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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 865 - July 26 2001Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
AMERICA'S CUP Challengers syndicates, each of 60 to 80 people, are expected to arrive in Auckland from September, wanting to stay until the end of the cup regatta in 2003. Their demands will squeeze a market that has seldom been under such pressure in 25 years, said John Crocker, head of Bayleys Property Management Services. His company's landlord clients were enjoying occupancy rates in inner city and city fringe rental properties of 95 to 98 per cent. Almost all apartments and terrace houses were being re-let before tenants moved out. Demand was exceeding supply in the $800 to $2000-a-week range. Most in demand were Ponsonby and Herne Bay, which were sought by cup syndicates because they were near the yacht bases. Syndicates are also scouting for bigger, furnished properties near schools in Ponsonby and Parnell for members who bring their families. One agent, who did not want to be named, said that after scouring the town, she was able to find only 10 apartments or townhouses available for a client willing to pay $1200 a week in rent. The general manager of America's Cup Village Ltd, Doug Snell, said "one or two" syndicates had found accommodation, but it was proving difficult to house teams in one place. The Italian team, Prada, had solved the problem by taking rooms in the Heritage of Auckland, as they did last regatta. Things had changed in Auckland since the last America's Cup. That had coincided with the finishing of several new apartment blocks, which were available for temporary accommodation. These now had owners or long-term tenants living in them. - Wayne Thompson, NZ Herald Full story: www.nzherald.co.nz
VOLVO OCEAN RACE Team Tyco, illbruck Challenge, and Team News Corp met up just outside the Chesapeake Bay, bound for La Rochelle, France, July 22 to race each other to France. Since then the race training has resembled match-racing more than it has open-ocean racing, with the distance between the boats often measured in fractions of a mile. - SailNet website Full story: www.sailnet.com/
QUOTE / UNQUOTE "The owners, designers and builders of these boats must be shaking their collective heads wondering why they poured so much time, effort and of course money into these projects only for the boats to be performing closer than most one design fleets around the world. This is certainly a lot more even than our two boat testing programme ever was with two truly identical boats!" - Stu Bannatyne, www.illbruck-pinta.com/start_e.html
SOG STAINLESS STEEL POWERLOCK MULTI TOOL
EDS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE Further to the south Gartmore is sailing in deeper water, but with a knot of favorable current from a Gulf Stream eddy, the wind against tide situation has the seaway choppy and confused. "Some of the waves have no back to them," said Josh Hall, skipper of Gartmore. - Meaghan Van Liew
STANDINGS:
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Graham Kelly: I was interested to see David McCreary's perspective on the election of a new president of the International Olympic Committee, and in McCreary's spin on the actions of the other candidates after Rogge won the election. At least one commentator (on National Public Radio) thought that Pound's hard-driving and outspoken style of leadership made him a longshot for election as president, and that the urbane and diplomatic Rogge was likely to succeed for that reason. McCreary's perspective on Kim Un-Yong's response is pretty much consistent with opinions of print and broadcast journalists; that the $50k per year expense accounts for IOC members was intended as an inducement for his candidacy, and his post-election actions were petty and vindictive. However, other commentators have interpreted Canadian Dick Pound's resignation from his committee chairs as a gracious gesture which will permit the new president to select the chairmen of these two important committees. I think the measure of Pound's actions will be his response to Rogge's invitation to continue as chairman. Evidently, Rogge has enough respect for Pound's ability to ask him to continue, and Pound's style may permit Rogge to adopt a good cop, bad cop management style in the major task he will face as president, which is cleaning up the Olympic Games. From my perspective, Pound did the right thing by offering his resignation, and he will prove himself if he is willing to continue his support and involvement in the Olympic movement, in spite of the personal setback. * From Rex G. Herbert Jr: The NYYC did write the book on yacht flag etiquette. The NYYC also designed the yacht ensign. CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: That answers a lot of my questions. * From Reynald Neron, Australia: Thank you for your account of the regatta at the NYYC. Quite interesting to compare with the way regattas are conducted in Australia. I guess we are a little bit more laid back over here, but still take our sailing seriously. On that note, I am now referring to your article relating the fact that Rich Roberts asked Bill Erkelens (Oracle Racing) about organizing an America's Cup regatta on San Francisco Bay. I am not sure what is more amusing... The fact that Rich even asked the question, or the fact that Bill is actually considering doing it? May I take this opportunity to remind our American friends that the America's Cup regatta is organized by the Yacht Club who won it the previous time. So rather than organizing the next America's Cup in SF Bay, should they not concentrate their efforts in winning it back first? * From R.K. Squire: China will be host to the 2008 Olympics. This despite the humanitarian abuses that abound in that country. The argument is that allowing China to host the Olympics will help to bring that country in line with internationally accepted humanitarian standards. This was an argument for allowing Germany to host the 1936 Olympics. And we all know how well that worked! * From Doug Wall, retired sailor and active golfer: Good for Craig Fletcher on "having fun." US Sailing should do what Calloway Golf did for golf. They named their new ball "Rule 35". Since there are 34 published rules in golf, "Rule 35" is titled "Have Fun". In sailing "Rule 90" can be called "Have Fun" since published rules are at 89. * From John Sullivan: From a spectators point of view, an America's Cup in San Francisco would be great. From a racing point of view, I don't understand hoew a course could be set. Water depth requirements would limit the area where the current IACC boats could sail. Additionally the land would create situations where sea room wolud become a significant factor rather than the interaction between two boats. I'd like to see an America's Cup racecourse overlaid on SF Bay. * From Robert Wilkes Secretary, International Optimist Dinghy Association: I refer to the letter of Stephen Wells in Scuttlebutt 863: "The article on the Optimist Worlds suggests that class produces the next generation of Olympic and world class sailors, is there any evidence that such a statement is true?" Yes. The evidence is at www.optiworld.org/exop2000.html and www.optiworld.org/ioda-oldboys.html. At the 2000 Olympics over 50% of the dinghy helms were former Optimist sailors and around 70% of these sailed Optimists in World or Continental championships. Many of those who didn't were either too old when Optimists were introduced to their country/region or prevented from competing by totalitarian governments. Of course there are "late developers". But, as in most sports, not many. As regards the US$4,000 Optimist, in most of the world a ready-to-sail Optimist with the specification used by recent World champions costs less than $2,000. All hulls are identical: only the sail, foils and spars can be upgraded from the basic Optimist which, bought in bulk by clubs etc., is now under US$1,100 in Europe. How this was achieved is described in an article "Cheaper and more one-design - a history" at www.optiworld.org/ioda-technical.html As for it being a poor boat for competition, I have today returned from our Worlds in China where sailors from 44 countries (last year 59 in Spain) might disagree. As far as I am aware no "less obsolete" boat for under-16s holds ANY international regattas. * From George Bailey: Back when I was 11 or 12 in 1953 or so I was made to sail a pram (then so called) in my local yacht club to learn to race. What a joke. I hated it. I had been sailing (helming) since six in real boats and did not like having to poke around in a bath-tub. As soon as I could (that is, as soon as my father would let me, around 14?) I switched to Moths and started enjoying racing. I do not question that today's Opti programs teach kids a lot of things (certainly more than the "program" I was in did when I was young, though perhaps this speaks to my learning ability), but why can't this be done in a better designed boat? * From Aileen Clarke: As a strong supporter of Optimist sailing, I disagree with Stephen Wells. Building plywood optimists for your young children is the same as buying second hand skis. It is an opportunity for them to learn about these activities, have fun and come to love the sport. My three children had plywood Optimists kept near a lagoon on Toronto Island in the early seventies. Other boats were built and impromptu races sailed off the dinghy docks at the Royal Canadian yacht Club on a Sunday afternoon. Parents acted as an ad hoc race committee and fun was had by all . None of us ever thought that we might be producing the next generation of Olympic and world class sailors. Sailing Optimists single handedly at an early age teaches a child many skills, including sportmanship, independence and a love of sailing. I agree it is an old design, but it is a safe and often an inexpensive boat. All my children, now adults in their 30's, share my passion for sailing. The youngest, won his first trophy in an Optimist regatta, went on to compete in the Laser Youth Worlds, then in the Olympics in Finns and now has a berth on the Volvo race. So he transferred his skills. His size as an Optimist sailor bore no relation to his size as a teenager in Lasers or as an adult in Finns and Volvo 60's. Now, when should I acquire a wooden Optimist for my first grand child, almost a year old? * From Ali Meller (In response to Stephen Wells' letter): Can we come up with a better junior boat than the Optimist? Sure, anything can be improved upon. Would the result be a better class for juniors to learn racing in? Almost certainly not. Generally, the more people in the more places race in a class, the better the level of competition is. The Optimist is a very large International Class, raced in many many countries. Many top sailors went through Optis. Someday, someone will develop a better entry-level junior boat that also becomes a strong international class. Until then, forget about it. On a similar note, if we want US juniors to be finishing in the top three at Youth Worlds in the double handed class, they should be racing those classes (International 420 most years) at home, too, not the Club 420, which is basically US only. For success in next year's double handed class at the youth worlds, the 29er, they should be racing 29ers at home, not whatever the local two person junior boat is. If they cannot get local competition in the chosen International class, they should at least be sailing it part of the time, while cross-training in something similar that does give them local competition.
DRIVERS WANTED In recent years the Ficker Cup field has also invited the current champion of other match race regattas such as the Prince of Wales, YRUSC Gold Cup, Bettina Bents women's match race, and the Governor's Cup. Interested skippers should forward a recent sailing resume, with an emphasis on match racing accomplishments. - Chip Evaul, clevaul@earthlink.net
UMPIRE CLINIC The clinic is from 9 am to 4:30 pm with lunch included. Topics will include understanding Appendix D, procedures between umpires in the boat, positioning of umpire boats especially with regard to team race tactics (pre-start, start, upwind, run, etc.), including working with other umpire boats, umpire initiated penalties, race management issues, and communicating with competitors. It is designed for umpires, aspiring umpires and competitors alike. Although there is no fee, it is essential for people who wish to participate to register on line www.ussailing.org/hinman/
EVERYWHERE
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS
LASER RADIAL YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The International Jury were kept busy throughout the day giving yellow flag penalties for illegal body movement and sail pumping. One judge said: "We gave a lot of flags but with such a large fleet in light winds it was not unusual. 4 fleets each with 65 boats sailing 2 races a day is the equivalent of a complete championship for most classes. We are sailing a full championship each day!" Overall leader, Michael Bullot, from New Zealand was one of those who fell foul of the International Jury, receiving a 720 degree turn penalty in the first race on the first reach whilst he was third. His turns only lost him a place, which he recovered on the following downwind. In the second race a different judge boat gave him another yellow flag just after the start and he had to retire from that race.
Overall results with one discard:
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THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS |
