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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 1038 - March 29, 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.
PROTEST SEB sailed straight into Illbruck in a crossing, and punched a tennis ball-sized hole in the German boat. When SEB reached Miami - the finish for the fifth leg - on Wednesday, a big chunk of foam and dinner plate-sized areas of its own Kevlar hull skins were missing from the false-bow area, a feature which all boats have as collision protection. "In the opinion of the race committee this constitutes serious damage," said the race committee's protest form. Having taken action in Cape Town against Illbruck's illegal propeller strut weed-cutter and against two boats for failing to observe traffic separation zones when leaving the South African port (subsequently dropped, somewhat ironically, as the race committee found the rules did not apply to yachts) the move against SEB comes as no surprise. SEB performed a 720-degree penalty turn at the time to acknowledge its foul. In Miami all Krantz would say of the incident was that "it was simple human error" in communication between the bowman and helmsman when trying to dip behind Illbruck. Krantz and Illbruck's skipper, John Kostecki, have agreed not to identify the helmsman. In nearly 30 years of Whitbread/Volvo races, this is believed to be the first boat-to-boat collision. Krantz's team finished leg five in fourth place, their best result, but lie seventh overall. Despite having his rules adviser on hand, Kostecki decided not to file his own protest: having led for a week and finished second, claiming compensation would have been tough. - Tim Jeffery, Daily Telegraph, UK, full story: sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ * From the VOR Race Committee: "Standard Sailing Instruction 1.6.1 requires the Race Committee to protest SEB for having caused serious damage to herself during a collision with illbruck, for which she acknowledged her breach of RRS 10 (racing rules of sailing) and took the required penalty at the time of the incident. "On the first night of racing during leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race from Rio de Janeiro to Miami, a collision occurred between SEB, skippered by Swede, Gunnar Krantz, and illbruck, skippered by American John Kostecki. "The loss of non-structural skins and damage to the underlying foam forward of the collision bulkhead on SEB does not, in our opinion, constitute 'serious' damage. However, other damage to SEB, specifically the partial crushing of the forward collision bulkhead and the associated damage to the hull immediately aft of that bulkhead, has compromised the watertight integrity of the hull in an area frequently immersed during sailing. In the opinion of the Race Committee, this constitutes 'serious damage'. The Race Committee does not consider the damage sustained by illbruck during the collision to be serious damage." - www.volvooceanrace.com CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: The Yacht Racing website has a great Andrew Ferguson photo of SEB's mangled bow. It's really ugly: www.yachtracing.com
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
ELAPSED TIMES- Leg Five:
RACE STANDINGS after five legs:
WEEKEND WARRIORS
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Steve Dashew: We've used an articulating bowsprit on our 78'-ketch, Beowulf, for nearly 40,000 miles now. For leadmines which are apparent wind machines, these provide a huge improvement in the down wind rig efficiency and VMG. And, if the control mechanism is set up correctly with "preventers" the risks of the bowsprit falling to leeward are negligible. If the bowsprit is set to leeward, or caught there in a jibe, the impact on the rig is one of lowered efficiency. My wife and I sail Beowulf on our own, and always have either an asymmetric chute or code zero flying on the end of our bowsprit downwind - and we've yet to have a major problem. * From Steve Brownsea: How quickly we forget, in regards to the living space in the VO60, if you have ever done a distance race on a IOR one toner you will have a different perspective on comfort. * From Ken Guyer In 'Butt 1037 Enrico Ferrari says that One World's Cup campaign and their "focus" on environmental recycling, has taken the moral high ground and should be a shining example for all involved. With all due respect, I think I will wait for the outcome of the investigations and lawsuits alleging theft of design and technology on the part of One World before I am able to digest that statement to agreement. Also the notion that an American challenger should be comprised of Aussies, Kiwis, and Brits ("One World") does not belong in the long tradition and origin of the America's Cup. If you want that to be the prevailing theme, spend your dollars creating your own regatta. * From Bruce H. Munro: On the question of the Europeans building their own GPS, will Americans have the right to use it royalty free just as they have been doing with our system for the past several years? If so, we could switch back and forth between systems to see which is more accurate. * From John Forster: Having lived in both Europe and the US over the last 10 years I think the opening comment on your article is insulting to Europeans. At present the Europeans are level or ahead in a number of aspects of technology. For example it is very easy to purchase a cell phone in England that will work on all systems easily throughout Europe and the world. This is new expensive technology in the US. I could then move on to other more mundane items but will not. I'm sure your comments will be taken as a considerable insult to Europeans and think it deserves either an apology or details on the facts that have lead to this statement. In this you should consider all aspects of technology. CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: I'll certainly make sure that the editors of Latitude 38 - the source of that story - become aware of your thoughts.
CONGRESSIONAL CUP The 40-year-old sailor from the U.S. Virgin Islands leapfrogged Sweden's Magnus (No Relation) Holmberg in the Swedish Match Tour rankings by winning the Steinlager/ Line 7 Cup at Auckland, N.Z. last week, following his Bermuda Gold Cup victory in October. This week, updated calculations by the International Sailing Federation also moved him past his Swedish rival in the ISAF rankings for all of the world's match racers. Peter Holmberg now has a narrow lead over Magnus, 10,673 points to 10,613, but figures to stretch that in Magnus' absence. Earlier, Gram-Hansen had replaced Magnus Holmberg in the Congressional Cup lineup because of demands in the Swedish Victory Challenge's development program for the America's Cup.
The Congressional Cup skippers and their new and previous ISAF rankings are: The lineup includes the last six winners: Holmberg in 1998, '99 and 2001, Barker in 2000, Brady in '96 and '97, and Davis, the only four-time winner, in '81, '85, '89 and '93---the first two when he was a California resident before moving to New Zealand. The Congressional Cup's total purse is $25,000. The top eight finishers receive Swedish Match Tour Championship Prize points. The top eight point leaders at the conclusion of the Swedish Match Tour divide a $200,000 prize purse, with the Swedish Match Tour champion receiving $60,000. - Rich Roberts, www.lbyc.org
EASY IDENTIFICATION
TROPHEE JULES VERNE "Another little effort and we should be able to worm our way under the nasty secondary low that's been preoccupying us for some days... the cold is back and the boys on watch are taking it in turns at thirty minute stints on the helm under the assault of the fire hoses, " said Bruno Peyton. "The sea is still a bit crossways on. It's damp on board but it's the price to pay for remaining on the right track. The south is living up to its reputation? no surprises!" - www.maxicatamaran-orange.com/site/en/index2.cfm
QUOTES FROM THE VOR BOATS
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS * July 12-13: Wall Street and Corporate Challenge Cup, Shake-A-Leg-Newport. Benefit regatta contested in five vintage America's Cup 12-meter yachts. www.wsccc.org
DISCOVER SAILING
www.sailamerica.com/discoversailing/flash-yes.cfm
COLLEGIATE SAILING
WOMEN (prev rank):
SPONSORSHIP
HELP IS ON THE WAY
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