|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2091 - May 10, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.ABN AMRO ONE GETS FIRST BITE OF THE BIG APPLE ABN Amro One (Mike Sanderson) extended their overall lead in the Volvo Ocean Race Tuesday morning when, at 0407 local time, 0808 GMT, the Dutch team arrived in the ‘Big Apple’ to post another win, this time the shortest leg of the course, leg six from Baltimore/Annapolis. This has been one of the toughest legs for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet in terms of lack sleep, with the boats having to tack every hour or so, as they thrashed up wind after suffering light air on the way down the Chesapeake Bay. “We haven’t slept at all,” Sanderson commented. “Navigator Stan Honey and I have had a really tough time. The skipper doesn’t sleep enough, and now I shall do lots of sleeping in the city that never sleeps,” he added. Next in line was Paul Cayard’s black and red boat, The Black Pearl. Finishing at 06:47:11 (local time, 10:47:11 GMT) this podium position brings the Pirates up to second place overall, with 47.5 points, just half a point ahead of movistar (Bouwe Bekking) who finished in a disappointing fifth place. There is very little time to recover on this short pit stop in New York, as the start of leg seven, the trans-Atlantic leg of the course to Portsmouth, UK, starts this week on Thursday. LEG SIX ELAPSED TIMES 1. ABN Amro One, Mike Sanderson, 1d 15h 07m 36s 2. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, 1d 17h 47m 11s 3. Brasil 1, Torben Grael, 1d 17h 56m 52s 4. Ericsson Racing Team, Neal McDonald, 1d 17h 59m 49s 5. movistar, Bouwe Bekking, 1d 18h 01m 26s 6. Brunel, Grant Wharington, 1d 19h 41m 17s 7. ABN Amro Two, Sebastien Josse, 1d 20h 36m 15s LEADERBOARD 1. ABN Amro One, 70.5 2. Pirates of the Caribbean, 47.5 3. Movistar, 47 4=. ABN Amro Two, 42 4=. Brasil 1, 42. 6. Ericsson Racing Team, 34.5 7. Brunel, 2.5 QUOTE/ UNQUOTE “We had just enough cushion when we came up the Bay, so I told (navigator) Jules Salter, let’s take the boys over to the Statue of Liberty. Then we took another tack over to Wall Street and cruised into North Cove. It’s beautiful to be in New York City and as an American, skippering an American boat, I’m really proud to be here in New York.” -- Paul Cayard, Pirates of the Caribbean skipper “We broke about five jib sheets, so obviously a bit of load on the boat which we didn’t have before now that it isn’t going sideways through the water.’ -- Grant Wharington, Brunel skipper BIG THRONGS NEVER MATERIALIZED (Martha Parker of Team One Newport is handling the on-site merchandise for the Volvo Ocean Race at the New York stop over, and provides the following observations as the fleet arrive in New York Harbor.) Tuesday, May 9, 2006 -- At 4:11am this morning, my cell phone rang with a text message; it was Tracey from ABN Amro telling me that the Black boat was in and she had slept through the last text update the hour before. I quickly donned my layers and foul weather gear to brave the cold Spring morning in Manhattan. Yes, it was chilly so I wasn't going to take a chance. I walked over to North Cove Marina where the ABN Amro team was helping the Black Boat (ABN Amro One) tie up to the one and only dock set up for the Volvo 70's. Skipper Moose Sanderson was being interviewed and the crew looked a little tired but happy to be in! They were ready for some good hot food! Three hours later in the daylight, Pirate's of the Caribbean came tacking up NY Harbor from the Statue of Liberty in all her glory. There were definitely more people watching and it was exciting with four teams watching and waiting for their boats to finish. There were contingencies of team jackets milling on the stone pier at North Cove, plus the NY locals were now out for their morning runs or bike rides to work – all wondering what was going on. However, there were not the big throngs of people that I had hoped to see. -- Read the rest of Martha’s observations and check out the Jon Nash photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/0509/ CLICK HERE TO SAVE A LIFE! A man overboard is dreaded; a man overboard with the chute is a nightmare. The “Quick Stop” is a proven procedure for recovering crew overboard. Learning how to do it (or reviewing it) could save a life of family or crew. So UK-Halsey has posted streaming video on how to do the Quick Stop MOB with the spinnaker up. You can view this on-line; see what to do and who should do what. Then, go practice. It’s just the first of several safety lessons we’re posting to our website, but it’s certainly one you’ll want to view now. http://www.ukhalsey.com/LearningCenter/mob.asp THE DILEMMA It's likely to be the tried and true against the brand new as America's Cup yachts resume racing Thursday. Many of the 12 teams - defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland and 11 would-be challengers - have already launched or are about to launch new versions of their 24-metre carbon fibre regatta boats. The dilemma is whether to start racing their new boats now, and risk revealing closely guarded secrets about their design. On the other hand, sticking to heavily modified old boats means the crews won't have a chance to improve the new boats or see how they stack up against rivals. "If your new boat is getting trashed by old boats, you are in serious trouble," said Grant Dalton, of the Emirates Team New Zealand, whose new boat will be on the starting line. "I think this year takes on a bit more urgency for all teams by having new boats," Dalton said. "You can't really hide behind, 'Well, our old boats are slow, but wait 'til we get a new one' anymore." Peter Isler, navigator aboard the U.S. entry BMW Oracle, said, "You have to balance out the paranoia of showing what you have with the need to spend time testing it and learning it yourself." It's easy to spot the new boats at the America's Cup Park. They are shrouded in tarps, called skirts, to keep design details secret. "Part of the fun and excitement at this level of the sport is that you always expect surprises," Ed Baird, the American helmsman of Alinghi, said in an interview at his team's plush base. Dalton, of the New Zealand team, predicted that Alinghi would race its new boat by June, when Act 12 is scheduled. However, Peter Isler, tactician aboard the American boat, said: "They have the beauty of having the benchmark boat from the last Cup and for last year. Without showing their cards, they can go out and, at least, sail these two acts with the world's fastest America's Cup boat." -- Excerpts from a story by Doug Mellgren on the Slam Sports website. Full story: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/OtherSports/2006/05/09/1571405-ap.html VALENCIA HAPPENINGS There was plenty of action on the waters off the Port America's Cup on Tuesday as the teams and race organizers alike worked to get in some final practice ahead of the first race day of Louis Vuitton Act 10, now just two days away. Today was as much of a run-through for Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio and his team as it was for the sailors themselves. And it was a difficult day, with the wind always soft compared with the big swell that rolled across the race course. While Emirates Team New Zealand and BMW Oracle Racing sparred on one course, Areva Challenge engaged in some practice starting and racing with Shosholoza. The Luna Rossa team also took advantage of Peter Reggio's start line and race course for some in-house racing between ITA-74 and ITA-86, while the Defender stayed ashore. -- Excerpts from a story on the Cup in Europe website; full story: http://www.cupineurope.com/NewsEN/2006/Act10.htm MAJOR MONEY Hugo Boss confirmed a four year, multi-million pound sponsorship deal with world record holding British solo skipper Alex Thomson. The sponsorship would cover a 100,000 mile race program which includes the three major round the world races in three years -- Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's Velux 5 Oceans 2006, Dame Ellen MacArthur's double-handed inaugural Barcelona World Race 2007 and the Vendée Globe 2008. Thomson is currently working with the team of designers at Finot-Conq & Associates, on his brand new state-of-the-art open 60 which will be built in New Zealand. Finot-Conq has designed four of the five Vendee Globe winners. In addition to the three races, a schedule of hospitality and promotional events will take Thomson and his boat to and beyond, the four corners of the globe - from North America to Australia. Alex Thomson set a new 24-hour solo monohull World Speed Record in December 2003 covering 468.7nm at an average speed of 19.5 knots. -- http://www.alexthomsonracing.com Curmudgeon’s Comment: Press reports have speculated that the sponsorship package is in the £5 million range (More than US$9.3 million). BETTER SYSTEMS FROM HARKEN Stay in front this season with Harken's Carbo Racing Foil. Built of high-strength, impact-resistant engineering resins that are much tougher than commodity plastics, the foil's super-smooth twin sail grooves let the bowman set, douse, and change headsails fast. For bowman tips on how to use the Carbo Racing Foil and gain that competitive edge read: Preparing for the hoist, choosing the correct groove/halyard combination for course racing, changing headsails if you're overpowered. http://www.harken.com/furling/Carbo_Racing_Foil.php SAILING SHORTS * On Monday six, state-of-the-art, 60-foot trimarans raced down the Thames River to begin the 2,500 mile London-Alpes-Maritimes race. The UK’s Yachting Universe website has some great photos and video: http://tinyurl.com/ogoz8 * Thirty-two MC-Scow's converged on Pewaukee Lake last weekend for their North American Regatta. The event was feast or famine -- no wind and no races on Saturday, but the fleet got in three races on Sunday in 6-15 knots of breeze. Final results: 1. Zack Clayton, 8; 2. Rick Wilfert, 11; 3. Dan Fink, 12; 4. Bruce Gallagher, 18; 5. David Thoreson, 20; 6. Bob Burdick (top grand master), 22. Full results: http://www.mcscow.org/ * The Yachting Universe website posted has some great images and videos of the six, state-of-the-art, 60-foot trimarans as they started their 2500-mile London-Alpes-Maritimes race Monday down London’s Thames River -- http://tinyurl.com/ogoz8 * Coverage of the 2006 Tybee 500 will start this Saturday, May 13th, on the Tybee 500 website. Rockledge Engineering's multimedia team consisting of Brian Karr, Chuck Harnden, and John Williams will be traveling up the coast to capture all of the action of this year's race. Viewers will be able to follow along as never before, with frequent text updates, photo galleries, and a state of the art video player. Video updates will be posted daily including onboard cam footage, the exciting starts and finishes, interviews, and certainly a few surprises. -- http://www.Tybee500.com * If you have an aversion to unsuccessful monkey cliff diving, the latest addition to the Scuttlebutt Games section might not be for you. However, if you have a few minutes, and feel like trying to beat the Scuttlebutt World Headquarters high score of 13,000, then give Monkey Cliff Diving a try: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/#games * Their Majesties, the King and Queen of Spain, Don Juan Carlos and Doña Sofía visited the America's Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup trophies in Madrid on Tuesday evening. They were accompanied by the Prime Minister, Jose Luís Rodríguez Zapatero; the Minister of Public Administrations, Jordi Sevilla; the Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works, Magdalena Álvarez Arza; the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Francisco Camps; the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá; the president of Alinghi, Ernesto Bertarelli; and the CEO of the organisers of the 32nd America's Cup, Michel Bonnefous. Racing in Act 10 of the Louis Vuitton Series begins Thursday. -- http://www.americascup.com * Bert Willborg, press officer of the Swedish America's Cup challenger, was quite frank about the financial situation of the team. Although they have not solved the long-term financial issues, they are sufficiently funded for 2006. They will race with SWE-63 during 2006, a boat that has been thoroughly modified, with the bow being one of the major modifications. In addition, the team will start construction of a brand new boat "during the first half of the year" in Göterborg, Sweden. -- http://valenciasailing.blogspot.com/ * Hailed as one of the oldest, continuously operating companies in Massachusetts and the entire United States, Edson International marks its 147th anniversary in 2006. It also marks 50 years of Keene family members at its helm. In 1956, Edson was purchased by Henry R. Keene Sr. In 1989 Henry’s sons Hank and Will purchased Edson and now operate the company, functioning respectively as General Manager and President. Founded in 1859 in Boston, Massachusetts by Jacob Edson, the company originally manufactured diaphragm pumps and specialty hardware for the commercial marine trade. SCUTTLEBUTT FORUMS The Newport-Bermuda Race forums contest will finish up this week, wherein the best stories from previous races earn event schwag. Also, congrats to the winners of the Yachting Cup photo contest, where the first five respondents will receive 8 x 12 inch photos from the regatta by GTS Photos. View all the Forums threads: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi PACIFIC CUP CREW NEEDED! J/World, the Performance Sailing School, is recruiting crew for the Pacific Cup Race to Hawaii this summer. This professionally coached program is appropriate for amateur racers looking to build experience, and for seasoned sailors desiring a turnkey effort without the hassles of organizing it themselves. Contact for details: 800-910-1101, http://www.sailing-jworld.com/pacific_cup.htm EIGHT BELLS Robert (Bob) Tiedemann, a lifelong sailor who had a passion for the beauty and versatility of vintage yachts, died yesterday at Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I., following a four-month struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56 years old. His keen interest in classic yachts inspired him to rescue a substantial number of antique sail and power boats from old age and disrepair. Tiedemann combined his love of antique yachts with a thriving business by convincing corporate clients that racing his 12-Metres would make a good team-building exercise for their employees and clients. He started out in 1976 by chartering Gleam on Narragansett Bay, near his home in Newport, RI. The idea of restoring old 12-Meters inspired restoration work by others who saw Tiedemann's success. Because of his efforts, there are now as many as a dozen vintage 12-Metres being chartered and raced off Newport each summer. His restoration efforts have brought him widespread acclaim, including the Maritime Heritage Award presented in 1999 by Preserve Rhode Island, a nonprofit historical group. Tiedemann was a member of the New York Yacht Club, the Antique & Classic Boat Society, and was an honorary member of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club. He was also an avid gardener, snow skier, antique collector and nautical historian. Tiedemann is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his mother, Gertrude, of Bear River, Nova Scotia; his two sisters, Janet Whitney, of Newport and Susan Comeau, of Bear River; and three nieces.A memorial service is planned for Tiedemann at Trinity Episcopal Church, Friday May 12th, at 3:00 P.M. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Trinity Church Restoration Fund in honor of Tiedemann, or to the Robert H. Tiedemann Restoration Fund at the Museum of Yachting. 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 M.L. Gunther: Sitting aboard a boat a J35 that was a designated picket boat for the re-start of the VOR, made for a long day. I was beginning to wonder if this would be worth all the effort. Up at 0400 to make a dock time of 0600 to be on station by 0930 for a 1300 start. As the spectator boats began to line both shores you could feel the excitement build. The VOR boats came out to the course and we were treated to some pre-race maneuvers and then they were off North. But when they turned South and gybed in and out of the spectator fleet we were really given a show. They came so close we were able to thank them personally for coming to Baltimore/ Annapolis. I've never enjoyed sailing as a spectator sport and prefer racing to sailing, but thanks for a once in a lifetime experience. * From Daria Blackwell: I hope that the National “Sailing” Hall of Fame and Museum does more than store and chronicle “racing” memorabilia if it is to be truly representative of “sailing” as a sport. There are many more sailors than racers, even though racers get all the glory. How about remembering all those adventurers, like Joshua Slocum (even though born in Canada he sailed out of Boston and into Newport), and legends of the sailing lifestyle, like the Pardeys, who are more likely to inspire a new generation of sailors to join the sport than Volvo Ocean Racers and Americas Cup crew? Otherwise, call it the National “Sailboat Racing” Hall of Fame. * From Peter Huston: In the story about the National Sailing Hall of Fame and Museum, Sailing World editor David Reed was quoted as saying, "I'm hoping this is a good warehouse for the eclectic. Let's get Paul Cayard's Optimist." Uh, I'm pretty sure Cayard was an El Toro guy. * From Rod Johnson (Re: David Reed of Sailing World): I take exception to Lee Tawney's comments that sailing doesn't have a "Hall of Fame" like baseball or basketball. We are so very fortunate for the vision, hardwork and dedication of Halsey Herreshoff for establishing the America's Cup Hall of Fame in Bristol, RI, which houses artifacts from the sort as well as entire yachts. Across Burnside Street lies the Herreshoff Marine Museum which houses models, artifacts, photos and entire yachts --- some restored and others awaiting funding for restoration. * From Steve Baker (re National Sailing Hall of Fame and Museum): Sailing World’s David Reed stated, "There is not a place out there that exists where physical things can hang - a wheel off an America's Cup boat," What about the Museum of Yachting in Newport, RI? Does it not already have a couple of America's Cup wheels hanging? Does it not already have a Single-Handed Hall of Fame? Is the problem that it is not in Annapolis? * From Ted Livingston: More power to Lee Tawney and his associates for getting a National Sailing Hall of Fame off the ground (at least into a posh tent) But to say that "sailing has no Hall of Fame" misses the mark by a considerable distance. If anything, sailing has more significant Halls of Fame and Museums around the country than most other sports. The Annapolis group is working--apparently and commendably-- to amalgamate them all into a single venue. (It would require a huge "tent." Maybe too much of a hike for the grandchildren of an inductee.) Regionalized Halls of Fame to coincide with historical actualities is not necessarily a bad thing. (For example, locating the America's Cup Hall of Fame at Bristol, seems altogether fitting to me.) And don't overlook what may well be the grand-daddy of them all: The Collegiate Sailing Hall of Fame, already located in Annapolis, at the Robert Crown Sailing Center, U.S. Naval Academy, founded in the mid-sixties, and recently upgraded and and extensively refurbished. Visitors welcome! * From Ray Tostado: Just a memo for flyers. Southwest Air Lines does allow PFD gas cartridges to be shipped aboard passenger flights. But they must be sent on checked baggage. A crew member from San Francisco pressed this point to make it aboard my boat for the Newport to Ensenada Race. The chances of needing a PFD in this year's race was slim, other than for a sleeping pillow. Boring! CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATIONS “I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” -- Will Rogers Special thanks to UK-Halsey Sails, Harken Yacht Equipment, and J/World. |
