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SCUTTLEBUTT 1809 - April 4, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest 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. THE SEARCH IS ON When Disney's your name and a sailboat race around the world is your game, hiring a skipper might seem as simple as dialing up the biggest star you can find. This voyage has big bucks and glamour written all over it. The media giant is expected to shovel as much as $16 million into its Volvo Ocean Race entry, a floating billboard for the Johnny Depp sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. But lots of the world's best big-water sailors are already tied up in other projects, making for slim pickings. To borrow from a famous Disney tune, "It's a Small [Nautical] World." Spokesmen for the Walt Disney Co., and the Volvo Ocean Race have been tight-lipped as syndicate officials sort through resumes. However, time is growing short. With the race set to begin Nov. 5 off the coast of Spain, the clock is ticking louder than the one in Capt. Hook's crocodile, and longtime Disney employee Steamboat Willie is not an option. "They have enough money," said Chris Larson, an Annapolis resident and Volvo veteran. "Money is not the most valuable resource. Time is." Volvo Ocean Race chief executive officer Glenn Bourke promised the regatta would have an American boat. Gary Jobson, the nation's premier sailing commentator and author, insisted the commitment must go beyond corporate sponsorship. "If it's going to be an American boat, it has to have an American skipper. Otherwise, forget it." Choosing a U.S. skipper would hardly be a public relations concession because the past two winners were led by Americans. In 1997-98, Paul Cayard of San Francisco won aboard EF Language, a yacht bearing a Swedish flag. In 2001-02, the race was won by another Bay Area sailor, John Kostecki, who steered the German entry, illbruck Challenge. Kostecki already has a job, as tactician for BMW Oracle Racing, a challenger in the 2007 America's Cup. With a Volvo win and an Olympic silver medal to his name, Kostecki told Sailing World last year, "The America's Cup is No. 1 in importance now for me." Cayard won the global race on a boat run by Atlant Ocean Racing, the manager of the Disney boat. At 45, Cayard may not want to spend seven months on a 70-foot boat, but the calendar on his Web site doesn't list any conflicting engagements. Even without those two Volvo veterans, there's enough talent out there to make for some interesting Hot Stove League talk around the marinas. The most obvious choice is Larson, 38, who had the Midas touch during the last Volvo, when he joined Assa Abloy as tactician and inshore helmsman just before the start of Leg 3 in Sydney. "I'm interested and I've been in touch with them," he says, "but I haven't heard anything." - Excerpts from a story by Candus Thompson in the Baltimore Sun. Full story: http://tinyurl.com/597m4 Curmudgeon's Comment: Other possible skippers identified in this story were Dawn Riley, Robbie Haines, Paul Foerster and Lisa McDonald. LOOKING AT THE FUTURE The future of British sailing will be on show next week at Largs Sailing Club for the 2005 RYA Youth Championships and Trials. Many of Great Britain's top Olympic sailors first made a name for themselves at this event, including gold medallists Iain Percy, Ben Ainslie and Sarah Ayton. Around 300 sailors will take part in the event competing in seven different classes, these include the Laser, 29er, 420, Hobie 16, Mistral, MJOD 6.6 and, with the highest number of entrants, the Laser Radial with 104 boats taking part. HRH The Princess Royal, President of the RYA, is to attend the event on 6 April and will meet some of the young competitors taking part, before taking to the water to see them in action. The 2005 RYA Youth Championships and Trials is one of the largest events in the RYA youth racing calendar. As well as identifying national youth champions, the event will also be used to select the GB ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships team, as well as the RYA National Youth Squad. The event will also be used and to allocate grants for the summer international regattas. A top panel of selectors appointed by the RYA, comprising of Chairman Stuart Childerley, who won gold at the 1984 Youth Worlds in the Laser, David Campbell-James and Zeb Elliot, will be observing the racing throughout the week, in order to select the best team to represent Great Britain at the 2005 Youth Worlds as well as the RYA National Youth Squad. They will also receive input from the coaches and class training officers. Full story: www.rya.org.uk/Racing/Default.asp?contentID=3882773 SLIDE SHOW There is a 'must see' slide show posted on the SF Survey website of a Santana 22 riding a huge wave under Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco - right up onto the beach. Happily, surfers came to the rescue, and saved the two sailors. Do yourself a favor and invest five minutes in this remarkable 113-image, photo essay by Wayne Lambright. http://sfsurvey.com/photos/sail/imagepages/image1.htm BOAT SHOES FOR THE SPORTSMAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING… The Gold Cup Collection from Sperry Top-Sider offers today's sportsman a new level of luxury and performance. Full deerskin linings and dual-density memory foam footbeds surround the foot in comfort. Non-marking TC4 rubber Vibram® outsoles provide anchor-like traction on wet or dry surfaces. Durable yet supple exterior leathers are both stain and water-resistant. And signature eyelets in 18K gold hold their rich, polished sheen through years of use. You can't find more seaworthy gear for your feet. Available at fine retailers nationwide and http://www.sperrytopsider.com DENNIS CONNER (Excerpt from a story posted on The Daily Sail subscription website.) The second running of the Half Ton Classics Cup (a sailing regatta for former IOR-half tonners) will be held in Dinard, France from Sunday 28 August until Saturday 3 September. The local Yacht Club of Dinard will be hosting the event. Earlier the Half Ton Class Europe was contacted by the America's Cup legend Dennis Conner who showed great interest in attending the event: he asked whether there were any competitive half tonners available to rent for him and he had a crew of five that had 'all the necessary sailing knowledge' - according to the skipper himself. Very soon the class found a boat that suited Conner perfectly: a Belgian lightweight Joubert/Nivelt designed boat from 1982, a former Fastnet Race winner, with a good racing record in Dutch IMS regattas. The former Grim'lo is generally considered to have one of the best speed potentials among half tonners and it comes with an incredible low IRC-rating of only 0.9200… Conner specified he would bring his own sails, "so the owner did not need to be worried". - www.thedailysail.com SISTERS REUNITED The IACC yacht Abracadabra (USA 50), the first boat of the 2000 America's Cup challenger Aloha Racing, has recently been purchased by Next Level Sailing and is being shipped to San Diego where she will join her sister USA 54, also named Abracadabra. USA 50 will be prepared for local racing and not for charter service at this time. Next Level Sailing has teamed up with Lorne Libel of Toronto, Canada for this program. She will race in local regattas as well as IACC regattas with USA 54, and USA 34. Next Level Sailing plans to expand this program and create class racing for IACC yachts in San Diego. put it this way: "This is the next step in re-establishing San Diego's legacy to the America's Cup," said Next Level Sailing's co-founder Troy Sears. "The IACC rule was created here in San Diego. It is a perfect fit to establish a class here again." - http://nextlevelsailing.com/ WEATHER The gap is closing fast between Team Daedalus and a severe tropical depression 1,300 miles to the northeast of Tony Bullimore and his multinational crew in the Oryx Quest RTW race. The tropical low, not yet a full blown cyclone, is tracking steadily toward the southwest, deepening and gathering steam as it moves directly toward the island of Mauritius. If Tony and his team are able to maintain present speeds, should be just over 200 miles from the island starting to feel the first effects of the swirling winds. The good news is that the wind should be from the south or southeast allowing the crew to ease sheets and scoot north cutting between the island and the gale force winds raging closer to the center of the storm. It's going to be close; if Daedalus, for any reason, slows down, or the storm picks up speed, the gap may be too narrow to chance the gap and Bullimore and company will have to run west and wait it out. The next 24 to 36 hours are going to be interesting. The only thing interesting happening on board race leader Doha 2006 is that the crew went swimming. Saturday morning dawned bright and windless as the boat floated listlessly on a gently heaving ocean going nowhere slowly. Mid ocean swimming in the tropics is truly one of the sweetest pleasures in life. The water is a brilliant blue that wraps around you so warm that can't feel where your skin ends and the water begins. - Brian Hancock At 00037 Monday, Doha 2006 was 1055 miles from the finish and 2646 miles ahead of Daedalus. -www.oryxquest.com QUOTE / UNQUOTE We are slowly closing on the finish, and we have loads of diesel left on board to make water and electricity. Dinners and lunches are still being rationed by a quarter so we will have enough food till the finish. Jonny just checked our diesel levels and after looking at our distance sailed so far, 24000 nautical miles, and our fuel used it indicates that we have traveled 290 nautical miles to the gallon, land miles would be nearly 330 miles to the gallon. And for our continental cousins that works out to 1.28 litres per 100 kilometres. We are probably being the most environmentally friendly that we have been in our lives." - Brian Thompson, Doha 2006, www.maxicatdoha.com IT'S HERE AND IT'S NEW Team One Newport has lots of new items arriving daily. The brand new Henri-Lloyd Shadow Jacket, smock and salopettes are here! The 2005 Musto Windward and Caribbean are in stock! And take a look at Gill's Keelboat Jacket, smock and salopettes. We can ship them today! Also, for women, look at the new Patagonia underwear; it's awesome. Plus, we have the great new Harken Trimmer shoes and look at the Kaenon sunglasses. Look for our new catalog in the mail, and for the Specials Page on our website for super savings! Call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) or http://www.team1newport.com KIALOA III Jim Kilroy of Los Angeles, the first American to tour the world with maxi boats in search of top-flight racing competition, has donated Kialoa III to the Orange Coast College. The S&S-designed 79-footer was built by Palmer-Johnson, and was his favorite of the four - or was it five? - Kialoas that he owned. Kialoa III did all the major races in the world, including several St. Francis Big Boat Series, and survived the deadly Fastnet Race of '79. Even as he built and raced other maxis, Kilroy hung onto III for cruising. For example, we often crossed paths with her in the Eastern Med when we were there with Big O about 10 years ago. Kilroy, whose airport centers are visible next to L.A. and Long Beach airports, has most recently been sailing the boat in Uruguay, where he has a home. Although 82 years old, he's reported to still be very spry, managing to climb up and down a long ladder from his boat to the bulkhead. Brad Avery, head of the Orange Coast College sailing program, says that they will take possession of Kialoa in Panama in May, then bring her up to Newport. Rather than sell her, she'll be put in the sailing program. - 'Lectronic Latitude, www.latitude38.com/LectronicLat/2005/0305/Mar30/Mar30.html#anchor123266 AWARDS Long-time volunteer Jerelyn Biehl (San Diego, Calif.) has received US Sailing's C.R.E.W. Award. The award recognizes US Sailing staff and volunteers who effectively set clear expectations, show mutual respect, and are committed to collaboration within the organization. Biehl has been involved in US Sailing for more than ten years serving primarily on small boat committees. In a quiet, unsung way, she has steadily put forward ideas and promoted programs to benefit one-design sailors. She took a lead role in the One-Design Symposium held last fall by not only making a presentation but also lining up more than 30 speakers. Ron Ward (Annapolis, Md.) has been named the first recipient of US Sailing's Harman Hawkins Trophy for his dedicated commitment to race administration. Ward has a long list of accomplishments includes a non-stop 42-year membership of US Sailing, 12 years of service on the organization's Judges Committee (including three years as Chair), a record of 25 years of service as a Senior Judge, Chairman of the Umpires Committee, and much more. The Harman Hawkins Trophy recognizes individual contributions to the sport of sailing in the field of race administration (judging, race management, appeals, and racing rules). - www.ussailing.org CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar NEWS BRIEFS * The official launch of Naturally Best, the boat that will carry the Vivaldi Atlantic 4 on their world record Atlantic row, will take place at St Katharine Pier, St Katharine Dock, London on Friday April 8. The Vivaldi Atlantic 4 will begin their heroic challenge from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada at the beginning of June and intend to bring Naturally Best home to cross the finish line in Falmouth in less than 55 days - towards the end of July. - Excerpts from a story by Linda Sears on the Sail-World website, www.sail-world.com/. Event website: www.atlanticfour.com/ * Volvo Car UK has announced their support of Alex Thomson. He now joins ranks with the likes of double Gold Medallists Shirley Robertson and Ben Ainslie as a member of Team Volvo for Life, and an ambassador for the Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme. - www.rya.org.uk/Racing/Default.asp?contentID=3877951 MAN OVERBOARD! SeaMarshall rescue beacon technology will notify your crew within 15 seconds of a man-overboard and direct them back to the victim in the water. The water-activated transmitter is easily incorporated into a PFD… its unique electroluminescent lanyard antenna significantly enhances visual contact at night. Contact Chip Barber: admin@chbarber.com or http://www.chbarber.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 Jim Fulton (re April Fool): You got me! Russell Coutts and Dennis Connor backed up by Rupert Murdoch's money. The prospect of bringing the America's Cup back to the East Coast. I want to believe! * From D. B. Tanner (re DC and Coutts): You had me going there for just a second. It is a fascinating scenario though since the Cup really does belong in Newport. * From Brian Case: I hope that the Conner/Coutts amalgamation re the attempt to return the America's Cup to the U.S. east coast is not an April Fools joke. What a relief it would be to get the Cup back where management over the many years produced an event that was not a ridiculous carnival. * From Christina Joyce I so look forward to your April Fools edition - and still I get sucked in for a bit forgetting that the day. Wish Dennis and Russell were heading an America's Cup challenge for NYYC...And maybe my club, South Beach YC (located just behind SBC Park where the SF Giants play) will take the Mudheads lead and start testing for its Friday Night Series or not. * From Don Ricketts: Today's Scuttlebutt contained the most obvious of mixed messages - first the suggestion that the TP52 class will emphasize amateur drivers, contrasted with the item suggesting that the DeVos TP campaign will have Russell Coutts (Category "Ten") on the helm of its 52. This class is growing so rapidly that it seems unlikely to be able to agree on a coherent set of guiding principles. Even this month's Sailing World recap of KWRW showed the divergence of approaches in the "American" boats, with Esmeralda's owner rarely driving, while the majority of boats paid the price for their owner-driver (and non mercenary crew) strategy. * From Chris Ericksen: Re John Manderson's letter asking about the ages of sailing medal winners at the last Olympics ('Butt 1808): I don't know the answer, but I'll bet the average age of the US Olympic Sailing Team was probably higher than the average of other teams, what with such elderly folks as Paul Foerster (40 at the time of the 2004 Games), Paul Cayard (44) and Kevin Burnham (47) on the team. The average age of the 2000 US Olympic Sailing Team was probably even higher. I guess some folks think younger is better, but I note that two of these quadragenerians medalled. So, I guess the "wily old farts" that Mister Manderson worries about are doing pretty well - maybe the youngsters need the leg up to beat them. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are " XL." |
