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SCUTTLEBUTT 2130 - July 5, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST When the America's Cup sailboat racing started in 1851, it was billed as "a gentlemanly contest between nations." "It's like a multinational corporation wrapped into a sports team competing for the oldest trophy in sports," said Peter Isler, navigator on the United States entry, BMW Oracle. His own American team, for example, is partly sponsored by a German carmaker and has a New Zealander, Chris Dickson, as skipper. Alinghi, the defending champion from Switzerland, is helmed by an American, Ed Baird. The New Zealand boat's sponsors include an airline from the United Arab Emirates and a Japanese carmaker.The skipper of the Chinese boat, sponsored in part by a Swiss watchmaker, is a Frenchman, Pierre Mas. There is such diversity on the 12 teams of the America's Cup that it has become a United Nations of sailing, although in these circles New Zealand would be the superpower. There are enough Kiwi sailors in the tune-up races off Valencia, Spain, to fill four of the boats that carry a crew of 17. "The America's Cup has never been more international," said Marcus Hutchinson, a special adviser to the race organizers. Hutchinson said that seeking the best sailors was nothing new. In the early days, Scandinavians, renowned seafarers since Viking times, were recruited by many nations. One rule stands fast: The hull of the yachts — now the 80-foot, carbon fiber Formula One cars of the sea — must be built in the nation the team represents. But like crew members, parts — including masts, sails and deck gear — come from all over the world. It was conceived as a friendly -- O.K., not so friendly -- contest between nations," said Grant Dalton, head of the New Zealand team. "It has changed to meet its purpose: the best boats with international crews." Baird has been a champion sailor for more than 25 years. He said he first began to notice the switch to big professional teams in the late 1980's. "There has been a huge change," he said. "The guys who did it in the 60's and 70's were terrific sailors, but in order to win they were able to spend, literally, a few weeks, preparing, looking at sails, coming up with ideas." Now the campaigns last for four years, with teams of 100 to 150 people looking at those same things the entire time. "The preparation, the professionalism, and the level that all these teams are taking really is a huge change from what it was 25 to 30 years ago," Baird said. "The best and the brightest are not necessarily all from one country," Isler said. -- AP, New York Times, http://tinyurl.com/rsv9a Curmudgeon’s Comment: For more insightful commentary on the globalization of the America’s Cup, I think you will enjoy Angus Phillips piece in the Washington Post: http://tinyurl.com/zld7e RAISING THE BAR EVEN HIGHER Orange II is on schedule to beat the trans-Atlantic record. Yesterday at 16h GMT, the maxi catamaran once again smashed the 24-hour record by reaching an average speed of almost 32 knots and clocking up 766 miles in one day. At the second comparison point today, Bruno Peyron’s crew had a lead of almost 200 miles over Steve Fossett’s PlayStation. At the halfway point, at 1142 GMT Tuesday, there were 1380 miles left to go to cross the finish at The Lizard and the although situation is looking positive, there are still some issues to deal with. "The wind should ease off today, even if it is still blowing at 30 knots as I speak and there is some uncertainty about the front catching us up,” Peyron said. “The final approach will be made via the Fastnet rock, via Ireland, to close the angle if the wind eases off (and therefore keep up our speed)." -- http://www.orange-sailing-team.com NEXT STEP IN OFFSHORE YACHTING (Yves Parlier talks to thedailysail subscription website about his plans for his round the world trimaran class. Here are a few excerpts.) In essence it is this: a one design 80ft long trimaran. This will be hi-tech yet simple compared with the present generation ORMA 60s. His boat will have a wingmast, but not one that cants, no lifting foils in the floats, no trim tab on the daggerboard, etc. Construction will be in carbon/foam as carbon/Nomex has proved too rigid for this type of boat. The boats will be built strongly enough and be of good enough quality to be capable of sailing around the world either non-stop singlehanded or fully crewed. The price tag on the new boat Parlier expected to be around 3 million Euros without sails. He imagines that the first suit of sails the boats will have will be Spectra, but he will relax the rule to allow 3DL for fully crewed races. At present Parlier hasn't announced the designers of the boat, except that it is likely to be a team and he is still looking at different build options. One is to get a number of boatyards around France to build the various components of the boat and then to have a central yard assembling them. Another solution would be to build the components in France and then ship them to wherever a team wishes to assemble them. He reckons the displacement of his new 80 footer will be around 10.8 tons. The schedule at present is to have a boat launched by the end of 2007 with the first races in the beginning of 2008. -- http://www.thedailysail.com LIVING IT UP AT NEWPORT SHIPYARD Cozy up next to the finest yachts in town, where the summer has yet to bring the Newport Bucket, July 21-23, Farr 40 Class Event and warm-up to the Worlds, August 11-13, and the Newport Brokerage Boat Show, September 14-17. Looking for the most action and the best yacht services and repairs? Newport Shipyard offers all this, along with the warmest welcome in New England. Call 401.846.6000 or visit http://www.newportshipyard.com FIVE HOT TIPS FOR TRAILER BOAT OWNERS The BoatU.S. Trailering Club has five hot tips to help prevent trailer boat owners from becoming a roadside statistic this summer: * Make sure your trailer tires were made for trailering. A "ST" designation on the sidewall indicates "special trailer" used for boat trailers. These tires have stronger sidewalls than "P" (passenger) and "LT" (light truck tires). Also, never mix bias ply (commonly used for short trips or when a trailer is parked for long periods) with radial tires (preferred for high-mileage trips). * Inflation is the most basic tire maintenance issue. Tires should be inflated while cold, before the trip -- not during. Buy a spare tire but be sure to bring a tire and rim combo when shopping for your spare as not all are alike. Ensure your jack can handle the trailer as well. * A tire's worst enemy is dry rot caused by the sun's UV rays. If you store your boat and trailer outside during the winter, remove the tires and keep inside if possible. Tire covers can also help. * Moisture can also doom a tire, especially if the trailer sits idle for a long time on grassy, damp ground. Again, removing the tire is best but parking on plywood can also help. If parking on a hard surface such as concrete, ensure that water freely drains away from the trailer after a rainstorm. * Lastly, ensure that you know your boat and trailer weight, as overloading can lead to premature wear and potentially dangerous blowouts. Of the thousands of requests for roadside assistance made by BoatU.S. Trailering Club members in 2005, the most common call for assistance was for flat tires. The percentages for all trailer breakdowns were: Flats: 47%; Bearings: 26%; Axle: 13%; Tow Vehicle: 9%; Miscellaneous: 5%. TECHNOLOGY The organizers of Kieler Woche have entered into partnership with the Norwegian firm ProSail AS that will enable tracking and monitoring of the entire fleet at the 2007 regatta. The ProSail system which transfers data either by GSM or by a closed circuit radio system will provide a total race management package including OCS management, tracking with graphics and statistical data and elapsed and corrected finishing times for handicap classes. The accuracy is guaranteed to less that 30 cm, and in tests have provided accuracy to less than 10 cm. The system will be available real time on internet, for closed circuit and broadcast TV. A continuous ranking of the fleet will be shown based on the distance from each boat to the next rounding mark. The Prosail Rover for the boats measures just 7x7x3 cm, weighs only 200 grammes.-- Dirk Ramhorst, tracking@kyc.de THE BIG AWARDS Nominations are now invited for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2006, with separate awards for the female and a male World Sailor of the Year. Sailors nominated may represent any discipline of the sport of sailing, from dinghies to offshore, windsurfing to speed sailing and their achievements may be as diverse as round the world record breaking passages, a series of regatta wins or triumph against the odds, but must meet the criteria of "outstanding achievement during the period September 1, 2005 through to August 31, 2006". The winners will be announced on Tuesday November 7 in Helsinki, Finland. The past winners are: 2005: Fernando Echavarri & Anton Paz (ESP)/ Ellen MacAurtur (GBR) 2004: Robert Scheidt (BRA)/ Sofia Berkatorou & /Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE) 2003: Russell Coutts (SUI)/Siren Sundby (NOR) 2002: Ben Ainslie (GBR)/ Sofia Berkatorou & /Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE) 2001: Robert Scheidt (BRA)/ Ellen MacAurtur (GBR) 2000: Mark Reynolds/Magnus Liledahl (USA)/ Shirley Robertson (GBR) 1999: Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL)/ Margriet Matthijse (NED) 1998: Ben Ainslie (GBR)/ Carolijn Brouwer (NED) 1997: Pete Goss (GBR)/ Ruslana Taran & Elena Pakholchik (UKR) 1996: Jochen Schumann (GER)/ Lee-Lai Shan (HKG) 1995: Russell Coutts (NZL)/ Isabelle Autissier (FRA) 1994: Peter Blake (NZL) & Robin Knox Johnston (GBR)/ Theresa Zabell (ESP) Anyone can nominate a sailor and all nominations must be submitted on the official nomination form which is available on the ISAF website via the following link www.sailing.org/worldsailor.com JK3 NAUTICAL ENTERPRISES AND SAIL CALIFORNIA-SAN DIEGO With the summer sailing season in full swing and the J/105 North Americans coming up August 25-27 at the California Yacht Club, don’t miss out on your chance to be part of the fun. We currently have 4 race ready J/105’s, and several other models waiting for new owners. Check us out on the website or call us at 619.224.6200. We look forward to seeing you on the water! http://www.jk3yachts.com TRIVIA QUESTION The crew for Bruno Peyron's transatlantic record attempt on Orange II lists Jean-Baptiste Levaillant as "performer." What does the performer do? (Answer below) OPEN FOR ALL TO SEE One of the most surprising things to find at the AC base was in the America's Cup building. On the 1st level viewing deck which is about 10 metres wide all around the building I come across a glass alcove about 5 metres x 5 metres and there standing inside is the America’s Cup alongside the Luis Vuitton Cup. I walk into this space, no security checks, there are two uniformed guys standing in one corner and there, standing at chest height on a 1 1/2 metre square plinth and so close that you can actually touch it, is The Cup, looking at me. There is no glass cage, nothing. I could not believe it and reflected on what we had to do to protect the Cup while it was in New Zealand. Another interesting experience is to go out to eat tapas, savouries on baguette bread slices, held together with tooth picks. You eat as many as you like, leave the toothpicks on the side of your plate and then at the end of your stay, you pay based on the number of toothpicks on your plate. The Kiwis that I spoke with were all incredulous at the potential to cheat and hide some to lower the price for how many you ate. It seems that in many ways, the locals must be trustworthy. -- Tony Kendall, Sail-World website, http://tinyurl.com/ha734 SAILING SHORTS * After three races in the Women’s Yngling World championship in La Rochelle, France, Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Victoria Rawlinson (GBR) hold a three point lead over both the defending world champions Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe and Debbie Capozzi (USA) and Ruslana Taran/ Anna Kalinina/ Svetlana Matevusheva (UKR). Hannah Swett/ Liz Filler/ Melissa Purdy (USA) have slipped to 11th place while Carol Cronin/ Kimberly Couranz/ Margaret Podlich (USA) are now in 15th place in the 37-boat championship. -- http://tinyurl.com/ehyfq * Andy Howe has been appointed New England Regional Manager for Sail Magazine - responsible for selling advertising for Sail, BoatWorks, the Sailboat Buyers Guide and their companion web sites and video products. He replaces Jay Nolan, who left Sail to pursue a career opportunity in England. Andy is a veteran marine ad salesman, having worked for Navigator Publishing for 13 years, and then for Yale Cordage as Sales Manager in the marine market for the past 2 1/2 years. He’s a lifelong sailor with more than 30,000 offshore miles, including numerous Bermuda Races and professional deliveries to the Caribbean. -- http://www.sailmagazine.com TRIVIA ANSWER The crew for Bruno Peyron's transatlantic record attempt on Orange II lists Jean-Baptiste Levaillant as "performer." Team member Arnaud de Bélinay describes the “performer” position: "The performer is fine tuning the sails. He is usually sitting with a rope in his hand to give or take a little bit to adjust