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SCUTTLEBUTT 2031 - February 15, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.NOTHING TO SIGN When kids are into sports, few things jazz them up more than getting an autographed ball by a popular sports figure. My boys have several on their shelves, and they make for a lasting keepsake. While many sports athletes don't deserve their "role model" position, it is where the fans and media have thrust them. We cheer for their teams, and praise their good play. And when the ball they autograph sits on a kids shelf, it becomes an active reminder of that sport. Sailing is starting to develop participants that are well known - some even outside the sport. Dennis Connor may have been the first well known sailor outside the sport. Ellen MacArthur is now well known. Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts are well known, at least so inside the sport. What's also great about sailing is we often have access to these sailors. We are not restricted by fences. Heck, sometimes we are even competing against them. But for sailing, what do our role models sign? Sailing doesn't use a baseball or football. We use boats and sails. We can't put our Optimist on the shelf. Tiller extensions are small and affordable, but they are usually black and too narrow to sign. For adults, maybe they can sign our Mount Gay Rum cups, but what about the kids? Sailing just doesn't have anything good that can sit on a kid's shelf. Paul Cayard will be making a public appearance at a West Marine store in Annapolis, MD during the Volvo Ocean Race stop in April. I just don't know what he is going to sign. - Craig Leweck, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog WE SIMPLY HAVE TO GET ORGANIZED The epic pursuit of major records, which has now come of age, seems to be taking on more and more importance on the international sailing scene. Bringing together human and technological challenges, the endeavour to achieve maximum performance over the longest ocean routes is something that appeals to yachtsmen and has led to new programmes being established with a few more still in the planning stage. So, in order to unite these efforts and to give birth to a genuine ocean record circuit, the magazine Course Au Large, in conjunction with the leading skippers and G-class (maxi-multihulls) owners, has drawn up a precise framework in which the various record attempts can be included from now on. To make results clear and to establish a legitimate hierarchy throughout the year that will make it easier for the general public to understand, the Ocean Records World Championship aims at rewarding sporting performance, encouraging innovation, technological research and entrepreneurship in the area of ocean racing. An annual league table, based on a selection of twenty routes, which are all certified by the World Sailing Speed Records Council, will award points, calculated using a precise coefficient (from 1 to 10 according to the difficulty of the course). These 20 routes, including of course the major historic records, have been carefully chosen and were scrutinized by the major participants in the racing circuit (Ellen MacArthur, Bruno Peyron, Franck Cammas, Francis Joyon, Thomas Coville,.) during an informal meeting held during the most recent edition of the Paris Boat Show last December. This meeting approved the principles of the championship and confirmed the interest of the skippers and G-class owners in this idea of bringing everything together, and rewarding records set by single-handed yachtsmen and those with a crew. Designed to reward the crew and single-handed sailor, who have achieved the highest number of points from the major records during the year, various trophies will be presented at the end of each season to reward skippers, crewmen, designers and sponsors. Completing this annual arrangement, the ongoing table will take into account the top ten performances achieved on each route, without consideration of the time frame. The ocean records world championship will begin on the first of January 2006. A special marketing plan is being drawn up. It will fund this prize, and pay for the organization and communications around the Championship. It aims to involve 12 major French or international brands in the framework of a publicity campaign to promote the event. - www.records-oceaniques.com BUILDING THE DREAM An America's Cup campaign that lasts four years and can cost up to 100-million euros will only be as successful as the boat each team produces. Over this past winter seven new boats are being built to be launched this spring, and for these teams, their dream of the America's Cup will live and die with the nearly three-tonne carbon fibre hull produced by the builders. While many of the top teams will build two boats, this is clearly a critical time for the designers, engineers, and especially, the boat builders, who will spend around 20 000 'man-hours' building the hull of an America's Cup Class boat. Today's boat builder has to combine the traditional skills of an artisan with the most advanced technology, materials and processes. The objective is to build a hull that is as light as possible, yet still strong enough to do the job. Any weight saved in the hull, can go into the keel bulb, making the boat more stable and thus faster. The builders and engineers are working to find the perfect compromise between strength, weight and stiffness. "The ultimate test of the construction of the boat is your 'bulb weight', how much lead you can get into the keel of the boat," said Ian 'Fresh' Burns, the design coordinator for BMW Oracle Racing.. "You need your boat to be stiff, strong and light." - Excerpt from a story by Paco Tormo on the official America's Cup website, full story: http://tinyurl.com/brrk2 TIME TO UPDATE YOUR RULES QUIZ FILE If you've got UK-Halsey's Real Time Racing Rules CD, now you can update your files for free, including Rules Quiz #20 and the latest appeals. And if you haven't gotten the CD yet, now is a perfect time to prepare before the heat of spring's battles. No pig in a poke here: you can go on-line and try these informative, animated situations for free, and then decide whether to spend $45 for the CD (which has the rules book's full text, USSA Appeals, ISAF Cases, and more). Get the details on-line at http://www.ukhalsey.com LET THE TACTICAL GAMES BEGIN The Volvo Ocean Race fleet is just over two thirds of the way through leg three from Melbourne to Wellington, New Zealand. Although the racing has been dramatic in the opening stages of the leg, the real tactical game will come into play once the fleet rounds Cape Farewell, 125 nautical miles ahead, and turns towards Cook Strait which comes complete with complex tides and unstable breeze. Looking ahead, the southwesterly gradient is forecast to persist west of New Zealand, but the likelihood of much lighter and more variable conditions in Cook Strait suggests a possible re-start as the lead boats stall and the trailing boats race up from behind. Once in Cook Strait, conditions will be dominated by local conditions. The southwesterlies around Cape Farewell will veer into Cook Strait becoming west and northwesterly breeze - growing lighter with distance east. Meanwhile, a southwesterly also blowing along the eastern coast of the South Island will back into the southeast around Wellington. These two opposing breezes will collide somewhere in the vicinity of Cape Jackson at the middle of Cook Strait and some 40 miles from the finish. This will result in variable conditions before the boats can break through to the lighter southeasterly breezes expected outside Wellington harbour in the closing miles of the leg. As the boats look ahead to the next leg of the RTW race, you have to wonder what ABN Amro Two will do about their torn mainsail they suffered on the first night? And Brasil 1 on their lost battens, spinnaker snatch block and sheet? If that sail, torn so that they had to sail reefed for quite a while , has only been repaired temporarily, will the team want to chance it for the Southern Ocean leg to Cape Horn and on to Rio, or will two hours seem like a small price to pay for a mainsail that is 100 percent once more? Have Brasil 1 enough spares aboard to sail on, disregarding the loss of rope, block and battens. Or will they gamble on the time penalty to ensure a storming entrance into their home town? - www.volvooceanrace.org Volvo Ocean Race Positions at 2200 GMT Tuesday: 1. ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, 247 miles to finish 2. Movistar, Bouwe Bekking, +20 miles 3. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, +59 miles 4. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, +89 miles 5. ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, +93 miles 6. Ericsson Racing Team, Neal McDonald, +135 miles QUOTE / UNQUOTE * Nobody is looking forward to the pit stop. And we cross our fingers that it is going to be warm and sunny; otherwise the boat will get really smelly. We can't dry out sails as they have to remain onboard. Not sure who got this idea, but that person gets a big boeeeeeeeeee from the movistar crew. - Bouwe Bekking, movistar skipper * Gybing in 27-30 knots is not a piece of cake with these boats. Gybing involves first moving about 1.5 tones of sails and food and gear, some of it on centerline, some of it to leeward so it is to windward after the maneuver. When you go into the gybe, it is more difficult to keep you speed up because you have lost a lot of your righting moment. However, the alternative, leaving all the sails and gear stacked on the old windward side would be really bad if you broached in the gybe and all the gear ended up in the water. There would be a lot of damage and you would probably loose the sails and all the lifelines. - Paul Cayard, Pirates of the Caribbean skipper LOOKING BETTER (Skipper Magnus Holmberg reports that the prospects of the Victory Challenge are looking up in a story by Tim Jeffery posted on The Daily Sail subscription website. Here are a couple of excerpts.) Sweden's Victory Challenge is on the march again. The team's employment contracts ended at the close of 2005 and team owner Hugo Stenbeck declared new funding was required for the Swedes to continue right the way through the 32nd Cup. "We are still alive, have more funding and are fighting very hard," says Magnus Holmberg, skipper and team leader. "We will be sailing the Acts. In fact I think you could say there is quite a lot of light in the tunnel." There's no news yet of external backing but Killian Bushe will start modifying SWE 63 and 73 soon; Mani Frers is busy with design work; Hallspars will start a new rig next week; the base in Valencia is advancing well; and the sailing team resume activities there on 1 March. Not bad for a team for whom there were worries that their prospects were as inviting as the long Swedish winter. "We are still not fully funded so we can't relax and only concentrate on the technical and sailing aspects," confides a candid Holmberg. "We still have to push for more funding in the future. But the relief of getting going with the sailing team and the technical aspects is good. We are close to being fully up and running again." So where does a re-activated, re-energised Victory see itself? "I feel a lot of confidence in the sailing crew we have, particularly in the match racing part of it," explains Holmberg. - www.thedailysail.com NEWS BRIEFS * Over 50,000 people visited the Waterfront City precinct last weekend, enjoying the farewell celebrations for the Volvo Ocean Race. Almost a thousand spectator boats took advantage of perfect conditions on Port Phillip Bay to watch the Volvo Open 70 yachts as they raced from Station Pier, Port Melbourne, to the heads, while thousands more people lined the Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula foreshores to cheer on the teams. Held once every four years, the Volvo Ocean Race is expected to attract over 1.5 billion television viewers over the eight month, 31,250 nautical mile challenge. - www.melbournestopover.com.au Curmudgeon's Comment: So why aren't we seeing some of that television in the USA? * After a brief sail and complete check-up of the boat and gear on Friday, Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team carried out their first training run of the season on Monday with ITA 77. ITA 77 will serve as the trial boat against the new Mascalzone Latino boat which will sail at the beginning of spring. Actually the sailing crew and technical crew of Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team have been back hard at work since the middle of January. The entire team will be back in operation in Valencia next week. - www.mascalzonelatino.it * Eighty-five days at sea, Valentine's Day and a reunion with a helicopter winchman all coincided for Dee Caffari, who is off bottom of New Zealand's South Island, as she marked the half way stage in her attempt to become the first woman to sail westwards around the world unassisted and without stopping. Her 72ft Aviva Challenge made a rendezvous with Dave Greenberg on the Westpac Rescue helicopter to pick up video tapes. - Tim Jeffery, The Daily Telegraph, http://tinyurl.com/dgphg * Over the past few days around 60 of the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race crew have flown back from the Philippines to their home countries whilst work commences on the Clipper fleet. A professional yacht surveyor has arrived and work is underway. Glasgow is in the process of dropping her keel and it is anticipated that Qingdao will be hauled out today. - http://www.clipper-ventures.co.uk/2006/ NEED OWNER The J/160 Maitri has just arrived in San Diego, and is looking for a new owner. She is available for showings this week - come see one of the finest equipped J-160s. Visit the website for more information, or give our office a call at 619-224-6200 to see all our listings. http://www.Yachtworld.com/sailcal LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Dick Johnson: Ref the letter from Rob Overton in the latest Scuttlebutt, the VOR NoR and all SIs and the like are on the official web site. The Volvo Open 70 rule is there also. http://www.volvooceanrace.org/raceguide/abouttherace/technicalinformatio n/ * From Brad Dellenbaugh (re: Rob Overton's comments in issue #2030): What Rob says is correct in regular racing. However, the VOR is using Experimental Appendix Q, Umpired Fleet Racing Rules (listed in their NOR and I assume the SIs), which clearly states the requirements for flying a red flag for a claim of redress [rule Q5.1] and is the similar to the rule used in Match Racing [rule C6.3]. Not much to argue with there. NOR 2.1 (e) Appendix