SCUTTLEBUTT No. 787 - April 4, 2001
Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of
major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with
a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases and
contrasting viewpoints are always welcome.
AMERICA'S CUP
Russell Coutts' Swiss yachting syndicate has been fined $US3000 for
breaking America's Cup rules. The America's Cup Arbitration Panel fined the
Swiss and added $US1000 as costs after they altered their yacht without
permission. The syndicate representing the Societe Nautique de Geneve
modified the hull of their training yacht this year, but did not inform the
regatta's technical director. Approval is supposed to be sought to prevent
syndicates breaching rules which regulate the extent of alterations to old
America's Cup-class yachts.
* The Swiss are sailing the boat of the Fast 2000 syndicate from the last
cup, Be Happy, also from Switzerland. Be Happy was double-keeled. Coutts'
syndicate has changed that to a single keel - a modification which did not
require approval. But alterations to the bow and the stern of the boat
should have been cleared by the technical director.
The five-member arbitration panel says in a written ruling that the breach
of the rules was inadvertent, and the Swiss had voluntarily brought the
issue to its notice. Other syndicates were not disadvantaged, the panel said.
The holder of the cup, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, asked the
panel to rule if the Swiss boat was considered a "new" boat for the next
campaign. The panel said it was not. Under cup racing rules, each syndicate
is allowed just two new boats at each America's Cup campaign. - NZ Herald
Full story: www.nzherald.co.nz
OLYMPICS
(Peter Bentley reports as ISAF's head honcho puts the last nail in the
coffin of the Soling's Olympic dreams. Here's an excerpt from his story on
the madforsailing website.)
The Soling's bid to be reinstated in the Olympics has been dealt a fatal
blow. Voting by members of the ISAF council has determined that the subject
of Olympic equipment for 2004 will not be on the agenda for the mid-year
meetings.
Of the 38 voting members of the ISAF Council, 29 voted in favour of the
Executive Committee Recommendation that no further discussion should take
place while eight voted against. There was one abstention.
This effectively ensures that the classes decided upon at last year's
November meeting in Edinburgh are confirmed for Athens in 2004. - Peter Bentley
Full story: www.madforsailing.com/
MORE AMERICA'S CUP
Peter Harrison today announced the meteorology programme for his GBR
Challenge. Harrison has contracted British meteorologist Fiona Campbell to
the campaign and signed an agreement with the Meteorological Service of New
Zealand Ltd, which also has an agreement with Team New Zealand. In
addition, David Houghton will act as a consultant to the programme.
Harrison also explained the desire to benefit British sailing as a whole.
"I have always stated that this campaign should support other elements of
British sailing and the sport's future in this country. I am confident that
Fiona's expert knowledge will benefit our syndicate, and also that she will
return from the event with additional experience that will prove invaluable
to future British Olympic campaigns." Ian Walker commented: "Accurate
weather forecasting was one of the keys to our Olympic success in Sydney,
giving us an edge over some of the other nations. It's great for GBR
Challenge that Fiona Campbell and David Houghton will be working with us,
and positive for British sailing that Fiona will gain experience that she
can feed back into the Olympic programmes." - Mark Bullingham,
www.gbrchallenge.com
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
For over 28 years Sailing Supply has helped the best sailors in the world
prepare for big events. Having a very experienced staff helps. This year
alone our staff has won the Etchells 22 world championship, Key West, SORC,
Big Boat Series, Santana 20 Nationals, Volvo Inshore Championship, SD
Yachting Cup, plus many more local regattas. Our staff is on the water,
year round, trying new products and rigging ideas. Please give us a call
and let us help you rig your boat to win. 1-800-532-3831 or visit our
website at www.sailingsupply.com
THE RACE
Strong head winds from the North East - exactly the way that Tony Bullimore
and his crew need to go - are slowing their progress towards Las Palmas in
the Canaries where they intend to make a pit-stop to replace the broken
ball joint supporting the catamaran's wing mast.
At 06:00 GMT today, TEAM LEGATO was 300 miles from her destination,
battling against 25 knot head winds. 'When is this bad luck going to end?'
asked Bullimore today. 'We've had the winds on the nose for the best part
of the last 5,000 miles. We are pretty fed up with it.'
The good news is that the wing mast remains safely chocked in place with
plywood cut from floorboards and continues to hold up well to the pounding.
The bad news, according to St James's Yachting, Team Legato's weather
routers, is that these conditions are likely to continue all the way to
Gran Canaria and beyond. The track of north-easterly winds extends some two
hundred miles either side of their course and some thousand miles ahead!
This is caused by a High pressure system centered at 32N 28W at 1030mb
which they forecast will continue to dominate the weather for at least the
next four days, generating fresh to strong north-easterly winds all the way
down the NW African coast, strengthening to 30 knots between the Canaries
and the coast.
'We just have to keep pointing as high as possible.' Said Tony. 'We would
hope to get to Las Palmas by Wednesday afternoon or evening.'
Then it will be a race against time to lift the mast out, repair any damage
and replace the ball joint and plate on the main beam which will arrive
from Carbospars in Palma also on Wednesday. 'If all goes well, we expect to
get them back out to sea within 8-12 hours' says Team Manager Barry
Pickthall who flies down to Las Palmas today. 'Then they should be able to
reach Gibraltar by Sunday and finish in Marseilles on Tuesday or Wednesday
10-11 April.' He predicts.
The Poles on Warta Polpharma who are currently to the north west of TEAM
LEGATO, picked up more favourable winds yesterday afternoon. They are now
sailing at 19 knots and cutting into Bullimore's lead. Skipper Roman Paszke
also predicts that they will pass through Gibraltar on Sunday and reach
Marseilles on Wednesday.
Event website: www.therace.org
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON leweck@earthlink.net
(Letters selected to be printed may be edited for clarity, space (250 words
max) or to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This is not a
bulletin board or a chat room - you only get one letter per subject, so
give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. We don't publish
anonymous letters, but will withhold your e-mail address on request.)
* From: Giles Anderson giles.anderson@spectrasoftware.com
I find it
mildly ironic that just weeks after the RORC was selected by Peter
Harrison's GBR Challenge to submit the challenge for the AC on his behalf
that the RORC announces the other AC will not happen in 2001. Here we have
the world's best known ocean racing club succeeding in an inshore event and
failing in an offshore event. It says a lot about the direction competitive
sailing is going and a lot about the high regard that the RORC still
garners from the UK/global sailing public. The RORC has one of the best
brands in the sailing world and can easily capitalise on it to succeed in
areas outside of its traditional offshore only focus.
* From: Dobbs Davis dobbsd@compuserve.com
We're used to ironies in the
media game, but this one I found amusing: on the day the RORC announced the
cancellation of this year's Admiral's Cup, the Outdoor Life Network's
weekly broadcast of sailing featured Peter Isler's 1/2-hour programme of
the last event in 1999. Let's hope this won't have been the last televised
coverage of this once-great event...
* From Charlie Shumway Why not have the next
admirals cup, a true team race event with one one design class, and have it
primarily over restricted courses, and only one short distance race? Three
boats to a team all the same class, run near the shore. Might be spectacular.
CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Yes, I know we killed this thread some time ago, but
recent developments suggest we should probably open it up again, BRIEFLY!
* From: Stephen Jones sjones@recruitsoft.com
Is anybody else as shocked
as I am that Ellen would venture out onto the keel strut to right the boat
after a capsize? The beam of Kingfisher must be close to 6m, so she would
be faced with a pretty big drop over the gunnel, and would have to aim at a
target (the fin) less than a metre wide. I am also shocked that the
designers of Kingfisher relied upon this manoeuvre, as implied by Ellen's
comment: "[by using this simple righting technique,] the team was able to
construct a very, very light boat." I wonder what the IMOCA has to say
about this.
CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Stephen was not the only reader who apparently failed
to notice that the story was originally published on the "SailNet website
in their special and VERY CLEVER APRIL 1 ISSUE" ;-))
* From: Phillip Lyon plyon@ALCOS.COM
(Edited to our 250-word limit) I
question the lack of commitment from individuals to the sport who will not
willingly pay for an annual individual membership to support US Sailing. It
is an exceptionally nominal fee. This is not the NBA nor is it NASCAR. But
it is not free either. It is a uniquely individualistic/team sport where
many have the opportunity to participate only because someone else's level
of commitment has risen to the point of actually purchasing a boat, paying
entry fees and putting team ahead of self.
Perhaps those that criticize membership in US Sailing should look around
and consider their peers with a bit more scrutiny. You will not find
yourself on the starting grid of a sports car race without governing body
membership, you will not stand in the starting gate of a US Skiing event
without governing body membership and you sure won't trot up to the tee box
or baseline at a sanctioned golf or tennis tournament without governing
body membership. The many vocal, and dare I imply "frugal", still
unappeased after the USYRU name went away (yachty being too prissy) would
still suggest that it is a personal affront to have to actually commit
individually to belonging to the organization that publishes the Rules,
qualifies the Judges and provides for the ability to purchase insurance for
a racing event. There seems to be no end to the free loading that many
consider an art form in this sport.
* From: Ted Jones taj@worldpath.net
(Re. Bruce Lines comments in
Scuttlebutt No. 786 about criticising volunteers) - I don't buy the
oft-used excuse that volunteers are above criticism because they volunteer.
A bad job is a bad job no matter who does it. A bad volunteer job is
insidious because volunteers are harder to dismiss than professionals.
As for getting involved and attempting change from within, many who have
tried to crack into the heirarchy of an entrenched bureaurocracy quickly
discovered that their revolutionary ideas were often not welcome. The
corollary to "volunteers are above reproach" is: "We've always done it this
way, so we know best."
These observations come from someone who has been on both "sides of the
fence" in several unrelated organizations. Volunteers and paid
administrators alike must expect to be held to the same high standards of
accountability to their constituency.
* From: "Brett Davis" brettd@microsoft.com
(Edited to our 250-word limit)
Relax everyone, US Sailing promises the rulebooks are on the way shortly.
Although I haven't received a single rulebook from US Sailing in the 20+
years that I have been a member, I am confident they will get it right this
time around due to their "improved communications" strategy. I am also
convinced that a sailor with my name somewhere in the world is hoarding all
my old rulebooks due to a clerical plot...er...error back at US Sailing.
I say this because another clerical error got me onto the US Sailing's
Olympic Laser Team weighing in at a strapping 150 LBS - wet, holding a
brick. After the initial excitement of my appointment wore off, I let US
Sailing know of their mistake so that the correct athlete could hear the
good news. Can you imagine the state of poor guy when his first US Sailing
Team invite didn't show? Each year following, my US Sailing Team invite
would arrive and I would call US Sailing. I figured they finally got the
clerical fiasco straightened out when a box of US Sailing foul-weather gear
arrived on my doorstep - the same doorstep my damn rulebook could never
find. I figured it was a token of appreciation for my decades of support.
Thanks US Sailing! Up until the point where the foul-weather gear arrived,
I thought the subscription to Sailing World and those funny little
backwards stickers were the only benefit for years of dues.
* From: T.L. Lewis Otahite@cs.com
(Regarding Rick Hatch's letter in
'Butt 786 ). I guess now sailors with Internet access are covered, are
those without it allowed to keep on "whinging", or do they get to keep on
using the old rules until someone melts the lead and sets the type for the
new book of rules? Also any truth to the rumour that the new starting
system is a conspiracy put together by multinational conglomerates forcing
sailors to replace their Sailcomps with new hypnotic timing devices which
dull the senses, I know if my buddies put me in charge, I'll miss the 5
minute signal 98 times out of 100. So who exactly is marketing these
wondrous new 4-minute timers, that is indeed the question?
* From: Chip Evaul clevaul@earthlink.net
(In response to Rick Hatch
(Butt #786), with regard to publishing of the new rules) - Now let me get
this straight now - ownership of a computer and online access are
requirements to race sailboats and know what the rules are for those races?
Seems so, if the only place to get them is by downloading from websites.
And, by the way, any idea how long (and how much paper) it takes to
download the entire rulebook from ISAF on a 56K modem?
* From: Fredrick Henry fhh@msn.com
Perhaps US Sailing is trying to win
the war by reducing our expectations. Ralph Hatch proudly announced that
the racing rules are now on the web so everyone should stop their
'whinging.' Suddenly I feel very selfish for wanting my own rulebook to
read and to study - or to take with me into a protest hearing.
* From: Nick Barran It was incorrectly stated
that EPIRBs cost between $600 and $1,000. You can purchase an ARC personal
locator beacon (MiniB300), which is an EPIRB, on the standard 121.5mh
frequency that the Coast Guard monitors, for $199.50. Not only that, the
user can dive with it to 200 ft. making it dual purpose. Price is really
not an issue, nor should it be when lives are a stake.
SIMILARITY
There are few similarities between Naples Sabot mainsail and the #3 genoa
for a ULDB 70. But there will be one dramatic similarity if both of those
sails have an Ullman Sails tack patch - they will both be fast. The same
applies to a 470 jib, a J/120 A-sail, the main for a 505, a blast reacher
for a Transpac 52 or a Schock 35 kite. Right now is the very best time to
find out how affordable improved performance can be: www.ullmansails.com
AC JUBILEE
An 11th hour reprieve from an Australian-based sponsor means that
Australian sporting icon, the America's Cup winning yacht Australia II will
be able to represent her country at a spectacular sailing regatta in
England to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the America's Cup. Australia
II Jubilee Challenge spokesman, Warren Jones, said the sponsor had agreed
to put in "a substantial amount of money Ð enough to allow Australia II to
compete at the Jubilee Regatta in Cowes, albeit on a tight budget." He said
the dollar amount of the sponsorship would be disclosed when the company's
name was made public in the near future.
SNIPE NAs
After winning the Snipe Midwinter Circuit Alexandre Paradera & Edvard
Paradera from Porto Alegre Brazil, continued on to win the 6 race Birney
Mills Memorial Trophy for the North American Championship in Nassau,
Bahamas. This regatta saw a slugfest between the Paradedas and Bill
Hardesty/Jon Rogers, the only two teams to win races. In the end only one
point separated them. Although mixing it up throughout the event with the
top two, George Szabo/Carol Cronin finished a distant third ending the
George Szabo four year North Americans winning streak. It was great sailing
for Snipes with the wind for the championship consistently in the 10-15
knot range- Alex Pline, www.snipe.org/
FINAL RESULTS (33 boats) 1. Alex Paradeda & Eduardo Paradeda (BRA) 6.25pts;
2. Bill Hardesty & Jon Rogers, 7.25; 3. George Szabo & Carol Cronin, 21; 4.
Kevin Funsch & Watt Duffy 27; 5. Augie Diaz & Pam Kelly, 28; 6. Mike Funch
& Marty Kullman, 32; 7. Rick Arneson & Gus Wirth, 32.
LIMITED EDITION
On April 29, 1959 the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club was honoured with a visit
from His Royal Highness Prince Philip. The Prince participated in a regatta
at the helm of Bert Darrell's International One Design "Teaser". To
commemorate this historic occasion, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
commissioned marine artist Eldon Trimingham III to recreate this scene in
an oil painting. This painting was presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
11 when she and Prince Philip visited the Club on March 9, 1994 in honour
of our 150th Anniversary.
This limited edition of first quality prints is available at a cost of
USD$1,000 each (including regular parcel post shipping). Each print will be
double signed and remarked by the artist. A picture of the print and a
secure order form are at
www.boats.com
NEW WORLD CHALLENGE
Challenge Business announced a reformatting of its American race, the New
World Challenge. The Race will now start in Southampton in the UK and race
across the Atlantic Ocean before rounding Cape Horn the 'wrong way' -
against prevailing winds and currents. Eight identical 72-foot steel yachts
will become a platform for ordinary people to achieve their extraordinary
dreams. Crew Volunteers, some with no sailing experience before they signed
up, which spend seven months and cover 18,000 miles on the race. - Kate
Gower, www.newworldchallenge.com
PROVISIONAL ROUTE AND TIMINGS:
Leg One Southampton - Boston 18 August 2002
Leg Two Boston - New York 29 September 2002
Leg Three New York - Buenos Aires 13 October 2002
Leg Four Buenos Aires - Chile 15 December 2002
Leg Five Chile - San Diego 19 January 2003
Leg Six San Diego - San Francisco 5 March 2003
THE CURMUDGEON'S QUOTATIONS
"Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't
matter." - Satchel Paige
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