On the Bay: July 16, 2010
Written by Andrea Watson Friday, 16 July 2010 00:00
There is a story from the online newsletter Scuttlebutt that is so compelling and important for the sport of sailing that this column is including it in its entirety. It is one of those “feel good” stories and is about a college coach who defines the word integrity.
It goes like this: John Mollicone, head coach of the Brown University (Providence, RI) sailing team, had an opportunity to accept a qualifying bid for his coed team to attend the Nationals in 2009, but Mollicone turned this chance down. A day after the Bears missed out on qualifying by one spot at the 2009 New England Dinghy Championship, he was informed that his team could advance due to a non-sailing administrative error by qualifying team, Connecticut College. Mollicone had about two hours to make a decision on accepting the bid, and without enough time to consult his team, he was forced to make a difficult decision on his own.
Qualifying for the annual Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Coed Dinghy National Championship can be brutal. There are seven districts spread throughout the U.S., so for the colleges in the northeast, only the top sailing teams from the New England Dinghy Championship advance. But when the top teams at the New Englands are frequently the top teams at the Nationals, a lot of very strong schools don’t get the chance to test their team on the national stage.
On one hand, Brown had a successful season and would be a worthy competitor at the nationals. On the other hand, they had earned a bid by penalty and not based on their accomplishments on the water. After considering his options, Mollicone passed on the spot. “NEISA is such a hard district in college sailing and Connecticut College sailed a great event at the New England Championship,” said Mollicone. “I didn’t think they should be penalized for improper paperwork.” Recognizing the breadth of this decision, US SAILING President Gary Jobson presented the W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. National Sportsmanship Award to John Mollicone earlier this month at the ICSA National Championships in Madison, Wisc. This US SAILING award is presented annually and recognizes an individual who best exemplifies the spirit of sportsmanship in sailing.
Full report: http://media.ussailing.org/Sailor_of_the_Week/2010/SOTW_06022010/Mollicone.htm.
A report from The Los Angeles Times on sunscreen is a topic of interest now that the sailing season is in full swing. The question was asked if an SPF rating over 30 is significantly better than one with a lower SPF. Confusion sets in when consumers encounter shelves stocked with bottles with a SPF of 50, 70 and 100+, which can be higher in price. Are these higher SPFs worth it? According to the article in the LA Times, many dermatologists don’t think so. “Once you get to SPF 50, it’s really getting silly,” said Boston dermatologist, James Spencer. “SPF refers to multiples of how much longer it takes the skin to burn,” but it isn’t a linear progression. An SPF of 30 doesn’t offer twice as much protection as an SPF of 15, for example. An SPF 15 blocks 94 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97 percent, and SPF 45 blocks 98 percent. Spencer recommends sunscreens with an SPF of 30, as does the American Academy of Dermatology, “because we know you’re not going to put enough on.” In fact, the academy found that most sunscreen users put on only half as much sunscreen as they should to get the product’s claimed SPF protection. Making matters worse is the fact that sunscreen doesn’t last all day and needs to be reapplied every few hours.
The Food and Drug Administration began requiring SPF ratings on sunscreens sold in the U.S. in 1978. But SPF ratings only measure one type of sun protection. Sunlight consists of about 95 percent UVA, the ultraviolet light that contributes to skin cancer and wrinkles, and 5 percent UVB, which is responsible for sunburn. SPF only applies to UVB. It does not indicate UVA protection. While many sunscreens claim to be broad spectrum - protecting the skin from both UVB and UVA – there’s no way of knowing how much UVA protection is included in a sunscreen. The FDA intends to clarify this later this year.
Some of our racers are heading up to Newport, RI this week to get ready for the New York YC Race Week. If you can’t be in Newport to watch your friends, the next best thing is on-demand video that will be available after 9 p.m. each evening at www.nyyc.org.
Scheduled for July 17 to 24, the split format biennial regatta offers One-Design, Classic, 12 Metre and PHRF racing in the beginning of the week Sat., July 17-Monday, July 19, with the second half of the week Wednesday, July 21 to Saturday, July 24 is for IRC racing and the Rolex US-IRC National Championship. “New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex was designed to accommodate multiple configurations, depending on the boats competing,” said Peter Cummiskey, who serves as NYYC’s event chair. “For the first time we are grouping all of the One Design, PHRF and Classic classes into the first half of the week, giving owners a chance to switch into IRC mode for the second half of the week and race for the Rolex US-IRC National title. With only two weeks until the entry deadline, we are already seeing many of the best professional and amateur racers entered, including those with experience in the America’s Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and a number of winners from the recently completed Bermuda Race.”
The J/109 class is holding its North American championship and expects to see 10 boats on the starting line to challenge defending champion Storm, owned by Rick Lyall (Wilton, Conn.) and 2008 champion Gut Feeling, owned by Ted Herlihy (South Dartmouth, MA). Bob Schwartz, Nordlys, will also be on the starting line. This is a boat readers may recognize from the scores for Thirsty Thursday that are reported in this column.
Both segments of Race Week will feature NYYC’s notable race management team, beautiful sailing on the waters of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, convenient access to the largest concentration of world class offshore racing support facilities in North America, daily social gatherings and the hospitality of the New York Yacht Club’s membership and staff. Rolex timepieces will be awarded for best overall performances in Classic, One-Design and IRC divisions. On-demand video will be available after 9 p.m. each evening of Race Week at www.nyyc.org.