the trim of the sails." Well, it does sound classier than "trimmer." (Thanks to Rich Roberts and Barby MacGowan for providing this week’s trivia question) CONGRATULATIONS FOUR STARS! Congratulations to Tim McAdams “Four Stars,” a Beneteau 44.7 for winning Newport/Bermuda’s IRC Division Gibbs Lighthouse Trophy with a complete inventory of Quantum Sails, and custom deck layout/rigging package from Atlantic Yacht Services. For information, contact Rob MacMillan, Quantum Newport, 401-849-7700, mailto:rob@quantumsails.com or Pete Henderson, Atlantic Yacht Services, 401-619-1468, mailto:info@atlanticys.com 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 thought at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Richard Clark: I'm just a crappy gunk holer who has sailed in many spots of the planet, owned a couple of half decent boats, sailed a few others, edited a film for Sid Fisher's AC entry years ago, have fallen overboard, even my cat fell overboard and survived as I obviously did. So who's interested in the Americas Cup? Why me of course. A well traveled Kiwi Kid who will never grow up, I don't live near the ocean just now but I do visit and am in love with it. The Americas Cup is grand yachting, big, bad, and beautiful -- just like the syndicate owners no doubt. That big, bad, beautiful money allows a kid to dream and sail on boats such as these is totally cool. To me it is the pinnacle as the Whitbread used to be the pinnacle. In this day and age of mediocrity in world affairs, it warms me cockles to see those with the means bring, enjoyment, employment and empowerment to the world. Long live the America's Cup and those who invest and sail in her. * From Chris Ericksen: Peter C. McDonald's analogy comparing Ivy League football to the America's Cup matches of past and the Super Bowl to the current format ('Butt 2129) may have been faulty, but his point is not. I, too, scroll right past all the America's Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt (and the Volvo races, for that matter) to read about Olympic competitors, yacht-club regattas and other one-design events. Notwithstanding that personal preference, however, I'm sure you will continue to run extensive coverage on all those events about which I could not care less: I'm sure there are sailors out there who could not care a whit about Lasers or Opti's but hang on every move of BMW Oracle or ABM Amro. Furthermore, I certainly am not the bellwether American sports fan: I actually followed the World Cup! * From Glenn Selvin: In reply to Peter McDonald regarding Scuttlebutt's coverage of the America's Cup, wondering if anyone reads it. Put me down as one of the people that does not... I scroll right through it. When discussions of Scuttlebutt gets discussed around my yacht club's bar, I've got admit that everone I know scrolls right through it! I think the lure of the AC got lost when the nationality rules got so lax as to be meaningless. Rather than being a contest between countries, where we can root for the home team, it has become, as Peter so aptly states, a contest between corporations. If I wanted to watch the corporations duke it out, I'd turn in my subscription of Sailing World for a subscription of the Wall Street Journal. I'm glad my mouse has one of those little wheels... makes scrolling through the AC that much easier. * From Bob Billingham (RE: AC Nationality Rules): The AC rules need to be at one end of the spectrum or the other. Either you allow open participation without regard for nationality as the rules are now and suffer the "consequences" of mixed nationalities or you make the rule really strict by allowing only passport-holding citizens of the flag of the syndicate. In previous Cups, much money was truly wasted re-locating key sailors and designers three years before the Cup to the new country to establish residency. We had to rent apartments for offshore crew who never lived there, displace families who had to fill the residency requirement while Dad sailed at the regatta site, pay taxes, get driver's licenses, etc. It was always frustrating pissing away valuable dollars for these costs and not spending the money on making the boat faster. The current rules are driven the huge element of practicality they allow for syndicates. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATIONS "Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." - Elaine, age 5 Special thanks to Newport Shipyard, JK3 Nautical Enterprises & Quantum/AYS |
