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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 885 - August 22, 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.
THE JUBILEE The line honors winner was Gianni Agnelli's Frers-designed sloop Stealth, steered by North Sails' Kenny Read, in 4 hours, 48 minutes, 9 seconds. In the America's Cup Class, the Prada Challenge's Luna Rossa snatched a two-second victory from the GBR Challenge's GBR-52 after the latter led all the way round the island, only to lose it on a protest. In the International 12-Metre Class, Russell Coutts steered the Swiss Team Alinghi to victory aboard South Australia. Punctuated by blasts every five minutes from the starting cannon of the Royal Yacht Squadron, an amazing array of sailing craft started in nine separate classes during the hour and a half starting sequence. A six to eight knot southerly breeze and bright sunshine with a forecast of more breeze later promised a speedy circumnavigation for the fastest boats. As the fleet cleared the line, it was boosted by a strong flood tide running at four knots that would carry even the slowest boat to the eastern end of the Isle of Wight in quick order. The last to start were the three J-Class yachts and the 23-Metre Cambria. Endeavour led the J-Class home, with Velsheda close behind. Shamrock V and Cambria trailed them across the finishing line. - Keith Taylor Detailed results for all classes, all races and all days can be found on the Jubilee website: www.americascupjubilee.com/
LIFE ON A VOLVO OCEAN RACER The interior of the third generation 60 is minimal to say the least. If you thought that sleeping in pipe berths was spartan, they would be considered luxurious on our VO 60's. We have two sets of berths, upper and lower, running down each side. They consist of one long fiberglass tube with nylon meshing. The angle is not adjustable, and it was built for about 25 degrees of heel. Any less and you are pressed into the water tank, any more, and you will fly out. There is nothing dividing them fore and aft, and in order for all of the off watch to sleep, you sleep head to head with one person and foot to foot with another. The person that you are sleeping foot to foot with, you actually overlap, so it is more like knee to knee. Lastly, upwind in a seaway, everyone tends to slide forward as you hit waves, and in the process, the whole group ends up ramming into each other. If these close sleeping quarters don't get to you, going to the bathroom might, especially in mixed company. There is no enclosed head; in fact it's in the galley. I am not sure how it works, because I choose to take care of my business off the back of the boat. It was a little tough in front of a mixed crowd, but probably not as bad as it was for the girls. * By midnight, we were down to a #4 and a reef in the main. We were seeing gusts to 35+. Midnight to four was my offwatch. I was going to get to test the bunks in a seaway. You spend the whole time in the bunk trying to hang on. I felt like a spider monkey in a tree during a hurricane, grasping for anything, looking to leeward and thinking that if I launch out of the bunk, I will fly across the boat and be lucky to not break my neck. All the while, the person behind me is bonking me on the head with her head as we jump off of the waves. I am not sure where it is better to be, on deck cold and wet, or down below hanging on! - Keith Kilpatrick, Nautor Challenge
RAYTHEON SUMMER SALE
TESTING YOUR SAIL TRIM KNOWLEDGE Q: When you see horizontal wrinkles along the luff of your genoa you need to ease the halyard, true or false?
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Mike Esposito: Contrary to the comment in 'butt 884 "...that weight does make a significant difference. Otherwise, we wouldn't do it," sailors do all sorts of dumb things that don't make a difference. If any of the knuckleheads who cut their toothbrushes in half for the Chicago to Mackinac Race to "save weight" shifted a single position in the results because they did so, I'm the Duchess of Kent. Of course based on the hypothesis that extra weight helps a boat, I suppose next year we'll see those same sailors adding those little flex tips to the bottom of their toothbrushes and carrying the brushes in their shirt pockets to get the added weight farther outboard. Remember, a good sailor will almost always beat a lousy sailor no matter the weight differential. * From Carol Boe: As one of 3 who went overboard when the bottom lifeline broke 30 seconds after our start, I feel my opinion regarding this hiking/weight issue might carry some weight. I've also won 3 national championships on board these Schock 35's so I've witnessed first hand what it takes to win. And that is (among many things): PAIN. "Hike 'til it hurts!" because if you and if your crew don't, you can darn well be sure the folks on the boat in front of you are. Though regulated by weight limits as well, it was always easy to see who was pushing the envelope and lifting to the mark, compared to those boats who seldom felt the thrill of victory. For me, each bruise on my stomach from leaning out on that infernal lifeline, when coupled with "bragging rights" was sweet. To have lost, knowing you weren't giving it your all was just not an option. Weight rules aside, you must give it your all to be competitive. * From Ken Haring, CLRMS: In several recent letters to the 'Butt the derogatory term "rail meat" has been used. Normally the curmudgeon is kind enough to edit out such improper terms. The correct term for those of us who enjoy sailing and who are burrito, pasta or pizza enhanced, is Corrective Lateral Righting Moment Specialists. We serve a very important purpose as part in the team effort of sail boat racing and should not be referred to in such derogatory terms. * From Mike Ingham: Re Piracy. Every once in a while we hear tales of Piracy like in 'Butt 884. As someone who has some aspirations to cruise the world someday, I would like to know more about the risks. Does anyone know if these incidences are unlikely and rare? I assume some places are much worse than others. How do we find out more? From: "Ralph Taylor: Sailors should be especially alert to the risks of skin cancer. We spent years in bright sun with reflections off the water, before anyone knew that there were long-term consequences to exposure. Sailors are also the kinds of people who engage in other recreation in bright sun: swimming, skiing, hiking, etc. Quoting from a brochure by the American Academy of Dermatology - web site: www.aad.org "Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers. Approximately 700,000 Americans develop skin cancers every year." The brochure goes on to recommend sun avoidance (not likely!) or covering up and using sunblock as the best defense, but early detection as the surest way to a cure. We should be aware of any skin changes, such as new growths, moles, sores, discoloration, or scaly spots. Persisitence of any of these is an indication to see a doctor. Caught early, even basal cell melanoma and squamous cell melanoma can be treated and cured with simple outpatient procedures. * From Roy Spencer: Just to clarify things: There has been a link to the 2001 J22 NAs website for 3 months on the website www.J22class.org (which is the International J22 Class Association website). The website www.J22.org is the USA class website. The International J22 Class website is used for events of an international nature and is also repository of Class Rules, Class Constitution, Race Management guidelines, etc. The link from the International J22 Class website makes sense to me because the NAs are not just a USA only event. There were 3 Canadian entries. There was also a visit to the 20001 NAs from the International Class President, Tony Bailes from South Africa. It truly was an International event and was very very well run.
FROM THE STREETS OF COWES If you're at the Jubilee, chances are you know what a 12 metre is, but you probably never bothered learning about their classifications, much less discovering that they do have them. Competing are 19 classics (American Eagle, Columbia, Sovereign...), 11 grand prix (Australia II, Kiwi Magic, Kookaburra...) and six moderns (Freedom, Enterprise, Lionheart ...) A jaw-dropping walk along the docks at Cowes Yacht Haven where they are all gathered and easily viewed by hundreds of spectators is a walk that will probably never be had again. It may be why even the most famous sailors here are in the mix of dockside gawkers. On preparation day, while Columbia sported a $1 million plus refit, so gleaming and perfect, Victory was playing catch up to the proper yachts, having scratches in her hull dabbed with blue paint. All that really mattered, however, was that they were both there to BE classified. - Barby MacGowan, Scuttlebutt's official Jubilee correspondent in Cowes.
EDS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE ECOVER, sailing 16.4 knots was pushing ahead of FILA at about one mile of gain each three hours. FILA, just north of ECOVER has been showing an average boat speed of 15.7 knots. ECOVER's skipper, Mike Golding, has sailed a remarkably consistent and disciplined course on this final leg. From the start in Boston he has stuck to his predetermined course, resisting momentary temptations to flirt with better winds further south, as Kingfisher and Gartmore did. Still all four of the front yachts have seen two days of furious and fast sailing conditions. Kingfisher, skipper Nick Moloney described the fleet as simply "six balls of spray flying across the water." Kingfisher's navigator, Adrienne Cahalan, said that the rest of the crew had been banned from the electronics-packed nav-station because they are soaked through from being on deck. - Stephen Pizzo
STANDINGS, 22 August 2001 04:42:21 GMT:
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BOATS.COM
J/22 NAs
OCEANS OF MONEY GOING TO SEA The roll-call of super-rich yachting enthusiasts in Cowes for the event is breathtaking. From tycoons to royalty, everyone who is anyone is either here or reported to be here - oil billionaire Bill Koch, pharmaceuticals billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, the Aga Khan, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Prince Henrik of Denmark, Prada head Patrizio Bertelli, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Agnelli - even the Duke of Edinburgh. Their collective presence has had a startling effect on a town not unfamiliar with conspicuous wealth. Rumours that Southampton airport turned away private jets are denied by an airport spokesman. But it is clear that demand for luxury accommodation exceeds supply. The organisers have chartered two cruise ships to anchor off Cowes to make up the shortfall. The first day of racing was described in the programme as "for all classes" - a reference to the magnificently byzantine regulatory divisions. At these levels, the sport is reserved for the mega-rich or the very persuasive. But that does not mean you cannot look on and dream. Don Mickleborough and John Sheridan, two veteran sailors from the Sydney Cruising Yacht Club, came a long way to do that. Like most wandering up and down The Parade at Cowes, they found it was the J-class yachts - three meticulous reconstructions of racing glorys from the prewar days - that really made the eyes mist over. There are other stars here besides these sleek giants, redolent of Thomas Lipton's unsuccessful attempts to win back the prize for Britain. Australia II - the boat that finally ended America's unbroken domination of the contest and made Alan Bond a national hero - has been taken out of an Australian museum and shipped to the event, complete with its original crew. The Danish Royal Yacht lay out in the Solent as well as Sea Cloud II - one of the largest square-rigged sailing ships in the world - hired to provide appropriate accommodation for members of the New York Yacht Club. "They've brought their own grandstand," said Nick Lyne, who came to watch his son James help crew the British boat, GBR Challenge. - NZ Herald Full story: www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/
ANSWER TO SAIL TEST QUIZ
THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM |
