September 2013 – Page 5 – stephenlirakis.com

SEPTEMBER SHOWDOWN

Americas_Cup_September_Showdown

The “September Showdown” for the 34th America’s Cup begins this weekend. ORACLE TEAM USA skipper Jimmy Spithill has cast his team as the underdog. Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker says nothing less than victory will do. Such are the storylines for the defender and challenger with the biggest race of their lives set to begin Saturday.

“Anytime you’re the defender, there’s a target on your back,” said the 34-year-old Spithill. “The challengers get together and their goal is simple: They want to come out, knock you out and take the America’s Cup off you. No matter what games transpire on shore, to take the trophy you have to win on the water. That’s what we’re looking for, to get on the water and go racing.”

RELATED STORY: Spithill: ‘We’re the Underdogs’

“I think both teams are ramping up to rip into it on Saturday,” said the 41-year-old Barker. “We’re very keen to get racing and I’m sure they are as well. It’s going to be a very, very interesting first weekend to try to get a feel for how the two boats shape up. Whether there are differences upwind, downwind, maneuvering, starting; all the different aspects we try to evaluate in house, that’ll all become reasonably apparent after the first four races.”

Spithill and Barker are familiar foes, having raced against each other for many years. And the two teams have long tenures in the America’s Cup arena: Emirates Team New Zealand can trace its genesis to the 1987 Cup off Fremantle, Western Australia. ORACLE TEAM USA has been racing since the 2003 Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. Collectively they’ve won the America’s Cup three times with ORACLE TEAM USA winning most recently in 2010 and Emirates Team New Zealand winning in 1995 and 2000.

The first race is scheduled to start at 1:15 pm PT on Saturday. It’s always a special day, one that’s eagerly anticipated by the fans, who are keen to see the two crews line up against each other. It’s also a day filled with anxiety for the teams. “Are we fast enough?” is the common thought for the racing sailors on the way to the start line. Each team, of course, has an idea, an inkling of what lies in store, but neither really knows what the other has up its sleeve.

That unknown is amplified in this Cup because of the new class of boat, the AC72. A development class, the AC72 features wing sails and hydrofoils that enable it to reach speeds in excess of 45 knots (52 mph/83 kph). Those speeds are previously unheard of in America’s Cup racing. Reliability has been an issue in the challengers’ racing, but that’s because it is a very complex boat. It shouldn’t be an issue for these teams. ORACLE TEAM USA has logged more than 110 days on the water and today is the Kiwis’ 100th day sailing.

“I think the development of both teams’ boats has effectively come to the pointy end of the spear,” said Emirates Team New Zealand wing trimmer Glenn Ashby. “We’ve come from one direction, they’ve come from another, but foil wise, aerodynamically, both boats are quite evenly matched, and I think the sailing teams are evenly matched as well.”

ORACLE TEAM USA may or may not be an underdog, but Spithill does have in his crew one of the most experienced sailors to ever race on San Francisco Bay, tactician John Kostecki. Kostecki estimates he’s raced on the Bay for more than 45 years, and labels it one of the best sailing venues in the world.

“It’s fantastic to have the America’s Cup here on the waters where I grew up sailing,” said Kostecki. “It’s an incredible venue – great seabreezes, tricky course conditions with currents changing every day, the winds change every day, and you can view the course from all over the Bay area. So for me personally, it’s one of the best venues in the world for this type of event.”

In the U.S., the America’s Cup Finals will be broadcast live on NBC and NBC Sports Network. Replays will be available on the America’s Cup YouTube channel. Saturday’s and Sunday’s racing will be broadcast live nationally on NBC, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm PT.

Internationally, the America’s Cup Finals can be viewed in more than 170 territories. All racing is also live on the America’s Cup YouTube channel (subject to territorial restrictions).

You can also follow racing with America’s Cup App for android and iOS devices.

The winner of the 34th America’s Cup will be the first to win 9 points. For the Kiwis that means nine race wins and for ORACLE TEAM USA it means 11, due to a penalty imposed by the International Jury. Racing is scheduled for Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, with two races per day scheduled to start at 1:15 and 2:15 pm PT. Let the showdown begin.

THE ORACLE TEAM

GAME ON, STARTS SATURDAY AND ICE IN THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Saturday, Sept. 7: Final Race 1 (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 2 (2:10 pm PT)

Sunday, Sept. 8: Final Race 3 (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 4 (2:10 pm PT
Tuesday, Sept. 10: Final Race 5 (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 6 (2:10 pm PT)
Thursday, Sept. 12: Final Race 7 (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 8 (2:10 pm PT)
Saturday, Sept. 14: Final Race 9 (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 10* (2:10 pm PT)
Sunday, Sept. 15: Final Race 11* (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 12* (2:10 pm PT)
Monday, Sept. 16: Reserve Day
Tuesday, Sept. 17: Final Race 13* (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 14* (2:10 pm PT)
Wednesday, Sept. 18: Reserve Day
Thursday, Sept. 19: Final Race 15* (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 16* (2:10 pm PT)
Friday, Sept. 20: Reserve Day
Saturday, Sept. 21: Final Race 17* (1:10 pm PT)
Sunday, Sept. 22: Reserve Day
Monday, Sept. 23: Reserve Day

Finally the boats and teams get on the water. A point when all the talk and squabbling is left ashore. It becomes a sailboat race. Even in my era once you left the dock it was about sailing and nothing else.

In unrelated news, I am not sure why people are surprised the the ice is back, August 15th used to be the latest date before the ice started migrating towards the south.

North West Passage blocked with ice – yachts caught

‘North West Passage – showing ice blockages’ © Environment Canada

The Northwest Passage after decades of so-called global warming has a dramatic 60% more Arctic ice this year than at the same time last year. The future dreams of dozens of adventurous sailors are now threatened. A scattering of yachts attempting the legendary Passage are caught by the ice, which has now become blocked at both ends and the transit season may be ending early. Douglas Pohl tells the story:

The Passage has become blocked with 5/10 concentrated drifting sea ice at both the eastern and at the western ends of Canada’s Arctic Archipelago. At least 22 yachts and other vessels are in the Arctic at the moment. Some who were less advanced have retreated and others have abandoned their vessels along the way. Still others are caught in the ice in an unfolding, unresolved drama.

The real question is if and when the Canadian Coast Guard(CCG) decides to take early action to help the yachts exit the Arctic before freeze-up… or will they wait until it becomes an emergency rescue operation?

The first blockage area is at Prince Regent Inlet in position 73.7880535N, -89.2529297W which became blocked on 27th August with 5/10 ice concentration with 7/10 ice pushing.

This effectively closes the 2013 Northwest Passage without Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker escorts for transit. The alternative is a very technical and risky southern navigation through Fury & Hecla Strait mostly blocked with sea ice.

Currently there is a commercial cruise ship on a west to east passage which will reach Prince Regent Inlet in another day. It is unknown if there is a CCG icebreaker in the area to provide assistance since government ships do not provide Automatic Identification Service (AIS) to public AIS websites.

Since one of the Canadian Coast Guard’s prime missions is to provide icebreaking for commercial shipping it will be interesting to see if Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Government views this as an opportunity for good public relations to help recreational yachts transiting the Northwest Passage.

Another choke-point stopping marine traffic is on the western Canadian Arctic at Cape Bathurst in position 70.6672443N, -128.2763672W which became blocked on 26th August with 2/10 ice concentration and quickly filled with 5/10 ice on 27th August and today has 8/10 ice pushing towards Cape Bathurst. Latest word is the ice is retreating at an agonizing 1 nautical mile per day northward.

Empiricus – one of the ice-blocked yachts, still smiling – © Environment Canada

There are a number of yachts known to be in the Cambridge Bay area heading west: ACALEPHE (CA), ISATIS (NEW CALEDONIA), LA BELLE EPOQUE (DE), LIBELLULE (CHE), NOEME (FRA), and TRAVERSAY III (CA). PAS PERDU LE NORD (DE) was ahead by 10 days and has already gone on to Arctic Alaska waters. While BALTHAZAR (CA) departed from Inuvik a month ago and is now on the hard in Nome Alaska.

The following yachts are enroute from the west to the east: ANNA (?), rowboat ARCTIC JOULE (CA), DODO’S DELIGHT (GBR), EMPIRICUS (USA). rowboat FAIRMONT’s PASSION (USA), tandem-kayak IKIMAYIA (CA), in Russian sea ice is LADY DANA (POL), POLAR BOUND (GBR), rowboat ROWING ICE (FRA), in Russian sea ice is TARA (FRA), and a group of jetskis known as DANGEROUS WATERS (USA) reported east of Gjoa Haven.

Several updates on known others:
LE MANGUIER (FRA) is wintering over in the ice at Paulatuk. Motor Yacht Lady M II (Marshal Islands) was escorted by CCGS icebreaker HENRY LARSEN through Bellot Strait eastbound on 20130824. ARCTIC TERN (GBR) and TOOLUKA (NED) retreated to the east towards Greenland/Newfoundland away from Bellot Strait on 20130822 with the opinion that the Arctic ice was finished melting and freeze-up would prevent them from reaching the Northwest Passage finish line at the Arctic Circle in the Bering Strait.

FINAL DAY OF THE RED BULL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS

Perhaps the bright spot in the America’s Cup event. 20 somethings sailing hard in fleet races in the AC 45’s.
Click :HERE

As one might imagine much has been written about the penalties handed down by the international jury. I am inclined to agree with those that have said that the 2 race penalty was unfair. The two events; the AC 45 world tour and the America’s Cup are indeed separate events and the line between them should not be blurred. There should not have been a “carry over” penalty.

BIG JURY DECISION

ORACLE TEAM USA Statement on Jury Decision

Today, the America’s Cup Jury announced that one Team USA sailor, our primary wing trimmer, and two shore crew have been excluded from further participation in the 34th America’s Cup. This penalty was assessed because of a rules breach occurring in early 2012, well over a year ago, involving modifications to the team’s AC45 yachts, not the larger AC72 yachts that will be used in the America’s Cup.

The Jury has also penalized the team by deducting two races from Team USA in the upcoming 34th America’s Cup. That means Team USA will have to win 11 races to win the America’s Cup while Team New Zealand will only have to win nine races.

“The rules infractions involved only a few of our 130 team members, and were done without the knowledge of either our team’s management or the skippers who were driving the boats,” said team CEO Russell Coutts. “While we disagree with the unprecedented penalties imposed by the Jury, we have no choice but to make the necessary changes to personnel on our race boat and do our best to use the next four days for the new team to practice and get ready for the start of the 34th America’s Cup.”

READ THE OFFICIAL DECISION: HERE

EDITORIAL ON SMART PHONES

I would think it is a question of when to say no.Recently we watched an entire family sit at the table next to us in a restaurant and the father, mother, and each child then took out a phone or tablet to watch something different through the entire meal.

RED BULL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AC 45

This week before the start of the America’s Cup is a youth challenge of 10 teams sailing the AC 45’s.
This Labor day weekend is the Classic Yacht Regatta in Newport RI.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND, SUMMER IN REVIEW

Labor day weekend, the unofficial end to summer, and a moment of reflection on the summer that was. For us, it began on June 25, when we left Newport to drive to Los Angeles; arriving 5500 miles later. We enriched our view of the United States, still having seen only a small part of what the country has to offer. For my part, the greatest change was the west. It’s natural beauty and sheer vastness. It truly has a different scale of time, distance and size. It is hard to pinpoint the singular moments and places that most touched us.

It also marked our 40 wedding anniversary; a milestone that we were able to enjoy in a different way; crossing the country to see our children and grandchildren.