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SCUTTLEBUTT #391 - September 7, 1999SAN FRANCISCO NOODSan Francisco, CA-The National Offshore One Design, or the "NOOD" Regatta as sailors call it, finished up racing today at the City Front. The St. Francis Yacht Club Race director, John Craig and Regatta Chairman Eric Gray found themselves at the last minute calling upon more Race Committee volunteers to accommodate the largest turnout ever. 174 boats showed up and raced in 13 different one-design classes. The turnout was so huge that for the first time in its 9-year history a second course was added in between Treasure and Angel Island just up wind of the Berkeley Circle. The sailing weather in the Bay during the Regatta was typical Summer Conditions. Racing began at 11 am each day with light 10-15 mph of breeze for the first couple of races later building to 15-20 in the afternoon. 9 one-design classes made up the 99 boats that raced at the City Front course. The remaining 75 boats made up the 5 fleets that raced in the second course up wind of the Berkeley Circle which included the heavily watched Farr 40s. The Farr40 fleet is gearing up for the Farr 40 Worlds that will be here September 9-14th and the Big Boat Series on the 16-19th. Fifteen Farr 40's raced this weekend and nineteen are expected to sail in the Worlds next week. There were many professionals racing in this competitive fleet including John Kostecki, the tactician for AmericaOne. Kostecki sailed on the winning Farr 40, Samba Pa Ti during this regatta and will be heading off to New Zealand soon to race for the America's Cup in Auckland. - Taylor Stein Complete results: http://www.stfyc.com SNIPE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Santiago de la Ribera, Spain -- After watching, practicing, and measuring in beautiful 15-18 kts (and maybe more) the 39th Snipe World Championships got off the first race starting in a solid, but light, 6 kts. After a short postponement, the fleet got off during the first sequence with only an individual recall. In a venue which reminds the authors of a huge Mission Bay (with the assorted weird wind angles), the right side of the line looked good half way up the way 1st beat. Japanese sailors Okinishi/Ideta rounded 1st with a nice lead followed by Argentinans Pereira/Behrendt and Past 2 Time Jr. Champ Fonseca/Duarte. After that, from our boat, it was hard to tell as Ola Nygard exclaimed "It's chaos!" The downwind leg was pretty straight forward with no major shifts. The Japanese stretched their lead out a bit. Fonseca started to make his move, Gongara/Fresneda (Esp) followed, John Jackman/Steve Stewart (Canada), Pereira/Behrendt (Arg), Augie and the "Old Man" Diaz were chasing. Starting back upwind it looked like the left was favored, but the right came in and Fonseca rounded the 2nd top mark a full offset mark ahead. During the last downwind leg Fonseca continued to lead downwind. Okinishi had closed the gap, but chose to round the left gate. The wind had gone right and increased steadily during the race to 10-12 kts. Bruno/Krahe, Takamura/Maruyama, Roberto Fabini/Gari, Pereira, the Diazs, Gongora/Fresneda, and George Szabo/Eric Wilcox followed. As the RC shifted the finish line right, the leaders (with the exception of Okinishi) headed into the freshening puff. Szabo and Diaz started to make their move. Both punched right, almost sailing overlapped. Everything looked straight forward until the boats on the hard left started to dial up. The group on the right got involved in trying to cover each other, the left angle looked better albeit without pressure. Unofficial results - pending protests which will be heard tomorrow morning: check the website for the offical results once they post them. - Jerelyn and Sean Biehl Results: 1. Fonseca/Duarte (BRA) 2. Bethlem/Krahe (BRA), 3. Takamura/Maruyama (JPN) 4. Pereira/Behrendt (ARG) 5. Szabo/Wilcox (USA) 6. Diaz/Diax (USA) 7. Gongora/Fresneda (ESP) 8. Okinishi/Ideta (JPN) 9. Fresneda/Carmona (ESP) 10. Santos/Bianchi (BRA) Snipe website: http://www.snipe.org DISABLED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Twenty countries are represented in Disabled World Championship in Sonars and International 2.4mRs, which are the Paralympics classes for Sydney in October 2000. In the twenty-three boat Sonar fleet the U.S. teams are fifth (Paul Callahan, Richard Hughes, Keith Burhans) and tenth (John Ross Duggan, Waldo Esparza, Corky Aucreman) after four races. JRD has an OCS to discard. He is the current world champion and Paul was second in the '98 Worlds, but the level of competition goes up every year. Udo Hessels of The Netherlands is currently leading with 6-2-1-3, five points ahead of Paralympic champion Andy Cassell of Great Britain. The U.S.'s Dave Schroeder is 13th in the 2.4mRs and Ric Doerr is 23rd in his first international regatta. I wish I could send you a photo of the dock with thirty discarded wheelchairs as the fleet sets to sea. A very special event. - Gay Lynn Top Ten- Sonar, after today's racing: 1, Hessels / Ruesink / Russn, NED, 12 points, 2, Cassell / Millband / Harding, GBR, 17, 3, Fresk / Bagge / Jan Edbom, SWE, 21, 4, Efrati / Cohen / Spector, ISR, 25, 5, Callahan / Huges / Burhans, USA, 26, 6. , Robins / Martin / Dunross, AUS, 31, 7, Kroker / Munter / Reichi, GER, 32, 8, Robertson / Suckling / Long, GBR, 34, 9, Kelly / Macdonald / Westergaard, CAN, 39, 10, Ross-Duggan / Esparza / Acreman, USA, 41, International 2.4 Metre Class: 1, Heiko Kroger, GER, 7 points, 2, Philippe Balle, FRA, 11, 3, Jens Als Andersen, DEN, 24, 3(tie), Jostein Stordahl, NOR, 24, 5, Marco Turbiglio, ITA, 28, 6, Ian Harrison, GBR, 32, 7, Mike Browne, GBR, 41, 8, Kevin Curtis, GBR, 42, 9, Antero Karjalainen, FIN, 44, 10, Dan McCoy, CAN, 45, Event site: http://ifds.org INDIVIDUALITY You're unique -- there is no one else quite like you. And your individuality has a lot to do with why Gill makes soooooo many different kinds of foul weather gear. One thing for sure, there is a set in their line that will meet all of your needs. And it will be comfortable, and it will have a lifetime guarantee. Gill's concern for your needs undoubtedly explains why they're growing so fast -- why they're now looking for additional sales people in their Buford, Georgia office. Check out the job postings on their website: http://www.douglasgill.com AMERICA'S CUP * The Auckland waterfront jungle drums have picked up a strong rumour that the J-class yacht Endeavour may be coming to New Zealand during America's Cup 2000. Endeavour was an elegant presence during the 1995 series in San Diego and would add a great touch of history to America's Cup 2000. She would join Valsheda, another J-class yacht, which is already committed to coming to Auckland. Given the competitive nature ofboth crews, is it possible we will see a J-class match out on the America's Cup course? - Murray Taylor, America's Cup 2000 * With a look of determination, Daintry Conner raised the bottle of champagne high over her head and said just six words, "I christen thee Stars and Stripes." And then the petite wife of Dennis Conner smashed the bottle into thousands of pieces to officially launch USA 55. The crowd of invited guests was joined by nearly 1000 'virtual guests' who lined the sea wall surrounding the Team Dennis Conner compound. The choice spots on the sea wall filled up early as the locals wanted to see first hand what the underbody of Conner's new America's Cup boat looked like. They got a good look. Conner kept his promise to leave his boat unwrapped while other syndicates go to huge, costly measures to keep their appendages hidden. USA 55 'let it all hang out' as she was lowered into the water for the first time. "This is my gift back to the people," Conner said. "Why should they have to wait until February to see the complete boat? There was no question that the locals appreciated the opportunity to be a part of this unprecedented celebration. When Daintry waved to the crowd on the sea wall, many of them responded with big 'thumbs up' gesture. * Stars and Stripes was out of it's shed today, and had the mast stepped late in the afternoon. It was the first chance I have had to see the hull in profile - and even it then it was difficult to see a full side-on view. Comparing S&S with America True and NZL-32 (which is outside the TNZ compound, they appeared to be much of a muchness. Confirming the view that they will all be in the same corner of the rule, I guess. Young America was not on view and is back in the shed, I guess, after having had her mast stepped earlier in the week. Also on view was Tag Heuer, and the Swiss boat (FRA-41 from '95) and around the corner is A3 from the '92 campaign. So there are a few benchmarks. The Swiss boat is off it's keel and might be on the move. I couldn't really pick up too much by way of difference in the canoe body of Stars and Stripes and NZL-32 - possibly because the viewing angles are different. But there is nothing like the variation that you see in the yellow Swiss hull and A3. Tag Heuer (excluding the bow profile) also looks similar in the underwater shape. There are probbaly variances in length, but it is difficult to tell from a distance. A-True was a little harder to tell, but extending the run off the keel from the exposed bowt, and doing the same from the stern, they all looked very similar. NZL-32 looked to have slightly different hull sections - however the hull colour and distance made any real comparision difficult. Stars and Stripes has a flattened bulb keel, without winglets attached (at this stage). launching is said to be Saturday. Neither America True or Stars and Stripes feature the so-called wing masts. TNZ definitely has a wider section on NZL-32, but it nothing as extreme as Young America. America True hauled out alongside Stars and Stripes this afternoon. It was interesting to contrast the elaborate skirt security as skirts and covers were placed around America True, while alongside a team swarmed over Stars and Stripes, not really bothering to look over at A-True, or being bothered by the fact that their charge was exposed for all to see. About 20 passers by watched the haulout from the pavement opposite. . - Richard Gladwell For the full story: http://www.sailing.org/ * Telstra Corporation announced that Dennis Conner, one of the premier sailors in the world, will be their advocate for Telstra Corporation in the US market. Telstra and Team Dennis Conner signed a three-year marketing agreement to promote the Telstra brand in the US. "We chose to back Dennis because he personifies in many ways the Telstra philosophy of doing business," said Peter Williamson, CEO of Telstra Incorporated. "He is known in the sailing industry to be a resourceful, creative thinker, an innovative solution provider and an expert team builder and leader," he added. The announcement was made at the Christening of the Stars & Stripes on September 4th in Auckland, New Zealand. Dennis Conner, four-time winner of the America's Cup and Skipper of the Stars & Stripes, is preparing a bid to win the 1999-2000 America's Cup race. "I am delighted to be an advocate for Telstra Corporation," said Dennis Conner. "Telstra is a truly global company that is setting records in every hemisphere. They're a real winner," he said. As a part of the agreement Telstra will provide pre-paid calling cards for Team Dennis Conner and will facilitate a quality infrastructure solution for Team Dennis Conner's Internet requirements. - Cathy Clarke, Telstra Telstra wesite: http://www.telstra.com. AMERICA'S CUP QUOTES "What you can't get done in the first 24 hours of the day, you can do at night!" - Glenn Oliver "Good food and lots of new clothes - that's what the America's Cup is all about." - Turk Konuk LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. -- From Lance Berc -- If you hit the "r" key after a "Virtual Cup" race it will reset into the start sequence, but without changing the current wind angle. Leaving it turned on seems to lead to a persistant clocking - so there's a decided starboard tack advantage. I've had several laps below 9:20 so far. STAR WORLDS A provisional sixteenth place from RYA Team GBR members Ian Walker and Mark Covell in the second race of the Star World Championships at Punta Ala, Italy, this afternoon, should keep them within the top ten. In light and shifty winds of 6 - 8 knots, Olympic Silver Medallist Ian Walker (from Kensington in London) and crew Mark Covell (from Emsworth in Hampshire), sailing United Airlines, slotted into the top mark of the eleven mile windward / leeward course in the mid twenties. Good downwind speed saw the pair move up to sixteenth place in the one hundred and fifty boat fleet by the end of the first run and, despite some real pressure from the pursuing pack, held their position to the finish. "It was a good solid race for us. It's quite nerve racking going up the beat as you have a huge startline and one hundred and fifty boats around you. If the wind shifts one way it can look like you're at the back and if it shifts the other you can be leading," said Ian after racing. Canadian Ross McDonald won the race with Bermuda's Peter Bromby second. The six race one discard series finishes on Friday, with the top four non-qualified nations each claiming a slot in the Star class line up at next year's Olympics in Sydney. - Nigel Cherie, RYA Results: 1. Doyle / Olsen USA 4 3 7 points, 2. Macdonald / Bjorn CAN 10 1 11, 3. Grael/Ferreira BRA 1 10 11, 4. Shiebler / Peters USA 5 8 13, 5. Walker / Coverll GBR 3 16 19, 6. Hoesch / Fendt GER 16 6 22, 7. Stegmeier / Stegmeier SUI 11 13 24, 8. Sustronk / Nyhof CAN 23 4 27, 9. Hagen / Witt GER 26 5 31, 10. Reynolds / Lilljedahl USA 15 17 31. Event website: http://www.ouverture.it/ycpa/mondiale.htm NEXT YEAR Officials from the Annapolis Yacht Club today presented the Star class with their plans for the Nautica 2000 Star World Championship Regatta. The Nautica 2000 Star World Championship will take place in Annapolis and on the Chesapeake Bay May 10-21, 2000. The announcement came at the 1999 Star World Championship regatta for which active Star sailors, class leaders, and the class pantheon have gathered in Punta Ala, Italy. This morning, Annapolis Mayor Dean Johnson and Annapolis Yacht Club Commodore Karl von Schwarz presided over a ceremony at the Annapolis City Dock in which a Star class flag was raised on the City Dock's flagpole. The flag will fly on the City Dock until the regatta concludes next May. Event website: http://www.annapolisyc.com/starworlds2000). SYDNEY - HOBART The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has received its first entry for the 1999 Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - the little Sydney sloop Berrimilla, which was one of only 44 boats to complete last year's stormswept race. The CYCA is confident that in spite of last year's race and the attraction of being in Sydney for the New Year's Eve festivities, more than 100 yachts will line up on Boxing Day, December 26 for the 55th annual Sydney to Hobart Race. - Peter Campbell REDUCING WEIGHT ALOFT Want to get an advantage on the racecourse? Of Course! And perhaps the easiest way to do that is to reduce weight aloft, thereby reducing pitching and increasing stiffness. The new Sailing Supply website has a ton of suggestions for reducing weight aloft. Implementing their suggestions on the average 30-footer could save between 20-26 pounds! More importantly - Sailing Supply also has the expert riggers to make to help you make it happen PROPERLY, regardless of the size of your boat. One call will quickly show you why they're the acknowledged leader in tapered halyard technology: (800) 532-3831 / http://www.sailingsupply.com/ MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP Lifting clouds put the seal on perfect conditions for the first day of racing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, held in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. And as the clouds cleared, so did some of the mystery that always attends the first day of any regatta. For crews new to their boats, boats new to their crews, those who have changed the set-ups, or just bought new sails - the first race always lifts the veil on whether all that work and effort has been worth it. Who will be quick, and who will be slow? That was of particular concern for Pier Luigi Loro Piana, whose stunning IMS 85 foot cruiser/racer, My Song, made her debut today at these championships. My Song was designed by American firm, Reichel/Pugh, and built in New Zealand, by Cookson's - boat builders for both the Volvo Ocean Race and the America's Cup. Loro Piana was delighted with his new boat, "First impressions are that she is very fast, I am already in love with this boat. She has a lot more potential, but we have to learn how to get the best out of her." The IMS handicap results underlined Loro Piana's words. Although first across the line in both her races, My Song struggled on handicap, with a seventh and ninth in the two races, for an eighth overall. Leading the IMS fleet, with a first and a third, is George Coumantaros' ILC Maxi, Boomerang. For the four boat fleet of ILC Maxi's, also racing within the bigger IMS fleet, it was more a question of renewing old rivalries, than lifting veils on new boats. Though Jim Dolan's Sagamore is new this year, this fleet is into the final leg of their three regatta championship, taking up where they left off after Cowes Week and the Fastnet. For Sayonara, normal service was resumed today. Having won Cowes Week, but come an unusual last in the Fastnet, Larry Ellison's Farr design needs a good result to take the 1999 International Class A Yacht Association (ICAYA) Championship. Sayonara has altered her configuration to her established Mediterranean mode. Sailing Master, Chris Dickson commented that they had added a little more sail area to both headsails and spinnakers, and taken some weight out of the boat. All of which should make her quicker in the light air - a perceived weakness during Cowes Week. Sayonara still had enough gas in the tank to take a comfortable win in the eighteen knot breeze of the afternoon race, leading at the first mark and never caught. But she had to settle for second in the morning, behind Boomerang. Tommaso Chieffi, the Italian Admiral's Cup skipper, has joined the Sayonara crew to help out with the local hazards - of which there are plenty. Chieffi said that in the first race, 'Boomerang had the best of the start, and after crossing ahead, controlled the race from then on.' With a first and a second in the ILC Class results, Sayonara and Boomerang go into day two, dead even. Tomorrow is another day of inshore racing before the serious business of the offshore starts on Wednesday. And the owners and crews must leave behind the elegant delights that this Rolex regatta and beautiful resort have to offer. - Lucy Boxall Results, ILC Maxi class: 1. Boomerang , G Coumantaros (USA) , 3.00, 2. Sayonara , L Ellison (USA) , 3.00, 3. Alexia , A Roemmers (ARG) , 6.00; IMS CLASS: 1. Boomerang , G Coumantaros (USA) , 4.00, 2. Highland Fling , I Laidlaw (GB) , 5.00 3. Sayonara , L Ellison (USA) , 7.00 Website: http://www.yccs.it THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM Growing Old Is Inevitable; Growing Up Is Optional |
