Oliver on the move
Rhode Island’s future tall ship, the Oliver Hazard Perry, was towed from Newport, R.I., by the tug Hope. The 132-foot hull will undergo extensive steel and mechanical work this winter at Promet Marine Services in Providence, R.I. When rebuilt and rigged as a Class A tall ship, it will measure 207 feet overall and feature a three-masted square rig that rises roughly the height of a 13-story building. The project is a modern tribute to the naval vessels used in the Battle of Lake Erie, where Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a victorious fleet.
US Sailing pays tribute to Roy E. Disney
Roy Edward Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, died Dec. 16 after a long battle with stomach cancer. He was 79. In 2008, US Sailing honored him with the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy in recognition of his significant and sustained contributions to sailing in the United States.
Gary Jobson, president of US Sailing, said, “Roy Disney was great for the sport of sailing. He set a high example for all of us as a top competitor, visionary and philanthropist. He inspired many young people to pursue life on the water.”
Disney supported sailing across a wide spectrum: youth programs, Olympic campaigns and public outreach. He combined his passions for sailing and filmmaking to promote the sport, notably co-producing the documentary Morning Light with his wife, Leslie DeMeuse-Disney, which brought new attention to competitive sailing.
Stan Honey, a US Sailing board member, recalled Disney’s loyalty and leadership: “Sailing with Roy felt like being adopted by a family. He got so much out of his crew because his loyalty was astounding. They focused on winning because they knew he had their backs.”
Grael and Tunnicliffe named Sailors of the Year
Torben Grael of Brazil and American Anna Tunnicliffe were honored with the 2009 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards at a ceremony in South Korea.
Grael, nicknamed “Turbine,” has enjoyed a long and decorated career that includes five Olympic medals—the most of any sailor—multiple world titles and a successful Louis Vuitton Cup campaign. He was singled out this year for his leadership and for skippering Ericsson 4 to victory in the 2008–2009 Volvo Ocean Race.
Anna Tunnicliffe has demonstrated versatility across a variety of boats and disciplines. After winning Olympic gold for the United States in the Laser Radial in 2008, she continued competing in multiple classes, including Snipe and match racing. She had previously been named U.S. Sailing’s 2008 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.
Iran releases British sailors
The crew of Sail Bahrain’s racing yacht was detained briefly by an Iranian naval vessel before the Dubai–Muscat Offshore Race. According to Andrew Pindar OBE, chairman of Sail Bahrain, a propeller failure may have caused the boat to drift out of United Arab Emirates waters into Iranian waters, prompting detention and suspicion of espionage.
Pindar said the team’s focus was on the safe return of the crew and supporting the families awaiting them. He described the Team Pindar crew as a close-knit group of experienced sailors. The crew, led by skipper Olly Smith, were reportedly treated well by Iranian officials and kept their spirits up during the ordeal. Iranian authorities later released the sailors.
Massachusetts man honored with ICSA lifetime award
Joseph P. Kirk of West Falmouth, Mass., was posthumously honored with the Lifetime Service Award from the Intercollegiate Sailing Association and inducted into the ICSA Hall of Fame. Kirk, a long-time employee of Massachusetts Maritime Academy and an earlier volunteer, coached cadets, managed races and served as a mentor to many before his death in September 2008 following a brief illness.
Known for his hands-on dedication to boat maintenance, Kirk kept the academy’s fleet race-ready and supported fundraising efforts that enabled as many as 50 cadets to compete on weekends. He was also active at Chapoquoit Yacht Club. Other recent ICSA honorees included Austin Dias (Student Leadership Award), Bryan Harrison McDonald (Outstanding Contribution/Volunteer) and Michael Segerblom (Graham Hall Award for Outstanding Service by a College Sailing Professional).
The ICSA Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to recognize competitive achievements by undergraduates and the service of individuals who have helped grow collegiate sailing.
Scandone honored with national sportsmanship award
U.S. Sailing presented its national sportsmanship award, the W. Van Alan Clark Jr. Trophy, to the late Nick Scandone of Fountain Valley, Calif. Charlie Leighton, U.S. Sailing’s executive director, presented the award to Scandone’s wife, Mary Kate.
Scandone, who won Paralympic gold in 2008, died Jan. 2 following a long battle with ALS. Betsy Alison, coach of the 2008 Paralympic team, praised Scandone’s determination and inspirational example: “Nick was a driving force in Paralympic sailing and showed that nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it.” The award presentation at the Clagett Memorial Regatta honored his many contributions to the sport.
New U.S. Sailing appeals book available
The U.S. Sailing Appeals Book for 2009–2012 is now available in hard copy from the U.S. Sailing store (store.ussailing.org). The edition includes the ISAF Case Book for 2009–2012 and offers interpretations of the rules to help sailors, race officials and judges reach consistent, well-reasoned decisions.
“As a competitive racer, coach and judge, I can say this book is loaded with important and useful interpretations of the rules,” said Dave Perry, chair of the US Sailing appeals committee. Appeals are decisions from the US Sailing Appeals Committee, while cases are decisions from national authorities worldwide as published by the International Sailing Federation. Protest committees often rely on appeals and cases with similar facts. Members can also read the appeals content online for free at the U.S. Sailing website.
ISAF sets schedule for Olympic event world championships
The International Sailing Federation released provisional dates and venues for the world championships of the events selected for the 2012 Olympic sailing competition. Unlike the ISAF Sailing World Cup series, which measures competitors across a series of events, the world championships are standalone, winner-take-all contests with each Olympic event visiting different venues each year.
The 2012 Olympic sailing program includes 10 events across eight different classes or types of equipment. In 2011, all world titles for the Olympic events were combined into a single large championship staged in Perth: the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. For more information, see sailing.org.
Ellen MacArthur joins youths for final leg of Round Britain voyage
The 48-foot yacht Scarlet Oyster completed the final leg of the Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain voyage on Sept. 12, sailing from Torquay back to Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Over 17 legs and 132 days, 74 young people recovering from cancer sailed aboard Scarlet Oyster, visiting ports that included Brighton, Dover, London, Ipswich, Hull, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Belfast, Douglas, Liverpool, Cardiff and Southampton.
The Dame Ellen MacArthur Trust offers sailing experiences to young people ages 8–18 who are recovering from cancer and other serious illnesses to help them rebuild confidence. MacArthur, a renowned long-distance sailor and former holder of the solo around-the-world record, joined the crew and five young people for the final leg. For details, see roundbritain.org.
ISAF honors longtime rules expert with volunteer award
The International Sailing Federation awarded the ISAF Beppe Croce Trophy, recognizing exceptional voluntary contribution to sailing, to rules expert Bill Bentsen of Chicago and Lake Geneva, Wis. Bentsen served on ISAF’s racing rules committee for 25 years, chaired the committee’s first race management subcommittee and helped introduce the Sailing Instructions Guide (now Appendix L of The Racing Rules of Sailing). He also contributed to the first ISAF Call Book for Match Racing (1992).
Bentsen’s international service includes long-standing roles as an ISAF international judge and membership on juries for world and continental championships, youth world championships, the 1979 Pan American Games regatta and the 1988 Olympic regatta. In U.S. Sailing, he chaired the appeals committee and the racing rules committee, helped start the judges certification program and played a key role in race management best practices.
Among his honors, Bentsen received the ISAF long service gold medal in 2004, the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy in 1994, and the Harman Hawkins Trophy in 2008 for excellence in race administration. As a competitor, he was crew for Buddy Melges and won Olympic medals in 1972 (gold, Soling) and 1964 (bronze, Flying Dutchman).
This article originally appeared in the New England Home Waters section of the February 2010 issue.