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SCUTTLEBUTT 1466 - November 26, 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. US OLYMPIC TRIALS US Sailing is considering adopting the International Sailing Federation's new Olympic Games system of no throwout races for the remainder of its Olympic Trials in February and March. As Americans in five of the 11 classes---men's and women's 470, men's and women's sailboard and Laser---were winding up their Trials earlier this month, ISAF blindsided the world with its surprise ruling that competitors in all classes must count all of their races at Athens next August. Fred Hagedorn, chairman of the Olympic Sailing Committee for US Sailing, said Tuesday, "I am sending out e-mails to the classes that have had no Trials yet. I want to take a position that is in concert with the athletes. I think it's important for us to listen to the people who are actually playing the game." US Sailing's Olympic director, Jonathan Harley, said, "This is going to throw a whole new wrinkle into the system. People are going to sail differently. They're not going to be taking chances." San Diego's Mark Reynolds, who has been his country's Star class representative in the last four Olympics, winning two gold medals and a silver, was glad it's being considered but confessed to having mixed feelings about it. "The thing that bothered me is that they did it so suddenly," Reynolds said. "I don't think they talked to any sailors." Hagedorn said, "From a process perspective, this was horrid. It came out of left field." The seeds of the change, Hagedorn suggested, were planted by ISAF President Paul Henderson of Canada in what was described as an "emergency submission" that would have required everyone to sail the final race. * Hagedorn felt that the ISAF Council was faced with two options, which did not include the status quo---compel everyone to sail the last race or institute a no-drop system---and that the ensuing discussion was that forcing people to sail "doesn't make a whole lot of sense. "So then they jumped to a conclusion that maybe we should just do it this other way. . . . [and] the U.S. people on the council said no throwouts are better than the other option. So they voted in favor of it." Thus, it makes sense for the remaining U.S. Trials to conform to the new Olympic system so the U.S. reps can get used to a different style of sailing. * U.S. Trials remaining are for the Yngling, Europe, Finn, 49er and Tornado classes in February, concluding with the Stars in March. All will be in Florida. - Rich Roberts, YachtRacing.com website, full story: http://www.yachtracing.com/ THE NEW LOOK AMERICA'S CUP Hours before the name of the south European port which will host the next America's Cup is revealed, the Swiss organizers have pledged to give yachting's oldest trophy a facelift on its return to Europe for the first time. Details of the new features of the Louis Vuitton challenge trophy and the America's Cup in 2007 will be unveiled on Wednesday in Geneva when organizers AC management announce the location of the event. "It's going to evolve in coming to Europe," Michel Bonnefous, head of AC management, said. "We'll have regattas and events every year until the America's Cup itself. They'll count from the moment the deadline for registration is over," Bonnefous told AFP. The organizers of the 2007 event have indicated that they would like to hold two or three pre-regattas already next year, according to an official from one of the candidate cities. Organizers have also made it clear that the challenge series will be shorter, while decent shoreline viewing was one of the conditions for the candidate cities on the final shortlist. - Yahoo News, http://tinyurl.com/wkp4 EXTREME SAILING Now approaching the Canaries, Francis Joyon, the solo French skipper aboard the 110-trimaran IDEC, has profited from a slight lull, after the battering the boat got last night in 50-knot breezes. The 100 km winds did not impress either the skipper, or the trimaran itself, although as Joyon noted this morning, "It was a bit more violent than I had envisaged, but I had no real times when I was concerned. I spent most of the evening under bare poles, which in 50 knots of wind is the only thing to do. I only had one real tense moment, the boat took off on the crest of a wave, and began to surf down it sideways, but it was not a real problem" - http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5864 IDEC Website: www.trimaran-idec.com TRIVIA QUESTION What is the origin of the term, "Shake A Leg?" (Answer below) LET THE SUN SHINE! The elves at Team One Newport are helping everyone get ready for the Holidays, but they are dreaming about going to Terra Nova Trading Key West Race Week. The incredible customer service team is waiting to help you with your gift giving needs and your 2004 racing uniforms! Call now to get the latest and coolest new gear from all the top manufacturers. We have a terrific embroidery and screen printing team that creates the coolest uniforms; just ask around and see what our customers say! Call 800-VIP-GEAR or visit http://www.team1newport.com A CHANGE OF PLANS The 2,800 mile ARC 2003 (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) just started on Monday but already several yachts have had to return to Gran Canaria with problems. Sweden 70, Paper Moon, put out a PAN-PAN call, after they discovered leaking keel bolts were flooding their bilge. The pumps are holding and they are making good speed for Gran Canaria expected in tonight or early tomorrow. The crew of Jeanneau 52.2 Great Escapes, also had an unpleasant surprise, when they discovered that the top rudder bearing was moving. Although it is not leaking. as a precaution, the yacht is now returning to Las Palmas to effect repairs and they hope to restart soon. Maxi Lodka Sport have also joined those making a pit-stop back in Las Palmas, having returned to drop off an injured crew member who had dislocated his shoulder. The crewman is receiving medical attention and the yacht has now restarted. Mike Koopman sailing aboard VOR60 Spirit reports hitting a top speed of 19.8 knots, and during a 4 hour period yesterday covering 55 miles! At the front, a pack of large yachts are pushing for the lead, including Venom another VOR60, Liara a Dixon 65 and a veritable pod of Farr 65's; all hoping to take a bite out of the ARC course record of 11days 23hrs, 41 minutes and 43 seconds set by Farr 65 Spirit of Diana in ARC 2001. - http://arc.worldcruising.com/ NEWS BRIEFS * US Sailing recently launched a major fund raising initiative for the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team: Winning is a Team Effort - The Voyage to Athens. A colorful and informative package has gone out to all US Sailing members that includes information about the Sailing Teams, the Olympic classes, and what it takes to make it to the Olympic Games. Additionally, a section of their website has been set up to support the campaign. To learn more about the program: http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/2004/Winning/index.htm * For the first time in the history of Russian sailing, an Olympic class world championship will be held in Moscow, on the Reservoir at Kliazma 40 kilometres outside the city centre. World Championships have been held before in the old Soviet Union (in Estonia), but this will be the first time for Russia. The successfully bid for the 2005 49er Worlds against other strong contenders from Australia, Italy, Hungary, Holland and Denmark. - ISAF website, http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5860 *According to the last edition of the Swiss business magazine "Bilan", Alinghi's Ernesto Bertarelli is fourth on a list of the 300 richest people in Switzerland. The 38-year-old chairman of alpine biotech firm Serono (and a director at UBS) is worth FS10/11 billion (€6,5/7 billion), up FS2 billion from a year ago (peak was FS14 billion in 2001). - Cup in Europe website, http://www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/2007-Alinghi-EN4.htm CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar BACKSTAGE TOUR If you followed the 2003 America's Cup in Scuttlebutt, the best we could ever do was get you front row seats. But now you can relive it all backstage by turning the 256 pages of a new book edited by Keith Taylor, "Star & Stripes The Official Record 2003." Keith and his team of stellar photographers takes you back in time to how it all started, then delivers you to the present, all the while providing a complete and personal tour of the events that occurred. Through the extra large 10 ½" x 14" coffee table format complete with brilliant pictures, you feel like you are living the dream right along with the sailors who defined the event. Meet the players, visit the places, and experience the carnage and the courage. See for yourself at http://www.stars-stripes.com/store AWARDS Sailing World and Cruising World magazines came away with top awards from the recent Folio:Show 2003. They took first and second place, respectively, in the Editorial Excellence category among boating and yachting consumer magazines. Sponsored by Folio magazine, the awards were based on how well each publication fulfilled its mission statement. A panel of 90 judges went through more than 2,000 entries in the most competitive year ever for the prestigious awards. Sailing World's winning entry was its November 2002 issue which focused entirely on previewing the last America's Cup. "Our edit and art team pushed into some new territory in several articles, and the result was both comprehensive and fun," said editor John Burnham. Sailing World also earned a Cover Design honorable mention for its March 2003 issue. This marks the second consecutive year that Cruising World has been honored at the Folio:Show awards program. The magazine placed first among its peers in the Editorial Excellence category in 2002. Both magazines are published by World Publications. ULLMAN SAILS GET A+ FOR SPEED On November 11th through 14th, Ponchartrain Yacht Club hosted the A Class catamaran North American Championships. Thirty-nine A Cats from across North America came to compete for national honors. Congratulations to Pease Glaser for winning the title of 2003 A Class National Champion. Ullman Sails won all five races and finished 1st through 4th overall. Ullman Sails also won both the Grand Masters and Masters Divisions. If you and your crew are ready to install the Ullman Sails Speed Advantage into your 2004 Racing Program, call or visit your local Ullman Sail loft. http://www.ullmansails.com TRIVIA ANSWER The term "Shake A Leg" originated in Portsmouth, where women would come aboard naval vessels to aid ship morale. Each morning the petty officer would shout for the occupants of hammocks to shake a leg. If the leg was smooth and shapely, the occupant was allowed to sleep in; if the leg was hairy, the officer turned out the hammock for the sailor to swab the deck. HOLIDAY We will not publish a Scuttlebutt on Thursday, which is of course, Thanksgiving. However, there will be an issue of Scuttlebutt on Friday. 