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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 555 - April 24, 2000SIZING-UP THE COMPETITION(On the SailNet website, Pete Melvin, the co-designer of PlayStation, examines the roster of speed machines that will make their way to Barcelona for next winter's start of The Race. Following is an excerpt from that story.) When December 31 finally rolls around, the waterfront in Barcelona, Spain, will be a lively place. At least seven colossal sailing machines are expected to show up at this starting venue for the non-stop, 'round-the-world marathon titled simply The Race. The brainchild of ocean-adventurer Bruno Peyron, The Race will feature the fastest offshore sailing craft ever created, crewed by some of the most experienced and intrepid sailors on the planet, and regardless of your outlook, this epic event is destined to be a phenomenon. The route of The Race will take the boats south through the Mediterranean Sea and then out into the Atlantic, where they'll head south, cross the equator, and then bear east around the tip of Africa and into the Indian Ocean. The next mark of the course is Cape Horn. The shortest and fastest course to that southern promontory will take the competitors as far south as possible through the notorious southern ocean. Here, the navigators must be careful to avoid icebergs and the intense, low-pressure systems that rake this region of the globe. After successfully rounding the Horn, the boats will charge north up the Atlantic and back to Barcelona, arriving some 60-plus days after the start. (The existing record, set in 1997 by Olivier de Kersauson aboard Sport Elec, stands at 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, and 8 seconds.) Designed to be the fastest ocean-going sailboats ever built, these behemoths are ultimately destined to break all the major ocean-crossing records. The no-holds-barred parameters of The Race mean that to win it, you must have a fast boat and you must survive a nonstop circumnavigation. These two conflicting requirements present some interesting challenges for designers and competitors alike. The design rules for The Race are straightforward and easy to understand, even for those not familiar with sailboat racing. Entries are open to any sailboat that operates its sail plan by human power. No stored energy, such as electric or hydraulic winches, will be allowed to help the crew handle the enormous loads these sail plans regularly generate. This provision effectively limits the physical size of the rig to that which can be handled by conventional winches, and consequently it governs the size of the boat. It's no coincidence that all seven teams that are expected to participate will be sailing large catamarans, of which all but two are new boats that have been (or are being) specifically designed and built for The Race. It's apparent that each team's designer has come to the same conclusion-that a larger and faster catamaran with equivalent rigging loads is preferable to a smaller, slower trimaran. Four new catamarans in the 105 to 110-foot range are currently being built, and it's safe to assume that the designers believe this represents the upper limit of size that can be sailed efficiently using currently existing technology. By comparison, a monohull capable of matching the speed of these catamarans would need to be 200-feet-plus in length with multiple rigs to handle the required sail plan, all of which would be significantly more expensive. -- Pete Melvin To read Melvin's thoughts about each of the racers -- PlayStation, Club Med, Code One, Team Adventure, Team Philips, Millennium Challenge & Polpharman: http://www.sailnet.com/collections/racing/index.cfm?articleid=melvin002 THE RACE All 'Buttheads are invited to attend the launching of the 110-foot maxi-catamaran, Club Med. The launching will take place on Monday May 8th, starting at 10.00, at the Multiplast Composite Yachts boatyard, Vannes, France. The programme for the event is as follows : - 10.00 : Welcoming speech by Philippe Bourguignon, CEO of Club Mediterranee and Gilles Ollier, architect and builder of the boat. - 10.15 : Revealing of the boat - 10.45 : Craning - 11.15 : Launching of Club Med and speech by Grant Dalton (NZ). Presentation of the crew. - 12.00 : Stepping of mast begins (duration 1 hour). - 12.15 : Discover the exhibition on the 50th anniversary of the Club and lunch in the marquee. - 14.15 : End of the event. Did I mention that this invitation is limited to attending the launching via the Internet? http://www.clubmed.com AMERICA'S CUP (The nationalistic Team New Zealand found room for just two Americans on their team of 70: Clay Oliver, 47, a Naval Academy graduate with a knack for computerized assessment of boat design innovations, and Bob Rice, a New Hampshire-based weather guru. Washington Post sports columnist Angus Phillips recently talked with Clay Oliver, co-designer and backup crewman on Team New Zealand, about the reasons for the Kiwi's success in the recent America's Cup. Here are two excerpts from Phillips' story.) * To what does Oliver attribute Team New Zealand's stunning success? "It's the old American cowboy approach: quiet, hard-working, an adventurous spirit. New Zealand is a country founded on the idea you can get through anything with baling wire and a pair of pliers. "In this case, the cowboy was the sailor and the whole program was built around him. "The guys on the boat drove the program. They'd come up with ideas of how to make things better, then we'd work out the sophisticated parts. "In other programs I've been involved with, the designers sit in an office, have an idea, design the best boat they can and give it to the sailors. If it doesn't work, you blame the sailors, the sails. "In the Kiwis' case there's no one to blame, we were all in it together." The format meant double duty for Oliver. He sailed the boats in two-boat training all day, then went back to the office to work on design into the night. Hours were long, he said, but it was an unprecedented chance for an amateur to sail with top professionals. It was pure bliss, said Oliver, whose previous competitive sailing was mostly in the big-boat program at the Naval Academy as a midshipman. * Team New Zealand wound up with a boat dramatically faster than any of the challengers. The experience was so broadening, Oliver now intends to hang out a shingle and set up shop in Annapolis as a full-time yacht designer, at least for awhile. Having won the Cup, he'd like to design a boat all by himself, something he's never done. He has several potential commissions in hand and is looking for office space, he said. "Any suggestions?" With his extensive Cup background, including high-profile stints with winners Dennis Conner in 1987 and now Team New Zealand in 2000, Oliver is sure to latch on with a team for the next event in 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand. The phone has been ringing, he said, but he doesn't need to declare his intentions until next March and plans to spend some time at home with his family. -- Angus Phillips, Washington Post Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64304-2000Apr23.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. But only one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if people disagree. -- From David Pedrick -- Many thanks to Ken Rose for his enlightened remarks about healthy intellectual development in the sport of sailing. He brings a fresh breath of sanity into the 3DL debate. English loft Banks Sails put load-engineered fiber orientation on the map thirty-five years ago, and it is regrettable that such a fundamental, rational concept benefitting all subsequent sail engineering became ensnared in U.S. patent law twenty years later. It appears that litigious, self-interested parties have gotten their threadlines into a twist to the detriment of the consumer and the sport. Sobstad and North, how about giving credit where it's due, settling the squabble and putting all that intellectual effort and legal expense back into productive sail development? -- From Bill Cook -- I think that everyone needs to be reminded that North owns patents as well - on key elements of the 3DL process. I am not aware of any desire on their part to offer licenses to their competitors. I don't think I would if I were Terry Kohler. I make no statement as to the merits of either North's or Sobstad's case in this matter. But I do know that patents are a vitally important means of protecting intellectual property, without which many valuable inventions will never see the light of day. Patents quite often protect a small inventor from having his intellectual property taken without compensation by a larger company that has more resources "to exploit the potential of his...product." If you don't believe that can happen, look into Edward Armstrong (inventor of FM radio) vs. RCA. The venerable Olin Stephens makes an intriguing suggestion (to outlaw use of patented devices in sailing). I would have to agree that such items could be troublesome if the patent is used to keep other sailors from being able to race competitively. But I am curious how such legislation would be worded. How many patents does Harken hold? Or Dupont? How about my Oakley sunglasses? Or my anti-fouling bottom paint? It seems that a LOT of products would be affected, with some unintended consequences. -- From Mason Chrisman -- I was intrigued with Olin's concept of a "Patent Free" world of sailing. But that runs contrary to our ancient American tradition of greed and avarice. Further, what about all the lawyers whose careers would be impacted if we have no patents or lawsuits to file. No, it just isn't the thing to do. -- From Mark Herrmann -- Congratulations Russ (Silvestri)! You organized a great effort and sailed like a champion. I do not know if I could have handled all the distractions off the water as well as you did, but your on the water performance spoke volumes about your resolve to win the US Finn Trials. I am obviously disappointed that I did not win, but the fact that you are the only guy who has been at it longer than I have is some consolation. You have my full support, and I look forward to helping you reach the medal stand in Sydney. Curmudgeon's comment: Very classy! -- From Christian Fevrier -- In spite the fact that Bruno Peyron said nothing about that and continues to use the Volvo logo on his press releases, everybody must know that Volvo is not anymore a sponsor for THE RACE. The Volvo French agent took the decision himself, without refering to his Swedish headquarters. The French agent has been moved to South America since. The Volvo philosophy is about safety and THE RACE doesn't reflects the concept enough well for the car company. Concerning the origins of the AMERICA'S CUP, there were (before decimal currency) 20 shillings to a pound, and a guinea was worth 21 shillings, or L1.05 in decimal. The cash value would therefore have been equivalent to $525. Incidentally, the last guinea coin was minted in 1817, so it was out of date even in 1856 ! However the guinea survived for professional fees and art auction prices until 1971, and there is still a classic horse race called the 2000 Guineas (Cup). That doesn't detract from the rest of the quotation, or from the fact that 100 guineas was a lot of money in 1856. -- From Dave Rustigian -- I know that you have killed all threads to PHRF, however I feel that this may be of importance, as well as newsworthy to the many "Buttheads" that still sail under the PHRF of Southern California rules. At the last Regional Board meeting there was a "first reading" to eliminate the six second per mile penality for carrying both types of spinnakers. What this means to most racers if this passes is that the price of remaining competive in PHRF just went up. At a time when the numbers of boats on the starting lines have dwindled considerabily, which i'm sure, in part, is due to the rising costs of remaining competive, I would think that this is not necessarily a move that will help bring racers back from the golf courses, it will, in fact help send more of them away. I do belive that if enough racers agree with me and let their area handicappers know how they feel, that this can be stopped. I need to emphasize that racers should contact their area handicappers and not the PHRF office. Curmudgeon's comment: Be aware the door to PHRF comments has only been opened wide enough to discuss this issue. -- From Gail M. Turluck -- Free E-USSAILING newsletter--great idea. Free to everyone? Poor idea. Just what preferences do we schmucks who are stupid enough to write checks get, anyway? It is good to have the site free for all to access. If they don't pay then they are welcome to take the time to "surf" through it all and seek out what's new. Having the "keys" to where the updates are, however, really should be reserved for the dues paying members. -- From Dave Millett (re Rich Robert's Transpac Update) -- For those of us that enjoy long distance racing and the breaking of records perhaps you could get the Transpac Board to explain why Transpac needs a speed limit. Exactly what does this accomplish besides discouraging international competitors from bringing their big boats to race. It's time for Transpac to have an unlimited "A" class that can bring what they got and use it. I have heard arguments sighting everything from expense control, to keeping records intact longer, to giving more than one boat the ability to be first to finish. When the winds blowing 25 or 30 and you're going to weather or close reaching in big seas, waterline rules. The boats that sail in the "A" class now change keel bulbs, pole lengths, kite sizes, etc. like the rest of us change our socks. Surely we aren't trying to save them money. Surely the rule isn't meant to help equalize the big guys with the small! Either you have that kind of money or you don't. Nobody who wants to do a Transpac is going to stay home because so and so is bringing a new 80 footer that will knock another half day off the record. The guys that play in that league will just build new 80 footers, or bigger. The guys that don't will go for the fun and the experience, try to win their class, and still have a shot at the overall if they sail really well. OLYMPICS (Here are a couple of brief excerpts from Mike Penner's full page story in Sunday's Los Angeles Times about the 2004 Summer Olympics.) Four years from the 2004 Summer Games, (International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio) Samaranch is less than pleased with Athens' organizational preparation. Construction on a variety of venues is behind schedule. More hotels have to be built. Ground has not been broken for the Olympic athletes' village. If the Games were taken away from the Greeks at the end of the year, the new host city would have 3 1/2 years to get ready--half the customary seven years allotted a host city. An alternate site would need to have most of its venues already in place, meaning, most likely, a city that has already hosted the Summer Games, preferably within the last 20 years. Sydney? It's highly doubtful the IOC would place consecutive Summer Games at the same site, especially in light of the angst that has accompanied the buildup to the 2000 Olympics. Atlanta? Its next Olympic candidacy is expected to be taken seriously when icicles form in Hades. Barcelona? If sangria-addled sportswriters had their way, Barcelona would have been declared permanent Summer Olympic host during the 1992 closing ceremony. One problem as of April 2000: The '92 Olympic village is now an apartment complex. Seoul? IOC executive board member Kim Un Yong threw South Korea's hat into the ring--"We are always ready," he assured fellow IOC members--but Korea already has a major international sporting event, soccer's World Cup, on its plate in 2002. Los Angeles? "We could do it," says Richard Perelman, a member of the board of directors for the Los Angeles 2012 Olympic Bid Committee. "If the facilities were available, relative to date availability, the answer in Los Angeles is undoubtedly 'yes.' " YACHTING--"The sailing community is getting together and they're trying to figure out exactly how sailing would work," Perelman says. "Is Long Beach the best place to do it, or Newport, or San Diego, or the Marina? We'll let the sailing community deal with that." -- Mike Penner, LA Times Full story: http://www.latimes.com/sports/times/20000423/t000038363.html VOLVO OCEAN RACE TeamRudiger announced that Jim DeWitt is its official team artist. DeWitt will also head up the merchandising side of the TeamRudiger effort. DeWitt has completed a new original oil, creatively depicting the stunning power of the VOR 60 yacht and the world's seas. Jim DeWitt will have a booth at the upcoming Pacific Sail Expo at Jack London Square starting April 26th, where the original oil painting will be showcased. Visitors to the show can enter a raffle to win a giclee print of this distinctive painting -- signed by Jim DeWitt and Mark Rudiger. TeamRudiger: http://www.teamrudiger.com/index.html KEEPING SCORE US SAILING has evaluated more than two dozen regatta scoring programs, and the results are now on-line: http://www.ussailing.org/racemgt/scoring_program_reviews/ MEDITERRANEAN RACE WEEK The Saint-Tropez Rolex Cup is undergoing a transformation for this year's regatta. Last year's event incorporated the first Twelve Metre World Championship for eleven years. It was won by owner Patrizio Bertelli and skipper Torben Grael, sailing Kiwi Magic, perhaps ironically, given the defeat of Prada by Team New Zealand in the America's Cup 2000. This year's event is modelled on the successful race weeks now run everywhere from Key West to Cowes. Of course, the Saint-Tropez Rolex Cup will have a distinctly Mediterranean feel, as befitting this most famous and Mediterranean of towns. Hosted by the Yacht Club de Saint-Tropez and supported by Rolex, the new look regatta will consist of four days of inshore racing. The social scene ashore will open with the traditional welcome from the town of Saint-Tropez. The race village will be on the water as it was last year, and the prize giving ceremony will be in the superb Citadelle, overlooking the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. The Regatta will begin with registration on Thursday 15th June, and the racing will run from Friday 16th June to Monday 19th June. This final day will also be the first day of racing for the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2000. Entry is open to International Measurement System (IMS) and Offshore Racing Council (ORC) Club boats over 8.0 metres in length. And it is intended to run class racing for the Corel 45, Farr 40, Sydney 40, Mumm 30 and 36, Beneteau 40.7 and 47.7, Open 50s and 60s along with the IMS 50s, Nautor's Swan and Wally Yachts, although six entries will be required to constitute a class. -- Susannah Bourne Event website: http://www.strategic-organisation.com THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute. |
