Hard drive crash

Last week was the flu, and this week has been the dead hard drive. Our back-ups saved the files, but we lost a lot of time loading all the programs and updates again, along with spending some cash on upgrades. Odds are we could have done a better job preparing for this nightmare, and the ‘buttheads have offered a few suggestions to consider:

* From Larry Parrotta: Why not give some consideration to a RAID 1 array, disk mirroring. At least when a hard drive takes a dump, there's a second one with the info on it and the ability to re-create the array in a matter of minutes.

* From Jack Attridge: Scuttlebutt’s hard drive crash compels me to share my favorite tech tools with you…. 3 of 4 can help you in this situation. The first is online back-up through Carbonite.com. $50 per year for unlimited storage. Your data can avoid any disasters in your home and your data is safe. Crashed computer? Reload your new one with your data. Easy access to all of your files online as it constantly backs-up. Keep it clean with regular cleaning with Adaware.com and Spybot.com (both free). Finally, I love Logmein.com (free) as it allows me to have an account which lists all of my computers and allows me to work on any computer from any computer, transfer files and print or stream from any pc with their pro product. Having a home office computer, 2 at work, 2 more in the house, I can access files from any at anytime. It is also helpful when someone has a computer problem at home or someone needs help with homework.

* From David Shulman: Western Digital makes a 240GB harddrive that this powered by the USB port and is SO portable that you can put it in your pocket and literally take your "computer" along with you. It also (of course) can do incremental backups. I've got 2, one for the Mac which can use Macs built in Time Machine, and one for the PC which I use as described. I got them both at Costco for about $140 each.

Key West Photos

No other regatta during the year draws the top sailing photographers like Key West Race Week, and it likely for the same reasons why the event is popular with the sailors. For shooters, it’s hard to beat great lighting, wind-whipped action, azure seas, and leading edge competition.

The weather during the week of the 2008 event was less than ideal for the photogs, but we still sifted through a load of images to produce our annual event gallery (click here to view). My annual gripe is that there aren’t too many photoboats that drift down to the Division 4 course (Corsair 28R, PHRF-3, PHRF-4, PHRF-5, PHRF-6), so please accept my apologies in advance for this annual omission.

Judging the best

It was an honor to be one of the judges to select the honorees for the 2007 US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. In my view, there were no single stand-out performances, but rather many high level accomplishments that could have arguably won the awards. Don’t have the time this year to make the cross-country flight to applaud the winners, but hopefully will get the chance in the future. Easily worth the blue blazer dry cleaning bill.

Future gadgets

On an offwind leg, you are approaching the leeward mark, but a competing boat is closing the distance from behind, and tracking a path that would take it in between your position and the mark. You reach the two-boat length circle and hail “No Room,” but your competitor vehemently disagrees. Moments later they are rounding the mark inside of you, and the air is littered with nasty dialogue.

There is a protest protocol to deal with the ins-and-outs of this situation, but Mike Reifer believes there is a cleaner solution to this common occurrence. For the past 5 years, Reifer has been brainstorming a project to provide precise information regarding the proximity of a boat to a rounding buoy for the purpose of accurately defining the two-boat length zone and fairly applying RRS 18.

An engineer by profession, Reifer has developed a fully functional prototype that consists of two components: a transmitter that would be attached to a rounding buoy, and a receiver mounted on a competing boat. Essentially, the device provides the distance from the buoy to the boat on an LCD readout. Exceedingly accurate and tested thus far to a distance of 225 feet, Reifer plans to soon integrate an enunciator light and/or audible signal that would be set to activate at a preset value (ie, two of the boat's lengths).

Initial applications could be in umpire format events such as match or team racing to assist in penalty calls, but with the advent of how tracking transmitters were used in 2007 for events such as the Sonar Worlds, J/105 North Americans, and this week at the Acura Key West to use for replaying races, perhaps an all-in-one device that handles all these needs (how about position on the start line?) might not be too far off in the future. -- For additional details on Reifer’s device: http://roab.com/index.html

Into their music

The Caribbean racing circuit is growing in popularity, with a bunch of events held this time of year for the sailors that want to tap into the charter fleets or bring their boats. Among these events is the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, which does a dandy job of producing fun videos to promote their event. They also seem to be into music, and in the world of yachting, they are the first event to ever send to Scuttlebutt a press release regarding their entertainment line-up. Read on:


