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SCUTTLEBUTT 1677 - September 28, 2004Powered 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, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. IT'S REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN Quest International Sports Events has unveiled the major elements of the Oryx Quest 2005, the round-the-world sailing race for the world's fastest maxi multi-hulls that starts in Doha in February 2005. At a launch ceremony in Qatar Monday, three of the world's leading offshore skippers confirmed that they would be at the start in Doha on 5 February, HSBC announced a multi-million dollar title sponsorship investment and the Gulf State of Qatar reaffirmed its strong partnership with the Oryx Quest 2005. HSBC - one of the world's leading banks - outlined its multi-million dollar commitment to the Oryx Quest, taking title sponsorship with by far the company's biggest sponsorship deal in the region to date. HSBC's endorsement not only brings financial support to this innovative event but also the kudos and credibility of the backing of a major international brand. The Gulf State of Qatar announced its support of the Oryx Quest 2005 in October last year. The presence of HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani representing the Crown Prince HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at today's ceremony further underlines this backing as the country seeks to establish itself as a leading venue for international sports events. Making today's announcements at Doha's Diplomatic Club, Tracy Edwards MBE - QISE Events Director - said: "We feel that today's event marks the official start of the Oryx Quest 2005. The outstanding package of sponsors, partners, sailors and boats that we are able to confirm today, has taken a lot of hard work by many people to pull together. I am hugely grateful to all of our backers for the confidence and commitment that they have shown in the Oryx Quest 2005." - www.qisel.com BEYOND THE PRESS RELEASE * Leading the colorful cast list for the 60-day (Oryx Quest 2005) dash will be Olivier de Kersauson, an eccentric French aristocrat and a difficult man to sail with, who has been round the world many times, usually in search of records. Then there is the British sea-dog Tony Bullimore, whose main claim to fame is his astonishing feat of survival when he waited for five days in his upturned yacht for an Australian warship to pluck him out of the Southern Ocean. Bullimore, now aged 65, will be racing a much-modified 1982-vintage catamaran, which as Enza set a new round the world record, and is being refitted in his home port of Bristol. His last attempt at blue water racing in The Race 2000 turned into a litany of breakdown and failure. The Race started in Barcelona and Bullimore struggled to get out of the Mediterranean. Next up is Kersauson's fellow-Frenchman Loick Peyron, a master of multihull sailing, whose brother, Bruno, just happens to be suing Edwards for £14m, alleging theft of intellectual property and "parisitisme". The fourth entry is Edwards's former yacht, to be named Qatar 2006. The skipper is still to be selected, despite the fact that the start is only 15 weeks away. The American Cam Lewis looks favourite, even though his own big cat is still supposed to be one of the entries, "Sailing my own boat in this race is pretty gosh-darned unlikely," he said yesterday and that is hardly surprising. The budget for the race, including the 12-man crews, runs at £1m per boat. The yachts cost £1.5m but that will buy you only a reconditioned one. Brand new will set you back £3m plus. - Stuart Alexander, The Independent, full story: http://sport.independent.co.uk/general/story.jsp?story=566487 * Besides a $1 million (£550,000) winner's prize, competitors appear to be getting a comparable amount if they participate. None deny it. Nor will they confirm citing confidentiality agreements. Edwards talks of assisting the teams in their fund-raising. Details need to be wrapped up smartly. With 15 weeks to the start, only Geronimo and Cheyenne are race-ready. The others have repairs or refits to complete. Only Qatar 2006 is in the Gulf already. - Tim Jeffery, The Daily Telegraph, full story: http://tinyurl.com/4ppk2 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar NAVY SEAL BOAT SHOE You may never get to shimmy down from a hovering "copter" into a snake pit of enemy fire, but you can wear the same shoe today's Navy SEALs wear to maximize traction and torque in extreme amphibious combat situations. It's the Figawi ZIP, $69.99. Designed for high performance on land and in water, the Figawi features characteristics unique to Sperry Top-Sider and perfect for the SEALS distinctive operations, including non-marking outsole that leaves no trace, Super-Tack rubber for grip on wet and dry surfaces and quick-drying materials. For a retailer near you, visit http://www.sperrytopsider.com PROFESSIONAL SAILING Shosholoza crew member Sieraj Jacobs (25) of Grassy Park in the Cape lost the tip of his little finger on his right hand in a sailing accident on Thursday afternoon last week while practising with the team for the upcoming two America's Cup pre-regattas which start next week off Valencia in Spain. Sailing manager Paul Standbridge said the team were on their first sail in Valencia when Jacobs, a top SA dinghy and keel boat sailor, trapped his little finger between the jib sheet and winch. "It happened so quickly and Sieraj understandably went into a bit of shock. We immediately transferred him from yacht Shosholoza to our chase boat and shore manager Henri Hiddes rushed him back to base where he was taken straight to hospital for treatment. He lost the tip of his finger from just below the nail but he is fine and back at the hotel with us. He is a tough guy," said Standbridge. The loads on the jib sheet can be up to four tons. "At the time Sieraj was standing in for upwind trimmer Alex Runciman of Zeekoevlei in the Cape who was off sick with flu, so it wasn't his normal job on the yacht," said Standbridge. He said Jacob's was still convalescing but would be sufficiently recovered to work as line handler on the chase boat in the two back to back Valencia Louis Vuitton Act's 2 and 3 regattas which start on Tuesday next week. - Mail and Guardian online, full story: www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-Sport&ao=122877 DEVASTATING Packing 120 mph winds, Hurricane Jeanne came ashore at Stuart, Florida, last weekend, at almost exactly the same spot as Hurricane Frances a few weeks earlier. 'This is just devastating,' said David Ray, executive direct of the Marine Industry Association of Florida, about the four hurricanes. 'We don't know exactly how bad it's going to be, but I can say without question, that total losses to the marine industry will be in the billions.' Ray said that beyond marinas being destroyed and boats lost, dealers across Florida have lost most of their sales season. 'They aren't able to deliver new boats because you can't get insurance while a named storm is out there,' he said. 'But beyond that, nobody is even thinking about buying a new boat. Most dealerships have been bare of customers for weeks.' In the meantime, he said, dealers are still responsible for inventory floor plans. 'We hope the industry steps up to the plate until we can get back on our feet,' he said. 'We hope manufacturers will do something for Florida in regards to pricing, and hope the banks would waive interest charges.' Ray sounded tired and wary on the phone. 'Just one storm we could live with,' he said. 'But we're going to need the support of the industry to survive all four.' - Sail-World website, full story: www.sail-world.com/ NEWS BRIEFS * A dozen individuals -- five "Living Legends" and seven deceased -- were inducted into the newly created Barnegat Bay Sailing Hall of Fame last week. The honorees included Clifford Campbell, Dr. Britton Chance, "Runnie" Colie, Gary Jobson and Jan Chance O'Malley, plus David Beaton, Edward Crabbe, Morton Johnson, Sam Merrick, Samuel Perrine, Hazleton Seaman, and Carl Van Duyne, who were inducted posthumously. Bob O'Brien, curator of the New Jersey Museum of Boating, Bay Head, said interest and support in the Hall of Fame has been enormous since its announcement in June. - www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,1061731,00.html * For a second consecutive year, Zak Fanberg from New Orleans, LA (Area D) has won the Mallory Cup - US Sailing's Men's Championship - at the four-day event in Lightnings at the Little Egg Harbor YC in New Jersey. Fanberg scored a 14 point win over Jim Allen from the Buffalo Canoe Club (Area E), who sailed with Tom Allen and Jody Swanson. Matt Peck, Nina Peck, Bryan Lilley from Area B finished two points further back in third place. www.lehyc.org/index.cfm?id=3622&fuseaction=browse&pageid=81 * 74 teams and more than 400 competitors traveled from 14 countries to race in the J/24 World Championship at Noroton, CT. After two races, former world champion Dave Curtis leads the standings with six points. Jens Hookanson is in second place with 14 points with Jeffery Johnstone in third place - also with 14 points. Andy Horton and Steve Lopez round out the top five. The racing continues through Friday. http://j24worlds.com/ * Marc Eagan from Area D won the Lloyd Phoenix Trophy and with it US Sailing's Offshore Championship hosted by Long Beach YC in Catalina 37s. Aaron Houston from Area K finished four points back to take second place, while the Naval Academy team skippered by Greg Storer took third. - www.ussailing.org/championships/final_results.htm * International TOP and national sponsors are highly satisfied with the organization and results of the Athens Games. Top executives of companies with a leading role in their fields congratulated Athens 2004 for hosting a truly successful Games and developing a pioneering sponsorship program. Together with the revenues from TOP partners, the Athens 2004 sponsorship program secured a total of €570 million and covered about 29% of the Organizing Committee's budget, making it the second largest source of revenue after the international broadcasting rights program (37%). - www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=8048 * US Sailing's Match Racing Championship's was held as planned at St. Petersburg YC - just before the arrival of Hurricane Jeanne. Racing Sonars, the team from Seawanhaka Corinthian YC, with skipper Karl Ziegler and crew Dean Brenner and Michael Welch, defeated ten other teams to take home the Prince Of Wales Bowl. In the finals, they scored three straight wins against the San Diego YC's Bill Hardesty, sailing with Jeff Nelson and Brian Bessel. Last year's winner Nathan Hollerbach and his team from Bayview YC won two straight against Southern Yacht Club for the third spot. - www.ussailing.org/championships/pow * There are three new yacht sponsors for the Global Challenge Race round the world race - Samsung, Pindar and the Isle of Sark. Each of these boats will have a professional offshore skipper and a multinational crew of 17 amateurs, some of whom had never stepped on a boat prior to signing up for the race. The 12 identical 72 foot Global Challenge monohull racing yachts will begin their mostly upwind round the world race on Sunday, October 3. - www.globalchallenge2004.com * On their way soon to Spain for the America's Cup Act 2, Terry Hutchinson (Emirates Team New Zealand) and Gavin Brady (Oracle/BMW) took the time to do some sailing in Annapolis last week: Hutchinson was tactician for the winning BIG team, and Brady for the winning team in the first annual Annapolis Match Cup regatta. The Business, Industry, and Government (BIG) Team Regatta was held last Friday. Sponsored by J World Annapolis and Group Experiential Learning (GEL), the BIG regatta raised over 40-thousand dollars for Kids Set Sail, a non-profit organization. * Because of the remnants of hurricane Ivan there was no wind on Galveston Bay and the racing for Day One of the Texas NOOD regatta was canceled. On Day Two, only one race was scored thanks to incredibly light and fluky conditions that included a final, race-abandoning wind shift of 180 degrees. On the final day of racing, the wind gods smiled, albeit weakly, and as many as three races were sailed by the faster classes, two by the rest. - Sailing World magazine, full story: www.sailingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=34575&typeID=403&catID=605 QUOTE / UNQUOTE "With its start in Marseille, the Trans-Mediterranean Record is not only the quintessential French sailing record, but is also one of the best of the big multihull records because of the blazing speed achievable in the Mistral. I'm fortunate to have held this record for a couple of years. Now I'm happy for Bruno Peyron and his excellent crew - to have broken the record and to have done it in such good form." - Steve Fossett AROUND THE WORLD ON THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE Once again, Camet Clothing has been chosen by teams who will sail in the Global Challenge. Teams will be using the lightweight breathable and fast drying Camet shorts with the foam pads. They also will use Coolmax long and short sleeved shirts, for the long stretches in the hot sunny weather and for the best sun protection. Around the world or just on day sail, Camet Clothing is the number one choice. Shorts, Coolmax shirts, Boardshorts, Bags, Belts etc. http://www.camet.