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SCUTTLEBUTT 1358 - June 25, 2003Powered 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. GUEST EDITORIAL - Tom Ehman With the Challenger of Record Management (CORM) office in Auckland closing this week, the quiet competence and diligence of CORM President Dyer Jones should not go unrecognized. Dyer was brought in to right the ship one year ago. At that time, CORM was in disarray, and faced a potentially large deficit. Chairman Luca Birindelli put Commodore Jones, who had successfully run CORM's predecessor (ACCA) for the 2000 Cup, back in charge. Dyer not only ran a very good Louis Vuitton Cup regatta despite challenging conditions, but provided good value for sponsors and managed to return a tidy surplus -- allowing challengers to recover their entry and other fees. CORM has also made available to the Swiss organizers of the next event valuable equipment and corporate knowledge, and has donated gear to the benefit of New Zealand junior sailing programs. Writing to the '03 challengers this week, Dyer said, "I am proud of [our achievements.] It is the result of combined hard work by many people - to find additional event sponsors/suppliers, and to cut event operating costs wherever possible without sacrificing its quality." Not only did CORM accomplish all this and more under Dyer's stewardship, but the prime directive was also achieved -- a challenger won the Cup. - Tom Ehman, Oracle BMW Racing RESCUE ATTEMPT Last Friday, the keel bulb fell off Tim Kent's Open 50, Everest Horizontal, causing the boat to flip upside down 110 miles from Bermuda. While Kent and his crew Rick McKenna were rescued in short order, the boat remains adrift. Now, Kent's former competitors from the Around Alone Race are banding together to try to recover the Open 50. These excerpts from a report from Kent's 'Shore Crew' describe some of the activity: Brad Van Liew of Tommy and Alan Paris of BTC Velocity are speaking constantly to coordinate boats, divers, etc. The real missing link is an airplane to fly overhead to pinpoint the location of Everest. Without that exact location, the rescue vessel will be seeking the proverbial needle in a haystack, which at the cost of over $700 an hour, does not fit into the Everest Horizontal budget! The problem is that there are no registered planes in Bermuda of the type appropriate for this mission. A plane would have to come from elsewhere or happen to be a guest in Bermuda willing to step up and help. This has not happened. Brad Van Liew spoke to Bruce Schwab of Ocean Planet and Bruce was willing to take Ocean Planet out to begin a recovery attempt and identify the exact location of Everest. While Bruce is in his hometown of California, the boat is still in Newport, and Bruce is willing to fly to Newport and begin the mission immediately. Without the offer of a search plane, we will take the offer of Ocean Planet, and Tim and Bruce will meet in Newport late Tuesday, provision the boat, and head back to sea. Brad will meet them and arranged for weather reports from Commander's Weather Service, which is helping to coordinate the potential drift of the boat to further pinpoint a location. - Everest Horizontal Shore Crew, http://www.everesthorizontal.com/ CARBON-FIBER ROPE?? Hall is known for our spectacular carbon-fiber work, but we're also experts in high-tech running rigging (sorry, no carbon rope yet!). You can buy custom running rigging on Hall's website - we've made selection easy with a tidy chart under the "custom line lengths" link in our store. First, choose the application (halyard, sheet, or control line) and then click your type of sailing (racing, cruiser/racer, or cruising). Up pops a wide selection of line recommended by Hall experts. We stock everything you see, and our prices are as competitive as you are! http://www.hallspars.com/storefront JOCHEN SCHUEMANN (Sailing World editor John Burnham has done a long and comprehensive interview with Jochen Schuemann, new member of the magazine's Hall of Fame. Here's a brief excerpt.) SW: What was the biggest reason for your Alinghi success that you've taken away from the campaign? Schuemann: For a short answer, obviously it's the people, the team, and there's no doubt that the leader of the team, Ernesto Bertarelli, had a big, big influence because he was such a perfect example of being a team player. He set a lot of standards with his thinking and his enthusiasm, and it was simple for me as sailing team manager; I never had a big argument with my crews because I only had to point out Ernesto and say, "Hey, any questions?" I think the leadership of Ernesto and also Russell was part of that-working with a group of people with a lot competences from the 15 nations we were coming from, still giving everyone a lot of freedom to find their way and their place to work in Alinghi. That's what made all of us and finally Alinghi, successful. Having very good preparation with design and sailing, and all of the other areas. I think we have been a really good example. It's much more than when you usually use the phrase teamwork-it was really teamwork. SW: What's your job for the defense? Schuemann: I will join the team in the same function, being the sailing team manager, and also trying to be one of the sailors in the afterguard, but that will be an open, in-house competition to find out who will be the best team. So nobody is signed-and didn't sign last time--to [be guaranteed] his seat on the race boat. That's not the way we think and we do it. It's important to build again and maintain the spirit we have right now, which probably won't be easy, because when you come from the winning situation, in some ways you don't want to change the winning team-you know the famous slogan-but at the same time you know you have to do even better to win again. To find new momentum, because the old momentum will run out, you have to find new incentives and ways to motivate everyone again on an even higher level. What we did-it's no secret-the day after we arrived in Geneva, we started talking to our team and we re-signed them, so we have a big bunch of Alinghi team members staying with us again. They're obviously proud staying with us, which is good for us. But we wanted to secure them because every single member was part of and made that team what it was. We want to go on with them. Full interview: http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_sidebar.php?articleID=1883&sidebarID=148 SWEDISH MATCH TOUR The 2003 Swedish Match Cup, June 30 - July 6, in Marstrand, Sweden, could just as easily be called a "Regatta of Champions." In addition to crowning the Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003 Champion at its conclusion, the event boasts two former Swedish Match Tour champions and a five-time event winner in its field of 16 skippers as part of its tenth anniversary celebration. Joining the three skippers in the hunt for the Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003 crown, Jesper Radich of Denmark, currently the Swedish Match Tour Rankings leader with 103 points, Dane Jes Gram-Hansen of Team Victory Lane with 88 points and Australia's James Spithill with 86 points, are former Swedish Match Tour champions Magnus Holmberg of Sweden (2000/2001) and Peter Holmberg of the US Virgin Islands (2001/2002). The other skippers will be Paolo Cian, Peter Gilmour, Sebastien Destremau, Chris Law, Ed Baird, Mattias Rahm, Karol Jablonski, Staffan Lindberg, Jesper Bank, Andy Beadsworth and Johnnie Berntsson. - Shawn McBride, www.swedishmatchtour.com. ANALYSIS We're not going to sit here in San Francisco - Sail Magazine's West Coast outpost - and try to analyze the DaimlerChrysler transatlantic race weather for fear that somebody like Zaraffa navigator Mark Rudiger might read it and die laughing far from medical help. But simple figures tell a weather story that might be robbing the biggest, fastest transatlantic racers of a chance of catching up with the fleet that started a week ahead of them. At a recent update, race leader Zaraffa,, 66 feet and a June 14 starter, had achieved distance made good of 2,630 nautical miles at an average of 11.86 knots. Zephyrus V, 86 feet and a June 21 starter, had made 494 miles at an average of 9.35 knots. - Sail magazine website, full story: http://www.sailmagazine.com/news/NEWS/ FOR SALE Pegasus 77, the ultimate Turbo Sled, winner of Transpac 2001, is for sale. Launched in 2001, she is the very best in every aspect. Designed by Reichel-Pugh as the next generation Turbo Sled, Pegasus 77 will be available August 2003 right after Transpac. Details and photographs are at http://www.pegasus.com/pegasus77 MORE MATCH RACING Riva del Garda will host the 2003 ISAF World Match Race Championships, in conjunction with the Italian Sailing Federation and ISAF. Twelve skippers will be invited to the event, which will be held from 24-30 August 2003. Invitations will initially be based on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings released on 8 July 2003, from which the top nine skippers will be invited. As well as these top nine, the two skippers from XXXI America's Cup (Dean Barker and Russell Coutts), and the defending World Match Race Champion (Karol Jablonski). The event will be run as a traditional 12 team event, commencing on Tuesday 26 August after 2 days of weigh-in and practice with a double round robin where each skipper will sail each other twice - producing a seeding for the semi-final. This will see the top four race each other in a best of knock out series before the grand final, which will again be a best of three series match. The boats to be used at the Championship will be the Blu Sail 24 Sport - A developed version of the Blu Sail 24. With a huge open cockpit giving plenty of space - the boats are perfect for the event. Here's a list of the current top ten match racers on the May 20 rankings: 1. Karol Jablonski, 2. Jes Gram-Hansen, 3. Jesper Radich, 4. Mikael Lindqvist, 5. Ed Baird, 6. Bjorn Hansen, 7. Paolo Cian, 8. Staffan Lindgerg, 9. Mathieu Richard, and 10. Ian Williams. Event Website: www.fragliavelariva.it ISAF Rankings: www.sailing.org/matchrace/mrrankings SAILING SHORTS * Slow and sultry summer conditions today slammed the 200-plus racers at the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex. Faced with a glassy calm and no wind, boats and crews sat it out ashore for two hours before the Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio sent the fleet to sea. There were further delays before racing began in a southeasterly breeze that built in strength to ten knots. Despite the difficult conditions, the boats in the Red Fleet, including the IMS big boats, Farr 40s and 12-Meters succeeded in sailing two races. - Reports, results and photos: http://www.blockislandraceweek.com/ * The Gulf Yachting Association 2003 Offshore Challenge Cup was won by New Orleans Yacht Club (Team Captain Ward Pitard). This was a three day event, racing PHRF where every club in the GYA is invited to bring their best PHRF boats for each of four different rating band classes. Finishing second was Fairhope Yacht Club and third was Pontchartrain Yacht Club. Defending Champion Southern Yacht Club finished fourth. www.noyc.org * Twenty five 505s traveled from places as far as Florida and Canada to compete in the 2003 East Coast Championships at the West River Sailing Club in Galesville, Maryland. Nine races were completed. Wind and sea conditions spanned the full spectrum from 22-26 knots for races two and three to 3-5 knots for the tail end of race nine. Ali Meller and his Jesse Falsone won with 19 points. Past two time 505 ECC winner Tim Collins and Bill Smith were tied for second with Floridians Ethan Bixby and Eric Booth with 20 points. http://www.sailingsource.com/wrsc/2003_race_results/wrsc121.html * There are 62 Tasars racing in Victoria, British Columbia for the class World Championship. Here's what the leaderboard looks like after six races: 1. McKee/ Johnson-McKee, USA, 9; 2. Buchan/ Buchan, USA, 15; 3. Mcphee/ Kellow, AUS, 16; 4. Renehan/ Renehan, USA, 24; 5. Mack/ Mack, USA, 30. http://www.tasarworlds2003.org/Resutls.html "GUARDIAN STAR" WINS TOBAGO RACE WEEK For five consecutive years, Ullman Sails has been the chosen sailmaker by the winners of Tobago Race Week. This year was no different. Paul Amon, Tim Kimpton and Peter Knox, the owners of "Guardian Star", a Beneteau 10 Meter, chose Ullman Sails to propel them to victory at this year's Tobago Race Week. Continuing her winning trend "Guardian Star" went on to take 1st Place in the Barbados Mount Gay Boat Yard Regatta. Let Ullman Sails propel you to victory! Call your local Ullman Sails loft or visit us on line at http://www.ullmansails.com U.S. YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Early morning thunderstorms caused a short postponement ashore before giving way to a "honking southerly." The winds built from 12 to 14 knots by the first race that started just after 11 a.m. PRO John Archibald switched the starting order and courses today. Club 420s started first and sailed the outer loop trapezoid while the Lasers sailed the inner loop. The winds started due south. The RC Team reacted to a slow but persistent left shift, adjusting the course for each race. The winds built to 15 knots for the second race, then gradually died to 10 by the end of the third and final race of the day. The three- to four-foot seas with heavy chop made for excellent planning conditions. Emery Wager (Seattle, WA) showed the Laser fleet how to sail today with three bullets. Each one was a bigger horizon job than the last. Emery showed great speed by passing boats both upwind and down. Dropping his worst race, Emery has six points in seven races. In the 54-boat 420 fleet, Leigh Kempton (Island Heights, NJ) and Kaitlin Storck (Huntington, NY) had a perfect score today - three aces. They won the second race by nearly a minute. But, San Diego sailors Zach Brown and Melanie Roberts remain in first place with 17 total points to Kempton and Storck's 20 points. - Lee Parks, http://www.ussailing.org/ 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 or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Chuck Taylor (edited to our 250-word limit): It was a special moment for me two weeks ago when I saw the Australian C Class challenger sail past on the Swan River. It was a beautiful and elegant sight. From the time Aquarius V took the Cup from Miss Nylex, I have had great pleasure following The Little America's Cup, Victoria 150, The Patient Ladies, The Edge and Cogito. These cat have always been the ultimate sailing machines. America and Australia have been the two forces in the LAC for the last 25 years. I don't know what Sea Cliff were thinking when they sent back the Australian challenge, but I would trade a hundred one design regattas to see a thoroughbred racer like this sailing. I admire the people who as the say here "have a go." Designing and building a C-Class catamaran must be the most technically difficult thing there is in the world of sailing and Sea Cliff have made it more difficult by taking away the trophy and name. We should be trying support innovation and creativity. As an American living in Australia I can assure you this has not helped the reputation of our nation. Australia is one of Uncle Sam's great friends, in WWII, Vietnam and now the Gulf the Aussies have been there beside us. So why did we treat our friends this way? I would hope that we could find a way to put things right. Maybe someone could donate a new trophy and call it the Little America's Cup. * From Steve Greene: With regards to the ISAF youth multihull search, I'm mixed. The fact that multihull sailing is being given this attention is cause for celebration. However, I am rather disappointed that the class search is being limited to catamarans. What about trimarans! Last fall, I contacted the ISAF for clarification as to whether or not trimarans would be equally considered in the search. The response was simply "No", with the explanation that since ISAF youth sailing is geared toward preparing young people toward Olympic classes, and since the Tornado catamaran is the Olympic multihull boat of choice right now, that entertaining the idea of a trimaran just wasn't considered a viable direction. This said, the ISAF contact person ended his correspondence saying, however, that he personally preferred trimaran sailing. If the ISAF is looking for a new youth multihull, and there happens to be a trimaran design that meets all their criteria, why not consider it? And why not consider really shaking up the sailing world by introducing a trimaran as an Olympic class someday! Trimarans are inherently more stable than catamarans, can carry a diverse sail plan including a gennaker, are very fast, tack easier than cats, can have traps, and are very fun to sail. I've no vested interest in this other than to suggest some real innovation in youth sailing, but there is a 16' trimaran design that meets all of the ISAF requirements and can be seen at http://www.multihulldesigns.com/stock/16tri.html * From Ed Price: I was surprised not to see Dick Carter listed as in the Hall of Fame. Certainly his fin keel designs starting with Rabbit took off shore racing one major step forward. * From Dan Alpern: In regards to the question from Denis Farley about racers unfamiliar with the new rule revisions. I cringe every time I hear an "old-timer" making the "mast-abeam" call and trying to enforce a right of way that does not exist! It's too bad that the only requirement to be on the race course is membership in a club and a boat. I would hope that someday a rules test or proof of familiarity with the current version of the rules would be required before accepting race entries! * From TWJ Thornton: Having followed the threads about Youth Sailing lately, I would like to suggest that everyone checks out the websites for the event. If there is any proof needed that the youth sailors of today are indeed the stars of tomorrow, that they love the sport and they thrive on the companionship of those they will sail and compete against for the rest of their lives, the photos and the interviews (especially the interviews) will assure all. I have been in fits of laughter at their answers to offbeat questions. Especially the one when asked of his most embarrassing moment so far answered, "when I got the spinnaker pole in my mouth." Websites: www.ussailing.org/youthchamp www.harken.com CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents? |
