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SCUTTLEBUTT 1699 - October 28, 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. FROM THE PRESIDENT (Following is a response from US Sailing's President Janet Baxter to yesterday's Guest Editorial by Fred Schroth.) Fred Schroth is correct that we need some "young new enthusiastic replacements" at US Sailing. The volunteers we have are great. They are passionate about getting the work done and doing what is best for sailing, but I worry about the future. It is hard to recruit active racing sailors, but somehow we have to make it easier and more desirable to help with the administration of the sport. We are doing better. 39% of our Board for 2004-2005 are registered athletes. But our current structure does limit our effectiveness. It will continue to be a distraction as we work towards the best solution, but we shouldn't sit still. We are trying to help our volunteers look beyond the traditional sailing organization. We have a Board of 49 people. Each Board member must do what is right for their constituency, even if it is not best for all of sailing. If approved, the new Board would be no more than 15 people, all without ties to any other sailing group. They would act for the good of sailing rather than the good of a specific constituency. New programs and ideas would be debated by a House of Delegates, made up of people appointed by their own constituents. That would be the place to share opinions on what works for various groups. Changing the structure is just one step to help us focus and do our work efficiently. The real work will still be done by Committees and other working groups. I will personally accept the challenge to recruit at least one new person for my job or for another. Each Chair works hard to find and train a suitable replacement. I encourage them to look for people new to the organization. New people bring new ideas. Age shouldn't be the only criteria, but it is often associated with eager, involved individuals. We are building our committees now. If you don't know the organization, check the sitemap at www.ussailing.org and find an area you are interested in. Look at the listing of volunteers and contact someone you know or the Chairman. And don't forget to say thanks. - Janet C. Baxter, President US Sailing MAN OVERBOARD After days of little or no wind, last night the Mediterranean Sea to the west of Malta became reminiscent of a scene from the Old Testament as a massive thundercloud complete with 50 knot gusts, hailstones and sheet lightning wreaked havoc on the Rolex Middle Sea Race fleet. Worst affected by the conditions was Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo. Sailing under Code Zero in the pitch black last night the wind increased to 12 knots and the crew had furled the powerful headsail and were half way through dropping it when a 30 knot gust came through. The furled sail began to writhe around on deck, six crewmen unable to control it and the last to hang on to it, America's Cup grinder John Macbeth, one of the beefiest guys on the Kiwi maxi, was tossed overboard like a rag doll. Macbeth was recovered after 12 minutes in the water. "The guys on the boat all knew what to do and I had full confidence in them. They did a great job," Macbeth said later. "When I was in the water, I kicked off my shoes and wet weather gear and waited for them to come back. All credit to them, they picked me up very quickly and I never really felt in danger at any time." More drama was to come two hours later for the Alfa Romeo team when sailing along in 8 knots the wind suddenly piped up to 30 and then 58 knots, knocking the boat flat under full mainsail and furled Code Zero. Alfa Romeo went on to win line honors - crossing the finish line with her mainsail's leech hanging off and three of its five battens broken. Owner Neville Crichton said that a decision on whether to contest the 2004 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race has now been delayed pending an assessment of the damage to Alfa Romeo and the availably of replacement sails.- www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/index.asp CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar WHAT'S THE BEST PART OF SAILBOAT RACING? "I love the feeling before you start. My nerves and adrenaline kick in and I am ready to go for it! Sailing lets me use my mind and body at once. I have to think fast and try to outsmart the others that I am competing against and physically be stronger than the others. I have a pure love for the sport." - Paige Railey, two-time High School Singlehanded National Champion, from an interview now posted on the Harken website. When asked about her training program, the high school student replied, "In a year I train about 700 hours. Before the event I was sailing two to four times a week and I was in the gym one to two times a day. But I believe that the months before a big event is what will prepare you. If you think that you can train hard for two weeks before a big regatta and sail your best, then you're crazy! It is all about proper preparation." - Full interview: www.harken.com/sailing/page.php ULLMAN SAILS AT THE LITTLE AMERICA'S CUP Ullman Sails congratulates the 2004 Olympic Silver Medal team of John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree, who successfully defended their claim to the Little America's Cup Trophy (ICCT), using Ullman Sails on their F18HT catamaran. Not only did Johnny and Charlie compete with Ullman Sails, but all four catamarans in the match racing event also had Ullman Sails! Of the four boats, one had Cuben Fiber material, one had Dimension Carbon GPL and the other two used Contender Apen materials. For the best sail design, sailcloth, and the "Fastest Sails on the Planet", visit http://www.ullmansails.com OLYMPICS Dean Brenner (Wallingford, Conn.) has been selected by US Sailing to chair the organization's Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC). In his four-year term, Brenner will lead the OSC and the athletes within the Olympic Sailing Program as they prepare for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Brenner replaces Fred Hagedorn (Chicago, Ill.) who served as Chair for the previous four years. Brenner has been involved with US Sailing since 2000. He has been a member of US Sailing's Executive Committee since 2003 and has served as the Vice Chair of the OSC during the last two years, while simultaneously serving as Chair of US Sailing's Sailor Athlete Council. Brenner also brings extensive sailing experience to the position, having won six National Championships (most recently the U.S. Match Racing Championship last September) and finishing second at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team Trials, narrowly missing a trip to the Sydney Olympic Games. - www.ussailing.org IMAGES Oskar Kihlborg has climbed Mount Everest, crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice and been involved in many adventure projects. Now he is preparing for his second Volvo Ocean Race, but this time as official photographer. "My job is to show the world what the Volvo Ocean Race is all about," says Kihlborg, whose home is just outside Stockholm in Sweden. "It's not just the competition between the boats; it's also about happiness and sorrow, sweat and tears, high tech and mother nature. I want to cover all of that," he explains. During the last Volvo Ocean Race, Oskar Kihlborg worked with Sweden's SEB team as their photographer throughout two years of preparation and racing. For the next race he will be covering all the teams and everything that surrounds this massive event. "I don't think people realise what kind of hardship it is to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race. Even if they've seen pictures and video clips from the Southern Ocean, it's hard to imagine how tough it is. I want to show them that the race really is the worst, or the best thing you can ever do." Kihlborg´s images will be published on the Volvo Ocean Race digital online archive, where the media can download high and low resolution images royalty-free. - www.volvooceanrace.org VENDEE GLOBE There are Force 7 winds and 26-foot waves off the Vendee Globe Village at Les Sables d'Olonne. While these gales will die down progressively over the next 36 hours but no boats have left Port-Olona today for testing or photo shoots at sea. Work on the boats continues for some and crates of food are being stowed on board. Some skippers are starting to analyze the weather, in particular this current low pressure system. A shore-based exercise for the time being that will soon have to be done at sea with less than 10 days to go! As the Vendee Globe 2004 start date approaches, Ecover, sponsor of British sailor, Mike Golding, has presented the competitors of the race with a selection of environmentally sound detergents and cleaning products to take onboard while they compete in the Vendee Globe 2004. Most of the skippers kindly accepted to be photographed with their donation to highlight their concern about the protection of the environment. The skippers were supplied with washing up liquid, shower gel, heavy-duty hand scrub and bio-degradable dustbin bags. - www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk/ BEN AINSLIE Team New Zealand strategist Ben Ainslie says he wants to develop his ability to steer an America's Cup yacht, but denies his aim is to take skipper Dean Barker's job. Ainslie, in a column in The Times newspaper, said his goal in the coming months was to develop his steering skills. "The hard part of this for me is when people try to build this up as me trying to take Dean Barker's job, which is clearly not the case," he said. "The whole team is based around him being the helmsman and the skipper, so for that to change it would take something remarkable." Ainslie said what he wanted to do was to learn and to be good enough to be the person to push Barker, so the Aucklander could be the best on the water when racing began. "I will also have a role sailing as strategist, so somewhere between that and helming is where my ambitions lie," he said. There would be pressure for him to get results, because "the team is not going to hang around waiting for me". - NZ Herald, http://tinyurl.com/6w4tb NEWS BRIEFS * Vaio has held its slim lead in the Global Challenge round the world race, but the following seven yachts have made small gains. Fleet positions have remained as they were - the steady downwind sailing conditions causing BP Explorer's skipper to use the analogy of a "one-lane highway." Barclays Adventurer remains in second place just 14 miles behind the leader with Samsung just four miles further back. - www.globalchallenge2004.com/en/ * An elated navigator aboard Skandia reported via satellite phone at 9.20am that Grant Wharington's super maxi Skandia had broken the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race record. Carl Crafoord reported by satellite phone, 'yes, we finished at 0645 this morning, so we have broken the race record, over. We just stayed in the breeze and it took us 42 hours and 45 minutes, we are all very happy.' - Di Pearson, Sail-World website, www.sail-world.com/ IN MEMORIAM J. Robert (Bob) Seidelmann - Sailmaker, Boat builder, designer passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. In the early 60's, Bob along with his father Joe founded Seidelmann Sails. And during that period their sails won National and World Championships in numerous one-design classes from Penguins to E-Scows. Bob himself was recognized as one of this country's top one-design sailors, winning championships in Lightnings, Comets, Dusters, MORC and a number of other classes. After sailmaking he focused on yacht design and building. He founded Seidelmann Yachts, building sailboats from 24-37 feet. Of note, Bob co-designed the original Hunter 25, Hunters first sailboat. Bob's work ethic and desire to excel was the envy of many. He leaves behind his wife Bonnie, son Rob, daughters Karen and Sharon. A memorial service will be held on Nov. 1st at the Haddonfield Methodist Church ,Haddonfield, NJ at 11:00am. THE WEATHER IS GETTING COLDER, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO... As the weather gets colder, you can stay warm with proper layering under your outerwear. Whether you're sailing, skiing, biking, walking the dog or just enjoying the great outdoors, you can stay dry and warm in the nastiest conditions. Team One Newport has layers from Patagonia, Henri Lloyd, Musto, Horny Toad, Gill, Kavu, Railriders and more! Remember to protect your eyes as well with Kaenon and Native Sun sunglasses. Team One Newport can outfit you from head to toe! Call 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-4327) for a catalog or visit the website (check out the super savings on the Specials page). http://www.team1newport.com 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 Hugh Elliot: I am not sure that Mr. Schroth attended the same US Sailing Meeting from which I have just returned. In fact, I wonder if he was even there. I may be old (born in 1946) by his standards but I started in more than 50 races this summer as skipper or tactician and will compete in two or three events this winter during the Florida season. It is hard for those in their thirties and forties to come up with the time and money to volunteer at the US Sailing level. If they appear, I will encourage them but I can do more for our sport than waste my time trying to persuade people with careers, families, and boats that they should add more to their load. I will step forward as a mentor to newcomers to the strange world of US Sailing when these sailors are more established and can afford to make the contribution. Such contributions that I have been able to make to the sport were immeasurably enhanced by the efforts of my mentors. Meanwhile, the current system is dysfunctional, if not harmful, and the restructuring, although hardly a total solution, looks like a step in the right direction. * From Paul Kamen: At first glance, direct election of USS Board members seems like a good idea and a move towards democratization. Right now there are some 50 people on the USS Board of Directors, drawn from the various councils or committees (offshore, one-design, youth, etc.) and the eight regional area reps. The plan being put forward is to trim the Board down to about eleven members, nine of them elected directly by the USS membership. The area reps would form a new "House of Delegates," but would lose their votes on the Board and become purely advisory. Maybe this is okay so far - the 50-member Board is unwieldy to say the least, and a smaller deliberative body might actually make some good decisions. But please think this through: Who controls the nominations? That small committee will have complete control of the Board. Does anyone really believe that there would ever be enough of us rank and file members paying close enough attention to the USS election to overrule the Nominating Committee? The current system may be a little cumbersome, but it keeps a certain amount of real control where it belongs, in the hands of the regional YRAs and the councils. Swap it all for a small nominating committee, and it amounts to a massive consolidation of control. I'd like this a little better if Board nominations came from the Area Delegates, and only from the Area Delegates. But that's not in the plan. * From Gail M. Turluck (edited to our 250-word limit): It's ironic news of Jim Rousmaniere's passing came the day that Fred Schroth made his appeal for younger folks to get involved in our great sport! Jim's son, John's obit tells of the "things" that made Jim who he was, but if you missed knowing him, know that sailing is much weaker for his passing. I only knew Jim personally for eight years, but his enthusiasm, support and hope for the continuation of The Afterguard of the ICSA provided great inspiration and guidance in today's effort to rejuvenate the alumni organization of college sailing. Jim's steadfast attention led to recent establishment of an ICSA Hall of Fame Board of Trustees, relieving The Afterguard. He was among three who have tirelessly contacted alumni, seeking yet a few more dollars, so that the Hall could be refurbished at the same time as its home, the Crown Center at the Naval Academy, has undergone complete redevelopment. Did that separation of responsibility lead to the demise of The Afterguard? No, his insight has led to the still-developing version of today's Afterguard: a representation-by-District e-organization dedicated to encouraging and helping organize events for alumni and friends of college sailing, providing service and support to collegiate clubs/teams and the ICSA itself, and seeking to develop a bank of willing volunteers for regatta administration for college regattas held year 'round. Yes, the Hall project is still slightly short of its goal, so your help will be appreciated. * From Donald Brewster (ret. 2x Harvard YC Commodore): Not mentioned in your memorial coverage of Jim Rousmaniere was his graduate leadership of the Harvard Yacht Club, especially when Harvard outgrew the rotting floats attached to the end of MIT's facilities. Without his canny abilities to combine and control the warring interests of Harvard University, politicians from Cambridge and Boston, donor-prospect graduates and wishful undergraduates, Harvard's then state-of-the-art facility would not have been created. It was my pleasure, honor and education to work with him on this project. And look where Harvard Sailing has gone since! * From John Stovall (re Good sportsmanship): The thing that I have always enjoyed most about yacht racing is the Corinthian spirit that has always made it the best "team sport" in the world. That Corinthian spirit is best exemplified by our method of handling and penalizing those who cheat. It is the most severe penalty in all of sport. In other sports you pay a fine, you lose points, or worst case, have to give back the trophy. Not in yacht racing. In yacht racing, after you have been branded a cheat, you will find that the stools on both sides of you at the Yacht Club bar will remain forever empty. I have liked our "self policing" method best. * From Peter Grimm Jr.: I applaud John Sweeney for his remarks! He is right on the money. You can't compete and not follow the rules ... bending them is worse than breaking them some times. The father's behavior is that of a little league parent. Young and old we must follow the rules. Sportsmanship is really important to our sport. * From Tom Cain: Sorry to hear that spirits still haunt the Spirit of Australia. In 1992 I was working for a company that supplied the composite materials for the mast and hull. As a sailor, I made many excuses to "visit the customer" during their San Diego campaign. After my second or third visit, the owners confessed that Spirits chances to win had been greatly reduced because, just before they shipped her out to SD, she hit a reef and severely bent the secret winged keel. The syndicate was also under funded, so the crew did all the daily maintenance at night then sailed all day. These guys were unbelievably patriotic, but they also believed that they still could win in a slower boat … because they were convinced they were better sailors. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion. |
