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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 575 - May 23, 2000AMERICA'S CUP NEWS - Lots of it!* Excerpt from a story by Suzanne McFadden in the NZ Herald: Defectors Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth could take their glory boat, NZL32, with them to the waters of Lake Geneva as they begin a new America's Cup life in Switzerland. The ex-Team New Zealand leaders - bound for a new partnership with Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli - will take the Kiwis' design secrets in their heads, but may also have something more concrete. Black Magic I, the boat that won the 1995 Cup, will be leased out to the highest bidder to boost the Team New Zealand coffers. Bertarelli has expressed an interest in chartering the boat - in fact, that was how he initially contacted Coutts when he was in Switzerland last month. Coutts said yesterday that he would talk to Team New Zealand boss Tom Schnackenberg about the possibility. "I'm all for cooperation agreements that help both parties," he said. "If it suits Team New Zealand, let's do it. It's win-win." After flying in at 5am yesterday, Coutts is bound for Switzerland again in a couple of days. He wants to be there when Bertarelli launches the new syndicate in Geneva on Friday. Little has been revealed about the campaign, other than that Bertarelli - personal wealth $US4 billion - will provide the dollars. But Coutts was adamant it would not have an unlimited budget, like Prada had for the 2000 Cup. "The budget is tight, real tight. Mr Bertarelli didn't get where he is today by being foolish with his money," he said. "But we are going to have adequate funds and be competitive with the others." Coutts will be skipper and pull a multi-national team together. It brought back memories of starting up Team New Zealand in 1992, beginning from scratch with just five people. "Mr Bertarelli is an international player. He's not restricted by the boundaries of running a challenge in Switzerland," he said. That seemed to be his parting advice to Team New Zealand yesterday. Coutts reckoned the Kiwis should look across the seas for crew and designers to bolster the team in the wake of defections. "Team New Zealand will again have to look at more innovative solutions. Not only should they be concentrating on keeping people, they should also be sourcing people from offshore. This is a world game, there are other teams not limiting their opportunities to one country." McFadden's full story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/ * Excerpt from a story by Ivor Wilkins for Quokka Sports: Former Team New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts flew into Auckland today and confirmed he would be heading a new syndicate for Swiss pharmaceuticals billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli. Coutts was assured and confident, coolly facing the media and confirming that money played a big, but not exclusive, role in his decision. He refused to disclose details of the deal, or to comment on rumors that he would receive about US$5 million. "The financial consideration was a factor," he said, "but there was much more to it than that." In a separate announcement today, Bertarelli confirmed that he has signed an agreement with Coutts to form a syndicate to compete for the 2003 America's Cup. "I'm delighted to be working with Russell," said Bertarelli. "Having won the last two America's Cup competitions, Russell's skill is undisputed. I am confident that together we will build a powerful team to bring the America's Cup to Europe. This is only the first step in a very exciting process." Bertarelli, 34, is CEO of the leading global biotechnology company Ares-Serono S.A. He has an estimated net worth of US$3.9 billion, according to the 1999 Forbes 400 list. Coutts confirmed that he and Brad Butterworth, Coutts's long-standing tactician, had been destined for management roles in Team New Zealand, but the Swiss deal puts them back in the hot seat, driving America's Cup yachts into battle against the best in the world. "Maybe Billy and I are not too old to compete in this game," he said, using Butterworth's nickname. "I am very excited about being back in the game." The announcement on Friday that Coutts and Butterworth were quitting Team New Zealand has polarized opinions in New Zealand. There has been outrage, with some of their former teammates branding them as traitors. But there has also been a more philosophical public reception; people seem to be accepting the decision. Coutts said he was not surprised by the negative reactions, but said he wouldn't do anything differently. "I have contributed more to Team New Zealand than I am taking away," he said, and spoke of the years he had put into sailing with little financial reward in the early days. "I have no complaints about where I was with Team New Zealand," he said. "Financially, we have done well. I might have made a different decision if I was 26 years old or 55," said the 38-year-old Coutts, choosing as his examples the ages of Dean Barker and Tom Schnackenberg, both of whom have elected to stay with Team New Zealand. "At this stage of my career, I am thinking about what happens next - how long I will be competitive in this game and how long it is going to be before I retire." Wilkin's full story: http://sailing.quokka.com/stories/05/QCMa4sail_s_coutts0522_WFC.html * Excerpt from a story by Tim Jeffery in the UK's Daily Telegraph: As the only man to skipper a yacht to Cup victory and hold an Olympic gold medal, Coutts could have had the pick of the tycoons now sensing the America's Cup is a property worth buying into. They include Geneva banker Pierre-Oliver Essig; the Benetton family, L65 million the richer for selling their Formula One team to Renault; and fellow Italians Patrizio Bertelli and his wife Miuccia Prada, backers of the Prada campaign, who have around L220 million between them. But even these titans are put in the shade by two Americans. Craig McCaw, the telecommunications magnate, the 10th richest man in the US, was the first to target TNZ's finest. His next big project is Teledesic, a joint venture with Bill Gates, of Microsoft, which plans to launch a 200-plus satellite system in orbit. Competing against McCaw is the comparably wealthy Larry Ellison, chairman of Oracle software, with whom designer Bruce Farr and skipper Chris Dickson, a one-time rival of Coutts, are being linked. Jeffery's full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=001648423620749&rtmo=V6868JSK&atmo=99999999 &pg=/et/00/5/23/soyots23.html CURMUDGEON COMMENT: Jeffery is not the only one speculating that Larry Ellison is about to become an AC player. Recent reports in the NY Times, the NZ Herald and the Quokka website have also mentioned the Oracle billionaire in that role. PLAYSTATION Steve Fossett's Maxi Catamaran PlayStation with her crew of 13 passed the TransAtlantic finish line at Lizard Point, Cornwall, UK at 1314 GMT today, completing 7 ? days of high speed sailing in a wide variety of conditions and seas - including traversing the Newfoundland ice fields (total passage time 181 hours 38 mins 6 secs after leaving New York harbour). Although failing to break the extraordinary 10 year old Atlantic record (6 d 13 h 3 m 32 s - Jet Services V), Fossett was upbeat. "We learned a great deal about improvements we want to make in terms of sails and rigging - as well as living on the boat. We will spend the next few weeks making repairs and modifications - and then we will make another record attempt - either on the Atlantic or a British based record." As an added bonus, PlayStation's passage time was only 15% over the existing record time, well inside the 125% qualifying standard set for 'The RACE' around the world starting 31 December 2000. Website: http://www.fossettchallenge.com/ LIFE ABOARD PLAYSTATION (Following is an excerpt of comments made by crewman Chuck Hawley.) Steering PlayStation is work, both mentally and physically. She has a heavy helm (no wonder with two enormous rudders separated by 55 feet of connecting rod.) The helmsman stands about 2' above the cockpit so that he can see the instruments, sails, and waves. You don't toss the wheel over cavalierly as you can on a 50-foot monohull. It really loads up with pressure, and two parallel hulls don't exactly want to spin on a dime. We generally reach up until the apparent wind builds a few knots, then gently bear off as the boat accelerates. If you are lucky, you can start at about 20 knots, and build speed to 26 or 28 in the troughs of the waves. Then as the wind appears to die, you gently nudge her back up into the wind for another cycle. The best drivers (Brian and Gino are very good) don't 'S' the boat back and forth, but manage to hit high speeds all the time while keeping the boat heading downwind. Stan's performance software notes every minute variation in wind strength, heading, boat speed, etc. so he can counsel you after your steering stint and give some helpful comments. Speaking of the crew, the guys are both modest and very accomplished (sort of the inverse of the author!) In various conversations you'll hear tales of the World's major sailboat races including the America's Cup, Admiral Cup, Mini TransAt, Vendee Globe, OSTAR, Newport-Bermuda, Bermuday One-Two, etc. They are so comfortable doing whatever needs doing on board that there is no hesitation to go up the rig, take apart some mechanism, splice the trampoline, etc. They would be a delight to sail with anywhere. I am acclimating to the boat, but the hardest thing to get used to is the condensation. This boat rains at night, and it comes solely from condensation on the interior. As a result, the sole is always wet, and the berths are wet, and the head is wet, etc. This is more of a problem at night, but nothing ever quite dries out. The best "room" in the house is the drying locker which is right at the companionway. About the size of a standard clothes closet, this locker has a force air heater which blows toasty air into the locker. A person can fit inside, and while claustrophobic, it feels better than a hot tub after a day of skiing. Boots, foul weather gear, gloves, hats, and all sorts of stinky, sweaty, and soaked gear are hung up to dry. - Chuck Hawley Hawley's full comments: http://www.fossettchallenge.com/ LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (leweck@earthlink.net) Letters selected to be printed are routinely edited for clarity, space (250 words max) and to exclude personal attacks or irresponsible statements. 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 Larry Suter (edited to our 250-word maximum) - Looking at the 470-49'er-Finn comments one only has to ask top international coaches and Sailing Federations which class they think should be eliminated with the inclusion of Women's Match Racing and keeping the disciplines at eleven. The basic feeling is that the 49'er is very expensive and a boat with a narrow wind range and angle (they cannot reach). 49'ers are not sailed in light air or heavy air or in waves and because they cannot reach, have to be sailed on windward-leeward courses rather than the more efficient trapezoid courses. To quote June 2000's Sailing World, "The skiff concept has been pushed at the highest levels as a way to bring more excitement and press interest to sailing. But even with the inclusion of the 49'er in the Olympics, this has not happened. Having coached 49'ers, Tornados, 470's and Stars, I believe that the skiff is a very limited boat and the higher speed concept should be toward catamarans (Tornado, and A Class single-handed) types) which are fast in light and heavy winds, can sail in waves, and reach, while staying upright and together. The Keel Boats, while slow are what the people with the money (read that sponsors and donors) sail and have empathy for (note the re-inclusion of the Star into the Olympics), while relating the match racing to the America's Cup, and the 470, being a more familiar, traditional centerboarder, is fast, challenging and cost effective. LIPTON CUP - Hawaii Sailed in 16 to 20 knots and blue skies the Kaneohe Yacht Club won the Lipton cup from the defending Hawaii Yacht Club in three races over two days. Going into the final race today the three clubs were tied at 4 points each. Kaneoh 3 -1, Hawaii 2 - 2 and the Waikiki Yacht Club 1-3. The final corrected time put the Kaneohe YC in first by 4 seconds over the Waikiki Yacht Club. Les Vasconcellos sailed for the Hawaii Yacht club, Mike Rothwell for the Waikiki Yacht Club and John Myrdal Sr. for the Kaneohe Yacht. - Michael Roth LIPTON CUP - Southern California San Diego YC still hasn't posted the skipper's names or the official results on their website, but we found photos and these results at: http://www.sdsailing.com/: 1 Hotspur, San DiegoYC (13 points) 2. Whistler, Balboa YC (22) 3. Kathmandu, Coronado YC (30) 4. Wings, Santa Barbara YC (36) 5. Ricochet, California YC (36) TEAM RACING SAN FRANCISCO - The Treasure Island Sailing center hosted 11 teams this past weekend for the 2000 Team Race Pacific Coast Championships. 68 Races were completed in 12 Vanguard 15's. Breeze ranged from 5-12 knots with temperatures hitting the upper 80's. A single round robin was completed with the top three teams receiving automatic bids to the final four. The remaining 8 teams squared off in a single elimination bracket competing for the final spot in the final four. The event was won by the University of Southern California Trojan's. - Shane Wells 1. Dalton Bergan/Katie Clausen & Daniel Meade/Jessica Amen & Colin Campbell/Lucas Floetta,. 1st Round Robin - 8 wins/2 Losses, Automatic bid to Final four Final Four Bracket- 4W/0L 2. Nick Adamson/Chelsie Wheeler & Dave Houser/Louise Sherman & Charles Meade/Linda Fousek, 1st Round Robin - 6 wins/4 Losses, Sudden Death Bracket Winner - 3 W/0 L Final Four - 2W/2L 3. Scott Sellers/Jill Norris & Mike Zani/Mike Huang & Shane Wells/Melissa Purdy, 1st Round Robin - 9 wins/1 Loss, Automatic bid to Final four Final Four Bracket- 0 W/2 L 4. John A. Meade/Betsy Carmichael & Daniel Zimbaldi/Adrienne Stoltz & Steve Kleha/Katie Gregg, 1st Round Robin - 7 wins/3 Losses, Automatic bid to Final four Final Four Bracket- 0 W/2 L 5. Jesse Andrews/Jordan Korss & Jimmy Wadsworth/Gillian Jayson & Dana Moore/Alex Silverman, 1st Round Robin - 4 wins/6 Losses, Sudden Death Bracket Runner Up - 2 W/1 L QUOTE / UNQUOTE "This isn't a world war out there - it's a sporting contest." - Russell Coutts NZ Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ac2000/ CALENDAR * June 2-4, Sailing World NOOD, Bayview Yacht Club - Sailors from eight states and Canada will compete in 18 classes. http://www.sailingworld.com * October 21-22, US Sailing Judges Seminar and Test presented by Tom Farquhar at the Newport Harbor YC. For information write Dave Neal, 2878 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA 92106 STARTING LINE LESSONS (Following is a brief excerpt from a story sailing coach Zack Leonard wrote for the Sailnet website about getting off the starting line.) Follow these simple rules to be sure your boat is moving at full speed at the start and throughout the first half of that initial upwind leg: - It's important for novice sailors to find a clear, comfortable spot on the starting line. Before the start, groups of boats typically sail back and forth just below the line. If you aren't careful, you can get trapped between boats, and this will dictate that you approach the line caught up in this group-not a good place to be. When you sense that you are becoming surrounded, try to tack or jibe to get to a spot with clear air. - Once you have found a less-populated spot, make sure you've got enough space so that you can accelerate to full speed by the time you hit the line. (In Part Two, I'll discuss using a line site as a way of knowing where you are relative to the starting line.) Be careful not to set up too close to the line, but remember that it takes time to bring your boat to full speed. On most boats, if you set up three or four boatlengths from the line with 40 seconds to go, you should have adequate distance to accelerate to full speed before the gun goes off. - In the final 30 seconds before the start, try to create as much space as possible between you and the next boat to leeward. Then ramp-up your boat speed and hit your line sight at full speed when the countdown hits zero. The real estate you create to leeward in the final 30 seconds is space that will allow you to sail fast after the start. With room to leeward, you can foot off to build speed if you're hit by a bad wave or get slowed by a lull. - Zack Leonard, SailNet website Full story: http://www.sailnet.com/collections/racing/index.cfm?articleid=leonar006 KIWI QUESTIONS - As seen in a NZ Herald cartoon Q: What's a pound of Butter worth? A: A few million Swiss francs. Q: How did they Russell Coutts? A: It was a Swiss rustler. THE CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATIONS Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience. |
