|
SCUTTLEBUTT No. 727 - January 11, 2001THE RACEClub Med and Team Adventure crossed the equator at 06:30 GMT on Wednesday, while staging a battle for supremacy. The sister cats are heading south, looking to pick up southeasterly trade winds to catapult them towards the Southern Ocean. Both Gilles Ollier designed maxi-catamarans are sailing on a course of 205 degrees at 13 knots, with Club Med leading by just 18 nautical miles (nm). Skippers Cam Lewis and Grant Dalton will be keeping a very close eye on each other, watching for a sudden change of position or attack. It is a fascinating contest between the hard-nosed Kiwi Dalton and the flamboyant American Lewis. Innovation Explorer seemed initially to have gained little from her westerly route, but a position update at around midday on Wednesday indicated speeds of 26 knots on a course of 167 degrees. This may be the first sign she has found a narrow exit out of the doldrums, or that she is caught in a small squall. Either way, her progress in the next four hours will be very interesting to the other two. It is possible Innovation Explorer skipper Loick Peyron could slingshot his way into the lead if he catches the trades first. PlayStation holds fourth spot, still 400nm behind the leaders but having outstripped them by nearly 200nm in the past 24 hours. Skipper Steve Fossett will be noting the best line of attack towards the equator. - Martin Cross, NOW Sports website Full story: http://www.now.com/feature.now?cid=997704&fid=1136766 STANDINGS, 10/01/01 2300GMT: 1. Club Med 2. Team Adventure, 55miles behind leader, 3. Innovation Explorer, 208 MBL, 4. PlayStation, 420 MBL, 5. Warta-Polpharma, 820 MBL 6. Team Legato, 2181 MBL. QUOTE / UNQUOTE "If you are following us on your globe, now would be a good time to turn it upside down." Larry Rosenfeld, Team Adventure co-navigator, as boat slips into the Southern Hemisphere. http://www.teamadventure.org/ PROFESSIONAL SAILING (Navigator Mark Rudiger talked to Rich Roberts about the preparations of the Swedish Assa Abloy program for the Volvo Ocean Race. Here are two excerpts from that story on the Quokka Sports website.) * Sponsorship has lifted the sport to an attractive level for skilled professionals. "It varies a lot from campaign to campaign, but the average beginner crew guy can make $50,000, $60,000 a year, net, because all your expenses are paid," Rudiger said. "On up from there, a watch captain could make double that, and skippers are all over the map, from maybe $200,000 to $300,000. And if you're a Kiwi or an Aussie and get paid in U.S. dollars, you're really smiling. "I've been sailing professionally for half my income since probably '88, and that was nothing like now. The last six years there have been more marketing opportunities with the Internet. There are going to be books and videos and movies. Yeah, it's getting pretty good." * "One thing we learned from the last one - and I started down this path with (Chris) Dickson the time before - is that you really need to have two navigators because it's a full-time position. Then I realized last time that you need to have two skippers, as well, because you're racing full-time. You have two bowmen, two trimmers, two pit guys. Why wouldn't you have two skippers and two navigators? "And you can't carry anyone just to be a navigator. You have to be physically fit to be part of the crew, and you have to make strategic decisions. So my feeling was that with two skippers, one would be heavily tactical-oriented and the other heavily strategy-oriented. Then one of those guys - probably the strategist, like myself - would also be co-navigator, and you would have another navigator amongst the crew that would basically be covering you and helping you during your off-watch time." Rudiger will alternate watches with (skipper Roy) Heiner. "Like Paul (Cayard) and I did last time. Rather than having a watch captain setup we'll have co-skippers, and the rest of the crew will run the boat at a higher level like they were all watch captains. Hopefully, you take the load off certain people - not only the physical load but also the mental load. - Rich Roberts, for Quokka Sports. Full story: http://www.quokkasailing.com/stories/2001/01/SLQ_0110_rudiger_WFC.html WANT TO WIN IN ONE-DESIGN? If you want to win in One-Design you should be asking your sailmaker about Bainbridge Sailcloth. Following a string of summer successes Bainbridge's AIRX spinnaker fabrics and DIAX laminates have between them scooped top 3 at the J24 Worlds and 1st at the US 1D35 Championships. Talk Bainbridge to your sailmaker or find out more at www.sailcloth.com VENDEE GLOBE Current leader of the 18 strong fleet in the Vendee Globe, Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB), passed in view of Cape Horn at 1807 hours UT on the 63rd day of racing at sea. At this stage he lies 600 miles ahead of second placed Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher), translating to approximately two days sailing. Michel Desjoyeaux also can count 3 days and 18 hours lead over the current record established by Christophe Auguin on 'Geodis' in the last edition of the Vendee Globe in 1997. 'PRB' now has 7100 miles to climb until reaching the finish in Les Sables d'Olonne. Desjoyeaux succeeded to hang on the back of the low pressure system for quite a long time, heading directly towards the Horn and gaining mile upon mile in a constant breeze, compared to his friends behind. They have been struggling to keep up a good speed in the anticyclonic dorsal passing over them. Better late than never, the chasing pack have at last got going again as the next depression has caught up with them and the speeds rise back and even out at 12 - 13 knots. All except for second placed Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher) that is, who trails along at 7 knots in the dorsal while Michel is pushing out 14 knots. That translated into an 88-mile loss in a matter of 3 hours for Ellen just this morning. Deprived of her gennaker until she can repair it, she admits herself: "unfortunately the higher angles I have to sail with the genoa are not good for my positioning, but I just need to accept that is how it is." Coming up gradually from behind the triumvirate ahead is a caustic and yet rejuvenated Marc Thiercelin (Active Wear), determined to strike while the iron's hot, or rather when two of the leaders are suffering from damage. This pretender to the throne is beating into 40 knot headwinds, uncomfortable stuff, but munching the miles all the same: "I've asked myself quite often if God is English these days. IBM getting sick of staying behind for two months. So it's time to catch the 'invincible' Ellen!" - http://www.vendeeglobe.com STANDINGS, January 10 at 11:00 UT: 1. PRB (Desjoyeaux) 2. Kingfisher (MacArthur) 602 mile behind leader, 3. SILL Matines La Potagere (Jourdain) 839 MBL, 4. Active Wear (Thiercelin) 851 MBL, 5. Sodebo (Coville) 1244 MBL. LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) (Letters selected to be printed may be edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This is not a bulletin board or a chat room - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. We don't publish anonymous letters, but will withhold your e-mail address on request.) * From: Skip Allan sleddog@ix.netcom.com With respect to Cam Lewis's geography lesson quoted in 'Butt 726, most historians and meteorologists consider the Horse Latitudes to lie near the center of the subtropical highs, at 30-35 degrees north and south latitude. Where Team Adventure is currently sailing is considered the Doldrums or ITCZ (Inter Tropic Convergence Zone). * From: "Robert Stege" RobertS@westmarine.com Keith Taylor's account of the origin of the term Horse Latitudes was correct, but he got the location wrong. The Horse Latitudes are two belts of light winds and hot dry weather at around 30-degrees latitude in both hemispheres. The two lead boats are now in an area referred to at the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) or Doldrums. Compared to the Doldrums the periods of stagnation in the Horse Latitudes are less persistent and of a more intermittent nature. * From: Mike Ford SWATH@aol.com Re Mr. Schmeckle's Letter about lifejackets and windsurfing - Not wanting to open yet another thread about lifejacket usage, I do want to offer a couple quick responses regarding lifejacket usage on a sailboard. 1) After 20 years of experience windsurfing, the mast is usually down long before you get to it. In cases where it is not, you are substantially more likely to get hit if you're forced to float than if you submerge some when you fall in. 2) Many groups have evaluated it from the perspective that the sailboard is unsinkable while a dinghy does sink. Thus a sailboard offers permanent floatation a dinghy cannot. 3) While not limited to it, helmets are used mainly for high wind sailing. I know several sailors that wear helmets on larger boats ranging from Melges 24's to fifty footers. Does this mean we should all wear helmets? Finally, safety is of course, always a concern. However, just as with most things in life, governing bodies do not need to have their fingers in every pie. At some point common sense on the part of the individual must take over. * From: Art Engel artengel123@earthlink.net Regulation 21.2.1(h) of the new ISAF Eligibility Code does indeed require that all crew members on a competing boat be a member either of (1) a national authority or (2) a club or other organization that is a member of a national authority. What ISAF intended is not relevant since the language is clear that this requirement applies to all races that use the Racing Rules of Sailing. Moreover, be aware that this requirement started to apply on Jan. 1 and so