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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #2013 - 25 JANUARY

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

A SPECTACULAR WEEK Key West, Florida, USA: Mike Williamson sported a very satisfied look as he sat in the cockpit of his Summit 40 sipping a Heineken and reflected on capturing IRC 2 class at Key West 2010, presented by Nautica.

"It feels very, very good to win this regatta. Key West is well known around the world so certainly it's a great accomplishment," Williamson said.

There were hearty handshakes and slaps on the back among the Joe Fly crew upon return to the dock on Friday after the Italian team topped the Farr 40 class. Skipper Giovanni Maspero and tactician Francesco Bruni have brought the Joe Fly program to North America's largest winter regatta for many years without winning in either the Melges 24 or Farr 40 classes and thus were overjoyed.

Over at Truman Annex, the UKA UKA Racing crew was in tremendous spirits as they dropped the mast of their Melges 24 after winning Key West for the second straight year.

John Kilroy and the Samba Pa Ti team completed an impressive run in the Melges 32 class, largest of the regatta with 22 boats. Stu Bannatyne called tactics while Morgan Reeser and Sam Rogers served as trimmers aboard Samba, which took the lead on Tuesday and never relinquished it - ultimately winning three races en route to an 18-point margin of victory over Red (Joe Woods, Great Britain).

Bella Mente, a Reichel-Pugh 69-footer owned by Hap Fauth of Newport, R.I., completed a wire-to-wire victory in IRC 1 class. Kelvin Harrup and Eric Doyle teamed to call tactics on Bella Mente, which won eight of 10 races. Fauth was pleased to take the bullet in Race 10 after finishing last in Race 9 after hooking the anchor rope of the committee boat.

Le Tigre, co-owned by Glenn Darden and Reese Hilliard of Forth Worth, Texas, placed third or better in seven of 10 starts in capturing the J/80 Midwinter Championship, which was contested as part of Key West 2010. Little Feat, skippered by Jeff Johnstone of J/Boats, won both races on Friday to get within one point of Le Tigre.

"We had a great battle with Jeff and were just able to hold on," said Darden, a past J/80 world champion who had Ullman pro Max Skelley aboard as tactician.

Bluto, an Evelyn 32 co-owned by Bill Berges and Ben Hall, was chosen PHRF Boat of the Week. Bluto won three of the last four races to edge the J/109 Rush (Bill Sweetser) by one point in a very competitive PHRF 2.

Final standings after ten races

IRC 1 1. Bella Mente, R/P 69, Hap Fauth, USA, 17 2. Highland Fling XI, Wally 82, Irvine Laidlaw, MON, 28 3. Interlodge, TP52, Austin Fragomen, USA, 30

IRC 2 1. White Heat, Summit 40, Mike Williamson, USA, 27 2. Cool Breeze, Mills 43, John Cooper, USA, 36 3. Pugwash, J/122, David Murphy, USA, 40

Farr 40 1. Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero, ITA, 35 2. Barking Mad, James Richardson, USA, 41 2. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, ITA, 43

Melges 32 (with discard) - Mid-Winter Championship 1. Samba Pa Ti, John Kilroy, USA, 36 2. Red, Joe Woods, GBR, 54 3. Fantistika, Lanfranco Cirillo, ITA, 57

Melges 24 (with discard) - Mid-Winter Championship 1. UKA UKA Racing, Lorenzo Santini, ITA, 15 2. Blu Moon, Franco Rossini, SUI, 18 3. WTF, Alan Field, USA, 25

J/105 - Mid-Winter Championship 1. Savasana, Brian Keane, USA, 20 2. Ghost, Kenneth Colburn, USA, 42 3. Blackhawk, Scooter Simmonds, USA, 46

J/80 - Mid-Winter Championship 1. Le Tigre, Darden / Hillard, USA, 34 2. Little Feat, Jeff Johnstone, USA, 35 3. Rascal, Will Welles, USA, 41

PHRF 1 2. Mariners Cove, Summit 35, IRL, 31 3. Rhumb Punch, Farr 30, John and Linda Edwards, USA, 35

PHRF 2 1. Bluto, Evelyn 32-2, Berges / Hall, USA, 20 2. Rush, J/109, Bill Sweetser, USA, 21 3. L'Outrage, Beneteau 10M, Bruce Gardner, USA, 35

PHRF 3 1. Bad Dog, Mariah 27, John Chick, USA, 10 2. Blah, Blah, Blah, J/24, Mark Milnes,USA, 21 3. Nojoe, J/24, Naroski/LeBlanc, USA, 37

