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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 588 - June 12, 2000
REBUTTAL
(By Denise MacGillivray, Chair, US SAILING International Women's Keelboat
Championship Committee)
Since the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship was inaugurated
in 1985 with the mission to get more women into keelboat racing, it always
has been the objective of US SAILING's International Women's Keelboat
Championship Committee to enhance the event. Based on an overwhelming
response to our 1999 competitor survey, previous surveys and discussions
with a wide variety of past attendees, it was clear that a majority of the
sailors wanted a change in venue and boat.
As much as the competitors loved Newport, the hospitality of host Ida Lewis
Yacht Club and the facilities at Sail Newport Sailing Center, they felt
that moving to a new part of the country might open doors for new teams.
The basis for changing the boats was more complex.
A majority of the respondents, including virtually all of the foreign ones,
wanted a reduction of crew size and therefore expenses. A very low
percentage; however, favored sailing a J/24 with modified class rules. The
J/22 was the most frequently named alternative.
Granted, there were some owners of J/24s who were adamant about not
changing the boat; however, to have not changed the boat would have been to
ignore the majority. It is our hope that by making these changes 16 months
out, competitors have ample time to properly prepare.
We believe that the decision to sail in J/22s is a positive one. The
Annapolis Yacht Club, which has a large local fleet of J/22s to support the
event, has embraced this championship with overwhelming enthusiasm and has
much to bring to the table in terms of facilities, race management and
hospitality. All the ingredients are in place to maintain this event's
reputation as one of the world's most important women's regattas.
TEAM MADRO WINS SOLING TRIALS
St Francis YC - 2000 Soling World Champions Jeff Madrigali (Novato,
Calif.), Craig Healy (Tiburon, Calif.) and Hartwell Jordan (Piedmont,
Calif.) have won the Olympic Team Trials - Yachting in the Soling class,
securing the last berth on the U.S.A.'s 2000 Olympic Team - Yachting.
After confirmation by the U.S. Olympic Committee (Colorado Springs, Colo.),
the trio will compete in the Olympic Regatta, scheduled for September
16-October 1, in Sydney, Australia.
Racing, on San Francisco Bay, began June 3 with eight teams vying to place
top four in this match race-only series in order to stay alive for the
semi-final round. Madrigali (the '96 Soling Olympic Bronze Medalist),
Healy and Jordan won all 21 of their matches in the preliminary round, and
capped that flawless performance by racking up an additional seven
consecutive wins in the semi-final round. The stage was set for a showdown
with '96 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Ed Baird (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Dean
Brenner (Watch Hill, R.I.) and Tom Burnham (Orange, Conn.).
SEMI FINALS: Jeff Madrigali defeated Mark Mendelblatt, 7-0; Ed Baird
defeated Andy Horton, 7-0.
PETIT FINALS: The Andy Horton team defeated The Mark Mendelblatt team 3-0
FINALS: The Jeff Madrigali team defeated the Ed Baird team 7-5.
For complete results and competitor bios:
http://www.ussailing.org/Olympics/OlympicTrials
FARR 40 WORLDS
Newport, RI - In a highly impressive display of consistency in one of the
toughest regattas of the year, John Calvert-Jones and his mixed team of
Australians and Americans on Southern Star have won the 2000 boats.com Farr
40 World Championship. The World Cup trophy awarded annually to the class'
World Champion will now reside with Calvert-Jones in Sydney, Australia.
A classic Newport smoky sou'wester provided 15-18 knots in the first race,
accompanied by ocean swells and 2- to 3-foot seas. Race managers from the
Storm Trysail Club once again set two, 8-mile windward-leeward courses off
Brenton Reef, and like yesterday, the first race started with several boats
called over early.
Two U.S. entries, Alexis Michas' Phish Food and Mark Bregman's Total
Eclipse, rounded the top mark overlapped after having successfully played
the favored right side of the first beat. At this point, the series' final
outcome was still very much in doubt, because even though Southern Star was
just ahead of John Kilroy's runner-up Samba Pa Ti, the two were well deep
in the pack, as was Vincenzo Onerato's Mascalzone Latino.
By working the shifts and the few available lanes of clear breeze,
Calvert-Jones and tactician Grant Simmer did an amazing job of picking
their way through the pack to climb back into third at the finish, just
behind fellow Aussie Marcus Blackmore in Emotional Hooligan and race winner
Phish Food, and only moments ahead of rival Samba Pa Ti.
The stage was now set for Southern Star, but it was still not over. Samba
lurked only seven points back, and in Calvert-Jones' words, "If you're not
off the start line, you're dead." The wind abated to 14-16 knots, with
oscillations keeping the tacticians busy. Once again, Simmer picked the
correct sides, rounding the top mark third behind two U.S. entries,
Phillippe Kahn's Orion and 1998 World Champion Jim Richardson on Barking
Mad, with Samba three places back.
Throughout the remainder of the race, Southern Star sailed not just to
cover Samba, but to try and hold its position in the highly competitive
fleet. Only Richard Marki's Raging Bull got on the final run to finish
behind Orion in second, but a fourth place by Southern Star was more than
good enough to win the World Cup. - Dobbs Davis
FINAL RESULTS: 1 Southern Star, John Calvert-Jones, (60) 2 Samba Pa Ti,
John Kilroy, (71) 3 Atalanti, George Andreadis (88) 4 Barking Mad, Jim
Richardson, (93) 5 Solution, John Thompson (98) 6 Mascalzone Latino,
Vincenzo Onorato (100) 7 Invicta-Nerone, Mezzaroma/Migliori, (101) 8 Orion,
Philippe Kahn, (103) 9 Phoenix, Eduardo Ramos (105) 10 Bit of Coup, Tony
Buckingham (110).
Daily releases, photos, and complete results: http://www.farr40.org
EUROPE 1 NEW MAN STAR
The Class One multihull fleet is still pushing to break the Europe 1 New
Man STAR record of 10 days, 9 hours. But the fleet is starting to get worn
down by the grind of the North Atlantic. Both Alain Gautier (Foncia) and
Franck Cammas (Groupama) are reporting problems with their auto-pilots.
That means a lot of hand steering, and even less sleep for already tired
bodies and minds. That will make it harder to concentrate on weather
routing and strategy as the race enters its critical final phase.
The race has proven to be quite a 'rig testing laboratory.' So far, four
masts have failed the test. Ross Hobson's hopes came to an abrupt on
Thursday night when his carbon wing mast crashed over the port side. "I was
sailing along with four reefs and a staysail in 35-40 knots from the north
and heading due west making 9-10 knots without any problems," said an
exhausted Hobson. "There were line squalls coming through every 10-20
minutes. One came through clocking 55 knots and then 'Bang' - the mast blew
up."
Lalou Roucayrol (Banque Populaire) has been picked up by a cargo container
ship, the American flagged Sealand Quality, and is in good health.
Initially his upturned trimaran seemed to be safe enough to live on until a
salvage tug arrived. His team in Paris spent the day trying to mobilise a
private rescue to this effect. But late in the afternoon, it became
apparent that the starboard float, which had detached from the trimaran
causing the capsize in the first place, was beginning to severely damage
the centre hull. Roucayrol re-assesed the situation and decided that he
wasn1t going to survive the two day wait for a tug from the Canadian East
Coast. The Halifax Rescue Services, informed all day about the situation,
were asked to put in place an evacuation plan.
The rest of the Class One fleet faces a titanic struggle in the days ahead.
Both the multihull and monohull fleets are approaching a huge patch of
ocean littered with icebergs - and the skippers will need all their powers
of concentration to pass through intact. The problem is broken up pack ice
that is drifting South on the Labrador Current. The ice is further South
than usual (as far as 41 degrees North latitude), and the pack of icebergs
spotted from the air is between 250 and 300 miles wide. Larger icebergs
will show up on radar, but the smaller ones (growlers) won1t and they1re
the real danger for these sailors. The multihull fleet is already sighting
icebergs.
CLASS ONE MULTIHULLS: 1. Francis Joyon 'Eure et Loir' (849 nm to finish) 2.
Alain Gautier, 'Foncia' (908) 3. Franck Cammas, 'Groupama' (925)
CLASS ONE MONOHULLS: 1. Ellen MacArthur 'Kingfisher' (1446) 2. Roland
Jourdain 'Sill Beurre le Gall' (1448) 3. Michel Desjoyeaux, 'PRB' (1516)
For more information: http://www.europe1newmanstar.com/uk
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net)
Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250
words max) and to exclude unfounded speculation or personal attacks. This
is not a chat room. You only get one letter per subject, so give it your
best shot and don't whine if people disagree.
-- From Rick Hatch - I surmise that a change from six person teams on
J-24's to three person teams on J-22's may be a well intended attempt to
reduce the cost for a foreign team (with fewer crew) to travel to the
event, and to simplify the host club's challenge of billeting so many.
If that is the major reason for the change of boat, there's a workable
solution to the problem. Write the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions
to specify a maximum crew of five (not six; J-24's are crowded with five!)
and lower the weight limit to something like 300 kg. The SI's could
include a provision that, when a certain code flag is displayed on the RC
vessel (in the discretion of the P.R.O., because, sustained wind speeds
were to be above "x" knots true), the use of genoas upwind and spinnakers
downwind would not be permitted and, possibly (I've never done this on a
J-24 so I don't know whether the boat would be sufficiently balanced)
genoas could not be poled out; if the wind then dies out after such flag is
displayed, the RC could always abandon the race.
Mind you, with a combined crew weight limit of 300 kg. or so, I wouldn't
expect any WNBA players or former U. of Washington rowers from the "Mighty
Mary" team would be participating.
-- From Chris Ericksen - Re Kristen Lane's Guest Commentary in 'Butt #587:
her point that "the simple fact that, except for one fleet in Washington
State, there are no organized fleets of J/22s on the West Coast" and that
"competitors from the West Coast are now at a strategic disadvantage
compared to their East Coast counterparts" is the most telling point, as
was a similar sentiment in a letter from Diana Weidenbacker.
Yet this is surely not news: it is just another Thoughtless decision by
the people at US SAILING who seem completely unaware of what classes are
sailed where in the country and especially on the West Coast (or, in this
case, not on the West Coast).
What US SAILING fails to recognize is that the relative merits of the boats
are completely beside the point: what matters is the general availability.
Whether a J/22 is more suitable for all-woman crews is not the point:
what is the point is that J/22's do not have the distribution that J/24's
have. A similar thing is happening this year in the Adams Cup regatta,
which will be sailed here in Southern California in Etchells; while the
distribution is somewhat more general in that class, there are areas of the
country where Etchells are not sailed, and women from those areas will be
as disadvantaged as West Coast women will be in J/22's.
So, while I am happy that Jessica Lord and her Northern Michigan sisters
are having a great time sailing their J/22's, I wish US SAILING were more
thoughtful about what women are sailing elsewhere in the country when
selecting championship boats.
-- From Julie Wiard - I agree with Kristen Lane that the US Sailing's
Women's Sailing Committee erred in its decision to change the boat for the
RIWK from a J/24 to a J/22. I own a J/24 on the West Coast and have been
training with an all Women's crew in preparation for the 20001 Rolex. Since
there is not a J/22 fleet in San Francisco, my team will not be able to
compete at a level of the competitors that have access to them. Since we
had planned on trailering my J24 to Annapolis, our cost would have been
fairly minimal. Now our cost to compete has nearly tripled with the charter
cost of a J/22 and the time/cost of finding a J/22 to practice on, as well
as knocking out most of the West Coast competitors.
-- From Donna Womble - In regards to Kristen Lane's GUEST COMMENTARY, for
the record, there is another fleet of J/22's racing on the West Coast; we
are a new and growing fleet in Monterey Bay. I, for one, agree with the
decision to use J/22s instead of J/24s in the RIWK Championships. I think
the J/22 is a better boat for Women crews.
INTER-COLLEGIATE DINGHY CHAMPIONSHIP
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (June 9, 2000) - After 36 races over three days of
competition, St. Mary's College, represented by the Seahawks sailing team,
beat out 17 other colleges to win the Inter-Collegiate Yacht Racing
Association (ICYRA) North American Dinghy Championship, taking home the
prestigious Henry A. Morss Trophy. The event, the last of three annual
ICYRA North American Championships run back-to-back and likened to the
Super Bowl of college sailing, was hosted by the U.S. Merchant Marine
Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. With each college fielding A and B division
teams comprised of a skipper and one crew, racing took place on Western
Long Island Sound, just off the Academy's waterfront campus. Each division
completed 18 races and combined low-point totals to determine overall
finishes for the colleges.
"In terms of conditions, this is the first time in recent years that we've
had strong breezes for the dinghy championship," said ICYRA President Mike
Horn (Cobalt, Conn.). "The second day was cold and rainy with a northeast
wind of 15-22 knots. The wind on the other days was more moderate but still
challenging."
Heading into the final three races of the series, St. Mary's trailed leader
Hobart/William Smith Colleges by a mere one point. Hobart slipped into
second overall after posting finishing positions of 7-9-17 to the St.
Mary's posting of 3-2-16. It would be the first-ever victory for St.
Mary's in the 63-year history of the ICYRA Coed Dinghy event and the second
time in as many weeks that the team snatched a 2000 ICYRA North American
title for its own. (St. Mary's also had won this year's ICYRA/Ronstan
North American Team Race Championship.)
Leading the charge for St. Mary's in A division, raced in Vanguard 15s, was
senior skipper Anthony Kotoun (St. Thomas, USVI) with crew Rob Kotler
(Annapolis, Md.) and alternate Ali Sharp (Gatlinberg, Tenn.) Kotoun took
home the Robert Allen, Sr., Trophy, awarded each year to the winning
skipper in A division. Racing a Flying Junior to fourth overall in B
division was senior skipper Ty Reed (Ocean Beach, Calif.) with crew Molly
Curtiss (Lake Forest, Ill.) and alternates Danny Oletsch (Sarasota, Fla.)
and Ali Sharp. - Barby MacGowan
FINAL RESULTS: 1. St. Mary's College, St. Mary's City, Md., (192) 2.
Hobart/William Smith College, Geneva, N.Y., (203) 3. University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, Calif., (220) 4. Harvard University, Cambridge,
Mass., (234) 5. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va., (248)
Full results: http://www.collegesailing.org
FOR THE RECORD
* Grant Dalton and Bruno Peyron on board the maxi-catamaran Club Med
(33.50m) have just set a new world 24-hour speed sailing record, during
their attempt to beat the East-West Atlantic crossing between Cadiz (Spain)
and San Salvador (Bahamas), one of the qualification courses for The Race.
This record previously set by the American Steve Fossett (580 miles) in
March 99 was literally smashed in the early hours of this morning by the
maxi-catamaran Club Med breaking for the very first time the 600 mile
barrier, realising exactly 625.7 miles (1158 km) over the 24 hours, at an
average speed of 26.07 knots. This new record should be ratified by the
official body, the W.S.S.R.C. (World Speed Sailing Record Council).
Club Med had a 256 mile lead over the reference time for the Cadiz/San
Salvador record realised by the title holder Jet Services V in December
1988. Within the next few hours Club Med should be entering the Azores high
pressure area before descending on a direct heading for the Bahamas. The
rest of the course could be more complex because the boat will have to tack
in the trade wind.
* Frenchman Philippe Monnet, skipper of Briand Open 60 UUNET has set a new
round the world singlehanded record for against the prevailing winds and
currents - 151 days, 19 hours, 54 minutes and 36 seconds. This breaks the
former record of Briton Mike Golding by ten days.
http://www.70degreesouth.com/
* Steve Fossett, the skipper of PlayStation, weaved between a 1,587 strong
fleet as cruising dayboats jostled with Olympic sailors in the largest and
most popular yacht race of its type in the world - the 64th Hoya Round the
Island Yacht Race. Fossett led the fleet around the island and completed
the 50 nautical mile course well outside record pace in 5 hours, 45 mins
and 16 seconds. "It was an enjoyable race, we never got becalmed, but I
think we were too optimistic about the record-breaking conditions," said
Fossett.
Website: http://www.fossettchallenge.com/
CARNAC INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
YACHT CLUB DE CARNAC - Three more really close races brought this, the
second 18 foot Skiff international regatta to be organised by the Yacht
Club de Carnac, to an exciting conclusion with victory in the 24-boat fleet
going to "US Challenge", sailed by Howie Hamlin, Mike Martin and Andy Zinn.
The Bay of Quiberon looked at its sparkling best in glorious sunshine, and
made a wonderful background to the colourful 18 footers, with a breeze that
built from force 3 to force 4 during the afternoon. The "AMP Centrepoint"
team of John Winning, Euan McNicol and Jack Young, who won the world title
in Sydney at the beginning of January, started the day well by taking the
first race, but the Southern Californians responded by winning the
remaining two, giving them an emphatic overall victory with four first
places in the nine heat series. They had achieved a remarkable consistency,
and were able to discard a sixth place and the twelfth from the heavy air
race on Tuesday, when they capsized while in the lead.
Complete results: http://www.uk18footer.org/
VOLVO LAKE CONSTANCE MATCH RACING REGATTA
(Event four on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Tour.)
Lake Constance, Germany - Australian skipper Neville Wittey, and Frenchman
Luc Pillot are both 1 - 0 up in the first-to-win-three race semi-final of
the Volvo Lake Constance 2000 Match Racing Regatta. With light and fickle
winds again disrupting the schedule, they will have to wait until Monday to
continue their battle for places in the final, in this fourth event on the
Swedish Match Tour.
Wittey is facing French America's Cup skipper Bertrand Pace, while Pillot
is matched against the up-and-coming young Dane, Jesper Radich Johansen.
Both took control of the one semi-final race sailed, on the start line, and
then hung on to their advantage through difficult conditions.
Both skippers won their way through to the semis by beating more fancied
opponents in the quarter finals. Neville Wittey downed America's Cup
skipper, and fellow Australian, Peter Gilmour 2 - 0, while Luc Pillot
inflicted a similar defeat on Sweden's Magnus Holmberg.
Gilmour was second on the Swedish Match Tour scoreboard after the first
three events, but is likely to drop a place or two after his poor result at
this regatta. Also likely to be knocked off the top rung of the ladder are
Team New Zealand, skippered by Hamish Pepper at this event, finishing in
sixth place.
Conditions on Lake Constance were mostly light and shifty, making life very
difficult for the competitors, and throwing a larger than normal element of
luck into the series. The regatta concludes on Monday, with the remained
of the semi-finals to be completed, and then the finals. - John Roberson
RESULTS: Group B quarter final Luc Pillot (France) beat Magnus Holmberg
(Sweden) 2 - 0 Neville Wittey (Australia) beat Peter Gilmour
(Australia) 2 - 0
Standings in the first to win 3 race semi-finals Neville Wittey (Australia)
leads Bertrand Pace (France) 1 - 0 Luc Pillot (France) leads Jesper
Radich Johansen (Denmark) 1 - 0
Minor placings 5. Magnus Holmberg (Sweden) 6. Hamish Pepper (New
Zealand) 7. Karol Jablonski (Poland) 8. Peter Gilmour (Australia) 9.
Andy Green (Britain) 10. Kelvin Harrap (New Zealand) 11. Tomislav Basic
(Croatia) 12. Jes Gram-Hansen (Denmark)
THE CURMUDGEON'S QUOTATIONS
"The dreamers of the day are dangerous men for they may act upon their
dreams with open eyes to make their dreams possible." - T.E. Lawrence
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