SCUTTLEBUTT No. 775 - March 19, 2001
Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of
major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with
a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases and
contrasting viewpoints are always welcome.
STEINLAGER LINE 7 CUP - Report by John Roberson
Bertrand Pace and his Team New Zealand crew have won the Steinlager Line 7
Cup, defeating the Prada America's Cup challenge skipper Gavin Brady in a
final that went to the wire. The two skippers and their crews kept the
large crowd on the edge of their seats until the last winning gun was
fired, with Pace grabbing victory after a furious battle down the last leg
of the fifth and deciding race.
An exhausted Pace said, ""it was a very difficult final, it was very, very
close, and with the tide behind us the starting line was difficult to
judge, and sometimes we took too much risk on the starting line. I think
the final is usually a good fight, and the two crews have had four or five
days sailing, so they have good timing, so the final is always very tight."
Brady had shown his mental stamina in the semi-finals when he came back
from 2 - 0 down against Magnus Holmberg, to win 3 - 2, and claim his place
in the final. The other semi-final was a re-run of last year's final, with
Pace beating Cameron Appleton in three straight races, to claim a chance to
defend his title.
The Pace versus Brady final was a re-run of last year's semi-final, which
Pace won 2 - 1.
It had been a long day on the water for the Royal New Zealand Yacht
Squadron race committee, and the umpires, who were kept busy throughout the
final, issuing at least one penalty in all but one race of the finals.
FINAL RESULTS: 1. Bertrand Pace (NZL) NZ $25,801 2. Gavin Brady (ITA) NZ
$15,476 3. Cameron Appleton (NZL) NZ $12,884 4. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) NZ
$11,318 5. Dean Barker (NZL) NZ $10,292 6. Rod Davis (ITA) NZ $ 9,018 7.
Chris Dickson (USA) NZ $ 7,732 8. Jesper Radich (DEN) NZ $ 6,177 9. Andy
Green (GBR) NZ $ 5,162 10. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) NZ $ 4,136 11. Nicola
Celon (ITA) 12. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) . - www.steinlagerline7cup.co.nz
FOR THE RECORD
PlayStation skipper Steve Fossett has asked his crew to be in Palm Beach,
Florida, USA on 1 April and to be ready for an exciting spring season of
record breaking sailing. Since retiring from The Race in January due to a
broken daggarboard and mainsail problems, the 125' maxi catamaran has been
in dock in Florida undergoing repairs and minor modifications. The sail
difficulties have been overcome and the repaired main, solent and stay
sails were delivered back to the boat last week.
Fossett announced that, after a couple of days test sailing, the first
record to be attempted will be the Miami to New York passage. The record is
2 days 22 hours 50 mins 16 secs, held by Explorer, co-skippered by Bruno
Peyron (France) and Cam Lewis (USA) and set on 2 June 1999. Once in New
York, PlayStation and her crew will go on weather standby for an attempt at
the 11 year old West to East TransAtlantic record - 6 days 13 hours 13 mins
32 secs held by Serge Madec (France).
Further European based record sailing and an attempt on the East to West
TransAtlantic are under consideration for later in 2001.
A new season has brought a few new faces to the crew of PlayStation. To
join skipper Steve Fossett (and his core crew of Stan Honey (Navigator),
Ben Wright (Boat Captain), Damian Foxall, Peter Hogg, Gino Morrelli
(co-designer), Dave Scully and Brian Thompson) will be co designer and
catamaran World Champion Pete Melvin (USA), 2 time World Champion and
Olympic medallist Roland Gaebler (GER), 'Round the World sailor and
TransAtlantic race winner Thomas Coville (FRA) and Sean Biddulph (UK).
Candidates for a final unfilled crew spot are also under consideration. -
http://www.fossettchallenge.com/
HIRING
New England Boatworks Inc. is currently hiring experienced personel in all
aspects of yacht construction. We are looking for experienced boatbuilders,
fabricators, joiners and systems installers for year round work. Benefits
include competitive wages, health and dental insurance and a 401k plan.
N.E.B. is unique among boat building yards as we also run a full service
marina and service yard catering to the bulk of the grand prix fleet in the
Northeast, along with many large cruising yachts. Call 401-683-6110, fax
resumes to 401-683 6774 or e-mail to info@neboat
THE RACE
Cam Lewis's giant cat has taken off again after a week of slow progress.
Team Adventure is still heading north but is now making over 20 knots and
will probably turn east very soon. The way ahead is open for the mega
catamaran, which is due to arrive in Marseilles on the evening of March 23rd.
Positions on March 19 @ 0500 GMT: Team Adventure, 1833.1 mile from finish,
Warta Polpharma, 2966.1 miles from finish, Team Legato, 4945.8 miles from
finish. - http://www.therace.org/
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF AMERICA TRUE
America True will host a meeting of all Bay Area boating organizations on
March 29th from 6 to 8pm at America True's Headquarters on Pier 17 in San
Francisco. The goal of the meeting is to foster cooperation amongst these
Bay Area organizations and to bridge the gap between communities and the
water. Anyone who provides access to the waters of the Bay is invited.
Specific groups expected to attend are: Community Sailing and Boating
Programs, High School and College Sailing Teams, Yacht Clubs and their Jr.
Sailing Programs, Commercial Charter Companies and Sailing Schools.
"The San Francisco Bay and surrounding waterways have so much to offer to
their communities it is unbelievable. The problem is that there is a
communication disconnect," explained America True CEO, Dawn Riley. "Getting
these groups to understand what each other does is the first step to
cooperation."
With proceeds from the sale of USA-51 last year, America True has been
expanding its non-America's Cup efforts. - Maja Gray, www.americatrue.org
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON leweck@earthlink.net
(Letters selected to be printed may be edited for clarity, space (250 words
max) or to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This is not a
bulletin board or a chat room - you only get one letter per subject, so
give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. We don't publish
anonymous letters, but will withhold your e-mail address on request.)
* From: "Craig Dymock" wateratthemark@hotmail.com
Poor Americans. This
bickering about what boat has been chosen for the Admiral's Cup is deeply
depressing. I naively thought that one designs were a test of the SAILORS.
They have many excellent Farr 40 sailors, which is of course SO different
from a Corel 45 (looks like a Farr 40 zoomed up 12.5%). The fact that they
don't sail Sydney 40's in the US should hardly be a reason for not
competing. As they freely admit, it is not a worldwide class, so does this
put them at such a disadvantage against other countries? It would perhaps
be a better measure of the skill of their sailors. Bye the way, its an
OFFSHORE regatta. Hands up who wants to take a Melges 24 on a 600 mile
offshore!
Come-on USA! Some of us mere mortals would give our eye teeth for the
chance to represent our country at a world event. I can hardly believe that
because it might be a bit 'difficult' or on a boat that might not be
massively familiar that the entire sailing talent of the US is not up to it.
* From: Michael A. Rosenauer Philippe hit the nail
on the head. Everybody who participates in competitive sailing is there not
only to participate but also to win. Participation is not limited to the
time on the racecourse but starts when the boat first hits the yard. The
argument that one can simply show up, pay some money, and be competitive
among what is most certainly an extremely talented and experienced field is
illusory.
Successful campaigns are built upon crews which have been together for a
significant period of time and boats which have been meticulously prepared.
The crew then has confidence in the boat, their sails and most importantly,
each other. Nobody in the United States is campaigning either the Sydney 40
or the IC 45 in the arena it takes to be competitive at the Admirals Cup.
This is not to say that the designs are to blame. There are plenty of
one-design fleets that would be compatible with international competition
at the Admiral's Cup. Philippe named only a few. The problem is that they
were not selected.
Owners notwithstanding national affiliation have never had an aversion to
funding attendance at an international competition. There is an aversion to
not having a reasonable chance to be on the podium.
* From: Robert Condon rcondon@serano.com
s owner of Indulgence, the
IC45 boat which has been selected to lead the British Admiral's Cup team, I
would like to convey our team\'s extreme disappointment at the decision by
America not to compete in the 2001 Admiral\'s Cup regatta in Cowes. This
decision will severely damage the event and will doubtless have a knock-on
effect with other competitors from around the world.
I am confident that I speak for the whole of the British sailing team when
I say that we wholeheartedly sympathise with the position that the
Americans find themselves in and doubtless the topics of "choice of boats"
and "rules" will be the subject of much on-going debate. The thought of no
competing American team in the Solent this year is for all of us
unthinkable. I would ask that the decision not to compete be reviewed and
that we together re-think the issues of concern as a matter of urgency to
see if we can come up with an acceptable compromise. I feel strongly that
it is not beyond our capabilities to resolve this matter in order to
accommodate the Americans without whom there will likely be no Admiral's
cup event.
From: "Augie Diaz" augiediaz@msn.com
I like Philippe Kahn's idea for the
Admiral's Cup- Farr 40, Mumm 30 and an IMS 50 team, but being a one-design
sailor I think Morgan Larson's idea is best- 3 Farr 40s per team. What a
beautiful and fun world war. Maybe the Britts should consider this.
* From: Paul Larsen LARSENMEDIA@compuserve.com
In response to Bob
Fisher's commentary in #773 about the RNZYS and the spectator interest in
the Steinlager/Line 7 Cup from Aucklanders, I say BRAVO to Scott MacLeod.
For more than a decade he has been working tirelessly to make match racing
work for both sailors and fans, constantly insisting organizers bring their
events closer to the people. His model of sponsorship, television,
close-to-shore racing and on-site coverage from world-class writers like
Fish and Robo and dozens of others is finding its rightful place in local
crowds and global headlines. Invitations to his (with the financial help in
the past from Omega and Brut, and now Swedish Match) events, are coveted by
the world's best sailors who understand the pay-off for outstanding and
consistent performance is often a berth on an America's Cup yacht. It all
began in Bermuda in 1989 and it's still going today. Bravo indeed.
* From: Charlie Clifton Sail59115@aol.com
Regarding the story of the
containers breaking loose from the Cho Yang Park... this is a common
occurence and a serious threat to lives. The danger posed is as great as
vessels plying the seas at 16 knots while the lone crewmember is sleeping
(which incidently is a gross violation of COLREG Rule 5). "Safety at Sea"
efforts should be directed to cleaning up the former and discouraging the
latter.
* From: Bartz Schneider EM4BARTZ@aol.com
It is a mystery to me why some
international body does not require shippers/transporters of containers to
fit them with a soluble plug of some sort. Then when they go overboard,
they would shortly fill with water and sink, making the open sea a much
safer place for small boats.
* From: "Tyler Garrett" tagco@earthlink.net
Three yrs ago our ski shop
did not even sell helmets, this season we expect to sell all that we
bought, some 400 in various styles. Why? A few high profile deaths. Sort of
the same reason that a few years back everyone went nuts about PFDs' and
started mandating usage for certain classes and conditions. Those rules led
to some excellent flotation products being developed for different people
and uses. Some of these PFDs' may be of dubious value in the real world but
they make us feel more comfortable in certain situations.
This same thing happened in Ski helmets. There are dozens of different
models now available in a rainbow of colors, where before there where
perhaps 5. Are they going to save you from death when hitting a tree, who
knows? But they sure feel good when you take a header down the ski slope.
Wearing a helmet while sailing will probably catch on in certain areas and
situations. In today's society we use technology to make ourselves feel
safer (air bags, ABS, both debatable "safety" items), so why not wear a
helmet? Most parents wouldn't dream of letting their kids ride a bike
without a helmet! However when I was a kid it never crossed our minds. I
now wear a helmet every time I snowboard, it's light (9oz), warm and
doesn't effect my hearing (much). Would I wear a helmet sailing? If it was
cold and windy, quite possibly. Hot and drifting, no way!
* From: George Backhus Gfbackhus@aol.com
(edited to our 250-word limit)
Running into a floating shipping container in the middle of the ocean in
the middle of the night is probably high on the list of any bluewater
sailor's greatest fears. It is disappointing to read that there are at
least 119 more potential navigational hazards lurking in the North Atlantic
Ocean. Is it my imagination, or is the "keep the schedule, weather be
damned" attitude contributing to an increase in lost shipping containers? I
guess the good news is that the shipping companies are at least now
(sometimes?) reporting when containers have been washed overboard.
In addition to being a hazard to ALL vessels navigating in the area, as
time goes on, "the area" becomes ever larger. Some of you may recall the
story of Peter Hogg's Aotea, a racing trimaran that capsized a few years
back during a race around the Farallon Islands, off the coast of San
Francisco. Aotea was some months later found in Micronesia, near the
equator in the Wesern Pacific Ocean, having made a 4000+ mile journey in
her inverted position.
I think that it is time that the shipping and/or container companies take
more responsibility for lost containers. Why can't each container be
equipped with a small EPIRB or GPS tracking transmitter like the type used
to track over-the-road trucks? Even if the containers cannot be immediately
recovered, perhaps the "floaters" can be tracked so as to provide
information to mariners in the area until they can be located and then
salvaged or destroyed.