Q of the Racing Rules of Sailing will apply for the In Port Races EXPERIMENTAL APPENDIX Q - UMPIRED FLEET RACING RULES Q5.1 A boat intending to request redress because of circumstances that arise before she finishes or retires shall clearly display a red flag as soon as possible after she becomes aware of those circumstances, but not later than two minutes after finishing or retiring. She shall keep the flag displayed until she has informed the umpires after finishing or retiring. The Race Officer, however, could have realized he'd made a mistake and requested redress for Ericsson. * From Jack Griffin: In reply to Geoffrey Emmanuel in Butt 2030, he might have been able to request that the hearing be re-opened under Rule 66 had he done so within 24 hours of the decision, and could file an appeal under Rule 70.1 because of the protest committee's error in procedure, although Rule F2.1 gives a 15 day time limit to file an appeal. * From Paddy Boyd: If Geoffrey Emmanuel broke a rule, he should have done his turns or retired, no matter whether he was protested or not. He seems to be suggesting that it is alright to break a rule provided that no one protests. Knowingly breaking a rule and not taking a penalty, which may be to retire, is a clear breach of the Basic Principle of the RRS. * From Malcolm McKeag (re Protest Flags and valid protests): Some years ago when chairing the Jury at a J/24 regatta I allowed a protest to be heard even though the protestor had not immediately flown a flag, being too busy sorting out the incident and its aftermath. I did so on the grounds that both boats knew - and both agreed they both knew - there had been an incident, but neither had taken a penalty as each believed it was the other that had broken a rule. Each was happy to have the hearing held to resolve the issue. As it happened, the boat being protested (or not, depending on your view on the validity of the protest) had broken a rule, and was penalized (the SIs permitted penalties other than DSQ). Later I asked that doyenne of rules knowledge Mary Pera who at the time was chairman of the RYA Appeals Committee for retrospective advice on the validity issue. 'I understand your motive' she said 'but if your penalized boat appeals, we shall have to uphold it.' The protest was invalid, and therefore so was the penalty. The logic for the insistence on the flag was that cited by Geoffrey Emanuel - it lets the potentially penalized boat know the complaint is serious and allows the opportunity for exoneration. If Geoffrey appeals (if there is still time) he should win. * From Ray Tostado: I understand that maritime jurisprudence requires that a disabled vessel when abandoned be scuttled. This I suppose is so it does not pose a threat to other vessels. I recall that a scuttled, sunk vessel remains the property of the insurance underwriter; while if the vessel remains afloat it belongs to anyone who can brave it's recovery. At which time the salvager can claim compensation from the same insurance underwriter. Speaking with a responsible adult who abandoned his 41' sailboat in the Pacific, afloat, was reprimanded by his carrier for not scuttling the vessel. And why do our USCG when evacuating crew not scuttle a vessel? I am certain they are not on a per-rescue bonus program. But the real question is why do container owners not share the same burden of responsibility when a vessel strikes a 95% submerged container and suffers major damage or sinks? It is such a simple device design that would cause any displaced container to sink after a fixed time in ocean waters. It gets loose, it gets wet, it sinks after 48 hours. The container is worth about $375.00. The contents are insured. Why endanger innocent vessels? I have never seen nor heard of any container rescue fleet existing. Nor of any GPS transponder beacons affixed onto containers. So why let them harm wayfarers? * From David Greenlee I'm sure you'll get many thoughts about the origin of "p &q". I have always heard that it was not an order to calm down or drink less, but to keep track of the bartender, who tracked your tab by marking in chalk under p or q, for pint or quart. If you didn't mind them, then you would likely be overcharged. A caution to pay attention to details... * From Stevan Johnson: Sorry, Curmudgeon, but you are way, way off base on your p's and q's. The phrase comes from the era of hand-set typesetting, where the letters p and q (and b and d for that matter) are difficult to distinguish because the lead type was cast backwards so a "p" read like a "q" as it sat in its box. The printer's devil (apprentice) was told to mind his p's and q's when setting copy. Just trying to make a good impression here. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS You're getting old when you're sitting in a rocker and you can't get it started. Special thanks to UK-Halsey Sailmakers and Sail California San Diego. |
