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SCUTTLEBUTT 1994 -- December 23, 2005Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.SAILING HALL OF FAME Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., announced a formal agreement to establish the National Sailing Hall of Fame in Annapolis. Governor Ehrlich joined Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer; National Sailing Hall of Fame & Museum, Inc., President Buck Buchanan; U.S. Sailing President Janet Baxter; America's Cup champion and television broadcaster Gary Jobson, and other sailing dignitaries to sign a memorandum of understanding that formalized an agreement to establish the museum in Maryland's capital city. In 2004, the National Sailing Hall of Fame & Museum, Inc., was founded with the goal of establishing and fundraising for a National Sailing Hall of Fame that will promote U.S. sailing achievements and educate the public about the sport. In the coming months, NSHOF officials will work with the State of Maryland and the City of Annapolis to establish a permanent lease to acquire the necessary property in Annapolis. The NSHOF will be a multi-site museum with the Natural Resources Police building at Annapolis' City Dock as the main site for the new museum. "This has opportunity written all over it," said Janet C. Baxter, the president of U.S. Sailing, an organization that governs the sport. "It is the opportunity to showcase the sport." The America's Cup Hall of Fame at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, R.I., attracts 10,000 to 15,000 visitors a year, said Norene Rickson, a librarian at the museum. Mystic Seaport, a sprawling sailing center in Connecticut, attracts about 300,000 visitors a year, said Peter Glankoff, a spokesman. "It will inspire sailors and get the youth out there and preserve the history of sailing," said Gary Jobson, an Annapolis-based sailing commentator for ESPN who has been trying to create a sailing hall of fame for years. "It will provide an international sailing landmark for sailing enthusiasts." Jobson added that the Hall of Fame would cement Annapolis' reputation as a sailing capital. Newport, R.I. - another city that often boasts of its sailing - is home to the tennis hall of fame, Jobson noted. Governor Ehrlich has directed the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to work with NSHOF officials to accommodate the permanent establishment of the Hall. Preliminary negotiations have begun to co-locate the NSHOF in the historic building that currently serves as a headquarters for Natural Resources Police. NSHOF President Buchanan also announced that the first exhibits and displays for the museum will be prepared in time for the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race, the round-the-world sailing competition that will return to Annapolis for the third time as paart of a planned stopover in April 2006. Now, however, the Hall of Fame organizers are focused on raising funds for the project. Jobson said he received $81,000 from private businesses and clubs yesterday. But Jobson estimated the hall would need to raise a total of $2 million to refurbish the DNR building. Buchanan said twice that amount would probably be needed. -- www.nationalsailinghalloffame.org SELF IMPOSED SPEED LIMIT In many races, one of the simplest ways to guarantee winning a trophy is to build the biggest, lightest - and therefore theoretically fastest - yacht. It is why the likes of Neville Crichton and Bob Oatley have both built 98-foot super maxis in a bid to win line honours in the upcoming Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. But in this race, bigger is not necessarily better. The unique conditions typically encountered on the 628 mile course from Sydney to Hobart make it extremely difficult to predict a line honours winner. Take last year's race to Hobart, for example, where a heinous sea combined with gale-force winds saw the two biggest maxis - Skandia and Konica Minolta - suffer race-ending breakdowns. At 92 feet long, the slightly smaller Nicorette profited from both the forced retirement of Konica and the capsize of Skandia, leaving the way clear for Ludde Ingvall to reach Hobart first. This was largely due to "Ludde's Tour of Tasmania", the skipper's colourful description of his survival strategy of dodging in and out of almost every cove along the eastern coast of Tasmania, to avoid the worst of the steep-backed waves further out to sea. Ingvall also imposed a speed limit of 8 knots on his go-fast young skiff sailors aboard Nicorette, as it was the only way the brand new boat was going to stay in one piece. Then lo and behold, just a few days after being delivered up to Queensland for some corporate sailing, Nicorette's mast fell down, believed to have been a delayed effect from the severe hammering it had taken during the passage to Hobart. Despite the high damage toll suffered by these three maxis, the