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SCUTTLEBUTT 1926 -- September 19, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.BEN AINSLIE -- REWRITING HISTORY Eighteen months ago in Rio, Ben Ainslie (GBR) made history by winning the Finn Gold Cup for the third time in a row. It was only the second time in the event's 48 year history that this had been done. He equaled the record set by Jorg Bruder (BRA) between 1970 and 1972. Sunday in Moscow, Ainslie has made his own record, winning the Finn Gold Cup for the fourth time in a row. With a light northerly light wind in the morning, the fleets set sail for the final race of the 2005 Finn Gold Cup. The temperature had dropped to 37 F overnight so those sailors who had only brought summer sailing gear found the day rather cold. In fact the Gold fleet sat around for over two hours before a race could be started. Finally at just after 13.00, the postponement came down and the fleet got underway. Series leader Ben Ainslie said, "In these conditions I was going to try to control Emilios [the only man who could beat him] from the start." At the four minute signal, the two were locked together in their own match race. Ainslie succeeded in delaying Papathansaiou's start, but picked up a penalty himself. "I wasn't sure if our boats touched, but I did the turns anyway to make sure." The two boats started well behind the fleet with Papathanasiou banging the left hand corner in a bid to find a large enough shift to get him back to the front. Ainslie played the shifts and looked ahead half way up the beat when the wind died again and the race officer admitted defeat and abandoned racing. "It was a huge relief when they abandoned," Ainslie admitted later. So Ainslie (17 points)makes history in being the only sailor to win four Finn Gold Cups, and these in successive years. Second placed Papathansaiou (21 points) scores his best Finn Gold Cup result to date, but is still looking for that world championship win that continues to elude him. Third placed Chris Cook (CAN - 42 points) wins his first major championship medal after being one of the few sailors here to find any sort of consistency. Kevin Hall in 20th place was the top USA boat in the 98-boat fleet. -- www.finngoldcup2005.ru SPITHILL WINS THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Calpe, Spain -- When bad weather caused cancellation of the finals ISAF Match Racing World Championship regatta. Australian James Spithill was declared the winner and new world champaion. After a poor beginning Spithill, roared back to win the round robin, with the same points as Paolo Cian (ITA). Spithill chose Richard, who was fourth, for the semifinals. Paolo Cian had to sail against Ed Baird. Both Spithill and Baird, easily won the three matches. Baird was looking for his third consecutive world title, but bad weather cheated him of that possibility. After the last match of the semifinals, a heavy storm made it impossible for the teams to race the finals. Spithill and Baird had the same number of points from the semifinals, but Spithill got the title because he had more points on the round robin. Final results: 1. James Spithill (AUS) 2. Ed Baird (USA) 3. Paolo Cian (ITA) 4. Mathieu Richard (FRA) 5. Ian Williams (GBR) 6. Philippe Presti (FRA) 7. Sebastién Col (FRA) 8. Eugeny Nevgodnikov (RUS) 9. Peter Gilmour (AUS) 10. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) 11. Björn Hansen (SWE) 12. Santi López-Vázquez (ESP) Event website: www.sailing.org BASILICA J/24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Weymouth, UK - The 2005 J/24 basilica World Championship has been won by Anthony Kotoun and the crew on Jigalo representing the U.S. Virgin Islands (ISV). In the last race of the series, under sunny skies and a fresh 24 knot breeze, many of the week's contenders came back to put on a stellar performance. Max Skelly and his crew aboard Murder Picture (USA), climbed back on the proverbial horse to win the last race of the championship series by a sizeable margin. Skelly missed both races on Thursday after breaking the rudder in the first race of the day. A redeeming second place went to Sean Kirkjian and his Jobs For The Boys team (AUS). Kirkjian sustained hull damage during a collision on Thursday. The team worked hard through the night to have the boat back on the starting line for the final race. Luigi Ravioli and the crew from Fiamma Gialla (ITA) also made repairs from Thursday's damage and finished third. - Nancy Zangerle Final results - 9 races with one discard: 1. Jigalo, Anthony Kotoun (ISV) 47 points 2. Brushetta, Mauricio Santa Cruz (BRA) 48 points 3. Fiamma Gialla, Luigi Ravioli (ITA), 52 points 4. Job For The Boys, Sean Kirkjian (AUS) 57 points 5. Gekko, Tomoni Hatakeyama (JPN) 65 points 8. Murder Picture, Max Skelly, (USA) 90 points For full results: www.j24-weymouth.com TEAM HALL SAILS FOR HOPE Sail for Hope is a charitable sailing event held each fall in Newport, RI. This year the regatta will benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina through donations to the American Red Cross of RI. Hall Spars & Rigging will field a factory team led by Phil Garland, and we invite all of our customers to join us in supporting the event. For every Hall t-shirt and hat sold through our web store now until Oct. 1 (the date of the race), Hall will add $5 to our donation to Sail for Hope. For more information on the regatta, visit sailnewport.org. Buy Hall hats and shirts online at http://www.hallspars.com ABOARD THE BLACK PEARL -- Paul Cayard * We spent most of the day trying three different sails that we wanted to look at and burning through 200 miles in 10 hours. The work list is getting long as is always the case with new boats. But here we are pushing the hell out of this boat one week after it very first sail. Overall, she seems to be a sound structure and the big elements like the keel and mast all seem to be solid. We do need to do some serious pounding upwind before we can give the final verdict. Everyone is writing up their worklist now so we can email it to our shore team tomorrow so they can prepare for next week. Time is critical to this campaign so we have to make every hour count. * Still rippin' it up. We did 480 miles on the Pearl in the past 24 hours and believe me we are trying not to go too fast. She is capable of leaping small buildings if you are not careful and the landings are a bit brutal. She is not a ballerina, more of a belly flopper. Not going to be a comfortable rid around the world. The 60's were less violent that this baby. Awesome machine through. We have had the full fire hose conditions most of today and in side it feels like you are getting dragged down a cobble stone street in a 55 gallon drum. All pretty similar to my other experiences. One difference is the constant speed. We are definitely going to get their quicker. The boat is very easily driven and won't need much sail area. We will be at the dock in Sanxenxo and the boat will be just 12 days old, having done the roll over test and 2000 miles of sailing. Putting the pressure on the team to get this done this fast has jump started our program. Now we have a huge list of things to do to the boat, nothing major, but lots of little jobs that have to be done to make this a race ready yacht. We have already sent our jobs lists created onboard off to our shore team so they can buy needed parts and schedule the jobs to be done. -- Excerpts from the daily reports from Paul Cayard on the Black Pearl's 2000 mile qualifying passage for the Volvo Ocean Race. SCALING BACK THE PROGRAM A lack of funding has caused the Premier Challenge, Australia's entrant into the Volvo Ocean Race, to scale back their program. "Today is bitter-sweet," said Grant Wharington, Head of the Syndicate and Skipper of the yacht. "On one hand the yacht looks every inch of the high performance racer we expected, it's an absolute glamour, but on the other, today was the last day for our professional crew, and we will now continue with a much diluted team, due to lack of funds. "It is so frustrating as we have an awesome boat, and until today we had what we believe was the best, most cohesive crew, but not enough funding to realize our dream of winning the Volvo Ocean Race for Australia. We have entered the Volvo Ocean Race 2005 - 2006, and we will go to the start and do what we can with the resources we have. We can only do what we can do and we are determined to make the best of it." Wharington went on to explain that the yacht will not sail under the Premier Challenge banner. "We are looking at a number of different options at the moment." -- www.premierchallenge.com.au $$$$ MAJOR MONEY $$$$$ Rita Barbera, the Mayoress of Valencia, appeared at a press conference following the weekly Town Council meeting to formally request a total of 774 million Euros for what she termed were 'urgent works' in order that the City be ready for the Americas Cup races in 2007. She stated that she was making her demands now as the Ministries were on the point of closing their budgets for 2006 and she wanted to ensure that the agreed expenses for the Americas Cup were included to avoid any 'unpleasant surprises'. In her press conference, she also outlined the precise financial needs of Valencia for the Cup, and these included: - 91 million Euros to place some rail lines to the port underground - 25 million Euros for a new bridge over the River Turia - 51 million Euros to improve the access to the Sailing Club - 5 million Euros to create a new terminal in Manises Airport - 419 million Euros for the creation and installation of the High Speed Train tracks Valencia Life Network, publisher@valencialife.net BIG BOATS - BIG PROFITS If you don't make at least 100% markup on your regatta gear, then you need to call The Pirate's Lair. Our graphics and pricing on regatta gear can maximize your bottom line. For our new catalog and a goodie, log on to http://www.pirateslair.com/sailing MALLORY CUP & ADAMS TROPHY History has repeated itself on the final day of US Sailing's Men's and Women's Sailing Championship, with the same champions taking home trophies as in 2003, the last time the two events were held concurrently. Zack Fanberg (New Orleans, La.) who sailed with his wife Sara and with Marcus Eagan (Metairie, La.) enters the history books of the U.S. Men's Sailing Championship for being only the second skipper in the event's 53-year history to win the event three consecutive years -- the other being Buddy Melges from 1959-1961. Going into the final race, Fanberg was tied in points with Ken Wolfe (Dallas, TX). The two teams finished 1-2 in that race, with Fanberg winning the Mallory Cup win by a single point over Wolfe and his crew Jake Scott (La Porte, TX) and Jameson Rabbitt (Irving, TX). In the U.S. Women's Championship for the Adams Trophy, Joni Palmer (Annapolis, Md.) won the Championship for a second time, sailing with the same crew that helped her win in 2003: Meredith Dodd (Pittsburg, Pa.) and Carrie Carpenter (Oakland, Md.). Palmer and her crew won four of the Championship's eleven races, and, with 22 points total, finishing nine points ahead of Theresa Brooks (Key West, Fla.) and her crew of Caroline Grove (Sullivans Islands, S.C.) and Jessica Koenig (Charleston, S.C.). Sailed in Flying Scots, the 10-race, no throw-out Championships were hosted concurrently by American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y. The Championships are sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/usmsc www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/women/uswsc PEGASUS WINS ST. FRANCIS PERPETUAL St. Francis YC -- There were 103 boats racing in four IRC and five one-design classes at the Rolex Big Boat Series on San Francisco Bay, and they got what they came for. Although much of the regatta was sailed in wind of under 20 knots, it was full breeze-on for the two races on Saturday when the anemometers kicked into the 30 knot range. Philippe Kahn's new Transpac 52 Pegasus 52 won five of the seven races in the nine boat IRC-A Class to score a nine point win over the Gavin Brady-driven R/P 72 Beecom,owned by Isao Mita. Pegasus was awarded the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy. The J/105s had the biggest class in the regatta with 33 boats. Scott Sellers' Donkey Jack won three of the seven races and logged all single digit finishes to score a five point win over Tim Russell's Aquavit. Sellers won the Commodore's Cup perpetual trophy for his victory, plus one of the specially engraved Rolex timepieces that was awarded to each of the six perpetual trophy winners: - City of San Francisco Trophy, Robert Youngjohns, IRC B, DK46 Zephyra - Richard Rheem Perpetual, John Siegel. IRC C, Wylie 42 Scorpio - Keefe-Kilborn Memorial Trophy, Gary Mozer, IRC D, J/109 Current Obsession - Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, Steve Madeira, J/120 Mr. Magoo Complete results: http://www.stfyc.com/ Photo Gallery: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/bbs/ ACURA KEY WEST 2006 One Design, PHRF, and IRC competition - Key West sunshine and breezes - Premiere Racing race management - Swan 45 Gold Cup and IRC National Championship. All the right ingredients for North America's premier regatta. Just add your boat - racing on January 16-20, 2006. Details and online entry: http://www.Premiere-Racing.com NEWS BRIEFS * Newport Rhode Island -- Edgar Cato's Hissar won the first seven races in the International 12 Metre World and North American Championship, and then coasted to an easy victory in the Grand Prix Division of the nine race, one discard event hosted at the New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court facility. Craig Millard won the Modern Division with Courageous while Clayton Duetch had a perfect record in the Classic Traditional Division and Parrish/McMillen/Keilland/Fremont-Smith captured the title in the Classic Vintage Division. -- Event website: http://nyyc.org/index.cfm?content=sailingevents_details&eventid=81 Gallery: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/12meterworlds/ * The 72 Mini Transat sailors have spent their first night at sea in big winds that have tested them to the limit. The Irish sailor Cian McCarthy dismasted at 0245 this morning. According to the race committee McCarthy is safe and well and has not asked for immediate assistance, announcing that he was heading for the nearest French port by his own means. -- Yachting World, full story: http://tinyurl.com/cmg4w. Event website (in French): http://transat650.org/ * Images -- we've just posted an incredible series of photos on 'Butt website of the Volvo 70 ABN Amro at speed After looking at these shots you have to wonder how much money the bowman makes: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/abnamro0916/ *Forty two teams from the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, South Africa and 16 U.S. states have converged on Annapolis Yacht Club for the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship in J/22s. Most thought today's practice race would give them a chance to pace against each other, but the wind didn't hold. The race committee subsequently abandoned. Sunday's light winds, with half a knot of current running against it, may be a trend for the next few days. Despite the area's close call with Ophelia, this looks like a quiet week weather-wise for the Chesapeake. -- www.ussailing.org/riwkc * Seventeen boats raced this past week at the Etobicoke YC, Toronto in the Soling NAs. First overall and the 2005 North American Soling Champions are Bill Abbott, Joanne Abbott and Brad Boston ; Second Overall: Hans Fogh, Roger Cheer and John Kerr; Third Overall: Bruce Clifford, Chris Tattersall and Matt Abbott: www.soling.com/results/ShowResults.asp?ID=264 * Liverpool UK -- The ten identical 68ft Clipper racing yachts are designed by Ed Dubois crossed the start line on Sunday headed for Cascais, Portugal on the first of seven legs of the 35,000 mile Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race. Each yacht is sponsored by a different international city including Glasgow (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales), Durban (South Africa), Western Australia, Singapore, Victoria (Canada), Cardiff (Wales), New York (USA), Qingdao (China) and Jersey (Channel Islands). The yachts will visit all of the international sponsoring ports as well as Cascais in Portugal, Salvador in Brazil and Yokohama in Japan. -- www.clipper-ventures.com * Exceptional events, exceptional yachts, and exceptional personalities marked this 7th Edition of Monaco Classic Week - La Belle Classe. A record presence of 5 Class J sail-racers, some 30 Traditional Motor and Sail Yachts, and attendances by Dennis Conner and Brad Butterworth. The Yacht Club de Monaco has anew reaffirmed its vocation to promote the precious nautical heritage that these sometimes hundred-year-old vessels represent by creating the yacht-owners' Club La Belle Classe. For this event, the Yacht Club de Monaco selected 50 yacht-owners from among owners of many very prestigious vessels indeed - they are representative of a dozen nations. * Porto Cervo, Sardinia, ITA -- After three days of adrenaline-rush sailing conditions, the three competing fleets at the Rolex Settimana delle Bocche, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda - Farr 40, Swan 45 and IMS - were unable to sail their last race of the series due to the lack of wind. At 1:50 pm, with rain drenching the crews and a fickle breeze shifting all over the course, the Race Committee decided to abandon racing for all the divisions, including the Farr 40 fleet that was still sailing around the course. -- Complete results: www.regattanews.com / www.yccs.it 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 neither 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. And please save your bashing, whining and personal attacks for elsewhere.) Mark Lammens: Just a comment in support for Peter Commette Re: Yacht Clubs ravaged by Katrina. As a Finn Sailor, I have had the pleasure to compete in Midwinter's, Nationals, North American's, Sugar Bowl, etc at Pass Christian YC, Southern YC and Gulfport YC. The sailing was always amazing but the thing that really sticks out is the incredible hospitality from members from those clubs. People would open their homes for us to visit and eat, and having 30 hungry Finn sailors come over is hospitality at the highest levels. And all they wanted from us was our stories. Watching kids getting airlifted and Southern YC burning on CNN, is very troubling, and I am sure will take a very long time to get back to normal, if ever. This sounds like an amazing initiative to help our sailing friends get things going again. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt? |
