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.

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!!

505’s in Bermuda

Wednesday, November 28^th, 2007 

          I just got back from Bermuda, where I was helping out with a 505 training session.  It was for a tuning group organized by Hasso Plattner and Peter Alarie.  Three 505’s were sailed by Hasso and Peter, Andy Beekman and Jeff Nelson from Southern California, and Boris Herrman and Julian Kleiner came over from Kiel, Germany.  Head coach for the session was Skip Whyte, and I was his assistant.  It was a great group to work with, and we got a lot of great sailing in over our eight day session (we were there from November 11 – 19).  Bermuda is a very reliable place for wind in the late fall, and very warm.  The group had many hours on the water, so it was a rather comprehensive session.  We ran several boathandling and starting drills each day, and we were able to get a lot of tuning work in.

          We still managed to find a little time to run around the island.  Bermuda is an interesting place for several reasons.  It is a very isolated place, as it is 600 miles from the nearest land.  In an effort to reduce congestion on the roads, which were originally designed to accommodate horses, foreigners are not allowed to rent cars (motorcars did not really become popular among native Bermudians until the 60’s).  So tourists rent mopeds, and are readily identifiable by their white helmets (the locals wear black helmets).  This branding is safer for everyone though, as it is common for tourists to forget that one drives on the left in Bermuda.  Since it is a volcanic island, the landscape is striking, with peculiar rock formations and small caves all over the island.  A reef surrounds the island, which makes it an ideal place for diving and fishing.  Cost of living is very high in Bermuda though, so one does need to save a bit before planning to visit the island.  Pictures of the trip will follow shortly.  

In the news …

A-Class Worlds
Glenn Ashby – 9 points, 1st place
Lars Guck - 11 points, 2nd place. 
Lars and Glenn battled in an extremely competitive 98 boat fleet which included Pete Melvin (3rd Place), Mitch Booth (5th Place), Charlie Ogletree, Randy Smythe, Howard Hamlin, Cam Lewis, and Goran Marstrom (and several other talented sailors).  In addition to Lars’ finish, the Bristol, RI fleet was well represented by Phil Kinder and Chad Atkins who finished 12th and 15th respectively.  The regatta took place in Islamorada, Florida from November 10 – 15.

Glenn Ashby, almost airborn.  Photo by Mel Ashby.

Lars Guck racing downwind.  Photo by Lou Vest.

Multihulls and the Olympic Games
There is still a push by the multihull community to alter the ISAF Council’s slate of events for 2012 games.  It’s a long shot, but worth a try. 

The America’s Cup
Something about a law suit, an improper challenge, and the event dates changing (its all very confusing).  There is an occasional mention about the possibility of the next America’s Cup being held in catamarans too.  I have been asked about this a bunch of times.  Sounds great to me, but that doesn’t mean much.  If you asked me about this before last Sunday, I would have said that the possibility of multihulls in the America’s Cup is about as likely as the Philadelphia Eagles (the team I grew up watching) beating the Patriots.  But that almost happened.  All that means is that Vegas called it wrong though (Pats were favored by 24).  We are not going to see multihulls in the next America’s Cup.

Tune in soon for a posting about C-class catamarans, wing sails, and lifting foils.

The Whitman/Dorsett Sailing Team

SKUD 18 Paralympic Selection 

          Over the summer, I started coaching Scott Whitman and Julia Dorsett (The Whitman/Dorsett Sailing Team), who are on a campaign in the SKUD 18 class.  Scott and I grew up racing Blue Jays and Lightnings against each other on the Jersey Shore.  While he was in college, Scott had a swimming accident which left him paralyzed.  During the winter of 2005, Betsy Allison approached him regarding the new Paralympic Class – the SKUD 18.  Although she now resides in Newport, Betsy is a New Jersey native, and a member of Scott’s home club – the Metedeconk River Yacht Club.  She knew Scott would love the SKUD, and he bought one of the first boats delivered to the US in the Spring of 2006.         

Team Whitman/Dorsett surfing down a wave at the SKUD 18 World Championship.

          Scott teamed up with Julia Dorsett, who attended the 2004 Paralympic Games as a tennis player.  Julia learned how to sail when young, and she jumped at the chance to campaign a SKUD.  The SKUD is 18 feet long (obviously), and it is a two person boat with a mainsail, jib, and asymmetrical spinnaker.  It has a carbon fiber mast, relatively light weight construction, and a planning hull shape, all of which make it a very exciting boat to sail, especially downwind.

          Scott and Julia instantly hit it off as a team, and had great results last summer, in spite of Scott’s 6 year lay off from competitive sailing.  The two won the 2007 Miami Olympic Classes Regatta last January.  This past August, Scott and Julia won the Clagett Trophy which was a warm up event for the trials, held in the same location, with all the US teams participating.  Just after the Clagett, they tied for 2nd at the SKUD 18 World Championships in Rochester, NY, missing the podium only because they lost a three-way tie breaker.  So entering the Paralympic Selection Trials, Scott and Julia were the #1 ranked US team in the SKUD 18 class.

Team Whitman/Dorsett rounding a windward mark at the SKUD 18 Paralympic Selection.

          The regatta was held from October 3 – 14 in Newport, RI, hosted by Sail Newport, with help from the New York, Ida Lewis, and Newport Yacht Clubs.  The two sailed well throughout the 16 race event, finishing 2nd to Nick Scandone and Maureen Mckinnon-Tucker.  Nick and Maureen sailed an excellent event in conditions that were often challenging due to ripping current and shifty Northeasterly and Northwesterly winds. 

Just off the line, Scott and Julia winning the start.  Starting was a strong point for them at the trials.

Julia and her father, Scott and his mother.

          Although they did not receive a berth for Beijing, Scott and Julia intend to continue racing.  Their future goals include winning a SKUD 18 World championship, and winning Gold at the 2012 games in London.  They will be training with Nick and Maureen through the 2008 games, as they want to see their friends and fellow Americans bring home the gold.  Their next regatta will be the America’s Regatta, which will take place in St. Petersburg just after Thanksgiving.  Then Scott and Julia will be training in Miami for the winter, in preparation for the Miami OCR this January and the Beijing Regatta next May.  Although they did not win the US berth to the 2008 games, the two are looking forward for to the trip to China, where they can again prove themselves in international competition.

Ripping downwind on a raw day.

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