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SCUTTLEBUTT 504 - February 15, 2000IT PAYS TO BE A 'BUTTHEADNow, you can watch the America's Cup match races in Auckland -- just like the curmudgeon has been watching the races of the Louis Vuitton Cup series -- on Virtual Spectator. And because you're a reader of Scuttlebutt, you can get your copy of this amazing computer simulation FREE with absolutely no strings attached. Virtual Spectator is an exciting live Internet sports channel established to deliver animated action from the Louis Vuitton Cup - and now for the America's Cup - live from your computer desktop. The technology gives Virtual Spectators access to real-time, 3D animated race action from data sent directly from the racing boats. Virtual Spectator lets you choose your camera angle and control replays and you also get the full archive of all Louis Vuitton Cup races, race photos, results, live weather updates, syndicate information & much more! Plus the new updated version for the America's Cup includes: - Hot keys for telemetry, views and play speed. - Multiple Language Commentaries and News - Start, Protest and Umpire Decision Flags. - Penalty Indicators - Adjustable (zoom) Aerial View - Gennakers - Expandable Commentary Area - Commentary Linked to Elapsed Race Time But the best part is that Scuttlebutt has been allocated 1000 complimentary copies of this program exclusively for our readers. They're absolutely FREE! Before you download this exciting program, please make sure your computer meets the following MINIMUM system requirements for Virtual Spectator:
If you meet these requirements -- don't hesitate. Jump in right now to download one of our 1000 free copies. Here's the special Scuttlebutt URL: http://registration.virtualspectator.com/cgi-bin/promo.cgi?promo=SCUTTLE Once our 1000 complimentary registrations are used up, people can still purchase a copy for only US$9.95 from the VS website: http://www.virtualspectator.com TRIVIA Windfall -- Some English landowners were prevented to either fall or sell timber as this was reserved for building ships for the Royal Navy. However, this did not apply to trees that were blown down. Hence, a windfall became a financial blessing. TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE Thanks to new breathable fabrics, the discomfort formerly associated with certain aspects of racing has been greatly reduced. And now there's another breakthrough. Camet International has introduced a neo-thermal top so sailors (and others too) can wear breathable Neoprene close to the skin. As a result, trapped vapors (like sweat) disappears quickly. And almost magically, the action increases with higher levels of physical activity - responding to the exercise level of the user. As a result, racing sailors can now be more comfortable than was ever possible before. To learn more about the amazing new Camet neo-thermal top: http://www.camet.com UNVEILING Yesterday was 'unveiling day' in Auckland. Both ITA-45 and NZL-60 were stripped of their shrouds and exposed for the entire world to see. Following are just a few of the comparisons noted on the Quokka Sports America's Cup website: The feature that drew most comment, even derision, was that the winglets (on NZL-60) were situated in the middle of the keel bulb and not at the aft end, as is commonly the case. Structural engineer Mike Drummond, who directed the test programme on the two New Zealand yachts, said, "We have tested everything everywhere. The ultimate arbiter is: does the boat go faster or slower? We are happy with where we are." The winglet issue still has critics unconvinced. Said Doug Peterson, one of the principal designers with the Prada Challenge: "Obviously they do not have the computational methods to figure it out correctly. All the tests we have used, going back to 1992, say it is better to have the winglets aft." Peterson was less willing to talk about his own boat, except to compare it to NZL-60. "Their hull is wider than us -- 15 or 20 centimetres [six to eight inches], I don't know exactly -- so they have probably a metre and a half more of wetted surface, a significant amount. They'll have more stability, but as we've seen in the challenger series, narrow boats can go upwind if they're designed for it." Prada's bulb is shorter, which means less stability but also less wetted surface, which equates to drag. "Ours is designed to go in all conditions," Peterson said. "We're pretty happy with our all-round performance." Peterson also estimated that the Kiwis' black boat was "two or three centimetres [.8 to 1.2 inches] shorter in rated length," which was not significant. "Upwind, the boats would be more similar than downwind. They have less sail area, too -- probably three or four square metres less." Prada's rudder is a bit narrower at the top but a little deeper. Peterson was asked if it was new. He only smiled. The other striking feature of the New Zealand boat is the bow shape, which features a distinct knuckle at the waterline. This influences the distribution of volume along the hull, with more volume forward than Prada, which has simpler, more classic lines. NZL-60's mast also reflects Team New Zealand's willingness to venture into new territory. The "millennium rig" features three spreaders instead of the usual four, but the diagonals are arranged in an X-formation between the spreaders, providing more lateral support for the mast tube with less weight and windage. The top spreaders are also unusual, wide and stubby with rounded edges to help keep the upper leech of the genoas open when sailing upwind. Prada clearly believes there's merit in the idea, because ITA-45 is experimenting with a similar concept, although it has used the stubby spreader only on the starboard side with a conventional, narrower spreader on the port side of the rig. Once Prada has determined which set-up works best, it will match the spreaders. It is a widely held view that the Team New Zealand yachts are slightly more powerful, which suggests the team is expecting to race in a higher wind range than Prada. However, recent alterations to the trim of the New Zealand yacht have reduced the measured waterline length, enabling Team New Zealand to increase the sail area to boost its light-air performance. To read more of the comments: http://www.americascup.org LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) or to exclude personal attacks. But only one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if people disagree. -- From Helen Johnstone Falk -- Doug Holthaus "hit the nail on the head" when he commented: "quit with the whining about not making the cut and get on with respect for Prada's job well done". And, may I add: less talk and more action. It is time to close the chapter of that book and look forward to a new and exciting chapter between Team New Zealand and Team Italy. Both of these teams are superior in their professionalism, composure, ability to perform well under pressure, boat speed, team-work and sportsmanship. It will be a very exciting and rewarding series. --From Paul Larsen -- For those of us who have watched the international match racing circuit come of age over the past dozen years, the outcome of America's Cup 30 holds little mystery. Since October we have heard from competitors and observers alike that "it is a sailor's race" on the Hauraki Gulf. While an edge in boat speed seems to be the rationale many give to Prada's victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup, a more persuasive argument can be made that match racing mistakes spelled doom for AmericaOne. Team New Zealand's "team within a team," the match racers known as "Team Magic" that make up the nucleus of the defenders, have been virtually unbeatable in that racing format in different boats in different venues around the world under all types of conditions. You won't see Brad Butterworth taking a walkabout searching for wind when covering is the obligatory tactic as we witnessed from both Prada and AmericaOne. You won't see Coutts copping unnecessary penalties like we saw Cayard, penalties that probably turned victory into defeat. What we will see is the art of match racing, particularly in the pre-start, performed close to perfection by the consummate artists of today. Coutts/TNZ 5-2. -- From Bruce B. Nairn -- John Bertand's comment about the Kiwi's bologna lunch mentality rings profoundly true in the AC arena. Maybe it is just a boat race and simply about getting the job done. Paul Cayard's travails as manager/player/fundraiser are surely all true (and don't forget to add that he was busy winning the Volvo/Whitbread while the Italians were at home getting their AC sailing lessons). But in the last race against Prada, Paul and company did pick the right and got it. The rightie JK was looking for came but too late. Throw a $100 million at it and the outcome would still be the same. Sometimes you are just going to lose. Still, it is hard to understand why Paul had to take on all of this by himself. Speaking of bologna though, I'm glad to see the gamesmanship alive and well in NZ: An emergency meeting to decide the sailing rules? Now? What have you been doing for the last five years? PS: The Italians won the LVC. No one lost it. Job done. End of story. -- From Russ Lenarz -- I feel that having one effort from the US for the next Americas Cup is a recipie for disaster. It would virtually limit the growth of sailing in that it could create a monopoly on allot of aspects such as dsigners, sailmakers, hardware development and sailors. I think that soemone essentially said it best in Butt a couple of weeks ago. An Americas Cup campaign is a high profile expensive effort to run no matter how you slice it or dice it. If you do not like it then stay out of the game - it is not for the weak at heart. Want to improve the Americas Cup, run it every 2 years as it will level out the costs. SCHISM A rift has emerged between the Team New Zealand yachting administration and its sailors, five days out from the first race of the America's Cup. In response to Herald inquiries, syndicate head Sir Peter Blake last night issued a statement acknowledging "disagreements" and "family squabbles." But he said it would be unrealistic not to expect them within the 80-member team. The team were now completely united heading into the showdown with Prada in the best-of-nine series, Sir Peter said. His comments come after the Herald investigated rumours of a schism within the camp between the management of Sir Peter and executive director Alan Sefton and the crew, led by Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth. This rift is believed to be over money and management's approach. Until now, the team have refused to comment on any split. Coutts declined to discuss rumours of disagreements, saying: "That's not a good question to ask." However, during an interview for a story to be published in the Weekend Herald, tactician Butterworth admitted problems. "Last time, we had one objective and that was to win. This time there have been a lot of other agendas which have got in the way. I guess the disagreements we've had internally have been over the way we [the crew] are pretty much one-eyed and want to win and see no compromise. And I think other parts of our team, parts of the administration, have had to compromise to make the whole thing work." Sir Peter said there would always be tension in an organisation like Team New Zealand. "It's pointless thinking there won't be. You would be a pretty poor outfit if you didn't have the odd scrap. "We've got strong individuals. We don't want, and we didn't want, yes-men around. There's no point in me sitting here and calling the shots on the crew or the sail shape. It would be quite ridiculous because it would make us weaker. Just like families, you have disagreements. We have our family squabbles, we sort them all out and we carry on. - STAFF REPORTERS, NZPA Full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/ SAFETY AT SEA A comprehensive series of sanctioned race-preparation seminars will be presented by the Cruising Club of America and the Newport Bermuda RaceO 2000 Organizing Committee in Newport RI: - March 10 - Weather, Gulf Stream, Optimum Routing, Ken Campbell - March 11 - Safety at Sea, Chuck Hawley - March 12 - Offshore Medical Seminar, Dr. Garry Fischer - March 12 - Burmuda Race Preparations, Ron Trossbach Additional information: http://www.bermudarace.com/ccasafety.html AMAZING PICTURES Sharon Green is on location in New Zealand recording the drama and action of the Challenger Series and the upcoming Cup 2000 competition. Start with the historical 20 image collections and add new packs of 12 exciting images from the current event. New packs are posted with each series. 6 image packs are now available for immediate download. $8.95 each or $22.95 for 6 collections. Ordering and information www.screenthemes.com/americascup/ MISTRAL WORLDS Amit Inbar of Israel leads the World Windsurfing Championship Mar del Plata 2000 after the first two races. Argentine Mauricio Espinola (silver medallist in the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996) is in second place, followed by Brazilian Ricardo Santos and Spain's Ivan Pastor. Winds today were 12 knots from the south southeast, with big shifts and large waves. GROUP 1 MEN: 1. Amit Inbar, ISR, 7 points, 2. Ricardo Santos, BRA, 9, 3. Lars Kleppich, AUS, 11, 4. Soeren Wallmen, GER, 14, 5. Aaron McIntosh, NZL, 15. GROUP 2 MEN: 1. Carlos Espinola, ARG, 9 points, 2. Ivan Pastor, ESP, 9 , 3. Michael Gebhardt, USA, 13, 4. Marcos Galvan, ARG, 14, 5. Kevin Stittle, CAN, 15. Complete results: http://www.windsurfers.com.ar/mundial2000.htm SANTA MARIA CUP As of February 1, 2000, 25 top women match racers requested invitations to participate in the 2000 Boat/U.S. Santa Maria Cup Regatta to be held at the Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, Maryland, May 31 - June 4, 2000. Of this group, 9 are ranked in the top and 15 are ranked in the top 20. The event organizers expect to issue the 11 invitations on February 18. The 12th team will be decided at the Sundance Cup, held by the Ft. Worth Boat Club. The final list of competitors will be announced in March. -- Jeff Borland The list of requestors can be seen at the event website: http://www.santamariacup.org LET'S GET GRAPHIC So you want to put a design on your sail, but who can you trust to do the job properly? For starters, you want someone who has the skill and experience to do either electostatic heat transfer, fabric inlays, vinyl graphics, Insignia cloth or inking and can explain which method will work best for your application. But who do you call? Well, North Graphics is the leading supplier of custom sail and boat graphics in the US. Why don't call Whitney Gladstone and find out why they're #1: (619) 224-8667, http://www.northsails.com/graphics/ WIN A FARR 40 The Farr 40 One-Design, is to be the prize in an art union organised by Sydney's Middle Harbour Yacht Club. The tickets cost $1000 and only 1500 will be sold. The draw is scheduled for April 28. The art union has been established to strengthen the club's financial base. -- Rob Mundle For ticket information: tshaw@mhyc.com.au ONE MAN'S OPINION Doug Peterson, reckons the Kiwis have a problem - he doesn't rate either of their black boats as fast enough. Maybe Peterson should know. After all, he helped to design the Black Magics which won the Cup for New Zealand. Or perhaps it's all pre-match hype - a trait of every America's Cup past. "Personally, I think they have a bit of a problem," Peterson said. "I think they have powerful boats, but we know they don't tack very well. When we were watching them, they didn't seem much faster downwind than [1995 boat] NZL32. Sure, they have a funny bow, but do they plan to win the Cup with a funny bow? I don't think so." Since NZL60 has never raced anyone but its elder sister, NZL57, Peterson's observations have been made from 200m away, watching the black boats from a rubber ducky, and from photographs. "NZL60 looked better in light air than `57 from what we could see. But I think they will have problems in winds below 12 knots - maybe they'll have problems all the time," he said. "Their sail development doesn't seem as far advanced as the challengers." They just seem to be on a different page to us." Team New Zealand, perhaps wisely, offered no rebuttal. One of the TNZ designers, Mike Drummond, said the realisation that 60 was the best boat for the match came a couple of weeks ago. "It was quite late in the testing. We tried different rigs and different keels, bulbs winglets and rudders on both boats," he said. "But it's taken from their launching until now to work out the best combinations." -- Suzanne McFadden, NZ Herald Full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/ THE CURMUDGEON'S QUOTATIONS "Keep things as simple as possible, but not simpler." Albert Einstein |
