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SCUTTLEBUTT 1552 - April 1, 2004Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. NEW AMERICA'S CUP SYNDICATE Hall Spars & Rigging has formed its own America's Cup team, company president Eric Hall announced today. "We're proud of our work with the winning team in the last cup," says Hall, "but we realized early on in this Cup cycle, that have all the necessary components in-house to field our own team. We have the design expertise, boat- and spar-building talent, and we can assemble an outstanding sailing team from within our own staff. 'Team Hall' has signed only two sailors from outside the company to work with the crew. Rod Davis (Prada starting helmsman in 2003 and sailing coach in 2000) will coach the sailing team and Moose McClintock (trimmer AmericaOne and Pact 95) will be starting helmsman. Hall Vice President Phil Garland is slated as navigator; Hall employees will vie for the other positions in training camps starting this summer. The two-boat program will use designs supplied by a consortium from the University of Michigan graduate program in Naval Architecture. Ben Hall's daughter, Caroline, (who will graduate from the program in May) coordinated the school's effort. Tank testing, wind tunnel testing, and extensive FEA analysis have all been completed. Eric Hall (UM '65) worked closely with the students over the past year. "Hall's recent acquisition of additional property makes this the perfect time to expand into boatbuilding," says Ben Hall. "We'll begin construction of the first boat at the new 70,000 sq.ft. facility in September. Lead carbon technician Ken Madeiro will implement a patented, proprietary system to build the boats to the exact specifications of the design team. Hall has acquired the former OneWorld boats for practice. "We intend to be on the line at the UBS event in Newport this summer. We plan to give Alinghi and Oracle a run for their money," says Ben Hall. "We have a significant local knowledge advantage with Dave Moffet, Hall project manager, on our team. We expect he'll spend a lot of time up the rig. Sail Newport, Rhode Island's public sailing facility, will be the team's home club. In the shadow of the New York YC, Sail Newport offers outstanding facilities for practice. At the end of the campaign, the boats will be donated to the Sail Newport youth sailing program. An important aspect of Team Hall is its co-ed orientation. "We have a natural blending of talent here at Hall," say Eric Hall. "Ben's wife, Nan, and daughters Caroline and Liz are world class sailors, and should fit nicely into the afterguard. In addition, rigger Laura Slye will be an invaluable member of the foredeck team. Backing her up will be Kristan McClintock and Cara Read, who have many national and international sailing titles in both fleet and match racing. Most importantly, we have a real synergy in the office that should translate well onto the water. Eric and Ben Hall will trade filling the strategist's role and helming the second boat in practice. In addition, the Halls will commit $75 million of their own money to fund the campaign. "We had a very good year in 2003, says Eric Hall. Eric Hall is currently in Valencia scouting locations for the team's compound. - Kristan McClintock, www.hallspars.com/ OFFSHORE RACING There is growing interest in France in expanding the dual-purpose concept of water-ballasted boats like the new Finot 40 into a simple offshore development class. The Finot 40 has now gone into series production as the Pogo 40, while Pierre Rolland and Francois Lucas also have new designs underway at this size and to a similar concept. The Class 40 was officially launched during the Paris Boat Show in December and the rule will be finalized shortly. The principles of our new rule are low price, fun and safety, and the ability to race or cruise fast with a small family crew. No canting keels but (limited) water ballast are permitted. No carbon in the hull but it is allowed in the mast, a minimum weight (measured off a crane) and a maximum draft, plus a maximum height of the mast and length of the boom and bowsprit/ spinnaker pole. It is a simple box rule inspired by the successful Mini 6.5 Rule. Interest in France is growing very quickly, and as soon as the rule is finalized it will be translated into English and sent to the right people. It should take up no more than two typed pages. Keep it simple … which is not an especially simple task. - Excerpts from a story by Patrice Carpentier in the April issue of Seahorse magazine, www.seahorsemagazine.com DO I WEAR SPECIAL GLASSES FOR MY 3D COMPASS? No green and red lenses required. The 3D feature of the amazing Teeter-Todter compass refers to its output of heading, pitch and roll. It can output NMEA heading, 2 flavors of Heading/ Pitch/Roll sentences, with the output format and rate set by you. Power consumption is very low (Ockam e/Series interfaces can power it directly). Just wait until you see its responsive, rock steady output in action - all this from a small wonder about the size of a domino. Contact Tom Davis (tom@ockam.com), Campbell Field (cmf@ockameurope.com) or visit http://www.ockam.com or http://www.ockameurope.com COURT DATE Former America's Cup challenger OneWorld has a date with its ex-operations manager Sean Reeves at the High Court at Auckland next Wednesday over a long-running confidentiality dispute between the pair. OneWorld is attempting to enforce a summary judgment it won against Reeves, and collect the $US1 million it was awarded by a Seattle court in September 2002. Reeves views the United States judgment as fraudulent. Because the US isn't a party to New Zealand's Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act and Reeves is a NZ citizen, he hasn't paid the $US1 million awarded against him. Reeves says his lawyers will fight the summary judgment application by arguing he has an arguable defence. "I have a hell of a lot more faith in the NZ judicial system than I do in the US judicial system. The basis for my defence is due process effectively, and the denial of substantial justice [in the US]," Reeves says. In the Seattle judgment Judge Barbara Rothstein ruled Reeves retained and disclosed OneWorld's confidential information without justification or excuse in violation of a confidentiality agreement. OneWorld's Kiwi lawyer, Iain Thain, says OneWorld's bringing the case on the basis of a debt and is suing for the money awarded against Reeves in Seattle. The US judgment is evidence of the debt and Reeves being a New Zealander is the basis for jurisdiction. - Full story: http://xtramsn.co.nz/business/0,,5007-3224198,00.html CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar ROUND THE WORLD RECORD ATTEMPTS * Steady tradewinds from the East have carried Steve Fossett and Cheyenne 244 nm over the past 12 hours (avg 20.3 kts), leaving the 125' maxi-cat a lead over the 2002 RTW position of Orange I of over 4 days and only 2269 miles remaining to the official WSSRC finish line on Ouessant island in France. "The weather outlook is excellent. We hope to hook up with the leading edge of a Low pressure system midday on Thursday and ride it to the finish at Ouessant. If the forecast holds, we hope to score 4 consecutive 500 mile days and arrive on Monday afternoon 5 April.," Fossett said. "Our stated goal has been to break the 64 day 8 hour record of Orange, but our secret ambition has been to crack 60 days - which we believe is the potential of these maxi-multihulls. Now we find there is even the prospect of a 58-day time." - http://www.fossettchallenge.com * Skipper Oliver de Kersauson looked back on what Geronimo has experienced in the last few days and the difficulties of life on board the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran. "Thankfully, what we have now is less violent than before, otherwise we wouldn't have headed south again. It was impracticable - multihulls are designed to surf, not to force their way through the sea. Back there, we were in conditions where the sea was very aggressive. We're now trying to see if we can get through by going a long way south in conditions that are at least sailable. de Kersauson is poring over the meteorological data and examining every option that might permit Geronimo to continue to the famous rocky tip of South America. The choice will have to be made in the next 48 hours: whether to head a long way south and risk the ice or to try a more northerly route which would considerably increase the distance and offer no guarantee of escaping the deep depressions over the Pacific. - http://www.trimaran-geronimo.com TORLON® SECRETS REVEALED Many, many years ago in a strange and bizarre land called Pewaukee, Harken introduced a new block using top-secret ball bearings called Torlon® that revolutionized sailing. The time has come to reveal the secret and true story behind Torlon bearings … supernatural sailing phenomena discovered by Peter Harken on the South Pacific Island of Tor Hulani: http://www.harken.com/company/april.php NEWS BRIEFS * The deadline for submitting an Application for Entry in the 2004 Newport Bermuda Race has been extended from April 1st to April 30th because of delays in getting the on-line entry system up and running. The full entry process must still be completed by May 15th. "We have over 135 boats in the system now. With all the new boats and the regulars who tend to enter late, we hope to break the record of 182 entries this time out," said Race Chairman John Winder. - www.bermudarace.com * Sweden's Prince Carl Philip has agreed to become patron of the next Volvo Ocean Race. The next Volvo Ocean Race (formerly called the Whitbread Race) will be the ninth since its inception. This time it will start in November 2005 from Galicia, Spain. The first port after the start will be in South Africa. From there the boats will run towards Australia and New Zealand followed by Brazil, and the USA. The fleet will then return to Europe, where the finish is set to be. - www.Volvooceanrace.org * The US Coast Guard is changing the way in which we make Local Notices to Mariners available to the public. They will continue to publish electronic versions of these notices and make them available free of charge via the Internet, but we will no longer print and mail copies of each notice. This change takes effect April 1, 2004. - http://tinyurl.com/24o3w * As expecting, the Luna Rossa Challenge transferred the main assets of the former Prada Challenge to their rented base in Real Club Náutico de Valencia. The two more recent IACC (ITA 70 & ITA 80), their appendages and their equipments were unloaded Wednesday from the cargo ship that left Livorno three days ago and arrived in Spain this week-end. - Cp in Europe website, http://www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/2007PradaLN2.htm * Next week, the Irishman Killian Bushe starts building the two boats with which ABN AMRO will participate in the Volvo Ocean Race. One of the hangars of Schaap Shipcare in Lelystad (the Netherlands), will be used for these building works. Bushe was responsible for building the Illbruck, the winning boat in the last Volvo Ocean Race. In total, twenty people will be involved in building the boat. Dutchman Roy Heiner is in charge of the sailing part of the project. Juan Kouyoumdjian, from Argentina is responsible for the boat design. - www.volvooceanrace.org * The official word from the 64-boat Star European Championships in Spain is, "Avui ha finalitzat el Campionat d'Europa de Star amb Xavier Rohart com a vencedor del dia." - 1. Frederik Lööf (SWE) 8 punts; 2. Xavier Rohart (FRA) 12 punts; 3. Mark Neeleman (NED) 22 punts; 4. Alexandre Hagen (GER) 23 punts; 5. Ross McDonald (CAN) 31 punts. - http://star.nauticescala.com/ ULLMAN SAILS MULTI-HULL SPEEDSTERS Some of the fastest sailors on the fastest boats choose the fastest sails. Ullman Sails is the premier mutli-hull sailmaker for Olympic and International competition. In 2004 Ullman Sails customers have won the U.S. Tornado Olympic Trials, 1st and 2nd* overall at the Tornado Europeans, 1st and 2nd in the F24 and F28R classes at Key West Race Week, and won the F18HT Performance Midwinters. Speedsters know Ullman Sails has as much, if not more, combined multi-hull experience as any sailmaker in the world. Contact our experts about Ullman's secrets to speed. http://www.ullmansails.com (*partial inventory). LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is not a chat room nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Peter R. Szasz: Re Adrian Morgan comments on Paul Cayard's $100K "investment" in their Olympic campaign. In today's world of $25K 505's, $60K plus Melges24's, $160K J105's, cost of boat transportation, support boat, coaching, accommodations, etc. $100,000.00 does not seem outrageous at all. Just ask the Kahn family. Cayard's and Trinter's skills, dedication and training are more responsible for the results then their checkbook. * From Steven Levy: No one would suggest an 80-average golfer is better than one who averages 70. But golf handicapping allows both to enjoy the excitement of competing against each other; a competition is exciting to the degree that the outcome is in doubt. Tiger Woods is still the better golfer; a handicap win by a club duffer changes nothing. When racing gets serious, handicaps aren't used. Just as golfers compete even-up in tournaments, so serious racers compete in one-designs and major championships. For most of us, though, racing sailboats is a hobby. Some race with the best equipment and crew money can buy, some live-aboards race their homes, and most race for the beer with friends and family. The core, I think, is fun and friendly competition. One of the coolest things about our sport is that while I can't play a round with Tiger, I can sail against the McKees and Buchans. I know they're better than I am, incomprehensibly better. It's good simply sailing against them. But it's not a contest. * From David Shulman: Frank Sticovich's comments ('butt 1550) that "in golf the losing of a stroke is considered a compliment…" ignores the issue of members of a PHRF committee protecting their own turf. Handicapping is far from the same in all sports. In golf, it's you and your clubs against the course on a given day. There are many more variables in sailing (how many can you name- I'm up to a dozen in 20 seconds). I once sailed on a C&C 35 M3 and saw the entire class literally rated off the water by a local committee protecting some of it's own members. Now let's figure a way to get a trophy to the guy in DFL! (why don't we just take him/her sailing with us and leave the rule alone) I am more concerned, however, about yet another rule/rating system that will obsolete more boats. While I know that there are businesses within our community that constantly wish for obsolescence-creating developments, the progress of sailboat development should come naturally, not by fiat, and with an eye toward moving away from the "dispos-a-boat" attitude that suddenly changing the game creates. Every time a new rating system appears it creates uncompetitive boats. The owners and crew must decide what to do. Sometimes (more often that I would like) it's to get out of racing. Let's tweak around the edges of our rating systems and keep as many boats competitive as is possible. Being in a racing bracket of three is called cruising. * From Sterling Farnsworth: Hey curmudgeon - you don't have to write the April Fool's stories this year - eBay is doing it for you. * From Fin Beven: Regarding handicapping. It occurred to me that a valuable and inexpensive handicapping input could be gained from towing a particular boat at its theoretical hull-speed, and measuring the resistance with some sort of strain-gauge. * From Ken Inglis (edited to our 250-word limit): I love getting my copy of Curmudgeon daily and I must admit that I read most of it. My problem is that I am just an average Joe, (Ken actually, but not married to Barbie) I don't have a 65 metre catamaran, nor am I planning to sail around the world solo and darn it all, I have to admit that I think the America's Cup probably does more harm to the status of the average sailor that good. I sail a well used M-16 Scow that goes like Hell, gets me soaking wet in even a modest breeze but in fact gets my old heart just a pumping every time the start gun fires. I know Paul Henderson personally and love to hear his views on sailing (which I believe are right on the mark, most of the time) and I also know David Sprague, President of the Canadian Yachting Association who is a died-in-the- wool, small boat sailor. What I am saying is, - keep me informed on what is controversial in the sport I love. Let me read the banter between the voices but for Pete's sake I really don't care who is pouring tons of money into some freak boat for the purpose of racing around the world or who is drumming up some rule change to win the America's Cup by default. I would just like to know what the guy did to win the Wood Pussy 14 regatta. * From Lloyd Causey: In Butt 1551 Art Ahrens says that any handicapping rule can be beaten and that One Design is the answer. There is a foolish notion that one design boats are equal. He mentions the Farr 40, but when a group of them were measured for the Mac race, it was found that they got very different handicap ratings. It is just a fable that all boats are equal because they are in a one design class. The truth is that one design is a good way to train because the boats are close in speed and you develop tactics and maneuvering skills. However if you want to go to the top of your class, you must buy the best boat, get perfect sails, get excellent crew, train non stop, and make no mistakes. That same effort will get you to the top in most handicap classes. The difference is that when you get to the top of your handicapped class, folks say you bought your way there, but never say that in one design even though the formula was the same. * From Rick Nelson (Re: Jim Marta/Steve Johnson's comments on PHRF and their inability to "rate" sport boats): A few of us are building a fleet of International Tempest at ABYC in Long Beach and in the process we race PHRF to create exposure for the boats. Rated at 144 in SoCal, in light winds we can stay competitive but in a breeze we are hard pressed to keep the boat on her lines as we cannot use the trapeze. Don't get me wrong, we still have a hoot but would love to trap out and enjoy the boat as designed and keep the fun meter on high. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Yes - it's April 1, and we simply can not take responsibility for the information contained in all of the press releases or ads in this issue. Special note to Rod Davis: I don't think it's necessary to send us another letter, but that's your call. |
