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SCUTTLEBUTT 1671- September 20, 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. PARALYMPIC GAMES Athens, Greece- U.S. sailors in the 2.4 Metre and Sonar classes moved into first place in the overall standings at the Paralympic Games following the second day (Sunday) of competition at the Agios Kosmas Sailing Centre. The Sonar team of John Ross-Duggan (Newport Beach, Calif.), Brad Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Hollywood, Fla.) and J.P. Creignou (St. Petersburg, Fla.) opened the day in first place following a protest from day one that saw the disqualification of the race-winning team from Israel. The U.S. team held on to the overall fleet lead with finishes of 3-6 in today's two races. "We had an average day today," said Cregnou following the third and fourth races of the nine-race series. "The winds were very light and they change throughout the day. That requires a lot of readjusting and changing gears. It's very, very tough to figure out what the wind will do next." Tom Brown (Northeast Harbor, Maine) won both of today's 2.4 Metre races to move into first place overall in that 16-boat fleet. Brown took the lead from defending gold medalist Heiko Kroeger (Germany) late in first race of the day, and then led wire-to-wire in the second race. With eight points, Brown holds the top position in the 2.4 Metre standings, with yesterday's leader Damien Seguin (France) now in second place with 11 points. Kroeger sits third with 12 points. Sailing continues on Monday with two races only in the Sonar class. Racing for the 2.4 Metre sailors resumes with two races on Tuesday.- US Sailing, http://www.ussailing.org/Olympics/OlympicGames/2004 Sonar - 15 boats (4 races) 1. USA, Ross-Duggan/Creignou/Johnson, 13 points 2. AUS, Dunross/ Milligan/Harrison, 19 3. NED, Hessels/van de Veen/Rossen, 19 6. CAN, Mackie/Macdonald/Tingley, 27 2.4mR - 16 boats (4 races) 1. USA, Thomas Brown, 8 points 2. FRA, Damien Seguin, 11 3. GER, Heiko Kroeger, 12 9. CAN, Bruce Millar, 35 Event details and results: http://www.sailing.org/paralympics2004 OFF THE ROCKS Saturday, September 18th- Earlier this morning Mirabella V motored clear of the beach where she has been trapped since Thursday and is heading for La Ciotat near Marseilles where she will be dry docked to undergo a full condition check. A metal gantry which had been erected on deck last night over the keel box to support the 150-ton lifting keel had clearly succeeded in doing its job. Hydraulic rams had been used to support and possibly lift the keel enough to free it from the rock in which the keel's bulb had apparently been wedged. Paul Johnson who project managed the build of the 247ft yacht was overseeing the operation. The rescue coincided with an equinocial high tide which provided Mirabella with vital centremetres of water. For a full report on why Mirabella ran aground and exactly what was entailed in her rescue, read the November issue of Yachting World, published early next month. - Yachting World/David Glenn, http://www.yachting-world.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar PICTURE PERFECT There is just no way to describe with words how unbelievable the Dryshirt™ is so we have created some pictures and video on this revolutionary product. If you've been trying to determine how the Dryshirt ™ is different from Nike dryfit, coolmax or other shirts that just wicks water away, you'll immediately see the difference once you watch the shirt in action. The Dryshirt ™ is breathable, repels water, and has an SPF of 50 immersed or dry. Customized team shirts with your club or team logo available. Call 1(800) 354-7245 or view video, pictures and dealer info: http://www.sailingproshop.com/dryshirt.htm QUOTE / UNQUOTE Shirley Robertson, Britain's double Olympic champion, on whether she will go for a third gold medal in 2008: "I've seen reports saying the average wind strength is even lower than Athens. If it looked like we were facing light and shifty conditions like that, it may influence my decision whether or not to go to Beijing." - Portsmouth Today, http://tinyurl.com/4e2h7 BIG BOAT SERIES San Francisco, CA - The 40th rendition of the Big Boat Series presented by Rolex saw 101 boats competing in two IRC classes and seven one-design classes. St. Francis Yacht Club named the six Perpetual Trophy winners, who also received specially engraved Rolex timepieces. These winners were Chris Perkins and Dave Wilson (San Francisco, Calif.) won the 31-boat J/105 fleet, James Richardson (Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I.) won the nine-boat Farr 40 class, Stephen Madeira (Menlo Park, Calif.) won the J/120 class, John Siegel (San Francisco, Calif.) won IRC B class with his Wylie 42, Nicholas Lykiardopola (London, U.K.) won IRC A class with his Kerr-55, and Makoto Uematsu (Tokyo, Japan) won the TP52 class. In the remaining classes, White Fang, the Beneteau 40.7 owned by Mark Howe (Richmond, Calif.) won the six-boat class. The winner of the five-boat Santa Cruz 52 class was Thomas Sanborn (Oakland, Calif.). And Golden Moon, owned by Kame Richards and Bill Bridge, won the nine-boat Express 37 class. - Dana Paxton, Media Pro Int'l, http://www.stfyc.org RELIEF EFFORT The misery of the poor Caribbean island of Grenada, which took a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan last week, is being felt miles away in this city's boating community. A Newport company that manages charter yachts is launching a novel relief effort for the island's inhabitants. Nicholson Yachts is collecting donations of clothing that it will then send to the Caribbean -- not through the Red Cross or other established agencies -- but aboard its own fleet of luxury vessels. "Grenada is such a beautiful island and they are really such kind, gentle people," said Karen Kelly-Shea, who owns the 14-year-old Newport office of the Antigua-based business. "It struck me that they are extremely desperate. They really must have a big need -- and for basic things." Ivan caused about 17 deaths in Grenada, leaving thousands without water, electricity and phone service. An estimated 90 percent of the homes were damaged and the spice island's agricultural crops were devastated. Nicholson represents about 70 yachts worldwide, including 16 that will leave New England for the Caribbean when this year's disastrous hurricane season finally peters out. Kelly-Shea said yachts were used to deliver books and school supplies when Hurricane Louis ravaged Antigua in 1995. For more information, call 401-849-0344 or http://www.nicholsonyachts.com - Richard Salit, Providence Journal, http://tinyurl.com/3kj46 "MAN OVERBOARD!" The first seconds are always critical. A victim may be unconscious, traumatized, hypothermic…unable to help in his own recovery. Automatically activated SeaMarshall personal rescue beacons can mean the difference between a successful recovery and tragedy. For information on SeaMarshall marine beacons and homing receivers, contact Chip Barber: admin@chbarber.com or http://www.seamarshall-us.com NEWS BRIEFS * Registration is available for US Sailing's Annual General Meeting 2004, held in Portland OR, October 20th - 24th. Details at the US Sailing website: http://tinyurl.com/5gpt9 * Newport, RI- Although the remnants of Hurricane Ivan whipped up the waters off Newport this weekend and forced the cancellation of races on Saturday and Sunday, nine legendary America's Cup yachts competed in seven races on Thursday and Friday deciding the winners of the 12-Metre North American Championship. Herb Marshall's American Eagle, US-21, won in the Traditional division, Craig Millard's Courageous, US-26, prevailed in the Modern Division and Edgar Cato's Hissar, KZ-5, defeated Bill Koch's Kiwi Magic, KZ-7, in the Grand Prix division. For complete regatta details and results: http://www.museumofyachting.org * Registration is now available for the 6th International Sailing Summit (ISS) to be held in Annapolis, MD (October 5&6) and scheduled to coincide with the Annapolis Sailboat Show (which runs October 7-11). The Summit is the catalyst to pooling resources, sharing ideas and exploring ways to develop sailing internationally among regional and local leaders of the sailing and marine industry, administrators of sailing, media and representative bodies. Sample speakers include Paul Henderson (ISAF), Janet Baxter (US Sailing), Thom Dammrich (NMMA), Phillipe Fourrier (FIN), Ron Holland and Gary Jobson. Complete event details & presentation schedule can be found at http://www.sailingsummit.com * The Mexican team of Armando Noriega and Roderigo Achach dominated the seventy-one boat Hobie 16 North American fleet on Lake Oneida in Syracuse, NY. The conditions where light and shifty for most of the week with the exception of Tuesday when the winds topped out at about fifteen knots. Results: 1.Armando Noriega/ Roderigo Achach, 55 points; 2. Mike Monntague/ Cathy Ward, 77; 3. Bob Merrick/ Eliza Cleveland, 80; 4.Paul Hess/ Mary Ann Hess, 82; 5. Wall Myers/ Tyler Myers, 83. Photos and full results: http://www.hobienac.com * The original line drawings from the boards of Sparkman & Stephens have been expertly recreated into a series of limited edition fine prints for yachting enthusiasts' personal art collection. Each serigraph has been printed on Coventry rag paper by Master Printer Jean Yves Noblet, numbered and individually signed by Olin J. Stephens. Details available at 1-212-661-1240 or http://www.sparkmanstephens.com * Porto Cervo, Sardinia - On the fifth and final day of racing at the Rolex Swan Cup 2004, the fleet was put to a final tactical test in very light and shifty conditions. In the end it was Roberto Ferrero's Solenia 2 that took overall fleet honours and was awarded the Rolex Swan Cup. Individual class winners for the week were: Bugia Bianca (Swan 70) in Class A, Vertigo in the Swan 45's Class B, and Solenia 2 (Swan 48) in Class C/D. Overall class winners were presented with a Rolex Submariner timepiece in steel and gold. - http://www.yccs.it/eng/index.asp Great photos of Sardinia sailing: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/04/swan THE PLACE TO BE It has been a booming summer for Newport Shipyard. The docks have been active and averaging a dozen yachts of over a 100' at all times. The Shipyard has added more floating docks and a Med-moor system that make it a convenient base for large yachts. It has also proven to be a great center for full-out racing programs such as, Pyewacket, Morning Glory, Rosebud, Riot and Hissar. Container storage, a full-service yard, dry-sailing capabilities, Belles café and the unsurpassed boat scene has made Newport Shipyard the place to be. Contact us at http://www.newportshipyard.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 Paul Henderson: Qingdoa and Pusan - these two venues are across the China Sea from each other (Eastern Sea if you are Korean). The weather tends to be the same except for Typhoons and August is the Typhoon season. The Olympic dates were moved a month from July to August which is a little better for wind like the Great Lakes. ISAF does not rely on some weather buoy behind a mountain. ISAF does not believe in averages. If you have one foot in ice water and one in boiling water you have an average condition. Sailing is the only sport that demands two Test Events starting exactly two years before the Games. It is why the Sailing venue is always ready well before the Games. Since every place needs a good marina, Sailing is likely the most profitable Games installation as it is used for decades as has happened in Barcelona and Athens, revitalizing a derelict piece of the waterfront. ISAF bases their predictions on these two Test Events, using on-site race experience and acts accordingly. By the way, nothing Sailing does will make it a high-profile Olympic TV sport so ISAF does what we can for exposure without totally restructuring the sport. The Internet is geared to Sailing, and the ISAF website had so many hits from around the sailing world that the site crashed during the Games. But the ever ingenious Paul Pascoe shifted the load to the Aussie Hobie Cat site and everything went very well. Clever eh! * From Rob Stephan (regarding the Parental Supervision story in #1669): Bingo. You struck a chord with me since I find it to be very difficult to watch my boys race their own boats, since I am screaming inside my head about the "obvious shift" that they could have tacked on etc.. while at Lacrosse games I have a blast since I never played Lacrosse! As I get older, I am getting wiser and learning to keep my yap shut at youth sailing events has helped me greatly to realize that the real goal is for them to have such a good time that when they become adults and look back at their younger years of sailing it is with a smile and fond memories. If I am really lucky, once they become adults they will want to share the good times they have had on the water with their children and friends. That is the real magic of many great experiences on the water, be able to share it with others. * From Felipe Payet (re PeopleSoft possible sponsorship of US A-Cup team Sausalito Challenge): The plot thickens (and not necessarily in a good way). On the one hand, we see the Sausalito Challenge AC boat sporting the PeopleSoft slogan on its hull. On the other, Oracle Corporation's hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft appears to be moving forward again, based on the U.S. Justice Dept's objections to the takeover having been rejected. This doesn't seem like great news for the Sausalito Challenge... if Oracle succeeds in purchasing PeopleSoft, will Larry Ellison still allow PeopleSoft to sponsor a Cup challenge, and go head-to-head against BMW Oracle? More news coverage of the Oracle/PeopleSoft situation: http://tinyurl.com/5d8jv * From Clifford Bradford: I totally agree with Larry Law in 'Butt 1670. I have to add that there is enough variety of different types of sailing (type of racing, classes, etc.) that there's no need to make changes to find some aspect of sailing that a decent number of people will find exciting to watch. I have to admit that I'm a sports junkie - I can appreciate almost any sport shown on TV - I was watching table tennis on ESPN last night, at 7pm no less! Now, I'm sure there wasn't any groundswell of rabid table tennis fans petitioning ESPN to show table tennis. It's likely ESPN didn't even pay all the production costs. I'll make a guess that there are more people who sail in the USA than play table tennis (on a regular basis). So how does table tennis get on TV while sailing can't? I don't know the answer to that question but I have suspicions. My guess is that the table tennis guys produced the shows and lined up the advertising and ESPN didn't have to do squat but put it on. The fact is that the popularity of a sport isn't necessarily the main factor in getting it on TV. I would guess that there's more pool shown on ESPN than track and field or swimming. Does that make sense? No reason then that we couldn't get more sailing on TV. Curmudgeon's Comment: Our guess is that the production cost for sailing is much greater than that of table tennis or for some of the other sports on ESPN, (poker, billiards, darts, etc.), which makes it harder for sailing to get on TV. However, we went to Gary Jobson for his expert comments on the subject: * From Gary Jobson: The toughest thing in TV is to actually get on the air. At ESPN I was able buy the time for most of our sailing programs, except for the America's Cup. ESPN paid for its own AC production. Sponsors have been slow to embrace TV. Do they sell more product by running ads? Sometimes, but not consistently. Once on the air, ratings (number of viewers) count. In this area sailing does poorly. It is a cycle: low viewership means unfavorable time slots. I am intrigued at the comments about the Olympics. No one talked to those of who actually produced the shows on how we view a better format for the people watching at home (Gary was hired by NBC for their Olympic sailing coverage). It could all be done better. The Olympics sells because of patriotic interest. The organizers did a good job marking up the sails to match country colors. Very cool! Outside of the Olympics, the patriotism angle is lacking in other major sailboat races. When the public doesn't care, the ratings are weak. The low point in my twenty plus year career in TV was the unfortunate weather delays in Auckland. For ten straight days, there was no action. We lost any public interest. Non-sailors laughed at us. The RC should have given starts, even if the time limit was not met. But the RC dug in their heels, and the sport has been foundering ever since. The negative comments I receive don't help. It is hard enough getting airtime, but complaining forces decision makers to say, why bother. There are some innovative sailing shows in the works. The standard race format around the world is tired. Close racing, lead changes, fast boats, short races, compelling athletes, patriotic teams and emotions are the ingredients that will draw viewers to give sailing another look. Some good things are on the way. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Regatta Party: A marvelous opportunity to tell new lies to old friends and old lies to new friends. |
