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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 1160 - September 19, 2002Scuttlebutt 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, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
AROUND ALONE Rough seas and winds of up to 40 knots have so far prevented Dalton from making a full assessment of the problem. Determined to continue in the race, he has altered his course slightly and lashed the mainsail to the deck. Hexagon is continuing to make good speed under headsail only, all be it on a less than optimal course. Though it is clear that the main halyard has failed, why or where the failure has occurred is not yet known. An initial assessment by Dalton using binoculars to look up the rig from the deck indicates that the main halyard sheave box may be damaged. "Until I can get up the rig, I really don't know what's wrong," reported Dalton by satellite phone. With the sea currently too rough to contemplate climbing the rig, repairs will have to wait until conditions abate. Latest position report:
Class 1 - Open 60s
Class 2 - 50s and 40s
LASER WORLDS
1. Robert Scheidt, BRA, 25 www.laserworlds2002.com/senior/
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
AMERICA'S CUP In another race, OneWorld Challenge beat Prada. Winners of the challenge series last time, the italians are now considered as an underdog. Thursday Races (But bad weather is expected in Auckland) :
One World Challenge Vs. Oracle BMW Racing From www.hauraki-news.com, citing reports in Le Defi's website * Odds of each syndicate winning the America's Cup have been released by William Hill bookmakers in London :
Team New Zealand (NZL) 3-5 A visit to the bookmaker website will show distinct results for the sole LV Cup (as of Sept 18th) :
Alinghi 2.87
HARKEN WINCH PROMO LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (dmccreary@boats.com -- until the Curmudgeon returns later this month) * From Joseph Bainton: Reply to Eric Zoehrer: Keeping yachting in the Olympic Games is all about money to ISAF and its Member National Authorities. Someone with accurate information at hand or the time to research the question should share with 'Buttheads the percentage of annual revenue to each of ISAF and US Sailing that is derived from Olympic participation. If this revenue is lost, how does the bureaucracy support itself? Could our sport survive without materially changing the rules every four years and relying upon volunteers to stage regattas and staff juries? One more question for those in the know -- If the proposals regarding reducing the number of Olympic sailors and eliminating keel boats are adopted, measured in U.S. dollars or some other currency how would those proposals affect the cash flow of ISAF and its MNA's? * From Brian Burkitt: Team sponsorship in the sailing world can be good and bad. I think it's great for the America's Cup and the technology that's developed, which is eventually passed down from the boat designers and yacht owners. This also applies to the Maxi Catamarans. I sailed in the ULDB 70 West Coat class for eight years and had the time of my life. I couldn't sail enough. On my team, no one got paid, not even for deliveries. We were all dedicated, week end week out. The fraternity of sailors was tops. A lot of us started to sail the Farr 40s, once the ULDB 70 racing diminished on the West Coast. Then the Farr 40 racing and owner/sponsorship evolved, which I think ruined their league. XYZ pro sailors are allowed to get paid and sail on the boats. Then the rest of the crews are allowed XYZ $s for their expenses, which means everything is taken care of. So, aren't they all pros too? I started racing in the league as an amateur, which I enjoyed it until the politics came into play, which was directly related who got paid what. Anyone's position could be replaced in a heart beat. There was no job security. It took the fun out of sailing for me. Now I've been sailing J/105s and the fire is back. There are no pros on board, and it's back to a fraternal team effort. I still tremendously miss the West Coat ULDB 70s.
