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SCUTTLEBUTT 1285 - March 13, 2003Powered 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 emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. GUEST EDITORIAL As the Syndicate Head for the Australian Catamaran Challenge and the person responsible for all correspondence to and from the Trustees of the Deed of Gift of the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy at Seacliff YC, I am compelled to reply to the letter from John Dawson Jr., which contains a number of explicit and implicit inaccuracies. The Trustees' written correspondence welcoming a challenge from us in January 2002 did not contain any time limitations. Throughout the remainder of 2002 we had no further contact from the Trustees at all. I am not aware who the Australian representative is that John speaks of, in his letter. By contrast we were informed on January 14, 2003 that a meeting was to be held 5 days later to decide the fate of the event. At this point we made a necessarily hurried submission and forwarded a formal challenge. In contrast to the behaviour of the Trustees, Steve Clark, the last winner of the Little America's Cup and leader of the formidable Cogito team has been the model of a sporting gentleman, happy to share with us and the world all of their design features, construction techniques and so forth, and to work tirelessly toward preserving this once great event. One of the saddest aspects of the dumbing down of the event into a match race on factory plastic, is that it ignores the fact that virtually every aspect of the modern racing catamaran, including the trampoline bridge deck, fully battened main sails, asymmetric dagger boards, aerofoil-shaped over-rotating mast, the missing forebeam and so on, came from the developments pioneered by the early Little America's Cup teams. One of the best and more durable Olympic designs, the Tornado, arose from the early British foray into the larger C class craft. - Ian Jenkins Syndicate Head, Australian Catamaran Challenge RUSSELL COUTTS Champion yachtsman Russell Coutts took no special precautions when he sent his Olympic gold medal to his old school this week. The three-time America's Cup winner just bundled it into an envelope, wrote an accompanying note on an Alinghi letterhead and posted it off to Otago Boys High School in Dunedin. "It's fair to say I was a little taken aback," Coutts' friend and Otago Boys master of yachting Allan Garbutt said yesterday. "I'd been badgering Russell for a while for some sort of memorabilia, but I didn't expect this. The package arrived and out falls this big heavy gold thing. It's amazing, an extremely nice gesture." Mr Garbutt said Coutts, who skippered Alinghi to take the America's Cup from Team NZ - his former team - two weeks ago, had been supportive of his old school, donating a yachting trophy and frequently calling in to chat to pupils. Three years ago he presented his Team New Zealand shirt to the school. Coutts won gold in the Finn class at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, famously overcoming painful boils to sail to victory. Mr Garbutt said the medal, which came with the original Olympic scoresheet, was most likely to be displayed permanently at the school, alongside photographs of Coutts' glittering career. Otago Boys rector Clive Rennie said Coutts' gesture was "humbling". - New Zealand Herald, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/americascup/acstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3200527&thesection=sport&thesubsection=americascup&thesecondsubsection=general COMMAND OF THE WEATHER Cold fronts are windy with sudden shifts. Sea breezes start on the beach, work outward, then die outside first. Racing or cruising, weather affects every aspect of our sailing. Learn to understand the weather at the daylong seminar presented by Commanders' Weather and Bill Biewenga. Sponsored by Ockam Instruments, Blue Water Sailing, and Spinsheet Magazine, the interactive classes are available in Chicago, Annapolis, Detroit, Newport, and Marblehead this March and April. Ockam U sessions are scheduled on the day following in Chicago and Newport. For Weather Seminar details visit http://www.WxAdvantage.com or e-mail billbiewenga@compuserve.com. For Ockam U information, email tom@ockam.com SAILING SHORTS * At 21:00 local time (24:00 GMT) Simone Bianchetti on Tiscali was 120 miles from the Around Alone finish line in Salvador, Brazil travelling at 10 knots. His latest ETA is 09:00 Thursday morning. - www.aroundalone.com * The Sunfish International Masters Championship was held at the Upper Keys Sailing Club on Key Largo, FL, March 7-9. Chris Williams of