SCUTTLEBUTT No. 668 - October 16, 2000

EVERYWHERE

They are absolutely everywhere. They're in Norway, Japan, Spain, the UK and Canada. There are two each in Australia and Mexico. Italy has three and there are 10 in the USA. That's 22 in all, and every one of these Ullman sail lofts will give a quote on a new sail to show you just how affordable improved performance can be for your boats:

http://www.ullmansails.com/

SYDNEY - HOBART RACE
At least four Volvo Ocean 60s, near sisterships to Nokia, the record-slashing line honours winner last year, are expected to contest the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Negotiations are also under way to bring Nokia back to Australia to defend the race record of 1 day 19 hours 48 minutes 2 seconds she set in last year's race. Like the Danished-owned Nokia, which slashed 18 hours off the record for the 630 nautical mile course in a surfing dash to Hobart, the other VO 60s from Germany, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the USA, and possibly Norway, are water ballasted yachts.

News Corporation, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies, announced in New York that it will enter a yacht in the Volvo Ocean Race, with a training program that includes an entry in the Telstra Sydney to Hobart starting on December 26, 2000. Other syndicates preparing for the 2001-2002 Volvo Ocean Race, the around-the-world race previously called the Whitbread Race, and planning to contest this year's Hobart Race, include Germany's illbruck (illbruck), the USA-based Team Rudigar, and from the new owners of Beau Geste, the former Whitbread 60 Chessie Racing which, until recently was owned in Hong Kong by Karl Kwok, a past Sydney to Hobart race winner. The Norwegian Djuice Dragons syndicate, which is building two new Laurie Davidson-designed Volvo 60s in New Zealand, is also a likely competitor in the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart.

The 2001 Sydney to Hobart will be a leg of the 2001-2000 Volvo Ocean Race that starts from Southampton in England in September next year. After racing from Southampton to Cape Town, then to Sydney, the fleet of 16 boats will start with the Sydney to Hobart fleet and, after a three-hour "pit stop" in Hobart will continue across the Tasman Sea to Auckland.

Not since the 50th Sydney to Hobart back in 1994 have so many big boat owners indicated their intention to contest the tough race down the Australian East Coast to Tasmania in December. With applications to enter the race closing at the end of this month with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, indications are that the fleet will include three 80-footers, Shockwave, Nicorette and Wild Thing, the 76-footers Brindabella and Marchioness, the Open 60, Exena, and at least four Volvo Ocean 60s. All the big boats, except Brindabella and Marchioness, will be water-ballasted.

Hot favourite for line honours already is Shockwave, the sensationally fast carbon fibre maxi designed by American naval architects Reichel/Pugh and built by McConaghy Boats for Sydney-based New Zealander Neville Crichton. - Peter Campbell

LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net)
Letters selected to be printed may be edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This is not a bulletin board or a chat room - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.

-- From Ted Ritter, Fort Lauderdale - It was circa 1960 when Carl Eichenlaub was a 30 year old builder of wood Lightning class sloops in San Diego, his boats were so highly regarded that the motto became; "Any slob can will in an Eichenlaub" Carl himself would show up at regattas at my club (Coronado YC) resplendent in low riding, boat glue covered jeans, threatening to fall down any second, rumpled hair and a look like he had just been awakened. More often than not, he would sail one his own master pieces to take a top finish. As a 16 yr. old Penquin skipper at the time, Carl, for me is a fond & indelible memory. Carl not only exemplifies the spirit of the Nathaniel B. Herreshoff trophy, but is very much like Nat himself. A perfect choice.

-- From Dave Soderlund, Honolulu - My mind picture is Carl walking around Big Boat with bib-overalls, cap, a big cigar stuck in his mouth, and wool gloves with the fingers cut off. I have a Sabot he build sitting in my garage he built in 196?. What a guy! Well deserved!

-- From Scott Diamond - Sure I can find things to complain about US Sailing, but I think I got my forty bucks worth. I can't say I always feel I get my moneys worth from my Yacht Club dues or Federal Taxes.

-- From Roy Williams - Bob Merrick's article mentioned and interesting point: "The British, with the help of substantial government funding, have both made huge strides over the past four years" It's the source of much this funding that is interesting. Sailors in the US may not know that the bulk of the money comes from the British Lottery. When the lottery was set up funds were allocated in a way such that: " For every L1 spent on the UK National Lottery..... 28p is added to the National Lottery Distribution Fund, which is a pool of money allocated to arts, sports and charities that bid for it." .....of that money sports get 5.6% or 5.6 pence. See: http://lottery.merseyworld.com/Info/Causes.html

This translates into some huge numbers: Community capital awards to date (March 1995 - April 2000) for sailing and yachting in the UK: Sailing & Yachting - L31,024,770. See: http://www.english.sports.gov.uk/lottery/facts_and_figures/billion_sport.htm

Meanwhile: "Lottery money has been invested in elite sport since 1997.....Over L60 million has been invested to date to ensure that the UK's best sportsmen and women have the support they need to be competitive at the highest level. "

"Those sports competing in Sydney that are benefiting from the UK Sport Lottery-funded World Class Performance Programme are: .......Sailing - L5,138,765 (Paralympic element included in overall plan)". See: http://www.uksport.gov.uk/cgi-bin/read-article.cgi?articleid=65

For more info about these programs, see: http://www.english.sports.gov.uk/gateway/gateway_1.htm

The results seem to speak for themselves!

-- From Douglas Johnstone - Did anybody else notice that the issue of the Butt with the bad news about North/ Sobstad was numbered 666. Ominous indeed. I think it is a shame that Conrad and Whidden could not settle their differences and save us from this pitiful story. Oh well, as they say in England, Game On!

-- From John Butler, Commodore, Western Carolina Sailing Club - I just received a memo from Dan Nowlan (Offshore Director, USSA) about the proposed changes regarding the advertising categories. It seems to be too late to influence anyone at the Annual General Meeting in New Orleans since it's in progress now. However, the proposed default to category C for handicap fleets really puzzles the racers in our club.

What we are concerned about is the fairness of our sport - keeping a level playing field. We interpret your memo to mean that the new rule book would call for a mandatory default to category C for handicap racing - in effect, dictated by US SAILING. Since category C allows considerable advertising, we believe that such a rule will compromise fairness by raising the cost for those who do not obtain sponsorship. If we lose a race, we hope the reason was that the winner was a better sailor; not that he or she was backed by more money. When fairness is compromised, so is the fun; and fun is the ultimate objective. Thus, under the new rules, we would lose participation.

We have a few questions:
1. What was the problem with race organizers choosing the categories? (Is there some issue that we have not recognized?)
2. How will the proposed change make sailboat racing better?
3. Why should the national authority dictate the advertising category to local fleets - especially PHRF fleets, whose handicaps are administered locally?
4. Why was category C chosen as the default? Why not category A?

-- Response from Dan Nowlan, Offshore Director, US SAILING - US SAILING has opposed this concept, but we are in the minority. We believe that the proposed rule (which can be viewed at the ISAF website - www.sailing.org) will be approved at the forthcoming ISAF Annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland during the first week in November. Given that scenario, as Offshore Director of US SAILING, I sent the following letter.

Regarding Mr. Butler's first two questions - I will not attempt to give answers. There is clearly disagreement in the US of what is best for the fleets. Again, the decision is being made at the international level.

Regarding question 3 - The proposed rule states places responsibility for selecting the advertising level with the National Authority and inaction results in permitting advertising. That's why we wrote the letter. To avoid inaction.

The 4th question is an excellent one. It is one our ISAF delegation will try to clarify in Edinburgh.

PLAYSTATION
(Tom Weaver will be crewing on Steve Fossett's maxi-catamaran PlayStation for The Race. He discusses that adventure on the Quokka Sailing website, and here are two excerpts from that story.)

* PlayStation is currently in the boat yard undergoing a scheduled re-fit which includes lengthening the boat by 20 feet. This is no small job. For the past month and a half a team led by boatbuilder Sean Regan at the Green Marine facility in Spitfire key, Southampton, has been working around the clock making the new pieces. Each new bow is approximately 50-feet long (for grafting), and looks seriously big in the shed! This has been the equivalent of building two new 50-foot boats out of high-tech composite materials in less than 45 days.

Meanwhile, we had to get the boat out of the water and disassembled in a next door facility. The boat had to be shored up and leveled precisely to add the new bow, and this was done with a laser. Accuracy is key if the new boat is going to be square and plumb.

Once the boat is square and level the old bows are cut off and the new sections grafted on. Then the forward crossbeam is installed and with a lick of paint we are ready to go. In the light of the problems experienced by the other boats great care has been taken in the engineering and construction process. The crew, meanwhile, has taken the opportunity to develop minor improvements throughout the boat.

* PlayStation will be the biggest boat in The Race at 125 feet long and 60 feet wide. I am an advocate that bigger is better. The new bows will give the boat a much higher cruising speed, and we can maintain these high speeds in a seaway within the limits of safety. The front crossbeam has been lifted and this will give us more clearance in a seaway to reduce the possibility of a pitch-pole. With the massive sail plan PlayStation is the most powerful boat in The Race and our light-air performance should be good. All in all, the boat has proven structurally reliable and we should have a good shot at winning. - Tom Weaver, for Quokka Sports

Full story: http://www.quokkasailing.com/expert/10/SLQ_1012_weaver_WFC.html

3DLx
(Following are two excerpts from a story presently posted on the boats.com website.)

