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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1453 . 5 MARCH

Brought to you by boats.com Europe ( http://www.boats.com ) and Yachtworld.com Europe ( http://www.yachtworld.com ) Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

SKANDIA COWES WEEK - CANTING KEELERS There has been much speculation over the last few days regarding Skandia Cowes Week and canting keelers following an open email from Ger O'Rourke. I therefore feel it is important to address some of the partly thought-out ideas and comments that have been made, in order to try and lay this matter to rest.

Cowes Week has always welcomed innovation and new types of boat and will continue to do so in the future.

Any class or type of boat is welcome to come to us and ask for inclusion. Given enough interest, these requests are accommodated wherever possible. As one example this year, we will have IMOCA Open 60s racing for the Artemis Trophy on the Tuesday.

We have looked carefully at the anticipated entries for this year's Skandia Cowes Week and are confident that there would only be one or two large boats with canting keels wishing to enter, if indeed there are any at all. If we are wrong and there are a number of owners of large canting keel boats wishing to come and race then we would ask them to contact us as soon as possible so that we may be able to consider them as a class (admin@skandiacowesweek.co.uk).

At the smaller end, we have the local boat Full Pelt and possibly one Schock 40. Owners of fixed keel boats racing against these have not expressed the same concerns as we have seen from owners of bigger boats.

The owners and crews of some of our classes believe that boats designed with canting keels are as far apart from their boats as multihulls and in general do not wish to race against them - not because the canting keeled boats will always win but because the quality of racing is compromised.

Our sailing committee is fully aware that, in the ideal world, we would split our handicap fleets on a mixture of rating and boat style. However, we currently have 10 IRC fleets of between 30-60 boats, racing within close rating bands each day. To fully embrace the concept of splitting the fleet on type of boat as well as on rating, we would need to either go to at least 15-20 IRC classes or dramatically extend the rating bands within classes. We are not able to do the former and do not believe that the latter would give better racing to the majority. Internally, we have been looking for some time at the possibility of giving prizes for more than one division within each rating class, perhaps splitting the fleet on DLR (displacement to length ratio) or some mixture of DLR and sail area.

Mike Urwin, RORC Rating Office technical director, sits on the Skandia Cowes Week sailing committee and has been kind enough to make the following statement available:

"The RORC Rating Office recognises that canting keel boats are different from other boats. They have performance profiles which are such that when they find their conditions, their actual performance versus predicted performance can make good racing difficult to achieve. The same is true to a lesser extent of boats at other extremes of the design envelope. The effect of this is to potentially compromise the quality of racing for all.

"It is far from uncommon for race organisers to restrict entries to a regatta, or a class within a regatta, based on physical parameters. A maximum or minimum length, TCC within a defined range, IRC Hull Factor, displacement/length ratio, etc. Examples include the 'High Performance Class' at Cork Week a few years ago, and 'performance cruising' classes at events such as Phuket King's Cup, etc.

"At the heart of this is that race organisers continually strive to serve the best interests of their fleets. Inclusion of popular one design classes and sportsboat classes for instance. Closer definition of boat types is just another example of this, and is a matter entirely for an event organiser based on anticipated entries and the overall constraints of the regatta."

To conclude, I would like to add to the last paragraph from Mike's statement. We, as organisers of Skandia Cowes Week, believe passionately in the regatta. We solicit and listen to feedback from our competitors. We can never satisfy everyone but continually strive to ensure that the majority have the regatta that they want.

Stuart Quarrie CEO, Cowes Week Limited

JJ GILTINAN TROPHY TO BE RACED IN EUROPE IN 2009 The European 18 foot skiff class association begins the year with two major announcements: the publication of the European Grand-Prix 2008 schedule, including two new venues; and the news that the JJ Gilitinan International Championship will be held in in Europe for the first time ever in 2009. Considered the unofficial World Championship of the class this event has until now been sailed on Sydney Harbour. In 2009 this competition will be held in Carnac, from the 27th June to the 5th July and the best Australian, New Zealand and American teams already confirmed their presence. The European teams will have to use the 2008 regattas to prepare themselves for this exceptional event. The fleet will first head to the well-known venue of Campione, on Lake Garda. This is a perfect location for warming up before the European Championships, to be sailed just two weeks later at a brand new venue, Six-Fours, in the south of France. During this event the European fleet will be joined by a number of teams from Australia and the US. The fleet will then have a full British week. The continental teams will first join the UK fleet for their Nationals in Weymouth, the sailing location of the Olympic games 2012 before moving to the mecca of UK Sailing, the Solent, sailing from Hamble Point. The 2008 tour will end in Dongo, on Lake Como where the 18's will join the Skiffs Festival, an open skiffs event. The only confirmed destination for 2009 is obviously Carnac. Thanks to the collaboration of the European and UK class during the discussion with the League, the JJ will be raced for the first time in Europe and will probably gather the biggest 18' fleet we have ever seen. The organization of this event will present a great challenge for the class and the Yacht Club of Carnac, but will help the class to continue its development in Europe.

UK site: http://www.uk18footer.org European site: http://www.18footer.org

Z-SYSTEM ULTRA RIGGING - HIGHER PERFORMANCE THROUGH LOWER WEIGHT AND WINDAGE Navtec has taken PBO rigging to the next level with Z-System Ultra - fully continuous fiber rigging that allows all shrouds to pass over the spreader tips without termination. That means fewer parts, 10% weight reduction over traditional PBO, 20% less windage and a lower chance of failure when you're out on the water. According to designer Alan Andrews, "In the case of It's OK, Navtec continuous rigging has 10 fewer end fittings than discontinuous rigging, making installation, tensioning and maintenance of the rig a lot easier." To find out more about Z-System Ultra, call + 1 203-458-6200

More on Z-System Ultra at http://en.lewmar.com/news/index.aspx?newsid=329

VELUX 5 OCEANS WINS ESA INTERNATIONAL SPONSORSHIP AWARD The Velux 5 Oceans celebrated last night at the annual Hollis Sponsorship Awards in London as it won the prestigious ESA International Sponsorship Award. Velux, the worldwide roof window and design company, was recognised for its success in supporting the 5 Oceans event, the classic solo round the world yacht race organised by Clipper Ventures PLC. Billed as 'The Ultimate Solo Challenge', Clipper Ventures delivered a winning platform for Velux, creating over 66 million Euros of global media value for their sponsor.

Collecting the award at the gala dinner, Velux Marketing Director Kent Holm commented, "I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of everyone at Velux. We have undertaken a thorough evaluation and saw a substantial return on our investment. We are a global company and needed a truly international platform on which to build our brand equity. We are proud to continue our involvement with 'The Ultimate Solo Challenge' into 2010, an event which supports our key values of daylight and fresh air, and which helps to build our brand image across the planet."

The Velux 5 Oceans was up against respected and high profile sponsorships, such as the Eon FA Cup and the Guinness Rugby Premiership. The race was the only yachting event to even be shortlisted this year and illustrates the global commercial success of the event, and in turn providing a massive boost for the sport of sailing and its sponsorship profile.

http://www.clipper-ventures.com

SPITHILL'S TEAM CEEREF WINS THE DUBAI RC 44 CUP MATCH RACING EVENT Dubai, UAE: Despite local advice, Race Director Peter "Luigi" Regio sent the six strong RC 44 fleet out on the water for the second Round Robin of the Dubai RC 44 Cup. A wise choice as the teams could sail six matches, allowing the Committee to establish a final ranking based on 21 matches. "You won't get anything if you don't try", he commented with a smile at the end of the day.

The winner of the event is Igor Lah's Team Ceeref, with James Spithill at the helm. "It's a great start to our season", he commented. "Yesterday, we were not happy with our sailing. We made a lot of little mistakes and lost matches that we could have won. We all wanted to do better today and that's what we did."

Equally happy with his performance was Team Hiroshi - Citta di Milano's pro helmsman Sebastien Col: "It all goes down to a couple of meters at the right moment", he explained. Yesterday, we could have won all our matches but we lost two of them because of tiny mistakes. We had a thorough de-brief in the evening and the difference was clear today. All the guys on board realised how important every single meter is. They were hiking better, our tacks were better, we focused well on what we were doing and the result is there: we had two excellent matches."

Russell Coutts' Team ES Bankers completes the podium with victories against Cro-A-Sail and Team Sea Dubai this afternoon.

Four teams were sharing the lead after the first round robin. Team Sea Dubai, leader of the provisional ranking after day one, lost its advantage today, regressing to the fourth place. As for Team Aqua (Cameron Appleton), penalised by a collision yesterday and sailing below its usual level, it finishes fifth, ahead of Cro-A-Sail who only won one match.

The team owners will be back at the helm tomorrow for the fleet racing event. The weather forecast is good, with North-Westerly winds of up to 20 knots expected. -- Bernard Schopfer

http://www.rc44.com

GOETZ AND ROGERS TEAM UP FOR NEW PROJECT Goetz Custom Boats and Rogers Yacht Design are teaming up to produce a new 82' cruiser/racer sloop for a UK client. The yacht will feature a contemporary, lightweight, superyacht interior with striking external styling. She has been designed to be competitive under IRC and will be participating primarily on the European regatta circuit. The yacht is scheduled for delivery during the second half of 2009. This project marks the first collaboration between Rogers Yacht Design (best known for their Open Class race boats, Class 40s, and Rogers 46 designs) and Goetz. According to Simon Rogers, "To get the true benefit from this Rogers 82 design, RYD recognised that we required a world class builder. Goetz have won this project in all departments and we are delighted to be working together to produce an absolutely stunning cruiser/racer.

For more information on this and other GCB projects, visit http://www.goetzboats.com

THE YOUNGEST TEAM ON THE WATER WINS THE DAY AT BACARDI CUP The second day of a moderate sea breeze left Biscayne Bay awash with handfuls of seaweed and partly sunny skies. After the third attempt at a start, most of the fleet headed toward Key Biscayne and a cloud bank to the northeast on their first tack to a mark that was set at 165 degrees, 2.4 nautical miles away.

For the second time in three races, past Star World Champion, Alan Adler and Ricardo Ermel (BRA) put together a great start and a spectacular first beat to round the weather mark in first, five boat lengths ahead of George Szabo and Rick Peters (USA) whose boat was badly damaged during the first race of the series.

With their third place finish in the race, Percy/Simpson pulled into the lead for the regatta. "I've won a lot of races in the Bacardi over the years, but I haven't won the Bacardi Cup yet," said Percy earlier this week.

Scores following three races at the 81st Annual Bacardi Cup

1. Percy/Williams - 3, 14, 3 2. Grael/Jordao - 7, 1, 16 3. Domingos/Santos - 12, 9, 7 4. Adler/Seifert - 2, 19, 8 5. O'Leary/ Milne - 14, 15, 1 6. Negri/Viale - 16, 7, 12 7. Barovier/ Colonaninno - 23, 4, 9 8. Scheidt/Prada - 4, 12, 21 9. Diaz/Trinter - 9, 3, 29 10. Marazzi/DeMaria - 15, 21, 5

http://bacardicup.com

DINGHY SAILING SHOW ENDS WITH A BANG The RYA show once again raised the enthusiasm of dinghy sailors to an explosive finale when a spectacular parade of dinghy sailing's national champions and the firing of confetti cannons signalled the end of the 2008 RYA Dinghy Sailing Show at London's Alexandra Palace.

Taking place on the weekend of March 1 and 2, and opened by Olympic medallist and five times Finn Gold Cup winner Ben Ainslie, the show boasted 11,500 visitors over the two day event.

The exhibition provides a national showcase for RYA affiliated class associations and clubs.

And since the RYA has 103,000 personal members and an estimated further 500,000 boat owners nationally - members via the clubs and associations - the show is a valuable arena for the industry to get to grips with the public at a grassroots level, through direct participation as well as a programme of lectures and events.

Heralded a huge success by visitors, exhibitors and organisers alike, day two of the show saw Suzuki, Ribcraft and the RYA unveil their latest safety boat packages whilst a number of competition winners claimed their prizes.

Skandia Team GBR's Sarah Ayton, Nick Dempsey and Helena Lucas were also on hand throughout the day signing autographs, answering questions from visitors. The show's regular favourites, the Holt Blow Boat Challenge, the RYA Sailing simulator and model-boat pool all proved as popular as ever, pulling in the crowds throughout the weekend. -- Boating Business, http://www.boatingbusiness.com/archive/2008/march/news/dinghy_sailing_show_ends_with_a_bang

* Gurnard Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight was unveiled as the RYA's first ever Club of the Year on Saturday at the RYA Dinghy Sailing Show, Alexandra Palace.

