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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 789 - April 6, 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 and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome. A DIFFERENT FOCUS * Cam Lewis, skipper of the 110-foot catamaran Team Adventure, today announced the names of the two schoolteachers who will join his crew for a "Route of Discovery" transatlantic passage from Spain to the Bahamas. Janet Bradley, 41, from Hamble, Hampshire, England, and Susan Rieck, 50, from Grafton, Wisconsin, USA, were chosen from amongst hundreds of applicants who sought the job through Monster.com, the global online careers site. Bradley is an English and Media Studies teacher at Bridgemary Community School, in Gosport, Hampshire, while Rieck has been a school library media specialist for the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public Schools. Both have extensive sailing experience. Bradley and Rieck will communicate daily from the big catamaran with students on both sides of the Atlantic, using the ship's satellite communications system to transmit written information and digital photographs via the World Wide Web. Betsy Alison, a five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, is also joining the crew and will write a regular column for the team's web page. "It is the mission of Team Adventure to motivate young people to learn and excel, to develop their awareness of the world around them," Lewis said. With this voyage we hope to bring to life for kids the determination and the achievements of Columbus so many years ago." Skipper Lewis is not looking for any sailing records on this voyage, but he and his crew will be concentrating on Columbus' records. Using extensive documentation of Columbus' voyage, the crew and the guest teachers will emphasize similarities and startling changes that have occurred over the intervening 500 years. All of this information will be posted on the Team Adventure website. - Keith Taylor, www.nationalgeographic.com, & www.TeamAdventure.org * The winners of the 29er and male Laser Radial classes in Great Britian's Volvo RYA Youth Championships & Trials will be invited to join the GBR Challenge training programme for a day. These sailors have been chosen, as their classes are not selected for the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2001, they will however form part of the 100 strong Volvo RYA Youth Squad. Peter Harrison "As one of the aims of our programme is to ensure that there are British America's Cup Challenges in the future, we are keen to support youth sailing in the UK. We are delighted to link with the Volvo RYA programme to offer some of their champions the chance to join GBR Challenge for a day." - Mark Bullingham, http://www.gbrchallenge.com/ CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Good on ya!DUBYA, DUBYA, DUBYA THE RACE It was a frustrated Tony Bullimore who confirmed it last night. "We are obliged to sail with whatever wind we get, and it dropped to 2 or 3 knots for a few hours, and now we have a very strong north-easterly blowing across the islands which is causing us a few worries. In any case, in Las Palmas a team is ready to receive the boat and change the part as quickly as possible. The local Yacht Club is on hand to help. Ron Hansford is ready to pounce with the spare part... but not a sail in sight. These whims of the weather couldn't be better for Roman Paszke and his crew (Warta Polpharma) who are still making good progress, although not quite so fast, towards the Rock. They are also beating to weather, and the Poles only covered 247 miles in the last 24 hours. However one can just imagine their satisfaction at having retaken "the lead" in this race. - Mireille Vatine Positions on April 6 @ 030 GMT: Warta Polpharma, 1231.1 nm from finish; Team Legato, 1391.6 nm from finish. - www.therace.org CURMUDGEON'S COMMENT: Team Legato will not be burdened with the minimum 48 hour stopover that applied while the race was still 'official.' LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON leweck@earthlink.net * From: Scott Rohrer jsrohrer@marinersinsurance.com * From: Dick Lemke Dick.Lemke@co.dakota.mn.us * From: Ray Wulff (Proud Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Member)
RWULFF@arinc.com I don't mean to belabor this starting sequence issue, however I'm finding more and more R/C's amending the "official" starting sequence rules than following them to the letter. What we have is a failure to communicate. I say we should draw for anchoring slots and do it La Mans style!!!! * From: Ed Sherman Brewster210@aol.com With this in mind, and realizing the influence I have over my great crew, I think I can choose the right time to encourage them to join and pay the "nominal yearly fee." No arm-twisting, but with good leadership, show them it is their best interest to become a card-carrying member. It does offend me for my governing body to tell me (not ask me) that I can't race unless all our crew are members, but since they have lightened up I will be happy to use my influence