From Sandy Englehart, San Jose, CA:
I sent my non-sailor sister a copy of the Interim Report article on the Pacific Cup in the August issue of Latitude 38 because it had a picture of our start and a quote from our blog. She responded with this email that I thought the 'buttheads would appreciate:

Cool!!!! Great shot of all y'all's boat! It's funny when I read this stuff because it is soooo foreign sounding! It's like everyone is talking in another language half the time. Very entertaining to me ;-) You know:

"I gybed to lead a new spinnaker halyard. Yes, dancing is always fun. Of course I have been practicing so not much slatting or drifting happens and I won't get too close to the high. My high is weakening...maybe Gale can help if I can find her. She always has cocktails. Today's special: Rumline. Don't know why she spells it so funny. Trying to be fancy I guess. Oh...excuse me, miss fancy pants! RHumBline! I guess in the right hand corner of the ocean people are fancy! We'll be flying the 3/4 oz (is that legal now?) in 5-8 feet mixed swell. Anywho, later I found myself with an articulation between my hull and my keel. It really itches something awful!! Maybe I'll scratch doublehanded and feel better. Instead, I hoisted my kite and it's feeling a bit better. My only other complaint is that I'm sitting on a 13.5 knot and it's hurting my butt...that's a big knot and it might break my tiller. Maybe I need to go find Gale again..."

Bar Stool Economics

Bar Stool Economics
by David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. ‘Since you are all such good customers, he said, ‘I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’ They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

‘I only got a dollar out of the $20,’declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,’ but he got $10!’

‘Yeah, that’s right,’ exclaimed the fifth man. ‘I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!’

‘That’s true!!’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!’

‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four men in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!’

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

(submitted by Alex Watters)

Reaping the rewards

High-tech design, cutting edge materials and the quest for optimum performance are just a few of the traits shared by sports cars and sailing. These characteristics, combined with the beautiful Pininfarina design and his love for Italy, explain Paul Cayard's choice of a black Maserati GranTurismo for the streets of San Francisco.

The Maserati GranTurismo is equipped with a 4.2-litre engine that produces 405 hp at 7100 rpm and is capable of reaching a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph) with 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in just 5.2 seconds. The Maserati GranTurismo is on sale now with on the road prices starting at £79,900. - Complete story

Life is short

Life is short. This offer is a bit more extreme than the "desert before dinner" theme, but what the heck:

Half price Antarctica!!!!!
Was AU$15,000 ……now a crazy AU$7,500!!!!! (Approx US$5,000)

Has Mowbray has gone mad? What makes you think he was ever sane?

Half price Patagonia!!!!! (12 day trip)
Was AU$5,000 now a miniscule AU$2,500 (Approx US$1,600)

Now I’m sure he’s lost the plot!!!

Patagonia including Cape Horn for 16 days
Was AU$7,500 now ridiculously cheap at AU$5,000 (Approx US$3,250)

You get all of your food, beer and wine plus good company thrown in!! You just need to hop a plane to South America and bring along a sense of humour and a personality!!! If you haven’t got one or the other then see if you can borrow them!!We’ll provide the rest of what you need!!

This is a once only offer and will not last….do yourself a favour...don’t ruminate, procrastinate or hesitate........or do anything else that ends in “ate”

Just step through the doorway of opportunity....hit the reply button on your email and let us know you’re interested or pick up the phone and ring ….

The trip of a lifetime is just a plane ride away!!

Available berths will not last….no joking….

If you cannot avail yourself of this amazing offer, why not do a friend a favour who may be able to, and forward this email to them.

Antarctica
Trip #1 15th Dec 08 – 6th Jan 09
Trip #2 13th Jan 09 – 4th Feb 09
Trip #3 11th Feb 09 – 5th March 09

Patagonia (12 day trip)
24th Nov 08 – 4th Dec 08

Patagonia & Cape Horn (16 days)
14th Mar 09 - 28th Mar 09

Talk soon,

Tony Mowbray
Mobile 0428 653071
Office 02 49458256
tony@tonymowbray.com.au
www.tonymowbray.com.au

Old school

A Victorian ship builder, inspired by the enormous seafaring ships used by 15th century explorers, will soon launch his own replica caravel off Port Fairy.It has been 10 years in the making and the launch of Graeme Wylie's labour of love is drawing nearer. "She's based on a 15th century Portuguese or Spanish caravel, which was one of the early vessels of exploration used by the Europeans," the 51-year-old from Bushfield said. -- Read on

Bummer story

They knew it was going to blow 30 to 40 knots. They knew the swell was going to be up to 4m. They were going to be running with it, so they figured it would be okay. Also, the conditions were supposed to moderate... but instead they got worse. Bummer story warning:

(Oct. 24, 2008) A crew of six leapt for their lives from their stricken yacht moments before it sank off Palm Beach yesterday as wild weather continued to pound Sydney, AUS. Skipper Marcus Lillycrapp, 48, who had just bought the yacht and was two hours into sailing it home from Pittwater to Brisbane, praised other boats and water police for coming to their rescue.

"They are the unsung heroes. They risked their lives," said Mr Lillycrapp, who was sailing with his son Damian, 20, and four workmates from his roof plumbing business. "I know they will probably say that we should not have been out there but we knew what we were doing." -- Read on

Why, why, why

As sure as the sun will come up from the east, as soon as I say only and never I will be wrong. The Curmudgeon's Observation from Scuttlebutt 2709 made this classic mistake:

The only word in the English language that contains all five vowels in alphabetical order is ‘FACETIOUS’.

No sooner had that issue hit the newstands that I received this email from Milo Frawley of St. Thomas, USVI:

I hardly consider myself a speller, but abstemious is right up there with facetious when it comes to vowels being in order.

Never again!

The guy knows how to roll

Russell Coutts owns the sport. I just can’t think of anyone who is demonstrating the same dominance on the water and off the water. His RC44 class is slowly growing, and seems to have become a pot of gold for pro sailors. You don’t get Russell, Sébastien Col, Dean Barker, Cameron Appleton, James Spithill, Philippe Presti, John Kostecki, Morgan Larsen, etc. for a weekend regatta unless there is a payday. When that crowd is in attendance, heads turn.

The latest update from the world of Russell announces how Puerto Calero has welcomed the RC44 class and its international championship tour. Puerto Calero will hold two RC44 events, one in December 2008 and another one in February 2009. Puerto Calero is on the island of Lanzarote which is part of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the African continent.

What caught my attention is that Puerto Calero appears to be a personal project of the Calero family. The photo below is of Russell and Daniel Calero. Daniel looks young… some guys get all the luck. Apparently, Puerto Calero is also just a few kilometres from a major international airport, and that Lanzarote's great winds, all-year-round summer-like conditions and sunshine make it an ideal spot for the crews, VIP guests and media that will attend both events.

You gotta like how Russell rolls.

British tabloids

The Brits have great sailors, but beware of the British tabloids:

My snapper caught Olympic hero BEN AINSLIE enjoying a smouldering kiss with a CHEEKY GIRL—while his girlfriend is nowhere to be seen. Ben—who sailed to victory in Beijing with a hat-trick of golds— locked lips with MONICA IRIMIA while on the town celebrating Thursday’s Olympic UK celebrations in London. While his long-term love Annette Fiedler was in Germany, Ben, 31, met up with Monica, 25, in the Embassy Club, where my snapper took this cheeky picture.

The pair were introduced at a Prince’s Trust event hosted by PRINCE CHARLES last month—and I’m told they instantly hit it off. A friend of Monica’s said: “She liked Ben from the second they first met. She found him very attractive and thought he was the perfect gentleman. Monica said to me, ‘He’s clearly not an airheaded footballer’, and she was really hoping that things would develop.” The Cheeky Girl’s dream was shattered however after finding out Ben has a girlfriend.

The friend said: “Ben never mentioned Annette to Monica. Now she is really upset and worrying that people will think she’s some sort of a home-wrecker.” Last night, a source close to Ben told me: “Ben does like Monica but they’re just good friends. He’s still dating Annette.” But Monica’s pal added: “She’s never been the type of girl to casually kiss guys in a club.” Erm, well, I think my picture tells a different story.

College sports

This is article is from the Wall Street Journal, but what is going on in college sports should not have any affect on success in sailing at the Olympic level:

(Beijing, China) The U.S. won more medals here (at the 2008 Summer Games) than it has in any nonboycotted Olympics, but even with that haul, its days of dominance may be numbered. That is in part because U.S. colleges, the primary breeding ground for the country's Olympians, have eliminated hundreds of teams in Olympic sports in recent years.

"We used to have a lot of kids going for the Olympic dream," says Scott Barclay, coach of the men's gymnastics team at Arizona State University. "Without the carrot of a college scholarship, a lot of kids give up, or their parents won't support them as much," he says. Mr. Barclay took out a personal loan several years ago to build a private gym as a way to keep his team alive as a club sport after ASU cut the varsity program. -- Read on

Interestingly, it is my belief that four years of college sailing for the elite U.S. sailor is not necessarily the best way to improve one's chances of success at the Olympic level. The bulk of college sailing is done in low tech, borrowed boats and sailed on short courses. With the development of high school sailing, those top ranked youth sailors coming into college from popular sailing sites likely did this exact type of sailing already for four years.

Considering that Olympic sailing involves highly technical equipment, with the competitions held on long courses where knowledge of weather and current are ultra valuable, the eight years of high school and college sailing succeed in giving the elite sailor only a couple of tools in what remains a cavernous tool box. The sooner the elite sailor starts understanding how to own a boat, care for a boat, tune a boat, and travel with that boat, the sooner they are on their way to understanding how to play the Olympic Game.

Ipod Jacket

Not a paid ad, just something new for 2009 from Gul:

The New 2009 Limited Edition Coastal Vigo Ipod Control Jacket.

Auld Mug Opportunity

If your cup runneth over

IF you long for the days of America's Cup excitement, you could try your sailing skills with a pair of international America's Cup class yachts on the market. The yachts, AUS 29 and AUS 31, aren't exactly new. They were built for the 1995 America's Cup challenge (as oneAustralia and Sydney 95) and last raced in the 2000 challenger elimination series in Auckland when they were both, at different times, known as Young Australia.

Veteran ocean racer and four-time America's Cup challenger Syd Fischer sold them after they were eliminated from that regatta, and in recent years they have been used for tourist outings in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. But with the latest IACC yachts costing more than $10 million each, the asking price of $350,000 for both yachts appears a bargain. Yacht broker Vicsail says the pair come complete with four masts, 30 sails and three shipping containers of spares.

National Boss’s Day

I have no idea why I received this, but information is power, and maybe somebody can use this information:

When Patricia Bays Haroski registered "National Boss's Day" with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958, she wasn’t playing a practical joke, or even sucking up. She was working as her father’s secretary in a State Farm Insurance office in Deerfield, Illinois. Haroski wanted to let her father know she appreciated his willingness to always go the extra mile and provide the attention and support his employees needed, even when a host of other priorities competed for his attention. Haroski chose her father’s birthday, October 16th, for the holiday because she believed a great boss should be celebrated with the same positive regard and enthusiasm typically reserved for his or her birthday.

Let’s hope the previous paragraph isn’t read by too many people at once, otherwise the collective roll of their eyes might tilt the earth off its axis. Most Americans just don’t have much to celebrate on National Boss’s Day. According to a recent study published in Human Resource Executive magazine, a third of US workers spend a minimum of twenty hours per month in the office complaining about their boss.

The Gallup Poll estimates US corporations lose 360 billion dollars annually due to lost productivity from employees who are dissatisfied with--you guessed it--their boss. And if there’s but one hard truth the Gallup Polls have taught US Corporations in the last decade, it’s that people may join companies, but they will leave bosses.

In the days of a strong dollar, bulging tech bubble and robust housing market, people working for a bad boss had options. Careers were mobile and talent was in short supply. It was a snap to pack up and leave. But nowadays, things are decidedly different. Jobs are scarce and workers are staying put, even those stuck under what I like to call “the seagull manager.”

Instead of taking the time to get the facts straight and work alongside their staff to realize a viable solution, seagull managers swoop in at the last minute, squawk at everybody, and deposit steaming piles of formulaic advice before abruptly taking off and leaving behind an even bigger mess than when they started. Seagulls interact with their employees only when there’s a fire to put out. Even then, they move in and out so hastily--and put so little thought into their approach--that they make bad situations worse by frustrating and alienating those who need them the most.

Today, seagull managers are breeding like wildfire. As companies flatten in response to the struggling economy, they are gutting management layers and leaving behind managers with more autonomy, greater responsibility, and more people to manage. That means they have less time and less accountability for managing people. It’s easy to spot a seagull manager when you’re on the receiving end of the airborne dumps, but the manager doing the swooping, squawking, and dumping is often unaware of the negative impact of his or her behavior.

If “seagull manager” doesn’t describe your boss, you are one of the lucky ones who actually have something to celebrate on National Boss’s Day. Of course, if you think you might have succumbed to some seagull behaviors in the last year, give the following five strategies a try, and you just might get a gift next year on National Boss’s Day:

1. Don’t Pass the Buck: When you set expectations for your staff, make sure you’re the one explaining what will be expected of them--don’t pass the buck to someone else.
2. Check In Everyday: Make your communication with your team frequent and sincere. You can’t help people get results if you don’t know how they’re doing.
3. Block Time to do Your Real Job: Schedule time in your calendar each day where you can be up and out of your desk, focusing solely on the needs of your team. Remember, as a manager, the primary purpose of your job is managing people.
4. Leave Your Door Open: Seagull managers lose touch partially because they’re not approachable.
5. Show Them the Way: When it comes to managing performance, balance praise with constructive criticism. Your team needs you to show them when they’re doing things right, as well as when they’re off track.

About the author:
Dr. Travis Bradberry is the president of think tank and consultancy TalentSmart. His new book, "Squawk! How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results," addresses the problem of seagull managers in the workplace and is published by HarperCollins.

U.S. Sailboat Show

The five day U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD this past weekend is an immense gathering of marine industry leaders, presenting the best products for the sailing public at the front end of the boat show season. The hot topic coming into the show had everything to do with the quality and quantity of show attendees, and whether the problems with the economy would interfere with the passions of the sailor. When studies show that boat shows are an integral part of the buying process, the thinking was that if this show was going to be a clunker, than the 2009 season was going to be a clunker as well.

Following the close of the show on Monday, Oct. 13th, there will be an accounting of attendees and show exhibitors to get a better sense of which way the wind is blowing. Until that data comes, the industry gatherings were at least upbeat, and there was general optimism among the show exhibitors and their seat of the pants feel from the talk on the docks. As industry icon Peter Harken remarked, these are not times to retreat, but to “keep the blinders on and go forward.” While the industry was going to need to be smart, these were not times to run and hide, but to seek out the opportunities and stay the course.

What is great about this show is in how all the boats are in the water, and strolling the docks becomes a who’s-who of hot production boats and their builders, designers, and head cheerleaders. Of particular note was the collection of sportboats in the 20-32 foot range located together, making attendees well aware of the exciting choices in this size range. The dinghy segment had plenty of sizzle too, highlighted by the UK influence amid the influx of boats on display from LaserPerformance and newcomer RS Racing. For larger racing boats, it was either their one design status or IRC features on display.

For marine accessories, Scuttlebutt partner MyBoatsGear.com was walking the aisles to scour the new and exciting solutions available, and will soon be providing the ‘buttheads with a complete report.

Wilmot on a roll

One of the stars of the Morning Light film is Jeremy Wilmot, who benefited from a year of training as skipper of the TP52 of the same name in the 2007 TransPac Race.

Jeremy now will be benefiting from the new sailing facilities at his school, which has now opened College Sailing's newest home--The River Center at St. Mary's College of MD.

Smart blonde joke

Warning: this post has NOTHING to do with sailing:

A blonde walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer. She says she's going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000. The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for the loan, so the blonde hands over the keys to a new Rolls Royce. The car is parked on the street in front of the bank, she has the title and everything checks out. The bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank's president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the blonde for using a $250,000 Rolls as collateral against a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then proceeds to drive the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there.

Two weeks later, the blonde returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says, "Miss, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000?" The blonde replies....."Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return?"

Finally, a smart blonde joke.

Pirate pay rates

There is holiday pay, and now there is pirate pay:

Seafarers sailing near Somalia to get double pay
David Osler - Tuesday 7 October 2008

MANY seafarers are to get double pay while sailing close to Somalia, in recognition of the danger of pirate attack, after a breakthrough deal between leading shipowners and maritime trade unions signed in Singapore today.

Under the terms of the understanding agreed by a subcommittee of the International Bargaining Forum, the bipartite body which sets pay and conditions for many seafarers, most of the Gulf of Aden had been declared a ‘high risk area’ with immediate effect. -- Read on

ALSO, a very thorough audio discussion on the topic of piracy is on "On Point," with Tom Ashbrook.

Georgetown lock down

This news bulletin caught our attention:



Georgetown Sailing Will Not Participate in Weekend Regattas; Will Serve as Host for Tom Curtis #2

Washington, D.C.( Oct. 6, 2008)- Georgetown University Director of Athletics Bernard Muir announced today that due to the outbreak of norovirus on campus, the sailing team will not compete in the Danmark Trophy Regatta, hosted by the Coast Guard Academy this weekend. Georgetown will also not compete in its own Tom Curtis #2 Regatta but the University will still serve as a host out of the Washington Sailing Marina.

"After discussion between medical personnel at both universities and with the Coast Guard Academy's athletic administration, the decision has been made not to participate in the regatta."

School fundraiser

Does this sound like your school fundraisers:

Even with a late start this year, Carrie and Brad Hill, organizers of the fourth annual Fort Myers Beach Cardboard Boat Races, brought the tough competition into the Gulf, with several teams battling for a potpourri of prizes and awards.

“We had eight boats show up, but as far as people showing up and participating, it went really well,” Brad said. “We raised about $1,250 for the Beach Elementary School. I think that’s even more than what we raised last year.”

Brad also said the added event of the year had a great response as well, allowing spectators to race in the 100-percent indestructible Mound House Mummy, one of Brad’s and Carrie’s creations from the past.

“The boat survived, and we made about $150 for the school just on that alone,” he said, with each race costing $10 to sail the unsinkable tomb.

The sands of the beach were scattered with cheering spectators, all eager to see who would float – and who would sink. -- Read on

Laser vs. Bladerider Moth

Rohan Veal carries a lot of clout in the International Moth Class. He established his authority by twice winning the Worlds, he used the muscle of the internet to raise our awareness of this foiling boat, helped to launch a company geared to mass producing what had essentially been a custom build class, and now he is leading the pitch to get the class into the 2012 Olympics.

Well, he is not exactly pitching the class, but rather the Bladerider Moth, a brand that he works for. I suspect he is getting grief from the class about being a company man, but the other problem is that the slot the Moth is seeking is now currently held by the … LASER.

The Moth is new and sexy, but is there a class that meets the Olympic ideal better than the Laser? International, available, affordable, athletic, unpretentious… it is the easiest “next step” for youth sailors, and with Olympic status, it has become a legitimate landing point for elite sailors to pursue excellence.

The events for the 2012 Games will be decided at the 2008 ISAF Annual Meeting in November. I love the International Moth class; I just wish it was not looking to be the men's singlehanded dinghy event in 2012.

Good guidance

Noah's Ark

Working replica of Noah's Ark in Schagen, Netherlands

Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark , built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible. The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house (but Noah's Ark as described in the Bible was five times larger than Johan's Ark)

Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold. There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark. A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine -Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been. Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy.

Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands , where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years.

Somalia and Pirates

The good news about bad news is that it heightens our awareness. For me, among other things, it's improving my grasp on geography. Because of the pirate problems, I now know the exact location of Somalia and the Gulf of Eden. I realize what a problem it is for boats trying to transit between Cape Town, SA and Asia. Long trip and not a lot of options.

And for boats able to take the short cut between the Med and Asia through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, well, DON'T DO IT!