Final Day

[MR.CLEAN]

Having been drinking since 1 PM, I figured if I didn't start this thread now, I'd never do it. I need to get Mer to the airport by 0530 so she can get back to Charleston for her mom's 60th birthday, and then I need to dive on 13 boats - so I will be tired out by the time I get to our Eastport 32 for the day's coverage.

But we'll be out there - fueled by nicotine and vodka, we'll get you all the action on the final day of On-The-Water Anarchy from the 2008 Melges 24 North American Championship. I've got a spectacular guest photographer on board with me tomorrow - local art photog Sara Procter will be snapping, and hopefully I can get her and her computer assistant up to speed fast enough for them to provide you with some good shots in a timely manner. We'll see how it goes - I'm optimistic.

One more mention of our sponsors - without whom, we'd never have made it to the water. Tom Weaver's Eastport 32, which is – by far – the best spectating boat that we've ever had the pleasure to be on; George and the Coral Reef Sailing Apparel folks, who have more great giveaways today, and Latis Yachting Solutions, the most reliable, fully insured and DOT licensed, racing yacht delivery company there is - they're throwing a 10% discount for any boat transport this winter to the Anarchists.

Here's Dave Ullman after day 3 - talking about his protest. Listen, and come back later for more on how it went down - and what's to come on that front.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

David Dabney is helming Wireless - owner Reggie Fairchild couldn't make it, so Dabney, a former college all-american, is driving his first Melges regatta with some eye-popping results. Dabney's fast, and he's getting his own Melges to get the Charleston fleet comfortably in the double digits. Good on' em.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

Gabrio Zandona is one of our favorite guys in the fleet. He's not the usual blustering italiano - he's just chill, and fast, and mellow, and ultra competitive. Here's a long one with Gabi.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Gabrio Zandona is one of our favorite guys in the fleet. He's not the usual blustering italiano - he's just chill, and fast, and mellow, and ultra competitive. Here's a long one with Gabi.


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9:30 on Friday night and you're still posting - that's serious dedication. I hadn't seen a thing and caught up completely due to your efforts. Keep up the good work. I still owe you a cocktail, but I ain't going out tonight. You around tomorrow night?

 

[MR.CLEAN]

9:30 on Friday night and you're still posting - that's serious dedication. I hadn't seen a thing and caught up completely due to your efforts. Keep up the good work. I still owe you a cocktail, but I ain't going out tonight. You around tomorrow night?

Not only am I around tomorrow night, but my wife ain't, and I got all women on the Eastport 32. They'll come out, I'm sure.

 

[iqcraig]

Here's Dave Ullman after day 3 - talking about his protest. Listen, and come back later for more on how it went down - and what's to come on that front.

Questionable reasoning behind the protest. I would think that the fact that 15 boats were called over early is far more unfair than racing "too much" in a day. Can we really get mad when the RC is pushing for more racing, and it is not specifically stated in the SI's?

 

[MR.CLEAN]

The rehearing was denied, but the reasoning gets pretty bizarre. Yesterday, as Dave said, the jury found the RC in error, and wrote the facts found as such. Today, they changed that finding - presumably to avoid throwing the race out, but cover their asses a bit better. The decision - which I'm waiting for a written copy of - now finds that the NOR's provision for 2-3 races only conflicts with the Sailing Instructions, which is completely silent on the matter. That's some weird shit.

I predict another rehearing tomorrow. And it really could win.

 

[bmercer]

Here's Dave Ullman after day 3 - talking about his protest. Listen, and come back later for more on how it went down - and what's to come on that front.

Questionable reasoning behind the protest. I would think that the fact that 15 boats were called over early is far more unfair than racing "too much" in a day. Can we really get mad when the RC is pushing for more racing, and it is not specifically stated in the SI's?

Good on Jeff and crew! Calling the boats instead of just slouching into a general is the way any proffessional race officer will tell you it should be done even if you call all the boats except one. Per a friend from Premiere Racing.

While I hate to see a "good"(I use that term loosely in context alone) race thrown out Ullman has pretty sound footing to get that race tossed. If there is documentation that states a fixed number of races then that standard holds true even if the SI's don't mention it. In the RC's position I would post on the official race notification board that each day will consist of as many races as possble.

P.S. Clean tell Jeff Borland that we all miss him at Pymatuning Yacht Club. I am sure he would agree that you could get some sweet OD dinghy OTW action out here! (Maybe Spring Classic or Independence Day regatta. HINT HINT) Shameless pimping OUT!

 

[NoWorries]

Gotta pimp the event sponsors again - without them there would be no racing, and nothing for Clean to do....

The 2008 North American Championship is sponsored by Pusser’s Rum, Pusser’s Caribbean Grille, Coral Reef Sailing Apparel, Gill, Melges Performance Sailboats, Team Barbarians</SPAN>, Atlantic Yacht Rigging, Velocitek, North Sails, Quantum Sails, Harken, Westin Annapolis, USMCA, Sail22, Annapolis Wireless Internet (AWI), Eastport Yacht Center, National Sailing Hall of Fame, Annapolis Maritime Museum, and Marriott Annapolis Waterfront. The Melges 24 Class and the Eastport Yacht Club are extremely proud to be partnered with these outstanding companies and thank them for their generous support of the 2008 Melges 24 North American Championship.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

Off to go and scrub bottoms...more on that later. Amuse yourself with this interview of Kristen Lane, former SCOTW and helm of Brickhouse 623. Kristen talks about why women should own and drive more boats, how good the 24 is for women, what her reception has been like in the fleet, and where she gets those wheels from.

Check it.

 

[Ren]

Here's Dave Ullman after day 3 - talking about his protest. Listen, and come back later for more on how it went down - and what's to come on that front.

Questionable reasoning behind the protest. I would think that the fact that 15 boats were called over early is far more unfair than racing "too much" in a day. Can we really get mad when the RC is pushing for more racing, and it is not specifically stated in the SI's?

Good on Jeff and crew! Calling the boats instead of just slouching into a general is the way any proffessional race officer will tell you it should be done even if you call all the boats except one. Per a friend from Premiere Racing.

While I hate to see a "good"(I use that term loosely in context alone) race thrown out Ullman has pretty sound footing to get that race tossed. If there is documentation that states a fixed number of races then that standard holds true even if the SI's don't mention it. In the RC's position I would post on the official race notification board that each day will consist of as many races as possble.

P.S. Clean tell Jeff Borland that we all miss him at Pymatuning Yacht Club. I am sure he would agree that you could get some sweet OD dinghy OTW action out here! (Maybe Spring Classic or Independence Day regatta. HINT HINT) Shameless pimping OUT!

I thinks it's all BS...........if any of the protesters actually cared about the 2-3 race line they would have protested prior to race 4...........the jury should tell them all to go get them rum drinks and quit wasting their time

 

[I_Hate_Everyone]

Here's Dave Ullman after day 3 - talking about his protest. Listen, and come back later for more on how it went down - and what's to come on that front.

Questionable reasoning behind the protest. I would think that the fact that 15 boats were called over early is far more unfair than racing "too much" in a day. Can we really get mad when the RC is pushing for more racing, and it is not specifically stated in the SI's?

Good on Jeff and crew! Calling the boats instead of just slouching into a general is the way any proffessional race officer will tell you it should be done even if you call all the boats except one. Per a friend from Premiere Racing.

While I hate to see a "good"(I use that term loosely in context alone) race thrown out Ullman has pretty sound footing to get that race tossed. If there is documentation that states a fixed number of races then that standard holds true even if the SI's don't mention it. In the RC's position I would post on the official race notification board that each day will consist of as many races as possble.

P.S. Clean tell Jeff Borland that we all miss him at Pymatuning Yacht Club. I am sure he would agree that you could get some sweet OD dinghy OTW action out here! (Maybe Spring Classic or Independence Day regatta. HINT HINT) Shameless pimping OUT!

I thinks it's all BS...........if any of the protesters actually cared about the 2-3 race line they would have protested prior to race 4...........the jury should tell them all to go get them rum drinks and quit wasting their time

I agree! If Clean had any balls that is the question he would have asked Ullman....If you had won the race would you still be trying to get it thrown out?

 

[polarbear]

If nobody was OCS or DSQ there would be no complaints about an extra race. This of course is a tactic

to try to avoid having this particular race count. Had they been top 5, they'd would not be protesting and

that's why it's a BS move (IMHO). It's kind of ironic given all the bitching RCs typically get for not getting

races going.

 

[bmercer]

Off to go and scrub bottoms...more on that later. Amuse yourself with this interview of Kristen Lane, former SCOTW and helm of Brickhouse 623. Kristen talks about why women should own and drive more boats, how good the 24 is for women, what her reception has been like in the fleet, and where she gets those wheels from.
Check it.

Now the T Hutch interview was good but this one is even better! Great job clean and Cheers Kristen for having the stones (figuritivley) to get to a level to play with the big boys!

 

[iqcraig]

If nobody was OCS or DSQ there would be no complaints about an extra race. This of course is a tacticto try to avoid having this particular race count. Had they been top 5, they'd would not be protesting and

that's why it's a BS move (IMHO). It's kind of ironic given all the bitching RCs typically get for not getting

races going.

word

 

[Ren]

If nobody was OCS or DSQ there would be no complaints about an extra race. This of course is a tacticto try to avoid having this particular race count. Had they been top 5, they'd would not be protesting and

that's why it's a BS move (IMHO). It's kind of ironic given all the bitching RCs typically get for not getting

races going.

word

hell, they were so excited to do 4th race they started too soon!

 

[usa12349]

If nobody was OCS or DSQ there would be no complaints about an extra race. This of course is a tacticto try to avoid having this particular race count. Had they been top 5, they'd would not be protesting and

that's why it's a BS move (IMHO). It's kind of ironic given all the bitching RCs typically get for not getting

races going.

This isn't a BS move.... this is part of the game, he's a professional and his livelihood depends upon placing as best as he possibly can. If that mean he has a chance to improve his score by protesting and getting a race tossed so be it. Shit its not like what Jud Smith did recently is it

 

[bmercer]

If nobody was OCS or DSQ there would be no complaints about an extra race. This of course is a tacticto try to avoid having this particular race count. Had they been top 5, they'd would not be protesting and

that's why it's a BS move (IMHO). It's kind of ironic given all the bitching RCs typically get for not getting

races going.

I agree with all of the above but at this level everyone in the protest would smile and giggle if you asked them the question of whether they would protest if they were leading the regatta. Unfortunatley IMHO the rules are in place for a reason and people are always going to find a way to use them to their advantage. This goes against the part of the RRS that states that sailing in general is a corinthian sport and that as a participant you are to act accordingly (lets us see someone protest on that basis). Question is does the rule making RC infallible also exclude them from corinthian action) I beleive that the race commitees duty is to get as many races as possible off but the hired guns will prevail in the zealotry to get this one tossed because of an improperly worded document. Again IMHO never put a number on an NOR or SI unless it is followed by "but will try to sail as many as possible per day"

 

[Ren]

If nobody was OCS or DSQ there would be no complaints about an extra race. This of course is a tacticto try to avoid having this particular race count. Had they been top 5, they'd would not be protesting and

that's why it's a BS move (IMHO). It's kind of ironic given all the bitching RCs typically get for not getting

races going.

This isn't a BS move.... this is part of the game, he's a professional and his livelihood depends upon placing as best as he possibly can. If that mean he has a chance to improve his score by protesting and getting a race tossed so be it. Shit its not like what Jud Smith did recently is it

what happens if they get 0 races in today? throw the whole regatta out?