SCUTTLEBUTT No. 904 - September 19, 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, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
LAW SUIT
Sobstad Corporation and North Sails Group, LLC have settled the patent infringement litigation regarding Sobstad's structural sail patents, the '639, '953 and '205 patents in suit. North Sails Group, LLC will now own the '639, '953 and '205 patents and all of their counterparts, often referred to as the "Airframe Patents." Sobstad Corporation will retain full ownership of Sobstad's '080 patent, often referred to as the "Genesis Patent" and all of its counterparts. The '080 patent was not a patent in suit. - Veronica Brown, North Sails
CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: And perhaps one day soon we'll learn the rest of the story.
FOR RENT
AUCKLAND, NZ - Publicity about rising inner-city residential rents, combined with the arrival of the America's Cup syndicates this month, has given Auckland landlords inflated ideas of their potential income. So says Geraldine Speed of Auckland firm Relocations International. Although demand for large inner-city family homes is high, she urges landlords and property managers to remain realistic about how much rental properties can fetch.
On the front page of the Herald on September 5, John Crocker of Bayleys said rents for inner-city properties had gone up 10 per cent this year through increasing demand. He added that the arrival of the cup syndicates from abroad would put more pressure on houses, particularly around popular Herne Bay, Ponsonby and St Marys Bay and fringe localities of Parnell, Mission Bay and Kohimarama. As a result, Bayleys was unable to place many tenants and had a waiting list.
But Geraldine Speed said the comments had caused problems for her firm and fired the volatile market. "On the day you published that, the first phone call we got was about a $650-a-week house in the eastern suburbs and the people said they now wanted $950 a week. So we just said to them, 'Dream on,' but the whole day we got calls like that. Most of the people were sounding us out and just saying they should be getting more, thinking we had pushed them down to a certain price." Other property owners called Relocations International asking what rent they could expect if they moved out of their homes for 18 months, she said.
Comments in the Herald on September 6 from Latitude 37 developer Bruce Holdsworth were more realistic, Geraldine Speed said. Mr Holdsworth had said that although rents were steady, they were not increasing and he was generally cool on the cup bonanza, not expecting a rush of inquiries from the syndicate arrivals.
But Geraldine Speed said corporate families coming to Auckland from abroad were still "in dire straits because Auckland has so few of the bigger four-to-five-bedroom houses rented for more than $1000 a week". Anne Gibson, NZ Herald, www.nzherald.co.nz
CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: $1000 a week in Auckland is $411.51 US.
NEXUS WIND DATA
The Wind Data is a combined digital and analogue wind instrument. At only $429.95, it is the best price going on a quality wind data instrument. It is supplied complete with a masthead transducer and 82' of cable. Operates as a stand-alone instrument or can be incorporated into a Nexus System network. www.pyacht.com
V.O.R
Berth 103 in the commercial docks in Southampton is a brightly lit if hard to find place. In real life it is quite simply a banana warehouse. An unlikely but perfect venue for measuring sails prior to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race. Though it may just be another routine day's work for the measurers, for the syndicates this is the chance they have all been waiting for - an opportunity to see just what their rivals have conjured up in all those hours of development. According to V.O.60 Class Chief Measurer, John Warren, the answer is not much. "There is nothing like the code zeros last time," he says, surveying the huge piles of sails laid out on the vast floor around him.
For the teams, who are eaah allowed to have an observer present during the entire measurement process, every sail pulled from the bag constitutes a revelation of their rivals' plans. "Ideally, they would like us to measure the sails in secret," says Warren intimating that most syndicates would like to keep their first leg inventory hidden from the others. - Peter Bentley, Volvo Ocean Race website.
Full story: www.volvooceanrace.org
YOU CAN NAVIGATE THE V.O.R.
Local Knowledge Marine Software has made it possible for armchair navigators to test their skills against the professional navigators on the eight boats in the Volvo Ocean Race. They've already posted a pre-race analysis on their website using the current weather forecast. Once the race starts, they will use the latest 10-day MRF wind forecast and their "Local Knowledge" ocean current forecast to discuss the navigation options.
During the Volvo Race, they will conduct a routing "contest" in which contestants can define their own route for the current leg (or each portion thereof, if there are gates). Once the first boat reaches the destination, the actual route will be compared to the predictions and Local Knowledge will post the names of the top 10 "navigators" on their site. At the end of each leg free copies of Local Knowledge software will be awarded to the top three armchair navigators. - www.goflow.com/volvo01.htm
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON
leweck@earthlink.net
(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 or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.)
* From Keith Lorence (Re: Grant Dalton's comments about the winner of first winning the whole race): Go back a little further, and you'll find the British yacht "Adventure" winning the first leg, and Mexican "Sayula II" winning overall in the first Whitbread race
* From Peter Wykeham-Martin (Reference Grant Dalton's quote that the boat that wins the first leg of the Round the World Race , wins the Race.): Unfortunately, he is wrong! Sadly I can quote from personal experience. In 1973 in the first Whitbread, ADVENTURE of which I was navigator, won the first leg handsomely. Sadly we didn't win the Race because of some fairly major gear failures on leg 2. As history shows, SAYULA II won through consistently good placings. So, Grant, there is everything to play for!!
* Froom Al Ouellette: The Etchells Worlds chose to randomly reweigh the crews from 10 boats each morning. I think that this system ensured that all boats raced within the crew weight limits. I would propose the following enhancements to that system:
1. Any crew within 20% of the weight limit will be subject to reweighing during the regatta.
2. Each day, choose 10 crews to reweigh. The number of crews to reweigh can be adjusted according to fleet size and number of crews within 20% of the limit. How the crews are chosen could be random or based on daily finish position or some combination. The RC could either post the list in the morning or at the beginning of the protest period.
3. The crew must reweigh immediately after racing. If you are over, you are scored DSQ for all races sailed that day and must reweigh the following morning before leaving the dock.
4. On the final day, reweigh the prize giving positions.
This system would place the onus on the competitors to ensure that they are racing below the weight limit for the entire regatta.
* From Max Rosenberg: Growing up as a large kid I was constantly looking for boats that us big an tall types could sail and be competitive. It astounded me that many small boat classes did not have minimum crew weights. I was flogged on a regular basis racing sabots and other small dinghies. When classes like the Lido 14 implemented minimum weight rule, they too were biased. I weighed 200 pounds at 6'2" and I would always have to find a mini -me to still be under the weight rule or I would get smoked downwind. Star sailing and Soling sailing was attractive, but I did not want to Beef up to 250 pounds plus.
It might be time that all classes look at realistic weights for average sailors to level the playing field. The FAA uses 170 as an average weight for a passenger. This probably came about by a tremendously expensive study that we all payed for. By looking at a boats crewing requirement and then applying the 170 per person rule, as well as minimum and maximum weights, we might end up with closer racing, without all the mini-me's and mega-me's that make up class variances we see today.
NAUTOR CHALLENGE
(Tim Jeffery's did an insightful piece for the Telegraph in the UK about Grant Dalton's selection of a Frers-designed boat for the V.O.R. Here's a brief excerpt.)
Has Dalton got the pace to go with the breathing space? He has plumped for the Mani Frers-designed boat over the Farr alternative. As Farr-designed boats have won once (New Zealand Endeavour) and come second twice (Fisher & Paykel and Merit Cup) for Dalton and created 24 of the 32 Volvo 60s launched, it is something of a turnaround.
"I always felt I had to prove my boat was better," said Argentine Frers, whose father German designed the 1981-82 winner, Conny von Rietschoten's Flyer 2. This was Dalton's first ride in the Whitbread, starting out as a sailmaker, his dream of competing fuelled by the sight of maxis finishing in his home harbour of Auckland four years before.
"I explained my concept and they asked about the differences and as we sailed the boats the differences turned out as I said they would," added Frers. The matrix of wind speeds, wind directions and the highly-specialized sails, developed for each combination, ought to mean that no one boat has a monopoly on speed.
Dalton's crew are far more pleased with their speed edge than their skipper's protests suggest. "We stack up seventh and eighth at the moment," Dalton said of Amer Sport 1 and 2 as they continue to play catch-up. "We would be crazy to think otherwise."
The hull of the Frers boat is more powerful and completely different engineering means 250kg weight saving in the hull and deck. The way the Volvo 60 design rule works, weight saved from the structure can go into the keel for even more sail carrying power.
"The boat is good upwind," conceded American Dee Smith, one of Dalton's watchleaders. "And downwind, you can steer with one hand. You can make the boat skip wave to wave, whereas you wrestle the Farr boat downhill." - Tim Jeffery, The Telegraph, UK
Full story: sport.telegraph.co.uk
NEW WEBSITE
Leverkusen, Germany, September 18, 2001 Ð The illbruck Challenge relaunched its web site with a new design and the new domain name. The more streamlined and user-friendly design will provide up-to-date information and dynamic photography for general sailing fans, media, illbruck company employees and customers following the illbruck team throughout the Volvo Ocean Race, starting Sunday September 23.
The enhanced site includes new features for both the general public visitor as well as for professional media. The public site includes unique sections dedicated to each of the two Challenges now underway: the Volvo Ocean Race and the America's Cup. In the America's Cup section, visitors can follow the progress of the first-ever German America's Cup boat when construction of the boat begins later this year. - Jane Eagleson, www.illbruck-challenge.com
AMERICAN V.O.R COMPETITORS
Among the fleet of international professionals on the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race are nine Americans:
John Kostecki / San Francisco, Calif. / illbruck: As skipper, Kostecki has overall responsibility including crew selection, the training program and race strategy. Kostecki is an Olympic silver medalist, two-time America's Cup tactician, 10-time world champion in a range of one-design classes and an established Whitbread veteran.
Lisa Charles McDonald / Providence, R.I. / Nautor: Was part of the first full female entry in America's Cup 1995; and crewmember on the all-female EF Education during the Whitbread Round the World 97/98. For the Volvo Ocean Race, she will skipper the all-female crew of Amer Sports Too.
Katie Pettibone / Port Huron, Mich. / Nautor: Will run the sail program and serve as a watch leader when racing. She will set up the boat and develop sails to capitalize on its performance potential.
Peter Isler / San Diego, Calif. / News Corp.: Is a two-time America's Cup winning Navigator. He was also the top-ranked American on the professional match racing tour from 1987-1992.
Mark Rudiger / Reno, Nev. / Assa Abloy: Navigator on the 97/98 Whitbread winner EL Language, Rudiger is a four-time winner of the TransPacific Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu.
Peter Pendleton / Baltimore, Md. / Nautor: Is capable of maintaining rigging, deck systems, diesel engines, water ballast, electrical and hydraulic systems. He has won the Admirals Cup, IMS Worlds, IMS European, IMS 50 Worlds and China Coast Cup.
Keith Kilpatrick / Huntington Beach, CA / Nautor: Has sailed eight transpacific races, sailed on the winning boat twice in the Cape Town to Rio race and many other international regattas during his 20-year professional sailing career.
Dee Smith / Nautor: Is a world-renowned tactician and skipper with more the 35 years racing experience. In addition to his skills as watch captain and tactician he is an experienced project manager, rigger, sail designer, sail maker and boat builder.
Steve Gruver / Djuice: Has raced sailboats since he was ten. Most recently he was a pro sailor and trimmer aboard America True challenge for the America's Cup.
FOR THE RECORD
On Wednesday, September 19, at 12 PM Rich Wilson and co-skipper Bill Biewenga will sail the trimaran Great American II from The Statue of Liberty on a 14,000 mile voyage to Melbourne. The sailors are attempting to break a 145-year-old record set by the clipper Mandarin during the Australian Gold Rush. They plan to make the crossing in approximately 60 days. Throughout the journey, the two will share their experiences with school children online through the sitesALIVE! website - www.sitesalive.com
STEINER 7X50 NAVIGATOR BINOCULARS ON SALE FOR $399.00!
Steiner's 7x50 Navigator Binoculars feature a Sports Auto Focus system that, once set for your eyes, puts everything from 20 yards to infinity into sharp, clear focus with no further adjustment. The regular retail price is $699.00 - you'll save $300! For a full selection of Steiner binoculars, visit Yachting Essentials at: www.yachtingessentials.com
AMERICA'S CUP
Five Swiss sailors have joined Team Alinghi. Nils Frei, Dominik Neidhart, Enrico De Maria, Yves Detrey and Yann Maillet have been indeed hired as sailors. They will fly to Auckland, New Zealand in the next few weeks, where they will join the rest of the crew. The Alinghi Team is now made up of 31 sailors.
"We need these additional sailors in order to have two complete crew at our disposition, therefore enabling us to train properly for the Match Racing" explained Jochen Schuemann, sport Director for the Alinghi Team. The new swiss crew will endure intensive training which will enable them to integrate the rest of the team as quickly as possible. - Alinghi website. www.alinghi.com
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS
* November 8-18: Melges 24 World Championship Lauderdale YC Ft Lauderdale, Florida. www.melges24.com/
SAILING ON TV
This Sunday, September 23 at 2:00 PM ET (11:00 AM PT) ESPN presents the biannual race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Exclusive footage was shot aboard the boats. (This program was originally scheduled to air last Sunday.)
INDUSTRY NEWS
Ericsson Mobile Communication has become the official mobile communications sponsor to the Volvo Ocean Race 2001. The crews and the media teams will be provided with Ericsson mobile phones at the start and finish of legs for radio/web interviews and to conduct live links into the race villages. Ericsson is also the communications partner of the Team SEB syndicate, which is skippered by Gurra Krantz. - www.volvooceanrace.org
THE CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL
Gladly share your experience and advice, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so."
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