On vacation

Scuttlebutt World Headquarters is dimming the lights and taking a vacation. The editorial department will remain at their desk, but the rest of us will be getting a well-deserved break until August 9th.

Sailing in the third dimension

Strap on your 3D glasses as photographer Daniel Forster takes us sailing in the third dimension. Click on images to enlarge.

Monohull or Multihull?

The great debate for the next America's Cup - monohull or multihull - just received a reminder for why multihulls are exciting. They capsize. Peter Stoneberg's Formula 40 catamaran Shadow was racing on San Francisco Bay this past weekend when the wind cranked up to 30+ knots and the catamaran capsized a mile north of the Berkeley Pier.

BMW Oracle Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill (AUS) repeatedly said that a capsize of their 90-foot trimaran would have ended their campaign prior to their America’s Cup Match last February. Franck Cammas (FRA), who sailed his 103-foot trimaran Groupama 3 to a new round the world record, notes how he will be more relaxed when he skippers his entry in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race because the VO 70 can’t capsize.

For sports fans, the possibility of disaster is often why we tune in. But when disaster means the elimination of teams, then a sporting event loses some of its meaning. After a capsize, big multihulls just don’t go into the shed at night and come out race ready the next day. And for the America’s Cup, which is seeking to maintain a “made for television” schedule, losing teams during the event - an event that might not have too many teams to begin with - could be a problem.

If BMW Oracle Racing is thinking about multihulls for the 34th America’s Cup, Shadow’s tumble during a nuclear episode on San Francisco Bay just gave them something more to think about. Could this prove to be a strike against multihulls, or a strike against SF Bay? Here is the time schedule that the defender had previously announced:

- Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup will be issued by 31st August
- Design rule released by 30th September
- Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions published by 31st December
- Venue confirmed by 31st December
- Challenge Period open from 1st October - 31st January 2011

Thanks to NorCalSailing.com for details on Shadow.

Boat tax

US Senator John Kerry made the news this week. Here is the story as reported by IBI Magazine:

By berthing his new $7m custom built 23m (76ft) sloop Isabel in Rhode Island as opposed to his home state of Massachusetts, US Senator John Kerry is saving a tax liability of $437,000 in a one-time sales tax and some $70,000 on local boat taxes.

Built by Friendship Yachts in New Zealand, Isabel is being kept at the Newport Shipyard on Rhode Island and not at Nantucket near Kerry's summer house, or Boston, close to his city residence. Kerry's spokesman David Wade said that Isabel was being kept at Newport "for long-term maintenance, upkeep and charter purposes".

Kerry has been criticised for avoiding tax payments and for not having had the yacht built locally where a number of boatbuilders are experiencing tough times. Ted Fontaine, the Rhode Island-based yacht designer, designed Kerry's yacht.

Rhode Island abolished its boat taxes in 1993, which has resulted in a boost for the local yachting industry and made the state a sailing tax haven. If the yacht is berthed in Massachusetts within the next six months, then she will be liable for the taxes.

Is this a debate of how a government official should be held to a higher standard than the citizens he has been elected to govern? Or, is this an example of a person exhibiting the economic wits that are desired for a government official? Maybe just a big misunderstanding?

Here are the comments from the Scuttlebutt Facebook page:

Lorraine Stanley: If the Isabel is in Newport for "charters," does this mean he can write off part or all of his storage, dockage, and maintenance expenses? If so, that's just as big a dodge as the rest of this foolishness.

Michael Harnois: C'mon. He's not doing anything that the rest of wealthy residents of the Commonwealth don't do. If it's legal, then I don't understand what the problem is.

Rick Day: Good for him! If it's a legal loophole, he'd be silly not to use it. We are only under obligation to pay the minimum taxes we have to pay. Paying any more than you have to is silly.

Richard Clark: if you don'y see a problem then I guess you are part of the problem :)

Sven Finnis: Maybe he just prefers sailing out of Rhode Island, the sailing capital.

