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SCUTTLEBUTT 1441 - October 22, 2003Powered 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 and personal attacks for elsewhere. HIGH END COMPETITION Tracy Edwards has hit back at criticism from French yachting impresario Bruno Peyron, who claimed her £38 million deal with Qatar for two new round-the-world races was tantamount to hijacking his own plans for The Race and The Race Tour. "I am aware of the vitriolic accusations that one individual has made against me," Edwards said yesterday. "But you cannot lay international claim to the concept of a race round the world or claim ownership of a whole class." Edwards says she will meet the owners of the giant multihulls - Americans Steve Fossett and Cam Lewis, Frenchman Olivier de Kersauson and Briton Ellen MacArthur - later this month to discuss her non-stop 2005 Oryx Cup and the multi-stage 2006 Qatar Sports Global Challenge. The same group, plus Edwards herself, were Peyron's targeted entrants for The Race which was due to start in February 2004 before he cancelled it two weeks ago due to lack of interest. - Tim Jeffery, The Daily Telegraph, full story: http://tinyurl.com/rtw6 SUSPENSION The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Monday that Kenny Pierce of Miami, Fla., an athlete in the sport of sailing, accepted a two-year suspension for refusing to take part in a USADA out-of-competition test on Aug. 9, 2003 in Miami. Pierce, 35, accepted a two-year suspension from all sanctioned competition under the rules of International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the sport's international federation beginning on Oct. 8, 2003, the date of his acceptance of the sanction. US Sailing, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, will carry out the sanction. Prior to the attempted test, Pierce intended to retire from the sport of sailing but had not provided proper written notice of his retirement. Subsequent to the attempted test, Pierce did properly retire from the sport of sailing. This is the 21st announcement issued by USADA in 2003. USADA became the independent anti-doping agency for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes in October 2000. USADA is the independent anti-doping agency for Olympic sports in the United States, and is responsible for managing the testing and adjudication process for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs. - US Sailing website, http://www.ussailing.org/ J CLASS RANGER RETURNS The replica of the J Class Ranger - 1937 America's Cup defender - has been undergoing sea trials and was due to be officially launched in mid October. Built by Danish Yachts, at Skagen in Denmark, to the lines originally drawn by Starling Burgess, Ranger will form part of the new breed of big-class classic yachts which make such a spectacle when racing together. She was due to complete sea trials in the Solent before her new owner, American John Williams, takes her over and heads to the US East Coast. Meanwhile Peter Mandin the skipper of Cambria (CB160) also tells CB that the 23-Metre could be re-registered as a J-Class, with hardly any alterations, but depending on the Association's approval. As we went to press a meeting was due to take place in St Tropez, France and Cambria was hoped to join Velsheda, Endeavour and Shamrock (in the Pacific until 2005), and Ranger, as part of the expanding J Class. - Classic Boat magazine, http://tinyurl.com/rcsh We've posted a bunch of photos on the Scuttlebutt website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos PRICES SO LOW THEY ARE SCARY Sailing Pro Shop was accidentally double shipped an order for last week's Long Beach Boat Show from one of our vendors and frankly we don't want to inventory it all and ship it back. This is your opportunity to save some serious dollars on new and closeout items. We are not allowed by our vendors to put into print the prices we are offering so you will have to call Toll Free 1(800) 354-7245 to get a "personal quote." Halloween is just around the corner. So are Thanksgiving and the holidays (Christmas is 65 days from today). http://www.sailingproshop.com/scuttlebutt2.htm CAYARD WINS STAR NAs San Francisco, CA - Report from the new North American Champion, Paul Cayard: Today, we were greeted with more typical San Francisco Bay conditions. Windy, cold, foggy and big current. Both races today were decided by a big move on the first run. In the first race of the