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AC Live

Our intrepid AC Anarchists are reporting live from the NYSC this morning, giving you the latest on AC court proceedings, so check it out. And all you Yankee fans can get the latest on their World Series win parade as well...!

Update: Here is the latest from GGYC:

Today's hearing at the New York Supreme Court was productive. Both sides - Golden Gate Yacht Club and the America’s Cup defender Société Nautique de Geneve - have agreed to meet on the venue and timing issues over the weekend and report back to Justice Kornreich on Monday. We are hopeful an agreement can be reached.

11/06/09

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WWCD?

Our boy Clean takes a ton of shit, some of it deserved and self-inflicted. It can be brutal but that's what happens when you try to push the envelope of this sport - someone's panties are always going to be in a twist. We wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would you! So our friends at Camet, both horrified and awed by Clean, came up with this as a t-shirt design. We think it's an immediate classic. What say you?

11/06/09

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the biz

Alive

We just received this and it would appear to be good news for the continuation of Flying Tiger. Unfortunately, there is a fair bit of cleaning up to do after the mess that the previous owners left, but, we know Tom and think he'll do a good job.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 6, 2009

Hiptrader, LLC, previous owner of the Flying Tiger line of sport boats, has completed the sale of all assets to the newly formed Flying Tiger Boats, LLC of San Diego California.

The announcement was made today by Tom Hirsh, President of Flying Tiger Boats. Mr. Hirsh was an early purchaser of the FT 10 and owns hull numbers 9 and 10. Over 100 FT 10 models have been sold since its inception. Our goal is simple says Mr. Hirsh; “to promote a fun, fast, well built, family orientated sport boat while continuing to offer future purchasers the best value in the marketplace”.

Flying Tiger Boats is committed to working closely with the Hansheng Yacht Building Company and Robert H. Perry, yacht designer to support existing owners and promote the growth of the worldwide class.

Currently, Flying Tiger Boats builds the Flying Tiger 7.5, Flying Tiger 10, and is developing plans for the new Flying Tiger 13.8.

For more information, please call Tom Hirsh at 619-889-9568 or visit FlyingTigerBoats.com.

Jump in the discussion thread on this topic.

11/06/09

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TPYC Infighting

We've never been big fans of the Transpacific Yacht Club, the organizing 'club' of the Transpac. Constant rule manipulations that have been biased in favor of the various Pyewackets over the years, lousy race management and PR that, among other things, has allowed for the creation and growth of the Pacific Cup, and maybe the single worst website in all of sailing. That such a hugely important race is run so bush league is incredible to us, so when a good pissing contest develops within this bunch, we're glad to share it. This particular fight involves a vote of no confidence for the proposed commodore, allegations of incompetence which include overspending on a trademark filing to the tune of 10K, which is about half a years dues for the club, firings, and all kinds of fuckery. There is a big TPYC meeting tonight and it ought to be a beauty. Here's the letter defending said would-be commodore, and here's the letter condemning him. Good times.

Update: Here are letters being fired out by TPYC board members:

At 7:30 this evening the e-mail list of members was released from Mike Nash (who has been too busy) to Commodore Nordin at his insistence. Commodore Nordin has released this list to the board majority for its use and I am herein sending you a response to Tom Pollack’s letter you should have received earlier this week. It has been determined that Mr. Pollack went to the TPYC vendor (MAILSOURCE, Costa Mesa) last Friday and convinced the vendor he had the right to use the mailing list which of course he would only have with board approval which he did not have.

In any event attached is my response letter that presents the boards position. If you agree with the will of the board and wish to support the board I would be honored to be your proxy. You may also name Gil Jones, Jerry Montgomery, Jim Eddy, Roby Bessent or Chuck Cook as your proxy. Please fill out both the ballot proxy and the voting proxy and return to me either by fax or e-mail (scanned pdf file). Time is short.

Thank you for your consideration.

Al Garnier

We like this one the best:

Dear Transpac Member:

There have been confusing and competing lobbying efforts with regard to the election of Transpacific Yacht Club officers and directors for the 2009-2010 term. As an example, I received the following email this morning from a member:

"Bill, I trust in your judgement. What should I do? Mr Pollack contacted me and got my proxy saying that he was behind you. Is this correct or did I get tricked?"

Not hearing the entire conversation, I can't be sure whether he was tricked or not.

But to clarify, I do NOT support Tom Pollack's efforts to promote the slate with Tom Garrett as commodore.

I do support the slate which was voted by the board. This lists me, Bill Lee as commodore, Dave Cort as vice commodore, and Leslie DeMeuse-Disney as rear commodore.

Bill Lee
Transpac Member since 1973

11/06/09

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viddy

Wicked Worlds


Nobody captures the excitement of racing like our old friend Petey Crawford from Penalty Box Productions.  Here's a 17 minute highlight reel that tells a story of the 2009 Melges 24 Worlds as seen through On-The-Water Anarchy eyes.  Enjoy, and don't forget that you can find the SA guide to all the coverage, OTWA and otherwise, right here.

11/06/09

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Code Go

Groupama 3 set off from off the Créac'h lighthouse (Ushant Finistère) in a good NW'ly breeze and big seas. Franck Cammas and his nine crew will have to be back from their circumnavigation of the globe spanning over 24,000 miles, prior to the morning of 26th December. Jump in the thread in Ocean Racing Anarchy.

11/06/09

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Power Boat Anarchy


It turns out that our recent feature of the YSA power boat has opened up the power boat floodgates. This absolutely perfect looking little thing is the VPLP-designed Smartboat. Want one? We know we do. The price is $73k with a 115 HP engine, delivered in the US. With these things, it is clear that there isn't any boat that can't be made cool...

11/06/09

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One Kid At a Time

Nick Hayes' stories have illustrated much of what needs to be done to 'save sailing,' and Vernon Green's post today is a great example of how we can each do our part.  Check in on the thread for more. 

This summer I met a 14 year old kid that had saved up all his birthday and christmas money to pay for a sailing class at my club. I was there helping and after talking to the kid realized he was really into the sport already and had a desire to race.
So for our last race of the season I called him up and invited him to sail with us, sure an extra untrained person would make us a little slower but anyone with the drive this kid has will be good for the sport.

I bought him a cheap pair of sailing gloves and included him in all the crew emails leading up to the race. The day before the race he came out and helped me and and the rest of the crew with some rigging and cleaning. He was practically bouncing off the walls and was asking the whole time what his jobs were gonna be.
Afterwards I talked with the rest of the crew and we figured out some good responsibilities for him.

Not only was he a great asset during the race to us he also helped launch other competitors boats and make lunches for the RC boat before the race. In the end he had a blast, we took 3rd and he even got to trim the spinnaker on one leg.

Above is a picture from the race, you can see him grinning from ear to ear in the life jacket!
I urge everyone to take out some inexperienced sailors to build our sport, plus it was a lot of fun for me seeing him so excited!

11/06/09

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Sunshine In

With Ras-Al-Kaimah back to being a dusty non-issue in the middle of Arabia, the Emirate may be regretting the spotlight that its brief title of America's Cup venue brought to it.  More eyes continue to be drawn to the sketchy goings on between its residents and nearby Iran - it looks like Ellison isn't the only one unhappy with what's happening there...

11/06/09

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World Championship of the World

After complaints from the World Match Racing Tour, it seems that Louis Vuitton has backed off somewhat from their "World Series" designation for their borrow-a-boat Louis Vuitton Trophy racing.  Regardless, the world's top match racers and AC crews are in Nice for the next few weeks for the "Louis Vuitton Trophy."  Sailed in borrowed Cup boats with live tracking and commentary, it should be fun to follow some IACC match racing without the bullshit that is the America's Cup interfering.  Check out BTS Broadcast's rock-solid video of the shoreside action during postponement of practice for too much breeze on the Gulf of Lyon.  We'll have more from BTS during the event, which begins this weekend.

11/06/09

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ac/media

Woody Won

Hey look - Da-Woody is a star! And would ya look at that shirt he's wearing. Good job, Woodster. Funny, you don't appear to be nearly the kook you are in the forums! And when did your name become Woody Dennis?

11/06/09

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Caption Contest


Now THAT'S a kiddie pool! Give us your own caption for this BMW/Oracle sailor sighted yesterday off San Diego, somewhere near a floating pile of carbon shards....This contest is brought to you by our friends at Sail Fast, who are providing shirts for the best three. Have fun.

11/05/09

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innerview

Gash In, Part II

The conclusion to Surf City Catamarans' interview with multihull legend and BMW/Oracle coach Glenn Ashby:

SA: Speaking of the engineers, I heard you take them sailing on a pair of Wildcat F18s to help them to understand the functions of the boat?

GA:Yeah, I hope to get out there in the next half hour or so actually - I just had a few of the boys show up. We get out once or twice a week to be honest, and they’re loving it. The shore guys are getting out, there are a lot of guys that haven’t done that much sailing on catamarans are having a crack. It’s an absolute godsend having those. We’ve been able to use them a lot and get some guys out on the water that would not necessarily do a lot of sailing that just helps them with the engineering and the design side of things with the big boat.

SA: Engineers, designers, everyone's sailing them?

GA: Yeah, definitely. It’s just perfect to have them there, and they’re not like an Acat where you have to be a little gentle with the gear and stuff. You can sail them pretty hard, you know, they stand up to capsize and double trap with big guys.

SA: I never thought about getting the design crew on the small cats.

GA: Yeah it’s good. They come back with big grins on their faces. Everyone’s a winner.  
   
SA: Converts!

SA: Do you think the AC's very visible multihull excitement will produce more multihull converts?

GA: Yes I believe it will - for sure - open peoples' eyes to the excitement and speed of multihull sailing at all levels. I can’t wait to see these 2 giant monsters of the sea go head to head and race like dinghies. I have always sailed both catamarans and monohulls and I can appreciate both for what they are. However for those who have not sailed multi-hulls, they don’t realize what they are missing.

SA: Do you think it will help get a multihull back in the Olympics?

GA: I am not sure.

SA: How about the crew. What’s it like to train some of the top monohull sailors on how to adapt to racing a multihull?

GA: It is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to work with and alongside many of the worlds best monohull sailors, many of whom are now mixing it up and beating many of the worlds best multihull sailors.  They are keen learners and have the skills to adapt to many different kinds of sailing and racing on many different types of boats. So my job as sailing coach has been very enjoyable thus far and satisfying.

SA: Sounds like they’re fast learners. How quickly and competently are they adjusting to the steep learning curve that this project has placed upon them? What have you been using to teach them about multis?

GA: Most of the guys have taken to multihull sailing extremely well and are all very adaptable to the changing and dynamic circumstances that this cup is shaping up to be. All the guys have been sailing on various smaller multihulls from Aclass and F18, through to Extreme 40’s and Orma 60’s.

SA: How different is it now sailing on possibly the biggest sailing team in the world with large numbers of crew on board. Have you had to change your communications skills at all?

GA: For sure being a people person helps and getting on well with everyone is a bonus. Its not really much different than being part of a successful small team. Good communication is key ,especially on the water, and its always a learning process for everyone which you need to keep in mind always.