Willie Blevins: let's see, save a half million dollars, leave your boat in the sailing capitol of the US, if not the world, and do it legally? I would think even those with diminished mental ability could do that arithmetic...

Andrew Vare: If he takes that write off then he also has to stand up to the scrutiny.Sailboarding and dinghies rock!

Jeff Wilson: In the '80's I delivered several boats from SF bay area to Oregon, where the new owners took possession to avoid the CA sales taxes...nothing really new or illegal...

Tom DeSantis: ‎@Jeff: were all your owners United States Senators and former Presidential candidates from liberal Massachusetts?

Oren Beach: If a boat is built overseas, it cannot be used for chartering in the US. This is to protect US boat builders. I am sure plenty of people pay no attention to this and John Kerry will be one of them as well.

Johnny May: If he sails by me I'll give him a cross, he's just another sailor...

Robert Winess Not illegal nor unethical. Just something for people to bitch about. But if he gets caught with a Thai hooker onboard - whoa!!! There's a story!!!

Barrett Canfield: The loophole has always been there, but a U.S. Senator should lead by example....and pay taxes.

Robert Winess: It's not a loophole when it's open and apparent. It's simply the law. Kinda like companies that move to Florida because there is no State income tax. Call it fortunate luck that there is a State in close enough proximity that chooses not to charge tax. Go Rhode Island!!!

Johnny May: Yep to above ^

Michael W Dragon: Sounds like a prudent move...good for him. Maybe Mass will take the hint.

Saving Olympic Sailing

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is concerned about the future of Sailing as an Olympic event. In May 2010, a special committee published their draft report that focused on the problems of Olympic Sailing, which are many when compared with other Olympic events. Solving the issue depends on what side of the fence you stand. From the outside, Olympic Sailing is a mess. It is hugely expensive for competitors and hosts, it provides very little revenue from spectators and media rights, and it is highly technical.

However, from inside the sport, Olympic Sailing has evolved to what it is based on what it was. An Olympic Sailing event isn’t that much different than most regattas, other than the parties aren’t very wild and there is nearly as many coaches (and RIBs) as entrants. Like most everything else in our world, success at the Olympic level has escalated, and now requires more effort and focus. For Sailing, more effort translates quickly to more expense, thus uncomfortably dividing the haves and the have nots. For the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which seeks to bring the world together through sport, Sailing is not the best component of their formula.

To the rescue, at least in their eyes, is the International Kiteboard Association (IKA). The IKA is an International Class Association of ISAF and is responsible for the global administration of this part of the sport. They believe that Kiteboarding has all of the things that the Olympic Sailing events do not, and provides the solution for all the problems that the IOC has with Sailing. To state their case, the IKA has published a strategy paper that highlights the following key issues:

- Make sailing accessible and affordable
- Make sailing attractive to the youth of the world
- Make sailing attractive to media and spectators
- Reduce costs at the Olympic Games
- Simplify qualification systems for the Olympic Games

The strategy paper states the shopping list of problems with Olympic Sailing, many of which are broad problems for the entire sport, and how Kiteboarding can provide the solutions.

Given how ISAF is not an organization known for its ‘visionary’ aptitude, it would be a shocker to see Kiteboarding become an Olympic event. However, given that the IOC provides ISAF with 65% of its income (2004 figures) so as to manage Olympic Sailing, keeping Sailing in the Olympics will prevent ISAF from having to drastically redesign itself, and may motivate them to think outside the box.

Click here for the IKA strategy paper.

Why the chicken crossed the road

Not ESPY worthy

The ESPY Awards is an annual awards event created and broadcasted by American cable television network ESPN, where top celebrities from sports and entertainment gather to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances.

Among the nominees at the 2009 ESPY Award Show was 2008 Paralympic sailing gold medalist Maureen McKinnon-Tucker, who was being recognized in the "Female Athlete with a Disability" category. There's was not another sailor in any other category, and while she did not win, it was an honor for Maureen and the sport of sailing to be rubbing elbows with all the other major sports in the world.