same trio are back for another assault on the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Nicorette is on charter to Sean Langman and rebranded as AAPT. Langman says he has added extra bulkheads to the bow section of the 92-footer, the front sections being the part of the boat that bears the brunt of any wave impact. Following the near total destruction of Skandia, Grant Wharington will be back with the same boat after a major refurbishment of the damaged maxi. The Melbourne property developer will also have learned valuable lessons about canting keel technology from his participation in the Volvo Ocean Race, and he is taking time out of this round-the-world adventure to compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, a race that he won with Skandia in 2003. The view around the marina in Rushcutters Bay, where the fleet of 86 yachts are gathering for the Boxing Day start, is that big breeze could be the undoing of the line honours favourites, the near-sisterships Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats XI. The two new Reichel/Pugh Maxis are very new and in the case of Wild Oats in particular, are untested in ocean-going conditions. Recent history in ocean racing speaks against the reliability of canting-keeled yachts, with a spate of accidents in the Volvo Ocean Race, the Vendée Globe and of course in last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart with Skandia's capsize. -- www.regattanews.com GET WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE HOLIDAYS With the holidays coming, you'll be doing a lot of shopping. Here's a way to make sure you get something you want: order a new sail from UK-Halsey. Many of our lofts are giving winter discounts to make this even better. If a new sail isn't in the cards, be sure to check out our on-line store for some essential gifts for your crew and yourself: the Rules Quiz CD, great duffels, apparel, and more. While you're at our site, take the latest racing rules quiz or download free software and read through tons of useful information. http://www.ukhalsey.com MERRY CHRISTMAS T'was the night before Christmas, I swung on the hook With snowflakes a'landing, asleep with my book When up on the deck I heard footsteps and stuff "I've been boarded!" I thought, and I tried to be tough Then down the companionway hatch came a dude He was dressed like a nut and I thought, "I'm so screwed" But he laughed and he hummed as he surveyed my junk So I figured he must be the resident drunk His eyes were lit up like a junkie on speed But he gave me a whole bunch of stuff that I need Like rum and cigars and new charts and a dinghy And some kind of fancy electrical thingy I knew it was stolen but I wasn't telling I just hoped he was giving and wasn't just selling And I poured him a grog which he downed with a wink Then I poured one for me (Lord I needed a drink!) Then he staggered above to the dark snowy night As I peeked I beheld an incredible sight Eight tiny dolphins and a beautiful sleigh And the dude hopped aboard and prepared to make way The dolphins were ready to power the sled But the guy raised a genny and mains'l instead With a burp and a chuckle he gathered the breeze And called to the dolphins, now swimming with ease "Hey Stalker and FEMA and Cancer and Nixon! Or Stinky and Pepper Spray, Mason, and Dixon! Or whatever your names are, you cute little fishes, Here's to every last sailor, my best Christmas wishes!" As he sailed away leaving a wobbly wake I hoped he had not many stops left to make He got close to shore and he soon was aground But the dolphins proceeded to pull him around And I heard him exclaim as he sailed out of sight Happy Christmas to all... and to all a goodnight" MUSICAL CHAIRS The Brasil 1 will release Irish sailor Damian Foxall to the Swedish Ericsson Racing Team. Foxall, a highly experience sailor and veteran of 17 transatlantics and five round-the-world events, will replace Tony Kolb (GER) who recently left the team. As Foxall wasn't sailing with Brasil 1 in the second leg, the Swedes asked the Brasil 1 for the release. "We don't want to change more than two crewmembers for the next leg. So Damian wouldn't be sailing with us before Melbourne anyway. But as Ericsson needed a bowman and Damian is eager to get back on the water we have decided to release him," explained Torben Grael, skipper of the Brasil 1. In November, Foxall suffered a serious accident during the Transat Jacques Vabre. He and French sailor Armel Le Cléac\'h capsized the trimaran Foncia in a storm. Foxall hit his chest hard and had to remain onboard for several hours, awaiting rescue. "Fortunately I didn't break a single bone, just had some bruises but now I am ready to sail. A couple of weeks ago I started weight training and swimming, all I need now is to get back on the boat," celebrated the Irish sailor. Foxall has been in Cape Town since last week and was helping with the Brasil 1's maintenance. This Tuesday, after a team meeting, it was decided that the Irish sailor could join the other team.