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SCUTTLEBUTT #381 - August 17, 1999VERVE CUPChicago, IL -- The final day of racing for the Verve Cup started on time on the sparkling blue water of Lake Michigan, with a light 8-10 knot south easterly breeze. Three races were completed on Friday in a variety of conditions that ended with a summer storm passing through the area packing 30+ knot winds. There was no evidence of the wild conditions that resulted in a cancellation of races on Saturday. Two races were run Sunday for a total of five for the One Design classes. Farr 40 Flash Gordon had three points on competitor Voo Doo going into the final round. Richard Grunsten's Voo Doo pulled a 2, 1 punch finale to take the overall honors for the regatta. Voo Doo closed the gap in the morning race by getting a second behind Butch Tompkins' Bandit. The pair engaged in a gybing duel on the last run to the finish, with Bandit edging ahead for the gun. During the second race, several boats were OCS at the start, including Voo Doo's competition, Flash Gordon. Grunsten was pleased with his team for helping him keep the boat in the lead for the entire second race. Tom Neill's Nitemare's second and third place finishes on the final day moved him into third overall. Borys Jarymowcyz on local boat Iskra was impressed with the level of racing in the fleet after seeing four boats cross the finish line within 5 seconds. Iskra finished in fifth place overall. Ed Collins' USA 48 from Vermont and Fred Sherratt's Steadfast from Canada battled even harder for first place honors in the Mumm 30 fleet. It was a friendly rivalry amongst the crews who have sailed against each other for the past two years. It came down to a photo finish between USA 48 and another competitior, X-Press owned by John Chick and Jeff Diemand. Both boats crossed the finish line nose-to-nose. USA 48 had to beat X-press to put a point on Steadfast and take the overall prize, otherwise USA 48 and Steadfast would have the same scores, and Steadfast would win it on a tie-breaker. It wasn't until results were published that Collins emerged as the winner. Tom and Cindy Hirsch's Downhill Express had a great last day with first and second place finishes which clinched their third place overall. They gave USA 48 a run for the money on one of the upwind legs in a 25 tack duel to the top mark. -- Renee Mehl, Farr International, Inc. Complete Results: http://www.chicagoyachtclub.com/VerveOS.htm AMERICA'S CUP * The America's Cup Challenge Association (ACCA) and Ericsson Communications Limited are pleased to confirm Ericsson as the official wireless communications supplier to the Louis Vuitton Cup, Challenger Races for the America's Cup. David Elwell, Chairman of ACCA said this relationship would result in a level of coverage never before possible during the early rounds of Louis Vuitton Cup racing."The benefits of our arrangement with Ericsson are far reaching. Increased visibility worldwide is good news for the organisers, the competitors, the sponsors and, most importantly, the audience. The races will be accessible to more people than in 1995 with television being complemented by Internet viewers on official Web Sites using Virtual Spectator technology." In its official supplier role, Ericsson will be showcasing wide-ranging competencies in wireless, robust networks and Internet Protocol technology - the three dimensions identified as the keys to success in the New Telecoms World. Ericsson will provide (on a turnkey basis) Network Dimensioning, Project Management and Network Operations to ensure a secure wireless Internet product for the Louis Vuitton Cup. The agreement includes Ericsson providing a Cellular Digital Packet Data Network (CDPD) which is capable of transmitting yacht position and wind information from the racecourse to shore. Once onshore, the data is turned into two and three-dimensional animation suitable for use on Internet sites and in television broadcasts. Ericsson will also provide mobile phones to key administrative and race committee personnel. -- Heather M. Pike, ACCA Challenge Association website: http://www.acca2000.co.nz/ * Breitling U.S.A. Inc., the Swiss watch manufacturer, has signed an agreement with Young America, the New York Yacht Club's America's Cup Challenge to produce a special edition Young America watch, Breitling and Young America announced today. Watch sales will benefit the NYYC/Young America Challenge in its bid to win the America's Cup. The limited edition watch will be a customized Breitling Aerospace watch. The titanium watch will feature the Young America logo and the team's techno shark in its design. The watch retails for $2,200. The Breitling Aerospace is a multifunctional titanium instrument featuring a combined analog and digital display. Functions