But for the 2010 ESPY Award Show, which was held Wednesday, July 14th, the ‘buttheads should not have been holding their breath for sailing to receive similar inclusion. Certainly an American team winning the America’s Cup would be a worthy performance for consideration, but apparently ESPN did not think enough of the 33rd Match - what Scuttlebutt analyst Cory E. Friedman referred to as ‘A Perpetual Cup for Not So Friendly Competition Between Lawyers’ - to be ESPY worthy.

Shocking!

100th birthday celebration of FAME

On Sunday, July 11th, Dennis Conner hosted the 100th birthday celebration of FAME at San Diego Yacht Club. This 40 foot schooner has been Dennis’ latest project, saving her from near ruin when he brought her to San Diego from Chicago in March.

Now refurbished, she is perfect, really beautiful, and fully deserving of a party that used as its platform the replica of the 139-foot yacht AMERICA that won the historic, Royal Yacht Squadron's "100 Guinea Cup" race around the Isle of Wight.

As for his plans for FAME, Dennis only said, “I plan to sail her.”


AMERICA hosting the party


Dennis entertaining the guests


Daintry Conner blowing out FAME's birthday candle


She's ready


Crew wearing clothing from 1910





Lisa Leweck joining her husband in his laborous duties as Scuttlebutt editor

Photos by Bob Grieser

Not very worldly

This week the bay of Portoroz, Slovenia on the Adriatic Coast will be centre stage for the Extreme 40 teams lining up for the inaugural Extreme 40 World Championship (July 13-18). The 40-foot lightweight and super-fast catamarans have been the platform for the professional Extreme Sailing Series circuit in Europe and Asia, where events typically host less than ten boats.

While some exceedingly exciting video has been generated from Extreme 40 events, it comes as a shock that this class would qualify for the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to approve it to hold a World Championship. The ISAF Regulations (Reg. 18) describe what it takes to host a World Championship, with stipulations to insure that a class is ‘worldly’. The Extreme 40 is not worldly.

Regarding the event, Jerome Pels, Secretary General for ISAF comments, “The Extreme 40 has been granted this World Championship for this year by the (ISAF) Executive Committee, outside of being a class. The way this works out with the numbers is a very big concern, therefore the situation will be reviewed after the Event."

Two time Olympic medalist Mitch Booth (NED), who has been involved in the development of the Extreme 40 reports, “We are now at 19 boats in existence but to be fair, it was only six weeks ago that The Ocean Racing Club decided to have this World Championship, to actually commit and do the event which is a bold move at such short notice. It would have been great if we had more boats here but under the circumstances, six is probably a realistic low number, but a realistic number for the first event at such short notice. I see this as our chance to demonstrate that we can conduct a real good event and call it a World Championship."

With the genie now out of the bottle, it will be notable to see what ISAF does following the inaugural Extreme 40 World Championship, which has attracted six boats from five European countries.

Team Petras France (FRA)
Team IWC Holland (NED)
Team Nokia Hungary (HUN)
Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT)
Team Kempinski Great Britain (SLV)
The Ocean Racing Club (SLV)

PHOTO CREDIT: Crt Slavec/Extreme40Worlds2010/THEOCEANRACINGCLUB

Sunderland, Coast Guard Drop Bermuda Race Claims

Yachting journalist and historian John Rousmaniere is a frequent contributor to Scuttlebutt, and recently spearheaded an outstanding media program for the 2010 Newport Bermuda Race. John loves the race too, and thus has been active in clearing up a false report that came from Laurence Sunderland, whose 16 year old daughter Abby this June failed in her attempt to solo circumnavigate the globe.

There has been heavy doses of criticism directed toward the Sunderlands, some of which had to do with Abby being dismasted while seeking to cross the exceedingly dangerous Indian Ocean during its most dangerous time of year. To deflect this criticism, Laurence Sunderland sought to tamper with the Bermuda race's reputation.

John Rousmaniere sets the story straight here:

Abby Sunderland’s father and the U.S. Coast Guard have retracted statements that a boat was lost in the 2010 Bermuda Race.

When the young singlehanded ocean sailor Abby Sunderland and her father, Laurence, and brother Zac appeared on NBC’s “Today” show on June 30, 2010, host Meredith Vieira asked Laurence Sunderland to comment on the extensive critical press coverage of his daughter’s recent rescue from her dismasted boat in the Indian Ocean.

Sunderland said that she had been singled out. “I mean, let's look at the Newport-Bermuda race. A boat tipped upside down, lost its keel, we don't hear any of that in the news.”

Nothing in that statement is true. There was no capsize, no loss of a keel, and no other serious damage in the Newport Bermuda Race fleet. Each of the 183 boats that started the race at Newport on June 18 finished safely at Bermuda.

“We take Laurence Sunderland’s charge very seriously because we take safety extremely seriously,” said Newport Bermuda Race Chairman Bjorn Johnson. “We won’t let a boat sail unless we believe that it and the crew are prepared to meet the demands of racing 635 miles across the Gulf Stream. Every boat is inspected. The list of required safety equipment and procedures is very long. Sometimes we tell captains they can’t race unless the boat is strengthened or the crew is more experienced.”

The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee concluded that Sunderland’s claim probably was based in part on an erroneous U.S. Coast Guard report that the committee had been trying to have corrected. According to this report, which was posted on the Coast Guard’s online publication On Scene on June 23, “a participant in the Newport to Bermuda Race” was dismasted on June 15 at a position in the Atlantic Ocean 1,050 miles east of Nantucket. The boat’s one sailor was rescued with the assistance of the international SARSAT rescue system. The Coast Guard report said nothing about a capsize or keel loss, both of which were mentioned by Laurence Sunderland in his “Today” interview.

“The Coast Guard statement was inaccurate and, in fact, implausible,” said Johnson. “The boat could not possibly have been a participant in the race, which started on June 18 – three days after the accident – more than 1,000 miles west of the location of the accident.”

The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee twice tried to have the inaccurate Coast Guard report corrected through On Scene’s online comments form, without success. Following Laurence Sunderland’s statement on the “Today” show, the committee, working through different channels, succeeded in having the Coast Guard retract the report.

On July 8 the Coast Guard issued the following statement at http://uscgsar-onscene.blogspot.com: “Corrections & Amplifications. The Newport Bermuda Race 2010 commenced on June 18, 2010 and On Scene is happy to report that all race participants successfully completed the race without incident. The On Scene Weekly SARSAT Rescue Report dated Wednesday June 23, 2010 incorrectly stated that the sailing vessel associated with the June 15th SARSAT Rescue was participating in the Newport Bermuda Race 2010 when high winds caused the vessel to lose its mast. Many thanks to the On Scene subscribers who pointed out this inaccuracy.”

Meanwhile, the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee was urging Lawrence Sunderland to retract his charge. According to a July 10 posting on Abby Sunderland’s blog, http://soloround.blogspot.com/, her father’s remark about the Newport Bermuda Race was based on the erroneous USCG report.

“I hope this settles the matter,” Race Chairman Johnson said after reading Sunderland’s statement. “Now we can move on and prepare for the next Newport Bermuda Race in 2012.”

In 47 Bermuda Races since 1906, 4,860 boats and nearly 50,000 sailors have raced through 3 million miles of blue water. In that time, two boats have been lost – one due to an onboard fire in 1932 and the other wrecked on Bermuda’s reef in 1956. The only life lost in the race’s history was in the 1932 fire.

For more information about the Newport Bermuda Race, go to www.BermudaRace.com.

Show them to me

Check your pulse if this song doesn't put a smile on your face.