* Since the US District Court's decision over six months ago that North Sails' flagship 3DL brand infringes patents held by Sobstad Sails, there has been widespread speculation on what alternatives North might have in manufacturing and marketing an equivalent product. While the lawsuit smoldered on in the background for several years, the capital investment and promotional efforts made by North in 3DL have been enormous; the company seems solidly behind the product.

* With so much at stake, it would seem logical that sail designers at North would be furiously at work trying to develop an alternate, yet equal, product to 3DL. The folks at North are understandably quiet on the subject, yet recently there have been some sails used in high-profile events which have piqued interest in this issue. Without a particular brand label, these sails have been collectively identified as '3DLx', with the modifier added to indicate their experimental nature.

What's distinctive about these sails is not their shape or materials used, but the orientation of their threadlines. Whereas 3DL sails have threads which run continuously from clew to head, tack to clew, and tack to head (and allegedly in violation of the Sobstad-held patents on "structural reinforcement" within sails), the 3DLx sails show fiber alignments distributed radially from the corners, but terminating on the edges of the sail rather than at another corner. Presumably this pattern falls free of the Sobstad patent constraints.

The claim that 3DLx sails have been developed perhaps in response to the unfavorable Court decision is invalidated by the fact that some sails appeared in the America's Cup which displayed the same pattern. Since then, 3DLx sails have appeared at such high-profile events as the Kenwood Cup last August and last weekend's DuPont Sailmaker Challenge, organized by Sailing World at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis. ! - Boats.com website

Full story: http://boats.com/content/default_detail.jsp?contentid=11111

YOU KNOW WHAT PUMPKINS MEAN...
All those glowing toothy wonders mean that it's getting cold out on the water and that the holiday season, and a bumper crop of electric shaver ads, can't be far behind. During the holidays, or anytime of year, if you're searching for new gift ideas try International Crew. Our catalog is strictly nautical, complimentary, and available now. For a catalog, E-mail: sales@internationalcrew.com or call toll-free 888/891-6601, or visit us on the internet at http://www.internationalcrew.com

BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE
Huge crowds had lined the pontoons at Boston Harbour to wave goodbye to the BT Global Challenge teams as they set sail for the start of Leg Two of the Challenge. More spectators took to the water and a few helicopters took to the air to see the yachts begin Leg Two and head back out into the Atlantic Ocean. The boats are expected to be at sea for about 35 days with an estimated time of arrival in Buenos Aires around 18 November.

John Keating, Race Headquarters manager, said, "Unlike the start of the last leg it will be an upwind start. If the wind goes round to south west they won't be tacking, they will be beating going up the North Channel. They may even be able to fly a kite. It could be quite interesting. It will be very much a tactical thing as to how the skippers decide the best way to get their speed up that North Channel."

On Monday the winds are forecast to increase to 20, 25 or even 30 knots whilst on Tuesday they could be as high as 35 knots at times. "By then they will be going either down or across the Gulf Stream and it will give them wind over current which will give them quite a lumpy sea, so there will probably be quite a lot of seasickness around," said Keating. - Liz Addis, Quokka Sports

Full story: http://www.btchallenge.com/news/2000/10/News_567.html

OPEN DE ESPANA MATCH RACE
Bayona, Pontevedra, Spain (Grade 1 event) - French skipper Luc Pillot was the winner of the 7th Spanish Open yacht race that ended Saturday. The wind was strong throughout the week with torrential rain not providing good racing conditions. Unfortunately the wind died on the last day and the final had to be cancelled. Luc Pillot won the event, beating young Australian Spithill on a count back.

Final results: 1. LUC PILLOT. FRANCE. 2. JAMES SPITHILL, AUSTRALIA, 3. ANDY GREEN, UNITED KINGDOM, 4. JESPER R. JOHANSEN, DENMARK, 5. RUSSELL COUTTS, NEW ZEALAND, 6. PHILIPPE PRESTI, FRANCE, 7. SEBASTIEN DESTREMAU, AUSTRALIA, 8. GONZALO ARAUJO, SPAIN, 9. FRANCESCO DE ANGELIS, ITALY, 10. STAFFAN LINDBERG, FINLAND.

Event website: http://www.montereal.es/OpenMenu/English/Leftmenus/All.htm

THE CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL
Never mess up an apology with an excuse.