The Amazing Claim

The Amazing Race is an eight-time Emmy Award-winning reality series that pits 11 teams, each comprised of two members, against each other on a trek around the world for approximately 25 days. Teams who are the farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning $1 million.

The show premiere for the 19th season was Sunday night, and this edition has Zac Sunderland and his father Laurence as one of the teams.

At age 16, Zac set off on an Islander 36 to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone. Sunderland departed from Marina del Rey (Los Angeles, CA) on June 14, 2008, completing the route on July 16, 2009. After many stops along his circumnavigation, he claimed that his thirteen months adventure set two world records: the youngest ever to sail around the world and the first under 18.

His successful trip - and the attention it received - opened the flood gates for other teenage attempts. Soon the two record keeping authorities - Guinness Book of World Records and the World Sailing Speed Record Council - chose to no longer ratify age-related records.

A key feature of record ratification is to insure that a common route is followed. There are shortcuts to take, and as Zac went through the Panama Canal rather than around Cape Horn, his route failed to meet the historic standard.

While you will not find Zac's name in any record books, it does not belittle his accomplishment. It takes some big stones to sail solo around the world. However, perhaps he should stop saying, as he does on the show's website, that he was "the youngest person to sail around the world."

Isn't it enough to just be able to say you sailed around the world at age 16?

Cast details: http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/cast/63367

FAMILY TREE OF VINCENT VAN GOGH

His dizzy aunt: Verti Gogh
The brother who ate prunes: Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store: Stop N Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia: U Gogh
His magician uncle: Where diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin: A Mee Gogh
The Mexican cousin's American half brother: Gring Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach: Wells far Gogh
The constipated uncle: Can't Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt: Tang Gogh
The bird lover uncle: Flamin Gogh
The fruit loving cousin: Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking: Way to Gogh
The little bouncy nephew: Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco: Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in an RV: Winnie Bay Gogh

I saw you smiling . . .. there ya Gogh


Thanks, we think, to Eric Sorenson

'Doing' versus sitting

So there I was, Saturday morning, watching the America’s Cup World Series racing in Plymouth, live on my computer. Very, very cool. I was totally enjoying the YouTube media platform and livestreaming capabilities, which offered me five different video and audio streams to choose:

Sports - A sports commentary for newer fans of the America's Cup
Sailing - Those seeking a more technical commentary.
Boat A - Ringside seat - selected on board audio and video
Boat B - Ringside seat - selected on board audio and video
Graphics - LiveLive and Virtual Eye providing a tactical graphics feed

The broadcast had seemingly improved from their inaugural ACWS event a month earlier, but after about 30 minutes, some of which was a race delay to allow a ferry to cross the course, I said to myself: “Craig, this is your weekend. You are sitting in your office... alone...on a beautiful day.” And that’s when I realized the hurdle for online viewing.

During this same weekend I was active outside, but I also watched some baseball, some football, and some tennis. Never did I watch a full game, but each time I was surrounded by people. Because watching sports is a social and entertaining occasion.

So while I am at work this week, I suspect my productivity will dip as I view the ACWS racing on Wednesday through Friday. But for their final racing on Saturday and Sunday, I will be choosing between watching the races online, or taking a break from the computer. Until I connect my hi-def 56” TV to the internet (or winter hits San Diego), I will likely be ‘doing’ versus sitting.

How are you handling this situation?

A reminder for U.S. viewers that the Versus cable channel will be broadcast a one hour highlights show on September 18 at 7:00 P.M. ET. -- Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt

Event communication

We all have our soap box moments, when we’re passionate enough about something ... our emotions just can’t be contained. These moments are tolerated as long as they are brief. So I will try to be brief.

In the report 'Online Expectations' in Scuttlebutt 3414, it warned event organizers to avoid purchasing custom website addresses to use for their event. A case in point is the 2009 Snipe World Championship. When I went to look for some details from that event, I found their domain address (http://www.snipeworlds2009.com/) had not been renewed and all the information that was posted there was no longer available.

I have since learned that the entire website for the 2009 Snipe Worlds was moved, and is now an extension of the San Diego Yacht Club website (www.sdyc.org/snipeworlds2009). While it was good to hear that the information has been retained, it still did not change how every media report regarding the event was directed to the original site. And now those links are broken. Whether it is on the ISAF website or the Scuttlebutt website, stories about the 2009 Snipe Worlds link back to an event site that no longer exists.

But what really moved me to climb up on the soap box was a press release announcing that the Notice of Race for the 2012 Etchells World Championship was now available online at http://www.etchellsworlds2012.org/. Anybody want to take a guess what is going to happen to this domain address in two years?

Anybody want to guess what has already happened to the event website from the 2009 Etchells World Championship (www.audietchellsworlds2009.com.au)?

Tips to help event organizers with their event communication can be found here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/pr