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SCUTTLEBUTT 1481 - December 18, 2003Powered 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 and personal attacks for elsewhere. IMS EVOLUTION The (Mediterranean IMS) fleet was fascinating to look at even when static. Advertiser's logos, extreme graphics, and trick deck layouts were eye candy for raceboat aficionados walking the docks. Yacht racing is a popular sport in Europe and racing teams know that a flashy, well-sailed boat will attract sponsors. One of the more striking examples was X-Sport a Grand Soleil 56R racing in the IMS Division 1. Designed by Botin & Carkeek, a Spanish design firm, marketed by the Italian production boatbuilder Cantiere del Pardo, and built by Green Marine in England, X-Sport carries the latest dictates of the IMS rule to the extreme. It's slab-sided, flush-decked boat that carries it ballast in the bilge and the top of the keel, and has no overlapping headsails. "These are specific boats," says Marcelino Botin. "To start with, they're very narrow, very flat in the bow and the stern, and they tend to pound going upwind. Until recently, IMS designs were pretty regular shapes, but what we see now is boats are getting more and more specialized all the time." Nipping at X-Sport's heels all week was the latest Farr IMS 50, Orlanda, a 53-footer that the Farr office acknowledges as a direct descendant of Esmeralda, the first of the IMS boats to begin the march towards the outer edges of the rule. "The biggest difference between Orlanda and its predecessors is beam; it's a fair bit narrower both on the waterline and overall," says James Schmicker, a senior naval architect at Farr Yacht Design. "The last few generations of boats designed expressly for the Med are specialized for windward/ leeward racing in light to moderate conditions with little consideration given to good reaching performance. Therefore, the boats are getting heavier and heavier, with just enough sail area to get downwind." - Excerpt from a comprehensive story by Tony Bessinger on the Sailing World magazine website, full story: http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_article.php?articleID=1975 THE PROMISE The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) announced that it will move the IMS rule forward with the demands of the offshore community, taking the rule back to its roots to encompass all offshore racing boats. This will be achieved with the continual correction of the type forming that has occurred and will be delivered through the ORC International Technical Committee (ITC). The corrections will be in the areas of: stability, Dynamic Allowance, propeller drag coefficients and hull windage. The simplified single number scoring system, which has always been available, will be promoted for widespread use. A choice of 2 new windows based scoring systems will be helping race organisers and committees. This software will be available to download, for free, from the ORC website. The ORC also announced the formation of 2 new classes, the IMS 670, the natural replacement of the ILC 30 class, and the ORC Sportboat class, which will include the old ILC 25 class and many of the other modern sports boats. A schedule of the 2004 major events was also published - all of which are in Europe. www.orc.org THE REALITY The general impression is that the new IMS heel correction factor will make all our best boats around five to seven seconds per mile faster, and that probably the (hugely successful) 2003 Botin and Carkeek designs (Caixa Galicia, X-Sports and the Grand Soleil 42) will not be unduly penalized. - Carlos Pich in Spain; January Seahorse magazine, www.seahorsemagazine.com DEFI ATLANTIQUE Mike Golding won the Defi Atlantique on the team's Owen Clarke Open 60 Ecover, crossing the finish line at 05:24:10 GMT Wednesday morning traveling at 12 knots. It took Golding 16 days, 14 hours, 24 minutes and 10 seconds to complete the single-handed 4,100-nautical mile transatlantic race from Salvador, Brazil to La Rochelle, France. He beat Vincent Riou's Finot-Conq PRB by two hours and 43 minutes. Ecover lead the race for a total of 6 days and stayed in podium positions for 14 out of 16 days of racing. Final Results: 1. Mike Golding, Ecover; 2. Vincent Riou, PRB; 3. Alex Thomson, AT Racing; 4. Sebastien Josse, VMI; 5. Nick Moloney, Team Cowes. Event website: http://www.defi-atlantique.org/fr/ A SAILOR'S CHRISTMAS Sailing Angles' last minute Christmas stocking stuffers are ready for next day, second and third day service to your home/office (most orders ship same day if in stock). Padded Sailing Shorts for sore butts, Knee Sleeves for sore knees, Kontrol racing gloves for maximum line control, Gear Bags, Foul Weather Gear, the Dawn Riley Line, Sunblocker sailing shirts for sun protection are a few of the fun things that will make the perfect gift for your favorite sailor. Find many of these products at APS, Layline or online at the Sailing Angles website (and have a Happy Holiday!)- http://www.sailingangles.com THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS Sailing program organizers and presenters from across the country are traveling to the National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS) to share ideas on how to run a successful sailing program. Organized by US Sailing and sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats, the symposium is scheduled for January 28 through February 1 at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, California. Topics that will be addressed include: - The nuts and bolts of a community sailing program - Fun and learning when the weather doesn't cooperate - Safety - Fundraising for your program - Hiring and managing your staff - Afternoon sessions, hands-on workshops and sailing at local sailing school, OCSC Sailing - Tours of a several local sailing schools, community programs, and yacht club programs. Each day will have a morning and afternoon keynote followed by workshops dedicated to four different tracks: youth, community, keelboat, and general. Some of the daily keynotes feature Chip Johns, president of Vanguard Sailboats, speaking on promoting sailing at the grass roots level; Steve Prime of Gowrie Barden & Brett with an overview on insurance; Tina Syer, Director of Partner Programs for Positive Coaching Alliance, who will speak on the subject of positive coaching for youth racers; Margaret Podlich of BoatU.S. Foundation who will speak on Women in Boating; Duane Silverstein who will speak on protecting our sailing environment. The finale will be a keynote presentation by the world-famous sailor Dawn Riley, the CEO of America True, which, among other programs, operates True Youth, a program designed to take at-risk kids for a day of sailing and team building. Riley will discuss how organizations can work together to find creative solutions for their programs. For a complete calendar of events: http://www.ussailing.org/training/nsps/2004/ RUMORS Over the weekend Martin Tasker (TVNZ) reported that of the three potential Australian challengers, two had made enquiries about leasing NZL-60 and NZL-57 from Team NZ. If the challenges go ahead the syndicates are interested in training and working their campaigns up from the Viaduct Harbor in Auckland. One of them should be the project representing the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron which is henceforth named "C7 Syndicate" (like the Australian sports channels Seven Network's C7 ?). Kristine Condell, C7 syndicate CEO, said the team will not make a final decision either way on the bid until March 1, 2004. On the other hand, it was not disclosed if the second one is the Destremau's Ozboyz Challenge, the only official candidate so far. Or a third project which could be the new team evoked by Syd Fisher (who has organized teams for the past five challenger series). - The Cup in Europe website citing the 2003ac.com forum, http://www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/2007C7-LN.htm TECHNOLOGY With backing from Airbus the men in lab coats at Invictus Challenge are forging ahead with their new C-Class catamaran in what could be the Britain's strongest challenge for the Little America's Cup in 35 years. Team Invictus has strong links with the UK arm of European aircraft manufacturer Airbus based in Filton near Bristol. Among the other 'names' involved with the project are Martyn Smith former Chief Engineer for British Aerospace who has also designed a number of racing multihulls including Tony Bullimore's 60ft trimaran Spirit of Apricot, the Firebird 26 and the rigs on Team Philips. - James Boyd, The Daily Sail, full story: http://www.thedailysail.com 'TIS THE SEASON FROM SAMSON ROPE TECHNOLOGIES There are lots of uses for Samson products during the holidays: hoisting your tree with a new WarpSpeed halyard; towing the car out of the ditch with low stretch Validator 12; wrapping presents with HPS Twine; stringing beautiful Color Match 24 cores on the eves; stick candles in ICE heat resistant covers; or, better yet, give your sailor a coupon for new Samson line at your local rig shop or marine store for his/her boat. Happy Holidays from your friends at Samson. http://www.samsonrope.com BIG AWARDS The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia announced its Ocean Racer of the Year Awards, recognizing excellence in four categories of ocean racing. All three of nominees for Ocean Racer of the Year, Bob Oatley, Neville Crichton and Bob Steel were recognized by the CYCA with a Special Commendation going to each of them, a first in the 16 years of the awards. Following this presentation, Commodore John Messenger announced that the panel had selected Bob Steel as the Ocean Racer of the Year, for a long list of handicap wins with his Nelson/Marek 46 Quest in Australia's major ocean racing events and offshore regattas, including the CYCA Blue Water Championship 2002-2003, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2002, the 2003 Australian IRC Offshore Championship and IMS and IRC Division 1 of the 2003 Sydney Mooloolaba Race. The 2003 Ocean Racing Crewperson this year went to David Ellis, crewman on last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Overall winner, Quest. Christian Jackson from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club received the Rookie of the Year. Christian, from Victoria's surf coast has been a Club member for only two years but in that time has completely immersed himself in yachting and presently successfully campaigns his IMS Elliott 49, Prowler. John Walker, who is skippering his boat Impeccable in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, his 20th, collected the Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year Award. At 81, John is the oldest skipper in the fleet, and remarkably, he has completed all 19 Hobarts on Impeccable, last year picking up a 3rd in division for both IMS and IRC divisions of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. - Peter Campbell THE SAILING COMMUNITY For the past seven months Olivia Ceraolo, a 15-year-old Laser Radial sailor, has been undergoing chemotherapy, but is showing the same determination in fighting her cancer that has made her such a good competitor on the racecourse. To honor this competitor, the members of the Clearwater Community Sailing Center and Clearwater Yacht Club's Youth Sailing Team jointly hosted the "Regatta For Olivia" at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center on Saturday December 13th. And who would have ever believed how successful it would be? Just 12 days before Christmas, right in the middle of party season and on the same day as the Clearwater boat parade. 110 sailors, their families, coaches and friends came from all over to support Olivia. 38 people volunteered for race committee, the silent auction, the banner, the food, the fantastic slide show, the Hydrosport complete with candy canes and on and on. Smooth water and 3 knots of wind wasn't exactly perfect for racing, but somehow no one really cared. It was just perfect for Olivia to drive around the racecourses in that beautifully decorated Hydrosport waving to her friends. All courses did manage to fight the current long enough to complete one race and then head for shore to enjoy the cookout and an incredibly moving awards ceremony to honor our friend and teammate Olivia. All 110 sailors sailed for Team Olivia and all came up winners. Who said there's no "I" in team? - http://www.clwyc.org/olivia/ NAKED IN KEY WEST That's how you'll feel without your Official Custom Crew Gear at Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica. Technical Gear, Bags, Vests, Polos, and Caps. Add your boat name to the only official logo'd event gear. Act now! Order deadline is December 26. http://www.premiere-racing.com/keywest/2004_KW/kw_2004_custom_gear.htm 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 Thomas Hubbell, Vice President, US Sailing: Rewriting the racing rules won't do much to change behavior, although continuous editing and revision has merit. The most effective way to improve behavior in the sport is for all of us "who know better" to formally teach our peers and the youth and to scrupulously exemplify sportsmanlike conduct ourselves. (No small task, but we can do it.) The veteran (respected) sailor has a profound opportunity to help the sport when he calmly confronts a wayward competitor ashore and clearly states what was and was not acceptable conduct in today's race situation. (For example, "Joe, I don't know what the facts are about that incident today, but I hope you will carefully consider what you did and said and will have the courage to withdraw if you were wrong. I don't like what I have heard and I hope I don't hear those comments about your sailing/ conduct again. You can do better." Or, if you're a person of few words, "Bill, that's not how we race these boats." This is an ancient, proven method. I learned it by watching my mentors and I have used it myself. It doesn't always work, but your effort will be noticed by the individual and also by the fleet (via local scuttlebutt,) and it will have impact. This is still a self-policing sport. Arise and speak-up fellow 'Buttheads. * From Ed von Wolffersdorff (Concerning simplifying the Racing Rules of Sailing): For Jim Mahaffy and Craig Coulsen and their discussions concerning making racing rules simpler to understand and use: With the 1997-2000 Racing Rules, major changes were made. Additional tuning was incorporated for the 2001-2004 versions of our rules. Working with various protest committees here in NorthWestern US and Western Canada, we have seen a tremendous decrease in the number of protests filed. Further, as Chairman of Pacific International Yachting Association's Appeals Committee, I can report a drop, since the modifications in 1997, from 12 appeals a year to as few as one or two in the past four or five years. Hey, the proof is in! The new rules are simpler to sail to and easier to understand. They have, in addition, made our sport more fun to engage in! * From Nat Ives: Mr Finckle has been mis-led into believing that "racy" features are not encouraged under IRC. It is true that on smaller yachts the use of composite rigging for example is more heavily penalized than on larger ones (over 60ft) but this is simply because the cost of the technology is currently prohibitive for the majority of small boat owners and IRC is attempting to keep the sport as accessible as possible. In its attempt to rate all boats fairly IRC does indeed single out more advanced features, but only in order to account for their performance enhancing characteristics rather than to discourage their use. Far from it, IRC is very responsive to developments in the sport and through annual refinement over the years it has quickly adapted to encompass water-ballast, carbon rigs, canting keels and composite rigging, becoming more lenient on these features as they become more widely accessible to the average club racer. Carbon rigs have featured on successful IRC yachts alongside aluminum ones in both one-off and production yachts even as far back as 1997. I can therefore only assume that the Benetau 44.7 has a "clunky" untapered aluminum rig with cable shrouds for economical reasons rather than by design or rule preference. * From Arthur Mitchel (edited to our 250-word limit): More history on the '64 Olympic Team noted by Bob Merrick. Peter Barrett was truly "under funded" in his 1964 effort to make the Olympic Team ... a family man with his boys Kevin and Bruce under five, going to UW law School, working part time for a patent attorney, teaching at the UW Mechanical Engineering School, and training with Dick Tillman and I on Lake Mendota, Madison Wisconsin, in his "free time". This was his second qualification to the US Team. Barrett went on to Tokyo to win a Silver Medal, meet Lowell North, landed a job with Lowell, advanced to Executive VP of North Sails, and help build the dominant sailmaker of the World. In Barrett's first Trials, 1960, Peter and I hitchhiked from Wisconsin to Marblehead Mass to sail borrowed Finns, a new class. There was "no room at the Inn" (Corinthian YC) and no money, so we camped out under the big navigation light and horn at the entrance to Marblehead. Barrett won a narrow victory over Tom Allen, went to Rome, finished 11th, met Paul Elvstrom and became ever more inspired for '64. It sure was a different time and place for our sport 40 years ago and it's always fun to be reminded from where we have come. Today, a campaign is infinity more complex and funding is at the core of success. Similarities remain, however; determination and love of sailing must burn deep within the winning sailors. No doubt the '64 Team possessed these passions. * From Mike Blecher: In response to Bill King's wondering about what part of a boat the mizzen needs to be aft of in order for it to be called a yawl (Butt 1479), it is neither the "steering" or the "waterline," but actually, the rudderpost. A mast shorter than the one forward of it and also forward of the rudderpost is a ketch. The shorter mast stepped forward of the taller one, then it's a schooner. No one cares where the "steering" is (think center cockpits) and aft of the waterline would only be possible on the old CCA designs, or Don Street's "Iolaire." There are many modern examples of ketch rigs on boats with no overhangs at all, like Steve Dashew's boats. We don't see many yawls anymore, though, because on modern designs there usually isn't much room left to step a mast aft of the rudderpost. Many sailors say that the yawls are a very inefficient design anyway. Personally, I wouldn't say that too loudly if Mr. Street were in the club's bar when the subject came up. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. |