- www.brasil1.com.br THEY'RE BACK The City of Sails is back on the world sailing scene with the Auckland Match Racing Cup - a ISAF Grade 1 sailing battle which will take place on the Waitemata Harbour this summer. From January 25-29, New Zealand will once again see the world's most talented sailors and skippers in town up. Hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the Auckland Match Racing Cup is the first event on the 2006 international match racing calendar. The race centre will be situated in the former Alinghi base in the Viaduct basin. The event has a lucrative $US100,000 prize pool and looks to be an annual event for the next five years. The ten confirmed skippers and teams are: 1. Sebastian Col, K-Challenge; 2. Chris Dickson, BMW Oracle Racing; 3. Dean Barker, Emirates Team New Zealand; 4. Ed Baird, Alinghi; 5. Bertrand Pace, BMW Oracle Racing; 6. Ian Williams, Great Britain; 7. Mathieu Richard, France; 8. Staffan Lindberg, Finland; 9. Magnus Holmberg, Sweden/Victory Challenge; 10. Cameron Appleton, K-Challenge. - Event website: http://www.aucklandmatchracingcup.co.nz/ NEWS BRIEFS * The Scuttlebutt Polls closed Thursday on who the 'buttheads thought would win the 2005 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award, and the results were very conclusive. Each nominee excelled at some point during the year, and it will be up to Rolex award voters as to how they value these events. View the results and post your comments at: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1339#1339 * The Spanish ferry company Balearia has become the sponsor of the sixth and final event in the Breitling Medcup TP52 Circuit 2006. The second edition of the Breitling Cup TP52 Circuit kicks off in Punta Ala, Italy and then move on to Barcelona. Next is the 12th Breitling Regatta in Puerto Portals in Mallorca and just one week later the Copa del Rey in Palma de Mallorca. Athens, Greece will be the fifth destination for the fleet, and then the Circuit will draw to a close at the Balearia, Ibiza and Formentera Trophy Trophy in Ibiza. -- www.medcup.org * Conrad Humphreys has been awarded an Honorary Master of Science for his achievements in becoming only the fifth British sailor to complete the legendary Vendée Globe. Humphreys thanked the University for its continuing support, making special reference to the departments and faculties that had supported his round the world race. In 1997, Humphreys graduated from the University of Plymouth with a degree in Ocean Science and Meteorology. -- www.conradhumphreysracing.com LIGHTER, FASTER & MORE POWERFUL Words not usually used to describe instrument systems. Ockam is the leader in providing the most accurate real-time data available. The Pentium based Tryad processor combined with an available 3-axis rate stabilized compass paves the way in delivering a stable wind solution that takes the heel, pitch, and roll of the boat into account. With performance and weight in mind, all sensors interface close to their location, allowing the information to stream unimpeded throughout the system's single cable "daisy chain" network. This eliminates heavy multiple cable runs and expensive junction boxes. To learn more, contact Ockam: mailto:lat@ockam.com 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. 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, and personal attacks for elsewhere. For those that prefer a Forum, you can post your thoughts at the Scuttlebutt website: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi) * From Jack Dinelli: Has anyone of those who wrote about the Olympics ever considered that Olympic sailing should reflect the reality of the sport in the world. I can always read proposals about possible event to be included or boats that shall be used at the Olympics; Tornado and 49er are often referred to as the best boats. I have nothing against them, but please consider that they are sailed by far less people than other Olympic Classes (Laser, Finn, 470). The boats sailed at the Olympics shall be a reflection of the sport worldwide; the Olympics should not be used as an excuse to create boats on which forcing the people to sail! It does not work this way. * From Mark Lammens (Re Stuart Streuli's suggestions to modernize the Olympic Classes, make the sport more appealing): Do not assume because a boat is old it is low tech and not modern. In fact, with some classes quite the opposite. These classes were designed exclusively within 'Sailing Parameters'. The laser and the "laser after thought class" the radial, are designed to go on the top of your car and have a mast that can fit in a 12 foot box. Easy to ship, easy to build, easy to charter, and they are everywhere. They are also a bear to sail in breeze. They do not have a tapered mast that responds in a de-powering way to a puff. The Finn and Europe are incredible boats, in fact the same with the Soling, Star and FD. Very "modern", sail properly in strong breezes. Laser and Radial are very popular but certainly not cutting edge modern. They have taken many progressive steps to modernize, but the issue is getting confused. Whether it is the laser or the yet to be designed, 'futuristic Widget 3000' that is being sailed at the Olympics, the challenge (I guess) is to try to make it more interesting for Olympic TV. What about sailing in strong winds, with on-board cameras, and camera boats at the start boats and leeward marks? * From Richard du Moulin: As Commodore of Storm Trysail Club, I have been impressed with the overwhelmingly positive response to IRC in our events in 2005. Through our association with US-IRC and its group of supporting clubs, we believe our efforts will revitalize big boat handicap racing. My boat is a 1984 Carl Schumacher designed Express 37. We are competitive and have done zero optimization. We still carry our 155% overlapping jibs, our pair of checkstays, and retain normal size spinnakers. IRC likes "average" boats, the type most people sail and buy. For most boats, optimization is not necessary, particularly if your boat is "happy" and competitive in its normal form. Measuring your sails for their actual size is zero cost and not optimization, it is common sense-- why be rated for sails as built when they actually shrink each year? The other items- rig and keels- need not be modified for 99% of the boats out there. However, for boats that were optimized in yesteryear for IMS by having very light keels, lots of internal ballast and small chutes-- for them it is better to de-optimize from IMS and setup for IRC . The result will be a faster more fun boat that rates and sails better- upwind and down - and is more stable and seaworthy with the heavier keel. But this is not necessary on boats that were not IMS-optimized. Example- all Beneteaus, all J -boats , and virtually all stock boats fit right in. At the end of the day, it is not the rating rule that makes the sport, it is participation. And around the world, IRC has gotten the fleet out in healthy numbers. * From Chris Mitchell: I think Barry Carroll is right with the points he raises about rating rules and type forming. What gets people fired up is when the rules are constantly being tampered with. If we made the rule simply that boats were limited to so many feet on the waterline, with no other rule or rating considerations we could easily understand it (plus only one hull, safety and self-righting limits). This could immediately lead to a small arms race, but it would settle down and become enduring as there is almost no room to tamper with it. Plus PHRF already covers the other end of the spectrum. Racing bands at 20, 30, 40, 50 feet etc. It would remove all the incentives to create boats that a rating rule thought was slow. Instead the emphasis would go back to producing speed. Then at least the dollars would go into something worthwhile like BSP rather than the just the normal BS. * From Eric Sorensen: Peter Huston's observations on age and talent are attributes which should be promoted in all arenas of fun. Many sports allow for an aging skilled veteran to take down a brilliant youth, just not the ones we see on our nationalized television. Unfortunately for our youth, they have been put on a pedestal and are being told everyday that once they hit 35 or so they will no longer be worthy. Those of us who have pasted that milepost of aging realized it was all smoke and mirrors. The goal of all of us should be to be old and happy. Neither are guaranteed, but sailing really enhances the happiness goal for all of those who I take out for social sails. Sure there are other pursuits that allows for an older competitor but let us, as a society focus on establishing lifetime goals that enhance a positive attitude. Appreciate the little things and the big ones seem to fall in place. * From Peter Willcox: In addition to all the other things he did, Lee Van Gemert is known and will be long remembered by the commercial shipping industry as the man who literally wrote the boat on ship stability for merchant mariners. I guess the book was first published fifty years ago, and is still in use today. * From Dick Enersen: Not to quibble with my lifelong friend John Rumsey with respect to lifeline/ hiking restraint tension on the Melges 24, particularly after looking at the pictures of their Worlds, day 5, in the Scuttlebutt gallery, but I am afraid the issue is analogous, in terms of seamanship, to the canting keel. Both are legal, and quite effective, when working properly, but both produce boats which are quite uncomfortable, and downright dangerous, in conditions which are anything more than moderate. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live. Special thanks to UK-Halsey Sailmakers and Ockam Instruments. |
