| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Scuttlebutt Updates
|
Archived NewslettersSCUTTLEBUTT 2733 - Wednesday, November 26, 2008Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors,providing a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Today's sponsors are Ullman Sails and Team One Newport. ‘GRIND, YOU FAT BASTARD!’ Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal of the UK’s Team Origin, says his serious interest in the America’s Cup began, fittingly enough, at sea. In 1998, Mills shipped aboard Ariel, a Dubois 68, for the Clipper Challenge round the world race. Among the reading material he brought on board was a book about the gracious British sportsman, Thomas Lipton, who challenged for the Cup five times over a 31-year period, and never won. Mills says that book got him thinking about an America’s Cup campaign. As a young boy, Keith Mills got stuck on sailing his first time out. His father, a non-sailor, chartered an old Wayfarer on a little lake during a family vacation. Mills recalls the unique sense of freedom he felt, even on that small body of water. For many years, education and career reduced sailing to an occasional pleasure for Mills. But he acquired an Oyster 485 when he could, and in his late 40s, looking for a break after selling one of his companies, he turned to sailing. He says he wasn’t exactly having a mid-life crisis, but he needed time to think about the rest of his life. He was looking for an experience out of his comfort zone. He admits that signing on for the Clipper Challenge was a bit of a stretch. Mills recalls his first day on board Ariel, meeting his 23-year-old skipper, Alex Thompson. “There I was, a multi-millionaire, chairman of a number of companies, having this 23-year-old screaming at me, `Grind, you fat bastard!’ -- Read on: http://www.alinghi.com/en/news/features/index.php?idIndex=227&idContent=18470 GOING WHERE NO GRAND PRIX NAVIGATOR HAS GONE BEFORE (Nov. 25, 2008; Day 11) - A traffic jam of Volvo Open 70s is developing in the Indian Ocean as they try to avoid the pot holes lying in wait in the Doldrums. The gaps between the boats is falling while at the navigation stations, the stress levels rise. A concertina effect is unfolding as the leaders find buffer zones which their pursuers have yet to hit on the final approach to the finish. Delta Lloyd’s gain of over 100 miles in the past 24 hours bears that out. “To say the last 18 hours of my life have been stressful would be a bit of an understatement!” said Simon Fisher, Telefonica Blue navigator. “Sailing or rather limping along with our busted wing (broken daggerboard) we found ourselves last night in all kinds of bother. A massive header that we couldn’t escape by sailing high, which had me biting me nails pulling my hair out and staring at the computer screen in disbelief as the guys around us wound out massive amounts of easting.” “I think it’s very unfair for Volvo, to send us down in the Doldrums in one leg and straight up in the Doldrums in the next leg,” whines Green Dragon navigator Ian Moore. “It’s a real unknown for me, for us all. A couple of guys have sailed through in multihull but nobody has done it in a monohull.” The length of Leg Two from Cape Town to Cochin, India is 4,450 nm, with the leader expected to finish by November 30th. Current positions (as of Nov. 26, 1:00am GMT): 1. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 940 nm Distance to Finish 2. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Anders Lewander/SWE, 8 nm Distance to Leader 3. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 15 nm DTL 4. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 22 nm DTL 5. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 27 nm DTL 6. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 89 nm DTL 7. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, 97 nm DTL 8. Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, 124 nm DTL Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race website: http://volvooceanrace.org * REALLY, REALLY WET - Bouwe Bekking, Telefonica Blue skipper: “Late yesterday afternoon we got the following message from race headquarters : ‘MRCC Madrid have just rung us to say one of your EPRIBS has been set off. Can you confirm all is ok onboard and if you are aware that an EPIRB has been activated?’ Of course we responded quickly back that all was ok and we checked the EPIRB which is mounted at the stern of our boat, and indeed she was switched on. It has a hydrostatic release, so in case a boat sinks, it switches itself on. As we were more under water than over the water by sailing so fast, the machine thought we were going under, so it switched on. Actually good to know that this system works flawlessly and big brother is watching us.” -- http://www.equipotelefonica.es ETCHELLS “FIFTEEN” TOPS SYDNEY FLEET Etchells “Fifteen” team of David Clarke, Andrew “Spot” Smith and Sean Leonard sealed their victory in the Sydney Etchells fleet’s 2009 Melbourne Worlds Qualifying series last weekend, securing a berth to the World Championships in March. “Fifteen”, who competed with full Ullman Sails inventory, won the ten-heat series with a dominant final score of 22 points - 17 points ahead of second place. The team has shown superior speed throughout the early season, winning four of the ten heats in the series and the prestigious Milson Silver Goblets. Invest in your performance with Ullman Sails. Visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com FROM THE COMFORT OF HIS COMPUTER Things could be different for American John Kostecki. For the past couple months, Kostecki has been in San Diego, CA, training on the BMW Oracle Racing (BOR) team’s 90-foot trimaran during the day, and comfortably asleep at night. However, Kostecki had planned to be doing the Volvo Ocean Race, in which case he would be anything but comfortable. Before resigning as the Ericsson team skipper in August 2007 due to the arrival of his first child, Kostecki was in charge of the program. How did a team so troubled in the 2005-2006 race initiate this turn around? “Start early, secure a sufficient budget, and run a two boat program,” said John Kostecki. Kostecki still feels very attached to the team, and while no longer involved, is pleased to have helped point them in the right direction. “I do feel that I contributed to the team and in some measure to the success they are achieving now,” said Kostecki. “I follow the race closely, checking in on the website 2-3 times a day. I think the new course has created several new challenges to make for an interesting race. I miss it sometimes... but I am very happy with the decision to not do the race.” However, Kostecki has not completely hung up his thermals and balaclava. “I would consider doing it again, said Kostecki. “But it would have to be a perfect opportunity and the timing would have to fit.” Like when day sailing maxi multihulls in San Diego isn’t fun anymore. WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? (Nov. 25, 2008; Day 16) - The South Atlantic High might be ready to pull a mean trick. As the leaders approach, the High stands tall, forcing them to continue south to get around it, rather than turning left now toward the Cape of Good Hope. However, what if the tenth place entry got a “Pst, heh you”, followed by a wave toward a secret door? The High can do this, splitting to allow risky passage through it rather than around it. Makes for an epic short cut, and the tale of French sailor Isabelle Autissier in the 1994 Around Alone race (BOC) resonates aboard every boat. Autissier saw the split, took the chance, got through, watched it close behind, and arrived in Cape Town a full week ahead of her nearest rival. For Loïck Peyron, it might be wise to hide the live ammo for the next few days. -- Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s. Standings as of 18:30 UTC (Top 5 plus of 30 entrants): 1. Loïck Peyron (FRA), Gitana Eighty, 20222.7 nm Distance to finish 2. Sébastien Josse (FRA), BT, 10.1 nm Distance to leader 3. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, 40.5 nm DTL 4. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA), Paprec-Virbac 2, 40.9 nm DTL 5. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB, 49.9 nm DTL 13. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 325.6 nm DTL 15. Dee Caffari (GBR), Aviva, 522.1 nm DTL 21. Rich Wilson (USA), Great American III, 842.6 nm DTL 25. Derek Hatfield (CAN), Algimouss Spirit of Canada, 1462.4 nm DTL Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html * Having spent six months bashing uncomfortably upwind when she became the first woman to sail solo around the world against prevailing winds and currents in 2006, Dee Caffari was not expecting more of the same in the Vendée Globe. “This is not what the brochure promised - I’ve been done!” joked Caffari as the fleet charges south in upwind conditions which are in stark contrast to the downwind sailing that skippers normally encounter in the South Atlantic. “I did this for six months and it sucks. And now I’m in a boat that really doesn’t like these conditions. These Open 60 boats are very noisy upwind. I was sold the exciting downwind ride but here I am going upwind again. I’ve been sold a duff!” -- http://www.avivaoceanracing.com THE RECESSION RACE Nearly every corner of the sport has been evaluating itself to make sure it is best serving its participants, and the economic news of the last few months has turned up the volume on this task. Distance racing in California has particularly required some creative thinking, as a shrinking base of offshore boats and an overstock of offshore races has divided the fleets. One of the races in question is the biennial Marina del Rey to Puerto Vallarta International Race, which has now turned their 1000+ mile race in January 2009 from Los Angeles to mainland Mexico into a series of four shorter sprints. Do some, do all, but please do something. To back up some, one of the popular shorter offshore races in Southern California is from Newport Beach to Ensenada (125 miles), but to go longer, the next step up is 800 miles to finish at the end of the Baja California peninsula. The problem then becomes that a minimum ten days are needed to do these longer races, and with crew lodging, airfare, and return delivery crew, the fee gets close to $10,000. To address this dilemma, a new race within a race is being presented. What, you say, a new race? Got too many already. Maybe not. Read on: http://www.pv09.com/RecessionRace.htm BUY A GIFT, GET A GIFT Team One Newport and Henri-Lloyd are teaming up this Holiday Season to bring you an awesome deal. If you purchase a Biscay or Mirage jacket, you will receive a FREE Breeze vest. If you purchase a Breeze, Atmosphere, Diablo or Fusion Jacket, you will receive either a FREE backpack or Storm Barrel Duffel. This offer is for a limited time. Call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) or visit http://www.team1newport.com SAILING SHORTS * (Nov. 25, 2008) - Setting out from Brest, France last Tuesday, Frenchman Thomas Coville said that the first goal of his attempt to set a new solo round the world record aboard the 105-foot maxi-trimaran Sodeb’O was to reach the equator in seven days. Today, Coville completed the task in seven days and 28 minutes at an average speed of 16.3 knots, but current record holder Francis Joyon took seven and a half fewer hours. Coville will be soon passing through the Vendee Globe fleet. -- Complete report: http://SButt112508a.notlong.com * Danish sail maker Elvstrøm Sails has been sold to a group of private investors led by former CEO of the company Claus Olsen and triple Olympic medalist and America’s Cup skipper Jesper Bank. The group has purchased the company from its previous owner Peter Jørgensen who acquired the company a year and a half ago. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6717 * The World Match Racing Tour has announced a new invite policy for the 2009 season that rewards skippers and teams with guaranteed entries on the series for next year. “This is an unprecedented change in the way the World Tour provides entries to its events,” explained Craig Mitchell, World Tour Director. “For the first time, skippers and teams will have a clear path to win the World Championship, and to guarantee to their sponsors a schedule of participation.” -- Read on: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/da/91299 * Punta del Este, Uruguay (Nov. 25, 2008) - There are 49 entrants representing nine countries and three continents at the 2008 Snipe Western Hemisphere & Orient Championships, which began in 15-18 knot winds and warm temperatures. The Brazilians samba'd their way to win both races, and currently hold the top three positions in the standings. Top North American is Ernesto Rodriguez and Raúl Ríos in fifth. Racing resumes on Maldonado Bay through November 30. -- Event website: http://www.snipe-who.com * With 112 boats entered, and 63 sign-ups on the “I want to sail in Key West” crew board, the 22nd edition of Acura Key West 2009 is only 54 days away from the event dates of January 19-23. “We are very pleased with the way the fleet is coming together,” said Event Director Peter Craig. “Given the current global economic uncertainties, we are certainly not taking participation for granted. I’m impressed with the high caliber of international and U.S. entries and it’s clear that there will be no drop off in the quality of competition this year,” he added. -- Event website: http://www.premiere-racing.com/keywest09/pages/KW09_entry_information.htm (BONUS) VIDEO OF THE WEEK Here is a bonus video this week, and while we don't want to encourage carnage, particularly at the college level, occasionally "sh$t happens." This footage is from the Atlantic Coast Championship on November 15-16, hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY, and shows what happens when you mix windy, puffy, shifty, and college sailors at a weather mark. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/08/1126a/ * If you have a video you like, please send your suggestion for next week’s Video of the Week to mailto:craig@sailingscuttlebutt.com PHOTOS OF THE WEEK Some of the random photos from the sport received this week at Scuttlebutt all include seasonal action, the kind of action you would expect this week, including cunning moves, irony, misunderstandings, innocence, and helpfulness. If you have images you would like to share, send them to the Scuttlebutt editor. Here are this week’s photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/08/1126 LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Reader commentary is encouraged, with letters to be submitted to the Scuttlebutt editor, aka, ‘The Curmudgeon’. Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and be no longer than 250 words (letter might be edited for clarity or simplicity). You only get one letter per subject, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- To submit a Letter: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- To post on the Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Skip Allan: With the passing of Fred Schenck, Southern California lost a true gentleman, terrific small boat sailor, and friend to all. Fred's intensity and colorful character on and off the race course led to many memorable moments. As a kid I was crewing for Freddie when the butt of our Lehman 12 mast went through the bottom of the boat as we were leading the last windward leg of the Championship. I dove for the bailing bucket to keep us afloat, but was immediately admonished by Freddie. "Hike out,” he said. “We'll get to the finish line before we sink." Fair winds, Freddie. * From Bill Lee: (re, kiteboarding not being included in the outright speed record) The future I find interesting is not the depth of the water, but the length of the kite strings. With modern materials the strings can get longer and longer. We all know the wind is stronger up high and up to 200 knots in the jetstream. As the strings get longer, going faster will be a matter of progression, but keeping the board in the water will be become harder. This will create another judging issue regarding the percentage of the course that the board must be in contact with the water. I agree with the World Sailing Speed Record Council. My reason is that the official outright speed record should be in the spirit of the Ancient Interface, that being the sheer between the wind and the water. Yes it should be limited to boats where the boat and sails operate in adjacent conditions. * From Andrew Mason: Regarding the discussion of kitesurfing and speed records, it is important to distinguish between the arguments regarding depth of water and the arguments regarding whether a kitesurfing is sailing. On the question of depth, the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) has implemented a depth limit of 50cm and this applies to sailboards, who have been speedsailing on shallower courses than this for years, as well as kitesurfers. So the exclusion of kitesurfers from the outright world speed sailing record has nothing to do with water depth. As to whether kite powered vessels can be classified as sailing craft for the purposes of world records, there didn't seem to be any objection to kitesurfers competing for the speed record until they broke it. Prior to that, kite powered vessels have competed in speed sailing contests at least as far back as 1982, when Jacob's Ladder, a catamaran powered by a stack of flexifoil kites, took the 'C' class speed record and held it for six years. The decision to exclude kite powered vessels at this late stage is arbitrary and illogical. As I recall there were similar calls for the banning of sailboards from holding world sailing speed record about 30 years ago when their speed potential became apparent. Thankfully this did not occur and the sport of sailing has been the better for it. Radical developments in sailing, such as multihulls, lightweight planning boats, trapezes, sailboards and now hydrofoils, have always met with initial resistance before becoming accepted parts of the sport. It would be a shame to penalize the kitesurfers, not because they are more radical than previous developments, but because their development has been so successful. => Curmudgeon’s Comment: Additional comments are posted here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/11/kiteboarding-records.html * From John Doerr, International Judge and Umpire: (re, rules question in SBUTT 2732) There are many, many occasions in the rules when both boats have obligations under the rules. Often the right-of-way boat has to give room to a boat required to keep clear. All boats have to avoid contact even if they have right-of-way. A boat luffing above its proper course does not relieve a windward boat of her obligation to keep clear. In all of these situations it is quite possible (and not so rare) that both boats break the rules and are therefore should be penalised. This case, of one boat taking a penalty and one boat returning to start, appears stranger as both obligations are in the same rule 20 (to become 21). However, the answer is the same. It is quite possible for them both to break a rule and for both of them to be penalised. Of interest to some will be the situation where both boats are leeward and on starboard. Now neither of them has any obligation to keep clear (but they must avoid contact). Can you construct that situation? HAPPY THANKSGIVING For the American ‘buttheads, Thanksgiving Day is this Thursday (Nov. 27), a holiday to gather with friends and family, eat too much, and hopefully pause and appreciate the things we have in life. As acting Curmudgeon, I would like to thank the Scuttlebutt readers for the support they provide, and the kind letters I regularly receive. While Scuttlebutt is 100% intended for sailors, it could not be made possible without the support of our esteemed sponsors. When making your holiday shopping decisions this year, please give consideration to supporting Scuttlebutt advertisers. Thank you in advance. - Craig Leweck * There will not be a Scuttlebutt newsletter published on Thursday and Friday, with normal distribution resuming again on Monday, December 1st. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION The most satisfying work...............helping others. Special thanks to Ullman Sails and Team One Newport. |
|