is in effect right now. Boats can protest each other over these requirements and under RRS 64.1(a) if a breach is found the protest committee MUST disqualify a boat found to have broken these requirements. Race organizers may want to consider changing RRS 60.1 to say that competitors may not protest for a breach of RRS 75.2 (which is the rule that makes the ISAF Eligibility Code applicable to all competitors). Note that under RRS 86.1, no changes in RRS 75.2 are allowed so there is no way to eliminate the membership requirement. * From: Doug Lord lorsail@webtv.net So what if the founders didn't think that (mercenary sailors) was appropriate! So what if their is no more Americas' Cup; the founders direction and vision has been and still is(barely) the Americas Cup. The nationalistic aspect of the Cup is what has always drawn interest from amateur and professional sailor alike. Any further (continued) dilution of that aspect of the Cup and interest will evaporate. There are plenty of regatta's and Races for professionals without destroying one of the greatest sailing spectacles of all time. Professionals or professional wannabe's who wish for "no criticism from amateurs" so that they may extract a living from sailing events we (amateurs) support at the risk of killing the event are short sighted at best. The America's Cup is an international competition between nations; it always has been a symbol of national pride to win the Cup. So, when Dennis goes up against the B's with their hired guns and brings the Cup back up here lets change the nationality requirements to 10years and stop messing with the Auld Mug!! * From: Brent Foxall BFoxall@compuserve.com [heavily edited to meet our 250-word limit.] I was amused to read people are still bummed that foreigners will be driving 2 of the US America's Cup entries. I have been lucky to join some great AC teams over the past decade and find the American situation puzzling. There are zillions of great sailors in your great country, but I don't think the event was marketed properly to them since it left your country. When we won in '92 against the Italians, no one honked a horn in the city and only a few people got thrown in the water. The circus left town to greener pastures in 95 where the Kiwis welcomed and understood the event. I once asked Mark Reynolds - an obvious talent for the back end - why he hadn't done a program and he told me, "no one has ever asked me". Perhaps some one should pay him a huge amount of money to keep his business and family situation sorted while he helps guides an American boat to the front. At the 2000 Cup, I experienced the satisfaction of shutting the US out of the AC for the first time ever while working with Prada. The ramifications of this has certainly changed the game for the Americans and it will be interesting to see if this mighty country of yours will embrace these highly paid imports when they go into battle. I hope that will coerce the likes of a Reynolds or a Buchan to compliment his always well- seasoned crew. * From: Andy Rose RoseLaw7@aol.com Re: Tom Ehman's comment in 725 - I am the unnamed American who sailed in an Australian afterguard in the A-Cup to which Tom referred. (Surely Tom, as a NYYC stalwart you are not still so irritated at me that you forgot my name.) But I sailed as tactician on Australia in 1977, not 1980 and I believe the rule was adopted soon after the 1977 match. Otherwise, Tom is correct but given his career path since then I guess I am not surprised that he seems quite comfortable with multi-national crews. I have very mixed feelings about the issue. I would (at least try to) distinguish what I did from what is going on now for a couple of reasons---I didn't get paid to sail for Australia, had good reasons for doing so, at least I thought so, and remain very proud of having worn the "green and gold". I never considered that it would come to this but part of me wishes we could go back to the old days where sailing in the Cup was an honor, not a business proposition. And, we all seemed to survive and did a lot of big time sailing in our twenties and early thirties while working at something in between to (barely) keep ends meet. It was all fun and I don't regret a moment. On the other hand, I know and have sailed with a lot of our highly paid brethren and can't fault them for taking advantage of the situation. * From: "Eric Hall" eric@hallspars.com Regarding "proud kiwi" Howard Spencer's letter {Edited to our 250-word limit]- The success of NZ sailors, that seems so disproportionate to population, may well be explained by NZ's relative lack of home-front prospects for young people (as opposed, say, to the US or Europe where jobs in industry or other sports are more attractive, financially, than sailing jobs). The situation is similar to one familiar to Americans in the fifties and sixties, where a disproportionate