Philadelphia, PA, was the overall winner. All age group winners and complete results are at: www.upperkeyssailingclub.com/index.html * Van Gorkom Yacht Design recently donated the tank test data for the VG30, compiled at IMD in St. Johns, Newfoundland, to the ORC's International Technical Committee. Jim Teeters, the technical director of the ITC, said "this will be a valuable data point in the VPP's assessment of drag due to heel." - www.vgyd.com JULES VERNE TROPHY - DAY 60 Since yesterday, the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran has been back up to speed, covering 405 nautical miles on her 60th day at sea; an average of 16.90 knots. She is currently making the most of the southerly winds that are driving her at over 20 knots and almost directly towards Ushant. It's a weather situation that seems set to last until midday tomorrow. "By tomorrow midday, we'll be about 1050 miles from Ushant," said Geronimo skipper Olivier de Kersauson. "That will leave us 71 hours to cover the distance, which in turn means we'll have to average 14 knots to cross the line in time, but we're far from certain of being able to achieve that. Despite everything we've put up with so far, all we need is a little bit of air."- www.grandsrecords.com NEIL BAKER Former Southern California sailmaker, talented, well-known and well-liked racing competitor Neil Baker, 40, was found dead in his home Wednesday morning. The cause of death was not immediately determined. The Cal 20 Class Association has announced that their 2003 Class Championship regatta at the Long Beach Yacht Club will be dedicated to Baker, who won that championship twice. Aloha dear friend, How we will miss you. Since we were kids, You were one of a special few. No matter what the storm, You were always bright. Making me laugh, Red hair such a fright. We will love you forever, As you sail on, To far better seas, Far beyond. - Jennifer Golison CLIPPER 2002 Race seven of the Clipper 2002 series gets underway this Thursday, 13 March 2003, on a 925 nautical mile race from Yokohama to Shanghai. The stretch from Yokohama onto Shanghai will see crews contend with the notorious Kuroshio Current, which can reach a speed of 4 knots, as they embark on a south westerly course as far as the southern tip of Kyushu Island, some 500 miles away. After six races and four different winners so far, Jersey currently lead the overall Clipper 2002 standings on 39 points, with Bristol chasing hard on 34 and London not much further behind on 31 points. The fleet is now moving out of oceans, back into seas, and crews will wave farewell to the Pacific as they pass Kyushu and enter the China Sea. The latest stopover in Yokohama has been a welcome break for the Clipper crews and with many arriving a day earlier than expected, this has enabled them to fully enjoy the exceedingly warm hospitality of their Japanese hosts despite the colder climate. One truly popular feature of the Bayside Marina, the heated lavatory seats, has once again proved to be a big hit with the crews. - www.clipper-ventures.com GEAR OF THE MONTH Engineered Breaker Sailing Shorts, & Longs by Sailing Angles not only offer protective options of both knee and/or butt pads but UV blocking as well! Double Cordura knees and seats, with Supplex breathable bodies, non-corroding zippers, double waist buttons, waist adjustment straps that adjust down 2" and the optional Knee and Fanny Fender™ are just some of the engineered features of this gear that distinguishes it from all others! 5 colors: khaki, navy, black, red, khaki/navy and in new silver. Gear up today, sail fast tomorrow! Available at APS, Layline, Sailnet & http://www.sailingangles.com BRAD BUTTERWORTH (Magnus Wheatley has done a very interesting interview with Brad Butterworth for the Yachts and Yachting website. Here are just two short excerpts.) Magnus Wheatley: Okay but you and the 'Magic' team, as the most successful AC sailors of all time, can surely write your own cheque now. If say Larry Ellison came along and offered you $10m US would you go or is what you've created at Alinghi too good to leave? Brad Butterworth: If you look at the past you can see a pattern of who I respect and trust in sailing. I think it would be very hard to work outside Alinghi because of the relationship I have with Russell, Simon (Daubney), Warwick (Fleury), Deano (Phipps) and Murray (Jones) and also the relationships that have been formed over the last three years with Ernesto, Michel Bonnefous and other sailors in this team. Also the goals that Russell has set out and achieved for this team have been quite remarkable really. MW: What has Russell got that no-one else seems to have? BB: Well I'm a bit biased but I think he's just the complete package. He's not a designer but he's got a great understanding of the design side of it and his way of motivating people is incredible. He leads from the front and he doesn't expect anyone to do things that he wouldn't do himself. He's willing to do it the hard way if it has to be done the hard way and he's got a mental strength that I think is second to none. In the end this time it's wound up being bloody hard after all the local pressure he's had to go through and I know the struggle that he's endured and throughout it he's shown just incredible tenacity, that's what makes him tick. - Yachts and Yachting website, full interview: www.yachtsandyachting.com/default2.asp?section=11&article=9058 LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (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 or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Andy Vare: Whoa! Star sailors have just received this message from Class President Simoneschi: "Through a long cooperative discussion with ISAF, we have determined the final qualification procedure for the 2003 ISAF World Championship in Cadiz. The Central Office will verify the entries and submit them to ISAF, who will have the final say to their eligibility within this test event. There will be no Gold Star awarded. This will be the only Star Class World Championship in 2003." This is an unprecedented development, as the World Championship is, to most Star sailors, the assignment of the Gold Star. At least, it has been since 1921 or so. The Star Class has an honors system unique to sailing, where events are rated Brown, Green, Blue, Silver and Gold levels, and winning skippers earn colored stars for their mainsails, or bars and chevrons for placing in individual races at such levels. While it's probably a mistake to put too much emphasis on class honors, I feel it's totally out of line for the ISAF to undercut the class this way. The ISAF now usurps Star class management, which is not a good development for healthy, independent class associations. This will only be a positive development if more sponsor money flows into the class association as a result, something I highly doubt. We need Riccardo's explanation on the 'Butt, with no mincing of words. What's up with the IOC and why the arm twisting? * From Tim Hedges: Whatever faults Peter Harrison may or may not have as an individual at least he had the courage to put his money on the line to put forward a British challenge. Maybe he was motivated by ego, but if so I am sure that he was not alone amongst team owners in wanting to derive personal satisfaction from entering. The history of the America's Cup is littered with egos, and I can not believe that Ellison or Bertarelli were purely motivated by altruism. There are many ways in which the very wealthy can choose to enjoy their money, at least this way we can all share a little in that enjoyment, even if it was sadly short lived in the case of GBR Challenge. I wonder if the critics would have shouted so loudly were the cup to have returned to Cowes? * From Peter Harken: Magnus Wheatley was spot on regards GBR and Peter Harrison's AC challenge. Peter Harrison put his money where his mouth was, all of it by himself, earned from the ground up! The "whingers" dig into others pockets. Good on ya, Peter and GBR peoples, great effort, good country ambassadors, Britain is back! * From John Mandeno: As a member of the RNZYS, I'm afraid I have to take an exception to some of Dan Meyers' comments in his letter to you. He implies that the RNZYS supported the Blackheart campaign. Wrong. There was absolutely no correspondence to me as a member on that matter, either in the form of the monthly broadsheet or magazine, or if things were really desparate, a rallying phone call. Nor have I had any correspondence about "tossing" Coutts and Butterworth out of the club. I understand that that proposition came from a single member of the club, not the officers or committee. To date, including the notice for a Special General Meeting (Constitutional matters, folks - pretty boring) to be held on Thursday (NZT), there has been no mention of the issue, if there ever was one. Dan, you really need to come down to NZ &understand why, by and large, us Kiwis have got over it all a few weeks down the track. In any event, the country's sporting attention is focused right now on the Cricket World Cup. As for Americas Cup, most folks would gladfully say "no regrets" * From Howard Spencer: Can you please close down the Kiwi bashing thread. Yeah we made some mistakes, some of us weren't the best of sports but let's all just grow up a bit and get over it - can you look in the mirror and tell me there aren't people in your country who'd be any better behaved? Most kiwi sailors are embarrassed by what has occurred, ask one. CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Consider it done! * From Senet Bischoff: Kudos to Dierk Polzin for doing the work to back up what a number of us (both inside and outside of collegiate sailing) have been saying about the existing ISAF rule on tacks and gybes for years. I once saw Bill Hardesty and his crew (in a college regatta, where it is legal) put his FJ mast absolutely horizontal on a tack, and then snap it back to vertical without going past vertical in one quick move, and gain three boat lengths in the process. Why should the rules disallow that if he has the skills to pull it off? My only question is, why haven't I (and other sailors who have to sail under the rules) been asked this type of question before? Now all we need is to have US Sailing and ISAF seek our feedback to other ISAF rules that don't work well in the real world. My pick? The "new" windward/leeward rule (that requires that a leeward boat with luffing rights give a windward boat "room" to keep clear) creates a situation where every incident or protest results in a judgment call by an umpire or judge, and no-one knows who's right until its' all over. The old rule ('windward boat must keep clear, no matter how fast the boat with luffing rights luffs') never had that problem. * From Peter Commette: Reading Dierk Polzin's kinetics poll, your readers should be cautioned that, while interesting reading, it should not be quoted or referred to as authority for anything, except that there seems to be a lot of interest in kinetics. His poll admittedly "is not entirely scientifically accurate." "Scientific" polls have a calculated accuracy and are conducted under set conditions. As a trial attorney, I have had to commission polls to be taken on tradename confusion, and then had to argue to the judge for admissibility or to the jury on the persuasive weight to be given the poll. Believe me, there is a tremendous difference between the accuracy of polls and the conditions under which they are given. Also, report skewing bias can many times be inserted in the form of appendices which do not report all responses or even in the conclusions to be drawn from the data. I am not accusing Mr. Polzin of being biased or trying to foster a hidden agenda, but "unscientific" polls can be inadvertently misleading. For example, I would be a bad person to take a poll on the subject. I like the college rule on tacking; I hate the constricting Rule 42; and I think it's a laughable situation where the ISAF is considering training "propulsion observers." To me, there is a reason why over thirty years of propulsion restrictions have failed. My bias somehow would find its way into the report. * From Peter Huston: Whoever is writing for nzoom.com about the fancied "merger" of TNZ and OracleBMW must not understand the difference between "merger" and "buyout". No doubt that Chris Dickson will review all available human and technical assets within all teams, and if he feels they can add something to OracleBMW, then he will make them an offer. A more likely merger could be that of TNZ and Team Dennis Conner, sailing for a club such as the Royal MoolaHulaPuna YC, and funded by a large European outfit. This team then of course would be nicknamed "Stars & Sheep". * From Bill Lee: A comment on the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy - Everyone keeps asking for a new development rule and the C Class Catamaran rule is the absolute epitome of development rules. It encourages VERY fast boats and there is no question that it represents the ultimate in simple rules combined with many open ended creative opportunities. If the Sea Cliff Yacht Club wants an event for Production Cats, they should start one. But it would be far better to establish a new trophy, rather than take this one away from the superb development challenge that it represents. Then they would have two quality multihull events, each feeding the other. The International Catamaran Challenge Trophy should remain in C Class Cats and on a pedestal for those few at the pinnacle of inshore multihull development who wish to try their hand at it. * From Tim Bohan: I understand the frustrations of Steve Clark and I would love to watch a couple of truly "high tech" C cats race for the Little America's Cup but...Where are they?? Why no LAC race since 1996?? How can you have a regatta if nobody shows up? THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Joy is the jackpot. Anyone who still thinks jack is the jackpot, doesn't know jack about joy. |
