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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 875 - August 9, 2001Scuttlebutt 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.
OLYMPICS In the July 24 letter, obtained Monday by The Times, Pound writes that the election results show "almost complete disregard, even contempt" for the IOC's chief sponsors and broadcasters. Pound also expresses "grave concerns" over the Olympic movement's future and urges the IOC's corporate backers to seek from Rogge an "early, clear and unequivocal commitment" regarding "the position the IOC will adopt under his leadership." Pound, who over the last 15 years was instrumental in turning the IOC into a billion-dollar enterprise, finished a distant third in the election, behind Rogge and South Korea's Kim Un Yong. Pound immediately resigned from his IOC marketing and television roles. * Said Rogge: "Dick Pound has written a letter. I am not going to comment on the letter. Or on Dick Pound." But he added: "The marketing policies of the IOC will not change. They will be the same ones. Because they've been successful." He also pledged that sponsors would see a "transparent, democratic, accountable" IOC. - Alan Abrahamson, LA Times Full story: www.latimes.com/sports/
THE GARTMORE EDS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE PROTEST On Saturday July 21, I received an email from Andrea Bacon requesting a gulfstream package for Mike Golding on Ecover. I said I would create the package but was surprised that enroute packages were allowed. Different races have different rules and I assume when I get a call from a client, that he or she knows the rules. I created the package and sent it landline to Andrea who, I later found out, did not sent it to Mike since they determined that enroute information was not allowed. (I also have this email). On July 23 and 24, I received several calls from Josh Hall on Gartmore requesting a gulfstream package, as well as several enroute updates, but he specified that it could not contain "routing information". I said, "why not, the other two yachts received my ocean routing information". (Here in lies the problem in communication, my definition of routing versus Josh's definition). Josh called me back and stated that he was going to issue a formal protest against the other 2 boats. He then sent me a very detailed email trying to get clarification on what we talked about in our conversations. He said they understood me to say that " I was sending gulfstream data and optimum routing through to both yachts during the leg, checking their positions on the web and sending relevant data". He also asked me "what data/routing advise did I send to the 2 boats and what email addresses did I use, and how long had I been sending them data". I then sent an email to Josh stating that I thought there was some misunderstanding and that I thought neither yacht was in violation of the rules. Kingfisher was sent the package ONLY prior to departure and Ecover NEVER received the enroute package from the land based email due to the ruling against enroute updates. I was not told that Mike never received the package so I assumed that he did. I also did not send any enroute updates to either yacht, I just followed the progress on internet of all the yachts in the race. Josh then sent me an email requesting that I not send them anything since it would be in violation of the rules although I had already prepared the package, per his request, and was within minutes of sending it directly to his yacht. These are the facts from my perspective. I hope it bring some clarification and resolution to the matter. - Jenifer Clark, President, Jenifer Clark's Gulfstream. CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Now that all of the parties have had equal time, let's put this issue to rest. From my perspective, this has not been a productive thread. Protests should be heard in the protest room - not in the media.
IACC INSTRUMENTS
LASER WORLDS
FOR THE RECORD The nearly 3,000-mile course for the record stretches from the Ambrose Light Tower, off the entrance to New York Harbor, to The Lizard Lighthouse, which marks the western end of the English Channel. The existing mark of 6 days, 13 hours, 3 minutes, and 32 seconds was set by French skipper Serge Madec sailing the 75-foot catamaran Jet Services V in June 1990. Madec and his crew averaged 18.42 knots (34.5 kph) for the crossing. Two years ago, Lewis and Bourgnon narrowly missed breaking the record. They blasted across the Atlantic, hooking into several powerful weather systems and sailing faster than Madec for nearly six days before they ran out of wind and were becalmed only 46 miles from the finish. Theirs was the closest of nine multihull attempts in the last 11 years to eclipse Madec's time. Keith Taylor, www.TeamAdventure.org
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From: Howard Spencer: I may be a confused Kiwi, but how can Gavin Brady be sailing for NZ in the Star worlds and for Italy in the AC within the residency restrictions? * From Scott Truesdell: 45-year-old schooner captain versus 20-year-old jet skier: the fears of old age versus the bravura of youth! I can visualize both parties clearly in my imagination - what they look like, what their hopes and dreams are, what they fear. I'll go out on a limb here - schooner captain have a beard? I can almost guaranty he had been screwing himself up for years for this confrontation, polishing his rhetoric, fine-tuning his defense. I personally find jet skies to be annoying and no one can argue that they do not disturb the peace. But there is no possibility that the jet ski poses a threat to the schooner or those aboard her; all the larger vessel has to do is go about their business as if the jet ski were not present. From the perspective of the jet ski, the schooner is about as mobile as an island. I'm sure the jet skier saw the effect he was having on ol' Bluebeard there and played it for all it was worth. I decry the behavior of the jet skier and there is no doubt that both parties contributed to the incident, but this in no way justifies the emotional and psychotic response of the schooner captain. * Roger Vaughan (re jet ski incident): Capt. Neal Parker just made my very short list of current heros. * From Guy Brierre: I would like to nominate Capt. Neal Parker as the first recipient of the Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Medal of Honor! The only question... were jet skis in season and did he have the proper license? * From Geoff Newbury (Re: The Bonaire): Instead of taking the irrevocable step of dropping the mast, why didn't they guy the spin pole or the main boom (or both) as shear legs and lift the mast using the gooseneck fitting or spin ring, until the butt could be put back on the step? * From Dave Wilhite: I thought this forum is intended not to bash sailors. One wonders what might they do given a set of conditions. To second guess is normally the realm of the armchair sailor which I know Bill Menenger is not. However given the choice to drop a 500 + lbs. rig over the side I think even the two arguably best delivery skippers on the west coast, if not the world, Tompkins and Flowerman, would think twice and plan really well before exposing themselves to such a danger. I am reminded that the loss of human life is a far greater a tragedy than the loss of a boat. I am happy the young men and women were able to get home safely. Maybe they could have done more, we may find out in the coming months. I know in my life I have looked back and felt I could have done things differently, definitely for the better. Lets hear from the people who experienced the danger and let us wonder if we might have been able to give advice and help and how that might improve the learning curve of all of us, not simply condemn a few. * From Jay Greer: While many opinions have been made criticizing the wisdom of dealing with the problems that led to the abandonment of "BONAIRE" in mid-Pacific, those of us not there can only speculate. I've been aboard boats that were completely dismasted and it wasn't a picnic for anybody. I personally know the former owner of "BONAIRE". He is a man who has the wisdom and experience of a lifetime of racing and long offshore passages under his belt. As for the boat, I know that he always carried every possible repair part as well as all of the tools necessary to handle even the most challenging problem at sea. "BONAIRE" is an incredibly strong and well-found vessel. If on the voyage which resulted in her abandonment, any gear needed to handle an extreme situation was not aboard, it may be that it was the result of a lack of foresight and knowledge of seamanship on the part of those responsible for her. Why did the mast step collapse? There is a tendency amongst those who are not aware of how much tension is necessary to keep a mast in column to over tighten the rig. This is most likely what happened to "BONAIRE". Perhaps some unknowledgeable person with more enthusiasm than brains turned the boat into a two-dollar banjo by over tightening the rig, thereby diving the mast through the step when it was loaded in a seaway. In the end, who knows? Only those who were aboard can say. * From Bill Menninger: My sincere apologies to all regarding my remarks questioning the plight of the Bonaire in a previous Scuttlebutt! Especially the Orange Coast College captain, crew and sailing program. OCC is run by the best and has trained so many in the art of seamanship. I apologize for any criticism of the crew or the program, as there is not a single organization I respect more than the OCC Sailing program. My remarks regarding the Bonaire incident were not well founded nor based on any real knowledge of the situation. I apologize to those involved because I should have done my homework or picked a different forum for asking my question. Going to sea is filled with potential hazards that cannot be foreseen by the very best seamen. I am happy to hear that the crew safety came first. CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: That's the final word - this thread is now officially dead.
VOLVO OCEAN RACE The ASSA ABLOY Racing Team now consists of: Roy Heiner (NL) - skipper Mark Rudiger (USA)- co-skipper and navigator Jules Mazars (FRA) - helmsman/trimmer Neal McDonald (UK)- helmsman/trimmer Guillermo Altadill (SPA)- helmsman/trimmer Klas Nylšf (SWE)- helmsman/trimmer Sidney Gavignet (FRA)- helmsman/trimmer Jason Carrington (UK)- bowman/trimmer Mike Joubert (RSA)- bowman/trimmer Stu Wilson (NZL)- trimmer/onboard sail maker Richard Mason (NZL)- trimmer/pit Team website: www.assaabloyracingteam.com
SPONSORSHIP
SOG STAINLESS STEEL POWERLOCK MULTI TOOL
STAR WORLDS
NEW LOOK
BIG
EDS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE ECOVER skipper Mike Golding used his yacht's superior downwind abilities earlier in the leg to pass Kingfisher one day into the leg. But he was only able to hold first place until the offshore winds disappeared, taking with them his downwind advantage. Behind ECOVER, Josh Hall and his Gartmore team appear certain to take the third podium spot over last place AlphaGraphics, some 78 miles back and 38 miles behind Gartmore. www.edsatlanticchallenge.com
SUNFISH NAs The Junior and Midget North American Championships were sailed concurrently in medium winds with 1-2 foot waves. JUNIOR RESULTS: 1. Simon Stampe, Rochester, NY, 6 points; 2. Dirk Resler, Savannah, GA, 16; 3. Patrick Wilson, Charleston, SC, 16. MIDGET RESULTS: 1. Kate Mayle, Savannah, GA, 39 points; 2. Lauren Whitehurst, Pensacola, FL, 42; 3. Erik Hanselman, Libertyville, IL, 53. The North American Championship got off on Thursday, August 2. Every race had at least one General Recall, partly due to a strong south-to-north current that the light north breeze wasn't strong enough to keep luffing boats on the course side during start maneuvers. In a fleet which boasted 5 former World Champions, 6 North American Champions, 5 Midwinters Champions, 1 South American Champion and countless District Champions, the competition was tight. NORTH AMERICAN RESULTS: 1. Derrick Fries, Clarkston, MI, 15 points; 2. Donald Martinborough, Nassau, Bahamas, 26; 3. Eduardo Cordero, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, 35; 4. Tom Whitehurst, Pensacola, FL, 45; 5. Todd Edwards, Baton Rouge, LA, 45. - Gail Turluck Complete results: www.racelog.com/sunfishna/na_regatta_results.htm
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