iShares Cup - Hyeres

I just got back from the latest Extreme 40 event for the iShares Cup, which was held in Hyeres, France. Our team consisted of Randy Smythe, Jonathon Farrar, Mark van Gelderen, and myself. Eleven boats raced in total. It was a great event, with 18 races held in total. Conditions were typical for Hyeres - very windy. There were tons of close quarters situations at marks, several near capsizes, and one boat did flip over. It was very exciting racing. We did not have a great event, finishing 10th out of 11. This was our first event of the year, and we entered it with almost no practice time at all. Podium places in order were - 1st - Alinghi, helmsman Ed Baird, 2nd - Team Origin, helmsman Rob Greenhaulgh, 3rd - Volvo Ocean Race - helmsman Herbert Dercksen.

Although we did not finish well, we did manage to distinguish ourselves with this move right in front of the seawall. For the record, we did not capsize here. Hey, if your not on the podium, you need to give them some reason to talk about you.

Full results, more photos, and video can be seen at www.isharescup.com

Whitman/Dorsett Sailing Wins Silver at Qingdao International Regatta

This statue sits at the marina entrance of the Qingdao Yinhai International Yacht Club.

On May 4^th, I traveled to the Chinese city of Qingdao to meet up with Scott and Julia and coach them in the Paralympic Test Event. The trip was long, about 30 hours door to door. In all, 5 US boats made the trek, representing the US in the 3 Paralympic classes. There were 2 American boats in the Sonar class, 2 in the 2.4 Meter class, and Scott and Julia were the lone American entry in the SKUD 18 class.

All regatta participants stayed at the newly built InterContinental Hotel, which will be used as part of the Sailing Village during the Olympic Games. Most Olympic events will be held in Beijing, which is about an 80 minute flight from Qingdao, thus sailors will not be staying in the main Olympic Village during the competition.

Scott and Julia practicing in Qingdao’s Yellow Sea.

With a population of over 8 million people, the city of Qingdao is gigantic. From the water, one can see skyscrapers extending for miles, and there is new development on virtually every other block in the city. As far as the sailing goes, the facility is top notch. The accommodations are beautiful, and the hotel staff was extremely hospitable. The marina itself is gigantic, and open water is reached just past the main breakwater of the marina. This breakwater is an excellent place for spectating, as race committee makes their best effort to keep the racing within view from there.

The sailing conditions themselves were excellent during the International Regatta. Scott and Julia had three practice days prior to the event, with moderate winds of 8 – 12 knots from the Southeast each day. During the event, a cold front brought some stronger Northerly winds for two days, and by the end of the five day event, the wind had returned back to what appears to be the prevailing Easterly direction. The bay is wide open to the East and South, so large rollers are common, even when the breeze is blowing offshore. The current is quite strong, which does make light air sailing a bit more challenging. The final race of the event was held in only 4 – 5 knots of wind with a strong downwind tide – this made the upwind legs take ages, and the downwind legs took no time at all. Temperatures were cool, with the high on most days in the low 60’s at best. The water temperature is around 54 degrees, so it was cold on the water when any breeze was blowing at all. In fact on the days when the Northerly was in, I found myself running in place in my motorboat to warm up, and I was wearing enough clothing to be mistaken for the Michelin man.

All this is in stark contrast to what I had been told regarding the sailing conditions the sailors can expect during the Olympics and Paralympics. Apparently, Qingdao is rather hot and humid in the summertime, and the wind shuts down totally. Reports from the Olympic test event last August were of no wind, and so much current that boats could barely cross the starting line at times. This is unfortunate, as Qingdao is a nice place to sail in the spring time, a little on the chilly side, but great conditions.

 

Scott is interviewed by a Chinese reporter after registration.

 

Julia on her way to the Opening Ceremony.

As for the event, there were nine races over five days, and Scott and Julia sailed very well. They have spent much time this spring practicing with the US SKUD representatives for the Paralympics, Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Nick and Maureen were unable to make the trip to the International Regatta due to personal reasons). This practice time proved valuable, as Scott and Julia showed great speed and boathandling, especially downwind. They did start off on the wrong foot, finishing the first race in 8^th after rounding the windward mark in 2^nd. They ran over their spinnaker sheets on the reach leg of the race, and they were unable to fix the issue before losing the entire fleet. They recovered well though, and put together a remarkable string over the next 6 races 1 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 1. This put Whitman/Dorsett in 1^st place for the event, but only by a narrow margin over the British team of Niki Birrell and Alexandra Rickham. The two finished 6^th and 7^th in race 8, setting up a showdown of who beats who going into the final day of the event.

As I mentioned above, the final day offered a light Southeast breeze with strong downwind tide. The scoring situation was simple, regardless of their place in the fleet, whoever comes out on top between USA and GBR will be the regatta winner. There was a heavy pin-end bias on the starting line, which prompted Scott and Julia to set up for a port tack start late in the sequence. This may sound a little aggressive, but it was very difficult to cross the line on Starboard, given the strength of the current. Unfortunately, they were a but punchy with their timing, and Scott and Julia were over the line early. The Individual Recall flag was raised, but Whitman/Dorsett did not realize that they were the early boat. They sailed the first beat, and were pulled out of the race at the windward mark because they did not start properly.

This was a disappointing end to the event. But it was still a great experience for the Whitman/Dorsett Sailing Team. After losing the US Selection trials last October, Scott and Julia made a goal of winning the International Regatta. They came very close to achieving that goal. Furthermore, they showed that they can compete on an international stage, even though they will not be the US representatives to the Games in September.

Over the summer, Scott and Julia plan to continue practicing with Nick and Maureen in Southern California, and they have a full regatta schedule planned through the end of the year. Scott and Julia have their sites set on the 2012 Paralympics, which will be held in Weymouth, England. They will continue their campaign straight through to that event.

Donald Trump is everywhere!

But so is Ronald McDonald.

Off to China!

I am heading to Qingdao tomorrow morning to coach the Whitman/Dorsett Sailing Team team at the SKUD test event for the Paralympics.  I am not sure if I will be able to update this from there or not.  But you can find the results on www.sailing2008.org.  The event begins on May 8th.   After some strong winter results, Scott and Julia have high expectations for themselves at this event.

The ISAF Mid-Year meeting will take place in Qingdao during this event.  The selection of equipment for the 2012 Olympics may be reconsidered at this meeting.   I will meet a group from the Tornado Class in Qingdao, and we will help lobby for the multihull to be used in the 2012 Olympics.

On Spring Break … Again

During my senior year at BU (in 1999), we spent our spring break sailing out of Ransom Everglades High School in Miami. It was normal for me to assume that the trip would be my last spring break with the BU team. This past March, I went on spring break with the BUDS (Boston University Dinghy Sailors), this time to Charleston, SC. Nine years later, it was just as enjoyable.

(Above) BUDS Gordon Mack (’10) and Veronica White (’09).

It was a busy trip, with the majority of the team racing regattas on the weekends before and after break. One of those events was the Navy Women’s Intersectional, held on March 8 – 9. Annapolis is about a 9 hour drive from Boston, but in March that distance it is not far enough south to be guaranteed nice weather. On Saturday morning we woke up to dense fog and temperatures of about 45 degrees. The fog cleared by around 11AM, and winds of around 12 knots cooled things off a bit more. Things took a real nasty turn around 4 PM when a solid blast of probably around 35 knots knocked over the majority of the fleet. By one count, 22 of 36 boats were capsized. Obviously, that meant the end of the racing day, but not the end of the sailing day. Over the next 90 minutes, the race committee, coaches, and every sailor who was available, drove around in motorboats, rescuing capsized, frozen sailors. Several masts broke, several boats were washed up onto land. It was quite a scene, and definitely not a boat maintenance guy’s dream. In fact, the damage was so extensive to the FJ fleet that we were unable to use it the next day, and the regatta was completed using only the 420 fleet.

(Above) Bobby Martin (’08), Alli Bittl (’10), and Ben Spiller (’09), playing tourist during a stop at South of the Border. I have been trying to convince the kids that South of the Border is a terrible place. I have been unable to do so, and I consider that one of my great failings as a sailing coach. It is my hope that pictures like this will embarrass them into never going back.

After our exciting little adventure at Navy, we went down to Charleston from March 10 – 14. We were greeted by sunny skies and moderate breeze on Monday morning. Twenty-two sailors made the trip, so we had 11 boats for the week. Due to the weather, the BUDS have few if any practice time under their belts prior to spring break. So much of the week is spent doing boathandling and boatspeed drills to help shake the rust off and shape up the fundamental skills. The weather cooperated, and we got tons of sailing time in Monday through Thursday. There was no wind on Friday morning, but we took that as a sign to pack it in and head north, as the team had big events at the Naval Academy and St. Mary’s College the very next day.

(above) Janel Zarkowsky (’09) and Meredith Varr (’09) flattening the boat after a gybe.

We did get a chance to enjoy Charleston as well. Several kids went on tours of the city, one of which was a haunted mansion tour. We had a great team night out at the go-cart track, and we checked out some nice local restaurants. One notable spot was a seafood place called Hyman’s. They let customers decorate plates which they hang on the walls. BUDS artist Sarah Whalen made a plate with the BUDS burgee which we all signed. If you ever happen into Hyman’s, read the message on the back of our plate.

With some work, the BUDS should have a successful spring season. The women’s team qualified for the National Championship last year, and every sailor from that team returned this year. Current National rankings list the co-ed team in 16^th, and the Women’s Team in 14^th. Teams to beat this year include St. Mary’s, Yale, and Boston College. All three teams are very deep, and are expected to finish well at the co-ed, team racing, and women’s national championships.

BU Head Coach Brad Churchill, in familiar form on the MIT dock. Yes, he is wearing roller blades and carrying ski poles. Brad has been known to skate to regatta venues 50 miles or more from home in this fashion.

News from the Multihull World

This posting was made on March 6^th. Check back for the next posting on March 24^th.

 

2008 Tornado Worlds

Congratulations to Darren Bundock and Glen Ashby on their victory at the Tornado World Championships in Takapuna, New Zealand. After a tough first day, with finishes of 14 and 23, Darren and Glenn rallied with finishes of 2 – 2 – 8 – 1 – 1 – 6, and won the event by 5 points. This is Darren’s unprecedented 6^th win at the Tornado Worlds. Glenn won the A-Class Catamaran Worlds last September. So this is his second world championship victory in less than 6 months!

Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby during a training session.

 

Other notable finishes at the event include USA’s Johnny Lovell and Charlie Ogletree and Canada’s Oscar Johansson and Kevin Stittle. Johnny and Charlie finished 8^th overall in the very competitive 51 boat fleet. I want wish Johnny and Charlie the best of luck as they prepare for the Olympic Games this coming August. Johnny and Charlie are the returning Silver Medallists, and will be competing in their 4^th Olympic Regatta. It would be great to see them bring home another Tornado medal.

Congratulations also to Oscar and Kevin, who finished 2^nd at the Tornado Worlds. They have been working very hard for several years now, and clearly it has paid off. It is great to see them with such a solid result at a major championship!

 

Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz of Spain, who finished 7th at the Takapuna Worlds. Fernando and Anton are currently ranked 2nd in the ISAK Tornado rankings.

 

The Everglades Challenge

Randy launching his new creation during the Everglades Challenge.

 

My buddy Randy Smythe entered a funky race known as the Everglades Challenge earlier this month. It was pretty much an anything goes sail and paddle race down the West Coast of Florida. At intervals, the competitors were required to pass through check points which were often located inside of narrow channels and mangrove areas. Randy built the boat shown above specifically for the event. The central hull of his trimaran is an A-Cat hull. He built the outside hulls himself. If I remember correctly, the mast is from an A-Cat, but of course, he built a jib and spinnaker for the boat as well. The boat is over 18 feet wide counting the racks, so he figured it was not necessary to add a trapeze. I guess he was smoking right along, winning the race before he broke down.

Two-time Worrel 1000 Champion Jamie Livingston won the race sailing with Steve Longmire in a Tornado. Randy won the Worrel 6 times, but he entered most of those races with more conventional boats.

 

International Multihull Council

Feeling disenfranchised, some multihull sailors have gotten together and started a new organization - the International Multihull Council. The following is an excerpt from a press release I was sent regarding the formation of the IMC,

“The decision of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to exclude any Multihull Event from the 2012 Olympic Games has shown that we cannot entirely rely on others to promote our interests, so [we] need to establish our own organisation to do so. As there is no representation for Multihulls within ISAF, either formally through a Multihull Committee, or informally, through the interests of individual Councillors, national multihull associations from several leading ISAF Member National Authorities (MNA) have jointly founded the IMC.”

I made some phone calls to try and learn more, but I was unable to reach anyone who I know is affiliated with the organization. John Williams, the current chair of US Sailing’s Multihull Committee, was named in the release as the IMC’s Vice President.

Collegiate Sailing Season Getting Underway

Posted on February 21^st, look for next posting on March 6th

I head down to Charleston with the Boston University Sailing Team early tomorrow morning for a team race intersectional. When we scheduled the event, the plan was for the team to drive down. But times have changed in collegiate sailing, and the school administration has decided it is not safe for the team to make a drive of such distance. So we will fly. That’s fine with me, it makes life a lot easier. But it feels odd, and signifies the changing landscape of collegiate sailing. I did not graduate that long ago (1999), and only boarded an airplane one time for a collegiate regatta. That was the 1997 collegiate nationals, in Portland, Oregon (quite far from Boston). At the end of my freshman year of college, I remember totaling up the hours I had spent driving to sailing events for the year (for BU and outside of collegiate sailing), and it was over 9 solid days. Most people who sailed in college prior to the new millennium will say the same, and they have great memories of those road trips. I guess the same memories can be gathered from plane flights, but it is not as romantic.

Boston University Sailors Kyle Assad and Juliet Lewis competing at the Schell Trophy on the Charles River.

Regardless, it is exciting to see the start of a new collegiate sailing season. The Boston University Dinghy Team (BUDS) have a promising year in front of them. I look forward to going on this trip with them, and accompanying them to their spring break, which will also be in Charleston in mid-March.

The BUDS getting ready for spring break practice in 2005 at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL.

In other news …

Groupama flipped over near New Zealand earlier this week. A beam holding on their leeward hull broke off, and before they could gybe to make it their windward hull, it broke off completely, and then the boat capsized. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the boat is currently being salvaged. This is disappointing as the team was on a run to break the around the world record. The crew is optimistic, and they are anticipating their next attempt at the record.

Groupama III capsized near the New Zealand Coast.

Whitman/Dorsett Sailing Finish 2nd at Miami Olympic Classes Regatta

Posted on February 5^th. Look for next posting on February 22^nd.

Scott and Julia looking upwind prior to a start.

After a tough first day in the SKUD 18 class, Scott and Julia rallied, finishing off the Miami OCR with finishes of 1-2-1-2-1. It was a predominantly light air event; the breeze in the windiest race was only about 11 knots. Several races were held in the 3 – 5 knot range. Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker excelled in the conditions, winning the first 5 races of the event. With no finish worse than 3rd, Nick and Maureen were in control of the regatta from beginning to end.

Scott and Julia entered the event this year hoping to repeat their 1st place performance from the 2007 Miami OCR. Although they were unable to duplicate that feat, the pair were happy with how they performed. Scott Whitman remarked, “We had a tough one early on, but we are happy with how we sailed after that. Nick is going really well right now. You make one mistake, and he’s gone.”

Scott and Julia just after rounding a windward mark in 1st Place.

Rounding a leeward mark in close quarters.

Scott and Julia should be happy with how they sailed. They were very fast, and had excellent boathandling. It was great to see team USA finish 1 – 2 as the majority of the world’s top SKUD 18 teams were racing in the regatta. The next event for Whitman/Dorsett Sailing will be the SKUD 18 Midwinters, which will be held in St. Petersburg in late February. Scott and Julia have some training scheduled prior to that event with Nick and Maureen. After the Midwinters, they will be heading west for some tuning sessions near Nick’s home in Southern California. That training time will be in preparation for the next big event on the Whitman/Dorsett schedule, the International Regatta in Qingdao, China. Regatta dates are May 8 – 16.

Bull and Bear Sailing Carl Horrocks, smiles after winning a race in the 2.4 Meter Class.

Carl finished 5th overall in the very competitive 25 boat fleet.

SKUDS in Miami

Posted on January 23^rd. Please look for next post on February 5^th.

I am down in Miami for a couple of different coaching details. I ran a Club 420 clinic at the US Sailing Center last weekend, and before that, and I spent a day with a multihull team preparing for the US Youth Multihull Champs. But most of my time here will be with the Scott Whitman and Julia Dorsett in preparation for the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta. Scott and Julia won the SKUD 18 class at the Miami OCR last year, and they are back to defend their title. You may recall that Scott and Julia finished second at the SKUD 18 Paralympic Selection last October. Since then, they have agreed to train with the trials winners, Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker as they prepare to compete in the Paralympic Games this coming September. Several foreign SKUD teams are in Miami for the OCR, including boats from England, Sweden, and Canada. A warm-up event was held last weekend which Nick and Maureen won, and Scott and Julia finished second, just a few points behind. It was good to see USA finish 1 - 2.

Scott and Julia rounding a windward mark at the 2007 Miami OCR.

Scott and Julia have their eyes set on a medal, and towards that end, they will campaign straight through the 2012 games. It is very common for sailors to stop their campaigns if they do not win the selection trials, and spend a period of time away from sailing. Scott and Julia have been wise to continue on though. They made great strides leading up to the trials in October, and they can improve even more while they help Team Scandone/Tucker prepare for the 2008 games.

About the SKUD 18

I went sailing in the SKUD for the very first time last week. Scott was not feeling well, so Julia and I went out for the day together. It really is a sensible design that is very fun to sail.

The class rules are written in a manner that allows sailors of various ability levels to compete on an even playing field. For example, helmsman and crew are both required to sit in seats mounted on the centerline of the boat, and the competitors are not allowed to leave their seats during racing. This allows sailors with very limited mobility to compete evenly with those who are more able. The SKUD 18 does have a lead keel, which contributes most of the boat’s righting moment. In addition to that though, the sailors are allowed to fit their seats with motorized levers which tilt them towards one side of the boat or the other. This allows the sailors to shift their weight to the windward side of the boat. I learned early in my first sail that one wants to start shifting his seat from one side to the other before the tack begins, otherwise you end up leaning over the leeward side of the boat, with your face almost in the water.

Almost every SKUD is set up with all the control lines leading to the crew, because many of the helmsmen have limited use of their arms, or they are unable to grip lines very well. This makes it very busy for the crew, especially at the leeward mark, as the spinnaker must be doused, then the mainsail, jib and other control lines such as the vang and cunningham need to be trimmed.

The standard steering system is comprised of two levers, one on each side of the seat, and the helmsman can head up or down by pushing and pulling on the levers. It took me a few minutes to get used to this system, and I even steered us in the wrong direction twice as we were leaving the harbor (this may have shaken Julia’s confidence in coach!). It is a similar sensation to that of steering with a wheel for the first time, after learning how to sail by using a tiller. You are used to motion in a given direction producing a given result, and it can be surprising when the exact opposite happens.

The SKUD steering system - notice the levers in each of Scott’s hands.

The jib is a non-overlapping self-tacking sail, which makes things a little easier for the crews who trim both the mainsail and the jib. But the sail trimmer is still pretty busy, as the boats become overpowered in about 8 knots of wind, so vang, cunningham, and mainsheet are always need adjusting. Upwind the boat is quite lively, and it drives really nice. Downwind, the boat smokes right along once the asymmetric spinnaker is raised. The boat is capable of planning in about 11 or 12 knots of wind, so it is a really fun ride off the breeze.

The Miami OCR will begin next Monday, January 27^th, and it will run through Friday, February 1^st. Please follow Scott and Julia at that event, and throughout their campaign to win Gold at the 2012 Games!

Good Luck Scotty!!

C-Class Catamaran - The Cogito Project

Steve Clark and Duncan MacLane sailing Cogito in 2004.

Posted on Thursday, January 10th.  Look for next posting on Wednesday, January 23rd.

             In March of 2004 I was fortunate enough to start working for Steve Clark in preparation for the International C-Class Catamaran Championship. The event was scheduled for the following September. I wrote a posting several weeks ago where I described my first sail on a Tornado as feeling like I was on a spaceship. I had that feeling again the first time I sailed on a C-Class, except that, the feeling of sailing on a spaceship did not really go away the more time I spent on the boat. Modern C-Class cats, such as Clark’s Cogito are so light and efficient that it is almost unbelievable. Look at the C-Class rules, and it is easy to see why,

Length – 25 feet

Beam – 14 feet

Sail Area – 300 square feet

Crew – 2

Trapeze – 2

Lars Guck and I racing Patient Lady VI.

For a quick comparison, a C-Class is 5 feet longer than a Tornado and 4 feet wider. A Tornado has only 34 square feet more upwind sail area, and the boats are raced with about the same sized crew. Note that there is NO minimum C-Class weight. Cogito weighs in at about 375 pounds; this is only 35 heavier pounds than the Tornado class minimum.

The result is an unbelievable sailing machine. A C-Class can fly a hull in just about 4 knots, which is unheard of. But more amazing than that is the boat’s ability to sail through lulls. The boat is so light, and its sail plan and blades are so efficient that once Cogito is flying a hull, it can sail through patches of almost no wind at all.

Steve and Duncan demonstrating the speed of the C-Class in extremely light air.

However, the first thing I noticed when I got on board was not how light the boat was, but how the sail did not luff. It made these loud, creaking noises in stead. As you probably know, modern C-Class cats have a hard sail, also known as a wing sail. Cogito’s wing has three distinct ‘elements’ which rotate on a series of hinges in a manner similar to that in which the aft flaps of an airplane wing move. The manipulation of these elements allows the sailors to induce shape into the wing, or, trim the sails. When the boat is stopped, rather than hearing a sail luff, one hears creaking, and an occasional bang, as each of the elements swings back and forth. I can try and explain further about how a C-Class wing is trimmed, but I think I would be unsuccessful. Almost every C-Class wing is different, and my explanation would be useless without several drawings which I do not have (I can try and draw for you myself, but you would probably just laugh at me).

The upwind VMG of the C-Class is almost unmatchable, it sails higher and faster than almost anything you have ever seen. But more surprising is how smooth and quiet the ride is. The boat is almost noiseless, just one narrow hull knifing through the water, with two crew, 14 feet away from that point, flying high above the water.

Lars and I, sailing Patient Lady VI with experimental lifting foils

Brief History of the C-Class

The first C-Class race took place in 1961. In 1962, Van Alan Clark (Steve’s father), had an entry in the competition. That year the victor was Hellcat I, sporting an innovative idea – cross beams. Previously, most catamarans had a solid deck connecting the hulls. Hellcat’s cross beams allowed for a much lighter platform, and brought home the C-Class crown as a result.

It is unfortunate that C-Class events have not received more attention over the years, as the sailing and design talent involved in the projects is usually top-notch. Prior to designing the Olympic Tornado, Reg White designed several C-Class Cats. Van Alan Clark, whose contributions to the sport both on and off the water are too numerous to mention here, built the World’s first boat with a canting keel, the Red Herring. The 6 person team Steve put together to build Cogito included David Hubbard and Duncan MacLane. Both David and Duncan were on the design team for the catamaran which defended the America’s Cup in 1988. C-Class cats were among the first boats to develop rotating masts, and a una-rig sail plan (placing all the allowable sail area in the mainsail, rather than in the mainsail and the jib. A una-rig is a much more efficient sail plan).

Of course, the C-Class is now most widely known because of the wing sails which all boats use. The first wing sail appeared at a C-Class championship in 1974 on Miss Nylex, and it was made of spruce and balsa. Miss Nylex won the title that year, but was defeated by a soft sail boat (Aquarius V) the following year, mostly because Aquarius V was lighter. However, the future was clear, and C-Class engineers have been trying to find ways to make both their wings, and platforms lighter and more efficient ever since.

Most C-Class participants have been either American, British, or Australian, but challenges have also come from Denmark, Italy, France, and other European countries. The champion of the event is always decided in a match race, but there were years where there were many entrants in the event, and the fleet race featured fierce competition. Unfortunately though, building a C-Class wing is no small endeavor, it takes time, money, and manpower. However, it is certainly a worthy pursuit, and the sailing world would benefit greatly if more sailing enthusiasts took interest in the C-Class.

Steve and Duncan, sailing upwind in Cogito.

After Cogito won the C-Class title handily in 1996, there were no challenges until 2004. Cogito won handily again, with Patient Lady VI finishing second, an Australian entry finishing 3^rd, and a British entry finishing 4^th. Just after the 2004 regatta, a Canadian named Fred Eaton purchased Patient Lady VI to use as a model for his own project. Fred built Alpha and raced against Clark on Cogito 2007. Alpha was victorious, but in a way, I think that Steve may be happy for this. It will give him an excuse to build a new C-Class.

Merry Christmas!

Don’t be that guy.

A friend sent me these pictures a while ago. I do not know what event they are from. Probably makes you feel better about the last mistake you made though. More are below.

I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback about this blog, but mostly regarding pictures. I am a little short on time right now, so rather than write an article, I’ve included some pictures of a trimaran crash (and a few news tid bits). I appreciate your feedback, and I am happy to hear suggestions about how to improve the site.

Francis Joyon – Is still on pace to beat Ellen MacArthur’s around the world record. He’s got a little while to go, but he’s tearing it up right now. I believe he is averaging just under 20 knots an hour at the moment, not bad for sailing by yourself.

Royal Yachting Association letter­ – The RYA’s Chris Atkins recently sent a letter to ISAF President Goran Petersson asking that the slate of Olympic Sailing disciplines be reconsidered. ISAF can review this decision at a meeting in May of 2008. The letter cited recent requests by the International Olympic Committee which included making Olympic sailing more media friendly, more focused towards younger athletes, and focused towards developing the sport in more countries. To that end, the letter states that in 2002 the IOC actually recommended to ISAF that there should be a reduction in the number of keelboat events at the Olympics. Reasons for that recommendation include the high cost to run keelboat events (compared to dinghy events), and that the keelboat events “suit the resources and physiques of established Olympic sailing nations and are hardest for new ones to break into.”

I did not intend to bring this issue up again, because I thought it was over and that multihulls were out of the 2012 Olympics. But there are several countries pushing the issue with ISAF, including the UK, Austria, and Australia, among others (I understand the Spanish and French, are not so happy about this either). So maybe it is not over, but there is a lot of work to be done.

On a side note, I was surprised by the statements in Chris Atkins’ letter regarding the state of Olympic sailing in general. Although sailing does not have the media appeal of many other Olympic sports, I always understood that sailing was a sport the IOC looked upon favorably. Furthermore, it was my belief that it is a very popular sport worldwide in terms of people who participate in sailing. Mr. Atkins letter suggests otherwise. I am not sure what the facts really are. I saw Chris Atkins’ letter on Sailing Anarchy the other day, but it is not there anymore. I am not sure where on can find it now.

420 Clinic in Miami­ – I am running a 420 clinic in Miami from January 19 – 21 (the 21^st is a holiday). If you know of anyone who may be interested in attending, please have them contact me at stan.schreyer@verizon.net. The clinic will be held out of the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove.

That’s why you need an escape hatch.

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