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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 605 - July 11, 2000THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMOREOnce again, technical problems caused yesterday's 'Butt to go out late - more than 16 hours late. I obviously have a problem, and I'm going to Catalina Island for a few days to pout, and to ponder alternatives. I'll be back next week. PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS VIC-MAUI RACE HMCS ORIOLE arrived in Lahaina late Sunday at 2000HST. Skippered by Scott Crawshaw, the 102ft veteran of 25 Vic-Mauis has had a memorable race. She will be a very popular prize-winner this year, for her crew included 10 cadets from the Royal Military College (Kingston) many of whom had not done much sailing before. Her other crewmembers were volunteers from the Canadian Forces (a major from Halifax, two staff from the North American Air Defence Group, and a civilian employee). ORIOLE has no winches, so sailing her requires sheer hard work and cooperation. Not surprisingly perhaps, she provides a great environment for instilling responsibility and self-reliance. She claimed first place in Class D early, always got the winds she needed, rapidly moved to first overall on corrected time, and never looked back after that. ORIOLE was followed by FARR-ARI (finishing at 2359HST), and the aptly-named PURSUIT which arrived less than an hour later (at 0052 this morning). JOIA is due in at 1210 Monday, followed by NIGHT RUNNER at 1440, and GREY HOUND at 2357. Six more boats should cross the line Tuesday. http://www.vicmaui.org INSIDE PERSPECTIVE (SailNet's roving correspondent Dobbs Davis unveils why the Swedish Match Cup is one of the most successful sailing events on the planet. Here's an excerpt from his story.) "We've turned the planning part of the game on its head and asked 'what do the spectators and sponsors want to see?'" says Peter Klock, the Event Director. Klock is one of three full-time employees of a company that is wholly owned by GKSS and set up to plan and manage the regatta. "Basically," he says, "the event has to be simple to follow, fun to watch, and provide entertainment for the whole family." Marstrand provides the natural backdrop, but the organizers enhance this with a number of features including large, colored bands and prominent sponsor names and logos on the sails, competitor name plates on the mainsails, live commentary piped over a PA system and local AM/FM radio, and large country flags on the competitors' boats to let everyone know who is on the course. For those not out on the rock ampitheater, the action is telecast live to on-site viewers via big-screen monitors that are fed from several camera angles: from up on the rocks, from chase boats, and from onboard cameras placed on the competitors' boats. The Swedish Match Cup has also been at the forefront of the Internet revolution since its inception in 1994 when, according to Klock, they "realized that sailors were using e-mail and the World Wide Web to communicate with one another and as a source of information. So we devised a website back then that has grown in sophistication with the available technology." The event's site now features live video and audio feeds from the event so you don't have to be here sitting on the rocks to enjoy the action (though on warm days the views can be just as compelling as those on the water!). A whole room full of computers and young tech-heads dedicated their energies and talents to making the site visually exciting, while the commentary from New Zealand-based media personality Peter Montgomery and yours truly helped interpret the race action. Besides the entertainment provided by the on-the-water action, the event features a boat-show-like environment of sponsor tents and kiosks presenting the latest and greatest wares, with everything from mobile phones to cars to real estate opportunities on display. The crowds are composed of tourists and weekenders from throughout Sweden, and the collection of yachts ranging from outboard skiffs to America's Cup contenders indicates a tremendous draw from within the yachting community as well. Because the regatta has grown to become one of the largest sporting events in the country, it attracts interest from sponsors keen on having access to this influential audience. - Dobbs Davis, SailNet website Full story: http://www.sailnet.com/ PERFECTION Serious racers want a clean bottom, keels that are faired to perfection, straight leaches and fully tricked-out sail handling hardware. And the real serious racers want their crew attire to reflect the same commitment to excellence. EASY! Just contact Frank Whitton at Pacific Yacht Embroidery and let him show you how affordable it can be. Frank delivers! Pacyacht@aol.com/619-226-8033 PACIFIC CUP San Francisco - The eleventh edition of the West Marine Pacific Cup yacht race got underway yesterday with another record turnout of 70 entries in 10 divisions that include double-handed as well as fully-crewed divisions. Smallest boat entered this year is Twice Daily a Moore 24 and the largest a 70 foot custom Wylie Rage and custom Andrews Turbo Pegasus. Besides the coveted first-to-finish trophy, racers will compete for trophies awarded on the basis of "corrected time" under the Pacific Cup Rating handicap system, designed to level the playing field for different types of boats in a race that is mostly downwind. On the lighter side, boats are also competing for fun prizes awarded for largest fish caught, best crew shirt and best reason for doing the West Marine Pacific Cup among others. The awards banquet is scheduled Thursday, July 27 at Kaneohe Yacht Club. http://pacificcup.org. LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) and to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree. -- From Doug Van Der Aa - Recent Scuttlebutt reports on the health of IMS racing appear to be localized at best. About two years ago I remember an article in Sailing World trumpeting the resurgent strength of the IMS fleet in Chicago and on Lake Michigan. and advocating it as a model for owner directed IMS fleets everywhere. Today the IMS appears to be pretty much dead on Lakes Michigan and Huron. Facts: - No IMS section at the Chicago NOOD. - No IMS Division or Section in the Chicago Mac Race - No IMS Class in the Port Huron Mac Race - per July 7 pre-race notice from the Bayview YC website: At this time, there appear to be two regimes for racing on this part of the Great Lakes: One Design for those boats with sufficient numbers to get their own section or start and PHRF (with all its flaws) for everybody else. The Great Lakes 70 Class, composed primarily of Santa Cruz 70s, still uses IMS ratings within the class to adjust for the differences between the boats. -- From Ron Baerwitz (Re: Butt 604 Rule 69) - Ah men! I'd like to see more of this. I don't know what the guy did but I'm sure he deserved it. Nothing worse than going for a nice yacht race and having to deal with the vulgarity and excessive ego of some under talented idiot! US Sailing - Keep up the good work. -- From Bill Leary - Can you tell us what Andrew Blom did to generate this response from US Sailing? It probably would be of value to all to know where the line in the sand is that he apparently crossed. CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT - Personally, I know nothing more than was reported on the US Sailing website. I also suspect that USSA has told all we'll ever learn 'officially.' Maybe that's just as well. I think all of us would recognize Gross Misconduct if we saw it, and I have confidence that the people involved in the hearings deliberated thoroughly and thoughtfully, and then followed the age-old advice of Gilbert and Sullivan to "make the punishment fit the crime." OLYMPICS (Cynthia Goss did a profile on Lanee Butler for the Quokka Sports website. Here are the first few paragraphs from that story.) Ever since a slot for a female boardsailor opened for the 1992 Olympic Games, Lanee Butler has held the U.S. berth. The fact that she's owned that slot for three consecutive Olympics puts her at the top of the pack of U.S. women boardsailors. But in reality, the only person she's been racing against all these years has been herself. "For me, I don't look at it as I'm trying to compete against everybody else," said Butler, "I am trying to get around the course as quickly as I can - and to challenge myself. There are definitely tactical situations where the aim of the game is to beat everybody else. But I look at it in a different way." After a long conversation with this 30-year-old Olympic sailor, a few things about Butler become very clear. She's independent. She owns her goals. And although she has a laundry list of victories, those accolades don't seem to fuel her drive. She seems pushed by something more internal. Butler finished fifth in her first Olympics, in Barcelona in 1992. She reached her goal of finishing in the top five, but her result was overshadowed. It was not simply that she was the only U.S. team member who didn't medal, although that was disappointing. But with two bullets and a second in her score, half her series was of medal quality: It was her own glimpse at the potential she had yet to master. In the Savannah Olympics (1996), she finished 11th. "A huge reason why I still compete now," said Butler, "is I felt in Barcelona I put together a good half-series; in Savannah, I did not put a great series together at all. Unless you know that you are as good as you can get, you don't stop pushing. In some sports you do peak out, you don't improve. I still feel like I'm learning every day and that I