ON KINETICS: ONE CLASS PRESIDENT'S VIEW The first option is not really an option........status quo. The second option is to prepare a document that will be given to any judge working a Byte regatta. This document will out line in detail how the class wants the judges to judge, ie. what is acceptable and what is not. Because it is hard to Ôjudge' the judges my plan call for even greater simplification. In its basic form, I propose zero tolerance in winds from 4 - 10 knots, and in winds 11 knots and up, carte blanche......everything goes, including the judges!! No races will be started in winds under 4 knots, and the race committee has the final say in the wind conditions at the start. They will indicate this via a flag signal. If the wind increases or decreases during the race, and this change crosses over the 10 /11 knot barrier the RC will signal, at a mark of the course, with the appropriate flag, that, from this mark onward the new wind rule applies. This should not be a big hardship on the RC as I'm assuming they are always prepared to make a necessary course change for a wind shift ,so this simply means they need to carry two extra flags. There are lots of little details to be streamlined but they are just that....details. This idea is not totally original, but nicely packaged the class would be the first to use it, and the first to dictate how they want their class races run. The third option is left open to your imagination. If you have an idea send it in. -- Alex Watters, BYTE Class President
BIG BOAT SERIES PRESENTED BY ROLEX Jim Richardson of Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I., steered his Farr 40 Barking Mad to a victory in the fiercely competitive 20-boat fleet that included two-time Olympic Gold Medallist and Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Mark Reynolds of San Diego, Calif, who sailed with Brack Duker on Revolution and John Kostecki, fresh off his win of the Volvo Ocean Race with illbruck, who called tactics for local favorite Samba Pa Ti, owned by John Kilroy. Richardson won the Keefe-Kilborne Memorial Trophy, which was established in 1976 to honor Harold Keefe and Ray Kilborn. Phil Perkins and Dave Wilson's J105 Good Timin dominated the largest fleet of the regatta with a 20-point lead over the second-place boat. There won the Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy, which was established in 1972 in memory of Richard Rheem, whose famous yacht Morning Star was the elapsed time winner in the 1949 and 1955 Transpac races to Honolulu. This was the first time that the newly organized Transpac 52 class has raced as a one-design fleet and Jim Demetriades' debut on Yassou included five first-place finishes and two seconds against four other boats. In addition to a Rolex timepiece, Demetriades also won the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, which was established in 1978 and features the ship's bell of the yacht Atlantic, long-time Trans-Atlantic Ocean record holder (1905). John McLaurin of Encino, Calif. sailed his Pendragon 4 to a convincing victory in the 10-boat Americap II A class and earned the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy. MacLaurin's Davidson 52 listed Mark Christensen and Richard Clarke (also with illbruck) as crew. Clarke is a two-time Canadian Rolex Sailor of the Year. The St. Francis Perpetual Trophy was established to stimulate and encourage competition among large ocean racing yachts. This trophy is awarded annually to yachts invited to a race or series of races that are measured and handicapped in accordance with the current measurement rule and rate 40 feet or more. This trophy was donated in 1964 by Commodore A. L. Sandy McCormick. Paul Kent of Corte Madeira, Calif., won the City of San Francisco Trophy, which is one of the two golden spades used to break ground for the Golden Gate Bridge in 1933. Kent sailed his Farr 395 Chance to an Americap II B fleet victory over eight other competitors. www.stfyc.org for complete results
2003 ACURA SORC To register for the 2003 Acura SORC log on to www.acurasorc.com. All competitors who register by January 15, 2003, have the opportunity to win a free entry into the 2003 event.
FOERSTER/BURNHAM QUALIFY U.S. 470 MEN'S OLYMPIC BERTH Olympians Paul Foerster (Garland, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Coral Gables, Fla.) were the top U.S. finishers, securing the U.S. its Olympic berth by placing sixth overall at the conclusion of the 14-race series. The two Olympic Silver Medallists (Foerster has one from '92 in the Flying Dutchman and a second from '00 in the 470; while Burnham's was won in '92 in the 470) combined their considerable talents for their second outing as a team Making the cut for the gold fleet along with Foerster/Burnham were Steve Hunt (Hampton, Va.) and Michael Miller (Charleston, S.C.) who finished the regatta in 33rd place overall. Sailing in the silver fleet, Stuart McNay (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) and Ross Anderson (Preston, Conn.) placed 56th overall. Mark Ivey (Huntington Beach, Calif.) with Howard Cromwell (New Orleans, La.); and Mikey Murison (Sausalito, Calif.) with Eben Russell (Charleston, S.C.) were 82nd and 103rd, respectively. Sailing in the gold fleet of the 470 Women's division, Erin Maxwell (Stonington, Conn.) with Jen Morgan (Seattle, Wash.); and Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) with Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.) placed 28th and 31st overall, respectively. Amanda Clark (Shelter Island, N.Y.) and Sara Mergenthaler (Colt's Neck, N.J.) placed 35th overall, sailing in the silver fleet. The U.S. women will have their next opportunity to qualify the Olympic berth at the 2003 World Championships scheduled for September in Cadiz, Spain. -- Jan Harley
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