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SCUTTLEBUTT 1707 - November 9, 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. VOLVO OCEAN RACE ABN AMRO has entered two boats designed by Argentinean Juan Kouyoumdjian. The crew of the first boat are professionals, but the second boat will have an international crew of promising young men and women aged between 21 and 30. A worldwide campaign is being launched in the second week of November to recruit this young talent. TEAM ABN AMRO's sailing director Roy Heiner and his staff will appoint four experienced sailors to fill the key positions of skipper and navigator. The remaining positions will be filled through an open selection process. Two crew members will be selected each from the Netherlands, Brazil and the US, as these are home markets for ABN AMRO. Another two are to be recruited from the applicants of the rest of the world. The selection process is being led by Dutchman Roy Heiner and comprises three steps. First, 80 finalists are selected from a global audience through an interactive questionnaire on the website mentioned above. This group will receive an invitation for the second step: assessment at locations in the US, Brazil or the Netherlands. During this second stage, potential crew members will be tested on their sailing, physical and mental abilities. From this group, twenty will be selected in this worldwide campaign. The third and final selection takes place in Portugal in March 2005. Eight out of the final 20 candidates will remain to join the high potential team on TEAM ABN AMRO's second boat. Applications are being accepted at http://www.abnamro.com/team ABN AMRO The Netherlands-based team, with a budget of approximately EUR 20 million ($25.8 million USD), has entered two boats into the Volvo Ocean Race. But who is ABN AMRO? The Netherlands-based company is a leading international bank with total assets of EUR 637.5 billion (as at 30 September 2004), more than 3,000 branches in over 60 countries, and about 104,000 employees worldwide. Of that, this project is keying on three territories - US, Brazil and the Netherlands. Exclusively in the US, ABN AMRO is branded as LaSalle Bank, Mortgage.Com, Standard Federal Bank, Montag & Caldwell. Their North American sponsorships seem to be centered in the midwest, where they are the main sponsor of the annual LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, attracting a field of 40,000 participants. Last year, over a million spectators lined the streets of Chicago on 12 October 2003 to witness what is now the world's largest marathon. Additionally, LaSalle Bank has been a sponsor of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. In April 2004, it entered into a partnership that names LaSalle the Official Bank of the Chicago White Sox through the end of the 2008 baseball season. - http://www.abnamro.com VENDÉE GLOBE 2004 At the 1900 GMT ranking Vincent Riou (PRB) is still holding onto the top spot, with Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) on the hunt 6.8 miles off the pace on a slightly poorer heading as regards the goal. In a few hours the first monohulls will pass Cape Finisterre 400 miles from Les Sables d'Olonne. PRB is just 37 miles from the Cape on the western tip of Spain while Hugo Boss is 50 miles away. Roland Jourdain (Sill et Veolia) now completes tonight's podium having taken a mile's lead on Mike Golding (Ecover) but the most interesting move is that of Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) in 5th. He is continuing on his huge westerly option, the furthest offshore of the whole fleet and given his renowned prowess on tactics, that have long since earned him the nickname "King Jean" - it would clearly seem that he has something up his sleeve to upset the overnight rankings. All the more experienced sailors have made less extreme, but nonetheless offshore option, perhaps anticipating the gybe they are going to carry out off the Cape, in a search for a more established wind offshore. One of the most interesting things about the positions throughout the day has been the fact that the latest generation of IMOCA 60 footers have really been on the pace as you would expect. However PRB launched in 2000 and Hugo Boss from 1999 (the former Sill) are currently running the show with a lead of nearly 20 miles on their modern day equivalents. Following all these developments avidly, the international public has gone into the record books. The record for visitors to the official website of the Vendée Globe was beaten yesterday, Sunday: 1.7 million pages were read this week-end with a record number of 1.2 million pages read on Sunday 7 November alone. Rankings (Top ten of twenty as of Monday, 07:00 PM GMT) 1. Vincent Riou/ PRB, 23320.4 miles - distance to finish 2. Alex Thomson/ Hugo Boss, 6.8 miles - distance to leader 3. Roland Jourdain/Sill Véolia, 19.2 DTL 4. Mike Golding/ Ecover, 20.4 DTL 5. Jean Le Cam/ Bonduelle, 23.9 DTL 6. Sébastien Josse/ VMI, 25.0 DTL 7. Jean-Pierre Dick/ Virbac-Paprec, 25.4 DTL 8. Marc Thiercelin/ Pro-Form, 28.9 DTL 9. Hervé Laurent/ UUDS, 33.7 DTL 10. Dominique Wavre/ Temenos, 37.0 DTL Vendée Globe 2004 website - http://www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk SAIL LIKE A PRO: ULTIMATE SAILING TECHNICAL T-SHIRTS Our latest design features breathable moisture-wicking fabric with UVA/B protection. Ultimate Sailing logo on the front and a montage of Sharon Green's dynamic sailing images on the back. $27.95 in sizes S, M, L, XL and XXL. To order T's and other Ultimate Sailing products: http://www.ultimatesailing.com QUOTE / UNQUOTE With the recently announced adoption of IRC for many major inshore and offshore events beginning in 2005, and the future of IMS rapidly dimming, Storm Trysail Club Commodore Dick Neville said at the IMS Mid-Atlantic Championship held last weekend in Chesapeake Bay, "this could have been the last IMS Championship held anywhere in the US. Next year, we hope to see the fleet racing under IRC at this regatta." PANAMA CANAL On Dec. 31, Panama will celebrate five years of proving critics wrong. Just as agreed in the compact signed by former President Carter, the United States handed over control of the mostly American-built Panama Canal on New Year's Eve in 1999. The move had been planned since 1977, when Carter signed a treaty with Panama's Gen. Omar Torrijos to gradually put Panama in charge of the nearly 50-mile shipping lane. But many Americans and Panamanians worried whether the developing country could successfully operate one of the world's most important shipping lanes, especially at a time when ships were outgrowing the canal. "People thought we built it and should keep it," said Vince Ryan, a former Houston city councilman and a Panama Canal Commission board member from 1995 to 1999. "People thought Panamanians would run it into the ground." Instead, since the Dec. 31, 1999, handover, the Panamanians have decreased the number of shipping accidents, reduced the wait time for ship passage by 20 percent and continued to improve the canal's infrastructure. From its 1914 opening, when its first vessel, the Ancon, passed through, the United States operated the canal primarily as a military operation. But Panamanians now focus on its value as a business. In a country with a population of just 3.2 million, the canal represents about 20 percent of the nation's economy. Despite that strategic location, the Panamanians face another turning point in their canal as they decide how to expand it to meet the needs of ever-growing ships and international trade. Now, ships are being built that are too large to transit the canal. - Jenalia Moreno, Houston Chronicle, full story, http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2887639 NEWS BRIEFS * The US IRC Management Committee will be hosting an IRC Seminar at American Yacht Club (Milton Point, Rye, NY) on November 19-20, 2004. Attendance for the Friday session is restricted to measurers, and individuals who are serious about being considered as potential measurers. Sailmakers are also welcome to attend this session to review sail measurement procedures. The Saturday schedule is open to all interested sailors, owners, event organizers, professionals, etc., and will provide a broad overview of IRC. Event details available at http://www.stormtrysail.org/Downloads/Rating-Rule-IRC-Seminar.pdf * Cities vying to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be submitting their final candidate files to the IOC in Lausanne on Monday, November 15th. Finalists include London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, and Paris. The IOC evaluation commission will be visiting each city between Feb and March 2005, with their final choice being announced in Singapore, July 2005. * The IMS Mid-Atlantic Championship and Beneteau 36.7 Mid-Atlantic Championship enjoyed near perfect conditions last weekend on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, MD. In winds ranging from 10-18 kts, 24 IMS boats competed. Marco Birch's talent-laden Talisman (B&C 58) scored all bullets to win IMS Class 1 and Best Overall. In IMS Class 2, Othmar von Blumencron's Dame Blanche (Beneteau 40.7) showed excellent consistency with (1-1-3-1-4-1) to win. The fleet of 11 Beneteau 36.7s was very close, with 4 boats winning races, with Tom D'Albora's team on Ka'Io taking the win. Complete results at http://www.stormtrysail.org GREAT FOR TACTICIANS The Camet Dry Erase Board is great for tacticians! Great tool for writing down wind angles, tides, tacking angles, and much more. It's clean and simple to use. No more messy decks to rub clean. Simply peel, stick and write on, and wipe off! It's that easy to use, remove and use again. Place it on any flat surface of your boat... in the cockpit or in the galley... to make notes on where you are and what you need to buy. Great for sail and powerboats! Camet Padded Shorts, Pants, Rashguards, Coolmax shirts etc. Visit the Camet web page at 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 Dave Hubbard: Your Scuttlebutt 1706 mentions Mark Reece's campaigning of the Stars and Stripes catamaran. I assume that his catamaran is the soft sailed version, not the wingsailed one that actually defended the Cup in 1988. After the defense, the wingsailed catamaran was sold to a resort owner in Mexico where it has been used to take guests on sailing excursions (DH was a member of the S&S '88 design team and co designer of the wing). * From John Edwards: (re Tiger Woods suit in Issue 1706) I visited the Christensen booth at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, and while there were several photographs of Christensen Yachts (what else would you expect them to display?) none of them had any reference to Tiger Woods or had the name Privacy on them. As for Tiger's behavior - grow up! If he wants his ownership of the yacht to remain so private, don't buy a 155-foot yacht and then try to enter a port without proper notification. If you want to see what Tiger's new boat looks like, go to the three-page article about the boat in the January 2005 issue of Show Boats International. Curmudgeon's Comment: The Smoking Gun website also has photos of the boat, in addition to a copy of the sales contract and federal lawsuit: http://tinyurl.com/6n3z8 * From Brooks Magruder, Singapore: As far as big-name sailing sponsorship, it doesn't really matter which Volvo/Ford dropped F1, and which is about to drop golf, it's great to hear that sailing has been chosen for "life-style" branding by Volvo/Ford over these other prestige sports. * From Tom Keogh: (Re - Magnus Wheatley, Issue 1706) The British Olympians earned the cheers for their convinving victories in Athens, even if many of us would have been happy to see some more of our own on the medal stands. Too bad Mr. Wheatley thinks that Scuttlebutt is the place to whine about bigger and more significant victories when he doesn't like the outcome. Responding in kind, I'll say this - Get used to it folks, The President won big. Curmudgeon's Comment: Magnus' comment in his letter regarding the recent elections in the US prompted a number of letters, include the one above. Before this goes any further, consider this thread dead. * From Nicholas Stark: Once again, readers of 'butt have proven themselves to be a very bright and perception bunch. Clearly, because they seem to want to favor NASCAR style management for the America's Cup, they intuitively understand that's basically the current format. ACM, with leadership help provided by Challenger of Record Golden Gate YC under the auspices of BMW Oracle Racing, have indeed instituted a number positive cost controlling rules, just like NASCAR. And relative budgets for NASCAR and Cup teams are fairly close. Too often large numbers are tossed around that various billionaires are spending $100 million on a Cup team. Even if that's true, and it is more likely urban legend than fact, when divided up over a Cup cycle, give or take a million here and there, the costs associated with running a Cup team are generally the same as those of running a NASCAR team. Teams can spend between $10-$25 million per year in either sport. If someone really wants to go sailboat racing in an organized professional tour for significantly less money, say something less than $500,000 per year, there are plenty of formats in which to do so. Some events like the Tour de France give excellent return for sponsors. Big or small, there are plenty of alternatives within the sport now and at various price points for sailors and sponsors to benefit from association with events that fit their budgets and target aspirations. * From John Riise: Those who wonder why more people don't watch the America's Cup have only to look back to Fremantle in 1987. To refresh your memory, that's the one that people did watch. As I recall, it was the most-watched coverage of any sporting event broadcast by the then-fledgling ESPN network, and with Gary Jobson's help, put sailing on the TV map. I remember staying up until the wee hours to tune in, and reading that Iowa farmers were doing the same. Was it because it was raced in 12-Meters? Hah! Those had been around since 1958 and virtually nobody watched them off Newport. It was because there was lots of wind, lots of splashing, lots of tearing sails and lots of action. It was 10/10ths near-survival sailing and mesmerizing to behold. A big reason people watch car racing, horse racing, or motorcycle racing is that participants are right at the edge of control, danger is omnipresent and destruction is never more than a heartbeat away. So if you want to compare the America's Cup to car racing, carry the analogy through: In most races of the last several America's Cups, your NASCAR/Formula 1 cars were circling the track at 35 miles an hour. Yawn. As interesting as light-air match racing may be to actual sailors, it will never play to Joe Public. You want a bigger audience? Race the America's Cup in big wind in the ocean and it won't matter what boats you use. * From Chris Ericksen (edited to our 250 word limit): I'm pleased at the interest among US Sailing members in the reorganization plan being considered. While I support much of the proposal, especially the streamlining of the Board of Directors to allow for a more nimble management process, I am concerned about a few issues. There is a stated interest within the plan of getting away from the leadership of constituency-based groups like the Sailor Athlete Council, the Council of Sailing Associations and others, that concerns me greatly. Correlative to this is the new emphasis on marine-industry professionals on the Board and in the Coaches Council and on the interest in changing US Sailing from a volunteer-managed, staff-assisted organization that focuses on the racing sailor to a staff-managed, volunteer-assisted organization that will focus on sailing in general and only on racing sailors as a sideline. For me, the bottom line is that these changes will not solve the core problem with US Sailing that has been voiced by Fred Schroth, Wiley Crockett and others: volunteers that work for US Sailing, including judges and race officers, seem to be largely older and less active racers. There are plenty of "sailors running the show," starting with that active Tartan Ten sailor, US Sailing President Janet Baxter; however, at the local level, the vast majority of sailors are unwilling to give up their sailing time to work on race committees and juries. Don't complain, folks--fix it! Volunteer! Both you and the sport--and US Sailing --will be the better for it. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Change is inevitable… except from a vending machine. |
