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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 710 - December 14, 2000TEAM PHILIPSA report from Team Philips, 13th December 2000 - The 120-foot catamaran Team Philips is still afloat in the Atlantic. Our Mission Control are still in satellite contact with Team Philips. She is afloat approximately 650 miles West of Ireland. We are unaware as to whether she has sustained any further damage. We are still formulating our salvage plans and seeking a suitable vessel to tow Team Philips back to the UK. The vessel has to be able to sustain the Atlantic weather, sail for at least 2,000 miles without refuelling, tow Team Philips and be away for approximately 20 days. Pete Goss and the six crew members are due in Halifax, Nova Scotia either very late tonight (after 2300 hrs) or tomorrow - we are awaiting final confirmation of this time. They will then be flown as quickly as possible back to the UK to join their families. Two members of the Team Philips team - one from Goss Challenges and one from our sponsors have gone to Halifax to meet them and ensure that they have all that they need. It is currently very cold in Halifax - approximately minus 10 degrees. - Team Philips website, http://www.teamphilips.com/index.cfm?ArticleID=3559 * (Excerpts from a message from Team Philips' designer Adrian Thompson posted on the syndicate's website.) - "There are no words that adequately describe the events that occurred this weekend. There are many mixed emotions of course, but the overwhelming one is the immense relief that the crew are safe and well, followed by the knowledge that their families and friends have suffered terribly this weekend waiting for news of the successful rescue. The boat, which has stretched emotions, budgets and credibility over the last two years, did not, I'm sad to say, provide the basic safe environment for survival that it should have done and was designed to do. And that is the greatest disappointment for me. * Nobody would dispute the fact that ocean racing at this level, in boats of this type, is a high risk venture. Our philosophy from day one with Team Philips was to design a boat that was both fast, and as safe as was possible within the constraints of an ocean race boat - or not do it at all. This is not intended to be a technical piece, and certainly not one which defends the design route that was taken. Much has been written, and no doubt will be written, about wave piercing, free standing masts and other conceptual differences that exist on Team Philips, and which don't appear on more familiar catamarans. In truth, no boats of this size can be termed conventional, a point I am sure other contestants in The Race would confirm. The design elements chosen are not novel for the sake of defying convention, neither were they selected to be sensational. The final design was simply the solution that I was comfortable with, which I thought would combine speed with safety. The ability to de-power the rigs and therefore introduce an element of safety which appeared to be in question with a stayed mast version determined the overall design concept. The term radical, often used to describe Team Philips, can, of course, turn quickly from compliment to criticism and fair enough. Its that kind of project where success or failure is displayed for all to observe and comment on. It's been a very rough ride for the entire team. Within that team I include sponsors, builders, visitors centre staff, PR, Forum contributors and all of the many thousands of people who have embraced this project. The early structural failure of the bow, and the recent problem with one of the masts has required enormous resilience and support from the entire team. Unconditional support has always been given which I think is fantastic and something we shall always recall in the future. As I write this, Pete and the lads are still at sea, and we haven't had the opportunity yet to get together to discuss the problems they had, or indeed the good moments of the trip if they are still remembered, and therefore I don't know what the future holds for the project or indeed if there is a future. Team Philips may have some design features that do work well but need further development. I can assure you the crew will not spare me the details. If the concept is wrong, it will certainly remain as a bitter disappointment for the rest of my life as it's my design concept, and therefore my responsibility. Advancing technology can be a painful and precarious process at times, but without progress of some sort during the span of our occupancy in this world, we would no doubt be still grunting or clubbing one another. Full report: http://www.teamphilips.com/index.cfm?articleid=32&threadid=978&messages=40&age=7#7244 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING So what are you going to give to your hardworking and loyal crewmembers for Christmas this year? They busted their tail for you this season - now you have a chance to show how much you appreciate them with quality crew attire from Pacific Yacht Embroidery. Give Frank Whitton a call to find out how affordable it is to be good guy during the holiday season. Pacyacht@aol.com / 619-226-8033 VENDEE GLOBE - By Philippe Jeantot For the leading group in the Vendee Globe 2000, it's been a good two days that the weather has not lived up to it's usual Southern character. Instead of the habitual Westerly winds, with well-structured low pressure systems following one after the other, between 40 & 70 East the system is completely disturbed. Little lows are forming rapidly, giving rise to zones of light airs in between these different bubbles. The skippers feel like they're playing a chess game at the chart table, having to spend a lot of time getting in their weather information from different sources, comparing and analysing them, before finally deciding upon a strategy. Once their option is taken, then it's up on deck to trim the sails and squeeze out the maximum speed and work on the most efficient route in order to rejoin the way point. They can receive their weather information from several sources. Now satellite photos have arrived, they give a really good quality image of the cloud base. Today, via the Standard C, skippers get EGC files, which are made up of weather bulletins written up in text and covering the area of navigation. The skippers can also log onto weather sites on the Internet. The final means is to receive the weather in a GRIB format. These are files, which show the bands of wind (like those on the official website at http://www.vendeeglobe.com under the Weather section). The skippers have navigation software on their computer, which shows these wind bands, but above all they need these GRIB files to make their MAXSEA routing software work. In fact this morning, second placed Roland Jourdain (Sill Matines La Potagere) was despairing of his tactical errors of the last few hours. After much deliberation over strategy, he chose to pass the Crozet islands to the South. Not only did he nearly come to a grinding halt but also ended up sailing upwind. He's gone through the agony of watching race leader Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB) free himself from the system successfully on a Northerly route and extend his lead. - http://www.vendeeglobe.com Standings on December 13 at 16:00 UT 1. PRB (Desjoyeaux) 2. SILL Matines La Potagere (Jourdain) (+96 miles) 3. Aquitaine Innovations (Parlier) (+211m) 4 Kingfisher (MacArthur) (+354m) 5. Sodebo (Coville) (+356M) LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) (Letters selected to be printed may be edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This is not a bulletin board or a chat room - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. We don't publish anonymous letters, but will withhold your e-mail address on request.) * From John Roberson robo_bandana@compuserve.com To start descriminating who is deserving of rescue services, and who isn't, is to enter dangerous territory. Everyone who ventures to sea, however wisely or unwisely, should know that the rescue services will make all reasonable efforts to come to their aid should they need it. To say that just because he is pushing the envelope, Pete Goss is not deserving of the facilities of the rescue services is a very blinkered vision. What about the skipper and crew of some of the "flags of convenience" commercial vessels that put to sea in old "rust buckets", when these ship inevitably breakdown, or break-up, do we refuse them help because they shouldn't have gone to sea in an un-seaworthy ship? To go to sea is to take a risk. Despite the wonders of modern science, weather forecasting is still an inaccurate game, so there is no guarantee that the weather you expect when you set out on a voyage, is the weather you will get. Should the rescue services help people who take risks? Of course they should, and who is to define what is an acceptable risk? I was fortunate to meet and talk in depth with the guys from both the RAAF, and RAN, who rescued Tony Bullimore and Thierry Dubous. They were grateful for the opportunity to test their skills is a "real" situation, and they learnt invaluable lessons about their equipment and their methods, which they said they could never have done in a simulated situation. * From Brian Hancock greatcircle@mediaone.net Government bodies are always there to pick up the public when they fall. That is their role in a civilized society. Usually it is those who have failed by falling victim to ills like drugs and alcohol abuse. Very occasionally they are called on to help out those at the other end of the spectrum; the men and women who push the envelope to make this a more creative and better place for us all. Those people should be celebrated, and when they flounder they should be picked up like the rest of us without the usual objections about time and expense. Pete Goss's accomplishments far exceed any expenditures on his behalf. * From Seth A. Radow sethrad@thegrid.net Since the dawn of ocean sailing, the countries of the world came to the rescue of ocean going sailors in trouble. I believe most would argue that there is no reason whatsoever to discontinue this practice. Heroes were never made from those poor and timid souls who never pushed themselves to the limits of human achievement. I can't imagine any self respecting sailor would recommend such a disgraceful lack of respect for those with the courage to push that envelope. My hat is off to Mr. Goss. He went out on a limb to develop something truly cutting edge. He pushed the proverbial envelope. Time will tell what the sailing world has learned from his experiment. He may have changed the future - time will tell. Although I do not know Mr. Goss personally, I understand that he is a devout family man who would never risk his life for the sake of sailing and leaving his family alone. Risk, or more accurately, the level of risk one assumes, is open to interpretation. An example: I race to Hawaii once a year ... there are those that believe I am taking unnecessary risks and must be half out of my mind ... taking my life in my hands in the process. To me it's an adventure and an opportunity for "the boys to get together again". * From TWJ Thornton twj@teamvanguard.com I find Mr. Alofsins suggestion that rescue resources "should be more readily available to those who do not take intentionally risky decisions" intriguing. In recent years, these programs have produced , some of the most highly prepared mariners, outside of the military and Govt. Some race crews have gone through the same inverted immersion training as helicopter pilots. All boats have people with paramedical medical training, firefighting and crisis management skills. It is no longer enough to be strong and fit to go offshore racing. These programs demand from their participants, practical experience and a broad base of obscure skills. Do these sailors have less right to be rescued than a fisherman, or the crew member of a Korean freighter hauling Barbie dolls and rubber dog doo from china, hardly the most necessary of international commerce. However, these commercial boats have a higher rescue priority, as do cruise liners. Commercial mariners have the right to farm and utilize the oceans, a right that is protected under international maritime law, without with much precondition . I would argue that ocean racing crews are equally protected as they earn their living from setting the highest examples of seamanship and professionalism. There are certainly mariners on the ocean everyday who have less justification to be there. Perhaps, in the future offshore sailors might be recognized for the contribution and example they set, not the problems they are perceived to create. From: Jason Khoury jkhoury@PSFllc.com Has anyone considered that BOTY awards, like all other "advertising" based awards are just that. For those that buy their boat based on what a "panel of experts" determines to be the best boat is silly. Every boat owner should purchase the best boat for their individual purposes, weighing carefully all of the compromises that are involved in every boat design. As an Aerodyne 38 owner, I have raced the boat in PHRF and IMS events, raced long distance, (Pac Cup 2000) and IMS (Kenwood 2000), I have spent peaceful nights on the hook, and sailed with just my wife. In defense of the Aerodyne, I will say it took the best of the Molokai Channel and was first to finish in class. For me, the boat is a general purpose boat, great on all fronts. I would like to believe that the reason we sail, is not just for the fun and competitiveness of racing, but for the marvelous feeling of being out on the water and just "going sailing". If a buyer wants something that will last more than a season or two, and that they won't lose 50% of more of value on when the next generation comes out, they need to look past the new hot rod on the block, as it will be surpassed in the next year. It's fantastic that their are so many options. That way each buyer can look at their goals and needs - and buy what's best for them. LEEWARD GATES (Roughly six years ago, race organizers introduced the concept of the leeward gate to alleviate the congestion caused by big fleets compressing at leeward marks and to make these roundings more fun and more equitable. J/24 World Champion Brad Read explains how to take advantage of the tactical opportunities on the SailNet website. Here is an excerpt from that story.) The following are some of the things I look for as I approach a leeward gate: - Which side of the course will be favored upwind? If there are no other concerns, that's the side of the gate to pick. - Do you have to go one particular way on the upcoming beat (say there's a boat you need to cover or the current is stronger on one side of the course than the other)? If so, work hard to get inside at the gate mark on that particular side for the upwind leg. - Is one gate mark noticeably more upwind than the other? If so, work toward the inside of that particular mark. - Is there a large pack of boats ahead of you intent on rounding one particular mark? If so, then go to the gate mark with the fewest boats and you'll escape the congestion earlier. From a tactical standpoint, it's always a good idea to leave your options open as long as you can. If you look at a tightly packed fleet of boats heading into a leeward gate, you will notice that some of the best teams opt to take their spinnaker poles off (if they have boats with conventional poles) early while heading into the rounding. This gives them the option of picking the mark they want to go to as late as possible. You'll find that this maneuver is popular with bow people who are constantly imploring the guys in the back of the boat "Which mark are we going to round?" For them, it's an opportunity to take control of their own destiny by learning how to strip the pole early and free-fly the spinnaker on the sheets with someone acting like a human pole as they push out the windward sheet or afterguy at the shrouds. I don't recommend that novice racers try this right away. It's a much better idea for them to start out by selecting a mark well ahead of time and then hoping it remains the least congested mark. After you've had a chance to get accustomed to being among a crowd of boats rounding leeward gate marks, then you can attempt to get fancy and try making those last-second decisions. - Brad Read, SailNet website. Full story: http://www.sailnet.com/collections/articles/index.cfm?articleid=readbr0004 AC FORMALITIES A challenge from the New York Yacht Club for the 31st America's Cup regatta in Auckland, New Zealand in 2003 has been formally accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Peter Taylor, confirmed the acceptance of the challenge to the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, George Isdale Jr., in a letter dated 12th December 2000. SOLING UPDATE The recent Soling Class North American Championships were won using a new prototype spinnaker fabric. AIRX-650N is the latest addition to Bainbridge Internationals revolutionary range of spinnaker fabrics and sets new standards in one-design cloth technology. Having proven itself on the racetrack (AIRX-650N was also used by the 2nd and 3rd placed J24's at this years World Championships) production batches are now being made and will be available from your Sailmaker soon. For more details visit http://wwww.sailcloth.com VOLVO OCEAN RACE Auckland, December 13, 2000 - Team News Corp took off today on what is expected to be a five day Trans-Tasman crossing, heading for the start-line of the Telstra Sydney to Hobart Race and 16 days of intensive offshore testing. The 1200 mile run to Sydney, combined with the Sydney to Hobart race and the dash back to Auckland with three other Volvo Ocean 60s, will make this stint the longest offshore testing period for News Corporation to date. The Volvo Ocean 60 class rule change that allows carbon fibre rigs, replacing the alloy masts of previous Whitbread 60s (now Volvo Ocean 60s), will make News Corporation's rig a key focus of the team's testing programme. The information the crew gathers offshore will be used to modify sail design, rigging and equipment for Team News Corp's entry in the Volvo Ocean Race next September. "Much of the weight savings gained from the lighter rig will go to the keel in the new boat to increase righting moment, keeping the boat more upright." said skipper Jez Fanstone. "But additional safety-oriented rule changes have meant weight gains elsewhere. It's therefore a juggling act as we try to get the weight in the keel, without compromising strength, safety and efficiency". Team News Corp will step a second generation carbon mast from Southern Spars in January. The team's second Farr designed race boat is currently under construction in Auckland and will contest the Volvo Ocean Race. - Ashley Abbott, www.VolvoOceanRace.org CORRECTION Forget the URL for the Transpac Race we gave you yesterday. This one will work much better: http://www.Transpacificyc.org THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Perhaps you know why women over fifty don't have babies: They would put them down somewhere and forget where they left them. |
