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SCUTTLEBUTT 1982 -- December 7, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.RESHAPING THE OLYMPIC REGATTA Like many sailors, I was disappointed in ISAF's change to the scoring for the 2008 Olympics. I was hoping they'd do more-a lot more. I was hoping to read about changes, plural; a sign that the leaders of our sport realize that the Athens Olympic Regatta was a PR disaster, that it was among the least-watched events at the 2004 Olympics, both in terms of live spectators and television time; that things need to change. Instead we got one simple alteration to the scoring: the fleet will be reduced to the top 10 boats for the final race, which will count for double points and won't be discardable. This change is a baby step, and I'm not even sure it's in the right direction. The most that can be said about this change is it's the classic compromise made within a bureaucracy; most everyone involved is focused on his or her own agenda and few can look at the big picture and make the decisions that will benefit everyone in the long run. Olympic sailing is in trouble. It's not going to get dropped anytime soon; sailing is an original Olympic sport-even if the lack of wind cancelled the first Olympic regatta in Athens in 1896. However, it will get squeezed. The International Olympic Committee has designs on cutting one discipline for the 2012 Games in London and that should make sailors worried about further reductions in disciplines and/or athlete numbers in the future. -- Stuart Streuli, Sailing World, complete story: http://www.sailingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=40205&typeID=400&catID=587 JUAN KOUYOUMDJIAN (There's an interview with ABN Amro designer Juan Kouyoumdjian posted on the Volvo Ocean Race website. Here are a few excerpts.) He ditched the idea of narrow beam, a beam offering more balanced performance across a range of wind speeds, in favor of a design which, given a specific set of conditions, would allow his creation to leave the fleet reeling in its wake. As Steve Hayles commented after Ericsson arrived into port two days after the ABN crews were readapting to life on shore, "We just cannot compete with them in those conditions." And until now those conditions have been easily explained. In light winds below eight knots she reacts to the water as if it was glue, in strong winds she is powered by a rocket. But Juan doesn't necessarily agree with this widespread review of his work. "We designed this boat to be optimized between 12 and 18 knots when reaching. When it's more than 18 knots all the boats go very similar speeds. People have been trying to put this sticker on the boat saying 'heavy air machines' when in fact they are not. When we saw the Farr boats arrive in Sanxenxo and we sailed a bit with them we knew we would have the edge in those conditions (12 to 18 knots of wind), but we also knew that under eight knots they would have an edge on us which they showed in the In Port race. It seems to me that optimizing for light winds doesn't make much sense, but I don't think that was purely Farr's decision. He has clients who go to him and give him a certain amounts of input and I know that in the case of movistar they went to him wanting a boat for light winds. It is not 100 percent Bruce Farr related." Interestingly, along with winning the speed race, ABN Amro also won the endurance race. In the 6,400 miles between Vigo and Cape Town they suffered far less damage than any of the Farr boats in the conditions. Why? "It is a good question. On one side there might be a difference of approach as far as the structural philosophy and criteria, how they are built to take the impact of the waves, for example. On the other side, which for me is the most important one, is that you cannot design these boats not to break. The breakages are very much in the hands of the crew as they are in the hands of the designer. In the case of movistar I just think they pushed it too hard. -- Complete story, www.volvooceanrace.org RACING RULES QUIZ True or False? If a right-of-way boat fails to avoid contact when it was reasonably possible to do so, she will not be penalized under rule 14 (Avoiding Contact) unless there is serious damage. (See answer later in this issue.) NOT ANOTHER FRUIT CAKE FROM GRANDMA We've all gotten gifts we simply never wanted. Fruitcake, bad ties, or underwear in weird colors. This year make it easier and less expensive for those shopping for you. From the Sailing Pro Shop website, choose the items you want from all of the best brands available on the market today and then select "E-Mail This Item To A Friend." Put "Scuttlebutt" in the coupon code and save 10-60% on your purchase! Simple! There's