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SCUTTLEBUTT 1987 -- December 14, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.BOTY Cruising World magazine has announced its 12th annual Boat of the Year Awards. In doing so, the magazine selected two overall winners - one domestic and one import. The title of Domestic Cruising Boat of the Year goes to the Morris 42; the Import Cruising Boat of the Year is the Hallberg-Rassy 62. A field of 42 boats had entered the competition before Cruising World Editors Herb McCormick and Tim Murphy, assisted by Ralph Naranjo, a world cruiser who oversees the sailing program at the U.S. Naval Academy, whittled down the fleet to 26 nominees. The nominated boats were then inspected and sailed by independent judges Bill Lee, formerly of Santa Cruz Yachts; Suzanne Giesemann, the winner of Cruising World's 2005 essay contest; Peter Hogg, a New Zealand-born veteran multihull sailor who holds a slew of offshore sailing records; and Ed Sherman, who serves as the Curriculum Designer and Senior Instructor for the education programs of the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC). Of the 26 finalists, 20 were imports, with entries from Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, England, France, Germany, Slovenia, South Africa and Sweden. Of the six American boats nominated, the Morris 42 was universally praised by the judges: "Absolutely awesome," said judge Suzanne Giesemann. "What sailing should be. I think it's the best America has to offer with the quality craftsmanship. It takes you back to the art." In a crowded field of 20 imported boats, the Hallberg-Rassy 62 stood out among its peers the judges said: "They told us the purpose was push-button sailing and bluewater cruising, where you can do everything from the helm," said Giesemann. "They proved their point today. I was amazed. I'd need more time to get used to it, but it was so easy and comfortable to sail." Other winners in the competition were: - Production Cruiser 31 to 36 Feet: Tartan 3400 - Production Cruiser 37 to 39 Feet: Hallberg-Rassy 37 - Production Cruiser 40 to 44 Feet: Hunter 41 DS - Performance Cruiser Over 45 Feet: X-46 - Full-Size Cruiser: Beneteau 523 - Unlimited Class: Kanter Bougainvillaea 65 - Cruising Catamarans: St. Francis 50 - Best Value: Hunter 41 DS The results will be featured in Cruising World's January 2006 issue. Additional information on the winners can be found at www.cruisingworld.com CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY KEY LARGO, Fla., Dec. 13, 2006 Consistency paid off for the Italian boat Marrachech Express which jumped into the points lead at the 2005 Corum Melges 24 World Championship at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo today after two races in fresh northerly breezes. Steered by professional sailor Gabriele Benussi and a group of amateur sailors from Trieste, Marrachech Express confounded race watchers who had questioned whether the recently-formed team could handle the demanding, choppy conditions as comfortably as some of the well-honed, all-professional teams. Benussi and his three crew had never sailed together until they came together in Key Largo for three days of practice before the event. They never faltered. Benussi's team had fared badly in the opening race of the series last Sunday when it posted a 35th place in the international talent-packed field of 99 boats. However the Italians got the fleet's attention with a first place in the second race of the day. They followed that up with a third and a second on Monday, followed by fourth and ninth place finishes today. With six of the 12 scheduled races completed, all competitors are now able to discard their worst race placing, punching Marrachech Express up from her second overall yesterday to the lead on points today. The discard also favored sailmaker and pro sailor Dave Ullman from Newport Beach, Calif., who finished today's racing with a fifth and a third and dropping a 41st place to jump from seventh place overall yesterday to second today. The best performance of the day came from young Australian America's Cup helmsman James Spithill who logged two masterful first places in today's fresh breezes aboard his Luna Rossa, from Genoa, Italy, winning comfortably in the first and running away from the pack in the second. Fort Lauderdale's Morgan Reeser, a comfortable points' leader going into today's racing, could do no better than a 20th in the first race today. That and a 17th place yesterday pulled his Mfatic emphatically back into fourth place, ten points behind Spithill. - Keith Taylor Standings after six races with one discard: 1. Gabriele Benussi, Marrachech Express, Italy, 19 points; 2. David Ullman, USA-505, Newport Beach, Calif., 22; 3. James Spithill, Luna Rossa, Genoa, Italy, 26; 4. Morgan Reeser, Mfatic, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 