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SCUTTLEBUTT 1289 - March 19, 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 emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. ADVERTISING AND THE AMERICA'S CUP - Paul Henderson Every time there is an America's Cup I reflect on how the advertising on boats happened and I think it is time to explain the history as the Cup goes to Europe for the first time. Up to the '80's advertising was not allowed on boats as it was considered by the traditionalists as below the dignity of the sport of Sailing. ISAF (IYRU) was petitioned to change this rule and get into the modern Professional World led by the Aussies, New Zealanders and Europeans so as they could get funding for their America's Cup Challenges. The foundation of their request was that without advertising these countries could not compete against the wealth of the USA. One of their major positions was that if ISAF allowed advertising a sensible fee (10%) should be paid to ISAF and to the the relevant National Authorities so as to pay for the services required and so that those at the elite level could contributed funds back to the broad base from which all the top sailors had come. This initiative was opposed by the traditionalists especially in the USA. In 1984 ISAF as usual responded to this America's Cup request and took on this very controversial issue. Led by Peter Siemsen, Brazil and with Tom Ehman representing the USA the Advertising Code was put forward with the famous Cat "A", and "C" designations with "A" as clean boats and "C" advertising with a fee to ISAF and the National Authorities. This was as the elite American Cup sailors requested. The America's Cup syndicates asked that some of these funds be invested in developing a International Jury system which allowed for No-Appeal Protests which ISAF has done and then as an added requirement of Match Racing that there be Umpires so as to provide instantaneous decisions mainly for media reasons. AC Match Racing also requires special rules and a "Call Book" all developed and administered by ISAF plus the Ranking List. ISAF has delivered these services, which over the last fifteen years has eaten up most of the money received from the America's Cup, as ISAF now has almost 400 certified ISAF Judges and over 100 ISAF Umpires. - Paul Henderson, President, ISAF, complete story: www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=4027 LIFE JUST GETTING HARDER (After a failed attempt to break the Jules Verne round the world record, the maxi-trimaran) Geronimo struggles in the face of light headwinds and forecast fog. The Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran has continued her slow progress towards Brest with just 8 knots of wind from the North, which later slackened to 4 knots from the North-East. Forced to head for La Coruņa rather than taking the direct route, Olivier de Kersauson and his 10-man crew hope to pick up the south-south-easterlies circulating at the edge of the high pressure area to make the tip of the Brittany peninsula on Wednesday morning. - The Daily Sail website, full story: http://thedailysail.com/ SAN DIEGO NOOD 2003 Competitors at this year's San Diego NOOD faced challenging conditions that demanded fast and reliable sails. Ullman Sails customers sailed to the front of their fleets and never looked back. J/105: 1st-Wings; 2nd-Quicksilver; 3rd-Indigo 3; 4th-Flambuoyant; 5th-Bold Forbes. J/120: 1st-Doctor No*; 2nd-Caper*. Capri 22: 2nd-Carmelinda. Ultimate 20: 1st-Cinderella Story; 2nd-Red Viking; 3rd-Rouge; 4th-Ethel Merlyn. 505: 1st-Weasel. If you and your crew need fast, dependable sails for your next race call your nearest Ullman Sails loft or visit us at http://ww.ullmansails.com (* partial inventory) US SAILING AWARDS * The Cedar Point Yacht Club (Westport, CT) received US Sailing's Club Award for administrative excellence, fleet growth, creative programming, regatta support, and member contribution. . The club runs a comprehensive program of club racing, frostbite races, and a variety of open and invitational regattas. In 2002, the 300-member club ran over 600 races as part of 54 different series. Participation in racing and race management is at the core of Cedar Point's culture. They set high standards for race administration for all races. All club members receive race management training. At major regattas they have 30 or more volunteers assisting on the water, which is 10% of their membership. While they have no dining rooms or swimming pools, they can manage a one-design championship regatta of over 100 boats. Cedar Point Yacht Club takes its mission as a one-design racing club seriously. * Jerelyn Biehl (San Diego, CA) received the Leadership Award in recognition of individual initiative, enthusiasm, organizing ability and leadership. Biehl organized and ran the 2002 US Youth Championship regatta at the San Diego Yacht Club. Her outstanding dedication and hard work made the regatta a resounding success and raised the bar for future events. Coordinating efforts between San Diego Yacht Club's Junior Board, parents, members of the community, and other yacht clubs, Biehl ensured the clinic and regattas ran smoothly while earning the admiration of over 100 volunteers. Biehl made sure that participants had a great time -- she introduced social events like the bungee run, sumo wrestling and the Velcro wall. The scene in the boat park every day after racing featured music and the snack tent. * Douglas Kessler's dedication and service to one-design sailing made him a worthy recipient of the John H. Gardiner, Jr. Trophy. Kessler has spent the last three years the building Melges 24 fleets in the Southeast. Participation is up and new fleets are growing. He has served three years as Divisional Governor, added new events to the series, and organized the National Class schedule. Kessler was unable to attend US Sailing's award presentation because he was sailing in the Melges 24 Nationals in Pensacola, which he won. He received two national awards in one night: the National One-Design Service Award and he was crowned national Melges 24 champion. * Nathaniel Siddall received the Creativity Award for accomplishing two incredible feats. First, he helped to create a new One-Design Class of windsurfers called Prodigy. He then incorporated them into the new US Windsurfing National Tour. Siddall also headed up the 2002 US Windsurfing Tour: contacting sponsors, calling event organizers, setting dates, and advertising events in windsurfing magazines. His impressive skills are largely responsible for how smoothly the Tour ran. As a result of the 2002 success, the 2003 National Windsurfing Tour will be even larger. - www.ussailing.org. AROUND ALONE The majority of the Around Alone has now finished and there has been much work taking place, despite the brutal heat, but there has also been a lot of playing and Salvador is a perfect playground. The set-up is such that there is no need to wander too far from the boats to get a cold drink or good meal. A routine is developing and it's the heat that's driving it. Shore teams arrive at the boats just after sun-up when the air is calm and cool from the night. It's a good time to get work done before the sun gets high enough to really beat down. By 9-o-clock it's already starting to make life miserable especially if there has been rain overnight. The sun soaks up the moisture off the damp streets turning it into instant humidity, and it's this oppressive humidity that sends the crew scurrying for shade and something cool to drink. From ten onwards it's a struggle. Stop by one of the boats and you will see a ragged looking team member drenched with sweat glugging water trying to stay out of the sun. Occasionally they will stop by the media center to cool off in the air-conditioning, but they know that the return to heat will be even harder after the cool air. - Brian Hancock - www.aroundalone.com From those still at sea: * "The last 36 hours have been among the hardest of the race. It began with with the 25 knot headwinds. All day yesterday we were pounding upwind. The boat was taking a tremendous amount of punishment, crashing off a wave two or three times a minute, sending shockwaves throughout the boat. It has gotten incredibly hot, and the foredeck hatch needed to remain closed because of the waves, so it was unbearably hot below. It was unbearably hot on deck as well, so I settled for hunkering down on the nav seat and riding it out. I was very hot, and made sure that I was drinking plenty of water, but I had a headache and was very tired, as sleep was virtually impossible in those seas." - Tim Kent, Everest Horizontal * "I can't believe how much hotter it has gotten in the past few days. I'm looking forward to seeing Brazil, but there is one thing I don't look forward to: I'll have to start wearing clothes! Haven't been for days now." - Bruce Schwab, Ocean Planet STANDINGS: 2200 UTC March 17 CLASS 1. Bobst Group-Armor Lux, Bernard Stamm Solidaires, finished; 2. Thierry Dubois, finished; 14; 3. Tiscali, Simone Bianchetti, finished; 4. Pindar, Emma Richards, finished; 5. Ocean Planet, Bruce Schwab, 319 miles from finish; Hexagon, Graham Dalton, dismasted, withdrew from race. CLASS 2: 1. Tommy Hilfiger, Brad Van Liew, finished; 2. Everest Horizontal, Tim Kent, 463 miles from finish; 3. Spirit of yukoh, Kojiro Shiraishi, 593 mff; 4. BTC Velocity, Alan Paris, 1169 mff; Spirit of Canada, Derek Hatfield, 2907 mff - dismasted. ABYC OLYMPIC CLASSES REGATTA As the winds of war build over U.S. armed forces in the Middle East, other young American men and women will face only sea breezes this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the 43rd Olympic Classes Regatta hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, in Long Beach, California. Up to now, at least, their primary thoughts of international conflict have been to represent their country in the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens, Greece. To stay that course in an unsteady world, this competition brings together leading contenders for single U.S. berths in the Europe, 49er, Finn and Laser classes, among other competitors. For the women's single-handed Europe dinghy, it's the last of four events for ranking the 2003 U.S. team for purposes of campaign funding and other support from the U.S. Olympic Committee. Six of the top eight are entered, led by 2000 U.S. Trials runner-up Meg Gaillard of Jamestown, R.I., and Krysia Pohl, Alameda, Calif. The weather forecast is for sunshine with high temperatures in the high 60s to 70 and breeze by mid-day. Each class will attempt to run 10 races over three days, except for the 49ers who will go for 15. - Rich Roberts, www.abyc.org WEATHER ADVISORY Available seats for Commander's Weather and Ockam U Seminars are filling up fast, with Chicago's March 29 and 30 dates near capacity - so don't miss the opportunity (registration by email is easy, see below). Sessions are scheduled in Annapolis, Marblehead and Newport as well, with early registration strongly advised. For Weather Seminar details visit http://www.WxAdvantage.com or e-mail billbiewenga@compuserve.com. For Ockam U information, email tom@ockam.com. VENUE OPTIONS The heir to the Italian throne today threw his royal weight behind Naples in the Mediterranean port city's bid to host the next America's Cup yachting regatta. On an emotional visit to Naples after 57 years in exile, Prince Vittorio Emanuele said he would lobby the owner of the Cup holders Alinghi, Swiss biotechnology billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, on the city's behalf. "I know Bertarelli very well, and I'm delighted to be of service in the campaign to bring the Cup to beautiful Naples," the 65-year-old prince told reporters. Vittorio Emanuele's residence-in-exile is in Geneva and his wife Marina Doria, a former water-skiing champion, is an honorary and active member of the Societe Nautique de Geneve, Alinghi's base. * Italian-born Bertarelli has mentioned Naples, among others, as a possible venue for the next Americas Cup, expected to take place in 2007. But the Italian city will face stiff competition from the likes of Barcelona, Palma de Majorca and glamorous St Tropez. - Excerpts from a Reuters story in the New Zealand Herald, full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/sportsstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3250554&thesection=sport&thesubsection=latest&thesecondsubsection= LIGHTNING WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS St. Petersburg YC - There was not a lot of wind for the annual Lightning Winter Championship - only four races were completed and three of those were sailed in light air. Racing was abandoned on Friday and only one race was completed on Saturday, so Sunday was a busy day. In the light conditions, no boat was able to complete the regatta with all single digit finishes. Final results (54 boats): 1. B. Hayes, C. Utzig & L. Jeffers, Milford, CT, 30pts; 2. B. Mauk, S. Batzer & B. Batzer, Miami, FL, 34; 3. G. Fisher, J. Jones & T. Emch Hilliard, OH (Master) 41; 4. F. Atkinson, K. Taulbee & V. Holly, Loxahatchee, FL, 45; 5. J. Linton, M. Taylor & A. Smith Linton, Tampa, FL, 55. - www.lightningclass.org/Results/results03/Southern_Circuit/StPete.htm 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 Peter Commette: The Rule 42 discussion has gone beyond the collegiate tacking rule and into collegiate sailor/coach bashing, so I'll address both. It's not a matter of interpreting Rule 42; unfortunately for sailing, the interpretation's obvious, except, maybe, to those needing to be trained as "propulsion observers." Rule 42 holds the sport back from being as physically demanding as is its right, at least in certain boats. I agree with Senet Bischoff and applaud the college rule on tacking. It's a thing of beauty, power, timing and part of nature to see a well executed collegiate-legal roll tack. (Yes, I did say nature; the only birds or fish without articulating trailing edges are dead, and, boy, do the live ones jump forward with a flick of their tails or wings!) I love having the collegiate sailors on the race course. They're physically in control of their boats. They're in practice tactically. They have a "coming at you" attitude all the time. They ratchet up the competition. Without them, we'd get stuck in the mud or slide backwards. Our job, when they come into the classes, is to give them some perspective and to continue their development in other, more important areas. In that respect, we are continuing what the college coaches have been doing very well for the kids. The collegiate coaches I know, and I know most of them, are committed to the sport and sportsmanship. It's untrue and unfair to claim they as a group promote cheating. * From Peter Harken: A very big congratulations to Janet Baxter to be nominated for Presidency of U.S. Sailing. That lady has volunteered her services to our sport and national organization for untold years and taken on the most thankless and hardest jobs, like budget,(ugh) and others. All of us who have known Janet for a long time know that U.S. Sailing will have a strong fearless voice heard round the world coupled with humor! THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM Why don't we ever hear about gruntled employees? |
