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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 836 - June 14 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, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
OFFSHORE SAILING On 23 August 1779, the USS Constitution set sail from Boston, loaded with 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of water, 74,000 cannon shot, 11,500 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum. Her mission: to destroy and harass English shipping. On 6 October, she made Jamaica, took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Three weeks later, Constitution reached the Azores, where she provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 6,300 gallons of Portuguese wine. On 18 November, she set sail for England where her crew captured and scuttled 12 English merchant vessels and took aboard their rum. By this time, Constitution had run out of shot. Nevertheless, she made her way unarmed up the Firth of Clyde for a night raid. Here, her landing party captured a whiskey distillery, transferred 40,000 gallons aboard and headed for home. On 20 February 1780, the Constitution arrived in Boston with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum and no whiskey. She did, however, still carry her crew of 475 officers and men and 48,600 gallons of water. The math is quite enlightening: - Length of cruise: 181 days - Booze consumption: 2.26 gallons per man per day (this does NOT include the unknown quantity of rum captured from the 12 English merchant vessels in November). US Naval historians guestimate the re-enlistment rate from this cruise to be 100%. It also marks the last time the Navy was awarded the EPA Award of Gold Certificate for water conservation.
ORACLE RACING Full story: www.latitude38.com
DOUGLAS GILL $50 "BREATHE EASY" REBATE
FOR THE RECORD "We've extended the yellow period, but have not upgraded any day to Code Green, because we have not yet seen the necessary improvement in wind speed at planned flight levels out of Australia," says Rice. "Speed below 30 knots is not acceptable. Low-speed winds suggest the presence of eddies and other perturbations that might adversely affect trajectory of the balloon. Further, speeds below 30 knots for any substantial duration would prevent the objective of a round the world flight from being met." Solo Spirit Pilot Steve Fossett is en route from California to Australia via the Marshall Islands and will arrive in Kalgoorlie Thursday afternoon, local time. His availability at the launch site eliminates the need to make allowance for two days of travel time from the U.S., thus permitting quicker response to any changes in launch status. - solospirit.wustl.edu
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Alex Pline: The starting scheme discussed by Bill Heintz to have a "warning signal" five minutes before the official "warning" was used for the InterClub nationals (12' slow dinghies) and it was way too long. Even 5 min total is too long for this size boat. For our usual frostbiting we use a 2 min "Ollie" horn. Bottom line, modify the new starting sequence very judiciously based on the fleet size and number of boats! * From Ron McLean: A problem that we encountered with the new starting sequence occurred at the Annapolis NOOD this spring. We were the first class to start and two boats were over early. It seemed that the committee was so worried about the timing of the 4-minute gun and flag for the next class that they were very slow in calling the boats over early. The new system puts the RC in a bit of a pinch trying to get these two tasks done at the same time. Especially with a shorthanded RC. * From Larry Errhart: Flag F also solves your AP problem, since Flag F can be used while AP is still flying, to indicate that in five minutes AP will be lowered. The 'next signal' referred to in the SI is in this instance the lowering of AP. Boats can then be ready to race when AP comes down. Glad you are finding the Flag F idea of use. I am hoping to get our RYA (British equivalent of US Sailing) to submit this use of Flag F to the ISAF Racing Rules Committee, for inclusion in Race Signals. Maybe you could urge US Sailing to do the same. * From Bill Menninger: The new starting system allows the committee the flexibility of spacing class intervals longer apart if the classes are close to the same speed. I agree it takes some getting used to ... but now the only problem is the inconsistency to which it is used and adopted by different yacht clubs. * From Chris Ericksen: What a mess! "AP over F" at American YC..."code flag Foxtrot" at the Royal Thames..."L" in Boston..."ten-minute sequences"..."five-minute sequences"...the three-minute sequences being tried out by some Southern California clubs...clubs using a combination of class flags and class placards ... some clubs using the old System 2. I have yet to see two clubs in my area use the same starting sequence. So much for the one, universal starting system ISAF sought to establish. Personally, I, too, like the new system; but tell me again, what was broke? * From Aaron Kuriloff: I disagree with Seth Siegler's editorialization that prohibiting scholarships in college sailing "keeps things even." Instead, I would assert that denying scholarships to sailors ensures that only the wealthiest can afford to attend a school with a top program - making the ISSA's rules economically exclusionary. Imagine how "even" basketball competition would be if, to make the NCAA finals, players had to pay their own way to Tufts or Harvard. * From John Summers: Apropos of David McCullum's clarification of George Mallory's remarks in 'Butt 835, consider the following from Douglas Phillips-Birt's insightful and too-little-appreciated 1955 book "An Eye for a Yacht". He's speaking mainly of 19th and early 20th century yachting, but I think the observations about the nature of the sport and its splendid uselessness still obtain today: "Yachting was as exclusive, as brilliant, as undemocratic as a Florentine palace. Some of the most original and talented minds in several countries devoted themselves to the creation of the yachting fleets--men who might have reached the top in any sphere of imaginative work . . . Yachting had its roots in wealth, and there is no need to be so fervidly democratic as to condemn it for that reason. Goethe might never have written Faust but for the wealth of a petty German princeling; and the opulence of the Medicis gathered beside the sunny Arno the concourse of brilliant men which included Michelangelo and Botticelli . . . Two sets of people produced it [these yachts]: those who created the most beautiful, the swiftest and the most comfortable sailing craft of their size to which naval architecture has ever attained; [and] those who paid the price for such rare and expensive vessels. It was one more example of the ancient relationship . ... between the artist and the patron." * From Erich Harvey: We, as humans, throughout our lives never stop learning from our own experiences and the experiences of others. It is and always has been a natural part of human existence. Everyone has the capacity for learning it just takes time and practice to apply these lessons. There is no unfair advantage here! However, the use of gene therapy or steroids (that not everyone may have access to, or may cause permanent bodily harm) is not a natural human event. This is considered a cheat because it is generally done as a shortcut, or an alternative to time and practice
YOU'VE GOT MAIL
INDUSTRY NEWS * Henri-Lloyd has been appointed as the Official Outfitter of Technical Marine Clothing, Lifestyle Sportswear, and Accessories to the Oracle Racing Syndicate, challenger for the 2003 America's Cup which will be held in Auckland, New Zealand. Henri-Lloyd will also sell and distribute the Oracle Racing range of products at selected retail stores throughout the world and on a custom website. * Erik Simonson's new 'Camera At Large' website is now up and working, and it's loaded with lots of hot sailing images. www.h2oshots.com
MATCH RACING The action moves to Gargnano, Lake Garda for the Pedrini Centomiglia Cup Grade 1 where Spithill's team will defend last year's title against a field of twelve including seven America's Cup Challengers. - www.blurimini.com
THE CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM |
