Three Kings of Iceboating

The Strictly Sail Chicago show is this weekend at Navy Pier (Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2009), which is the Midwest’s only and the nation’s largest indoor all-sail boat show. Despite the show occurring in the middle of winter, and despite the show occurring in an area where winter really means winter, ice boating is not one of the displays typically found at Strictly Sail Chicago, However, this year, it may be among the largest display at the show.

Beyond profiling a few of the sweet machines that take to the hard water, on Saturday at 10:00am, there will be a presentation by the unofficial three kings of iceboating: Buddy Melges, Bill Matson, and Peter Harken. Their discussion will cover:

• Buddy Melges: How to make an iceboat go fast like a rock star.
• Bill Mattison: How to build an iceboat like a rock star.
• Peter Harken: How to party like a rock star.

To help you attend this event (adjacent to the Harken display), along with the opportunity to view all the boats, gear, seminars, etc., Scuttlebutt has discount tickets for the show:

$2.00 off Adult Admission: https://v2.interactiveticketing.com/TU599CA5A0BC

$15.00 off for Strictly Sail Yacht Club Pass (4 day pass): https://v2.interactiveticketing.com/TUA232D93FA6

Involuntary Muscular Contractions

A professor at the University of Michigan was giving a lecture on 'Involuntary Muscular Contractions' to his first year medical students.

Realizing that this was not the most riveting subject, the professor decided to lighten the mood slightly. He pointed to a young woman in the front row and said, 'Do you know what your ass hole is doing while you're having an orgasm?'

She replied, 'Probably sailboat racing with his buddies.'

It took 45 minutes to restore order in the classroom.........

My date with Dean Barker

Creating media events out of sailing events will inevitably create media darlings out of the sport’s leading sailors. Gossip queen Rachel Glucina, who apparently reports on the latest parties, fashions and celebrity events around town for the New Zealand Herald, is loving the excitement this week surrounding the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Here is an excerpt from her column titled ‘My date with Dean Barker’ dated Jan. 28th.

This morning I had the fortune of being invited by Mayor John Banks to be a guest at his very private, very exclusive Skippers Breakfast for all the VIPs from the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Grant Dalton was there looking more rugged and weathered than when I last saw him. He's the Keith Richards of the sailing world, though I don't presume Louis Vuitton will be recruiting him for any campaigns to sell manbags in the near future. The effervescent Frenchman Bruno Trouble was there in flamboyant red trousers that only a gay man or a sailing man could get away with - you know, in that preppy-chino-chic way. He looked like a poster boy for Ralph Lauren.

But it was (Emirates Team New Zealand skipper) Dean Barker who stole the show. We were at the same table and I couldn't stop staring at him. He must have wondered what the heck was going through my mind, but I couldn't very well tell him I think he's drop-dead gorgeous. The man has to be our sexiest sports star (next to Richard Kahui). He's painfully shy, which really only adds to his appeal. But he's looking a tad too thin and gaunt at the moment, if you ask me. Mandy (his wife) needs to fatten him up a bit. -- Full story

I thought I was a sailor

An old sailor sat down at the Starbucks and ordered a cup of coffee. As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him.

She turned to the yachtie and asked, 'Are you a real sailor?'

He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life on the water, working on boats, going to regattas, competing against some the finest competitors , sailing both dinghies and offshore boats, so yes, I guess I am a sailor.'

She said, 'I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. When I watch TV, I think about women. I even think about women when I eat. It seems that everything makes me think of women.'

The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old sailor and asked, 'Are you a real sailor?'

He replied, 'I always thought I was, but I just found out that I'm a lesbian.'

London Olympic mega-brothels

Big events often mean big opportunity. Hotels and restaurants routinely increase their rates. For the 2012 London Olympics, it is never too soon to be concerned over the oldest industry either:

Church of England dioceses are to call for a government crackdown on human trafficking in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics to prevent a repeat of the "mega brothels" set up in German cities for the 2006 World Cup. Church members will discuss the matter at a General Synod next month following a motion set down by the dioceses of Newcastle and Winchester.

"We do not want this same kind of thing for London 2012," said the Revd. Canon Michael Webb of Newcastle Diocese. "Anything like slavery is wrong, but as Christians we are concerned that this is not how God treats people." The dioceses called for the government, police and officials to combat the "evil trade" of trafficking and forced prostitution through legislation and enforcement.

They pointed to the World Cup in Germany, where, they said, city officials adopted a "pragmatic" approach toward catering for the sexual desires of the estimated three million football fans who attended the tournament. "Sex huts" or "sex garages" for prostitution were set up, filled with 40,000 extra prostitutes, while special licenses were issued allowing prostitutes to offer sex on the street, they said in a background paper. -- Read on

Congratulations!

Just received this email... guess I won't need this job anymore:

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Remembering Nick Scandone

Nick Scandone was a regular guy. He fished, he surfed, he smoked, he sailed. On Sunday, January 18th, just over two weeks after he died (Jan. 2), and four months after winning the Gold Medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Qingdao, China, he was remembered. A memorial service at his home club, Balboa Yacht Club, attracted a standing room only crowd, and an unwavering appreciation for what he accomplished.

While his battle with ALS is over, the lessons he taught us will live on. There were tears on this day, but also a tremendous amount of hope. Nick was torn apart by a disease, but focused on a goal, and refused to die until that goal was achieved. Nick won his race, and he did so with the respect of all those who were witness. The rest of us will live on for now, seeking what is important to us, and using its power to keep us alive too. We should never forget Nick and what he taught us.


Perfect weather for the outdoor setting.




An impressive line-up of BYC Staff Commodores.


Commodore Alan Andrews begins the service with a tribute to Nick and his accomplishments.


The guests move inside to hear from several keynote speakers.


Nick's crew in the Paralympic Games, Maureen McKinnon-Tucker, looks on.





An awesome slide show of Nick from his childhood through to his Paralympic Games experience.


Nick's wife, Mary-Kate (center, in white), watches the slide show with his medal around her neck.

Romance capital of California

I am not sure if I have met Celeste C. White, who is the Director of Communications for the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Regardless, she felt I should be reminded that Monterey is heralded as the romance capital of California (I did not know this... big shocker). And as Valentine’s Day was quickly approaching (I had to look this up: Saturday, February 14th), it might be handy to post the top 11 (huh?) places to propose in Monterey County.

Consider this a public service announcement for dudes that want to make sure their gal says "yes" to that all important question. And as an added twist, the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau is asking romantic minded proposers to upload their best Monterey County Proposal Images to their Flickr group, http://www.flickr.com/groups/seemonterey. The best proposal image will be deemed the winner on February 13th and will receive exclusive Monterey County prizes. Contest rules available at www.SeeMonterey.com.

So here is the list...
1. Marriage Proposals on a Golf Course, Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, Poppy Hills.
2. Marriage Proposals on a Beach, Carmel’s White Sand Beach, Julia Pfeiffer State Beach, Carmel Monastery Beach, SCUBA diving off of San Carlos Beach, Sunset Sail through the Sanctuary.
3. Marriage Proposals at a Famous Landmark, Bixby Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row.
4. Marriage Proposals in a Winery, Château Julien, Bernard us Lodge, Ventana Vineyards.
5. Marriage Proposals From on High, Pinnacles, Big Sur Hikes, Aerial Sightseeing Tour.
6. Marriage Proposals at a Restaurant, Fandango Restaurant, The Sardine Factory, Pacific’s Edge Restaurant, Aubergine.
7. Marriage Proposals on a Drive, Land Rover, Skip Barber, Limousine Service, Monterey Movie Tours.
8. Marriage Proposals at a Point, Point Lobos, Lovers Point, Point Pinos, Rocky Point.
9. Marriage Proposal at a Mission, Royal Presidio, Carmel Mission Basilica, Soledad Mission.
10. Marriage Proposals at the Zoo, Wild Things, Condor Camp, Monterey Bay Aquarium.
11. Marriage Proposals in a Garden – Earthbound Farms, Bernardus Lodge, Butterfly Sanctuary, Orientations Chinese Garden at the Marsh Building, Adobe Garden (Custom House Plaza).

Winter Jack-O-Lantern

This comes from Will Tuthill, who lives in the northeast where it gets cold in the winter:



Very common in Finland.

1] Fill bucket or yogurt container with water- put outside.
2] leave over night [ or all day- it makes an excellent freeze gauge).
3] bring inside, run water over outside of container.
4] freezing ALWAYS takes place from top to bottom with sides next. The bottom is last.
5] Pop the thin shell at the bottom & drain centre- rinse & put back outside.
6] Put a tea light or candle in there for a winter Jack-O-Lantern that won't burn your house down.

Tervetuloa!

EarthLink blocking

For Scuttlebutt e=Newsletter subscribers that are also customers of EarthLink, here are some tips to insure the deliverability of the newsletter.

Step 1
Go to webmail: http://webmail.earthlink.net
Type in your email address and password.

Step 2
Click on SpamBlocker in the navigation on left side of screen.


Step 3
Click on the SETTINGS tab on the top.

With Medium Protection, most of the bad stuff gets caught but also some mail that is fine. As long as you do not delete known spam immediately, all the captured email will land in the Known Spam folder.

If you turn off SpamBlocker, both the bad stuff and good stuff will go to your email software, where your Virus software will take over and redirect suspect email into a Junk folder.

Step 4

If you do not delete known spam immediately, it will land in the Known Spam folder. Look in this folder to see what has been captured; this folder is where you can indicate if an email is not spam so that you can receive it.

TransPac Anonymous

Chris Semper emailed a copy of TPA card, reliving a laugh from many years ago. It all started when Tom Leweck, who had done so many of the Mexican distance races, figured a race to Hawaii couldn't be much different.

When the first couple days of the TransPac Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii provided nothing but cold, wet, headsail reaching conditions (very typical of the race), he realized what a big lie he had been told.

A sailor's short memory relives the glorious sun and surf amid the Pacific Ocean tradewinds from the later part of the race, and conveniently forgets the miserable early grind.

Tom founded TPA to help others avoid such pain (note: the phone number is no longer valid).

Karma is a bitch

As provided by Rick Ermshar, Kaneohe, HI on Jan. 10, 2009:

A former Makani Kai Marina slip tenant sank at the sandbar today. Someone sent me the attached photo (and there’s a two-minute video at http://qik.com/jphilipson), and I imagine most of you remember the 36’ powerboat now named “Aquadelica” which I evicted from MKM about a year ago. Many of you may have encountered him at the sandbar.

I've had to pull that same boat off of reefs not once but twice, and I know others in MKM have also towed him off.

He's angered everyone at the sandbar numerous times. Every time he goes out, he first blasts by at high speed and the wake from his boat sends every other boat rocking wildly and knocks over anything set up on the sandbar's high spot (chairs, tables, volleyball nets, barbecues, whatever). Worst of all is that he has almost run over children several times! And that's all just as he approaches the sandbar. Almost every time.

Then he tries to anchor his boat. Note the use of the word "tries." He also insists on trying to take the best spot, no matter how many other boats are already there. He'll try to wedge in between, and usually bumps into other boats in the process. He has zero boat-handling skills, and after several unsuccessful attempts he usually relies on other people to swim over to his boat and anchor it for him.

Once anchored, the first thing he does is pull out a pair of huuuuuuge stereo speakers and proceeds to turn the volume up to 15 and blast the hell out of everyone within a mile. Then he and his friends proceed to get drunk and be lewd and rude and offensive to everyone else.

When he finally leaves, he blasts off and his wake shakes everyone else's boats again, and he quite often runs into one of the coral heads as goes back to his slip at Heeia Kea harbor. (He got a slip there after being evicted from MKM.) And he recently ran into another boat while trying to pull into the fuel dock.

It's a shame to see what happened to his boat, and I’m glad nobody got hurt… but on the other hand I'll bet big money that a whole lot of the sandbar 'regulars' are cheering.

Apparently the boat is still there at the moment.

Did you know?

This video was produced with information up to 2008.