still time to order and receive gifts by the big day. Online at http://www.sailingproshop.com or call toll free at 1-800-354-7245 (in US) or 562-594-8749 (international). THE NUMBERS GAME No surprise that, with (ACC hull number) 87 having been allocated by the Technical Director yesterday, Mr McAlpine reports this morning that 88 has now been spoken for. The media have speculated for some time that 88 might be considered auspicious by a number of teams -- perhaps Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, who already have 66 and 77, and possibly China Team for cultural and historical reasons (among others, eight sounds the same as "prosperous" or "fa" in Cantonese; also, 8 stands for potential and for growth: a change from bad luck to good luck.) As the Technical Director does not reveal to which team a number has been allocated, it remains confidential unless and until announced by the team or otherwise disclosed by a team member. -- AC 32 Challenger Commission, http://www.challengercommission.com/2005/12/cc-memo-acc-88.html ALL THE BOATS ARE NOW IN Five days behind the winner, but fifth overall thanks to two boats not completing the Volvo Ocean Race's first leg, Grant Wharington's Australian entry Sunergy and Friends reached Cape Town yesterday. This is more a race by installment than a round the world race for Wharington, and he confirmed there is now backing guaranteed for the boat to take part in the second leg to Melbourne. Plucky or foolhardy are the divergent views of Wharington's campaign. All agree that his team have always been battling. The Melbourne property developer already had a full campaign with his 98ft maxi Skandia Wild Thing when he built this Volvo boat. It was three weeks late arriving in Spain for the race start, missed the Sanxenxo in Port race in which its six rivals scored their first points, and was only issued with a valid class certificate at 2.30am on the morning of the start of the Cape Town leg after four days of frantic work to cut weight out of the keel and trim the boat to class rules. The day before the Cape Town leg, two crew members decided it was imprudent to sail with so little preparation. And having left Vigo, the front of its boom broke off and it stopped in Porto Santo, near Madeira, for pit-stop repairs. "We had our boom damage which set us back 15-plus hours, which turned into thousands of miles," said Campbell Field, navigator for this leg. "We had some really testing weather situations that tested our patience." "We could have done more," Wharington said. "It's been like dragging a bucket." -- Tim Jeffery., the Telegraph, UK, http://tinyurl.com/acm27 VOLVO OCEAN RACE OVERALL STANDINGS 1. ABN Amro One, 11.5pts; 2. Ericsson, 10.5pts; 2T. Brasil 1, 10.5pts; 4. ABN Amro Two, 9.5pts; 5. Sunergy and Friends, 4.5pts; 6. Pirates of the Caribbean, 3.5pts; 7. Movistar, 3pts. -- www.volvooceanrace.org LASER RADIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Fortaleza, Brazil (Dec. 6) - USA's Paige Railey (Clearwater, FL) has taken the lead on the third day of racing at the Laser Radial World Championship in Fortaleza, Brazil. Finishing in sixth and second place in the two races today, Railey is now three points ahead of Petra Niemann (GER), who's in second place, and 12 points ahead of yesterday's leader Sarah Blanck (AUS). Anna Tunnicliffe (Norfolk, VA) also had a good day today, finishing 3rd and 8th and now sitting in 5th place overall. Russian Igor Lisovenko leads the men's championship with 17 points, followed by four Brazilians - Eduardo C. de Magalhães Couto (20pts), Daniel Jakobsson (23pts), Tiago Côrtes Rodrigues (23pts), and Andreas Reinisch Perdicaris (27pts). Brad Funk is the top North American male in the Gold Division with 31 points in seventh place. Full results: http://www.2005laserworlds.com.br/ ANSWER TO RACING RULES QUIZ False -- There does not have to be "serious" damage before a right-of-way boat can be penalized under rule 14. If contact causes any damage or injury, the right-of-way boat may be penalized if she had the chance but failed to avoid that contact. -- See how well you really know the new 2005-2008 racing rules -- there are 99 more questions like this; check out the Racing Rules IQ Test. -- www.SpeedandSmarts.com DON'T GIVE YOUR CO-WORKERS ANOTHER BOTTLE OF WINE! Is there a sailing enthusiast on your holiday list? Looking for that perfect crew gift? Give a gift that won't be re-gifted! This holiday season you can't go wrong with Cory Silken's fine art sailing photography! With its classic and beautiful style, Silken's photography will enhance any wall in a home, office or boat. Available in a variety of framed limited edition prints, photographic gifts, and the 2006 Classic Sailing Calendar, order