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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 827 - June 1, 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.
TEAM PHILIPS A large piece of wreckage, identified as part of Pete Goss' catamaran Team Philips was located yesterday off the Irish coast. The section of bow was spotted by Norwegian seismic survey vessel MV Geo-Pacific, which has been operating in the Malin Head area, and reported to Malin Head Coastguard by her navigating officer, madforsailing was told at midnight last night by Captain Chris Bingham. * Team Philips was abandoned by Pete Goss and her crew on 10 December, and was last reported to be 650 miles west of Ireland on 19 December. An airborn reconnaissance trip by Goss on 21 December failed to turn up anything. At the time Pete Goss said "finding Team Philips will be difficult - it will be rather like searching for a needle in a haystack." At the time her central accommodation pod was breaking, but her fate - whether she capsized and broke up or not - until now has been a mystery. - Gerald New, madforsailing website. Full story: www.madforsailing.com
PRADA In the next few months the team will focus on tests, technical evaluations and in-house racing. This period will be of great importance for the Prada design team who is working on the new boats that shall be launched in approximately one year's time. Francesco de Angelis has had the difficult task of putting the boats together (the keel, bulb and mast are apart when shipped), rigging and fine tuning them with the help of the shore team and his crew. Early next week both Luna Rossa and Young America should be sailing together once again. In the meantime the crew has kept in top shape with match race practice on small one design boats. In August team Prada and Luna Rossa will be in Cowes, Great Britain, for the America's Cup Jubilee, the event organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron and the New York Yacht Club to celebrate the 150th "birthday" of the America's Cup. Exactly as in 1851, on 21st August 2001 the yachts will race around the Isle of Wight. One century and a half ago the schooner America won over a fleet of 14 British yachts and the trophy at stake changed destiny and name becoming the America's Cup from the One Hundred Guinea Cup. There are currently already 209 entries for the America's Cup Jubilee, divided into five categories: 12 Metre (36 entries), International America's Cup Class (9 entries), J Class (4 entries), Classic (80) and Modern (80). The yachts will race on three different courses. The owners of the beautiful 12 Metre yachts will also compete in the Prada International Twelve Metre Class World Championship, which is part of the America's Cup Jubilee celebrations. From mid September boats, equipment and people will relocate to the operations base in Auckland for the southern hemisphere summer. From today you can follow the work and progress of team Prada on the new version of our Internet site www.prada-americascup.com. The website, besides a news section constantly updated, contains all the information about the team (divided into the paragraphs Challenge, Team, Boat, Aboard, Schedule, Training, Operation bases, Behind the scenes); the results, the information and the best pictures of Luna Rossa from the past challenge (2000), and a large section dedicated to the history of the America's Cup. - Alessandra Ghezzi
BIG BARGAIN?
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
SWEDISH MATCH TOUR * Clinched Tour Championship www.sports.com/sailing/swedish_match/
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Christian Fevrier (Refering to the comment of Malcom McKeag. Scuttlebutt 826 - edited to our 250-word limit): I strongly disagree with the suggestion that a plethora of categories has been created by the WSSRC to "exclude any boat which might be able to go quicker". I have never seen in our discussions any idea to protect a previous record. I don't see either any attempt to dismiss a multihull record. The claims which have not been accepted in the past concern the monohulls as the multihulls. Some skippers had not provided enough evidence (Bruno Peyron. 1992 Singlehanded Atlantic record and again for his 1995 attempt). Or they had refused to pay the necessary fee to the Council (Christophe Auguin. 1998 Transatlantic, monohull with crew.). The WSSRC was created in the late eighties when a French singlehanded trimaran did a "non stop navigation" around the world, sponsored by a French sparkling wine. In fact, the boat had made three stops for repairs. I have a daily press release of the sponsor saying the boat was fine and sailing some hundred miles South of New Zealand. The same day, the boat was at anchor in Bluff harbour, South New Zealand, to fix a new main shroud. I have the Bluff Harbour Master's report for that day. Sir Peter Johnson had good reasons to create the World Sailing Speed Record Council to put some order in the house. The Council has done an excellent job until now. Personally, I'd like to see some great achievements added to the list, like the Equator to Equator by the Five Great Capes. * From Michael Woods (In response to Ralph Taylor and Tak Uchino's comments): It is all very well to take part to the America's Cup only in order to have a maximal exposure on the Defender's side. But if the result is to be beaten 5-0 like last time, then SAP (or any sponsor) should think twice about the fast train to the America's Cup. A Louis Vuitton campaign guarantees at least three months of great exposure all over the world. Betting on (this) Team New Zealand seems more like gambling to me. * From Jamie Malm: I recently observed the High School Team Race Nationals at Tabor Academy under sailing rule D2.3 (Races with Observers) of the Team Racing Rules. Each school sailed three 420 sailboats, two sailors per boat. All 12 schools sailed each team once (66 races the first day). Day two teams were broken into even flights (1-4, 5-8, 9-12). The flights created equal skill levels among teams. High School, in theory is a time in ones life of education and skill building. The learning process: Team racing challenges a sailor's knowledge of the rules, and the execution of tactics created by the rules of sailing. When a competitor breaks a rule, it is educational if they are able to recognize it. In some cases a sailor can recognize fault, but most situations are too complex and happen to quick to understand, hence disagreement. Once dialog starts the manner in which a competitor voices their opinion can force the opposition into denial. Competition (the emotion) is difficult to control, and finding fault in your own actions can be impossible during a race. Observers and team racing help students learn more effectively and keep the protest process civilized. Comments regarding sailing rules: Sailors argue both sides of rule 5 (Drugs) or any racing rule created by sailors for sailors, but few have the ability, on their own, to follow the Sportsmanship statement found on page 2 in the new Racing Rules of Sailing. Can you and do you?
PROFILE As a young lad growing up in New Zealand's largest city and chief seaport, Schnackenberg attended Auckland Grammar School then the University of Auckland, graduating in 1967 with a Masters in Physics. Suffering from what he describes as Island fever, Schnackenberg moved to Vancouver the following year in order to study at UBC for a PhD in Nuclear Physics. Little did he know it then, but his overseas experience - "OE" as he and Boshier fondly call it - would dramatically change his life. As a result of befriending fellow UBC student Rich Helmer and faculty member Dr. Peter Byrne, along with many other sailing aficionados, Schnackenberg came to the realization that sailing was far more engaging than what he was studying. "Basically I found the technology of sailing - why boats sail - intensely and intellectually interesting," says Schnackenberg. "I found I was thinking about it day and night, easily. It would come into my mind unbidden - thoughts and questions - where as with my work in physics I had to pick up a book and force myself to read it. "I didn't find myself puzzling over these things when I was driving down the road for example, where as I did find myself puzzling about boats and sails all the time." Thirty years later, the likable Schnackenberg is one of the most lauded figures in yachting. - Ian Walker, Vancouver Sun. Full story: www.vancouversun.com
QUOTE /UNQUOTE
DRY SHORTS
FOR THE RECORD The target is 467.7 miles in 24 hours. Langman is confident that given ideal conditions the highly developed Open 60 Grundig Xena can top 500 miles. Roger 'Clouds' Badham, who is acting as meteorologist for the world record attempt, advised today that it would probably be at least a week before a suitable weather pattern developed off Australia's east coast. - Rob Mundle
COLLEGE SAILING The University of Hawaii was comfortable sailing in the strong winds that were prevalent throughout the regatta. Head Coach Andy Johnson attributed their success to "experience with [A-division skipper] Molly O'Bryan (Class of 2002, San Diego, Calif.) and youthful energy in the B-division with Marin Diskant (2004, Santa Barbara, Calif.) and all of our crews." O'Bryan sailed with two different crews: sophomore Sarah Hitchcock (Dartmouth, Mass.) and freshman Renee DeCurtis (Redondo Beach, Calif.). The A-boat won their division with 78 points. The Rainbows' B-division had 107 points; fourth place in the division but good enough for the overall title. Diskant and junior crew Melody Torres (Bakersfield, Calif.) sailed all races except one, where freshman Jennifer Warnock (San Diego, Calif.) skippered, with DeCurtis crewing. The entire Rainbows' Women sailing team will be back next year to defend their title in home waters, as Hawaii is scheduled to host the 2002 ICSA North Americans. Final results: 1. Univ. of Hawaii, 185; 2. Dartmouth College, 200; 3. St. Mary's College, 206; 4. Connecticut College, 214; 5. Tufts University, 217; 6. Old Dominion, 228; 7. Boston University, 228. Website: www.collegesailing.org/2001/women.htm
FINN MASTERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Class winners: 40-49 years old: LEMIEUX; 50-59: CICARELLI; 60+: NADY.
ONE-DESIGN Final Standings: 1. Tyler Moore/ Peter Alarie, 8; 2. Tim Collins/ Bill Smith, 21; 3. Neal Fowler/ Dave Dyson, 25; 4. Barney Harris/ Clayton James, 31; 5. Ethan Bixby/ Ken Hardy, 32 More information: www.int505.org/usa/
SANTA MARIA CUP
POSITIVE ATTITUDE Brooke says he is getting better all the time and is determined to get back on board in La Rochelle to take part in the final leg to Southampton. He said, "I am having on-going physiotherapy on my hand. The movement is increasing, the flexibility is coming but it is still swollen. "I don't have any problem with the amputated finger, it is the other ones, the fractured and dislocated fingers which are still causing problems. My hand has been swollen and out of action for a long time but my grip is coming back as I work each joint. I have been shifting a whole lot of compost with a spade in the garden today so it is coming back. "I am definitely getting back on in La Rochelle, in fact I will hopefully be sailing on the prototype from Southampton to La Rochelle first which will give me a taste of being back at sea." - Liz Addis, BT Global Chalenge website. Full story: www.btchallenge.com/news/2001/05/News_892.html
OLYMPIC RANKINGS
THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION |
