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SCUTTLEBUTT 2052 - March 16, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.TOP LEVEL SHAKEUP -- Tim Jeffery A poor performance in the Volvo Ocean Race and a breakdown in crew relations has led to Neal McDonald, of Great Britain, being replaced by American John Kostecki as skipper of the Ericsson Racing Team yacht. Ericsson is sixth out of the seven yachts in the race, which started in Spain last November and has five legs, four in-port races and more than 10,000 miles remaining. The team has been plagued by technical problems, particularly with the yacht's keel hydraulics, together with worsening morale, including a heated stand-off between two crew members, Guillermo Altadill, the Spanish watch leader, and Steve Hayles, the British navigator. "It has been a tough race so far. We haven't had the results we expected," McDonald said. "I feel as if I have been battling ever since that first night off Vigo." The Briton will stay on as the watch captain and co-skipper, with Kostecki, Ericsson's specialist tactician for the in-port races, looking to improve their fortunes in the fifth leg from Rio de Janiero to Baltimore. Ericsson had limped into Cape Town on the first leg, then retired from the second leg because of technical problems, and finished last on legs three and four. A deep gulf opened up between crew members during the last leg, from Wellington to Rio de Janeiro. The team appeared to be blaming one another for their problems, claiming the boat was unreliable and the sails not fast enough, while some of their tactics and helmsmanship were not thought good enough compared with those of the rival yachts. A u-turn over the choice of sail designers was an early sign of problems onboard. Kostecki arrived in Rio de Janeiro and went straight into talks with McDonald, the crew and the Swedish team managers. Given the frankness of the exchanges, and the fact that McDonald is still onboard, and that Tom Braidwood left for Australia with a shoulder injury and Damian Foxall is on an intravenous drip with an elbow infection, more crew changes look inevitable. Bouwe Bekking's Movistar, fourth overall, is another team hit by boat failures. The crew have questioned Bekking's leadership, the boat's safety and the work of the shore team. Expect crew changes here, too. ~ Tim Jeffery, the Daily Telegraph, http://tinyurl.com/puapu CREW REACTION Many of Ericsson’s key crew members have spoken of their surprise at the drastic steps taken by the team in demoting Neal McDonald from skipper to watch captain in favour of John Kostecki. But while the crew said they didn’t expect the action taken by the team’s management to be so extreme, they believe John Kostecki’s involvement in the next offshore leg will have a positive effect on their performance. - Tim Powell, helmsman: “I didn’t expect a decision as drastic as that, but if you take away the titles (skipper and watch captain), the actual move itself is probably a little bit of what we were expecting. It’s a big move to change skippers, it’s quite a drastic action and we will see. The end result of having John on the boat is a correct thing, and having Neal as a watch leader is great.” - Steve Hayles, navigator: “I really wish it hadn’t come to this. In my mind Neal is the best watch captain in the fleet. Neal is an awesome all-round sailing talent. He has won everything at every level. As an all-rounder no one really touches him, and now we have him in that position on the boat where he will be of great use. He will now be the interface with me and JK (John Kostecki), implementing the strategies. That’s a positive move. I feel we’ve let Neal down. I feel that very strongly. I can’t speak for everyone, but it’s been extremely hard few days emotionally. He has given us a platform to do well, but I feel we have let him down. His decision to stay on the boat shows him to be not only an exceptional sailor, but an exceptional person. Now we need to pull together and improve.” A NEW TWIST The saga of Tracy Edwards & Quest International Sports Events, organizer of the now infamous Oryx Quest, took on yet another twist today when several Quest creditors received a letter – dated March 14 - from the Official Receiver, informing them of a meeting on March 17. The letter also informed them that they were required to lodge proof of debt by noon today; a condition that was impossible for some to fulfill, as they did not receive the letter until after that time. A spokesperson for the Official Receiver’s office told BYM News that the majority of creditors had received earlier notification of the meeting, but a small number (about 16) had not been written to until yesterday as the office had not received their addresses until then. She also said that those who had received late notification would be able to file proof of debt after the deadline. The meeting is expected to be a heated one, since it has been revealed that Tracy Edwards has lodged a claim that she is owed about £5 million by Quest, as a result of director’s loans she claims were made to the company. This has raised concern and anger, among the other creditors, that they would be outvoted on the basis of Edward’s claim. . ~ BM News, full story: http://www.bymnews.com/new/content/view/26200/57/ TRIVIA QUESTION Baron Marcel Bich (of BIC Pen fame) was a contender for the America’s Cup in 1970, 1974, and 1980 in three sailing yachts of this same name. What was the name of his entries? (Answer below) NEW KIND OF BOAT - NEW KIND OF RACING: THE MELGES 32 The Melges 32 class raced at the Acura Miami Race Week in stellar fashion. As the class grows, so does the excitement and it really showed this past weekend. Close racing with electric downwind rides kept the M32 sailors focused and the spectators captivated! The Melges 32 is not just a new boat but also a new kind of racing. The boats are exciting to race, easy to sail, and simple to transport. Perfect for regattas or local club racing. Race to the website to find out more about the Melges 32: http://www.melges.com RESIGNATION Clipper Ventures had confirmed that the leading skipper in the 2005-2006 Clipper Round the World yacht race has resigned, citing concerns that the event will not get back on track to finish in Liverpool on time. Western Australia skipper David Pryce made the decision as the ten boat Clipper fleet still undergoes extensive repairs in the Philippines. The long delays started when the Glasgow Clipper began taking thousands of litres of water en route to China. It was followed by the same keel/hull attachment problems with other boats in the fleet and this has forced race organizers, Clipper Ventures, to re-schedule the race programme. Major changes to the race itinerary include dropping the stopover in Yokohama, Japan and changing the Caribbean destination from Curacao to Jamaica as well as putting back the finishing ceremony in Liverpool by a month. In spite of all assurances from Clipper Ventures PLC, the experienced Pryce has now pulled out and returned to Sydney Australia, advising he will not be returning to Subic Bay in the Philippines to sail back to Liverpool. His vessel - westernaustralia.com - was not one of the six boats that reported loose keel bolt problems, which caused the race to be temporarily abandoned. However, she was still diverted to Subic Bay with the rest of the yachts for a full investigation. Work is progressing in Subic Bay with repairs still ongoing following the discovery of a problem with the connection between the outer skin of the hull and the keel. The team working on the ten yachts, is being overseen by experts flown in from UK, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. Clipper Ventures PLC claim that all ten yachts will be trialled and undergo a full independent safety survey before they set sail for Qingdao in China on 25th March. ~ Excerpts from a story by Rob Kothe on the Sail-World website, full story: http://tinyurl.com/ppa9j COACHING (US Sailing Coach, Skip Whyte was recently interviewed by Vince Brun for a story now posted on the North Sails One-design website. Here’s an excerpt.) Question: There are infinite numbers of sailing styles and personalities out there, how can you "connect" and improve their game? Skip Whyte: Excellent point. It takes a while to get a feeling for a sailor's style and it's important not to jump to conclusions too early. In the end, the personalities are much more challenging than the sailing styles. Every sailor is different. The coach's challenge is to understand both the style and the individual then to develop a communication path that facilitates further development as well as modification of the style. When you add a second individual to the mix, the equation becomes exponentially more challenging. Then add several more teams, half men and half women, and you have real challenge Question: What are the five most important things, that differentiate a top coach from others? Skip Whyte: 1. An ability to observe what others can't see. 2. An ability to challenge conventional conclusions when appropriate and necessary without becoming distracted by every variable. 3. An ability to identify and understand the key variable among hundreds that will properly re-balance the equation when things are wrong. 4. An ability to package a message appropriately for the listener. This often requires delivering the same message in many "languages" 5. Passion for the process, not the outcome. Question: How do you help your teams prepare for the biggest events like the Olympics? Skip Whyte: When beginning with any athlete or team, the coach must begin with the end in mind, knowing that in the end the athlete(s) will have to be out there making decisions for themselves. In the early part of the process it is usually tempting to "preach", to supply the answers to the hungry sailors who are eager for knowledge. Preaching is a quick fix, but it does little to prepare the sailors for making their own decisions. Instead of supplying the correct answer after the fact in a debrief, I prefer to challenge the sailor to think about how they made their decisions in the moment. I might ask questions like, "What were you feeling /seeing when they were slow on the second beat? or "What information were you processing coming into (pick your pivotal strategic/tactical situation in a race)? or "What was your gut reaction when approaching the weather mark on the port layline?" I try to lead the athlete through the decision process and help them discover ways to make better decisions in the future rather than criticizing decisions already made. My goal going into the biggest events, like the Olympics, is to have made myself optional. At that point, going into the first race of the Olympics or a World Championship, the game is in the hands of the sailors. The coach needs to be there and will frequently be able to intervene in critical moments, but a coach cannot manufacture a World Champion at the event. The critical attributes of the winners are already in place before the event begins. The most important role of the coach is to accelerate and enhance the learning and decision making processes. If my sailors are fast with good decision making skills they deserve to be confident, and you can't win without confidence. Complete story: http://www.northsailsod.com/class/470/470_whatsnew.html#7 FIVE MINUTES WITH JESPER BANK (Jesper Bank is the skipper, helmsman and overall leader of United Internet Team Germany. With Louis Vuitton Act 10 approaching fast, the Germans, like all the teams, are trying to squeeze as much preparation as possible into the little time left. Here’s an excerpts of what Jesper had to say 55 days before Act 10 in an interview posted on the America’s Cup website.) Question: The team has many experienced sailors, but not necessarily in the America’s Cup. How will you work on getting the team better every day while at the same time focusing on GER 89? Jesper Bank: That’s the description of what we’ve got here; a good mix of some experienced sailors of different backgrounds, so as a group we have a lot of things to learn together. We have to learn how to develop an ACC yacht after it its launch, we also have to learn how to feed the designers with valuable information. And that’s an ongoing process. We are not the masters of this game so we have to pay attention to a lot of details 24 hours a day or we won’t get anywhere. We can’t lean back and say we’ve been here, done that . . . let’s just do it as usual. Question: When will you begin sailing the new boat? Jesper Bank: We’re going to christen the boat on April 24th. We could have the boat here during Act 10, but we don’t want to. Building a base, racing in the Acts, having the new boat launch and racing the old boat -- we want it here at a time that is perfect for us. It will not bring us forward faster to have the boat here during Act 11, in fact, it may disturb us more. For logistical reasons I think you’ll see the boat on the water at the beginning of July. Question: Will GER 89 have anything radical or be a breakthrough in design? Jesper Bank: Yes, yes, yes. Full story: http://tinyurl.com/p6wm3 FRUSTRATION A frustrated Dee Caffari, who is attempting to be the first women to complete a solo ‘westabout’ non-stop circumnavigation, has reported, “I can honestly say I am reaching the end of my patience with this Southern Ocean. All the weather allows me to do is get beaten up by gale or storm force winds for 24 hours then it will ease allowing me to increase sail area again for 24 hours then I put it all away again only to get beaten up by the next depression or storm that comes along. I am emotionally and physically tired of it all. I dream to be just simply sailing for more than a day without preparing for a storm or recovering from a storm. I have a memory from months ago now, of sailing with the sun on my face. I long to return to that now, especially as I can feel my resolve fading rapidly. With 9092 miles still to go on this voyage that began on November 20, Caffari advanced 139 miles in the last 24 hours. ~ www.avivachallenge.com ULLMAN SAILS INSHORE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Southern California’s hot new Championship Series begins its second year in April 2006. The four regatta series starts with Ahmanson Cup (April 22-23), followed by SDYC Yachting Cup (May 6-7), Cal Race Week (June 3-4), and finishes at Ullman/Long Beach Race Week (June 23-25). The regattas are hosted by NHYC, SDYC, CYC, and LBYC/ ABYC, respectively. The series was a big draw in 2005, and this year there are plans for more boats, more fun, and more outstanding competition. Regatta information can be found on the Ullman Sails web site at http://www.ullmansails.com/inshorechamps.htm BRAZIL SAILING CUP UNDERWAY Angra Dos Reis, Brazil (Mar. 15, 2006) — The inaugural Brazil Sailing Cup, Stage 5 of the 2005-’06 World Match Racing Tour, got underway today in light winds that hampered racing. Two flights for Group A were completed today in racing that didn’t begin until late afternoon. The crews sat on the bay in front of the Yacht Club Angra dos Reis waiting for the wind to fill. Around 1600 the race committee moved the fleet out towards Riberia Bay where a 10-knot northerly helped complete the two flights. New Zealander Gavin Brady, racing as the Beau Geste Sailing Team, and Swede Magnus Holmberg, of Victory Challenge, each takes a 2-0 record into tomorrow’s racing after winning both of their flights. Frenchman Thierry Peponnet of the K-Challenge Syndicate and Brazilian qualifier Daniel Glomb are 1-1. American Ed Baird of Alinghi is 0-2 after losses to Peponnet and Holmberg. The sixth skipper in Group A – World Tour leader Peter Gilmour of Australia – will not be competing this week after encountering visa problems trying to leave Australia. Group B features teams led by skippers Ben Ainslie (GBR), Dean Barker (NZL), Cameron Dunn (NZL), Staffan Lindberg (FIN), James Spithill (AUS) and Ian Williams (GBR). They’re scheduled to race tomorrow. ~ http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/ NEWS BRIEFS * America’s Cup tactician Peter Evans (NZ) joins the Swiss Defender for the start of the 2006 sailing season. Evans brings a wealth of experience to Alinghi, with four Cups behind him, three with Team New Zealand (including two wins) and one with the Japanese challenge. Evans grew up in Devonport, Auckland and representing New Zealand in the 470 for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. By 1992, he had a Match Racing World Championship to his name and in 1997 held the ILC40 World Championship title. ~ www.alinghi.com * Gary Jobson has produced and narrated some great video footage from the Acura Miami Race Week, and it’s now posted online: http://www.premiere-racing.com/miami_2006_video.htm * North Sails has partnered with expert meteorologist Chris Bedford and his team at Sailing Weather Services to provide free weather forecasts for Lands' End San Diego NOOD Regatta from March 17-19, 2006. Sailors can sign up for forecasts by logging on to the North Sails Weather Center: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf TRIVIA ANSWER The name of Baron Marcel Bich’s America’s Cup entries in 1970, 1974, and 1980 were the France I, France II, and France III (respectively). His yachts failed to win a single race in the challenger series. After his last unsuccessful attempt, the Baron wisely vowed to never again enter the (America’s Cup) race. (This trivia question came courtesy of the book, “Name That Boat” by Carol Lea Mueller. Book details are available at http://tinyurl.com/jbjeh) 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. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From David Eisenberg: Thank you for your report on Supersizing - the financial "arms race" for the America's Cup. If the America's Cup is truly about competition, the guardians of the Cup would do well to follow the example of the National Football League: institute a "salary cap" - actually a spending cap - that would limit the amount any one campaign could spend on its program. The chosen cap figure would be set at a level calculated to ensure that at least a dozen or so competitors could afford to mount a campaign. Then, you could ensure that a significant number of competitors from around the world could compete on a relatively level playing field. As things stand - and as your report points out - it is a near certainty that the best-financed America's Cup campaigns will eliminate those who have a third of the financial resources. (This is the Major League Baseball model. Think New York Yankees versus Milwaukee Brewers.) At least 90% of the time, those who can raise the most money will be the finalists for the Cup. I believe that the former model would make for a much more interesting international competition. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION “Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” -Robert A. Heinlein Special thanks to Melges Performance Sailboats and Ullman Sails. |
