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SCUTTLEBUTT No. 1116 - July 17, 2002Scuttlebutt 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.
OLYMPICS With the operating cost of hosting the Olympics now in the region of $2billion (Summer Games) and $1.5billion (Winter Games), and the number of accredited participants totaling over 200,000, IOC President Dr Jacques Rogge set up the Olympic Games Study Commission to undertake a comprehensive review of all aspects of the Games and to propose changes that will make the world's greatest sporting event more manageable for future host cities and countries. Chaired by Canadian IOC Member Mr. Richard Pound, the Commission began its review of data relating to such matters as accredited participants, finance, technology, marketing, sports venues and facilities, press and broadcasting, which had been studied over the past months since the Commission first met earlier this year in Salt Lake City, prior to the Olympic Winter Games. Particular attention was given to the suggestions received via the IOC web site www.olympic.org where, since May, ideas have been submitted by, amongst others, athletes, sports fans, sports officials and scholars. A full report from the Olympic Games Study Commission will be concluded in time for the 115th IOC Session in Prague, July 2003, with an interim report to be presented at the IOC Executive Board meeting in August this year. Structural and Olympic Charter issues will be discussed at the 114th IOC Session in Mexico in November. Whilst it is possible that some service level ideas could be implemented as early as the Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad in Athens 2004, most of the Commission's recommendations will take effect starting with the Winter Games of Turin 2006, and beyond. - ISAF website, full story: www.sailing.org
VIRTUAL SPECTATOR But at the last America's Cup hardly anyone subscribed to its net coverage. Ditto for other sailing events such as the Volvo Ocean Race. Ditto again for the World Rally. Even the most zealous of sports fans just aren't prepared to pay for sport via the net. Why? Because everyone expects net content to be free. And because the ardent fan wants an experience as close as possible to being there - to almost taste the salt spray as a yacht's bow breaks a wave, and to almost smell the dust of rally cars as their screaming engines tear up the track. Sadly, Virtual Spectator despite its name doesn't come close. It's a fantastic analytic tool to describe the action and tell the background story. But for fans who can't be there, that's a third choice after TV - a medium that delivers sports events much better than the net. - Chris Barton, NZ Herald, full story: www.nzherald.co.nz
POST RACE ANALYSIS The 2002 Edition of the Newport to Bermuda Race presented a great opportunity for record times - and a major challenge to competitors. Normally, racers cross the Gulf Stream at right angles, and spend perhaps a few hours in the central flow. This year, a huge "meander" in the normally eastward-flowing Stream turned it first south, for more than 150 nm, then sharply east for just a bit, and then back north again before resuming eastward flow. The southerly portion offered a 4-5 knot boost in the right direction, but was almost directly opposed to strong southwest winds. When a boat is going with the Stream, but against the wind, big waves pile up and the boats take a pounding. This is fairly common in races up from Miami along the coast, but extremely rare, if not unheard of, in the Bermuda Race. This made for very rough, if fast, sailing and, with strong winds almost all the way, record times. ÊFrom a routing standpoint, the Race presented two major issues: (1) how to handle the low pressure zone moving from the Chesapeake eastward across the rhumbline; and (2) how to take maximum advantage of the Gulf Stream (both the meander and a large warm eddy just north of it), while dodging cold eddies to the south. One needed to route well west of the rhumbline to work the current, but too far west could get one into the very light air associated with the center of the low. The trick was to stay east enough to avoid all but a touch of the low, but end up west enough to head south at the northeast edge of the warm eddy. Full report: www.goflow.com/nb02race.htm
AMERICA'S CUP 2003 OFFICIAL PRODUCT
INDUSTRY NEWS Cruising World is published monthly with a circulation of 155,000. Sailing World, published 10 times a year, has a circulation of 55,000. Included in the transaction are the rights to the sports marketing events the magazines produce, including the National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regattas. - Sailing World website, www.sailingworld.com
NEWS BRIEFS * Almost 400 hundred sailboats in 36 US states, four countries, including the US, New Zealand, the US Virgin Islands, and Canada, and representing 96 yacht clubs and sailing organizations participated in Summer Sailstice 2002 on June 21. While the majority of Sailstice 2002 registrants sailed in Californian waters, sailors from all over the US took advantage of sailing on the longest day of the year.
LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON * From Richard Clark: I am grateful that you published the piece on Negative reporting out of NZ, it shines a much needed light on many things New Zealand. In NZ Sport reigns supreme and is taken very, very seriously. The Sporting journalists live in a crystal world, they can get away with murder and do so, often. Nothing seems to be simply a 'Game', it is a life or death battle and the microscope is turned to the most feverish pitch regarding Rugby, Sailing or any of the major sports Kiwi's excel in. Have a bad day as a National coach, drop a ball as a player, let your rankings slip as a competitor and you are toast on the National stage that is the Media. They say you can tell an Aussie from a Kiwi by the single chip on the Aussie's shoulder whereas Kiwis, yes, you guessed it, have one on each.
CHERYL'S CORNER Cheryl also found a web photo showing the location of a new superyacht marina being constructed at the Viaduct Harbour adjacent to the Prada base. The marina will provide facilities for 14 vessels of 40m to 70m in length. www.nzcupvillage.co.nz/events/news.htm 2003AC website: www.2003ac.com
A DAY SAIL WITH TEAM DENNIS CONNER
BLOKART ANYWHERE ANYTIME
RACE WEEK AT NEWPORT Race Week's unique split format, which accommodated nine classes of handicap-rated boats for four days of racing on the front end, will switch to its one-design mode this Friday and continue through Sunday. Another several hundred racers will descend on Harbour Court for this second part of the regatta, while 53 boats will participate in a distance race Wednesday. Complete results: www.nyyc.org
WEST MARINE PACIFIC CUP The 26 foot double handed entry Moonshine - smallest in the fleet - lost her mast which has been jury rigged. R.B. Ward and Mike Robinson report that they are still in the hunt.
Division leaders on handicap as of July 16:
LASER RADIAL YOUTH WORLDS
STANDINGS:
VIC-MAUI RACE And the long trip down to Maui affected more than the crews working continuously to keep their boats moving. Local arrangement committees, greeting parties, friends and relatives have all had to cool their heels, and in some cases rearrange travel plans, while waiting for the finishers. Final Results: Overall: 1.Mystic 2. Icon, 3. Atalanta. Class winners - A: Mystic, B: Mojo Riding (7th overall); C: Greyhound (8th overall). www.vicmaui.org
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