to persuade my crew to join and show support. When you think about it, if all your crew become US Sailing members their commitment to the boat will be stronger--like they have a vested interest in activities. * From: Bruce B. Nairn bbnairn@mindspring.com Wouldn't it make more sense to lower the dues and somehow broaden the appeal? By the way, it's $15 bucks for a USGA membership and the rulebook is readily available. They also haven't found it necessary to change the tee marker colors or tee time intervals in the last 100 years. á I have always believed that the change in the anti-barging rule a million years ago launched the "no-fault" demo derby mentality so pervasive today. á I never thought that the racing rules were all that complicated before the crusade to simplify them commenced. The fact that the "new rules" have needed continuous rewrites is pause for reflection. á As to the starting sequence revamp? I don't recall anyone ever pointing out that this was problematic, do you? I feel that the majority of all of this "needed change" is very much to do about absolutely nothing while more important problems in competitive sailing go unaddressed or unresolved. * From Grant Mitchell gpm445@msn.com * From: David White dwhiteme@hotmail.com It is time that US Sailing get a little more stringent on it's give away policies. US Sailing Presidents communication goal is wonderful, but should be restricted to "members". I have several suggestions on how to accomplish this as follows: (1) redesign the web site to give access to major parts to "members only" such as rules, regatta results etc. Promotional material should be left open to anyone. (2) Make membership a condition of receiving a rating certificate - this would automatically make any non one-design racer a member and eliminate the need for regatta personnel to check memberships at registration. (3) Require all one-design classes to require US Sailing membership of their members. If they do not, then their class could not be a member of the One Design Racing Council, and their events not publicized by US Sailing. * From: Ralph Taylor rtaylor@informationtools.com The problem with the present upwards communication is that there are too many filters. The Association isn't hearing clearly from its members and insularity breeds a decision-making vacuum. Once the new rulebook is out, we should ask for a plan to print and distribute the 2004-2007 rules. This need can clearly be anticipated. * From Jim Durden jdurden@ucla.edu Did I order any Christmas cards? I had plenty left over from last year's solicitation. * From: John Alofsin JWrld@aol.com SPONSORSHIP Under the leadership of US Sailing's Championship Committee Chair Brad Dellenbaugh, the Rolex clinic program began taking on a momentum of its own and has contributed to growth in participation at the US Sailing adult regattas. At the first 2001 event - the U.S. Multihull Championship - 20 teams will be provided with a one-day clinic featuring practice races in the Inter 20, a workshop with Inter 20 national champions Nigel Pitt and Alex Shafer (Hartwell, Ga./Eustis, Fla.) and an evening rules seminar, incorporating changes in the new racing rules. New to the 2001 calendar is the Rolex U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship, which evolved from the long-running U.S. Women's Open Championship. Others include: á U.S. MULTIHULL CHAMPIONSHIP: (ALTER CUP) Pensacola Yacht Club, Fla.
(Inter 20) April-22-26 Rolex Clinic More information: www.ussailing.org/ ONE-DESIGN? The T-Ten is a successful offshore one design built in the 80's. Even though the boat has been out of production for nearly 20 years, participation continues to be strong with 42 boats in the 2000 Nationals and 40 plus boats expected for the 2001 Chicago NOOD. LS-Ten Boats Inc. has built a new boat called the LS-10. This boat was molded from an original T-Ten and uses the same sail plan, keel, rudder, standing rigging and running rigging. The boat's deck and interior is cosmetically different than the original boat - it has a deckhouse and an enclosed head. The Tartan Ten class organization wants to conduct a performance evaluation to determine if the LS-10 should be allowed to race on an equal basis with the T-Ten. Anyone with experience or ideas for testing the two similar platforms should contact Ted Mahoney, Tartan Ten Class Association Secretary, mahonetd@earthlink.net Websites: www.tten.com & www.t-tenboats.com TRANSPAC 2001 CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS MATCH RACING United Airlines also announced today their sponsorship of the RYA British Match Racing Championships, which will begin this weekend with the United Airlines RYA British Universities Match Racing Championship in Weymouth. The international event will be the culmination of this program. This follows the announcement earlier this week that the Admirals Cup 2001 will not be held in Cowes this summer. United Airlines was due to sponsor the British Sydney 40 for this event, to be crewed entirely by GBR Challenge sailors. - Mark Bullingham FACTOID THE CURMUDGEON'S ANNOUNCEMENT |
