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SCUTTLEBUTT 2070 - April 11, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.TRANSITION Those in the world of Olympic sailing who still think that there is a chance the Chinese might reconsider their decision to hold the 2008 Olympic regatta in Qingdao need to come to this building site of a city to realize what a forlorn hope that is. To say that Qingdao, until now best known perhaps as the base of the Tsingtao brewery, has seized the opportunity given it by the Chinese Olympic authorities with both hands and with its bulldozers and concrete mixers would be a huge understatement. Never mind that there may not be enough wind on Fushan Bay in the month of August to stage a proper regatta, the Chinese have thrown themselves into a massive construction project for the Games and you get the feeling, wind or no wind, that this is it for 2008 and the sailors had better like it. So far, a shipyard has been uprooted and moved up the coast to make way for the new Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre, which is being built at an estimated cost of $300 million (about £172 million). The main concrete structure of the marina has been finished this week and work is continuing at a hectic pace on the media centre and an athlete centre, which will be converted into a hotel once the Games are over. Official computerized images of the finished site show a vast area of beautifully landscaped seafront complete with a small lake and with lots of yachts sailing around on the bay, something the more than seven million citizens of this sprawling urban jungle on the southern tip of the Shandong peninsula have never seen. The workers are at their task day and night, as they are on construction projects all over Qingdao, and few could doubt that they will get it all finished by the deadline of June 30 this year, ready for the first Olympic “test event” in late August. -- Excerpt from a story by Edward Gorman, The Times, complete story: http://tinyurl.com/mx9wt A-CUP COMMENTARY - Peter Isler This may have been an uncharacteristically mild late winter/ early springperiod in Valencia, but it's certainly provided excellent sailing conditions. We're already experiencing the Valencia seabreeze regularly - and that's ideal for tuning up our new boat USA 87, running it against our "old" boat, USA 76. The BMW Oracle team is really pleased with 87's "out of the box" performance, and we are now working through the methodical path of learning how to sail it faster, and faster. Luna Rossa is also sailing their new boat, ITA 86 which first sailed a day or two after USA 87. The Kiwis have arrived in town and we expect to see their new boat (which was launched in Auckland during the winter) out soon. Several more teams (including Alinghi) should be launching new boats in the next month or so, and it will be very interesting to see how the new boats stack up against each other. Given the level of inter-team training that goes on here (almost every day somebody is racing someone else), one would expect that there will be some "early returns" coming in off the water soon. The first "Act" of the season is now just over a month away, and it sounds like several teams are intending to enter their new boats. The other interesting bit of 'kit' that has debuted here in Valencia is Alinghi's "jumperless" rig. The benefits of less windage are an obvious reason for this move, but the challenge will be to engineer the mast section above the hounds to handle the loads without the normal level of support that jumpers and stays provide. With a little more than a year to go before the beginning of the Cup Trials, there's plenty of action on and off the water. - Peter Isler, Navigator, BMW Oracle Racing Team, http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/pi0410 A BUMP ON THE ROAD With one month to the start of Louis Vuitton Act 10 and the 2006 America’s Cup Class racing season, the BMW Oracle Racing is training in earnest on a six-day a week schedule. Training was briefly interrupted today when one of the team’s two America’s Cup Class yachts hit an underwater obstacle in the Port America’s Cup channel to the race course area. “We were towing along in the same exact place we tow out every day and the yacht stopped abruptly and like a sling shot we went backwards,” said Craig Monk who was on board. “This was not a case of running aground into mud but hitting an object like an underwater steel cable.” The shore team quickly assembled as the yacht returned to shore to be hauled out for inspection of the resulting damage. An appendage of the race yacht was visibly damaged but the team was able to return sailing about an hour later. BMW Oracle Racing notified event authority ACM to prevent additional accidents from occurring in the channel. “It’s disconcerting to have such an incident occur in the America’s Cup channel when we have been reassured repeatedly that the channel has more than adequate depth for the ACC yachts,” said BMW Oracle Racing CEO and Skipper Chris Dickson. “With only 30 days until the first regatta this year, we hope that ACM will ensure that the channel remains clear. We were lucky today, but this sort of thing shouldn’t occur and needs to be addressed.” -- http://www.bmworacleracing.com OWNER NEEDED! The J/160 Ruffian is looking for a new owner. In 2001, Ruffian was repainted “Stars and Stripes” blue, with the interior refinished in the spring of 2002. Electronics are state of the art, and she has an extensive sail inventory of both racing and cruising sails. The current owner has spared no expense to ensure that “Ruffian” is the best J/160, and perhaps the finest 53-foot yacht. She is available for showings this week in San Diego, CA. Visit the website for more information, or give our office a call at 619-224-6200 to see all our listings. http://www.yachtworld.com/sailcalsandiego CHAMPAGNE SAILING Speeds are up and 24 hour runs are nearing the 500 mile mark as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet thunders towards the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. Since returning to the northern hemisphere ABN Amro One has experienced some of the best sailing conditions of Leg 5 so far, enabling Mike Sanderson and his crew to stretch their lead over second placed movistar to 45 miles for the first time. ABN Amro One is almost untouchable in these fast reaching conditions. With the Doldrums now history, it’s straight line sailing and, with little strategy involved, speed is king. It will not be until the fleet approaches the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay that opportunities arise for tactical decisions. -- http://www.volvooceanrace.org Volvo Ocean Race Positions at 2200 GMT Monday 1. ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, 2454 miles to finish 2. movistar, Bouwe Bekking, +45 miles 3. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, +80 miles 4. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, +89 miles 5. Ericsson Racing Team, John Kostecki, +103 miles 6. ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, +169 miles PERSONAL EVALUATION Movistar skipper Bouwe Bekking takes a hard look at his competitor on the Volvo Ocean Race and has drawn some interesting conclusions: “The balance so far: won't say a word regarding ABN 1 that speaks for itself. The Pirates: Paul was in the same situation as we were last time with Amer Sports, late, very late on the water. He had a lot at stake, but it just shows his character: he is a winner, likes challenges and loves this type of sailing. Love him or hate him, don't forget he is one the personalities our sport needs. Well spoken, good writer and a proven winner. He has put together a very slick campaign, but as on movistar, they had their fair share of problems. Their speed is still a bit inconsistent, but his solid positioning saves them a lot of the time. Never, ever, count Paul out. “Ericsson: with Kostecki and Ross Halcrow onboard it looked like they have got the change they were hoping for. But some bad luck put them back and then the Achilles heel is coming up. Their speed up to now is still not as good as the Pirates, who has the same hull. They have gone for very heavy deck equipment, but we won't blame that for the speed difference. I think they still suffering in their sail and rig programme, when you’re the last one, you can't do anything about it. They made a very late change just before the start of the race from Doyle to North sails, and made a huge improvement, but it still mend generation nr 1 sails for their campaign. Hopefully for them they still have a lot of sail buttons left, so they can still improve their wardrobe and their speed. “Brasil 1: in my opinion a rocket ship, fastest Farr boat upwind, fast downwind and reaching, if they would stick with the fleet a bit more, very dangerous. ABN 2: they can be very fast, no doubt at all, but the loss of some key crewmembers has paid its toll. I think they are fighting a bit against themselves right now, and maybe they feel the growing pressure of being in second place overall.” -- Bouwe Bekking A NEW RECORD With ten weeks to go before the start the Centennial Bermuda Race starting from Newport on Friday June 16th, entry applications now stand at a record 293 yachts -- 101 more than the previous best starts in 1982 and 2002! Not all will finish up crossing the start line, but Race Chairman Bill Barton is confident that the fleet will still hold a record number of between 225 and 240 yachts. The amateur driven St. David's Lighthouse Division, (formerly called the Cruiser/Racers) leads the fleet with 147 applicants. The Cruiser Division, an amateur racing class for boats designed and used more for offshore passage-making rather than racing, is the second largest with 61 registrations, followed by the Double-Handed Division with 22. The professional division (formerly called the Racing Division) competing for the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy, has 19 entries The 'canting keel' Demonstration Division has 4 entries. There are a further 40 applicants who have yet to nominate the division they wish to enter. April 1st was the closing date for entries without incurring a penalty, but late applications will be considered up to 1700 hours on May 15th. -- http://www.bermudarace.com/2006/entrylist.php YACHTS ALL OVER THE WORLD Give your crew a modern twist on the classic look! These canvas shorts give you the protection you need while maintaining the comfort and feel of our original sailing shorts. With attention to detail, these shorts have become the contemporary look on yachts all over the world. The Camet Porto Cervo Shorts are made from 9 oz. brushed, soft cotton canvas. They have a relaxed fit with plain front, zipper fly, belt loops, two deep side pockets, and two stitched rear pockets with Velcro® closures. Their double seat provides protection with gusseted crotch for full range of motion. http://www.camet.com NEWS BRIEFS * On the closing day of Charleston Race Week, the winds were a near perfect 16 to 18 knots for the 148 boats on the three race courses -- a welcome change from Saturday’s blustery conditions when more than one vessel suffered debilitating damage. Steven Stollman’s C&C 115 Primal Scream was awarded the Palmetto Cup as the PHRF overall winner, while Buddy Cribb’s Etchells’ team recieved the Charleston Race Week Cup as the One-Design overall winner. -- http://www.charlestonraceweek.com * Tufts University has won ICSA's Ferrarone Team Race Championship with the hosting Yale University team taking second and Harvard finishing third. At the St. Francis College Intersectional, USC scored a ten point win over the University of Hawaii, with UC Irving taking third place. -- http://www.collegesailing.org/index.asp * Just a month remains until the start of the 2006 ISAF World Sailing Games, with over 700 sailors from right across the globe set to head for the stunning Lake Neusiedl, Austria from May 10-20. World and Olympic Champions abound amongst the line up for the Games, with ten World Championship titles up for grabs, in what is set to be a spectacular festival of sailing in Austria. For those sailors who still wish to join the action, a few entry slots still remain amongst the 700 plus competitors already set to take part. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6qFh`B/B *The 32nd America’s Cup Official website has a new photo gallery online by renowned yachting photographer and the official photographer of the 32nd America’s Cup, Carlo Borlenghi. -- http://www.americascup.com/en/ * The 37th edition of the ISAF Grade 2 Princess Sofia Trophy got underway yesterday, with an international fleet lining up in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Amongst the Olympic events leaders come from seven different nations and a massive turnout in Spain includes competitors from every continent, as the battle for Beijing steps up another gear. The opening day in Palma greeted the competitors with a shifty seven to eleven knot breeze, with plenty of intrigue surrounding the early indicators of form for the forthcoming European season. -- http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j6vFh`B/C * Two-time winner Gavin Brady is the popular favorite, with Great Britain’s Ian Williams and France’s Mathieu Richard close behind, in the 42nd Congressional Cup presented by Acura Tuesday through Saturday. With a $41,000 purse at stake, the six-man crews will sail 10 Catalina 37s, rotating boats daily. The other skippers include, Staffan Lindberg, Johnie Berntsson, Peter Wibroe, Simon Minoprio, Cameron Appleton, Brian Angel and Scott Dickson. The action will have a live radio broadcast on the local radio loop 810 AM and nightly highlights at about 2100 PDT---both accessible through the event Web site: www.lbyc.org/concup/ * The top two ranked US 470 Men's teams and top ranked Women’s team continue their Olympic training tour of Europe, this week competing in the HRH Princess Sofia Trophy XXXI Palma International Week in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Mikee Anderson-Mitterling/ Dave Hughes and Stu McNay/ Graham Biehl are sending reports as they train and compete in Spain, France, and Austria, which are being posted on the Scuttlebutt website. Enjoy their observations: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/us470reports * Our congratulations go to Moth European and National Champion Simon Payne for being the first foiling Moth sailor to enter the '24 knot club'. Payne sailing his Fastacraft foiler hit 24.6 knots in Chichester Harbour (thereby no doubt breaking numerous bylaws!) However we understand that fellow Moth sailor Sam Pascoe sailing his new Mistress III reached 24.2 knots at the Rutland open meeting. -- The Daily Sail subscription website: http://www.thedailysail.com FAMILY SPORTBOAT PASSES #800 MARK With a recent 30-boat fleet established in Madeira, Spain, and continued growth in the UK, France, and the USA, the J/80 is on a roll. Now the third most popular J class ever, J/80 owners will congregate this year in breezy Corpus Christi, TX for the 2006 World Championship. http://www.2006j80worlds.