|
SCUTTLEBUTT 1664 - September 9, 2004Powered 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, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. GUEST EDITORIAL (By Fred Hagedorn, US Sailing Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman (OSC) and the 2004 USA Olympic Sailing Team Leader.) First and foremost, the USA had 18 superb athletes on our team. Not just talented, but also great ambassadors for the USA, and our entire sport! It was an honor to lead them, and to assist them throughout the Games. We won two medals, had three fifth-place finishes, one eigth, one 10th and one 11th. All eight boats were in medal contention, but only the two that brought home the medals had competed in a previous Olympic Games. Experience at the Olympics does matter! There are a number of issues and opportunities for every nation involved in Olympic sailing competition. From the US perspective, we need to make it possible for more of our athletes to focus exclusively on their sailing, their fitness and their competitiveness. Each quad, the US Sailing OSC takes time from the details and asks the following fundamental questions: Is our trial system working for us, or is there a better approach? Are we using our funds wisely? What should be the prioritization of our spending? How can we increase the funds available to our athletes? What other services should we be providing? How can we better recruit? This will occur later this fall, and the many ideas that have been floated by sailors, administrators and pundits will be vetted, considered and used to revitalize and further evolve our program. We must never stand still! Any ideas or suggestions are welcome, and I will provide them all to the OSC Planning team for the next quad. Send to hagedornfh@cs.com. This past quad we introduced broad-based fundraising, increasing the funds available by more than $500,000. I would like to personally thank all of the contributors. We also received a $100,000 gift for the endowment of our Olympic Programs. This next quad needs to see us build this endowment to provide greater incentive to younger sailors to begin reaching for the stars. The OSC is essentially a "finisher." We are not funded to build fleets or to assist much in the early stage development of our sailors. We would like to assist more directly in the development and training of these emerging athletes as is being done in other top performing nations. This requires money! Phillipe Kahn's approach is exciting. When first announced during the Olympics, I wrote him a note, thanking him and expressing our interest in talking. We welcome any initiative that allows more USA athletes to be able to sail in their Olympic equipment. We are not troubled by his inclusion of non-US Athletes, as it will improve our ability to train with the best. The Rolex Miami OCR has grown in popularity partly because we have fostered a series of training camps and competitions in many of the Olympic classes around the event. This encourages top non-US competitors and their coaches to come to Florida to stay and train with our athletes. I am very proud of our sailors. Not just the 18 on the Olympic Team, but the 100+ who strove through the quad to be on the team! The USA has more athletes participating in one of our trials than many countries have participating in all of their trials combined. We have a lot of talent and interest but we need to make it easier for our athletes to compete without going to the poor-house in the process! DAY OFF The term 'day off' is a bit of a misnomer in the America's Cup. The shore crews were still very busy on Wednesday, preparing the boats for Thursday's Marseille Louis Vuitton Act match races, while the sailors spent the day shifting their mental gears for the one-on-one duel of the match race after several tough days of fleet racing. On Wednesday morning, the Race Committee released the pairings for Thursday's matches. There are two flights of three matches scheduled. Each match will be raced on the same race course, starting at 10-minute intervals. Teams will earn six points for each match race victory, and no points for a loss. The match racing points are added to the points won in the fleet races to obtain a total score. The winner of the Marseille Louis Vuitton Act will be the team with the most points at the conclusion of racing on Saturday. The forecast for Thursday calls for light and variable winds in the morning, building through the early afternoon to a 7 to10-knot Southeasterly; quite a change from the spectacular 18 to 25-knot winds enjoy ed on the Rade Sud earlier this week. The outlook for Friday is for stronger winds again, with 15 to 20-knot Southeasterlies forecast. The pairings are posted at: www.americascup.com/en/act1/day04/press_release.php OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALS Congratulations to John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree, the USA Olympic Silver Medalists in the Tornado class. The Athens Games capped an outstanding 2004 International Tornado tour for these Olympians. Going into the final race, only 3 points separated Gold and Silver, which set up a match race scenario befitting Americas Cup competitors. Ullman Sails is proud to have assisted John & Charlie in their Olympic quest. If you are looking for an edge, "The Fastest Sails on The Planet" can be found at your local Ullman Sails Loft, and visit us at http://www.ullmansails.com WHAT WENT WRONG? Although there is no official confirmation, the (Coutts - Bertarelli) dispute looks set to make its way into the courts, a bad thing for both the players and a scenario that the America's Cup could well do without. From the K-boat affair to One World versus Sean Reeves, protracted legal affairs have rarely made the event or it's characters look good. But whatever the individual wranglings, most will be left wondering how such an impressive and successful team could have degenerated so quickly after a decisive and historic win. So how did things get to this stage? "There were a lot of decisions that were made that I didn't agree with but it was the way that some decisions were made that I disagreed with most," Coutts said. "I expected to be more informed. Things changed dramatically after we won the Cup. We had a very successful formula and one of the best teams in America's Cup history. I can't really explain what went wrong." Here Coutts is not alone and while the theories abound as to what lies at the bottom of the issue, the fact remains that losing Coutts from the America's Cup is as significant as Schumacher being sacked by Ferrari or Beckman being dismissed from England. If the team were to dominate the series and this first America's Cup season in Europe, perhaps the issue will die down, but for many the early indications are that the repercussions will continue to be felt for some time yet and that it's still difficult to imagine the Cup without Coutts. Excerpts from a major story by Matthew Sheahan on the Yachting World website. Full story: www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20040808151812ywamericascup07.html FARR 40 WORLDS Contrary to expectations, the opening day of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds produced a fleet leader without professional crew or a two boat program or even a coach boat. Norwegian Steam owned by Eivind Astrup (Oslo, Norway) leads the 31-boat fleet after two races. In front of a backdrop that includes downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges and Alcatraz Island, racing got underway on time in eight knots of breeze, with an inevitable two general recalls from the anxious teams. During the course of the race the breeze built to around 15 knots. By the start of race two the westerly sea breeze had filled in and was blowing 20 knots. Standings after two races: 1. Eivind Astrup, Oslo, Norway, Norwegian Steam, 1-5, 6 2. Peter De Ridder, Monaco, Mean Machine, 7-1, 8 3. James Richardson, Boston, Mass., Barking Mad, 9-2, 11 4. Massimo Mezzaroma, Rome, Italy, Nerone, 10-3, 13 5. Peter Stoneberg, Orinda, Calif., Shadow, 11-6, 17 6. Marco Rodolfi, Comasco, Italy, TWT, 2-16, 18 7. Erik Maris, Paris, France, Twins2, 5-, 18 8. Takashi Okura, Tokyo, Japan, Sled, 3-17, 20 9. Richard Perini, Atamaron, Australia, Evolution, 12-11, 23 10. Alan Field, Temptress, Los Angeles, Calif., 4, 21, 25 Racing continues through Sunday. Three races are planned for Thursday, the second day of racing.- Media Pro In'l, for more information: www.farr40.org or www.stfyc.org Regatta photo gallery: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/f40worlds STEPPING FORWARD One of the innovations from the 2003 America's Cup is now available for the rest of the sailing world. Called the T-Ring, 3-time Americas Cup winner Simon Daubney believes "it will revolutionize how we attach genoas in the future." The T-Ring replaces the traditional clip-shackles that frequently fail on genoa sheets. The T-Ring is unbreakable, doesn't cause damage to masts and shrouds, provides quick and easy sheet application and is less expensive than the clips it replaces. Distributed worldwide with applications offered for both family cruisers and the most profile yachts. Photos and additional information at http://www.t-ring.co.nz MAXI ROLEX CUP The recently launched Genuine Risk, a 90 foot boat with a canting keel designed by Ed Dubois, held the lead Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup throughout the entire day, winning the competitive racing class. "Our performance was certainly better than yesterday," said Randall Pittman, owner of Genuine Risk. "We got a jump at the start and were the first boat around the first windward mark by about two minutes, leading Pyewacket. Genuine Risk finished nearly eight and a half minutes in front of Roy Disney's Pyewacket, correcting out to first place in the racing division by just 51 seconds. Robert Oatley's Wind Oats corrected to third place. Wednesday's course took all three divisions past the Island of Monaci and along the beautiful coast of Sardinia with the cruising division sailing 26 miles and the racing and Wally divisions sailing just over 30 miles in breeze ranging from 5 to 12 knots. Following upon yesterday's win, Alexia again won the Wally division. Mister A took first in the cruising division repeating their victory from the day before. Thursday is a lay day. Standings after three races: Racing Division - 1. Pyewacket, 4 points; 2. Wild Oats, 7; 3. Nokia, 11; Wally Division - 1. Alexia, 5; 2. Tiketitan, 8; 3. Magic Carpet, 11; Cruising Division - 1. Inspiration, 9; 2. Mister A, 10; 3. Viriella, 11.- http://www.yccs.it/ NEWS BRIEFS * The World Sailing Speed Record Council has ratified a new Bermuda to Plymouth World Record for the yacht Mollymawk sailed by Ross Hobson and a crew of two from August 16-30, 2004. The new elapsed time world record is 14 days 6 hours 12 minutes 50 seconds, for an average speed of 8.38 knots. - www.sailspeedrecords.com/ * With only three days to go until the Rolex Swan Cup 2004 commences at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, entries rise to over 100 Swans and has also attracted some of sailing's biggest names: Paul Cayard, Ed Baird, Tommaso Chieffi, Russell Coutts, Ellen McArthur, Tom Leweck, Volvo Ocean Race duo Neal and Lisa MacDonald and GBR Challenge team mates Adrian Stead, Ian Budgen, and Ian Walker. The largest number of Swans in the line up comes from Italy (30), however United Kingdom (21), Germany (14), France (9), United States (7) and The Netherlands (6). www.yccs.it * Anthony Romano, former Managing Director and General Manager of Calvin Klein Europe, is one of the latest additions to the Luna Rossa team, who are preparing themselves to make a bid for the 32nd Americas Cup in 2007. Anthony Romano in the role of General Manager, will look after the day to day operations, and team management along side Francesco De Angelis. - The Daily Sail, http://tinyurl.com/4hb6e * The U.S. Coast Guard Academy recently purchased sixteen Colgate 26 sailboats to replace a fleet of J-22's at its New London, CT headquarters. The boats will be used for keelboat instruction and recreational boating. POLARS FOR ROLEX SWAN CUP Custom polars for Swan 45s and 56s from Teeters Yacht Technology. Ian Moore (navigator of Zephyrus V in 2002 Pacific Cup): "I have never had such accurate theoretical polars in any campaign. It was truly impressive." Ockam or Deckman file formats. Contact Jim Teeters at 401-845-2065 or jim@tytech.org 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. 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 David Brookes, Executive Director, International Hobie Class Association: I feel there should be some clarification in the fear of Chris Ericksen and J A Booker # Butt 163 that ISAF will dictate and run the Optimist Class. I have to maintain 5 ISAF International classes and 1 ISAF Recognised Class and all my dealings with ISAF I have nothing but praise for the staff. All I get from ISAF is assistance and guidance from their very professional staff. I have no fear going to ISAF with any problem or seeking assistance as I know I will get the advice which is beneficial to our classes. ISAF is not there to dictate back to the class, they do offer a great support system and I am sure the optimist class does benefit from ISAF. Don't fear ISAF but use them as an organisation that can assist your class grow * From Jean-Paul Churchouse: Jerry Kaye said having a "a United States-based corporation as a sponsor for the GBR Challenge is disgusting, unpatriotic and unacceptable." Isn't Oracle also sponsored by BMW, a German Company (God forbid). Is this also "disgusting" and "unacceptable" or just a case of American double-standards? * From Andreas Stueven: I think Mr. Kaye's comment is out of line and seems to be contradicting to scuttlebutts policy: no bashing. Besides: what am I to say as a German national seeing a German America's Cup team fail because of lack of funding and in the same month a German car company announces its support for a US team. * From Richard Clark: Sounds more like Danny Kaye to me or maybe he is an expat kiwi from the Blackheart campaign. Emirates Team New Zealand sounds just fine to me. * From Denis Farley: Sailing is like no other sport in dealing with the elements of nature in a complex piece of equipment so that the potential for bad things to happen in a series of races is enormous. Some of these bad things include, breakdowns, capsizes, ripped sails, collisions with other boats, wind shifts, current, incompetent Race Committee, poorly set courses, and just plain bad luck. I find that most sailors are comfortable with the concept of throw-outs and I cast my vote in favor. * From Bruce McPherson (Thoughts on the Peter Huston thread): Here on the Cape, the Opti and Club 420 are trainers of choice from age 8 up. Burnout is widespread in some areas. 1) The Opti can be intimidating to some who would do better starting in a three man crew. 2) The average Opti graduate at 110 pounds is not yet strong enough to trim a 420 jib in 15 knot winds. 3) Racing in the 420 Class is often restricted to Juniors 4) I suggest thinking outside this current 420 "box:" A) Encourage Regatta organizers to have an Open Class that uses International 420 tapered masts. Allow grown-up and college age entries to add experience and incentive to fleet. (Note that the Club mast does not teach sail shape well!) B) Encourage Regatta organizers to run a Novice Class that uses slightly smaller jibs that 110 pound crews can trim. * From John Fox: Peter Huston's ideas might benefit Olympic athletes for a short while but it would be devastating to the popular Laser Radial, Lightning, J22 Hobie 16, 505, Snipe and other classes that he proposes to target. Why should sailors who's classes have not opted for Olympic status be subjected to teams with outside sponsorship, coach boats and so on? These classes are popular because they are fun to sail, have reasonable costs, and camaraderie among the competitors. Making them targets of sponsored teams is wrong and will do nothing to make sailing more popular. One only has to look at the Olympic classes to see what happens. Except for the Star Class (of which I'm proud to be a member) there are few if any active fleets. Even in the Star, the rising costs and dictations from ISAF are ruining things for many of us. The best way to produce good sailors is to keep sailing fun and affordable for all. Sailing flourishes with volunteer supported sailing programs and regattas. More dollars in sponsorship are proving to make things worse, not better. My advise is to look at the popular classes and apply the principles they follow to sailing in general. Do not tamper with and ruin what is working well. * From J. Joseph Bainton: Olympic medals do not measure a country's sailing health. Does ISAF and its constituent MNA's exist to support sailboat racing generally or one regatta held every four years in 11 classes each with a fleet smaller than many yacht clubs muster on an average weekend? The Olympics are great, but they are not remotely the entirety of our sport. The health of our sport is more accurately measured by world championships in which 100+ boats participate. It is also fairly measured by the number of boats that compete in continental and regional regattas. It is best measured by the number of sailboats racing on any given weekend afternoon. When measuring the success of a country's sailing program, it is fair to ask how talented are the second to fifteenth best teams in that country's Olympic Classes. Adjustment for population of the country is obviously required once you get past the second or third team. Perhaps the depth of talented American teams in the Olympic Classes is something better for the United States than a single medal of any color. Could it be that America is doing something right for the sport although perhaps not optimal in terms of winning one small regatta every four years? * From John Zuchlewski: Just a few, brief thoughts in response to the letter from Ned Roseberry regarding the "supreme" sacrifices that U.S. sailing Olympians made in Athens. Getting to do exactly what you want to, doesn't sound like much of a sacrifice, supreme or otherwise. Traveling the world, competing in the sport you love and having it funded, doesn't sound like hardship but rather privilege. Given the time we live in, sacrifice is a word probably better left to describe men and women performing in a different arena then Olympic sailing. As far our disappointing medal count at the games, I would simply chalk it up to our leisure class getting out dueled by the rest of the world's this time around. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Only in America do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. |
