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SCUTTLEBUTT 2086 - May 3, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.CRUNCH TIME FOR GROUNDED GIPSY MOTH The full extent of the damage caused to Sir Francis Chichester's legendary yacht Gipsy Moth IV, following Saturday's grounding on a south Pacific coral atoll, and the best means of salvaging it, should become clearer today. Skipper Antonia Nicholson and two local salvage experts will be joined by the yacht's re-fit skipper Richard Baggett, who oversaw the Gipsy Moth's progress from its concrete dry dock at Greenwich into the fully restored vessel launched last summer, as well as an expert from the Dutch big-ship salvage and towing company Smit. "The next move is the most important because it has to be the right move," says David Green, the director of UK Sailing Academy, under whose auspices Gipsy Moth is making its 22-month, 28-leg, commemorative circumnavigation. Green is still unsure why Gipsy Moth ran aground as it was leaving the French Polynesian atoll of Rangiroa, bound for Tahiti, on Saturday at 1530 local time, One of 77 reefs and atolls, Rangiroa is an area where navigation charts are based on old surveys. "It is one of the more challenging cruising areas of the world," says Green. The grounding put an eight-inch hole in Gipsy Moth's starboard side and, though coral can destroy a yacht in double time if there is any movement, Green says it is lying at 65 degrees and is stationary. Lightly built for Chichester's famous 226-day one-stop round-the-world voyage in 1966-67, for which the Queen knighted him with Sir Francis Drake's sword at Greenwich, the yacht's moulded plywood has survived on the jagged coral because of a light swell and good conditions. Nicholson will return to the UK this week for a full debriefing. -- Excerpt from a story by Tim Jeffery in the Daily Telegraph, full story: http://tinyurl.com/qrupu IT'S OFFICIAL With two and a half years to go until the start of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad - Beijing 2008, the Olympic program for these Games has now been finalized. A total of 28 sports will feature on the program for the Beijing Games. These 28 sports are made up of 302 events, comprising 165 men's events, 127 women's events and ten mixed events. The eleven sailing events will take place in Qingdao, from 9-21 August. Sailing can boast one of the proudest records of participation by women amongst the Olympic Sports. At the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, the eleven sailing events showed a massive 32% increase in participation by women athletes compared to Sydney 2000, a higher increase than any other sport which previously included women's events in the program. This increase saw sailing become the ninth most popular sport in terms of participating women athletes, with a 35% representation of women across the fleets in Athens 2004. The Olympic Sailing Competition will take place at the Qingdao International Sailing Centre from August 9-21, with the August 22-23 as reserve days. Four of the final Medal Races are scheduled for August 18, with the remaining seven on August 21. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j62Fh`p/B PIRATE INVASION Paul Cayard and his Pirates of the Caribbean proved as adept at holding the attention of 1,800 Baltimore school kids as they are getting The Black Pearl around the world quickly when they hosted another popular Pescanova Day in the Inner Harbor today. Cap'n Paul and his crew's only slightly shaky moments were when they rowed ashore from the Black Pearl, when there seemed to be just the smallest threat of mutiny among the lost souls. Familiar to race fans the outfits may be, but for the kids dressing up in the yellow plastic sou'wester hats, blue and white striped Pirates Pescanova T-shirts, and yellow plastic coats it's just fine, as long as it means having a morning out of school watching Uncle Paul's pantomime. Along the way they laugh and learn. There are the serious bits, wildlife and geography, and the fun bits, 'Juggy' Clougher's reverse strip-tease from being fully kitted out in his foulies (checked for waterproof-ness by the obligatory 'look out behind you bucket' of water) was a crowd pleaser, and there were even a few female members of the Maryland teaching profession momentarily forgetting where they were. Remarkably the most popular audience participation game was tasting freeze dried food. A forest of hands volunteered and within seconds there was a queue ready for a tasting. The verdict swung between 'Gross' and 'Nasty' to a brave 'Good'. And just when attention did start to ebb and the number of kids making rest-room visits was increasing exponentially, the highlight of the morning was a premiere of the trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest which opens July 7. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org DRY ARMOUR - SERIOUS GEAR FOR THE SAILING ATHLETE DryArmour.com products are absolutely awesome. Technical apparel has exploded and moisture management products are leading the sales in the garment industry like never before. The new PermawiK, DryGuard & Dryshirt sales are off the chart. Now your company, yacht club, institution, or event can offer these unique and remarkable products to customers and sell out as well! Private label graphics available. Call us or view online for product info, or to learn more about becoming a dealer or distributor for this remarkable product: 1(800) 354-7245 or (562) 594-8749 international, http://www.dryarmour.com WIND STARVED In the final tally to the 59th Lexus Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race there were 461 entries, 454 starters, 340 finishers, 109 dropouts, 5 disqualifications and an unknown number of creative reasons for showing up late for work Monday morning. A general lack of suitable breeze left the fastest boat, the maxZ86 Pyewacket, more than six hours slower than the record for the 125 nautical miles, but it wasn't as bad as 1996 when only 179 of 446 starters finished, including 63 cruising class boats that motored into Ensenada. One of the non-finishers was Windquest, Doug DeVos' dark blue maxZ86 that came within three miles of the finish line inside Todos Santos Bay before firing up its engine, turning around and returning to San Diego. At the time---about 8 o'clock Saturday morning---the wind was almost imperceptible. Crew member Tom Giesler said later, "We just plain ran out of time and had to get some people to the airport. We had a great start, but as soon as those canting keel boats [Pyewacket and No. 2 finisher Magnitude 80] get their kites up we can't keep up with them." Among the several dozen awards presented Sunday was the Caroline Starr trophy for the best all-female crew in PHRF classes A to L. The winner was Solmate, a Beneteau 35S from Dana Point YC co-skippered by Cindy Wynne and Barbara Merriman that sailed in Class I. Other members of the crew were Denise Eldredge, Marie Claire, Anokaane Myrna Welsh, Teri Manok, Tamara Tatich and Lynn Acosta. -- Rich Roberts, A list of trophy winners is posted at http://www.nosa.org/06_races-racestatus-a.html CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar OFF AGAIN Only a few days have passed since establishing the new world record run from San Francisco to Yokohama and Geronimo is now headed for another record-setting sail, this time from Yokohama, Japan to Hong Kong. A slightly smaller crew started the record attempt on May 2nd - 09:54:44 UTC (several crew having other commitments). The point to point is distance 1,635 nautical miles. The Capgemini Schneider Electric maxi trimaran Geronimo and her crew originally planned to sail on May 1, however strong south-westerly winds kept her on her mooring. "With gusts above 35 knots of wind, it is nearly impossible to take Geronimo out of the Yokohama Bayside Marina safely as the 45m high mast will make the boat sail at 15 knots with no sails," says Olivier de Kersauson. The condition for the start was an overcast sky, ind direction NNW, a building breeze from 25 to 35 knots was expected during the next 24 hours. -- http://www.superyachting.com VIDEO OF THE WEEK The ISAF World Sailing Games 2006 will see over 700 sailors from across the globe head for Lake Neusiedl, Austria from May 10-20. World and Olympic Champions will compete for ten World Championship titles, and this week's video profiles the exciting boats and event area that will be part of this tremendous regatta. Also, if you have a video you like, please send us your suggestions for next week's Video of the Week. Click here for the video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/#media THE EASIEST PERFORMANCE UPGRADE What's an easy upgrade with the immediate pay-off of improved performance? Replacing slippery jib sheets and stretchy halyards with high-tech line from Hall Spars & Rigging. Super-low-stretch halyards mean luff tensions stay where they're set, so every puff translates into forward motion. Modern jib sheets mean your sail trim is more precise and predictable tack-to-tack with the added benefit of proper winch grip. Browse our "Guide to Cordage and Colors" then click "Buy Line by Manufacturer" and your new sheets and halyards will be on their way. What could be easier? http://www.hallspars.com THE LATEST PIRATE (Ian Budgen gives thedailysail subscription website his impressions as a newbie Volvo Ocean Race sailor. Here are a couple of excerpts.) A Volvo Ocean Race virgin up until the Rio stopover was Scotland's finest, skiff and America's Cup sailor, Ian Budgen. In March the former GBR Challenge headsail trimmer became the newest Pirate taking over for the rest of the race from Rodney Ardern who with uber-bowman Curtis Blewitt was scheduled to hop off the Black Pearl in Brazil to return to his day job at Alinghi. Sailing with Cayard Budgie says is a fantastic learning experience. "He is a very analytical sailor, a numbers person. He is very different to me. I am much more gut feel, seat of the pants. So I enjoy sailing with him because