can improve - and that gives me the determination and desire to get better." Cynthia Goss, for Quokka Sports The rest of the story: http://sailing.quokka.com/stories/07/SLQ__0710_e_butler_WFC.html INDUSTRY NEWS * The Canadian Yachting Association is pleased to announce that Mrs. Marianne Davis will be joining the organisation as its new Executive Director. "We are very pleased to have someone of Marianneas experience and background joining the CYA" said David Everett, CYA President. Mrs. Davis, who will assume her new responsibilities November 1, 2000, comes to the CYA with a wide range of experience within the sailing community, most notably as the Secretary General of the Norwegian Sailing Federation since 1995. Prior to assuming the leadership position of the Norwegian Federation she served as a technical consultant to the Federation from 1993-95. Mrs. Davis has also worked for a number of businesses within the sailing community, including North Sails Ltd. and Abbott Boats Ltd. - ISAF Website, http://www.sailing.org * Twenty-three Sydney 38s have now been sold around the world. The Sydney 38 went into production earlier this year with 11 yachts on order prior to the first being launched. Additionally, Sydney Yachts has the commitment to supply 10 Sydney 38's to the Sunsail fleet in Hamilton Island. In the US, there is a One Design fleet in Chicago, and later this year a Sydney 38 is scheduled for delivery in San Francisco. Four Sydney 38's have committed be on the starting line for Key West Regatta in January, 2001. - http://www.bashford.com.au * Renault has signed an official partnership deal with The Race, a round-the-world yacht race organised exclusively for exceptional yachts that will see crews circumnavigate the globe non-stop and without outside assistance. The event will start on December 31, 2000. In addition to combining advanced technology and care for the environment, this 'no limits' competition also communicates values such as courage and forward vision that are at the very core of the French manufacturer's identity. CALENDAR * July 13 to 16 - Southern California Junior Olympic Regatta; US Sailing Center; Mike Segerblom, 562/433-7939 * July 21 - Gino Morrelli, co-designer of 105' Maxi Cat Playstation is speaking at the Orange Coast College sailing center at 7:00 PM. 949/645-9412 * July 22 - Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac. http://www.chicagoyachtclub.com * July 27 to 30 - The NOOD at Marblehead Race Week; Boston, Corinthian, and Eastern yacht clubs, 14 one-design classes. http://www.sailingworld.com * August 26 & 27 - One Design Weekend, Dana Point Yacht, Snipes, J/24s & Thistles. http://www.dpyc.org/race/1design.htm CAL 20 NATIONALS Cabrillo Beach YC - Final results: 1. Mark Gaudio, Magic Bus (20) 2. Mark Folkman, Station Wagon (22) 3. Ron Wood, Lickety Split (22) 4. Doug McLean, Rigormortis (23) 5. Walter Johnson, Mojo (27) 49ERS - SPECIAL REPORT BY CHARLIE MCKEE The final stop on the 49er US West Coast Tour was the Subaru Gorge Games, a multi-sport outdoor extravaganza held in the spectacular Columbia River Gorge. The combination of great Int'l competition, a $10,000 purse, and one of the world's best sailing venues brought 23 teams to this eagerly anticipated event. The fleet included teams from France, UK, Canada, Mexico, and Australia, as well as the first 5 teams from the US Olympic Trials and several newcomers testing themselves against the legendary Gorge for the first time. Friday morning saw the lightest wind of the series, with 3 races sailed in a 10-12 knot westerly. Fast out of the blocks despite a lack of recent practice were Canadians (and local gorge residents) Tina and Trevor Baylis scoring a 2, 1, 7. But the early lead belonged to the English Olympic Team of Ian Barker/Simon Hiscocks sailing Holt. Their 1, 4, 2 put them in the series lead, a position they would hold onto through the entire 14 race series. The afternoon set saw 15-22 knot westerlies; typical gorge conditions that would hold through the rest of the weekend. Team McLube (Jonathan & Charlie McKee) got it rolling in the afternoon with a 1, 2 to sit just behind Holt after day 1. Also sailing well in the breezy stuff were Americans Mack/Lowry onboard Aventail, powering to a strong win in the day's final race. Saturday morning saw Holt extend their lead with a 1, 3, before waging a classic duel with McLube in the morning's final race. After several lead changes McLube crossed Holt on the final jibe to the finish to win by 3 seconds. The 2nd British boat sponsored by Storm (winners of the US Nationals the previous week) were hanging around as well, with solid speed and their usual strong heavy-air boathandling. Other contenders included the Canadian/Australian Nortel Networks sailed by Rhodes/Boyd, and the French Olympians Deruelle/Gasparini aboard Produit Laitiers. The French were the most consistent team at the midpoint of the series, but a retirement following a collision followed by a broken jib halyard dropped them back in the standings. Saturday afternoon again saw Holt and McLube trade 1st places, but Holt's 1, 3 compared to McLube's 4, 1 gained them one more valuable point. Entering Sunday's 4 final races, Holt held a 4 point lead over McLube, with Storm in 3rd and Nortel 4th. Sunday proved to be a fantastic showcasing of how exciting and spectator-friendly sailing can be. Crowds lined the beach, music and tents and dogs and kids and an announcer on shore all added to the scene. NBC TV rolled in in the morning, set up cameras on the point, mounted a transon-cam on McLube, spreader-cam on Holt, wired the boats for sound, tethered a cameraman to the windward mark (brave man!), and we all went racing. The 3 lap course took about 6-7 minutes per lap, racing was extremely tight, and the offset mark brought the fleet screaming towards the beach at 20 knots, jibing around mark 2 about 40 yards off the shore. Needless to say a good time was had by all. The 15-25 knot conditions again brought an awesome sailing display by the UK Olympians, sailing a 2, 1, 3 to lock up the title with a race to spare. McLube ended the regatta with an exciting 2 second win over Tina and Trevor Baylis to secure 2nd, while Storm locked up 3rd with a solid final day. Our 3-time World bronze medalists Larson/Hall shook off the rust just in time to finish very strongly to secure 4th with Nortel 5th, French 6th, Aventail 7th, Baylis 8th, with just 7 points separating these 5 places. Rounding out the top 10 were US Sailing Team members Kris Henderson and Allan Johnson on Shopnow.com, who sailed very consistently despite a 8-month layoff after the Trials, and the flyweight Couvreux brothers, who continue their rapid advance up the steep 49er learning curve. Look for the (2) one- hour Subaru Gorge Games television shows on NBC, sometime the first 2 weekends in September; there could be some pretty fantastic coverage of sailing on one of the shows. EXCERPTS FROM THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD America's Cup Village Ltd is opposing a planning rule formulated in 1996 that will open the western side of the Viaduct Basin to the public. When consents for the village development were granted four years ago, the Auckland City Council and Auckland Regional Council ruled that from June 30, 2000, a public walkway should be created along the water's edge on the western side of the Viaduct Basin where yacht syndicates are based. Now ACVL has lodged an application to exclude the public from the area on grounds that syndicates for the next challenge in 2002-2003 are expected to start turning up before the end of the year. ACVL says in the application it has been formally advised by eight syndicates that they want bases at the basin. "At least five overseas syndicates have indicated their intention of physically using the base facilities by the end of this year. "Team New Zealand continues to occupy its base and is intending to centralise its administration operations on the site." The Cup village company, dogged by controversy over its spending of Aucklanders' money, says a public walkway is "clearly unrealistic." It was inconceivable that the challenger syndicates or Team New Zealand would base themselves in the basin with the public wandering about. Warren Sinclair, of Sinclair Fishing Tours, said he would oppose the application and hoped other Aucklanders would do the same, to open up the waterfront to the public. Mr Sinclair said he believed Aucklanders had a history of apathy but access to the waterfront was worth fighting for. Mr Sinclair was appalled that the publicly owned ACVL wanted to override the right of the public to have access to the waterfront. - NZ Herald Full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/ SNIPE NATIONALS OKLAHOMA CITY BOAT CLUB - Three races of the Crosby qualifying series today, big breeze, 15-25, very gusty and shifty and 100 degree air temperature. One more Crosby race tomorrow morning, then Skipper's Meeting and spilts for the Heinzerling Championship Series and Wells Series. Crosby series sailed in 4 fleets, round robin. Top 34 advance to Henizerling (including prequalified district champions and last year's National Champion, Geroge Szabo; no drop used in figuring the split). Crosby Memorial Trophy. - Ned Jones Results of day One: 1. Andrew Pimental & Monique Gaylor (6.75) 2. Chris Snow & Yumio Dornberg (8) 3. Bill Hardesty & Carol Merriman (9) 4. Augie Diaz & Pam Kelly (14) 5. Jim Bowers & Myrna Chan MacRae (14.75) Complete results: http://www.sailoklahoma.com/snipe14/daily_results.htm#wells THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Life is like juggling pitchforks, everyone knows when you mess up. |