day, Howie Shiebler and his crew Will Stout hung it out into the middle of the bay and got that last of the flood to win the race. We finished fourth in that one and with Freddy Loof finishing third we went into the last race tied with Shiebler and 2 points ahead of Loof/Eckstrom. We had a good start in the last race just to leeward of Shiebler/ Stout. We could not pinch them off so we drag raced out to the left side. We had to tack first and duck Shiebler and this put him in control of the race and the regatta. However, he got caught up in some traffic and we sprung free of him to round the first mark right on his heels. He gybed out to the middle, a move which won him the first race, and we continued straight along the city front. It was a regatta-winning move for us this time as Shiebler and all those who gybed immediately lost several hundred yards when we converged down at the leeward mark off Alcatraz. Once we rounded the leeward mark it is a matter of not making any big mistakes for the rest of the race. We finished second and won the regatta with 12 points. Both Loof and Shiebler sailed their worst races of the regatta and that meant that Loof/ Eckstrom beat Sheibler/ Stout by one point, 20 to 21. Mark Reynolds and Magnus Lijedahl moved up to 4th overall with a 6, 4 for the day and Eric Doyle and Rodrigo Meireles finished fifth. Event website: http://stfyc.org/ GLOBAL CHALLENGE The ports of call for the Global Challenge Race were announced by organizers of the, Challenge Business. "There have been two major changes for the Global Challenge 2004/ 05," said Simon Walker, managing director for Challenge Business comments. "Primarily we are taking the yachts to Buenos Aires for the first port of call, a decision we've made mainly as a result of safety issues. Having monitored the typical weather conditions over the past few years the pattern has shown an increasing risk of hurricanes, in the North Atlantic, in the autumn months when the race starts. The other change has been the decision to visit Boston as one of the final ports of call. This will make the route back to Europe much more predictable and aids the planning and success of the final stopovers for all concerned." Following is the schedule for the fleet of 12 identical 72' race yachts, each carrying 17 paying crew members and one professional skipper: Leg 1: 3rd October 2004 - Portsmouth to Buenos Aires (6200nm - 31 to 35 days) Leg 2: 28th November 2004 - Buenos Aires to Wellington (6100nm -36 to 41 days) Leg 3: 6th February 2005 - Wellington to Sydney (1250nm - approx. 7 days) Leg 4: 27th February 2005 - Sydney to Cape Town (6200nm - 35 to 41) Leg 5: 1st May 2005 - Cape Town to Boston (6775nm 34 to 38 days) Leg 6: 19th June 2005 - Boston to northern European city (3000 nm -13 to 17 days) Leg 7: 12th July 2005 - northern European city (300nm - approx. 4 days) The race organizers will announce the skippers on November 12. www.challengebusiness.com/global MATCH RACING In front of a large spectator crowd on Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda's own Paula Lewin/ Team ACE claimed victory over Sweden's Jenny Axhede/Team Panorama in a thrilling five-match series in the Bermuda International Women's Match Racing Championship that no one will soon forget. For the win Lewin was awarded $5,000 and the 4th Squadron Cruiser Bowl. In addition, she advances to the first round of the Investors Guaranty Presentation of the King Edward VII Gold Cup, the second event of the Swedish Match Tour 2003/04, where 16 teams will compete for a record $100,000 in prize money. In the petit-final, Elizabeth Kratzig/Team Kaenon (USA) won over Sally Barkow/Team Seven (USA) 2-1. Racing took place in International One Design class sailboats in this ISAF Grade 1 event hosted by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. In tomorrow's round one of the Investors Guaranty™ Presentation of the King Edward VII Gold Cup, eight match-ups will be sailed and the skipper that is the first to three points advances to the quarter-final round. Those who do not advance are 'knocked out' of the regatta. The pairings are: 1. Paolo Cian vs. #1 seed Jesper Radich (defending champion) 2. Paula Lewin/ vs. #8 seed Dennis Conner 3. Cameron Dunn vs. #5 seed Russell Coutts 4. Staffan Lindberg vs. #4 seed Peter Gilmour 5. Bill Hardesty vs. #3 seed Peter Holmberg 6. Ed Baird vs. #6 seed Dean Barker/ 7. Jenny Axhede vs. #7 seed Chris Dickson/ 8. Peter Bromby vs. #2 seed Jes Gram-Hansen From Media Pro Int'l, event website: www.swedishmatchtour.com FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW The Lauderdale Show starts in eight days. If you are a naval architect looking for a builder of very fast sailing yachts, keep this number, 360-301-2255, and call David King during the show. He would greatly enjoy the opportunity to tell you in person about Townsend Bay Marine and speed. MEMORY LANE It was like a trip down memory lane for the 300-plus America's Cup devotees who attended the Rolex America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for Alan Bond and Gary Jobson last Saturday. There was the reflection into the past, which - at least for one evening - made the fast track of the modern day America's Cup competition seem like a smooth country lane on which close-knit neighbors lived. To read the complete story and see the photos of the event: http://www.herreshoff.org/frames/amcframe.htm DRY CREEK VINEYARD PRO AM REGATTA The junior/master pairings for the 2003 Dry Creek Vineyard Pro Am Regatta at the Bitter End Yacht Club have been set. This year, rather than random pairings, BEYC instead chose to re-pair the winners (junior/master) from each of the past three years: 2000 - Peter Holmberg/Rod Johnstone 2001 - Ed Baird/Tom Leweck 2002 - Andy Burdick/Butch Ulmer The other two pairings were random: Russell Coutts/Keith Musto Dawn Riley/Lowell North As in years past, masters will race in the mornings (aboard Freedom 30s) and the juniors will race in the afternoons (aboard Hunter 216s). There will be individual divisional winners, and the overall team winners. With Peter Holmberg having now joined Alinghi, it will be interesting to watch the former Oracle helmsman line up against his new leader, Russell Coutts. Pro Am racing takes place on November 4, 6 and 7. Interest in the Musto Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Championships (run concurrently with the Pro Am) continues to run high - both outgoing US Sailing President Dave Rosekrans, and the incoming US Sailing President Janet Baxter have already signed up. Individual classes (Laser, Hobie Wave, and Hunter 216) are beginning to fill up in advance of the November 2 preliminaries. The finals for this year's SSC championship will be held in Hunter 216s. Event website: http://beyc.com/todo_act_regatta_proam.asp Curmudgeon's Comment: Last weekend, Mike Priest and Kellie Fennessy (who met at the 2001 Pro-Am Regatta) were married in the California Wine Country surrounded by lots of friends. They will spend a portion of their honeymoon at BEYC, sailing in both the Pro-Am and the SSC championship regatta … surrounded by lots of friends. FASTEST SAILS ON THE PLANET! Ullman Sails produced another dominating race season for our customers. From Key West to Seattle or Block Island to San Diego, Ullman Sails customers enjoy unparalleled performance, durability and service. From local one design sailing to international competition, let Ullman Sails give you and your crew the speed advantage for 2004. With the 2003 racing season coming to a close, it's the perfect time to reflect and begin planning for 2004. For the "Fastest Sails on the Planet" give your local Ullman Sails loft a call or visit us online at http://www.ullmansails.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (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 Morgan Larson: Adrian Morgan may be bitter with current events in sailing but he/she owes Samuel Kahn a huge apology. I crossed tacks (many astern of young Kahn) all week on San Francisco bay and by no means did his father "buy" him a world championship. Anyone who has spent time campaigning a Melges 24 at this level would agree. Samuel and his team won their world title the hard way by: practicing more hours than anyone, doing more tune-up regatta's, starting better, hiking harder and sailing more consistent. I'm sure if you asked Harry Melges, Vince Brun, Morgan Reeser, Dave Ullman, Jeff Madragali, James Spithill, Adam Beashel or any other of the crews in the 68 boat fleet that Shark schooled - they would agree. * From Michael Moore: (In Response to Adrian Morgan: "Rich American kid's Dad buys him a world title."): Come on Adrian, give some credit where it is due. Credit is clearly due to Philippe Kahn for providing the opportunity and the resources to do it well. And give credit to a very talented crew. If I could pick anyone to talk me around a course, Dickie Clarke would be on a very short list; and if anyone understands Melges 24 boat handling better than Brian Hutchinson, let him stand up now. And of course, we all know the boat won't get around at all with out the crew. But by stating that the title was purchased, you demean not only the efforts of Shark, but also those of his crew; and perhaps even worse, you take a shot at the efforts of Harry Melges and his crew, and indeed, the rest of the fleet. Yes, money can buy the boat and the sails, and some might argue even the crew. What it can't buy is the ability to start a boat on a crowded line, or the ability to keep a boat going fast, or the ability to handle a boat at a close mark rounding, or any number of other intangibles. Scanning the list of entrants, I see a host of world class sailors, and I suggest that Samuel "Shark" Kahn has added himself to that list. Give him the credit he is due. He did it with talent, hard work and a love of the sport. Without those, the money means nothing. * From Jesse Falsone: Anyone who thinks that a major one-design championship like the Melges 24 Worlds can simply be purchased hasn't competed at this level in sailing. There is no doubt that the opportunity and resources afforded Shark Kahn are unique, and that they enabled him. However, I do not think that money and time account for the more important elements of desire and determination. After maximizing all available resources, Shark obviously found something in himself that elevated his game under extreme pressure. As a 505 sailor, I would welcome him to the arena of "adult" high-performance dinghy sailing. Keep it up kid. * From Andrew Besheer: Shark Kahn - congratulations, you are amazing. Anyone who thinks that you can "buy" a championship at that level is just plain clueless. I don't care how much you invest in the preparation of the boat, sails, etc. you still have to go out and do it on the water and that comes down to the proverbial "nut" on the end of the tiller. Keep on following your dreams and don't let anyone steer you away. * From Mike Martin: Congratulations to Shark Kahn. To win any World Championship is a Huge accomplishment. To do it at 14 is even more impressive. As for what is next. I was delighted to see that you plan on sailing the 505 worlds next August. Let me be the first to welcome you to the fleet, we all look forward to sailing against someone of your caliber. * From Stirling Ross: After years of watching rich people's money getting thrown at the problem of not winning sail boat races it is nice to see the money finally getting thrown in the proper direction - a 14 year old kid. Congratulations to the shark and his father. * From Antoine Huggler: In response to several letters re Samuel Kahn: The youngster is a very talented sailor, no doubt. Congratulations! But let us agree, without the kind of financial support his Father is able to provide, he couldn't have done it. Curmudgeon's Comment: Rather than print another pile of letters pointing out the flaws in Mr. Huggler's comments, I'm going to kill this thread right now. Hold your head high, Shark - real high - you're a World Champion! There are veeeeery few sailors who can make that claim. * From Cliff Crowley: Your item about Mirabella stated, "Other vital stats include the fact that she has a wider beam then a Type-42 Destroyer measuring in at 14.80m (48.5 ft) wide. She cannot fit in the Panama Canal." Well - the official Panama canal beam restriction is 105.5', or 32.2m. That's why those funny looking WWII aircraft carriers were so skinny at the bottom and fat up at the flight deck. Mirabella should have no problem transiting due to beam or air draft, or water draft. (Pan Canal depth is about 39'6 feet tropical fresh water). I am not 100 percent certain, but I believe the USS New Jersey with a beam of 108'1" has gone through as the widest ship ever to do so. Curmudgeon's Comment: We have been told that it's the 295 foot rig of Mirabella V - not the beam or draft - that prevents her from going through the Panama Canal. BTW - The Daily Sail website has pictures and drawings of Mirabella V. It's worth the cost of a subscription to that website just to examine this amazing project. * From Win Fowler: Have to pass along this comment on Bruno Peyron's reaction to Tracy Edwards' coupe: "Sour grapes make bad French whine." CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Life isn't like a box of chocolates- it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow. |