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 Anatole Perry, Auckland, NZ: It's interesting to see the many stories coming out relating to the possible twin keel set up on USA87 vs. the now historical NZL20.... (Incidentally nice to see this in the water in Auckland again recently) I just had to drop a note though on the story as a couple of details were editorial Blunders.... "Nicknamed the Little Red Skiff:? Someone struggling with a concept in memory I think it was nicknamed the "red sled" "Twenty five years after NZL-20, with the launching of BMW Oracle Racing USA-87 in Valencia on Tuesday, March 28, 2007" Hmmm 1992-2007 = 25 years... I'm starting to feel old if that's 25 years...Last time I did math 2007-1992 =15. Anyway enough from this pedantic reader. * From David Blacklock: Capt. Michael Adams might be fighting a losing battle when he insists on preserving traditional nautical terminology. Previous letters to Scuttlebutt have explored ways to increase public interest and participation in sailing. My experience as a sailing instructor in a cosmopolitan city (New York) has taught me that terminology for its own sake is really off-putting to a sailing newcomer. Port and starboard ...well of course they're necessary. But forward and aft? What's wrong with front and back? As for "downstairs", I had a very polite and precise German student once who announced one hot and airless afternoon, "Excuse me, but I'm going downships for some water." Downships became a fine term of art and was used from then on by that crew. Perhaps it is a literal translation from the German. * Fro Karl Keesling: In the letter from Capt. Michael C. Adams, I question his use of... "not down stairs but down below." Please correct me if I am wrong simply using "below". The phrase "down below" is redundant, tautological if you will, and in this case repetition is not required. Easily understood communication is the objective. * From Matthew Bolton: I, too, dislike people talking about downstairs on boats. But sailors only need go below -- not “down below” as suggested by Capt Adams. “Down below” is a tautology as one could hardly go “up below”. * From Mats Carbone: To Captain Michael Adams; I hope you have never referred to a mast as 'the stick.' * From Simon Farmer( In response to 'Capt. Michael C Adams - Butt 2069): Lighten up!!! Its boating not brain surgery. * From Mike Esposito: The difference between an inflatible PFD under an airliner seat and a PFD in baggage is that, at least in theory, the airline has had control of the one under the seat, while they have not had control of the PFD in the baggage compartment. They can expect that their PFDs have CO2 in their inflation cylinders; they cannot say for sure what's in the inflation cylinder in someone's baggage. In writing a newspaper story about this in August 2001, some of the airline reps that I interviewed referenced the risk of a chemical or biological agent going aboard an aircraft in an "inflation cylinder." I suspect nobody feels that threat has diminished. * From Lester Williams: Why on earth has USSA not long since waded into and fixed the CO2 thing? Perhaps they need spend less time puffing up sailors of the week and more time putting down stupid government and airline regulations. * From Steve Johnson: Just to get the pot boiling again, there is some anecdotal evidence of either the incredible accuracy of PHRF-NW ratings (Oh...I can hear the groans!!!), or a true statistical anomaly. In all three major series in Puget Sound this year, my Cookson 12m, White Cloud, has finished 4th in class on tie breakers. The class ranged from a Davidson 72 to a CM 1200. In the South Sound series, we were bumped to 4th place after the tie breaker with scores of 2,3,3 (If our 5th place throw out had counted, we would have finished tied for 2nd - go figure.) In the CYC Center Sound series, we were bumped to 4th after finishing in a 4-way tie for first. (Another boat was one point back in fifth after we corrected out on them by 1 second in the last race - otherwise they could have won.) In the CYC Spring Regatta four race series, we were bumped to 4th after tying for 3rd when we didn't correct over one boat by 3/100ths of a second and over another boat by three seconds. (So we were 3.03 seconds out of 2nd.) So ... accurate ratings? Statistical anomaly? Or we just don't hike hard enough? All I know is I hate 4th place. CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION A penny saved is . . . not much. Special thanks to Sail California SD, Camet International and J/Boats. |