 SA: Let’s talk tactics. What are the biggest differences in boat handling and tactics between sailing a 90' cat or tri around a course and how do you foresee the starts?

GA: The starts will be very exciting and most likely different to a standard monohull match race start. The closing speeds of the boats will be very, very high.

SA: Since there will almost certainly be a difference in speed between the two boats, once the boats are off the line, how do you plan and practice race tactics to deal?

That’s a good question for John Kostecki…….

SA: Are there any 'secret weapons' in the BMW ORACLE arsenal, and did they surprise you at all when you first learned of them?

GA: No, not really…

SA: You have seen what the BOR 90 has for speed and maneuverability, how do you think it handles and responds in relation to A5?

GA: I think both boats will be very closely matched by the time the event starts. Both boats will have a small speed advantage at some particular times on the course. Which boat will have the advantage and when is anyone’s guess at the moment with the continued development from both teams.  

SA: What do you think will be most likely the first thing to break on either boat?

GA: That’s a good question and I am not sure on the answer. Both boats are extreme in their design and construction so I guess there could be a number of reliability issues for both teams. However as time gets closer to the event both boats become more reliable as the testing phase ends and the racing phase begins. Thus the chances for a breakage on either teams boats during racing would be no more than on a maxi monohull.

SA: What sort of loads are you seeing on the tri? Say mainsheet load, runner loads? forestay tension loads?

GA: No comment….

SA: You read in the threads here on SA about the controversial engine. What’s your view on it?

GA: The engine has certainly taken away the human powered element of the Cup which has never been seen before in the history of the event which I think is sad. In my mind it has certainly taken away from the sporting aspect and athleticism that attract the sailors to the event. There is no doubt that the boats are easier to sail with an engine doing all the hard work and trimming the sails becomes easier. However I am not in favor of the engine over human power for the Cup.

SA: As you said, these boats are pretty extreme in their design. How much real sensation do you feel on USA and, for example, do you have to hang onto fittings when she accelerates?

GA: The sensation on the big boat is quite different to sailing a small boat. I liken it to accelerating fast in a racing truck compared to a racing go cart. The top speed is much higher in the truck but the speed sensation is much more real  and in your face lower to the ground and being smaller. In other words sailing downwind on an F18 standing on the transom doing 25 kts compared to nearly double speed on the big boat feels faster and more on the edge to me. However in saying that, the horse power and acceleration of the big boat is most impressive and hard to explain. A bit like a lightweight flying aircraft carrier…

SA:  With all that power do you still have the helm and boat response that you find in the smaller cats?

GA: The helm is very similar to smaller cats and the boat is amazingly responsive for its size. Like all high performance multi-hulls, you can throw them around. However being smooth and having good anticipation is the key to maintaining top performance.

SA: BOR90 has many different foil configurations from straight canted boards to c-boards and now what looks like j-boards, what are the different aspects and performances between these?

GA: Well, they all work and have their preferred conditions. I am not an expert in this area but feel like it will be like selecting the right fin for your sailboard on a good wave sailing day….

SA: You’re really into this board sailing thing these days.

SA: To stay on task here, what legs or roundings do you expect to be the most challenging or potentially dangerous, how about windward mark roundings bearing off in a sizable breeze?

GA: Unless it is over 25kts I don’t think any roundings will be too bad. The big boats go round corners a bit easier than a moth or 49er as far as stability goes.

SA: Has anyone soiled themselves on a ‘big boys' bearaway?

GA: Not sure about the change of underwear, but you do need to hang on at times. The g forces get up there for sure but as the boat is so big the sensation is much less scary than trying to bear away an Extreme 40 for example in 25kts.

SA: Right on Glenn, thanks for taking time out of your schedule and hashing a few questions with me. Always good to talk with you and if you make your way up here, stop by the shop.

GA: No worries, mate. 

11/05/09

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Weeping At The Worlds

Almost two years ago, the International Melges 24 Class announced it would hold its 2009 World Championship in Annapolis, Maryland in November.  And everywhere around the world, racers wept.

It's not like the IMCA didn't know what they were in for.  You can ask a dozen experienced sailors what they think of sailing on the Chesapeake, and unless they live there, they'll all say the same thing:  It's shit.  If it's sunny and warm, there is no breeze.  If there's breeze, it's cold, wet, and miserable, and 8 knots is enough to build up the infamous Chesapeake chop.  The current is fickle and unpredictable, and at any moment the government can open upstream dams, throwing another knot or two of tide into the mix along with logs, garbage, and other debris.  The racing area is covered with crabbers, oystermen, and commercial traffic, while near-invisible crab pots are everywhere.  Tugs pull coal barges through the course on 200 meter cables,  anchored freighters are often in the middle of the course, and if that's not enough, it's an expensive place to rent a house or book a hotel.  As an Anarchist wrote yesterday, sailing in Annapolis this time of year is "a hate mission."  Despite the lipstick they attempted to put on the Annapolis pig, the sailors weren't fooled; a depressing 51 boats showed up to race - the smallest Melges 24 Worlds fleet in more than a decade and 3 boats less than Detroit, Michigan pulled for Nationals just two years ago.  That's right, Detroit.

So why the hell would anyone even contemplate holding a World Championship for the highest-profile sportboat in the world in Annapolis in November?  The short answer:  Because no one else wanted it.  For the long answer, you'll have to check back Friday when we give you our overall regatta report along with Penalty Box Productions 17-minute highlight reel.

Racing Recap
Our pre-event predictions were far off the mark.  In 6 days of racing, 4 of them were in light, shifty conditions with perenially one-sided lines and beats. One local repeated all week, "there is no right," and those that were able to start near the pin and go left, left, left made out on almost all the races.  Chris Larson's "West Marine Rigging" did just that, and with great starts all week long, Larson always found himself near the front of the fleet at every top mark.  Every other team had at least one high scoring race, suckered into the right by pressure only to get beaten into submission by the shifts.  Larson was the only boat in the fleet with only one double-digit finish, giving him a runaway victory of 25 points over Joe Fly and letting him and his all-Canadian crew play spectators for the final race. Photo at top of Larson, Clarke, Wolfs, and Florence courtesy of Meredith Block. Her full gallery is here.

Those who claimed that Larson's victory was all about local knowledge missed the point; not only is his tactician Richard Clarke from Vancouver, but the second through sixth place boats were all European with extremely limited Annapolis experience.  Olympic 470 sailor Gabrio Zandona helmed Joe Fly through an incredibly exciting final race to squeak out the 2nd place victory over Norwegian Volvo Ocean Race helmsman Eyvind Melleby.  Melleby had a blistering start and first beat, putting 10 boats between him and Joe Fly, plenty to pass Zandona for the position.  But the Italian ground him down, passing boats on every leg, and just meters from the finish, Joe Fly passed one more boat, enough to tie the Norway boat and win the tiebreak.  2006 World Champ Nicola Celon aboard Fantastica sailed a smart and conservative event to take fourth.

There was little doubt that the fastest boats in the fleet didn't win; 2001 World Champ Flavio Favini's Blu Moon and 2008 World Champ Rufo Bressani's UKA UKA Racing were both blazing, but both were also plagued by tough conditions, bad decisions, and the vagaries of racing in the hell that is the Chesapeake Bay.  Favini was the casualty of an OCS in a race that never should have happened; the RC called 24 boats over on that start, 5 of which never went back.  Amazingly, a few others didn't either but somehow were cleared; just one of a litany of errors from the committee led by PRO Jeff Borland.  Favini made his point, though - from that point on, Blu Moon had the lowest score of the fleet with just 10 points in the final four races.  Uka Uka had a different issue that put them in an early hole; bowchick Francesca Prina broke her ankle on a lumpy day 1, and her inability to get across the boat gave Bressani a big handicap as the '08 Champs started off Day 2 in 17th place.  They rallied back, but like Blu Moon, there just wasn't enough runway left to catch Larson, and neither team got the big breeze that they are so superior in - not once.  Uka Uka photo looking depressed also from Meredith Block.

Another big surprise was of course Terry Hutchinson's Quantum Racing, who won last year's North Americans so convincingly on the same water at the same time of year against many of the same competitors - in fact, there were only four more boats on the line this year.  Despite a phenomenal crew and all the local knowledge he could handle, Hutch couldn't seem to get off the starting line, and found himself on the wrong side of too many shifts.  Quantum's boathandling wasn't as crisp as it was last year, but the real factor was Terry and the team's lack of practice time.  "We knew my lack of time in the boat was going to be a handicap...and it was." Photo of Terry dragging the top mark all over the bay courtesy of Sara Proctor/sailfastphoto.com.
Full results are here.


Media Guide

Between the assembled media, the event organizers, the M24 Class, and of course, our OTW Anarchy team of Petey Crawford, Katie Burns, Aaron Siegler, Meredith Block, and me, there's far too much coverage to wade through it all unassisted, so we've created a little index with all the links you need.  You can easily watch any race you want from start to finish, check out all the pics, see Penalty Box Productions highlight reels, watch dozens of interviews plus the two great Cocktail Hour talk shows we did on site, and much more.  CHECK OUT THE INDEX HERE, and check back on the front page tomorrow for the final highlight reel of the coverage.

While we're still a long way off from perfection, our fully live coverage of Worlds was a huge step forward for On-The-Water Anarchy, and we'd like to thank all of the sponsors and advertisers who made our coverage possible.  While there are a handful of folks who can't stand our unique brand of coverage, the vast majority of you have been hugely supportive of OTW Anarchy, and we truly want to thank you, the Anarchists, as well.  Especially those who showed up at our Anarchy Halloween Punch party, a loud, crowded mess of fun people enjoying each others' company under the Anarchy flag.  Our favorite costume was a full three-man "Weekend At Bernie's" getup complete with (play)-dead guy, but the one I'll remember best is 'The Four Bees' - Spelling Bee, Zom-Bee, Boo-Bee, and Queen Bee.  Can you blame me?

If you'd like to see OTW Anarchy at an event near you or you have any comments for us, drop us a line and tell us more.  And if you enjoyed watching it enough to want to see it again, take a few minutes to do some browsing while saving money on holiday gifts for the sailor in your life: Get big OTW discounts on awesome Atlantis and Patagonia (and more) gear from Point Loma Outfitting, big discounts and free Speedplay software when you buy an SC-1 or Speedpuck from Velocitek, the same electronics that powered Chris Larson to his Worlds victory, and get a big break on your next yacht or sportboat transport, rigging work, launch and haul, or concierge service from Latis Yachting Solutions.  Be sure to check out our other sponsors for big discounts and Anarchist-only specials if you order now:  Ocean Sailing Academy for great racing or cruising instruction in Charleston, SC; Ullman Sails Newport Beach for the fastest sails and best service in Southern California; the book Saving Sailing, which EVERY racer who gives a crap about the sport should read; RBS Battens, the choice of more than 90% of the Melges 24 and 32 fleet in either carbon or epoxy; Eastport Yachts, the builder/designer of the Eastport 32, the best damned tender/cruiser/fishing boat ever, Atlantis Weather Gear, manufacturer of the sexy and waterproof Grand Prix softshells you saw Mer and Katie sporting in all that video, Charleston Harbor Wireless Access, designer of systems for bringing wireless connectivity to an ocean near you, and Justin.TV, the world's fastest and largest live streaming video host/provider.

11/02/09

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ac/media

Media Matters

We all bitch about the lack of 'mainstream media'  sailboat racing coverage, so here is a chance to have a vote. From SA kook, Da-Woody:

OK everyone FOX-5 in DAGO is running the BMW-O story on their web site IT IS A TEST - they are trying this out to see what interest is out there I assured them the stats will go off the charts once the world finds out Spread the word Send them a Thank You the result will be ---> MORE Coverage <--- WIN WIN WIN Go check it out NOW and check back often BMW-O Video on FOX-5 San Diego

11/05/09

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Jimmy Cracked Carbon


With more than 20,000 views of the "Rig Dropped" thread in which Mer broke the news to the world, we're sure anyone who gives a shit already knows that BMW/Oracle's mast went over the side today in around 10 knots of breeze off San Diego.  Early reports indicate it was either a terminal end or buckling of the mast itself that caused the problem, and with the engineering limits being pushed by both Alinghi and Oracle, it's a bit of a surprise that this is the first dismasting we've seen.

With no injuries and minimal damage to the boat, the loss of this expensive piece of plastic may actually accelerate the program to introduce the hard sail to DoGzilla.  Ya gotta race whatcha got.  Pic of Jimmy The Spit by Squid, with piles more here.  There's some more info on the new but wholly uninspiring BMW Oracle blog as well.

11/04/09

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innerview

Gash In

If timing is everything, then we missed on this one! Good stuff regardless.

Glenn Ashby is one of the most accomplished multi-hull sailors in the world, and his current job is certainly his biggest challenge yet.  Ashby is tasked with coaching BMW Oracle to victory with the giant trimaran, and his incredible winning record and solid communication style make him the perfect guy for the job.  Anarchist Surf City Catamarans put together this interview using questions from the Anarchists as well as his own knowledge, so his meandering style had to stay slightly on task, but it's a solid Innerview with a good snapshot into Ashby's life as part of BMW/Oracle Racing.

SA: Let’s jump right in. First, so I get it right ,what do you guys call the boat?

GA: We really don’t have a name for it, we just call it the B-O-R 90, or the 9-0. I started calling it that in my reports and way back when I first started and it just sort of stuck, I guess.  I just put it out there a few times and everyone started calling it that.

SA: Are you having fun with those guys?

GA: Yeah, mate it’s awesome. It’s really, really good fun, It’s certainly a lot of excitement and learning lots all the time; we're putting as much effort as we all can to make sure we all get out there and do the job. Of course it’s a hell of a lot of work, but it’s such a great thing to be a part of. Everyone’s putting their money’s worth into it, and so we can achieve the ultimate result at the end of the day. It really is a lot of money and a lot of time that everyone puts into it. It’s a lot of personalities, and a lot of fun. It’s a great life experience that I’ll never forget or regret.

SA: You've done a lot of shit in your life, and this experience is really going to round out your resume, isn't it?

GA: I know. I shouldn’t complain about the hours are long and hard, whether you’re in front of a computer or out on the water sometimes you just have to step back and pinch yourself and say, shit man, this is really cool.    

SA: Other than this, what have been some of your most memorable moments in your vast sailing career?

GA: Probably the most memorable moments would have been winning my first world championship on my first ever trip to Europe at the age of 18 sailing the A class catamaran against the current Gold and silver medalist in the Tornado class and against 86 other competitors in  L‘Estartit, Spain in 1996. Looking back, I really was just a kid and had only been sailing A class catamarans for 3 months prior to the worlds. It certainly was an eye opener on and off the water and definitely gave me the travel bug for future events and overseas competition.

Winning my first Tornado worlds in Argentina sailing with Bundock in Dec 2006 with all the countries fighting out for Olympic selection was also one of the highlights of my career, especially using my own sails! The Olympic games in China for me would have to be also one of the mist memorable moments after a life long ambition to get there. Winning a medal looking back now over 12 months later, was just a bonus. 

SA: Speaking of the Olympics, how involved are you or will you be in the fight to get multihulls back in the Olympics?

GA: I will be like all other multi-hull sailors, super keen to see the multi-hull be represented in the 2016 games.

SA: If we do get a multi back in the big O, do you think it should stay as the Tornado or go F18/Tiger or A class?

GA: Definitely not A class. But I would not be against a single-handed high performance multi-hull. I don’t mind if it was a Tornado or one design  F18 either. I think as long as the multi-hull is represented, I don’t mind what type. Personally If I could choose a boat, a light weight very high performance double hander that can be sailed by an average weight and size sailor that can be purchased all over the world easily would be a good choice.

SA: With multi-hulls out of the Olympics for 2012, what are your plans outside of the A-class and F-18's?

GA: I have just purchased an RS:X sailboard to see if I can sail it and will look to do some regattas next year. I am also obviously very busy working with Oracle for the next Americas Cup.

SA: If Catamarans are reinstated into the Olympics, will you resume your campaign to win that Gold?

GA: Yes I will indeed.

SA: Let’s change gears a bit. Are you currently running your business Ashby Sails as well as working with BMW ORACLE?

GA: Yes, the business is still running well and my wife Melissa is keeping it under control whilst I am working with the team. We have many good people working with us to ensure the quality and performance.

SA: Speaking of your wife Mel, I know you had a little girl a few months ago.

GA: Yeah, a little girl. She’s doing really well, she just turned 6 months old just a couple of weeks ago. She’s growing really quick, and I’m just loving being a dad. My wife Mel and little one Loni are still there back in Australia. Hopefully they’ll come over in a couple of weeks mate and we could all catch up with your crew.

SA: Well congratulations on that, they definitely grow fast!

SA: With the amount of F18 racing that you currently do, are you considering designing and building boats for this class? Will there be an Ashby F-18? 

GA: Not in the near future that’s for sure, maybe one day when I am too old to get on the trapeze I will have a go at that! Maybe 10, 15 years time, certainly, but I’ve got so many other things going on right now. The sail-making side of it I enjoy, and I love doing the A-cats as well. I’m sort of thinking at the moment that with the way sailing is going with the cup stuff and windsurfing I think I’m going to take more of a back seat for the next 5 or 10 years and just concentrate on my sailing career. When I get a bit older and my body’s not bouncing back as well, maybe I’ll look at spending more time on that side of the business. In a couple of years things might change, but at the moment I’m happy where I am. It’s a hell of a lot of work to design and build and it’s very, very expensive, and it’s a tough market.

SA: Let’s talk about the transition from the smaller multis that you’re used to and these giant multis. First, do you like the fact that this AC will raced on state of the art multi-hulls?

GA: Absolutely! For me it is the pinnacle of big multihull racing and technology. I have been playing with model trimarans and catamarans since I was a child and to be able to play with one full scale and even over size,  is incredible. Being able to work alongside some of the best designers, builders and sailors and be part of one of the world’s best teams is a fantastic experience in sailing and in life.

SA: How much of the foil technology that both teams are using will be able to translate into Acats in the future?

GA: I think the big boys learn from the little boys and vice-versa. Many of the ideas for big boats world-wide get trialed initially on little ones.

SA:
What differences, and adjustments have you had to think about between sailing smaller cats and the 90? On some levels it's a big Acat but there must be some giant differences?

GA: For sure some things are very similar, but some are also vastly different. The loads on the big boat are simply mind blowing. That is the scary part for me. The speed and the actual sail part is no worries. Standing next to blocks and parts that have loads measured in the tens of tons is a bit different to what I have experienced in the past. However, the boat is engineered and built to take the loads the same as a small boat is. So you need to trust the engineers and the designers have done their job. I think I could bulid a pretty nice A cat if I had our team behind me! Things also happen a lot slower on the big boat on the water sailing but have a much more serious consequence if they go wrong. The big boat really is just a little one that has taken steroids!

SA: Speaking of the engineers, I heard you take them sailing on a pair of Wildcat F18s to help them to understand the functions of the boat?

Continued tomorrow...

11/04/09

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Hate Mission

When the IRC East Coast Champs are discussed, my thoughts generally run to "cold, wet hate mission in Annapolis."  But as usual, I can't say no to a sailing opp, especially when it's a hot new IRC 52 footer on her first buoy regatta.  So when the phone rang two weeks ago I was auickly working out how to fit the ECCs into a 9-day period that included hauling and storing our Farr 36 'Meridian," a trip to Florida, and a day job.  Come last Tuesday, we cinched down the last straps on the Farr and I was off to go racing.

Practice on Wednesday was in very light air, probably 6-10 knots, though instruments were on the fritz, so that’s a best guess.  Got familiar with the boat, started a jobs list, just the general first day stuff.  Vela Veloce is a beuaty though - I highly recommend anyone with a spare million or two laying around to look into one.  A good bit of work tidying up the new ride and getting her into 'round the cans mode included several rigging items handled Wed afternoon, Code 0 twingers added, halyard tails lengthened, and so on. Second practice Thursday in more very light airs saw crew work coming together very nicely, another few hours of rigging barber haulers, new trav line (protrim has my total ire now), getting the proper number of bearings in the trav cars, adjustment of staysail sheet length, minor tweaking of vang cascades, and more of the many details that encompass sailboat racing.   A new quiver of sails from Quantum for the week, and these are far and away the best product I have ever seen from the angry green doughnut.  Seriously, the lamination on these things was a work of art.

Friday’s distance race provided a great warm up, but unfortunately for us, turned into a total crap shoot.  At least we went to all the right marks (sorry KP kids, had to get one shot in there!).  Vanquish would go on to flex her muscles later anyway, so nothing to feel bad about there.  Light air is not Vela Veloce’s forte, she carries a bit more junk in the trunk than most of the other 52’s, but we did come up with a pretty good mode at the end of the day - but nine points did hurt. Saturday dawned with promise however, and some decent breeze awaited us on the course.  With a bit more knowledge in our arsenal, we started to click really well, and our upwind wheels started to show a bit - surprisingly, downwind did as well.  With a max of about 22 knots of breeze (we hear, still no instruments) we found a mode that was considerably faster down wind.  Great communication between the helm and trimmers really started to make gains, and we started to get closer to the boat's potential.  A bullet in the first race helped our stoke out a bit too.  Day three, Sunday, and the weather I envisioned was here.  Cold, drizzle, and general suck pervaded the course.  VV’s wheels were coming through though, and a 2, 3 for the day wasn’t a bad way to finish off.  Those kids on Vanquish I was ribbing earlier were shot out of a cannon and took a string of 4 bullets - nice job, boys.

All in all a fun weekend, with an immensely fun boat that has a ton of upside left to go, and a top shelf crew.  - Graham ‘doghouse’ Garrenton.

11/04/09

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Jacked

In one of the first incidents of piracy on a yacht in the area in a decade, an old friend with the strange name of Juan Pablo Del Solar Goldsmith (J.P. Del Solar to racers everywhere) and his crew were tied up and robbed by pirates last week.  J.P. is the current Audi Melges 20 National Champ and a long time anarchist who's been a sailing coach and Melges racer out of Holland, MI for the past few years.  Get to know JP here, a super nice guy who decided to take his dad's Beneteau First 47.7 from the Great Lakes to Chile - little did he expect he'd end up in his own little Pirates of the Caribbean drama. Here's a video we did with him at the Melges 20 Nationals.

In their last hop between Roatan, Honduras and the Panama Canal, JP and crew spotted a small green panga approaching their yacht, and when it got close enough, the crew of 4 Nicaraguans pulled out pistols and shotguns.  "Of course there is nothing you can do," JP told me.  The pirates jumped aboard , tying up J.P. and crew and stealing everything of value aboard.  Cash, video and still cameras, booze, navigational equipment, food, computers - all gone, and the pirates were convinced they could find drugs aboard, but didn't.  When J.P. resisted, the pirates shot into the air and told him they would kill him, so he gave up his resistance.  Strangely, they left J.P. his iPhone for navigating to Panama, maybe out of respect for another Spanish speaker.

JP has already replaced the shit he needs to get to Chile, but now he's looking for crew.  So if you're interested in getting some serious sea miles with a pro sailor on a voyage through the Panama Canal, to the Galapagos, and on to Chile and you're able to get to Panama immediately, get your ass in gear and go sailing with JP.  Email him here.  Chance of a lifetime, folks.

11/04/09

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more ac

Round Table

A NYYC anarchist just reported seeing an unusual group around a table at the New York Yacht Club that included Bryan Willis, Hamish Ross, Lucien Masmejean, Melinda Erkelens, Tom Ehman, and a couple of other suits.  Is this the first sign that the sides may be coming together to get their issues sorted out for the 33rd Cup?  One can only hope...

11/04/09

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Odd Couple



Even with the growing number of 'modern' traditional boats, we still get a chuckle out of seeing the somewhat odd coupling of various components. Take this Hull and keel combo on the new Scandinavian 20. Add a rotating semi un-stayed tapered carbon fiber wing mast to this 'cruiser' and it is quite a combo. We think these are actually great developments, but still....
...............
11/03/09

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saving sailing

Saving Racing

From the book Saving Sailing, by Nicholas Hayes

Of the approximately 1.2M registered sailboats in the Unites States, only about 20% are actively raced. Sailboat racing, like all sailing in the U.S., is in decline, with a meager 3/10ths of 1% of the population, including kids, doing it today (compared with about 3% of the population just 30 years ago). Racing is down almost 88% (you read that right) since 1979, shedding almost 6 million participants.

Let’s look at the facts.

A few races (less than 2% of all starts) are major media events, hosted by professional managers who provide services like entertainment, provisioning, coaching and photography, who rally spectators and sponsors and publishers, and promise branding on a large scale. These are the exception, not the norm. But these are also the events that most will see in a late-night mention on cable TV and that shape the public’s view of sailing in general.

The vast majority, more than 98% of all starts, are far more modest. Most races began with a few sailors saying, “Let’s go here to there and see who gets there first” followed by a gradual evolution to something more complex and socially interesting. Since racing often involves an assortment of buoys to define a course and timekeepers to set starts and finishes, most events are the product of systematic volunteerism, coalescence and cooperation on par with that found in a large church or temple. Many yacht and sailing clubs can trace their roots to basic race organization, often provided by member-racers who took turns setting buoys and time to make racing possible for their competitor-friends. 

Once the racing begins, favorite flavors emerge. Most sailboat racers fall into one of two categories: 68% who sail on a boat designed for dual, triple or more purposes and 32% who prefer racing identical boats.

If you visit any of the online discussion boards regarding sailboat racing, you will inevitably confront a heated debate of the merits of handicapping verses sailing one-design. There, sailors will often insist that their favored design is the solution to waning participation. As you might guess, one-design sailors want their design to be the popular standard, and handicap sailors do not see how a one-design fleet will meet their needs. It is notable that only 7% of all the sailboats in the U.S. meet a one-design criteria.

But the argument is mostly wasted breathe, at least as suggested by the data:

Among 164 U.S. sailing clubs surveyed (by US Sailing) in 2007, there are 215 different, active one-design fleets, and another 3 or 4 fleets each of handicap racers of various pedigree. This means that sailboat racing as a whole has the burden of attempting to appease, or at least juggle, about 500 tiny special-interest groups, each with only a few dozen (or less) members but with very definite opinions about what is right and wrong in their sport. It also means that fleets must, by this market design, constantly shrink, rather than grow, to adjust to the latest fad.

Mathematicians have names to describe trends in group dynamics like these. Fragmentation is when the group is breaking apart, and in doing so, becoming weaker. Coalescence is when a group is coming together and as a result, becoming stronger.

When groups coalesce they gain buying power, competition increases and prices fall, creating access. That is precisely why sailing clubs formed originally; by tapping the buying power of a group, access to lakes and oceans and boats became a reality for the group.

Conversely, when groups fragment, entry barriers like financial or time costs rise. Without a club, an individual has to bear all costs of access, training or coordination. As cost and access barriers climb, popularity must eventually and inevitably drop, although it may not seem so at first.

Since about 1980, Americans have assumed that we would have unlimited discretionary income and the ability to buy into whatever personal entertainment we wish, without need to share access. A strange period of cheap money and ample toys created a false sense of unlimited buying power. It hasn’t felt as if there was much need to coalesce, so many clubs witnessed major shortfalls in member recruitment — even as marinas expanded and prices for basic services increased. The average cost to dock a sailboat rose 8 times faster than inflation in the last 10 years, even as overall demand measured in usage dropped. Now, fewer people sail on bigger and bigger boats that consume more and more lake frontage.

More important perhaps, during this time, many clubs became sellers of support services, including those required for racing, as opposed to self-sustaining groups of volunteers. So in some places, only those that can afford to buy the time of others can afford to race, and those with time to spare and some interest can’t. More people inside and outside of sailing think that sailing is a professional sport of sponsors and celebrities, when, according to the numbers, it isn’t and will never be.

Basic supply and demand theory tells us that this had to end.

Now that the economic bubble has popped we can see that coalescence is healthy for a community in both good times and bad, but fragmentation is especially visible and threatening in the bad. What can be done? It’s pretty simple:

  • Join a club, and if there isn’t one within reach, form one
  • Share boats if necessary
  • Set a race course
  • Enter whatever boat you have access to
  • Take your turn doing race committee
  • Take your kids and their friends

Like this stuff? Then get the book!

11/03/09

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The Formula

It is obvious that F18 catamarans are damn sexy.  With a growing fleet of boats that are great bang-for-the-buck, top level sailors, a 12-event regatta schedule, and a free keg of beer at every event, you have the recipe that helped make the Eastern area F18 summer series a huge success as other classes and events struggled to maintain numbers.  31 teams competed in a mix of distance, and buoy course races throughout New England, NY, and NJ between May and October.  Each event averaged around 12 boats, which provided plenty of tight racing for all involved.  Teams that regularly attended regattas saw a tremendous increase in performance throughout the season, culminating when 6 New England teams traveled to Toronto and all placed in the top 13 in the 37 boat Canadian National Championship.

Team Microwind (Anarchists Mike Easton and Tripp Burd) demonstrated total dominance coming off a strong finish in the Tybee 500 to win each event in the series as well as take a top 5 finish at North Americans and plundered the Canadian Championship trophy. Having a team of this caliber in the series raised the level of competition as a whole as other teams fought hard to stay in the mix. Behind them in the standings were teams comprised of father/son, coed, and a wide range of ages, but all with one thing in common, the need for speed.  Narragansett Brewery signed on as the beer sponsor for the series, providing lots of swag and the fuel to perpetuate the reputation for partying as hard as we sail.  Series results and information can be found at www.nensa.org

-wildtsail

11/03/09

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I Quit!

When I signed on to work with Sailing Anarchy to cover the Melges 24 Worlds, I CLEARLY had no idea what I was getting into. See, I'm a simple pen-and-paper kind of person - I've never worked with video production equipment, unless my Blackberry counts. So when I found myself surrounded by video cameras, computers, lenses, microphones, cables, antennas, modems, hard drives, and professional photography equipment, I literally geeked out. Can we talk about sensory overload? 

By the way, "On the Water Anarchy" is the biggest misnomer I've ever heard. The Anarchy isn't just on the water; it's on the dock, at the house, at the parties, in the car, in the kitchen, at the store...it's shopping, cleaning, changing fuel filters, fueling up, organizing and hooking up equipment, loading gear, taping lashing, networking, editing, programming, drinking, smoking, and dancing.  And there I was, completely clueless, just trying to get a grasp on a job I was responsible for, and one that that changed with every new challenge and condition.  Was I a good fit for OTWA? Well, I definitely know that following the Melges 24 Worlds so closely gave me a new determination to become a better competitive racer, and that's pretty much the idea behind the concept; to get people more exciting about racing.  And based on the feedback I've received, we did just that.

It was definitely not easy for a minute, but was working with the OTWA crew fun? Well, any week-long event that culminates with my waking up Sunday morning on a 63' luxury yacht still dressed in a pumpkin costume must have been a lot of fun, whether remembered or not! I have no idea how I found the energy to go sailing on the R/P 45 Sjambok that same day, but I bet it had something to do with being amped after watching the Melges fleet battle it out all week long. It felt great to step on a sailboat after watching some of the top sailors in the world battle it out on the Chesapeake Bay, only 120 miles north from my hometown. I only wish there could have been more wind - I feel kind of embarrassed for my home waters. It never blew more than 15 knots all week, and even that only happened for one race on the last day.  Truly disheartening, especially since just a couple weeks ago, when I sailed on Stephen Murray, Sr.'s TP-52 "Decision IV" it blew 25+ knots.  Where did that damned breeze go during the M24 Worlds?  I'm at a loss, and I feel like apologizing for my Bay to everyone that traveled so far to race Worlds. 

I know that Clean is working on his Worlds report right now, so check back tomorrow for a story that includes all the links to each day's coverage. While the live coverage was certainly groundbreaking and a huge hit, since I was there it's not as exciting to me as the insanely good highlight videos from Petey Crawford and the gorgeous shots captured by Meredith Block.

Congratulations to Chris Larson, the 2009 Melges 24 World Champion, and to Bruce Ayres, the 2009 Melges 24 Corinthian World Champion. Thank you to all of our sponsors, especially Point Loma Outfitting and Atlantis Weather Gear for my pimp-ass jacket that everyone is totally jealous of.

Anyways, it's been ultra-real and very fun, and I hope you guys liked my part in OTW Anarchy from the M24 Worlds.  Thanks for all the nice emails and PMs, and stay tuned for my next crazy story, whatever it is. Hopefully it doesn't involve Afghanistan, but right now, you never know.  If I can stay out of that, I'll be looking for another new adventure, if anyone knows of one...

Much love,
Katie Burns 

11/03/09

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race report

Small Worlds

The 2009 2.4mR World Championships began today in the Caloosahatchee River at Fort Myers, Florida. An early morning fog prompted an onshore postponement, but racing began when the shifty sea breeze rolled in. With two races completed today, the top three sailors are:

1 CAN99 Tingley,Paul
2 USA8 Horrocks,Carl
3 USA88 Ruf,John

Racing is hosted by the Edison Sailing Center and is scheduled to continue through Friday.

11/03/09


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