|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2035 – February 21, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.THIS HAS TO STOP . . . If ever proof were needed that ISAF is a bumbling bureaucracy that's crippling sailing through astronomical fees levied on regattas and some utterly disastrous decisions being made at the top, then please take a look at the forthcoming ISAF race officers conference in Southampton in March. On the official website, yes the Official Website, ISAF advertises not only the fact that all lunches, dinners and refreshments are free it also, just to rub our faces in it, publishes the showpiece dinner menu! So whilst most sailors toil away at the sport, scrimping and saving to get afloat and pay the absurd regatta fees for ISAF events, the top dogs are looking forward to some, and I quote, "Farmhouse Pate with apple and cider chutney, Roast Sirloin of beef in a red wine sauce, lemon tart, wine, tea, coffe and mints!" It goes on to say "The dinner will be free of charge for all delegates attending the conference and we very much hope that everyone will attend." I bet they do...it's just another example of noses in the trough at the top table. I hate to think what the total cost will come to when you add in the travel costs for Henri van der Aat and the rest of the ISAF crew plus the venue hire and related costs. And what on earth are they going to talk about that needs this five-star treatment? There are 91 delegates from all over the world attending and if they bring their partners, the dinner is for 182. Yes 182 for dinner at our expense! This shameless waste of money must stop and ISAF must become accountable - I would be thoroughly embarrassed to attend and I hope the hard-working, decent, honest race officer delegates vote with their feet. With ISAF coining money out of the pockets of sailors, events being squeezed for funds and so called 'ISAF approved' classes being hammered for registration fees it's interesting to note that no annual reports have been published for this modern-day leviathan of an organization since Paul Henderson left as President. A phone call to the ISAF Head Office in Southampton produced no joy either with a secretary informing me that no report had been published for either 2004 or 2005. This is very curious. Why not? A report has been made every year since 1997 detailing exact financial details and a review of the year but since Goran Petersson has been in charge, it seems that nothing has been published or at least nothing that he wants us to see has been published for public consumption on the website. So where are our funds going? What's the operational cost of ISAF? In 2003 the direct costs were £743,287 ($1.295 million) and I'd love to see what they are today. Everyone reading this has a right to know the accounts and Petersson must make it a priority. ~ Magnus Wheatley NUMERO UNO The BMW Oracle Racing blogsite points out that recently an Australian radio station conducted a poll asking listeners to rank the top 25 sports moments in Australian history. Numero uno was the win by Australia II in the 1983 Cup. Here’s just a taste from the story excerpted by ‘blogmaster’ Tom Ehman about that selection: “It's fair to say there's no great mystery as to why: it was a classic victory for the little guy, and we were him. We knocked off the most powerful nation on earth in a battle of technology, as well as of sporting skill, and we were able to thumb our collective nose at what became a convenient embodiment of American power, and thus arrogance, namely the New York Yacht Club. The reasons for the event's enduring appeal are beyond argument.” The blog has excerpted a good chunk from that piece with a link to the complete story. ~ http://bmworacleracing.twoday.net/ LINEUP CHANGES A couple of line up changes have been announced for the ISAF Grade 1 Brasil Sailing Cup, the first event of the new World Match Racing Tour (successor to the Swedish Match Tour), scheduled next month in Angra dos Reis, Brazil. Number five ranked Ian Williams steps in to replace Peter Holmberg (ISV), whilst Cameron Dunn (NZL) takes the place of Hamish Pepper (NZL). Holmberg, who won the season opening ISAF Grade 1 PTPortugal Match Cup last July and is fourth on the leaderboard, withdrew due to scheduling conflicts with Alinghi, where he is a helmsman. Dunn, a member of Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia, replaces his compatriot and former teammate Pepper, who is no longer part of the Italian challenge for the America’s Cup Brasil Sailing Cup Skippers - Ben Ainslie (GBR) - Ed Baird (USA) Alinghi - Dean Barker (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand - Gavin Brady (USA) - Cameron Dunn (NZL) Mascalzone Latino -- Capitalia - Peter Gilmour (AUS) - Daniel Glomb (BRA) - Magnus Holmberg (SWE) - Staffan Lindberg (FIN) - Thierry Peponnet (FRA) - James Spithill (AUS) Luna Rossa Challenge - Ian Williams (GBR) Tour website: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/ DESIGN, PRINTING, DELIVERY Without these three components your regatta tees and gear won't have profit margin. Contact The Pirate's Lair today for the last of the early bird specials for your event. Capitalize on freebies, sponsorships and awards. Log on to http://www.pirateslair.com/sailing or call 888-724-5286 DIVING SOUTH The tactic being taken by all the Volvo Ocean Race teams today, is to dive south to dodge the worst of the massive high, which is positioned between the fleet and the first ice gate of leg four. The yachts are still in very close proximity with only a 78 nautical mile divide between the most southerly yacht Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) and most northerly ABN Amro Two (Sebastien Josse). “The forecast for the next three days is that we are working the south side of a high pressure cell turning into a ridge,” explained Pirates of the Caribbean skipper Paul Cayard. “This ridge will block our path to the first ice waypoint which is actually a gate. This ‘block’ will probably compress the fleet as the first boats hit the wall first and the other come piling in from behind.” Brasil 1 has had a hard start to the race, they revealed today that they ripped their genoa at the start and have spent all the hours since piecing it back together. Luckily the sail has not been needed since but they know it’s only a matter of time before the call for it will go up. Paul Cayard and his Pirates are sailing with a man down as Craig Satterthwaite is still sick in his bunk with tonsillitis. Each of the boats has logged more than 400 miles in the last 24-hours, with ABN 1 topping the list with 438 miles for an 18.2 knot average - more than a half a knot faster than any of the other boats. ~ www.volvooceanrace.org Volvo Ocean Race Positions at 2200 GMT Monday 1. Team ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, 6227 miles to finish 2. Team ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, +16 miles 3. Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald, +42 miles 4. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, +49 miles 5. Movistar, Bouwe Bekking, +63 miles 6. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, +68 miles QUOTE / UNQUOTE * “Today we were in a "see-saw" battle with Ericsson all day within sight of each other all day. That was fun and we each learned a bit I am sure. ABN Amro One continues to impress with her speed. The rest of the fleet goes pretty much the same speed and you can see when someone makes a good move relative to the weather. With ABN Amro One they are just plain fast. They have averaged almost 1 knot faster than the rest of us today sailing in identical conditions. It has been a bit reachy and that is their strong suit as they have a lot of form stability.” ~ Paul Cayard, Pirates of the Carabbean skipper * The whales that have come to investigate have been somewhat more remarkable on this trip. We have seen whales on other legs but only from a distance, in this part of the world they seem to have no qualms about getting up close and personal. Yesterday one travelled along side us about a boat length away for some time only to dive across our bow at the last moment and bump itself on the keel. This scared the living daylights out of Bicey (Nick Bice) who is somewhat more wary when these magnificent creatures swim by and left me wondering how an earth I managed to run aground in 200m of water! Luckily the whale was un-phased by his encounter with our bulb and swam of quite happily unawares how easily he could of ended our race! Thankfully he didn't but I guess we now know who is boss round here! ~ Simon Fisher, ABN Amro Two navigator * “These machines are bloody crazy. You can't sleep, you can't eat, you can't go to the toilet... and I've never had so much fun in my life." ~ Erle Williams, Pirates of the Carabbean, http://www.oceanracechesapeake.org/ LOOKING AHEAD TO THE CHESAPEAKE (A story by Annie Linskey in the Baltimore Sun discusses the opportunities and concerns when the VO70s do their In-Port race in the confines of the Chesapeake Bay. Here’s an excerpt.) Finding a spot in the notoriously shallow Chesapeake that could accommodate the boats was not an easy task. The Volvo Open 70s draw almost 15 feet - which means they'll have to stick to the middle of the bay, where the depths are 20 to 40 feet. (Even along the edges of race, there are places where the Volvo boats would run aground.) But (race director Peter) Craig said his largest concern will be handling the thousands of spectator boats. Those crafts will need to stay clear of the race course. "It is like the middle of the football field," he said. When the winds shift - as they often do on the Chesapeake - the race course will need to be adjusted. Moving the buoys is easy, Craig said, but making sure the spectator boats are clear of a shifting course will not be. The Coast Guard will restrict the movements of all boats in the race area, That means a shipping lane will be closed during the race. One concern about the course, however, is that it won't be easily seen from land, Craig said. ~ www.baltimoresun.com COMPLETE CONTROL IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND FROM B&G For an extra hand onboard, B&G’s RemoteVision always delivers data quickly and accurately to give you full Pilot and Instrument control. The compact, handheld RemoteVision provides a superior wireless display of key instrument data, graphical wind plot, and full control of instrument calibration, as well as a choice of displayed data. Used with B&G’s powerful tactical software, Deckman, additional data including Time/Distance To Layline, next leg Wind Angles and/or target Boat Speeds are also available, so that you can communicate to anyone from the helmsman in the cockpit to the person on the bow waiting to hoist. http://www.BandG.com STRUGGLING TO GET THE BALANCE RIGHT Dee Caffari, who is attempting to be the first women to complete a solo ‘westabout’ non-stop circumnavigation reports, “We are sailing in winds that one minute are blowing at 28 knots and the next at 42 knots. The winds are also changing direction by as much as 20 degrees, so you can be happily sailing in the correct sail plan at a good angle to the wind and then 20 minutes later be almost head to wind and be massively underpowered. Conversely you could be well off the breeze and massively overpowered. I am struggling to get the balance right and finding it very frustrating. “I so desperately want to sail Aviva as hard as possible but we still have the whole second half of the journey to go and now is when fatigue on equipment may show itself. So pushing too hard in the wrong conditions may result in much slower progress due to breakages or damage. It is a very fine line and there is still another 5000 miles to go before we clear the remote expanses of the Southern Ocean. With more than 12,000 still to go on this voyage that began on November 20, Caffari managed 146 miles in the last 24 hours. ~ www.avivachallenge.com HEATING UP With each passing week, activity is increasing in the Port America's Cup as there are now less than 80 days to go until racing begins in the Louis Vuitton Act 10. A couple of weeks ago it was +39 Challenge and United Internet Team Germany pairing up for some testing, while Monday BMW Oracle Racing in their ACC boat and Alinghi (in a pair of small match racing keelboats) hit the water for the first time in Valencia this year. BMW Oracle Racing as the team launched USA 76 and for its first sail since last year. The first will fulfill a number of sponsor photo shoots over the next 10 days before the full-scale training and testing program begins in March. The daily schedule will include a full physical training program in the team’s on-site gym at the base. In addition to America’s Cup Class sailing, the on-the-water training will include match racing practice in the evenly matched 40-footers. ~ www.bmworacleracing.com / http://www.americascup.com/en/ NEWS BRIEFS * The Volvo Ocean Race fleet went backwards yesterday, performing a spot of time travel as they crossed the International Date Line on the second full day of the Wellington to Rio de Janeiro fourth stage. "We don't change our clocks, and most of the crew doesn't even know what day it is out here. Our life is that simple," Paul Cayard reported from Pirates of the Caribbean as the fleet ran deep into the Roaring Forties. ~ Tim Jeffery, http://tinyurl.com/fdvkh * Techo-nerds will be thrilled to learn that the America’s Cup Technical Director has issued Public Interpretation no. 17, which clarifies ACC rule 36.14 in respect of stored energy. ~ http://www.challengercommission.com/dox/pi17.pdf * By April 2006, Sunsail will install TackTick wireless and solar powered wind instruments on its worldwide fleet. A digital and analog lighted display in the cockpit provides apparent wind speed and angle. In addition, all Sunsail yachts except those in the U.K. will be fitted with Navman chart plotters with 12-channel GPS and built-in C-MAP charts specific to Sunsail cruising grounds. It permits 25 routes of up to 50 waypoints. Also new on-board: Raymarine Wheel Pilot Systems that provide standard autopilot features including a user selectable AutoTack angle will be installed on Sunsail yachts except in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. - www.sunsail.com * The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has launched an enhanced Science and Medicine section of its website. Located under Programmes, the new Science and Medicine section features upgraded content and information about gene doping and includes abstracts, presentations, and conclusions of the recent Symposium on gene doping held in Stockholm, Sweden. ~ www.wada-ama.org. WINTER GAMES IN MIAMI BEACH - PASSION LIVES HERE! World-class sailing and international competition hits South Beach. One Design, PHRF, and IRC entries are ready to race. Acura Miami Race Week is March 9 - 12: Final entry deadline is February 22nd. Join the fun and games! Details http://www.premiere-racing.com LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. And please save your bashing, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Richard Clark: In the quest for television coverage of yachting/sailing, one huge word is missing, it is the future as well as the here and now for sporting events, the word is "Internet", come on some of you must have heard of it, if perchance you are fortunate to read this, you are on the internet. Didn't we all just wet ourselves, or worse, from viewing the video of Paul Cayard and Pirates as a Quick Time file. Forget TV it's soooo passe! * From Sarah Beaugeard (edited to our 250-word limit): In regard to your recent blog published in scuttlebutt asking what can kids sign. I am the education manager for the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race which currently has over 300 schools around the world logging on to the education programme designed surrounding the race as well as schools and families being able to use the race to learn about life in the oceans, life onboard and yacht and of course the geography, science behind the race (all activities are also curriculum correct) but it is also possible for our new and avid race fans to email their favourite teams directly which they have been doing enthusiastically since the race began. Seeing the messages which have been traveling to and from schools to the yachts mid ocean has been just fantastic and there is no doubt that the students almost feel that they are taking part in the race themselves as they live every word which comes back to their classrooms. It has also been amazing to see the children who have been following the race come along to visit the yachts in port when they sail in - in Durban we had over 200 children come along to the race village in four days to take a guided tour around the yacht and of course, in regard to your question, get autographs of their new sailing hero's that they have come to know over the past months. * From Dulaney Collins (re Nothing to sign"): The USVI, 1998 International Match Races, poster is one of my most prized possessions because all the participating skippers signed it for me, - Gilly, Cayard, Lawless, Humbug, Pace, Puillot, Spithill and Brady. It makes this little girl grin just thinking about it. I dare say if you ask Paul Cayard for a description of his most prized t'shirt. Undoubtedly he'd describe for you the t-shirt he wore the last day of competition. It was autographed by the St. Thomaian girls from the KATS (Kids And The Sea) race that he'd coached/skippered early that weekend with the St. Thomian girls team. The girls were absolutely thrilled to autograph his shirt for him and realized the privilege, having sailed with him. Truly, it was a great sailing moment for all involved. Cayard taught them alot on that Saturday afternoon including all about protests. Those girls taught the Puerto Rican boys that girls will always be a distraction for them. The entire situation made for a great press conference, I'll never forget the PR boy's comments, "I was looking at those beautiful St. Thomian girls, instead!" I'd say he'll sign anything they bring him and he'll give them his wisdom! It isn't what the kid puts on his/her shelf but what he or she takes away and puts too good use later in their lives, from meeting or better yet interacting with any sports hero. * From Marc Jacobi: when training for the '96 games in the laser, my campaign manager Lainie Pardey created little mini-sails, complete with corner patches, for me to sign as thank yous to significant sponsors. They were really cute--I hated to "muck them up" with my writing! Looking back upon those years, and this small aspect of that Olympic quest, I’m once again reminded of how important the support of others is. While the little sails didn't cost much to make (appealing to our shoestring budget!), the hours Lainie spent on these and countless other tasks allowed me to concentrate on getting stronger, faster and smarter on the racecourse. As we enter the final two years of the 2008 quadrenium, I would like to urge all 'buttheads to support their local Olympic aspirants in whatever way they feel appropriate--I’m sure these young sailors will be most grateful! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever. Special thanks to The Pirate’s Lair, B&G Instruments, and Premiere Racing. |
