Scuttlebutt: Sailing news with a North American focus

	Archived Newsletters »
	Features »
	Photos »

SCUTTLEBUTT #229 -- December 3, 1998

AMERICA'S CUP
>> The San Francisco Yacht Club challenge for America's Cup 2000, America True announced its 1998-1999 team roster in Auckland, New Zealand. From the beginning, America True was committed to forming the first active coed team for an America's Cup campaign. Although women have served in limited roles on America's Cup boats in the past, America True is the first campaign making an assertive effort to include both men and women on an active racing team. Riley often says that sailing is the perfect sport for a coed team, because each position requires specific talents.

"Power, agility, finesse, and knowledge are needed in different places on the boat," said Riley. "No one man or woman has the perfect combination, but when you put men and women together on a team, they become very efficient."

Along with Riley, the 19 members of the America True sailing team include 25-year-old Gavin Brady, a former New Zealand resident who ranks fourth on the world match racing circuit. Also on board is Katie Pettibone, who served with Riley on The Women's Team during the 1995 America's Cup and recently completed the Whitbread Round the World race on EF Education.

David Armitage, who worked on the winning Team New Zealand America's Cup effort in 1995, will trim sails for America True while Merritt Carey takes a position on the foredeck. Carey is an America's Cup and Whitbread veteran who has crewed with Riley before.

"I've worked with so many of these people already," Riley said. "We know what to expect from each other, and that will smooth the process of pulling the team together." Sailing director John Cutler agrees with Riley, but he still has a big job ahead of him. The team is spending the next four months training in the Hauraki Gulf - the America's Cup 2000 arena.

Despite the seasoned aspect of most crewmembers, there are some fresh faces. America True held open tryouts in October to round out its team. As a result, five non-professional sailors are now living a dream that may not have been possible otherwise.

"I'm having a hard time believing this," said John Broadhead, expressing his enthusiasm as one of the chosen few. "I can finally do something I feel passionate about." The 31-year-old lifelong sailor said he plans on making a winning contribution to the team. Standing more than six feet tall, and weighing in at 260 pounds, Broadhead should do just that as America True's newest grinder. -- Grace Kim

The America True team roster: David Armitage - trimmer, Carl Barkow - grinder, Liz Baylis - cockpit, Gavin Brady - afterguard, John Broadhead - grinder, Greg Burrell - grinder, Merritt Carey - foredeck, John Cutler - afterguard, Leslie Egnot - afterguard, Steve Gruver - trimmer, Kelvin Harrap - trimmer, Patrick McMath - mast, Katie Pettibone - trimmer, Dawn Riley - captain, John Spence - mast, David Stevenson - foredeck, Mark Strube - grinder, Tucker Thompson - cockpit, Larry Turner - foredeck

America True web site: http://www.americatrue.org

>> The Italian PRADA Syndicate has been in New Zealand the longest, are arguably the best equipped, and certainly the best housed (Top three floors of Auckland's new Heritage Hotel). They have the two yachts from Bill Koch's America3 campaign. Their compound building in the Village is impressive, and they are without doubt the best-dressed sports team to arrive in New Zealand. Patrizio Bertelli who is bank rolling the whole project heads one of Europe's finest fashion houses, so any wonder the team looks particularly smart. They have their own cooks who have instructions to see the crew are well fed. The best! Pasta every day, regardless.

From us and Conner too - they will be the team to beat! They exercise for three hours a day in the gymnasium, they have set up within their hotel and they love it when it is too rough to sail. You will then find them out at Piha beach enjoying New Zealand's monstrous surf, one of the things they don't have back home. -- -- Excerpt from DEFENCE 2000 which is available from John@roake.gen.nz for US $48 per year.

MONTEGO BAY RACE
There are early indications that the monohull and multihull records for the Pineapple Cup Race to Jamaica's Montego Bay will come under attack when the 811-mile race starts off Fort Lauderdale on February 4, 1999.

Roy Disney's new 75-foot IMS-sled Pyewacket and Steve Fossett's 60-foot trimaran Lakota are among the early entries for the popular biennial event. Both have the potential to set new records on the course which runs across the gulfstream, down through the Bahamas Islands, and around the southern tip of Cuba to Jamaica.

Pyewacket, will launch from builder Eric Goetz's shed in January and will race for the first time in the MoBay Race. She was commissioned by Disney from the Riechel/Pugh design team with the aim of setting new Transpac records. Her predecessor, the turbo Santa Cruz 70 set at three records to Hawaii. In January she'll be shooting for the record set by the Alan Gurney designed 70-foot Windward Passage in 1971. Unbroken for 29 years, that record stands at three days, three hours, 40 minutes and seven seconds.

Fossett, the well-known long distance balloonist, will be chasing the multihull record he set with Lakota in 1995. At three days, three hours, 55 minutes and 20 seconds, his time was only marginally slower than the Windward Passage time.

Monohulls and multihulls race in separate divisions and the multihulls are not eligible for the Pineapple Cup which goes to the first monohull on corrected time, and the Windward Passage Challenge Cup for the monohull that breaks the elapsed time course record.

"Weather will be the key to new records," said Ken Batzer of Fort Lauderdale, the Storm Trysail Club's , co-chairman of the race. "Today's racers are faster and much more powerful than their predecessors but they can still benefit from the favorable reaching and running conditions that sped Windward Passage on her way to Jamaica in '71."

Organized by the Montego Bay Yacht Club, the Storm Trysail Club and the Lauderdale Yacht Club, this year's running of the MoBay classic is expected to attract between 20 and 30 boats racing in IMS, PHRF and Multihull divisions.

Among the maxi yachts expected in next year's race are the 85-foot one-design maxi RX/Sight from Sweden, the Alan Andrews-designed 70-footer Trader and the Palmer-Johnson designed Javelin. Another big boat entry is the new Farr 60 Rima.

Dear Friend, the CSY 50 campaigned by Bill Kardash from Annapolis, MD, was the corrected time winner of the race in 1995 and 1997. She'll be returning next year looking to make it three in a row. She'll be racing against Bill Dooley's Beneteau 51 Critical Path from Sarasota, FL., and Buck Gillette's Oyster 45 Bandana from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.

At least seven boats from the World Cruising Round the World Rally will also start in the race as they set out on the first leg of their Millennium Odyssey World Cruising Race. The scratch boat in this group is the Nelson/Marek 68 La Lumiere raced by Robert and Tamera Berg.

Regatta web site: http://www.regattas.com

EVERYWHERE

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

http://www.ullmansails.com/

LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
Letters may be edited for space (250 words max) and clarity or to exclude personal attacks.

>> From Jordan J. Dobrikin -- Peter Johnstone's points are very, very, good, but they are not all encompassing. They are excellent starters of discussion, debate, thought etc. on important topics to all in the Sport of Sailing. However, the promulgation, discussion, enhancement, modification, etc. of the principles in Peter's Editorial, as well as any tangible projects, emanating from same, deserve a Web Site and Interactive Tools of it's own.

The Interactive Tools should allow all who wish to communicate their thoughts and ideas with respect to specific topics. At the same time these Tools should allow a small group of interested volunteers to work in specific areas of interest, on specific projects that may come out of the general discussion in "comfort", somewhat buffered from the extremes that will inevitably be expressed in the General Discussion. BTW I am proposing a similar mechanism to the new Empirical Handicap Committee of ISAF.

The curmudgeon will effectively filter the extremes that come to Scuttlebutt: however the flow of Email good, bad, and otherwise may, (hopefully will), swell to a point that he will champion my suggestion(s) herein.

Why not set up a US Sailing/CYA, Town Meeting in cyberspace? Something like a "Shadow Cabinet" and/ or the "Opposition Critic" in Parliamentary Democracies? Not to replace nor usurp but to compliment. To possibly start a project or two and get it going to a point that it can be absorbed by the relevant group in US Sailing and or the Canadian Yachting Association.

>> From Zane Yoder -- There are a few other points that could help make life long sailors out of landlubbers. Starting with boat owners Don't scream at your crew. Be it long time racing buddies, your friends on an afternoon sail, your spouse. Too many people decide not to sail because most boat owners are always screaming. I have tried the screaming approach, and lost many good sailing partners. No matter if your wife drops the anchor and rode over the side, and says "Your lose."

Sailing events need more color. Thru sponsorship; TV, newsprint and www should be more informed. A ranking and seeding of skippers/boats should be set up by local YRA's. To keep most competitive people and kids going is the knowing of how they compare to others.

Dress up your boats!! Jet skis and cigarette boats look great. A good paint job makes you want to buy one. What's pretty about white boat with a blue strip. Stores -- don't ignore the motor boats the jet skis, the windsurfers, kayaks, sailors, rowers. etc etc. diversify.

Curmudgeon's comment: Was there a full moon last night?

>> From Hartwell Jordan, Young America Syndicate-- In response to Richard Gladwell's article from Sailing New Zealand in #227. Yes indeed the storm that hit Auckland last weekend was a biggy. Many of the local New Zealander sailors we have down here (helping us round out two crews for Young America) were taken back by the size and strength of the storm. Luckily none of the challengers here, including ourselves, were disrupted much. Of course, we did not sail for two days as many "dogs blew off their chains". But, when the wind subsided into the low 30's/high 20's off we went again! Should be a very interesting challenger series, friends!

VIRTUAL RACE
Quokka Sports brings you as close to participating in the Around Alone Race without getting wet. Desk-bound sailors should enjoy participating in some digital sailing diversions...the Around Alone Virtual Race. As you compete against the Around Alone skippers, you'll have to make critical decisions about:

-- Boat design
-- Navigation and weather factors
-- Human performance factors such as sleep and calorie intake .-- Time management, including repairs/maintenance time, sailing time and personal time

But hurry -- registration for the Virtual Race closes on December 4th. To register: http://www.aroundalone.com:3081/virtualrace/index/set_virtualrace.fasp

49ER SHOOTOUT
The Sail Brisbane regatta that starts today will showcase world class 49er sailing, with current World Champion, Chris Nicholson of Australia competing with new partner Ed Smyth. Nicholson and Smyth were successful in winning a gold medal at the Olympic Test event in Sydney during September and the pair will be looking to build on this great result. However, they will be coming up against some of the world's best at this regatta, with strong competition from the Bugden brothers from the UK, and Morgan Larson and Kevin Hall of the US, who finished second and third respectively behind Nicholson at the World Championships in 1998.

Marc Audineau and Julien Farnarier of France, currently ranked number one on the ISAF World Rankings, will also be strong contenders at this regatta. Other top Australian crews competing in Brisbane include the winners of the Perth 49er regatta, Adam Beashel and Teague Czislowski, and Lake Macquarie's Boyd brothers who also finished well in Perth.

Run by the the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, the Schneider 49er Series will sail twelve races over the four days and will be allowed two discards after nine races have been sailed.

Event website: http://www.aussailing.org/saildownunder/98sailbrisbane

MORE 49ER STUFF
After two years of experience with the weight equalization system in which lighter crews are allowed wider wings but has to carry lead to compensate for less all-up-weight, the class announced the implementation of a new system on December 1st 1998.

The new system is simply an adjustment of the old system and it is not expected to effect the performance of the majority of the sailors. By moving from four weight brackets to three, it is estimated that 85% of the crews can move the wings one step out (50 mm) and get rid of 5 kg of lead.

Class scientist Frank Bethwaite has after extensive research and statistical analysis concluded that it is not possible to determine any effect of the weight equalization system and therefore a simplified system ought to be better.

This change and other class rule changes implemented on December 1st are available at the class web site: http://www.49er-sailing.com

LIGHTNING YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
(Salinas Yacht Club, Salinas Ecuador, November 23 - 28)
Sean Carroll, from Jericho VT, USA (now attending College of Charleston SC) with crew Kate Sheahan and Karl Schutte, won the 11th YOuth World Championship of the International Lightning Class Association, sailed at Salinas Yacht Club in Salinas, Ecuador. Weather conditions were wonderful, with termperatures around 30 degrees (C) and winds between 8 and 14 knots.

This year there were 16 teams representing 8 countries from 3 continents. Competition was tight, with 6 different teams representing 5 different countries winning a race. The series was determined in the final race, in which Sean finished 2nd to clinch the Championship. The three way tie for fourth was broken by a first place finish.

This Championship was started in 1978 in Peru. Sailors must not have turned 20 in the calendar year in which the event is held. It is run every two years, rotating locations through South America, North America and Europe. The event is limited to twenty teams, 2 from each country where there is active Lightning sailing. Each country holds a competition to determine which teams are eligible. The event is a "round robin" with identical competitive boats supplied by the host yacht club, and each team bringing their own sails and other personal gear only.

1. Carroll, USA (20) 2. Merentitis, GRE (22) 3. C. Bistos, COL (25) 4. Boxberger, USA (28) 5. Allen, CAN (28) 6. Meira, ECU (28)

Complete results on the class website: http://sailing.org/lightning/

THE CURMUDGEON'S OXYMORONS
Small crowd