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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 966 - December 17, 2001Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of major significance; commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
TEAM NEW ZEALAND Barker was in Wellington on Saturday sailing Etchells as part of a Team New Zealand publicity drive for the cup contest, which opens with the Louis Vuitton challenger series next October. "We're well on the way, but it is always difficult finding the last part of the budget," Barker said. "The guys that have been out fundraising for us have done a fantastic job. They have knocked on a lot of doors. Given that, and the events around the world in the last few months, it has been difficult." Barker admitted his role as Team New Zealand skipper was more demanding than he had expected because of all the management duties. And he said it was important the funding issue was resolved quickly so he could concentrate on improving boat speed. He is training on the Waitemata Harbour most days, but has been unable to concentrate on sailing matters as much as he would like. Asked if he was confident the money would be found, Barker said: "It's not an option ... it has to happen. To leave no stone unturned we have to make sure we do that." - NZ Herald Full story: www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/
PAUL CAYARD "I'm still an employee of Oracle Racing and I'm waiting until New Year's to see what my exact role is gonna be. I'm hopeful that something is gonna sort itself out and I'm gonna be able to work with the team, because I think Oracle has a great chance to win . . . the team with the highest chance of winning of all the teams I've ever worked with. "The upside is I'm home and going to soccer games and spending a lot of time with my whole family. My project right now is a new front door on my house . . . a lot of little personal things, updating my trusts and my wills, going to the dentist, stuff I'd never had time to do. "I'm certainly leaving my options open with Oracle. If that doesn't work out . . . " - Paul Cayard, from a story by Rich Roberts in The Log. Roberts' full story will be posted soon: thelog.com/columnists/richroberts.htm
WAVE RIDERS & ON THE LINE ....ULTIMATE SAILING'S NEW T-SHIRT DESIGNS
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Dave Irish, Chair, US Sailing Competitor Classification Committee: Steve Gilbert didn't get it quite right. We sailing competitors apply to US Sailing for a determination of our classification. The fee is paid, and the committee makes a determination of Group 1, 2, or 3. All same fee. It is worth noting that the classification system was developed, and is used, to protect amateurs from being displaced from racing crews by professionals. Classes that choose to use it increase the number of amateurs and decrease the number of pros that would otherwise be racing on their boats. Thus the system serves the amateurs, not the pros. If a single group was chosen to pay all the costs, it would logically be the amateurs paying the cost of protection from the pros. * From Luissa Smith (re Competitor Classification): The ISAF Sailors' Classification exists as a service to provide Events and Classes with an international system of classification for sailors. From November 2002 (precise date to be determined), it is intended that the ISAF Sailors' Classification will be the only system to be used for international events, except for the Farr 40 and Mumm 30 for whom the Code will not be mandatory until April 2003. www.sailing.org/classification/ * From Doug Lord: I'm sad to hear of Clark Mills passing ; he was a hero of mine when I was 10 years old. He designed the Windmill a great boat that I raced for years back in the 60's and which is still going strong today. My Dad ,at my pleading request, took me from Pensacola ,Fl. to Clearwater about 1966 and introduced me to Mr. Mills; one of the highlights of my life to that point! The Windmill inspired a lifelong love of sailing and for that I am thankfull; I know that Mr. Mills work had a similar effect on many, many other people. * From Hugh Elliot: I am a retired Laser sailor and, currently, jib trimmer and tactician on a Sonar. Since life is busy on small boats, here is a set of simple rules that I use when on the water: This does include some tactical thoughts but, in general, these ones are inseparable from rules issues.
For Kids and Small Boat Tacticians: * From Vince Cooke: I fully support Don Becker's rules and Paul Henderson's endorsement thereof entitling them the "Ten Commandments". But, I am encountering a problem with the implementation. In the best of all worlds, as Paul seems to suggest, it would be nice in the so-called "fun" races to simply substitute the Becker/ Henderson Ten Commandments for all of the Part Two rules. Unfortunately, it appears that RRS 86 (Rule Changes) gets in the way. Therefore, it would seem that we are left with nothing better than a cover letter or note suggesting the Becker/ Henderson Ten Commandments. I look forward to hearing the commentary from our US and ISAF Judges because I think this is a good idea that needs strong emphasis in our low key races, and nothing could be stronger than to replace the Part Two rules with these at these types of events. Do we need some kind of modification of RRS 86 to permit race organizers to forcefully implement this? * From Mike Zuilhof: If you think you've found a simple solution, you're probably solving the wrong problem. The Ten Racing Rule Commandments is great unofficial rules of thumb guide, but if the original Ten Commandments is adequate, why the rest of the Bible? In local races, sailors of widely divergent experience often sail together. Total reliance upon simplified rules is ill advised for most events. It will lead to bad racing and serve as a disincentive to learn more about the rules. The real problem is one of egos. We talk sportsmanship, but we walk winning. That's how we coach our kids, and how we sail. In post-race ceremonies, we perfunctorily thank everyone, but the highlight is always the "winners". Instead, let's award hats to the guns, then give sincere and specific thanks for the sponsors, volunteers and participants, and culminate with accolades and engraved mementos for the key people. Let's make the protest room a place for learning and fun -- deliberations could even be open to anyone who wants to listen. "The Racing Rules of Sailing" is a human endeavor and will never be perfect, but we've never before had a better nor more thoroughly contemplated set of racing rules. Let's appreciate them as such, and honor the people who have worked so hard on them. Let's widely publicize the Ten Racing Rule Commandments as great unofficial rules of thumb to guide lay sailors as they gain experience and wisdom though time spent on the race course and book study. * From Steve Schupak (Re: sweetening the handicaps for taking kids and curmudgeons aboard): A few years ago Newport Harbor Yacht Club's opening day race had a special handicapping system that encouraged participation by both juniors, women, and old staff commodores. Bonus rating points were deducted for each crewmember that fit in to one of those three categories. Our New York 36 was overloaded with a crew of 10 and only two of us (myself and the owner) didn't contribute to the rating reduction. The race was great, and with all the wives and kids aboard it was a real party on the water. We also sailed well and won our division. * From Chris Ericksen: Godalmighty! Chris Spalding's suggestion that we reward skippers that take on teenaged crewpersons with an extra second or two a mile sounds like yet another motif in the ongoing symphony of whining that handicap sailors seem to produce at any time in search of a numerical correction to their personal shortcomings. And never mind that it won't work for the thousands of us who are one-design sailors... The comments of Chris Conley and Mort Weintraub are spot-on: inviting junior sailors is it's own reward and needs no outside encouragement. Those who do not invite agile, eager young people to do bow or trim or go up masts are 'way more handicapped than any adjustment can correct. I sail week in and week out against men over 40 who started sailing in their teens on big boats, including not only buoy races but offshore as well; they were solid contributors to those programs as teenagers and are tough competitors in their adulthood, needing none of the "old-age allowance" Thomas George suggested (with, I am sure, his tongue planted firmly in his cheek). Maybe IOR boats needed old-age allowances, but not these guys! * From Carl Hulit: I am fortunate enough to be involved in big boat sailing as a junior here in western Long Island Sound. I sail on my friends J/44 along with the owner's son and two other teenage boys, for a crew that is 1/3 under 18. All of us have gone through traditional junior sailing programs, and I intend to sail in college, however at major regattas like Block Island Race Week 2001, we as well as another teenager who sails on his dad J/105 were the only minors we could find sailing in the regatta. One major contributor to this is the social scene, which is focused almost completely on drinking obviously not permitted for minors, and if not for our small group we would be alienated as soon as the boats hit the docks. If we want to involve more juniors in big boat sailing we must address the fact that they cannot be dumped for the crew to drink, but that they need to be involved as a regular part of the crew. * From Pascal Desmarets: I propose that Volvo facilitates a celebrity/amateur class for the next VOR Around the World. To understand why hundreds of thousands line up to watch Ellen MacArthur finish the Vendee-Globe, one needs to remember how French masses found an appetite for adventure, back in the 80s. Besides Tabarly who inspired fans and a school of transatlantic solo daredevils, a huge catalyst was the Paris-Dakar Rally. It became a prime-time news institution thanks to a shrewd mix of pros, celebrities, and gutsy average people with a big dream. The masses saw movie stars and admired peers for daring to compete alongside big-budget professional teams. Sailing races like Le Figaro and Le Tour de France a la Voile allowed aspiring amateurs to measure themselves against the pros. Racers became better communicators, TV producers asked for more events because of viewer demands, sponsors realized the potential. How many people are plotting routes for the VOR racers on Maxsea routing software, participating in GoFlow or VirtualRacer contests, thinking they only have a slim chance to realize their dream of rounding Cape Horn? They could be the stars of the next VOR edition. BT Challenge meets Paris-Dakar meets VOR meets Survivor (you can only get voted off the boat at stopovers...) Imagine shots of George Clooney, Paul Cayard and John Doe, all wet, tired and cold, with icebergs in the background. The human stories would captivate and inspire audiences, wouldn't they? * From Jesse Falsone: David Cook asserts that more sailors need to contribute. As someone experienced in regatta management, fleet building, and one-design associations, this subject is near and dear to my heart. I've tried many tactics to recruit volunteers; I've ranted at meetings, written letters, and made sweeping proclamations to the masses. These attempts have largely failed. If you need to fill a post in your volunteer organization, a better approach is to go after someone who you think possesses the right skills. Dare I say, these people are usually not the best sailors. The top dogs may have done their duty already, or are simply too busy trying to figure out how to win the next championship. Try approaching a prospect offline, and tell them why you need them and why they would be a good fit for the organization. Offer support while they learn the job and clearly outline their responsibilities. Do this early enough so that the transition is seamless and they aren't left holding the ball all alone. The most successful class organizations foster a culture of participation in class management. Our volunteer class organizations should strive for this ideal, and serving should be regarded as an honor, a privilege, and a duty. If you elect the last person standing at your Annual General Meeting, chances are that person has just not said "not it" fast enough, and your class or regatta will ultimately pay the price.
YOUTH SAILING 2002 U.S. Youth Sailing World Team - The eight members of the 2002 U.S. Youth Sailing World Team will be the winners of the following four events, who have not have reached their 19th birthday in 2002. Girls Singlehanded Entrant: Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) winner of the 2001 U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship (Leiter Cup) held August 4-10, 2001, in Laser Radials at Richmond Yacht Club, Point Richmond, Calif. Boys and Girls Doublehanded Entrants: The 29er Midwinters, scheduled for February 14-17, 2002, Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Sarasota, Fla. Boys and Girls Boardsailing Entrants: The Calema Midwinters Windsurfing Festival, scheduled for March 1-3, 2002, in Merritt Island, Fla., in Mistrals. Boys Singlehanded Entrant: The 2002 Junior Olympic National Sailing Championships, planned for late June 2002 at San Diego Yacht Club, San Diego, Calif., in Lasers.
SO WE'RE A LITTLE OFF-COLOR....
CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS * June 14: Newport Bermuda Race, The Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The on-line version of the Provisional Notice of Race is now available: www.bermudarace.com * December 4-6, 2002: "High Performance Yacht Design Conference," An international technical conference hosted jointly by the University of Auckland, Massey University and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. Held in Auckland in the middle of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the conference will cover technical aspects of the design and development of high-performance yachts and power craft including regulations, testing, performance prediction, propulsion, construction techniques, and materials. Naval architects, yacht designers and engineers are invited to submit papers of a high technical quality. www.hpyacht.org.nz
CORRECTION
FROSTBITING Complete results: www.cedarpointyachtclub.org/frostbite_results.htm
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION |