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 Coulsen: To those developing the new offshore rule please listen carefully for as an owner of an IMS and IRC rated 43 footer every week buying a cruising boat gets more appealing. - Any new rule must not penalize stability (like IOR and IMS have for the most part done). - Any new rule must discourage low lateral resistance (IMS seems the encourage it and I suggest you all do a short handed ocean delivery in a modern IMS to convince yourselves of this). - Any new rule must have adequate construction scantlings for ocean passages not day sailing - There must be no politics driven exceptions or loopholes especially where these add to cost (the IRC code zero rule is just plain cr*p ) - Any new rule must discourage people from optimizing for particular conditions in an undue manner (again IRC has issues here especially in respect to downwind races). It does not seem to matter whether the rule is a box rule or formula rule and it does not matter whether it is a public or secret rule. The real issue is whether the rule is to be a real offshore rule or just another round the cans inshore rule that forces responsible owners who take safe boats offshore to be uncompetitive in day racing. If the rule committee is not interested in developing an ocean rule but just a day sailing rule let the owners know so they can make their own arrangements * From Malcolm McKeag: Not sure what sort of motor racing Cory (Friedman) is referring to when he says that sport has discards in its scoring - but it is not the motor sport that I know. In the Formula One World Drivers championship there is no discard - and no redress. The champion is the driver who gets most points, period. If a car breaks down - tough. Nil points. If a driver gets run off the track by another - tough. Nil Points. The offending driver may be penalized, but there is no such thing in motor racing as average points for a driver whose finishing position has been made significantly worse by the actions of a car that should have kept clear. Imagine how many world champions we would end up with if there were. If the number 2 driver in a team holds up the opposition while the number gets one away, or slows down to let the number one driver pass and win - tough. Number 1 gets the championship points - and the answer to any driver who cries foul is always the same. 'Go Faster.' 'Twas ever thus. * From Michael Foster: The recent banter about alternative scoring of races with time limits has merit. This time of year in San Diego we have the three race Hot Rum Series. This is an 11 mile race that is started in the harbor, run around 4 random leg marks in the ocean and finished again in the harbor. Pursuit starts are used where the starting times are based upon each boat's handicap. Entries range from 21' to IACC. In theory, if the handicaps were perfect everyone would finish at the same time. This weekend we had little to light breezes in the harbor and 8+ knots in the ocean at times. There was also a 3 knot outgoing current in the harbor starting area causing many starters to be OCS. Of the 154 entries 34 completed the course by the 1700 time limit. Present scoring is based upon the number of entries. Awarding scores based upon the number of finishers doesn't put such a hefty penalty on those that are unable to finish for whatever reason. The scoring policy for 2004 will be reviewed. * From Tripp Alyn: Ditto to Anson Stookey's comments regarding alternative funding vehicles. I believe there is also at least one in Texas ... and don't forget the wonderful work done for many decades by the generous folks at Southern YC, namely the late Herbie O'Donnell, the late Shelby Friedrichs, Dwight LeBlanc, Gus Lorber, Barton Jahncke and many others! There are two gold medals as proof (1932-Star w/Gray, Libano and 1968-Dragon w/Friedrichs, Jahncke & Schreck). Is there a list of other sailing foundations out there? * From Rod Davis (re: rules changes for the Olympics): If you're going to change the rules after the game has started, you should consult the players. Now we are talking of OCS systems, changing the rules for DNFs and the like. Logic says, these things would have come to light and been sorted out before the change is done to scoring system. Before trials for most counties have started - done in time to test them in the Pre Olympics and to be used in the country qualification regattas. I hear we are going to fix the newly created problems. If they are not fixed are going back to the rules as they were? One can only wonder what the media, possible sponsors or the general public think off all these last second changes for Olympic Yachting. Not a slick act by anyone's book. * From Chris Ericksen: I gotta admit that, as a competitor, I agreed with Ben Ainslie on 'Butt 1459 when he decried the elimination of a discard in the Olympic regatta. But, as a regatta organizer, and as a competitor who has seen sailors jump the line and not go back, or foul someone and not do turns, or press a bad line at a mark and hit it without doing his turn - and depend on the discard to take it all away - I see Tom Ehman's point as raised in 'Butt 1460. I remain an advocate of the discard in the basic scoring system and do not advocate its elimination in general--but I'd love to watch next summer to see if its elimination in the 2004 Olympic Regatta will eliminate or reduce all those things Tom suggests it will eliminate. Best that they try it out in a limited series of regattas rather than making a controversial change that will be binding on the entire sport. * From Steve Bodner: Congratulations to Peter Wells and his accomplishment of winning the US Olympic boardsailing trials. He has shown with the proper dedication, training, focus and of course fundraising, anything is possible. Wouldn't it be great if he could just focus on tactics, board-handling and getting faster and not have to worry about raising tens of thousands of dollars before the Olympics? * From Peter M. Durant: (Regarding Anson Stookey's Letter to the Curmudgeon) The Southern Massachusetts Sailing Association (SM SAILING) established a foundation in 1997 through which Olympic hopefuls can channel tax-free donations at no cost. The foundation is currently assisting several Olympic hopefuls in achieving their Olympic dreams. * From Chris Caswell: I'm delighted to say that Scuttlebutt classifieds work better than eBay! Just sold the Shrink Wrap System to one of the many people who contacted me, so would appreciate having it deleted so as not to disappoint too many more of your readers. http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/classifieds/ CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it. |
