publication of the newsletter rarely missed a day. Save for a holiday here or there, the ‘buttheads could always rely on getting their daily fill of “major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.”

However, last week we turned off the lights, deciding to spend the week with family and friends. The end of December is crazy for most everyone, and Scuttlebutt is no exception. It felt great to take a break from publishing, allowing us a chance to get caught up in many areas.

New Year’s Day is a holiday for most, but the Scuttlebutt team is back at work, plying through the countless email reports to piece together our first issue for 2007. So for those that have missed us, hang in there for a few more hours as we are baaaaaaaaaaaack.