|
SCUTTLEBUTT 1409 - September 8, 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. ADIOS PALMA Palma de Mallorca been dropped from the short list of European candidate cities to host the next America's Cup. Michel Bonnefous, CEO of AC Management explained, "Spain is the only country with more than one city on the list. Both Palma and Valencia are worthy candidates but we have had to decide which of the two offered the best chances of progressing to the final stages. We believe that Valencia offers this potential." The new short list now includes Lisbon (POR), Marseille (FRA), Naples (ITA), Valencia (ESP).A final decision on the European venue for the 2007 America's Cup is expected before Christmas. http://www.americascup.com/index_en.php MINI TRANSAT START POSTPONED The start of the Mini Transat, scheduled for 1730 local time this afternoon (Sunday) has been delayed until Tuesday because of the weather conditions. Monday afternoon a depression centered over the UK is expected to lash the course with 40-45 knots westerly winds and gusts of 60 knots at a time when the boats will be crossing the continental shelf. Even in moderate conditions the seas are sharper here because of the dramatic swallowing of the water. In severe conditions sailing upwind into breaking waves could be treacherous. The Mini Transat's organisers politically cannot afford to have a repeat of the 1999 race when numerous boats were broken and several skippers were forced to be airlifted off their boats most courtesy of the Spanish rescue authorities. In France the Mini Transat only happens thanks to a special dispensation from the Minister of Transport, so the organisers of the Mini Transat cannot afford to risk putting the future of their race in jeopardy. - Daily Sail, full story: http://thedailysail.com JONATHAN MCKEE - Part Two Seventy Mini 6.50 Meter Class Yachts (21' in length), each sailed by only one person, depart La Rochelle, France in a highly competitive 4,500 mile (2,812.5 km) to the Canary Islands, and then on to the finish line in Brazil. Some of Europe's best and brightest single-handed sailors will be on the starting line along with a notable newcomer to this kind of sailing, Jonathan McKee. Here's an excerpt from Part Two of the interview posted on the Harken website. McLube: How do you manage your sleep on the longer races? JM: I try to sleep pretty regularly when the wind is steady. I generally sleep for 30 minutes at a time, lying fore-aft just to windward of the keel in the cabin. It is actually pretty comfortable. In 30 minutes, you can feel rested, but you don't go into the deep part of your sleep cycle, so you can wake up and be alert quickly. I go on deck, check trim and traffic, and if all is good, I might go right back down for another 30 minutes. This kind of racing is all about pacing yourself, so it is important to sleep when you can, because your full attention will probably be required later in the race. McLube: How often do you typically steer by hand versus relying upon the auto pilot? JM: It depends a lot on the conditions, but overall I hand steer less than half the time on a long race. If the wind is steady, the pilot can steer nearly as well as I can, especially at night or when I am tired. Often it's more beneficial to trim, navigate, eat, think about strategy, etc. However, there are certain times when hand steering can pay big dividends, like when the wind is shift or in waves downwind. McLube: Can you explain how your unique canting keel works? JM: The keel swings side-to-side with a Harken 6:1 tackle led to the Harken 16 primary winches. It is a very simple and efficient system that allows you to trim the heel to match the sail plan. Of course much of the time you want max stability so the keel is all the way to windward (about 40 degrees). I have a canting daggerboard which provides lateral resistance. One unique feature of my boat is that the keel can also move fore-aft on a track and block-tackle system. This allows me to move the keel forward in light air and upwind, but aft for big breeze downwind to promote planing and help prevent nose-diving. It sound a little complicated, but actually it works pretty nice. - Harken website, full story: http://www.harken.com/sailing/mckeeqa-p2.php HIKE What if your tactician or navigator could hike hard and still have full view and control of the instruments? Wouldn't it be great to tack or gybe with no touch screen cords or umbilicals to deal with? How great would it be to use low cost "off the shelf" computer hardware as specialized onboard wireless instrument handheld displays? It's here, and it's called EYE. For detailed Ockam OS4 eye information and software download, visit the Ockam website: http://www.ockam.com TEAM KAN-DO - A DIFFERENT APPROACH While most aspiring syndicates to the next Volvo Ocean Race focus on their behind-the-scenes efforts to shape their programmes, the first publicly announced effort from the USA is taking a decidedly different approach. Team Kan-do, based in Annapolis, has adopted their moniker to describe a programme of performance based more on achievement and effort of their team members rather than relying solely on hired talent. The syndicate has structured itself as having a pool of pro-level advisors who have experience in the Volvo, Whitbread, America's Cup, and other top-echelon yachting competitions, who will train and coach a sailing team consisting of sailors who may be talented, but whose full potential has yet to be shown. "We feel there is a talent base out there that has yet to be tapped," said syndicate partner John Alden. "The elite world of professional offshore sailing has many stars who got their start somewhere from a combination of talent, hard work, sacrifice, and opportunity. We hope to provide those aspiring to this level just such an opportunity." Alden's partner in this venture, Patrick Bischoff is a German who is also living in Annapolis and will be in charge of gathering the necessary talent needed for the programme. While having competed in numerous offshore competitions, Bischoff draws on his skills as a successful international business consultant and entrepreneur to formulate the team and its philosophy. "From my experience in the Internet business, you don't worry about the competitors you know, but the ones you don't know," he said. "It's the hungry guys working overtime in their garages that will come up with the next best thing, not the established players." Yet Team Kan-do has been relying on many established players to assist them through the myriad of options in designers, builders, sail makers, and the like. - Dobbs Davis, ISAF website, full story: http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5326 MOET CUP (This excerpt from a story in the San Francisco Chronicle discusses some of the preparations for the Moet Cup.) Both billionaires (Larry Ellison and Ernesto Bertarelli), who each poured about $100 million into their last America's Cup campaigns, hope to spark the public imagination with the sights and sounds of pro sailboat racing. They want spectators to witness the power and beauty of these technologically advanced boats. "Sailing is bigger in Europe than in the United States," Kostecki said. "We have a lot of high level sporting events here and the public doesn't know that much about our sport. . . . Hopefully, events like this will get some TV coverage, and we'll be able to continue to educate the public and create more interest." Moet Cup organizers plan to establish a village on the Marina Green. Bleachers will be set up along the shore. Fans will also be able to follow the races on a marquee via Virtual Spectator, an animated display that tracks the progress of the competing yachts. "It's an opportunity to showcase the America's Cup racing boats, to show what's been going on in Auckland the past few years," Moet Cup official Jane Eagleson said. "The racing is going to be unbelievably close to spectators. You'll be able to hear the boats tacking and see the incredible power of these boats." Races will be held on a short, roughly hour-long course -- back and forth a few times between Treasure Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. Each day of the regatta will feature a doubleheader. An Owner/Driver series will pit Ellison against Bertarelli, followed by a Pro/Driver series with Oracle skipper Chris Dickson and helmsman Gavin Brady vs. Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts and tactician Jochen Schuemann. - Jim Doyle, San Francisco Chronicle, full story: http://tinyurl.com/m3an Here are some photos of Oracle BMW Racing as they prepare for the Moet Cup in San Francisco. - Yachtracing.com: http://tinyurl.com/mkn5 YOU A GRAND PRIX GUY? A ONE-DESIGN WIZ? A CLUB-RACE KING? Sailing is a small world, but it's sure a wide and wet one. That's why Henri Lloyd's line of sailing gear covers the world of sailors: Core Sailing, Grand Prix, One Design, Dinghy, and Women's foulweather wear, and Lifestyle Clothing and Accessories. Find it all at http://www.henrilloydonline.com COOL A new sports amphibian vehicle, the Gibbs Aquada - a cross between a sportscar and sportsboat - is claimed to be the first road-legal amphibian to offer serious land performance with a planing capability on water. It is actually capable of 100mph on the road and up to 26 knots on sheltered water. - IBI News, http://tinyurl.com/mkop NEWS BRIEFS * Selected standings after four of six races of the Star European Championship in Cascais, Portugal (63 boats): 1. Mark Neeleman/ Peter Van Niekerk, NED; 2. Torben Grael/ Marcelo Ferreira, BRA; 3. Iain Percy/ Steve Mitchell, GBR; 2. Michael Koch/ Markus Koy, GER; 3. Roberto Benamati/ Filippo Domenicali, ITA; 4. Colin Beashel/ David Giles, AUS; 5. Peter Bromby/ Martin Siese, BER; 7. Fredrik Loof/ Anders Ekstrom, SWE; 8. Ross Macdonald/ Kai Bsorn, CAN; 12. Mark Reynolds/ Magnus Liljedahl, USA; 20. Rick Merriman/ Bill Bennett, USA. Event website: http://www.stareuro2003.com/Home_Event.asp * The eight international Clipper yachts have moved from New York to Halifax to avoid Hurricane Fabian. The aim of this pit stop is to refuel and take on essential provisions before the fleet set off to start Race 15 of the Clipper 2002 Series to Jersey in the Channel Islands. The departure from Halifax will be dependent on Hurricane Fabian taking its predicted path, making it safe for the crews to set sail. Event website: http://www.clipper-ventures.com * Sailing World Magazine National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta in Larchmont, NY was marked by very light winds throughout the three-day event, and on the final day only the J/105 class finished races. In all, 132 boats in 13 classes competed on the weekend, with winners hailing from six different states. - Patrick Wampler, World Sports & Marketing. Complete results: http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_article.php?articleID=2004 * Yachts were dumped ashore by 120mph winds as Hurricane Fabian struck Bermuda yesterday (Saturday), the most powerful storm to strike the former British colony since 1953. The island is renowned for its resilience in the face of the world's most violent storms, and emerged from its sternest test for half a century with its reputation just about intact. The hurricane left its mark, however. Scores of trucks were swept off roads and hundreds of properties damaged. - The Observer, full story: http://tinyurl.com/ml48 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar ST FRANCIS YACHT CLUB BIG BOAT SERIES! This week as you're racing in beautiful San Francisco, check out the Talisman IMS 50 crew gear. Custom designed by The Pirate's Lair includes tees, polos, hats and foulies, right down to the massive boat graphics. Meanwhile, check out these BBS team specials…BBS Special #1: Free artwork when purchasing 12+ embroidered items; BBS Special #2: Buy 5 Gill fuzzies and get the embroidery for free; BBS Special #3: 10% off any Camet order over 5 pieces; BBS Special #4: Buy any 9 same style Henri Lloyd foulies and get one free! Contact us at: (888) SAIL-BUM or http://www.pirateslair.com/sailing 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 Andrew Vare (edited to our 250-word limit): In the last issue Mr. Hagedorn's wrote: "...Our model of providing some financial support from the USOC/US Sailing OSC coupled with personal fundraising by our athletes was extremely successful for many decades. The difference is that since 1992, many of the other nations have changed the rules, and our amateurs are competing against well-funded professionals. " Can we look through the roster from Savannah or Sydney and see how many "amateurs" the US fielded? How do we expect kids who do nothing but sail to come up with a quarter of a million dollars annually to run a decent Star or Yngling campaign? It's pretty clear that we cannot expect them to medal at all if things go as currently structured. No medals means no sponsorship dollars upstairs, folks, then the whole structure begins to unwind. With due respect to Mr. Hagedorn's no doubt Herculean efforts, something much larger has to occur here. It's clear we are in a building phase and the sooner we shed dead weight and fund the next generation the better off we'll be. How about outright pay for performance? Get a top five placing in an Olympic Class at a NAs or Worlds and you are under 25 years old? Your Olympic account gets $100K automatically, no questions asked. I'm sure that the alternative is that Olympic sailing gets dropped by the USOC because it's too expensive and the medal count necessary for proper media coverage is too low. * From John Rumsey: Does it really matter, except to the competitors, who wins a medal or trophy? Does it make one country better than another? It is only a game. * From C. Schnoor (In response to the comments shared by Mr. Ericksen and Mr. Wathen): As a frequent competitor in events along the West Coast, often with the VHF in hand, I greatly prefer starting races where the RC is sharing information with the entire fleet as well as his\her intentions for starting the next race versus the stonewall approach. I firmly believe RC communication reduces confusion (every new venue has an RC that does things slightly different), helps to reduce the "us versus them" environment between racers and the RC and it adds to an overall positive racing experience and a successful event. The stonewall approach does just the opposite. In my experience, our Race Committee friends at St. Francis YC and to an even greater extent, CYC (Seattle) do a wonderful job of "monitoring" their RC responsibilities and yet somehow can still find time to share with the fleets information that benefits everyone. They set the example for all clubs to aspire to for successful and fun competitions. * From Tom Farquhar: The recent debate in Scuttlebutt about how RC's communicate with competitors has included several ideas for making racing more "user friendly." It also has included some that will create problems. In Issue 1408, Russ Lenarz says "Although there is nothing in the rules that prohibits PROs from making comments to competitors during the start sequence..." This is incorrect. Rule 41 (Outside Help) specifically prohibits competitors from receiving outside help while racing (a defined term). That means that it's fine for the RC to announce the course or any other information until the preparatory signal. Thereafter, a boat that receives such information has broken rule 41, and, if protested, will probably be disqualified. Rule 41 can be changed via the sailing instructions, and should be if the RC plans to communicate with competitors orally after the prep. There is a proposal being discussed by ISAF to change rule 41 to make additional exceptions to rule 41, including the communicating of OCS numbers after the starting signal. * From Peter Branning: I'm sure you have heard this a million times, but there is no secret to the fact that the America's Cup is boring to the average viewer. It's just not much fun to watch. With the array of exciting boats such as skiff's, 49ers, Catamarans as well as others that could be developed for a lot less than a cup boat, why doesn't the America's Cup Committee choose a boat that will create the thrills and chills that will elevate this event to the spectator sport that the viewing public demands? Erratic television coverage of such an event is inevitable otherwise. Sponsors will be frustrated. The public will continue to be bored. Rich sailors will continue to play what is actually a rather personal game - as it always was really. * Stephan Kandler, K-Challenge: We are talking a lot about the next America's Cup but we don't see anything new coming. I think a long time passed since the last Cup and we still do not know where and when this event will happen. We don't even know what the next rule will be. This only entails speculations that interest people of our sailing world. Earth keeps on turning and the general public will lose interest in the America's Cup if nothing new happens. There are other sports in the world involving sponsors that are offering equivalent or superior return on investment. Six months after the end of the America's Cup we still don't know what media coverage has been achieved in the last edition. If we want more teams competing we will have to propose a much more attractive package than a "probably very efficient communication tool." I understand that the defender wants to offer the best package but this shall not turn into an everlasting auction. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS How come we choose from just two people for President and fifty for Miss America? |
