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SCUTTLEBUTT 1743 - December 30, 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. ROY DISNEY Roy Disney, affable and even-tempered, nephew of Walt, does not strike one as a confrontational type of guy, but it's been that kind of year. Like one of his animated adventures, he spent half his time with sidekick Stanley Gold trying to rid the Walt Disney Co. of its evil CEO and the other half thrashing the high seas on board his new super sailboat, Pyewacket. During breaks from court and shareholder meetings, Disney took delivery of his Reichel/Pugh-designed maxZ86 and raced it around the Caribbean and Europe trying to master its high-tech nuances. That's when he ran into Hasso Plattner, the San Francisco-based German software giant. Plattner has had his own series of boats called Morning Glory, the latest a virtual twin of Pyewacket, both with canting keels. The two spent a few weeks tuning and testing together in the Caribbean, then they went to Cork Race Week in Ireland where all the camaraderie went out the bilge. "I never understood it," Disney says now. "I thought we were having this good racing. We'd had races with them in Antigua and going to Bermuda, and they beat us, and they seemed perfectly satisfied as long as they were beating us. "Then we started beating up on them, and all of a sudden he says, 'I've had enough of this . . . I'm going home.' "And put his boat up for sale. Disney will keep sailing along into a new year full of some serious West Coast competition against Randall Pittman's new 90-footer, Genuine Risk, and Morning Glory, which Plattner apparently has decided to keep. It starts with the Marina del Rey-Puerto Vallarta Race in February and ends with the Big Boat Series at San Francisco in September, after the Centennial Transpac in July. "It's certainly going to be an interesting year," Disney said. - Excerpts from a story by Rich Roberts in the Log. Full story: http://thelog.com/columnists/columnistsview.asp?c=137245 CHEYENNE RETURNS TO THE RACE COURSE Quest International Sports Events (QISE) confirmed that Steve Fossett's yacht Cheyenne (formerly PlayStation) has joined the group of giant multihulls to compete in the Oryx Quest 2005 non-stop around-the-globe sailing race in February 2005. Skippered by American David Scully, Cheyenne joins Tony Bullimore's Daedalus, Brian Thompson's Qatar 2006 and Olivier de Kersauson's Geronimo, and takes the total number of 100+foot-long sail boats circumnavigating the planet from Doha, Qatar on 5th February 2005 to four. David Scully is famous for starting up Fossett's multihull sailing programme in 1993 and has set 12 official World Records with Fossett as Watch Captain, including the Round the World and the TransAtlantic Record. Designed by famed naval architects Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin and built in 1998 by Cookson in New Zealand, Cheyenne was the first of a brand new class of multi-hulls, designed to attack major ocean records. With Fossett as skipper, Cheyenne has broken 14 World Records including the Transatlantic at 4 days 17 hours and the Round the World at 58 days 9 hours. "I am delighted that Cheyenne will be on the start line for this new and exciting race", said Fossett. "It is sad that I will not be able to participate myself but have already committed to attempt the First Solo Non-stop Round the World Airplane Flight in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer." At the same time, Olivier de Kersauson's Geronimo and her escort Ocean Alchemist have left Brest, France to head for Qatar and the start of the Oryx Quest 2005. In order to comply with the race instructions, Geronimo must reach the port of Doha, the capital of the Gulf State of Qatar, by the 26th January 2005. The 6,000 nautical mile passage will include passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, transiting the Mediterranean Sea as well as the Suez Canal, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Sea of Oman. "We are in contact with the Egyptian authorities to negotiate the passage of the two boats through the Suez Canal," said Louis Noël Vivies, Geronimo's team manager. "Unfortunately we have been classified as pleasure craft which isn't much help because it means that we will have to stop each night as only cargo ships can sail at night. Instead of one-and-a-half days, it could take three days or more." It's estimated that Geronimo and Ocean Alchemist will reach Port Said at the entrance to the Suez Canal in approximately ten days. The trimaran has a crew of twelve while Ocean Alchemist, a large motorized powerboat, has six sailors on board. The latter can be used to tow Geronimo in the event that there is no wind. It's estimated that voyage to Qatar will take between 23 and 25 days, depending on how long it takes to get through the Suez Canal. - www.qisel.com/ RECOVERED The capsized 98-footer Skandia, one of the pre-race Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honors favorites, is under tow by a sea-going tug, which is heading for the fishing port of Lady Barron on Flinders Island in Bass Strait. "We're confident the boat is in good enough shape to recover and refit," said Skandia's skipper Grant Wharington. Conditions have eased off the Tasmanian northeast coast, which assisted in the recovery process of Skandia. Wharington plans to put it on a truck and ship it back to his home port of Melbourne where he will begin refitting a new bulb and keel fin which are already being fabricated for his European campaign next year. Meanwhile, fading winds on the Tasmanian East Coast and in Storm Bay have strengthened the grip of the British Ker 55, Aera, on the Tattersalls Cup, the famous trophy awarded to the Overall IRC handicap winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. With 50 boats still at sea and eight finished, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia will not officially announce the Overall winner of the Tattersalls Cup until tomorrow morning. This will be at a traditional public function alongside Hobart's Constitution Dock at 11:30 AM when the winners and placegetters of the various IRC and PHS handicap category divisions will be announced. However, some results will still be provisional as many smaller and slower boats will still be at sea. Aera, owned by London-based yachtsman Nick Lykiardopulo and skippered by England yachtsman Jez Fanstone, finished in fourth place in the fleet yesterday afternoon and currently heads the provisional IRC Overall standings ahead of line honors winner Nicorette (Ludde Ingvall) and Matt Allen's Ichi Ban which finished last evening. - Peter Campbell, www.rolexsydneyhobart.com HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ULLMAN SAILS Olympic Medals in Athens, National and International Championships in Australia, Europe and the United States, Ullman Sails assisted our customers in realizing their 2004 sailing dreams in both One-Design and Offshore competition. We value your business, and pledge to continue to bring you the latest and best sail technology. Whether racing, cruising, or day sailing, our sailmakers stand ready to meet your sailing needs in 2005. "For an Investment in Performance" and "The Fastest Sails on the Planet", please contact the nearest Ullman Sails loft and visit us online at http://www.ullmansails.com PUMPING, PUMPING AND MORE PUMPING Ellen MacArthur's B&Q went through another gale-force battering in the Indian Ocean, approximately 1500 miles west of New Zealand, as 30-40 knot northerly winds, gusting over 45 knots. "I'm a bit shaken up, bit exhausted, it was full on," MacArthur stated. "We had loads of problems in the storm - water in the boat, water in the mainsail [stacked on boom] - I seemed to spend most of my time with a bilge pump, outside, inside, getting absolutely drenched. But we're okay and the breeze is subsiding now although we've got a bit of a squally patch now in the rain." Sea water was gushing in through the main engine exhaust outlet which Ellen is using as part of the ventilation system she set up to cool the back-up air cooled generator. But even if she could block up this outlet, it would have to be done from the outside by sticking something over it, and in these conditions that is impossible and it would also compound the problem of the fumes from the generator having no escape route, and the problem of overheating in the engine compartment. "There was about half a ton [of water]." No real change to forecast through to Friday evening with consistent NW breeze, but problems on the horizon. This in from Commanders Weather: 'Significant changes to GFS Model concerning ridge /high. If correct you will need to route south to 53-54s.' Forcing Ellen further south to avoid the light wind zone but her objective will be to get back to the north to pass to the west of Campbell Island (south of NZ) to avoid the ice zone south-east of New Zealand. Tonight, MacArthur is more than 49 hours ahead of Francis Joyon's round the world record. - www.teamellen.com VENDÉE GLOBE Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) has been playing his propaganda card to best effect for several days now, giving a different version of the situation mid-Pacific to virtually every journalist. Trying to strain out the truth it would seem that he is "always under the impression that he never has the right sail area up - either I've got too much or not enough. The winds are very shifty." In another interview he was in hysterics speaking of falling asleep without the alarm on to warn him of any dramatic wind changes. The wind rose sharply and before he knew it, the boat had broached right over. Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) is 1540 miles from Cape Horn, while Patrice Carpentier (VM Matériaux) is still anchored off Tasmania making repairs to his broken boom. Mike Golding spotted another iceberg on Wednesday morning. "Strangely enough I had just given the radar a rest because I was up and about," said Golding. "So I turned it off and when I turned it back on again, strike me if there wasn't an iceberg there. It was about five miles away on the beam to the north." Leaders at 1900 GMT December 29: 1. Bonduelle, Jean Le Cam, 8553 miles to finish 2. PRB, Vincent Riou, 189 miles to leader 3. Ecover, Mike Golding, 229 mtl 4. VMI, Sébastien Josse, 977 mtl 5. Temenos, Dominique Wavre, 1564 mtl 6. Virbac-Paprec, Jean-Pierre Dick 1881 mtl 7. Skandia, Nick Moloney, 2414 mtl 8. Pro-Form, Marc Thiercelin, 2870 mtl 9. Arcelor Dunkerque, Joé Seeten, 2929 mtl 10. Ocean Planet, Bruce Schwab, 3349 mtl Complete standings: www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk/ MEDICAL EMERGENCY After a successful yacht-to-yacht transfer of medical supplies from Team Save the Children, Global Challenge yacht Imagine It. Done. is making her way to Chatham Islands to seek further medical assistance for crewman John Masters. Masters will be airlifted to Wellington from the Chatham Islands, as the local facilities are not adequate for his needs, although an airlift at sea is a possibility. Masters is suffering from a serious abdominal infection and is being treated by onboard medic Dr David Roche, a general practitioner also competing in the race. They are currently approximately four days from the Islands, but the wind is forecast to strengthen to gale force and shift to the northwest making for potentially bumpy, dead upwind sailing. Although they are currently motorsailing, once the winds rise to gale force the motor is no longer effective and they will make best speed under sail. Preparations have been made onboard to account for the weather and ensure Masters is as comfortable as possible. Theoretically, they could return to the point at which they left the course and rejoin the race, although it appears that they do not want to restart. Skipper Dee Caffari admitted that while the safety of all the crew is of course paramount, there will always be a sense of disappointment in unfortunate situations such as these. "It is gutting to know we cannot complete this leg," Caffari wrote from the yacht this morning, "and I know I have many disappointed crew onboard. Ultimately, people's welfare is of paramount importance but everyone has a little selfish side and I am deeply disappointed at being unable to complete the leg. Trust me, to need the medivac at the most remote part of the leg was not in my planning!" - www.globalchallenge2004.com COUNTDOWN With just 17 days before Key West Race Week, there's still time to get your team orders in for Dryshirt's™, Musto, Gill, Camet, ClewGear, Ronstan, hats & polo shirts and other gear that will set your boat apart from the rest of the pack. Team pricing is always available for group orders and we offer screening and embroidery. It's no secret that sharp looking crew gear makes the crew feel appreciated and will help draw in the best talent. See what's new from all the top brands or call toll free 1(800) 354-7245, http://www.sailingproshop.com/2005teamgear.htm NEWS BRIEFS * More than 660 competitors from 11 countries are at Coral Reef Yacht Club in Florida competing in the Orange Bowl Regatta, making it the largest youth regatta in the country. Strong northerly winds have prevailed for the first two days on the four race courses on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The Optimist dinghy, 300 strong, makes up the largest class. Results: www.coralreefyachtclub.com/OB04R/2004obresultsoverall.htm * The 2004 sales of ISAF plaques for new Optimists reached a new record of 4,030, and sales of royalty sail buttons were also the highest on record at 8,415. With 32 active builders in 21 countries, geographically 50% of sales were to Europe, 31% to Asia/ Oceania and 19% to the Americas. The main increase in plaque sales came from Asia but there was also healthy growth in the Americas. New fleets were established in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Tanzania. At the year-end 102 countries were members of IODA with a further eight suspended for non-payment. - www.optiworld.org/2004review.html * Sailing in the Gulf region will receive another major boost next month when a record 230 competitors from 23 countries assemble for the Dubai Junior Regatta, the biggest event of its kind in the world. Sponsored by Emirates Airline and taking place from January 23-30, the event presents a superb opportunity for the top young sailing talent from the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar to test their skills against the sport's top teenagers worldwide. The regatta was launched five years ago with 25 competitors from three countries. Last year it drew 150 competitors from 14 countries. 