Quote of the Day:
Monday, January 22nd, 2007Pressure is a privilege - You’d better embrace it.
–Billie Jean King
Archive for January, 2007
Match Racing in the 2012 Olympics?
Monday, January 22nd, 2007SCUTTLEBUTT 2265 – January 22, 2007
* From Henry Menin Chairman ISAF Match Racing Committee: I read Gary Hoyt’s letter to Scuttlebutt (in Issue 2262) about sailing in the Olympics with great interest. I agree with Gary on several points. I would suggest to him, and to your readers, that there are solutions to the problems with sailing in the Olympics other than those he has recommended.
I agree that the success of sailing is not dependent on Olympic participation…but it will be much more difficult without it. The Olympics are responsible for much of the funds that are used to promote sailing worldwide, for running youth and development programs, for sailing clinics, for the training of race officials (measurers, race officers, umpires, judges), for the running of many regattas, etc.
I disagree that sailing must have winds over 15 knots to sustain viewer interest. What is needed is close coverage of an exciting race. Match racing, in winds much less than 15 knots, provides that kind of close coverage and excitement because the game is played along the shoreline, using the shore as a part of the game, giving viewers an “up close and personal” perspective of the racing where you can hear the skippers and crews talking (yelling?) to each other as they maneuver to control their opponent in a one-on-one battle. More…
Women’s International Match Racing Association
Thursday, January 18th, 2007Over the last few months I have been working on relaunching the Women’s International Match Racing Association (WIMRA) and, along with a ton of help from Jeff Borland and Erik Hedin, the organization’s website
Why have I worked so hard at this? From its inception in 1996 one of WIMRA’s goals was to work towards the inclusion of women’s match racing in the Olympics. This is again the focus of the international sailing community with a proposal on the table at ISAF to change the event format for the Women’s Keelboat event from fleet racing to match racing beginning in the 2012 Olympics. It is felt that WIMRA can be an important force in making this happen and I feel strongly about helping achieve this goal.
How does this affect the S.F. Women’s Match Racing Team? I think the inclusion of women’s match racing in the Olympics will continue to improve the level of women’s match racing throughout the world and the SFWMRT plans to compete at the highest level! Stay tuned for more developments!
‘The Black Pearl - A Pirate Ship’
Tuesday, January 16th, 2007Paul Cayard’s book ‘The Black Pearl - A Pirate Ship’ is now on sale. Read about the adventures of the Pirates of the Caribbean team as they raced around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005/06.
All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to support youth sailing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Printing was made possible through the combined support of Belvedere Cove Foundation, St Francis Yacht Club and Cayard Sailing. Copies are $25 (plus shipping) and available on http://cayardsailing.com
Help support the Belvedere Cove Foundation who, in turn, support our own San Francisco Women’s Match Racing Team!
Lecture on Global Warming - February 5th at 7 p.m.
Monday, January 15th, 2007Global Warming Literacy: Paul Solman
Business and Science Lecture Series, Dominican University, San Rafael, CA
The popular business and economic correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Paul Solman has been demystifying a range of topics including money matters, sports, art and global warming for over 25 years. As an eloquent and convincing proponent of global warming literacy, Solman illuminates this complex issue involving physical science, biofuels, green corporations, the market for carbon credits and the benefits of high oil prices “with clarity, humor and a laudable investigative spirit”. Solman presents a multimedia lecture that keeps changing as the earth does.
“Solman instantly connects with audiences and they with him. He’s intelligent, savvy and accessible; he’s the professor you want to have over for dinner and stay for a week.” - Brown University
“Paul Solman is fabulous - from translating Greenspanish to making the economy (almost) riveting - his analyses are wonderfully clear, lively and . . . dare I say it? Fun.” - World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
Fight Global Warming
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007I just saw an ad on TV that was very poignant and worth checking out, click on the logo below and it will take you to the “Fight Global Warming - Environmental Defense” website.
The ad I saw was the second one entitled “Train”.
Port Tacking the Fleet
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007Here’s another fun photo from Saturday’s GGYC Midwinter (courtesy of our friends at Latitude 38) The little yellow “Q” in the thick of it!
Exciting Day Sailing in Windy San Francisco!
Monday, January 8th, 2007The Golden Gate Midwinter on Saturday January 6th
(l to r : Kame, Liz, and Glenn)
(Yes, it was a light as it looks.)
Environmental Quote of the Day:
Friday, January 5th, 2007“I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.”
–George F. Burns
Must See TV:
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007If you haven’t already seen them (or even if you have they are worth seeing again):
“Who Killed The Electric Car?”
“An Inconvenient Truth”
They are both currently available to rent or buy and definitley well-worth viewing.