SCUTTLEBUTT #200 -- October 13, 1998
THE RACE
(Following is a brief excerpt of Bob Fisher's story in the current issue of
Grand Prix Sailor about the plans of British sailing hero Pete Goss's
program for The Race, the no-holds-barred circumnavigation contest slated
to start December 31, 2000)
Goss's campaign for The Race is well advanced, both financially and
physically. Last week, he officially opened the visitors center, an area
designated to promote the technology and innovation of his craft to an
expected half million visitors, in the former timber yard shed where his
boat will be constructed. The plans are for all of the 120-foot catamaran
mold tools to be completed first. The two female half-molds of the
symmetrical wave- piercing hulls are completed, and tooling has commenced
for the central nacelle, the size of which is arresting. Each hull will
carry an unstayed, carbon- fiber mast 35 meters tall, and Goss says this
will give him ultimate control.
In terms of the $7.2 million budget, Goss declared that he had turned the
corner a month ago. "We have generated half and the cash is growing by the
day. We have enough to know that it's going to happen," he said. -- Bob
Fisher, excerpted from Grand Prix Sailor
To read the whole story, go to the Sailing World website:
http://sailingworld.com
MISTRAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Total of four races have been sailed so far in Brest France in rainy and
windy conditions. The forecast for the next few days calls for temperatures
increasing to 20c with partly cloudy skies becoming sunny by the end of the
week.
Top ten women after 4 races, one throwout:
1. Barbara Kendall, NZL, 5 points
2. Lee Lai Shan, HKG, 7
3. Chujun Zhang, CHN, 9
4. Faustine Merret, FRA, 14
5. Justine Gardahaut, FRA, 20
6. Ying Huang, CHN, 23
7. Jessica Crisp, AUS, 23
8. Sandrine Numolone, FRA, 26
9. Lanee Butler, USA, 26
10. Perrine Vangilve, FRA, 30
Top ten men after 4 races, one throwout:
1. Nikolas Kaklamanakis, GRE, 6 points
2. Alexandre Guyader, FRA, 10
3. Mingdong Li, CHN, 11
4. Amit Inbar, ISR, 11
5. Miroslaw Malek, POL, 12
6. Przemek Miarczynski, POL, 14
7. Aaron McIntosh, NZL, 14
8. Joao Rodrigues, POR, 15
9. Bruce Kendall, NZL, 16
10. Stephane Jaouen, FRA, 17
Event website:
http://www.ffv.fr/gradian/MONDIAL/gb_p1m.htm
POWER GLOATING
When you win, you want everyone to know about it and nothing tells the
story better than sharp looking crew apparel from Pacific Yacht Embroidery.
For a winning program, the look of your crew gear is as important as the
cut of your sails. Pacific Yacht Embroidery will take the time to make that
special effort to set your crew out from the crowd. Get in touch with Frank
Whitton to learn how affordable his high quality crew apparel can be. Even
if you lose you will feel better because you look so good. Frank delivers.
Pacyacht@aol.com / 619-226-8033
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
>> From Roy P. Disney -- In response to Ms. Susan Woodrum and Ms. Jennifer
Golison, yes many wives and girlfriends were invited, including Sally and
Stan Honey. Because the race was on a Friday and because of a long list of
other unfortunate circumstances, only the boys ended up going this time.
>> John Arndt, Latitude 38 -- From In response to Peter Huston's ISAF/New
Rule suggestion. The suggestion is that all the sports professionals'
should be locked in the room together to design a rule. This includes
everyone except the owners who will be asked to pay for the results of the
meeting. It would seem best to start with marketing surveys of customers.
In fact the rules have become so complex and the price so high you could
probably call all the potential owners in a day.
If the rules and parameters are designed by those who will actually spend
the money to enjoy the sport then the 'those who make the money from this
activity' might actually do so.
>> From Alan Johnson -- Reply to letter form Peter Huston: Why does
measurement handicap racing have to be "a big dollar game for serious
professionals" It would benefit all of us big or small to have a usable,
stable, widely acceptable rule so that we can race locally around the buoys
or long distance under something better than an arbitrary system.
>> From Jack Mallinckrodt -- In 'Butt #199 you quoted ISAF President Paul
Henderson "In talking with designers and owners the dissatisfaction does
not appear to be with the IMS rule but the different ideas about scoring as
the Brits like time on time and the Yanks time on distance and as usual the
French and Aussies are somewhere in between."
Anyone who is using EITHER time-on-time or time-on-distance (i.e. single
number scoring) to score IMS is throwing away most of the accuracy
potential of IMS.
IMS has only two scoring options which take full advantage of the accuracy
potential of its VPP data: 1) Performance-curve scoring, developed by Alan
McIlhenny and used for years for most IMS scoring in US, but quite
complicated, or 2) Performance Line Scoring (PLS ) developed by me in 1992
and now incorporated in AMERICAP. PLS is neither time-on-time or time-on
distance, but may be regarded as a hybrid combination of both. It turns out
that by appropriate choice of the two rating numbers Rt and Rd, based on
the VPP data, the corrected time results calculated this way are for all
purposes equivalent to IMS Performance Curve Scoring, PCS, but with a much
simpler formulation that can be easily understood, and can be calculated by
competitors.
PLS scoring has been used for most IMS racing in Southern California since
1994 and is now incorporated in AMERICAP. AMERICAP is a simple,
inexpensive rule that combines the acccuracy advantages of IMS with the
certification and scoring simplicity of PHRF. It is now the standard for
all measurement handicap racing in Southern California.
(Curmudgeon's note: Space limitations do not allows us to print the
technical explanations of the scoring equations that Jack provided with his
letter. However the Scuttlebutt staff will forward this information to
interested parties on request.)
AMERICA'S CUP
(The following is an excerpt from New Zealand's DEFENCE 2000 - ISSUE NO. 73)
New Zealand's private enterprise sponsorship funding has fallen
significantly short of what was expected to be an easily attainable target.
This, from Infrastructure, Auckland, the successors to the Auckland
Regional Services Trust, the body that put their neck on the line to fund
the Viaduct Basin development. The projected NZ $12 million shortfall will
probably see a further NZ $4 million added to the total before the
financial year is out. Project costs have risen from NZ $58 million to NZ
$80million, although the increase is mainly due to the provision of 80
berths for the super yacht fleet scheduled to arrive in New Zealand for the
cup. However, the yacht fleet is expected to bridge that financial gap.
(There have already been 40 non-refundable deposits paid on these berths,
with another 70 expected to front in the medium term future). -- John Roake
MATCH RACING
Following the extremely successful debut in 1997 of the first and only
Grade One international match race to be held in the Caribbean region, the
Marriott Frenchman's Reef Resort announced it has renewed the title
sponsorship for the 1998 event to be held in Charlotte Amalie Harbour from
December 9 to 13.
This year's match race will be hosted by Team Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin
Islands America's Cup Challenge. And like last year, the event will be a
prelude to America's Cup competition as the teams invited represent
challenges from Japan, Australia, the United States, France and from
current Cup defender New Zealand. The regatta will feature four top-ranked
skippers on the World Match Race Rankings in Australian Peter Gilmour (1),
Chris Law (2) of Great Britain, local favorite Peter Holmberg (3) from St.
Thomas, and Frenchman Bertrand Pace (5). Paul Cayard, the winner of the
Whitbread Round the World Race and skipper for the AmericaOne America's Cup
challenge, will be racing as well.
The racing action will be the subject of a television program to be
broadcast on ESPN. Additionally, feature action from the regatta will be
seen on commentator Gary Jobson's "The Year in Sailing" and on his "Road to
the America's Cup" programs.
Of the several hundred match races that are held each year throughout the
world, less than 20 are designated as Grade One events by the International
Sailing Federation in England, the governing body of the sport. Grade One
is the highest accreditation a match race can receive. It also means that
in addition to the $25,000 prize money at stake, the skippers will be vying
for important rankings points that can translate into invitations to other
events where cash prizes are awarded. -- Paul Larsen
For additional information
Larsenmedia@compuserve.com
MORE MATCH RACING
It may come as no surprise that the 1998 World Match Race circuit has been
dominated by three sailors who happen to be ranked numbers 1, 2 and 3 out
of more than 1,300 skippers. Of the 11 Grade 1 match races (not including
several women only events) that have been held to date, eight have been won
by one of the top three. These victories have both solidified their
rankings and established them as the favorites in this year's highly
competitive Bermuda Gold Cup. Australian Peter Gilmour (1), Briton Chris
Law (2), and Peter Holmberg of the U.S. Virgin. -- Paul Larsen
For the full story:
http://www.sailingsource.com/features/matchrace.html
INDUSTRY AWARD
US SAILING, governing body for the sport, announced today that Jerry Wood
(Annapolis, Md.) is the first recipient of the US SAILING President's
Industry Award. The new award recognizes an individual's unique
contribution to sailing. US SAILING President Jim Muldoon (Washington,
D.C.) presented the award to Wood during a press luncheon at the U.S.
Sailboat Show in Annapolis. Wood, 74, founded the show, the largest of its
kind in the country, as well as the Annapolis Sailing School, which has
introduced over 140,000 people to sailing since 1959.
"From the first week of April to the last weekend in October, sailing is
the centerpiece of activities in Annapolis," said Muldoon. "Jerry Wood is
largely responsible for this, but more important, he has reached beyond the
physical boundaries of this city, drawing people from across the country
into sailing and taking sailing to the people in the country's farthest
corners."
Wood grew up in Mamaroneck, N.Y., where he participated in the Larchmont
Yacht Club's junior program. Today, Wood is an active member of the
Annapolis Yacht Club where he started the club's frostbite series. The
Annapolis Sailing School has branches in St. Petersburg and the Virgin
Islands. In 1970, Wood introduced the Annapolis Boat Show to the city's
waterfront. An instant success, the show soon evolved into separate shows
for sail and power. -- Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int'l
US Sailing website:
http://www.ussailing.org
SHADDEN SERIES #2
California YC -- 42 CFJs.
1. Scott Hogan NHYC 11.
2. Colin Campbell KHYC 15.
3. Brian Angel KHYC 21.
4. Jennifer Warnock SDYC 21.
5. Matt Megla SDYC 32.
6. Ryan Benson CYC 42.
7. Harrison Turner CYC 45.
8. Marin Diskant CYC 45.001
9. David Hochart MBYC 57.
10. Bryan Lake SDYC 68.
Complete results:
http://www.calyachtclub.com/RaceResults/
TIP O' THE WEEK
Here comes the leeward mark and we are stacked up three boats across all
overlapped. Bad news is I'm on the outside. Good news is my bow is
forward and I have a bit of clear air and speed because I am reaching just
a touch more than the other two boats. Perfect set-up for the end around.
If I slow down and take everyone's transom I am going upwind in bad air and
have to tack. If going left is a good thing then maybe this is okay,
unless the two boats in front of me also decide that left is good.
However, if the beat is neutral or right favored, then I can come out of
this leeward mark in a safe leeward position going fast to the right. The
trick is to keep my bow poked out in front of the other two boats as they
make a fairly hairpin turn around the leeward mark. If I can use my speed
to smoothly turn upwind, keep my bow clear ahead and rely on their slowing
as they turn sharply I can pull this off. This is a bold move and the key
to making it work is to stay confident and only give the room the inside
boats absolutely need. Usually they are yelling so much you can focus on
speed and position while they are yelling and slowing. When the end around
works you look goldentake a bad position and turn it into a good one. --
The Coach at Sailweb.net
AROUND ALONE
At the 0940 GMT position update this morning, Class I and overall leader
Thiercelin was struggling to work free of the dreaded doldrums. His
zig-zagging course track for the last 24 hours tells the tale. Thiercelin,
who entered the doldrums well to the west of the leading pack, has steered
east, then northeast, and finally south in his hunt for consistent wind. In
the last Around Alone race, Isabelle Autissier blazed through the doldrums
well to the east--her path followed a southbound route down latitude 27W,
while Thiercelin this morning was located at 36W. The trick is to cross
them at their narrowest point, and fleet meterologists Commanders' Weather
confirms that the doldrums are "quite narrow between 30-40W." The problem
with this scenario is that, once through the doldrums, the leaders will
have to beat into the southeast trades to make it around the bulge of
Brazil. And crashing to windward on a Finot Open 60-design is never a
joyous occasion.
Back in the fleet, of course, all eyes are on Thiercelin to see if his path
through the doldrums was, in fact, the correct one. Mike Garside, holding
second in Class II behind J.P. Mouligne, filed this optimistic report: "I'm
closing on the doldrums and looking for the narrowest part for the
crossing. [Thiercelin] is almost through this area of fickle winds and has
taken a course much further to the west than his close competitors. This
gives me hope that the waypoint selected [for] the crossing by routing
expert [and Whitbread veteran] Vincent Geake, before the race started, is
going to be the right one. It is close to where Thiercelin entered the
doldrums." -- Herb McCormick
CLASS I (Distance to Finish)
1. Thiercelin 3805
2. Hall 3869
3. Golding 3870
4. Autissier 3899
5. Soldini 4008x
CLASS II
1. Mouligne 4145
2. Garside 4184
3. Van Liew 4194
4. Davie 4621
5. Petersen 4673
Event website:
http://www.aroundalone.com
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
Two wrongs are only the beginning.
|