The Caribbean’s Queen of Soca Alison Hinds to perform at the 28th St Maarten Heineken Regatta
St. Maarten, N.A. (January 16, 2008)

Hailing from the tropical island of Barbados, and crowned the undisputed “Queen of Soca” by fans worldwide, the British born Alison Hinds is set to release her power and passion on Marigot, St. Martin, Saturday March 8, 2008 during the 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

The intoxicating musical movement known as SOCA (popular dance music of the SOuthern CAribbean) is rapidly gaining popularity among music lovers around the globe. It is a sexy and uplifting music known for its infectious rhythms and spirited spicy lyrics that inspires jubilant audience participation albeit with waving hands and flags to swaying hips, all in a ritualistic celebration that exemplifies life today in the Caribbean. Alison Hinds is poised to become a major force in the eruption of innovative urban-influenced Caribbean-based artists such as fellow-Bajan popstar Rihanna, Sean Paul, and Shaggy, who are changing the face of music worldwide. -- More

Keel yacht

For the America’s Cup faithful, with waves of disappointment crashing over the bow, a light hearted moment can help to ease the pain of time. This comes, unsolicited, from Bi Bof:

Ahead of the Supreme Court's decision to be released on January 14 and following the typo "keel Yacht" in their challenge filed in July 2007, Oracle will be forced by the New York judge to race with a 90 x 90 feet "keel Yacht"

As Oracle's got unlimited budget, they already secretly launched a first boat (see photo) and sources are reporting that they are expected to launch their second one within the next few days to begin their long testing campaign.

Note that this "keel yacht" is still not quite as wide as described in their Notice of Challenge to make it ‘valid’.... but it is getting closer. It is not known if Russell Coutts was on board for the maiden voyage of Oracle's latest weapon.

'Butthead benefit

Strictly Sail Chicago, the largest indoor sailboat show in the country, will be held January 31 – February 3, 2008 at Navy Pier. Scuttlebutt has discount tickets to help attend the four-day event to see the latest sailboats and sailing accessories on the market.

There is a daily pass discount, and a discount on the Strictly Sail Yacht Club Membership

Membership Includes:
* One (4) day pass to the show.
* Private entrance to the show with no lines.
* Exclusive private access to the SSYC.
* Comfortable lounge area.
* Daily happy hour (cash bar) with entertainment and snacks.
* Big screen TV to watch the big games.
* Free coffee (am), water (pm).
* Free internet access to check email.
* Free coat check.

When:
Thursday through Sunday, January 31 – February 3, 2008
Thursday and Friday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Where:
Navy Pier, Festival Halls A & B, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611

Admission:
$12 – Thursday and Friday (Adults)
$15 – Saturday and Sunday (Adults)
$24 – Two-Day Adult Pass
$25 – Family Pack (2 Adult, 2 Child Tickets) – available online only
FREE Children 15 years and under (when accompanied by an adult)
$65 – Strictly Sail Yacht Club Membership (4-day pass; exclusive membership benefits)

Click here for $2.00 discount on daily pass.

Click here for $10 discount on SSYC membership.

Visit StrictlySailChicago.com for details.

Show Me Your Sloggi

With the Summer Olympics coming to China this year, we will atttempt to provide the latest news as it becomes available:

Coincidence?

From Issue 2508:

CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
One of the signs that you have grown up is when you find out your friends are pregnant, you congratulate them instead of asking "Oh no, what the hell happened?"

Immediately following this issue, we received this email:

Hi,

We just posted an article "Balancing Work and Family: 100 Resources for Pregnant Career". I thought I'd bring it to your attention just in case you think your readers would find it interesting. Either way, thanks for your time!



Coincidence?

Lack of plan

An ISAF press release distributed today provided details on the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, where over 250 young sailors from more than 60 nations are expected to come to Denmark for the event on July 10-19. Scrolling through the release, they comment on how the event has the support of the Royal Danish Court, and that HRH Crown Prince Frederik will be the Royal Patron of the Championship (not sure what that means, though we suspect there is some financial benefit for the event, which is extremely expensive to host). But what we were really looking for was the equipment to be used in the event, which we found at the very end.

Maybe we are ignorant, naive, or simply won’t ever understand. However, we thought the purpose of the ISAF Youth Worlds was to provide top young sailors with an international event of the highest prominence, and to be a building block toward future excellence. Those that gain entrance to this event are the best from each country, so what other events would the Youth Worlds build toward? How about the Olympics?

The Olympics makes sense, except that the Youth Worlds equipment is not in synch with the next Olympics. For the astute Scuttlebutt reader, you likely have guessed where this is headed. Among the events in the 2008 Youth Worlds is a multihull class, an event that is NOT among the classes to be used at the 2012 Olympics. Here is the list of events for the 2008 ISAF Youth Worlds:

Boy’s One Person Dinghy - Laser
Girl’s One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial
Boy’s Two Person Dinghy - 29er
Girl’s Two Person Dinghy - 29er
Boy’s Windsurfer - Neil Pryde RS:X with 8.5m2 sail & 60cm fin
Girl’s Windsurfer - Neil Pryde RS:X with 8.5m2 sail & 60cm fin
Open Multihull - SL 16

Interestingly, the multihull was not included for the 2007 ISAF Youth Worlds, which makes it even more odd as to why it was not included for the 2012 Games. (Correction... the Hobie 16 was a class in the 2007 Youth Worlds). Again, is it too much to ask that all these events are part of a plan that leads toward the Olympics?

Link for the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship press release: http://www.sailing.org/21886.php

Less than a second

Steve Bodner provides the following report on some of the activitiy in the speed sailing community:

The latest speed record attempts on January 3rd at the speed canal in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France raised an issue that is more than just a little bit interesting, regarding the fact that the faster the speeds get, the smaller the actual intervals between the leading riders!

Let's explain that in numbers: actually achieving 50 knots of speed would give you a time for covering the 500 metre distance of 19 seconds and 440 hundredths. The current record, held by Finian Maynard (48.70) equates to a run time of 19.955 seconds, and kitesurfer Alex Caizergues' speed (47.92) a run time of 20.283 seconds, leaving 3rd fastest all-time man Antoine Albeau (47.69) a run time of 20.380 seconds…

To put that in perspective, it means that Albeau is just 1 second off 50 knot speed, but, closer still, there's only just a tenth of a second between Albeau and Caizergues! And with his 48.70 knots Finian Maynard is just half a second off 50 knot pace. Which all goes to say that, it all comes down to fractions and that the last few tenths to the record will also be the hardest to achieve!

Meanwhile the Hydroptere team has been in the Marseille area since January 1st looking for suitable spots for their own speed record attempt. They finally decided on Port-St-Louis-du-Rhone (PSL), not much more than a stone's throw from Saintes, as the most appropriate spot for the famous foil boat to set up camp, a spot that Bjorn Dunkerbeck also used recently for his private/invite only record attempt. Still in the workshops in the process of being reconfigured for pure speed, the Hydroptere team could be ready for its attempt as early as March, with one single aim in mind, that of smashing the legendary 50 knot barrier!

Source : windsurfingjournal.com
Source : Christophe Simian/Masters of Speed
Source : Hydroptere.com

Big program - big calendar

This calendar is big, which perhaps is reflective on the Mean Machine sailing program, for whom this calendar was produced. Competing in grand prix events around the world, in a multitude of classes (TP52, Farr 40, Mumm 30, etc) is a world most of us won’t see. The team even has a PR team that keeps Scuttlebutt up to speed on their latest activities, and they were thoughtful enough to send us this calendar.

Now if I can just find a place for it, and I better get the nail in the stud to hold this beast.

Speed of time

According to Scuttlebutt 2505:

CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION
There is the speed of light and there is the speed of sound. There is also the speed of time, which after careful review in 2007, still remains at one second per second.

Leave it to the scientific community to dispute the Curmudgeon. One of the ‘buttheads offered up some info that would indicate the passage of time is slowing down. Does that mean that Rolex watches do keep accurate time, and that the rest of us have been wrong all this time?

