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SCUTTLEBUTT 1582 - May 13, 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. THE LAST QUARTER CENTURY "Twenty-five years ago, most sailing yachts were built of fiberglass or aluminum, Ted Turner was at the top of the sport of sailing, and a fledgling cable television network named ESPN was just beginning." So begins the press release for "25 Years Sailing". Presented by Rolex on May 19, at 9 p.m. ET, the one-hour program "celebrates 25 years of history in the sport of sailing and ESPN's coverage of it." And who more appropriate to produce and host the program than Gary Jobson. He has been the face of sailing for ESPN since 1986 but has been a media crusader for sailing since he sailed with Turner in the 1977 America's Cup. He has seen it all, knows all the people, and it should be a great show. When I got this press release it prompted me to harken back 25 years ago and think about our own sailing on the Sound. IOR with little pinchy sterns were the hot boats, the Buchan family ruled the waters, and people were bitching about their PHRF ratings. Hmmm, well the boats have changed and there are some new dominant faces but some things never change. It was interesting to think about the boats then and compare them to what we just saw at Sail Expo in Oakland, California last month. Not too many skinny boats left. Most are extremely beamy, with some looking like a blown up marshmallow with a stick stuck in it. All have amazing room for their size, with all the comforts of home aboard, some in miniature, some full size. The solid, seaworthy dinghies of old have been replaced by fiberglass platforms that look more like paper airplanes than a boat, that fly across the water instead of sailing through it. All in all, however, the new technology has produced some beautiful and highly functional boats; not the elegant swans of old but still very pleasing to the eye, with more refined amenities and performance. The quarter-wave is becoming a thing of the past. I'm looking forward to watching "25 Years of Sailing," and I'm sure, like me, you'll be turning to those next to you, taking your hand out of the popcorn to point and say, "oh, look at that...oh, yeh, that was cool...wow!" And if you can get through the whole show without one "remember that" or "I remember when," I hope someone is there to check if you have a pulse. and answer that big question." - Excerpt from an editorial by Richard Hazelton, 48 Degrees North, full story: http://www.48north.com/may_2004/edit.htm OLYMPIC ATHLETES Two members of the 2004 US Sailing Team, both of whom will compete in Athens this summer, will be among the more than 100 athletes from 26 sports appearing in New York City this weekend as part of the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2004 Media Summit. During the weekend, broadcast and print media representatives will have an opportunity to meet and interview the athletes. On Thursday, May 13, Europe sailor Meg Gaillard (Pelham, N.Y./Jamestown, R.I.) will participate in the Opening Reception for the 2004 Media Summit which will launch the official Olympic clothing collection by Roots. The special event will take place at the NBC Experience in Rockefeller Center and will feature the athletes modeling the collection. Also on May 13, Star crew Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio) will be one of 10 athletes to participate in the taping of that evening's "Late Show With David Letterman." The athletes will each announce one item of Letterman's "Top Ten." The program airs at 11:30 p.m. ET. On Tuesday, May 18, Gaillard and Trinter will be joined in New York by other members of the US Sailing Team and US Disabled Sailing Team for a fund raising event at the New York Yacht Club. The Golden Spinnaker Gala, organized by the Sailing Foundation of New York, will be emceed by noted sailing commentator Gary Jobson. - Jan Harley TROFEO ACCADEMIA NAVALE IN LIVORNO Ullman Sails International congratulates Pablo Soldano and his team of world-class sailmakers in Iseo, Italy. Every year the Italian Navy recognizes the best sailmaker, top men and women sailors, and yacht designers at the Trofeo Accademia Navale in Livorno, Italy. Ullman Sails Iseo was awarded the Oscar della Vela for being the best Italian sailmaker. This is a well-deserved award for a team of sailmakers who consistently provide fast sails and outstanding coaching to Olympic and World Class Champions in the Tornado and other classes. Visit our website at http://www.ullmansails.com COCA COLA HOBIE 16 WORLDS Barcelo Maya Beach Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico - Wednesday was the last day of the semi-finals. Five races were completed giving each team a total of six races in this stage of the championship. The wind conditions were a bit more consistent today but not much different than they have been all week. From this point the top sixty teams will advance to the final round and sail as one fleet for the remaining two days of the World Championships. For those who make the cut, racing will get more difficult with all of the top sailors in one fleet. For everyone else it is time to party. Most of those who do not qualify will remain in Mexico over the weekend to take advantage of all that this beautiful all-inclusive resort has to offer. The official list of qualified teams will be announced at the "cut party" Wednesday evening, and scores will be posted shortly after the announcement has been made. - Bob Merrick, www.hobieworlds.com/h16-2004/default.asp YNGLING WOMEN'S WORLDS Santander Spain - Santander kicked up some awkward seas and 10 knot North Westerlies for Races 5 and 6 of the Yngling Women's World Championship. A one metre northerly swell combined with the waves created by the NW wind made for some tricky upwind conditions and some downwind surfing prospects for the boats racing today. For the nations looking to qualify it is still Holland, New Zealand, Canada and Norway who look most likely to make it to Athens. Thursday is a lay day with racing continuing on Friday and Saturday. Standings after six races with one discard (37 boats): 1. Annalies Thies, NED, 26 pts 2. Dorte O. Jensen, DEN, 26 3. Janneke Hin NED, 33 8. Paula Lewin, BER 56 10. Sally Barkow, USA, 59 22. 24 Lisa Ross, CAN 94 Event website: www.rcmsantander.com/yngling/index-y-i.htm 470 CLASS WORLDS Zadar Croatia - A day of light winds greeted the sailors on the third day of qualifying at the 470 world championships in Zadar, Croatia. The women's fleet managed to get one race in before the wind died off preventing a second race from getting underway. Only one out of the three men's groups managed to finish a race in the light conditions as two of the groups races were abandoned after a 35 degree wind-shift. - Yachts and Yachting website: www.yachtsandyachting.com/default2.asp?section=11&article=12955 Women's Qualifications Standings (6 races with 1 discard - 53 boats) 1. Vesna Dekleva/Klara Maucec SLO 17 2. Therese Torgersson/Vendela Zachrisson SWE 17 3 Yuka Yoshisako/Mitsuko Satake, JPN, 25 17. Katherine McDowell/Isabelle Kinsolving USA, 44 Event website: http://www.uskok.biz.hr/470wc2004/index.htm WEST MARINE'S 36TH ANNIVERSARY SWEEPSTAKES 36 years after opening for business, West Marine is the world's favorite boating supply source. To celebrate we're giving away a wealth of prizes - including a Hunter Sailboat, a $1,000 West Marine Shopping Spree and Raymarine electronics. Enter at any West Marine store between May 13th and the 23rd! FINN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP La Rochelle, France Day 3 Report - The first race started with 12 knots and the "Olympic triangle". The Oscar flag allowing free pumping was displayed on the top mark, giving a rest to the jury, and providing lots of fun to the sailors. With more wind on the second race, Oscar was displayed at the start of the triangle course. The wind had picked to 14-17 knots. After several general recalls, the Black flag sent 8 sailors back home. The regatta favorites were engaged in both races in an intense battle. Even if Mateusz Kusznierewicz sailed in the forefront of the fleet to win the first race by an unbeatable margin, the second race was fought until the last meters by Ben Ainslie and Karlo Kuret. The Croatian who is one of the most experienced Finn sailors of the Championship with 3 Olympics in his portfolio, defeated the World champion within a few meters of the finish line. Mateusz Kusznierewicz (7 pts) is leading the 90-boat Olympic qualifying event in front of Ben Ainslie (11) and Sebastien Godefroid (17). Guillaume Florent is 4th (27) with Emilios Papathanasiou (30) in 5th position. - www.srr-sailing.com/divers/pagesiteeuropefinn.htm NEWS BRIEFS * After days of rumour the official existence of a new French Syndicate for the 32nd America's Cup was confirmed today in Marseille. Sud Challenge, the fifth french challenger for the 32nd Cup is leaded by the French skipper Alain Fédensieu, a former member of the K-Challenge (he was head of logistics and "Sport Consultant").As the sailing world prepares for the first 2007 America's Cup preliminary races, scheduled to begin this September in Marseille, Sud Challenge hopes to be able to be part of it. - Cup in Europe website, full story: www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/2007-SudEN.htm * Of the five remaining Open 60s in the 1000 Milles De Calais, Jean Le Cam's Bonduelle has opened up nearly 25 miles on his closest opponent. Standings at 01:40:00 GMT on May 13: 1. Bonduelle - Jean Le Cam (FRA) - 248.4 miles to finish; 2. Ecover - Mike Golding (GBR) - 273.1; 3. Virbac - Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) - 328.7. - www.1000millesdecalais.com/indexuk.php * The 7th edition of the International Melges Week, 2nd regatta of the 2004 Volvo Cup, took place last weekend in Torbole on Lake Garda. 40 teams from 7 countries competed in the challenging weather conditions, unusual in May, completing nine races (one discard) with southern winds blowing between 12 and 30 knots. Blu Moon's helmsman Flavio Favini, tactician on America's Cup Mascalzone Latino and 2001 Melges 24 World Champion, rules the class, winning four of the nine races. Second place for Devotissimo with skipper Silvio Santoni and Luca Valerio took third in Altea. Full Results: www.melges24.it/file/MELGES.TXT * Businessman and yachtsman Tom Dodson has been appointed President of Auckland, NZ-based Southern Spars. Dodson is best known internationally for his leadership of North Sails New Zealand since 1985 and for his success in international grand-prix yacht racing. Dodson joins the Southern Spars senior management team of Directors Mark Hauser and Steve Wilson, and Chief Operating Officer Lou Cadman. His main focus will be to further expand Southern Spars global business in carbon fiber spars, marine components and rigging systems. - www.southernspars.com * Grupo Santander, Spain's leading bank, and the second largest financial institution in the Euro zone, will join the 32nd America's Cup as an official partner. Its businesses throughout Europe and Latin America employ over 100 000 people and in 2003, the group posted a Euros 2.61 billion profit. - www.americascup.com * For the third leg of the Tybee 500, the wind increased and clocked farther south, bringing rougher seas but faster times on a bit shorter leg (78 mi). The top boat again was 500 leader John Casey/ Jay Sonnenklar sailing Castrol. The team of Steve Lohmayer/ Kenny Pierce brought home Tybee Island just five minutes later to remain in the runner up spot. Due to injury, illness, and damage, the field is now 13 teams; the Nacra fleet of four boats fanned out evenly into spots 3, 6, 9 and 11 today among the nine remaining Inter-20's. - Diana Prentice, www.tybee500.com OCKAMSOFT 4 READY TO RACE OckamSoft 4 demo downloads are available at http://www.ockam.com - OS4 offers a unique combination: powerful but user friendly. All modules may be downloaded at our website - with several components requiring no registration, including the powerful OS4 Driver (logging, control, polar server, special BIF calculations, etc.). Updates include Maptech BSB type chart compatibility, a NMEA translator for interfacing the program directly with a GPS or non-Ockam instrumented boat, "Eye" wireless PDA module and much more. It's all waiting at http://www.ockam.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 Richard Pope (edited to our 250-word limit): The Transpac Race has traditionally been regarded as one of the world's great offshore races. However, I feel that the decisions made by the board of the Transpacific Yacht Club are quickly causing erosion within the global racing community for this former classic. There was a time when the upper speed limit for the Transpac race coincided with the ULDB 70 class rating limitation. But the Transpac speed limit was raised at the same time several owners turbo-charged their ULDB 70s to go faster. And it was raised again for the new R/P 75s. Last year TPYC agreed to raise the limit to include the maxZ86 boats, "if a class of three boats would enter the event." The present maxZ86 class only has two boats, but TPYC has again changed the rules to allow those two boats to enter - while excluding any boat with a higher rater. Certainly one of those maxZ86s will win the first to finish Barn Door (first to finish) Trophy and most likely set a new course record. What a nice accommodation! Is it any coincidence that these decisions are all somehow linked to TPYC's long-time board member, Roy Disney, who has had boats that fit into each of these rating revisions? While I have enormous respect for Mr. Disney and the generous things that he has done for our sport, I'm afraid that the Transpacific YC is not doing him or their event any favors with what could be characterized as short-sighted decisions. * From John E. Williams: While Mr. Fischbeck's comments about replacing the Tornado with the Hobie 16 as the Olympic Class might be nostalgic and heartfelt, it's simply not an idea that should be seriously contemplated. Hobie Alter built the 16 to be durable and easy to sail. Many small improvements have been made over the years, stretching the definition of one-design, in recognition of active class racing throughout the world. The Tornado has evolved too, with rules that permit open construction and sail production. Certainly the Hobie Classes' recent decisions regarding Hobie-only racing would suggest that opening production is not an option that would be entertained by the fleets or the manufacturers. The 16 is still a durable, inexpensive platform, easy to sail but difficult to sail well. The Tornado is subject to the strictest quality control, high-tech innovation, and as a spinnaker class, demands more teamwork and an extra level of seamanship from both skipper and crew. I wouldn't disagree with the notion of the 16 as a new Olympic Class in addition to the Tornado, but I don't think any of the international Tornado sailors, who seem to be in firm control of their class, would go for what many would perceive as a "step backward." The 16 is, in fact, getting its due at the current Worlds and as the US Sailing-selected youth and adult Multihull Championships platform this year. Huzzah for the Alter Clan - where would we be without them? * From Genevieve Robson (edited to our 250-word limit): I think that we all agree that it is inappropriate to class Cayard with the guy who sells rope from the back of a truck (no offence to the rope guy but being able to do a nice splice does not make you a world class tactician). What we have is a problem of interpretation. The classification rule states that a sailor is a Cat 3 if he or she: (a) has been paid for: (i) competing in a race, (ii) training, practicing, tuning, testing, maintaining or otherwise preparing a boat, its crew, sails or equipment for racing, and then competed on that boat. The key is "on that boat". If you don't race the boats that you design then you are a Category 1. This doesn't help the kid who gets paid $10 to scrub the deck after a race but is does exclude the sail loft employee who only has to decline racing on boats that he himself made the sails for to retain his Cat 1. I realize that the rule is not generally interpreted this way but it should be. The ISAF is the governing body of our sport; they make the rules. To say "move to another class" is simply wrong. With that kind of attitude how many of us will "move to another sport?" This is a problem for many dedicated sailors and it needs to be addressed. * From Ralph Taylor: The item in 'Butt # 1580, regarding the suspension of a Polish sailor contains a common misconception. The item begins: "As a result of an infringement of ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing 69.3 - Gross Misconduct..." In point of fact, a sailor cannot infringe any part of rule 69 because the rule does not govern competitors' acts. It solely states the authority, procedures, & nature of disciplinary action by a protest committee (69.1), a national authority (69.2), or ISAF (69.3). Actions proceed, as stated in 69, for infringements of other rules -- often, rule 2 as here. Some of the RRS govern competitors' rights & obligations; some say how races are to be conducted; and others pertain to how the rules are enforced and govern folks other than competitors. Rule 69 falls into Part 5, which is primarily the latter kind. Let's not miseducate Scuttlebutt readers about the rules. A competitor can no more break rule 69 than rule 25 (which requires the RC to make sailing instructions available & use specified signals). However, when rule 69 is invoked, a sailor is in a lot of potential trouble. * From Bruce Thompson: I would suggest C. A. Marchaj's Seaworthiness - The Forgotten Factor for the Scuttlebutt library. Written in the aftermath of the 1979 Fastnet, it is a qualitative assessment of the factors influencing the seaworthiness of yachts. It is a wake up call to designers who are sacrificing safety for all out speed. While it is technical in nature, the last chapter alone is required reading for anyone who ventures offshore. It provides a clear basis for deciding on what storm survival tactics will work best based on the actual conditions present. P.S. Add Ken Read @ 204 hits to your Google contest list. Curmudgeon's Comment: Ken Read is #18 on our list but somehow that listing 'disappeared' for a few hours after we initially posted the contest results on-line. And we've added the book to the library: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/books/ THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Life is what you make of it ... kinda like Play-Doh |
