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SCUTTLEBUTT 1629 - July 21, 2004Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. COACHING Tony Rey of Portsmouth, RI never has been to Greece, but he'll visit Athens twice this summer. The 18-or-so-hour flight, he said, didn't bother him, but he's been on several similar-length trips around the world before as a competitive sailor. This time, though, he's making a trip as a coach: a U.S. women's sailing team coach. Rey will coach the U.S. representatives in the Yngling class. That challenge involves less actual coaching than the title implies. After all, sailors good enough to qualify for the Olympic Games don't need much coaching in the traditional sense of the word. "Because it's the Olympics, the team is already really good. I'm like the fourth pair of eyes, which is what coaching Olympic sailing is all about," Rey said. "While they're focusing on making the boat go fast, I get a bird's-eye view of what's happening and what the other boats are doing." And after a day of doing that, the three sailors and their coach will get together to discuss what went right, what could have been better and what should be done differently the next day. "We'll debrief each other every evening and structure a game plan for the next day," Rey said. What Rey can learn from a coaching standpoint will diminish greatly once the actual Games begin. "The best way to practice is to go train with other competition. The interesting thing about training is that, as a coach, I'm allowed on the race course," he said. "Once the races begin, I'm not at all close to the competition, so training is when I get a good part of my work done." - Josh Krueger, Newport Daily News, full story: www.newportdailynews.com/articles/2004/07/07/news/news2.txt AUSTRALIAN IN A BALL OF SPRAY (Thedailysail witnessed Paul Larsen's SailRocket speedsailer as she took to the water in Weymouth) The moment that those of us interested in breaking the barriers of speed under sail arrived this weekend in Portland Harbour with the maiden voyage of Paul Larsen's radical weapon SailRocket. However at present the team are getting a feel for the fundamentals of the boat and the prospect of squeezing the World Record for speed under sail, let along 50 knots out of her is some way off. They have been in the water for just three days, they have learned how it manoeuvres, have worked out how to hoist and lower the rig in an orderly fashion and have already achieved 20 knots without severely damaging the boat or losing control. "We have a going boat and no breakages - that pretty unheard of in radical boats like this. We are very happy - it's been rapid progress." Much of this Larsen attributes to designer Malcolm Barnsley who has been working on variations of this design for the best part of 25 years. Despite the increased publicity he is getting which is set to go through the roof once the boat starts putting in some fast runs, SailRocket remains without a sponsor. Larsen and chief helper, Helena Darvelid are living out of a 40ft container, which also doubles as a workshop and storage for the boat. With or without a sponsor Larsen remains committed to pressing on in his quest for the world speed sailing record and we will be watching his progress with interest. - Excerpts from a story on The Daily Sail, full story: http://tinyurl.com/6 PIRACY AGAINST YACHTS Piracy is a problem that inflicts huge expenses and losses, billions of dollars a year. Most of the targets are commercial shipping, but the threat to yachts is real, and there are regions where the threat to commerce and yacht traffic overlap. Reported incidents have increased in the last year. The Maritime Global Net, which operates a web site for commercial shipping, says, "The first quarter of 2003 saw 103 pirate attacks worldwide, up from 87 during the same period in 2002." Indonesian waters were the most dangerous (continuing a past pattern), MGN reports, with 28 attacks in the quarter. Then came Bangladesh, India and Nigeria. For yachts, Indonesia and India have also proved to be among the most risky waters, plus Japan and Central American mainland stretches of the Caribbean. Sail magazine contributor Colleen Ryan became familiar with the issues while transiting the Red Sea early in 2003. She wrote: "Sensible precautions include sailing in close company with other yachts, sometimes running without lights, minimizing use of the VHF and using it on low power only, and giving positions in relation to an agreed waypoint. But, as these Red Sea attacks seem to be chance encounters, and these pirates are heavily armed, these measures offer no guarantee of a safe passage. Red Sea Pilot updates can be found at www.imray.com." - Sail Magazine, full story: http://www.sailmag.com/features/piracy/ RATCHET BLOCKS FOR YOUR HANDS Harken Sailing Gloves give you the power to hang on to slippery hi-tech lines with tenacity. The secret to their phenomenal grip is the Black Magic® palm material which doubles your sheet-holding power. "It's like having ratchet blocks for your hands" - Marie, Pewaukee Sailing Team. The gloves feature an anti-solar attracting, light gray coloring to keep hands looking and feeling cool. Remember line slippage is curable. See your dealer to ensure a proper fit - SailNet: http://www.sailnet.com/store/harken_gloves.cfm or (800) 234-3220; Mikes Marine: http://www.mikesmarine.com or (586) 778-1661. Check the Harken Sailing Gear website for other dealers: http://www.harken.com/gear/dealers/dealers.php SWEDISH MATCH TOUR The schedule for the sixth season of the Swedish Match Tour is finalized. Nine events comprise the 2004-'05 Tour calendar with total prize money exceeding $1 million, a milestone for the professional sailing series. The 2004-'05 schedule kicks off with the Portugal Match Cup, July 27-31. Organized by the Naval Club of Cascais and the Sun Sailing Team, the new Tour event is making a notable debut. The Portugal Match Cup offers a 150,000 Euro (approximately $186,250) prize purse with 40,000 Euro (approximately $49,000) earmarked for the champion, making it the richest event on the Tour. Racing is slated to be held off Cascais on the Portugese Riviera, which was a finalist in the bidding to host America's Cup 2007, and will be held in the Swedish Match 40, the Pelle Petterson-designed match-racer that's making its Tour debut. - Sean McNeill, www.swedishmatchtour.com/ 2004-'05 Swedish Match Tour Schedule: July 27-31, 2004: Portugal Match Cup (Cascais, Portugal) Aug. 11-15, 2004: Danish Open (Skovshoved, Denmark) Oct. 17-24, 2004: Bermuda Gold Cup (Hamilton, Bermuda) Nov. 15-21, 2004: Nippon Cup (Hayama, Japan) Apr. 11-16, 2005: Congressional Cup (Long Beach, Calif.) May 1-8, 2005: Toscana Elba Cup (Porto Azzurro, Italy) May 11-16, 2005: Match Race Germany (Langenargen, Germany) May 22-28, 2005: ACI HTmobile Cup (Split, Croatia) July 4-10, 2005: Swedish Match Cup (Marstrand, Sweden) WORLD MATCH RACING CHAMPIONSHIP The ISAF Match Racing World Championship started yesterday on the Verkh-Neyvinskiy pond near Ekaterinberg in Russia. Monday was marred by extremely light winds and 35C (95F) heat and until 5.00 pm not a single flight had been sailed. In the evening however, two flights were sailed, still leaving much to catch up on today. The weather situation was much improved Tuesday but still changeable. Flights started in an early afternoon fresh breeze that brought with it thunderstorms and hard rain before the wind eventually dropped off. Great conditions for a world championship. Standings: Williams, 4-1 Baird, 3-1 Jablonski, 3-1 Taranov, 3-1 Lindberg, 2-1 Richard, 2-2 Cian, 2-2 Berntsson, 1-3 Hansen, 1-3 Arbuzov, 1-2 Neugodnikov, 1-3 Presti, 3 0 www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=7651 MAC CONTEST In last week's Bacardi Bayview Mackinac Race, 269 boats were entered. This Saturday, 300 boats will start in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. Despite each entrant's best intentions, not everything always goes to plan. With that many boats, stuff just happens. Murphy's Law kind of stuff. The kind of stuff that isn't very funny when it happens, but we can all laugh about afterwards (maybe after all the bills are paid). Regardless, Scuttlebutt wants to hear about it (and the 'Buttheads do too). You might not be proud of what happened, but some press is better than none at all. We'll post the best of them, and pass out a few Scuttlebutt caps to the most worthy. Ready to share your story? Great - but please don't send it to the editor. Instead, click on the link for details: - http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/contest/04mac/info.asp DATES SET FOR COLGATE 26 ROAD TOUR A high-performance Colgate 26 is now touring the eastern U.S. and Great Lakes region. Offshore Sailing School founder Steve Colgate and naval architect Jim Taylor created this PHRF winner. Fast, responsive, stable, durable and comfortable - you have to see this boat! Visit http://colgate26.com/invitation.html or call 866-842-4355 to learn more. NEWS BRIEFS * In what is probably the largest world championship for under 18 year olds, 276 sailors from 6 continents and 23 countries are racing at the Laser 4.7 World Championship on Lake Garda in Italy. The Laser 4.7 is the smallest of the 3 rigs in the Laser formula using the same hull, boom and top mast as the standard rig Laser used in the Olympics. The Laser Radial, the Laser 4.7 is proving to be popular with both developing and developed sailing nations providing a pathway to the Olympics through a progression of rigs. * Four of the five crew aboard David Wagner's J/105 Gigi in the Chicago Mac Race will be sailors with disabilities. Ricky Doerr (paraplegic - 2003 IFDS World Championship Bronze Medalist), Richard Hughes (below knee amputee - 1998 IDFS World Championship Silver medalist), Jim Leatherman (double above knee amputee - 1996 Paralympic Bronze Medalist) and Lee Buratti (paraplegic - perennial Gold Fleet qualifier in the Independence Cup Single Handed Division), along with Independence Cup supremo and SWSN Committee Member Kevin D' Aprile, will go head to head with 16 other boats in the J/105 class. To follow their progress: http://chicagoyachtclub.org/mackinac/racetomackinac/index.html * US Sailing has hired Hart Kelley as the new Keelboat Program Quality Assurance Manager. Kelley brings extensive sailing program management and instructional experience to the newly created position. He was most recently the Executive Director of the US Sailing Center of Martin County in Stuart, Fl., and of Community Boating in Boston, Mass. The goal of the Quality Assurance Program is to maintain and improve the Keelboat Certification System's high standards. The program provides for a dedicated sailing professional to travel the country to evaluate and coach US Sailing's accredited keelboat sailing schools. - www.ussailing.org * The Cruising Club of America is seeking nominations for the annual award of the Rod Stephens Trophy which recognizes an act of seamanship which significantly contributed to the safety of one or more individuals at sea. Contact Robert Van Blaricom, janebob@pacbell.net * North Sails has partnered with expert meteorologist Chris Bedford of Sailing Weather Services to provide free weather forecast for the 2004 Sailing World Marblehead NOOD Regatta from July 22-25 and the Race to Mackinac, which starts in Chicago on July 24. Forecasts for the Marblehead NOOD will be emailed to subscribers each morning by 0730 and one forecast for the Race to Mackinac will be emailed midday on Friday, July 23. Sailors can sign up for this forecast by logging on to the North Sails Weather Center: http://na.northsails.com/ew/ew_main.taf * The final day of handicap racing at the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex - three races on two racing circles - determined class winners in one IMS, one 12-Meter and six PHRF classes. Mark Minkus' custom Swan 65 Falcon scored a 6 3/4 point win over Blair Brown's Taylor 45 the 12-boat PHRF Blue Class 2 - the largest class in the event, while Dan Meyers' Farr 60 Numbers won eight of the 11 races in IMS Class. The second half of the regatta for one-design classes starts Friday. - Complete results: www.nyyc.org * Salinas, Ecuador - After races 6-8 yesterday at the Optimist World Championship, Wei Ni (33 points) of China retains the overall lead but the first discard and mixed results by the top sailors on a day of rather lighter winds have closed up the points difference. World champion Filip Matika, at 53kg one of the heavier sailors, is in forth place with 46 points behind Paul Snow-Hansen (NZL) and Erik Brockman (MEX) who are tied at 40 points. - www.salinasyachtclub.org/optiworlds/ WELL DONE ELLEN After battling across the North Atlantic, Ellen MacArthur, sailing her B&Q trimaran, missed the solo transatlantic record by just 75 minutes. Wearing her faithful Musto's she was able to push herself and B&Q to the limits, but after a mammoth effort didn't quite make it, although Ellen took over 2 days off the existing female transatlantic record. As always, Musto will be standing by to support Ellen with her next project. You don't need to race a 75ft trimaran to experience Musto. Give it a try next time: www.musto.co.uk and visit www.teamellen.com for further information on Ellen's racing projects. LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is not a chat room nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Craig Chamberlain: (re comments from Robbie Haines): Unfortunately, large yacht owners seem to confuse the size of their boats with the amount of pleasure they hope to derive from them. Sailing with and against your pals is where it's at. A great example of a venerable one design class is the 5.5 metre sloop. (5point5.org) It is a development class that has evolved into a boat with very similar proportional dimensions to the new AC boats. Beautiful boats to steer and crew. The paid pro sits in the middle allowing the check writing owner to sail his own boat. At $150k they aren't cheap, but all things are relative. Their sailing venues are among the best in the world and the class enjoys a level of camaraderie not found much anymore. After a day of sailing you can still raft the boat along side your 150' Feadship for maximum affect - just need to be aware the guy you bumped on the starting line may have a 200 footer. * From Merritt Williams: In yesterday's 'Butt, Steve Gregory overlooked the biggest reason why the maxZ86 class had such a short lifespan. The class was originally conceived by Roy Disney and Bob McNeill, who hired Bill Lee to draft the class rules. McNeill built a water-ballasted boat to that rule (Zephyrus) and went sailing. Disney procrastinated a bit and by the time he was ready to build his new Pyewacket, the maxZ86 class rule was 'expanded' to allow canting ballast … which made Zephyrus instantly obsolete. In short order, McNeill sold Zephyrus and has disappeared from the offshore racing scene. So the only competitive maxZ86s in the world are two, very similar canting ballast boats owned by Disney and Hasso Plattner, who apparently aren't speaking to each other. Not a great track record on which to build a new class. * From Michael Lang: I was very sad to see that Mikey Murison had passed away. I attended College Of Marin for a few years and had the privelage of sailing with him. He was always very eager to get as many people as possible involved in the sailing team. He will always will be remembered as a true friend, and I will always respect his hard work and dedication in getting the sailing team at College of Marin up and running * From Mark Zaranski: Genuine Risk did take line honors in the Bayview Mac, but only because the PHRF Turbo class started 10 minutes before the Open class. The Howe's Earth Voyager completed the same 253 nautical mile course in 30:29:57, five minutes and one second faster than did Genuine Risk. Earth Voyager is a 60' trimaran designed by Walter Greene, built and lately rebuilt (after it was damaged in a train derailment) by its owner(s). And unlike the thoroughly modern and just launched Genuine Risk, Earth Voyager has been slashing around the Great Lakes for quite a few years. EV broke its own record for this race in 2003 finishing in less than 24 hours. * From John Seymour, UK: Regarding the financial problems facing Tracy Edwards, I wonder how many people decided to charge 'full' price for any services given to Edwards' & her company believing that there was a £38 million pot already sitting in Edwards bank account? Is £75,000 not an incredibly large fee for organizing a press conference? Tim Jeffrey states in his article that 'Sports Impact's claim is for arranging last October's press launch at 48 hours' notice, a photo-opportunity with HRH Prince Andrew and other work.' Oh, and don't forget the two visits to France. Is this a normal fee for this type of work, if so, I'm changing from being a lawyer to working with sports impact! THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS I was thinking about old age and decided that it is when you still have something on the ball but you are just too tired to bounce it. |