Special powers

We have learned from the Pre-Olympic regattas that the Chinese press is all about promoting China, and they are not too subtle about it. This item today showed that they also have special powers:

2008 Olympics co-host city to hold opening ceremony in sea

QINGDAO, East China, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Qingdao, the venue for the sailing events of this summer's Olympic Games, plans to hold an opening ceremony in the sea. "We want to hold a special opening ceremony for the Olympics sailing competition," said Zang Aimin, deputy mayor of Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province. Zang told reporters that the organizers would take measures to prevent bad weather from spoiling the ceremony. The 2008 Olympic Games will open in Beijing on Aug. 8 and run to Aug. 24.

Rock on

During an image search on Google, we were not looking for anything remotely related to BMW Oracle Racing navigator (and television commentator) Peter Isler rocking out in Valencia during the 32nd America's Cup... but that's what we got. Now you got it too.

Very, very thoughtful

Can’t tell you how neat it was to receive this clock in the mail this week. Completely unsolicited and unexpected, and very, very thoughtful. If you need something similar, here is the info:

Flag Flying

Maybe it is the west coast upbringing, where Opening Day is a ceremonial tribute to tradition, and an opportunity for local dry cleaners to get some blue blazer business. Regardless, there are matters of etiquette that we just don’t know, and since being ignorant is no excuse, we publicly accept the indignation that comes from the Scuttlebutt community when we cross the line. Here is a recent letter:

I know you guys are Californians, but I was still shocked, shocked I say, to see your usually excellent web site's ‘Holiday Greetings’ card posted showing an undersized national ensign flying from a port spreader.

Here is the card:

Now knowing that we messed up, we asked for help. Here was the reply:

Ensign should approximate a minimum of one inch on the fly per foot of overall length, with a hoist of two-thirds of the fly (a 36-foot boat would have no less than a two foot by three foot ensign).

The national ensign is displayed between morning and evening colors:

* When at anchor, at the stern staff.

* When underway in inland waters and when meeting or passing other yachts on the high seas, weather and rig permitting:
> By gaff-rigged sailing yachts, at the after peal;
> Sailing yachts, when not racing, at the stern staff, except marconi-rigged yachts may fly the ensign at the leach of the aftermost sail, approximately two-thirds the length of the leach above the clew.

And there you have it. New York Yacht Club yearbook, Yacht Routine.

P.S.: The New York triangular club burgee shall never be flown from a spreader, but I would opine that each individual club's yacht routine might allow their own burgee to be flown differently.

(The New York club has designed a special flag which may be flown from the starboard spreader for members who charter yachts with interfering mast-top electronics preventing the burgee from being flown on a pig stick at the truck.)

Big government - Big mess

It is a wonder how stuff like this gets started, and how much time and money is spent to fix it. We asked Ashley Reed, who is the BoatU.S. Program Coordinator for Government Affairs, to provide the following update on this situation:

Your Help is Needed!
For 34 years the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted discharges from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act permit system. A recent court ruling cancelled this permit exemption. EPA is required by the court decision to develop and implement by September 30, 2008 a national permit system for ALL vessels in the United States for a variety of normal operational discharges like grey water, engine cooling water and deck runoff. BoatU.S. along with other industry groups has been working behind the scenes to come up with a legislative fix for this huge problem.

If nothing is done to solve this issue, you will have to pay for a permit for each boat that you operate including your dinghy, Laser, or motorboat in each state! It is important to note that there are already federal laws restricting the overboard discharge of oil, fuel, garbage and sewage. The proposed legislation will not alter any of these existing environmental restrictions.

In the U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS) and Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI) have introduced H.R. 2550, which would exclude recreational boats from this permitting process. In the U.S. Senate Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) has introduced companion legislation S. 2067. They are currently 55 House co-sponsors and 11 Senate co-sponsors.

Currently each of the bills are stuck in committee, and we need the bills to come forward for a vote! Please contact both your 3 members of Congress (1 House & 2 Senators) and ask them to consider co-sponsoring H.R. 2550/S. 2067, or voting for the legislation when it comes before the full body.

If you would like more information on this legislation including: a copy of the bill language, sample letters to send to your members of Congress and background information please visit www.boatus.com/gov/fed_alert.asp or www.boatblue.org for a direct link to your members of Congress.

Happy New Year

Video courtesy of the Sailing Northwest blog showing the fireworks on the Space Needle in Seattle, where about 400,000 people annually gather at various viewing points around town to watch.