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SCUTTLEBUTT 1419 - September 22, 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 focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. COMMENTARY By now, most readers probably know that after six days of very exciting racing on the San Francisco Bay, Oracle BMW Racing's USA 76 narrowly defeated Alinghi (SUI 64) in both the owner-driver series (3-2) and the pro-driver series (4-3). In the process, Oracle BMW picked up Moët Cup Silver Methuselah Trophy, and the Moët & Chandon Owner-Series Jeroboam Trophy. Plus, Larry Ellison won the Harold S. Vanderbilt Trophy for "excellence in yacht racing as a team principal and skipper." On the surface, it would appear the Oracle BMW Racing Team was the big winner - but I really don't see it that way. After experiencing the event first hand, I came away feeling strongly that the big winners were the America's Cup, the people of San Francisco, the sport of sailing and the entire sailing community. This was a truly breathtaking event. It was much more than just a regatta - it was a spectacular showcase for our sport. Frequently, more than 300 spectator boats swarmed on the San Francisco Bay to see it first hand, and what a view they got. While the course marshals worked hard to make sure the ACC boats had room to 'do their thing,' they did it in such a way to insure that the spectator fleet was still able to get an 'up close and personal' look at these amazing racing machines. Particularly the photo boats. Photo-journalists were allowed to get tightly into the action and came away with shots never possible in other venues. And the conditions on the bay made for some incredible images - bright sun, flat water and 15-20 knots of breeze against a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco skyline and Alcatraz Island. Tasty stuff indeed. But you did not have to be on the water to see the exciting action. Thousands enthusiastically watched from bleachers erected next to the hosting Golden Gate Yacht Club, or from piers, docks or rocks as the 80-foot racing machines short-tacked the city front in the flood tide conditions. And tens of thousands more watched the spectacular daily television coverage produced by the Outdoor Life Network. And just to add frosting to this already delicious package, Larry Ellison hosted a $250,000, 24-minute fireworks show on Thursday night that far surpassed anything previously attempted on the West Coast of America. This dazzling display featured sophisticated, high-tech pyrotechnics fired from three separate barges anchored in the bay. This awesome display of color and technology totally overshadowed anything previously done in this part of the world, and delighted the thousands who witnessed the spectacle first-hand. The America's Cup show has now left the San Francisco Bay, but Alinghi's Ernest Berterelli promised repeat performances next year in Europe, in Newport, Rhode Island, and possibly a return to San Francisco. Personally, I can't think of a better way to promote our sport. - The Curmudgeon Event website: http://ggyc.org/moet/index.htm Some of the websites with Moët Cup images: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2805942&uid=1433118&members=1 http://www.wavelengthstudios.com/photo/index.htm http://ggyc.org/moet/moetcup-gallery.htm WEATHER ADVISORY! Upcoming weather patterns will always be a part of sailing. Whether racer or cruiser, day sailing or planning a trip across an ocean, you will learn how to interpret the weather and form a game plan based on that understanding. The knowledge will help you to avoid problems while sailing more efficiently and competitively. Our advice is to take the weather seminar classes now being offered. Understand and apply weather information to your own project. Seminars held in Newport, RI on Sept. 27th and Long Beach, CA, on Oct. 4th. Details and online signup available at: http://www.WxAdvantage.com ISAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Cadiz, Spain - After an 11-race series, the Yngling team of Hannah Swett (Jamestown, R.I./ New York, N.Y.), Joan Touchette (Newport, R.I.) and Melissa Purdy (Tiburon, Calif.) has won the 2003 Yngling World Championship being sailed in Cadiz, Spain. It is the second of the nine Olympic-class world championships to crown its winners during the ISAF World Sailing Championships that are being contested consecutively from 11-24 September. The win in Spain comes less than a month after the trio claimed their second silver medal in as many years at the Olympic test event in Athens. Earlier in the year Swett, Touchette and Purdy won the Yngling Olympic Pre-Trials - the practice event for the Trials. - Media Pro Int'l Final results: Yngling (11 races-1 drop; 41 entrants): 1. USA, Swett/ Touchette/ Purdy, 54 pts; 2. GER, Schuemann/ Buelle/ Lippert, 61; 3.DEN, Jensen/ Jespersen/ Kiel; 67; 5. USA, Alison/ Icyda/, Leech, 80; 10. BER, Lewin/ Lewin/ Lopez, 129; 28. CAN, Ross/ Crampton/ Leger, 240. The world champions for three other classes were also decided: Star (10 races-1 drop; 83 entrants): 1. FRA, Rohart/ Rambeau, 21; 2. SWE, Lööf / Ekström, 28; 3. GBR, Percy/ Mitchell, 42; 6. BER, Bromby/ Siese, 73; 8. USA, Cayard / Trinter, 77; 18. Reynolds/ Liljedahl, 132; 21. CAN, Macdonald/ Bjorn, 138; 55. BAH, Lowe/ Higgs, 185. NOTE: A third overall in defense of their title at the Olympic Sailing World Championships in Cadiz was good enough for Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell to have their selection for Athens confirmed. - Tim Jeffery, The Daily Telegraph Mistral-Women (11 races- 1 drop, 65 entrants): 1. ISR, Lee Korsitz, 55 pts; 2. NZL, Barbara Kendall 56; 3. FRA, Faustine Merret, 63; 25. USA, Lanee Butler Beashel, 262; 47. CAN, Dominique Vallee, 380. Mistral-Men (11 races-1 drop, 118 Entrants): 1. POL, Przemek Miarczynski, 22; 2 GRE, Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, 53; 3. ISR Gal Fridman, 57; 39. CAN, Alain Bolduc, 266; 45. USA, Peter Wells, 291; 78. MEX, David Mie y Teran, 241. Racing continues today for the Lasers, 470s Tornados, Finns and 49ers. Full story: ISAF website, http://www.sailing.org Event website, http://www.cadizworlds2003.com MORE MOET CUP COMMENTARY - Matthew Sheahan Opinion among some of the more seasoned spectators was divided as to whether the current Cup holders Alinghi were really playing as hard as they were at the beginning of the year during the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup when they dismissed Oracle 5-1. Was the Moet Cup really a showdown between the world's top two teams, or a showcase event for the next America's Cup? Russell Coutts, who had handed the skippers role over to his former sparring partner Jochen Schuemann was clear as to the reasons for being in San Francisco and pushing hard to win. "If we'd lost every race in this series, questions would be asked about our previous performance during the Cup," he said. "This event is also important for us in evaluating new team members. We're in the process of signing nine new sailing team members. When you're locked into four year contracts it's very important to get the decisions right." Some might say, a less than entirely convincing reason for shipping both the boat and a 50 strong team half way around the world. Taking an America's Cup team on tour costs money, lots of it. For Alinghi's owner Ernesto Bertarelli, the event allowed him to get his hands on the wheel of SUI-64 for the first time in a racing situation. "Owner driver racing certainly makes it easier to swallow the pill when you're signing the cheques," he said. - Matthew Sheahan, Yachting World website, full story: http://www.yachting-world.com/auto/newsdesk/20030821013508ywnews.html QUOTE / UNQUOTE * "There's no substitute for preparation and training. It's obviously very therapeutic for us at Alinghi to realize that you can't just think you're the best and not continue to work hard." - Alinghi's Ernesto Bertarelli, www.ggyc.org * "Back when Tom Blackaller made his 1987 run at the America's Cup, I talked to the Coast Guard officer charged with running a feasibility study re. (the America's) Cup races on San Francisco Bay, who said: "I did the research and filed a report that said, 'Yes, it's possible. And I request a transfer.' " Which doesn't mean that you couldn't hold the Cup on San Francisco Bay - and the Alinghi-Oracle festival shows how much the cameras love this place." - Kimball Livingston, Sail magazine website, full story: http://www.sailmagazine.com/ MOËT CUP: BEHIND THE SCENES The Moët Cup in San Francisco saw Raider RIB's from the 30' Cabin 900 with twin 225hp, 6' 4" head room, a fresh water shower and enclosed head, to the 26' Center Console and Cabin models 790 with 225hp, removable rear seat and enclosed head, plus the new 22' Raider 665 with 115hp. This new center console boat, complete with motor trailer, even has an enclosed head with special introductory pricing. Quality made affordable. Test drive in San Diego, San Francisco or eastern US. Call for details at (877) 772-4337 or view online at http://www.raiderboat.com NEWS BRIEFS * Finishing positions for the first leg of the Mini Transat Race: 1. Samuel Manuard, Tip Top Too; 2. Jonathan McKee, Team McLube; 3. Armel Tripon, Moulin Roty; 4. Frédéric Duthil, All Mer; 5. Cian Mc Carthy, The Tom Crean. - http://www.transat650.org/ * Sheets of rain swept across the lawn of the Houston YC Sunday morning, at times blown horizontal by 25-knot gusts. Up went the postponement flag at 9 a.m., and almost immediately several of the 136 entries at the Sailing World Texas NOOD Regatta started hauling their boats. They rightly knew that dark squalls marching across Galveston Bay meant only one thing - this regatta was done. With the racing called off at 10 a.m., Saturday's standings remained unchanged and Jay Lutz and his teammates were crowned national champions after six races in the 33-boat J/80 class. - Sailing World website, full story: http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_article.php?articleID=2018 * Sorry, but at 1:00 AM (ET) Monday morning there were no results posted for the first race of the Etchells Worlds scheduled for Sunday. You might check later in the day at: http://www.etchellsworlds2003.org/ IN MEMORIAM San Francisco Yacht Club Staff Commodore Roger W. Eldridge passed away on September 2. He was 84. Eldridge was introduced to sailing in the 1930's and was a driving force in the SFYC. He served two terms as commodore (1972 and 1973) and was recognized for his lifetime contributions when awarded an honorary life membership and selected as Yachtsman of the Year in 1988. Eldridge served on the SFYC Harbor Management Committee for over 21 years. Among his major race management contributions include the formation of what is today known as The San Francisco Yacht Club Race Council. He was influential in the development of judging as it is today. He received recognition as a US Sailing Association Certified Judge (second appointment made by US Sailing in the San Francisco Bay area), an International Judge (1987), a US Sailing Association Umpire in 1997, and was Chairman of the SF Bay Area Appeals Committee for 25 years. A celebration will be held at SFYC on Wednesday, October 1, 2003, to honor Eldridge's life within The San Francisco Yacht Club community. - Tom Roberts MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN TURN TO HENRI LLOYD Call us ahead of the curve, but Henri Lloyd saw the need for foulweather wear with features and an ergonomic fit designed especially for women. Along with our light, breathable, 100% waterproof fabrics, we offer five sizes. See our Women's Collection at http://www.henrilloydonline.com 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 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 Chris Bouzaid: I want to comment on the TV coverage of the Moet Cup. What a great job OLN, Dawn, Gary and Peter are doing. This coverage is perfect for the American Audience, it will make yachting TV entertainment instead of boring yacht racing (read "Watching grass grow"). 30 minutes of action is perfect for our attention span. * From Mike Levesque: (re: not running races on Long Island Sound in winds over 20 knots) I am not from Long Island and have never sailed at the club in question. I have, however, served on many Continental-level RCs and have served as PRO at club-level events. The #1 reason for canceling due to high wind is lack of equipment/staff. At the high-level events, this is usually not a problem. It is at the club-level events where this becomes an issue. Often, you struggle to get enough mark/safety boats to safely play the game, and/or enough volunteers who are willing to deal with heavy weather. This is not an easy problem to solve, but volunteering to help and slowly raising the bar is always a good first step. Another reason for this decision could be due to the fact that good RCs will work within what they perceive the sailors want. If the bulk of the racers want to race in heavy air, communicating that to the RC is critical. If the bulk of the fleet prefers to sail in light air, you have to start the battle there (not with the RC). * From John Sweeney: In rebutt to Mr.Thomas S. Griffin, Jr:'s comments on whether a RC should cancel a race due to heavy air, anyone not inclined to run with the big dogs can opt out and hang on the club porch at their choosing. Those sailors interested should have the ability to race without the RC interceding needlessly. It takes only two boats to make a race, if they've paid their entry the RC should be obligated to stay on the line anything short of life threatening conditions. * From Craig Coulsen: The tendency for yacht racing to go "indoors" so to speak by races becoming short daylight affairs cancelled when the wind gets up is a development for which the yachting community will eventually pay a high price. Firstly save for those competing in ocean classics like Fastnet or Hobart there has been a deskilling of people in that people are now rarely exposed to even low levels of risk or difficulty which can be overcome by even a reasonable skill level. As the underwear advertisement used to say "One day you gonna get caught with your pants down" Secondly we tend to choose our boats based on our experiences so if you sail in flat water and light air every day a "lightly built over-canvassed hybrid with no heavy weather sails" may be your choice even thought it has poor structural integrity, low foil area and lateral resistance combined with low stability. Of course the day comes when such a boat ventures from it's local pond in adverse conditions. Therefore even if the Race Committee calls it a day go sailing anyway for as a old style boss on a building site once said to me "the only way to get better at digging those holes there is to dig more holes. * From Jon Alvord (re L.I. not running races in winds over 20 knots) I would say that is not completely true. Off Soundings Club has always raced, no matter what the weather. We were out in the blow last weekend, along with 80+ other boats. * From Sam Vineyard: Media coverage will certainly help sponsors justify the cost, but we are missing the boat to believe that media exposure will build participation in the sailing. Whether it is through local clubs or city programs, we have to make sailing and the water more accessible to the general public, irregardless of income, race, or gender. Rather than giving money to an AC campaign, look across the country, find a community sailing facilities, and see what they are all about. Whether it is Boston, New Bedford, or Providence, there are programs and volunteers helping kids for the benefit of the community, and providing them with role models and opportunities that will help reduce the violence. Imagine the number of kids that would be helped if one AC campaign, $100,000,000, was spent on community sailing programs across the country. Look at the popularity of camping and hiking. It is all about access to the environment that makes people flock to the sport, not the media supporting the events. There are bigger issues in the world than sailing, but we have the opportunity to tackle some of them with our sport. If you have never seen the expression on a kids face learning to sail for the first time, it is priceless. Then imagine that being a kid who has seen more violence and crime than you and I could even imagine. If you wish to make the sport more popular, get involved with community sailing. - http://www.community-boating.org * From Marc Hollerbach: Thank you, John Wade, for articulating my own feelings so succinctly. We have all have been so caught up in the world's "go-go growth" mania that we may have missed the significance of what it really means to our sport. It seems to me that the only winners in the promotion sweepstakes are the organizing authorities, professionals and suppliers who need ever more dollars injected into the market. That, in turn, attracts more individuals to chase those dollars. Result: an accelerating spiral toward increased professionalization. I don't see where I need to support a huge expansion in sailing simply to support them. My ego and my income are fine, thank you, without wider media coverage. Among many other costs for this is an increasingly intrusive regulatory environment that threatens to drive many of us right out of that kind of racing. How nice to race in the islands where I don't need my US Sailing number every time I turn around! I have nothing against professionals. I have thoroughly enjoyed sailing with and against many professionals over a lifetime of sailing. They have every right to pursue their chosen profession as aggressively as the rest of us pursue our own. However, we are the buyers in that relationship. Rather than simply roll over in the face of the industry's hard sell on expansion, let's look at it as if we were buying a dot-com stock. Is there significant upside for the buyer or is it just a self-inflating bubble? CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Every path has some puddles. |
