community weblog - [ Sailing ]

The de rigueur companion to the high-capacity alternator, which we took a look at last month (Alternators—How Big is Big Enough?), is the multistage regulator. Let’s turn our spotlight on this piece of cruising gear and see what we can determine.
Regulators 101         Almost every kid has made iron filings or some small metal object move “magically” across a piece of paper by passing a magnet beneath the paper. Electrons in a piece of wire can be induced to move in the same way—by passing a magnet close to the wire. This is how we generate electricity. The essence of a generator is simply a magnet spinning past a coil of wire. Alternators operate on the same principle, except that the magnet is an electromagnet. Unless the electromagnet is energized, there is no output from a spinning alternator (because there is no magnet).    more...

Officially, summer is here, and with it, summer thunderstorms. When a fire-breathing storm rolls over you out on the water, it is hard not to feel that you are at great risk. We all know better than to seek shelter beneath a tree, yet here we sailors are huddled at the base of an aluminum "tree" that reaches defiantly toward the clouds. A metal mast towering overhead would seem to heighten the danger (no pun intended), but as it turns out, that mast is actually your protector. It's powerboaters who most often get electrocuted by lightning.   more...

The Juan K designed, DK Yachts built 115' Maiden Hong Kong for Frank Pong has left the building. Only temporarily however as the yacht is not complete - it is going to Wave Master Langkawi to be completed and commissioned. Wave Master have all the facilities required to put on the keel etc, with things like a 500 ton travel lift to better complete the job.    more...

The river will be open every 2 hours for non race boat traffic. The Coast Guard expects to shut the river traffic down at 8 a.m. on all 3 days of the hydrofest and then open every two hours after that. So the next opening would be at 10:00 - 10:15 a.m. etc. This schedule is subject to change and flucuation depending on freighter traffic through the area. For instance, if the hydroplane testing is delayed because of freighter traffic, then the river opening would be delayed by the same amount of time. But every diligent effort will be made to make sure it is open every two hours.   more...

Bring back Buck seems to have been replaced this week by the mantra "Come back Russell". So easily we forget and forgive.

But, hey if he's up for it why not.

Russell Coutts left last time to win. Sure he was motivated by the allure of more money but, fundamentally, it was the excitement of being involved in a campaign that he knew he could win given disillusionment within Team New Zealand that was showing the post-Cup defence that they were not up to another challenge, with the resources available.

As a strategic decision it was masterful and the critique of this action, as they say, is written in the history books.

Additionally, Russell likes to be in control, and his style of leadership requires an environment where he has significant responsibilities.    more...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/americascup/acstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3582794&thesection=sport&thesubsection=americascup&thesecondsubsection=general

Amid a mix of reactions to Russell Coutts receiving his latest accolade, the DCM - Don't Come Monday - from his Swiss employers yesterday, one emotion thin on the ground for the world's finest sailor was sympathy.

This shouldn't be a surprise given that four years ago he was the central figure in the biggest opinion divider in New Zealand sport since a bloke called Shelford copped a red card from the All Black selectors in 1990.

There were some similarities. But there was one key difference: Shelford didn't pack his bags and become a Wallaby overnight.   more...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/americascup/acstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3580782&thesection=sport&thesubsection=americascup&thesecondsubsection=challengers

The Transpac 52 Mediterranean Fleet was formed on Saturday, July 24th, in Puerto Portals on the Island of Mallorca, Spain, with five boats firmly committed - three from Spain, one from Italy and one from Greece. H.M. Juan Carlos has been my very gracious host along with Jose Cusi the owner of Bribon the current IMS boat the King helms. Over dinner and a cigar with the Bribon crew, the King told me of his enthusiasm for helming a TP 52 next year and his support for the TP 52 class.   more...

There are two theories about how to win arguments with a boat's tactician.

Neither one works.

reprinted from http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

Some kids love sailing right away, while others are scared to death. This complete range of emotions occurs in earnest each summer for those children participating in sailing classes at one of the many junior programs that ramp up this time of year.

As a tribute to these programs, we thought it was time for another Scuttlebutt contest, with this one profiling junior sailing in North America. A sincere thanks to all the programs that contributed images below from Summer 2004, congratulations to the award-winning entrants, and our gratitude to Vanguard Sailboats for the contest prizes.   more...

The 83 strong fleet from 15 nations experienced mixed fortunes on the opening day of the 2004 Melges 24 Worlds in Marstrand, Sweden. As we go to press there are still a number of ourstanding protests against the race committee which could considerably affect the overall results. Prior to the results of the protests and after two races in light to moderate winds it is currently Flavio Favini, helming for Switzerland's Franco Rossini, who heads the leader board from Italy's Nicola Celon, Germans Alba Batzill and Dietrich Scheder and Rob Smith, helming for Britain's Stuart Simpson. Among those protesting are first race winner Sebastien Col and defending World Champion Shark Kahn.   more...

  Last summer an e-mailed video clip made the rounds of the sailing community. Set to the Venture's classic surf tune "Wipe Out," it showed a large performance cruising cat,  Peter Johnstone's Gunboat 62 Tribe,  tearing past an 80-foot raceboat moving at top speeed on a beam reach. The multihull community loved the clip; the maxi-boat's project manager was less enthused. For many, however, it was a first glimpse of Johnstone's brainchild, a South African-built, Melvin and Morrelli-designed cat that's more worthy of the title performance cruiser than almost any other on the water today.

Johnstone had spent some time on the largest, fastest cats in the world (Team Adventure, PlayStation), and had previously owned a 68-foot sled refurbished for cruising, so he knew the rewards of high-speed sailing. When he decided his monohull was too uncomfortable when the weather got ugly, he knew the path to follow.   more...

ATHENS - America's Cup skipper Dean Barker is rediscovering the joys of sailing by tacking back to the "grassroots" of his sport off the Athens coastline.

Barker, the public face of New Zealand's calamitous America's Cup defence, has only spent about three weeks at home since January. And who could blame him for swapping Auckland Harbour for the Saronic Gulf on the other side of the world?

Traumatised may be too strong a word but the 31-year-old helmsman would not be human had he not been deeply affected by Team New Zealand's embarrassing failure to prevent "defector" Russell Coutts' annexation of the Auld Mug for land-locked Switzerland in March 2003.    more...

Nick Scandone wins singlehanded division; Karen Mitchell/Kerry Gruson take top spot in doublehanded racing

CHICAGO, August 9, 2004  High winds made for an exciting final day of racing in the 2004 Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup today (IC/NACC), following two days of light winds.

In the 2.4mR class, Nick Scandone, of Fountain Valley, Calif., held on to his lead from the previous two days racing to sail to victory this afternoon in the singlehanded division with a total of 10.7 points. Finishing second in the division with 14.7 points was fellow Californian David Trude, who was competing in his second U.S. Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup.

It is a very good event, I had a great time and hope to do it again, said Scandone, who was competing in the IC/NACC for the first time.

In Freedom Independence 20 class competition, the team of Karen Mitchell and Kerry Gruson took the championship title for the second year in a row in the doublehanded division with a total of 9.7 points. The winning pair, who hail from Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Miami, respectively, beat out Allen Fiske and Joseph Cook for the title. Fiske and Cook, of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, had 13 points.

We had a rough start, but it all came together in the end, Mitchell said. This event is highlight of our summer; we look forward to coming to Chicago to compete with great anticipation all year. Mitchell is hoping to become the first woman to represent the USA in sailing in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. She is currently ranked as the best disabled skipper in North America. You can follow her progress on www.sailingforlife.org <http://www.sailingforlife.org/> .

Kerry Gruson has been sailing partners with Mitchell for years and said, She is very proud to be her crew. She believes the able-bodied assistants (ABs) did an exceptional job, we loved our ABs, she exclaimed.

It is an honor for the Chicago Yacht Club to put on this event for disabled sailors in North America, said Roland Rayment, chairman of the IC/NACC Committee of the Chicago Yacht Club. I am certainly pleased with the level of competition we had over the course of the entire weekend.

Final Standings:

Freedom Independence 20 Class

Gold Section (top Freedom Independence 20 finishers overall):

1st Karen Mitchell/ Kerry Gruson

2nd Allen Fiske/Joseph Cook

3rd Bob Jones/Ken Kelley

2.4mR Class

Gold Section (top 2.4mR finishers overall):

1st Nick Scandone

2nd David Trude

3rd Bruce Millar

more...

Kjirsten Grosky
Senior Editor, Dominator Magazine

What is it about the Olympic Games that brings the world together? For two weeks every four years, we gather as one, albeit from our own corners of the globe, to cheer on our favorites and pay homage to the human spirit. The Games are far more than the world's most prestigious sporting event, they are where we put aside our geographical difference and sit at the same table of sportsmanship. I have to be honest with you, I would normally not spend a summer afternoon watching fencing or speed walking, but during the Summer Games, I will invite friends over to do just that. Knowing that you are witnessing the fulfillment of an individual's lifelong dream is a draw that I and millions like me find irresistible.    more...