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. This is not a chat room nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Big Mike Howard (re Rock stars): In response to finding a more suitable name for professional sailors? Forget the glamor. How does "employee" sound? Just like anyone who goes to work each day to do their job, this is the life of a professional sailor. The sail maker who builds the sails, yacht designer who designs the boat, builder, boat captain, guy who cleans the bottom prior to racing. We are part of a team. Employed by owners and sponsors who offer us a fantastic opportunity to work in the field we all love. All these factors necessary for a winning professional program. We who make a living from our sport are blessed. Don't be fooled about the "rock star" thing. At the end of the day it's still a job. * From Quinn McKenna (Re: Sailing coverage on television): Don't change the racing, change the coverage. There is usually a good story and often good visuals in sailing, the problem is that it is surrounded by a whole lot that isn't very interesting to watch. The trick is in the editing. Challenge Mark Burnett (the Survivor creator) to edit a ton of raw sailing footage and he could make an exciting recap of nearly any regatta. If they can put a dozen "regular" people on a deserted island and make a compelling TV show out of it they could certainly make a great film about any major regatta. * From Fredrick Roswold, Hong Kong: Wayne Kennedy got it right. Who cares if sail boat racing isn't as popular as Nascar on TV? My enjoyment of this sport stems from my own participation, and that of the handful of sailors who come out for the club races with me week after week. I've been doing this for 25 years, it's never been a really popular spectator sport, and frankly, I don't give a damn. In fact, people can invent a sailing form of roller derby if they want, and make it tremendously popular, and I doubt if it would change my sport at all. Fly at it guys, and best of luck, meanwhile, I'm calling my crew and going sailing. * From Bruce W. Nason: Wayne Kennedy's observations were 'right on the money' (no pun intended). The key to increasing interest in our sport is getting new and more people out on the water - not in front of TV sets. * From Tom Donlan (Regarding the discussion of one-design keelboats) Annapolis is a fortunate place in many ways. It may not have much summer wind, but there's a long season with many races and it's surrounded by wonderful cruising destinations. Maybe that's why there are so many one-design cruiser-racer classes. In our most recent major regatta this year there were more than a dozen J-30s, Catalina 27s and Cal 25s on the line. Such boats can be had, ready to race, for less than $30K, less than $20K and less than $10K respectively. For bigger spenders there's a big fleet of J-105s. Among more purely racing boats there are big fleets of J-24s, J-22s and Etchells. One design sailing is certainly not out of reach in Annapolis. * From Chuck Lantz: Last week, your story on the Sausalito Challenge quoted the Mariantic website: "We feel that John Sweeney gave the impression to the world press that the challenge had a sponsor for the 32nd America's Cup" This may all be a simple misunderstanding, resulting from the publication of a couple of photographs of ITA-1, in PeopleSoft colors, on our 2007AC.com website's front page. I've shot other photos for Challenge-Series in 2002 and 2003, and John asked if I'd be interested in shooting some publicity photos of the boat for PeopleSoft. Once the first photo was up, a few speculative posts appeared, and as a result, some people may have gotten the wrong impression. In my conversations with John before and during the shoot, at no time has he claimed that PeopleSoft was anything more than a SailingBillboard client. On the other hand, since PeopleSoft obviously sees the benefit of sailing-related advertising on one level, it's a sure bet that they have discussed AC involvement possibilities. One way or the other, we'll soon know. * From PJ Panzica (Regarding a community that looks after each other): I want to thank all the owners and crew of the Farr 40 Fleet at the Worlds in San Francisco this month and a special thank you to Warpath. If it was not for the quick thinking of the crew on Warpath I most likely would not be able to have the use of my right foot again. I have been sailing competitively for over 19 years and 10 of those years as a pro sailor. I have always thought that the real heart of sailing was in the off shore fleet when at times your life depends on your fellow cremates actions. I have to say that I was overwhelmed with the entire Farr 40 fleet (some very old friends and some I had never meet ) who were there for me when I broke my Tibia, Fibula and ankle bone while sailing on Heartbreaker 16 hours before the start of pre worlds in San Francisco. I was so impressed with all the personal phone calls, cards and flowers sent by the fleet. I have always known the Farr 40 fleet was a tight nit group but it was fantastic to see such a great group of World class sailors watching out for one another. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "Marry in haste; repent insolvent." - Bill Ballance |