yours today! Or give the gift of a private yacht photo shoot! Mention Scuttlebutt and receive 15% off! Visit http://www.studio6x7.com, 1-617-268-4672 NEWS BRIEFS * A victory by Larry Ellison's San Francisco-based Oracle BMW team in the next America's Cup apparently does not guarantee the event's return to the United States. Officials of the automaker that is co-sponsoring Ellison's challenge are lobbying for an Oracle defense to be sailed in Germany. -- Bill Center, San Diego Union, http://tinyurl.com/d2q48 * Another 24 hours on and another 300 miles closer to the destination. The lead boats in the Clipper 05 - 06 Round the World Yacht Race estimate they have around 10 days left in the Southern Ocean before they reach the beaches of Western Australia in time for the lengthy Christmas celebrations. Although speeds have slowed slightly due to a drop in the wind and an increasingly choppy sea, Durban posted the best 12hr run of 115 miles, increasing their lead at the front to 33 miles ahead of Victoria, with westernaustralia.com in third place - 46 miles behind the leader. -- http://www.clipper-ventures.co.uk/2006/ * Solo sailor Bruce Schwab announced his initiative to lead a campaign for an American entry in the 2008 Vendee Globe. The focal point of the campaign is an all new Open 60 racing yacht named OceanPlanet II, to be built in Maine. The design/ research process will begin in early 2006 and construction by mid-summer. Conversations with an American design team and Maine boat builders are in progress. "My goal is to build upon the success of our 2004 OceanPlanet Vendee sailing and educational platform, with either me or an up-and-coming American sailor at the helm," Schwab said. * The Notice of Series for the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series is now online. Entry will be online through the same site. Yachts will enter individually, and they may also form two-boat teams to compete for additional honors. Team entries do not have to participate in the same events throughout the series. The US-IRC Gulf Stream Series starts in January '06 with the Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race in January and concludes with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club's Anniversary Regatta following the Centennial Bermuda Race in June. -- at http://www.us-irc.org/ * It's official. The World Sailing Speed Record Council has ratified the record of Mike Sanderson and the nine crew on ABN Amro One for the greatest distance sailed by a monohull in 24 hours -- Distance: 546.14 nm; Average Speed: 22.75 Knots. The previous record was held by "Movistar", sailed by Bouwe Bekking and a crew of nine -- Distance: 530.19 nm; Average Speed: 22.09 kts. * Nationally known sailing figure Hal Sutphen died Monday morning after completing the Caribbean 1500 with Steve Black. He was also a generous teacher at the Rappahannock River Yacht Club in Irvington, VA, where he lived after he "retired" from the Navy. Funeral details will be posted at www.rryc.org * Yesterday evening at the traditional "Soirée des Champions" organized by the Fédération Française de Voile the winner of the Vendée Globe, Vincent Riou succeeded Olympic Champion in the Mistral Faustine Merret as French Sailor of the Year 2005. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6vFh0?CC * Four TP52s sailed an owner-driver, nine race, no throw-out Midwinter Championship in light and shifty conditions at the Lauderdale YC this past weekend. Tom Stark's Rush scored a single point victory over Quantum/ Windquest sailed by Doug Devoss, with Philippe Kahn's Pegasus just one point further back. www.transpac52.org/NewsArticles/2005/120505.htm * David Adams has been named by Clipper Ventures as the official Race Director for the Velux 5 Oceans, the oldest, and continuously run single-handed round the world yacht race. The race sets off from Bilbao, Spain in October 2006, and visits Australia and the United States. Australian yachtsman David Adams has competed twice in the BOC Challenge solo around the world yacht race (now the Velux 5 Oceans), was Co-Race Director for The Race and safety consultant for the Vendee Globe. www.VELUX5Oceans.com * North Sails has partnered with expert meteorologist Chris Bedford and his team at Sailing Weather Services to provide free weather forecasts for the 2005 Corum Melges 24 Worlds and Pre-Worlds from December 9-16.Sailors can sign up for forecasts by logging on to the North Sails Weather Center at: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf * With some 118 boats sailing the final race of San Diego YC's Hot Rum series, you'd think the winners would be mostly newer, "hot" boats. Not so! First in this pursuit race went to the Doug Peterson/ Norm Reynolds 40-some year old Calkins 50, Cathleen, followed closely by the 80-year-old Q-boat, Cotton Blossom II, sailed by Dennis Conner. Third was Julie Mitchell's J-24, Geraldine. The overall series winner was Jim Madden's J/145, followed by DC's Cotton Blossom II, and Blue Blazes, Dennis Pennell's R/P 50. -- http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/results05/hotRum_overall.htm BOAT SHOES FOR THE SPORTSMAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING... This holiday season, give the sportsman on your list (even if its you) the gift of gold. Sperry Top-Sider's® Gold Cup Collection, with 18k gold-plated eyelets and deerskin linings, offers a new level of luxury for boat shoes. http://www.sperrytopsider.com/mens_nautical.asp LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Dave Bieling (In response to the comment that it has been five races and twenty years since anything other than a Farr boat has won a leg of the Whitbread): I recall Brunel Sunergy winning the leg from Ft. Lauderdale to Baltimore in '98. She was designed by Judel/Vrolik. * From George McCroskey: I tend to agree with Marc Hollerbach about the need to expand the sport of sailing. You either get it, or you don't. When I was asked by a high school buddy to go sailing over forty years ago, I said yes. No one in my family had ever sailed or does now, for that matter. The exception being my wife, who I met at a sailing venue. I went sailing because it sounded "neat." Little did I know that forty plus years later I would still think that it's "neat." Because I cannot adequately explain to the uninitiated the pleasure I get from racing and/or cruising, I don't try. Like the twelve year old sailor that Marc spoke of, there was something inside me that told me that sailing would be something I knew I would love. There will always be enough of those kinds of people out there and those are the kind of people I enjoy being associated with. * From Chris Upton: One of the best ways for keeping kid interested in sailing is to go sailing with them. Take them out on the family boat as just father and son (parental unit and child for those who care about terms). Or get in a two seater at the club after sailing class. Make it fun, not an extension of practice. Kids have an incredible capacity to learn. they will pickup on your skills. Show them that sailing is fun as a recreation and they will try harder at racing. From there they are more likely to remain in the sailing community as they grow. * From Bill Simpson: From my perspective, sailing is a participation sport, not a spectator sport. Trying to get into a good position to watch sailing is quite frustrating. OK, if the media want to try to capture something of sailing to present on TV, let them go for it. But the real pleasure of sailing is doing it. * From Glenn Brown: To better explain the sport, make better television, and broadly represent the sport, the Olympics should be a conventional fleet race with the top 4 teams match racing for medals on a short course. The match racing finals are more action packed and much easier to televise and explain to the viewer, and match racing is sorely lacking in the Olympics. Call it a "sailing biathalon" and look forward to the drama of the top fleet racer not always getting the gold, the athleticism of prestarts and tacking duels, the immediate rulings from the judges, and the excitement of near collisions. And no discards in the Olympics, please. It's so much more exciting when competitors can lose it all over one little mistake. If you want the top sailors to reliably get the medals, then don't race in the Olympics: just hand out the medals based on current world rankings. Discards are great for making the sport less intimidating at the entry levels to the sport, but part of good seamanship is keeping one's boat reliable, and the rules at the Olympic level should encourage that. * From Bill Canfield, USVI: Any one who attended the recent World Team Racing Championship at NYYC in Newport, RI would attest that Team Racing would make a fantastic Olympic sailing event. It is both colorful and exciting for spectators and would work well for TV. Strategy, tactics, and boat handling are often more important than pure boat speed. Races are short and have constant lead changes; the winner is often determined in the last few feet. It also works on a system that lets the winner of the final race be awarded the Gold. * From Steve Moore (re sportsmanship): Whenever, I am sailing with a crew that wants to "push the limit a little too much", I try to put it into perspective by asking, "Why don't we just turn on the engine?" So far, it has worked well. CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office -- are we supposed to write to them? |