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 Jim Teeters: The ORC announcement In Scuttlebutt 1741 of three new offshore level classes with box rule limits is very welcome news. The success and strength of the TP52 Class, and its position as the emerging grand prix solution at that size, have been evident within the US for some time. Those of us who were US Sailing reps to the international Rule Working Party, felt that the TP52 Class must be fully embraced by any new grand prix rule and proposed such to the RWP. Now, with the class generating international momentum, a highly visible part of the grand prix market has made a clear statement of what kind of boat and rule they want to race in. Recent invitations to the TP52s by the RORC leadership to come race in the 2005 Admiral's Cup confirm the growing acceptance of the class. I urge both US Sailing and the RORC to join with the ORC in further exploring the box rule concept and developing a suite of classes in collaboration with design offices, sailmakers, owners and other critical parties. Box rules can ensure close racing in fast, fun boats, and still provide opportunities to individualize a boat. Who's to say what the market will want or need in 10 years time, but today a goodly portion is saying "box" and they are making a success of it. * From Jack Gannon, sailboat builder (edited to our 250-word limit): The Opti was built to get kids on the water. That it does. And each kid may eventually want to "skipper" his or her own boat - but not everyone, and not until they're ready. There the rub! As was stated by Peter Harken, the Opti has become the "world's boat." Respectfully Peter, there is no such thing as the "worlds boat," only the world of sailing! I think that the Opti has over the years has become a floating babysitter. They are relatively inexpensive, and it gets the kid in his or her "own boat". There are a lot of two person junior training boats available, and some that are only slightly more expensive than an Opti. All kids are not alike, however they all want to be a part of a sailing fraternity - a potentially life long activity. How they acquire that is up to the individual sailor - not the parent. We can only give them the guidance/ support to participate. Some will desire to ultimately race single handed, and others will want to race a group boat. I think that a duo or threesome boat allows kids to think as a team, to get the best results; and to overcome the apprehension/ fear, of being overwhelmed sailing alone. As they progress and become more comfortable with the crewed boat, they also learn about teamwork, group decision making, and what it takes to win - in sailing and in the world. * From Corky Potts: Optimist sailors sailing in organized Junior Sailing programs, with the support and involvement of their families, seem to be far more sophisticated sailors than those that I can remember when I was that same age. They have gained levels of self confidence, independence and a general sense of responsibility and respect for others that I find to be exemplary. The friendships and educational experiences that they are exposed to are invaluable. I believe that the success of the last three College Sailors of the Year, educationally, emotionally and as gentlemen has been greatly due to their extensive sailing experiences in the Optimist class and the extensive involvement by their families. Not in the boats with them, but from the sidelines. I believe that without that foundation, those three young men would not have had the opportunities that they have experienced. I haven't been exposed to any other sport that would have better prepared my son for the real world. I'm sure that, just like in any group of people, there are those parents and coaches that are overzealous, but those are not the same folks that you continue to see at the top of the list. The same goes for the many young ladies that have also had the Optimist experience and opportunities. The top two finishers in the Opti Midwinters, (187 top competitors) on Thanksgiving weekend were young ladies. Where else do you see ladies competing against young men in athletic activities, and winning their fair share? CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUMS Why do old men wear their pants higher than younger men? |
