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SCUTTLEBUTT 1652 - August 23, 2004Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere. OLYMPIC SAILING * Saturday - American sailor Kevin Burnham politely waved to race officials at the finish line, let out a whoop and did a back flip into the deep-blue Saronic Gulf. It was a gold-medal splashdown, one he'd been waiting a long time to do. Burnham, of Miami Beach, and his skipper, Paul Foerster of Rockwall, Texas, outwitted and outmaneuvered their British rivals in a classic match race Saturday in the 470 class to win their first Olympic gold after years of trying. "This is my fourth Olympics, I've had two second places, and you always think, 'Well, we won the silver, but it's kind of a letdown not winning the regatta,'" the 40-year-old Foerster said. "It's nice not having a letdown. It feels great." British skipper Nick Rogers, 27, and crew Joe Glanfield, 25, got the silver. "We knew it would be tough to beat the Americans because they had enough silver to dunk a donkey," Glanfield said. "They wanted a gold. They did a good job." The powerful British team got its second gold of the games Saturday, when Ben Ainslie completed his remarkable comeback from an earlier loss in the protest room to finish first in the Finn class. Ainslie is unbeaten in major regattas since switching to the Finn from the Laser following his gold-medal performance in Sydney in 2000. But the British had no chance against Foerster and Burnham, who came into the final race with a two-point lead. They were the only two crews with a chance at the gold, and a match race quickly developed. The British wanted to build speed and make a timed run at the starting line, but the wind shifted and dropped below eight knots. The Americans trapped them well below the line and gained control. "We were able to get on top of them and there wasn't enough time to get to the starting line. I knew we just had to stay in front of them. We just drove them back, Burnham said." Ignoring the rest of the 27-boat fleet, Foerster and Burnham matched the British tack for tack during a fierce duel and let all the other boats get away. The Americans and British tacked 12 times in the final minutes before the starting gun, then tacked nearly 30 times on the upwind first leg. The Americans followed the basic rule of match racing by keeping their boat between the British and each mark. (The two boats finished nearly a minute after the other 470s.) Foerster and Burnham won the gold by three points. - Bernie Wilson, AP as posted on the Washington Post website, http://tinyurl.com/43laz 470 Men - 27 boats (Final Results - 11 races with one discard) 1. USA, Paul Foerster/Kevin Burnham, 71 2. GBR, Nick Rogers/Joe Glanfield, 74 3. JPN, Kazuto Seki/Kenjiro Todoroki, 90 470 Women - 20 boats (Final results - 11 races with one discard) 1. GRE, Sofia Bekatorou/Aimilia Tsoulfa, 38 2. ESP, Natalia Via-Dufresne/Sandra Azon, 62 3. SWE, Therese Torgersson/Vendela Zachrisson, 63 5. USA, Katie McDowell/Isabelle Kinsolving, 84 13. CAN, Jennifer Provan/Nikola Girke, 103 Finn - 25 boats (Final results - 11 races with one discard) 1. GBR, Ainslie, Ben, 38 2. ESP, Rafael Trujillo, 51 3. POL, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, 53 11. USA, Kevin Hall, 132 18. CAN, Richard Clarke, 134 Yngling -16 boats (Final results - 11 races with one discard) 1. GBR, Shirley Roberston/Sarah Ayton/Sarah Webb, 39 3. UKR, Ruslana Taran/Svitlana Matevusheva/ Ganna Kalinina, 66 2. DEN, Dorte Jensen/ Christina Borregaard-Otzen/Helle Jespersen, 71 10. USA, Carol Cronin/Liz Filter/Nancy Haberland, 86 15. BER, Paula Lewin/Peta Lewin/ Christine Patton, 108 16. CAN, Lisa Ross/Deirdre Crampton/Chantal Leger, 116 * Sunday - Out in the middle of the Olympic course, Paul Cayard felt like he was back in the cutthroat America's Cup. The U.S. skipper lost his lead in the Star class with a bad afternoon on the Saronic Gulf on Sunday, finishing 15th and 10th to tumble to seventh place. He admittedly made some bad decisions, but he wasn't real happy about having to make two momentum-killing, 720-degree penalty turns in the span of just a few minutes in the day's first race. In the time it took to spin the four circles, he dropped from third to last and never recovered. The Star has always had a reputation for being a gentlemanly class, but things apparently change when medals are on the line. Skippers from Ireland and Great Britain claimed the American skipper sailed too close to them, which brought on the penalties. Cayard, of Kentfield, Calif., didn't see it that way. "I just thought they were both a little petty," said Cayard, 45, who's in his first Olympics after distinguishing himself during five America's Cup campaigns and winning a round-the-world race. "Some people are in the do-anything-to win mode. So you have to be aware of that, though. That's part of the game, and you have to stay clear of that." John Lovell of New Orleans and Charlie Ogletree of Houston had a much better day aboard their Tornado catamaran. They finished first and sixth to take sole possession of first place, two points ahead of defending gold medalists Roman Hagra and Hans Peter Steinacher of Austria with four of 11 races sailed. The U.S. 49er crew, Tim Wadlow of Boston and Pete Spaulding of Miami, dropped from third to sixth with finishes of 13th and eighth. There are five races left in the 16-race series. Also, two more gold medals were awarded. Brazil's Robert Scheidt won the Laser class, giving him three straight Olympic medals to go along with an unprecedented seven world championships. He won the gold in 1996 and the silver in 2000. Norway's Siren Sundby won the Europe class for her first Olympic gold medal. - Bernie Wilson, AP as posted on the San Jose Mercury News website, http://tinyurl.com/4xz9p Europe - 25 boats (Final results - 11 races with one discard) 1. NOR, Siren Sundby, 47 2. CZE, Lenka Smidova, 65 3. DEN, Signe Livbjerg, 74 12. MEX, Tania Elias Calles, 98 14. USA, Meg Galliard, 113 Laser - 42 boats (Final results - 11 races with one discard) 1. BRA, Robert Scheidt, 55 2. AUT, Andreas Geritzer, 68 3. SLO, Vasilij Zbogar, 76 8. USA, Mark Menderblatt, 111 29. CAN, Bernard Luttmer, 245 41. ISV, Timothy Pitts, 381 49er - 19 boats (After 11 of 16 races with one discard) 1. UKR, Rodion Luka/George Leonchuk, 26 2 ESP, Iker Martinez /Xavier Fernaandez, 57 3 GBR, Chris Draper/ Simon Hiscocks, 62 6. USA, Tim Wadlow/Pete Spaulding, 71 Star - 17 boats (After 4 of 11 races) 1. BRA, Torben Grael/Marcelo Ferreira, 11 2. DEN, Nicklas Holm/ Claus Olesen, 20 3. SUI, Flavio MAarazzi/ Enrico DeMaria, 21 4. CAN, Ross MacDonald/ Mike Wolfs, 25 7. USA, Paul Cayard/ Phil Trinter, 32 16. BER, Peter Bromby/ Lee White, 52 Tornado - 17 boats (After 4 of 11 races) 1. USA, John Lovell/Charlie Ogletree, 11 2. AUT, Roman Hagara/Hans Peter Steinacher, 13 3 ARG, Santiago Lange/ Carlos Espinola, 19 Complete scores: http://www.sailing.org/olympics2004 Updated Olympic photo gallery: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/olympics MELTEMI Translated roughly to 'air with no route,' the gusty, shifty and challenging breezes of the Saronic Gulf were testing but big congratulations goes out to 470 team Foerster/Burnham. Both wearing Kaenon Polarized Kore sunglasses utilizing Glare 86® Polarizing Element and the proprietary Light Transmission Control™ (LTC®) technology exclusive to the Kaenon Polarized SR-91® lenses, they conquered the mighty Meltemi to capture their Gold medals. Trimming to shifts from the wire or deciphering puffs holding the tiller, Kaenon Polarized helped them translate what they were seeing to a victory and can do the same for you. Available at APS… http://www.apsltd.com/scuttlebutt THE EXPERTS There were three gold medals that many experts felt were as good as decided on the eve of this Olympic regatta. Ben Ainslie, Robert Scheidt, and Siren Sundby had been so dominant in their classes--Finn, Laser, and Europe, respectively--that the pundits felt even the inconsistent and occasionally random wind conditions of the Saronic Gulf wouldn't be enough to dislodge any one of them from the top of their classes. Sometimes the experts are right. - Stuart Streuli from Athens, Sailing World website, full story: http://tinyurl.com/5bnsl COMMENTARY The ISAF website covering the Olympic games is an absolute masterpiece. Mark roundings are posted promptly and standings are updated almost as soon as the last finisher crossing the line. It's all very user friendly, easy to navigate and incredibly timely. And they have lots of the other stuff too, like weather, competitor bios - even a summery of the protests and the action taken. It's truly a superior effort! - The Curmudgeon LIGHTSURF INTERNATIONAL 505 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Santa Cruz YC, CA - By wrapping up the 102-boat LightSurf 505 World Championships with a day to spare, Morgan Larson/ Trevor Baylis were able to stay ashore for the final race while the remaining spots on the podium were being sorted out. Final results (seven races with one discard): 1. Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis, USA, 13 points 2. Howard Hamlin/ Peter Alarie, USA, 31 points 3. Mike Martin/ Jeff Nelson, USA, 35 points 4. Dan Thompson/ Andy Zinn USA, 40 points 5. Pinnell/ Hunt, GBR, 47 points Event website: www.505worlds2004.org/ Great images from heavy air races: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/505worlds FOR THE RECORD After a day and a half at sea Bruno Peyron and the crew of (his maxi catamaran) Orange II are passing to the south of Newfoundland. They have already sailed in the order of 900 miles since passing Ambrose Light off New York in their bid to break the west to east transatlantic record. At present they are around 55 miles behind where PlayStation was 1 hour and 25 minutes further down the track. At present they are averaging 25 knots so this puts them around 8 miles astern of the American catamaran. Conditions are still around 25 knots from the southwest. This looks set to build to 40 knots or so and veer further west over the next 24 hours, so if the 700 miles 24 hour record is to be broken this is the time. - The Daily Sail, full story: http://tinyurl.com/459fn QUOTE / UNQUOTE * "Ben (Ainslie) is the best sailor I have ever sailed against. He is very determined and focused but above all he looks as if he was born in a boat. He can do things none of us can." - Mateus Kusznierewicz, Polish Finn Gold Medallist in Atlanta, who won the Bronze in Athens. - From Brough Scott's story in the Daily Telegraph, http://tinyurl.com/6owus * "I'd love to be at the Olympics in Beijing if it's possible. I would probably have to compete in the Finn class because I'm too fat for the Laser and it would take too long to get used to anything else." - Ben Ainslie, BBC website, http://tinyurl.com/5f4n9 * "I am personally very happy to have the opportunity to race for a gold medal, and it has been a fantastic journey back to my roots...where I developed the talent that has given me a great career in the sport of sailing. Some of us have well known names in the sport of sailing but that doesn't mean we're are still the best sailors. I am checking in to find out where I rank amongst the best. Could be humbling, could be exhilarating. No matter what, the journey has been fantastic." - Paul Cayard ENDLESS SUMMER Summer is winding down with great sailing yet to come. Keep the summer short season alive with a sailor's best friend: The Clewgear Micro Fleece Lined sailing short! The Micro Fleece lining keeps that warm summer feeling long after the solstice. Find Clewgear info and retailers: http://www.clewgear.com NEWS BRIEFS * Mentor Harbor YC, OH - Enrest Rodriques and his crew Leandro Spina were able to stay close to George Szabo and Brian Janney in the fourth race of the Snipe Nationals to maintain a 3 ¼ point lead going into the final race of the regatta. However, big wind shifts caused that final race to be abandoned, and Rodriques and Spina became the 2004 champions. Augie Diaz/ Mark Ivey finished third in the 56 boat regatta with Augie's dad Gonzalo Diaz Sr. and Kristi Patterson winning the Wells Series. www.snipe747.com/nationals/Nationals082004.htm * Gary Jobson tells us the remaining Olympic sailing television shows on the Bravo Network will range from 15 to 30 minutes. The schedule featured classes are Tornado (Monday), 49er (Tuesday and Thursday), Mistral (Wednesday) and the Star (Saturday). Friday is a reserve day. * The 140-foot Mari-Cha IV was loaded on the container ship Cielo del Canada in Long Beach, California and is now heading for the Panama Canal. She is perhaps the largest sailboat to travel on the deck of a container ship. Mari-Cha IV is schedule to be in the Med around Sept 6 where the rig will be re-stepped and the boat prepared for Voiles de St Tropez. - Photos posted: www.mari-cha4.com/pub/frameset.php * Two lucky Laser sailors were amongst the grand prize winners from the 2800 sailors who joined in to celebrate the fourth annual Summer Sailstice the weekend of June 19/20,. Noah French of Branched Oak Yacht Club in Nebraska was the winner of the one week BVI charter from The Moorings and L. Harrington of Pinecrest, FL won the $500 gift certificate from West Marine. They were just two of the winners from the almost 200 prizes donated by marine companies. Summer Sailstice 2005 is planned for the weekend of June 18/19. For the complete list of winners: www.summersailstice.com * The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has already received 26 Applications to Enter the 628-nautical mile 60th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, including several from overseas and from New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The race starts on December 26 and the final date for Applications to Enter is November 5. The Notice of Race is now available on the official website: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com * UK singer/songwriter Peter Brodie is donating one US Dollar to the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) for every copy of his new 'The Music of Peter Brodie'CD sold during 2004. This CD consists of ballads, some love songs, others about getting away from it all in - by road, on a freight train, to the beach, or in the case of the song 'Summer Breeze', on a boat.. An IFDS spokesperson said, 'Summer Breeze' epitomizes the spirit and triumph of sailing - www.peterbrodie.com * There were several typos in the story announcing the winning team from the US Junior Triplehanded Championship for the Sears Cup. To set the record straight, the champions are: Fred Strammer (Nokomis, Fla.), Dalton Tebo (Sarasota, Fla.), and Charlotte Sims (Venice, Fla.) SPERRY TOP-SIDER HELPS AMERICA BRING HOME THE GOLD For 18 of America's best sailors, years of sacrifice, dedication and focus will be put to the test as they go for the gold in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. To give our men and women every edge, U.S. Sailing has provided the team with the very best: from the tip of its high-tech sails to the very soles of their shoes, Sperry Top-Sider Figawi. With anchor-like traction and active drainage system, the Figawi will keep Team USA's feet fixed firmly on the deck and eyes on the prize. Grab your piece of Olympic gold at http://www.sperrytopsider.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. This is not a chat room nor a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From: Richard Clarke, Canadian Olympic Finn Sailor. I do not share the opinions expressed by Richard Clark in Scuttlebutt 1650. The English are an incredible squad with some very talented sailors and coaches, they are giving the rest of us a lesson in preparation and execution. * From Kitty Cooper: Dave Campaniello's comments on trimming the spinnaker remind me of sailing with Peter Cooper in various Etchells in fleet one. I started crewing in 1976 with no (zip, nada) sailing experience. I pulled strings and hiked out when told and I watched. A few years into this, as boats passed us on the downwind legs and Peter grew quietly distraught, I got to fly the spinnaker, as there was nothing to lose. Peter would fume and say that I had the pole too low, I had the pole too high, and I finally told him to just frigging leave me alone. And we started to move. And we passed boats. And Peter stopped complaining. I handled the pole and the sheet, I didn't know the standard procedures, I just got in tune with the sail. I didn't watch the other boats, just asked for an update on the race now and again. And it worked. Light to medium air was my element. Heavy air is more brute strength than fine tuning. The "truths" of spinnaker flying that Dave outlined work fine in a steady breeze. But I'd suggest that during the season you let someone experiment with the spinnaker in lighter conditions. Think outside the box. Better yet, don't think. * From Graham Kelly: Thanks for the pictures of the blooper. It brings back so many wonderful memories. Now, does anyone want to let Vendetta's owner know that the sail will fly better if he attaches the tack of the sail (that's the narrow corner with the North Sails sticker) to the bow, and puts the sheet on the fatter corner, so that the curve of the luff lets the sail fly outboard of the main. (See: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/0819/) * From Marc Jacobi: I am usually one of the first to voice criticism of us sailing on many levels, but have found its daily email updates from Athens most informative. Jonathan Harley provides some background info on day-to-day life at the games, while Skip Whyte's missives from the 470 coach boat provide details on the racing itself. Convenient links to sailing world daily articles, NBC's website, TV schedules and the ISAF site add further value. In fact, these Olympic updates are the only emails from us sailing I've received in the last few years that I: 1) actually read; and 2) look forward to getting. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION It is not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog. |
