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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 914 - October 3, 2001Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news of major significance; 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.
TRAGEDY Roberto Varinelli was not a novice. He participated in the 1999 Transat in a Pogo and placed 18th. This year he sailed a proto and was keen in improving his time for the crossing. Apparently the virus of the Mini caught him. In his words; " To cross an ocean on a (21-foot) mini is something very similar in a dream which is in the heart of you and you wait for the moment to live the dream" said the Italian before taking the departure. It started in 1997 that begun to sail in the Mini. He participated in the construction and in the tuning of his proto, a plan Rolland, which has already run a Mini in 1997 with Claudio Gardossi. Race website: www.transat650.com
AMERICA'S CUP Le Défi launched its sailing program in mid-July at Lorient (britanny) with two IACC yachts, FRA-46 (Monster, former 6eme Sens, the orange boat of the French Challenge in 2000) and NZL-32 (Black Magic, the winning New Zealand boat of the 1995 America's Cup). The new 2 500 m2 base (currently under construction) will be opened on 19 October 2001. The French syndicate, who stole a place in the semis of the last challenger series, has the cooperation of the French Sailing Federation (FFV) and will be working to bring in more talent from outside the current nucleus. Today, le Défi have about 50 sailors on their team from different horizons (match-racers, Maxi, IMS...). Now, time is coming for selected the group that will compose the crew in the next Louis Vuitton Cup Challengers series. With 53 sailors for 30 places (a one boat campaign ?), no positions have been definitively secured yet. " We are going to pass of a phase of detection with 53 persons in a phase of selection" said Pierre Mas. "On 8 October, a restricted group with around thirty sailors will be appointed and the next two months will be centre towards the performance." Hauraki News website. Full story: www.hauraki-news.com/LatestNews/LeDefi-LN2.htm
NEXUS WIND DATA
VOLVO OCEAN RACE Average wind and boat speeds are currently up to nine knots. Should illbruck be the first to reach the trade winds, her nine mile lead will be stretched to a sizable advantage but every inch of buffer will be needed to tactical the notorious doldrums. Tyco and Assa Abloy are still tied by a piece of string in their tussle for second, two miles ahead of Amer Sports One.
Standings on October 3 @0400 GMT:
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Eric Johnson (edited to our 250-word limit): I am a Sonar sailor and was looking forward to the Sonar World Championships held on the 17th of September. Then the attacks were made and my brother-in-law, David Fontana, responded with his unit, NYFD Squad 1, to WTC 2. David is still listed as "unaccounted for". My team and I had worked quite hard for the Worlds, but in the light of events we were not of a mind to go sailing. I cannot speak for the committees and people who have decided to cancel events, but I can understand why they might chose to do so. I am the first person to say that we have to resume our lives and lifestyles in order to fight back against the tyranny that terrorism tries to inflict. However, it should also be remembered that ours is a sport. How well one races a sailboat is a leisure activity and not critical in the larger scheme of things. A few canceled regattas are inconvenient, but is not knuckling under. How people and committees react these events is a personal matter and their choice and that should be respected. This thread can only churn in the morass of personal opinion and will not bring any greater discussion or enlightenment to the sport that we are all so passionate about. I request that it be dropped and we can return to discussions about wind, water and boats. * From Malcolm McKeag: In Butt 913 a sailor wrote, in connection with attending a world championship: "last minute... [cancellation of the event]... "left those of us who planned on attending, (but had not yet sent in our entry), with reserved tickets and lodging reservations, which in many cases could not be cancelled with(sic - but presumably meaning without) penalty. " On behalf of event organizers everywhere, from little club meetings to major worlds, may I offer that sailor and indeed all others who leave their entries until the last moment a heartfelt plea? When you book your plane ticket, and reserve your hotel room - send in your entry. Organizers have to make plans too - and most of those plans, not least the plan about whether or not to have the event at all, are usually entirely dependent on who, and how many, intend coming to the party. If a sailor doesn't even let the organizers know he or she plans on being at the event, I don't think he or she has much to complain about if the organizers pull the plug, for whatever reason and in whatever circumstance. * Helen Johnstone: The act of terrorism that the entire world experienced on September 11 is the epitome of evil. However, good will overcome evil. My prayers and condolences go out to all of the victims and their families and the world as a whole. It is important to allow oneself to mourn but, at the same time, it is just as important to maintain a positive focus and move forward with our respective lives. Personally, I have always found serenity, peace and healing from the stresses of everyday life while sailing on the ocean and enjoying the camraderie of those who share the same values. I hope that the sailing community world-wide does not allow the events of September 11 to affect their decisions, whatever those may be. * From Ron Baerwitz (edited to our 250-word limit): I agree whole heartily with Mr. Menninger. The weekend after the tragic events of Sept. 11th, I had planned to participate in a One - Design regatta in the Pocono Mountains of PA; a race I participate in every year. After that Tuesday I thought long and hard if my family and I should go. Would there even be a race? Would anyone else show up? Would I be showing disrespect to the victims and their familles if I went racing? By Thursday, I realized that all we were doing was watching TV. My wife was becoming more depressed every day and my kids, too young to really understand, were frustrated with the lack of our attention. I finally decided to go racing. And, so did many others. In fact, it was one of the largest turnouts for this race in recent times. We needed to get away. We never lost perspective of the events or stopped watching the news. But it was our decision and our necessity to keep things as normal as could be. The weekend turned out great and our minds away from the horrid events for a few hours a day. It was our own personal decision and the race organizers merely gave us an opportunity to have a choice. And, that my friends, is what the terrorists would like to take away, choice. * From Ken Guyer: Deciding on whether an event should go forward or not in the aftermath of the attack on our country is one of the most difficult decisions to make. Here in San Diego, the annual BayFair power boat races were scheduled to begin just three days after that horrendous tradgety. The organizers went through a lot of pain and emotion before deciding to continue. As it turned out, it became a gathering place for families to get out of the house and be together. But it was still agonizing for the participants and the race teams. Other events across the nation went through similar decision-making, go or no go. It was not easy for any of them I am sure. But the simple fact is, the decision was made. There is not a right or wrong decision in these cases. It can be argued both ways till the sun goes down and still no matter which side you are on, in this extreme case of national pain and suffering, there is just no wrong answer. We will continue to grow back to some form of normal living, although no doubt not the same as it was before the attack on our nation. Let's just let organizers and the people who have to make these decisions have the space, input, and time to do so. Let's accept their choice and not sit back and second-guess the motives or rational for the decision. In these extraordinary times, it really is not fair. CURMUDGEON' COMMENTS: On this note, we declare this thread officially dead.
QUOTE / UNQUOTE - Volvo Ocean Race "The speed differences between the boats are almost immeasurable and all gains and losses come from positioning and strength of breeze you are in." - Kevin Shoebridge, Team Tyco "It's never easy to get it right is it? Here we are in the longest period of sustained light air vmg (velocity made good) running (downwind sailing) in any of the round the world races I have been in, in the fattest boat in the fleet, by heaps. Lucky for good spinnakers as we have News Corp near us and although there is a constant root, it is not too bad as yet. Today on day 9 we have started to ration our food. With 20 days of food remaining (I think we need to turn that into 25 days). Not really a problem as we have good large portions." - Grant Dalton, skipper Amer Sports One "Never in my life has my patience been tested harder. A small loss during the first days out of England has grown to a massive distance, even if we have been fighting like hell, day and night and most likely made very few mistakes the last days. We just missed the first train and our train just won't give us opportunities to go as fast at the moment. We simply have less wind than the leading pack. The big wall of no wind that could gave slowed them down, decided to let them through before us and instead sucked up every knot of wind around us." - Knut Frostad, Skipper, djuice Patience Testing Programme
INVESTMENT ADVICE
AMERICA'S CUP DATES
America's Cup Match: New website: www.LVCup.com
THE CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL |
