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SCUTTLEBUTT #513 - February 24, 2000AMERICA'S CUP: RACE THREE ABANDONEDIt was a beautiful day in Auckland, and on the Hauraki Gulf, unless you were a sailor. A bright sunny afternoon featured puffy cumulus clouds to break up the deep blue hues of the sky, providing a spectacular backdrop to Race Three of the America's Cup. But unfortunately, the summer weather conditions meant there was not enough wind to start racing. The light gradient wind and the afternoon sea breeze were in conflict throughout the afternoon. The result was an unstable sea breeze with wind strength of five to eight knots. But even when the wind was at its strongest, the direction was fluctuating and Race Director Harold Bennett was reluctant to start, citing variations in both wind speed and direction across the length of the race course. Both the Prada Challenge, and Team New Zealand had previously given Bennett permission to wait until 16:00 hours before abandoning racing for the day. Today, the extra hour wasn't enough, and Bennett hoisted the AP over A to abandon racing at 15:40. Race Three is now scheduled to start at 13:15 on Saturday afternoon. -- America's Cup 2000 Louis Vuitton Media Centre BENNETT FENDS OFF ALLEGATIONS Principal Race Officer Harold Bennett had to confront a furtive breeze on the racecourse and a windstorm of objection ashore when he abandoned Race 3 of the 30th America's Cup Match in conditions that might've helped the struggling challenger. While Prada responded cautiously to Bennett's decision to postpone the third race until Saturday, the next available race day, the small, bespectacled New Zealander came under fire from several other sources. Bennett rose to defend himself against "slurs on my integrity" when some Cup observers suggested his affiliation to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, which holds the Cup, cast doubt on his impartiality. Former race officer Vince Cooke, the retired navy captain who presided over racing in the challenger series, went furthest, saying Bennett was taking direct instructions from the defenders Team New Zealand. Cooke said he would've allowed racing to take place in today's light conditions, which might've better suited the challenger than the defender. "I think it's disgraceful," Cooke said. "What we have is Russell Coutts calling the shots. It's speculation on my part, I admit that. I think it's appalling that if Harold is calling the shots, then he needs to revisit the conditions that have been mutually agreed between challengers and defenders." -- Steve McMorran, Quokka Sports. Full story at http://www.americascup.org PRADA CREWMAN INJURED In hockey and football and all the other contests where contact is a ritual of the game, the vision of a bloodied combatant translates to business as usual. But when it comes to sailboat racing, the sight of deep crimson flowing freely from a battered competitor, though not unheard of, remains rare indeed. So it is likely that the image that will be remembered from Tuesday's Race 2 of the America's Cup match between Italy's Prada Challenge and Team New Zealand will be that of the Italian crewman Max Sirena reeling from a head wound that left a smudged red stain along the aft quarter of Luna Rossa's otherwise gleaming silver topsides. Sirena, the bowman, was dispatched below deck to retrieve the long, carbon-fiber pole that each boat carries to floss the keel clean when debris is snagged on the bulb or winglets. As he passed the back end of the pole topside, and turned his attention to other tasks, he was stunned when the business end of the pole -- equipped with a sharp, plastic hook -- raked him across the top of his scalp. Sirena sports a haircut like Michael Jordan's; in other words, he's as bald as a cue ball. A wide gash that would later require seven stitches pierced his temple. Luckily, Sirena's cut looked worse than it was. Alessandra Ghezzi, a Prada publicist, said today that the sailor was "still a bit dazed and quite a bit swollen." "But he's O.K. and should be sailing tomorrow," Ghezzi said. -- Herb McCormick. Full story at http://www.nytimes.com STRONG, LIGHT AND GOOOOD LOOKIN' When you buy on-line at most website, they instruct you how to add items to your bag. At the website for Camet International, you'd be well advised to make sure you buy the bag too. Their rugged, high tech sport travel bags are made of Mylar laminated sailcloth, the same material used for the America's Cup boats, are accented with a waterproof, 600 denier Vinyl/ Polyester laminate. Featuring a unique, modern take on the classic look, these bags have the strength of steel and the weight of a feather. For blue-water sailing, camping, and traveling, these bags are a must. http://www.camet.com SAN DIEGO - PUERTO VALLARTA RACE Now that the Cruisers are all done, the next vessel expected to finish is Pyewacket (who is anticipated to cross around 1600 tonight). Pyewacket, along with Bravura, Coley D, and Rosebud, brags of beautiful weather, clear, unlimited vision, a vacation-like temperature of 80 degrees, swells of 3 - 4 feet, and wind of about 15 - 20 knots. Bravura told of winds up to 26 knots yesterday! But as nice as all that sounds, there are still those boats who are experiencing difficulties. Quantum blew out their main sail just South of Turtle Bay and came home to join Mongoose, Sorcery, Taxi Dancer, and Ariel. Falcon lost, but fixed, their mainstay, in addition to losing their steering cable. Luckily, they managed to switch to tiller steering. Uproarious lost electricity and is sailing with no outside communication. Follow the race (the curmudgeon is participating in the race) at http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/pv2kC.htm LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (scuttlebutt@boats.com -- note temporary address for guest editor) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. But only one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if people disagree. -- From Chip Evaul Well, our sport got two black eyes on the tube today: First, here's Tom Whidden, responding to a question about whether the AC race committee purposely setting a short line when New Zealand entered on starboard and a measurably longer line when they entered on port, in order to unfairly advantage the home team. "I know I'd like it as a tactician", he said, "good on 'em". Then, here's Prada sailing around the starting area at nine knots, while the commentators are sheepishly explaining that the races are being held up by a lack of enough racing wind. During the entire 2.5 hours of the broadcast, flags on the spectator boats flew with amazing consistency. If my club did that at a major multiclass regatta, the competitors would have or heads on sticks. Any wrestling fan can easily recognize the dynamic at work here: the whole deal's rigged... Maybe we get what we deserve when the public yawns at our proceedings. -- From Larry Weaver If this is how Sir Peter Blake redeems his promise to run a clean contest on the water, he should consider going into politics. The RC's refusal to start a race in spite of there being plenty of wind to sail (as Prada demonstrated for over an hour) can only be interpreted as deliberately waiting for conditions favorable to New Zealand. Unfortunately reminiscent of the NYYC at its worst! --Steve Orosz With respect to Jim Sears & Carter Perrin, try taking a drink every time Jim Kelley says "wire to wire". He's said it 5 times by my count just waiting for Race Three to start. -- From John McBrearty Re Scott Greenwalt's idea of umpires in helicoptors. Wonderful! I want that chopper right behind me on the downwind leg! -- From Joe Bainton Helicopters are not the answer. I clearly recall Ron Sandstrom literally being blown out of his star by a helicopter carrying interested spectators during a Bacardi Cup several years ago. If aerial views are the answer, and they might be, airships are far superior to helicopters and could more easily carry the sponsor's logos. -- From Rick Bernstein I also agree with Jim Sears as well...I've sailed with him, and we need to learn from his excitment, let's all enjoy this...it's the best A/C ever for those of us who can't be there. Yes there are problems with the system, money has changed it, like it does with everything. Hopefully these kinds of statements from everyday sailors like most of us, will filter back to the organizers with this message: Don't screw up a good thing, make the event fair, visual and exciting and we'll keep coming back. HOT BOAT GRAPHICS, CLICK HERE If you like photos of sailboats you should double-click on this link: http://www.northsails.com/graphics/NGphoto.html You'll see some neat boats and some really neat custom sail graphics. Little boats, big boats -- it doesn't make any difference. When you deal with Whitney Gladstone, the work is done right, and it's affordable. So what are you waiting for? Call Whitney and talk about custom graphics for your boat or sails: (619) 224-8667 FREE GMC YUKON AND USSA SEMINAR GMC Yukon is sponsoring an all day sailing seminar at the King Harbor Yacht Club February 26,2000 9:00am-3:00pm. US Sailing Team members Charlie and Jonathan McKee (both Olympic Medalists) will present this seminar. The seminar will have a casual flow of topics including the history of Olympic Sailing, how Olympic Sailing has changed over time, the US Sailing Team's medal prospects in Sydney, the class evolution of the 49er, skiff racing, the America's Cup and more! The seminar is sponsored by GMC Yukon and free to everyone. For more information please contact the King Harbor Yacht Club at their website, www.khyc.org or call them at 310/376-2459. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS It's easier to be nostalgic when you don't remember the details. Note: Nelson Weiderman has created a "Curmudgeon Server" at http://noeticharbor.com/curmudgeon/. It randomly pulls Curmudgeonly wit from a database loaded with past 'Butt Observations, Counsels, etc. Check it out! |