36; 5. Brian Porter, Full Throttle, Winnetka, Ill., 42; 6. Gabrio Zandona, Joe Fly, Italy, 46 7. John Pollard, Xcellent, England, 56; 8. François Brenac, Partner & Partners, France, 57; 9. Shark Kahn, Pegasus 492, San Francisco, Calif., 62; 10. Nicola Celon, Ale Ali, Italy, 64. New photos posted: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/m24worlds/index3.asp Event website: http://www.2005corumm24worlds.com FIRST ENCOUNTER OF THE GIANTS Big Boat Challenge 2005 on Sydney Harbour: The start - a mini-version of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on 26 December. The finish - to Alfa Romeo by 13 seconds from Wild Oats XI; and it could be just as close at the finish of the 628 nautical mile race. The concept of such a close finish to the battle for line honours to Hobart was the view of rival owner/skippers Neville Crichton (Alfa Romeo) and Bob Oatley (Wild Oats XI) after this first encounter of the world's two fastest 30m maxi boats in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour. More than 150 spectator boats, plus a Navy ship, a Customs chase boat and the arrival of the Spirit of Tasmania and helicopters overhead added to a colourful and aggressive start by the 17 boat fleet. Today's race was a mere 12 nautical miles in the flat water of the Harbour in an 8-12 knot sea breeze; the Rolex Sydney Hobart is an ocean race where winds can frequently gust to 50 knots and much more, the seas very rough. The Big Boat Challenge has always been a good pointer to who will be the front runners in the Hobart Race but after today's inaugural encounter of these near identical leviathans of ocean racing, it is too close to call. 'It could have gone either way - either Alfa Romeo or Wild Oats XI could have got the gun,' said Neville Crichton after a heart-stopping finish off the Sydney Opera House. Bob Oatley agreed. 'He [Neville] did a better job that we did, but he'd better watch out. For a first race, we were more than satisfied…we will do better next time.' 'My gut feeling is it will be boat for boat going to Hobart,' added Crichton, although he pointed out that today's race had 'nothing to do with Hobart.' In fact, Wild Oats XI closed the gap to within half a boat length at the finish when Alfa Romeo's forestay furler jammed on the final gybe, restricting the sail area of the Code O reaching sail to 70% of its normal size. -- Peter Campbell, Sail World website, complete story: http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?Nid=20495 TAKE THE HEAT IN KEY WEST Acura Key West 2006 and Acura Miami Race Week are right around the corner! Win big using new Hybrid Performance Technology from New England Ropes! Our new ARC cover will help you take your heat by beating the heat! This abrasion resistant cover has heat-resistant Technora built right in. And our durable and flexible VPC is the perfect jib sheet - super strong and lightweight but easy to grip. Look for the NER Regatta Support Team on-site at both events. Others make line. We make line perform. http://www.neropes.com FOR THE RECORD At the start of her fourth week at sea after covering 4,300 miles, Dee Caffari's (GBR) course along the west coast of Brazil is reminding her of the route she sailed during the Global Challenge, only this time she will not be stopping before entering the Southern Ocean as she attempts to become to first women ever to sail solo westabout around the world. 'Even now a year on with an extra 30,000 miles under my belt on the same yacht,' said Caffari, '...I am still feeling the apprehension and the nerves. Every day I sail closer to the gateway to the South. It is an amazing piece of water - it can hold such beauty and just as easily such vengeance.' The next major landmark is Cape Horn, and she is making good progress in the Southern Hemisphere since crossing the equator last Thursday. But this weekend the enormity of the voyage ahead was difficult to contemplate. One effective method of rejuvenating her mood is reading the messages of support sent to the website. 'They are fantastic and you cannot believe the lift it gives us on our way round on this voyage,' she said, adding that they take her on, 'a little roller coaster ride of tears and laughter.' There are now more than 500 messages of support posted on the website from an incredible 38 nations around the world, including Zimbabwe, Iceland, China, Sri Lanka, Croatia and India to name a few. - ISAF Website, complete story: http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j8fFh0?B? Caffari's Aviva Challenge website: http://www.avivachallenge.com/ NEW HOME The Spanish Desafío Español 2007 team celebrated its official base opening in the Port America's Cup on Monday evening with a gala event. The distinctive bright green base was lit up and glowing in a spectacular fashion and the VIP crowd made it a special night. The Spanish team was the first to operate from its base area in the Port America's Cup, moving in at the beginning of May this year. 14 Valencian companies and high-tech suppliers were involved in the base construction project. The base, designed by architects Axel Klein and Pedro Palmero, is among the bigger ones in the Port America's Cup, at 4 200 square metres, and is unique in having two buildings, one containing the boatshed, gym, offices and a public mulit-media zone, and the other containing a merchandise shop, offices and VIP and hospitality areas. The team also confirmed that it had been assigned the sail number ESP 88 for its new boat. Currently under construction in Alginet, about 30 kilometres south of Valencia, the boat is due to be finished in April, after some 25 000 man hours of work. The sailing team concluded its training program at the end of November, and will resume work on the water in February. - America's Cup website, http://tinyurl.com/7n3sg ARE YOU READY TO RACE OFFSHORE? Are you looking for a life-changing experience? Berths are available for the North Atlantic yacht race - Challenge Transat to anyone with a sense of adventure! The best thing about this race is that you don't need any prior sailing experience, we will provide all the training you require to participate in this fantastic event. Each yacht will be under the command of a professional skipper and first mate, allowing 16 ordinary men and women per yacht to take part, that's just 96 places on each leg on the six yachts. The yachts will compete in two races; Leg One will be from Southampton, UK to Boston, USA, and Leg Two will be from Boston back to the Southampton. There will be a short stopover in between races where friends and family are welcome to visit and join in the festivities. The event starts in August 2006. The overall cost of a berth for Challenge Transat 2006 is £8,700 (approx $33,102.09). If you prefer to only take part in one leg, then the cost is £4,750 (approx $26,110.49). -- http://www.challengebusiness.com/transat/index.htm Curmudgeon's Comment: This story is not a paid advertisement, but it probably should have been. :-) NEWS BRIEFS A hot new racing boat is about to be launched in the USA. You've got to see this beauty: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/srm * The leading teams in the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race now have the task of picking the quickest and most direct route in to Fremantle in Western Australia. Durban (666 miles from finish), Victoria (+32 miles) and westernaustralia.com (+89 miles) have plotted a steady course throughout this leg and look set to maintain their podium positions if conditions stay roughly the same. Qingdao, Jersey and Liverpool 08 are vying for the important 4th spot. http://www.clipper-ventures.co.uk/2006/ * Donald P. Robinson, of Noank, Connecticut, passed away on Saturday, December, 10, 2005. He was a sailor all his life, who sailed in many ocean races as part of the Hawk syndicate. Robinson and his wife owned a Hood 38 named Puritan. He worked for many years at Mystic Seaport Museum, most recently as the Director of the du Pont Preservation Shipyard. He was a long term member of the NYYC and the CCA as well as other yachting and nautical groups. His service is at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Mystic, Connecticut on Friday the 16th of 1100. - Ginny Jones * Photographer Carlo Borlenghi has again provided Scuttlebutt with riveting sailing images, this time from the Rolex Trophy in Sydney, Australia. For Carlo, the boats jump higher, the crews work harder, the splash is wetter, and the sport of sailing jumps off the screen. Enjoy: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/rolextrophy * Superyacht Solutions, which claims to be one of the largest yacht painting contractors in Australasia, has announced that it is within weeks of closing a new deal valued at around AUS$200 million to the Australian marine industry. According to a company statement, the agreement will bring together a number of high-profile European clients and leading figures from within the Australian marine industry to oversee the construction of large motoryachts unlike anything ever before seen in the region. "This will undoubtedly be the largest single development in the history of yacht-building in this country" says director Steve Wicks. - IBI, http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20051113115037ibinews.html * Today is the final day to vote for your favorite reply to the "Newbie looking for Key West info" thread on the Scuttlebutt Forums. Winners get a SLAM Sailing Vest from Premiere Racing and Scuttlebutt caps. Info on the contestants and voting can be found at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/05/1209 * Blair McLay (NZL) and Federico Melo (POR) continued where they left off yesterday