SPONSORSHIP
After what has been a successful first year in the open 60's multihulls
world, the belgian telecom group, Belgacom, has decided to continue their
involvement with French skipper, Jean-Luc Nlias, by giving him the helm of
a new boat - A new state-of-the-art trimaran. For the first time in the
multihull circuit, the hulls have been tank tested at the University of
Liege in Belgium. The shore crew, headed by Luc Bartissol, has also built a
full-scale model of the cockpit in order to study the best ergonomy
required for the manouvres during the grand prix. The boat is currently
being build at the CDK yard in Port la Fort (South West Brittany in
France) and will be launched in August.
SAIL TRAINING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) announced that Guy
Fleming (Kaneohe, HI) and Hart Kelley (Boston, MA) recently received
appointments to, respectively, Keelboat Instructor Trainer (IT) and Small
Boat Master Instructor Trainer.
Fleming will co-facilitate Basic Keelboat Instructor Courses, 3-day
evaluations that certify experienced instructors to teach basic sailing.
Information about becoming a Keelboat Instructor is available at:
http://www.ussailing.org/training/Keelboat/index.htm
Kelley will co-conduct Small Boat Level 1 Instructor Trainer Courses.
Information on becoming a Small Boat Instructor is available at:
http://www.ussailing.org/training/Corinthian/sb_instructor_tr.htm
PRAMS TO PROAS, MAXI'S TO MINI'S
Whatever it is you may race, Optimist Prams off the beach to Maxi Sleds
offshore, Ullman Sails have proven time and again they can accelerate you
into the winner's circle. Check out http://www.ullmansails.com and find out
what many already know - Ullman Sails can help you dive into the silver.
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS
* March 24: USSA One-Design Symposium, 5:00 PM, Adam's Mark Hotel,
Charlotte, NC. Panelists include Paul Henderson, Greg Fisher, Tom Hubbell &
Ali Meller.
* April 13-15: International Rolex Cup Regatta, St. Thomas YC, St.
Thomas, VI. The website has photos, Sailing Instructions, diagrams for each
of the possible nine Caribbean courses and a brief history of the event.
http://www.rolexcupregatta.com/
INDUSTRY NEWS
BRISTOL, RI Hall Spars & Rigging of Bristol R.I., USA, announced that it
has agreed to acquire Proctor Holland BV of Breskens, Holland. The
acquisition brings Hall's carbon spar manufacturing to Europe, eliminating
transatlantic shipping costs to the Northern European and Mediterranean
markets. The company will adopt the Hall Spars & Rigging brand and be
equipped to duplicate Hall's composite manufacturing processes. As in the
U.S. operation, all masts will be mandrel molded and cured in a
high-pressure (6 atmosphere) aerospace-grade autoclave.
Plans call for moving the Holland operation into a new 2,700 sq. m (26,000
sq. ft.) purpose-built spar-making facility in mid-fall, 2001. The carbon
mast production will augment the company's highly regarded core business of
supplying alloy masts for boats in the 30- to 100-foot range, including
hydraulic furling boom systems for large yachts.
QUOTE / UNQUOTE
Recent announcements from the US and German team that they will not be
participating in the Admiral's Cup, whilst sad from the point of view of
the RORC and those still planning to participate, only serve to conform the
fragility of offshore yacht racing around the world. - Excerpt from Peter
Bentley's editorial in Issue 74 of the ISAF's newsletter, 'Making Waves.'
http://www.sailing.org/makingwaves/makingwaves74/
LIGHTNING WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP
St. Petersburg YC - Final results (67 boats) 1. Matt Fisher, Rick Bernstein
& Dan Moriaty (23) 2 Ched Proctor, Kathryn Josenhaus & Bud Dailey (24) 3.
Larry MacDonald, Jim Swanson & Skip Dieball (27) 4. Sean Fidler, Will
Jeffers & Eric Wulff (28) 5. Tito Gonzalez, Claus Engell & Fernando Gallyas
(33) 6. Brian Hayes, Nick Mercier & Joann Jones (36) 7. Andy Horton, Bill
Fastiggi & Suzy Coburn (42) 8. Thomas Allen, Jr., John Humphrey & Jane
Allen (46) 9. Dave Peck, Nina Peck & Bill Healy (47) 10. Steve Hayden, Barr
Bastzer & David Hood (47)
MASTERS: 1. Jamie Brickell, Susan Brickell & Jen Miller (19th overall) 2.
George Fisher, Greg Shea & Larry Frost (22 overall) 3. Jim Davis, Christine
Davis & Les Lashaway (26th overall)
http://www.spyc.org/OneDesign/Lightnings/2001/Results.htm
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
No need to suffer in silence while you can still moan, whimper and complain.
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