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SCUTTLEBUTT 1790 - March 8, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest 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. SPRING TRAINING BMW Oracle Racing became the first America's Cup team to start a 2005 full-scale two-boat testing program on the Mediterranean waters off the coast of Valencia, Spain, site of the 32nd America's Cup. The Challenger of Record launched their "turbo-charged" Version 5 boats, USA-71 and USA-76, in Valencia last week for structural tests and instrument calibration in preparation for the start of its two-boat sailing season Monday from the Real Club Nautico. BMW Oracle Racing, returning to Valencia for its second year of full-time sailing operations, is embarking on three months of training and testing in the lead-up to the next Louis Vuitton Acts in Valencia in June. Turbo-Charged Version 5 Race Boats The team's 2003-generation race yachts underwent major modifications over the winter months in Valencia to meet the so-called Version 5 design rules. The modified boats have been "turbo-charged" with more downwind sail area and one ton less weight in the keel. USA-76 suffered significant damage last year following a severe storm that blew it and two other teams' race yachts out of their cradles following Louis Vuitton Act 1 in Marseille. Last week marked the first time USA-76 returned to the water since that September accident. Race crew members now have a number displayed on the back of their gear for ease of identification on television and by spectators during racing. Sailing Team Numbers Sailing team members selected their own numbers. They were offered to choose their favorite number between 1 and 100. Following is the sailing team and their corresponding crew numbers that will be displayed on their race gear: Ian Baker, 19; David Blanchfield, 70; Mark Bradford, 21; Gavin Brady, 5; David Brooke, 10; Stu Clarke, 31; Sean Clarkson, 9; Scott Crawford, 8; Julien Cressant, 3; Rodney Daniel, 72; Dirk de Ridder, 16; Chris Dickson, 11; Eric Doyle, 14; Noel Drennan, 63; Larry Ellison, 17; Jamie Gale, 12; Ross Halcrow, 4; Steve Hayles, 6; Zach Hurst, 25; Philip Jameson, 13; Tony Kolb, 7; John Kostecki, 2; Brian MacInnes, 44; Craig Monk, 15; Robbie Naismith, 38; Bertrand Pacé, 33; Ed Smyth, 32; Kazuhiko Sofuku, 23; Joe Spooner, 99; Brad Webb, 22; Paul Westlake, 20; Carl Williams, 30; and Bob Wylie, 29. Ninety team members are now in Valencia preparing for a busy racing and testing season. Many of the team and their families have relocated from 17 nations around the world to make their life for the next three years in Valencia. The 2005 schedule will also take the team on the road to the Louis Vuitton Acts in Malmo (Sweden) and Trapani (Italy) later in the summer. - Jane Eagleson, www.bmworacleracing.com BUILDING A FLEET On San Francisco Bay, the Islander 36 fleet "de-turboed" in order to get more boats out racing. Islander 36s have been a fixture since Alan Gurney designed them in the 1970's-Northern California alone has more than 150 of them-but the racing fleet dwindled as people with the skill sets to handle spinnakers in a big breeze moved on to newer, hotter boats. Eliminating spinnakers and big jibs was a shot in the arm for the fleet last year. Twenty boats turned out for the 2004 season opener, the Vallejo Race, making Islander 36s the biggest one design fleet in the event. Melges 24s don't have to think this way. But in 1974, neither did people who sailed Islander 36s. In 2004 the Islander 36 fleet held race seminars, a day of starting practice, and an adopt-a-skipper day that did wonders to transfer skills vertically through the fleet. SAIL's West Coast Editor read off starting-line countdowns over the radio (an efficient way to get these things done), and there was a huge difference in the way the fleet formed between start number one and start number five. People don't get this kind of experience unless you make it happen. Better yet, none of it was a one-shot, one-day deal. One of the fleet mentors was a crack sailor named Chris Boome, and one of the features of racing in the fleet for the rest of the year was hearing Boome's voice over the water (in the middle of a race) telling someone on another boat to "Pull in your mainsheet" or "Move the jib leads forward"! (The subtext being that he did not perceive that boat to be an immediate threat.) People may choose a boat for the boat, but they stay in a fleet for the people. If you want a viable class or club, it has to be a community. The Islander 36 fleet on San Francisco Bay has overlap between members who race and members who show up for fleet cruises, but for the overall health of this group, it's vital to have events that are devoted to families and non-racers. Togetherness goes a long way. - Excerpt from a story by Kimball Livingston on the Sail magazine website. Full story: http://sailmag.com/fleetbuilding/ TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION In a story in the March issue of Seahorse magazine dealing with potential entries for the Volvo Ocean Race, international yachting journalist Tim Jeffery reported that there is a possibility of an entry from a "…Hollywood film studio that has been considering using the race as the foundation for a movie similar to the America's Cup-based 'Wind' of 10 years ago." WHAT IF WE WERE WRONG ALL ALONG? For more than 25 years sailmakers have pursued the "load path model." Envisioning continuous paths of primary stress radiating out of the three corners, creating the ultimate sail shape-holding structure amounted to an exercise in carefully placing fiber, along these paths. At the 17th Cheasapeake Sailing Yacht Symposium, Dr. Ranzenbach and Dr. Xu present the latest research into the topic, and reveal a much more nuanced picture. For a fascinating, academic look into the current understanding of sail structures, read "Sail Aero-Structures: Studying Primary Load Paths and Distortion"- http://www.quantumsails.com/aero ORANGE II Orange II is climbing back up the North Atlantic on a median course. They have not been slowed by their passage of the doldrums... but a calm zone awaits Bruno Peyron's catamaran on Tuesday. A day and a half after its passage of the equator, the maxi catamaran Orange II has easily negotiated the doldrums. It is now climbing up the North Atlantic at 18 knots of boat speed but is likely to pass through a difficult zone on Tuesday. Between the West Indies and the archipelago of Cape Verde, a ridge of high pressure is blocking the route towards Ouessant. It is only once Bruno Peyron's catamaran has crossed through this calm zone that it will be able to join up with a depression dropping down off Ireland and meeting up with the tip of Brittany where he is expected from mid March. At 0050 GMT on Tuesday Orange II had covered 23535 nm at an average speed of 23.0 knots. Having sailed 443 nm in the previous 24 hours Orange II is now 3383 ahead of the absolute record held by Cheyenne with 2688 nm to go. - www.maxicatamaran-orange.com/ ORYX QUEST 2005 Tony Bullimore and his crew on Daedalus continue to take a pasting as they skirt the edge of what was Hurricane Percy. The storm is no longer considered a hurricane, but is still large and extremely dangerous. The wind is blowing out of the south at 40 gusting 50 knots as Daedalus heads steadily east. It was early Saturday morning when Tony and his navigator, Nick Leggatt decided to take avoiding action to miss what could potentially have been a devastating weather situation. For almost 24 hours they sailed slowly west on a reciprocal course to their intended route while watching the center of Hurricane Percy drift in a southeasterly direction. While Daedalus was zigzagging around the South Pacific, Cheyenne was storming toward Cape Horn and had eaten a big bite out of Doha 2006's lead. On board Cheyenne navigator Wouter Verbraak described the sailing. "Our hard work in the last week is finally paying of," he wrote. "The seas are flattening, allowing us to push the throttle down. Yes it still is freezing cold, yes, my sleeping bag is soaking wet, yes we are completely exhausted and yes I am dreaming of chocolate fondant. It all doesn't matter now. Standings: Doha 2006, 9729 miles to finish, 2. Cheyenne, 794 miles to leader, 3. Deadalus, 3035 mtl; Retired: Geronimo. - www.oryxquest.com/ ST MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA There was no overall regatta winner at the 261-boat St Maarten Heineken. Instead the Race Committee fight and argue sorry, rationally discuss and analyze the relative performance of the class winners, looking for one that won in a very hotly contested class. For the three days of the 2005 St Maarten Heineken Regatta that class has been Spinnaker 3 and so the trophy went to Sergio Sagramoso with the First 40.7 Lazy Dog. The Xerox Obersi Spirit and Style prize by went to Trey Fitzgibbons and Mischievous for their fortitude in coming to St Maarten for the past ten years with a pretty boat that has an impossible rating and manages to finish just about last every time. To most people that might be an indication that it is time for a new boat, but Trey seems attached to his. - www.heinekenregatta.com/ HOT IN MIAMI & ST. MARTIN!!! Congratulations to Plenty and Crescendo for winning their classes at St. Martin's Heineken Regatta - wearing gear from Team One Newport! Next on the agenda is Acura Miami Race Week. Don't forget your Kaenon Sunglasses to protect you from the harmful glare of the sun and help you enjoy the "scenery" in South Beach. There's still time to overnight gear to your hotel. If you need a little more sun protection, give us a call at 800-VIP-GEAR - we have Patagonia silkweight tees in stock. Good luck to all boats heading to Acura Miami Race Week! http://www.team1newport.com THE STARS Light and shifty air delayed the second day start of the Bacardi Cup in Biscayne Bay Tuesday. The international fleet of 70 Star Class boats waited on the water for almost an hour before a light 4 to 5 knot breeze arrived. Six-time Bacardi Cup winner, Vince Brun of San Diego and crew Doug Brophy of Rowley, MA were the first to catch a breeze and they never let it go winning the second day race. Standings (68 boats): 1. Vince Brun/ Doug Brophy, 5 pts; 2. Mark Mendelblatt/ Mark Strube, 7; 3. Augie Diaz/ Bob Schofield, 9; 4. Rick Merriman/ Brad Nichol, 12; 5. Arthur Anosov/ David Caesar, 12; 6. Peter Bromby/ Rick Peters, 22. - www.starclass.org/search.cgi?Action=view&Event_id=514 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar NEWS BRIEFS * There will obviously be serious competition at the 140+ boat Acura Miami Race Week 2005. Chris Larson is Michael Brennan's Transpac 52 Sjambok tactician; Brad Butterworth teams up with Dan Meyers on CM60 Numbers; and Tom Dodson will sail on Peter de Ridder's Farr 40 Mean Machine. Also, women's 470 Olympic gold medallist Sofie Bekatorou, is calling tactics on George and Stratis Andreadis' Farr 40 Atalanti; Adrian Stead is sailing on Oscar Strugstad's new Melges 32 Dawn Raid; while Jesper Bank is tactician on Wolfgang Schaaefer's Farr 40 Struntje Light. www.AcuraMiamiRaceWeek.com * Elizabeth Meyer, the founder of International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS), a vocational school and center for maritime restoration, will depart from the school's Board of Directors, confident that her founding vision for the school is solidly in place. Meyer founded IYRS in 1993 and served as chair for the first 10 years before passing the chairmanship to David Pedrick of Pedrick Yacht Designs (Newport). In January 2004, IYRS hired a new president, Terry Nathan, a businessman with track record of turning start-ups into growing companies. www.iyrs.org * Chicago YC has posted the Notice and Conditions of Race for the 2005 Race to Mackinac. In what may be a handicapping first representing a significant change in this year's race, the Committee will select, based on weather forecasts, the course mix the afternoon before the race. CYC is using Americap II for monohulls providing two possible ratings - Offshore Mainly Downwind and Offshore Course All Purpose. Americap provides a number of wind mix ratings giving race organizers a chance to pick a more course-specific schedule of ratings than is available with a single number handicap. - www.chicagoyachtclub.org * Currently, there are 42 paid entries for the Transpac Race and 13 others listed as having completed their online entries with final paperwork still in process. The total of 55 boats is only two fewer than sailed the last race in 2003, with the race still 4 1/2 months away. - www.transpacificyc.org/ * This past weekend, 83 Sunfish sailed a five race series at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for the US Masters Championship. Final results: 1. Joe Blouin, 10; 2. Tom Whitehurst, 21; 3. Todd Edwards, 24; 4. Donnie Martinborough, 38; 5 Chris Williams, 55. www.sarasotasailingsquad.com/SunfishMasterResults2005.htm * There are still two Vendee Globe competitors still left on the race course. Karen Leibovici, Karen Courage, is less than 200 miles to the NE of the Azores archipelago in strong winds and messy seas, on the damage front, the job list mounting up after 120 days at sea. On a physical front, Karen is enduring extreme physical discomfort and pain. Raphaël Dinelli (Akena Verandas) is becoming increasingly impatient for 12th place in this Vendée Globe after two fruitless attempts (retirements in 1996 and 2000). - www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk/infos/4927.html * With a 24-hour run of 151 miles, Imagine It Done holds a slim lead over BP Explorer and Barclays Adventurer in the Global Challenge'wrong way' RTW race. The fleet is still more than 4800 miles from the Cape Town finish line. - www.globalchallenge2004.com/en/ STRICTLY SAIL PACIFIC - SOMETHING FOR EVERY SAILOR Meet Kevin Burnham or Bruce Schwab. Attend US Sailing's Safety at Sea, North U, Pacific Cup prep or numerous racing seminars. Check out 300+ exhibitors and 100+ sailboats. Strictly Sail Pacific, April 13-17, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA. For details and tickets, visit http://www.strictlysail.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 Toby Reiley: In response to Dave Bandstra's comment that Steve Fossett put us all in danger may be rooted in his lack of understanding of "controlled airspace" in which "air traffic controllers" maintain proper distances between aircraft at the altitudes at which Mr. Fossett flew. As far as wild life goes, I've never heard of a "bird strike" at 45,000 feet. You and I are infinitely more likely to die due to an overly tired truck driver or a distracted parent driving the kids to school while talking on the cell phone than I am by a this superbly prepared aviator supported by a crack ground crew and support plane. By the way David, the next time you are see a commercial pilot, ask if they felt endangered by Mr. Fossett's record voyage. I just hope you aren't at the Atlanta, Orlando, San Francisco or Denver airports where they use conductor less trains between the terminals. Watch out pigeons! To Steve Fossett, Bruce Schwab, Ellen MacArther, and everyone else who dares to push the envelope... Thanks for sharing your dreams with us common folk. I'm rooting for you! * From Dave Moores: Dave Bandstra's disparaging remarks on Steve Fossett's excellent round-the world flight are, in a word, guff. Fossett did not just set off willy-nilly, endangering other aircraft. Far from it: his flight plan was filed for all airspace he flew through, and air traffic controllers across the world knew exactly where he was at all times. As for endangering wildlife - not too much of it around at 40,000 feet altitude. This is about as ridiculous as lambasting Ellen McArthur's recent record for endangering marine life and shipping! * From Paul Lowell: Question to Dave Bandstra (Scuttlebutt 1789): Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? * From Steve Malais: Richard Clark assumes the crew of Orange II cannot claim the right to a non-stop voyage, but if he reads the '72 Colregs, he'll find the defination of a vessel underway as a vessel that is not moored which includes being tied to a fixed object (ie. a wharf or dock), anchored, or aground. Since they experienced none of these situations, they qualify as being underway - but not making way. It didn't help their speed average, but at least they were non-stop. * From Judy McLennan: If WASSUP was ever to be moved to warmer waters I am sure the Manatee from Florida and the Jelly fish from the Chesapeake Bay would be more than willing to submit their findings to the "Conference Un Gout de Poisson" (for those who read French I appologise that my computor does not add the necessary accents over the letters). * From Greg Farrell: Unless I'm mistaken it's interesting to note that none of the press releases regarding Richard Perini's win in the Farr 40 world champs mentions that he is also the current reigning Mumm 30 world champion. That's quite an accomplishment for an amateur helmsman at what is considered the highest level of grand prix one design sailing the world today. Congratulations to Richard and his core team. * From Gary Wood: I have done my share of racing in the past. But I never thought that I should get a trophy for anything but a totally excellent race - from start to finish. But now I read, "If the (Farr 40) World Championship was awarded on how many boats you could pass during the course of a race, then Barking Mad would have won because their ability to climb through the fleet was immense." Maybe they should work more on their starts! CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce. |