at the Laser Radial Youth World Championship in Fortaleza, Brasil. Sailing in 17-22 knots of breeze, they again both won the two races in their respective fleets and remain tied at the top of the leader board. Overall results after four races without discard: 1. Frederico Melo, POR, 18Y, 4 pts; 1. Blair McLay, NZL, 18Y, 4 pts; 3. Ivan Taritas, CRO, 18Y, 13 pts; 4. Blake Warner, USA, 16Y, 19pts; 5. Fred Strammer, USA, 17Y, 19pts. -- www.laserinternational.org * The fleet for the 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race now stands at 86 yachts. Gosford Sailing Club yacht Rayo has withdrawn its entry and Sean Langman has now withdrawn his Open 60 design AAPT. Langman announced he will be taking the IRM Maxi AAPT to Hobart with a crew of 20 which includes members of his youth sailing program and skiff sailors. Sailing as AAPT, the IRM Maxi is the same boat which sailed to Line Honors victory last year as Nicorette. -- www.rolexsydneyhobart.com * The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta scheduled for March 3, 4 & 5 is now included as an event of the 2006 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series. St Maarten's 26th annual Heineken Regatta joins the BVI Regatta as the only two Caribbean events in the series that begins in Florida with Ft. Lauderdale to Key West on January 11th and concludes with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary in Hamilton Bermuda June 23rd. Entry information for the Gulf Stream Series is at https://app1.regatta-manager.com/GSS/GSS2006 or http://www.us-irc.org/. For the St.Maarten Heineken Regatta entry details go to http://www.heinekenregatta.com/ SALES AND MORE FREE SHIPPING Team One Newport is offering free ground shipping for orders over $150 through December 24th! Be sure to check out the new sale items on the Specials Page at their website, including 25% off Patagonia Bodywear, Railriders Speed Tees, and Reef Flip-flops for $10. Also check out the great new Slam sneakers, the Reactor Tide watch, the Sailor Duffels and Cooler bags, and Musto's Volvo Race gear. Team One Newport can still do your Key West crew uniforms for Premiere Racing's Acura Key West 2006. Call for the coolest gear around at 800-VIP-GEAR (800-847-2368) or online at 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. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Mike Dale: Gary Jobson may be correct that the America's Cup is still the pinnacle of our sport, but how much national pride can be derived from winning a contest that has become little more than a battle of corporate logos, wallets and hired guns, without regard for those things that used to tie a particular yacht club's challenge, or defense, to a specific country? I still enjoy watching and following the competition, when it's available, but I just can't get as excited as I did when the "home team" was from, and sailing for "home." * From Dave Ellis, St. Petersburg Times sailing correspondent: (An ammendum to Jay Horowitz's kudos to coaches Eric Bardes and Ian Lineberger and the success of their team - 'Butt 1896). Eric Bardes learned twenty years ago from coach John Jennings, Jr, who learned from his dad John Jennings, who learned from his dad W. W. Jennings, Harvey Parke, Ted Tolsen and others. Happily, each of these generations instilled more than how to win races in their many kids over more than fifty years. These youngsters are a pleasure to be around both on and off the water. Coach Ian Lineberger, on the other hand, did not learn to sail until after the age of 30. Yet he does well in the Laser and is the International President of the class. These two coaches, who both have full time jobs in the real world, show that coaching in sport can be an excellent influence in the sailing and life of youngsters. * From Adrian Morgan (Re Finisterre): I was privileged to crew on Finisterre in Antigua Race Week, circa 1977. There was no secret, her then owner told me, to the yacht's fantastic record: it was money. She was built no expense spared, from the full-size mock-ups of the accommodation to her deepest secret: the incredible bronze floor structure, which tied the whole boat and centreboard case together. The cost was prodigious but there was an added bonus: the huge weight of the bronze structure made her very stiff (added to which she was very beamy) and yet the "free" ballast was not penalized under the rule, as it was part of the yacht's structure, so she rated extremely favourably, I believe. There were many Finisterre copies, but none did half as well, because none were built to her specification, and none were so costly. So it goes to show that you gets what you pays for in yacht racing. Where is she now, I wonder? CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM If we quit voting, will they all go away? Special thanks to New England Ropes and Team One Newport. |