Club Commodore Caroline Stevens commented, " We knew the other club finalists were very strong competition so everyone is delighted and very surprised to have won. Our club is run on an entirely voluntary basis so the award is for all of the hard work they put into the club. "

The awards criteria identified clubs that were forward looking and vibrant, and promoted and encouraged people on to the water through a range of activities for all ages and abilities, from one off events to dedicated racing programmes. -- http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20080203100212ymnews.html

LIFE RAFT & SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT - SERIOUS ABOUT SAFETY - SERIOUS ABOUT SAVINGS Life Raft & Survival Equipment (LRSE) has been in the safety business for 25 years. LRSE is an authorized dealer for all major life raft brands and has an extensive service facility as well. They are also authorized dealers for Avon and Zodiac Inflatables. With the US dollar being so low relative to the Euro you can save significant money buying your safety gear or inflatable from a US company. Shipping is no problem at all. So go to http://www.lrse.com or call +1-401-683-0307 and see what you can save!

ROYAL LYMINGTON HENRI LLOYD SPRING SERIES 30th March, 6,13,20th & 27th April 2008 Classes for IRC 1,2,3, Sportsboats, Folkboats, Lym. Handicap

A 10 race series with 2 races per day over 5 Sundays and with a short distance to the race area, back in for lunch.

The Royal Lymington Yacht Club's Henri Lloyd Spring Series will feature an extended coaching program for 2008:

- A special intensive race coaching day with Jim Saltonstall, the world-renowned yachting coach on Saturday 5th April.

- On-the-water coaching and video feedback by Cathy Foster (RYA Coach) on at least the first two Sunday races (30th March and 6th April**). Last year everyone really appreciated Cathy's approach to racing and team building.

The weekend of 5th/6th April includes: - A coaching day on and off the water with Jim Saltonstall on Saturday (please reserve separately for this) - Informal supper at the Club in the evening - The opportunity on Sunday to put all you have learnt into practice at the second day of the Henri Lloyd Spring Series on Sunday 6th.

This is a great opportunity to give you and your crew, an early season work up. Book early to secure a place for you and your ferrets for Saturday 5th April (Limited places available).

http://www.rlymyc.org.uk/racing http://www.rlymyc.org.uk/racing/default.asp?page_id=738

FOR THE RECORD The WSSR Council announces the ratification of a new World Record:

Record: New York to San Francisco Yacht: Gitana 13. 110ft Catamaran. Name: Lionel Lemonchois FRA, and nine crew Dates: January 16th to the 28th February 2008. Start time: 16:28:11 (GMT); 16/01/08 Finish time: 16:31:29 (GMT); 28/02/08 Elapsed time: 43 days, 3 minutes and 18 seconds.

Comments: The current fastest reference time was 57 days, 3 hours, 21 minutes set by Yves Parlier, Open 60 "Aquitaine Innovations" in the 1998 Gold Race, using Alcatraz as the finish and not the WSSR line at the Golden Gate Bridge - making a slightly longer course. This will remain as the "Race Record".

John Reed Secretary to the WSSR Council

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From Fietje Judel: Having carefully noticed the comments over the previous days. I think the most important question came not on the table.

Can a single number rating rule give fair handicapping to the wide variance of yachts and innovations ? No it can not. With a single number rating you only can achieve that when splitting the fleet in groups of similar characteristic. Logically boats will fall down the hill when only a few are there, especially when these are winning too often.

To broaden the band of yachts racing fairly together in one group you need a performance based handicap system with variable handicaps. This will never be perfect, but it will make things a lot fairer.

There is a large number of sailors crying loud when hearing "variable handicaps". I do pretty well understand their arguments against variable handicaps. But with a variable handicap system the canting keelers would have been handicapped much more conservative from the beginning ( see ORC rules), so that the frustration among the others would not have happended.

THE LAST WORD The future, according to some scientists, will be exactly like the past, only far more expensive. -- John Sladek

The opinions expressed in Scuttlebutt Europe do not necessarily reflect those of its editors or sponsors.

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