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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 74 - February 5, 2001Scuttlebutt is a digest of yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American emphasis. Corrections, contributions, press releases and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome. FOR THE RECORD * The world record for the fastest circumnavigation-and the Jules Verne Trophy-is currently in the possession of French sailor Olivier de Kersauson, who in 1997 circled the globe in just over 71 days, 14 hours. De Kersauson sailed about 25,000 miles at an average speed of 14.55 knots. Just over a month into The Race, and as she approached the halfway point, Club Med had covered 13,796 miles at an average speed of 19 knots. No matter how fast Club Med gets to The Race finish in Marseilles she won't officially be awarded the Jules Verne Trophy since the official Jules Verne course requires a yacht to start and finish in the English Channel. But if you extrapolate Club Med's average speed to date over the 25,000 miles that de Kersauson covered, she would sail the Jules Verne course in just under 55 days. In short, she would obliterate the Jules Verne record, reducing it by more than 20 percent. Of course, there are a lot of dangerous miles left to be sailed and Cape
Horn awaits. Sail damage, rig damage, or collision with a whale, ice chunk,
or even a log, could all knock Club Med off her blistering pace. But the
big blue boat's demonstrated dominance to this point already has Dalton
arguing that if he covers the second half of the globe as fast as the first
half, the Jules Verne trophy should be awarded to Club Med by simple
acclaim. "What is Jules Verne? The fastest boat around the world ever,"
Dalton argues. "You go do [the official] Jules Verne but you go around the
world slower than these boats, it's kissing your sister, you've done
nothing. Tim Zimmermann, Outside Online, VENDEE GLOBE - Philippe Jeantot Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB), is 1ˇ30 further North than Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher) and is the first one to suffer from the progressive slow down of the trade winds, whose first consequence is the reduction of his boat's speed. Ellen further South is benefiting from stronger winds and thus managed to keep her initial speed. This explains why looking at the distance to the finish she is now only 36 miles behind the French skipper. This was easy to forecast and the phenomenon risks to increase in the next hours. PRB still has a big advantage in latitude and should be the first one to restart. It all depends on how each of them is going to negotiate this complicated calm zone. We know that when there is no wind somewhere the conditions can be very different just a few miles away. One can find the exit door and not the other. It's a bit of a gamble, and there is not much the skipper can do apart from looking for every little sign of breeze to progress to the North : where the way out is. Once they have passed the ridge, the two sailors will catch the South Westerly winds from the low pressures systems of the Northern Atlantic. Then with downwind winds often up to 45 knots, the competitors will start the final sprint to Les Sables d'Olonne. Neck to neck it will not be possible to play wisely, but they will have to press the accelerator as they have very similar speeds. The advantage should go to the one with the most sails up. STANDINGS - February 4 @ 0855hrs (UT): 1. PRB Michel Desjoyeaux 1935 miles from finish, 2. Kingfisher, Ellen MacArthur, 36 mile behind leader, 3. Sill Matines & La Potagere, Roland Jourdain, 341mbl, 4. Active Wear, Marc Thiercelin, 509mbl, 5. Sodebo Savourons la Vie, Thomas Coville, 1247mbl, 6. Union Bancaire Privee, Dominique Wavre, 1261 mbl. http://www.vendeeglobe.com WELL DONE AMERICA'S CUP Peterson, who helped design the 1992 (America3) and 1995 (Team New Zealand) winners, is investing heavily in innovation for his fourth run at the Auld Mug. Ian Howlett, who anticipated the long/narrow/heavy corner of the IACC Rule back in 1992 and wide chord rigs in 1995 for stillborn British efforts, is a new recruit. So is free-thinking Frenchman Juan Kouyoumadjin. Likewise American Scott Ferguson, who played a big role in Young America's rig program. "This gives Doug the opportunity to analyze many different perspectives," said (skipper Francesco) de Angelis. "The philosophy for the design group was to have ideas balanced by experience." Given the individuals, some fiery debates can be expected. "This is a true comment," conceded de Angelis. "But it is a group that realizes it must be a team. It is one of the big challenges of the America's Cup. None of the people listed can reach the goal by themselves." Behind the scenes, Laurent Esquier marshals the operation in his exceptionally shrewd and thorough way. Most of the new blood is in the sailing team, recruits such Kiwi young gun Gavin Brady, for whom the Italians fought tooth and nail in face of strong offers from Oracle Racing. A coach last time, Rod Davis is vying for the helmsman's job against Brady and de Angelis. The tall, polite Neapolitan said the afterguard make-up is his call, not syndicate leader Patrizio Bertelli's, and that he will be the skipper. "Mr. Bertelli is the CEO, and he expects each person responsible for an area to do the best for the team. So, yes, there is a lot of individual talent. My job is to make sure the team makes the best use of it," said de Angelis. - Tim Jeffery, for Quokka Sports Full story: * It was cheers and hearty self-congratulations all round when the "family of five" America's Cup sponsors publicly pledged their support for the 2003 challenge yesterday at Team New Zealand headquarters. Team members mingled with a full crowd of the corporate and political elite in new, muted grey-toned shirts that prominently displayed the names of sponsors Telecom, Lion Nathan (Steinlager), TV One, Lotto and Toyota, which have once more signed up to align themselves with the glamour that goes with the world-famous yachting series. Sponsorship costs are believed to be as high as $85 million to fund Team NZ's 2003 campaign - up about 80 per cent. It is understood that Team NZ asked each "family" member for around $7 million. But a source confirmed that existing sponsors would not be paying much more than they had last time - a figure pegged at around $5 million - leaving a question mark as to who might be picking up the sponsorship slack. Team NZ general manager Ross Blackman confirmed that it was in talks with other corporates, which will make up the so-called "second family of five" - sponsors which will support events surrounding the racing. Air NZ and Fuji Xerox are among the firms being wooed. - Dita De Boni, NZ Herald Full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/ LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) * From: "Hans J Oen" <midocean@worldnet.att.net> (re Ellen Mac Arthur) What a performance and display of superb seamanship. To me she is a big winner of this race, regardless of where she crosses the finishing line. * From: Paul & Karen Prioleau <prioleau@pacbell.net> As for mixed gender racing ... if a 24 year old, 5'2" male underdog was racing in the Vendee Globe we'd be cheering for him too. Go Ellen MacAwesome! From: Rick Hatch <rhatch@telus.net> ISAF must select only one individual as World Sailor this year - Ellen MacArthur. This PERSON (forget any male-female distinction) has accomplished more for the sport of sailing, and overcome more obstacles and setbacks, than any female before her. Ellen has successfully competed at the extreme edge of our sport, despite any and all societal ceilings and biological differences. Already a winner more than 2000 miles from the finish line. Fellow 'Butthead and fellow Canuck Paul Henderson: Rise above ISAF's parochial squabbling and seize this initiative to restore the faith of your loyal subjects in our sport's governing body. There can be NO OTHER nominations this time! Can any 'Butthead, in good conscience, disagree? With no disrespect to any of the competitors (and except from their perspective), the Sydney Olympic regatta was positively boring compared to the racing that has been taking place on the World's oceans over the past three months. * From: Chris Ericksen <Chris6932@aol.com> I read with interest the announcement in 'Butt 743 that Ellen MacArthur is to be invited to join Britain's America's Cup challenge. With all due respect to the indomitable Ms. MacArthur, I wonder if the skill set that the indomitable Ms. MacArthur obviously possesses will stand her in good stead if she seeks a "hands-on" role in the British challenge. I pray that I am proven wrong, as I believe Ms. MacArthur to be the Amelia Earhart of our age. She gets my vote as the most remarkable female sailor alive, and maybe the most remarkable sailor alive, period. * From: "Geoff Lynch" Captain of Racing - Royal Southampton Yacht Club <geoff@redhullsociety.org.uk> Here in the UK we want our MNA to prescribe (like US Sailing) the old starting systems for us, which requires the ISAF rules to out in a timely fashion so the RYA can get their act together. Why the tardiness in getting the rules out? I am not aware of any difference between today and four years ago. Four years ago I had the rules already and we had seminars taking place now - not in late March! A six-minute starting sequence is just not on for large yachts in tidal waters...and even if the RYA will not make a prescription, we would change our GCs and SIs to incorporate a 10-minute sequence as a local variation. ISAF regularly 'forgets' the needs of the cruiser/racer yachtsman when it deliberates - look at the advertising regulation debacle - they totally ignored the effect on handicap yachts until US Sailing and RYA were prompted into action by affected clubs. * From: Kirt Simmons <SimmonsKE@archildrens.org> In light of the comments about Grant Dalton's and the other catamarans in The Race speeds vs the IACC yachts speeds and making the America's Cup more interesting and "spectator friendly" while still maintaining some semblance of cost and "sailing for your country"- Why not resurrect the "Little America's Cup" challenge sailed in "C" class catamarans? Crewed by 2 persons, able to fit in a container, yet with solid wingsails and lightweight hulls, they are sailed on a "short" course ala the IACC yet have the speeds/excitement factor (in the right venue) of the 18 skiffs. Get some TV coverage and sponsorship and it could be a great opportunity for "friendly rivalry between nations". * From: Marilyn Mower <SBIMMM@aol.com> When will maritime agencies step up and begin fining ships who lose containers and cargo overboard? The dangerous debris out there is frightening. For the shipping companies, it is a matter of 'oh well, call the insurance company.' For those of use who sail well offshore at night, it is the stuff of nightmares. I know of one freighter leaving England bound for the Med with 42 cars on board. By the time the freighter got around the corner at Gibraltar, there were only 27 cars still on deck. I suspect that cars will sink and their gasoline is relatively insignificant. The negligence factor is not. THE RACE "Finally, the Cook Straits cost us 170 miles", announced Grant Dalton, skipper of Club Med this morning. "The price to pay for greeting my home country and catching a glimpse of my family." Nicely settled in a strong Westerly flow circulating around latitude 47ˇ and 48ˇ South, Club Med has gleefully re-entered the reality of the Southern Ocean with: "Damp atmosphere on board", continued Grant, "we've got the oilies and ski masks out, and my cup of tea takes on the salty taste of the spray too quickly." On a South-easterly heading, Club Med has skirted the little island of Chatham to the South. The sea is indeed a little confused, but the wind is nice and steady in strength, opening up a boulevard for Grant Dalton and his boys, more concentrated than ever and determined not to give up a single inch. Innovation Explorer, as predicted by Skip Novak, was hardly slowed down at all as she passed between the two main islands of New Zealand. Surprised by a 50 knot squall off Cape Farewell, the crew even had to furl the main and continue under gennaker alone. Lo•ck Peyron is pursuing a South-easterly heading for the moment fairly similar to Club Med's, but slightly freer, at a wind angle favouring more speed. On a starboard tack beam reach, he is also heading for the "Southern Ocean Motorway". A type of sailing that they will have to get used to; we know that Innovation Explorer's suit of sails is not as complete as Club Med's and more fragile. So they will be seeking to take the wind from abeam as often as possible, favouring speed, even if it means sailing longer distances. The Swede Roger Nilson, navigator on board, whom the "Frenchies" affectionately call "Uncle Roger", is expecting strong winds in the Pacific. Once again they are going to need to keep the boat's power under control and not be overwhelmed by speed. The sanction is often immediate; for instance this morning, during a violent gybe, they broke 3 mainsail battens. POSITIONS - February 5 @ 05:50 GMT 1. Club Med, 2. Innovation Explorer, +684, 3. Team Adventure, +4337, 4. Warta Polpharma, +5143, 5. Team Legato, +6325. - www.therace.org LINE 7 RIGHT NOW To read Eligibility Code: MOBAY The first five boats in the fleet of 16 were spread out in an 18-mile north-south line close to the eastern shore of Long Island in the Bahamas. The two lead boats had just cleared the southern tip of the island at the noon report. The third placed boat at noon today was Doug Baker's Andrews sled Magnitude, which had moved up from fourth yesterday. Baker's sled was about seven miles astern of Sagamore. Zephryus IV, Robert O'Neill's 75-foot Reichel/Pugh sled, which was third yesterday, had dropped back to trail Magnitude by four miles. Bob Towse's Reichel/Pugh 66 Blue Yankee was fifth, about two miles behind Zephryus IV. - Keith Taylor Race web site: www.montegobayrace.com QUOTE / UNQUOTE - Dennis Conner "For the interest of the Cup, on a worldwide basis, it is more important to have one single wealthy person on an individual basis than 10 corporate sponsors. It's more important to the public to have a Bill Koch or a McCaw or a Larry Ellison or Bertelli, because they are interesting people in their own right. People can't relate to a product or a brand. We all know sports need personalities, probably sailing more than anything else, because it's hard to relate to if you're not a sailor."- From an interview by Tim Jeffery in the February issue of Seahorse magazine. J/24 MIDWINTERS EASIER SAIL HANDLING THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION |
