Street naming

Breaking News

Jacksonville, FL (July 29, 2008) - A murder suspect being chased by a Jacksonville police officer was fatally shot near Mayport this morning, becoming the third person shot by city police in 10 days. The shooting occurred some time around 4 a.m. in the 2500 block of East Americas Cup Drive. Rick Graham, Jacksonville police’s chief of detectives, said the officer was chasing a murder suspect when the officer shot multiple times. The officer was not hurt, Graham said. -- Read on

Question: Why is there an America's Cup Drive in Jacksonville, FL?

Scuttlebutt Beer

When we launched the Scuttlebutt website in 2002, we had to hurdle over a couple of Internet entries before we were the top ranked site when searching with our name. One of them was the Scuttlebutt Brewing Company in Everett, WA. During a trip last week, we had our first chance to sample their beer, and in the fine tradition of the Scuttlebutt newsletter, the beer was pretty good too.

Whidbey Island Race Week

While on vacation last week in the Pacific Northwest, we chose to drive down Whidbey Island when returning to Seattle from our week on Orcas Island. Among the populur events while on vacation for us was eating, and while enduring painfully slow service at The Mad Crab in Coupeville, WA, we at least had the entertainment of watching the final day at Whidbey Island Race Week.

Really pretty setting for the racing with flat water and lake-like wind conditions (read: puffy and shifty). Below are images of the town of Coupeville, and the race spectators from the public pier.

Orcas Island

The family wanted a summer vacation and I get to go too. Gone until July 28th.

Fluffy fluff

Every day the Scuttlebutt editors question the stuff they we are sent and ask, "Is this news or promotional?" Today there was a big press conference with the BMW ORACLE Racing team, with press releases distributed afterwards stating how BMW and ORACLE Racing were very pleased to announce the renewal of their partnership in BMW ORACLE Racing.

This is great, though I suspect the team would survive if BMW walked away. The bigger thought though was in how we didn't recall in all the previous years of this union, that these two entities made such a grand moment out of this renewal.

So is this news, or just PR folks filling a quiet moment with some fluff. Hmmm...

Ken Read - the skiier

Our search engines track down some of the top names in our sport and send us stories for us to consider. Nobody’s name gets more hits than Larry Ellison, but Ken Read might possibly be next on the list. However, the PUMA skipper isn’t active on the internet for his sailing prowess. There is another Ken Read in Canada (above left) who enjoyed a very successful career in skiing, and since 2002 has been the President of Alpine Canada, the National Sport Organization for alpine skiing in Canada. This guy gets a lot of press, and we hear all about it. However, there is good news on the horizon… he has just retired from his position at Alpine Canada. Hopefully, he can sustain a lower profile now so that we can focus on only the sailing Ken Read.

Russell's alliances

Russell Coutts has his alliances. He is tied to the RC 44 class that he launched. He has been a spokesman for SLAM gear (he was also the face of Quantum sails and Omega watches). Now he is the CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing, so it was only a matter of time until all these entities began to merge. Here are the latest announcements:

SLAM is now the official gear of BMW ORACLE RACING
BMW is now the official car of the RC 44 Class Association.

We desperately want to assume that these alliances are padding Russell’s wallet. Fame and fortune can be a bonus for any sport, and Russell’s success is brightening the spotlight. While it is no more realistic for a little leaguer to become a pro baseball player, then is for a junior sailor to become an ACUP skipper, the possibility is what fuels the imagination and burns the fire of desire.

Russell can talk the talk and walk the walk. Good on ya!

Ernesto and Tiger

The Tiger Woods and Ernesto Berterelli comparisons have started. They both are good at kissing the prize, but now we learn that Tiger Woods is on course to become the first billionaire athlete, according to Forbes Magazine. The magazine noted that Tiger will be joining Ernesto on the billionaire list, though Switzerland's richest man and champion sailor accumulated his fortune outside of his sport. Nothing new there, as we already knew that golfers can earn money at about the same clip as sailors can spend it.

But the comparisons don't stop there, as they both are members of another club... the hot, blond, former model wive club. Plus they hang out at swanky clubhouses. We are now standing by for photos of Tiger and EB sailing and golfing together. Can't wait!

Chinese propaganda

The Olympics coming to China has provided the country’s heavily controlled media with the opportunity to sugarcoat and sell the place like used car salesmen. However, the recent algae outbreak in China has challenged even their savviest wordsmiths. They are now pitching that the outbreak was not a result of pollution and poor water quality but rather due to increased rainfall and warmer waters in the Yellow. They claim that it will be cleaned up by July 15th, and that the government would try to block algae from floating into the Olympic sailing area by installing in the sea a fenced perimeter more than 30 miles long.

Perhaps the most reassuring statement coming from Big Red is this: “We will make all our efforts to finish this job,” said a propaganda official in Qingdao, who asked not to be named because of the political delicacy of the issue. “Now, forces from the entire province have become involved.” Oh good, the Propaganda officials are now onsite providing us information. Very reassuring!

Above items excerpted from NY Times article.

Photo courtesy of EyePress, via Associated Press