we are quite different and I have a lot to learn from him. It is interesting to see how he analyses things - all the attention to detail. I also really enjoy sailing with him. He looks after the crew and the team really well. He is not a penny pincher. Paul won't be afraid to throw money at the campaign if it will improve the result and make the team win. If he makes a mistake he is the first one to put his hand up and accept the responsibility. And that makes the guys on board actually work harder." The main drivers on board are Erle Williams, Cayard, Craig Satterthwaite and Dirk de Ridder. On this last leg stints on the wheel tended to change in duration according to the conditions, but were generally 45-60 minutes Budgen says. -- http://www.thedailysail.com SAILING SHORTS * Japanese sailing hero Kojiro Shiraishi today confirmed his entry in the Velux 5 Oceans. He finished fourth in the 2002-2003 edition in Class 2 on board his 40ft Spirit of Yukoh. In the upcoming edition of this classic event, he will compete in the Open 60 Class with ex-Temenos I. Shiraishi has sponsor funding already in place and his race preparations are well underway. Nine other skippers have entered the Open 60 class and there is one Open 50 entry in the 30,000 mile three-leg race scheduled to begin in Bilbao on October 22. -- http://www.velux5oceans.com * France's Mathieu Richard won himself a slot at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final, defeating Britain's Mark Campbell-James at the ISAF Grade 2 Regional Final for Europe 3 at the Queen Mary Sailing Club, Staines, Great Britain. With warm weather and light winds around four to eight knots, the French number eight in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings defeated his rival 3-0. Richard becomes the third open skipper to earn himself a place at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final this September at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Ireland. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?PID=18242 * Valencia Sailing has posted the second installment of their report on the situation in Valencia, just 10 days before the start of Louis Vuitton Act 10. It focuses on the state of all related construction works. Valencia's harbor, now called Port America's Cup, has been radically transformed and it is now certain that it will provide the best venue ever for such a prestigious sailing event. Despite the fast approaching deadline and initial delays, most of the construction is nearing completion as crews are working 24 hours a day since a few months. Take a look: http://valenciasailing.blogspot.com/ * The penultimate day of the Volvo Extreme 40 grand prix series saw a dramatic lead change as American Randy Smyth sailing Tommy Hilfiger overtook Team Holmatro skippered by Mitch Booth. The wind challenged the five teams on the fourth day of racing as the sailors had to contend with 3-8 knots of wind which flickered around Baltimore's Inner Harbour. America's Cup legend John Bertrand was the guest of honor, sailing with Cam Lewis on Team Volvo Ocean Race for the first two races and then helping to lead Tommy Hilfiger to victory in the final race of the day. -- http://www.VolvoExtreme40.org * The Newport Harbor YC has posted the 2007 Notice of Race for its popular 800-mile offshore race to Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The fist start for the event is scheduled for March 3, 2007, with the prize giving on March 10. -- http://tinyurl.com/pum5o *The Storm Trysail Club (STC) has announced a three-pronged approach to sharpen the profile of dedicated junior sailors in the national sailing community. Two additional Junior Safety-at-Sea Seminars in Newport and Marblehead, open to any junior from a recognized junior sailing program, have been added to the club's 2006 summer schedule; plans are underway for another Intercollegiate Big Boat Regatta in the fall; and a junior division has been added to the Storm Trysail Club's membership categories. -- Complete information: http://tinyurl.com/obel4 PACIFIC CUP CREW NEEDED! J/World, the Performance Sailing School, is recruiting crew for the Pacific Cup Race to Hawaii this summer. This professionally coached program is appropriate for amateur racers looking to build experience, and for seasoned sailors desiring a turnkey effort without the hassles of organizing it themselves. Contact for details: 800-910-1101, http://www.sailing-jworld.com/pacific_cup.htm 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 John Sweeney, USVI: What an interesting juxtaposition of commentary are Going in the Wrong Direction and New Kind of Race. Too much money, too few boats, no national identity vs. not much money and yet lots of national pride. I propose combining the two events. Field 3 or 4 times as many boats, spread the experienced crews among them and round out the teams with boys & girls from participating nations. Take the show on the road, hold fleet and match races all over the world. What greater satisfaction could be gained than taking at-risk kids off of the street and working to create winners from the ground up? Sponsors, at least the ones with a sole, would cherish the opportunity to be involved with an event of real merit. There are plenty of other venues for rock stars and deep pocket owners to show their stuff. Want sailing to represent something deeply meaningful and see the sport grow in a positive way? Want friendly competition between nations? Make it inclusive in the way the Shosholoza has. Put the money to work in ways they have done. Make sailing the means, not just the ends. Share, teach and spread good will around the globe, cheers to South Africa. * From Richard Barker: It seems to me that all of the whining about the health of our sport is just so much blather. Gary Jobson would rather see rich millionaires, sailing around the world rather than corporate sponsored yachts. I don't see how that helps anything or really changes anything. Also does he think the public will become wildly enthusiastic over his scenario? I think not. The around the world race as it now stands is a professional grand prix event, sailed in state of the art racing yachts. There cutting edge developments on these boats will be seen on racing yachts for years to come. Gary would have us step back to what? Perhaps 60 foot Swans with a chef and an exclusive group of wealthy sailors? I'm not sure how that helps anything. Gary's speech at the venue in Baltimore sounded like it was the Pirates of the Caribbean regatta, was he promoting something there? Sounds a little corporate to me. You can't have it both ways. The Volvo will live and die on its own merits if it doesn't pay off for corporate they will move on to something else and sailing will be poorer for it. The Volvo Ocean Race is about the most exciting thing happening in sailing today, let's hope it stays and grows in the future. * From Eric Camiel (In response to Eric Matus letter): I produced and shot an Emmy winning show on the the Bermuda race for ABC Sports and many other sailing films. Trust me, many talented sailor/ film makers know what's required and how to do it. From individual director/cameramen alone on a boat to the excellent but very expensive gear and people who do the America's cup, we know how to tell a compelling story and cover a race. The coverage you would like is incredibly expensive to do. The budget is rarely available for multiple remote Gyro stabilized cameras - and the cameramen and techs for each of them, camera boats with crews, helicopters, wireless links, dozens of highly paid people to put it together and make it all work. And after the money is spent, the sponsor may have a boring race. In fact, even with a good finished show in hand, you literally cannot give it away. I know, I've tried. Many good sailing films have been produced for overseas broadcast but simply cannot get airtime here. Producing the show is the least of the expense. What's needed is a sponsor with a marketing department willing to spend millions to buy the air time then advertise and promote the show to create an audience. Perhaps a sponsor who wants the sailing image and demographic will come forward. * From Ryan Marcus Helling (edited to our 250-worl limit) I'm getting tired of hearing about the correlation between the ill-health of sailing and the lack of television coverage. ow many sailors have been produced by television coverage of the America's Cup? I know a number of people who stayed up late nights to watch the Cup in '87, none of which were or are currently sailors - and wasn't that the heyday of ESPN glitz and glamour coverage? I think we need to critically examine our sport - at first glance, competitive sailing is a bit intimidating. There's the good ol' boys image, some pretty specific skills, and rumors of the high costs of owning a boat (well, I guess that part is true). It is a fairly unrealistic idea that after seeing sailing on TV, Joe Schmoe is going to head down to the local yacht broker and cut a check for a brand new J-Boat, or even a Laser for that matter. It is realistic, however, that after seeing sailing on TV, Joe talked to his sailing buddy at work who took him out for a Thursday night race and convinced him that racing was a lot of fun. The solution isn't a faster dinghy or the ability to bungee jump from the mast. The real way we are going to see expansion in sailing is through giving people rides and encouraging new crew and boat owners. The media really isn't the problem ... wouldn't you rather be out sailing anyway? * From Will Barbeau: The comments on the 'health' of sailing were of interest. U.S. people certainly have less interest than Europeans. I especially recall visiting Newport RI when Ellen MacArthur sailed in with her brand new BQ trimaran. I was the sole photographer who sought her out! Such a visit in Europe would have led to a local panic. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Isn't that handy? Special thanks to Sailing Pro Shop, Hall Spars & Rigging, and J/World. |