Multihulls 1. Merlin, Gulfstream 35, Bob Harkrider, USA, 10 2. Tobiko, Corsair Sprint 750, Tim Britton, USA, 28 3. Strategery V, Corsair Sprint 750, Cliff, Farrah, USA, 35

Complete Results: www.Premiere-Racing.com

TWO NEW BOATS FOR DESJOYEAUX Involved in sailing sponsorship for the past 10 years, FONCIA remains faithful to both this commitment and its skipper Michel Desjoyeaux, with the renewal of their partnership through to 2014. The next four years will be devoted to the launch of two ambitious and innovative projects: the construction of a new 60 foot Imoca to participate in the Route du Rhum and the Barcelona World Race, followed by their entry from 2011 in the Multi One Design 70 circuit (70 foot one design trimarans). This programme was unveiled on Thursday 21st January during a press breakfast organised at the Cafe de l'Homme, in the Marine Museum building in Paris.

2010-2011: The Rhum and the Barcelona World Race aboard a new monohull The first part of this programme is already well underway because the plans for the new VPLP/Verdier prototype have been in the hands of the CDK yard since Monday 18th January, which is where the construction will begin. As such, through until March 2011, Michel will continue to sail within the Imoca class at the helm of what is said to be a highly original monohull, with the intention of participating in two major events: the next Route du Rhum (single-handed transatlantic race which he won back in 2002 aboard the trimaran Geant), followed by the Barcelona World Race, a double-handed round the world without stopovers.

2011-2014: The multihull and a pioneering team going back to its roots Following on from this circumnavigation, there will be a change of programme as well as a change of circuit. Michel has always dreamed of returning to his first love, the multihull. As such, he is the first to announce his participation in the new Multi One Design circuit, whose objective between now and 2012 is to gather together an international fleet of 12 one design trimarans for a crewed offshore and inshore programme.

For FONCIA, which made its debut within the Orma class alongside Alain Gautier, this second chapter of the programme also constitutes a return to its roots. The first test sails aboard the new FONCIA trimaran are due to take place in the autumn of 2011.

http://teamfoncia.com

ENGINEERS CONCENTRATE ON WEIGHT SAVING AT SEASURE Renowned for their technical expertise and engineering excellence, Seasure has again produced a race winning rudder stock for the International 420. Immensely strong and dramatically lighter, the rudder stock has been reinforced around the top and bottom rudder pintle and gudgeon areas. Special attention has been paid to optimum weight reduction, while still providing maximum strength and stiffness.

Weight saving has been key in the latest generation of Seasure's asymmetric yacht clew blocks for clew and reefing points. The blocks are designed for fast adjustment, with unrestricted and smooth leads, preventing unnecessary or dangerous snagging.

Boot Dusseldorf: Lindemann: Stand Number 12.A18 verkauf@lindemann-kg.de

http://www.sea-sure.co.uk

AYTON MAKES SURPRISE COMEBACK FOR MIAMI REGATTA The 2010 sailing World Cup series kicks off in earnest this week with some of Britain's top sailors among the 640-strong entry for the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta (25-30 January).

Some 45 Skandia Team GBR sailors across 12 classes will be in action out in Biscayne Bay, including RS:X World Champion Nick Dempsey and SKUD World Champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell, with an unexpected entry from Yngling Olympic Champion Sarah Ayton.

Making a surprise appearance alongside Saskia Clark in the women's 470 event is the double Olympic gold medallist, who's stepped in in place of Pippa Wilson at this event.

Ayton has not raced since her 2008 Olympic triumph after taking time out to have a baby - but with Wilson having returned home for personal reasons, the opportunity emerged for Ayton to race in Miami with Clark, GBR's hugely experienced Olympic 470 crew.

Sailing for the first time since the Beijing Games, Ayton is sure to be taking a close interest in her competition as she looks to determine whether the 470 is the class for her in her 2012 campaign.

The Miami regatta also kicks off the first full season of competition in the new Elliot 6m women's match racing boats, with Skandia Team GBR's World Cup series winners Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Ally Martin looking to lead the way this week.

Macgregor and her team won bronze racing in Laser SB3s at last year's Miami event, and although they're happy with their preparations in the Elliot 6m keelboats, they're not underestimating their competition.

"It'll be quite interesting in terms of our rivals this week," Macgregor observed.

"A lot of people have been away now and spent a bit of time in the boats and have been getting used to them, so I don't think anyone really knows who are going to be the ones to watch.

"The Americans have been working really hard, as have the French and the Dutch, so I think it could be a really close regatta."

http://www.skandiateamgbr.com

* If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. That's what 630 of the world's best sailors are counting on as they prepare for tomorrow's opening day at US SAILING's 2010 Rolex Miami OCR, the second of seven stops of the International (ISAF) Sailing World Cup 2009-2010 and one of the most competitive regattas in the U.S., if not the world, for elite Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. For six days, Miami's Biscayne Bay will populate with the spectacle of 440 boats representing 45 nations and competing in the 13 classes selected for the 2012 Olympic/Paralympic Games in Weymouth, England.

"This is the third largest fleet we've had in the event's 21-year history," said Event Co-Organizer Gary Bodie (Hampton, Va.). "Usually our bigger years are right before the Games; right now we're a full two years out. It speaks to the commitment sailors must make to their campaigns throughout an entire four-year quadrennium."

A complete roster can be viewed at the event web site, http://rmocr.ussailing.org , where real-time regatta results, photos and updates will be posted daily once racing begins. Video highlights, produced by T2Productions, will air Wednesday through Saturday and can be viewed on the event web site.

YACHTING WORLD FEBRUARY ISSUE OUT NOW Who said that the great days of big classic racing yachts were over? In our February issue we celebrate the rise and success of a new generation of big schooners.

We also look at all the new gear being launched for 2010, preview the upcoming America's Cup in Valencia (fingers crossed) and go chartering in the British Virgin Islands and northern Croatia.

Plus a report from the ARC, a test on the interesting new Elan 310 and report from the World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco. -- Andrew Bray, Editor

Subscribe to Yachting World and save up to a whopping 40%! Take advantage of this great offer and get your favourite boating magazine conveniently delivered direct to your door every month.

Visit http://www.yachtingworld.co.uk/iywfx

CONSTRUCTED IN COUNTRY Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG), the 33rd America's Cup defending yacht club, today presented its opposition arguments to the New York Supreme Court in response to Golden Gate Yacht Club's (GGYC) ninth lawsuit; a misguided interpretation of the 'constructed in country' (CIC) requirement of the Deed of Gift, the event's governing document. SNG's comprehensive set of papers reaffirms its interpretation that only the 'yacht or vessel' has to be constructed in the country of the club holding the Cup, and that sails do not.

SNG's affirmations are supported by historical precedent, as reflected in the expert declaration of John Rousmaniere, a leading America's Cup historian, 'the donors of the original Deed of Gift never contemplated limits on foreign sails or foreign sail technology. Those donors, in fact, hoisted British sails in first winning the Cup with the schooner America. In fact, in adding the CIC clause to the Deed in 1882, George Schuyler, the last surviving donor, sought to ensure that the Cup remained a genuinely competitive event, while preserving the Cup's international character. He thus struck that balance by limiting the CIC requirement only to a competing vessel's hull, but not its sails.'

Additional documents presented to the court confirm that GGYC's CIC claim is factually wrong: SNG's sails were constructed in Switzerland and this fact is supported by an affidavit from Tom Whidden, president of North Sails, and an official certificate of Swiss origin from the Swiss Chamber of Commerce.

"SNG is certain of our yacht's Deed compliance, including the 'constructed in country' provision and our interpretation is supported by the language of the Deed, historical precedent, and by the Cup donor's intentions," said Fred Meyer, vice-commodore of SNG. "In any event, GGYC's CIC claim is factually wrong and we have submitted to the court substantial evidence proving that our sails are Swiss made. It is our view that we should go racing on 8 February. GGYC should end their legal strategy to try to delay the Cup and to try to gain competitive advantage over the Defender and should proceed with the competition on the water. If they wish, however, to pursue their latest lawsuit, then the judge should have a close look at BMW Oracle's yacht, which does not comply with GGYC's own interpretation of the Deed," he concluded.

In parallel to the opposition papers, SNG has presented a counter motion stating that, should GGYC's interpretation of the CIC in the Deed of Gift be validated by the Court, then its own boat would be illegal. Affidavits from a number of leading experts in the field of yacht design, such as Duncan MacLane and Nigel Irens, support the fact that GGYC's trimaran is in fact a French-designed boat and not American, as supported by photographic exhibits the boat also includes a number of non-American constructed elements. In addition, BMW Oracle's yacht is not even a sloop, propelled by sails, with a main and a jib, as declared in the American club's certificate of challenge, but a wing-mast rig.

http://www.alinghi.com

From Tom Ehman, GGYC Spokesperson: The Deed of Gift requires the competing yachts to be "Constructed in Country." In the court papers filed last night by Societe Nautique de Geneve, they admit they are using 3DL sails. Racing sailors the world over know that 3DL sails are American, not Swiss, made. Instead of demonstrating that their sails have been constructed in Switzerland as required by the Deed of Gift, their court papers attempt to duck the issue with a long list of excuses, and shift the focus away from their own problems with bizarre attacks on our yacht.

In recent months, their excuses have been, literally, all over the map. First, it was, "Sails aren't part of a sailboat." Then, "It's not an issue until we race." Next, "Our sails were built in the USA but assembled in Switzerland." Yesterday it was, "If we can't use our 3DL sails we'll forfeit." Now, in their latest court papers, "GGYC's boat is a French design."

This is untrue, and there is nothing whatsoever in the Deed of Gift that says where, or by whom, a yacht must be designed -- only that it must be constructed in the country of the yacht club it represents.

After claiming repeatedly, and erroneously, that GGYC is trying to win the Cup in court, SNG's latest filing seeks to disqualify GGYC's yacht. Moreover, SNG threatens to bring further litigation after the Match if they lose to GGYC on the water.

Making a modern sail is like baking a cake. You gather the ingredients, put it in a mold of a shape and size designated by your design team, and literally cook it. That's what takes place at the 3DL plant in Minden, Nevada, where Alinghi's sails were constructed. Shipping that cake to Switzerland and adding some candles does not make it "Swiss-made."

http://www.ggyc.com

* Given all the recent talk about how to make a cake and where the ingredients and baking need to happen for the 'cake' to be Swiss made, team CEO Russell Coutts(NZL) was pleasantly surprised to receive a cake this morning - a gift from the Defenders of the America's Cup.

The cake - apparently made in the USA - came with candles and icing sugar from Switzerland.

See http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com

* Editor: A reader notes that the chief naval architect of Alinghi 5 is Dutch (Vrolijk) and living in GER, the chief structural engineer (Kramers) is Dutch and living in the USA, the chief sail designer (Schreiber) is American, and their design coordinator (Simmer) is Australian.

INNOVATIVE MEGAYACHT SAILING RIGS PROPOSED The most breathtaking new superyachts run on wind power and some very innovative sailing rigs are being proposed. In the good times, superyachts were symbols of confidence and success. Now they are looking more like signs of greed and arrogance that burn fossil fuels in huge quantities and spread pollution in sensitive marine habitats. So it's not surprising that the industry is looking at ways of changing this image, even though many buyers still want what they always have wanted: a floating palace that will knock the socks off their friends, business associates and people they want to influence.

It became clear that sailing yachts are not only less harmful to the environment than motor craft - when they enter a harbor under a full spread of sail, they grab all the attention too. The first generation of sailing mega-yachts was constructed before the credit crunch, which caused many projects to be cancelled or postponed. Now, however, construction is starting again and some very innovative, not to say startling, sailing rigs are being proposed. Alexander Isaac, of naval architects Lila-Lou, is promoting a design concept called Ankida that incorporates a four-legged mast and two booms, one on each side of the boat. The top of the mast supports a turbine that could power all the boat's electrical and

Read the entire story online at BWS.com: http://www.bwsailing.com/BWS_newsandnotes_Innovative-Megayacht-Sailing-Rigs-Proposed.html

NOT SAILING... BUT CERTAINLY IN THE SPIRIT OF EUROBUTT... Nestled near the beaches of the Italian Riviera and the snow-capped Alps sits the tiny principality of Seborga, a place that floats on legends.

Prince Giorgio, a bewhiskered grower of mimosa flowers from a family of mimosa growers, was seized by a glorious vision: that Seborga was not part of the surrounding Italian nation. It was an ancient principality, cruelly robbed of its sovereignty.

After convincing his Seborgan neighbors of their true significance, Giorgio Carbone was elected prince in 1963. He gracefully accepted the informal title of His Tremendousness, and was elected prince for life in 1995 by a vote of 304 to 4. Voters then ratified Seborga's independence, which, by the prince's interpretation, it already had.

Prince Giorgio established a palace, wrote a Constitution, and set up a cabinet and a parliament. He chose a coat of arms, minted money (with his picture), issued stamps (with his picture) and license plates, selected a national anthem and mobilized a standing army, consisting of Lt. Antonello Lacala. He adopted a motto: Sub umbra sede (Sit in the shade).

Prince Giorgio accepted no salary, although it is not clear he was offered one. He daily availed himself of ham and cheese from the village shop, a royal perquisite.

Full article by Douglas Martin in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/world/europe/13carbone.html

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THE LAST WORD It's not going to be easy to change things. -- Daniel Berrigan

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