number of pro football players came from the coal mining towns in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Their future prospects dim, they dreamed of a better life via stadiums in New York, Chicago and Green Bay. I have no idea what lures NZ youngsters away, but clearly something special motivates them to excel in sailing, their sport of opportunity. Frankly I, for one, think that as good as NZ sailors are, just about any sailing country has enough home-grown talent to win the America's Cup. Certainly Australia, England, Italy, France, Germany, US, Canada etc. (to name just a few) all do. As far as "Kiwi know how" goes, remember there is also plenty of kiwi "don't-know-how" when it comes to state-of -the-art America's Cup composite materials, winches, electronics and sails. The point is, no one country has a lock on America's Cup expertise. While billionaire Cup campaigns may well favor New Zealand sailors, no challenger or defender would stand a chance without composite materials from Japan and elsewhere, winches and electronics from the US and England, sails from the US, etc. * From: Tony Smith tsmith@acrelectronics.com Re Ben Beer's comment on bananas and green boats - I seem to recall one hotshot boat a few years back that certainly wasn't unlucky, the early spaceframer IMP, from Ron Holland/Kiwi Boats. She was about 10 different shades of green! * From Rob Mundle rmundle@ozemail.com.au Re bananas and sailboats - For superstitious sailors out there I tender the following. It's an extract from my book Fatal Storm, the story of the disastrous 1998 Sydney to Hobart race. It relates to a situation aboard Sword of Orion only hours before the storm struck. Tragically Englishman Glyn Charles was later lost when Sword of Orion was rolled by a massive rogue wave in Bass Strait. The remaining crew was rescued by helicopters before the yacht sank: "At around 3am a problem was discovered aboard Sword of Orion - bananas! Young crewman Sam Hunt was rummaging through the galley looking for a snack when he found them. "Superstition on 'The Sword' says you don't have bananas aboard," said (owner Rob) Kothe. "Sam decided they were the reason for our start line 'bingle' with Nokia - so he made us eat all the bananas. "Then he discovered a banana cake! That was just as bad as having bananas, so he made us eat all the banana cake because we didn't need any more bad luck. There we were, all sitting around stuffing ourselves with bananas then banana cake. As it turned out it would be the last solid meal we'd eat for quite a while. We were all fuelled up." * From: Steve Dashew stevedashew@earthlink.net This bananas business must be a race boat thing. In the last 200,000 plus sea-miles we have NEVER been without them. In fact, we've found a direct correlation between bananas and boat speed. We always try and make it to port before they turn mushy - leading to a lot of fast passages over the years. On the other hand, we NEVER leave for a passage on a Friday - even our insurance policy prohibits this folly. BANANA UPDATE (According to this report on the BoatingOz website, the nautical taboo on bananas extends well beyond racing sailboats.) "I'm sure most anglers will be well aware of the curse attributed to carrying the yellow fruit on fishing trips. Some years back, I speculated in a magazine article on whether the carrying of banana products, namely banana cake, could invoke the 'curse'. However, in that instance, just in case, we decided to devour the cake before commencing fishing - with what seemed like a favourable result." - Dave Donald, http://www.boatingoz.com.au/news001208b.htm IMS RACING After one and a half year of rest, the K-Yachting group decided to launch Krazy K-Yote 2 again, the boat what was excluded from Admiral's Cup 1999. The boat will return to the racecourse with the ambition to show the validity of her innovative technical choices. Krazy K-Yote 2 has been modified to be in conformity with the IMS 2001 rule by her architect, Juan Kouyoumdjian, ex-member of the French AC Challenge's Design Team and currently employed by Prada for America's Cup 2003. The contested wingmast has been replaced by a new classic carbon rig with two spreaders. Krazy K-Yote 2 also received a new keel and a new set of North 3DL carbon sails designed by North Sails France. The boat will race in the United States at two events - Key West Race Week and the SORC -where various configurations will be tested. Then Krazy K-Yote 2 will return to Europe for the most important European regattas. www.k-yachting.com 'BUTT TRIVIA Sometime before the curmudgeon got out of bed on Wednesday, subscriber number 8000 was added to the Scuttlebutt mailing list - pretty gratifying considering that just 16 months ago there were only 1500 'Buttheads. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Age and treachery will overcome youth and innocence. |