include minute repeater (audible indication of hour and minute), chronograph, alarm, timer, second time zone, date and day of week. With a large LCD digital readout and oversized hands, the Aerospace is perfectly and instantly legible under all circumstances. Made of titanium, the Aerospace is both lightweight and rugged, imperious to corrosion and non-conducive to allergies. -- Jane Eagleson NYYC/Young America web site at http://www.youngamerica.org * Dawn Riley, the first woman to head an America's Cup campaign, is having strange nightmares. "We didn't have enough food for the boatbuilders on the first day. Two nights later I dreamed the King of Spain came to visit and we didn't have any sandwiches." Lately, Riley has been sitting bolt upright in her new bed in an Auckland apartment after nightmares about the bulb on America True's keel or the gym training schedule. It comes with the job. And as the start of the challenger series draws closer, the dreams will probably get worse. But Riley, the 34-year-old skipper and head of the co-ed America True, is handling it. She believes she is a born boss. "I love organising. That might mean I'm bossy," she said. "I probably would have been an efficiency expert if I wasn't a sailor. It gets my blood going." Riley admits being frustrated in her last two cup campaigns when she could not always have her say. "It was hard when I saw money or time being wasted last time," she said. So she did something about it, and got her own $US20 million syndicate together. Riley, who was baptised on a boat when she was one month old, is a gal of firsts. She was the first woman to sail in a modern-day cup crew, on America3 in 1992, and was the first female skipper of a cup boat, again with America3, in 1995. She is the only woman in the world to have two cup campaigns to her name. "I guess it's something that's unique. You can't deny that the women's side of sport has really taken off at home [in the United States] after the women's soccer World Cup." (She watched it as she was moving out of her San Francisco apartment - a television set and a coffee table the only furniture left.) But Riley does not want this campaign to be seen as another novelty. She wants to be remembered for doing things differently. There is the True Youth programme, where Riley takes up to 10,000 at-risk kids sailing each year. There is the retail store in San Francisco, which sells enough America True hats and tee-shirts to pay for running operations on that side of the world. There is her decision to move the syndicate to Auckland earlier than everyone else. Where other challengers have shied away from a "wild" winter in Auckland, the Trues have hardly missed a day of sailing on the gulf since they got serious a month ago. Then the "true" word pops up again: "Our theory of just telling the truth. No fluff. Just 'this is what we are doing.'" Suzanne McFadden, New Zealand Herald Complete story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ KING OF THE HILL If information is power, we have a shortcut that can make you 'King of the Hill." Check into West Marine's new website -- it's truly amazing. If you want to do some comparison shopping, this website has everything you need to make an intelligent choice whether you're looking for an anchor or sailing sandals. There is also weather information, discussion groups and the West Advisor provides valuable information on everything from bottom paint to wind generators. This is one website you must visit. But do it when you have some time -- there's a lot there to experience: http://www.westmarine.com/ 470 EUROPEAN CHAPIONSHIP ZADAR CROATIA -- Final Results: Women (50 boats): 1 JPN Shige /Kinoshita, 20; 2 UKR Taran /Pakholchik, 20; 3 DEN Ward /Ward, 42; 4 AUS Danks /Bucek, 51; 5 NED Westerhof /Verbeek, 57; 6 AUS Armstrong /Stowell, 61; 7 USA Isler /Glaser, 70; 8 GER Truebel /Grosser, 70; 9 GRE Bekatorou /Tsoulfa, 71; 10 ISR Shany /Anat, 72. Men (92 boats) 1 SWE Mould /Rahm, 42; 2 SLO Copi /Margon, 51; 3 FRA Philippe /Cariou, 74; 4 FIN Leskinen /Heinila, 76; 5 UKR Braslevits /Matvienko, 79; 6 ESP Garcia /Paramo, 89; 7 ESP Martinez /Cantero, 92; 8 FIN Posti /Hongisto, 94; 9 POR Marinho /Nunes, 107; 10 USA Foerster /Merrick, 112. BEMIS/SMYTHE TROPHY REGATTA Kaneohe Yacht Club, Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawaii -- After four races: SYMTHE TROPHY: 1. Lewis, Andrew, Area H (6 points) 2. Brown, Steve, Area J, (8) 3. Lake, Bryan, Area J (17) 4. Johnson, Clay, Area C (18) 5. Baranaskas, Brian Area B (25). BEMIS TROPHY: 1. Thompson, Evan /Hitchins, Pat Area K (7) 2. Hogan, Scott /Halvorsen, Amy Area J (9) 3. Megla, Matt /Boyd, Jonathan Area J (17) 4. Schmidt, Andy /Clausen, Katie Area G (21) 5. Gent, Ben /Bancroft, Elizabeth Area A (19) Complete results: http://www.hawaii.rr.com/smythe-bemis/ CORRECTION New J/120 NA Champion CC Rider is co-owned by Chick, not Chuck Pyle. LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. -- From Chris Welsh -- Pity the 17 year old sailor who has circumnavigated with his family, yet is not qualified to race in the next Sydney-Hobart Race due to his age... -- From Dieter Loibner -- What do Columbus, and "weird" sailboat designs have in common? Being different. Around A.D. 1490 Columbus was dismissed when he first broached the idea of sailing west to get to India, because he obviously disputed common knowledge that the world is flat. A.D. 1999, the Schock 40 (canting ballast, canard rudders) and the Wyliecat 48 (48-foot cat boat) are dismissed from the Big Boat Series because they too defy common practices. Plus they are rare and nobody is sure about their rating. St. Francis Flag Officer Steve Task explained that Red Hornet [the Schock 40 prototype] raced in different classes in 1997 and in 1998 and both times he received complaints from those who felt she did not belong there. He also pointed out that the club is weary of new boats because they are "out to make a statement" for marketing purposes. So this time, to avoid controversy, exotics will not be invited. Task's advice: Go sail other regattas and figure out where you belong. Or sell enough units to have your own class. While this may sound right to some, there are other truths that merit acknowledgement: a) You can't make everybody happy, no matter how hard you try. b) If it wasn't for people like Columbus we might still fear that galleons fall into the abyss once they reach the edge of the world. COTTONFIELD ISAF WORLD MATCH RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS How many sailing events attract a king, two princes and a pope? The Cottonfield ISAF World Match Racing Championship looks like breaking all records in the royalty and religion department. The man who has been know as the King of Sailing since he started collecting Olympic medals back in 1948, Paul Elvstrom, is here trying to sell us a new format of competition which he has called "Triple Racing", but more of that later. Of course no ISAF event would be complete without the man who has become known as the Pope of sailing, Paul Henderson, standing next to Elvstrom he makes a remarkable contrast, one being as rotund and the other is lean. Later in the week, the championship will be graced with the presence of two members of the Danish Royal Family, His Royal Highness Prince Henrik, and his son Prince Frederik will join the king and the pope for a demonstration of "Triple Racing". On Sunday evening at the SKS/KDY Match Race Centre, skippers and crews were introduced to the concept of "Triple Racing", and seven of them agreed to try the new game during their practice sessions on Monday. Described as "match racing with three boats," it is, of course, not quite as simple as that, and would possibly be better referred to as a cross between match racing and fleet racing. For the sake of brevity I will try and simplify what has the potential to be a very complicated game. As the name implies, three boats take part in each race, but only the winner scores a point, second and third place count for nothing. This really makes being in the lead a very uncomfortable place to be, because the two boats behind have nothing to gain by fighting each other, and all to gain by attacking the leader. For the leading boat to cover just one of his pursuers, leaves the other free find his way into the lead. A modified gate start is used, which keeps the boats apart, ensuring no pre-start manoeuvring, so that the race isn't won and lost on the starting line. Ideally there are also double windward and leeward marks, with a downwind finish through the gate formed by the two leeward marks. The tactical nuances are probably more subtle that in match racing, and the outcome of each race is more likely to be in doubt until the very end. So what was the verdict on this new cross between match and fleet racing? England's Chris Law said, "I'm confused", Australian skipper Peter Gilmour, who is sailing for Japan was non-committal, Dean Barker and team thought it was OK, but they'll stick to match racing. The other radical idea that Elvstrom has introduced to his "Triple Racing", which he is also canvassing for all racing, is allowing competitors to hit the marks. He points out that in these days of fibreglass boats and inflatable marks, no damage is generally done, and rarely would any tactical advantage be made. The man who has bought more innovation to sailing than most, is still pushing the boundaries after more than fifty years in the sport. -- John Roboson IT JUST KEEPS GOING AND GOING Everyone has a favorite sea bag, but the one the curmudgeon always carries to weekend regattas is a lot like the 'energizer bunny' - it just keeps going and going. It's a Camet bag I got in 1997 when I served as a judge for the Star Class NAs. After two years of weekly workouts plus some trips to some pretty exotic places, it still looks as fresh and stylish as it did in '97. Check out the whole line of Camet bags, backpacks and briefcases: http://www.camet.com/ TIP O' THE WEEK Five Simple Ways to Improve Speed: 1. Try to point only AFTER you are up to full speed. This allows you to gain maximum lift off the keel and rudder foils. 2. Place telltales on the leeches of your sails (75% of the way up). These will tell you if the sails are free-flowing, or stalled (and might need to be eased). 3. Set your sails for the wind, AND WAVE CONDITIONS. Flatter sails for flatter water... fuller, more powerful sails in choppier water. 4. Know your mode. Your whole team should always know whether you're in point mode (high), or foot mode (fast). Foot mode:bow down, main and jib eased. Point mode: bow up, main and jib trimmed. 5. Number and mark all key control settings onboard. Mark all halyards and controls so fast settings can be easily duplicated. -- The Coach at Sailweb.net. MULTIHULL CHAMPIONSHIPS LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA -- The story of the event is the blazing speed and flawless tactics of world champion mulihuller Randy Smyth from Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, sailing with his wife Paula at the Prindle 19 Nationals. After 15 races run by the Alamitos Bay YC in Long Beach, California, July 17-23, Team Smyth scored a remarkable 15 points with a second-place throwout and a second-place keeper. The rest were bullets. Team Smyth, who won the Worrell 1000 this year on a NACRA 6.0na, was sailing a Prindle 19 MX with half of the fleet while the rest were sailing "classic" Prindle 19s. The MX version has a larger mainsail with a modified jib which work together to increase the stock Prindle's performance. The class allows both MX and "classic" versions to race together until all sailors are on the MX. -- Amy Elliott, Nautical Promotions Results: Prindle 19 Nationals (1) Randy and Paula Smyth, Ft. Walton Beach, FL 15 (2) Paul Richter and Lisa Lang, San Diego, CA 35 (3) John Main and Damon La Casella, Chatsworth, CA 41 (4) Karl and Sharon Wagner, King Harbor YC 51 (5) Graham Bambery and James Jones, Hawaii 78 NACRA 5.8 North Americans: (1) Scott Klodowski and Georgette Haverluk, Long Beach, CA 30 (2) Ed and Shirley Cutshall, Long Beach, CA 41 (3) Tom Peters and Jim Korkosz, Malibu, CA 53 (4) Dan de Lave and Chris Herman, San Diego, CA 53 (5) Brendon Busch and Christa Litzenberger, San Francisco, CA 57 49er GRAND PRIX The 49er Grand Prix is moving to the Northern European Series, with the German GP in Eckernforde this weekend (august 19-22) followed by the final, the Swedish GP in Goteborg (august 26-29). This series in its inaugural year has attracted all the top 49er sailors from around the globe, wishing to be a part of what the high performance skiff was meant to do for Olympic sailing; to create fast, exciting racing with an opportunity to watch for spectators on land and television viewers at home. With all racing taking place in attractive locations on the usual 49er "crash-and-burn" type short course the series has already been shown on the major European sport channels, Eurosport and Sky Sport and is scheduled for Australian national TV in October. All TV fixtures for the Northern Series will be published on the GP web site, http://www.eventsbandol.com/49ergrandprix as they are released. Surprising no one, so far the GP series has been a fight between the top Australian skiffs Renault (Adam Beashel) and Bandol (Chris Nicholson) closely followed by McLube (Jonathan McKee, USA). The pointscorers so far: 1 Renault - Adam BEASHAL/Teaque CZISLOWSKI - Australia 2 Bandol - Chris NICHOLSON/ Daniel PHILIPS - Australia 3 McLube - Jonathan McKEE/Charlie McKEE - USA 4 Helly Hansen - Alister RICHARDSON/ Peter GREENHALGH England 5 TNT - Francesco BRUNI/Gabriele BRUNI - Italy 6 Produits Laitiers - Dimitri DERUELLE/Philippe GASPARINI - France 7 WCP - Tim ROBINSON/Zeb ELLIOTT - England 7 Produits Laitiers - Marc AUDINEAU/Julien FARNARIER - France 9 MUSTO - Marcus BAUR/Philip BARTH - Germany 9 Banks Sails - Andy BUDGEN/Ian BUDGEN - England 11 Holt Allen - Ian BARKER/Simon Hiscocks - England 10 ISA-Supermash - Rodion LUKA/George LEONCHUK - Ukraine 11 Zap! - Paul BROTHERTON / Mo GRAY England For more information: http://www.eventsbandol.com/49ergrandprix/ OUTTA HERE The Rockin' Chair is fueled up and we're heading for Catalina Island -- right now. To stay current while we're gone, check into the ISAF website (http://www.sailing.org). 'Butt will be back on Monday. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. |
